I Picked Up the Abandoned Hero

38 – 38. The Hero and the Holy Sword

“Is it really the holy sword that was stolen?”

It is impossible for the holy sword to be stolen.

In the first place, only the chosen ones, that is, the warriors, could pull out the holy sword.

It is not possible for the holy sword to be stolen from the beginning.

“Isn’t there any reason to lie to the hero, but since the one who handled the holy sword the longest would be the hero, I was wondering if there was anything I could guess.”

“Wait… The fact that the holy sword was stolen must mean that the holy sword was brought here?”

But according to Clen’s words, it means that the demons brought the holy sword to this territory and it was stolen.

“Of course. If you can’t move it, you won’t be able to bring it here.”

That meant that there was a means to move the holy sword, and it also meant that it was possible to carry the holy sword even if you were not a hero.

‘How?’

Only the chosen can wield the holy sword.

Other than that, it is impossible to carry or wield or move anywhere.

So, when Arcel was also chosen by the Holy Sword, he had to personally go to the forest where the Holy Sword was enshrined to pull it out.

Originally, the Holy Sword was something that appeared when the world needed it, and nothing was known about the material that made up the blade of the Holy Sword or the principle of the magic engraved on it.

The light of salvation that came down from the mysterious unknown.

That was the holy sword.

“How did you bring the holy sword to this place? How can demons who are not even humans…”

I already vaguely knew that there were several holy swords.

However, it is the first time that there are more than two holy swords in the same era, but I was more concerned about how the demons moved the holy swords.

“It’s definitely not a method that a warrior would want to know.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Is there another hero by any chance?

Or is it that the Holy Sword can be pulled out even if you are not a hero?

That Alfred also had no choice but to take the owner of the holy sword himself in order to draw Arcel’s sacred sword, Mystel.

When he held it, it caught fire as if the holy sword was rejecting Alfred, completely reducing his hand to ashes.

Still, how did the demons bring the holy sword?

Around the time when various thoughts passed through Arcel’s head.

“I told you that before.”

“Eh?”

Sweet whipped cream burst into Arcel’s mouth.

The fresh taste of strawberries and the lightly bitter yet rich sweetness of chocolate spread in your mouth.

Alfred, who left a while ago to buy crepes, has returned.

“…You, you are not allowed to bring food here.”

When Alfred appeared in an instant and without any sign, Clen reacted with displeasure.

As this is a very important place in this manor, I was quite careful about security, but Alfred appeared out of nowhere as if he was in and out of his own room.

“So, I need to eat it quickly, how about it? I even used magic to bring it as cool as possible.”

“Thank you. But what do you mean you said before?”

Alfred said while holding Arcel’s hand.

“Take it like this and take it off. I mean, I brought another holy sword that was left unattended somewhere.”

“What…?”

“Sheesh, did you see through that already?”

“There is no need to see through, in the first place, the only known way to draw a holy sword is to be drawn by a hero. Then, isn’t it enough to draw out the holy sword as a hero?”

In other words, he brought the holy sword using the body of the hero.

Alfred had said something similar before.

Severed Arcel’s wrists and said to bring the holy sword.

I thought that would be possible if Arsel himself did not doubt too much and tried to do it.

“Uhm, maybe I found the hero before you somewhere and did something about it?”

“But even the hero before me must have lived at the same time as your mother hundreds of years ago…”

“Well, I don’t know the details of the old warriors. There must be some children who were directly torn by the demon lord. Maybe it would be possible if he had saved the body and worked on it. Yes?”

Alfred looked at Clen with narrow eyes.

Clen turned her head away when she saw Alfred, who noticed the method at once.

But I didn’t deny it.

“…Was it like that?”

Arcel felt his lungs burn for a moment.

Using the corpse of a hero, not others, he pulled out a holy sword that only the original hero could pull out.

I understand that Alfred gave a little more detailed explanation.

In the end, it is the role of a hero to squeeze and pull out the holy sword, and if so, just use what was defined as a ‘hero’ to pull out the holy sword.

“Calm down, I won’t let anyone do that to you. Even if the opponent is the Demon King.”

Alfred patted Arcel on the back.

It was real, but it was a price to pay for imagining too much.

“And if you think about it, it’s not a big deal because you’re a hero, right? I already do a lot of similar things.”

A skeleton appears next to Alfred and waves his hand.

Kwajik!

“…Undead and other pets are not allowed in this place.”

Of course, Clen, who was worse than that, smashed it right away.

Tears flowed from the skull of the skeleton whose torso was blown off.

“Pity me, I will fix your body later.”

Alfred stroked the skeleton’s skull and returned it to its original place.

“Anyway, it will be a bit cruel for you, but it’s not particularly so for demons.”

“Come to think of it, to the demons, a hero is…”

“A terrible slayer, a monster that cuts down even the strongest demons with a weapon called the holy sword.”

Clen said while stroking the paper on which the Holy Sword was drawn.

“As you said, just as humans hated the demon king, most demons also hate the hero. There are quite a few young demons who lost their parents to the hero like the children in this castle.”

In addition, Alfred put an affirmation.

The young demons that Arcel saw earlier.

The young demons were all demons who lost their parents to the hero.

Evils are not creatures that can easily live alone without parents.

It is a well-known fact that demons can control monsters, but that is because not all demons can control monsters.

It wasn’t uncommon for people to be killed by their own people, or to be eaten by monsters.

“…That’s right, I’ve killed many demons with my own hands.”

Arcel put on a bitter expression as if he knew.

“I can’t help it because that’s what war is all about, so that Grandma Clen doesn’t blame you for nothing.”

Alfred said, pointing at Clen.

“Of course. It is ignorant to hold a grudge against a soldier more than is necessary in a war. It was the demon king who started the war in the first place, so there is no right to blame.”

“In other words, you cannot blame individuals for war. As Grandma Clen said, it might not be the one who started the war.”

“If you don’t put that old woman’s name after her name, will her mouth even grow thorns?”

“You look at her grandmother and call her grandmother. Why?”

“…That’s it. Call her whatever you like.”

Clen sighed deeply and held her brow.

“Okay, Grandma Clen.”

Looking at Alfred’s wide smile, Arcel smiled involuntarily.

I realized a long time ago that there is nothing to be desired even if I continue to be tied to undeniable facts.

“Okay, now that most of the questions have been answered… In the end, the question is who stole the holy sword and why?”

I roughly understood how the holy sword was moved.

Arsel now tried to think about why someone stole the holy sword.

“Are you trying to help Grandma Clen? This is the work of the demons, so there is no need for you to help.”

“Although it is related to humans and heroes, there is no need to directly interfere. I also only wanted to hear the opinion of the hero.”

Then Alfred and Clen reacted a little surprised.

It seems like he never even thought that Arcel would think about this incident himself and lend a helping hand.

“Isn’t it natural, in the past, if there was a theft case, I would directly step forward. Besides, I can’t just ignore this one. The Holy Sword should never be held carelessly by others.”

However, for Arcel, who knew the power of the Holy Sword, it was something he could not just ignore.

Because I have been using the Holy Sword Mystel for a long time, I know the power of the Holy Sword better than anyone else.

The holy sword is a sword with very powerful power, and it does not change the fact that it is really dangerous even if the opponent is not a demon.

I’m not a hero anyway, so it would be impossible to use it, but the holy sword possessed the power to purify and dissipate magic around me just by existing.

“I can’t guarantee that the other Holy Swords are the same, but if Mystel’s magical energy went out of control, she blew everything around except for me.”

“…You went around wearing something like that around your waist?”

Alfred said, slightly moving away from Arcel.

“Except for the first few times, that never happened. Even in the kingdom, I was left alone in the forest until I got used to the holy sword.”

“It is said that there has already been a precedent. I’m worried that my castle might be blown away.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. After blowing up the forest a few times, I’ve never let it run amok.”

“I wonder how many times they flew.”

“…Do I really need to say that? It’s not something I really want to think about.”

Alfred recalled that there had been an explosion in the forest belonging to a certain kingdom in the past that would blow up a large city.

It wasn’t just once, there were quite a few.

“But will you be okay? No matter how lucky you are to get the holy sword back, it will eventually be auctioned off and sold.”

“That’s for sure…”

“Of course I will bid for the holy sword.”

When Arcel was concerned about the treatment of her holy sword, Clen proudly declared that she had it herself.

“In the first place, the holy sword is just a bait to attract customers. It’s what I was looking for from the beginning.”

“Ah! That’s right, no matter how much you pay, the auction itself belongs to Grandma Clen, so you can’t win the competition. But is that okay?”

Arsel was a bit puzzled, but Alfred clapped his hands as if he understood.

“Of course not in my name. We’ve already got at least someone to bid on as proxy.”

“It’s shameful. Maybe it’s because he’s getting old, but he’s very greedy.”

“That’s why you should die here to keep your mouth shut. At this point, I will pull out your long tongue and hang you. Or the organs in the stomach would be nice.”

“I will politely decline, lord. I’m not very good at talent shows.”

“…I hate you.”

Clen saw Alfred saying that she was good and she gnashed her teeth.

When I saw him like that, he looked just like his mother.

In addition, I can feel the side of my maternal grandmother.

“Anyway, then where do you plan to use the holy sword…”

Arsel asked cautiously.

Once you get the holy sword back, you know that Clen owns it.

But Clen was also a demon, a demon with power and power second only to the demon king.

According to Alfred’s words, Clen’s territory is not limited to this place, and if all of their powers are combined, they could rival the Demon King’s army in the past.

Just because he was kind to himself, I couldn’t guarantee that he was kind to humans as well.

“Don’t worry unnecessarily, I’m not crazy about blood and slaughter like the demon king. Of course, I like blood, but human blood is so cloudy that I don’t even want to touch it.”

“They say his taste changed because he got old.”

“The holy sword will be placed in an appropriate place for decoration. If possible, I’d like to slit his throat with a holy sword.”

Clen said, glaring at Alfred.

“Please refrain from doing it with the holy sword, other things are fine, but I’m a bit reluctant to the holy sword.”

“Is it difficult for you to regenerate the wounds inflicted by the holy sword?”

Alfred backed away as if he was uncomfortable with the holy sword.

“It is the fate and the holy sword of a hero that allows even the demon king, who can never be defeated by nature, to win.

“Mmm.”

Come to think of it, when he gripped Arcel’s Holy Sword, Alfred cut off his hand that was on fire and then regenerated his hand.

Even though Alfred would normally put out something like fire right away and return his hand.

“If you have a holy sword right now, pull it out and slit his throat. Humans don’t call him Satan for nothing.”

“That’s heartless, but you wouldn’t, would you?”

“Think about it, he must not have been as kind to you as he is now. There must be something that comes from the depths of the heart.”

“…”

Arsel looked at Alfred and pondered.

“Isn’t it?”

It was only for a moment, but when I remembered what Alfred had done in the past, I almost lost my hand to the Holy Sword.

There were things like attaching caterpillars to the handle of a holy sword or stuffing snowballs into your clothes after a fight in the middle of winter.

“…Probably, I think so.”

But Arsel wanted to pass it on, saying it was all in the past.

It was not easy to pass it at first, but with a little more effort, I was able to pass it.

“Look, that’s right.”

“Looks like you hesitated to answer.”

“In the end, if you answered, that’s it.”

Alfred said with a broad smile whether he didn’t know that, or if he knew and did that.