Prologue: Outside
In a chamber within the royal castle of the Kingdom of Alstovar, a gathering of over a dozen individuals surrounded a central round table. Among them sat Ferno Desire, the hero destined to confront the Demon Lord. The king, leading the assembly, had conveyed the mission to Ferno and entrusted him with three companions, each bearing titles bestowed by divine prophecy, along with several forms of support, including the Holy Sword.
“Have we all gathered? Then let us commence this emergency meeting,” the king declared from his elevated seat. He confirmed with a nod from his aide that all participants were present before initiating the meeting’s purpose. Despite the fact that such gatherings had occurred nearly a hundred times since the Demon Lord’s rebirth, the atmosphere in the room felt unusually tense and heavy.
“The agenda for this meeting includes the descent of the Apostle of God, the revocation of the hero’s qualifications, the emergence of a new hero, and the whereabouts of the remaining executives of the Demon Lord’s Army, as well as the still-missing Demon Lord. Let us proceed in order. Regarding the descent of the Apostle, I ask for your insights, Your Holiness,” the king said.
“Indeed,” replied the Pope.
The topics at hand could be broadly categorized into three main issues. The first was the descent of the Apostle, specifically concerning the angel who had stripped Ferno Desire of the Holy Sword and the Holy Mark. To delve into the details, the king turned to a man clad in a cassock, an elderly figure among the round table’s assembly.
“First, I must clarify that our Holy Spirit Church has had no involvement in this descent event. Therefore, I do not possess complete knowledge of how this transpired. My report will be based on the words conveyed to us by the Apostle,” the Pope explained.
“Understood. It is better than being left in the dark,” the king replied.
“Thank you. The matter began with the Sage’s discovery of a discrepancy between the movements of the stars and the current hero situation. It became evident that the events were progressing at an accelerated pace, which was shared with the Saint. This led to ongoing suspicion directed at Ferno Desire,” the Pope continued.
“I see. And what transpired next?” the king inquired.
“I believe everyone is aware of the chaos caused by the Saint and the Sage, so I will skip over that. However, they both became convinced that Ferno Desire was not even aware of the existence of the Spirit of Light, the final proof of a hero. To confirm this fact, we performed a simple ritual and prayer to our great Lord, which ultimately led to the descent of the Apostle,” the Pope elaborated.
“I see… And what did the Apostle say?” the king pressed.
“There was a distortion of fate, and within that distortion, undeniable truths emerged. Thus, the Apostle descended to address these issues. The unique aspect of this event was that the hero’s qualifications were restored, yet restrictions were placed to prevent the irreparable distortions from being restored,” the Pope explained.
“Understood… Thank you for your insights, Your Holiness,” the king said appreciatively.
The truth of the angel’s descent, as recounted by the Pope, mirrored what Ferno Desire had heard from the angel. However, the angel had concealed two critical facts when explaining to the Pope: that Ferno Desire was a reincarnated individual with memories and that he possessed the power to distort the world during that reincarnation.
The reason the angel concealed these truths was that Ferno Desire had readily acknowledged them and presented them to the angel. Furthermore, having observed the past that had flowed by, the angel understood that Ferno Desire had not misused these powers while living as a hero.
“From the flow of events, it has become clear that Ferno Desire has not been a hero for the past five years. Consequently, a new hero has emerged to take his place, one who has been defeating the executives of the Demon Lord’s Army and aiding the injured. If this were to become public knowledge, it would lead to chaos. The nobility would likely rise against Ferno Desire, who has earned the gratitude of the people,” the Pope stated.
“…So, what will be our course of action? If we cannot make this public, then we must still present Ferno Desire as the hero. However, this could provoke the wrath of God and backlash from the Saint and the Sage,” one of the nobles raised a concern.
“Yet, if we declare that Ferno Desire is no longer the hero, it could incite a significant uprising. Given his past actions, a division within the kingdom would be the least of our worries; it could very well trigger the collapse of our nation,” another noble added.
“…And the other nations will not remain silent either. Many feel indebted to Ferno Desire and would welcome him. If he is free to live as he pleases, it would not be surprising if he sought refuge in another country,” a third noble remarked.
“Indeed, I understand the concerns of the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Defense. The Foreign Minister’s predictions are also quite plausible, considering his character… Therefore, what we must decide in this meeting is how to keep Ferno Desire within our kingdom while simultaneously deceiving and separating him from the newly recognized hero and their followers,” the king concluded.
As the king voiced the conclusions he had reached prior to the meeting, the assembly members expressed relief and admiration at his decision. The king had chosen to prioritize Ferno Desire, who had achieved the remarkable feat of defeating more than half of the Demon Lord’s Army executives in just five years, over the newly recognized hero, the infatuated Saint, and the prideful Sage.
“An infatuated Saint, a prideful Sage, and an inexplicable new hero… Weighing these against a man who has accomplished such a feat, I believe this is the correct course of action for the future of our kingdom,” the king declared.
“Indeed, a splendid judgment. However, how do you propose we gradually separate them? Will we publicly announce that Ferno Desire is no longer the hero? How will we handle the potential rebellion that may arise from such a declaration?” another noble asked.
“First, we must announce the change in heroes. However, it will not be us who make this announcement; it will be entrusted to the Magic Association,” the king replied.
“…Is that truly acceptable?” another noble questioned.
“It is not merely acceptable; it is a proposal from the Union Leader and the Pope. Is that not correct?” the king asked.
“Indeed, that is correct. We will declare that Ferno Desire was not a legitimate hero based on our historical analysis. Furthermore, we will have one of the Cardinals of the Holy Spirit Church, who witnessed the descent of the Apostle, announce that the Holy Mark and Holy Sword have changed their owner,” the Pope confirmed.
“However, that would mean…” a noble hesitated.
“That we would acquire a bad reputation, yes? But there is no need to worry about that. We are not a group that concerns itself with such matters. If we were, we would have restrained and executed the Sage when he began his rampage. The fact that we did not means we are not concerned with such trivialities. Moreover, we are a collection of individuals who could not thrive in the mundane world, so worrying is futile,” the Pope stated.
“The Church has no issue publicly declaring the descent of the Apostle and the change in the hero’s qualifications, provided we set aside personal biases and emotions. There are numerous witnesses to the Apostle’s descent, so doubt will not be cast upon us. Following that, the Church will seek a path forward, stepping back from the public eye to focus on healing the wounded and maintaining its role as a source of faith,” the Pope added.
“I see… However, as a nation, we must also make our position clear. What will we do then? Remaining silent may lead the populace and lower nobility to believe we are accepting the new hero,” another noble pointed out.
“Indeed, we will ensure that after both parties make their announcements, we will also declare our stance,” the king assured.
The king’s determination, the concerns raised, and the strategies discussed reflected a rare collaboration among the leaders of the kingdom, the Church, and the Magic Association—three factions that typically acted in their own interests. They were now united in their efforts to protect Ferno Desire, even if it meant accepting blame and disgrace.
As the assembly members, particularly those with less connection to the Pope and the Union Leader, gazed in astonishment at this unprecedented cooperation, the king turned his attention to the second agenda item: how to address Ferno Desire, who was no longer recognized as a hero.
“I, no, the royal family of Alstovar, shall bestow upon Ferno Desire the title of ‘Hero.’ Not as a mere medal of honor, but as a title that replaces that of a hero—a title for the one man who has illuminated the path to hope for the future,” the king proclaimed.
No one raised an objection.