Dai Densetsu no Yūsha no Densetsu:Volume 4 Interlude

Interlude - About Another Hero

"You really like books, don't you?"

A voice suddenly rang out.

The voice of a lovely girl.

I looked up.

And there, I saw a young girl.

A very beautiful girl.

She was probably around the same age as me, around fifteen, sixteen years old?

She had a high nose and well-ordered features.

And long wavy blond hair.

"............"

That's right.

She had blond hair.

Blond hair that did not exist in the country that I was born in.

I narrowed my eyes a little as I stared at those waves of blond hair. Then, I looked into her eyes, snapped the book in my hands shut and said.

"...... not really, I hate reading books, you know?"

She then smiled.

Looking at that smile, I found it.

I found it to be a really, really innocent smile.

"Jeez ~, you are always lying. In that case, why are you coming to this library every day?"

I shrugged my shoulders and said,

"Because there's no other place for me to go."

"No other place to go? Ah-ha. In this greatest country of the northern part of the continent, Stohl Empire, this is the first time I've heard someone say he has no place to go."

"Really?"

"Yeah. There are plenty of places where you can play."

"Plenty huh?"

"Yup. Plenty."

I smiled wryly at that. I looked at her innocent smiling face, and smiled wryly.

"Well then, in this Stohl where there are plenty of places to play, why are you here at this library?"

"...... that is because."

At that juncture, her eyebrows knitted as she looked a little troubled. Following that, she looked back at him intently, smiled with a tinge of embarrassment and said.

"...... you seem to be my type, I guess."

"Heehh."

"Hey, what's with that reply?"

"Nothing, I'm interested. You are cute, and your hair is beautiful."

She smiled again. With an innocent smiling face. Not having a single bother, she had a really innocent smiling face.

A face that showed that she fully understood her own beauty and the value of her own beauty.

She touched her blond hair and said happily,

"You are the first to compliment my hair. Is it that......"

"Beautiful."

I said.

"The dress you are wearing looks really good on you."

I said.

Her face turned a little red. Her eyes became moist. I looked at her face. At her blond hair. At her navy colored dress that looked beautiful against that hair of hers.

Then.

"............"

Then I recalled.

About my hometown.

A small settlement that was even further north of the northern continent.

In that settlement, people were born with a somewhat rare colored hair. Most of the children were born with peach colored hair.

Of course myself, my family and friends mostly had peach colored hair.

Conversely, there were no kids born with blond hair.

As to why that was so, I did not know, but in my hometown, I had never seen anyone with blond hair.

Ever since I was aware of things around me, I had never seen a human with blond hair.

That was why I was fascinated by her.

I was fascinated by the beautiful golden hair she had.

And when I looked upon her blond hair, I remembered.

"............"

A large army suddenly invaded our settlement suddenly, and my father, who was the headsman, had his head sent flying, and my mother and other girls of the village got raped, carried off, and killed, and we were ordered to surrender, those were my memories of that blond haired man.

The face of the king of the Stohl Empire, Fennen Dalas.

"............"

It appeared that the royalty of this Stohl empire often gave birth to people with blond hair. It seemed like such a hair color was often seen in those of nobler blood.

In other words, she was a girl of the nobles. The clothes she wore, as well as the accessories, were of very very high, precious value.

She said. Looking at me with an enraptured look on her face, she said.

"...... your hair color is the real rare one. This is the first time I see someone with pink hair.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah."

"Is it strange?"

"No. I find it very beautiful."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"I see. I did it. I got praised ~!"

I raised both my hands lightly as I said that,

"Ah-haha. You are really an interesting person."

She smiled.

I also smiled.

Looking at her innocent smile, I also smiled.

"............"

I smiled at that ignorant, stupid woman, who from looking at my peach colored hair, seemed not to know who I was and what you all did to me.

I was a hostage.

I was that son of the Northern Group’s leader, Royle Edea. I was a pawn that Stohl was using to control the people of that area. The eldest sons of the famous Pentest and Orla families were kept hostages along with me, we had been here for three years. On the outside, we were treated as nobles, on the outside.

“…We aren’t even like ants.”

“Ah?”

“No, nothing, then this means your history studies have not been good.”

At this, the girl revealed a puzzled expression.

“Why would you think of that?” She asked.

“Do you know of Gastark?” I asked in return.

“Gastark?”

“It seems like you don’t know of it.”

“No, that’s not it, I know a little. It was the place that the noble Royle Edea extorted heavy taxes on isn’t it? They were freed by the Stohl army years ago. I heard before that, the people were always suffering.”

A warped version, it was written in black and white in the history book that was well-known by the Stohls.

It is the book I am reading now, shamelessly, a book that recorded lies.

Father’s death, the humiliation of the women, the slaughtering and ransacking of families, the ones who did the evil deeds were clearly the Stohl army.

In the Gastark before that time period the life that everyone lived in was only, was only, a warless, peaceful, normal group of manors.

At this moment, the girl said with a strange expression

“But, what is this to do with anything?”

“Nothing, now, that is what I am reading on.”

Saying that, I extended the book that was written with nonsense to her.

Her eyes widened, as if understanding something, said

“Ah. Don’t tell me you are the legendary historian?”

Hearing this, I shook my head

“Definitely not! From any angle I hate history.”

“Ah~?!”

Seeing her doubtful face, I continued

“Yes, no matter which history book, they all write about the same boring things, they spend thousands of chapters talking about the people who caused the war, then people died, in the end who died all of this. But humans are foolish. They don’t learn from their mistakes, they only follow their lusts, human’s desires are limitless. I want, I want, I want more.” I finished in a breath, feeling as if I had removed a heavy stone from my chest.

At this moment, the silly girl in front of me, a rare slightly stern expression appearing on her face, using a happy tone to say:

“So that’s it, just by thinking about complicated matters you will be called a historian.”

“Eh is that so?”

“Yes.”

“Then, maybe that is true. So? You must be thinking that I am a boring person, and feel utmost disappointment to me.”

But the progression of affairs were not what I expected, she shook her head. Looking at me with a serious expression

“No, I feel that you are very special, the men by my side, only know how to enjoy themselves every day, causing trouble like idiots everywhere, only thinking of chasing girls every day… I, I feel that someone who is as solemn as you this is my first time seeing it.” Hearing her say this, I laughed.

“Actually as long as I think about chasing girls, I will become excited, especially a cute girl like you in front of me, it makes me think of those matters.”

Saying that, I extended my hand to her.

The girl in front of me reddened.

“I, I don’t even know your name…”

“Riphal, Riphal Edea, then, milady, what is your name?”

“My name…”

Suddenly a voice spoke up at that moment.

“Ri~ph~al” the man’s voice, so that person was in the same library.

But I decided to ignore this voice.

“Then, could you tell me your name…”

“Alright. Alright. Look towards me, from now you have to listen to what I say, Riphal”

“Your name…”

“Alright, listen to me”

“Your…”

“I say, quickly look towards me, Ripha, Riphal. Riphal!”

“Ahh, nooiiiiiisssssssssssy!” I yelled angrily and looked at that person.

Then I saw a youth sitting in the last row of the library reading about Stohl’s magic.

It was a beautiful boy with porcelain skin and a pair of eyes that would make one feel pleased.

Wearing blue clothes, clothes like the military, a boy who had the same peach-coloured hair as me.

He was the eldest son of the well-known Pentest family who was a hostage like me, my friend—Rigwaltz Pentest.

“What is it. Rize, now is the important moment”

That person called Rize used his beautiful eyes to look over here, then his eyes landed on the blond beauty behind me.

“…I say Riphal, your flirting skills will never hook up that girl” His words made me angry,

“Huuuuuuuuuuuh?!”

At this moment, the girl behind me whose name was still unknown spoke

“Hey. I say Riphal, who is that person.”

The girl’s voice was slightly unsatisfied

Looking at this scene, I was slightly panicked

“That… ignore this person…”

I decided to ignore him first.

Upon seeing this scene Rize yelled unhappily,

“Is that acceptable? Riphal? We are the nobles of Gastark, but what about you? You deal with stupid women whose brains~are~filled~with~nothing, don’t you feel embarrassed? Your reputation?”

The girl’s flush immediately reached her neck, this was different from the shyness from earlier, this was clearly an expression that one would have when they were so angry, obviously those words had stirred her temper. Her angry face turned to Riphal

“Huh? Wha, what, you, you you, aren’t you Gastark people, aren’t you, you are the hostages sent from there? That, what is that broken land counted as before me, I, I am the daughter of Earl Sapullo. You have no right to speak to me so arrogantly!”

Saying this, her angry face twisted, even so. Her face was still cute.

Then she walked away angrily, without looking back.

Now, our originally modest and lowly standing would be even worse because of the earl’s revenge.

We would throw away this completely petty position.

So I chased after her. So that this could be amended, I frantically chased after her.

“That, please listen to me, don’t take note of that person’s words…”

My voice was quickly drowned out by Rize’s words

“Ah, you finally reveal your vixen-like personality, see that, Riphal, she revealed her true colours, this kind of shrew is not suitable for you.”

“I say, can you not keep your mouth shut…”

“Un, unforgivable, you group of hooligans, I definitely will not forgive you!”

“My word. Can you not make your decision so quickly, eh… this is a misunderstanding.”

“Since I can’t forgive you, then I should kill you, yes, I will let Father kill this group of dirty people!”

She screamed this scary matter, with a face as if she were about to cry, she escaped from the library.

I stood there in a daze, watching this happen, I suddenly remembered something, turning to glare at Rize angrily.

“You~! Bas~tard~!”

Hearing this, Rize had an innocent face, as if what had happened earlier had nothing to do with him, talking to himself.

“Ya~ that’s good, Riphal wasn’t eaten by that shrew who had a bad personality, this is really good!”

“it’s good for you!”

Ignoring my anger, Rize continued to say,

“I say you should keep your hands. After coming to Stohl, your specialty in playing with women has been overboard. You have to know, the women who are of this country who we want to avenge ourselves on. Where is the entertainment in that, it’s completely an unhealthy obsession.”

His tone carried concern. But now I was using a completely annoyed expression to look at Rize.

“What? …What? I have an unhealthy obsession? The one who is flirting with girls every day is you, after coming to this country, how many girls have been tricked by you?”

Suddenly, Rize carried a contemplating expression as he raised his fingers.

“It’s 0, I think.”

“That is completely a lie.”

“Don’t be so frantic, it’s very little, lesser than Riphal.”

“So I said you’re lying, if you compare with me, you have done it a couple of times more than me, a couple of time, understand? You pervert!”

Hearing this, Rize had a smug evil smile as he said,

“Ah~ I understand, you are jealous of me, you are jealous that the girls like me better~”

“Nonsense! I say you bastard, your words really make me angry. Let us settle this, let’s see who is more welcomed, we’ll use this competition, do you dare to fight against me? You bastard?”

Towards me angry yells, Rize still had an unaffected expression as he stood up, nodding in agreement.

“Ah, that’s good, from today onwards, three days after this, let’s see who can steal the hearts of the girls, let’s compete on this.”

I stood up too.

“That’s interesting.”

The two started to confront each other. At this moment, a voice spoke up from the side.

“What is the point in that? I say, you two perverts?”

Rize and I looked toward the source of that voice.

Immediately, in the entrance of the library, we saw the man who we expected, he also had peach-coloured hair that the Gastarks had.

He was a man who was older than Rize and I by one or two years.

A strong body that was strengthened by his training. Smiling features. But this smile could not hide the sharp eyes that would decipher everything.

He was brought to Stohl for the same reason as us, a hostage.

And, as the child was born for the constitution for “God’s Accordance”. The eldest son of the Orla family— Lir Orla.

Lir, Rize and I were good friends since we were young. We grew up together. And only we were living together in this strange land. Who would be willing to approach us, accept us, live with us here?

We were helplessly faced with our parents dying.

We were helplessly faced with our relatives dying.

We were helplessly faced with our friends dying.

We were helplessly faced with our loved ones dying.

We were helplessly faced with our country’s name being stolen.

We were helplessly faced with our land being stolen.

In the end, we were helplessly faced with ourselves being sent over as hostages.

Now, looking at the similar faces of these people every day, we were already tired of it. But not long ago there was an incident that made Lir disappear in front of us.

So, when we saw him at this present moment Lir had already disappeared for three months.

Seeing his face Rize smiled too.

“Ah, really, so slow. Lir, it was a really long wait, that you could play missing was relaxing, we were very troubled by it though, we had to think really hard of a plan to display our uselessness. We also had to display our preferences for wine, being perverted, and had to pretend that we liked to gamble, really, if we continued to play like that our bodies would be laid to waste sooner or later.”

Hearing this, Lir laughed too.

“You must have been very happy.”

“Yes yes, but it was only normal, the girls in Stohl are only foolish and they only know how to look after their faces. Isn’t that so?”

Rize laughed as he talked nonsense and approached Lir, patting Lir’s shoulder, suddenly the light expression on his face disappeared. Seriously using a low, small voice to say:

“Then, the process was smooth enough, you shouldn’t have returned empty-handed?”

Saying things that bystanders would not understand, Lir nodded

“No problem, it has all been settled.”

Saying that, he turned in my direction

“Alright, Riphal, we should step on that road that we cannot turn away from, are you prepared?”

Hearing this, a smile appeared on my face. A smile that said that I had been enlightened long before.

“…” Had I prepared?

Was there any need to ask? The preparations that Lir referred to.

I had already started on them long ago. From since my parents were killed, our land was snatched away from that day, I had already started to prepare.

“…”

But, this was not accurate.

It should be that ever since I had been born, I had been waiting for this day to descend.

As the eldest son of the Gastark Edea family, from the day I had been born I had been waiting for this day, this was my destiny.

Edea family—this cursed family.

Ever since we chose to take up the holy sword that could devour life Glovil, our family had taken on this curse. That sword that could devour the lives of people.

That sword could devour the hopes of people.

That sword could devour the dreams of people.

No, not only humans.

Divinities, demons, goddesses. And everything in this world nothing would be spared.

Naturally, this was a power that would not benefit the world in any way.

This power was not meant to be in this world.

But this sword was truly stabbed in here.

The power that should not be in this world was stabbed into the ground here.

Ever since I was a young child, Father had used this story to lure me to sleep.

A story that carried the ugly truth.

“…That, the power that should not exist on this world originated from the periphery of the world Erelle.”

“Erelle? What kind of place is Erelle?”

“Ah, Father doesn’t know this too, but, it is said that that place exists.”

“Eh~”

“Do you still want to listen?” Father said, then discovered that I was already snoring.

Father told me stories. The wording was very complicated, so it was very hard to understand.

But Father, every day, every day, told it to me without being impatient. Because his father had done so since young, and this was the story that was passed down every generation of the Edea family.

Father continued to speak as if he were carrying out a duty.

“The scenery split into half from the middle, from the side of the split the Priests appeared, that was a Priest that had no human appearance, it was easy to see that the Priest were another entirely different organism, although they were glowing, but there were not divine. In contrast they made one feel chilled, the missionaries from the other world Erelle had unpleasant bodies and they descended, they walked into the middle of us and began to choose those who could withstand the power.

“In searching for the people who could withstand this power, nearly all the people who accepted the test died. In the end, a young man was chosen, a young man called Riphal Edea was chosen.”

“He has the same name as me so the reason we have the same names!”

“Ah, it’s like that, your name was to honor the First Ancestor, so we picked it.”

“Was he an amazing person?”

Father hearing this, shook his head. “He was a tragic person.”

“Tragic?”

“Yes, why was he chosen? He became the first cursed person in this world. When the Priests chose him they said this. – Riphal Edea. You have been chosen, come and sign the contract with us.

– Ripal answered like this – No, I don’t want to sign any blasted contract with your group of odd people!

– Hahaha, hahahaha. –

– Who, who can come and save me!

That young man called Riphal Edea shouted weakly, shouted helplessly, shouted weakly, shouted unknowingly. The weak power of the young man was unable to defeat what had been destined. How could he win.

The Priest threw a dark and long—so long that it was not possible to be a sword down at the young man’s feet. It stabbed into the ground beneath the young man’s feet. Immediately, the ground began to wail. As if predicting the end of this world, the ground shook, contorted, collapsed.

The 'Priest said again

– Alright. See this sword, take it up, Riphal Edea. Take up this sword, Riphal, take up this Sword of Regeneration, Riphal Edea. Then restart this world.

– No, I wouldn’t take it. I hate this place.

Riphal yelled helplessly, but that was not helping. His body was as if it did not belong to him, his hands were moving, his feet were moving, his whole body was moving towards that sword, then he picked up that cursed sword.

– No. Enough. I can’t stand it. Is there anyone, is there anyone who can save me! Riphal yelled in agony. But now, there was no one who could save him. Because the other people who were with him were undergoing a mass slaughter. Riphal’s important people were completely killed by the Priest. Not only that, they also used their blood, meat, bone, spirits, dreams, hopes, despair to forge this sword. Using the sacrifices of thousands of living people to make this Sword of Regeneration. The humans before Riphal’s eyes, people, friends, lovers, all were ripped into shreds, completely destroyed. The despairing screams faded into nothing, but, the Priest said that this had not ended. This was not enough to save the world.

The Mad Goddess and

The Demon from the Otherworld and

The Fallen Black Hero.

If this land that was under heavy corrosion and was about to be destroyed had to be resurrected, this power was not enough.

So the Priest said.

– Quickly take up the sword Riphal Edea, then restart. Let this world restart. You become the true Hero. The Hero that will save the world. Create a happy world where there would be no fighting. So, you need our help, we will help you for this, then, quick pull out the sword, complete this ritual.

The Priest gave this order.

– Take up the sword, let your arm be devoured by that woman, let the sword be completed.

Riphal was unable to resist this order. If he rebelled against it he would die. His body also seemed to receive this order and it refused to listen to his commands. Riphal had no choice, he pulled out the sword, the contorted ground was still trembling, he pulled out the sword. It was as if the sword was a part of his body. Roots grew on his hand. At that moment, his whole body felt an indescribable joy. The voice in his mind seemed to tell him that he could never leave this sword. A kind of indescribable joy, from his brain to his whole body, a happiness that numbed all pain. Even so, Riphal still screamed. Resisting this happiness. Riphal screamed.

– No! Stop. Enough, stop it. What have you done? Why don’t you just kill me?!

But his wish was not accepted, the Priests only laughed. No, was that laughter? Or was it something else, no one know. But, the happiness was roiling in his body. He could no longer feel any other feelings. Riphal raised the sword, according to the Priest’s order, he turned to the woman who was sobbing in front of him.

The woman who was in front of him.

It was Riphal’s mother.

– Riphal.

His mother was crying and calling his name, but she smiled at Riphal.

– Don’t be sad, Riphal, this is not your wrong doing. All this is not your fault.

His mother smiled as she said.

He desperately struggled, frantically tried to stop his moving to the front, desperately trying to stop the stabbing sword, desperately trying to stop the movement that would kill his mother.

– Ah, aaaaaaahhhh, no, can’t, definitely cannot, I definitely cannot kill Mother, he yelled in despair. But, he continued to walk forward, as if the decision to kill his mother was already set.

He cried helplessly, no, he definitely could not cry. He gritted his teeth, he tried to use all his strength to reject this, but, this was meaningless.

– What, why do you have to do this.

– For your world

– The world changing has nothing to do with me!!

– Hahaha, hahaha.

– Me. To me, what the world changes into does not matter, so stop. Stop.

But, nothing changed.

His feet still continued to walk forward step by step.

His sword, that black and long sword was reaching toward his mother’s neck.

– St, stop, save me! Save me! Everything, everything, is mad! …

He screamed, desperately screaming, but, now it was too late for anything, he knew, it was too late for anything to be done. It had already been done.

And, the worst thing had happened.

He had ended his mother’s life with his own hands.

His mother’s sad, lonely, but smiling and concerned face appeared in front of him.

– Don’t worry, Riphal, it’s alright, you didn’t want to kill me deep down in your heart, so this is enough, don’t cry. In your heart you didn’t want to bear this burden. You don’t want to bear this cruel matter, that is correct, so don’t cry.

Mother’s words, Mother’s expression, were like the past. Carrying a kind smiling face, appearing in front of Riphal’s eyes.

– But, but, Mother, I can’t stand it, my body wouldn’t listen to me. If this continues, if this continues, even Mother…

My voice had not finished speaking. Then it was drowned out by Mother’s gentle voice, Mother still had that gentle caring smile.

– Don’t worry. You won’t kill me, I didn’t bring up that kind of child. So, please rest assured.

–But.

– It doesn’t matter. But, I’m sorry, Riphal. From today onwards you will be alone, I’m sorry, I apologise. You will have to face this world that has lost everything by yourself. I’m sorry. But you have to remember, the gift that I left for you, can be felt in your heart forever… The love that I always had for you from the moment you were born. Other than letting you live happily, I had no other requests for the rest of my life. So, even if I die, everyone dies, you have to continue living. No matter what kind of pain you face, no matter what kind of trouble, no matter what kind of despair you can’t give up, you have to continue living.

– I don’t want to, I don’t want to be alone.

Riphal shouted. But at this moment, the sword had already touched Mother’s neck, that black sword that had brought about this misfortune had already touched Mother’s neck, Riphal was shocked, terror gripped his throat.

Mother also saw the sword reaching to herself, but why, towards the moment where the Death God was present she still smiled happily.

– Don’t worry, I won’t let you kill me. After saying that, she used her hands to grip the edge of the sword. Then said

– I love you forever, Riphal.

Saying that she thrust the sword toward herself.

– Ah…

Riphal was unable to let out any sound then. Another impossible matter had happened, the sword had pierced through his mother’s body, the splashing blood was completely absorbed by the sword. His mother still smiled at that time, using that smiling face that was tear-stained, using that loving eyes to look at Riphal. As if saying something, but there was no voice, her voice had been sucked away by the sword.

But, what Mother wanted to say he understood, he knew what his mother would say.

That was a phrase that would never change.

I will love you forever, Riphal, I will love you forever, Riphal, I have loved you since forever, Riphal.

So.

So, live strongly.

Then, Mother disappeared.

Riphal could no longer say anything. In the end, the hand holding that sword slowly disappeared, the sword dropped to the ground, piercing into the ground again. Now the earth did not contort like it did earlier, the last unstable part of the sword that had been made in the Other world, after sucking up his mother’s blood had resumed stability.

Seeing the scene before them, the Priests spoke

– It is done.

Looking at the same thing Riphal opened his mouth too

– I will kill you.

The Priests heard this and laughed.

– Hahaha, hahaha

– Don’t laugh, I will kill all of you.

– The person who you want to kill isn’t me.

– Then kill

– The darkness that you have to cut open, is somewhere else.

– Receive your death sentence.

– Don’t be so obstinate. You still can’t use this sword. You were only chosen to use this sword. This sword has only been completed, your role has not ended.

The Priests spoke but Riphal could not understand, what did that matter? Kill them, kill this pack of bastards. Kill this group of monsters who could do nothing but create a corrupted and lonely world, Riphal’s mind was filled with this.

He picked up the sword, he picked up the cursed sword.

He picked up the cursed sword that had been created with the blood, flesh, hopes and desires of his loved ones, swinging the sword, cutting at the Priests.

But the sword stopped mid-way, his body refused to listen to him once again.

The Priests’ voices spoke again

– Don’t be in a hurry, brat, your role is not over yet, you still can’t use this sword, but the day where you can use this sword is not far off. The day where the ugly and evil Hero can be purified, and the day when the Goddess and the Demon will devastate this world is not far off. Before that, you are only a minor character, there wouldn’t be any great destiny.

They finally finished speaking, the surrounding scene began to change. A door to the other world opened. Then the Priests slowly left.

– Stop!! Don’t run away!! Riphal yelled loudly.

But the Priests did not heed him.

– Stop!! Immediately, I’ll kill you soon!! Stop!!

Riphal yelled angrily, but, the Priests didn’t even turn back, disappearing on the other side.

Leaving only Riphal in this world, the other people had been devoured by this mysterious sword.

Just like what his mother had said, there was only Riphal left in this world.

In this Gastark continent the only living person was Riphal Edea.

Riphal shouted

– Everyone wait for me!!

Riphal Edea shouted

–Don’t leave me behind!!

The ancestor of everything, the hero who was as weak as an ant was shouting

– Don’t tell me you will abandon me alone in this decaying place?

But, no one could reply.

At this moment the sky suddenly split open, the place where the Priests usually appeared in was a crying girl.

It could be seen from first glance that she was not human, no, it should be said that she had beautiful features that could not be compared to a human’s.

The girl in front of Riphal shocked him, he looked at this girl in a daze, looking at this girl with pink hair

– Who are you?

Hearing this, the girl immediately smiled, saying something surprising.

– I am here to help you complete your mission. Come, mate with me, then I will give birth to children, make children with me.

Giving birth to children who could kill demons, children who could destroy Goddesses. And children that could bring despair to the Hero—complete the mission with me” That was the complete story that his father would tell him every night.

Then, the ending was that the Riphal Edea who was the Original Him never used the Sword of Regeneration ever again for the rest of his life.

No, it should be said, after that in this world, Glovil was never reawakened as the Sword of Regeneration. That peach-coloured hair girl from the other world had children with Riphal and they built a village, streets, living on for generations. In this period of time there was no one who would have the chance to reawaken this sword.

So—

Father said

“So I gave you the name Riphal, like the Original Him, after experiencing the despair of death, tolerating the loneliness of living alone on this world, like him who never used the sword in the end. I hope that you can live without fighting with the world, playing with your friends every day, marry a pretty wife, then having a group of children, living a happy life that will be happy even till the end, I wish that you will become a person who will have a normal but happy smile, so I gave you his name. That is the meaning of your name, understand? Riphal?”

Then, every night after I heard this story I would hum. Then ask

“But. I want to be like Father, I have to be polite to the girls. Never betray my friends, never remembering the bad of others, doing what I think is right, isn’t that so!”

Hearing what I said, Father smiled, that was a happy smile. Every day, Father who had brought me up would smile gently.

Father was actually an amazing person, he was polite to the women, on good relations with his friends, not jealous of anyone, everyone living in Gastark trusted in Father.

His strength made me proud.

This strength always made me as a son feel proud.

Then Father told me a story that was too dark, too long, too deep for a child of my age that had a completely continuation.

“this is that last, I am going to tell you a very important story.” His face turned serious.

“…If say… I am saying if this happens to you. …If there is the situation where it is truly necessary for you to pull out that sword”

“You must escape, escape with all your might. This is not something that is to be laughed at. Protecting the world? Purifying the world? That is only speaking. You, you only need to protect the people important to you. Protect your wife, friends, children that’s fine. The world and whatnot. Do you know what the world is? You don’t have to sacrifice yourself for nothing, for this world that does not acknowledge your efforts.”

Father who I was so proud of, actually used a slightly trembling voice to tell this matter.

“So, you definitely cannot pull out that sword in the holy cave. You can’t even touch it. If you pull out that sword, then everything cannot be taken back. You will lose everything, so…”

At this moment I revealed a serious expression for the first time

“I know, so I am called Riphal. Right? I will definitely live up to this name that never—used, never letting the sword reawaken.”

“Really?”

“Of course. I will never touch that sword. Because it is scary. I’m scared.”

“Your words will really embarrass yourself.”

“I understand, if I touch that sword, and break that promise I made with Father then it’s even more embarrassing.”

“Good boy…”

“Heh heh.”

“Then, sleep precious child.”

“Right. Good night, Father.”

“Good night, Riphal.”

This would be how my conversation with Father would end every night.

That promise was engraved in my heart, it is known that before the Stohl army invaded, before father died, it was also the day before my twelfth birthday, I remembered it all.

Then, father died, mother died too.

I was captured as the hostage of the Stohl army, I still kept the promise with Father.

Be polite to the girls. Be close with my friends, don’t hate anyone, believe in what you think is right.

Lastly.

Don’t touch the sword that would make me go mad.

Father died, I inherited the leadership of Gastark at the age of twelve, inherited the ancient destiny of the name Edea.

Even if I was a child I still had to face my fate. To me, if that sword could gain justice from the Stohl for us, if using that sword that had strong, evil, mysterious power that slept in the cave, then the revenge on the Stohl could be anticipated.

But I still kept the promise with Father, I never touched that sword.

No, it should be said, there was no need to touch that sword.

Revenge or anything of the sort was something meaningless.

Because it was written in black and white in history, war was a meaningless thing. No matter what kind of strong country, in the end they would not be able to put off the fate of being destroyed by a stronger country with more ambitions. There was nothing that could last in this world forever, so, snatching at these things that would disappear sooner or later wasn’t it ludicrous?

Couldn’t we live every day laughing, having a group of children, living happily like fools?

According to what Father said, no one would hate each other, walking on our own path.

Then, shouldn’t the path that we the Gastark citizens be walking on be the same?

“…" Then I passed on thoughts to everyone in these three years, then we became slaves.

No matter what unreasonable request that Gastark gave us, we always agreed, then we lived every day happily.

Then, the three of us, Rize, Lir and I, were given to the Stohl to keep under their control as hostages.

“…”

But, that thought stopped there. In the end, I realized that the idealistic world that I had was so naïve that it was laughable.

The world that Father wished for, was so pitifully innocent.

The gears that had run wild had started turning. As of today I could hear this creak creak sound in my mind.

Was this evidence that I was the chosen person?

I—just because the blood of the Edea family flowed in me, I had to bear the destiny that had been set by the Priests of the other world?

This I could understand. But I could hear it.

That destructive creak creak sound had already started to pile all this on the tracks.

So

“…”

So, I looked to Lir, then said

“… Have you heard of anything?”

Lir used his attentive, serious eyes to look at me, saying

“… Not unexpected. Just like what we predicted, the king of the Stohl Empire, is not human.” Not human!! I carefully chewed on Lir’s words, my face immediately froze.

“—Don’t tell me it’s a Goddess?”

“It probably is, when I saw it, that evil and ugly Goddess was eating a child.”

I listened to Lir’s words with a stiff expression, then said

“It’s a good thing you weren’t eaten.”

“Ah, yes, it’s all thanks to the Rhule Fragmei that I was able to disguise my actual body. But… even if there was that object I seemed to have been noticed.”

Rize’s face suddenly changed. Charging between me and Lir, as if wanting to protect me he stood in front of me.

“…Noticed? How could you return alive? This can’t be possible… Don’t tell me you have become a puppet controlled by the Goddess?” Rize used his body to shield me guardedly.

“It’s not that, these Goddesses completely don’t care about our existence. Useless humans, foolish humans, only permitted to live as their nourishment, they are domestic animals, something like that, never mind I shouldn’t talk about this…”

Lir’s words finally made me laugh,

“Those fellows still don’t understand, these domestic animals already have the power to kill them.”

Saying that, I walked to the entrance to the library behind Lir, the Stohl capital was reflected in my eyes.

Then, I finally made my decision.

It was time to break the promise between Father and I. I made my decision. The promise between father and I to not touch that sword that would make one mad.

It was now time to break that promise.

Looking at the capital of the strong country that was not controlled by a human, but a monster. Softly murmuring

“…Bastard… It seems like I have been born in a most tragic time period. Father”

Then, Lir and Rize came to my side, I opened my mouth.

“…I am going to use that sword, I am going to pull out Glovil.”

Lir and Rize were shocked, they looked at me with stern faces, but they did not say anything.

I continued.

“Of course this has no link with revenge. Father told me, there is no meaning in revenge. But if the Goddesses interfere then it is another matter. Simply said. These greedy people are destroying this world. They once wanted to devour this world until there weren’t even dredges left, although the only Hero that could stop all of this had sacrificed himself, but that person had been tempted by the demon and had gone mad, becoming an evil presence, now things were progressing in the worst direction. So the gears of fate were starting to collapse. The only thing that can stop all of this, that can stop this awful script from being acted out… Damn it. Although it is troublesome. But it seems there is only us.”

I finished saying this, stopping. Carrying a self-mocking smile. Looking at the two friends who had played with me ever since I was a child.

“…Ah, this way the days after today will be difficult. If we do this, we may not be able to have this kind of life where we can spend every day playing, chasing girls, then playing the whole night, even so… even so, are you still going to follow me?”

As I finished speaking Rize opened his mouth.

“Done.”

Then Lir spoke too.

“I have no opinions.”

At that moment, I laughed and said skeptically,

“O~K”

The two laughed too, Rize continued.

“No matter what, we will always be involved unwillingly, because this is what Riphal does usually.”

Lir concluded it, saying,

“That time when he peeked at the women bathing, I said I was not going to look, but wasn’t I involved unwillingly? In the end we were discovered, but the one who was injured was me.”

“Right.”

Why were their tones on this topic the same, I laughed.

“When was that. I say, that time when you two looked didn’t you have nosebleeds?”

“Ah? I am not the divinity of peeking at women bathing.”

“Me too, me too.”

Although they said that, a different scene appeared in front of my eyes.

Lir and Rize stepped on Riphal’s shoulders and got onto the wall. They looked in excitedly.

“Wow. This is marvelous. Don’t you think so, Lir.”

“Yeah, yes, I agree, Riphal come see quickly.”

What are you thinking, I replied helplessly at that time.

“Huh? You haven’t pulled me up, didn’t we say so before, I would be the ladder, then when you got up you would pull me up?”

“Was there such a thing?”

“I don’t recall anything of that sort.”

“You monkeys!”

“Ah, if you can’t see such a beautiful scenery, Riphal is so pitiful.”

“Yes, ah, look there, that lady is really beautiful.”

“Eh? Eh? Where where?”

“Really. The two of you, don’t look anymore, pull me up first…”

At that moment we were blocked by the people who had just finished bathing. It was that scene at that time, because of my relation with the two perverts, I was also lectured. Although I didn’t see it.

“…What is it, don’t change the topic, alright, that time you two owe me, from now own, you have to board the same boat as me.”

Rize said interestedly as he finished speaking

“This time we’re going to look at the Goddess’s bath pool, is it”

But Lir did not find it funny,

“Don’t, it’s horrifying, that monster’s bathing pool. Ah, forget it, there’s no use, just as long as it’s to free me from the boredom, going anywhere is fine.”

Rize continued,

“Riphal you’re a big idiot, leaving us will do nothing. We should help him.”

No matter how they tease me, I don’t feel unhappy. In contrast I laughed. I laughed happily.

Then I remembered of what we had to do after today, my happiness turned to sorrow.

When I thought of the most troublesome, most evil matter, I thought that I would not be able to laugh from my heart after today.

Now the main point of our attention was that sword.

We had to revive that mad Sword of Regeneration.

Reviving it was easy.

It just needed ten of the people who had peach-coloured hair like Lir, Rize and I to be the sacrifices, injecting the blood and life into the sword. Using their lives and their spirits to inject into the sword and it would reawaken.

People, the spirits of those of the same race, would increase the evil aura of that evil sword. It would increase the power of the sword. It would take down the monsters—

No matter if it were the Goddess, Hero or the Demon there would be power needed to kill them.

Lir said,

“All of the aged have decided to sacrifice themselves. They have avoided the notice of the Gastark months ago, they have started to make their move.”

After confirming that the monarch of Stohl was not human, they stepped on the path, returning to their home land, the path to reawaken the evil sword.

“… so that the young and strong people can survive, if we old bones are still of use, then we will not step down from this position. They were all saying this.” Rize continued,

“…I heard my grandmother also participated.”

I discovered that there was an unspoken loneliness in his face.

His parents had been killed by the Stohl soldiers. If his last relative his maternal grandmother died, then he would have no relatives left in this world. So I looked at him.

“…”

But he didn’t say anything. Only, seeming to be thinking about something and kept quiet.

“… Ah, yes. Let’s not talk about it, everything has been prepared now, only waiting for us to set out.”

It was a path filled with thorns.

It was a disgusting path.

For the sake of moving forward he had to kill friends.

For the sake of moving forward he had to decapitate his friends. Then let the blood flow onto the path he was walking on.

That kind of path, I originally couldn’t stand it.

That kind of path, how could I tolerate it?

But I have to do this.

That crazy. Ignorant. That matter that just by hearing it would make one cry and scream, I have to do it.

From today onwards, the matters that can make me laugh from my heart, there will be none.

If I can escape this, I will think of running away to a far place.

As I shout, I will escape. If these matters really have to be done by me, I really will think of escaping.

But, that is an impossible matter.

The Goddess appeared, messed everything up.

Devouring people, devouring the world, then the monster that devoured everything appeared. So, now the place that he could escape to did not exist.

So, so

“…Alright, let’s get moving.” I said to the two of them.

The two nodded.

For moving forward. My hands were about to be stained with the stains of my friend’s blood.

If I moved forward there would be no chance to turn back. So that my friends would not die for nothing, I could not turn back.

But, but, at this moment I still laughed, although I was laughing, but from my heart I felt a pain that really made me want to cry in pain, but I still laughed and said

“… From today onwards, I am the king, Gastark’s king, conquering other countries, slaughtering the women, for the sake of becoming Gastark’s king, you have to help me.”

Rize laughed too, indeed he was trying hard not to cry, carrying a forced smile he said,

“… Then, from today onwards, I’ll have to call you Your Majesty—Your Majesty.”

Followed by that, Lir laughed too.

“… Your Majesty, heh, annoying, a stern address.”

I looked at the face of this friend who liked to complain and said

“Alright. Let’s move out, leave this country, return to Gastark. The pursuing soldiers will immediately catch up, but, we are not in the mood to be caught back. Our Gastark Empire, from today onwards…”

Speaking until here, I stopped, then breathed in, loudly saying.

“From today onwards, the war where the world will be our enemy begins.” Then, everything began, according to the worse script, everything began. No, to be more accurate, so that the worst script could improve somewhat, the war of the Gastark Empire will start. At this moment, Rize interjected

“Ah, yes, just to note that the wise King has carelessly mixed up an affair, may I ask for the permission to correct it?”

I immediately turned up my face.

“Don’t use that kind of tone to say things, how disgusting.”

He still had a childish smile as if he were carrying out some kind of prank.

“May I ask for the permission to correct it?”

His lowly tone slipped out from his mouth, it could only be said, I wanted to vomit.

“What is it? What do you want to correct?”

Then, Rize continued.

“…Earlier, you said that when we had to help. The reason was that we betrayed you when we were peeking on the women’s bathing area, to return the favor, we had to help you, right.”

“Yeah. I did say that.”

“That. Actually, it is you who owe us.”

Ah. Why is Rize talking about something I can’t understand, I moaned.

“Ah. What kind of saying is that?”

Then Lir spoke.

“…That’s because there were none at all.”

“Eh? None of what?”

“Yeah. In actuality that female bathing pool was filled with people like aunties.” They said.

At that moment I laughed

“…I know that.”

I said.

Lir’s expression was shocked.

“You knew? How could you have known that inside…”

I shook my head.

“I didn’t know about the aunties, I’m saying that I knew that the two of you liked to joke but you were very kind.”

So, this was the blessing that the heavens had bestowed on me, I had thought.

Having this kind of good friends walking on this path with me, this was a really big favor.

Yes, the people living in Gastark, there was no shortage of this kind of good people.

So I definitely could not fail.

The first sacrifices had already paved the road for us.

So we definitely could not fail.

Rush to the front. Definitely could not fail, remember about the pass. No regretting, moving forward according to my will.

This awareness. It had long been implanted in my heart.

I had to have a strong will. Even if my companions died, family died, I could not turn back, the awareness that I had to have a strong will and rush towards battle, it was implanted in my heart.

Then I took the first step, saying

“Let’s set off!”

Then they followed after me.

The devastating battle was starting.

The despairing battle was beginning.

Everything was beginning, but God, please give me the power to win this battle and bear everything.

This is my wish.

---

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