The Last Place Hero’s Return - Chapter 67

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

Chapter 67. Elixir (3)
Silence settled over the room.
A deathly silence so oppressive it seemed even death itself would make a commotion.
Yuren finally opened his mouth.
“So what you’re saying is….”
His eyes had turned cold and piercing, fixed directly on me.
“You occasionally go to an orphanage on weekends for volunteer work, and you were practicing a play to show the children?”
“Exactly.”
“And you expect me to believe that right now?”
“I’m telling you it’s true! Right, Iris?!”
I turned to Iris with desperate eyes.
“Y-yes! It was just a play, just a play!”
Iris stood beside me, nodding her head frantically.
Her face had flushed a deep crimson, as if it might burst if touched.
“Hmm.”
Yuren’s eyes narrowed with lingering suspicion as he studied both Iris and me.
“By the way, you seem quite close with the saint. Close enough to invite her to your dormitory room, no less.”
Yuren’s expression darkened, as if something deeply displeased him.
“Well, that’s….”
“Of course! How close are Dale and I?”
Before I could respond, Iris broke into a bright smile and spoke up.
“He even made ramen for me here before!”
“Ramen…?”
“It’s a popular dish in the Republic. Dale makes ramen so well… ah, if you haven’t tried it, you have no idea how delicious it is!”
“….”
As Iris continued her praise, Yuren’s expression grew increasingly rigid.
“…You’ve never made anything like that for me.”
Yuren muttered quietly, his head bowed low.
“Yuren, you said you and Dale are friends, right?”
“Ah… yes, that’s correct, saint.”
“Saint? Don’t be so formal. We’re in the same year anyway.”
“…Okay, I understand.”
“By the way, how did you two become friends?”
Iris asked with sparkling eyes.
Yuren glanced toward me before answering.
“I went to find Dale first because I wanted to have a match with him.”
“…You went first?”
“I saw Dale sparring with Vincent.”
“Ah.”
Iris nodded in understanding, letting out a small exclamation.
“Well, Dale was absolutely magnificent back then. He took down the instructor in a single strike—something no one had managed before!”
Iris’s voice rang out with the unbridled enthusiasm of a doting mother bragging about her child.
“Yeah. That’s how I ended up sparring with Dale… and naturally, we became friends.”
“Ah, I see! I’ve heard that Warrior Department candidates often grow close through sparring like that.”
“And well… Dale just has such a good personality.”
“Oh, you know that too! Hehe. That’s right. Even though Dale’s appearance might seem a bit intimidating at first glance, once you talk to him, he’s so kind and considerate.”
“Yeah, that’s true. His first impression is completely different from reality, isn’t it?”
No.
What’s wrong with how I look?
“Hehe. Anyway, it’s nice to meet Dale’s friend like this. Dale… honestly, you don’t have many friends, do you?”
“What? No, I have friends. Why would you say that?”
“Hmm. Besides Yuren, do you have anyone else?”
“Well, there’s… Juliet, for instance.”
Juliet, for instance.
Juliet, for instance.
Juli… damn it.
“See?”
Iris patted my back consolingly.
“Hmm….”
Yuren, who had been quietly observing the exchange, narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth.
“Dale doesn’t have many friends? I don’t see it that way.”
“Pardon?”
“I’ve never heard of Juliet before, but Dale has another friend besides Juliet and me, doesn’t he?”
“My goodness, Dale has another friend?”
Iris’s eyes widened in genuine surprise.
Yuren gave a subtle nod and raised his hand, pointing toward Iris.
“You, Iris.”
“…Pardon?”
“If I recall correctly, Dale mentioned you two aren’t in a romantic relationship, right?”
“Ah… yes. Well, that’s… correct.”
Iris’s expression visibly faltered.
Yuren’s eyes gleamed with the sharpness of a predator that had found its opening, and he continued.
“If you’re not in a romantic relationship, then aren’t you and Dale simply ‘friends’?”
“That’s….”
“Don’t worry. I’m not about to spout some tired old saying about how men and women can’t be friends.”
Yuren delivered his finishing blow with a gentle smile.
“I believe that between men and women, a pure ‘friendship’ without romantic feelings is entirely possible. Just like… the relationship between you and Dale.”
“….”
Silence fell once more.
The gazes of Yuren and Iris crossed through the empty air.
“My goodness… your perspective is quite different from mine. I simply cannot believe that a purely platonic relationship between a man and a woman is possible.”
“Is that so? That’s surprising. From what I can see, Dale and Iris seem like very good friends.”
“Hehehehe.”
“Hahaha.”
A murderous atmosphere filled the room—so sharp it seemed like touching it would draw blood.
‘What is this?’
Why had the mood suddenly become so tense?
‘Wait, didn’t they just meet for the first time today?’
I wondered if there was some past history between them that I didn’t know about, but as far as I could recall, Iris and Yuren had no significant interactions during the Candidate Program days either.
‘So why do they look like they want to devour each other the moment they meet?’
As I stood there bewildered, unable to comprehend the situation—
“What do you think, Dale?”
“Yeah, I’m curious too. What’s your take on it, Dale?”
Suddenly, all eyes turned to me.
“W-what…?”
“Do you believe a purely platonic relationship between a man and a woman is possible?”
“Well, people use the term ‘female friend’ all the time these days, right? Isn’t that exactly what you and Iris are?”
“….”
Iris and Yuren’s gazes locked onto my mouth.
A chill ran down my spine, and a premonition struck me like lightning.
‘If I answer, I’m done for.’
I gripped the purified mana stone in one hand and turned without hesitation.
“Sorry, I just remembered I made an appointment with Professor Jade that I completely forgot about.”
“What?”
“Wait! Dale?!”
“I need to go right now, so let’s talk about this later!!!”
Leaving the two of them in the room, I fled the Dormitory and sprinted toward Jade’s Research Laboratory.
* * *
The most secluded corner of the vast grounds of Reynald Hero School.
At the entrance of a building that looked like a crumbling ruin stood a weathered sign reading “Sacred Mark Magic Research Laboratory.”
Bang!
The rusted laboratory door swung open roughly.
“Huff, huff.”
“…Dale? Is something wrong?”
Professor Jade looked taken aback as he watched me catch my breath.
I steadied my breathing and shook my head.
“No, nothing’s wrong. I just finished training and was a bit out of breath.”
“Hmm.”
Professor Jade stroked his beard with a puzzled expression.
I turned away from him and glanced around the laboratory I hadn’t visited in some time.
The interior of the laboratory matched its dilapidated exterior perfectly—research materials and chemical reagents lay scattered about in a haze of musty dust, as if I’d stumbled into some abandoned haunted house.
“How long has it been since I cleaned this place, and you’ve already turned it into a complete disaster?”
“Ah… *cough*, *cough*. I’ve been so swamped with research lately that I haven’t had time to tidy up.”
Jade Bastian averted his gaze with an embarrassed expression.
I exhaled a deep sigh and began cleaning the laboratory.
“It’s been quite a while since you’ve visited.”
“I’ve been busy with various things myself.”
“Heh heh. Well, the midterm evaluation period was just recently, after all.”
“….”
“Did the exam go well?”
“Ugh.”
The moment the exam was mentioned, an involuntary groan escaped my lips.
“…Hmm?”
Perhaps noticing my subtle reaction, Jade Bastian activated his Hero Watch and checked the midterm evaluation notice.
“Huh. You scored zero points?”
“…There were circumstances.”
“Hmm. I don’t know what those circumstances are, but why would someone with such tremendous ability deliberately sabotage the exam?”
“….”
If I had deliberately failed, at least I wouldn’t feel wronged.
I had genuinely intended to place first.
“…We can discuss that later.”
I didn’t have the leisure to launch into a lengthy explanation of the circumstances.
“Anyway, what brings you to the laboratory?”
“I came because I needed to ask for your help.”
I withdrew a small pill, no larger than two finger joints, from my pocket.
“This is…?”
“An elixir that increases magical power.”
“Hmm. I’m aware of that, but isn’t this the same elixir distributed last year to the top-performing Candidate Program members?”
His eyes held a question—how could someone ranked last in the year possess such a thing?
“I received it as a gift from a friend.”
“…A friend?”
Jade Bastian’s eyes widened in surprise as his head tilted in confusion.
“Don’t tell me this friend of yours is… Yuren Helios?”
“That’s correct, Yuren.”
“Heh.”
Jade Bastian let out a hollow laugh, his expression one of disbelief.
“The top and bottom of the year are friends…?”
“Is there some school rule that friendships must be formed according to grades?”
“Tsk tsk tsk. That’s not it, I was just surprised. Honestly, the image of you and Candidate Yuren together doesn’t quite seem to fit, does it?”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. That’s not quite it, but I was a bit surprised. To be honest, seeing you and Candidate Yuren together doesn’t really seem like a fitting picture, does it?”
“Well… I suppose that’s true.”
Even if the Helios Family’s authority had waned in recent years, no one could deny they remained among the Empire’s top three most prestigious houses.
Yuren, raised as an elite from such a distinguished lineage, and me, who grew up in the Public Republic Orphanage without even knowing my parents’ names.
Even setting aside our grades—top and bottom—we were hardly a fitting pair.
“Still, don’t worry about it.”
“Worry about what, exactly?”
“With a professor’s recommendation, you can become a teaching assistant regardless of your background or grades!”
“….”
This guy still hasn’t let go of that delusion.
“Sigh. Well, let’s talk about that later.”
Following the elixir, I withdrew the magic stone I’d carefully kept in my pocket and placed it on the table.
“Is this… a magic stone?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm. With that mana capacity and purity… it’s at least high-grade… no, premium-grade, I’d say.”
Jade Bastian identified the stone’s grade at a glance without even touching it directly.
‘Is he really the descendant of the Great Sage?’
Determining a magic stone’s grade from appearance alone without channeling mana into it was no easy feat, even for a highly skilled appraiser.
“I’d like you to combine this elixir and magic stone to amplify the existing elixir’s effects.”
“You mean to increase mana output?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm.”
Jade Bastian stroked his beard, studying the elixir and magic stone on the table.
After a moment of contemplation, he gave a slow nod.
“I see. Let me give it a try.”
“As for compensation, I can pay you later…”
“No need for payment.”
Jade Bastian caressed the elixir and magic stone, swallowing hard.
“A chance to blend such a fine elixir with a premium-grade magic stone isn’t something even the Imperial alchemists get often.”
His eyes gleamed like stars as he let out a delighted chuckle.
‘…It seems all mages are alike.’
In my past life, Senior Sophia would light up and swallow hard whenever she discovered rare magical materials too.
“Tsk tsk tsk. Well then, shall I flex my skills for once in a while?”
Jade Bastian.
A descendant of Julius Bastian, who five hundred years ago was one of the Five Great Heroes and was called the “Great Sage”—this was the moment he revealed his true power.
* * *
Three days after entrusting the elixir’s creation to Jade Bastian.
I received his message and made my way to Jade’s Research Laboratory.
“Huff… huff… Wow, it’s done. Hehehehe. It’s finished.”
Upon opening the laboratory door, I found Jade Bastian with dark circles under his eyes, laughing with an eerie grin.
“…Don’t tell me you haven’t slept for all three days?”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. How could I possibly sleep during such delightful work?”
“….”
My resolve crystallized even further.
‘I will never become an assistant like Jade Bastian’s.’
Etching this firm determination into my heart, I accepted the elixir Jade Bastian offered me.
The elixir, emanating a subtle azure glow, radiated an aura of profound sanctity at first glance.
“Ugh. Well then, I suppose I’ll retire for some rest.”
As if the exhaustion from three sleepless nights had crashed down upon him all at once, Jade Bastian retreated into the laboratory immediately after handing over the elixir.
I returned to my dormitory room, clutching the elixir I had received from Jade Bastian.
“Phew.”
I steadied my racing heart, the elixir resting upon my palm.
“…I don’t think I’ve ever consumed an elixir of this caliber, even in my previous life.”
A precious elixir bestowed only upon the top student of the year.
A mana stone purified by the Holy Kingdom’s saint, drawing upon the power of the ‘Seven Eyes’.
And the alchemy of the Great Sage’s descendant, used to bind these two together.
Even I, who had returned from the future, could not fathom what result this harmonious fusion of three elements might produce.
“Well, I’ll find out once I consume it.”
I swallowed the elixir resting upon my palm.

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