The Last-Seat Hero Has Returned

26. The Ant Nest (1)

Weekend morning.

I woke up earlier than usual at dawn, finished my daily magic training (which no one would ever think was magic training if they saw it), and stood in front of the mirror.

“Hmm.”

Every time I see my face reflected in the mirror, I can’t help but think.

“Am I not okay?”

I turn my face at various angles, a satisfied smile playing on my lips.

Of course, the voice of conscience somewhere in my heart threw a cheeky question at me, ‘Compared to Yuren?’ but let’s just ignore it lightly.

“My hair was neatly trimmed yesterday too.”

I could borrow a decent outfit to wear out through my precious ‘friend’ for free.

‘A date with Iris.’

I had dated her in my previous life, but this was the first time I was dating her as a cadet.

“Shall we get going?”

With a face full of anticipation, I headed to the meeting place with Iris.

Waiting at the meeting place was Iris, dressed neatly in the holy nation’s priestly robes, and…

“What’s with that look?”

“……”

Camilla, who came out fully armed as if she were going to a battlefield.

“Why are you here?”

“Why am I here? Of course, to escort the Saint.”

“…Hoo.”

Right.

Thinking logically, there’s no way they would let Iris go out alone outside the school.

Especially since the place we’re going to is the ‘Ant Nest,’ the most notorious place for poor security in Valhalla City.

“Hmph. You didn’t think you could go out alone with the Saint, did you?”

Camilla, with her arms crossed, shot me a fierce look.

“Ugh… Why did you have to show up this morning of all times…”

Next to her, Iris stood with a sullen expression, her shoulders slumped.

It seemed she had been caught trying to sneak out without Camilla’s knowledge.

“Why, of all times, now! Saintess! Didn’t I tell you that you must never leave the school without an escort?”

“But Dale is with me.”

“Ha, how could a mere candidate like him protect the Saintess….”

Camilla’s expression hardened as she glanced at me with a sneer.

It seemed she remembered the time she couldn’t even draw her sword against me and was defeated.

Camilla awkwardly cleared her throat and turned her head to avoid my gaze.

“Ahem. Anyway, if it becomes known that the Saintess went out alone, I will be in trouble too.”

“Sigh. Fine. Camilla, you come with us too.”

“By the way, if you’re heading towards the ant nest… are you planning to go to ‘that place’?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Haa. Saintess, you really are… incorrigible.”

Camilla sighed and shook her head, but her expression seemed rather relaxed despite her actions.

“Why~ Camilla, you like going there too, don’t you?”

“Hmph. Who said I like it?”

“Oh, come on, you always get the most excited when we go.”

“I-I have never done such a thing!”

“Hmm~ Really?”

The two women continued their conversation, as if they had been to that place many times before.

“Where is this place you’re talking about?”

“Hmm? Didn’t the Saintess tell you?”

“No.”

“Hmm.”

Camilla looked at Iris as if asking for permission to speak.

Iris shook her head lightly with a playful expression.

“Let’s leave it as a surprise for when we get there.”

A surprise for when we get there.

‘Where on earth could it be?’

Even with my memories of a past life, I couldn’t guess where she was planning to go.

‘Well, I guess we’ll see when we get there.’

Surely, she wouldn’t go to the ant nest, the hideout of the Demon Cult, like I did.

“Oh, right, there’s something I need to buy before we go.”

“What is it?”

Iris smiled brightly at me as I tilted my head in curiosity.

“Ramen.”

“……?”

And so.

The first date(?) with my former lover after reincarnation began.

* * *

The largest slum on the continent, Ant Nest, located within Valhalla City.

As the largest slum on the continent, even within the Ant Nest, there were regions divided into the worst and the second worst.

The place Iris wanted to go was the outskirts of the Ant Nest, which belonged to the ‘second worst’ category.

It was where an orphanage operated with the support of the Holy Kingdom was located.

“Kyaaah!”

“Iris noonaaa!!”

“Kids! Come out quickly! The noonas are here!”

“Huff, huff… Camilla unnie… Can you grab my hair and spank me just once?”

“We thought you had forgotten about us!”

As soon as we entered the orphanage entrance, the children rushed at us like hyenas spotting prey.

The eyes of the children running towards us were filled with undeniable excitement and joy.

“You, you little brats! Didn’t I tell you to stay quietly in your rooms?!”

An elderly priest scolded harshly from behind the rushing children.

“Gasp, the priest is here!”

“Everyone, run away!”

The children who had been swarming scattered like ants hit by a water spray.

“Sigh. Really….”

An old man in the attire of a Seven Star Church priest approached Iris and made the sign of the cross.

“I’m sorry, Saintess. My education is lacking, and this happened….”

“Hehe. No, Father Antonio. The children look healthy, so it’s actually nice to see.”

Iris shook her head with a gentle smile.

“Have you been well?”

“Haha, of course. Despite how I look, I still have the energy of a young man.”

Father Antonio grinned as he casually rolled up the loose sleeve of his priestly robe.

It didn’t seem like an exaggeration; the arm revealed beneath the rolled-up sleeve was filled with well-toned muscles, like those of a trained warrior.

“I’m sorry I haven’t visited often.”

“No need to apologize, Lady Camilla. Just having the two of you visit occasionally gives this old man great strength. But… who is that person?”

Father Antonio’s gaze turned towards me.

“This is Dale Han, who takes the same classes as us.”

“As you know, Father Antonio, in the third year, there are a lot more party classes, right? Dale will be forming a ‘fixed’ party with us from now on.”

What?

Since when was I fixed?

“Oh, I see.”

Father Antonio looked at me with interest, his eyes sparkling.

“Until now, the Saintess has never brought anyone else here… This is surprising.”

“Dale is someone we can trust.”

“Hmm?”

Father Antonio tilted his head slightly at Iris’s unwavering response.

A chuckle escaped from Father Antonio’s lips as he looked at Iris with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Well, well… It seems that living long enough brings days like this.”

“…What do you mean by that?”

“The little girl I’ve known since she was young has grown up so splendidly and even brought a man with her…”

“Wait a minute! Saying it like that makes it sound like I brought a marriage partner or something!”

Iris shouted, her face turning bright red.

“Since she was young…?”

“Oh, I haven’t introduced myself yet. I am Antonio, who had a small connection with the Saintess before she became a ‘Saintess’.”

The old priest made the sign of the cross with a dignified gesture, exuding a sense of deep experience and wisdom.

‘Father Antonio.’

It was a name I had never heard in my previous life.

‘Iris rarely talked about her past.’

Even when I asked indirectly, he only responded with a bitter smile and changed the subject.

He deliberately avoided talking about past events, as if he was trying to avoid them.

‘How come this guy who claims to have returned knows nothing?’

I shook my head with a self-deprecating smile, but honestly, I didn’t feel too bad.

Things I didn’t know in my previous life.

Scenes I had never seen.

Stories I had never heard.

Every time I learned about them one by one, I felt like I was living a new life.

“All three of you, please come inside the orphanage. Even though it’s spring, it’s still chilly.”

Father Antonio entered the orphanage with a kind smile.

I looked back at Iris and asked.

“This is the place you were talking about?”

“Yes, that’s right. Sometimes I came here with Camilla to take care of the children. This time, I thought it would be nice if Mr. Dale could come along, so I invited you.”

Iris looked at me cautiously.

“Um… were you disappointed?”

“Huh? About what?”

“This isn’t exactly a place you’d go out of your way to visit on a weekend.”

“Hmm…”

As she said.

When she first mentioned going out, this place was far from what I had imagined.

“But I like it.”

“…Really?”

“Yes. Actually, it’s a somewhat familiar place.”

“A familiar place?”

“I also grew up in a republic orphanage.”

“…Oh.”

It wasn’t a place filled with laughter and happiness like this one.

But I was also an orphan who grew up in an orphanage.

‘I hardly remember my time at the orphanage now.’

I barely remember my time at the hero school, let alone the time before that.

“Mr. Dale, you were also from an orphanage, weren’t you?”

“…also?”

“Ah, no. It’s nothing. Ahem. Anyway, let’s go inside quickly. The kids must be waiting.”

“Got it.”

Following Iris inside, the sound of children chattering loudly could be heard.

“Camilla, let’s spar with swords! Swords!”

“I want to join too!”

“Ah… Camilla, please punish me with your mighty sword…!”

“This time, I’ll definitely win!”

“Wait, everyone. Calm down…!”

Camilla, surrounded by children, wore a troubled expression.

Looking around helplessly, Camilla grabbed a branch lying in a corner of the orphanage and spoke up.

“Sigh. I guess there’s no choice. Everyone, come outside.”

“Yay!”

The children followed Camilla outside in a rush.

I watched the children following Camilla with interest.

“The kids seem to follow Camilla well.”

“Hehe. She pretends to be strict, but she actually loves playing with the kids.”

“It seems so.”

I watched with a smile as Camilla sparred with the children.

“Ouch!”

“You’re too fast!”

“Ahhh!”

The children, who had somehow formed a plausible encirclement, rushed at Camilla, but there was no way they could win against her.

In the blink of an eye, Camilla subdued the children and, with a triumphant smile, spoke up.

“Hehe. Go drink more of your mom’s milk, you little brats!”

Oh.

Wait.

Saying that here…

“But we don’t have moms!”

“Slurp… Can I drink your milk instead, sister?”

“What does… mother’s milk taste like?”

“…Gasp!”

It was only then that Camilla realized her fatal slip of the tongue, and she began to sweat profusely, shaking her head urgently.

“No, no! That’s not what I meant! This, this is…!”

“Heeheehee!”

“Sister, you’re so cute!”

The children burst into laughter at the sight of the flustered Camilla.

Just by looking at their bright smiles, it was easy to guess how much effort and love had gone into creating this orphanage.

“By the way… is that guy a swordsman too?”

One child pointed to the sword at my waist and asked.

I approached the child and nodded.

“Yes, that’s right.”

Well, there’s a lot more I can do besides swordsmanship, but let’s just say I’m a swordsman here.

“Then… if you and sister fought, who would win?”

A question full of innocent curiosity.

From the child’s perspective, it was a thoughtless question, but its impact was significant.

“Hey, of course, Sister Camilla would win!”

“Is that even a question?”

“Sister is going to be the hero known as the ‘Sword of the Holy Kingdom’!”

“No, but that guy looks really strong too!”

“Yeah, yeah! This is the first time Sister Iris has brought someone, right? He can’t be an ordinary person!”

The orphanage yard quickly turned into chaos.

“……”

“……”

As we watched the children split into two groups and engage in a fierce debate, Camilla and I instinctively knew.

‘This is.’

There was no way out.