How about a trip with the boss?
Sylvia was extremely anxious, although she didn’t show it.
She refused to leave Sena’s side.
‘…Poor thing.’
Feeling sorry, Sena patted her head.
The place they arrived at, flying through the sky, was a clearing in the forest.
Sena dismounted from the wyvern and stretched her stiff body.
“Sena. Are you really okay?”
“Yes.”
“You said it was urgent, so we even used the wyvern.”
“There’s an order to things.”
Sena had insisted on finding Chris first. That’s why they had come to the outskirts of the Celine Forest instead of the Birkender estate.
‘I hope he’s alright.’
He had heard it wasn’t a situation where every minute counted.
Of course, Sena was eager to get going.
‘It’s not that far from the Birkender estate to home. This journey ends there.’
One way or another, the plan was to say goodbye at the Birkender estate.
But first, he had to deal with other matters. The most urgent task was finding the missing Chris.
“Where on earth is that senior?”
Sylvia complained.
“Anyway, is our destination nearby?”
“Yes. We can walk from here.”
“I see. Blue, make yourself a lair somewhere suitable and wait.”
Growl.
The wyvern folded its wings and walked off somewhere. They heard the thudding sounds of its footsteps.
‘That thing is so convenient.’
Sena blinked. It was the best ride in the world. A journey that would normally take two days had been completed in less than two hours.
‘This drastically reduces travel time. I actually like it.’
It felt like his life had been extended. Sena was in a good mood. It was a great start, almost unbelievable for a last trip.
He walked briskly. His physical condition wasn’t bad, although it felt like he was carrying a ticking time bomb.
“Is it true?”
Astria’s eyes widened at Sena’s claim that they had a lead on Chris’s whereabouts.
“There’s a village close by. The Village of Heroes. Have you heard of it?”
“Hero? That’s an odd name for a village.”
“…There’s a story behind it.”
“A story?”
“Yes, Senior. I’ve been curious about it for a long time too.”
“Sylvia, you didn’t know either? You’ve been there often enough.”
“I only followed my seniors.”
Sena looked at Astria and subtly asked,
“It’s a bit of a walk. Shall I tell you the story?”
“Sure.”
‘She was curious after all.’
Seeing Astria’s curiosity-filled eyes, he awkwardly smiled.
Sena deliberately stepped on the scattered pebbles as he started the story.
Unfortunately, there are no demon lords in this world.
Therefore, there are no heroes. The closest equivalent might be demon worshippers, but according to Cruyff, they were eradicated a hundred years ago.
After all, worshipping Justitia grants greater power than worshipping demons, so there’s no reason to praise demons.
Then why is this village called the Hero’s Village? The reason is both simple and complex.
“Once upon a time, there was a baron who dreamed of becoming a hero. He was the lord of this village.”
The young lord always had nightmares.
Late at night, a demon lord appeared and killed people in his dreams.
It made sense. This village, located midway between the capital and Celine, would inevitably become a target.
But why a demon lord instead of enemy forces?
The Empire is too strong. The people of the Empire can’t even conceive the possibility of another country invading.
A fictitious demon lord is more frightening to them.
“He firmly believed that one day, the demon lord would invade this village. So, he thought to prepare in advance.”
From a medical perspective, the baron probably suffered from a mental illness.
Becoming a lord at a young age, responsible for many lives, must have been overwhelming. The burden would have been greater for a kind-hearted person, and the child’s mind, unable to cope, found a different solution.
“But the demon lord didn’t come. Naturally.”
“People were dissatisfied. Struggling to make ends meet, why was the lord insisting on these strange things?”
“To reach Celine, one must pass through this village. Given Celine’s wealth, they funded this village, which acted as a breakwater.”
“The lord invested all that money in defense. People who had previously lived well without much effort were naturally discontent.”
“Still, the baron stubbornly believed that the demon lord would come, no matter what anyone said.”
“How trivial.”
Astria seemed to be deeply engrossed in the story. Now, she was fuming with anger.
“Does such a foolish lord actually exist? I must tell Betty to revoke his title immediately.”
“Uh… this happened 300 years ago. Besides, that noble family no longer exists.”
“What? Their line has ended?”
“Yes. Besides, a baron’s title isn’t exactly prestigious. Moreover, no noble would marry a baron known for waiting for a demon lord that would never come, who was widely rumored to be insane.”
However, when Sena first heard this story, he had his doubts.
After all, even a rotten noble is still a noble. Even commoners would have lined up to marry someone of noble status.
Could it really be that there were no descendants of that baron?
“So? What was the end of that foolish noble? I assume a rebellion occurred?”
“Aha, that’s a very imperial way of thinking. Quite violent.”
“…”
Sena continued the story with a gentle smile.
“The demon lord didn’t come. But something else did.”
“It was the Pacius Kingdom’s army. Yes, the famous Hundred Years War. The empire fought and eventually triumphed over three kingdoms simultaneously. During that time of chaos, they managed to penetrate to the heart of the empire. They planned to capture Celine and then advance to the capital.”
The kingdom’s army arrived at the Hero’s Village on their way to Celine.
Naturally, the empire was depicted as demons to them, and they were about to commit a massacre.
The baron stepped forward. Having trained steadily to face the demon lord, he stood bravely with a single sword.
The villagers saw it. Their lord, who they cursed every day, was fighting to protect them with his life.
“Of course, no matter how well-prepared, a mere village couldn’t stand against a kingdom’s army. The situation quickly became dire. Soon, the outer walls were about to collapse. At that moment, the baron made a crucial decision.”
Sena imitated a serious tone, though his naturally cute appearance lessened the effect.
“The current momentum of the demon lord’s army is formidable. Retreat. Prepare for the future of humanity. I will buy you time.”
“The baron charged alone and held the bridge for two days.”
“In war, two days is…”
“Not just critical, but decisive.”
Astria said definitively.
“A war delayed by two days cannot be won.”
“Exactly. He not only bought time for the villagers to escape, but also gave the empire time to rally against the kingdom’s army. The dream of the young lord, which everyone mocked, was certainly realized.”
“That was quite an interesting story, Sena. If history lessons were this engaging, I wouldn’t have killed my history teacher.”
“…”
Let’s pretend we didn’t hear that.
“So, that’s why the village is called the Village of Heroes. Many heroes live here. People who strive tirelessly to prepare for the demon lord that may never come, regardless of anyone’s gaze.”
Sena liked this village.
The people had bright expressions, and living with a dream was admirable.
“But I haven’t mentioned the most important part. Why is Chris here?”
“Chris liked the Village of Heroes. He often said that perhaps the only sensible people in the empire live here.”
Chris had a bit of an old-fashioned streak.
He particularly despised complacency and believed that the villagers, regardless of their reasons, were among the few who were diligently preparing for war.
“There’s a cabin at the top of the hill behind the village. Chris is likely there.”
Sena tripped over a stone he didn’t see, stumbling. Sylvia quickly caught him by the waist, pulling him towards her and even brushing off the dust from his mouth.
‘Lately, Sylvia’s been touching me without hesitation.’
He might end up getting devoured at this rate.
As they neared the village, Sena began to tell a reserved story.
“We can’t call you Your Majesty outside, can we?”
“What?”
“I’ll call you Ria.”
Astria flinched. Did he just shorten the Empress’s name…? It was shocking in many ways.
“Sylvia, you too.”
“H-how can I…?”
“Ah, who was your lord again…?”
“Of course, it’s me.”
Astria glanced sideways, as if the question was absurd.
“The Teutonic Knights exist for me.”
“That’s not true. She pledged her loyalty to me. Sylvia belongs to me, you know?”
Sena grabbed Sylvia’s hand. Just that action made Sylvia’s face almost burst with embarrassment.
“Hmph, that only means she’ll take care of you after she retires. Sylvia is still active duty.”
“Then let Sylvia decide. Who is your liege?”
“Th-that…”
Sylvia gulped.
Sena would pout for a month if slighted, and Astria was simply terrifying.
“A-A-Astria.”
Sylvia made the best choice. By choosing Astria, she also fulfilled Sena’s wish to call her by name.
“Knight, do you want to die?”
“I still want to live…”
“Hahaha.”
As they chatted, they eventually arrived at the village.
A man in a loose outfit was crouched near a ditch, yawning.
Though he looked unimpressive, he was a guard. Astria whispered in admiration.
“Oh, they can at least mimic a hero.”
“The kid speaks like a noble who’s aged thirty years. The world is doomed.”
Astria turned to stone on the spot.
Sylvia trembled. Should she draw her sword and shout, ‘You insolent fool! Do you know who this is?’
“Hello.”
“Hmm?”
The man glanced at Sena with disinterest, then his eyes widened.
“You’re cute.”
“…?”
“…”
Astria’s face hardened, and Sylvia looked at the man like he was trash.
Only Sena stood there with a bright smile, hands behind his back.
But inside, he was thinking, ‘If only I weren’t terminally ill. If this were the old me…!’
Though he’d probably only pout and say nothing more.
“Have you seen a tall man with red hair? He probably looked like a knight.”
Sena stood on tiptoes to illustrate Chris’s height.
The man grinned widely, clearly taken with Sena. Finally, Sena hid behind Sylvia.
“Hey, p*rvert. Stop looking at my senior like that.”
“P-p*rvert?”
The man scratched his head and glanced at Sena.
“If you’re talking about that guy, he was here two days ago.”
“Really?”
Joy spread across Sena’s face.
It seemed they’d find Chris easily.
But then the man’s next words made his expression stiffen.
“But what’s with that guy anyway?”
“There have been too many people asking the same question lately.”
From the guard’s response, Sena deduced three things.
Chris was being pursued.
He had an idea where Chris might have gone.
And things were about to get more complicated.
