166 Chapter 144: Burdens

"—We have conquered the mountains, men! We took back the lands that was taken from us by those filthy barbarians! Enjoy this feast to your hearts' content!" the king's voice boomed in the palace dining hall.

The soldiers who fought bravely in the war hit the floor with their boots as they bellowed in joy.

Servants rushed to all the tables and placed down mountains of food for the soldiers. The king funded most of the event but the common people donated their food as well to give to the soldiers who fought for their nation. They were this land's heroes.

"I am grateful to have such splendid warriors fighting under my banner!" the king lifted his mug which prompted the soldiers to do the same, "Though our day has been met with victory, we must say goodbye to a very special person. He is a warrior who brings a white light that symbolizes hope to my people! He is none other than Lord Arthur Tivurgian!"

The king pointed towards Arthur who was sitting with all his classmates at one of the many big tables. Arthur smiled and lifted his mug.

"I couldn't have killed the chief if not for my comrades who stopped the other barbarians from ambushing me. The ones who fought with their lives on the line deserve this feast more than I do."

"Must you go, Lord Arthur?" the dining hall went quiet as everyone's eyes landed on Arthur.

"I am afraid so, King Flued. However," Arthur looked towards the eldest princess who was sitting next to her father, "I will live on through my child. No, through all my children. I hope you look after them, boy or girl."

The princess smiled, "It was an honor warming your bed and receiving your love, Lord Arthur."

"OOOOOHHHH!" The people went into a frenzy when the princess blushed.

They'll welcome new warriors into this world in a year.

"Gyahahaha! Let us forget about his departure and focus on spending this time celebrating our victory! We must focus on spending this time together with him instead of brooding!"

The music—which stopped due to the king's speech—started playing again. The women dressed in fancy dresses who stood by the walls went towards the tables to serve the male soldiers. Local brothels sent their workers towards the palace to entertain the men and women.

Arthur could spot some of the soldiers leaving with their partners for the night.

'They should enjoy themselves. They've earned it.'

"Honorable elder brother Arthur," a cold voice came from Arthur's side whilst he was remembering the battle from earlier today, "May I ask what that harlot meant by warming your bed and receiving your love?"

Anais' blank eyes stared deep into Arthur's soul. Her mouth was slowly curling upwards into a smile.

"I-I had no choice, Anais. These people are desperate for strong warriors. I had to impregnate a lot of women because of this."

"How many did you sleep with!?" Anais hit Arthur's arm, "Tell me!" she hit him repeatedly after yelling that he should tell her.

"Calm down, Anais. It's true that these people are in dire straits. The women have no choice but to throw themselves at the men in hopes of receiving a child," Castacia intervened, "Most of our boys seem to take advantage of that, though."

Castacia looked towards a certain group of noble girls who were surrounding a few of her students.

"It seems we can't leave anytime soon."

"I guess they're helping in their own way… Anyway, have any of you seen Arnold?" Arthur hadn't seen Arnold ever since yesterday before they left Castacia's side.

"I left his side when he finished telling me everything. He was with Flora, I believe." Castacia said.

"He left the kingdom," Shirley, who was sitting across the table, spoke, "His scent disappeared not too long ago."

"You can smell him?" Sabrina looked at Shirley in astonishment.

Silverwolf demihumans have one of the strongest noses. Their senses have developed so far in the last thousands of years that they can distinguish between different scents.

"His scent is particularly strong. I don't know what it is though but it's different from any of the men here."

"Different? In what way?" asked Arthur.

"A sinister scent. It's not something I smelled on his body, though. You smelled it too, right Fecius?"

Fecius—who was sitting right next to Shirley—nodded.

"The scent on him disturbs all my five senses. My instincts always tells me to run whenever I'm near him. Standing next to him was like standing next to a monster beyond comprehension. I dare say it felt like being near a demon."

The table went silent.

'It seems like Fecius is… afraid?'

Though his face wasn't showing it, Arthur could feel a gloominess radiating from Fecius.

Arthur spoke to Castacia in an attempt to change the subject.

"I couldn't quite find the sword I was looking for on this world but I managed to find some useful information. Going by what the angel said, we can find the sword on the 99th floor."

"What are you going to do from now on? We can't just climb the dungeon up to the 99th floor. I know the sword will benefit humanity but it just sounds like suicide. We should leave it in the hands of capable explorers. Or you should at least wait until you're strong enough to come back on your own."

Arthur smiled. He took out something from his pocket and slid it over to Castacia.

"….?" Castacia looked at the object curiously.

It was the notebook Arnold gave Arthur. Inside it were the descriptions of about ten worlds.

"Arnold gave me this to help with our chances of survival. He said that this will also give us a rough idea of what we can expect from these worlds. The best part is that they're like the second and third floor. Meaning that we can find humans or any other humanoid lifeforms. If we can find stronger equipment for everyone then advancing through the dungeon will be bearable at the very least."

If these worlds have civilizations then there should be places to get artifacts like relic tombs and even artificial dungeons.

"How does he know all this?" Castacia's eyes widened when she glanced through the contents of the worlds in the notebook.

"It's obviously because he has an informant. I suspect he's here to find some valuable item that he heard about from this informant. He was rather sketchy whenever I asked him what he was doing in the dungeon so we should assume that it's very valuable."

"Hmm… an informant. Someone with access to these kinds of secrets shouldn't be from some low-ranking information guild, right? No one wants to go and study a dungeon they have no knowledge of. The academy took the risk but look at how it turned out. I think that Serz is the only organization capable of exploring ahead."

"That's exactly what Fecius told me as well. Shirley's father also has a contract with a member from Serz. What did you think about this person, Fecius?"

"I met the person a few times so that they can relay information to me. They're very thorough with their research and only employs the best people for their jobs. If Arnold has a Cadre working for him then it shouldn't be a surprise that he knows this much. Cadres value their clients and give only the best resources." Fecius said.

Although they were a criminal organization, people could still hire them to do basic information gathering. But using their services for criminal means can result in a hefty punishment. Not even a king is safe from the laws of the continent.

But as mentioned above, it isn't illegal to use them to do basic information gathering.

"If it's professionals like them then I can imagine them entering a dungeon of this scale and collecting data in secret without being seen. Truly a terrifying organization. But should we trust this?" Castacia held up the notebook.

"There shouldn't be any reason not to. Arnold gave it to me because he wanted to increase our chances of surviving and getting out of here."

The purpose of giving the notebook to him was to inform them of which world they can find valuable resources and food. Arthur already knew that not every world would have edible food or animals to hunt. What was the point of trying to leave to avoid death if they end up dying along the way?

'I feel bad for using this notebook to find equipment for our group.'

Arthur had to think of his friends so he had to find magic items or artifacts that can increase their strength. They couldn't just kill monsters left and right anymore after what Arnold told them. Which means that they can't increase their strength the natural way.

He wasn't sure if they'd find the rescue party or if the rescue party will find them anytime soon so he had to do whatever was necessary to ensure their survival.

"It shouldn't be a problem to fight monster bosses, right? They can't leave the dungeon, save for deviants, of course."

"Yes, but we should avoid fights we can't win, Arthur. I don't want to lose more of my beloved students because of greed. We barely made it through the dungeon but lost almost half of our original numbers."

Professor Castacia's voice was gentle but very strict. The expression on her face conveyed how serious she was about this.

"I know. That's exactly why I'm suggesting we search these worlds for items to make us stronger."

"—You guys are going treasure hunting? Can I tag along?" a woman spoke to them when she sat down at their table.

It was the green-haired woman who came with Arthur's classmates.

"My sword is heavily chipped. It might not last that long to make it to the 50th floor. That damn Arnold gave my original sword to the heir of the Berkley household so I need a new weapon."

"Aren't you a first year mercenary? It's dangerous to come with us. I don't know what kind of monsters we might run into." Arthur shook his head and gently rejected her offer.

On top of being a novice at mercenary work, she was younger than Arthur. He felt like he had to look after her.

"What? You think a fucking metal plate determines my strength!?"

Arthur looked at the girl in surprise. How could someone so beautiful speak so harshly?

"I don't want you to fall into danger. You might've been a stranger before but you're part of our group now so we need to be careful and stick together when moving forward."

"Indeed," Castacia spoke this time, "Everyone can't go to one place so we'll have separate teams. One team will hunt or gather food for us. Another team will secure us a base on every world we explore and defend the base. The third and final team will look for the thingd that we need. Separating each other by class will hurt our group in the long run. Does that sound fair, Arthur?"

"Yes, teacher. The strongest fighters will need to be in the third team—myself included. So miss Flora, what do you think about being part of the team that secures a base for us?"

Flora stood up without answering Arthur's question.

"Miss Flora…?"

She walked over to Hofir:

"Hey, you!"

"?" Hofir, who was biting into a big piece of steak, looked at her.

"Arm wrestle with me." Flora flicked her hair and said as if ordering him.

"Huh?"

"Did she seriously just challenge the biggest guy in our class?"

"Is she mad?"

The other students looked their way in curiosity. Some came towards the table to see what was going on.

"C'mon, big guy! I can tell you're one of the strongest people here!" Flora hit Hofir's back with a grin, "Or will the mighty sir Hero take up my challenge?"

'....No thanks.'

Arthur's body was hurting all over from fighting so he couldn't exert any more strength, even on someone weaker than himself. Killing the chief took a lot out of him.

The boost in strength he gained from the war was worth it though. He wasn't sure how many levels he jumped but he felt many times stronger than before.

He couldn't wait to get his Level Report at the end of the year to see how much he's grown.

Hofir grunted in annoyance. He stood up.

"What the fuck!? You're this huge!?" Flora backed away just to get a good look at his full body. He was nearly twice her height.

"Someone bring me a table! I'll show this ogre who's the strongest!"

The students scattered. A few boys brought over a table that was standing in one of the corners.

Flora sat down when the table was placed between her and Hofir.

"Let's see what you got, big guy."

"….." Hofir took off his coat, revealing his sculpted upper body. His arms were the size of logs and his biceps were the same size as Flora's head.

Flora kept grinning despite his menacing appearance.

Arthur wondered how she could win against Hofir with her skinny arms. She didn't seem strong at all. But given how she had a mercenary badge, it told others that she was a little strong.

Swordsmen who want to become mercenaries have to go through a rigorous physical regime. Their stamina and endurance are tested. Many don't even make it past the first stage of training. If you manage to complete all four training courses then you'll be awarded a mercenary license.

'Looks can be deceiving, huh.'

However, her opponent was Hofir, a former child soldier who fought in many battles in his own tribe growing up. He migrated to the empire to become a knight. He was able to breeze through his classes due to his superior demihuman racial traits.

The only people in his class he couldn't beat were Fecius, Arthur and Shirley. The three of them were some of the strongest in their grade. Of course, Arthur was obviously now the strongest due to his new power.

Flora and Hofir grabbed each other's right hands. It was more like Hofir's hand swallowed up Flora's hand completely. Only her thumb was visible.

She was still grinning as if she was sure of her victory.

Hofir's eyes were drawn to her cleavage that was opened slightly. His eyes had a sharp glint in them. His nostrils flared as if he was taking in her scent.

"Focus on the match, big guy. Oh, and I'm not letting you touch my breasts if you win. Well, you obviously won't win against me."

"You are a very arrogant woman. I like my women headstrong. Especially if they are beautiful."

"Sorry but I'm not into macho guys. Demihumans aren't my type either."

"Enough. Let us begin. You wanted this."

"Alright, alright."

Everyone looked on in silence. Even the king seemed curious about what was going on.

Both Flora and Hofir's eyes shot open at the same time as a vibration shook the floor. Veins ran along Hofir's arm. His hand was also covered in his veins.

"!?"

"Oh, what's the matter?" Flora yawned, "I thought you were strong, Mr. Cat. I guess muscles aren't everything when it comes to real strength. Damn, I'm disappointed."

"!!!" Hofir's muscles bulged as he tried to push Flora's hand down.

Flora didn't budge at all.

"Bulking up your entire life won't do shit for your strength, you know? You should've taken real body strengthening classes. I guess your people don't like using body arts, huh? Body arts can make even the weakest human strong enough to crush rocks. Your people hate body arts because it's a shortcut for humans to become strong, right?"

"Kuh!"

'What the hell! How is she not budging at all!?'

Arthur couldn't believe it. She had calluses on her hands but besides that her skin was fair and unblemished. How could such small and soft hands hold back such a beast of a man?

Flora's grin grew wider.

Hofir's hand suddenly moved…! Flora was pushing his hand down slowly but that was enough to cause everyone's eyes to widen!

"T-That girl is winning against Hofir!?"

"Huup!"

A crash sounded, followed by Hofir's agonizing roar when he was pushed to the ground with overwhelming strength. The table had already collapsed.

"Guh! Shit, my hand! Y-You damn bitch!" Hofir growled at Flora.

His hand was completely bent in a direction that shouldn't be humanly possible.

Flora laughed boisterously as she looked down at Hofir smugly, "I guess I'm joining you guys on your treasure hunt, hmm~?"

"Y-Yeah…" Arthur could only nod in agreement.

◇◇◇

Arthur was currently standing on the balcony, overlooking the night sky and the horizon. He left the banquet without telling anyone since he wanted to be alone.

He had a lot of things on his mind.

The most important thing—besides escaping the dungeon—is figuring out how he'll use his power as a Hero. According to what Arnold said, Arthur's case was a little special since he wasn't blessed by Melis from birth. Instead he was blessed by a god other than the one he was created by.

Mythology and even religious groups depicts that Melis was the sole creator of humans—one of the first Human Gods. She was the Goddess of Life and Beauty. This means that she has authority over every lifeform she created. But the Sky God gave him a blessing because the sword chose him.

Will Melis agree to let a weapon choose the next Hero? It had a will but that doesn't mean it has control over mortals or the authority to decide the next Hero. All it does is unlock a hero's dormant potential.

Arthur personally believed that was a good reason why the sword should be allowed to choose a hero. If it can unleash the potential in a hero then it should have a say in who gets to wield it, right?

'Maybe it's much more than that. But I don't really know what other explanation is there.'

Regardless of whether or not Melis agrees, he needs to fulfill his role as a Hero with this newfound power.

Arthur believed that the strong should protect the weak. He was the "strong"—no, he was the "strongest". A Hero wasn't just a title or class. It was a symbol. If people heard this name then they'll either be overcome with utmost joy or extreme fear. That's what Arnold told him… He has to be a symbol of peace and hope.

Promethius might be the only person to have received blessings but that doesn't mean he was the only hero to exist. As mentioned above, the word "Hero" wasn't a title or class, but a symbol which anyone can claim if they save others and protect the weak.

Arthur wanted to be that symbol of peace. He wanted to protect the people he loved.

'If this were the past me who lost everyone besides my sister, would I have thought the same? Would I have vowed to protect anyone in need?'

The answer to that question was simple: No. He would've sought revenge for his family and kept his sister on a leash so that he wouldn't lose her either. If he was a Hero with incomprehensible power then no one would dare hurt his beloved sister.

Arthur suddenly sensed someone approaching him.

"This is my first time seeing you brooding."

"Shirley…" Arthur glanced back and looked at the person who spoke.

"What's up?" she leaned on the railing next to him.

"I'm thinking about what the people of the empire—no, what everyone on the continent will think of me becoming the next Hero. I won't just have the responsibility to protect others. I'll have to keep my head high and bravely proclaim who I am. If the Hero is confident and brave then everyone will follow along, right? I shouldn't cower, even in front of the Demon King. But… I can't live up to that… That's not the current me… I'm not even sure if I can become that fearless and confident."

"Sounds like you're just scared. Where's that guy who confidently said that he'll go and find the holy sword? Where's the guy who said that he'll get everyone out of here?"

"…That's…"

What was the point if he couldn't get the holy sword? The holy sword was also a symbol. If the Hero symbolizes peace then the sword symbolizes eradication of evil.

Arthur was only a little strong. He couldn't picture himself fighting the demon lords and their king. Hell, he might not even be able to defeat a Greater Demon even with this power.

Arthur lowered his head with a frown. He thought back to his fight with Arnold and the resolution he made.

Could he protect people now that his motivations have changed? Did it increase his chances of protecting those same people?

"Arthur, is everyone equal in your eyes?"

"Huh?" Arthur glanced at Shirley hearing that weird question, "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, would you save anyone regardless if you know them or not? Would you hold the life of a stranger equal to that of your sister, parents… or me?"

"…That's… I…"

"You can't say it, can you? You can't say that you value everyone's lives as equal. But you save strangers. You go out of your way to help them. Why?"

"I don't know… I just can't stand seeing others suffer…"

"That's it."

"Huh?"

"You just want everyone to be happy, right? It doesn't matter if their lives are equal in value to your loved ones. You just want everyone to be safe and happy."

'Is that really why I want to save others?'

Thinking about all those people he met throughout his life walking around with smiles was the greatest achievement to him. He wanted to see everyone smile and be happy.

If they didn't have smiles on their faces then he'll ask:

"How can I help?"

Was that what a hero was? A person who becomes strong to protect the happiness of others?

"But even if I want to see everyone smile…" Arthur looked at his hands, "…I can't save everyone. I can't be the reason behind everyone's smiles. Shirley, I—"

"Arthur." Shirley lifted Arthur's chin. Her face was completely red.

"…?"

"Why can you look so cool sometimes but then end up showing this pathetic side of yourself? Not everyone thinks of you as a disappointment of a hero, you know? No, I'm sure no one thinks that."

'You're wrong, Shirley. There is one person.'

Disappointment. That was what Arnold called him.

Arthur's face distorted even further.

It didn't matter how much he tried, he couldn't get rid of these thoughts to win against Arnold. The desire to surpass him might've been non-existent now but one thing still remained.

Just once. He wanted to win just once. He wanted to get Arnold back for all the times he beat Arthur up.

"Look at me, Arthur," Shirley spoke seriously, "You might come off as an idiot who will jump straight into danger sometimes but you know what? That's what everyone loves about you. No, I love that as well. Because…"

Shirley's eyes were looking at him warmly.

"…I know you'll save me if I'm ever in danger." Her face reddened as she was inching closer to Arthur.

"S-Shirley?"

"S-Shut up and keep still! I won't do something like this again if you refuse me! You're the one who confessed!"

Arthur loosened his lips when he felt her breath on his face.

Then Shirley planted her lips on his.

They held each other.

She was looking at him and he was looking at her.

Arthur went a little further as he pushed his tongue into her mouth. She flinched a little but she didn't do anything else.

Arthur wanted to go a step further so he inserted his hand up her skirt. He felt her soft butt but the next moment…

"Ow!" Arthur exclaimed when Shirley crushed his hand with her gorilla strength.

"Just because I accept your confession doesn't mean we should go that far yet!"

Arthur laughed awkwardly, "S-Sorry. Uhm, can you let go? It really hurts."

He wasn't in the best shape so having her crush his hand like that was painful. Shirley already had dummy strength due to her demihuman blood.

"….." Shirley stepped back after letting go. "Just… Just wait for me, okay?"

"Wait for you?"

He only understood after a few seconds what she meant by that.

"…Okay." He nodded.

She averted her eyes before squeezing out her next words:

"You don't have to bear your burdens alone so… share them with me from now on, okay?"

"Eh?"

Shirley didn't stay any longer. She only fled from the balcony with flushed cheeks.

Arthur was about to call her but stopped. He thought back to what just transpired.

He could still smell her scent on him. It was sweet and flowery.

…You don't have to bear your burdens alone so… share them with me from now on, okay?

"....Thanks, Shirley."

A piece of the feelings he had for Olivia broke apart that day.