Chapter 4

Cautiously, I walked over to the knights guarding the door.

I was already at the back of the class, and people were still so shocked about the execution to notice me, but it was just a precaution.

I asked the knight whilst holding my stomach, pretending to be queasy like some others.

“Ex... Excuse me. I-I’m gonna throw up. Can I go to the ba--the lavatory...? P-Please...”

Since we're in a medieval-like setting, I'd thought they'd use 'lavatory' instead of 'bathroom'.

I might've been mistaken otherwise as a literal bathing room.

The knight thought for a moment before replying with a nod.

“Well, as long as there’s a couple of us keepin’ a watch on you on the way there, I don’t see a problem with that. It'd make less work for the poor maids, too.”

He turned to the knight beside him, “Hey, I’m taking this kid to the toilet, you coming?”

...I guess toilet works fine too.

But more importantly.

Disgusting.

It’s as if the execution of Teacher never even occurred.

I get that they're knights and so they should be used to even their comrades' deaths, but still...

Are you telling me that people's lives are worth that little in this world?

And that the process of its end is equivalant to an insect being squashed?

It can be ended so swiftly and without so much as a single eyelid being bat.

...It's messed up, but it seems they’re continuing this ceremony, as from behind me I can hear various students’ names being called, followed by a letter being announced.

They were all Ds and Cs, though.

No Es like Teacher was given, and every time it happened, there were lights emitting from the plate of all different colours and magnitudes.

I think it's fairly obvious what they mean―they're gradings of some kind.

I paid complete attention to what was going on behind me as the knights did rock paper scissors; it seems they were deciding on who the second knight to come with me was, since they wanted to watch the current ongoings but needed two to accompany me.

“Chris, come up…”

It was then―Princess and the mage made expressions of ecstasy as they were amazed.

“No way…”

The ranking plate shone with an intense, golden light, more intense and fantastic than every classmate so far.

The mage, completely astounded, exclaimed.

“Your Highness, this couldn’t be…!?”

Following the sudden, suprising spike in the mage's spirit, murmurs sprouted all around the hall.

Especially among the Nobility.

Eleanor spoke as a truly joyous smile rose on her face.

“S rank... And this colour, too...”

The brightest, purest gold imaginable... It is really the legendary Hero's colour...

S?

So, it’s the F, or E, rather, to A, plus S for special, ranking system.

Well, maybe it’s slightly different, but it seems accurate.

“Uhm, e-excuse me, Princess Eleanor.”, Chris spoke.

It seems that he’s still shaken up from the execution just now, although I’m not at all surprised.

“Yes~? What is it~? Oh, and you don’t need the formalities, just call me Eleanor, Chris~”

Eeyaaah.....

Wow.

What a fucking wench.

Her attitude promptly changed after finding out Chris was S-rank, huh.

Chris replied to her, ”Y... yes, Eleanor”, to which she warmly smiled.

But then, Chris opened his mouth with slight hesitation.

“…Was… killing Teacher… truly necessary…?”

Chris clenched his fists and tightly closed his eyes.

Eleanor "gasped in surprise".

It was clearly fake to me, but whatever.

That guy is plain retarded.

“Wh-… Why, of course! The ranking plate reveals how heroic and virtuous a person is! …And, as much as I hate to tell you this... Your teacher... was E-rank, the lowest rank possible, and as well as that, the only 'incurable' rank."

Listening to her made me doubt her even more.

Clearly, this was an act, right?

Or, am I the only one who recognises this?

Incurable my ass.

This... Everything is all too strange.

I have an extremely bad feeling about this situation.

"It only means that, deep down, he was an immoral and terribly malevolent man. Sooner or later, that man would've surely committed an awful crime… Please, Chris, don’t worry about anything unnecessary. For me... Okay?”

Argh, what kinda bullshit is that?

I can tell even from the other side of the room, and with obstructed vision, how fucking fishy this is.

You could smell this fish from a mile away!

And yet, Chris fell for it anyway.

The idiot.

“…F-for you…?”

Slowly, he released his fists, opened his slightly teary eyes, and looked straight at Eleanor.

Once again, she smiled brightly, encapsulating the whole class in the process.

“Yes...! For me!”

She gazed back at him with an enchanting smile and continued speaking.

“Because Chris is S-rank, it means you can accomplish many great deeds! You will undoubtedly become a great hero, like the 'Hero' in the legends!”

“…Really?”

“Mmn! It is unquestionable!”

I’m going to actually get queasy at this rate.

It was only supposed to be an excuse, but somehow I feel like it might actually happen.

I swear to god, if more shit like this infests my brain...

Even though the skill should make it impossible, this is too much.

I will admit though...

It is a bit vexing how effortlessly he got such a good-looking person to fawn all over him…

Although, I’m afraid I might’ve ended up killing such a bitch if they came after me like that, so I’m a bit glad that’s not the case.

On another note, finally, the knights seemed to have decided the loser of the rock paper scissors.

“Okay kid, make it quick.”, one knight tapped me on the shoulder.

“We’ll get in trouble if we come back late, but I’d hate to give the maids more work, so let's get a move on.”

“Yes, thank you.”, I replied.

The two knights opened the grand doors of the great hall, and we were just about to walk out when someone abruptly shouted behind us.

“Everyone, listen up!”

It was Chris.

Me and the knights couldn't help but stop and turn around to look.

Every soul in the room paid attention to what Chris was about to say, Nobility included.

“My name is Chris! I am the S-rank hero! I swear, on this day, to become the hero that you deserve and the one you need!”

It’s extremely hard to listen, so I try and close off my ears, but unfortunately, the sight of him was so tacky that I almost fainted.

I ended up closing my eyes, too, but it didn't help much.

And then, Chris continued, in a terribly loud and dignified voice that resounded throughout the great hall.

“I will become a beacon of hope for this nation’s people!”

I silently prayed for someone make him stop while clenching my teeth.

“I will become a Hero of Justice!”

Looking over to Ryan, I spot that he has the most dumfounded and pained look on his face that I've ever seen him make.

“I will slay the enemies!”

No, wait, you’ll kill people?

Just because the rich pretty girl said a few things?

What the hell’s wrong with you man?

As I thought, something is definitely wrong here.

“I will exterminate the Demons!”

Yes, even going so far as to exterminate the demo-…Wait, Demons?

I suppose that, indeed, they should exist since this is a fantasy, but still... Demons?

“I shall kill the dreaded Demon King, and his minions!”

...Hold on a moment?

“...I will say it one more time.”

Yes, please do.

What was that about Demons?

“My name is Chris, the S-rank Hero of Justice.”

No no, not that.

I don't care about that nonsense.

Can you talk about the Demons again?

It sounds like important information that I'll need to know if I'm planning to escape here.

“I will carry this nation’s burdens, and I will be your saviour! ...Thank you very much, that is all.”

No...!

What about the Demons!?

That Demon King, as well!!

What are they, huh!

…Wait?

My classmates are applauding him.

No no, are you crazy?

That insane guy and his shit speech was so cringe.

The fuck are you guys doing?

The Noblity, too… and even the two knights standing beside me.

Everyone in this room is applauding the Hero's "marvelous" speech.

...Just what is going on in this place?

As I thought, I really need to get out of here.

Not even for my life now, but for my sanity.

Chris turned to Eleanor and said something I couldn’t hear from this distance.

He then nodded, turned back to face 'the audience' in the room, and started speaking again.

“This is my Status.”, he announced, as a large, transparent screen appeared in the air.

It was very familiar.

Wow, so you can do that with your Status, huh.

...........Wait.

As I read through Chris' status, my face slowly distorted.

〔Status〕 Chris Rowe [Blessed] Level 1 Class :「Hero」 Health Points (HP) : 520/520 Mana Points (MP) : 285/285 Title : 「Hero」 Strength : 20* Endurance : 20* Race : Human Dexterity : 20* Agility : 20* Age : 16 Magic : 20* Wisdom : 20* Titles :「Hero」「Divine Protection of a God」「Holy God's Blessing」「World Traveller」 Trait :「Righteous Heart」 Luck : 250* [MAX] Magic Skills :「Holy Magic [Lv.1]」「Light Magic [Lv.1]」 Passive Skills :「Judgement [Lv.1]」「Automatic HP Recovery [Lv.1]」「Automatic MP Recovery [Lv.1]」 Enhancement Skills :「Attribute Enhancement: Holy [Lv.1]」「Attribute Enhancement: Light [Lv.1]」 Resistance Skills :「Dark Resistance [Lv.1]」「Holy Resistance [Lv.5]」 Communication Skills :「Seronian Language Comprehension [Lv.MAX]」 Other skills :「Limit Break [Lv.1]」

......The fuck?

“Behold, everyone!”, Princess exclaimed.

“My Chris’ class is ‘Hero’ with the blessing of the Holy God, the trait of ‘Righteous Heart’, an astounding base Health of 520 and 255 base Mana!"

She talked at an incredible pace.

Everyone listening to her constant praise was also flabbergasted.

"Base 20 in all fields! The best possible for a Level 1 human! Not to mention the base Luck that stands at the maximum...!!! It all, truly, truly, truly signifies the descent of the Legendary Hero!! Do you all see? Isn’t my Chris just so incredible...!”

Princess was so overwhemi1ngly enthusiastic whilst labelling each and every one of the good points in Chris’ status, causing his face to flush.

As I listened to what she was saying, I fell into a deep thought...

....The title of 'Hero'.

...The class of 'Hero'.

...A higher Health stat than me.

...More Mana capacity...

Every single one of the base stats are either equal to, or higher than, mine.

So much so, in fact, that he is supposedly at the highest peak for a Level 1.

His Luck stat is completely maxed out at 250, whilst mine doesn't even display a number.

He is ‘blessed’ by the ‘Holy God’, whilst I am ‘cursed’ by the ‘Sinful’ one.

He has the Divine Protection of the Gods.

He's started out with 11 different skills, whilst I had only 1.

It is a 10-skill difference.

That 1 I have is not even a Unique Skill.

It could then be said that he's started out with 10 unique skills, but even now, I only have 1 unique skill.

He even gets a beautiful girl for free, who is a Royal Princess to boot...

...It's just so.......

....unfair.

It was then.

Conditions met Title「Apostle of Sin」has activated

Why does he get all the good things?

You have acquired a '■■■-grade' skill

I have lived 16 years in this life.

It is a short time.

And yet, it is the same length of time as Chris.

Sure, he's such a "nice guy".

But it's not like I'm a villain, huh?

He get's all of that extraordinary stuff.

An overpowered and completely broken status.

...and yet, what do I get?

A curse.

One that originates from the God of Sin, no less.

Skill「Envy」has been acquired

And now, if I don’t make it out of this place…

I will probably be executed for being 'evil', just like Teacher...

Just why is this happening to me, huh?

...Just why?

Just what have I done to deserve this?

I...

"...Pwah...!?"

I was jolted back into reality with a sudden intake of breath.

My eyes laid upon the notifications in front of me.

…What?

A new skill?

「Envy」...?

What does that…

Oh.

Right.

Chris.

Skill「Envy」has activated

...That son of a bitch.

Just because he’s so goddamn lucky.

He's got all of those advantages for doing nothing.

Doesn’t mean he can go around being a so-called “Hero of Justice” and go flaunting his shit around.

I swear, I'll―

.....No.

Keep on track.

The main goal right now is to escape and survive...

...Yeah.

Everything else can wait.