The Announced Hero and Roland’s Escape

Ordinarily, gathering the townspeople late at night would have been an arduous task. Yet, due to the Church’s formidable influence, only a handful dared to voice quiet complaints.

The Hero had appeared. This divine oracle manifested on every priest’s crystal ball at some point that very night.

A priest’s crystal ball was a magical artifact used to receive divine oracles and commands from higher-ranking bishops, akin to a magical conduit for communication. Whenever the Church had crucial directives, the Pope or a senior bishop would issue commands through their own crystal ball to ensure swift dissemination.

While highly convenient, this method was incredibly draining on magical power. Thus, it was only employed for matters of utmost importance.

However, the emergence of a Hero was clearly an extraordinary event. Indeed, several priests in Mondstadt nearly suffered a magical backlash from the sheer shock when they saw this message during their meditation.

This news had to be disseminated without delay.

Consequently, they summoned the faithful from their respective territories, instructing them to publicize this news far and wide. They were also urged to convene at the nearest church as quickly as possible, where the priests themselves would announce the specific details from a high platform in the square before the church.

Roland arrived with Roxy. As they left the Moonlight Hotel, they encountered a massive, surging crowd. After considerable effort, they managed to squeeze into a line, unhurriedly making their way towards the cathedral.

“Is that person not coming?”

Roxy leaned close to Roland’s ear, having to raise her voice slightly due to the surrounding cacophony.

“She said she wasn’t interested.”

‘Besides,’ Roland thought, ‘she couldn’t really come out anyway.’ Her current state was abnormal; when he had left, Freya was attempting to use magic to dispel it.

Roland wasn’t sure if he even wanted her to succeed.

As he loudly responded to Roxy’s question, he endured shoves and jostles from all directions.

The crowd was overwhelming. Every inch of the once-spacious street seemed to accommodate several people, the space between their feet felt even tighter than the gaps between paving stones.

The sheer density of the crowd was astonishing. These people were willing to forgo sleep late at night just to gather in the square and hear the priests’ announcement.

‘The Church’s influence runs deep,’ Roland mused. ‘Why, then, would my father choose to oppose such an organization?’

‘There’s simply no chance of victory.’

They were pushed along by the throng, each step feeling like an endless torment. Only upon reaching the square in front of the cathedral did they realize their situation was relatively good. The faithful at the front seemed to stack atop one another, eager to witness the grand event.

‘I’ll just observe for now,’ Roland thought. ‘What exactly is going on? I haven’t interacted with anyone from the Church, so why is there news of a Hero? Logically, with my existence, no other Hero should emerge.’

‘Could the Church have employed some special method?’

It seemed the priest confirmed the attendance was sufficient. Holding a magical crystal ball in his left hand, he brought his right fist to his mouth.

“Ahem—”

With a light cough, a vast surge of magical energy rippled outwards, touching every corner.

[Light Spell: Silence]

This was a magic that consumed a considerable amount of magical power. It involved a series of transformations of light element’s blinding properties to achieve an effect akin to solidifying other nearby magical elements.

Alternatively, it carved out a space, significantly increasing the difficulty for other magic users to gather magical power.

However, this priest’s magical level was only LV20, making it impossible for him to project his magic over such a wide area. He had merely applied a rudimentary form of this spell, simplifying the silence effect to calm the crowd, and the crystal ball in his hand certainly provided a boosting effect.

“As I previously announced, the Hero, who has not appeared for fifty years, has once again been born on our continent—”

The priest began with this rather perfunctory opening statement, and immediately, the crowd below erupted into a buzzing murmur.

“Is it true? Has the Hero really appeared?”

“The Church announced it, so it must be true.”

“Who is this Hero, then? Where are they from?”

“Could they be from the Kingdom of Engler? Many Heroes have emerged from there before.”

“I don’t think so. The last Hero appeared in the Holy Roman Empire; I believe this one will too…”

“Quiet down, everyone! Let’s hear what the priest has to say!”

The priest observed the murmuring crowd, a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes. Perhaps this was precisely the effect he desired.

Another soft cough, and silence descended upon the square once more.

“This time, the Hero has emerged within our Empire—”

Upon hearing this news, a wave of fervent applause swept through the gathering.

At that moment, Roland felt a sudden wave of panic, his forehead slick with sweat.

‘This doesn’t sound good…’

‘Our Empire…’

“And, fortunately, the location where this Hero emerged is very close to us—”

The applause grew even more intense, punctuated by cheers from many. Several adults with children even hoisted their little ones onto their shoulders, shaking them excitedly.

Roland glanced at Roxy, who was quietly clapping, seemingly unconcerned by the matter and oblivious to his distress.

“He is from—”

The priest deliberately drew out his words, his gaze sweeping across the entire square. Everyone he scanned caught their breath.

Roland was the most nervous. He slowly lowered his head, avoiding the priest’s gaze, almost afraid to breathe.

‘Could I really have been exposed?’

‘I cannot expose my identity as the Hero. Even if the Church doesn’t know who my father is yet, the Auditore surname is far too prominent within the Church. Anyone would suspect a connection between that surname and the Shadow Assassin League. If my father’s identity were revealed, I wouldn’t receive the Pope’s blessing, but rather the Temple’s guillotine.’

‘Moreover, even if my identity isn’t exposed, if I accept the Church’s patronage and training, I’ll likely become their tool for life.’

‘Therefore, for the sake of my own life and my future freedom, I absolutely cannot let the Church know I am the Hero.’

‘As for Freya…’

“Near Paimon Fortress—”

A wave of excited applause and cheers erupted from the crowd.

‘Damn it!’

Roland cursed inwardly. Disregarding what Roxy might think of his sudden departure, he immediately found a gap in the crowd and squeezed through. He seemed to possess an innate talent for this, his body swaying and shifting with the rhythm of the people, slowly allowing him to move from the dense crush to the outer edges.

Meanwhile, Roxy, sensing something amiss, noticed that Roland’s previous spot was now occupied by a stranger.

“Where is he?”

She turned to look around but could not find his figure.

By this time, Roland had reached the periphery of the crowd. He glanced back at the priest on the high platform, then surveyed the surrounding people and roads, constantly calculating which path would be best for escape.

‘Had the Church actually discovered me?’

‘Wait, if I’ve been discovered, why haven’t they called me out? That doesn’t make sense. Could they already know my father’s identity, and the entire square is a trap?’

Looking at every person around him, Roland suddenly felt that these seemingly harmless citizens were actually highly skilled masters of disguise.

‘I can’t detect any magical aura. Are the Church’s assassins really that formidable?’

‘Alright, if that’s the case, I’ll just…’

“From Buoluo Village—”

‘Thank goodness it’s not Green Village…’

‘Huh?’

‘Not Green Village?’

“His Highness Kayar—”

An unfamiliar name reached Roland’s ears. He blinked in bewildered confusion, then furrowed his brow and pinched himself.

It hurt quite a bit, so it wasn’t a dream.

‘I know Buoluo Village; it’s near Green Village.’

‘But Kayar? I’ve never heard of him…’

“This very Highness is—!” The priest raised the crystal ball high, infusing it with magic, causing a magical projection to unfold across the sky. “The great Hero of Healing!”

The projection, created with an immense expenditure of magic, clearly displayed Kayar’s appearance, allowing everyone in the square to see him distinctly. At this moment, countless other priests were performing the same feat. The once pitch-black sky took on a somewhat ethereal quality due to this widespread magical display.

Roland had no mind for the exclamations and praises of the surrounding people. He was meticulously observing this newly chosen Hero of Healing by the Church.

The boy appeared to be around fifteen years old, roughly the same height as Freya. He wore adventurer’s clothing identical to Roland’s own and had medium-length, chestnut hair.

With his amber eyes and soft facial features, combined with his age, he should have been a gentle individual. Yet…

The gaze he displayed made Roland feel uneasy. He had never seen such eyes before—they seemed to utterly despise everything in the world.

‘How could a child so young possess such a gaze?’