Vol 1 Chapter 20- A Fairly High-Ranking Knight【Vol 1 – The Self-Proclaimed Hero and the Self-Proclaimed Holy Sword Arc】

Hah. It really is exhausting to use my power…

I roll my arms to loosen the tension in my shoulders.

Even though I haven’t been physically active, I somehow feel fatigued.

It might be even more so because I haven’t used my power in ages.

I’ve never allowed Al to use the Holy Sword’s power—until now.

…Yet, this guy who’s been fighting through all of it unfazed is seriously insane.

“Thanks, Beloved Sword. As expected from one whose heart is aligned with mine.”

“How can you say something so precisely disgusting…?”

If his face weren’t handsome, this would be a disaster.

Humans really are all about appearances, aren’t they.

But the Holy Sword judges by what’s inside.

It’s only drawn to those who possess hearts of goodness and justice.

Though it’s not drawn to me.

“I won’t let you use me anymore, though.”

“I can’t hear you…”

This guy…

Ears that only work when it suits him don’t exist, you know!

…But I’ll still use that trick.

Feign ignorance, pretend not to hear, pretend not to see.

This is handy when you want to dodge hassles.

Keep that in mind.

“By the way, Hero other than me—what brings you here?”

“Shouldn’t you start by apologizing for nearly killing me…?”

[PIKI-PIKI] A cat beastkin with veins bulging on her forehead. Huh? You say your name is Ruru?

…Lately, I’ve had so many names to remember—it’s a headache.

Before Al dragged me out, I was perfectly happy holed up alone somewhere quiet…

Oh, how I want to return to my NEET life.

Long live life as a shut-in.

“Not really—just on a whim. I’m not part of any army; I’m traveling as I please. I just happened to stop by.”

Ruru sighed softly.

Stopping by a spot only to run into someone like Al would be the absolute worst. I get it.

Al nodded along to her.

“Just like me, huh?”

“Really? Is that so? Then we’d get along pretty well…not really, nya. You almost killed me, after all. It’s just that other Heroes tend to be such goody-two-shoes, so everything is so stiff. When I think about it, it’s kind of… liberating, nya.”

Ruru thought it over.

I don’t know much about her, but I’d say she’s fairly free-spirited and has a strong sense of self.

Since she can wield the Holy Sword, I know she must possess a heart of goodness and justice, but there are shades of that, after all.

Compared to other Heroes, she’s probably not that fervent.

“Most humans who can wield the Holy Sword are such goody-two-shoes. Except Al.”

“I’m a goody-two-shoes too.”

“Uh…yeah…”

When I’d explain it to Al, who clearly didn’t get it, he’d confidently reply with something absurd.

I’m pretty sure goody-two-shoes wouldn’t bludgeon people to death with debris or crush them…

“Oh, but this time we’re heading the same way, so I’m with the kingdom’s people, nya.”

“Huh!? The kingdom’s dogs are coming here!?”

Hannah, who’d been silent up until that point, let out a startled shout.

The way she said it…

It was clearly the reaction of someone who holds animosity toward those serving the kingdom.

“Yes. Uh… what did they say their objective was again? I wasn’t really listening since I didn’t care…”

“Maybe they said they came to rescue a village under bandit attack?”

“I don’t think so. Rescuing villages is generally the lord’s job, not the kingdom’s. Well, lords are part of the kingdom if you stretch it, but the crown wouldn’t send help from another territory—it crosses jurisdictions and that’d be a bigger problem.”

Hannah shot down my guess.

I see—the nobles really do wield substantial power.

Well, there’s a distinction between those with domains and those without, and lords sit atop that hierarchy.

Yet they hardly administer their lands—aren’t these regional lords a train wreck?

“They didn’t mention rescuing a village. They said something about capturing people.”

“Hmm? Bad guys? Let me lend a hand.”

Al, thrilled to be wielding the Holy Sword, offered his suggestion.

Just so you know, I won’t lend you a hand again, okay?

Back then I only lent you power because you got on my nerves.

…Don’t give me those abandoned-puppy eyes, Al.

N-no…that won’t do…

“You’d probably kill them instead of capturing them, so no, nya. Also, you’ve blown away the Demon Lord’s Four Heavenly Kings, so you might want to report that first. That’s quite the feat.”

…Come to think of it, that might be right.

I never batted an eye because it was Al, but blowing the Demon Lord’s Four Heavenly Kings to bits is no small matter.

Demonkind whose individual abilities surpass those of humanity.

The Four Heavenly Kings—positions attainable only by the chosen few.

In another age, they would have inflicted massive devastation on humanity.

Defeating them would be an act of great honor…

…Wait? Isn’t that heroic?

Oh no, this is bad! I haven’t acknowledged being a Hero even a bit, yet here I am doing just that!

However, Al himself denied it.

“I’m not doing this to be praised, so that’s unnecessary.”

“…Why does that sound a bit Heroic?”

Gah…! He’s saying something that stabs right into my Holy Sword heart…!

Even knowing Al’s true nature, this still happens.

As for that thing Ruru’s got, it’s absolutely giddy, convinced Al is a Hero.

This is the worst…

“By the way, what have you been sneaking around about?”

“Huh? What are you talking about? I don’t know a thing.”

To pull my drifting attention back, I watch Hannah as she tries to slink away unseen.

Your boobs are way too big to hide, milk-cow lady. Pfft.

As I tilt my head at her suspicious behavior, I hear footsteps.

“Ruru~. I told you not to act on your own, didn’t I?”

“Oh, sorry, nya, Spica.”

The one who popped up was a woman emanating a gentle aura.

…Another woman. It’s all women, really. Is this Al’s harem, I wonder?

Well, nothing like that at all, though.

There’s seriously zero women here.

He’s so busy nonstop slaughtering villains that there’s absolutely no time for that.

I wonder if he’s okay…

As I was worrying like that, Ruru went ahead and introduced the newcomer.

“Here’s Spica. A fairly high-ranking knight, nya.”

“I’m a pretty high-ranking knight~.”

The self-proclaimed high-ranking knight gave me a vacuous, dopey smile.

The way she introduced herself was stupid, and she herself looked like an idiot.

…Another intense character has shown up, hasn’t she.