I Became a Hero With a Lot of Experience

4 – 004: Prison

Sword.

Capturing the tangible form for the first time, the object, which I had seen through various media multiple times, felt strangely unfamiliar to the point of being peculiar.

In the modern era, possessing it required a permit, and this item, capable only of being used as a tool for murder, or rather a weapon, was swinging toward me.

Swinging the sword. The determination embedded in that act had transformed the sword, originally just a weapon in the medium, into a real-life instrument for murder.

Compared to the feeble attempt Penny had shown a moment ago, the intention to kill was incomparable, causing my body to shudder, and my mind to be filled with thoughts of death.

With a crisp blue glow, the black sword with dozens of streaks leaps into my embrace.

Though my mind knew I had to evade immediately, and my body should at least crouch down to resist even a little, my body did not comply with my thoughts.

“Am I going to die?”

Death. The time left in the grim future, which I did not want to accept, seemed regrettable, as if a second had expanded into hundreds of times its normal duration.

The sword touched my body. Thinking I was about to die, I closed my eyes.

“…Huh?”

What followed was not the sound of flesh tearing or the sensation of my body and head parting in a sorrowful farewell.

“What?! (Experience gained: 17)”

Before the black figure that covered my body could make contact, an incomparable white light, as if concentrated by gathering and filtering all the whiteness in the world, blocked it.

How to express this light? In it, warmth akin to the sun could be felt.

Just as everyone, including myself, was bewildered and unable to react to the suddenly appearing light, the light began to converge in one place, and a new form took shape, and a name flashed in my mind.

“Sacred Shield Uni.”

A massive pure white shield, unreachable by anyone except a virgin, is gripped in my hand.

As if I had known this shield from the beginning, I couldn’t contain my amazement at the familiar sensation.

Although Uni was a huge shield that covered my entire upper body, I felt no weight.

Without a chance to be perplexed by the sudden surge of information, the sword surged towards me again.

“…Mudada.”

However, the knights attacking me from all sides were blocked by an invisible wall, as if the wall itself had decided to stop them.

This is the power of Sacred Shield Uni. It accepts only the pure and rejects everything impure.

Foolish knights following a tyrant can also understand; it accepts only the first attack (virgin), and all subsequent attacks (non-virgin) are defended against.

“No attack will pass through me!!”

Only the first strike penetrates Uni; once it has defended an attack, it will block any further attacks unless Uni is destroyed or a new weapon is brought out.

In other words, I didn’t bother to mention the fact that if someone were to punch me after discarding their weapon, the attack would go through unless I blocked that fist.

Because I am not a moron who blabbers on like a self-proclaimed instructor about his abilities and weaknesses.

“Hey!! Try again!! Come at me, you bastards!!”

The courage to face a sword was present in a powerless chef, yet was there no courage to aim a sword at an invincible warrior?

Most knights hesitated and stepped back at the sudden change that even I didn’t know about.

“Aargh!!! (Experience Points: 9)”

A few knights, some considered brave with kind words and foolish with harsh ones, swung their swords again, but no matter how many times they repeated it, the result remained the same.

Unlike the mere door-openers that were the king’s knights, the pure white shield, accepting only pure pride, didn’t forgive any injustice touching its own body.

“Now, somehow I have to escape from here…”

I had memorized the castle’s layout on my way here. It was thanks to anticipating this kind of situation that I had prepared.

“Out of the way, you brats!!”

Pushing aside the knights blocking the path, I rushed toward the door.

“Huh?”

However, as sudden disorientation struck along with my energy being sapped away, my body slowly began its descent to the ground following gravity.

What on earth is happening? My eyelids are getting heavier. Unable to withstand the rushing tide, I closed my eyes.

*****

As if splitting my head with a hammer, the eyelids, which seemed like they would be forever shut, began to open.

Though I regained consciousness, the disorienting force that surged through my body before I fainted still lingered, sapping my vigor.

“Damn it…”

Possessing powerful abilities at the expense of stamina?

Well, the ability created with who knows what kind of thinking doesn’t even have this level of constraint, which is logically unreasonable.

But where am I? I seem to have somehow survived for now, but I don’t feel entirely unharmed.

The room was dark and damp. With sounds of rats crying and water droplets falling from everywhere, could this be an underground place?

Considering the tyrannical nature of that ruthless king, it would be reasonable to think this is an underground prison.

To be locked up in a prison for defending oneself from violence, damn it, is this Korea?

“Ugh…!!”

I wanted to get up right away and beat those bastards to a pulp, but my body didn’t comply.

Even if I manage to stand again, with just a shield, it’s futile.

“What will become of me now?”

It’s not entirely unexpected. It’s just that this expectation leans towards the unfavorable side.

Sure, I’ve shown my usefulness, and unlike before, it’s not entirely impossible to build a more favorable relationship by being treated differently, but honestly, it’s slim.

If this is another world, they might realize my danger and try to kill me. Damn it… That’s why you should be careful with words in front of a tyrant. I should’ve known since I had been with not just my wife but 78 other women.

“If I go out, I’ll teach that brat a lesson and come back….”

“What?!”

“Huh?”

The person who responded to my muttering was probably the only good man in this world who could be considered my ally.

“Hero!! You’ve woken up!!”

An old man in tattered clothes holding a bucket of splashing water. The priest Jarvis, who worships the goddess of purity, kneeled in front of the window and continuously shouted my name.

Perhaps because of the loud voice echoing underground, my eyebrows involuntarily furrowed. Jarvis seemed to have noticed the slight change in my expression and quickly covered his mouth with his hands.

“…Did you come to take care of me or something?”

“Ah, yes… Although there are no injuries, you have used up a lot of energy. Suddenly wearing the Holy Armor, it’s only natural that you would faint.”

“Holy Armor?”

“Holy Armor refers to the equipment made by turning the Holy Sword or whatever the hero used into a protective shield. It turns into a shield that protects the hero when their potential is awakened in a moment of crisis.”

“I never knew I awakened. That’s something you don’t expect to hear in your lifetime…”

As I unintentionally laughed, Jarvis tilted his head in confusion as he didn’t understand English.

“…Anyway, rest your body for now. You were unconscious for two days.”

“Come to think of it, I’m starting to feel a bit hungry…”

“I will immediately inform His Majesty and prepare a meal.”

“You want to give proper food to the guy locked up in prison?”

“…hahahahaha, it seems that His Majesty was greatly impressed by the power you showed, Hero. Surely he will release you soon.”

“Well, that would be nice…”

Would he really do that? If it were me, I would probably kill him right now.

*****

“Hmm….”

Galleon closed his eyes, imagining the spectacle that could be called a reenactment of the myth that unfolded during the day.

The competition to subdue the demon king that repeats every hundred years, creating the map of the continent. The Vergina Kingdom had been preparing meticulously since ancient times for this moment.

They had put efforts into nurturing talents to fill the national power and to produce warriors chosen by the gods.

However, the hundred-year efforts crumbled away due to an unexpected variable.

“The Vergina Kingdom has been chosen by the goddess of purity.”

The capriciousness of the goddess of purity, who had never chosen a hero since antiquity.

In addition, the one chosen as the hero was not a young warrior who had trained extensively, but a commoner who had never seen a sword properly in his life.

When Galleon realized that all the efforts passed down through the generations had been in vain, he gave up everything and looked forward to the next hundred years.

However, the moment I witnessed the invincible ability that the hero displayed today, my thoughts changed.

Honestly, even now, there is no change in the fact that I am lagging behind other heroes. It would be unlikely for the pure-hearted hero to have a higher possibility of defeating the Demon King before the other heroes.

But it’s not impossible. You can take advantage of the opportunity when the hero is exhausted from fighting with others.

Even if it’s not enough to defeat the Demon King, with that power, you can gain enough advantage in negotiations after the subjugation of the Demon King.

“Should I start by improving our relationship?”

Galleon raised his head after a moment of contemplation. Just then, he received news that could either be good or bad.

“Your Majesty, the hero has awakened.”