Chapter One: The Hero Mino Will Never Surrender Without a Fight

“Guh, kill me!”
Battered and wounded, Mino Reck stood in the center of the arena. Anger smoldered beneath his resolute features as he clenched his teeth, glaring at the great demon before him.

But this was no ordinary demon.

“Hero Mino, ah... as expected from humanity’s most terrifying champion. So many of my poor, pitiful children have perished beneath your holy sword.”

A voice, as intoxicating as a rose’s fragrance, echoed from the depths of his heart, growing increasingly delighted. “But in the end, it was all worth it.”

“With you gone, the Kingdom of Courl will never again threaten His Majesty the Demon King.”

A twisted shadow congealed on the field, stepping forward as a bewitching figure shrouded in a rose-colored gown. The face above the floral dress was that of a delicate girl of seventeen or eighteen, but her eyes brimmed with a mature, demonic allure—soft pink irises glimmered with a smile as they gazed at him.

A wave of unwillingness washed through Mino’s heart.

She was the Demon King’s chief secretary, the Rose Shadow Demon, Craydina.

If not for the ceaseless seven days and nights of battle against demon soldiers and eight demon officers, draining the last drop of his sacred power, he should have been able to cleave down this most cunning and wicked shadow demon.

Hatred, frustration, and resentment flooded his chest, but as Mino straightened his proud spine, they finally settled into calm.

“Kill me, then...” Mino faced death unflinchingly. “Even if I die, the prince, the saintess, the high pontiff, or the next hero of humanity will rise to resist your evil demonfolk’s invasion.”

“Kill you? Heh... I wouldn’t let you off so easily, great hero. Think of all the trouble you’ve caused us.”

A thick rose scent suddenly coiled around his neck, accompanied by a whisper as if biting at his ear. Craydina had somehow appeared at his back; a heavy pressure pressed against him.

Whether it was an illusion or not, Mino’s newly stiffened spine seemed to soften.

“Mino, the strongest hero in human history. Never before has anyone been aided simultaneously by the kingdom, the Mage Tower, and the Holy See. You must hold invaluable information. That intelligence will become a deadly dagger aimed at humanity’s heart.”

“I will take you captive to the Demon King’s castle. What awaits you is the harshest of interrogations.”

Torture—

Mino’s heart plummeted.

He knew all too well how cruel and terrifying, how insidiously persuasive, the demonfolk could be. If he truly had to face the Demon King, said to be irresistible to all, even Mino had no confidence.

No, he could not let their schemes succeed.

I, Mino the Hero—even if I must bite my tongue, shatter my soul, die together with them, I will never yield to the demons’—

[Ding—Interrogation Empowerment System has arrived]

The courageous and steadfast Mino straightened with pride.

“Lead the way.”

“Eh?”

In that instant, countless words beyond comprehension flitted into Mino’s mind, unnoticed by Craydina.

So long as he endured the demons’ torture and completed the system’s tasks, the human faction would gain new holy power to counter the demons!

Mino’s spirit soared, brimming with confidence.

Without that invincible “ding,” he’d barely dare call himself a transmigrator. At last, it had come! This was far from over—he would endure the torments, grow stronger, escape the Demon King’s castle, and ultimately claim victory.

He would win!

...As expected of Mino the Hero. Such unflinching eyes—Craydina had never seen their like before. It was as if he had already triumphed over the demons. Was this... unwavering faith in humanity itself?

Craydina’s expression flickered with a trace of wonder.

No matter how much information he betrayed, humanity would still stand tall on this land—was that what you meant to tell me, Mino?

For the first time in her life, Craydina felt a flicker of respect for a human.

...

Kingdom of Courl, royal capital.

The atmosphere in the lavishly decorated chamber was frozen, mirroring the despair and grief that had spread among the capital’s common folk in recent days. For that reason, only the holiest round table—reserved for world-ending crises—had been convened by the Courl royal family on this day, gathering the kingdom’s and all humanity’s core powers.

“Can anyone explain how, with our soldiers fighting on the frontlines, with the Mage Tower and the Holy See both present... how could Hero Mino be left to fight alone and end up captured by the demons?!”

At the gold-trimmed round table, a young man with golden hair spoke, his voice quivering with suppressed fury. His regal attire declared him as none other than the kingdom’s heir.

With the old king gravely ill and the realm’s power smoothly transferring in recent years, only one could preside over the holy round table—the kingdom’s successor, Prince Otta of Courl.

Prince Otta’s icy gaze swept over those from the Mage Tower and the Holy See, finally settling on his own right hand, the Captain of the Royal Knights, Erwin.

Erwin trembled, lifting his head to explain humbly, “Your Highness Otta, it was the time compression array... No one expected the entire war to be a cover for that spell, splitting the battlefield with compressed time! The demons’ target from the very start was Hero Mino alone!”

“This was a plan long prepared by the Demon King’s castle! We... had no time to react.” Erwin’s voice was bitter.

Only then did the representatives from the Mage Tower and the Holy See dare speak. Their archmage and saintess had rushed to the front to quell the chaos, leaving the authorities absent from this meeting, but none dared stir Prince Courl II’s wrath at such a moment.

“Alas.” In the end, Prince Otta could only sigh.

Mino was his most trusted friend, but now, with the kingdom’s responsibility on his shoulders, he could only command:

“Prepare for the worst. Hero Mino may already be... We must begin the selection for the next hero.”

All present had to admit that the moment Mino fell into the hands of the Demon King’s castle, he was as good as dead.

Then, from a corner, a timid voice spoke: “Your Highness Otta, in the worst-case scenario, if Hero Mino has only been captured and the demons manage to extract critical information from him, what then?”

The round table fell silent.

Prince Otta regarded the speaker—a young but promising minister, Tuss, his right-hand man, the driving force behind every reform decree in recent years, and a fair, objective figure.

“Tuss, are you suggesting that Mino might... betray us?”

Strange looks shifted toward Tuss, whose shoulders shrank. Had he said something wrong?

“Perhaps, Your Highness, I mean, it’s just a possibility...”

“Heh... heh heh.”

Even in such a grave moment, muffled laughter rippled through the assembly.

Prince Otta smiled, forgiving Tuss’s youth. “Tuss, you must understand, that’s Hero Mino! The strongest in history, steadfast beyond compare!”

“The demons may seize his life, but they can never break his will!”

“That’s right!” The Holy See’s representative immediately echoed with a laugh: “Anyone who knows of Mino’s heroic deeds could never suspect otherwise—this is the ‘Painless Hero’ who fought day and night for a month without rest, bathing in sword and blood, reclaiming Courl’s lands all the way to the frontier city of Sveil!”

“Hahaha, well said! Our Mage Tower’s archmage placed thirty-seven blessings upon Hero Mino; among all past heroes, his capacity to endure such divine augmentations is monstrous!”

“No one could extract secrets from his indomitable spirit—unless he wished it himself!” declared the deputy archmage with pride.

Everyone nodded in agreement; they believed that even if the rest of them betrayed the kingdom, Mino would never betray humanity.

Hearing this, Tuss bowed his head in shame, feeling remorse for his petty doubts about Hero Mino.

“Don’t worry too much, Tuss. You’ve given me a needed reminder.” Otta cast his gaze around the table, his tone grave. “Even though Mino is captured, he still fights alongside us.”

“I have decided, to honor Mino’s supreme devotion and to inspire everyone present...”

“From today onward, our council shall be renamed, ‘The Hero Mino Will Never Give Away Anything For Free Council!’”

“In short—the Mino No Free Gifts Council!”