I Became the 101st Hero – Chapter 63

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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“I’m also the one who killed the 71st Demon King.”

Stella, standing beside me, was more shocked by my words than the Pontiff.

She turned to look at me, her eyes wide with surprise.

As a Saint-ranked hero, she would have undoubtedly been informed of the 71st Demon King’s death.

But she had no reason to connect me to that event.

“You… you killed the 71st Demon King?”

The Pontiff’s gaze, veiled but intense, swept over me.

“While I don’t possess the ability to judge your strength, if you were capable of slaying two Demon Kings, then eliminating the 71st would have been well within your capabilities.”

She was still skeptical, her tone guarded.

But the fact that I had killed two Demon Kings had given my claim some credibility. Otherwise, I would have been dismissed as a delusional fool.

“The details surrounding the 71st Demon King’s death are classified information, even within the Order. Either way, it means you are no ordinary Pathfinder.”

She was demanding my true identity.

Not the superficial identity of ‘Allen Pleak, the Pathfinder,’ but my real identity.

‘It doesn’t matter.’

I had planned on revealing it eventually, as part of my plan to persuade her.

This was just… speeding up the process.

“You are correct. I am not an ordinary Pathfinder.”

I drew Dark Night from my inventory.

I wasn’t showing her the dagger itself.

I wanted her to see that I could use the inventory, a subtle but crucial detail.

“I have a patron.”

Having a patron… it carried a certain weight.

After all, there was no such thing as an ordinary human with a patron.

Except for Allen Blake, that is.

That’s why, in my previous playthroughs as a player, I had assumed patrons only chose extraordinary individuals.

But now… my perspective had shifted.

It was true that patrons often chose those with potential, but the very act of having a patron could transform a person, pushing them beyond their perceived limitations, guiding them towards a path they could never have imagined on their own.

And I was living proof of that.

I was no longer ordinary.

It wasn’t just because I possessed the memories of my patron; I had become extraordinary in my own right.

Though the Saint-ranked hero standing next to me probably wouldn’t consider me extraordinary.

“As I suspected…”

It seemed the Pontiff had already anticipated this.

“Tell me your story. From the moment you slew the 71st Demon King, to your encounter with the 13th and the 67th. Leave nothing out.”

It was time.

But first…

“Before I begin, I have a request.”

I turned to Stella.

She was watching me, her gaze curious.

“I would prefer to speak with the Pontiff alone. I believe this is a conversation that should remain between us.”

The Pontiff hesitated for a moment, then said,

“Hero Stella, you are dismissed.”

“But Pontiff, this boy… he’s an outsider. We can’t just…”

The Pontiff shook her head.

“He has been chosen by a patron. That means a god has placed their trust in him.”

Stella bowed her head, accepting the Pontiff’s decision.

“As you wish.”

She left the room, her expression a mixture of curiosity and disappointment. She clearly wanted to hear my story.

Once we were alone, the Pontiff asked,

“Are you ready now?”

“Thank you for understanding.”

Asking Stella to leave might seem like an overreaction.

But the story I was about to tell, especially the part about my future plans, was not something she should hear.

She was the 4th ranked hero. Her influence within the Order was considerable.

“Then begin.”

I told her everything.

From my encounter with Gwen, to my experiences in the Trials, to my battle with the 71st Demon King.

I didn’t go into every detail, but it was a long story.

And then, I told her about Sak, about Libero, about my training, about everything that had led me to this moment.

I didn’t even try to hide the fact that he had been a Demon King.

“The 13th Demon King… the last knight of the Lodraim Kingdom…” she murmured, her voice filled with a strange sadness.

“The last knight of the Lodraim Kingdom?”

In my patron’s memories, Libero had simply been a Demon King, one of many.

The only thing I knew about his past was that he had made a promise to the previous king.

I had never heard the title “last knight of the Lodraim Kingdom.”

“You know about his promise to the previous king, but you don’t know about his past, do you?”

I remained silent.

It was true that I didn’t know much about Libero’s past.

My patron’s memories were limited in that regard.

They were detailed and accurate when it came to recent events, to the present and the near future, but when it came to events that had occurred 500 years ago… there were gaps, missing pieces.

“500 years ago, during the Age of Chaos, a knight fought valiantly against the Chaos Beasts, defending the Lodraim Kingdom until his last breath. His name was Libero.”

She told me his story, a tale of heroism and sacrifice.

It was a fitting past for him.

“Even after becoming a Demon King, he never abandoned his desire to protect others,” she said.

She wasn’t condoning his actions during his descent into madness.

But even in his twisted state, a part of him had still clung to that desire to protect, to be a hero.

That, I believed, was his true nature.

“Yes, that sounds like him. However… it’s best to keep his identity as the 13th Demon King a secret. It wouldn’t be good for morale.”

“I understand.”

The fact that a hero from 500 years ago had become a Demon King, a Hero Slayer… it was a truth best left buried.

I continued my story, recounting my battle with the 67th Demon King.

“And that’s how I defeated the 67th Demon King.”

It had been a long, arduous journey.

But I wasn’t tired.

I was filled with a strange sense of wonder, marveling at the path I had taken, the choices I had made.

‘I couldn’t have done any of this without my patron’s memories.’

I now understood why the God of Chains had tricked me into believing I was the patron.

That belief, that unwavering certainty, had given me the courage to act, to make the difficult decisions that had led me to this moment.

It didn’t make his actions any less infuriating, of course.

“So you’ve slain three Demon Kings?”

“Yes.”

“There’s something… strange about your story.”

She tilted her head, her gaze piercing, as if she could see through my facade.

“You’re not lying. But you’re deliberately omitting something.”

She had noticed.

I had been avoiding a specific topic.

My patron’s memories.

‘Damn it. Is she going to force me to reveal everything?’

I tensed, bracing myself for the inevitable interrogation.

But then, she said,

“You’ve been honest with me so far. If there’s something you’re hiding, I trust you have a good reason. I will respect your decision.”

I was relieved.

Honesty, it seemed, had been the right choice.

“Thank you.”

There was only one thing left to discuss.

I waited for her to bring it up.

“I believe your claim of slaying three Demon Kings. The next step… is to decide how you will be treated.”

It was time.

The real reason I had come here, the reason I had revealed so much to her.

Her decision would determine my future.

“You have two choices. We can acknowledge your achievements and quickly promote you to high-ranking hero status. Or you can relinquish your claims and live a quiet life, away from the dangers of the world.”

Two choices.

The first one seemed more appealing on the surface.

High-ranking hero… it wasn’t a status easily achieved.

While the hero ranking system seemed meritocratic, allowing anyone with enough skill and dedication to rise to the top, it wasn’t that simple.

Over the past 500 years, the system had become increasingly rigid, with clear hierarchies and established paths to advancement.

And at the center of it all was the Hero Academy.

It was an institution established by the Order to cultivate and train heroes.

Upon entering the Academy, students were granted the rank of hero candidate. Upon graduation, they received official hero status, along with a relic.

Most of the training took place at lower-level institutions, with a heavy emphasis on practical experience, so the duration of their training was short, only a year.

However, for those who aspired to become heroes through traditional means, even with exceptional skills and a string of impressive achievements, it would take at least a year, and more often than not, three to five years, to reach the rank of hero.

And even after becoming an official hero, the advantages of being an Academy graduate were significant.

They had the connections, the network, and the high-quality relics provided by the Academy, allowing them to quickly climb the ranks, accumulating achievements.

Of course, that didn’t mean they could easily achieve high-ranking hero status.

That level required true talent and skill, a level of mastery that set them apart from even the most gifted heroes.

But the problem was… almost all promising hero candidates went through the Hero Academy.

That’s why the majority of the 100 high-ranking heroes were Academy graduates.

‘So this is a good opportunity to become a high-ranking hero without going through the Academy.’

But the question was… was that my goal?

‘When I first picked up a sword… that’s what I had wanted.’

But my goals had changed.

At first, I had simply wanted to become a hero.

Then, I wanted to reach the highest ranks, to become a high-ranking hero, a Saint-ranked hero, to push myself as far as I could.

And now…

‘High-ranking hero… it doesn’t matter anymore.’

Becoming a high-ranking hero wouldn’t make me stronger.

Well, technically, it would. The Order would provide me with powerful relics, access to better training, and other resources.

But the disadvantages outweighed the benefits.

‘Firstly, acknowledging my achievements, especially the Demon King slayings, would make me a target.’

I might reach high-ranking hero status quickly, but it would also draw unwanted attention.

Not just from the Demon King Council, but from other heroes as well.

And from the patrons of those I encountered through Crossroads Encounters.

Their scrutiny, their interference… it would hinder my progress, restrict my freedom.

So far, I had been the one using them.

But I couldn’t guarantee that all the patrons I encountered would be so… easily manipulated.

There was a good chance I would encounter ‘veteran’ players, players who knew the game inside and out, who could see through my facade, who would make things difficult for me.

And I wasn’t even sure if I was truly worthy of being a high-ranking hero.

My swordsmanship might be good enough, but swordsmanship alone wouldn’t be enough to defeat a Demon King.

I had defeated the 71st Demon King, Libero, and Gineus… but it hadn’t been because of my overwhelming strength. It had been luck, circumstance, a series of fortunate coincidences.

So there was no need to cling to the status of a high-ranking hero.

My priority was to prevent the Lodraim Kingdom’s destruction.

And with everyone watching my every move, scrutinizing my every action… accomplishing that would be nearly impossible.

I had already made my decision.

‘Inherit the [Optical Camouflage (C)] skill from the [Royal Crest].’

It was the same approach I had taken when I inherited the [Swordsmanship (B)] skill.

Knowledge and instincts related to [Optical Camouflage (C)] flowed into my mind, becoming a part of me.

And now, I could, to a certain extent, replicate the techniques Erciara would eventually learn.

“How do I look?”

I was no longer a slender boy with dull blond hair and blue eyes.

I was now a man, my features a blend of Libero and Seoyoon, my hair and eyes dark.

The Pontiff smiled, a genuine smile that reached her eyes.

“Quite handsome, I must say.”

I had used the images of Libero and Seoyoon from my memories as a template, blending them together to create my new appearance.

“I, Seoyoon, from Sak, request entry into the Hero Academy. I relinquish my claim to the achievements of Allen Blake.”

I wonder if my patron, that bastard Seoyoon, even knew I had decided to use his name?

He wouldn’t have any grounds to complain, even if he did find out.

He had used his real name for his account, after all.

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