I am back – Chapter 160

I remember the first time I came to Irrelaysia.

The reason I became a Hero was that the Goddess sent me to Irrelaysia after I died.

Of course, in that process, she had already prepared a way for me to prove I was a Hero.

I was summoned in the royal treasure vault. Though it’s called a treasure vault, it wasn’t a place piled high with gold coins like you see in fantasy novels or games.

Instead, it was a place where the most important treasures the kingdom was keeping were stored, like national treasures or state-level cultural assets from my home country, Korea.

Most of the items were merely relics and didn’t possess any mysterious powers.

There were old paintings by very famous artists, farming tools used at the founding of the kingdom, or ordinary dishes and pottery.

Old maps, historical books, artistic rugs, and ceremonial crowns used by the king on important occasions.

Sure, being a kingdom in a fantasy world, there were some magical items, but most of them weren’t something I could use. A staff used by a grand mage? With my meager magical ability, all I’d be able to do is swap spit with it.

However, among those items, there was one that held significant religious importance.

That was the Holy Sword.

For ordinary soldiers, it would quickly wear them out because of the massive amount of Divine Power it consumed. Only the chosen Hero, overflowing with Divine Power from the Goddess, could wield that sword.

I didn’t even need to hold it.

Just being nearby, that Holy Sword would radiate a dazzling light.

“Who goes there!”

Naturally, since it was a treasure vault filled with priceless treasures, there were all sorts of magical theft prevention measures in place. An alarm sounded because a stranger had suddenly entered, and the royal knights responsible for the vault were immediately dispatched.

And there I was, unable to say a word as I watched the Holy Sword shining brilliantly next to me.

*

In fact, the reason the Holy Sword was in the royal treasure vault was due to a combination of various political reasons.

The Holy Sword wasn’t directly bestowed by the Goddess. It was made up of swords wielded by the royal knights designated by the royal family, collected together—swords from Demon, Dark, and Demon King slayers.

Yet, even if it was made solely from swords collected from battlefields, most of those knights belonged to the Church. The swords and armor themselves were provided by the royal family, but the reason those swords and armor were infused with Divine Power was thanks to the Divine Power of those esteemed knights.

Above all, that Divine Power was granted by the Goddess.

The Church was responsible for managing faith within the kingdom. And the most important aspect of the Holy Sword wasn’t the steel it was forged from but the ‘faith’ that resided within that steel.

After lengthy debates and conflicts, it was agreed that the ownership of the Holy Sword would remain with the Church, but storage and use would be administered by the royal family, which ultimately led to the Holy Sword being kept in the royal treasure vault.

“It’s currently in the Central Church, you know.”

The Divine Power I squeezed out just before I died was infused into that Holy Sword.

Even without a Hero by its side, that Holy Sword shone with brilliant light on its own, making it easy to gather the faith of the people. Moreover, its melted appearance was sufficient to tug at people’s heartstrings.

Because it served as proof that the Hero had fought fiercely and sacrificed for humanity in the final moment.

And once Dana finishes her research, no matter how many times the Demon King might resurface, we could prevent it with far fewer sacrifices, or maybe even without any sacrifices at all.

Thus, the kingdom deemed it more appropriate to place the Holy Sword not simply in the royal treasure vault but in the midst of the Church. It was a sort of tombstone—a tombstone for a Hero who left no corpse behind.

Though the royal family and the Church were somewhat separated, the Church was not above the royal family. Legally speaking, the Church strictly served beneath the royal family and it was its duty to serve the kingdom; faith was a good means to unite people during turbulent times.

“… I’m sorry.”

“Huh?”

After explaining all this, Pia spoke in a small voice, her mood deflated.

When I asked her about it, she looked up at me, still bowing her head, and said.

“In this way… using Siyun’s death…”

“Ah…”

I turned my head to look at the Holy Sword resting on the altar of the Central Church again.

It was already shining brightly just from my presence near it.

The faces of the important stakeholders of the kingdom gathered around seemed to be illuminated by it.

If only I could prove my identity just by coming back, that would be great, but unfortunately, that’s not the case. My appearance had completely changed after all.

Fortunately, the evidence that I had been a Hero seemed to persist.

As I reached out towards the Holy Sword, it glimmered even brighter, as if welcoming me—

—But the moment I grasped the Holy Sword, that light dimmed instantly.

That didn’t mean the light had vanished completely. It merely became weaker than before.

You can’t shine the Holy Sword’s light brilliantly at all times on the battlefield, after all. No matter how you sheath it, the light leaks out. Yet, if the sheath is too tight, it becomes hard to draw in the heat of the moment.

So, unless it was a combat situation, I tended to keep the Holy Sword’s light almost extinguished.

“Oooh…”

From afar, I heard gasps of admiration among the nobles.

Some of the nobles were wary of me, but others looked up to me. Mainly the younger folks of my age group. The story of the Hero holding the shining Holy Sword and cutting down Demon and Dark beings at the frontlines of battle sounded fascinating, even to me.

However, that didn’t mean that all the tales from the battlefield reached their ears.

Some had genuinely participated in the battles, while others found the war ended before they were deployed to the front lines. If you were in your mid-twenties or older, you’d have at least seen the battlefield once, but those younger than that probably only trained while the war ended.

Things turned drastically favorable within a few years of my own start of combat.

Minimizing the number of soldiers deployed would be better for the kingdom’s future. Even in the latter stages of the war, there were no conscription cases for those who weren’t yet of age, and even if they were conscripted, most remained in the rear.

Thus, seeing a Hero they had only heard about was bound to evoke strong emotions.

“…”

On the other hand, there were some nobles wearing rather serious expressions.

Mostly middle-aged ones. Some may have fought on the battlefield, while others supported from the rear.

No matter how old the noble was, if they were a noble from the capital, they were aware of my importance.

So, this moment probably felt a bit different to them.

They couldn’t be sure how the gender-swapped Hero would politically impact things. Even if I could prove it all, there would undoubtedly be people who wouldn’t believe the evidence of my identity.

…Of course, I had no plans to do anything about it.

“It’s okay.”

I quietly said to Pia.

“That’s not something we can just tackle.”

Even with great power, one isn’t automatically favored in political struggles.

And no matter how holy a Saintess might be, she couldn’t completely disregard the opinions of the main clergy. Besides, Pia was still young. Even if she was of adult age, trying to wield political influence over those who are twice or thrice her age would be virtually impossible.

I carefully placed the Holy Sword back in its spot.

As my hand fell away, the Holy Sword radiated brightly once more, enough to dye the surrounding orange lights white.

“… You really have returned.”

A deep, powerful voice said.

The person who spoke was a huge man with a very bushy beard.

His hair was truly dazzling gold, just like his beard. He looked like the quintessential king you’d see in a fantasy comic.

And lo and behold, this man was indeed the king.

“Your Majesty.”

As I bowed my head, my older sister, who was nearby, also quickly lowered her head.

“No need for that.”

He waved his hand dismissively and approached me. After glancing at the Holy Sword shining bright beside me, he said,

“I’m glad you came back. I didn’t even get the chance to thank you before you left. But I guess you must have had your reasons.”

“Yes. It’s quite a complicated tale.”

When I said this, King looked somewhat indifferent and replied.

“Well then, let’s head straight to the royal palace. The room you used is still empty. They’ve been cleaning it daily, so you can use it whenever you like.”

It wasn’t that they had left it empty because I had been a Hero; it was more of a guest room prepared for VIP guests. Even if no one used it, it would still require regular maintenance.

And the only people who would use that guest room would be messengers sent by Elves, Hero parties, or the head of the Church.

The king moved forward, and I followed behind him.

Feeling there were too many gazes directed towards us, my sister tightly grabbed onto my hand and stayed close.