Chapter 7: The Hero’s Departure

 

 

 

Chapter 7: The Hero’s Departure

 

BEEP, beep, beep. Aki quickly sat up in bed at the shrill sound of her alarm clock. It was time to go to work again. She still needed to wash her face, brush her teeth, neatly place her files into her briefcase, and race onto the earliest train! Panicked she was going to be late, she scooted to the edge of the bed and froze. She was sitting on a lavish canopy bed fitted with high-quality silk sheets that felt blissful against her skin.

Huh. Was my bed always this fancy? Aki seriously wondered before clapping her hands together. Right, this is…another world.

After she had dinner with Elias and the others, she went to the guest room they provided her and got some well-deserved sleep. The excitement of coming to another world kept her energized the entire day, but it turned out she was more exhausted than she thought since she slept like a log the instant her head hit the feather-down pillow.

Aki got off the bed and opened the bay window facing the courtyard with both hands. A gentle breeze blew into the room along with the soft sunshine usually accompanying a fine spring morning. Birds chirped in the surrounding trees. The pleasant morning weather had her humming to herself.

We finally embark on our adventure today. Aki gazed at the otherworldly scenery stretching beyond the window. She wasn’t going to work at a company, but on a journey with the Hero Party to defeat the Dark Lord. Her reason for joining them was simple: to rescue her kidnapped little sister from the hands of the Dark Lord and return to Earth with her. Getting to know Elias and his plight as Hero added helping him to her list of objectives too.

Aki recalled the indifferent way Elias, someone the Goddess created as a living personification of beauty, spoke of his duty. The world couldn’t be saved unless the Dark Lord or Hero defeated one or the other and replenished the declining reserves of Creation Energy. Elias spoke with resolve, knowing fully the responsibility behind his task as Hero. It was as if he never considered any alternative.

I hope I can be of even a little help to him as his Hero’s Right-hand. I really want to help, but I don’t have any powers from the Goddess nor can I use magic like Leo. For what reason was I chosen as the Hero’s Right-hand? What skills do I have that no one else does? Aki shook her head to get rid of the increasingly depressing thoughts.

We leave on our journey today. Getting depressed is only going to make the things I can do for them go poorly. But I really wish the Goddess had at least given me some sort of ability… Maybe she dislikes me.

She sighed and turned around to find the notebook bestowed to her by the Goddess flipping through its pages on top of the table as if it read her mind. Stunned, she turned back toward the window, but the wind wasn’t strong enough to flip the pages.

Is the Goddess’ power at work here? With that hunch, Aki hastily ran over to the notebook. The notebook continued flipping through the pages without anyone touching it until it stopped on a page in the center. She cautiously peered down at the page to see silver, glowing letters smoothly inking across the blank space as if an invisible pen had written on it.

Two lines had been artlessly written on the page.

 

Today’s Schedule:

1. Depart on the journey to defeat the Dark Lord after having an audience with the king.

2. Drop by the nearest port city.

 

“…Is the Goddess possibly trying to guide us?” Aki picked up the notebook and trembled with joy at the words written inside.

I don’t have any proof yet, but maybe the ability to receive messages from the Goddess is the power she bestowed on me? Maybe she got creative with it because I proclaimed myself as the Hero’s Secretary. If that’s the case… Aki squeezed the notebook to her chest. If it really is the case, then there still might be a chance for me to be useful!

She blithely threw her closet doors open and changed into the suit hanging inside. She placed the notebook in the inner pocket and the pen inside her chest pocket. Wanting to report back to Elias about her new ability as soon as possible, her bubbling excitement made it hard to neatly secure her blouse buttons. Once she finished putting on all her equipment, she checked her appearance in the full-length mirror and energetically nodded. She dashed out of the room, smiling as she imagined his delight.

Aki ran all the way through the second-story hallway until she reached Elias’ room and hurriedly knocked on the door before placing her hand on the knob.

“Elias, good morning! I wanted to talk to you about the Goddess’ power—” she cheerfully shouted as she pushed the door open.

“Aki?! Wait a minute! Please don’t open the door—” Elias’ panicked voice came from inside.

“Eh?” Aki stopped at the sound of his voice, but the door had already swung open exposing all of his room to her.

Elias stood by the window, the morning sunshine beautifully framing his perfectly toned body. Every muscle was just the right size with no excess. Black pants fit snugly to his long legs and his white shirt was unbuttoned, revealing his brawny chest.

“A-A-Aaaaaaaaaah!” Aki screamed so loud Elias covered his ears as she hid her face behind both hands and drew back. All the heat in her body seemed to accumulate in her face like a bad burn.

I can’t believe I walked in on him changing! She froze on the spot, unable to lift her gaze from the spot on the ground she wholeheartedly focused on. I may have been impatient because of learning about the Goddess, but it was so thoughtless of me to enter his room without his permission! What should I do? What do I do?! Aki panicked, cold sweat dripping down her back. She bowed her head with her eyes firmly shut, thinking the first thing she had to do was apologize.

“Elias! I’m sorry for coming in while you were changing! I’ll leave right away!”

“Ah, no, no, don’t go! It’s okay! I’m the one who’s sorry for showing you something indecent.” Elias buttoned up his shirt in a flurry.

Aki timidly opened her eyes and took a peek at him. Instantly, she caught sight of several cuts and gashes on his still exposed chest. The gruesome scars were enough to catch her full attention and helped her collect herself.

She hesitated over whether it was something she should bring up as she gazed up at him and reservedly asked about it, “Um, Elias, about those scars…”

The scars looked old, but the sheer number of them was frightening. Elias touched the scars as if to hide them.

“…Oh, these are all wounds I received as a child from monsters. The Hero is always targeted by the monsters who serve the Dark Lord after all.”

“There are monsters here?”

“Yeah. I’ll explain about them more later, but the gist is that monsters prowl everywhere outside of regions where people live such as villages and cities. Monsters are a part of the ecosystem that eats humans and animals, and are humanity’s archenemy,” Elias explained matter-of-factly. Chills ran up Aki’s spine.

Anyone who stepped one foot outside of the villages and cities would be putting their lives in danger.

Leo will get mad at me again if I liken this world to a video game, but monsters roaming the fields outside of towns and villages is the same setting as role-playing games. The one thing that is undeniably different from a video game is that…we will die if a monster does us in. Loading a save before the game over screen isn’t a mechanism in this world—as far as I know.

Aki shuddered. She remembered how Leo said her preconceptions of the world would change once they embarked on their journey. He was warning her about the life-threatening risks accompanying their mission.

Elias cast a sidelong glance at the brooding Aki and quietly continued his explanation, “Monsters love the Dark Lord. They can commit any atrocities for their beloved Dark Lord. They aren’t equipped with reasoning or compassion; they are an existence comparable to a wild beast that acts on instinct alone—only more powerful.”

He put his hand on his chest as he recalled his childhood. “That’s why the monsters relentlessly come to kill the Hero when he’s young and inexperienced—by killing the Dark Lord’s enemy they are of use to their beloved master. I can more than hold my own now, but I could barely swing a sword at the time of their initial attacks. I was severely injured every time the monsters attacked. Which is why my body is covered with scars,” he laughed lightly.

He spoke of the past like it wasn’t a big deal, but he didn’t have a day of rest with monsters coming for him 24/7. At such a young age, the fear and nerves tormented him, leaving little time for a peaceful night’s sleep. He fought armies of monsters and had little skin left that wasn’t scarred as evidence. The days of his past were more painful and agonizing than Aki could even begin to fathom. But being born as the Hero, he couldn’t run away from the fight because that was yet another part of his destiny.

Aki fell silent as she thought of Elias’ cruel childhood. A little flustered by her silence, he walked over to her.

“But don’t worry. I’ve become strong enough to be worthy of the title Hero now. I can protect you,” he smiled to reassure her. Aki shook her head. Her silence gave him the wrong impression that she was feeling uneasy about his strength as Hero.

She looked up at him to fix the misunderstanding. “No. You misunderstand me. I understand you are very strong… It’s just that I’m worried about you, Elias…”

“Worried about me?”

“Yes. You are going to put your life on the line to protect this world, its residents, our friends, and me, right? I’m very impressed you put yourself forward to protect us, but…who will protect you then?”

“What?” Elias’ eyes widened as if he heard something completely unexpected. He smiled weakly at her. “Aki, no one protects the Hero. I protect myself. If the Dark Lord ends up defeating me, it’ll be my own fault for being too weak,” he answered her with a hint of sorrow in his voice and turned on his heel to reach for his long coat hanging nearby.

Monsters tried to kill him since he was a child, which he desperately fought off to survive to adulthood, and used the strength he has gained to protect other people without anyone ever protecting him. He merely continued to fight on and on until the day he would die for the world.

Wasn’t the Hero supposed to be this world’s savior? From the way it sounds, it’s almost as if they prop him up as Hero when in reality, he’s nothing more than a sacrifice bearing the heavy responsibilities no one else wants. Aki’s heart felt like it was being crushed as she thought of the way Elias lived sacrificing his life. If his mission is forcing him to live that way, then maybe at least I can support and protect him as a person since I came from another world.

Aki grabbed Elias’ arm from behind and pulled on it. Just as he turned to see what was up, she grabbed him with the fervor of someone desperately leaping into the arms of their lover.

“It is not your fault! At least, at the very least, I don’t want to just stand around when you are protecting me! I want to be a source of strength to you, even if only a small amount!” The moment she put her overflowing emotions into words, her feelings burst and she involuntarily started crying.

In the beginning, she leapt headfirst into this world for the sole purpose of saving her little sister. But Elias’ loneliness as he stood on the brink of killing his feelings to fit his role as Hero gave her another purpose—to support him however she could.

Aki sensed the feelings starting to bloom inside of her. It wasn’t just because she wanted to fulfill her duty as the Hero’s Right-hand that had her feeling this strongly about him. She was likely becoming attracted to him.

Realizing her feelings suddenly made her terribly embarrassed. She tried to step away, but Elias tugged powerfully on her arm this time. By the time her mind registered her surprise, she was pulled against his broad chest and his arms wrapped around her back in a tight embrace.

“…Thank you,” Elias’ softly whispered in Aki’s ear as her heart thudded so hard she couldn’t think of anything else.

“Thank you, Aki. Not many people have said that to me… I think I understand why you came to me as my Right-hand,” he whispered as if he were truly relieved. Relieved someone finally appeared to him who noticed his eternal solitude and offered him their hand with no strings attached.

To the residents of this world, it was expected the Hero would put his life on the line for them. As such, it never occurred to them to protect the Hero. The Hero was one who protected, not one who needed to be protected. But the Hero was a human being too. He wasn’t brave all the time. The Hero felt worry, loneliness, pain, and anguish. He needed someone who saw him as a person, not just a tool.

Aki wrapped her arms around his back to reassure him it would be okay. Their embrace was warm. It wasn’t just their bodies that were warmed by it, but the depths of their hearts.

After hugging each other, until they were both content, Elias slightly pulled back from her and put his hands on her shoulders.

“…Aki, I have a single favor I want to ask of you. Is that okay?”

“A favor?” She tilted her head. He nodded solemnly.

“Yes. I absolutely do not…want to lose you. You are…um…an important person to me. So please never leave my side no matter what happens once we leave the city,” he said with a serious gleam in his eyes.

He was referring to the dangers lying in wait in the monster prowled fields outside the city. She showed her consent with a nod. He removed his hands from her shoulders and dropped them to his sides.

“The major areas where people reside in this world are protected by the Goddess’ barrier. The monsters can’t set foot inside the barrier. But the land beyond the barrier’s protection is where the monsters live. Think of it this way: leaving the cities and towns means setting foot in monster territory.”

“That makes sense,” Aki said.

By the Goddess’ mandate, humans and monsters were to live separate of each other.

“The majority of people who live in a town or city won’t go outside the barrier unless something unusual forces them to. But people who make a living by traveling from town to town like merchants and sailors don’t have the leisure of staying within the safety of the barrier. In order to protect themselves, travelers will hire monster killing experts known as Adventurers to act as their bodyguards.”

“Adventurers?”

“Yes. Adventurers are people skilled in weapons or magic and are hired by merchants, sailors, and nobility when they go outside the barrier. Their job is to accompany their employer to their destination and protect them from any monsters they might encounter.”

According to Elias, Adventurers belonged to an Adventurers’ Guild which was owned by and for Adventurers, and there’s a Guild branch established in every town and city across the land. Those who want to hire an Adventurer need to put in a request with the Adventurers’ Guild, and Adventurers make their living off the payment for accepting those quests.

Although the general classification for people with this occupation is Adventurer, they are further divided into different Jobs based on their fighting forte and specialty, otherwise known as Skills. Some of those Jobs included Warrior, Thief, Mage, Priest and so on. Their occupations are called Jobs in order to differentiate them from normal occupations. Elias, Leo, and Johann were all Adventurers as well. Elias’ Job was Hero, Leo was Mage, and Johann was Priest.

“I see. So basically, no one leaves their town in this world unless some unforeseen circumstance calls for it. That sounds kind of isolating.”

Elias chuckled. “You can put it that way too, but people can go outside the barriers as long as they have a bodyguard with them, so they aren’t as constrained as you might think. We call all areas outside the barriers the Field. You can’t escape having to fight monsters once you enter the Field. Adventurers like me, Leo, and Johann can repel them, but you can’t, Aki, which is why I want you to never leave where I can reach you once we enter the Field. Promise me, okay?”

“I promise,” Aki answered. Elias put his hand on top of her head.

Setting foot outside the protective barriers to travel through the Field was a life-threatening risk. Journeying through the Field meant they would be risking their lives just to get to where their real enemy was.

“Leo, Johann, and I have a considerable amount of experience fighting in the Field, so you can put your faith in our skill as Adventurers. Nevertheless, the Field is enormous—even we don’t know everything about it. There are still many undiscovered regions and likely just as many undiscovered monsters out there. With all that in mind, it’s more than possible for unpredictable things to happen along the way.”

“I see…” Aki shrunk back, gradually becoming more afraid of the Field.

Elias had subtly hinted the Field was a savage land to even the Hero Party who had grown up in this world. He gently scooped up her hands as she kept her eyes cast down.

“I still don’t know what will happen, but all the prior Heroes journeyed to defeat the Dark Lord and saved the world. So I can’t get cold feet over this. With you by my side, everything will surely go well…I think.”

Aki laughed at the way Elias forced the “I think” at the end of his sentence.

“Why do you speak like you have no confidence in my usefulness?! How mean!” she exclaimed through her laughter. He suddenly reached his arm out and pulled her into another hug.

“Aki, it truly is a blessing you came to me. Let’s do our best together. I need your support,” he said, relying on someone for the first time in his life. Having never depended on anyone before, he didn’t know how to complain or ask for anything, but he wanted to try with her.

“Of course I will,” Aki answered, smiling in his arms. A delighted smile lit his entire face.

***

With all their preparations finished for the journey, Elias and Aki left the room and jaunted through the castle hallways. They headed to the front of the audience chamber where Leo and Johann were waiting.

Maids and soldiers bowed in succession as Elias walked past them with the Holy Sword—a treasured sword only the Hero could wield—dangling from his waist and his pure-white cloak fluttering behind him. Aki’s heart ached with a dull pain as she felt the polarity between them when he took on his Hero-like appearance, even though only minutes earlier they had been laughing together like normal friends.

I’m pretty sure I’m starting to develop feelings for Elias… But he might not be someone a person like me should fall in love with… Aren’t I getting ahead of myself? Am I falling in love with someone forever out of my reach? Her hunch only further squeezed at her heart, so she walked beside Elias instead of behind him to rid herself of the thoughts.

“Um, Elias, what do we do in the audience chamber?”

The Goddess had written in her notebook that they were to “Depart on the journey to defeat the Dark Lord after having an audience with the king.” The easiest interpretation of her message and their current trajectory was that they were going to inform the king of their departure.

Aki suddenly remembered that she forgot to tell Elias about the Goddess’ notebook! They needed to head straight for the audience chamber, so she decided to tell Elias, Leo, and Johann about it after they greeted the king.

Elias turned to Aki as she nodded along to her own decision. “Before embarking on the journey to defeat the Dark Lord, the Hero must first inform the king of his departure and receive his words of encouragement and the Princess’ Blessing.”

“The Princess’ Blessing? What is that?” Aki had a bad feeling about the sound of those three words.

“The king only has one daughter, but the Princess’ Blessing refers to the ceremony where the crown princess kisses the Hero on the forehead praying for his journey’s success just before he departs. The legend says her kiss is what allows the Hero to safely complete his journey and return home,” Elias explained with indifference.

“I see…”

Hearing about the princess’ kiss squeezed at Aki’s heart again. She tried to hide her dismay over it from Elias.

Is it going to end up following the cliché storyline of the Hero safely returning from his journey and is wed to the gorgeous princess, and they lived happily ever after? That’s how it’s going to be, isn’t it? That’s how this stuff always goes. As I thought, Elias isn’t someone I should let myself fall for. Even if I do fall for him, there’s little to no chance of my feelings being returned. Aki mulled through bitter feelings alone as she stared at Elias’ handsome visage.