Chapter 44

Chapter 44: The Tale of the Hero

Setting aside the matter of the second prince, Shu and Iris arrived at the first-class district to accomplish their original purpose. They entered a large shop that caught their eye, in search of the items they needed.

As expected from a shop in the first-class district, a shop assistant approached them as soon as they entered.

"May I assist you, esteemed customers?"

"We're looking for some books: a dictionary for the Imperial language and Grinian language, a simple picture book, and three books of a slightly more challenging level."

"Certainly, I understand. I will bring them to you right away."

The polite shop assistant bowed and signaled to another nearby assistant. The second assistant approached and guided Shu and Iris to a table.

Even nobles would come to this shop. Unlike the typical stores where customers browse the merchandise themselves, this shop operated on a system where the assistants brought the requested items.

"Please have a seat here."

Shu and Iris took the chairs the assistant pulled out for them. Soon, warm beverages were brought to them—a truly considerate service.

"We are honored to have you visit the Earl Inn Trading Company's Drain branch today. Our company mainly deals with luxury goods and maintains good relations with nobles and wealthy individuals. I am confident that you will find the items you desire."

"Oh, in that case, do you have pens and blank notebooks?"

"Certainly, we have them in stock. May I ask what you need them for?"

"Well, I'm a magician, you see. I thought of buying something to record my research."

As of late, Shu had been delving deeper into various aspects of magic, so he wanted to organize his findings. Ultimately, he planned to compile them into a magic book.

Hence, he requested blank notebooks.

The shop assistant also knew that Shu was a magician and regarded him with respect.

"Are you a magician, sir? Did you come from another country?"

"That's right. I also wanted to study writing."

"I see. The Eldorado Kingdom may be poor, but if you go to the mainland of the Subarokia Empire, you'll find many magic books for sale. Of course, even our Earl Inn Trading Company's main branch offers a wide selection of magic books. Please favor us with your patronage when the time comes."

Magicians were intellectuals, and some traveled while collecting knowledge. The shop assistant knew this, so he saw an opportunity and recommended magic books to Shu.

Essentially, being a magician was not a very lucrative profession, but if one developed useful magic, they could suddenly become wealthy. However, since magicians were intellectuals, wealthy nobles and the children of prosperous families who valued education tended to pursue that path. The shop assistant had mistakenly assumed that Shu was a rich child.

"Did you come from the east... from the sacred country of Grinia, perhaps?"

"Hmm? Well, yeah."

"I see. And is the young lady accompanying you your lover, may I ask?"

"Exactly right!"

"No, you fool. I am this person's guardian."

"Treated like a child!?"

Astonished, Iris responded, but Shu's perception was somewhat accurate; Iris did have a childish side. Not in appearance but in her personality. Nevertheless, the exchange between the two was observed with amusement by the store clerk. It seemed evident that they had a good relationship.

Although it was clear they weren't lovers, the clerk saw an opportunity for business. Being calculating, the clerk decided to recommend another product.

"Between you and me, dear customer, we also have adorable clothing in our store. How about it, miss?"

"Oh, that sounds intriguing, Shu-san!"

"Don't bother. It'll just become a burden. We're heading to the Grand Empire in a little while, so if you want to buy clothes, do it there. Understood?"

"Yes..."

Despite her childish demeanor, Iris was already over twenty years old. She did have an interest in her clothing, and as she used to work as a holy knight before, she had enough money to have various outfits. Unfortunately, she left all her clothes back in the Ramza Kingdom, which left her curious about new ones.

It was inevitable that she showed a disappointed look.

Seeing Iris like that, Shu sighed and spoke.

"I'll buy some for you eventually, so don't feel down."

Upon hearing these words, Iris visibly brightened up. She was simple-minded that way.

During that time, one of the store clerks brought the ordered books. As Shu requested, they consisted of an Imperial and Grinian dictionary, a simple picture book, and a slightly more challenging book. The clerk who had been serving Shu and Iris received the books from the newcomer and began explaining.

"Here are the books you requested. Firstly, we have the dictionary, which covers almost all the daily-use words with the latest entries. Unless it's for academic research, this should be sufficient. And here's the simple picture book. It's a famous fairytale in the Empire."

"What kind of story is it?"

"Oh, are you interested, miss? Let me explain briefly. It's a story of a hero who sealed a fearsome dragon. Actually, it's based on a true story."

As Shu inspected the cover of the picture book, he saw a dragon breathing black flames, with a young man holding a staff confronting it. It became apparent that this young man was the protagonist.

"Sounds intriguing."

"It sure does."

If it were just a work of fiction, they might not have been as interested. However, if it was based on a true story, it piqued their curiosity, making them look forward to reading it.

Seeing that Shu and Iris liked the choices, the store clerk began explaining the last book.

"Lastly, here's the third book. It's a well-known romance novel. It was even adapted into a theater performance in the capital of the Subarokia Grand Empire."

"Ah, it's just practice with characters, so it's appropriate for popular novels like this."

"Yeah, I agree."

"I'll take those three volumes. How much with the notebook and pen?"

"It will be six gold coins. Dictionaries are expensive, you know."

Paper books themselves are not rare, so the novels are not too expensive. However, when it comes to dictionaries, it's a different story. Compiling them takes time and effort, making them costly.

Since Shu earns money through assassination jobs, he silently handed over six gold coins. The shopkeeper accepted them, counted the coins, and spoke again.

"Indeed, it's six gold coins. Thank you for shopping with us."

"Yeah, if there's anything, I'll come by again."

"We'll be looking forward to your next visit."

Shu picked up the purchased books and exited the store. Iris finished her tea and stood up, following Shu.

The shop assistant at the first-class store remained courteous until the end.

They saw them off until Shu and Iris left the store, bowing deeply to show their gratitude.

***

Back at their accommodation in the third-class district, the two immediately opened the books. With a dictionary in hand, they decided to start reading a picture book first—a tale of a fearsome dragon spewing black flames and the hero who sealed it... a story of magical knights.

As they turned the cover, unfamiliar Imperial Civil Script characters lined the pages.

"I can't read any of this..."

"The Imperial Civil Script is a script where each character holds a specific meaning. It's what you call logographic characters. Once you understand that, it's easier to read than Grinian characters."

Shu possessed memories from his past life, and among them was knowledge of Chinese characters. Each character had a specific meaning, allowing for the creation of diverse compound words. While it required some familiarity to master, once you got used to it, there were no words easier to read, he asserted.

The Imperial Civil Script, frequently used in the Svarokia Empire and its vassal states, was entirely composed of logographic characters. The number of characters to memorize was staggering, and each one was complex. Looking at them for the first time might give you a headache.

Nevertheless, Shu started to comprehend the characters through his aptitude for analysis.

"The Imperial Civil Script is diverse, but each character consists of meaningful components. Characters incorporating parts that represent flames symbolize heat or passion. Those with components representing water signify rivers, lakes, or tears. If you can discern these elements, it becomes easier to remember."

"Ugh... You make it sound easy."

"A dictionary is almost useless if you can't use the Imperial Civil Script to some extent. You have to learn it at least a little."

Being a demon, Shu's body was constituted by magic power. There were no physical limitations regarding his memory; he could record information rather than simply remembering it.

Therefore, he quickly grasped the characters.

Of course, the characters in the picture book were simple ones.

"... I see. For now, let me read it to you."

"Please do!"

"I might stumble along the way, but don't worry about that."

"Understood."

Shu looked down at the picture book with a dictionary in his hand and began turning the pages.

***

Once upon a time, there was a prosperous empire.

In this country, a great emperor led the people and brought happiness to the nation.

The people living there were always smiling, and they never lacked food, clothing, or shelter.

In this country, there were many powerful magic knights.

They defeated attacking demons and protected the safety of the people.

Among them, the magic knight Albein was especially outstanding. From his staff, he could unleash fiery flames that would burn anything, massive waters that swallowed evil, whirlwinds that blew everything away, and an impenetrable defense of perfect earth.

One day, the emperor said to Albein, "We must ensure even more safety for our people."

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, I, Albein, will defeat many demons to achieve that."

Pleased with his words, the emperor gave Albein a command, "Go north and conquer the land of darkness."

The land of darkness was a dangerous place inhabited by powerful demons. However, Albein, who possessed a righteous heart, believed that defeating those demons would protect the people. So, he set out on a journey to destroy the great darkness that lived in the land of darkness, accompanied by four companions.

Albein, who was the strongest in the country, never lost to any demons.

Together with his four companions, he liberated the land of darkness from the monsters.

After defeating all the demons that lived in the land of darkness, Albein and his companions returned to the country. The emperor praised their achievements and bestowed upon them the title of heroes.

Albein lived happily with his beautiful wife.

However, the land of darkness was not completely destroyed.

In the far north of the land of darkness, there was a wicked dragon. The dragon had been asleep for hundreds of years and was unaware that its subordinates had been defeated. When it woke up and saw the changed land of darkness, it became furious.

"Damn you! I will have my revenge!"

The dark dragon breathed out dark flames and first destroyed the nearby town. Fear returned to the northern town where the darkness had been banished and smiles had returned, as the massive shadow of the dragon covered the town, and its dark flames consumed people and buildings alike.

Upon seeing this, the elder of the town said, "Oh no, the king of the land of darkness has been resurrected. That is none other than the King of Inferno, Belorg."

No one could stop the King of Inferno, Belorg. Those touched by the cursed flames lost their lives, and buildings engulfed by the cursed flames crumbled like sand.

The unending flames tormented the people, turning the place into a hell.

The King of Inferno declared, "I will make you suffer!"

"My anger knows no bounds. Grant me calamity."

The Demon Lord wielded black flames, obliterating town after town. Eventually, he arrived at the imperial capital, unleashing the flames of darkness. The relentless cursed flames consumed people and buildings one after another.

Many mage knights confronted the Demon Lord, but they were all burnt to ashes by the black flames.

The Emperor spoke to the hero Albain:

"I beseech you, defeat that dragon."

"As you wish, Your Majesty."

Hero Albain knew deep down that even as the mightiest mage knight, defeating the Demon Lord would be arduous. Yet, he also realized that he could seal him away if he were willing to sacrifice his life.

Albain decided to offer up his life to bind the Abyssal Dragon.

"This life is devoted to the empire. I fear not death."

Thus declared Albain, raising his staff. This staff was Albain's magical armament, the supreme staff capable of employing any sorcery.

From the staff directed at the rampaging Abyssal Dragon in the imperial capital, a white light emitted.

"Guaaaargh! What is this?"

The Demon Lord let out a fierce roar, attempting to slay Albain with the black flames. However, Albain repelled the flames with the white light from his staff.

Light and flame.

White and black.

The two clashed, each seeking to engulf the other.

However, Albain harbored no intention of defeat.

"Evil Dragon! I shall seal you!"

"Gyaaargh!?"

Albain converted his life into magical power and employed his final, grand spell.

The Abyssal Dragon Belorg, bathed in pure white light, let out a final, desperate scream before being drawn into the staff. Finally, the dragon was sealed, never to be seen again.

The black flames shrouding the imperial capital dissipated, and peace returned.

Yet, Albain was no longer present.

He had lost his life.

The Emperor mourned, as did many of his subjects.

"Now, let us pay tribute to him. To the one who sacrificed his life for us!"

The Emperor lauded the brave actions of the hero and bestowed upon him a title.

That title was 'Hero.'

The staff left behind by the hero's valiant feat was preserved by the imperial family. Even now, the Emperor safeguards the Hero's staff.

～～～

Shuu closed the book, his expression showing a mix of emotions. Iris felt the same.

"...Isn't it complicated?"

"It certainly is."

"Using expressions that don't fit a picture book, complex characters, and a tragic story... It definitely doesn't seem like a children's picture book."

"I agree with you."

Such were the impressions shared by the two.