Rosfeld City

Northern Empire Swordsmanship Master.

Five Demon Fingers.

These were the rewards obtained this time.

I was worried the Bronze Arm might be heavy, but it wasn’t much different from a normal arm.

Each finger had a black ring fitted on it, and each possessed a different ability.

On the way to the village, I practiced using the abilities whenever I encountered monsters, but only the finger of [Ilma] had an ability suitable for combat.

[Ilma], imbued with the power of pointing, creates a flow that concentrates power on the designated target.

Using it felt strongly like creating a gravity field at an arbitrary coordinate.

Except for this, the other fingers… how should I put it? They didn’t seem like they’d be used in combat. But that doesn’t mean they’re useless – you never know until you try them.

“…”

There’s one more [Quest].

<Subquest>

[Mother of Magical Beasts]

The witch who was the master of the [Basilisk] that dropped the [Ring of Contract] might come looking for revenge for the [Basilisk].

“Should I finish this too?”

‘(Let’s get it all done while we’re at it.)’

Coincidentally, it was in a similar location to [Knight Chris’s Last Words].

I couldn’t know the exact place, but Gusta had mentioned it in passing about the village.

If this were a game, such a single word would often be an important clue.

Moreover,

“It’s a tower.”

A village with a tower.

Might as well go see the tower while I’m at it.

Americano excitedly ran towards the tower she discovered.

An information window pops up in the village.

It’s a village called [Losfelt].

Losfelt wasn’t just a village; judging by its scale, it could be called a city, and as if it were the driving force of its development, a large river cut through the center of the city.

There was a long line at the entrance to Losfelt.

Americano joined the end of that line.

She tidied up her clothes that had become disheveled while running and flipped the hood of her robe over her head.

While waiting, the people in front of her were talking incessantly.

“Did you hear? They say the princess has been chosen as a Hero.”

“Really? Well, well, this is great news. Business hasn’t been easy lately because of those Hero fellows, but if the princess becomes a Hero, it might put them in their place a bit.”

“When the prince became a Hero, he prevented the Summoned Heroes from running wild. Do you think it’ll be the same this time?”

“Still, it might be hard to expect that effect yet. No matter how royal the princess is, she’s still only level 1.”

These people are saying quite interesting things.

It seems the princess of this country has become a Hero.

‘So there was a king?’

I didn’t know about the world setting because I’ve only been dealing with what’s right in front of me.

Having lived in a society without a king, hearing the word princess as a job title felt fresh.

“Of course, it’s only a matter of time. With the full support of His Majesty the King, it would be strange if she couldn’t level up quickly.”

If it’s just about leveling up, it was honestly quite easy.

Solo climbing and party climbing with the same tier and same difficulty of enemies as solo.

You might have to go round and round as many times as the number of people, but the difficulty of climbing itself decreases by the number of people.

It’s like you can climb the tower on a bus, which is really disappointing. Still, you can’t force everyone to climb the same way as yourself, so for royalty whose life depends on politics rather than force, that might be the best option.

“I guess the princess will reveal herself to the Heroes at that time, right?”

“You mean the Hero Tournament? The one where Heroes fight each other since they can’t die, so they compete for rights through a tournament?”

“Yeah, that one. Imagine if the princess shows up then, suddenly at a super high level. The status of the Native Heroes will rise in an instant…!”

“It would be really cool if that happens.”

Then [Divulging Secrets of Heaven] activates.

[A Flag has been discovered.]

Flag?

I was suddenly confused, but question marks appeared above the heads of the people in front of me.

[Focus]. Just looking at the word, is it something cliché-like? Some kind of banner. Even searching [Community] yielded no related information.

Coincidentally, Americano also had something she wanted to ask.

“The Hero Tournament?”

“Ah! You startled me.”

The men in front of her were surprised and answered her question.

She’s a beauty.

Any wariness crumbled before her [Charm].

“You don’t know about the Hero Tournament? It’s quite famous these days. Surely you know about the war that broke out among the Summoned Heroes, causing all sorts of chaos?”

“…Yes.”

Was that so?

Clan War posts often appeared on [Community], but I didn’t pay much attention to them.

“They say that even if Heroes die, they resurrect in the temple, so no matter how much they fight, it never ends. And since one village gets completely destroyed when they do settle things, the Heroes came to an agreement.”

“That’s the Hero Tournament. The clan that wins this tournament can take and give various rights. It avoids damage to villages, and the Summoned Heroes did well on that point, if nothing else.”

“When the Heroes were waging war among themselves, it was truly like hell.”

“We believed the Heroes who came chosen by God had fallen when they destroyed the world more.”

“Hey, friend. That’s blasphemous talk. Miss, don’t misunderstand. This friend just has a bit of a sharp tongue.”

Hero Tournament.

Another form of war where Heroes gather to test their strength and seize rights.

Sounds interesting.

This is what makes it a free max level game.

Players create content for themselves. Isn’t that the ultimate goal of a game? But there was also a problem.

‘How are they going to cover the level difference?’

Heroes had levels.

It might be a bit odd for me to say this, having ignored levels, but generally, level equaled power.

Since the Hero Tournament started as a modification of war, they might not consider fairness. Regardless of level, they put forward their best forces.

Where’s equality in war?

‘This should be fun.’

“Our native Heroes can also participate in the Hero Tournament. Did you know that, miss?”

“I heard a rumor on the way here that the princess has been chosen as a Hero! They say she’s looking for Heroes to help her.”

“Miss, seeing how you’ve come here alone, you seem quite skilled. Are you a Hero too?”

She nodded in response.

“Oh my. If you’re a Summoned Hero, please forgive our harsh words. It wasn’t directed at you, we’ve just suffered a lot at the hands of Summoned Heroes.”

“It’s alright.”

“Seeing how you’re waiting in line like us, your character must be different from other Heroes.”

Thank you for seeing me in a good light.

‘(Everyone~ Don’t be fooled. This woman has a demon in her hand~.)’

Cappuccino teased, speaking in a voice only Americano could hear.

“We might not be in a position to say this, but miss, if you’re interested in the recruitment post for the princess’s guard Hero, why don’t you give it a try?”

“Guard Hero?”

“Yes, it’s simple. You just need to do party climbing together as the princess’s guard Hero. People like us want the princess to do well. If you accept, I’ll give you this.”

[Lightning Struck Tree Branch]

“If you’re a Hero, you should know what this is, right? I picked it up on the way here, you can have it.”

“Yes, I’ll accept it gratefully.”

“Haha, you’re polite too.”

A [Subquest] has occurred.

<Subquest>

[Mother of Magical Beasts]

[Princess’s Guard Hero] (New)

Another [Quest] has been added.

From the way they’re talking, it seems like it doesn’t matter if I don’t do it, but hearing about it has made me a bit interested in being a guard Hero.

The merchants went through the inspection first, and then it was Americano’s turn.

She underwent the inspection.

“You say you’re a Hero?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm…”

Although Heroes were supposed to have a free pass, it seems that’s now an old story, as wariness gleamed in the soldier’s eyes.

“What’s your affiliation?”

“I don’t have one.”

“If you’re unaffiliated, do you have any items to prove your identity?”

“Items to prove my identity?”

“Yes. Currently, there are orders not to let just any Hero into Losfelt.”

“What happens if I can’t prove it?”

“If you don’t have any means to prove what kind of Hero you are, you won’t be allowed to enter.”

This is troublesome.

It’s all because of the Demonic Cultists.

I thought deeply.

I wanted to enter.

If Summoned Heroes were the problem, what about being a Native Hero?

I wasn’t going to lie about being a Summoned Hero.

“Is it okay if I mention a Native Hero I know?”

“If you have an acquaintance among the Native Heroes, that’s sufficient. However, you’ll have to wait outside until the acquaintance is confirmed.”

“That’s fine.”

Americano coolly agreed.

“Which Hero are you referring to?”

“Skilla.”

“Skilla… Is that her real name?”

“…”

Skilla had said it was okay to mention her real name.

“It’s Skally Laftica.”

“La-Laftica? You mean the Ducal House of Laftica?”

The soldier was visibly flustered.

“She should be in Gospel right now.”

“We-We’ll contact her right away.”

“Then I’ll wait outside.”

“Please wait a moment!”

“Yes?”

“We’ll escort you inside. You’re an honored guest. We’ll attend to you until we can contact her.”

The soldiers escorted Americano.

She was guided to a guardroom near the city gate.

‘(As expected of nobility.)’

“The treatment has changed 180 degrees.”

There was a reason why having good connections was beneficial.

“Laftica, you say? Did she really mention Lady Laftica’s name?”

“Yes, sir!”

The captain of the guard received a report about a Hero named Americano.

Americano claimed to be a Hunter-type Summoned Hero and said her reason for visiting Losfelt was to stop by the tower while wandering around the area.

But it’s unlikely that a Hero connected to the Ducal House would come to Losfelt by chance at this time.

A grand event was being held to select companion Heroes after the princess was chosen as a Hero. Many Heroes were visiting Losfelt to apply to become the princess’s companion Heroes.

Among the princess’s companion Heroes, there was a separate selection for Summoned Heroes.

Even though Summoned Heroes had caused trouble, a Hero is still a Hero. They were selecting one each from the warrior and hunter classes as advisory Heroes to understand their opinions and ideologies.

However, Summoned Heroes were strictly screened based on their status before allowing entry.

This was to exclude as much as possible any Summoned Heroes approaching the princess with bad intentions.

In that sense, Americano, a Hero with connections to the Ducal House of Laftica, had no problems in terms of status.

Doubting this Hero would be equivalent to doubting the Ducal House of Laftica.

There’s no problem, but,

“Laftica’s voice will reach the princess.”

That could be the purpose of Hero Americano’s visit.

The Ducal House of Laftica, which had stepped back from politics and maintained neutrality. Are they trying to change in step with the transformation of the Summoned Heroes?

At that moment, the adjutant who had gone to contact Lady Skally Laftica returned.

“How did it go?”

“Lady Skally Laftica of the Ducal House said that Americano is a member of her party and a trustworthy person, so she asks us to take good care of her.”

With the identity confirmed, the captain of the guard reported his understanding to the Lord, and the Lord granted permission for Americano to enter.