The total number of people I detected was around twenty, but I decided not to blindly trust this information. Lately, I had encountered many beings outside the realm of my understanding, and those encounters had taught me a bit of humility in my own way.
I had to admit it. I was still far from a perfect warrior, and this was the Hero Society. The organization held the greatest power in the entire empire, a reputation earned through ability alone.
At minimum, there are twenty people present. They might all be B-class heroes or above, I thought.
I had won my sparring match against Heero, an A-class hero, but that victory gave me no reason to underestimate anyone here. These were warriors who fought on the front lines and risked their lives at every moment. They were experts in fighting the church. Among them, any B-class or higher hero who earned elite status was bound to have one or two trump cards.
There are at least twenty people like that... I wasn't a pessimist, but no amount of reasoning allowed for a positive interpretation.
Are they planning to kill me? That seemed excessive, but I was convinced that they weren't here to just talk. If a conversation was their goal, such hostility would be unnecessary, and twenty people would not be required.
I asked, "What do you want to talk about?"
Then the man who introduced himself as Zach of Frostel replied, "I heard the news. You are joining Corrupted."
I shrugged. "Well, things turned out that way."
I hadn't signed the contract yet, but the decision was nearly final. I planned to meet them at dawn tomorrow to sign it.
"Abandon it," Zach said calmly.
"Abandon what?" I asked.
"Your decision to join Corrupted."
I narrowed my eyes. This did not feel like friendly advice to a newcomer who wanted to join a clan. If this had been the case, such numbers would have been unnecessary.
"Is this an order?" I asked nonchalantly.
"No way. Even though my rank is higher, I don't have the right to order you around. So please take it as a request," Zach proclaimed.
"So in the Hero Society, you travel in groups of twenty just to make a request?" I asked flatly.
Zach smiled. "You just came back from the Eastern Grasslands, right?"
"Yes."
Zach continued, "Decades ago, that place saw battles several times a day. That only changed after the war ended under the Sky-Destroying Sword's influence. Well, it didn't truly end. It just paused.
"In the east, hundreds or even thousands of wars broke out. But the number of wars that almost happened was twice that. There was a case like this once. Hostile tribes with hundreds of warriors stood face to face. War seemed inevitable, but a brief conversation between the commanders cleared up the misunderstanding, and no unnecessary blood was shed.
"I like that story. There is no misunderstanding in this world that can't be resolved, and no persuasion that's impossible. The ability to talk and reach an agreement is a privilege of intelligent people like us."
What point is he trying to make? His tone was soft, yet the threat was unmistakable.
I couldn't help laughing. "Is that so? It sounds like a war will break out if I don't accept your request."
Zach laughed as well. "You are clever."
"Are you doing this because I ignored your recruitment offer?" I asked.
"Do we look that petty?" he asked back.
"To be honest, yes. If you had something to say, you could just come and talk to me yourself. Why bother bringing a whole group? You are supposed to be heroes, yet you threaten others?" I demanded.
A low laugh rose from the back. I glanced over and saw a man who looked like a wolf.
"You should watch your mouth, brat. Unless you want to be bitten to death here," he threatened.
He looked like a bastard, rough around the edges. In short, a wolf. His appearance and the pressure he radiated made it clear that he was strong and worthy of caution. Still, a hint of pretension crept in as he rested against the wall and crossed his arms.
That gave me no reason to be careful with my words. "Shouldn't you watch your own mouth? These days, even pet dogs get fined if they don't wear a muzzle. If you are poor, I will kindly buy one for you."
"You son of a bitch—"
"You are the son of a bitch, not me," I corrected him.
The foul-mouthed man shook his head. "I heard that you had a sharp tongue. This is why I don't like nobles. You rely on your background to say whatever you want."
I couldn't help sighing. I sincerely hoped that everyone surrounding me would shut up and leave right now. It wasn't because their words offended or hurt me. I just didn't want Luan to see this, the younger version of myself who once longed to be a hero. That fool who dreamed of being blessed and joining the Hero Society.
Of course, I knew that not all heroes were like this. Still, many heroes surrounded me, and they made no effort to hide their intimidation.
I spoke with genuine disappointment. "You are diminishing the meaning of the word hero ."
Had my words struck a nerve, or had I become so irritating that they could no longer tolerate my presence? The hostility grew so sharp that my skin prickled, and I almost mistook it for killing intent.
Naturally, they wouldn't really kill me. Even so, it was fair to say that their hostility had intensified.
A man beside Zach said, "You'd better watch your mouth."
"What if I don't?" I challenged. "Are you going to kill me?"
"If that is your wish, I will gladly kill you, brat," the wolfman growled. "Do you think you are so great because you defeated Heavy Sword? He may have been an A-class hero, but he is the type who can't show his full strength in a sparring match."
I rolled my eyes. "I know."
I was his younger brother, and I understood him better than anyone else here. That was why his readiness to accept defeat had surprised me, along with his lack of resentment over his demotion to B-class. The unexpected calm in his response suggested genuine growth.
The atmosphere was starting to heat up again when Zach spoke again. "I don't know why you are so aggressive. Didn't I say that I am just here to make a request?"
"I don't understand," I said. "Why does it matter to you whether I join Corrupted or enter a local mill?"
"We wouldn't be having this conversation if you had joined a clan that matched your strength. If you had joined Black Rose, we wouldn't have come at all," Zach claimed.
That damn Black Rose again. I was a bit annoyed, but I kept my mouth shut for now. I wanted to hear what he would say next.
Zach continued, "But that isn't what you did, right? You chose the worst clan imaginable. If this story spreads, what will happen to the other clans' reputation?"
I clicked my tongue. "Your true intentions are finally clear. This is about your reputation, isn't it? That is why you are trying to trample on me here."
Zach nodded. "Yes. I know your kind. You see dignity, reputation, and authority as useless. However, the world inherently runs on such invisible rules. A crack in reputation marks the beginning of collapse and leads to a group's disbandment. Your expression shows that you aren't convinced. But without reputation, how could so many races, factions, or people with different purposes and beliefs ever unite?"
"You have quite a way with words." I clapped mockingly. "Instead of being a hero, why not aim for a job with the imperial family? You could be a chancellor or something. Rising above others doesn't seem like an impossible dream for you."
Zach shook his head. "This must mean that you refuse. In that case, we have no choice but to resolve this with a hero's method."
"A hero's method?" I echoed.
"Have you heard of the Heroic Battle?" Zach asked.
"No." I had never heard of it.
Zach explained, "The Hero Society is an organization where many forces intertwine, so internal disputes arise often. We try to resolve them with words whenever possible, but conflicts between people rarely end so easily. What starts out as wounded pride can escalate into a fistfight. Physical wounds carved into each other fuel hatred and can end in death.
"Of course, I'm not referring to the present, but to the Hero Society of the past. These days, matters rarely reach that point. To prevent such tragedies, the Heroic Battle system was created. The rules are simple. You bet what you desire, you fight, and the winner's side takes everything. Do you understand?"
"I understand, but..." I still had some doubts. I looked around and asked, "Then who is going to fight me?"
A loud thud echoed as something fell from the top of the building, and a voice followed. "It is me."
I had assumed a rock had fallen, yet what emerged from the dust was a massive man twice my size. His physique was already imposing, and the steel armor he wore made him appear even larger. Although he was clad in heavy armor, his build suggested that he was not a knight. What caught my attention most was the kite shield, which was nearly the size of my torso.
"You are?" I asked.
"I am the B-class hero, Iron Wall Magna. I watched your fight against Heavy Sword. Your technique impressed me. I've never seen flames used as a form of defense. Of course, I would've blocked them more completely."
"Ah, yes." I rolled my shoulders to loosen my joints. "In fact, my offense is stronger than my defense."
"Is that so? I'm glad. If we had both focused only on defense, this fight would have dragged on much longer. Then let's settle it." Magna drove his kite shield into the ground and fixed his gaze on me. "If you break through my defense, I will count it as your victory without protest. If I endure it, you will leave Corrupted."
"Okay."
The moment I agreed, Magna assumed his stance. Suddenly, a dazzling light erupted and flooded the dark alley.
I didn't close my eyes or frown. Instead, I burned that light into my retinas. The glow seemed to reach beyond my vision and ignite my thoughts. The brilliance expanded for some time before stopping, then flowed back into the shield.
Was he called Iron Wall? The nickname fits him well. The armor, gloves, boots and even the shield equipped by Magna were high-grade magic items. They were probably engraved with spells designed to maximize defense. The more items he equipped, the stronger their synergistic effect became. When combined with Magna's talent, disposition, and skills, it was like giving wings to a tiger.
There is a reason why he is so confident.
With that thought, I slowly took a stance and drew internal energy from my dantian, gathering it around my left arm. My right arm's veins were still damaged, so I had no other choice. I could wield the Seven Sins Sword with my left hand, but only one technique could break through such an iron wall: the White Sun Eclipse.
The moment our eyes met, Magna's eyes changed slightly. "Wait—"
Had he sensed something? I ignored him and attacked.
White Sun Style's 1st Move, Scorching!
Magna's eyes rolled back as he coughed violently and collapsed.
I clicked my tongue. It wasn't a very satisfying attack. If I had mastered the Internal Heavy Strike Technique to the limit, I could have shaken Magna without damaging his shield or armor. Now, Magna's shield had cracked, and his armor was dented. The result lacked elegance and efficiency.
One excuse was that I had attacked with my left hand instead of my right, which threw things off. The fine control wasn't where I wanted it.
I exhaled slowly and looked at Zach. "I won, so take this friend and leave. Let's not meet again."
Zach stood there in silence.
"Why aren't you getting out of the way?" I asked.
An unreadable smile rested on his face. No, not completely unreadable. A foreboding feeling started to take shape.
Where did Magna rank among the twenty people gathered here? At the top? It was impossible. At best, he was in the middle of the group.
Would these people truly accept such a hero being their representative? I wondered.
A man standing to Magna's left spoke. "Iron Wall Magna's clan affiliation is Metatron. As agreed, Metatron will no longer interfere with you from this point on."
Then another voice rose behind me. "Then it is my turn. I am Econ of the Classic."
I laughed despite myself. It wasn't out of joy. Half of it came from frustration, and the other half from ridicule.
"Twenty people are going to fight me? Right now? Did you sell your pride as heroes?" I jibed.
Zach smiled. "This is our pride. We protect our reputation at all costs, by any means necessary. There are fifteen clans here that you rejected, and five clans that agreed to lend their support. Among us are five A-class heroes and fourteen B-class heroes.
"Do you see reality now? If you win this Heroic Battle, we will challenge you again. If you win again, then we will challenge you again and again. We will continue until we win.
"I have seen your skills. I admit that you are stronger than the average A-class hero. You may even have the talent to reach S-class in the future. Still, how many consecutive battles do you think you can endure in your current condition? Five times? Ten times?"
"Twenty times." I turned as I answered and kicked the man who had just introduced himself as Econ.
White Sun Style's 4th Move, Pointed Fang!
The so-called hero hurriedly raised his arm to block the blow, but my heel, filled with internal energy, struck with the force of a beast's mana-clad fangs. Ergo, the name.
A sharp crack rang out, and I felt Econ's shoulder blade and upper arm break on impact. His facial bones were likely shattered too. I sent Econ flying backward, and he slammed into the wall of the alleyway.
I tapped my foot against the ground to fix my slightly loose shoe. "Is he just B-class? Then there are eighteen left?"
Eighteen... Eighteen, huh?
"Bring it on, you eighteen bastards."
Ah... This line is cool, I praised myself.