Chapter 167: The Birth of a Hero
“Behold, the birth of a hero!”
“Reburos has been saved…!”
“Thank you! Thank you!”
Amidst the tears of joy and the fervent gratitude of the townsfolk, I found myself indulging in the feast laid out before us. Before I knew it, the celebration had escalated into a frenzy even greater than when I showcased the trophy of the giant fish I had caught. Nil was also devouring fish with unrestrained enthusiasm.
Had the Sea Emperor Turtle actually landed on our shores, it would have ravaged Port Town Reburos, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. While the creature’s slow speed might have spared us from significant casualties, the damage to the town would have been incalculable.
“You lot have slain that Sea Emperor Turtle. You should take pride in that,” the Guild Master declared, though I couldn’t shake off the feeling of discomfort that came with such unfamiliar praise.
“Ah, and it seems you may soon receive a summons from His Majesty the Emperor,” he added.
“What?!”
Why on earth would the highest authority in the land suddenly call for us? It made no sense.
“After all, you are heroes who saved an entire town. The nation cannot simply overlook that. The government will likely purchase the Sea Emperor Turtle as well.”
“Oh, right. Since we caught it, it’s technically our prize. Would it be possible for the Guild to handle the purchase? It sounds like a hassle otherwise.”
“What are you talking about? That’s impossible,” he replied, his expression one of disbelief.
I had only suggested it because I wanted to avoid any further entanglements with the government, but my request was swiftly dismissed.
“Even if it’s through the Guild, you did slay it under a request for military assistance, did you not?”
True enough. While we had been told not to interfere, that was the official story. If I had to choose between what Wendy had told us and what Dogesha had said, the truth was painfully clear. I had a sinking feeling about being summoned by the Emperor. With Dogesha’s example and the notorious reputation of the Arclight Kingdom’s royal family, I wanted nothing more than to avoid any involvement.
“A reward from the nation, you say? You needn’t look so glum about it…”
The Guild Master’s incredulous expression was met with my silent plea for mercy. Rio was also trying her best to hide her discomfort, but I could tell the Guild Master was catching on to her serious demeanor.
“Well, for now, you can just relax,” he said.
“I’ll take you up on that.”
“Oh, and make sure to drop by the Guild again tomorrow.”
“Understood.”
Thus, the festivities celebrating the defeat of the Sea Emperor Turtle continued. The sun was beginning to set, yet the revelry showed no signs of waning. The Guild Master excused himself, citing work, and returned to the Guild.
Speaking of which, I remembered spotting Phonia towards the end of the last festival. I wondered how she was doing.
“Shall we check on Phonia tomorrow?” I suggested.
“That sounds good. We should buy her some clothes and other things,” Rio replied.
“We’ve been so focused on the Sea Emperor Turtle…”
“Now that we’ve been attacked by it, the plan to declare her dead might be easier to execute.”
“That’s true. I’ll ask her about it when we meet. Then we can remove the collar.”
“And we need to restock on supplies as well.”
“Hey there, you two! I can’t believe you actually defeated that Sea Emperor Turtle. What an incredible feat!”
As Rio and I were confirming our plans for tomorrow, a familiar adventurer approached us.
“Ah, Christoph! It’s been a while!”
It was Christoph, the archer I had teamed up with for a large ship escort request. Beside him stood Alina, a backline support with a staff at her waist.
“I knew you were no ordinary adventurers, but it seems my instincts were spot on,” Christoph said, clapping Alina on the back.
“With that ‘I’ in the first person, she must have quite the boisterous personality,” I thought, chuckling at the sight.
“Haha, it was just a magic spell I developed specifically for the Sea Emperor Turtle that happened to work out,” I replied modestly.
“To develop a spell in such a short time is impressive! You should really showcase your talents more,” Christoph encouraged.
But being Japanese, I felt a bit embarrassed to boast about my achievements. I doubted they would understand that sentiment, though.
“Ahaha…”
“That’s amazing, Shu! Rio!”
“To take down that Sea Emperor Turtle, you two are truly remarkable!”
As I forced a smile, I was suddenly bombarded with praise from Kant and the others, who had appeared out of nowhere. What was with that tone? Had they changed their character?
Is it really okay for grown men to speak to us, who are more than a decade younger, like that?
“Did you really develop that magic spell under the guidance of Linford, the Silent Strike?” Kant asked, eyes wide with excitement.
“Silent Strike?” I echoed, unfamiliar with the term.
“It’s his title. Linford has an incredibly long range, so he’s known for striking silently from unseen positions,” the red-haired Beryl explained, rattling off the details.
I was surprised that a title could be derived from such a reason.
“What kind of title do you think Shu and Rio would have?” Kant mused.
“What would it be? But honestly, we haven’t fought much in front of you,” I replied.
“Only during the large ship escort, but that ended so quickly,” he added.
“Right… Oh! What about fishing? I’ve never seen anyone catch fish like that before!”
“Haha…”
As Kant and the others chattered excitedly, I couldn’t help but smile wryly. Please, don’t turn our fishing into a title. It’s already embarrassing enough, and fishing? Really…?
And so, the lively celebration of our victory over the Sea Emperor Turtle continued well into the night.