Chapter 425: 425 That’s Just You
Chapter 425: That's Just You
"Why was I summoned?"
"Yes."
"… Until I arrived here, I thought I was summoned because I was some sort of chosen protagonist. After all, I was blessed with life so complete I had nothing to be envious about."
"Appearance, family, men?"
"Many men like me, but I don't have a boyfriend…"
"Cheer up."
"I'm not lying! I just couldn't find the right person!"
"That's what they all say."
"Fine! I'll have a boyfriend by tomorrow!"
"Stop focusing on unimportant details and think about why Fantasy chose you."
"I already told you. I thought I was chosen because of how amazing I was, only to find out it was all a self-induced illusion!"
My resentful junior slammed her fist against the table.
Drunk Heroes expressing their anger normally shattered the furniture receiving their wrath, but she was far too weak to cause the same result.
▷ Race: Elite Human
▷ Level: 1
▷ Job: Unemployed (Experience: 110%)
▷ Skill: Interpretation A, Charm C, Constipation E, Stamina F, Patience F…
▷ Status: Drunk
I had grown so powerful that I no longer even cared about G or Z ranks these days, but objectively speaking, she was blessed.
Excluding Interpretation A, a default skill everyone had right from the beginning, I focused on Charm C, which she acquired in such a short time even though it couldn't be graded based on appearance alone.
The charisma to attract people.
Physique definitely factored in its calculations since the effects of first impressions couldn't be ignored, but it wasn't its sole and absolute indicator.
In a way, that evidenced she had the Heroes' 'talent' to gather colleagues.
"Your Charm's rank is quite high."
"Everyone who's checked my stats says that."
"If your Swordsmanship were the one graded that high, you'd be able to defeat a goblin even at level 1."
And that was based on her slender body's limitations.
Had she been muscular, she would've been capable of slaying orcs already.
… If I were in her position, I still wouldn't be able to defeat Noebius or Green Cake, but I'd be able to destroy second-class dragon kings with ease.
"Goblin?"
"You sound like you don't know what they are."
"I really don't. What's a goblin?"
"How long have you been here again?"
"Five days, including today."
"What have you been doing in the duration where you could've killed the Demon Lord five times?"
"Can you please stop treating me like an idiot already? I don't know what goblins are, but I know what the Demon Lord is. Killing him in a day is impossible."
"It's doable."
That was exactly what I did, after all.
But she refused to believe me.
"I spent my time looking for like-minded people."
"But you still couldn't find a boyfriend?"
"I wasn't searching for one! Stop twisting my words!"
"I am merely utilizing the virtue of Heroes."
To great Heroes, incitement and fabrication were as natural as breathing.
"Speaking of which, why am I a Hero?"
"I asked that question first."
I wondered what made the Fantasy system deem her worthy of becoming one of us.
"Why am I unemployed?"
"Don't worry. Everyone starts without an occupation. It'll later change based on individual preferences."
"Shouldn't I have the high school student profession, then?!"
"Didn't the Hero Support Center teach you that if you do repetitive actions, you'll acquire skills and a job compatible with them?"
"They did."
"Then why are you still asking me that?"
"Because yours says 'Hero.'"
▷ Race: Royal Human
▷Level: 2481
▷ Job: Hero (Experience 500%)
▷Skill: Faith Z, Noble Z, Incitement SSS, Fabrication SSS, Charm SS…
▷Status: Holy Sword, Blessing, Protection
I created temporary stats to avoid being found by my cowardly wife.
But I understood her now.
As if it was only natural, I chose Hero as my job.
"It's a profession that can be attained only by doing a certain feat."
"Which is defeating Demon Lord Pedonar?"
"Yes."
"That's completely nonsensical. Once he's defeated, the world will no longer have any need for a Hero. That's why people should be woven into that position beforehand! That way, the natives will feel safe and reassured once they emerge."
"You're wrong."
"What do you mean?"
"The Demon Lord is just the beginning for aspiring Heroes like you."
"I know that. I heard there are eight grades in total. Still…"
"You're wondering why you're not labeled as a Hero."
"Yes…"
"Only Heroes are able to view stats in the first place. This world's natives never would've realized by themselves that you're one of us if not for the mollanphone in your pocket. That being said, having a profession ill-suited to your abilities will be nothing more than just a false pretense. A job much more tailored to your skills is far better than being labeled a Hero."
"… How would you know that?"
"I've been living here for over 200 years."
Mollanphone was only ever given to Heroes.
Distributing it to Fantasy's locals would make every waking day more colorful, but I chose to leave it as it was.
Especially in the first grade.
To preserve this world's history, I kept the original Fantasy continent free from any major changes.
Although its indigenous people decreased considerably since most of them migrated to a new dimension, Fantasy 1, the population of which steadily increased since flush toilets were distributed, was restored in 5 years.
It was different for other dimensions.
While only five years passed here, multiple millenniums had passed in Fantasy 2 to 8.
"Aren't you tired?"
"Of living?"
"Yes. Honestly, I still can't believe it. Two hundred years for me, who's not even 20 years old yet, is a bit too much… And you look like you're in your 30s, too."
"You mean 20s."
"… Where's your conscience?"
"I am conscience itself."
I spent time talking to my drunken junior about nonsensical topics.
But even in the end, I still couldn't find the answer to why she was summoned.
My junior benefited from genetics and was even born into a much wealthier family than mine.
But why?
She thought she was the 'chosen princess,' but the system was the one that decided that.
The intention of other involved parties here was irrelevant.
It selected candidates based on talent.
Thud-!
"Cool…"
Deceived by the sweetness of fruit wine, she filled her stomach with alcohol and soon fell asleep with her forehead on the table.
If she were a fairy, she would have had her body parts dismantled and sold on the black market as magical ingredients, but nobody even thought of taking her anywhere since she was a normal human being.
"There's something in your mind."
"Tony."
My spiritual teacher, who had only been quietly listening to us until now, continued while cleaning an empty glass.
"Let me tell you the story of a certain Assassin A, who was ordered by the guild to kill a great nobleman. His target was kind to his people, knew how to listen to his officials, and was faithful to his wife and children."
"Did he kill him?"
"Frustrated by Assassin A's hesitation, Assassin B killed him instead. Angered by this, A broke up with his beloved B. What do you think happened after that?"
"Hmm… He became a eunuch?"
"You're not wrong, but you're straying away from the topic!"
Tony was furious, almost as if it were his business.
"What, then?"
"Suffering from guilt, Assassin A realized Assassin B's decision wasn't wrong and returned a year later."
"Are you saying that the nobleman was actually a villain?"
"It's a little more complicated than that."
"Then… There must have been a battle for succession."
"Exactly."
In Fantasy, each noble had a different method of choosing a successor.
In order of birth, ability, ancestry…
Among them, the most difficult selection criterion was 'ability.'
That was extremely subjective, after all.
If one asked who was better between student A, who was better in Math than English, or student B, who was better in English than Math, the answer would be different for each person.
His story's situation was similar to that.
"Neither of them yielded, causing their family to split in two."
Siblings indeed should have a good relationship, but the aristocratic society wasn't so easy-going.
"Exactly."
"Did it all work out in the end?"
Tony sat down next to me.
"Yes. Their territory, which was about to be engulfed by civil war, had peace restored to it. The older brother who assassinated his younger brother became so chubby he looked like a dumpling."
"Pfft! Ahem!"
"Hahaha! I'm glad you enjoyed my story."
"Weren't they royals, not aristocrats?!"
"I don't know."
As soon as I saw his mischievous smirk, I burst into laughter.
"I can't handle this."
"My point is, the results are far more important than the process itself."
"That's a bit…"
It was as if he was coercing me into something.
"I still vividly remember a young man visiting us almost every day to complain about his colleagues giving him a hard time. He became an adult in no time, though, and turned into a very shameless married man after not seeing him for a while."
"Hahaha…"
"The reason the Fantasy Goddess chose you as a Hero. Have you already answered that question of yours? I've seen quite a few Heroes in this bar, but I haven't seen a single one better than you."
"… The system— Fantasy Goddess saw heroic qualities within me that even I wasn't even aware of?"
"Yes."
"…"
"Don't rush yourself. Like Assassin A, you will find the answer someday."
"I hope so. Well, it's time I take my leave."
"What about your junior?"
"I just met her. She doesn't matter to me."
It would be best for us to go our separate ways now before my cowardly wife got jealous.
"If you two stay together like today, wouldn't you be able to find the answer you need sooner?"
"I'll call the Hero Support Center and ask them to pick her up on my way."
"Don't do that. Take her with you instead. My intuition whispers so."
"Are you really a former assassin?"
"Huh? I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Sure, sure. You just don't want to be put in an awkward position."
I left the bar, carrying my drunken junior on my left shoulder like a sack of rice.
It was already dawn.
I could just throw her into the Hero Support Center, which was my original plan, but Tony's words kept ringing in my ears, preventing me from doing so.
"What are you going to do with her, Drug Hero?" The Addicted Spirit asked, lying on my head.
"Tony's words make sense."
"What?"
"I'm going on an adventure to find my junior's hidden talents."
The Righteous GGG-class Senior overflowed with hopes and dreams.
*****
"Hey, where the hell are we?!"
Waking up inside her sleeping bag, she immediately raised her upper body and shouted.
"Can't you see? We're outdoors."
"You know that's not what I meant! Why are we sleeping outside like we're homeless when we could've stayed in a normal inn?!"
"Is homelessness that strange? Haven't you seen people sleeping on the streets after drinking alcohol?"
"I just didn't expect to be one of them!"
My junior checked and examined her body thoroughly.
"I wouldn't do that. There is no way your Righteous Senior could have touched your modest pelvis."
"Modest pelvis?! I finished second in a beach bikini contest last year! If only my breasts were a little bigger, I would've gotten 1st place… Ugh. I don't want to talk about this anymore."
"Just eat."
"Do you think I'll fall for food in this situation? A scary-looking man kidnaped me while I was sleeping!"
"Ah, don't worry. I'm not interested in women that look like you."
"Then why did you bring me out of the city! They say this place is infested with dangerous monsters!"
"Don't worry. There are no monsters in this area."
"Really?"
"Yes. This is the territory of a terrifying evil dragon, after all."
"Oh my god…"
"So you don't know goblins but know what evil dragons are."
"This isn't the time to be talking about something as nonsensical as that! I heard an evil dragon lurks here that's as dangerous as the Demon Lord! We should run before we get caught!"
"It's already too late."
"What?"
I pointed behind her, throwing her into confusion.
"Excuse me."
"Oh! He's quite a handsome boy—"
"Wrong. Look at his spine."
"What about it?"
With a sigh, I introduced the person cooking the best dish he could for us.
"That's Red Dragon King Lolicoste, a vicious dragon that only preys on pretty girls. I tracked him specifically to discover your talents."
"Aww! Please forgive my weak spine, Fantasy's cutest and greatest Emperor! Sniff!"
"Shut up."
"Okay."
I turned my back from him as he silenced himself, then showed my junior my Righteous Hero's smile.
"You just have to eat breakfast and have a match against him."
"Hey… Are you sure he's a vile dragon? All I see is an evil man forcing a minor to work for him."
"That's just you."
The Righteous GGG-Class God guaranteed that. Mollan.
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