Episode 147 Hero Party (1)
"I am Heinrich Saint Landguard, the first sword to uphold the Main God's will. Thank you for taking the time to visit us despite your busy schedules."
"It's an honor to meet you, Saint. I am Isea Pristine of the Azeria Empire. It's only natural for me to come when the continent's savior, chosen by the Main God, summons me."
A man and a woman were facing each other, exchanging greetings, in a reception room of the Roselia Cathedral.
A one-on-one meeting between the candidate and the Saint had been arranged for the interview.
"Saint? Before we begin, there's something I'd like to mention…"
But the first topic Isea brought up before the main conversation even began was about the unsettling energy and dissonance she had sensed from Harley.
'I thought I hid it well, but she's not easy.'
Of course, he already had an answer prepared.
"You don't have to worry about him. We're already aware of it, and above all, he's someone we can trust completely."
"As expected. If the Church has judged it so, then it was an unnecessary worry."
After confidently dismissing her concerns, the topic returned to the main issue.
Since Heinrich, the Saint and hero, was the leader of the 'hero party' to fight against the Immortal King, he was in charge of the entire process.
Even the Saintess was just an assistant in this matter, and all decisions were entirely up to him.
"…So, I'm very grateful for your high evaluation, but due to various circumstances, I don't think I can be of direct help. I'm truly sorry."
And now,
Heinrich was facing his third rejection in the third interview.
'I knew they wouldn't be enthusiastic. Most of them were recommended for political reasons.'
Isea apologized, bowing politely.
Her polite and sincere apology was enough to soften anyone's heart.
And she even looked like a young and delicate girl, regardless of her actual age.
He couldn't help but feel sympathetic when facing her directly.
Heinrich nodded with a gentle smile, as if understanding her feelings.
Of course, as a master of acting, his inner thoughts were different.
'She's older than me, with this face? No matter how I look at her, this woman seems like she's from Earth.'
He calmly analyzed her while talking to persuade her.
Her ageless face, her East Asian appearance, and even her name sounded vaguely Korean.
He had just met Andrew, an awakened one from Earth, so there were too many things that bothered him to just dismiss it as a coincidence.
'So I had Harley check when they shook hands…'
It was only a brief moment when they shook hands, but it was enough time for Harley's sensitive senses to grasp her physical condition.
Of course, she wasn't actively manipulating her energy because she was an Archmage, but it wasn't a big problem for him, who was practically an authority on the human body.
The subtle tremors of her muscles, the bioelectricity flowing through her body, the movements of her internal organs, including her heartbeat, and even changes in her blood pressure, body temperature, and breathing.
The human body itself contained a lot of information, and Harley was able to analyze it with abilities like "Mutation" and "Physical Transformation".
And the result was—.
'It's ambiguous. She doesn't have any noticeable physical characteristics like Andrew, perhaps because she's a mage. And if she increased her mental power or magic-related abilities with Karma, there's no way for Harley to know.'
There wasn't enough evidence.
It would have been advantageous to increase her physical abilities to some extent to survive in this harsh world, but she was just at the level of a slightly healthy ordinary person.
Of course, she could exhibit physical abilities greater than most warriors with magic power and strengthening magic at her current level, but it wouldn't have been like that in the early days of entering another world, would it?
'The records about her past are also unclear, perhaps because the Fifth Princess intervened. And unlike Earth, personal information isn't systematically managed in this world unless you're a high-ranking official…'
It had only been about three years since she received her noble title.
The only record he could find before that was from about eight years ago, 'a young princess brought a talented commoner mage and sponsored her'.
'It's definitely impressive that she grew enough to receive a noble title in the Empire in just five years after being sponsored.'
She was a true example of a self-made talent.
And that's why he was even more suspicious.
Meanwhile, their conversation continued.
"…As you probably know, Saint, my situation isn't very good. It seems like not everyone is willing to follow the greater good."
She honestly explained her situation.
She didn't try to hide it, perhaps because she thought they already knew, as the Main God Church also had considerable information gathering capabilities.
'It's because of the Crown Prince.'
He suddenly remembered Crown Prince Simon's sly face as he listened to her words.
His actions during the summit, subtly engaging in political maneuvering, and the misdeeds he learned about through background checks.
'The power struggle between the Crown Prince and the Fifth Princess. And the Crown Prince has a much greater advantage…?'
A bad… no, a righteous thought suddenly came to mind.
It was still in the planning stage, but he decided to keep it in mind and use it later.
"I understand. The Church never forces personal sacrifice. Please contact us anytime if you change your mind."
"Yes, I'm truly sorry. I would have definitely joined if I could. As someone who pursues magic, I can't tolerate dark mages who abuse it."
As the meeting ended, he was listening to her polite words when…
A thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
"Ah! Viscount Pristine? Come to think of it, there's something I'd like to ask for your advice on. It's a matter that the Church can't seem to reach a conclusion on, so I'd like to hear the opinion of an Archmage."
"If it's something like that, I don't think I can be of much help… but there's also the leader of the Magic Tower Alliance here, wouldn't it be better to ask him for magical advice?"
"Hahaha, of course, I've already asked him. I just want to hear the opinions of as many people as possible."
Heinrich casually made an excuse and took out a pen and notebook from his robes.
And he slowly drew something, holding the notebook in one hand, and spoke to her in a nonchalant tone.
"It's an issue that's causing division even within the Church, and we haven't reached a conclusion yet. Not only the theologians, but even the mages and shamans we consulted with couldn't give us a definite answer."
"If it's a matter like that, I don't think I can be of much help…"
"It's okay. Just give me your opinion."
He finally finished drawing and looked at Isea with a serious expression.
"Do you know anything about the mask that Immortal King Hannibal Strauss wears?"
"Yes, I heard it's a wooden mask with a smiling face. To think someone who wants to destroy the world would wear a smiling face, what a twisted sense of humor. It's clearly a madman's way of thinking, trying to mock everyone."
"…Ahem, yes. And this is a rough sketch of the mask."
Heinrich cleared his throat lightly and handed her the notebook.
"I'm not good at drawing, so there might be some differences in the details, but the overall impression is similar. Just tell me what you think the magical meaning of it is, based on this."
"I see. Well, masks are often used as mediums in rituals…"
And her body…
Froze in place as if time had stopped the moment she saw the drawing in the notebook.
"…! Th-this is…!"
A high-pitched voice escaped from her mouth, which had opened unconsciously.
Isea's expression, which had been calm the entire time, fluctuated violently.
It wasn't detailed because he had just drawn it casually, but she could clearly recognize its characteristics.
The slanted eyes, the thick eyebrows, the wrinkles, the big, bulbous nose.
It was a mask that any Korean would recognize.
"What's wrong? Do you know something?"
"Ah, n-no…? It's nothing. I think I was mistaken. It… reminded me of something from the village I lived in when I was young…"
"Hmm, you're saying there was a similar mask? Can you tell me where that village is? The Immortal King's hometown might be in that area…"
"No, no! It, a kid in the village made it for fun! Yes, it was a toy. And he got bored of it quickly and broke it. I just overreacted because it brought back old memories. Haha…"
He had gone a bit overboard, enjoying her flustered appearance, as she hadn't shown any signs of agitation throughout the interview—.
'Gotcha.'
He could now be certain.
'As expected, this woman is also an awakened one from Earth.'
But Heinrich didn't show it and just nodded with a seemingly disappointed expression.
"That's a shame. I was hoping there was a clue."
"…Yes, I… don't know if there's any special meaning to it. I'm sorry I couldn't be of help."
Her agitation quickly subsided.
She had momentarily lost her composure after encountering unexpected information, but she was also an Archmage who had reached the pinnacle of her abilities.
She regained her composure and her expression returned to normal in an instant.
'Well, it's understandable to be surprised after being cut off from Earth's civilization for over eight years and then suddenly seeing a Hahoe mask.'
And it wasn't just any Hahoe mask, it was the mask of the Immortal King, the absolute evil who wanted to destroy the world and the embodiment of death.
It was a natural reaction for a Korean.
'Right, a Korean.'
Andrew, the first Earthling he met, was American.
But to think the second one he met was from the same country as him, what a coincidence.
'Anyway, the information about Hans's mask will inevitably spread. It's not like only one or two people saw it.'
It was a very satisfying result, as he had used such information effectively.
Now he could decide how to use her.
____________________
This world didn't have the internet or a communication network, but since supernatural abilities were developed instead of science, the speed at which news spread to each region wasn't slow.
Of course, normally, those who were sensitive to information, like merchant guilds and local dignitaries, would control it for their own benefit, adjusting the time it took for rumors to spread to the public…
But the news of the Immortal King's resurrection was different.
The information, which had been controlled at first for social stability, eventually became impossible to hide, and it was finally announced publicly after the undead unrest and the monster madness outbreak.
Even the ruling class judged that it was better to accept the fear spreading throughout society and focus the people's discontent on a clear 'enemy' to maintain the current system.
And so, the story of Immortal King Hans, the source of all evil in this world, started to spread rapidly among the people.
"Hey, did you hear? They say the Rohan Duchy in the north of the Empire has finally collapsed."
"Huh— A country collapsed? Don't tell me that's…"
"Of course, it's the work of that 'Immortal King Hans'. They say he personally led the monsters and attacked, turning the place into a wasteland. Hundreds of thousands of people died!"
"…Sigh, the world is too dangerous to live in. I hope this place is safe."
The news spread even faster with the recent collapse of the Rohan Duchy, and—.
"Hey, Jesse's mom, did you hear? They say the village dam collapsed because of the Immortal King's followers, not because of shoddy construction!"
"Oh my, those bastards. How many people suffered because of that! …Wait? Come to think of it, it's suspicious that last year's harvest failed, maybe they poisoned the fields?!"
"Oh my, oh my! Really?!"
Some even started to blame him for all their misfortunes.
"Ugh~ Can't I change my name? The kids are making fun of me because my name is Hans…"
"Ahem, but changing your name…"
"Right! That's a good idea. Stop being stubborn! It's just a common name. You're going to drive our child crazy!"
"…It can't be helped. Hmm, then how about Heinz as a new name?"
It didn't discriminate between age or gender, and even conservative parents were rushing to change their children's names.
His notoriety was being amplified beyond imagination and imprinted in people's minds.
Not only in large cities, but also in small and medium-sized cities, small villages, and even remote farming villages in the mountains.
And even the Enamel Continent wasn't an exception, although the extent varied.
And eventually,
《Achievement unlocked! You have become the 'Enemy of the World', receiving the resentment and hatred of everyone.》
《Over half of the living intelligent beings in the Auterica Dimension consider you an enemy. You are granted the perk "Extra Life" as a reward.》
《You have achieved a feat that has greatly impacted the world. Karma increases further.》
Hans's influence, which had been gradually spreading throughout the continent since its official announcement, finally crossed a certain threshold.