The Hero's Party and the Rumored Archmage (3)

The Hero's Party. They were known to the world as an indomitable vanguard carrying out a holy war in the Goddess's name—a band of heroes united by the noble purpose of opposing the Demon King for the sake of all humanity. That was their ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠public image, and they did indeed possess the prestige and authority to match it. But the reality wasn't quite so romantic.

The world was at peace. In an era without an absolute evil like the Demon King, the Hero's Party was little more than a white elephant. They were maintained on the off chance that some evil might stir somewhere, but to the rulers of this peaceful age, the party itself was a ticking time bomb.

A Hero blessed by the Goddess from birth, wielding overwhelming talent and potential, operating alongside humanity's finest elites while possessing extralegal authority and zero restrictions on their actions. Any person in power would naturally view them with suspicion. There were even ominous precedents. After all, no matter how chosen they were, a Hero was still only human.

In peaceful ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠times, it wasn't uncommon for Heroes to grow arrogant, defect to become the Goddess Church's holy thugs, or even ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠overthrow the existing order to seize power themselves. Naturally, the old powers twisted themselves into knots trying to keep the Hero's Party in check, but they eventually concluded there was no real answer beyond appealing to the Hero's own conscience.

Given that reality, while being part of the Hero's Party was certainly an honorable position during peaceful eras, it had become a sort of undesirable post that everyone avoided—except the Hero themselves. Anyone qualified to join the party would be among the absolute elite of humanity. With that level of ability, they could live like kings anywhere they went. There was simply no reason to tie themselves to the Hero's Party.

At least this generation's party was on the better side.

"If the sheep die, the shepherds will throw another fit. I hate getting bothered."

The Hero, whose ideology and social skills raised some questions, but who nonetheless focused solely on protecting humanity rather than harboring any other ambitions.

"This old body shall take the lead! An enemy of that caliber should be sufficient to mark a truly honorable end!"

The retired knight who had chased honor his entire life and now wished to crown even his death with glory.

"Don't talk nonsense, old man. We need to handle something like that without taking any damage if we don't want a black mark on our record."

The youngest archmage in history, who had joined the party as a means to realize her absurd life plan.

"Hehe...! That one looks like it'd be fun. O-old man, I'll cast a blessing on you, so go hit it once, okay? I-I'm curious what kind of reaction it'll have..."

The hedonistic nun who had applied to the party not out of any sense of duty, but simply because she was bored with her ascetic clerical life and thought it might be entertaining.

They weren't exactly model heroes, but for a Hero's Party in peaceful times, this was quite an excellent lineup.

In any case, the Hero's Party had come to Mount Atlas to conquer the Magic Territory. Before properly venturing into its depths, the monster they encountered was a Draconid.

—Grrrrr....

It was a powerful monster capable of ruling an entire region as its overlord, but with the current Hero's Party's strength, subjugating it shouldn't have posed any major difficulties. No matter how rusty they had grown from soaking in peace, the Hero's Party was originally the Goddess's sharpest blade.

"The teleportation was blocked from the midpoint, so it took longer to get here than expected. Let's finish this quickly and rest."

"I-I agree..."

"Tsk, kids these days."

Even a Draconid—a ground tyrant dozens of meters long—couldn't threaten the Hero's Party.

"...Wait, something's wrong."

—Kwaaaaaah!!!

If only the creature hadn't suddenly undergone a mutation.

* * *

The danger of a mutation wasn't simply that the monster grew stronger. Mutation. As the word implied, it went beyond merely increasing in size or power. It inflicted some irreversible transformation on the genes themselves.

—Crack...!

The Draconid's hard back shell split open on both sides as bones protruded outward. Membranes formed between them, creating the shape of massive wings. Its short, thick neck and blunt four legs elongated, and its previously heavy, lizard- or crocodile-like body was reborn in a far more agile form. Its horns, claws, and scales had all become sharper and harder than before, making it look like an entirely different creature at first glance.

Faced with this surreal sight that was hard to believe even while watching it happen, the party's most knowledgeable magician—the one with the light purple eyes—trembled violently. Her already pale face grew even whiter. Her tightly pressed red lips parted with disbelief as she barely managed to utter a single word.

"Dragon..."

Its blood-red eyes turned toward the Hero's Party.

—Whoosh!

The ground tyrant that had always yearned for the sky-flying dragons finally spread the wings granted to it. Just before the Draconid, now mutated into a form shockingly similar to a dragon, could flap those wings and take flight—

"Old man, left side."

"Leave it to me."

The Hero and the warrior charged at it simultaneously. Not missing the brief opening, the petite priest closed her eyes and quickly chanted a prayer.

"Grant strength to those who would destroy evil."

A golden energy enveloped the two, infusing them with explosive vitality. Watching her comrades rush toward the black Draconid's wings, the trembling magician gritted her teeth and raised her mana.

In less than a second, two 6-Circle spells activated simultaneously to restrict the Draconid's movements. A spiraling vortex slammed into it, bending its wings, while hands of earth rose up to seize its legs.

—Kwaaaah?!

While the Draconid resisted the magic, the Hero and warrior had already climbed onto its back and reached the base of both wings.

"I won't let you fly."

"Heh heh, a lizard shouldn't be imitating a dragon."

—Crunch! Slice!

The warhammer completely shattered the left wing's joint, and the holy sword severed the entire right wing.

—Kyaaaaah!

And so, the mutated Draconid lost its ability to fly before it could even properly spread the wings it had only just obtained.

"Whew, that was close."

"G-good thing it was only a dragon in appearance!"

It was the kind of perfect coordination one would expect from the Hero's Party. However—

"Everyone be careful, it's not over yet!"

—■■■■■!

The Draconid thrashed violently with an unholy roar, throwing the Hero and warrior from its body. The profane roar infused with mutated mana rang out, causing the priest and magician's divine power and circle circulation to tangle. They both vomited blood and collapsed.

—Khaaaah!

"Old man, watch out!"

"Ugh... Don't worry about me, Hero!"

While the frontline Hero and warrior desperately held back the enraged Draconid, the rear priest and magician barely managed to pull themselves together.

"...Let's go again. I won't forget this humiliation."

"O-oh Goddess...!"

After several more fierce exchanges, both sides had sustained considerable injuries, and the battle had returned to square one. The Draconid glared at the Hero's Party with eyes blazing as if ready to charge at any moment. The four regrouped and quickly exchanged opinions.

"Hero, this is our last chance. If even this strike doesn't work, there's no hope left."

"Th-that's right! Everyone, clench your buttocks tight! We have to give it everything we've got...!"

"Heh heh... If this old body's single life could be exchanged for victory, how wonderful that would be. But the enemy is far too powerful. How could such a monstrous being exist in this world?"

Listening to her comrades, the Hero stood silently at the front, raised her holy sword, and nodded.

"Yeah."

The holy sword blazed with brilliant light in response to the Hero's resolve.

"Wait."

At that moment, the elderly warrior placed a hand on the Hero's shoulder—she looked ready to charge at the Draconid immediately—and spoke.

"This old body will go first. While my strength may not match yours, my body is far sturdier. Buy me some time, and you can take its head."

"What are you saying, old man? Have you gone senile?"

"Senile, my foot! What could be more honorable than dying while helping the Hero fight an evil dragon? There is no finer end!"

Though his mouth spoke of his own death, the retired knight's eyes, which had chased honor all his life, were looking beyond it. Seeing the old man's eyes sparkle brighter than they had at any point during their time together, the Hero scowled deeply and snapped at him.

"Cut the crap. You're just saying you'll act as bait and die a dog's death. You expect me to just let that happen?"

"A dog's death? This is a glorious sacrifice! You are all still young, and this old body is destined to return to the earth in a few years anyway. It's merely walking the path a little earlier than necessary. To borrow your words, this would be more efficient."

Looking at the old man smiling while holding his warhammer—which was larger than his own body—the Hero roughly tousled her hair.

"Seriously, you stubborn old coot."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"......"

Normally the priest and magician would have thrown in their own barbs, but faced with a comrade calmly speaking of his own sacrifice, they couldn't say a word. The Hero grabbed the old man's hand and urged him earnestly.

"Listen carefully. You don't absolutely have to die. The thing has low intelligence, so if you can survive, do it at all costs. I just need you to buy me enough time to cut off its head."

"I will."

And so.

"O Goddess... Hic! G-grant strength to those who destroy... Uck! B-blessing...!"

"Now now, stop that sniffling. Didn't I tell you the blessing won't take properly if your pronunciation gets messed up?"

"Wandering Knight Thulen. Your name will be clearly recorded in the chronicles of the youngest genius archmage in history."

"That is quite the honor."

The warrior, having received the priest's blessing, bravely charged forward. With the magician's support, he fought the black Draconid.

"Guh...!"

Impaled by its claw, just before his breath gave out, he swung his hammer with all his remaining strength, completely crushing one of its forelegs, and died a heroic death.

—Crunch!

"Kwaaaaaah!"

The Draconid trampled the warrior's corpse and let out a victorious roar. Taking advantage of its intoxication with victory, the Hero—who had stealthily approached—sent her holy sword flashing forward.

"Die."

However.

—Clang!

"...What?"

The holy sword failed to pierce its neck. For a moment, the Hero felt as if her mind had gone blank. It should have pierced. The holy sword, empowered by the Goddess, was specialized in destroying evil. No evil could stand before it. The sword's long history of severing countless Demon Kings' heads proved that fact.

Yet—

—Khaaaaaah!

Faced with the Hero's holy sword, which was emitting an even more intense light than ever before, the Draconid didn't have its breath cut short. Instead, it roared even more fiercely. Almost as if it were absorbing the sword's light—

'That can't be.'

Confronted with a reality that was impossible to believe, the Hero's hand trembled violently without her realizing it.

—Ooooooooh!

With a roar that sounded chillingly like a real dragon's, the Draconid's mouth gaped wide open. Its belly swelled like a balloon, and the mana within its body resonated with the mana in the atmosphere, beginning to converge at a single point.

—Rumble...!

It was obvious what phenomenon this heralded. Breath. Was the ground tyrant that had yearned for the sky dragons finally attempting to claim even the power that symbolized them?

Just as the flames that could burn everything on the ground were about to erase the Hero without a trace—

—Whoosh!

"Huh...?"

A spear of mana flew in from somewhere and pierced straight through the Draconid's torso. The tough scales that had only received scratches from the Hero's Party's combined attacks were penetrated far too easily.

"Kieeeeeek!"

The Draconid screamed in agony. That cry—which sounded less like a dragon's roar and more pathetic than a mere lizard's—was the last sound it ever made.

—Boom!

When the spear exploded, the Draconid's upper body vanished without a trace. For a creature that was a born hunter and apex predator—one that had driven the Hero's Party to the brink of annihilation and briefly glimpsed the realm of dragons—its end was far too trivial.

The only trace it left in the world was a streak of flame that sliced through the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠air as it flew away.

"...What the hell?"

Overwhelmed by an utterly unfamiliar feeling, the Hero gritted her teeth. It was the first time. The first time she had witnessed a phenomenon beyond her understanding. The first time she had faced an enemy the holy sword couldn't touch. The first time she had been the one saved, rather than the one saving pitiful lambs.

Because the Hero had always been a perfect being. The one who stood at the very forefront.

The spear of mana that had pierced in a single blow a Draconid mutated so closely to a dragon that it could even fire breath. That memory was etched into the Hero's mind as something she would never forget.

* * *

"Whew~ The performance is excellent."

Safely inside his home, more than 100 kilometers from the battlefield, Kevin observed the magic's power through his spell and let out a light whistle.

Magic Missile was a spell Kevin usually favored, but this time its power was particularly remarkable. He didn't need to think about why. He had vaguely guessed it even before using the magic.

Kevin nodded slightly and muttered to himself.

"As expected, it's thanks to the Hunter and Priest symbols being applied."

The symbols of the hunter and priest were like a staple that Kevin used most frequently in the [Enhancement] process to amplify his attack magic's power. The hunter's sacrifice was one of the most primitive forms of ritual, involving burning offerings with fire, and hunters themselves were among humanity's most primitive professions—

While Kevin was in the middle of reviewing the results.

The numerous windows of his [Scrying] magic began flashing bright red, warning of danger.

"...What the hell?"

Kevin waved his hand to clear the warning windows, then raised his mana to strengthen all his barriers to maximum intensity. Frowning deeply, he quickly assessed the situation. He recast [Scrying] magic targeting the area around his house to figure out what was happening, and could only gape in shock.

A massive streak of flame was flying straight toward his house. Because the Draconid's upper body had exploded and thrown its trajectory off, the breath it had unleashed in its final desperate act was now heading directly for Kevin's home.

Just how unlucky did someone have to be for something like this to happen? It was an astronomically slim probability, but it had already occurred, and it was too late to alter the trajectory now.

Kevin clutched his head with both hands and screamed.

"No, my house!"