Chapter 49 The Best Heroic In The World
Even though I live in the city, I've never really felt how good or bad the air is.
I know I'm not great at reading the mood. I often say what I think because I admire it, which makes it hard to keep pace with everyone around me.
But even I could feel how heavy the air was in Korghi Village just by stepping in.
"This is Korghi Village."
"Yes. Normally, I should welcome you, but..."
(It's so dark. The villagers' faces and the air... it's like rock bottom.)
As we moved, I saw shadows of people under the evening sky, and everyone was looking down. It felt cold, like spring warmth was far away.
Considering the problems Korghi Village is facing, maybe it makes sense.
The villagers who noticed us all had dark expressions.
"Village head, welcome back! So, how was it?"
"Unfortunately, the knight order couldn't help us... I'm sorry."
"Really? So it's true that the knights are corrupt?"
"What about our village? What about the kids!? Are we just going to be wiped out?!"
"But please calm down! These 2 knights came all the way from the city for us!"
"Two knights? That's not enough! Come on, Ms. Hauchi! Even with dozens of people searching, we found nothing! Just 2 more won't change anything!"
"Ms. Hauchi, even after you left the village, the damage kept happening. It's over. It's really over..."
"Stop! It's not decided yet!"
The atmosphere was clearly not welcoming.
I mean, if they were expecting a group of knights in shining armor, then seeing just the two of us must have been a letdown.
Maybe it was a mistake to come in regular clothes since we took this job without permission.
"Everyone, please calm down."
"Village head! How can we calm down at a time like this?!"
"Even if the person I brought is the 'Ash Valkyrie'?"
"Ash Valkyrie!?"
"Is that the one who saved Fjikra from the beasts?"
"Not just Fjikra. I heard she defeated beasts in the Thermite Mining Town to the west too."
"I've heard that too. But I didn't know she became a knight... I thought it was just a story from a bard."
With Shura's reputation, the villagers' eyes clearly started to shine with hope.
Wow, how famous is Shura? It seems like she has achievements not just in the port town but elsewhere too.
"Damn, a celebrity!" (That's cool, getting all this attention.)
"Shut up. What, do you want an autograph?"
"Yeah, no."
As for Shura, she didn't show off or act proud in front of the admiring looks. She just stayed cool.
Ugh, that confidence. It's frustrating. But she also looks really cool.
I guess she really is the rival of the protagonist.
It seems like she's already on the path I want to take.
"So, what about the guy next to her?"
"Uh, I don't know. Isn't he just her escort?"
"Her partner?"
"No way, I've never heard of the Ash Valkyrie having one."
"Who is he...?"
(...Alright, let's do this.)
But even if my rival is way ahead of me, I won't just give up.
I can't shrink back for the sake of someone else's heroic tale; that's not what a protagonist does.
So I step forward.
I straighten my back and face the villagers who are looking at me with confusion.
"Listen up! Sure, I don't have the fame or the achievements of the Gray Valkyrie. I'm just a nobody right now."
"Who are you calling a girl?"
"Hmph... but that's just for now. Mark my words, villagers!"
Yes. From here on, it's my turn.
"My name is Hiiro Merifar! I'm gonna be the best knight in this whole damn country. No, scratch that--I'll surpass even Leonhart and the Ash Valkyrie! I'll become the strongest! So you'd better start preparing the party now!"
The current situation isn't what they expected. That's fine.
It's all good. Rising from here is what makes a true hero's journey.
"I'll put an end to this nightmare. Count on it!"
Alright, let's not just talk big.
Should I show them who I really am?
* * *
"That's how I feel about it."
"Huh?"
"The first thing we need to do is ask around."
"Huh? What's with the attitude?" (Eh, is there a problem?)
"Nothing. It just throws me off when you act all serious even though you're usually so rough around the edges."
"What the hell's that supposed to mean? You're so high and mighty when it comes to complaining." (This is just nit-picking at this point)
Is it really necessary to always rain on my parade?
Even while grumbling, I'm being pretty honest about my feelings. As for Shura, they leaned back in their chair without a hint of guilt about how they spoke to me.
Throwing me off, huh? I guess in Shura's eyes, I'm just the type who charges in looking for clues instead of doing the boring interviews.
(Don't underestimate me, Shura. I've read tons of stories to learn what it means to be a hero, and I've definitely tackled mysteries too.)
The basics of investigation are "asking around." Whether it's a detective story or a crime drama, getting clues for tough cases is super important. You know how the experienced pros say: you gotta gather info by getting out there.
That's why we're visiting the homes of villagers involved in the case.
"Um..."
"Yeah. Sorry for interrupting. That girl tends to snap at everything, so just ignore him."
"Don't talk about me like I'm a dog."
"Shut up, it's true. Anyway, let me double-check... Let me confirm. Your kid's friend was with the second victim, right? He was playing some kind of adventure with the missing merchant family's third son?"
"...Yeah."
The person who nodded with a tired face was the mother of the merchant's third son's friend.
She probably hasn't slept much. The mother quietly told us what happened.
"My son and Kumin have played together a lot since they were little. They called it an exploration team and would go exploring around the village. So, that day, they probably thought they were going on an adventure... They gathered at the village's shared graveyard."
"Exploring a graveyard? That's one hell of a hobby."
"No, they met at the graveyard because they planned to explore the forest beyond it... That forest is where Emu first went missing."
"Emu... the first kid who vanished. So, what, they thought they'd find her by playing hero?"
But this wasn't just a game anymore; it turned into a real problem.
Even if they thought it was half play, it's a heavy situation.
"That forest has a lot of wild plants, but it's also really dense and hard to see through... Even adults can get lost if they go too deep. I heard my son got separated from Kumin as they went further in."
"...So that's when the merchant's third kid disappeared too?"
"...Yes. I'm sorry, I know I should let my son talk directly, but..."
As she spoke, she stared at the closed door. Behind it was her son, who was probably feeling down because his friend was missing.
It's understandable. Given how serious the situation is, it makes sense he'd feel crushed by guilt and fear.
Of course, I don't blame him. Shura seemed to feel the same way, quietly closing their eyes.
"And, I don't know if this will help, but..."
"What is it?"
"After they got separated, my son said he heard something strange."
"Strange how?"
"...A song."
"...A song?"
As I tried to piece everything together in my head, this new info caught both me and Shura off guard.
A song deep in the dense forest? What's that about?
It felt like these two strange factors were making the mysterious events in this village even creepier.
"What's your read on this, Shura?"
"If that 'song' isn't just a hallucination, then something other than a person is involved. That's what I feel... and it's unsettling."
"...Hmph. Sounds like it's about to get interesting."
Even if we can't say we have all the information, we can see a starting point now.
The rule for investigation is to take the long way around. If you've already gone through the hassle of taking the long route, then you can just take the shortest way from there.
"Let's check out that forest."
Honestly, I don't really like taking the long way. I'm kind of bad with directions.
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