The Last Place Hero’s Return - Chapter 188

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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 188. Treasure Hunt (3)
A cavern where pure white wisps of light drifted aimlessly about.
I narrowed my eyes as I gazed upon the semi-transparent luminescence shaped like a girl—one who identified herself as Grace.
“If I recall correctly, Grace died quite a long time ago.”
[That’s right. So technically, I’m just a fragment of the soul Grace left behind—a lingering spirit.]
A lingering spirit of Grace, then.
“Why would Grace’s lingering spirit seek me out?”
[Because I sensed the aura of the ‘Seven Eyes’ emanating from you.]
The aura of the Seven Eyes.
That was likely thanks to the blessing Iris had bestowed upon me before entering the Ruins.
‘But.’
I narrowed my eyes and shook my head.
“That can’t be the only reason, can it?”
[….]
I first witnessed the pure white wisps of light last night when I took a walk with Yurina.
Of course, I hadn’t heard any voice then, but the white wisps had circled around me as if observing me, before vanishing.
‘And if you only found me because of the Seven Eyes’ aura, you should have sought out Iris instead of me.’
Iris had entered the Ruins alongside me.
Yet the fact that it came to me instead of Iris meant there had to be another reason.
[That’s right.]
Grace nodded her head readily.
She slowly raised her hand, pointing to my chest as she continued.
[The reason I approached you is because you possess the ‘power to extinguish flames’ within you.]
“Power to… extinguish flames?”
Suddenly.
Words I had once heard from Elisha flashed through my mind.
-Not one, but two.
A power dwelling within me that even I didn’t know about.
The force that had been suppressing the primordial flame.
“What exactly is this power to extinguish flames?”
[I don’t know.]
Grace shook her head quietly.
“…You don’t know?”
[I told you. I’m not Grace herself, merely a lingering spirit she left behind. I don’t know the true nature of the power dwelling within you either.]
However.
[One thing I remember with certainty is that someone with that power must exist for me to fulfill my ‘mission’.]
“….”
I narrowed my eyes as I watched Grace speak with a somewhat melancholic expression.
“What is your mission?”
[To extinguish the ‘flame seed’ that lies beneath this tomb… or more precisely, beneath the Ruins.]
“…The Primordial Flame Seed?”
[The Primordial Flame Seed. A fragment of the Demon God’s power dwells within it. My mission is to guard this place until that seed is extinguished.]
“….”
A question that had circulated among the heroes since ancient times flickered through my mind.
‘Why did Grace choose such a desolate Ruins as her own tomb?’
Grace, who was neither born nor had lived in the Termal Region, had constructed her tomb here despite the objections of those around her.
‘If the reason was to seal away something slumbering beneath these Ruins…’
Just as she had offered up the sacred relic bestowed by the divine to save a single child.
Even in that final moment of death—no, even after death itself—she had devoted her very soul to contain the Primordial Flame Seed.
For the past five hundred years.
Alone, within this dark, vast, and desolate Cavern.
[…What? Why are you suddenly bowing your head?]
“It’s my own way of showing respect to a great hero.”
[Hmph.]
Grace let out a scoff, her arms crossed.
[That’s enough. I’m not even the real Grace anyway.]
“That’s not true.”
Even if you are merely a fragment of the remaining soul.
Even if you’ve been diminished, severed, and worn away.
“Regardless of what anyone says, you are one of the Five Great Heroes—Grace of Life’s Light.”
[….]
A subtle ripple spread through the pure white luminescence that composed Grace’s form.
She gazed at me with vacant eyes, then a faint smile graced her lips.
[Thank you.]
Grace drifted through the empty air as if dancing.
“In any case… so you’re asking me to extinguish the Primordial Flame Seed that lies beneath here?”
[That’s right.]
“Hmm.”
The Primordial Flame Seed.
‘I didn’t even know something like that existed.’
The Primordial Flame currently dwelling within me is separate from the Primordial Flame in the post-regression world, which still exists in a state of ‘non-existence’.
‘The Primordial Flame itself was created when the Demon God was resurrected.’
If before that resurrection it remained scattered in the form of seeds…
‘Then could extinguishing all the seeds prevent the Demon God’s resurrection?’
The Primordial Flame is the foundation of the Demon God’s power.
Just as there would be no Primordial Flame without the Demon God, the reverse must also be true.
However.
‘No, it’s too early to be certain.’
After all, I don’t even know how many Primordial Flame Seeds exist, nor how much power each possesses.
It would be wise to examine the Primordial Flame Seed directly before drawing any conclusions.
“Understood. Guide me to where the Primordial Flame Seed is located.”
[…You’re making this decision so easily?]
Grace stared at me with an astonished expression, clearly not having expected me to accept her proposal so readily.
“Wasn’t it you who asked me to extinguish the flame?”
[Well, that’s true, but….]
Hesitation flickered across Grace’s face.
After a moment of contemplation, Grace slowly opened her mouth.
[You don’t seem to understand what the Primordial Flame Seed truly is. Even though it’s called a ‘seed,’ it contains an immense power within it.]
Grace continued in a measured tone.
[Merely a fraction of that power was enough to heat the entire surrounding land intensely.]
“…Hmm?”
Her words suddenly sparked a realization.
“Wait… Is the Termal Region famous for its hot springs because of the Primordial Flame Seed?”
[Exactly.]
“I see.”
So the abundance of hot springs in the Termal Region wasn’t due to volcanic activity—it was the Primordial Flame Seed that was responsible.
“Then the other hot spring regions scattered throughout the Three Nations must also….”
[No, as far as I know, there are no other hot spring regions that were created by the influence of the Primordial Flame Seed besides the Termal Region.]
“Is that so?”
Tsk.
I had thought I might be able to use hot springs as a clue to locate other Primordial Flame Seeds, but it seemed that hope was in vain.
[Don’t take hot springs lightly. Just the Termal Region alone—do you have any idea how vast its area is? It’s a power capable of transforming this entire surrounding region into a volcanic zone. And that’s only a fraction of its true strength.]
Grace continued with a deliberately grave expression, as if trying to frighten me.
[No matter how much power you possess to extinguish flames… you could easily end up burning to death.]
“I see. Is that so?”
[I’m not joking.]
Perhaps she thought my response was too casual.
Grace continued to warn me about the dangers of the Primordial Flame Seed.
‘She doesn’t seem to know that I possess the Blessing of Resurrection.’
I suppressed a faint smile and nodded.
“I understand. But as long as the Flame Seed remains, you’ll be trapped here indefinitely, won’t you?”
[You….]
Grace furrowed her brow, unable to comprehend, and continued speaking.
[Are you fearless? Or are you simply foolish?]
“That’s not something you should be saying—you’re the one who called me all the way here to extinguish the Seed.”
[That’s… true, but….]
Grace trailed off, unable to hide the worry etched across her face.
Watching her, I swallowed a bitter smile.
‘Even in a situation like this, she’s concerned for someone else first.’
It seemed the legends of Grace descending to the Holy Kingdom weren’t entirely false.
“Don’t worry about me. As you said, I have the power to command fire.”
I spoke those words while summoning ashen flames to my palm.
Whoooosh!
Grace’s eyes widened dramatically as she beheld the blazing ashen fire dancing across my hand.
[That… that’s the Primordial Flame Seed? How… how do you possess it…?]
To be precise, it wasn’t merely a flame seed, but the Primordial Flame itself.
There was no need to explain such details in our current circumstances.
“Does this convince you?”
[….]
Grace gazed at the ashen flames burning above my palm, her lips pressed firmly together, before nodding with a grave expression.
[Understood. I’ll guide you to where the flame seed resides.]
She drifted through the air toward the statue.
A pristine white luminescence enveloped the statue with its hands clasped in prayer to the divine, and moments later, the same brilliant white gate we had used upon arrival materialized before us.
[Follow me.]
Grace’s lingering spirit stepped into the gate.
I followed in her footsteps, crossing the threshold.
My body felt weightless as it lifted.
Whoooooosh!
“Ugh….”
Intense heat enveloped my skin.
“…Is this the place?”
I felt the heat, yet nothing resembling a flame seed was visible around me.
[No, we need to descend further along the path.]
Grace drifted slowly down the straight corridor.
I walked after her.
[…Before we reach where the flame seed is, there’s something I wish to ask.]
“What is it?”
[The child who bestowed upon you the blessing of the Seven Eyes… the current ‘Saint’… is she doing well?]
“If you mean Iris, you needn’t worry—she’s thriving.”
[…Is that so? Then I’m relieved.]
A faint smile crossed Grace’s face at my response.
“Does she concern you?”
[Of course.]
Grace touched the corner of her eye as she continued.
[Though we may not share blood, we are bound by divine blessing. In a sense, I am like a parent to her.]
“….”
If that were the case, then Grace would be like a mother-in-law to me?
‘Now I regret speaking so casually to her.’
Given her youthful appearance, I had naturally fallen into informal speech without realizing it, and now we’ve arrived at this situation.
‘But it would be awkward to suddenly switch to formal speech now.’
As I stood there uncertain how to treat her.
[You—what’s your relationship with my child?]
“What?”
[You call the Saint by her name, Iris, so casually… and I can sense such deep emotion in the ‘blessing’ that’s taken hold of you. You two aren’t just ordinary acquaintances, are you?]
“….”
Should I tell her or not?
As I continued to wrestle with the question, I finally opened my mouth quietly.
“Iris and I are… lovers.”
[L-lovers?]
Grace’s eyes widened in surprise at my answer.
[Heh. I see… well, there’s no doctrine saying a Saint can’t fall in love, after all.]
Grace smiled tenderly and placed a hand over her heart.
[…I’m so relieved. Truly.]
Perhaps it was because she had just learned that the child she thought of as her own was loved by someone.
Grace’s face radiated a happiness that seemed boundless.
[Ah… but now that you mention lovers, it suddenly reminds me. Do you know what that scoundrel Reynald Helios was like back then?]
Grace’s eyes narrowed as old memories surfaced.
[That fool spouted nonsense about not being able to hurt the women he fancied, and ended up taking two, three lovers at once. Isn’t that insane?]
“….”
[You think so too, don’t you?]
“Y-yes…”
Feeling my throat go dry, I forced an awkward smile before my mother-in-law.
“O-of course…”
[Sigh. Men are all the same… but you seem different, so I’m relieved.]
Grace looked at me with a bright smile.
[I think I can trust you with my child.]
“….”
One thing was certain.
‘If this gets exposed, I’m done for.’
Feeling cold sweat trickling down my spine, I turned my steps toward where the primordial flame dwelt.

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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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