The Last Place Hero’s Return - Chapter 168

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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 168. Blessing of Harsh Winter (1)
And so.
After I’d calmed Lanez down, explaining that I’d been asleep and hadn’t received her message,
I headed straight to Jade’s Research Laboratory.
“Hm?”
Jade’s Research Laboratory, which I was visiting for the first time since the previous incident, was no longer the desolate ruin it once was—instead, its exterior was neatly arranged as if I were looking at the entrance to a cafe.
‘That doesn’t seem like something Jade would do.’
I tilted my head in confusion and opened the door, quickly understanding the reason the laboratory’s exterior had been so carefully maintained.
“Sophia?”
“Hm? What brings you here?”
“That’s what I’d like to ask you.”
What was Sophia doing in Jade’s Research Laboratory?
“I’ve been helping the professor with his research lately.”
“Ah.”
Now that I thought about it, she had mentioned wanting to assist with the professor’s research before.
“If it’s the professor’s research…”
“It’s not the artificial stigma research. That still needs more time.”
Sophia continued in a quieter voice.
“Right now, we’re also conducting general magical research alongside the stigma-related work.”
“Have there been any results?”
“Well… fairly decent ones?”
Sophia twisted her red bob hair with her fingers, her gaze shifting slightly away.
The fact that even Sophia was saying “fairly decent” made it clear they’d achieved quite significant results.
‘The descendant of the Great Sage and the future Archmage working together.’
Just imagining what kind of synergy these two could create brought an involuntary smile to my face.
As I was exchanging brief pleasantries with Sophia,
Thud.
“Oh? Brother, what brings you here?”
Berald emerged from inside the laboratory, laden with boxes stacked high on his shoulders.
Behind him came Jade, rushing out with an urgent expression.
“B-Berald! Those materials are precious research data—didn’t I tell you not to touch them!”
“Haha! Don’t worry, Professor! I’ll organize them safely with my ‘Levitation’ magic~!”
Berald tossed the boxes upward and caught them repeatedly as he spoke.
As if performing a magic trick, the research materials inside scattered upward in a whoosh before neatly settling back into the boxes.
“My research materials! Nooooo!!!”
Jade wailed in despair, his face drained of color, while Berald burst into hearty laughter at the sight.
“Oh, and Berald’s been helping with the research too.”
“…He’s actually helping, right?”
Judging by Jade’s anguished expression, it looked far more like he was being tormented.
‘Well, at least they seem to be getting along.’
Since that last date (?) with Sophia and Berald, I’d been privately worried about how things stood between them, but fortunately it seemed their relationship hadn’t grown distant.
‘If only I could do something about Berald’s twisted taste in women.’
Well, that was beyond my reach anyway.
All I could do was hope Sophia would navigate things well.
“Hmm. By the way, Dale, what brings you to my laboratory?”
“I came to ask a favor of you, Professor.”
“A favor? What kind of favor?”
Jade tilted his head curiously.
“Is there any way to prevent the awakening of a Stigma?”
Once a Stigma awakened, there was no method in the world that could erase it.
But if the Stigma hadn’t awakened yet, there might be another way.
“Hmm.”
Jade crossed his arms and swallowed thoughtfully.
“It’s impossible.”
After continuing to ponder, Jade shook his head.
“The awakening conditions for a Stigma have too many variables. Some Heroes awaken their Stigma only at death’s door, while others awaken theirs during an ordinary stroll.”
“I… understand that much.”
“An unawakenedStigma is like a seed buried in the earth. Unless you disturb the ‘soil’ of the Stigma itself, there’s no fundamental way to prevent the Stigma from blooming.”
“….”
That was equivalent to saying I’d have to damage Lanez’s Stigma itself to prevent the Frost Stigma’s awakening.
‘That’s no different from killing her.’
A Hero’s Stigma isn’t merely a vessel to contain magical power.
The Stigma and the Hero are intimately connected both physically and spiritually, so careless damage causes numerous aftereffects.
‘That’s why techniques like Stigma Replacement are forbidden.’
Of course, in my past life, Yuren’s aftereffects were limited to physical changes, but there were frequent cases where people became complete invalids.
I couldn’t turn Lanez, whom I’d barely saved, into a cripple just to prevent the Frost Stigma’s awakening.
“…However.”
Jade continued speaking.
“Suppressing it to a certain degree is possible.”
“It’s possible?”
Jade nodded and continued.
“Statistically, Heroes awaken their Stigmas most often when experiencing significant emotional changes or sensing threats to their safety. Cases of suddenly awakening a Stigma while walking are actually extremely rare.”
“…That’s certainly true.”
Even I awakened my Stigma when attacked by a Demon Beast, and Yurina awakened hers when she escaped from beneath the shadow of the sun that had oppressed her for so long.
“It’s similar to a kind of stabilizer. At minimum, there’s no chance of the Stigma awakening while she’s just walking around.”
“When could you have it ready?”
“I can make it quickly. Fundamentally, all that’s needed is an effect to stabilize the magical power within the Stigma.”
“I’m grateful for your help.”
“Hehe. How could I refuse a request from you, Dale?”
With that, Jade entered his laboratory and quickly manufactured a Stigma Stabilizer.
“The effect should last about two weeks.”
“Do I need to drink it again after two weeks?”
“If you come find me then, I’ll make more for you.”
There was the drawback of needing to drink it every two weeks, but if it could reduce the danger of Lanez awakening the Blessing of Harsh Winter, this minor inconvenience was well worth bearing.
“Thank you, Professor.”
I bowed to Jade and stepped out of the laboratory.
* * *
After leaving the laboratory.
I called Lanez to an empty lot located in a secluded area of the Academy.
The moment Lanez received my message, she came rushing to our meeting spot, breathing heavily as if her lungs would burst.
“D-did you call for me?”
“…You didn’t need to run like that.”
“Hehe. But you called me, Dale.”
Lanez sat on the bench with a bashful smile.
“So… w-what is it?”
Lanez gripped her skirt with a tense expression.
“Is it because of… um, yesterday? I’ll apologize in advance! I promise I won’t bother you anymore!”
“It’s not because of that.”
“Th-then?”
“Here, take this.”
I held out the Stigma Stabilizer I’d received from Jade toward Lanez.
“What is this?”
Lanez tilted her head curiously, gazing at the blue liquid inside the glass bottle.
I offered the excuse I’d prepared while waiting for her to arrive.
“Your stamina isn’t very good, is it?”
“Y-yes. I’m sorry.”
“No, there’s nothing to apologize for. So I just brought you a health elixir as a gift.”
“A-a health elixir?”
Lanez’s eyes widened at the mention of a health elixir.
“It’s not that rare. Just think of it as a vitamin supplement and drink it.”
“Dale….”
Lanez gripped the glass bottle containing the Stigma Stabilizer with both hands, her eyes glistening.
“Thank you… I’ve never received a gift from anyone before.”
Lanez sniffled and hugged the glass bottle as if it were a precious treasure.
Seeing her joy, even as tears streamed down her face, a wave of guilt washed over me.
‘Well, it is good for her body, after all.’
The Stigma Stabilizer not only prevented the awakening of blessings, but also stabilized the flow of mana itself, making it easier to control. It wasn’t harmful to lack it, but it was beneficial to have.
It was exactly the kind of health elixir that felt like a vitamin supplement.
The kind of thing that was nice to have.
“I’ll treasure this for the rest of my life!”
“No.”
Please, just drink it.
“B-but… it’s such a waste…”
“I’ll give you more later, so drink it quickly.”
“Ugh.”
Lanez stared reluctantly at the glass vial of Stigma Stabilizer before finally gulping it down.
“How is it?”
As I watched her with tense anticipation, Lanez licked her lips with an enraptured expression.
“It’s like Dale’s essence is spreading through my body.”
“No.”
What on earth was she talking about?
“Hehe. Just joking. Um… I’m not entirely sure, but it feels like my mind is becoming more stable? That kind of feeling.”
Fortunately, the Stigma Stabilizer’s effects seemed genuine.
‘At least… I’ve set up some minimal safeguard.’
Of course, I couldn’t claim this completely prevented the awakening of the Blessing of Extreme Cold.
But I could take some solace in having reduced the likelihood.
“By the way, Dale… have you eaten lunch yet?”
Lanez asked, glancing back at me.
“No, not yet.”
“Then… would you maybe like to grab lunch with me? I-I’ll pay for everything!”
Lanez leaned toward me, her eyes sparkling.
I let out a soft chuckle and shook my head.
The moment Lanez saw me shake my head, she trembled and her shoulders quivered.
“I-I’m sorry. I was being presumptuous again without knowing my place, wasn’t I? I’m sorry. I was wrong! I won’t do it again, so please forgive me…”
“No. It’s not like that.”
I sighed softly and continued.
“I’ll pay.”
“…Huh?”
“I’ll buy lunch.”
Lanez was likely living frugally on the Academy’s stipend as well.
I couldn’t ask her to pay for a meal.
“…Oh.”
Lanez let out a short exclamation and widened her eyes.
Tears welled up again in her round, dark pupils.
“Thank you…”
“Don’t mention it. Is there anything you’d like to eat?”
“I-I’m fine with anything! If Dale is buying, I could even eat dog food!”
“No.”
Why would we eat dog food for lunch?
“Let’s decide what to eat once we get to the Candidate Cafeteria.”
“…The Candidate Cafeteria?”
Lanez trembled like a primitive man discovering fire for the first time.
“Why?”
“Ah, no… The cafeteria… I’ve never been there before.”
“…?”
She’d never been to the Candidate Cafeteria?
“Then how do you normally eat?”
“I buy bread from the Convenience Store… and eat it in the Restroom.”
“….”
This won’t do.
“Let’s go to the Main Building Cafeteria.”
“The, the Main Building Cafeteria?! Isn’t that incredibly expensive?”
“I’ll pay, so it’s fine.”
Thinking of Lanez, who had spent all four years crouched alone in the Restroom eating her meals, I wanted to take her to the expensive Main Building Cafeteria instead of my usual haunt, the Annex Cafeteria.
“But….”
“It’s fine.”
I forcibly dragged Lanez toward the Main Building Cafeteria.
Just as we were heading there together with Lanez.
“My, Dale? What brings you to the Main Building Cafeteria?”
“Wasn’t Dale the type to only go to the Annex Cafeteria?”
Iris and Yuren, who had spotted me, approached with bright smiles.
“Huh…?”
“…Dale? Who’s the girl next to you?”
Let me correct myself.
The bright smiles had vanished.

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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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