The Last Place Hero’s Return - Chapter 75

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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 75. Observation Class (1)
Several days after successfully completing the Ruins exploration.
Lucas Kane opened his mouth to address the Candidates gathered in the Classroom.
“You’ve all received the notification through Hero Watch, but next week we have an observation class scheduled with parents invited.”
A parent observation class.
An annual event held around this time each year, and one of the rare occasions when the Hero Academy—which operated entirely on a Dormitory system and strictly prohibited outsiders including parents from entering—opened its doors to the outside world.
‘There was talk that it might be cancelled due to the incident at the Seal Festival, but it seems we’re going ahead with it anyway.’
In truth, since I had no “parents” to come visit, it was an event that had little relevance to me.
But that only applied to special cases like myself.
The situation was entirely different for the other Candidates.
“Has this time come around again?”
“Ugh… I wish they wouldn’t come this time.”
“Tell me about it.”
“I mean, we’re not even ten-year-olds. Why do we need a parent observation class?”
“Sigh. I thought it would be cancelled because of the Seal Festival incident.”
Sighs leaked out from various corners of the Classroom.
Needless to say, only a tiny minority of Candidates actually welcomed this observation class.
Most Candidates complained, just as one of them had said—they weren’t children, so why hold such an observation class in the first place?
‘Well, this observation class also serves as a social gathering for active heroes.’
Due to the nature of stigmata, which were inherited traits passed down from parent to child, most Candidates’ parents were active heroes currently working in the field.
The parent observation class created a convenient “pretext” for active heroes to gather, as opportunities for them to meet were rare.
‘I’ve heard that in extreme cases, some parents come to the observation class and leave without even seeing their child’s face once.’
Of course, such cases were extremely rare, and most parents typically came to check whether their child was staying out of trouble and doing well, to see how the Academy’s curriculum had changed compared to their own time (over 80 percent of parents were Hero Academy graduates), and then would meet with other parents.
No matter how much Candidates were classified as adults under Continental law, in a parent’s eyes they were no different from ten-year-olds—such was the heart of a parent.
“This year’s observation class will be prepared even more thoroughly according to Principal Raonel’s special instructions.”
“Ugh!”
“Oh, please.”
“I’m already drowning in assignments. What preparations…?”
More sighs erupted from different corners once again.
Lucas Kane swept his gaze across all the Candidates and let out a short sigh.
“You all need to understand—there was an incident not long ago.”
The magical beast rampage incident that occurred during the Seal Festival.
Because of that incident, the Academy needed to demonstrate to the parents: “Our school is this safe!”
“Now then. Since you’ve all done this in previous years and the year before, you should all know what’s most important in this ‘preparation,’ right?”
“….”
“Does anyone want to answer?”
Silence followed.
Lucas Kane’s gaze, which had been sweeping across the Candidates with intense eyes, turned toward me.
“Well then, Candidate Dale….”
“Ah, come on! Fine, I’ll answer!”
At that moment, Albert shot up from his seat.
Albert’s fists trembled as he stared at Lucas Kane.
“You were planning to call me again anyway, weren’t you?”
“No. It seemed like I was only calling Albert Candidate every time, so today I was thinking of calling Dale Candidate instead….”
“Huh? R-really?”
“Since you’re up, why don’t you answer the question, Albert Candidate.”
“Damn it!”
Bang.
Albert slammed his fist on the desk and cried out.
I watched Albert’s retreating figure and broke into a genuine smile.
‘Thank you, Albert.’
Because you exist.
I exist.
“Now then, go ahead and answer. What do you think is the most important thing in preparing for the observation class?”
“That would be….”
Albert pulled a small notebook from his pocket as he continued his thoughts.
Inside that notebook was a single faded photograph.
The photograph showed young Albert and his parents smiling brightly.
“I believe it’s the ‘smiles’ of us candidates.”
“Hmm.”
“Why do you think parents from the Empire, Holy Kingdom, and Republic travel such long distances to come to Hero Academy? Isn’t it because they want to see with their own eyes how well their children are doing and whether they’re suffering from anything?”
“Continue.”
“In other words, a smile that can reassure those parents that we’re doing well! And not giving candidates unreasonable assignments, at least during this period, so they can wear such smiles! I believe that’s the most crucial element we should prepare before the observation class!”
Albert cried out with his fists clenched tight, his eyes burning with conviction.
Lucas Kane nodded with his arms crossed, as if acknowledging Albert’s answer.
“Hmm. Indeed… to smile, one must reduce assignments, you say… There is such a method.”
“S-so then!”
“However.”
Lucas Kane shook his head at the end.
“Albert Candidate. You’re laboring under a rather significant misconception.”
“…A misconception?”
Lucas Kane draped an arm around Albert’s neck and grinned wickedly.
“That a smile can only be worn when one is joyful and happy.”
“Pardon?”
“Let me give you an example. Albert Candidate. Smile for me right now.”
“You can’t just ask me to smile out of nowhere….”
With an arm still draped around Albert’s neck, Lucas Kane clenched his fist—the size of a human head—and waved it in front of Albert’s face.
“Smile.”
“Ahahahaha!!! Ow, come on! Why are you doing this, Professor!!! Ahahaha!”
“How about it, Albert Candidate? Are you having fun right now?”
“Ahahaha! This is absolutely delightful, Professor!”
“Are you happy?”
“Of course! Ahahaha!”
“Yes, yes. That’s just like you.”
Lucas Kane brought his fist down with a satisfied smile.
Albert, his face drained of color, burst into uncontrollable laughter before gasping for breath and escaping from Lucas Kane’s embrace.
“As you’ve all witnessed, people don’t need to be joyful and happy to laugh.”
Even in pain and hardship, people can smile.
So then.
“What we need to prepare isn’t a smile.”
The most essential thing for preparing for the parent observation class.
That is….
“Cleaning.”
“….”
“Perfect cleaning—not a speck of dust visible, so immaculate you could lick the floor with your tongue. That’s what you all need to prepare.”
Lucas Kane’s lips curled into a grin as he placed the cleaning supplies he’d prepared in advance on the podium.
“Today, we’ll begin with a thorough wet cleaning of the entire classroom.”
“…Ah.”
Sighs escaped from the candidates’ lips.
The thought of doing nothing but cleaning the Academy grounds until the parent observation class began filled my vision with dizzying despair.
“Professor Lucas Kane.”
Amid those despairing sighs, I boldly raised my hand.
“What is it?”
“You said cleaning is necessary to prepare for the parent observation class, but shouldn’t someone like me—who has no ‘parents’ coming—be exempted?”
“Hmm.”
“I’ve lived my entire life not knowing my parents’ names. You’re telling me to clean to impress other parents when I grew up lonely in an orphanage? This is a form of violence!!!”
“Ah, I see. I failed to consider the pain in Dale’s heart….”
Lucas Kane let out a quiet exclamation, unable to continue.
I sprang from my seat and appealed to him desperately.
“Then please exempt me from the clean—”
“There’s no helping it. This time, I’ll have to be Dale’s parent.”
“Pardon?”
What are you talking about?
“Though I’m still an unmarried bachelor, what wouldn’t I do to comfort a wounded student’s heart!”
“No.”
“From now on, you’re welcome to call me Father. Dale.”
“I’d rather not.”
“Whether you like it or not, you’re still cleaning.”
“Damn it.”
Despite my desperate resistance, all the candidates, without exception, were conscripted into the Academy cleaning effort.
‘Even knowing the future, there are some things that cannot be changed.’
Before the inexorable flow of a vast destiny, I felt a profound helplessness wash over me as I swept the Corridor with the broom in my hand.
Just as I was continuing my cleaning in earnest.
“Hmm?”
I spotted Yuren in the distance, gazing blankly out the window.
“Slacking off, are we?”
“Ah…? D-Dale?”
When I approached quickly and spoke to him, Yuren’s expression shifted to one of startled surprise.
“Why so shocked? Surely you don’t think I’d tattle to the professor?”
“Oh, no. It’s not that….”
Yuren offered an awkward smile, scratching the back of his head.
“I was just… thinking about something else.”
“What were you thinking about?”
“…It’s nothing important.”
The way he averted his gaze with that bitter expression suggested it was far from “nothing important.”
‘Well, if he doesn’t want to talk about it, there’s no need to pry.’
Everyone has a worry or two, after all.
‘Yuren will handle it just fine on his own.’
After all, Yuren was the hero who faced even that Demon God without fear, fighting to the very end.
The Yuren I knew.
The sun I had witnessed.
Would surely resolve a trivial concern or two without needing me to step in.
“By the way, are your parents coming to the observation class this time?”
“…Me?”
“Yeah. Your mother’s still around, right?”
Now that I thought about it, I knew almost nothing about Yuren’s Mother.
By the time I finished my mercenary days and formed a Party with Yuren, she had already passed away, and Yuren himself rarely spoke of family matters.
“Ah… my mother won’t be coming. She’s far too busy.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. She didn’t come last year or the year before either.”
“Heh. Then we’re exactly the same?”
In my case, I simply had no parents to come visit.
Regardless.
“So on that day, should we just hole up somewhere and train? Since we won’t have parents attending, we can’t participate in the observation class anyway.”
“Huh? R-Really? Could we?”
Yuren nodded eagerly, his expression brightening.
Just as I was arranging a meeting place and time with Yuren for the observation class.
-Ding.
A clear chiming sound rang out from Yuren’s Hero Watch.
“Huh? Wait. Looks like a message came in.”
Yuren turned on his Hero Watch and checked the message.
With each line he read, the bright radiance that had illuminated his face moments before began to fade rapidly, replaced by creeping darkness.
“What’s wrong? What does it say?”
“I… my mother…”
Yuren’s voice trembled as he continued.
“My mother… is coming to the Academy.”
An expression I had never witnessed before crossed Yuren’s face as he spoke those words.
That’s right.
In the ten years we had spent together, I had never seen him wear such an expression.
Not even when he faced the Demon God.
“….”
Yuren was terrified.

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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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