The Fake Hero Is Too Strong Chapter 83

That night.

I snuck out of the house.

It was to keep the promise I made to Uncle Ben earlier today.

[You’re going to pay your respects, aren’t you?]

‘Yeah. I’m planning to stop by the lord’s manor tomorrow and leave right after, so it has to be tonight.’

Thinking about it, I really should’ve co as soon as I entered the territory—but I’d been thoughtless.

[It wasn’t the right ti, though.]

‘Thanks for the consolation, Bion Kunze.’

[…]

‘Should I start calling you that from now on?’

[No. Just call Trail. That’s what I’d prefer you to call .]

I let out a faint chuckle.

‘So you really are the first Hero, huh?’

[Sigh. Yeah. And Idria was the first Demon King.]

‘Is it because you’re the first to have powers like the Eye of Omniscience or Ti manipulation?’

[Not exactly. It’s more that Idria was so powerful that I had to be exceptional too. The Celestial God always sends a Hero just strong enough to defeat that era’s Demon King.]

Hmm.

[Before the regression, I died at Kaeld’s hands. And originally, I should’ve resurrected imdiately.]

‘…’

[But sohow, when I ca to, I was inside your body. It was during the final battle with Idria.]

‘The one after Kaeld betrayed us, right.’

[Yeah. You exposed his secret and landed a heavy blow on Idria. Even though we lost in the end… I started to think that maybe, just maybe, you had a better chance than I ever did.]

A chance?

Trail continued.

[The chance to kill Idria.]

‘Even if I kill her, the world will just fall back into lies eventually. Won’t she just resurrect again?’

[No. If it’s you, I think you can make it so she never cos back.]

‘What makes you believe that about ?’

[Hmm. Let’s see… If I had to say in your words, I guess it’s a hero’s intuition?]

I chuckled again.

‘So it’s just wishful thinking.’

[Heh. Maybe. I’ve fought an endless battle for so long… I guess I’m tired. I needed sothing—or soone—to lean on.]

I scratched my head and replied.

‘Then lean all you want.’

[Huh?]

‘Lean on .’

[…]

‘Just so we’re clear, I don’t an physically. Try it and I’ll kill you.’

Trail went quiet for a mont.

But then, he burst out laughing.

[You really are sothing else. Even I—the first Hero—am feeling things I never expected.]

‘Like what?’

[Hope.]

‘…?’

[The hope that this guy might sohow make it work. I’ve always been the one others pinned their hopes on… it’s strange, placing that hope in soone else for the first ti.]

He added quietly,

[But it’s not a bad feeling.]

Ridiculous talk.

I quickened my pace.

Tap.

Eventually, I reached my father’s grave.

Thanks to Uncle Ben’s good care, it looked clean despite all the ti that had passed.

“…I’m here.”

Naturally, there was no response from the grave.

“I don’t even know how many years it’s been. You’re doing well over there, right?”

Brush.

It didn’t really need it, but I wiped down the tombstone and pulled so weeds anyway.

“It feels like just yesterday you taught how to shoot a bow, and now here I am trying to beco a Hero. You had an amazing son, you know. You can be proud.”

I placed my hand on the mound.

“So go ahead and brag as much as you want. You always were a bit of a show-off anyway.”

Next, my gaze moved to the top of the burial mound.

“Soday, when we et again in the afterlife, maybe we can have a drink together…”

Suddenly.

My hand, mid-weeding, froze.

I blinked several tis.

But that didn’t vanish.

If anything, it only dripped down more clearly, as if telling to look closer.

[What’s wrong?]

Blood script.

There was blood writing.

Floating above my father’s grave—blood script!

I consciously steadied my breath.

‘Co to think of it… I had a weird dream last night.’

In that dream, there had also been blood writing above my father’s head.

This ability of mine only manifested after his death, so normally it shouldn’t be possible to see that.

And yet, I saw it in the dream.

And now I was seeing it again.

“…Shit.”

[What is it?]

“No. Not you. You can’t be doing this.”

[Hey, are you okay?]

“You can’t be doing this!”

I shouted at the top of my lungs.

And sohow, it helped calm down a little.

I let out a long breath and spoke.

‘I’m seeing blood script.’

[Didn’t you always?]

‘No. Until now, I’ve only ever seen it above the heads of the living. Never the dead.’

[…]

‘But right now, I’m seeing it above my father’s grave.’

Is it because this is his burial site?

Maybe his remains are still in the grave—that’s why?

If so, then maybe for the dead, I don’t need to see their face to read their blood writing?

Rustle.

I looked at the blood script again.

Sothing about it was different from usual.

Normally, the blood script is red—of course it is.

But my father’s was black.

Black blood script.

The difference, clearly, must be whether the target is living or dead.

Now that I think about it… there was a voice in that weird dream.

—You need to know more sins.

I grit my teeth and went on.

‘Among the people Father sinned against… was Mother.’

[…]

‘Her blood script had Father’s na in it.’

I collapsed to the ground, sitting in silence.

Then, as if confessing to no one in particular, I spoke.

‘When I was little, I was told he was killed by a bear while out hunting. That’s what my mother told .’

[…]

‘But the first ti I saw blood writing, Father’s na appeared above her head. Even as a child, I felt sothing was off and started looking into it.’

[Didn’t you leave the territory when you were eight? That ans you must’ve been even younger back then. Pretty mature.]

I could tell he was trying to lighten the mood, so I chuckled.

I said,

‘To sum it up, my mother was having an affair.’

[Hmm.]

‘The other man was Father’s old friend. They planned it all in detail and murdered him. Then they spread the rumor that a bear got him.’

Mother used the claw marks on Father’s bag as “proof.”

But I realized those marks were quite different from actual bear claws.

Father had taught how to hunt—and along with that, all kinds of knowledge about wild beasts.

‘I found other evidence too.’

[Hmm.]

‘Uncle Ben helped a lot. He filed the report on my behalf. After a large-scale investigation, they finally found Father’s body and buried him here.’

And my mother, so shalessly, pretended to be a grieving widow after killing him.

In fact, she cared for even more than before with such convincing affection.

I later found out that it had been a calculated move. Marrying again right after losing her husband would have looked suspicious.

And for her cri, she’s still imprisoned in the underground jail of this estate.

I felt my eyes sting and lowered my head.

‘As for the man she was with—he died of pneumonia in prison about half a year after I left the territory.’

[What about your mother?]

‘I don’t know. Didn’t care. But…’

I took a deep breath and said,

‘I think I need to care now.’

[…]

‘Trail. I’m going to use the Eye of Omniscience.’

[Didn’t you say you didn’t need to see your “parent secrets” scenes when you used your “Ti-lock slash” skill, since you already knew everything?]

“Back then, I thought the secret was just that my mom conspired with her lover to kill my dad. But this ti, that’s not what I’m looking for.”

I looked at the grave once more.

To be exact—at the blood script above it.

‘Show what cri Father committed against Mother.’

[…Alright.]

I stared at the screen, eyes wide enough to draw blood.

Monts later—

Psssh.

A sound that could’ve been a sigh or a bitter laugh escaped my lips.

“Ah. My father…”

You’ve really let down.

[Hang in there.]

‘Yeah. Thanks.’

Rustle.

I got to my feet.

‘I’ll et the lord tomorrow. And then there’s one more stop I have to make.’

[…]

‘I think…’

I let out a heavy sigh and continued.

‘I need to see my mother.’

The next day.

Having stayed up all night, I woke the others.

For reference, my house was so tiny that we just cleared the living room a bit and passed out all together like we were camping indoors.

“Ti to get up, everyone. We need to eat and head to the lord’s manor.”

A range of unique replies followed.

“Good morning, big bro, big sisters, mister.”

“Why am I the only one being called ‘mister’?”

“My gold coins. Where did my gold go?”

“Gasp! How long did I sleep?”

“W-Whoa. Um… about a full day.”

“I didn’t eat for a whole day? ?”

“Mide? Why are your eyes so red?”

I answered that last question from Neril.

“I had a nightmare.”

“Not buying it.”

“No, really. It was terrifying. And the worst part—it wasn’t a dream. It was real.”

“…Are you okay?”

“Mm. I’m fine now. Anyway, what should we do for breakfast?”

At that, Lisel sprang up.

Then staggered slightly and clutched her forehead.

“Ah… dizziness…”

“Should the Spirit King really get dizzy from just standing up too fast?”

“Anyway, I’ll make breakfast. I’ve been waiting for this mont.”

Brimming with motivation, Lisel gathered ingredients.

While a few others helped her out, Serein rubbed her eyes and asked,

“Yawn… By the way, what’s this about Lisel being the Spirit King?”

So many things I need to explain to you…

Lisel’s cooking was incredible—just like before the regression.

Back then, even when we weren’t roughing it, everyone always wanted to eat her food.

Having gone a full day without eating, Xenia took one bite and offered this review:

“Oh Celestial God, just for today, I shall praise Lisel in your stead.”

As we ate, we shared bits of information.

Lisel and Serein, who had joined us later, didn’t know many details—and in turn, they knew things we didn’t.

Once everyone was caught up, we headed to the lord’s manor.

The previous lord—who had once sat sternly in judgnt at the execution site where I first saw blood script—was long deceased.

His son had since taken over. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on novｅlfire

Now in his early forties, Baron Javeil de Hauteman greeted us.

“Hero Mide, and honored companions. It is a great honor to et you.”

“Please, the honor is mine. This is a deeply emotional return.”

The young man who’d once been praised for his potential had matured into a dignified man with a fitting mustache.

“Haha. Who would’ve guessed that the Hero’s hotown was right here in Hasphil? I’m overjoyed.”

“Not at all. More importantly…”

“Yes, you must an yesterday’s events? I’m ready to hear everything.”

I calmly explained the situation to him.

The mastermind behind everything was Kaeld Wake.

He had used so bizarre, sinister power to try to massacre the people of the territory, and I had confronted him in a life-or-death battle and stopped him.

Behind , Xenia whispered to Neril.

“Why isn’t he calling Mount Baharma the ‘Gem of Destruction’?”

“If that rumor spread too widely, would people still want to travel there—even if it’s sealed?”

“Ah, so he’s thinking about the territory’s economy too.”

“He’s naturally like that… and it’s his hotown, so he’s extra careful.”

Then Lisel chid in.

“And I’m sure he’s also trying to protect Lord Grade’s na.”

“Huh?”

“The history books say it was he who shattered the Gem of Destruction. If it ca out that it was a lie, wouldn’t that stain his legacy?”

“Your mouth’s practically in your ears right now.”

“W-What? …Is it?”

Their guesses were so on point that I turned red.

Anyway, as the conversation wound down, Baron Javeil spoke gravely.

“Kaeld Wake… I heard he’s still being called a Hero in parts of the territory.”

“You have sharp ears.”

“No matter how remote we are, information is precious. So if what you say is true, then… it ans he’s been deceiving the Empire. Is that correct?”

At last.

It was ti to nod at that question.

Had I said that back when I was just so no-na returning from regression, people would’ve showered with stones.

But now, my fa was nearing a hundred thousand.

Compared to Kaeld, the difference was laughably vast.

I answered firmly.

“That’s right. I normally wouldn’t say sothing like this myself, but this ti, I must.”

I took a quiet breath and declared,

“I am the true Hero. Kaeld Wake is a fraud.”