by Hiro Ainana
“I’m neither. Just a man.”
Technically I had siphoned the magic, not dispelled it, but I didn’t want to make things any more complicated than they already were.
“But no ordinary human could… Ah. So you’re a hero?”
He must have seen my official title with the “Analyze” skill.
Once again, I accidentally set it to regular Hero instead of True Hero, but it wasn’t like I had to prove that I’d defeated a demon lord or anything.
“That’s right. The name’s Nanashi the Hero.”
“Have you come to destroy the orcs?”
The orc alchemist hid a smaller orc behind him.
“Of course not. I just wanted to chat with you. And I won’t tell anyone about this travel gate—don’t worry.”
Just saying that didn’t seem like enough to convince them, though.
“You swear it?” the small orc asked in a high voice.
“Of course. I swear on the name of Goddess Parion and my title as Hero that I will tell no one of your secret.”
I didn’t particularly worship Parion or anything, but I thought it would sound unconvincing if I just swore on my title, so I figured I’d throw in the name of a goddess for good measure.
“On the name of a goddess? No way…”
The smaller orc was visibly taken aback.
Was that really such a big deal? I guess so, since their attitude toward me noticeably shifted.
“Are you sure?”
The orc alchemist sounded cautious.
His hood was pulled over his eyes, so I couldn’t really see his expression.
“Yeah, of course. It’s a big secret, right?”
“Indeed. It is the legacy of our race. We cannot allow it to fall into the wrong hands.”
“I see. So you guys must have made the broken ones I saw before, too, huh?”
The remains of the travel gates I’d found near Seiryuu City must be connected to this somehow.
First airships and now teleportation? Now, that was the kind of fantasy-world stuff I liked to see.
“Can I ask where it’s connected to?”
“My apologies, but I cannot tell you. On the other side of this travel gate are some of my precious few remaining brethren. I cannot reveal their location for their safety.”
“Oh, is that so? Sorry for asking so casually, then.”
If I really wanted to know, I could just mark these two orcs and find out where the travel gate led.
But of course, I had no intention of stalking them like that.
“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Ga Hou, the orc alchemist.”
“I’m the beautiful orc monster tamer, Lu Heu.”
Ga Hou was over a thousand years old, and Lu Heu was 670. I guess orcs lived a pretty long time.
Instead of the piglike heads that might come to mind, the orcs were characterized by pointed ears reminiscent of the fairyfolk, as well as short, slightly upturned noses.
They certainly didn’t look to be the same race as the Golden Boar Lord.
His head must have transformed when he turned into a demon lord or something.
Once I apologized for startling Lu Heu, Ga Hou invited me to their living quarters so that we could talk more.
It was small, but clean and full of life.
Lu Heu brought out a crocodile dish and a special wine called Evil Spirit Killer, so I brought out my special mead and some fried whale meat for the occasion.
“I don’t know what kind of meat this ‘fried’ food is, but it is delicious.”
“It’s giant-monster-fish meat. Grated daikon makes a great topping for it, but if you don’t like that, grated onion works pretty well, too.”
“Giant monster fish?!”
“You have daikon?!”
Ga Hou and Lu Heu latched on to two very different points of my statement.
“Yes, a yellow demon appeared in the old capital recently and summoned some of them, so I’ve got more than I can ever eat. And I’m out of long daikon, but I have the round kind.”
“Y-you mean to say you defeated them? The aerial fortress that even the sky dragon could barely defeat?”
“I like the round kind best! Can I have some? I can, right?”
Having them talk to me in stereo was a little confusing, so I gave Lu Heu some round daikon to keep her quiet for a while.
“Wait, did you see the sky dragon and the fish do battle?”
“…Yes, I did. I was there the moment that crybaby Yamato and the sky dragon overcame His Majesty the Golden Lord.”
“Can you tell me about it?”
Ga Hou guzzled the highly alcoholic Evil Spirit Killer like it was water as he talked about his past.
“I first met Yamato in His Majesty’s castle. Yamato had been captured on the front lines and was terrified of us orcs.”
I felt it was important to hear this story from a historical witness, but it was heavier than I’d expected.
The “Golden Lord” he spoke of was probably the demon lord called the Golden Boar Lord.
“I seem to recall Yamato saying some strange things, like Don’t pull any tropey BS on me!”
Well, that kind of ruined the serious tone of the story.
I felt like Yamato and I could have been friends.
“Despite being a human, Yamato had no prejudices against orcs and demi-humans. At first it was just His Majesty’s page, but soon Yamato formed friendships with the servants, the military officers, and the civil officials, too. In the end, even His Majesty the Golden Lord, who was always curt and aloof, came around to Yamato’s charms. It seemed as though we would soon be able to make peace with the Saga Empire…”
It sounded like Yamato was a pretty amazing person. No wonder he was able to become a king and found a huge kingdom.
“However, the path to peace was closed when the Flue Empire started massacring demi-humans and the weasels betrayed us, and then a war broke out between humans and all kinds of demi-humans, including us orcs…”
Ga Hou angrily tore off a piece of the crocodile meat.
So the weaselfolk had been causing trouble for a long time.
“Still, Yamato never gave up, and he went to preach peace to the kings and emperors of many countries. But it was all in vain: The war was fierce and far-reaching. We were able to destroy the Flue Empire, but Our Majesty ultimately exceeded his limits and was swallowed by the power of the demon lord…”
Ga Hou looked up at the relief on the ceiling with tears welling in his eyes.
The carvings depicted all kinds of races holding hands in harmony.
“The next time I saw Yamato was at the siege of the capital of the Saga Empire. Yamato appeared to try to prevent the deaths of my brethren, who were being manipulated by the five greater demons.”
So the Saga Empire almost got destroyed, too…?
“I will never forget that day… The sight of Yamato shedding tears and blood alike, trying to get us to come back to our senses. The way his voice trembled and sobbed as it ordered the sky dragon to use its breath of light…”
Blood trickled from Ga Hou’s clenched fist.
It was cruel of me to ask him to tell such a difficult story just to satisfy my curiosity.
“I survived because I was riding a manticore, but by the time I returned to the capital, it was all over. The sky dragon had fallen to the ground, and Yamato’s Holy Sword was thrust into His Majesty’s chest.”
Lu Heu gently unfolded Ga Hou’s fist and healed it with Water Magic.
“His Majesty disappeared into black dust, and Yamato collapsed on the spot, completely drained and still in tears. When Yamato next awoke with my assistance, the fool’s first words were ‘You survived, Ga Hou… Thank goodness.’ I’d been planning on demanding a duel to the death to avenge His Majesty, but when I heard those words, I could no longer bear to be a warrior.”
Wow, talk about a legend.
“I helped my brethren escape to unsettled areas and settleme
nts on other continents, but a few of us stayed behind to make sure the travel gate was never misused. All of that was only possible because of Yamato.”
Ga Hou explained that Yamato had worked hard to make sure the orcs weren’t driven out or mistreated.
“Of course, we’ve done a thing or two to help as well…”
Aside from continuing his work as an alchemist, Ga Hou had also volunteered to help purify the water in the old capital and establish a sewage treatment facility.
So that was why the river wasn’t dirty.
“You never wanted to try to live aboveground?”
“Some four hundred and fifty years ago, we were given a small dominion at the edge of the territory. We lived there peacefully for about thirty years… But the boy king Gartapht, under the sway of his beloved weaselfolk soothsayer, slaughtered all eight hundred inhabitants of the orc dominion there. After that, we have never again ventured to live in plain sight.”
That must have been the demi-human war that was mentioned at the museum.
But to slaughter the innocent civilians of an entire city…
“Do not look so sad. Fortunately, we have a friend in the little ogre princess, who excels at Barrier Magic. With her help, we were able to make a small hidden village untouched by the outside world. Even now, our surviving brethren live there peacefully.”
Ga Hou drained the last of his drink along with his sorrows, then poured some mead into a cup with a gentler expression.
“It’s a little sweet but delicious…”
“If that’s not to your liking, why not try this?”
“Th-this rich fragrance… Dragonspring liquor?! It’s been five hundred years, but I’d never forget that smell.”
To make up for the painful story I’d forced them to recount, I gave all my precious dragonspring liquor to the two of them.
My party members wouldn’t be able to try it now, but hopefully I could get it again in the future.
I changed the subject to the orcs’ customs and traditional dishes, trying to lighten the mood a little.
Thanks to that, we were soon friendly enough that I got to see some orc spell books and alchemy.
“Nanashi, please take this for me. If the leader of this kingdom is a wise man, give this to him. If he is a fool, then throw it into a crater or the ocean.”
With that, Ga Hou handed me a short horn, an item that turned humans into demons.
He explained that he’d managed to defeat a lesser demon that had appeared downtown and he’d acquired this horn.
“I wouldn’t worry. The king and the duke already know about the short horns.”
“I am glad to hear it, then.”
Ga Hou opened the cover of a magic furnace in the corner of the room and threw the short horn into it.
The large magic furnaces in all four corners of the room were there to supply the travel gate with power.
“Ga Hou, please use this if you like. I think it’ll come in handy if you have to fight another demon.”
I gave him one of my handmade Holy Swords. This one was coated with mithril, of course.
I had no doubt that the orc would use it well to protect the old capital.
“…Why, this is a Holy Sword!”
Ga Hou exclaimed in surprise when he put magic power into it.
“It is. Sorry it doesn’t have a name, though.”
“Then allow me to name it now.”
The name Ga Hou gave to the sword was…
…Holy Sword Nanashi.
The Town of Mon Hunters: Part 1
Satou here. Stories about antihero protagonists are pretty popular, but if I had to choose, I think I prefer the traditional good-versus-evil stories you see in prime-time TV anime. You can’t beat the classics!
“Satou, I shall await your letter.”
“I’ll be sure to send one when I’m settled in Labyrinth City.”
“Oh, Satou… Can’t you send me one whenever you reach a big city? Even a short one is fine.”
Sara looked a little pouty.
“Well, if you insist.”
It wouldn’t be too much trouble if I sent them along with Zena’s letters, so I agreed to her request.
“Please come back to the old capital sometime, too.”
“Yes, of course.”
Sara took my hands and gazed into my eyes.
For a second I thought she was going to give me a kiss good-bye, but she probably couldn’t in front of this big crowd.
“Lady Sara, may I?”
“My apologies, Viscount Emerin.”
Sara stepped aside, and Viscount Kirk Emerin and his second daughter, Rina, approached me.
“Sir Pendragon, you have saved our family from great peril.”
Sales for the lulu fruit were booming, with orders not just from old-capital nobles like Marquis Lloyd and Count Hohen but even from merchants from the royal capital and other nearby regions.
It was even rising in value as a high-grade fruit, like the muskmelon in the Showa era.
“This is all thanks to your skills at cooking and promotion, not to mention your willingness to share your research materials with the public.”
“I’m the one who should be grateful. The orchard you’re starting in the Muno Barony is a greater gift than I could ever have hoped for.”
Viscount Emerin had offered to make an orchard of the now highly profitable lulu fruit in the Muno Barony.
On top of providing seedlings, he’d sent over an experienced instructor from his own orchard to support proceedings there until everything got on track.
“S-Sir Satou… Once you finish your training, you will be returning to the Muno Barony, correct?” Miss Rina asked.
“Yes, that is the plan,” I answered.
After I revisited the Muno Barony, I planned to leave the Shiga Kingdom and travel around the world.
“A-all right! I’ll do my best.”
“…Very good. I’ll be cheering for you, then.”
“Thank you!”
I didn’t know what she was referring to, but I had to cheer for a young girl doing her best.
“Oh, Satou, you’re so cruel.”
“Tolma, keep your thoughts to yourself.”
As the Emerin family retreated, they were replaced by Tolma and Viscount Hosarris Siemmen.
They were accompanied by Mr. Djang and Miss Natalina from the scroll workshop.
“If anything interesting happens on your trip, make sure you write me about it, all right? Here’s some extra info for you.”
Tolma handed me a bundle of paper tied with string.
It seemed to contain information about important nobles of the royal capital and even Labyrinth City.
“Sir Pendragon, do be careful in Labyrinth City. This is a letter of introduction to the guildmaster there. She is a bit of a difficult individual, so if she gives you any trouble, please turn to her adviser, Miss Sebelkeya.”
I bowed to the polite Hosarris and the somehow-hard-to-dislike Tolma and said my farewells to them.
Of course, other good-byes were going on around me, too.
“Mia, say hello to Lady Aaze and everyone in our hometown for me.”
“Mm, okay.”
Mia nodded to Cyriltoa the Songstress, who had come out to see us off.
Bolenan Forest, in the southeast of the Shiga Kingdom, was the site of Mia’s hometown, the elf village. The journey to bring Mia home would be over soon.
“You’ll come back, won’t you, Nana?”
“Nana and Nana’s master, comin’ back?”
“Larvae, my master and I shall visit this place again, I declare.”
Nana tightly embraced the sealfolk children, who flailed around adorably.
“Lulu, come by anytime if you want a job.”
“…Th-thank you, Chef.”
Clearly, the chef of the duke’s castle still hadn’t given up on recruiting Lulu.
“Arisa! We came to see you off!”
“Take c
are, Miss Arisa.”
“Let’s play shadow tag again!”
“Aw, you came to say good-bye!”
The lively voices surrounding Arisa belonged to the children from the orphanage, who’d become friendly with her during the sympathy calls with Sara.
They made sure to wave at Nana and me, too.
“Liza, Tama, Pochi, I know you can get even stronger. Defeat monsters and gain all the experience you can.”
“Yes, sir. We won’t forget your teachings, Sir Kajiro.”
“Take care, everyone.”
“Ayaume, too?”
“Yes, sir!”
The two Saga Empire samurai who’d been training the beastfolk girls, Mr. Kajiro and Ayaume, came to say good-bye as well.
Because of them, the vanguard team had gotten even stronger.
As thanks, I gave them three times the gold coins I’d promised for their pay.
“Sir Satou! It’s not too late. You can still become the head chef of the Lloyd family!”
“No, no, Sir Satou must marry a daughter of the Hohen family and become the head chef and a member of our family!”
The chummy pair of noble gourmands, Marquis Lloyd and Count Hohen, came to see me off, too.
Each of them gave me a dagger with their respective family crests, saying to use it if I got into trouble on my journey. I didn’t want to take advantage, but each would be useful if there was a situation I couldn’t deal with on my own.
There were lots of other familiar faces, too, like our hosts, the Worgochs; the future duke Tisrado; and other nobles I’d met in the old capital.
“Sir Pendragon, please try to avoid getting into danger. If things look impossible, turn back at once… And don’t die.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t do anything reckless.”
Sir Ipasa Lloyd, the imperial knight, made a serious face and took my hands in his own.
It seemed overdramatic to me, but journeys in this world were actually quite dangerous, so partings like this could sometimes turn into final farewells. I should know that, since I’d encountered a hydra on the road between Kuhanou County and the Muno Barony.
So many people came to say good-bye that we ended up delaying the departure of our ship. I’d have to apologize to the captain and the other passengers later.
