I Became the 101st Hero – Chapter 65

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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The deaths of her siblings, slain before her very eyes…

All she had wanted was to survive.

So she had followed her patron’s advice and fled the palace.

They had pursued her relentlessly.

All the way to Hailen.

The Holy City might have seemed like a safe haven to others, a bastion of hope and security… but not to her.

‘I’ll make them pay… I’ll avenge them all.’

That was her sole reason for entering the Hero Academy.

She would acquire the strength she needed, the power to exact her revenge.

“Elsie.”

Gwen’s voice, sharp and sudden, snapped her out of her thoughts.

“Yes?”

“Relax your face. People are staring.”

She had been frowning unconsciously.

She touched her face; it felt stiff.

“I’ll be more careful.”

“I told you, truly strong individuals know how to conceal their strength.”

Gwen was right.

But Erciara hadn’t encountered anyone truly strong yet.

Even Gwen admitted that she wasn’t at that level.

‘Maybe I’ll meet them at the Academy…’

She had heard that talented individuals from all over the world were gathered there.

And the instructors… while they might be retired, they were all seasoned veterans, heroes who had made a name for themselves.

And maybe…

‘Maybe I’ll even meet Allen.’

It was unlikely she would encounter him as a student.

He had become a high-ranking hero, a position beyond her reach.

But that was precisely why he might be in Hailen.

The Holy City was a city of heroes, after all.

It was true that heroes were a common sight in Hailen.

Many shops catered specifically to them, offering weapons, armor, and other specialized equipment.

It was a stark contrast to Basil, which she had barely had time to explore while fleeing for her life.

“They’ll provide you with everything you need once you’re enrolled in the Academy.”

Gwen was talking, but Erciara was distracted by the shops lining the streets.

They were filled with intriguing items, but nothing practical, nothing she truly desired.

“About the entrance exam… Isn’t it unfair that you’re allowed to use relics?”

Gwen had explained the Hero Academy’s entrance exam to her while they were traveling to Hailen.

Gwen had been an Academy graduate, so she had firsthand experience with the exam.

Of course, the details might have changed over the years.

“It’s not unfair. Some hero candidates rely on their relics. The ability to use a relic effectively is also a skill.”

“But what if someone with no talent shows up with a 5-star relic?”

“Firstly, a 5-star relic isn’t something that anyone can just pick up and use. Take the [Royal Sword], for example. The conditions for activating it are extremely specific and demanding.”

“Ah…”

The Royal Sword, a relic passed down through the Lodraim royal lineage.

It was notoriously difficult to activate, its conditions so complex that no one had managed to wield it for almost a century.

“And don’t worry too much. The instructors who evaluate the students are all veterans. They’ll see your potential, even if you don’t use a relic.”

“Okay…”

“Have some confidence, Elsie. Your potential is among the highest I’ve ever seen.”

Gwen placed a hand on her head.

It was a natural gesture for a master comforting their student, but it looked awkward now.

She was almost as tall as Gwen now.

She gently removed Gwen’s hand.

Not because she found the gesture embarrassing, but because…

“I’ve told you, touching my head disrupts my Optical Camouflage.”

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Their first stop in Hailen was the Order headquarters.

Specifically, the hero registration office, located within the sprawling complex.

Registering as a hero candidate was a prerequisite for taking the Hero Academy entrance exam.

It might seem like an unnecessary step, considering the Academy’s entrance exam determined whether or not you became a hero.

But each year, the entrance exam required a significant amount of resources and manpower. Requiring hero candidate status was simply a way to weed out those who weren’t serious about becoming heroes.

However, becoming a hero candidate wasn’t difficult.

While Pathfinders could register without any prerequisites, hero candidates had to possess a minimum level of combat ability, enough to stand a chance against a Chaos Beast.

The interviewers would evaluate each candidate’s abilities, and the standards weren’t particularly high.

Erciara would easily pass.

Or so Gwen had thought…

“I thought we arrived early, but…”

Even though they had arrived two weeks before the entrance exam, the Order headquarters was bustling with aspiring hero candidates.

Erciara had to wait in a long line for her interview.

The wait was agonizing, but eventually, it was her turn.

“My name is Elsie. From Basil. I don’t have a family name.”

Some regions, like the Lodraim Kingdom and Sak, had identification documents.

But many heroes came from regions like Basil, which didn’t have such systems.

The interviewer simply wrote down ‘Elsie’ on a form.

Erciara made a silent vow.

‘From this moment on, my name is Elsie.’

At least until her revenge was complete.

She had come up with the name ‘Elsie’ on the spot when Allen had asked her.

It was a hastily chosen alias, but she wanted to keep it. Allen, if he ever remembered her, would remember her as Elsie.

She had already changed her appearance using [Optical Camouflage].

Changing her name as well would make it almost impossible for him to recognize her. That was also why she had chosen to keep her hair black.

“Do you have a relic?” the interviewer asked.

Elsie handed Gwen’s sword to the interviewer.

He placed it on a strange-looking device.

A relic detection device, apparently.

“2-star relic [Breezebringer] confirmed,” he said, handing the sword back to her.

“Now, let’s see your combat abilities.”

He pointed to a training dummy in a corner of the room.

“This is a training dummy designed to simulate the average Chaos Beast. You have one minute. Use whatever methods you deem necessary to inflict as much damage as possible.”

Elsie gripped her sword tightly and approached the dummy.

It looked like an ordinary wooden dummy, but if it was as durable as a Chaos Beast, it would be much tougher.

Not that it mattered to her. She had every intention of giving it her all.

Thwack!

Her sword struck the dummy, leaving a deep gash.

It was definitely sturdy, considering it hadn’t split in half despite her putting all her strength into the blow.

But that was all.

Elsie’s swordsmanship was a whirlwind of motion, a dance of fury and precision.

The dummy was quickly reduced to splinters.

“That… that’s enough.”

The interviewer stopped her after just twenty seconds.

The training dummy was barely recognizable.

“You’re officially a hero candidate now.”

His face, for some reason, was pale.

As he hurriedly filled out the paperwork, Gwen placed a hand on Elsie’s head.

“Elsie,” she said softly.

“I know.”

“Good.”

“Hey, you said not to touch my head!”

Gwen quickly removed her hand, embarrassed.

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As they were leaving the hero registration office, they noticed another testing area.

There were various types of weapons used by heroes, so the Order headquarters had separate testing areas for each category.

The archery testing area was particularly crowded.

It was an unusual sight.

“Gwen, didn’t you say archery wasn’t popular?”

Gwen had mentioned that before.

And she remembered the reason.

Most high-ranking relics were swords.

Bow-shaped relics were rare.

“It usually isn’t. But this year is different.”

“What’s different?”

“Lyudmila, one of the few high-ranking heroes who uses a bow, failed to find a successor among last year’s graduates. Which means… this year’s candidates have a chance.”

She watched the crowd gathered around the archery testing area, her eyes cold.

“Most of them are failures who couldn’t cut it as swordsmen. They think they might have a better chance with archery.”

But that didn’t make sense.

“But isn’t that counterproductive? They’re just setting themselves up for failure.”

“Exactly. Most of them will be weeded out eventually.”

Gwen’s gaze was fixed on a man with dark hair, his back turned towards them.

“Gwen?”

Elsie waved a hand in front of Gwen’s face, snapping her out of her thoughts.

Gwen blinked, looking away from the man.

“It can’t be… he doesn’t look anything like him. And he wouldn’t be here anyway. He wouldn’t use a bow.”

She seemed to be talking to herself.

Elsie, curious, looked at the man Gwen had been staring at.

He had black hair and black eyes.

‘Allen?’

For some reason, she thought of him.

The man was taller, his features sharper, nothing like Allen.

But still…

‘He couldn’t possibly be here.’

She looked away, following Gwen.

The man with black hair, the one Gwen had been watching…

He nocked an arrow, his hand steady, his movements precise.

A faint breeze stirred as he released the arrow. It flew through the air, hitting the target dead center.

“Oh, not bad! You pass.”

The examiner looked at him, impressed.

“Name and place of origin?”

“Seoyoon, from Sak.”

He turned his head, glancing at the two women who were walking away.

“I promised we would meet again…” he murmured, a wistful smile on his face.

It seemed unlikely now.

If they did meet again… it would be much later.

‘This is for you, Elsie. Just wait a little longer.’

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