Hero? Are You Worthy?
Chapter 74 - 62: The Tears of the Statue (3 updates today as well)

Chapter 74: Chapter 62: The Tears of the Statue (3 updates today as well)

From an initial extreme abhorrence and disgust to now finding him relatively pleasing to the eye, Candice could just barely bring herself to give her chaste body to Qin Chu.

Perhaps it was because in this short period, she had experienced far too much, causing Yekaterina’s thoughts to be a chaotic mess. Furthermore, with Qin Chu speaking up for her, she failed to notice the change in her own heart towards him and not even once did the name Jie Luo come to mind.

City Beauty Love was taking effect.

The magic potion that Shaye modified had an impact far stronger than Shaye herself had anticipated. This was just after consuming one bottle.

Augustus finally removed the prohibition from Angelica’s neck.

The moment the black collar was taken off, a surge of elemental power frantically flowed into Angelica’s body. Watching her aura climb continuously, Rose Vesper’s expression grew extremely gloomy.

Angelica was an exceptionally gifted girl, after all, once able to stand as Rose Vesper’s most formidable opponent, her strength was naturally on par with Rose Vesper’s.

These past years, since she was wearing the collar and had her abilities restrained, unable to train, her foundation remained intact.

The pervasive elemental power continued for several minutes before finally ceasing. Having not manipulated the magic power within her for so long, Angelica felt somewhat unaccustomed to it at this moment. The milky white light flickered on and off around her, making her look like a large bulb with faulty wiring.

Both the amount of magic power and the level of control had decreased to some extent.

However, even so, the current Angelica possessed strength not inferior to Candice and Qin Chu’s. Of course, that was provided Qin Chu did not use the Super Order Powers of Devourer and Anger Burst.

Moreover, given Angelica’s situation, it would not be long before she could regain her original strength, which should be around level 70. By then, she would certainly become a powerful aid by Qin Chu’s side.

Angelica’s face flushed red with excitement, never in her dreams did she think she would again be free to use magic one day. Her slender body flitted around Qin Chu like a joyous little sparrow.

She was well aware of who deserved the credit for the lifting of her seal.

"Alright, alright, you’re such a big person now, acting like a child. Behave yourself," Qin Chu couldn’t help but laugh, fondly tapping Angelica’s forehead while pretending to scold her.

Angelica took Qin Chu’s gesture as a reward, comfortably squinting her eyes.

Being so affectionate in front of everyone made Qin Chu a bit embarrassed. He turned his gaze towards Augustus:

"Lord Augustus, thank you for this time."

Augustus was deeply pleased with Qin Chu’s reaction.

He had realized that this Hero was not as naive as the First Generation Brave. He was more cunning.

It was not a rush to control the Hero. Leaving a good impression was also quite satisfactory.

Without putting on any airs of the Pope and lacking the sharp power he had when he blocked Yekaterina’s attack, he appeared like a kind old man, slightly bowing his body, "It’s my honor!"

"Miss Yekaterina and Princess Rose Vesper, I believe you must have a lot to talk about. I won’t interrupt any further, farewell..."

Qin Chu bid his farewells to several people with gentlemanly etiquette before turning to leave, with Nicholas leading his men to follow behind.

These guards were not really of much use, for Qin Chu could handle ordinary assassinations on his own. If someone as skilled as Yekaterina were to appear, these guards wouldn’t be the slightest bit useful.

Now that Angelica was by Qin Chu’s side, the role of the guards was even more diminished.

Of course, Qin Chu didn’t send these guards away. After all, this was Wozworth’s arrangement. Having these guards around would also give Wozworth more peace of mind about him.

The Noble District lacked the filth and squalor of the Civilian District, with air that smelled fresh and clean. There were no sights of the destitute in ragged clothing or bodies lying dead in the streets, only the bustling nightlife.

The streets were not as noisy as in the Civilian District; there was a lack of liveliness. Though many people came and went, most of them traveled in luxurious carriages, and even those walking would always mind their noble etiquette. They spoke softly and elegantly, every move deliberately displaying the dignity of the nobility.

As the Hero, supplemented by a large group of guards behind him, Qin Chu was the focal point wherever he went, his face always adorned with a professional smile, graciously managing every encounter. In no time at all, Angelica’s arms were full of invitations.

During the first week, Qin Chu was solely focused on swiftly dealing with demons, spending his days mostly on training, fighting, and his relations with the nobility were quite strained as a result.

This was also why, in the end, not a single noble was willing to speak out for Qin Chu.

Before they realized it, they had arrived again at Antia Street.

This street spanned through both the Noble and Civilian Districts.

At a crossroad in the Noble District, there even stood a life-sized stone statue of Antia.

The statue was about 1.7 meters tall, which should be considered a perfect figure for a woman. In her hands, she still tightly gripped a long spear entwined with the Oville Empire’s flag, held high aloft.

The stone statue was carved so lifelike that one might even suspect the figure before them was not just a statue but a living person.

Her lips parted as if she were letting out a battle cry.

She wore armor, yet her long legs were uncovered.

Her long hair appeared to be blown back by the wind, fluttering behind her.

Even just by looking at the statue, one could vividly feel the spirit that she possessed, as if, even when faced with thousands of troops, she would charge forward without hesitation.

There was a legend in the Oville Empire that touching the statue of Antia would grant one her blessing, which was why Antia’s statue had been touched smooth, almost reflective.

In the first week, Qin Chu didn’t pay much attention to Antia or this statue, merely remarking that she was an exceptionally outstanding woman.

But this time, Qin Chu found himself involuntarily stopping before the divine statue.

Nicholas arranged guards to defend the surrounding area, which was nearing the Civilian District and was also at the heart of the cross streets bustling with many people. It was necessary to guard against any potential attacks on the Hero.

Only Angelica stayed close to Qin Chu. Seeing that he seemed to care a lot about this statue, Angelica carefully chose her words and said softly, "This statue is Miss Antia..."

"Miss Antia was a hero from a thousand years ago who saved the Empire, hailed as the strongest Valkyrie in the Empire’s thousands of years of history. When the Imperial Palace was about to fall to the enemy, it was Miss Antia who stood up, took up the banner, and formed an army with the private soldiers of the Nobles and the Royal Family, driving back all invaders and reclaiming all occupied territories, thus maintaining the integrity and power of the Oville Empire."

As Angelica recounted the legend of Antia, it was evident she held the strongest Valkyrie in high regard.

"Miss Antia had intended to lead the army, to flatten the surrounding kingdoms, and turn the entire Sky Dome Continent into Oville territory, but alas, due to the many injuries she sustained during the war, as soon as she reclaimed all of Oville’s lands, she fell ill and eventually passed away."

"After her death, she was mourned by billions of citizens. This street we’re standing on was named after Miss Antia. The Emperor at the time also posthumously honored Miss Antia with the title of Princess."

"Miss Antia’s family is now one of the Oville Empire’s Grand Dukes. Although they have gradually declined, their past glory still remains."

"Had Miss Antia not passed away so soon, her family would probably have flourished many times over, at least they would not have fallen into such decline as they have now," Angelica said with a low sigh.

Qin Chu did not respond but simply raised a hand and gently brushed the cheek of the statue in front of him, his expression turning quite strange.

In the first week, even when he heard this story, other than admiring Miss Antia’s bravery, he had no other significant thoughts.

But now, he thought of himself, and a very strange idea suddenly emerged in his mind.

"Angelica..."

"Who can guarantee that Miss Antia wasn’t assassinated due to her power and prestige overshadowing the sovereign?"

Angelica was startled, her eyes widened, her mouth opened, but no sound came out.

The legend of Miss Antia was widely spread, known by every household—it was almost one of the most famous legends in the Oville Empire, one even children could recite, telling it over and over again.

The belief that Miss Antia died from her injuries was deeply ingrained in everyone’s heart; no one had ever doubted this story.

Hearing Qin Chu’s words, Angelica felt a chill go down her spine, her body breaking out in goosebumps.

That feeling was perhaps no less than telling Qin Chu that in "Journey to the West", when the real and fake Sun Wukong met the Buddha, the one who was killed was the real Sun Wukong, and the one who continued the journey to fetch the scriptures was the Six-Eared Macaque.

Angelica didn’t know how to respond and stood there stunned for a moment.

"Sorry, I was just thinking out loud, don’t take it to heart," Qin Chu said with a smile, withdrawing his hand and looking up at the sky.

The clear sky was now covered with dense clouds that rolled darkly overhead, bringing an oppressive gloom.

The nobles on the streets began to quicken their pace, and the young noble ladies lifted their skirts, cursing this damned weather, but even so, they kept their dignity as nobles, never running wildly on the street.

"It looks like it’s going to rain, we should head back too..."

Boom... Crack...

Suddenly, a clap of thunder streaked across the sky.

The dark world momentarily brightened with slivers of light.

Down came a torrential rain, and the statue of Antia was bathed in the downpour, water tracing paths down her cheeks as if they were tears...