I Will Eventually Embark On The Path Of No Return Called A Hero

[Arc3] - 64. A New Hero is Born, It's Time to Take Back Your Own Life

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"You've come."

The god, standing over two meters tall, slowly opened his eyes as he sat on the stone throne at the center of the altar, looking at Cyd, who had just walked up to him.

"Because I couldn't understand a single word of your mission letter," Cyd said, waving the crumpled paper in his hand.

Ouranos fell into silence. After a while, he glanced at Hermes, who stood to the side with his hands behind his head, looking laid-back.

"I'm just the messenger," Hermes shrugged.

"Pure White Hero, there is something I wish to ask of you," even Ouranos couldn't help but sigh. "In this Orario, you're probably the only one I can entrust this to."

"Tsk—" Hermes clicked his tongue in annoyance.

He had grown particularly fed up with statements like "only you can do this" that shifted responsibility onto others.

"Why me?" Cyd stuffed the crumpled letter back into his pocket. "If it's about force, many Familia can do far more things together than I can."

"This isn't something that can be accomplished with force," Ouranos slowly closed his eyes. "It's about mindset. How do you think adventurers view the monsters in the dungeon?"

"Kill," Cyd clenched his fists. "They attack adventurers like bloodthirsty beasts. Naturally, adventurers kill them."

"What if... if there were monsters with their own will?" The flames around Ouranos suddenly brightened. "How would adventurers confront them then?"

"Nothing would change," Cyd grinned. By now, he understood what Ouranos was asking him to do. On the surface, he was probably the only one suited for the task.

"But you wouldn't, right?" Ouranos opened his eyes. "If they communicated with you, you wouldn't raise your sword against them."

"What if I refuse?" Cyd raised an eyebrow.

"Someone like you will go," Ouranos shook his head. "He will eventually encounter those monsters and make a decision. But it won't be easy for him because he isn't you yet. That boy, he's like you, but he hasn't gained everyone's trust. He might experience a failure worse than death."

This wasn't a threat; it was a fact.

Bell was that kind of person. When facing monsters that wanted to kill him, he wouldn't hesitate; he would swiftly end their lives. However, if he encountered monsters with their own will, unwilling to raise weapons against him, he would never attack them first. He might even secretly interfere with other adventurers.

But this would inevitably put Bell in a difficult position: to choose between monsters or humans?

He didn't want to harm either side. Even if the monsters with their own will didn't attack adventurers, adventurers would still attack them because they were rare...

Bell might suffer a setback even worse than before.

If it's you, who once roared in fury at his injuries, you surely wouldn't refuse, right?

Ouranos thought so as a matter of course. This was a conclusion drawn from his years of experience and logic.

But humans often do things that defy logic, especially those known as heroes.

[I refuse. If this is Bell's destined trial, then as his teacher, I can only pray for his victory.]

"Hahaha, fantastic! Ouranos's expression was priceless," Hermes laughed as he walked down the street, clutching his stomach.

"This is going to be troublesome. Lord Ouranos is the god of the Adventurers' Guild, after all," Asfi sighed deeply. "This is going to become quite a hassle."

"Then why don't you ask what our Cyd thinks?" Hermes raised an arm and placed it on Cyd's shoulder. "I'm curious. You've never refused 'us' before. Why this time?"

"I've already given my reason," Cyd looked at the star-studded night sky. "Bell is me, yet he isn't me. He can achieve far more than I ever could."

"That's uncertain~" Hermes seemed dissatisfied. "You're a hero who can easily sweep through the dungeon. With you leading, Orario could easily reach floors that normally require immense resources to explore. What can your student achieve? What Orario truly needs is you."

Asfi adjusted her glasses.

From the current situation, that was indeed true. Cyd had nearly invincible strength and the reputation built by the Apollo Familia. He didn't belong to any Familia, so everyone could naturally rely on him. With him leading, Orario would unite in the truest sense.

It might sound harsh, but to her, it was nearly impossible for Bell to achieve all this.

"He can grow together with Orario," Cyd's lips curved slightly. "Not as a leader, but as a companion. No one will be left behind by him. They will move forward together. That is hope."

Hermes pursed his lips. Children grow unconsciously. The child who used to cower in front of him could now smile back at him.

"His weak self will face many trials. His pure soul may bear countless scars. Without your protection..."

"He already has people who can support him."

"He can't surpass your legend. That idiot Apollo only has you, the Pure White Hero, in his head. He won't recognize anyone else! You are his greatest trial!"

"A student will always surpass the teacher. Impossible? That's how you acknowledge a hero. The birth of the Pure White Hero wasn't because someone praised him; it was because..."

Cyd raised his hand toward Hermes.

"...He is a hero himself."

"The immature people around him might cause him to go astray."

"He won't stray anymore," Cyd lowered his hand. "He will walk his path as a hero straight ahead."

"So that's why you left that thing for him, right?" Hermes pulled down his hat to cover his face. "You said you were at ease, but you still left him with that final gift. That was originally mine..."

"Sorry, I didn't ask for your permission," Cyd scratched his face.

"Hah? That thing belonged to you, the Pure White Hero," Hermes turned his back to Cyd and raised his voice. "Even now, its owner hasn't changed. It will guide those who move forward."

"Thank you," Cyd chuckled softly, raising his hand in a wave. "Goodbye, Lord Hermes. Say goodbye to Lord Apollo for me."

"Why am I always stuck with these tough jobs," Hermes grumbled discontentedly.

"Because you're the only one I can rely on," Cyd grinned. "The story should end now. A new hero has been born."

Basking in the moonlight, Apollo lowered his head and looked at the storybook on the table that had never been closed.

It was a story about a young boy growing into hope. The story had long since ended, but he stubbornly refused to close it, hoping the story would continue.

That child had never regretted becoming hope, but is it time for him to become himself?

The story of the Pure White Hero had already come to an end. The hero who set out on his journey had returned. He saved his companions, saved people, and saved the world. The only thing in this world he hadn't saved... was probably his own life.

Apollo raised his hand, placed it on the storybook, and with difficulty but determination, closed the book that had remained open for over a hundred years.

"Go and take back your life."