The Lowest-Ranked Hero Has Returned

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 12 - The First Class (4)

The next day.

Contrary to my worries, the makeshift bed I made using the skills I learned during my past life as a mercenary (with branches and leaves) and Iris’s blessing helped make the sleep not too uncomfortable.

It was bearable, though I wouldn’t call it good.

‘Still, it’s far better compared to the other candidates.’

By now, most of them are probably exhausted, half-dead from fatigue.

Camping without knowledge can be more draining than not sleeping at all.

‘Well, that’s probably one of the purposes of this lesson.’

Considering the ferociousness of the demonic beasts they released, it’s hard to believe that this lesson is just about practical tracking skills.

Feline demonic beasts are known for being fast and leaving almost no trace compared to other demonic beasts with the same number of "eyes."

‘They likely didn’t expect the candidates to capture all the demonic beasts in a day.’

It could take several days, which is why they didn’t warn us to prepare thoroughly.

This lesson’s real purpose isn’t just tracking the demonic beasts released in the mountains but making the candidates realize how to solve issues like camping and food on their own.

So, in other words…

“Hmmm.”

Waking up early in the morning to check for any dangers and watching over the peacefully sleeping Iris is also part of the lesson.

‘Iris.’

Recalling her excited expression last night as she adorably kicked her legs while eating ramen made me certain of one thing.

‘Even if all her memories of being with me are gone, Iris is still Iris.’

It’s a simple truth, yet it fills my heart with joy.

‘I can’t wait to see the others too.’

Yuren, Berald, and Senior Sophia.

I wonder how they’re doing now.

As I was lost in these memories…

“…Why are you smiling so creepily?”

Camilla’s voice came from beside me.

“What? Can’t I smile freely?”

“Hmph! That smile definitely had some hidden meaning behind it!”

“Stop talking nonsense in the morning and wake Iris up. It’s time to move.”

“Ugh.”

Camilla approached Iris and gently shook her shoulder.

“Saintess. It’s time to wake up… Hyaah!”

“Just a little more…”

Half-asleep, Iris wrapped her arms around Camilla.

She pulled Camilla closer, nuzzling her cheek against her chest like a spoiled child.

“S-S-Saintess, please don’t do this!”

“Hmm… What is this? It’s so hard.”

“Wake up already, you fool.”

Slap.

Camilla smacked Iris on the back.

Iris, still half-asleep, blinked her eyes open.

“Are you awake, Saintess?”

“Yawn… I’m awake. But my back feels sore…”

“Well, you slept on the ground with just a few leaves, so it’s no wonder your back hurts.”

“Oh, right. We camped out. No wonder my cheek felt so hard and flat earlier.”

“…”

Hold it in, Camilla.

She’s your lord.

“If you’re awake, let’s get moving.”

“Moving? Where to?”

“I found some traces of a demonic beast around here this morning.”

We had experienced camping as part of the lesson.

It was time to resume tracking the demonic beasts.

* * *

After a quick wash by the nearby stream, our party followed the traces of the demonic beast.

We walked for several hours.

Finally, we spotted a demonic beast drinking water by the stream in the distance.

‘Another feline demonic beast, huh.’

It didn’t have the beak-like mouth of the first demonic beast we caught, but its overall appearance wasn’t much different.

The only difference was that it had four eyes instead of three.

This one was a level stronger than the demonic beast we caught yesterday.

‘Now that I think about it, I remember hearing about this.’

One of the three demonic beasts released into the forest was particularly fast and difficult to catch.

The reason it took three days to capture all the demonic beasts was because of that four-eyed demonic beast.

‘Back then, our party couldn’t even catch a three-eyed demonic beast, let alone a four-eyed one.’

Seeing a four-eyed demonic beast up close now made me realize how much things had changed since I returned.

“…It has one more eye.”

Camilla noticed the four eyes of the demonic beast and spoke with a hint of tension in her voice.

“Should I catch it this time?”

“Hmph, whether it has three eyes or four, it doesn’t make a difference.”

Camilla stepped forward, unwilling to yield.

I shrugged and took my position to block its escape route, just like yesterday.

“Haa!”

Thud thud thud!

As soon as I signaled, Camilla dashed forward.

“Grr?!”

The demonic beast, engrossed in drinking water, jerked its head up.

Panicking, it turned to flee, but I was already blocking its escape route.

The demonic beast hesitated, glancing between me and Camilla, before finally deciding to charge at Camilla.

‘It’s trying to break through.’

I glanced at Camilla, who was holding her sword with a confident expression.

“Come if you dare!”

She raised her sword toward the charging demonic beast.

The stigma on her left chest glowed, and a white light enveloped her sword.

As she prepared to strike the demonic beast's neck...

Beep beep!

[Warning. If you kill a training demonic beast instead of capturing it, your extra points will be canceled.]

A red warning screen appeared on her Hero Watch.

“Ugh…!”

Camilla hastily redirected her sword.

But it was impossible to stop a sword once it had been swung completely.

Clang!

Her sword narrowly grazed the demonic beast’s neck.

“Damn it! They should warn us about these things in advance!”

Camilla angrily shouted at the red warning screen on her Hero Watch.

Perhaps distracted by the warning screen, she didn’t realize what she had “cut.”

“Grrr…”

The restraint device around the demonic beast’s neck split in half and fell off.

The four eyes gleamed ominously with a red glow.

“Grrr!”

Freed from the restraint, the demonic beast rushed past Camilla at a much faster speed.

“Huh?!”

A startled Camilla turned her head, but the demonic beast had already passed her.

The direction the demonic beast was charging, with its blood-red eyes glowing, was…

“A-Irisssss!”

Camilla shouted urgently, forgetting to address her as "Saintess."

“Ah!”

Iris tried to dodge the demonic beast charging at her, but she wasn’t skilled in close combat, and avoiding such a sudden attack was impossible for her.

As the demonic beast's fierce jaws approached Iris—

"Tch, I told you I'd take care of it."

Berald’s martial arts.

Sky Flip.

Thud!

“Gyaaah!”

With a shriek, the demonic beast collapsed to the ground from the force of its charge.

I swung my sword, still sheathed, and struck the writhing demonic beast on the head.

Whack!

The demonic beast's eyes lost their red gleam after being hit on the crown by the sword's scabbard.

“You alright?”

“Ah… Yes.”

With a dazed expression, Iris nodded and took my hand to help herself up.

“Oh, Iris!”

Camilla ran over to Iris.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“Hah.”

With a sigh of relief, Camilla bit her lip and bowed deeply.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

“I’m so sorry, Saintess! This incident will be formally reported to the Holy Nation, and proper punishment will be dealt with…”

“No, that’s not necessary.”

“But…!”

“I said it’s fine.”

Iris smiled softly and touched Camilla’s shoulder, helping her straighten her bow.

“It wasn’t known that killing the demonic beast was forbidden, so there’s no need to worry.”

“...”

Camilla, who had been biting her lips with a troubled expression, turned toward me.

“…Thank you. I’ll make sure to repay you for this someday.”

“Hmmm. Repay me, you say? How exactly?”

“Anything within my power.”

“Oh? Anything, you say?”

“As long as it doesn’t involve eating dung!”

“No, nothing like that.”

What does she take me for, this woman?

“Well, no need for repayment… let’s just call it even.”

“Even?”

“For knocking you out last week.”

“Ugh, th-that was…!”

Leaving behind Camilla, who was flustered and began spouting excuses like, “I was caught off guard, so it couldn’t be helped…!”, I approached the broken restraining magic tool that lay in two pieces on the ground.

“Will it still be recognized like this?”

A clear chime sounded as I tilted my head and brought out my Hero Watch, and a hologram screen appeared.

[Capture of the ‘Iris, Camilla Vedice, Dale Han’ party has been confirmed.]

[With all the demonic beasts captured, the ‘Practical Combat Training’ is now over.]

[Cadets are advised to move to the entrance of the training grounds promptly.]

“Looks like another party captured one of them.”

Clicking my tongue, I looked at the hologram floating in the air.

If we hadn’t given up on camping with Iris yesterday and moved a bit faster, we might have caught all three demonic beasts, but it was already too late for that.

“Let’s head back.”

“Got it.”

Camilla nodded and followed me.

And so, the two of us walked towards the training grounds.

‘Huh?’

Two?

“Iris?”

“Ah, sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment.”

“Y-you’re injured after all…!”

“No, that’s not it.”

“What do you mean, ‘not it’! Your face is turning red!”

“I-I told you, it’s not that!”

Iris hurried her steps, trying to hide her blushing cheeks.

“Saintess!”

Camilla chased after her.

“…What’s going on?”

Watching Iris’s receding figure, I tilted my head in confusion.

Why was it, I wondered.

For a very brief moment, Iris's gaze reminded me of my former lover in a previous life.

‘Stop overthinking and let’s go.’

I shook off the thoughts swirling in my head and followed the two women.

* * *

The reason I proposed a party to him was pure curiosity.

—Really… thank goodness.

Why did he—

Why did he cry so bitterly in front of me, someone he had never even spoken to?

At first, all I felt was discomfort, but as time passed, that feeling faded.

And as curiosity rose amid my calming emotions, my mind became filled with the man who had told me he was "glad" that day.

‘What exactly was he glad about?’

I continued to ponder, but no answers came to mind.

Instead, a completely unrelated thought surfaced as I kept thinking about him.

‘He feels familiar.’

Even though I knew we’d never spoken a word to each other.

His gaze when he looked at me.

His voice as he spoke to me.

They didn’t feel unfamiliar.

No.

It wasn’t just that they didn’t feel unfamiliar.

I felt an inexplicable, almost heartwarming joy.

‘Why am I feeling this way?’

It was as if I had met a lost lover from a past life.

As such nonsensical thoughts crossed my mind—

—For this class, you’ll form parties of three, so gather your party members freely.

As soon as I heard that—

I stood up without thinking and approached him.

‘Now that I think about it…’

It wasn’t very saint-like of me to act so impulsively.

But I didn’t regret it.

Even though it was just a single day, the time I spent with him… wasn’t so bad.

No.

To be honest—

—You alright?

I was happy.

Much more than I had expected.

While we scoured the forest path together, tracking the demonic beasts.

When I had ramen for the first time in my life.

When he blocked the demonic beast charging at me.

When he extended his hand to me as I fell and asked if I was okay.

A tingling sensation ran through me, and I experienced an emotion I had never felt before.

An emotion that a "saintess" should never entertain.

“Sigh. What should I do now…”

As I sighed and continued to ponder—

Suddenly, memories flashed through my mind.

—Hey, what’s with the informal speech? Do you know who I am?

—Fine, we’re in the same year, so the informal speech is whatever. But what was that yesterday? What? Why did you hit my friend, you piece of trash?

—Ah, by the way, forget everything that happened today, okay? If not… you’re dead.

—Kyaah! What is this? This is so good! Are you kidding me?!

“What the hell…?”

What should I do now?

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]