The Last Place Hero's Return-Chapter 28: Interlude – The Sealing Festival

Soon, it was time for us to leave. However, the children clung to us, tugging at our sleeves and whining for more playtime.

“Aww! Are you leaving already?”

“Stay and play with us a little longer!”

Iris gently smiled as she knelt to comfort them. “It’s okay. I promise we’ll come back to visit.”

Despite her reassurance, their reluctance to part was obvious, and they weren’t backing down easily.

“Really?”

“When? Exactly when are you coming back?”

“I want to play more with you and Big Brother!”

Seeing the children’s persistence, Father Antonio stepped forward. “That’s enough, children. Don’t trouble the Saintess.”

Even his firm voice didn’t immediately calm them, and one of the kids said, “B-but!”

Watching Father Antonio’s expression harden, Iris said, “Please don’t scold them, Father.”

“Spoiling them like this will only lead to bad habits,” he replied.

“Still.” Iris gently patted the children’s heads, her smile never fading. Then, she said, “Oh, right! Isn’t the Sealing Festival coming up soon?”

The Sealing Festival was a celebration marking the day the Great Five Heroes had sealed away the Demon God. It was one of the few days when cadets, usually buried under intense training and lectures, were allowed to rest and enjoy themselves freely.

Moreover, it wasn’t just the cadets who eagerly awaited the festival. On that day, even the Hero Academy, normally closed to all outsiders, allowed friends and family of cadets to visit them, making both the academy and Valhalla City buzz with excitement.

Iris said, “I was thinking of inviting the children to the festival. What do you think?”

“You mean these children?” Father Antonio asked.

“And of course, you too, Father,” she added.

Father Antonio looked taken aback, as if the idea had never occurred to him. “Well...”

Before he could reply, the children jumped and cheered at the idea, kicking up dust as they excitedly dashed around the yard.

“Yaaay!”

“Really? We get to go?”

“The academy! I want to see the academy!”

Father Antonio leaned in. Then, careful not to let the children overhear, he asked in a hushed voice, “Wouldn’t that be... difficult for you?”

It was a fair concern. If the kids caused any trouble and something went wrong during the festival, Iris’s reputation would take a serious hit. Even if nothing happened, some people would undoubtedly look down on orphans wandering through the academy grounds.

Although this place was officially declared a neutral zone under the agreement of the three nations, and no discrimination based on class or status was allowed within the zone, human prejudice wasn’t so easily erased. In this continent where demonic monsters and demons roamed, orphans were seen as even weaker than stray animals, and humans had an instinctive tendency to scorn the weak.

“It’ll be fine,” Iris said softly. Despite everything, not all people turned their backs on the vulnerable.

“If anyone dares criticize me for inviting them, I’ll invoke my authority as the Saintess to put them in their place,” she added.

Father Antonio’s eyes grew moist as he looked at her. “Iris, thank you.”

“No need to thank me. If anything, I should apologize for not inviting you all sooner.”

He shook his head, his expression warm and kind. “Haha, not at all.”

The children were overjoyed by the news.

“Then we really get to visit the academy?”

“Yes!”

“We love you, Big Sis!”

As they ran wild around the yard, their laughter echoing, Father Antonio shouted, “You little rascals! What do you think you’re doing out here? Get inside this instant!”

“Agh!!”

Father Antonio continued, “If any of you aren’t inside in the next minute, you’re not going to the festival!”

Startled by Father Antonio’s booming voice, the kids apologized and scrambled back inside.

“S-sorry!”

“Let’s go, quick!”

Father Antonio made sure the kids were inside and asked, “The festival’s in two weeks, right?”

“Yes, that’s right,” Iris replied.

The old priest gave a dignified bow, drawing a holy sign across his chest. “Hoho. Then we’ll see you then, Saintess. Take care on your way back.”

Turning to me, he said, “Oh, and you’re Dale, yes?”

“Ah, yes.”

He clapped me on the shoulder with a knowing smile that I couldn’t quite decipher. “Please take good care of the Saintess.”

“Of course, sir.”

“Haha. You’ll need to. She may seem gentle on the outside, but she’s surprisingly—”

“F-Father Antonio!” Iris quickly stepped in, flustered, her feet stamping in place.

The priest’s hearty laughter echoed through the yard. “Still, this timing is quite fortunate.”

“Hmm? Fortunate how?” I asked.

“Well, the security situation in the Ant Nest has improved recently. It’s the perfect time to take the children out,” he explained.

I tilted my head, curious. “Did something happen?”

Father Antonio shook his head slowly. “Hm, I don’t know the exact details myself. But I’ve heard that the black-robed outsiders who used to roam the Ant Nest have completely disappeared.”

“The black-robed outsiders?” I asked.

“Yes. Apparently, they were members of a criminal organization. Very dangerous individuals, or so the rumors went.”

The moment I heard those words, the image of the demon cultists flashed through my mind. I asked, “When did they disappear?”

“Hmm. Let me think... Not long ago. Just a few days back, they vanished without a trace.”

That coincided with the time when I had destroyed the Demon Cult’s hideout. The timing lined up perfectly. These black-robed outsiders were undoubtedly the underlings of Astaroth, the Archbishop of Dreams and Fantasies.

Father Antonio said in relief, “Regardless, this has been an excellent piece of news for us. With how dangerous this district already is, a criminal syndicate with over a hundred members makes it even worse for the children’s safety.”

This surprised me. “Excuse me. There were more than a hundred of them?”

“Well, I only heard it through the grapevine, but yes, it’s said they were a large-scale organization with at least that many.”

I had encountered and taken out only about thirty of them at their hideout, yet Astaroth had more than a hundred subordinates. This could mean only one thing: That wasn’t their only base. There had to be other hideouts scattered throughout the Ant Nest that I hadn’t found.

And now they’ve all vanished? I thought.

Logically, it made sense that after their plan to infiltrate the Hero Academy had been exposed, they had evacuated to avoid getting caught. But I wondered if they were the type to give up so easily.

Astaroth had spent years preparing for this plan. He had even risked exposing himself by sneaking into the academy. No matter how powerful a demon like an Archbishop was, infiltrating the Hero Academy was a mission that put his life at risk. Since he had already gone to such lengths, was he really going to abandon the entire plan just because a small part of it had gone awry?

As if that would ever happen, I thought.

A soft scoff slipped from between my lips. I had never met Astaroth in my past life, but if there was one thing I understood better than most, it was the nature of demons. They were beings who had turned their backs on humanity and etched the blessing of the Demon God into their very souls; once they desired something, they would never let go so easily.

I didn’t know what card he would play next, but Astaroth would undoubtedly find another path to reach the Seven Eyes. He would certainly make a move, just in a different way.

Iris broke me out of my thoughts. “Dale? What are you doing, standing there all spaced out?”

“Oh, sorry. I was just lost in thought,” I replied.

“Ah! Don’t tell me... Are you sad about leaving the kids, too?”

“Well, something like that.”

Iris licked her lips like a predator who had just spotted an easy meal. “Hehe. In that case, during the Sealing Festival, would you... ahem, would you like to hang out with me? I mean, with us! And of course, with the kids too!”

It was clear what she was really getting at. So, I said, “Sure.”

She clenched her fists and jumped in place with glee. “Yesss! No backing out later, okay?”

I chuckled and gave a nod. “Got it.”

Camilla interrupted our conversation and said, “Milady, we should head out soon or we’ll be late for curfew.”

Her voice reminded us of the time. I turned to see the sky now glowing in warm hues of sunset.

Iris grabbed my arm in a rush and began tugging me along. “Ah! We have to hurry, Dale!”

Letting her pull me, I walked back toward the academy.

*** 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Inside a warehouse, cloaked in darkness and surrounded by a thick veil of air with the stench of mold, several demons clad in black robes knelt in silence. Floating above them, a glowing purple orb shimmered ominously, casting eerie light across the room. Then, a low voice echoed from it. “Is everyone here?”

One of the kneeling demons bowed low toward the glowing orb. “Y-yes! As ordered, we’ve completely withdrawn from the Ant Nest! A-and this incident... It was Priest Calyx’s failure. We had nothing to do wi—”

“Silence. Only answer when you are asked,” said the voice, as the orb pulsed dangerously.

The demon quickly lowered his head again, trembling. “S-sorry!”

“Did you retrieve the nails?” the voice asked.

“Yes! We’ve recovered every last one we embedded into the ley lines!”

“Hmm! I see.” A sharp tongue click echoed from the orb. “What a mess this has become.”

A dark fog poured out from the orb, quickly filling the warehouse with its suffocating presence. The demons flinched and writhed as the mist brushed against them.

“Hiik!”

“A-Astaroth, my lord!”

“Please! Just give us another chance!”

“T-this was a plan you’d worked on for years, wasn’t it? Surely, it’s not worth to abandon it just because of one setback—”

“Abandon? Who said anything about giving up the plan?” Astaroth said, as the orb slowly spun in the air.

“W-what? B-but?”

“There is no world where I give up the Seven Eyes. I’m merely changing the approach. To something a bit more direct.”

A chilling laugh echoed from within the orb. The original plan had been to secretly steal the Seven Eyes, but with things having gone off course, there was no longer time to be subtle. Even if it meant risking exposure, he would now have to act himself.

One of the demons raised his head cautiously. “U-um, by direct approach, do you mean...”

“What do you think I mean?” Astaroth cackled, and the fog around them stirred violently.

The demons screamed in desperation, but the ominous fog only thickened, swirling like a violent storm.

“A-Astaroth, my Lord!”

“Please, mercy!”

“Y-you said there was another plan!”

The purple mist surged into their bodies through their mouths, ears, and noses. As they writhed in agony, their eyes slowly turned a glowing violet.

“Urk! Gwahh!”

“Gah! Ack!”

A low hum echoed from the orb as it stood above the screaming demons. “Hmm. With the original plan scrapped, there’s no need to wait until next year.”

Astaroth had realized that the sooner he acted, the better it was; he had to move at least before another variable appeared or the intruder at the Ant Nest’s hideout did anything else. While they didn’t know the intruder’s identity yet, they had learned two things from investigating the massacre. First, the intruder had acted alone; and second, the intruder had single-handedly slaughtered more than thirty demons. Moreover, no faculty staff had left the academy on the day of the attack either.

He’s no mere cadet. Who the hell is he? Astaroth wondered.

Originally, Astaroth had intended to track him down and punish him for ruining the plan. But securing the Seven Eyes came first. The reckoning could wait until afterward.

“Now then. When would be best?” The orb flashed ominously. “Ah, yes. It just so happens that the Sealing Festival is right around the corner.”

The Sealing Festival was a celebration held on the day the Demon God was sealed. If he could claim the Seven Eyes on such a symbolic occasion, the meaning and the impact would be even greater.

As Astaroth thought about it, a chilling laughter filled the warehouse once more.