Chapter 21 The Birth of Hero and Blessings

 

The tournament resumed after Gaff's processing was complete.
They only investigated me lightly.

However, since Gaff clearly put on a cursed mask and injured many people, I was treated not as a villain who committed a murder, but someone who disposed a monster that suddenly appeared.

Taking a precaution really was the right thing to do.
They had explained beforehand that it was no problem even if someone died in the tournament, but if one were to thoughtlessly kill someone, they would be stuck with the stigma of a murderer and get further apart from becoming a hero.


Afterward, I watched all other matches.
--The demon king might lay some kind of trap again after all.

However, none of the hero candidates was that strong.
They seemed to have trained well as humans, but they weren't a match for me.

I won the second round easily and got to the final.


My opponent in the final is a gallant good young man with beautiful blue hair.
The young man looked at me after bowing politely. A straight gaze with no impurity.
"I'm glad to meet you, Keika-san. I was charmed by your strength. I might be inadequate as your opponent, but let's have a good match."
"Ah, sure thing."
I laughed and replied.
He was that agreeable of a young man.

"Final round! Keika Vs. Leo! The winner will have the priority to become the hero! Now, get ready--fight!"
The gong resounded with the host's signal and the match began.

Well, the battle was going completely in my favor.
However, I noticed a certain thing when I looked at his status with Truth Sight.
This Leo young man has two elements. The second one was surprisingly 【Light】.
It seemed the sinner system didn't work on him since he had two elements.


Leo cut the distance between us in a stretch while brandishing his sword.
"This is the end, Keika-san! --HAA!"
His sword shined, and got wrapped in wind. His finisher skill, 【Holy Wind Slash】.

"Wind, disperse."
The wind dispersed when I ordered them.
Leo's sword that got weakened lost half of its length, I evaded it.
"W-why--guh!"
I hit his stomach with the grip of my Tachi in my right hand.
Leo falls down to his knee. His sword dropped to the ground.
--Why you ask, there's no way I'm telling you that it's because I'm a god of water and winds.


Leo puts his hands on the ground while gasping for breath.
"I-I give up. This is my loss."
The host shouts.
"Oooh! After a good fight, it regrettably didn't end decisively! Candidate Leo, declared his loss! With this the final is settled at last! The winner is Keika! It's the birth of the new hero!"
WAAAA! The arena was rocked by loud cheers.
I couldn't hear what each of them said anymore.

While waving my hands at the spectators, I hold out my hand to the fallen Leo.
He grasped my hand while smiling and stood up, his blue hair swayed.
"I'm really glad to have been your opponent. Congratulations."
"Me too, it was nice to fight you."
"Hearing that makes me happy."
He laughed innocently like a kid. His white teeth shined.
--Moreover, this guy said it truthfully, not just flattery.
The term agreeable youth fits Leo perfectly.
I'm sure that it's because his second element is 【Light】.


One of the entrances opened, and several people appeared carrying the frame of a gate.
They installed it in the center of the arena and then they went away.
It was an elegant gate with angels and dragons crests engraved on it.

The host explains.
"Now, the winner Keika-sama and the runner-up Leo-sama will have to go through the Hero <<Holy Gate>>! Only those who posses the hero's heart can pass through this gate! Leo-sama would be the hero's reserve for if anything happened to Keika-sama! He will participate in the tournament next year--Well then, first, please go on ahead Leo-sama."


Leo walks undauntedly.
He passes through the marble gate.
And then.
BZZZZT! The gate shook and let out a rasping sound.
Leo's face became pale in surprise and fret.
The host shouts.
"Ooh! Unbelievable! The gate has judged that Leo-sama is a 【Hidden Sinner】! How unfortunate as he was a wonderful man!"
"P-please hold on! This must be a mistake--"
However, the guards appeared in succession, they treated Leo like a criminal.


I stare and see through the details of this Holy Gate thing.
【Element Detector】 Read out people's element.

--It could even see through his second element being Light huh.
Looks like it could see through quite deep.
It'd be a bit troublesome if it saw my abilities and status.


I look at my own palm with <<Truth Sight>> and summon my status.
And then I tamper it.
--Gods of another world can freely tamper their status.

--------------------
【Status】
Name: Keika [Hiko-no-Mikoto]
Gender: Man
Age: 20 [?]
Race: Human [Myriad Gods]
Job: Civilian [God]
Class: Master Swordsman Lv10 [God Monk]
Element: 【Wind】 【Water】 [Faint Gleam]
--------------------
This should be fine. I had also quickly overwritten my attribute values and equipment to look normal.
The ones inside [] can only be seen by me of course.


Leo was taken away when I was overwriting my status.
The host speaks.
"Now then, it was quite a shocking development, but let's start over, the winner Keika-sama, please go under the holy gate!"

I walk through the gate leisurely.
I was walking expressionlessly, but my mind was fretting.


I passed through the gate, coming to the other side.
The arena fell silent.
The gate shined green after a while.
The host shouts.
"Ah, here it is! Keika-sama is the owner of splendid hero's heart! Congratulations! It's the birth of a new hero, Keika-sama who has cleared all the trials!"

"Congrats!" "I always thought you'd become one!" "Counting on ya, Hero-sama!"
The audience praised me one after another.
Direct praises from a lot of people like these are also unfamiliar to me, it feels a bit ticklish.


I was guided to the VIP seats afterward.
At a place where you can see the arena below. The seats is on the third floor.
The king who grew mustache and had a crown on his head was waiting there.
I kneeled down and greeted him.
And then the king told me to stand up. His voice resounded clearly in the crowd you wouldn't have thought he was an old man.
"New hero Keika. You've done great to clear the trials. From now on, continue your training, save people from suffering, and search for the demon king. Become the true hero who will save this world from the demon king's hand. --Accept this."
The king brought a silver medal about the size of a palm. It's connected with chain.
I kneeled down and he put it around my neck.

I glance at the medal
【Emblem of Hero】 The right to investigate anything related to Demon King - Jurisdiction of anything related to Demon King - The right to enforce penalty to anything related to Demon King - Permission to locally procure necessary goods - Permission to pass any place - Exempted of any tax - Grant the skill tree of Hero

If I have this, I'm allowed to do anything on a matter related to Demon King.
If I were to suspect someone to be a pawn of Demon King, I can go to their house, search the inside, confiscate everything like medicinal plants or goods, and if I have proof that they're a pawn of Demon King, I'm even allowed to kill them on the spot.
--And since I'm a God, I can forge the evidence all I want.


I endure myself not to grin, and lower my head.
"Thank you your majesty. I will exert everything I have to exterminate Demon King."
"Umu.... could you show me the face of a new hero closer?"
"Yes? Yes, please."
I raise my face.
The king stared at my eyes. Transparent eyes as if they see through my innermost.
And then he sighed weakly. Light of disappointment swayed in the eyes overlooking me.
"You have a good face. Please work hard as the new hero. Here's 50 gold coins as an outfit allowance."
He gave me a heavy pouch.
It's probably not small gold coins, if it's 50 big gold coins, that's 5 million yen huh.
"Thank you very much your majesty."
"Well then, good work everyone. Lastly, congratulation for him."
Clap clap clap, a grand applause. Someone even whistled.

I waved back at the people even though I sensed something odd with the king's behavior.


It was a parade until the inn.
People have gathered on both sides of the main street as they give congratulations.
"You did well!" "Thank you!" "I won big!"
Saying all they want to say.

A bandaged old man stepped forward along the way.
"Thank you for avenging me."
"Hm? Ah, you're the bread old man. It was just the right thing to do."
"As expected of hero-sama."
The old man lowered his head many times.

Now that townspeople who were troubled by Gaff knew that he was a bandit, my valuation as the one who beat him went through the roof.
At the same time I become the hero, no one in the Royal Capital doesn't know my name.
--Fumu. In order to spread my name more, I have to solve problems outside the Royal Capital and let rumors spread into cities.

I need great achievements in order to gather enough respect to become a god. However, those achievements can't be done by stealthily defeating the demon king while no one is aware, but by doing many deeds people can see.
It was more troublesome than expected, but the requirements to become a god are finally complete now.
"It's about time to depart...."
At my muttering, Celica who was walking next to me smiled with swaying blond hair.


When we came back to the inn, the tavern on the first floor had become a party venue.
The chairs have been removed, leaving only the tables as buffet.
Even the neighboring people have intruded in.
The old man came out of the kitchen.
"Keika! You did it! My eyes didn't fool me. Now come and eat! You can drink all you want too!"
"Thanks old man."
"It's nothing!"
The old man went back into the kitchen while laughing heartily.

Lapisia runs up to me with her blue twintail flowing behind.
"Kept Minya safe!"
"So you did. Good work, you're great Lapisia."
I asked her to guard Minya, since it'd have been troublesome if they took her hostage. Lapisia is a child, but she's incomparably strong because she's a God.
When I patted her head, her golden eyes squint like it was comfortable, and then she laughed.
"Will work harder!"
"That's the spirit. Work hard in studying after you've had your fill."
"Uu.... W-work hard...."
Her eyes rounded and her shoulders fell dejectedly. Her small body became gradually smaller.
I wryly smile and retract my words.
"No, you don't need to study today. You can play after you eat."
"Really!? Love Keika!"
Lapisia hugs me. Her slender arms fit just enough. Her flat small body is glued closely, it's hot.
"Alright now, let's eat."
"Okay!"
Lapisia went to the tables with swaying blue hair.


Afterward, I ate and drank while getting congratulated by many people.
Celica modestly stayed by my side.
She brought drink and food to me before they ran out.
She was all smiles all the time. Her blue eyes that were looking up at me were moist with joy.
I felt the greatest blessing coming from Celica who didn't say anything, I felt strangely happy from that and couldn't help but smile.



Midnight.
I'm alone with Celica in the inn room.
The party in the first-floor tavern continued on, I sometimes heard Lapisia's singing voice. Looks like she's playing as hard as she can.

Celica who's sitting next to me in the bed talks delightfully.
"Congratulations, Keika-sama. I always believed you'd become Hero."
"Sorry for all the trouble. --Ah, right."
I took out the pouch I got from the king that I put in my breast pocket.
"I've used quite a lot of Celica's funds after all. I'm making that up with this."
"My! That belongs to Keika-sama. My things also belong to Keika-sama. --I... I do too."
She said the last part in whisper. Her graceful face reddens as she looks down.
I pat her head. This blond hair really feels the best on my fingers.

"Don't say that. Then please look after it."
"Yes, I understand. I'll be Keika-sama's purse."
"Please do. --And, they're 50 big gold coins right."
"No, it seems these are not."
"Hm? Don't tell me it's small gold coins."
Celica took out the gold coin inside the pouch at my question.
I'm unfamiliar with the size of the gold coin her slender fingers are holding.

"The reward from the king is of mid gold coins. They're worth four small gold coin each."
The information about them came up when I stared at it with Truth Sight. One coin worths 20,000.
"Cheap! They should've given big gold coins."
"Apparently, they did give big gold coins in the past, but it was hard for the financial. However, giving 50 gold coins was a custom so they couldn't amend it, as a result, they created these commemorative gold coins."
"I see, cost reduction huh.... So the reason why I never see them is because they're commemorative gold coin not in circulation huh."
"That's right. And it's easier to use small gold coin or big gold coin, so..."
Celica let out a troubled smile.
Well, I got 1 million yen for free, so let's just consider it a good thing.


I speak while looking at Celica putting the gold coins away.
"I'm sorry for today. I made you become a decoy."
"Please, it was an honor to be of use."
"Were you not afraid?"
"That's...."
Celica shyly laughed like she couldn't answer it.
That behavior was just too cute, I reflexively hugged her slender shoulder. Her blond hair swayed and glittered.
Celica lets out a sweet sighing-like voice while snuggling on me.
"Au...."
"There might have been a better method. I'll keep you safer next time."
"Please Keika-sama, it was really nothing. You can keep having me go through dangerous situations. I'm glad just being able to become Keika-sama's strength."
Celica push her face on my chest like a cat. Her endearing warmth was transmitted.
"Thank you."
"That word alone makes me happy...."
"Stay next to me always."
For some reason, Celica's dazed blue eyes look up at me.
And then her cheeks gradually reddens, and she nods with a smile on her whole face.
"Yes, Keika-sama!"

The party's sound can be heard from afar.
I continued hugging Celica's soft body who's leaning to me while feeling the sound of the tavern afar.
















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