The Incompetent Hero and the Eastern Swordswoman

"Can't use this one."

"Can't use this either."

"...Can't use this one either."

Every hint about the growth elements Leon had picked up during his party-running days was carved into my head. So I'd gone and recovered every labyrinth piece of gear and consumable I could get my hands on right away. Retrieving them had been easy enough — but not being able to use a single one of them? That was just unfair.

Fine, so the exclusive items meant for Philia, Tiris, Noren, or Marie made sense. But even the shared gear Leon himself had been able to equip was throwing up "unusable" flags. That was a problem.

"And worst of all, I can't even use the recovery items..."

I'd gone through every last scrap of loot from the labyrinth. Not one of them worked. I could carry them around just fine, but none of their effects would apply. Take a sword, for example — whether it was a high-grade blade or a plain iron one, they were all identical. Literally the same sword. A cloak with fire resistance? Just a cloak. No fire resistance, no nothing. And the biggest problem of all...

"Why can't I use the Holy Sword either?! I'm a hero, damn it!!"

"...Is this another save-file error? Guess I'll just stash it in the inventory and figure it out later."

Like the stuff I'd picked up clearing the Snow Mountain labyrinth, it could probably serve as a crafting material for other gear. And even if not, I could always sell items to build up some cash. Not that I was short on money — I already had more than enough — but more never hurt. Stash it away and it'd come in handy someday.

I dumped the unusable equipment into my inventory and got to my feet.

"So what now... The Sword King Secret Arts turned out way stronger than I expected, so I probably don't need to go hunting for more growth events. Should I just head straight for the Demon King? Or maybe—"

I was walking along, mulling over my schedule, when something caught my eye in the distance. Someone was collapsed on the ground.

A woman lay there, wearing a woman's gat with an extraordinarily wide brim and a hanbok of rich, delicate colors.

"...."

"...."

I approached slowly, glanced down at the fallen woman, and kept right on walking past her.

Grab.

"...."

I would have walked on by — if she hadn't seized my ankle.

"Let go."

"Young Master... a fair maiden lies collapsed upon the roadside, and rather than offer a helping hand, you would simply walk past her...?"

"How am I supposed to know if you're a fair maiden or a bandit playing dress-up?"

"A fair point, that... Yet I have lost my belongings and have gone without a meal for some time. Might you spare a small measure of aid, Young Master...?"

...Ugh.

I heaved a long sigh, pulled some food from my inventory, and handed it to the self-proclaimed fair maiden. Only then did she quietly push herself up, sniffing at the jerky I'd given her.

"What is this?"

"Seasoned, dried meat."

"Ah. Then I shall eat well."

She chewed the jerky with slow, deliberate bites. Apparently it agreed with her, because she reached for another piece.

"The seasoning seems a touch strong. It would be better with less."

"You've got a lot to say for someone freeloading off me. Besides, that's trail rations — it's supposed to be heavily seasoned."

"Is that so? A pity."

Even as she said it, she kept munching away. I looked her over. Silken black hair. Dark eyes with a faint blue cast. An Eastern beauty of the highest order.

And somehow, impossibly, I knew exactly who she was.

Why is she showing up already?

Her name was Baekryeon. A female swordswoman from the nation of Jo — the so-called Land of Tranquility — on the eastern continent of Filgrea. She was also one of the heroines who joined Leon's second party, a swordswoman wandering the world to avenge her family.

'Haaang♥... Mmh♥...'

'Keh-heh-heh. Now then, Baekryeon. Tell me. Who are you?'

'...F-forgive me..., Young Master. I..., came seeking vengeance, but..., now I have come to know Master's greatness♥...'

'Kahahahaha! That hero's pathetic little thing could never satisfy you, could it?'

'Y-yes..., the Young Master's tiny root..., could never satisfy me♥...'

That was the flavor of NTR she got hit with.

To put it more precisely: she tracked the clan of a monster called the Red Oni — the one who had slaughtered her family — all the way to Filgrea's central continent. There she crossed paths with Leon, who had just been betrayed by his original heroines and was wandering, steeling his resolve and building his strength. Baekryeon sought power to avenge her family. Leon sought power to fulfill his duty. Their goals aligned, they formed a party, and set out together as members of a new hero's party.

And then, as they traveled with this new party, the truth came out...

The Demon King had been split into four fragments. One of those four fragments was an entity ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠on the eastern continent known as the Heavenly Demon. Upon learning this, Hero Leon shared the information with the other heroes and set out for the eastern continent ahead of them with his own party.

But the Red Oni was a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠subordinate of the Heavenly Demon. The moment Baekryeon found that out, she lost it, charged the Red Oni alone, got wrecked — and by the time Leon caught up to her, she'd already been corrupted.

The thing was, I remembered her encounter event happening a lot later than this. What the hell had I done to twist the timeline this badly?

"Mm. That was a fine meal."

"...You really cleaned that plate, huh."

She'd polished it off completely. Come to think of it, had she always been the big-eater type?

Anyway, before she joined up, I think I was supposed to meet at least two other party members first...

The defeated masochist ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠elf and the cowardly shaman, right? I was pretty sure those two joined before I ever ran into this one...

...Wait. Come to think of it, am I forgetting something important?

Even after the Sword King event, I was sure some other event was supposed to trigger.

"Are you listening, Young Master?"

"...Huh? What did you say?"

"Haa... So the Young Master is the sort who does not listen well to others."

She shook her head, then declared with absolute confidence:

"I wish to accompany you."

"Out of nowhere?"

"Indeed. To repay kindness is only proper for any person. I wish to aid you upon your path, in return for the kindness you have shown me."

What kind of nonsense was this?

I studied Baekryeon, but there was no sign she was lying. She didn't seem to be hiding anything either.

"...No need. I prefer being alone."

"Hmm. That may be so. Will you not reconsider, Young Master?"

"There's nothing to reconsider. I'm traveling solo, so give it up. Why would I party up with someone who loses her own luggage?"

"Is that so? Then approaching you in that manner was a failure."

"A failure? What the hell are you—"

Shing— CLANG!!!

The hwando at her hip flashed. From the draw itself, a clean and razor-sharp blade swept for my throat — and I drew my own sword to catch it.

...Baekryeon had always been a bit aggressive, sure, but not so aggressive she'd just whip out a sword and go for someone's neck unprovoked.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"As expected. I knew you would block it with ease."

An extremely sharp strike. But light. She'd aimed for my throat, yet there was no killing intent behind it — just a probe to test me. Proof enough: the moment I blocked her, Baekryeon shrugged as if she'd expected nothing less and slid her blade back into its scabbard.

"As I thought, the Young Master is strong. Far stronger than the likes of me."

"...."

Well, that much was true.

"And so I shall speak, for you are strong. My name is Baekryeon — daughter of the Baek family of Jo, far upon the eastern continent, and its last surviving member. I travel to avenge my house. Thus I entreat you. Show me the measure of your strength."

What was this now...

Originally, Baekryeon and Leon — each carrying their own wounds — had joined forces for their respective goals. How had it ended up like this?

Had skipping the exchange conference really thrown things off this much? Did I need to reload?

Ah, right. I couldn't reload anymore.

"...Forget it. Too much of a hassle."

"...."

"Besides, I've got things to do. This is no time to be taking on disciples."

"Would that be the matter of the so-called Demon King?"

"You're well informed."

I'd made up my mind. Better to become a great hero who slays the Demon King than end up a small-dicked guy who's great at foreplay. Being able to finish a woman off with just the warm-up but unable to actually thrust—

What kind of torture was that supposed to be?!

"...I see. Then there is nothing for it."

She trudged over to a nearby thicket, rummaged around, and pulled out a travel pack that was clearly hers, slinging it over her shoulder.

So the whole "I lost my luggage" story had been a load of crap too.

"What are you going to do?"

"Heh. For all your words, are you curious after all, Young Master?"

"No. Not really."

"Truly, you are a dull man. It is nothing of note. For my family's vengeance, for my parents' vengeance — I must grow stronger still, and find the one who wronged me."

...If I had to guess, she would definitely find the Red Oni. That much was set in stone. In the story, her real family — her birth mother — was still alive, and she was with the Red Oni. So without a doubt...

"...Huh?"

Family...?

Ah—!

"Ah! Damn it all!"

I'd completely forgotten! How the hell had I blanked on that event?!

"W-what is it, Young Master?"

There was an event that triggered without fail if you completed the Sword King questline. A large-scale assault on Hero Leon's homeland — the Prynn Kingdom.

After meeting the Sword King, learning the Sword King Secret Arts, and growing dramatically stronger, Leon would be about to set out on a new adventure when word arrived that Prynn Kingdom was under attack by the Demon King's army. Whether alone or with a party, Leon would head for the besieged kingdom — but even with his newfound strength, he wasn't enough to handle an officer of the Demon King's forces. In the end, it was Hero Abel who finished the large-scale assault. After defeating the Demon King's officer, Abel was hailed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as the hope of Prynn Kingdom, while Hero Leon found himself unwelcome.

'Leon. I can no longer... serve you.'

'T-Tiris...?''

'I am a knight of Prynn Kingdom. And so..., as a knight of the kingdom..., I will serve Lord Abel..., who has the power to protect it.'

Honestly, whether Tiris went over to Abel or not didn't matter to me. But if things played out that way, with every heir to the throne dead from the assault, Abel would become king on the back of the people's fervent support.

I was not about to sit back and watch that bastard succeed.

"Young Master, where do you hurry off to?"

"Home."

"...."

Destination: Prynn Kingdom.

Objective: stop Abel from taking the throne.