Hi, I’m the Hero’s Father ～I’m Sorry For All The Trouble My Foolish Son Has Caused You～ - Chapter 27

Chapter 27   The Hero’s Mother is Angry

After Lilith was incinerated, the three members of the hero’s party gradually regained consciousness.

“Huh, what…?”

“What were we doing…?”

“I remember joining the hero’s team, and then…”

The three looked around in confusion, unable to comprehend the current situation. Realizing this was a critical moment, Mion hurriedly approached Wiel.

“Um, it seems like everyone’s memories are muddled…”

“I altered their memories. They won’t remember anything from when they were under hypnosis, just to be safe. No one wants to remember being manipulated.”

“…That’s true.”

Wiel’s smile remained unchanged, just as it had been when she killed Lilith. It was hard to tell whether to feel reassured or to stay wary. Regardless, the root cause of their troubles had been dealt with.

As they all let out a sigh of relief, Croix and Alka entered the tent. Everyone was shocked at the sight of Alka covered in blood, but Wiel calmly purified the blood from Alka’s body, indicating she was used to such scenes. There were no wounds left, thanks to the hero’s self-healing abilities.

“Is your conversation finished?” Wiel asked.

“Yes, and on your end?”

“Everything went smoothly. And also…” Wiel stepped closer to Croix and whispered.

“Prime Minister Lyric’s true identity was Lilith.”

Croix’s eyes widened slightly at this revelation. He had suspected there was something off about Lyric, but he never imagined Lyric was a demon.

“I didn’t notice.”

“With such a sophisticated disguise, I doubt anyone but me could have detected it.”

“I’m grateful to have you here, Wiel. Thank you.”

Even Croix, with all his intuition, was not adept at detecting magical subtleties. He could sense the presence of magic, but he still relied on Wiel, a magic specialist, in these situations. It reminded him that he still had room for growth.

As the two conversed, Alka stepped forward awkwardly.

“Uh, Mom, I…”

“Oh, Alka, come here.”

“Yes…”

Suppressing the urge to flee, Alka moved forward. Wiel’s angelic smile remained as she gently caressed Alka’s cheek, like a loving mother reunited with her beloved child. He had expected a slap, but her tenderness caught him off guard. In that moment, Alka understood: if Croix was the whip, then Wiel was the carrot.

“Mom, I’m really sor—”

“Brace yourself♡”

“—Huh!?”

Suddenly, an immense force struck his cheek, as if he had been hit by a cannonball, causing Alka to momentarily lose consciousness. Another blow from the opposite direction forced him back to his senses.

“Ah! Oof! Ah! Ow!?”

Wiel’s rapid-fire slaps pummeled Alka’s face repeatedly. The three heroes were paralyzed with fear, and Croix watched impassively. Mion tilted her head and spoke to Croix.

“Croix-sama, isn’t Lady Wiel acting strange?”

“Oh, that’s right, Mion. This is the first time you’ve seen this side of Wiel. Her anger has different stages.”

To break it down simply:

Stage One: Smiling while applying pressure.

Stage Two: Attacking with magic.

Stage Three: Smiling while using physical force.

Stage Four: Using physical force with a blank expression.

“And the fifth stage…”

“There’s more?”

“Yes. But even I have never seen the fifth stage. Wiel rarely gets that angry.”

“So, Wiel is currently at…”

“The third stage.”

“Yikes.”

Just imagining the higher stages was terrifying enough. Mion vowed never to anger Wiel.

A few minutes later…

“Alka, are you awake?”

“…”

Alka’s face was swollen to three times its normal size, twitching. Barely able to nod, it seemed he hadn’t lost consciousness.

“Good. I’ll continue for another five minutes then♡”

“Wha—!? Ow!!”

Ten minutes later…

“Ah, I feel refreshed.”

“…”

At Wiel’s feet, Alka lay motionless. The trio of heroes was sobbing in fear, and Mion was teary-eyed as well.

“You understand why I slapped you so much, don’t you? You neglected your duty as a hero. This is your punishment.”

“…y…yes…”

“You’ve already recovered? Your regenerative abilities are impressive… But it’s too slow. If you were facing the Demon Sword Emperor Doreal, you’d be sliced to pieces before you could regenerate.”

Wiel’s words hit home for Alka.

Until now, they had managed to defeat demons with the combined efforts of the four of them. No matter how strong the enemy, with four people, they were always victorious. But Wiel, who was far stronger than him, said he would absolutely lose in his current state.

Alka cursed his past self.

Why hadn’t he trained more?

Why had he been lazy?

Why had he succumbed to pleasure?

It was too late for regrets. The enemy was already at their doorstep. There was no time to retreat and embark on a training journey. Wiel seemed to understand this and sighed, looking at Croix.

“What should we do? This time, perhaps it’s best if we handle it ourselves. The hero’s defeat is humanity’s defeat. If humanity loses its hero, it will perish.”

“Yeah, we’ll handle Doreal,” Croix agreed reluctantly.

Alka had no retort. He stared at the ground in frustration and shame.

Suddenly, Croix grabbed Alka by the scruff of his neck and lifted him.

“At sunrise tomorrow, we’re heading to Doreal. Whether you come or not is up to you. If you’re frustrated, grit your teeth. If you feel miserable, stand up. If you want to change, start walking.”

“…Dad…”

“With that, I’m going to sleep. Don’t wake me.”

“Whoa!”

Croix threw Alka out of the tent, and the hero’s party quickly followed. Watching the entire scene, Mion chuckled.

“Croix-sama is so kind.”

“Isn’t he? My husband is incredibly kind at heart.”

“…Shut up.”

Croix, blushing slightly, dug into the meal that had been prepared.