Chapter 8: If You're Setting Out on a Journey, At Least Let Me Prepare

That said, we couldn’t just set out on our journey right away.

Raiga and I knew far too little about this world—oh right, it was called the Twin Star Realm, wasn’t it?

We needed a full week in the castle just to learn the basics of common sense and to reacquaint ourselves with our bodies through training.

I was taking lessons directly from Karen-san, while Raiga was sparring with anyone in the kingdom who had even a little swordsmanship experience.

Fortunately, perhaps thanks to the goddess’s intervention, we had no issues with language.

We could understand the Elves’ language—called Common Human Tongue—without trouble (which was necessary for communication to even happen), and somehow, we could also write it fluently as if it were our native Japanese.

More than that, we could even speak Demon Tongue, the language of the demons, with ease.

That said, in the present day, it seems there’s little need to deliberately distinguish between Human and Demon Tongue, so Demon Tongue has almost fallen into disuse. It’s even said that many demons themselves can no longer speak it.

Arithmetic posed no issue either. Like our old world, this one used base-10. If it had been something like base-3, my head probably would’ve exploded.

That left culture as the real issue.

Given our positions as “Hero” and “Saint,” people might overlook some minor faux pas with a smile, but there are limits. And a cultural misunderstanding might cause us to overlook something crucial—who knows what traps that could lead to?

I bowed my head to Karen-san and asked for her guidance precisely because she was originally supposed to be the “Saint.” She had the foundational knowledge I lacked, and despite the awkwardness, she was the most direct person to ask.

“By the way, just a small question—why is it ‘Hero’ in this world? Wouldn’t ‘Brave’ work just as well?”

“In this world, the term ‘Brave’ refers to the one who created the Twin Star Realm 2000 years ago. He possessed power incomparable to any ‘Hero’ and bore a unique stigma—what we call a Stigmata.”

Huh…

Apparently, the “Brave” was the person who risked his life to merge the once-divided Human World and Demon World into one.

He was such a legendary figure that an entire religion was formed around him—known as the Church of the Brave.

—What a striking combination of words.

And so, Karen-san’s cultural lessons began.

“The continent we currently reside on is called the Holy Continent of Chrisroad. It is a land where the Human Race flourishes. The Human Race is made up of four sub-races: Humans, Elves, Dwarves, and Dragonfolk.”

“Wait, so there are Humans and Demons, right?”

“Yes. Additionally, we also distinguish between animals and monsters. Most living creatures fall into one of these four categories. …Now, back to the topic, let me explain the races—”

Her explanations were as follows:

Humans — A race very similar to me and Raiga. Perhaps we’re the same. They have the shortest lifespans among the Human Race—no more than a hundred years. They don’t possess particularly strong vitality or magic, but they’re numerous and for some reason, ‘Heroes’ are more likely to be born among them.

Elves — The people of this nation. They excel in handling magic but are physically frail. Their lifespan is the longest, reaching up to a thousand years. Their pointed ears are a defining feature.

Dwarves — A short and muscular race. They have a love for craftsmanship—smithing, carving, and the like. In contrast, their magical aptitude is among the lowest. Their lifespan is around five hundred years.

Dragonfolk — Winged and horned beings, often referred to as lizardmen. They can take on a form close to humans—though they can’t fully hide their wings or horns—and this humanoid form is now their default.

“Um, Karen-san, if you don’t mind me asking… how old are you?”

I knew it might be rude to ask a lady her age, but the question slipped out.

“I’m only 150. Still quite the novice.”

“I-I see…”

That was far beyond what I could comprehend by my world’s standards.

Apparently, she had spent over a hundred years training for her role as “Saint.”

…No wonder it feels awkward.

Personally, I found women like Karen-san to be my type.

Graceful, gentle, composed—just the kind of person I’d want to date. Not that it matters anymore…

Karen-san was apparently the cousin of King Risharl. Without her Stigmata, even getting close to someone of such high status might have been out of the question.

“I’ll skip the explanation about the demons. There are far too many, and they mainly live on the Demon Continent of Barbatos. It has no real relevance to the matter of the Demon Dragon.”

Unconcerned with my inner turmoil, Karen-san continued.

“There are five countries on this continent. Four are inhabited by a single race—like our own Elgrand—and the last is called ‘Regionia,’ a country where all five races live together.”

She then added,

“There’s no real racial discrimination, but due to differences in lifespan and culture, it’s generally easier to live separated. Regionia is the exception.”

“Um, you said that Elves can’t stand up to the Demon Dragon… but couldn’t the other nations help out?”

I didn’t know much about politics, but with four other countries, it didn’t seem unreasonable that at least one might lend a hand.

“I’m afraid not. None of them have the resources to spare.”

Karen-san looked sorrowful.

“All four other nations are currently being attacked by threats on the same scale as the Demon Dragon. I’ve heard that in Regionia, a Human ‘Hero’ managed to defeat theirs, but the other countries are barely managing to hold the line.”

Ah, that’s right. The goddess had said it, hadn’t she?

"This other world is lacking in Heroes."

“…Is that so.”

“That is the very reason why summoning from another world became necessary. …I am truly sorry.”

This time, it was Karen-san’s turn to look uncomfortable.

“Please, don’t worry about it. I’m okay.”

Even though, in truth, I wasn’t really okay at all.

It felt like I was standing on a shaky foundation—my resolve was fragile.

But originally, the summoning itself should have failed. Everything had only worked out because that goddess interfered.

From my perspective, there was no need for them to feel guilty about it.

They were simply desperate, reaching for help in the face of a looming catastrophe.

Maybe—just maybe—I could do the same thing my mother once did, when she risked her life to protect me.

“Now then, let me explain the roles of the ‘Hero’ and the ‘Saint.’”

While I was still learning, Raiga—done with training—joined us.

…Was it just my imagination, or did Karen-san blush a little when she saw him?

That didn’t feel like a good sign. Karen-san might fall victim to Raiga’s charms.

“A ‘Hero’ just has to fight the ‘Demon Dragon,’ right?”

Raiga’s blunt and straightforward remark was met with a nod from Karen-san.

“Yes, that’s correct. It’s said that a ‘Hero’ possesses power capable of such a feat.”

Apparently, Raiga had fought against every soldier in the castle—and defeated them all single-handedly.

At first, he’d been matched against magic knights who weren’t allowed to use spells. The gap in strength was so vast that the matches weren’t even close. Even after permitting magic, it made no difference.

In the end, he was fighting ten-on-one, with magicians supporting as a rear guard.

“On the other hand, the ‘Saint’ is said to guide the ‘Hero’ into battle—and to heal them as well. I’ve heard that the ‘Saint’ accompanying Regionia’s Hero skillfully commands the battlefield with her mastery of magic.”

“Huh… I see. I’m counting on you, Miss Saint.”

Raiga said that while looking at me.

“…Not that I can fight, though.”

“I know. But just having you around is good enough.”

——And like that, a whole week passed in the blink of an eye.