Vol 1 Chapter 38 – The Heroes

A woman with a gentle smile.

She was a beauty, defined by her voluminous, wavy silver hair.

That’s odd. I always thought heroes were mostly hardened men, since they’re always in the middle of dangerous situations. But Ruru and this girl are both women. I guess times have changed.

“Ah, Melia. It’s been a while.”

Ruru forced a strained smile, like someone who’d just bumped into an acquaintance she didn’t get along with.

…No, that’s exactly what this is. Why is it that seeing someone else look even slightly uncomfortable brings me such joy…?

“Yes, it has. Have you been reading the letters I’ve sent? I was getting lonely with no replies at all…”

“Ah, ahh, of course I’ve been reading them, nya. Yep, totally. See, a hero’s work takes me all over the place, so it’s hard to find the time. Sorry about that, nya.”

What a liar.

It was such a tacked-on excuse that even I, who barely interacts with Ruru, could see right through it.

Besides, this girl doesn’t seem like the type to be that passionate about her duties as a hero in the first place.

However, Melia was, after all, a hero chosen by a Holy Sword.

She accepted the excuse immediately, without a hint of suspicion.

“Oh, so that’s how it was! I think it’s wonderful that you’re taking action to help so many people, Ruru-san! Let’s continue to do our best to make the world a better place! In fact, would you like to travel together? I think we’d make a great team!”

“N-No, I think I’m good, nya… If we work separately, we can help more people in different places, right…?”

“That’s a shame… But you’re right, Ruru-san! Let’s keep doing our best together! Let’s go, let’s go, yay!”

“Y-Yay…”

Ruru weakly thrust a fist into the air.

Wow. The difference in energy between her and Melia is staggering…

Actually, Melia is so dazzlingly bright it’s scary.

I—I like good people, but I can’t handle this level of sparkle… I’m going to melt…

“She’s a real hero-type, isn’t she.”

“I know… The reason I don’t get along with her is that intensely overwhelming goodness… It’s like she’s constantly reminding me what a sullied woman I am. Just being around her is painful, nya…”

It’s not that Ruru is a bad person; in fact, she’s a good one.

But Melia must be so perfect that Ruru can’t help but feel a sense of guilt around her anyway.

Well, it feels like Ruru was born under an unlucky star or something. She just wants to live as she pleases, but external factors always seem to get in her way.

I quite enjoy that pitiful side of her. It’s amusing. Like a toy.

“Still, I’m glad you could make it, Ruru-san. Everyone else has been eagerly waiting for you.”

“What!? You mean I’m the last one!?”

“Yes.”

“Ugh, this is the worst, nyaa… I’m definitely going to get a few sarcastic comments, nyaa…”

“It’s alright! It’s not like you’re late. If anyone gives you a hard time, I’ll protect you!”

It seemed all the heroes besides Ruru had already gathered.

I have no desire to meet the other Holy Swords, but I am curious what this generation’s heroes are like.

The ones I knew were from a very, very long time ago. All of them have been replaced over many generations since then.

“By the way… who is that gentleman with you?”

“Uhm, this guy is…”

Melia’s gaze fell upon Al.

She must have found it odd that Ruru, who prefers to act alone, had brought someone with her.

Especially to a place as important (?) as the Hero’s Council.

As Ruru agonized over how to explain the situation…

Why not just say a stalker followed you?

While I was entertaining that thought, Al answered before Ruru could.

“I’m her partner.”

“Why did you choose those words! Tell me!”

Ruru lunged forward and started strangling Al. Go! That’s it! Do it! Finish him!

“Wow! So this is what you and he are doing, Ruru-san!”

“No! And that’s not what that hand gesture means, either! Stop it!”

With a grin of pure innocence, Melia made an obscene gesture by tangling her fingers together.

As Ruru’s face turned deathly pale, I looked up at the sky.

“Hah… I’m starting to feel depressed, too…”

I really don’t want to meet the other Holy Swords…

◆

A spacious conference hall, lavishly decorated.

Seated around a circular table were the heroes of the current generation.

Each of them possessed a Holy Sword and could wield its immense power—they were, in a word, the absolute strongest.

The establishment of a “Hero’s Council” also served the purpose of having the heroes mutually surveil one another.

After all, if even one of them got a strange idea in their head, it could bring catastrophic damage to the world.

Only a hero can stop a hero. That was the common sense of this world.

(That’s why I hate this…)

Ruru was fed up.

She hated being forced to do anything in the first place, but the entire purpose of this meeting was, “We don’t trust you lot one bit, so keep a close eye on each other,” so there was no way she could ever like it.

On top of that, the heroes gathered here were, to a person, people she could never get along with.

A mandatory meeting where everyone waiting for you is someone you can’t stand.

Who could possibly enjoy that?

“Quite the executive entrance, Ruruuu. I’m so jealous. I should’ve taken my sweet time, too.”

The man jabbed at Ruru with a smug grin.

He was the sole man in the room.

The only one.

He was a handsome man with a wild air about him.

With beautiful women he’d brought from who-knows-where flanking him on both sides, he looked utterly pleased with himself.

“…I already apologized, didn’t I, Alan.”

His name was Alan.

One of the current generation’s heroes.

Ruru, whose personality clashed with his, considered him the second-to-last person she wanted to see among the heroes.

“If ‘sorry’ solved everything, we wouldn’t need heroes, would we?”

“More importantly, could you stop bringing all these outsiders with you, nya? It’s annoying.”

“Oh? Jealous? Sorry, but you’re not my type.”

“You want me to kill you, you piece of shit?”

Her voice was laced with menace.

She was surprised herself that such a low, threatening sound could come out of her own throat.

Alright, first I need to kill this piece of shit masquerading as a hero…

She was about to draw her Holy Sword and attack, but Alan, breaking out in a cold sweat, stopped her.

“Hold on. I don’t fight battles I know I can’t win.”

“Why do you have such a smug look on your face when you’re saying something so completely uncool…?”

The groupies near Alan had foamed at the mouth and fainted.

That was amusing in its own way, so I’ll allow it!

I successfully managed to get some satisfaction out of that.

Then, Ruru spoke to the girl who had been sitting silently at the table this whole time.

“Ah… sorry, Lois.”

“Do not mind it. It poses no problem to me.”

“R-Right…”

Lois, another one of the current heroes.

Her face was hidden by a thin veil, so it was impossible to see her features.

In fact, Ruru had never once seen her face since they both became heroes. It was creepy.

Her skin was brown, suggesting she might be from the southern regions.

However, the skintight clothes she wore did nothing to hide her voluptuous figure, which was almost indecent.

Ruru wasn’t exactly flat-chested herself, but perhaps because of the veil and her brown skin, Lois’s allure was off the charts. Unforgivable.

Ruru found her a bit difficult to deal with due to her inorganic, almost emotionless way of speaking.

Still, she was far better than Alan.

Ruru, Melia, Alan, and Lois.

Four of the five heroes of this generation were gathered in this place.

Since Melia had said Ruru was the last to arrive, the final member must already be here.

The woman who, even more than Alan, she got along with the least among all the heroes.

“So, where is she?”

“She was here, but it seems she stepped out for a moment…”

“No, I have already returned.”

A woman appeared, cutting Melia’s words short.

The way she walked so gracefully, a gentle smile on her face, was just like a high-born noble lady.

But what Ruru feared most were her murky, lifeless eyes, which held no trace of light.

“Antares…”

Antares, another of the current generation’s heroes, had arrived.