Lost in thought, Colin pulled on his Chain Armor Shirt, buckled on his Hand Half Sword, and strode out of his small home. He began to wander aimlessly down the main street of the slums.

For some reason, he suddenly found himself missing the life of an adventurer on the road.

It sounded a little crazy, but there was a reasonable explanation.

Back in the Roaring Mountain Range and the Boundless Wilderness, every step Colin took brought new scenery. His mind was always sharp, and with trustworthy teammates by his side, every moment had been exciting.

But now, after long hours of studying and reading, his brain felt sluggish, as if he’d gotten dumber.

To be honest, this feeling of nostalgia reminded him of his college days, when he’d missed the clear-headed version of himself from high school who could grind through practice problems with ease.

As he walked and thought, Colin’s mind was a chaotic jumble of stray thoughts.

The more he thought, the more lost he felt.

’Maybe it would be better to go talk with Kase,’ he thought, ’but the Half-Orc has probably already gone to sleep.’

Before he knew it, he had reached the edge of the slums.

By now, evening had fully set in. The clouds on the horizon were as red as blood.

Aside from the few wealthy families who could afford to light lamps, most of the slums were cloaked in darkness. Refugees gasped for air in the city’s shadowy corners, while gang members carried out their illegal deeds in secret.

As he continued walking, Colin suddenly spotted a bright light at the edge of the slums.

When he went over to take a look, he found a construction site where wooden shacks were being built. An Armed Sword was plunged into the ground in the middle of the site. The blade of this Treasure Sword was emitting a bright, soft glow that illuminated the entire area, revealing piles of branches, logs, and mud in the corners.

’That’s strange. Someone is actually building houses here?’

’The housing in the slums has always been controlled by the gangs. Are they planning to expand their properties?’

For some reason, he couldn’t see anyone at the site.

Just as Colin was about to leave, a figure emerged from one of the half-finished shacks.

Though the man was backlit and Colin couldn’t see his face clearly, he still looked somewhat familiar.

He was dressed in roughspun clothes, his body powerfully built. Fine silver strands were mixed in with his golden hair.

"Colin? What are you doing here?"

"Edwin? I just came out for an evening walk... What is this?" Colin asked, staring in astonishment at the Legendary Paladin who looked for all the world like a construction worker.

"I was a Priest for a few years. That’s a Light spell, it makes weapons glow." Edwin continued, "As for Kase’s situation, we’ll have to wait another two days. The team we sent out is almost there, so don’t worry."

"No, I mean, why are you here building houses?"

"Oh, this..."

Edwin rubbed his cheek with the crook of his arm. "These are houses for the refugees. They should have been built long ago. I kept proposing it to the builders’ guild, but they kept giving excuses like ’it would disrupt the market’ or ’it would affect public safety.’"

"I didn’t really understand it all, so I just paid for the materials and hired the workers myself. The crew just finished for the day, but I still have some energy left, so I figured I could work a little longer."

Looking at the Legendary Paladin who could face down a Giant Dragon, now covered in dirt and grime, Colin thought for a moment. "I don’t have anything else to do tonight. Let me give you a hand."

"Really? Thank you so much."

With that, Colin set his Armor and weapon down next to the glowing Armed Sword, rolled up his sleeves, and started working alongside Edwin.

Building simple shacks in this era was straightforward. First, you build a frame with logs. Then, you create walls by plastering a mixture of mud and straw over a woven wooden lattice. Finally, you cover the top with a layer of straw for a roof.

As he helped, Colin learned a few things.

Edwin’s Power was absurd. He could carry five logs at once and still chat as if it were nothing. He didn’t break a single drop of sweat the entire time he worked. It was like he wasn’t even human.

’I’d probably be cleaved in two, Armor and all,’ Colin thought, finding it hard to imagine what would happen if a man like that swung a sword at him.

The two of them worked until the sun had completely set.

"Colin, stop working. Come get something to eat," Edwin called out to Colin, who was fitting a wooden lattice into place.

Colin answered in affirmation, washed his hands in a bucket at the edge of the site, and sat down with Edwin on a log.

"Here."

Edwin took out a small pouch, broke off a piece of bread, and handed it to him along with a waterskin. Colin was starving by now, so he took them and began to eat.

The food was similar to what he’d eaten when he first arrived in this world with no money. It was far from delicious, but it was enough to keep a person alive.

"Thank you for your help, Colin," Edwin said with a smile.

"Don’t mention it, but..." Colin hesitated before asking, "Mr. Helder, why do you do all this, especially when you possess so much Power?"

He felt it was a bit rude, but he still wanted to ask.

How to put it... In his past life, Colin had seen plenty of good people on TV, and there had even been students at his school who’d performed heroic deeds. But he had never actually spoken with someone so genuinely good before, and he couldn’t help but be curious.

"Many people have asked me that question."

Edwin smiled. "Many of my colleagues are people who grew up in orphanages and were helped by others, or they’re unfortunate souls whose families were destroyed by Evil Demons. It’s those kinds of unforgettable memories that allow them to walk this path so resolutely."

"As for me, though... I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed. I was born in the Holy City Cadopolis. My parents ran a restaurant. My childhood was free of major disasters; I didn’t even see a real monster until I was twelve. You could say I was one of the privileged ones."

Edwin laughed sheepishly, seeming to hesitate before speaking again.

After a moment, he said, "One day, a Priest came up to me and asked, ’Sir, would you like to join the Church and do some good deeds?’ And I just foolishly said, ’Why not, sir?’ Then, in the blink of an eye, here I am."

Colin silently took a sip of water.

The man’s story really wasn’t anything special. It was like being stopped by a salesman on the street and casually buying some trinket. It could hardly be described with words like "epic" or "legendary."

Still...

"You’re a hero. A true hero, someone who genuinely deserves the title," Colin said, speaking from the heart. "A lot of people call me a hero, but most of the time, Kase and I are just forced into things. We’re either doing it for the money or we’ve stumbled into danger without realizing it."

"If I earned enough money or had great power, I’d definitely buy a villa somewhere like the Marine District or the Castle District and live comfortably. Maybe I’d travel the world, but I certainly wouldn’t be bothering with monsters."

"What are you talking about, Colin?"

Edwin looked at the night sky and said with a smile, "Anyone—anyone who abides by the law and lives a good life—is a hero."

"Oh, of course," he added, "if the law makes it impossible for such people to survive even in times of peace, then the law deserves to be overthrown."

"I suppose you’re right." Colin also looked at the night sky and smiled.