Chapter 236: Truth About Qiu Tailang

"What!?"

"If you wished to take revenge against me, I thought you might as well have your final confrontation here at this mansion..."

"What on earth are you talking about?"

Viktor gave his father a cold look.

Well, from Viktor’s perspective, this really was an absurd accusation.

"Even so, I thought I would find out what sort of revenge plan you had come up with, so I went as far as kidnapping the Hero. But after speaking with the Hero, I realized that I had apparently misunderstood the situation. Ah, please don’t worry. The ruffians who were trying to target the Saintess have already been dealt with, including the mastermind. This city is safe now."

Cassian smiled warmly.

Apparently, he had been preparing to confront his son over what he believed was an elaborate revenge scheme, only to discover that Viktor had never intended anything of the sort. Realizing his mistake had apparently left him so relieved that it resulted in this overly welcoming and friendly attitude.

The fact that Viktor hated Cassian was undeniable, so how could this man still act so casually around him? Their relationship really was strange.

"So you were waiting here for me because of all that? This is so ridiculous that I don’t even know what to say."

Viktor let out an enormous sigh of exasperation.

"Let me make one thing clear. If I ever decide to kill you, I will not resort to sneaking around or plotting behind your back. I have both the reason and the ability to face you head-on!"

"Right, right. Daddy is relieved to hear that."

"!!!"

Viktor glared at his father with an absolutely terrifying expression.

Is this man some kind of genius at making Viktor angry?

He has an incredible talent for hitting exactly the nerves that make Viktor lose his temper. I honestly can’t tell whether he’s a good person or a bad person.

At the very least, Qiu Nuoya felt that he had gained some insight into why Viktor hated him so much.

"Hahaha. In any case, you are all welcome here. The Divine Sword Velikorya is already in the hands of its rightful owner, so there is no problem. I will immediately arrange for the guild to withdraw the request as well."

When Cassian gave the old gentleman a meaningful glance, the butler nodded as though he understood everything. Perhaps the arrangements had already been taken care of.

"Still, with two Heroes this time, perhaps we can finally put a complete end to the Monster Stampede that has troubled us for so many years."

Cassian, the Minister of General Affairs, spoke cheerfully about his hopes, but Viktor immediately corrected him.

"Just so we’re clear, Nuoya is not a Hero."

Yes, yes. Make sure you tell him that loudly. He is not a Hero.

"Hm? He is a Hero, isn’t he?"

"No."

"But he’s a Hero who came from another world, right?"

"That’s why I said he’s not!"

This man really doesn’t listen to what people say.

Did Cassian simply consider every person from another world to be a Hero? Was it something like, men were Heroes and women were Saintesses?

"Um, I really am not a Hero. When I came here, God himself told me that I did not need to get involved in anything like that."

"God told you?"

"Yes."

"And why is that?"

"Why...? Well..."

Cassian wore a thoughtful expression remarkably similar to Viktor’s.

When they look like this, they really do resemble each other.

Still, Qiu Nuoya could not understand why everyone insisted on treating him as though he were some kind of special person.

Sure, Qiu Nuoya does have a few cheat-like abilities, but being a Hero really doesn’t suit him...

"To begin with, isn’t there a difference between not needing to do something and being unable to do it?"

"Huh?"

"You have the power to do it, so what good is there in simply refusing to use it?"

"Father, Nuoya has said that he does not want to get involved in this matter. Stop dragging him into things for your own convenience!"

"Hmm. Lady Sherria did say something similar to me before, but..."

As Cassian said that, he glanced briefly at Qiu Nuoya.

It had been the same when Lady Sherria and Cardinal Bedros had appeared before him. Apparently, the people of this world really did want the various abilities Qiu Nuoya possessed.

It was true that if he made full use of his powers, he might even be able to save the world from a crisis. But...

"If you are planning to force everything onto Nuoya and accomplish something by using him, I want you to reconsider. I have decided that this time, I will protect the people who are important to me, no matter what."

"Even if you knew that sacrificing that one person would save the entire world?"

"A world that can only exist through someone’s sacrifice is not a world that deserves to be saved in the first place!"

Viktor is saying that again. Even though I told him that’s not the way to think about it.

It was not that Qiu Nuoya intended to do nothing. He did not want to become the kind of person who abandoned everyone else and focused solely on protecting himself, so he was willing to cooperate as much as he could.

But there was a difference between choosing to help and having someone else force that choice upon him.

"If you continue to think that way, then Qiu Tailang’s sacrifice will have been in vain..."

At Cassian’s words, Viktor’s shoulders twitched. He glared at Cassian with a terrifying expression.

Whether Cassian knew how much those words had angered him or not, he continued.

"Qiu Tailang gave his life for the sake of your future. He willingly sacrificed himself, even though he knew that it would cost him everything..."

"Don’t you dare!!"

Viktor’s roar drowned out Cassian’s words.

"Don’t you dare say that! Don’t talk about Qiu Tailang as though he willingly chose to do it! Don’t make it sound like it was his own decision! You drove Qiu Tailang into a corner! It’s true that Qiu Tailang risked his life to save the world, but you people were the ones who forced him into it!"