The Simple Job of Only Perishing to the Hero

Book 4: Chapter 8

It was, a story from long ago.

It was a time where no one knew anything about Heroes and Demon Kings, and many people believed both today and tomorrow, the world would be blessed with peace.

Sincere, pure, and innocentIt was a story of when a pure white young girl was at the height of happiness.

Ria, Ria! Oi!

A young girl called Ria raised her head looking surprised as she sat down on a cloth spread out on the grass, and saw the young boy that was looking down at her.

The young girl had roundish blue eyes. Her hair was long, beautiful, and made into braids behind her.

Wearing a light colored dress, Ria was a young girl that the word sweet really suited.

She was famed as being the sweetest one among the young girls of the same age even in her village, and along with her cheerful personality that laughed often, Ria was loved by everyone in her village.

You, could it be, you were sleeping, werent you

I, I wasnt sleeping! I was watching properly!

Ria said that and flappingly waved her hands.

The place that the two of them were at was an open field that spread out near the village.

This open field didnt have a name, but going along with that, the village that the two of them lived in didnt have a name either.

It seemed to have the long-winded, temporary name of St. Altlis Kingdom Eastern Pioneer Village 1058, but the children other than Ria werent able to properly remember that. It was because they could just get by with just the Village.

As for why it still only had a temporary name, the newly appointed feudal lord was the cause.

Normally, pioneer villages that were newly opened up and had well-regulated lifestyle foundations would make an application to the feudal lord to become official villages.

Once recognized as a village by the feudal lord, they would become subjects to protection, and at the same time, the duty of paying taxes to the feudal lord would also come forth.

However, the newly appointed feudal lord was corrupt, and it seems that the village was told to hand over a high amount of money if it wanted to be officially recognized as a village.

Due to that, only the tax collector was properly handed overthat is what Ria had heard the adults of the village grumbling about.

On the night that she heard that story, Ria saw a dream where an amazing hero appeared at where the evil feudal lord that she had never seen was laughing with a *guhaha* and killed him with a sword.

When she spoke about that dream in the village, for some reason, the men had suddenly started practicing the sword.

They had the ulterior motive of trying to show off their good side to Ria, but there was no way that the Ria in question would understand that.

Since the men would start to talk to her and ask for her impression if she were to carelessly look at the scene of them doing sword practice, Ria felt like she had said things like Thats so cool and Thats amazing several times for the past two months.

Right now, the brown-haired young boy that was looking down at RiaTeg, was a young boy that was practicing the sword before the sword technique boom had happened in the village, and was someone that fell into the category of being Rias childhood friend.

Practicing in this open field was a daily routine, and his dream of someday becoming a knight in the royal capital was something Ria had heard tens of thousands of times.

Being told that he would improve better by being seen by others, she accompanied him in his training like this every day.

Since I brought a bento on his first day of practice, I guess he thought of me being on bento dutythat wasnt something she hadnt thought of, but she didnt hate watching Teg earnestly doing his practice.

The reason why she was spacing out today was due to the air being warm and the wind feeling good, and was by no means because she was bored. Probably.

No, its fine if thats the case. How was it, my sword, did I improve?

Eh? Y, yup. It was amazing!

Since she couldnt say I wasnt watching in the middle, Ria said that and produced a smile.

However, Teg, who should have just been praised, made a bitter face.

He held Rias head with both hands, put strength into them, and squished her face.

Im sure that it really was amazing. I did place my bokken on my head, and danced right in front of you after all!

Ow-ow-ow-ow! Eh, what did you say! Ow-ow-ow, that hurts! Hey Teg, wait, show that to me one more timeStop, I said that hurts!

After Ria kicked Tegs legs away, Teg went uoh, letting out a pathetic sounding voice, and flopped onto Ria.

Teg knocked Ria down just like that, and raised a groan.

Crushed by Tegs body, Ria suffered at the weight of it, and flapped her arms and legs about.

UuTeg, youre heavyYoure gonna flatten me.

Thathurtwait, uwah, s, sorry!?

Teg got away from her with his face being bright red.

Ria made a curious-looking face at that reaction, and immediately following that, suspiciously looked at Teg.

Saying, youre sorry. Could it be, Teg, you pushing me down just now, was on purpose?

Y, youre wrong! The reason why I apologized was because I got on top of you!

Thats because I kicked you and made you lose balance, isnt it. So were even, right? For you to apologize despite thatIsnt that proof you were thinking of something bad.

Youre wrong, wrong! I, as a man, and as someone who aims to be a knight, you see! Although it wasnt on purpose, to get on top of a girl is just!

Seeing Teg desperately justify himself, Ria let out a pfft.

Naturally, she understood that Teg didnt do it on purpose.

Knowing that Teg had that all too serious part to him, she teased him.

And then, when Teg understood that he was being teased, his red face went even redder.

Y, you! I seriously felt bad about that, you know!

S, sorry, sorry. I mean, Teg, youre so funny after all.

Calling me funny, you

After Teg said that with a complicated-looking expression, he changed the topic looking like he just remembered something.

Come to think of it, did you see the guy staying at the old geezers house?

Jeez, it isnt old geezer, but Village Chief. And by the person staying there, you mean him, right, the swordsman-sama that came to the village yesterday

In the village chiefs house, a traveller that came in last night was staying there right now.

He was a silver haired man that wore plain but beautiful armor, and carried an expensive looking sword.

The women of the village were stirred by his beauty, and the men of the village let out voices of admiration at the genuine swordsman atmosphere that he had.

I also only got a look at his back from a distance but. That was, a genuine swordsmanPlus, I can see him as a knight commander. He aint some average guy.

Saying stuff like that againTeg, you say that, but you picked a fight with Mul-san the woodcutter not too long ago, didnt you.

Th, that was because old man Mul did such misleading things!

Saying stuff like even if you say that Im wrong, I can tell that youve done a lot of sword training

Uwah! Uwah!

Ria nimbly stood up and evaded Teg who tried to cover up Rias mouth with a red face on.

Getting a few steps away just like that, she started to reproduce Tegs lines from that time along with gestures.

Thats right, I have something like an intuition that only those that can use swords would understand! At that time, I clearly felt it

St, stop it! Im begging you, Ria, please forget that!

Evading Teg whose face had become redder than ever before and tried to stop her, Ria started to run away while laughing sounding like she was having fun.

Not long after the two of them had started chasing one another

Ah.

Whoops.

Ria bumped into a blunt, silver wall that had suddenly appeared in front of her.

Getting repelled back just like that and losing her balance, Ria ended up unexpectedly falling back.

Ah, wah, ooh!?

Whoa.

A hand that stretched out from that silver wall firmly supported Rias body.

With her chest pounding as she thought that she was going to fall, Ria looked at the silver wall that saved her.

No, what she thought was a wall was silver armor that covered the chest.

After looking up, she saw that the one that saved her was a man with short silver hair and blue eyes.

As if matching with his beautiful features, his body was also well-trained and sturdy.

He wore firmly sewn and robust-looking clothes, and a real sword hung at his waist.

Ria stared at that beautiful mans face.

Are you alright?

Eh? Y, yes. Thank you very much.

After Ria flusteredly replied, the man, while laughing, had Rias body, which he was holding up, stand up with skillful movements.

Keep your tomboyishness in moderation.

The man said that, tousled and patted Rias head, and was about to turn around.

I, Im Ria! I am, call Ria!

Suddenly getting a self-introduction from Ria, the man stopped moving.

Whoops, I see. I am Al. Unfortunately, Im not a knight commander thoughJust a travelling swordsman.

Nwah

Teg, who was unable to keep up with the situation and was repeatedly opening and closing his mouth, heard the mans words and his face turned red.

Seeing that, Al mischievously shrugged his shoulders.

Although Teg was excited by the fact that a genuine swordsman had suddenly appeared before him, he took a deep breath and calmed himself down.

Al looked quite younger than Teg thoughtbut that being said, he was probably three or four years older than Teg who had just become fourteen.

Teg resolutely called out to Al.

UmAl-san! I am Teg!

Ou, so youre Teg. Im Al, nice to meet you.

Al showed a lighthearted smile to Teg who was looking at him with a gaze of aspiration.

And then, Al moved his gaze to the bokken in Tegs hand.

Hey, Teg. This village is a normal pioneer village, right?

Eh?

No, its nothing that big but. I can kind of see scenes of bokkens being wielded here and there. There was even a bokken in the village chiefs house. I was asked about a sword secret art or something by the son there

D, did you teach him one!?

Seeing Teg press him for an answer, Al lightly raised up both hands and stepped back.

Oi, oi, dont get so excited. Im not a guy that can speak of secret arts and so forth.

Is, is that so

So, what is with this village?

Making a sidelong glance at Teg who was visibly dejected, Al asked the question to Ria.

Nn, its a normal village. As for the sword, its something like a recent craze.

Hn? Ah, but speaking about normal villages. I heard that this place was still a pioneer village. Is that true?

Yes, it is St. Altlis Kingdom Eastern Pioneer Village 1058.

Thats also pretty strange. With it being this properly developed, wouldnt it be alright to apply for a village name?

Certainly, it was just as Al had said, but it turned into a situation where the village name application wasnt approved, and only the tax collector came.

Having only taxes be collected despite not being recognized as a village would originally be strange, but with the feudal lord, who they should normally be appealing to for help, being their opponent, there was nothing that they could do.

After receiving that explanation, Al made a difficult-looking face.

Hn, thats pretty corrupt. Incidentally, what was the name that was applied for?

ErmVillage Chief-san said it wasGioleru Village.

Heeh!

Seeing Als reaction of raising his voice sounding somehow impressed, Teg and Ria both exchanged glances.

Al-san. Was there something incredible about that name just now?

Village Chief-san said that it didnt have any particular meaning though.

Hearing the words of those two, Al chuckled.

Thats, well, he was probably embarrassed and passed it off.

Seeing that the two didnt understand the meaning of it and start to worry, Al said dont tell anyone about this as a preface and then whispered.

You see, Giolerus is a coined word that appeared in a verse of an old heroic tale. If I remember correctly, it had the meaning ofa shining future.