Chapter 266
Chapter 266: Middle-Aged Hero
――Evaroti West, the Plains.
“Once we finish this, we’ll take a break, right?”
Tafuman called out to the others while digging into the ground with a shovel.
“Sure thing!” responded the soldiers and workers around him. They were currently constructing a frontline base to repel demon beasts.
Thanks to the efforts of the soldier squad, the extermination of wild dog packs and smaller demon beasts was progressing, but there was still the chance that bigger threats like Asurabear lurked in the western autonomous district, making it difficult for the district’s citizens to farm with peace of mind.
Though called a ‘base,’ it was merely a simple structure of earthen walls and a moat, lacking any magical defenses—it was useful only against demon beasts. Since it posed no threat to the Demon Lord Army, the construction permit was granted with just a sheet of paper.
The base was being constructed using a repurposed abandoned village, and because the sources of water like wells were still functioning, it was expected to eventually expand and revive as a village.
(If it were demons, they could finish this in an instant, huh?)
For a human like Tafuman, that was impossible, hence he and the others were diligently at work.
Needless to say, digging was hard labor. In terms of explosive power, the beastmen had the edge, but under the scorching summer sun, they tended to tire easily. Even now, they were resting in the shade of the work shed, tongues out.
“Hey, lend me a hand! A big rock just came up!”
At the call of the human worker, the beastmen stood up and headed over. When rocks appeared from the ground, it was their job to use their strength to move them, so the role distribution was working well.
“Anyway, Deputy Chief, you seem to be in great shape today.”
A soldier working beside him, loading dirt into a wheelbarrow, remarked in admiration.
Today, Tafuman was working harder than anyone else. He was digging up the earth vigorously without showing signs of fatigue and was effortlessly moving large amounts of soil.
“Yeah.”
Tafuman shrugged his shoulders.
Despite being bathed in glaring direct sunlight, he was hardly noticeable…
Actually, his body faintly shimmered with a silver glow.
It was the Holy Attribute.
――To cut to the chase, Tafuman had become a hero.
“This is unbelievable!!”
After that rehearsal, Mycin was extremely excited.
As far as Mycin knew, there had been no precedent for this.
The exact reason why Tafuman awakened now was unclear. The most likely explanation was that there had been some issue with the coming-of-age ceremony that Tafuman underwent in the past.
“I wonder if maybe Tafuman, who should originally have awakened his Holy Attribute, wasn’t able to receive that blessing due to some factor…”
At this point, it was impossible to confirm.
“But still, he wasn’t soaked to the brim, but surely received a good amount of holy water…”
“Hmm. In my case, I only needed a light sprinkling to awaken…”
Mycin tilted his head while reflecting on his own experience.
For him, it was no problem to be splashed with holy water. Perhaps even those with low aptitude could easily awaken to the Holy Attribute if drenched with enough holy water.
Or maybe there was another reason…
Yet, it was a fact that he had never heard of anyone redoing the coming-of-age ceremony after becoming an adult. Rather, the notion that one could awaken as an adult had been a blind spot.
“As far as I know, the Holy Church doesn’t engage in such practices… I think. But since I was just a low-ranking member, I don’t know what the higher-ups were doing.”
It’s possible they were secretly experimenting. Given the overwhelming pressure from the Demon Lord Army, it wouldn’t be surprising for them to desire more wielders of the Holy Attribute, and there could be individuals delving into the mysteries of that.
“However, since it hasn’t been put into practice, the results may not have been favorable…”
Or perhaps truly no one had tried, or attempts had been made without any results. Mycin had merely taken part in the rehearsal, never expecting Tafuman to awaken.
“But personally, I have my thoughts on this…”
As someone directly involved, Tafuman touched on the changes in his own mindset. His approach to the coming-of-age ceremony was completely different this time compared to when he first experienced it.
“I see… So it’s possible the mental state could change things… Well, then again, those who have had such a mindset since childhood might be the minority…”
Mycin nodded ambiguously. Since he awakened during his coming-of-age ceremony, it was likely a challenging topic for him to discuss objectively.
“In reality, a lot of heroes and priests… are pretty intense individuals, right?”
Tafuman tried to choose his words carefully, but due to his limited vocabulary, he didn’t have many choices.
But it was true. The members of the Holy Church were filled with self-sacrificing spirits and defiance against the enemies of humanity.
Even the seemingly mild-mannered former apprentice priest before him had a history of attacking high-ranking demon beasts during the Evaroti defense battle and was met with swift retribution (the gap in power had been too great, and a single punch had knocked him out, resulting in only light injuries that enabled him to survive).
Now, Tafuman would probably do something similar.
However, the Tafuman who underwent the coming-of-age ceremony back then would have found it impossible.
In allied territories, heroes and priests—those from the Holy Church—were treated with great respect. It wasn’t just because they wielded the Holy Attribute, but because everyone gave a certain level of respect to their spirit against the enemies of humanity.
While he had no intentions of boasting about being a possessor of such a noble spirit, Tafuman felt that this disparity was something he couldn’t ignore. After all, it was precisely because he awakened as an adult.
“……It is said that the closer one is to the front lines against the Demon Lord Army, the more awakened individuals there are… Conversely, it’s claimed that there are far fewer in the rear of the eastern alliance front…”
Mycin nodded gravely, but his eyes seemed to hold a sort of certainty.
If that’s the case…
Tafuman and the others had already decided on their next course of action.
“Alright, we’re done! Let’s take a break.”
“Wow, that was faster than I thought!”
“If we keep this up, we might have a structure by the day after tomorrow!”
Having shaped the planned moat significantly, the human workers began to take their breaks as well.
Among the lively soldiers, a few shot meaningful glances at Tafuman.
Under the glaring summer sun, he was unremarkable.
But—Tafuman, as one of his kind, could tell.
They too, bore the same silver glow within them.
