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“The sword of a legendary hero, you say? Are you even sure such a thing exists?”

Hiyuki tilted her head in wonder upon hearing the phrase that seemed to lack any sophistication.

“As much as it sounds like a fairy tale, it indeed exists,” King Collard replied, his tone mirroring the awkwardness of the topic.

“Apparently, that country was once in a dire situation due to the invasion of a legendary monster which ushered in a period of chaos. The king and the best talents sacrificed themselves to buy time, the priestess of that era traded her life to perform a forbidden magic, summoning a hero from another world. Three dwarven craftsmen then gave their lives to forge a blade, which the hero used to defeat the monster, and that very sword is the one in question.”

‘My, quite a lot of sacrifices, eh~. And what a classic setting,’ Hiyuki thought, but she nodded along to keep the conversation flowing.

“The sword is said to possess unparalleled sharpness, bestowing glory and limitless strength upon its wielder. Legend has it that the summoned hero, ‘Taro Yamada,’ was unremarkable in martial arts, yet with the sword in hand, he faced those legendary monsters. Ultimately, the sword itself left the hero’s hand and single-handedly subdued the legendary beast before delivering the final blow.”

“Isn’t it like the sword is the main character while the hero wasn’t even a side character?”

“……”

“……”

Realization dawned on them that they had stumbled upon a topic they perhaps shouldn’t have, leading to an awkward exchange of glances.

‘Cough,’ King Collard cleared his throat, steering the conversation away from its unintended detour.

“……I am merely providing a brief summary, so it might come across that way. It’s an epic story that’s circulated by minstrels and turned into fairy tales in their hometown, so please, let’s avoid making such comments, even inadvertently. After all, we are outsiders here.”

With that, King Collard cast a concerned glance at Hiyuki—or rather, Scarlet Snow, the alias she was currently using. A beautiful, enigmatic priestess dressed in pure white clerical garb, a stark contrast to her usual colorful attire.

“However, I still believe Your Highness needn’t trouble yourself by joining us. It’s not a matter of great importance, and ignoring their demands wouldn’t significantly impact us. The trade in this northern region isn’t particularly thriving, so the lack of support from just one place won’t affect us much, I believe…”

Hiyuki, using the holy equipment ‘Blue Velvet,’ a long wand with a crescent moon motif at its tip, leveraged herself up from the sofa.

“You know as well as I do that securing that nation’s support would effectively complete the free trade zone on this continent, right? My gamer soul couldn’t possibly overlook it. Besides, isn’t it intriguing? The way they phrase it, ‘Our nation will never form a trade agreement with those governed by demonic beings. However, since it’s the wish of the legendary sword’s chosen one, we humbly accept,’ suggests such a person exists within this country. I’m quite eager to see this divine sword and the so-called great hero.”

‘I mean, I even went to the trouble of wearing my clerical clothes from ‘EHO’—my usual attire draws too much attention,’ Hiyuki muttered under her breath.

Currently, Hiyuki is in a meeting with King Collard for discussions. Officially, however, it is Mikoto-operated Sorcery Doll No.2 ‘Hiyuki’ that is taking action.

“Nonetheless, the notion of a prophesied hero leaves me speechless. Just how desperate must the world be for talent if it had to resort to that person, huh…”

Hiyuki’s tone was filled with astonishment, and the solemn nod from King Collard indicated he shared her sentiment.

“One really has to wonder. It’s as if the world has lost its senses.”

◆◇◆◇

“Master? He said he’s going into retreat in the mountains for a while and hasn’t been around since last week,” said Fiore, a D-rank adventurer (recently promoted to D-rank).

The location was the Adventure Guild Headquarters in Alra, the capital of the Amitia Republic.

Initially notified about the summon, Fiore entered the guild master’s room as guided, coming face to face with Gald, the chief executive of the guild whom she had met 2-3 times, and a raven-haired beauty she met once, Hiyuki—the sovereign of the Amitia Republic and effectively a deity for the non-human race. She was nearly overwhelmed by their presence but managed to compose herself after some tea and casual conversation, feeling the genuine nature of the two.

Then, in a casual manner, she was asked about Joey, “I believe Joey was also supposed to be here, but he is nowhere to be found. Little missy, do you happen to know any information?”

And the answer to that question was the reply earlier.

“Retreat on the mountain?”

Hiyuki and Gald, seemingly never expecting such an answer, showed surprise as they exclaimed.

“Y-Yes. It’s that place the guild master once talked about…that he uses when something happens…or something.”

As Fiore’s voice trailed off, Gald seemed to realize something and clapped his hands together.

“Ah, that place! I personally created a training area there, but did you say he went alone? And there hasn’t been a word from him for a week; he might be in a bit of a dicey situation.”

Seeing Gald’s concern deepen, Hiyuki and Fiore exchanged worried glances.

“Is it such a dangerous place?”

“It is. It’s not far from town, but the terrain is quite treacherous. Besides, there are traps scattered around, and carnivorous beasts and monsters roam the area.”

Realizing the gravity of the situation, the two women exchanged glances again, breaking into a cold sweat.

◆◇◆◇

Two hours later, Hiyuki and her party arrived at the mountain where Joey had secluded himself, in a dragon-drawn carriage pulled by four land-drakes prepared by the guild.

Apart from the driver, the group included Fiore, donned in her magician’s robe and wand, Hiyuki in her cleric attire, and a milky-white-haired girl, appearing around 15-16 years old, wearing breastplate armor over a one-piece dress and a rapier at her waist.

“She’s my bodyguard, one of the Thirteen Demon Generals—Demogol. Well, the introduction might go over your head, so just call her Shizu. She’s one of the best, even among those with balanced abilities; you can rely on her if things go south.”

As Hiyuki introduced her with a smile, Fiore bowed reflexively.

“N-Nice to meet you. I’m an adventurer, Fiore. I’ll be in your ca—please take care of me.”

“Nice to meet you, too. I’m Shizu, a confidant of the Princess. This might be the only time our paths cross, but you can count on me.”

Shizu extended her hand with a smooth movement and a smile, though slightly awkward in execution. Fiore, acting out of habit, shook her hand.

Shizu’s cold hand returned the handshake, continuing to smile.

“By the way, this is just a temporary appearance. My true form is quite repulsive, enough to drive the weak-hearted to madness, but it’s nice to make your acquaintance.”