The Last Place Hero’s Return - Chapter 171

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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 171. Interlude – The Saint’s Invitation
After Lanez’s rampage had finally subsided.
We cleaned up the chaos as best we could and returned to the Academy.
Fortunately, since the walking path we’d chosen was the School Back Mountain, a place with almost no people, no major commotion had occurred.
“I… oh, I’m really sorry about today.”
Lanez turned to Iris and Yuren (who had put his pendant back on) and bowed deeply.
“Like I said before… I don’t harbor any ill will toward either of you.”
Lanez continued, her expression thoroughly dejected.
“Just as Dale is precious to me, he must be precious to Iris and Yuren… no, Yurina as well.”
“I have no intention of forcibly taking Dale away from you two, nor do I wish to.”
“I simply want to remain by the side of the person who first taught me what warmth truly means.”
Though her voice trembled with fear, Lanez spoke each word clearly and deliberately.
“I understand how much trouble this causes you both….”
Lanez bowed deeply once more as she continued.
“Please. Allow me to stay by Dale’s side.”
….
Iris, who had been listening with a stern expression, exhaled a deep sigh.
“This isn’t something we can decide right now.”
“Y-yes.”
“However, if you wish to remain by Dale’s side, remember this one thing above all else.”
Eyes holding the blue of the sky fixed upon Lanez.
“Don’t hurt Dale. If you cause him pain even once more… I will never forgive you, no matter what.”
“…I… I’ll remember that.”
Lanez shriveled under the pressure radiating from Iris.
With her already small stature and delicate frame, she looked exactly like a junior being bullied by a temperamental senior.
‘Though in reality, Lanez is the older one, the senior.’
I suppressed a wry smile and looked toward Lanez.
As our eyes met, the wilting Lanez scurried toward me.
“I’ll never hurt Dale again!”
I stifled a chuckle watching Lanez make her vow with both fists clenched tightly.
In any case.
One question remained.
“How did you regain consciousness back then?”
“Ah… at that time.”
Lanez recalled the memory of her rampage.
“I’m not entirely sure myself. My body was terribly cold… but then I felt a warm sensation, and my mind returned.”
“Hmm.”
She felt a warm sensation, then.
‘Could it be because of the embers?’
Now that I thought about it, during a mentoring session before, she’d mentioned feeling warm when I brought the embers close to her while she was shivering from the cold.
At that moment, since she had only ever experienced contempt and torment from others until now, this was her first time receiving help from someone—I couldn’t be certain whether the warmth she felt was an emotional shift or the influence of the cinder ash.
‘Seeing it happen again like this… it seems quite likely that the cinder ash itself affected the Blessing of Harsh Winter.’
But this was a problem I couldn’t verify right now.
“Thank you. This is all… thanks to you, Dale.”
Lanez, wearing a faint smile, clung to my hand as though it were a precious treasure.
Just as a peculiar atmosphere was beginning to form between us.
“Dale?”
At the sound of Iris’s voice from behind, I hastily withdrew my hand.
Iris approached me with a gentle smile on her face.
“You two seem to be getting along well?”
Why was it.
That Iris’s perfectly refined tone of voice translated in my mind as something crude and vulgar.
“Well, anyway. I’m glad no one was seriously injured. Yuren, your frostbite is completely healed now, right?”
“Yeah. Thanks, Iris.”
Yuren held up his perfectly restored hand to show me.
“Then since everyone must be exhausted today, let’s head inside and rest. Oh, and Lanez, before you go, please give me your Hero Watch contact information.”
“Oh, okay! Got it!”
“I should head back too.”
Lanez and Yuren each made their way toward the Dormitory.
Just as I was about to turn around and head back to the Dormitory myself.
“Dale?”
“Hmm?”
“Do you have time this evening?”
“Well… nothing in particular.”
“Would you like to come to my room for a bit?”
Iris extended the invitation, her face slightly flushed.
“…To your room?”
“I’ve been craving the ramen you make. It’s been so long.”
“Sure. I’ll come by this evening.”
Ramen, huh.
Now that I thought about it, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten it.
“I’ll submit the access request in advance, so you can just come straight to my room.”
“Got it.”
I nodded and headed toward the Dormitory.
* * *
The A Building Dormitory—a place that only those Candidates in the Hero Academy with considerable status and wealth backing them could enter.
Inside a room far too spacious to be called a single Candidate’s quarters.
“Phew.”
Iris was nervously brushing her hand across her chest, her expression tense.
‘It’s about time Dale arrives.’
She glanced at the clock on the wall and swallowed hard.
I’d told Dale I wanted the ramen he used to make for me, but the real reason I’d invited him to my room was something else entirely.
‘Lately… there have been far too many women around Dale.’
There was Yurina, of course, but even Elisha and Lanez—whom I’d just met today—clearly had feelings for him.
‘Dale said I was first, but… I can’t just sit back and relax.’
I needed one decisive move.
A decisive strike to firmly secure my position as ‘first.’
“Ugh.”
I swallowed nervously and opened the wardrobe.
Hidden carefully between my school uniform and priestess robes was a sheer black negligée.
It was a secret weapon I’d bought on a trip to Valhalla City long ago.
“M-maybe I should call this off today…?”
I’d talked about a decisive move, but the thought of standing before Dale in that outfit made my head spin with embarrassment.
“Ugh…!”
Standing before the wardrobe, I squeezed my eyes shut and pulled out the black negligée I’d hidden away so carefully.
‘Victory doesn’t come to those who simply wait!’
To truly capture Dale’s heart today, I needed a weapon befitting the occasion.
Rustle, rustle.
I changed into the black negligée and stood before the mirror.
While it wasn’t completely sheer, the exposed areas were far more than what I normally wore, and just looking at my reflection made my face burn crimson.
“Huff. Breathe.”
I took deep breaths to calm my trembling heart.
“Okay.”
After changing, I dimmed the room’s lighting and arranged scented candles I’d prepared beforehand throughout the space.
The room filled with a fragrant aroma and an intimate atmosphere.
I sat on the living room sofa, waiting for Dale to arrive.
Knock, knock.
A few minutes passed.
The sound of knocking echoed through the room.
I swallowed hard and opened the door.
“Welcome, Dale….”
“…Saint?”
When I opened the door, it wasn’t Dale standing there—it was Camilla.
Camilla’s expression hardened as she looked me up and down.
“What on earth are you doing right now?”
“Oh, no! This, this is…!”
Caught off guard by Camilla’s unexpected appearance, I stumbled backward in confusion.
“Dale? You just said Dale, didn’t you? Don’t tell me you invited that guy to your room? Dressed like that?”
“No, it’s a misunderstanding!”
“A misunderstanding? Are you out of your mind, Iris?!”
Camilla shouted at Iris, abandoning all pretense of formal speech.
“The Saint of the Holy Kingdom calling a man into her room! And in such a shameless outfit at that!!!”
“Ugh….”
“If the Holy Kingdom finds out about this… ah.”
Camilla swayed, pressing her forehead as if her head were burning with fever.
Camilla bit her lip and continued speaking.
“Iris. I know you have feelings for Dale. I also know that Dale is quite… a good man.”
“….”
“But… but this is too much! You’re still the Saint! Ah, no matter how much it doesn’t contradict the teachings of the Seven Gods, there are basic standards of conduct a Saint must maintain!!!”
Camilla pointed at the black negligee Iris was wearing.
“Change your clothes right now!”
“….”
Iris clamped her mouth shut at Camilla’s rebuke.
Iris gripped the black negligee tightly in her hand and opened her mouth.
“…I don’t want to.”
“What? W-what did you just say?”
Camilla, who never expected such a refusal to come from Iris’s lips, wore a bewildered expression instead.
“I said I don’t want to.”
Iris ground her teeth and lifted her head.
Her gaze fixed on Camilla grew increasingly fierce.
“Basic standards of conduct for a Saint? That’s all nonsense spouted by those old fossils in the Holy Kingdom! The Seven Gods themselves said that love can never be excessive!”
“That’s….”
“Did I choose to become a Saint? Huh? When I became a Saint, I was just an orphan kid who happened to awaken the ‘Seven Eyes’!”
“….”
Camilla’s lips pressed firmly shut.
Iris breathed heavily and strode toward her.
“Camilla… I’m a woman before I’m a Saint. I’m just an ordinary woman who wants to be loved by the man I’ve given my heart to.”
“…Iris.”
“Is it wrong for me to be this way? Huh?”
Iris grabbed Camilla’s shoulders and cried out.
“Is it a sin for a grown adult to want to have sex?!”
A desperate wail echoed through the room.
Silence descended.
“….”
“….”
As silence fell between Iris and Camilla,
Creak.
The door, which I thought was closed, slowly opened.
Through the gap, the face of a young man with dark gray hair appeared.
“…Huh?”
Gazes crossed.
Dale turned to look at Camilla and Iris, forcing an awkward smile.
“That… what was that. Haha. Sorry… I heard fighting inside… so… ahahaha.”
Dale spun around and slammed the door shut.
“I-I’ll make ramen next time!”
The sound of hurried footsteps faded beyond the door.
“….”
“….”
Silence descended once more.
Camilla squeezed her eyes shut, while Iris collapsed onto the floor in defeat.
“…Camilla.”
“…Yes, Saint.”
“Kill me.”
“I cannot.”
“Then lend me your sword. I’ll take care of it myself.”
“…That is also impossible.”
“Ugh… uuuugh.”
“….”
Iris’s shoulders trembled as she wept quietly.
Camilla approached her silently and patted her back.

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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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