'I don't know how the deities of this world work, but where I come from it's a sin to use the name of god in vain...'
"Jon, called a false hero, received the power of the gods to protect the righteous and defend the weak. However, it is common knowledge that he not only refused to share the divine blessings with the people, but also refused to follow the guidance of older and more experienced people. Guidance that could have saved hundreds of lives.
"I swear before the gods, and I use the testimony of his own blood, that the following words came out of the false hero's mouth: "Let's get something straight to avoid problems now and in the future, I'd rather see every single person in this world gets fucked by a goblin before I'm forced to do something I don't want to do. So save your saliva and your neurons, my decision cannot and will not be changed.""
"Young Tommy, am I telling a lie?"
I see little Tom cringe in his chair at the sudden attention. Then he stands up and shakes his head, whispering a weak "No."
"All of Terhi's valiant defenders are witnesses to the fact that the false hero was in possession of a magical weapon of great power, which, if used in the hands of someone stronger and more talented, would have prevented many of the deaths that occurred on that terrible night."
The baron removes a cloth from the table, revealing my sacred sword... Curiously, no one seems willing to wield it.
The crowd, which had previously seemed hesitant, begins to become clearly hostile towards me... It's hilarious to face this trial, when my current status is precisely for saving this village...
"The brave Captain Robert fought against the worst the enemy had on the field, defeating goblin knights, shamans and even a war leader, while the false hero abandoned the battle at the decisive moment, allowing the enemy to reach the non-combatants and cause the death of hundreds of defenseless women and children."
I listen to the accusations in silence, and face each person at the table. Tommy stares at me, looking disappointed. Igor looks away. Sandro and the stranger look at me with amusement. Brenda smiles wryly and Robert looks at me with a firm expression.
"It is undeniable that the false hero's contribution enabled our victory over the hated enemy. It is also undeniable that if he had followed the advice and guidance of his elders... if he had been more humble, the number of deaths would have been much lower. Many of you here wouldn't have to be in mourning..."
'The hostile crowd starts clamoring for my death!? That's rather stupid...' Maxuel held up his hands, asking for calm.
"The false hero is still young. He can and will be taught the right way! Everyone has the right to a second chance, as long as they accept their mistakes and choose to change. Jon, as the accused of all these crimes, you have the right to a defense, do you want to say anything?"
…
…
"I... admit that I made a mistake, and I recognize my errors. What will my punishment be?"
I can see the people on the other side of the table breathing a sigh of relief, although one or two in the crowd are still clamoring for my death.
"You are to use your heroic skills to strengthen the village's defense, starting by raising soldiers appointed by the council to superior, elite and champion ranks. In addition, your weapon will be given to a more capable warrior until you reach the level needed to use it. You will receive a tutor appointed by the council to train you, and in the event of a new attack, you must follow the council's orders."
"I appreciate the council's benevolence, but unfortunately I need to clarify something that doesn't seem to have been made very clear... I'd rather see every person in this world get their ass kicked by a goblin before I'm forced to do something I don't want to do. So save your saliva and your neurons, my decision cannot and will not be changed! And for those with slow minds, I still don't want to listen to your orders"
The crowd erupts into an uproar, requiring the intervention of the guards to contain them.
"We're being lenient because of your age, if you don't accept the council's demands, you'll be executed as a traitor!"
The baron shouts over the din.
"Many of you have seen me fighting, do I look like someone who is afraid of death?"
"Take this traitor to prison!" Sandro stands up and shouts, his finger pointed in my direction.
[Do you want to demobilize your army? This option will cause all the skills and levels acquired by your soldiers to be removed]
"YES!"
A good number of the soldiers opened their eyes wide and paled. Diego, who was standing next to me, simply falls to the ground.
A funny thing about holy weapons is that they are linked to the soul, so no one but me can use it, and I can keep it in a space of my own in my soul, or something like that.
The baron looks stunned as the magic blade disappears from in front of him and seconds later appears in my hand. I activate black fire, burning the ropes that bind me, and stand up.
Soldiers begin to draw their weapons, and I activate Arcane Shield, moments later an arrow hits the translucent barrier. I look in the direction the arrow came from and see Iris firing another, which crashes harmlessly into the barrier. In the meantime, I finish activating the swords of light ability, and the violent crowd screams in unison as they see a storm of swords of light falling on them.
I change into spear form and appear on top of the table, seeing the terror in the eyes of the councilors trapped in their chairs. I pierce Sandro and the stranger next to him, watching their bodies being consumed by black flames, and I take a long second to stare at the baron, deciding whether to leave him alive or not.
The second passes and I disappear, appearing in front of Iris, the skill coming to an end the moment I kick her in the stomach. I hear a scream coming from the table, but I ignore it, break the bow and pick up an arrow from the ground and stick it in her shoulder, then break the shaft.
"The next time you shoot me, I'm going to make sure it's the last time"
I ignore the young archer and turn around, seeing Robert and his magic hammer running towards me, dozens of soldiers following him.
I summon the battle steed and wait for them to approach, the tip of my spear resting on the archer's belly.
Robert and the soldiers stop and watch me.
"I hope the next goblin attack takes a while to arrive, and when it does, that you're better prepared" I look at Robert with a mocking smile "A bit of blood has been shed, but no one important has died... yet. We can keep it that way, and I'll leave, or I can kill as many people as I can before I get killed... it's up to you, Captain"
Robert swallowed, seeing the smile on my face die. He shouldn't be stupid, he saw up close the damage I did to the goblins and knows I can do a lot worse here. He hesitates for a moment before nodding.
I change the spear into the shape of a hammer and activate the arcane shield, turning my back and leaving the village. The north gate was in front of me, but I decided to head south.
I pass the charred houses and remember the fiery explosion that almost killed me, and the final words spoken by the shaman... "Nargoth is watching us, eh... May he watch me and learn to fear me"
—---
A few days earlier, during the beginning of the goblin invasion.
A middle-aged man was fighting an intense battle with a young man, his sword moving like a serpent, defending blows, finding and piercing weak points, stopping attacks before they started. The young man did his best to defend and attack, but ended up being frustrated in every attempt.
"Your defense is too weak, Lucius, and your attack is still pathetic"
"My specialty is the bow, uncle. Devastating ranged attacks and high mobility in the field..." The young man replied after catching his breath.
Before the middle-aged lord could reply, the sound of hooves was heard as an exhausted rider burst into the earl's private garden.
"Sire, goblins sighted. Tens of thousands of them, possibly hundreds. Everything to the south is on fire"
"Uncle…"
"No, Lucius, your duty is to protect Valen in my absence. Send messengers to Duke Augustus and ask him to prepare the armies."
"But, uncle…"
"Don't insist, Lucius. You may be a hero, but you are still too weak for something of that level. Defend Valen until my return."
—---
Smoke billowed into the sky as ash rained down on the destroyed village. In a spot far from the fire, hundreds of people waited in chains, while goblins separated them one by one and presented them to their leader. Occasionally one of the people would manage to take his own life, but most were too cowardly to do so.
The leader was a young goblin, his dark gray skin marked with red runes and his yellow eyes glowing. A large axe with the blade still red with blood rested at his side, and an especially large wolf rested on his back.
The chained people were dragged before him, those too old or too young were sent to the left, where they would be fed to the brood. Those of the right age were sent to the right, where they would be incubated to give birth to new soldiers.
And those who were young and beautiful were brought to him, where an 'N' was branded on their face, and they were sent to a cart behind him.
The leader stopped in the middle of an order, seeing a new mission arise.
[You have received a new task for your sacred mission]
[First task: invade the county of Einhard…]
[Second task: conquer the city of Valen…]
[Third task: destroy the village of Terhi (reward: 3 gold coins)]
------
End of the first volume: Am I a hero?