Akatsuki Translations

The predecessor, 【Hero of the Seven Heavens – Zain Gran Glaslow】

Few know the circumstances of how he became the【Hero】.

One day, he was suddenly discovered by the Wise Heavenly King of that era and placed in the position of Hero, the lowest seat of the Seven Heavens. A man who was not even a city dweller, but Nameless. His surname and official position were given to him afterward. Normally, this would have caused riots. A direct subordinate of the Wise Heavenly King. The title of the greatest warrior in this world. Especially in Proudia, many priests, magicians, and knights coveted and sought this position.

Of course, even knowing that it wasn’t a position one could obtain through mere ambition.

That’s why it should have been a problem under normal circumstances.

For a Nameless man of unknown origin to be chosen for the Seven Heavens. Naturally, when this decision was made, it caused a commotion, but the uproar quickly subsided.

There were two reasons for this.

One was that the seat was that of the 【Hero】, which did not receive the blessing of the Sun God.

The other was that the strength of the【Hero Zain】 was extraordinary.

Underling dragons rampaging with various powers. Enemies that even other Seven Heavens members would retreat from, he cut down. Every time the black sword flash of the 【Magic-Severing Sword】 gleamed, multiple dragon heads fell. He wielded a technique that even the 【Heavenly Sword】 would envy.

There was no room for complaint. Even priests who would not hesitate to call him a “mere Nameless” were silenced by the battle results he continued to achieve single-handedly.

He was undoubtedly the strongest Hero in history.

                    ◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

                    ◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

                    ◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

“…I have many thoughts, but first, one thing,” Ur began slowly after hearing the very brief story of the【Former Hero Zain】. Even being told he was a former Hero, Ur’s impression of him remained that of the eccentric old man who had cared for him in the past. His view of him wouldn’t change now, nor would his respect waver.

But there was one thing he wanted to say.

“Even if you’re ‘former’, as one of the 【Seven Heavens】, you should have money to use freely, right?”

“He does. Unless it’s something extremely unreasonable, the Temple would comply with his requests,” Diz answered.

Ur nodded, saying “I thought so,” and then continued:

“Then fix this orphanage…!”

Surely it wouldn’t be a sin to make this orphanage a bit better, with its cracked and collapsing walls and cold drafts.

But Zain glared at Ur as if his request was trivial.

“I told you. We don’t use it because it’s not necessary,” he stated.

“Even I, who knew it was an orphanage, thought it was a ruin or a haunted house at first glance,” Ur argued.

《It looks like it might collapse three times over, ya know?》 Akane added.

“We repair it with the children as needed. It doesn’t violate the city’s building codes,” Zain explained.

“There must be a problem with the law at this point…” Ur muttered.

Any child who ended up here after accidents or tragedies would surely despair at their life upon seeing this orphanage. The impact was too strong.

“It serves as teaching material for the children to learn processing and repair techniques. Children dislike studying, but they become desperate when it’s about improving their own living space,” Zain elaborated.

“It really is like a place for job training, isn’t it?” Shizuku observed.

Come to think of it, Ur remembered that when he was here, he wasn’t allowed to touch tools due to his age, but the older orphans often repaired the orphanage with worn-out tools and wood brought from outside the city. It made sense now.

“Moreover, this appearance itself prevents certain malicious intentions,” Zain added.

“Well, thieves probably wouldn’t approach, but…” Ur conceded.

“Though things have become a bit dangerous recently. This is for self-defense,” Zain said, showing his staff.

Even if it was for self-defense, it was unclear how valuable a staff held by an old man who looked as frail as a withered tree could be at first glance. Even if he was a former Hero, he couldn’t overcome old age.

“But who would target this place in the first place?” Ur asked.

“The underground guild members. They’re demanding we hand over the land of this orphanage. Though I certainly bought the right to use this place from the Temple,” Zain explained.

“Wait, why?” Ur exclaimed.

《What would they want to do with a place like this?》 Akane wondered, puckering her lips as if to say “that’s a lie”.

Ur agreed. Why would an illegal guild group come to extort the land of a place with not even a hint of valuables?

Was it perhaps someone who held a grudge against Zain, the former Hero?

“…”

“Ah, I see,” Shizuku clapped her hands as if understanding.

“Do you have some idea?” Ur asked.

“Ur-sama, where is this orphanage located?” Shizuku prompted.

“Where? …It’s on the edge of Proudia, but…”

The eastern edge of the City of Sin, Proudia. Close to the towering barrier walls, often shaded from the sun throughout the day, an area disliked by city dwellers. Moreover, it was even more unpopular due to its proximity to the city’s exit, the least guarded part of the barrier.

It seemed like the most fitting place for the 【Nameless Orphanage】, where many orphans of Nameless adventurers gathered. And Ur couldn’t think of any eccentric person who would deliberately target such a place.

Shizuku nodded at Ur’s observation and continued:

“In this world’s cities, where interaction with the outside is scarce and threats are numerous, the value of places adjacent to the exterior or entrances seems to be underestimated.”

“Even in Proudia, where external threats are extremely rare due to the 【Barrier of the Sun】, that’s still the case,” Diz agreed with Shizuku’s words.

Despite the barrier walls and vast protective field, there’s still a tendency for few city dwellers to actively engage in external interactions. The reason is that cities are structured in a way that makes such interaction unnecessary. Except for food supply from production cities, many cities, not just Proudia, possess most of the functions necessary for human survival.

It’s a characteristic that allows survival even if surrounded by monsters and unable to move. Consequently, those living in cities are less likely to be interested in the world outside and remain cautious. That was the logic.

“However, recently, the possibility of large-scale distribution and trade from outside has emerged,” Shizuku explained.

“…Ah,” Ur realized, understanding dawning on him.

An overwhelmingly massive mobile fortress capable of extremely safe and large-scale transportation of goods and personnel. It had suddenly appeared about two months ago.

The great familiar that could move entire cities, 【Dragon-Devoured Uuga】.

“If Uuga is put to full use, the volume of trade and the amount of goods and money moving at one time will be tremendous. And when that happens, there will be those who want to take advantage of it,” Diz elaborated.

“The quickest and surest method would be to secure vacant land around the gates, which serve as the entry point for trade, wouldn’t it?” Shizuku suggested.

If Uuga were to operate in full swing and trade were to become active, the main gates in the east, west, north, and south of Proudia and their surroundings would likely become bustling areas. It would be vastly different from the times when only a handful of penniless Nameless wanderers trickled in.

It wouldn’t be strange for some to want to buy land while its value hasn’t skyrocketed yet. There would definitely be those who would want to do so, even if it meant evicting the current occupants. There might even be priests with temple ranks plotting such moves.

“In fact, merchant guild members have been skulking around this area. I’ve seen some forcibly buying out land from those who owned it,” Zain confirmed.

“…And you refused, old man?” Ur asked.

“That’s why the underground guild is moving. Because they can’t officially order an eviction, they’re resorting to irregular means. Nonsense,” Zain dismissed it with a single word.

Zain’s curt dismissal of a situation that could make even honest people restless – the possibility that the land they occupied might see an incredible surge in value – showed that he was indeed unchanged.

Ur was impressed but also felt guilty. He was partly responsible for why things had turned out this way. He bore some responsibility for the birth of 【Dragon-Devoured Uuga】.

“I’m sorry for causing trouble,” Ur apologized.

《Sorry~?》 Akane added.

“I said it’s nonsense,” Zain repeated.

His reaction was as expected.

Well, it was true that there was no end to feeling responsible for every situation caused by Uuga’s existence. Countless people had been ruined or succeeded due to Uuga and its related issues. There had surely been deaths too, and Ur had directly caused some of them.

And if asked whether Ur intended to atone for each of these individually, the answer would be no. Everything was done for his own sake, out of his own ego, and he was aware of the damage that resulted from those actions. He had no intention of shouldering the ruin of unknown individuals somewhere.

However, when it came to his foster parent, Zain, it was a family matter, and Ur had no intention of ignoring it. But what should be done?

“Oh?” Shizuku suddenly looked curiously at the guest room door.

Her quick reaction usually meant she had picked up an unusual sound with her acute hearing. Soon after, the sound of hurried footsteps that she had likely heard first became audible to everyone.

Then, the door opened. Seven small children appeared. One of them, with a panicked face, shouted:

“Gramps!! Thugs are attacking!”

“Speak of the devil. Utterly nonsensical,” Zain sighed heavily and stood up in response to the words of the boy, likely an orphan.

Ur and the others were surprised, while Zain rose to his feet with a deep sigh.