Chapter 71: Epilogue - Hero

At the moment the first ray of morning light illuminated their surroundings, the clear crystal ice canyons basking in the glow began to disperse, slowly fading like snowflakes carried by the wind and melting in the warm air. Seeing that breathtaking view—the tiny droplets of water suspended in mid-air across the park, sparkling as the morning light reflected off them—everyone couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and wonder. The knights, valkyries, soldiers—it was the same for Liz and Hannah, and perhaps even a little for Alex, who had already been apprehended. The sight was so incredibly beautiful and awe-inspiring that it eased their weariness, if only for a moment. As for Arezu, the view could have been even more stunning and captivating if Lynn weren't standing at the center of the crowd in her usual mock reverence—eyes closed, hands clasped in front of her chest as if praying to the goddess. Her elegant platinum blonde hair, tied in a braided ponytail, swayed gently in the breeze. Her pristine white attire and black robe made her even more striking, all highlighted by the breathtaking moment she had intentionally created by deactivating her Glacier mystic spell. Whether it was intentional or just her usual vanity and dramatic flair, that attention-seeking demeanor still managed to ease Arezu's worries, even if just a little. Opening her eccentric blue eyes—each bearing two black pupils connected like the boundary between light and dark—Lynn met Arezu's gaze. Her cheerful smile that followed flustered him more than he cared to admit. "Waahhh~!" Hannah, who'd been watching Lynn and Arezu closely, gasped in delight at their interaction. Liz, on the other hand, who had been watching Hannah, couldn't help but feel a little irritated. "If you two are just going to flirt, then go home already! We can handle everything from here!" Lynn and Arezu left the matter of dealing with Alex to Liz. After all, it was her ducal family who had commissioned the bounty-hunting quest to capture him. And just before the first bell rang at six in the morning, they finally made it back to the Moon Pavilion. Before resting for the day—which had become their routine over the past few days—Lynn and Arezu had a light breakfast of borscht, bread, and caramel latte at the Moon Pavilion's diner. Yet, despite the warm meal on their table and the completion of the troublesome bounty-hunting quest, Arezu still couldn't shake his unease over what had happened to Alex. Noticing his concern, Lynn finally decided to talk about the elephant in the room. Or rather— "—the Behemoth in the diner?" "Huh?..." Though Arezu didn't quite get what she meant with the analogy, her remark did snap him out of blankly staring at his borscht. Pouting at his confusion—or perhaps at the fact she still couldn't quite figure out Arezu's sense of humor—Lynn pressed on with what she really wanted to talk about. "I told you, didn't I... It wasn't your fault. And it wasn't mine either." Arezu's guilt stemmed from a secret he'd been keeping since their previous goblin-slaying quest—a secret he didn't think Lynn had already figured out: that to save Alex from the Curse of Lust and to destroy the Dungeon Core, he had used his unique ability to absorb mana. An ability similar to how a Dungeon absorbs mana from everything it devours. Arezu wasn't sure whether Lynn knew everything: that he had absorbed Alex's mana in hopes of purging the curse corrupting him. And he had no idea that what he'd done might also be the reason Alex lost his divine gift—Takeover. Setting aside his unease about what Lynn might know, Arezu continued the conversation. "Can a hero really lose his divine gift?" he asked, hoping for another explanation—any explanation—that didn't involve his actions. After a spoonful of borscht, a bite of bread, and a sip of caramel latte, Lynn finally gave her response. "You remember the story of the Seven Curses I told you on that fated night, right, Mr. Arezu?" Her tone sounded more like a threat than a question—one that promised another tantrum if he dared say no. "Of course, I remember." His reply brought a satisfied smile to her face, replacing her pout. Then, Lynn began another one of her signature storytelling. "Remember the part about the rise of the heroes blessed by the goddess? That they conquered and destroyed the Dungeons of Wrath, Lust, Gluttony, and Envy—" Among the heroes of the ancient era, four made their mark in the history of the Eileen Kingdom. First and foremost was the hero who destroyed the Dungeon of Wrath and later founded the kingdom of Eileen itself—the ancestor of the Royal Family Von Vrede. The other three conquered the Dungeons of Lust, Gluttony, and Envy. They later founded the three ducal houses, the highest-ranking noble families in the kingdom, second only to the Royal Family: Von Luxure, Von Guttur, and Von Envier. "—These four heroes were recorded to have lost their divine gifts the moment they destroyed the dungeons they had conquered." "So, you're saying?" Arezu asked, wanting Lynn to be more direct. Though a bit disappointed by his lack of reaction—not to the story, but to her storytelling—Lynn spelled it out. "What I'm saying is that a hero is said to lose his divine gift once he has fulfilled the glorious purpose the goddess bestowed upon him." Listening to Lynn's explanation, Arezu concluded that for a hero to lose their divine gift was considered the highest honor—a sign they had fulfilled the will of the goddess. But when it came to Alex, it was undeniable that he had done nothing of the sort. Losing his divine gift after everything that happened—the Curse of Lust, the goblin flashers, his insatiable lust, and his crimes as the Man-Hunter—was something Alex simply couldn't accept. The shame he felt was enough to drive him to madness and hatred—not just toward Lynn, but enough to believe that Arezu had stolen his divine gift. "So much for being a hero." Lynn's blunt and rude remark earned a disapproving look from Arezu, one that clearly showed how much he disliked her audacity about the matter. Lynn, however, responded only with a heavy sigh after sipping her caramel latte. "Listen well, Mr. Arezu—" she said, standing up, drawing the attention of everyone in the diner who had been eavesdropping on their conversation. Then, with her usual dramatic flair, she began. "—Hero your ass! Who said you need a divine gift to be a hero?! A hero can be as cringey as a kid standing up to protect his scared friend from a monster as terrifying as a slime! Legs shaking, wielding nothing but a stick for a sword with trembling hands—but with unwavering resolve in his teary eyes and courage in his frightened voice! If Alex is nothing without a divine gift, then he shouldn't have it—" "Pfft—" "Seriously!... What's with your sense of humor?!"