Chapter 124 : Chapter 124

Chapter 124 : For Tayon (10)

It was time to part ways again.

After the First Prince left, we were able to continue using the banquet hall, which was convenient for us to say our goodbyes.

First, I went to express my gratitude to the elders of the family.

"I would like to thank all three of you."

Pasion had come to participate in the Knight Tournament that would be held in the Imperial Capital, but Balua and Akuhata came here just for me.

Balua was in an organization representing the Beastkin and Akuhata was in one for the Southern Barbarians.

These two groups, which would have been on edge because the embers of war could spread to them, must have been living very busy lives.

"It's a decision by the family. You are no longer just a mere hero candidate of the family."

When Pasion said that, Balua and Akuhata also nodded their heads.

After hearing that, something that I had been curious about came to mind.

"You mentioned the hero candidate. Does it have any real substance?"

"Substance?"

"I thought it was just a term to encourage the children of the family."

"You thought it was just an empty title. Well, you're not wrong. At least until now."

The children of the Adjak family heard a phrase hammered into their heads from a young age.

– You must follow in the footsteps of our hero, Sir Adjak.

– Those who place within the top 10 of the Coming-of-Age Ceremony each year are qualified to be hero candidates. Strive for that glorious position.

The effect was definite.

From a young age, all the children of the Adjak family worked hard for the Coming-of-Age Ceremony with the hero candidate title in mind.

The children who grew up with such clear motivation showed excellent combat power compared to anyone their age.

In particular, the 10 people selected as hero candidates each year possessed even more outstanding abilities.

But that was all.

After being selected as a hero candidate and showing off their skills in their respective family organizations or other external organizations, they slowly came to realize.

– What's different about being a hero candidate?

– Do I have the qualifications to be a hero?

I was no different.

I received a lot of attention for getting first place in the Coming-of-Age Ceremony.

It was difficult to say that I didn't get any support from the family.

I was able to get human resources like Keldric and Kiyot for sure.

'But isn't that it? Is the title of hero candidate going to be different from now on?'

As if understanding my question, Pasion continued.

"I, Balua, and Akuhata are all hero candidates. Tayon was the same."

"Yes, I heard that you all stood out in the Coming-of-Age Ceremony."

"So I know the question that you, or rather, all the hero candidates of the family, must have had. But from now on, it will be different."

"How will it be different?"

"Our family needs a focal point like Sir Adjak. So we will select a hero from among the hero candidates."

"Select? Do you mean there will be another test?"

It sounded a bit absurd.

Since the history of the Coming-of-Age Ceremony was not short, the number of hero candidates was also not small.

I didn't know what was so good about being selected as a hero, but did he mean they would gather people who were already living well in their respective positions and test them?

It was too inefficient, and there was no time for that.

"It won't be a test for you. We will select a hero among the hero candidates, and it will be a test for those who support them."

"I see. The fact that you're telling me this means..."

"That's right. Balua, Akuhata, and I are people who support you to become a hero."

"I appreciate the sentiment, but why me?"

At that moment, Balua took out a stone tablet from his subspace.

It wasn't just a simple tablet but an artifact, as the words he wanted to say began to appear on it.

– It is because you have sufficient qualifications.

"What qualifications? Because the Demons see me as a successor to Adjak?"

– That is also a meaningful event. But it is because we believe in the things you have done so far.

Balua, as a Coming-of-Age Ceremony supervisor, had watched me before.

He mentioned my activities, starting from when I stood out in the labyrinth where Ainsitel appeared.

– Even when the family was focused on checking the Empire, you insisted that we should conquer the Demons and went to Tello to be active. I know you accomplished many things in that process. Getting recognition from the mages of Ostrum, stopping the racial war in Kipaso, and being appointed as an Apostle of the Holy Order. Each of them was an astonishing achievement.

Listening to Balua's story, I retraced the things I had done.

They were truly busy days without a moment's rest.

I didn't do these things for someone's recognition.

Nevertheless, there was joy in being recognized.

– Furthermore, you are a person that Tayon acknowledged. To have received a Special Recommendation from Tayon. I was truly surprised.

"Isn't the Special Recommendation... a privilege that all supervisors can use at least once?"

– Tayon said he would never use a Special Recommendation during his supervision. He was a rigid man. He left for his supervision saying he had to maintain fairness as the leader of the Crows.

"Then why did he give it to me? To be honest... I still don't really know why I received the Special Recommendation."

I revealed the situation when I received the Special Recommendation.

I was attacked by a Shaber, and Tayon saved me when I was on the verge of death. He also gave me the Special Recommendation along with Maron.

It wasn't that I stood out, but that Tayon saved me and even gave me a gift.

Balua pondered for a moment, scratching his forehead, and then a new sentence began to appear on the tablet.

– Tayon talked about you a lot. At first, he said you were similar to him, but at some point, he said he had a lot to learn from you.

"..."

As I was lost in thought, Pasion patted me on the shoulder and said.

"Balua was Tayon's closest friend among the Twelve Swords. His words are trustworthy. From the very beginning, his participation as a supervisor in the Coming-of-Age Ceremony you were in was to help Tayon."

I nodded and expressed my gratitude.

I was very happy that three of the Twelve Swords acknowledged and supported me, and that Tayon had thought of me as someone special.

I even felt a lump in my throat.

So I quickly changed the subject.

"...Thank you. But what's the benefit of becoming a hero? I feel that if the hero candidate title isn't just an empty one, there must be something the family will offer when one becomes a hero."

Before, when Labella was acting as a mole for the Imperial Intelligence Agency, the Empire told me they would give me anything I wanted to win me over.

If it was a Tune, they would give me a Tune.

If it was equipment, they would get me the equipment I wanted.

Even if it wasn't that much, I thought that if the Adjak family was determined to change, there would be some kind of reward offered.

The answer came from Akuhata.

"The family has waited for a long time. For hero. We collected equipment Master Adjak used. Recently, we also collected Master Adjak's Tunes. You can have them if you become a hero."

"Please take care of me."

I answered right away as soon as Akuhata finished speaking, and Pasion laughed heartily.

"Polarin, you didn't seem to be greedy, but I guess that's not the case after all."

"I am very greedy. I came this far because I was greedy, and I plan to go even further."

"What is at the end of that road?"

"The Demon King, with his head cut off, will be lying there."

Akuhata let out a small 'oh' in admiration.

Balua also nodded as if it was a satisfying answer.

"Yes, a hero who will succeed Sir Adjak must be like that. But becoming a hero is not easy."

"What difficulties are there?"

"I don't know what the other Twelve Swords are thinking. They might support another hero candidate, or there might be someone who wants to become a hero himself."

"What about the Elders' Council?"

"So far, no one has revealed their true intentions. So..."

Pasion looked at Hike.

Everyone's eyes turned to Hike.

Hike also noticed our gazes and returned them, but she showed no particular emotion and just watched.

"It would be a little easier if Lady Hike supported you."

"Lady Hike is the one who doesn't reveal her true intentions at all."

"But she is clearly being good to you."

"I will think about whether there is a way."

"That's all you need to do."

Anyway, I had to follow Hike to get the Heart Engraving.

Perhaps I would have a chance to ask her what she thought on the way.

Even after I finished greeting the three Twelve Swords, there were many other people to greet.

I went to thank the people from the Western Noble Coalition, the priests of the Holy Order who were staying in the Imperial Capital, and various other supporters.

I had to form good relationships with each of the people who came.

I knew well enough that they were people who would be a source of strength for me, whether their purpose for coming was to support me or to oppose the war.

The fact that I was moving to oppose the war had been quietly getting out.

And through this speech, my actions became even more clear.

The Empire might not have been a calm lake to begin with, but I had thrown a huge rock into the water.

I hoped the ripples would last a long time.

And the people gathered at this banquet hall would help with that.

After all the greetings were finished, I gathered with my colleagues.

Keldric, Bea, and Everchen decided to come with me. Among them, I asked Keldric a separate question.

"I heard that the second Heart Engraving for our generation will be done soon. I'm going to get the engraving, too. Is it okay for your engraving to be delayed?"

"Oh, I never want to do that again."

Keldric made a motion as if to cut his chest and laughed.

But soon, his expression became more serious.

"I can get the engraving later... but first, I want to travel with you and see more of the world's paths."

Keldric had probably already seen the wide world with Eidon.

The two of them had roamed all over the Empire, and I had done missions even in the North, where I had never been.

But the word 'path' that the Tello agents used was a little different.

Keldric wanted to blaze a new path with me and go even further.

I nodded, understanding his feelings.

And then, my colleagues and I talked about our future plans.

"It's interesting, but... what if Lady Hike doesn't approve?"

"She will approve. If she doesn't, we'll try to persuade her."

After a short conversation, we went to Hike together and greeted her.

"Are you all ready to go now?"

"Yes, we're ready. But before that, Lady Hike."

"Speak."

"We want to take the Dragon's Trial."

At those words, Hike's eyes sharpened. Her gaze felt as if it was piercing through us.

"All four of you?"

"Yes, we have already made up our minds."

"Made up your minds."

Hike just repeated my words expressionlessly, but it made me inexplicably nervous.

Would she really bestow the Dragon's Trial upon us?

"You are all too weak."

Instead of a word of approval, Hike evaluated us with cold harshness.

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