The Seeds of Legend
The first year since the hero Himmel successfully defeated the Demon King.
The sky in the Northern Frontier appeared exceptionally high and clear, and even the wind that swept across the plains carried an unprecedented, light, and warm feeling, as if even nature itself was relaxing in celebration of this hard-won peace.
Two rather simple, open-top horse-drawn carriages, originally used for hauling hay, traveled slowly, one after the other, along the rammed-earth road connecting the Northern Countries.
The wheels rolled over the road surface, which had been repeatedly soaked and dried by the rains of late spring and early summer, making a rhythmic, drowsy "crunch" sound, raising a fine dust that shimmered golden in the afternoon sun.
Lowell, Frieren, Lupa, Linié, and Solitär were in the car in front.
Lowell leaned against a soft haystack, which smelled of sunshine and hay, one leg casually bent, his black hair fluttering gently in the breeze, his face showing the relaxed feeling that comes with a break from his journey.
Frieren was almost completely buried in the hay beside him, her long silver hair spread out like a brocade woven from moonlight, her emerald eyes half-closed, as if she were dozing, or as if she were quietly counting the slowly drifting clouds in the sky through the gaps in her eyelashes, enjoying this leisurely time after the great battle.
Lupa and Linié sat opposite each other. Lupa was carefully wiping her spear, which had accompanied her through countless battles. Her pink twin ponytails swayed gently with the slight bumps of the carriage, and her heterochromatic eyes were focused.
Linié quietly nibbled on a bright red apple, her deep blue eyes reflecting the rapidly passing fields outside the car, her pink hair occasionally ruffled by the wind.
Solitär sat alone at the back of the car, her arms wrapped around her knees. Her pale green eyes, like the finest crystals, captured everything that passed by with a sense of wonder—birds flying over the ridges of fields, farmers straightening up to wipe their sweat in the fields, wisps of smoke rising from distant villages—as if she wanted to etch this ordinary human life into her endless research archives.
In the next car, the atmosphere was completely different, filled with the joy and relaxation of successfully defeating the Demon King, clearly written on everyone's face. Himmel, Ruby, Heiter, and Eisen sat together, and despite the bumpy ride, their enthusiasm remained undiminished.
Lowell turned his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over the fields on both sides of the road, beginning to turn lush and green, brimming with hope. In a casual, conversational tone, he asked the car behind him:
"So, Himmel, are you planning to return to the Royal Capital, receive the cheers of the masses, find a leisurely and respectable position, and enjoy your heroic career in peace, to be written into the epic for future generations to admire?" His voice rose slightly at the end, carrying a hint of barely perceptible teasing.
Upon hearing this, Himmel gracefully raised his hand, brushing a strand of blue hair that had been ruffled by the wind behind his ear. A bright, refreshing smile, tinged with a sense of entitlement and a touch of self-assurance, immediately bloomed on his handsome face, as if he had rehearsed it countless times.
"Yes, after five years of living outdoors in the elements, even I'm a bit tired."
He spoke casually, as if discussing the return from a long journey, "Back in the Royal Capital, bathed in the sincere cheers and adoration of the people, becoming a shining symbol of peacetime, occasionally attending important celebrations, showing those bright-eyed children what true heroism is..."
Ah~ the thought of a wonderful future surrounded by flowers and gentle praise makes me even more certain that I am indeed a born, handsome, and powerful hero, destined to enjoy this kind of life.
He even casually tossed his hair, making the people around him burst into laughter, filling the air with a joyful atmosphere.
"That's right, that's right!" Ruby immediately replied excitedly, her pink twin tails bouncing with excitement, her big blue eyes sparkling with boundless anticipation for the future, and her little face flushed with excitement.
"Ruby has already 'incidentally' made the family name famous! Let the whole continent know that the great feat of defeating the Demon King shines with the wisdom and power inherited from our family! Hehe... If Father and Mother knew, they would be so happy they'd faint, and they'd add another star to the family crest!"
She could almost see the glorious scene of her family crest being engraved at the very top of the Kingdom's Heroes' Monument, and she excitedly waved her little fist.
Having been away from home for so long, she can now naturally name her father.
"I want to find a job where I can drink." Heiter took two more sips of his drink.
"You're such a gluttonous monk, you're quickly turning into an old man."
"That's rude. I'm only 21."
Just then, the carriage passed through a quiet and simple border village. Low stone houses surrounded an old, leafy locust tree at the village entrance, and under its shade sat a group of villagers dressed in coarse cloth and several children with wide, curious eyes.
A man who looked to be around forty or fifty years old, with a loud voice, was standing on a large, smooth rock, gesturing wildly as he recounted his experience as if he had witnessed it firsthand:
"It happened in the blink of an eye!"
The villager waved his thick arms forcefully, his voice echoing through the quiet village, "And there stood the brave Himmel, facing that colossal serpent, its body as large as a moving mountain, its eyes spitting out blood-red evil light, its gaping maw capable of swallowing an entire herd of cattle, yet it remained completely unfazed, not even budging an inch!"
He Imitation the motion of swinging a sword with great momentum. With just a slight flick of his wrist, the Hero's Sword, radiating a holy light like the sun, flashed through the night like a shooting star.
Like slicing through melons and chopping vegetables, it severed the giant serpent's hideous head! The head flew out and crashed to the ground with a deafening roar, shaking the earth and echoing clearly for miles around!
The surrounding children gasped in uncontrollable amazement, their little faces filled with pure admiration and longing, as if they had witnessed a god descend: "Wow--! That's amazing!" "Lord Himmel is so cool!" "When I grow up, I want to be a hero like Lord Himmel!"
Ruby, listening to this bizarre narration, tilted her head in confusion, her emerald eyes filled with genuine bewilderment. She turned around, gripping the edge of the carriage, and looked at her companions. "Huh? Is... is that true? When did we fight a 100-meter-long snake? I have no recollection of it at all." She tried hard to search her memory for any battles involving giant snakes.
Eisen's steady voice rang out, as reliable as a rock. "Yes. About two years ago, we did indeed kill a giant snake that was plaguing the village and devouring livestock near this village, at the villagers' request. But it was at most ten meters long."
His bronze face was expressionless, but his tone was firm, with the sternness characteristic of dwarves, "Moreover, that battle was not easy. The liquid it spewed was extremely corrosive, and its frantic struggle before death caused considerable trouble for the four of us."
He paused, then added, "If it truly is a 100-meter-long snake-like monster, its strength, scale hardness, and level of threat are likely comparable to or even surpass some dragon-type monsters, making it far from easy to deal with."
Himmel listened to this "heroic deed," which had been greatly exaggerated and distorted by the local legends, she showed no embarrassment or desire to correct him. Instead, she smiled easily, a gentle understanding of the world and a hint of mischievous slyness flashing in her eyes beneath her blue hair.
"No, Eisen," he said casually, as if stating a perfectly obvious fact.
"You must be mistaken. Think back carefully. The moonlight was dim, the forest was deep and the grass was dense, and visual judgment is bound to be wrong. Judging from the area it coiled around and the commotion it made, that giant snake was at least two hundred meters long." He said it with a straight face, as if it were true.
"Huh...? Two hundred... meters?" Ruby's mouth formed an "O" shape, her eyes widened, completely dumbfounded. She looked at Himmel, then at Eisen, as if several concrete question marks had appeared above her head.
"Hahaha. Boasting is no virtue, Himmel! Be careful, the Goddess might send down an oracle to condemn you, you boastful hero." Heiter smiled, with a unique blend of magnanimity and playfulness.
Eisen glanced at Himmel: "Vain."
Even Frieren, who had seemed to be dozing off in the car in front, slightly opened her emerald eyes, glanced at Himmel, and calmly reminded her, "It's better to be a little careful. That's how rumors are; as they're passed from person to person, they become more and more distorted from the truth. In the end, the story that's been constantly embellished and made bizarre becomes the truth."
Like Flamme, the other day we passed through a town in the Empire and saw her statue in the square. It was unbelievably ornate, with a solemn and dignified expression, elaborate aristocratic attire, and a staff inlaid with huge, magnificent gems... She didn't like such overly ornate things in life. The gems on the staffs we use are for better magical conduction, but that one...
Himmel's joking expression faded, but his lips still held that gentle, warm smile. His gaze swept over the children at the village entrance, their eyes shining with hope for the future, spurred on by the heroic tale. His voice was clear and calm:
"Yes, Frieren is right. Our adventure story will perhaps be changed, embellished, and even distorted beyond recognition through repeated retellings."
He paused, his tone becoming firm and steady, carrying a sense of responsibility unique to a warrior—the responsibility to protect hope.
"However, no matter how the rumors change, no matter how much legendary color is added to the story, everything we have actually experienced and what we have accomplished will not change."
We did indeed experience a long, sometimes tedious, sometimes dangerous journey, but also filled with laughter, trust, and warmth. And at the end, we successfully defeated the Demon King, bringing peace to this continent. That is enough.
His gaze deepened, as if he were seeing into the distant future:
"These exaggerated stories are like seeds for these children. They may not be true, but they can plant in their hearts a yearning for heroes, a belief in justice, and hope for the future."
They would believe that there exist heroes in the world capable of slaying a hundred-meter-long serpent with a single sword stroke and protecting the weak. And this belief itself is a power.
He smiled slightly, his tone carrying a gentle resolve:
"So, if this can make them feel at ease and full of hope for the future, then I don't mind becoming the hero they talk about, the one who 'cuts down a hundred-meter-long giant snake with one sword,' or even the one who 'cuts down a two-hundred-meter-long giant snake with one sword.' I will protect this hope and become the kind of hero they expect."
These words, as if possessing a magical power, silenced the previously playful atmosphere.
Ruby stared at Himmel, her emerald eyes gradually brightening with a light more dazzling than the stars. She pumped her little fist, shouting excitedly, "Wow!! That's so cool! Himmel! You're right! That's exactly it! From now on, Ruby will also say, 'Ruby a single spell!'"
Heiter burst into laughter. "Haha! At this rate, won't I, Lord Heiter, be rumored to be a miracle monk who can revive fallen heroes at full strength with a mere wave of my hand?"
Frieren blinked her emerald eyes, seemingly intrigued by the "bragging contest." In her characteristically calm and even tone, she spoke softly, as if stating a fact, "Is that so? In that case, by that standard, I actually seem to have... accidentally defeated the Demon King once."
Ruby perked up her ears, her curiosity instantly piqued. She rushed to the connecting area between the carriages, her eyes wide as she asked, "Huh?! Really? Lady Frieren! When did this happen? Where? Tell me quickly!"
"Mmm..." Frieren was about to speak when Lowell, who was beside her, quickly reached out and gently covered her mouth.
"Shh—!" Lowell whispered to Frieren, "Don't say things like that!" If she was defeated by "that," does that even count as a defeat?
Ruby this, Ruby became even more eager to help and stepped in to assist, trying to pull Lowell's hand away, pleading in a spoiled tone, "Tell me! Tell me! Lowell, let go of Lady Frieren! What secrets are there that we can't know!"
Amidst the playful banter and the fields and villages flashing by outside the windows, gradually tinged with gold by the setting sun, the two carriages continued their steady journey toward the Royal Capital.
The creaking of wheels, mixed with the sounds of wind, laughter, and heroic tales—perhaps exaggerated countless times—that were taking root in countless corners, together wove together a hopeful picture of the earliest days of relative peace.