The Last Place Hero’s Return - Chapter 33

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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 33. Last Words (2)
“Hey… isn’t that the last-ranked Candidate next to the Saintess?”
“Huh? Really?”
“Why is that guy with the Saintess?”
“H-he’s even holding her hand?”
Whispers rippled through the crowd around us.
I swallowed a groan and tried to release Iris’s hand, but she squeezed mine tighter, as if asking where I thought I was going.
“…won’t this cause problems if the people of the Holy Kingdom find out?”
“What problem could there be? I’m simply holding hands to ensure the Saintess’s ‘safety.’ Isn’t that right?”
Iris smiled mischievously and winked at me.
I let out a hollow laugh and shook my head.
‘So that’s why Camilla Bediche is always making that expression.’
Thinking of the hardships Camilla must have endured protecting such a carefree Saintess, I felt a pang of sympathy.
“Why? Do you dislike holding hands with me?”
“Of course not.”
But I couldn’t enjoy the festival while drawing the attention of every Candidate around us like this.
“Should we go somewhere quieter?”
“Somewhere without people… what about the Exhibition Hall?”
“You sure? There won’t be much to do there…”
“Hehe. I don’t mind.”
The Seal Festival commemorates the day, five hundred years ago, when the Five Great Heroes sealed away the Demon God.
It wasn’t merely a place for food and entertainment—there was also an exhibition dedicated to the history of how the great heroes of five centuries past had fought and triumphed against the Demon God’s armies.
‘Of course, no Candidate would visit such a place first thing in the morning.’
We were constantly drilled on the history of the Demon God War from five hundred years ago, yet who would spend a rare festival day in an exhibition hall?
‘Still, there’s nowhere better to escape prying eyes.’
Fleeing the piercing gazes from all directions, I walked with her toward the Exhibition Hall.
Upon entering the hall, what greeted us was a massive mural depicting a demon the size of a house facing off against the Five Great Heroes.
I stifled a laugh as I gazed at the depiction of the ‘Demon God.’
‘There’s no accurate record of what the Demon God actually looked like.’
True enough.
Even I, who in my past life was called one of the Last Five Heroes and fought the Demon God, never knew exactly ‘what it looked like.’
‘Its entire body was shrouded in black smoke.’
When the Demon God broke free from its seal, it was wrapped entirely in roaring black flames, so I too could never see its true form.
All I knew about the Demon God was this:
‘It was absurdly powerful.’
In our final confrontation with the Demon God.
We were utterly defeated without even mounting a meaningful resistance.
And.
‘The Demon God took its own life.’
When the curse it unleashed consumed the entire Continent.
No living creature remained on the Continent except for me.
‘…Why did it happen that way?’
As I recalled that day’s memories, I furrowed my brow.
The Demon God had achieved victory against the Last Five Heroes, who were called humanity’s final hope.
There was no need to take its own life.
Had it slowly expanded its forces over time, it could have easily dominated the Continent.
‘But it didn’t.’
What the Demon God chose instead of dominating the Continent was complete annihilation.
Erasing every living being that breathed upon the Continent.
Of course, that ‘annihilation’ included even the Demon God’s own forces.
‘Its purpose from the start wasn’t domination—it was the extermination of all living life.’
I couldn’t understand why the Demon God harbored such a purpose.
No, there was no need to understand it.
‘Because this time, it won’t achieve that goal.’
I glared at the Demon God depicted in the painting, grinding my teeth.
“…Dale? Is something wrong?”
“Oh, sorry. The painting is just so magnificent I got lost in thought for a moment.”
“Hehe. It really is magnificent.”
Iris continued, turning to gaze at the five heroes depicted in the painting.
“Reynald Helios, the Sun Swordsman; Julius Bastian, the Great Sage; Ryu Jin-sung, the Iron Fist; Baek Seung-hyuk, the Holy Spear; and Grace, the Light of Life.”
The Five Great Heroes who had sealed away the Demon God five hundred years ago.
Iris gazed at the painting of the five heroes with sparkling eyes.
“Learning from books is one thing, but seeing them like this in a painting makes my heart race.”
“I didn’t know you were fond of heroic tales.”
“Oh my, even as a child, I was quite absorbed in the Five Heroes game!”
The Five Heroes game.
A simple role-playing game enjoyed by children across all Three Kingdoms, where each player chose their desired role among the five heroes and acted out defeating the Demon God.
‘It was an absurdly unfair game where the child assigned the Demon God role would always end up getting ganged up on by five others.’
Recalling those orphanage days, which I could barely remember anymore, I furrowed my brow.
“By the way, which role did you usually play?”
“Ryu Jin-sung, the Iron Fist. There was a certain satisfaction in pummeling the Demon God with my fists.”
Iris clenched her fists and swung them playfully.
“What role did you usually play, Dale?”
“The Demon God.”
“Oh….”
Ahem.
Iris quickly pulled on my hand and changed the subject urgently.
“L-let’s go a bit deeper inside.”
After finishing our tour of the Exhibition Hall with Iris (for some reason, neither of us let go of each other’s hand even though there was no one around), the time to meet the children was drawing near.
“Shall we go see the kids soon?”
“Let’s go then. If we’re late, Camilla Bediche will throw another fit.”
“Oh, now that you mention it, I’m suddenly tempted to be late?”
Iris flashed a playful smile and tugged at my hand with a seductive pull.
The soft sensation—like touching fluffy blankets fresh from the shower—nearly shook my composure for a moment.
“But what if Camilla Bediche reports to the school that the Holy Maiden has gone missing?”
“…That actually sounds terrifying now that you mention it.”
The mischief vanished from Iris’s mind at the mere thought, and she immediately headed toward our meeting place.
As I waited by the School Main Gate, I spotted Antonio Priest, Camilla Bediche, and the orphanage children approaching in the distance.
“Wooooow!”
“A festival! It’s a festival!”
“Is this really the Hero Academy?!”
The children’s excitement had already spiraled beyond control the moment they crossed through the School Gate.
“Y-you brats! I told you to observe quietly!”
Ignoring Antonio Priest’s thunderous reprimand, the children scattered in all directions like unbridled colts.
“W-wait! Everyone, please calm down!”
Even Camilla Bediche was flustered and at a loss, overwhelmed by the children’s unexpected excitement.
“If you two panic over something like this, what will you do?”
Iris clicked her tongue in disapproval and stepped forward.
“Leo~ come here for a moment?”
“Iris noona! There’s so much food here, and I see so many amazing things….”
“Quiet.”
“Huh? Quiet about what?”
“Shut your mouth, you little brat.”
“…N-noona?”
Iris gently patted Leo’s head and smiled warmly.
“Leo. You told me before that you’re the leader of the orphanage, remember?”
“Y-yeah.”
“If you’re the leader, shouldn’t you properly manage your subordinates instead of letting them run wild like this?”
“Gasp…!”
Leo’s eyes widened like a monk who had just achieved enlightenment.
“Oh, I got it! I’ll take responsibility and educate the kids!”
Leo rushed toward the children with blazing determination in his eyes, barking orders at them.
Remarkably, the children who had been running wild like unbridled colts began gathering obediently around Leo.
“Hmm.”
A soft exclamation escaped Antonio Priest’s lips.
“Impressive. To calm those troublemakers so easily….”
“Children naturally follow their peers more than adults, after all.”
“Haha. Truly befitting the Holy Maiden.”
The elderly priest continued with a satisfied smile.
“Seeing how well you handle children, I’m confident you’ll have no troubles after marriage either.”
“Huh? M-marriage?”
“Hmm. Was it Dale you mentioned?”
“N-no! What are you suddenly talking about?!”
“Hehehehe.”
With Antonio Priest’s mischievous teasing as the opening act, the real festival celebration began in earnest.
“Iris, how do I look? Don’t I seem just like a cat?”
“Ugh… Sister! Why are you making me wear something so embarrassing?”
“Sigh… sigh… Camilla, I’m wearing this puppy ear headband right now, so could you please just ask me to bark like a dog once?”
Everyone wandered through the vendor stalls wearing the animal ear headbands they’d received as gifts.
“Wow! This really tastes amazing!”
“Dale oppa~ Could you buy me just one skewer of grilled chicken?”
“Big brother! Me too, me too!”
Perhaps my reputation among the children had risen since I’d cooked them ramen before.
Not just Iris and Camilla, but several other children approached me, pestering me to buy them snacks.
“Hey! Stop it! Those chicken skewers cost 10 gold each!”
“Don’t worry.”
I pulled out Juliet’s wallet, which was bulging with gold, and grinned widely.
“I’ve got plenty of money.”
* * *
They say pleasant times pass quickly.
As I enjoyed the festival in a blur with Iris, Camilla, and the children, the sky had already begun to darken.
“It’s already this late.”
“Indeed it is.”
The children, who had been running around like unbridled foals at first, were now nodding off as they walked, their energy visibly depleted.
“It’s getting late, so we should head back now.”
Antonio Priest gazed at the stumbling children with a warm smile.
“Saint, Camilla, Dale. Thank you all so much for playing with the children.”
“It was no trouble at all. We had fun too.”
“I’ll see you to the School Main Gate.”
“Haha, thank you, Camilla.”
With that, Camilla and Antonio Priest headed toward the School Main Gate with the children.
As I watched their receding figures and savored the lingering warmth of the festival.
“…I’m sorry, Dale.”
Iris opened her mouth carefully, gauging my reaction.
“Hm? Sorry about what?”
“It feels like I dragged you around all day today.”
“Dragged me around? I had a great time too.”
It wasn’t mere politeness.
Of course, it would have been nice to see the festival with just Iris alone.
But enjoying the festival with the children, laughing and chattering together, turned out to be far more enjoyable than I’d expected.
Perhaps my sincerity had reached her.
Iris opened her mouth with a relieved smile.
“Then, just one more thing—would you mind indulging me?”
“What is it?”
“The chicken skewers you bought for the kids earlier—could you buy me some too?”
Iris’s eyes sparkled brilliantly as she clenched both fists tightly.
‘Now that I think about it, she was so busy taking care of the kids that she never got to eat any herself.’
I chuckled softly and nodded.
“Of course.”
“Ah~ you definitely said ‘of course’, right? Then I’ll just buy both the seasoned flavor and the salt flavor!”
“Sure, sure. Enjoy as much as you like.”
Giggling, I approached the street vendor selling chicken skewers.
Perhaps the exhaustion from today’s grueling work had caught up with him.
As I drew near, the vendor remained motionless, his head bowed low without any response.
“One chicken skewer, please.”
“….”
“Excuse me?”
When I lightly tapped the vendor’s shoulder, wondering if he’d actually fallen asleep from sheer exhaustion.
“Kuh, hack.”
A grotesque moan leaked from the vendor’s lips as he kept his head down.
“O, order… one chicken… skewer… or, order.”
Bloody foam trickling from between his lips.
Grotesque sinews like tree roots covering his entire face.
An ominous violet gleam glinting in his wide-open eyes.
“Or, or, order, order, re, received, ahhh, ah.”
As the vendor’s mouth twisted grotesquely upward and his entire body began to swell.
I carefully opened my mouth.
“Ah, my apologies. Not one—make that two, two skewers.”
One salt flavor and one seasoned flavor.

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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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