Chapter 13: Sword Saint VI
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Now is the time—before I become a complete trophy, no matter how much pain it brings, I must not cease my thoughts.
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Eris Gladius cast a discreet glance at the two within the tent. Both Mika and Angelica appeared to be sound asleep, exhausted from their ordeal, whether it be physical or mental fatigue. The three of them had dispatched numerous minions to reach this point. They were already worn out, but the battle with the boss had left particularly deep scars on the minds of the three—especially on Saintess Mika and Angelica.
On the other hand, while Eris felt a strong weariness, for some reason, her mind was unusually clear. Of course, the headache she had been suffering during this labyrinth exploration had not only persisted but had increased in frequency. Yet, more than that, something deep within her heart urged her to continue thinking, commanding her not to stop.
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Eris was surprised. Saintess Mika, who had been saved by the Holy Knight, had expressed her gratitude sincerely. It was only natural to thank someone who had helped her, but still, that fact was astonishing.
To begin with, the Holy Knight, whom she had not seen in a long time, was said to be a hopeless good-for-nothing. He squandered all the rewards from labyrinth explorations on decadent indulgences and, shamelessly, repeatedly came asking for money without any sense of shame—such was the true nature of the Holy Knight, as described by the Hero.
Eris had hardly ever met the Holy Knight, so she knew almost nothing about him.
However, whenever the Hero, with his usual confidence, would curse him in a derogatory manner, it was strange how she would come to believe that the Holy Knight was indeed that kind of person, someone who could only drag down the Hero Party and cause trouble for those around him.
This realization applied not only to Eris but also to Saintess Mika and Angelica.
Whenever the Hero would start with, “That Yamada guy, you know,” or “He’s forgotten the duties of a Holy Knight,” or “He’s truly shameless,” the two of them would agree with him, nodding along, as if a switch had been flipped, and they would use harsh words to berate the Holy Knight who had left the party.
When they insulted the Holy Knight, the Hero would always smile contentedly, and it became a pattern for him to gently admonish them, saying, “Now, now, girls shouldn’t use such words. It ruins your lovely faces.”
Thus, for Eris, it was nothing short of a shocking event that Saintess Mika, who despised the Holy Knight like a venomous snake, had sincerely expressed her gratitude.
Yet now, she understood.
Perhaps—just perhaps.
When the Hero spoke, it became truth for Eris. No matter how absurd the claim, if the Hero declared it true, it felt true to her. Surely, the two beside her felt something similar.
The closer the Hero was, the more a strange feeling arose within her, compelling her to affirm everything about him. And the more he spoke, the more whatever he said seemed to be the truth.
For instance, if he pointed at a horse and claimed, “This is a deer,” then for the three of them, it was indeed a deer. If he insisted that the white pieces in Reversi were “black,” then no matter how one looked at it, they would see black.
Such impossible things could become possible within the Hero Party, with the Hero, and among the three of them.
If that were the case, then perhaps the true nature of the Holy Knight was…
Of course, all of this might just be Eris’s delusion.
As she pondered this, Eris trembled slightly, feeling a sense of instability stemming from her uncertainty about her sanity, and even more so from the fear that she might already be possessed by madness.
The magical light flickered and extinguished, leaving the tent in darkness.
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In the dark, Eris lay down beside the two, forming a shape reminiscent of the kanji for “river.”
If it was a delusion, then so be it, she thought, trying to inspire herself as she felt her resolve wavering.
It had been a while since the three had left the Hero’s side. Although she couldn’t definitively say it was because of that, she began to notice a different side to Saintess Mika and Angelica—more human, so to speak, than when they were active in the Hero Party.
This was, of course, true for herself as well. When they were with the Hero Party, all of their actions were for the Hero. They had always entrusted every decision to him. And no matter how impossible his commands were, they had acted as if fulfilling his orders was a noble mission to save the world.
So, wouldn’t it be fine to continue as they had been? A fleeting thought crossed her mind when—suddenly, the Holy Sword emitted a particularly strong glow.
In response to the light, the two sleeping figures grimaced in pain.
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Eris recalled something. When had the Holy Sword begun to glow dimly?
By the time they had explored that accursed nightmare (the Labyrinth of Time), she had already been unable to wield the Holy Sword.
Then when was it? Was it when she was defeated by Orphelia Verite of the Seventh Blue?
Now that she thought about it, she remembered that moment. Why had she forgotten such an important thing until now?
—”That thing lying there is not your master.”
Orphelia had indeed said that while pointing at the Hero.
If, if this were a ridiculous story that anyone would laugh off, but if, by some chance—no, by a billion chances—it were true, then what exactly was the Hero?
More than that—
What had happened to my master?
—This was undoubtedly one of the most terrifying questions that existed in this world.
Eris didn’t know why, but her entire body trembled, and tears began to flow uncontrollably. She could no longer stop them.
“Stop it.”
She felt as if she heard someone’s voice.
“You don’t need to think about anything.”
“It’s all pointless, everything.”
The voice was gentle, coaxing her to give up. At the same time, an unprecedentedly intense headache struck her, and the Holy Sword shone brighter than ever before. A blinding light illuminated the inside of the tent, where the magical light had gone out.
And then—
“If,” a voice called out to the three of them from outside the tent. It was the voice of the Holy Knight—Ashley Noble—whom they would encounter when they went to the Sealed Shrine to retrieve the Affirmative Sword, following the Hero’s instructions.
Eris wiped her tears and instinctively shifted into a combat stance.
“We’ve rested enough. I think we should head down to the next floor. What will you two do?”
The Holy Knight’s question was posed in a soft tone, devoid of hostility.