Chapter 77
Chapter 77
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: The Choice of the Holy Sword (1)
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The next day.
Two Hero candidates barged in first thing in the morning.
Baken and Crow.
These were the types who made sparring with the strong their life's goal.
“I saw your duel yesterday. Now that we’re on the same level…”
“You will face us.”
“…”
They really don’t give a man a break.
I had expected this to some extent, but I didn’t think they’d be so serious about it so soon.
I calmly racked my brain.
I had already prepared a countermeasure just in case.
Just fight each other!
Can’t you two just sort it out yourselves? Why bother poor old me?
As I hinted at my annoyance with that sort of nuance, they retorted as if they’d been waiting for it.
“I’m already sick of fighting this guy.”
“As I recall, sparring with you was the most thrilling.”
“…”
“That’s right. There was an unspoken wall between us that fired me up even more.”
“That swordsmanship, so close to perfection… I hope you’ll show it to us again after all this time.”
“…”
Huh? Maybe I was taking this too lightly?
Their attitude was close to a blind obsession.
I can’t live without you!
The form was a little different, but that was exactly the feeling.
My first countermeasure failed spectacularly.
I guess I’ll have to try the second. If this doesn’t work either…
“You two, stop it! Jace is mine!”
My little cutie suddenly stepped forward.
The way she held her tail high made it clear she was serious.
To think she would try to protect her master with that small body.
It was a sight that would make her a model for all pets, but this time, her opponents were just too much.
What did it matter if she was among the strongest of the Hero candidates?
Baken and Crow were hardcore types who never backed down from a fight.
Indeed, they paid no heed to Aruru’s threat.
In fact, they seemed to welcome her to attack.
“Perfect. We couldn’t decide on the order anyway…”
“We can each take one of you and then switch.”
“—!!”
Truly miraculous logic.
The girl was utterly bewildered by the disastrous outcome.
She could scold them if she really tried, but that’s what they wanted.
At this point, she began to tremble, as if genuinely frightened.
Unable to take it anymore, my little cutie cried out in a sharp voice.
“You… you guys are weird… really weird!”
Baken and Crow took it a step further.
They narrowed their eyes, looking at the fox beastkin with displeasure.
“I had a problem with that, anyway.”
“—??”
“You’ve been monopolizing Jace all this time, haven’t you? You must have had your fun, just the two of you.”
“…”
By ‘fun,’ they meant sparring.
Well, we did have a completely different kind of fun!
Aruru turned away from them as if she’d lost the last ounce of affection she had.
Sigh, you’re killing me!
This is driving me crazy, I’m not even going to bother!
With that sentiment, she hid behind me and stuck out her tongue.
Opponents immune to her world-class cuteness.
From her perspective, the situation had to be absurd.
Somehow, they even ignored the established lore of her being universally perceived as adorable.
Hmm, is this the true nature of the Hero candidates?
Maybe the kids follow me more because they’re all like this?
The original Jace had treated Aruru with normal affection.
If I were her, I probably would have wagged my tail like crazy, too.
Anyway.
As time went on, the situation only worsened.
Feeling like I had no other choice, I brought out my second countermeasure.
“Now is not a good time.”
“Why? For what reason?”
“Strange. Why are you trying to avoid it?”
They frowned, clearly displeased.
Anyone would think I owed them money.
“Through my duel with Largo yesterday…”
“You’re tired? You look fine.”
“I can wait two… no, three days.”
Ah, that’s not it!
When someone’s talking, let them finish!
“…I feel like I’ve had an epiphany, and I need time to process it.”
An unspoken rule among those who walk the path of martial arts.
It was taboo to disturb someone who had gained enlightenment.
I lied through my teeth.
“Is that true? Incredible…”
“Hmm, if he becomes even stronger than he is now…”
Thanks to my usual upright conduct, they believed me without question.
However, they seemed to think it wasn’t a sufficient reason to postpone the duel.
Do you know how long we’ve waited?
We can’t just go back empty-handed after coming all this way!
Since they seemed intent on being stubborn, I raised the stakes.
“I’ll give you a choice.”
“A choice?”
“Yes. Whether to cut open the belly of the goose that lays the golden eggs or not…”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. What is this nonsense?”
“—??”
Huh? You don’t know this?
You’ve all read fairy tales, right?
“I’ve never heard that story before.”
Even my little cutie tilted her head.
I belatedly realized I had made a mistake.
Maybe it was natural for them not to know?
Well, whatever. Since it’s come to this, I’ll tell them the story.
The story itself was short, so it ended quickly.
Don’t be consumed by a moment of greed.
The lesson was that it’s far more beneficial to wait patiently.
It was very similar to the current situation.
Isn’t it better to wait for me to get stronger than to fight me right now?
If you still don’t like it after I’ve explained it this way, then go on and cut my stomach open!
As I took a strong stance like that, they flinched and took a step back.
“Hmm, that makes sense…”
“To think it held such a profound meaning…”
I let out a sigh of relief internally.
My gamble, betting my own stomach, had paid off splendidly.
Yes, good thinking.
If they had actually tried to gut me, I was planning to cut all ties.
“As you both know, my skills are still lacking. I should be back in decent shape in about two weeks. Let’s meet then.”
“I understand. We were too hasty.”
“For the ultimate duel, we have no choice but to wait…”
At last, they retreated obediently.
With just my words, I had driven away those troublemakers.
I’d overcome the immediate crisis, but it seemed it wouldn’t be so easy next time.
As I pondered a third countermeasure, Aruru started drooling.
“What would a golden egg taste like? Oh, right. I don’t remember ever eating a goose! It’s probably similar to a duck, right?”
So much for the moral of the story.
As always, it all came back to food.
Excessive greed was forbidden, but the girl’s appetite was of a cute variety, so it was fine.
“Aruru.”
“Huh?”
“It’s time for us to part.”
“—??”
A privilege granted to Hero candidates.
The training hall that the original Jace had used was now open.
Until now, I had practically lived in Aruru’s training hall.
But now that I had my own dedicated space, I had no choice but to move.
“Ah, that’s not good…”
The girl was beyond surprised; she was horrified.
Her eyes welled up with tears, and she began to sniffle.
My little cutie.
You know how I feel, right? I’m sad, too!
But what could I do?
Now that I was a Hero candidate, it was only right to act the part.
It was truly unfortunate, but one cannot go against the natural order of things.
I’ll finish moving quickly and start fresh with a new mindset.
“Come visit often. I’ll be waiting.”
“Okay!”
As I packed my things and headed out, she saw me off with a smiling face.
Even if a physical distance had formed between us, our relationship would remain unchanged.
* * *
I looked around Jace’s private training hall.
Despite being neglected for about half a year, there wasn’t a single dirty spot.
In their eagerness to accommodate a Hero candidate, they had cleaned the place thoroughly beforehand.
My mind felt much more at ease.
This is why it’s good to have your own place.
And yet, the feeling of gloominess didn’t quite disappear.
“…”
The fact that I had to live apart from my pet.
She would visit often, but we could no longer spend 24 hours together like before.
Waking up to find her in my arms.
The fox beastkin who always radiated a vibrant charm.
I already missed my sweet, affectionate little cutie.
“Ta-da! I’m here!”
Right on cue, Aruru appeared.
She was carrying a large bundle.
I wondered what it was, and it turned out she had brought all her belongings.
“Wait a moment. I’ll be done in a jiffy.”
Swift and precise.
Before I could stop her, she had set up shop in my training hall.
Hey, nothing’s changed, has it? And I love it!
“This is okay, right?”
I was about to die of loneliness in that short time.
If you decided to take responsibility for me, you have to see it through to the end!
That was the look she gave, asserting her rights as a pet.
I gently stroked the girl’s head.
Her tail wagged cheerfully, as if she were happier than ever.
Right, I should just keep doing what I’ve been doing.
Is there really a need to be conscious of what others think at this point?
As long as I’m not ashamed, that’s all that matters.
Ceria didn’t seem to mind much either, so there was no problem.
So this is what they call ‘living for myself!’
To commemorate our new home.
We ended up confirming our affection for each other.
“Ahh, it’s so stimulating, I can’t think straight!”
My little cutie.
Do you really think that still works?
From what I’ve experienced so far, she’s just putting on an act, true to her foxy nature.
If I stopped, she would obviously pester me for more.
The girl grinned, then tickled my ear as she whispered sweetly.
“How do you know my heart so well? I’m so happy!”
As if meeting me was the greatest fortune of her life.
The girl earnestly wished for us to stay together forever.
No one knew the future, but it seemed our bond was destined to continue.
* * *
About two weeks later.
I had dedicated myself to training during that time.
There was no time to rest if I wanted to perfectly wield the power of an S-rank.
I hadn’t improved by leaps and bounds, but I had achieved a result I was satisfied with.
I had just barely crossed the threshold of S-rank.
At this point, I felt I wouldn’t be pushed back no matter who I faced.
And today.
The long-awaited main event was scheduled to begin.
The ceremony to decide the master of the Holy Sword would finally take place.
Not only would all the Hero candidates gather, but important figures would also be in attendance.
I heard the Imperial Family even sent someone?
It was a situation that was bound to be tense in many ways.
The Hero candidates were basically all protagonists.
In other words, it wouldn’t be strange for any of them to claim the Holy Sword.
There were ten… no, eleven of them now.
With my own existence, which wasn’t in the original story, included, it was impossible to predict.
If it were simply a matter of skill, the princess would be the likely choice.
But I had to consider the possibility that it would be decided arbitrarily.
This time, I have a feeling the system window is the mastermind behind this.
It had been generously handing things out until now, but you never know.
I wonder what will happen…
From my perspective, it would be best if the princess became the Hero.
She would undoubtedly do the best job, and she would readily accept my advice.
The worst case, of course, was Cedric.
That scenario was so dreadful I wanted to rule it out completely.
I’d rather see Aruru in Hero mode than that.
The cute fox beastkin’s bright and cheerful adventure.
All seriousness would vanish, but that would be fun in its own way.
Maybe I’ll be chosen? The chances of that were surprisingly high.
At first, it felt burdensome, but now I was ready to accept it as fate.
It would be a lot of hard work, but the advantage was that I could proceed as I saw fit.
“I’ll be waiting. I hope for a good result.”
Ceria gave me a warm smile.
She held back her words, as if not to pressure me, but I was sure she was secretly hoping I would be chosen.
It makes me want to live up to her expectations.
I could picture myself becoming the Hero and taking the lead.
To be honest, I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a part of me that romanticized the idea of moving the world like a protagonist.
As I finished my thoughts, the Hero candidates began to gather one by one.
As if by agreement, the girls approached my side.
“Ah, I’m so excited! Who do you think will become the Hero? It has to be Jace, right?”
“I hope so. I’ve already chosen the bow, after all…”
“The goddess’s will shall soon be realized. How do you feel?”
My ardent supporters cried out in unison.
Luciel’s attitude, in particular, seemed to go beyond expectation and into certainty.
Until now, she had maintained a reasonable distance.
But if I became the master of the Holy Sword, she would likely start making serious moves, befitting the Hero’s companion.
A situation that was both frightening and, in a way, exciting.
Hmm, the Saintess’s presence seems especially holy today.
“…”
Unlike the other girls, the princess.
She stood quietly in her place, as if insisting she was extremely nervous.
As it was a crucial moment, her thoughts must be complicated in many ways.
A short while later.
The main event that would decide everyone’s fate began.