Aras Auto-10

When I came to, I saw a cloudy-colored ceiling.

It felt like a long-forgotten sensation, tinged with déjà vu.

I sat up on the hard, makeshift bed and looked out at the view beyond.

What happened to the bovine fiend?

The fact that I'm lying here in bed means the battle must have ended.

The fiend I saw just before losing consciousness was clearly dead, though I didn't confirm it properly.

I'm a little worried.

My hazy consciousness gradually becomes clearer each time I recall the earlier battle.

Just as I glance around again, Liruka enters the room, puffing out her cheeks in a familiar way.

I remember the promise I made before the fight—something about returning gracefully and without injury.

Looking at myself, I can't help but smile.

"Sorry, how long have I been asleep?"

"Just one day. Anyway, do you remember our promise?"

"Yeah, that's why... I'm sorry. I broke the promise... just a little."

"Ugh, it's fine! You woke up right away, and everyone was happy because of Taro—they 'won,' after all."

Riruka puffed out her cheeks clearly, then finally got the information she'd most wanted.

"That's good to hear."

Then, finally noticing, Coil was sound asleep with his head tilted forward.

With arms crossed and legs spread wide, drool dripping from his mouth.

Looks like I've caused trouble for him too.

When Coil was shaken awake by Liruka, he immediately asked about the condition of my injuries.

Upon hearing they weren't serious, he seemed relieved and then explained what had happened after I lost consciousness.

The battle against the bovine monster ended in victory for the allied forces.

Although a few soldiers died during the battle, the number was significantly lower than initially anticipated.

The leaders commanding the allied forces were greatly relieved.

In the end, the monster gradually weakened from repeated traps and explosions, and ultimately perished during my final confrontation with it.

The monster's body was scorched all over, and the magical stones growing on it had all shattered. Even though I'd come up with the idea on the spot, the power it unleashed was terrifying.

Overall, the united force had a decisive victory.

I was told that rewards had been properly distributed to the participating mercenaries and knight squads, but I myself would receive a special reward.

As I finished listening, the door to the hospital room creaked open.

Responding with a faint sense of déjà vu, as if I'd experienced something like this before.

The one who entered was Roll, the town's captain.

"How are you feeling today, Taro?"

"Taro? You can just call me Taro, like always. And my body's fine—I'm almost fully recovered."

"I see. Then, Taro, I'd like to formally thank you for defeating the monster. I truly appreciate it."

As he spoke, Roll bowed deeply.

"Please raise your head. Thanks to you all, I was able to conserve my strength until the monster arrived. Because of that, I had the time to carefully observe my opponent. I owe it all to you."

"I'm truly grateful for your kind words. Now, regarding the reward—was it indeed the amount we discussed earlier, the legendary hero's tale?"

"Yes, I'd be most grateful if you could tell me everything you know."

"What should I do? If it's acceptable, I could share what I know right here and now..."

I glanced back at my own appearance.

It wasn't exactly the proper posture for asking someone for information. I didn't have any way to take notes, and it would probably be better to come back another day.

"In that case, I shall visit you again at a later date."

With that, I parted ways with Roll Captain.

At last, it seemed we were nearing the next chapter of the Hero's Legend.

Several days passed, and we visited the guild.

"Oh, I've been waiting for you, Taro. Let's get started on our conversation now."

"Sorry, but are you sure your work isn't affected by this?"

"Of course not, that's not important at all. What matters is speaking with the Great Mage."

Rool was extremely prompt.

"Please stop. I'm not really someone of great importance."

"Always modest... Here, first, your reward in goods."

A considerable amount of gems and high-purity mana stones were brought in. Rilka and Coil were already glowing with excitement just from seeing them.

There is no universal currency or equivalent in this world.

Ultimately, anything that can be exchanged for money anywhere ends up being gems and precious minerals.

Accepting them, they quickly move on to the main topic.

"So, regarding the Hero's Legend—though you know, there are no legends or tales about this town.

Rather, the town's very origin is akin to a legend."

"I've heard of it. The Heavenly Black Eye, right?"

"Indeed, that fairy tale is the truth of this town. More precisely, it's a story about a national crisis caused by a flying monster. I myself am half-believing... but still."

According to Roll, the town's history goes like this.

Monsters are generally massive and tend to be heavy. Such creatures shouldn't be able to fly.

Yet that monster did fly.

Its body color was close to black, covered in scales-like material, and it spewed scorching flames from its mouth, incinerating everything in its path.

It moved at high speed, and the shockwave from its movement alone was enough to blow everything away.

As a result, the town was completely destroyed, and the nation itself was on the brink of collapse.

Then, a hero appeared, fought fiercely in repeated battles, and ultimately succeeded in driving the monster from this land.

This town was rebuilt afterward.

"I'll give you this."

With that, Roll handed over a letter of introduction to the town's library.

With this, you'll be able to read any books left in town freely.

"There's one more place I'd like to show you."

As Roll said this, he slowly stood up.

The place he led me to was underground, beneath the guild headquarters.

"This is where items related to the Hero's Legend are kept."

When I entered the room, a single pedestal stood in the center of the otherwise empty space. Upon it rested a broken double-edged sword.

The blade was completely rusted and utterly unusable.

Geometric patterns were etched onto the blade.

Those patterns were likely drawn using liquid magic stone.

Could the hero have fought using magical essence flowing through the blade? If so, it would allow mastery over various physical phenomena, making close combat effortless.

Upon further inspection, words remained inscribed on the pedestal.

"Here, we honor a traveling companion, pride, and partner."

When the Japanese text was spoken aloud, the roll captain behind him spoke up, as if confirming something expected.

"Fairy tales seem to be based on actual history—there's no doubt about that... The records describe a battle that caused catastrophic damage. It appears the hero's companion also perished..."

"That seems to be the case. Then why is this broken sword the only one kept securely stored in the guild's underground vault?"

"There are two reasons. First, it holds great historical value. The language inscribed upon it is beyond my understanding, but someone as knowledgeable as yourself should be able to decipher it.

The second reason is that it's said the sword still possesses power. I can't be certain, of course..."

"Still possesses power? You're saying this sword is still powerful?"

It doesn't look like it at all. The blade is rusted, the patterns etched into the edge are missing in places, and there are cracks and frayed sections scattered across it.

"Would you like to touch it?"

I turned back to Roll, seeking confirmation. Roll gave a silent nod in return.

Gently, I grasped the hilt. Nothing happened.

Then, I softly channeled a little mana into it. The result... nothing at all.

Indeed, the magic item had completely broken down.

"How does it feel?"

"Please rest assured... I can't be certain, but this sword itself has completely ceased functioning."

"I see... It's a relief, yet somewhat disappointing at the same time."

Though it looked more like disappointment than anything else... Perhaps they had spread rumors about residual power, just to maintain some religious foundation?

Still, the state of deterioration is remarkable. There's no way to confirm it now, but it seems they must have consumed a significant amount of mana during past battles.

After that, I continued the investigation for a while, making sketches. Once that was finished, I clutched the introduction letter and headed toward the National Library.

The library was a remarkably new building. According to what Roll-san and the librarian had said, few old manuscripts remained. Still, I gathered the few surviving documents and began studying them.

I examined battle records from the past, population statistics, and other materials without particular focus, just exploring as I went.

As expected, or perhaps inevitably, I found no significant information.