The Last Place Hero’s Return - Chapter 119

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 119. Intermission – Individual Consultation (1)
Had this been an ordinary educational institution, the final break would have begun the moment the end-of-term evaluation concluded.
But Reynald Hero School maintained a peculiar schedule: approximately two weeks of what they called the “Final Evaluation Period.”
In essence, all regular coursework had ended, yet until the results were announced, Candidates were forbidden from returning home or taking leave—they had to remain obediently at school.
The reason for this inefficient system was straightforward.
‘It wasn’t as though we were simply matching predetermined answers.’
Party scores could be divided based on results alone, but the bonus points awarded through individual Party contribution required extensive deliberation to determine who performed better or worse.
If it were merely a matter of time consumption, that would be one thing.
But since evaluators often had to summon Candidates directly during assessment to hear additional explanations about the circumstances at hand, there was no choice but to keep them confined within the Academy.
‘Which is precisely why this period is the most leisurely time of the entire semester.’
The final evaluation was over, and there were no classes.
During the Final Evaluation Period, Candidates typically gathered in small groups to plan how they’d spend their upcoming break.
‘As for me, I actually prefer it—I can focus on training without distraction.’
Today, as always, I’d risen at four in the morning, completed my mana cultivation and basic physical conditioning, and headed toward Yuren’s Private Training Ground.
Normally, I would have sparred with Yuren to warm up lightly.
“…Yuren?”
“….”
He turned his head sharply as though he couldn’t see me at all.
His tightly sealed lips and cold, distant gaze radiated an unmistakable aura of anger.
“I already apologized for not telling you beforehand.”
I approached him with an awkward expression, and Yuren narrowed his eyes before turning to face me.
“…I told you everything without hiding anything from you, Dale.”
Yuren continued, his expression petulant.
“But you hid the blessing from me. You only told Iris. You keep doing reckless things alone. You only told Iris. You said we should rely on our Party members, yet when danger came, you didn’t depend on anyone—you only told Iris.”
“….”
It seemed like three of his six reasons for being angry were overlapping.
“Regardless! If you had such a blessing, you should have told me beforehand!”
Watching Yuren cry out with his expression thoroughly indignant, I offered a bitter smile.
“I’m sorry.”
“…You really mean it?”
“Yes.”
“Then you won’t hide anything from me from now on?”
“That’s….”
I trailed off with an awkward expression, and Yuren’s face hardened visibly.
I exhaled a sigh and continued.
“I can’t tell you everything right now, but I promise I’ll tell you everything someday.”
“…Before Iris.”
“What?”
“Tell me before you tell Iris.”
“….”
Yuren stood with his arms crossed, giving me a subtle wink, and I couldn’t help but let out a quiet laugh.
“Got it.”
“Ahem. Alright then, I’ll forgive you for this.”
Yuren covered his rising smile with his hand and let out an awkward cough.
“Ahem. So in exchange for forgiving you, could you do me one favor?”
“What favor?”
“Just wait here for a moment.”
Yuren hurried into the Changing Room.
As I tilted my head in confusion waiting for him, the door to the Changing Room carefully creaked open.
What emerged from inside was….
“…Yurina?”
“Ugh… it feels so strange without anything between my legs.”
Yurina stood before me wearing an off-shoulder blouse and a flowing skirt.
“That outfit….”
“Yeah. It’s the one I saw when we went to Valhalla City together before.”
Now I recognized it—it was the outfit Yurina had been gazing at blankly in the women’s section that day.
“They say it’s been trending among the female Candidates lately, so I tried it on… how does it look?”
Yurina lifted the hem of her skirt slightly and turned toward me.
Her pristine shoulders revealed above the blouse, the delicate curve of her back, the vibrant colors of the skirt, and the low-heeled shoes—everything came together perfectly.
Even in plain training clothes she had radiated beauty, but now with this outfit, the sight of her sent a breathless shock through my entire body.
“It suits you perfectly.”
I raised my thumb, doing my best to conceal the turmoil in my heart.
“Hehe. Really?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s a relief.”
Yurina smiled brightly, her hand resting on her chest.
A destructive charm I had never felt when she wore Yuren’s form made my heart race uncontrollably.
“S-so what’s the favor you wanted to ask?”
I stammered and turned my head slightly to avoid her gaze, but Yurina leaned in close to me.
“Want to sit together for a bit?”
Yurina gently took my hand and led me to a chair in the corner of the Training Ground.
She sat so close that our shoulders nearly touched, then smiled faintly and looked up at the ceiling.
“Doesn’t this remind you of that day? Don’t you think?”
“….”
The day Yurina first revealed her true form to me.
Back then, she had hidden her identity and pretended to see me for the first time.
‘But I saw through it immediately.’
The time I had spent with Yuren was far too long to be fooled by such clumsy acting.
“…Hmm?”
Now that I thought about it.
“Back then, you hid your true self from me too, Yurina.”
“Huh?”
“You concealed it yourself, so why would you….”
“Oh, no! That’s different!”
“Different how?”
In the end, hiding the truth was the same thing, wasn’t it?
“Um… well, so….”
Yurina, stammering with a flustered expression, clenched her fists and cried out.
“But I was discovered by Dale first!”
“….”
I didn’t think the order of discovery was really the issue here.
“Um, anyway! Let’s not talk about something else suddenly!”
The moment the conversation turned unfavorable for her, Yurina formed an X with both arms and puffed out her cheeks.
I let out a quiet laugh at her obstinacy and nodded.
“Fine, fine. So what’s this favor you wanted?”
“My favor is….”
Yurina suddenly thrust her head toward me.
“Pet my hair for me.”
“…Your hair?”
“Yeah.”
Yurina’s cheeks flushed softly as she averted her gaze from mine.
“Is that not okay?”
“No, well… there’s nothing wrong with it.”
Now that I thought about it, I’d heard a similar request from her before.
‘Does she enjoy having her hair stroked?’
This was a side of her I’d never seen in my past life.
Or rather, she must have been hiding it herself.
Her true face, concealed behind the sun that was ‘Yuren’.
‘A true face isn’t necessarily something ugly, after all.’
I erased the image of Seto that had surfaced in my mind and slowly reached out my hand to her hair.
“Mm.”
Soft silver strands tangled between my fingers.
As I carefully lowered my hand, I felt the lustrous sheen of fine silk beneath my touch.
“Like this?”
“Y-yeah.”
Yurina closed her eyes gently, savoring the sensation of my hand.
I continued stroking her hair until she seemed satisfied.
“Mmm.”
“Should we stop here?”
“Just… a little longer.”
Yurina cracked open her eyes and grasped at my sleeve as I tried to pull away.
“Just a little longer… please.”
“….”
Wait, wasn’t this cheating?
“Sigh.”
I barely managed to calm my racing heart before withdrawing my hand from her hair.
“Ah….”
Yurina sighed wistfully as she watched my hand recede from her.
“Alright, that’s enough for today.”
“Tch.”
“I’ll do it again next time.”
“Hmm… you promise?”
Yurina smiled brightly.
I turned my head away from her gaze and let out an awkward cough.
“By the way, you said the Archbishop of Madness, right? That brat who attacked us.”
“Ah, yeah.”
“…He said he’d kill Dale.”
Yurina’s teeth ground together as her eyes gleamed with a chilling light.
An overwhelming surge of magical power emanated from Yurina, and the entire Training Ground trembled as if struck by an earthquake.
“That brat won’t get away with this.”
Yurina’s body blazed with silver light.
It was a distinctive feature that appeared whenever she activated ‘Moonlight’s Blessing’.
‘What is this?’
I widened my eyes as I witnessed the magical power pouring forth from Yurina.
I had always known her magical reserves were extraordinary, but now they had swelled to a degree that made even that assessment seem inadequate.
‘It’s not like she suddenly downed an elixir by the bowlful. What in the world is this….’
My mouth hung open at this inexplicable and sudden transformation that defied all logic.
Then it suddenly occurred to me that I had never actually heard the conditions for activating her ‘Moonlight’s Blessing’.
“Come to think of it, what are the conditions for activating that Moonlight’s Blessing?”
If she hadn’t actually consumed an elixir by the bowlful, the only explanation for such a sudden surge in magical power would be a blessing of some kind.
“That’s….”
Yurina’s shoulders trembled momentarily as her words trailed off.
She let out a cough and abruptly rose to her feet, turning her head away.
“It’s a secret.”
“What? You said you wouldn’t hide anything from me.”
“You’re still hiding things from me too, aren’t you? I’m allowed to keep one secret as well.”
Yurina smiled mischievously and shrugged her shoulders.
“I’ll change clothes and be right back. Let’s resume training. I’ve been focusing on refining my control over magical power lately… and you’re good at that sort of thing, aren’t you?”
“Well, I’m confident in that area.”
In my past life, the one thing I had surpassed Yuren in was precise magical control.
“Are you practicing because of the feedback you got from Professor Elisha before?”
“Yeah. That too, but… honestly, my mana has been increasing so suddenly lately that I’m struggling with how to handle it.”
“….”
“Uh, what? Why are you making such a scary face?”
It felt exactly like listening to a close friend’s worry: “Ah, I’ve suddenly made so much money lately that I’m troubled… how should I spend it?”
Even knowing Yurina meant no harm, I felt an urge welling up inside me to smack her on the head.
“Phew. Never mind.”
I shook my head and rose from my seat.
“Then I’ll give you some intense training, so hurry up and change your clothes….”
Ding.
Just as I was about to continue training with Yurina.
The Hero Watch on my wrist gleamed with a clear chime.
I checked the message on the Hero Watch and swallowed a bitter smile.
“Sorry. Let’s train next time.”
“Why? Who’s calling?”
“Professor Elisha.”
“…Why is Professor Elisha calling Dale? Everyone’s busy because it’s the final evaluation period.”
“Well….”
I exhaled a quiet sigh and turned my body toward the Training Ground entrance.
“It’s a private meeting.”
There was still unfinished business between me and Professor Elisha.
A conversation I hadn’t shared with anyone until now.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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