The Petrified Hero's Childhood Friend (6)
After that heated night with Neria, my daily life became much lighter. Once the sexual frustration I'd been holding back for so long was finally released, my mind felt clearer and my casting speed improved noticeably.
"**Sihyun~** Is your leg tired? Want me to carry you?"
"I'm fine, Neria. I ride a broomstick anyway."
"Oh... right."
Ever since that night, Neria's increased attention toward me started to feel a little annoying. Was it because we'd mutually gotten each other off that she was suddenly so interested? Since I was always by Serin's side, there was nothing I could offer her. In other words, she was carrying a one-sided, impossible love.
"**Serin~** You said we're exploring the west today, right? It'd be nice if the temple and the spirit village are both over there."
"Yeah. I'm starting to get tired of this forest anyway."
Right in front of Neria, I boldly linked arms with Serin. Serin didn't seem to mind at all. She couldn't even hide her faint smile as she squeezed my arm tightly. The warm body heat that flowed through where our shoulders touched was addictive. It felt like once you got used to this sensation, it would be impossible to escape.
Naturally, I tilted my head to rest against her, indirectly feeling the heat of Serin's breath.
"You two really... aren't you a bit *too* close? Everyone watching is going to get indigestion."
"Sorry, Via. We've been like this since we were kids... I guess it's become a habit."
"Still, if it's this pure, I'm sure Lady Seraph would approve."
"It's pure love, after all. Hmm. Isn't that why pure romance makes up most of noble literature?"
"Huh? Isn't half of noble literature... those sensual novels about stealing men...?"
Come to think of it, the erotic novels I'd seen while visiting the library to find books were mostly about noblewomen stealing men. Noble literature was more than half filled with insane stories about stealing lovers, pure romance, or ending with a dramatic NTR drift.
"Ahem! Not all of them are like that, so please don't misunderstand."
"Is that so? Hmm... Oh!? Isn't that a village?"
"A village? It really is..."
Where Via pointed, there really was a village. Centered around nature-friendly houses made of wood and leaves were several structures that looked a bit small for people to live in. That alone made me certain. Given the size, this had to be the spirit village the old man had mentioned.
As we approached the village, a small spark of flame approached us, as if it were a guardian.
"A spirit...? Neria, do you know much about spirits?"
"Even though I'm an elf... we were only close with them a few thousand years ago. I don't really know much now either..."
Soon, one of the small flames that seemed to be the vanguard revealed its form right in front of us. The spirit looked like a tiny human with wings on its back. Just like Tinker Bell from Peter Pan.
'These little guys... made the Holy Sword?'
They looked like they would get crushed by three people just trying to hold a sword, let alone make one.
"I am Tinkle, elder of this village. Why have you come to this deep forest?"
"Serin, you answer. We're not the hero, so I don't know what to say."
Via, who had been watching from the side, nudged Serin's arm.
"Ahem. I am the hero of this generation... *cough*. Wait, something flew into my mouth."
"Sigh. I'll speak instead. As you can see from this Holy Sword, we are the hero's party."
"Hero?"
At the word "hero," the elder's eyes changed instantly. He looked at the Holy Sword with the tender gaze one might give a long-lost child. Watching his reaction, it seemed the legends about spirits that had been passed down orally were true.
"We need to strengthen the Holy Sword to defeat the Demon King. We came to ask if you know how it's done."
"Haha! If that's the case, you should have said so sooner. Children, open the main gate at once."
"Yes!"
With a hearty laugh, the spirits that had been surrounding us all withdrew, and the path finally opened.
The first impression of the village where the spirits lived was that it wasn't just nature-friendly—it *was* nature itself. Serin and the other companions widened their eyes in wonder, looking around everywhere.
'But is there really a temple here?'
After everything we'd seen so far, my conclusion was that there was no temple near this village. The other companions seemed to have guessed as much, but no one brought it up first.
"You've come to strengthen the Holy Sword. That means its latent power hasn't been unlocked yet."
"Yes. It's very different from the sword in the kingdom's legends. The oral traditions said it used the power of light and could fire it, but it's never done that even once."
The elder closed his eyes and ran his hand along the blade. I was curious what he was doing, but he seemed focused, so I stayed quiet. After a short while, he opened his eyes again. Stroking his beard, he began to explain.
"The light of the Holy Sword has completely burned out. Has so much time passed that it's this damaged even before facing the Demon King?"
"Time... I heard the Holy Sword was made at least five hundred years ago."
"Five hundred years. Even for you humans, whose sense of time differs from ours, that must feel like an incredibly long time. It was the spirits' mistake."
The elder sighed, calling it his own fault, and tightly embraced the hilt of the Holy Sword. The worn-out blade seemed to hum with joy at meeting the father who had created it.
"For this child's sake, I have a request for you all."
Though the word "request" brought a wave of annoyance, this was still part of the adventure, so I pulled myself together. When I glanced to the side, Serin was also fired up, eyes sparkling as she clenched her fists.
"I will tell you the location of the temple. Take the Holy Sword and insert it back into the scabbard there. It should recover after that."
"Is that all?"
"Yes. The temple will be quite difficult. It became the home of demonic beasts a long time ago."
"We can handle that much quickly."
Serin took the Holy Sword back and fastened it at her waist. I got down from my staff and checked the mana in my body. Although I'd used flight magic, my condition was nearly perfect. I clenched one fist and smacked my palm with it.
"Let's finish this quickly and have a meat party."
"Heh, sounds good."
"I'm in favor too."
***
Following the map the elder had given us, we searched for the temple. Thanks to the map, we found the temple the spirits had mentioned before the sun even set.
"It's more rundown than I expected. The plants make it hard to even get inside."
"Sihyun, can you clear some of it with fire?"
"Of course."
To fulfill Serin's request, I held the spellbook in one hand and began chanting. Mana flowed from my hand, condensed, and took on the properties of fire. It flew forward and burned away all the grass blocking the entrance.
"As expected, it's magic."
"Hmm. Are you feeling like you chose the wrong career path? That mages are the future?"
"...Knights are necessary too."
Allen didn't seem to dislike my reaction. She laughed it off as a joke. I was grateful she took my teasing so well.
Once we entered the temple, we couldn't help but be shocked. We could burn the grass, but the problem was that the grass had grown into monsters.
"These things die if you cut their bodies in half."
*Slash!*
As if to prove it, Allen sliced a plant monster in two, and it began to disintegrate into powder.
"Plant-type monsters... For now, I'll conserve my mana and leave it to you for a bit."
Since lighting a fire in a narrow space could lead to a big accident, I decided to sit this one out. I stretched while watching the swordsmen from behind as they did their weeding (monster hunting).
I was completely defenseless. As if waiting for that exact moment, a plant I hadn't even seen coming grabbed my leg and lifted me up.
"Aaah! Serin! Allen!!! There's one over here too!"
"Damn it, just wait a little! There are too many over here...!"
"Via! Neria! My arms are tied so I can't even chant... ugh."
The plant must have found me too noisy, because it wrapped a tentacle around my neck. Thankfully I could still breathe, but I had to feel the tentacles crawling all over my body. The slimy plant tentacles climbed up my thighs. When I tried to shake them off by moving my legs, they locked my ankles first, then completely restrained me.
'Damn it, Neria and Via have terrible compatibility... At this rate.'
The plant tentacles slipped inside my pants and shirt.
"Eep... Please, just stop this."
The way the plant slowly peeled off my clothes layer by layer filled me with growing shame. Neria, who was cutting the tentacles with arrowheads to help me, already had bright red ears. Via seemed so overwhelmed by the erotic sight that she was standing there with her mouth open, completely dazed.
I used the last of my strength to protect just my underwear.
"I will join you."
"Hup!"
Allen, who had finished dealing with the plants first, appeared like a savior and rescued me from the tentacles. The severed tentacles thrashed wildly in pain. I couldn't forgive the plant creature that had humiliated me like this.
With the spellbook in one hand and my staff in the other, I stepped forward.
"I can't use fire right now... but I have other options."
As I gathered mana into the spellbook, I felt electricity flowing through my entire body. I channeled that current through the staff like a conduit and aimed.
The target was, of course, that damn plant tentacle.
"[Cross Lightning]! Die, you monster!"
The overwhelming lightning instantly turned the thing into a charred husk. A rush of victorious exhilaration filled my chest.
"Ahem. Please take better care of your body."
"Thank you, Allen."
Whether out of consideration, Allen used her body to shield mine. I expressed my gratitude verbally and quickly changed clothes while avoiding Neria's gaze.
'Allen's ears are red too.'
The sight of everyone's ears—except Serin's—burning bright red was honestly just hilarious.