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Fim paused in taking out his handkerchief, turned to look at the brightly colored lunchbox, and stood there dumbfounded.
As a zombie demon, Fim... has no sense of taste...
……
Akalin Village.
early morning.
Located in the eastern suburbs of the capital, Akarin Village was the least affected by the turmoil. The simple village still maintained a certain tranquility. In front of a somewhat old thatched house, a red-haired woman who was sweeping the ground stopped.
"Oh dear, that was a really loud noise, honey." With her hair tied in a single ponytail and draped over one shoulder, Eunice touched her face, seemingly lost in thought as she said:
"I wonder how that maid who went to the capital is doing now? And Shana..." Eunice said with some regret.
"What a pity, the two children look about the same age. If we wait for Shana to come back, the maid will surely become good friends with Shana, right?"
On the chair in front of the house, Ronald Lake still had a blank expression, holding Eunice's freshly baked breakfast in his hand, eating it with a normal expression.
“Don’t spoil the kids too much, Eunice,” Ronald said.
Soon, Ronald handed the clean bowl and chopsticks to Eunice. Eunice touched her cheek, seemingly happy: "Oh dear, you ate so cleanly today too... Speaking of which, the maid said my cooking was delicious... Honey, have my cooking skills improved recently?"
Looking up at Eunice, who was somewhat engrossed in her thoughts, Ronald nodded without hesitation:
"Yes."
"Just as I expected~~~"
Eunice grew increasingly delighted, turning her head to look towards the kingdom's border, and said with some regret:
"If Mino could also eat Mom's cooking, that would be wonderful—"
……
"Ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh—"
Inside the cell, it took a lot of effort for Mino to gradually control the urge to vomit. Turning her head, she looked at the lunchbox that she had accidentally eaten most of and showed a lingering fear on her face.
I almost... I almost went to see my grandma...
Did Fim really make this? It tastes just as bad as my mom's!
Mino cautiously turned her head and caught a trace of apology in Fim's empty eyes... Her heart skipped a beat, and Mino understood something, as if she had realized something.
As a zombie demon, Fim has no sense of taste, so... this must be a failed attempt by her! As a skilled cook, it's understandable that Fim occasionally fails.
"Mino, doesn't it taste good?" Fim tilted his head, looking at Mino with some concern.
"It's okay if you don't eat it."
"No." Mino's eyes gradually hardened. He absolutely couldn't dampen the child's enthusiasm. Fim had cooked so many delicious meals for him, how could he be someone who wasted food!
Mino picked up the lunchbox from the ground and proceeded to destroy the evidence!
A glistening tear slid down her cheek.
Grandma... I've come to see you...
……
The Hero of Evil!
Within a day, the title of Shana the Hero spread throughout the kingdom.
As the power of the contract was spread, the lights of countless homes illuminated the night, and the people of the kingdom finally gained a real impression of the new hero who would succeed Mino.
"The Hero of Evil... Is this the kind of reckless and unruly hero we're talking about this time...? I feel so uneasy..."
"But, it's an undeniable fact that Hero Shana protected the civilians outside the capital... She even managed to obliterate the Dragon's Lair Mountains... The new hero's power is no less than Hero Mino's!!!"
"As expected of Mino the Hero's sister! As long as Hero Shana's evil is directed towards the demons, what do we have to fear!"
"That's right! The birth of a hero who fights for evil! Let's offer a salute!"
In some parts of the kingdom, a night of fervent celebration unfolded amidst a gradually jubilant atmosphere.
King's capital.
Inside the towering, dark, round tower, in the study with the inscription "Friend of the Hero," the old man, who had been "stiff" on the floor for many days, slightly awoke and opened his eyes.
"I'm awake..." Lark sat up halfway, feeling the fatigue from days of staying up late finally dissipate. He adjusted his glasses and asked the wall:
"I didn't sleep for long, did I?"
On the wall, his shadow twisted and writh, and a "dark" voice came from within: "Don't worry, it's only been three or four days. To make up for the mental strain, this side effect of the hibernation spell is nothing."
"That's good." A slight smile of satisfaction appeared on Lark's lips. He beckoned, and a raven storing information flew in through the window, which Lark then dissected with a smile:
"In just three or four days, nothing major should happen..."
Lak froze on the spot, his eyes widening in disbelief:
"Calester descends... Hero Shana escapes... Dragon's Lair Mountains explode... The Hero of Evil... is born?!"
No?
He slept for three or four days.
It feels like I missed the entire first season of the story!
As his fingers trembled and he gradually pieced together the whole story, Lak felt like the sky had fallen. He felt like he had completely missed the best opportunity to strike!
If I could secretly pinpoint Shana's location and forcibly eliminate her the moment she left the Knights' protection... wouldn't that solve the most troublesome problem?!
Even more extreme, if one were to use dark magic to kick the Frost Dragon King and Fire Dragon Queen in the rear when they descend, wouldn't that directly ignite a war between humans and dragons? With the entire continent devastated, the power of the "dark" abyss could almost leap forward, saving decades of effort.
How many great opportunities has he missed?!
With a loud slap, Lak slapped himself hard across the face, lamenting in anguish:
"How can someone my age possibly sleep?!"
……
In a dark, shady house in a working-class neighborhood.
Thanaus looked at Dane, who, although his physical injuries had healed, seemed to have suffered a severe blow to his spirit and looked dejected.
Knowing that he still needed the other party to step forward the plan, he tried to maintain a calm tone and comforted them:
"It was just a failure of one plan. I have more than a dozen similar contingency plans, and I have enough financial and human resources to implement them."
After he finished speaking, Dane's expression finally improved a little.
"Really? Your Highness, we don't have much time left." Dane said, half-asleep and half-reminder, "Once Shana gains great power, it will be much more difficult to compete with her for the title of Hero."
"Don't worry," Thanaus chuckled.
“Each of my plans can help you accumulate a lot of good reputation in a short period of time.”
Beep——
Just then, a message from the royal palace sounded.
Chapter 135 The Kingdom's Leaky Spoon
Thanaus didn't take it seriously, continuing to offer Dane empty promises while receiving the message from the contract spell:
"According to the research of the kingdoms throughout the ages, the goddess's perception of this world is quite vague. As long as you can perform deeds that are more in line with the image of a hero in a short period of time, you can easily seize the hero's mark..."
"So, as long as you make a good name that will resonate throughout the country, then the hero—" With a smile, Thanaus looked down at the kingdom's communications.
Shana's title came into view:
—The hero of evil.
His greyish-red eyes gradually froze...
Thanaus's mind was in complete chaos. A hero of evil? What the hell? This isn't like the script he was supposed to be.
"Hero of Evil? What kind of ridiculous title is that?!" Stepping forward and looking at the message Thanaus had received, Dane was utterly astonished and confused.
"So, now if I want to become a hero, I have to commit all sorts of evil deeds?"
Thanaus rubbed his forehead, saying that...
But when you do bad things, who will associate you with a "hero"?
If you do good deeds, who will form the impression that you are a "hero of evil"?
In the dimly lit room, the father and son began to question the meaning of life...
……
dong dong dong——!
A knock came at the door of the Royal Library.
Astrid has now developed a condition where whenever she hears a knock on the door, the image of Prince Ota's stern, regal face automatically pops into her mind. Her heart skips a beat, but Astrid knows that this isn't the most terrifying thing.
The most terrifying thing was when she shakily walked to the door and opened the wooden door... she saw Prince Ota, and Minister Tus following beside him.
"You...you're not here for sightseeing at the library, are you?" Astrid chuckled dryly.
“You should know our purpose all too well, shouldn’t you, Scholar Astrid?” Otto said, his hands behind his back, his expression enigmatic.
Astrid's heart skipped a beat, and her eyes showed fear—could it be that her little trick of trying to sow discord between the dragons and humans with false information had been seen through by Prince Ota, thus revealing her true colors?
Astrid, Astrid, how could you, such a clever, charming, and witty demon girl, make such a superficial mistake!
My life is over!
"Give me a chance..." Astrid's voice trembled, tinged with a sob, "I didn't have a choice before, but now, I want to be a good scholar..."
"So you knew after all." Ota's expression softened further.
He stopped hiding it and pulled out a big treasure from behind his back: a magnificent pure gold medal with the Kingdom Library logo.
"Scholar Astrid, this is the 'Scholar of the Nation' medal awarded to you by the kingdom!!!"
Tuss stepped forward with a bright smile and congratulated, "Congratulations, Scholar Astrid! After discussions between His Highness Ota and the kingdom's ministers, they unanimously agreed that your scholarly contributions to this diplomatic effort with the two dragon kings were extremely significant!!!"
"Now, your reputation within the kingdom far surpasses that of the other great scholars, and the kingdom has decided to award you this highest honor medal!"
"Huh? Me?" Astrid looked completely bewildered.