Chapter 18 — The Hero's Journey ( Part 2 )
'Mark of Obedience.'
His expression remained completely unchanged.
The hidden formation was designed to force the bearer to obey the commands of the person who had cast it.
'So that's where his confidence comes from.'
The king clearly believed this hidden mark would ensure Ren couldn't simply ignore his orders.
Unfortunately for him, Ren had already seen through it.
"Sir Hero, this is a Tier 3 Storage Mark," the old mage explained. "It will help you carry supplies during your journey."
Ren nodded.
The old mage then waved his hand.
A massive pile of gold coins appeared on the floor.
"This is also for your journey."
Ren looked at the enormous amount of gold.
"Sir Mage, isn't this too much?"
"Not at all," the old mage replied with a slight bow. "This is the least the kingdom can provide for the Hero of humanity."
"I see."
Ren activated the Storage Mark.
Only then did the previously invisible symbol appear faintly on the back of his hand.
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The mark glowed for a moment.
The entire pile of gold disappeared from the floor and entered the vast storage space.
'The storage space is enormous.'
Ren was satisfied.
Tier 3 Storage Marks were far more spacious than the Tier 1 versions commonly used by ordinary people and merchants.
Ren turned toward the king.
"Thank you for your immense generosity, Your Majesty."
His expression became deeply moved.
"I shall never forget the support you have shown me."
"Think nothing of it, Hero," King Valen replied in a warm, almost paternal tone. "I only ask that you train hard, grow stronger, and protect humanity when the time comes."
"I understand. I will do my absolute best."
Ren bowed his head respectfully.
King Valen smiled.
Everything was going according to plan.
Or so he thought.
Ren's thoughts were completely different.
'So this is how the kingdoms treat summoned Heroes.'
They didn't truly care about the Heroes.
To the ruling kingdoms, summoned Heroes were simply powerful tools.
They needed someone capable of fighting the demons, and summoning a Hero provided them with exactly that.
Ren's behavior after being summoned had played perfectly into their expectations.
He had accepted the title of Hero.
He had accepted the responsibility of fighting the demon army.
He had even accepted the idea that he needed to defeat the Demon King before he could return home.
Yet the entire situation was absurd.
The kingdom had kidnapped him from another world and then immediately told him that he had a responsibility to fight their enemies.
And the claim that they couldn't send him back?
'That's obviously a lie.'
If they possessed magic capable of summoning someone from another world, there was no reason to believe they couldn't develop or use the reverse process.
The title of "Hero" was simply another tool.
Give someone a grand title.
Tell them they are destined to save humanity.
Make them believe their actions are righteous.
Then they would willingly fight.
The kingdom would gain an extremely powerful fighter without having to raise or train one themselves.
Free labor with top-level combat potential.
There was another advantage.
As a Hero traveled through the world, he would naturally make friends and gather companions.
Those companions could eventually become another group of powerful fighters willing to fight alongside him.
In other words, the kingdom could obtain an entire strike force by summoning a single person.
Of course, they couldn't summon Heroes endlessly.
The summoning ritual consumed an enormous amount of resources, and there was always the possibility of summoning someone with terrible talent.
If the summoned person turned out to be completely useless, the kingdom might simply dispose of the failure.
Ren remembered the bloodstains he had seen on the floor when he was first summoned.
At the time, he had only suspected what they meant.
Now, he was almost certain.
'They really don't waste anything.'
Meanwhile, King Valen was completely satisfied.
He believed Ren was already deeply attached to Lyra.
And even if that wasn't enough, the hidden Mark of Obedience would provide another layer of protection.
As far as the king was concerned, the Hero was already under his control.
"You are dismissed," King Valen said.
Ren bowed once more.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
He turned around and left the throne room alongside Lyra.
The two walked through the palace corridors toward Lyra's room.
Ren's expression remained calm.
Behind him, the king had no idea that the Hero he believed he controlled had already seen through his entire scheme.