The False Hero Volume 2 Read online

  Table of Contents

  Prologue: In Search of Light

  Chapter 1: Calm Melody

  Chapter 2: Onward

  Chapter 3: Duet of Despair

  Chapter 4: The Rising Tide

  Chapter 5: The Depths of Power

  Chapter 6: In Her Eyes, a Hero

  Chapter 7: Display of Devotion

  Chapter 8: The Night Before

  Chapter 9: Dichotomy of a Hero

  Chapter 10: Abduction

  Chapter 11: Swarm

  Chapter 12: Protector

  Chapter 13: Mellow Nocturne

  Epilogue: Hidden Peril

  Afterword

  Copyright

  Prologue: In Search of Light

  ----- Lumina -----

  My heart pounds in my chest as the castle’s large double doors come into view. Most people see the dark brown doors, reinforced with thick straps of iron, as a way to prevent intrusion from outsiders. Yet for me, they exist to keep me in—trapped within the confines of the castle walls.

  This seemed like such a brilliant idea while I sat safely behind my bedroom door. But now…

  No, I can’t allow myself to hesitate. This is the path I’ve chosen—the only path I could find.

  I follow behind my attendant, Elise, as she walks up to the two guards stationed at the castle’s rear entrance. They give a quick salute to Elise, followed by a bow to me, before opening the doors.

  “Princess, once we step outside the castle walls, there’s no turning back.” Elise’s scrutinizing gaze falls on me, checking my resolve.

  “I understand that. I’ve decided to seek him out, and I won’t return until I accomplish my goal.”

  Elise nods, and we step into the darkness of night that lays beyond the sturdy doors that have both protected and caged me for my entire life.

  “As usual, you’re reliable when it comes to these kinds of things,” I say to Elise.

  “Of course, Princess. My family prides itself on its ability to act unseen right under the noses of other nobles.”

  “To think a family with such an underhanded skillset would produce someone as honorable as you. This world can be a strange place sometimes.”

  “Thank you for the compliment, Princess. Perhaps it may seem odd to others, but for me, it’s only natural.”

  As usual, I can’t win against her honesty and sense of duty. I can only hope that I’m able to match her virtues one day.

  After walking a short distance down the path leading away from the castle, a carriage comes into view. It’s a familiar sight, since it’s the very same one I use each time I make a trip to the orphanage that I sponsor through my monthly allowance.

  Surrounding the carriage are guards loyal to Elise’s family. As a princess, I’m given royal guardsmen to protect me any time it’s deemed necessary, which means that in the end, they answer to Father, not me.

  As we approach the carriage, the captain of the guard salutes us. However, the grim look on his face fills me with anxiety.

  “My deepest apologies Lady Elise, but there’s a problem…”

  “What kind of problem?”

  “A royal one.” A familiar voice enters my ears, causing me to retreat a step in an instinctual urge to run and hide.

  It can’t be…! Why is Father here!?

  My Father, King Edgar de Eldridge, steps out from the other side of the carriage, flanked by his two powerful personal guards. He strides towards me and Elise as we stand dumbfounded at the unexpected turn of events.

  His fierce gaze falls on Elise. “Would you like to explain why you’ve brought my precious daughter out of the castle in the depths of the night?”

  Elise immediately takes a knee and bows her head. “Y-your Majesty, I have no ill intent for my actions! I swear it!”

  “Then speak your goal.”

  I see beads of sweat appear on Elise’s face as she kneels silently in front of her king, refusing to answer in order to keep my secrets.

  No, I won’t let Father punish her for my actions.

  “Father, I was the one who asked her to bring me here.”

  He turns toward me, and I feel the pressure of a once mighty warrior who now dons the mantle of a ruler, commanding sovereignty over humanity’s greatest kingdom.

  “Lumina. Has your disdain of the three Great Heroes clouded your judgement? The False Hero is the enemy of humanity. Chasing him will only bring you misfortune.”

  He knows why I’m here?

  “But Father, you’ve read the reports. Do his actions not strike you as odd for one who is supposed to seek our destruction?”

  “There are many possible explanations for his actions. Enemies often play the role of a friend to get close to their victims.”

  “His identity has been laid bare for all to see, yet he still acts for the sake of those around him, even at the detriment of his own safety.”

  “Then what of Baron Victor whom your hero slayed on the highway? The surviving guards say he was more beast than man, slaughtering everyone in a violent rage.”

  “The fact that he left survivors at all renders that argument suspect. Did he not stand idly by while the injured guards retreated? Would a beast have done the same?”

  “I don’t recall any tales of the past heroes you fervently admire slaying humans so ruthlessly.”

  “That’s…” I hesitate to respond. “Perhaps there is more to it than we know. When I meet him, I will listen to his side of the story.”

  “When you meet him? You stand in the castle grounds, yet you speak as if your journey has already begun.”

  I meet my father’s gaze without flinching, holding his eyes. For a long time, we simply stare at each other, neither of us so much as blinking. I hear a guard gulp as the tension in the air reaches a breaking point. Then, to my utter surprise, Father turns away.

  “Of all the traits to inherit from me, why did it have to be my stubborn nature.”

  “T-then…!”

  “You’ll need this.” Father reaches into his robe, pulling out a document and handing it to me.

  “A signed order?”

  “There will be many nobles who haven’t seen you in person. This order will give you command over them all, regardless of their rank.”

  “Father…”

  As he turns to leave, Elise speaks up from beside me. “Your Majesty! I know this is a selfish request coming from someone like me, but the guards who helped us—”

  “Worry not.” Father cuts her off. “I will overlook their actions this once. Not out of compassion,” he looks toward Elise, “but out of gratitude.”

  “Gratitude…?”

  “For your dedicated services toward my daughter, I will reward your men with my mercy.”

  “Understood! Thank you!”

  After Father disappears from sight, I finally relax my stiff body. “Well, that could have gone much worse.”

  “Indeed, Princess. I still have a hard time believing he would simply let us go.”

  “I know what you mean, but once Father makes a decision, he sticks to it. He’s not the type to play petty games like the nobles. He meant every word he said.”

  Elise and I enter the carriage, and several hours before the sun’s first rays bless us with their light, we begin our journey to find the hero, Sir John Lawrence Locke.

  ----- Edgar -----

  I enter the castle after leaving my daughter’s side and see my most trusted advisor waiting for me within.

  “Was that wise, Your Majesty?” he asks.

  “It wasn’t wisdom that gained me the crown.”

  “I know many who would agree. Yet even for you, this decision strikes me as odd.”

  I pass by him, and he falls in beside me as we begin walking down the corridor.

  “Do you remember how my daughter gained her attendant, Elise de Valeria?”

  “I do. An extraordinary turn of events, that was. It still baffles me how Princess Lumina could deduce the truth of the matter, especially since she was a mere nine years old.”

  “I too doubted her when she claimed the Valeria family was innocent of the charges of high treason placed on them, despite the clear evidence.”

  “The Valeria family is fortunate that you succumbed to your daughter’s pleas to launch one, final investigation before sentencing them. But what does that have to do with your decision today?”

  “Time and again, Lumina has surprised me. Her magical strength rivals that of our country’s greatest mages. She has virtues and morals comparable to that of the most pious of priests. And, as she did when she saved the Valeria family, it’s almost as if she can see beyond the veil of lies and deceit, discerning the truth hidden to our eyes.”

  “Do you think she sees something that we cannot?”

  I shake my head. “I can only hope so, because the fate of humanity may lie on the outcome of her journey.”

  My advisor’s face hardens in understanding. “The three heroes…”

  “Yes, if we can truly call them heroes. Lumina saw through that as well, despite my attempt to keep her in the dark. I didn’t want her to know that the heroes she’s looked up to her whole life are rotten to the core.”

  Lumina. I pray that you find the hero you’re searching for and not the one we feared him to be.

  Chapter 1: Calm Melody

  ----- Lutz -----

  My opponent releases their spell as I dash behind a tree. I hear several soft thuds as the four blades of winds slice into my cover in an a
ttempt to reach me. I peek my head out, but my opponent has already vanished.

  I activate [Sense Mana] in order to track their movements, but I can’t detect them.

  Using [Manipulate Mana] to hide your presence, huh?

  I copy my opponent’s strategy, hiding my mana to prevent them from picking up on my location. Then, I leap into the air, kicking off a nearby tree to gain more height, before grabbing hold of a thick branch and pulling myself up to perch on it.

  The branch is nearly thirty feet above the ground, yet it only takes me a couple quick jumps to reach it. Such a feat would be impossible for even the most practiced acrobat on Earth, yet my level 21 body allows me to perform it without difficulty.

  Obscured by the massive branches growing out of the enormous trees, I scan the forest around me, looking for signs of my opponent. I know from experience that they’re an expert at forest combat, so I’m not surprised when I fail to catch sight of them.

  However, no matter how good they are, it’s impossible to move around a wild forest without making at least a little noise.

  I close my eyes, focusing all my attention on the sounds coming from the nearby vicinity.

  A rustling branch to my left—but the weight of the one who leapt onto it doesn’t match my opponent.

  A snapping twig behind me, and the crunching of dried leaves—but the movement pattern isn’t right. My opponent wouldn’t be traveling in that direction and at that speed.

  I continue to listen, with my sense of hearing heightened by my [Enhance] spell, allowing me to pick up even the slightest of sounds nearby.

  A soft thunking to my right, as if two relatively hard surfaces are making gentle contact.

  The thunks grow ever closer to me, eventually coming within a few trees of my location.

  So that was your solution, huh? Leaping from one massive root at the base of these trees to the next in order to prevent having to touch the leafy forest floor. Unfortunately for you, the shoes you’re wearing aren’t allowing you to completely eliminate the sound of your footfalls.

  I look at the spot where my opponent came to a stop and catch a small glimpse of movement. Immediately, I unleash my mana and begin to channel a spell.

  Using [Manipulate Mana] to hide my presence comes with a large downside—I can’t cast any magic. Passive buffs that boost physical abilities won’t give away my presence, but any buffs that need to be activated, like [Sense Mana], will put out enough energy for my opponent to pick up, making them dangerous to use when trying to stay hidden.

  With my spell ready, I search the area with [Sense Mana], waiting for my opponent to reveal themselves. Sure enough, a few seconds later, I feel their presence coming from the precise location I’m peering at.

  You’re one—no, two steps behind me.

  I feel their mana forming into a spell, almost in a panic, as they realize that I’ve taken the upper hand.

  I release my [Fireball] and leap off the branch, falling straight to the ground without care. As the forest floor quickly approaches, I watch my ball of fire explode after my opponent leaps back to avoid it.

  Of course, I channel for another spell as I fall, and when I hit the ground, I feel the shock of the impact run up my legs as I bend my knees to absorb the energy. I look at them and see their face shift from concentration into confidence as a smile forms on their lips.

  “Got you!” they yell as they release their spell.

  I cast my magic at the same time, and a [Shimmering Shield] materializes directly in front of me, blocking the [Shock] spell unleashed by my opponent.

  “Don’t get conceited yet!” I rush at them.

  After closing the distance, I slash with my sword. They desperately twist their body, dodging my swing. As they move, I can see that they’ve already cast [Gale] to increase their physical speed and [Enhance] to heighten their reaction time. Otherwise, they could never have avoided my attack—after all, I’m also buffed by those two spells.

  My opponent backsteps to avoid my follow-up swing and leaps upwards onto an [Air Step]. Immediately, I release the [Earth Wall] spell I’ve been holding at the ready. A rocky wall erupts from the ground directly beneath them; it continues to grow until it crashes into their feet just as they land on a newly created step. The impact destroys their balance, and they land on their back atop the wall as its growth comes to an end.

  I cancel my spell, and it vanishes into nothingness. With no wall beneath them, my opponent tumbles through the air before hitting the ground. They scramble to stand, but my [Ice Lance] is already flying toward them. It shatters as it hits their chest, spraying shards around them which slowly drift to the ground.

  I walk up to my former opponent as she looks up at me from her crouching position. The wooden training sword I’m holding vanishes as I reach my arm toward her. She grabs my hand, and I help her to her feet.

  “I’ll win one day, Lutz,” Laya says.

  “At this rate, that day may be sooner than you think.”

  “I don’t know about that. No matter what I do, you always have an answer. You’ve only been in this world for a few months, yet you’ve already mastered all these spells, using them in ways I never thought possible.”

  Laya dusts off her clothes as she speaks. She’s wearing a cheap skirt and blouse for use in our mock combats. There’s no hole in her shirt where the [Ice Lance] hit her, nor any blood. Thanks to [Manipulate Mana], we can control the strength of our spells, bringing their power down to virtually zero so we don’t get injured during our duels.

  “This kind of thing is my specialty, you know?”

  “Because of all those MMOs you played in your world, right?”

  “Yep. I always managed to find ways to exploit the system, and my friends and I would rise to the top of the server, crushing any noobs who dared oppose us.”

  “Lutz, you’re using weird words again…” Laya sighs in resignation.

  “Oops.” A smile forms on my face. “Still, you really are improving. It’s only been about three weeks since we left the city of Silvia, yet you’re already stronger than almost everyone I’ve met in this world. It’s scary how quickly you’re catching up to me. Are you sure you’re not secretly some kind of demon?”

  “I’m not a demon.”

  “Yes, yes. I understand Miss Demon Lord.”

  “Elf. It’s Miss Elf Lord.” She sticks her chest out in pride with a small smile on her face.

  “Ah, please forgive my mistake.” I give her a bow.

  When I raise my head back up, we both let out a small laugh at our idiotic exchange. It’s nice to have someone with me as I flee from the inhabitants of this world. Being labeled as a criminal and a heretic, the False Hero, has made me the enemy of virtually every single human.

  After killing the lord of Silvia, we fled west. We visited a few towns near the main highway as we traveled, before entering the woods on the northern side. Since then, we’ve traveled through this forest, heading northeast, trying to make our way to the highway that leads north from Silvia in an attempt to confuse our pursuers.

  Laya and I begin walking eastward, toward our camping spot for the night. The sun is beginning to get low in the sky, and we still need to cook supper and bathe before bedtime.

  “You did well in today’s combat, but do you know why you lost?”

  “Because you were able to control the flow of the battle, forcing me into unfavorable situations, like melee.”

  Throughout our weeks together, I’ve been consistently teaching Laya about the strategies and tactics involved in battle. Whether it’s one versus one, one versus many, or team combat, there are so many things she needs to learn.

  She’s absorbing the knowledge frighteningly quick; it makes me worry that I’ll run out of things to teach her before long. I secretly review everything I know when my mind’s not occupied, trying to come up with ways to stay a few steps ahead of her.

  I always was a competitive gamer. Guess that hasn’t changed, even if this world isn’t actually a game.

  “That’s right. Getting yourself into an advantageous position is the key to winning most battles. Where do you think your plan went wrong?”

  “When you surprised me by jumping down from the branch.”

  “It may seem like that’s where it started to you, but from my perspective, your plan was flawed from the moment you decided to close the distance between us so aggressively.”