“You look even more troubled than usual. Are you all right, master?”
After opening the window and taking in sunlight, I hear a concerned voice. It doesn’t come from a person, it’s from the sword that’s on a desk.
“I’m okay. I’m just a little worried about something. I get like this when I’m thinking. But it will work out.”
“Don’t carry that burden alone, master. I’m with you.”
“Thank you Durandal.”
This talking sword is my buddy, the magic sword Durandal. I found her pierced in some ruins when I was a freelance mercenary, and she’s been my weapon ever since.
She didn’t talk at first, but I used her because she was a sharp sword. And I was surprised when she suddenly started talking one day.
According to Durandal, she was sleeping, and woke up after eating her master’s magic energy.
We talk often when we’re alone. She says she would rather speak with her master properly when we’re alone, rather than when there are others around.
“Master, you have the day off today, but what are you going to do?”
“I was thinking about taking it easy a bit longer and then strolling around town. I can’t stay cooped up in this room forever.”
“I’m here, so we can talk!”
“You’re always with me, so we can always talk.”
“I guess…”
Durandal sounds a little sulky.
“We don’t know where the demon king’s castle is, so we’re planning to stay in this town for a while to gather information. We can make plenty of time to talk.”
“That’s a promise! Make time to talk to me!”
“Okay. Let’s talk calmly tonight.”
“Yes master!”
She sounds very happy.
We talk a bit more, and then leave the inn that’s our base for the time being.
There are few cases of monsters attacking in a town like this, but there could be demons disguised as humans. That’s happened before, so I carry Durandal with me just in case.
We, the hero’s party, are currently resting in a town called Mannaka, positioned right in the center of the continent. We all rested in the inn at first, but after a few days, we all started doing what we wanted. That’s why no one was in the inn when I woke up this morning.
Our goal is to gather information, but I wonder how many are doing that. They’re all just doing what they want.
Since our objective as a party is to defeat the demon king, the information we want the most is the location of the demons’ base, the demon king’s castle.
Demons are sly and cautious, so that’s very difficult. We also want information about the four demon generals positioned directly below the demon king.
They are called the four demon generals, but there are five of them. I don’t get demons. According to old tales, they all have tremendous power, and are a big menace to mankind.
Apparently they were all sealed by a hero once upon a time, bringing peace to this world, but now that the demon king is back and we can see that demons are active, we know all too well that the tales of demons are real.
We need to find and take down the four demon generals before they do a lot of damage.
Getting back on track, we’re looking for the demon king’s castle. Although to be honest, I don’t need that anymore. We’re looking for that castle because the demon king’s supposed to be there, but while my friends are still looking for it, I know where the demon king actually is.
It’s sad, but now that I know the demon king is in the hero’s party, I don’t need to look for that castle anymore. What I need is evidence.
Although it pains me, I have to suspect all my companions. I have to get over that, or my stomach won’t last.
“Hn, is that Eclair over there?”
I see her sitting on a fountain in the middle of the town.
Her black hair, which is rare in this world, is fluttering in the wind. She’s usually wearing armor, but she’s wearing a white one piece dress.
That’s the linchpin of our party, the hero Eclair
“Good morning Eclair. Did you sleep well?”
“…” (Nod.)
“That’s nice. Did you have trouble staying up late with Tora?”
“…” (Shake shake.)
“I’ll talk to Tora too. If you don’t like it, make sure you tell her no firmly.”
“…” (Nod.)
She doesn’t talk. She shakes her head and nods, but never speaks. We’ve been traveling together for three years, but I’ve never heard her voice.
Well then, since she’s in our party, she has to be a suspect, but is it really okay to suspect the hero?
And since she doesn’t talk, all I can do is read her actions.
Although it sounds bad, if I’m thinking about evidence of someone being the demon king, I think the first thing on the agenda is to look for their misdeeds.
As sad as it is to think about, everyone in the hero’s party has a criminal record. They could all be the demon king, including the hero.
As for Eclair in particular, it was right after we started traveling together, so I know it very well.
She led us as we walked around a town, when all of a sudden she opened the door to a random house.
“Eh? Who are you?”
Was what the confused owner of the house said, but she went right in and started rummaging through some drawers and taking money.
She stole from that house with its owner right there, in broad daylight.
I was so surprised, that I couldn’t process what was happening, but then the owner of the house yelled angrily, and grabbed and pushed her. And as this quarrel happened, a guard arrived and arrested the hero.
She was charged with robbery and assault. Her face really stood out to me, it was like she was asking what she did wrong.
Even a child knows that you’re a thief if you take things from others, so no one expected the hero to so brazenly commit a crime like that.
After the commotion between us about the hero suddenly being arrested died down, we talked to the guard.
Basically, I bribed him. I told him we’re the hero’s party, who was going on a journey to save the world, and had the hero forgiven after paying bail and a bribe.
I will never forget how surprised he looked when we introduced ourselves as the hero’s party.
After that, the hero took to me, I guess because I kind of saved her. That’s how it feels anyway, because when we’re on the road or resting in towns, she’s close to me a lot.
And since she doesn’t talk, that really is all there is to it.
That basically sums up her misdeeds. She never really did anything weird after that. Her not talking means there are a lot of times when I don’t know what she’s up to, but she mostly does good things.
She’s a suspect, but I feel like she’s unlikely to be the demon king.
Do I just feel a sense of familiarity with her because she has black hair and black eyes remind me of my previous life? No, let’s put that aside and make a fair judgment.
“I’ll be going, but what about you?”
“…”
“I guess it’s hard for you to respond if I don’t say what I’m doing. I’m looking for Sasha. Do you want to come too?”
“…” (Shake shake.)
“Okay! Have a nice rest.”
“…” (Nod.)
I see her nod, and head to the tavern. I have no doubts that our mage Sasha is there.
Come to think of it, what the hero did was like what heroes in RPGs do. Could it be that we actually came from the same place?
“No, that can’t be it.”
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