The Heart That Bears a Human Shape
"Well then, shall we have a talk?"
He slowly raised his sword above his head. The moment that terrifying pressure swept over Elsid's entire body, he reflexively lifted his wooden sword with both hands and thrust it forward.
"With swords!"
Whoosh! In the blink of an eye, Ark's blade closed the distance and crashed into Elsid's sword with the force of a raging torrent.
BOOM! The sound that rang through the vast solitary chamber was less like blades clashing and more like a cannonball exploding. But it didn't end there.
"Ugh..."
Just from blocking a single strike, the ground beneath his feet sank, and his arms trembled violently. Though pain hammered through his entire body in real time, Elsid gritted his teeth and held on, refusing to let the sword slip from his grasp.
"As expected, that sword is no ordinary blade. Your reflexes and defensive posture are also excellent."
After that single downward strike, Ark withdrew his black sword and returned it to its scabbard. This wasn't so much a conversation through swords as it was Ark unilaterally swinging his blade to evaluate what kind of person Elsid was.
'So this is the man once called a hero... the strongest warrior...'
He stood at a height so distant that Elsid couldn't even begin to measure it. He had thought he understood, but once again he realized just how far away "the strongest" truly was.
"Come to think of it, I never asked your name. What is it?"
"El... sid."
Still reeling from the shock that coursed through him, Elsid managed to speak his name in fragments.
"You seem qualified. Sit. I have something to tell you..."
Ark snapped his fingers. Two black chairs suitable for one person each materialized before them.
"This is...?"
"Even if I look like this, I'm a half-demon. I can use simple magic. Since it's made of mana, it won't hold its shape for more than thirty minutes, but that should be enough time for a conversation."
"A conversation?"
"Yes. The story of how, decades ago, the bodies of five heroes—excluding myself—vanished from the heroes' and warriors' graves all on the same day."
It was a story far too heavy for someone like Elsid, who held no great position and had only recently become a D-rank adventurer at best.
"Even though the descendants of the tombkeeper clan, who have guarded the heroes' graves for thousands of years, were watching over them."
"For thousands of years... does that mean the first hero's grave is also there?"
"No. The graves of the heroes and warriors are scattered across dozens of secret locations throughout the continent of Carnea, unknown to anyone. And the moment a tombkeeper of that era dies, the 'Eternal Magic' engraved upon their bodies automatically binds those graves to the 'Garden of the Gods.'"
It was the first time he had heard such a tale. The tombkeeper clan, the Eternal Magic, and the Garden of the Gods... Though the conversation was serious, the words stirred a deep curiosity within him.
"But why tell me all this?"
"Let me ask you one thing. If someone were to steal the bodies of the heroes and warriors to use them, who would come to mind first?"
"Necromancers..."
Elsid answered immediately, the word rising unbidden.
"Correct. Even though we defeated the Demon King and his core forces—the Six Demon Generals—a hundred years ago with the combined strength of the heroes and myself, remnants of their army still remain, scattered across the land. Among those remnants, the largest surviving force is the necromancers..."
Ark's voice trailed off, as if deeply regretting having left that faction behind. Though his expression was hidden behind his helmet, Elsid imagined it must be filled with sorrow and found himself unable to offer any words. He knew all too well how useless clumsy consolation could be.
"It's something I don't even want to think about, but if they were to be used by the necromancers against their will and forced to slaughter the innocent, I might have no choice but to cut down my old friends with my own hands."
After a brief silence, Ark continued. Elsid could feel the profound grief in those words.
"Elsid, was it? I heard you defeated a chimera. In that case, did you happen to encounter any necromancers as well?"
"Yes, I did meet one..."
It had been during an incident that occurred when he returned to his hometown, unrelated to the chimera. He thought the necromancer's name had been Crane.
"Then may I ask you for a favor, Swordsman Elsid...?"
"What is it?"
When Elsid nodded and confirmed he had met a necromancer, Ark addressed him as a swordsman and made his request. Elsid thought to himself that he was receiving quite a lot of requests today and asked in return.
"Could you find and bring back the bodies of my friends...?"
The weight of that request was too heavy for any one person to bear.
"Can't you search for them yourself?"
Because of that, Elsid had no choice but to ask the question.
"Unfortunately, I cannot leave this temple. Due to the curse the Demon King left behind before his death, the moment I step outside, I will become a monster devoid of any sense of self—a calamity upon mankind."
Though he had asked, Elsid had more or less expected this answer. If Ark could have searched on his own, he would have been the first to set out. To Elsid, these were merely legendary heroes and warriors, but to Ark, they were comrades who had shared memories and emotions. That fact made it all the more heartbreaking.
"Understood. I will definitely find them."
"Thank you... truly..."
Now that he knew the truth, refusal was no longer an option. Ark's voice overflowed with genuine gratitude at Elsid's words.
After finishing their conversation, Elsid turned and left. No one tried to stop him, and neither of them turned back. The hero and the swordsman parted without even a farewell.
***
Elsid opened the black door and stepped out of the vast chamber.
"So, how does it feel to have met the hero Ark?"
The moment he emerged, Bruce—the sharp-featured man who had been waiting—approached and asked.
"Did he happen to ask you for a favor as well?"
"Yes, I heard everything. So what exactly happened with the 'body theft incident'?"
To solve a problem, one had to first understand its full scope. That was why Elsid asked Bruce, who seemed to know at least something about the matter.
"Unfortunately, we don't know the details either. The god worshipped by the tombkeeper clan follows a different religious doctrine from our temple, so they're quite closed off. The only certainty is that this was the work of necromancers."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Traces of large quantities of death energy and the unique marks left by necromancy were found at the excavated graves."
"I see. Then it's confirmed."
He had suspected as much, but now at least the culprits were certain.
"I wonder what he must be feeling... No matter how much of a hero he is, having his friends' bodies stolen as a fellow human being..."
"A human, you say... Do you truly think so?"
Had something in Elsid's words struck Bruce as odd? The man suddenly asked with a grave expression.
"Of course. He's a person, isn't he?"
"Pardon me, but Lord Ark's body has been largely overtaken by demonic flesh and power... To still call him human..."
Bruce tried to object with a doubtful look, but Elsid cut him off.
"His heart still has the shape of a human."
"He has things he cherishes, things he wants to protect, and dreams he wishes to fulfill."
His eyes held not a single tremor or shadow of doubt.
"Even if his appearance differs, if we can't call that human, then what should we call it?"
Elsid smiled as he spoke, his gaze unwavering and radiant. Bruce's expression stiffened for a moment before softening.
"Haha... You're right. He is human. No matter what anyone says."
As if he had only now realized something so obvious, Bruce let out a dry laugh and muttered to himself.
"Thanks for reminding me of what I'd forgotten. Here, take this."
Bruce pulled something from his robes and tossed it to Elsid. Elsid caught it swiftly and examined it—a silver pendant shaped like a sixteen-pointed star, or perhaps a manifestation of light itself.
"That is proof of being a 'collaborator' of the Temple of Pios. From now on, no temple knight will bar your way at any temple that bears the name of the god Pios. And if necessary, you may also receive the temple's support."
Having handed over the silver pendant, Bruce abandoned his earlier casual tone and spoke with the utmost courtesy and formality.
"So please, help Lord Ark, who is more alone than anyone, and ensure that the terrible fate of his deceased friends being used does not come to pass."
Bruce bowed his head in request. For a moment, Elsid found himself speechless at the gesture.
"Understood."
But he quickly regained his composure and answered. He had already resolved to find them no matter what, but Bruce's words only strengthened his determination.
"Then the next time we meet, I'll be sure to bring good news."
With those final words, Elsid turned and retraced his steps. Since the path was a straight line, even someone as directionally challenged as Elsid had no fear of getting lost.
"Please take care of yourself."
Watching Elsid's retreating figure, Bruce murmured quietly to himself.