People believed that Hayate was the strongest. He might be a character who only recently appeared and had never played an active role, but he was naturally recognized as the strongest. There was no doubt about it. 

Dragon Slayer—the only Absolute in human history. Who would question his ability? 

There was a section of Grid’s 18th epic that portrayed Hayate as a frightened hermit, but people didn’t care. They understood the solitude and fear of the Absolute, while naturally looking forward to the power of the Absolute. They purely welcomed Hayate and cheered for him, who relied on Grid to come out into the world.

It could be interpreted that Hayate’s performance today was a response to their support. He bravely faced a dragon that caused a disaster with a single flap of the wings and in the end, he managed to protect the people. He fulfilled the responsibilities of Grid and the apostles while they were away from the surface. 

"...Uwaaaaahhhhh!" 

The place where the dragon left—it was only after Hayate put away his dazzling sword that people started cheering. They finally realized that the hellish battle was over. They surrounded Hayate as...