Behind the Scenes: The Orchestrators and the Old Driver

I am the narrator, moonlighting as a sarcastic commentator and translator. Don’t tell me you don’t know me! I’m the bracketed content that mysteriously appears in every chapter!

This afterword is my domain.

Now, I shall tell you things the Hero and their companions never knew.

Let’s rewind to that night, just after Lu Ren and Hero Emily became one—between chapters 3 and 4.

“A thief!”

The Blacksmith, hearing the commotion, burst into the forge room.

“Wait! It’s not a thief!” Key flew out, attempting to explain.

“Huh? A guardian spirit?”

“Who are you? How do you know me?” Key asked, tense.

“Ah… you’re the Hero’s guardian spirit. As a veteran of many battles, I’ve seen you before. How could I not recognize you?”

“Oh, if you know the Hero, that’s good then!”

“Who’s lying over there?” The Blacksmith glanced towards the furnace. “Lady Hero?”

“Well, you see! The great Hero… she’s dead…”

“What?! Dead!” The Blacksmith rushed forward excitedly, cradling the Hero’s body. “No, wait! She still has body warmth.”

“That’s because I merged her with one of your villagers, a boy named Lu Ren…”

“Lu Ren? That kid… why would you do such a thing?”

“The Hero died… her soul could allow him to become the Hero, but… his physique wasn’t strong enough, so they had to merge…”

“This is madness! Lu Ren is barely an adult! How could he possibly become the Hero?”

“But there was no other way. This country cannot be without a Hero.”

“Alright then…” The Blacksmith pondered for a moment. “Lu Ren becoming the new Hero is acceptable. However, the former Hero’s death… it cannot be casually revealed.”

“Why not?”

“The nation would fall into chaos.”

It was the Blacksmith who suggested to Key that the news of the former Hero’s death should not be exposed.

Later, without Key’s knowledge, the Blacksmith informed the Village Chief that very night. Note that Key had never met the Village Chief at this point in the timeline.

“To think such a thing happened…” The Village Chief was stunned. “How many people know about this now?”

“Just you and me. No villagers are aware.”

“That’s good then… The death of the former Hero, Emily, must be kept absolutely secret!”

“I understand that perfectly. I’ve already advised the guardian spirit as well.”

“Lu Ren—ah, no, the new Hero—have they settled in?”

“They’re settled in, but as for clothes…”

“Don’t dress them just yet. We’ll pretend we’re a bunch of bumpkins and put on a kneeling ceremony for them.”

‘Ah, a forced spectacle, I see… clever.’

The Blacksmith wiped sweat from his brow. “But my acting isn’t very good…”

“It’s fine. If it’s not good, just force a smile and play dumb. We’ll muddle through. Remember to make things a little difficult; if it’s too smooth, Lu Ren might get suspicious.”

I knew it! No wonder the Village Chief always hit the nail on the head with his questions. He already knew everything… He was intentionally teasing Lu Ren and the others.

Next, regarding Helter. That day, he had overslept and was unaware of the Hero’s kneeling ceremony—which occurred in Chapter 6.

“What? The Hero!”

“Indeed! They’re currently wandering around the village. Planning to challenge them, are you? Think you can win?” the Village Chief scoffed.

“How will I know if I don’t try!” With that, Helter shouldered his greatsword and headed out.

It was the Village Chief who informed Helter of the Hero’s whereabouts, prompting him to come. Honestly, the old man genuinely cared about the simple-minded giant’s well-being, for Helter was a child he had taken in and nurtured.

The Village Chief hoped he could embark on a new adventure, so having him set off with Lu Ren, who had become the Hero, seemed like the perfect arrangement. The two youths could look out for each other along the way.

To achieve this, the Blacksmith naturally came to fan the flames of conflict—delivering a weapon to Lu Ren, who was reluctant to fight. Lu Ren, for his part, was thoroughly annoyed.

This was all a calculated plan to make Helter stick with the Hero and join their adventure… What they didn’t expect was that blockhead Helter would actually recognize Lu Ren…

Fearing Lu Ren and the others might not resolve the issues, they secretly followed Lu Ren and Helter throughout the night, ensuring everything went smoothly.

Unexpectedly, after a night of surveillance, the Blacksmith grew so exhausted that when he leaned against a door and heard his own name, he jolted awake! He pushed the door, only to accidentally break it open. He could only force an awkward smile before making his escape—thus leading to the scene in Chapter 12 where he was chased by a naked Helter.

Later still, when the Village Chief delivered equipment, he deliberately tried to sow discord between Lu Ren and Helter, testing whether their friendship remained as strong as it once was—this happened in Chapter 13.

Helter is a descendant of the Werewolf race. And no, it wasn’t something the Village Chief heard from travelers. He knew it the moment he found Helter. The giant wolf that carried Helter to the village entrance back then was none other than Helter’s father.

[Narrator! Stop! You’re spoiling it!]

‘Oh, understood, esteemed author! No spoilers.’

Later still, the village attack came as a complete surprise to the Village Chief. A single cannon shot destroyed half the village. Fortunately, he knew Lu Ren, now the Hero, was still in the forest searching for the Holy Sword. This knowledge gave the Village Chief hope, leading to his cunning battle against the bandit leader—after Chapter 31.

Yet, that bandit squad leader proved himself a fool, completely annihilated by the two old knights. Truly pathetic.

Then came the matter of the werewolf—Chapters 36 to 38.

The Village Chief actually knew who the werewolf was, but out of curiosity for Lu Ren’s reaction, he still questioned him… The cunning Village Chief was truly confirmed.

Finally, there was Lu Ren’s funeral—in Chapter 40.

The Village Chief genuinely expressed his gratitude to Lu Ren. Perhaps in the eyes of others, the boy was a joke, but he would forever remain the Village Chief’s cherished darling, dearer than a son. Wait, the Village Chief didn’t have a son…

That final farewell, delivered by the Village Chief—or rather, by his true name, the former Knight Carmen Lava—was a goodbye to the Hero’s party.

In essence, both the Village Chief and the Blacksmith were extraordinary individuals, orchestrating much of the events in the first volume from behind the scenes.

That concludes the afterword for this volume. However, an author skilled at padding word counts would never let me end here.

Besides the Village Chief and the Blacksmith, these two extraordinary individuals, there’s one more equally remarkable person.

It’s him! The “Driver” Lu Ren spoke of, the legendary dark assassin—none other than the Dismemberer!

Regarding the Driver, he still deserves a mention. After all, this fellow appeared all the way back in Chapter 1.

Do you know what he was doing driving that carriage in Chapter 1? He was scouting the path. That’s right, he had already been hired by Demonflame’s team at that time.

While scouting, he also took the opportunity to swindle some money from travelers along the way… The moment he met Lu Ren, he sensed something extraordinary. It was because they were both assassins… When fellow professionals meet, a silent understanding passes between them.

Then, he sold Lu Ren what he called a priceless treasure, a book titled “Assassin’s Manual.” Clearly, it was a foreshadowing, wasn’t it!

[Ahem, don’t say it out loud, even if some readers have already realized this wasn’t just a casual detail I wrote…]

‘Oh, understood.’

Later, some might ask where this assassin went after faking his death. Below is a description of his departure:

Seeing no one around, the Dismemberer decided his act of faking death was no longer being observed. He then drove his carriage away.

A short while later, on the plains.

“Heh, I’ve made quite a haul. From villagers, from bandits, and even from fellow professionals, hehe.” He whipped the horse’s flank, happily counting his money. (Note that the money here refers to this country’s [Diamond Gold Silver], which is similar to banknotes, not coins.)

“Hmm, quite good.” Suddenly, a figure entirely wrapped in cloth, like a ninja, appeared on the carriage.

“Well, well, isn’t this the Withered Flower? What brings you the interest to ride my carriage? It’ll cost 30 gold!” the Driver said with a smile.

“No, I’ll pay with flesh,” the ninja said, slumping. They then lay down and fell asleep.

“Honestly… always falling asleep the moment they arrive. I no longer even bother cutting your flesh…” the Dismemberer muttered, rolling his eyes, and continued counting his money.

That’s enough! Stop right there! Even in an afterword, new characters are introduced to set up future plots, aren’t they~~

After the Driver’s segment, we turn to the fleeing bandit leader, Demonflame.

“Damn it! Damn it!” Boli Afar found every step agonizing. Being alone was truly painful for him. Now, he intended to head to the Royal Capital to make his fortune.

“My sister…” He gazed at the jade bracelet on his wrist. “I’m sorry I can’t reunite with you sooner… Please bless your brother! May this journey be smooth…”

Ah, speaking of which, this guy’s character design is a sister-complex with a lost sister. Quite tragic, but as the saying goes—[People with a sister complex are never bad people]. I wonder what kind of definition the author will give him.

Alright, this concludes the spoilers… ah, no! This concludes the afterword for this volume! See you at the end of the next volume. [Wait! Did you just accidentally speak your mind?!]