For now, I had successfully secured Ageha’s cooperation.
"So, Ageha, what do we have to do to defeat the Demon King?"
If I could defeat Demon King Zoga, I should be able to prevent the apocalypse—my immediate goal.
"First, we must awaken my True Form."
Ah, right. She had mentioned that the Ageha standing before me was a Clone, not her True Form.
"Where do I have to go to find it?"
"It’s nearby. After all, that man should be in this Dungeon right now. Let’s see... Hero E... Eli... what was his name again?"
"Hero Eligion?"
"Yes, that’s the one."
Hero Eligion. He was the First Prince of the Kingdom of Lastana and the current Hero. I had entered this Kataroff Dungeon via a Teleportation Circle acting as the Guide for the Hero’s Party led by him.
"So, I just need to meet up with him?"
"No. To be precise, it’s not the man I’m after, but the sword he carries."
"His sword...?"
If I recalled correctly, the blade the Hero wielded was a special weapon known as a Holy Sword.
"What about it?"
"<Holy Sword Hagentia>. That is the sword he holds. I am inside of it."
"............Huh?"
Did she just casually drop something that wild? "Where did you say you were?"
"I said I am sealed within Holy Sword Hagentia."
"How is that even possible?"
"Don’t ask me how; it is exactly as I said."
Ageha was sealed inside the Holy Sword... It made no sense, but I suppose I just had to accept it.
"Then how do I rescue the version of you inside the sword?"
"You don't need to do a thing."
"Huh? Why not?"
"Listen. I have already saved this world once. We simply need to follow the same procedure as before."
She had a point. In the Timeline where I hadn't been present, she had already saved the world once. That meant that even if I did nothing, the world would be saved as long as Ageha was there to do her part.
"So, your only job is to stay out of my way."
"If you say so."
"Well, I’ll provide you with some basic guidance, at least."
As Ageha spoke, her body began to turn translucent, as if she were about to vanish entirely.
"Hey, are you okay!?"
I reached out to grab her, but my hand swept through empty air. I couldn't even touch her.
"Calm down. I told you this body is a Clone. Maintaining a physical manifestation is exhausting. It was hard enough just appearing before you in the first place."
Come to think of it, when she first appeared, she had muttered something about finally being able to start Interfering with Phenomena. I didn't know the specifics, but it seemed there were significant constraints on her appearing as a Clone.
[Besides, if I’m only interfering enough to speak with you, I can do that without a physical form.]
Ageha vanished from my sight, but her voice now echoed from thin air.
"You're surprisingly capable."
[Well, I am the Hero, after all.]
Put like that, it was hard to argue. Heroes really were something else.
"So, what's next?"
[Just follow my lead.]
And so, I began exploring the Dungeon under Ageha's guidance. Soon, I reached a fork in the road. In every previous loop, I had gone right to find the room full of Bugbears. There, I would farm the Agility Enhancement Skill and use Synthesis to acquire the Skill: Thief.
Out of habit, I started to turn right.
[Go left,] Ageha murmured in my mind.
"Left?"
[Yes, left.]
"I wanted to go right and pick up a new skill."
[Then come back later and get it. For now, go left.]
Well, if she was that insistent, I’d listen. "What’s down the left path?" I asked, heading that way.
[I want you to meet someone. A Collaborator of mine. It was thanks to them that I was able to save the world.]
A Collaborator? I didn't know someone like that existed. Including me, six of us had entered the Dungeon. Based on her tone, it didn't sound like she was talking about Hero Eligion. Warrior Golgano and Holy Knight Kanaria were traitors, so they were out.
That left Sage Nyau.
It made sense for Nyau to be the Collaborator. With her level of power, it wasn't hard to imagine her helping to save the world. If I went left, would I find her? The thought made my heart race.
She wouldn't remember anything that had happened between us in the previous Timeline, but I was still genuinely happy at the prospect of seeing her again. I walked through the Dungeon with a spring in my step.
[There. That is my Collaborator,] Ageha said as a silhouette appeared in the distance.
"Yo, Nya—"
I started to call out her name, but the word died in my throat.
"Who are you...?" the figure muttered in a low voice, looking at me.
In that moment, I finally remembered. There had been one more member of the Hero's Party.
[Noc. He is my collaborator,] Ageha’s voice rang out.
Yes, the person standing before me was the Mysterious Robed Man—Noc.