Chapter 56 - Let's Try Summoning a Hero!
Bis had come to the Royal Castle's library. The librarian greeted him respectfully, so he replied with a casual "Hey there," and wandered aimlessly among the bookshelves.
The library was open to anyone who worked in the castle.
In the beginning, Louis had selected the books kept in the castle. But after hiring a librarian, Louis stopped involving himself in the library's management, and the collection had grown even more diverse. Fantasy, romance, heroic epics—it had everything.
In the back, there was a meaningful, dust-smelling archive containing precious materials: thick, difficult books from ancient times, maps from hundreds of years ago showing continents that no longer existed, and the like. Reading them occasionally was interesting enough, but Bis, as always, preferred entertaining stories.
And then,
"...Huh?"
Something caught his eye at the edge of his vision, so he retraced the three steps he had just taken.
A dull gold spine.
What could it be? Bis's tail twitched.
He picked up the book and stared intently at the cover.
"'Everyone's Mythology: The Spirit of Time'?"
Judging by the title, it was meant for human children. No one in this castle would have any interest in human mythology, yet they had decided to stock even a book like this. He wondered if it might be Louis's hobby.
He opened the pages and tried reading it, but he didn't find it particularly interesting.
Disappointed, he muttered "Meow" and returned it to its original place.
—Somewhere, a woman chuckled.
So noisy.
Elenoa frowned, knitting her brows, and slapped her husband's hand, which was letting out a heavy sigh. His arm was wrapped around her waist, and her body was positioned on his knee atop the bed; this was their daily routine, but what differed was Louis's attitude.
From morning until late at night, he maintained an atmosphere as if the end of the world were upon them.
"Don't give up."
"I understand. I did understand. Yes, I understood. But doing this to you, and thinking that I'll have to wait a while longer..."
No one could be allowed to see the Demon Lord making such weak remarks, saying he couldn't take it anymore. Elenoa scanned the room pointlessly, pointlessly confirming that no one else was there.
In Louis's bedroom, there were only two people: he himself and Elenoa.
Tomorrow was the day to summon the Hero.
It was said that special magic power generated by a solar eclipse was required, and if they missed tomorrow, they would have to wait several years, or perhaps even decades, if they were unlucky. They could not let the various 'preparations' they had made until today go to waste, so they would definitely execute the plan tomorrow.
"After we part ways tomorrow... I won't be able to see you until I appear in the story..."
"Mhm."
"Since your husband will be far away, please don't get lonely and cheat on me, okay?"
"What are you saying?"
Wondering what he was worried about, she realized he meant something like that.
Elenoa patted Louis's head, which he had rested on her shoulder, to comfort him.
—In the first place, cheating would mean having someone she liked other than Louis...
She thought, and then it occurred to her.
The character she had liked the most in the game.
"Ah, the Knight."
—Come to think of it, there was someone like that. She didn't remember the details, of course.
"Will he appear, I wonder?"
Elenoa looked up at him with a questioning "Hmm?"
There was a terrifying Demon Lord-sama.
"Um, not in a strange way, I mean!"
"Then what do you intend?"
"Just a little curiosity. There's no guilty meaning behind it."
"Curiosity? In a man? Heh..."
His hand began to move ominously, creeping closer, and she hurriedly tried to retreat, but this was the Demon Lord's bedroom.
He caught her as she tried to slip away subtly, and the rest was as one might expect.
He repeated questions and answers such as, "Do you know who your mate is?" and "It seems your love is still insufficient," making her nod obediently many times through various methods.
It was an ordeal akin to torture.
Perhaps as a rebound from before, a part of his rationality had snapped since the day of the contract. Although it wasn't frequent, there were times when they spent the night together.
The next day, Elenoa and Louis arrived in the Holy City of Kalgina in 'Salma,' the country furthest from the Demon Realm.
Since deciding to summon the Hero long ago, one of the tasks required was to 'blend into the human world,' so this was the first land they had set foot in. And it was the land where the protagonist would be summoned.
The land had no ups and downs, no mountain ranges. The small country, completely flat, had abundant nature. It was also famous as a city of water. The white townscape, seeming to repel the warm sunlight, was renowned for its superb contrast with the blue sea and the clear sky.
Louis, swaying his black robe, passed coolly through the streets.
On the left side, there was a waterway, where a gondola for two floated on the water. The gondolier let out a hearty yawn, and when he made eye contact with Louis, who was looking down from the street, he responded with a friendly smile.
The unintelligible gondolier songs from the passing gondolas. The sound of water flowing gently. Even though they were made by humans, one could honestly feel they were beautiful.
—The Holy City. More than the impression of its title, it felt endlessly free.
Looking up at the blue sky with floating cotton-like clouds, Louis narrowed his eyes as if dazzled.
A woman walking along the street stopped. As if time had stopped, she stared at Louis, her cheeks flushing.
Then, something moved restlessly inside the inner pocket of his robe.
Louis whispered softly, "Just for a moment," and slightly opened the collar of his robe.
"Phew."
"Aren't you getting motion sickness?"
"Since I was born into this body, I've never experienced motion sickness."
It was Elenoa, in fairy size.
With the Demon Lord's magic power flowing into her, she had effectively become rank SS, and she had also learned to control the magic power within her. She could become human-sized, and returning to fairy size was a piece of cake.
She was in a subtle position where she couldn't be seen from the outside but could breathe the outside air. Occasionally, she would peek out, looking around with interest.
She whispered softly.
"It's the opening video."
"Video?"
"From the game, you know. After choosing the protagonist's gender and name, there's a scene of school life on Earth and a peaceful private life, right? And I think there were a few earthquakes that only affected his room, and on a day when he was suspicious about it, a major earthquake occurred. That's when the opening video plays.
The game has just started now. Louis vaguely looking at the sky in a place that resembles the Holy City of Kalgina is one scene from the opening."
"From the player's perspective, it's a first impression that doesn't seem like it would betray them."
"Laugh at me for being deceived."
"Hahaha. Yes, let's go."
It was a game company with a reputation for high-quality openings. 'The Demon Lord and the Hourglass' sold itself on its unsettling and melancholic worldview, beautiful bloodshed, and the heartfelt wails of talented voice actors, so even the theme song was dim.
Originally, Elenoa should have been crouching quietly inside a silver cage held by a church priest—but instead, she burrowed deeper into Louis's robe. Confirming this, Louis began walking again.
"If I'm appearing in the opening that's likely playing now, the protagonist is probably male."
"If I were appearing, the protagonist might be female."
"I don't like a female protagonist. Louis, you'd get captured."
"I won't be captured by anyone other than you. Rather, you too, if you get favored by a male protagonist... or if you let your guard down when the Knight is male, I have my own thoughts on that."
"...Mhm."
The risk of being captured by the protagonist, or the risk of being surrounded by opposite-sex capture targets. In the end, it was left to fate.
After walking for a while, a large church came into view.
The head temple of the Mejery Faith, a major religion in this world. Not-Kashim Cathedral.
Delicate stained glass and spires stood out. In this sacred, cold, and seemingly fastidious grounds, even private conversation was discouraged.
A barrier was also erected. A sturdy one to repel those of demonic nature.
But Louis had passed through here many times.
It had been so easy to conquer that he had almost burst into a bitter laugh when he first approached this barrier.
Louis knew four ways to pass through the barrier.
Depletion. —Wait for the caster's magic power to deplete.
Permission. —Get direct permission to pass from the caster.
Destruction. —Destroy it by force.
Erosion. —Blend one's own power in and gradually seize partial control.
Naturally, he had chosen erosion. Although it required fine control, for him, who bore the title of Sage in his skills, it was not particularly difficult.
Upon entering the cathedral grounds, Louis released Elenoa.
"See you. Do your best."
"Yes, you too."
She flew away through the air, scattering blue light particles and letting her hair flutter, moving from the church entrance toward the interior. This fairy figure was becoming a not-uncommon sight in this church.
Elenoa was regarded as a rare fairy who had wandered in, drawn by the pure magic power of the Holy City.
Unjustly capturing fairies or animals went against the teachings of the Mejery Faith, which preached universal love, so the inside of the church was a safe zone. Elenoa passed through a large corridor with people and searched for the High Priest.
She flew gracefully through the building with its continuous willow-beam ceilings and entered the nave of the great cathedral. Worshipers turned to look at the fairy, whose appearance was beautiful only on the outside, but she didn't mind at all.
The Mejery statue on the altar depicted a goddess with long hair.
The person Elenoa was looking for was looking up at the goddess and offering prayers.
"High Priest-sama!"
"Oh, Elenoa."
One must not point out the lack of hair under his hood. The elderly man draped in loose robes was the High Priest of the Mejery Faith.
It was Elenoa's role to become acquainted with him and gain enough trust to be used in the Hero summoning ritual.
Originally, fairies were perfect guides for summoning. The volume sent to another world was small, and they could reliably bring back the target without getting lost.
Elenoa sat lightly on the backrest of a nearby long chair.
"Thinking that today is the main event, I'm somehow nervous."
"Fairies say human-like things too."
"Of course. Because it's my first time, and I'm meeting the Hero. There's no way I wouldn't be nervous."
"That's true. I've asked you to do something difficult. I pray for your success. All is to defeat and destroy the evil demons. I ask for your assistance."
"Leave it to me."
"...It's about time."
Invited with a "Come," Elenoa flew to the High Priest's side.
Matching his pace, she proceeded and went around to the back of the cathedral.
Hidden among the trees, there was an old iron plate. Emitting a bold yet natural presence, like the trace of reinforcing a collapsed wall, it was a door to the underground.
Elenoa and the High Priest, having passed through the door, descended a long staircase.
The basement appeared to be the same size as the great cathedral directly above it.
In the circular room, there was a circular pedestal with a large-scale magic circle drawn on it. Around it, about seven figures in black robes stood, waiting for Elenoa and the High Priest.
Among the group in robes was Louis, the 'Court Mage of the Neighboring Country.'
His eyes met Elenoa's for an instant, but that was all. They were not in a relationship where they could speak to each other.
Elenoa was 'sacred' and the 'Fairy of Salvation.'
Watched by many gazes, she rested her wings in the center of the magic circle.
The High Priest raised his voice.
"...Let us begin."
In response to "Yes," the group in robes nodded.
There was a familiar scene for Elenoa.
A flat-screen TV, a faded color box, an air conditioner, textbooks. They scattered every time the floor shook, and the room was in complete disarray.
In the midst of such a massive earthquake, there was a girl desperately curling up under her study desk.
This was not Elenoa's previous world. This was merely part of the game's world, but the small items were all modern-style, making her feel nostalgic.
But there was no time to stop.
—Here, what I must do.
Elenoa looked back at the magic circle she had just flown out of. It swayed waveringly on the wall, as if urging her.
Next, she looked at the window. Because Elenoa wasn't touching the floor, she noticed that the outside of the window wasn't shaking at all.
And she flew toward the girl.
To encourage the girl, who was frightened by the large tremors. And to invite her to the world of red bricks and arched bridges.
"Please save my world, Hero-sama!"
Elenoa reached out her hand to the girl, who was shedding tears profusely.
Letting her white dress flutter gently, lowering her eyebrows uncertainly, and making a sorrowful face, she led the girl's hand toward that magic circle.
Confirming that the girl's hands, head, torso, and feet had all entered the magic circle, Elenoa clung to the girl's shoulder so as not to let go.
Eventually, the girl who landed was called the 'Hero' by the group in black and the High Priest.
Not understanding why she was being called that, the girl clung to the fairy, asking for an explanation. The fairy, sitting lightly on the girl's palm, looked up at her and smiled softly.
"It is my role to assist you. My name is Elenoa, a fairy. Nice to meet you."
—I am praying now so that you do not end up covered in blood like the Heroes of the past. I will help you as much as I can.
"Hero-sama. Welcome to this world—'Pandour'!"
—Welcome to the land of death, from which once you cross, you cannot return.