Chapter 4: Friends reunited (1)

That day, the world turned upside down.

The news that “the Holy Sword had been drawn” was that impactful. The Holy Sword and the name of the Hero carried such weight.

Five hundred years ago, the continent of Elpidion was nearly destroyed. This was due to the invaders known as the Demons who came from another world.

While everyone else despaired and accepted their doom in the face of their overwhelming power, the only ones who shook off their resignation and stood up to fight were the Hero Lier and their companions.

Truly brilliant deeds never fade away—the world still remembers the feats they accomplished. And now, after five hundred years, a successor has finally appeared. And it was in the form of an eight-year-old girl, clad in shabby clothes and with a frail body.

“No way. Did she really lift Exia? That can’t be true, right?”

“But they say the Holy Sword recognized her itself…”

“Hmph, I was there at the scene! You don’t believe me?”

On that day, the holy city buzzed with this news from top to bottom.

Some cheered at the return of a hero that had only been known through legends, while others stubbornly refused to believe it, convinced it was a hoax.

Some warned that this might be an omen of a new disaster, while others analyzed the impact the emergence of a new hero would have on international affairs.

 Newspaper boys ran through the streets, shouting out special editions in competition, and women gathered in groups, gossiping from midday.

Those who happened to witness the scene at the temple, where the Holy Sword was drawn, suddenly became celebrities, boasting in the taverns to crowds of dozens, exaggerating what they had seen. And in the process, various rumors began to spread.

They said she was a distant descendant of the Hero, that she had angel wings on her back, that a brilliant light poured down from a hole in the ceiling as she lifted the sword in a divine blessing, and so on…..

Not even a day had passed, and the event at the temple had already been embellished into a spectacle worthy of a true legend.

Some stories even included a battle scene where demonic beasts appeared, and the young girl hero cut them down in a single stroke.

However, even as the news spread in every direction, there was one mystery that remained unsolved. A question everyone was curious about, but no one had a definitive answer to.

“So, who exactly is that child?”

Her name, her age, her origin—everything was unknown

. A mysterious girl who seemed to have fallen from the sky.

Reporters, their curiosity burning, flocked to the Central Temple where the girl was taken, but they were turned away by priests saying, “We’re closed for the day.”

No amount of money or pressure could get them inside. It wasn’t the sort of situation that could be resolved so easily.

Who on earth is that child?

Why was she able to draw the Holy Sword?

Is she really the reincarnation of Hero Lier?

Citizens, filled with unresolved questions, turned their attention to the Central Temple, eagerly awaiting the official announcement from there…

Meanwhile, as for where and what the person in question was doing at that time.

“Fuaaa~~”

She was lounging alone in the spacious bathhouse of the Central Temple, soaking in the hot water.

“Bathing is the best. Honestly, I thought I’d have to wait at least five more years, but for this to happen so soon—I feel amazing.”

Originally, Sion had a long-term plan for her rise to power. She planned to focus on the growth of her magical core, located in her heart, until she was ten years old.

Once it was fully developed, she would casually visit the Tower of Magic, where she would be picked up as a ‘promising talent with immense magical power.’

 Over the next three to five years, she would train (or at least pretend to train), gradually revealing her powers to the world. Then, she would proudly rise to the rank of the youngest official mage and live a life of luxury, including enjoying baths like this one.

But due to an unexpected turn of events, her plan had been pushed forward. Not that she minded, of course. In fact, she was rather pleased.

“Sure, the risk of exposure has increased, but… it doesn’t matter. I’m pretty good at keeping secrets.”

Sion was quite confident in this regard. After all, hadn’t even the great sage Mana failed to see through her act for three whole years? Who would have thought her experiences from her previous life would be so useful in this one? Sion chuckled to herself.

-“…Um, Sion, may I ask you a question?”

At that moment, the Holy Sword, which had been resting on the bathroom floor beside the bath, spoke up. Sion turned her head to look at Exia.

“What is it?”

-“It’s a bit late to be asking, but… why did you come back to life? And as a woman, no less?”

“Ah…”

Well, it was a reasonable question. She would be curious too if she were in their position.

But…

“I don’t know.”

-“Excuse me?”

“I said, I don’t know.”

Sion lowered herself further into the bath, letting her memories drift back.

“My last memory is of you piercing my stomach. It was during that final battle at the Demon King’s Castle, where you, Lier and I fought together. At that time, I accepted my destruction with a smile, without any regrets… But when I opened my eyes again, I found myself in this world, 500 years later. And my body, including my gender, had completely changed.”

-“…You have no idea why? Didn’t you think of investigating?”

“Not really. At the time, I judged that regaining my power was the most urgent task.”

Click.

With a flick of her fingers, Sion sent ripples across the calm surface of the bath.

“Besides, honestly, even if someone intended this, I haven’t lost anything, right? I’ve been given a second chance at life while retaining all my knowledge and experience as the Demon King.

If this is all someone’s doing, I should be bowing down in gratitude. So, whoever did this, I have no intention of chasing after them. They’re probably enjoying their life somewhere, and so am I.”

If Sion had suffered any loss from this reincarnation, she would have pursued the culprit to the ends of the earth for revenge. After all, demons never forget a grudge once it’s etched into their hearts.

But Sion had lost nothing in this new life. The only thing she wasn’t entirely happy about was the change in her gender. So, there was no need to obsess over the cause. A gift left at your door is best received with gratitude.

-“You’re sure this wasn’t your doing?”

“It wasn’t. If it had been, I would have reincarnated in your time, not 500 years later. Why would I wait so long?”

“True…”

If Lier had still been alive, they would have welcomed Sion’s return with open arms. And Sion, with no reason to be in conflict anymore, would have had no reason to avoid Lier.

If she had planned her reincarnation, she would have aimed to be reborn in the same era.

Their bond was that strong.

“…Now that I’ve said it out loud, I suddenly feel a deep sense of longing.”

Sion leaned back, spreading her arms wide and tilting her head.

“Lier, Gareum, Esther, Mana… I really wanted to see you all one more time, but I guess you’re all dead now. If only I could have spent another night with you, drinking and reminiscing, whether in the afterlife or somewhere else…”

-“? Not all of them are gone.”

“Huh?”

Sion sat up and looked toward Exia.

“What do you mean, not all of them?”

-“One of them is still alive.”

“Well, sure, you’re still here, so one of them is technically alive…”

-“No, no, I’m a sword, remember? I’m not talking about me.”

Drip.

A drop of water from the ceiling fell onto Exia’s blade.

“One of them is still alive and well.”

Mana of Tir na nÓg.

She is known by many titles: the Sage of the Great Forest, the most powerful archmage in history, the living library, the tree of knowledge…

However, the title most people, including herself, prefer is this.

[Mage of the Hero’s Party].

“Exia has been drawn?”

In Mana’s personal library made of oak, a place brimming with more magic than anywhere else in the world, she was reading a book as usual when her disciple brought the news, causing her to tilt her head in curiosity.

“Yes. They say a second Hero has been born, and it’s causing quite a stir outside.”

“Strange. That shouldn’t be possible.”

“Sorry?”

Mana’s muttering made her disciple’s eyes widen.

“What do you mean, it shouldn’t be possible?”

“Just what I said. A Hero is born when a goddess pours all her granted power into a single person. Because of this, a Hero can only emerge in the face of an unprecedented crisis.

For a goddess, it’s a gamble that risks her very existence. But the world right now is peaceful. There’s no way a Hero would appear.”

“Um… Could it be a sign that such a crisis is approaching?”

“If that were the case, an oracle would have been delivered as well, just like it was during our time.”

Mana spoke with such certainty that it left her disciple confused. There was no way her teacher, known as the smartest person in Elpidion, could be wrong. After all, everything she had ever predicted had always been spot on.

But then, what about this newly emerged Hero….?

“Could it be a fake?”

“A fake? For what reason?”

“Well, the Church of the Goddess and Salem don’t have the influence they once did, so maybe it’s a ploy to regain their standing or something…”

“That doesn’t make sense. The fact that Exia is still in the central temple proves it’s real. No one on this continent could move it except for me.”

“That’s true…”

The disciple scratched their head. But if it’s not real or fake, then what is it?

Mana closed her eyes in thought for a moment, then shut her book.

“It seems I’ll have to check this out myself.”

“Now? But it’s late at night…”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon.”

With that, Mana picked up the staff she had set aside and struck the floor once.

“Greater Teleport.”

With just those few words, Mana’s body dissipated, disappearing from the library.

The next moment, she was standing in the center of the central temple of Ashtaria.

Important places like this are usually protected by magic to prevent intrusion via teleportation, but such barriers were meaningless to an archmage like Mana.

 She could literally go anywhere on the continent she wished. And there was no one in all of Elpidion who could stop her.

“Exia has really been drawn…”

Mana murmured as she looked at the empty altar bathed in moonlight streaming down from the massive ceiling above.

“No traces of illusion magic… This means we can rule out the possibility of a fake Hero. But if it’s not a true Hero either, then who on earth drew the sword? Could it really be Lier’s reincarnation?”

While the common belief is that a soul is reborn as an entirely different being, the Hero’s soul might be something special.

There’s no precedent, so it’s possible to think that the previous powers might carry over…

But does that explain this situation? Could it be that a true Hero has really emerged?

“Either way, I need to meet the person who did this.”

She murmured to herself, preparing to head further into the temple. Just then.

-“Seriously, can’t we go later? What if something goes wrong while we’re out?”

“Oh, as long as we’re back in time, it’ll be fine, right?

 Leaving is the hard part, but coming back isn’t a problem since I’ve memorized the coordinates. One teleport, and we’re done.”

-“But even so, if you use the teleportation circle at this time, it’ll definitely attract attention! Just listen to me! Honestly, you never listen to anyone, do you?”

“Hah, if you were in my position, could you just sit still?! After hearing something like that, how could you—”

A young girl, who seemed smaller than the large sword she was carrying, stepped out of the temple, bickering with someone unseen. The sight of the familiar sword contrasted sharply with the completely unfamiliar appearance of the girl.

And then, in that moment, their eyes met.

“….ah”

Sion couldn’t believe her eyes.

The figure before her was the spitting image of the red-haired elven mage she remembered. Calm and expressionless, just as she had been in Sion’s memories.

Even after 500 years, not a single thing had changed.

Mana’s clear gaze shifted between Sion and the Exia he was holding.

-“Oh, Mana? Did you already hear the news?”

“Yes. But more importantly, that youthful voice… So, it really is you, Exia.”

Mana murmured.

At that moment, Sion was overwhelmed, almost brought to tears. Not only had Mana’s appearance remained the same, but her voice was exactly as Sion remembered.

-“Hey, Mana! Don’t be surprised, okay? This person is—”

“Wait, Exia.”

Sion interrupted Exia, who was about to start chattering away.

“I’ll explain.”

This was something Sion felt she needed to say herself.

She placed a hand on her chest, where her heart pounded with anticipation, and stepped forward.

The moonlight from the ceiling illuminated her tense face.

 Would Mana believe her? She would. Mana was wise; she would understand…

“Mana, the truth is—”

“I was humiliated.”

“…?”

But before Sion could finish, Mana cut her off sharply.

Humiliated? By what?

Sion stared at her in confusion, and Mana continued.

“I was the party’s mage. I was supposed to know everything I could and come up with solutions to every problem. But to think that a demon had been using transformation magic right beside me for three years, and I didn’t even notice? That was nothing short of humiliation.”

Mana went on, her voice calm but firm.

“After that, I worked tirelessly to make up for my failure. I vowed never to be fooled by the same trick again. Even if the culprit stood before us once more, I would be able to recognize and identify them instantly.”

As she spoke, Mana’s right eye glowed with a golden light.

“True Sight.”

The spell she invoked was one she had developed herself—a top-tier detection spell that pierced through invisibility, illusions, transformations, and any other visual barriers, allowing her to see the true essence of the target.

No further explanation was needed. Sion’s very soul was reflected in Mana’s gaze.

“You’ve returned, Sien Lenos.”

Mana smiled as she spoke, a serene and beautiful smile that radiated quiet joy.

“Welcome back, my friend.”