The Hero Becomes the Duke’s Eldest Son

Translator: Marctempest
Editor: Rynfinity
Chapter 58

* * *

Meanwhile, while a commotion was happening outside, Elise was having a unique experience.

Elise stood idly in a warm, cozy space, blinking her big, round eyes.

“Huh?”

She shook her head and looked around.

The sky was golden, and the ground was covered in a beautiful field of blooming rapeseed flowers.

Butterflies occasionally flew above, sprinkling golden glitters.

It was a place that felt oddly unreal, like a dream.

“Where is this place?”

Just a moment ago, she had been inside a building. Elise tilted her head cutely.

-This is my garden.

A solemn voice came from behind her.

When she turned around, a young man, who looked like a beautiful youth, was standing there.

-If you are going to do it, receive the holy power quickly and leave, it’s bothersome.

His expression was one of weariness, as if he found everything in the world tedious.

Elise looked up at the man.

“Is this your garden, mister?”

-…Mister?

The man made a subtle expression at her choice of words.

Then, he soon chuckled softly.

-It’s been a long time since someone called me that. Or is it the first time? No one has ever called me that. They were always busy calling me Sacred Fire, Lord of the Sacred Fire, or some other strange names…

A faint interest appeared on his previously disinterested face.

-Maybe because you’re still young, or because your destiny has changed?

Elise couldn’t understand what the man in front of her was saying.

“What do you mean?”

-It’s nothing a child like you needs to know.

When Elise tilted her head, the man’s face showed a faint smile.

His face was clearly young, but his eyes bore the wrinkles of time, like an old man looking at a child’s antics.

-…It’s been a long time since I felt this way. What a peculiar child.

The entity, whom the Sacred Fire Order called the Lord of the Sacred Fire, found the reactions of the child in front of him refreshing.

All the saints and saintesses he had met so far were too overwhelmed with reverence to properly speak to him.

But the rude child in front of him didn’t recognize the god she served and called him ‘mister’ instead of some divine title.

When she boldly demanded compensation, saying she had suffered under the Sacred Fire and deserved a reward, he was dumbfounded.

-To think she would make such brazen demands, what a cheeky child. Tsk, she’s been influenced by bad company.

Though he spoke as if scolding her, there was kindness in his gaze.

He placed his hand on Elise’s head and slowly stroked it.

-Well, I can’t say it’s entirely my responsibility, but I’ll give you what you want. Both for this life and the pitiful last one.

“Compensation?”

Seeing Elise’s eyes sparkle, he clicked his tongue, confirming she had indeed been influenced by bad company.

-Yes, compensation.

From the man’s hand, a golden wave, the same color as the Sacred Fire, flowed out.

The wave of energy seeped into Elise’s body.

-Child whose destiny was altered by the one whose destiny vanished. Your destiny has changed, so I can’t predict what lies ahead for you. However, I bless your path to be smooth.

A bright light burst forth, and Elise closed her eyes tightly.

-Go back.

His voice felt distant, and Elise felt as if she was being sucked into somewhere.

The light enveloped everything.

* * *

In front of the altar of the Sacred Fire Order, where fierce battles had taken place, an unexpected scene unfolded.

“Roll forward, roll backward.”

Mephisto was rolling around the ground like an acorn.

“Now, do a handstand and spin in place ten times.”

Mephisto trembled as he planted his hands on the ground.

Then he followed Aden’s order and spun in place ten times.

Aden’s strange commands continued.

“Do twenty sit-ups!”

“Then, do twenty push-ups!”

“Do seventeen squats! If you get the count wrong, start over!”

Talos immediately followed Aden’s commands.

“It’s still not good enough. Dance until I tell you to stop.”

-Master, please…!

Aden had never seen Talos cry before.

They were crazy beings who would laugh even as they died.

-Kruhuk, kuhh…!

So this was the first time he realized.

That Talos wept tears of blood when they cried.

Mephisto, sobbing black tears, danced brilliantly.

A disapproving voice echoed in Aden’s head.

-Aden Albireo, what is this?

At Curse’s question, Aden replied with a sly smile, as if it was the most obvious thing.

“What else? Just having fun.”

Aden, who always had a cynical expression, was now shining with vitality despite his battered body.

-…You should have been born as Talos.

Curse repeatedly chewed over the mistake the world had made.

At that moment.

Fwoosh!

From one side, a bright light and energy burst forth.

A sacred golden flame.

A big ball of fire rose in a place where there had been nothing and quickly disappeared like a birthday candle being blown out.

And then…

“…Aden oppa?”

Elise popped out from within it with a ‘pop!’.

“Elise? Why are you coming out from there?”

“Well, I put my hand in the fire, and it went whoosh! Then I met a strange mister, and he talked about something, and then I came back here!”

Sorry, but I didn’t understand a word of that.

But one thing was clear.

Aden chuckled.

“You’ve awakened properly. Congratulations.”

A huge, yet warm energy spread out from Elise.

It was holy power.

Shaaaa.

The ground that had died from Mephisto’s dark magic.

The withered grass began to revive and grow around Elise.

The murky air was purified and became clear.

Elise, finding it fascinating, looked around and smiled brightly.

“Yeah!”

Then, seeing the wounds on Aden’s body, she froze.

“Aden oppa, you’re hurt! Are you okay? Does it hurt?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine soon.”

He was having so much fun tormenting Mephisto that he didn’t even feel the pain.

With the mana of regeneration, all his wounds would heal within an hour at most.

“I’ll heal you! I can mimic the priests now!”

“No, you don’t have to…”

As Aden was about to refuse, Elise placed her hands on his arm.

Then, golden holy power rose from Elise’s body and flowed into Aden’s.

Aden’s wounds began to heal quickly.

Aden was secretly surprised.

‘What is this recovery speed?’

Even though she was a saintess, it was holy power she had summoned lightly without any prayer.

Yet, his wounds were healing so quickly. Aden was amazed at Elise’s holy power capacity.

‘She might be the greatest saintess in the history of the Sacred Fire Order.’

Aden was pondering how to react.

-Kaaauaaaah…!

Curse screamed.

For Curse, the holy power of Elise was nothing short of poison.

The consolation for Curse was that the treatment ended in a few tens of seconds.

“It’s done! How is it?”

“It’s amazing. Thank you.”

“Hehe.”

Elise, feeling proud, smiled.

Then, noticing a presence that had been bothering her for a while, she blinked.

“What’s that?”

-Kaaah! Master! My body is burning! Save me!

Elise pointed to where Mephisto was burning.

It seemed that the sparks from the Sacred Fire had reached him when Elise appeared, and now Mephisto was being purified by the golden flame.

As expected of the Sacred Fire, Talos, a corrupted being, burned well like an oil-soaked log.

Talos, dancing in pain while being burned by the Sacred Fire…

It was beautiful.

It was a pity there wasn’t a video recording crystal to capture this moment.

-Aden Albireo.

“Yes, I know.”

At the urging voice of Curse, Aden reluctantly approached him.

“Hey, Mephisto.”

-Kaaaah! Y-Yes! Master!

“Farewell.”

-What?

Pook.

Aden’s sword Baalzebul pierced Mephisto’s chest.

-Using the power of ‘Gluttony.’

While eating the cursed elixir, he had learned that dark magic could also be a means to enhance his abilities.

So, he couldn’t waste a high-level Talos, which was a good source of experience points, by just burning it all away.

-Kaaaaah!

Mephisto let out a soul-rending scream.

The dark magic and all his life force were sucked out by Baalzebul.

Fwoosh.

The remaining corpse was completely devoured by the Sacred Fire, leaving not even a speck of ash.

It was clean.

「You have defeated a high-level Talos.
You have absorbed the soul of a high-level Talos.
The Wraith Subjugation ability has grown, increasing the number of slots.
You have achieved the ‘Talos Slayer’ accomplishment.
You have achieved the ‘Savior of the Sacred Fire Order’ accomplishment.」

It seemed like he was being rewarded for his hard work.

And he got not just one, but two achievements.

[Talos Slayer]

A title given to those who defeat a Talos of the underground world single-handedly.
When facing a Talos, your overall abilities increase by 5%.

「[Savior of the Sacred Fire Order]

You saved the Sacred Fire Order, which reveres the sacred fire, from the brink of collapse.
This title is awarded in recognition of that accomplishment.
The priests and believers of the Sacred Fire Order will feel a strong affinity towards you. 」

Talos Slayer, the first achievement Aden had gained by fighting Talos in his previous life.

He had grown and developed it into the highest achievement, ‘Nemesis of Talos.’

‘Starting again from the beginning, huh.’

It felt strangely nostalgic.

* * *

Three days had passed since the day the Talos was summoned to the headquarters of the Sacred Fire Order.

The people of the Order, upon waking up, couldn’t understand how the Talos had disappeared and how they had survived.

Aden explained to them that he had stalled Talos until Elise, who had awakened as a saintess, completely eradicated it with her holy power.

No one doubted his words as they were based on the truth.

Afterwards, the Order was in utter chaos.

It was revealed that the illness of the High Priest was a scheme by the fallen Vice-High Priest, and that heretics had infiltrated the Order, hiding their identities.

It was a situation where their honor and pride were at risk of being tarnished.

Without the presence of the saintess who had appeared after decades, the Order would have faced a path of decline due to self-loathing.

-Expose all heretics within the Order!

Under the command of High Priest Kertel Jin, Priest Bali led the effort to root out the warlocks within the Order.

Aden played a significant role in this process.

For instance, some warlocks had sensed something was wrong on the day of the saintess’s awakening and tried to flee.

-For Remes!

But those attempting to leave were captured and detained by the Remes Knights, who had been stationed outside in advance.

Aden then handed over the list of warlocks, whose identities he had discovered using Curse, to Priest Bali.

Priest Bali was astonished when he received it.

“Prince Remes! How on earth did you find out about this?”

“An artifact.”

“What? An artifact that can identify warlocks exists…?”

“Yes, such an artifact. It’s the best artifact.”

“…”

Among the artifacts from dungeons, there were occasionally items that defied common sense.

Claiming it as a family heirloom, no one could inquire further.

Moreover, thanks to the synergy of his honorable achievement of holding off Talos alone until the saintess defeated it and the title of ‘Savior of the Sacred Fire Order,’ the Order’s people showed Aden immense trust and goodwill.

No one doubted his words.

Thus, a purge occurred within the Order that served the gods.

It was a purge without any innocent sacrifices.

On the third day, when the busy internal clean-up had somewhat settled, High Priest Kertel Jin and Aden had a private conversation.

“I sincerely thank you for your dedication and help, Prince Aden Remes.”

The High Priest, the leader of the Order, bowed his head before a young noble.

The current High Priest no longer wrapped his body in bandages like a mummy.

Though he still had unavoidable wrinkles from age, his skin was clear, and he looked healthy.

He had black hair and gray eyes, similar to Joseph, and had a rather distinguished appearance for an old man.

It was thanks to Elise.

-Please, God! Heal everything. Yip!

The absurd prayer, full of points to criticize, had easily dispelled the curse.

The decaying body also healed thanks to the divine technique.

“Please raise your head. Should the High Priest of an Order bow his head like that?”

“I don’t deserve it. As a previous generation saint and the High Priest, I failed to detect the malice of Hakel… the former Vice-High Priest.”

And because of that, the Order almost walked a path of corruption and downfall.

“If not for you, our Order wouldn’t have recovered the lost saintess, stopped the Vice-High Priest’s evil deeds, or had this old man still here.”

He spoke sincerely to Aden.

“You are the savior of our Order.”