There was no denying who it was: the hero...or rather, the former hero.
It was the savior who had protected the world in the previous generation, and the biological father of the current protagonist.
How incredibly ironic for both father and son to become legendary figures.
The hero gene certainly ran thick in that bloodline.
"Well, it doesn’t matter... I will give your son exactly what he deserves. Heh, both of you are cut from the same cloth anyway." Urek walked away, smirking as his figure gradually blended into the bustling crowd.
As for the legendary father, his story followed the typical cliché you already know:
Rise to power, conquer the darkness, fall from grace, and finally get commemorated with a giant statue.
-The end-
Urek casually swatted the floating interface away as his focus shifted to a loud commotion inside a nearby bar..
***
"Haha! Did you hear the latest gossip? The hero was brutally slapped by a goddess!" a drunk man whispered loudly into the ear of his companion at a tavern table.
"Shhh! Do you have a death wish?!" The second man was already sweating buckets, terrified of the rumors surrounding the protagonist’s public humiliation.
"But... it’s absolutely true!" the drunk insisted.
"Then swallow those words, you idiot! I don’t want to die today!" The companion felt like he was sitting in a boiling pot.
The intense glares from the countless patrons inside the tavern were practically burning him alive.
It felt as though his sanity was being drained dry by a random street toad.
"What’s the big deal? What I said is a fact!" The drunk puffed out his chest, the alcohol completely clouding his judgment.
"I-it’s because he’s the hero... You are finished..."
"Heh... let them stare. I’m just telling the tru—guhhh!!!"
Before the drunkard could finish his sentence, a powerful hand gripped his throat, lifting his entire body into the air without a shred of effort.
"Ekk!!! Run away!!..." the companion shrieked, stumbling backward like a man who had just soiled his trousers.
He didn’t even care what happened to his drinking buddy; he fled without looking back.
That loud-mouthed idiot was just some random guy who had crashed his table anyway.
Unfortunately for the drunk, he was far too talkative, and the companion had been looking for an excuse to escape as soon as possible.
Now that the fool had been grabbed, the companion simply seized the chance to run.
He didn’t even know the guy, so why should he care?
"L-let me go!! Guhhh!!" the drunk wheezed, his vision blurring as his life began to slip away.
"Why did you utter those foul words? You are nothing but scum spreading slander against our great savior!" a man dressed in simple civilian clothing shouted with immense fervor, soaking in the satisfied expressions of the surrounding crowd.
"Kill that heretic!"
"Impale him for speaking ill of the hero!"
"Cut off his dick!"
The angry shouts of the background extras echoed throughout the establishment, thoroughly enjoying the violent display.
’Damn... you guys really don’t need to cut off my dick,’
Urek thought, wanting to instinctively cover his groin, but he had to stay focused on playing his part.
Obviously, the man being hoisted into the air was Urek.
While the powerful vigilante lifting him... was also Urek.
He was orchestrating a solo performance using his clone.
[ Host, the probability of initiating a fruitful encounter with the hero’s busty older sister is currently high... ]
’Give me the exact percentage, please.’
[ 68%. Take it or leave it. ]
’That’s still a bit low... how do I raise the probability?’
[ You can either kill this current civilian vessel, or... ]
’Or what?’
[ Sever your own dick... the probability will skyrocket. ]
’Fuck me sidewards! It’s a million times better to kill off my clone vessel than to slice off my own family jewel!’
Urek cursed internally at the absurd requirements needed to trigger an encounter with the sister.
The woman he fully intended to turn into a total sucker later on.
[ The choice is entirely yours, Host. I am merely offering advice. ]
’Yeah, yeah. Now pipe down. I am about to farm some Aura.’
"How could you say such terrible things about our savior?!"
Urek’s civilian clone cried out, turning his head as an imaginary sparkle of light caught his features while he dramatically wiped a tear from his eye.
"Do you possess a heart?! Sob, sob...Oh, great goddess, how could this wretched man fall so deeply into the paths of darkness!"
"Yes! The hero is our ultimate savior! Why are you spreading such vile lies?!"
"Execute him! Execute him!"
"Shove a whole eggplant up his asshole!"
The three loyal background extras shouted right on cue, making Urek’s theatrical production run much smoother.
"Hah! You talk incredibly big, yet you scream like a total bitch! You have absolutely no right to speak ill of our great hero!"
A man barked, dramatically brushing his hair back as if an imaginary sparkle of light accompanied his every movement.
"Guhhh!... Don’t... don’t hurt me... I-I’m only telling the truth..." a battered man whimpered on the floor.
"You have no right to utter such foul blasphemy! Am I right, everyone?!"
The aggressive man turned his head toward the crowd, gesturing widely like an actor performing in an opera.
"Yes! The hero is universally loved!" a patron shouted.
"The hero is our true savior!" another chimed in.
"The hero probably just caught the lady gently when she tripped! That slap was clearly fake!"
Three loud background extras shouted back in unison, causing the bar’s atmosphere to grow increasingly heated.
A few bystanders paused their drinking to watch the entire spectacle unfold, while the tavern owner was already anxiously dialing a number on his device.
"See? What you are spreading is nothing but a blatant fabrication. Everyone in this kingdom knows the hero is a thoroughly righteous man!"
From his corner, Urek smiled.
’Yes! Feed into the delusion... You three extras are doing an excellent job.’
"Y-you are all just blind believers! You honestly think everything written about him is real... guhh..." the bruised man groaned, unable to complete his sentence.