Fuze carefully tied the letter he had written to the leg of a trained messenger pigeon, making sure it was firmly secured before releasing it into the air.
The bird flapped its wings powerfully and quickly gained altitude, gradually disappearing into the vast sky above Blumund. As he watched it vanish beyond the horizon, the tension etched on his face eased slightly, and the deep wrinkles on his brow softened a little.
He truly hoped that the letter would reach the Guild Grandmaster without any issues.
There were many questions hammering at his mind—especially concerning Arthur—but before anything else, Fuze needed to report everything that had happened to Yuuki Kagurazaka.
That faint yet strangely oppressive aura the boy had emitted when they first met was still vivid in his memory, causing him an unease that was difficult to put into words.
Moreover… what exactly had happened in the Jura Forest?
What could have driven so many monsters to abandon their natural territory and flee in such panic?
There were so many questions that Fuze did not even know where to begin.
What he did not know, however, was that the appearance of that supposed "Hero" had caused a drastic increase in the number of messenger pigeons crossing the skies of Blumund.
And one of those pigeons, in particular, belonged to the Blumund branch of the Western Holy Church.
Ordinary people knew little about heroes beyond popular stories and legends. However, the core members of the Western Holy Church possessed far deeper and more privileged information.
After all, many of the most famous heroes in history had been chosen and dispatched by the Western Holy Church.
Some of them had even been trained directly by the Clerics of the Seven Luminaries.
At present, the most renowned heroine in the world was, without a doubt, Hinata Sakaguchi, the Leader of the Ten Great Saints.
If a new hero had truly appeared in this world, he would certainly be a representative chosen by the Western Holy Church.
And upon arriving in Blumund, he would have announced his arrival in advance.
Even if he did not make it public, he would at least have contacted the authorities through official channels.
But this situation… was completely abnormal.
---xXx---
Arthur, on the other hand, did not care about any of this in the slightest.
Nearly three days had passed since the incident, and some things had changed.
Most notably, within himself.
Arthur had discovered that he had lost part of the abilities he had received through the login system.
On the other hand, he had also gained new abilities when he evolved into a true awakened hero.
Especially three supreme skills.
---xXx---
[Lord of Domination — Gilgamesh]
[Type — Ultimate Skill]
• Allows the user to store, comprehend, and reproduce any form of power that already exists, as long as it has been observed at least once.
• Allows the permanent theft of abilities from opponents killed by the user.
• Allows the user to dominate the will of those they consider targets.
• Grants resistance to manipulation of time, space, and mind.
---xXx---
[Lord of Laws — Hammurabi]
[Type — Ultimate Skill]
• Grants the user Absolute Authority over Laws, allowing them to define, impose, rewrite, and judge all rules that govern reality within their range.
---xXx---
[Lord of Space — Akasha]
[Type — Ultimate Skill]
• Grants the user total dominion over physical space.
---xXx---
[A/N: I might forget, but I'll write an extra chapter explaining these abilities in more detail.]
Arthur also realized that the Gate of Babylon was now, essentially, infinite.
Perhaps this was related to the fact that that strange version of himself had implanted its own heart into his body.
Another significant change was that he no longer needed to remain in Ellen's room.
Being famous had its perks.
All of his needs were met with extreme care, and everything offered to him was of the highest quality.
Almost everyone who saw him was seized by a fervor that bordered on religious devotion.
And that fervor only intensified as the pressure caused by the monsters increased, with creatures gathering ever closer to the edge of the Jura Forest.
Over the course of three days, reports of migrations within the Jura Forest became increasingly frequent, and everyone's nerves grew tighter with each passing day.
As a result, dozens of people abandoned the capital.
Consequently, the entire kingdom was on edge. And it was not just the common citizens—even the king showed clear signs of anxiety.
The growing number of migrating Majins was simply terrifying.
[A/N: Majins are monsters that possess intelligence and rational thinking similar to humans and demi-humans.]
---xXx---
The Royal Palace.
Fuze, Arthur, and the commander of the Royal Guard had been summoned for a meeting.
Upon meeting the king for the first time, Arthur's immediate impression was simple and straightforward: he "didn't look like a ruler."
Naturally, Arthur neither knelt nor offered any form of reverence.
Even so, he was received with exaggerated hospitality.
Everyone was polite to him, yet Arthur could clearly sense the arrogance hidden behind the smiles of the king and the ministers present.
The respect they displayed was shallow, almost artificial.
It was the kind of respect that existed only because they needed him—and therefore had to treat him with "courtesy."
It irritated him deeply.
He knew they merely wanted to use him.
Still, Arthur was not a homicidal maniac. He would not kill someone over something like that.
"Report!"
A guard rushed into the hall.
At the sight of this, the king startled and completely lost his composure.
"What is happening?!"
"Are the capital's defenses about to fall?! What should we do?!"
Not only the king, but even the nobles panicked.
Tch. And you still call yourself a king. Arthur sneered inwardly, crossing his legs in disdain.
"Hero, if you protect us, we will give you any amount of money you ask for!"
"You are strong! You can surely save us! If you protect us, I'll appoint you prime minister!"
Arthur remained expressionless.
Money? He already had more than enough.
Prime minister? What kind of nonsense was this mutt spouting? Why would he ever want such a position?
Sensing the awkwardness of the situation, Fuze quickly intervened.
"Your Majesty, let us hear the report first," he said, turning to the kneeling guard. "What have you come to inform us of?"
The guard, trembling with fear, replied hastily:
"Your Majesty… A dryad from the Jura Forest has sent a message, requesting to see the Hero!"
"A dryad?!"
The word immediately captured everyone's attention.
Dryads are known as the guardians of the Jura Forest, executors of divine punishment against those who harm it. As direct servants of the Elemental Queen, they possess great affinity with other elementals and are capable of invoking their powers in battle, making them extremely dangerous opponents.
And above all else, they were famous for their beauty.
"Allow her to enter!" the king exclaimed eagerly.
The next instant, a soft green light illuminated the hall as emerald leaves floated through the air.
Green vines with pink buds sprouted from the floor, growing at a visibly rapid pace.
They intertwined, forming a verdant cocoon, from which a young woman wrapped in gentle light emerged.
The beautiful dryad presented everyone with a visual spectacle impossible to adequately describe.
She appeared to be a young adult, with long green hair, crystal-blue eyes, and delicate features.
Her body was semi-transparent, emanating an ethereal beauty. She wore a long turquoise-blue dress with white sleeves and was barefoot.
Instantly, everyone was captivated by her unique aura and appearance.
Not even Arthur was an exception.
"Guards, offer her a seat!" the king ordered impatiently.
However, the dryad completely ignored the king, stepping in front of Arthur and bowing respectfully.
"Master Arthur, I am the dryad Treyni. I apologize for my sudden visit. Please forgive my rudeness."
"Master Arthur?"
Upon hearing that, the king and the nobles were left dumbfounded.
Treyni blinked at Arthur and, with a mischievous smile, asked:
"If you'll allow me to ask… why are you still using that appearance?"
Arthur smiled.
To the surprise of everyone present—except Treyni—a soft white light enveloped his body.
In the next instant, his appearance had changed considerably.
(End of Chapter)
Treyni -