Chapter 37 – It Was All a Comedy.

Kangkangkang! Lucia didn’t know what expression to make as she listened to the sound of metal clanging.

“What on earth happened overnight to end up like this?”

Well, I woke up early in the morning to hear the sound of metal screeching and wondered what was going on, and then I heard that the bet between Tiaran and Krusha had changed overnight.

“Well, what do you think? I have to make my own armor anyway, and I’ll kill two birds with one stone by supplementing your poor equipment!”

“That is only if Krusha is a proper blacksmith.”

Buut and Asta also puffed out their cheeks as if they were dissatisfied. I wondered if I could say such a story openly, but it seemed like Crusha was already busy making the equipment that Tiaran had ordered.

“Don’t worry about that.”

“Why?”

Because in that case, he was already concerned. That’s why he asked. Why did you plan to ignore so many adventurers and accept them as guests?

‘But why did it have to be us?’

‘That’s because you had the best sword.’

Krusha saw Asta and Tiaran’s sword and approached. Even though Asta’s sword was not ordinary, it was quite surprising that she even recognized his sword.

‘Do you mean this?’

‘That’s right, it’s that sword.’

‘It’s disappointing if you’re just trying to get something in return for flattery.’

‘Who do you think is an idiot?! I can’t see any fancy decorations on that sword. This is truly amazing! Where on earth did you get a sword like that?’

I was wondering if I could find out, so I picked up the Sword Eater and was able to hear that story.

“… Did you recognize the Sword Eater?”

“But how? No matter how you look at it, it looks like an ordinary iron sword.”

“In any case, I guess it’s worth noting that you have a keen eye for attention.”

When I told them that story, they seemed to understand it to some extent. Normally, they would have accepted it as a common tactic, but they knew that the sword Tiaran was holding was originally Targon’s Sword Eater.

According to Krusha, it will take about 5 days. Tiaran’s full plate armor took a lot of work, but what was especially time-consuming was the chain armor that Lucia would wear underneath.

This was because it was a work that had to be made by twisting each chain one by one.

“Then come later!”

“Ugh! Come back in 5 days!”

They returned to their lodgings, leaving Krusha waving roughly. Looking back, it looks closer to a mansion.

“How did you rent this accommodation? Is it because it’s a hero party after all?”

Considering that adventurers usually travel to cheap inns, it must have cost quite a bit of money. Tiaran’s punishment wasn’t enough to make him unable to live, but I know that there are many things to consider.

“Are you asking that now? It’s similar.”

For some reason, the mansion was empty, but since we were a hero party, we were able to stay there cheaply thanks to the lord’s favor.

“Are you really planning on coming in even though you know we’re a hero party?”

“I’m curious too.”

As if Lucia had a question, she brought up the story she had been putting off until now, and Asta also joined in her words.

“Huh? Is there anything else I should ask? If you’re a hero party, aren’t you given the right to conscript from the king?”

“How do you know that?”

“How much of an adventurer’s jjambap am I!”

“It has nothing to do with that, right…”

The hero’s party was similar to the adventurer’s party, but different in texture. Because warriors are given the power to forcibly conscript anyone they want in the name of the king or country. In modern times, it was a kind of special forces unit.

“But if you forcefully hold someone back, it’s only detrimental to the party.”

Asta glanced at him and spoke in a muttering tone. That’s because they didn’t hide their identities and hire Tiaran for no reason.

Usually, when you talk about a hero party, there are many people who say it’s cool or praise it for being a hero, but when you ask them to do it themselves, the majority of them naturally refuse.

“Ask me to extend the contract later. You probably didn’t forget the promise you made at the beginning, right?”

“Puh, okay. I’m Anis. Please take care of me in the future, Tiaran.”

As Tiaran spoke casually, Anise, who had been looking at him with an anxious expression, burst into laughter and took off the ring. Then her hair turned as white as that night, and her blue eyes also turned golden.

“As expected, it’s amazing.”

“Yes, because it was specially made by the church.”

“Because it’s nice to see. When we’re alone, let’s just be our normal selves.”

“Hehe, good.”

Anis was waving his hands and laughing.

“Ugh! Ugh! Let’s talk about that later, right?”

Lucia, who was watching the scene, closed one of her eyes and pretended not to notice. She had already caught a glimpse of their relationship, but she was pretending to be asleep at the time and couldn’t talk about it.

“Anyway, I would like to welcome you to officially join the party. My name is Lucia Erpojanette. I am in charge of finances.”

“Um… The party’s finances are generous, right?”

“Why are you worried about finances after hearing my name?!”

When Lucia heard his suspicious voice and glared at him as if he was complaining, Tia Ran shrugged her shoulders.

“The newbie must have been a bit foolish all this time.”

“Who is being foolish!?”

“Or is it better to say that it is easy?”

“I mean, sing it normally! Normally!”

Despite the commotion, their eyes focused on Tiaran for a moment. Since Anis and Lucia have been newly introduced, isn’t it now his turn to introduce them?

“Huh? Why?”

“No matter who sees it, it’s your turn!”

“Well, I’m just an ordinary adventurer.”

“What ordinary adventurer in the world can defeat Targon?!”

I happened to find out that Targon was a human, but he was a notorious being with five malefics. There are so many dead warriors and gold or higher adventurers in his hands, so why are they singled out as ordinary adventurers?

“Even if you say that, I just lived as an adventurer for a long time.”

Lucia sighed at the sight of him crossing his arms as if he couldn’t figure out anything. She thought maybe people were just born that way.

“I’ve hung out at a hero party or something before.”

“”Eh?””

Their mouths opened slightly at his continued words.

“You should say that first!!!”

“But it’s nothing to be proud of, is it?”

“Didn’t we just say we were a hero party?!”

It’s not something to brag about! Even if people are reluctant to be part of the party, that’s just the story of ordinary people. Isn’t the Hero Party a place that people who value fame especially would want to join even if they had to pay 10 million gold?

“… Wait, Hero Party? That’s strange! The hero for this team is definitely Anis, right?”

“That’s right. The church certainly said I was a hero.”

Only then did they realize that something was strange. The hero is decided once every 100 years, when the demons are released from their seal and invade this land.

But why does he say he was at the hero party? The hero party would have been normal if it hadn’t been created if it weren’t for Anise.

“You can’t believe you’re from 200 years ago…”

“Of course not. How do people live that long?”

“Wasn’t it you who told me about Targon last time?!”

“It was just something I did. I can’t explain it otherwise.”

As he spoke calmly, their thoughts were becoming more and more complicated.

“Looking at it, it seems like the church didn’t tell you anything about what happened in the past?”

As he spoke as if he had noticed something, they realized that he knew something.

“Tell me more. What happened in the past at the church?”

“Hmm.”

Anis sensed that this was not normal and asked Tiaran, but he drooled and seemed to be worried and shook his head.

“I don’t think that will work.”

“Why? The warrior is also officially a representative of the church.”

“But that doesn’t work.”

Lucia also spoke persuasively, but Tiaran was firm.

“You are still newbies. You may not know later, but it is dangerous now.”

“A secret that cannot be revealed even to the one and only hero?”

“Hi. Doesn’t this mean I’m naive? I can’t say more because I’m a hero.”

“Because you’re a hero?”

Even as their doubts grew, Tiaran shook his head.

“The bigger problem is you, the newbie.”

“Me?”

“Yes, no matter how high-ranking a noble is, it’s dangerous. I barely got involved in that by taking an oath of secrecy.”

Anise and Lucia looked into each other’s eyes and wondered what on earth had happened that he was talking about like this.

“Okay, let’s stop talking here and just do today’s chi training!”

“Is it training after all…”

“Ugh, I hate training.”

Lucia and Anis showed signs of displeasure, but followed him with resignation. Although I still had many unresolved questions, I decided to follow him obediently. At least so far, nothing bad has happened by following Tiaran’s opinion.

‘I really don’t know what’s going on in the world. I bet even the cult members never thought that the fake would be intertwined with the real thing.’

Tiaran shuddered as she recalled the events that had happened with the church in the past. I thought they were truly terrible people who could hide something like this.

“Hey! Hogu! We’re here!”

Five days had passed, and it was time to visit Krusha’s house again.

“What a brat. What is that…”

“Is it similar to a newbie?”

While Lucia and Anis were whispering and questioning the name Krusha was called, Tiaran realized something strange.

“What, I can’t feel you?”

“The door is open too.”

When the door squeaks and opens in vain, even though they only hold it with their hands for a moment, they realize that something is up and go straight into the house.

“Ugh, ugh.”

“Are you okay?!”

“It hurts…!”

What they soon found was Crusha lying on the floor covered in wounds.