Chapter 35
“What did you just say, Elfride?”
“I said Abel is more of a hero than you. Did I say something wrong?”
Elfride had no intention of retracting her statement. In fact, Levius’s behavior was more akin to that of a typical noble than a hero.
However, Levius couldn’t take her words lightly. Especially since he viewed commoners as inferior to nobles, it stung even more.
“Are you saying I’m worse than some commoner, Elfride?”
“Who said you lack skill? It’s your attitude that’s lacking…”
“So you’re saying some commoner is better than me!?”
“…This is exactly why I have to judge you this way.”
Levius let out a hollow laugh.
“I don’t understand why you’re so hung up on commoners. Did it really upset you that much when I slighted that commoner hero?”
“Isn’t it wrong for heroes to belittle each other? If you just think about it for a moment, you’d realize who’s in the wrong.”
Levius stopped managing his expression, clearly showing his irritation as he spoke to Elfride.
“Ah, I see. That commoner is quite handsome, isn’t he? Is that why? Have you fallen for him, Elfride?”
“…You’re crossing a line. Even if you’re a guest of honor at this banquet, do you intend to insult me, the heiress of the Batory Family?”
“The insult came from you first, Elfride. How dare you say I’m worse than some commoner? Is there anything more insulting than that!?”
“Stop with the ‘commoner’ nonsense… Abel is a hero like us! There’s no reason for you to treat him that way!”
The voices of Levius and Elfride grew louder. What started as a conversation heard only by Levius’s companions had now escalated to the point where others in the banquet hall could notice the argument.
At that moment, a woman in a light green priestess robe standing behind Levius shouted.
“Enough, both of you!”
She was Selin, the saint accompanying Levius and a member of the Rudria Church. Selin criticized the two heroes for raising their voices and arguing in a public setting.
“This is the birthday party of the Crown Prince of the Vesta Kingdom. This is not the place for you two to argue like this!”
She wasn’t wrong. Elfride fell silent at Selin’s words, but Levius didn’t stop.
“…Selin, don’t interfere.”
“Hero Levius, that’s enough. You’re causing trouble for His Highness Sergio.”
“Selin, I told you not to interfere!”
Levius even raised his voice at Selin. His companions, Natali and Sonia, couldn’t bring themselves to stop him. It seemed this was a common occurrence.
Elfride let out a bitter laugh.
“You’re truly insufferable.”
“What did you say? How dare you speak to me like that…!”
Disappointed and angered by Levius’s disregard for even the saint accompanying him, Elfride took off her right glove and threw it at Levius.
“…What are you doing?”
“Can’t you tell? You’re a noble, so you should know what this means.”
A duel. Elfride, a hero, had challenged another hero, Levius, to a duel.
“Pick it up. You wouldn’t refuse, would you? I’ll straighten out that attitude of yours.”
“…Hah.”
The once lively atmosphere of the banquet hall turned icy in an instant. Other nobles were now watching the conflict between Elfride and Levius, and when Elfride threw her glove, they whispered among themselves in surprise.
“Enough, enough. What on earth is going on?”
Amid the tense atmosphere, one person stepped forward to mediate between Elfride and Levius. The only one with the authority to do so—Crown Prince Sergio.
“Lady Batory, what is this disrespect towards our guest?”
“My apologies, Your Highness. But I couldn’t stand by while he insulted a fellow hero and acted so arrogantly.”
“…What do you mean? Insulted a fellow hero?”
Levius interjected in response to Elfride’s words.
“Did I insult Hero Elfride first? I was talking about Hero Abel.”
“…Hero Abel? Are you referring to the new hero from the Mars Empire?”
“Yes, Your Highness. I merely mentioned that Hero Abel is a commoner.”
Elfride exploded in anger at Levius’s ridiculous excuse.
“Liar. Did you think I wouldn’t notice you deliberately belittling Abel?”
“Enough, Lady Batory. Calm down.”
Crown Prince Sergio understood the situation. He was well aware of Levius Grosspel’s personality. It was common knowledge that Levius had an arrogant demeanor.
‘It seems Lady Batory couldn’t tolerate Hero Levius intentionally badmouthing another hero.’
If they were to assign blame, it would clearly fall on Levius. But Crown Prince Sergio didn’t want to go down that path.
Regardless of Levius’s personality, he was a hero representing the Minerva Kingdom. Elfride was a hero representing the Vesta Kingdom. If their conflict escalated, it could turn into a dispute between nations.
‘That can’t happen.’
“Lady Batory, Lord Grosspel, both of you, apologize to each other. Regardless of who’s right or wrong, raising your voices and arguing like this in such a setting is both of your faults.”
“…….”
“…….”
Elfride and Levius glanced at each other. Without needing to be told, they both apologized.
“My apologies.”
“I apologize as well.”
“Good, good. No more fighting. Let’s enjoy the banquet. Come on, let’s liven up the mood with some music!”
Though they apologized under the Crown Prince’s mediation, both had already begun to see each other as enemies.
Levius, still fuming, left with his companions without a word, while Elfride let out a deep sigh. A voice echoed in her mind.
[Hey, are you okay? Why did you lose your temper like that? You knew Levius was like this all along.]
Luna was right. Elfride had always known that Levius looked down on commoners. But for some reason, when Abel was involved, she couldn’t hold back.
Even Elfride herself was puzzled. Why?
Perhaps it was because she wanted to befriend Abel. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have gotten so worked up.
But knowing that admitting this would only invite teasing, Elfride came up with a plausible excuse.
“…I guess I just couldn’t stand seeing a true hero being insulted. Especially by someone who’s supposed to be a fellow hero.”
[Well, isn’t it about time you got used to it? The guy chosen by that sword was never going to be normal.]
“That’s true, but…”
Elfride couldn’t argue with Luna’s words. The holy sword Levius wielded was an unusual one, even among holy swords.
The least sword-like holy sword. Its name was the “Sword of Delight.”
#
“Damn it!”
A flower vase in the room shattered. It wasn’t an accident—Levius had thrown it in a fit of rage.
Levius had been in this state ever since returning to his quarters. He was venting his anger at Elfride’s treatment of him.
Seeing this, Selin fidgeted nervously.
“We need to stop the hero…”
“Let it be, Selin.”
It was Natali who stopped Selin.
It was Sonia. She was Levius’s comrade, and in their party, they each took on the roles of archer and thief. They seriously advised Selin.
“You know by now that once Levius starts like that, there’s no stopping him. Just give up.”
“Right, or else you’ll be the only one getting scolded.”
Natalie and Sonia spoke as if they were worried about Selin. But Selin shook her head.
“…I’m fine. And the Hero shouldn’t act like that. He’s supposed to save people.”
“…Sigh, we definitely tried to stop him.”
Selin stepped forward to stop Levius.
“Hero, this isn’t our home. Everything here belongs to the Vesta Royal Palace. Please stop and calm down…”
“Selin, I told you to shut up!”
The sound of a slap echoed through the room, leaving Natalie and Sonia in shock. Selin’s head was turned to the side from the impact.
“Do you think I’m funny, huh!? How many times have I told you not to interfere, but you keep getting in my way, you bitch!!!”
Levius shouted at Selin, who was holding her cheek.
Selin felt wronged. She just wanted Levius to act more like a hero. But when she tried to stop him, this was the treatment she got.
She thought it would just be the usual, with him brushing her off. But she never expected him to slap her.
Tears welled up in her eyes. Even if she wasn’t the true Saint, she was still a Saint representing the Rudria Church, traveling with the Hero.
How could he treat someone like this? She didn’t expect special treatment, but this wasn’t what she wanted either.
“…Hic!”
Selin grabbed her red, swollen cheek and ran out of the room. Natalie and Sonia called after her, but Selin didn’t stop.
“…What about her, Levius?”
“Leave her! She’ll come crawling back on her own. Damn, she’s so annoying and useless, always meddling.”
“…Hey, calm down. You know Selin was just worried about you.”
Natalie laughed awkwardly, trying to soothe Levius, who furrowed his brow.
“Natalie, don’t take her side in front of me.”
“…Oh, okay. Who said I was taking her side?”
While Natalie was flustered, Sonia quietly approached Levius and asked.
“Want to vent? I can lend you my body.”
“…Yeah, that might be better. If I keep this up, things might get messy.”
#
“Hero, are you done over there?”
“Just a sec, I’ll finish this up and come!”
It’s been a while since I last sawed wood, so it’s not going smoothly.
I was helping with the village reconstruction, specifically cutting logs with a saw. Chloe came by and told me to eat and then continue, so I was planning to finish this and go.
But then the Saint quietly approached and handed me a rice ball.
“Open your mouth. I’ll feed you.”
“I was just about to finish this…”
Well, since she’s offering, I might as well eat. I opened my mouth wide, and the Saint giggled.
“Pfft♡ You look like a baby bird. Here, have some food~♡”
“…Not eating?”
“Just kidding♡”
I took a bite of the rice ball she handed me. Then, while sawing, I asked her.
“By the way, where are we going next?”
“You can finish eating first. You already look silly, and talking like that makes you look even sillier♡”
“…Thanks for the compliment.”
Anyway, I need to learn how to read. I just don’t have the time. After chewing and swallowing the rice ball, I asked her again.
“So, where are we headed now?”
“We’re going straight to Athene. Once we reach the border, we can take a carriage and get there in a day.”
“The capital is pretty close to the border.”
“That’s part of it, but the Minerva Kingdom also has well-developed roads. That’s why carriages can move so fast.”
“I see.”
Back in the day, there were countries like the Roman Empire with advanced road systems. They weren’t modern asphalt roads, but if the roads were paved, it wouldn’t be so bumpy.
“So, no chance of banging my head on the carriage ceiling.”
“Exactly~♡ I was worried you’d become even dumber, what with your gorilla-like intelligence♡”
…Damn.
“Want more?”
“…Almost done. I’ll eat after finishing this.”
“…You’re good at sawing, Hero?”
When I lived alone, I made my own bookshelves and stuff. Buying finished products was too expensive…
“I can handle it a bit.”
“Hmm, that’s interesting. I can cut wood, but I’m not good at sawing.”
…You don’t need a saw. Can’t you just slice through it with your Sacred Artifact?
“Have you tried? You said you’re not good at it.”
“I tried once during a relief mission, but it didn’t go well.”
“It takes some skill.”
After finishing the sawing and taking off my gloves, I sat next to the Saint. She suddenly twitched.
…What’s with her?
“Can I finish the rice balls?”
“…They’re all yours, Hero. You can eat like a pig♡”
“Looks delicious, oink oink.”
When I joked back, the Saint chuckled. Is it that funny?
Holding a rice ball, I asked her about reading.
“Saint, when are you going to teach me how to read?”
“…Want me to teach you now? Just a little during this break.”
“Oh, sure. That’d be great.”
The Saint picked up a twig and started writing on the dirt ground.
What’s she writing? She’s spacing them out, so they must be words.
“Hero, do you recognize any of these words?”
“Nope.”
“Then I’ll teach you step by step~♡ First, this one here is the word ‘idiot.'”
“…Uh, okay.”
I don’t know why the first word she’s teaching me is “idiot,” but I’ll go with it. So that’s how you write “idiot.”
The Saint moved the twig and pointed to the next word.
“Can you guess what this is?”
“I told you I don’t know.”
“Pfft♡ This is the word ‘moron.'”
“…What?”
…Crazy woman.
I asked her to teach me how to read, and this is what she’s teaching me.
“Then what’s this?”
Idiot. Moron. These are words the Saint often uses to tease me. The character count is the same as “idiot,” and considering she uses it often, this must be…
“…Loser?”
“Correct! You do have some learning ability, Hero~♡”
“…Are you teaching me properly?”
“Teaching familiar words is the best way to learn how to read.”
Yeah, they’re familiar alright. Very familiar.
…Damn it, it’s because of you!
“This is the word ‘Hero,’ and this is ‘Saint.’ Look closely and remember~♡”
“…Okay.”
The Saint pointed out each word and explained them to me one by one. Thanks to her, I learned how to write words like chimpanzee, gorilla, goldfish, and trash.
…Maybe I should learn from someone else.
