After the commotion in the hall subsided and a chilling silence descended, Durandino still wouldn’t stop glaring at me. I had no intention of backing down either, so I coolly stared back at him with my right eye.
What’s he going to do by glaring? Besides, it’s his side that lacks justification if he tries to bring me under his command. He was the one who turned me away first, and anyone ranked gold 1~2 tier or equivalent to a hero would be recruited into a special detachment anyway.
…I’ve never heard stories about heroes like me, who possess weaker abilities.
People who don’t respond to summons or, like me, set out on ‘missions’ and end up as white bones somewhere due to bad luck—well, they’re exceptions.
If Durandino asks me to join under him, I’d tell him to go fuck himself, prove my worth, and then just join the special detachment. Of course, there are guys like Soleo over there, but at least it’s better than fattening up that bastard’s ego under him.
“…Ahem, I’m well aware of the ill feelings between the two of you, but please restrain your anger, O Apostle of the Goddess. We didn’t gather here to fight but to discuss how to deal with the threat of the Demon Tribe and those unholy crows surrounding them. I won’t ask for an apology—I know full well what this man has done. But for now, can we set aside emotions and seek solutions? I humbly request it.”
In the midst of everyone hesitating to take the lead, an old man sitting across the round table finally spoke. Judging from the ornate white hat adorned with decorations rather than a crown… is he the Pope?
Given his modest black attire despite the elaborate headwear, and the crescent-shaped necklace crossing a triangle symbolizing the Goddess hanging around his neck, it must be him. I’ve seen him before, haven’t I?
Either the Pope himself or at least his proxy—definitely one of the two—is bowing his head to me. Seeing that, I felt even more disinclined to act.
It’s not my fault, so why does this person have to apologize?
“Please raise your head, Your Holiness. You’ve committed no sin; I was too emotional. I apologize.”
Somehow sensing the atmosphere or dignity fitting of the Pope, I addressed him as such, and he didn’t deny it. So it seems I’m right.
Durandino showed no signs of stopping, but when the Pope told him to, he reluctantly sat down, clearly disgruntled.
“Thank you. By the way, we were just discussing what to do with the wandering heroes… It would be better to hear from the parties involved rather than old men who know nothing. What do you think should be done with wandering heroes when they respond to the call?”
Since I wasn’t really paying attention to their conversation, I didn’t know exactly what they were talking about. It seemed like some profit-related matter judging by the greed in their expressions—but it was about this.
“If a hero willingly sets out on a mission, that’s one thing, but most cases are like mine… I think it would be better to establish a separate unit. There may be those who hold good feelings toward their home country, but most likely, they don’t. If we forcibly integrate them into the national forces, it’s obvious what might happen.”
Disobeying orders. Killing superiors. Desertion. Something like that, right? I’d feel tempted to trap these old men in a sword circle and curse them endlessly.
I looked at the ones seated as kings, posturing arrogantly. Some avoided eye contact, feeling guilty, while others pretended to look at documents in front of them.
“…Gentlemen present here, I believe you’ve heard the hero’s opinion. I intend to follow this hero’s suggestion. Therefore, if wandering heroes respond to the call, we will create a separate unit for them. With that, this agenda is concluded. Thank you for your hard work, hero. Since you’ve traveled far and seem tired, why don’t you take a tour of the fortress today to familiarize yourself with the area?”
“That sounds like a good idea. Thank you for your consideration, Your Holiness. I pray that we can overcome this crisis without incident.”
The kings glared at me with dissatisfied expressions but, lacking the guts to challenge the Pope’s authority, seemed to agree reluctantly.
That guy who’s been glaring at me since earlier tried to say something but, seeing the other kings quiet down, furrowed his already wrinkled eyes further.
“Let’s go. There doesn’t seem to be anything else to do here. Akashi, stop giggling silently and come out.”
At least Akashi knew this wasn’t a place to speak frivolously and kept silent, only suppressing his laughter. Once we left the meeting room with him, I finally felt like I could breathe again.
“Are you okay, Myungho? Your face looks pale…”
“I see that too. Myungho, you seemed possessed just now. Have you been having any bad dreams lately? Though I don’t fully understand human emotions, I’ll help you as much as I can.”
Again with the offer to help. I don’t need it. It’s just… being overwhelmed by the atmosphere, plus the tattoo on my wrist throbbing slightly made me uncomfortable.
Good thing I didn’t hallucinate. If I had seen a hallucination involving Alterra, I might’ve drawn my sword right there.
“I’m fine. It was just tense in front of all those high-ranking people… and I have no good memories of that old man, so I got sharper. Really, I’m fine. More importantly, Yuna, shouldn’t you eat something? You threw up everything you ate for breakfast as soon as we arrived.”
“T-That didn’t need to be said! Ugh. Still… yeah. I should probably eat. I’m hungry… If I had known I’d get this dizzy, I would’ve taken motion sickness medicine beforehand…”
It seems this was Yuna’s first time. Given her reaction, she’ll probably hesitate every time she travels from now on. Thinking about that, I suggested we visit the dining hall first.
“Hmm… Before that. Would it be okay to stop by either an equipment shop or a smithy? There’s something I want to check out. It won’t take long. Just five minutes should suffice.”
Alterra asked if she could go with us to an equipment shop. Is she planning to buy or commission something? Whatever it is, there’s no reason not to go or stop her.
“Alright. Let’s do that while taking a short walk around. Are you okay, Yuna?”
“Yes. I’m hungry, but I’m not starving yet. Still, it’s surprising that Lady Alterra is visiting an equipment shop. Isn’t she capable of making anything herself?”
Yuna seems curious why Alterra is going to such a place. Frankly, I am too. She usually makes her own gear, and it’s far superior to what most smithies produce.
Why would she bother visiting one unless necessary? Still, if she wants to go…
After asking a nearby soldier, we learned the nearest smithy was that way. The soldier added it handled all kinds of metals and was quite skilled, though I wondered if that detail was necessary.
The fact that he specifically mentioned the “nearest” suggests there are multiple smithies around here.
After thanking him politely, we headed in the direction he pointed. Sure enough, we found a bustling smithy.
Upon entering, we saw Soleo and several women.
As soon as he saw us, he greeted us with a surprisingly bright smile that quickly became annoying. He was as usual.
“Oh? I didn’t expect to meet you here, Myungho. How have you been? And you, Alterra, right? Are you doing well, Lady?”
“Wow. Is this the Alterra you mentioned? Nice to meet you! I’m Leone, the first wife! This lady here is Lillinet, the second wife, and that quiet one over there is Portray, the third wife! Let’s get along well!”
—
Eventually, conversations between Myungho and Soleo, with occasional input from Yuna and Akashi, and the wives’ chatter, began winding down.
“So, let me summarize. The goddess blessed you, but the origin of that blessing comes from the Sun God, who for some reason isn’t lending his power during this Landekrihen campaign, so you’re stuck working in the rear at the smithy?”
“That’s correct. For some reason, whenever I faced those crow-like soldiers, I couldn’t use my abilities at all. Usually, the Sun God freely grants sunlight without cost, but suddenly withholding it nearly caused disaster. If it weren’t for Portray, I wouldn’t be able to talk now.”
Soleo gazed affectionately at Portray, who turned her head away and replied in a subdued voice.
“…Someone else would’ve covered for you even if it weren’t me.”
“No, Portray. Brave individuals like you are rare. I was hesitating myself, but you jumped in without hesitation. Lilinet feels the same way, right?”
“W-W-Well, I intended to cover you too! B-But I froze because of nerves…”
Tsk. They sure know how to have fun.
“Wait a moment. How can a goddess even substitute for another god’s powers? That doesn’t make sense.”
“It’s possible if she lent her own power. Likely, she attached conditions in exchange for lending it, creating a sort of debt. With hundreds of summoned heroes, I thought there wouldn’t be enough power to distribute, but borrowing from Gaia too? Hmm… The fact that Gaia’s system hasn’t responded yet… Well, it’s too early to jump to conclusions.”
Akashi stopped mid-explanation, seemingly satisfied with his reasoning. Since he often does this, I just ignored it and focused on my task.
While others chatted idly, I tapped on the armor displayed on the shelf with my fingers, studying its structure. I announced I’d try making armor, but I don’t know its construction.
So this is how it’s structured. Jumping into it blindly would result in failure.
Just as I tapped it, Soleo called my name for some reason.
“…Anyway, it’s fortunate to be alive, isn’t it? Even if I can’t use my powers in battle, I can still melt iron to make equipment, which is fortunate. Oh, by the way, does the Lady still not understand our language?”
Before Myungho could answer, I quickly interjected.
“I can hear everything.”
