The Festival of Heroes
"Y-You mean a relic?"
"If it's a relic, then...?"
"Huh..."
The officers' gazes turned toward the Snow Fang Sword hanging at Milland's waist. The treasure passed down from Habun Castle was none other than that very blade.
"Does this mean you're intending to make Raon the next lord?"
"That's... well..."
"Think it over a little more..."
The Snow Fang Sword was the symbol of the lord of Habun Castle. Bestowing that sword was, in effect, acknowledging Raon as the next lord.
The officers stared at Terian with trembling eyes, but he simply sipped his tea with a calm expression.
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
Milland scowled at the officers.
"This sword is not a relic. It is a symbol. What I will give Raon is something else entirely."
"Something else?"
"This."
He lifted a snow-white, paper-thin armor from the table. It gleamed like starlight, with a green gem embedded at its center.
"Ah!"
"T-This is it!"
"Yes. An inner armor forged from the green stone of the Orc Lord. The White Bone Armor."
The inner armor was worn beneath clothing. Thin enough to slip under layers yet capable of blocking piercing blades, it was standard issue for most soldiers.
"To outsiders, it appears more precious than the Snow Fang Sword, the lord's symbol. But given what Raon has done for us, I believe we should present it."
Milland stroked the White Bone Armor gently.
"The boy doesn't take care of himself. This armor would at least keep him warm inside."
"I agree."
Terian smiled and raised his hand.
"Then we have no objections."
"If it weren't for Raon, this castle would have fallen. Offering anything less would be insufficient."
"The White Bone Armor would be the perfect gift for that child."
Both the current owner and the future owner had agreed, so the officers nodded with smiles.
"Then, we shall proceed with this. The festival should last about five days. However, we should not begin immediately. Let us observe the situation for a week first..."
"May I have a moment?"
Edquil, who had remained silent until now, raised his hand.
"What is it?"
"It concerns Raon-nim."
"Ra, Raon-nim?"
"Raon-nim?"
The sudden mention of Raon-nim caused the officers' eyes to widen in shock.
"You said he was a mercenary, did you not?"
"...That is correct."
"Among mercenaries, there may be geniuses, but the martial arts he employs are far from ordinary. A sword technique refined over countless years. A skill no common mercenary could possess."
"So you suspect his true identity?"
"We must verify it properly."
"Hmph..."
Milland clicked his tongue and looked at Edquil. His gaze was calm, not aggressive, but rather one of genuine curiosity.
"I am curious as well."
Beto, leader of the Wolves Mercenary Corps, wrapped his hands around his head and chuckled softly.
"We all know Raon is not a mercenary."
"Hmph..."
"Well, that's true."
"As long as it's not some strange place like the Five Demons."
"Thud! Does Raon have ties to the Five Demons?"
Once the dam broke, stories about Raon's identity poured out like a river.
"Everyone, silence."
Milland struck the table, silencing them all.
"As you said, Raon is no ordinary mercenary. Given the feats he has accomplished, we can no longer hide it. The only certainty is that since his arrival, he has always shown sincerity."
The officers straightened at his firm tone and meaning.
"Someday the boy will reveal his true self. Until then, we shall wait. I guarantee Raon's identity. He is not tainted by darkness, so there is no need for concern."
Milland looked at Edquil, who had first raised the topic. His eyes remained clear, as if he were gazing upon the distant past filled with dreams and passion.
"Understood."
Edquil offered a faint, relieved smile. Though Milland had observed him for years, he could not read his thoughts.
"If that is all, prepare the festival immediately!"
Milland slammed the table and rose to his feet.
"A grand celebration to wash away all fatigue and pain from the past!"
***
A dimly lit room illuminated by small lights dangling from the ceiling.
Two figures sat before a grotesque table fashioned from human bones.
On the right, a man cloaked in a thick, dark robe wore a skull mask with blue flames burning in the eye sockets. A golden staff stood alone beside him, surrounded by dark, sinister light.
On the left, a woman with slender fingers wore a wide-brimmed dark blue hat and a long-nosed old woman's mask. A withered wooden staff floated behind her.
"Failed."
The woman in the old woman's mask clicked her tongue.
"You mean Habun Castle?"
The man in the skull mask tilted his head.
"Yes. The Qingzhou Demon, Bingya Demon, and those worthless burly fools are dead."
"How did it fail?"
"What do you mean? They rushed at the lord of Habun Castle without thinking."
"Bingya Demon, perhaps. But the Qingzhou Demon is no simple brute."
The man shook his head and tapped the skull table.
"Whether this or that, it is already too late. We were discovered moving, so the lord of Habun Castle will not abandon his heavy rear, and the Six Kings will provide support as well."
"Hmph..."
"What are you so serious about? The green king stone has already appeared in the west as well. It is no great matter."
"I desired the Vessel of Siren more than the stone. Such talent is rare even across the entire continent."
Strong martial prowess and overflowing magical talent could be found anywhere. But a temperament capable of controlling human spirit and mind, like the Vessel of Siren, was difficult to obtain.
"Mass slaughter and mass brainwashing are possible. We must obtain it at all costs."
"Still, there is nothing we can do. Now is the time..."
"No. We must move even more at times like this."
The man in the skull mask snapped his fingers. A dull sound like bones clashing echoed, and slimy liquid spurted from the table like living slime. It was turbid gray, hiding whatever lay within.
"Doppelganger? What are you going to do with that idiot? Unless a fool wearing the Doppelganger helmet appears..."
"I improved it myself."
The man narrowed his eyes at the Doppelganger attempting to swallow the skull on the table.
"This creature reproduces a human's speech and actions at one hundred percent. Even family would not recognize it."
"Oh?"
The woman's eyes in the old woman's mask sparkled with green light.
"Absorbing the human's temperament simultaneously with digestion? You have even modified the cells themselves."
"There is a time limit, but with this creature, we can bring the Vessel of Siren."
"The possibility that Milland notices?"
"None."
The man in the skull mask shook his head with confident eyes.
"Unless it is a monster that reads human temperament itself, it cannot detect the transformation of that creature."
***
The festival was held in Habun Castle.
Light celebrations after the Wave had occurred a few times, but this was the first five-day continuous festival, so the castle's atmosphere burned hot enough to melt eternal snow.
The festival's heat intensified with time, reaching its peak on the fifth day during the award ceremony.
"Dorian and Edquil, who leaped from the walls to battle the Ice Troll Lord and the monsters, come forward!"
"Yes!"
Terian, moderating the ceremony, called them onto the stage.
"To the two who risked their lives protecting Habun Castle from the Ice Troll Lord and the monsters, we award Habun Castle's name plaque and gold coins."
"Thank you!"
"Thank you!"
Milland personally descended the sword and gold coins from the stage.
"Dorian. You have changed beyond recognition since your first arrival here. I hope you continue to grow."
"Yes!"
"Edquil. I do not know what change in mindset occurred, but the change does not appear negative. Continue to strive."
"Yes."
The two bowed to Milland, then turned and bowed to the audience.
"Wooooaaaah!"
"Our 3rd Scout Squad's pride!"
"Dorian! Dorian!"
"Captain! Amazing!"
The scouts and examiners shouted the names of Dorian and Edquil and cheered wildly.
"Then, the final order."
Terian cleared his throat and looked at Raon, seated at the far right.
"Raon, who saved thirty lives in the Wave and defeated the Eden ghost and Ice Troll Lord alone, the undefeated swordsman! Forward!"
"Wooooaaaah!"
"Raon! Raon! Raon!"
"The sword saint of Habun Castle!"
"Troll Lord Slayer!"
As Raon's name rang out, the soldiers surrounding the festival ground stood, clapped, and roared.
"Hah."
Raon bowed slightly to the cheering crowd and climbed the stage.
"Thanks to your courage and bravery, the damage to the castle was minimized. As lord of Habun Castle, I thank you."
Milland smiled faintly for the first time and bowed his head.
"Commander!"
They were startled that Miland would receive his greeting in a space where all eyes were upon them and bowed in unison.
"You need not bow back!"
"That's right! Receiving the lord's greeting is not enough!"
"Raon! Stand tall!"
Others smiled knowingly.
"To the hero who saved Habun Castle twice from crisis, we bestow Habun Castle's White Bone Armor and gold coins."
Milland extended the white armor. It sparkled with gold inlays, and a hexagonal green gem was embedded at the center of the chest.
"You tend not to care for your body. The White Bone Armor is an inner armor worn beneath clothing. Always wear it."
"Thank you."
They knew it was a precious treasure just by looking. They understood why the armor was given, so a warm heat rose in his chest.
"Wooooaaaah!"
"Raon! Raon! Raon!"
"Please protect Habun Castle in the future as well!"
As soon as he turned, the cheers exploded so violently that the castle shook. It was a roar loud enough to make approaching monsters flee in terror.
"Thank you."
Raon greeted the audience and descended the stage.
"Such days may not come again, so enjoy them to the last! This order is..."
As Terian prepared to announce the next event, Raon examined the White Bone Armor.
'Hmm, it feels familiar.'
It was not the armor itself, but the aura contained within the emerald-like green gem embedded in the fabric that felt vaguely known.
'Ah!'
Now I remember. The Goblin King's stone I carry in my chest now. It felt similar.
-The smell of Orc flows out, and now I know. How pitiful.
Wrath clicked his tongue, muttering that he had no sense.
'Orc?'
-Yes. It is the stone of the Orc Lord.
'Understood.'
Unlike the Goblin King's stone, which burned like a rock and scorched the hand, this stone held a hard, rocky aura. Because of this difference, he had not recognized it as a stone at first glance.
'So they were after this.'
He had wondered why Eden attacked Habun Castle. Now he suspected they targeted this stone. The young aura inside was not lacking compared to the Goblin King's stone.
'Hmph.'
To examine the aura inside more closely, Raon placed his hand on the stone.
Chiiing!
At that moment, the Fire Ring spun wildly, flooding his vision white.
The world changed.
A blood-soaked snowy plain appeared.
Corpses of humans and Orcs piled like mountains, and atop that hill of death, a blond swordsman faced an Ogre larger than himself with sword and axe.
Flame spirals erupted from the swordsman's blade, and ferocious fighting spirit surged from the Orc's axe. The clash of two monsters split the sky and shattered the ground.
After hundreds or thousands of collisions, the flame blade severed the axe and cut the Orc's neck.
The Orc laughed. The swordsman smiled bitterly.
The swordsman turned and looked this way. Except for the red eyes, the rest was swallowed by darkness. Golden flames burst from his pupils, engulfing the vision.
The world changed again, revealing a lively festival ground filled with laughter and vitality.
[Fire Ring (5th Star) acquired.]
[Ten Thousand Flames (3rd Star) acquired.]
[Achievement is insufficient.]
The message from the first judgment reappeared.
Gulp.
Raon swallowed dryly.
'Did the ancestor of Zieghart fight the Orc Lord here?'
He had not seen it clearly, but the blond man with young flames on his sword and unfinished hair resembled the man from the judgment.
-Where did you go and see what just now.
Raon's eyes shook with surprise.
'What?'
-Your soul left your body just now.
'Left?'
-Yes. A moment ago, you were nothing but a poor man with only a body.
It was not a simple illusion.
When he opened his eyes in shock, the second message appeared.
[??? met you.]
[The achievement of the Fire Ring has greatly increased.]
[The achievement of Ten Thousand Flames has greatly increased.]
Chiiing.
Raon clicked his tongue while watching Dorian sing an odd song on the stage. He could not sing well, but he no longer cared.
'So the ancestor of Zieghart was also practicing the Fire Ring...'
It would not simply appear about the Fire Ring. The blond man was clearly practicing not only Ten Thousand Flames but also the Fire Ring.
'I have never heard that the Fire Ring exists in Zieghart.'
The place where he obtained the Fire Ring in his previous life had nothing to do with Zieghart.
'What happened?'
It would not simply show such illusions. There must be some reason.
To see the peak of the Fire Ring and Ten Thousand Flames, he felt the need to find the end of this illusion.
'One more thing added.'
There were already many tasks stacked, and now he had the additional burden of finding the ancestor's secret. He did not want to ignore it, but since it seemed to contain the secrets of Ten Thousand Flames and the Fire Ring, he could not dismiss it.
'Still, the first thing to do is set.'
To return Sylvia to her direct position. If revenge against Derus was something that must be done, recovering the direct position should come first.
'First, after becoming a formal swordsman...'
While Raon pondered his future plans, Dorian was chased from the stage, and Yua, with twin braids swinging, climbed onto the stage.
"Hello!"
Yua waved both hands and smiled brightly.
"Wooooaaaah!"
"Yua! Yua!"
"Now we can enjoy the hero song!"
The soldiers' cheers were louder than during battle, with a voice that did not match the setting.
"This is a new song made this time. Please listen carefully."
As Yua signaled by turning, soldiers holding violin and guitar began plucking the strings.
Tuk tuk.
The majestic flow was different from the previous cheerful music, calming the festival atmosphere.
"Winter comes suddenly. Brave, tough, and wise people will not easily endure the cold winter."
The lyrics and music differed from expectations, but Yua's clear voice pulled at the ears.
"A young swordsman comes to the eternally frozen winter. He was tough but did not show it, brave but kind, wise but learned."
The chest fluttered. Her voice echoed like a bell in the mountains, making the whole body beat.
"The blade of the young swordsman standing alone under the broken wall was filled with the dawn light. The monsters of the northern mountains disappeared, leaving only meaningless footprints in the beautiful and solemn light."
This is my story.
The heroic tale unfolding in Yua's bright voice was her own story that began in Habun Castle.
"Ghosts who hid their true selves with masks and helmets could not break the young swordsman's belief and withdrew..."
Her voice carried divinity. In his mind, the previous battles drew themselves.
One message floated before Raon, who clutched his beating chest.
[Your first minstrel to sing your achievements has been created.]
[The path of the hero is open.]
Raon looked at the White Bone Armor again.
'It feels like I've seen it somewhere.'
It was not the clothes, but the aura contained in the emerald-like green gem embedded in the fabric that felt vaguely familiar.
'Ah!'
Now I remember. The Goblin King's stone I carry in my chest now. It felt similar.
-The smell of Orc flows out, and now I know. How pitiful.
Wrath clicked his tongue, muttering that he had no sense.
'Orc?'
-Yes. It is the stone of the Orc Lord.
'Understood.'
Unlike the Goblin King's stone, which burned like a rock and scorched the hand, this stone held a hard, rocky aura. Because of this difference, he had not recognized it as a stone at first glance.
'So they were after this.'
He had wondered why Eden attacked Habun Castle. Now he suspected they targeted this stone. The young aura inside was not lacking compared to the Goblin King's stone.
'Hmph.'
To examine the aura inside more closely, Raon placed his hand on the stone.
Chiiing!
At that moment, the Fire Ring spun wildly, flooding his vision white.
The world changed.
A blood-soaked snowy plain appeared.
Corpses of humans and Orcs piled like mountains, and atop that hill of death, a blond swordsman faced an Ogre larger than himself with sword and axe.
Flame spirals erupted from the swordsman's blade, and ferocious fighting spirit surged from the Orc's axe. The clash of two monsters split the sky and shattered the ground.
After hundreds or thousands of collisions, the flame blade severed the axe and cut the Orc's neck.
The Orc laughed. The swordsman smiled bitterly.
The swordsman turned and looked this way. Except for the red eyes, the rest was swallowed by darkness. Golden flames burst from his pupils, engulfing the vision.
The world changed again, revealing a lively festival ground filled with laughter and vitality.
[Fire Ring (5th Star) acquired.]
[Ten Thousand Flames (3rd Star) acquired.]
[Achievement is insufficient.]
The message from the first judgment reappeared.
Gulp.
Raon swallowed dryly.
'Did the ancestor of Zieghart fight the Orc Lord here?'
He had not seen it clearly, but the blond man with young flames on his sword and unfinished hair resembled the man from the judgment.
-Where did you go and see what just now.
Raon's eyes shook with surprise.
'What?'
-Your soul left your body just now.
'Left?'
-Yes. A moment ago, you were nothing but a poor man with only a body.
It was not a simple illusion.
When he opened his eyes in shock, the second message appeared.
[??? met you.]
[The achievement of the Fire Ring has greatly increased.]
[The achievement of Ten Thousand Flames has greatly increased.]
Fire Ring (5th Star) Achievement Increased
Ten Thousand Flames (3rd Star) Achievement Increased
Chiiing.
Raon clicked his tongue while watching Dorian sing an odd song on the stage. He could not sing well, but he no longer cared.
'So the ancestor of Zieghart was also practicing the Fire Ring...'
It would not simply appear about the Fire Ring. The blond man was clearly practicing not only Ten Thousand Flames but also the Fire Ring.
'I have never heard that the Fire Ring exists in Zieghart.'
The place where he obtained the Fire Ring in his previous life had nothing to do with Zieghart.
'What happened?'
It would not simply show such illusions. There must be some reason.
To see the peak of the Fire Ring and Ten Thousand Flames, he felt the need to find the end of this illusion.
'One more thing added.'
There were already many tasks stacked, and now he had the additional burden of finding the ancestor's secret. He did not want to ignore it, but since it seemed to contain the secrets of Ten Thousand Flames and the Fire Ring, he could not dismiss it.
'Still, the first thing to do is set.'
To return Sylvia to her direct position. If revenge against Derus was something that must be done, recovering the direct position should come first.
'First, after becoming a formal swordsman...'
While Raon pondered his future plans, Dorian was chased from the stage, and Yua, with twin braids swinging, climbed onto the stage.
"Hello!"
Yua waved both hands and smiled brightly.
"Wooooaaaah!"
"Yua! Yua!"
"Now we can enjoy the hero song!"
The soldiers' cheers were louder than during battle, with a voice that did not match the setting.
"This is a new song made this time. Please listen carefully."
As Yua signaled by turning, soldiers holding violin and guitar began plucking the strings.
Tuk tuk.
The majestic flow was different from the previous cheerful music, calming the festival atmosphere.
"Winter comes suddenly. Brave, tough, and wise people will not easily endure the cold winter."
The lyrics and music differed from expectations, but Yua's clear voice pulled at the ears.
"A young swordsman comes to the eternally frozen winter. He was tough but did not show it, brave but kind, wise but learned."
The chest fluttered. Her voice echoed like a bell in the mountains, making the whole body beat.
"The blade of the young swordsman standing alone under the broken wall was filled with the dawn light. The monsters of the northern mountains disappeared, leaving only meaningless footprints in the beautiful and solemn light."
This is my story.
The heroic tale unfolding in Yua's bright voice was her own story that began in Habun Castle.
"Ghosts who hid their true selves with masks and helmets could not break the young swordsman's belief and withdrew..."
Her voice carried divinity. In his mind, the previous battles drew themselves.
One message floated before Raon, who clutched his beating chest.
[Your first minstrel to sing your achievements has been created.]
[The path of the hero is open.]