The Hero Appointment Ceremony (1)
The smallest nation in the world. The Holy City of Civitas. Roughly the size of a large city, Civitas was the spiritual heart of the continent—and its capital.
A place that had always sung of the gods' greatness and held solemnity as its highest virtue, Civitas had recently taken on a festive air, buzzing and boiling with excitement.
At the center of that kettle-hot fervor stood the Pantheon.
Thud-thud-thud-thud—
"Wait for me! Wait!"
Short legs pumping furiously, pink hair streaming behind her.
Priest Ruel was racing to welcome her dear friend—who had left on a mission and come back a Hero.
"Priest Ruel! Hurry! They say she's almost here!"
"Hah… huff… J-just a moment…"
The other priests stamped their feet, urging her on. Ruel was running as hard as she could, but her short legs simply refused to cooperate.
"Argh! Sorry, Priest Ruel!"
"Kyaaah!"
Apparently fed up with Ruel's wobbly pursuit, one of the priestesses slipped an arm under her armpits and hoisted her clean off the ground. Ruel dangled lightly in the air, swinging.
Like a kitten carried by the scruff of its neck, she was hauled along without ceremony.
"U-u-ugh… I'm getting… dizzy…"
"Just hang on a little longer! We're almost there!"
After running for quite some time, the priests arrived at the main avenue that cut through Civitas. The street was already packed with people who had gathered for a glimpse of the Hero.
"Thank goodness! Looks like we made it in time!"
"Hah… huff… huff… P-please… put me down…"
"Oh! Sorry!"
Ruel, green in the face from motion sickness, clutched her knees and gagged while the priestess patted her back.
Then, from far off, the roar of the crowd reached them.
"Waaaaah!"
"Long live the Hero! Long live the Five Great Gods!"
"Lady Kenis! Hero Kenis! Look this way just once!"
The return of the expedition that had set out in search of the gods' traces. Having met a god who watched over the earth, and returning with the Hero chosen by that god, the expedition marched home more splendidly than ever before.
"WAAAAAAAAH!!"
Receiving the frenzied cheers of the people, the expedition advanced with majestic pride. Flowers and colored paper strewn across the sky. Silver armor flashed in the sunlight, and every footstep was measured and precise—not a single misstep among them.
Clack—
Clack—
At the head of the expedition advancing as one body was Hero Kenis.
In one hand she held the holy sword bestowed by the god, leading the procession with crisp, disciplined strides.
"So Kenis really did become a Hero…"
Perched on the shoulder of the priestess beside her, Ruel murmured as she watched. Her own friend, returning as a Hero.
Ruel tilted her head as she watched Kenis and the expedition head toward the Pantheon amid the people's cheers.
Should I call this a triumphant homecoming?
Arriving at the Pantheon to the people's cheers, Kenis immediately followed Demonic to the grand council chamber.
"Hoo—"
Kenis exhaled softly. When she pressed the back of her hand to her face, her cheeks were still burning. She still couldn't believe it.
So many people calling her name, cheering for her!
"Still that thrilled, are you?"
"Ah, Paladin Demonic."
Demonic, who had been leading her, turned to look back.
"Honestly… yes."
"Heh. I see. Well, it's better than freezing up, so I don't mind."
However—
"Kenis, you must remember that you now have a duty to protect all those people. A Hero chosen by the gods must become the sword and shield of humanity."
Gulp.
Under Demonic's steely gaze, Kenis swallowed dryly.
"Yes, I understand!"
Seeing her go rigid with tension, Demonic chuckled and patted her shoulder.
"I didn't mean for you to tense up like that. I was simply saying not to forget a Hero's duty."
"A Hero's duty… Yes, I know it well."
"Good. That's enough, then."
Their conversation stopped at the door. After briefly straightening his attire, Demonic knocked twice, short and sharp.
Knock! Knock!
"Paladin Demonic. I have come with Hero Kenis."
Greeeak—
The massive doors scraped open across the floor. Inside sat thirteen high priests. Seated around a round marble table, they welcomed Demonic and Kenis.
"Oh! Paladin Demonic! And Hero Kenis! Come in, come in."
"Yes, of course."
Demonic entered with familiar ease, while Kenis shuffled in, glancing nervously about. Having all the high priests—people she wouldn't have dared meet eyes with as a trainee holy knight—gathered in one place made it hard to breathe.
"Hero Kenis?"
"Y-yes!"
"If it wouldn't be too much trouble, might we see that sword of yours?"
The high priests made the request politely, but their eyes blazed. Feeling the unspoken pressure, Kenis raised the sword in one hand and poured holy power into it.
Whoooom—!
"Ohhh, so that is the divine sword…"
"Look at that luminous form. Oh, O gods!"
"O almighty Five Gods, protect me with your eternal light…"
"Ahh! Such impossible holy power!"
The grand council chamber began to boil over at the sight of Kenis's raised sword. Everyone present had devoted their entire lives to the faith, searching for proof that the gods had not abandoned the earth.
Now, right before their eyes, they were witnessing evidence that a new god had descended upon the world—and some even shed tears of emotion.
"Everyone, please compose yourselves."
In place of the flustered Kenis, Demonic stepped forward to settle the room.
"Ah, yes. We made rather a spectacle of ourselves for a moment…"
"Not at all. It's perfectly understandable."
After a short while, the high priests calmed down. Someone spoke up.
"I trust none of us has any objection to the fact that trainee holy knight Kenis is the Hero chosen by the gods…"
"Indeed."
"Mm…"
The high priests nodded quietly. Only a fool could fail to sense the immense holy power radiating from that sword. If a blade that poured forth holy power like that wasn't a divine sword, what else could it be?
The matter of Kenis's Hero appointment ceremony proceeded with remarkable speed—so quickly that even Demonic and Kenis were taken aback.
"Then let us move on to the next item. Next is the matter of designating Yustella as a Holy Land."
Bang—!
"Of course it must be declared a Holy Land! Even now, those ignorant adventurers are making off with the god's weapons! Those money-grubbing scoundrels who know neither duty nor dignity!! As soon as possible! Yustella must be declared a Holy Land!"
A bald high priest argued passionately. Several others nodded quietly in agreement.
"But Yustella is a major city. Will the lord simply stand by? He will think we are trying to swallow his city whole. We need a more careful approach."
A gaunt high priest countered. Once again, several high priests nodded.
The atmosphere caught fire, and a fierce debate erupted. Demonic quietly slipped out with the bewildered Kenis.
"Whew…"
The moment they left the room, Kenis wiped her forehead, slick with cold sweat. The experience of having all the elders of the Pantheon gathered in one place, focused entirely on her…
I never want to go through that again…
Demonic laughed as he watched her continually wipe away her sweat.
"Haha. Were you that nervous?"
"Yes…"
Kenis answered weakly. Demonic patted her shoulder.
"You've done well. I won't be calling on you for a while, so get some proper rest."
"Yes, understood…"
Kenis trudged away on unsteady legs.
Looking at her retreating figure, Demonic suddenly saw it overlap with a familiar woman. A woman who had been endlessly bold and unyielding when facing enemies, yet looked particularly drained whenever she had to speak with those of high rank.
"Hmph."
He shook his head, clearing away the thoughts.
"I've grown old."
A bitter smile touched Demonic's lips.
"Keniiiis!"
Bang—!
Kenis, who had been quietly resting in her quarters, jumped at Ruel's sudden visit.
"Ruel?!"
"Kenis! What is going on?! A Hero?!"
"W-wait! Calm down!"
"No! I will not calm down! I waited and waited, and you didn't even come find me!"
Thud-thud-thud!
Ruel's merciless flurry of punches rained down on Kenis! Coming up only to about Kenis's solar plexus, Ruel pummeled her stomach with abandon.
"Huff… huff…"
"Ruel, have you calmed down a bit?"
"Hmph, fine. I'm not talking to you anymore, Kenis!"
Ruel turned away with a huff. Kenis made a helpless face and pulled her into a tight hug.
"I'm sorry, Ruel. I had a lot going on today and I was tired. I was going to come see you a little later."
"…Really?"
Ruel peeked up at Kenis out of the corner of her eye.
"Of course~ How could I forget you of all people, Ruel? Of course I was going to come see you."
Actually I completely forgot—sorry, Ruel!
Kenis offered her silent apology and stroked the head of the girl nestled in her arms.
"I was going to come find you at bath time and ask if you wanted to wash together, but I forgot to come tell you beforehand. I'm sorry, Ruel, okay?"
"…Fine. I'm only letting it go this once!"
With a put-upon expression, Ruel burrowed deeper into Kenis's embrace.
"Hm?"
Nuzzle-nuzzle—
Ruel rubbed her face vigorously against Kenis's stomach.
"Ahaha! That tickles, Ruel!"
"This is your punishment!"
"Aha—ahahaha!"
Burdened by her guilty conscience and unable to pry Ruel off, Kenis had to endure the tickling until the bell rang for bath time.
"Hoo… haah… Let's go wash up now, Ruel."
"Okay! Let's hurry!"
The two walked side by side toward the grand bathhouse, chatting as they went.
Mostly it was Ruel babbling at Kenis, with Kenis offering appropriate replies.
Splash—
A vast bathhouse with steam billowing up. Kenis sank into the hot water and made a sound like a middle-aged man. Ruel, who had carefully followed her in, narrowed her eyes.
"Hooo— that hits the spot."
"Kenis, you just sounded like an old man."
"What?"
"More importantly, Kenis. Tell me about it. How did you end up being appointed as a Hero? Did a new god really appear?"
Ruel's eyes sparkled as she pressed close. Kenis laughed lightly and stroked her hair.
"It's not that big a story. While exploring a dungeon, I happened to run into a Lich…"
"What?! A Lich? That's terrible! You weren't badly hurt, were you?"
Startled, Ruel began patting Kenis all over, checking for injuries. Kenis laughed lightly.
"Ahaha. I'm fine. Perfectly fine now. Anyway, I ran into a Lich and got a bit hurt…"
Kenis gazed at the steam rising toward the ceiling, her focus briefly softening.
"…I got hurt enough that I lost consciousness. In a dream, I saw a vast light. And it bestowed a mission upon me—along with a sword."
"I see… What a truly glorious honor!"
"Yeah. It really is a glorious honor."
Kenis smiled as she stroked the head of the sparkling-eyed Ruel. In truth, she still wasn't certain. Whether she was a vessel worthy of being a Hero. Why the god had chosen her—she still didn't know.
Why me?
Setting the rising question aside, Kenis rose from the bath.
Splash—
Her pure white naked body gleamed, wet with water. Water flowed over her full breasts and down her waist, dripping from her hips. Ruel gazed at that form with eyes full of admiration.
"Wow…"
"Hm? What are you doing, Ruel? Come on, let's get out."
"Ah, yes!"
Kenis and Ruel finished their bath and headed back to their quarters.
"Good night, Kenis! Dream of me!"
"Yeah, good night, Ruel. You dream of me too."
After that, Kenis spent a stretch of peaceful days at the Pantheon. A quiet routine continued—so quiet she nearly forgot she was supposed to head north.
And time flowed swiftly, until the morning of the Hero Appointment Ceremony dawned.