Not All Heroes From Earth Are Bad [EN]: Chapter 101

“Hey, Hero! What’s with the nibbling? You’re gonna scare away all your good fortune!”

Rachel shouted, waving a toothpick.

She didn’t like how Choi Hyun-seok was eating.

“Dig in! Dig in and eat!”
“I don’t have much of an appetite today.”

Choi Hyun-seok listlessly poked at his plate.

Unable to watch any longer, Rachel strode over and placed her hand on Choi Hyun-seok’s stomach.

“Hmm, doesn’t feel particularly full…”

“What are you doing?”
“Checking if you’ve got a baby. Otherwise, there’s no way you’d lose your appetite, right?”
“Don’t make creepy jokes like that. And how can a guy get pregnant?”
“I’m originally free from prejudice.”
“It’s not about being free from prejudice, it’s about lacking common sense.”
“You could say that.”
“Those are completely different!”

Choi Hyun-seok, who had jumped up in agitation, slumped back down with a sigh.

“Forget it. I’m not really in the mood for jokes.”
“What’s wrong? Hero. Is something really wrong?”

Choi Hyun-seok’s mood was unusual.

Only then did Rachel abandon her playful attitude and ask seriously.

“Rachel.”

“Yes.”

“I’m supposed to be a Hero, but is this okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“I can’t help that I joined the Demon King’s army… but now it looks like I’m going to war against humans.”

In fact, it was a problem that would come sooner or later.

A fight against the same humans.

Of course, there had been such battles before, but the situation was different.

Back then, the enemy was after his life first, so it was self-defense.

He had to kill to survive.

Therefore, there was no regret or hesitation.

But it’s not like that now.

A large number of humans who have nothing to do with him.

He was faced with a situation where he had to fight against humans who were just fighting against the demons to survive.

“Hmm~”

Rachel speared a fruit with her toothpick and put it in her mouth.

She chewed the fruit, swallowed it, and said.

“It can’t be helped! It’s the situation, isn’t it?”

Her tone suggested there was nothing wrong with it.

Then, she spears a new fruit with her toothpick.

She says it so casually that it’s almost embarrassing.

“I’m pretty sure you used to rant about the duties of a Hero.”
“That was then, and this is now!”
“You live life so easily.”

Rachel’s personality was nothing new now.

However, before, there was at least a clear purpose of protecting humans and eliminating the Demon King.

But now, whether she’s really gone crazy or has adapted to the environment.

“This is like sacrificing the few for the sake of the many!”

She was justifying the situation while spouting such words.

‘Well, considering the situation so far, it’s true that the concepts of good and evil, and justice, are wavering.’

Human = Good = Justice

Demon = Evil = Injustice

It was almost like a formula.

You could call it a stereotype.

But is that really the case?

As a result of observing so far, Choi Hyun-seok’s thoughts were so-so.

‘This much is certain. The duty of a Hero is not simply to eliminate demons.’

You can see it from the Hero quests that have appeared so far.

Starting with the content to gain recognition from the demons.

There were even quests to kill the same humans or Heroes.

Looking at the quest content alone, you might even suspect that you are not a Hero but a villain.

‘There’s a high probability of one of two things.’

Either humans are not justice.

Or the Hero is not an existence that pursues justice.

Choi Hyun-seok placed weight on the idea that there was an answer in one of these two.

“Choi Hyun-seok.”

Abelson’s voice was heard.

She was eating with them, but she had been listening to Choi Hyun-seok and Rachel’s conversation without saying a word, and then opened her mouth.

“Don’t worry too much.”
“I don’t really want to worry, but it’s not working out as I’d like.”

He had been feeling uneasy ever since the Teppo Massacre.

Abelson nodded as if she agreed.

“I don’t know if it will help… but I can tell you about Heroes.”
“About Heroes?”

“Yes. To be exact, I should say the reason why Heroes exist.”

“Oh ho.”

Choi Hyun-seok showed interest.

The reason for the existence of Heroes.

To be honest, he hadn’t had any particular questions, but in the current situation, it was really necessary information.

“Isn’t the Hero there to eliminate the Demon King?”
“It’s similar, but wrong. The elimination of the Demon King is a process.”

The elimination of the Demon King is just a process to achieve the goal.

Then what is the real purpose of the Hero?

“Heroes are beings created from the wishes of everyone.”

“The wishes of everyone…”

“Yes. Wishes are things that you desperately want. That’s happiness.”
“So, you’re saying that Heroes exist for happiness?”
“To put it simply, yes. Heroes exist for the happiness of the absolute majority.”

The happiness of the absolute majority.

Even if they are human, they will not only give happiness to other humans.

Rather, it may be the same humans that make humans the most miserable.

From this point of view, you can understand the Hero quest to eliminate humans.

However, not all questions are resolved.

If it is for the happiness of humans, then why did the quest to gain the trust of the demons come out?

“Does that absolute majority include demons?”
“Well… I don’t really know either.”

Abelson, who was staring at the air for a moment as if thinking about something, continued.

“But this much is certain.”

She turned her head and looked at Choi Hyun-seok.

“The fact that this world is flowing differently from the happiness of everyone.”

Choi Hyun-seok saw himself reflected in Abelson’s silver eyes.

Mysterious eyes that seemed to suck you in looked at him as if digging up everything.

“That’s why an existence like Choi Hyun-seok is needed, right?”
“I still don’t really know.”

Choi Hyun-seok scratched his head.

Then, Rachel, who was next to him, raised her toothpick high.

“Hero! Hero, you just need to trust and follow Rachel! You’ll only get a headache if you worry with that bad head of yours!”

“You really!”

Choi Hyun-seok snatched the toothpick and stabbed Rachel, who was fidgeting in front of him.

“Ugh! It stings! It stings!”
“Die for the happiness of the absolute majority!”

“Kyaa!”

Choi Hyun-seok was fulfilling his duty as a Hero when.

A familiar cow head approached.

“Choi Hyun-seok. So, you were here.”

“Raidrun-nim [respected Raidrun]!”

Choi Hyun-seok threw away the toothpick he was holding and stood up from his seat.

“Did the meeting go well?”
“I have something to tell you regarding the meeting.”

***

Raidrun briefly explained what had happened in the conference room.

Choi Hyun-seok’s face hardened as he heard the whole story.

“You’re saying you’re going to launch a preemptive strike before the enemy besieges Gadrak Castle?”

“That’s right.”

Gratz’s plan was simple.

“The human army is coming from all directions, so let’s take them down one by one before they unite!” – That’s it.

“It looks sloppy, but it’s a good plan. The better the plan, the simpler it is.”
“I understand that, but…”

Choi Hyun-seok had no complaints about the plan itself.

The 8th Division leaving Gadrak Castle and launching a preemptive strike would be a good move to catch the enemy off guard.

What he was wondering about was Raidrun.

“Why are you acting alone, Raidrun-nim?”

In this operation, Raidrun moves alone.

Most of the soldiers and officers of the 8th Division are heading to the battlefield, but only Raidrun is moving alone.

It didn’t make sense.

“As I said, my mission is to assassinate the enemy commander and destroy small units. It’s an operation that requires mobility and stealth, so it’s not bad to move alone.”

“That’s true, but…”

“I’m sorry. I don’t have time, so I’ll be going. Choi Hyun-seok. You stay in the castle and wait.”

“I understand.”

The moment Choi Hyun-seok answered, Raidrun was already running away.

Time is of the essence in this operation.

As the enemy is gathering in real time, you must leave right now to save even a little time.

It’s not just Raidrun.

Most of the soldiers and officers in Gadrak Castle were leaving for the battlefield.

Choi Hyun-seok stroked his chin as he watched the backs of those moving away.

“Something’s strange…”

“Hmm~ I agree.”

Rachel also stroked her chin, following Choi Hyun-seok, and made a serious expression.

“Don’t you think the situation is too coincidental?”

The enemy gathers at Gadrak Castle as soon as Choi Hyun-seok’s group arrives.

In response, Gratz, who had been holed up in the castle until now, steps out of the castle.

There is a possibility that it is just a coincidence, but he couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was fishy.

“That crocodile head. His eyes were sinister. He looked like a master of scheming.”
“That’s right. And it’s strange that they’re not moving me and Abelson-ssi either.”

Abelson doesn’t exert much power against humans, so they might leave her alone.

But Choi Hyun-seok is different.

Currently, he is a fairly valuable force, ranking at the top among battalion commanders.

The 8th Division, which is short on hands, is leaving such a force alone?

It was strange.

“If it were me, I would have squeezed him somehow and sucked out all the sweet stuff.”
“From the start, he’s a guy I don’t like, so I might throw him into enemy territory and kill him!”

As expected of the strongest personality, Rachel was throwing out vicious plans without hesitation.

In an instant, Choi Hyun-seok’s eyes flashed.

“That’s it!”

“Yes? What is it?”

“The reason why they made Raidrun move alone. Could it be that they’re trying to trap him?”
“Eh~ that’s not it.”

“Why?”

“What’s the benefit of doing that? If Cow Head dies, it’s a loss of power for the Demon King’s army.”

“That’s true.”

“And what do you mean by trapping him? In this situation, it wouldn’t be good for the same Demon King’s army to shed blood. Could it be that that crocodile head made a deal with humans? Isn’t that too unrealistic a delusion?”

“…”

“Well, even if the crocodile head really prepared a trap, there’s something strange. If there’s a trap, why did they leave us here? If it were me, I would have prepared a trap and sent the Hero along as a set. Don’t you think so?”

Choi Hyun-seok couldn’t help but be embarrassed by Rachel’s sharp criticism.

He couldn’t think of anything to refute.

“Hey. Why are you suddenly causing a character breakdown? Just stay as the stupid Rachel!”
“Rachel was originally smart!”
“You were originally smart? I’d rather believe that Hemis is actually a stunning beauty, not a lip monster. Say something that makes sense.”
“Eek! I’ve said everything!?”

Rachel punched Choi Hyun-seok’s chest repeatedly.

But it didn’t even tickle.

At that time, Abelson, who had been listening to the story next to him, raised her hand.

“Just a moment.”

Choi Hyun-seok, who was squeezing Rachel’s cheeks, stopped and turned around.

“What we were talking about earlier. Crocodile head… what if that Gratz really made a deal with humans?”
“Do you know something?”

“I have no evidence. But it’s a plausible thing to happen.”
“I don’t understand. Demons and humans are so eager to kill each other, but they’re making deals?”
“I heard a story that the Demon King and the Pope made a secret agreement in the past to maintain the front line. To drag out the war. Most people dismiss it as a ridiculous story, but I believe it’s true.”
“A secret agreement… if that’s true…”

Choi Hyun-seok’s mind started racing.

This is the front line.

It has been said that the front line has been fixed for over 100 years.

What if the reason for that is not simply because of equal power, but because of a secret agreement between the Demon King and the Pope?

It would be stranger if there were no communication or transactions between humans and demons, and front-line commanders.

“Raidrun is in danger!”

Hemis is not here now.

Raidrun is the only shield to protect Choi Hyun-seok.

What would happen if he disappeared?

Choi Hyun-seok opened his mouth with a stiff face.

“Rachel. Pack your bags.”

“Yes!”