Chapter 281: What Is Hero Summoning? (1)

[A/N: Posting two extra bonus Chapters today because of reaching a milestone! Also I updated the character of Robin Marie, hype it up by adding popularity to it :D]

"Hero Summoning?"

I knew mountains about it, but I would not say a word even if my mouth were torn open. I wanted to talk and I could not! My soul was screaming. I want to talk about heroes so baaaaad!!

Her Majesty had not the faintest idea of the struggle in my heart.

"Yes, Hero Summoning. Do you know anything about it?"

She leaned in and looked at my face as she asked.

"No, nothing. To begin with, what is a Hero?"

I had to ask what a Hero even was in this world. And did this country need one right now? Was a Hero not something you called, even as a lie, in order to defeat a Demon King? A dungeon, monsters pouring out of it, a Hero forming a party and challenging it, that sort of thing?

"I have not heard the details myself, but Division Head Hütter was searching the palace’s forbidden archives and apparently found a book among the old texts that describes Hero Summoning."

Her Majesty spoke with a slightly troubled look.

"Um, if I may ask the most basic thing, what is a Hero? What sort of thing do you take it to be, Your Majesty?"

"Well, I think it is a hero who saves the country when the nation falls into crisis. According to Hütter, a Hero, a Sage, a Holy Maiden, along with priests, mages, warriors, knights and so on are summoned together. Priests and Holy Maidens are in the church, the mage is Hütter himself, and there are plenty of knights in the Knight Order. What this country does not have are a Hero and a Sage. I think Hütter wants to summon those two, but what is a Sage, I wonder? And how is a knight different from a warrior?"

"A Sage is a wise person, so would that not mean someone with a very good head?"

I gave a harmless answer. Better to play dumb here than give some strangely correct one. I would try a question of my own.

"Um, what is the difference between a priest and a Holy Maiden? Both of them seem like people who offer prayers to a god and work miracles."

"Hmm. A priest is someone who serves the gods of their own will, perhaps? Men and women can both become priests, I think?"

"And a Holy Maiden?"

"Who knows? Hmmmmm. Someone chosen by the gods, perhaps? It is called a Holy Maiden, so it would be a woman, would it not? If a man were called, would he be a Holy Man?"

That would be a Saint, I wanted to retort!

"According to Division Head Hütter, a Holy Maiden appeared in the past. There are apparently rules for what a Holy Maiden is. Black eyes, black hair, a flat face, and a face and figure that look like a child’s even past twenty."

That is a Japanese woman, I wanted to say!

Anyway, back to the main subject.

"Even if you speak of summoning, does this country need a Hero? This country is at peace. Is more military force than you already have not unnecessary?"

Her Majesty made a difficult face, thought for a while, then said,

"Lord Robin, this is between us, but relations with the Empire have grown rather ominous. Skirmishes break out constantly on the border. Borders themselves were always a vague thing to begin with. The line is wherever you occupy, and if that place is taken from you, the border starts from the place you lost. In the past, border skirmishes have grown into large wars. A full war with the Empire is conceivable. So there is no such thing as enough fighting strength."

"Is that so?"

"That is how it is. The northern lords, who constantly feel the Empire’s pressure, want a war with the Empire. They argue that we should strike first and invade before the Empire attacks. From the northern lords’ point of view, last night’s contest would look like nothing but play. They must see us in the center as completely slack, amusing ourselves with games. Building up as much strength as we can during the current peace is never wasted."

"Which means you will have Division Head Hütter attempt Hero Summoning?"

"Yes. Hütter is investigating what is needed now. Depending on the results of that investigation, it may be carried out."

"I see. How exciting."

Inwardly, Hero Summoning was not exciting in the slightest, but the flow of the conversation forced the words out. If it went like the light novels, would it not mean suddenly dragging someone living an ordinary life over here against their will? Same as abduction. Was it all right to do something that ignored human rights? Then again, this world had no concept of human rights to begin with. To nobles, commoners were like insects, and to dukes and counts, a mere knight was a scrap noble. If you did not obey, anything was permitted. That was putting it extremely, but something close to that existed. In peacetime they still used gentle means to make people obey. In wartime, I doubted anyone would know what they were doing. There was no written law, and no court. I had started as royalty, so I simply tasted less of that unreasonableness.

Even if they talked about summoning a Hero, it seemed like a matter with no connection to a foreigner like me. Still shaken, I put on a blank face and took my leave of Her Majesty.

Anouk guided me toward Prime Minister Cromwell. She looked ready to start humming. The grin would not leave her face. Where had those cold eyes gone, the ones that had looked at me when we first met? What had happened to the gaze that treated me like trash on the roadside? The medicine was mighty, and with money added on top I now knew it could change Anouk this much.

We walked through the vast, vast palace. I was wishing for moving walkways like an airport when we arrived at the Prime Minister’s room.

Anouk knocked and went in. I followed, and there was a fairly old white-haired gentleman. Anouk introduced me.

"I have brought Ambassador Marie."

The Prime Minister stood. I had pictured a slender man when I thought of a prime minister, but this one was tall and solidly built. Soldier fit better than civil official.

"Ambassador Robin Marie, I am grateful you came all this way. I am Oliver Cromwell, serving as Prime Minister of Mainz Kingdom. I expect we will have a long association. I look forward to it."

He held out his right hand.