Project GB is an official initiative by Re:Library.

So, in other words, this book was kind of a digest version of the Heroic Chronicles. But as an introduction, it was actually a pretty good choice.

“We used to keep more accessible books about the Hero, but… well, the people of Amukham generally don’t like the term ‘Hero’ very much,” Mr. Henry said with a slightly sorrowful expression.

(Huh, really? People here don’t like the word ‘Hero’? I had no idea.)

“Nowadays, all I have left are research volumes — the more academic kind. The original Heroic Chronicles consisted of five volumes, and they weren’t written in the modern language,” he explained, pulling a thick, old book from the shelf and flipping through its pages. “You’ll probably study this old script once you advance to higher education,” he added.

I see… The Hero had appeared about 200 years ago. Back when the feudal system still existed, of course, their language and culture were quite different from the ones now. The literary style would’ve been different, too. Their records must have been written in some kind of archaic formal style, maybe like the old Edo-period epistolary style in Japan. It would be a while before I could read the originals myself.

“Oh, but wait, I wonder if the original text mentions the Hero’s real name?”
“No, even the originals don’t include the name. The Hero’s identity, including birthplace and name, was deliberately concealed by the royal court of the time. So no official records exist.”
“Huh? Then how come the Heroic Chronicles even survived at all? Ah, maybe it’s one of those politically convenient, selective-history things, you know, propaganda that only preserves the parts that suit the rulers’ agenda?”

Mr. Henry nodded, confirming that to be the case.

“Even so,” he said with a refreshing smile, “no matter how much they tried to hide it, if you carefully uncover the traces one by one, you can still piece together the truth. That is the work of a researcher. Besides… you’ve already studied Baron Kanoe, haven’t you, Miss Susie?”
“Ah, yes. We learned that, in the year 2255, when this country transitioned to democracy, Baron Kanoe was one of the central figures of that movement. We were also taught… that she was the Hero.”
“That’s right. Suzuka Custos Kanoe, the baroness who determined the course of this nation’s future. Even if the former regime tried to suppress the truth, everyone in this country knows it. She was the Hero of Dawn.”

(Whoa! So now I know the Hero’s full name! And she was a woman, a baroness, no less! But if everyone knows about her, why does the textbook mention her so briefly? Maybe there’s some kind of “unspoken controversy” behind it? Well, given that only her name is omitted, it says a lot already.)

“By the way, did you know that the Hero’s tomb is in the Royal Capital?”
“Huh? There’s a tomb?”
“So, they hid her existence but still built a tomb in the capital? Sounds complicated…”
“Yes. It’s located in the National Cemetery, alongside a monument to her companion. It’s actually a popular tourist spot in the capital.”

‘Oh, so it’s more of a sightseeing spot, huh? Kind of like those famous historical figures back in my world, like Katsu Mifune or Sakamoto Ryōma?’

“The one in the capital is quite grand, but it’s really more of a memorial than a true grave,” Mr. Henry said, looking slightly conflicted.
“Ah, I get it, like how even a controversial historical figure still ends up with a statue in a park because the people adore them.”
“The real grave is further south, in Maius. And it’s not exactly a short trip…”
“R-right… ha ha…”

Maius, one of the Twelve Cities, like Dekenbel. It lay on the opposite side of Dekenbel and the royal capital, and over 1,500 kilometers to the south. A one-way trip of more than 3,000 kilometers… honestly, that was practically a journey across the entire Aurora Republic Kingdom! Even if I ran flat-out, there was no way I could just go there and back easily! But …Wait.

“Um, what about the companion you mentioned?”
“The companion? Ah, yes… They don’t appear in the textbooks, and there are barely any references even in the research volumes. At best, they’re described as ‘a collaborator.’ … So you’ve never heard of the Hero’s Companion?”

(Have I? Maybe I have? Maybe not? I don’t know.)

“Uh… hmm… maybe? I’m not sure… maybe not?”
“I see. I had thought you might have at least heard of them. Amukham holds more records about the Companions than anywhere else.”
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Henry. I didn’t know at all…”
“No, no, I should apologize. That was my assumption; there’s nothing for you to feel bad about,” he said kindly, smiling as he closed the book and gently placed it back on the shelf before selecting another one.
“The Companion was said to be someone who came to this land alongside the Hero, someone who journeyed with her, supported her, and fought by her side.”

(Wh—what?! That’s new! Another person who came here with her?! Another high-leveled player?!)

“W-what… happened to that person?”
“Records about the companion are even scarcer than those about the Hero. Only faint traces of their presence can be found across various regions. In fact, I suspect that the materials here in Amukham may be the most complete collection about them in existence.”

(A mysterious companion, huh? So few records that no one even knows what became of them in the end… Still, if the Hero’s records are hidden away in the capital, maybe I’ll have better luck researching the companion here in Amukham first.)

“…Miss Susie, have you heard of the hill in the Amukham Forest?”
“Huh? The hill? Which one do you mean?”

(Wait, what? How did we jump from the companion to a hill? There are plenty of hills and valleys scattered throughout the forest, which one is he talking about?)

“About five kilometers past the forest’s entrance, deep within the overgrown woods, there’s a clearing, as if that one spot had been carved out from the forest. I’ve been there several times for research. It was discovered over two centuries ago, yet it remains completely unchanged. Among us researchers, we call it the Hero’s Hill.”

“I-I see… The Hero’s Hill? I’ve never heard of it before!”

“It’s an ordinary hill, about thirty meters across. But strangely, no Demonic Beasts ever enter the area, almost as if an invisible barrier protects it.”
“…A place like that exists?”
“The researchers call it Hero’s Hill based on interpretations of old records. But that’s just our scholarly label.”

Mr. Henry, still standing, closed the faded book in his hands and laid it gently on the desk. Then he turned toward the northern window, where the Aurora Mountains could be seen in the distance, and spoke in a solemn tone, almost as if reciting a prayer.

“But the people of Amukham, both now and long ago, call that place something else… They call it the Hill of Lamentation.”