The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious, Vol. 3 Page 5

  “I see…”

  Seiya instantly throws his head to the ground.

  Whaaaaaat?!

  I never imagined he’d ever do that! That rude Hero is bowing before them! And he speaks up in a deeply troubled voice, to boot!

  “I’m sorry. I beg your forgiveness.”

  N-no! I can’t take it anymore! I don’t want to see Seiya groveling! What he’s doing might be admirable, but…but…I don’t want to see him like this!

  The townspeople briefly fall silent in reaction to Seiya’s sudden apology, but it isn’t long before a man begins trembling.

  “Th-this is bullshit! Apologizing isn’t going to fix what you’ve done!”

  “Colt and Princess Tiana are dead because of you! You killed them!”

  “Yeah!”

  Somebody throws a rock at Seiya, which he doesn’t even attempt to dodge. The rock hitting his head starts a ripple effect, and in the blink of an eye, the people of Little Light raise their hands against him.

  “H-hey?! Stop! Stop it!”

  “Shaddup!”

  I try to end the violence, but somebody pushes me to the ground.

  “I told you to stop! Don’t you dare lay another hand on Seiya!”

  I scream, but the violence doesn’t abate. Old women coldly glare at me as I panic.

  “Hmph. Some ‘goddess’ you are. You’re no different from us humans.”

  “That redheaded goddess from last time was worthless, too. I heard the Demon Lord ate her. How pathetic.”

  “Don’t you dare talk about Aria that way!”

  When I glare at her, she looks back at me with an even fiercer stare.

  “The world wouldn’t have been destroyed if you ‘goddesses’ weren’t so useless!”

  The old men slowly approach me.

  Ahhh! Are they gonna hit me, too?!

  As I shiver in fear, Seiya manages to get up and stand in front of me.

  “Stop. This is my fault.”

  “S-Seiya…!”

  “Leave Recycle Bin out of this.”

  Who are you calling “Recycle Bin”?! He’s getting worse with each guess!

  At any rate, it looks like he made the townspeople even angrier by defending me, and they start hitting him again. Seiya’s at level 50. His defense is high, so the damage should be minimal…but even so, I can’t watch.

  Why is this happening?! We came to save this world! What did we do to deserve this?! As the tears begin to well in my eyes…

  “Enough.”

  A high, dignified voice radiates, and the townspeople instantly freeze. They turn their gazes at a young girl of tender years. She’s dressed in rags like the others, except for the accessories around her dainty arms.

  Out of nowhere, somebody murmurs:

  “Eich!”

  “Everyone, that is enough. My brother, Colt, wouldn’t have wanted this.”

  Eich, the mage who used her earth magic to create this settlement, is even younger than I imagined. If I had to guess, I’d say she’s around six or seven years old. The girl, who is even younger than Elulu, silences the entire settlement with only a few words.

  “Th-thank you…”

  I thank her, but she gives me a frigid stare.

  “Goddess, Hero, I would like to thank you for coming. However, I do not expect anything from you, for there is no one who can defeat the Demon Lord Ultimaeus.”

  Demon Lord…Ultimaeus…!

  The moment I hear the Demon Lord’s name, an indescribable chill shoots through my entire body. My soul must be reacting to the name of the monster who killed me in a past life.

  “This world is beyond saving.”

  Eich turns on her heel and leaves. The citizens spit at us and click their tongues before leaving as well. Only Father Luke, Braht, a battered and bruised Hero, and I remain. Braht shoots me a glance.

  “Goddess…Recycle Bin, was it?”

  “No, it’s Ristarte…”

  “Whatever. What I want to know is if you’re serious about defeating the Demon Lord and saving this world.”

  “That’s…the plan…”

  “And what can you do?”

  I want to tell him that I have the ability to heal, but that power is currently sealed away.

  “…Appraisal.”

  A look of disgust flashes across Braht’s face.

  “Great. So can I. Is that seriously all you can do?”

  “I—I have wings. I can fly.”

  I should be able to use Rista Wing if I can just get permission from Ishtar!

  “Order!”

  I yell out, but nothing happens.

  …Yep. I figured it wouldn’t work. I’ve lost contact with Ishtar. It was pretty obvious that this would be the case, seeing as I can’t even return to the spirit world.

  “You’re useless!”

  As his stare bores a hole in my heart, I sharpen my tone.

  “I—I can’t die! Goddesses can’t die!”

  “So you’re immortal? Is that true?”

  Braht looks to Father Luke by my side for answers instead of me. He nods.

  “According to legend, gods cannot die. I believe she is telling the truth.”

  Heh! How do you like them apples? So what does he think about me now? Oh…! B-but now that I think about it, I could die if the enemy uses Chain Destruction…and that werewolf and Bunogeos can both use it, so…

  I decide to tell the truth.

  “Actually, I can die sometimes.”

  “…?! ‘Sometimes’?! What does that even mean?! So you’re not immortal after all!” Braht screams out.

  A few moments go by, and he heaves a sigh as he scratches his head.

  “A goddess who can ‘sometimes’ die and a Hero who failed once already. What a joke. Looks like the heavens have no intention of saving Ixphoria.”

  Braht turns his cold gaze on us again.

  “But you’re going to make yourselves useful now that you’re here. You claim you’re here to defeat the Demon Lord, so at the very least, you can kill Bunogeos, right?”

  “Th-that’s, uh…”

  Seiya was already at max level when he defeated the powered-up emperor in Gaeabrande, so there is absolutely no way he’s going to be able to defeat Bunogeos, who boasts similar stats. He’s only at level 50.

  “All right. I’ll go take care of him.”

  Seiya, who was probably listening the entire time, sits up despite being bruised and battered.

  “Bunogeos created a market on the outskirts of town to buy and sell humans. He raises slaves there. Go defeat him and free the slaves.”

  Whether or not we can defeat Bunogeos is beside the point. For now, we just need to get out of here as soon as possible. However, the outside world is swarming with powerful monsters.

  “At least let us prepare!”

  I beg Braht. If we’re going to leave Little Light, we’ll need some weapons and armor.

  Braht scoffs. He then pats Father Luke on the shoulder before taking off. Wearing a gentle smile, Father Luke points at a man sitting on a mat slightly in the distance.

  “That’s the item shop.”

  Ishtar handed me some currency before we came to Ixphoria just like she did before we left for Gaeabrande. I take the pouch of money out of my pocket and head toward the item shop…but the wares lined up on the mat are mostly either glowstones or farming tools. Other than that, all I see are daily necessities on display. I was hoping there would be something I could use to cure Seiya’s amnesia, but it doesn’t even look like there are any healing or antidotal herbs.

  I end up just purchasing hemp clothes and get Seiya to change out of his T-shirt and jeans, if only to make sure he doesn’t stand out any more than he already does.

  “Hey, Father Luke, are there any weapon or armor shops around here?”

  “Unfortunately not. We simply do not have the resources.”

  It’s just like Aria said. There are no easy ways to get equipment in Ixphoria anymore. As I drop my should
ers, I hear a guttural voice call out to me.

  “Hey, you. Ever think about changing your class? Just let me know if you’re interested.”

  Father Luke introduces the old man with almost no front teeth.

  “This is Enzo. He’s Little Light’s baptist. If you want, he can change your class for you.”

  Seiya gives a quizzical stare.

  “Is my class not Hero?”

  Enzo shakes his head.

  “There aren’t any Hero classes in this world… Let me have a look. Hmm… It says here you’re a Spellblade and you specialize in fire magic.”

  Seiya learned a lot of fire magic in Gaeabrande, so it’s no surprise that fire magic is part of his base class. He’s already relearned powerful fire-sword attacks like Phoenix Drive and Phoenix Thrust as well.

  Enzo flashes his gums.

  “It’s an advanced class that combines both the Warrior and Mage classes. Heh. I guess that’s why you’re the Hero. But if you switch jobs, you’ll be able to choose two different classes… So what’ll it be?”

  Personally, I wanted to ask him what other kinds of classes there were, but…

  “I’ll stick with what I’ve got.”

  Seiya doesn’t think twice. If he was still cautious, he would have asked for details and carefully examined his choices, but… Well, I agree he shouldn’t change classes as things currently are. A Spellblade is an advanced class, and there probably aren’t many other jobs like it. Plus, it would probably take some time getting used to a new class, and time is something we don’t have.

  “All right, then. Let’s head out.”

  Getting impatient, Seiya goes on ahead and makes his way back to Little Light’s entrance. However, when we reach the door, Father Luke says, as if suddenly remembering something, “Please wait here for a moment,” and jogs off. After some time passes, he comes rushing back with a sheathed blade in hand.

  “Please take this sword with you. It’s rusty, but it’s better than nothing.”

  “Th-thank you so much!”

  I thank the priest, and he waves. After that, I glance to my side to see Seiya’s face light up as he holds the rusty sword in the air.

  “Perfect. I’ll have no problem winning now with this.”

  “You make it sound like you just got Excalibur. That thing is a rusty hunk of junk.”

  “Everything’s gonna be okay.”

  “I’d rather hear you say, I’m perfectly prepared…”

  “Why would I say that?”

  “Sigh…”

  I retire from Little Light, carrying this overpowering anxiety with me.

  CHAPTER 5

  The Difference in Power

  After climbing stairs for what seems like forever, I can finally see a wooden board up ahead. I push up the floorboard and crawl back onto the surface with Seiya. I survey the room. The walls are dirty, and the furniture is worn out… We find ourselves once again in an abandoned shack, but it’s different from the one we were in when we first met Father Luke.

  I nervously approach the window and look outside, and the scenery is different from earlier as well. While we climbed up the same number of stairs, it looks like Eich’s earth magic connected us to another house. Beastkin gather in the distance, making a commotion. When I strain my eyes and look ahead, I see humans lined up with shackles around their necks and wrists. That must be the slave market Braht was talking about.

  “Seiya, you don’t need to take what Braht said seriously. There is no way you can beat Bunogeos at your current level. The best thing you can do is find a way to save the slaves in the market. And the people of Little Light might change their minds about us if we can pull it off. Anyway—”

  While looking out the window, I continue speaking to Seiya until I discover something unbelievable.

  …He’s casually walking down the street with the rusty sword!

  “Huhhhhhh?!”

  I scream and immediately rush out of the shack.

  “Heeeeey!! What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”

  As I grab his shoulders and shake his brains into mush, he stares back at me with a puzzled look in his eyes.

  “I need to defeat Bunogeos, right? How am I supposed to do that without going outside?”

  “No, that’s why you need to listen. We’re going to free the…slaves…”

  Around a dozen beastkin curiously stare at us as we argue in the middle of the main road.

  “Hey… Those humans aren’t wearing collars.”

  “Are they strays?”

  Ahhhhhhhhh!! We’re dooooooooomed!!

  My heart hammers against my chest, but Seiya doesn’t seem to be concerned in the least.

  “I was going to fight them anyway, so this saves me some time.”

  Seiya breezily approaches the beastkin with his rusty sword leaning against his shoulder.

  “Huh?! What’s wrong with this human?!”

  As if creeped out by Seiya’s daunting behavior, the beastkin don’t even draw their weapons. Instead, they part like the Red Sea, making way for Seiya. I hurriedly follow behind.

  W-wait. What? Are we really just gonna be able to waltz right in and free the slaves?

  But after walking a few more meters, a fox-faced beastkin screams as if he knows what we’re up to.

  “Hey!! Pull yourselves together! Stop them!”

  “R-right!”

  The fox person’s orders prompt all the nearby beastkin to surround us.

  Y-yeah, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised… It was too good to be true…

  A rhino beastkin with rugged skin stands before us, licking his lips.

  “If these humans don’t belong to anyone, that means…”

  The fox beastkin replies:

  “Exactly. Nobody’s gonna get mad at us if we eat them…”

  I prepare for battle as I listen to their vile conversation.

  I-it looks like we have to fight!

  I use Scan to check the stats of the rhino beastkin, the fox beastkin, and their three companions. It’s just as I feared. Everyone’s attack is over 30,000! They’re all really strong! But it appears they’re waiting for us to make the first move. Capitalizing on the moment, I tightly grab on to a fistful of my own hair and yank it out. While the move is painful, this is no time to complain.

  “Seiya, here! Take this! You know what to do with it, right?”

  “Of course.”

  Seiya nods, then takes the strip of blond hair and attaches it to his bangs. The blond hair glitters among his shiny black hair, giving it just the right accent.

  “No!!” I scream. “Those aren’t extensions, Seiya! They’re for synthesizing!”

  “Huh? What’s that?”

  “Synthesis! It’s one of your abilities! That sword is rusty, but it’s still a steel sword! If you synthesize it with my hair, you can make a platinum sword!”

  I take his hand, then force the hair and sword into it. Thereupon, a blinding light radiates, instantly transforming the rusty blade into a divine, glittering platinum sword. Seiya’s face lights up just like the platinum sword itself.

  “What a wonderful sword! I bet I could defeat the Demon Lord with this!”

  No, probably not. In fact, I’m worried if he’s even going to be able to get himself out of this pinch.

  It isn’t long before the fox beastkin loses control and yells:

  “I got first dibs!”

  As the fox beastkin leaps in to attack…

  “Eek!”

  I double over in fright, but Seiya lunges before me. Almost instantly, I hear something cracking in the hand in which he’s holding his platinum sword, as if his joints are dislocating.

  “Eternal Sword!”

  In the blink of an eye, countless afterimages of the platinum sword soar through the air, heading right for the fox beastkin. By the time the blur is gone, the enemy’s body is already sliced to ribbons. Blood spews into the air as numerous chunks of meat fall to the ground.

  “Y-
you’ll pay for that…!”

  The other four beastkin lunge at Seiya to avenge their comrade! There’s no way he can use Eternal Sword to stop this many enemies at once!

  However…

  “Maximum Inferno!”

  Seiya’s free hand is already engulfed in flames! Before the beastkin can even reach him, the crimson flames shoot off his arm like chains and swallow the enemies.

  “Arghhh!”

  Their agonizing cries ring out as they catch fire, burning as Maximum Inferno’s intense heat instantly turns them into charred corpses that fall lifelessly to the ground. Seiya raises his still-burning hand into the air.

  “…Get out of the way or be reduced to ash.”

  Seiya briskly walks ahead after the nearby beastkin, who were watching, timidly back away.

  H-he killed four beastkin in the blink of an eye?! He only used Maximum Inferno in Gaeabrande to dispose of corpses and distract the enemy…so I never knew it was such a high-level spell!

  While struck with admiration, I notice something… The rhino beastkin, covered in soot, was able to withstand the fire thanks to his tough skin, and he’s about to charge Seiya from behind!

  “Seiya, behind you! He’s still alive!”

  I shout out to him, but he doesn’t even look back! Even then, his fiery platinum sword is already under his arm, stabbing the rhinoceros monster between the eyes!

  “Phoenix Thrust…!”

  After witnessing their fellow beastkin fall to the ground…

  “Wh-what kind of human is this?!”

  “He’s too strong!”

  The surrounding enemies seem to have lost all will to fight. I swallow hard.

  He’s very reckless now…but he still has extraordinary fighting skills! I guess regardless of what his personality is like, Seiya Ryuuguuin’s talents are still one in a million!

  Elated, I look ahead and see a few dozen slaves chained up.

  “Seiya! We have to free the slaves over there! After that, we can head back to Little Light!”

  Seiya and I rush over to the slaves.

  “You’re all safe now!”

  While Seiya keeps watch, I remove the frightened slaves’ wrist and ankle shackles. But by the time I free the last of them, the silence is suddenly broken.

  “Heeeeeey! What’s going on over here?”