I had encountered many evil people in my life, but I had never faced such pure malice. Even though I had not met it in person and only glimpsed it through the narrator's account in a book, a wave of nausea and fear rose in me.
The creators of the Heavenly Demon God Sect differed from ordinary wicked people. Most wrongdoers knew, at some level, that their actions were immoral. They felt, at least ideologically, that they had crossed a line.
In other words, they carried the minimum sense of guilt. The kind of guilt I meant was unlike ordinary guilt—it was the simple awareness that one had done something wrong. When I spoke of an evil person, I referred to someone who committed heinous acts without a trace of shame or remorse.
Yet the author, or even authors, lacked even this rudimentary sense of guilt. They kidnapped innocent children and gouged out their eyes, believing wholeheartedly that their acts were righteous. That belief made their cruelty all the more horrifying and revolting.
In my world, only the dark cults exhibited such extremes. Unsurprisingly, both groups were religious. At that moment, I felt like I understood why the empire's greatest enemy was the Dark Church.
I forced myself to breathe slowly and evenly. I had never enjoyed reading, and this book was particularly harrowing. Still, I trusted that Senior Sister Tian had a reason for giving it to me, and I resolved to read it to the end.
The Heavenly Demon God Sect's cruelty escalated with each passing year. In the first year, they secretly poisoned ninety-nine surviving children, stripping them of all physical sensation, then subjected them to another brutal round of trials. Only forty survived. The next year, they robbed the children of their sense of smell; fifteen survived. The following year, the children lost their sense of taste, and only five remained. Finally, when the surviving boys and girls lost their hearing, only one endured.
This was the final section of the book. True to its title, it chronicled the birth of an evil destined to encroach upon the heavens. No further biography followed.
So, was this account true? I didn't know. The Senior Sister Tian I remembered had lost nothing but her sight. Yet the book claimed that Tian Xiaoling had lost all five senses, a clear contradiction to my own knowledge.
I exhaled the anger that had built up in my head and chest. With a slightly calmer mind, I returned to the book. Reading it again in a steadier state, I noticed details I had missed the first time, and my emotional turbulence subsided considerably. Still, I could not understand why Senior Sister Tian had entrusted this book to me.
Then I realized the rain hammering the carriage roof had lessened. I drew back the curtain and peered outside. The downpour had clearly weakened.
"Finally, the heavy rain is over," I muttered.
***
"We've arrived!" Gon's voice marked the end of our journey.
"Ohh...!" Mir cheered the loudest. She had been writhing in impatience since yesterday, her body aching for action. Honestly, she had lasted longer than I expected. Any other giant would have smashed the carriage door and bolted within a day or two.
"This is the city where the Hero Society's headquarters was built," Evan muttered, his voice tinged with awe. For him, setting foot in the place he had admired since childhood must have been profoundly moving.
I was also impressed by the city's grandeur, but something else caught my attention first. "There are no walls in this city?"
"That's right," Gon replied, as if hearing the question was nothing new. He seemed accustomed to such reactions.
"Why not?"
"You can figure it out if you think about the basic purpose of walls," he said. "Teper doesn't particularly fear invasions or raids from outside forces."
"What do you mean?"
"Teper's floating population numbers tens of thousands every day. Its density surpasses even the downtown area of the capital, and during peak crowds, it can be even higher. Inspecting each person individually would be impossible," Gon explained.
I had to admit he made sense. Once we entered the city, the main carriage road was well-paved, yet our progress was slow. The procession of carriages ahead stretched like a merchant caravan, winding endlessly before us.
"So they just tore down the walls and removed the checkpoints?" I asked.
Gon shook his head. "That's only part of it."
"But isn't that incredibly risky? Forget the city's order for a moment. I think public security itself could collapse..." Evan's puzzled tone carried an unspoken thought: What if criminals slip inside?
Gon smiled. "Everyone has similar worries at first. However, Teper's crime rate is among the lowest of the many cities in the empire."
"Ah. Is it because it is the city where the Hero Society was founded?"
Gon gave a small nod. "Exactly. The name alone keeps most people from even daring to commit crimes. And second—"
"A pickpocket!" someone shouted from the street.
A middle-aged woman crumpled to the ground while a shabby man sprinted away, clutching a basket that looked freshly stolen from her.
Evan and Mir moved to intervene, but I stopped them with a wave of my hand. An instant later, a figure burst from a side alley and drove a fist hard into the thief's ribs.
The man wheezed and tumbled across the cobblestones. The basket flew skyward, scattering its contents.
The woman from the alley caught it effortlessly. With sharp reflexes and quick flicks of her wrist, she scooped the items back inside as though it were nothing.
"Wow!"
"The Vigilantes of the Hero Society!"
Her movements were so precise and fluid they drew admiration on their own.
Citizens erupted in cheers and applause.
The woman set the basket beside her with a blank expression, then delivered a sharp kick to the thief's head as he struggled on the ground. He went limp instantly, like a puppet with its strings cut.
"This..."
"She's a hero. One of Teper's Vigilantes. By the way, that woman... could she be... ?" When Gon caught sight of her face, he glanced at me. As expected, he knew more than he let on, even as a coachman.
Evan and Mir hadn't noticed anything, which was no surprise. The woman bore little resemblance to me.
Then her eyes met mine. A faint tremor in her hand betrayed her surprise.
"You—"
"Oh. Thank you for your hard work."
At that moment, another figure stepped from the alley—a muscular young man with a massive axe strapped to his back. He looked at her and asked, "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing."
"Then let's go. Tomorrow will be busy."
"Don't nag me."
" Ugh... " The young man shook his head, his expression tight with annoyance.
The two of them disappeared to the thunderous applause of the citizens, the captured pickpocket now in custody.
"Well, I understand why walls aren't needed." I nodded in agreement, and Gon remained silent.
Afterward, we wandered through the streets of Teper. An hour later, we finally reached our destination: the inn.
Gon bowed his head with quiet respect. "Thank you for your patience. This is where I leave you. You've all worked hard, hero disciples."
"You're welcome. You worked hardest of all, Gon."
"Thank you!" His smile was warm, almost paternal, as though he were gazing at his own children. At his age, it would not have been strange if he actually had children our age.
"It is an honor to serve future heroes. This has been a valuable time for me as well. I apologize again for the delay caused by the heavy rain. I hope you will achieve all you desire." With parting words as gracious as ever, Gon departed with the rented carriage.
This was why I had chosen to rent a carriage instead of buying one. Rentals weren't cheap, but they cost far less than purchasing one.
"Now then..." I lifted my eyes to the inn.
Located in the heart of the city, it carried a high price, yet Gon had recommended it, so the facilities were certain to be excellent. As was common in places like this, the ground floor doubled as a bar, which suited my purpose. In an unfamiliar city, the best place to gather information was always a bar.
"Let's head inside." I went in first, since I was the one paying.
After booking the rooms, we found a table. The moment I glanced around, I wondered if I had wandered into a southern bar by mistake.
" Kuhahahaha! So what happened next?"
"I told him to shut his mouth, then knocked out every last tooth. Now he'll be eating porridge for the rest of his life."
Sharp whistling sounds split the air.
I thought of the mercenaries who filled those smoky southern bars. No. I think they are actual mercenaries. Did they come here to enter the Hero Society?
Even for lunchtime, the crowd seemed unusually large.
I ordered food, then spoke to the waitress as she poured water into my cup. "Can I ask you something?"
The young waitress had bright eyes and a warm smile. Despite our plain appearance, she showed not a trace of condescension. "Ask!"
I flicked her a silver coin to secure her goodwill.
"Ah...!" Her eyes lit up as she caught it. The coin probably exceeded her daily wage. Her voice turned cloyingly sweet, almost burdened with eagerness. "Ask me anything!"
"Is it always this crowded here?"
"Oh, no! It's busier than usual because the Origin of the Hero Society starts next week!"
The Origin. I had heard of it. Despite its grandiose name, it was simply the entrance exam for the Hero Society.
"Isn't it held once every quarter?" I asked.
"Yes!"
"So it's tomorrow... I wonder if I'm too late to register," I muttered.
"Registration stays open until the end of the week, so you still have plenty of time! The office is near our inn. You could sign up right after your meal," she chirped.
"Good." I nodded and told her I'd ask again if anything else came to mind. She smiled and withdrew.
"It's exam season. Looks like we arrived at the perfect time," Evan murmured. Then he glanced at me. "Ah. Come to think of it, you don't even need to take the exam, Luan. You're already qualified."
"That's true."
As Luan Badniker, who had placed third in the Badnikers' training camp, I already held the Hero Society's Hero Badge—albeit only a D-class one.
"Still, I'd like to participate in the exam if I can," I said.
"Why?"
"I heard you can earn up to B-class depending on the results. Rare, yes, but not unheard of," I told Evan.
One of those exceptions was the Iron-Blooded Lord. He had entered with results so overwhelming that he skipped straight past B-class, earning the A-class rank at once. After completing several missions, no one raised a word of protest when his promotion to S-class came up.
The moment I mentioned that, the atmosphere changed. The mercenaries, rowdy and drunk only a heartbeat ago, turned their eyes toward me. Their familiar hostility almost made me laugh. It reminded me of the old days.
"The Hero Society..." Mir muttered uneasily. "Do you think I have what it takes to become a hero?"
"You do."
"Really?"
I wasn't in the habit of offering empty compliments. "Both of you already meet the standards of D-class heroes. If fortune favors you in this exam, you could push into C-class."
"That would be nice..." Mir still sounded doubtful.
Meanwhile, Evan looked thoughtful, as if weighing his current strength.
Then Mir asked what I hadn't expected. "What about you?"
"Me?"
"Luan, how good are you now?"
Even Evan's eyes fixed on me with curiosity.
I considered for a moment before answering. "Maybe B-class."
S-class was still far beyond reach, but with the Seven Sins Sword, the Yin-Yang Dao, my purple flames, and the new Hidden Scales Armor, I could stand toe-to-toe with A-class heroes.
However, since I was a modest man, I left it at that.
" Pfft! "
At that moment, a peal of laughter erupted from the right side.
I turned and saw a hulking man, who seemed to be a mercenary, grinning at me.
"Are you out of your mind, kid?"
Truth be told, he had been itching for a fight from the moment we walked in. The same could be said for most of the mercenaries crowding the surrounding tables.
"Ehhh...?" The waitress glanced around, uncertain.
I only nodded to myself. Of course. It was about time something like this happened.