Episode 60

When the time came that she surrendered her body to the sensation of floating caused by gravity, she was greeted by a welcoming light.

Around the time she was freed from such dazzling brightness, she was welcomed by enthusiastic cheers.

Representing such a crowd, an elderly man in splendid attire appeared before her and spoke confidently.

‘Oh, hero. You are indeed born with the destiny to save this world! We will help you shine your greatness as much as we can, so please unfold your grandeur.’

At that moment, she, who was always ignored at school, faced a scenario that seemed straight out of the fantasy novels she used to read to escape reality.

Initially, she felt uneasy about receiving such treatment, but even that faded somewhat after a few months of preparation.

Yes, normally, she should have swiftly gone through a splendid debut and then confidently written a brilliant saga as a hero…

Murmur.

About ten days had passed since she completely botched that debut.

From the moment she stepped into the tavern, she was engulfed by an unwelcome atmosphere, and Yi Ga-ram became timid, gauging their reactions.

‘Yeah, as expected, everyone recognizes me.’

It was obvious.

That day, she had caused a significant incident that made everyone pay attention to her, and along with her name and appearance, the incident had spread everywhere.

How could the heroes who heard about it and came to see her not laugh at her when they found out she had a heart attack and was carried to the sanctuary?

‘You lost to an adventurer?’

‘Getting scared and fainting alone… Haha, great job for someone labeled a hero~’

Traditionally, a hero should be able to command adventurers and reign supreme over them.

In the world of heroes, where this was considered common sense, someone who botched their monumental start was marked as exceptionally inferior.

Being such a laughable existence, it was deemed acceptable to treat her with contempt and ridicule, just like foreigners and exiles.

’When she went down to the guild earlier, everyone was whispering about it. Do you know what they said when they saw her? They called her a ‘Fallen Hero,’ a ‘Fallen Hero.’

‘Haha~ Of course, she deserves that treatment after failing to make a proper debut with her abilities~’

‘This news must have reached the noble lord sponsoring her. What if he gets disappointed and cuts off his support?’

Exaggerated and collective criticism.

Even though she was very familiar with this from her previous life, being familiar with it doesn’t mean she accepts it as okay.

Painful things remain painful, even if she can endure them.

After being oppressed in her previous life, she didn’t want to fall into the same state in this world.

‘What happens if she doesn’t get sponsorship from nobles? Obviously, she has to return her hero badge and get kicked to the streets.’

‘But who would take in someone who, despite having abilities, fails to utilize them properly?’

‘So, if she wants to redeem herself, she should try to achieve something soon. There’s a dungeon that was recently discovered; maybe she should try going there.’

‘Well, I’m not sure if a ‘Fallen Hero’ like her can do it. Hahaha!’

Yes, she had to achieve something as soon as possible.

Otherwise, their words would become reality, and the opportunity she finally grasped in this second life would disappear forever.

‘I came back to the guild for that purpose… As expected, everyone dislikes me.’

That much was clear, but it seemed there were also many who saw her as a ‘chance,’ not daring to act rashly against a hero themselves.

Even if they couldn’t confront her directly due to the difference in innate power, they could certainly talk behind her back or mock her from a distance.

‘If I suppress them with my power…’

Occasionally, she felt the urge to use her abilities in such an atmosphere, but even that was suppressed by a fear rooted in the past, remaining only a thought.

‘No, what if it happens again? This time, I might really die.’

She thought she could do anything.

With her confidence plummeting from the start, it was impossible to harbor her intention to wield power recklessly.

Therefore, to gather companions without using power, she wanted to continue in a passive manner.

As this gap prolonged, her faint-hearted mind was repeatedly comforted with justifications.

‘After all… suppressing people with power is wrong.’

No matter how powerful, there were lines that humans must not cross.

Receiving the scornful label of a ‘fallen hero’ allowed her to be honest with these aversions, which was one of the few comforts for a girl who had not yet become an adult.

Even in her previous life, she was criticized for ‘having no merit other than being kind,’ but still, it felt more comfortable to be true to such feelings for the time being.

“Excuse me, is there anyone willing to join my party?”

After wandering from guild to guild for hours, enduring the adventurers’ disdain, Yi Ga-ram finally found the last member to join her party in the tavern of a guild she visited ten days ago.

“Um, excuse me, sir. Would you be willing to join my party?”

A spearman in black armor, carrying a spear on his back.

From the moment he faced her, he looked at her with momentarily stiff eyes, then pressed his mask closer to his face and replied in a low voice.

“…Let’s hear what you have to say.”

His voice was very soft.

Along with his mask that hid his face, it was as if he was trying to conceal something.

‘Is he very shy?’

Yi Ga-ram felt curious about the man but did not suspect anything.

For a moment, she wondered if he was the same ‘Hero Killer’ due to the spear, but his attire and the deadly atmosphere from back then were not evident.

His image still appeared clearly in her nightmares, but the man in front of her felt nothing like that, right?

‘Yes, if he were the Hero Killer I met back then, he would have tried to kill me on sight.’

He got that name for killing every hero he met.

The fact that she survived back then was just luck; if he really were the Hero Killer, he would recognize her and attack like last time.

The fact that he didn’t was enough reason to join forces.

“Ehehe~”

Feeling relieved to have gathered her final companion, Yi Ga-ram beamed, prompting the stoic man opposite her, who was touching his mask, to ask,

“Why are you so happy?”

“Oh, it’s just… I finally found the last member to join our party.”

“…Have you already gathered other party members besides me?”

“Yes, yes. They’re all kind people…”

Yi Ga-ram glanced upwards, her head still bowed.

However, by then, he had already diverted his gaze from her, focusing on the tavern’s scenery.

Even then, rather than focusing intently on something, he was just gazing indifferently at the people passing by.

“Um…”

Could it be that he didn’t like her?

Did he agree to join the party reluctantly or just on a whim?

“Excuse me, would you like anything to eat or drink? I’ll buy it, whether it’s food or alcohol. I have plenty of money…”

“No, I’ve already eaten, so it’s fine.”

The man in the mask pointed to the empty plates and drink glasses in front of him.

Feeling that she had lost the opportunity to ease the tension, Yi Ga-ram’s expression fell. The man, resting his chin on his hand, subtly hinted and spoke.

“Quest.”

“Yes?”

“Seeing how urgently you’re gathering people, it seems like you’re on a mission from the guild. Do they assign different quests to heroes than to regular adventurers?”

“Oh, yes, that’s right! So, about the quest we’re undertaking this time…”

Her words flowed freely, excited to discuss a topic of interest.

After spouting a rapid-fire monologue about the quest, Yi Ga-ram showed him the request form she had been carrying around.

“So, to summarize, there’s a newly discovered dungeon, and we’ll be sharing the rewards obtained from exploring it. The split would be roughly like this… Is that alright with you?”

“……”

“Um…”

“Is this split okay?”

“Huh?”

“I asked if you’re okay with this distribution.”

The man in the mask, pointing to the part where the ratio was written, asked.

Realizing what he meant, Yi Ga-ram tried to ease the tension with an ambiguous smile and said,

“Yes, it’s something I’ve already discussed with the other party members…”

“Did the other party members refuse to accept unless the share was this high?”

Usually, in a party centered around a hero, the hero gets the largest share by default.

However, the contract actually stipulated that all party members would receive an equal share of the rewards.

It was clear to anyone that, due to her infamy as a ‘Fallen Hero,’ she struggled to find party members, which led to her increasing her own share.

“…Um, is the share too low?”

However, Yi Ga-ram’s face gradually turned pensive, interpreting the remark differently.

It was as if she feared being abandoned more than the issue pointed out.

“Then, I could give up part of my share…”

“No.”

The man in the mask immediately countered her anxious suggestion.

Then, pressing his mask, he answered in a heavy voice,

“I’ll accept these terms for now, but please inform the other party members immediately.”

“Yes! I will inform them right away.”

Although the topic shifted a bit abruptly, the fact that he agreed to actively participate in the party was a positive thing.

Feeling like she had finally taken the first step, Yi Ga-ram clenched her fists, gathering her resolve.

“Good, I’ve gathered all the necessary companions, and now it’s time for the first quest.”

She was determined to achieve significant results in the upcoming dungeon exploration and prove she could genuinely contribute as a member.

“Can I really do well?”

However, her resolve weakened as she recalled her initial failure, eventually causing her steps toward the destination to halt.

Fearing that failure this time might lead to a repetition of her past life’s experiences.

“Just saying this out of concern.”

Approaching her as she stood motionless, he gently placed his hand on her head and said quietly,

“Have confidence. You may be young, but you are a hero and a leader for this party.”

The rough and hard texture of his ungloved hand.

It spoke of his many hardships, yet his caressing was gentle.

Was this advice, or perhaps even consolation?

“Ah, that…”

Feeling sincerity from his gesture, Yi Ga-ram blushed, lifted her cloak, and said,

“Th-thank you, Oppa, for your encouragement.”

“……”

“Um…”

“Let’s go on.”

“Ah, yes!”

The man in the mask, after quietly observing her, continued on his way.

A hint of guilt seemed to flicker in his eyes, but Yi Ga-ram dismissed it as a misconception and introduced him to her previously gathered companions.

Regardless of the reason, she harbored a hopeful expectation that things would go well with this man by her side.

After the ‘Fallen Hero’ and the masked adventurer following her had left, another hero, leaning against the wall of the tavern and watching them, began to lazily open her eyes.

“Hmm~ Despite being a ‘Fallen Hero,’ she seems to have managed to gather all her party members.”

Hero Kang Su-jin.

One of the heroes summoned around the same time as Yi Ga-ram, unlike Yi Ga-ram who was treated as a ‘Fallen Hero,’ Kang Su-jin had successfully cleared high-ranking quests after her debut.

To her, Yi Ga-ram’s progress as a fellow hero didn’t look very favorable.

Having already been labeled a ‘Fallen Hero,’ why doesn’t she just accept her status instead of trying to climb up again, especially when she failed to prove her worth from the start?

“Anyway, that man, the equipment and weapon he’s carrying look quite good…”

Her malevolence, stemming from jealousy, was also directed towards the man following her.

Watching his back, she gradually smirked and snapped her fingers with a click, muttering to herself,

“…Should I just kill him and take it?”

That ‘Fallen Hero’ would surely participate in the newly discovered dungeon’s exploration.

There would be plenty of opportunities to backstab them.