Chapter 157: Ch 156: Burden of being the hero

"People were piling all their expectations on Neil, and he felt burdened. Each word felt like it was pressing down on him, forcing him to act and take charge of the situation.

But he did not know what he could do.

Just the thought of holding a sword was terrifying, never mind facing the mass of corruption that Cardinal Flux had become.

"I cannot face him! I don’t know how!"

"Is that an excuse? You are a hero! You need to protect us all."

Someone yelled, cutting through Neil’s consciousness. He looked up, only to see the yelling man covered in red.

And he was not the only one.

Everyone in the room looked like they were covered in red and closing in on him. It was getting harder to breathe, and he felt like he was trapped. He needed to get out of here fast before he collapsed.

"He’s trying to run! Hurry up and grab him!"

Hands grabbed Neil, and he was pushed down. People stepped over him, trying to get to him and hurt him.

"Please stop! I cannot take it anymore!"

He yelled, accepting his fate of dying at the hands of these panicking people. But just as he was about to take his last breath, he felt someone pushing these people back and grabbing him by the back of his collar.

Neil saw a flash of black before Kael dragged him out of that pile and toward himself.

"Stop dogpiling on a panicking kid and stop pinning your hopes on an untrained child. If you are so afraid, then help yourselves."

Kael pushed back for Neil’s sake, and Neil felt touched.

But the people did not feel the same.

"That kid is the hero while we are ordinary civilians. How are our situations remotely the same? He was born to fight corruption while we will die if we do."

A civilian yelled back with conviction. And once these people found their voice, they all began to yell.

"That’s right!"

"We need the hero to step up! This is his responsibility!"

"Justice for us! Justice for us!"

People chanted, making Kael sigh. He waved his hand, and everyone suddenly found themselves unable to speak.

"I’ve heard enough bullshit from you this week. Now, run out of here before I lose my temper and decide to bury you here."

Kael warned, making the people grit their teeth and back down. But they looked at him as if they wanted to tear him apart and throw him out.

Fortunately, they all left quietly, and Kael did not have to teach them a lesson.

"Kael-"

"Don’t worry about the words of those fools. They like to judge people without having any qualifications themselves."

Kael patted Neil on the head, and Neil felt better, but also more determined. He wanted to tell Kael what he had been suspecting all this time.

"Hey, Kael! Actually, I...I have a feeling I am not the hero. The Cardinal must have been mistaken because of the corruption-"

"I know. But it’s fine. We can talk about it after we are done taking care of this situation. Now go out and find Iris and Seraphina. I will help Leon."

Kael pushed Neil out, but Neil looked worried.

"But you and Leon-"

Neil was about to insist that they might need his help when he looked behind Kael, where Leon was fighting, only to see that Leon had the situation under control.

The Cardinal was trying to close the distance between himself and Leon, only to be pushed back by the barrier. Leon was even using sword aura to increase its power, leaving Neil in awe.

"Stop looking at Leon and get out. Leave this situation to us."

Kael promised, and Neil finally went out.

Once Neil was gone, Kael headed back to Leon’s side and looked at the Cardinal’s decaying body. It was twisted beyond repair, and even purification looked difficult to perform.

"How is his condition?"

He asked Leon, only to get a frustrated sigh out of the kid.

"It’s not good. In fact, the only salvation left for the Cardinal is death. But I have a feeling he would want to resist our mercy. The corruption is already making it hard for me to hit him properly."

Leon complained as he stabbed the Cardinal through the barrier. His sword pierced the Cardinal’s leg, causing a deep wound.

Somehow, Kael had a feeling that Leon was starting to drag the situation out because he was trying to vent his frustration.

And as much as Kael wanted to do the same, he knew they were on a time crunch.

"Leon, let’s not drag this out. I have a feeling the Cardinal has rigged the temple in case of his death as well. I am going to form a purification barrier around the whole place. Once I do, can you try to purify the area?"

Kael asked, and Leon let out a smirk and nodded.

"Blow up the temple? Sure, I can do that!"

That was not what Kael meant...well, technically, that was what he meant.

Corruption was a persistent thing, and even the smallest traces of it could breed disaster. So the best way to clean up an area was to use a huge amount of holy power.

The temple exploding would just be an added bonus.

"Hehehehe...You think...you can...get rid of it...all? You are...a fool...to trust...this kid...Even if he’s the...hero...he’s young...This is...my win..."

The Cardinal let out a laugh as he spoke those words. He looked reassured that he had won, but it was just his delusion talking.

Kael usually did not reply to such jabs, but the Cardinal was one person who always got under his skin, and he felt like he had to answer.

"What win are you talking about? Your reputation is in tatters, and your soul is damned. As for the purification of this place and Leon’s potential...You really have no idea, do you? That’s why you decided to appoint a fake hero and chose someone without talent."

Kael mocked the Cardinal, stoking his anger one last time. He raised his barrier at the same time, causing the Cardinal to struggle against its power.

"Y-You orphaned vermin! How dare you-"

"Now this is uncalled for. My family is still alive and well."

"B-But that orphanage-"

"Ah, I left my family and entered one. Not that it’s any of your business."

Kael whispered the last part as Leon unleashed a burst of holy energy, blowing the temple up.