The Lowest-Ranked Hero Has Returned
The training hall on the first floor of the party house.
Designed for parties to engage in practical combat training, the party-exclusive training hall boasted a significant size.
Standing at its center, I faced Lanez.
Having changed from her maid outfit into training attire, Lanez was practically shimmering with excitement, her body slightly bouncing in anticipation.
"Dale, what should we start with?"
"Hmm... First."
I took a position about 20 meters away from her.
"Attack me with everything you've got."
"...What?"
Lanez flinched, her cheeks turning red.
"D-Dale... Is that what you're into?"
"What?"
"I-I’ll try my best to meet your expectations!"
"No."
What the hell is she talking about now?
"Hehe, just kidding."
"You’re acting like Elisha again..."
"Huh? What about Professor Elisha?"
Ah.
"Ah, nothing!"
Ahem.
"But seriously... Do I really have to attack you?"
Lanez frowned, looking extremely reluctant.
"Yeah. There’s something I’ve been testing recently. You don’t have to hold back—just attack with your full strength."
"F-Full strength?"
Asking a mage-type hero to attack with full force while standing still was practically the same as signing one's death warrant.
Compared to warrior-type heroes, mages were inferior in versatility, mobility, and reaction speed.
Yet, they were considered an essential presence in any party due to their overwhelming firepower.
‘And this is Lanez we’re talking about.’
She possessed a blessing so powerful that, in a past life, she had turned half the continent into a frozen wasteland.
If she unleashed her full power without interruption, even I couldn't predict the scale of destruction.
"A-Are you really sure? Even if I go all out?"
"Yeah, it’s fine."
"B-But..."
"It’s not like I’ll die anyway."
"But it’ll hurt! I don’t want you to be in pain, Dale!"
Lanez stomped her feet, clearly distressed.
Her genuine concern for me was touching, but—
"I probably won’t get hurt, so don’t worry."
"Really...?"
She still looked uncertain despite my reassuring nod.
"Ugh..."
She trailed off, unable to bring herself to attack her beloved with all her might.
"Hmm, if it’s too difficult, how about we turn this into a bit of roleplay?"
"Roleplay?"
Lanez blinked at me, puzzled.
"Imagine you just caught me cheating with another woman."
"...What?"
"The setting is our dorm room. And it’s not Iris, Yurina, or even Elisha—it's a woman you've never seen before."
I continued, adding more details to help her immerse herself in the scenario.
"She has platinum blonde hair, gleaming like melted gold... slightly droopy eyes... way taller than you... and an unmistakably noble and glamorous appearance."
I subtly provoked her insecurities—her short stature and half-demon lineage.
"You walked in, intending to wake me up, only to find me in bed, stark naked, tangled up with that woman."
"...How dare you."
"Huh?"
"Dale, you... How... dare you...."
The light faded from Lanez’s eyes.
Her gaze turned as cold as a frozen tundra.
"I trusted you... I trusted you... I trusted you... I trusted you... I TRUSTED YOU...!!!"
"Uh... L-Lanez?"
You do realize this is just roleplay, right?
"I trusted... you...!!!"
Whooosh!
A fierce snowstorm howled through the vast training hall.
A cold so intense it felt like it could freeze one's soul.
Within the raging blizzard, massive snowflakes formed in midair.
‘No way.’
She’s seriously about to kill me.
But more importantly—
I narrowed my eyes, studying the enormous snowflakes materializing in the air.
‘Her control over her blessing has improved.’
Despite her supposed fury at witnessing her lover’s “infidelity,” her mana remained astonishingly stable.
"Bloom."
A white breath escaped Lanez’s lips.
The massive snowflake in the air shattered, scattering hundreds of ice shards.
Whoooosh!
The storm of ice came roaring toward me.
"Tsk."
I inhaled deeply as the avalanche of ice fragments surged forward.
Fwoooosh!
Primordial flames flared up, enveloping my body.
‘And then—’
A second energy emerged from the Stigma, glowing a deep green.
The power of fire and wood intertwined.
Thick, gray embers blazed fiercely.
"Kh... ugh."
It felt as if lava, rather than blood, was coursing through my veins, setting my body ablaze.
The more the pain intensified, the more the embers wrapped around me and burned wildly.
And then—
Whooosh!
My flesh burned away, leaving only the embers behind.
A tidal wave of ice shards came crashing down upon the embers.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The ice shards shattered into countless fragments the moment they touched the embers.
The once-fierce surge of ice was instantly swept away by the raging embers.
“...Huh?”
Lanez gasped, her mouth hanging open in shock.
“D-Dale, your body... it turned into flames....”
“Pwah!”
Before she could finish speaking, I let out a ragged breath and collapsed onto the ground.
My body, which had transformed into embers, had returned to its original form.
The terrible pain of my body burning alive still lingered, but I couldn’t help but smile.
‘As expected.’
Just as I had predicted.
‘The power of the Tree of Creation was the key to my Fire Incarnation state.’
Fire Incarnation... No, perhaps "Fire Body" would be a more fitting term.
A special technique that allowed me to transform my body into fire, granting me near-limitless mana.
Ever since I first used it during my battle with the Archbishop of Illusions, I had never been able to activate it at will.
But after learning about the existence of the Tree of Creation, I had finally grasped a clue to unlocking its power.
‘It was never a technique that could be achieved with just the power of the Primordial Flame alone. That’s why I could never control it, no matter how much I tried.’
Of course,
Just because I understood the method didn’t mean I had mastered the technique.
Right now, I could only maintain my Fire Body state for a few seconds at most.
‘But this is still much better than having no clue at all.’
If I could merge the power of the Tree of Creation with the power of the Primordial Flame... then one day, I would be able to enter my Fire Body state at will.
‘Merging the Tree of Creation’s power with the Primordial Flame, huh?’
I gazed down at the gray flames flickering around me.
Embers.
Not the typical red flames, but deep gray ones—I had simply called them embers for convenience.
‘I never expected things to line up this way.’
The term "embers" referred to the flames lingering in the ashes of burned wood.
In a way, it perfectly described my current situation.
A body forged from the power of the Tree of Creation.
And the embers born from burning that very body.
‘A flame created from the fusion of the Tree of Creation and the Primordial Flame.’
If I could fully control this power... what kind of existence would I become?
“...Ha.”
Finding the thought too surreal, I let out a dry chuckle and shook my head.
“Well then, let’s try it again.”
“D-Dale, are you sure? You look really exhausted.”
“I’m fine. This much is nothing.”
I had finally found a lead on the Fire Body state I had longed for—there was no way I’d stop training just because I was a little tired.
“A-Alright then...”
Lanez tightly shut her eyes and muttered to herself like she was casting a spell.
“Dale is a womanizer, Dale is a womanizer, Dale is a womanizer....”
“......”
Wait.
How in the world is "womanizer" supposed to be a spell of courage?
After training with Lanez all morning—
She took out a packed lunch she had prepared.
“E-En... Enjoy your meal, Dale.”
With a shy smile, she lifted the lid of the lunchbox.
Inside, it was filled to the brim with ingredients known for their... stamina-boosting effects—garlic, chives, eel, and more.
“Uh... Yeah. Thanks. I’ll eat well.”
Well.
At least I could take this as a cute gesture.
Munch munch.
“S-So... How is it, Dale?”
“It’s delicious.”
“D-Does your body feel... hot, or... do you feel a sudden surge of energy?”
“Haha. I just ate it. There’s no way it’d work that fast.”
Besides, so-called "stamina-boosting" foods were just highly nutritious—they didn’t have the same effects as an actual stimulant.
“T-That’s strange... The professor said it would work immediately after eating....”
“......”
...This was just regular healthy food, right?
She didn’t... mix in anything weird, did she?
I shot Lanez a suspicious look but still finished my meal.
“I ate well. Thanks, Lanez.”
“Ehehe. No problem. I’m just happy you enjoyed it.”
Beaming, Lanez reached out to take the empty lunchbox.
“Lanez, you should rest. I’ll clean up.”
“N-No! I’ll do it!”
“Come on, you already made the food. I can’t make you clean up too.”
“I-It’s fine!”
She firmly pushed me away and quickly tidied everything up herself.
“Ugh. You could’ve let me do at least this much.”
“Hehe. I’m your personal maid, remember? This is my job.”
She smiled mischievously as she tucked the lunchbox back into her bag.
“...Still, I feel kinda bad.”
“T-Then, um...”
Lanez fidgeted nervously, hesitating before speaking again.
“C-Can I ask you for... a favor?”
“Of course. Anything.”
“Well... If it’s okay with you... I’d like you to come with me somewhere.”
“Where?”
“...A cemetery.”
“A cemetery?”
“Yeah... My mom’s grave.”
The place Lanez had in mind was one I never would have expected.

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