The Corridor of Memories was a plummeting descent, deep as if plunging into the very bottom of an abyss. Yet, within that darkness, images were projected with the vivid clarity of a movie on a screen—the history of the Brave bloodline, as recorded by a demon of presumably extreme rank.
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"Hey, in a bit of a bind? You are, aren't you? Looks like it."
A black-haired man, carrying a blood-stained one-handed sword over his shoulder, reached out toward a man with long blond hair.
The black-haired man bore a striking resemblance to me. His clothing wasn't the finery of a noble, but the simple, rugged outfit of a commoner.
"I’m Laguna. Laguna Brave."
It was me. Well, these were the memories of House Brave, so it just meant there was someone in the past who was a carbon copy of myself.
"That is the First Master, sir," Sebas's voice echoed.
"I see. So this is the man they called the Hero."
When I looked at him that way, he actually seemed pretty cool. Probably because he looks so much like me.
"I can't just ignore someone in trouble, so I came to help," the First Brave said with a grin.
"Tch. Nobody asked for your help."
The handsome blond man—the spitting image of Edward—was sitting on the ground in front of a massive, slain monster. He clicked his tongue and swatted the hand away.
"What’s your problem? Can't you even say thanks?"
"You simply helped me of your own accord. Why should I have any need to thank you?"
As veins began to bulge on the First Brave’s forehead, the handsome blond man snorted and turned his face away.
"I’m going to pluck every last hair from your head, you bastard."
"The moment you do, I shall have you executed for lèse-majesté. Be grateful for my generosity."
What the hell am I being shown? The blond man looked exactly like Edward, so if that bald idiot ever said something like that to me, I’d punch his lights out without hesitation.
"That is the Ancient Sage, Edward Gran Etherdam, sir."
"For real...?"
I thought the resemblance was uncanny, and then it turned out they even shared a name. The only difference was whether they had hair or not. I suppose the Ancient Sage was slightly more tolerable since he wasn't currently sending passionate gazes my way, but I had to admit the First Brave was pretty aggressive, using such casual language with a noble right off the bat.
"So this is the meeting between the Ancient Hero and the Sage?"
"Indeed. Still, where exactly are they?"
I couldn't tell which forest it was, but since House Etherdam has always kept a mansion in the Royal Capital, it was likely somewhere nearby. However, the monster the First Brave had slain was a monstrous creature rarely seen even in the Brave Territory. It had the head and body of a lion with curved ram horns, bat wings on its back, and a snake for a tail—a Chimera.
"Did things like this really wander near the Royal Capital back then?"
"In the era of their birth, it was said that nowhere outside the vicinity of the Royal Capital was fit for human habitation, sir."
Nowadays, other territories are connected by trains and bustling with noble tourism, but back then, it seemed Goblins and Orcs were more numerous than citizens. The positions of humans and monsters were reversed. You could say the Royal Capital was already overcrowded even then.
Having a Chimera—a monster so powerful it would take several tactical-class mages to defeat—casually wandering near human settlements is a level of terror that encountering a bear in Hokkaido can't even compare to.
"I mean, you said I only helped you of my own accord, so you’re admitting you were helped."
"Wh—! I admit no such thing! I do not accept charity!"
"Hmph. Well, whatever. I’ll just leave it at that, then."
"You... I shall kill you with my own hands this instant. You’ll be executed on the spot!"
"Man, I really want some meat dumplings. Chimera meat doesn't taste good at all..."
"There is no way I would ever fall behind the likes of a Chimera! Not I!"
As we watched the two of them bickering on the screen, Sebas spoke up.
"Ho-ho. Despite their positions as noble and commoner, their ways of thinking will likely never intersect, wouldn't you say?"
"I agree."
While the Sage boasted of his own power like a child—stabbing the Chimera's corpse with his sword and burning it with magic while shouting "I this" and "I that"—the Hero was just blankly drooling.
"Hey, was this era really that dangerous?" I asked. From the looks of it, things seemed almost peaceful.
"I believe you have sensed the danger... in more ways than one."
"Ah, yeah."
Maybe they just had different sensibilities than normal people. Still, it was a fact that Chimeras appeared near the Royal Capital. It meant the people were cornered to an extent that didn't compare to the present day.
"Let us return to the story," Sebas said.
"Yeah."
"The one who brought those two together was a single woman."
"The Ancient Saint, huh?"
As we spoke, a woman's voice rang out.
"Laguna-kun! Is Lord Edward safe!?"
Turning my gaze back to the projection, I saw a woman running toward the two men as they argued over whether he had been rescued or not.
"He's safe. In fact, he's got a bit too much energy, and it's annoying," the First Brave replied.
"I see. That's a relief..."
I was stunned as I looked at the woman who let out a sigh of relief. She had beautiful blue hair that fluttered like the sea. However, her facial features... they didn't resemble the Mariana Ocean I knew, but were the spitting image of Patricia Kindred.
And her chest was flat.
"Ocean-dono, why are you here...? It is dangerous!"
"I could say the same to you, a member of the royal family."
Unlike the modern Mariana, she stood her ground and looked Edward straight in the eye. She was incredibly Patricia-like.
"Ugh... I see. You were the one who sent this man to rescue me? There was absolutely no need!"
"No matter how skilled you are at magic, it's far too dangerous for someone who's always lived in the capital to suddenly go off alone to investigate the forest. That's why I sent him."
The cognitive dissonance was overwhelming.
"It should never happen that a noble is rescued by a commoner! To send such a condescending man... Ocean-dono, you are truly unkind!"
"It can't be helped, can it? He's the only one who could get here quickly and whom I can trust."
"That's right. Say thank you."
"Laguna-kun, you need to mind your place, too!"
"Yeah, yeah."
"What if I were extorted by this man who doesn't know his place!? What if he insisted on being called my life's savior!? This man is exactly the type who would say such a thing!"
"Whoa, now I'm actually a bit ticked off. Maybe I really should extort him..."
"Wait, you two! I figured you wouldn't get along, but I didn't think it would be this bad..."
The Ancient Hero and the Sage had started fighting despite it being their first meeting. As the conversation turned into a chaotic mess, the Saint let out a heavy sigh.
"Haaa... But I'm truly glad you're safe. Truly."
At those words, the Sage stopped arguing and turned toward the Saint, his cheeks flushing slightly as he bowed his head.
"Ocean-dono, in truth, I was saved. I thank you for your consideration. As my savior, perhaps you would care to join me for a meal sometime?"
"Ahaha, well, maybe another time."
"I am always available. Whenever you find the time, by all means. If necessary, I shall speak to the King and grant you an even higher peerage for saving a royal life—"
"W-Well, maybe another time!"
"...I bet this guy wouldn't have died even if I hadn't helped him," the Hero muttered, looking exasperated as the Sage pressed the bewildered Saint. "People with strong libidos survive any situation—right, Patricia?"
"Pa-Patricia!?" I shouted.
The three of them left the dangerous forest while still bickering, but I was so shocked that the footage no longer mattered. I thought they looked similar, but this was a bombshell.
"Indeed," Sebas said. "She is the woman who would come to be known as the Saint: Patricia von Ocean."