Chapter 84

“Huh?! What did you say?!”

“I just told you to take off your clothes.”

The Hero gasped in shock at my words.

Hmm. Is this really something worth getting so worked up about? When you were little, you used to hate baths, so I’d forcibly strip you and toss you into a warm tub all the time.

“Well, it’s just… um….”

“You’re making such a fuss over just taking off some clothes. Tsk!”

I swiftly grabbed the Hero’s top and ripped it apart with great force.

Even though it was made of sturdy cloth, it tore like paper under my strength.

In the end, the Hero stood powerless before me, back fully exposed.

Hmm. Now that I think about it, this feels kinda weird. But don’t worry, I’ll repair it later!

“Why are you doing this?!!”

“It’s nothing serious. It’ll be over in a flash!”

“No wayyyyyy!!!”

The Hero’s meaningless resistance was quickly subdued.

“If you’d stopped flailing around, we could’ve been done already! How can you protect others if you can’t even handle this much? Have you forgotten when I had to bathe you as a child?”

“But… but it’s embarrassing….”

You’ve grown bigger, but inside, you’re still the same kid.

Well, not that there’s anything wrong with that. Right?

Anyway, after seating the half-naked Hero, I gently placed my hand on their bare back.

“Gulp!”

“Stop being noisy. How will you protect others if you can’t endure this?”

“But… it’s not that! Gulp!”

What’s the problem? Are you ticklish or something? My touch is rather soft, after all.

Not that it’s any of my business.

With my hand on the Hero’s back, I carefully extracted a thread-like strand of magical power and gradually infused it into their body.

“Gulp!”

The Hero jolted at the foreign sensation of something entering their body.

Quit exaggerating.

I moved the magic around inside the Hero’s body, stimulating the latent magical energy within them. Slowly, their own magic began responding to mine, stirring slightly.

Good. Things are going smoothly. The hardest part is controlling the amount of magic so it doesn’t harm the Hero’s body. If I hadn’t been careful, their body might’ve exploded from excess magic! Patience and precision are key.

Anyway, the process involves sending my magic through one arm, letting it circulate through the Hero’s body, then pulling it back through the other arm.

This method helps enhance sensitivity to magic by having it flow in and out repeatedly.

“How does it feel?”

“It’s like something ticklish enters and leaves my body.”

“That’s right. That sensation is magic itself. Focus hard.”

“Focusing isn’t easy….”

The Hero’s voice quivered timidly. I ignored it completely.

The magic seeps into their body, swirls around, and exits again, gradually awakening the dormant magic within.

Slowly, the Hero’s magic begins to stir. Excellent. There’s a reaction.

As my magic stimulates theirs, it starts moving more actively.

This should be enough. I slowly收回 the magic I had injected into the Hero’s body and removed my hand from their back.

The Hero sighed faintly, perhaps missing the strange sensation created by my magic.

“Ah….”

“Now, can you sense the magic sleeping inside you?”

“Yes, I can feel the magic beginning to stir within me.”

“From now on, try to control that magic according to your will. Doing so will allow you to maximize the abilities of the Sword of the Hero.”

“Yes… I’ll give it a shot….”

Thus, the Hero’s training process gained an additional step: mastering magical control.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

What exactly is magical power?

The driving force behind casting spells.

A mysterious energy permeating the entire world.

The divine grace bestowed upon this world by the gods.

The realization of willpower aimed at bringing about change.

The lifeblood coursing through the veins of existence in this world.

The potential to achieve anything.

It is said that dragons were the first to harness this magical power.

Long ago, in the Age of Dragons before humanity existed, dragons ruled the land and wielded magic effortlessly, using primitive forms of magic primarily driven by sheer willpower.

Unlike humans or other races who must chant spells and draw magical circles to cast magic, dragons simply willed their magic into existence.

Imagine snapping your fingers to conjure fireballs or leaping into the sky with a casual push off the ground.

But no human in history has ever achieved such feats.

There has never been a human with that level of magical affinity.

Though there’s a legend about an unnamed ancient Hero who supposedly performed acts akin to primitive dragon magic—perhaps aided by a Dragon Heart—but that seems far-fetched.

Most likely, it was exaggerated due to the Hero’s legendary deeds.

– A lecture from the Kingdom’s Magic Academy Intermediate Class.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

The Hero quickly adapted to using magic.

They grew accustomed to enhancing their body with magic and could soon launch simple magic blasts… well, sort of. Unfortunately, the Sword of the Hero absorbed most of the magic, reducing its efficiency.

Still, they became skilled enough to hover briefly in midair.

Looks like the Hero is almost ready to use the sword properly.

“Let’s try activating the Sword of the Hero’s special abilities.”

“That took long enough.”

“Long? It’s only been a year….”

“A year is a long time!”

Oh right, for humans, a year is quite significant.

To me, it feels like the blink of an eye.

“Alright, hold the Sword of the Hero and channel your magic into it.”

I’ve already inputted the Hero’s magical signature into Chloive Solais, so recognizing the owner will happen automatically once the magic flows in.

“I’ve channeled it.”

“Great. Now shout ‘Transformation!’”

Originally, I designed it to transform purely based on the magical pattern, but that seemed too boring!

Thanks to that decision, shouting “Transformation” triggers the process instantly.

Long incantations aren’t bad, but simplicity works too!

“Okay? Ah, um… Transformation!!”

At the Hero’s command, the sword began glowing and started transforming.

Clang! Clang!!

The armor forming the blade detached and reattached itself seamlessly onto the Hero’s body—covering arms, torso, and legs.

Hmm… If I added a bit more flair, maybe we could replicate those cool tokusatsu transformation scenes?

Actually, if I considered some kind of storage space system… couldn’t we make it work?

While I pondered these unnecessary details, the transformation completed.

“What is… this…?”

“The Sword of the Hero’s secondary ability. Meet the Agathlam Silver Armor.”

The Hero inspected the newly attached armor closely.

Perfectly fitted, seamless, and flawlessly synchronized with their body thanks to magic!

After all, the armor adjusts automatically to match the user’s physique.

“Incredible… This is amazing.”

“Yeah. Incredible, considering who made it.”

Made with care by yours truly. Anything less would be unacceptable!

“This armor possesses the power to repel any blade. As long as you guard against weak points, it will render you invincible.”

Honestly, with current civilization levels, it’s nearly impossible to scratch this armor. Not even monster fangs or claws can penetrate it.

Unless dwarven metallurgy advances further, this will likely remain the strongest armor for quite some time.

The Hero plays a crucial role in protecting this world, so equipping them with top-tier protective gear is essential.

“And this sword….”

“Looks identical to the wooden sword I gave you earlier, right?”

The one-handed sword version looked exactly like the practice wooden sword I gifted previously.

Another form of Chloive Solais without the heavy armor.

“When you first gave me the wooden sword, I wondered why. Now I understand.”

“Everything I do has a reason.”

The Hero examined the one-handed sword thoroughly. Though slim and delicate, its sharpness rivals even the greatest broadswords.

“You can either sweep everything away with the broadsword or defend yourself while wielding the armor and one-handed sword. Choose wisely depending on the situation.”

“So… how do I take this armor off?”

The Hero scrutinized the armor but found no visible seams, clearly puzzled.

Of course, it’s different from regular armor.

“Say ‘Release Transformation!’”

“Release Transformation!”

The armor undid itself and reattached to the sword, reverting it to its original broadsword form.

The Hero seemed delighted by the sight.

Who wouldn’t be thrilled to possess such a magnificent weapon?

I smiled faintly at the Hero’s joyous expression.