CH 260

“Whoa! It’s super! It’s glowing!”

Deep inside the winding mine that was like a labyrinth, Burn had obtained a new power from the stone tablet we found. It was a shining armor. However, it’s more like a light membrane that envelops the entire body rather than an armor… and this raises a problem if it’s considered ‘armor’.

“Hey Burn, is it going to be glowing all the time?”

Exactly, unlike a shield, armor was something you wear all the time. If it only takes effect when it’s glowing, it’s more than just conspicuous.

“I think it’s very divine and wonderful…”

“No, surely this is no good. Even if there’s no stealth, wouldn’t people get angry if we were to go around glowing like this?”

“Ugh… Wait, super! Let’s see… like this?”

At our words, Burn made a difficult face and moved strangely. Then the light subsided, and his usual equipment looked normal again.

“Did you stop activating the power?”

“No, super! It feels like it’s being suppressed. There’s a thin membrane covering my body, and I think it’ll glow super when it takes damage.”

“I see, that’s good enough. It was rather dazzling though, so if you’re going to use it at full strength like a shield during battle, let us know. Then we can match it.”

“Super! Got it! So, this is probably the armor, so…”

“Fufufu, I understand. There’s only one place left in mind. Probably there…”

“…There’s Yuusha-sama’s sword, isn’t there?”

Euralia joined in the conversation where Burn and I were grinning. Indeed, if we follow this trend, the last thing would be a sword without a doubt. I wouldn’t deny the possibility of a surprising bow or spear, but I don’t know how to react if the world throws a curveball.

“Whoa! Hero’s sword!? Super! I can’t wait! Let’s go! Let’s start right now!”

“We can’t go directly from here. The sword won’t run away, so let’s go with certainty.”

Calming down Burn, who seemed ready to run, we descended the mountain and returned to the town. We took a proper rest and prepared before setting off. And what we finally arrived at… was in front of a vast sea.

“Hey, Ed. Is this the place…?”

“Yeah, I think it’s somewhere at the bottom of the sea or something.”

“Super! What should we… Wait! Are we going to dive?!”

“Don’t be stupid, even Tia can’t reach the bottom of the sea.”

“That’s true, it’s really impossible to dive that deep.”

At my words, Tia laughed wryly. If you continue to activate underwater breathing, you consume magic power during that time. The sea squeezes your body the deeper you dive. Even Tia’s spirit magic can’t handle that, so it’s quite difficult to dive into the deep sea.

“…So, what should we do?”

“Probably there’s a teleportation circle nearby, right? From the information I’ve gathered… over there?”

Of course, I didn’t actually gather any information. Well, I checked what might be in the direction the [Akashic Compass] pointed to, but there’s no way such core information would be lying around.

But, as we walked guided by me, there was a cave gaping open. It was in a place where you couldn’t see it unless you circled around the rocky area and got close, so you would need quite a coincidence or luck to find it by normal means.

“Oh, there’s a hole! As expected of Ed! Super! Awesome!

Alright, let’s dive in, super!”

“Alright, alright, don’t rush…hmm?”

When I glanced back, Tia and Euralia were talking. While following Burn, I quietly listened to their conversation.

“What’s wrong, Euralia?”

“…No, as I thought, Ed-san is amazing.”

“Yeah, Ed is amazing.”

“Yes, really…”

“………………..”

“………………..”

“Umm…shall we go then!”

“Yes…”

(Ah… well, it’s just like that.)

It seems their conversation was not very lively, but that can’t be helped. Time will probably solve it eventually…

(I wonder who will be faster?)

It’s been five months since we started traveling with Burn. The condition for ‘Exile’ should be met soon, but unlike before, we intend to stay in this world until we defeat the demon king. But once we obtain the last power, that time won’t be far away.

(It would be okay to part ways without lingering attachments… but it would be nice if we could get along a little more before then.)

“Whoa!? Ed! It’s a dragon! Super! There’s a huge dragon!”

“Oh, is it the guardian of this place? Or has a wild dragon invaded… Either way, we’ll take it down, Burn!”

“Of course! Slaying a dragon is super! It’s the ultimate proof of strength!”

The one that stood before the enthusiastic Burn and us was a dragon covered with water scales. It should have been a formidable enemy as it almost negates physical attacks… But Burn’s lightning magic was terrifyingly effective, and we managed to defeat it quite easily. It was probably placed as an enemy that a hero could counter.

And so, at the deepest part of our journey, Burn finally obtained the last power of the Hero.

“Here I go… Super! Stretch! Sword of the Hero!”

When Burn, filled with spirit, thrusts out his clenched right hand, a sword of light extends from it. Well, calling it a sword feels a bit off, as it looks more like a glowing stick extending out. It seems more like a spear or a stake.

(T/N: Lightsaber?)

“It doesn’t really feel like a sword, does it?”

“Don’t say it, Tia. I was thinking the same thing but didn’t say it.”

“Guah!? No, that’s not… I think… it should be!”

“That’s right, Yuusha-sama. Please try to cut this.”

Burn, who was shocked by my and Tia’s words, received something from Euralia… it looked like the scale of the dragon we defeated earlier. He tossed it into the air and swung his arm. The blade of light easily cut the scale, and not only that, but the cut scale turned into particles of light and disappeared.

“Whoa!? What is this, super!? Isn’t this amazing!?”

“Oh, it really is amazing. It’s just as you’d expect from the Hero’s sword.”

""

“I wonder which is more amazing, Ed’s sword or this one?”

“Haha, it can’t really compete with that one.”

I was not so arrogant as to think that I could compete with a weapon prepared by the world’s will to eliminate alien existence. Maybe it could compete with the [Dawnbreaker] forged by Master Dolton, but my skills still fall far short of Master’s.

“Well then, let’s head back to town quickly and celebrate tonight. All of the Hero’s powers have finally been collected. Let’s all eat something delicious together.”

“Super! That sounds great! I’m all for it!”

“Of course, I’m fine with that. How about you, Euralia?”

“The gods do not say it is evil to share joy with one’s neighbor. If it is a normal meal, of course, I will gladly join.”

“Well then, it’s decided!”

We energetically set off on our path, and that night we drank and ate and made merry. Afterward, we returned to the inn and went to sleep in our respective rooms…

(…………Huh?)

I was suddenly awakened by the sound of movement in front of my room. However, the presence passed in front of my room and entered Burn’s room next door.

The only ones staying at this inn right now are the four of us. So the owner of the presence is either Tia or Euralia, but there’s no way I could mistake Tia’s presence. That means it was Euralia who visited Burn’s room.

(She’s more proactive than I thought. Or is it because all of the Hero’s powers have been collected that she’s starting to take more direct action?)

Either way, this proved that my suspicion about Euralia having feelings for me was a misunderstanding. Now it depends on what Burn does…

(Well, he can do as he pleases.)

As long as his romantic pursuits don’t dull his sword skills, it’s none of my business what young men and women do. I covered my head with my blanket and distanced my consciousness from the sounds coming from the next room, closing my eyes deep and strong.