Book 1 Chapter 468

468.

After finishing his audience with the king, Jerome walked through the palace corridor with a relaxed gait.

Behind him followed the woman who had informed King Pettiman of the victory.

"You look to be in a good mood."

"Do I look that way?"

Jerome said, stroking his beaming face.

"Yes. You genuinely seem happy. Isn't it just a small victory for you?"

"That's right. For me, it's just a small victory."

While packaged as an immense achievement for King Pettiman, from Jerome's perspective, it was an insignificant victory.

A hero is a being with the power to change the tide of a battlefield with just one person.

And Jerome Kardium is the Guild Master of Justice, a guild to which such heroes belong.

He is the leader of the great heroes who transform and lead the world.

Bering, the court magician of the Pettiman Kingdom, couldn't understand why Jerome, with his immense power and influence, would be pleased with this small victory.

"However, this victory was achieved not by our strength, but by Pettiman's. Even if it's an insignificant victory by my standards, its value to the Pettiman Kingdom is like a thousand pieces of gold."

"Ah!"

Bering clasped her hands together and gasped.

"Lord Jerome. How could you think such a thing…"

Compared to a hero, she was like a firefly in the night sky, but a court magician of a nation was by no means a low position.

She too had opportunities to meet various heroes at the Magic Association.

However, most of the heroes she had met were arrogant.

But Jerome was different.

Despite being the leader of Justice, he was humble and considerate of people.

It was to the point where one naturally thought of him as a hero of justice, literally.

His every word truly seemed to be for the good of this nation.

"Don't worry, Court Magician Bering."

Jerome offered his hand with a gentle smile.

"As long as Justice is with you, the Pettiman Kingdom will only know victory. Trust us."

"Yes! Lord Jerome! In the name of justice! We will vanquish evil!"

Bering knelt and bowed her head, looking at Jerome, who smiled like a saint.

The sight was as if she were worshipping a god.

A moment later, Jerome returned to his room and opened his mouth with an expressionless face.

"What's the situation?"

"It's going smoothly, Master. The Kannel Kingdom's army is suffering near-annihilation damage on all fronts."

"If they're wearing the name of Justice on their backs, shouldn't they be able to do at least that much?"

"That's true, but they are still hero cadets."

"Hero cadets, huh? A nostalgic name."

Jerome, who had been smiling, changed his posture.

"But our guild's youngsters don't like being called that, do they? Executives."

Jerome smiled faintly, looking at the executives sitting in a corner of the room.

"They do not like it."

"They wish to be called 'Provisional Heroes'."

"Then let's change their title. To Provisional Heroes."

Jerome chuckled and said,

"Honestly, what does a title matter? Anyone can become a hero as long as they have the karma befitting the status of a hero."

"Your karma theory. How credible is it?"

One of Justice's executives asked with a puzzled expression.

At the question, Jerome rose from his seat with a smile.

"Only those chosen by God can have their names on the Hero Record. In a sense, that means they are God's representatives."

Jerome spread his arms.

"People think that only those who possess power close to God, have noble goals, and have achieved great feats can become heroes. That's what ordinary people think."

"That's certainly true."

"Right. But we, who are already heroes, know better."

Jerome curled up the corners of his mouth, looking at the executives.

"Weaklings who can hardly be called heroes. Scumbags with flawed personalities. Even hypocrites with ugly true natures become heroes."

"Indeed, that's true, Master Jerome. Since even someone like you became a hero."

Jerome smiled broadly at the words of the Vice Guild Master, Chain.

"There are no qualifications for a hero. Only standards. And I…"

Jerome looked down at his palm.

"Became a hero on the battlefield."

On the battlefield, the one who brings victory is truly the hero.

The process doesn't matter.

No matter how many enemies are killed.

No matter how many allies are sacrificed.

And no matter how many meaningless lives are taken.

Regardless of the process, leading that war to victory is the only great feat.

"Is this war a kind of testing ground to experiment with that karma theory?"

One executive propped his chin and clicked his tongue.

"Exactly."

"If we get involved in a war in the guild's name, troublesome things will happen, so we have to disguise our guild members as belonging to the kingdom. But isn't it an experiment worth taking on such a hassle?"

"What exactly is the reason you involved the dropouts of Lumern in this experiment?"

Another executive, who had been listening, asked.

"Guild Master, weren't you disgusted by dropouts? You claimed that only graduates of the Hero Academy were qualified to be heroes, didn't you?"

"My mind has changed. In fact, there are many who have risen to the position of hero even if they aren't Lumern graduates, aren't there? I've come to think that denying them isn't right. Excessive chosen people ideology doesn't do any good, you know."

Jerome crossed his arms.

"Besides, they're our juniors anyway, aren't they? Giving desperate juniors a chance is only natural for a senior, isn't it?"

Jerome turned his body and looked out the window.

"I need more heroes for my goal."

"What is your goal?"

"Didn't I tell you? To create a just world led by chosen heroes."

Jerome smiled brightly.

"In that sense, we need to find the treasure vault sleeping somewhere in this land, in the tomb of Tamus, the Knight of the Underworld."

The Knight of the Underworld buried countless treasures in his tomb.

Among them, the armaments of his subordinates who followed him were also buried.

"Tarim's legacy will be a great help in the birth of new-generation heroes. Our Justice Guild will help Lumern and take the lead in the birth of heroes."

"Are you not thinking of creating a new Hero Academy?"

"Is there a need for that? When there's a perfect Hero Academy like Lumern."

Jerome shrugged his shoulders.

Seeing Jerome, Chain spread his palm.

"The juniors of your alma mater, whom you love so much, might stand in your way, you know?"

A magic circle appeared on Chain's forehead as he closed his eyes.

"Clairvoyance?"

Vice Guild Master of the Justice Guild.

It was Chain Ritna's unique magic.

Jerome, who had been wearing a puzzled expression, gasped in admiration at the distant scenery Chain showed him.

There, a boy with white hair and red eyes was fighting a Pettiman knight.

Jerome's eyes shone with a peculiar light.

Among those present, not a single person didn't know this boy.

An All-Class hero like Kyle, the Hero of Beginnings.

And the one who, this time, helped the reincarnated Hero Arion to subjugate fragments of Erebus and attained the status of a hero.

"Leo Flov."

Jerome curled up the corners of his mouth.

"My heart is pounding. I really wanted to talk to Leo Flov just once."

"Why? Because he's famous?"

"No, because he's a chosen one among the chosen ones."

Jerome smiled kindly.

"I wonder what kind of view of justice he has. I wish he would join our guild."

"But Leo Flov has rejected all guild invitations."

"I know."

At Chain's words, Jerome went and sat in his seat, lost in thought.

"Leo Flov is undoubtedly a great hero. A true gem who, at a young age, climbed to that position on his own without anyone's help. But he's still young. He can't shine fully yet."

"Do you want to polish him further?"

"Yes."

Jerome nodded.

"It's not a bad age to learn that the world is vast. Trials are what make a hero stronger, after all."

"What do you mean?"

At Chain's words, Jerome smiled broadly.

"Leo Flov needs a baptism."

***

That night.

Leo, guided by Viscount Eshimon, was led to the Kannel Kingdom army's encampment.

As Lumern students, Leo and Lil were treated with extreme courtesy.

"It seems the Kannel Kingdom wants us to coordinate this war."

Lil said, chewing on the jerky served for dinner.

Though they tried their best to treat Leo and Lil well, this was the middle of a battlefield.

The food served was very rough.

Dried jerky, hard rye bread, and warm soup.

And even wine.

'Just getting warm soup on the battlefield at this late hour must be considered extremely courteous. It seems the Kannel Kingdom itself is in a difficult situation.'

"You eat well."

Leo said, watching Lil eat meticulously.

"A soldier must eat well when they can. Hmm, it might not suit Leo's taste, though."

Lil looked at Leo with a slightly worried expression.

It was the feeling of looking at a young master from a noble family.

There was no sense of disdain.

Just a purely worried look for her junior.

In fact, it was common for Lumern students not to find such meals palatable.

"I'm not particularly picky about food."

Leo dipped rye bread into his soup and fell into thought.

"Can we intervene in this war, or report it to Lumern?"

Lil sighed deeply at Leo's question.

Then she poured wine into a cup and drank it like water.

Despite drinking quite strong wine like water, she showed no signs of being drunk.

She was so hearty that she even seemed tough.

-Wow, she's like a real man.

Kylian murmured in admiration, loud enough only for Leo to hear.

"There probably won't be any room for us to intervene."

"Why not?"

"It's likely true that the Justice Guild is covertly operating in the northeastern region. I heard about it from my family during summer vacation, too."

Lil sighed deeply.

"Just as Lumern students shouldn't carelessly interfere in another country's war, guilds shouldn't interfere in wars either. But even if we have suspicions, it will be hard to find concrete evidence."

"Hmm."

"Furthermore, from our perspective, Justice isn't an enemy, but an ally."

Lil frowned.

"I don't know what they're aiming for by operating in this northeast, but they won't do anything that harms our allies. So it's difficult to carelessly investigate the Justice Guild."

"You don't seem to be in a good mood."

"Of course not! Leo! I hate politics! And this is the realm of politics!"

Lil made a rare, strong frown.

For the righteous and upright Lil, politics would be a rather unwelcome element.

It was natural, in a way, since politics made it difficult to call wrong things wrong.

'I also dislike it because it's a complicated field. Politics is Lysander and Dwaeno's specialty, after all.'

"What is Justice aiming for?"

"I don't know either. The Guild Master of Justice is such an enigmatic person."

"What kind of person is he?"

"Jerome Kardium. He is one of the three heroic figures chosen to carry the era after Master Kalian, the Sword Saint."

"There are three candidates to succeed the former headmaster?"

"Leo, you don't read the newspaper much, do you?"

"No."

Lil looked at Leo, who was staring at her with a dumbfounded expression, then gave a dumbfounded smile and drank her wine.

"He is a hero with the epithet 'Light Seeker,' the Seeker of Light. He is a man who is fair, righteous like a saint, and aims to uphold justice."

"Justice?"

"Yes. He is a person whose life's goal is justice. He is famous for not caring about means or methods if it means punishing evil for the sake of justice."

At those words, Leo narrowed his eyes.

"Somehow, I have a feeling there's something very shady behind him."

"Why?"

"I've never seen a decent person who goes around shouting about justice."

"Indeed, he's not a hero I particularly like either. He might be popular with the public… but among his achievements, there are certainly inhumane aspects. Though, under the name of justice, everything was forgiven."

Lil let out a deep sigh and drank her wine.

Now, she wasn't even pouring it into a cup, but drinking straight from the bottle.

'She doesn't have a bad drinking habit, does she? On the surface, she seems fine.'

Of course, she looked fine on the outside, but that didn't mean she wasn't drunk.

If someone does things they wouldn't normally do while drinking, that's being drunk.

Leo, who had been watching Lil for a moment, looked up at the tent ceiling.

Lil, who had been drinking, also suddenly stopped moving and took the bottle away from her mouth.

Leo, who had risen from his seat, clicked his tongue.

KWA-AANG-!

A massive explosion occurred.

"W-What was that?"

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

The Kannel Kingdom army fell into a panic at the sudden explosion.

"Lord Leo! Lady Lil!"

It was when Viscount Eshimon, who had rushed over upon seeing the tent where Leo and Lil were burning, desperately called out to them.

Hwa-reureureuk-!

The flames distorted and gathered in one place.

The flames gathered in Lil's hand that wasn't holding the wine bottle.

Lil looked up at the sky and said,

"An excellent surprise attack. I didn't notice it at all."

"Indeed. As expected of Lumern's student council president and third-year representative. You didn't take any damage."

A robed magician in the air said with admiration.

Around him were four other figures.

"Who are you?"

The attacking magician replied to Leo's question.

"We are the Enforcers."

"Enforcers?"

"Yes."

The magician unleashed his magical power.

"We have come to enforce justice."