The Fake Hero Is Too Strong

Chapter 233

Trail asked again.

“Eh? What did you say?”

“No. Nothing.”

Idria cut off one of her fingers and tossed it aside as she changed the subject.

“Anyway, my wish was to not die, but just because you don’t die doesn’t mean everything is fine. Having to mutilate myself every moment like this.”

“Sorry.”

“No. You have nothing to be sorry for.”

“Oh? Mm.”

“I will keep helping you. More importantly, how long do we have to keep doing this?”

Then Bion approached with the others. It seemed they had all comforted her a lot in the meantime, despite her swollen fish-like eyes, her voice was surprisingly clear.

“If you can help for about three days, then after that you just need to come back a month later.”

“You were really called Bion, right.”

“Yes.”

“Change your name. I don’t want to get confused every time I call it.”

Serein cut in.

“Bion’s name actually originated from this person… no, never mind.”

“Good. At least you understand your place.”

“So annoying. This is why people with power are….”

Trail actually preferred the name Trail to Bion.

But let’s not say that.

Setting aside Serein’s whole business about positions of power, at least this time we really do need to be grateful to Idria.

At that moment, a good idea came to me.

“Instead of bothering with coming back in a month, why don’t you just make this your new home?”

“What?”

“Judging from how you made that cave your den before, you like gloomy places. And this lab is quite dark.”

“Hm.”

“When you get enough surplus of negative energy, your minions…”

I corrected myself there.

“No. Your children, you can bring them here. In this place, humans could never interfere even if they tried.”

Everyone’s eyes widened.

Neril spoke.

“Are you serious? This place is where you can manage the world. If you wanted, you could trigger a volcanic eruption or cause thunder to pour down.”

Bion answered for me.

“That’s impossible. Ever since this lab was first built, it could only be managed by humans.”

Idria let out a small laugh.

“Humans again, huh.”

“…….”

“Now I understand why this world is so conveniently built for humans. Why the Demon King could never defeat the Hero.”

“…….”

“Of course. The manager of the world was human.”

She looked at Neril.

“You, mage over there, don’t worry. Apparently I don’t have the authority to manage the world anyway. And even if I did, I wouldn’t bother with it.”

“Hm.”

“But I do like the idea of making this my new home. When the time comes, I will call the kids here. It’s much better than that dreary stone island.”

It seemed everything was finally settled.

The lab wouldn’t collapse.

Bion wouldn’t die.

The world would continue to be cared for warmly.

Offense let out a sigh.

“It was dangerous for a moment, but it all worked out somehow.”

“Yeah.”

“Shouldn’t we head back now? Adwin told the emperor to return to the capital within two days, and we already wasted one.”

“Mm.”

“Of course, sneaking around the capital citizens won’t be hard… but to minimize risk, we should kill Aktion and Kaeld before they return.”

He was right.

Now that Idria agreed to cooperate, this place was safe.

I told Bion:

“Do you want to be born into the world too? Like Neril said, we will raise you well.”

“Mm. I will think about that later. For now, I need to stay here so you can use the Eye of Omniscience until you have killed Aktion and Kaeld. I will stay here for the time being.”

“True. That’s probably best. Although it will be a bit awkward leaving you alone with Idria.”

Idria let out a short laugh.

“You really undervalue the one who literally saved you from dying.”

“No. I’m genuinely grateful.”

“…….”

“You thanked us once before, remember? This time it’s my turn.”

I waved my hand at her.

“Thanks.”

“That’s so insincere. The weight is totally different from when I thanked you.”

“No expression could fully express how deep this gratitude is.”

“Your tongue still moves well.”

Idria turned away like she didn’t care.

Smiling, I asked Bion:

“How much negative energy do we need to send us all back?”

“Sending you back costs less than one-tenth of bringing you here. Bringing someone to a place they shouldn’t be and sending them back to where they belong are totally different.”

“So?”

“We can do it right now. ……Are you leaving?”

She already looked sad.

Xenia said:

“When everything is over, call us sometimes. Or you can come down into the world yourself, Bion.”

“If I go down, I won’t even be able to speak until I relearn language. And I will lose all my memories.”

“Either way, this won’t be the last time, right? So don’t be so sad.”

Bion smiled softly and nodded.

“Everyone. Thank you for working so hard to save me.”

“…….”

“Be careful of that being’s interference, and win so we can meet again.”

“Of course.”

Then…

“Ah, leave me out of the teleport.”

It was Trail.

We all turned to him in shock.

Lisel asked:

“What did you just say?”

“I will stay here.”

“No, why?”

“It just feels like the natural course of things.”

He looked at me.

“There is nothing I can do to help you anymore. Honestly, it’s been that way for a while.”

“Trail. You are not someone who is only valuable when you are useful. I have told you…”

“Yeah. Friend.”

“Ahem.”

“I think the same, Mide.”

He scratched his head awkwardly.

“But a friend isn’t someone who always sticks by your side.”

“…….”

“From the start, after adding the Law, I planned to watch over Idria forever. And the Law was just added. Idria is growing stronger by the moment, exactly as much as I grow.”

“Trail.”

“I’m just doing the role I was meant to do. Idria said she would make this lab her home, so I will stay here and watch her.”

Strangely, Idria looked brighter.

“A very good idea. Bion.”

“I wasn’t talking to you.”

“Fufu.”

“Well, anyway, whatever angle you look at it from, there’s no real reason for me to follow you now.”

He added one more line in a slightly playful tone.

“And you said it would feel awkward if the ‘real’ Bion was left alone with Idria.”

I couldn’t respond for a moment.

Of course, as Xenia said earlier, going back to the world now doesn’t mean this is a permanent farewell.

If Idria keeps taking care of things, the lab will soon be filled with negative energy, and when that happens, we will be able to travel freely between the lab and the world anytime.

‘But.’

But this is Trail.

Right before regression.

And from the moment I regressed, he had always been attached to me.

We had never once been apart, and I thought we would be like that forever.

Tap.

Just then, Neril tapped my shoulder.

“That’s not your usual expression.”

“Neril.”

“Upset? Because you are parting with your ‘first real’ friend.”

“Why do you assume Trail is my first friend.”

“He is not? I figured you were kind of like me. Takes you much longer than others to make friends, but once you do, you get ridiculously attached.”

Correct.

I scratched my cheek for no reason and spoke.

“We don’t need any cheesy farewell, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then this should be enough.”

I held out my hand to him.

Trail took my hand and shook it.

“Take good care of the world, friend.”

“Leave it to me.”

The others also stepped up one by one to say their farewells to Trail.

“Thank you for everything, really. From beginning to end.”

“Next time we meet, feel free to talk casually, hyung.”

“We should have a drink together then.”

“I will cook for you.”

“Hm. I should prepare some kind of special bonus for you.”

Everyone finished their goodbyes that way.

Trail’s eyes were red as he shook hands with each of us, one by one.

Once the greetings were done, I signaled Bion with my eyes.

She bowed her head lightly and said:

“We still don’t know whether the last opponent you will face will be Aktion or Kaeld. But somehow I feel like…”

“I know what you are about to say. That it will probably be Kaeld, right?”

“Yes. If he is the opponent, please deal with him as painfully as possible. I spent 230,000 years cleaning up the shit he left behind, so that much is only fair.”

I gave a small laugh.

“Of course. I intend to.”

Turning back in time, to when Bion was explaining the world’s secrets to everyone.

Kaeld and Aktion were still locked in their ugly brawl.

They had been at it for a long time.

“Get out.”

“You are the one who should disappear, Kaeld.”

“This was originally my body! Losing it once during that whole Bion incident was more than enough.”

“You still don’t understand you can never beat Mide? I will settle your grudges for you. Trust me.”

“Shut up.”

Their fight dragged on tediously.

Whenever Aktion gained the upper hand, Kaeld would foam at the mouth trying to seize control again.

Whenever the advantage shifted toward Kaeld, Aktion would thrash wildly to restore balance.

How long had this gone on?

“Grr…”

“Kh….”

They were completely exhausted.

At this point, they had no choice but to acknowledge it.

Their opponent’s ability.

Their ugliness and tenacity.

And their bottomless desire.

Right at that perfect balance point, something unusual happened.

Tak.

The Eye of Omniscience that Aktion held activated.

Kaeld and Aktion could both see the Eye’s screen at the same time.

They shared a single tongue between them, taking turns speaking.

“W-What? What’s this?”

“The Eye of Omniscience.”

“The Eye of Omniscience?”

“Come to think of it, you don’t know. Think of it as a special weapon given to heroes. Mide and Impelium built their fame using this.”

Kaeld swallowed hard.

As if he knew what Kaeld was thinking, Aktion spoke in a sly tone.

“The fact that you were never given this means you are not a hero. So hand over the body.”

“You want to go again?”

Aktion angrily tried to turn off the screen, then realized something was wrong.

He hadn’t activated this screen.

And the tone was different.

Normally, the messages always carried a tone of disdain, but at least they pretended to be polite.

“What is this? Something’s off today.”

“What?”

Aktion spoke with cold sweat running down his face.

“A being not of this world? Are you a hero who left for another world, like me?”

“Then who are you…”

Of course, the one speaking through the screen was the being who had tormented Mide and his party.

He explained everything Bion had told Mide’s group to Aktion and Kaeld.

Kaeld, who had known nothing, was shocked speechless.

Even Aktion, who had at least some knowledge, couldn’t hide his horror.

Some time passed.

<…and that’s how it is. Do you understand now?>

Neither responded for a while.

After a long silence, Kaeld spoke.

“So we have met before, is that it? 230,000 years ago you used me and…”

“……”

The mockery was obvious, but Kaeld didn’t care.

His eyes gleamed as he said:

“I failed twice. So the third time, I will succeed.”

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