Not All Heroes From Earth Are Bad [EN]: Chapter 32

The courtyard, situated at the heart of the Black Fortress, was where Choi Hyun-seok found himself standing, a knot of nervous energy.

Thump! Thump!

His heart hammered against his ribs like a trapped bird.

His hands trembled, a fine tremor that betrayed his inner turmoil, and a wave of dizziness washed over him, a clear symptom of his mounting anxiety.

‘How far is this going to go?’

He struggled to recall the last time he’d been on a date, truly alone, with a woman.

He couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment, but he estimated it had been close to three decades. Twenty-nine years, give or take.

In essence, this was a first.

‘It might be a little…intense if she’s as forward as she was in my dream…’

Not that he’d necessarily object, of course.

What man would turn away an assertive woman?

Choi Hyun-seok’s real concern stemmed from a piece of questionable advice he’d stumbled upon in some long-forgotten dating guide.

‘Do I need to play hard to get so I don’t seem too easy…?’

The absurd notion had taken root in his mind.

‘Okay, let’s aim for just kissing today….’

Just as Choi Hyun-seok’s imagination began to run wild, painting vivid scenarios in his mind.

Rustle!

A subtle sound from behind broke his reverie.

Choi Hyun-seok plastered on a smile and turned around.

“Ah! You’re here…?”

But the smile faltered, his expression hardening almost imperceptibly.

Standing behind Abelson were two hulking figures with distinctly bovine heads.

“Hello,” Abelson greeted him, her voice even and calm, her face as inscrutable as ever.

“Um… who are those cow, no, those…handsome people behind you?” Choi Hyun-seok stammered, trying to recover.

“They are escorts. I was told I am not permitted to go out alone,” she explained, the implication clear: the “cow-heads” were there to monitor her every move.

Choi Hyun-seok, possessing at least a modicum of social awareness, could only nod awkwardly.

“Yes…”

He felt a pang of self-pity, his earlier excitement at the prospect of a private date now thoroughly deflated.

“Shall we walk for now? We came out for a walk,” Abelson suggested, unfazed.

“Sure.”

The Black Fortress was a sprawling complex, its scale almost incomprehensible.

Even this garden, one of many nestled within its walls, was vast and expansive.

“Choi Hyun-seok, you are a Hero, correct?” Abelson inquired abruptly as they strolled along.

‘Why is she bringing this up now?’

Choi Hyun-seok felt a twinge of unease, but he nodded.

Since Hemis already knew everything, what did it matter?

“That’s right. How did you know?” he asked.

“Black hair is a common trait among both Demons and Heroes, though not all Heroes possess it,” she stated matter-of-factly.

“Ah…”

“Your performance in the duel yesterday was impressive,” Abelson added.

“Thank you. Hahaha!” Choi Hyun-seok responded, his laughter tinged with embarrassment at the unexpected compliment.

“May I ask you something as well?” she inquired.

“Yes, of course.”

“How old are you, Abelson?”

“I’m… twenty-one years old,” she replied.

Choi Hyun-seok nodded thoughtfully, processing the information.

“There’s an old saying that an eight-year age difference is perfect,” he declared.

“Pardon…?”

Utter bewilderment flickered across Abelson’s face, a rare display of emotion for her.

‘What is this crazy guy saying?’ she wondered.

She searched his face for any hint of jest, but found only earnestness.

Then, Choi Hyun-seok, sensing Abelson’s discomfort, pressed on.

“Is it possible that a Saintess cannot marry?”

Abelson closed her eyes, a silent plea for strength.

‘Where is my scripture…?’

She mentally located her thick, weighty religious text.

‘If I strike his head with it, this black-haired beast will come to his senses,’ she mused darkly.

The scripture, filled with sacred doctrine, was substantial.

Imbued with divine power, a blow to the head might just knock some sense into this hopeless Hero.

A Saintess contemplating assaulting a Hero with a sacred scripture – the situation was undeniably bizarre.

“Um… if it’s a sensitive topic, you can answer later. I’m only twenty-nine, so I can wait long enough,” Choi Hyun-seok added, oblivious to her inner turmoil.
The words ‘I will never answer that in my life’ threatened to spill from her lips.

What on earth was this Hero thinking?

Abelson was forced to concede that this man, who so easily shattered her composure, was far more dangerous than she had initially assessed.

“Choi Hyun-seok, as you said, let’s discuss that later….”

But just as Abelson bit her lip, searching for a way to defuse the situation, an unexpected lifeline appeared.

“Choi Hyun-seok! You were here!”

Raiderun, the hulking cow-head, had arrived.

Choi Hyun-seok’s face momentarily crumpled at the sight of his imposing figure.

However, he swiftly composed himself, masking his dismay with a practiced ease.

“Raiderun-nim! What’s going on?” Choi Hyun-seok greeted him with a smile as bright as the sun, appearing genuinely pleased to see him.

‘The more I get to know him, the stranger he is…’ Abelson sighed inwardly, observing the unfolding scene.

Raiderun continued, his voice booming.

“Choi Hyun-seok, you won the duel, didn’t you?”

“Yes! That’s right!”

“Therefore, you must assume the position of squad leader.”

“Pardon…?”

“Follow me. The Legion Commander wishes to see you first. We will hold the squad leader inauguration ceremony tomorrow at dawn.”

It was a double whammy, a bolt from the blue that left Choi Hyun-seok reeling.

***

They say that if you love each other, you begin to resemble each other.

Choi Hyun-seok’s expression as he trailed behind Raiderun was a perfect imitation of a cow being led to slaughter.

Apparently, mutual affection wasn’t a prerequisite for such resemblance.

Choi Hyun-seok was demonstrating, with every fiber of his being, that one-sided… something… could achieve the same effect.

‘My dreamlike date…’

He hadn’t even managed to hold her hand, and the date was already over.

He felt a surge of resentment, a burning frustration that threatened to consume him.

He had never resented Hemis and Raiderun as much as he did at this moment.

‘The atmosphere was really good…!’

Or so he believed.

Objectively speaking, Hemis and Raiderun had inadvertently saved him from a potentially disastrous outcome.

Had the conversation continued on its previous trajectory, he might have been on the receiving end of a stinging slap, or worse, a concussion courtesy of the sacred scripture.

Regardless of his perception, he had narrowly avoided a calamitous situation thanks to Raiderun’s timely intervention.

‘Hmm, but why is the lip monster looking for me?’

As he walked, his initial disappointment began to subside, replaced by a growing sense of unease.

With his rational faculties returning, anxiety crept in.

‘Besides, squad leader… this wasn’t part of the plan.’

The prospect of wearing that particular hat filled him with dread.

He felt a profound sense of foreboding.

He had never imagined that winning against Kurken would transform him into a legitimate soldier in the Demon King Army.

He was, after all, human.

There was no way he could truly thrive among the monstrous ranks of the Demon King Army.

Hemis was well aware of this, which was why she hadn’t assigned him as Bobo’s caretaker.

‘Let’s wait and see. Maybe they’ll just decide on the next duel opponent, and this will all be over.’

Lost in thought, he arrived at Hemis’s office before he realized it.

Knock knock.

Raiderun rapped on the door.

“Come in,” Hemis’s voice, as captivating as ever, echoed from within.

“I brought Choi Hyun-seok,” Raiderun announced.

“Good job.”

Hemis was perched on the edge of her desk, legs crossed, exuding an air of casual authority.

She fixed her gaze on Choi Hyun-seok and spoke.

“I watched the duel. You performed well.”

“Thank you.”

“Your performance has been quite impressive lately, hasn’t it?”

“Ah, it’s nothing….”

“Surviving the training camp where I threw you to die, surviving Queen Talas, and surviving in the duel arena.”

Choi Hyun-seok, who had been scratching the back of his head, assuming he was being praised, froze.

“I must admit, our Hero is remarkably persistent.”

“I’m sorry…” Choi Hyun-seok mumbled, his face clouding over.

“Oh my? Sorry. I’m praising you. Relax, there’s no need to be so tense,” Hemis said, her voice laced with amusement.

But her words only amplified his discomfort.

‘Is that even something to say…?’

Hemis had openly admitted that she had sent him to the training camp to die and thrust him into the duel arena.

All Choi Hyun-seok had done was desperately cling to life.

In doing so, he had inadvertently interfered with Hemis’s plans.

To put it bluntly, if she disliked him, she could simply snap her fingers, and he would cease to exist.

“Do you recall the offer I made to you?” she asked.

“Yes, I remember,” he replied.

There was no way he could forget.

The deal was straightforward enough.

“In exchange for dueling against the opponent designated by the Legion Commander, you would ensure my protection during that period.”

A duel held once a month.

In return, Hemis guaranteed Choi Hyun-seok’s safety during that time.

That was the essence of their agreement.

“That’s right. But do you remember the reason behind that offer in the first place?”

At Hemis’s question, Choi Hyun-seok’s eyes darted around, his mind racing.

‘Why did Hemis propose a deal?’

He frantically searched his memory.

“There are only idiots in the Demon King Army.”

“Have you ever considered becoming an executive?”

“If you were to appoint him as a battalion commander, wouldn’t he be useful?”

Fortunately, he managed to recall his conversation with Hemis.

“You suggested that I become an executive and work under you, Hemis-nim,” he said.

“You have a good memory,” Hemis said, nodding in satisfaction.

“Now that I’m being honest, that was just an excuse. A form of…hope torture? I didn’t expect you to last long; I assumed you would die anyway.”

Until now, Choi Hyun-seok had been nothing more than a plaything to Hemis.

A disposable pawn.

“But I’ve changed my mind,” she declared.

His performance in the duel had altered her perception.

Choi Hyun-seok’s talent was more remarkable than she had initially believed.

Perhaps he could genuinely ascend to the ranks of commander or staff officer in a relatively short time.

“I’m going to start taking you more seriously from now on,” she announced.

“Thank you!” Choi Hyun-seok exclaimed, a flicker of hope igniting within him.

“Don’t get too excited. It doesn’t mean things will be any easier for you,” Hemis cautioned, dampening his enthusiasm.

Choi Hyun-seok’s face, which had been beaming, darkened once more.

“I will continue to present obstacles in your path, and you will have to overcome them.”

The fundamental dynamic remained unchanged.

Hemis would continue to subject him to trials.

Only after he had successfully navigated these challenges would she consider accepting him as a genuine subordinate.

‘Should I be happy about this or not…’

Choi Hyun-seok, whose ultimate goal was to escape the Demon King Army, was torn between laughter and tears.

“Now, let’s get to the main reason I summoned you here today,” Hemis said.

“Are you going to designate my next duel opponent?” he asked.

“No. Wrong.”

Hemis’s lips curled into a mischievous smile.

“Raiderun, did you say that Choi Hyun-seok is more suited to the Demon King Army than anyone else and possesses the potential to become a commander?”

“Yes, that’s correct,” Raiderun confirmed, standing beside her.

“So, this time, shall we try something other than a duel?” Hemis asked, stepping down from the desk and slowly approaching him.

“We can’t simply confine our exceptional Hero to the role of squad leader, can we?”

Hemis gently stroked Choi Hyun-seok’s chest with her pale hand as she continued.

“You will be a company commander from now on. To be precise, a culinary company commander.”

“Pardon…?”

The unexpected proposal caught him completely off guard.

Choi Hyun-seok blinked in disbelief.

“You are aware that our unit has a dedicated culinary company, correct?”

“Yes, I know.”

There was no way he could be ignorant of that fact.

He had spent a considerable amount of time hunting alongside the head chef, Kulkan, and his cooks.

“As you know, the culinary company suffered devastating losses recently. As a result, the executives are not receiving proper meals.”

While most ordinary soldiers were responsible for their own sustenance, the high-ranking executives were accustomed to a higher standard.

They expected meals prepared with freshly caught monster meat.

The Demon King Army executives were a group of discerning gourmets, rivaling even Bobo in their culinary demands.

But with the cooks decimated, they were deprived of their gourmet meals, leading to growing discontent.

“I understand the situation,” Choi Hyun-seok said, nodding in comprehension.

“I will grant you the authority to select your own cooks. Do you think you can handle it?” Hemis asked.

Before he could even weigh the pros and cons, he knew he had no choice.

He could hardly refuse a direct order from the Legion Commander.

Choi Hyun-seok snapped to attention and raised his hand in a crisp salute.

“Leave it to me!”

“Yes, that’s the spirit. This is more important than you realize. I trust you will succeed,” Hemis said.

“I will not disappoint the Legion Commander!”

Head Chef Choi Hyun-seok!

Succeeding Kulkan, he had only one overriding ambition.

‘I must not die as meaninglessly as Kulkan.’

Choi Hyun-seok yearned to live a long and fulfilling life.