Sword Village

After they left Grendel's territory, the terrain gradually grew rugged. The road wound into a valley surrounded by verdant mountains. The air turned cool and damp, and the wind carried the scent of pine needles and quenched metal.

"Sword Village is just ahead," Himmel told the others, pointing to the faint outline of a village deep in the valley. His voice held a slightly complicated note of respect, unlike his usual tone. "Legend says it's where the Hero's Sword, bestowed by the goddess, is enshrined."

Heiter took a swig of wine and wiped his mouth. "That's right. The sword that only a 'true hero' can draw."

"Mm," Eisen replied succinctly, his gaze sweeping over the exposed layers of ore suitable for forging on the mountainsides.

Ruby stood on tiptoe and peered ahead curiously. "Is there really a sword that amazing? Himmel, have you tried drawing it?"

Himmel smiled. His smile was as refreshing as ever, but it seemed to hold a trace of indescribable detachment. "I tried once, a long time ago when I passed through."

"What happened? What happened?" Ruby asked eagerly.

Himmel didn't answer directly. He simply patted the unassuming-looking guard on his sword hilt. "What happened is that I'm using this companion of mine now, and that's just fine."

His tone was so casual, as though he were talking about the weather, that Ruby paused in surprise. A flicker of confusion crossed her green eyes, but it was soon replaced by curiosity about the legend itself.

"Hahaha! Fake hero!" Heiter laughed.

Frieren seemed uninterested in the legend. A clump of ferns with unusually shaped leaves by the roadside had caught her attention, and she was crouching down to examine them. Lowell stood beside her, glancing over the village and then at Himmel's back, a flicker of understanding in his eyes.

The village was more modest than they had imagined. Stone houses stood scattered about. When the villagers saw Himmel and his companions, especially Himmel's handsome face, already somewhat famous near the Royal Capital, and the presence of the elf Frieren, they showed little surprise. They merely nodded politely, their gazes calm with familiarity and even tinged with a barely perceptible weariness. Clearly, they had seen plenty of "heroes" come to try drawing the sword.

The elderly village chief came out to greet them. His hair and beard were white, and his face was kindly, though his eyes were perceptive. "Guests from afar, have you come to behold the Sacred Sword?"

Himmel stepped forward and bowed gracefully. "Yes, Chief. We'd also like to rest here briefly and replenish our drinking water."

Himmel and a few others had seen it before, but the rest had not, so they ought to see it for themselves.

"Please, feel free." The chief stepped aside to lead them, his gaze lingering briefly on the sword at Himmel's waist before he looked at the companions behind him. He shook his head so slightly it was almost imperceptible, as though in a sigh or a gesture of resignation. "The Sacred Sword is inside the cave. I trust you all know the rules."

The group followed the chief into the cave. A sword stood embedded inside.

The blade was ancient and unadorned, without any lavish decoration, yet it naturally exuded an air of solemnity. It stood silently embedded in a stone platform, as though one with its foundation, unmoved by the passage of time.

Ruby held her breath and stared at the Sacred Sword without blinking. "Wow... It looks amazing..." she whispered in awe.

Heiter stroked his chin and murmured to Eisen, "Looks the same as ever. Pretty sturdy, though I wonder how well it handles." Eisen didn't respond, merely examining the blade's construction and material.

The chief spoke as if going through a routine. "Honored hero, if you wish, you may step forward and try. The goddess will guide the one chosen by fate."

All eyes turned to Himmel.

But Himmel didn't step forward at once. He stood where he was, looking at the Sacred Sword with a calm gaze and even a gentle smile at the corner of his mouth.

He turned to face the chief and several village elders who had gathered after hearing the news, and bowed solemnly once more.

"Thank you for your kindness, Chief. But there's no need for me to try again."

The cave fell silent, save for the faint sound of water dripping down the rock walls. Even Ruby's eyes widened in surprise.

The chief was taken aback as well. Astonishment appeared on his deeply wrinkled face. "But... Hero, what do you mean...?"

Himmel straightened and looked over the villagers' plain, puzzled faces. His voice was clear and firm, without the slightest hint of awkwardness or regret:

"The last time I passed through, I tried and couldn't budge the Sacred Sword an inch. I believe that's enough to show that I am not the hero chosen by the goddess in the legend."

His tone was calm, as though he were stating the most ordinary of facts.

"But," he continued, changing tack, the unique charm on his face, a blend of idealism and pragmatism, now on full display, "defeating the Demon King and restoring peace to this continent has never depended on a sword's approval. It depends on the conviction and action of those willing to wield a sword for that purpose."

He turned slightly and rested a hand on the hilt of his own ordinary-looking sword, the gesture natural and full of trust.

"This sword has been with me since I set out on my journey. It has cut through thorns and driven back monsters. It is already my comrade in arms. For me, that's enough."

He looked at the villagers, his smile warm and sincere as sunlight piercing the clouds and mist over the valley:

"Even without the Sacred Sword's approval, I, Himmel, will continue my journey. I will do everything I can to help those in need and fulfill my mission to defeat the Demon King. That's what a hero ought to do, isn't it?"

His words were frank and open.

He felt no shame at being unable to draw the sword, nor did he put on airs and disparage the legend of the Sacred Sword. He accepted the result, yet held even more firmly to his own path. That confidence, grounded in a strong sense of self rather than outside approval, was more convincing than any grand declaration.

The villagers fell silent. As they looked at the blue-haired hero before them, the weariness and familiarity in their eyes gradually gave way to a new light of respect. The old chief stared at Himmel, his lips moving a few times before he finally let out a long sigh. But the perfunctory note it once held was gone, replaced by a more sincere expression of feeling.

Ruby gazed at Himmel's profile, a brilliant light shining in her green eyes, her cheeks faintly flushed. It was a stirring of admiration, understanding, and deeper emotions. She unconsciously clenched her little fists, as though to hold that feeling tight in her palms.

Heiter clapped Himmel hard on the shoulder and laughed. "That's my boy! Now that's more like it! Much better than those fellows who stand around drooling over the Sacred Sword!"

Eisen nodded silently. The approval in his gaze as he looked at Himmel seemed deeper than ever.

Even Frieren, who had remained uninvolved throughout, looked away from the ferns and raised her eyes to Himmel. Her face remained largely expressionless, but a faint flicker akin to "approval" seemed to pass swiftly through her emerald eyes. For an elf like her, who had lived a thousand years and witnessed countless rises and falls, such resolve grounded in one's own will might be more worth seeing than so-called "destiny."

Lowell nodded slightly and whispered in a voice only he and Frieren could hear, "True greatness doesn't lie in whether one is chosen by fate, but in whether one can choose one's own path and follow it to the end through effort and perseverance."

Frieren glanced at him but said nothing.

Himmel smiled at his companions' reactions, then said to the chief, "Chief, we'll leave after a short rest. We won't disturb the village's peace."

The group left the cave as the villagers made way for them of their own accord and watched them go with respect.

The sunlight was pleasant. Himmel walked at the front, his back straight. His conviction that, though not chosen by fate, he would still do what a hero should seemed to shine more brightly than the silent Sacred Sword. Ruby ran to catch up with him, chattering as she asked about their plans for the road ahead, her voice full of excitement.

Frieren and Lowell followed at the rear. The wind swept through the valley, carrying the scent of distant places and stirring a new chapter as well.