Chapter 4: The Holy Sword That Slipped Away

After getting the back of my head kicked by Hikari, Alicia treated me, and the pain faded. Since it felt like a waste not to take advantage of that, I invited her along—and she kindly offered to guide us. So the three of us walked through the town together.

Watching the townspeople go about their daily lives without paying Alicia any special attention, it became clear that scenes like this—her healing someone—were something they saw all the time.

Which meant she was always helping someone.

That kind of life had to be noble… and exhausting.

…Well, that aside.

"I seriously think kicking someone in the back of the head with a rolling sobat is a bit much. What if it wiped my memory???"

"If it stopped your weird behavior, I’d shout at the top of my lungs that it was a necessary sacrifice."

"This childhood friend of mine isn’t reflecting at all…!!!"

Violent-type heroines have been getting a lot of criticism lately, but she didn’t seem to care in the slightest. Well, if there’s a guy out there who’d pick her as a heroine, I’d definitely be judging him with pretty high standards.

I’m fully aware I’m a shipper—and a weirdo—but even so, I like to think I’ve got enough common sense to want my childhood friend to be happy.

"U-um… are you really alright? There’s quite a large bump on your head…"

"I’m fine. This idiot’s taken hits like this plenty of times and still keeps doing the same thing without learning."

"I’ve got an uncontrollable libido, you see. Can’t be helped."

For some reason, it was Hikari—not me—who answered Alicia’s worried question. But honestly, since this has happened so many times, we’re both used to it.

When it comes to going your own way, I’m reminded of that protagonist. But I won’t stop walking my path either. I might not measure up to him, but I still want to walk this road with my head held high.

"Alright then! As thanks for the treatment, I’ll treat you to candied apples!! I’ve been saving up allowance from my mom with no chance to use it—this is the moment!!!"

"Ehh!? No, you really don’t have to!!"

"Ah, sorry, but just go along with him. Once he decides something, he won’t listen. Look—he’s already running."

Strike while the iron’s hot. If you don’t act on an idea immediately, you’ll miss your chance—and who knows when it’ll come back.

That’s the most important thing I learned after entering the workforce. Otherwise, your efficiency drops and you get buried in overtime—and that’s the worst.

I headed toward one corner of the plaza where I’d just been put in a joint-lock “performance” earlier, to one of the sacred spots: a candied apple stall. I bought two apples.

"They’re pretty big—and you bought two. Can you even eat all that?"

"I’m not the one eating them. This is what you call a date expense. If a guy doesn’t pay at times like this, cute girls won’t go out with him."

"Hahaha! Kid, you’ve barely become an adult, and you already know how to treat women! Alright then—I’ll show you some manly spirit too. Since you bought two, I’ll throw in one extra!"

Oh—how generous.

Maybe this is what it means to be a man with room to spare.

Not only did I get apples for Hikari and Alicia, but one for myself too… The stall owner really was a good guy.

These candied apples were one of the protagonist’s favorite foods in the game—he ate them many times. I’d always wanted to taste something he’d call “delicious” right off the bat, despite his pride… but I didn’t expect it to happen like this.

"Heeey!! I got candied apples!! They were supposed to be two, but the old man gave me one extra!!!"

"You really do get people to like you way too easily. I’ve never gotten a freebie."

"Maybe it’s because you hardly ever smile? It’s a waste—you look cute when you do."

"I don’t want to smile when someone like you is right next to me saying stuff like that!!!"

As we bickered like usual, I heard soft giggling nearby.

Following the sound, I saw Alicia—her golden hair shimmering like gathered strands of light—covering her mouth as she laughed.

For a moment, I was captivated by her smile.

Then the silver-haired one next to me pinched my side.

Ow.

"You two really get along well."

"We’ve known each other forever. She’s been living with us for about ten years now, right?"

"That’s because you forced the issue with your mom. I am grateful, though…"

Her parents had passed away when we were around five years old.

Back then, I hadn’t remembered anything about my past life—but the shipper spirit ingrained in my soul made me act just like I do now. And Hikari was always there to stop me. That’s why it’s no exaggeration to say we were always together.

"This guy said if I was left alone, he’d run away from home too."

"Hehe, that does sound very childlike. And so, Hikari, you were taken in by Toma’s family?"

"It’s not something to laugh about. He actually ran away and survived alone in the forest for two days."

Alicia made a face that perfectly captured the word “speechless,” but I’d like a chance to defend myself.

I just said exactly what Hikari claimed I would. Then my mom told me, “If you’re serious, prove it with your actions,” so I did my best.

I only survived because it was near the village and I had a rough grasp of the surroundings. If I’d been dropped somewhere unknown, I’d probably have been eaten by wild beasts in a day.

"So I think it was a calculated kind of recklessness, and therefore acceptable."

"You said that right in front of your mom—that’s why she punched you, idiot."

"Y-you mustn’t do reckless things like that! There are people who would worry about you!"

Being ganged up on two-against-one, I didn’t stand a chance. I raised the white flag.

Still, talking to her made me realize again—Alicia truly possessed the kindness and strength worthy of the title “Saint.”

The protagonist of Legenda Septima Rex, Hikaru, was an orphan, shunned by the villagers. To survive, he took up the sword and lived by hunting animals larger than himself—deer, even bears—in the forest.

It was later revealed that he was loved by the world’s magical essence—“mana”—but in simple terms, he survived alone in a dangerous world full of bandits and wild beasts, even without monsters.

Maybe because of that upbringing, Hikaru never learned to rely on others. In the game, even when the heroines worry about him, he carries on as if it doesn’t concern him. It’s explicitly stated that he shoulders his duty in order to feel the fulfillment of living through battles against strong opponents.

And yet—

The one who softens him, in every route, is Alicia Septem—the girl now beside us, trying her best to eat a candied apple with her small mouth.

She approached Hikaru with her kindness… and with the overwhelming sense of obligation that came with being a “Saint.”

Yes—she isn’t just kind.

She lives every day pushing herself, trying never to stray from what a “Saint” should be.

In Swordia, the “Saint” is said to support the nation’s representative—the “Sword King.”

So that the Sword King does not die, every Saint in history has mastered healing magic, something only a select few in this world can wield.

Skipping the details—basically, the Sword King and the Saint come as a pair.

And yet, the Sword King—her counterpart—has not appeared for 500 years since the nation’s founding.

With one of the nation’s two wings missing, she carries the title of “Saint.”

The burden must be unimaginable.

In the game, her counterpart—the Sword King—finally appears, and her efforts are rewarded. But at the same time, she becomes more than half dependent on him.

In any case—

The one who will save her is already decided.

There’s nothing we, who’ve only just met her, can do.

All we can do… is walk through the town with her like this, and try—if only a little—to let her forget that she is a “Saint.”

But she will be happy. That much I can say with certainty.

Someday—without fail—a boy will appear, someone she can laugh with from the bottom of her heart. This isn’t a game, it’s reality… and yet, for some reason, I was absolutely sure of it.

"So then, what’s your type when it comes to men? And if possible, I’d love to hear what you’d like to do together with them."

"Stop jumping into stupid conversations out of nowhere!!!"

"Ahaha…"

Well, it couldn’t be helped if it came out of nowhere. My entire future depended on the answer to this question.

In this world, where entertainment is scarce, imagination is an infinite escape. But I’ve already grown tired of pairing up dogs. I want something more stimulating. Ever since I remembered my past life—a life overflowing with entertainment—that craving has only grown stronger by the day.

That’s why I want to hear anything that could become material for it.

I imagine people being happy… and that makes me happy.

Then I pass that happiness on to someone else, and they become happy too—and seeing that makes me happy again.

Yes.

This is a perpetual motion machine.

The ideal energy source… was right here.

"So please!!! Tell me what kind of happiness you want—just for my sake!!!!"

"You can ignore him, okay? If you feed this idiot, he’ll burn forever."

I’d appreciate it if she didn’t compare me to dry kindling that catches fire easily.

"I don’t mind at all. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a normal conversation like this… with friends."

Even with that slightly troubled smile, she was beautiful.

The protagonist who’ll win her over better make her happy—or I won’t forgive him.

Though honestly, even if I don’t worry… he will. They will. They’ll definitely be happy!!!!

"...If I had to say… I’d like to take a walk together at night. Walking under the starlight, talking about nothing in particular… and staying together until the night grows late. Just once… I’d like to do something like that."

For that moment, as she spoke such a simple wish—like any ordinary girl—she truly was just that.

And I felt relieved.

Because I knew that wish would come true.

I’ll never see that moment myself. But knowing that one half of my favorite pairing will definitely be happy—that’s the best news I could ask for.

With this, I can spend the rest of my life working at a tavern in good spirits. I’ve been given enough fuel for a lifetime—now I just need to supplement the rest with imagination.

"Hm? This is the plaza, right? Why is there a sword stuck in the ground?"

"If I remember right, whoever pulls it out becomes the next ‘Sword King.’ The country gathers children who’ve come of age from all over to test it—it’s important for the nation, after all."

That’s right.

The main reason we came to the royal capital was because of this Holy Sword.

Right now, Swordia is continuing negotiations with other nations—but under unfavorable conditions. All because the nation’s representative, the “Sword King,” doesn’t exist.

Finding the Sword King is the kingdom’s top priority.

That’s why even country kids like us have come all this way.

Well… most people don’t actually expect anyone to pull it out. For most, it’s basically just an excuse for sightseeing in the capital.

That’s true for me—and probably for Hikari too.

"Have you two already tried it, Toma, Hikari?"

"We’ve been putting it off. It’s not like we can pull it out anyway, so it doesn’t matter when we try."

"The one who pulls it out has to be someone special. No way the son of a tavern owner like me could ever be the ‘Sword King.’"

"Toma, you are… special, in a lot of ways…"

"You don’t have to sugarcoat it. I’m just a weirdo."

I’d like to argue that, but “special” refers to someone like the protagonist of this world… so I’ll let it slide.

Anyway, there’s a rule: everyone has to try at least once.

I hate doing something I already know will fail—it feels like summer homework—but it can’t be helped.

"Looks like no one again this year."

"Not surprising. It hasn’t been pulled out in 500 years since the first one."

"And that means we’re in for another rough year…"

We passed by the armored knights—probably monitoring the Holy Sword—and gave them a bow.

They didn’t seem to expect anything either. Even when I grabbed the hilt, they just went through the motions, completely indifferent.

It reminded me a little too much of my old corporate slave days.

I almost teared up.

Still, no point wasting time on this. Let’s get it over with and leave.

Thinking that, I lifted the sword.

There was no resistance at all.

My arm rose effortlessly.

And when I looked—

At the end of my hand… was the shining blade that should have been buried in the ground.

When I looked around, everyone was staring at me in stunned silence.

I was probably making the same face.

A sword that wasn’t supposed to come out… had come out.

Among them, the worst reactions belonged to my childhood friend Hikari—and Alicia standing beside her.

Both of them were making expressions no beautiful girl should ever make.

And then—

The special ability granted to me by the Holy Sword revealed a single truth.

That Hikaru and Hikari were the same person.

In other words—

What you’d call, in my past life… a gender-swap.

And to all of that—

There was only one thing I could say.

"NO WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!! WHERE DID HIKA×ARI GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Being the “Sword King” didn’t matter right now.

All that mattered—

Was that my favorite ship… had just been obliterated.

And my heart cracked under the weight of it.