Chapter 59 - I Became the Daughter of the Academy’s Villain

<59 - The Adventure of a Retired Former Hero> In this world, there exists a being known as a hero. - You, a child of man with talent surpassing all others. Chosen by Sophemia, the sole deity of the continent, the sun, embark on a journey to become a hero and conquer evil. The deity, possessing the ability to see through human talent with the eyes of talent discernment, bestows the blessing of a hero upon a child deemed worthy through their priests. A hero, once blessed, grows like a player, able to see their status screen and receive quests. And there is one more thing. There is a powerful privilege granted only to heroes. The ability to declare, "You, become my companion!" and make other NPCs companions of the hero. The companions chosen by the deity's chosen hero are called heroes as well, but unlike the true hero, they cannot receive quests, known as 'divine guidance.' It means that when the true hero dies or their journey ends, they are lost, not knowing what to focus on or which path to take. The retired former hero <Destroyer> was one of these lost pseudo-heroes. "Aren't you tired? You just got abused by that crazy statue." "Not at all! I took it easy on the way here." The academic status of the student, checked using a professor’s magical clock, was not marked as having cut class and fled, but rather bore a star for outstanding performance in catching up with lectures. Knowing to push their physical limits while also having extraordinary recovery abilities. 'The so-called quality of a hero. Indeed, a talent that meets the minimum requirement.' Moreover, there was no sign of a frown on their face, genuinely enjoying the ordeal. Possessing the unique mental resilience of a hero who treats harsh trials like enjoyable tasks. Meaning they are outstanding talents in both mind and body. 'More than anything, they pursue what they want to do more clearly than anyone else. Just like a true hero.' Their chosen movements and actions reminded me of the eccentricities that the former hero Nyarlathotep used to display. 'That hero was quite individualistic too. Perhaps all truly beloved heroes by the deity have such personalities?' With a thump, I closed the book, folding away the unnecessarily complicated thoughts along with it. "Fine. If you desire the lecture that much, I'll provide it." "Woah~" Applause followed, and Professor Destroyer began speaking with a disgusted look to Oknodie, the child who was delighted. "<The Adventure of a Retired Former Hero> is a lecture where we discuss bizarre stories experienced firsthand by a hero party during their adventures and carry out related assignments." "The first story to open our first lecture is <The Unending Sheep>. A tale that even gave the Hero of Reversal a rather eerie feeling." Destroyer began the story, recalling his distant past. * * About 15 years ago. There was a village in the impoverished backcountry prairies where shepherds gathered to graze their sheep. Situated on harsh terrain untouched by human feet where strong monsters appear, the shepherds chose to become neighbors to monsters, naturally forming a village, due to the exploitation by the lords in the pleasant plains. <Extermination Request> Please find and solve the reason why our village's sheep are disappearing. Reward: 5 gold coins, a plaque of gratitude from the guild, title [Savior of the Mountain Village] The newly formed hero party, not long after having their names listed in the guild and starting their activities, needed not just money, but more achievements. To embark on a proper heroic adventure, it was fastest in the adventurer's guild to gather several titles of village savior and obtain the title <Guardian of the Hamlet>. "Could it be wolves?" "That's boring. We've already dealt with wolf fur." "Hmm~ This request seems quite interesting." The deity-chosen hero and sorcerer, Nyarlathotep. His first companion, a remarkable warrior, Alpha. The second companion, a rogue indifferent to everything, Destroyer. The three quickly found the den of wolves, killing five of the twelve wolves attracted by the sheep and driving away the other seven. What was strange was that the wolves were all emaciated to the point their rib cages were visible, and there was no sign of them having hunted the sheep. "Could it be some other monster?" "What a headache. There’s no sign of another monster." "How interesting. Just as I expected. Hehe." Nyarlathotep said. "Did you all not notice?" "What?" "The monster." "You mean it was people instead of wolves?" "While Destroyer's idea isn’t bad, there’s something even more interesting. Why were there no traces of other monsters? In such a backcountry village with hundreds of delicious-looking sheep." "Now that you mention it, it does seem strange. We wouldn’t expect such benefits in a village of runaways who have dodged their tax duties, unlike villages where lords periodically exterminate monsters." The shepherds seemed clueless, and the inexperienced hero party at the time failed to reach the root of the problem, ending the request halfway. Considering they had dealt with the wolves targeting the sheep, they could take solace in deeming the request fulfilled. "Has it been 10 years since we last visited this village?" Destroyer, now a veteran hero, revisited the village of shepherds he had come to alone. While reflecting on his past adventure, curiosity led him to step in. The village still had postings about the missing sheep, and the village chief had a face full of sorrow. "Hmm?" Feeling a strong dissonance in the village's atmosphere, Destroyer decided to ask the chief a few questions. The chief said it was late and he would only answer three questions before going back to work. * * “Now, it’s Oknodie the freshman’s turn to step up. Imagine you're the veteran hero Destroyer and ask the chief three questions.” “I will personally answer thinking from the chief’s perspective.” Indeed, it's interesting. <The Adventure of a Retired Former Hero> lecture adopts a peculiar format of listening to hero adventures and responding as if students themselves have become the hero. Although it's a session of mental abuse following physical exhaustion with no mercy, it's all the more appealing to the seasoned ones. "Each of Professor Destroyer's stories changes with every session," they say. One might expect the story to unfold in the same manner at least once, but curiously, it changes every time. And the content is intriguing every single time. "The hint has already been given. This is a story about 'The Unending Sheep.' The sense of dissonance the hero felt must be related to the sheep. The fact that the same request from 10 years ago is still posted implies that the root of the problem hasn’t been resolved." Professor Destroyer scratched his beard, glancing over with a look that seemed to say, see what I mean? "Are the shepherds the same as they were before?" "Are you addressing that question to the chief?" "Yes." "The chief would probably answer like this: Most have left the village, and their places were filled by new shepherds." A rather valuable answer. "It seems the new shepherds, and the lord alike, are unaware of what's happening in the village. The events here have been occurring very covertly." He spread out his index and middle finger. "Here's my second question. How many adventurers have come to take on this request over the past 10 years, how did they fulfill their request, and what was their survival rate?" "Due to the awkwardly low reward, barely one or two made it here each year. Some hunted nearby wild animals or monsters, while others taught how to build fences or plant thorny vines. Occasionally, some adventurers who encountered monsters in deeper places never returned." "Can I see the request?" "Is that your third question?" "Um... No! I was just wondering if I could see the latest request posted in the village without asking." "I see. Take this." The professor reached into his clothing and pulled out a laminated piece of paper. What was blank paper when pulled out transformed into an old adventurer's request by the time it was handed over. <Extermination Request> Please find and solve the reason why our village's sheep are disappearing. Reward: 6 gold coins, 15 silver coins, a plaque of gratitude from the guild, title [Savior of the Mountain Village] A player might easily dismiss this as a <repeating quest>, but for a party of NPC heroes, this narrative is not common. There's always a reason why such a puzzling quest has been repeated over 10 years. Most importantly, the reward has increased. Considering the number of sheep in the village remains the same and most of the original shepherds have left, the frequency and amount of the reward offered every time seem excessive. "Here's my last question. Who is the merchant buying these sheep from the village, and when can we meet them?" "A fellow named Benjamin takes them. Come winter, you'll soon meet him. Will you stay until winter?" I pretty much have it figured out. "That's all for the questions. And Destroyer, after touring the village, solved the case. Can Oknodie, the freshman, solve the case as well?" "I would also like to take a look around." "What do you want to check while touring the village?" "I want to see the sheep myself." "Then you shall see. Sheep either lying down in the pasture sleeping, standing still, or occasionally staggering, along with the tranquil daily life of the shepherds." Well, even for a first lecture, it wasn't a difficult problem. "There were no sheep grazing, were there?" "You got the knack of it." "Can I say the answer?" "By all means." "While it might have been the sheep that decreased at first, over time it was the shepherds who dwindled. They must have displayed some truly eerie wisdom to avoid the adventurers catching onto them." "And what would that wisdom be?" "They stuffed the corpses or the missing people into the skins of the sheep." Destroyer grinned. "That's correct."