27

The heroes of old had a lovely partner with them. This person was always female regardless of the hero’s gender.

The Saintess. An insurance, guardian angel for the tender-hearted
hero. She possessed the outrageous ability to resurrect the dead, so
that the hero wouldn’t suffer or feel self-reproach at the death of a
companion.

Only, she wasn’t capable of resurrecting herself.

▷Race: Human
▷Level: 124
▷Job: Saintess(Faith→Resurrection↑)
▷Skills: Faith(SS) Cure(S) Glamor(S) Virtuous(S) Preaching(A)…
▷Condition: Suspicious, Uneasy

Her Level was extremely low, as becoming of a rear support member.
This couldn’t be helped as supportive jobs either had no combat Skills,
or they were nothing much to mention, and so they had abysmally few
opportunities to defeat enemies and gain EXP. In exchange, they had a
special system going for them.

A Saintess, or healers, would receive power(EXP) in return for curing
 patients of injuries, illnesses and so on. Regardless of their own
will, they would absorb EXP from their patients. Patients would lose
greater EXP in proportion to their level and severity of their wound;
thus, if you fought recklessly, only believing in a healer’s capability,
 then you would go through the preposterous experience of having your
Level dropped instead.

But what if a patient was Level 1, though?

Level 0 equaled death.

Whiiing—

The pure-white radiance emitted from Saintess A’s hand, the blessing
of healing, quickly permeated the Level 318 mermaid princess’ body.

“Cough-cough!”

The first thing Aqua did was cough after waking from the brink of
death. Even though her internal organs had been utterly wrecked by my
deadly venom, she recovered instantly at the price of her Level.

“You…! Ugh-!”

Lying down on a bed in the inn, she had lifted her torso up with a
jerk upon seeing me only to end up collapsing again. No matter how
omnipotent fantasy healing arts were, they weren’t so game-like as to
make a person who’d just come back to life as good as new. She had no
choice but to drag her feet around for a while from the sequela.

There were five people in this room; me, Sieg, Lanuvel, Saintess A,
and Aqua. I could easily deal with Saintess A with the slightest touch
of my hand—only, there would be too much I’d have to put up with
afterwards.

“Lady Saintess.”

Sieg was extremely attached to Saintess A.

“Yes, Sir Hero?”

“Lady Saintess.”

“Yes. Please speak, Sir Sieg.”

“Lady Saintess said my name…! Uheheheh!”

“E-excuse me…? Are you okay…?”

Sieg had gone completely bonkers. I should have noticed when I saw
the saintess character drawn that guy’s smart phone case, but it seemed
he was delusional or obsessed towards the Saintess job. Did they call
that a fetish?

It wasn’t like I completely couldn’t understand that feeling.

Saintess A was, objectively speaking, a beautiful person. Hair creamy
 white like the milk of a benevolent mother, skin pearly without a
single impurity and glowing yellow with a slight flush. The features of
her small, oval-shaped face that gave off a sense of intelligence, and
her outrageous cola-shaped body was extremely advantageous in propaganda
 activities.

She was a beauty among beauties, and that she couldn’t age was a bonus.

“I am very much okay! Lady Saintess! Can’t you call my name just once more? Please!”

“… Sir Sieg.”

“Uheheheh!”

“…”

If some grandma with pruny wrinkles had happened to be the Saintess,
then Sieg wouldn’t have gone so wild with excitement. In any case… that
queer laughter of his was starting to get on my nerves. And it wasn’t
like I could kill him because of that.

“Just what crime did I commit in my previous life to deserve…”

He was abnormal no matter how you looked at him, and yet Professor
Morals called Sieg an excellent model student. Did I have to follow his
example in order to escape from this barbaric world? Merely imagining it
 gave me the chills.

‘The hurdle’s way too high, isn’t it?’

The problematic Saintess A turned to me to speak.

“Sir Hero. Can you explain why you attacked Aqua?”

“For peace.”

“Uh… Mm… I might be lacking in understanding, but has Aqua committed some evil?”

“No. She’s a hostage for the sake of peace.”

The mermaid queen dearly cherished Aqua. By capturing that daughter
of hers and threatening to torture or profane her corpse, then the queen
 would inevitably be shaken.

There was a large army 30,000 strong surrounding this lake. It didn’t
 matter if matters went off course and turned into a war of attrition.
We just had to solve the issue of the drought by diverting the huge
water flow blocked by the dykes towards the kingdom, and that would be
it.

“And what will the mermaids do then?” Saintess A inquired with a frown after listening to my entire plan.

“What about them?”

“The lake’s water will decrease.”

“They won’t die because of it. They’ll only be a little stifled from
having their home down-sized. But many people will die if crops fail to
yield this year in the kingdom.”

It was sad enough to have worked for free, so it would be troubling
to have my reputation fall as well. So troubling, that I just might
immediately set off to take the Demon King’s head.

“You can solve the matter with words instead of taking a hostage, can’t you?”

“I intended on talking with the upper hand after catching the hostage.”

Mermaids weren’t citizens of the kingdom. They neither paid tax, nor
assisted in national defense. Against these outlaws, I had an obligation
 and responsibility to achieve a trade that was advantageous towards the
 kingdom—even if I was working for free!

Saintess A heaved a sigh as she refuted, “The negotiations might become more difficult because of the hostage, right?”

“No.”

Hero Aqua, who had inherited the blood of a hero, was the only
mermaid capable of moving on land without much restriction. Her value
was extremely high, even as the most beloved daughter of the mermaid
queen. In short, if Aqua was overpowered and the dyke was built, then
the Lake of Sad Songs’ freshwater mermaids absolutely had no choice but
to surrender. After this, we would be able to procure water peacefully.

“Th-that is as you say, but… Mm…”

Knowing well the circumstances of the mermaids, Saintess A was lost for words.

“Lady Saintess’ argument is in the right from how I see it!” Sieg interjected.

“Why don’t you say why you think so.”

“A righteous hero taking an innocent princess hostage and threatening
 her, it’s strange no matter how you think about it! That’s something
the Demon King would do!”

… Demon King Fedornar using a hostage to make a threat?

That Demon King wasn’t so weak as to have to use such a wretched
method. He wasn’t weak, but instead so strong that he brimmed with
composure and mercy. He was likely romancing the Elf Queen even at this
very moment.

“Sieg. Try saying those very same words before the people numbering
ten thousands who are on the verge of dying due to failed crops. I’ll
ready a stage for you.”

“Th-that’s a bit…”

“Put a sock in it if you can’t, instead of interrupting like a fool.”

“…”

After silencing Sieg, I turned to look at Saintess A.

“Going back to the start, the situation will come to a close within
five days of the dyke’s completion. Whether the mermaid queen
compromises or desires war, the kingdom’s victory is a fact set in
stone. It’ll be fine if only you don’t interfere in this plan, Lady
Saintess.”

Saintess A was the representative of the Holy Kingdom, and an army
10,000 strong was on standby near the lake. Things would become
complicated if this matter grew to a national scale.

“Is there really no other way?”

“Maybe if somebody discovered some miracle that makes it rain cats and dogs.”

There were none as far as I knew.

“There is,” Aqua interrupted, glaring at me.

“There is? Really?”

“A gigantic catfish lives at the bottom of the lake. We call it the Guardian Deity Ullullu.”

Guardian Deity Ullullu. A being which had been living in this lake
before the mermaids settled here. It was said rain would fall if Ullullu
 cried; however, it was sealed away due to its extremely violent nature,
 kept in slumber for over 500 years by the mermaids who took turns
everyday to sing lullabies…

“It’s the first time I’m hearing this. Lanuvel, do you know?”

“I don’t.”

Then it was highly possible that lies were mixed in this story and
that it was a trap. I also hadn’t heard of it in the 1st Playthrough.

“Sir heroes, we’ve found a way for this to end with everyone
laughing. Although the scale of the rain is unknown, you should be able
to overcome the drought if even half of the legend is true. And if you
subjugate Ullullu, the mermaids of the lake will no longer have to worry
 about it as well.”

Satiness A quickly summed up the situation.

“Hansoo! As Lady Saintess says, I think this is for the best?
Everything will be solved if that one catfish called Ullullu is taken
down!”

Sieg, who had been watching out for my mood, spoke up supporting Saintess A’s idea.

After careful contemplation, I asked, “The chances of success?”

I refused to see a repeat of the Oblivion Dragon King incident. Since
 they said it was born a catfish and so wouldn’t be able to leave the
lake, the Five Disasters had even leaped over such species-related
limitations—they weren’t called disasters for nothing.

“Truthfully speaking, it’s hopeless,” Aqua declared, having raised
her torso up with difficulty. If this longest-term resident could have
been defeated by the mermaids’ power, then they wouldn’t have sung
lullabies for 500 years without missing a day.

“Hopeless? Then don’t mention it to begin with! You idiotic fish-tart! Should I make sashimi out of you right this instant?”

“You, are you really a hero?!”

At that moment, Sieg, who had been lying low until now, bravely shouted, “Hansoo, you won’t know until you fight!”

“Alrighty then. You’re the vanguard.”

It would be a complicated matter for me to kill him, but there would
be no negative influence to my reputation or character if Sieg ended up
dying while fighting by his own will… Mm?

‘… This is a better idea than I thought?’

This alone gave meaning to hunting the unidentified catfish—to trade
Sieg for achievement and reputation. A wonderful equivalent exchange.

“I, I’m still Level 3 so that’s a bit over my head…”

“I’m still Level 15 as well.”

It was an already decided matter; there would be no backing out.

Archaeologist Lanuvel, who was always thirsty for new knowledge, raised her right hand up high as she acted cute.

“Lanuvel will also participate in taking down Ullullu!”

“I didn’t ask you.”

“Aww…”

And thus, the hunting of the Lake of Sad Songs’ longest-time resident, Ullullu, was decided.

\*
\*
\*

… But putting that aside, I fulfilled all my duties as the actual ruler of the kingdom.

“Your Majesty the Mermaid Queen. Sign here, while this hero here,
yours truly, is talking nicely. If you don’t want to witness the
beautiful scene of your daughter being served on a dining table for
humans, that is.”

“H-how can it be so…”

The mermaid queen, who had caught wind of her most dearly beloved
youngest daughter ‘Aqua’ being caught by the great hero, had come above
the waters of the lake. Upon reading through the contract I had prepared
 before the start of the journey, she began to tremble violently.
Perhaps she was still struggling inside.

“If you don’t like it, then it’s war starting now.”

“Ugh-…!”

“It’s not a bad deal, is it? Come under the kingdom’s flag and follow
 its laws. Although you’ll have to offer up three among your princesses
as embellishment for the palace garden pond, you can receive the
protection of the kingdom and the hero in return.”

Of course, the mermaids could be mobilized for military purposes if
they came under the kingdom. Their daily work would be to keep in check
the Holy Kingdom on the other side of the border line. Even if tax
wasn’t demanded from the mermaids, this alone would be able to greatly
cut down on national defense expenditures.

This was the optimal scenario I had pictured.

“We have maintained a neutral stance until now…” the mermaid queen
said as if squeezing out the words, her beautiful face frowning.

“Then the time to make a choice has come.”

“… You are much too different from the hero I had loved.”

“That’s only natural.”

I was different from the previous hero. By no means would I be defeated by Demon King Fedornar.

“Haah… Here. I pray that your judgement will turn out correct.”

I rapidly checked the contract the mermaid queen had signed.

‘Hm. There’s no problem.’

“Good. I hereby announce the mermaids of the Lake of Sad Songs as
members of the kingdom! Hero Sieg of the kingdom will protect you all.”

“Uh? Wait. Me?” Sieg asked, startled, having been quietly listening by the side.

Knitting my brows I responded, “I shouldered everything for free,
from mobilizing the military to negotiating. Sieg, if you’re also a
hero, then take care of at least one matter.”

“I’m just Level 3, though…”

It was in that moment when Sieg was persistently trying to back out.

“Kya! Run away quick!”

“Everyone hurry to the shore!”

“The guardian deity has awoken!”

It seemed things had begun already.

Hundreds of mermaids, wearing not a single thread of clothing, swum ashore in a mob and rushed out of the lake.

Bubble-bubble…

The tails of the mermaids became covered in special bubbles and
transformed into the slender, bare legs of humans. That was all,
however—unable to stand on their two feet, the mermaids crawled on all
fours along the ground like toddling babes.

Nevertheless, they didn’t stop.

“Ulluuuuuu!”

It was because of the gigantic being which had woken up, letting
loose a roar from behind them. I had always thought since the 1st
Playthrough that this was a lake greatly abundant in water, but it
appeared that was my misconception.

Splaash—

The moment the thing stood up, the water level of the lake fell.

▷Race: Chaos Titan
▷Level: 999+
▷Job: Water King(Lake→Blessing↑)
▷Skills: Destruction(SS) Blessing(S) Endurance(A) Charge(A) Chaos(A)…
▷Condition: Irritated, Muddled

“It is a catfish indeed, but…”

That idiotic fish-tart hadn’t told me properly—Guardian Deity Ullullu only had the head of a catfish.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The earth shook violently with every step taken by that super-sized giant who had lived from ancient times, Ullullu.

He walked onto the lakeshore and then, ignoring us, began to ran at a crazy speed—

“Ulluuuu…!”

—towards Dumpling Kingdom territory.

… What?

“Bro! You can’t~! Come back~!”

It looked like my reputation and achievements were about to go up in flames entirely.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Running with a body huge enough to quake the earth, Ullullu was
terribly fast. Perhaps it was only natural as he even possessed A-rank
Skills.

“Damned Level!”

I had avoided gaining EXP in order to easily defeat Demon King
Fedornar, but to think that choice would have come back to bite me like
this!

Objectively speaking, Ullullu wasn’t at a level comparable to the
Five Disasters; however, it would be a stretch to take him down at Level

‘… Oh!’

“CuCu…?”

I discovered a Level 53 wild Orc.

“Die quickly!”

“KuKu~~?!”

“More! More! More! More!”

I hunted what I came across at the same time I chased after Ullullu,
who continued charging forth in a straight line. There was no other way
if I wanted to raise my Level even a little more.

“Ulluuuu!”

But that didn’t mean it was a completely despairing situation; the
monsters that were surprised by Ullullu’s appearance rushed out from the
 forest. I thrashed them unsparingly and harvested EXP, but there was a
limit to what could be done with even this, the reason being that high
Level boss monsters usually didn’t leave their territory. They didn’t
budge despite Ullullu causing a disturbance.

Indeed, the lack of time was the problem.

“It’s a g-giant!”

“It’s coming towards our village! Run!”

“Ooh! Oh my god…”

“Hiiieh?! Mommy?!”

A village was in the way of Ullullu’s path, and its villagers who
fell into panic fled outside for dear life, as they were certain to be
trampled to death if they were to look on blankly.

“Ulluuu.”

Ullullu didn’t pay mind to the village that lay in his way. He treated it like weed, sending over a casual kick and passing by.

But his kick contained the effect of Destruction(SS)—a peculiar impact spread out from where the kick landed.

Crunch! Crash!

One village was destroyed without leaving a trace.

“N-no…!”

It felt like I was hearing the sound of my reputation score dropping.

Village, city, village, village, city, village… they were wrecked one after another like dominoes.

A dizziness fell over me.

“Sir Hero~!”

I had been pursuing Ullullu while hunting the wild monsters that
randomly popped out from the bushes, but glanced up at the sky upon
being called.

Lanuvel was following after me using flight magic.

I immediately gave an order.

“Use magic to slow him down or something!”

“Okay!”

I didn’t expect something like Lanuvel performing well. What means
could a Level 200 magician use to stop the onslaught of a giant over
Level 999? I had only given that order as I felt like wanting to even
clutch at rotten straws. It would be a miracle if she could make him
even pause-

“Ulluuu~~?!”

Crash-! Tremble! Boom-!

Ullullu fell over with great noise. He had stepped on a shoddy sheet
of ice which had formed out of nowhere in the middle of summer, and he
flailed about clownishly with that huge body of his as he powerlessly
slipped over.

“Sir Hero! Lanuvel did it!”

Lanuvel formed a ‘V’ with her fingers, acting cute.

“… Ridiculous.”

This was one time, however, that even I couldn’t not acknowledge
Lanuvel’s contribution, which was why I looked past her grating cute
act.

Now, then. I didn’t have the slightest thought of carelessly wasting
this surreal, miraculous opportunity which Lanuvel had provided me—I
fully mobilized all the abilities I possessed.

Bulge!

I stimulated my muscles, the veins on them popping, to the very
limit. Endorphins and adrenaline flooded out from my endocrine glands,
and my heart pounded like an engine running berserk.

I didn’t pay mind to the enormous calorie consumption. Like a slime
that continued rolling about what it swallowed until it was completely
broken down, the process of cud-chewing was endlessly repeated in my
digestive system.

Amylase in saliva. Pepsin in gastric juices. Emulsification through
bile. Trypsin, chymotrypsin and lipase in pancreatic juices. Maltase and
 peptidase in serum.
\*TLN: The author just suddenly lists these sciencey terms without any
context that would help those uninterested in biology or just science in
 general(a.k.a me) understand what they’re for. Maybe it’s related to
cud-chewing. I don’t know, sorry.

Carbohydrates converted to glucose, protein to amino acid, fat to
glycerol. And these are absorbed through the villi in the small and
large intestines.

How are calories related to all this? It is the energy produced
through the breaking down of nutrients. In short, the digestive system
can be called a bio-nuclear power plant. But it was still not enough.

“Cheers for Master Mollang~~!”

There was a limit to the natural digestive ability of a human. Master
 Mollang’s total decomposition enzyme needed to be added to the mix to
complete a true bio-nuclear power plant.

I leaped up high using the strength from all these processes, and…

“I’ll start off with a lumbar disc first…!”

I climbed on the back of Ullullu who was about to try and get up,
then rammed my knee precisely between his 4th and 5th lumbar vertebrae.
It was easy to aim due to his large build.

“Ulluu..!”

Bracing his two gigantic hands against the ground, Ullullu let loose a furious roar as he shot to his feet.

Boom, rumble.

But he howled as he collapsed again and rolled about the ground; his
waist had failed him, unable to bear the heavy weight of his torso.

“This is serious. I don’t have enough firepower.”

Level was the problem after all. While I was capable of toying about
with a Demon King of equal Level, through the combination of Master
Mollang’s teachings and my outrageous Skills, my current opponent wasn’t
 affected by that kind of penalty like the Demon King.

My attack was effective, but that was all—it couldn’t settle the fight.

“Sir Hero! We’ll also lend our strength!”

“Hansoo! I’ll help you!”

Because I dawdled and failed to quickly hunt the giant, the muppets who caught up late stormed over like hyenas eyeing EXP.

The back of my neck began to cramp.

“There has to be some wa… Ah!”

There was—Aqua, who was still dragging her feet due to the
aftereffect of resurrection. Right now we were on land, not in the water
 where it was convenient for mermaids, and the weather was scorching hot
 to boot. An ordinary human would have already gotten heatstroke, and
yet Aqua had forced herself to come chasing.

“Aqua! I need your help!”

“Hah, haah. Sir Hero, what must I do? I did bring my spear to fight, but it won’t be of much help.”

“It’s fine!”

“W-what… again?! Uhb!”

I stole Aqua’s lips, and this time I made certain to put an end to her life.

Crack.

“Sir Hero! What are you doing! Why did you…!”

Saintess A, who had arrived a beat late, yelled at me in a tone demanding explanation upon witnessing that scene.

I placed Aqua, now limp, on the ground and asked, “Resurrect her, will you.”

“Do you even hear yourself right now?! The issue is that you killed Aqua who pushed her tired body to help you, Sir Hero!”

“I also know that.”

Ullullu had overcome his herniated lumbar disc and was trying to get up. It was now or never.

“You did it knowing that?!”

“I’ll take responsibility and recover the Levels Aqua lost. So stop your twittering.”

“Twittering?!”

I ignored the babbling Saintess A and summoned forth my power.

Fwoosh-!

A windstorm raged about me.

The game was starting now.

▷Race: Chaos Human
▷Level: 85
▷Job: Hero(EXP 500%)
▷Skills: Battle Spirit(SSS) Dark Energy(SS) Tolerance(SS) Chaos(SS) Deadly Venom(SS)…
▷Condition: Growth

I enjoyed the EXP of a Level 318 mermaid. I would have gone and
killed wild monsters had there been a bit more time, but the ones above
Level 100 were boss monsters ruling the center region of a hunting
ground. And that was why I had opened a tasty mermaid lunchbox.

Level 21 → Level 85

In simple math I had grown about fourfold stronger, but the actual
range of growth was hard to calculate due to the synergistic and
enhancing effects of my high-rank Skills. The only thing I could tell
was that I had grown extremely stronger.

“Here’s one to start…!”

I sprung towards Ullullu, bringing along the windstorm born by my
Skill. Having just stood up, Ullullu didn’t even look back at me but
tried to run off again. Couldn’t something be done with that instinct to
 run?

I had to stop him by force if nothing else—I put my all into a kick aimed towards Ullullu’s Achilles’ tendon.

Snap-!

The pleasing sound of a tendon snapping sounded. It it was only
physical strength that was behind the kick, I might have been able to
deliver an impact, but it would have been hard to sever the muscular
fibre.

But in that kick just now—

Fighting Spirit(SSS) Dark Energy(SS) Chaos(SS) Deadly Venom(SS)
Physical Strength(SS) Agility(SS) Fighting Skill(SS) Slaughter(S) Close
Quarters Combat(S) Body Technique(S) Destruction(S) Judgement(S)
Indestructible Body(S) Massacre(S) Pursuit(S) Vigor(S) Piercing(A)
Penetration(A) Leg Strength(A) Focus(A) Combo(A) Slashing Attack(A)
Swiftness(A) Heavy Strike(A) Clairvoyance(A) Murder(A) Dragonslay(A)
Ambush(A) Incise(A) Slay(A)…

—the effects of countless Skills were piled above one another. The
harmony and combination of these things gave rise to amplification.

“Ulluuuu~~?!”

Unable to bear the blow, Ullullu fell on his face with his legs kicking about.

In a tone of rage I shouted, “This is revenge for Aqua!”

Ignoring Saintess A snapping angrily at me from afar(“You’re the one
who killed her!”), I fiercely punched at Ullullu’s large catfish head.

Smack.

His squishy head sunk in.

“Ulluu…”

Ullullu’s tiny eyes lost their focus.

He had a great big body and his Level was high too, but the rank of
his Skills had greatly fallen due to his long slumber and rest. While
his Destruction(SS) did concern me, just one Skill wasn’t enough to
compare with me.

Winding my right arm backwards, I said, “Pity. We might have become a good team if I met you earlier than Noebius.”

Not now, though; I refused to see a repeat of the Oblivion Dragon
King incident. I wanted him to quickly take his leave for the sake of my
 graduation certificate.

Wham-!

I dealt another blow to Ullullu’s sunken head.

It wouldn’t have been this simple had we fought inside the lake, but
Ullullu had given up the enhancing effect of his Water King’s blessing
and came on land. Why had he made such a foolish decision?

“Ulluuu, luuu.”

Ullullu reached both arms forwards. It wasn’t the movement of an
attack. He continued to reach forwards like a child begging for
something…

Boom, crash!

He had continued his futile movements until he breathed his last,
dropping to his knees and collapsing. Perhaps it was something like
sleep talking or sleepwalking.

I didn’t carelessly overlook Ullullu’s behaviour, however; I was a
hero with 10 years of experience. It was obvious something was up

“What was in the direction Ullullu tried to go again…?”

It couldn’t be that he was charging over to kill the Dumpling King,
whom he couldn’t have resented, let alone recognized. If Ullullu had
held a grudge, then he would have massacred the mermaids who had sealed
him for a whole 500 years, after all, but he had instead run towards
land the moment he woke. What could be in that direction?

In that moment, a great amount of EXP was absorbed into my body.

My Level soared up.

Level 85 → Level 750

Although it felt like my Level soared too much, it was still sufficiently ‘low’ to easily face Demon King Fedornar.

Power overflowed within my body, but the rank of my Skills were so high that there weren’t any change… Huh?

■■□F→■■□E

There was just one change.

The Skill Black-Box, which I felt gratitude towards and which had
enabled the carrying over of my 2nd Playthrough Skills as they were, had
 risen in one rank. From F-rank to E-rank! And accordingly, another
effect was added.

▷Type: Skill
▷Name: ■■
▷Rank: E
▷D: □□□□ □□□
▷E: Cannot be destroyed.
▷F: Will not forget.

“Cannot be destroyed…?”

I scratched the back of my hand with my nails.

Drip…

Blood immediately welled from the cut skin. Although it did instantly
 heal from my overpowered natural recovery ability, it wasn’t that my
body couldn’t be destroyed. Perhaps it wasn’t a physical effect?

“Sir Hero~!” Lanuvel shouted, as if to break my train of thoughts.

Having flown over using flight magic, she presumptuously attempted to
 jump into my embrace, spreading both arms wide and diving with all her
might.

I caught Lanuvel’s face with a single hand in response.

“Ah, ahh?!”

“How dare you act cute.”

I decided to put aside tracing Ullullu’s destination for the moment.
There was a mountain of problems that had to be solved right now.

Ssaaa—!(Rain falling)

Chwaa—!(Rain pouring)

Rain began to fall from the sky. It truly poured down, as if grieving
 Ullullu’s death. Was the legend true? Though I did kill him without
even giving him the time to cry.

Ullullu’s gigantic corpse melted in that rain.

“It can’t be real… That thug defeated Guardian Deity Ullullu by
himself…? It was a Titan which even my father, the previous hero, gave
up on…”

Resurrected by the power of Saintess A, the mermaid princess Aqua
muttered blankly to herself. Describing me as a thug grated on my
nerves, but I decided to hold it in this time only. Her Level had
drastically fallen after dying by my hands, after all.

▷Race: Mermaid
▷Level: 236
▷Job: Hero(EXP 200%)
▷Skills: Spearmanship(S) Heat Resistance(A) Sprint(A) Singing(B) Omnipotent(C)…
▷Condition: Confused, Displeased, Agitated, Sexually Excited

… Sexually Excited?

I pondered it for several seconds with my head tilted, and then I suddenly thought of my Level.

Level 750.

Oh! Good God!

“Didn’t Sir Hero say you’ll take responsibility for me?”

I did indeed say something along those lines. For the sake of my
reputation and character scores, I had promised Saintess A to take
responsibility for Aqua’s Level and restore it to how it was. By no
means, however, did I say I would be responsible for her future.

“Don’t stick to me with that fishy-smelling body, you detestable fish-tart.”

“Sir Hero~𝅘𝅥𝅮”

The transformation of a woman is innocent, did they say? Aqua, who
had been hostile until a moment ago, scanned my body with a gaze full of
 desire as she flirted with me. She was like a female shark that had
found prey.

Sieg and Saintess A arrived a beat late. Unlike us who had become
drenched by the sudden downpour, the clothes of the two were warm and
dry without a speck of dust; the accompanying magicians of the Holy
Kingdom had shut out the rain using an umbrella-like livelihood magic.

Sieg gazed at me with a eyes full of determination. He had quite the look to him despite being a Level 3.

“Hansoo!”

“Talk.”

“I’ve decided to go on a journey to find the Holy Sword of legend,
because I feel I’ll only keep falling behind you at this rate! Together
with Lady Saintess beside me.”

“…”

The mentioned Saintess A was in the middle of blankly staring at Aqua, who was trying to stick to me like gum.

“Uh, Lady Saintess?”

“Ah! Yes.”

Having snapped to her senses at Sieg’s call, Saintess A said, “… I
was giving an example that there is such a way as well, Sir Sieg. Please
 do not misunderstand! I intend on protecting the hero’s descendant,
Aqua, by her side starting today. To prevent that filthy hero from
laying a hand on her!”

“Whaat?!”

“That being the case, find the Holy Sword by your own power. The
process of doing so will surely be of help to Sir Sieg’s growth.”

“Th-that can’t be…!”

… It seemed the situation was roughly settled.

Sieg confidently left, while Saintess A wilfully joined me.

Chwaaa—!(Rain falling)

Swaa—!(Rain pouring)

Even in the middle of everything, the rain fell in torrents. Like a
blocked dam that had broken, the rain fell everywhere literally without
rest.

Now there was no need to strive to take the lakewater. The terrible
drought was immediately solved. Not only the Dumpling Kingdom, but all
the countries in the middle continent which had been suffering from the
drought were busy praising me. I really wasn’t imagining it!

‘I can hear the sound of my reputation going up! Uhuhuhu!’

However…

“Why isn’t the rain stopping?!”

Five days later, my reputation began to go downhill.