Encounter with the Hero Leonhardt (3)

Seeing how our debate was warming up, Suzanne came over.

"How is it? Father. My Naoto Onii-sama?"

… Oh, being called Onii-sama by Suzanne… well, it was her usual way of addressing me, but.

Being called that in front of Leonhardt made me flinch a little.

In front of someone who wasn't her father, having his daughter call me "older brother"… yeah…

… No, this wasn't how to act. The fact that I let Suzanne call me Onii-sama freely — didn't that mean she should be free to call me that in front of anyone?

… No, even if you let your girlfriend call you "darling" normally, in front of a senior person,

"My darling has been in your care～"

If she said that, stopping her wasn't strange, was it?

"… Onii-sama, huh."

Leonhardt smiled wryly at Suzanne's word.

"Yes, truly the kind of person fitting to be called Onii-sama, I believe."

So Suzanne puffed out her chest.

She gazed into Leonhardt's eyes.

"Mn…"

Leonhardt looked into my eyes anew.

"I've taken a liking to him too."

And so he said. Ooh… I felt happy about something.

I'd been enjoying conversation with this old gentleman, so to honestly feel he felt the same was nice.

I mean, with a goddess like Mercheada in front of you and you spend all your time talking with the old man — in normal terms that's torture. That I found it not particularly painful but rather enjoyable was somewhat rare.

I'd grown quite fond of Leonhardt.

But what was this conversation?

There was a strange atmosphere.

As I was thinking that, Ursula approached.

"Leonhardt-dono. This summons is about the previous matter, yes?

As thou seest, naught hath been explained to Naoto.

May I explain?"

So she asked Leonhardt.

"Mn, please, Ursula-dono."

Leonhardt nodded.

"… Naoto. As thou seest, the great Hero Leonhardt hath aged.

Indeed, talents such as Satoru, Aqueria, and Sairas are rising, but losing the pillar that is Leonhardt would be a great loss to humanity.

… So, an opinion was proposed in the S-Class Council about a year ago: shouldn't a successor to Leonhardt be established?

And, with Leonhardt-dono's agreement, it passed.

This isn't publicly announced, but as thou hast become an S-Class Master, thou hast the right to know.

I apologize for not explaining until now.

『Leonhardt's Successor, the Second-Generation Hero

• Recruit applicants from among current S-Class Masters, and select Leonhardt's successor, the second-generation Hero.

• Leonhardt's successor may inherit up to 6 of Leonhardt's surviving Garumon.

The remaining Garumon will be distributed to other Masters for the sake of overall world strength improvement.

That distribution is left to the successor's discretion.

• Selection of the successor from candidates is to prioritize Leonhardt's opinion.

If Leonhardt has no opinion, it will be the highest-placing of applicants at the next S-Class Tournament.

• These circumstances must not be revealed to A-Class-or-below Masters until the S-Class Tournament.』

That's all!"

Ursula explained.

… Leonhardt's successor, the second-generation Hero…!

I see. So such circumstances existed.

"That's right.

I will die not so far from now… but Mercheada and the rest, my Garumon, will remain after.

An opinion arose: a new Hero is needed to inherit them.

… The fellow who proposed it had as his real aim being appointed that successor himself.

But once that came up, voices of 'In that case, I too' arose in great number among the S-Class Masters.

… Whatever that fellow's true intent, I too had to consider my end before long, certainly.

In that sense, it was a serendipitous proposal.

And so, this successor-selection has come about."

Leonhardt added.

"Holding a contest for one's own successor is, in itself, a brazen affair, but…

… Ursula-dono, thanks for the explanation."

Leonhardt laughed wryly.

Looking at Mercheada, she was smiling with the same gentle beauty as Suzanne.

Eh, inherit… Mercheada!? Eh, seriously? That meant…

… A Mercheada-and-Suzanne mother-daughter combo would become possible!?

That I instantly thought such things made me kind of a useless person, I think.

… But, by all means, I wanted to aim for it. Like a dream.

"… Being called the successor of this old skeleton may be a nuisance, but may I count you, too, as one of the candidates?"

Leonhardt asked.

"It's a great honor!"

I answered at once.

Successor of the legendary Hero…!

Amazing! For me, a drifter come from another world, this was more backing than I could've asked for.

I definitely wanted to aim for it.

… Wait, to Leonhardt, shouldn't I have said flattering things like "no, you're still young," or "please don't speak of passing away"?

But such obvious flattery, hmm…

He clearly was aging, so it'd be off.

Thinking about it, "I'll happily receive your inheritance!" — you couldn't normally say that, it was rude.

I'd answered reflexively, without thinking.

Was it rude…?

I looked at Leonhardt to gauge his expression, but he was laughing. His mood didn't seem bad.

"Then good.

… This year's S-Class Tournament becomes a contest to decide this Leonhardt's successor."

Hah-hah-hah.

Leonhardt laughed.

"… Among the S-Class Masters currently raising their hands, the highest-placing is S-Class 5th, Caios.

In other words, if you can defeat him and challenge me, it's confirmed."

Leonhardt told me.

"Um…"

"They've declined… or rather, in the flow of the debate at that time, the consensus became that those ranked above Leonhardt aren't to be candidates.

Satoru, Aqueria, Sairas, and Leonhardt — these four guard the world's four directions and hold things together.

Having one of those corners collapse would be trouble, and having combat strength concentrate in one corner would also be trouble.

So Satoru, Aqueria, and Sairas agreed not to be applicants.

… But everyone else applied. I, too, of course.

… Well, I have already fallen from S-Class. That right is lost, but now Naoto is a new candidate."

Ursula added.

"E-eh… that means… to achieve it, climb to S-Class 5th?

At the next tournament?"

… Could I? No, Sairas had certainly pulled it off.

He'd even toppled Leonhardt as well, but…

Could I do almost the same feat?

"Of course, defeat me and climb to 4th, and things proceed even faster."

Leonhardt said something like that. No no…

You just said earlier — the thing about experience, telling me not to lose heart if I lose, right!

I didn't argue back for now, though.

"I, too, have aged and my strength has waned. An opinion was raised that one who couldn't beat me lacks the qualifications of a candidate.

In the end, it was decided that the highest of the candidates is fine, but if you beat me, you can silence such objections."

Mmm… if that was the case, I wanted to aim for it, certainly, but.

There was one reason I wanted to defeat Leonhardt within this year.

Sairas, Aqueria, and Satoru were still young.

Even if I lost this year, there'd be plenty of chances to defeat them going forward.

But Leonhardt had resolved to retire this year.

Which meant if I lost this year, I'd never beat Leonhardt again.

Leonhardt too, to a Master with enough talent to defeat his currently-waned self, would want to entrust the future.

… I wanted to win. I felt that strongly.

Because I'd come to like him, and was happy to be acknowledged by him.

I wanted to beat him.

"Understood. I'll aim for it. S-Class 5th… no, 4th."

I answered at once.

"… Hah-hah-hah."

Leonhardt laughed. It didn't feel mocking.

My answer seemed to have pleased him greatly.

"… At present this is mere bravado. A picture-painted rice cake.

But the S-Class Tournament is held at year-end.

The start is late October. Matches are every 3 days, with the finals on December 31st.

In other words, there's half a year to train.

If it's Naoto… thou'lt surely turn the impossible possible by then."

Ursula too gave her stamp of approval.

"Mn… very well."

Leonhardt nodded, nodded…

Pan, pan.

Leonhardt clapped his hands and summoned Aureia-san.

"Bring Himika and Himeno here."

"Yes, Goshujin-sama."

At Leonhardt's bidding, Aureia-san withdrew.

And then…

Shizu, shizu…

"… Phew…"

A beautiful, somewhat tired-looking woman appeared. White hair. Crystal-like blue eyes. White haori-hakama dress…

White, snow-white in appearance, with only the makeup at the corners of her eyes and the red of her lips for color.

With her elegant beauty carrying a Japanese aura, the Western-style courtyard suddenly seemed transformed into a Japanese-style room.

Her splendidly large bust made it hard to call her purely Japanese-style, though.

She was…

"That person is Prophecy Princess Himika.

The one who can foresee Demon God attacks, an ability holder one could call the lifeline of this world."

Ursula explained.

Oh, I'd heard in history class. She was…

The legendary Garumon that Augusta the Great possessed and that had been passed down through generations — Prophecy Princess Himika.

… Beside her was a lovely girl. Cute enough to entrance.

White skin, crystal-like blue eyes — those resembled, but her long black hair, like night, was entirely different.

But her facial features closely resembled Prophecy Princess Himika's. Like she'd been made about ten years younger.

Such a somehow fantasy-like, lovely girl opened her mouth and…

"What's this, what's this? What an impoverished, miserly-looking man is here!"

In a very lovely voice, she made combative remarks.

… She was looking straight at me.

… Eh?

Since coming here, Leonhardt had been welcoming, so this sudden combativeness threw me.

Without missing a beat, she strode up.

Still young, her thin limbs, due to the short haori-hakama, were mostly exposed, making her look almost like a boy at a glance.

This girl, with a mischievous expression, grinned slyly and…

"What an unimpressive man this is. Even without my great power of prophecy, seeing through this man's future would be effortless!

This man shall live a perfectly ordinary, unimpressive life! How about that!"

Pointing at me as she declared this, the girl preened in pride.

… So very cute, yet not cute at all.

Well, I was originally just a commoner.

As she said, I was the kind of person who, ordinarily, would lead a perfectly ordinary, mundane life.

Even being told that didn't do damage to me.

… But I should at least show some displeasure.

"… Himeno, you're as you always are."

Suzanne sighed.

"Ah, Suzanne Onee-sama!"

Instantly, her eyes sparkling, Himeno grabbed Suzanne's hand.

"Ah, Onee-sama, you came back!

Yes, yes, of course.

I'm sorry, but Suzanne Onee-sama was too much for Reichhardt Onii-sama to handle.

For Suzanne Onee-sama, I shall find a fitting Goshujin-sama through my great power of prophecy!"

So Himeno squeezed her hand.

She seemed to love her older sister, which was heartwarming.

… Mn, well, even without explanation, I more or less understood.

She was Himeno. The daughter of Prophecy Princess Himika.

… Glare.

Himeno noticed my gaze and glared at me.

"I am Prophecy Princess Himeno. The last child of the Hero Leonhardt, inheritor of the prophecy power from my great mother Prophecy Princess Himika — the one and only Garumon in this world!"

She explained even though I understood.

"Akai Naoto! Thy head is held high. Lower it!"

Bish!

… So Prophecy Princess Himeno thrust her palm at me.

… Eh, lower my head?

That was… a bit much.

It was a child's act, and I'd like to laugh and accept it, but as the head of this nearly 30-person group, I couldn't lower my head so cheaply.

I instead looked down at Himeno.

Even though I wasn't so tall, I could easily look down on a child like Himeno. She was small. About 12 years old in appearance.

If her growth wasn't halted, she was probably truly about 12.

"Gugugu… mukii! Looking down upon me, what is this! Head held high, head held high—!"

Himeno shouted kii-kii.

Hmm, noisy…

Well, she was cute, though. Beautiful girls did get the better deal…

A child this temperamental, normally I'd want to refuse, but here it seemed almost heartwarming.

Well, she was a growing child after all.

"… Himeno."

Suzanne admonished.

"Yes, Onee-sama!"

Sparkle-sparkle…

Her attitude toward me and her attitude toward Suzanne were 180 degrees different.

"Your information is outdated. I've already found a fitting Master to dedicate my sword to."

"Eh, eeeeh!? … S-such a man as Akai Naoto, a nobody, isn't fit for Onee-sama!"

Bish!

Himeno pointed.

Hmm… mismatched statements, how to put it.

That Suzanne already had a Master, anyone who watched TV would know, yet she hadn't grasped it; but in the next moment, she instantly grasped that I was the Master.

How to say — this kind of mismatched oddness made her quite a clumsy-feeling child.

Very different from the apparently sacred-looking Himika.

… Well, she had charm, I'd grant.

I chuckled.

"Mu-! What! Don't laugh! Don't laugh!"

Her face turning red, she swung her arms around, angry.

She seemed considerably temperamental.

"Koho, koho…"

"Mother!"

But Himika seemed to be quite ill in body. Visually no problem, but her whiteness might include the pallor of her complexion.

"Mother…! It's bad for your body. I shall take you back to bed at once!"

… To her mother and Suzanne, those she revered, she could take a properly polite attitude.

"… No. I asked Leonhardt-sama. To bring me to Naoto-sama."

"… Understood, Mother."

Told so, Himeno fell silent and lent Himika her shoulder, bringing Himika before me.

… She was a good kid, probably. I didn't get why she was so combative toward me, though.

Now, Himika-san stood before me.

One of the legendary Garumon before my eyes — like with Mercheada, it was moving.

… No, really, glad I'd heard about history at that timing.

Thanks to that, I wasn't taking an "eh? who?" attitude, but could meet her with proper respect.

… Well, she was a very beautiful person, so even without knowing, I'd probably have been like "wow, what a beautiful person…"

"… How do you do. Akai Naoto-sama. I am Prophecy Princess Himika."

Himika lowered her head gracefully.

"Ah, no no, that's…"

I lowered my head too… and was a little surprised.

There were wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. And her skin lacked moisture too…

A slight lack of firmness as well.

The facial features themselves were extremely beautiful, hard to tell at a glance, but up close, she looked about in her 40s.

Maybe the pure-white hair color was… white hair? If you thought of it that way, she looked another ten years older.

Weren't Garumon immortal? Or, like for Masters, did immortality have the caveat 'so long as one's spirit doesn't wane' — could Garumon be the same?

"… Indeed.

We Garumon are not absolutely eternal beings. I have already lived over 300 years…"

She seemed to immediately notice what I was thinking from my gaze.

"… Akai Naoto-sama. I'm glad to have met you.

Please… look after Himeno.

That child still understands nothing and will likely commit many rudenesses, but… please, by all means…"

Himika-san lowered her head.

"That's… it's fine. Please raise your head."

I stopped her from lowering it.

If Himika-san asked, I had absolutely no problem getting along with Himeno.

What was a little personality issue.

There was no one with a worse personality than Kanan when I first met her.

"Please, leave everything to me."

I cavalierly took on the request.

It might be too smooth. I didn't even know what we were talking about.

… But almost reflexively, if this person wanted something of me, I felt I wanted to respond with all my strength.

"… That's good. Thank you very much.

… Now, Himeno, go. Entrust everything afterward to this person…

Koho, koho…"

"Mother…!?"

Himeno tried to help the coughing Himika-san, but Himika-san stopped her, and was again led away by Aureia-san.

"Mother…"

Since Himika-san had stopped her, she couldn't approach further, it seemed.

Himeno was fidgeting beside me.

Um… what was this?

The wavering Himika-san was being helped up by Leonhardt-san, exchanging words.

… Leonhardt looked much older in appearance, but their real ages were reversed. She was over 100 years older.

… As that suggested, Himika-san looked as old as Leonhardt, or older.

"Mother…"

Himeno worried.

"Are you all right?"

I tried to be considerate of Himeno, but…

"… W-what is it! Don't look down upon me! Thy figure is too high!"

… Yeah, not cute.

"Apologies. Himika has fallen quite ill…

… Himika says she shall give you a trial."

Leonhardt added.

"A trial…? What might that be?"

I asked back, serious.