Chapter 201: Rotten World

After Yami and Ishana agreed on following the heroes to fetch the one who should not be with the heroes, I followed them who are not yet too far. Aria also decided to follow me as she detected something from the heroes earlier.

The heroes are clearly not yet combat-ready and are still too virgin to bloodshed and absolute violence. They still everything around them too casually which is somewhat similar to the behaviors of the characters of isekai mangas I have read before who treat everything like just a game and are too reliant on the cheats bestowed to them.

I observed them from afar and I try to look where the unfortunate guy who was dragged to this hero summoning scheme was currently and I find him on the side of the group, carrying a very big backpack full of weapons and other stuff for adventurers. In short, he was turned to a courier.

His body is full of wounds which made it clear that he was being abused by the heroes and I can also tell that he was not being helped by anyone which is kinda brutal and disturbing. He is bleeding and his wounds are all too severe and yet they are still whipping him.

"How cruel. Are they really the heroes that are tasked to protect this world?" Aria asked as she saw what was happening with the poor guy. I didn't respond to it but continue my observation.

The person that I am planning to fetch is one tough guy. Those wounds on his body are quite severe and I don't think a normal human can endure that. He is also carrying lots of weapons on the bag which means not only his wounds are bringing pain, even the weight of the bag is also taking a toll on his body which is impressive in its rights.

"Kazuma, I can detect that the person we are going to fetch right now is currently manifesting a mana awakening. If this continues, he will be able to unleash his hidden potential to become a magician."

"Eh? Really? He is achieving an awakening from all that torture?"

"There are various ways of an awakening of their latent mana and one of them is from intense predicament like near-death experiences and some are tortures. Though these cases are rare, they do exist and they managed to last and cling to their life, allowing the magic and mana in their body to fully manifest."

"Is it unstoppable?"

"It can be suppressed once it awakens. However, to do that, it needed the user to forget the existence of magic. If that is secured, then sealing the magic in the body is now possible."

Everyone who awakened the ability to use magic will choose to either keep their magic and work with the magician society to keep the world in peace, or to forget everything. If that is the case, I will ease his problem and hear his thoughts.

The group has finally arrived in the forest. Around this time, the person who was the strongest among the heroes kicked the poor guy in the knee, causing him to almost collapse. He still managed to stop from falling down but he was forced to kneel to balance himself. However, the princess looked in the direction of the guy and squinted her eyes. I can tell that this innocent-looking princess is a devil inside.

"Whip him again."

Her voice is calm, but it was cold. Too cold. This is not a princess, this was not the ideal person who will inherit the throne and gain the queen title.

"Kazuma. You need to help him! He doesn't deserve this!" Aria said as she tugged my hood.

"You don't have to remind me. This is no longer tolerable."

One guard who is carrying a whip approaches the poor guy who is already closing his eyes and seems to be ready to accept the fate he was in.

"Hey, courier boy, you shouldn't give up so easily."

After saying that, I snap my fingers and send flame particles to the whip, causing it to ignite to flames. The guard didn't expect it and panicked as the whip immediately reduced to ashes. And as expected on the heroes, they quickly ready their weapons and even though their stance is still bad, they are ready to strike if they are given the opportunity. Since I didn't appear in front of them yet, they are still looking for my current location.

"To think humans are capable of doing this to their fellow humans... this just proves the humans are rotten to the core," I said as I observe everyone's reactions.

"Kazuma, your lines are such delivered badly. I feel the cringe creeping in my skin," Blue snickered.

"Just let me be like this once in a while. Remember I can't show off like this back on Earth. I wanted to at least feel badass once."

"Pfft, hahaha, go on, entertain me. It is indeed rare to see something like this on Earth. Don't disappoint me though. Let me grab some popcorn too."

Blue still never changes but it is good enough to feel at ease.

The princess looked around and did not find me but she managed to pinpoint the right direction on where I was speaking. I thought she will ask "who are you!" dialogue to me but I guess this one is not similar to the princess in most mangas I read.

"What is your business here?"

Quite a straightforward question. And based on her choice of question, she didn't care about my name and went straight to what I am doing there. She is looking down on me but that is alright.

"Me? I am here to take this guy with me," I said before going out from my hiding place and went straight to the courier boy and rip the bag off from his back and toss it to the ground. It was heavy but it is alright if you are a magician. That amount is nothing but for a normal human, that is not something you can easily carry. Your back will suffer a problem.

"Who are you to make chaos to us Don't you know me? I am the first princess of the Northern Kingdom!"

Pfft, what an arrogant person. I really wanted to punch her face so that she awakens from her delusions but I decided to hold back for now.

"Heh? Did I ask you?"

Honestly, I don't care if you are a high ranking official or not. I have my purpose and that is to get this person with me. The princess gritted her teeth and is currently very angry. She might go explode if she continues to act like that. Even the heroes are giddy to strike already but I made sure they will hesitate by applying a slight amount of pressure. The man who is introduced earlier as the fiancee of the princess is also ready to attack too.

"Who are you?"

Now you have the nerve to ask now? You should have asked me the first time I appeared.

"Me? Hahaha, I am just a random passerby."

The princess this time is now too pissed that she raised her hand and issued a command.

"Capture that insolent man and bring him in front of me!"

Blue snickered and laugh in my head. "Lol, this princess is too cliche and you too are also using cliche lines too, damn it, I am dying from laughing hahaha!"

"Don't ruin my moment damn it."

The guards pulled out their swords and started attacking me. However, they are too weak for me to use my magic. Even if they are clad in full armor, they are no match to me. A sword quickly swings in my direction but this is nothing. I grab the blade of the sword and applying a small amount of mana to my hands, grip the iron, and crush it to pieces.

"WHAT!?" the soldier didn't expect what I did. But I didn't stop there and lunge forward to him and grabbing his helmet. Applying the smallest pressure, I slam the guard down to the ground and made sure the impact is only enough to incapacitate him

I repeated this to the remaining guards who didn't even put out a fight. I just kicked and punched while applying a little bit of mana on my attacks. It didn't take me a few minutes to finish every guard and reduce them to incapacitated states.

"Did you really bring capable guards? I doubt they are capable at all. I mean, the smaller weaker monsters around here prove more challenges than these guys."

"You insolent bastard! I can no longer tolerate your behavior towards my fiancee!"

I slyly grinned and looked at him while applying pressure. "Is that so? Do you think I care if your fiancee is a princess?"

The fiancee seems to have enough of my taunts and ran out of temper. He pulled out his sword and applied some sort of force to it, causing it to unleash an aura similar to the aura released when the priests of the Church of Order used their magic using the Philosopher's stones.

"Goddess of Life, guide me to the path of light, for I will smite my foe with the holy power..."

Chanting? Is that even necessary? He is not using magic at all but just channeling the magic power contained in the Philosopher's Stone in his sword. The chant he is using is not even increasing the intensity and power of his charged attack.

"Just let him be, Kazuma. He might think it is necessary or he was taught to chant it to unleash the power."

"... bring the power to my strike! Holy Smite!"

White beam appeared on his sword and the heroes around looked amazed. However, I shook my head in disappointment. This is a blatant rip-off version of Excalibur.

"Che, what is this, are you even trying?" I said before raising my left hand and flick off the beam, causing it to bend and break.

"H-HOW?!"

"How disappointing. You guys are all just a joke."