Era of Heroic Spirits: I Was Exposed by Alaya

Damn it—it really did. He was freakishly strong, not just in the ordinary sense!

"Teacher, come with me. Let me return all the glory to you—let everyone thank you for your silent protection!"

Qin Shi Huang extended his hand with a smile. "If anyone dares to disrespect you, I will exterminate their entire bloodline!"

"If a nation dares to scorn you, I will erase that nation from existence!"

"As a hero who protects humanity, this is the highest honor you deserve!"

His voice was neither loud nor forceful,

yet it brimmed with absolute confidence—confidence that he could and would fulfill these words.

Yes, this was Qin Shi Huang.

His words were law—once spoken, they became reality!

He truly could do it!

Snowflakes drifted down, settling upon the two of them,

and upon the slender, pale hand extended toward him.

"Sorry… I'm already tired."

Souma shook his head and did not take that hand.

Having been a hero of justice for countless years, a savior of the world for countless years, and a nameless heroic spirit for countless years.

If one were to list his titles—

Close friend of the most ancient King of Heroes from Uruk;

The nameless knight of King Arthur of Britain;

The Red Specter of the Royal Holy Knights of France;

Teacher of Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor of China;

Hero blessed by the Olympian gods;

…

Simply listing these titles alone would fill several A4 pages, easily padding out thousands of words without issue.

Countless battles, countless near-death experiences, countless desperate struggles—they had long since drained him of all his passion.

He was exhausted.

It was time to rest.

"Master, you've rejected me yet again!" Qin Shi Huang sighed as he withdrew his hand.

Back then, during the battle against the heavenly gods, the other had also chosen to fight alone.

Leaving him to watch helplessly as the other turned to dust!

Now, once again, the other refused his outstretched hand.

Qin Shi Huang stared at him intently. "Master, did something happen after I achieved immortality that made you unwilling to stay by my side?"

"Ahem, nothing of the sort!"

Souma answered righteously.

"I see. So Master has indeed done something to betray me." Qin Shi Huang nodded.

"...You're overthinking it!"

Souma had a feeling that once that video was exposed, the other would probably not be so cordial toward him.

He hurriedly added, "I'm just truly exhausted. I only want to enjoy a peaceful daily life now—fame and glory mean nothing to me anymore!"

The subtext was clear—

Don't come looking for me! Just let me be an ordinary high school student!

"Very well. I shall grant your wish."

Qin Shi Huang gazed at the children having a snowball fight in the distance and sighed softly. "I had originally planned to gift you the entire Fuyuki as your fiefdom, but it seems that will have to wait."

???

Souma stared at him blankly.

Damn, that was one hell of an offer.

Gifting him the province as a fief meant he could enjoy its entire fiscal revenue—equivalent to trillions in annual income!

And he had just casually turned it down?

Damn it, I must not be tempted! I'm a man who aspires to be the King of Slacking!

Souma felt his heart bleeding internally.

Such an astronomical sum of money, tossed aside so carelessly.

But when he noticed the faint smile playing on the other's lips, he realized he'd been played.

My dear Zheng, since when did you become so mischievous?

"Then, until next time." Qin Shi Huang smiled and cupped his hands in farewell.

Today was still just New Year's Eve.

Tomorrow, he would return to formally pay his respects for the New Year.

"Goodbye."

Souma waved back with a smile, silently adding in his heart—

"Please never come back!"

If the King of Heroes wanted to be a model citizen of Fuyuki City, fine. But why did you have to show up out of nowhere too?

After returning home,

Souma collapsed exhaustedly onto the sofa.

A simple conversation had left him feeling as drained as if he'd fought a great battle.

He was just so tired.

One misstep, and he'd have been dragged off by Qin Shi Huang to work overtime alongside Zhuge Liang!

Thankfully, the other had left. Hopefully, he'd never return.

These emotional rollercoasters would surely shorten his lifespan.

And if he died, Alaya would undoubtedly drag him back into the 007 grind!

Just then,

A girl in nothing but pajamas suddenly ran over and plopped onto his lap in the warm room.

"Souma, I feel a little hot~"

Roya's eyes were hazy, her voice thick with a coquettish tone, her breathing becoming utterly erratic.

"Uh, what's wrong with you?"

Souma held her in his arms, his hand inadvertently landing on her thigh.

It felt soft and bouncy like jelly, the sensation absolutely amazing.

Her slender arms wrapped around his neck as she pressed herself closer.

Her eyes were filled with bewilderment. "You just seem so handsome today for some reason?"

Smack~

Souma gave her little butt a light slap and sternly warned, "No touching that fox scarf from now on!"

The kid's odd behavior was clearly the lingering effects of the charm power from the fox tail.

Seriously, you're supposed to be a top-tier powerhouse—how could you be affected by some measly fox spirit's charm?

"Wuwu, don't hit me..."

Roya squirmed in his arms, making Souma take a deep breath.

He scooped her up by the waist, tossed her into their bed, and wrapped her tightly in the blankets.

Thud~

Souma closed the door and sighed softly, "Damn you, Alaya. First, I got startled by Qin Shi Huang's arrival, and now I almost got tempted by a brat?"

Careful—five years minimum sentence!

So, King Arthur, Mordred, when are you two finally leaving?

Souma felt an increasing headache coming on.

A gathering of Heroic Spirits in Fuyuki City was really giving him the pressure of Alexander the Great.

If the brat's seal gets unlocked, it's game over for everyone!

...

Meanwhile.

In Fuyuki Magecraft Academy.

With Qin Shi Huang's return to Fuyuki City, a new round of negotiations was about to begin.

A meeting concerning the two top nations, China and Britain, was naturally a matter of utmost importance.

The two emperors, standing at the pinnacle of the Heroic Spirit hierarchy, sat together once again.

Qin Shi Huang's expression was indifferent. "If your side wishes to cooperate with China, you must demonstrate sufficient sincerity!"

"Of course."

Artoria nodded.

During this time, Britain had also been deliberating on how much they could concede in terms of benefits.

This even included Mordred's proposed Marriage Alliance plan.

Just as she was about to lay out the entire list of proposals—

Gawain suddenly approached in surprise, lowering his voice. "My King, Alaya has released a new video—about you!"

Polarity Reversal!

Once again, it was the same scene of two great emperors meeting, and once again, a new video was released.

Artoria naturally had no intention of following in Qin Shi Huang's footsteps of public humiliation. "Then, let's postpone the meeting. We can reconvene after we've each watched the video..."

"If you seek cooperation, mutual understanding is essential."

Qin Shi Huang fixed her with an unyielding gaze and commanded, "Attendants, play the video. Let us and our British guests watch it together!"

This time, the video Alaya released was titled—

The Sacred Round Table Domain.

***

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