Rod Hero, Dus Oaks, reveled in his newfound glory. Before becoming a Hero, he had been nothing more than a humble monster hunter from the surrounding village, preying on goblins and other low-level creatures. Now, as a Lv5 Hero, he stood taller than ever, his arrogance growing with each victory. Women adored him, and that adoration fueled his obsession with exterminating monsters.

To Dus, it was simple: fame as a monster hunter brought admiration, and admiration meant women. In this world, strength was worshiped above all else. A man who could fight was a man who was welcomed, revered. He had once been just a villager on a routine goblin hunt, but now he basked in the glory of slaying hundreds of goblins and over ten Hobgoblins. No small feat—especially in a town where the combined strength of all the monster hunters might not even fell three.

He remembered the awe of the townsfolk when he returned victorious. If things had been different, he might have risen to become president of the Monster Hunter Guild, but now, as the strongest Hero in town, he looked down on the likes of slime-hunting Heroes. Slimes—those pathetic creatures—were hardly worthy of his blade.

Earlier that afternoon, a group of Aldrich's believers had come to him, saying that another team of Heroes was on their way to deal with the goblin problem. Dus's ego swelled at the thought. Surely, they were rookies, far beneath him. He couldn’t wait to show them his strength, to put them in their place.

As the sun set, he stood at the entrance of the town with a dozen young girls, all fawning over him as they waited for the other Heroes to arrive.

"Oaks-sama, it’s already getting late. When will the other Heroes be here?" one of the girls asked, her eyes wide with admiration.

Dus waved her off, his lips curling into a smug grin. "There's no rush. We're here out of friendship, after all. If they take too long, I might just go back and sleep. I’m not waiting on their convenience."

The girls giggled and nodded, eager to agree. "Of course, Oaks-sama! Your generosity will be unmatched when they see you waiting here!"

Dus laughed, the sound deep and self-assured. In his mind, he imagined the scene already. Four ragtag Heroes, riding up the main road in some shabby cart pulled by a scraggly horse. They’d look tired, worn from their journey. And there he would be, standing tall at the town gate, surrounded by beautiful girls, waiting for them like a king welcoming peasants.

When they approached, he’d slide his hands into his pockets, casually greeting them.

"Ah, you four must be the Heroes cleaning up slimes in the next village?" he’d say, his voice dripping with false praise. "I’ve heard about your little victory. Impressive, really. But I must warn you—this isn’t like slimes. Goblins are real monsters. Even my teammates weren’t lucky enough to survive."

He would pause then, savoring their shock. "Be careful you don’t meet the same fate."

Then, with a wave of his hand, he’d turn to the girls behind him. "These Heroes are surely exhausted from their journey. See that they’re taken care of."

Dus could already hear the praise, feel the admiration as he displayed his strength and status before these lesser Heroes. To him, this was the ultimate display of power: the stronger the man, the more women he could claim, and the more women, the greater his strength appeared. He chuckled again to himself, the vision playing out perfectly in his mind.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

...

Dus Oaks chuckled to himself, already envisioning the moment when he would stand above the other Heroes, offering his so-called wisdom and arranging their accommodations. In his mind, it was only a matter of time before they all looked up to him as their leader. And once they were in the jungle, he would showcase his techniques, making quick work of the goblins. The women, he was sure, would swoon.

Two girls, the rumors had said. If they were as beautiful as he imagined... well, he had plans. First, he would kick out the two men. Then, with the right moves, everything—including the admiration of those two women—would belong to him.

But before his fantasies could go any further, one of the girls by his side pointed down the road.

"Oaks-sama! Look, quickly!"

Dus straightened, following her finger. In the distance, four figures in white robes slowly approached. His lips curled into a confident smirk.

"Ah, finally," he said, putting his hands in his pockets and strolling a few steps forward. "This should be good."

As they drew closer, Dus raised his voice, ready to assert his authority. "Hey! You four are the Heroes who cleaned out the slime in the next village, right?"

The four figures paused, exchanging confused glances before one of them, a man, stepped forward and shouted back, "We are believers of Aldrich Theocracy, here on an exploration!"

Dus's smirk faltered. "I've heard all about... Wait, what?" He squinted as the figures drew nearer, realizing they were all men. These weren't Heroes, and certainly not the two men and two women he had imagined.

Awkwardly, he coughed, trying to save face. "Cough... I’m Rod Hero, Dus Oaks."

The believers immediately straightened up, their attitudes becoming deeply respectful.

"Rod Hero-sama?!"

"Forgive us, Rod Hero-sama! We did not recognize you!"

Dus nodded, regaining some of his lost pride. Their reverence soothed his bruised ego, though the disappointment still clung to him like a shadow. He had prepared for Heroes, not these simple believers.

"Alright," he huffed, crossing his arms. "How long until the other Heroes arrive? I've been waiting here a long time already."

"Please calm down, Rod Hero-sama! Holy Maiden-sama and the three Heroes will arrive in about ten minutes."

"Ten minutes, huh?" Dus growled impatiently. "Fine, I’ll wait." He shifted his weight, tapping his foot. Still, curiosity stirred within him. These new Heroes intrigued him, especially the Holy Maiden. Surely, she wasn’t just any ordinary woman. Even if she was the Holy Maiden, could she not be taken as a lover by a Hero like him?

Just then, a low rumble echoed in the distance—the sound of hooves striking the ground and wheels turning. Dus turned, expecting to see the ragged cart he had imagined. But what he saw stopped him cold.

A procession of white-robed believers approached, far more than he had expected. At the center of the vast group, two elegant white horses walked with grace, pulling a golden and white carriage. It gleamed in the torchlight, every inch of it refined, ornate, and utterly unlike the shabby vehicle Dus had imagined.

He stood there, dumbfounded, as the procession advanced. Behind him, the girls who had been fawning over him moments ago now stood in silent awe, moving aside to form a neat line by the road.

The procession paid no attention to Dus. As the carriages passed, each person nodded politely at him, but none stopped or even slowed.

Dus blinked, his welcoming grandstand at the village gate completely ignored. He felt invisible, his presence utterly unremarkable.

"Wait!" he yelled suddenly, running up to one of the passing carriages. "Wait! What are you doing?!"

He was the Hero of this town, the strongest one here! Why weren’t they acknowledging him? He pounded on the carriage window, his frustration boiling over. But as he leaned in to look, his breath caught in his throat.

Inside the carriage, under the flickering light of the torches, was a man. His face was cold, like a sheet of ice, void of any emotion—no anger, no annoyance, just sheer indifference. It was as if Dus was nothing more than a piece of trash on the side of the road, something barely worth glancing at.

Anyi looked at him without a hint of expression. "..."

Who is this fool?