Hero.

The moment the word came out of Jegal Jin’s mouth, my eyes twisted.

...Hero? What hero?

What was he talking about out of nowhere. And what “how does it feel,” too.

I was still staring at him, unable to understand, when—

“Your face is hilarious. I like it.”

Jegal Jin let out a snort of a laugh as he spoke. With how tired he looked, smiling like that only made him seem even more foul-tempered.

“I heard you woke up, so I came right away, but looking at you... you still need more time.”

“...That—”

“Come to the True Assembly Hall in half a shichen. Don’t be late.”

Jegal Jin suddenly held out his hand to Murong Yeongsun at my side.

Seeing it, Murong Yeongsun pulled several letters from her robe like she’d been waiting and handed them over.

TAP—!

Jegal Jin took them and walked out as if nothing happened.

“...What?”

He’s just leaving like that? And I’m supposed to show up in half a shichen?

While I was still gaping, I asked Murong Yeongsun.

“...What was that? What did you hand him?”

“Ah.”

Murong Yeongsun answered calmly.

“Your examination record. A letter with what the Therapist said written down.”

“Why are you giving that to the strategist?”

“He asked.”

“What?”

He asked for that?

“Why...?”

“I don’t know. Maybe he’s worried about his grandson?”

“......”

It was such a ridiculous answer I didn’t even bother replying.

Worried about his grandson, my ass.

Neither of them are acting like a grandfather and grandson in the first place.

And.

Grandson.

What Jegal Jin said, and Murong Yeongsun’s reaction too—

Looks like...

...people around us had figured it out to some degree. Of course they did.

I said it out loud myself.

It was when I went to meet Jegal Jin—because things were urgent—that I revealed I was his grandson.

Everyone there heard it.

And it wasn’t just one or two people. No matter how chaotic it was, that’s not the kind of thing you “forget.”

It probably spread, at least a little.

There was a strong chance rumors had traveled in bulk.

Of course—

Since it’s Jegal Jin, he might’ve shut it down, too.

Since it happened inside the Martial Alliance, if Jegal Jin wanted to cut it off at the source, that wouldn’t have been hard.

Anyway...

Half a shichen.

Thinking back to Jegal Jin’s words, I swept my hair back.

Even then, the lake kept reflecting my face.

What is this,

A full head of white hair. And the inner power in me that had swelled up.

...And everything that happened after.

It was time to find out.

*****

After some time passed and we’d gathered again in the room,

I sat at the table, pressing my brow.

“...So.”

During that short window, I grabbed Cheon Eujin and Murong Yeongsun and demanded information.

The seven days and nights I’d been out. What the hell happened in that time?

They answered what they knew.

And after I gathered it all together, the conclusion I reached was—

“...You’re saying I became a hero?”

A conclusion so bizarre it made my head throb.

“Yes.”

Cheon Eujin spoke with his eyes sparkling.

And Murong Yeongsun nodded with a face that looked like she was barely holding back laughter.

“Not just any hero. Henan’s hero... the light of the era who saved Thousand-Mile True Sight and our leader... the Righteous Faction’s hope and dream, and—”

“No. That’s enough. Stop there.”

I didn’t want to hear another word. It felt like something was crawling up my throat, ready to sit there and rot.

[Keup... heh... keuk....]

On top of that, someone above was openly laughing at me, and it was making me feel even worse.

“...No... I mean... ah... no....”

The words wouldn’t come out clean. No matter what I tried to say, it felt like I was spitting on myself while lying down.

What is this, seriously.

My head hurt.

If you believed Cheon Eujin—

Then I really became a hero?

He said the way people treated me across Henan had changed dramatically.

An assault by the DEMON CULT, “revival,” and a group called HEAVEN-BREAKING PALACE.

The enemy attacked a Righteous Faction garrison—Henan, where Main Alliance Headquarters stood.

Massive damage happened in that process.

People screamed and wailed, and even the Martial Alliance couldn’t easily stop the strength of the demonic warriors who had reappeared—

And in that moment, there were those who drove the enemy back, leading a radiant sword.

And that was—

A hero.

Little Sword Saint Bang Sungyeon.

He said I was the hero who stopped the assault.

Yeah. Me.

...Me?

Apparently, that’s what the rumor was.

Not only did I execute the demonic warriors and block the dark faction fighters—

I saved Thousand-Mile True Sight in the middle of danger, and I saved Divine Spear after he ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) collapsed.

And especially—

...I killed Sword Demon?

That part hit like a slap.

I killed Sword Demon...?

I wasn’t ignorant about Sword Demon.

A demonic warrior who operated during the Orthodox-Demonic War—one of the high-ranking demonic warriors said to have served under the Heavenly Demon.

But—

He was alive?

Not only was a demonic warrior believed dead actually alive, he appeared out of nowhere—

And I killed him?

What....

What kind of situation is this?

What the hell...

What did he do—

What did that man do with my body?

I stared up at Yoo Cheongil floating in the air, eyes wide.

As always, he was drifting around, picking at his nose.

[Hm? What are you staring at.]

He answered my gaze with a bored expression.

“......”

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t remember.

It was different from his usual possession. Normally, I could remember the sensation of my body clearly.

But now I don’t remember anything.

It was like the first time he ever possessed me.

...What’s the difference?

What difference was there that made me forget?

I thought it over.

Then—

Ah. Don’t tell me.

One thing snagged on my mind.

...Because I didn’t get possessed for a long time?

Every time he possessed me, it seemed like he needed downtime, and the duration was always short.

Yoo Cheongil said even a few days was too brief to “hold” him properly.

But this time it was longer.

I hadn’t been possessed for months. Even when situations came up, Yoo Cheongil refused to do it.

And only when this whole mess happened did he finally borrow my body.

So is that why?

Because it had been too long—so the possession lasted longer, and I can’t remember it?

If I had to guess, it was that.

“SSSS—.”

Fine. Forgetting is one thing, but—

“...So what’s the situation now?”

Me becoming some “hero” was one thing.

But that wasn’t what mattered right now.

“Ah... that is.”

Cheon Eujin rolled his eyes for a moment, then—

“...The Martial Alliance set a conference.”

“...And that’s today?”

“Yes. They scheduled it in a rush, so the timeline is tight, but... it’s probably...”

A conference.

I locked onto that word for one reason.

“...The conference venue is the True Assembly Hall—and it’s starting soon.”

Because the place Jegal Jin told me to come was the exact venue where this conference would be held.

For me, that was the biggest problem.

Great. I wake up and it’s already bad.

What is this “conference,” anyway?

On the surface, you could think it’s just Martial Alliance executives gathering to talk.

But it isn’t some normal conference.

The official name for this is the Righteous Guidance Conference.

The Righteous Guidance Conference isn’t just Martial Alliance officials getting together and handling business.

...It’s the heads of the Righteous Faction organizations gathering.

When an incident happens, the leaders of the Righteous Faction groups gather and hold talks with the Martial Alliance.

Usually, it happens when dissatisfaction with the Martial Alliance boils over—and it hadn’t happened once in nearly fifty years.

And they’re doing it today of all days.

They were holding that conference today.

That was what was grinding my brain into paste.

No, holding it is fine.

Why are they calling me.

Why am I being called there?

That was the only part I cared about.

So even the Martial Alliance is taking this seriously.

Holding a conference like this means even the Martial Alliance sees this as far from a trivial incident.

Of course they would.

It’s Henan that got hit.

Henan, where Main Alliance Headquarters stands.

And it happened in the middle of the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering—one of the biggest festivals.

I’m sure some of the junior generation took damage in the assault.

And there would be people who died.

If a direct blood relative died in Henan during an assault—

How many organizations would just sit still?

...That conference is going to be a slaughterhouse.

It’s only been seven days and nights, so I don’t know how many people even arrived in time, but—

Even the people who showed up will make it vicious.

It wouldn’t be a good atmosphere. Not a chance.

But.

And I’m supposed to go there?

Why the hell am I going?

“SSSS—.”

Just as I was trying to figure out what to do with this twisting, hateful feeling—

RRRRAK—!!

The door opened.

“Pardon me.”

“...Commander?”

The man who entered was the commander who’d been guarding me.

Luckily, he didn’t look like he’d been hurt in the incident.

“It’s about time. The strategist ordered me to bring you.”

“...Isn’t it still too early?”

I tried to say it like, Half a shichen hasn’t passed yet, but—

“The strategist said.”

The commander looked at me and spoke.

“If things go sideways, you might try to run. He ordered me to bring you safely.”

“......”

I squeezed my eyes shut.

“...Commander.”

“Speak.”

“The first part and the second part don’t match at all, do they...?”

That was just drag him here by force, wrapped in fancy paper.

I pointed it out, but—

“It’s similar.”

The commander answered like nothing changed.

“...I’m a patient.”

“The examination record said you can be active immediately without problems.”

“...I’m going to lose my mind.”

Ah, damn it. So that’s why he took it from Murong Yeongsun—

Was he planning to use it like this?

Anyway, he really was a smart bastard.

The smartest bastard in the Central Plains. Maybe this is what “natural” looks like for him.

“...If I don’t go, I can’t avoid it, right?”

“The strategist said—”

“...Let’s go.”

There was no point talking. I accepted it and stood up.

...I don’t know what he’s planning to use me for, but.

It pissed me off that I was being hauled along—

But the fact he ordered them to bring me the moment I woke up...

I was curious why.

No.

Honestly, I already know the reason.

The math was done. Half a shichen was more than enough time to confirm it.

That’s why I’m going.

Because it doesn’t feel like a complete loss.

I could see what Jegal Jin was trying to do.

And.

It didn’t seem like it would be outright bad for me.

So I moved.

“...Let’s go.”

The Righteous Guidance Conference.

I lifted my body and headed toward the den of heavens.