“The Hero’s Sword?”
It was a completely unexpected suggestion. Why on earth was the Hero’s Sword being brought up here? Klad forgot about the predicament he’d been in and bolted upright from his seat.
“Why do you have that?”
“I don’t actually have it, but I can borrow it for a bit. I know the sword’s owner.”
“The sword’s owner? What are you talking about, Ainel? Strictly speaking, the sword’s owner is Jake, the Hero.”
“Strictly speaking, that friend is no longer a Hero either.”
As Ainel said, the Empire’s last Hero had lost his qualification, and at this present time when no Hero existed, the owner of the Hero’s Sword was none other than the Lord God. However, since there was no way Ainel knew the Lord God, the ‘sword’s owner’ mentioned just now must be someone else.
If the standard for ‘sword’s owner’ meant ‘the person who obtained the Hero’s Sword and has possessed it until now,’ then that person was related to the previous Hero who had gone missing with the Hero’s Sword.
Was a descendant of the previous Hero living here in Audrit, just as Jake had predicted? Even so, he wasn’t interested. He didn’t want to mention some other descendant of the House of Duke West and end up watching Jake plan for what would happen after his own death.
Klad quickly erased from his mind the possibility that a descendant of the previous Hero existed.
It didn’t matter whose hands the Hero’s Sword was in or who managed it. As long as it helped restore Jake’s condition, that was all that mattered.
“Indeed, if he holds the Hero’s Sword, he might be able to revive the convictions and sense of responsibility he had as a Hero without meeting the Duke.”
Not only that, but since they’d gotten their hands on the Hero’s Sword before the Duke, wouldn’t Jake feel like he’d gotten ahead in the battle against the Duke?
Even if they returned the sword to this person called its owner, judging by Ainel’s attitude, he was certainly someone they could trust to leave it with. From then on, there would be no chance of the Duke getting his hands on the sword. That would lessen the burden weighing on Jake’s shoulders too.
He never expected that ‘finding the Hero’s Sword,’ one of Jake’s grand plans, would suddenly be resolved in such an unexpected situation, but from any perspective, it wasn’t a bad situation.
Klad nodded his head as if agreeing with Ainel’s opinion.
“Alright. Let’s try it.”
***
While Ainel left to fetch the sword, Klad stayed by Jake’s side.
There wasn’t much Klad could do. At most, he adjusted the size of the artificial sun floating in the air, or repeatedly cast Clean magic on Jake who was already clean.
Jake sat still in the same unchanged state as the past few days, staring at the artificial sun Klad had created.
“Do you like it?”
“……”
He even tried tossing out a question, but no answer came back.
There were times when he thought he wanted to hit Jake every time he opened his mouth. Now he found himself thinking he wished Jake would open his mouth even if it was to say anything at all.
Klad had been staring intently at Jake’s face, and only when ‘discomfort’ faintly appeared on that face did he realize the artificial sun had grown absurdly enormous.
Psst, psst.
When he hurriedly waved his hand, the sun deflated with the sound of air escaping.
“I’m back.”
Just then, Ainel returned. Only then did Klad separate his back from the sofa, stood up, and left the room.
When he closed the door and came out to the living room, Ainel was taking off his coat and placing it on the coat rack.
“The sword?”
With a proud face, Ainel showed him the sword he’d brought on his back. Klad received the sword and drew it in one motion.
Shiiing—
The straight blade that seemed to shine even without glittering, and the sword hilt that gave a neat impression despite having jewels embedded in it rather than being flashy. It was exactly as Klad remembered the Hero’s Sword.
Except for just one thing.
“The jewel embedded here, it used to be something different.”
Even though it must have been nearly a thousand years ago when Klad last saw the Hero’s Sword, who would have thought he’d remember even the shape of the jewel embedded in a sword he had no interest in?
Ainel looked back and forth between the sword and Klad, then answered roughly.
“The power of the Hero’s Sword doesn’t come from the jewel, so doesn’t it not matter?”
“But Jake has only encountered the sword through pictures. He wouldn’t even consider the possibility that part of a god-given sword could be different, so he might not recognize the sword if the jewel is different.”
“If you’re that worried, we can get a similar-looking jewel and attach it.”
“That would be good.”
It had just been an offhand comment, but Klad left the house without hesitation, saying he’d go get a jewel. Klad, who once didn’t even want to set foot where humans gathered, pushed through the swarming crowds, found a jeweler, and returned with the most similar-shaped jewel he could remember.
Since this was an extremely important moment for Jake, Klad, who didn’t want even the slightest error, was finally satisfied. Though it wasn’t exactly the same shape as the original, Jake, who would be holding the real Hero’s Sword for the first time, wouldn’t notice the difference.
‘How can he be so utterly devoted?’
Ainel found this side of Klad unfamiliar.
“Then, I’ll wait outside.”
“Thank you.”
Klad had such high expectations for the Hero’s Sword that he even paid attention to a trivial jewel.
Perhaps this could restore Jake to how he was before. Hoping for that one thing alone, Klad entered the room.
“Jake.”
When he called his name, Jake, who had been looking at the artificial sun, turned his head toward Klad.
And his gaze touched upon the Hero’s Sword.
“……”
There was still no reaction.
It’s okay. Jake hadn’t held the sword in his hands yet. He just hadn’t realized this was the Hero’s Sword.
Klad brought the sword to Jake’s hands that were neatly placed on the blanket. After seeming to hesitate for a moment, Jake slowly extended his arms and received it with both hands.
This was the first time Jake had actively tried to do something since becoming lethargic. Klad deliberately suppressed his growing expectations and just waited for Jake to react.
“……”
Jake quietly looked down at the Hero’s Sword placed on his hands. The jewel embedded in the sword was slightly different, but otherwise, it was a sword that looked exactly the same as the one he’d only seen in pictures.
No, even without gauging the sword’s appearance, he could tell. The pressure weighing down on his palms. The brilliance of the blade. The sense of exhilaration he felt just from looking at it informed him that this was the Hero’s Sword without needing to examine it.
The Hero’s Sword was in his hands.
An important object that could both prove he was the Hero and thwart his father’s plans. Right now, it was resting on his palms.
A change appeared on Jake’s face, which had remained expressionless throughout.
“…!”
At the first positive change shown, Klad grew impatient. He felt like urging Jake to react more strongly right away. But that would only have the opposite effect. Klad waited calmly.
“……”
Noticing his gaze, Jake took his eyes off the Hero’s Sword and turned his head toward Klad. A bluish light swirled in Jake’s eyes, which had looked empty and hollow. Though they didn’t sparkle like before, it was a look that seemed full of life for the first time in so long.
After watching Klad for a moment, Jake slowly opened his mouth.
“Klad.”
“…!”
A voice he was hearing after so long. Though it was subdued unlike usual, it was the voice he’d so desperately wanted to hear.
Thinking that Jake had finally regained his senses, Klad’s face brightened as he knelt beside the bed to meet Jake’s eye level.
“Have you come to your senses? How’s your body? Does anything hurt?”
“I have a favor to ask.”
As if he couldn’t hear Klad’s pouring questions, Jake continued what he had to say in a blunt tone. Though his voice sounded somewhat cold, his face was full of anxiety. Neither his expression nor his voice appeared positive, but the fact that his doll-like appearance had changed was a positive sign.
Jake, who had shown no reaction until now, had opened his mouth to make this ‘favor.’ If so, wouldn’t Jake’s condition change even more greatly depending on whether the favor was granted?
Whatever it was, Klad was willing to grant it.
Did he want him to take the Hero’s Sword and go out to declare to all the humans that the only true Hero was Jake alone? Or did he want him to destroy Duke’s castle with this very sword before the Duke’s eyes—the Duke who had desperately prayed to hold the Hero’s Sword?
If he wanted, he could even drive home the point that the Dragon’s appearance was for none other than Jake, to the extent that it didn’t greatly interfere with the human world.
Klad leaned his body a little closer toward Jake.
And urged with his eyes.
Tell me, Jake West. What is your favor?
“Will you… run away with me?”
“……”
Klad didn’t answer. Instead, he got up from where he was and turned around.
Jake, who had been about to follow Klad, fell into sleep before he could raise his body. It was due to Klad’s magic, but there was no way for the sleeping Jake to figure that out.
Creak— Thud.
Even though there was no way Jake would wake up and come outside, Klad firmly closed the door before moving his feet.
Thud, thud. The footsteps that sounded unusually loud felt like a heartbeat.
Klad crossed the living room with the same cool expressionless face Jake had worn just moments ago and went to find Ainel.
“You’re back quickly. What happened with the Hero?”
At Ainel’s question, Klad’s expression grew even darker.
After a brief silence, Klad soon opened his mouth and answered.
Not an answer to Ainel’s question, but an answer to Jake’s favor.
“Let’s do it. The ancient magic.”
