Doubts of the Hero's Return
After the defeat at the hands of the orcs, the atmosphere in the church was in chaos. A humiliating rout with countless warriors lost for no good reason. And as if the monsters had heard the news, reports were piling up that their assaults were growing fiercer by the day.
"Hoo..."
But the bishop from Central Command was agonizing over a different issue altogether. A single question mark tossed by his old friend. It wouldn't leave his mind.
"No matter how I look at it, it's hard to believe."
The traces left by that man called Huu were truly extraordinary. An unfathomable depth of Holy Power and the combat prowess he'd displayed. So the branch manager suspected him of being a descendant of the Hero, but...
"This... it matches the Hero's own records too closely..."
The bishop muttered as he fiddled with the yellowed, worn pages of an ancient tome. Chronicles recording everything about the Hero who had vanished alongside the Demon King. The section he'd marked matched the reports exactly.
Slicing through space with masterful swordsmanship to unleash Holy Power, or firing it in a straight line like a comet, and so on.
"...No, no... What am I even..."
But it didn't make sense. A man dead for centuries. How could he come back to life and wander around?
"If we had the Holy Sword... verifying it would be simple..."
He strung together random words in desperation. Whether he was the Hero himself or a descendant who inherited his power, handing him the Holy Sword the Hero once wielded would reveal the truth at once.
"Hoo... That's impossible too."
But he soon realized he was talking nonsense. With the Holy Sword lost alongside the Hero's disappearance, how could he possibly hand it over?
"What a shame... such a shame..."
A conclusion that left a bitter aftertaste. If he truly was the Hero, he'd be a powerful weapon to quell the rampaging monsters. And if their frenzy meant they sensed his presence... it might just be a reliable card up their sleeve.
"...For now, we should do what we can."
After much deliberation, the bishop hardened his resolve in a different direction. And a few days later, the church announced the selection of a new saintess candidate.
The road with Ludia felt lighthearted. No need to tense up with fear of our identities being exposed on the way into the church. And being just the two of us made conversations flow more easily than before, more comfortably.
"(Immigrant tribe?? You, bitch?!)"
"Yes... That's why we've been chased around since I was little."
Some unpleasant memory must have surfaced. Ludia's face darkened after she finished speaking.
"Wherever we went, we were treated as outsiders. Whenever something happened in the village, they'd blame us... Even when we cleared the wasteland to settle, they'd drive us out."
"....."
"But the place we settled right before I became a saintess candidate was nice. The lord there said we could stay as long as we paid the settlement fee."
"(So you gave all the support funds for saintess candidates to the lord?!)"
"Yes..."
"(All of it???) "
"Uh... yes..."
"Ugh... (Hey, you idiot...)"
Was she totally scammed?! He barely swallowed the words rising to his throat.
Mari had said the support funds for saintess candidates were substantial. Enough to match a minor lord's income, just to maintain dignity. And she gave it all away?? Was she generous or just pure?
Even in this world without common sense, it was laughable.
"Hmmm... But now I'm no longer a saintess candidate, what should I do? No more money coming in... Should I try earning with something else?"
"(With what?!)"
"Hmm... Start a business?"
("You're too gullible with people—you can't! Sucker of suckers, that's you, bitch!)"
"Hah... Or maybe..."
("Anything but business!")
"Then... bandits?"
"...??"
That absurd, bizarre suggestion left him speechless. A girl who was a saintess candidate just days ago, suggesting banditry. What was her moral compass? How did she even become a candidate?
Looking at her in disbelief, she made an "oh crap" face.
"Th-that... If Master Huu just stands in front... I could use Holy Power from behind..."
"...."
Thwack.
"Ow!"
Nonsense deserved a flick to the forehead. And why was she so casually including him in her bandit scheme?
He lightly flicked her forehead with his finger. But the sting lingered; she quickly turned teary-eyed, cradling it with both hands.
"(Nonsense! Never heard of a Holy Power bandit! Kuhahaha!)"
"Hmph... There's no other way to make big money..."
("Then bake bread or sew clothes!")
"But who would buy from an immigrant kid..."
"...."
"Even if I worked hard, they'd call it poisoned and throw it away or just steal it..."
("Holy shit! What a world full of bastards!)"
This world's backdrop was somewhere in medieval Europe. Maybe discriminating against immigrants was par for the course.
But feeling it right beside him, it went from absurd to infuriating.
"At least the prettier girls in the village got sold to nobles and pocketed some gold..."
"......"
"Ugh... I..."
Ludia shuddered, trailing off. She clearly hated the thought.
Sure enough, this naive innocent didn't seem cut out for coquetry in front of men. One wrong word and she'd probably burst into tears and bolt.
But... why did that mere thought make his chest tighten?
"...? Master Huu, are you okay?? "
"(...?? Fine! Just thinking something else!)"
"What kind of thought?"
Yeah, punching the face of a noble trying to take you as a concubine.
It was just a simple hypothetical, but suddenly his mind was vividly slapping the cheek of some lecherous noble pawing at Ludia.
...And even that didn't vent his rage. What was this feeling? Somehow, saying it aloud felt embarrassing.
("Doesn't matter!)"
"Hmmm... Okay..."
("Anyway! Don't even think about that nonsense relying on your looks, bitch!)"
"Me?? I'm... not that pretty..."
("What are you talking about! There's no prettier bitch than you! Among all the females I've seen, you're the best of the best!)"
"...!"
A big chunk suddenly vanished from his heart, leaving a void. Was saying "you're the prettiest" really that easy??
Uh... Wait, why did he even want to say that to her??
His mind tangled unwittingly, his face heating up just like hers.
Poke.
And then the contact. Ludia naturally slipped one of his arms into her embrace. Maybe because no one was around. Since the river incident, she'd been much more forward.
"Hmph... Was that the ring's voice just now... or Master Huu's real thoughts?"
("I-I don't know!!)"
"Eek. You can't say that. Even if it's a lie, saying stuff like that is trouble..."
("Why? Does your body heat up hard?! Kuhahaha!!)"
"Hahhh.... It's all because of the Brand......"
Ludia blushed furiously, unable to retort. A bit miffed, her lips puffed out.
"...."
That plump pink flesh. Sucking it into his mouth, slurping away...
...No, no. When did he do that?
Having weird thoughts in the middle of the road—must be fatigue lately. Ever since the river, his self-control shook at random moments.
("Ahem! Anyway! Let's avoid these talks from now on!)"
"Ah... You don't have to..."
("And how about you wear this?! If you talk and I stay silent, people might misunderstand!)"
They'd soon appear before people. This setup was enough to make anyone question Ludia's sanity.
So he reached into his pocket and pulled something out.
("You can put it on and take it off freely anyway! It's not crappy like mine!)"
A crude wooden ring. Once worn by the yellow bitch... no, Amelia. The Commander's Whisper.
"Um... Lady Amelia... probably reported us, right?"
Ludia stared at the ring and said.
("Bet she did! That yellow bitch would totally do it.)"
"Yeah..."
Amelia had learned their identities and left. They'd hurried away, but no news since. If she'd returned to base and reported, a continent-wide kill order would have come by now.
...Hadn't made it back yet? Either way, good for them.
"But... if I wear this, my voice comes through, right? Not some weird sound like yours??"
("Of course!)"
"And it won't make my body hurt or anything?"
Ludia's eyes sparkled. He'd thought she'd hesitate since Amelia wore it once.
("Probably not! If it did, that yellow bitch wouldn't have used it so much! Kuhaha!)"
"Huh... You used it a lot with Master Huu?"
("Huh?)"
"You said you didn't talk much to me..."
"......"
What did he do wrong?
If Ludia were a haughty elf or bunny beastkin, her ears would flop down. Her eyes and shoulders drooped toward the ground.
("Shut up! Anyway, hand over your hand! I'll put it on!)"
"Hmmm... Okay. Where does it go?"
Dismissive at his bluster. Back when they met, she'd only trembled with "Eek!" or cried. Who knew she had faces like this? A new side of her.
("Pick anywhere! Effect's the same no matter where!)"
"...Th-then..."
Slide.
Ludia crossed her arms and extended one hand shyly. Her left.
"H-here."
She raised her ring finger slightly.
("Perfect! Matches mine! Kuhahaha!!)"
He carefully slipped the ring onto Ludia's ring finger. Then lightly kissed it, pressing the ring to his forehead with a pop.
"(C-can... you hear me?)"
("Loud and clear!)"
"(...Hehehe... This is so cool.)"
Ludia grinned, examining the ring curiously. The crude wooden band on her white, soft hand. Sunlight glinted, filtering through her fingers.
"....?"
Wait. Doesn't this make it couple rings?
Days of walking and more walking. After trudging far through dense forest, they finally reached their destination.
"Hahk... huff... hahk... We... made it..."
Ludia panted heavily, pointing to a village encircled by wooden fences at her fingertips. A settlement carved from the woods.
When following her, he'd doubted anyone lived this deep. But people really did...
Smoke from cooking and daily noises drifted from within the palisade. And a relaxed smile spread across Ludia's face as she gazed at it.
"..?! Oh! Ludia!!!"
"Huh??"
A guard far off spotted them and came running.