Chapter 119: Hero-nim? – 1

Chapter 119: Hero-nim? – 1

“Hmm? Is something wrong?”

“Oh, no. It’s just that there’s a lot of dust in the alley.”

‘No, that… Holy Sword-nim? If I beat up the Hero without any justification, my head will roll, you know?’

*’I’ll arrange a suitable opportunity for you soon. This is also something agreed upon with your companion.’*

*Instead, the system plans to pay you well. If I had my way, I’d give it as a formal quest, but it’s too sudden an opportunity for that.*

‘Why is the system suddenly doing this? What’s in it for them?’

Honestly, from my perspective, I don’t particularly want to fight the Hero in any way.

I’m in a position where I need to coax her because of the branches, and if we communicate with our fists, feelings that weren’t there before can develop.

It’s effective for conveying my intentions, but it’s a communication method that leaves no room for a good relationship with the other person, if you know what I mean.

…And it’s questionable whether I can even give the Hero any enlightenment by fighting her in the first place.

Ultimately, accepting this request was likely to result in more losses than gains.

More precisely, since the system is enticing me to join, it might be beneficial in the long run, but it also meant that the difficulty of the branches could become harder as a result.

And the difficulty of the branches is already more than enough, overflowing with challenge.

……Honestly, I’ve faced death every time there was a branch, and during the Melini incident, I half-died and came back to life. If the branch difficulty gets any harder, I might genuinely die.

*Well, because it’s fun? And besides, a certain degree of conflict between monsters and human factions is inevitable, so the Hero’s combat power is important.*

‘No, then shouldn’t you entrust it to the strongest or most powerful people in other worlds, not me?’

*’Only your companion and you have seen through my existence. Others, no matter how much they feel my presence, cannot hear my words or anything else.’*

*And it will be a good opportunity for you too, won’t it? Honestly… aren’t you a little disappointed that you’ve only made potions and haven’t been able to use them?*

……These bastards are unfairly bringing up potions.

To be honest, I do want to experiment with the effects of the potions a bit.

Not just because I’m curious about their power, but also because I need to figure out how to use them effectively in real combat.

…Especially if, as Ria subtly mentioned, a war with monsters is somewhat inevitable.

These crazy system bastards wouldn’t possibly leave me out of that battlefield.

If they don’t drag me in? Then monsters will invade wherever I am, and that place will become a battlefield.

*’If you grant this request, I will greatly cooperate with what you intend to do. Not only my knowledge and skills, but if necessary, I will even persuade that child for you.’*

‘…You seem desperate.’

*’The appearance of a Hero is evidence that a great crisis will inevitably befall the world. I am the living witness of that, the one who experienced it firsthand.

Therefore… I couldn’t just stand by and watch that child, this current Hero, grow so slowly, without any sense of urgency. All to ensure less blood flows in the world.’*

*And if the Hero is too weak, the monsters might underestimate humans and just push into human territories, including the Empire and the Holy Kingdom, right?*

‘……Alright. I also wish for fewer people to die and get hurt.’

Although the system hasn’t officially informed me yet, according to Ria, the Hero and the Demon King share a branch.

And the content of that branch is to prevent a great war between monsters and humans.

Naturally, there’s a major premise here that this great war hasn’t happened yet.

Therefore, Ria’s words were like a subtle threat.

……If I don’t do this, the branch might fail.

And just like that, I suddenly found myself scheduling a duel with the Hero.

…I wonder if I’ll really die before my time at this rate.

*’Thank you. Then, I’ll be counting on you in a moment.’*

‘Wait, in a moment…?’

*’Then, if you’ll excuse me.’*

‘No, at least give me time to properly prepare……’

……I really feel like I’m going to die before my time.

***

“What were you doing that you kept not responding even when I spoke? Holy Sword-nim?”

‘…I was contemplating how you could develop…’

“There you go again. How long has it been since we arrived in the Empire for you to be like this?”

‘……Are you accompanying a girl whom the Holy Kingdom’s inquisitors caused a ruckus trying to capture in the Empire?’

“What?”

Upon hearing that, my gaze naturally went to the girl behind me, who was looking around with displeasure, and the girl in front of me, who was giving directions.

…Given her attitude towards me and the attitude of the girl giving directions, that is, the girl named Lily, it was quite clear who the Holy Sword was referring to.

Suddenly, I remembered the news that the inquisitors had recently dispatched the Saintess to the Empire because of a heretic.

I didn’t remember how that concluded, nor did I care, but… given that even the Saintess was dispatched, it was highly likely that the heresy was clear.

“Damn it! Why are you telling me that now?!”

‘How would I have known that from the beginning? As I observed her, I noticed she seemed to use mana strangely, so I mentioned it.

As for the matter of mistaken identity, my memory is hazy from living so long, so it only just came to me.’

“Tsk… What should I do now? Wait, but if the Saintess came and went, and she’s still perfectly fine there, wasn’t she just not a heretic?”

‘I cannot know that much. However… it is certain that a slightly alien feeling of mana can be distinctly felt from that child.

She might have deceived the Saintess, or perhaps she was caught and escaped, so be careful.’

Now that I think about it, her mana certainly felt a bit alien.

It was definitely not the feeling of mana used by typical knights or warriors, nor was it the feeling of mana used by mages.

Also, Lily calls her ‘Boss-nim’, so it was a mystery what kind of person she was.

“Excuse me, Lily?”

“Yes?”

“Are you perhaps operating some kind of merchant guild?”

“Oh, no. We run a shop that sells potions, which are magical elixirs with various effects, including healing and enhancement.”

“…Is that so?”

Healing and enhancement. These were primarily the works of divine power.

This was probably why the Saintess and the inquisitors were dispatched.

…So, is she really a heretic?

“…Should I try attacking her once?”

‘I don’t know for sure, but it seems good to try attacking her once. There’s a distinct difference in feeling. Aim to subdue her appropriately.’

“…Alright.”

‘Ah, before that. The girl who is kindly guiding your way seems to be an ordinary human with no connection, so take measures to ensure she isn’t harmed.’

“Tsk, how annoying.”

Coincidentally, the location was a back alley, so people wouldn’t pay much attention even if a minor violent incident occurred.

In other words, it was a good place to subdue that heretic.

It’s not just anyone, but the Holy Sword itself saying she seems to be a heretic, so she must be a heretic or at least something related to one.

Of course, I couldn’t involve innocent and powerless ordinary people.

“Excuse me, Lily? Do you happen to have that potion with you right now?”

“Uh… no. I don’t have it right now… Boss-nim? Do you have it?”

“I don’t have it either, but why are you suddenly curious about it, Hero-nim?”

“No, it’s just… its effects seemed interesting. Could you possibly bring one bottle? Lily?”

Lily seemed to hesitate at those words, but at her ‘Boss’s signal to go, she quickly disappeared.

In other words, there were no innocent and vulnerable ordinary people in this alley anymore.

Only idlers wandering the streets, who wouldn’t really matter if they got hurt, and one heretic whom even the Holy Kingdom had pursued.

Swoosh…

With a low sound, the Holy Sword emerged from its sheath.

At first glance, it looked ordinary, but the divine power emanating from the sword itself proved that it was by no means ordinary.

‘If it gets dangerous, I’ll help you, but until then, try to do it solely with your own strength.’

“I don’t think there will be any dangerous situations? What power could a girl who’s shorter and seems more delicate than me possibly have?”

“……Excuse me? I can hear everything you’re saying?”

Perhaps angered by the blatant disregard, she showed no reaction at all to the sudden drawing of the sword.

Normally, one would ask why the sword was suddenly drawn.

“Hey, let me ask you directly. Are you a heretic?”

“…Why are they making such a fuss about that again?”

“It’s nothing much, but this exalted Holy Sword says you seem to be a heretic. The world’s atmosphere is already grim, do you really have to go around doing heretical things?

No, is it precisely because of a world like this that you’re worshipping other gods and causing trouble?”

“……Aha, so this is how you’re going to play it? I wondered how you’d pick a fight… Now I fully understand why you said we’d meet again soon.”

I asked a question, but the answer I got was completely off-topic.

By now, the warning should have been sufficient…

The Holy Sword drew a large arc and descended upon the girl.

It was an attack that could kill an ordinary person… well, since she’s a heretic, she’ll probably block it just fine.

Clang!

With a loud, clanging sound, the Holy Sword was indeed blocked.

A sword too large for her stature was blocking it.

It was an unfittingly massive sword, and an even more unfitting monstrous strength.

“Haa…… It always comes to this. The Holy Kingdom and their damn heretics, heretics. Aren’t they tired of milking that cow by now?”

“Unfortunately, such words don’t work in front of a Hero.”

I re-gripped the Holy Sword and infused it with divine power.

The monstrous strength that could never come from that body, and the Holy Sword’s words alone, already confirmed that the girl was a heretic.

Subduing a heretic without killing them is quite bothersome, but still, it’s not a bad situation.

A Hero who condemns a heretic and exalts the name of God as soon as she arrives in the Empire…

This should be a pretty good first move in the Empire.