Chapter 149: Test(2)
Chapter 149: Test(2)
Lina recalled a memory.
A memory from her past life, of a man whose face she couldn't see. He was always at ease.
Whenever Lina was in a crisis, he would appear and offer her his hand.
"Aren't you the hero? Is it okay for a hero to be sprawled out on the ground like that?"
Lina would take the hand offered along with his nonsensical words.
They had a strange relationship. Sometimes they fought, and sometimes they laughed together.
That was the relationship between Lina and the man with no face.
Her memories of him were hazy, as if filled with static, but the emotions remained crystal clear.
[The hero… Lina, you were in love with that man.]
Hearing the spirit's words, she finally understood.
In her past life, she had loved him. The ache in her chest had been the feeling of a lover.
Whenever Lina was in danger, that man always came to save her.
He was strong. The immense magical power he sometimes wielded in anger was the kind you would never want to face as an enemy.
When Lina had declared she would stop the war, the man had said this:
"You're going to stop the war now? What can you possibly do on your own?"
"I will stop it. Even if I have to sacrifice my life."
"Is your one life so precious? Does offering it up make the impossible possible?"
"..."
He had scoffed at her, saying her plan to stop the war was a futile effort.
His cynical attitude had angered her, but bitterly, she knew he wasn't wrong.
Then one day, he said something else.
"Stop the war, you say... Well, give it a try if you can. I won't get in your way."
"You won't get in my way?"
"That's right."
"But... but your lover is..."
"That old hag is her own person. And I am me. To be honest, this other world... no. I'm not particularly fond of the people here, but I don't want to see them all slaughtered, either. I've also learned there are decent women like you out there. Anyway, that hag's methods are far too extreme."
"..."
He spoke as if it were nothing, all while crushing the approaching enemies with his mana. Every time she saw it, his power was astounding.
He was strong. It would be hard to find another man to whom the word 'strong' was so perfectly suited.
He had always been kind to her.
Lina returned from her memories to reality and spoke to the spirit.
"No. I need to know about this. What did I do to that man?"
The moment Lina tried to recall the man from her memory, her head began to throb as if it were being squeezed.
"Ugh!"
[Don't try to force the memory! Even if you do remember... it will only bring you pain!]
"...No. I have to remember him!"
[It's useless! Something is blocking your memory. Unless you break the lock that has sealed it away, the memory won't return! Even if I were to tell you about him, you wouldn't be able to understand!]
"..."
What was blocking her memory? Lina couldn't comprehend it. Who would place such a restriction on her?
"I... I..."
'Who... who in the world are you... Aaargh! My head!'
It was no use. No matter how hard she tried to think of him, the pain stubbornly interfered.
[Besides, the hero isn't truly trying to remember him. Your inner subconscious is rejecting it.]
Not truly trying? This was the first time she had ever yearned for someone so desperately.
How long did Lina struggle and groan?
In the end, she had no choice but to give up. The more she tried to remember, the more it felt like the memory was sinking deeper beneath the surface of her subconscious.
'The spirit is right. Something is definitely blocking my memory.'
[You've given up. Good. If by some chance you were to force the memory back... Hero, you might break. For now, you must wait.]
"...I am not that weak."
[We'll see about that when you experience it.]
Lina gathered her wits once more. She found herself on her knees, the Spirit Sword already in her hand.
The cheers of her party reached her ears. Unaware of her inner turmoil, they were shouting their support, telling her not to lose.
This was no time to be wasting energy on pointless matters.
'For now, the Spirit Sword... I need to focus on drawing the Spirit Sword.'
"What is the result of the trial?"
[You passed, of course! The hero is more than worthy of possessing the Spirit Sword Endymion!]
"Then is the Spirit Sword mine now?"
[Not yet. For the final step, you must prove your strength! Pull the Spirit Sword from the ground where it is embedded!]
It still wasn't over.
But it didn't matter. When it came to strength, Lina was second to none.
Lina gripped the hilt of Endymion firmly with both hands. She gave it a slight tug, but the sword was stuck fast in the ground.
It wasn't just physically stuck.
Some kind of magical device was holding it in place, and overcoming it with sheer strength was the final trial.
"Here I go!"
[Do your best! You can do it!]
Lina began to pull on the hilt of the Spirit Sword with all her might.
She drew upon every last bit of her mana.
Enough force was being applied to the Spirit Sword that an ordinary blade would have snapped, yet it didn't budge an inch.
Instead, the ground beneath Lina's feet began to sink.
Crackle—
But that didn't last long.
The Spirit Sword began to emerge, little by little. Each time it moved, the entire altar pulsed with a faint, shimmering light.
Kerry watched the entire scene unfold.
'Let's go! Time to get that Spirit Sword!'
Even the sight of Lina's face, scrunched up in exertion, looked beautiful.
The Spirit Sword groaned as it slowly began to reveal itself to the world.
The light emanating from the ancient altar grew more and more intense.
"Haaaaahp!"
With a final shout from Lina, the Spirit Sword was pulled completely free.
In that instant, a brilliant light erupted from the entire altar.
The elves and Kerry's party shielded their eyes from the intense glare. As the light slowly faded, everyone looked forward once more.
Lina stood upon the faintly glowing altar, holding the Spirit Sword.
She looked exactly like a legendary hero straight out of a fairy tale.
As Lina drew the sword, gasps of awe erupted.
"Woooow! A human actually pulled out the Spirit Sword! Does this mean she's proven to have a noble soul?"
"Amazing! The title of 'Hero' is no empty boast!"
"My goodness... I'm a woman, but I think I'm falling for her."
Who gave you permission to fall for her?
A few elves seemed displeased that the Spirit Sword had fallen into human hands, but they were in the minority.
Most seemed to accept it, acknowledging that Lina had passed the trial fair and square.
Titania also offered Lina her heartfelt blessing.
Lina greeted each of the elves who crowded around her before she could finally return to her party.
The party congratulated her as well. Kerry was the first to approach her.
"Congratulations, Lady Lina."
"Thank you. It's all thanks to you, Kerry."
"Lady Lina! Congratulations!"
"Lina. My congratulations."
"Incredible. Just as expected of the hero. Hahaha."
Amidst all the celebration, one person decided to sour the mood.
"Hmph. A noble soul, my foot. I could have pulled out a measly sword like that. Stick it back in. I'll pull it out this time."
It was the Saintess.
"..."
This one still hasn't learned her lesson.
'Ego. Make her speak properly.'
[Yes, Master.]
The Saintess suddenly let out a strange moan, then threw her arms around Lina and began to congratulate her.
"...is what I would say as a joke! All hail the hero! All hail Lina! Lady Lina is the most beautiful hero in the world!"
"..."
Lina looked bewildered, but the Saintess's antics reignited the party's celebratory mood. She should have just acted properly from the start.
Kerry looked at the Spirit Sword hanging at Lina's waist and commented.
"Seeing the Spirit Sword up close, its aura is truly incredible."
"Would you like to hold it, Kerry?"
"Huh? Me? Well... I am curious. I'll give it a try."
Kerry took the Spirit Sword and held it.
He had held his fair share of swords during his time as an adventurer, though they had all been cheap ones.
As expected of a weapon called a masterpiece, it was on a completely different level, from the grip to the center of balance.
Above all, the sharp energy emanating from the white blade made him tense up just by holding it.
'This really is a legendary sword.'
After that, the rest of the party took turns holding the Spirit Sword, making a fuss over it.
The Saintess, also intrigued, volunteered to hold it as well.
The atmosphere was boisterous. Lina's party returned to their quarters in high spirits.
Perhaps because everyone had been so tense during the Spirit Sword's trial, they all started nodding off from a food coma after lunch, one after another.
Kerry, who had been on the move since last night, was no exception.
The warm sunlight streaming through the window created a cozy atmosphere.
How long had he been asleep? A voice called out.
"Everyone, wake up. It's time to leave."
Natasha, who had been dozing next to Kerry, stretched languidly. Kerry also loosened his muscles. Thanks to the elixir he'd taken, even a short nap like this was enough to completely banish his fatigue.
Victoria sat up and asked Lina, "Leave? Where to? Surely... you don't mean we're heading to Astria right away?"
"That is exactly what I mean."
Hearing this, the Saintess's expression darkened dramatically. The thought of having to act as a pack mule again seemed to weigh heavily on her mind.
Kerry signaled for the Saintess to fix her expression. Only then did she force a smile that was obviously fake.
"We still have plenty of time before it gets dark, so it's not a bad idea to get moving."
Kerry, knowing Lina's circumstances, sided with her. Lina gave him a small nod of gratitude.
"But don't we have one more thing to take care of, Lady Lina?"
"...You're talking about Lady Arwen."
"Yes. I really think we should recruit her. I've already extended the offer."
An elf princess in the hero's party is a classic trope. Of course.
Kerry had expected at least Victoria or Natasha to object to this statement.
But their reactions were surprisingly different.
Natasha said to Lina, "I agree with my husband! I'd like Arwen to join our party too!"
Even Victoria chimed in.
"A cute companion like Arwen is always welcome. Besides, Kerry said she's an incredible spirit user, right?"
"..."
'What's this? What's gotten into them? Did the girls get closer while I was gone?'
Kerry's guess was correct. While Kerry was away, Arwen and the other women had plenty of opportunities to become friendly.
In particular, a comment Arwen had made about Kerry in the past was still having an effect.
[Kerry? Kerry... seems like a good person, but I have absolutely no interest in human men!]
That was a statement Arwen had made before she developed feelings for Kerry.
Natasha and Victoria believed her.
After all, they vividly remembered the blind hostility they had received from the elves when they first met.
They concluded that there was no way Arwen would ever get together with Kerry.
"...That's unexpected."
"What is, Husband?"
"...It's nothing."
Unaware of the backstory, Kerry could only be puzzled.
Lina listened to the party's discussion and said, "We don't have much time. We've already spent too much of it here. But it's also clear that Lady Arwen would be a great help to us."
"So?"
"I have already offered Lady Arwen a place in our party. I've given her plenty of time to think. How about we end this by asking her for her decision one last time?"
"Okay! I'll use my feminine wiles one last time to convince Lady Arwen!"
"Arwen is... a woman, though? Natasha."
"A truly masterful beauty technique works on men and women alike, Husband!"
It seemed Natasha and Arwen had gotten along quite well. Their similar circumstances likely played a large part in that.
The party decided to find Arwen before they left.
Meanwhile, Lina said she would finish packing their things so they could leave immediately. She really is in a hurry.
Kerry, Natasha, and Victoria decided to find and persuade Arwen. The rest would stay with Lina to pack.
The group was already familiar with the layout of Scandinavia and knew where Arwen lived.
"Princess Arwen isn't home..."
"Hmm. I'm not certain, but... I don't think I saw Arwen when Lina was undergoing the trial for the Spirit Sword. I'm sure she wasn't near the queen at that time."
I thought Victoria was just busy groping my ass, but she's sharp enough to notice things like that.
The group asked around for Arwen. Scandinavia wasn't a large village, so they thought they would find her right away.
But they were wrong. No matter where they looked, Arwen was nowhere to be seen.
Eventually, they started asking the other elves.
"The princess? Come to think of it... I haven't seen her all day..."
"I saw her this morning. As soon as she heard the hero was taking the trial for the Spirit Sword, she ran off somewhere in a hurry."
Where on earth could she have gone?
In the end, the group returned to their quarters without having found Arwen. Lina, who had already finished packing, was waiting for them.
The group explained that they couldn't find Arwen. After hearing their story, Lina said, "...You don't think she ran away because she was afraid we'd keep pestering her to join the party, do you?"
The party vehemently denied Lina's suggestion. Kerry did as well.
An elf princess not being in the hero's party!
There was no way such an absurd, unreasonable thing could happen in reality.