Chapter 472: Poppy and the Greatest Hero
Poppy is a yordle.
She always carries a holy hammer with her, which is a relic of her former best friend, General Oren, the founding father of Demacia.
She has been searching for the so-called "Hero of Demacia". According to legend, only this warrior is qualified to take over and wield the weapon in her hand.
But Poppy's search was always in vain. She had tried many times to give the hammer to someone who might become a hero, but each time the consequences ended in tragedy - usually the warrior who received the hammer died tragically.
So hundreds of years passed , and the holy hammer still remained in her hands.
She still didn't find the legendary hero.
Until today…
Outside a small mountain village in Urwendale, on the border of Demacia.
"Roar~" The roar of the pterosaur echoed throughout the valley.
Then a hideous shadow quickly passed over Bobby's head.
"A wyvern?" Bobby's heart sank.
She hurriedly jumped onto the tall tree next to her and looked up to see where the wyvern was going.
Sure enough, it went to the fields in the valley, and in the fields, there were many farmers working hard.
"Oh no..." She knew what this meant .
Wyverns love to eat people, and Irvingdale is a high-risk area for such incidents.
In all the years she had traveled around Demacia, she had seen countless similar tragedies.
Sometimes she could stop them, but sometimes she would let those vicious dragons succeed.
This time, she might just helplessly watch those poor farmers die at the hands of the wyvern.
It's not that Poppy can't beat the dragon. It's just that she is too far away from the field, and Yodel's short legs can't outrun the wings of the wyvern.
"If only that hero were here." Poppy couldn't help muttering, but his feet were not idle either.
Although she knew she might not be able to stop the attack in time, she still tensed her short legs and ran after the wyvern with all her might.
She was extremely fast, which was totally inconsistent with her petite yordle size.
But even so, the hateful wyvern was still flying far ahead, leaving her further and further behind.
Soon, the wyvern flew over the field, opened its ferocious bloody mouth, and roared as it flew down.
"Flying dragon?!" The farmers working in the fields finally realized the danger.
But it's too late.
The flying dragon swooped down at an alarming speed.
But Poppy hadn't arrived yet. She could only watch the dragon open its bloody mouth and pounce on the poor farmers who had no time to escape.
"If only that hero were here." Bobby clenched his fists unconsciously and sighed in his heart.
She really had to find that legendary hero. Only that legendary hero could save everyone. But she couldn't do it.
And just at this moment...
"Beast! Don't try to hurt anyone!" A loud shout came from the valley.
A man clenched the sickle in his hand and stood behind the farmers who were fleeing in a panic, and also in front of the pounced-on wyvern.
Compared with the flying dragon, his figure was so small.
But he still stood in front of the two-legged dragon resolutely, as if what he held in his hand was not a rotten sickle, but a dragon-slaying sword.
"Hero?" Bobby was slightly stunned.
Anyone who dares to stand alone in front of a wyvern must be a hero.
But he was different from the Warriors Poppy had met before.
He had no fancy weapons or armor, no ostentatious horse retinue, only patched linen clothes and a sickle for mowing grass. He looked just like a farmer.
It could even be said that he was a farmer - just now, he was working with those farmers.
"Is he a hero?" Bobby was a little skeptical.
She had seen many fearless warriors, and Demacia had never lacked heroes who were willing to sacrifice themselves.
But none of them would go to the fields to farm with the farmers.
Even though some heroes themselves came from peasant backgrounds, once they became legendary warriors, they would never go back to being humble farmers.
So... "He's not a hero, he's just a farmer?" Bobby was a little confused.
In the blink of an eye, the two-legged dragon swooped down to the ground like a falcon.
The man's body trembled due to the strong wind raised by the dragon's wings, but he still rode the strong wind into the air, waving the sickle in his hand with all his strength and pounced on the two-legged flying dragon.
"Mage?" Poppy was slightly stunned again.
Sure enough, this man is no ordinary farmer. In other words, he is indeed a hero?
She was thinking so, but what happened next was beyond her expectations.
Unlike the hero she imagined, this man was not ordinary, but he was not strong at all.
He swung the sickle with all his strength, but only managed to make a small cut in the tough skin of the wyvern.
The wyvern was completely enraged by the knife and immediately gave up chasing other prey and began to frantically pounce on this brave and "stupid" human.
"Comrade Oren!" The farmers stopped and called out his name.
Oren...Poppy's heart moved. This was the name of her former best friend.
But this is not surprising. Her best friend Oren was a great hero of Germany hundreds of years ago, a character in legends.
Many people in later generations would name their children Oren just to commemorate this hero.
So in the past few hundred years, Bobby has seen quite a few "Oren" with the same name.
But this one...
"He's the most like one," Bobby muttered.
But... Comrade Oren, what does comrade mean?
She was a little confused about what everyone called him, but she didn't have time to think too much about it.
Comrade Oren was hugging the wyvern's neck tightly, struggling with it: "Let's go! Let's go! Let's go back to the village cellar!"
One of his hands had been bitten to pieces by the wyvern, and the blood that flowed out dyed half of his body red.
But even so, he didn't let go.
"He really looks like Oren." Although there is a huge difference in strength, but... they really look alike.
Bobby thought.
"Get lost! You are still standing here, you want me to die in vain?"
Uh, he seems to be impolite. Demacia doesn't have such harsh curse words, and I don't know where he learned it from.
But...it still looks a lot like Oren.
"He is a hero." Bobby made a judgment in his heart.
By this time, the hero's efforts had paid off.
The farmers had successfully escaped back to a nearby village and quickly hid in the cellar.
Oren saved them. But he himself...
The broken arm had been completely torn apart during the fight, and blood gushed out like a fountain.
The wyvern finally defeated this weak but tenacious warrior. It threw his broken body to the ground, opened its bloody mouth, and prepared to feast on him.
But its mouth was only half open...
"Stop!" A holy light flashed.
Feilong turned his head in surprise, and then saw a huge hammer in front of him.
No...it wasn't the hammer that was big. It was that it was too close.
"Bang!" Just when the flying dragon was wondering why the hammer was so big, its head had already come into close contact with the shining holy hammer.
It was Poppy. Thanks to the precious time bought by Oren, she had already arrived at the battlefield.
Then the wyvern took off, faster and higher than ever before.
It is no exaggeration to say that it turned into a meteor in the sky and completely disappeared from this world.
"Are you okay?" Poppy put away the holy hammer that was taller than her and turned to look at Mr. Oren.
"I..." Of course Oren was busy.
He now had one arm broken and one leg broken. He had lost too much blood and was dying with only one breath left.
But he still tried hard to take out a bottle of alchemical potion engraved with the blue bird emblem from his pocket and struggled to drink it.
The alchemical drug took effect quickly, allowing Oren to struggle to sit up and use his clothes to tightly cover the wound whose bleeding was barely stopped by the regeneration potion.
He survived. But at a heavy price.
That arm was gone from him forever. He could no longer be a hero.
"I'm sorry... I'm late." Bobby lowered his eyelids, his tone a little lost.
"No, it's okay..." Oren gritted his teeth and sat down by the ridge with sweat all over his forehead.
He acted very strong. But when he woke up from the severe pain and looked down at his broken arm and the twisted and bent calf that might leave him disabled for life, his face suddenly darkened.
Tears of pain finally flowed down like a dam breaking.
The flying dragon didn't kill him, but it brought him a lifetime of pain. When he realized this, he was a little devastated.
"You are a hero, Oren." Perhaps out of sympathy or perhaps because he was deeply inspired, Bobby couldn't help but say.
"Hmm..." Oren nodded hesitantly.
Only then did he finally take a serious look at his savior.
He noticed Poppy's pointy ears and short stature.
"You..." Oren's eyes lit up. The broken body seemed to have suddenly regained vitality: "Are you a Yordle?"
"Yes." Bobby looked over in confusion.
Even though Yodels are rare,... there's no need to get so excited, right?
It was as if he had seen someone from his dreams.
"Do you know the Leader?" Oren asked excitedly.
"I... seem to have heard it somewhere." Bobby said after thinking for a while.
The reputation of the Wind Leader has now spread to every corner of Runeterra.
But Poppy doesn't care about current political affairs. She travels around the world simply to find the hero.
"I am the Leader." Oren introduced himself eagerly, "I am the propagandist sent by the Leader to the Irwindale Mountains."
The leaders are not yet able to transform Demacia. Their plan is to first train enough Demacia leaders who are familiar with the local situation, train a group of reliable grassroots cadres, and then formally overthrow the old order.
And these Demacia leaders must, of course, come from the masses of Demacia.
Reliable grassroots cadres must, of course, be cultivated through practice and struggle.
Therefore, although the Leader has not officially arrived in Demacia, its propagandists have already begun to infiltrate the towns and villages of Demacia.
Their mission is to let all oppressed Germans understand the Leader, so that they dare to rise up against oppression and dare to shout the word "Jana" to the lords.
Oren is one of them.
"So?" Bobby frowned in confusion: "You are the leader... then what?"
" Hmm..." Oren immediately realized that this Yodel didn't know much about the Leader.
So he got right to the point and said, "I have a few questions for you, Miss Yodel."
"Me?" Bobby tilted his head. "Have we known each other before? Why do you think I can answer your question?"
“Haha…” Oren forced a smile: “Because you are a Yodel, you have always lived in my ideal society.”
"You mean... Bandle City?" Bobby asked. "That's a spiritual realm. How can you humans want to live there?"
"No, we're not going to Bandle City. We want to...build human society into that place as best we can."
"Huh? How is this possible?" Bobby was a little surprised.
"It's possible." But Oren said firmly: "Maybe my generation won't be able to see it. But our next generation, the next generation... will definitely do it. Even if it takes 1,000 years."
"You guys are really weird." Bobby scratched his head: "Okay... then what do you want to ask me?"
Oren thought for a moment and organized his words.
Then he asked, "Are you Yodel people happy?"
"Huh?" Bobby didn't know how to respond.
Oren explained: "I have been thinking about the specific situation of a harmonious society... a society similar to Bandle City."
"Jana told me that once a harmonious society is achieved, people can live for self-realization and no longer be forced to work for money and wealth."
"I believe this...but I am worried, are there really so many people in this world who have their own ideals and pursuits?"
what you up to?
Few people can really answer this question.
If you ask this question to a primary school in Zaan, 99% of the children will probably answer that they want to be scientists when they grow up.
But 99% of these children don't really want to be scientists. They are just repeating what others say, and this is just a "decent job" that society has instilled in them.
Ultimately, what they pursue is wealth, fame, and material things.
Everyone works hard to get rich and have a better life.
Few people have ideal pursuits that are higher than material desires.
So if a harmonious society is realized and people don’t need to work for material things… then can these ordinary people who don’t even have their own ideals really find their life goals?
Will people turn into shit-making machines that only know how to eat, drink and have fun, and completely lose their direction?
Oren couldn't answer that question, but Poppy could. She was a Yodel, and she lived in that harmonious society.
"This..." Bobby didn't expect the other party's question to be so complicated.
She scratched her head and answered with hesitation: "Probably not?"
"For us Yodel people, the most important thing is to find our own purpose."
"Target?"
"Yes." Poppy nodded solemnly: "Yordles without goals are the most pitiful."
Can you really play for the rest of your life without having to work?
No. Most people will get bored if they play for a few months straight. No matter what kind of entertainment you choose, you will always feel empty after a while.
Because in addition to material needs, people also need respect.
But mediocre people who only know how to play will not get respect and admiration from others.
So even when playing, everyone will instinctively hope to become famous, such as becoming a high-level gamer or a competitive player.
Take reading a novel for example... Is it enough to just see the protagonist getting rich? No, what people really like to see is the protagonist pretending to be cool and getting slapped in the face.
Money is just a prop for the protagonist to show off.
When we reach the Great Harmony Society, people will no longer be able to satisfy their need to show off through external material wealth. They can only improve themselves through learning and labor, and win everyone's admiration and respect through personal achievements.
Above respect, when people’s thoughts reach a higher level, they will need self-realization.
Human life needs meaning. The cheap sensory stimulation brought by entertainment activities cannot give a person "meaning".
“So we have to find a target.”
"Every yordle has a goal."
"Some people like to study magic, some like to study science, some like to develop bombs, and some like to fly airplanes..."
Nasus once believed that most yordles were "cute little pieces of trash" and questioned the feasibility of a harmonious society; while Taliyah interpreted it as a special performance of creatures in the spiritual realm under an environment of unlimited resources.
But in fact, if we evaluate the Yodels in more detail and objectively:
Even a "street kid" like Teemo who only knows how to laugh foolishly is actually an "Agile Scout" with remarkable achievements.
Not only is he a master at using the blowgun to great effect, but he also has in-depth research on mushroom cultivation techniques - these are the results of his hard study and training.
Even a world-weary freak like Vigus is an expert in magic research. Her magic power is unfathomable, and her research results are enough to shame those human mages who desperately struggle for power and interests in the mortal world.
So, contrary to the general stereotype of Yodels, Yodels are not "cute little losers".
They all have a goal, no matter how big, small, or bizarre it may be.
"Just like me..." Poppy pointed at the holy hammer beside him: "My goal is to find a hero worthy of this hammer."
"Huh?" Oren was slightly stunned: "Is this considered a life goal?"
"Of course." Bobby puffed out his chest proudly. "No matter what the goal is, as long as it is your goal, you will be happy to pursue it."
Oren was silent for a while.
Seeing the smile on Bobby's face, he couldn't help but smile too.
He was as happy as if he had not lost a hand or been seriously injured: "So that's it, I understand."
“A society where everyone can have this kind of happiness… it’s wonderful.”
Oren covered his broken arm and said with a smile: "It seems that my blood was not shed in vain."
"You... are so weird." Looking at this man who could still laugh even with a broken arm, Bobby couldn't help but mutter to himself.
She stroked the hammer gently. "But you are indeed worthy of this holy hammer. Well... although it is a little weak."
"What a pity..." Looking at Oren's broken arm, Bobby was hesitant to speak.
It was unpleasant to say, but this man could no longer swing a hammer. He was not the hero she was looking for.
"Since you're okay, I'll leave first." Poppy was ready to say goodbye: "I still have to go look for that hero."
"Wait!" Oren called her.
"Huh?" Bobby looked over in confusion.
"If you think I am a hero worthy of this hammer, then I should be able to help you find the hero you are looking for."
"Who?" Bobby's eyes lit up: "Where is the hero?"
“They are everywhere.” Oren smiled: “Every leader is such a hero.”
"There are thousands and thousands of people like me."
"What?" Bobby couldn't believe it.
Are there thousands of selfless and fearless heroes like Oren?
“Yes,” Oren said solemnly. “Come with me, Yodel. I will lead you to them.”
"This..." Bobby was surprised but hesitant: "Okay, okay... I'll go with you to take a look."
No way, is she really going to find the legendary hero?
If this is true…
So after she hands over the Holy Hammer, where will she go? Will she find a new goal?
Just like she said, a Yodel without a goal is very pitiful...
Bobby was lost in thought.
But when she saw Oren's strong figure struggling to stand up, she couldn't help but think of the thoughts that Oren's question had just triggered in her mind.
Every Yordle has a goal.
And this goal may not necessarily be a lifelong goal that requires a person to spend a lifetime to achieve it.
As long as the Yodels are willing, they can be painters today, carpenters tomorrow, and study magic the day after tomorrow.
Anyway, the Yodels are truly free people. If they lose this goal, they still have countless options. In this case, what is there for her to be afraid of?
Life will always find its own meaning.
If you lose your goal, you will find a new one.
"Maybe I should find a new goal." Bobby thought seriously.
Following Oren's limping back, she followed with the hammer on her back.
"Hey, Oren."
"Tell me in detail about your goal!"
