The One-Eyed Silent Swordsman
Arc 8: The Hero Town Arc
Chapter 28: The Hero Town
"…Godatsu… go."
Saito's voice was calm.
"I will stand here."
A pause.
"…No… Saito…"
Godatsu didn't move.
Saito warned him.
"If you don't go…"
"Something bad will happen."
Silence.
"I will hold the seal."
The air changed.
Not outside.
Behind him.
Something pressed.
Slow.
Heavy.
Godatsu's grip tightened.
"…You can't do it alone."
Saito didn't turn.
"…I don't need to."
A pause.
"…Just long enough."
Silence.
Godatsu looked at him.
A long look.
Then—
He turned.
And walked away.
Not because he wanted to—
But because he understood.
Behind him—
Saito stood still.
Between the world—
And the seal.
The air trembled again.
Stronger.
Closer.
Saito stepped forward.
One step.
"…You're not coming out."
His hand touched the seal.
Everything stopped.
—
Morning.
"Come here…"
"Come here…"
"The way to Hero Town…"
Voices echoed across the road.
I walked toward it.
A wooden buggy stood near the path.
Old.
But stable.
The driver looked at me.
"Going to Hero Town?"
"…Yeah."
He nodded.
"Sit in."
I stepped in.
Four others were already there.
They looked at me.
Not curious.
Not friendly.
Just measuring.
The buggy moved.
Slow.
Steady.
The road stretched forward.
Dust followed behind.
Silence stayed.
Then—
"You going there for the first time?"
"…Yeah."
A man leaned back.
"Then listen carefully."
The wheels kept turning.
"The Hero Town…"
"It wasn't always a town."
A pause.
"It was a territory."
"Ruled by monsters."
"No humans."
"No safety."
"No escape."
Another voice joined.
"Armies tried to clear it."
"They failed."
"Every time."
The buggy moved forward.
The wind passed.
"Then he came."
Silence.
"Godatsu Zenith."
No one laughed.
No one exaggerated.
They spoke like it was fact.
"He came alone."
"No army."
"No support."
"No hesitation."
"He didn't wait."
"He didn't plan."
"He walked in…"
"And started killing."
The air felt slightly heavier.
"Day after day."
"Night after night."
"No rest."
"No retreat."
"He kept moving forward."
Another voice.
"Monsters started disappearing."
"Entire areas cleared."
"Paths opened."
"Land became silent."
The man looked ahead.
"Until nothing was left."
Silence.
The buggy kept moving.
"That's why…"
"He is called…"
"The Hero Who Stood at the Absolute Peak."
No one spoke after that.
For a moment—
Only the sound of wheels remained.
Then—
"…And his son."
The tone changed.
Sharper.
More careful.
"Tatsuro Zenith."
A pause.
"He lives there now."
Another man spoke.
"He's not like others."
"He doesn't show off."
"He doesn't waste movement."
"He doesn't lose."
Silence.
"He was raised at the peak."
"Trained from the beginning."
"Not to reach it—"
"But to stay there."
The road changed.
Smoother.
Wider.
The buggy slowed slightly.
"People there…"
"They're different."
"No weak ranks."
"No beginners."
"Minimum… B rank."
Another voice.
"Even guards are strong."
"Stronger than most adventurers."
"Money flows there."
"High rank quests."
"High rank monsters."
"High rank deaths."
A pause.
One of them looked at me.
"…You sure you want to go?"
Silence.
"…Yeah."
No hesitation.
No doubt.
The buggy continued.
Hours passed.
The sun moved.
The air changed.
The road became stone.
Clean.
Maintained.
Then—
Something appeared ahead.
Walls.
Massive.
High.
Perfect.
Not damaged.
Not broken.
Standing like they had never fallen.
"…We're here."
The driver spoke.
"Hero Town."
It is started to become night.
The buggy stopped.
I stepped down.
The ground felt different.
Stable.
Refined.
Guards stood at the gate.
Still.
Watching.
Their presence—
Controlled.
Sharp.
Not careless.
Not relaxed.
Strong.
For the first time—
Since I left—
"This place…"
A pause.
"…is different."
I walked forward.
Toward the gate.
Toward the town.
Toward something—
that finally felt—
worth it.
I walked forward.
Toward the gate.
Toward the town.
The guards didn't stop me.
But their eyes followed.
Careful.
Sharp.
Measuring.
The moment I crossed—
The air changed.
Not heavier.
Not lighter.
Just—
different.
Voices filled the streets.
Movement everywhere.
Not slow.
Not careless.
Controlled.
Every person—
aware.
Every step—
intentional.
"…So this is Hero Town…"
"…Looks like there will be tough people."
No pressure.
No fear.
For the first time—
No one looked at me twice.
A pause.
"…Good."
My grip loosened slightly.
Then—
I moved forward.
Into the crowd.
Into the city.
Into something new.
The Guild is ahead of me.
I come in the Guild.
Creeeeak
Everyone paid attention.
Everyone looking at me with sidelong.
There is a guy at counter.
I looked at the board.
This is different from before.
A guy called me.
"Hey, you come here…"
"What's your Rank!"
I look at him with and ignore.
"…Didn't you hear me!"
I asked the clerk.
"…Who is that kid?"
"Oh! That guy…he is the son of…"
"the hero…"
"Oh! Thank you for telling me."
The board is full of high ranking quests.
There is the minimum Rank quest is B.
[Quest]
[SS-Rank]
-Dungeon {Floor 100}
-Reward: 2 Platinum
"…It feels hard to do."
I give this quest to the clerk.
"…I'll do this."
"Let me see your card…"
"…G-G-Golden A-Rank Card…"
"…Abyss Dungeon Floor Cleared 163…"
"…Yeah, you can take it."
"…By the way… Where is the inn?"
"It is in next floor…"
"…Key?"
"…Take it…Room Number 13."
These days were so boring.
But,
Let's sleep.
Chapter End
Next Chapter: The Heir of the Zenith
Time: Thursday, 6 PM GMT +5:30