The Former Hero Begins to be Re-evaluated

“Those who want to become a hero, please step forward now.”

After Hero Han Soo was exiled from the Empire, his vacant position needed to be filled again.

The chancellor called all the officials of the Empire and started recruiting applicants for the hero position.

At the gathering to recruit the next hero, many people showed interest in the hero position.

“I think I should step up here. I, the Knight Commander Herald, will become the hero and surely defeat the Demon Lord.”

Starting with Knight Commander Herald, who is over 60 years old.

“No. Sir Herald, aren’t you already quite old? Just rest. I will defeat the Demon Lord.”

Alex, who has just been appointed as the Knight Commander.

“The knights should protect the Empire. In this case, I, a scion of the Eners family, will step up. As a nobleman, I should set an example.”

Even Jacks Eners, who is not a knight but works as an official in the imperial palace as a noble’s son, showed interest in the hero position.

And although they didn’t step forward, everyone else behind them also showed interest in the hero position.

They just couldn’t confidently step forward due to their lower standing compared to those three.

‘Being a hero now would be the sweetest of the sweet.’

The reason why the hero position was so popular among many people was actually quite obvious if you thought about it a little.

Right now, almost all the demon race had been dealt with by the former hero, Han Soo.

In fact, objectively speaking, the former hero Han Soo had done his job quite competently, except for not defeating the Demon Lord.

He had defeated almost all the demon race, and what remained were only the Demon Lord and a few demons, even the Demon Lord’s feared Four Heavenly Kings no longer existed.

After repeated victories in the war against the demon race, more than 90% of the continent was human territory, and only 10% remained as demon territory.

In this situation, where they only needed to catch the Demon Lord, it was like just putting a spoon on a fully cooked meal.

There was no reason not to want to be a hero right now.

‘If I become a hero now, at least I won’t be criticized.’

Also, at the point where the former hero left without completing his mission, no matter how poorly one performs as a hero, there won’t be any criticism.

A hero succeeding a failed hero, even if you fail, it’s not much of a loss, and if you succeed, it’s a really good situation.

In other words, this hero position is an investment that absolutely cannot fail.

While the position of hero brings honor and respect, it’s also a position that requires caution and is difficult, but right now it was a very precious opportunity to easily become the Empire’s hero.

That’s why everyone was so eager to become the hero.

“A total of three people have applied. Sir Herald, Sir Alex, and Administrator Jacks.”

However, there was only one hero position available.

And the one deciding that position was none other than the chancellor leading this Empire.

The chancellor briefly looked over the three people and pondered for a moment on who to choose as the hero.

The chancellor was not unaware that there wasn’t much for a hero to do right now, but that was no reason to carelessly appoint a hero.

The position of hero was not only about defeating the Demon Lord but also an extremely important symbolic figure afterwards.

Therefore, as the person responsible for leading the Empire, the chancellor needed to choose the hero position somewhat carefully.

He continued to ponder on who to choose as the hero, and after a while, he made a decision.

“In my opinion, I think Sir Herald should take on this role.”

The chancellor’s decision was Knight Commander Herald, who is over 60 years old.

An old man with white hair, some people looked puzzled at the chancellor’s decision to make such an old man the hero, but most people understood.

Although Herald looks like an old man at first glance, people in the imperial palace know that his skills have not rusted at all.

He has the skills to not lose in battles even against young knights.

Moreover, his many years of experience as a knight could not be ignored.

Probably a year ago, if Han Soo hadn’t been summoned to this world, Herald would have undoubtedly been given the hero position.

“Thank you, Chancellor.”

“Please do your best, Sir Herald. I’ll be counting on you.”

“Thank you. Although I’m already old, I will show you that my skills have not rusted at all. Unlike the former hero, I will surely defeat the Demon Lord and protect the honor of the past heroes.”

Considering all these things, the chancellor thought Herald was the most suitable for being a hero.

The chancellor appointed Herald as the hero in front of many people, and Herald, who became the hero, made his resolution.

He said that although the former hero Han Soo had failed, he would not fail, and he would surely lead the tarnished honor of the hero.

Many people cheered for Herald’s resolution.

“Wow…!”

Applause poured out.

‘Yes. This was rightfully my position.’

And Herald, who became the hero, had his own confidence.

Although he was already quite old, he was a knight who didn’t think he was old at all.

Rather, he thought he was much stronger now than when he was young.

Although his body was aging, his techniques and strategies were becoming much more refined.

In fact, he even thought he was stronger than the former hero Han Soo.

‘That Han Soo was nothing special.’

Han Soo was said to have been directly given power by the goddess as a special person transferred from another world.

In the past, Herald couldn’t become a hero because of him.

But he didn’t have any particular feelings about it then. Even though he wanted to become a hero, he thought it couldn’t be helped if the title of hero was given to the strongest person.

However, if hero Han Soo was weaker than him, it’s a different story.

Herald and hero Han Soo had a friendly match in the past.

A match between the hero and the Empire’s renowned Knight Commander, Herald had expected his complete defeat in that match.

But the result was not like that. Although it ended in a draw, Herald didn’t feel at all that he was inferior to Han Soo.

Rather, if judged by points, it would have been his victory. He had pushed Han Soo back consistently.

Because of that incident, Herald couldn’t acknowledge Han Soo.

He thought there was nothing he couldn’t do if such a guy could be a hero.

He thought that guy would surely fail in defeating the Demon Lord.

And that prediction came true very accurately.

Now it was time for him, who had become the hero, to reclaim what was taken from him by Han Soo.

“Hello, Sir Herald. No, Hero Herald. It will be a short time, but please take care of us from now on.”

“Oh. You must be the hero’s party members. I’ll be in your care.”

As Herald was rejoicing about becoming a hero, the hero’s party members came from afar.

Saint Eila.
Elf Kirne.
Beastkin Napira.
Mage Luna.

All beautiful women, they were the party members led by the former hero Han Soo.

They had appearances that could make any man fall for them at first sight. Just standing there, each seemed to exude their own charm.

But Herald wasn’t particularly interested in them.

To him, who was over 60, they just looked like young children who could be his grandchildren.

‘Well, it’s probably best to keep them as is.’

Originally, greeting party members was at the hero’s discretion.

If the hero needed party members, they could recruit them, and if not, they could dismiss them.

But Herald didn’t particularly want to change the party members.

They were already not lacking in any way as the hero’s party members.

Also, at this point where they just needed to defeat the Demon Lord, there was no reason to change the party members.

Well, of course, that was only for the current situation.

Herald was thinking of replacing them anytime if the party members were not particularly favorable to him.

But such worry didn’t seem necessary.

“Excuse me, Hero Herald. I’m curious about something, what’s your religion?”

“I have never believed in any religion other than the Goddess Church from birth until now.”

“Hehe. I like that. If there’s anything you don’t know, feel free to ask me anytime.”

Among the party members, Saint Eila was the first to speak to Herald.

With a somewhat grumpy expression, she asked Herald about his religion, and Herald answered that he believed in the Goddess Church.

Then, Eila’s expression quickly softened. As if nothing had happened, she treated Herald with a gentle expression.

For Eila, a hero… no, any human should naturally believe in the Goddess Church.

From her perspective, Herald had already been approved as a human to be treated as a hero from the moment he said he believed in the Goddess Church.

“I look forward to working with you.”

“Me too. Let’s do our best, even if it’s for a short time.”

“Yes. Although I might have some shortcomings, I will do my best as a hero. Please trust and follow me.”

Eila treated Herald kindly, and the elf Kirne and beastkin Napira also welcomed Herald as the hero.

It wasn’t exactly an extremely warm welcome, but at least they didn’t reject Herald.

They intended to treat Herald as a hero.

At this point where they just needed to defeat the Demon Lord, it didn’t really matter to them who became the hero.

‘Hmm… no matter how I think about it, he seems much weaker than Han Soo…’

However, there was one exception.

The mage Luna was just blankly watching while the party members and Herald exchanged greetings.

It wasn’t that she particularly disliked Herald.

Although he was old, she thought he was mannerly and a decent person.

But separate from that, why didn’t she have much faith in him? Luna didn’t feel like Herald was much of a hero.
To her, if you said hero, it would be someone like the former hero Han Soo.

No matter how she thought about it, Herald didn’t give off the same feeling as the former hero Han Soo.

So she couldn’t welcome Herald.
No matter how she thought about it, he didn’t feel like a hero.

“Excuse me… Mage? Are you alright?”

“Ah… yes. Hello.”

“I may be lacking, but I look forward to working with you. If there’s anything I can’t do, please feel free to point it out.”

“Ah. Likewise, I look forward to working with you.”

As Luna was standing blankly, Herald approached her first to greet her.

Herald asked Luna why she was like that, and Luna said it was nothing.

‘Let’s not have uneasy thoughts.’

Still, he was the new hero after all.
Luna decided to try to believe in Herald as a hero.

It’s not good to judge people already at the point when they’ve just been chosen as the hero.

It might be something she doesn’t know about, and nobody knows what will happen in the future…

Luna tried her best to suppress her uneasy thoughts.

‘Ugh… is this really right?’

But the uneasy thoughts kept coming and wouldn’t stop.