Not All Heroes From Earth Are Bad

Demon King’s Army 3rd Corps, 2nd Slave Unit.

This place held three thousand human slaves in total.

Until now, no one had ever held the special position of slave master.

Choi Hyun-seok’s case was extremely unusual.

This also meant that Reidrun had been keeping a close eye on him.

“What are you doing there!?”

A normal person would feel overwhelmed having to suddenly lead thousands of people.

But not Choi Hyun-seok.

At first, he seemed to be getting a feel for the atmosphere, but he had fully adapted in just a few days.

Choi Hyun-seok was a proud Republic of Korea Army Sergeant.

His experience handling numerous slaves(?) during his military service was now shining through.

“Move faster! Think you’ll meet today’s quota like that!? Huh!?”

The slaves who had been trudging along began running at Choi Hyun-seok’s thunderous command.

As Choi Hyun-seok watched them with eagle eyes.

[You have commanded numerous people for an extended period]

[Hidden stat Charisma has increased]

“Muhahahahaha!”

Choi Hyun-seok laughed maniacally after checking the system notification.

Everyone shook their heads watching him.

“He’s completely mad.”

“Where did someone like him roll in from…”

“I heard he’s supposed to be a hero?”

“A hero? Him!?”

Though his ears were itching, Choi Hyun-seok paid no attention.

He had his own thoughts about this.

That’s when it happened.

-Hero! Please come to your senses!

Rachel sat on Choi Hyun-seok’s head and started pulling his hair.

“Hey, won’t you get lost!?”

-Hero! Something terrible will happen if this continues!

“Hey! This is all part of becoming a hero. Just stay quiet!”

Choi Hyun-seok’s eyes were already half-crazed.

The onlookers’ eyes were filled with pity.

“Now he’s even talking to himself…”

-What? Process of becoming a hero? More like becoming a Demon King…

Rachel was currently concealing herself with magic.

Naturally, it looked like Choi Hyun-seok was talking to himself.

The slaves thought Choi Hyun-seok had completely lost his mind.

“Group 3 over there! What are you doing! Did you skip lunch today!? Why is everyone crawling!”

Choi Hyun-seok would notice and rush over like a ghost whenever work slowed down anywhere.

Even the guards managing the slaves were impressed by his ability.

Just as he was deeply focused on the work, a system alert sounded.

[Reidrun’s favorability has increased]

[Not much remaining until favorability goal is achieved]

Choi Hyun-seok grinned upon seeing the alert.

He suddenly shouted in an emotional voice.

“Thank you! Lord Reidrun!”

-Crazy! Crazy! A hero praising a Demon King’s Army executive! Just bash your head in and die…. Kyaaak!”

Choi Hyun-seok threw away Rachel who was fidgeting beside him.

He climbed up on a high platform and shouted.

“Now, we’ll sing the Demon King’s Army 3rd Corps song. Begin!”

“…”

“Begin the song-!”

Befitting his large build, Choi Hyun-seok’s voice was extremely loud.

Loud enough to echo throughout the fortress busy with construction.

Of course, his newly gained Charisma stat also contributed to his increased voice volume.

▫Name: Choi Hyun-seok

▫Title: Hero Candidate

▫Level: 1

• Strength: 30
• Agility: 29
• Stamina: 33
• Magic Power: 10
• Charisma: 12
• Bonus Points: 0

▫Hero Points: 0

▫Abilities: Pickaxe Usage(C), Command(F)

▫Skills: –

Checking his stats that had increased over the past few days, Choi Hyun-seok sang energetically.

“We are~! The great~! Demon King’s Army~!”

Choi Hyun-seok led the song.

“We are… The great… Demon King’s Army…”

The other slaves followed with dying voices.

“Defeat the humans! Devour the humans!”

“Defeat the humans… Devour them…”

Another peaceful day was coming to an end at Hemorn Fortress.

***

That night.

Rachel sat on Choi Hyun-seok’s shoulder.

She pressed him angrily.

“Hero! What are you thinking!? Are you going to keep doing this!?”

“Wow, this fruit is delicious.”

Choi Hyun-seok ignored Rachel’s words, put his feet on the table, and ate fruit.

Currently, he was receiving special treatment, living in a clean room instead of prison.

He was quite satisfied with the decent meals he was getting too.

“Wake up! Didn’t you say you wanted to go on adventures!? Didn’t you say you’d escape the fortress!?”

“Of course I will. I’m doing all this because I have a plan.”

“What plan could you possibly have!?”

“Geez. So noisy.”

Choi Hyun-seok caught Rachel and sat her on the table.

“Listen well. I’ll explain how good the current situation is.”

“Go ahead, explain!”

“First, I gained a new stat called Charisma, and an ability called Command. Both are steadily growing.”

“I-I know that. But your duty as a hero…”

“Hero’s duty? I’m just doing what your hero system tells me to do. If this isn’t hero’s duty, what is?”

“What’s the quest content?”

“I told you. It says to gain bull-head Reidrun’s favor.”

“There’s no way such a hero quest exists!”

“Ah, I’m telling you it’s real.”

Only the individual could see their status window.

And the hero quest was part of the status window.

Naturally, Rachel couldn’t see the quest content.

No matter how much Choi Hyun-seok explained the quest content, she wouldn’t believe him.

“Look, it’s written right here.”

Choi Hyun-seok opened the quest window and started reading.

“You who dropped into the Demon King’s fortress from the start due to some idiot’s mistake! Win the favor of the Demon King’s army executive Reidrun…”

“I’m telling you there’s no way such a hero quest exists!”

From Rachel’s perspective, she couldn’t help but be suspicious.

Originally, hero quests were obviously righteous tasks, literally befitting a hero.

Like slaying monsters.

Or saving people in danger.

“But winning the favor of a Demon King’s army executive, such an absurd…”

Plus, the content was ridiculous.

‘Some idiot’s mistake’?

That clearly referred to Rachel herself.

The usually formal hero quests would never use such language.

“I’ve never heard of such a hero quest!”

“I must be special. You said so yourself. Something amazing like SSS-grade potential.”

“No, even so…!”

At that moment, a thought flashed through Rachel’s mind.

‘Could it be… Lady Frizzell…?’

Rachel’s superior Frizzell.

She had been particularly attentive to Choi Hyun-seok.

With Frizzell’s authority, it would be possible to change quest content or give new quests.

‘Did Lady Frizzell really do this?’

If so, there must be a reason.

Although he’s weak now, Choi Hyun-seok is an important hero candidate who might someday defeat the Demon King.

Maybe Frizzell used her power to arrange this to save him.

“And you know.”

Choi Hyun-seok’s words snapped Rachel out of her thoughts.

“I have my own thoughts too. Do you think I enjoy torturing people and helping that monster?”

“Eh!? You don’t!?”

“Of course not!”

Choi Hyun-seok shouted angrily, but Rachel didn’t drop her dubious gaze.

“Anyway, I need to focus on collecting hero points right now.”

“Tch…”

“Just wait a bit. I think I’ll finish raising Reidrun’s favorability soon.”

Today’s system alert said it.

Not much remaining until the favorability goal is achieved.

At this rate, he could complete the hero quest in a few days.

Just then, Choi Hyun-seok’s door swung open.

“Human!”

It was the goblin guard Jak.

Choi Hyun-seok hadn’t seen him since becoming slave master, so he wondered why he suddenly came.

“What is it.”

“Insolent fool. Lord Reidrun summons you. Come out immediately!”

Choi Hyun-seok, who had been sitting indifferently, jumped up at the mention of Reidrun.

“Lord Reidrun!?”

“Yes! Follow me!”

“Yes! Understood!”

Choi Hyun-seok looked more energetic than most Demon King’s army soldiers.

He’d probably jump up even from sleep at Reidrun’s name.

“Sigh…”

Rachel could only quietly sigh.

***

Reidrun’s office.

This was his second visit.

‘I’m not as nervous as before.’

Choi Hyun-seok wondered if he felt more comfortable because it was his second visit.

In truth, he just had more guts than others.

“Welcome.”

Reidrun greeted Choi Hyun-seok with a smile.

“I hear you’ve been working very hard lately.”

“Not at all!”

“Nonsense, I received reports that work efficiency has increased by nearly 1.5 times today. It must all be thanks to you.”

“I’m just a lowly human. Everything is thanks to Lord Reidrun’s wise guidance.”

Rachel clicked her tongue hearing the flattery flowing like water.

‘Tsk tsk. Is he a hero or a Demon King’s army lackey…’

Choi Hyun-seok ignored the voice in his head.

“Slave master Choi Hyun-seok. I called you today to commend your achievements, so be at ease. Is there anything you want?”

“Nothing at all. I’m satisfied just being able to work for Lord Reidrun!”

Choi Hyun-seok unleashed his previously unknown talent for flattery to its fullest extent.

“Hmm…”

But perhaps the flattery wasn’t to his liking?

Reidrun nodded with a slightly stiff expression.

‘Oh no! Was the flattery too much?’

Excessive flattery can actually breed antipathy.

Just as Choi Hyun-seok was berating himself…

[Reidrun’s favorability has increased]

[Favorability has reached the target]

A system alert sounded.

‘What? He was just embarrassed?’

It seemed Reidrun’s stiff expression was simply due to being unused to and shy about receiving flattery.

[Hero Quest completed]

[Obtained 100 Hero Points]

[Beginner Hero Shop unlocked for first point acquisition]

‘Great! Perfect timing.’

Choi Hyun-seok had been waiting for this moment.

He wasn’t sure exactly how much favorability the hero system was referring to.

But if it was enough to complete a quest, it must be a significant amount.

At this point, Choi Hyun-seok planned to propose a deal to Reidrun.

The timing couldn’t be better since Reidrun had just asked if he wanted anything.

“Um, Lord Reidrun…”

“What is it?”

“If it’s alright with you, may I make one request?”

“Speak freely.”

Choi Hyun-seok swallowed hard before continuing.

“I want to train the slaves.”

***

At the same time.

Not far from Hemorn Fortress where Choi Hyun-seok was.

Hundreds, thousands of tents were spread across the vast plains.

It was the human alliance army formed to counter the Demon King’s army.

In the largest tent at the center, key figures of the alliance were gathered.

This was because Orlaben Grimier, Duke of the Drason Empire and commander of the alliance forces, had called an unusually late meeting.

“Thank you all for coming.”

With many high nobles from various countries present, Orlaben maintained proper etiquette as he opened the discussion.

“I called this meeting today because of Hemorn Fortress.”

“Hemorn Fortress…”

Everyone’s expression darkened at the mention of Hemorn Fortress.

“Yes. As you all know, Hemorn Fortress is a strategic point located on the path to the Great Plains of Miradun. We absolutely must capture it.”

In fact, the alliance had already attempted to attack Hemorn Fortress once before.

The result was defeat.

They succeeded in partially destroying the fortress, but had to retreat when the Demon King’s army arrived with reinforcements just before they could capture it.

“Currently, the Demon King’s army is quickly rebuilding the fortress. Once construction is complete, taking the fortress will likely be even more difficult than before.”

“…”

“So I propose here: how about we attack the fortress once more before it’s too late?”

Several nobles raised their hands.

“But Commander Orlaben. The soldiers’ morale is already very low after one failed attempt.”

“That’s right. Besides, isn’t it too early when we haven’t even finished recovering from our previous losses?”

Orlaben nodded at the nobles’ words.

“Of course, what you say is true. However!”

Orlaben exuded a powerful presence that belied his elderly age of sixty.

“The Demon King’s army also suffered losses. And in the last battle, the biggest obstacle was Hemorn Fortress itself.”

“…”

“What if we could lure them out of the fortress?”

The nobles were taken aback by his words.

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said. I have a clever plan to draw them out of the fortress.”

“In that case…”

“We annihilate them once they’re outside the fortress. After that, we just need to occupy the empty fortress and victory will be ours. And…”

Orlaben nodded with a stern expression.

“We can rescue our citizens who are being worked to death as slaves in the fortress!”

There wasn’t a hint of deception on his face as he spoke passionately.

He was the image of a great soldier who truly loved his people.

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