The Lowest-Ranked Hero Has Returned

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

w

Chapter 194: The Witch's Resolve (1)

After the school trip.

Life at the academy returned to its usual routine.

The candidates were diligently attending classes, accumulating the experiences and knowledge needed to become "heroes."

As for me...

“Suspended again.”

Yes.

Because of the incident I caused during the school trip, I was hit with a two-week suspension and lay sprawled on my dormitory bed, squirming like a worm.

“Not even a year since I regressed, and this is already my fourth suspension.”

Honestly, at this point, it felt like the world itself bore some kind of malice against me.

Sigh.

“Might as well go train.”

Since there wasn’t much to do while cooped up indoors, I decided to head to the training grounds to better master ‘Flame of Calamity,’ a power I had recently acquired.

Ding!

The alarm from my Hero Watch went off.

It was a message from Lanez.

[Dale, can you help me train today?]

“Hm?”

Training, all of a sudden?

[What about class?]

[Oh… w-well, it’s okay. Today is… self-study.]

[Really?]

[Yeah.]

[Then when do you want to meet?]

[R-right now! Let’s go right now!]

Lanez was suddenly brimming with motivation.

I tilted my head in confusion and replied.

[Alright. Let’s meet in 30 minutes.]

[Okay!]

After finishing my conversation with Lanez, I quickly washed up, changed into my training gear, and headed for the meeting spot.

“Ah, D-Dale!”

As I arrived, I saw Lanez enthusiastically waving her hand in her training outfit—looking undeniably cute.

Like a puppy meeting its owner, she sprinted toward me.

“Are we heading to the back mountain like last time? Let’s go, Dale!”

I suppressed a small smile as I watched her tug at my hand.

“By the way, what’s with the sudden enthusiasm for training?”

“Uh? W-well…”

Her expression darkened for a brief moment, but she quickly smiled again, shaking her head.

“Hehe, it’s nothing. I just… wanted to get better at controlling my Blessing of Frost.”

“Really?”

“Y-yeah! That way, I can be of a lot more help to you in the future!”

Lanez clenched her fists and declared with determination.

I nodded and followed her toward the back mountain.

When we arrived at the spot where we usually trained, it had turned into a barren wasteland, devoid of any grass.

‘We’ve trained so much here that it’s ended up like this.’

It was as if a patch of the forest had gone bald, creating a wide, circular clearing in the middle of the woods.

‘Well… it’s better than torching the academy’s training grounds again.’

Compared to the time I accidentally set fire to the school buildings when I failed to control my powers, this was a far safer option.

“Alright, shall we begin?”

“Y-yeah.”

Lanez nodded and stepped into the clearing.

Just as I was about to follow her—

“Today, I-I’ll do it alone.”

“Huh? Alone?”

“Y-yeah. I need to learn to control my power even when you’re not around.”

“Well… that’s true, but…”

Although she had improved a lot, she still wasn’t at the level where she could control the Blessing of Frost on her own.

“Dale, you go train on your own for now, and… if it gets dangerous, then you can help me.”

“Hmm. Alright.”

Though I was worried, if Lanez wanted this, I didn’t see a reason to object.

After all, she would need to master the Blessing of Frost on her own eventually.

“T-then I’ll go train over there!”

With that, she darted off to a spot far away.

“Well then.”

I couldn’t afford to waste time, either.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Huu…”

I slowly inhaled, awakening the Primordial Flame slumbering deep within my heart.

Whoosh.

The flames that had once raged like an uncontrollable beast when I absorbed the Ember were now calm, burning at my will like a docile lamb.

‘Since absorbing the Ember, I’ve been able to command much larger amounts of it.’

When I first regressed, I could only conjure flames the size of a candle.

Now, I could wield fire large enough to engulf my entire body and the space around me.

Of course…

Whoosh!

‘I’m still far from mastering the full extent of the flame.’

I gazed at the untamed blaze roaring in the distance, defying my control.

The day I could fully command even that flame—

‘What kind of existence would I become then?’

It was hard to imagine.

Perhaps I’d become something even more absurd than the Demon God.

If the source of the Demon God’s power was the Primordial Flame, then within me existed something else as well.

‘A power that extinguishes fire.’

I still didn’t know what this power was or why it resided within me.

But one thing was certain.

The moment I gained control over all of it—

‘I can change it.’

That dreadfully white future.

“Huu…”

Exhaling softly, I slowly pulled forth the flame.

Ash-gray fire engulfed my body as wisps of smoke seeped out, spreading like fog.

‘Let’s start with a range of ten meters.’

Whoosh!

The moment I activated ‘Flame of Calamity,’ flames encircled me in a ring, spreading outward.

“Ugh…!”

The mana consumption was overwhelming.

It drained out of me like water gushing from a broken dam.

‘This is worse than I thought.’

I knew the power would consume a lot of mana since it rewrites the physical laws of space itself, but this was far beyond my expectations.

‘I’m using up mana faster than I can recover it.’

If I enhanced my mana pool through Ignition, I could sustain it for longer, but that would still only be a temporary fix.

“This is definitely different from using it in the mental realm.”

While the Flame of Calamity was just as powerful as it had been in the mental realm, the issue was my lack of mastery.

‘Too much mana is being wasted unnecessarily.’

It was like trying to drink water with a leaky cup.

‘Let’s reduce the range to one meter for now.’

A mere one-meter radius might not justify calling it a domain, but it was better than spreading myself too thin and collapsing.

“Alright, let’s try again.”

Whoosh!

As if answering my resolve, the gray flames roared to life once more.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

w

* * *

After several hours of training with the Flame of Calamity, I began to wonder—

‘I wonder if Lanez is doing well?’

As I approached the area where Lanez was training, I saw her drenched in sweat as she struggled to control the Blessing of Frost.

“Lanez. How’s the training going?”

“Ah, uh, it’s… fine.”

Lanez nodded with an awkward smile.

I picked up a towel and wiped the sweat dripping from her forehead.

“Let’s take a break.”

“N-No! I can keep going!”

“But you still need to eat something.”

“That’s….”

“Come on, let’s go.”

I gently grabbed Lanez’s hand and led her to a tree stump.

“Let’s see. What’s for lunch today…?”

“I-I bought some bread… from the shop.”

Lanez fumbled through her bag and pulled out some bread.

I blinked at her in surprise.

‘Bread, not a lunchbox?’

Up until now, whenever we trained together, Lanez always brought a homemade lunch.

‘Was she busy today?’

Well, I suppose it’s not easy to prepare a lunchbox every single time.

“Sorry… I couldn’t make a lunchbox today.”

“It’s fine. I’m the one getting free food all the time.”

I wasn’t shameless enough to complain about this.

“Bread from the shop is nice for a change too.”

“…Yeah.”

Lanez weakly nodded, chewing her bread in silence.

“…Lanez.”

“Uh, huh? What is it?”

“Is something wrong?”

I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a shadow hanging over her face.

“Ah, it’s nothing. I’m just a little tired.”

“Hmm…. Then maybe we should stop training for today?”

“N-No! I want to keep going! No, I will keep going!”

Lanez shouted in desperation.

I frowned and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“I told you before. Overdoing it will only make your training less effective.”

“…….”

Lanez closed her mouth firmly and lowered her head.

“…But.”

“Hm?”

“Dale, you… always overdo it.”

“Well, that’s—”

“Because you… can’t die, right?”

“No, it’s not that.”

“But you still feel pain, don’t you? If you get hurt, it hurts. If you’re wounded, it’s hard, isn’t it?”

“…….”

Her voice sounded fragile, as though it would shatter with the wrong touch.

She gripped my hand tightly with both of hers, biting her lip.

“Even though it hurts… even though it’s hard… you keep pushing yourself.”

“Lanez.”

“So… can’t I try just a little bit harder too?”

“…….”

For some reason, I had a gut feeling that I shouldn’t leave her like this.

“Let’s head back.”

“…Dale.”

“In exchange, let’s train together again tomorrow. How does that sound?”

I had plenty of time to help with her training since I was still under suspension.

“…Okay.”

Lanez nodded with a faint smile.

She stood up, briefly squeezing my hand before letting go.

“You’re always so kind, Dale.”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“Hehe. Nothing.”

After finishing our simple lunch, Lanez and I returned to the school.

“I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Yeah. See you tomorrow, Dale.”

I waved lightly as Lanez stood behind me.

Without realizing it, I turned and walked toward my room.

“…….”

I didn’t notice Lanez quietly watching my back.

* * *

After parting ways with Dale, I didn’t head to the dormitory.

Instead, I walked toward the back mountain of the school where me and Dale had been training.

—Dale… what happened to me in my past life?

That day, a few days ago.

The conversation I had with Dale resurfaced in my mind.

Or rather, “resurfaced” wasn’t the right word.

Since that day, it was all I could think about.

—Lanez….

—J-Just tell me the truth. Please!

I shouldn’t have asked.

I should’ve stayed ignorant.

“The Witch… of the Night.”

Dale told me not to worry.

He said the future had changed, that I wouldn’t become the witch.

I know that.

I know the future is different now.

That I don’t have to shiver in the cold anymore.

But.

‘I’m… still like this.’

Slowly, I summoned the power of the Blessing.

A whirlwind of snow surrounded me.

Sweat dripped down my forehead.

No matter how hard I focused, clenching my lips so tightly that blood seeped out, the Blessing of Frost wouldn’t obey me.

“Ah, ngh….”

Tears welled up in my eyes, mixing with the sweat that fell to the ground.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

w