Shinwa Densetsu no Eiyuu no Isekaitan (LN)

Here’s the chapter. Enjoy~

ED: LonelyMatter

Part 3

“I heard that Aura-dono has just arrived. I hope she’s not too upset about your stupid appearance.”

It was Skaaha who shook her shoulders as if trying to stifle a laugh. From the standpoint of being thrown in jail, Hiro could only smile bitterly because he deserved it.

Behind Skaaha, the soldiers on guard had returned from their meal.

The soldiers were surprised to see Skaaha laughing at the sight of Hiro being held captive.

It was not surprising at all, for Skaaha was laughing at the king of a country that has a Spirit King without reservation.

For those who believe in spirits, this would be nothing short of disrespectful.

However, unable to warn Skaaha, they watched the exchange between the two with a sense of confusion and concern for Skaaha’s well-being.

“I’m sure she will hit you with the corner of the Black Book. It’s surprisingly thick, so you should be prepared for some destructive force.”

“…..I don’t think she will use the Black Book as a weapon.”

“That’s the extent of her anger. After that, she will force you to continue reading the Black Book. And when you’re done, she’ll probably make you write a book report on it.”

“That’s scary.”

Aura’s passion for the God of War was immense. Seeing the way Hiro looked now, there was no doubt that she would make him read the Black Book. Such a future would be fun, but the ravages of time had not let Hiro off the hook.

“…Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll have time to read the Black Book.”

Hiro said as he looked at Skaaha’s back.

The calm atmosphere of the past was gone.

After noticing the sudden change, Skaaha must have felt the presence behind her as well.

She turned around with the Ice Emperor in her hand.

“Who…?”

Skaaha fell to the ground as if hit by something.

The soldiers on guard also crashed into the wall as if blown by the wind.

In an instant, the corridor was filled with unconscious soldiers.

In the midst of such an unusual scene, an even stranger presence stood.

“Finally… you’ve appeared.”

What appeared in Hiro’s vision was a girl. In her hand, she held a flower as red as a flame, a flower called “lotus,” which only bloomed in the north under special circumstances.

“Why did you ignore my advice?”

It was a voice that sounded too strange for a girl less than ten years old to speak.

It was difficult to tell the gender of the voice from its hoarse quality, like an old man’s, yet like an old woman’s. If you ignored what you heard, you’d say she was a very, very pretty girl, but if you closed your eyes, the creepy voice would confuse you.

But Hiro was not swayed.

Not only because he knew her but also because she was the one he had been waiting for.

“Long time no see, Spirit King; where have you been hiding?”

The girl called Spirit King hung a single flower―a lotus―on the iron bars.

“Answer my question. Why didn’t you do what I told you? I warned you many times.”

When told in an arrogant and insolent manner, Hiro snickered and said provocatively.

“If I do that, the Five Great Heavenly Kings will once again fight for supremacy in this world. That would mean that the battle of a thousand years ago would have been in vain… I can’t let that happen. So, the Five Great Heavenly Kings―Spirit King, I’ve decided to destroy your plans first.”

“I see…”

The reply was terribly empty. It was so faint that even Hiro, whom she was talking to, was deceived as to whether or not she really existed right in front of him.

But this was the Five Great Heavenly Kings.

She has a lifeless expression like a doll, never showed her emotions, and seemed to see through everything, the only exception being the “Black Dragon King”―she was the only one who was not afraid to express her joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure to anyone. The other Five Great Heavenly Kings reacted the same way as the Spirit King. To the Five Great Heavenly Kings who had no interest in others, who only pursued their own desires, and who mercilessly struck down their brothers and sisters, the people of this world were nothing more than fragile toys.

“Wear this!”

The Spirit King held out a black cloak to Hiro through a gap in the bars.

“What do you mean? No, before that, how did you bring the Black Princess Camellia?”

Liz must have had the Black Princess Camellia. It was unrealistic to think that the Spirit King took it from her. Even the Five Great Heavenly Kings would not be unscathed by the current Liz.

“Bringing something that is stored in a room is a piece of cake.”

It’s not as easy as it sounds, but she was the Five Great Heavenly Kings. No wonder Liz’s eyes couldn’t see her. If even clairvoyant eyes could miss her, then there was no way that any of the soldiers on guard had the special skills to detect the power of the Spirit King.

“If you give me the Black Princess Camellia, you know what I will do.”

The Spirit King nodded her head in agreement.

There was no doubt that she was up to something. But it was not easy to find out the answer.

When Hiro glared at her, the Spirit King threw the Black Princess Camellia into the iron bars.

“Do as you wish.”

“What?”

Hiro asked with a question mark on his face. He did not understand what the Spirit King was saying.

It was too soon to admit defeat. It was too obvious to be a trap.

“It would be pointless to go on. Above all, I look forward to what lies ahead.”

Whether she really meant it or not, it was impossible to tell from her disrespectful attitude.

The existence of a Spirit King was truly troublesome. Jealousy, hatred, resentment, no matter how much he provoked her, she never showed her emotions.

She never showed anger when a plan failed, never showed joy when a plan succeeded, and always pursued her own goals without hesitation, inviting and eliminating allies and enemies alike and then revising her plans.

It could be said that the Spirit King was the strongest of the Five Great Heavenly Kings.

“It is magnificent. It is far beyond my imagination, which is why I can accept surrender.”

Although these were words of praise, they were not directed at Hiro. The Spirit King seemed to be speaking to someone who was not here.

“Hiro, you can do whatever you want from now on. It seems that I have been a loser for a thousand years.”

The Spirit King, who had slipped through the bars and was now within sight of Hiro, held out her hand.

“But remember, everything dances in my hands.”

On the top of the Spirit King’s hand was a core. This was the weak point of the Five Great Heavenly Kings. When Hiro saw it, he hesitated for a moment, perhaps out of caution, before grabbing it.

“The Faceless King won’t have it his way. There is no way he will give up as easily as you.”

An enormous amount of light flooded around the core.

In an instant, the darkness was obliterated, as if burning the world so brightly that it was impossible to keep one’s eyes open.

＊＊＊＊＊

“Enter. You need not hesitate.”

With permission, the man who touched the door handle was a tall, purple-skinned man, a demon named Ghada.

He had once met a slave girl in the Principality of Lichtine, and to save her, he recruited others to join him in a revolt that led to the formation of the Slave Liberation Army. However, he was defeated by the Grantz forces led by Hiro, and in exchange for the girl’s safety, she became his servant.

“Excuse me.”

“It’s not like you to eavesdrop, Ghada.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that…”

The red-haired princess, Liz, told him, and Ghada scratched the back of his head apologetically.

It was not that he wanted to eavesdrop on the conversation about Hiro.

It was not intentional. In the first place, Ghada had come here because he had been summoned by Liz. And when he happened to come in to ask, the conversation was about Hiro, so he stopped and listened unintentionally.

But there was no doubt that he had eavesdropped, intentionally or not.

Without making any excuses, Ghada bowed his head obediently.

“Don’t worry about it. I was going to tell you and the others behind you.”

“That’s very kind of you.”

Having said that, Ghada frowned at the noisy people behind him.

“After all, that guy has to be killed.”

“As I said, Nee-san, please calm down. That’s why you can’t see him. You will never be allowed to see the Wise Brother.”

Perhaps in order to keep Luca at bay, Hugin desperately tried to calm her down with tears in her eyes.

Munin, Hugin’s brother, was writhing on the ground, clutching his cheeks in agony, perhaps having been beaten.

Luca, however, seems a bit calmer than when she was seen on the battlefield.

Perhaps after listening to what had just been said, she seemed to have lost some of her composure.

There was not only pure anger on her face but also a sad shadow.

Standing in front of them, Ghada let out a tired sigh.

“Anyway, I heard your story. That was the reason you called me here, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, so let’s exchange information. Ghada. If you’ve heard anything from Hiro, I’d like to hear it.”

It might all have been in Liz’s calculations. Starting with the ban on visiting Hiro, she called Ghada and got him to tell her his story at a convenient time. Most importantly, she knew Ghada’s character well. It was not in her nature to leave a debt unpaid. He could have refused her request, but it was likely that Liz had already assumed that Ghada would not do so.

“Fine. But on one condition.”

“What is that?”

“If you can save the One-Eyed Dragon, I will reveal everything and cooperate with you.”

“That’s fine. You don’t have to tell me. I’ve always intended to, so you can rest assured.”

Liz smiled a little at the high level of loyalty. But it’s also something that couldn’t be helped.

Ghada owed Hiro a debt of gratitude that could not be repaid.

Hiro saved Ghada’s life, protected a precious girl, and made room for his friends. He was not the only one; most of those who belonged to the Liberation Army had left the Principality of Lichtine and become Hiro’s subordinates. The same went for the siblings behind Ghada.

Luca would be no exception, even though she was from another country. For those who had been abandoned and not accepted by the world, Hiro had given them a place in the Raven Army.

“Then we have a deal.”

Despite the joyful words, Ghada’s face did not seem to lighten. Whatever the reason, he was still betraying Hiro. Still, Hiro would not hold a grudge against Ghada. He would respect his intentions.

“The One-Eyed Dragon said he wanted to be forgiven.”

“He wants to be forgiven?”

“That’s right. He believes he is responsible for everything. He believes that he is responsible for all the disasters that have befallen the Grantz family from a thousand years ago until now.”

“What is it?”

Finally, she could pinpoint the cause of what was driving Hiro.

Liz waited for Ghada’s words with a twinkle in her eye, perhaps thinking the same.

“The beginning of it all―the Five Emperors of the Spirit Sword――”

Ghada’s huge body shook, and his words were cut off.

No―a violent tremor shook Fort Taoen.

The tremor did not last long and soon subsided, but Liz turned bloodshot and stood up, knocking over her chair, and Meteor, who was nearby, also narrowed her eyes sharply.

“Liz-sama! All the threads that bound Hiro have been torn!”

“I know!”

Liz rushed out the door and down the hallway in a panic.

There was no room for hesitation in her gait.

Even though she was giving it her all, she was biting her lip in frustration, as if it wasn’t enough.