Prologue 3
After that, Fana and I returned to the city, exchanging insults while proudly displaying the head of a high-ranking member of the Demon King’s Army, declaring that we had vanquished the threat to the city. We made our way to the Duke’s residence, but on the way, I began to bleed profusely from my side wound, losing consciousness and was transported to the Healing Clinic. Ten days later, I awoke to find the Duke, who had come to check on me, expressing his gratitude. The residents of the city also offered their thanks, and I used the money Fana had earned to purchase potions and other supplies. I was scolded for sneaking out of the Healing Clinic before my wound had fully healed, and I reported to the Duke that I was no longer a Hero and had lost my qualifications. I also asked him to inform the King of my situation, spending the next half month in this manner.
Even though I had lost the Holy Mark and the inner power that came with being a Hero, my body felt no heavier than before. When I tested my movements, I found I could still fight without any issues, so it seemed unlikely I would die immediately if I threw myself into battle again. Personally, I was surprised—and a bit frightened—that this power was neither derived from being a Hero nor from the inner strength I had possessed. However, I felt no intentional use of power, and I was pleased to realize that my efforts to train had borne fruit.
That aside,
“Well then. I appreciate all the help you’ve given me.”
“No, thank you for not only defeating a great enemy but also assisting in the city’s recovery… So, are you truly alright with this?”
“Yes. With the justification of being a Hero gone, I am just an ordinary citizen with power. I registered as an adventurer at the Guild for identification, but I still lack the standing to ride in the Duke’s carriage.”
“…Understood. We have received reports of an Earth Dragon that seems to have grown larger than an adult. Your wound has only just begun to heal, so please be careful.”
“Ah, thank you for the information. You too, don’t push yourself too hard.”
“Of course, I will never waste the life that was saved by you, Ferno.”
“I see… If we both survive, we will meet again. I look forward to that day.”
“Yes, I too will be waiting eagerly. Please take care, Lady Faritia.”
“Hmm? Ah, of course. If anything happens, send word, and I will come with the knights alongside Ferno.”
“Yes, I will rely on you then.”
A month had passed since we displayed the head of the self-proclaimed strongest member of the Demon King’s Army, and Fana and I decided to leave the city we had been staying in. On the same day that the carriage reporting to the Duke about my loss of status as a Hero departed for the royal castle, we also set out to inform the angels that I had never truly been a Hero. To be precise, since our starting point was the royal castle, we were essentially returning there, but without the reasons and obligations to move forward, it was not a significant burden.
Currently, our equipment consisted of a Magic Bag filled with potions, medical supplies, and a month’s worth of food and drink that I had received from the Duke. Fana carried three iron swords provided to replace her broken Mithril Sword during the recovery efforts, along with a supply of potions and medical supplies for one person. As for me, I had no weapons because I lacked the funds to acquire any, and I hadn’t bought armor either since it would likely break in battle.
“Let’s go.”
“Yeah.”
“Please be careful on the way and don’t overexert yourself.”
The journey from the city to the royal castle would take just over a week by carriage, meaning it would take more than a month on foot. However, if it was just Fana and me, we could reduce our rest time by camping along the way, allowing us to reach our destination in less than two weeks. The threats we might encounter were minimal; the only ones we needed to be cautious of were the Earth Dragon the Duke had mentioned and the remnants of the Demon King’s Army members I had slain. Based on my rehabilitation, I felt confident that neither posed a significant threat. Even if they attacked, I was certain I could eliminate them within three seconds without any issues. In fact, if I left it to Fana, she could take care of them in under an hour, making them far less formidable than the members of the Demon King’s Army.
In truth, the members of the Demon King’s Army I had faced were not particularly threatening, aside from the last one I fought—a massive golden dragon that could stop time, which the foolish Sage had recklessly engaged. The only other notable threat was the enormous, absurdly tough Golem I had encountered at the beginning. If approached with caution, they were not much of a threat at all.
However, I had no idea what abilities the remaining four members possessed or how well they could wield them.
“Ferno.”
“What is it?”
“I couldn’t ask while I was in rehabilitation, and after that, I was focused on recovery, but how much of an impact did losing the Hero’s power and your own have on you?”
“How much of an impact?”
“You said it wasn’t much… But, I mean, you can’t just face off against the members of the Demon King’s Army like you did when you were a Hero, nor can you easily slay monsters that have undergone abnormal growth and training, right?”
“Hmm? No, that’s not the case.”
“………What?”
“If that were true, I would have asked the Duke for weapons and armor. Besides…”
About half an hour after departing the city, we had just reached a point where the city was barely visible in the distance. I answered Fana’s question in a calm tone, as if addressing a disgruntled person. While there might be some influence in terms of authority, I meant to convey that in terms of combat, the impact was negligible. I was about to share some foundational information when I noticed a mass of wood flying toward us from the corner of my vision, so I paused my words and swatted the incoming object aside.
Turning my gaze in the direction it had come from, I spotted a dragon approaching, its massive green and brown body contrasting with its small, thin wings, roaring as it charged toward us, causing the ground to tremble.
“…An Earth Dragon. I’ll handle this.”
“No, just watch.”
“What?”
“I’ll show you why it doesn’t matter that I lost my power.”
I stopped Fana, who was reaching for one of the iron swords I had given her, and instead picked up a broken piece of wood that had fallen when I swatted the other object away, holding it down at my side. If it were a proper weapon, I could strike within a radius of five hundred meters, but since this was just a makeshift wooden piece, I decided to wait.
As soon as the dragon’s head entered my estimated range of one hundred meters, I planted my right foot firmly on the ground, channeling all my strength into my right arm as I swung the wood upward.
“Well, this is how it goes.”
I tossed aside the splintered remains of the wood and murmured those words. In Fana’s wide-eyed gaze, the Earth Dragon that had been charging toward us lay dead, its neck and upper body brutally torn apart. While I couldn’t completely sever it due to using a piece of wood, and the cut looked as if it had been forcibly ripped apart, considering it was rehabilitation, I thought it was quite satisfactory.
“I never used a single fragment of the power I lost. The Holy Sword was just a heavy blunt object, and I had no idea how to utilize the power that resided within me.”
“…Haha, you’re still as incredible as ever…”
“To survive in an environment where my life is constantly threatened from both sides, this is the only way, right? Well, this particular dragon was arrogant due to its growth, but still.”
“I wouldn’t be able to do that…”
“Really? I think you could… Anyway, gather whatever you want. While bringing back the entire corpse as a souvenir isn’t a bad idea, it will undoubtedly rot on the way, so I’ll leave the eyes, horns, and Reverse Scale here.”
“…Is that really okay?”
“Of course. Even if you say you want everything, you won’t be able to fit it all in my Magic Bag. Just take as much as you can eat before it spoils.”
“Understood. I’ll go get it.”
“Alright.”
I was surprised but quickly accepted the situation. My mind was already filled with thoughts of dragon meat… Well, I had only drawn the Holy Sword during the speech, and in most battles, I had been picking up whatever was around to bludgeon my enemies. Remembering that, I felt a sense of understanding. Plus, I hadn’t had many opportunities to hunt dragons lately, and given my fondness for meat, the prospect of dragon meat was enticing.
More importantly, I needed to collect some materials myself. The eyes of an adult dragon could be used as materials for Church rituals, the dragon’s horns were useful for alchemy overseen by the Magic Union, and the Reverse Scale was a unique and precious item, as it was the only one of its kind that grew on any dragon. Since I couldn’t bring back the entire corpse, I needed to at least take these as souvenirs.
Additionally, I wanted to curry favor. Having fallen to the status of a commoner, I wanted to avoid being sentenced to death for possessing valuable resources from an adult dragon while pretending to be a Hero. Finding dragon materials in my current state would be easy enough if I could just locate them.