Chapter 24 – The Preceding Hero’s Neighborhood Salutations
The Preceding Hero’s Neighborhood Salutations
Holy City “Angelic”.
Being the Holy Ulquiorra Faith’s headquarters, it is also the sacred ground where the First Holy Woman Vivian Minato Sora Angelic had made her advent.
The appearance of the buildings that were lined in a row and made uniform in white was beautiful and the chalk tower that was erected in the center engendered them with holiness.
It’s a sacred town that over tens of thousands of believers visit every year.
Even in such a city, a squirming evil exists. If the light gets stronger, so does the darkness.
The chalk tower, “Lutifel”. In the top floor of that tower that the Holy Ulquiorra religious organization owns, with the Pope having departed to Luxeria, in the now vacant Pope’s seat, man with a grown fat body and a pointlessly self-important attitude was at the top of the organization.
This man whose oily face was always warped in joy and, without a shred of piety, was like that of a one obsessed in gathering money was this religious organization’s Cardinal.
「Everything mentioned are the details of what happened in the earlier Glard Wasteland Interception War. Also, the figures of the man naming himself the Darkness Executioner and the Preceding Hero have been designed to be covered up.」
The black haired young Sister that was dressed in a black vestment uninterestedly reported the several sheets of paper of a bundle in her hand to that man.
That man that brazenly sat in the Pope’s seat even though he was a Cardinal slammed the glass in his hand, making a noise, and stood up.
「That damned Preceding Hero…How annoying! That brat is always getting in my way!」
Trampling the thrown glass over and over with foot, the man had disturbed his breathing and, while breathing with his shoulders, began to walk.
「All because of that guy defeating the Demon Lord, I missed out on having three women of the highest grade!! And then, once again, my chance to have that Sylvia, lost to that guy! ………っ, unforgivable, I won’t forgive you Preceding Hero!!」
While taking his anger out on things like the table and the chair, the Cardinal screamed like a pig.
While being one who served God, the man drowned in sexual desire, waving around his authority.
The man that treated the current Pope as a puppet and exercised his authority as he liked was a fool that was convinced that he obtain everything that he desired.
Since long before three years ago, though he tried to obtain Leezerion’s beautiful and well-known three sisters by indirectly instigating the Mazoku, that failed when Yashiro Yuu, who was the Preceding Hero that was summoned three years ago, had appeared.
This time as well, if they were to have been defeated, that responsibility wouldn’t have been on Valanshel nor on Luxeria, but it should have gathered onto Leezerion. But, once again the Hero, the Hero, the Hero prevented that aim entirely.
And then, what decided it was three years ago. Yuu had exposed the religious organization’s darkness and denounced it.
Though he had returned to being Cardinal even now, three years ago, the man had once lost his standing.
With cold eyes, the young Sister looked at the man whose face was completely red and was giving out a yell.
◇
「Haa……Damn it all.」
I, who had finished breakfast at the Puppy’s Cry, while suffering a slight depression, was arranging my preparations for departure.
If you’re asking the reason I’ve become depressed, ……it’s about the second names that somehow increased.
Having won the war, Luxeria had a revelry where even the many nations’ heads, the really distinguished people, had congregated.
At the time when I was eating my breakfast before my departure at the Puppy’s Cry, which was no exception and was overflowing with customers that were celebrating the victory, I heard that, even if I didn’t want to.
The rumor-loving self-proclaimed well-informed people sat together at a table and told the men about the Glard Wasteland Battle.
Luxeria’s Heroes had――――
Leezerion’s Azure Sky Knight had―――
As the topics changed from one thing to another, suddenly in the middle of it,
The Preceding Hero had――――
The man calling himself the Darkness Executioner had―――――
it changed and fixed onto the subject of me. Well, there’s no helping that the people that know about the rumors don’t know that the Executioner and the Preceding Hero are the same person, but since both of them are about me, I’m so embarrassed I feel like I could die.
Luxeria Hero………Pretty Boy-kun and the others have probably been thoroughly talked about.
Leonhart is also famous after all………I guess you could say that it’s obvious that the only information that didn’t spread around among all that was the story of Darkness Executioner = me, and that the Preceding Hero that saved the world a few years ago = me.
Various speculations flew about especially regarding the Darkness Executioner.
Wielding twin blades dyed in blood, an overwhelming fight like an executioner, just like how he named himself―――that was without a doubt a demon.
…Is what they say.
Though other various rumors are arbitrarily streaming about, it seems that the theory that a Mazoku had changed to the Human’s side was especially supported.
Well, it looks like a big part of the reason for that is because he defeated the Duke-class Terakio, who couldn’t be defeated by a simple human, alone. (Though in actuality, he only retreated).
At the time he was called the eighth Duke-class, the muscles along my spine shuddered. W, Way too embarrassing.
I thought that I had more or less gotten used to the Chuuni manner since this was a different world but, hearing the talk those men were having, experiencing awkwardness and embarrassment from that full blown Chuuni conversation, I felt like I’d die in agony. I will never return to being a Chuunibyou, never.
However, as I was stuffing my cheeks with the hardening bread while I tried to ignore their talking voices, I learned the shocking truth.
「Oh yeah, my son that went out into the war said that he saw the guy. Said that he was a black clothed swordsman that mowed down enemies like a windstorm.」
「Haha, a windstorm huh. That’s a perfectly fitting phrase. The Darkness Executioner is being called Storm Bringer by the country’s distinguished people and by the guys in the Guild.」
「What!? ……The Darkness Executioner belongs to the Guild, right? So that means that he has two Guild second names?」
「It seems that it’s informal but they say that’s what the Guild Master said.」
「Well, I guess if you defeat a Duke Class, it’ll get attached even if you don’t want it to…」
Storm Bringer.
「S, Storm Bringer they say, Storm Bringer they say!!」
I was fainting in agony at my own Chuuni name in the room where I had finished arranging my things, and was rolling around on the bed.
Incidentally, right now I have Adventurer-style leather equipment garments. As if I’d ever wear something like black robes ever again.
「Oya, you’re not together with Lililuri-chan today?」
As I descended to the first floor of the Puppy’s Cry, the landlady spit out the same exact words that she said this morning.
「Didn’t I tell you that she’d be staying at an acquaintance’s place?」
「What the heck, and here I thought you were abandoned.」
While I looked at the landlady that was making a hearty *Kahaha* laugh with a sidelong glance, I carried my luggage bag on my back and left the Puppy’s Cry behind.
The main street of Luxeria that was flourishing in victory was once again in revelry. As I pass through the congestion that was in the middle of the festival’s precession state and arrive at the Guild, I notice that the reception desk had returned to the usual Busty-chan.
As if she had noticed my glance, she smiled sweetly looking at me.
「I have been entrusted with a letter from the Guild Master, Norn.」
She had a business smile.
「From Baba-cha……N, Norn-sama?」
As I was about to say Baba-chan, an extreme bloodlust from Busty-chan was poured on me for only an instant.
Is Busty-chan a person that has faith in Baba-chan?[1]
I have memory of a young Baba-chan’s kid Elf boy also giving me an extreme glare before.[2]
When I asked, since she nodded, I took the stationary and open the seal.
◇
【First of all, I would like to apologize for not seeing you off. The managing of the postwar matters have been much too urgent and I am unable to leave my principal residence.
And then, since there were too many things that I thought I should write and that I wished to write in the letter, I was troubled.
Now then, this is about what you are probably particularly worried about, but be at ease.
The Holy Capital has yet to accurately perceive your existence from this time’s case.
Thinking “Was it a Mazoku?” of the suspicious swordsman that was you, they still have not noticed that it was the Preceding Hero.
In regards to the Darkness Executioner, he will be treated as one under my direct control. This way, they will not be able to easily lay a hand on you.
It will hang a topic that will not die out of interest for them. As long as you do not flashily go wild to a certain extent, not only the Preceding Hero, they probably will not notice that you are the Darkness Executioner. Be at ease, and go slowly tour the world.
Also, since I thought that it would prove useful in your travels, I have enclosed your next Guild Card. If you use this, you will be able to pull out several millions of Cash from the Guild. Should you run into any kind of trouble, be sure to use this. Also, at the times I will dispatch you as the Darkness Executioner, this Guild Card will shine red. I would like you to use that as a signal.
Safe travels.
To my dear favorite pupil】
◇
In Baba-chan’s forte of cursive that was to the point of being beautiful, she was probably holding in the laughter as was writing around the part of the Darkness Executioner. I can see her squirming around like an earthworm.
Even though it’s a deeply emotional kind of letter, various things are disappointing!
Hn? That reminds me, I thought that the stationary was heavy but it did say something about a card being enclosed, didn’t it.
As I immediately thrust my finger inside the stationary to try and pull out the contents, a single sheet of paper together with a black-dyed card come out.
「It is the Guild Master authorized Guild Card of the Guild’s highest rank SS. The pocket watch drawn on the card is this Luxeria Guild’s mark, and for those Guild members that possess the Guild Mark, they are under the Guild Master of that Mark’s direct control, a so-called right-hand man treatment of sorts.」
The pocket watch Guild Mark that was drawn abstractly was drawn with gold, and not only the mark but the letters were also golden.
As I gazed at it thinking that it had a high class feeling to it in some respects, Busty-chan explained it to me.
「A Guild Mark……Is someone like me really alright?」
Isn’t it just to make me fight with a sign on my back?
I probably shouldn’t say this but this is completely for places other than battle, you know?
「If Guild Master Norn thinks you to be worthy of entrusting it to you, there will be no objections to it.」
「Entrust, huh. ……That reminds me, what could this one be.」
After gazing at the black card once again, I look at the single sheet of paper. Having been folded into fourths, when I open it,
【P.S.
Go to the stable that you used before.
That and if you’re still thinking of where to go, my recommendation is the Southern Gehl Archipelago, you know?
You can see your favorite women’s swimsuits as much as you like after all.】
is what was shortly written.
「Recommendation, is it. ………Thank you very much.」
For me who has had bitter experiences with the word “recommendation”, collecting my sour face that was distorted like it were chewed up, I somehow control it down to a wry smile and said my thanks to Busty-chan.
「We’ll be awaiting for your next visit.」
………Damn it~, when you say that with such a broad smile, it just makes me want to come back again!
While feeling sympathy with the mentality of the Ossans that frequently visit the cabaret clubs all around the world, I leave the Guild.
The next place that I headed to was old man Gold’s workshop.
Having headed straight there after returning from the battlefield, I came to recover the two crystal swords that I handed to him.
「O~I, is the shitty gramps in~!!?」
「Yer too noisy, ya shitty brat!」
As I entered the workshop that had weapons lying about and shouted out, I was immediately returned with a large voice.
「So you’ve come, ya damned shitty brat. Usin’ precious items that other people poured their all into until it’s a mess!」
The geezer that appeared while kicking away the weapons was angry to the point of his face turning red. Could it be that a huge defect appeared on the crystal sword that he handed me?
「There was no helping that. I fought against both that Terakio and Flam…no, Agniera you know? Rather, it’s amazing that they didn’t break.」
「That’s because it’s a weapon that I forged.」
Just as I praised him, his mood lightened up.
「So, is it fixed up?」
When I ask that, he replied with his nose with a *Hmph* and threw the twin swords in their scabbards at me.
「Thanks.」
「Brat, is it true that yer leavin’ this town?」
As I said my thanks for what I received, he returned with a question.
「Yeah. ……Though this time, me coming to Luxeria was something like an accident, well, it’s just about the right time, so I was thinking of slowly touring the world.」
Since he had asked with a serious face, I answered honestly.
If I were to be under Baba-chan’s patronage, I probably wouldn’t have to worry about various things. But, I was thinking that I wanted to see this world that has become peaceful.
Though the Demon Lord Army is moving, the Demon Lord is sealed. You could say that this is peaceful enough.
「That so. ……If the condition of your sword gets bad, come see me again.」
Saying only that, the old man went back inside the workshop.
「……Thank you.」
The old man probably didn’t hear, but I left behind some words of thanks and left the shop.
Translator’s Notes:
[1] “Has faith in” as in something along the lines of a worshiper or something.
[2] “Baba-chan’s kid” is supposed to be something similar to mama’s boy.