Reincarnated Devil's Strongest Hero Training Plan ~The baby he picked up has grown up so well that his father is confused~ - Chapter 114

Reincarnated Devil’s Strongest Hero Training Plan ~The baby he picked up has grown up so well that his father is confused~

Chapter 114   The truth of the past

“Wha… Where am I?”

As Ars activated the power of the Brave Engine and enveloped himself in a golden aura, touching the gate.

In an instant, he was suddenly transported as if being sucked into the gate and taken away to a pitch-black space.

During the moment of transition, his companions who were present there—especially Hades—widened her eyes and looked flustered, but seeing the composed expression of the Pope, it was probably reassuringly going according to plan by now.

Realizing this, Ars took a step forward in the infinite darkness surrounding him.

It was a magnificent and sacred presence, almost overwhelming in the undeniable grandeur hidden within the pitch darkness. Intuitively, he understood this to be the trial of a hero, yet he had no idea what he should do next.

Fortunately, this darkness was not just darkness; countless stars shimmered faintly, asserting their existence like fireflies.

If a low class demon from Earth happened to be present in this world, they would probably describe it as a “projection of outer space.”

As he observed this starry darkness for a while, suddenly a bright light appeared in front of him, bringing forth a woman.

“At last, you have come to the trial, Hero Ars. I welcome you. Come, this way, please.”

“You…! Ah, you are…”

In this world of darkness enclosed by the stars, resembling a night sky, the woman stood. With her faintly shining emerald green hair fluttering, she created a path of light between herself and Ars, beckoning him to her place.

Her presence was both solemn and divine, prompting the question of whether she was a goddess. And indeed, that speculation was correct.

“I apologize for the belated introduction, Hero. If I were to borrow the words of the people, I am the Goddess of Creation. The chief deity who governs this world.”

“G-Goddess!? Ah, I-I’m sorry…”

He had suspected that there was something to this space of trial, but never did he imagine that the being before him was the chief deity, the highest among the gods. Contrary to his usual composed self, Ars let out an unexpectedly frantic voice.

Nevertheless, being undoubtedly recognized as a hero by such a great goddess, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of surrealism, though he didn’t fully grasp it, realizing he was indeed a legendary hero.

Yet for the Creator, even the behavior of such a person’s child was endearing and amusing.

Placing a hand on her lips, she chuckled softly, and with a preamble of reassurance, she performed a spell, projecting an image.

“Well… That’s right. Normally, as a hero, you should have the support of either the Sword God or the Battle God, lower-tier gods, to gain the power to defeat the Demon King. However, this time, the circumstances are slightly different. Before enhancing your power, it would be wise for you to understand who you are.”

In the projected image, there was a scene of a poor yet peaceful village, and for some reason, there was the figure of Kakyu, Ars’s foster father, conversing with the villagers with smiles.

There was a happy father surrounded by village soldiers, an elderly man who seemed like a soldier, an elderly woman who might have been a shopkeeper, farmers, lumberjacks, village children, and the women who took care of them.

“Um, excuse me, Goddess…”

“What is it?”

“This person, he’s my father, right…?”

“Yes, that’s right. This black-haired man is undoubtedly your foster father, Kakyu.”

Foster father.

Trying to understand the meaning of those words, for a moment, Ars’s mind went blank.

But Ars wasn’t foolish.

No, he was rather intelligent, perhaps more perceptive than an ordinary person.

Throughout his life, he had sensed many times that he was clearly different from his Father Kakyu, and at this moment, he understood as if the pieces of a puzzle had clicked into place.

…He understood it all.

Why he and his family looked nothing alike.

Why Father would take him to visit the ruins every year for grave-visiting.

So, why he had spent his life as a son under his Father Kakyu’s care.

It all connected.

“I see… So, that’s why Father…”

“Yes. That’s right. What you’re thinking right now is not wrong.”

The Goddess smirked as she watched Ars, who was swirling with various emotions and beginning to feel mentally cornered. Then, she continued, “Look here,” and switched the scene in the projection.

Now, amidst the roaring flames of the burning village, the elderly man who had just been happily conversing with his Father was fighting a holy knight as if waiting for something, and his head was severed.

Furthermore, upon closer observation of the surroundings, one could confirm the scene of all the villagers being massacred.

The lumberjack desperately resisting, collapsing forward in tatters.

Children killed as if their limbs were torn apart.

A woman in a house, her belly slashed open, exposing a gruesome sight.

All of this in hell was the nightmare wrought by the Holy Knight and the agents of the Church, the images eloquently narrated.

And then, the scene shifted one last time to the ravaged village, where from nowhere, Kakyu appeared.

He rescued a baby, seemingly the sole survivor, from a house, embracing and unleashing a powerful spell in the distance.

Then, as a massive explosion occurred in the distance, confirming the dispersal of those who had attacked the village, the images projected in the space came to an end.

“…?”

“Hehe.”

Ars, stunned and lost in thought, pondered why the Holy Knight had relentlessly pursued the villagers, who the elderly man resisting the bandits had been waiting for, and just who this baby was.

He chewed over and savored each of these thoughts, especially falling into silence at the sight of his father’s tearful face, which he saw for the first time.

“How was it? Please, share your thoughts.”

“Thoughts… you say?”

“Yes. What did you think? Hero. This is your past. The truth of it. And the ugliness of humanity. Isn’t it absurd? Isn’t it foolish? Above all, isn’t it… delightful? Hehe.”

Ars felt the urge to hurl insults at the goddess’s insensitive remarks, to lash out at her.

Wasn’t that Holy Knight supposed to be a devout follower of yours? Didn’t she feel anything seeing that scene?

He wanted to confront her about the feelings of his father and the villagers, to question her mockery of human life.

But just as he was about to take that step forward, he suddenly felt his father’s hand, who shouldn’t be here, touch his shoulder, holding him back.

“….!”

“Oh…?”

The goddess, who had just witnessed Ars’s sudden transition from heated rage to sudden calm, momentarily widened her eyes in astonishment.

Her expression seemed to indicate surprise at this unexpected outcome, but she quickly regained her composure and smirked once again.

Her demeanor seemed to say, “The ‘trial’ isn’t over yet.”

“Please, allow me to ask one thing.”

“Hehe, what is it?”

“…No, it’s not you, Goddess. I’m asking… Father.”

“….!!”

But in response to Ars’s next words, the goddess finally broke her expression.

As if seeing something unbelievable, something impossible.

Ignoring the shocked goddess, Ars directed his words somewhere.

“Hey, Father. Were you… happy with us, your family?”

How much meaning was packed into this question?

Ars himself couldn’t quite grasp it, but he simply waited for a single word in response.

Then, for a while, time passed in silence between them, and…

…Of course.

Ars heard a voice in his heart, from somewhere deep within, and he simply replied, “I see,” with a calm smile, as if everything had fallen into place.

And the goddess who witnessed this scene…

“…This is… my defeat. Your mental strength exceeds my expectations. I can no longer find a way to push you further. A hero who so easily overcomes himself like this… has never existed before…”

The smirk from earlier was gone.

Looking at Ars with eyes filled with compassion and seriousness, the goddess revealed a hint of awe towards Ars, who possessed a mental strength beyond her expectations, and towards someone who wasn’t present here but had nurtured it.