” …You really believe in this stuff, huh? There’s no such thing as a ‘Hero Lien.'”
“Oh no, whether Hero Lien actually existed or not is not the issue. It’s the belief in your heart that saves our fragile souls.”
“Well, that may be true, but… asking for ten thousand liens as a monthly donation is ridiculous. And god shouldn’t demand money.”
“Haha, indeed, that may be so. However, all of that is to raise awareness of the Hero Church and increase the number of people saved.”
“Hmm, well, it’s not my money anyway, so whatever…?”
As I said that, I realized I was in a conversation with someone.
“Who the hell are you?”
With a suspicious look, I glanced at the person sitting next to me, and the person stood up, straightened up, and politely bowed.
“I apologize for the delay. My name is Norman. I have no surname, so please, just call me Norman.”
The name sounded familiar. Or rather–
That person–Norman, with his pure white hair, slowly lifted his face.
“I have been bestowed with the title of the ‘Hero of Fortune’ of this generation. Additionally, I serve as a bishop in the Hero Church–please, remember me.”
Moving to a small room behind the chapel.
“Please, have a seat. …Oh, would you prefer tea or coffee?”
“I’m good. Don’t worry about it.”
“Then, perhaps some snacks… Here, these are from a famous shop in the Magic Kingdom.”
“That’s fine. I already have some.”
///
scene transition
///
Declining Norman’s offer of snacks and drinks, I sat in the recommended chair.
Norman said, “That’s a shame,” and poured himself a cup of coffee, added two sugar cubes, and sat facing me.
Norman, the ‘Hero of Fortune.’
A hero of this generation, a man with the holy emblem of ‘Fortune.’
He also serves as a bishop in the Hero Church, but he doesn’t do much hero work.
The reason is simply that his power as a hero is weak.
The effects of the hero seal emblem vary depending on the owner. Therefore, even with the same emblem, the strength and effects differ. In addition, heroes receive powerful blessings from the ‘Holy Sword,’ so even simple physical abilities surpass those of ordinary people.
Therefore, there is no such thing as a ‘miss’ or a ‘hit’ with this emblem… or so it’s said. It’s considered too blasphemous to complain about the emblem given to you.
However… there really are ‘miss’ emblems, and ‘Fortune’ is considered the worst of them all.
Despite the existence of several ‘Fortune’ heroes in the past, there are no records of their accomplishments. It seems they don’t even have powerful blessings, and their physical abilities are no different from those of ordinary people. What a joke.
Moreover, the ability of ‘Fortune’ is simply to ‘improve luck.’ Seems like it would be great for gambling.
Perhaps because of this, ‘Fortune’ has always been at the bottom of the rankings.
The number of heroes varies by generation. Usually, there are about three to four, but in this generation, there are currently twelve.
However, Norman is also twelfth among them. ‘Fortune’ is now recognized as a ‘miss’ emblem. Sometimes, people even throw stones at him. Give the guy a break.
” …”
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
I silently observed Norman, who elegantly sipped his coffee.
He is short in stature, looking so young that he could easily pass for a boy. However, his age is unknown, and it’s hard to tell how old he really is. Given that he’s entrusted with the role of bishop at the Hero Church, he’s likely older than he looks.
He wears the black ceremonial attire of the Hero Church’s priests. …In stark contrast, his head is completely white, like that of an aged old man.
The same unusual hair color as Raffine’s.
But the impression he gives off is the opposite – there’s no mystical beauty or purity about him at all; instead, there’s an eerie, unsettling vibe.
And most notably of all –
” …Can you see with that? “
” Huh? Oh… no, I can’t. “
When asked about the white cloth covering Norman’s eyes, that was the response.
” Oh… , that’s tough. “
” Haha, well, it’s not that inconvenient, really. I can’t see with my eyes, but with ‘Heat Detection’ and ‘Magic Detection’, I can at least make out outlines. “
Norman smiles as if it’s no big deal.
He must be blind from birth or something. It was rude of me to ask.
Seeing my regret, Norman seemed to sense it. ” Don’t worry about it. I really don’t find it inconvenient at all. ” He reassured me.
” Besides, I’m lucky enough that not being able to see doesn’t bother me. It’s a precaution for reasons… well, let’s get to the main topic soon. “
Precaution? The way he phrased that is a bit suspicious, but I refrain from probing further and listen to what he has to say.
Yes, that’s right, I came here specifically because I wanted to know. I’ve been unable to sleep at night because I was curious why I, a Class D adventurer, was summoned. Although I’ve been living normally without losing sleep over it, there were other things that bothered me, which is why I came.
It was a hassle, and I could have ignored it.
Or rather, if it were my usual self, I would have ignored it and made myself scarce, but……
[–Classified information. Only a few among the heroes are privy to it. If you want to know, ask the person themselves or inquire at the Hero Church. Though I doubt the Church will say anything.]
Lucas’ words from a while back come to mind.
…It’s not like I’m particularly concerned about Letty.
I just thought that if I could find out the secret Letty is hiding and use it to blackmail her, she might stop pestering me.
So, I came here specifically to ask Norman, a member of the church.
The fact that Letty seemed odd had nothing to do with me. I just came to find something to blackmail her with. There was no other reason.
” First of all, I appreciate your trouble in coming here. You must have been surprised by the sudden letter. “
” Yeah, I was. And it even said to come alone. “
Towards the end of the summons, it said, “[Also, Jirei sama-Laro, please come alone on a different day]”. When I saw that, I was terrified. I thought we were all supposed to gather and do something together, so being summoned alone really scared me. I tried to remember if I had done something wrong in the past, but I couldn’t remember because I had done so many things wrong.
But, what was the real reason for summoning me? It mentioned something about completing a certain request, but I think four heroes would be enough for that. I don’t think I’m needed.
” So, the reason I called you here today is– “
As I brace myself, Norman speaks.
” I wanted to do a fortune-telling session. “
…………Huh?
” What? “
” I wanted to do a fortune-telling session. “
” Fortune-telling? “
” Yes, you see– “
I don’t understand what Norman is saying, and he starts to explain calmly.
…Hmm, I see. I understand now.
So, the reason he summoned me today was because I’m a person of interest among the heroes, and Norman wanted to see me in person for himself.
And he thought it might be fun to do some fortune-telling with me, as it’s one of his hobbies.
Actually, today isn’t the day for it, and it’s meaningless to summon me alone for this. Can I punch him?
” W-Wait a minute. I understand that you might be angry, but my fortune-telling is accurate. So, could you please lower your raised fist…? “
Norman stammers. I quickly lower my fist. That was close, almost punching a high-ranking church official.
But come to think of it, I’ve heard something about this before. Norman, the hero of Luck, is skilled in fortune-telling, and his fortune-telling house in the city of Granhelt Empire is extremely popular. Despite only being open a few days a month, it’s fully booked until next year.
In addition, even though heroes are admired by people of all ages and genders, Norman, despite having the weakest holy insignia of “Luck” and no achievements, is popular among young people due to his accurate fortune-telling and polite demeanor.
“Well, since we’re here, why don’t we give it a try?”
“Then, please place your hand on this crystal…”
I obediently placed my hand on the crystal, feeling a little excited.
“So, what are you going to predict?”
“Well, let’s first try to guess what kind of person you are to demonstrate my abilities.”
“Hmm…”
As Norman rubbed the crystal, it faintly glowed.
“…You seem to be a very free-spirited person. You have a strong sense of self and tend to dislike being bound by others. You’re not interested in power, and you don’t crave money that much… Above all, you love freedom and yourself… Is that correct?”
“Wow…!”
Amazing! It’s spot on!
I didn’t really believe in fortune-telling before, but I might reconsider now.
…But, even so, isn’t fortune-telling just saying things that could apply to anyone? It’s not like they could be pinpoint accurate. It’s just fortune-telling.
Or so I thought.
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