Chapter 104: Hero Festival – Middle (1)

A festival where fans of the Hero Party fandom (short for Hero Party Otaku) from all over the world gather in excitement, the Hero Festival!

To explain just how much Marianne had been looking forward to this day would be pointless—it goes without saying.

Not only could she pick up her favorite creators’ works the moment they were released and dive right into reading them, but she could also request high-quality cosplayers to reenact specific iconic scenes from the original stories.

On top of that, she could transform herself into her favorite character, immersing herself in the feeling of being them.

There were also unconventional and entertaining side events, such as mock witch trials, that one could enjoy watching.

For someone like Marianne, utterly captivated by the heroics of Hero Lier, this festival was like a box of chocolates—every grab was a guaranteed treat worth more than its price.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that for her, the year was divided into the day of the Hero Festival and the 364 days leading up to it.

So, when Marianne heard that this year’s festival coincided with her school schedule, she was more devastated than anyone else.

Sure, she could have a maid fetch the items for her or even order them with a premium shipping fee, and the works themselves would be delivered without a hitch.

Money wasn’t an issue—she had more than enough to spare.

But what truly pained her was missing out on the live experience that could only be felt on the day of the festival itself.

To breathe the same air as fans as passionate as she was and to share that excitement was the essence of the Hero Festival.

Yet, as fate would have it, just three days before the event, her school abruptly shut down.

The reason was serious, to the point that it felt inappropriate to celebrate it, but the result remained: classes were temporarily suspended.

And thanks to that, she could now attend the Hero Festival legitimately.

What could be luckier than this?

“Not to mention, I managed to drag the Hero along too!”

Marianne chuckled to herself.

In truth, recruiting Sion wasn’t just about having a stand-in for Therese’s role.

That was part of it, but not the whole story.

Her main goal was to introduce Sion to the festival, slowly draw her into its charm, and “corrupt” her into becoming an ally (or so she liked to think).

For fans of the Hero Party, Sion was a complicated figure. She was both a blessing and a dilemma.

On one hand, the arrival of a hero destined to guide and protect the continent was a great thing.

Public interest in the tales of heroes had skyrocketed, broadening the fanbase.

Sion’s noble personality further left no room for personal dislike.

The problem lay in determining her place within the already-established dynamics of the Lier-Exia-Sien love triangle.

As the “new owner of the Holy Sword Exia,” Sion’s presence made existing fans feel like they were watching their favorite couple being intruded upon.

Even if owning the sword and having romantic feelings were unrelated, the situation still left a bitter taste.

It was like watching a widowed heroine, who had remained faithful for years, suddenly remarrying.

If this were a fictional story, the creator would have been bombarded with 5,700 angry words of criticism, but reality offered no such outlet.

At the same time, inserting Sion into a romantic pairing was out of the question.

She was a contemporary figure, and doing so risked massive backlash from fans.

The fandom’s tolerance for even slightly controversial takes was already razor-thin—writers who secretly released NTR-themed content were met with witch hunts and metaphorical burnings at the stake.

For example, if someone dared to publish a “healing romance” where Sion wins over Exia’s heart and heals her wounds, the writer would immediately be ripped apart by both sides of the fandom—those supporting Sien and those supporting Lier.

That’s no exaggeration.

Similarly, portraying Sion as a villainess who forcibly took Exia away from the other two was equally impossible.

As a real, living figure of their time, such depictions would undoubtedly result in libel suits.

In short, the Hero Party fandom had silently agreed over the past seven years to avoid mentioning Sion altogether.

If she was included at all, it was in minor, passive roles, such as a listener to Exia’s nostalgic stories—a “curious girl who liked hearing old hero tales” was the closest anyone dared to go.

Once, someone tried portraying Sion as Lier’s reincarnation, but after heated debates and controversy, the idea was shelved entirely—a near miss of an intriguing concept.

It wasn’t difficult to see why.

Unlike Exia, who had spent 99% of her time secluded in a temple and asleep, Sion was alive and active in the current era.

People felt too uncertain about how she would react to bold creative liberties.

Marianne understood this hesitation. She truly did. But even so—

‘It’s such a waste not to use such a rich character!’

There’s so much potential for creative variations beyond just NTR, after all!

That was Marianne’s long-standing frustration.

 Completely ignoring reality wasn’t sustainable.

Sion’s status as the “new owner of Exia” was an undeniable fact, and the fandom would eventually have to incorporate it into their narratives.

Sticking to outdated dynamics out of fear of potential lawsuits would ultimately strip the fandom of its greatest strength: its grounded sense of realism.

And that would be a crisis for the genre itself.

Marianne, however, also sympathized with creators’ fears. No one wanted to blindly eat a blowfish without knowing where the poison was.

Thus, she decided to take matters into her own hands.

[Bring Sion to the festival, immerse her in its charm, and naturally win her over as an ally. Maybe even persuade her to officially allow her depiction in fan works.]

This was Marianne’s true motive for bringing her along.

“If things go well, we might even establish an officially endorsed interpretation of Sion’s character!
Even if not, just getting her permission, like the headmaster’s blanket approval for creative freedom, would be incredible. Either way, it’s worth trying!”

Luckily, Marianne had a certain level of confidence about this particular matter.

This was because Sion’s attitude toward subcultures had noticeably softened recently.

Although Sion still refused to read books like Sien x Exia or Sien x Lier, no matter how much Marianne recommended them, she had begun reading other works without bias and even shared her thoughts afterward.

Compared to their first meeting, when Sion had incinerated books one after another without hesitation, it was a remarkable improvement.

And witnessing this change in Sion, Marianne became certain—Sion had the potential to fully become “one of us.”

It was just that her conservative values made her hesitant to embrace it.

But once she opened her heart, Marianne had no doubt Sion would fall headfirst into the same realm Marianne inhabited.

Someday, Marianne believed without a shred of doubt, they would passionately debate whether Sien should be the “top” or the “bottom.”

And based on her experience, the best way to draw someone teetering on the edge of conversion was to deliver a life-changing impact.

For example, taking them to a festival where everyone was wholeheartedly devoted to bringing their dreams to life—just like how she and Therese had ended up as lifelong fans after coming to this festival with their ancestors as children.

Sion could become like that too.

No, Marianne would make sure of it. Absolutely.

“Alright, hero! Where shall we go next? We’ve already seen the highlight, ‘The Inquisition,’ so now it’s time to visit the circles in earnest—”

Marianne turned with a cheerful smile, ready to extend her hand to the hero, who was surely still dazed and disoriented.

Ready to guide Sion into a new world she’d never experienced before.

But—
“…Hero?”

The next moment, Marianne looked around with a questioning expression.

Sion was nowhere to be seen.

She had been following Marianne just a moment ago, but now there wasn’t even a trace of her.

With her breathtaking beauty, it should have been harder not to stand out, but somehow, Sion had completely disappeared.

‘Surely not…’

Cold sweat trickled down Marianne’s back.

No, it couldn’t be. No way…

But before the thought could fully form, Marianne bolted forward, shouting at the top of her lungs.

“Hero!!! Where are you?!?! Hero!!!!”

Her voice echoed across the bustling streets like a thunderclap.

But no one responded to her desperate call.

Meanwhile, a short distance away from the spot where Marianne was panicking.

“Alright! I just went and scouted the competition, and we’re currently selling about 10 more books than they are!
At this rate, not only is victory assured, but we’re also set to break last year’s record!”

“Really?! Awesome!!”

Dorian, the head of the circle Akashic Transcendence, which specialized in R-rated Sien x Exia doujinshi, was overjoyed.

The 50th anniversary really did feel different—this year, the crowds were noticeably larger than in previous years.

Even with nearly double the usual stock prepared, they were struggling to keep up with the line.

Selling out completely didn’t seem like just a dream anymore.

Even better, it seemed like they would finally crush their hated rivals, the Mana Circle.

“Heh heh heh…

It’s already been established that Exia is the rightful partner for Sien. How blind can those foolish Mana Circle fanatics be to the trends of the times?
Today, we’ll make them understand their place. Got it?”

“Yes, boss!”

The circle members responded enthusiastically.

They, too, took pride in being staunch supporters of Exia and couldn’t stand the idea of losing to the Mana Circle in sales.

Winning last year had only tied the score 1-1.

To avenge their loss from two years ago, they needed to dominate this year.

“President Dorian! If you’re done checking inventory, could you help with the customers here? The line’s growing faster than we can keep up!”

“Alright, I’m coming! Just hold on a second!”

Responding quickly, Dorian ran toward the booth. He greeted the next customer with a bright sales smile.

“Welcome! How can I help—”

But before he could finish, he froze on the spot, utterly stunned.

Standing before him was a girl so beautiful that he momentarily lost all sense of reality.

It was as if he was looking at an angel rather than a person.

Her shimmering silver hair glowed brilliantly in the sunlight, her delicate scent of acacia was intoxicating, and her graceful movements exuded an unmatched elegance.

And most striking of all—
The sword strapped to her back.

There were countless similar designs scattered throughout the festival, but this one radiated an unmistakable aura of authority that no imitation could hope to replicate.

As the president of a Sien x Exia doujinshi circle, Dorian would have to be blind not to recognize her identity.

“Wait… no way.”

Dorian’s heart sank into the abyss as the realization struck him.

If that sword really was what he thought it was…

And if this girl really was the person he had only heard of in whispered legends…

Her presence here could only mean—

“Hello there, Mr. Vendor.”

The girl smiled warmly as she spoke, her voice as clear and mesmerizing as jewels rolling on a silver platter.

But to Dorian, it sounded like the voice of doom itself.

She glanced casually at the stacks of books behind him and spoke again.

“Excuse me, but may I have one of those books you’re selling?
I’m just so, so curious about what they’re about…”

Her gaze was fixed on the towering piles of doujinshi deep within the booth.