Combat Slave Harem-Chapter 49: The Need For A Hero

In the original story of "Combat Slave Harem", the world Egon currently inhabits suffers from alien invasions originating from a higher-tier world.

Rifts tear open across the land, unleashing powerful armies of demons: orcs, ogres, kaijus, wyverns, and even dragons.

Slowly but relentlessly, they attempt to occupy the entire world through massacres and slaughter.

To avert total doom, many hidden factions of soul evolvers step forward to defend humanity. At the center of it all stood Archon, the prophesied Hero of the End Times.

But now the plot has been irrevocably altered, and Egon must prepare himself.

With his own nature, he is not suited to become the Hero the world needs.

Archon is already out of the equation as the bad blood between them runs deep enough that any alliance could spell Egon’s own downfall.

That is why Egon has decided to position someone else as the Hero.

He already has the perfect candidate in mind.

If his memory is correct, the invasions will begin in roughly one month, and the Hero Flower will bloom within two weeks.

As such, he had no intention of wasting another day.

He needs to set out at once.

--

The next evening.

Egon waited in the private room on the second floor. The room was lit only by three low candles and the soft blue glow of a single mana-lantern.

Vienna and Noella arrived together. Both had changed into simple house robes.

Vienna was in deep green, Noella in midnight blue.

They looked tired but alert.

Vienna closed the door behind them.

"You said it was urgent. What is it?"

"Could it be you want to go back on the punishment?" Noella said smiling sweetly.

"No. That’s not it. Sit. Both of you. This will take time."

Noella raised an eyebrow but obeyed, settling on the cushioned bench beside Vienna.

"You look worried, husband. That’s not normal for you."

Egon exhaled, "You’re right. You already know I’m not from this world. I told you two days ago. But what I haven’t told you, what I couldn’t bring myself to say until now, is that this entire world is a story. A novelkiss. Someone on my original Earth wrote it. Every major event, every prophecy, every named character was planned out on a screen before I ever arrived."

"..."

Vienna’s brows furrowed. "A... story?"

Noella was in disbelief too. "You’re saying we’re just some characters in a book? That our lives, our choices, our pain, our love; all were scripted by some stranger?"

"It’s not scripted anymore," Egon said quietly. "Ever since I arrived. The moment I woke up in that fighting arena beside Archon, the plot started deviating due to my interference. Every decision I made pushed it further, off course. Archon is no longer the center. The Hero Flower will still bloom in roughly one week, but the person meant to claim it Won’t be him anymore."

Vienna leaned forward worriedly, "Then who will protect this world?"

Egon met her gaze steadily.

"Hilga."

Noella blinked. "Our head maid? The one who barely talks with her mouth?"

"Yes." Egon walked to the small table and poured three glasses of watered wine. He handed one to each woman before taking his own.

"In the original novel she was a background figure casted out by Archon even though she was loyal and competent. But she has something no one else does: an untapped bloodline. Besides Dark elf bloodline, she has the dormant bloodline of a "Silver Dragon".

The flower chooses its wielder based on purity of intent and hidden potential. Hilga has both. If we can guide her to it first, she can become the Hero before Archon."

Vienna understood.

"I get that, husband. But why don’t you want to be a hero?" she asked.

He smiled wryly in response. "Because my heart is dark. I cannot feel compassion for the commoners and unfortunates, that’s why."

"No. That’s not true." Noella interrupted forcefully. "Hubby, you may acted bad at first, but I know you still have kindness within you. If not, you wouldn’t think of placing a Hero to save the world. You could have thought other ways to protect you and us, couldn’t you?"

Egon still shrugged. "Maybe."

Vienna stared into his eyes. "And the invasions? The rifts? The demons?"

"They’re coming," Egon said flatly. "One month, maybe less. Orcs, ogres, wyverns, dragons, everything the higher world can throw at us. In the original story Archon rallied the hidden factions, united the continents, and barely won. But Archon hates me now. If he claims the flower, he’ll use that power to destroy me first and worry about the demons second. I won’t let that happen."

Noella set her glass down hard enough to slosh wine over the rim.

Vienna’s voice came out small, "I’m honestly a little frightened."

Noella reached over and squeezed her hand. "I am too. But if we’re characters, then we can still choose our lines, can’t we?"

Egon knelt in front of them, taking one of Vienna’s hands and one of Noella’s.

"You’re not characters to me. You’re real. Every touch, every word, every night we spent tangled together; that was never scripted. That was us. And I will burn this whole world down before I let anyone take you away."

Vienna’s eyes watered, looking smithen. "What do we do them?"

"Toomorrow I will take her on the journey to the Holy Mountain. Officially it’s to scout new suppliers in the southern forests. In reality, I’m guiding her toward the place where the Hero Flower will bloom. She can’t know it yet. I don’t want her burdened with destiny until the moment she chose to carry it."

Noella frowned. "Why her, hubby? Why not train someone else? One of the combat slaves, or—"

"Because the flower chooses," Egon interrupted gently. "It always has. If we force it onto someone else, it rejects them. Hilga is the only viable candidate now that Archon is compromised."

Vienna swallowed. "And if she refuses? If she’s terrified?"

"Then I will bring the flower here," Egon said. "But I don’t think she will refuse. She’s loyal to a fault. She’ll see the need. She’ll step up."

Noella looked at him for a long time.

"You’re really going to do this. Turn our Head maid into the savior of the world."

"I’m going to give her the chance. The rest is up to her."

Vienna squeezed his hand. "And us? What do we do while you’re gone?"

"Run the Flower Garden. Keep the business growing. Keep Veyle distracted. And watch the rifts. The first small ones will appear soon. They will be scouts, not armies. When they do, send a message through this runic crystal. I’ll come back fast."

Noella leaned forward and kissed him, breaking the punishment on their own.

Vienna did too.

"Promise you’ll come back."

"I promise.".

"Bring Hilga home safe. And yourself."

"I will."

They stayed like that for a long time. Three bodies close, three hearts beating in the quiet room.

Eventually Egon stood.

"I will leave at first light. You two should rest."

Vienna rose with him. "We’ll see you off."

Noella followed. "And when you return, hubby. There will be no more thirty-day punishments. We all would have suffered enough by then."

Egon smiled, "Agreed."

He walked them to their shared chamber, kissed each one more time at the door, then turned toward his own lonely bed in the east wing.

Outside the window, the moon hung low and heavy. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Within 1 month the rifts would open.

Within 1 week, the Hero Flower would bloom.

At that time, somewhere in the southern forests, a dark-elf maid was about to become the most important person in the world.

Egon closed his eyes. He would make sure she manages to become the Hero.