Chapter 2: A Little Hero
Chapter 2: A Little Hero
THEY stepped inside the ruins where a single stone path stretched into the darkness with gigantic humanoid statues lining the stone walls on either side, adding a sanctimonious flair to the otherwise eerie entrance.
Enumerations written in ancient script embossed the walls, and seemingly bottomless, pitch-black gutters flanked the narrow walkway. An endless free fall awaited anyone who fell from the bridge-like path.
Each statue lining the passage at equal intervals held a candle, which gave off light from its swaying flame. There was something creepy about how the candles were burning when there was no trace of a human presence—almost as if the ruins were awaiting their arrival. At the very least, the ruins were responding to their presence by providing illumination.
But it was thanks to that continuous candlelight that it was much easier to see where they were walking than it had been in the cavern tunnels, and it saved them the trouble of holding a lantern.
Aki restlessly looked around as she hugged her shoulders and shivered. “Does anyone else fear they’ll fall off the path into the literal abyss on either side of us? Or is it just me? And it’s unpleasantly chilly in here too…”
The stone walls trapped in the cold, and the air circulated differently from outside. Aki’s muttered comment echoed off the ruin walls, stopping Elias at the front of their party.
“These ruins are steeped in strong water magic, weakening the fire element that usually keeps the air temperature warm. Stay aware of your body temperature at all times, or else the cold might immobilize you,” he advised as he briskly strode over to Aki at the back of their line.
She looked up at him with a question in her eyes. He bent down and peered into them. “Aki, want to wear my cloak since you’re cold?”
“…Pardon?” Her eyes rounded at his unexpected offer.
Wearing Elias’s cloak—in other words, isn’t that like a girlfriend wearing her boyfriend’s shirt, or rather, cloak? No, no, no! Since when did I become Elias’s girlfriend?! I’m embarrassed at the wanderings of my own imagination!
Aki turned red and started fanning her face, but Elias didn’t notice her internal turmoil as he undid the feather emblem holding the cloak in place with a click. He took the pure white cloak in his hands and quietly held it in front of her.
“Here you go. Can you put it on by yourself?”
“Ah, uhhh, I can put it on… Are you sure it’s okay for me to borrow it?” she timidly checked with him. Elias must’ve been cold after removing the cloak he always wore.
“Of course it’s okay,” he confirmed with an effervescent smile. “I don’t mind one bit. It’s more worrisome for me if you’re cold. Besides, I’ve got a hardier build than most people.” He cheerfully flexed his biceps for her.
Aki glanced over at Mina and Louis and realized they didn’t look as cold as she felt even though they weren’t dressed for the cold either.
It appeared a person’s level had a direct effect on their temperature resistance: the higher their level, the higher their resistance to the cold.
“I’ll take you up on your offer.” Aki accepted the cloak and stared at it.
…How am I supposed to put this on? Do I throw it on over my shoulders and clasp it at my neck with the emblem?
Elias closely watched Aki as she stood there frozen with the cloak hanging from her hands like a banner, and let out a small chuckle. “It’s difficult to figure out how to put on at first, right? Here, turn around for me.”
He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her around. Taking the cloak from her, he draped it over her back, circled his arms around her chest, and snapped the emblem in place at her neck. The cloak cascaded down her back.
Elias’s pure white cloak swished around her ankles.
“You’re all set now! Face this way, Aki.”
“O-Okay.” Heart thumping in her ears, she turned toward Elias. He looked her up and down with a blank look on his face, then burst out laughing as if he were standing before an adorable forest animal.
“Yep, it’s perfect on you! You look great! Wearing my cloak makes you look like a little hero.” He patted her on the head several times.
…Is that supposed to be a compliment? Or is he teasing me?
Mina smacked her hands together. “Oh my, you’re right! Aki’s like a tiny, female hero, it’s adorable! Like the hero you just want to protect.”
Louis nodded several times in deep agreement. “Mm-hm. Lady Hero has quite the lovely ring to it; I can stand behind that. My pen could weave a most beautiful narrated poem if Aki were the Hero instead of Elias.”
“…Louis, are you saying you’re dissatisfied with me as your Hero?” Elias pouted, earning a few laughs from Mina and Louis.
Aki watched over them trying to appease their sulking Hero as she pulled the cloak with his lingering warmth closer. It feels like Elias is protecting me up close. Considering how hard my heart is pounding just by wearing his cloak, I must really like Elias a lot. She stifled the grin trying to stretch across her face as she thought about how handsome and cool he looked with just his coat on.
“All right, time to get moving again.” Elias took control of the situation and had the party advance deeper into the ruins.
Before them a single stone path stretched endlessly into the candlelit darkness. What in the world awaited them at the end?
Thus, their first quest together began with excitement fluttering in their chests over the unknown adventure ahead.
***
TIME passed slowly as everyone monotonously followed the straight path, during which Louis, who headed up the rear, called out to Elias at the vanguard. “By the way, Elias, why don’t we decide our party formation now? All the passages are tight and narrow, so we’d better decide where each member is going to stand before it becomes a free for all when we encounter monsters.”
“Good idea. That will certainly make it easier to receive and give expedient support. In that case, I’ll take up the vanguard as the close-range fighter, along with Mina who’s an expert at detecting traps and monsters. I want our long-range fighter Aki and support magic user Louis to head up the rear.”
“Okay!”
“Got it.”
“All right!”
Mina, Louis, and Aki all agreed and rearranged their positions in line according to Elias’s instructions before setting off down the stone path again.
How much longer did they have to go before the road forked or came to an end?
On and on they advanced, and still the straight path with what appeared endless pits on both sides continued. Seeing the same scenery going on forever gave the illusion they were looping back to their starting point. Since Elias, Mina, and Louis didn’t indicate otherwise, they should be on the right path.
I’m starting to worry if I’ll be able to fight properly as an Archer if we do encounter monsters. Actually, is it even possible to engage in battle without a bow and arrows? Realizing her lack of a weapon fairly late, Aki blanched and sped up to walk next to Louis.
“…Say, Louis? May I ask you a question?”
“Shoot.”
“…I became an Archer at the Adventurers’ Guild, but I never received the all-important bow and arrow. Will I be able to fight like this…?” she muttered feebly, her shoulders sagging forward.
Being placed in a proper job class was great, but Aki hadn’t received the critical weapon that would let her fulfill her role. Was she supposed to have picked it up before they left the guild house? Was she missing something vital here?
Speaking of battle, she hadn’t been in a monster encounter since the full Hero Party of Elias, Leo, and Johann took out monsters on the field, but even then she stood there with nothing to do as her high level party members wiped the plains with their enemies. That was exactly why she wanted to support her current party with a weapon in hand…
Shouldn’t I have stopped by the weapon shop to purchase a basic bow and arrow set? She anxiously shot Louis a sidelong glance as they trudged forward. He stopped dead in his tracks as if she had asked the most ridiculous question to date.
“Louis, why did you suddenly sto—”
“…Aki, is it possible that you don’t know about the special trait associated with the weapon used by the Hero’s Right-hand?”
“What trait?” She stopped walking and tilted her head at his leading question.
What possible trait could her weapon have? Had Leo mentioned anything about it? She didn’t remember him saying anything along those lines.
Since she said nothing, Louis pointed to her chest pocket. “That pen of yours was summoned by a Mage as the Right-hand’s specialized weapon, right? Take it into your hand and command it to become your bow and arrow.”
Command it? Aki raised a skeptical eyebrow, to which Louis chuckled and urged, “Just give it a try.”
Don’t knock it till you try it, Aki told herself as she laid the pen in her left palm and covered it with her right hand while internally commanding it to transform into a bow and arrow. The steel pen instantly lit up between her hands, shooting a silver light throughout the ruins.
Taking that as a signal, the outer surface of the steel pen began to elongate vertically as if the steel was melted by heat. Eventually it stretched to match Aki’s height.
“Wh-Whoa! What is it doing?!”
Grasping the gradually transforming pen in her hand, she watched as it turned into a stunningly shaped bow like a tree growing its branches at rapid speed.
Before she could get over her shock, she suddenly felt something weigh on her shoulder and found a quiver hanging from her back by a leather belt. Apparently the pen had manifested not only a bow, but a quiver stocked with arrows.
“I-Incredible!” Aki’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she held up the giant bow.
Is this also the Goddess’s power? Moved beyond words, she clutched the bow in both hands and grinned.
Louis watched her with a satisfied smile. “I thought so. The lore I’ve studied said that the weapon summoned for the Right-hand can transform freely based on the Right-hand’s wishes. Since you took on the Archer class, your specialized weapon, the pen, transformed into a bow and quiver to fit.” He examined the armaments she had successfully summoned. “Still, I must say that is one magnificent bow and quiver. The shape is beautiful. Just by looking at it I can tell the Mage who summoned it for you must be a master of his class.”
Delighted to hear him praising Leo’s handiwork, Aki nodded over and over. She thought of the moment when Leo adeptly activated the summoning spell while forming a complex, multitier magic circle under her feet.
Leo really is a genius Mage after all!
His status as a genius wasn’t just self-alleged boasting, but fact. She couldn’t wait to get back to the inn and show off the magnificent bow and arrow his summoned weapon had transformed into.
Surely he’d flash that boyish grin of his and say, “You’d better master it!”
I want to show it to Leo soon, Aki mused, when Mina skipped over to them after witnessing her little light show.
“Amazing! Your bow and quiver are as beautiful as jewels found in a dungeon treasure chest!” Mina effused while she assessed the weapons in a way only a thief could. “If I have my lore down right, you should be able to master your weapon without leveling up first. I read somewhere that the Right-hand’s weapon will act on its own to defeat monsters without you needing to do anything. Maybe it’s a case of the weapon having its own will to fight?”
“Wait, is that true?” Latching on to what sounded like very good news for her, Aki took a step closer to Mina.
Elias leisurely walked toward them and filled in the rest of the explanation. “Put in layman’s terms, your weapon comes equipped with an auto battle function. You don’t have to have any experience using a bow and arrow, because the bow will auto-target monsters for you. With just a little experience, you will be able to fight on par with high level Archers.”
Such tremendous power dwells in this bow? I’m extremely grateful for that extra function, especially because I have no experience fighting monsters, but I feel sort of guilty obtaining power that surpasses those who have worked hard to reach this level… Unable to fully rejoice over her newfound power, Aki guiltily cast down her gaze.
Louis softly chuckled. “You really are a good girl down to the bone, huh? Well, I wouldn’t let it get to you too much. People who come from other worlds aren’t used to fighting monsters and have a much higher risk of dying in battle. The Goddess grants them special powers to support them. As the Hero’s Right-hand, you deserve a handicap to ease you into this world.”
“Thank you.” Aki returned his gentle smile.
Put another way, the pen was granting her a special advantage so that she wouldn’t drag down the rest of the Hero Party with her low level. In which case, she’d make full use of her bow and serve her party well.
Aki pressed her forehead against the bow’s riser to impart her gratitude. “I hope you will take good care of this inexperienced Archer.”
Please lend me your power so that I may grow, she prayed to the bow, which let out a silver flash in response.
It kinda feels like its greeting me back! Aki squeezed the center riser as if exchanging a handshake with it and happily smiled at her new partner.
With her weapon problems handled, the party progressed a little farther down the one-way path, when the notebook suddenly vibrated several times inside her pocket. Whenever the notebook had vibrated before, it meant that monsters were near.
“Everyone, stop where you are!” Aki sharply called out to Elias and Mina at the vanguard and whipped out her notebook. She held it on her palm and the pages flipped of their own accord.
She focused on the open page in the dark and saw multiple red dots approaching their location from the front. Aki narrowed her eyes and looked at the rest of her party members. “Monsters are fast approaching! There are one, two…ten coming from up ahead!”
Around ten red dots struggled down the narrow path on the map. They had encountered quite a large patrol.
Elias drew his sword with practiced ease and set his sights on the path where the monsters were going to come from. “Ten, huh? Quite the number. But it’s no problem for us.”
Mina deftly whipped out the dagger hanging from the belt at her back and gave a little jump for joy when she saw Elias brandishing the Holy Sword. “Hey, you’re pretty cool there, Elias! There’s nothing more exciting than fighting alongside the legendary Hero! I’ll try not to slow you down.”
“Don’t be so modest, Mina. Aren’t you a fairly high level yourself?” Elias remarked, not taking his eyes off the path ahead.
Mina’s lips curled into a grin with her eyes set on the same spot. “Tehehe, you could say that! I’m strong enough to join the Hero Party, you know? Doesn’t that go for you too, Louis?”
“Indeed. I’ll have to show you that my skills on the battlefield are as masterful as my music.”
“…Hey now, don’t go shrewdly advertising your music right now!” Mina promptly cut down Louis’s boasting.
Both of them seem calm.
Seeing as neither of them lost their cool with the knowledge of a small army of monsters coming their way, they must have plenty of battle experience. Leo and Johann weren’t around this time, but Aki had faith it would be okay with Louis and Mina there. Their bravery emboldened her.
Manifesting her bow and arrow, she looked to Elias to find he wore the same expressionless mask he had during the field battle. His calmness like the calm before the storm imparted just how amazing he truly was.
Okay, I’m not going to get in anyone’s way this time! Please lend me your strength. Scolding her nervously shaking arms into action, she aimed her bow in front of her.
During the last battle she was so afraid she had to be saved by Elias instead of being helpful. But she had the power to fight this time. She was going to use it to fight monsters and be of use to her party, even if just a little.
Monsters staggered closer from the shadows. Their footfalls carried a characteristic plip-plop sound. Gradually, they neared, and Aki’s breath caught in her throat when their grotesque forms appeared.
The monsters were humanoids that walked on two legs. Gills flapped on both sides of their faces, scales covered their blue skin, and they looked just like fish with legs and arms. In their slimy hands they brandished long harpoons in the shape of spears.
“Ick, mermen…” Mina grimaced at their disturbingly characteristic appearance.
The stench of mildew filled the narrow passage. Aki forced her arms to stop shaking and drew an arrow from the quiver on her back.
Calm down, Aki. It’s okay. You can do this. The weapon Leo summoned for you will become your strength. She took a deep breath and stared down the mermen with a sharp glint in her determined eyes.