Ascendance Of A Scummy Hero Volume 1 Chapter 1
But I know──
〈You are finally here, I have been waiting for you.〉
She looked much better now, and seemed to be feeling better too.
Looking at her calmly, this silver haired girl was a great beauty.
She filled out her strange exposed armour with her thicc figure, and her skin was exceptionally pale.
The light shining through the chapel's colored gla.s.s illuminated her pale skin and silver hair, bringing out her extraordinary beauty.
「……」
How strange.
For a delusion conjured by my messed up mind, the quality was too high>
I tried painting and sculpting during art cla.s.s, but it was plain from my creation that I didn't have any talent for the arts.
Even if I have awakened my magic powers to give form to my delusion of a beauty, it wouldn't be someone like her.
Which means, this girl and the phantom voice I had been hearing wasn't just my delusion?
「Are you the one who had been calling out to me recently?」
〈Yes, that's right.〉
「What exactly are you?」
〈I will explain that properly. But it will take quite a while, so please take a seat.〉
The silver haired girl said as she tapped the bench she was sitting on.
She wanted me to sit beside her.
I timidly sat down by the silver haired girl's side.
At that moment, the girl suddenly floated into the air, and hovered right before me.
「……!」
This wasn't something possible for a human, only a spirit could manage that.
〈I'm the will residing within the Holy Sword Excalibur── The Sprite of the Sword Holly.〉
「Huh? By Holy Sword, you mean… That Holy Sword?」
〈Correct.〉
「The Holy Sword touched by the entire student body one week ago?」
〈That's right. To seek out, nurture, and guide the one fit to wield me, so he could grow and become the hero to defeat the Demon King. That's the purpose of the Holy Sword. That's why the Holy Sword needs to be sentient.〉
「That's true……」
〈If the Holy Sword is just a powerful weapon, the wielder won't be able to draw out the full potential of the Saintly Sword. So think of me as something like a user manual or guide.〉
「……?」
〈However, the ones who could speak with me throughout the ages were the wielder of the Holy Sword. So the hero of every generation were weirdos who often talk to themselves.〉
「Hmm?」
〈── Which means, only the hero is able to perceive me.〉
I was listening timidly to her the entire time, and was shocked by this revelation.
This girl was the will residing within the Holy Sword, and only the wielder of the Holy Sword could see and hear her.
In other words, only the hero could see this girl.
I gulped, and couldn't help leaning forward.
「Huh? Ehh? Wait, since I can see you, that means I-I-I'm the hero?」
〈No.〉
「She said no!」
I somehow managed the dexterous move of slipping off the bench in the chapel
「Then what? Why am I able to speak with you?」
〈G.o.d knows.〉
「Ehh, you don't know… But I can see you and speak with you, right? And only the hero can see you. Therefore. I'm the hero, correct?」
〈No.〉
「…… Why are you refuting that so firmly?」
〈I couldn't sense the qualities of a Holy Sword wielder from you at all. When that Holy Sword selection something was held, the wielder of the Saintly Swords all possessed some of this quality, but I don't sense anything from you.〉
「……」
〈I can confidently say that of all the students in this Academy, you possess the least quality of a hero.〉
「Oh, is that so!? I'm so sorry for not being the hero!」
〈You are not in the wrong, since most humans have roughly the same level of quality as you.〉
「… And so? What do you want with me? You just want to declare how lacking I am?」
〈No way, I have something more pressing.〉
Holly averted her gaze from me, and showed the troubled face, like a nun praying in the chapel.
〈As the sprite residing within the Holy Sword, I have existed for a long time. Despite how long it has been, I'm not conscious all the time.〉
「So there are times when you sleep?」
〈Indeed. Please think about it. I can only converse with the wielder of the Holy Sword… And a hero is born after several hundred years. Who can spend such a long time awake?〉
「If the hero is not around, you can't speak with anyone…」
〈So I will wake up when the hero is born, and fall into a deep slumber when the hero pa.s.ses on.〉
「I see. Since you are awake, then the hero has been born?」
Holly returned her gaze to me and stared right into my eyes.
〈That's right, but you are not the hero.〉
「… I have already gotten over that misunderstanding, so please go on…」
She nonchalantly hurt me with her words.
〈About ten years ago, I could sense that the hero had been born to the east. After that, the presence of the hero kept coming from the east.〉
「In other words, the new hero is to the east, and is about ten years old.」
〈Yes.〉
「If you are awake ten years ago, that means you are conscious when I first enrolled. I already touched the Holy Sword several times, so why wasn't there any reaction?」
〈Several times… You mean the periodic Holy Sword selection held in this Academy?〉
「Yes, that's it, it had been held several times after I enrolled.」
〈There is no point in performing that routine. Letting new students try it might make sense, but students who already tried and failed would have no chance at all.〉
Holly kicked the bench I'm sitting on.
〈Since the hero isn't in this Academy, I will stay inside the sword during the Holy Sword selection. I planned to continue doing so before the hero comes to me.〉
「Right now, everyone in this country will enroll in the Royal Military Academy when they reach 15, so if you wait five more years, that hero will be here.」
〈But there's no time.〉
「No time? What do you mean?」
〈The Demon King is going to revive.〉
I was dumbstruck.
The revival of the Demon King.
The King of the Demons that wants to exterminate humanity and destroy the world.
To the residents of this world, he was the symbol of fear and horror.
The undying king that will keep reviving, despite the efforts of the previous heroes that defeated him.
That Demon King──
〈In another five years, the Demon King will revive.
── Will be reviving soon.
During my lifetime.
That Demon King bent on world destruction.
However, he had not pulled that off before.
A persistent existence, the Demon King will revive no matter how many times he was defeated, and get subjugated by a hero again.
Hence, the end of the world was averted.
However, before the hero could defeat the Demon King, there would be monsters much stronger than humans rampaging through the continent of Asgard .
The hero or warriors who reached a certain standard could defeat the monsters.
For example, the wielder of the Saintly Swords could deal with several hundred monsters easily.
But that wasn't true for normal citizens.
Most of them would get killed without even putting up a fight.
According to historical records, there were times when humanity was pushed to the brink of extinction before the hero defeated the Demon King through much effort.
Everyone in this world sincerely wishes for one thing.
（That the Demon King won't revive during my lifetime.）
「……」
I broke out in a cold sweat, and lowered my head without a word.
If anyone said the Demon King was going to revive, I would not believe them.
There was no fixed pattern for the Demon King's revival.
No one knew when the Demon King would revive.
No, maybe there would be a rough estimate if they account for all the time that the Demon King appeared.
But no one would do that.
Even if they knew when the Demon King would revive, the hero was still the only one who could defeat him. And there was no way to stop the Demon King from reviving.
So I never believed anyone who told me that the Demon King was going to revive.
However, this was the Holy Sword used by the heroes of lore to defeat the Demon King.
In other words, the one who said this was the weapon used by countless people to subjugate the Demon King.
The Demon King will revive in five years.
I wasn't optimistic enough to doubt her words.
「… So… there is a chance the Demon King will revive before the hero even enrol in this Academy?」
〈That's right, and I doubt if the hero will attend this Academy in the first place. I have been listening to the conversation between the students and instructors on campus, and it seems not all citizens above 15 will enrol here, correct?〉
「That's true… Because the impoverished citizens can't afford the school fees…」
〈So if the hero is one of them, then he won't enroll here.〉
「Oh my G.o.d…」
〈What a tragedy. When the previous hero established this Academy 500 years ago, his goal was to let all the children touch the Holy Sword once. By doing so, we can find the chosen one. The Academy has deviated from the purpose of its establishment.〉
When I heard that, I raised my head and stared at Holly.
「Huh? Did you call me here, because you want me to bring the hero to you?」
〈… I'm glad you caught on so quickly.〉
「I see I see! I just need to bring the hero here!」
〈And I can train that hero for the next five years.〉
「Then he can defeat the Demon King five years later!」
〈By that time, the hero would be 15 and at his prime. Maybe he can take down the Demon King quickly like his predecessor.〉
「Yes! I get it! I just need to let you meet the hero!」
〈That's right.〉
I stood up energetically.
It was disappointing to learn that I'm not the hero, but on second thought, it might be a blessing in disguise.
The hero had to take on the Demon King which was capable of destroying the world, and defeat him.
And failure meant the extinction of mankind.
For a mere mortal like me, that was too heavy a burden.
However, if I became the envoy that brought the hero to the Saintly Sword, then a mortal like me would become an important person that protected the world, wouldn't that be glorious?
「Holly, I get it. I will bring the hero here!」
〈Thank you.〉
「So, who is the hero? Which city is he in? What's his name?」
〈I don't know.〉
「…… Huh?」
I was full of drive earlier, but had turned stiff.
「Ehh? What did you just say?」
〈I said I don't know. Because I have never met him.〉
「What? Then how do I find him?」
〈Just bring over all the children in the east that are about ten years old.〉
「There are too many! Do you know the population count is right now!?」
〈How many?〉
「The Continent of Asgard have 30 million people! There are tens of thousands of kids to the east of the capital!」
〈Huh! Are you serious?〉
「If you don't tell me the right location, you won't meet the hero no matter how many years I search…」
〈… d.a.m.n it… It's all because those mobs keep making babies that things got so complicated…〉
「Huh?」
〈They had to count on me to survive the Demon King crisis, but those maggots will do those unsightly things when peace comes…〉
「Wait…」
〈If I knew this would happen, I should have taken down the Demon King slower last time, and thin their numbers…〉
「Hey! You went too far there! That's not something that the Sprite of the Sword that saved the world countless times should say!」
〈By the way, Crow. You are a student of this Royal Military Academy, so you are either a royal or a n.o.ble?〉
「Hmm? No, I'm just a commoner.」
〈… Do you have the authority or power to mobilize the ma.s.ses?〉
「That's impossible.」
〈Just my luck that I'm talking to this useless mob character…〉
「You are just being mean now!」
〈Then can you tell the other humans about our conversation, and ask them to gather all the ten years old children in the east?〉
「… No, that won't work. Even on a good day, I can't really say that I'm trusted by the people around me, since my results are the worst in school. When I first talked with you, others treated me as a dangerous person who was hearing things.」
〈… Tch! This garbage is useless…〉
「… Hey, can you stop demeaning me? That really hurts…」
〈… Oh! Sorry, Crow. Because I'm a sprite, so I can't use pleasantries. I can only transmit whatever I am thinking.〉
「That's not being sorry! That means you really mean everything you just said!」
〈I'm really sorry, all this while, I have only spoke with the hero… men who are genius and hotties. I'm not used to talking to sc.u.m like you who had neither talent nor looks.〉
「That's not apologizing! You are just talking bad about me!」
〈I beg your pardon. From just now, I had been feeling strong displeasure from talking to a useless human. This is a first for me, so please bear with it.〉
「… Enough, I get it. I don't care what you think of me, anyway…」
I rest my chin on my hand.
Only Holly could sense the hero that was in the east.
In other words, the problem could be solved by bringing Holly closer to the hero.
「Hey, Holly.」
〈Huh? This squid dares to yell my name so casually? Know your place, plebeian.〉
「……Holly-san.」
〈Address me as sama, r.e.t.a.r.d.〉
「…Holly-sama, can you head to the east and bring the hero here? Just like how you woke me from my sleep just now.」
〈I would have already done that if it was possible. I can't leave the Saintly Sword itself, are you stupid?〉
「……」
Veins were popping up in my temple, and I could feel a slight headache, but I endured it.
「You didn't look well just now. So it's painful for you to be too far from the Saintly Sword?」
〈That's correct. If the hero is near the Saintly Sword, I can move quite far away, but right now, ten or so metres is my limit. When I went to get you just now, I surpa.s.sed my limits and…〉
I frowned as I recalled her e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.n.g. all that vomit onto my face.
「… Hmm? That means the Holy Sword is in the vicinity? Shouldn't it be under the close watch of the Royal family?」
〈Well, the Holy Sword is usually kept in the bas.e.m.e.nt of the Chapel. Declaring that it is kept in the palace is a lie to prevent theft, since it will be dangerous to move the Holy Sword whenever there is a Holy Sword selection.〉
「Is that so… Alright then, since you can't move too far away from the Holy Sword, another way will be to bring the sword to the hero. However, we can't take the closely guarded sword away either…」
〈That's it!〉
Holly suddenly pointed at me with a brilliant smile.
〈You just have to bring the Holy Sword to the hero! The closer I am to the hero, the more accurate I can pinpoint his location, and I can confirm his ident.i.ty with just a glance.〉
「No, I can't do it. A mere student like me can't take the Holy Sword away, and I don't think the Royal family will grant me permission either.」
〈You don't need permission from anyone, since I permit you to take the Holy Sword with you.〉
「… You know, no one else can see you. So it's pointless even if you grant me permission. To others, They will just think a student with brain problems has stolen the Holy Sword.」
〈It's not theft, you are just taking it without their permission.〉
「To humans, that's the definition of theft!」
〈But there is no other way. Please, Crow.〉
「If they found out that I stole the Holy Sword, I won't be surprised if they sentence me to death.」
〈… If I can meet the hero, I don't care if a guy like him gets executed. But if he finds out that I don't care if he dies, that idiot will throw a fit. There's no choice, I will have to seduce him with my charms…〉
「Your thoughts have been leaking out all this while… And I heard all of it…」
I sighed heavily.
But even so, I already resolved myself at this stage.
If I don't do anything, all of humanity, including me, will die in five years.
I might be able to convince the approachable Instructor Cattlea and Iris after several years, but from what happened last time, I would just be treated as a lunatic.
In that case, despite the risks, the only human who understood the situation── which was me, had to steal the Holy Sword, and deliver it to the hero.
And the sooner, the better.
「… It's not easy for mere mortals to contribute in the subjugation of the Demon King…」
Holly suddenly looked up at me as I was talking to myself.
〈Erm, Crow. Actually, I feel that you… Ahh, I can't do it. It's physiologically impossible for me. But if I don't seduce him, he won't take action… I-I-I like you… If you bring me to the hero… I will serve… serve… I can't do it, I can't tell him that.〉
「You don't have to seduce me… Alright then, I will bring you to the hero.」
〈Really? This r.e.t.a.r.d sure is easy, I got him hooked with just that.〉
「……」
I endured it.
Holly was really p.i.s.sing me off, but I suppressed my anger.