* * *
I couldn’t hear anything else, only the loud pounding of my own heartbeat.
It’s the same as last time when the guards came to thank us.
I was so distracted I didn’t notice a thing.
This is dangerous!
If I let my guard down like this, I’ll end up a burden to Zerbin.
But maybe that’s because I admire him so much.
His unparalleled strength, his noble dedication to his mission, his steadfast determination—everything about him commands my respect.
There’s no way I can just turn those feelings off.
Which is why… I just need to avoid situations like this.
“Th-thanks for helping me out.”
Now, let me go!
“They’ll probably leave us alone now, so enjoy your meal.”
I whispered my gratitude and tried to pull his arm off my waist.
Zerbin’s arm didn’t budge.
“Uh, you don’t really need to keep this up…”
I whispered again, but he didn’t move.
Was he worried people might doubt the authenticity of the act?
Normally, that’d make sense, but who here would dare question Zerbin right now?
Let go already!
If I stay like this, I might be preventing him from using one arm.
Zerbin is still eating, isn’t he?
Isn’t this bothersome?
He must be uncomfortable, so why isn’t he letting go?
Could there be another reason?
At this point, there must be something I don’t understand.
Zerbin is smarter than me, befitting a hero, right?
Then I should just ask.
“Why are you doing this? If you have something in mind, let me know. I’ll cooperate too.”
“…”
Zerbin paused his meal and stared at me silently.
I was used to his silence, yet a chill ran down my spine.
His cold gray eyes clearly held an emotion I couldn’t ignore.
I wasn’t sure what it was.
Zerbin’s emotions were always too ambiguous to interpret definitively.
But at least I could tell it wasn’t positive.
He seemed upset, angry even… or maybe… hurt.
“You…”
“I’m sorry!”
If he’s upset, I should apologize!
I don’t know what I did wrong, but it must be my fault!
“I was wrong!”
Even if he’s angry, I just hope he tells me why.
That way, I can avoid doing it next time.
“…”
Oh no.
Zerbin kicked my leg hard. It hurt—a lot.
But I held it in, worried I might come off as whining after messing up.
“What do you want to do with me?”
Huh?
“Stop confusing me.”
“Me? When did I—?”
Was that why he was angry?
I couldn’t figure it out, so I asked again.
But instead of answering, Zerbin pressed down on my head firmly and walked away.
I knew I should follow him immediately, but I sat there in a daze for a moment.
“Stop confusing me?”
What could I have possibly done to confuse him?
Did he think I misread the situation?
That I helped because I thought he needed it, only to be told to stop when it wasn’t necessary?
Was it a misunderstanding?
No… that’s reaching too far.
If that were the case, with Zerbin’s personality, he would’ve just said something like, “Don’t bother next time.”
He would’ve made it clear he didn’t need help.
But “Stop confusing me” is an entirely different statement.
So different that—
…No.
That can’t be it.
Although… when I think about how he clung to me last night and kept me close, even now…
Zerbin hates physical contact, yet he doesn’t mind being this close to me.
“Stop confusing me.”
This is starting to feel like…
No, no. That’s impossible!
The one confusing people here is you, Hero!
The holy sword descended from the heavens on the day the divine oracle was given.
Wrapped in sacred golden lightning, it fell to the earth in the dead of night.
Thunder roared so loudly that it echoed across the land, waking everyone in Swindlin.
Though its landing shook the very ground of Swindlin, the area around the holy sword remained untouched—no cracks, no damage, just the golden gleam of its presence.
It was undeniably a sword granted by the divine.
Blinded by its brilliance, adventurers flocked to it, desperate to claim it.
Yet the sword stood unyielding, no matter who touched it.
It gave off an air of indifference, as though none were worth its consideration.
Neither the adventurers of Swindlin nor the knights sent by the kingdom succeeded.
Even foreign envoys failed in their attempts.
The number of visitors seeking to pull the sword increased daily, but their efforts bore no fruit.
As the chosen hero failed to appear, unease spread among the people.
Spectators who once gathered around the sword began to dwindle, their hopes of witnessing a hero’s rise gradually fading.
Those left behind muttered incessantly, questioning who the hero might be and why they hadn’t appeared yet.
But among the adventurers of Swindlin, the conclusion was almost unanimous.
Only one person, a certain adventurer, had never attempted to pull the sword.
“Why hasn’t the Monster tried to draw the sword?”
Yes, just one person.
I stopped in my tracks at the mention of Zerbin Batista’s name.
I had no desire to add my voice to this conversation.
After all, I didn’t know enough about him to speak carelessly.
I should leave once this ends.
“Maybe he tried secretly and failed?”
“I’ve been watching the whole time. That’s impossible.”
The other speaker seemed to be joking, but Naike responded earnestly.
Naike had practically abandoned her work to camp near the holy sword, determined to witness the hero draw it someday.
If only she had applied that determination to something more practical,s he might’ve been a more renowned adventurer by now.
“Maybe when you were asleep?”
“My friend and I take shifts. No chance of that.”
Did they really need to go that far?
“Then maybe he’s not confident.”
One of the speakers replied indifferently, clearly losing interest in the topic.
To be fair, it had been two weeks since the sword appeared—plenty of time for most people to return to their normal lives.
My group, including Naike, had only stayed to try convincing him to take on another mission.
I wondered if those gathered around Naike had a similar purpose.
“That Monster is the strongest adventurer of all, isn’t he? Stronger than even the royal knights. I’ve heard nobles secretly send him requests.”
Naike, who seemed to admire Zerbin as the king of adventurers, refuted the idea that he lacked confidence.
“What now?” whispered Aimone, asking if we should give up and leave.
That might be for the best.
I doubted Naike would change her mind about the sword anytime soon.
“Does strength even matter? That guy hates people. A hero who despises humans? Ridiculous. He knows he’s unworthy, so he won’t come.”
“Or maybe he doesn’t want to save anyone. Do you think that monster would sacrifice himself for others?”
Hmm.
I didn’t feel the need to defend Zerbin Batista’s dislike of people, but criticizing him like this seemed unfair.
“How could you say such a thing!”
Naike clearly harbored goodwill toward Zerbin Batista, but when someone insulted the person she admired right to her face, Naike’s expression darkened, and she swung her fist.
Her opponent, struck squarely in the chest, was sent flying far away.
Thanks to that, there was no need to hesitate anymore.
Since the situation had opened up, I decided to make use of it and speak my mind.
“Naike.”
“Oh, Raul.”
Naike waved her hand with a soft expression, as though she hadn’t just been angry moments ago.
“And Aimone is here too? Are you on your way to a request?”
“I’m still looking for companions.”
“A party proposal? I appreciate the offer, but I…”
As expected, that was the answer.
If she’d been lingering here for the past two weeks, maybe it was because she wanted to witness the birth of a hero.
But Naike didn’t get to finish her sentence.
Her eyes widened in shock.
There was no need to ask why.
* * *
