Chapter 1: Brave hero Luca

To become a hero, you must come of age and undergo initiation at the temple of Ilias, where the priests will perform a special ritual on the neophyte. If the ritual is successful - and it is not uncommon for applicants not to receive the blessing of the goddess for whatever reason - then the newly minted monster hunter gains a special status and the right to travel freely through the lands of Ilias. Such freedom is due to the fact that only heroes can travel the world alone or in small groups without fear of falling victim to the attacks of monster girls, because, firstly, they are usually competent enough to confront them one-on-one, and secondly, are trivial "unpalatable". Something in their energy changes after the ritual, and mamono no longer find them attractive to them. This gives the heroes some advantage in the fight, not always critical, but still significant enough.

On top of that comes popular love, discounts in shops and taverns, and many other useful trinkets available only to people marked by Ilias.

That's why it's so important to get this status, because I need basic freedom of action and support from other people to fulfill my dreams, and a hero will listen much more willingly than someone else.

I was lucky to find the Elias Church in our village, where I would be able to get my initiation. I would reach the right age tomorrow, and the goal of learning Raikiri that I had set for myself before I began my journey was achieved. It won't be long before I can set out on my journey with confidence. I don't have a specific plan. I don't know much about the world around me to build up a long-winded strategy with lots of intrigue in intrigue and back-up plans. And I don't have the brains for something like that.

So first I want to earn a reputation, become famous enough to make my word mean something, gain some real experience beyond what I got from Kakashi's life, and then already think about how I can stop the human-monster feud that started thirty years ago after the Remin City massacre.

Before that everything was going well and the two peoples were peacefully coexisting, and Remin was a prime example, because it was located near the Monster Lord's castle, but along with the Mamono people lived there peacefully and happily. Until one day... something happened. Finding out what happened that day is the most important thing I can do if I want to succeed. It's also a good idea to find out why my father died, because even there the story isn't entirely clear...

Again, it all comes down to reputation and influence, which I do not yet have.

"What are you thinking about, Luca?" - My mother's caring voice brought me out of my musings. She must have thought something on my face, because she looked worried.

"Huh?" - I looked up at her in surprise. - "M-ma... I'm just trying to figure out where to start again."

"Don't think too much before your initiation," - she smiled warmly. - "You should rest now. You have a long and dangerous road ahead of you, full of severe trials and who knows when you will be able to dawdle after tomorrow."

"I know, it's just..." - I agree with her, and I'm about to spoon some food from my plate, and I'm surprised to see that it's empty. Yeah, I guess I did get a little too caught up in my own thoughts...

"Luca," - my mother's hand caressed my arm, and the caring gaze of her blue eyes met mine. - "I understand how important this is to you, but you shouldn't get hung up on one thing. You haven't even left the house yet, and you're already getting yourself worked up."

I had nothing to say to that; I do tend to think deeply, the influence of the gray-haired ninja. And sometimes that thinking takes me to faraway places.

"Once you start a case, you finish it," - Lucifine moved the newly filled plate to her son. - "And I don't want my son to end up like his father."

- "I will not let him make the same mistakes."

"I know and believe you will succeed. And so that you do not forget about me on your journey, take this." - the blonde pulled out of the pocket of her dress a small gold ring, inside of which was a lace.

"A ring?" - I took it carefully in my hands and carefully examined it, bringing it closer to my eyes. It didn't look anything special-just a round piece of precious metal with no frills. But the way I felt when I picked it up hinted that it wasn't that simple. The ring felt strangely warm, but pleasant.

"Yes, a little souvenir that will keep you safe on the road." - the woman gently closed my hand in her fist and poked my index finger into her hand.

"Thank you." - I thanked my mother sincerely, and put the souvenir around my neck, hiding it under my shirt. The feeling of warmth immediately became much smaller, almost imperceptible, but it spread all over my body, and I also felt a thin stream of power flowing into the chakra circulation system.

Apparently, saying that it would keep me safe wasn't exactly a nice turn of phrase. I touched my palm to where the cherished item was now, and immediately removed it, catching the woman's mocking glance.

I spent the rest of the day following my mother's advice and resting at home. I was in the middle of a hike, and the only thing I allowed myself to do was to meditate lightly, dispersing my chakra through my body. It wasn't very invigorating, but it always helped me gather my thoughts when I had nothing else to do. My mother had been watching me all this time, like a hen, sensing that we were about to part. It was very nice to feel cared for and even a little amusing to see her so active. True, there was a slight sadness, too, but this only made me more determined to achieve peace with monsters, so that one day I could return home and see such a native smile. It was with these thoughts in mind that I fell asleep in the late afternoon in a warm bed.

***

I became aware of myself in the middle of a space filled with soft white light. I tried to move and examine myself, but I could feel my body, but I couldn't see my arms and legs. My thoughts flowed smoothly and clearly, not at all like they do in dreams. What was it then? Genjutsu? But who could have used it? And why hadn't I noticed it?

I tried to dispel the illusion by stopping the chakra flows in my head, but nothing worked. So it's not genjutsu, but something else. And why does it feel the same warmth as my mother's ring?

"Luca..." - The ringing silence of the place was suddenly cut through by a soft voice, sounding as if from everywhere. Suddenly a girl in a white dress of light silk, with a pair of snow-white wings behind her back, appeared right in front of me. She wore blue bracelets with gold trim and a massive necklace around her neck with a large ruby in the center. A soft smile played on her beautiful face, and her sky-blue eyes shone with love and kindness. The whole figure was literally enveloped by a divine light, in the rays of which one wanted to dissolve, forgetting all worries.

There can be no doubt: this is one of the angels of the goddess Ilias. That was the only way I could explain what was happening. But what does she want from me? The paranoia I'd inherited from Kakashi beeped in full force, foreshadowing trouble.

"Oh, brave Luka, can you hear my voice?" - The angel's mouth did not move, but the words were clearly audible nonetheless.

"I do." - I told myself to be careful, but I couldn't hide my admiration for the creature in my voice. It was impossible not to admire it. - "But who are you?"

"Don't you recognize me, oh brave hero?" - As if actually surprised, the angel covered her mouth with her hand. - "It is me, Ilias."

Ilias? And why, instead of dancing for joy, do I have to crouch in a corner and keep a low profile, and my paranoia is not just beeping, it's screaming?

"Forgive my ignorance." - I answered, as it turned out, to the Goddess of our world, trying hard to hide the trembling in my voice. - "I just couldn't believe that the Goddess herself would decide to visit a mere mortal..."

"Don't be modest, Luca," - Ilias' melodious chuckle left his lips. - "I've been watching you for a long time and I've seen things. You're strong and you're sure to be a great hero. That is why I chose you."

So she's been watching me ? So she knows about my training... and my chakra. If the angel patrol hasn't shown up for me yet, it's okay, right? It's okay, right?

"Chose me? But for what?" - I don't know how I could control myself, but my answer came out without a hitch, not giving away the storm of emotions raging in my head. Though there was no guarantee that she didn't already know what was on my mind.

"I created the earth and the sky and the sea first. Then animals and birds and insects. And finally, I created mankind. But even I am not perfect. And in creating humans, I've made a lot of mistakes..." - The goddess's face suddenly turned sorrowful. So sad, in fact, that I felt a great sadness myself. - "These mistakes, monsters, are truly disgusting creatures. They lure people into sin and commit acts of violence against them. For this I hate them with all my heart. You came of age today, didn't you?"

"That's right, my goddess," - I answered, with more enthusiasm in my voice, though it was not untrue, for I had indeed been preparing for it for most of my life. - "I'd been looking forward to the moment when I could get my initiation and become a hero."

- "So far, I have bestowed my blessing on many people. Yet even after Henry defeated the lord of monsters five hundred years ago, these creatures have yet to be exterminated. I sense great power in you, Luke. You have the potential to surpass Heinrich and defeat the monster lord! And I believe that you will surely do it! Now go, I will always watch over you..."

She wants me to kill the Monster Lord? Just like that? This is the goodness of our goddess? Kill all the unwanted, and the right ones are happy? That's not what I want to achieve, not at all.

When Elias left me, those were the last thoughts that flashed through my mind before it shut down again.

***

- "Luca, get up!"

The first thing I saw was my mother's worried face in the morning sun. She was busy humping my shoulders, trying to wake me up.

"What's wrong?" - I asked, rubbing my eyes with my fists and stifling a yawn. - Did I oversleep the ceremony?

- "A monster attacked the village!"

I was soberly sleepy, and my thoughts of the night's conversation with the goddess receded into the background. I threw off the covers and jumped out of bed as if stung. There was no time to lose, or people would get hurt.