Chapter 17 — The Hero's Journey ( Part 1 )
The next morning, Lyra entered Ren's room with an unusually reluctant expression. Her eyes were downcast, and she looked almost as if she were about to cry.
"What's wrong, Lyra?" Ren asked.
"Sir Hero Ren... my father wishes to meet with you," she said softly.
'Oh, it's about time, huh.'
Ren had been expecting this sooner or later. From the historical records and other books he had read in the library, he already had a good idea of what the king wanted.
Lyra, however, was disappointed for a much simpler reason.
Their usual private activities would have to be interrupted.
"Alright, let's go," Ren said, standing up.
He followed Lyra out of the room and toward the throne hall.
They passed through the grand palace corridors, where rows of armored guards stood on both sides. Soon, they arrived before the massive doors of the throne room.
Ren entered with Lyra and stopped before the throne.
"Greetings, Your Majesty."
He gave a slight bow.
"Greetings, Hero," King Valen replied.
Ren looked toward him.
"Your Majesty, what would you like me to help you with?"
King Valen leaned forward slightly.
"Hero, do you know what a true hero is?"
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Ren remained silent.
"A hero is someone who helps those in need. Someone who is forged through hardships and battle, and who uses his strength to help others."
The king paused before continuing.
"It is a long-standing tradition in our kingdom that a summoned Hero travels throughout the realm, becomes an adventurer, forges bonds with others, and helps those in need."
His expression became serious.
"Therefore, I want you to do the same."
"I understand, Your Majesty."
Ren already knew there was more behind this tradition.
It was an old but highly effective strategy.
By sending the Hero throughout the kingdom, the royal family allowed him to solve local problems and help ordinary people. As his deeds spread, so would his reputation.
Then, when the decisive battle against the demon army arrived, the Hero would reveal his true identity and stand at the forefront of the war.
By then, the people would already know his name.
They would have heard stories about the Hero who had traveled throughout the kingdom and helped them.
It was an effective way to gain the people's support.
There was another benefit as well.
The Hero would inevitably meet powerful individuals and establish connections with Heroes from other kingdoms. According to the books Ren had read, other kingdoms also had their own summoned Heroes.
Ren didn't particularly need any of them.
At the rate his magic was developing, he was confident he could eventually deal with the demon army himself.
But reputation was still important.
If Ren intended to take the throne for himself in the future, he would need the people to accept him.
A strong reputation would make that far easier.
So there was no reason to refuse the king's request.
"That is excellent."
King Valen smiled warmly.
"There is one more thing. I would like my daughter, Lyra, to accompany you on your journey."
Lyra's gloomy expression disappeared instantly.
Her face lit up with excitement.
"I would be deeply honored to have Lyra accompany me," Ren replied, allowing a faint smile to appear on his face.
King Valen nodded in satisfaction.
From his perspective, everything was going according to plan.
The first few days after Ren's summoning had been a test.
The kingdom needed to determine what kind of Hero they had summoned.
If Ren had spent his days enjoying expensive food, drinking wine, indulging in the palace's luxuries, and doing nothing to become stronger, the royal family would have needed to take drastic measures.
Instead, Ren had immediately gone to the library.
He had spent his time studying magic and reading through countless books.
Combined with his unprecedented SSS-grade talent, his progress had far exceeded their expectations.
That was when King Valen had sent Lyra to spend time with him.
The king had hoped that his beautiful daughter would develop an emotional connection with the Hero, gradually tying Ren closer to the royal family.
It appeared to have worked.
The palace maids had already begun whispering about the amount of time Ren and Lyra spent together behind closed doors.
Of course, they didn't know what actually happened inside.
Most of their rumors were nothing more than speculation.
The king assumed Ren had simply become infatuated with his daughter.
If that was the case, then allowing the two of them to travel alone would only strengthen their relationship.
King Valen motioned toward an old mage standing nearby.
The mage immediately stepped forward.
"Sir Hero, please stretch out your hand."
Ren extended his right hand.
The old mage began chanting a short incantation.
Ren felt a faint magical fluctuation around his hand, but nothing appeared on his skin.
The spell had been completed.
The Storage Mark was simply invisible while inactive.
'Interesting.'
Ren activated his mana perception and examined the spell.
The moment he analyzed it, he sensed a massive spatial storage area connected to the mark.
The storage space itself was enormous.
But that wasn't all.
Ren carefully examined the structure of the spell.
His mind quickly broke down its various components.
Then he di
scovered something hidden beneath the primary storage formation.
A second magical array had been concealed within it.
Ren analyzed it for several seconds.