Chapter 25: I Thought of Something Happy

"My dear citizens, I am glad to see you all here today." Kalia stood upon the ramparts, gazing at the crowd with an expression of indescribable tenderness.

"You have shown me the contributions, the sweat, the bitterness, and the protection offered by the Hero Mino, and none of it was in vain."

"He lives on in your hearts."

As her voice faded, pockets of people—families and friends alike—began to sob, tears welling in their eyes.

"He was the greatest hero in human history," Kalia whispered softly. "He once stood alone against the dragon of the Western Wastelands, led the Knights to reclaim the border city of Steel, and he once..."

The simple words, each revealing a legendary reputation, now carried an epic and tragic resonance.

"We have failed." Kalia sighed deeply, ending with a brutal conclusion.

The Hero Mino had continuously created miracles for them, and it was precisely because the Demon King’s army saw this that they exhausted the power of the nine great demons just to capture him alive. This was not Mino’s failure; it was the failure of their royalty, their soldiers, and the entire Kingdom of Kuhl.

Following the sorrow, shame, and humiliation came an anger born from the depths of their souls.

"This is no longer just a war; it is a test of the human spirit!"

"We must persist, because Mino is still persisting."

"He is no longer just a Hero; he is a spirit!" Kalia raised her head, her face glowing under the sun. "A spirit of iron that refuses to yield, no matter how painful or cruel the torment!"

In that moment, the kingdom felt an unprecedented sense of unity.

"The Mino Spirit!"

"The Mino Spirit!!!"

The deafening roar echoed across the sky, spreading to every corner of the kingdom. In later history, this day would be known as the "Rise of the Human Spine," and the term "Mino Spirit" would become synonymous with unwavering resilience.

Meanwhile, at the Demon King’s Castle—

A spoonful of warm porridge was swallowed.

"So delicious."

Mino felt as if his very spine had softened. The thick, savory broth completely dispelled the chill in his body. The shrimp was tender and succulent, the clams were sweet, and the essence of the seafood had melted perfectly into the porridge, creating waves of warmth.

"So fragrant."

"So incredibly fragrant."

"It's fragrant beyond words."

Altotai: "...Can you expand your vocabulary? Otherwise, it makes you, the Hero, seem quite pathetic as you surrender."

"Mm, I’m sleepy." Waves of drowsiness washed over him, and Mino let out a yawn. "If you want to know anything, ask quickly. I’m in a hurry to sleep."

Mino turned his head and realized that Clementina had left the cell at some point. "Eh, where did she go?"

Fim stood by the bed, tidying up the small cart. She looked at Mino and shook her head. "Just... received... news."

"In a bad mood, so she left."

"Oh? Then I suppose it will have to wait until next time. What kind of news was so important?" Mino’s eyelids grew heavy, and he asked indifferently.

Before his consciousness finally drifted into sleep, Fim’s muffled voice reached him.

"The Hero... awakening... is about to begin."

...

The Royal Capital.

After the memorial ceremony, Prince Ota summoned Chief Lak of the Round Tower for a private audience.

"Chief Lak, thank you for your hard work during this time." Ota looked down at Lak, whose dark circles were no less prominent than his own, and offered a word of comfort. "I wonder, how is the progress on restoring the Hero Selection Array? You know, to stabilize the citizens' hearts, selecting the next Hero has been put on the agenda."

Lak raised his head. His eyes were dull, and his receding hairline and thickening grey hair spoke volumes of his recent state. "Your Highness, I have essentially restored the array. Once the Holy Cathedral verifies it, the Hero Selection Ceremony can commence."

Lak buried his head again, speaking listlessly. Because the Round Tower's notes had been destroyed, he hadn't just been modifying the Hero awakening ceremony; he had to scour through countless grimoires, racking his brains to reconstruct the most basic selection array from his fragmented memories. After all, who would memorize the minute details of an array used only once every dozen years?

Thinking of this, Lak felt a dull ache in his liver. Recently, he had been like an exhausted programmer, building a massive array based on a basic manual. It was safe to say that if it weren't for him, the Chief of the Round Tower with his profound magical knowledge, the kingdom might not have seen another Hero for decades.

As for why he was forced to do this... it was all because of the self-destruction of those notes.

Although Ota currently didn't suspect him, as the keeper of the notes, Lak was undoubtedly responsible for their annihilation. Not to mention, those notes were the synthesis of human magic, a holy relic in the hearts of every mage in the country. If they knew he had lost them... even someone like Lak might be torn to shreds.

At this moment, the bitter corner of Lak's mouth was harder to suppress than a twitching muscle. He blamed everything on the person who destroyed the notes. If he ever found out who it was, he would make them endure the same torturous punishments that Mino had suffered!

"Good, very good!" Prince Ota felt energized; it was the first good news he had heard in days. "I will spread the word across the country immediately. In three days, we will hold the Hero Awakening Ceremony at the Hero Candidate Training Camp!!!"

Three days... Lak’s liver throbbed again. He had spent three whole months just perfecting the auxiliary array for controlling people's minds. The plan to directly control the new Hero during the awakening ceremony had essentially failed, but as a member of the evil faction, how could Lak simply sit by and watch a new Hero be selected so normally? Compared to his aching liver, he feared the emergence of another Hero Mino even more.

It seemed he would have to go without sleep for these next three days to continue his research.

Lak lifted his face, his eyes stinging.

"Chief Lak, what... what is wrong?" Prince Ota was startled. Was it because restoring the awakening array had exhausted too much of his energy? But wasn't that finished already?

"No, I was just thinking of something happy," Lak said, shaking his head. "After all, the next Hero is finally about to be born. For the kingdom, this is a massive boost in military strength."

Ota felt the same. "Indeed. Although Mino’s fate is regrettable, only with a new Hero's awakening will the kingdom's borders cease to be so turbulent."

"We will finally be able to protect our own precious..." His voice trailed off. Ota thought dejectedly of the melted porcelain dolls of the young women in his bookcase. He couldn't protect... anything at all.

"Prince Ota, what is wrong?" Lak looked up, gazing at the crystalline tears in the corner of Ota’s eyes with confusion.

"It’s nothing. I was just thinking of something happy."

Lak nodded, as if he understood. "After all, we are both happy about the exact same thing..."