Is this Hero for Real? - Chapter 7

 

Is this Hero for Real?

Chapter 7

[Act 3] Village

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WARNING: This chapter contains depictions of sexual assault that may not be suitable for some readers.  Reader discretion is advised.

 

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Misa taught me a few useful sentences that would be useful for daily life through body language.

I’m sorry, be gentle, stop, it hurts, forgive me, spare me…

Though I learned three or four other cuss words that I didn’t know the meaning of, there would be no opportunity for a good-natured civilian of Earth like myself to ever use them.

[Name] Misa

[Level] 6

[Blessing] Bullseye F

[Curse] –

I could see Misa’s status window once she had completely submitted to me.

Are the gods’ blessings common?

She nonchalantly had an F-rank blessing.

[Bullseye]

-> Drastically increases the chance to hit the target regardless of method!

-> The chance goes down the more the target moves in any way.

“So there are blessings like this as well.”

I thought she was some genius marksman, but it was thanks to her blessing?

It didn’t seem like Misa used a crossbow for no reason.

At that moment,

“$%^ $%^$%^… $%^…”

“What? Huh?”

Her status window that I could see until now went up in smoke.

“Thank you, Misa.”

“……”

Though I never found out why she attacked me, she gave me her crossbow and clothes as an apology.

“Hm… It’s a bit hard to move around in since it’s female clothing.”

[A certain god respects the outsider’s tastes.]

“That’s not it!!”

It was because Gary and Cole’s masculine armor was much too large and heavy for me.

On the other hand, I could somewhat fit into Misa’s slender armor, though it was a little tight in some areas.

“ But still… it’s a bit uncomfortable.”

I stuffed my school uniform from Earth that pretty much announced that I was an alien into Gary’s adventurer bag.

Then I wore Misa’s leather clothes over my underwear.

I wonder how I looked in a fantasy resident’s clothing?

It’s too bad there was no mirror.

[A certain god laughs their ass off.]

“…Do I look that ridiculous?”

I could imagine.

Nothing sticks out like a sore thumb more than a newbie wearing flashy clothing.

Jingle!

I couldn’t help but feel rich whenever I looked at the money pouch that the three mercenaries saved up.

“Now, let’s go to the village~”

I was no longer anxious about the language barrier.

Money is more common than any kind of body language, after all.

* * *

Princess Ethena was late to her very first lesson due to overdrinking.

Though she continued to appear shameful in all kinds of ways, she was an outstanding mage to the point that the Archmazing kingdom could refuse political marriages.

In short, she was a genius.

“I’m really sorry! I’ll work extra hard to make up for lost time! Uh… then first, how about I explain what magic is? They say that long, long ago, magic didn’t exist in the continent of Fantasia.”

Magic!

A supernatural power considered iconic of fantasy.

Though Princess Ethena excitedly explained while displaying simple magic, the heroes couldn’t care less about theories like the history of magic.

All they cared about was practical experience and use!

And a few heroes chatted amongst each other at the back, as if they already knew everything.

“I’ve seen it in a novel. If you apply calculus to magic, you can instantly become an archmage.”

“Hehe, I’ve protected my chastity just for this moment.”

PR/N:  E.g..

“How pathetic. Magic is all about chemistry. I’ll show you the fantasy world’s first atomic bomb magic.”

PR/N: See “The Roaring Trumpet” by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt, May 1940, for a classic example of magic through math.  See the myths of Athena/Minerva, Artemis/Diana, Hestia/Vesta, and Lancelot for magic through celibacy. See “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” by Mark Twain, 1889, for magic through chemistry.

The heroes started to brag about and assert their fantasy knowledge.

“ Be quiet. You’re bothering the people paying attention to the lesson.”

The class president Yu Bora told them off, but it only backfired.

“Tsk, tsk. You’re too much of an honor student to get fantasy, class prez.”

“It’s not like knowing the history of magic lets you become an archmage.”

“Magic is about talent. They need to have an affinity with mana.”

The heroes only became more high-spirited from the class president’s meddling.

Though the class president Yu Bora was a near-perfect honor student back on Earth, the other heroes were confident that they excelled more in the fantasy world.

It was at that moment,

Clap, clap!

Princess Ethena, who stopped her theory explanation, drew attention to herself by clapping.

“I don’t like unnecessary theoretics either. Talent is best! That’s why I at least explained about the founder of magic, even if it was boring.”

“Founder of magic…?”

“Did she talk about something like that?”

“I didn’t hear it either…”

Princess Ethena, like the heroes’ arguments, emphasized talent.

She stated once again,

“Magic is a field that greatly depends on talent. This talent is decided by innate blood ties and acquired academic ties.”

“Talent?”

“What about chastity?”

“Blood ties…?”

The heroes, who felt that something was a little different from their fantasy knowledge, rolled their eyes.

“Aren’t we the chosen heroes? Aren’t we people overflowing with talent?”

Princess Ethena stated to the confused heroes,

“I am Ethena Archmazing, the direct descendant of the founder’s twelfth pupil as well as her third husband, Zion Archmazing. I possess both blood and academic ties.”

“Whoa!”

“Aha!”

“What about us?”

Princess Ethena, who had the attention of all the heroes with their eyes full of questions, replied.

“Those of you who don’t have blood ties will make academic ties with me. Acquired talent is decided by the mentor’s abilities, so you heroes will obtain high innate talent since you will become my pupils. It’s easy, right?”

“Damn…”

“Amazing…”

A mage’s abilities were dependent on blood and academic ties.

Wasn’t this too unreasonable?

Class president Yu Bora had some opposition to this characteristic of magic.

“Princess Ethena, I apologize for interrupting your explanation, but I have a question.”

“Yes! Go ahead.”

“Is someone who has neither blood nor academic ties unable to become a mage?”

Everyone was curious about it.

However, because the heroes were already guaranteed an ‘excellent academic tie’, they didn’t have to bother with that issue.

Princess Ethena made a slightly surprised expression with her eyes wide open.

“It’s possible.”

“How…?”

“I was planning on explaining this later, but I will show you first. Hero Yu Bora?”

“Yes.”

“I will now form a mentor-pupil relationship with you.”

Whirr-

A geometric magic circle appeared beneath the princess’s feet.

Whirr-

A similar magic circle also appeared beneath Yu Bora’s feet.

“I acknowledge you as Ethena Archmazing’s first pupil. Hero Yu Bora, swear upon your magic.”

“…I swear? Ah!”

The magic circle was absorbed by Yu Bora’s shadow and disappeared.

Clap, clap, clap!

Princess Ethena clapped with a bright smile.

“Congratulations, Hero Yu Bora! From today onward, you are a full-fledged mage. Oh, right! I forgot to tell you this beforehand. The earlier in the order that you all become my pupils, the more talents you will receive.”

“How can I check those talents?”

“Try opening your status window.”

“…Ah!”

[Name] Yu Bora

[Level] 1

[Blessing] Hero F, Magic C

[Curse] –

[Dividend] 1.65

A “Magic” blessing!

By the talent that Princess Ethena was explaining until now, did she mean the rank of the blessing?

For the one reason that she became an outstanding mage’s pupil, she received a C-rank “Magic” blessing.

“Hero Yu Bora, do you understand the reason why talent is important now?”

“Yes.”

As Yu Bora read the detailed description of the blessing, she realized.

[Magic]

-> I present to you, the most precious person in the world, hopes and dreams!

-> You can pass on your hopes and dreams to your descendants and pupils.

If you didn’t have a parent or mentor who had a “Magic” blessing, you could never become a mage, no matter how hard you worked.

Flicker!

Princess Ethena spoke as she created a small fire atop her right hand.

“The founder, who has become the god of magic, left us the “Magic” blessing to make it easier for her descendants and future scholars to learn magic. That is the magic that ordinary mages use, white magic. And…”

Flicker.

She made the same fire atop her left hand as she slurred the end of her sentence.

However, its size was much smaller than the fire on her right hand, and…

“The princess’s hand?!”

“Gasp! What’s that?!”

All the heroes who were watching freaked out.

It was because Princess Ethena’s fair hands, which were fine until just a moment ago, started to turn black and rot.

Drip, drip.

Even her fingernails were falling off.

However, the girl continued her lesson while enduring the pain.

“Ugh! White magic on my right hand, and black magic on my left… ouch?!”

“Princess! Have you already forgotten His Majesty’s order to never use black magic?!”

The princess’s old servant lady furiously scolded her.

“It was just a little to help with the heroes’ understanding…”

“Oh, yes, I see. I will have to tell the queen the truth…”

“I was wrong, so please don’t tell Mother!”

The princess, who was serious until this moment, begged as she rubbed her flank that was pinched by the maid.

[Heal]

[Holy Arts]

A priest who was on standby near the area quickly healed her left hand, which had become hideous.

“I-I’m sorry.”

Yu Bora judged that the situation had gotten out of hand because of her and bowed her head to apologize.

Princess Ethena waved her hand while making a bright smile.

“It’s alright. I’m satisfied enough knowing that all of you learned the danger of black magic.”

“What is black magic…?”

“It’s absolutely not that black magic is bad! Don’t you need dry firewood to make a fire? My left hand just acted as that firewood.”

“Ah…”

“Natural magic is the true nature of black magic.”

* * *

The burly swordsman Gary, the less burly swordsman Cole, and the generous archer Misa!

After shedding some blood with the three individualistic mercenaries, I set off to find the human village.

I wondered if it was because of the frequent invasions of the gnolls?

The village, surrounded by a tall wooden fence, was like a robust fortress, and the inspection at the only way in and out was thorough.

“Even so, there’s nothing money can’t solve.”

With money, I skipped the inspection, accumulated trust, communicated, borrowed inn rooms, and even made friends!

Wasn’t it amazing?

[A certain god is uncomfortable.]

“…I’m also uncomfortable, since I’m washing myself. What’s your gender, outsider god? Male? Female? Neither? Both?”

[A certain god is even more uncomfortable.]

“I’ll consider you to be male to protect my dignity.”

Wipe, wipe.

I, who was hoping for a steamy bath, was washing myself with a cloth drenched in water.

I felt like I was rubbing dirt off of dry skin.

This was how a fantasy commoner bathed.

Though there wasn’t a bathtub like I had hoped for, I was not in a situation to complain. It was because I could not stay in the village if I didn’t clean all this gnoll blood off my body.

“What should I do from now on…?”

I achieved my original goal of finding a human settlement as I was being chased by gnolls.

Of course, the answer was obvious.

Kill the goddess.

I felt sorry for my parents who must have been searching for me, but it seemed like it was going to take a lot of time to take revenge against the goddess and return to Earth.

But how was I supposed to take revenge?

I had to become stronger to defeat a transcendental being, but I did not seem to be getting any stronger.

“I’m still level 1…”

At this rate, forget taking revenge against the wicked goddess, I couldn’t even freely roam around this fantasy world.

Was I being too impatient? Was I underestimating this world as some game that you could quickly raise your level in?

[A certain god is anxious.]

“What are you anxious about?”

[A certain god firmly states that it’s a secret.]

“Stop firmly stating… hm?”

I could hear a voice from outside the door.

That may seem obvious since this was an inn with many lodgers, but the problem was that I could clearly understand it.

Like the gnoll language.

“Is this the room?”

“$%^$%^$%^ $%^$%^ $%^.”

“Thank you. Go about your business now. I, the village chief, will take care of things here from now on.”

“$%^. $%^$%^.”

Knock, knock.

I heard a knock on the door as soon as the footsteps of the owner of the inn faded away.

I spoke from across the locked door as a test.

“I’m washing myself, so please wait a moment.”

“Hm? I thought you couldn’t talk… ahem. Alright.”

I knew it!

I put on Misa’s leather clothes and clenched Blue Butcher.

Combat preparations complete!

The reason was very simple.

[Hero]

-> Automatically translates the languages of races hostile toward the hero.

-> Dramatically decreases the experience points gained through hunting and achievements!

It was because the guest on the other side of the door was a member of a ‘hostile race’.

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