CHAPTER 40 — THE LAW OF HEROES
The air at the gates of Sito had grown heavy—thick with tension, expectation, and something far more dangerous than steel.
Aiden stood tall at the head of the royal knights, crimson armor gleaming beneath the afternoon sun. His red cape fluttered behind him like a banner of conquest, his three-headed spear resting casually at his side. To him, this town was already his. Another stepping stone. Another name to carve into his legend.
Across from him stood Julius.
No armor.
No weapon.
No raised voice.
Just a calm smile and steady eyes.
"Who are you to stand in my way?" Aiden demanded loudly, his voice echoing through the square. Townsfolk flinched at the sound, mothers instinctively pulling children closer.
Julius inclined his head slightly, as if greeting an equal rather than a threat.
"Lord Julius of this land," he replied evenly. "Caretaker of Sito."
Aiden laughed—a sharp, mocking sound. He looked Julius up and down, dismissive.
"This is my land now," Aiden said. "By royal decree. If you don't like the new arrangements, you're free to leave."
He turned his back, already done with the conversation.
Then he stopped.
A slow grin crept across his face.
"Unless," Aiden added over his shoulder, "you want to fight?"
A murmur rippled through the crowd. Some gasped. Others stared at Julius in disbelief.
Julius didn't move.
"Fight?" he echoed softly. "No. I never said I would stand in your way."
The murmurs grew louder.
Aiden turned back sharply, suspicion flickering across his face.
"The land is free," Julius continued, his tone light. "If you wish to claim it, take it."
The words landed wrong.
Too easy.
Too calm.
Mira, standing beside Aiden, smiled in satisfaction, assuming Julius had broken under pressure. But Aiden didn't smile. His instincts—twitched uneasily.
"What trick are you playing?" Aiden asked, narrowing his eyes.
Julius's smile faded.
"Aren't we a little too old for tricks?" he replied.
The air changed.
It wasn't dramatic—no explosion of mana, no visible force. Yet everyone felt it. A subtle pressure pressed down on the square, as though the land itself had drawn a breath.
Aiden's eyes widened slightly.
That feeling…
It was familiar.
Uncomfortably familiar.
The kid he got when he relates with Zodac.
"If you are truly the Conqueror of Flames," Julius said, his voice now flat and cold, "then claim this land."
Silence fell.
Aiden frowned, irritation overtaking caution. He stepped forward, raising his hand with theatrical confidence.
"I, Fire Hero Aiden," he declared loudly, "claim this land as my own."
For a heartbeat, nothing happened.
Then—
A red system panel exploded into existence before Aiden's eyes.
"What—?!" he gasped.
The crystal embedded in his chest flared violently. A shockwave of crimson energy rippled outward, knocking dust from rooftops. Aiden screamed as pain ripped through him, dropping to his knees.
"AAAAAHHHHH—!"
Blood spilled from his lips as his body convulsed.
"Sir Aiden!" Mira cried, rushing to his side as knights surged forward in alarm.
Another panel burned into his vision:
[INVALID ACTION]
[HERO HAS NO PROBABLE CAUSE TO CLAIM LAND OF THE PEOPLE]
The pain intensified.
Mira looked up sharply, fury blazing in her eyes as she stared at Julius.
"What did you do?!" she demanded.
Steel rang as knights drew their swords, blades pointing toward Julius. Gasps erupted from the crowd.
Julius didn't flinch.
"Nothing," he said calmly. "This is simply the world doing what it was designed to do."
Aiden coughed violently, clutching his chest.
"Ah—what does that mean?" he rasped.
Julius glanced past him, toward the edge of the square.
"First," Julius said, his voice firm, "call off your knights."
Aiden groaned.
"There are children watching."
Aiden hesitated, then snarled, "Stand down."
One of the knights protested. "But—"
"I SAID STAND DOWN!" Aiden roared.
Reluctantly, the knights lowered their weapons.
"Second," Julius continued, stepping forward now, "you and your decree will leave this town. You will swear—on your honor as a hero—that neither you nor your companions will return or retaliate, directly or indirectly."
Mira recoiled. "This is outrageous!"
Aiden squeezed his eyes shut, trembling.
"I… swear," he said hoarsely. "On my honor as a hero."
Another system panel appeared:
The pain faded slightly, leaving Aiden weak and shaken.
"Now tell me," Aiden demanded bitterly. "Why?"
Julius's gaze softened—just a little.
"My father once told me that heroes are forces of change," Julius said. "But the world requires balance. Before a hero can claim a land filled with people, they must fulfill certain conditions."
Aiden's eyes widened.
"Conditions?" he whispered. "That wasn't in the system…"
"And you see,"
Julius continued,
"another hero already fulfilled them."
Aiden swallowed hard.
"Which one?" he asked. "Air? Water? Earth?"
"Neither."
Julius's lips curved into a quiet, dangerous smile.
Mira gasped.
"You mean—"
"Yes," Julius interrupted, raising his voice so the town could hear. "Our hero."
He turned to the crowd.
"The protector of Sito. The slayer of demons. The one who bled for us and asked for nothing in return."
He raised his hand.
"The Wood Elemental Hero—
The Elemental Devil."
For a heartbeat, the town was silent.
Then—
"All hail the Wood Elemental Hero!" someone shouted.
"All hail!" the crowd roared.
The chant echoed off stone and timber alike.
Aiden staggered to his feet, rage and humiliation burning in his eyes.
"You've all gone mad!" he snarled. "He's brainwashed you!"
"Brainwashed?" Julius repeated, incredulous.
"Unlike you," Julius said quietly, "he earned our respect. He didn't demand tribute. He didn't threaten us. He didn't try to take what wasn't his."
His eyes hardened.
"He protected us unlike some tyrant"
"Why you..."
Aiden screamed in fury, summoning his three headed spear.
The pain struck instantly.
[WARNING]
[OATH VIOLATION DETECTED]
Aiden collapsed, blood spraying from his mouth.
"You should leave," Julius said coldly. "The longer you stay, the worse it becomes."
Mira glared at him with pure hatred, then helped Aiden up as the knights hurried to assist.
They retreated.
Behind them, Sito stood unbroken.
The townsfolk erupted into applause.
"All hail Lord Julius!"
Julius smiled—but his thoughts were elsewhere.
I hope you're alive, he thought.
Because this world is starting to move… and it's moving because of you.
************
Far from Sito, Aiden laid in a tent to rest as he was now recovering from the intense pain. Mira took a walk away from the camp and her laughter echoed through the trees.
"Enjoy it while it lasts, Elemental Devil," she whispered.
"I won't last, I'll make sure of that" She said.
"Your fall will be glorious."