Chapter 132: Departure
*
“Congratulations to all the young candidates here for officially becoming heroes…”
Finally, it was the graduation ceremony.
Just like the entrance ceremony, the headmaster, Heinz Armanus, delivered a lengthy speech for the graduation ceremony.
But it wasn’t that boring.
“Everyone must have received at least one Relic by now. Please cherish and use those Relics meaningfully.”
He didn’t have to mention it, but Heinz’s gaze was fixed on one person.
That person was Yusera, the one who inherited the 125th Relic Sacred Replicant, which he treasured and kept hidden.
Yusera, feeling the weight of his gaze, moved her lips slightly.
“Pl-please… save me, Sung Yoo-rang…”
Yusera was frozen in place, not knowing what had happened at the lunch invitation.
Sorry, but I had no way to help her.
I was just focused on Heinz’s speech.
“But surely…”
I didn’t feel that real about becoming a hero.
“Naturally.”
I was already a high-ranking hero, and I wasn’t particularly interested in that title anymore.
The Hero Academy was just a means to gain a new identity I could use; I didn’t feel any significance in obtaining the hero status so easily.
Regardless of not feeling the meaning, I would still use it effectively.
“On the other hand, for some, this might feel like the end.”
I looked around.
I saw a few people grinning with the satisfaction of having become heroes.
I wasn’t trying to blame them; everyone has different goals.
“Those guys probably aim to do the bare minimum as heroes and then retire to collect pensions.”
But my goals lay elsewhere.
There was still a long way to go, and my objectives were still out of sight.
So, I could say my journey was just beginning with every moment.
“All preparations are complete.”
I could now use archery and had obtained a 4-star Relic Resonance.
I passed the third trial and received a skill as a reward.
And most importantly… I gained companions.
I gathered as much power as I could.
“Still…”
Maybe this power wouldn’t be enough.
No, it definitely wouldn’t be enough.
But now it felt like I could give it a try somehow.
“Nothing can be known without proving it.”
Thinking this, I glanced towards Elsie who was standing a little away from me.
She seemed to be staring straight at Heinz.
If I didn’t know her skill, I would have just thought nothing of it.
“This guy…”
*
The speech ended.
We were given the black cloaks symbolizing our status as heroes of the Church.
It was the same type that Gwen used.
“Oh, now I really feel like a hero.”
Elsie said, twirling her body with the cloak draped over her, as if she were wielding a sword.
She had a pretty lively vibe, just like usual.
In contrast, Yusera was slumped down, looking completely exhausted.
“I thought I was going to die…”
She looked like someone who just got through a nerve-wracking family meeting.
It was actually similar since the Sacred Replicant was like a child to Heinz.
However, Yusera seemed to have avoided making a major mistake, at least.
“By the way…”
I suddenly had a suspicion about Elsie from earlier.
“Elsie, did you sleep standing up earlier?”
“What? What do you mean…”
Elsie looked puzzled.
But I wasn’t without my reasons.
“I heard every sound you made while sleeping.”
She looked like she was wide awake, but when I considered her optical modulation, I couldn’t take that at face value.
And what confirmed my suspicion was her breathing.
“Your breathing sounds exactly like the noise you make when you sleep.”
“You could distinguish it just by the sound from that distance?”
Elsie had a look of horror on her face.
But I felt she didn’t need to react like that.
“You could distinguish me by smell, after all.”
“No, it’s just that you smell distinctly different from everyone else.”
Distinctly different, huh?
I wasn’t sure about that.
To me, smells and breath all seemed quite similar.
“There is indeed a slightly different smell.”
But then Yusera chimed in, supporting Elsie’s claim.
With Yusera agreeing, I had nothing else to say.
“What kind of smell is it?”
“Huh? It’s hard to describe… if I had to say, it’s somewhat similar to Professor Freira’s smell. It’s definitely unusual.”
Suddenly, Freira came up in the conversation from Elsie’s mouth.
For reference, Freira had already left Hailen a while ago to spread false information to the Demon King’s Meeting.
I was slightly worried about her, but aside from that, I had some trust in her.
“By the way, a smell similar to Freira’s…”
Even trying to recall, all I could remember from Freira was the smell of alcohol.
I really didn’t know.
“Isn’t your sense of smell weird?”
“No, it’s not! Anyone you bring would agree that your sense of hearing is definitely the weird one!”
Weird, eh?
I thought that was a bit harsh, but then again, it was true my sense of hearing was superior compared to others.
I could relatively hear whispers from a distance quite well.
However, just then, a different problem arose.
“Wait, if you know how I breathe when I sleep, how much…”
Yusera’s face turned bright red.
After all, ever since I told her about the incident two years ago when Elsie and I met, her misunderstandings seemed to be growing.
No, now that I think about it, it wasn’t exactly a misunderstanding.
“But I should clarify things to some extent.”
We’d be traveling together for a while, after all.
This awkward atmosphere was definitely not a good thing.
No matter how much there shouldn’t be secrets between companions, this was ultimately a matter of privacy.
“Maybe I could avoid this if I just restrained myself in public somewhat.”
So, I intended to clarify with her.
“This isn’t about that; two years ago…”
“That’s what I expected.”
I still hadn’t finished speaking.
Yet Yusera chose to escape reality first.
“There’s no way I belong between you two kind of people.”
No, she absolutely needs to fit in.
Of course, I’d try to make sure situations like that happened as little as possible, but I couldn’t make any promises.
I almost wished I had been more straightforward.
“Yusera, that’s…”
“Oh, maybe this could be more fun.”
Elsie seemed to have switched into enjoyment mode.
Even though she was right next to me, she somehow felt like she was watching from a distance.
“Ehh, whatever.”
Anyway, it seemed like I succeeded in keeping my private relationship with Elsie hidden from Yusera.
It felt a little strange, but perhaps it was a success.
Anyway, I’d think about this issue gradually.
“For now, there’s more pressing matters.”
We had just exited the Hero Academy and were now in a quiet open area in Hailen.
This might have been unavoidable up until now, but moving forward, it would be better to act as diligently as possible.
“Well, I think we’ve rested enough?”
Yusera still looked somewhat tired, but she wasn’t completely immobilized.
She was still a hero, after all. In the blink of an eye, she shook off her fatigue and stood up, brushing off her cloak.
“There’s a lot to hear about. Let’s move quickly.”
We had to stop by the Church Headquarters to register our party while also collecting various benefits granted to heroes.
We also needed to buy supplies for our journey.
And…
“We must leave Hailen as quickly as possible.”
Up until now, it didn’t matter, but things would be different once we formed the party.
Among the new parties, we would indeed be a party worth noticing.
Elsie might not have shown much of her power yet, but Yusera already showcased her strength during the graduation tournament.
With a strike comparable to a high-ranking hero, she caught the attention of Allen Pleuk, and even inherited 24 blades from the Sacred Replicant series from Heinz.
As for me, I inherited a 4-star Relic from Ludmilla, a fellow high-ranking hero.
Still, since we were a party composed of our peers, we’d probably be treated as novices unless otherwise noted, but there was no guarantee everyone would think that way.
“No.”
It felt more accurate to say that we would inevitably receive some attention.
So, it was imperative to leave this place before gaining that attention.
That meant we needed to keep moving diligently.
“But in reality, you’re the slowest one.”
That’s true. Perhaps because of my speed status, my pace was the slowest among the three.
Of course, using Wind’s Power could speed me up, but I didn’t want to use that even under normal circumstances.
However, the two of them managed to keep pace with me even when I didn’t use it.
So why was I lagging behind slightly?
It wasn’t because of my walking speed.
I had looked back momentarily to capture one last view of the Hero Academy.
“I guess I won’t be coming back here again.”
For a definite departure, a clear farewell was necessary.
This had been my mantra since leaving my first village.
So, I made a firm goodbye to the Hero Academy.
“Got it. I’ll be there soon.”
I hurried to catch up with Elsie and Yusera, who were waiting for me ahead.
This was a definitive start.
*
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