The Lowest-Ranked Hero Has Returned
A garden filled with pure white flowers.
A man with black hair, wearing a white mask, was humming a tune while watering the flower beds.
“...You really seem to like those flowers.”
Behind him, a man with white hair and a golden monocle let out a deep sigh as he watched the masked man.
“Well? It’s not like I grow them because I particularly like them.”
Not because he likes them, huh?
Mephisto glanced at the white flowers filling the garden.
Inside the greenhouse, which was larger than a sports field, only that single type of flower bloomed in abundance.
“For someone who claims that, you seem to be growing only these white flowers.”
“Haha.”
“What’s the name of this flower?”
“It’s called a chrysanthemum... Do you know it?”
“I know that the people from the old Republic brought it over from another world.”
“That’s right.”
The masked man slowly walked deeper into the greenhouse filled with chrysanthemums.
White flowers in full bloom.
As he walked among them, he looked like a lone figure strolling through a snow-covered plain.
“What do you think? Beautiful, isn’t it?”
“They are beautiful, but... I think it would be nicer with other flowers as well.”
“Hmm, that won’t do.”
“Do you have a reason?”
“I have no need for anything other than chrysanthemums.”
“......”
Mephisto swallowed a hollow laugh as he looked at the masked man.
To begin with, chrysanthemums neither contained mana like Seven Star Grass nor had any medicinal value.
Saying that he ‘needed’ to grow them didn’t make any sense.
“Let’s put the flower talk aside. You said you had something to show me?”
“Yes.”
With a light snap of Mephisto’s fingers, a translucent screen appeared in the air.
A video played on the screen.
A young man with dark gray hair was fiercely battling an Apostles of Destruction.
“This is...?”
“His name is Dale Han. He was the one who defeated the Apostles of Destruction and extinguished the ‘Ember.’”
“......”
“His official status is listed as a Hero Academy candidate, but it’s likely a cover identity.”
“...Ha.”
In that moment—
A laugh slipped from the masked man's lips.
“Ha, haha! Hahahahaha!”
Holding his stomach, the masked man burst into a fit of laughter.
“...What’s so funny?”
Mephisto frowned at the bizarre reaction.
“Ah, my apologies.”
The masked man fixed his gaze on the image of Dale, twisting his lips into a sharp grin.
“At last... At long last, the ‘seed’ has sprouted.”
Like someone discovering an oasis in a barren desert.
Like someone finding a single ray of light in endless darkness.
The ‘God of Eternity’ opened his arms wide toward Dale.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
Dale Han.
A worn-out research lab within Hero Academy.
Despite the academy’s prestigious status as the continent’s sole institution for hero training, the wooden building looked shabby—more fitting for raising livestock than for conducting research.
Knock, knock.
“Ah, come in.”
Creak.
As I stepped inside, I saw Professor Jade.
“It’s been a while, Professor.”
“Tsk—You brat. Now that your luck’s turned for the better, you don’t even show your face around the lab anymore... Ungrateful punk.”
“Haha. But you haven’t been lonely with Senior Sophia around, have you?”
At the mention of Senior Sophia, a smile spread across Professor Jade’s lips.
“Heh, that’s true. Ah, did you hear the news?”
“You mean that Senior Sophia became your assistant?”
“Yes! Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I’d be taking on a disciple at my age! And not just any disciple, but someone as brilliant as Sophia!”
From the pure excitement in his voice, it was clear he was thrilled to have her as his assistant.
“Congratulations.”
“Ahem. That said, I still have one more assistant position open. Once you graduate...”
“Ah, Berald’s taking that spot instead of me.”
“What?”
Professor Jade’s face turned pale.
“B-Berald... You mean Berald Ryu, the candidate...?”
“Do you know any other Beralds?”
“A-Ah, no...! Not that brute...!”
Professor Jade shook his head frantically, horrified.
“But if you don’t accept Berald as your assistant, Senior Sophia will probably quit too.”
“Aah! How... How could this happen...?! What on earth does she see in that musclehead to follow him around like that?!”
“Well, love doesn’t need a reason.”
“If that brute comes into my lab, it’ll turn into a disaster zone every single day!”
Holding his head as though he could already picture the chaos, Professor Jade groaned.
“There’s still some time before Berald graduates, so don’t worry too much.”
“Ugh...”
“Anyway, is the thing I requested ready?”
“Sigh. It took longer than expected, but it’s finished.”
Professor Jade let out a deep sigh and opened a drawer.
From within, he pulled out a white necklace adorned with seven stars—the symbol of the Seven Star Church.
“This is an artifact crafted from the relic you gave me. I must say, even though I made it myself, it turned out to be a masterpiece worthy of boasting about.”
“You shouldn’t boast about it.”
If word got out that I had stolen a relic from the Holy Kingdom—especially the relic of ‘Grace, the Light of Life’—even Principal Lional wouldn’t be able to cover for me.
“Hah, hah. Don’t worry, I know.”
Professor Jade handed me the pristine white necklace.
“As for the payment...”
“Oh, come now. Must we talk about payment between us?”
“Still, accepting such a fine artifact for free doesn’t sit right with me.”
“Hmm. Is that so?”
Stroking his gray beard, Professor Jade pondered for a moment.
“That necklace—you’re planning to give it to Candidate Iris, aren’t you?”
“Ah, yes. That’s the plan.”
“Haah. Youth, youth.”
Letting out a soft sigh, Professor Jade spoke with a bitter smile.
“Then let’s do this. Rather than payment... would you be willing to listen to a story of mine?”
“Huh?”
“You see, when I was young... Oh? I used to be quite popular, you know...”
And so began Professor Jade’s long-winded reminiscence of his youth.
“At that time! I just couldn’t bring myself to confess my feelings to her!”
“......”
No, seriously.
I’d rather just pay the damn money, old man.
Thus ended my nearly four-hour-long flashback on life.
Finally freed, I dragged my exhausted body toward the party house.
‘I’ll give her the necklace tomorrow.’
Originally, I had planned to meet with Iris today and hand it over right away, but after being completely drained by Professor Jade, that thought had vanished.
As I climbed up to the party house lounge to catch my breath—
“I heard Lanez became Dale’s personal maid?”
“U-uh! I wake Dale up every morning now!”
“...Are you living together?”
“No... I-I wanted to, but... Dale said no to that... So for now, I’m staying in a room Professor Elisha prepared.”
From beyond the lounge door, I could hear their casual chatter.
“Come to think of it, even Lanez has worn a maid outfit now... That means everyone except Professor Elisha has worn one at least once, right?”
“Hm. Maybe I should get one too?”
“No. We’ve seen too many maid outfits already... Is there anything else?”
“Well... I asked Juliet before, and he mentioned another outfit. What was it called again...? Ah, a bunny girl. He called it a bunny girl outfit.”
“I-isn’t that too risqué?”
“Hm. I feel like Dale would like it.”
...What the hell are they talking about in there?
I let out a small chuckle and opened the lounge door.
“Eek!”
“D-Dale?”
“Oh... Weren’t you supposed to be at Professor Jade’s lab?”
“Ahem!”
Gathered closely around the lounge table, Iris, Yurina, Professor Elisha, and Lanez all flinched and turned to look at me.
“...What are you all doing here?”
As I narrowed my eyes at the four women, they each looked away, feigning innocence.
“I-it’s nothing. Just a strategy meeting... I mean, no! A, um, a bonding session! We’re just having a bonding session!”
“Y-yeah! We’re all Dale’s lovers, right? S-so... uh...”
“We were discussing ways to pin Dale dow—Mmph, mmph!”
A web suddenly sealed Lanez’s mouth shut.
Professor Elisha, on the other hand, remained composed, leisurely crossing her legs and sipping her coffee.
“We simply gather from time to time to strengthen our bonds as women and share our recent experiences. Nothing for you to worry about, Dale.”
“......”
Nothing to worry about, huh?
“Haa.”
As I let out a short sigh—
“...Oh?”
Iris’s gaze locked onto my uniform pocket.
“Dale... What’s in your pocket?”
Did she sense the artifact’s energy?
Iris stood up from her seat and approached me.
“Hm...”
I had planned to give it to her tomorrow, but since she had already noticed, there was no reason to wait.
“Iris, remember when I told you about meeting Grace’s lingering spirit during our school trip?”
“Ah, yes.”
“At that time, when Grace’s spirit vanished, she left behind a sacred relic.”
I reached into my pocket and pulled out a pristine white necklace, handing it to Iris.
“This is an artifact made from that relic.”
“...From Lady Grace’s relic?”
“Yeah. I asked Professor Jade to refine it into an artifact. Using it as it was would have made it too easy for the Holy Kingdom to detect.”
“Ah...”
With trembling hands, Iris accepted the necklace.
The moment she put on the pendant engraved with seven stars—
Vwooooooom!
A dazzling rainbow-colored light burst forth, enveloping her entire body.
“What’s this...?”
As I squinted at the sudden brilliance—
The rainbow light gathered in the air, gradually forming the translucent figure of a young girl.
[...Ah.]
Grace, the Light of Life.
One of the five great heroes who sealed the Demon God and saved humanity 500 years ago, slowly opened her eyes.
“You are...”
Iris stared at the girl with trembling eyes.
Her appearance was quite different from how Grace was depicted in the Holy Nation’s records.
But somehow, Iris knew.
She instinctively understood that this girl was, without a doubt, Grace.
[...My child.]
“C-child?”
[Hehe. Yes. Though we may not be connected by blood, we are bound by a bond far deeper than that.]
Grace gazed into Iris’s rainbow-hued eyes and smiled warmly.
[You are my daughter.]
“......”
Iris’s eyes trembled violently.
Daughter.
For someone who had grown up an orphan, that word was utterly unfamiliar.
“Ah...”
Why?
Why did that unfamiliar word feel so warm?
Iris bit her lip, struggling to hold back the tears threatening to spill.
[I never thought I’d get to see you again.]
Grace’s gaze shifted toward me.
[Hmm. Come to think of it, you mentioned being my daughter’s lover before, didn’t you? What do they call a daughter’s husband again...? Ah, right. Son-in-law. That’s the word.]
Grace let out a playful chuckle and waved at me.
[It’s good to see you again, son-in-law.]
“......”
Through Grace’s translucent form, I could see Yurina, Lanez, and Professor Elisha all staring at me in shock, as if they had no idea what was going on.
“Uh... um. N-nice to meet you, mother-in-law.”
A cold sweat ran down my back.

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