Chapter 118: New Omen – 3

Chapter 118: New Omen – 3

‘…Tsk. I still don’t know what kind of person she is.’

*Accept it. She’s a Hero you would have had to face eventually anyway.*

‘Facing her after preparing for it someday is different from meeting her so suddenly like this… Anyway, what a fate I have.’

If it were up to me, I’d just ignore her and leave, but… the fact that the Hero is significantly involved with the Holy Kingdom is a problem.

Like it or not, my position requires me to reform the Holy Kingdom with the Saintess, so having a good relationship with the Hero would certainly be beneficial.

…The problem is that I know absolutely nothing about this Hero.

Dealing with a main character without any information? If this goes wrong, it could completely screw up future plot points.

“Let’s go. Though I don’t know where you want to go.”

“You’re quite prickly.”

“Are you saying that to someone who just got stopped by a passerby and asked for directions?”

“B-Boss-nim…? Is that really okay…?”

Of course, my mouth moved just fine, regardless of that.

Rather than a rational judgment… I just had a gut feeling that it would be okay.

Strictly speaking, there was a strange inconsistency and unfamiliarity in her expression and actions, making me feel that the image this Hero was showing was by no means genuine.

……Was I like that in my previous life, hiding my thoughts and emotions?

*…How interesting. Perhaps after a long time of interacting with people and understanding their inner selves, you’ve developed insight?*

‘What are you talking about? Didn’t you say you didn’t know about this Hero either?’

*Let’s correct that to ‘didn’t know’. Because now I do. But… hmm… I think it might be better for you to experience this directly.

First of all, she’s not the type to dislike your actions. She’s exactly the kind of person who also dislikes bothersome things.*

I was about to argue with the system further, but unfortunately, the Hero’s reply was quicker.

Lily… was looking between the two of us, perhaps intimidated by the Hero’s status.

“It’s fine. After all, isn’t it true that everyone sees that person and me differently?”

“……That’s a relief. Boss-nim has some… well, ‘circumstances’ with the Order.”

“There are many people who aren’t on good terms with the Order. I understand.”

…On the surface, her expression seemed to kindly understand, but her eyes held a look of indifference.

As if she had no interest in the Order from the start.

……By the way, is this Hero bastard really planning to walk around without any disguise?

“By the way, many people will recognize you. Are you really going to walk around like that?”

“Hmm? Wouldn’t that be better?”

“…You don’t know how annoying these nobles here are, do you? If they find someone who might be useful for their power, they’ll pounce on them instantly.”

“Ah… That might be a bit bother, no, a hindrance.”

…Another person might not have heard it, but with my enhanced senses, I could definitely hear it.

That Hero, she definitely intended to say “bothersome”!

Is she the type who only acts like a diligent and noble Hero on the surface?

“So, what are you going to do? For your information, I don’t carry wigs or robes.”

“…Even if you had them, they probably wouldn’t fit her size and build.”

“……Lily? Do you want your salary cut?”

Lily suddenly launched a full-on attack from the side at my casual remark, but I decided to let it slide for now.

The Hero… hmm, had an expression that seemed to be desperately trying to suppress laughter.

In reality, her lips were twitching only slightly, but when I deliberately observed her with my enhanced senses, it wasn’t completely unnoticeable.

……Is this body truly the best thing I’ve received from the system?

“Let’s simply cast a disguise spell. Changing just the overall hair and eye color should be enough.”

“That’s true. Most people look at hair and eye color first when trying to find someone else.”

“You know that well?”

“……I’ve been through it a lot.”

“Ah… Indeed, it’s quite a noticeable color.”

This magical hair and eye color ensures that anyone who meets me once will never forget me.

Well, even I wouldn’t forget someone with mint eyes and mint-colored hair.

While I was contemplating and reminiscing about my hair color, the Hero successfully cast a disguise spell on herself.

…It was certainly perfect.

‘……But why is the color combination the same as the Saintess’s?’

Silver hair and golden eyes, a combination I’d seen very often somewhere.

Of course, it wasn’t a combination as unique as mint on mint, where there wouldn’t be two people with it… but the image of the Saintess immediately popped into my head.

Even the silver hair wasn’t just silver; it had a slight golden tint, exactly like the Saintess’s.

Of course, there was a difference in that it felt like a subtle sense of intimidation rather than the unique benevolence felt from the Saintess.

“How is it? Perfect, right?”

“…You have excellent skills.”

“I borrowed the hair and eye color of someone I know. I always thought the colors were beautiful.”

“They certainly are colors worthy of that. So, where do you want to go first?”

“Hmm… First, I’d like to…”

And so, an unplanned outing with the Hero began.

……Naturally, the world wouldn’t just let me have a quiet outing with a main character.

***

“…How on earth did you know about a place like this?”

“I just found out while digging around about the Empire.”

To cut to the chase, Lily ended up giving directions, not me.

…I had momentarily forgotten, but the buildings I knew in the Imperial Capital were only the market, the clock tower, the Defense Force building, and a training ground for one knight order.

……Because of this extremely bizarre combination, the guidance ultimately fell to Lily, a true native of the Empire, not me.

But… all the places this Hero wanted to go were somehow far removed from what a ‘Hero’ would typically visit.

Hidden restaurants in alleys, fortune-tellers, or places that read fortunes, which would make a devout follower of the Order foam at the mouth, were the mild ones.

I don’t know where she got her information, but we went to gambling dens, black markets for weapons… all sorts of places.

No, what kind of place is the Empire’s back alley that it has all these kinds of places?

……And come to think of it, why does Lily know all this? And why is she even greeting the gambling den owner so familiarly?

“…Lily? What on earth were you doing in your old life?”

“Just this and that? Oh, of course, now is the happiest and best time.”

“……Alright, that’s enough.”

I wanted to ask more, but I stopped, fearing I might learn things I didn’t want to know.

More importantly… this Hero bastard next to me, who is engrossed in sightseeing the back alleys, is a bigger problem.

After observing her closely while we were together, I think I’m starting to understand this Hero bastard’s personality and characteristics.

“…Is it okay for a human called a Hero to act like this?”

“Well, I’m hiding my identity anyway. Oh, and it’s no use telling places like the Defense Force? You’re all accomplices.”

“You didn’t ask for directions for this, did you?”

“Not at all. I genuinely didn’t know the way.”

Unfortunately, this time too, I heard the subsequent thought, “Since I’m disguised and can’t raise my reputation as a Hero anyway, I might as well have some fun.”

As expected, it was a small sound that a normal human wouldn’t have heard.

Not just now, the Hero continuously spoke in such low tones, as if conversing with someone, in a way that others could never hear.

…It’s a mystery why she expresses her thoughts as if speaking to others, but thanks to that, I could understand exactly what kind of guy this Hero bastard was.

In short, she was the kind of guy who would protect the world because if the world was destroyed, she couldn’t have fun.

……Should I view it positively that she has the will to protect the world, or should I lament that her reason for protecting the world is to have fun?

‘…Is the god of this world crazy? Otherwise, I don’t think he’d choose a guy like this as a Hero?’

*’You’re absolutely right! Why would the gods choose such a girl as a Hero… Tsk tsk tsk.’*

‘……What? Who are you?’

*’Hmm? Can you hear my voice?’*

‘Not a voice, but messages come through clearly?’

…I was momentarily flustered by the sudden message from someone other than Ria, but that was about it.

It wouldn’t be strange for the system to play any kind of trick.

*Oh, it’s nothing much. I just connected to her because that Hero also has a pitiful existence like me.*

*’Ah, is this friend the companion who is with you? Nice to meet you. I am the first Hero, and the Holy Sword that fellow is holding.’*

‘……I never thought the day would come when I’d be talking to a Holy Sword.’

*’I also never thought the day would come when I could talk to someone other than that fellow.’*

‘But it seems you can’t communicate with the Hero through thoughts, right? The Hero keeps talking quietly around us, doesn’t she?’

At those words, the message paused for a moment.

It wasn’t the Hero’s doing… She seemed busy sightseeing the streets.

*’……Do you have some kind of super-sense? You saw that?’*

‘Didn’t you react and answer when I asked why such a girl was a Hero in the first place?’

*’Well, well… Indeed, just by being a companion to such a person, one wouldn’t be ordinary.’*

‘So, you didn’t just appear suddenly to say hello… You have a favor to ask, don’t you?’

I thought it was an obvious progression.

Honestly, it was unexpected to suddenly be talking to the Holy Sword, who was also the first Hero, but that Holy Sword would surely ask me to help the Hero…

*’Could you please beat some sense into that tomboy and make her a proper person?’*

“Pfft!”

Ah, I didn’t expect that.