episode_0209

I secured things that can currently be turned into money.

Because things that are too expensive would be difficult to dispose of, I packed moderately expensive items that are easy to get rid of immediately.

I excluded clothes that used overly luxurious silk.

“Where are you planning to go?”

And before I knew it, the head maid, who had entered my room, looked at me.

But without saying anything to her, I continued to pack my luggage.

“Will you not tell me?”

“Uh.”

“Is that so?… I understand.”

Unlike usual, she easily gave up after hearing my words.

After that, she didn’t say anything, she just quietly watched me pack my things.

And when I had packed all my luggage, the head maid, who had been quietly watching me, quietly opened her mouth.

“I know that you haven’t been able to sleep well recently.”

“….”

“I don’t know what Your Highness is going through or suffering from, but I hope you will be well.”

“…Hoo.”

I stared at her for a moment as she bowed her head and spoke.

I replaced my answer to her with a slight nod and left the royal castle.

After leaving the royal castle, I headed straight to her, who was waiting for me.

“Levia, did you wait long?”

“No, I didn’t wait that long.”

“…Levia. Don’t you have any luggage to pack?”

I was carrying a suitcase because I had packed things that seemed necessary in preparation for a wandering life, but Levia had nothing. All she had was a staff.

I wondered if it would work with such light clothes, but Levia shrugged her shoulders and said.

“I don’t have any.”

“Is, is that so?… Uh… If you say so, I guess so.”

After joining with Levia.

I left the castle gate with Levia.

Until now, I step out of this royal capital, where I have lived for about 20 years, and head to a world I have never seen before. The fact that I can see with my own eyes the world that I have only seen in writing makes my heart swell with curiosity and anticipation, but….

It would be a lie to say that I’m not nervous.

More than anything….

Fluttering

“Kuh….”

From the moment I saw it, I no longer think of this place, the royal capital, as a place where people live.

If I had to put it, it was like a bomb that could explode at any moment. That’s exactly the feeling.

I dreamed countless times of black shadows springing up from the basement, shadow puppets overflowing, people’s screams filling the air, and a blood-filled hellscape. Of course, every time I had such a dream, I couldn’t get a good night’s sleep, and at the same time, dealing with the shadow puppets that appeared every day severely depleted my mind.

Every time that happened, Levia would use mental magic to help me from collapsing….

It only postponed the time of collapse, but it was not a proper solution.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m okay…. Just a little…. I’m just tired from not being able to sleep.”

That’s why I had no choice but to ask Levia about the ‘Holy Sword’.

In order to deal with the trauma engraved deep in my head, there is no other way but to deal with the cause of the trauma.

That was why I made that judgment.

Making an effort to shake off my lingering feelings, I turned my back on the royal capital and took a step.

Levia stared at me for a moment, then stood next to me.

Levia and I, the two of us, set off on a journey to find the Holy Sword.

* * *

“I think it would be good to camp around here today.”

“Okay.”

The sun, which had been setting little by little, completely hid its appearance, and the time of night came when the moon and stars illuminated the world.

I wanted to sleep in a village if possible, but I guess I’ll be camping like this to the point of getting sick of it from now on.

I need to get used to it quickly.

“But what should I do first to camp?”

“…I’ll take care of it.”

“….”

From the beginning, I was born and raised in the royal family without any lack.

Of course, I have no idea what to do for this kind of camping.

On the other hand, Levia skillfully used magic to gather tree branches and set them on fire.

In addition, she used bundles of luggage that I don’t know where she got them from to create something like a tent.

Crackling

After many twists and turns, after finishing our meal, Levia and I sat facing each other with the campfire in the middle.

“But Levia.”

“…? What is it?”

“Is that Holy Sword really there?”

“…Yes. It’s in the Holy Kingdom.”

The Holy Kingdom….

I’ve never been there, but I’ve seen the high priest from there come.

He was invited to some of the kingdom’s important events… I don’t know him well because I haven’t met him other than that.

“…But I heard that the Holy Sword is just a legend.”

“It’s not a legend. It’s actually there… It’s a real object.”

“Hmm…. If you say so, I guess so. Then, with that Holy Sword… can we definitely kill it?”

“Yes. The Holy Sword basically has the ‘power to defeat the trials of the world’, so it will definitely be recognized as a ‘trial’.”

The trials of the world?…

A slightly disturbing word was mentioned, but I don’t have the mind to care about that right now.

“Levia… do you know about that? That’s why you said we need the ‘Holy Sword’.”

“…Are you curious?”

“Yes. I’m curious.”

Levia, who had been looking at me for a moment, turned her gaze back to the flames and spoke.

“It is a ‘Wanderer from Another World’.”

“Wanderer from Another World?…”

I tilted my head and looked at Levia at the unfamiliar word.

“What is that?”

“The definition of the term is simple. Literally, beings from other worlds are called ‘Wanderers from Another World’.”

“Another world is….”

Levia, who was staring blankly at the burning flames, raised her finger and pointed to a nearby tree.

“To explain it in an easy-to-understand way… think of the world as the leaves of that tree.”

“Leaves?”

“Yes. There are countless leaves, but those leaves are independent of each other. They can’t interfere with each other. But sometimes… there are beings that ‘cross the world’ from one leaf to another. Those are called ‘Wanderers from Another World’.”

“…I’ve never heard of anything like that even during royal education.”

Another story I’ve never heard before.

If ordinary people had said it, I would have dismissed it as nonsense, but I knew that Levia had never lied, so I struggled to understand what Levia was saying.

“Basically, beings from other worlds are ‘foreign substances’. And the world tries to eliminate such foreign substances. What arises in that process is… ‘trial’. Of course… not all trials are caused by beings from other worlds, but….”

Levia used magic to lift the nearby firewood.

Then, she threw the firewood into the campfire and continued.

“The Holy Sword… is the sword of the goddess and the sign of the representative given to those who lead all the people of the world and defeat the trials when ‘trials’ come to this world. So….”

“If it’s the Holy Sword, can it kill that Wanderer from Another World? Because the Holy Sword is originally meant to defeat such trials?”

“…Yes. But you won’t be able to kill it right away just by obtaining the Holy Sword. All the Holy Sword gives is possibility… Leon will have to train and become stronger than he is now.”

I seemed to have a rough idea of what I had to do in the future.

Obtain the Holy Sword, become stronger, and return to the royal capital. And kill it in the basement of the royal castle.

Then the people will no longer suffer, and there will be no reason for me to continue having nightmares.

But before that….

“Levia.”

“…? What is it?”

“Levia, how do you know so much about these stories in detail? Even those in charge of my education have never told these stories.”

“…My teacher told me.”

Teacher….

Come to think of it, I thought about this last time, but I don’t know much about Levia.

What she usually does, what she likes and dislikes, etc.

Thankfully, Levia said she would help me in the process of obtaining the Holy Sword and set off on a journey with me, but there are still many things I don’t know.

No, maybe now I have to find out more about Levia.

So….

“What kind of person was Levia’s teacher?”

“….”

“…Oh, did I say something unnecessary?”

“No, it’s okay.”

I wondered if I had asked a bad question.

When I looked at Levia with that thought, Levia shook her head and took out a book.

“My teacher.”

“Teacher?… A book?”

“Yes. This book tells me what I need.”

“That’s amazing…. What happens if I hold it?”

At my question, Levia blanked out for a moment and continued.

“I don’t know. I’ve never given it to anyone else.”

“Hmm…”

“Do you want to hold it?”

“Oh?… Is it okay?”

When I asked carefully, Levia nodded and readily handed me the book.

I opened Levia’s book that I had received.

“….”

“How is it?”

“It’s just blank?”

“Is that so….”

Nothing is written on it.

I turned more pages, but it was also blank.

After confirming that there was nothing, I handed the book back to Levia.

“Anyway…. First of all, obtaining the Holy Sword is the top priority, right?”

“Yes. That’s how it will be.”

The destination is the Holy Kingdom.

I don’t know if I’ll be able to obtain the Holy Sword there….

“I wish I could get it for sure….”

Holding my trembling hand from the trauma, I closed my eyes.