Chapter 137
Jakarann has begun to move in earnest, and though there are many opposing opinions, he has also started accumulating achievements. It seems the King, who knows his true nature and is displeased, has desperately mobilized the investigation department and managed to uncover my existence.
However, I tilt my head at the information that Grund, the leader of the Grund Bandits—one of Jakarann's reported achievements—has been killed.
In FBO, Grund was notorious for being so tenacious he was called "the immortal Grund." No matter how fatal the injuries he sustained, he would inexplicably return in the original story, leading many to suspect he was closer to an undead being.
He was the kind of character where the verification team had to figure out how to kill him, and once defeated, they had to reduce his corpse to ashes—a whole set of established procedures and countermeasures were in place for him.
His status specs weren't particularly high, but in terms of being a pain to defeat, some even say he rivals the Three Madmen I asked the Duke to investigate.
"Was the body confirmed?"
"Yes, I heard they brought back his head as proof that the man killed him. His face was apparently badly disfigured, but the examiner deemed it possible during battle and certified the subjugation, lifting the wanted status."
His motto was: "As long as you're alive, anything is possible."
A man who boasted he would lick boots, become a chair, or even a horse if it meant survival—would he really be killed by some fool known as the incarnation of brutality?
"...Is something wrong?"
"It's just a bad feeling, nothing certain."
"Again?"
When I let that doubt show on my face, the Duke looked at me with clear displeasure.
"...Speak. Your bad hunches are no joke."
Reluctantly, he urged me to continue.
What doesn’t sit right with me is that when it comes to survival, Grund is said to have no equal among FBO's NPCs.
No matter how decisively you try to kill him, some inexplicable power keeps him alive.
Decapitating strikes or instant-death attacks from behind that pierce the heart somehow miss, and even attacks that would be fatal to normal people only wound him.
"That’s the kind of man Grund was supposed to be, so I think he might still be alive. Also, considering Jakarann’s personality, if the bandits bribed him and said they’d pay tribute in exchange for being spared, he’d probably let them live."
"......"
After explaining that and adding my thoughts on Jakarann’s character, the Duke grimaced, crossed his arms, and began to groan, admitting it was plausible.
"...I can’t deny it. That’s probably why the King investigated you as a potential trump card against him."
As a Hero of the Oracle, Jakarann would score not just a failing grade but negative points. But to the public, he’s the hero who took down a notorious bandit leader.
That narrative doesn’t sit well with the King either.
"But to drag me out based on rumors—how desperate is he?"
"Caught between the pro-faction led by Duke Boltrinde and the opposition, including me, His Majesty has lost so much weight in a month that it’s noticeable."
"Sounds like he’s really backed into a corner. Is the balance that even?"
He must truly be clutching at straws.
There’s no doubt the person who cleared the dungeon with the Wind Dragon exists.
Duke Edelgard even tried to summon that person under the pretext of awarding them, but I refused outright.
"Normally, the other dukes wouldn’t stay silent while Duke Boltrinde monopolizes the situation. But things have gotten complicated. I don’t know what deal was made, but the remaining two dukes have declared neutrality and are watching. In practice, I’m the only one opposing. Emotionally, the King leans our way, but he can’t act on it."
"......When Liberta has an audience with the King, how many dukes will be present?"
"All of them, including me."
That would normally be considered disrespectful, but for the subjugation of the Wind Dragon and the clearing of the Durandal Dungeon, they’ve pushed hard to claim the achievements for the ducal houses. Officially, it’s being framed as the result of the Edelgard Ducal House’s subordinates working hard and cooperating.
They probably suspected something was being hidden.
But they’d never guess it was a child who cleared it.
"Despite the Eastern Duke Matthias and Western Duke Marduk remaining neutral, they’re attending this unveiling. That suggests something’s up."
Put another way, if a child cleared the dungeon, that child must possess something special—proof that they could be a Hero of the Oracle.
"Duke Edelgard, if you know anything about the other three dukes, please tell me. If we send Liberta to the King as-is, there’ll be unnecessary interference."
"...All I know is that their subordinates have been holding secret talks. Something was definitely discussed, but I have no further details."
Betting on that, the King must have mobilized his intelligence network to find me, whom Duke Edelgard was hiding—or perhaps he simply wants to praise the King sincerely.
In a way, it’s like saying they don’t trust Duke Edelgard, but the Duke himself must feel guilty for hiding me.
He could excuse it by saying he hadn’t confirmed I was the Hero of the Oracle, but he can’t keep hiding me forever.
"It’s still dangerous. The other three dukes should be excluded from the audience."
"I told His Majesty that. But the King wants to present an alternative hero candidate to Jakarann to curb Duke Boltrinde’s momentum."
Well, since Claudia asked what I wanted to hear, I’ll quietly listen to what I need to know.
"What if I run away?"
"That man will likely rise as the hero."
"Do you realize that’s the worst possible outcome for me?"
"...My apologies."
I can tell this is a painful decision for the Duke too.
Jakarann becoming a hero would spell the end for the southern continent.
We want to stop it, but the Edelgard Ducal House alone can’t. That’s why he’s asking me to step forward as the Hero of the Oracle. If I refuse and run, he’s saying, "You know what that means."
Originally, the emergence of Heroes of the Oracle across the continents was already a deviation from the original story.
Because of that, a dynamic formed where whoever enshrined a hero could become the next ruler.
The Duke probably doesn’t want to bow his head either.
But even if I’m just a commoner child, I’m the lifesaver of his beloved daughters, the one who rescued the capital from the Stampede, cleared the Durandal Dungeon that threatened the kingdom, and even took down the Wind Dragon. Facing me, the Duke bows deeply.
"My power is insufficient to repay the debt I owe you. This is all I can do. If you choose to flee the capital, I will assist you. I’ll even prepare funds so you can live safely on another continent."
And that’s when I realized—this man is truly different from the Duke in the original story.
In the original, he would’ve undoubtedly tried to control and command me without question.
"...Sigh."
I never disliked the original Duke Edelgard to begin with.
Since coming to this world, I’ve gotten along with him in my own way, and the fact that he’s changed because of the lives I saved makes me like him even more.
"Fine. I’ll meet the King."
I just can’t bring myself to dislike him.
A man of hardship, a noble who still respects commoners—he’s a rare kind of person.
If I threw a tantrum here, stormed off pretending not to know anything, and cut ties, I’d regret it for the rest of my life.
"You have my thanks."
"In return, there’s something I’d like your help with. Please cooperate."
"I’ll do everything in my power."
Besides, if I cut ties with him, I wouldn’t be able to see my favorite person anymore either.
With a relieved expression, the Duke nods, and I reluctantly agree to meet the King.
"Are you sure about this, Liberta?"
"Half of me has resigned myself to it."
Noble-related quests are usually nothing but trouble. Frankly, I’d rather not get involved.
"By the way, I’d like to firmly reject any offers of titles. Also, no honey traps, no attending noble parties, and no duel-related messes. Please."
"...Understood."
At this point, my only option is to use the Duke as a shield to protect myself from noble society.
Being elevated as a hero is honestly a bother, but with Claudia and the Duke as my backers, I’ll manage somehow.
"Oh, and anyone who tries to force their way into being the hero’s companion or harms Nel and the others—cut them all off! Those kinds of people probably look down on me as some commoner kid anyway."
"...That stings."
"I say it because I’ve seen it happen. But I can’t deny Liberta’s point either."
The most troublesome part is dealing with people.
I know backroom dealings are important, but spending time on that stuff means I can’t get stronger.
And yet, once I do gain power, they’ll still look down on me for my bloodline. Nobles are truly insufferable.
"From my perspective, if you’re going to make me a hero, I’m just asking for the bare minimum protection! Also, since you’re the ones forcing the 'Hero of the Oracle' title on me, don’t expect me to save the world or go to war just because I’m a hero!! Pushing those obligations on me is the most annoying thing!"
And then, after looking down on me, they’ll say, "A hero should be able to handle this, right?" and dump unreasonable tasks on me, eating into my free time.
I refuse absolutely.
"I’m dead serious about this!!"
If they’re going to force the hero title on someone who has no intention of being one, the least they can do is guarantee me these rights.
"I don’t want status! I don’t want women!! I’ll earn my own money, so I don’t need that either!! So please, no trouble—I refuse all of it!"
At this point, it’s questionable whether I can even be called a hero with these demands.
"Can that even be called a hero?"
"...But you’re the one forcing this on him. His demands might be unusual, but from his perspective, they’re perfectly reasonable."
The Duke himself looks troubled by my "hero who wants nothing and does nothing" declaration, and Claudia wears a similar expression, though she seems to understand.
I’ll meet the King. If necessary, I don’t mind being called a hero.
But I won’t do a hero’s work.
"...Hmm, in that case, other nobles will definitely argue that Liberta isn’t the true Hero of the Oracle."
"Oh, then how about I crush Jakarann to shut them up? If I beat the so-called hero candidate Jakarann to a pulp and establish my rank, the other nobles should quiet down."
Even I know that’s an unreasonable demand.
The Duke agonizes over whether the nobles would accept it, so I propose a duel with Jakarann instead.
It’d satisfy my desire to pummel him and prove there’s someone stronger.
"That’s an option, but..."
"Is there a problem?"
It should solve most issues, but the Duke doesn’t seem keen. I can’t figure out why.
"Liberta, imagine it calmly. A bunch of adult nobles gathering to watch two children fight. Doesn’t that seem like a grotesque spectacle?"
"Ah."
Claudia’s words make it click. Yeah, nobles making children fight is a terrible look.
I’m a kid, and so is he.
An adult vs. a child is bad enough, but a child vs. child duel is even worse.
"What should we do?"
"If you’d just accept the duties of a hero, things would be simpler."
"Ah, no. Absolutely not."
"Then what?"
Asking the Duke to host something like this would be cruel.
I considered waiting until I’m older, but the older Jakarann gets, the harder he’ll be to deal with.
If we’re going to take him down, it has to be now.
"......"
No matter how much the three of us rack our brains, no solution comes to mind.
On one side, there’s Jakarann, running wild but at least pretending to take on hero work.
On the other, there’s me, saying I don’t mind the hero title but refusing to do any hero work.
As a rival candidate, I’m the weaker one.
Honestly, I don’t even want to be a hero—they’re the ones who investigated and decided, "You’re the hero, right?!"
It feels stupid to agonize over this.
"Setting aside the whole 'become a hero' thing, what exactly is a hero supposed to do? I don’t really get it."
But if I have to think about it, I’ll grudgingly try.
First, I need to confirm what role they expect from a hero.
In the game, the hero was a title the protagonist earned by progressing the main story and completing all kinds of quests, eventually being recognized by the gods.
No one started as a hero.
"The world’s wish is the subjugation of the Evil God slumbering in the central continent. That is what is asked of the hero."
The difference from the game.
What the Duke solemnly explains to me, when all I wanted to know was—
"? That’s it?"
—is something that, to me, is just a milestone.