Chapter 840: Intermission: Kujou Hikari ~ ~ The Friendship Between the Hero and the Chivalrous Thief ~ ~ Part 1
<Author's Notes>
I thought I'd just be writing a quick Intermission Chapter and arrive at the guild in the next chapter…… but I wasn't able to properly measure the chapter length, completely exceeding over 10,000 words, so I'm splitting it into two parts.
The First Hero, Kujou Hikari, was a legendary Hero who is still talked about to this day, and it is safe to say that there is no one in Trinia who doesn't know of her name. She was the otherworlder who overthrew the Demon Lord and brought about a great reformation in the world by establishing the Treaty of Friendship, connecting the three realms.
However, the beginning of her journey…… wasn't really one filled with expectations and blessings of many people.
After Kujou Hikari was summoned and hearing about the full story herself, the person who summoned her and the representatives of various countries at that time deeply regretted summoning the Hero.
Seeking a savior, the Humans were desperately seeking out hope and performed an ancient ritual to summon a being from another world, as a result, a young girl of tender years…… As if she had been kidnapped, a person who had lived a peaceful life with no real war experience was brought into this world.
Even when they tried to return her to the world she was from, the Summoning Magic Circle had not responded since the Summoning, and the technique engraved on Summoning Magic Circle was beyond human understanding, so they were unable to determine the cause as to why they couldn't send her back. As a result, Hikari couldn't be returned to her original world.
However, even if they were exhausted from the battle against the Demon Lord's army, those who summoned her were sensible people. They didn't ask Hikari to stand in the field of battle, and was instead, courteously sheltered in the castle of the country farthest from the front lines…… the royal castle of the current Symphonia Kingdom.
Of course, while the battle between the Demon Lord's army and the Human Coalition Army continued, they did everything to ensure that Hikari, who they had summoned from another world, wouldn't be inconvenienced, although they may be unable to give her a luxurious life.
Because of this, Hikari wasn't greatly distraught when she was suddenly summoned to another world.
At least, there were many kind-hearted people around Hikari. Even though the Human Realm was exhausted due to the battle against the Demon Lord's army, each of them was trying their best to do what they could to face a better future.
Touched by the kindness of the people around her…… Before she knew it, Hikari had come to like the people who lived in this world and wanted to protect her…… and the desire to save them sprouted in her mind.
Fortunately, she had talent, and by the time a few months had passed since she was summoned, she had mastered the magic she had been taught to protect herself, and with the sword skills she had developed since childhood as the young girl living in a Kenjutsu Dojo, by the time half a year had passed since she was summoned, she had become a reasonably strong woman.
However, the people around Hikari, who wished to fight with them, didn't look good upon hearing of her desire. The people around Hikari…… The people who wished to protect Hikari also liked her straightforward and kind-hearted nature, which was why they didn't want her to join the fight.
Even though she had enough power to fight, they didn't want to involve her in their world's affairs as she was a resident of another world, and should eventually return to the world where she was born and raised.
However, Hikari's intentions were firm, and in the end, Symphonia's King, with whom Hikari was negotiating with, agreed to give her a certain mission.
It is a reconnaissance mission to investigate the movements and scale of the Demon Lord's army by having Hikari, who could fight well enough on her own, visit several cities…… or so "that's what it was called".
In fact, the cities she was asked to investigate were places where her safety was ensured, including the path leading to those cities. It was a measure to avoid denying Hikari's will and to keep her out of the battle in their world.
Thinking of settling the matter with the Demon Lord's army before Hikari finished traveling around all the cities they had requested…… the will of the people around Hikari was filled within the mission given to her.
……However, there was only one "miscalculation" that went against the intentions of those around Hikari. The reason was that someone had accompanied Hikari on her journey, which was supposed to set off alone with a map and enough supplies, just because she thought "it looked interesting".
The name of the aforementioned companion was "Hapti"…… A self-proclaimed Chivalrous Thief who Hikari met through a small but troublesome incident in the royal capital and later became friends with. Yes, the legendary journey of the First Hero began with an unusual party: A Swordswoman from Another World and a Self-Proclaimed Chivalrous Thief.
A short time later, an unbelievable report arrived at the upper echelons of the Human Coalition Army. The report said that Hikari and Hapti had defeated the Commander occupying a city, who was a High-ranking Demon, with just the two of them, and had liberated one of the cities controlled by the Demons.
When the Symphonia King of that time heard the report, they felt dizzy. A tremendous battle occurred in a completely different location than the route they had instructed Hikari to take…… Rather, they couldn't understand how the two of them had managed to reach the Demon's territory without being noticed.
Them wondering about such a thing isn't strange, for the reason why Hikari had to fight the Demons of that city was her companion, Hapti. Hapti tricked Hikari into going to an ancient ruin for the treasure within it, and because of that, Hikari, who didn’t know the area, got lost.
As a result, she happened to arrive at a city ruled by Demons and along with the group of city dwellers who were simultaneously staging a rebellion at that time, Hikari defeated the High-ranking Demon that was in charge of the city.
Even so, the result of this battle brought a ray of light to the Human side. Until then, the Humans had no effective countermeasure against the Demon Lord's army. However, the result of Hikari and Hapti's battle brought light to a certain weakness of the Demon Lord's army.
It was the lack of camaraderie among the Demons…… Yes, in the end, most of the people in the Demon Lord's army only followed by force, and there was no sense of camaraderie among them. It was simply an organizational structure where the one with the most power stood on top.
Hence, their group easily collapsed after defeating their commanders…… the strongest being among them. No one thought of avenging their fallen comrades, and after the strongest being among their group defeated, they would quickly flee.
In addition, the majority of the Demon Lord's army looked down on Humans. Especially the powerful ones, thinking that they couldn’t be defeated by them.
That's why it became effective to "hold down the enemy's main force in a different location" and then "attack the key locations with a small group of elites"…… It was a strategy that pierced through an army abiding to those with power just like the Demon Lord's army.
To put it in another way, if the Demon Lord, the strongest being in the Demon Lord's army, was defeated, then their army would fall apart. Of course, there would be those who would still try to continue fighting, but they probably wouldn't be able to maintain their cooperation with each other. There is a high possibility that they will start holding each other back and fall apart sooner or later.
It was as if they were finally seeing the sunshine, a hope that was finally visible to the Humans, which had always been losing the initiative since the invasion of the Demon Lord…… and there's no way that they wouldn't make use of it.
Ironically, contrary to the thoughts of those who wanted to keep Hikari away from the battle, Hikari has created an "accomplishment" with this one incident. A solid achievement of defeating a High-ranking Demon with small numbers……
Therefore, it could be said that it was inevitable. Hikari has become the key to the future countermeasures against Demon Lord's army, as while the enemy's main force was being drawn away by the Human Coalition Army, she had been appointed to the unit that would be made up of a small number of elites to retake occupied strongholds……
And Hikari herself, who was even more determined to fight the Demon Lord's army after that incident, agreed to that proposal.
Of course, the Human Coalition Forces didn't just rely on Hikari for everything. From the Human Coalition Forces, Laguna, a Mermaid warrior who boasted the strongest fighting power among the Humans, joined Hikari's group, and becoming a three-person group, Hikari's journey started again.
On the way, they dropped by a village of Elves who had escaped after the Demon Lord's army burned down their forest, where they lived, and representing the Elves, the High Elf Fors, known as the Sage of the Forest, joined their group.
The activities of the Hero Party were truly what could be called a great success. Along with the fact that the four party members had good chemistry with each other and they matched well with each other in battle, more importantly, the Demon Lord Vier, the leader of the Demon Lord's army, wasn't paying much attention to the movements of this four-member party…… or rather, she hadn't paid attention to any actions occurring around her for a long time.
The invasion of the Human Realm, so to speak, was a transit point for Vier. Her goal was to overthrow the God Realm in order to make Kuromueina the King of the whole world…… However, that wasn’t the same as invading the Human Realm.
Even the Kings of the Demon Realm she knew so well couldn't destroy the God Realm back then…… And above all, in order to achieve her ultimate goal, she would inevitably be confronted by the overwhelming being, the God of the world, Shallow Vernal.
If she were to be honest, the more she thought about it, the more she realized how difficult it would be to defeat the almost omnipotent Shallow Vernal. At least, at this point, she couldn't see any way to win at all.
Therefore, Vier's mind wasn't composed enough to notice them at all. Her nerves were frayed as she continued to think of a way to defeat Shallow Vernal and the God Realm.
That's why, when she noticed the existence of the Humans who began to be called Heroes, the Humans had gained enough momentum that they could no longer be easily stopped.
It was only then that Vier realized that the invasion of the Human Realm, which she had considered as a mere transit point, wasn't going well, and was finally beginning to take action.
The first thing she did when she turned her attention to the Human Realm wasn't to unite the Demon Lord's army, which had become restless due to the rapid progress of the Humans…… but to "dispose" of those who had disobeyed her orders and unnecessarily murdered the Humans, and those who had fulfilled their own selfish desires and persecuted the Humans in the city they controlled.
After quickly disposing of those people, she personally took command of the Demon Lord's army. As expected, the power of the Demon Lord herself was strong, and the Humans were quickly put in a tight spot.
However, the people who had received the hope of the Heroes didn't lose heart, and plucking up the courage, they desperately paved the way to the Demon Lord's castle and sent out the Hero Party forward.
And thus, after the fierce battle at the Demon Lord's castle, the battle between the Heroes and the Demon Lord, as told to future generations, came to an end.
Kujou Hikari, a great being who was known as a brave Hero, long spoken of in Trinia. In various history books, biographies and stories, she had been described as having a strong and indomitable heart.
This wasn’t a mistake. It is true that she had a very strong heart, and her indomitable will to fight had helped her overcome many predicaments.
However, she was still human. She hasn't always been able to look ahead without changing. There were times when she felt weakness well up in her heart. There were times when she wanted to run away from the heavy responsibilities she carried on her shoulders.
However, she couldn't let herself speak out about the weakness of her heart. The environment around her didn't allow her to do so.
It was not because she was the savior of the Humans, carrying so many lives on her shoulders…… It wasn't that she was ever in a position where she was not allowed to complain. On the contrary…… she was in a position where "it was alright for her to complain".
The people around Hikari, the people she wished to protect, were all kind people. If Hikari had just said "I want to escape", the people would have given their way for her retreat.
If she wanted to, Laguna and Fors, her traveling companions, would have accepted that Hikari didn't have to bear the responsibility of this world.
However, this was also why she couldn't let her weakness go because she was in an environment where they would accept her weaknesses.
However, there were always exceptions to everything. The only thing that saved Hikari was that there was only one person…… to whom she could spill out her complaints, even within such an environment.
There is a conversation that still remains strong in Hikari's memory. In the middle of their journey, she talked with her party members about why they were fighting.
As for Laguna…… Her race, the Mermaids, had been forced to leave the land where they had lived for generations because of the invasion of the Demon Lord's army, and thus, she had joined the fight with the hopes and pride of her people to reclaim her homeland and overthrow the Demon Lord.
Fors was just like Laguna, having been forced to leave the land she was used to living in. But in her case, she didn’t join the Coalition Army, but stayed in the elven village to protect her people. However, after being persuaded by her people, she joined the party with the goal of overthrowing the Demon Lord and reclaiming the Elven Forest.
What both of them had in common is that both of them were fighting as representatives of their race, carrying the feelings of their people on their shoulders, a position they could never escape.
[……So, Hapti. What about you? As I thought, you're still in it for the money?]
In a party that carried the expectations of the Humans, Hapti was a bit of an oddity. Until this moment, the other three didn't really understand why Hapti was accompanying them on their journey.
She didn’t have the personality that would push her to act for the sake of Humans, and her reason for participating in their deadly journey…… Well, the three of them had guessed that her purpose would be to make money, but it was this moment when they directly heard her reason for the first time.
Hearing Laguna's question, Hapti looked at her with a puzzled look on her face and tilted her head.
[Eh? No, I don't make money where the risk outweighs the reward. If I wanted money, there are plenty of better ways to make money than slaying a Demon Lord.]
[Oya? That's a surprising response. With all due respect, I also thought you were in it for the money. It's just my impression, but you don't strike me as the kind of person who would fight for the sake of the people. No, don't get me wrong though. I'm not making fun of you. It was just my personal impression of you from what I've seen so far.]
[Unnn? You're right though? I don't really care if the Demon Lord's army or the Human Coalition Army wins. I don't think it's going to have any effect on my own life.]
Hearing Hapti's answer that she wasn't aiming to make money, the three of them were surprised. In addition, she easily acknowledged Fors' curious question and said that she didn't care if the Humans lost.
[……Well then, why in the world are you joining us on this journey?]
In response to Laguna's question, Hapti once again made a puzzled face and pointed at Hikari, who was sitting next to her.
[Eh? It's just because "my friend is participating in this" though?]
[ [ [ Eh? ] ] ]
Hapti's answer was completely unexpected for the three of them.
[……Oh my. That's an answer more surprising than saying you're doing it "for the world". So, what, you're going along this journey all because of Hikari?]
[That's right. Simple as that.]
Nodding in response to Fors' question, Hapti took out some dried meat, skewered it, and roasting it over the fire, she began to speak in a leisurely tone.
[……This is just my personal opinion, but I think that money can buy almost anything in the world. Some people say that you can't buy pride or heart, but in my opinion, that's ridiculous. In fact, I think pride and heart are the only things that can be bought for a reasonable price.]
[ [ ………………….. ] ]
Hapti's words were met with a look of obvious displeasure from Laguna and Fors. It was obvious why they were displeased, the both of them bore the feelings and were proud of their own race. That's why Hapti's words sounded like an insult to their ears.
However, in such a slightly tense atmosphere, Hikari slightly smiled and turning her head towards Hapti, she muttered.
[……"Almost"…… huh.]
[……That's right. Almost. Things that money can't buy and things that can't be exchanged for money…… "They certainly exist". Of course, what it is that can't be bought with money are different for each person…… Even the pride that I find ridiculous must be something important to Laguna and Fors that money can't buy.]
After saying this, Hapti cut the roasted dried meat in two with a knife and handed the skewered side to Hikari. Eating the meat pierced on her knife, Hapti continued.
[……There are certainly things that money can't buy. However, they are far fewer than the things that can’t be bought. I believe that in one's lifetime, the number of such things would be so few that it could still be counted by hand.]
As soon as she finished eating the dried meat, Hapti pulled out a large cloth from her backpack, leaned against a nearby tree and as she was getting ready to sleep, she spoke.
[That's why…… I decided to take good care of such things, whenever I find something like that.]
With those words, Hapti closed her eyes and didn't continue the conversation any further. However, those words were very warm to Hikari's heart.
At the very least, she was happy to know that Hapti's friendship with her…… was something that money couldn't buy and something that money couldn't replace.
Perhaps, because of this conversation…… Hapti became "someone she could complain to" and became a great pillar of support in her life.
<Afterword>
~ ~ Extra ~ ~
Laguna (1000 years ago)
Because the spot where the Demon Lord's army appeared and the Mermaid's dwelling place were close, they were invaded quite early on. She had already been one of the strongest warriors in the Human Realm, and intended to intercept them at that time…… but the moment she saw Vier leading the Demon Lord's army, she immediately chose to lead her people away and immediately abandoned their residence.
When she saw the Demon Lord, she realized that she couldn't win a battle against her alone, so she called on various races to form the Human Coalition Army to fight against them, and she herself took the initiative to stand on the battlefield.
Because of her leadership she exhibited at that time, later on, when the areas that were severely damaged by the Demon Lord's army came together to form a country, she was begged for to become their first king, and she accepted, becoming Hydra Kingdom's King.
She was thinking rather lightly at that time, thinking that she would eventually find a successor once the country was stable.
Laguna's miscalculation was that she couldn't find a successor, and being a very good king herself, she didn't have a chance to quit and was still the king after more than a thousand years……
Fors (1000 years ago)
The first of the Elves to evolve into a High Elf. When she was first recruited by Hikari and her group, she refused to go with them, fearing that if she left the village, the Demon King's army would attack them.
However, swayed by her desire to retaliate against the Demon Lord's army that burned down their precious forest and reclaim their land, she was persuaded by her own people to join the Hero Party.
Later, Lillywood restored the Elven Forest, for which she was very grateful, and she herself came to have faith in her.
Regretting the great damage that occurred in Rigforeshia about 200 years back from the present day, when a Special Individual Black Bear appeared, the day when she was away for Symphonia Kingdom's Founding Festival, she has never left Rigforeshia in the 200 years since then…… After Lillywood set up a barrier in Rigforeshia at the request of Kaito, she began to go out again for the Six Kings Festival and other such events.
Transcendental Beauty? (1000 years ago)
Somehow, even when she wasn’t on the level of Kaito, she was still a good enough of a person.
Symphonia's King (1000 years ago)
Perhaps, stomachaches may be something that has been passed down in the royal family.
I thought I'd just be writing a quick Intermission Chapter and arrive at the guild in the next chapter…… but I wasn't able to properly measure the chapter length, completely exceeding over 10,000 words, so I'm splitting it into two parts.
The First Hero, Kujou Hikari, was a legendary Hero who is still talked about to this day, and it is safe to say that there is no one in Trinia who doesn't know of her name. She was the otherworlder who overthrew the Demon Lord and brought about a great reformation in the world by establishing the Treaty of Friendship, connecting the three realms.
However, the beginning of her journey…… wasn't really one filled with expectations and blessings of many people.
After Kujou Hikari was summoned and hearing about the full story herself, the person who summoned her and the representatives of various countries at that time deeply regretted summoning the Hero.
Seeking a savior, the Humans were desperately seeking out hope and performed an ancient ritual to summon a being from another world, as a result, a young girl of tender years…… As if she had been kidnapped, a person who had lived a peaceful life with no real war experience was brought into this world.
Even when they tried to return her to the world she was from, the Summoning Magic Circle had not responded since the Summoning, and the technique engraved on Summoning Magic Circle was beyond human understanding, so they were unable to determine the cause as to why they couldn't send her back. As a result, Hikari couldn't be returned to her original world.
However, even if they were exhausted from the battle against the Demon Lord's army, those who summoned her were sensible people. They didn't ask Hikari to stand in the field of battle, and was instead, courteously sheltered in the castle of the country farthest from the front lines…… the royal castle of the current Symphonia Kingdom.
Of course, while the battle between the Demon Lord's army and the Human Coalition Army continued, they did everything to ensure that Hikari, who they had summoned from another world, wouldn't be inconvenienced, although they may be unable to give her a luxurious life.
Because of this, Hikari wasn't greatly distraught when she was suddenly summoned to another world.
At least, there were many kind-hearted people around Hikari. Even though the Human Realm was exhausted due to the battle against the Demon Lord's army, each of them was trying their best to do what they could to face a better future.
Touched by the kindness of the people around her…… Before she knew it, Hikari had come to like the people who lived in this world and wanted to protect her…… and the desire to save them sprouted in her mind.
Fortunately, she had talent, and by the time a few months had passed since she was summoned, she had mastered the magic she had been taught to protect herself, and with the sword skills she had developed since childhood as the young girl living in a Kenjutsu Dojo, by the time half a year had passed since she was summoned, she had become a reasonably strong woman.
However, the people around Hikari, who wished to fight with them, didn't look good upon hearing of her desire. The people around Hikari…… The people who wished to protect Hikari also liked her straightforward and kind-hearted nature, which was why they didn't want her to join the fight.
Even though she had enough power to fight, they didn't want to involve her in their world's affairs as she was a resident of another world, and should eventually return to the world where she was born and raised.
However, Hikari's intentions were firm, and in the end, Symphonia's King, with whom Hikari was negotiating with, agreed to give her a certain mission.
It is a reconnaissance mission to investigate the movements and scale of the Demon Lord's army by having Hikari, who could fight well enough on her own, visit several cities…… or so "that's what it was called".
In fact, the cities she was asked to investigate were places where her safety was ensured, including the path leading to those cities. It was a measure to avoid denying Hikari's will and to keep her out of the battle in their world.
Thinking of settling the matter with the Demon Lord's army before Hikari finished traveling around all the cities they had requested…… the will of the people around Hikari was filled within the mission given to her.
……However, there was only one "miscalculation" that went against the intentions of those around Hikari. The reason was that someone had accompanied Hikari on her journey, which was supposed to set off alone with a map and enough supplies, just because she thought "it looked interesting".
The name of the aforementioned companion was "Hapti"…… A self-proclaimed Chivalrous Thief who Hikari met through a small but troublesome incident in the royal capital and later became friends with. Yes, the legendary journey of the First Hero began with an unusual party: A Swordswoman from Another World and a Self-Proclaimed Chivalrous Thief.
A short time later, an unbelievable report arrived at the upper echelons of the Human Coalition Army. The report said that Hikari and Hapti had defeated the Commander occupying a city, who was a High-ranking Demon, with just the two of them, and had liberated one of the cities controlled by the Demons.
When the Symphonia King of that time heard the report, they felt dizzy. A tremendous battle occurred in a completely different location than the route they had instructed Hikari to take…… Rather, they couldn't understand how the two of them had managed to reach the Demon's territory without being noticed.
Them wondering about such a thing isn't strange, for the reason why Hikari had to fight the Demons of that city was her companion, Hapti. Hapti tricked Hikari into going to an ancient ruin for the treasure within it, and because of that, Hikari, who didn’t know the area, got lost.
As a result, she happened to arrive at a city ruled by Demons and along with the group of city dwellers who were simultaneously staging a rebellion at that time, Hikari defeated the High-ranking Demon that was in charge of the city.
Even so, the result of this battle brought a ray of light to the Human side. Until then, the Humans had no effective countermeasure against the Demon Lord's army. However, the result of Hikari and Hapti's battle brought light to a certain weakness of the Demon Lord's army.
It was the lack of camaraderie among the Demons…… Yes, in the end, most of the people in the Demon Lord's army only followed by force, and there was no sense of camaraderie among them. It was simply an organizational structure where the one with the most power stood on top.
Hence, their group easily collapsed after defeating their commanders…… the strongest being among them. No one thought of avenging their fallen comrades, and after the strongest being among their group defeated, they would quickly flee.
In addition, the majority of the Demon Lord's army looked down on Humans. Especially the powerful ones, thinking that they couldn’t be defeated by them.
That's why it became effective to "hold down the enemy's main force in a different location" and then "attack the key locations with a small group of elites"…… It was a strategy that pierced through an army abiding to those with power just like the Demon Lord's army.
To put it in another way, if the Demon Lord, the strongest being in the Demon Lord's army, was defeated, then their army would fall apart. Of course, there would be those who would still try to continue fighting, but they probably wouldn't be able to maintain their cooperation with each other. There is a high possibility that they will start holding each other back and fall apart sooner or later.
It was as if they were finally seeing the sunshine, a hope that was finally visible to the Humans, which had always been losing the initiative since the invasion of the Demon Lord…… and there's no way that they wouldn't make use of it.
Ironically, contrary to the thoughts of those who wanted to keep Hikari away from the battle, Hikari has created an "accomplishment" with this one incident. A solid achievement of defeating a High-ranking Demon with small numbers……
Therefore, it could be said that it was inevitable. Hikari has become the key to the future countermeasures against Demon Lord's army, as while the enemy's main force was being drawn away by the Human Coalition Army, she had been appointed to the unit that would be made up of a small number of elites to retake occupied strongholds……
And Hikari herself, who was even more determined to fight the Demon Lord's army after that incident, agreed to that proposal.
Of course, the Human Coalition Forces didn't just rely on Hikari for everything. From the Human Coalition Forces, Laguna, a Mermaid warrior who boasted the strongest fighting power among the Humans, joined Hikari's group, and becoming a three-person group, Hikari's journey started again.
On the way, they dropped by a village of Elves who had escaped after the Demon Lord's army burned down their forest, where they lived, and representing the Elves, the High Elf Fors, known as the Sage of the Forest, joined their group.
The activities of the Hero Party were truly what could be called a great success. Along with the fact that the four party members had good chemistry with each other and they matched well with each other in battle, more importantly, the Demon Lord Vier, the leader of the Demon Lord's army, wasn't paying much attention to the movements of this four-member party…… or rather, she hadn't paid attention to any actions occurring around her for a long time.
The invasion of the Human Realm, so to speak, was a transit point for Vier. Her goal was to overthrow the God Realm in order to make Kuromueina the King of the whole world…… However, that wasn’t the same as invading the Human Realm.
Even the Kings of the Demon Realm she knew so well couldn't destroy the God Realm back then…… And above all, in order to achieve her ultimate goal, she would inevitably be confronted by the overwhelming being, the God of the world, Shallow Vernal.
If she were to be honest, the more she thought about it, the more she realized how difficult it would be to defeat the almost omnipotent Shallow Vernal. At least, at this point, she couldn't see any way to win at all.
Therefore, Vier's mind wasn't composed enough to notice them at all. Her nerves were frayed as she continued to think of a way to defeat Shallow Vernal and the God Realm.
That's why, when she noticed the existence of the Humans who began to be called Heroes, the Humans had gained enough momentum that they could no longer be easily stopped.
It was only then that Vier realized that the invasion of the Human Realm, which she had considered as a mere transit point, wasn't going well, and was finally beginning to take action.
The first thing she did when she turned her attention to the Human Realm wasn't to unite the Demon Lord's army, which had become restless due to the rapid progress of the Humans…… but to "dispose" of those who had disobeyed her orders and unnecessarily murdered the Humans, and those who had fulfilled their own selfish desires and persecuted the Humans in the city they controlled.
After quickly disposing of those people, she personally took command of the Demon Lord's army. As expected, the power of the Demon Lord herself was strong, and the Humans were quickly put in a tight spot.
However, the people who had received the hope of the Heroes didn't lose heart, and plucking up the courage, they desperately paved the way to the Demon Lord's castle and sent out the Hero Party forward.
And thus, after the fierce battle at the Demon Lord's castle, the battle between the Heroes and the Demon Lord, as told to future generations, came to an end.
Kujou Hikari, a great being who was known as a brave Hero, long spoken of in Trinia. In various history books, biographies and stories, she had been described as having a strong and indomitable heart.
This wasn’t a mistake. It is true that she had a very strong heart, and her indomitable will to fight had helped her overcome many predicaments.
However, she was still human. She hasn't always been able to look ahead without changing. There were times when she felt weakness well up in her heart. There were times when she wanted to run away from the heavy responsibilities she carried on her shoulders.
However, she couldn't let herself speak out about the weakness of her heart. The environment around her didn't allow her to do so.
It was not because she was the savior of the Humans, carrying so many lives on her shoulders…… It wasn't that she was ever in a position where she was not allowed to complain. On the contrary…… she was in a position where "it was alright for her to complain".
The people around Hikari, the people she wished to protect, were all kind people. If Hikari had just said "I want to escape", the people would have given their way for her retreat.
If she wanted to, Laguna and Fors, her traveling companions, would have accepted that Hikari didn't have to bear the responsibility of this world.
However, this was also why she couldn't let her weakness go because she was in an environment where they would accept her weaknesses.
However, there were always exceptions to everything. The only thing that saved Hikari was that there was only one person…… to whom she could spill out her complaints, even within such an environment.
There is a conversation that still remains strong in Hikari's memory. In the middle of their journey, she talked with her party members about why they were fighting.
As for Laguna…… Her race, the Mermaids, had been forced to leave the land where they had lived for generations because of the invasion of the Demon Lord's army, and thus, she had joined the fight with the hopes and pride of her people to reclaim her homeland and overthrow the Demon Lord.
Fors was just like Laguna, having been forced to leave the land she was used to living in. But in her case, she didn’t join the Coalition Army, but stayed in the elven village to protect her people. However, after being persuaded by her people, she joined the party with the goal of overthrowing the Demon Lord and reclaiming the Elven Forest.
What both of them had in common is that both of them were fighting as representatives of their race, carrying the feelings of their people on their shoulders, a position they could never escape.
[……So, Hapti. What about you? As I thought, you're still in it for the money?]
In a party that carried the expectations of the Humans, Hapti was a bit of an oddity. Until this moment, the other three didn't really understand why Hapti was accompanying them on their journey.
She didn’t have the personality that would push her to act for the sake of Humans, and her reason for participating in their deadly journey…… Well, the three of them had guessed that her purpose would be to make money, but it was this moment when they directly heard her reason for the first time.
Hearing Laguna's question, Hapti looked at her with a puzzled look on her face and tilted her head.
[Eh? No, I don't make money where the risk outweighs the reward. If I wanted money, there are plenty of better ways to make money than slaying a Demon Lord.]
[Oya? That's a surprising response. With all due respect, I also thought you were in it for the money. It's just my impression, but you don't strike me as the kind of person who would fight for the sake of the people. No, don't get me wrong though. I'm not making fun of you. It was just my personal impression of you from what I've seen so far.]
[Unnn? You're right though? I don't really care if the Demon Lord's army or the Human Coalition Army wins. I don't think it's going to have any effect on my own life.]
Hearing Hapti's answer that she wasn't aiming to make money, the three of them were surprised. In addition, she easily acknowledged Fors' curious question and said that she didn't care if the Humans lost.
[……Well then, why in the world are you joining us on this journey?]
In response to Laguna's question, Hapti once again made a puzzled face and pointed at Hikari, who was sitting next to her.
[Eh? It's just because "my friend is participating in this" though?]
[ [ [ Eh? ] ] ]
Hapti's answer was completely unexpected for the three of them.
[……Oh my. That's an answer more surprising than saying you're doing it "for the world". So, what, you're going along this journey all because of Hikari?]
[That's right. Simple as that.]
Nodding in response to Fors' question, Hapti took out some dried meat, skewered it, and roasting it over the fire, she began to speak in a leisurely tone.
[……This is just my personal opinion, but I think that money can buy almost anything in the world. Some people say that you can't buy pride or heart, but in my opinion, that's ridiculous. In fact, I think pride and heart are the only things that can be bought for a reasonable price.]
[ [ ………………….. ] ]
Hapti's words were met with a look of obvious displeasure from Laguna and Fors. It was obvious why they were displeased, the both of them bore the feelings and were proud of their own race. That's why Hapti's words sounded like an insult to their ears.
However, in such a slightly tense atmosphere, Hikari slightly smiled and turning her head towards Hapti, she muttered.
[……"Almost"…… huh.]
[……That's right. Almost. Things that money can't buy and things that can't be exchanged for money…… "They certainly exist". Of course, what it is that can't be bought with money are different for each person…… Even the pride that I find ridiculous must be something important to Laguna and Fors that money can't buy.]
After saying this, Hapti cut the roasted dried meat in two with a knife and handed the skewered side to Hikari. Eating the meat pierced on her knife, Hapti continued.
[……There are certainly things that money can't buy. However, they are far fewer than the things that can’t be bought. I believe that in one's lifetime, the number of such things would be so few that it could still be counted by hand.]
As soon as she finished eating the dried meat, Hapti pulled out a large cloth from her backpack, leaned against a nearby tree and as she was getting ready to sleep, she spoke.
[That's why…… I decided to take good care of such things, whenever I find something like that.]
With those words, Hapti closed her eyes and didn't continue the conversation any further. However, those words were very warm to Hikari's heart.
At the very least, she was happy to know that Hapti's friendship with her…… was something that money couldn't buy and something that money couldn't replace.
Perhaps, because of this conversation…… Hapti became "someone she could complain to" and became a great pillar of support in her life.
<Afterword>
~ ~ Extra ~ ~
Laguna (1000 years ago)
Because the spot where the Demon Lord's army appeared and the Mermaid's dwelling place were close, they were invaded quite early on. She had already been one of the strongest warriors in the Human Realm, and intended to intercept them at that time…… but the moment she saw Vier leading the Demon Lord's army, she immediately chose to lead her people away and immediately abandoned their residence.
When she saw the Demon Lord, she realized that she couldn't win a battle against her alone, so she called on various races to form the Human Coalition Army to fight against them, and she herself took the initiative to stand on the battlefield.
Because of her leadership she exhibited at that time, later on, when the areas that were severely damaged by the Demon Lord's army came together to form a country, she was begged for to become their first king, and she accepted, becoming Hydra Kingdom's King.
She was thinking rather lightly at that time, thinking that she would eventually find a successor once the country was stable.
Laguna's miscalculation was that she couldn't find a successor, and being a very good king herself, she didn't have a chance to quit and was still the king after more than a thousand years……
Fors (1000 years ago)
The first of the Elves to evolve into a High Elf. When she was first recruited by Hikari and her group, she refused to go with them, fearing that if she left the village, the Demon King's army would attack them.
However, swayed by her desire to retaliate against the Demon Lord's army that burned down their precious forest and reclaim their land, she was persuaded by her own people to join the Hero Party.
Later, Lillywood restored the Elven Forest, for which she was very grateful, and she herself came to have faith in her.
Regretting the great damage that occurred in Rigforeshia about 200 years back from the present day, when a Special Individual Black Bear appeared, the day when she was away for Symphonia Kingdom's Founding Festival, she has never left Rigforeshia in the 200 years since then…… After Lillywood set up a barrier in Rigforeshia at the request of Kaito, she began to go out again for the Six Kings Festival and other such events.
Transcendental Beauty? (1000 years ago)
Somehow, even when she wasn’t on the level of Kaito, she was still a good enough of a person.
Symphonia's King (1000 years ago)
Perhaps, stomachaches may be something that has been passed down in the royal family.
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