Chapter 4: The World’s Foundation

 

 

 

Chapter 4: The World’s Foundation

 

I just heard something with grave implications… Aki walked with heavy feet and slumped shoulders through the second-story hallway. What Johann told her earlier repeated in her head.

“…And that is all I can tell you right now,” Johann concluded his story on the Hero and Dark Lord. According to him, the continued existence of the world was staked on the nexus battle between the Hero and the Dark Lord

It might not be an exaggeration to say the fate of the world rests on our shoulders. I definitely didn’t come to this world with half-baked resolve, but the Hero’s Right-hand carries a heavier responsibility than I thought, Aki absently pondered as she approached the second-story corridor. She heard elated voices from the first-story courtyard beyond the arch. Curious as to what all the noise was about, she stopped and peered over the wrought-iron railing.

“Hello, Lord Hero!”

“How are you today, Lord Elias?”

Elias’ golden hair lightly reflected the bright sunlight as people in the robes of scholars and maids crowded around him in the courtyard. Aki rested her elbows on the railing looking over the courtyard and watched them with a smile.

Elias is popular wherever he goes. As the Hero who protects the people from the evil hands of the Dark Lord, Elias’ popularity is probably on par with celebrities in my world. But that’s only because normal citizens have no idea about the hidden truth behind the battle between the Hero and Dark Lord that Johann spoke of.

What does Elias think of that gap in reality and the image the people harbor while he addresses them with a friendly smile? Has he ever thought it was painful or unfair that he was created by the Goddess for this purpose? He has only ever smiled since the moment we met, so I never got a tragic hero feeling from him, but maybe he’s purposely not revealing his real self.

Aki continued to observe the courtyard. Elias said something to the people surrounding him and abruptly looked up. A soft breeze caused Aki to push her bangs away from her eyes, only to instantly meet Elias’ warm gaze. She froze awkwardly as if she were guilty of spying on him.

“Aki! Did you finish talking to Johann?” Elias, on the other hand, didn’t notice her awkward reaction and smiled happily upon spotting her. Relieved and overjoyed by his smile.

This is a good opportunity. I should try talking to Elias about what Johann told me before we go on a journey together. I might catch a glimpse of what he actually thinks. I don’t know if I’ll be of any use to him, but as the Hero’s Right-hand, I want to know what motivates him to go to war.

Determined to hear from him directly, Aki placed her hands on the railing and leaned forward. “Yes, I learned a lot from Johann… Um, I want to discuss some things with you, Elias. Can I have a moment of your time?”

Catching wind of her thoughts, Elias paused before nodding. “All right. It might be for the best if we talk. Wait there for me, Aki.” Elias bid the people around him farewell and nimbly ran to the spot beneath the corridor. Her eyes followed him as she wondered how he planned to get to her. He kicked off the ground without dropping his speed and leapt to the second-story corridor.

You gotta be kidding me! This is the second-story!

Without a sound, he landed beside the gaping Aki, his golden hair and white cloak dancing with the wind. They told her the Hero was blessed with exceptional physical ability, but he seemed to have the supernatural strength of Superman.

“You’re amazing, Elias! I can’t believe you can go from the first floor to the second floor without using stairs,” Aki jested. Elias stood in front of her and laughed as he lightly pushed up his bangs.

“Well, the Hero can’t fight the Dark Lord without this level of extraordinary physical prowess. Is it okay for me to assume what you want to talk about is related to the story Johann told you about the Hero and Dark Lord?” Elias quickly switched to the main topic.

Aki nodded, taking on a more serious expression. “Yes. I wanted to discuss it with you at least once before we travel together.”

“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea too. There is a lot I want to tell you about before we take off. Before we get started we should decide where to talk, but…” Elias paused, shyly averting his eyes from Aki as if what he had to say was difficult. She tilted her head, curious about his sudden change. He scratched the back of his head and looked up at her with puppy-dog eyes.

“Um, this isn’t a conversation we can have other people listening in on, so if it is all right with you…how about we chat in my room? I realize it is rude for a man to invite a lady to his room, but we won’t have to worry about eavesdropping there,” Elias spluttered, his ears turning red. His contagious blush spread to Aki’s face.

She fully believed the sincere Elias of all people wouldn’t try anything with her, but she was still conscious of him as a man.

She frantically waved her hands in front of her face as she tried to come up with a decent answer. “Um, uh, I’m okay with that! How do I put it? You are very trustworthy, Elias. I mean, is it even okay for the likes of me to enter the great Hero’s bedroom?!” she sputtered, not even sure of what she was trying say anymore.

Elias placed his hand on his chest in relief, picking up on the fact she was okay with his suggestion.

“I see. I’m glad to hear it. Thank you. I don’t have any close female friends, so I don’t really know how to interact with women without being rude…”

Before Aki could ask him why he didn’t have any close female friends, he turned around to call out to the maid walking by them.

She mulled over what he said as she watched him talk to the maid. For a man as popular and handsome as Elias to not have any close female friends must mean he really is putting distance between himself and others. Is he hung up on the fact he was created by the Goddess and is different from normal people? Maybe it really would be best for me to frankly ask him about it. Her thoughts were interrupted when Elias returned with the maid.

“Aki, I asked her to bring us two cups of tea and some sweets. Let’s take our time to chat over tea. Do you mind doing that for us?” Elias turned to ask the maid. Elated by him speaking to her, the maid’s cheeks flushed crimson and she vigorously nodded like a bobblehead doll.

“Y-Yes, sir! Anything you desire, Lord Elias! I shall prepare it for you as fast as I can!” She quickly bowed her head and trotted off with such excitement Aki was surprised she didn’t skip her way to the kitchen.

She watched the maid beside Elias and let out an impressed sigh.

Elias is as popular as I thought, which is why it feels so unnatural for him to not be close to any women.

Elias looked over his shoulder at Aki and pointed down the corridor. “Shall we get going, Aki? My room is at the end of this corridor.”

She followed him to his room.

 

***

ELIAS’ bedroom was simplistic, with nothing inside aside from the furniture it originally came with. Aki stared with disappointment at the dreary room, a letdown compared to the extravagant image she had in mind for the Hero’s bedroom.

Maybe he isn’t particular about the decoration of a room he won’t be staying in for long because he knows he will have to leave on a journey eventually, Aki presumed, sitting on an ottoman Elias led her to in the center of his room.

The maid came in the room with deliciously fragrant tea. A mouthwatering sweet scent wafted from the freshly baked sugar cookies brought as their teatime sweet. Aki picked up the teacup first and felt relaxed by the smell of black tea leaves riding on the aromatic steam.

It smells nice, Aki mused and stole a look at Elias sitting across from her taking a sip of his tea too. His refined mannerisms, gentle expressions, and handsome facial features—were all those things purposely endowed to him by the Goddess?

Aki set her teacup on its saucer and addressed him, “…Say, Elias, I heard from Johann about how the Hero must defeat the Dark Lord or vice versa in order for this world to continue existing…”

What Johann informed her of was jaw dropping to say the least. To start with, their world was brought into existence by an almighty creation Goddess. She possessed the miraculous power to create worlds with a power known as Creation Energy and used it to construct, manage, and preserve this world. Creation Energy was the very lifeblood of the world, and the world was built on her bountiful supply of it.

But the Goddess didn’t possess infinite energy—her energy steadily declined with the passage of time. The Goddess’ Creation Energy was the very essence that gave life to the world and its heartbeat. As such, it was necessary to replenish the Creation Energy on a regular basis in order to sustain the world’s life, much like a blood transfusion.

Injecting new Creation Energy into the world was the supposed purpose of the Hero and Dark Lord. The process started with the Goddess creating soul-infused artificial life, the Hero and Dark Lord, with her Creation Energy and placing them on the planet. By one defeating the other, the Creation Energy imbued in their very soul and body would replenish the world anew.

The Goddess didn’t directly replenish the world’s Creation Energy because she couldn’t interfere in the world’s affairs without a living medium like the Hero and Dark Lord. In other words, the Hero and Dark Lord were the Creation Energy’s vessels into the dying world.

“…When I heard Johann talking about it, it all sounded so preposterous and I had a hard time wrapping my head around it. In one sense, the world itself is a life-form.”

The world required Creation Energy to continue living and would die if it wasn’t regularly supplied with it.

Elias placed his cup back on the saucer and somberly nodded. “You can put it that way. The world was created for a reason and requires energy to continue living. If you look at it that way, it’s no different from us humans… Well, I guess you can’t call me human,” Elias laughed self-derisively. Aki gasped.

He seemed hung up on the fact he was created by the Goddess for the sole purpose of fulfilling her goals, either by dying or killing. Aki closely watched him as he brought the teacup back to his mouth with a lonely smile.

Did the reality of his birth make him think he was a different creature from the rest of the people living in the world? Perhaps that was why he kept himself at arm’s length from others; to keep his thoughts unreadable. It was very possible he had always been smiling to distract others from the sadness and loneliness broiling inside him.

How can he fight with his life on the line for the world with that kind of mentality? Aki curled her hands on her lap. In all likelihood, continuing to fight while being cornered by his feelings would eventually take him out before the Dark Lord did. It’s not fair for him to suffer from loneliness and anguish without ever being able to open up to anyone because it’s all a secret! This is the wrong way to go about it!

“Elias!” Aki slammed both hands on the table and stood. Elias jumped in his chair.

“Y-Yes, m’lady?!” Surprised by her vigor, he accidentally switched to formal speech. Aki leaned across the table and scooped his hands into hers. She ardently looked into his green eyes.

“I thought about it long and hard after I heard about your origins from Johann, but before your complicated origins, you are just one human being who lives in this world like the rest! You were simply birthed by the Goddess and are a normal man no different from anyone else here. If anything, the fact the Goddess birthed you means she’s your mother, right? I think that is amazing!”

Elias is undeniably the only ‘Hero’ in this world and is supposedly an artificial life created by the Goddess. But it’s also undeniable that he’s another human being living out his life in this world. Yet he’s stuck with the anguishing predicament of harboring the secret of his birth, and fighting a war while bearing the burden of the entire world on his shoulders!

At first, Aki’s tight grip on his hands had taken Elias off guard, but her desperate appeal brought a soft smile to his face.

“…Thank you. I see. So the Goddess is like my mother? Mother? Yeah, I’m happy thinking about her that way,” he mused.

He hadn’t been able to get over the fact he was created by the Goddess and was nothing more than an artificial life. But altering that view a little bit simply made him a boy who had been born to a mother known as the Goddess. In that sense, he had an origin no one else could compete with. If he could change his outlook, he might be able to see himself the same way as others and not as an anomaly.

“…Until now, I’ve always thought of myself as a tool created for the sole purpose of sustaining the world. Hearing what you said helped ease my feelings on it somewhat,” Elias said, as if to convince himself of it, and looked up at Aki with a boyish smile. “Thank you, Aki. You truly are my Hero’s Right-hand. No one has ever said anything like that to me before. I’m happier than you could ever know.”

Elias’ shy broad smile was full of life compared to the countless fake smiles he had plastered on his face.

I didn’t know he could actually smile with such innocence. He’s so cute, Aki thought, smiling along with him. She hoped she could protect her hardworking and clumsy Hero. She wanted to support him at his side. As both the Hero’s Right-hand and as the Hero’s Secretary.

“Elias, I still don’t have much to offer you, but I will try my hardest to be of use to you! What should I do first?”

“Huh? Umm…” Elias fumbled over his words at her sudden offer.

…Ugh, I knew it. Someone without powers like me can’t be of any help. Aki’s excitement wilted when Elias sheepishly scratched the back of his head.

“I want you to always smile by my side. I feel like I can do my best no matter what if you are smiling beside me,” he propounded.

Aki blinked back at him in silence. Unable to stand it any longer, he shifted in his chair and looked away.

“S-Sorry… I may have been the one who said it, but it’s kind of embarrassing…”

“I-I’m embarrassed too! Those kinds of lines are like surprise attacks, so please refrain from saying them!”

Please save those lines for the woman you will fall in love with someday! Aki shouted internally.

“Even if you feel that way, my true hope is still for you to smile beside me forever!” Elias continued, striking another blow.

Aki covered her hot cheeks with both hands. Elias didn’t understand how embarrassing his comments were. Maybe the Hero was created with a personality that said everything directly. He may be suited for leading troops straight into enemy camps but not so much for romancing a lady. Elias had conflicted feelings over Aki refusing to meet his gaze and placed his right hand over his heart to calm down.

“…Aki, can I make one thing clear? While it is true the Hero’s duty is as perilous as you make it out to be, I believe I should be grateful to the Goddess—Mother—for giving me a purpose only I can fulfill. The reason for my existence is clear after all.” Elias looked right into Aki’s eyes when she finally raised her head. “As the Hero, I must continue to fight for my entire life, but I’ve never thought of that as unfair. If this is my fate, then all I have to do is carry out my duty.”

Aki nodded firmly at Elias’ words filled with determination and resolve. He was strong, kind, and ethereal. She hoped there was even a little she could do to support the man who had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Supporting Elias must be my mission as the one chosen as the Hero’s Right-hand.

Aki copied the way Elias put his hand in front of his chest and loudly declared, “All right! Your fate will be my fate and we shall walk with our destinies entwined from now on, Elias!”

“Pardon?” Elias stared back at Aki as if she had knocked the chair out from beneath him. Did her words not get across to him?

“Wh-What I mean is that I will bear the burden of Hero with you,” Aki added. He bashfully scratched the back of his head.

“O-Oh, you meant it that way? I took it a different way…”

“You did? What did you think I meant by it?” She tilted her head. Red singed the tips of his ears.

“…Forget about it,” he muttered, turning his face from her.