Because the Hero of the South had come to the Village of Swords in his earlier years—
And at that time helped the Village of Swords clear out the Grand Demons and monsters stationed there,
The process of Agusheed's party of six entering the Village of Swords went very smoothly.
Without deliberately hiding their figures and itinerary, they had only just approached
When residents who recognized the Hero of the South stirred into action, pulling out half the village's residents to warmly welcome them.
Undoubtedly—
The forty-seventh generation, the current village chief of the Village of Swords, was also among them.
And as the village chief lineage that had been passed down through generations in the village...
The only one not born through prenatal education, who had grown up reading ancient texts left by ancestors—
Naturally also recognized the identities of everyone except the Hero of the South.
But precisely because she recognized everyone's identities...
She inevitably froze in place.
Under the illumination of the giant bonfire burning all night in the village center,
This girl of average height, with a build similar to Frieren's, looked up with surprised eyes and a stiff neck.
She first glanced at humanity's strongest Hero of the South and the recently famous Hero Party standing before her—
Then looked toward Agusheed standing behind them, the tallest figure who looked exactly like the statue that had stood in the village's northern part for a thousand years...
Then—
The forty-seventh generation village chief fell into stupor and deep thought.
Without needing to ask, she knew their purpose for coming.
Definitely to draw the sword—they could only be here to attempt drawing the Hero's Sword.
Because this remote and tiny village called the Village of Swords had only this one reason for visits.
The Hero of the South's return visit was reasonable,
After all, the small village chief remembered that he had forgotten to attempt drawing the Hero's Sword during his last visit.
She could also understand the arrival of Hero Himmel and his party—
After all, this had been the consensus among all heroes who came to the Village of Swords since ancient times.
But...
But that person standing behind them, that face...
That expressionless look—
It was exactly the same as the stone sculpture in the village!
How could he possibly appear in the present, a thousand years later?
The small village chief turned her head, her gaze meeting with other residents similarly frozen in place—
After collectively confirming they hadn't mistaken that appearance,
The forty-seventh generation village chief of the Village of Swords looked back toward Agusheed standing at the rear.
Silent silence.
One minute,
Two minutes,
Three minutes—
Finally, under the confused gazes of Agusheed's party of six—
Half of the Village of Swords residents collapsed on the spot with expressions as if they'd seen ghosts.
The other half scattered in stumbling flight, their terrified shouts echoing through the valley.
Fifty-ninth year before the Sinseki Era, the first year of the hero party's departure.
The second day after the hero party's training ended.
The Village of Swords, covered by the last heavy snow of the new year,
At the moment their gazes met Agusheed's—
Total annihilation!!
...
"Sorry, it was really troublesome for you all to carry us back into the house..."
"We were too disgraceful—"
In the moderately-sized village chief's wooden house, under the firelight reflection that shut out the winter snow outside:
The forty-seventh generation village chief of the Village of Swords, wrapped in a small blanket for warmth—
Drinking hot tea brewed by Frieren, apologized with a red face to the people sitting before her.
Especially when looking at Agusheed,
The small village chief, having learned from Frieren that Agusheed was actually her father, lowered her head,
Her apology becoming even more sincere after accidentally leading the whole village in mistaking Agusheed for a ghost.
"I'm truly sorry, honored sir..."
"Because your statue doesn't look like an elf, we never considered this possibility before—"
"The rudeness just now was truly just an accident..."
Regarding the village chief's sincere apology—
Agusheed, sitting with crossed legs in a chair by the fireplace, currently slowly reading through the Village of Swords' records, waved dismissively without concern.
He had originally just hidden his horns, planning to come here to see Himmel and the others off on their final leg,
But hadn't expected such a mix-up to occur at this time—
"No need to mind it."
"It was my oversight. I didn't expect there would still be a statue of me here."
Looking at the perfectly accurate record in the book of when Flamme and he destroyed two mountains while subjugating monsters here,
Accidentally destroying the small village's original site...
Agusheed could understand why they would be so afraid of him.
So he remained relatively calm, as peaceful as always.
But the others were different.
Helpless light laughter rose and fell throughout the wooden house—
Frieren, Heiter, Eisen...
The three people surrounding Agusheed all began quietly chuckling after learning the whole story.
Even the sad atmosphere of impending farewell was considerably dissipated by this.
"Is it that funny?"
Agusheed raised his head, casually scanning the people around him.
Because Himmel and the Hero of the South had already gone ahead toward the Hero's Sword—
At this moment, the white-haired elf showing not a bit of filial piety was naturally the one laughing loudest.
Thunk, thunk, thunk!!
Knocking Frieren's little head three times in succession,
After personally watching the white-haired elf change from joy to sorrow, Agusheed calmed down and slowly closed the ancient text in his hand,
Turning his gaze toward the village chief lying on the bed.
Unable to find the location of his and Flamme's statues in the ancient texts,
And with his magic power sensing suppressed by the Sanctuary, the strongest Grand Demon softly asked about his most concerning question—
"If you don't mind..."
"Could I ask where my statue is?"
—
"So Mr. Agusheed and his wife's statues are also here..."
"Standing beside the Hero's Sword—"
"It seems the Village of Swords residents quite respect Mr. Agusheed..."
"If so, why would they faint upon seeing Mr. Agusheed?"
In the cave in the northern part of the Village of Swords, before the Hero's Sword isolated from the harsh winter outside,
Himmel, quietly observing the statues standing on both sides of the Hero's Sword, tilted his head somewhat puzzledly.
Although not knowing the reason,
The Hero of the South, having heard Agusheed describe the great mage Flamme's exaggerated actions during their travels, shook his head with a wry smile.
Having roughly guessed the cause, he didn't voice it,
Just turned his gaze toward the Hero's Sword quietly standing before them, embedded in the mountain rock.
He and Himmel both couldn't draw this sword—
This was something he had known early on, otherwise he wouldn't have given up trying back then.
But he hadn't told Himmel this beforehand, negating his choice.
As for why he had accompanied this junior here...
Hehe—
The Hero of the South chuckled softly, turning his gaze toward Himmel, who was also staring at the Hero's Sword.
"Nervous?"
This was his question.
And Himmel's answer was naturally a head shake—
Not only that, as if to prove his answer, more like to fulfill a certain promise,
The blue-haired hero gazing at the Hero's Sword slowly stepped forward, slowly raising his right hand—
Then, his right hand was pressed down by the Hero of the South.
The true purpose of the Hero of the South coming here was thus exposed.
"Tell me, what if we two both actually have the ability to draw the Hero's Sword..."
"If the first person draws the sword, what should the second person do?"
Both people having the ability to draw the Hero's Sword—
If anyone else had said this, Himmel would probably just smile and let it pass.
But when the person saying this was humanity's strongest Hero of the South...
Then Himmel had to consider the possibility of this question.
"Then what should we do?"
"Should we draw it together?"
Without waiting long, Himmel's counter-question quickly received a response.
The Hero of the South, who had long wanted to test this junior's skills, showed a smile.
He said:
"How about a duel?"
"Whoever wins gets to try drawing first, how about it?"
—
The one who knew everything, history's strongest human, who swept through the Demon King's army in one year, who had single-handedly defeated the demons' main force head-on—the Hero of the South issued a duel invitation to young Himmel.
So...
Would Himmel, after enduring hellish training, win?
Himmel, accepting gladly: He will win!
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Powerstones?
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