âWhoa! Itâs super! Itâs glowing!â
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, itâs more like a light membrane that envelops the entire body rather than an armor⊠and this raises a problem if itâs considered âarmorâ.
âHey Burn, is it going to be glowing all the time?â
Exactly, unlike a shield, armor was something you wear all the time. If it only takes effect when itâs glowing, itâs more than just conspicuous.
âI think itâs very divine and wonderfulâŠâ
âNo, surely this is no good. Even if thereâs no stealth, wouldnât people get angry if we were to go around glowing like this?â
âUgh⊠Wait, super! Letâs see⊠like this?â
At our words, Burn made a difficult face and moved strangely. Then the light subsided, and his usual equipment looked normal again.
âDid you stop activating the power?â
âNo, super! It feels like itâs being suppressed. Thereâs a thin membrane covering my body, and I think itâll glow super when it takes damage.â
âI see, thatâs good enough. It was rather dazzling though, so if youâre going to use it at full strength like a shield during battle, let us know. Then we can match it.â
âSuper! Got it! So, this is probably the armor, soâŠâ
âFufufu, I understand. Thereâs only one place left in mind. Probably thereâŠâ
ââŠThereâs Yuusha-samaâs sword, isnât there?â
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 wouldnât deny the possibility of a surprising bow or spear, but I donât know how to react if the world throws a curveball.
âWhoa! Heroâs sword!? Super! I canât wait! Letâs go! Letâs start right now!â
âWe canât go directly from here. The sword wonât run away, so letâs go with certainty.â
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.
âHey, Ed. Is this the placeâŠ?â
âYeah, I think itâs somewhere at the bottom of the sea or something.â
âSuper! What should we⊠Wait! Are we going to dive?!â
âDonât be stupid, even Tia canât reach the bottom of the sea.â
âThatâs true, itâs really impossible to dive that deep.â
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 Tiaâs spirit magic canât handle that, so itâs quite difficult to dive into the deep sea.
ââŠSo, what should we do?â
âProbably thereâs a teleportation circle nearby, right? From the information Iâve gathered⊠over there?â
Of course, I didnât actually gather any information. Well, I checked what might be in the direction the [Akashic Compass] pointed to, but thereâs 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 couldnât 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.
âOh, thereâs a hole! As expected of Ed! Super! Awesome!
Alright, letâs dive in, super!â
âAlright, alright, donât rushâŠhmm?â
When I glanced back, Tia and Euralia were talking. While following Burn, I quietly listened to their conversation.
âWhatâs wrong, Euralia?â
ââŠNo, as I thought, Ed-san is amazing.â
âYeah, Ed is amazing.â
ââŠâŠâŠâŠâŠâŠ..â
ââŠâŠâŠâŠâŠâŠ..â
âUmmâŠshall we go then!â
(Ah⊠well, itâs just like that.)
It seems their conversation was not very lively, but that canât be helped. Time will probably solve it eventuallyâŠ
(I wonder who will be faster?)
Itâs been five months since we started traveling with Burn. The condition for âExileâ 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 wonât 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.)
âWhoa!? Ed! Itâs a dragon! Super! Thereâs a huge dragon!â
âOh, is it the guardian of this place? Or has a wild dragon invaded⊠Either way, weâll take it down, Burn!â
âOf course! Slaying a dragon is super! Itâs the ultimate proof of strength!â
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 Burnâs 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.
âHere I go⊠Super! Stretch! Sword of the Hero!â
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.
âIt doesnât really feel like a sword, does it?â
âDonât say it, Tia. I was thinking the same thing but didnât say it.â
âGuah!? No, thatâs not⊠I think⊠it should be!â
âThatâs right, Yuusha-sama. Please try to cut this.â
Burn, who was shocked by my and Tiaâs 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.
âWhoa!? What is this, super!? Isnât this amazing!?â
âOh, it really is amazing. Itâs just as youâd expect from the Heroâs sword.â
âI wonder which is more amazing, Edâs sword or this one?â
âHaha, it canât really compete with that one.â
I was not so arrogant as to think that I could compete with a weapon prepared by the worldâs will to eliminate alien existence. Maybe it could compete with the [Dawnbreaker] forged by Master Dolton, but my skills still fall far short of Masterâs.
âWell then, letâs head back to town quickly and celebrate tonight. All of the Heroâs powers have finally been collected. Letâs all eat something delicious together.â
âSuper! That sounds great! Iâm all for it!â
âOf course, Iâm fine with that. How about you, Euralia?â
âThe gods do not say it is evil to share joy with oneâs neighbor. If it is a normal meal, of course, I will gladly join.â
âWell then, itâs decided!â
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 roomsâŠ
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 Burnâs 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 thereâs no way I could mistake Tiaâs presence. That means it was Euralia who visited Burnâs room.
(Sheâs more proactive than I thought. Or is it because all of the Heroâs powers have been collected that sheâs 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 doesâŠ
(Well, he can do as he pleases.)
As long as his romantic pursuits donât dull his sword skills, itâs 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.