The Last Place Hero’s Return - Chapter 39

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 39. Interlude – Thank Goodness
The Medical Facility located within the Hero Academy grounds.
Inside the Medical Facility, primarily used by Candidates injured during training or afflicted with illness, there existed a private recovery room that could only be accessed by those who made a specific “donation.”
Since the donation was essentially a usage fee in disguise, few Candidates actually used the private recovery room.
And here I was.
Lying in that private recovery room, dressed in a patient’s gown.
I never imagined the day would come when I’d actually use a private recovery room.
An immortal monster that resurrects perfectly even after death, using a private recovery room—what an absurd pairing.
Could there be a more mismatched combination than this?
“Sigh.”
I exhaled deeply and turned my head toward the woman sitting in the chair beside my bed, humming softly as she peeled fruit.
Pale pink hair, a perky nose, a delicate jawline, and beautiful eyes.
And above all else.
The overwhelmingly generous “blessed assets” that occupied nearly half my field of vision from this lying position.
The saintess, whose appearance alone made it abundantly clear she’d received the blessings of all seven gods, seemed to notice my gaze and stopped peeling the fruit.
“What are you staring at so intently?”
“Your blessed assets.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Ah, sorry. I was looking at Iris’s chest.”
“W-what did you just say?”
Iris startled and quickly covered her chest with both arms.
She narrowed her eyes and glared at me.
“…You pervert.”
“No, wait.”
They’re taking up half my field of vision—how am I supposed to not look?
Unless I turn my head away, I have no choice but to see them.
“Hehe. So you were pretending not to be interested after all, Dale? Turns out you’re just like any other man.”
Her surprise at covering herself was fleeting.
Iris, now smug with satisfaction, slowly revealed her chest again from behind her arms.
My vision darkened once more.
I averted my gaze from Iris’s bosom, which seemed so abundantly blessed by the seven gods that it threatened to overflow, and sat up in bed.
“Where are you going?”
“I should head out. I’m fully recovered.”
To be precise, my body had been fine ever since Iris forcibly pushed me into the recovery room.
“Tsk. I told you that you need to rest.”
“That’s why I’ve been lying still for the past few days.”
“No. You need to stay a bit longer.”
Iris shook her head firmly.
I exhaled deeply and opened my mouth.
“You saw it back then too—you know what kind of blessing I possess, don’t you?”
“That’s….”
The ‘Blessing of Resurrection’—a gift that brought me back to life in an instant, even unto death.
Iris had witnessed me come back to life dozens—no, hundreds of times during my clashes with Ashtaroth.
“B-but you were in such terrible pain back then!”
“That was only because I died far too many times in such a short span.”
Even if the Blessing of Resurrection restored my body.
It didn’t return the mana I’d expended, nor did it restore my mental fortitude.
No matter how many deaths I’d experienced across countless lifetimes, enduring over a hundred deaths in less than ten minutes was enough to break even me.
“That’s exactly why you need to rest more!”
“I’ve rested enough.”
“B-but still….”
Iris trailed off, then tugged firmly at the collar of my patient gown and continued.
“Just one more day. Can’t you rest for just one more day?”
“Hmm….”
Truthfully, there was nothing more to recover from.
But seeing Iris with tears glistening in her eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to push her hand away and leave the recovery room.
“Fine. I’ll rest until tomorrow.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. By the way, how much did the Medical Facility charge—or rather, how much was the donation?”
“I paid for all of it, so don’t worry about it.”
“Still….”
“Now, now. A patient should focus on recovering quietly like a proper patient.”
“Ugh.”
She keeps saying there’s nothing more to recover from.
“By the way… do you think it’ll be alright?”
“What will?”
“Keeping Professor Morpheus’s identity hidden.”
After I killed Ashtaroth.
I’d asked her not to tell anyone about what happened there.
Not that Professor Morpheus was the Archbishop of Illusion, nor that I was the one who killed Ashtaroth.
‘So the Academy was told that Professor Morpheus fled outside the school immediately after the incident.’
Thanks to the Illusory Veil that Ashtaroth had spread, there were no other witnesses.
And Camilla, Antonio Priest, and the orphans who were inside the veil had been caught in Ashtaroth’s illusion magic, losing most of their memories of what happened.
“I told you. If this truth gets out, we’re the ones who’ll suffer.”
If it became known that Ashtaroth had orchestrated this entire incident to target Iris’s ‘Seven Eyes’, the attention of the entire Continent would naturally focus on her.
And beyond that.
‘Ashtaroth said Iris’s eyes were an obstacle to unsealing the Demon God.’
In other words.
If Iris possessed the ‘Seven Eyes’, it meant they could put a brake on the Demons’ desire for the Demon God’s return.
‘If the Demons learn of this, Iris will be in danger.’
It was the right call to keep this hidden, if only for her safety.
‘Of course, if word got out that I killed Ashtaroth, that would be just as much of a headache.’
Imagine if it became known that a mere Candidate had slain one of the six Demons who reigned over tens of thousands of Demons across the Continent.
‘The entire Continent would be turned upside down.’
This wasn’t simply a matter of hiding my power or not.
The moment this truth spread, it was certain that attention would focus on me to such a degree that normal school life would become impossible.
‘From others’ perspective, it would be like a baby who just took its first steps beating a fully grown adult to death with bare hands.’
No.
Considering how much fear the name ‘Archbishop of Illusion’ instilled in the hearts of continentals, the impact would be even greater than that.
‘In any case.’
For Iris’s sake, and for my own sake, it was best not to reveal this to anyone.
“Sigh. Understood. I’ll do as you say, Dale.”
“Thanks.”
“Thank you? I should be the one thanking you. You… risked your life to protect me.”
“It’s a cheap life that comes back quickly even if I die.”
“No.”
Iris shook her head firmly, her gaze stern.
“Even if you possess a blessing that allows you to be resurrected even in death, that doesn’t make your life worthless.”
“….”
“Don’t ever say such things again.”
Iris carefully reached out and gently touched my cheek.
“To me… your life is more precious than any other.”
“….”
Precious life.
I had never heard such words before.
My life had never once been ‘precious’.
Of course it hadn’t.
A life that kept coming back no matter how many times it died didn’t deserve to be called precious.
‘Yet, why.’
How could she say my life was ‘precious’?
“When you were fighting Ashtaroth back then… you asked me why I didn’t stay put and stepped forward instead, didn’t you?”
“…Yes, I did.”
“Well, honestly, I thought the same thing. I wasn’t sure what blessing you possessed, but seeing you come back to life so quickly even after dying like that, I figured you wouldn’t actually die, at least.”
Right.
Just as she said, I wouldn’t have died.
“Then why did you step forward?”
“I don’t know. Seeing you suffer like that, my body just moved on its own.”
“….”
It was an unwise choice.
An unwise decision.
It was illogical.
But.
“If I faced the same situation again, I would step forward to protect you the same way, Dale.”
“…Even knowing I don’t die?”
“Yes.”
“…Why?”
Questions tangled like knotted threads filled my mind.
Why, why, why, why.
Why had she sacrificed her own life to save mine?
“When Ashtaroth stopped attacking you and came toward me… do you know what I was thinking?”
“…No.”
Iris lowered her hand from my cheek and grasped my hand firmly.
“I was grateful.”
Cradling my hand in both of hers.
She continued in a trembling voice.
“That you were alive, Dale… I was truly grateful. That’s what I thought.”
“….”
“Hehe. Haven’t you heard that before?”
“Heard it before?”
I tilted my head in confusion.
“My, why are you pretending not to know?”
Iris smiled mischievously and poked my nose.
“It’s what you said to me when we first met, Dale.”
“…Ah.”
I coughed awkwardly at the embarrassing memory from the first day after my return.
‘Now that I think about it, I just rushed over and said I was grateful.’
It was quite a mortifying memory to recall now.
“Well then, enough chatting. Let me peel some fruit for you—now lie back down.”
“Mm.”
I swallowed and lay back on the bed.
Suddenly.
The memory of that day brushed through my mind once more.
The day the sky turned crimson.
The memory of the day I heard her final words.
‘Was Iris thinking the same thing then as she is now?’
I don’t know.
Perhaps I’ll never find out the reason.
But.
What does it matter if I don’t understand?
“Dale, say ‘aah’ for me.”
I offered a faint smile as I watched Iris holding out a fork with fruit speared on its tines.
‘I’m grateful.’
That you’re alive.
* * *
“…You’re saying you’re going back?”
“Yes.”
Beneath a crimson-stained sky.
Golden eyes flashed with savage intensity.
“Iris. Do you understand what you’re saying?”
“I do.”
“You understand, and you’re still talking about going back?”
Yuren gnashed his teeth, glaring at Iris.
“Dale sacrificed his life to create this opportunity. If we don’t escape now, we all die.”
“Yes, which is why I’m going back alone.”
“That’s exactly it! If you go back now, you’ll die with us!”
….
Iris adjusted the black blindfold and spoke softly.
“Then… what about Dale?”
“Dale is….”
A brief silence.
Yuren clenched his fist until it trembled, forcing the words out with difficulty.
“Dale won’t die.”
“Of course not. He has the blessing of Resurrection.”
“So….”
“But if he’s captured by the Demons, he’ll endure unimaginable suffering. Suffering so terrible that death would seem preferable.”
“That’s….”
“I can’t abandon Dale.”
“You…!”
Yuren seized Iris by the collar, wrenching roughly.
“Do you think I don’t understand?! Do you think I want to abandon Dale and run?!”
He cried out as if in anguish.
“But you know it too! If we die here…!”
“Humanity’s hope will vanish?”
“…Yes.”
Yuren bit his lip so harshly that blood seeped through.
“If you won’t come, I’ll drag you by force.”
“Ha.”
A cold mockery escaped Iris’s lips.
“Do you know something?”
“…What.”
“I’ve never cast a healing spell on Dale, not even once.”
“….”
“No matter how badly he’s injured, he’ll recover anyway. No matter how much pain he’s in, he won’t die.”
Rather than use healing magic to treat Dale,
it was more ‘rational’ to use healing magic for others.
“Even if he dies! He’ll just come back to life anyway!!!”
Not once.
Did I ever use healing magic for him.
“While that person died hundreds of times, thousands of times, I… just watched.”
Because of that.
I could never tell Dale that his life had value.
His life wasn’t supposed to have value.
If his death could save even one more life.
Then that was right.
“You know… whenever Dale saves other people, there’s always something he says, right?”
“….”
“Hm? You know, don’t you? He’s saved your life more than a few times.”
“I’m glad you’re alive… isn’t that what he says?”
“Ha, yes. He always says things like that?”
Even though I’ve died dozens of times, hundreds of times.
Even though I’ve screamed in terrible agony countless times.
He always says ‘I’m glad you’re alive.’
Words I could never hear.
He speaks them with a radiant smile.
“I’ll die in a month.”
“…Wait. You’ll die in a month? What are you suddenly talking about?”
“Because I’ve been squandering divine blessing without the ‘Seven Eyes.’ The fact that I’ve lasted this long is already remarkable.”
“….”
“I was hiding it because I was worried Dale would be concerned, but there’s no need for that anymore.”
Iris continued, her sad smile never wavering.
“Even if I die in a month, if I escape from here and heal people, I could save so many lives. Many must have been injured in this war.”
“….”
“Hundreds… no, thousands of people could be saved.”
But.
“I… want to go back to where Dale is.”
“….”
“I’ve worked so hard all this time… right? By turning away from that person dying before my eyes so many times… I saved so many people. Humanity’s hope… became the Last Five Heroes.”
So.
“Just once… before I die, just once… I want to save that person. I want to tell him.”
Your life has value.
Nothing more.
More precious than anything else in this world.
“….”
Yuren released his grip on Iris’s collar without a word.
“…Yuren?”
“Go.”
Yuren turned his back to Iris, leaving only that brief command in his wake.
His hand clenched around the hilt of his sword at his waist so tightly it seemed ready to shatter, and he walked forward with a solitary gait.
“….”
Iris nodded silently and turned her body.
Toward the place where the Demon God’s armies were descending like a black cloud.
And then.
“Why… why did you do that! Why did you come back!”
I gently caress his weeping cheek.
“Ah, hehe.”
Why is it?
Even though I knew he wouldn’t die, why does my heart feel so relieved?
“I’m… so glad.”
That you’re alive.
“I’m truly… so, so… glad.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————