The Last Place Hero’s Return - Chapter 140

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

Chapter 140. Interlude – Heir of Iron Fist (3)
“I… well, you see.”
Cold sweat trickled down my spine.
Standing before Gilbert, whose eyes gleamed with anticipation as he asked about my grades, I had to reveal that I ranked dead last among 472 students.
‘Damn it.’
Honestly, until I was buried at the bottom of my class for the third consecutive suspension, I’d felt nothing but exhaustion.
But now, forced to confess my grades before others, the shame was unbearable.
Especially when that ‘other person’ was my close friend’s father, who mistakenly believed my fortune had turned because I’d met a noble benefactor.
“…Why do you hesitate?”
Gilbert tilted his head at my prolonged silence.
Unable to withstand the mounting pressure, my mouth moved of its own accord.
“I’m… I’m first place.”
I swallowed the words ‘from the bottom’ and answered.
“Hahaha! If you’re first, you should be proud! Why were you so hesitant? Ah, was it because you felt burdened?”
Crack!
Gilbert thrust his thumb upward like someone downing a refreshing beer on a sweltering summer day.
“Outstanding grades, a kind heart that guides your juniors, and humility to boot! Our Berald has truly met a noble soul, a noble soul indeed!”
Gilbert burst into hearty laughter and seized my hand, shaking it vigorously.
“…Dale.”
The actual top student of the year shifted uncomfortably, watching my performance.
“Come to think of it, Yuren, Camilla, and Iris are all from the same year, aren’t they?”
“Ah… yes.”
“That’s right.”
“Then you’re saying you surpassed the heir of the Sun Swordsman, the next Sword of Holy Nation, and the Holy Kingdom’s Saint to claim first place in your year?”
Gilbert’s eyes widened as he let out continuous exclamations.
“My… suddenly, Dale’s achievement of claiming first place so confidently among such formidable candidates feels truly remarkable.”
“That… is…”
Yuren’s lips trembled as if he wanted to say something, but then he squeezed his eyes shut and turned away.
“I… I also… think so.”
“Haha! If the heir of the Sun Swordsman acknowledges it, then nothing more needs to be said!”
Gilbert rose to his feet, his face beaming with unrestrained joy.
“You haven’t had lunch yet, have you? On such a wonderful day, there’s nothing quite like meat! To celebrate my recovery, I’ll grill it myself, so wait a moment! Berald! Come help me!”
“Wait, you’re going to grill meat right after waking up?!”
“When your father says come, don’t talk back and get moving!”
Gilbert dragged Berald out of the room.
That left only me, Yuren, Iris, and Camilla in the room.
“…Why did you do that, Dale.”
“Of course, we can’t deny that you have the skills to deserve first place… but even so, this is…”
“Deeply disappointing.”
My shoulders shrank under the harsh judgment of my party members who knew the truth.
I turned to my party members with a glimmer of hope in my voice and asked.
“…Is it too late to go back now and claim I was actually in second place?”
“….”
“….”
No answer came in return.
* * *
After finishing a meal so abundant that Gilbert had personally grilled the meat until it overflowed.
“Hmm. So you still don’t have a girlfriend?”
“That’s correct.”
“Tsk, pathetic! When I was your age? Huh? There were lines of female candidates wanting to meet me!”
“Don’t lie! I once heard from Mother that Father begged and pleaded while grabbing her pants leg before you two decided to marry!”
“Ugh…!”
Gilbert chatted away with Berald as if compensating for five years of lost time.
As the conversation continued, Berald gazed at the remaining dishes with a faint smile.
“I can’t remember the last time I shared a meal and conversation with Father like this.”
“….”
“Well, I understand. From Father’s perspective, I’ve always been an inadequate son.”
As Berald wore that self-deprecating smile.
“No.”
Gilbert shook his head quietly.
“Rather, I was the inadequate father for hesitating to tell you the truth.”
“…The truth?”
At Gilbert’s unexpected words, Berald tilted his head in confusion.
“Sigh.”
Gilbert let out a deep breath and turned to me and Iris, who were sitting nearby sipping post-meal coffee.
“You said I used the Legacy of Iron Fist as a sacrifice to heal my wound this time, right?”
“Ah, yes. That’s correct.”
“That’s right.”
Seeing me and Iris nod, Gilbert wore a bitter smile.
“Actually, that wasn’t the Legacy of Iron Fist.”
“…What?”
It wasn’t the Legacy of Iron Fist?
What was he talking about?
“To tell you that story, I must first speak of the truth regarding our Ryu Family.”
“…Is it something we’re permitted to hear?”
“Hehe. Aren’t you all benefactors to our son? I cannot hide the truth from my benefactors.”
Gilbert drained his half-cold beer and continued speaking.
“Have you heard of the founder of the Ryu Family?”
“Ah… yes. I understand that Ryu Jinhyuk, the younger brother of Iron Fist Ryu Jinseong and one of the greatest mages of his time, was that founder.”
“Hmm, I see.”
Gilbert nodded.
“That statement is half true and half false.”
“…Half false?”
“Have you heard the story that Iron Fist Ryu Jinseong and Ryu Jinhyuk were mortal enemies?”
“Yes.”
It was such a famous tale within the Republic that few people didn’t know of it.
“That’s not true.”
“If it’s not true, then….”
“Iron Fist and his younger brother were actually brothers with an extremely close bond.”
“…Then why did rumors of their poor relationship spread?”
“It was deliberately spread. From Ryu Jinhyuk’s own mouth.”
“…?”
The younger brother had spread rumors that he and his older brother were mortal enemies?
As I looked at Gilbert with questioning eyes, he continued his explanation in a low voice.
“At that time, the Republic was completely divided into two factions: ‘Iron Fist’ Ryu Jinseong and ‘Shinchang’ Baek Seung-hyuk.”
Two of the Five Great Heroes who had sealed away the Demon God five hundred years ago and saved the world.
These two, who hailed from the Republic (which was called Korea back then), were virtually divine beings to people who had suddenly fallen into this strange otherworld.
And so many followed them.
And so the conflicts never ceased.
“In particular, the Shinchang Faction under Baek Seung-hyuk was extremely radical in its nature. There was widespread opinion that Iron Fist should be killed and Shinchang made president of the nation.”
“Such a thing happened.”
Naturally.
The story Gilbert was now sharing was not covered in the Republic’s educational curriculum, nor in the Hero Academy’s curriculum.
“As the atmosphere grew increasingly tense, it was Iron Fist who first took a step back. Iron Fist entered a deep gorge and lived out his remaining years in seclusion, or so the story goes.”
That was precisely the Iron Canyon I had visited this time.
“But there’s an untold story here as well.”
Gilbert’s throat seemed parched as he refilled his beer glass and took a long drink.
“It’s said that Iron Fist died alone without leaving any children, but that’s not true. He had one child with his wife, who died during the war.”
“…You mean Iron Fist had a descendant?”
Gilbert nodded.
“Before entering seclusion, Iron Fist asked his younger brother to hide the child for him.”
“To prevent the child from being targeted by the Shinchang Faction.”
“Precisely. And Ryu Jinhyuk, following his brother’s wishes, concealed Iron Fist’s child as if it were his own, and spread rumors that the two brothers were mortal enemies.”
“….”
So all of this was a scheme devised by Iron Fist Ryu Jinseong and his younger brother to protect the child.
“Wait, does that mean….”
A possibility suddenly crossed my mind.
I turned to look at Gilbert and Berald.
The film of ‘Iron Fist’ that I had watched before with Iris came to mind.
The figure of Iron Fist Ryu Jinseong with his robust frame and massive build.
And both Gilbert and Berald possessed a martial bone structure that couldn’t be considered ordinary.
“I’d wager your suspicions are correct.”
Gilbert chuckled and drained his beer mug in one gulp.
“Heh….”
A hollow laugh escaped my lips as I confronted a truth I’d never discovered even in my past life.
“Huh? What do you mean it’s correct?”
Berald looked around in confusion, clearly lost.
I exhaled slowly and opened my mouth.
“In other words, you’re a descendant of Iron Fist.”
“…What?”
Berald’s eyes widened in bewilderment.
“W-wait! What are you talking about?! Me, a descendant of Iron Fist?”
“Keep your voice down, you fool. Do you want the whole neighborhood gossiping about this?”
Gilbert’s eyes narrowed as he glared at Berald.
“Our family is known as a branch of the Ryu Family, but in truth, we are descendants of Iron Fist Ryu Jinseong.”
“Heh….”
Berald’s expression turned hollow, as if he’d known nothing of this.
Gilbert clicked his tongue and continued.
“Originally, I planned to tell you after you graduated from the Academy… but had it not been for our benefactors, the truth might have died with my generation.”
“….”
In my past life, that truth had indeed never reached Berald.
“Then the gauntlet inside that Ruins must have been….”
“A false artifact created to draw the attention of those seeking the Legacy of Iron Fist. In reality, it was a weapon that Ryu Jinhyuk personally crafted for his brother during the war against the Demon God.”
“Ah, so that’s why lightning was bursting from the gauntlet.”
I let out a brief exclamation, recalling the dark blue gauntlet that had scattered vicious lightning.
“But ultimately, since Iron Fist used that weapon, it is his legacy, isn’t it?”
“No. Iron Fist never used that weapon.”
Gilbert shook his head quietly.
“From what I’ve heard, he rejected his brother’s gift, saying such a weapon didn’t suit him.”
“….”
Even in a state where I’d lost much of my original power due to Lactasia’s Blessing of Exploitation, he rejected an artifact that unleashed such fierce lightning—for such a simple reason.
It was truly an act befitting Iron Fist.
“In any case, the true Legacy of Iron Fist is something I’ve kept separately.”
“…What is this legacy?”
“Wait here for a moment.”
With those words, Gilbert went inside the house and returned carrying a small box.
Inside the box lay a dirty, stained bandage.
“This is the true legacy that Iron Fist Ryu Jinseong left behind.”
“…This dirty bandage?”
“Heh heh, yes. Iron Fist wrapped this bandage around his fists and faced hundreds, thousands of Demons, or so the legend goes.”
Gilbert held out the stained bandages to Berald as he spoke.
“Take it.”
“…This thing?”
“Yes. Even if it looks like this, it’s a legacy left by our ancestors. You keep it safe.”
“…”
Berald accepted the stained bandages and fell into thought for a moment before wrapping them around his own hands.
“Oh! Wrapping these bandages around me, I feel a surge of power!”
“Heh. Despite its appearance, these bandages have maintained the same form for the past 500 years, so there must be some magical power imbued within them.”
Gilbert gazed at Berald, who now had the bandages wrapped around his fists, and smiled with evident satisfaction.
“Ah…!”
Berald swung his bandage-wrapped fists through the air several times before clapping his hands together as if he’d realized something crucial.
“Now that I think about it, my poor magical aptitude must have been because of this very reason!”
As a descendant of Iron Fist rather than Ryu Jinhyuk—one of the greatest mages of his era—it made sense why he had shown no talent for magic.
“Hm?”
Gilbert tilted his head at Berald’s words.
“No, your poor magical aptitude isn’t because you’re a descendant of Iron Fist.”
“Then what’s the reason?”
“It’s simply because you’re an idiot.”
“…”
Gilbert shrugged his shoulders while conjuring blue lightning in his palm.
“I’m just good at magic.”

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