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 33.2: The First Generation Hero

As Will approached Alfred, standing in front of the ruins, he tried to offer some comforting words. Alfred, realizing he had been too hasty, looked up, seemingly trying to reset his state of mind.

“Even so, this ruin doesn’t open. I’ve been coming here every year.”

“The past heroes were able to open it, right?”

“Yes, all my ancestors, who were called heroes, were reportedly able to get the door to open.”

“Huh… Maybe you’re not strong enough… Or perhaps there’s another condition?”

“Who knows?”

The two discussed why the ruins wouldn’t open. Having never been inside, it’s unclear, but perhaps Alfred isn’t strong enough. He’s powerful, but maybe not quite at the level of a true hero. Perhaps it’ll open in about a year? Who knows.

“But this ruin is truly amazing. The first hero, Albert… I want to meet him, too.”

“I feel the same.”

Will began to explore the ruin by touching various parts of it. Alfred, perhaps unable to give up, was also fiddling with the defaults, searching for some activation switch.

I just gazed absentmindedly at the two. Then, suddenly, a loud boom echoed from the ruins.

“Whoa!”

“It opened…!?”

A loud sound echoed, “BOOOOOM!!!” and the heavy doors unlocked. Oh, they opened! Could there have been a switch?

“Does this mean I’m truly qualified to be a hero?”

“That’s amazing, Alfred!”

“Yes, let’s go inside.”

“Okay!”

Oh, this seems interesting; I should go in too. The inside is dusty and a bit dirty. From my clean-freak perspective, it’s a bit of an off-putting place.

“Wow! Amazing ruins! Blue-white glowing crystals illuminate it mysteriously!”

“I didn’t expect it to look like this inside.”

Will, the hero fanatic, seems thrilled, but I’m not that impressed. Maybe I feel this way because I live in Japan. I wish someone would clean up. In Japan, even tourist spots are well-maintained.

“Look! There’s something here!”

“…A stone tablet?”

“And there are two of them… I wonder what’s written on them?”

“Sorry, I can’t recognize these characters… even our royal family doesn’t have these.”

“It must be a code left behind by the first hero.”

“…In our family, we have all kinds of information about heroes, but nothing has been passed down about this ruin. I’m not sure if it’s intentional or not.”

“That’s… disappointing.”

Ah, I recognize these characters. Sakura had researched them in the past. I remember seeing similar characters when visiting other ruins. Sakura used to say they were characters of an ancient civilization. But when I began to be called a hero and pulled out the sacred sword, Sakura suddenly lost interest, saying they didn’t matter anymore. I remember he stopped using those ancient characters around that time.

Speaking of which… that’s when he started. Previously, Sakura was incredibly sharp-tongued, but suddenly, he began to speak to me hesitantly, his eyes darting around nervously when talking. He even gave me gifts when he gave up on the ancient characters.

Sakura is still a mystery to me.

Since I’m here, I might as well try to read these ancient characters. I remember wanting Rin to think it was cool that I could read the old script, so I studied it with Sakura. Like how, in Japan, someone fluent in English is considered cool? It was a simplistic thought then, but I never imagined it would come in handy like this. Let’s see… what does this… hmm, I can read it, but the meaning isn’t clear.

“Hey, can you read it?”

“Eh? This stone tablet?”

“Yes. I saw you jotting down notes quickly on paper.”

“Ah, yeah, I can read it.”

“WHAT?!”

“Do you want me to read it out?”

“Yes, please! I’m curious!”

“I wonder why I can read it and you can’t… but please go ahead.”

“There are two tablets, so I’ll do one at a time.”

Alright, let’s read it for them.

“To my descendants, thank you. You have inherited my strength. Sadness, pain, sorrow, resentment – I’m sure you’ve been burdened by them all. However, emotions are two sides of the same coin. Where there is sadness, there is joy; where there is pain, there is love. I believe you’ve come to understand this. I want to express my gratitude to you for your hard work for the sake of the world. Thank you for defeating the curse. I can imagine it must have been hard for you. When you learned the truth, you probably didn’t want to go through with it. But you overcame it. The future ahead is yours and yours alone. I hope it is filled with blessings. May you be showered with happiness and gratitude from the world. Lastly, truly, thank you. Hero, Albert.”

It’s like a unique poem. Now, let’s read the other stone tablet.

“To my descendants, I’m sorry. My weakness gave birth to you. I have taken away your happiness, gratitude, and joy. There’s nothing I can do. Please forgive all that my weakness has robbed from your life. I can’t apologize enough for sacrificing you for the world. I’ve always wanted to do something about it. However, this was the only solution that came to my mind. I won’t exist in the future, so this was the only thing I could do. You might not have a future; the path you’re meant to tread might have already vanished. I hope that you find peace after your death, rejected by the world. Lastly, I’m truly sorry. Ancestor, Albert.”

It’s a bit hard to grasp the complete meaning, but the sense of an apology is clear.

“Is this directed at me? Or was it for the hero who was my ancestor?”

“I’m not sure… It seemed vague to me like it was intentionally made that way.”

Intentionally vague? I get the feeling. I once wrote a love letter to Rin.

For some reason, I remember writing a confession very roundabout way. And, in the tone of a samurai, no less.

“Deep within my heart, through the seasons that shake and turn, I realized I am fond of you.”

Honestly, thinking about it now, it’s still embarrassing. I remember my days in Japan; I was pretty young back then. Being in a more petite body than your mental age kind of drags your actions along without much thought. So, despite being average-looking, I acted very arrogantly.

Being intentionally vague might be a common thing among heroes. That love letter was drafted in a diary, but during a battle with the Four Heavenly Kings, it got swept into a river, probably resting at the bottom of the ocean now.

No worries about it being found anymore, so it doesn’t matter.

“I don’t quite understand everything, but more secrets might be uncovered. If you can read these inscriptions, you might be able to decipher more clues elsewhere.”

“Ban-san! Let’s go!”

“Eh? This place is quite dusty, I think it’s about time to head ba――”

“――Ban-san! Let’s go!!”

Will’s eyes are sparkling intensely. When he gets like this, it’s impossible to say no. I ended up following the two of them.