The Lowest-Ranked Hero Has Returned

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 167: Interlude – Warmth

The tumultuous mentoring class had finally ended.

Under normal circumstances, I'd be facing at least a suspension for incapacitating my senior during class.

Thankfully, Aaron, Bella, and Laios all agreed to report it as “an injury sustained while fighting a monster during mission,” so I managed to avoid any disciplinary action.

‘Then again, Aaron wouldn’t want to admit the truth either.’

How could he openly admit to being beaten so badly by someone a year younger that he ended up with three broken ribs?

I worried that Aaron might hold a grudge and retaliate against Lanez, but it seemed he wasn't that reckless.

Since returning to school, he had been staying secluded in his personal treatment room.

‘Still, I can’t help but worry.’

I was more concerned about Bella than Aaron.

I kept an eye on the fourth-year classroom a few times to make sure, but luckily, no one was bothering Lanez.

There weren’t any cadets bullying her directly, though many continued to ignore her openly.

Yet, Lanez no longer appeared as withdrawn as before, facing the indifference around her with a newfound calm.

“It’s not exactly a happy ending… but it’s close enough.”

At least Lanez’s current state was clearly better than before.

‘The real problem is the Frost’s Blessing.’

A powerful blessing dwelled within Lanez.

It was nearly unmatched in terms of pure "blessing" strength alone.

‘A blessing strong enough to freeze half the continent.’

To most heroes, a "blessing" was like a secondary weapon.

The primary strength lay in magical skills and swordsmanship, while blessings simply added a bit of power.

‘Take Yurina, for example.’

Even though she awakened the Moonlight’s Blessing, she doesn’t rely solely on its power in battle.

However…

Depending on the type and strength of the blessing, there were exceptions.

‘In her past life, Lanez fought solely with her blessing.’

In other words, she reached that level purely by wielding her natural strength, without any magic or swordsmanship.

While the power of a blessing varied with how it was used, for Lanez, Frost’s Blessing was her alpha and omega.

‘The problem now is that we’d rather the blessing stay dormant.’

Lanez’s blessing was so overwhelmingly strong that even she couldn’t control it.

It was similar to how Aaron couldn’t manage his Meteor’s Blessing before.

However, unlike Meteor’s Blessing, which only left internal damage, Lanez’s blessing froze everything around her.

“Ugh.”

Instead of drawing out the power, she needed to suppress it.

‘Is it even possible to stop a blessing from awakening?’

I didn’t know exactly how blessings awakened.

Some heroes awakened their blessings casually while walking down the street, others after rigorous training, and some in life-or-death moments.

In short, it was unpredictable.

“Sigh. It’s driving me crazy.”

As I pondered, a soft knock echoed in the room.

When I opened the door, there stood Lanez, holding a large pot.

“Uh… a-are you feeling any better?”

Lanez stammered as she spoke.

“…Why the formal language?”

“Oh, uh, well… b-because you’re… my benefactor…”

“You don’t have to be so formal.”

“Can I… really?”

Blushing, she glanced at me shyly.

“Yes.”

“T-then… call me by my name, too.”

“Isn’t that a bit…”

“Please!”

Lanez stepped closer, her eyes glimmering with intensity, and I nodded almost instinctively.

“Okay… y-yeah. Got it. I’ll call you by your name.”

“O-okay. Hehehe.”

“So, what did you bring?”

“I heard you weren’t feeling well…”

“Oh.”

I had pretended to be injured so that it wouldn’t seem odd that Aaron was in the hospital while I had no visible injuries.

“You’re from the Republic, right? I looked it up, and apparently, people from the Republic eat warm porridge when they’re sick. So, I made some chicken porridge for you.”

Chicken porridge.

It was a thoughtful choice that showed Lanez’s consideration.

“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

“Um… c-can I come in for a bit?”

Lanez glanced around my room with curiosity.

“Oh, sure.”

“Hehe.”

Lanez stepped inside, smiling widely.

“So… this is your room, Dale.”

She looked around with bright eyes, as if everything fascinated her.

“There’s not much to see.”

“Oh, no. But… if I look closely, maybe I can learn a little about you.”

Lanez moved toward the shelf, noticing a half-empty wine bottle with a soft smile.

“You like wine?”

“I just drink it occasionally.”

“Really?”

She took out a small notebook from her pocket and began jotting things down.

“Likes wine… has two outfits… prefers dark colors… is right-handed… and prefers comfortable, canvas sneakers…”

Wait.

Is she investigating a crime scene or something?

“…What are you doing?”

“Huh? Oh, nothing. Hehe.”

Lanez chuckled bashfully as she placed the pot on the table.

“Here.”

She scooped some porridge into a small bowl and handed it to me.

“Thank you.”

“D-do you want me to feed you?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“…Oh, okay.”

Lanez’s bright eyes dimmed, and she looked down dejectedly.

As I ate the porridge she made, I glanced over at her.

Long violet hair, flawless skin, a sharp nose, and delicate jawline.

In the past, with her gloomy demeanor and constant downcast gaze, I hadn’t really noticed, but Lanez’s looks were striking.

‘In her past life, there were heroes who sided with the Witch of the Night because of her beauty.’

Though, most ended up frozen to death when they got too close to her.

“How’s… the taste?”

“It’s good.”

I had already noticed from the last time she made soup; Lanez was a skilled cook.

“I’m glad.”

She smiled softly.

But then, after a brief pause, she spoke again, her expression tense.

“Um… Dale, are you… okay with me?”

“With what?”

“I mean… I’m a demon’s child.”

Her voice trembled as she spoke.

“……”

It was true.

Her blood carried the legacy of a demon known as the “High Priest.”

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t mind.”

“……”

“But I still want to believe in you.”

“You… believe in me?”

“Yeah.”

I believe that she didn’t become the “Witch of the Night” by her own choice.

That she didn’t become the monster that froze half the world.

I believe in her.

And since I’ve chosen to hold her hand, I’ll do everything in my power to ensure she never has to become that.

That’s the fate an ally of the witch must shoulder.

“…Ah.”

Tears welled up in Lanez’s eyes.

“Hearing those words… it’s the first time.”

She bit her lip and then broke down, crying.

“Thank you… thank you. For believing in me… thank you.”

“......”

Simply for being born the daughter of a demon.

How terrible were the nightmares she must have endured?

Without thinking, I placed a hand on Lanez’s trembling shoulder as she sobbed.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

“Ah.”

Lanez gasped softly.

She carefully wrapped both of her hands around mine, which rested on her shoulder.

“…It’s warm.”

She rubbed her cheek against my hand and gave a wide smile.

A smile I’d never seen her make in my past life.

Why, I wonder.

For some reason, I couldn’t help but think, “I’m glad I was able to save her.”

“I’ll… I’ll do my best.”

“Do your best?”

“I’ll work hard to live up to Dale’s trust.”

Lanez clenched her fist, her eyes sparkling.

“I-I mean, sure, right now my grades are bad, and my magic skills aren’t anything special! But I’ll become strong enough to protect you, Dale!”

“......”

Actually…

It’s better if she doesn’t get that strong in this situation.

I swallowed down the words that had reached my throat and nodded awkwardly.

“Just… don’t push yourself too hard, okay?”

“No! I’ll push myself if I have to and become strong!”

No, really.

It’s better if she doesn’t become strong.

“The truth is… well, it’s a little embarrassing to admit, but I’ve actually been holding back my power all this time. If I used my strength, everyone would say it’s the power of a demon.”

“......”

“But I don’t need to do that anymore! Because I have you, Dale!”

“......”

“I… I’ll do anything for you, Dale! So….”

Lanez pulled my hand slightly with a nervous look in her eyes.

“Please… don’t abandon me.”

“......”

Ha.

A sigh slipped out from between my lips.

“People aren’t objects. You can’t just toss them away. Look… alright. It’s good that you have a goal. But promise me one thing.”

“…A promise?”

“Promise to always put yourself first. And if… if the power you’ve been holding back gets out of control, come to me immediately. Understood?”

“Ah.”

Lanez’s eyes widened.

She teared up, and in a small voice, murmured, “You… you really do care about me.”

“…Dale.”

“Hm?”

“Dale, Dale, Dale… ha, ha.”

After repeating my name a few times, Lanez breathed heavily and stood up suddenly.

“I-I should go now!”

“Oh, okay.”

As I saw Lanez to the door—

“Oh, um, Dale.”

“What?”

“Could I… maybe get your Hero Watch number?”

“Of course.”

Exchanging contact info was essential to keep an eye on her, considering she was practically a ticking time bomb.

“Hehe, Dale’s number….”

She looked down at her Hero Watch with my number as the only contact, grinning to herself.

“W-Well, goodnight, Dale!”

After saying goodbye, Lanez hurried away with quick steps.

‘Is she rushing to the bathroom or something?’

I tilted my head, watching her retreating figure before closing the door and lying down on my bed.

“Phew.”

Maybe it was all the things that had happened.

As I lay down, fatigue washed over me.

‘First… I’ll just rest for now.’

Maybe it was because I’d used the power of the primordial flame in my fight with Aaron, but sleepiness I couldn’t resist swept over me.

I didn’t fight it and drifted off to sleep.

Ding-ding, ding-ding.

For some reason,

I dreamed of wandering a room covered with dozens of tiny bells.

* * *

The next morning.

As I woke up, I instinctively turned on my Hero Watch.

[There are 257 missed messages.]

“…What?”

Two hundred fifty-seven?

I squinted and opened the message box.

[Um… Dale,]

[Thank you so much for yesterday.]

[If it weren’t for you, I would’ve never felt like this my entire life.]

[Ah… did I bother you by reaching out like this?]

[I’m sorry.]

[It was thoughtless of me.]

[It’s wrong to contact you so freely, isn’t it?]

[I’m really sorry. I’ve never exchanged messages with anyone before, so I made a mistake.]

[Dale… are you mad at me?]

[Why aren’t you responding?]

.

.

.

[Or… was it because I did something terrible while thinking of you, Dale?]

[TL/N: HJAHAHAHAH WHAT!!??!??!]

[PR/N: BRO ☠️WHAT???]

[I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.]

[I didn’t think you would notice.]

[I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.]

[I was wrong.]

[Please don’t abandon me.]

The messages continued on like that.

“…Seriously.”

What is all this?

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]