LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 54
Screech.
The door opened.
Lucius felt his mouth go dry under the intense gaze of the branch manager staring directly at him.
This man.
He’s strong.
Though bald, he clearly wasn’t made the branch chief of the Normans for nothing; he seemed to possess considerable combat strength.
“Indeed, a swordsman who felled a sandworm in one blow. You read my momentum right away.”
“Ah, that’s…”
Being wrapped in the power of the Holy Sword, he couldn’t help but feel that way.
If he were to withdraw the power of the Holy Sword, his body would likely freeze in place or become extremely tense.
“…I’ll get straight to the point.”
Lucius took a deep breath and clasped his hands together.
Pointing to the ring on his left hand, he gathered power underneath his outstretched hand and whispered lightly.
Oh wind.
BANG!
In an instant, the Golden Holy Sword appeared and plunged into the ground.
As it cut through the red carpet and pierced the marble floor, the guild leader stroked his chin and fixed his gaze on the sword.
“A sword summoned from another dimension…? What’s this…?”
“It’s understandable that you wouldn’t know this. After all, it hasn’t looked like this for the past 500 years.”
“Don’t be surprised by anything I say. Promise me as men.”
“…If it’s a man’s promise.”
“I am the Hero of the Holy Wind Sword.”
…
The guild leader gaped silently in shock.
Lucius returned the Holy Sword to its original state and placed one hand on his chest as he continued.
“I am the sole survivor from the Village of the Holy Sword, and the Red-Haired Sorceress—Sorceress of Crimson Lotus—designated me as the Hero. The Holy Sword in the Village of the Holy Sword was real, and as a resident of that village, I became its master.”
…
The guild leader silently clenched and unclenched his fists, punching the air.
He seemed to roar silently like a wild beast, and veins began to bulge on his shiny bald head.
“Master, the Sorceress of Crimson Lotus told me. She awakened and released the Holy Wind Sword again because she sensed the power of the Demon King from 500 years ago.”
“……!!”
The guild leader bit his fist.
The red bite marks were deeply imprinted on his hand; he was doing his utmost to avoid making noise.
“I’m not good with words, so it might be better to discuss the details with my master. I was just chosen; my master knows everything.”
“……W-wait.”
The guild leader reached out to Lucius with a trembling voice.
“T-the Demon King…?”
“Yes. Belphegor—”
“Stop.”
The guild leader covered his face with one hand.
“……My life is ruined.”
*
“By the way, Bearnes, can you sense anything over there?”
“Why do you ask? Are you worried that the guild leader might do something unusual to Arthur?”
“…He’s bald.”
“That’s a prejudice.”
He must have released the Holy Sword at least once, so it’s surprising he wouldn’t have caught on, but thankfully it seems he hasn’t.
Screech.
While I was half-listening to Bearnes’s chatter outside, Lucius finished talking with the bald guild leader.
“Excuse me, Master.”
“Yes?”
“The guild leader would like to talk to you for a moment.”
“I see.”
I got up and pointed to Lucius’s seat.
“He’s sitting there talking to Bearnes. It’ll be a good experience to learn how the Mercenary King dealt with monsters.”
“Understood. But if anything dangerous happens, let me know. I’ll come in right away.”
“Do you think something will happen?”
I swapped places with Lucius.
He nodded at me as he sat in the seat I was in—between Rosmas and Bearnes—and I entered the room where the guild leader was waiting.
“Hello?”
“……Greetings.”
His posture was much more polite than before.
He seemed ready to kneel at any moment, and for his honor—I pretended to give him points for that and snapped my fingers.
‘Still, the humans’ Silence Magic breaks when the door opens.’
Screech.
I closed the door and immediately cast Silence Magic.
The guild leader flinched at the fact that I cast the spell before him, but soon straightened himself and bowed to me.
“Nice to meet you, Sorceress of Crimson Lotus.”
“Nice to meet you too, guild leader. So, can you handle this now?”
“…It’s quite a big situation, and I’m a bit flustered. I briefly heard an explanation from Lucius, but please confirm if my understanding is correct.”
“Got it.”
The guild leader took a deep breath and asked me.
“Did the Holy Wind Sword awaken because the Demon King was resurrected?”
“Belphegor.”
“…….”
As soon as I said my name, the guild leader turned pale.
To feel terror from just a name.
It seems the fear of almost having dominated humans 500 years ago has been passed down strongly to this day.
‘Belphegor is a warm sovereign to the demon king’s army, but cold and cruel to enemies.’
For humans not associated with the demon king’s army, the fear is quite different.
“You don’t need to be surprised. If the Demon King were a flawless existence, it’d be another matter, but he’s someone who has been defeated by a hero before.”
There’s no reason to be afraid.
“Don’t be scared by the name of a loser.”
“Y-yes, of course. Hoo, hoo. I apologize. Since I was young, my mother told me ‘If you cry, the Demon King will come to get you,’ which left me traumatized…”
“Pfft.”
“This isn’t a laughing matter. The number of people kidnapped by the Demon King’s henchmen, Asydia, exceeds thousands per year.”
“Whoa.”
That’s a surprisingly high number.
“What were people doing while Asydia was causing all that chaos?”
“They move very cautiously. Though they’re remnants of the demon king’s army, they still have the same vile tactics.”
“Hmm… I see. Well, the reason I traveled south was because I felt a sense of déjà vu.”
I secured the plausibility of traveling south while the crows were rampaging in the north.
“I figured it was likely the demon king’s army would move this way. Turns out I was right.”
“Yes. Asydia is using the tactics of the demon king’s army. That stands to reason. The demon king’s strategies are effective in almost every situation…”
Why can’t we properly capture Asydia.
It’s because Asydia freely utilizes the legacy of the Demon King.
To conduct a duel of wits against humans, with a demonic sword or powerful weapon, is nothing compared to the overwhelming strength!
“What do you think, Witch? Are they really the remnants of the Demon King’s army?”
“It’s been 500 years, so I can’t say for sure. Oh, did Lucius talk about me?”
“…He didn’t say much specifically. Just that he sensed the presence of the Demon King and freed himself, appointing himself as the Holy Sword’s Hero.”
“That’s roughly right. I was part of a hero party formed to defeat the Demon King. Well, I’d rather not discuss specifics…”
The real Sorceress of Crimson Lotus and the one I’m portraying have different endings.
The real her was captured by me, locked in a prison, and died.
But the one I portray helps the Hero wield the Holy Wind Sword to escape from prison, being the one who sealed her.
So there’s no need to discuss specifics about me.
“I awakened simply because I felt the presence of the Demon King. It wouldn’t matter whether it had been three hundred years or a thousand years since I fell asleep. The moment the Demon King awakens, I will naturally come out as I had sealed myself.”
“Ugh, Sorceress of Crimson Lotus… cough.”
Whether touched or moved to tears, they just need to know that I guide the Hero.
“I still don’t know if Asydia truly called the Demon King, or if someone else did, but I do know that the Demon King will rush to eliminate Lucius the moment he notices the Holy Wind Sword. In fact, if word spreads about me, that might be a bit of a problem…”
“So the Holy Wind Sword must be kept hidden! Understood.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
As expected.
I thought the bald guy would be capable.
Thank goodness he’s a competent bald.
“Understood. I will do my utmost to assist the Sorceress of Crimson Lotus. However, Sorceress of Crimson Lotus, do you intend to completely hide the Holy Sword Hero?”
“Yes. There will come a time when we will have to reveal it, but not now. At least not until we find traces of the Demon King or find the officers of Asydia to understand what they’re scheming with the Demon King.”
“I see… Understood. I will also keep quiet according to your wishes, aligning with the Hero’s intentions.”
The guild leader mimed zipping his lips and grinned.
“There might not be much I can help you with, but I know a way to raise your Adventurer rank straight to B-level. Do you have any thoughts on that?”
“Oh. That sounds good. I’ll think about it. By the way…”
It felt a bit awkward to ask after such a conversation.
“What’s your name…?”
“Oh, I haven’t introduced myself.”
The guild leader bowed with a noble elegance.
“I am Francis Di Emery, the branch chief of the Adventurer Guild of the Normans.”
“Excuse me?”
“I am Francis Di Emery.”