Chapter 228 – The Hero’s Baptism (2)

The imperial capital was in chaos.  

Amid the good news that the undead attacking the empire had been scattered, strange buildings and structures began appearing in the skies above the capital and throughout the land. Whispers spread that the imperial knights and mages who had left to fight the Demon King had almost all died, failing to return. Even the temple received a revelation foretelling the end of the world.  

With rumors and bizarre phenomena running rampant, the citizens of the capital were more terrified than ever. There was nowhere to flee, nowhere to hide.  

Then, a single beam of light descended from the sky above the imperial capital.  

A sacred light pierced the temple in front of the imperial palace—a divine radiance so overwhelming that it compelled everyone to kneel.  

The priests who stepped out of the temple, the curious onlookers, and even those who had been praying in front of the temple all knelt toward the light-engulfed sanctuary. While the others knelt simply because of the holy radiance, the priests knew exactly what this light signified.  

It was the light bestowed by the gods when they chose a hero.  

Divine power.  

When the previous hero, Albert, had been chosen, the light had not been as intense, but it was similar. Other heroes had also emitted such light, albeit with varying brightness.  

However, some of the older priests tilted their heads in confusion.  

The light enveloping the temple was slightly different from what they had seen when Albert and the hero before him had been chosen.  

Not only was divine power pouring from the heavens, but another light was surging from within the temple—a divine power equal to, if not greater than, the one descending from above.  

Moreover, it was a divine power they had never felt before.  

Though it was strange, the priests quickly dismissed their doubts.  

The gods could never be wrong.  

Their role was simply to accept and follow the gods’ decision.  

Inside the temple, the new hero had even negotiated with the gods for his own benefit. Unaware of this, the priests outside could only bless the chosen hero.  

As the sacred light that had stunned the capital faded, the temple doors opened.  

The hero reappeared.  

Despite the dazzling light, his appearance remained unchanged.  

His armor was antiquated yet plain, his sword simple and unadorned. His golden hair was disheveled, his face smudged with dirt. Though his handsome features remained, no one would have guessed he was a hero at first glance.  

Even more puzzling, no divine power radiated from him.  

Thanks to his abilities, he could now conceal his divine power entirely. But the priests couldn’t help but look bewildered.  

“Congratulations, Hero Eger.”  

However, the princess—no, the Saintess of Ea—resolved their confusion.  

She bowed to Eger as he stepped out of the temple.  

The confirmation of the current Saintess was all the proof they needed.  

—  

Despite the grand spectacle orchestrated by the gods, becoming Ea’s hero wasn’t much different from how it had been on Earth.  

It was a matter of absorbing the divine power granted by the gods and channeling it through his mana circuits.  

Just another energy flowing alongside his existing power—except this time, it was divine power instead of mana.  

Of course, the problem was that I already possessed another divine power.  

Fortunately, as the gods had said, I could still accept the new divine power.  

Perhaps it was because I had mana circuits on par with a Sword Master, or maybe because I had been continuously circulating my existing divine power.  

Or maybe both.  

Either way, I survived the process.  

That didn’t mean it was painless, though.  

The gods themselves hadn’t been sure what would happen—it was never going to be easy.  

I coughed up blood, screamed in agony.  

The divine power filling the temple even muffled my cries. Maybe the extravagant light show was just a theatrical cover for my suffering.  

With such irreverent thoughts, I became Ea’s hero.  

Once the light faded and the divine power settled within me, I tested it.  

Unfortunately, the new divine power didn’t merge with my existing one.  

Just as mana and divine power didn’t mix, Ea’s divine power and Earth’s remained separate.  

It seemed the gods of Earth and Ea were entirely different beings.  

Or perhaps, even if they were the same deity, their power couldn’t merge across dimensions.  

A shame.  

If the two divine powers had combined, I could have wielded unimaginable strength.  

Maybe then, I could have faced the Demon King alone.  

As I lamented, the voices of the gods echoed in my mind.  

“With this much divine power, you can no longer remain on the mortal plane.”  

“Your physical body wouldn’t survive.”  

“There would simply be another seat among us.”  

“And like us, you’d struggle to intervene in mortal affairs.”  

Despite not being omnipotent, gods were still gods.  

They had sensed my thoughts and addressed my disappointment.  

‘So, if the divine powers inside me merged, I’d become a god?’  

“That’s normally impossible. Besides, isn’t the power you have now already enough?”  

I couldn’t argue with the goddess’s words.  

Even without merging, I was far stronger than before.  

Even without combining mana and divine power, I had already surpassed other heroes.  

Honestly, for someone like me, who had no choice but to fight the Demon King, this power was a blessing.  

“We beg of you. You’re our last hope. Protect Ea.”  

With that final plea, I felt the gods depart from the temple.  

Clearly, they had no more cards left to play.  

‘Maybe I should’ve bargained for more.’  

Their urgency made me consider it, but I had no intention of remaining a hero after this.  

I already had another plan in place.  

Stepping out of the temple, I saw priests kneeling in prayer.  

Some looked at me in confusion before hastily making the sign of the cross.  

A crowd had gathered at the temple steps, offering prayers of their own.  

‘This is going to be troublesome…’  

The divine lightshow was undoubtedly a political spectacle—a flashy way to imprint the hero’s image on the people.  

Great for morale, but a headache for me.  

Then, the princess approached to congratulate me.  

The fact that she forced herself to speak first suggested she had reconsidered after hearing my words.  

‘Good.’  

Now was the perfect time to sweeten the deal.  

“Lend me your ear for a moment.”  

She looked puzzled but leaned in as I whispered:  

“I made a deal with the gods. Once this is over, I’ll return the title of hero to Albert.”  

“What?”  

Her eyes widened in disbelief.  

“You’re lying.”  

“I have no reason to lie.”  

But she still couldn’t believe it.  

“But… giving up the title of hero…?”  

Amusingly, what she found unbelievable wasn’t Albert regaining the title—it was the fact that I was willing to relinquish it.  

Was my goal that strange?  

Or was the princess’s mindset just different from mine?  

Either way, I raised a hand to silence her.  

“Shh.”  

Realizing her mistake, she nodded quickly.  

I removed my hand and reaffirmed:  

“It’s true. People want different things.”  

Finally, her expression changed—from confusion to a radiant smile.  

Seeing tears well up in the eyes of this imperial princess, I realized this wasn’t just some childish infatuation.  

“Thank you. Truly, thank you.”  

“Save your thanks for after the job is done. Just support us well, Your Highness.”  

“Yes! Ah, right. I’m sorry for acting so foolishly. I’ll do my best.”  

Whether as a saintess or a princess, she was still just a young girl.  

With hope restored, she brightened instantly—returning to the cheerful demeanor she’d had when she was with Albert.  

At least now, I wouldn’t have to worry about the Saintess of Ea causing problems.  

If everything went well, I’d be doing both the imperial family and the hero a favor, strengthening the bond between the palace and the temple.  

As I nodded in satisfaction, a sharp gaze from the side forced me to turn.  

“I don’t know what happy conversation you’re having, but shouldn’t we wrap this up?”  

Yerim was glaring at us.  

She hadn’t even offered congratulations.  

Clearly, she wasn’t happy about us talking privately.  

I didn’t know why she was angry, but I had to placate her.  

On the way back to the count’s estate, I repeated my conversation with the princess to her. Hearing it, Yerim’s anger vanished instantly, and she congratulated the princess warmly.  

“That’s wonderful! Now we just have to defeat the Demon King.”  

“Yes. I’ll do my best too.”  

“Of course. Our hero is good at fighting, after all. Let’s work together.”  

The two saintesses chatted excitedly, leaving me behind.  

Seeing two people from different worlds and social classes getting along so well brought a smile to my face.  

—  

By the next day, rumors had spread like wildfire across the capital.  

A hero had appeared.  

A knight with the skills of a Sword Master, recognized by the gods of two dimensions.  

It seemed both the temple and the imperial family had leaked the news.  

Thanks to the rumors, when I entered the palace’s conference room the next day, everyone bowed to me—even the emperor’s brother, the chancellor.  

The sudden shift in my status left me feeling awkward.  

Fortunately, the formalities ended there.  

The meeting quickly devolved into heated debates about the upcoming operation.  

“Now that you’ve become Ea’s hero, we need to revise our plans. First, we must confirm: Can you fight the Demon King alone?”  

The chancellor’s opening question made me shake my head.  

“Unfortunately, no. In terms of raw power, I’m outmatched.”  

“Then…”  

“But that doesn’t mean I’m completely helpless. If an opening appears, I can strike. Think of it as similar to how previous heroes fought the Demon King with their parties.”  

This Demon King was incomparably stronger than past ones—so powerful it was a wonder he hadn’t become a god.  

But I, too, had grown stronger than any previous hero.  

Since both the Demon King and I had become stronger, the situation was effectively the same as before.  

“I see. That’s a relief.”  

The attendees sighed in relief before military strategists, knights, and nobles began discussing tactics.  

“Then we must create that opening for you.”  

“Are we attacking Pyongyang again, the Demon King’s city?”  

“No. Given past battles, that’s a terrible idea. It’s not like the Demon King’s old castles or dungeons. That place is practically his dimension now.”  

“Not to mention, Earth’s weapons are lethal to us. We haven’t even repelled all the forces that crossed over.”  

“But if we don’t know where the Demon King will appear, we can’t just wait.”  

The room fell silent as everyone struggled to find a solution.  

Then, a single hand rose.  

It was the mage, Yelena.  

She spoke softly.  

“I… I think I know where the Demon King will open the gate.”