Ascendance of a Scummy Hero V1 (4 of 5)

Chapter 6: The Scummy Hero’s Party

Translator: Skythewood

Editor: Hiiro

「Sigh, that’s a hard day of work.」

〈I’m the one who did all the work.〉

Using the Holly’s arson as a diversion, I escaped from the manor with the girl, and returned to the inn I was lodging in.

And when I realized it, it was already morning.

After I visited the gambling parlor, I was tense the entire day.

However, I couldn’t relax yet.

Since we abducted the girl from the landlord’s manor and even set it on fire, we should leave the city post haste.

However, I had an important thing I needed to do.

I looked at the girl who was sitting silently on the inn’s bed with a blank expression.

I had to tell this child everything.

「… Can I disturb you for a moment?」

I squatted down to match the girl’s eye level.

「It might be troubling for you to hear this, but you are the Hero.」

「……」

「You might not understand, but you really are the Hero. This sword will now belong to you. You will need to train and wield this sword nimbly, and defeat the Demon King.」

「……」

「However, you are free to do anything else. You are the strongest person in the world, and also the most free existence in this world.」

「……」

「… Oh～ I forgot to ask something first…」

I placed my hand on the shoulder of the girl who wasn’t reacting to anything.

「What’s your name?」

「……Shawn.」

「I’m Crow. That big sister there is Holly.」

「……」

「Anyway, suddenly telling you that you’re the Hero and asking you to defeat the Demon King must be difficult to understand. But I hope you can trust me in one thing, Shawn── Holly over there is your partner. She will never betray you, and will always protect you.」

「……」

Shawn showed no reaction.

She didn’t react to anything I said.

Now that I think about it, that was a given.

She would be confused if someone suddenly told her she was the Hero.

On top of that, she was a girl.

I turned back and said to Holly:

「What should we do? She didn’t answer to anything I said.」

〈She did say her name though. So she will answer questions and obey orders? After all, she was a slave.〉

「Huh? I can’t order the Hero.」

〈What? You keep ordering me around, and I’m as important as the Hero. So why are you treating us so differently?〉

「Don’t fret the small stuff… By the way, why do I have to explain this? Isn’t this Holly’s job?」

〈It is, but there’s too many unprecedented things happening, and to be honest, I’m confused too.〉

「How did you feel when you met the past Heroes?」

〈Well, the moment the Hero touches me, the sword would shine brilliantly, and the people around will make a big deal and shout 「it’s the Hero!」 When the Hero saw the reactions of the people around him, he would be aware of the position he was in.〉

「Oh right! I forgot.」

I removed the Holy Sword from my back, removed the wrappings and handed it to Shawn.

「Shawn, can you hold on to this sword?」

Judging that was an order, Shawn quietly took the Holy Sword.

At that moment──

「Uwah! How bright!」

〈T-This is amazing…! She is still so young, and it's already so bright! I can feel her incredible potential!〉

The Holy Sword glowed like the sun when Shawn held it.

Shawn couldn’t stand the light and dropped the Holy Sword, and the light faded away.

「Anyway, Shawn is definitely the Hero… what do we do now?」

I picked up the Holy Sword that Shawn dropped, sheathed it, then sat on the chair.

I safely delivered the Saintly Sword to the Hero── accomplishing my primary mission.

And now, I just need to return to the capital and prove that Shawn was the Hero, right?

〈The Royal Military Academy holds a Holy Sword selection periodically, correct? What will happen if a wielder shows up?〉

As I was thinking about our future plans, Holly came up to me and sat in mid air.

She was probably matching my eye level, and was doing a sort of a half squat.

「I don’t know what will happen when the Holy Sword’s wielder appears…」

〈What about the other Saintly Swords?〉

「If they are nobles, they would be bestowed with the Saintly Sword, and that’s it. If the wielder is a commoner, then they would be given the Saintly Sword, a special allowance, and an honorary peerage title. That was what happened to Iris and Instructor Cattlea.」

Their promotions after graduation would be surprisingly rapid.

Normal graduates would be commissioned as Second Lieutenants, the valedictorian would become First Lieutenant, while the wielder of the Saintly Swords would become Major Generals.

Although the rank progression of nobles would normally be faster than commoners anyway.

〈Then Shawn who is a former slave can become an honorary noble?〉

「Yes, probably. I won’t be surprised if she becomes the next monarch after she defeats the Demon King… Huh? Wait, now that I think about it, the situation right now is rather dangerous.」

〈What do you mean?〉

「Shawn is still a kid, right? If they know she is the Hero and might become the next monarch, then those in power might try to exploit her.」

〈I see… Not just exploit, they will try to trick her while she is still young, and there will be fools who will try to become her husband.〉

「That’s not too bad. The relatives of the current King next in the line of succession might go crazy from envy and aim for her life.」

〈Aim for her life? Kill Shawn? That’s not possible…〉

「I’m troubled because that’s how the world is right now…」

I leaned the chair back and said as I stared at the ceiling.

〈Crow, why is that? If anything happens to Shawn, then humanity will lose the means of defeating the Demon King who will revive in five years. If Shawn dies, humanity dies. Are there really people who will try to kill Shawn to protect their own interests?〉

「There are. They are people so obsessed with power and only think about themselves. If Shawn’s existence threatens their status or property, they might kill her without a second thought.」

〈That’s unbelievably retarded. Then what? Do the three of us hide together and prepare for the revival of the Demon King?〉

「It’s stupid to let the Hero live a life on the run. The survival of humanity depends on her, so it will be strange for her to not get any support from the government. At the very least, they should provide her with a place to practice using the Holy Sword in the next five years.」

〈Well… I feel the same way. None of the past Heroes fought the Demon King alone.〉

「Huh! Is that true?」

My gaze that was on the ceiling returned to Holly.

Holly crossed her legs while maintaining her sitting position.

〈Of course. The Hero would fight the Demon King one on one in the end, but the minions of the Demon King should be left to the others. The Hero can’t waste his energy before facing the Demon King.〉

「In order for the Hero and the Demon King to have a proper one on one fight, the other people had to battle the minions of the Demon King?」

〈That’s right. The role of the Saintly Sword wielders are to take care of the other enemies, so the Holy Sword wielder could use his limited time to focus on subjugating the Demon King.〉

「In that case… We will definitely need the help of the Saintly Sword wielders Iris and Instructor Cattlea, who will never harm Shawn… Let’s go back to the Royal Military Academy.」

〈What about those obsessed with power and approaches Shawn with ulterior motives?〉

「Regarding that, let Iris and Instructor Cattlea deal with them.」

Their character and skills were perfect to be the Hero’s companions. The same couldn’t be said for me.

〈……Crow, I was hoping you will say 「I will deal with it」.〉

However, Holly seemed displeased with me.

「Don’t ask for the impossible, my work is done after I send Shawn to the Royal Military Academy, correct?」

〈But, you’re the only one who can talk with me…〉

「Shawn can do that too, so remember to only talk with her.」

〈Ehh……〉

「Being with a scum like me must be a pain for you, but it’s only temporary, so bear with it. After this, you don’t have to put up with me anymore.」

〈Ughh……〉

For some reason, Holly was puffing her cheeks.

「Alright then! Let’s prepare to move off tomorrow. Shawn, I will buy clothes for you too, so let’s go shopping tomorrow.」

「… Yes.」

「Alright then, let’s rest early for today…」

As I was planning for the future, I realized that Shawn’s feet were muddy.

That was because she walked barefooted from the manor.

That was thoughtless of me, making a barefooted girl walk here.

And she was the hero who was the strongest in the world at that.

Shawn might be innocent and docile now, considering the fact that she would understand her position in the future, I should watch my behaviour so I wouldn’t lose my head.

Anyway, I decided to leave the room and fetch some water to wash Shawn’s feet.

And then──

「Where are you going?」

〈Where are you going?〉

Shawn and Holly said in unison.

「Huh? No, I’m just going to fetch some water, and will be right back.」

They accepted this reason and nodded quietly.

「……」

I tilted my head when I left the room.

Why were the two of them so concerned about my every move?

Since the Hero was with the Holy Sword, then I wasn’t needed any more.

Never mind, the two of them would have to stick through thick and thin in the future.

Despite how they were now, it would be better for them to talk to each other by themselves.

I thought about all that as I fetch water from a well near the inn, and return to the room with a bucket.

In the end, Holly ignored Shawn, and was looking out the window.

「……?」

I furrowed my brow.

This was strange.

Holly had the duty of training the Hero, to prepare for the Demon King’s revival in five years.

However, she didn’t show any concern towards the Hero at all. What was going on here?

Never mind, I will ask her later.

Anyway, let’s help Shawn wash her feet.

「Shawn, come here, I will wash your feet. It’s all dirty because you came here barefooted.」

「… It’s fine… I can wash it myself…」

「It’s fine, it’s fine, sit on this chair.」

「……」

I sat Shawn down on the chair, and soak her feet in the bucket, then started scrubbing her feet with my fingers.

She bathed yesterday, but her soles weren’t thoroughly washed.

Scrubbing Shawn’s soles turned the water in the bucket black.

「Dear customer, you have accumulated quite a lot of dirt…」

「……」

Shawn was blushing and fidgety for some reasons, but still let me wash her feet.

「We have to buy clothes and shoes tomorrow.」

「It’s fine… You don’t have to…」

「What are you saying? Even if you become a willful tyrant, no one will care, so you can just treat me like a servant.」

「……?」

「Conversely, like I said before, you have to follow what that big sister says. Because she is your teacher who will teach you how to use that sword.」

「Yes.」

「As long as you practice your swordsmanship properly, you can do whatever you like. But you can’t skip your practice, understand?」

「Yes.」

I washed Shawn’s feet and continue talking with her:

「What do you like to eat? I will buy some for you now.」

「No, that’s…」

「You don’t have to hold back.」

「But, I can’t let my master…」

「I’m not your master! Please, don’t ever call me that in public. If I made the Hero say that, I will definitely end up dead.」

I looked at Shawn and said flusteredly, but she tilted her head confusedly:

「……? Then, how should I address you…」

「Just Crow will be fine. Like 『Hey Crow, I’m hungry.』 something like that.」

Shawn was quiet for a while when she heard my proposal.

She then stared at me.

「… Then, can I call you Onii-chan?」

「… I think that will invite misunderstandings from others too.」

「… I can’t?」

「No, you can call me whatever you like…」

「Okay… Onii-chan……」

Shawn’s face turned redder as she looked at me squishmishly while I clean her feet.

Holly who was watching all this silently mumbled:

〈……lolicon……〉

---

The next day, I used the money I made through gambling to prepare for the long journey back. Holding Shawn’s hand and with the Holy Sword on my back, I walked on the road to return to the Royal Military Academy.

Back then, Holly just went for the beeline towards the Hero and we took a dangerous route, but things were different now.

I didn’t detract from the easy to travel roads, and head for the Royal Military Academy.

It had been three days since we set off.

During this time, Holly didn’t give horrible directions, and Shawn showed impressive endurance for a ten years old, so the journey went smoothly.

Especially Shawn who was wearing brand new clothes and shoes. This was the first time she left the city, and she watched the scenery with bright eyes.

I was wondering what I was doing, why I had to hold the hand of the Hero and carry the Holy Sword that only the Hero could wield. But other than that, there weren't any problems.

However…

「Hey… There’s something that is bothering me…」

We set up camp on the third day of the journey.

To avoid waking Shawn who was sleeping in a sleeping bag and breathing steadily, I told Holly some distance away:

「I had been wondering when we were preparing for the journey in the city, and during our travels.」

〈……〉

「You didn’t talk to Shawn much, correct?」

Holly crossed her arms, and looked at me with a poker face.

「And why do I have to carry your main body? You have to talk to Shawn as much as possible, and let her get used to using the Holy Sword, right? It might be a little heavy, but Shawn could carry it easily, correct?」

〈… Rather than that child, I prefer you to carry it…〉

「Huh? But why?」

〈Even if you ask me so seriously, I don’t know…〉

「… I don’t think it’s possible, but compared to that kid, you prefer being with me? How can that be? You hate scum after all.」

〈N-Not really, I prefer being with you.〉

「Hey, after all this, you are going to say you like me?」

〈Yes, I like you..〉

「You are not refuting it! Why? What do you hate about Shawn?」

〈Actually… I hate women and children, they make me sick.〉

「You are the Holy Sword that saved the world, don’t say women and children make you sick!」

I retorted with a long string of words and managed to not stutter.

But Holly seemed to be serious.

Her gloomy face seemed to be reflecting her deep troubles.

「… Sigh, is there a reason?」

〈I… have partnered with many Heroes to defeat many Demon Kings.〉

「Yes.」

〈Unlike you, all the Heroes were hunks.〉

「……」

I didn’t like how she disparaged me when she spoke, but I listened quietly.

〈However, after the Hero defeats the Demon King and return the world to peace, those hunks would lay their hands on other women and have children with them.〉

「… Huh?」

〈Whenever I regain consciousness, I would meet with a hunk, then watch that hunk lay their hands on another woman and make babies.〉

「Ehh… Oh…」

〈In other words, my life cycles through falling in love when I wake, then slipping into slumber with a broken heart.〉

「Whaaaat!? Do you harbour feelings of love for all the past heroes?」

〈I don’t feel that way about you though.〉

「Shut up! I know that very well!」

〈So to me, women are my rivals in love, and children are made between those rivals and my beloved hero’s sperm.〉

「That’s true. And so?」

〈Shawn is a woman and a child, and I hate both. This is the worst.〉

「You are the worst! Oh my God… Is the world being protected by a woman with brain problems…?」

I looked down with my head in my hands, while Holly put her hands on her flushed cheeks.

〈Because a girl in love is invincible.〉

「Shut up! Don’t try to cover it up with pretty words!」

〈But why…〉

The flushed Holly suddenly turned gloomy.

「Huh?」

〈Why do the Hero always abandon me and lay his hands on another woman!?〉

Holly yelled, covered her face and suddenly started wailing.

「Ehh, you are asking me why… You are a sword. Your job is done after the Demon King is defeated, so of course they have to keep you away properly.」

〈But I love the Hero so much! Uwahhh!〉

「No crying! It can’t be helped!」

〈My love for the Hero is the source of the Holy Sword’s powers!〉

「Are you serious!? Do you seriously fall for the Hero every single time?」

〈I have enough! I can’t stand a love that I know will end in a broken heart anymore! I can’t take it!〉

「No no no! Even if you say that! I don’t know what to do about it! In that case… Use something like the maternity love you feel towards Shawn to defeat the Demon King then.」

〈I really don’t care what happens to that female kid…〉

The wailing Holly suddenly revert back to normal.

「Even if you say that, I don’t know what I should do! No one but that child can wield you, correct? And she has immense potential too! Then work hard to defeat the Demon King with her!」

〈But Crow… think about this carefully.〉

「No, I don’t want to think about what you just said seriously…」

〈I… don’t know the actual numbers, but I’m a mature woman with some years on me.〉

「It’s not on the level of just being mature…」

〈Do you really think a mature woman can seriously think of a ten year old girl as a partner? Wouldn’t that be awkward?〉

「All your Hero partners are younger than you, right? During times like this, you are the older one and have to be more lenient towards her.」

〈Like I said, I could only do it so far because I fell in love with the hunks!〉

「Ahhh! Enough! You are a complete scum! What do we do now!?」

---

The next morning.

I was staggering from the lack of sleep.

It was all because of the meaningless conversation I kept having with Holly last night.

I finally understand why Holly was so cold and dejected after we found Holly.

Holly hated members of her sex gender more than I expected.

This problem wouldn’t get resolved even if Shawn grows up.

No, it might get worse.

「……」

I looked at Shawn in her sleeping bag with sleepy eyes.

At this stage, I could only convince Shawn and ask her to get along with Holly.

Holly wouldn’t reject a girl that approaches her… probably.

「Erm… Ah…!」

As I was thinking about that, Shawn suddenly jumped and keep looking around her.

After locking eyes with me, she looked relieved.

「What’s the matter?」

「… I dreamed about my mother…」

Oh, I see, she missed her mother.

「Is your mother doing well?」

Shawn got out of her sleeping bag, and answered quietly:

「I don’t know…」

She didn’t know.

I thought she became a slave after her parents passed away.

「Shawn, how did you end up as a slave? Where are your parents?」

「… Father passed away.」

「……」

Oh no.

This was going to be heavy.

After all, the reason a young girl becoming a slave would definitely not be anything happy.

Holly who was floating near us seemed disinterested in Shawn, and was looking somewhere else as she laid down in mid air.

Hey, show some interest in her, damn it.

「After father passed away, mother stayed with a young man.」

「……」

「That man will hit me every day…」

「……」

「Mother says that I’m a nuisance, and left me with my uncle.」

「……」

「Uncle will come and touch my body when I sleep…」

Ehhhhh!

Heavy! Too heavy!

I shouldn’t have asked about her past!

「After I ran away, I was picked up by master, but he sold me to another master, and then… Onii-chan saved me……」

Huh? Judging from that, I wasn’t any different from those people who had been pushing Shawn around, right?

Or rather, I felt that it was cruel to ask this child to get close to Holly.

The people around Shawn should be the one who should treat her gently, and earn her trust.

「……」

I looked towards Holly who was looking somewhere else as she laid in mid air.

This sharp tongue sprite could never treat others gently and earn their trust.

「Sigh…」

I went to a river near the road, and thought about the future as I washed my face.

No one would believe me.

The current Hero and the Holy Sword had communication problems.

This was terrible.

After all, most people didn’t know that the Holy Sword was sentient.

The Hero being a ten years old girl was unbelievable too.

I was the only one who could perceive Holly and knew about Shawn being the Hero.

In other words, no one but me knows about the whole picture.

More importantly the fact that the Demon King would revive in five years.

「……」

I was getting crushed by the heavy responsibilities on my shoulders.

Holly calling me trash and stupid makes me mad, but the truth remains that I was just a mere mortal.

My physical ability and knowledge were below par.

I wasn’t strong nor smart.

The only thing different about me, was that I knew that the world was in danger.

「……」

I looked at my reflection in the mirror, and thought about what I should do.

At this moment──

「Kyaaa!」

〈Crow! Crow please come quick!〉

I could hear Shawn and Holly screaming.

I stood up immediately and returned to the side of the road where we camped last night.

Shawn wasn’t there.

I looked towards the direction where the scream was coming from, and saw a man on a horse leaving, with Shawn caught under his arm.

「Shawn!」

「Onii-chan!」

The man on the horse was getting further away with the screaming Shawn.

I checked the area, and the Holy Sword was gone.

The Holy Sword and Shawn──

Was stolen.

「Shit!」

I chased the man on the horse, but it was impossible for me to catch up.

Man couldn’t run as fast as a horse, and more importantly, I was slow.

And as expected, the rider got further away from me.

「Damn it!」

I yelled as I ran.

What was going on?

That man should be a bandit or something.

Even if he wasn’t a bandit, he was still a douchebag that stole the expensive looking Holy Sword, and abduct a girl.

In other words, a cunning insidious thief.

What’s with a Hero that couldn’t fight off the abduction of such scum?

A Hero that couldn’t protect and the Holy Sword that was of no help.

And what about me who was pursuing them?

Why did I have to do this?

「Onii-chan!Onii-chan!」

「Shawn!」

No.

All that didn’t matter.

Be it the Hero, the Holy Sword, or the Demon King who would revive in five years.

I couldn’t forgive this.

I couldn’t forgive myself for being unable to resolve this situation.

I could forgive the Hero who was still young and weak.

Or the unmotivated Holy Sword.

Even the Demon King who was going to revive.

And the sly thief in front of me.

Who I couldn’t forgive was──

「Why can’t I do anything right!」

I didn’t have any redeeming points.

I couldn’t save the girl who was screaming for help in front of me.

I couldn’t forgive myself.

「Holly! Please!」

〈Crow?〉

I said to Holly who was beside me.

Holly’s body── the Holy Sword was in the hands of the rider who had abducted Shawn.

However, Holly still managed to stay by my side.

But if I get further away from her body, she wouldn’t be able to stay by my side.

「Give me the power to help Shawn!」

〈……〉

「Let me save that kid!」

〈……! As you wish!〉

Holly suddenly flew into my body.

「……!」

Explosive energy suddenly flowed inside my body.

An external existence entered my body.

This was beyond having something foreign enter his body.

As if I wasn’t myself anymore.

My body was filled with energy.

With a speed that I wasn’t capable of, I caught up with the horse in an instant.

I then leapt with a burst of superhuman power, and hit the rider with a flying knee. I knocked him off his high horse and grabbed on to Shawn.

The man I knocked down glared at me, and drew his sword.

Normally, I would be intimidated, but it was different this time.

I put Shawn down onto the ground, and knocked the man out in an instant.

「… What is this…」

I looked down at the man I sent flying, and was confused by the change I experienced.

A mortal like me was now incredibly strong, as if I was another person.

「This is thanks to you right, Holly?」

〈… Yes, it is…〉

Holly came out from my body with a guilty face.

At this moment──

「Uwaahhhh!」

Shawn hugged me and cried.

「Hmm? Oh, sorry Shawn, I shouldn’t have left your side. Security is bad recently, so it is my fault for leaving you alone.」

I said with an awkward smile.

I actually saved the Hero who could defeat the Demon King five years later.

〈……〉

During this time, Holly continued staring at me with a guilty face.

「… Hmm? What’s wrong, Holly?」

〈Are you… feeling okay?〉

「What do you mean?」

〈As you know, only the Hero could wield my power, so anyone else who uses it will die.〉

「What did you say!?」

〈You must have resolved yourself for this. When I possessed you just now, I gave you powers beyond the limits of a human at the cost of your life.〉

「Hey! This is the first time I heard about this!」

〈Up until now, in order to save the Hero who had fallen into a crisis, I had possessed the body of the other Saintly Sword wielders, and all of them died. You are not the wielder of the Holy Sword, or even one of the Saintly Swords, so you should have died a few seconds after getting possessed.〉

「Why didn’t you say that right from the start!?」

I yelled at Holly and checked my body.

「… Hmm? Nothing’s wrong… why is that?」

In the meanwhile, Shawn who was clinging to me and crying refused to let go, which was troubling for me.

I wasn’t hurt, and my head, chest, abdomen and other places didn’t hurt.

My body felt the same as always.

Holly frowned, and observed me with her hand on her chin.

〈… In the end, we still don’t know why you can see and hear me.〉

「Only the Hero can see you, and no one but the Hero can survive being possessed by you…? Am I really not the Hero?」

〈You are not.〉

「… Why are you so sure? There must be a slither of a chance, right?」

〈I can’t sense the qualities of a Hero from you at all. And when the Hero fights while possessed by me, he’s not at the level of just being slightly stronger than others.〉

「… Holly, what will happen if you use that move on the current Shawn?」

〈Well, her physical capabilities would increase by thousands of folds. There would be no side effects, and the timing would be far longer than yours.〉

「Then you just need to possess Shawn and settle it in a blink of an eye! Why didn’t you do that!?」

〈Ehh～ That’s disgusting～ Entering a woman’s body or whatnot～〉

「That’s not the problem! Are you serious about defeating the Demon King with the Hero?」

〈Anyway… I can’t possess anyone without their permission.〉

「……」

I alternate my gaze between the crying Shawn and the irresponsible Holly with a twitching face.

Anyway, back to our journey to the capital.

I was planning to ride on the bandit’s horse back to the capital, but the horse ran off while I was listening to Holly’s explanation on how dangerous her possession was.

It would be troublesome if the bandit wakes up, so we left that place immediately.

However……

「Onii-chan……」

Shawn who was holding my hand up till yesterday was clinging to me and refuse to let go.

In short, she was really close to me now.

Just freeing Shawn from slavery and not asking to work or do chores left a good impression on her. And that rescue earlier raised Shawn’s trust in me to the max.

Never mind, this was much better than showing her empty and gloomy expression...

〈Damn lolicon……〉

Holly beside me was in a bad mood.

By the way, Holly was the one who rescued Shawn just now.

In other words, it was the Holy Sword that saved the Hero, something really normal.

Since Shawn and Holly needed to work together as the Hero and the Holy Sword to defeat the Demon King, this accident should have been a good omen.

「Ehehe…」

〈Lolicon……〉

But because I was caught in between them, the distance between the two of them didn’t close at all.

I felt a little… no, very responsible.

「… Hey, Holly……」

〈What is it, lolicon?〉

As Shawn was clinging to my right arm, Holly stayed on my left, and refused to look my way.

「Was that possession an ability of the Holy Sword?」

〈Correct. This is one of the three basic skills of a Saintly Sword wielder── Possession, Unleash, Unfold.〉

So this was information about the usage of the Saintly Sword.

We should tell Shawn about this as soon as possible.

「Please explain it in detail and as simple as possible. Shawn, you listen to this too.」

「Yes, I will listen since Onii-chan says so.」

〈……〉

Holly looked unhappily at Shawn who was clinging to my right arm──

〈Possession means channeling the powers of the Saintly Sword into one’s body, and increasing one’s physical ability. Without using Possession, the Saintly Sword wielder will just be on par with a normal person.〉

This was the first time she explained more about the Saintly Swords.

「So this is why Iris and Instructor Cattlea possess monstrous strength despite their slender build…」

〈Unleash will activate the inherent ability of the Saintly Sword. For the Holy Sword, that will be the manifestation of light, unleashing a beam of immense heat to destroy anything.〉

Since this was the Holy Sword, so the ability was light.

「So for the Sword of Frost and Sword of Flame…」

〈As the names suggest, they can manifest ice and flames. But their prowess can’t be compared to the Holy Sword.〉

「What about Unfold?」

〈This is the ability to manipulate the Saintly Sword when it is far away. This skill will return the Saintly Sword far away back into one’s hand. After one master it, the Saintly Sword a few km away can teleport back to one’s hand. However, I have not seen anyone who has mastered it to such an extent though.〉

「Teleport?」

〈It means transporting something instantaneously to another place, with no regards for distance or obstacles.〉

「I see…」

Possession, Unleash and Unfold, huh.

Increase one’s physical abilities, activate special skills, and manipulate the Saintly Sword that wasn’t in one’s hands.

These three were very important skills.

「Shawn, do you get it?」

「Ehehe… Onii-chan……」

She wasn’t listening at all!

Holly glared at Shawn with a displeased gaze, but Shawn was just looking at me.

Oh no! This was bad!

The communication between the Hero and the Saintly Sword didn’t improve at all!

I need to hurry back to the capital, and discuss this with Iris and Instructor Cattlea.

I had no idea how to improve the relationships between two girls.

Let us hurry back to the capital and make the fact that Shawn was the Hero public.

Chapter 7: Convict

Everything would be over when I go back to the capital.

I thought optimistically, and was surrounded by royal guards the moment I return to the capital.

What? What was going on here── I was confused, and learned the reason immediately.

「Cadet Crow of the Royal Military Academy! We are arresting you on suspicion of stealing the Holy Sword!」

The captain of the guards yelled at me.

In short, the jig was up.

I need to hurry and prove my innocence.

However, I wasn’t innocent since I did steal the Holy Sword.

Guards with spears surrounded me.

The folks in the castle town was also keeping their distance and watching me tensely.

Shawn was holding my hand uneasily, but this was a good chance.

I just need Shawn to hold the Holy Sword on my back, and make it glow.

However──

「Don’t move!」

When I reached for the Holy Sword on my back, the guards thrust their spears menacingly.

Oh no, drawing my sword would be suicide.

「Holly! Holly!」

I didn’t care if they thought I was talking to myself, and spoke to Holly.

If Holly draw the Holy Sword on my back and pass it to Shawn, we could solve this situation in an instant.

〈Got it.〉

Holly seemed to understand my intentions, and drew the Holy Sword from its sheath.

To the bystanders, the Holy Sword looked like it moved by itself, so the guards took a step back nervously.

Well done, Holly. Now pass the Holy Sword to Shawn……

〈I will make you understand… What it means to point a weapon at me…〉

For some reason, Holly put the Holy Sword in my hands, and used Possession on me.

（Wait! Huh? Holly, what are you doing!）

I wanted to scream, but couldn’t make a sound.

Huh? My body couldn’t move.

「Know your place, ahhhh!」

Holly who had possessed me took control of my body, and even said something without my consent.

Possessed by Holly, I wielded the Holy Sword with a speed that my eyes couldn’t keep up with, and shred the spears of the guards to pieces.

I looked just like a highly skilled swordsman, however──

（Huhh! All my joints hurts! My muscles are going to snap～～!）

Intense pain course through my body because I was making movements that I wasn’t capable of.

More importantly, Shawn was squatting on the ground to avoid getting in my way.

Speaking of which, this could be settled by letting Shawn hold the Holy Sword, what the hell was Holly doing?

Holly who was moving my body destroyed the spears of the guards in a matter of seconds, disarming them.

She then kicked the unarmed guards, sending them flying one by one.

Whenever she did that, I felt intense pain from my limbs──

「Hahah! You insignificant mob! Entertain me more!」

However, Holly ignored that and continued committing violence against the guards.

And her words were just like a villain.

「Hahaha! How nostalgic! This is the joy of moving a living body!」

My tone was getting strange because of Holly.

But she only destroyed their arms instead of striking their bodies, so she still had the morales of the Saintly Sword wielded by the Hero.

（Holly, have you vented enough? Hurry up and give the Holy Sword to Shawn… Ehh!）

At this moment, I screamed internally.

As Holly went on a rampage with my body, the crowd kept increasing, and I could see Iris and Prince Heath too.

（Holly! Hand the Holy Sword to Shawn right now!）

But it was too late.

Iris drew her Sword of Frost and slash at me without hesitation.

Because of Holly’s Possession, my strength and skill increased drastically, so I easily blocked the Sword of Frost with the Holy Sword.

But this situation was dangerous.

I could see from Iris’ face that I utterly infuriated her by tricking Instructor Cattlea and stealing the key, and then taking the Holy Sword.

「……Crow, what are you thinking? If you want to steal the Holy Sword, then why did you come back?」

Instead of being mad with rage, Iris was completely confused by my actions.

（Ugh!）

On a closer look, the blade of the Holy Sword in contact with the Sword of Frost was frozen.

The two blades were stuck together with frost, and couldn’t be separated.

Iris kicked me in the stomach, sending me flying.

（…! W-What strength…!）

She sent a grown man flying with just one kick.

「Anyway, I will be taking the Holy Sword. Although it’s not mine…」

Iris said as she took the Holy Sword stuck on the Sword of Frost.

While I rolled on the ground after being kicked.

（Holly, This is bad! We have to get the Holy Sword back!）

「… Ahh… Crow, this is it… I can’t move your body.」

（What did you say!）

「So this is how shallow your limit is…」

（Don’t say such irresponsible words after going on a rampage!）

I argued meaninglessly with Holly inside my body──

「Guaahhh!」

A sudden sharp pain coursing through my body floored me.

「… Really now… I don’t understand you at all.」

I laid on the floor, and looked at Heath as he looked at me with a stupefied face, and his Sword of Thunder stabbed into the ground. I immediately knew what happened.

I probably took an electric attack from Heath’s Saintly Sword── with the power of the Sword of Thunder.

I had to hand the Holy Sword to Shawn quickly.

I wanted to do that, but my vision was going dark.

---

After that, when my conscious returns──

「Let me out! Let me out right now!」

I banged the barred windows and cried.

I was in the castle’s dungeon.

The entire capital knew that the Holy Sword, a national treasure, had been stolen, and the royal guards were dispatched to search for the culprit.

At that moment, me, the culprit returned nonchalantly.

「Please! Let me explain!」

My screams echoed in the dim dungeon that was deserted except for me.

I was too naive.

And too optimistic.

The Holy Sword used by Heroes of previous generations to defeat the Demon King that appears every few centuries.

It was only natural things would turn out this way if I stole the legendary Holy Sword that saved the world multiple times throughout history.

I was too naive to assume that I could meet Iris and Instructor Cattlea right after returning to the capital and explain the situation to them.

No, the most important thing was for Shawn to hold the Holy Sword.

I didn’t want the young and petite Shawn to carry the Holy Sword, but everyone would acknowledge her as the Hero if they saw the Holy Sword glow in her hands.

However, I was thrown into the dungeon without having the chance to do anything, and Shawn was probably left alone by herself.

It was my miscalculation that led me to this crisis, and forced Shawn to end up by herself.

What should I do?

I stopped screaming and sat on the hard prison bed, holding my head to think hard.

Letting Shawn hold the Holy Sword would prove my innocence.

There was no other way.

But I didn’t know where Shawn was right now, or where the Holy Sword was being kept.

What should I do?

Was there anything I could do at all?

I would get executed for the theft of a national treasure tomorrow.

If I die, then no one would know Shawn was the Hero.

In other words, the world might get destroyed in five years.

「No no no! Instead of five years later, what happens to me now is more important! What should I do!」

Holly didn’t appear before me all this while, so her main body── the Holy Sword, must be situated far away from this dungeon.

Holly’s area of movement had expanded really far after she met with Shawn, her wielder. However, Shawn was moving separately with Holly right now.

She might have reverted back to the times when she could only move about in the Royal Military Academy’s chapel where the Holy Sword was kept.

Anyway, even if Holly was here, she couldn’t break me out of this dungeon.

The more I analyzed the situation, the more dire it was.

As I was feeling afraid, I heard footsteps.

Someone was walking down the stairs, and heading for this cell.

「Is someone coming?」

The footsteps and the light from a candle illuminated the space in front of my cell.

I could see the person’s face──

「Heath!」

I couldn’t help grabbing the bars and yell.

The one who appeared before me on the other side of the bars was Heath.

「Heath! Listen to my explanation!」

「……Crow, I always thought you were a fool, but I never thought you were this retarded.」

「That’s not it! I have a good reason! Please let me explain!」

「Hmmp, a good reason for stealing the Holy Sword? I’m all ears.」

「Heath, think about it! I already left the capital, so if my goal is to steal it, why did I come back?」

「… I have my doubts about that too. The ministers decided to execute you immediately, but I want to ask. Why did you come back?」

Learning that I escaped death thanks to Heath, I became anxious.

「Listen carefully, Heath. I can hear the voice of the Holy Sword. That voice told me where the Hero is, so I brought the Holy Sword with me to search for the Hero, and brought her back. The girl I brought back with me is the Hero!」

「…………」

Heath walked away without a word.

「Wait, wait! Heath, hold up! I’m not crazy!」

「Impossible, I can’t believe it. No matter how I think about it, you definitely have brain problems, and there is no point in speaking with you.」

「I told you to wait! The Demon King will revive five years later! If you don’t give the Holy Sword to the girl I brought here with me, the Demon King will destroy the world in five years!」

「……」

「Give the Holy Sword to the girl I brought here! Or else the world will end five years later!」

「… I understand now.」

「Do you get it!?」

「You are completely insane.」

「Heeeyyyyy! Wait! Please wait, Heath!」

「Enough, this will be the last time I will speak with you.」

「You can’t! The Demon King will really revive in five years!」

Seeing me grabbing the bars and screaming, Heath who was about to leave the dungeon stopped.

He then looked at me through the bars.

「Since it has come to this, let me tell you, I was afraid of you in the past.」

「What?」

「Do you remember, Crow? Iris and I lost to you in a class in the Military Academy.」

「?」

Heath and Iris lost to me?

What was he talking about?

「You have low self esteem because of your lack of strong points, but Instructor Cattlea thought highly of you.」

「What are you saying?」

「There was a lesson where we had to lead our juniors and orienteering through the wilderness, correct?」

「Oh… You are talking about that class…」

Orienteering.

Leading our younger juniors as our subordinates, this was a competition on how fast we could reach the destination.

From the starting point to the destination, there were several instructors at various checkpoints, and the students would complete tasks and training expected of a Military Officer.

The clearing order of the checkpoints, and who amongst the subordinates to send to clear the task would be decided by the leader.

This class was testing the Military Officer’s ability as a supervisor.

To be honest, I already forgot the content.

Since I left all the decisions to my juniors.

Be it the route to take and tasks to tackle, all that were done by them.

I always ignore Iris’ chidings and Heath sarcasm, and since the two of them were famous in school, my juniors looked down at me, calling me the 「senior who couldn’t do anything」.

So my juniors worked hard to decide on the route and complete the tasks.

In the end, I finished the top of my class in orienteering.

All the students were speechless, while Instructor Cattlea burst out laughing for some reason. I didn’t do anything at all, so I didn’t feel proud of this achievement at all.

「I thought you would do something unexpected when you become a Military Officer or a high ranking official, so I was afraid of you.」

「Huh～ I think that’s just your imagination…」

「And that is why I’m disappointed that you took actions that deviate from my expectations.」

「Wait, wait, wait! Please wait! Your instinct isn’t wrong! I’m talking about the results right now, but I’m saving the world from danger! You got that!?」

「Enough, I’m leaving.」

「Heath!」

「Let me tell you then. Because you stole the key to the vault beneath the chapel, Instructor Cattlea who was in charge of the key was held responsible and fired.」

「…… Huh?」

「Iris who provided you with monetary support was suspected of colluding with you, and was almost sentenced to death.」

「What…!」

「Instructor Cattlea was even stripped of her position as the wielder of the Saintly Sword.」

「……!」

「This is all because of you.」

「How, can this be…!」

「Shortly after you disappeared, we realized that the Holy Sword is missing.」

「……」

「Naturally, the royal family suspects you. And we immediately learned that you received money from Iris shortly before you went missing, and picked up the key that Instructor Cattlea dropped.」

「……」

「The two of them believed in your innocence up until the very end, that you didn’t steal the Holy Sword.」

「……」

「And this is the result. I don’t know what you are thinking when you did this, but I can only say one thing.」

「……」

「You lied to the people who believed in you, and betrayed their trust.」

「……」

After Heath left, I crossed my arms in the silent dungeon and fell into deep thought.

What Heath said just now dispelled my fear of death and loneliness in this dark dungeon.

Instead, the silence and solitude helped me concentrate.

How did things turned out like this?

If this went on, I would probably be sentenced to death.

For the crime of stealing the national treasure, the Holy Sword, I would be paraded in the streets and executed publicly.

In that case, I would not be able to complete my initial goal── Linking up Shawn with Holly, and prepare for the Demon King’s revival five years later.

No, was that what I was after?

I was just a student, and was a mortal with below average in intelligence and physical abilities.

Someone like me was standing up against the crisis that would befall the world five years later.

There should be a limit to how insolent one could be.

So why did I took action?

Be it stealing the Holy Sword, leaving the capital and going on a journey to seek out the Hero.

It was a short adventure that ended after a month, but for someone who didn’t even attend classes in the Military Academy properly, this was a level of initiative that was impossible for me.

And the result was this.

I ended up being sentenced to death, caused trouble for my friend Iris and Instructor Cattlea, and even failed to make the fact that Shawn was the Hero public.

In other words, I would die without achieving anything, and only cause trouble for others.

What was the reason for this?

「……」

I knew.

I really did.

Everyone knew I was ordinary.

I had no special talent or skills, and the reason why I made that choice.

It was simple.

I wanted to be special.

I couldn’t do it. It was impossible. I didn’t have any talent.

I was an ordinary person, and couldn’t become special.

I couldn’t get involved with a grandiose incident that affects the fate of the world.

I couldn’t become a soldier that decides the outcome of a war, or an official that changes the law of a nation.

When war breaks out, I would be sent to the frontlines and tremble from the fear of death.

If the country was stricken by poverty, I would immediately be part of the impoverished.

I was ordinary.

An ordinary man.

I couldn’t decide my life and fate by my own will.

I couldn’t live freely and move forward without any fear.

Everything was controlled by someone with a higher authority than me.

That was me.

Just another face in the crowd who goes by the name Crow.

I hate that.

I always hated that.

I hated being mediocre.

My life, death, and everything was controlled by people in power whom I had never met before. Changed according to their needs and played around with, I hated the fate of such a pauper.

I utterly loathe the fact that I was so normal.

I want to be special.

A special kind of existence.

And not just be part of the mob.

I hated being ordinary, I wanted to be a genius.

Not a mob character, but the protagonist.

I didn’t want to be someone that was easily replaceable.

I want to be a unique person in this world.

It didn’t matter how I did so, I just want to be special.

No, not just any kind of special.

I want to be the Hero.

The Hero that saves the world.

I wanted to give all i had, risk my life, and not give up no matter how dire the situation might be. And become the Hero that saved the world in the end.

After meeting Holly, I felt a sense of superiority because I was the only one who could see her.

When I heard that Holly’s request was to seek out the Hero in a far away location, I thought it was a simpler mission than expected.

I just needed to make a short trip.

And that turned out to be true.

A journey I could manage by myself.

Given the same conditions, anyone could pull it off.

In other words I was actually thinking──

I could easily perform the task of a Hero.

By doing something so simple, I could help the Hero defeat the Demon King and save the world.

Which means, I was only thinking of putting in a little effort, and brought Shawn here with the goal of becoming special.

So this result was only natural.

Because I did something that didn’t match my abilities.

I bit off more than I could chew.

More importantly, my resolve wasn’t firm enough.

I didn’t have any talent, and didn’t put in any effort towards my goal of becoming a hero.

I wanted to save the world.

And it was a given that I would die if I did that.

I wanted to become special and do something no one else could, but assumed that my wish would come true if I did something anyone could do.

My thinking was too shallow.

「… I’m incompetent… mediocre… the last in my class…」

I muttered to myself.

「I don’t have power, knowledge, or money. I don’t have anything.」

I couldn’t forget this fact.

I must not forget the fact that I was just an ordinary person.

If I wanted to be special, I had to accomplish something others couldn’t.

And not make use of the ability I got by chance, or hope for an opportunity.

If I only relied on my ability to speak with the will of the Holy Sword── Holly, I wouldn’t be able to become special.

「No, scratch that!」

It wasn’t a question of being special.

To become a unique person in this world, I had to do something that others couldn’t copy.

I had to change my past self, who wanted to be a hero, but didn’t put in the effort or steel my mind.

And settle all this.

To make some guy named Crow become the one and only Crow, I had to do this.

Humans could only do things within their means.

It was obvious, but they couldn’t do things beyond their capability.

So I just need to do everything I could.

And accept the results.

Be prepared to accept whatever the outcome may be..

Only then, could I die without regrets as a man.

「What is it then…? What can I do…」

The most important thing was to let Shawn hold the Holy Sword.

If I could do that, I could save my life and defeat the Demon King who would revive in five years.

However, I couldn’t do it.

Escape from the dungeon, steal the Holy Sword, and link up with Shawn.

Impossible.

Since I couldn’t leave the dungeon, I couldn’t accomplish that with my own powers.

Even if I could escape from here, I couldn’t steal the Holy Sword since I didn’t know where it was hidden.

After being stolen once the Holy Sword would be kept under even tighter security.

Even if I get in contact with Holly, there was no point without her main body── the Holy Sword.

The only ones who might be willing to help me would be Iris and Instructor Cattlea, but I didn’t want to trouble them any further.

Besides, it would be difficult to explain the misunderstanding with Iris, and asking Instructor Cattlea who didn’t have a Saintly Sword to help was just cruel.

「… Heath, huh…」

The next time I leave the dungeon would be for my execution.

And then, the only acquaintance that would approach me──

Was Prince Heath.

The son of the King.

My classmate in the Royal Military Academy.

The man who wanted to rule over the Academy, someone I absolutely detest.

An acquaintance I hated.

When I see him, I will make my last gamble.

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