The Lowest-Ranked Hero Has Returned
[Mother-in-law...? Pfft! Well, I suppose from your perspective, that makes sense.]
Grace burst into laughter, nodding her head in amusement.
"To call Lady Grace 'Mother-in-law'—what are you even saying?!"
Unlike Grace, who was laughing gleefully, Iris was flustered, her face filled with confusion.
Well, it made sense.
From her point of view, it must have been overwhelming to realize that a legendary saint—someone straight out of fairy tales—was fully aware of her romantic relationships.
[Well, I don’t mind being called that. But more importantly... you’re Iris, right?]
"Ah, y-yes...."
[Come closer.]
Grace beckoned Iris forward.
[Hehe, is it because you’re my daughter? You’re beautiful.]
Grace smiled as she gently caressed Iris’s cheek.
Though her body was in a translucent spirit form and lacked any physical sensation—
"...Thank you, Lady Grace."
For some reason, it felt as though a warm sensation had spread across Iris’s cheek.
[Oh, why so formal? Don’t call me Lady Grace. Try calling me ‘Mother.’]
"Eh? A-ah, but that’s a little...."
[I told you, didn’t I? You and I may not be connected by blood, but we are bound by a deeper connection.]
"......."
Iris's eyes trembled slightly.
A bond deeper than blood.
That single phrase, though seemingly simple, resonated in her heart like a miracle.
"M-Mother...."
[Haha, that’s right. My daughter.]
Grace nodded with a gentle smile.
As if she were stroking the head of her own child, she softly placed her hand on Iris’s hair.
[Looking at you reminds me of my younger self—]
As she slowly lowered her gaze, her eyes abruptly stopped at Iris’s chest.
[W-what is this...!]
Her eyes widened in shock.
"Mother?"
[A-ah, um, yes! My daughter! Y-you really do look just like my younger self, yes!]
Your voice is shaking quite a bit, Mother-in-law.
[Ugh...!]
Grace swallowed hard, hurriedly avoiding Iris’s gaze and turning to look at me.
[S-son-in-law!]
"Yes, Mother-in-law?"
[...Why are you suddenly being so formal? You used to just call me by my name.]
"Well, uh...."
Now that I actually thought of her as my mother-in-law, speaking casually felt a bit awkward.
[Hmph, whatever. Just talk however you're comfortable. Thanks to you, I was able to fulfill my ‘mission.’]
...Mission, huh?
That reminded me—there was something I wanted to ask her.
"Grace, what did you mean by what you said before?"
[Hmm? What did I say?]
"You told me to beware of the Sixth Hero."
There were supposed to be only five great heroes.
Of course, back then, there were many extraordinary beings who bore the Stigma of the Seven Gods, but they were not called "heroes" at the time.
‘The term ‘hero’ only came into use after the Five Great Heroes were established.’
Five hundred years ago, only five were known as heroes.
In other words—
‘A Sixth Hero never existed.’
[Did I say something like that?]
"...You don’t remember?"
Grace slowly nodded, her voice quiet.
[As you know, I am not truly Grace, but a mere remnant of her soul. Even though I was revived by the power of the Seven Eyes, not all of my memories remain intact.]
"......."
So, in the end, I wouldn’t be able to find out about the Sixth Hero after all.
[By the way.]
Grace’s gaze shifted toward Yurina, Professor Elisha, and Lanez.
[Who are they? Are they my daughter’s party members?]
"Ah, yeah. That’s right."
[Hmm, I see.]
Grace floated through the air and approached the three women.
[Nice to meet you. I am the Light of Life, Grace... or rather, the lingering spirit she left behind.]
"I-It is an honor to meet you! My name is Yurina Helios!"
[...Helios? W-wait, are you Reynald’s descendant?]
"Yes, that’s right."
Yurina nodded stiffly, looking nervous.
Grace stared at her intently before letting out a small chuckle.
[Ha. Who would’ve thought that rascal’s descendant would turn out to be such a proper young lady....]
"...Rascal?"
[Oh my, you didn’t know? Reynald was quite the womanizer. He didn’t leave a single woman alone. What did he say again? Ah, right. Something about wanting to make everyone happy. Hah! That man was married three times—three!]
Grace shook her head, looking utterly exasperated.
"......."
Hearing this unexpected family history, Yurina froze on the spot.
[And the other two?]
"I am Elisha Baldwin. I serve as a professor at the Hero Academy."
[Oh? Hero Academy? Ah, you mean the school Reynald founded? It’s still around?]
Grace scanned Elisha up and down, her lips curling into a satisfied smile.
[Good. You seem capable, and your judgment appears sharp.]
"You flatter me."
Even the renowned Professor Elisha couldn’t help but be nervous in front of a legendary hero, her voice slightly trembling as she nodded.
"I-I’m Lanez Malam!"
[You....]
Grace's expression stiffened slightly as she observed Lanez.
[...I sense the presence of a demon.]
“T-That’s....”
Lanez’s face turned pale.
Just as she looked like she was about to burst into tears, Iris approached Grace.
“Sister Lanez is a half-blood between a demon and a human. Although she has demon blood, she’s a kind and noble hero, more than anyone else.”
[...Hmm. If my daughter says so, then I’ll believe it.]
Grace nodded and took a moment to gaze at the three women.
[By the way, having a five-member party like this... is a bit unfortunate, isn’t it?]
“What do you mean by that?”
[Well, isn’t it common for young people in the same party to develop romantic feelings for each other?]
She wasn’t wrong.
The number one reason heroes ended up in relationships was because they often fell for someone in their own party.
[But my son-in-law is already dating you.]
Grace clicked her tongue in disappointment as she looked at Yurina, Professor Elisha, and Lanez.
[All of you are such lovely, admirable young women, yet you can’t find a match within your own party. Isn’t that a shame?]
“Well....”
Iris gave an awkward smile and avoided Grace’s gaze.
“I-I suppose so.”
[Hehe, right?]
Grace turned toward me, lifting her chin proudly.
[Having a dependable and handsome man like my son-in-law right in your party, yet all you can do is watch from the sidelines... how tragic~]
“...I didn’t just use my hands.”
[Hmm? What did you say?]
“A-Ah, nothing!”
Yurina flinched and quickly shook her head.
“B-By the way, Mother! I have something I’d like to ask you!”
Iris hastily changed the subject.
[What is it?]
“You... also possessed the ‘Seven Eyes,’ didn’t you?”
[Yes. Though I no longer have them now.]
Grace nodded.
“I wanted to ask... how can I fully master the power of the Seven Eyes?”
Iris’s eyes shimmered in rainbow hues.
The Seven Eyes.
A power that greatly amplifies the wielder’s holy energy, allowing them to perform divine miracles without the need for a ‘sacrifice.’
In other words, only those who possessed the Seven Eyes could be recognized as the ‘Saintess’ of the Holy Kingdom.
[Considering that you were able to summon me in my lingering soul state using my sacred relic, I’d say you’re already handling the Seven Eyes quite well.]
“That’s....”
Iris trailed off, lowering her rainbow-hued eyes.
Indeed, even looking through the records of past Saintesses, there had never been anyone at her age who could wield the Seven Eyes as well as she did.
However—
“I still want to master it even more.”
Her closest friends, Camilla and Yurina, as well as the rest of their party, had all been growing at an astonishing pace lately.
Meanwhile, she had felt stuck in place for months.
If she wanted to catch up, she needed the guidance of Grace—the first Saintess, the origin of the Seven Eyes.
[...I see.]
Grace nodded, a pleased smile forming on her lips, as if thinking, ‘That’s my daughter.’
[Have you tried ‘Divine Communion’?]
“...Divine Communion?”
[It’s a process where you spiritually connect with the Seven Gods through the Seven Eyes. By doing so, you can further awaken their power.]
“I-I didn’t even know such a thing existed.”
Iris’s eyes widened in shock.
[...You didn’t?]
Grace furrowed her brows slightly and sighed.
[It seems much of the knowledge about the Seven Eyes has been lost.]
“Well... to be honest, since your time, there hasn’t been a single Saintess who could fully control the Seven Eyes.”
[Sigh. Well, I suppose that makes sense. It’s not a power just anyone can wield.]
The Seven Eyes were a divine gift that only those chosen by the Seven Gods could use.
It was impossible for an ordinary human to completely control them.
“Then... does that mean I won’t be able to perform Divine Communion either?”
[No, you should be able to. You won’t be able to commune with all seven gods at once, but... you should be able to connect with at least one of them.]
“...Oh.”
To a believer of the Seven Star Church, the idea of spiritually communicating with a god was thrilling.
“Then... which of the Seven Gods should I commune with?”
[Any of them will do. The important thing is establishing the connection itself.]
“Hmm... in that case, it would be best to commune with the God of the Sky.”
The Sky God’s stigma was the most common among support-type heroes, and Iris herself bore the Sky God’s stigma.
If she could commune with any god, it made sense to start with the one who had already blessed her.
[I’ll guide you through the process, so just follow my instructions and activate the Seven Eyes slowly.]
“Yes, Grace— I mean, Mother.”
[Ssshh. I told you to call me Mother.]
“A-Ah, sorry, Mother.”
Still unfamiliar with the title, Iris gave an awkward smile.
As she followed Grace’s instructions and began channeling the power of the Seven Eyes—
“Wait.”
I stepped forward toward Iris.
“Hm? What’s the matter, Dale?”
“...You said it doesn’t matter which of the Seven Gods you commune with, right?”
“Y-Yes. That’s what Mother said.”
“Then I have a favor to ask.”
Placing a hand on Iris’s shoulder, I spoke firmly.
“Commune with the God of the Forest.”
“...The God of the Forest?”
“Yes. There’s something I need to ask that god.”
I clenched my teeth.
I clenched my fist so hard it felt like my bones would shatter.
Because there was something I needed to ask—no, something I had to ask.
‘Why?’
Of all people—
Why was I the one given the Blessing of Revival?
Out of thousands, out of millions of humans—
Why was it only me?
Why was I the only one—
Condemned to wander the frozen wasteland alone for thousands of years, unable to die?

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