When I said, "You can be a hero," to a child with no talent, he really started to become a hero, so I acted like I knew what I was doing, like I was a wise master. - Chap 14.1 - Arrival, Combat, Explosion, The Four Heavenly Kings

Fourteen years ago, before Hero Dan, Will, Eugene, Alfred, and the others started their training, and almost fifteen years ago, the leader of the demon tribe known as the Cursed King Daidalos attacked the Elven Kingdom of Frontier.

The demon tribe exists in many places, above the sky, in different dimensions, or as a result of the evolution of species. They call the leaders of these demons the Demon Kings, and Cursed King Daidalos is also referred to as a Demon King.

Beings called Demon Kings have always tried to plunge the world into darkness, regardless of the era. However, they have always been defeated by beings called Heroes.

Yes, Cursed King Daidalos was also defeated by Hero Dan.

“Muhahaha, a Hero, you say?”

“……”

“Lord Daidalos, please kill him!”

“Heh, you should be proud to be killed directly by the Demon King before we, the Four Heavenly Kings, make a move.”

“My curse will―”

“―Disappear.”

It was literally a one-punch fight. His fist left even the sound behind, piercing through the King’s stomach. The impact killed the surrounding demons and hundreds of others in the back. The Demon King, with a hole in him, emitted a dark aura with one hand towards the Hero.

“This curse will lead you to death, I will never forget, in ten years you will die……”

“What……? No way.”

“Our Cursed King…”

“Run!!!”

Then, like baby spiders scattering, thousands and tens of thousands of troops fled. Among them were the highest-ranking demons, known as the Four Heavenly Kings.

“Run!!!”

“Everyone, only think about your survival!!!”

Hero Dan defeated the demons who declared war on the Elven Kingdom. He stood alone on the battlefield turned into a sea of fire, fighting again and again. However, he couldn’t kill all of the massive number of troops, and he let a small number and the Four Heavenly Kings escape.

However, the strength of the Hero was deeply ingrained in them. That’s why they are so cautious not to cause conflicts in the world, not to provoke wars until the curse kills the Hero.

“So how long do we have to keep doing this, hiding like this?!”

“Bang!” A demon exceeding two meters in height slammed his hand onto a large table. The impact shattered the table, rendering it useless, crushed into pieces. It wasn’t hard to imagine how extraordinary the man who caused this destruction was.

Because he was Gorda, the Arm King, one of the Four Heavenly Kings who once served the Cursed King Daidalos.

“Please calm down, Gorda. The time is ripe soon…”

The man adjusting his glasses and speaking to Gorda radiated intellectual superiority. He was Zaribandfuet, also one of the Four Heavenly Kings, a being at the pinnacle of the demon tribe.

“How long do we have to wait for the Hero to die?!”

“That was unforeseen. However, thanks to our King, the Hero is also weakened.”

“Then, we should strike now! I will!”

“……”

“What if another hero-like being appears while we are waiting for the Hero to die? Are we going to hide like this again?! I can’t stand it! Moreover, he is dead.”

“Yes, the town of the beginning… we have confirmed the death of Seta, who was watching for the appearance of the Hero’s successor there.”

“Huh, if Seta moved, that means there was someone promising. Before that guy grows―”

“―We are considering that. But please wait a little longer. We are unifying the entire army of the Demon King Vulcan in the demon world, and adjusting the strength to rule the world…”

“I can’t wait. You see, I served the Cursed King Daidalos. I want to rule the world as soon as possible!! If the Hero is a small fry, there’s no problem, right?!”

They had been waiting for years for the Hero to weaken, and their frustration was building up. Why should they, superior beings, have to hide in a world teeming with inferior species? Even though he understood the existence of the Hero, Gorda had already reached his limit.

He left the dimly lit room.

“Wasn’t it better to stop him?”

Behind Zaribandfuet, there was a man with a high-pitched voice wearing a pumpkin mask. He was also one of the Four Heavenly Kings, a demon.

“Pumpkin… you were here too. But there should be no problem. A war will break out soon. A small storm before the storm, a declaration of war should be perfect.”

“I see. Pupupu, but what if he gets killed?”

“It’s unlikely, but it’s impossible.”

In front of Zaribandfuet, who adjusted his glasses with a flick, Pumpkin laughed. His laughter foretold an eerie war.

+-+

I currently have seven apprentices. One is Will, the others are Eugene, Alfred… I provide them with training opportunities once every seven days. However, there’s one day in the seven when I don’t train with anyone.

Among the Hero candidates, there are pairs who are like a set of two. I’ve set their training days together. That leaves one day free within the seven… but that’s not a day off, it’s a day I use to carry out my duties as Hero Dan.

And then, cleaning the house.

And the task of summarizing the week’s progress of Will and the others in a notebook. This is what takes up the most time. Seeing how much they’ve improved, considering how to teach magic, staring down various books, it’s tough.

But then, I realized… I haven’t been providing any family service…

Among the seven, once someone becomes a Hero and I retire, I’ll be in a situation where I have to go to mixers, get a girlfriend. At such times, I might be asked about my relationship with my family.

A gentleman who treasures his family will surely score high points at such times. This is a hunch I’ve acquired from years of being a Hero.

That’s why I vowed to take my parents and spend the rare day off in the hot spring town.

This can subtly appeal to women that “I value my family and have the financial resources to take them on trips”. In other words, it’s a chance to acquire the best card that can potentially become a joker for self-promotion.

“Well, shall we go?”

“I can’t believe Dan is taking us to the hot springs.”

“I’m so happy… And he’s even putting us up in a luxury inn.”

My mom and dad are delighted. Alright, let’s go. I loaded the two of them onto a rickshaw in the cargo area and started running.

Our destination is Yustream, the capital of hot springs.

+-+

The city of hot springs, Yustream, where hot water springs from the ground, slightly viscous, effective for fatigue recovery. Word of its benefits has spread like leaf veins among people, making it a very popular place.

Three seeds of great light had wandered into that city.

“Um… Is this the right place…?”

One of them was Will. On days when he wasn’t training with Hero Dan, he was active as an adventurer, and was visiting Yustream on a certain mission. The hot spring city was a very popular place, attracting many people, and apparently, thefts and scams targeting innocent tourists were frequently reported in such situations.

Therefore, Will, Eugene, and other adventurers were assigned patrol duties.

Will had never been to a big city before. Therefore, the densely built-up areas, and the countless people… everything was new to him.

(Wow… There are so many people, and the buildings are amazing. It’s like a different world.)

However, he was curious about the blond man Eugene, who was walking nonchalantly as if it were the most natural thing in the world, next to him.

(Come to think of it, I haven’t asked his name yet… I wonder what his name is. And he doesn’t seem surprised, I guess he’s used to this kind of scenery.)

“What is it? You’re staring.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, tell me why.”

Perhaps noticing Will’s gaze, Eugene shot a stern look. Even though they had fought together against the Demon race just a few days ago, Eugene was not one to get too familiar. He emitted an aura of “don’t talk to me”, making it difficult for Will to approach casually.

“No, it’s just… we met again after a long time… I thought maybe we should… greet or something… I wasn’t sure.”

“Greetings between you and me?”

“Well, aren’t we… friends?”

“I don’t need friends. I don’t need familiar people either.”

Eugene’s words struck a small thorn into Will’s heart. A slight pain hit him. That’s because, in Will’s mind, he already felt like a comrade-in-arms.

Eugene, indifferent to Will, was about to move on in the city, but there was someone who called out to him, as if to stop him.

“As always, you seem to have a bad disposition.”

When Will looked towards the voice, a beautiful boy with distinctive magenta hair was standing there. Both Will and Eugene had handsome features, but this boy was well-groomed in a different way.

He looked somewhat gentle, but his smile had an adult male’s charm and was very attractive.

“You… Alfred.”

The moment Eugene called the boy by his name, Will couldn’t hide his surprise.

(Alfred…!? Could it be, Alfred Trellverna!?)

Will widened his eyes in disbelief. That’s because Alfred was the descendant of the hero that Will aimed to become. The first generation hero married into the royal family, and every time a hero appeared from there, they married into the royal family as well.

It was from some time that heroes were born only from the royal family… but an exceptional exception called Hero Dan appeared. However, if he hadn’t been there, it was certainly the Trellverna family who would have been called the hero.

Therefore, Will thought. Although it was a possibility, he wondered if the person in front of him was not closer to the hero than anyone else he had met so far.

(Alfred is the true descendant of the hero… I didn’t expect to meet him here. As expected of the descendant of the hero, his presence is amazing… but, his clothes are extremely lame!!)

Alfred was wearing a full white tuxedo with a rose brooch on each nipple, two in total. Furthermore, the collar of his suit was standing about as high as that of a host who is not particularly popular.

“You’re as lame as ever.”

Seeing that, Eugene mercilessly made the comment. Hearing that, Will again couldn’t hide his surprise.

(Did he just say that!? Something you’d never normally say!? To royalty!!)

“If you don’t understand the charm… you’re behind the times.”

“Stay ahead for the rest of your life.”

(Is this blonde guy, by any chance, a person of high rank? Otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to say such a thing, right? He is definitely lame, but…)

“Allow me to do so. More importantly, that sword at your hip, is it the Sword of Beginnings?”

“Huh? What if it is?”

“It’s a fake. I’m warning you.”

“Hey, are you kidding me?”

“I’m not kidding. Yours is a fake, because the sword I carry is the Sword of Beginnings.”

With that, Alfred drew one of the two swords at his hip. The worn-out blade, seemingly the result of countless battles, had a red hilt.

It was indeed identical to the “Sword of Beginnings” that Will and Eugene held.

(W-what!? The Sword of Beginnings, another fake!? How many fakes are there!? Well, I guess there must be vendors who sell them using Hero Dan’s name… But, this is unacceptable. The sword I have is genuine because I received it from the person himself, but it makes me sad to see people who have been deceived like this…)

At Alfred’s assertion, Eugene burst into uncontrollable laughter. It was like the laughter of a king looking down on everything.

“Hehehe, hahaha.”

“What’s so funny?”

“No, nothing. I’ve always thought you were lame, but now it’s gone full circle and you’re even lamer.”

“Huh, I should be saying that. You can’t even discern between a fake and the real Sword of Beginnings.”

“You better not talk too much about the Beginning. The more you talk, the shabbier you appear.”

“If you ask me, you’re nothing but a jester.”

“Say what you will. The one who will end up being embarrassed is you.”

“That’s what I should say. Eventually, I’ll introduce you to the one who gave me this sword. It will be interesting to see your face then.”

“Interesting, then I will show you to whom I received mine from as well.”

“Alright… by the way, where did you get that sword?”

“How about you?”

In that instant, the image of Hero Dan, who had bestowed the Sword of Beginnings, came to mind for both Eugene and Alfred.

“Do not speak of this sword or our relationship.”

“…… It’s from an old antique shop.”

(W-what should I do? These two will be extremely embarrassed eventually… Shouldn’t I tell them that mine is the real one, out of kindness?)

(As I thought, Eugene got his from an antique shop. Mine is a genuine one, inherited directly, and my lie is for the sake of not revealing that fact. But it’s easy to imagine that Eugene was duped by a shoddy merchant. This contest, I’ve won it. Eugene, your back is already smeared with soot. Hmm, it would serve as a good medicine to cure your cocky nature when you end up being embarrassed.)

(Will was also deceived, but it seems that there are lowlifes spreading swords around using the name of the hero. Well, it doesn’t matter. But what an idiot. My sword is genuine, but his is a fake. In this contest, victory is already in my hands. I thought he was a smarter guy, but he can’t even distinguish between the real thing and a fake. The descendants of the hero would be appalled.)

“Eh, actually, mine is the real one…”

“Are you still saying that? Didn’t we tell you it’s a fake?”

“I don’t know much about you, but that’s probably a fake. You should be more careful when you buy things next time.”

“…Okay.”

Will wanted to announce that he was the true inheritor, but he gave up. And leaving Will aside, Eugene and Alfred stared at each other.

“I will win this contest. You have never been able to beat me.”

“We’ll see about that.”

“I won’t lose. I’ve said it before. I will be the hero.”

(…Do Alfred and the blonde guy know each other?)

From Alfred and Eugene’s conversation, it was possible to imagine that they were old acquaintances.

“My words haven’t changed either. I am the hero.”

“That’s impossible. Not unless your way of thinking changes.”

“The most important thing for a hero is power. I have no intention of changing that, not now, not ever.”

“…That’s not true. What a hero needs is a heart that thinks of others, a soul that wants to help.”

“You’re still saying such naive things.”

“Even in the face of overwhelming irrationality, a hero fights even when faced with a being stronger than oneself. Power is important, but if that’s your answer to what matters most, you can’t beat me, you can’t become a hero.”

“Power has always been what carved the path.”

“Then there’s no difference between you and the Demon King.”

“Of course. The one who had the most power just happened to be a good person, or a villain. That’s the only difference between a hero and a Demon King.”

“You’re wrong, the hero was always thinking about others more than anyone else. That’s why he sought power, became stronger, and reached out further. Your way of thinking is the opposite.”

“So we’re parallel lines after all.”

“I wasn’t thinking of getting along either. But hearing your answer, I’m relieved. As I thought, you can’t beat me.”

“Keep saying that.”

Leaving these words behind, Eugene turned his back on Alfred and disappeared into the city. Will was left speechless by their words and the beliefs they expressed.

(What’s most needed for a hero… is that…)

“Well, may I ask who you are?”

“Oh, I, I’m Will! Uh, are you by any chance the descendant of the hero, Alfred-san?”

“… I am said to be a descendant, a scion.”

“Wow, that’s amazing.”

“What’s amazing is not me, but those who have built this legacy, the past heroes. I was simply born.”

“I, I see… your answer is profound…”

“Is it? Are you also aiming to be a hero?”

“Eh? Why do you ask?”

“If you’re showing off the Sword of Beginnings, even if it’s a fake, anyone would imagine that.”

“I see… you’re right… yes, that’s exactly it. I don’t know if I have any guarantee or talent to become one, but I aim to.”

“I see… What do you think is the most important thing for a hero, Will?”

“… That is… um… I think it’s probably the heart to do something for someone else.”

“We think alike. The hero I envision is about self-sacrifice, devotion, and dedication for everyone. That’s the premise.”

“-!”

(What’s with this guy…? He might be right, but…)

“If you can’t stake your life for others, you’re not a hero.”

“That could be true…”

“If there was a hero who couldn’t risk their life, such an existence would be worthless.”

“Uh, is that… so…?”

(I agree, indeed all the past heroes and Hero Dan did the same… but I don’t want to say it’s natural for me to risk my life because I’m a hero. It would definitely make Hero Dan sad if he wasted his life.)

“I’ve spoken too much.”

“Ah, n-no, I’m sorry!”

“No, I should apologize. You’re an adventurer on a mission, right? I’ve taken up your time.”

“N-no, I was the one who got carried away with the conversation, and Alfred-san, you must have plans…”

“Oh, I’m just here to take a hot spring bath.”

“Eh!?”

“I thought it would be good to have a break. I sneaked out of the royal palace and came here.”

“Eh!?”

“I figured running to and fro would provide a sufficient workout.”

“A-ah, I see. Please, take your time to refresh yourself.”

“Of course, I will… Eh!?”

Alfred, who was smiling at Will, suddenly sensed something and looked out towards the city.

“Um–“

“–Something seems to be coming.”

“…Eh!?”

In the direction of his gaze, the grassland had been mowed and a path for people to walk had been constructed. However, an unusual vibration sound could be heard from there. It sounded as if a large crowd was heading towards the city.

“I’ll go check it out.”

“I, I’ll go too.”

“…Alright. As for you adventurers over there, I’d like you to inform the city’s representatives and people that some sort of presence is approaching.”

“Y-yes, sir!”

After conveying his message to the adventurers who had come with Will, Alfred ran out towards the grassland from where the ground-shaking noise was emanating. The sky was filled with ominous rain clouds.