Chapter 43: Cultivation Hero

「What didn’t you like about it, Gourmet Master? 」

「About what? 」

「I’m talking about that boy called Kyou. Those dishes certainly had great flavors, I could go as far as to say that were even better than the dishes of that Keiji person. In fact, there was something special about those dishes that I can’t explain it in words. More importantly, Gourmet Master. At first, you really looked like you enjoyed them a lot.」

「That’s the reason why. 」

「Oh, what do you mean? 」

「That boy is going to grow and develop his skills. I can foresee that he will bring not only food but also monster cultivation to a new level. He will change the ways of this world. But in order to do that, he needs to overcome several obstacles along the way. Those obstacles mustn’t be viewed as negative, but as positive hurdles that will make him grow as a person.」

「I see. So, does that mean that you declared his defeat for the sake of his growth?」

「Of course. In fact, I admit that the food of contestant Keiji was great. His skills and knowledge were certainly better. But, if I were to vote true to my heart, I’d vote for the boy Himuro Kyou.」

—

「I ended up losing in the finals. 」

「I don’t think it was fair… 」

The bottom of the deep sea. I apologized to Mo-chan, the goddess who laid down next to me. We both looked at the sky from the bottom of the sea. I was really sorry that I couldn’t keep my promise with Mo-chan. The true purpose for winning the competition failed in the end.

「No, no. You don’t have to worry about it. I didn’t say you had to collect the seeds in two days or so. You can do it slowly.」

Yes, the seed of the World Tree was given to the winner of the finals from the Grand Cooking Tournament. It went into my father’s hands. Therefore, I failed to collect the first one.

「As an option, you could attack your father in his sleep and take it away.」

「…Even if you’re a goddess, you’re capable of saying terrible things. 」

「Ahah, I often hear that. 」

By the way, Rock was playing and chasing around me in circles.

「I am curious about something. Was my father the only one capable of transferring to this world, or someone else was capable of doing that?」

「Yes, there are others. I’ve known other people that came to this world in the past just like your father did.」

Seriously? I wondered if that meant an important flag or just a mere info flag.

「Well, let’s put that topic aside. More importantly, here. 」

「What’s this? 」

Suddenly, the goddess gave me a piece of paper that had some words written on it.

“Cultivation Hero Kyou”, it said.

…

Eh?

「What on earth is this!? 」

「As you can see, it’s your Hero Certificate. 」

「No, no, no. I can read it perfectly well. But, what is a Cultivation Hero!? Do you need to have a certification to prove that you’re a hero in this world!? I’ve always thought about it, but why are there so many heroes in this world!?」

「No, heroes are titles sent to those who have gained a certain level of activity in this world.」

What did that mean?

「To put it simple; it’s whether or not you contributed to the world. This is the criteria to obtain the title of hero. It’s not just about fighting, it’s about innovating culture and civilization, or encouraging evolution. Aren’t these activities the ones that contribute to the advancement of the world? I believe that you had many heroes that fought in your own world, and inspired others to help your world evolve, am I not correct?」

What she said was true. My world had great people, or cultural heroes. For example, Nikola Tesla started with Prometheus who gave fire to people and gave electricity to people’s lives. And thanks to the achievements of Edison, Napoleon, Lincoln, and other countless great heroes, the culture of earth has advanced throughout the years.

Certainly, their success could be comparable to the word “hero”. The heroes were those who saved the world. Actually, they didn’t save the earth per se, but they helped humankind in many ways. In other words, a “hero” in this world was a collective term that included all the great men, cultural heroes, and inventors.

「That makes sense…That’s why there are so many heroes in this world. 」

「That’s right. Their title represents their contribution to this world. 」

Summing up, the title of “Gourmet Hero” given to Fitis was because she showed innovative technology in cooking. And Miss Katherina’s “Sage Hero” title was because she spread many intellectual skills as a chef, wasn’t that right? When I first heard of those titles, I thought that they were strange and ridiculous titles. Now, I know that they had a proper significance.

「Then, does that mean that the goddess sent those titles to each hero out there?」

「Hmm, no. That’s not exactly true. Usually, a hero is a title appointed by a country. All I give is a special title for a great hero who contributed significantly more than those heroes.」

「Apparently, there are heroes and great heroes. What’s the difference between the two?」

「A “great hero” is a title given to those who have made a relevant contribution to the whole world, not just a country, especially those who have made great contributions such as historical achievements or excelled in a way that no other person did before. When I find such a person, I order Semargul to guide this person to me before I give him or her the title of a great hero. So, among the people, Semargul, or rather, Semar, is revered as a messenger of God who welcomes the chosen hero.」

I see. That’s why Lily looked at Semargul with surprise. She actually recognized him as the messenger of God.

「By the way, there are currently seven people with the title of “Great Hero”. So, people call them the “Seven Great Heroes”.」

「I see. And surely, those who became the great heroes got the fruits of the World Tree to gain the so-called “creation skills”, am I correct?」

「That’s right, you remember it well. So, they are not only capable, but also have special god skills that no other people have. Therefore, they are effectively the strongest in the world. By the way, one of them, the great hero with the nickname of “War Hero”, is the Empress of the Kingdom of Valkyria who has some of the seeds of the World Tree.」

「Eh, that’s insane! 」

This goddess was really messed up! I always heard ridiculous remarks every time I spent time with her!

「That’s why I asked Semar to collect some proof of your achievements as hero to your country so that I could go and complete the troublesome procedure that allowed me to give you the title you deserve!」

「Ah, so that means that I joined the ranks of an official hero. 」

Nonetheless, I thought deeply about my own abilities. Most likely, I had just level 1 in terms of strength. Was it really okay for me to be named a hero?

「Yes. You can rest assured that your country has made a certificate as well based on your achievements and evaluations at the tournament! As I said, the evaluation is not only given for battle records but also due to various other achievements! That means you are recognized by your other great abilities even if you have low physical strength! Some other heroes are called heroes for abilities that don’t include brute force! Above all, you won the second place at that prestigious Grand Cooking Tournament! That’s enough to earn the title of hero!」

Is that so? It was true that my other abilities other than physical strength were appreciated and recognized by other people. Then, I didn’t have to worry about that aspect anymore. I got up and accepted my fate.

「Well, anyway. I thank you for this certificate. 」

「Yes, well, with your name and your specific title, you are now registered all over the world. If you show your title, you can get free passes to enter most places.」

「Yeah, speaking of which. The name Cultivation Hero…Didn’t you have a different title available for me?」

「Eh, why? It’s a good name. 」

I was worried that his messed up goddess could name two heroes with the same title in this world. Or maybe it was just me worrying for nothing.

「Well then, dear Kyou. Please, do your best in the next event!」

Previous | Next

That Gourmet Master sure did play one on us.