The Last Place Hero’s Return - Chapter 129
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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 129. Summer Break (1)
The A Building Dormitory where only the elite heirs of the Three Nations resided.
“What was that bastard’s room number again…?”
I wandered down the expansive corridor, my head turning left and right.
Of course, I wasn’t lost searching for Yurina’s room, where I’d been living for the past week.
The owner of the room I was looking for now was not Yurina, but another Candidate Program member.
‘Damn, this place is huge.’
After wandering through the sprawling A Building Dormitory for quite some time, I finally arrived at the room I’d been searching for.
‘He probably didn’t head straight home just because break started, right?’
I knocked lightly on the door.
Knock, knock.
An elegant sound resonated from the door made of premium solid wood.
Expensive dormitories really are different even in their doors—mine squeaks and groans whenever I knock on it… I was thinking this to myself when.
Click.
The door opened, revealing a blonde handsome man.
“Huh, D-Dale?”
Juliet Kang’s expression showed surprise at my unexpected visit.
“What brings you here?”
“I have something to give you.”
“Something to give me…?”
Juliet Kang’s gaze shifted to the heavy leather bag in my hand.
“Would it be alright if I gave it to you inside?”
“Oh, y-yes! Of course! Come in!”
My first impression of Juliet Kang’s room was ‘beautiful.’
The living area was filled with delicate decorative items, and one corner of the room had potted flowers arranged neatly in a row.
‘Wait, why does this place look more like a girl’s room than Iris’s or Yurina’s?’
I let out a hollow laugh, thinking it was truly befitting of Juliet Kang’s room.
“What would you like to drink? Coffee? Or perhaps tea?”
“Coffee.”
“Sure. Just a moment.”
As I sat on the sofa waiting, Juliet Kang brought over a cute coffee cup with a cat pattern drawn on it.
“So what is it you’re giving me?”
“Here it is.”
I handed over the heavy bag containing Gold.
Of course, while it was called ‘Gold,’ it wasn’t actually currency made from real gold.
‘They say 500 years ago they used actual gold coins.’
After the currency reform, the Three Nations now commonly used paper currency that bore only the name Gold.
“This is… Gold?”
“Yeah. The 1 million Gold you lent me before, plus 200,000 Gold in interest—1.2 million Gold total.”
“Ah, w-why are you giving this to me…?”
“Why? Don’t you remember borrowing money from me?”
“Oh.”
Juliet Kang let out a soft exclamation, as if recalling a forgotten memory.
“Y-you’re really going to repay it?”
“I said I would.”
To be honest, when I first borrowed it, I had no intention of repaying it whatsoever.
But as I continued to know Juliet Kang and watched how he changed, I simply altered my thinking.
“….”
Even as Juliet Kang gazed down at the hefty bag brimming with gold, his expression seemed somehow troubled.
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh, no… it’s just….”
Juliet Kang looked at me with trembling eyes.
“If I take this… it feels like I won’t have any reason to contact you anymore, Dale….”
“….”
What kind of concern is that?
“Friends staying in contact—what’s the big deal about that? If anything, having a debt between friends makes it harder to stay connected.”
“…Friend.”
A faint smile bloomed at the corner of Juliet Kang’s mouth.
“Yeah, that’s right.”
He accepted the weighty money bag from me.
“Do you have any plans for summer break this year?”
“I’m not sure. I haven’t decided anything yet.”
I did have plans in mind, but I needed to consult with the others first before making a final decision.
“If you happen to come to the Republic, please contact me! If you need any help, I’ll make sure to assist you!”
“Got it.”
With those words, I slowly rose from my seat.
“A-are you leaving already?”
“Yeah. I have someone else to meet after this.”
“O-oh… I understand.”
Juliet Kang nodded with a reluctant expression.
“Then I’ll be on my way.”
“Okay! Have a great break, Dale!”
“You too.”
After exchanging farewells with Juliet Kang, I headed toward my next appointment.
* * *
A café inside the main building of Hero Academy.
The café, which was usually bustling with Candidate Program students, had become as quiet as the Training Ground after exams ended with the arrival of break.
“Oh, Dale! Over here!”
A ringing voice echoed through the otherwise silent café.
Following the sound, I spotted Iris, Camilla Bediche, Yuren, and Berald gathered around a single table.
“Sorry. Am I late?”
“No, not at all. We just arrived a moment ago.”
Iris tapped the empty chair beside her, gesturing for me to sit.
“Hmph. So why did you call us here anyway?”
Camilla Bediche sat down next to Iris, her expression sour as she asked the question.
“Do you all have time during summer break?”
“Time?”
“Are you planning to go somewhere?”
Iris tilted her head curiously as she asked.
“Yeah. Remember when we went on that Ruins exploration before?”
“Of course.”
“I was thinking we could coordinate our schedules and go on another Ruins exploration during the break, just like that.”
Dozens, hundreds of Ruins that I had explored in my past life.
Exploring one of them was my goal for this summer break.
“I’m in favor!”
Iris nodded eagerly without hesitation, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
“Hehe. I was worried about being apart from Dale during the break… but this is actually perfect.”
She smiled softly and gently squeezed my hand under the table.
Watching her, Camilla Bediche let out a deep sigh.
“Sigh. Your Holiness… shouldn’t you return to the Holy Kingdom during the break?”
“There’s nothing for me to do there anyway, is there?”
“Still….”
“And I’m sure there are more people who don’t want me to come back.”
“….”
As Iris spoke with a bitter expression, Camilla Bediche closed her mouth with a stiff face.
“Fine. I understand. I’ll report to the Holy Kingdom that you’ll be staying at the Academy during this break.”
“Thanks.”
After the conversation ended—one that seemed to carry complicated circumstances just from listening to it—
I turned my head toward Yuren.
“What about you, Yuren?”
“I’m fine with it. Normally I’d go home during every break, but… there’s no need for that anymore.”
Yuren smiled slightly, swallowing the last part—thanks to Dale—unspoken.
‘Good.’
Since everyone seemed fine with it, I could explore ‘that Ruins’ during the break.
‘It’s quite difficult, but… with this Party as it is now, we should be able to clear it without problems.’
This time too, I had no intention of stepping forward actively to fight alongside them.
‘My own growth is important, but guiding the others is just as crucial.’
I had already achieved the growth I aimed for by learning ‘Escalation’ this time—excessively so, in fact, to the point where I still couldn’t control it properly.
Now was the time to guide my companions forward.
“Ah… I’m sorry, hyung.”
At that moment.
Berald opened his mouth with an uncomfortable expression.
“I think I need to head back home during this break.”
“Is something wrong at home?”
Yuren tilted his head curiously as he asked Berald.
Berald nodded while wearing a bitter smile.
“My father isn’t feeling well, you see. I need to go home during the break and nurse him back to health.”
“Ah….”
A soft sigh escaped Yuren’s lips at Berald’s words.
“Right. If that’s the case, there’s no helping it. Then the four of us without Berald….”
“No, there’s no need for that.”
I shook my head and turned toward Berald.
“The Ruins we’re planning to explore this time are located in the Republic anyway.”
“Ruins in the Republic…?”
The Republic was famous for having few Ruins.
“Surely you didn’t deliberately choose Ruins in the Republic, did you, senior?”
I nodded toward Berald, whose eyes had widened in surprise.
“Remember our promise? That I’d visit your home during the break and help find a way to treat your father.”
“Ah.”
Only then did Berald recall the memory and let out an exclamation.
“You’re really… coming to visit?”
“Of course I’m going. Did you think I was just saying that?”
“…sniff.”
Berald sniffled and swallowed hard, then suddenly jumped to his feet.
“Seniiiiiior!”
“Cough!”
Berald rushed toward me and wrapped his arms around me tightly.
He rubbed his face—smeared with tears and snot—against my cheek.
“Get off, get off, you bastard!”
I desperately peeled the clinging Berald away from me.
I wiped away the unpleasant mucus on my cheek with tissues from the table and continued speaking.
“Honestly, I don’t even know if I’ll be able to treat him or not.”
“Hehe. I’m grateful just that you’re coming.”
Berald grinned as if telling me not to worry.
“So when are we departing?”
“Let’s leave tomorrow. Is that okay with everyone?”
“Yes, no problem.”
“I’m fine with it too.”
Iris and Yuren nodded in agreement.
And so.
Our first destination for this summer break was decided to be Berald’s home.
* * *
Darkness had settled over the city.
Countless lights illuminated the urban landscape like stars scattered across the night sky.
A woman sat precariously atop a towering building.
“Sigh~ How tedious. When will they arrive?”
The woman with violet hair swayed her legs leisurely and stretched.
Then.
Crash!
The rooftop door burst open violently, and heroes in black suits swarmed to surround her.
“Ah, you’ve come?”
The violet-haired woman turned to face the approaching heroes, a smirk playing at her lips.
One hero tensed and pointed his sword at her.
“L-Lactasia! You’re completely surrounded… Gack!”
In an instant, elongated, pointed nails pierced through the man’s throat.
The woman rose slowly and approached the man with elegant, graceful steps.
“Surrounded? Don’t you realize I’m the one who summoned you all here?”
Crunch!
The man’s head was torn from his body.
Having claimed one hero’s life in mere moments, the woman turned to face the remaining heroes with a leisurely expression and winked.
“Ah….”
“You’re… so beautiful….”
In that instant, the men’s eyes glazed over.
As if enchanted, they stared at the woman with slack jaws.
“W-What are you all doing?”
“Snap out of it!”
The female heroes who had ascended with them desperately shook the men’s shoulders, but their minds did not easily return to clarity.
“Tch! Kill that woman first!”
“Hyah!”
Finally giving up, the female heroes drew their weapons.
Whoosh!
Violet thorns erupted from the ground, piercing through the female heroes’ bodies.
“I have no interest in you all, so stay quiet~.”
Having dispatched the female heroes in moments, the woman walked among the male heroes with a leisurely expression.
“Hmm. This one’s eyes are rather plain. That one’s nose displeases me. Ah, this fellow is downright ugly?”
Slash! Slash! Slash!
With each step the woman took, the heroes’ heads were severed and rolled across the ground.
By the time she had made a full circle.
Not a single living hero remained on the rooftop.
“Sigh~ I really need to find the Iron Fist’s legacy and leave this place. Finding a handsome man in the Republic is truly impossible, isn’t it?”
The woman turned away with a disappointed expression, gazing down at the lights flowing through the city below.
“Isn’t there even one blonde handsome man who perfectly matches my taste?”
Her eyes gleamed with avarice as she licked her lips.
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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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