Return of the Former Hero

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It’s a cliffhanging chapter.

I made some rant on RTD below too, if anyone want to-up-to date about what currently HOT on WN/LN translation community:

In another note, I’m still hunting for more ill.u.s.tration for RotFH, hopefully I can get some more before this weekend.

Anyway, enjoy~!

Translator: Ashenwind & Raizu
Editor/TLC: Ascending_Flame

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Chapter 77: Former Hero – Is in a Pinch!

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[Was all of this. . . Done by you?] (Haruto)
[. . . .] (Golem)

The Golem in front of me remained silent.

No expression can be seen on its plain-looking head.

However, I can feel that it was grinning at me.

There were no signs of demons appearing, and I couldn’t hear them nearby anymore.

I quickly closed in toward the Golem.

I readied my Mithril sword, wary of its attack.

Should I attack with magic instead?

No, magic is nowhere not nearly as effective against this thing.

Judging from it’s movements in the underground labyrinth, {Earth Bind} is very likely to be avoided.

Then again, is Mithril strong enough to pierce its defenses?

I obtained this sword with great effort. I’d cry if I find out that this sword isn’t effective anymore.

[. . . Well, there’s no reason to be so panicked, so calm down. It was a lot of trouble arranging all that. A little talk will not be so bad, will it?] (Golem)

The Golem seemed to be quite friendly.

Arrangement?

[Actually, I figured that you would make it here. . . However, I did not expect that the population of the demons from the labyrinth would have diminished so quickly. Magical power in this labyrinth is supposedly used for something else. . . Though, I thought that they are just too energy consuming. Well, you were amazing. Worthy of praise. I was speechless.] (Golem)
[. . . If that is so, you’re welcome?] (Haruto)

The Golem just shrugged its shoulders, invoking a feeling of it not being serious.

Does this fellow have such a character?

It hardly spoke when it fought; that, more than anything, caused me to get an eerie feeling.

Such a thing doesn’t matter.

Behind me, Sharon is still being healed by Celes, so I’ll have to stand my ground until they’re done.

[However, I cannot believe this. Steinhart is with you. Interesting. A good companion to have there.] (Golem)

What!

Wait a minute.

This fellow also recognized Laurier?

Laurier is a very well known demon. . .

But really, that came out of nowhere.

[Nn? Are you the Golem that Haruto has been talking about? I do not know you though.] (Laurier)

Laurier, who was observing from the back, commented.

Really? You don’t know about it?

Ah. That’s unreliable. . .

[No, you. . . It is not that we have met before. I only heard about you from stories.] (Golem)

Apparently, this time, Laurier’s memory seems to be correct.

Heck, this entire situation is because of this fellow. Moreover, it seems that the previous attack was meant to wipe us out. (ED: All of a sudden there is a shift here. . .)

It’s going to go down.

There is no excuse for those who have died.

I might have to apologize, because I can only do it at this moment, but I’m going to take it down right now.

In the back, Sharon’s healing should be done anytime soon.

But it’s impossible to have her fight with me, even with the healing completed.

Sharon and Celes should already be at their limit by now.

It is imperative to protect those two along with Laurier.

I will have to take down this Golem alone.

It might be possible if I were to attack the neck, or the torso.

Even if I was able to defeat it with great effort, I must be careful. Who knows? It could explode upon being defeated.

[Before I lose the chance, what on earth are you? And what’s the connection between the Imperial City and the Underground Church?] (Haruto)

Since the Golem was talking in a rather friendly tone, I risked asking a few questions.

[Imperial City? Church? I do not know.] (Golem)

What the Golem says denies the relation between the gem in the bas.e.m.e.nt and the Church.

This is good to hear, but I probably can’t trust everything it says.

[It looks like the treatment for the red haired girl is over. Then, the time has come.] (Golem)

The Golem seems to have been watching what’s behind me.

Sharon’s healing has indeed been completed.

Huh? Has this fellow actually been waiting for Sharon to recover? Why?

Before I could understand the meaning of its words, the Golem acted before I could do anything.

The robe that the Golem was wearing slid down to the ground.

Uwa. . . What in the. . .

Without the robe, the Golem’s whole body was visible.

It wasn’t noticeable before, but the part where the left arm, which I had chopped off back in the Underground Labyrinth, has a meat-like substance attached to it.

[. . . . By the way, don’t you think that the density of magic power is high around here right now?] (Golem)
[Huh?] (Haruto)

Almost immediately, the meaty part of the Golem expanded and engulfed its body.

Uuuueeeeggghhhhh!

This is ULTRA disgusting!

Me, being afraid of being disgusted even more, stepped back.

From the ma.s.s of swelling meat, tentacle-like things began to expand out, and something huge began to form.

While bashing around and making weird sounds, it finally took a more discernable form.

[Hahahahahaha!!!] (Golem)

The Golem let out a loud laugh as it stood proudly.

This fellow now looks very much like a dragon, but also not like a dragon, at the same time.

It doesn’t have wings, but that form can only be described as a dragon’s.

The huge dragon quickly wriggled its body to get rid of the remains of the splintered metal.

Something like this was actually concealed within the Golem.

Heee. . . .

This fellow. . . Is huge.

Indeed, when the demons we had defeated along the way dispersed, a vast amount of magic power was expelled out.

Could it be, us being here, was simply a strategy to achieve this purpose?

And the demons are merely some foolish p.a.w.n, aren’t they?

. . . It’s somewhat crafty.

. . . For some reason, I can sense it. A vast amount of magic power.

We’ll have to defeat it now. If the labyrinth demons begin to gather up here, it will be really, really bad.

The Golem/Dragon’s mouth opened. . No aria could be heard from it, but it promptly discharged a lot of low level magic.

[Haruto!] (Laurier)

Laurier called out from behind.

In front of me, Laurier’s {Air Shield} materialized, forming a thin layer that was intercepting the stream of energy.

Uuuuoooo!?

I moved away immediately.

Barely being able to dodge it, I could see the place where I stood before was swept clean by the breath.

Uwaa. . . .

If I was. .h.i.t by that, it’ll probably be an instant death.

Not to mention for Sharon or Celes, who can’t even stand straight at the moment.

[Oi, Laurier! You and the two others, run!] (Haruto)

I shouted to Laurier.

[But. . . . No. . . . Alright.] (Laurier.)

Laurier hesitated for a second, but followed through with my command.

Although Sharon and Celes seemed to have something to say, time is running out.

[Haruto. Don’t you dare die without our permission. You haven’t brought Celes on a date yet.] (Laurier)
[Wa!? La, Laurier-nee-san!?] (Celes)

Oi!

This is not the right time to say something like that.

To the sudden exclamation from Laurier, Celes’s face was dyed beet red.

Jeez, at a time like this. . . But, it’s kind of cute.

Heck, at that time, I just fell asleep and nothing happened.

And you know what caused it.

Laurier floated away with a naughty smile, grabbing the two girls that are not likely to give their consent, as quickly as possible.

Right. . . Don’t you feel worried about me at all? Not even about the possibility that I might die here?

[Oh my. . . . Eh. Are you still good? Are you not going to attack me now?] (Golem/Dragon)

The Golem/Dragon seemed to be wondering about the exchange between me and Laurier just now.

[Aa. I was only aiming at you. It’s good that you survived that. So that’s it. Let’s just cut to the chase and get to it.] (Golem/Dragon)

I faced toward the Golem/Dragon.

This fellow, from the beginning, why are you only specifically targetting me?

The others, come to think of it. . . This fellow doesn’t even try to go after them.

However, this is unnerving.

Can I win? Should I run away too?

[Then, let us begin, Amagi Haruto] (Golem/Dragon)

The Golem/Dragon declared while raising it’s head, then marched onward.

Ah. . Dammit.

My thoughts are not focused yet.

Anyway, it can’t be helped.

It reaches out with its claws, slashing at me while swinging its arm.

Their skin nullifies magic, so if Mithril can’t break it, the best plan is to run away.

Despite my worries, my sword managed to cut the dragon’s arm beautifully.

Oo! It works!

At this rate, it is still possible.

This caused me to relax my guard a little. . . As such, I suddenly felt something hit my back.

[Gah. . .!?] (Haruto)

It’s the tail of the Golem/Dragon.

Because my mind was elsewhere for a second there, it hit me squarely in the back.

My body was blown away easily.

It huuuurrrtsss!!!

Not good. I need to concentrate.

Before I could get up, the Golem/Dragon spouted another breath attack.

I got up in a hurry, barely managing to avoid it.

That was dangerous.

If I had relaxed my guard just a little bit, I would’ve died.

A demon that I had knocked down earlier got up, and tried to attack me with its sword.

I attacked before it could, cutting the head of the demon off.

The demon vanished, and turned into magic power.

[So that’s it. It will only add to the thickness of magic power around here, eh? What the?] (Haruto)

When I turn my attention back to the Golem/Dragon, the arm that I had chopped off had seemed to grow back while making weird sounds.

Uwa. . . That’s really unfair!

[Fire element. {Fireball}!] (Haruto)

My palm generated a fireball, striking and exploding on the Golem/Dragon’s face.

However, the damage from low level magic is minimal compared to physical attacks. It only managed to scratch it a little.

And the wound itself, was immediately regenerated.

Previously, how did I defeat such an undead in Andarugia?

. . . Ah. . . Of course. . .

Using the force of a great magic, it was completely erased, and unable to regenerate.

However, the me right now can only cast low level magic.

The magic that can defeat this kind of enemy in one blow is no longer available for me.

Wa. . . This is bad. Very bad.

When I see the chance, I’ll have to try cutting off its head.

I’ll worry about the main body after all has been done.

With the battle plan finally decided, I run toward the Golem/Dragon.