Episode 16 This is the 5th Curriculum!

“You look just like your mother.”

“Really? Back on Earth, I often heard I was very much like my father.”

“Well, a child’s upbringing plays a big role in how they turn out as adults.”

“I grew up to be a wonderful son!”

“I admit it, yes.”

How could we trample the heroes’ dreams and hopes?

The easiest way was to make Alex deal with the newly summoned heroes.

However, it wasn’t the most optimal method. It only worked well the first time.

The heroes were by no means the smartest, but they weren’t complete fools either. They took lessons from their mistakes and applied them after each regression.

They knew that Alex would summon them and arrange brutal training, during which their personal belongings would be stolen.

Those who had experienced suffering wouldn’t want to go through the same fate again. Hence, there would soon be individuals who would immediately escape from the royal palace or hide their personal belongings before undergoing strict training.

Eventually, smartphones would become more difficult to acquire.

“What do you plan to do?”

“I’ll handle this myself.”

We needed to conduct reconnaissance.

***

Primary, secondary, tertiary.

The higher the course, the stronger the inhabitants of Fantasy became. However, the trials the students had to go through didn’t change much.

That was why after defeating Demon Lord A in the primary education course, they would still meet Demon Lord A in the secondary education course again.

The point being, for all heroes, Alex was an unforgiving monster.

Archaeologist Lanuvel would try to recruit him, but because of my intervention, she would always fail.

The concept was simple.

Knowing that the world would die in 10 seconds didn’t mean one could stop its destruction.

Likewise, no matter how many times the heroes regressed, they’d never be able to change the future in which they couldn’t recruit Alex.

Instead…

“Sir Hero! Why are you in such a hurry? Is someone chasing you?”

“You better run too, Lanuvel!”

“Ah! Is the Demon Lord hunting you down?!”

“No! Sylvia will show up soon under Alex’s command! Before that, we must quietly leave the palace!”

They tried to completely avoid the scenario in which I ordered Alex to hold the heroes under the guise of training.

The same was true of this newly summoned hero, who lied about urgently needing to use the toilet to escape.

I decided to call him Hero E because of one of his skills.

▷ Race: Ultra Human

▷ Level: 1

▷ Job: Hero (Experience 500%)

▷ Skills: Two-Handed Sword Mastery Z, Strength Z, Interpretation A, Karma E

▷ Status: Irritated

E-rank Karma.

That skill’s rank didn’t increase right after each return, but I could deduce he had already died at least twice since it was released.

▷ Type: Skill

▷ Name: Karma

▷ Rank: E

▷ D: After each return, your favor decreases.

▷ E: After each return, your fame decreases.

▷ F: After each return, your reputation goes down.

Having died more than two times, he already realized that he had to escape from Alex before he was caught again.

After a hero was summoned, it took some time before my copies could write the letters and send them to the Sword God.

“Are you going to keep an eye on him, cowardly husband?”

“Yeah. I need to know what all the other heroes he failed to capture will do.”

Hero E and Lanuvel couldn’t get far, though.

They had no money.

Staying in a hotel with a flush toilet and eating in a restaurant required money. The same went for consumables like restoration potions and equipment repairs.

Money was needed everywhere! Money! Money!

No local savages provided free support to the Hero who would save the world.

Even if they asked for just a handful of rice, they would get responses like, “I’d love to, but my daughter is getting married tomorrow…”

Hero E perfectly understood the importance of finances.

Hence, he headed to an aristocrat’s mansion. Judging from its manicured gardens and prominent sculptures, one could easily determine that a rather wealthy nobleman lived there.

“I want to sell you this item.”

Hero E, having met with the owner of the mansion, offered him his smartphone.

“Hmm? This mirror is made of a very peculiar material. Did you say this is from your hometown?”

“Yes.”

“Excellent. Given its uniqueness…”

ZIN!

The nobleman held out a bag of money.

“Huh? So little. There used to be more…

“Before?”

“Nothing. forget it.”

Hero E left the nobleman’s mansion with a grim face.

Oblivious and unconcerned, Lanuvel praised him. “Wow, Sir Hero! That’s amazing! You sold the items from your world to gather funds for our journey!”

“No. It’s not really that great, Lanuvel…”

“Why?”

“Well, here’s the thing…”

Due to Karma’s negative influence, his deals became far less successful compared to his previous rounds.

His problems didn’t end there.

“Hero, I can’t give you this bastard sword for such a low price.”

“But I really need it.”

“I’m afraid I can’t help you. However, if you help me at the forge, I can lower the price for you. What do you say?”

“Uh… No, forget it.”

“Feel free to come back if you change your mind.”

The items’ prices increased as well, causing him to spend more money than before.

Natives of Fantasy didn’t provide free food, clothing, shelter, and equipment just because the person they were conducting business with was a hero.

However, they could get discounts through their reputation.

I rarely used it, but Sieg and Luke got quite a few discounts wherever they went thanks to their reputation.

At the capital of the Dumpling Kingdom, the starting city, even if they hadn’t yet complied with the requests that increased reputation, heroes could enjoy an average discount of 15% on most, if not all, stores and inns if Lanuvel, a local celebrity, introduced them as the Hero.

But Hero E didn’t even have that.

His Karma had nullified that benefit.

“I’m going to go crazy.”

“Sir Hero! You can’t!”

Sighing, Hero E sold the school uniform and underwear he was wearing and bought a bastard sword.

Watching him stoop so low was hard, even for me. He had become so pitiful that the merchant even bypassed the system and provided him with a 5% discount and cheap clothes.

“Where are we going, Sir Hero?”

“We need to look for companions.”

After selling all of his belongings from his home planet to get a bastard sword, which was useful for the early levels, he left the city and headed east.

The destination was obvious. The Holy Kingdom.

Saintess A, Knight Commander Tomato, Mermaid Princess Aqua.

That country was where heroes usually went from the Dumpling Kingdom since three companions could be found there or near it.

However, Hero E’s travel wasn’t as smooth as he hoped.

The locals, whom he constantly met on the way, did nothing but find ways to accuse him of something.

“I don’t even have to do anything.”

“What do you mean, unattractive hubby?”

“If he regresses around ten times, I think he’ll give up all of his hopes and dreams on his own.”

“Won’t he defeat the Demon Lord before that happens?”

“Your husband’s the Demon Lord, Ssosia.”

“Really?” Ssosia answered with a shrug.

“Drug Demon Lord, you should look at my niece’s current expression.” The First Spirit smiled contentedly.

“Stop interrupting us, auntie!”

“Heehee! You’re so cute~”

“Enough!”

Since the Addicted Spirit spoke for the first time in such a long time, I thought there was no reason not to believe her.

“My wife is such a shy woman!”

“Shut up!”

While we were conversing among ourselves, Hero E focused on leveling up by clearing dungeons, ruins, tombs, and monster habitats while traveling to the Holy Kingdom.

“Kuku?!”

“Oo-oo-oo-oo!”

“Trooug!”

The reason why he tried so hard to acquire the bastard sword, even at the cost of his underwear, became evident in combat.

Until heroes received Holy Sword A, they had to use regular weapons. Low-quality weapons were easier to destroy or render useless. They were also quick to lose attack power.

A good weapon was of the utmost importance!

Of course, it would be difficult to cope with monsters with only just that one armament, but thanks to his transcendental skills, it became possible for him to hunt powerful entities even at level 1.

Level 1, Level 50, Level 200…

Maximizing his job’s perk and his extensive knowledge of the future, he cleared dungeons swiftly, thus allowing him to become stronger just as fast.

His bastard sword, the blade of which was already badly damaged, was soon replaced by the sword he found while plundering the Hero’s Tomb.

Such was the power of social outcasts who have regressed!

He certainly picked the best travel course.

“Oooh… Lanuvel has nothing to do…”

“It’s okay. Your cuteness alone is doing wonders already.”

“Thank you, Sir Hero! But what about going a different route? From what I heard, this passage…”

“There are many pitfalls along the way. I know.”

“Ooh … I really have nothing to do…”

Even Lanuvel’s attempts to lure Hero E into the abyss of hell using her false sweetness didn’t work on him.

Thanks to his competence, their travel speed was quite fast.

“This is too boring, Drug Demon Lord.”

“It’s work, after all. It’s bound to be boring.”

We weren’t doing this for fun.

Most of the heroes who stumbled at the beginning of the journey and returned were now following the same course of actions as well.

Everyone went to the Holy Kingdom.

The reason was very simple.

Tank: Commander Tomato.

Healer: Saintess A.

Damage Dealer: Mermaid Princess Aqua

They could fill three main roles for their party at once. Getting them to join was pretty easy as well.

Upon persuading Aqua, the other two would automatically join the Hero.

Aqua → Saintess A → Tomato

Therefore, the MAX-Class Demon Lord decided to go to the Lake of Sorrowful Songs and prepare before Hero E could reach the place.

***

Aqua wouldn’t budge even if they recruited Saintess A as a companion, but if they got Aqua from the lake, Saintess A would follow her unconditionally.

Tomato would unconditionally follow Saintess A as he swore to protect her. It wouldn’t work in any other order.

In other words, the heroes should always recruit Aqua first.

Even if they didn’t like the stupid fish, there was nothing they could do.

That used to be the case, at least.

“The script has changed a lot…”

The Lake of Sorrowful Songs, where most of the freshwater mermaids of Fantasy lived, had been surrounded by the forces of the Holy Kingdom.

Moreover, all the soldiers that made up the army were women. There were no males at all.

I approached Soldier A, who decided to retreat into the bushes because the queue to the flush toilet in the camp was too long.

“Sorry.”

“Kya?!”

The surprised girl swayed and dyed her underwear yellow, but it wasn’t my fault.

Ttssssss…

She obviously had little training.

“Sweet belligerent lady, for the sake of your spine’s well-being, it would be best to answer my questions quietly and honestly. If you don’t want to talk, just spit at me or kick me, alright? Don’t cause a ruckus. Anyway, what’s the situation here right now?”

“…”

“You don’t need to tremble like that. I’m not some suspicious, hateful person.”

I was the famed MAX-Class Demon Lord in the world of Fantasy. People shouldn’t mistake me for some scoundrel.

I decided to calm her down with my Righteous Hero’s smile.

“Hyii! Please grant me a painless death, at least…”

“Uhhh…”

Why did she cry?

“Step aside and erase that bloodthirsty smile of yours from your face, cowardly husband. Let me do the talking.”

Ssosia hugged the girl and stroked her back.

Why was she treating a grown woman like a child? She needed to show more respect for adults…

She replied to the Second Demon, though.

“The Holy Kingdom is at war with the mermaids from this lake, who sold their souls to the Demon Lord 2,000 years ago. No, not only from this lake, all mermaids are enemies of humanity! I lost my boyfriend to the mermaids… Eric… Come back! I’m sorry! I really am! I was wrong! Eric…

“…”

There seemed to have been a strange turn of events.