Ascendance of a Scummy Hero V1 (5 of 5)

Chapter 8: Hero

Translator: Skythewood

Editor: Hiiro

The next day, I was taken out of the dungeon.

I had already braced myself to be taken to the execution grounds, but something unexpected happened.

The King wanted to listen to my explanation personally in the Audience Hall.

Inside the Audience Hall was King Daria seated on the throne, Prince Heath standing beside him, and a few others who appeared to be ministers.

A few soldiers surrounded me, and my body was bound with rope.

「I confess to all the charges laid against me.」

I was brought to the Audience Hall with my hands tied behind my back, and declared boldly in front of the King.

I didn’t have any talent, but I was good at bullshitting. Despite how nervous I felt, I raised my head to put up a bluff.

On the surface, I probably looked like a brave soul who didn’t fear death.

King Daria seated on the throne looked confused.

His blonde hair and beard had streaks of white, but he didn’t feel old at all.

The King who had both a sound mind and body, possessed the highest authority in the land, was speaking with a mere thief like me.

Because the King didn’t think capital punishment should be given out lightly.

「… You admit to your crimes?」

「Yes, I stole the Holy Sword.」

「What is your goal?」

「Since it’s unlikely you will believe me, I can’t say it.」

At that instant, the soldier beside me bashed me with a stick.

「Cease your insolence towards His Majesty!」

Several soldiers beat me off with sticks, but I endured it without a word.

One of them hit me on the forehead, and I started bleeding from there.

I was bleeding profusely from the head, but I still won’t say anything.

When my guts overwhelmed those soldiers a little──

「Stop, he already confessed, there is no need to interrogate him.」

The King stopped them.

「You are Crow, correct? Your charges are punishable by death, do you still intend to confess?」

「I confess.」

「If you admit to your crimes, you will lose your life.」

「That’s fine.」

「…  I don’t understand… Returning to the capital with the stolen Holy Sword is unfathomable too, but the most puzzling of all is your refusal to defend yourself.」

「I have nothing to defend. It is a fact that I stole the Holy Sword, which deserves death.」

「The Holy Sword has been returned, and depending on your reasons, your life might be spared. Why did you steal the Holy Sword, and why did you return to the capital?」

「……」

I was a little hesitant right now, since the King was more reasonable than I thought.

From how he went out of the way to question the criminal personally, he was different from a normal monarch.

If I told the truth, he might be willing to let Shawn hold the Holy Sword.

Since this was the King who decreed for the students in the Military Academy to take part in the Holy Sword selection frequently.

「……」

No── I changed my mind.

The Holy Sword speaking and guiding me to the Hero── I didn’t think the King will believe something as preposterous as that.

Shawn being a girl made it even less realistic.

If he thought for a moment I was speaking nonsense and was just pleading for my life, it would be all over.

I had to give up on everything.

If I didn’t have that kind of resolve, I wouldn’t be able to turn things around.

「Your Majesty, I admit to all the charges and lay down my life. In return, I have a request.」

「What is it?」

「After I’m executed, please find a girl named Shawn and let her touch the Holy Sword.」

「What did you say?」

「I’m not trying to plead for my life, so it’s fine if you execute me first. Please let Shawn touch the Holy Sword.」

「……」

「It’s fine if you refuse to grant this request. But please, remember the name Shawn.」

「But why?」

「In the near future, when the Demon King revives, please remember that name. Because Shawn is the chosen wielder of the Holy Sword.」

「What?」

「Father! That is nonsense! Retarded drivel and…!」

「Heath!」

Heath wanted to warn his father── the King, but I used a voice loud enough to fill the entire Audience Hall and called his name.

「You will be the one to kill me!」

「Huh?」

「You will carry out my execution! Kill me right now!」

「W-What are you saying…?」

Despite being bound, I intimidated the shaken Heath.

「I won’t plead for my life! You can have it! So after I die, help Shawn!」

I stared straight at Heath.

「It’s fine if you don’t believe me. Five years later, when the Demon King revives, Heath, you must aid Shawn.」

「……」

「Alright, I have said everything. Bring me to the execution grounds.」

「……」

「Heath, you think I’m mad, right? Then kill me with that thought in mind. I know you will never believe me. However, you will regret it. You will regret not checking if my words were true, and live with that guilt… No, you can’t live with it, and will probably commit suicide.」

「What…?」

「It’s easy to check if I’m lying, just let Shawn hold the Holy Sword. But what I want to say is, you are not strong enough to kill a classmate without confirming such a simple thing.」

「Shut up!」

「I won’t shut up. Cut off my head if you want me to stay quiet. I won’t plead for my life. I only took action after learning the Demon King will revive five years later. It can’t be helped if no one believes me, so just kill me then. You can regret it when the Demon King revives in five years. Or will you regret it after letting Shawn hold the Holy Sword right after killing me? In that case, you can just tell Shawn 『It can’t be helped, I have to kill Crow』.」

「… Then as you wish, I will kill you right now! We can’t dirty the Audience Hall, drag him out to the execution grounds right now!」

On Prince Heath’s orders, the soldiers grabbed me.

「Heath, wait!」

King Daria on his throne stopped him.

「What if this man is speaking the truth?」

「Impossible! The Shawn this man speaks of is a girl! A woman! Has there been any female hero in history?」

「Ughh… Hmm, that’s puzzling. But he returned to the capital, and said all that with deadly resolve. There is merit in checking it out, yes?」

「Do you know how he found the Hero? He said the Holy Sword spoke to him and guided him!」

「What?」

「The records mentioned that the Heroes did speak with the Holy Sword, but only the Hero can hear the voice of the Holy Sword. Throughout history, only the Hero can converse with the Holy Sword.」

「Indeed…」

「Speaking with the Holy Sword, and the Hero he brought is a woman. If this is true, then he had found the first female Hero in History, and the first non-Hero wielder. Do you think that is possible?」

「In other words… He has gone mad?」

「It’s more natural to think about it that way. He’s insane, so he doesn't care about his life.」

「Hmm… Indeed, that goes for that thing about female Hero and the Holy Sword speaking too, that is unbelievable…」

「Then, can we carry out the execution immediately?」

「Yes, you have my leave to do so.」

This was within my expectations.

Heath hates me.

He wouldn’t believe anything I say.

However, Heath wasn’t good enough to forget what others said.

He might not notice, but when Heath speaks ill of others without realizing it and got into a squabble with Iris, he would always regret it.

The same with Instructor Cattlea putting him in his place.

Although he would always regret misspeaking, he was arrogant because of his outstanding skills, looks and status, and couldn’t change his bad habit of looking down on others.

Heath didn’t have any doubts that executing me was the right decision.

However, he would regret it.

Heath would never exercise caution to avoid regretting later, and had complete faith in his actions.

To me, he was just a hopeless idiotic prince.

He couldn’t put the death of a few commoners behind him, had a tendency to side with the people, but couldn’t treat them as equals.

He hated looking down on people arrogantly, and hated himself for looking down on others for no reason.

He was dumb, but he wasn’t a bad guy.

I didn’t understand how he grew up to be like this, but after meeting his father, the King, I understood.

Heath probably wanted to be a King who could communicate well with others.

But the problem was, royals and commoners were not equal.

If he wanted to be respected as a benevolent lord, he had to listen to his people.

However, the fact remained that one party ruled over the other.

That was why he became a prince with such a strange personality.

「……」

The soldiers grabbed me from either side and dragged me out of the Audience Hall as I was regretting it a little.

I said all that to Heath to make him remember the name Shawn.

That was my goal.

According to this man’s character, he would regret killing a classmate some time later, and would want to confirm if I was speaking the truth.

And check if the Holy Sword would glow when Shawn holds it.

Why?

Because he could be sure I wasn’t crazy if it didn’t glow.

Killing a classmate was one thing, but if I was speaking the truth, then he would have committed unjustified homicide.

Even if Heath keep telling himself it was impossible, he would want to confirm it one day.

Crow was sentenced to death because he lost his mind── he would want to confirm that.

He would want to see Shawn holding the Holy Sword, and not see it glow.

That urge would hit him.

And then, everyone would learn that Shawn was the Hero.

I knew Heath’s character very well, and was sure of this.

Which meant, I took action on the assumption that I would die.

I formulated this plan on the basis that I would get killed.

「… Phew…」

And now, I had one regret.

King Daria was a better man than I expected.

He was too trusting, and not like the highest authority at all.

If Heath wasn’t involved, and I got to speak directly with the King, he might permit Shawn to enter the castle and let her hold the Holy Sword.

Then I wouldn’t lose my life.

But that didn’t matter anymore.

I gave up on living on.

I caused Iris and Instructor Cattlea a lot of trouble.

And planned to exploit Shawn by making use of the fact that I could see Holly.

I was a scum, and it was natural for me to be executed.

However, I could see it.

The heroic scene of Shawn bringing Iris and Instructor Cattlea to challenge the Demon King.

Heath probably wouldn’t be there.

The guilt stricken Heath would probably be useless.

But I hated Heath, so that was fine.

It was his fault for refusing to listen to others.

「Heehee…」

Let the two useless men retire from the stage early, and let the beautiful and powerful girls play the part of the protagonists.

I thought as I walked towards the execution grounds.

〈… Things aren’t that simple…〉

「!」

When I was brought out of the Audience Hall and walking along the corridor, I heard Holly’s voice.

〈Do you think… that the Holy Sword will be given to Shawn after you get executed? Your plan of leaving things to others after you die is full of holes and irresponsible.〉

I could hear Holly, which means the Holy Sword was nearby?

〈I was observing all this while, and thinking of a way to rescue you. But you are concoting such a stupid plan… You really are useless without me.〉

「……!」

What she said was true. I couldn’t converse with Holly or meet up with Shawn, so I couldn’t do anything.

So the only means I had left was for Heath to search for Shawn.

〈Listen up, Crow. They are looking for a new place to safeguard the Holy Sword, and it is being guarded by just a few soldiers right now.〉

Holly started explaining as she floated beside me.

And of course, Prince Heath and the soldiers bringing me to the execution grounds couldn’t see me.

〈Shawn is still in the capital. She is worried about you after you got taken into the castle and is loitering around nearby. We just need to get the Holy Sword into Shawn’s hands, and things would be settled easily.〉

「……」

I couldn’t answer as there were other people around me.

But since Shawn was near the castle, Holly’s condition should be great.

Which was why she could leave the Holy Sword, and come all the way here.

〈Well then, let’s send the Holy Sword to Shawn’s hands.〉

「… Huh?」

Holly possessed me suddenly without any warning.

My arms then made ominous cracking sounds.

（That hurts ahhhhh!）

Holly dislocated both my wrists, tore off the ropes, then lift my arms high up to pop the bones back in.

She grabbed a spear from a guard and swung it with incredibly strength.

The guard was thrown out of a glass window along the corridor.

Before the other soldiers could even resist, Holly displayed unmatched spearmanship.

She spun the spear above my head, hitting the guards with the shaft and knocked them out.

Heath was shocked by the sight of the guards getting taken out one by one.

This was to be expected, since a mere mortal like me took out the guards alone.

However, I wouldn’t stand a chance against Heath, a Saintly Sword wielder.

That was already proven during the fight with Iris earlier.

Heath reached for the Saintly Sword on his waist.

「I won’t let you draw it, stupid prince!」

Holly scold him with my mouth.

At the same time she used the blunt end of the spear to hit Heath in the heart.

「If you can’t draw your sword, you will just be a mortal! You fool! You can’t draw out the full potential of the Saintly Sword!」

Holly followed up with a combo attack towards his entire body, not giving him a chance to counter.

Since Holly was using the blunt end instead of the sharp edge, she wasn’t planning to kill Heath. But with the voracity of her attack, she might just kill him through blunt trauma.

「The last blow!」

At this moment, I started doubting Holly’s sanity.

Holly’s last thrust hit Heath’s vital point──

She hit him in the groin, right in the balls.

This was the first time I saw a human’s eyeball turned upwards, showing the white of his eyes and foaming in the mouth.

This was too much.

The cruelty of this made me flinch.

「Crow! Let’s go retrieve the Holy Sword!」

Holly tossed aside the spear, and sprinted along the corridor of the castle.

（……!）

Fast.

The buffed soldiers from earlier fell without any resistance, I now possessed supernatural physical capabilities.

My body was filled with boundless energy, as if I was someone else.

（……? Ugh! Ugh… Guu…）

I felt a sudden jolt of pain in my left chest, as my heart pounded intensely.

Even so, I continued running in the castle’s corridor that turned the scenery into a blur.

I was moving too fast that I couldn’t even be sure where I was going.

During this time, my heart raced faster, and my chest pain intensified.

（……）

Anyone aside from the Hero would die immediate if Holly possessed them── this fact flashed across my mind.

I might die.

I might not die immediately, but maybe after some time.

However, I had been taking action on the assumption that I would be executed.

So if I had to risk my life and reduce my lifespan to deliver the Holy Sword to Shawn, then so be it.

However, Holly suddenly left my body.

The momentum was too strong, and I fell forward.

〈Crow… Is your body alright?〉

「I-I’m alright… Where is the Holy Sword…」

I leaned against the wall and steadied my wobbly body.

〈It’s in the King’s chambers, and hidden under the bed. Only the King and Queen knows about that.〉

「Then… take me there…」

I was breaking out in a cold sweat, and my heart was racing abnormally. I ignored all that, and started sprinting along the corridor.

My escape attempt on my way to the execution grounds had been found out.

I beat off the guards in the vicinity, but it was clear from Heath and the knocked out guards that I had escaped.

All the soldiers in the castle must be searching for me.

However, they would never expect me to take the shortest path and head for the hidden Holy Sword.

The castle was in an uproar as I expected, but the closer I got to the King’s chambers, the less people I encounter.

After all, I had Holly leading the way, and she would instruct me to hide in rooms, behind pillars or even on the roof to avoid the soldiers.

I was suffering from the after effects of Holly’s Possession, and my mind wasn’t working well.

I wasn’t thinking, and just moving according to Holly’s instructions.

And so, I finally reached the King’s chambers, which was guarded as expected.

〈…Crow … Should we use that method from last time?〉

「……」

The method Holly mentioned should be referring to how we infiltrated Goyatantel’s chambers before.

Simply put, the strategy was to let Holly make footsteps to lure away the guards.

「No… That will only work at night. Besides, the guards protecting the King’s chambers wouldn’t be so careless… Use Possession on me again and defeat those two…」

〈Huh? B-But your body…〉

「It’s fine… My body is fine.」

〈… Your face is pale…〉

It was rare to see Holly look at me with worry.

「No… I lack exercise, so this intense movements tires me, that’s all. My body is fine…」

〈… Are you sure?〉

「There is no way I will push myself.」

I forced myself to smile.

After that, Holly used Possession on me hesitatingly.

〈Crow?〉

「……」

〈Crow! Crow! Are you alright?〉

「Huh?」

〈Crow! Pull yourself together!〉

「No, huh? What?」

〈What do you mean what!? You passed out!〉

「Huh? Are you for real? I lost consciousness without being able to do anything…?」

〈No… We did defeat the guards…〉

「Huh?」

I looked closely, and saw the two knocked out soldiers in front of the King’s chambers.

「What? It’s over?」

〈Yes, but the moment I left your body, you collapsed.〉

「Hmm?」

I had no recollection at all.

Never mind, it was fine since I rendered the soldiers powerless.

My pounding heart had finally calmed down.

〈Crow… You…〉

「It’s fine, it’s fine, I’m getting used to your Possession.」

I said as I opened the King’s chambers, and went in.

I just need to retrieve the Holy Sword hidden under the bed.

「Who goes there?」

There was someone inside.

Since the door was guarded, they were protecting someone. The King was in the Audience Hall, and I entered the chambers without thinking about it. But on second thought, this was only natural.

The Queen was inside the chambers.

Dressed in a lavish dress and curly blonde locks, she looked the part of a high standing noble woman.

I was too busy and my mind was hazy, so I couldn’t spare the effort to observe the details of her dressing──

「……」

I just thought that she looked really young to be Heath’s mother.

The queen looked like she was in her twenties, but that didn’t matter.

I had to steal the Holy Sword quickly and escape from here.

I ignored the queen and retrieved the Holy Sword from under the bed.

「W-Wait, why are you… suddenly…」

There was no time to explain, and I didn’t have the strength to speak, so I ignored the Queen to leave the chambers.

At this moment, the chamber’s doors were forcefully opened.

「Kyaa!」

I let out a stupid scream.

Because the one who entered was Iris.

And she had drawn the Sword of Frost.

「… I heard you escaped, so I was wondering where you went. But to find you in the King’s chambers with the Holy Sword. What fuels your determination?」

「Iris……」

Oh no. Unlike Heath, she wasn’t arrogant nor careless.

And she had several soldiers behind her, and their numbers were increasing by the seconds.

There was no way I could break through.

「There are several soldiers knocked out in the passageway, had you been hiding your powers? Did you enrol in the Royal Military Academy to seek a chance to steal the Holy Sword?」

That was wrong, but she was making it sound like the truth.

However, I didn’t have the energy to debate with Iris.

I had to escape and deliver the Holy Sword to Shawn.

If the door was no good, then how about the window?

「……」

No, the King’s chambers were on the third floor.

If I jump from here, I would break my legs.

What did I need to do in order to breakthrough this room, get to the first floor, and head into the castle town?

I drew the Holy Sword from my sheath.

How many times would I need to use this sword?

Even though I wasn’t the real wielder.

「You want to duel me?」

「No, not at all.」

I put the blade of the Holy Sword on the throat of the Queen.

「Crow! You…!」

「Drop the Sword of Frost.」

「Despicable! Don’t you have any shame about taking hostages?」

Iris glared at me as she said that, but I just shifted silently behind the Queen, holding the Holy Sword against her.

「Yes, it’s shameless. But if I fail here, everyone will die, there won’t be any survivors.」

「……?」

「Drop the Sword of Frost, and kick it here.」

Iris glared at me for a while, then dropped the Sword of Frost, and kicked it to me.

I picked up the Sword of Frost and tossed it out the window.

「Holly, possess me.」

〈Huh? Aren’t you going to escape with the Queen as your hostage?〉

「No, I can’t get to the first floor with a hostage.」

〈But…〉

「Until we reach Shawn, don’t stop your Possession.」

〈……〉

「Use my body and run to Shawn’s side.」

〈……〉

Holly looked at me silently.

I was really the worst.

I tricked my teacher.

Borrowed money from a classmate.

Stole the Holy Sword.

Cheated while gambling.

Illegal trespass of a noble’s manor.

And committing arson to said manor.

Last of all, holding the Queen hostage.

I was really the worst, and to others, I must look like garbage.

Even so──

「Holly…」

〈……〉

「Give me the power to save the world!」

〈…! As you wish!〉

My power increased explosively.

And I was literally flying out like a loose arrow.

I sprinted out of the chambers, across the corridor, and beat off all the guards in my way.

「……」

It was like a dream.

I was just a mob, but the guards were falling before me as I sprinted inside the castle.

I always wanted to be a man like that.

I wanted to be a Hero.

Someone who could overcome any crisis by himself, a superhuman hero.

And save the world from crisis.

It became true.

I was a Hero fighting to save the world.

I just need to run out of the castle, hand the Holy Sword to Shawn, and I would──

「Guu!」

Become the Hero that saved the world.

「… Shyaa… ahh…」

When I realized it, I was on the ground looking up at the sky.

Since I could see the sky like this, that means I’m outside the castle?

But there were gaps in my memories, so I didn’t know what was happening.

〈… Ughh! Just a bit more! Only the wall is in the way!〉

Holly was very shaken.

I checked my body.

My clothes were dyed black.

I was bleeding badly.

I could seen through my torn clothes that my arms and exposed skin were red from bleeding.

「Crow… You…」

I could hear a voice.

I looked in the direction of the voice, and saw Instructor Cattlea pointing her Sword of Flames at me.

Oh, I see. The flames cast by the instructor struck me.

She hit me when I ran out of the castle.

Which meant she recovered the rights to wield the Saintly Sword.

That was great.

My vision was dyed red, so I couldn’t see properly.

「Holly……」

〈Shawn is on the other side of this wall! She is right behind the wall!〉

Holly wailed.

She had stopped her Possession, and was crying beside me.

I looked at the wall Holly was pointing at.

I see. I made it out of the castle where the king resides, but collapsed at the courtyard before making it through the walls.

It was a really high wall, at least 30m in height.

The Hero should be able to clear it with a leap, but I couldn’t do so.

Because I was taken into the castle, Shawn was wandering around the walls worriedly.

── That was why Shawn was standing on the other side of this wall.

I stood up, and walk to the wall.

I had to deliver the Holy Sword to Shawn.

「Give it up!」

I stood up and walked unsteadily to the wall, but my feet got frozen.

Iris was standing beside Instructor Cattlea.

She already got back her Sword of Frost, and caught up to me?

Oh, she used Unfold.

The skill used to retrieve the Saintly Sword far away from her.

She must have retrieved the Sword of Frost with that skill.

「Unbelievable, what are you trying to do?」

Heath who was kicked in the balls by Holly was also here.

A few hundred soldiers had me surrounded.

During the short period of time when I was passed out, the situation became terrible.

「……」

Blood dripping from my nose stained the grounds by my feet.

I touched my cheeks, and realized that my eyes were bleeding too.

Heath closed in on me with his Sword of Thunder.

Iris and Instructor Cattlea looked really sad when they saw me like this.

Ahh, are you sympathizing me?

That was how I managed to trick you.

I already accomplished my goal, so──

「I leave… the rest to you… Holly…」

〈Crow?〉

「Go through the wall… and let Shawn… use Unfold……」

〈……!〉

Holly left my side and phased through the wall.

I just need to bring the Holy Sword here, let Holly who was a sprite pass through the wall, and meet up with Shawn on the other side.

Once Holly links up with Shawn…

── She could use the skill 「Unfold」 to control the Saintly Sword far away, and return it to her hands.

The Holy Sword disappeared from my hands.

「Ugh!」

When Heath saw the Holy Sword disappear, he stood there stiffly.

「Ehh?」

「What?」

Iris and Instructor Cattlea were speechless.

At this moment, there was a flash──

Final Chapter: In the End, He is Still a Scum

No one knew what happened.

The crowd looking on, drawn by the light.

The soldiers who were mobilized to arrest me.

Iris was watching with bated breath.

Instructor Cattlea was on the verge of tears.

And Heath who was trying to cut me down.

Everyone was confused about what was happening.

Did anyone realized…

That the true nature of that light was the Holy Sword they wanted to take from me.

And that only the wielder of the Holy Sword could create such a bright light.

Shawn smashed the walls with the Holy Sword in her hand, and walked over from the other side of the wall.

And the way she smashed through the wall was spectacular.

Because Shawn didn’t use the Holy Sword, breaking the wall with a flick of her hand and entered the castle.

「……」

I sighed in relief when I saw Shawn in my field of vision that was dyed in red.

It was a gamble.

We were separated by a wall, but if Holly was near the Holy Sword when she meet up with Shawn, she should be able to use the basic skills of the Saintly Sword, which were Possession, Unleash and Unfold.

And Holly did say that those who were skilled in Unfold could teleport the Saintly Sword which was far away back into their hands.

Shawn was possessed by Holly for the first time, and she could already do that?

I was worried about that, but it seemed that my worries were unfounded.

Shawn was obviously taller.

As she was wearing a one piece dress for children, and her chest looked like it might burst out of her clothes at any moment.

Her pale limbs were slender, and her blonde hair reaches the ground.

Most importantly was her overwhelming beauty that mesmerized everyone, overshadowing even the blinding light of the Holy Sword.

When Holly used Possession on me, I would feel pain all over my body, and I would even vomit blood. But when Possession was used on the real Hero, it would become like this.

Her body was forcibly transformed into her prime.

I understood instinctively at this moment.

Since even I could get it, then the three wielders of the Saintly Sword, Iris, Cattlea and Heath must understand too.

She was the real Hero.

From Shawn’s expression and body── No, from the oppressive presence of her body.

It was all saying one thing.

She── was the Hero.

One step slower than the three of them, the crowd and the soldiers started getting rowdy too.

Every citizen in this nation had seen the Holy Sword before.

They also knew that when the Holy Sword glows, it meant the Hero had appeared.

However, no one had seen the Holy Sword glow before, so they were still in doubt.

The fact remains that the sword was glowing with a blinding light.

The Holy Sword they were familiar with was shining.

That meant──

「Hero?」

「The Hero……」

「Hero……」

「It’s the Hero!」

The crowd started cheering the new Hero who appeared before them.

「Onii-chan!」

Shawn suddenly ran up to me.

「Onii-chan, are you alright? You are covered in blood…」

「……」

I smiled awkwardly.

「Onii-chan?」

She was the perfect beauty, but the way she spoke remained unchanged.

Even after being possessed by Holly, Shawn retained control over her body.

But never mind, things would be fine now.

It was clear to everyone that Shawn was the Hero.

In other words, my execution would be stayed.

It was over.

I proved that Shawn was the Hero, and saved my own life.

「Phew…」

My consciousness was getting hazy.

「… Onii…」

Shawn was looking at me worriedly in her adult form.

And my vision was filled with darkness.

---

「Hmm?」

I made a stupid noise and regain consciousness.

I was lying on a bed in an unfamiliar room.

「Ehh?」

I touched my own body and confirmed that I was still alive.

My entire body aches, but my eyes and nose had stopped bleeding.

「Ahh, you are finally awake. You are really taking it easy.」

I looked towards the voice, and found Iris sitting on a chair beside the bed.

「Huh? I…」

「After that child Shawn smashed the castle wall, you blacked out.」

「I see… so that’s what happened…」

I propped my upper body up on the bed.

I felt really tired.

「How long has it been?」

「Two days.」

「What?」

「After you passed out, you slept for two whole days.」

「I see… I was too nervous to sleep the night before my execution, and had been traveling the entire time, so I became like that once I relaxed.」

「…Crow, sorry.」

「Why are you apologizing?」

「I got in your way without finding out the reason. If I listened to you properly during the Holy Sword selection, the entire debacle could have been avoided.」

「Oh… it’s fine. I did this to myself.」

「But…」

「Like you said, I didn’t explain the reason, tricked you and the instructor, and stole the Holy Sword. I was planning to use Shawn to fast track my life, and I received divine retribution. I’m reflecting on it.」

「I should be reflecting on my actions instead…」

Iris was really depressed.

「Despite no one believing you, you found the Hero and brought her back to the capital. I didn’t know anything and just kept getting in your way.」

「… By the way, what about Instructor Cattlea’s authority to wield her Saintly Sword?」

「It’s fine, the instructor got her Saintly Sword back.」

「I see… Makes sense, I got hit by the fire from the Sword of Flame too.」

「She is busy running around the capital in her red tailcoat.」

I felt relieved when I heard that.

After causing so much trouble for Iris and Instructor Cattlea, their privileges had been restored, and I successfully spread the word that Shawn was the Hero.

And I was still alive. This was all good news.

How lucky.

「Including His Majesty, all the nobles in the capital wants to apologize to you. They want to say sorry about the plans to executing you without confirming your words. There are also talks about making you an honorary noble.」

「… I refuse.」

「Huh? Why not? You can finally make it big.」

「I realized that if I take on a bigger task than I can handle, I will only end up suffering. I learned through this incident that I’m powerless. It will be even more troubling if i become a noble.」

「… However, you don’t have a choice.」

「What?」

Iris said ominously, and I tilted my head.

I looked around the room I was in.

I was thrown into the dungeon and almost executed not too long ago, so this was trivial. But the room was quite big, and the furnishing was lavish.

Only a small number of nobles could afford living in a room like this, correct?

The bed was big and soft too.

「By the way, where is this place?」

「You will know if you come out. Both where you are, and the current situation.」

「?」

「… What is this!」

I left the room and walked along the corridor. After exiting the building, I realized that I was resting in the castle in the capital.

But that wasn’t why I was surprised.

Led by Iris along the passageway, I climbed up a watch tower along the castle wall, and screamed when I saw the castle town.

It was destroyed.

Part of the castle town built around the castle was in ruins.

「What happened? How did the town became like this?」

I asked Iris who was standing beside me on top of the watchtower.

The destruction of the town was strange.

The town wasn’t completely destroyed, just the buildings in a straight line from somewhere leading to the castle were levelled.

As if a giant monster headed straight for the castle, stomping all the obstacles in its way.

「Shawn did that.」

「Ehh?」

「You see that spot where you almost died, and the beeline leading out to the castle town? That is caused by the rampage of that child who charged outside from the castle. It’s a miracle that no one died.」

「……」

I couldn’t give a response, as my mouth kept opening and closing.

「Shawn went on a rampage when she thought you died. She ran around the castle town to find the one who ordered your execution. When the townsfolk told her the order probably came from the castle, she returned to the castle to kill the one who gave the order.」

「What did you say!? D-Did she kill the King?」

「Almost. I caught up to her and told her that you were still alive, and she finally cooled down. A moment too late and the castle would had been demolished.」

「What was that stupid Heath doing!」

「He was the first one who got hit by Shawn, and flew over 50m away.」

「… Oh, I see…」

「His nose and jaw were shattered, and his suffered fractures all over his body from the impact. But he is still alive, since he is a Saintly Sword wielder.」

「Meh, whatever…」

「Things were still a mess. Shawn was enraged after seeing your injuries, and demanded the best doctors and facilities for you, Crow. Everyone in the castle were saying 『Hero-sama, please calm down』, and tried to soothe her.」

「… Oh.」

At this moment, I looked down and saw Instructor Cattlea in her red tailcoat, and Shawn in an elegant dress with lots of embroidery and frails, walking side by side.

Iris and I walked down the watchtower.

「Oh! Onii-chan!」

Shawn ran to me with all smiles, and pounced onto me with a tight hug.

She had reverted to her appearance of a ten years old child.

Her adult self seemed to be a temporary form triggered by Possession.

On Shawn’s back was the Holy Sword kept in a sheath.

At this moment, I realized that I was too naive.

It was obvious if I thought about it calmly.

The Demon King could exterminate all human life by himself.

And to defeat that Demon King in solo combat, the Hero must have power that was on par or surpass the Demon King.

An equal or surpass the Demon King that could destroy the world.

In other words, she was a walking weapon of mass destruction.

I had seen the mind boggling prowess of the Saintly Sword wielders,Iris and Instructor Cattlea. But compared to them, this girl was a real monster.

When they saw Shawn grinding her face on my chest, Iris and Instructor Cattlea narrowed their eyes.

「Yay, Onii-chan is still alive.」

「Yes, it’s all thanks to Shawn.」

「Ehehehe, from now on, I will protect Onii-chan.」

「Huh? T-Thank you…」

「I already ordered that King person to give Onii-chan an important job. Onii-chan will become a great person from now on.」

I felt a chill in my heart when I heard the term ‘ordered the King’.

「H-Hey, Shawn, the King is the greatest person in this country, so it will be troubling if you make reckless requests…」

「Huh? The King is the greatest person?」

「That’s right.」

「Then it will be fine if Onii-chan becomes the King!」

「Ehh! N-No no no! No way!」

「But why? I just need to tell the King to resign, then you can replace him right away!」

「No! I can’t do it!」

「Is that so?」

「Y-You just need to think about defeating the Demon King. I told you to follow big sister Holly’s instructions, correct?」

「Yes! I also practiced a lot!」

With that, Shawn let go of me, showed me her palm and said:「Look.」

The Holy Sword that Shawn couldn’t draw because of her height and the length of her arms suddenly disappeared from the sheath and appear in Shawn’s hand.

Shawn threw the Holy Sword with all her might.

The Holy Sword that flew out of sight appeared in her hand.

「Holly told me that I can do even more if I continue to practice!」

「Yes, right… work hard…」

Shawn who received training from Instructor Cattlea in swordsmanship, decided to have a mock battle using wooden swords in the courtyard against Iris, the best cadet in the Military Academy.

I wasn’t interested in their duel… Or rather, I was afraid of the innocent but strongest existence called Shawn, so I used my injuries as an excuse to go back to my room.

As I had not recovered completely, I sat on the bed.

「… So? What are your plans now?」

Instructor Cattlea who accompanied me back to my room sat on a chair and chat with me.

「I hope to find a job somewhere and live an easy life…」

「Huh? What are you saying?」

「No, I mean I will be fine with anything if I can live a peaceful life…」

「Sigh, I understand how you feel… But you know how the situation is, correct?」

「Yes…」

All the Heroes who subjugate the Demon King were seen as the messiah, and I understood why the previous hero became the King.

The current Hero was Shawn.

That girl was now the strongest existence.

No human could defy her.

The kingdom’s peerage system and military might was meaningless before her.

The power struggle between humans no longer had any meaning.

Everything would be decided by the mood of the ten years old girl, Shawn.

If Shawn wishes, all the humans in this country must obey.

I was worried about those who were obsessed with power exploiting her, but that was unfounded.

Who could exploit that walking weapon of mass destruction?

No one could defy Shawn.

No one could go near Shawn.

── Except me, who was the only exception.

「That child will only listen to you. If you ask for it, then she will do anything except the battle with the Demon King.」

「Yes, I see…」

「I’m really glad that you didn’t die. One wrong move, and the world might get destroyed by the Hero before the Demon King revives.」

「Don’t say something so scary, instructor… It sounds like all the responsibilities lie with me.」

「You do have a big responsibility. Think about it, Crow. Shawn will do anything for you. As Shawn said, if you want to be the King, that child will wipe out all the royals without hesitation, and silence anyone who tries to stop you from taking the throne.」

「I can’t do something that horrifying…」

「I know, you are not a despicable guy who will do that. The problem is, everyone thinks you are in an enviable position.」

「So… things will turn out that way?」

「It will. You can get the Hero, who has the power to rule the world, to do your bidding. As a result, you have the same authority and power as the Hero herself.」

「But instructor… my position is very vague and might be gone at any moment. She is grateful that I freed her from slavery. But after spending some time with me, she will realize how mediocre and stupid I am, and lose her favor.」

「… Is that so… she was a slave, and you saved her… I see.」

Instructor Cattlea rested her chin on her hand, and fell into deep thought.

Since she was small and had a baby face, she looked kind of hilarious.

I suddenly remembered the guilt I felt towards Instructor Cattlea.

「Speaking of which, about that time I stole the key to the vault beneath the Chapel from you… I’m very sorry.」

「Hmm? Oh, don’t mind it. After all, things wouldn’t have blown up if Iris and I believed that you can hear the voice of the Holy Sword.」

「But…」

「I bear the biggest responsibility for this incident since I didn’t believe you. I already spoke with Iris, if we believed you, then we can get proper permission from the king for the journey to find Shawn or taking the Holy Sword away from the capital. You already realized it, correct? The King is actually a reasonable person.」

「Yes, he did give off that kind of feeling.」

「We could have prevented the castle town from being so badly damaged. I didn’t believe you, and forced you to go on a journey alone and steal the Holy Sword. I should apologize instead.」

「No, the problem is that I gave up without explaining it to you, instructor. I got cocky because I was the only one who can hear the Holy Sword’s voice. So the responsibility lies with me.」

「… Sigh, both of us thinks the fault lies with ourselves. Let’s put this behind us with a mutual apology, and move on to think about the future, Crow.」

「Future?」

「About what Shawn should do from now on. This isn’t so simple that you can just dump this on Iris and me.」

「……」

「Shawn is just ten years old, she might be amazingly strong, but she is still a kid. Who knows how many people will approach her in order to exploit her powers.」

「… There’s definitely loads of nobles and wealthy people who want Shawn to do their bidding…」

「Hmm? That’s true……」

「The most dangerous ones are the Royals. If Shawn defeats the Demon King, the Royals will lose their place to Shawn. In the worst case scenario, the Royals might try to assassinate Shawn after she subjugate the Demon King.」

「… That’s true…」

At this moment, Instructor Cattlea frown and stared at me for some reason.

「The simplest way to resolve this is to let a boy of the royal bloodline, for example, that stupid Heath, marry Shawn. No in that case, they will have to wait for Shawn to reach marriageable age, and seduce her with any men, be they nobles or commoners. But it’s fine if Shawn marries someone she likes.」

「……」

「I think the only ones who can protect Shawn from those troublesome people without caring about losses and benefits are Instructor Cattlea and Iris. Please protect Shawn. By the way, Shawn said you are teaching her swordsmanship, right? You just need to slowly grow closer to her, and keep those pests from bothering her.」

「……」

Instructor Cattlea wasn’t responding.

「… Instructor? What’s wrong?」

「Crow… So you are not retarded after all.」

「Huh?」

Why did everyone I knew think I was an idiot?

「From what I just heard, you did think carefully about your future. How reliable! From now on, the three of us, Iris, you, and me will protect Shawn together!」

「Huh! No, I don’t want to take on more than I can manage, and get involved with this again! Besides, there might be lowlifes who might use me to make Shawn do their bidding.」

「If it’s about that, you are already too late, Crow.」

「Huh?」

「The King had already decreed that you will become an honorary noble once you wake up. You have contributed the most in finding the Hero, and will be handsomely rewarded.」

「No no no! I did hear about that from Iris, but I don’t want these privileges!」

「… Right now, the only person Shawn will listen to, is you. And this fact had spread all over the city. If you leave our sides, you might get abducted or imprisoned.」

「Ugh…」

「Your fate had already been tied to us. So you have to squeeze out what little intelligence you have and work hard alongside us.」

「Why is this happening…」

I held my head on the bed, and hung my head low.

「Anyway, I will inform the others that you have regained consciousness. There would be lots of people coming to apologize and thank you, so brace yourselves. You will be very busy, and your success story is just getting started.」

With that, Instructor Cattlea left the room with a smile.

「… Sigh.」

Just thinking about the future made me melancholic.

I managed to survive, but a more hellish situation was waiting for me.

I was still a mere mortal.

I didn’t awaken any special powers, and didn’t get anything like divine blades, demon sabres or Saintly Swords.

If someone targets me, I will end up dead in no time.

Given the circumstances, I didn’t think getting involved with Shawn and the others would be prudent.

What should I do?

「… Huh?」

Speaking of which, I had forgotten that I had not met the culprit who caused all these troubles.

I didn’t see Holly when I was in the dungeon, or when Shawn appeared to save me, or when Iris and Instructor Cattlea came to talk to me.

「……Holly?」

〈What?〉

「Uwah!」

The sound came from behind, so I jerked forward suddenly from my reclined position.

「Don’t suddenly appear behind me!」

〈I didn’t appear suddenly. Every since you regain consciousness, I had been behind you.〉

「That’s creepy!」

〈Thank you for your compliments.〉

「……?」

I had not seen Holly for a while, and she seemed to be in a bad mood.

「… What? Something wrong?」

〈Nothing. You are really popular, that’s great. Sigh, great, just great.〉

「Huh…? Don’t you need to stay with Shawn? You need to teach her how to use the Holy Sword, right?」

〈She’s a quick learner…〉

「I see～ isn’t that good?」

〈So I have nothing left to teach her.〉

「That’s fast! Ehh? No matter what, she’s learning too fast! Or are you leaving her on her own because it’s a hassle…?」

〈That’s impossible. But when she grows older and bigger, her powers will get stronger. Right now, she had already surpassed all the previous Heroes…〉

「Are you serious!?」

〈A real monster like her won’t show up that frequently. There are too many exceptions after I awaken this time. I wonder what’s happening on the Demon King’s side…〉

「Huh? Wait, does the power of the Demon King changes every time?」

〈No… Only the Hero’s strength changes slightly with each generation. The Demon King is always defeated, that’s why the world still exists. However, this is the first female Hero, and the strongest one ever. So it’s hard to imagine the usual Demon King showing up too. The Demon King always give the Hero a hard fight.〉

「Ughh… This feels like fate making Shawn the strongest Hero in order to battle the greatest and most evil Demon King…」

I had forgotten again.

If I continue associating with Shawn, I would need to fight against the dark side of humanity who plans to exploit her. And five years later, we would need to battle the being who would cast the world into darkness── the Demon King.

This problem was beyond my capabilities.

I regretted getting involved in this more and more.

「Sigh, Holly. Please help me explain to Shawn.」

〈Explain what?〉

「Explain to her how weak and mediocre a human being I am. Because that child seemed to really like me.」

〈……〉

「Nurturing the Hero is your responsibility, right? Tell her not to get so close to me.」

〈Don’t wanna.〉

「If you can tell her that, then I can… Huh? Ehh? What did you say?」

〈Don’t wanna.〉

「Don’t wanna what?」

〈I don’t want to speak ill of you to Shawn.〉

「But why?」

〈Because I’m a sprite, and can’t lie.〉

「… What?」

〈……〉

「……」

Both Holly and I fell silent.

After staying still for a long while, I asked timidly:

「Lies? What are you saying? You have disparaged me so much already…」

〈……〉

「I think it’s not possible, but did your evaluation of me improved? I already felt it was weird that you prefer me over Shawn to carry the Holy Sword.」

〈……〉

「… Ehh? You say that you will always fall for the Hero, and your love for the Hero is the source of the Holy Sword’s power… Could it be…」

〈……〉

「That you have fallen for me? No matter what, that is impossible, right?」

〈… Crow… Do you hate woman without a physical body like me?〉

After looking at the blushing Holly squirm her body, I looked up to the heavens on the verge of tears.

「Enough… Enough already…」

The three sided love between the talentless scum, the strongest girl in the world, and the Saintly Sword──

Started out of the blue.

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