The Last Place Hero’s Return - Chapter 240

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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 240. Closing Ceremony (2)
At the Party House after the closing ceremony.
“Pfft….”
Yurina stifled her laughter, her hand pressed against her mouth.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Ah, no… pfft…! Sorry… hehe! Oh, this is rough… I, I had a chance to escape last place… pfft!”
“….”
Either laugh or tease—pick one.
“Sigh. Well, don’t worry about it too much. School grades aren’t everything, are they?”
“Coming from the top student of the year, that’s quite reassuring.”
I clicked my tongue and turned my gaze away from Yurina.
Iris, seated beside me, asked with a faint smile.
“But you did expect your grades wouldn’t be particularly good, didn’t you?”
“Well… that’s true.”
Honestly, I’d skipped more than half the classes—how could my grades be good?
“So I wasn’t really concerned about it either… but they went and gave me bonus points for some reason.”
As the saying goes, you need hope to experience despair.
Just when I thought I’d finally escaped this wretched last place, I found myself right back there (a mere one-rank difference, but still), and somehow it felt even worse.
“That said, it’s rather curious.”
“What is?”
“That Dale is bothered by being in last place.”
Iris tilted her head as she continued.
“Everyone who matters in the Academy already knows your true capabilities, don’t they? You were recently even granted the title of Special Candidate by the Headmaster.”
“That’s….”
“And the reason Candidates strive so hard for high comprehensive evaluation rankings is to secure good positions in government or Guilds after graduation… but you don’t need to worry about your future, do you?”
Iris placed her hand over her heart and puffed out her chest, her expression declaring, ‘I’ll take responsibility for Dale’s future!’
“….”
She wasn’t wrong.
Just as she said, escaping last place wouldn’t change a single thing about my life right now.
But.
“…If you’d been called the last-place hero your entire previous life, you’d think differently about it.”
Yes.
This was a matter of pride, transcending mere profit and loss.
“Hmm… is that so?”
Iris tilted her head, clearly not quite understanding.
I exhaled a short sigh and offered her a simple example.
“Iris. What rank did you get in the comprehensive rankings this time?”
“I placed third this time. Camilla was fourth.”
“By your own logic, you shouldn’t need such high grades either, right? Your future as a Saint is already guaranteed.”
“Ah.”
“That’s how grades work.”
Those who possess everything cannot understand such sentiments.
“Well, I think I get the feeling now.”
Sophia, who had been quietly listening beside me, nodded her head.
“This was actually my first time achieving top marks, and I have to say, it doesn’t feel bad at all.”
“Top marks? Was Sophia the top student of the fourth year this time?”
“That’s right.”
Sophia crossed her arms and shrugged her shoulders.
“I’ve always been beaten by that disgusting couple—Aaron and Bella—every single time, but this time I won. When the grades were announced, watching Aaron’s expression crumple was quite satisfying, I must admit.”
So Sophia had surpassed Aaron and claimed the top position.
‘Considering that Aaron and Bella always form the same party during final evaluations, it would have been nearly impossible to secure top marks without the strength to hard-carry an entire party solo.’
It seemed Sophia’s abilities had improved dramatically in the time I hadn’t seen her.
“Well, I hate to admit it, but… it’s thanks to you.”
“Me?”
“You explained the solutions to the Great Sage’s Three Trials before, remember?”
“…No, I don’t believe I ever did that.”
What I had given her was not the solution to the trials themselves.
Magic as a discipline cannot advance simply by having someone else provide explanations and answers.
That’s why I had only offered Sophia the most trivial hints to help her find the answers on her own.
‘I barely said anything—just something like “What if you tried approaching it from the opposite perspective?” That hardly counts as explaining the solution.’
How could that possibly be considered explaining the solution?
“Hmm? Isn’t that basically explaining the solution? You showed me that the direction I was thinking was wrong.”
“….”
Ah.
I had forgotten—Sophia was a genius no less formidable than Yurina.
“Well… there’s also that, and I learned some things by watching Jade and Berald’s magic.”
“Jade, I understand, but… you learned something from watching Berald’s magic?”
“Yes.”
What magic does that guy even have?
He can barely do anything besides mana bullets.
“His magic, which manifests through the harmony of external and internal forces, had quite a lot to teach me.”
“….”
Every time I experienced this,
I couldn’t comprehend how geniuses think.
“Anyway, without you, I wouldn’t have been able to find the solution to the Great Sage’s trials, nor would I have met Jade or Berald.”
Thank you.
Sophia smiled faintly as she said this.
“….”
Being thanked by Sophia like this.
It felt as though I’d been struck hard on the head with a hammer.
“By the way, Sophia.”
“Hm? What is it?”
I still wasn’t quite accustomed to being called by that familiar form of address.
At Iris’s call, Sophia’s shoulders gave a slight start.
“So you’ll be graduating as valedictorian this time, won’t you?”
“Ah, yes. That’s right.”
“What will you do after graduation?”
Iris’s expression grew anxious—worried that Sophia might leave the Party.
But even if she didn’t leave the Party, a graduate couldn’t remain at the Academy.
“Ah, don’t worry about that. I’m not leaving the Party, nor am I leaving the Academy.”
Sophia suppressed a quiet chuckle and tilted her head slightly toward Berald.
“Where would I go, leaving that fool behind?”
Though her murmur was brief, I could discern Sophia’s feelings well enough.
“But how will you remain at the Academy?”
“I’ve taken a position under Jade.”
“Pardon?”
That would mean… surely not.
“You’ve become a teaching assistant?”
“That’s correct.”
“….”
A teaching assistant, no less.
No matter how desperately she wanted to stay with Berald, I never expected such an extreme choice.
‘Berald, you bastard, you’d better take real good care of Sophia.’
If he starts spouting nonsense about microscopic worlds or whatever later, I’ll crack his skull open.
“Jade mentioned that you’d eventually become his assistant too?”
“What nonsense is that?”
Why would I do something so dreadful?
“…You wouldn’t?”
“Not in the slightest.”
“Hmm. Is that so? Then I suppose there’s nothing to be done. When Berald graduates, I’ll just have to put him to work as an assistant instead.”
…I’m sorry, Berald.
It seems I won’t be able to protect you this time.
“*Gulp gulp*… Ahh! But why are you all discussing such things on the closing ceremony day without even having a drink?”
Berald, oblivious to his future plummeting into the abyss of hell, was busily devouring the food and drink prepared for the closing ceremony celebration.
I silently patted Berald’s shoulder and observed a moment of silence for him.
“So Sophia will remain at the Academy as a teaching assistant… what about Lanez?”
“M-me too! Thanks to Elisha, I was able to stay at the Academy!”
Lanez cried out with sparkling eyes, as though she’d been waiting to be asked.
“How? Did you become Elisha’s assistant too?”
“Ah, no. That’s not quite it….”
Lanez laughed awkwardly, scratching her head as her words trailed off.
“Um. I’ll tell you about that later! It should be good news for Dale!”
“…?”
What on earth could warrant such deliberate evasion?
“A-anyway! I’ve managed to stay at the Academy, so don’t worry!”
“I… see.”
Truth be told, I’d been more concerned about Lanez than Sophia.
It was a relief to hear she’d found a way to remain.
“So that means… we’ll all be together next year as well?”
Iris’s eyes sparkled as she glanced around at the party members.
“Looks like it.”
“Hehe. That’s wonderful.”
“Hehehehe! Brother! Shouldn’t we have a drink to celebrate such a day!”
“Sounds good.”
“Everyone, hold out your glasses! I’ll pour for you all!”
Berald bustled about, filling each glass with care.
“So then….”
All eyes turned toward me.
“…What, you want me to give a toast?”
“Hehehehe. Who else would do it if not the party leader?”
“That’s true.”
“Fufu. I wonder what kind of wonderful words Dale will share… I’m looking forward to it?”
No.
With the stage set like this, the pressure only mounted.
“Um… well, everyone worked hard this past year. Let’s do our best together next year too.”
“Booooo! How boring!”
“I’m disappointed, brother. Is that really the best you can do?”
“No.”
What was I supposed to do in this atmosphere?
“Ugh.”
I swallowed hard, looking around at the party members whose eyes gleamed with anticipation—mostly with the intent to tease me.
“…You all thank me so often, but the truth is, I’m the one who’s grateful.”
They would never know.
How desperately I had longed for this moment, to be together again.
Wandering through the endless Snowy Wasteland.
How deeply I had yearned.
“Thank you.”
Because you exist.
I exist.
“…Dale.”
“Hah… Brother.”
“Damn it! Now you’ve made it worse by bringing it up! Quiet, everyone raise your glasses! Here’s to a wonderful year!”
We’ll do this for one more year ahead of us!
* * *
Back in my Dormitory room after drinking heavily with my party members.
The first thing I saw upon opening the door was….
“…Lanez?”
And she had somehow changed into a maid outfit.
‘No.’
Why was she in my room again?
“Hehe. You’re back, Dale?”
“…Why are you in my room?”
“Well… you said earlier that I’d be able to stay at the Academy, remember?”
Lanez continued with a bashful expression.
“I asked Professor Elisha, and she arranged for me to stay at the Academy as your personal maid.”
“…What?”
A personal maid?
What was she talking about?
“I mean, those high-ranking nobles and wealthy Candidates keep employees at the Academy to clean their rooms and prepare their meals, don’t they?”
“Well… yes, that’s true.”
I knew Iris herself had a dedicated chef living within the Academy.
“So I became a maid to help you with various chores and tasks just like those people do!”
“….”
“O-of course… besides chores, I can also… help with other things too….”
Lanez twisted her body shyly, her embarrassment evident.
“….”
For some reason.
A foreboding sense washed over me that the year ahead would be far more tumultuous than the one that had passed.

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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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