Episode 232
Leone is a princess?
I thought back to Leone in my memories. Elegant features that conveyed class, and a strangely old-fashioned way of speaking.
‘It seems like something strangely fitting.’
But Leone’s hair was black. Could it be that she dyed her hair like Princess Perist?
Or maybe the woman in front of me is talking nonsense.
The moment I looked at him slightly puzzled, Verita opened her mouth.
“… “Did your brother-”
Berita’s voice stopped midway.
Because I felt like I was popular.
The one who appeared right away was Chain Scythe, and this guy was fully prepared like a mercenary going on a long-term mission.
“What the hell is that? Are you moving somewhere?”
“So are you going on a picnic?”
Chain Scythe shook his head with an expression of bewilderment.
“The real promotion battle starts from the second round. Of course, if it weren’t for you, I would have failed in the first round… … .”
“… … .”
“… “It seems like the difficulty level of this promotion match is unusual.”
Judging from the way he spoke, it seemed like Chainscythe had been through several promotion battles.
Anyway, starting with this guy, the promotion contest participants appeared one after another.
I had a lot of questions for Verita, but I had no choice but to stop the conversation for now.
It was eerily quiet enough to talk secretly.
When nine people are together, there should be at least some conversation, but perhaps because their relationships are generally awkward, there is almost no conversation.
The nine test takers quietly waited for the examiner to appear… … .
I slowly pondered the conversation with Verita alone.
Princess.
Leone.
A colorless devil.
The moment the words that came to mind indiscriminately entered my brain, there was another word that crossed my mind.
‘… ‘Setitus?’
* * *
What I felt during my first promotion match was that this Heros test format was unique in many ways.
They said it was a promotion test, so I thought it would evaluate things like physical ability and intellectual level… … .
In reality, it feels like we are mainly looking at things like crisis response ability or practical response ability.
Of course, such evaluation criteria overlapped with the initiation ceremony of knights or mercenaries, but Heros’ test was much more serious than that.
What organization in the world can recruit church members to strengthen their ability to deal with denominations?
Although I am a former church member.
‘In some ways, it seems similar to Badniker’s retreat.’
Of course, in reality it would be the opposite.
I thought that Iron Blood Duke might have been influenced by Heros’ educational environment and applied it to his own family.
Anyway, we left Heros’ headquarters, following the examiner who appeared a while later, and then took a carriage.
And that lasted for about an hour.
At this level, it would be correct to say that Tefer has definitely escaped.
Strangely enough, the carriage was divided into three carriages, and since there were nine people left, the carriage was split into three carriages.
The people who rode with me were the free knight and the chain scythe.
With the thought that I often collide with the chain scythe… It was unclear whether it was a good thing or a bad thing that I was immediately separated from Verita.
Rattling-.
After a while, the carriage stopped, and a dry voice unique to the examiner was heard from outside.
“Get down.”
As I checked the surroundings while stepping on the particularly soft blades of grass, I saw that the carriage had stopped in front of a cave.
It was a cave large enough to fit a house in and out, and the inside was completely dark.
Chainscythe asked.
“Where am I?”
“I don’t know anything.”
“… … .”
“I will announce the contents of the second exam. “You just need to get the jar from somewhere in this cave.”
Saying that, the examiner unfolded the paper, and there was a drawing of a dirty, ugly jar.
“What’s different from the first test is that this test is conducted by team. “You can form a group of three, everyone has the same goal, and there is only one jar in this cave.”
“… Do you mean compete?”
“completely different. “The theme of this promotion match is cooperation.”
Chain Scythe blinked his eyes as if he didn’t understand at first.
The examiner seemed to think that the explanation was insufficient and continued talking.
“As I said, all groups share the same goal, and if any of the five groups brings a jar, everyone will pass the test. Even if there is someone who didn’t even see the shadow of the jar, of course, as long as they can come back within the time limit.”
“… … .”
“Each group’s starting point is different, but as you walk through the cave, you may meet along the way. From then on, we can just work together to find the jar. Of course, we do not force cooperation. If you feel confident, you can move individually. In the end, whoever secures the jar will receive the best evaluation.”
“ah.”
Chainscythe nodded as if he understood… … .
I also felt like I knew what items Heros wanted to evaluate in this test.
‘It’s literally cooperation in an extreme situation.’
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Due to the nature of Heros’ organization, there are naturally many things to infiltrate. Maybe I will get involved in a religious denomination myself. Like my half-brother.
In this case, you may end up sharing information, cooperating, or even confronting other heroes who have already infiltrated you.
Perhaps Heros wanted to see how well he could respond at such a moment.
“I have a question.”
“Say it.”
“You just said five groups. “You clearly said it was a group of three, but the numbers don’t match.”
“okay. The two groups are not the ones who took the test like you. “These are people who skip the first test and take the second test right away.”
Chain Scythe muttered in a hollow voice.
“… “How could that happen?”
“An excellent hero deserves to be treated well. Let me tell you in advance, the skills of those six people are far superior to yours, and their careers are long. When we meet… hmm.”
The examiner shook his head.
“You said something useless.”
“… … .”
“The time limit is until daybreak. I will tolerate confrontation with each other in the battle for the pot, but please do not cross the line. Then I wish you good luck.”
With only those words, the examiner returned to the carriage. Since the carriage didn’t leave, it seemed like it was waiting there until the exam was over.
The three of us exchanged glances for a moment, then without saying anything, we took our first step into the cave.
Jeopuk-.
The cave was quite large, dark, and had a bad smell.
“… “It’s unpleasantly wet.”
Chain Scythe muttered.
I felt like I needed to say something, so I responded.
“I know. “It feels like I entered the monster’s mouth hole, man.”
“An ominous sound… … . “More than that, how did you find the last church member who was hiding during the first test?”
“I have good eyesight. Thanks to… … .”
I said, looking straight into the cave.
“Even inside this dark cave, I can see as clearly as daylight.”
“… “Is it the blessing of a great family?”
“… … .”
Chain Scythe gave me a slightly envious look, and at that moment, I felt a little strange.
I know that mercenaries envy the owner of divine protection, but I never thought that the day would come when I would become the subject of that envy.
It was then.
“You two.”
The driver who had been keeping quiet all this time called us and said something rather unexpected.
“Is your goal to become a B-class hero?”
Me and Chainscythe answered at the same time.
“however?”
“yes.”
“This cave is a dangerous place. If you go a little deeper, demonic beasts called ‘Biotes’ appear, which are bat monsters about 2 meters tall. “They have claws that can break rocks, ultrasonic attacks that rip open eardrums, and if bitten, they are dangerous and can kill you from poison.”
“… … .”
“It means you both could lose your lives.”
At this point, we had no choice but to stop.
“Have you ever been here?”
“okay. As you said earlier, I am a former church member and participated in the promotion battle for various reasons. Of course, Heros usually does not give the same tasks to the same person… … . “I have multiple identities, so there must have been an error in Heros’ handling of business.”
“Ohh.”
Is it because he’s already lied once? For some reason, everything they say sounds like nonsense.
“So, what do you want to say?”
Chainscythe also seemed to have felt the same way, and asked in a somewhat blunt tone.
“I know the shortcut to this cave.”
“… … !”
“It’s a safe path that won’t produce biotes. “I don’t know if there will be a jar at the end, but it will definitely save time compared to other groups.”
“… … .”
“What do you want to say? Simple. If you cooperate with me, I will not only give you guidance on shortcuts, but also teach you the contents of the third test.”
At the part about the third test, Chainscythe’s eyes changed, but like a seasoned mercenary, instead of biting back, he asked once more.
“What are you asking me to cooperate with?”
“We will make that nun pay.”
“what?”
The chain scythe shot sharply.
“Are you sure you want to kill someone now?”
“no. That can’t be possible. But at least I have to make him look like me.”
It’s the same… … .
I saw the bandage around the eye slightly stained with blood.
“You are talking crazy. “The other person is a nun of the 72nd order.”
“Why are you so angry? I know. It’s not unusual for either of you to kill a person or two. Besides, I don’t mean to harm a faithful nun.”
The knight spoke with gritted teeth.
“You probably saw it too, right? That woman is not normal. The problem is not the hero, but the question is also how such a person with a broken character became an ascetic of the 72 religions. “It’s not for me to say anything, but she was a talent who would have been much better off committing herself to the Dark Church.”
This knight was naturally telling the truth, but of course he was not aware of it.
“Neither of you seem to particularly believe in religion, and I’m suggesting this because I think you can communicate more easily than other stiff guys.”
“… … .”
“Think about it carefully. “The opportunity to become Heros’ B-class is not easily given.”
“… Even so, I can’t participate in something like that.”
“It’s not complicity. Just don’t disturb me. Anyway, I have to take care of that woman myself… … . If you accept, this conversation will also be nothing.”
So, even if a situation arises just in case, I will take care of it all by myself.
There were more than one or two things I was suspicious of, but I asked the most curious questions first.
“If a former church member harms a nun of the 72nd religious order, wouldn’t your position be in quite an awkward position?”
“okay. “For the next 10 years, I will have to serve as Heros’ dog.”
“Was it really unfair that I got stabbed in the eye? “Whether you are a church member or a hero, getting injured is not uncommon.”
“I’m not saying this for my eyeballs. “She dishonored my benefactor.”
“A benefactor? “You mean that old man from earlier?”
An old man named Erudi who was probably a member of the same church as this guy.
“okay. Thanks to him, I turned my back on the church and was able to start a new life. “He is the one who brought me out of the abyss of evil.”
“… … .”
“The old man was able to retire comfortably after completing two more missions. He completed various missions as a hero and did everything he could as a former church member. Those inorganic Heros also recognized the old man’s achievements, and now he can spend the rest of his life in peace-.”
Once again, a spark flew from this man’s expression.
“… “It’s impossible now.”
“I heard the conversation between the instructor and the old man. I heard you completed the 20-year period? “Then doesn’t he have an honorable retirement?”
“Retirement is retirement. But wasn’t he demoted to C level? The difference between Class C and Class B is huge. First of all, Heros won’t even pay attention to the old man anymore. The denomination never forgives apostates. He will send countless assassins to kill him in the future, and Heros will not protect him even if he knows about it. “How long can an elderly person live in such a situation?”
“… … .”
“That nun… “If the crazy woman hadn’t broken the old man’s shoulder all of a sudden, this wouldn’t have happened.”
Then this knight suddenly knelt down and bowed his head.
“Please. Please let me repay the favor.”
Chainscythe’s expression changed at the word “Eunwon.” This was because the silver was a very important factor even for mercenaries.
It was difficult to know whether the article’s mention of the word at the last moment was intentional or coincidental.
However, it seemed clear that it had caused Chain Scythe to become troubled.
Then Chain Scythe looked at me and said.
“I am… “Follow this friend’s opinion.”
“What are you saying?”
I gave him a slightly absurd look, but Chain Scythe spoke.
“I followed your judgment in the first test, and things ended well in the end. So this time too.”
“For packaging. “In the end, it’s a postponement of responsibility.”
“… … .”
While the chain scythe was acting foolish, the knight’s eyes naturally turned to me.
“Huh.”
I smiled and shook my head.
Then, I glanced at the knight’s facial expression… First of all, I know one lie.
‘People like me are a total mess.’
Look at this bastard’s eyes.
It was clear that he was planning to kill Verita without hesitation if he got the chance.
As I said before, I had a talent for penetrating the truth in these matters of life and death.
Still, things weren’t too bad for me right now.
That’s because Verita’s existence brings nothing but harm to me.
There are a few things that are a bit off, but… … .
Aside from everything else, the biggest problem was that the person who knew my identity was none other than a church member.
According to this article’s opinion, even if the book is caught later, it won’t be a big problem.
If anything happens, this guy took the lead, and since I don’t know about it, I can just arrest him.
“hmm.”
After gathering my thoughts, I slowly opened my mouth.
fantasy,
