Chapter 175

Chapter 175
## Chapter 175

In the Hero’s Footsteps (2)

“My goodness— My deepest gratitude, Saint.”

“You are out of danger now. Moving forward… Oh?”

Heinrich, who had been bestowing a warm and gentle smile upon a patient he just cured after purging yet another dark presence, abruptly paused mid-sentence.

“…Saint?”

“Pardon? Ah, it is of no consequence. I merely received a fresh divine message.”

“Oh, heavens—! No, please forgive us! W-we are getting in the way…”

“Hahaha, the treatment is already concluded, so please do not trouble yourself.”

He swiftly scanned the empty air before him and dismissed the matter with an easygoing tone, acting before anyone could perceive his brief lapse in focus.

To the onlookers, a sudden ‘divine message’ was hardly a cause for skepticism, given that his prophetic insights had achieved an astonishing rate of precision and were now considered a regular occurrence.

Though Heinrich maintained his brisk pace, his consciousness was entirely absorbed in evaluating the newly unlocked attribute.

‘I suspected something like this might happen ever since Hans became branded as the world’s adversary, and indeed, a parallel milestone exists for the defender of humanity.’

Furthermore, the prerequisites appeared far less demanding.

In contrast to ‘Enemy of the World’, which demanded a massive accumulation of raw malice and direct hostility, this particular honor seemed attainable merely by earning the genuine gratitude and recognition of the populace.

《The efficacy of “In the Hero’s Footsteps” will escalate further as the clarity of your journey intensifies.》

The subsequent notification that materialized only served to validate his hypothesis.

This implied that the attribute would gain power in direct proportion to the magnitude of his influence over the masses!

The capability granted by “In the Hero’s Footsteps”—which he earned through his relentless efforts to establish his renown across the lands—was the power of ‘instantaneous relocation to any previously encountered location’.

Granted, it did not possess the cross-dimensional utility of “Interdimensional Transfer Formation Summon”, and it carried a strict restriction of a single activation every seventy-two hours…

‘An incremental upgrade to my mobility options is always a welcome development. Should I succeed in transforming the public’s perception of Heinrich from simple admiration to absolute devotion, that restriction might even be mitigated.’

Most importantly, the aspect that brought him the greatest satisfaction was that the remaining manifestations, excluding the duo of Hans and Heinrich, could now traverse immense distances rapidly.

This applied equally to the alternate realm and to Earth itself!

‘Deploying manifestations on distant missions will become significantly less complicated. This is an indispensable asset for countering the Heaven’s Turn Society. Heinrich now possesses an additional incentive to apply himself.’

At the moment, Hans was single-handedly managing affairs back on Earth, but circumstances would inevitably arise demanding the intervention of the others.

Enhancing this specific trait beforehand would undoubtedly yield significant advantages down the line.

“Shall we proceed then?”

Heinrich assembled his companions once his public relations tasks were finalized for the day.

The rest of the group had been diligently fulfilling their own responsibilities, keeping watch over the perimeter and assisting in the restoration efforts, a routine they had already enacted multiple times across different locales.

Naturally, regardless of their dedication, they could never replicate the level of adulation showered upon Heinrich, who held the simultaneous titles of party commander, legendary champion, and Saint.

The collective renown of the remaining three members likely fell short of even half of his personal standing.

“Pardon me, Saint? How much longer must the four of us continue our travels alone? Our current arrangement suffices for minor skirmishes, but given that our ultimate objective is a direct confrontation with the Immortal King, shouldn’t we begin expanding our roster? Ah, please understand, I mean no disrespect to your leadership.”

It was at this juncture that Isea, who had been quietly making arrangements for their mystical transit, posed a tentative inquiry.

Her demeanor was exceptionally guarded, as they had initially agreed to grant the champion absolute authority over recruitment, yet her profound investment in their grand mission made it impossible to completely conceal her underlying apprehension.

In a similar vein, Geos Calkin, the silver-haired lancer, shifted his attention toward the conversation, his curiosity visibly piqued by the mention of the Immortal King.

His appearance remained intimidating, marred by minor splatters of blood across his detached expression—the evident result of his customary practice of hunting down fleeing heretical sorcerers under the guise of outer perimeter surveillance.

“Hahaha! What is the great rush? As the old proverb goes, whenever a gathering reaches five individuals, at least one is guaranteed to be utter garbage. One must exercise extreme caution when vetting potential comrades.”

Harley, the hulking tribal fighter, let out a boisterous laugh to break the sudden tension that had settled over the group.

Internally, however, he experienced a momentary jolt of panic immediately after the words left his mouth…

He realized a second too late that the witty remark he utilized to ease the friction was actually a piece of popular digital culture from Earth.

Worse still, he had uttered it directly in front of Isea, who originated from Korea!

“Hmm… There is certainly truth in that sentiment. It possesses a philosophical depth. Even so, does our current combat capacity not seem overly vulnerable for a clash with the Immortal King? I believe identifying and integrating the individuals who will stand beside us as early as possible would be the wisest course.”

Fortunately, she merely cocked her head in slight contemplation, remaining an exemplary student whose historical focus had kept her entirely insulated from modern digital subcultures.

In truth, variations of that maxim existed in numerous cultures across the world, making it a mundane statement, but Heinrich, who had momentarily tensed up, swiftly intervened to guide the discussion.

“Rest assured, I have no intention of maintaining this limited group indefinitely. In fact, I have already identified a few prime candidates. I have simply withheld invitations because the circumstances have not aligned, but you can expect to encounter them in the near future during the upcoming second Continental Summit.”

“…The second gathering… Very well. That provides clarity.”

Isea murmured under her breath, offering a slow nod of assent.

Yet, the lingering shadow across her features suggested that his reassurance had done little to truly alleviate her burdens.

‘Indeed, nearly two whole months have transpired since the royal daughter was abducted. Reflecting on it, her correspondence with her loyalists has grown significantly more intense of late… ’

Even though ‘Viscount Isea Pristine’, a foundational pillar of the Fifth Princess’s political bloc, was currently traveling alongside the champion and ascending in public estimation, it remained a stopgap measure in the prolonged absence of Princess Riley, the very anchor of their faction.

Compounding the issue, reports indicated that the second and sixth royal sons were aggressively consolidating their own factions to capitalize on the vacuum, meaning her anxieties were entirely justified.

‘It appears I have inadvertently created an excess of complications. I was precisely on the verge of initiating proper arrangements… Wait a moment.’

Right then, a sudden realization struck him concerning the fresh capability he had just unlocked.

Because of this unpredicted supernatural asset, the entire elaborate strategy he had formulated was rendered completely redundant.

‘Well, I certainly have no ground for complaints… It simply feels remarkably anti-climactic.’

There was no longer any merit in pursuing a convoluted and risky path, as it would only introduce unnecessary vectors for their overarching narrative credibility to be compromised by minor errors.

An uncomplicated, direct strategy was far superior.

‘The direct approach is always superior. Let us execute it immediately.’

—

“Whew~ A deeply fulfilling day’s labor.”

Lilith… or rather, Siana, who functioned as the primary administrator for the residential sectors of the Immortal Fortress and held personal custody over Crown Prince Simon, strolled through the manicured greenery of the secondary residential zone with a look of immense contentment.

Initially, she had been cast into utter despair upon her conscription into the ranks of the undead monarch’s forces, but finding a consistent emotional outlet in the systematic humiliation of the royal heir had made her current existence surprisingly tolerable.

‘This solitary amusement is what makes this tedious stronghold endurable. To think that the once-vaunted Simon has been reduced to my personal plaything! Oh, the sheer ecstasy of it~!’

During her extended tenure embedded within the highest echelons of imperial society, she had crossed paths with the royal heir on multiple occasions.

To be completely accurate, she had actively sought his company, aiming to ensnare his mind and reduce him to a political puppet.

However, despite her status as a primary commander within the legion of the dead, executing the seduction of the Empire’s future ruler without exposing her true nature was an impossible tightrope walk while simultaneously expending vast energy to maintain her mortal disguise.

A single misstep could have completely blown her cover.

Ultimately, she had resorted to leveraging her physical allure in the manner of any typical aristocratic maiden…

Yet, despite her absolute certainty of success at the outset, her endeavors yielded zero progression and concluded in an embarrassing stalemate.

‘…Had those interfering noble wretches not disrupted my designs, it would have been an effortless conquest!’

She could conjure a myriad of justifications.

The constant meddling of rival maidens backed by formidable duchies and the overwhelming political machinations were nearly absurd to recall.

It also occurred during an era when the royal heir actively sought an alliance with a dominant aristocratic household to cement his succession.

Nonetheless, the reality of her failure remained unaltered, leaving a permanent blow to her self-esteem as a creature of seduction.

‘Ugh, just remembering it sours my mood. Perhaps I should administer another round of behavioral correction?’

Spinning on her heel, she retraced her path, her pleasant demeanor entirely evaporated.

She set a course back toward the royal heir’s quarters, where he was undoubtedly resting in a state of utter physical and mental exhaustion.

“Hmm? What do we have here… The royal daughter and Hesperon.”

Her focus shifted toward two individuals, a young man and woman, conversing in hushed tones amidst the greenery outside one of the residential units.

Not only were visible currents of mystical energy swirling in their vicinity—indicative of their habitual sorcery practice—but a specialized barrier had been erected to seal them off from the environment.

“…Hph.”

Disrupting or bypassing such a minor barrier would have cost her negligible effort, but she deliberately averted her gaze and adjusted her stride to pass them by quickly.

She adhered strictly to her established protocols.

-Disregard any actions or words originating from the royal daughter and Hesperon.

That was the absolute decree handed down directly by their sovereign lord.

She was explicitly forbidden from interfering with them beyond ensuring basic survival requirements like sustenance, provided their fundamental safety remained uncompromised.

‘They are undoubtedly debating basic arcane theories. What meaningful defiance could they possibly manifest within these walls?’

Naturally, she was conscious of the fact that the young man was a traveler from another realm possessing a unique trait, but such potential would only materialize after a prolonged period of maturation.

What possible threat could his undeveloped talents pose during these nascent stages of his arrival?

‘Ha, it would be thoroughly entertaining if they were actively mapping out an escape plot. They lack the sheer audacity for such a reckless endeavor. Come to think of it, I wonder how Andrew is faring… His presence has been scarce of late.’

Siana resolved to check on his status in the coming days and dismissed the pair from her thoughts, entirely indifferent to the nature of their private dialogue.

Yet, as she walked out of earshot, the duo was precisely engaged in a discussion regarding their flight from captivity.

“Riley, you explicitly stated your desire to leave this place behind, correct?”

“What? Naturally I do. Do you honestly believe I remain here by choice?”

Riley offered him a look of sheer bewilderment.

Given her status as an unfree captive, it was a proposition that required no verbal confirmation.

“…I believe I possess the means to extract you from this fortress.”

In the face of her stunned silence,

Hesperon flashed a calculating, self-assured smirk that contrasted sharply with his usual demeanor.

—

[Kihihihik!]

[Hooo—]

Perched atop a soaring tower that projected beyond the main boundaries of the Immortal Fortress, hemmed in by towering mountain ridges.

The translucent forms of spiritual entities drifted about in ceaseless activity, while a solitary man sat curled in a distant corner, whispering frantically to himself.

“…I am finished, I am absolutely going to perish. My life ends in this bleak wasteland…”

His unwashed, sandy-blonde locks were thoroughly disheveled from extended neglect, and his listless, faded green eyes stared vacantly into the open air.

Andrew Weber, whose cognitive stability had fractured under the oppressive weight of his surroundings, watched the drifting apparitions that populated his immediate vicinity.

Their unstable, shimmering visages cutting through the atmosphere felt like a grim preview of his own impending doom, causing a wave of terror to ripple through him.

Even the release of death would offer no salvation, merely transitioning him into an eternity of forced labor…

‘…No! I refuse to let this place consume me!’

Andrew shook his head violently to dispel the horrifying mental image.

Yet, he possessed neither the personal strength required to break out of the Immortal Fortress, nor the confidence to evade recapture and survive the wilderness if he somehow managed to cross the threshold.

Even so…

There remained a solitary prospect to which he anchored his remaining sanity—.

“Just a fraction longer… just a small window of endurance…”

It was the singular purpose preventing his absolute collapse.

[Kuhhuhuuk—]

[Huuuuuuh!]

Whether he would ultimately grasp the liberation he so desperately coveted remained entirely uncertain.

*Smack!*

“Agh! Lilith! Mistress! What brought this on?!”

“I am simply experiencing a period of irritation. Now, Simon? Shall we engage in another sixty minutes of compliance structuring?”

“Eek—!”

…Evidently, there existed at least one occupant within these dark battlements who lacked even the luxury of time to contemplate freedom.