Yuusha no Segare

Chapter 2

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Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Requirements of Becoming a Hero

“d.a.m.n you… Hiroshi…”

Yasuo was in the middle of taking his English Reading make-up test in the reception area in a corner of the staff room at school, and silently cursed Hiroshi, the high schooler in the speech who he was not sure really existed.

Thanks to the fact that he had learned the contents of Hiroshi’s speech perfectly, Yasuo was able to easily answer even the new questions that showed up on the test.

The time limit for the exam was fifty minutes, the same as the original test, but Yasuo still had some time left even after answering all the questions and reviewing them, so he leaned back into the slightly threadbare sofa and let out a large breath.

At this rate, it looked like there would be no major problems with the Cla.s.sical Literature make-up test either.

That just left the essay for Social Studies, but he had no choice but to fumble his way through this one while looking at reference books and other data.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been to the club room, maybe I’ll stop by on the way back.”

His Cla.s.sical Literature test would be held three days from now, depending on his teacher’s availability.

Yasuo, who should have originally cleared this test back during the midterm exams, looked down at his right hand.

Yesterday, Yasuo found out about an important truth related to Diana which he should have found out about much earlier, and he was now standing at a crossroads.

“Allow me to speak frankly. The governing body of Resteria understands all the details about the man called William and the circ.u.mstances of the Kenzaki family, which were contained in Major Krone’s report. However.”

The new Magitech Knight from Resteria, Colonel Khalija Welleger, looked directly at Yasuo through the gentle steam rising from her tea cup.

“The idea of sending your esteemed son, Yasuo, is not welcome.”

“Colonel!?”

Diana raised her voice in surprise, but Khalija, a person who had earned the rank of Colonel in the military, had a look in her eyes that did not allow Diana to say another word.

“Well, I guess that’s obvious.”

On the other hand, Hideo didn’t look surprised at all as he nodded.

“This may sound harsh, but if the situation was at the level where it could be settled by the 『Second Generation』, Diana-chan probably wouldn’t have come here in the first place.”

“…Ah.”

After hearing that, Diana let out a groan as though she understood her own position for the first time.

“It’s just as you said. What Resteria wants is Hideo the Hero, himself. To clarify, Resteria is looking for 『The Second Coming of a Legendary Being』, not a successor to inherit the legend.”

Khalija didn’t even glance at Diana, who was standing at attention next to her.

Khalija’s words may have sounded harsh, but Diana was also the daughter of heroes who had saved the world.

Also, unlike Yasuo, she had undergone several years of training as a Magitech Knight, so her skills were unquestionable. It would have been far easier to present her as a Hero compared to Yasuo.

However, the mission she was given was not to find a successor to the legend, but to act as an envoy to bring back the legend himself.

“Major Krone is an excellent Magitech Knight, but as she has lived her entire life in Resteria, she does not evoke any feelings of awe from the populace. While she’s a highly skilled warrior, she cannot become something more than that, a symbolic existence.”

“……”

She has the strength, but not the charisma.

That

was Khalija’s current a.s.sessment of Diana, and the people of Resteria probably felt the same way as well.

“What’s more, she had been a.s.signed as a surveying officer to the campaign during which General Alexei was killed in action. Even though that was a time when the countermeasures against the Shii were not yet known, it is a fact that she could do nothing to prevent the death of her father who was a comrade of the Legendary Hero. While that may evoke feelings of pity and compa.s.sion, it is of no use to raise the fighting spirit of the people.”

“Umm, don’t you think that’s going a bit too far…”

Basically, Khalija was saying that Diana was completely useless in the battle where her father died, and what’s more, the whole world also saw her that way.

Yasuo tried to protest against those words that were far too cruel to Diana, but Khalija easily rejected his shallow protest.

“Yasuo Kenzaki. As a person who volunteered to become a Hero and replace your father, you must also face this reality. To the commoners and the young knights, the existence of 『Hideo the Hero』 is close to that of 『G.o.d』.”

“G.o.d? You can’t be serious…”

“That’s how legends work. Just how much embellishment do you think was added on to his name and his legend in thirty years? You don’t need to live up to all the embellishments, but if you don’t at least possess the level of ability he had according to the country’s official records, there will be people who become disillusioned and they will easily become your enemies.”

Khalija’s explanation was now more similar to a lecture on Social Science rather than a critique of the details pertaining to Hideo the Hero.

“Just out of curiosity, just how far have these embellishments gone?”

Seeing that Yasuo and Diana had gone silent with pale faces, Hideo asked that question.

“Let’s see. For example, the Legend of the Holy Sword Liutberga is particularly remarkable.”

“Legend of the Holy Sword, huh? I see.”

“If we were to collect and unify all the 『Fragments of the Holy Sword』 that are in the possession of rulers and churches around the world, it is estimated that the length of the resulting blade would be somewhere in the range of twenty meters.”

“…….That’s more ordinary than I thought. Although any parts of Liutberga that are chipped off or broken will just disappear.”

Hideo smiled bitterly upon hearing that, but even he could not avoid widening his eyes in astonishment at the next example.

“Also, there’s a river called 『The Hideo Holy Sword River』 in the current Gaz Commonwealth.”

“Wait, hang on, what kind of name is that?”

“Didn’t anyone object to giving it such a stupid name?”

Even Nodoka, who had stayed silent up to this point, was amazed.

“There’s a rumor in the Gaz Commonwealth that during the defensive battle to protect the refugees, a single swing of Liutberga created the river and protected the people from the attacking hordes of the Demon King Army…”

“So it’s from back then!? It was the demons’ magic that triggered a flash flood of the valley, I wasn’t the one who changed the terrain!!”

“Regardless of what really happened, a river was created there after a battle in which Hideo the Hero partic.i.p.ated. A church was constructed on the riverbank, and the water of that river is considered holy and is highly prized. Another famous anecdote is regarding the battle to capture the Ancient Clock Tower in the Baskelgarde Federation.”

“I have a bad feeling about this, but are you referring to that ancient clock tower? The one which was supposed to have a sealed magic that would allow a person to see the future, but just ended up having a calendar created by people who lived there in ancient times based on the movement of the stars…”

“It has become a story of how Hideo used the the magic of the clock tower and created a new star in the heavens.”

“How does one get from 『Using Magic』 to 『Creating a Star』?”

At this rate, it would not be surprising if all the supernatural occurrences in the world were attributed to Hideo the Hero.

“However, the most talked about story is about the time when you slew an entire troupe of demons under the command of a demon general, right after you first appeared in Resteria. The one where you repulsed an army of a hundred thousand demons all by yourself.”

“No, there were only about thirty thousand. Besides, I ones I defeated didn’t amount to even ten percent of that number.”

Hideo had a faraway look, but Khalija was serious.

“However, the problem is that such tales are believed to be the truth. Even if you return to our world and your achievements now match the actual results from the past, it would be more than enough of an achievement. You may plainly state that you didn’t even defeat ten percent of an army numbering thirty thousand, but everyone who had experienced that battle in the past says that if a person who was capable of such a thing had not appeared, Resteria would have been inevitably destroyed.”

“Ten percent… Three thousand demons…”

Yasuo had only heard about the battle with the demons from Diana and his parents, and he hadn’t even seen one of those creatures called demons so far.

However, he could understand just how ridiculously high a number three thousand was.

Most likely, that battle was the one his father was involved in right after being summoned to Ante Lande, and the one where he had first met Diana’s parents.

Putting it in terms related to his own surroundings, the entire student body of Takeoka High School numbered fewer than seven hundred.

If four times that number were to attack him at once with murderous intent, there was no way that he could repulse them.

The same would be true even if he was armed.

Non-fantasy weapons have limits such as ammunition, durability, and the amount of times they can be used at maximum effect.

It is common knowledge that the number of people who can be killed with a single swing of a j.a.panese sword is by no means large. Similarly, the more ammunition you carry, the heavier you get and your ability to move is restricted.

The imitation sword that Aoto had bought for his juniors in the Drama Club to use was so heavy that Yasuo couldn’t imagine carrying it into battle with his current level of strength.

On the other hand, the Holy Sword Liutberga was light as a feather, so the strain on the body from swinging it was far lesser when compared to swinging a regular sword made of iron, and his father also had the power to use magic. However, even without considering those advantages, Yasuo wondered if he would have the stamina to defeat three thousand demons in the first place.

The enemy would also be attacking, so it would be necessary to run, dodge, and jump around.

Even if you consider the extreme case where the weapon weighed nothing and every successful hit would definitely kill an enemy, you would still need to swing the sword a minimum of three thousand times while shuttle running.

It is possible for a boxer to shadow box while jogging, but that is only possible because they have trained their bodies to the limit.

Throwing three thousand full-power punches while shuttle running.

This was not something normal people could do, and people would not normally try to do something like that either.

Yasuo unconsciously clenched his own fist.

“…….Of course, the Shii are different from Demon King Kaul. Based on the things I’ve said so far, it might sound like I’m being arrogant, but I was also born after the war ended. Like I said, it’s not necessary to replicate the feats described in the stories that the people believe in. However, you are still young. And so is she.”

Khalija looked at Yasuo and Diana.

“Both General Alexei and Hideo the Hero have aged considerably since the war, so the people will accept that they are unable to wield the same level of power that they did back then. However, if you take the place of your father, you must understand that the people will expect you to be just as strong, if not stronger than your father. Do you understand that?”

After Khalija asked that,

“No, I was not aware.”

That was the only response Yasuo could give.

In the first place, Yasuo had not even been able to satisfactorily perform his duties as a student. There was no way that he was prepared to become strong enough to carry the hopes of an entire nation after just a year of training.

“It is good that you are honest. Besides, there are still some strong voices in Resteria that are opposed to soliciting the services of Hideo the Hero. If I had to make my position clear, even I am against it.”

“Huh!? What’s with that att.i.tude!?”

Nodoka raised her anger at this seemingly thoughtless statement, but Hideo restrained her.

“That’s only natural, seeing as the situation right now is still nowhere near as tragic as it was during the war against Kaul. There will be some people who want to rely on others to resolve the issue before things pa.s.s the point of no return, but there will also be people who want to resolve the issue by themselves while it’s still not too late. Looking at it from the viewpoint of the Knights, it’s like they are being told that the people have no faith in them, after all.”

Hideo said that to calm Nodoka down as much as to show that he understood what Khalija was getting at.

“Well, I understand that… but hearing her say that after all the trouble they’ve caused…”

Nodoka backed down, but it was clear to see that she was not happy about it.

“Thank you for understanding.”

“Also, if you intend to push forward, you should be prepared to face such strong opposition.”

“……”

Yasuo understood that those words were directed at him.

He would be compared against the Hero of Salvation, Hideo. And also the combined might of Resteria’s Knights.

After using a ridiculous amount of money from the national budget to operate the Gate Tower, if the person who arrived was a kid who failed his tests and could not even complete the Foundations of Sorcery training properly, it might very well spark off a coup d’état.

Yasuo felt his heart grow heavy at the thought that not only had his thinking been shallow; he had barely even scratched the surface.

Ante Lande was not some ideal world where the people would be willing to accept everything about him. It was a world that was home to a large number of people with different thoughts, a place with established human societies.

As long as there were different human societies, there was not even a one in a million chance that everyone would be willing to help him.

After seeing Yasuo’s expression darken from the corner of her eyes, Khalija spoke as if she remembered something.

“By the way, I haven’t explained why I came to j.a.pan.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

“My mission is to act as an a.s.sistant to Major Krone and help protect the people of the Kenzaki family.”

“Eeeh!?”

The person who was most surprised by this statement was Diana.

“W-What do you mean, you’ll be acting as my a.s.sistant, Colonel? Besides, you just said that you were against soliciting Hideo’s services…”

“My private feelings and my orders from the King are different.”

However, Khalija lightly sidestepped Diana’s question and looked at Yasuo.

“The reason for the appearance of the man called William Bareig and the Shii in j.a.pan is currently under investigation by the Magitech Knights in charge of the Gate Tower, under the directions of Her Excellency, Erijina. However, ensuring the safety of the Kenzaki family is of the highest priority. I apologize for the delay in coming here even after receiving Major Krone’s report, but even without being aware of the circ.u.mstances, I have seen that there are incidents like the one earlier, caused due to the appearance of the Shii. I will be joining the mission to protect the Kenzaki family from today.”

“I’m sorry if this sounds skeptical, but how strong are you at fighting? Back when I was in Resteria, I saw that the higher-ranking officers of the Knights were more like bureaucrats than warriors. Not to be rude, but you look fairly young as well.”

Yas...o...b..oke into a sweat seeing his father stating his doubts about Khalija’s abilities to her face, but she nodded as if it was only natural.

“Your suspicion is warranted. There’s no point in stating my ability through words, but I can’t very well cross swords with you either. Were my actions during the fight with the Shii earlier not a sufficient display of my ability?”

It was true that Khalija had demonstrated a superhuman level of combat ability, different from Diana’s, during the fight with the small Shii earlier.

“Umm… Sorry to intrude on your conversation, but…”

Diana spoke up hesitantly.

“Colonel Welleger is the very embodiment of the Knights’ 『Elite』. She enlisted at the age of fifteen and showed a level of ability that made her stand out right away, and was designated a Technical Lieutenant at the age of sixteen after submitting a treatise on combat techniques and Techno Weapons. She has performed many great deeds in the battle against the Shii after my father pa.s.sed away, and…”

Diana said that in a very timid manner.

“As a Magitech Knight, she stands one or two levels over the rest of us who are of the same age group, and is also an object of our aspirations.”

Khalija, who had looked stern until that point, averted her eyes as if she was feeling awkward after hearing that.

“…Major Krone. From the viewpoint of the Kenzaki family, the two of us are members of the same organization. It’s hardly convincing even if a colleague says such grandiose things about me. Saying things like that is, umm, troubling for me.”

Her cheeks were slightly red, was she perhaps feeling bashful?

“Well, I guess it should be fine if Diana-chan says that much. Now, about you joining the guard mission…”

“Y-Yes. Ahem.”

Khalija gave a small cough and recovered her poise.

“I’ve heard that the plan is to protect Yasuo and Nodoka from any attacks by the Shii during their daily lives. With me joining the guard detail, we will be able to reduce the burden on Madoka and Major Krone, and if possible, I also plan to look into the details about the man called William and the appearance of the Shii.”

“I see. Where do you plan to stay during this time?”

“I heard earlier that Major Krone has acquired lodgings in a housing complex nearby. If the Major finds it agreeable, I would like to stay there with her and share a part of the burden as well.”

“I have no problem with that at all… but if I remember correctly, the rental agreement was only for a single occupant, will that cause any problems?”

That last question was aimed at Hideo, and he nodded after thinking about it a little.

“Well, I’ll make sure to check with the agency just in case, but I don’t think it should be a problem as both of you are girls. There weren’t any other people interested in renting the apartment anyways, so I don’t think they’ll be so strict.”

“Thank you. Sorry about this, Major Krone. It feels like I’m causing trouble for you on top of arriving late.”

“No, not at all…”

“Well, it looks like things have worked out, timing-wise. I’m simply thankful that the number of guards has increased. We will be counting on you for some time to come.”

“Understood.”

There was no reason for Diana or the other members of the Kenzaki family to object once she obtained Hideo’s approval.

Khalija stood up and gave a Resteria-style salute to the legendary Hero.

“Sorry to ask this at such a late hour, but Yasuo, can I have some of your time right now?”

“Eh?”

“I’ve heard that Major Krone has been giving you Magitech Knight training. I would like to take a look at your apt.i.tude.”

““Eh.””

Diana and Yas...o...b..th froze at that instant.

“What’s wrong?”

“Umm… Right now?”

It was already past ten pm. However, Khalija was not hesitant in the slightest.

“Of course. I will need to adjust the guard plan based on your apt.i.tude and ability. I might be guarding you, but it would be pointless if I got in the way of your daily life. If there are areas that you are able to handle by yourself, there is nothing wrong with using that.”

Yasuo understood what she was trying to say, but he was too scared to turn around and face his family.

That was because his actions were what caused Diana to “acquire lodgings in a housing complex nearby” in the first place.

Yasuo couldn’t tell if she had noticed his frozen expression, but she gave him a large smile.

“I’ve heard that you only recently found out about your parents’ past, but you are still the son of Hideo the Hero, and The Rainbow Sage, Madoka. I have great expectations for your talent.”

It was obvious that she didn’t really think that, but she still said that slowly as if trying to imply something.

Yasuo found out the reason behind it about ten minutes later.

“…….This is terrible.”

Astounded. If he had to describe it in one word, that was the word he would use.

Yasuo was collapsed in front of Khalija, in a state of complete exhaustion.

Beside him was Diana, with her shoulders slumped as though she was the one who was being reprimanded.

They were in the backyard of the Kenzaki house, and Khalija had given him some tasks to check his apt.i.tude for basic-level sorcery, but Yasuo hadn’t been able to complete even a single one. He had not even completed the foundation level of sorcery yet, so that was only natural.

Perhaps Khalija hadn’t thought that Yasuo would be incapable of doing even this much, her expression gradually hardened.

“Major Krone. Just what have you been doing for the past month?”

“T-That is…”

“I never imagined for an instant that he would still be stuck at the foundation-level. Where does the root of the problem lie?”

Basically, she was asking if it was a problem with the teacher, or a problem with the student.

“Haah… Haah… Me…”

Yasuo raised his hand while struggling to catch his breath. He could not allow Diana to take the blame for this.

“Obviously.”

Khalija crossed her arms and nodded as if she understood.

“Do you remember what I said earlier?”

“Haah… Haah… Eh?”

“You are the son of The Hero, Hideo and The Rainbow Sage, Madoka. I said that I had great expectations for you talent, didn’t I? It appears that you have no idea about how big the shoes you were trying to fill are.”

Saying that, Khalija looked at Diana who was cowering next to Yasuo.

“Major Krone has been compared to her parents, the Swordmaster Alexei Krone, and the Great Magician Erijina Radagast all her life. No matter how hard she works to achieve results, people say that it is only natural given her parentage, and if she fails, people will scold her saying she brings shame to her parents. n.o.body tries to acknowledge her own power. It is a fact that her current position is due to her parentage, no matter how small the influence may be, and hence it is actually quite unfair to ask strangers to treat her fairly. And since you volunteered to become the new Hero, you would not be compared against General Alexei or Her Excellency, Erijina.”

“……”

“The stories of battle are always distorted while they are told, and the achievements of people are gradually exaggerated over time. There are cities, streets, mountains, and rivers named after Hideo all over our world. If the son of such a legendary existence was to appear in such a world, what do you think would happen? If it’s just at the level of disappointing the people, that’s still fine. The way you are now, I don’t think you will be able to do much, even if you focus entirely on training for a year. If someone like that shows up and calls himself the Son of The Hero, the most likely outcome is that you will be treated as an impostor, and might even be charged with trying to mislead the people and summarily executed.”

“E-Executed…”

“We already have no shortage of fools who claim to be relatives of Hideo the Hero and carry out scams and acts of violence. If the country brings forward a person whose ident.i.ty is suspicious at such a time, that could very well lead to an increase in such crimes.”

Yasuo felt so pathetic that he couldn’t even say anything in return.

He had volunteered to be a Hero who would save the world, why was he being talked about as if he was nothing but a source of inspiration to con-artists?

However, Yasuo understood that this was his current reality, and he had nothing in his a.r.s.enal to fight back against her.

Yasuo gritted his teeth in frustration, but what Khalija said next was completely unexpected.

“Still, isn’t it fine for you to be the way you are?”

““Eh?””

“As I said earlier, I am personally against the idea of requesting help from the Hero. Major Krone, you weren’t seriously thinking of bringing a man like this to our world either, correct? At this rate, the plan to summon the Hero will be judged to be impractical, and before long, people will reconsider the idea.”

“……”

“Also, the fact that you can do nothing makes it more convenient to guard you. I don’t need to worry about the person I’m guarding making any unexpected moves, after all. Making any half-baked moves during combat will just increase the risk, so I would like you to stay the way you are right now, Yasuo.”

She wasn’t holding back at all.

“Do you feel frustrated?”

“……Yes, I do.”

There’s no way anyone would not feel frustrated after having such things said about them.

“However, this is your reality. If you come to Resteria, you will not even be able to remain standing on your feet with your power. A person who cannot remain standing will only die on the battlefield.”

“Colonel!?”

Diana shouted out before she could stop herself, and in the next instant, Khalija’s staff-shaped weapon took the shape of a thin dagger and rushed towards Yasuo’s throat.

“If I just lower my arm a little, you will easily die.”

“…!”

The killing intent he felt was definitely real.

He understood it precisely because he had already felt the killing intent of William and the Shii. A metaphorical cold hand that was ready to take his life.

Yasuo’s eyes that were opened wide in fear met the gaze of Khalija’s blue eyes that were like the uncharted depths of the ocean. For a moment, he felt like he saw a strange flicker in those eyes.

“Fufufu.”

The next instant, the killing intent and pressure vanished, and Khalija’s face took on a teasing expression.

“That’s a pretty cute expression on your face.”

“Huh!? Ouch!”

When he raised his voice, he felt the tip of the dagger p.r.i.c.k the skin of his throat.

“It’s the expression of a child who tries their best to act brave when being scolded by an adult.”

“I-I’m not—!”

“You are not suited to being a Hero.”

Khalija brought her lips closer to him and delivered that ruthless verdict.

“You don’t know what you should be doing, right? Are you unable to back down because of the declaration to made to Major Krone? If that is the case, then be at ease. Saying that you can do something you cannot is the greater sin compared to admitting that you cannot do something that you know you are incapable of. If you abandon the idea of making rash moves during combat and focus on doing things apart from fighting, you might still be useful as a supporter. The requiem you sang earlier to send off the Shii was fine piece of work.”

“But I cannot protect anyone with just that.”

“If you insist on acting tough like a child, forget about other people, you will be unable to protect even yourself and die. Just do the things that you are capable of doing. Hnn.”

“Eh… Hii!?”

“C-Colonel!?”

Before Yasuo could fully comprehend that Khalija’s face was getting closer, he felt a warm and moist sensation on his neck and let out a scream.

He felt something moist caress the area on his neck where Khalija’s Techno Weapon had grazed him earlier, and felt a slight tingle of pain.

“You were bleeding.”

Seeing Khalija’s charming smile, Yasuo finally understood what had happened, and he felt dizzy as if he had been exposed to a brilliant flash of light.

“W-W-W-W-W-Wha—!?”

“What are you getting so excited about over something like this? You’re eighteen-years-old, don’t let out such a silly scream.”

“C-C-C-Colonel, you just l-l-licked Yasuo’s neck…”

“What, you too?”

Seeing Diana’s bright red face, Khalija’s expression changed to one of boredom and she moved her face and Techno Weapon away from Yasuo. After that, she extended a finger towards Yasuo’s neck.

The next moment, a pale light shone from beneath Yasuo’s chin, and after the light went out, he realized that the pain on his neck had also stopped.

“It was still bleeding, so I closed the wound.”

“…Hey.”

This must be what was known as healing magic.

After touching his neck, he saw a little blood on his fingers but there was no sensation of a wound.

“I will also be protecting you from tomorrow onwards. Let’s get along, Children of Heroes.”

Khalija raised her hand in farewell and left the backyard, and Yasuo, still lying on the ground, and Diana, with her face still red, blankly watched her leave.

“Major Krone. I can’t get into the room without the keys!”

Diana stood up like she had been electrified upon hearing the voice that came from the other side of the fence.

“Y-Yes! Well then, I will be taking my leave now, Yasuo. Umm, I’ll see you again tomorrow…”

Diana briefly bowed to Yasuo, who was still sitting on the ground, and ran off after Khalija and he watched her leave.

“Once again… A troublesome person has arrived…”

Yasuo sat there with his hands over his eyes, looking like he was releasing all his resentment into the night sky. He was unable to stand up for quite a while after that.

Yasuo received a score of 95 on his make-up test for English Reading, and successfully managed to clear the first hurdle. He was currently in the First Music Room of the old school building of Takeoka High School, which was illuminated by the light from the setting sun.

This room was supposed to be off-limits to him since the Choral Club had been shut down, but strangely enough, there was a key to this room that the school did not know about, which had been pa.s.sed down from seniors to their juniors in the club for many generations.

Yasuo had also received the key from a senior one year older than him. He had copies of the key made at a locksmith’s shop and carried one of them on his keyring.

It was still a music room belonging to the school, and he was supposed to get permission from the teachers before using it. However, there was nothing of value in this room, so that rule was in name only.

On the other hand, Yasuo could not use the room when the Chamber Music Group or Light Music Group had their practice sessions here, but since their practice schedule had basically stayed the same since the times the Choral Club was active, Yasuo’s forays into the club room were hardly ever interrupted.

And so, Yasuo stood alone in the middle of the room as he had done several times before and took a deep breath. He put his palms together, focused on his breathing and the power that flowed through his body, and then pa.s.sed the magical energy between his palms without moving his body.

A small point of light, the size of the tip of his little finger, illuminated his palms as it pa.s.sed between his hands that were held apart at a distance the size of a rugby ball. Even doing only this much gradually caused Yasuo’s breathing to become ragged.

And soon, before even ten minutes had pa.s.sed,

“Buuaaah!”

Yasuo was not able to endure it anymore and broke his stance. The light dispersed and Yasuo’s forehead was beaded with sweat.

“It’s no good. I only went without doing this for three or four days and I’ve already lost the knack.”

It may have just looked like he was moving a firefly-sized amount of light between his palms, but in reality, the stress on his body was equivalent to holding up a ten kilogram weight in each hand.

“Aah, my wrists.”

Even the fatigue he felt afterwards was exactly the same as working out with dumbbells.

It had been four days since Diana had heard about his make-up tests and put his sorcery training on hold. Today’s foundation-level practice was his first in four days, the first since the day Diana had moved into the Marigold Tokorozawa Apartment, and this was the result.

At this rate…

“That’s why I told you to focus on doing what you can do. Do not attempt things that you are incapable of.”

“Uwaaaaaah!?”

Yasuo jumped at hearing the voice of someone apart from himself in the room all of a sudden.

He quickly looked around to see where the voice came from, and saw that Khalija was looking into the room from outside the window, of all places. The problem was that this room was on the fourth floor, the uppermost floor of the old school building, and there was no balcony or any sort of place to stand outside the window.

“W-What do you think you’re doing? What if someone outside the building sees you!?”

“I could ask you the same question. Practising foundation-level sorcery in an enclosed s.p.a.ce like this, what if you lose control? I sensed that you suddenly started raising the level of magical energy in your body and rushed over thinking that there was some sort of emergency. I’d appreciate it if you stopped doing things like that… there we go.”

What’s more, Khalija entered the room through the window and Yasuo was stunned upon seeing what she was wearing.

“Hey…”

Khalija was wearing a tracksuit that belonged to Takeoka High School.

Diana also often wore a tracksuit during their Magitech Knight training, was there something about tracksuits that caught their fancy?

At any rate, the school-provided tracksuit definitely looked odd on the silver-haired Khalija, and it wasn’t much of a disguise either.

At the very least, she should remove the circlet that she was wearing on her head. The tracksuits used by the students of Takeoka High School were a subdued blue, and it was the same color for students of all years. Khalija’s looks were already very striking, wearing a glittering, black circlet with an orange jewel embedded in it made Yasuo seriously question if she had any intention of disguising herself in the first place.

“…By the way, where did you get that tracksuit? Did you steal it from someone?”

Hearing that, Khalija replied without any trace of guilt on her face.

“I thought that the Magitech Knight uniform would stand out too much, so when I asked Nodoka, she let me borrow this saying that it was used by students of this school. I slept in Major Krone’s room last night, but I failed to consider the matter of clothing.”

“Wait, so that’s mine? That idiot Nodoka, doing whatever she wants! Why didn’t you just borrow some clothing from Diana!?”

“It couldn’t be helped. I can’t very well steal something from strangers who know nothing about our situation, and I can just wash these clothes and return them to you later. Also, Major Krone’s sizes are different from mine in many ways and I can’t use her clothing. My apologies.”

In spite of her apology, Yasuo could see from her expression that she didn’t particularly feel bad about it.

Even last night, she sounded like she was talking about serious things but ended up just teasing him. She acted like a perfect soldier in front of his father, so he had no idea what to make of her current att.i.tude.

Was she putting on an act for Hideo the Hero? Or was she just taking Yasuo lightly because he was unskilled and younger than her? Judging from what Diana said about Khalija’s military experience yesterday, Yasuo couldn’t help but think that it was the latter.

After thinking about that, Yasuo suddenly remembered what she had done to his neck the previous night and he felt his cheeks grow warm. He hurriedly put some distance between them to get away from Khalija’s teasing face.

“E-Even so, please don’t use my school clothes! I might need them as well.”

“I will acquire some inconspicuous clothing when I have some free time. Please put up with it for the time being. I’ll make sure to wash them properly before returning them… Or maybe you’d prefer it if I didn’t wash them?”

Even Yasuo was capable of calmly dealing with someone who spoke so frankly.

“Please wash, dry, and iron them before returning them. Also, there’s no getting around the fact that you’re fairly conspicuous, Khalija-san, so please think over the guard plan a little more carefully.”

Seeing that Yasuo had calmed down, Khalija just said “Boring,” and finally dropped her teasing expression.

“If you’re saying that I should stop guarding you from a close distance, then that is rejected. There’s no a.s.surance that the Shii that escaped yesterday won’t attack you again today. Major Krone should also be staying close to Nodoka today. You will be going to some place called a prep school after this without returning home, correct? According to the schedule that I received in advance, you are already thirty minutes late in leaving here. Please keep unexpected activities to a minimum.”

“U-Unexpected activities…”

Although her words were exaggerated, Khalija’s expression was serious.

“In the military, deviating from the schedule for no good reason is grounds for severe punishment. If you come to Resteria as the Hero, you will undoubtedly be a.s.signed to the Knights Division. If that happens, you won’t get away with such a light rebuke.”

Saying that, Khalija looked at the clock that was mounted on a wall.

“It’s time to move. Madoka has asked me to use something called a taxi on the way back. Understood?”

“Yes, that’s fine… Say, Khalija-san, I have a question for you. Also, please don’t walk inside the school looking like that. At the very least, leave the way you came and try not to let anyone see you.”

“Hmm?”

Yasuo stopped Khalija who was about to calmly head into the school corridors while dressed in a tracksuit that made her stand out, and then asked her a question.

“The military rank of 『Major』… How hard is it to reach that?”

Khalija thought about the meaning of that question for a little while, and then suddenly gave him one of her inscrutable smiles and came closer to him.

“You’re not interested in knowing about 『Colonel』? If you’d like, we can go to some quiet place where n.o.body will disturb us and I can give you a detailed explanation.”

“No, I’m not interested, thank you.”

Khalija looked a little unhappy upon seeing Yasuo reject her idea while sighing deeply, as if he found her truly annoying.

“Despite being a naive kid, you’re no fun at all. I’ve heard that your father was also quite straight-laced in his youth despite looking frivolous, maybe that’s the only thing you’ve inherited from him?”

“That sounds very interesting, but for now, I would appreciate it if you answered my question.”

“Well, that’s fine. But you should know, I’m not saying things like that just to tease you. If you want to become a Hero, you should get used to things like that quickly.”

Yasuo felt astounded as Khalija had pretty much said that she liked to tease him, however Khalija obediently stopped trying to leave the room through the door and went towards the window instead.

“The t.i.tle of 『Hero』 is unimaginably heavy, in more ways than one. I’ll tell you what that means, as well as many other things which Dianaze Krone, that pure girl who is even more naive than you, has probably not talked about. Let’s meet in front of the main gate in ten minutes. Don’t be late.”

“Y-Yes…”

Khalija’s mood now was a complete change from her teasing att.i.tude earlier, and Yasuo agreed right away.

Yasuo carefully hurried out of the school while making sure that he didn’t catch the attention of his friends or cla.s.smates. By the time he reached the main gates, he saw that a taxi was already waiting outside the gate and Khalija was waiting next to it in an imposing pose.

“You’re late. It’s one minute over the agreed time.”

“I-I’m sorry. It took some time to make sure that I wasn’t seen leaving…”

“That’s well and good, but pointless because someone already saw you.”

“Eh?”

Yasuo looked back to see what Khalija was looking at.

“Ah, Yasu. Are you done with your make-up test? Leaving already? Want to go to the station together?”

“Ugh! Aoto!”

By some freak coincidence, Aioi Aoto was walking towards him while dragging a trunk packed full of Theatre Club props.

“Hmm? A taxi? …Who’s that?”

Of course, he saw the taxi, and Khalija wearing the tracksuit with the name “Kenzaki” st.i.tched on it.

“Uh, this is…”

“Are you one of his cla.s.smates? I’m sorry, but he has a prior engagement with me today. Please ask him again from tomorrow onwards, if you have the time.”

Saying that, Khalija wrapped her arms around Yasuo’s arm, fully aware of the fact that Aoto was looking at them.

“Uwaaaah!?”

Yasuo panicked when he felt a sensation on his arm that must not be felt, and tried to pull away. However, he could not break Khalija’s grip even though she didn’t look like she was putting any strength into it.

Yasuo could not go against Khalija as the difference in his strength from a Magitech Knight was made apparent at even a time like this.

“Time to go, Yasuo.”

“Eh? Prior engagement? What? Eh?”

“Ah, sorry, Aoto. Today is…”

Even Yasuo didn’t know how to complete that sentence, but in any case, Yasuo was dragged into the taxi after only being able to say something vague to Aoto.

“Well then, we should be going…. Take us to the Western Exit of the Tokorozawa Station, please.”

After saying some unnecessary parting words to Aoto, Khalija spoke to the taxi driver as if she was used to it.

“…Please let go. I need to fasten my seatbelt.”

“What, are you embarra.s.sed?”

Freed from Khalija’s grip, Yasuo turned around inside the moving taxi and saw the figure of Aoto getting smaller as they left him behind, looking towards them with a dumbfounded expression.

Yasuo hung his head while feeling a sense of despair, but he heard Khalija say something unexpected beside him.

“You’re probably blaming me for doing something so conspicuous.”

“Eh?”

“I did that on purpose. Right now, I need to be vigilant when you are approached by people, no matter who they may be. No, it’s not just you. The same holds true for Nodoka as well.”

“……What do you mean?”

Yasuo guardedly asked her that, and Khalija looked at the view outside her window after glancing at Yasuo once.

“This is also related to how difficult it was for Dianaze Krone to achieve the rank of Major.”

“Putting it this way might sound rude, but neither your parents nor the rest of your family live in a particularly special environment in this world, correct? ”

“Well, that’s true. To be frank, there must be a ton of similar families living all over j.a.pan.”

The husband is a salaryman, and his wife is a housewife. Their son is in high school, and their daughter is in middle school.

Looking at their life in the past, they were a completely unremarkable family.

“But General Alexei and Her Excellency, Erijina, couldn’t live that kind of life. They were both from distinguished families, and were leaders of the country. What’s more, they were Heroes on par with Hideo, and their names were known throughout the world. Also, they had a single child, the beautiful Major Krone, no, Dianaze. What do you think? Can you imagine what kind of things she had to put up with, just because of this?”

Yasuo used his meager imagination to the fullest, and stated the answer that he arrived at.

“Jealousy, resentment… And maybe receiving marriage proposals for political reasons?”

“Exactly. I heard that it was quite terrible.”

Anyone who married the one and only daughter of the Heroes would become the center of gossip in the public eye.

“This is just a rumor, but I heard that she had nearly a hundred suitors as soon as she reached the age of twelve.”

“A hundred suitors at the age of twelve!?”

This statement caused Yasuo to doubt his hearing.

What kind of people would propose marriage to a girl who is only twelve years old?

“Of course, most of them were men she had never met before. As a woman, even thinking about that makes me feel disgusted.”

Khalija spat out those words while looking seriously disgusted.

“Of course, her parents threw such proposals straight into the fireplace, keeping only the name of the sender so that they could send a letter of rejection. From the perspective of their national interests, there would be major international problems if their only daughter ended up being married to n.o.bility or royalty from a different country, so the applicants were selected very carefully. Even with that, there were still a hundred people. I feel like telling those people to at least try and hide their intentions a little.”

Receiving marriage proposals from people she had never seen, even as a child, Diana had been aware from the beginning that people had been only interested in her background and not herself.

“Unlike j.a.pan, Resteria does not have an official age of majority that is determined by the law. However, by custom, the age is set to fifteen years.”

“I see.”

Fifteen years of age is still very early.

Yasuo had heard that the age of attaining manhood was around the same back when the Samurai were in control of the government. He remembered that the essay he had to write for Social Studies in place of taking a make-up test was on the topic of 『Reduction of the Age of Majority』, and he decided to pay close attention as he might be able to use this as a reference.

“By the time Dianaze reached the age of majority, it became nearly impossible to repel the pressure from the people surrounding them. There were many people within the country who came to General Alexei with proposals for a political marriage. And so, she enlisted into the Knights Division almost as if she was desperately running away. ”

“Running away?”

“That’s right. If she joined the Knights, she would be a soldier. As soldiers pledge allegiance to their country, for obvious reasons they cannot easily enter into marriage with n.o.bles of foreign countries, at least on paper. By doing that, she made sure that the people who were after her were limited to only those within her own country. Once that was done, as long as her parents were vigilant, she could avoid receiving any more annoying marriage proposals, barring any from people who fell in love with her at first sight.”

“So when you said that Diana received preferential treatment to get promoted, was it to protect her from people like that?”

“No. This is an administrative matter, but in our country a person needs to be a field grade officer or higher in order to use the Gate Tower. Her special promotion was due to the decision to simplify matters by forcefully promoting her, even if it meant twisting the law. She was only a First Lieutenant until three months ago, after all. Her promotions up to that point were due to her own talent and hard work. The combat and magical abilities she inherited from her parents were on a different level compared to the others in her age group. Although she lacks experience, should you only look at her fighting ability she is even comparable to me.”

Khalija had explicitly declared that she was stronger than Diana, but that was not important right now.

“However, if she just wanted to avoid getting married, couldn’t she have just become a nun or something similar?”

“Are you talking about the Church of the Divine King?”

Even though she asked him that, Yasuo had never heard of the religion before. From the way she said it, he a.s.sumed it was one of the major religions on their world.

Khalija grimaced and shook her head.

“The Church is a den of wicked people that even makes the Knight Division looks attractive in comparison. The church’s borders are not as strong as that of the country, and if a child from a n.o.ble family joined them, it would be obvious to everyone that it’s only temporary measure. It would be like hiding in a cage full of flaws while trying to escape from wolves. There’s no point in doing that at all.”

After hearing that, Yasuo was forced to agree that it made sense.

Yasuo remembered that there were questions on his Cla.s.sical Literature test about tales written by writers in the Heian Period, about women who had become nuns and yet sang songs of love about how they wanted to return to their lives someday. He remembered wondering if people really took holy vows so irresponsibly.

“The same thing applies to you, as well.”

“What?”

However, Yasuo was surprised because she suddenly shifted the topic of conversation to him.

“Let’s set aside your actual ability for now. Let’s a.s.sume you were taken to Resteria by Major Krone, and were accepted as a Hero by the people. What do you think would happen then?”

“What would….”

“You’re a healthy, eighteen-year-old young man. The son of a Hero who wielded overwhelming strength and saved the world in the past.”

“Eh, don’t tell me…”

“The number of people who would like to get closer to you are probably more numerous than the Shii. Depending on which faction you join, the country might be thrown into chaos. There will be people who will offer you their daughters’ hands in marriage. There might even be good-for-nothing daughters of n.o.bility trying to woo you among that number. There will be rulers who bring you large tributes and pet.i.tion you to give priority to saving their own populace. Do you think that you will be able to deal with people like that?”

“N-No, but still… Won’t Diana’s mother and the King do something about that?”

“Of course, they will protect you in the beginning. However, His Majesty, Borad IX is very old, and after the death of General Alexei, the workload of Her Excellency, Erijina, has increased greatly. Resteria is currently full of people who are looking askance at the influence of the Krone Family and the life of the King, and it is being wracked by power struggles between people who will resort to any means necessary. It’s basically a warzone. In such a situation, the country still needs to come up with countermeasures against the Shii. Of course, there will be a fair number of people who will be there to help you, but most likely it will be different from your father’s time when they went on a tour of several foreign countries and managed to save the world in the end. With things as they are right now, even if you manage to become as strong as your father, you will just be seen as a 『Weapon』 with the convenient label of 『Hero 』.”

In other words, he would be a tool, used at will and whim by those in power.

“But that’s not all I wanted to say. What I’m going to say now concerns the Shii that appeared the other day, and the reason why I went out of my way to show myself to your cla.s.smate.”

“Eh?”

“I just explained what would happen to you in Resteria if you went there as you are now. However, this is not restricted to only Resteria.”

“Not restricted to only Resteria…?”

“Don’t you understand? It’s not just Resteria that wants the power of 『The Hero』.”

“!!”

At that moment, Yasuo suddenly understood what she was trying to say.

Resteria was not the only country in the world of Ante Lande. There were places like the Grand Duchy of Torjesso, which was the first place to be destroyed by the Demon King Kaul, and even yesterday Khalija had mentioned some place called the Gaz Commonwealth.

“During the war with Demon King Kaul, the situation was so dire that Hideo the Hero was welcomed all over the world, and every country supported him during his travels. However, the situation right now is different. n.o.body has come up with any permanent solution to the Shii problem yet, but the situation hasn’t deteriorated to the point that it affects the stability of countries. There are also other major world powers with access to their own Gate Towers.”

Yasuo finally understood why Khalija had purposely called attention to herself today.

“So there might be other countries who are targeting Dad, Nodoka, and me?”

“Almost certainly, if they have managed to catch wind of the fact that you intend to become a Hero. No, you should a.s.sume that they already know about that.”

Khalija moved her eyes alone and glanced at Yasuo.

“Hideo will certainly side with Resteria, and there are few people idiotic enough to try anything unlawful against such a legendary existence. However, you and Nodoka are different. If they manage to acquire the two of you, they might be able to win an advantageous position among all the nations in Ante Lande. You might be used as leverage against Resteria during negotiations on completely unrelated matters. As the two of you currently have no backing, you have such immense value that any country that manages to gain control of you will be able to completely overturn the current status of the world.”

“S-So you’re saying that other countries might make a move with the intention of kidnapping Nodoka and me?”

“It might not necessarily be kidnapping. There are many ways to bait you. Money, prestige, women, and especially the safety of your city and family, which is of value to you right now, might be used as material for negotiation. Even we are doing the same thing, after all.”

True, there were many areas in which the daily life of the Kenzaki Family was being greatly supported by the Resteria Kingdom.

Also, because of the attack by the Shii the other night, the Kenzaki family could not afford to reject the a.s.sistance of Diana and Khalija.

“I think that the man mentioned in Major Krone’s report, William Bareig, is one such person. That might also be the reason why he was after you and Nodoka.”

“You… You really think so?”

Sure, people might think that way if they found out about William’s words and the outcome of the battle from a second hand report.

However, because of his experience, Yasuo could not bring himself to believe that William was human.

It would be difficult to put into words if he was asked to explain why he felt that way. It might have just been the dormant wild genes present in humans since ancient times that made him feel that way, but Khalija would probably not understand it even if he explained that to her now.

It was something similar to the Shii; you would not understand it unless you actually encountered it yourself.

Besides, Yasuo had no basis to say that just because William was not human, he was not related to any nation or organization from Ante Lande.

Khalija continued to speak.

“Because of that, both Major Krone and I have to stand out. We, Resteria, have called dibs on Hideo the Hero and his family. We will not forgive anyone who ignores that and attempts to get close to you. Well, it’s something like that.”

“Eeh… Hey, what are—!”

Before he realized it, Khalija had once again nestled close to Yasuo, causing his blood pressure to rise rapidly, and he tried his best to escape to the corner of the seat.

However, as if to tease Yasuo for his lack of experience, Khalija put her lips close to Yasuo’s ear and breathed out on purpose.

“Even the driver of this taxi might be a person from Ante Lande, you know? Wouldn’t it be a problem if he’s a spy sent here to investigate the lives of you, Nodoka, and Major Krone? That’s why I’m here to protect you like this.”

“Ah, fine! I understand! I understand, so please move away! Aaaah!”

At this rate, he would fail to protect something else. If it was possible, he wanted to escape through the window.

He could feel an unfamiliar sensation against his arm, through the cloth of his own tracksuit.

Perhaps she was satisfied after seeing Yasuo who looked ready to burst into tears, Khalija let out a small laugh and moved away from him as if nothing had happened.

“Haa… Haa…”

Yasuo took a deep breath to calm his rapidly beating heart and glanced at the driver’s reflection in the rear-view mirror.

The elderly driver showed no signs of having heard any of their conversation, as if he was wearing earplugs, and was driving the car safely. Yasuo actually found it troubling that he did not appear to be paying attention to them at all.

“That’s right, I though of a good idea. There’s a way to minimize the stress caused by all the various problems I just explained to you. Do you want to know how?”

“…You’re going to tell me anyways, right? What is it?”

After silently rebuking her in his heart, Yasuo asked her that, and Khalija raised her finger, looking like she had completely reverted to her teasing mood.

“Things will become so much simpler if you and Major Krone get married. I mean, you’re both the children of Heroes, after all. The eyes of the entire world will be on you, and you will have the overwhelming support of the kingdom and the Krone family, so you won’t have to worry about being taken for a ride by any strange people…”

Yasuo truly wished that he hadn’t heard that.

It looked like even Khalija didn’t expect such a reaction from him, so she wrinkled her eyebrows as if she was dissatisfied.

“Major Krone is a beautiful girl even by the standards of this world, isn’t she? What are you so unhappy about?”

“I’m seriously starting to wonder if you’re really in the same age group as Diana. You completely sound like someone’s aunt! More importantly, please stop saying things like that!”

“How rude. It was a serious idea, you know? Also, what do you mean by ‘things like that?’ What exactly do you want me to stop doing? Hmm?”

Even though you know exactly what I mean!

Yasuo gritted his teeth out of anger and held back that scream.

“What part of that sounds like a serious idea? Why is everyone trying to pair up me and Diana?”

“Everyone?”

“Uh, it’s nothing, just something on my side… More importantly, what are you trying to do!? You’ve just been saying all these things that make me not want to go to Ante Lande. Aren’t you supposed to be Diana’s a.s.sistant, Khalija-san!?”

“As I said earlier, I am against the idea of summoning the Hero to Ante Lande.”

Khalija was enjoying herself seeing Yasuo argue with her with a red face, but she once again glanced out of the window and gave a somewhat lonely laugh.

“You have a point. I don’t want you to become disillusioned with how Ante Lande is right now. The same goes for Hideo the Hero as well.”

“…Become disillusioned?”

“The Ante Lande that your father travelled through and the current Ante Lande are completely different. I don’t see any reason why you should leave this bountiful and peaceful country behind and risk your life to come to our world, but if you do end up going there, I just want to do my best to make sure you don’t have any bad memories. Lately I’ve felt that…”

The view outside the window indicated that Tokorozawa Station was near, and Khalija for some reason whispered only the next words in a quiet voice.

“…the Shii are a punishment from the G.o.ds for forgetting about the calamity caused by the Demon King Kaul and being consumed by fighting amongst ourselves.”

“Right then, it looks like we’ve arrived. Don’t worry, I won’t try to enter such a small building to keep an eye on you.”

“Please spare me.”

After getting down from the taxi, Yasuo looked back at Khalija, who was still sitting inside, and frowned.

“Hoever, like I said earlier, I plan to stay somewhere close. I might end up switching with Major Krone at some point, but you should just a.s.sume that one of us is nearby even if you can’t see us. I would also be thankful if you carefully think about those other matters as well.”

“Yes, yes.”

“Replying once is enough. Aah, one more thing. Wa… you.”

Khalija made a serious expression and lowered her voice.

“Excuse me?”

However, he wasn’t able to properly hear her over the noises outside and the sound of the engine.

“I said, watch… behind…”

“What is it? I can’t hear you.”

Yasuo furrowed his eyebrows and leaned closer her to her through the open door. Khalija gave a smug smile as if she had achieved something, and Yasuo had a bad premonition, but it was already too late.

Khalija once again brought her f

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