1.
What is this banquet for?
‘It must be a celebration banquet hosted by the Gardner Count family and the Hero Party, commemorating their expulsion of the great evil of the Babylonia Empire—the <Black Wolf> Mercenary Corps.’
Then, why are you, the leader of that Black Wolf, attending this event?
‘For one reason only.’
Nahan, who had been questioning himself, turned his gaze toward the woman walking beside him.
Brilliant sky-blue hair.
Slightly deeper sapphire-colored eyes.
A blank expression resting upon pale white skin.
—Quite literally. You were invited to attend this banquet by Asha Mirabelle, the Hero of Light.
That was the reason.
Nahan had received an invitation from Asha, the leader of Light and the empire’s Hero.
His gaze shifted slightly to the side, where a dark blue system window appeared before him.
─『Subquest Activated!!』─
◆ I, Too, Am a Hero.
: Attend the party hosted by Count Gardner with the <Hero Party>.
◆ Completion Requirements.
- Apply medicine to Asha’s face. (Completed!)
- Attend the party with the <Hero Party>. (Completed!)
- Converse with the returned <Hestia>.
- Prevent the attack by <Eclipse>.
◆ Rewards.
: <Hero Party>’s trust in <Ian Red>.
◆ Failure & Rejection.
: <Eclipse> gains <Hero Party>’s trust.
Right now, Nahan wasn’t here as Black Wolf, but as Ian Red, aiming to complete the Subquest – “I, Too, Am a Hero.”
If successful, he would gain the Hero’s trust. If he failed, things would proceed as in the original story—<Eclipse> would take Light instead. He had to clear it no matter what.
There was a risk of his identity as Black Wolf being exposed or a battle with <Eclipse> breaking out, but he wasn’t worried.
‘Because Asha is here.’
He had already helped Hestia Gardner return using the identity of Ian Red, gaining Asha’s trust in the process.
Other Heroes might be wary, but at the very least, Asha Mirabelle was someone he thought he had gotten close to.
His plan was simple: stick close to Asha, act clueless if anything happened, and just relay information when necessary.
That was the plan.
The fact that it was a plan… meant that it had failed.
And the biggest reason for that failure was—
“Have you eaten?”
“Not yet.”
“What a coincidence. Neither have I. Since we’re in this situation, shall we grab a light meal before moving?”
“No need. Get it yourself.”
“Aha… no, I’ll just hold off as well.”
—Asha’s sudden shift in attitude.
‘Why is she acting like this all of a sudden?’
This was Ian Red—
The Iron-Blooded Knight.
The Silent Empress.
The Emotionless Hero.
A persona crafted perfectly to get close to Asha, to draw out even a fragment of emotion from her.
And yet—
“I shall take my leave and enjoy myself elsewhere.”
“…Huh? Didn’t you bring me here saying we should stay together?”
“I did. But I’ve changed my mind.”
Why was she acting like this?
Nahan, caught off guard, was about to say something when Asha reached into her coat and handed him something.
“A travel voucher. I’ve arranged a private carriage for you. Once the banquet ends, you can take it and leave. Present it again at the gate, and you’ll be transported back to the capital free of charge.”
In simple terms—
Everything was arranged, so entertain yourself alone and leave on your own.
She was the one who had personally delivered the invitation, and now that he was here, she was abandoning him.
A normal person would at least pretend to feel bad, but Asha didn’t.
“…”
She simply stared at Nahan with her usual cold expression, waiting for his response.
Almost as if—
‘…She’s waiting for me to lash out at her.’
He didn’t know what exactly was going on, but one thing was clear.
Twitch.
She was pretending to be indifferent, but Asha did feel guilty.
And if that was the case, then what should he—
No, what should Ian Red do?
“It’s fine.”
“What? Wait, let go of my han—!!”
He stepped forward just as much as she had pushed him away.
“I don’t know what fear is driving you to push me aside, but even if you hurt me, please don’t hurt yourself.”
Unwavering support. A soft smile. Standing firmly by Asha’s side.
“I have no intention of being a burden to the Hero. So, please enjoy your banquet with peace of mind.”
“…!”
When Nahan rejected the travel voucher, Asha’s expression wavered ever so slightly.
“…Still, at least take this.”
“It’s okay.”
“But…!!”
“Then, I shall take my leave.”
Trying to ease your conscience, are you?
‘If I make sure she drowns in guilt now, she’ll have no choice but to come back to me.’
Confirming Asha’s emotions, which were about to surge again, Nahan quietly turned away.
Step, Step, Step.
The peaceful footsteps of a Free Priest grew distant from Asha, who was now left alone.
“Ah…”
Asha, who had been staring blankly at his retreating figure, unconsciously twitched her fingers.
— You must survive, Asha.
— No matter what, you have to keep living.
— Only then can you get your revenge.
As the memories she had forgotten resurfaced, she pulled back her hand and clenched it into a fist.
“…Right.”
I am not someone who is allowed to be happy.
In the end, Asha turned in the opposite direction, holding onto the lingering regret in her heart.
2.
Now alone, Nahan—or rather, Ian Red—wandered through the Gardner Count’s estate, avoiding the lavish banquet hall.
Two objectives remained.
◆ Completion Requirements.
- Apply medicine to Asha’s face. (Completed!)
- Attend the party with the <Hero Party>. (Completed!)
- Converse with the returned <Hestia>.
- Prevent the attack by <Eclipse>.
He had to find Lady Hestia and have a conversation with her, as well as stop <Eclipse>’s assault.
To be honest, the biggest issue was simply talking to Hestia.
‘The Hero Party will take care of <Eclipse>’s attack somehow.’
But Hestia?
A frail woman, unable to even walk properly, who had not yet awakened her family’s power—
A noble lady who had already been kidnapped once by <Black Wolf>—
There was no way she would be freely roaming around the banquet.
Especially considering that this wasn’t just any ordinary banquet.
It was a provocation—a celebration meant to taunt Black Wolf, whom they had supposedly defeated.
It was an event where an enraged Black Wolf could very well launch another attack. No family in their right mind would let their daughter freely wander around such a gathering.
“…Where could she be?”
The one person who could complete my Sub-Quest with just a simple greeting.
Growl.
“…Tsk.”
Just as he was about to head back to the banquet to grab a bite, a thunderous voice echoed in his mind.
– [Someone is approaching!!]
“Oh, you startled me.”
Oh, right. This old man exists.
Swallowing the words he had blurted out in surprise, Nahan quickly responded in his mind.
‘Didn’t I tell you to be quiet?’
– [I WAS QUIET!!]
‘And keep your voice down.’
– [I SHALL MAKE AN EFFORT!]
If this was him lowering his voice, then… well, it was still annoyingly loud.
– [By the way, what was your name again?!]
This noisy old man was none other than the the Indomitable Wall—Balak Gardner.
Because Nahan had mistakenly used the Artifact Guaranteed Enhancement Ticket on the Celestial Barrier, it had been upgraded to EX-rank, unintentionally awakening the lingering will within the relic.
As a result, the fully awakened Celestial Barrier had now manifested on his left arm, and the stubborn old man had forcibly bonded with him through a contract.
Well, he didn’t understand all the details, but—
【Celestial Barrier (EX)】
◆ Effect
: “Gardner’s Shield is the strongest in the world!”
If you plant both feet firmly and raise your shield, then no matter what comes your way, an absolute defense judgment will be rendered.
You may transfer this ability to others at will.
However, transferring it to another person requires the approval of Hero—Balak Gardner.
He now possessed a shield that could block any attack, so aside from Barak Gardner being unbearably noisy, it was a complete win.
It was a shame that it wasn’t Iaso’s Ring, but as long as he blocked attacks before getting hurt, it didn’t really matter.
‘Wait, wasn’t this some kind of important artifact…?’
He wasn’t sure if it was something he was allowed to take or something he definitely shouldn’t have taken.
As Nahan pondered over this, ignoring Balak’s endless questioning—
– [WHAT IS!! YOUR NAME!!!]
“…!!”
The deafening roar demanding an answer made Nahan furrow his brows. He sighed and replied in his mind.
‘How many times do I have to tell you? It’s Nahan!’
– [Ah, right!! Nahan!!]
As if he had just remembered, Barak let out a hearty laugh before adding—
– [Didn’t I say someone was approaching?! If you turn your head now, you’ll be locking eyes with them!!]
‘Why are you only telling me now?!’
At that moment, Nahan finally sensed the presence behind him.
– [Hmm, judging by that refined appearance, it must be my successor!!]
‘…What?’
– [They saw you fidgeting and are now extremely wary of you!!]
Balak was right.
“…Are you alright?”
A voice he had heard before—soft yet laced with heavy suspicion.
Realizing who it was, Nahan slowly turned around and offered a polite greeting.
“Ian Red, Free Priest, greets the brilliant young lady of the Gardner family.”
At the same time, a floating system window appeared before him.
◆ Completion Requirements.
- Apply medicine to Asha’s face. (Completed!)
- Attend the party with the <Hero Party>. (Completed!)
- Converse with the returned <Hestia>. (Completed!)
- Prevent the attack by <Eclipse>.
‘Done.’
Now, all he had to do was smooth things over and wait for <Eclipse>’s attack to be thwarted.
Just as he was thinking of an appropriate topic to steer the conversation—
Hestia, who had been staring intensely into his red eyes, unconsciously muttered—
“…Black Wolf?”
“…”
He was going to lose his mind.
