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 18.1: The Ultimate Ordinary Person part 1

In the village where Will lives, the village of Ishi, he was training early in the morning again today, even though Hero Dan was absent.

After working up a sweat, he returned home to prepare for a journey to the Elf Kingdom.

“Will, good morning!”

“Menmen, good morning!”

“You’re going to the Frontier Kingdom today, right?”

“Yeah! Because there’s the 15th-anniversary celebration of Hero Dan defeating the Curse King Daidalos! I’m thinking of buying various things!”

“Oh, I see… Uh, about that, I want to go too…”

“Then why don’t you come with me?”

“Is it okay?”

“I would never say no!”

“Hmmm… I see, I see.”

While turning away and blushing slightly, Menmen didn’t even notice Will getting ready. In his mind, he was only thinking about whether there might be a new book about Hero Dan’s interpretation at the Hero Dan festival, or some unknown stories about heroes, rather than cute girls of the same age.

Will and Menmen together set out for Popo Town, where Hero Dan first registered as an adventurer. They chatted idly, walked for a while, and then Will ran, carrying Menmen piggyback after her legs got tired… They went through various events before arriving in town.

“I heard that there’s a unicorn carriage to the Frontier Kingdom today.”

“Heh, they’re doing that because of the festival, huh?”

“But it’s really popular because it’s so convenient, normally you can’t ride it. But I’ve already reserved the carriage half a year ago!”

“Wow!”

“Hero Dan has also ridden a unicorn carriage, you know! I just had to reserve it!”

Menmen gives a wry smile, thinking, “He’s still obsessed with Hero Dan, my childhood friend.” Unaware of her thoughts, Will rushes towards the carriage.

As he hurries, he notices something: a blonde boy named Eugene, whose name he doesn’t know but whose face is familiar, is already at the carriage.

“Ah, you’re Will, who made a reservation, right? This is the other person who reserved a ride with you,” the unicorn’s owner said, glancing between Will and Eugene. Will had thought it might be fine to share the ride with someone else, but he hadn’t expected to meet him again.

“You too, huh? We have a strangely persistent connection,” Eugene said.

“You also reserved the unicorn, huh?”

“Yes, but enough idle talk. Hurry up and get in.”

“Ah, sorry. Is it okay if my acquaintance, Menmen, rides with us?”

“Do as you please.”

With his arms crossed and sharp eyes on Will, Eugene silently entered the carriage. After seeing him in, the other two joined him, and the carriage set off. The unicorn was faster than a regular horse, and the scenery outside the window changed at a furious pace.

“Wow, Will, it’s really fast!”

“Yeah, it’s incredible… I heard Hero Dan rode it once… I wonder what he thought.”

While the two enjoyed the scenery, Eugene sat with his arms crossed, eyes closed. Seeing him like that, Menmen whispered in Will’s ear.

“Hey, what’s that guy’s name? You seemed to know him.”

“I actually don’t know. He didn’t tell me… but he’s a really good person. Definitely not bad.”

“Really? He seems a bit scary.”

“It’s really fine.”

Menmen felt a slight fear towards Eugene, who had a scary expression quite opposite to Will’s. Will tried to ease her caution by deliberately speaking to Eugene, as if to demonstrate his intentions and beliefs.

“Speaking of which, I never did ask your name, did I?”

“There’s no need to tell you. As I said before, it will resound throughout the world eventually… You can hear it to your heart’s content then.”

“Ah, okay… Um, you’re going to the festival for Hero Dan, too, right?”

“What else could it be?”

“I just wanted to ask. You like Hero Dan, too, right? I like him as well.”

“It’s not about liking or those kinds of feelings. I’m just interested because I feel he embodies the only truth as a hero.”

“Oh… So what do you think that embodiment is?”

“Overwhelming strength. Nothing else.”

“I agree with the strength, but what about kindness… and other things…”

“Nothing. Only strength… An overwhelming strength that can change the world is the truth, his being.”

“But I think Hero Dan has great kindness, too. He has inspiring quotes that touch my heart… like ‘If I’m here, everything can be saved.’ That’s something only someone kind can say, and it’s very moving, perhaps more than his strength… Isn’t his kindness his true nature?”

“You’re wrong. That’s the wrong order. Words are just a string of letters, meaningless. But indeed, his words do have weight. Why? Because he’s strong. If anyone else said the same thing, it wouldn’t resonate. It would mean nothing.”

“Is that so…”

“Don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying Hero Dan doesn’t have compassion. But his being as a hero is strength. That’s all, and that’s the truth.”

“…So you’re saying strength is everything for a hero?”

“What else is there? The strong leave their names in history, shaping history. Justice and evil in this world are merely names for victory and defeat. The one who wins is called justice, the loser evil. Heroes have proven their strength and spoken of justice.”

Strength is everything. Will thought he couldn’t change his mind, no matter what he did. He never intended to change it, but he always believed Hero Dan had a core of kindness, so he couldn’t help but get caught up in the conversation.

“I see… You might be right…”

Menmen, who had been watching the two argue from within the same car, felt the atmosphere become tense. Will had pulled back a little, but sparks of clashing thoughts had been faintly visible.

“Ah, ah! Speaking of which, there were rumors that Hero Dan and the Great Sage Linlin were in love, but what happened with that!?”

Menmen forcibly changed the subject by bringing up the love story between the hero and the sage. Both Will and Eugene realized that their argument had been heating up. Understanding that further debate would only sour the atmosphere, they decided in their hearts to drop the matter.

“Um, that’s right. Actually, I thought they were going to get married. Maybe like Supreme Swordsman Sakura’s polygamy?”

“Eh? Isn’t Sakura a man?”

“Ah, some people like Menmen get confused, but if you read various heroic tales about Hero Dan, you’ll realize that Supreme Swordsman Sakura is actually a woman.”

“Really… I had no idea.”

“Didn’t you know, too? That Supreme Swordsman Sakura is a woman.”

Will turned to Eugene, who had been silent.

“Yes, I knew. I often hear various things about nobles.”

“Nobles?”

“Menmen, the Alreteia family is one of the four great noble families of the Trellbarna Kingdom. A very prestigious noble family.”

“Heh… I had no idea. Will, you’re surprisingly knowledgeable.”

“Well, only about Hero Dan-related things.”

“But I had no idea that Supreme Swordsman Sakura was a woman. But her face was surprisingly pretty and cute. I wonder if she likes Hero Dan, too?”

“I think so. That feeling seeps out of the heroic tales.”

“Hmm, ah, I see… that’s why there was so much body touch during the parade.”

“Does body touch mean liking someone?”

“Maybe… like this.”

Menmen lightly tapped Will’s shoulder, the way Sakura had done to Hero Dan during the peace parade.

“Heh, is that so?”

“Ah, that kind of reaction. I knew it but still.”

With a slight wry smile at Will’s dull response, Menmen lightly brushed it off.

“I doubt it, but maybe Hero Dan didn’t even realize that Supreme Swordsman Sakura was a woman.”

“That can’t be. Hero Dan would definitely see through that at first glance.”

“Certainly. It’s impossible for someone to be a hero if they can’t recognize a beautiful woman as a woman after traveling with her for so many years.”

As they engaged in light, trivial chatter, the unicorn-drawn carriage arrived at the Fairy Elf Kingdom, Frontier Kingdom.