Not All Heroes From Earth Are Bad [EN]: Chapter 247

Park Hyun-ah blinked, her mind struggling to catch up.

The Emperor of the Drasen Empire?

Was she hallucinating?

“What did you say?”

“The Emperor of the Drasen Empire wants to meet us.”

She hadn’t misheard.

Park Hyun-ah shot to her feet.

“What the hell are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“I don’t know either, but Olaven said so. The Emperor wants to see us.”

“Why?”

“He wouldn’t tell me the reason. He said he’d explain when we meet.”

Park Hyun-ah frowned, crossing her arms.

“Hmm, something’s fishy…”

“I agree. There’s no way he’d suddenly want to see us. He must have an ulterior motive, but I can’t guess what it is.”

So far, their only contact with the Drasen Empire had been through Olaven Grimier.

She’d later learned he was essentially the Emperor’s right-hand man.

One of the top three most powerful figures in the Drasen Empire, second only to the Emperor.

Therefore, working with Olaven Grimier had been seamless.

The same went for the Drasen Empire.

That meant there was no apparent reason for the Emperor to suddenly request a personal meeting.

“Hero! Could it be a trap!?”

Rahel, who had been eavesdropping, suddenly piped up.

“A trap out of nowhere?”

“They’re going to lure the Hero in and then *snip snip*!”

“What would the Drasen Empire gain from that?”

“Umm…”

Rahel’s eyes darted around as she pondered, then she offered a sheepish smile.

“I don’t really know.”

“Exactly. It looks like a trap on the surface, but they wouldn’t benefit from it.”

From the Drasen Empire’s perspective, Choi Hyun-seok and Park Hyun-ah were assets.

They were dealing with the dangerous Gatrein and the Deusis Church independently, so they should be grateful.

In fact, Olaven Grimier had explicitly stated his gratitude.

“Sir Choi Hyun-seok, Lady Park Hyun-ah. We are eternally grateful to you. If the war ever ends, please visit our Empire’s capital. I’ll treat you to a feast.”

He hadn’t seemed insincere at the time.

Besides, if they wanted to eliminate Choi Hyun-seok and Park Hyun-ah, they wouldn’t need to lure them to the Drasen Empire’s capital.

They could simply provide false information and lead them into a Gatrein ambush.

Why get their hands dirty when they could achieve their goal indirectly?

That was Drasen’s preferred method thus far.

“I don’t know.”

“I don’t know, either.”

“I don’t know!”

No matter how much they speculated, they couldn’t decipher the Emperor’s intentions.

It would be helpful if they simply stated the reason, but they stubbornly refused.

Ultimately, Choi Hyun-seok made a decision.

“Let’s just go.”

They had been collaborating with the Drasen Empire for a considerable time.

A relationship built on trust, not mere acquaintance.

They were consistently thorough in their cost-benefit analyses and made rational decisions, which made them trustworthy.

“I believe there’s a valid reason this time as well.”

“Yeah. I can’t figure it out no matter how hard I think, so let’s just go. We’ve received their help until now, too.”

And so, the journey to Dracel, the capital of the Drasen Empire, began.

***

It had been several years since Choi Hyun-seok had arrived in this other world.

He believed he had adapted to most aspects of it by now.

Magic, monsters, war, lifestyle.

He had grown accustomed to everything, so he assumed there would be no more surprises in this new world.

That was until he arrived in Dracel, the capital of the Drasen Empire.

“This is seriously amazing.”

Choi Hyun-seok’s jaw dropped in astonishment.

He couldn’t tear his gaze away from the city sprawling below.

“How is it so big…?”

The city seemed to stretch endlessly into the horizon.

There were even buildings that rivaled skyscrapers in height.

The meticulously maintained streets bustled with people dressed in what were clearly high-end clothes.

Roads, seemingly reserved for carriages, crisscrossed like an intricate spider web.

“There was a city like this in this world…”

“I was shocked at first too. I thought only barbarians lived here.”

The expression was a bit harsh, but he agreed with her sentiment.

The cities Choi Hyun-seok had visited so far were only marginally more advanced than medieval Earth.

The largest city he could recall was Delos, the capital of the Odria Federation, but it lacked this organized feel entirely.

It felt like a chaotic mess with a large population crammed into a small area.

It was incomparable to this pristine city before him.

“Dracel is the largest and most developed city on the continent. The population alone is over 1.5 million.”

“1. 5 million…? I think the population of the Marriott Kingdom was said to be 2 million…”

“The city’s defenses are even more incredible. Once Dracel goes into defensive mode, no one can get in, not even legends. I might be able to barely create a passage after pounding on it for half a day.”

It was one shock after another.

Was this what they called the strongest country on the continent?

Olaven Grimier had always subtly expressed pride in his country, and now he understood why.

In fact, the expressions of the people strolling along the streets were all bright and carefree.

They didn’t seem to feel any threat.

He could sense the confidence [the Korean word is 余裕, yeoyu, which means a state of having enough resources, time, or ability to handle a situation comfortably] of a powerful nation.

“I’m sorry. Did I keep you waiting?”

A familiar voice came from behind.

Turning around, he saw Olaven Grimier approaching.

“It’s alright. It’s fun to look around.”

“Haha! Is this your first time visiting Dracel?”

“It’s my first time in Drasen itself. It’s more amazing than I thought, so I can’t close my mouth.”

“That’s why I said it at first, didn’t I? We already have everything.”

“Ah…”

Certainly, Olaven had said that during their first meeting.

“Our Drasen Empire no longer desires war. Because we already have everything.”

“The most fertile land on the continent. A powerful army. All sorts of rare goods all belong to the Drasen Empire.”

At the time, he had dismissed it as delusion or bravado.

But, after experiencing it firsthand, he understood.

Olaven Grimier was simply stating a plain fact.

“Shall we head to the Imperial Palace? His Majesty is waiting.”

“Let’s go.”

He didn’t ask why the Emperor was looking for him after traveling all this way.

He would find out soon enough.

However, Choi Hyun-seok had another question.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Feel free to ask.”

“Just looking at the city, I can tell that Drasen’s national power is the best on the continent.”

Of course, you couldn’t fully grasp a country’s power just by observing the level of urban development.

However, witnessing such an overwhelming sight, no one would doubt that Drasen was the strongest country on the continent.

“Why do you leave Gatrein alone? Isn’t it possible to just grit your teeth and wipe them out, even if it’s a bit annoying?”

“Hmm, there are two main reasons for that.”

Olaven Grimier stroked his well-groomed beard and continued his explanation.

“The first is, as I said before, His Majesty no longer desires war.”

This was also a reason he had heard during their first meeting.

Choi Hyun-seok waited for Olaven’s next point.

“The other is that Gatrein is also a powerful country that cannot be ignored.”

“Is Gatrein that strong? Enough for Drasen to be afraid of?”

“Well, that’s not it. According to our analysis bureau’s judgment, the power ratio between Drasen and Gatrein is 7 to 3. Even if a war breaks out, we can defeat Gatrein without much difficulty. But…”

Olaven Grimier let out a small sigh.

“They have the Deusis Church.”

“Ah.”

“The Deusis Church is the largest religion on the continent. When Gatrein and Deusis combine, the power ratio is reversed to 4 to 6. Considering the 철귀 [cheolgui, literally ‘iron demons,’ likely referring to some kind of powerful weapon or unit] that Gatrein has been hiding recently, it’s practically 3 to 7. About that much.”

If the power ratio was 3 to 7, you should practically consider it a guaranteed defeat.

Even this powerful country was bound to lose.

He could once again appreciate how formidable Gatrein and the Deusis Church were.

“Isn’t it amazing that you two are fighting against such formidable enemies alone? Haha!”

While they were talking.

The group had already arrived in front of a massive castle wall.

The castle wall that bisected the city center seemed to exude tremendous strength at first glance.

“This is the inner castle wall. If you pass through here, you’ll immediately see the Imperial Palace.”

“Let’s go right away. I’m curious how amazing the Imperial Palace will be.”

***

As expected, the Imperial Palace was breathtaking.

The architectural techniques seemed distinct from those of other kingdoms.

Vast mana flowed, seemingly protecting the entire Imperial Palace.

Choi Hyun-seok would probably have to exert considerable effort to destroy this Imperial Palace.

‘The interior is also decorated very well…’

The inside of the Imperial Palace was adorned with all sorts of treasures.

However, it didn’t feel ostentatious at all.

It was splendid yet elegant, and dignified.

He had the impression that his own stature was increasing simply by walking down the hallway.

“If you pass through this door, the Emperor will be waiting.”

“Is there anything I should be particularly careful about?”

Normally, he would have just opened the door and walked in, but the atmosphere was such that he couldn’t help but ask.

“Hmm… as long as you don’t say or do anything too rude, it should be fine. His Majesty is not a rigid person. Don’t worry.”

“I understand.”

Soon, the door opened.

Choi Hyun-seok and Park Hyun-ah entered a vast hall.

‘The inside is simpler than I thought.’

Contrary to the expectation that there would be countless people, there was only the Emperor and the servants attending him in the huge hall.

The Emperor smiled as he saw the group entering.

“Welcome to the Empire! Heroes! I am Lambert, the Emperor of Drasen.”

At the Emperor’s words, Park Hyun-ah knelt on one knee and bowed her head.

Choi Hyun-seok followed her lead, assessing the situation.

“Raise your heads. I have no intention of enforcing the etiquette of this country upon you.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

For some reason, Park Hyun-ah’s voice sounded refined.

Was this really Park Hyun-ah?

It was impossible unless she had been replaced while he was distracted by the city tour.

Choi Hyun-seok quietly whispered to Park Hyun-ah.

“Where did you hide your sister?”

“Shut up.”

It was Park Hyun-ah.

In other words, even the cocky and gangster-like Park Hyun-ah was showing respect in front of the Emperor of Drasen.

While Park Hyun-ah and the Emperor were exchanging pleasantries.

Choi Hyun-seok scrutinized Emperor Lambert.

‘He certainly… doesn’t seem like an ordinary person.’

His magic power wasn’t particularly strong.

As an Emperor, he had trained to some extent, so he possessed mana at the level of a typical knight, but that was all.

He didn’t exude any great power.

His appearance wasn’t particularly striking either.

He was handsome, but not breathtakingly so.

He had a good physique, but he was moderately chubby, so he was far from an exceptionally trained body.

But why?

Choi Hyun-seok felt overwhelmed by the Emperor.

‘It’s strange.’

Perhaps it was because he had seen the magnificent city and Imperial Palace.

All of those things belonged to that Emperor.

However, he could instinctively tell.

He wasn’t overwhelmed by such material possessions.

‘It’s definitely not magic power… should I call it aura? There’s something about him that captivates people.’

The natural dignity and absolute authority that emanated from him.

You could call it charisma.

He had sensed it to some extent when interacting with Olaven Grimier, but the Emperor was on a different level.

‘Was he born like that? Or did the position make him like that?’

While these thoughts swirled in his mind.

Suddenly, Park Hyun-ah nudged his shoulder.

“What are you doing? Snap out of it.”

“Ah, I’m sorry. What were we talking about?”

He hadn’t heard the conversation at all because he was so engrossed in observing.

“I was just about to ask you for a favor.”

“A favor? What kind of favor?”

At that moment, the Emperor’s eyes darkened.

A heavy atmosphere filled the air.

Finally, he spoke.

“I have a favor to ask. Please die.”