Who taught him to restore the country like this

Chapter 214 The Heart of a Mermaid
As the sun rises, a new day begins.

Deep within the heavily guarded Orantia Palace, two maids pushed a wheeled cart to the door of a room.

One of the maids knocked on the door twice, and when she received no response for a moment, she opened the door and went into the room.

When they entered the room, they found that the boy on the bed was already awake.

The boy sat on the bed, gazing absently out the window.

"You're awake, hero."

The two maids bowed respectfully.

Hearing someone call his name, the boy snapped out of his reverie and turned to look at the two maids.

"Brave?"

His voice was filled with confusion.

"Yes, you are the fifth generation hero chosen by the Sword of Heroes."

The maid answered respectfully.

"The Sword of the Hero..."

The boy murmured to himself, his gaze losing focus again, and a look of pain appeared on his face as he tried to recall.

The maid silently observed the boy's reaction; it seemed that this hero's memory was having some problems.

After a long while, the pain on the boy's face slowly disappeared.

"What do I need to do?"

As if recalling his experience last night, he remained silent for a moment before asking a question.

"Your duty is to destroy the Demon King."

"That's what the maid replied."

"How can we defeat the Demon King?"

The boy asked.

"His Majesty the King and the dignitaries from the three major papal courts will inform you about this matter later."

"That's what the maid said."

"Before that, please allow me to cleanse your body, hero."

As she spoke, the maid picked up a towel from the pulley, soaked it in hot water, and wrung it out.

Another maid stepped forward to undress Ron.

"No...no need, you can all go out, I can do it myself."

When his clothes were half lifted up, the boy snapped out of his daze in a panic, blushing as he pulled the clothes away from the maid's grasp.

"Yes."

The two maids bowed and left the room.

The boy watched the maid leave.

The moment the room closed, the shyness of the young chef vanished from the boy's face.

It transformed into a cynical and relaxed attitude.

"Looks like we haven't been discovered yet."

He got up from the bed, went to the window, raised his hands above his head, and stretched comfortably.

My life restarted very smoothly.

Now, apart from his soul, everything about this body is no longer connected to Ron Rhine.

The soul is protected by the game mechanics, and what others discover is a completely new soul, distinct from Ron Rhine's.

It's safe to say that as long as he doesn't actively reveal his identity, no one knows he's Ron Rhine.

Even those who are not officially recognized cannot be included.

They could probably sense that the uncrowned king was still alive, but they could no longer pinpoint his location through that sense.

"You still haven't shaken me off?"

Ron turned around and looked at the Hero's Sword lying quietly on the bedside table.

Even though they've all turned into Berettas, this thing still stuck on.

"Can't you find anyone else to be the hero?"

He picked up the hero's sword and swung it a few times to test its feel.

Being a hero is a high-risk profession. After the third generation of heroes, five heroes were chosen after the Sword of Heroes was revived.

Each of them was assassinated by the demons before they could fully develop.

This generation of demons is quite powerful, and their hatred for heroes is the deepest.

As a hero, his current situation (level 0) is quite dangerous.

However, there's no need to panic.

The three major Vatican councils will definitely send him bodyguards, and he is also familiar with the assassination methods of the demon race, so his survival is not a problem.

Moreover, becoming a hero has both advantages and disadvantages.

The most dangerous place is the safest place; by acting as a hero, one is less likely to arouse suspicion.

The greatest advantage, however, lies in the sword of the hero itself.

In addition to suppressing the Demon King, the Sword of Heroes also helps its wielder level up quickly.

Once the monster is defeated, the wielder can absorb a portion of the monster's energy, which is experience points, through the Hero's Sword.

In short, it's about fighting monsters and leveling up.

With monster-killing and territory gains, he can reach level 60 in less than three months.

Thinking too far ahead.

Ron laid down the sword of the hero.

Before that, he also had to get past the three major papal courts.

Young Beretta can withstand scrutiny, but not so much interrogation.

After all, the Church of Truth has a lie detector.

To avoid questioning from the Church of Truth, he pretended to have amnesia.

My past?

Don't ask, or you'll just fall into an Oscar-worthy silence.

After washing his face and wiping his body with a hot towel, Ron changed into the clothes prepared by the maid.

……

In early spring, the capital of Orantia still carried the chill of winter, but the streets had already returned to their usual bustling activity.

However, this commotion was mixed with some unusual emotions.

It was all because a carriage bearing the glorious emblem of the Papacy had appeared on the street.

Tread...  

Kertia sat somewhat absentmindedly in the carriage.

This journey is at the behest of the Holy See, to meet the new hero and escort him to the Star Empire, to the Northern Island of the Sky Sea, to obtain the Heart of the Mermaid.

She is very confused now.

The Holy See wants her to retrieve the Mermaid's Heart, and the Demon Clan also wants her to retrieve the Mermaid's Heart. Which side should she stand on?
"Senior Kertia, please don't mind what they say."

A voice rang out from inside the carriage. Kertia snapped out of her reverie and looked at the person beside her who had a worried expression on their face.

Princess Karina, who was undergoing training at the Radiant Church, accompanied her to the Kingdom of Orantia.

Upon hearing Karina's words, Kertia was slightly confused, but she quickly understood what Karina meant.

Outside the carriage, gazes, some open and some hidden, were cast upon it. Those gazes no longer held the awe and piety of the past, but were filled with doubt, anger, and even undisguised disgust.

"Look, it's people from the Glorious Church!"

"They're the ones who drove the Hero to his death, and they still have the nerve to show their faces here?"

"Keep your voice down, that's Princess Karina's carriage..."

"..."

"........."

"It's alright, the public's emotions are understandable."

Kertia didn't take it to heart.

Karina opened her mouth, but ultimately couldn't say anything more.

Silence fell over the carriage, broken only by the rumbling of the wheels over the stone slabs and the persistent, hostile gaze from outside the window.

The carriage finally entered the heavily guarded royal palace.

Passing through layers of archways and corridors, they arrived at the main hall where the king received distinguished guests.

Inside the palace, King Orantia sat on his throne.

To his left stood a tall, dark-haired young man dressed in simple adventurer attire.

The young man wasn't particularly handsome, but his thick brows carried a youthful sharpness mixed with a hint of bewilderment. At his waist hung an ancient-looking longsword, yet it subtly radiated a pure power—the very sword of the resurrected warrior.

"Is this... the new hero?"

Kertia thought to herself.

For some reason, the moment their eyes met, she felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

Gone in a flash.

Even with careful observation, it can no longer be felt.

"His Majesty."

Having abandoned their inquiries, Kertia and Karina bowed to the king together.

"No need to be polite."

The king's voice was majestic, tinged with weariness, but mostly solemn.

"Lady Kertia, Karina, you've come at the perfect time. This is Beretta, the fifth hero chosen by the Sword of Heroes."

The king introduced it solemnly.

The black-haired youth looked at them, his eyes clear yet filled with a hint of restraint and inquiry. He bowed slightly as a gesture of respect.

"Hello, I'm Beretta."

His voice was clear and bright, with a quality unique to young people.

What I really wanted to say was: Why is it this woman again?

Kertia and Karina nodded in response.

“Beretta, this is Kertia of the Radiant Church. She was a saintess and is very experienced and powerful.”

“This is my daughter, Karina, who has a great talent for holy magic.”

The king introduced Ron.

"They will be your companions on the journey."

This was a decision reached after discussions between him and the Holy See.

Keltia possesses outstanding magical talent and can serve as a ranged damage dealer in a hero's party.

Karina possesses outstanding buff and healing magic talents, making her a suitable priest in a hero's party.

"Hello, Lady Beretta, I am Karina, nice to meet you."

Princess Karina extended her hand and gave a friendly smile.

"Please give me more advice."

The black-haired boy awkwardly grasped Karina's hand, looking extremely honored to be teammates with the former saintess of the Radiant Church and the princess of the Kingdom of Orantia.

In reality, he was not satisfied with the two bodyguards.

These two are far too weak as bodyguards.

Although we don't have the appraisal skill now and can't see the other party's level, we can still roughly estimate it.

These two are at most level 70-something. Isn't that underestimating the demons' hatred for heroes?
Or is there another arrangement?
Once the basic introduction was complete, the king got down to business.

"Bereta, on behalf of the Kingdom of Orantia, I hereby request the Hero to prevent the birth of the Demon King and protect the people of the Kingdom of Orantia."

The king rose, bowed deeply, and solemnly requested.

"Bereta is willing to serve Your Majesty."

Ron placed one hand on his chest and answered seriously.

"grateful."

The king bowed his head in gratitude.

He then sat back on the throne.

"It has now been confirmed that the demon who is about to advance to the Demon King is none other than Lilith, the great demon who invaded our country last time. She is gathering the essence of all the Demon Kings in the past, intending to achieve the unprecedented position of the supreme Demon King."

"The king said."

Keltia remained silent upon hearing that the one about to advance to Demon Lord was the Great Demon Lilith.

She's not stupid either.

By now, she could more or less sense that when they met in the dream last night, the Great Demon Lilith must have already obtained what she wanted from her.

"Once she successfully advances to the Demon Lord level, she will become the strongest Demon Lord in history. All Demon Lords throughout history have possessed immortality to varying degrees, and the Great Demon Lilith may become an entirely immortal being."

The king continued, his expression extremely solemn.

"Undying?"

Ron then feigned shock and seriousness: "Then... how should we deal with this?"

"The Great Demon Lilith has already hidden herself, and it will be difficult to find her location in a short time."

The king's gaze swept over the three people present, and he said in a deep voice.

"What you can do now is to go to the Star Empire, to the North Island of the Sky Sea, and find the legendary sacred object that can break through all immortality characteristics—the Mermaid Heart."

"The Heart of a Mermaid?"

Ron repeated, his eyes filled with curiosity.

"Yes."

The king nodded.

"Tianhai North Island is the habitat of the mermaid race. The mermaid race has a long lifespan and lives in seclusion. It is said that there is a mermaid in the mermaid race who has no heart. Every three hundred years, a mermaid heart will be born in his body, and each time it only lasts for three days."

"This rumor has been confirmed by the Church of Truth and is not unfounded; the Mermaid Heart is real."

"The first hero seems to have come into contact with the Mermaid's Heart. Perhaps you, as the hero, will find it easier."

The king looked at Ron with high hopes in his eyes.

"Your Majesty, you said that the mermaid's heart was born inside a mermaid without a heart. If we take the mermaid's heart, will he die?"

Ron asked.

He already knew the answer.

But the "simple and kind" hero label still needs to be portrayed well.

The king remained silent and did not answer Ron's question.

"We can find the person first, and then work together to figure out how to extract the mermaid's heart without killing him."

Kertia spoke up, easing the almost awkward atmosphere.

Upon hearing this, Karina looked at Kertia with some surprise.

Ron was equally surprised.

This doesn't sound like something the Radiant Saintess Keltia would say in the game.

To put it nicely, it's about studying together; to put it bluntly, it's about plotting together.

Once the person is found, whether or not the mermaid's heart is retrieved will no longer be up to them.

Keltia has fallen.

They've all started spouting such deceptive nonsense.

If I'm not mistaken, the demons probably gave her a trade quest to "find the heart of a mermaid".

Gan!
There are traitors in the group.

"Lord Beretta, there is no need to hesitate. You must choose between the life of one person and the lives of the whole world."

Kertia continued.

The longer you are dead, the more difficult it is to revive you.

She hopes the new hero can travel to the North Island of the Sky Sea as soon as possible to find the Mermaid's Heart.

Whether or not it is handed over to the demons depends on the demons' sincerity.

She will not hand over this item unless the demons revive Ron first.

If the demons resurrect Ron first, she... will not hand over the Mermaid Heart.

After all, this matter concerns the safety of people all over the world.

Ron silently cheered three times for the choice that Kertia had to make.

At this moment, he saw a bit of himself in Kertia.

"Please continue, Your Majesty."

Seeing that Ron remained silent, Keltia looked at the king and said.

The king glanced at Ron and continued the previous topic.

"Regarding the use of the Hero's Sword, and how the hero's party should proceed and grow, I hope you can go to the Titan Kingdom and consult Master Horn."

"He was a teammate of the third generation hero, following the hero through thick and thin, and finally successfully defeated the Demon King."

"He has considerable experience in this area. Now he is enjoying his retirement in his homeland, the Titan Kingdom. He may not be able to accompany you, but he has a disciple who will impart all his knowledge to him."

"If you can invite him into your party, your journey will be much less risky."

(End of this chapter)