33rd Round FFF-Class Hero of Interest

“Where are you going this time, senior? I’ll risk my life here to challenge—”

“You can do that later. We have a much more important problem right now.”

Only the Emperor was in the Imperial Palace of the Magic Empire anyway, so I escaped immediately.

According to my adorable son’s explanation, Kaisa was helping my mother pack her things.

If so, then there was nothing to see here.

In the first place, I only needed Chris to lure my junior to the Northern Continent.

With that done, I now headed to the Holy Land of the Mollan Church, which was my original goal all along.

“What is it?”

“Don’t worry.”

It would be quite depressing if the reason why I was summoned were that trivial.

“So, where are you going?”

“To my friend from my home planet.”

“Ah! I see. Do you think the reason you’re summoned lies in how you lived back there?”

“…”

It was still too early to reach a conclusion.

“Aren’t you going to call a taxi this time?”

“Our next destination is close to the Imperial Palace.”

This was Mollanus, the largest city in Fantasy 1.

All the talented Heroes lived here.

… In a bad sense.

It meant they couldn’t get promoted to Fantasy 2, which would’ve been in line with their abilities, and decided to settle down to like a lord or lady in the lower grades instead.

Of course, this problem would be sorted out soon.

Would they be expelled or continue their studies?

I still couldn’t decide since some of them were really incapable of surpassing their current limitations.

However, so far, based on my observations about these socially maladjusted individuals, more and more of them were taking advantage of this and deliberately not raising their level and skills.

Now, without mercy, it was time to exact justice!

Again, we entered someone else’s house through their perimeter walls.

“Don’t look away like a country girl this time, junior.”

“I won’t!

“Be quiet.”

“Gasp!”

Considering she made the same mistake over and over again, wasn’t she being too careless?

That only made me doubt whether she actually had the qualities of a Hero. It seemed as if she’d die right after being thrown into a dungeon since she’d immediately step on traps.

Fortunately, the landlord didn’t launch any surprise attacks this time.

“Oh, Kang Han Soo? Is that really you?”

“It’s been a while, my friend!”

This high school classmate of mine, now living in a luxurious mansion, was also a candidate for expulsion. He, too, would soon be forced to make a choice.

“… What’s my name?”

“It’s been a long time, friend.”

“Did you forget again? How dare you still call yourself my friend, you mother**er!” Alumni A exclaimed as he hugged me.

His actions made me feel extremely uncomfortable, but I came here for a reason, so I decided to endure it.

“I have a question for you.”

“It’s really like you to get straight to business as soon as you arrive, but why don’t you come inside first?”

“Are you trying to brag about your children?”

“Haha! you should pretend not to know anything in cases like this and accept my invitation nonchalantly.”

“…”

My junior and I went into Alumni A’s house.

*****

The Heroes’ epilogue.

Like Fugitive Senior, they might become corrupt and run away from home, but most of them would flow like this friend of mine.

“Hello, Kang Han Soo.”

“It’s been a while, Green Cake’s father.

He married two women he met while on an adventure and raised a large family.

“This is a little surprising.”

I understood the mix-blooded Hero I made, but I didn’t expect for the Princess of the Holy Empire, a slave to power, to be here.

Did she read my expression?

“My husband’s persistent lust for love was stronger than my lust for power.” She said, stroking her baby’s head.

“Hmmmm!”

“I was married 14 times with my husband since he repeatedly regressed. When my memories came rushing in all at once… I wouldn’t have to keep explaining since you already understand, don’t you?”

I did.

Repeated learning!

I decided to acknowledge my friend’s perseverance, marrying the same woman 14 times.

He was definitely given a fresh start with the princess every time, yet he still repeated the same life endlessly.

That would’ve been pretty boring.

“I am grateful every day to Master Mollan for stopping that hellish regression, Han Soo.”

“Woah…”

“Really. Imagine your wife sleeping with another man in a parallel world beyond the one you were living in. I couldn’t stand it. My every waking day was filled with pain.”

“…”

“Master Mollan drove the goddess out and ended that hell. It saddens me that the only way I can repay him is through prayer and donations.”

“Mollan Revelation 9:13. Ignorant of everyone, the unlawful scholar grows tired of reality.”

“Mollan.”

“Mollan.”

“Master Mollan doesn’t only look upon you, my friend. So there is no need to feel pressured.”

“I know that, but… Mollan.”

“You shouldn’t worry. Mollan.”

I was disappointed to see my stupid junior unable to keep up with our high-level conversation, but there was nothing we could do.

“Let me introduce you to my children.”

“Let’s talk about why I came here first…”

“Don’t worry. I’ll listen to that later all night.”

“…”

My ignorant nerves were about to get tighter, but I held back since I couldn’t just grab his spine in front of his wife and children.

Should I just find another classmate?

After thinking about it 15 times, I was finally able to bring it up.

“You want to know about your school days, Kang Han Soo?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm…”

“…”

“Wait. That was over 200 years ago. If it weren’t for my SS-level intelligence, I’d have forgotten about it already.”

“Just be honest with me. As you said, it was already 200 years ago.”

Thump-thump.

My heart beat as hard as it did just before I received my second report card.

How did my classmates evaluate me when I was still in school?

It was very important to me now.

“You were an annoying guy.”

“… That’s too vague.”

“You were the type to enjoy studying fantasy novels and games, just like us, but you were also good at studying. Have I already said that you didn’t like fantasy worlds without flush toilets? That was a bit of an oddity, but I realized the importance of flush toilets by experiencing it myself. Haha!”

“And?”

“Hmm… There’s no end to the details. You often forget your friends’ names even though you know scientific terms that aren’t in textbooks. Did you know that there was a girl who liked you? She knew a lot about magazines like a mysterious science dictionary.”

“Hmm? Really?”

“Yeah. She probably meant nothing to you, who married the second most beautiful woman after my wife, but she was one of the prettiest girls in our grade. I don’t know why she took an interest in you, though.”

“I see…”

“You look relieved. Have you been accused of being a flirt by your wife?”

“No.”

I hadn’t completely dispelled the suspicion that I was also a social misfit, but my classmates’ judgment of me diminished its probability of being true.

“… Ah! right!”

“What is it?”

“I remember why the girl might like you.”

“I don’t care.”

『A certain innocent goddess is very interested.』

『A certain innocent goddess is really curious.』

『A certain innocent goddess twinkles her lanterns.』

… I couldn’t help but wonder when she started eavesdropping.

『A certain restless demonic god urges him to speak quickly.』

『A certain restless demonic god suggests exchanging stories and underwear.』

『A certain receptionist feels dazed by the sudden remark.』

I didn’t know if Alumni A unconsciously felt the pressure of the gods who would destroy this world immediately if not given what they wished for, but he began to tell stories I never even asked for.

“When you went on a school trip early to prepare for the SAT, you met a local college girl.”

“Is that so…?”

I couldn’t remember.

“Hey. The party directly involved should know about it better than I do! We were far apart then, so I don’t know all the details, but you were alone with a female student… And you two… Huh?”

“You don’t even remember?”

“This is strange. I can recall even the most trivial things from my school days, yet I forgot such an important event?”

“…”

That should be my line.

I didn’t even know such an event happened.

“Anyway, because of that college girl, rumors of you being in a relationship with her began to spread.”

“I see.”

It was extremely embarrassing.

It wouldn’t have mattered if it was just something as trivial or minor as that, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was missing something important.

“Kang Han Soo, where do you live? I’ll visit you later when I remember it…”

“8th grade.”

“Kek!”

“Don’t make me wait too long.”

I hoped this friend of mine, who had become a full-fledged household head, would be expelled from school so that he wouldn’t have to be separated from his family. Mollan.

*****

In the end, my adventure came to an end without finding out why I was summoned.

Though she initially thought she would return to her hometown soon, my junior decided to stay longer.

“In the end, we’re different.”

Unlike her, I didn’t change my mind during my adventure.

“I don’t know why you’re worried, senior.”

“Mollan Revelation 10:1. Let those who have no doubt be delivered from ignorance.”

“I really don’t get that! Anyway, Your concerns are really strange. I think they’re a waste of time.”

“Why?”

“I followed you around in your desire to find your beautiful wife and wonderful children. Friends too.”

“You wanted to see my sons.”

“Hey, that’s… Anyway! Your life is successful no matter how I look at it. How can you still be dissatisfied with being summoned to this world?”

“…”

Dissatisfied?

Yes.

One shouldn’t have an ‘all’s well that ends well’ mindset, considering that would be no different from Elf Princess Sylvia, who led her people to hell.

“I am deeply reflecting on the handsome appearance of the Bandit King. I think my senior also needs to broaden his horizons a bit more.”

“What? What about you? You acted as if you’d never seen handsome men all your life.”

“… You have a really bad personality. You take hold of others’ weaknesses and twist the essence of the conversation.”

“You’re fluent in Korean.”

“I’m a little— Ah! I’m not going to fall for that this time! Listen to me. You said that only the socially maladjusted who want to escape to another world are summoned to Fantasy, right?”

“Yes, I did.”

“But isn’t this world too pitiful?”

“… Huh?”

What did she mean?

“A world that accepts abandoned humans from another dimension. How is it any different from a garbage dump?”

“That’s…”

It was easy to use them freely, so only they were selected.

However, she seemed to have a slightly different opinion.

“Maybe Fantasy felt threatened by the increasing amount of trash and summoned the humans it really needs.”

“Self-purification?”

“What? Oh, yes. That’s it.”

“…”

The system didn’t have such a feature.

It summoned heroes according to the standardized selection criteria.

It didn’t have a function as useful as self-purification of environmental pollution.

What was Fantasy?

A cosmic Greenpeace!

It was a facility that educated people on how to be decent human beings by recycling discarded individuals from other dimensions.

… But, what if, beyond that limit, Fantasy felt a sense of crisis?

“I thought I was wasting my time, but you helped in the end.”

“Are you insulting me?”

“It’s a compliment.”

“That’s such a bone-breaking one, if so. Let me meet Emperor Chris again instead.”

“Do it yourself. I already let you familiarize yourself with his appearance.”

“Sheesh.”

“… But if you can reach 8th grade, I will take it into serious consideration. I can’t guarantee my son will still be single by then, though.”

“Do you gain happiness from trampling on other people’s dreams and hopes, senior?”

“Haha!”

I waved pleasantly to my grumpy junior, bidding her farewell.

Pop!

It was time for me to return where I should be.

If it were me in the past, I would have thought of Earth, but not anymore.

Fantasy 8.

My wife took care of the 1st to 7th grade, but I directly tended to the 8th grade.

This was the final battlefield.

Also known as the President’s Office.

“How did the inspection go, master?”

The 100th floor of the Demon King’s Tower, which no Hero had ever challenged.

Sitting on a flush toilet, a woman waited for me.

I called out her name with the Righteous Hero’s Smile.

“Hippolia.”

“Yes.”

“Am I still your Hero?”

“Of course.”

She answered without hesitation.

Then…

“Does this world previously ruled by Parmael think of me that way?”

As my junior said, even if Fantasy had a self-purification feature that transcended its system, it would be meaningless if it didn’t think of me as a ‘Hero.’

But how could I prove that it did?

“Whew! Even my master can be silly at times.”

“W-well…”

How could Hippolia, not Ssosia, say such harsh things to me…

“Think about why you got an FFF grade.”

“Hmm?”

“It’s proof that you resisted the reign of Goddess Parmael. Be proud of yourself, my FFF-Class Hero of Interest.”

“Ah…”

That was it.

I was an FFF-Class Hero of Interest, the person who stood out in this world filled with hopes and dreams.

“Are you still thinking about it?”

“Hahaha… Even Heroes sometimes miss their Holy Sword, my Saintess.”

“You miss it often, though…”

“Haha!”

The FFF-Class Hero who challenged the Fantasy Goddess continued to wait.

For his SSS-Class juniors’ challenge.