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Chapter 44: Oh! My dear saint!

▷Race: Arch-Human

▷Level: 586

▷Job: Swordsman(Stamina=Swordsmanship↑)

▷Skills: Interpretation(A) Vigor(B) Stamina(B) Charm(C) Swordsmanship(D)…

▷Condition: Good

Classmate A’s Status.

Compared to the Status of countless graduates I came across in the festival, Classmate A was rather on the excellent side. Wasn’t his Swordsmanship, the most important thing to a Swordsman, too low? But this sort of worry was truthfully meaningless, as the number of Heroes whose highest Skill rank was only D wasn’t few. Taking that into consideration, Classmate A’s Status could be counted among the upper rank.

“Let’s take this someplace else first.”

“Right.”

We(Classmate A included) practically dragged along Boss K, who was busily sightseeing those temptful ‘fruits’, and moved towards the market in the city’s inner area.

It was a bustle of activity wherever we went.

Start City was different from the cities of Fantasia’s continents, giving off an atmosphere like that of a European tourist city which combined the modern and medieval. While the city appeared somewhat worn on the outside, it was well-equipped with convenience facilities and had the latest products of culture. Perhaps this was giving consideration to the graduates who had become used to modern society.

This was prepared by the teaching staff?

Puffed Up: Yes! Those rather large buildings are a given, as well as the flowers on the streets and dark, shady alleyways, even the sewers that are out of sight—there isn’t a place that careful thought wasn’t put into! Anyone would feel disappointed if the first place they were shown was shabby, after all.

Miss Trainee Teacher explained with elation, and information that was as much useful as she was proud continued to flow out of her. I made up my mind to make use of this for sure.

Tinkle-tinkle~?

We moved to a tasteful-looking cafe that had a bell hung by its door. Originally, we were supposed to be heading to a pub…

“Hansoo. We’re minors, aren’t we?”

… but the idea was rejected due to Classmate A spouting this nonsense in a natural manner. Although I wanted to argue why coffee, and not alcohol, was the trend in a fantasy world, I gave up by the point I sighted the air conditioner installed on the wall of the cafe.

Here was Earth wearing the guise of a fantasy world.

“The surface has really changed much.”

“Indeed. But there are also things that haven’t changed… Huhu!”

The K father and daughter pair, who had long remained imprisoned in the underground prison, wore speechless faces at the sight of the advanced products of society displayed across the city.

‘I can’t bear going around with these bumpkin Elves.’

“Sir Hero, what’s chamomile tea?”

“What’s the difference between espresso and americano?”

The bumpkin father and daughter asked thus after staring blankly up at the cafe menu board. Chamo-… what?

“Ask a staff member.”

So I said while pointing at a mermaid employee, who was busy with delayed orders.

But it was then that Classmate A abruptly poked his nose in.

“Chamomile is a white flower giving off an apple fragrance that has the meaning of ‘apple growing from the ground’. It helps in hydrating skin, relaxing and sleeping well for beautiful ladies such as the Elf miss over there. Chamomile tea is a tea brewed from that flower.”

And he further continued…

“Espresso is a strong coffee made by passing finely ground and compressed coffee through hot water under high pressure. On the other hand, americano originates from the light coffee enjoyed by the people of a country named America back in my home planet. I recommend a light americano if it’s your first time having coffee.”

Classmate A also smoothly explained the difference between the two types of coffee in a refreshing manner. It would believe it if he was called a loca-… he was indeed a local.

A strange sense of defeat took me by surprise.

Pat: Student Kang Han Soo, cheer up. 11 years is enough time to fall behind the times and become countrified. Do you still remember black coffee?

Kugh-!

Miss Trainee Teacher’s words lodged themselves into my chest like a knife.

‘No way! Me, a bumpkin?!’

After respectively ordering our desired drinks, we sat in a circle around a round table.

I began talking to Classmate A first.

“How long did you stay in that fantasy world?”

I had well understood that the graduates who lost the Job of Hero were ridiculously weak; however, I didn’t know exactly how long they spent adventuring in the fantasy world before they defeated Demon King Pedonar and graduated. Perhaps I should have investigated beforehand? But it was still wasn’t too late.

“3 years.”

Classmate A replied as if it was a trifling matter.

“… Really? Only 3 years?”

“Yeah. What a shock it was back then! I intended on leisurely completing a harem after beating Demon King Pedonar, who kept being annoying on and off with his demon minions, you know? But I ended up returning to Earth straight after killing the Demon King.”

Classmate A began to recite the tale of his adventure. It was, in many ways, similar to my experience in the 1st Playthrough.

He coincidentally went to watch an auction, bought Elf Princess Sylvia who was reduced to a slave and recruited her as a companion, and not long after that the mermaid princess and Saintess A joined Classmate A’s party as a set.

Roughly 1 year later, Classmate A and muppets moved from the middle continent to the northern continent. There, he challenged the Sword Princess, who had refused a political marriage by hanging in there saying “I want to marry a man who has defeated me!”, and was defeated for the first time!

“She was really strong.”

“That crazy bitch is a bit strong, yeah.”

I knew well as someone who had also experienced it. I, however, didn’t challenge the Sword Princess with the goal of marrying her—that nutjob was the one who picked a fight with me first.

“Hehe. Her bod was crazy too.”

Classmate A crinkled his eyes as he laughed lewdly.

“It’s a wonder that it seems there was no bloodshed.”

I had almost ended up murdered after inadvertently seeing her in the nude.

“Mm? She was nice, though?”

“… Mm?”

Classmate A had carefully thought on the method to make the Sword Princess yield, and the solution he arrived at was the story of the legendary Holy Sword slumbering in the northern continent he came to hear about.

So and so happened, and thus he obtained Holy Sword 1!

Re-challenging the Sword Princess, Classmate A was able to easily grasp victory by using Holy Sword 1’s auto-combat function; however, she didn’t accept her defeat and challenged him 3 more times—but she couldn’t win against the cheat-like automatic function. In the end, she became the Hero’s woman as promised.

“We did hold a wedding ceremony, but we were both minors under 19 so…”

“Oi?”

Was this cherry boy for real?

‘I should call him Virgin A instead of Classmate A from now on.’

“Hansoo, don’t be surprised at hearing this: I even succeeded in making that ‘Ice Princess’, notoriously famous in the northern continent, part of my harem! I gave her the Sage’s staff and helped control her power gone out of control, and she followed me saying thanks.”

So that kind of conquest method existed, huh? I cut her down in my case, though. Although my companions had tried holding me back then, taking pity on her, I couldn’t afford to ignore the woman who caused hundreds of people to become frozen solid due to her berserk power.

“Then, what happened to the Sage?”

“He’s a man, isn’t he?”

“Hm. I see.”

He had apparently killed him and stolen his staff. As I continued to listen, I realized that there wasn’t a single male companion in Virgin A’s adventure.

“At any rate, it’s amazing.”

Was my compliment to his liking? Virgin A restlessly shifted his buttocks as he continued speaking.

“It’s in this manner that 18 beauties joined my harem party over 3 years. Maybe the Demon King became envious though, because he then started hindering my romancing, you know? And if that wasn’t enough, he even tried killing my women!”

“And so you broke into the Demon King’s castle?”

“Naturally!”

I wanted to tell Virgin A that he was a nutcase. While it wasn’t my place to say that, as someone who went charging in within a day, the path up to the Demon King’s castle was a formidable one for a 1st Playthrough Hero.

And yet Virgin A had made it.

“How?”

“My women were outstanding, you see.”

The power of love! Before Holy Sword 1’s ultimate move that grew the more powerful in proportion to the number of companions and lovers, even the strongest of demons could only put up a futile resistance. And his companions themselves had been strong.

“The Demon King?”

“He was the weakest among the demon with renown, you know? My wives easily took him down without even having to take action myself.”

“… I see.”

The Demon King’s penalty… it seemed that the effect also extended to the ‘Hero’s companions’. In the case of this being true, then the conclusion would be that the Demon King could be made simple work of if the Hero’s Level was lower than his companions’.

‘Miss Trainee Teacher, am I correct in my guess?’

Affirmative: It’s the reason why importance is placed on love and friendship—it’s like having revealed the answer from the start. Yet in spite of this, there are too many students who fail to come before the Demon King and die, then take a re-rest.

So she said.

“Kang Han Soo, what about you?”

Classmate A, who had been recounting his adventure to his heart’s content, asked about me in turn.

‘I wonder what answer would be good?’

“One day.”

I couldn’t bring myself to say 11 years, even if I were to die.

“One, one day? Your joke’s too much, haha!”

Virgin A laughed while holding his belly. Even I thought that one day was a bit far-fetched despite holding onto my high pride, since it was impossible to reach the Demon King’s castle alone as a Level 1.

“My luck was good.”

“Pft! It’s fine. Don’t say it if you don’t want to. It’s an unwritten rule among Heroes not to pry into one another’s adventure, after all.”

With that said, Virgin A began to show curiosity in the K father and daughter pair. Perhaps he had also seen many Elves though, as he very soon lost interest. Afterwards, the main subject revolved around the real world: music, games, comics, novels, exercise… Nouns that sounded to me like relics of ancient times came pouring out like a waterfall.

“… I don’t know well because I’m sick of playing around.”

“Haha! I also agree on that. The entertainments on Earth are a bit dull compared to a fantasy adventure together with beauties.”

Virgin A thought the exact opposite way I did. Or else, was it that I had glorified my memories of Earth due to my homesickness intensifying?

It didn’t matter whichever the case it was—I was going to return to Earth no matter the cost. Before that, however, there was something I had to ask Virgin A.

“Are my parents doing well?”

Virgin A tilted his head at my question as he returned one of his own.

“You’re also a Hero who returned to Earth, so why ask me regarding your parents?”

“…”

That was true!

I had been impatient. An excuse to cover up my mistake didn’t come to mind at all.

“Ah! Maybe? Kang Han Soo, are you also one of those folks they call spirited nowadays?”

“Those folks?”

“Earth misfits. People who seek after a life similar to a fantasy adventure, endlessly roaming places instead of returning to where they used to live in.”

“Uh… Mhm. That’s right.”

Just what was happening on Earth…?

*

*

*

I wasn’t able to hear news of my parents from Virgin A, but in exchange, he promised to relay to them that their son was doing fine in my place when the festival ended and he returned to Earth.

“Kang Han Soo! Let’s meet at Seoul next time!”

“Yeah. You take care too.”

We parted ways, waving hands at each other.

And then I heard the voice of a young girl.

“Big Bro~?”

A girl around high schooler age went over to stick right by and link arms with Virgin A, who had left the cafe, and walked away side by side. Judging by her sophisticated style of outfit, that girl was also a Hero.

Virgin A’s figure grew distant like that.

I swallowed a dry laugh.

“Minor my ass.”

3 years spent in a fantasy world meant he was already mentally an adult, and his matured body was in good condition for coupling.

Damn! A girlfriend from Earth!

‘You lose if you’re envious.’

“Sir Hero, what will you do now?”

Made In Fantasy Elf K thus asked.

She was probably not asking for my plan out of true ignorance. It seemed this city was quite to her liking, and I got the feeling she didn’t want the place turned into a scene of pandemonium by thievery.

“The water of the city is really good. Ah! I mean the americano. Hm-hm!”

Boss K, his eyes moving left and right without rest like a print scanner, appeared to be of similar thought. Truthfully, even if this father and daughter, who had been long confined in the underground prison, were brought to some desert with nothing but sand, they would have enjoyed the experience saying it was novel.

In any case…

Halting the plan was out of the question. Thieving was necessary if only to maintain the Thief Job.

My goal was decided from the start.

The great temple located by the side of Start City’s central great plaza was where the graduates would be summoned to in succession; however, that wasn’t the only purpose of the great temple—it also held the role of this big event’s reward storehouse.

“We’re going to conquer the great temple from now on.”

According to Passerby 23’s information, the great temple boasted an iron-tight defense that didn’t allow even a needle through. Perhaps this was only natural, since the teaching staff had poured their heart and soul into the building?

Warning: Student Kang Han Soo, give up. Your decision this time is really suicidal.

‘It’s fine, Miss Trainee Teacher. It’ll only lead to the 6th Playthrough even if I die, no?’

Besides, as I would never be caught by traps thanks to Fortune’s B-rank effect, I was fully capable of sneaking in. And the energy of the universe was also helping me as well.

“You two, K father and daughter, stay outside and make some noise.”

“I see you are really going to do it…”

“Well… I shall follow your will, Savior.”

The plan was to sneak into the great temple while the K pair gathered attention. Since Miss Trainee Teacher said she also didn’t know of the internal structure of the great temple, this time I would have to purely rely on my intuition and luc-… Mm?

Thief→Saint(Divinity=Fabrication↑)

Was it because my Divinity rank had risen? My Job had changed from Thief to ‘one who is holy’.

Saint. The power of its perk was between a Saintess’ and a Pope’s, and it was called the 2nd highest religion-related Job; however, I couldn’t bring myself to laugh in the least.

After hurriedly summoning forth Holy Sword 2, I checked the effects of Fortune.

▷Type: Skill

▷Name: Fortune(+)

▷Rank: A(+)

▷S: Luck will not run dry.

▷A: Energy of the universe will help occasionally. (+)

▷B: Ignore traps occasionally. (+)

▷C: Luck increases considerably. (+)

▷D: Incur slight injury from falls. (+)

▷E: Dodge unseen arrows occasionally. (+)

▷F: Luck improves.

I was completely ruined!

The Skill’s effects had become ambiguous even with Holy Sword 2’s amplification. It was much too precarious to charge in with blind faith.

“Hah! I’m really gonna lose it! What am I supposed to do with an auxiliary Job like Saint…”

I felt a sudden burst of stress, causing the back of my neck to ache.

But it was then that…

“A Saint has descended!”

“Ooh! A Saint has come to this land…!”

“Venerable Saint! Please cure my son!”

The foolish natives who saw me began to kick up a commotion, and that disturbance spread across the entire city in mere moments like an epidemic.

“Wow! Unbelievable! Wasn’t Saint an unimplemented Job?”

“It’s my first time seeing a graduate who’s become a Saint.”

The reaction of the graduates weren’t much different. While they did treat me like a natural monument rather than feel admiration, I could feel them gazing at me with eyes of envy and jealousy.

Just why?

“My Venerable Saint, if it is not rude, may I guide you to the great temple?”

The lovely Saintess who came from the great temple’s entrance asked to escort me.

I let loose a loud, hearty laugh.

‘I did indeed pray hard to get inside the great temple, but…’

The energy of the universe was apparently too powerful.