What Are You Doing, Holy Saint!?
“Let’s start looking around.”
Since we’d come to the café town to gather information on the Holy Sword of Order’s activation, I nodded along with Estelle and the Holy Saint at my suggestion.
“But where should we start looking?”
I asked, and the Holy Saint replied with a teasing smile.
“We should focus on the places where lots of people pass by~♡ I can’t believe you didn’t think of that, you idiot♡”
“...That makes sense.”
...Back here already. Damn it.
“Then shall the three of us move separately and look?”
“That would be more efficient.”
Estelle agreed with my suggestion, and the Holy Saint seemed to share the same thought.
“Then don’t go too far. Let’s search within the city.”
“Yes, that’s a good idea~♡”
“Understood.”
We split up and spent some time gathering information. By the time Estelle returned it was evening, so we hadn’t been able to check every spot we’d planned.
After night fell, we all gathered in the square.
“Did you find anything out?”
“The useless hero, have you found anything~♡”
“I didn’t really... What about you, Holy Saint?”
You found something out?
I asked with hope in my voice, but the Holy Saint shook her head.
“Estelle is...”
“Me too. When I asked about the Holy Sword of Order, a lot of people didn’t know what it was. I even went to the adventurer guild, but there was nothing there.”
“...Hmm.”
We probably need to head to the next place Elfride told us about. I’d hoped for big news since it was said to be the hometown of the hero who once wielded the Holy Sword of Order, but there was nothing.
“For now, let’s sleep, wake up, and check again. If nothing is there, we’ll head to the next spot.”
“That sounds best.”
“Yes~♡”
We headed to the inn. It was the nearest one, and the place was actually quite large.
“Welcome! You three?”
“Hello.”
I asked the innkeeper for two rooms and if dinner was available.
“Of course it is.”
“Then please prepare dinner for the three of us.”
I handed over the money and asked the innkeeper about the Holy Sword of Order as well.
The inn was a popular spot, so there might be useful information.
“Um, boss. Can I ask you one thing?”
“Yes?”
“Do you know about the ‘Holy Sword of Order’?”
“Oh, I do. It’s the one the heroes carry, right?”
Oh?
“The reason we came to this city is because it’s said to be the hometown of the hero who wielded the Holy Sword of Order. Do you know of any related information?”
The innkeeper scanned me quickly, then glanced at the sword on my back and answered hesitantly.
“...A hero?”
“The hero from the Mars Empire—Abel.”
“Oh dear, I didn’t recognize you. I’ve heard the news. You defeated the monster that appeared in our kingdom this time.”
“Haha...”
I let out an awkward laugh at the sudden praise.
“I don’t know any information about the Holy Sword of Order... but I know someone connected to it.”
“Someone?”
“Yes. The grandson of the old hero you’re talking about lives near this city.”
I received a huge piece of unexpected information. I thanked him and asked where he lived.
“Of course I’ll tell you. He lives...”
#
The next day, we headed to the place the innkeeper had mentioned. On a mountain slope east of café town stood a modest house from which smoke rose from the chimney.
“An old man living alone in a place like this...”
Was that even possible? In this mountain area, not only were wild animals a problem, but monsters would be even worse.
“...It’s surprising.”
Estelle looked surprised too. The Holy Saint glanced around and said briefly.
“The old man living here seems quite skilled.”
“Really?”
“Your field of vision is too narrow~♡ Look over there~.”
The Holy Saint grinned mischievously and pointed somewhere. There was a sword with all its teeth missing, still bearing fresh bloodstains—clearly an actual blade being used.
“...I’ve never seen such a worn-out sword.”
“That means his skill is real. He’s been fighting monsters with a blade like that.”
She was right.
At that moment, an old wooden door creaked open.
“Who’s making such a racket in front of someone else’s house?!”
The old man was the grandson of the hero who wielded the Holy Sword of Order. He looked even older than expected—probably in his seventies.
I bowed deeply.
“Pleasure to meet you, sir.”
“Who are you?”
“I’m Abel, a hero selected by the Holy Sword of Order from the Mars Empire.”
“...The Holy Sword of Order?”
The old man looked surprised. Coming all the way here and introducing myself as a hero was bound to cause a reaction. I pulled out the sword on my back and showed it to him.
“I came here to awaken the sword’s ego.”
“...What does that have to do with me?”
“I heard you are the grandson of the old hero. Since you might know something, I came despite being rude.”
After politely explaining my purpose, the old man stared at the Holy Sword. Then he gestured for us to come in.
“...Come inside.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Following the old man into the house, he said.
“Make yourselves comfortable. I don’t have anything to offer except a cool drink.”
“Oh, water is welcome.”
The old man brought three glasses of cool water and handed one to each of us. The Holy Saint, who was sensitive to heat, looked refreshed after her first sip.
Cute... Wait, what am I thinking?
Shaking my head, the old man asked curiously.
“Why are you doing that?”
“Nothing, sorry.”
The old man stared at the sword I was holding and casually tossed out a comment.
“...That sword. The handle color has changed.”
“How did you know?”
“My grandfather showed it to me before. It was gray then, but now it’s gold.”
...His memory is incredible.
“This change happened when the Holy Sword partially activated. Has your grandfather experienced this kind of change?”
“...He has.”
“...!”
...He had? The Holy Saint and I were all stunned by the old man’s words. He continued.
“My grandfather’s sword was different from how it looks now.”
“Do you remember what changed?”
“Of course I don’t forget something like that. The edge—should I call it serrated, or feather-like? Anyway, the upper part of the blade took on a very distinctive shape. Extremely sharp.”
The upper part of the blade changed? That was definitely a side effect of the Holy Sword partially activating.
The innkeeper’s question had been a brilliant move after all.
“Do you know if there was a specific condition that had to be met for the change?”
“I don’t know. I’m not a hero.”
“Ah...”
...Of course not.
“However, my grandfather left a diary. Would you like to see it?”
“A diary?”
“Yes.”
“Have you never read it?”
If it were left as an heirloom, wouldn’t he have read it at least once out of curiosity?
The old man’s reaction was unexpected.
“I couldn’t read it at all. It was written in a language I didn’t know.”
“You didn’t know the language?”
“I see faster when I read.”
The old man went into the inner room, and the sound of rummaging through a drawer came from inside.
“Why are there so many random things everywhere! I should just throw it all away...”
“Hehe.”
After a while of searching, the old man pulled out an old, dust-covered book.
“Is this my grandfather’s diary?”
“Yes.”
I took it carefully and opened it.
...What kind of writing is this?
It wasn’t the language I was used to, nor the one Estelle used. It was completely unfamiliar.
...What is this?
“Holy Saint, can you read this?”
“Let me see.”
I handed the diary to the Holy Saint since I couldn’t read it myself. When she opened it, she flinched in surprise.
Why was she so shocked?
“Can you read it?”
“...Yes. Of course I can.”
“Of course?”
Of course what? You’re acting superior right now.
Estelle leaned in to peek at the diary the Holy Saint was reading. She too looked shocked, just like the Holy Saint.
They both know something?
“This is divine language.”
“Divine language?”
Why did she suddenly say something about fish... Oh, it’s the language.
...If I’d spoken that thought out loud, I would have been called an idiot.
“It’s a language that only those who study theology in depth or were chosen as holy saints by the gods know. I don’t know how the old hero understood it.”
The old man answered the Holy Saint’s question simply.
“My grandfather was originally a theologian.”
“Really?”
“My grandfather was very intelligent. He was respected, but suddenly he was chosen by the Holy Sword and became a hero.”
“I see.”
The Holy Saint nodded in understanding.
So the Holy Saint who was chosen by the gods could read it... She probably can read it?
“Holy Saint, can you translate it?”
“I’m not used to it, so it’s not that easy. I’ll need some time to translate.”
“That’s fine. I want to know what kind of diary my grandfather wrote too.”
“Is that all right?”
“Yes.”
That way we’d be good. I thanked the old man and told the Holy Saint.
“Please translate it.”
“Okay~♡”
While the Holy Saint sat at the table and worked on the diary, I asked the old man.
“Sir, why do you live alone in a place like this? It seems dangerous.”
“I don’t have to worry about dying. I can live comfortably here.”
“Still...”
“I was born and raised here. My father was too. My grandfather, after retiring from being a hero, settled here.”
“...Ah.”
...What does it mean to retire from being a hero? Heroes don’t have jobs, right?
“Do monsters not come out often?”
Estelle asked the old man curiously. He answered simply.
“Sometimes. But the monsters around here aren’t dangerous. Even if they’re strong, they’re at most Goblin Chieftain level.”
“...You’re very skilled, sir.”
Killing Goblin Chieftains without blessings required serious skill. Even B-rank adventurers would have trouble.
I guess it’s in the hero’s blood.
“I used to be an adventurer. I grew up hearing my grandfather’s stories, so I had dreams of adventure.”
“Oh, so you were an adventurer?”
“It’s been over ten years since I quit. Anyway, since it’s not dangerous, there’s no need to worry.”
“...If you say so, I won’t interfere.”
I understood wanting to stay in a place you’d lived your whole life.
At that moment, a loud thump came from behind. The old man and I turned around at the same time.
“...Holy Saint?”
The Holy Saint’s face was bright red, and her eyes were blazing. The sound was from her slamming the diary against the wall.
The old man’s mouth fell open, and I shouted at the Holy Saint in shock.
“Holy Saint, what are you doing!?”
“W-why are the conditions for activating the Holy Sword like this!? This must be wrong!!!”
“What?”
What had she seen?
The Holy Saint looked utterly flustered. Had she read something strange?
Estelle picked up the diary the Holy Saint had thrown and read it slowly. Her eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed.
Eh... that’s a little cute. No, why is her reaction so different?
“Estelle? What’s written there?”
“...I couldn’t read everything, so I’ll tell you the important parts.”
“Yes.”
Estelle spoke in a quiet voice, her cheeks still flushed.
“‘Today I partially activated the Holy Sword. The previously smooth upper edge of the blade has become sharp serrations, or perhaps it resembles feathers. I wondered why it changed, but I think it might be because of what happened yesterday.’”
Yesterday?
“...‘Last night, I was intimate with my beloved Holy Saint.’ It says.”
...Eh?