[Brian's POV]
A few days after the attack, I kept training relentlessly to become stronger—stronger than anyone—so I could avenge the death of Inquisitor Marcus. I refuse to accept that he died like that! He had already won the fight, yet the enemy still played dirty and struck him from behind.
Why do villains always share the same traits—cunning, filthy, and cowardly? Why do the brave always die first, while the cowards are the ones who survive? I cannot accept this!
"Aaaghhhh!"
I shouted at the top of my lungs as I swung my wooden sword. The gust of wind generated from my strike slammed into the straw dummy in the training ground. I have to become stronger! But just as I was about to continue practicing my swings, I heard approaching footsteps. I turned around and saw a black-haired woman walking toward me.
It was Inquisitor Elvira.
"Brian, stop your training and come take a walk around the city with me," she invited.
"I'm not in the mood, Inquisitor. I still need to keep training to become stronger."
Hearing my words, the Inquisitor simply smiled and walked closer.
"Just follow my order this time. I'll treat you to your favorite grilled meat later," she said as she ruffled my hair.
"Alright, alright! Stop messing with my hair, Inquisitor," I protested irritably. "Wait for me outside the fortress. I need to wash off all this sweat first."
I headed to the communal bathhouse inside the fortress. Only men used this shared bathing area. I kept thinking while pouring cool water over my body, letting it calm my mind.
How can I become stronger?
Incursio, Infinity Mana, and Justice Spirit are the three Profound Codex abilities I possess. I must develop them to the second level in order to grow stronger. Master Pendragon said that if someone manages to develop all of their Profound Codex abilities to the third level, they can unlock an Awakening from their Codex. He also said that only certain individuals are capable of reaching the Awakening stage.
It is recorded that only six people in the Aragon Empire have ever achieved this. Most of them are heads of powerful noble families in this land. I must reach the Awakening stage if I want to become truly strong... However, I heard that even great nobles typically reach this stage in their thirties. I don't know when I will achieve it. What's certain is that it will require hard work and discipline.
After finishing my bath, I left the fortress and met Inquisitor Elvira, who was now wearing casual clothes.
"Oh, you look quite different in casual attire, Brian," she said, praising me.
"You too, Inquisitor. You look more elegant and charming compared to when you wear armor," I replied.
We then stopped a passing carriage and asked the driver to take us to Grenaut City, which was only 10 kilometers from Alcantara Fortress. After more than an hour of travel, we finally arrived in the city and got off the carriage. The streets were lively and filled with activity. People showed all kinds of expressions—some angry, some happy, and some neutral. They didn't know that an attack had taken place in this city. The authorities had deliberately kept it from the public to prevent panic.
This made me realize something...
Many soldiers die protecting civilians or while carrying out their duties, yet life goes on. People only remember their service once a year during Heroes' Day. Only great knights are remembered, while ordinary knights are forgotten over time—just like what happened with Inquisitor Marcus. Even his comrades showed no determination to avenge him against those Heretics.
After walking for a few minutes, we arrived at a large building.
"Isn't this the Blackfire Dragon Museum?" I asked Inquisitor Elvira.
"That's right. Let's go inside, Brian."
Inside the museum, I saw numerous skeletons of monsters that had been slain—Minotaurs, Gargoyles, and Wyverns. However, their sizes were nothing compared to the massive skeleton before me now.
"The Blackfire Dragon..."
Standing 20 meters tall and 50 meters long, this was the largest monster ever defeated by a single human. Unlike Wyverns, a Dragon possesses a Mana Core, allowing it to use magic. That's why Dragons are classified as Magical Beasts.
"Its real name isn't Blackfire," Inquisitor Elvira said. "The Dragon defeated by the Legendary Hero Pendragon was named Syrax. The name Blackfire became popular because it breathed black flames."
"I see... By the way, where are the wings of this dragon skeleton?" I asked, noticing the absence of one of a dragon's defining features.
"The wings were destroyed during its battle with Hero Pendragon, so they couldn't be preserved," the Inquisitor replied.
I see... Maybe I should ask Master about that battle. I want to know just how powerful a Dragon—said to be the strongest Magical Beast—really is.
"Didn't Hero Pendragon have a sword? Is it also kept in this museum?" I asked.
"That's right. Hero Pendragon wielded a holy sword called—Excalibur," she answered. "However, the sword disappears when its wielder dies and reappears when a newly chosen Hero is appointed and recites the Knight's Oath."
The Knight's Oath, huh? If I remember correctly, it's recited during the ceremony when someone is knighted. I want to become as strong as Master—someone who can defeat a terrifying monster like this... I want to be as strong as the heroes and wield the Holy Sword Excalibur to eradicate all enemies of humanity...
I want to... become a Hero...
***
[Raul's POV]
In the game Path of Destiny, Brian is appointed as the Hero of humanity after graduating from Grunbelt Academy. Everyone recognizes him as the Chosen Hero when he summons the Holy Sword Excalibur to defeat a Noble Demon terrorizing the city. I don't know when Brian will be able to summon the Holy Sword in this altered storyline, but I'm sure he will, sooner or later. Because it is his destiny to become humanity's Hero—to wield the Holy Sword, eradicate demons, and become a symbol of hope for mankind to keep fighting against suffering.
"Hey Runa! Warm up my food!"
"Mine too!"
Right now, I'm at the orphanage, supervising the Cursed Children here. I've also been assigned to teach them how to control their powers so they don't lose control so often. Runa—a Cursed Child we recently brought here—was smiling and playing with the other children. They never got angry when Runa accidentally hurt them, nor did they avoid her even though she often caused trouble. Instead, they continued helping her learn to control her abilities.
Runa possesses the power to emit heat waves from her entire body. After further analysis, I found that she can release heat waves reaching over one kilometer. If she loses control, she could easily destroy an entire village.
Clack!
The orphanage door suddenly opened. A woman in her late twenties walked in, carrying a bag filled with vegetables and cooking ingredients.
"Sister! You're back!"
"I'm starving! The leftovers in the kitchen are cold and taste awful!"
The children immediately crowded around the woman they considered their mother.
"Alright, be patient for a moment, okay? I'll cook first," Sister Giada said with a smile. She then noticed my presence and walked over.
"You're still here, Joker?" she asked.
"I'm on duty supervising today, right? I wanted to observe how the children interact," I replied.
"I see. Puppeteer never stays inside for long when he's on duty," she said while placing her groceries on the table. "He doesn't like children much, so he usually watches from outside."
That's probably for the best. The children seem a bit afraid whenever Puppeteer is inside.
"Can you cook?" Sister Giada asked, now wearing an apron. "I think the children might get bored if they keep eating my cooking."
Cooking, huh? Back in college, Liana and I often made pasta at my place when we couldn't order food during bad weather.
"Do you have flour, eggs, butter, milk, and cheese?" I asked.
"Of course. Use whatever ingredients are here."
I gathered everything I needed. First, I made the dough by combining flour and eggs, mixing them until smooth. Then, I used a rolling pin to refine the texture, making it soft before cutting it into fettuccine. Next, I boiled the fettuccine in salted water. While waiting, I prepared the sauce by combining cheese, milk, and butter, seasoning it with salt, pepper, and chopped onions. Once the pasta was cooked, I mixed it into the sauce, stirring until evenly coated.
"Voila... Please try it, Sister Giada," I said, presenting the dish.
"Mmm... What is this called, Joker?" she asked.
"Fettuccine Alfredo... Please enjoy it, Sister," I replied with a smile.
She took a fork, tasted it, chewed, and swallowed.
"Not bad, Joker," she said, smiling. "I think the children will like this."
After that, Sister Giada, the children, and I had dinner together. They said my cooking was delicious and asked me to make it again. Well... it looks like I've gained another responsibility in this group. Still, I didn't want to disappoint them, so I agreed. After dinner, I said goodbye and prepared to return to Margraviate Cataluna.
"Thank you for helping me take care of the children, Joker," Sister Giada said.
"You're welcome, Sister. But it seems this place is understaffed."
"That's true. If only there were another member to help me as a sitter, my work would be much lighter."
After saying goodbye, I left the orphanage and leapt onto a building. I couldn't walk through the city streets while wearing this disguise, so I had to travel across rooftops to leave Grenaut City.
But suddenly, I saw something flying toward the museum. I followed the two flying figures from a distance. They landed on top of the museum and appeared to be discussing something. No doubt about it—they were Vampires. As I suspected, some of them are still hiding after we discovered their base at that mansion last month.
What exactly are they planning by visiting the museum?