Episode 175 In the Hero's Footsteps (2)
"Oh my— Thank you, Saint."
"You'll be fine now. From now on… Hmm?"
Heinrich, who was healing a patient with a benevolent smile after eliminating another evil force, suddenly stopped.
"…Saint?"
"Ah? It's nothing. I just received a new revelation."
"Oh, oh—! No, that's not it! W-we're interrupting…"
"Hahaha, it's already over, so don't worry too much."
But he quickly scanned the air and spoke nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened, before anyone noticed anything strange.
No one found it strange that he had received a 'revelation', as his predictions, which boasted a high accuracy rate, were no longer unusual.
Heinrich was busy moving, but his mind was analyzing the perk he had just obtained.
'I was expecting it ever since Hans became the enemy of the world, but as expected, there's a similar achievement for the savior.'
And the conditions seemed to be more lenient.
Unlike 'Enemy of the World', which required a lot of direct resentment, it seemed like he would be recognized for the achievement just by having people acknowledge his efforts.
《The effect of "In the Hero's Footsteps" will also increase as your path becomes clearer.》
And the additional message that appeared further confirmed his suspicion.
It meant that the perk would be enhanced whenever he had a greater impact on more people!
The effect of "In the Hero's Footsteps", which he had obtained after diligently making a name for himself throughout the continent, was the ability to 'instantly move to places he had visited'.
Of course, he couldn't cross dimensions like "Interdimensional Transfer Formation Summon", and the cooldown was only once every three days…
'It's always good to have more efficient means of transportation. And if I can make people not just aware of Heinrich, but blindly rely on him, the cooldown might even decrease.'
And above all, what he liked the most was that the other avatars, except for Hans and Heinrich, could now travel long distances.
Both in another world and on Earth!
'It'll be easier to dispatch avatars on expeditions. It's an essential ability to deal with Heaven's Turn Society. Heinrich has one more reason to work hard.'
Currently, Hans was the only one running around on Earth, but there would be times when he would need other avatars.
If he could enhance this perk in advance, it would be a great help in the future.
"Then shall we move?"
Heinrich gathered his party members after finishing his promotional activities.
They had also been doing their part, patrolling the surroundings and helping with the cleanup, as this process had already been repeated several times.
Of course, no matter how hard they worked, they couldn't match the fame of Heinrich, who was not only the party leader but also the hero and Saint.
Their combined reputation probably wouldn't even be half of his.
"But Saint? How long are we going to keep moving with just the four of us? It's fine for now, but our ultimate goal is to directly confront the Immortal King, shouldn't we start increasing our numbers? Ah, of course, I'm not trying to disrespect you."
At that moment, Isea, who was quietly preparing for teleportation, cautiously asked him a question.
She was being very careful because the initial promise was to leave the matter of party members entirely to the hero, but she couldn't help but show a hint of anxiety, as she was serious about this matter.
Similarly, Geos Calkin, the gray-haired spear knight, also turned his head towards them, seemingly interested as he heard the mention of the Immortal King.
He looked menacing, with small bloodstains on his expressionless face, as if he had vented his anger by capturing and punishing the dark mages who had escaped under the pretext of patrol, as usual.
"Hahaha! Why are you in such a hurry? There's a saying that if five humans gather, at least one of them is bound to be trash. You have to be careful when accepting people."
Harley, the barbarian warrior, burst into hearty laughter as the atmosphere suddenly became serious.
But he couldn't help but be slightly flustered inwardly after saying that…
Because he realized belatedly that the joke he had casually made to lighten the mood was an internet meme from Earth.
And he had said it in front of Isea, who was Korean!
"Hmm… That's definitely a valid point. It's also philosophical. But isn't our current force too weak to fight the Immortal King? The sooner we prepare the members who will work together, the better, I think."
But fortunately, she just tilted her head, as she was a typical model student who had lived a life far removed from internet memes.
Actually, there were several similar sayings in every region, so it wasn't a big deal, but Heinrich, who had been startled for no reason, quickly responded to her words.
"Of course, I'm not planning to continue like this. Actually, I have a few people in mind. I haven't been able to invite them yet because the timing isn't right, but you'll be able to meet them soon at the second Continental Summit."
"…The second summit… I see. I understand."
Isea muttered softly and nodded again.
But she still had a dark expression, so it didn't seem like it was much of a comfort.
'Well, it's been almost two months since the princess was kidnapped. Come to think of it, her communications with her faction have become more frequent lately…'
Even though 'Viscount Isea Pristine', a key figure in the Fifth Princess's faction, was with the hero and gaining fame, it was just a temporary solution without Princess Riley, the center of the faction.
And they said the second and sixth princes were also building their forces, seizing the opportunity, so her worries couldn't help but grow.
'Hmm, I seem to have caused too much trouble unintentionally. I was just about to start preparing… Huh? Wait?'
At that moment, he suddenly remembered that he had just gained a new ability.
And because of that unexpected ability, all the troublesome processes he had planned had become useless.
'Ah, of course, I'm not complaining. …It's just a bit anticlimactic.'
But there was no point in going through complicated and troublesome procedures, as it would only increase the risk of the plausibility being shaken by trivial matters.
A simple and intuitive method was the best.
'Simple is best. Then let's start right away.'
____________________
"Whew~ It was a rewarding day."
Lilith… no, Siana, the general manager of the Immortal Fortress's residential area and also in charge of Crown Prince Simon, was walking through the garden of the second residential area with a satisfied smile.
At first, she had been in despair after being forced to join the immortal army, but thanks to her daily stress relief of tormenting the Crown Prince, she felt like life here wasn't as bad as she thought.
'At least I have this kind of fun to endure this boring place. To think that arrogant Simon is now my plaything! Ah, how thrilling~!'
She had also lived as a member of the imperial nobility for quite a while, so she had encountered the Crown Prince several times.
To be more precise, she had deliberately approached him, trying to get her hands on him and manipulate him.
But no matter how much of a high-ranking executive she was in the immortal army, it was impossible to seduce the Empire's Crown Prince without leaving any traces while she was devoting all her efforts to concealing her identity.
She might even be exposed if she pushed herself too hard.
In the end, she had started to seduce the Crown Prince with her beauty as a weapon, like any other noble lady…
But unlike her confident initial attempt, she couldn't achieve any results and failed miserably.
'…If it hadn't been for those vixens' interference, it would have been easy!'
She could make all sorts of excuses.
The interference from the ladies who were backed by high-ranking noble families, the political pressure, it was all unbelievable.
It was also a time when the Crown Prince wanted a powerful noble family to support him.
But the fact that she failed didn't change, and it left a deep scar on her pride as a succubus.
'Whew, hehehe— I suddenly feel disgusted. Should I educate him a little more?'
She turned around and headed back the way she came, her mood suddenly sour.
Towards the Crown Prince's lodging, where he was probably sprawled out like a tattered rag doll.
"Hmm? That's… the princess and Hesperon."
Her gaze landed on two people, a man and a woman, whispering to each other in the garden in front of one of the lodgings.
Not only was magic power fluctuating around them, as if they were practicing magic as usual, but there was even a barrier surrounding them.
"…Tsk."
She could easily ignore such a barrier if she wanted to, but she deliberately looked away and quickened her pace.
As she had always done.
-Ignore whatever the princess and Hesperon say or do.
That was the strict order their king had given them.
She couldn't intervene beyond providing them with necessities like food unless there was a problem with their safety.
'It's probably just about low-level magic. What can they even do in this place?'
Of course, she knew that the man was an otherworlder with some special ability, but it would only be useful after he grew to a certain extent.
How great could his abilities be at this early stage of transfer?
'Heh, it would be fun if they were plotting to escape. There's no way they would be that reckless. Come to think of it, I wonder how Andrew is doing… I haven't seen him lately.'
Siana thought she should visit him sometime soon and ignored the two of them, not caring what they were talking about.
But as she passed by, the two were actually talking about escaping.
"Riley, you said you wanted to get out of here, right?"
"Huh? Of course I do. Do you think I want to stay here?"
Riley looked at him incredulously.
It was a question that didn't even need to be asked, considering she was a prisoner.
"…I think I can get you out of here."
And facing her dumbfounded expression,
Hesperon smiled meaningfully with an uncharacteristically confident face.
____________________
[Kihihihik!]
[Hooo—]
On top of a tall spire that was exposed outside the Immortal Fortress, surrounded by high mountains.
Blurry figures of ghosts were busily moving around, and a man was squatting in a corner, muttering to himself.
"…Die, I'm going to die. I'm really going to die here…"
His dirty blond hair was messy, as if he hadn't washed it in a while, and his dull green eyes were staring blankly into space.
Andrew Weber's gaze, who had lost his mind in the harsh environment, turned to the ghosts floating around him.
Their figures, rippling through the air— seemed like his future, sending chills down his spine.
Even after death, he would be endlessly tormented by labor…
'…No! I can't just stay here!'
Andrew shook his head violently at the horrifying thought.
But he didn't have the ability to escape from this Immortal Fortress, and even if he did, he didn't have the confidence to survive while avoiding pursuit.
But…
He still had one method he was counting on—.
"Just a little… just a little more…"
It was the only thing that kept him going.
[Kuhhuhuuk—]
[Huuuuuuh!]
It remained to be seen whether he would be able to truly obtain the freedom he craved.
Slap—!
"Ugh! Lilith! Master! What's going on?!"
"I'm just in a bad mood. Now, Simon? Shall we continue our obedience training for an hour?"
"Hiik—!"
…Of course, there was also someone in this castle who didn't even have the time to think about escaping.