Lucy, Where on Earth Is the Holy Sword?
Demon Hero.
It was, quite literally, the antithesis of a Hero.
The entire party was referred to as the Demon Heroes, and they addressed one another solely by their class titles.
Because each member of their party served as a direct rival to a member of the Hero's party, victory was impossible unless you trained Lucy and the others to transcendent levels specifically optimized for the DLC.
Once Chapter 2 began, one of the Demon Heroes would appear at random to become Lucy's dedicated rival.
Usually, a spearman would appear to mirror Lucy's swordplay. However, if luck wasn't on your side, a trickster-type enemy utilizing magic, hidden weapons, and poison might show up instead, throwing all future plans into chaos.
There was also one more thing to be extremely careful of.
The thief's path.
Right at the start of Chapter 2, the thief would receive an invitation to join the Demon Hero party.
Though she would refuse at first, if the player failed to assist her properly during the events of Chapter 2, she would be pushed into the worst crisis of her life and defect to the enemy side.
The game's narrative was cruel; it structured events so that Labin had no choice but to become a Demon Hero if she wanted to survive.
In short, it was a brutal difficulty curve. You had to look after Labin to prevent her defection, all while praying for good luck in Lucy's rival lottery.
It was typical for a DLC, but for Rin, who had to navigate this reality in person, it was an absolute nightmare.
"Ah, wait. I almost forgot. We have to avoid Rheinfold's lackeys too, don't we?"
If they were caught, he would be forced back into the Hero's party before he could even power up.
Unlike Rin, who felt like he might choke on his own frustration despite his deadened emotions, Lucy looked bright and cheerful.
"How do I look, Rin? My hair is brown now!"
No, she was forcing herself to act excessively cheerful.
Having dyed her hair to hide her identity as the Hero, Lucy spun around in a circle before him.
Rin offered a small smile and nodded.
As Lucy looked at him, her eyes trembled with anxiety.
She knew all too well that she was no better than Labin.
Labin could get angry on Rin's behalf over his past mistreatment, worry about him with genuine sincerity, and laugh freely while sharing trivial banter. Unlike Lucy, Labin had a clear conscience.
That bright, cheerful master thief suited Rin far better than she ever could.
That was why she forced herself to act even brighter.
She tried to cast off her jealousy, flashing fresh smiles and pretending everything was fine—acting like a normal, healthy girl.
She wanted to prove that she could do it too, just like Labin.
But.
My stomach is churning. I feel like I'm going to throw up.
Because she couldn't feel his heartbeat, the world felt like it was spinning.
Her arms, which weren't wrapped around Rin, felt stiff and awkward, like those of a wooden scarecrow.
Hiding the cold sweat trickling down the back of her neck, she took a deep, shaky breath.
Her strained, crooked smile looked like a cracked mirror.
Rin was well aware that Lucy was jealous of Labin.
The reason he remained a quiet observer, rather than focusing on soothing her as he normally would, was because of the Holy Sword.
As established before, the Holy Sword was a bound item, meaning it could not be stored inside the Luggage Carrier's Bag.
Naturally, it couldn't be placed in a standard inventory either.
Yet, at the waist of the Hero who had supposedly restored her limbs and summoned the weapon back, there was no sign of the Holy Sword—not even a simple dagger.
The Holy Sword was missing.
She lacked the very weapon required to face the enemies that would inevitably appear as the DLC's main plot kicked off—especially the demons.
That made no sense. Labin had explicitly stated that the Holy Sword had soared out of the imperial palace and flown toward Epaltelga.
"Lucy."
When preparing for any operation, one had to assume the worst-case scenario.
But Rin desperately wanted to avoid this particular worst-case scenario.
Clinging to a sliver of hope, he opened his mouth to ask her.
"Where is the Holy S—"
Slam!
"Sorry to keep you waiting! Ugh, those damn Triumvirate bastards are a pain in the ass."
"You're one of the Triumvirate, Boss."
"Shut it, Adora."
The conversation Rin had carefully tried to start was cut short by the sudden intrusion of Labin and Adora.
Rin closed his mouth, while Lucy, who had been eager to finally hear him speak, glared at the newcomers with resentment.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"...Hmph."
Even though she must have sensed the tense atmosphere, Labin asked nonchalantly. Lucy immediately looked away.
"What a weirdo."
Labin just smirked, completely unfazed by the Hero's blatant hostility. Just how thick-skinned was she?
Rin wanted to stay out of it, but Adora was desperately signaling him from behind Labin. With a sigh, he stepped in.
"Good job. Is the annoying business finished?"
"No, something even more annoying is waiting for us."
"Even more annoying?"
"A Triumvirate meeting is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon."
The Triumvirate. It was the title given to the heads of the three guilds representing wealth, military power, and intelligence.
These roles were filled by the Merchant Guild, the Mercenary Guild, and the Thief Guild, respectively.
Why did a thief represent intelligence, you ask?
To reiterate, Labin was the woman who had dragged Waltercroix's reputation as a lawless city out of the shadows and into the light.
Put another way, she had permanently silenced every key figure from the other guilds who dared to claim they were the brains of the city.
Whenever a major issue arose regarding the governance of Waltercroix, the Triumvirate and their subordinate guilds would gather to decide their course of action. That was the Triumvirate meeting.
Yet, for a gathering of the city's most powerful figures, the suddenness of the summons was highly suspicious.
"The agenda is raising awareness about the appearance of demons, and rooting out any potential demons hiding within the city."
"Usually, they give us at least a week's notice," Adora chimed in. "But since they're just dropping this on us for tomorrow, it feels like they've already set the stage."
Adora pointed out the anomaly.
"I think so too," Labin agreed.
"Boss, then should we postpone the meeting for now?"
"No use. They've probably already factored a postponement into their plans. Giving them more time will only let them prepare more tricks."
"What do you think their angle is?"
Labin let out a scoffing laugh.
"Information Officer."
"Yes, Boss?"
"Exactly. You're the information officer."
"Ah."
Realizing what Labin meant, Adora let out a soft sigh.
"I'll go gather the intel."
"See you at midnight."
On her way out, Adora glanced back at Rin and gave him a small wave.
Without thinking, Rin reflexively waved back, only to freeze under the intense glare of two pairs of eyes suddenly locked onto him.
"Let me know how it goes~"
Labin was the one who had sent her out to work, so why was Rin the one suffering the collateral damage?
The instigator herself, Adora, slipped out of the room without looking back.
"You two seem close."
"Not at all."
In this city, he couldn't afford to trust anyone other than Lucy and Labin.
Pleased by his immediate denial, Labin relaxed her sharp gaze.
"What do you think about this meeting?"
"Are you asking me?"
"Yeah, Lee. I'm asking you."
Rin rolled his thoughts over, despite finding it tedious.
"Are the Triumvirate on good terms?"
"Do you think they would be?"
Not a chance. The very reason there were three heads was to keep each other in check.
"Are you the strongest among them?"
"Probably the most eyesore."
An outsider who had appeared out of nowhere, seized control of the insignificant Thief Guild, and propelled it to the rank of the Triumvirate in a single bound. That was Labin's current position.
"Then it's obvious. They're using the demon hunt as a pretext to oust you."
"Why do you have to say it so bluntly?!"
"Because if you're gone, this place will naturally revert to the old Waltercroix."
"Haha."
Despite his dry response, Labin beamed.
"Smart as always."
"Anyone could figure that out."
"Only someone who's been through the wringer. They'd know by instinct."
Suddenly, Labin pulled a large cloth wrapper from her pocket.
She dragged a chair over and gestured for Lucy to sit, but the Hero turned her head away, ignoring her.
"But you, Lee, you lead me to the answer and make me understand it through a simple question and answer."
Labin tapped her own hair.
Only then did Lucy realize her own hair had grown shaggy and uneven.
Reluctantly, Lucy sat down. Labin draped the cloth around her neck and reached into her pocket once more, pulling out not a dagger, but a pair of scissors that gleamed with a fine silver light.
"Now, Arciel's left arm. My greatest rival, Lee. What do you think I should do in this situation? Two heads of the Triumvirate are trying to bury me."
Before cutting, Labin combed through Lucy's hair.
Though neither of them mentioned it, Rin combed Lucy's hair every morning and night, so the comb slid through smoothly without a single snag.
"There's no such thing as a clean slate in this world, so they'll bring up your dirty laundry at the meeting. But doing it out of the blue would look too obvious, so they'll tie it to the topic that fits the current climate best."
"For example?"
"Why do I need to give an example? They already spelled it out themselves."
Snip, snip.
Making a crisp, metallic sound, the scissors carefully trimmed Lucy's uneven hair.
"They called it a demon hunt, right? They'll tie it to demons. They'll claim you're a demon, or that you're making backroom deals with them."
"Wow, terrifying. I guess I'm just supposed to sit here and take it?"
What was she playing at? Rin knew this thief, whose mind was as quick as her feet, had already prepared a countermeasure.
"You don't sit and take it; you counterattack. Do I really have to state the obvious?"
"Lee, I asked what I should do in this situation."
"I know you have no connection to demons. Even if you might have had... contact."
By 'contact,' he meant the invitation to join the Demon Heroes. Labin understood the implication and smiled bitterly.
"Then it means they have fabricated evidence."
"Exactly."
She skillfully trimmed the hair, combing the loose strands so they fell to the floor.
If the world weren't in chaos and she had been born into a normal family, Labin would have made a fine hairdresser.
"I have a rough idea of what kind of evidence they have. The information officer went out to find where they're keeping it."
"Quick work."
"Thanks for the compliment. Anyway, my point is that I need to prepare to refute this evidence."
"What? You already had a plan. Why did you even ask?"
"Who knows? Maybe my Lee has a better plan. Just like old times. You were always one step ahead of me."
Snip, snip.
Labin giggled as she recalled a memory, her hands never stopping.
"Though I won most of the time after Lina became the boss."
"You've grown, Labin."
"No, you just locked up your bag of tricks to humor Lina."
Then, she spoke up, ensuring her voice carried clearly.
"Just like you locked away your emotions in the Hero's party."
"...!"
It felt like a cold dagger had plunged into the room.
Lucy, who had been drifting off under the gentle, rhythmic touch of the scissors, felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.
"Why are you sitting there off guard, Hero?"
It was a whisper meant only for her ears.
Lucy bit her lower lip.
"Cut the nonsense, Labin. Shut up and listen to my plan."
"Alright, alright, don't get so mad. My bad."
Even Labin grew sullen when Rin turned serious.
"Are you sure they have fabricated evidence?"
"Yes, I'm sure. I confirmed it myself."
"Perfect."
Rin delivered a swift, decisive conclusion.
"Take that exact evidence and strike first. Claim it proves they are the ones connected to the demons."
"What?!"
It was a close call. Lucy almost lost an earlobe to Labin's startled slip of the hand.
"Why bother refuting it? It's a waste of time and resources. Just steal the narrative."
"Ah..."
This was exactly why Labin had always coveted Rin.
"Fabrication is easy, but explaining it away is hard?"
And framing others was Labin's absolute favorite political weapon.
Rin had always tailored his strategies to suit his lord's desires.
For Arciel, he chose a stubborn but loyal path.
For Lina... since she was going to do whatever she wanted anyway, he deliberately offered transparently poor plans, playing the fool just to let her shoot him down and stroke her pride.
That foolish girl.
"I love it. I absolutely love it!"
"I'm glad it helps."
"You must have been incredibly useful to the Hero's party too."
She was venting her lingering resentment toward Lina onto Lucy once more.
"Labin, get out."
But Rin wasn't about to let that slide.
"Alright, alright, I said I'm sorry. I won't say it again."
"Get out. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Lee, that's your problem! You're hurting from holding everything in, yet you can't even say a single harsh word...!"
"No. I'm not hurting."
"...!"
Labin stared at him, her eyes wide with shock.
Frustrated by his calm, hollow gaze, Labin ground her teeth and shoved the scissors back into her pocket.
"Trim the rest yourself."
She yanked the cloth away, sending loose brown hairs fluttering through the air.
Once Labin left, silence fell over the remaining two.
The atmosphere had grown even more suffocating than before she had walked in.
There was no way he could bring up the Holy Sword now.
Rin let out a quiet sigh. Lucy kept her head bowed low.
Behind the curtain of her freshly cut brown hair, Rin had no way of knowing what expression she wore, or what thoughts were running through her mind.
Yet, all Lucy could do was fiddle with the red thread tied around her pinky finger.
No matter how red the tip of her nose grew, no matter how heavy her eyes felt, she could do nothing but drown in despair.
She would never give up. But this was yet another moment that reminded her that the world would never look kindly upon her love.