Shinwa Densetsu no Eiyuu no Isekaitan (LN)

Vol 13 Chapter 3 Part 2

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ED: LonelyMatter

Part 2

The room was furnished with a cheap, not particularly expensive desk, a chair of similar material, and bookshelves on all four walls filled with a large number of books. The room was probably cleaned on a regular basis, but even so, when you looked at the details, you could see that dust had accumulated.

There was nothing special about it, and it was just like any other study in Fort Taoen.

The only thing that could be mentioned was that perhaps because the military was a man’s world, the cleaning also seems a bit rough. It was not disorganized. But it was not neat either. It was a vague, unfinished state of perfection.

In such a room, Liz sat in a chair with a book in her hand and her eyes closed. A white wolf slept at her feet as if protecting her.

A small shadow approached her――,

“Liz, the rendezvous has been safely completed. I’m rushing my men to reorganize. Is everything okay here?”

Trea Luzandi Aura von Bunadhara.

She was the daughter of the Bunadhara family, a noble family based in the western region of Grantz.

After graduating from the Imperial Training School with the highest honors, she was selected as the youngest member of the staff of the Commander of the Third Imperial Army.

At the same time, she was involved in the invasion of Felzen with her then-superior, Third Prince Blutar, and made great achievements that led to her promotion to the position of Chief of Staff.

After being selected as Chief of Staff, she used her exceptional wits to devise, execute, and succeed in a series of clever and cunning maneuvers, and in the blink of an eye, she had carved up Felzen’s territory.

In praise of her accomplishments, the Third Prince Blutar named her the “War Maiden,” after the second Grantz Emperor, known as the “God of War.” Her talent was undeniable, and though she was a woman, she now enjoyed her fame as chief strategist for Liz, who was now a candidate to become the next Emperor.

“Liz?”

Aura shook her shoulder as she approached, perhaps thinking that Liz, who did not respond to her voice, was suspicious when she moved away from the entrance.

“Liz, are you asleep again?”

“No, I’m awake.”

Suddenly, Liz replied calmly, without any sign of surprise.

Aura, on the other hand, was surprised. She jumped back two steps, and the impact of her foot on the floor shook the pile of books on the desk.

By the time she realized what had happened, it was too late.

The wall of books easily collapsed and crumbled to the floor.

The deafening noise seemed to wake Cerberus, who was sitting at Liz’s feet, and she shook her head at her surroundings as if to say it was an enemy attack.

“I’m sorry I startled you. I was just using the power of my ‘eye’ for a moment…”

When Liz replied, holding her forehead, Aura picked up the book that had fallen to the ground.

“I see… don’t be too careless. But it is rare to see Liz reading. Besides, what the heck is the story of Grantz?”

The books in Liz’s hands, including the one on the floor, were all about the Grantz family.

Despite being a member of the Imperial family, Liz did not think well of the Grantz family.

She despised her father, who invaded other countries, and she lost her mother in the Inner Palace Massacre that took place while her father was away, so it was not to say that she disliked the Emperor, who had promoted an expansionist line, but she certainly had not enjoyed getting to know him.

“I know it’s a little late for this, but I was just curious to know what kind of people my ancestors were.”

“Then you can start with the Black Book. The history of the Grantz begins and ends with the God of War.”

“Oh, I’ve read it enough to know it by heart, don’t worry.”

Aura started to rifle through her own clothes, and Liz hurried to stop her.

“More importantly, you’re here for something else, aren’t you?”

“Yes, it’s something else. There is something I would like to discuss with you regarding the reorganization. I was looking for General Meteor.”

Having successfully diverted the conversation, Liz, inwardly relieved, put on an extremely calm expression and pointed to Cerberus, who was at her feet.

“Oh, she’s right there.”

Aura’s eyes were pierced by the glazed eyes of the white wolf, who opened her big mouth and yawned.

Aura, with some confusion in her eyes, tilted her head and turned to Liz and said.

“Are you sleepwalking?”

“Why?”

“…..That’s Cerberus.”

Aura gave her a questioning look, and Liz finally realized that Meteor had reverted to her Cerberus form.

“How can I explain it to you… Cerberus, can you change back to Meteor’s form?”

Liz spoke to the white wolf, but her wish went unheeded as she shook her head. It would have been possible to deceive Aura at this point, but she wanted to at least explain so that there would be no confusion later. So Liz decided to let Aura decide if she believed her or not and told Aura what had happened so far and who Cerberus really was.

“…I see, I don’t quite understand it yet, but I understand.”

Aura nodded with the same blank expression as always. It was impossible to tell from her expression if she was convinced or not. But judging by the reaction in her voice, she was probably half-convinced.

“If so, I’ll ask her about it later when she’s back in the form of General Meteor.”

“Ara, it looks like she will be back soon, so can’t you wait for her?”

After Liz said this, Cerberus rubbed her head against Aura’s leg with an apologetic look on her face.

“Understood.”

Aura nodded as she stroked Cerberus’ head and looked around the room.

“So, where’s Hiro?”

“I’ve put him in jail because I don’t want him to escape. I don’t know what would happen if Hiro went berserk, and besides, we wouldn’t need him for future operations.”

“To be honest, the more troops we have, the more help we will have. If it’s someone as good as Hiro, I’d like him to go to the front, but since we’re at this point, I ask you, why don’t you want him to fight?”

“That’s another difficult part, but I don’t think it’s a good idea not to tell Aura…”

With a troubled expression, Liz pressed her index finger to her forehead and began to mumble to herself as if trying to find her words. Aura tilted her head slightly at her attitude but waited, stroking Cerberus’ neck without hurrying.

Eventually――,

“Aura… would you believe me if I told you that Hiro is not an inhabitant of this world――he’s from the past?”

“I wouldn’t believe it if it were normal. But there’s a lot about Hiro that I doubt.”

“You don’t seem surprised.”

Cerberus was skeptical but surprisingly accepted it easily regarding Hiro.

Liz’s body relaxed as if she was losing strength. The tension she had felt earlier was gone.

“I have suspected for some time that Hiro might be the God of War. Though he seemed to want to keep it a secret, judging from his surroundings―the existence of the ‘Black Death Village,’ the conflict with the Six Kingdoms, and the attitude of the people he has dealt with so far―I had an inkling.”

“Well, then it’s a short story… And about Hiro…”

Liz trailed off at an odd point and looked at Cerberus as if to confirm something. Aura’s suspicion deepened at the gesture as if asking permission for something, and her brow furrowed slightly.

“Meteor says Hiro has stopped growing.”

“Stopped growing?”

“Yes. I couldn’t believe it either… it’s true.”

Hiro was prepared by the Faceless King as a vessel for the Black Dragon King, one of the Five Great Heavenly Kings.

He was transformed into a “Majin” by a trick of the Faceless King so that his body could withstand the power of the “Five Great Heavenly Kings.”

However, the Faceless King’s plan failed.

The Black Dragon King was taken in by Hiro in reverse.

Moreover, after obtaining “immortality” and “kingly power,” he began to take revenge on the “demon race,” and his tremendous momentum could not be stopped, and the Faceless King’s ambitions were crushed.

After that, Hiro returned to his original world, only to be summoned back by the “Spirit King.”

“But me and Meteor are still in doubt as to whether it was really the “Spirit King” who brought Hiro back.”

“What do you mean? Then who in the world brought him back?”

“I’m not sure, but I think it was the Faceless King.”

He created the demons; he created the monsters; he unleashed the flesh-eaters; he turned them into the marked ones.

Over the course of a thousand years, he created a dark group called “Black Death Village” to undermine the Grantz family.

The purpose of this group was unknown, but there was no doubt that they were trying to gain hegemony over the central continent.

After completing all the preparations in the present age, the Faceless King summoned Hiro back.

“To make him his own vessel.”

After fighting with the Faceless King for only a short time, he realized that Hiro’s body was incomplete. Whether it was incompatible with his current “vessel” or not, he had not been able to fully repair the arm that had been torn off.

The Black Death Village has been after Hiro from the beginning, and Queen Lucia told her that they came to take Hiro’s body from her in the battle three years ago.

In fact, Hiro had escaped, and the stolen body was a fake, but even after that, the “Black Death Village” continued to persistently target Hiro.

No, from the time Hiro reappeared in this world, the Black Death Village has been relentlessly targeting only him, using the First Prince Stobel and others to fill in the outer moat.

Or maybe they were trying to create a perfect “vessel” by putting him through trials.

Liz guessed that Hiro was the most suitable “vessel” for the Faceless King at the moment.

“So I’ll keep Hiro locked up. We can’t let him fight with the Faceless King.”

Aura listened quietly to Liz’s explanation, nodded several times, and looked up.

“That makes sense. If that’s the case, then Hiro and the Faceless King shouldn’t be allowed to meet.”

“Yes, and… according to Meteor, the ‘Five Great Heavenly Kings’ lost their original ‘vessels’ a thousand years ago. So even though they are “immortal,” they don’t have the power they had in their heyday.”

So even with their current strength, they could defeat the Faceless King.

Aura was about to accept Liz’s explanation but tilted her head.

“I understand that the ‘Five Great Heavenly Kings’ have lost their power because they do not have their original ‘vessels.’ But doesn’t Hiro, who has become the Black Dragon King, need a vessel?”

Aura asked,

“I will explain it to you.”

A clear voice and a blinding light filled the room at the same time.

Both Aura and Liz had no time to express their surprise. They closed their eyes, waited for the light to fade, and then opened them again to see a beautiful, topless woman standing with her hands on her hips in an imposing manner.

“First, Hiro is a “vessel”――”

And without a hint of shame, she started to speak, but her words were interrupted by the cloak thrust in front of her. She looked at the person offering it to her reproachfully as if to say, “You are tactless.” But suddenly, her gaze turned weak, and the animal ears on Meteor’s head flopped down.

“First, put this on.”

Under Liz’s sharp gaze, Meteor nodded and put the cloak on.

“We’re the only ones here, but you should still be ashamed.”

“I know, but… as a white wolf, I don’t in the habit of wearing clothes, so I tend to forget about it.”

Of course, even Meteor was not without shame. However, perhaps because she had spent so much time as a white wolf, she had become uncomfortable with clothing. Starting with the feeling of pressure, the feeling of sticking to her skin, and the feeling of rubbing against her skin when she moved, made her itchy and uncomfortable.

“Now that I have my cloak on, can I explain it to you?”

“Yes, please.”

With her permission, Meteor sat down on a nearby chair and crossed her legs. Where was that promising attitude from before? Liz and Aura listened to her without reproach, smiling bitterly at her quick change. 

“Normally, Hiro would have weakened just like the other ‘Five Great Heavenly Kings.’ To avoid this, Hiro needed a ‘vessel,’ but by using a certain means, he was able to become completely immortal without the need for a vessel. Hiro was the embodiment of perfect immortality.”

“Perfect immortality…”

Aura said the words without thinking. Maybe she had an ominous premonition. In all ages and cultures, there have been many powerful people who have sought ‘immortality.’ However, all of them have resorted to dubious techniques and medicines with disastrous results.

Above all, they did not seek “immortality” because they were afraid of dying.

They were afraid of losing the “wealth” they had accumulated over the years.

Therefore, there was no end to the number of people who continued to seek eternal life.

“First, Hiro became a “Majin” and obtained “immortality” by becoming a non-human. Next, he absorbed the power of the “Black Dragon King” and gained immense power in his body.

From then on, Hiro’s desire for more power grew, and he began to roam the battlefield as if possessed by something. He was aware of the signs of danger, but no one could stop him.

It was a known fact that he was acting to save the first princess shrine maiden, Rei.

“As the time of First Princess Shrine Maiden Rei’s death approached, Hiro’s actions became more and more extreme. He began to use his immortality as a test subject to place various curses on himself.”

Even so, Hiro was unable to save Rei.

Rei was killed at the hands of the Faceless King.

“I still remember that day. It was a day of heavy rain. Hiro and I were on different battlefields. We received a report that the castle where Rei-sama was recovering was under attack.”

Surrounded by allied territory, it was a safe zone and not a strategic point that the enemy would want.

However, the “demon race” were prepared to destroy the castle where the first princess shrine maiden, Rei, was recuperating and attacked it. The battle was won by the “human race” if you only look at the numbers.

“He rushed to the scene but couldn’t get there in time. When I caught up with Hiro, he was crying as he held Rei-sama’s body in his arms.”

Drenched by the rain, he continued to spit out his vengeance against this world, and yet, unable to give up hope, he continued to pray to the heavens.

But no help came, and Hiro’s heart broke as he felt Rei’s body temperature grow colder and colder.

“Then Hiro took Rei-sama into his Black Princess Camellia. To prevent her body from being used as a ‘vessel.'”

“The first princess shrine maiden was also a vessel?”

“Yes. She was the vessel of the Fairy King. I heard that the first emperor, His Majesty Altius, was the ‘vessel’ of the Spirit King.”

Meteor, who was thirsty, took a sip of water and, after moistening her throat, spoke again.

“After that, Hiro became obsessed with revenge. After torturing the twelve demon lords, he took the magic stone and decapitated the ‘vessel’ of the then Faceless King.”

By absorbing various powers or “curses,” Hiro no longer needed his “vessel,” but this allowed Hiro to exist.

“But because of this, Hiro’s existence and condition have become terribly ambiguous. The balance could be upset at any moment. That’s why it’s not a good idea to let him fight with the Faceless King right now.”

It was impossible to imagine what the situation would be like.

So the first priority was to defeat the Faceless King. Then they would have to find a way to break the “curse” within Hiro. Otherwise, his body would surely collapse in the near future.

“But that doesn’t mean today or tomorrow. It’s not too late to solve the current problem.”

“Well… the only thing left is whether Hiro will stay or not…”

“I don’t think that’s possible. That’s why I separated Hiro from the Black Princess Camellia.”

“I’ve asked Skaaha to keep an eye on him, so Hiro won’t be able to escape, but I think we should at least be on the lookout for him.”

“I’ll check on him later.”

“Yes, give him a lecture; that way, Hiro will feel better.”

Liz smiled at Aura.

At that moment.

There was a knock at the door of the room. The three looked at each other.

They might not have noticed it, but a deep voice echoed from the other side.

“It’s me, Ghada. I want to talk to you about something.”