Chapter 25: Hero Ruti’s night alone
Translator: Tseirp
Late night.
Hero Ruti was alone seated in the middle of a tent as she continued to ponder with her eyes shut.
The Divine Blessing of the Hero gave all kinds of resistances.
Among them was complete immunity to sleep.
Ruti no longer needed sleep. She would never feel drowsy.
She would maintain a perfect condition 24 hours a day without needing to sleep at all.
But her companions could not do the same. Ruti understood that camping out was required.
(Nevertheless, this time is boring.)
The time where she did nothing but just continue seating.
According to the mantra she secretly held, normal resistance and complete immunity were completely different.
Normal resistance was to become stronger against something but complete immunity was to lose something.
In this case, what she lost was the ability to sleep.
(But it was better when Onii-chan was here.)
She wouldn’t get bored if she just stared at the face of her brother sleeping beside her.
She could feel his heartbeat just by placing her hand on his chest … she truly felt that she could even endure an eternity with that.
Well, she could also hug him a little … or nibble his fingers or ears or stomach. Small mischief … and those were her true feelings as well.
(That b.a.s.t.a.r.d Ares …)
Normally she wouldn’t even be satisfied if she tore him apart limb by limb. However, as long as her companions do not hold malicious intent toward her, she was incapable of harming them.
That was because she was the Hero. A Hero would not harm their companion over their personal grudges.
Furthermore, she had complete immunity to the berserk status even if she was angry so it was just to the extent of minor waves of emotion.
Hero Ruti had lost the majority of her human emotions and preferences due to the Divine Protection of the Hero.
However, that day …
☆☆
“Ruti, don’t be alarmed and listen to me. Your Onii-san has left the party.”
One day, the Sage Ares came to Ruti’s room in the morning and told her.
Due to her complete immunity to confusion, Ruti calmly understood his words.
Due to her complete immunity to despair, Ruti was not shaken by those words.
That was why she only said a word.
“Why?”
That was all she asked.
“Gideon feels that his own ability is insufficient and instead of traveling with us, he feels that he would be more useful if he performed reconnaissance on the Demon Lord army and did guerrilla warfare. I initially stopped him but he was determined. Furthermore, his words were reasonable and were able to convince me. In the end, I decided to send him off with good grace. He even left all his equipment. Saying that it would serve us better. He was a man I looked up to.”
“Why did he tell that to you? Why did he not say it to me?”
“He probably didn’t want to show you his unattractive side. Even though he is drastically weaker than you, he is still your brother. It’s a charming pride. I can appreciate it too.”
(I see, so this guy chased Onii-chan away.)
Slipping through her various complete immunities, there was a slight fluctuation in Ruti’s emotions.
“Hiii … !?”
That alone caused a scream to leak from Ares. The intimidation emitting from Ruti intensely stimulated his survival instinct.
Nevertheless, Ares overpowered that feeling, knowing better than anyone else that he was competent through the guarantee from his Divine Protection and he went ahead with the action he planned for this occasion.
Ares clenched his teeth and hugged Ruti. His heart cringed in fear while the sweat flowing down his back was cold enough to freeze him.
Ares recited the words he had practiced repeatedly.
A Sage is excellent. He will accomplish any goal. Precisely because he is a wise man. That was Ares’ role.
“I know that you are uneasy now that your Onii-san is no longer here. You are a girl before you are a Hero. Although the time I have spent with you might be shorter than the time Gideon had, I will always be your ally.”
Even though he actually did that, Ruti could not thrust Ares away. She just glared at Ares with a chilly gaze and could only reproach him.
At that time, she sensed a presence.
(Onii-chan!?)
He saw me! He saw me!! He saw me!!!
The Divine Protection is housed in the mind.
However, at that time, her 『human action』 was quicker than her thoughts. Before the information reached her brain, all the cells in her body screamed in despair and acted.
“Uyogh!?!?!?!?!?”
Ares body bent forward.
That sound was unlike one made by man but the sound of air leaking from a balloon.
The world strongest punch hammered into Ares’ abdomen, crushing his bones, bursting his internal organs and tore his blood vessels.
Ares’ body slammed into the wall and more of his flesh, bones and internal organs lost their shapes. If the wall was not a magic-strengthened wall of a room meant for VIP use, even if his flesh and blood were soft, they would have ground the walls to dust.
Looking as if he was stomped on by a ma.s.sive dragon, the Sage Ares fell to the floor.
“Onii-chan … !”
She wanted to chase after him. She wanted to resolve the misunderstanding as soon as possible.
However, her gaze fell on Ares who was on the brink of death.
A Hero does not abandon their companions. Even if abandoning them would save the world, even if it is an abominable person, she could not abandon them.
She clenched her teeth audibly. The fading presence burned her nerves.
But even so, she still tottered toward Ares.
Ares faintly retained his consciousness and stared at Ruti standing in front of him with fearful eyes.
Ruti held her hand over Ares.
Under the 『Healing Hands』, the dying Ares was healing before their eyes as his crushed body restored itself.
She could no longer sense the presence of her beloved brother. He had run off far away.
Even so, she only said this.
“Sorry.”
The Hero Ruti apologized to the Sage Ares.
Ares’ teeth clattered as he trembled.
☆☆
Recalling that moment, Ruti enjoyed the slight waver in her heart.
It was one of the few memories she had of going against her Divine Protection of the Hero.
The pangs of painful emotions arising from her heart that slipped through the gaps of her encompa.s.sing immunity felt pleasant to her right now when she had too much spare time.
After that, Ruti wanted to chase after her brother immediately.
However, the role of the Hero was to save the people who were suffering. And defeating the Demon Lord Taraxon who was tormenting the people on the continent was a top priority that transcended all other circ.u.mstances.
A Hero could not stop their journey. Precisely because they are the Hero.
“But now I don’t have enough of Onii-chan.”
Ruti murmured softly.
Dawn was still far away.