The thought of meeting the past heroes had been on my mind since the day I encountered the skeleton.
There were many reasons for this.
One reason was that the various items they possessed could be useful not only for me but for the people around me as well.
Another reason, similar to how the skeleton I met in the academy’s underground seemed to offer me valuable skills, was the possibility that they could provide me with powerful abilities.
But above all, the biggest reason was simply that I wanted to meet them.
Though they were mere fakes who imitated heroes, they were nonetheless heroes in a way that no one could deny. I believed that meeting them, talking with them, wielding weapons alongside them, and asking for their advice could help me take another step forward.
According to the original plan, I should have already met all of them by now, but too much had happened during the break, so I had missed the opportunity to meet them.
The memories from that time were precious to me, so I didn’t regret it, but it was hard not to feel bothered by the fact that the meetings I had longed for were delayed.
Now that I had the chance to venture into an external dungeon, I was planning to meet them whenever I had the time. As I listened to my friends and Lina’s conversation, I immediately thought of the name of the old hero.
The name of the great archmage who had created miracles with his magic.
He was the great magician, Erginus, who had stood on the front lines of the battle against the Evil Gods and was hailed as the one who established modern magic. He could certainly be of great help to Joy in her magical endeavors.
Even though he was only a fake who had imitated the original, what he had inside was no different from the real deal.
<Erginus, huh? A name I haven’t heard in a while.>
While I was preparing to go to where the archmage’s doll was waiting, I asked my grandfather what kind of person Erginus had been.
I had some knowledge of the old hero, but I trusted my grandfather’s insight over what I knew. After all, he had been there with him.
‘What kind of person was he?’
<Hmm. It’s hard to describe him. He was such a crazy fellow that it’s difficult to summarize him in one word.>
‘Do I really need a summary?’
<It’s just that I can’t think of a word to accurately describe him.>
After thinking for a long time, my grandfather finally gave up with a sigh.
<I’ll just tell you about the things he did, and you can imagine the rest.>
‘Okay.’
<He once yelled at the god of magic, saying, “What do you know?” He tried to dissect the Evil Gods to learn where their power originated. When his golem broke, he cried for three days, giving it a funeral. When a plague spread in a city, he suggested burning everyone alive. He trapped the Fairy Forest in an eternal dream. And then...>
‘Wait. Did all of that really happen?’
<If you’re surprised by just this, you’ll have trouble. This is just a glimpse of the countless incidents he caused.>
I finally understood why my grandfather had been so hesitant.
Erginus’ stories were so varied.
Some were quite heroic. Others made him seem like a madman obsessed with magic. Some made one wonder if he had sided with the Evil Gods.
Could a person really be so multidimensional? At this point, it felt like he had reached the fourth dimension!
<Honestly, I’m against you meeting him. I don’t think he’ll tolerate your tone.>
‘...What should I do?’
<What should you do? Leave it to your friends and stay hidden. Otherwise, you could just smash his head with a mace.>
My grandfather’s suggestion, that it would be better to let my friends handle it, was one I had to nod at.
<Ah. It might help if you take Lina with you.>
‘Why would the perverted fox help? Is she interested in the forest’s powers?’
<No. When Lina takes human form, her appearance is closer to his taste.>
‘...That’s really helpful advice. I’ll keep that in mind.’
As I prepared to meet the hero, I didn’t slack off on my own training either.
I had rolled and tumbled so much that it had become ingrained in me, and now it felt uncomfortable when I wasn’t doing it.
Living in the Arln family naturally meant being gaslighted.
A noble family forcing a young girl to do hard work.
Thinking about it like this, it sounded quite disturbing.
In reality, the Arln Knight Order was just a group of knights obsessed with training and self-accomplishment.
If those guys had the choice, they’d probably rather swing a sword than go meet a woman.
Anyway, back to the point: recently, I had been working on developing my blunt techniques and trying to narrow down the discomfort I felt.
I could only ask for advice from the “Addition Skill” once a day.
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So, in order to make the most of that opportunity, I had to solve as much as I could on my own.
This was my way of using limited time and opportunities efficiently, but there was one problem.
Because I had decided to use the Addition Skill only when it was truly, truly necessary, I often ended up not using it until the day was almost over.
It was like saying you’d only use a potion when it’s really important, only to realize at the end of the game that you’ve been holding onto it the whole time.
<Just use it if it seems unclear. Complaining about it at midnight when you could have used it earlier is something that only happens a couple of times.>
‘But I feel like if I move a bit more, I’ll find a way through!’
<Sigh. It looks like I’ll have to listen to your complaints again tonight.>
I was about to retort back in the same tone when I lost my concentration, staggered, and fell over.
Ugh. I was in the flow, but my grandfather broke it.
I felt like I was so close to realizing something.
<Stop babbling. You still have a long way to go.>
‘...Please stop beating me! Why do you have to torment this little girl so much?! Grandfather, you’re such a devil!’
<If you have the energy to complain, get up and swing the mace again. This time...>
“Agh, Miss. Are you okay?”
Just as I was thinking about what to say to annoy my grandfather, a voice came from above.
I turned my gaze slightly and saw Cal holding a towel. I reached out my arm and took the towel carefully from his hands.
Ever since my arm was broken last time, Cal had been incredibly tense whenever he came into contact with me, like a fragile glass ball that would break with a touch.
I didn’t understand why he was so cautious when, among knights, that kind of injury seemed like an everyday occurrence.
“Did you finish what you were told to do?”
“Yes. I’ve submitted the dungeon exploration request.”
“Did the scum over there say anything?”
“He seemed a bit surprised when he saw the area, but when he saw Lady’s name, he nodded.”
That passed? I thought it would be rejected at least once.
I had even planned to threaten the dean to get it through.
The place where Erginus’ doll resides wasn’t exactly somewhere one could just walk into carelessly.
It’s true I’ve built a lot up to now, but I didn’t think I’d be allowed in that easily.
Hmm. Well, it doesn’t matter.
As long as the result is good, I’ll take it.
“Then I’ll head back now. It’s the beginning of the semester, so I have a lot to do as a professor.”
After Cal left, I stood up and grabbed my mace again.
With my current level of skill, there’s no time to rest. If I have a chance, I need to swing my mace just a little more.
<Lucy. I suddenly remembered something, but when we met Ganshu last time, you asked for the blessing of the God of Martial Arts, right? Did you receive it?>
‘Not yet. That guy Ganshu... maybe because he’s a hermit holed up in the library, he seems to need to mentally prepare before going out.’
<...Wasn’t what you said to him during your meeting translated into something like a blessing?>
‘By the middle of it, I was speaking from the heart.’
<Sigh. Honestly, I’m glad you’re the Apostle of the Divine. Otherwise, I don’t know how many curses would’ve fallen upon you.>
Listening to my grandfather’s complaints, I shrugged my shoulders and swung my mace again.
As Lucy was preparing to meet Erginus’ doll, the others weren’t idle.
Joy, Arthur, and Phoebe were gathered in a private room, putting their heads together.
Before seeking advice from someone, they were working on solidifying their own ideas.
“If we go without knowing anything, we won’t even know what to ask. So at least we need to figure out what we need to confirm.”
“I’ve already asked the magic professors and brought back related books.”
“I also went to the academy’s bishop to get advice on the Void’s powers. After the last incident, the bishop was already well-versed in the matter.”
These three geniuses were beginning their efforts to build something from nothing.
They were working to get proper advice from a great magician, one who Lucy could confidently talk about.
“But who exactly is this great magician Lucy talks about? I can’t think of anyone who fits the description.”
“I don’t know either. As a member of the Partlan family, I know many magicians, but no one comes to mind who could advise on the Void’s powers. Since Lucy said it, it must be true, but...”
“The things Lucy is pushing forward are quite extraordinary. Could it be that she’ll meet the old hero Erginus?”
“Haha. Saint, that’s a bit far-fetched, don’t you think?”
“That’s right. Phoebe, how could we meet a person from a legend?”
“Right?”
“But if we could meet him, that would be wonderful. Meeting such a great magician and nobleman would be an honor in itself.”