Chapter 2: The Path of the [Hero]
“Wahhh! It’s the demon army!”
A horde of demons threatening to engulf the town. People running in panic.
Yet there were five shadows fending them off.
“You demons! You think you can wound me? Take this! [Raging Wind Slash]!”
A swordsman cutting demons in two with mighty sword swings.
“Fools. Know that not one of you can hit my body. [Blazing Conflagration]!”
An ostentatiously dressed mage burning everything with her overdecorated staff.
“Please, protective magic to guard the people! [Rain Curtain Wall]!”
Mei-Helvin blocking the charging demons with a huge water barrier.
The demon numbers kept dwindling under their assault.
Realizing they were at a disadvantage, the demons tried to flee but got caught in Yu’s traps, unable to move.
“Foil!”
“Alright! [Holy Light Manifest]!”
Gripped in his hand was an unblemished holy sword of purest white.
The legendary holy sword Arianrhod, wielded by heroes of old who drove back countless demon armies.
Resonating, the holy blade unleashed a dazzling radiance.
With one slash, all the demons were obliterated.
“You are…”
“Yes.”
The surviving townspeople looked up at them.
The red-haired youth holding the holy sword stated firmly,
“I am the hero, Foil Ostin!”
Nine years after receiving the oracle.
Foil was now nineteen.
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It’s been nine years since that fateful day. My circumstances have changed drastically.
I didn’t return to my village but went to live and train hard in the Soleil Kingdom’s capital Halmicus, founded by the first generation of heroes and their allies.
There I was granted custody of the holy sword Arianrhod, sealed away in the Sanctum of Light accessible only to a select few in Soleil Kingdom. As the one true weapon capable of being wielded only by the [Hero], the holy sword was humanity’s trump card against the demon forces. And I managed to draw it out.
Once I had Yu try pulling it too as an experiment but he couldn’t budge it one bit. So what was it I felt back then? I still don’t know the reason.
Maybe it’s just not the right time yet.
I grew taller, my hair longer, even my voice deepened.
After taking up the sword instead of a wooden stick, my body grew sturdier too. Not to boast but I’m pretty confident in my mobility now. Though saying that will just get me laughed at by Mei.
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I also changed how I refer to myself from the casual “ore” to the more formal “boku”. I had to learn proper etiquette and speech to interact with nobles and royalty.
To be honest, I didn’t like it because it felt like I was hiding my true self but the world wouldn’t permit it. As the [Hero] I now am, such behavior was necessary.
Aside from Yu and Mei who I personally recruited, two more joined my party.
Gladius Pride.
Originally a wandering swordsman, he fought his way to the finals and emerged victorious at Soleil Kingdom’s “Festival of the Lion Kings”, a tournament drawing only the mightiest fighters to compete for glory. Known as a first rate [Swordsman] whose skills rival even the Captain of the Holy Guard.
In simple swordsmanship he probably surpasses me.
But he has a bad habit of looking down on women and the weak.
Mary Susie.
A daughter from one of the preeminent noble families of Soleil Kingdom, possessing the title of [Grand Mage of Flame] in addition to being a [Mage] like Mei.
Her refined, scorching magic incinerates demons and monsters without allowing them to come close.
However… I hate to say this but she has a strong elitist mentality. As her family has produced generations of [Mages] she openly looks down on commoners, believing the masses exist solely to serve nobles like her.
With these two added, we were defending humanity from the threat of the demon armies.
As fighting forces we were unmatched, likely the apex of mankind’s strength. But as a team, perhaps not so much.
The reason was obvious.
They were dyed-in-the-wool professional ideologists.
While despising others Mei not be praiseworthy, their abilities were undisputed.
As Gladius and Mary kept deriding Yu who was [Classless], they often clashed angrily with Mei. I did my best to arbitrate and improve Gladius and Mary’s attitudes but with little success.
For now things were still fine but if left alone, it can’t be good.
Rather than cooperative teamwork, our individual strengths stood out more.
At my wits end pondering solutions, a certain report reached us, reaffirming my worries.
One day in a room, I held a strategy meeting with them.
“I assume everyone understands our next fight will be against one of the demon army’s Eight Warlords, said to be among their mightiest.”
Muttering his name, I nervously swallowed.
The Eight Warlords. Eight demon commanders comprising the top brass of the demon forces. Their fearsome strength that razed countless cities and countries was surely beyond anything we faced before.
I received word that one of them, the [Blast] Downburst Gryphus, had taken over the water capital Arthelhelm , holding its people hostage.
“He’s not comparable to any demon we’ve fought until now. Remember that. So considering that, I want to hear everyone’s thoughts on how we can win.”
“It’s simple. He’s holed up in the city right? We just besiege and annihilate them. If they’ve shut themselves in, they’re like rats in a bag.”
Mary casually suggests massacring the townspeople. I notice Mei’s eyebrows twitching.
“But that way the civilians will get hurt. Imprisoned inside are people waiting for us to save them. We can’t abandon them.”
“Aw, isn’t it fine for the commoners to just die already?”
Mary stated casually, as if squashing ants.
“We, unlike them, have plenty of replacements, so there’s no need to consider such things. Quite literally, the value of life is different,”
“You…!”
Angry, Mei-chan leaned forward, ready to shout at Mary.
Mei-chan had changed too. Her peach-colored hair was long, reaching down to her hips, with loose waves on the inside. A single strand was tied together, swaying captivatingly with every movement.
Even nobles from the Sun Kingdom Soleil, one couldn’t help but admire her beauty without reservation. Personally, I found Mei-chan’s smiling face to be the most beautiful.
But right now, that face was furrowed with anger.
As Mei-chan, in her rage, attempted to grab Mary, I intervened and stopped her.
“No, we’ve been ordered to reclaim the city. So, even if sacrifices are made, reducing them as much as possible is what we should do. It’s our duty as the hero party, something only we can do,”
“Well, too bad. However, I believe liberating the city without sacrifices is impossible,”
“Exactly. What’s the problem if the weak die? It’s better if they become hostages without achieving anything. It just shows that they lacked the strength,”
Gladius added, echoing Mary’s sentiments.
I understand frustrations with protecting powerless civilians jeopardizing ourselves. But forsaking them is unacceptable.
“They’re ordinary folk caught up in the demon army’s rampage. As the hero’s party it’s our duty to rescue them. We can’t sanction tactics that result in unnecessary sacrifice.”
“But is there another way?”
“Well…”
“Um, how about this?”
Yu timidly raises his hand.
He too had grown from the boy I knew, taller in stature with a sturdier build, though not as much as me. His blue hair was cropped short, looking rather wholesome I’d say. But his usual listless face that shunned conflict remained unchanged.
Staring straight at us, Yu laid out his proposal.
Truly it was perfect – minimizing casualties while enabling a surprise attack. Exactly the best plan.
“Why should I risk myself for those weaklings?”
“Indeed. We’ve no need to endanger ourselves for the likes of them with no combat ability. I’ve no reason to obey some talentless commoner!”
But enacting this strategy required Gladius and Mary’s cooperation.
They disliked Yu for having [No Class].
“Enough. Fruitless objections are a waste of time. Anyway, you understand the benefits of Yu’s plan right? At least we can wipe out the surrounding demons if not Downburst himself.”
“Tch.”
“Hmph.”
Reluctantly they acquiesced since I decided to adopt Yu’s suggestion.
“To actually order one such as I… a noble, by some commoner rustic…”
“The weak displaying some cunning despite lacking any ability whatsoever…”
With only those parting words they moved to prepare, contempt and scorn evident.
“I don’t really like those two.
Mei whispered to me.
I felt the same way. But as the hero it would be unbecoming to voice it aloud. Moreover, parts of their argument were reasonable. And we needed their strength regardless. So I just furrowed my eyebrows worriedly.
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