Thanks to that, I had a brush with death.
Well, that's all in the past now.
The spirit Holly, residing within the Divine Sword, says that the time limit for the Demon King's resurrection is five years from now.
The current hero, Shion, is a ten-year-old girl.
In other words, Shion needs to train under Holly's guidance over the next five years to master the use of the Divine Sword River.
According to Holly, among all the heroes of the past, Shion seems to possess an outstanding talent.
With five years of training, she might even be able to defeat the resurrected Demon King in seconds.
In essence, I can leave everything to Shion.
I should be able to live a leisurely slow life, recognized for my contributions in the hero's quest to defeat the Demon King.
There were times when I indulged in such carefree fantasies.
Yes, they were just that, carefree fantasies.
"Hey, Crow. I have a bad feeling," said the spirit of the Divine Sword, Holly, who was beside me.
We were in the royal castle of Pendragon, the capital of the Alsgard continent.
At one point, I was about to be executed for stealing the national treasure, the Divine Sword. But now, having found the modern-day hero, I've been honored as a noble for my contributions.
Although I haven't received any territory or wealth yet, I've been given one of the most lavish rooms in the castle.
"Why don't we go check out the saintly sword of the Divine Sword that's stored in this castle?"
"Why?"
"I've mentioned it before, right? The saintly sword of the Divine Sword exists to help the hero fight the Demon King one-on-one by eliminating his minions. Don't you think it's important to check on it?"
"I have no doubts about that. I'm sure it's vital for the hero. Why not check it out?"
"That's why I want you to come with me."
"Why should I?"
I pointed at Holly, frowning.
"Why do I need to come with you to check it out?"
"To borrow the key to the storage from the king."
"You're a spirit, right? Can't you just phase through walls? Why not go check it out by yourself?"
"How cold of you, Crow. Wouldn't it be lonely wandering around by myself?"
"Why not go with Shion?"
"I don't want to be with that brat if I don't have to."
Things were getting dicey.
Ever since finding Shion, I've been worried about this. Holly and Shion don't get along at all.
Apparently, all the past heroes were men. Holly used to fall in love with each hero, using that love as her source of energy. But the current hero is a girl.
Holly, who recognized the hero's companions as love rivals, hates both women and children.
And Shion, a former slave abandoned by her mother, hates older women.
In other words, Shion and Holly despise each other.
Furthermore, for reasons I don't understand, Shion is fond of me. And Holly, who used to curse at me during our journey, seems to be developing feelings for me.
Let me be clear.
Being the object of affection for both the world-saving hero and a millennia-old spirit is overwhelming.
It's just odd.
Wouldn't it be more fitting for the hero to fall in love with a traveling companion or a princess from a kingdom?
Well, since this hero is a girl, the typical storyline of rescuing and falling in love with a kidnapped princess might not apply.
"Crow, are you listening? Let's go together."
"Huh? Oh, alright."
I replied to Holly and left my luxurious room that was recently given to me. I easily obtained permission from King Dalia.
However, I noticed that King Dalia's expression was slightly clouded.
It felt oddly hostile when I mentioned checking the saintly sword of the Divine Sword.
It's not like I can wield any saintly sword, so I couldn't misuse it.
I, along with Holly, entered the basement where the saintly swords were stored.
Inside the basement, there were several swords similar in shape to the Divine Sword that Shion possesses.
There are a total of twelve saintly swords.
However, it's impossible that all twelve are present here.
To my knowledge, at least three are missing.
The Ice Sword Arondight, wielded by Iris.
The Explosive Flame Sword Galateen, wielded by Instructor Cattleya.
The Thunder Sword Clarent, wielded by Prince Heath.
These three should be missing.
"...Nine swords."
I whispered to myself as I counted the swords in the basement.
I never expected that nine out of the twelve, excluding the three held by my acquaintances, would all be here.
I had thought their wielders would be scattered all over.
"...I had a bad feeling, and it seems it was right, Crow."
"What do you mean?"
"These nine swords here are all fakes."
"Fakes? Do you mean they're inferior compared to the Divine Sword?"
"No, not in that sense. Indeed, compared to my main body, the Divine Sword, even if you combine all twelve saintly swords, their power is insignificant."
"What do you mean, then?"
"I mean, these nine swords here aren't the saintly swords of the Divine Sword. They're just replicas designed to look like the Divine Sword."
"What?! But the king said they were stored here!"
"That's the thing. The king and others probably don't even realize they're storing fakes."
"This is getting complicated..."
"Some of the saintly swords have unique shapes, not even resembling swords."
"Not like swords? Even though they're saintly swords?"
"Each has its own unique abilities. Some aren't even weapons."
"I see... So your bad feeling was about this."
"Yes. I can sense the location of the saintly swords and those who can wield them. It felt odd that, apart from those three, no other wielders have appeared."
"Why's that?"
"Those capable of wielding me, the Divine Sword, are born once every few hundred years. But for the saintly swords, one or two are born every decade. With a population of thirty million, dozens or even hundreds should be born in the same era. It's unnatural for only three to have appeared."
"I see. So out of the twelve, nine are unaccounted for."
I felt stifled staying in the dimly lit basement, but I chose to remain there.
Only Shion and I can see Holly, the spirit residing in the Divine Sword.
If I talk with Holly in the castle, others will think I'm muttering to myself and treat me like a lunatic.
This deserted basement was a convenient place to talk with Holly.
"Tell me, Holly. In past battles against the Demon King, did all the saintly sword wielders gather?"
"It's hard to imagine twelve of them storming the Demon King's castle together."
"No, at most four or five. At worst, only two were available."
"Really? So with three now, it's not the worst-case scenario?"
"But the balance is off. Those three have attack-type swords: the Ice Sword, the Flame Sword, and the Thunder Sword. We lack any healing or support types. It's a fatal imbalance."
"I see... What do you mean by balance?"
"Typically, a balanced party consists of a hero, warrior, mage, and monk. Right now, we have a hero and three mages. They'll run out of magical energy and be wiped out in a dungeon."
"I'm sorry, I don't quite follow..."
"In essence, we need to find more saintly sword wielders to diversify our team."
"...I see."
At that moment, I felt a chill run down my spine. I have a really bad feeling.
"Crow, will you join me in searching for the missing saintly sword wielders and their swords?"
"No way!"
I immediately refused.
"Crow, do you understand the situation? Sure, Shion is exceptionally talented among the heroes. If the current Demon King is as powerful as the previous ones, defeating him would be easy. But every hero in history has had a tough battle against the Demon King. By my judgment, this Demon King is probably the strongest, just like Shion. The responsibility of those who wield the saintly swords of the Divine Sword is immense. Given our booming population, don't you think we should secure as many saintly sword wielders as possible?"
"Yeah, yeah! That's a valid point! But I don't want to be the one searching!"
"Why not?"
"Why not? Why not, you ask? Because it's scary!"
I passionately explained to Holly, almost in tears.