A C-Rank Magic Student Who Deludes Himself into Thinking He Is SSS-Rank - Chapter 37: Two Heroes

The sudden attack of Schwaldius, the Black Dragon of Demise, brought catastrophic damage to a part of Crawford Magic Academy’s grounds, particularly devastating the school’s cafeteria.

The ferocity of Schwaldius and the aftermath of a battle with a brave student led to the destruction of many facilities within the cafeteria, with walls, ceilings, and pillars almost entirely collapsing, resulting in severe damage.

A week later, thanks to the efforts of skilled architects specializing in magical construction and transporters’ prompt delivery of materials and necessary equipment, the building was successfully restored. The school cafeteria, once paused in operation, was reopened for use.

The cafeteria, once again, overflowed with a diverse array of students: some ate silently alone, others enjoyed meals while immersed in conversations with friends, and some studied from academic books while eating, preparing for upcoming classes.

The atmosphere was peaceful as if the dragon’s invasion had been completely forgotten. Shion Kurosaki also visited the reopened cafeteria, eating at a relatively empty seat on the second floor.

Suddenly, the tranquil atmosphere on the second floor shifted to one of unrest and murmuring among the students, all turning their gazes toward a blond male student who had just arrived.

Alphonse Freed, the center of everyone’s attention, approached Shion with a tray in hand, a wry smile on his face amidst the bewildered looks from others.

“Hey,” Alphonse greeted Shion.

“Yo,” Shion replied, looking up at Alphonse, who stood beside him.

Their greeting resembled that of friends, although the two had barely interacted before. Yet, their exchange was casual and friendly.

“Mind if I sit next to you?”

“Sure, it’s free.”

“Thanks, excuse me,” Alphonse said, placing his tray on the table and sitting beside Shion.

Instead of starting his meal right away, Alphonse initiated a conversation with his gaze slightly lowered.

“I thought I might see you here.”

“Is that so?”

Though neither had made plans to eat together, nor were they close enough to do so, Shion responded casually while continuing to eat.

“May I ask your name?”

“Shion. Shion Kurosaki.”

“Shion, huh? My name is…”

“I know you, Alphonse Freed. You were already quite famous, but now no student in the academy knows your name. After all—”

Shion cut off Alphonse, who was about to introduce himself.

“You’re the hero who single-handedly repelled the dragon that attacked the academy, saving dozens of students.”

“Ah, yes, that’s right.”

Alphonse acknowledged, glancing around at the students, still buzzing with excitement, and continued.

“Somehow, it turned out that way.”

Alphonse then shared that he had fought Schwaldius but was defeated without inflicting a single wound. At the brink of death, he was saved by someone and lost consciousness, only to awaken to rumors of his heroism.

Despite his attempts to correct the story, the narrative of him as the dragon-slaying hero had already spread, reinforced by an alleged eyewitness account.

“But,” Alphonse continued, “I know I’m not the one who repelled Schwaldius.”

Turning his gaze to Shion, Alphonse suggested, “It was you, wasn’t it, Shion? You’re the one who repelled Schwaldius and let all the credit go to me.”

On that day, despite the academy being attacked by a dragon, Alphonse could assert that anyone who continued their meal as if nothing was happening was no ordinary person.

Moreover, although he was barely conscious and on the verge of being killed by the black flames of Schwaldius, the Black Dragon of Demise, he was saved with a speed imperceptible even to Alphonse himself. He had seen the person standing up to Schwaldius right before his eyes.

Therefore, Alphonse’s words and gaze were filled with an incredibly strong conviction, as if no room was left for doubt.

…However.

“No, that’s not it?”

“…I see.”

Shion casually denied the question asked of him.

But Alphonse accepted the answer easily as if he had anticipated it.

“Still, you’re hiding something, huh? But, I suppose there must be reasons for that so that I won’t pry too deeply,” Alphonse spoke, steadfast in his belief that Shion’s denial was due to some circumstance he sensed.

Shion remained silent in response to these words.

However, inwardly, he was ecstatic.

Indeed, as Alphonse had pointed out, Shion had deceived the rescue team and attributed all the achievements to Alphonse.

Alphonse believed that Shion had deep reasons for hiding his abilities and identity.

Of course, there was no such thing.

Shion’s concealment of the truth was simply one of his usual eccentric behaviors.

If Alphonse was the “public hero” for saving the students, then Shion, who had repelled Schwaldius, the Black Dragon of Demise, without anyone’s knowledge, was the “hidden hero.”

Yes, all of it was a lie concocted because he wanted to be in the position of a “hidden hero.”

There were no deep reasons, just Shion’s desire for personal satisfaction.

But for Shion, the joy of not being publicly recognized for defeating the world’s strongest dragon was more important than any praise.

The more significant his accomplishments, the greater his delight in them being unknown to the public.

Furthermore, the situation where only Alphonse Freed knew that Shion had repelled the Black Dragon was supremely satisfying to him.

His excitement at this moment far surpassed any other in his life.

While continuing his meal without showing any of this excitement, Alphonse continued,

“Setting aside your circumstances and identity,”

“I was called back to my family home for a week right after I woke up, and discussions about how to deal with the Black Dragon of Demise going forward were progressing.”

The discussion was about how to handle the Black Dragon since the day it attacked the academy a week ago.

“There have been scattered sightings of the Black Dragon around the world, but search teams haven’t been able to confirm its presence. The plan is to continue searching for the Black Dragon while setting up units for emergencies. Based on a witness’s testimony that I ‘defeated it thoroughly’ and ‘the dragon swore never to approach human settlements again,’ the information has been kept from the public for now, with only a select few proceeding with the measures.”

“…”　

While listening to the conversation, Shion continued his meal with an unfazed expression.

Alphonse continued to speak to him, “I believe messengers from the executives have visited you a few times to talk, but I want to hear it directly from you.”

Turning to face Shion, Alphonse said, “It seems that Schwaldius, the Black Dragon of Demise, swore never to approach human settlements again. Is that correct, Shion?”

“Yes, I can assert that,” Shion replied, pausing his meal and answering Alphonse’s serious question.

“Schwaldius will never harm a human again,” Shion stated confidently and briefly, yet boldly.

A brief silence fell between the two.

Alphonse looked quietly at Shion, trying to gauge his sincerity.

“Is that so…” Eventually, the tense atmosphere seemed to dissolve as Alphonse relaxed his shoulders and smiled faintly.

“I’m relieved to hear that,” Alphonse said, convinced of the truth in Shion’s words and choosing not to probe further.

“To think you could make such a statement about Schwaldius, the Black Dragon of Demise, you truly are amazing,” Alphonse spoke, assuming Shion had repelled the dragon. Still, Shion neither confirmed nor denied, simply continuing his meal.

“Surely, someone as incredible as you are what they call a true hero,” Alphonse said somewhat self-deprecatingly and with a melancholic expression.

“Not like me… a false hero.”

At that moment, Shion immediately countered, “That’s not true, Alphonse.”

“You seem to misunderstand that I was the one who fended off the dragon, but that’s irrelevant now. I must assert this,” Shion’s tone was no longer casual but filled with an unfathomable seriousness.

“When the dragon appeared at the academy and attacked the students, I couldn’t have saved them. It was because you bravely confronted Schwaldius, the Black Dragon of Demise, that they were saved.”

Alphonse was momentarily speechless, recalling the day he faced the dragon, suppressing his fear to save everyone.

“Heroes aren’t just about possessing incredible power or achieving great feats,” Shion continued, his gaze intensifying.

“A hero stands up to protect or save others, no matter the circumstances.”

Alphonse felt a profound impact in his heart at Shion’s words.

“You, who faced Schwaldius to save many students, are undoubtedly a true hero. So never say you are ‘a false hero’ again.”

Alphonse, overwhelmed, felt his eyes tear up as Shion affirmed his heroism.

“Am I… a hero?” Alphonse managed to say, fighting back sobs.

“Yes, of course,” Shion reassured, placing a hand on Alphonse’s shoulder, “Stand proud, Alphonse Freed. No matter what anyone says, you are a ‘hero.'”

Tears flowed freely from Alphonse’s eyes, unable to hold back any longer.