Hero's Party (2)
Leaving Allen and Nameless behind, Erinn’s party stepped into the village hall and soon found themselves face to face with a high-ranking figure from the imperial court. The man who had personally come all the way down to this shabby little village was none other than Left General Salisius, one of the core pillars of the military.
After the Emperor, who held absolute authority over the armed forces, the Minister of War, and the Grand General who actually commanded the army, he ranked as the fourth most powerful man in the entire military hierarchy. He met the four of them with a faintly furrowed brow.
“Sit, all of you.”
It was no easy feat to look stern in front of a banquet that smelled so delicious, yet he managed to project an impressive air of gravity. Erinn took one look at the Left General and let out a soft little laugh.
“Uncle♡ Why are you putting on such a heavy atmosphere~? It doesn’t suit you at all~♡”
“…Hero Erinn. When we are about to discuss serious matters, setting a fitting mood is only natural.”
“Is that so~? But it really doesn’t suit you, Uncle.”
“Are you saying a serious atmosphere does not suit me, the Left General of the military?”
“Well, every time I look at you I just keep seeing that goofy face you make when you’re grinning at a cute little cat♡”
“Q-Quiet!!! That only happened because you barged into my office uninvited…!”
Salisius barked, then finally let the scowl melt away and heaved a long sigh. Erinn giggled at him and asked,
“So why were you putting on that totally unfitting act in the first place~?”
“…Report first. You’re all hungry, so feel free to eat while you talk.”
“Hmm, alright. Dig in, everyone~.”
“Oh, I’ll gratefully dig in! But is there no booze?”
“……Tell the servant over there.”
A Left General stood so high that even a hero’s party could not afford to act cheeky in front of him, and allowing alcohol during an official report was even more unthinkable. The only reason Salisius turned a blind eye and permitted it was because the troublesome girls sitting before him were the very hope of the Dern Empire.
Heroes were those chosen by the holy armaments the stars themselves had bestowed, selected for the sole purpose of eliminating the Demon King—an error in the world itself. Birth, status, even character meant nothing; they were special beings chosen by some unknown criterion. Only their armaments were said to be capable of severing the Demon King’s life, and in truth they could wield power that defied ordinary human understanding.
A hero who freely commanded such power was, in effect, a nation’s military strength. Even if they were not soldiers, they were still citizens of that country. Thus the number of heroes a nation possessed—and the presence of especially outstanding ones—allowed it to exert tremendous influence. Conversely, a nation without heroes was doomed to see its influence steadily wither.
The Dern Empire, once counted among the great powers, had gone a long time without producing a single hero. Then Erinn’s party had appeared. The hero herself had brought her own companions, every one of them an exceptional talent, and from the very beginning the Emperor had ordered that they be treated with special care. Because the party had been gathered by Hero Erinn, it could scatter again at any moment depending on her whims.
That was why Left General Salisius accepted everything—Ser-Aria drinking while she reported, Erinn speaking with open insolence.
“…And that’s the end of it!”
“After the Lizard Lord was subjugated, a golem belonging to the Magic Corps Commander appeared.”
“Even if the Magic Corps Commander made it, a golem is still just a golem. It did unleash some powerful attacks, of course, but it was slow and weak against sudden changes in the situation.”
After hearing Letisia’s assessment, Salisius spoke.
“So even the Magic Corps Commander’s golem couldn’t overcome those limitations. That’s fortunate information, if nothing else. However.”
He voiced the question that truly interested him.
“The important point is why the Magic Corps Commander left his own golem in a dungeon like that. A golem’s role is generally to guard something.”
He asked,
“Was there something inside the dungeon?”
“Hmm….”
Erinn thought for a moment about whether there had been anything, but what Ser-Aria had reported and what she herself knew matched perfectly. She gave a little shake of her head and smiled.
“Not really~? Oh, there weren’t any cats, though~♡”
“…That is not what I asked. The fact that there was nothing is strange in itself. Then why leave a golem in the dungeon?”
“We don’t know either~ Want to go look into it yourself, Uncle~?”
With that, Erinn popped a neatly sliced piece of pork into her mouth and swallowed it whole.
“…If you don’t know, fine. More importantly, listen carefully.”
“To what~?”
“You will head to the Estire Kingdom tomorrow.”
“Huh?”
Erinn tilted her head with a sly little grin, while Letisia looked puzzled.
“The Estire Kingdom? Why suddenly go there?”
“Pfft, did something happen to the Estire Kingdom’s hero~?”
Erinn snickered.
“You mean that ‘genital’ hero~♡”
“It is not genitals—it is the Hero of the Holy Flag! Making such an insulting remark about another nation’s hero will cause a major incident!!”
The title attached to a hero indicated the form of the holy armament they had received. In Erinn’s case, she had been chosen by the Holy Sword, so she was the Hero of the Holy Sword. Therefore the Hero of the Holy Flag meant that this hero’s armament was a banner—and a rather large command flag at that, the holy relic belonging to the Estire Kingdom’s hero.
“Anyway, it’s still a ‘flag’ that sounds exactly the same as genitals♡”
“…Please do not say such things in front of the person in question. If you damage the honor of a foreign hero, it could escalate into an international diplomatic crisis.”
“So what’s the actual problem~?”
Salisius let out a small sigh.
“Nothing has happened to the hero himself, but a monster wave has broken out there.”
“…Hmm.”
Erinn reacted with mild indifference, but Letisia and Freya took it more seriously.
“A monster wave means the Demon King’s army has appeared in person, doesn’t it?”
“Where did the Canal open?”
A Canal was a massive transport device used by the Demon King’s army to move large quantities of monsters in a single stroke. It had earned the name because monsters poured out of it like water gushing from a waterway.
Salisius answered Freya’s question.
“The northeast of the Estire Kingdom.”
“What? That’s….”
“Yes. The location of the Estire Kingdom’s largest wheat-producing region. If we leave things as they are, even if it’s fine for the moment, within a few months the entire population will starve to death from food shortages.”
“That’s….”
Freya looked down at the grilled fish she had been eating with a touch of pity. Salisius continued,
“That is why you must go to the Estire Kingdom and help them.”
“That’s a big deal. Are other countries sending support too~?”
At Erinn’s question, Salisius closed his mouth.
“Pfft♡ Of course they’re not coming~? I figured as much~.”
“…As you know, the other nations would prefer to see the Estire Kingdom weakened by this.”
“Whereas we import a huge amount of wheat from them and export plenty of commercial goods in return, so we’re a premium customer~?”
Erinn speared another piece of meat and swallowed it. Salisius swallowed a quiet groan at the sight of this cheeky little brat who always managed to put her finger on the hidden facts with such precision.
“Customer support has to be solid, after all~♡”
“…Do not think of it only in such a negative light. Protecting that place means saving countless citizens of the Estire Kingdom, and potentially our own people as well.”
“Pfft, what are you so worried about, Uncle~? I never said I wouldn’t go♡”
Erinn said,
“I just thought the cost-benefit calculations of a bunch of old men who’ll die soon haven’t changed one bit~♡”
“…Then I leave it to you.”
With those words, Salisius produced a money pouch heavy with funds.
“This is the money His Majesty has granted for this support mission.”
“Hmm. Surprisingly heavy?”
Erinn handed the pouch to Ser-Aria. The elf casually untied it, peered inside, and said,
“What? This is all they’re giving us?”
“How much is it?”
“The regular support funds arrived not long ago. Taking that into account, the optimal amount would be….”
“Fifty silver and eighty copper.”
Ser-Aria counted the coins in an instant, and Salisius closed his mouth for the second time. There was a reason the pouch felt heavy: it contained not a single gold coin, only silver and copper.
Erinn heard the sum and let out a short snort of laughter.
“It is the optimal amount, I guess. Six people renting decent rooms and eating three meals a day… the trip to the Estire Kingdom alone would cost about seven or eight silver per person~?”
“…….”
“Huh, nothing left over? Depending on the situation we might even come up short~? We can’t even afford a carriage♡”
“…About that.”
“Maybe I should just quit being a hero if there’s no performance bonus system either~.”
“I-If the subjugation succeeds, of course there will be reward money! Not only from our empire—the Estire Kingdom will pay as well!”
Erinn shot Salisius a sidelong glance. The usual mischievous smile vanished completely, replaced by a faintly bitter curve of the lips as she asked,
“Is that bitch trying to keep me in check again?”
“…Please understand.”
Erinn jerked her chin at Ser-Aria in a signal to pocket the money, then rose from her seat. She had eaten her fill and the conversation was over; she clearly had no desire to listen any longer. At her movement, Ser-Aria, Letisia, and Freya all stood as well.
“This country really is rotten~♡ Why they keep that idiot as Minister of War, I’ll never know~?”
Salisius had no reply to Erinn’s sarcasm. As soon as she left the room, the rest of the party followed. Freya, the last to go, gave him a small bow of farewell; the moment she was gone, Salisius let out a deep, heavy sigh.
“…I have nothing to say.”
“Erinn.”
As they left the village hall, Ser-Aria quietly called to her.
“C-Could we talk for a moment, just the two of us?”
“Hmm?”
“Tell them I’m going to the bathroom and give me a little time.”
“…Hmm.”
Erinn glanced at Freya and Letisia.
“I’m gonna hit the bathroom with Aria for a sec~ She says her bladder’s about to explode♡”
“Alright.”
“We’ll wait for you.”
Answering Ser-Aria’s call, Erinn headed for the restroom with her.
“Letisia and Freya are waiting, so keep it short~.”
“It won’t take long.”
“So what is it~?”
“…It’s about Allen.”
“Hmm?”
Erinn found that unexpected. For Allen’s name to suddenly come out of Ser-Aria’s mouth—and for him to be the subject of a secret conversation like this—was curious enough to make her tilt her head with interest.
“What about the scrub~?”
“I think he’s planning to leave the party.”
“…Ha?”
Erinn looked a little dumbfounded.
“Why would you think that?”
“W-Well, the Left General asked earlier, right? Whether the golem had been guarding something….”
“He did~?”
“Allen actually found it.”
“…Hmm?”
Erinn nodded for her to continue. Ser-Aria recalled the orb Allen had been carrying at the time.
“When you two finished off the Lizard Lord, Allen went somewhere, so I followed him. And this guy who never paid attention to that sort of thing was secretly stashing something away.”
She went on,
“He asked me to keep it secret because he didn’t want to talk about it. I figured everyone has their private reasons, so I was going to look the other way… but what the Left General said just now makes me pretty sure it was that item.”
Ser-Aria was not telling Erinn because her promise to Allen meant little. What mattered more than that promise was that a hero, at the very least, needed to know any information related to the Demon King’s army.
“I thought you needed to know, Erinn. A hero can’t be left in the dark about Demon King army intel.”
“I see~.”
Erinn still regarded her with open curiosity.
“So how does that connect to Allen leaving the party? Explain~.”
“If the Magic Corps Commander stationed a golem to protect it, it has to be something incredibly useful. Even I could tell it was a high-grade artifact. Why would Allen suddenly covet something like that behind our backs?”
Ser-Aria carefully offered her guess.
“Isn’t he trying to build up the strength to stand on his own so he can leave the party? Honestly, I couldn’t think of any other explanation.”
“…It’s not completely impossible~.”
“Yeah. As party leader, I wanted you to know.”
“Mm, I get what you’re saying.”
Erinn decided she would have to speak with Allen separately. Then Ser-Aria added,
“Maybe… he’s trying to leave because I drink too much?”
“…….”
Erinn usually left her party members free to do as they pleased, but she could not bring herself to deny that one. Even in her eyes, Ser-Aria’s drinking was excessive.
“I knew it… ugh, but I can’t live without booze!”
“Mm, I’m fine with it, Aria.”
“I knew Erinn was on my side! But if Allen hates it and leaves….”
“About that….”
Erinn thought of Allen and said,
“I’ll talk to him~.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’ll figure that out starting now~♡”
With that, she spun on her heel and walked away from the restroom. Ser-Aria hurried after her with a slightly flustered expression.
“You’re back?”
“It took a little while.”
“Aria took a dump~♡”
“You didn’t have to say that….”
Erinn snickered as they left the village hall. The moment they stepped outside, Allen and Nameless were waiting.
…Hmm?
The instant Erinn laid eyes on Allen, her interest sharpened. After hearing Ser-Aria’s story and looking carefully, she could see that something about him had changed. Something that had never been present in Allen before was now faintly detectable.
He still did not know how to draw it out or control it, so it was only dimly hidden… but it was unmistakably magic power.
For real?
At this point Ser-Aria’s guess gained real weight. As Allen’s childhood friend, Erinn knew him better than anyone. Allen had never been the type to take an interest in that sort of thing.
He had never liked fighting to begin with; that was why he had always been a bit of a foolish, pure-hearted guy.
Even on the day Erinn had been chosen as a hero….
…I need to look into this.
So she sent the rest of the party back to the inn first. She wanted to speak with Allen alone.
The Allen she knew would eventually spill the truth if she took the time to talk things through. The moment they were alone, Erinn brought up what she had sensed.
“Scrub, you~♡”
“…What?”
“Where’d you get that magic power~?”
“……?”
He flinched. Erinn watched Allen’s face flood with panic. He tried to hide the expression, but after years of watching him… she could catch even the smallest change.
“You’d better answer properly~♡”
“…Hold on. Magic power? What are you talking about.”
“I can feel it clearly. The others might not notice, but at least I know~?”
Erinn laughed softly.
“I really hate guys who lie~♡”
Allen was now sweating coldly, scrambling for an excuse. Watching that reaction, Erinn felt a small jolt of surprise.
Really…?
If he had simply picked it up by chance, or if he just wanted to get stronger, there would have been no reason to hide it from her this desperately. A little scolding or teasing and it would have been over.
But he was hesitating. He was fretting like someone who had been caught with something he absolutely could not afford to have discovered. Why?
Because he was harboring other thoughts.
If, just as Ser-Aria had said, he was trying to build strength so he could leave the party….
Erinn’s eyes widened.
“So what happened was….”
“…Allen.”
“…Huh?”
The moment that thought struck her, it was Erinn whose heart grew restless. Her expression slipped for an instant, and the words tumbled out ahead of her better judgment.
“Are you trying to leave the party…?”
Only after asking did she belatedly realize what her face must look like; she hurriedly rearranged it. Had he noticed her anxiety at the idea of him leaving? Erinn felt a flicker of tension.
“W-What? Me leave? Why would I leave?”
But Allen either failed to catch her expression or was simply more frantic himself; he shook his head hard in denial.
“I absolutely, seriously, for reeeal have zero intention of leaving???”
Erinn’s eyes rounded slightly. Allen immediately began firing words like a machine gun.
“Even if I left, what would I do with myself? Go back to the countryside and plow fields for the rest of my life? Sure, it might be fine for a while, but that kind of life is so boring I couldn’t last. Even if I’m a useless porter who can’t fight, helping you guys while you fight is way more rewarding….”
After rambling for a while, Allen looked at her with a faintly uneasy gaze and asked,
“…Are you trying to kick me out?”
“…Pfft♡”
Erinn burst into light laughter. She felt relieved. At least it did not seem that Allen was trying to leave the party.
With her mischievous smile restored, she lightly tore into him while still giving him the answer that would put him at ease.
“I’m not kicking you out. If I did, you’d probably just drop dead somewhere~? Because you’re a scrub, Allen♡”
“…Uh, yeah.”
Erinn giggled and said,
“Let’s go stock up on supplies, scrub♡”