Chapter 291 - [19th Round] The Hero’s Corruption

“This is crazy! I’ve been told so many times that I should be careful not to raise the Karma skill’s rank…”

Hero Richel walked through the streets of the capital of the Dumpling Kingdom, nervously scratching the back of his head.

Every time he passed by, the girls stopped, unable to take their eyes off him.

“Wow…”

“He’s so handsome.”

“Oh my God…”

It was pathetic.

When I was the emperor, all residents, regardless of gender and age, admired me.

As one’s popularity grew, the number of people dissatisfied with them usually grew as well, but my cuteness was absolute. Nobody on the continent could deny it.

I was qualitatively different from Lanuvel, whose cuteness was fake.

“Sir Hero Riel, Sword God Alex’s mansion is this way!” With a smile, Lanuvel turned to the Hero, not paying attention to his sorrowful expression.

She was practically begging to get punched!

“Lanuvel’s sweet voice gives me strength!”

How could he put up with that bitch?

Richel really perked up, but he didn’t go where Lanuvel tried to lead him to.

It wasn’t that hard for me to predict where he was going.

The Mercenary Guild.

It was where filthy and wild Fantasy barbarians looked for work or where others hired them in exchange for money.

“Let me guess! You want to find a companion from the guild to accompany you in your journey, don’t you, sir Hero?”

“Exactly! Miss Lanuvel’s sharp mind never misses.”

“Heeheehee.”

My blood pressure went up dramatically every time I watched them flirt, but now wasn’t the time to be distracted by it.

Why would he want to find a companion there?

Hero Richel had just started his 2nd round.

Even in the 1st round, immediately after being summoned, he rushed straight to Noebius, losing in 0.1 seconds. He didn’t even spend time gathering information.

Despite that fact, not only did he seem to have the whole city memorized, but he was certain that he would find a companion at his destination.

Only one plausible explanation came to mind.

“He’s cheating.”

It was weird.

Many guides and reference books had been published for the 4th curriculum since there were many graduates. However, not even one hero had managed to graduate from the 5th curriculum yet.

There was simply nowhere for anyone to get a guide.

Regardless, Hero Richel never showed hesitation. He knew exactly where he needed to go at any given moment and moved as swiftly as Luke, who back then used a guide.

I decided to watch a little longer to make sure.

PSS!

The face and body of the young aristocrat, who became the embodiment of the MAX-Class Righteous Demon Lord, began to change rapidly.

It wasn’t plastic surgery.

It was the power of Mollan’s Teachings!

▷ Race: Human

▷ Level: 44

▷ Job: Aristocrat (Bloodline = Dignity ↑)

▷ Skills: Health MAX, Endurance MAX, Resilience MAX, Agility MAX, Intelligence MAX, Immunity MAX, Strength MAX, Five Senses MAX, Charm MAX, Body MAX, Skin MAX, Hair MAX, Life Span MAX, Dignity C, Dark Energy D…

▷ Status: Good

Upon having one’s body-related skills reach that point, their physique would go through a process of metamorphosis, causing changes drastic enough to turn them into a completely different person.

Oops…

There were minor side effects, however.

The skinny aristocrat’s clothes were ripped apart by his new body equipped with protruding muscles.

“Ah?!”

“Mother, look!”

“Is that a god?”

“Woah…”

I immediately felt the stunned and startled passers-by’s eyes staring at me.

Some of the girls, blushing, even covered their faces.

Their excessive attention was a little annoying.

But it wasn’t a problem.

“Here are some clean socks.”

“Please take my pants.”

“Take this. It’s a first-class cloak.”

“Please accept these shoes I bought yesterday.”

The demon followers hiding among the common citizens provided me with all the clothing I needed.

I looked ridiculous since I was given random clothing items, but the cloak comfortably covered everything.

I would solve this problem later. I had much more important matters to focus on.

“Well…”

After completing my transformation using Master Mollan’s teachings and receiving the support of the demonic followers, I followed Richel and Lanuvel.

Tink— Tink—

The Mercenary Guild was visited by so many people that the bell near the door would keep ringing until late at night.

However, wars and monster hunts didn’t happen every day, so the work of mercenaries could be very diverse.

From small orders to illegal activities, they did whatever their clients desired as long as they offered a reasonable payment.

There was also additional payment for hazardous working conditions.

Hourly payment.

Prizes.

Seasonal allowances.

…

Mercenaries, who had to be paid extra for various reasons, were much more expensive to maintain than ordinary soldiers, but they were stronger, more experienced, and didn’t ask unnecessary questions.

In particular, “named mercenaries,” the ones recognized for their skills, were treated even better than knights.

If Hero Richel wanted to hire companions, he would definitely target the named ones.

Just like how I hired the “Mercenary King” in the 1st round at a high cost.

“Sorry.”

“Ah! Sir Holy Knight, what brings you to our mercenary guild? Are you here to make a request? Hire someone? Perhaps join us?” The girl behind the counter asked politely.

She mistook Richel for a paladin because of his gorgeous attire.

“I need a mercenary.”

“Do you have anyone in mind?”

“Stormbringer Rapaveli.”

“Ah! She’s on the third floor, which is for permanent members only. Her services cost quite a lot of money, but if you’re familiar with her, I can tell her that you’re looking for her.”

“Tell her Riel is asking for her.”

“Okay. Please wait a minute~”

The Mercenary Guild used a club membership system.

However, it didn’t restrict the mercenaries in any way. They still had the right to decide who they would work for.

The first floor was for guests.

The second floor was for associates.

The third floor was for permanent members.

Places such as the Continental Branch and the Mercenary Guild Headquarters had more stories. There could be differences in categorization depending on the region, but they were generally organized that way.

Most guild mercenaries with unknown stats were given the ‘guest’ status.

Only those who had been active for a long time and had earned a reputation for themselves were promoted to associates, and the most prominent of them were chosen as permanent members.

If one became a member of the guild, the others’ attitude towards them would change significantly.

Unlike the first floor, which resembled a marketplace, various amenities became exclusively available to associates and permanent members starting from the second floor.

Naturally, the insolence of the third floor’s mercenaries grew in proportion with that since they were treated better than knights.

But this woman was different.

“Who’s out there asking for my attention… Ah! Are you the one looking for me?”

The beauty, who went down to the first floor, was at first indignant but immediately faltered when she saw Richel.

She changed her expression and bowed politely to say hello.

I knew why.

Externally, her stats looked like this:

▷ Race: Human

▷ Level: 754

▷ Job: Swordsman (Swordsmanship = Slash ↑)

▷ Skills: Swordsmanship S, Charm S, Dexterity A, Tempest A, Evasion A…

▷ Status: Bored

But reality often differed.

▷ Race: Half Angel

▷ Level: 754

▷ Job: Swordsman (Swordsmanship = Slash ↑)

▷ Skills: Divinity SS, Fencing S, Concealment S, Dexterity A, Tempest A…

▷ Status: Amazed, Concealed

She hid her race and skills.

The Concealment skill had the effect of disguising one’s stats.

It might seem like a useless skill since no one except the Hero could view someone else’s stats, but in Fantasy, there were items imbued with that ability. The magic glasses were one such example.

It was often the elves who wanted to infiltrate human society that mastered this skill.

With it, they could simply stuff fur into their chests and hide their long ears with magic or a hat, and no one would suspect their identities anymore.

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“Allow me to introduce myself again. I’m Riel.”

“Your holiness is immediately evident.”

The Hero and a commoner.

Richel acted naturally despite it being their first meeting and conversation.

“Join my squad.”

“It would be an honor, Your Grace.”

He hired one of the guild’s finest mercenaries, but there wasn’t even any talk about money.

The reason for her submission was hidden from third parties.

“Stormbringer,” who was thought to be human, also had mixed angelic blood. As soon as she saw Richel’s divinity, she immediately put herself under his command.

Now everything became clear.

The MAX-Class Demon Lord has learned about corruption, which shouldn’t be allowed to exist within the walls of this school!

***

When I was told he wanted to take away my achievements, I only grinned, but Richel was well prepared, right down to his attire.

Was it because he was the director’s grandson?

He possessed extensive knowledge of the 5th curriculum even though it had just begun.

Maybe even more than I did.

“Welcome to the Hero’s Party! I’m Lanuvel, an archaeologist. I study legends!”

“Nice to meet you, Miss Lanuvel. I am Rapaveli, a high-ranking mercenary nicknamed “Stormbringer.”

After a short introduction, Hero Richel continued his journey.

“Sir Hero Riel, don’t you want to meet the Sword God Alex?”

“About that, Miss Lanuvel. I’m sorry, but I forgot to tell you that Sword God Alex sided with the Demon Lord because of his armless wife.”

“Really?!”

Lanuvel’s surprised expression made me want to run out and hit her.

However, hardly restraining myself, I continued to eavesdrop.

“Elf Princess Sylvia didn’t, though. She has good skills, and if I recruit her, we’d be able to count on the support of the entire Elf Kingdom.”

“Wow! You’re knowledgeable, Sir Hero Riel!”

“That’s an exaggeration.”

He was targeting Sylvia?

The fact that he knew Alex’s secret was already beyond preparation. What he was doing was actual deception and manipulation.

I had to do something about it.

I decided to meet with Sylvia before Richel could.

***

“And you are… in good shape.”

Sylvia, hosting aristocrats from the Dumpling Kingdom, decided to meet me in person even though it was the first time she had seen me.

During the 4th curriculum, she hated humans, but when the wretched Third Elf King took the throne, the personalities of his descendants changed dramatically.

However, Sylvia from the 5th curriculum was an elf princess who dreamed of marrying a handsome and strong man.

“Thanks for the compliment. This is the result of constant morning workouts.”

Not even a day had passed yet, but it didn’t matter.

“Ah… I see…”

Sylvia stared in fascination at my bulging pectoral muscles.

“Would you like to touch them?”

“Ah! If you’ll allow…”

“Of course.”

“Then please excuse my rudeness. Wow… You have such a broad chest. I would like to remain forever in your arms…”

She fell victim to the preferences of Third Elf King Elfheim, who loved humans.

At least it was better than hatred.

“Princess Sylvia.”

“Please, just call me Sylvia, but put all your love into it.”

What? Love? Had she gone completely nuts?

“Sylvia… I want to introduce you to someone, but would you like to take a walk with me first?”

“Someone stronger than you?”

“You will see.”

“I’m curious, so I dare not refuse.”

Sylvia, pressing and rubbing her cheeks against my chest, agreed to come with me.

Excellent.

I grabbed Sylvia’s thin waist with my left hand.

“Ah! Those biceps! I’m not sure my fragile body can handle this.”

‘Hey, it’ll be problematic if your back breaks right now.’

My hand rested on her lumbar region between the 4th and 5th vertebrae. At least if it did, I would be ready to act.

At that moment, Sylvia rose to the tip of her toes and dared plant her lips on mine.

“Mm-mm…”

“Hmm…”

I didn’t resist.

I wasn’t a fan of LCD monitors, but I could provide such a service, given the old days.

We crossed the street and headed to the park.

There, we continued kissing, moving from place to place, and then quietly parted.

Because he would soon appear.

After a while, Hero Richel found Sylvia lying on a park bench.

And he exclaimed.

“The princess is dead?!”

This was why love should be expressed in moderation.

▶ Difficulty: I think the only woman who can withstand the love of cadet Kang Han Soo is Councilor Ssosia.

‘Oh! Trainee Teacher! Don’t be silly!’

“Now’s the time to keep watching him.”

They had no time to stand still, considering the guards received a report from a MAX-Class Righteous Citizen.

“Get him!”

“Subdue the murderer!”

“What have you done with Princess Sylvia?!”

“Don’t let him get away!”

I needed to hurry up to not miss my junior, who fled after being accused of murdering a princess of a neighboring kingdom.