Chapter 27

Three days later, the envoy finally arrived. Now, Kōhi and the members who had ventured into the dungeon, along with important figures from the kingdom and several priests led by Ishutal, were all gathered in the audience room. The empire's envoy stood in the center of the red carpet, facing His Majesty Helix.

"Your Excellency, welcome. Please confirm the bravery of the Hero."

"Your Majesty, we are truly grateful for your hospitality and for listening to our wishes. So, which one is the Hero?"

"Ah, let me introduce him first. Kōhi, could you step forward?"

"Yes."

After the customary greetings between His Majesty and the envoy, Kōhi was immediately called forward. He took a step forward in response to His Majesty's call. In just less than two months, his appearance had changed significantly from when he was first summoned, now bearing a sharp and resolute look.

If the palace maids, noble daughters, and Kōhi's fans from the remaining group were here, they would surely be breathless and swooning at the sight of him now. The number of noble daughters who had approached Kōhi had already reached double digits... Kōhi, however, only thought of them as "kind and straightforward people," showing an extreme level of insensitivity. This was a perfect example of a dense protagonist. Then, Kōhi was introduced to the previous record holder of the dungeon and the other members who had ventured into it.

"Hmm, so you are the Hero. You are quite young. May I ask, did you really clear the 65th floor? I recall that a monster called Behemoth appears there..."

The envoy observed Kōhi from a distance, trying not to be too obvious in front of Ishutal, but his gaze was tinged with a bit of doubt. One of the envoy's guards scrutinized Kōhi from head to toe, as if evaluating him. (Ourjuno: Is this guy gay or something?) Kōhi, feeling the unfriendly gaze, shifted his body and replied:

"Well, shall I explain a bit? For example, how we defeated Behemoth, or perhaps show you the map of the 66th floor?"

Kōhi proposed various methods to gain their trust, but the envoy smiled boldly and shook his head.

"No, that's not necessary. There's a faster way to prove it. How about a mock battle with my guard? That way, the Hero's strength will be clear."

"Well, I don't mind..."

Kōhi looked back at His Majesty Helix, a bit confused. His Majesty, receiving Kōhi's gaze, confirmed with Ishutal, who nodded. To gain the recognition of the empire, which wielded divine power, as the leader of humanity, this was the simplest method. Moreover, to have the empire, which valued strength above all, genuinely acknowledge Kōhi as soon as possible, a real battle was the fastest way.

"No problem. Kōhi, show your full strength."

"It's decided then. Please prepare the area."

Thus, a mock battle between the Hero and the empire's envoy's guard was hastily arranged. Kōhi's opponent was a completely ordinary-looking man. Of average height, with no distinctive features, his face was so plain that he would blend into a crowd immediately. He looked anything but formidable. He held a large sword that had been treated to prevent it from cutting, in a completely relaxed stance. (Ourjuno: Is this a natural stance? Kōhi, you're out of your depth?) Kōhi felt he was being underestimated and became angry. If he could shock his opponent with his first strike, the other side would take him seriously, so Kōhi decided to put more effort into his first attack.

"Here I come!"

Kōhi became a blur. He used the skill "Shrinking Ground" to move at high speed, accompanied by a strong wind, and swung his sword. If it were a regular warrior, even catching his movement with the eye would be difficult. However, this concern was unnecessary. In fact, the result showed that Kōhi was the one underestimating his opponent.

Slap slap!!

"Kya!?"

Kōhi was the one who was blown away. The guard, maintaining his sword-swinging stance, glanced at Kōhi. Just as Kōhi was about to hold back, the guard effortlessly deflected his attack, sending Kōhi flying. (Ourjuno: Even though he underestimated the opponent, being sent flying by a non-main character in one hit, is the Hero really okay?) Kōhi, sliding along the ground, regained his composure and looked at the guard in shock. Despite focusing on holding back, he barely noticed the guard's attack. The guard again stood in a relaxed, natural stance. Yes, the attack and movement were so natural that Kōhi couldn't react in time.

"Hah, so this is the Hero? You're not much use. Got any spirit?"

The guard's rough tone didn't match his plain face. Kōhi looked at the guard in surprise. The guard's expression was one of disappointment. Indeed, the current situation was that Kōhi had judged the guard by his appearance and attacked carelessly, only to be easily countered. Kōhi realized he was the one underestimating the opponent and became angry, this time at himself.

"I'm very sorry. Could we do it again, please?"

This time, Kōhi's gaze was serious as he apologized for his rudeness. The guard, looking at Kōhi, said, "If this were a real battlefield, there would be no 'again'," with a frown, but agreed to be Kōhi's opponent again. The guard stood in the same natural stance. Kōhi refocused and charged again. He used techniques like thrusts, diagonal slashes, and upward strikes, combined with "Shrinking Ground," to deliver super-fast sword strikes. The speed created afterimages of Kōhi's movements. However, the guard dodged the storm of sword strikes with minimal effort, countering whenever Kōhi made a mistake. Sometimes, Kōhi's figure would disappear, but even then, the guard could handle attacks from blind spots. Kōhi was familiar with the guard's movements. They were like those of Captain Merudo. The gap between Kōhi and Merudo had widened. Even so, Kōhi had never won a single mock battle against him. The reason, in a nutshell, was the overwhelming difference in combat experience. The guard, like Captain Merudo, was likely often on the battlefield. That combat experience leveled the playing field between him and Kōhi. In other words, the guard's strength was on par with or even surpassed Captain Merudo's.

"Hmm, indeed, you have abilities that are not ordinary. However, your attacks are a bit too monotonous. You were originally not a fighter, right?"

"Um, yes, that's right. I was just a student."

"And now you are a 'Divine Apostle'?"

The guard glanced quickly at Ishutal and the other members of the Holy Church, then grumbled unhappily.

"Hey, Hero. Get ready. I'm going to attack this time. Don't let your guard down, or I might accidentally kill you."

As soon as the guard declared this, he charged forward. He didn't move as fast as Kōhi. In fact, his movements seemed sluggish. Despite this,

"!?"

Before Kōhi knew it, the guard was right in front of him, swinging his sword upward. Kōhi hastily flew backward. However, the guard, like a magnet, kept a certain distance and attacked Kōhi with whip-like sword strikes. The unpredictable and difficult-to-read sword trajectories made it hard for Kōhi to maintain distance, even as he used "Pre-Read" to counter. Even when he tried to use "Shrinking Ground" to gain distance, it seemed to be predicted, and he was immediately attacked, preventing him from using the skill. Kōhi's face showed anxiety. Finally, just as Kōhi, determined to injure the guard, swung his sword, the guard didn't back off but started using magic attacks.

"Pierce, [Wind Strike]"

With a groan-like incantation, a small wind dart was generated and struck one of Kōhi's legs.

"Whoa!?"

His advancing leg was hit, and Kōhi lost his balance. At that moment, a terrifying killing intent pierced through Kōhi. The guard, looking at Kōhi with cold eyes, swung his sword with an extraordinary pressure. In an instant, Kōhi understood. The guard intended to kill him. In fact, it would be understandable if the guard did so. If Kōhi couldn't handle the attack, there was no reason to let a boy who didn't know true killing lead humanity. Even if the Holy Church criticized him, it was unbearable to leave an incompetent person on the battlefield. It would be better to kill him. However, it didn't come to that.

Slap slap slap!!

"Ah!?"

The same thing happened again, but this time, the one who flew away was the guard. The guard bounced a few times on the ground, then used both hands to regain his composure and looked at Kōhi. Kōhi was surrounded by a white aura and stood in the same stance he had used to swing his sword at the guard.

Just as the guard's sword was about to strike, Kōhi's survival instinct kicked in, and he used "Limit Break." This skill temporarily tripled all his attributes, giving him a "protagonist who awakens in a crisis" feel. However, Kōhi's face showed no sign of relief. He suppressed his fear and held his sword with a stern expression. The guard, seeing this, smiled fearlessly.

"Hah, you're finally showing a serious face. Much better than the trembling one before!"

"Trembling face? I'm feeling more fear now... Did you try to kill me just now? This is a mock battle, you know?"

"So what? Did you think it would be a casual fight and then end? If you die at this level, it shows your true worth. You're supposed to lead all of humanity from the top. Do you have that awareness?"

"Awareness... I, of course, want to save people..."

"What can a kid who's afraid of getting hurt and hurting others do? You talk big, but there's not a hint of killing intent in your sword. Hey, get ready to fight!

Didn't I say from the start? If you let your guard down, you'll die!"

The guard released an unusual killing intent, gathering strength in his legs to charge at Kōhi. Kōhi's face contorted in pain. However, the guard didn't charge. The reason was that a light barrier had been erected between the guard and Kōhi.

"That's enough. If we keep fighting, it won't be a mock battle but mutual slaughter... Your joke went a bit too far, didn't it, Your Excellency Gaharud?"

"...Tch, exposed. As usual, you're a sly old man."

The guard, whose spirits were dampened by the light barrier cast by Ishutal, cursed under his breath. Then, he shrugged indifferently, sheathed his sword, and removed the earring from his right ear. A mist-like layer of air around the guard turned a hazy white, and when it cleared, a completely different person appeared. It was a wild-looking man in his forties. His silver hair was cut short, his sharp green eyes reminiscent of a wolf, and his muscular, handsome body was taut even through his clothes. The moment he appeared, the room erupted in commotion.

"G-Gaharud Your Excellency!?"

"Emperor Your Majesty!?"

Yes, that man, the one who had been trying to hide something, was none other than the current emperor of the Helusha Empire, Gaharud D. Helusha. (Ourjuno: Hidden BOSS?) This impossible situation made His Majesty Helix rub his forehead and ask,

"What do you intend, Gaharud Your Excellency?"

"This is, this is Helix Your Excellency. I didn't greet you properly. However, since we were going to confirm things anyway, it was faster to do it myself, so I put on a show. This is an important matter concerning future battles. Please forgive my rudeness."

Gaharud said this as an apology, but without any sign of remorse. His Majesty Helix sighed and waved his hand, saying, "Never mind." Kōhi and the others were completely sidelined. It seemed that this emperor was very light-footed, and such surprises were a regular occurrence. The mock battle ended inconclusively, and the planned dinner proceeded, with the empire agreeing to recognize the Hero. Thus, the purpose of this visit was achieved. However, that night, in his room, after hearing the honest opinions of his subordinates, the emperor responded with a troubled expression.

"No, it won't do. He's just a kid. He believes in ideals and justice without a doubt. His true strength and leadership qualities make him even more dangerous. He's the type who would kill those around him for his ideals. As long as he's a 'Divine Apostle,' he can't be underestimated. Be careful."

"If there was a chance, did you plan to kill him in that match?"

"Huh? No, not at all. I just wanted to give his slightly dense spirit a shock. If we had continued, the Pope would have interfered, and there's no way I could have killed him."

It seemed that Kōhi and his party were not of much interest to the emperor. This was understandable. They were just students a few months ago, and students from a peaceful Japan at that. It was impossible for them to have the mental preparation that seasoned warriors would recognize.

"Well, the war against the demons might get serious. If it does, it will start from now. For now, it's important to handle things properly so that the kids don't get involved. Be careful of the Pope."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Kōhi and his party, who didn't expect such a candid evaluation, saw off the emperor and his entourage the next day as they prepared to return to their country. With their mission completed, there was no reason to stay any longer. The emperor was indeed very light-footed. Incidentally, when the emperor saw Shizukana training in the morning, he tried to seriously persuade her to become his lover. Shizukana politely declined, and the emperor, with a bold and fearless smile, said, "Well, no rush," and left without any serious incidents. At that time, he snorted and laughed when he saw Kōhi, and Kōhi felt that he and this man would never get along, which put him in a bad mood. Not to mention, Shizukana's sighs increased.