This World Needs a Hero

Chapter 124

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Huuuuung-

Riding the rising currents, the hero ascended swiftly into the pitch-black sky.

The evolution of Polymorph seemed to make the transition to a non-human form more skillful.

His beak clicked together in satisfaction as he measured the speed.

‘Alright, I’ll be there in no time.’

According to the compiled information, the two factories they established were both located in remote places far from civilization.

One in the forest, the other near a cliff.

Even if they built a factory in such a secluded place, they couldn’t escape the gaze of people.

Certainly, they must have taken measures using magic.

‘It’s probably not a camouflage spell.’

Disguise, an advanced magic that applies the conceptual power of ‘hiding’ to the target.

The effect is good, but implementation is very difficult.

Covering an entire giant structure like a factory with disguise and maintaining it is a daunting task even for those called grand wizards.

Therefore, the options they could choose would be limited to what he could estimate.

‘Obvious. They probably laid illusion magic and attention-dispelling magic in the surroundings, and then applied disguise magic to the magical signatures.’

Concealing the factory with illusions and preventing outsider access with barriers.

After that, using disguise magic to hide only the magical signatures of the spells.

In this way, they could avoid the eyes of both ordinary people and those who manipulate magic at minimal cost.

A kind of secret technique known only in the shadows.

‘It must have been quite an effort….’

For him, who had created and lived in many hiding places along with ‘Original,’ it would be useless.

Illusion and attention-dispelling.

Ultimately, the targets of those spells are humans.

Naturally, the application range of the barrier would be limited to the entrance path on the ground.

Expecting an overview from the air and spending a considerable amount to extend the range of the barrier?

It was absurd.

‘If I can pinpoint the location, I can thoroughly investigate the interior.’

With that conclusion, a while later, the hero arrived at the edge of the forest without any issues.

The midday forest seemed somewhat different from the dim forest he had seen from a distance….

‘That way.’

The hero could easily spot the factory in a single glance.

A clear-cut forest.

The densely arranged pale white buildings were noticeably alien.

Kiiiruru-

The hero hurriedly flapped his wings and headed upwards.

‘Swiftly and precisely.’

He recalled the two rules of reconnaissance.

The things to be identified were as follows:

The location and size of the troops, their movement patterns.

The presence of security artifacts.

The structure and entrances of the buildings.

If possible, the size and health status of hostages, and their locations.

Since he had to check another factory, he had to find out all of this in a short time.

The hero quickly surveyed the factory site, cramming everything he saw into his mind.

Fortunately, the excellent vision of the hawk quickly captured the panoramic view of the factory.

‘…Bringing the troops here is impractical. It needs to be dealt with by elites.’

Although he didn’t have Iris of Laplace before, he was an expert in the field of security.

During the time he was with the hero, he had to study various security methods to protect his hiding place.

Examining such defense structures for him was easier than anything else.

‘They prepared well for suppression.’

There was a visual artifact overlooking the entire entrance and detection and blocking barriers.

It was effective against a large number of enemies.

Although its power was not remarkable, it poured out petty spells to catch the enemy’s feet and delay them to help the escape of key personnel.

…The army would be more of a hindrance.

The moment he reached this conclusion, he felt something strange.

‘But I don’t see any guards.’

Not only guards, but there was not a single person moving in this vast space.

‘What’s going on?’

In the face of clear abnormalities, the hero lowered his altitude.

It was to examine the surroundings more closely.

Soon, the largest building came into view.

‘This is probably the prison that confines the demi-humans.’

Iron bars covering every window.

Unfortunately, even if there was a way in, it was unreasonable to immediately enter combat.

‘Just in case, I made preparations by turning the key of Valber into a necklace, but….’

He hadn’t yet accurately assessed the opponent’s forces.

Rash actions would only complicate things.

The hero cautiously circled the building.

It was unlikely, but beyond the thick walls in front of him, faint cries and moans seemed to seep out.

A torture chamber, and perhaps also a place for breeding.

He flew back behind the building.

‘People are still not here.’

But there was something new he discovered.

‘Instead, there are corpses.’

…More precisely, living corpses.

The hero stopped his hovering flight in front of a surveillance outpost, peering inside.

“Uuueeee….”

One demi-humanal zombie covered in decay and pus shook its body with vacant eyes.

Next to it stood a skeleton soldier.

A green light shimmered behind the skull.

Similarly, it was not human bones.

‘Are they victims….’

Finally, the hero could understand how this factory operated.

…Necromancer.

An appropriate administrator for maintaining such a secretive facility.

Kiiiruk-

The hero ended the hovering flight and soared once again.

Watching mindless undead was not particularly meaningful.

If possible, he needed to confirm the one controlling them.

…There were also signs.

Kiiik-

At that moment, the main gate of the prison opened without warning, and two men walked out.

The hero quickly changed direction.

There were only a few living humans here.

They must have proper information.

‘I need to listen to that conversation.’

As expected, one of their faces was familiar.

The hero stopped at a position where the conversation could barely be heard.

It was the rooftop of the prison.

“The goods?”

“We received them well. We’ll arrive before sunset.”

“When will the preparations be complete?”

“We’ll somehow finish by tomorrow morning.”

“Good….”

A voice that seemed chilling and dry at first.

But upon closer listening, it trembled with uneasy excitement and madness.

…It was him.

The man wearing a skull mask, whom the hero saw in the last organization boss’s vision.

In his hand holding a white cane, the emblem of the Demonic Church emitted an ominous light.

“If we start the ritual right at sunset, it should be fine. Also, contact the Voltar branch.”

“I’ll proceed with that as you know.”

“…After a long wait, it’s the day when the unfaithful flesh of non-believers is graciously utilized. Carry on without a hitch.”

“Yes!”

At sunset.

Ritual.

Voltar branch.

Flesh.

The day graciously utilized.

These crucial keywords pierced through the hero’s ears.

“…Ha?”

Piiiiing-!

The hero swiftly avoided a sudden attack with acrobatic movements.

Sharp bone fragments passed by, grazing his wings.

If he hadn’t avoided it, his neck would have been pierced.

Twisting his body once again, he soared higher as the factory buildings quickly turned into dots.

“Ah, I was curious about the skeletal eagle.”

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A Demonic Church officer, observing the scene with dry eyes, muttered quietly.

“I wonder if it can fly.”

…The hero streaked across the sky like an arrow.

There was not as much time as he thought.

* * *

The hero headed straight to the meeting place with the Emperor.

A secluded lakeside near the capital.

A lake surrounded by a green like watercolour spread in all directions.

It was a picturesque scene beautiful enough to stop and admire, but unfortunately, he had no time for that. The hero deliberately made noise with his footsteps as he stood in front of the cabin.

Rustle-

Although not visible, dozens of distinct presences scattered.

Squeak-

The door opened.

The Emperor, wearing a robe, appeared.

She looked extremely tired, probably from dealing with state affairs all night.

The usually well-groomed silver hair hung loosely on her shoulders today.

“……”

The hero’s gaze wandered behind her as if searching for someone.

“Where’s ‘him’?”

“The appointment was hastily rescheduled; he’ll be here soon.”

The hero nodded his head.

Although he had not arrived yet, discussing the current situation with the Emperor first would be the right thing to do.

The Emperor, who had forgotten her composure and was stretching like a cat, was led back into the cabin by the hero.

“Heh, it’s dreadful.”

Either lacking strength or aim, the Emperor collapsed onto the table.

The hero told her the facts he had learned today, speaking methodically.

The organizations in Harlem collaborating with the Demonic Church.

The secret kidnappings of demi-humans that had been occurring.

Since she had received briefings from the intelligence department, the Emperor nodded indifferently.

Hadn’t she just dealt with related matters and not come back just now?

But with the hero’s words that followed, she completely forgot about the fatigue weighing on her.

“There’s a ‘factory’ in the forest.”

A facility solely for breeding and offering.

A Demonic Church officer dispatched to manage it, a necromancer.

A large-scale proposal scheduled for tomorrow at sunset.

As the story continued, the Emperor’s expression became increasingly serious.

“Fortunately, we were able to accurately identify the locations of the two relatively close factories near the capital.”

“It’s urgent to deal with those places first. Mobilize the army…”

“We can’t use the army.”

The hero firmly shook his head.

The Emperor, belatedly realizing something, sighed lightly.

“If the troops move, they will be noticed. And they’ll likely use the kidnapped demi-humans as sacrifices to escape.”

Moreover, due to the distance, using the army might not be timely.

The Emperor nodded.

“Indeed, with a necromancer on their side, it’s appropriate to mobilize a small elite force.”

The Emperor’s forehead wrinkled as if she sensed something.

‘Wait, a small elite force.’

…Sure enough, the hero stared at her intensely.

It was the expression of someone seeking approval…

No, not seeking approval at all.

It was the expression of someone who had already made a decision and was informing others.

A face she had been annoyed with for a long time.

‘…Copying this far.’

The Emperor called him in a mocking tone.

Yet, the hero responded as if he expected it.

“You!”

“I’ve already considered various strategies for a one-to-many assault. If we utilize artifacts, we can even rescue hostages.”

“Interrupting the Emperor and talking so freely. You might not get away with it…”

“I’ll go on one side for now. The other side…”

‘No, he interrupted me again.’

At that moment, the Emperor showed signs of irritation.

——-!

A small vibration started from a very distant sky.

The hero and the Emperor both looked outside the window simultaneously.

And as if they had made a promise, they went straight out of the cabin.

It was the appearance of a special guest they had been waiting for.

Ssuaeeeeeak-

The faint vibration and noise that had been heard spread into a terrifying sonic boom in an instant.

Ssuaeeeeeak-

It was a type of sound the hero had never heard before.

Thicker than an arrow.

But something much faster traversed through the air.

What looked like a small dot took on a certain form in the blink of an eye.

And after a few more seconds, it had already arrived in the airspace above the lakeside.

It was faster than any existing aircraft.

Whoooooosh-

In the dizzying heights of the sky.

Without hesitation, the giant creature plunged vertically.

…And just before its wings with a diameter of several meters collided with the surface, they unfolded.

Chaaaak-

It was truly an artistic hover.

The mere pressure of the air caused by the descent created a fierce water storm on the lake’s surface.

Plop plop-

The Emperor applauded with a solemn expression.

There were a few water droplets on her face.

“He came faster than expected.”

The hero stared at the mysterious being with narrowed eyes.

A horn three times longer than Cuculli.

Blue scales covering the left half of the body sparkled like jewels in the noon sunlight.

Flutter-

The ice dragonkin smoothly flew over the lake surface.

The hero gazed at the majestic creature, slowly pronouncing his name.

“Dorempa Evans.”

The leader of the Ice Dragon Tribe.

The great tribal chief who unified the demi-humans beyond the northern border.

The ruler of the Great Snow Ocean.

And the father of the troublemaker.

Dorempa opened his mouth.

“Hero. What’s the matter that called for me?”

[TL/N: Hey guys! I’ll be taking over this series from now on as the prev TL is kinda busy.

I’ll be in your care. Also next two chaps kinda crazy ngl]

[PR/N: Another fool.]

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