Elem Stella Holy Church.
This church, which believes in Elem Stella, the goddess of charity and chastity, is the largest cult in the world.
the cathedral in the royal capital of Liechtenstein also welcomes visitors with the majesty of its name.
"It’s huge~..."
"It’s really big..."
Mei and Rinka were dumbfounded in front of the castle, which was one of the largest in the royal capital, although it could not be compared to the castle where the five of them lived.
Seeing the two of them like that, Arthur gave a wry smile, while Lelia and Roa let out an exasperated sigh.
"It's not the first time you’ve been here right..."
"Eh? Isn’t this our first time?"
"……right?"
"There's no way these two are coming to church."
"Eh? But, Arthur is a hero chosen by Elem Stella, and all his comrades were in the royal capital for five years. Even if you don't believe in it, wouldn't you normally go see it at least once??"
"But you know~ it’s just..."
"I'm not good at this kind of place."
Lelia, who is not only a princess but also a priestess of the Elem Stella Saint Church, is appalled by the two's responses.
When I turned my gaze to ask for help, Roa proudly puffed out her chest as if she were different from the two of them.
"I come here often. The old man here gives me sweets."
“Why are you looking for sweets…or rather, who is Ojii-chan? You shouldn’t take sweets from strangers.”
"His name...I forgot. But someone who knows Lelia."
"He knows me? Is he the one who works here?"
"He was waving with Lelia on the balcony of the castle before."
“Isn’t that the pope?!
“………………What a child did. Should be tolerated.”
"What did you do..."
Arthur immediately supports and follows Lelia, who is about to collapse from her knees hearing a big name that came out unexpectedly.
"It's okay. Even Roa wouldn't do such a big thing."
"But... It’s Roa you know?"
"..."
Arthur who can't utter more than two phrases stays slient.
Even though they were in line with the facts, their attitude was extremely rude, but instead of showing dissatisfaction, Roa nodded admiringly while staring at Lelia.
"By lowering my impression while casually staying supportive to Arthur, you will increase his affection and evaluation --- Lelia, a calculating woman."
"Eh? Was that so..."
"As expected of the royal family, you're wicked."
"Scary..."
"It’s not the case!"
“Hahahaha, everyone is on good terms.”
A priest called out to us with laughter while we were having a carefree dialogue.
The priest, who has a good-natured smile on his face, wears an ordinary ceremonial dress, but his sophisticated atmosphere and demeanor make you feel that he has a certain dignity.
As soon as they saw him, Arthur and Lelia hurriedly straightened their postures, but Roa didn't seem to care at all and the other two didn't even have a clue about the person.
"Sorry for being noisy..."
"Pope, I've shown you something embarrassing."
"Grandpa, yahoo"
As soon as they learned that this old man was the "Pope" from the greetings of the three, Mei and Rinka hurriedly straightened their backs.
"Some of you are meeting me for the first time. My name is Moruen, and I'm here to guide you today and give you some notes about your trip. Nice to meet you."
………………
…………
…
“Now then, let me quickly tell you what you need to know before you embark on your journey.
Moruen's office is located in a section where only related parties are allowed to enter, at the end of the hall open to the public. After confirming that Arthur and the others are sitting on the sofa, Moruen begins to speak.
“In order to defeat the demon king who will be resurrected in ten years, it is essential to have the chastity protection bestowed by the hero. However, as it stands now, you cannot demonstrate its true power. Therefore, I would like you all to visit the sanctuaries around the world and complete the divine protection. I think you all know this much.”
Arthur and the others nodded at what they had confirmed many times.
"With one exception, only the hero Arthur-kun can enter the deepest part of the sanctuary, and once he enters, he can't go outside for about ten days until his power becomes familiar with the divine protection. It seems that you don't need sleep, but you'll be away from your friends during that time, so please choose your timing carefully."
"Okay, I'll be careful."
"Also, when you set out on your journey, you must make a pledge. That is, ``We must not reveal that we are the hero and the princess.''"
"Why is that?"
“There are three reasons. One is to prevent unnecessary confusion among the people. We want to time the proclamation carefully and keep it in step with the rest of the world.”
"I see……"
“The second is so that the heroes can return to their daily lives after subjugating the demon lord. Among the successive heroes, there were those who wanted to abandon the name of hero after subjugating the demon lord and live a peaceful life. It can't be helped for those who fight on the front lines or are involved in national affairs, their faces are known all over the world."
"Is that why we've barely left the castle until now?"
"Yes, if you don't mind Arthur-kun, we'll make a big announcement after completing your mission, but it's better to have more options. And the third is to have Arthur-kun become a true hero."
Arthur and the others tilted their heads as they could not understand the meaning of Moruen's words.
Moruen probably didn't think that Arthur and the others would understand with just this. He continued to explain regardless of their condition.
“What do you think is the purpose of your upcoming trip?”
"It is to complete the power of divine protection around the goddess's sanctuary, isn't it?"
Arthur answered as a representative. The other four didn't seem to have any objections, but that wasn't the answer Moruen wanted.
"That's half right and half wrong."
"half……?"
"To be precise, Arthur-kun is to 'acquire the power to subdue the Demon King.' Blessing is an important element, but it is not everything."
Some people showed a certain understanding of the words, while others still did not understand. Seeing this, Moruen continues his explanation.
“It is not known to the general public, but our third Hero-sama from the past died fighting the Demon King in history.”
Arthur raises his voice in an unexpected way.
"Wait a minute, if the hero was killed by the demon king, wouldn't humanity have perished?"
"Even though he died, it didn't mean we were defeated. It is said that they traded their life."
"They traded off... but why didn't the other heroes do so, but only the third?"
“As you all know, when the first Hero-sama appeared, he was exposed to the tyranny of the Demon King and mankind was in danger of perishing. The multiple races who were on bad terms joined hands and fought for the first time.
Seventy years later, the second hero appeared, and although there were probably few who experienced the Great War, the scars left behind by humanity will not heal completely, and the threat from the generations of their parents and grandparents. It seems that the people of the time who heard about it also united and did everything in their power to resist the threat of the Demon King.”
──── but
“The third hero appeared 200 years after the second defeated the demon king, the longest interval in history. The fact that we were victorious must have made the people's hearts less alert.
It seems that a lot of people held praises the hero and sang along, and there were many who snuggled up to take advantage of his authority... And the third generation traveled the world as he was swept away, and finished the safest tour of the holy land in history-- ─Unprepared for the strength, skill, and heart necessary as a warrior who bears the fate of the world.”
Chosen by the Goddess, even the third generation must have had the qualities of a hero.
However, the times and the surrounding environment rotted the buds.
"In that era, there were more victims than other generations, and the damage was enormous. And although the third generation defeated the demon king in exchange for his life, if he made a mistake, human history would have ended there. “
You can't defeat the Demon King without the protection given by the goddess, but that's not enough. It doesn't worth much if someone who wields a good sword or spear is inexperienced. Divine protection is also the same, so instead of just going around the sanctuary, I want you to gain experience on that journey, train your mind and body, and if it is possible, I want you to reach out to those who seek salvation.”
“────That’s how I become a 《Hero》.”
"That's right. The journey ahead is also a test to see if you can be the guardian of the world."
Everyone who understands the meaning of the oath. But new questions arise.
“I understand why we shouldn’t disclose our position. But wouldn't the people around us would realize it even if we didn't make a fuss about it?"
The combination of one man and four women is unusual, and if the four women were of different races, it would be unavoidable to draw attention.
Furthermore, if such a group of five people traveled around the world, there should be many people who associate them with heroes.
“Also, to avoid confusion, even if you don’t tell the people about it, the royal families and nobles of each country know about it, right?”
Most of those who try to take advantage of the power of the hero are not ordinary citizens, but those in power. If they know the existence of the hero and the true identity of the hero, they may become the second coming of the third generation hero.
In response to Arthur's concerns, Moruen stood up and picked up a human-head-sized box from the shelf and placed it in front of Arthur and the others.
The tightly locked box was opened, and the princesses' bodies stiffened when they saw what was inside.
"Why... is this..."
Inside the box was a metal cylinder. Elaborately decorated and imbued with magic, it was too similar to the thing that had turned their lives upside down.
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