After wrapping up my conversation with Ageha, I headed toward the room where the Bugbears spawned in droves. My goal: to finally acquire the Skill: Thief.
I took them all down without a single hitch.
『You’ve certainly grown accustomed to this,』 Ageha remarked.
She had already deactivated her clone and was now speaking to me remotely.
『Well, I’ve done this more times than I can count,』 I replied.
I had cleared this room an unbelievable number of times. Thanks to that, every one of their attack patterns was burned into my brain.
『So, should I head toward Hero Eligion’s location now?』
『Yes. Noc is already on his way. Join up with him as quickly as possible.』
『In the end, what are we doing about Hero Eligion?』 I asked.
Were we killing him, or weren't we? Regardless of the decision, I intended to follow Ageha’s lead.
『There’s no need to kill him, but we must take the Holy Sword he carries.』
Right. I recalled her saying that she was currently sealed within the Holy Sword held by Hero Eligion.
『Would it be okay to just borrow it for a bit instead of taking it by force?』
『That shouldn't be a problem... Can I leave the details to you, Kiska?』
『I think I can handle it.』
『Then I’ll leave it to you. Honestly, Noc is clearly terrible at negotiating. When he was my only collaborator, my only choice was to have him take it by force. But since you’re helping me now, Kiska, it seems like our options have expanded.』
Noc was perpetually silent, after all. Negotiation would be a tall order for a guy like that.
『By the way, isn't it actually quite difficult to take the Holy Sword from Hero Eligion by force? Swordsman Noc must be incredibly strong if he’s capable of that.』
Wait... what was Noc’s rank again?
Ah, that’s right—she hadn't told me yet.
But since Hero Eligion held the pinnacle rank of Master, it seemed obvious that the Hero would be the stronger of the two.
『Well, he is the strongest pawn I ever prepared,』 Ageha said.
『Is that so...?』
『His class is Assassin. When it comes to killing someone by catching them off guard, no one stands equal to him.』
So that would make him Assassin Noc.
I had the feeling that the Skill: Assassin was something that couldn't be acquired without a staggering amount of training.
『But he introduced himself as a Swordsman.』
『An assassin isn't going to just reveal his hand like that. It’s common practice for them to claim a low-rank class for the time being.』
Well, put that way, it made sense.
Even Nyau had called herself a Mage at first despite being a Sage. It was probably standard protocol not to flaunt a high-rank class needlessly.
『Just how high is Assassin Noc’s rank, anyway?』 I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.
Hero Eligion was a Master rank and held the 7th Seat. The rest of the Hero’s party were Diamond rank, the second-highest tier.
For the record, I was Platinum, the third rank from the top.
『Master.』
『Wait, what?』
『He is a Master, holding the 6th Seat. Assassin Noc is stronger than the Hero.』
You’ve got to be kidding...
I was momentarily lost for words.
Ageha guided me to the location where Assassin Noc was waiting.
Apparently, Hero Eligion was somewhere nearby.
"Hello, Noc-san," I said, approaching him.
In response, he gave nothing but a silent, stiff nod.
It was a little unnerving.
Knowing he was a Master made it even more intimidating. I truly had no idea what this man was thinking.
『Alright, head to where Hero Eligion is. Kiska, you will negotiate first. If you fail, Noc will seize the sword. I’ve already relayed the plan to him. Go.』
『Yeah, I’ve got it.』
With that, we headed toward the area where the Hero was resting.
"Ah, if it isn't Kiska-kun! I'm glad to see you're safe. And it looks like Noc-san was with you as well."
As soon as Hero Eligion spotted me, he called out with a friendly, warm voice.
"Yes, I happened to run into Noc-san by chance. I'm glad to see you're safe as well, Lord Hero Eligion," I replied.
Now then, I had to figure out how to get him to hand over the Holy Sword Hagentia peacefully.
Thanks to looping so many times, I had a decent grasp of Eligion’s personality. Now was the time to put that knowledge to use.
"Well then, why don't we have Kiska-kun guide us through the rest of the dungeon right away?"
"Before that, I have one request for you, Lord Hero."
"A request? What is it?"
"Would you mind letting us hold onto the Holy Sword Hagentia for a short while?"
"...I’m not sure I understand. What do you mean?"
"Actually, a certain seal has been placed on that Holy Sword. I believe we can release its true power."
The thing sealed inside was actually a person, but even if I told him that, he likely wouldn't believe me. I decided it was better to frame it as unsealing the weapon's true potential.
"A seal? I've never heard of such a thing."
"But it is the truth. Of course, we will return it to you as soon as the seal is broken."
"Are you saying you are the one who will break it?" Eligion asked, his eyes turning wary.
It was a natural reaction. It would be stranger if he believed such a far-fetched story without question.
However, I had already prepared my argument.
"No, I am not the one who will do it. Swordsman Noc here will be the one to break the seal."
At those words, Eligion’s eyes widened in surprise.
"Is that true, Noc-san?"
When Eligion looked to him for confirmation, Assassin Noc gave a firm, silent nod.
"I see. If Noc-san vouches for it, then I will entrust it to you for a moment."
Hero Eligion handed the Holy Sword Hagentia over to Assassin Noc.
For the time being, the negotiation was a success.
I knew my own words wouldn't carry enough weight to gain his trust, but I figured he would trust the word of a fellow Master like Noc. It seemed my gamble had paid off perfectly.
Assassin Noc carefully placed the Holy Sword Hagentia on the ground and pulled something out from his robe.
At a glance, it looked like a simple gemstone, but I noticed complex, intricate patterns engraved deep inside it.
I had no idea what the stone actually was.
Noc held the gem and began to mutter something in a low, hushed voice.
Suddenly, the gem erupted with a dazzling light.
The gemstone was pulled toward the Holy Sword Hagentia as if by a vacuum, and as it merged, the sword itself began to glow.
The brilliance intensified until it filled my entire field of vision, blinding me completely. I had to shield my eyes with my arm just to escape the glare.
By the time I realized the light had subsided, the silence had returned.
"Finally... I'm finally out!"
A voice rang out.
It was a voice I knew very well.
"Now, I can finally get back to my job as the Hero."
Standing before us was none other than Hero Ageha herself.