Prologue ③
After that, while exchanging insults with Fana, we returned to the city, proudly displaying the head of the Demon Lord’s Army Executive and declaring that the threat to the city had been eliminated. We made our way to the duke’s residence, and on the way, I lost consciousness from the blood gushing from my side wound and was transported to the clinic. Ten days later, I awoke to the duke’s words of gratitude, as well as thanks from the townsfolk. Using the money Fana had earned, I bought potions and other supplies. I was scolded for sneaking out of the clinic before my wound had fully healed, and I reported to the duke that I was no longer a hero and asked him to inform the king as well. Thus, I spent the next half month.
That said, even though I had lost the Holy Mark, the Holy Sword, and the inner power, my body didn’t feel heavy. When I tried moving, I found I could do so without any issues. It seemed unlikely that I would die immediately even if I threw myself into battle with the same mindset as before. Personally, I was surprised—and a bit frightened—that this power didn’t originate from being a hero or from the inner strength I had possessed. However, I didn’t feel any intentional use of power, and I was pleased to realize that my efforts to become stronger had borne fruit.
That aside,
“Well then. Thank you for all your help.”
“No, I should be the one thanking you. Not only did you defeat a great enemy, but you also assisted in the city’s recovery… So, are you really sure about this?”
“Yes. Now that I no longer have the noble title of hero, I am just an ordinary commoner with power. I registered as an adventurer at the guild for identification, but I still lack the status to ride in the duke’s carriage.”
“…Understood. By the way, we have received reports of an Earth Dragon that seems to have grown larger than usual. 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 you saved, Ferno-sama.”
“I see… If we both live, we will meet again. I look forward to that day.”
“Yes, I too will be waiting eagerly. Please take care, Faritia-sama.”
“Hm? Ah, of course. If anything happens, send word, and I will come with the knights immediately.”
“Yes, I will rely on you then.”
A month had passed since we displayed the head of the self-proclaimed strongest executive of the Demon Lord’s Army, and Fana and I decided to depart from the city we had been staying in. On the same day that the carriage reporting to the duke about my loss of the title of hero set off for the royal castle, we also moved to report that I had never truly been a hero, as declared by an angel. To be precise, since our starting point was the royal castle, it was more like we were returning to where we had begun, but without the reason and duty to move forward, it wasn’t much of a burden.
Currently, our equipment consisted of potions and medical supplies, as well as a Magic Bag filled with a month’s worth of food and drink (a special bag given to me by the duke that expands magically to hold a large quantity). Fana carried three iron swords that had been prepared as replacements for the broken Mithril sword, along with a set of potions and medical supplies for one person. As for me, I didn’t have any weapons since I couldn’t afford them, and I hadn’t bought any armor either, knowing it would likely break if I engaged in battle.
“Let’s go.”
“Yeah.”
“Please be careful on the way and don’t overexert yourselves.”
The journey from the city to the royal castle would take just over a week by carriage, so on foot, it would take more than a month. However, with just Fana and me, we could reduce our rest time by camping along the way, allowing us to reach our destination in less than half a month. There were no significant threats on the road; the only potential dangers were the Earth Dragon the duke had mentioned and the remnants of the Demon Lord’s Army Executive’s subordinates that I had killed. Considering my rehabilitation, I felt confident that neither would pose much of a threat, and even if they attacked, I was certain I could eliminate them within three seconds without any issues. In fact, even if I left it to Fana, she could easily take care of them within an hour, making them far less formidable than the Demon Lord’s Army Executives.
In truth, the original Demon Lord’s Army Executives were not much different in threat level, aside from the massive golden dragon that could stop time and the ridiculously tough golem I had encountered first. If I approached them carelessly, I could be killed, but if I focused and attacked decisively, they wouldn’t be much of a threat.
Well, I had no idea what the remaining four were capable of or how well they could wield their abilities.
“Ferno.”
“What is it?”
“I couldn’t hear during my rehabilitation, and afterward, I was focused on recovery, but how much of an impact did losing the hero’s power have on you?”
“How much impact?”
“You said it wasn’t much… But, I mean, you can’t fight the Demon Lord’s Army Executives as easily as you did before, right? Or easily kill monsters that have undergone abnormal growth and training?”
“Hm? 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 moved far enough away that it was just barely visible in the distance. I answered Fana, who was cautiously inquiring with a tone reminiscent of dealing with an irritable person, maintaining my usual demeanor. While there might be some impact on my status, I meant to convey that in terms of combat, it wouldn’t have a significant effect. I was about to share additional information regarding the underlying premise when I noticed a mass of wood flying toward us from the corner of my vision, so I paused my words and swatted the flying object aside.
As I turned my gaze toward the direction it had come from, I spotted a massive creature, the size of a small hill, with small wings that seemed inadequate for its bulk. It was an Earth Dragon, roaring and charging 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, I picked up a piece of wood that had broken off when I swatted the earlier projectile. If it were a proper weapon, I could have a range of five hundred meters, but since this was just a makeshift piece of wood, I decided to wait.
The moment the dragon’s head entered my estimated range of one hundred meters, I stepped forward, putting all my strength into my right arm holding the wood, and swung it upward.
“Well, this is how it goes.”
As I discarded the splintered remains of the wood, I murmured. In front of Fana, who was wide-eyed and frozen in shock, lay the Earth Dragon’s body, its neck and upper body torn apart.
I hadn’t been able to completely sever it due to using a piece of wood, and the cut looked as if it had been forcibly ripped apart, but considering it was part of my rehabilitation, I thought it was quite good.
“I didn’t use a single fragment of the power I lost. The Holy Sword was just a heavy blunt object, and I had no idea how to use the power that was within me.”
“…Haha, you’re still as incredible as ever…”
“To survive in an environment where my life is threatened from both sides without treatment, this is the only way, right? Well, it’s also true that this one had grown arrogant as a result of its growth.”
“I wouldn’t be able to do that…”
“Really? I think you could… More importantly, gather what you want. While bringing back the entire corpse as a souvenir isn’t a bad idea, it will definitely rot on the way, so I’ll leave the eyes, horns, and Dragon Scale here in the wild.”
“…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 rots.”
“Understood. I’ll go get it.”
“Alright.”
I was surprised but quickly accepted the situation. My mind was suddenly filled with thoughts of dragon meat… Well, I had only drawn the Holy Sword during speeches, and in most battles, I had picked up whatever was around to bludgeon my enemies to death. Remembering that, I found it understandable. Besides, I hadn’t had many opportunities to hunt dragons recently, and given my fondness for meat, the prospect of dragon meat was tantalizing.
More importantly, I needed to gather some materials myself. The eyes of an adult dragon could be used in church rituals, the dragon’s horns were useful for alchemy overseen by the Magic Association, and the Dragon 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 bring back these as souvenirs.
And I wanted to curry favor while I was at it. Now that I had fallen to the status of a commoner, I wanted to avoid being sentenced to death for possessing valuable materials from an adult dragon while pretending to be a hero. Finding dragon materials would be easy enough in my current state, as long as I could locate them.