Chapter 587: An Ancient Hero

I was in the guest room I’d been given inside the royal palace. Leaning back in a surprisingly comfortable chair, I reread Ariene’s statement written on the parchment.

Of course, it was copied by a record keeper or civil servant, so the handwriting was completely different, but for some reason, it felt as if she had written it herself.

「I want to believe this isn’t the end…」

The content was mostly the same as the Great Holy Church’s previous claims. It rejected the Heraldic Order and condemned the New Kingdom. And it declared me to be a great evil. You could even say there was almost no point in reading it.

It wouldn’t have been a problem if that were all.

The last few lines contained a request for my submission. The problem wasn’t the request for submission, but its content.

…The sentence hinted at something only Ariene and I should know. A wish to see the same night sky again.

During our orphanage days, I once took Ariene out and showed her a night sky so clear it seemed you could touch the stars. No one else, not even Altia, should know about it.

If this was hinting at that day, then it was undoubtedly written by Ariene herself.

A worry I’d been harboring for so long began to dissipate. A heavy weight lifted from my shoulders.

My worry was…the thought that Ariene, whose body had been taken over by Altia, might have already vanished.

Just as the jewel Bar Agathos disappeared, it wouldn’t be strange if Altia had absorbed Ariene. It was entirely possible that she wouldn’t be at the end of my pursuit. While desperately denying it emotionally, somewhere in my heart, I kept wondering if that might be the case.

But this sentence at the end…Every time I reread it, made me acutely aware of Ariene’s existence.

…I had a strange certainty. Ariene was alive. I could put an end to it all if I could just kill Altia.

I picked up the glass from the table and quenched my thirst with the ale inside. The room was lined with expensive bottles of ale, almost too luxurious for me, but I chose the cheapest looking one for now. Even so, it was so delicious that one glass made my head feel hot.

Suddenly, I noticed noises outside the room. I’d told the servants assigned to only make minimal contact, so no one should be approaching this room until nightfall.

But the footsteps were growing louder. Caria was the most likely candidate, but the quality of her footsteps was different.

「…I’m coming in, Lugis. You haven’t changed since you were a kid. You immediately want to be alone if you have something on your mind or something to think about. 」

Just as I finished my glass, she… Mrs. Ninz…entered without knocking. There was no hesitation whatsoever. Rather, it was as if she considered it the most natural thing in the world to do.

But I thought that was only natural. At the very least, even if Mrs. Ninz entered my room, I wouldn’t immediately turn her away.

「Isn’t this unusual? Mrs. Ninz coming here? I thought it would be Caria or Matia. 」

「Ann came crying to me because you wouldn’t come out of your room. Honestly, I’m not the orphanage manager anymore, you know? 」

Her normally strong eyes narrowed, along with her neatly groomed eyebrows. There wasn’t much anger in her voice, but I understood her intention to express her displeasure.

「Sometimes I just want to be alone. I’ve been alone for a long time. So it isn’t that strange. 」

It was different now, but it used to be like that all the time. I left the orphanage, parted ways with Ariene, and said goodbye to my old man. Sometimes I teamed up with Bruder or someone else, but I didn’t really have anyone I could call a friend. I had become so used to thinking and acting alone that I even hated it.

It wasn’t that I didn’t trust anyone, or that I couldn’t. It was simply that I had become more focused on thinking and acting alone than on listening to others’ opinions and reaching conclusions through discussion.

I continued speaking.

「Well, when my thoughts are directed to this nation in particular, then I will talk to my comrades about it. But this concerns Ariene. It would be troublesome for the others, you know. That’s why I didn’t think there was much to talk about with them. 」

「Wait a minute. You haven’t come this far with that kind of thinking, have you? 」

Mrs. Ninz spoke exactly as she had since my time at the orphanage and sat down in the spare chair. She picked the most expensive-looking bottle of ale in the room and poured it into a glass.

I remained silent until Mrs. Ninz spoke. Strangely, I didn’t feel any resentment even when my words were contradicted.

「Those who only share joy and profit are neither friends nor companions. They are merely collaborators. Those who share sorrow and hardship are the ones we call friends and companions. I bet you’re thinking something like this, Lugis: “I can’t bear to burden you with my troubles, so I should bear it all myself”. Am I right? 」

Mrs. Ninz downed the drink, which must have been much stronger than what I’d had, in one gulp and poured another glass. As always, she was someone who showed no weakness, whether it was alcohol or anything else.

「…I’m no match for Mrs. Ninz. Well, that’s generally true. 」

I shrugged my shoulders.

In reality, I had told not only Caria, Filaret, and Eldith about the Great Demon…Altia…but also Matia and Philos.

Since we were directly opposing her, I couldn’t keep the matter of that demon completely secret. However, on the other hand, Ariene was a different story. Everything about her was purely my own business. After downing two drinks in total, Mrs. Ninz finally settled back into her chair, with her eyes widening.

「Since I can’t win against you, let me ask you one more thing, Lugis. 」

I nodded slightly, prompting her to continue, and she said in a casual tone.

「…I’m not telling you to forget about Ariene or give up on her right now. But don’t be so foolish as to let your own happiness slip away for Ariene’s sake. 」

「…May I ask you to elaborate a bit more? 」

「Of course. If you ask me, you, and perhaps Ariene, are still just children. You think you can be happy in the way you want. I know you and Ariene had feelings for each other. Perhaps there would’ve been the greatest happiness if you had both continued to live ordinary lives. But the terrifying thing is, you two have both grown too big. You can’t go back to being ordinary people anymore…And there’s more than one person who cares about you, more than one person who believes in you. I believe that happiness comes in many different forms. 」

I easily understood what Mrs. Ninz was trying to say. To put it simply, no matter how hard I tried, a future where I simply lived an ordinary life with Ariene was no longer possible, so she was telling me not to pursue that and ruin myself, but to look at the people who supported me more.

Unconsciously, I realized my fingertips were reaching for the chewing tobacco in my chest pocket. I took the chewing tobacco from my pocket and placed it on the table.

「…I understand, Mrs. Ninz. Countless people have already helped me and risked their lives with me. I can’t and won’t abandon them anymore. 」

This was my true feeling from the bottom of my heart. The old me might have seen Ariene’s offer of submission with different eyes and run off alone into the night to see her true intentions.

But there was no way I could do that anymore.

Caria, Filaret, Eldith, the countless comrades who helped me, the soldiers who risked their lives for me.

What was wrong with me? It seemed I’d developed an overwhelming affection for the people around me, people I’d always felt uncomfortable around.

Not because I became a hero, but simply because I didn’t want to abandon them based on my own beliefs.

「I’m already happy enough. But I’m just greedy enough to wish that Ariene could be a part of that happiness. 」

I heard a deep sigh when I said those words. After a moment, Mrs. Ninz looked up.

「…You’ve really become a man who’s hard to read. I get it. But stop talking about it or letting it show in your attitude. 」

For a moment, Mrs. Ninz’s smile from the orphanage days flashed across her face before she quickly changed her tone. She looked towards the door again before speaking.

「Putting Ariene aside for a moment, there’s been a rumor going around the capital lately. Rumors about you controlling dragons during the war with Zebrililith or fighting alongside demons. I suspect a spy from the Great Holy Church has infiltrated the area. In short, they want to sow suspicion in our minds. 」

Mrs. Ninz continued.

I had actually enlisted the help of Shad the Copper Dragon or Leu, who had become a magical devilish being.

But it was true that the Great Holy Order was actively spreading the rumors. Whatever the truth may be, their intention was to portray me as a monster…a demon, a false hero. The longer this unstable situation continued, the higher the possibility of something strange could happen.

…Whether we fought or not, we needed to settle the negotiations quickly.

Negotiations between the Guardian Jace Brackenberry and the New Kingdom had already begun. But even that was a precarious negotiation, one that could collapse at any moment.

Everyone was filled with a sense of crisis and anxiety. Perhaps that was why Altia and Ariene remained so strongly in their thoughts.

That monster claiming to be a divine spirit was still approaching. That fact alone burned vividly into their minds.

—

The legend of King Medic remained only in history and myth.

A scholar, or even someone with some knowledge, could easily describe what he accomplished.

…He was said to have established the first human nation in the West. The first King.

Many believed that human culture and civilization began with him. Disagreements on this point were rare. This was why the people of the Western Islands were often proud and strong-willed.

On the other hand, a unified opinion on this matter was rare…

…So what kind of person was he?

Some said he was a man overflowing with a sense of justice, others said he was consumed by a desire for conquest, and still others argued he was merely a figurehead king.

While there were anecdotes recounting his great achievements, there were very few records that preserved his personality. Perhaps this was due to the complete destruction of his kingdom.

That’s why, in this era, there was only one person…no, only one…who truly knew King Medic.

The Demon Baronuis. The witch who, alongside King Medic, established the first human nation.

She was now the only one who truly knew King Medic in his lifetime. He was magnificent, boisterous, and overflowing with incredible brilliance.

「…Hey, hey, hey, hey! What’s with this ridiculous commotion? Things were much quieter in my time. I’m astonished, moved, and shocked! Are all these guys even human!? 」

A very tall man spoke out loud. The man didn’t seem to dislike the scene even though he called it ridiculous. His tone even seemed somewhat cheerful. Meanwhile, Baronuis surveyed the army of the Great Holy Order.

「You fool. How many years do you think have passed since you ascended to the throne? Even insects multiply uncontrollably over time. There’s no reason why humans wouldn’t increase, right? 」

「But Baronuis! 」

The tall man called out to the witch Baronius, who was standing beside him. There was no fear whatsoever, even though he was addressing a demon; it was the ease of speaking to an old acquaintance.

「Isn’t it magnificent, moving, and shocking! Humans were practically dying, yet…No, humans are much more resilient than I thought! 」

The tall man spoke while standing in the Great Holy Army’s camp, witnessing something extraordinary. After expressing his thoughts and seemingly satisfied, he took a deep breath before speaking again.

「So, as a result of their increasing numbers, now it’s humans fighting each other. Is that right, Baronuis? 」

「…That’s right. Right now, the Great Holy Church and the Heraldic Order are at war. It will probably all end in the next campaign. Do you understand? …Medic? 」

「I understand perfectly! 」

The tall man slung the spear, which was as tall as he was, over his shoulder and flashed a charming smile. That smile alone revealed the reason he had risen to the top of a kingdom.

「Things are better when they’re simple! I don’t really understand it, but since I’ve woken up again let’s end this war before I go back to sleep! Let’s crush this so-called great evil! 」

With splendor, grandeur, and ferocity, the Human King Medic wielded his words.

A figure renowned as an unparalleled hero in history had awakened.

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King Medic…! Altia even brought back a righteous man! And somehow, he doesn’t seem corrupted because he has memories of his past…curious (Unlike Helot Stanley).

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