"Do you know how many times I nearly died just delivering the Divine Sword to Shion? I've been accused of theft, arson, and even treason!"
"Well, most of that was due to your reckless methods."
"I had no choice! I don't have any special abilities!"
"Even if you say so..."
"Listen, Holly. I'm just an ordinary person. Completely average. My main role is to greet the hero and his party when they arrive, saying 'Hi there, welcome to the royal capital of Pendragon'. That's all I can do. I could never say, 'Oh, Hero! Please let me join your journey to defeat the Demon King!' I'd die instantly if I followed the hero!"
"Your statements are rather perplexing..."
"I've realized it very clearly. If you try to do something beyond your capabilities, you die. I don't plan to get involved in this any further."
Holly stared at me, half-closed eyes.
"Crow, as I've told you when we were searching for Shion, only you can see and hear me. And only I can sense the location of the saintly swords and their wielders. The journey to find the saintly swords is impossible without either of us."
"Hah! That twisted logic only applied until we found Shion!"
I pointed at Holly, who was still staring at me with those half-lidded eyes.
"We have Shion now. A genuine hero who can see and hear you."
"So you're suggesting that just Shion and I go on a journey to find the saintly swords?"
"That's the usual plot, right? The hero sets out on a journey with the Divine Sword to gather formidable allies..."
"Hmm. You're suggesting a ten-year-old girl goes on a journey all by herself?"
"Uh!"
It hurt to be reminded of that.
Indeed, Shion is currently a ten-year-old girl.
It would be cruel to send her on a journey to find allies all by herself.
Normally, that's what one would think.
But even now, I believe Shion is two thousand times stronger than me.
Even if there were two thousand of me, she could probably wipe us out in seconds.
"Yes, Shion is still very strong. But there's a limit to how long she can use my power. Currently, it's about an hour. After that, until her magic recovers, she's just a little girl."
"Didn't you say that there are many who would exploit the hero? It's risky to let her wander around."
"...I get it..."
"Finally understood, have you?"
"I'll ask Instructor Cattleya or Iris to accompany Shion."
"So, you're leaving it to someone else after all?"
Holly, who should always be floating in the air as a spirit, seemed to faceplant right in front of me. "Cattleya and Iris are both women, you know! Aren't you ashamed of pushing everything onto them?"
"Not at all. Both of them are stronger than most men."
"You worthless scoundrel...!"
"Call me worthless, it's fine. I've already put in a lifetime's worth of effort. I don't plan to strive any harder for the rest of my life!"
"I truly don't understand how you can say such terrible things with such confidence."
Holly put her hand on her chin, looking deep in thought.
After a few moments of muffled murmuring, she said,
"Can you come with me for a moment?"
She gestured for me to follow.
Led by Holly, I emerged from the basement and found myself on a balcony overlooking the courtyard within the royal palace.
In the courtyard, I saw Shion.
Shion was wielding a wooden sword so thick it looked like a log, sweating profusely as she swung it about.
"Look, Crow. Shion practices every day without rest."
"Even though she has the potential to be invincible for an hour when I possess her, she might not need to train at all. Just aging and increasing her magical power would be enough to enhance her abilities. Yet, she has an insatiable drive to improve, which is why she practices with that huge wooden sword."
"Do you know why? It's not because she's a prodigy or the hero. It's because you told her never to neglect her training. She's not doing it because I said so, or to meet the expectations of others. She's doing it solely because you told her to."
"What do you think when you see a little girl putting in so much effort?"
"It's amazing."
"That's it?!?"
Holly looked back in shock.
"What? I said she's amazing. I truly respect her. She's really incredible."
"Stop being so monotonous! You're rotten to the core!"
"Listen, Holly. Ordinary folks like me, when we see someone strong training or someone smart studying, we don't feel inspired. We're just... indifferent. If people did get inspired, the world would be a better place. By not feeling envious of anyone, I'm pretty virtuous, don't you think?"
"You piece of trash...!"
"I'm fine with being trash."
Ignoring Holly, I began to walk back to my luxurious room. For some reason, Holly followed. Was she still intent on persuading me? She's persistent.
Back in my lavish room, I poured wine from a bottle into a glass. Holding the glass, I approached the window. Due to the castle's elevated position above the town, I had a panoramic view of the capital.
Enjoying the breathtaking view, I sipped the finest wine and savored gourmet food. It was an unimaginable luxury just a few days ago.
"Holly, I'm not that ambitious."
"Huh?"
Seeing her failed persuasion attempt, Holly seemed annoyed. Her response had a sharp edge.
"If I don't like you that much, why don't you just leave me?"
"I never wanted to climb the social ladder or be recognized by anyone. I just wanted to achieve the maximum appreciation with the least effort."
"Isn't that the epitome of greed?"
"By completing my task of delivering the Divine Sword to Shion, I've secured a comfortable life without having to work. That's enough for me."
"Ugh, you're the absolute worst!"
"If I strive any harder and get even more appreciation, it might cause problems, right?"
"No matter how hard you try, you're not the type to get appreciated. Useless."
"Hey, if I really put my mind to it, I could become the most powerful person in this country."
"Don't get ahead of yourself."
"Well, jokes aside, I really don't want to live on the edge anymore. I'll leave the matter of the saintly swords to someone else."
Saying that, I took a sip from my wine glass. "If you're going to be like that, I won't fight the Demon King anymore."
"What?!"
At Holly's words, I spat out my wine in shock.
"What are you talking about?!"
"If you're not going to listen to me, then I don't see why I should listen to you."
Holly pouted, crossing her arms and turning away.
"I didn't say you should save the world just because I told you to! If you and Shion don't fight the Demon King, what will happen to humanity?"
"Well, they'll probably be destroyed."
"That's not the point!"
Having spent my days leisurely ever since proving that Shion was the hero, I was flustered for the first time in a while.
"Basically, I don't care what happens to humans other than the hero. You might not know this, but throughout history, many heroes were hindered by ordinary, worthless people. For those with a thirst for power, an overwhelmingly talented individual is a nuisance."
"Every hero in history was selfless, so they never tried to dominate or harm other humans. However, despite their kindness, humans have often betrayed heroes."
I wonder if she realizes that heroes are also humans. She seems to categorize "heroes" and "humanity" separately. Although, seeing Shion, I can understand why one might think heroes are superhuman.
"Given that our current hero is that bratty girl, I'm not particularly motivated to help... If you're not coming with me to find the saintly swords, then I guess humanity will just have to perish. Being with you is my only enjoyment now."
It's scary because, as a spirit, Holly can't differentiate between truth and pretense. Everything she says is genuine.
"...Holly..."
"What?"
"Let's go on a journey to find the saintly swords together."
"Really?!"
Holly beamed at me. She was always beautiful, but her smile was particularly radiant.
"I'll find all the saintly swords. All nine of them..."
"Ah... Crow... You really are amazing despite everything..."
Though she was a spirit, Holly momentarily materialized and hugged me. Even though I felt the softness typical of a woman due to the peculiar armor she wore, her consistent rude behavior meant I didn't feel particularly moved.