Waking from a dream, consciousness began to return. Anyi's first sensation was an unfamiliar scent.
It was a delicate fragrance.
They say one never forgets a smell once encountered, so Anyi was certain he had never experienced this scent before.
The next moment, he realized that someone was sleeping beside him.
「Looks like I've been too relaxed...」
If it were in his previous life, the moment someone entered his room, he would have sprung from the bed.
But now, he had slept until broad daylight, and the person sleeping beside him had somehow not woken him.
After a moment of reflection, he slowly opened his eyes and looked to his side.
What met his gaze, at such close range, was a face of exquisite beauty, worthy of every superlative used to describe a young girl.
The peaceful sleeping face still held a hint of childish innocence. At a glance, she appeared to be roughly fifteen or sixteen years old, having just shed her childlike features but not yet reached full maturity.
Seeing the words [Saintess] appear in the system buff bar, Anyi knew without a doubt who the young girl sharing his bed was.
[Status: Saintess
Status Description:
You are in the presence of the Saintess. Forcefully entering Sage Mode!
The target is the sacred and inviolable Saintess; no creature, of any kind, can harbor lustful evil thoughts towards her.]
「So, this is how she looked when she was young...」
Anyi had actually met the [Holy Hero: Ariana · Aldrich] before.
In his memory, he had only met her once.
The demon territory was vast, and thousands upon thousands of Heroes would advance on the Demon King's palace from different directions. Consequently, depending on their initial path, many Heroes might never meet face-to-face in their entire lives.
However, during the final Holy War, Ariana was responsible for commanding all Heroes to attack the Demon King's palace. It was at that time that Anyi first met Ariana, and the two exchanged brief words.
Before the Holy War, she served as the overall commander of the Heroes, inquiring about each Hero's unique abilities. Because he had reached the final stage, Anyi told her about his abilities.
Similarly, Ariana also told him...
The Holy Hero's ability was: [Resurrect one deceased person per month].
This was a rather terrifying power.
Just by knowing the person's name and silently thinking of the one she wished to return to life, she could resurrect them on the spot, regardless of the time of death. In other words, anyone deceased specifically in Ariana's memory could be resurrected using this ability.
Of course, conversely, someone she didn't know could not be resurrected without a basis; historical figures written in books were the same.
Anyi suddenly wondered if taking this power was unfair to the young lady. After all, knowing the nature of her ability, he only needed to point at her and shout, "Your Hero ability is [Resurrect one deceased person per month]," to easily steal it.
This ability was divine magic in the hands of anyone.
Anyi stared at Ariana for a long time, thinking that she was indeed quite naive now. In ten years, her appearance would still be beautiful, but she would be much more mature and charismatic. Having gone through ten years of battle and being the leader of the Heroes, it would be impossible not to change, right?
But on second thought... why was this young lady in his bed?
He didn't know why she had naturally snuck into the covers and slept so soundly. A truly unrestrained young lady!
Fortunately, after obtaining the System, his body would reduce some of the awkward physiological reactions; otherwise, he might genuinely not know how to explain the situation.
Anyi pulled back the covers and got out of bed, standing by the dressing table to fix his messy hair and tying his sword securely at his back.
"Ahem."
Anyi coughed twice, stood by the bedside, and pushed Ariana's shoulder with his finger.
"Hey, wake up."
Perhaps because it was nearing the time Ariana usually woke up, she stirred when Anyi pushed her.
"Mmm~~~"
Ariana sat up in bed and stretched both arms, making a cute sound in her throat. She rubbed her eyes and looked up at Anyi beside her. She spent about ten seconds dazedly confirming the situation in her mind, then checked the nightgown she was wearing.
In Anyi's view, she might be checking to see if anything had happened to her. But Ariana was only checking if her clothes were neat enough. Logically speaking, a guest should wear slightly more formal attire, but since the situation was already like this, it was fine as long as the clothes looked orderly!
"Greetings, Sword Hero, Anyi · Carl.
I am the Saintess of the Aldrich Theocracy, Sky God faith, also the Holy Hero, Ariana · Aldrich.
Welcome to the Holy Capital, my comrade."
Ariana sat respectfully on the bed, slightly bowing her head in a curtsey, a faint smile on her face.
"Mm, hello. So, why are you here?" Anyi got straight to the point.
"Mm... Let me think."
Ariana placed her hands on her stomach, closing her eyes in concentration as she tried to recall. However, when she sensed the System window before her, she suddenly remembered.
"Because the distance was very close."
She opened her eyes and pointed towards the ceiling to her right. In Anyi's view, she was just pointing at the ceiling, unable to see her System window. Of course, Anyi quickly understood.
"You mean the distance to the quest objective, right?" Anyi asked.
"Yeah," Ariana nodded. "You were constantly closing the distance yesterday, and I kept watching. I watched for a while, then fell asleep. When I woke up and realized only about 100 meters remained, I tried to find you."
Anyi also realized that his quest [Accept Squad Invitation] had been completed. The condition for completion was most likely having contact with Ariana.
"Then, what was the reason you ended up sleeping here?" Anyi pressed.
"There wasn't one," Ariana answered honestly. "I suppose because the surrounding area was secured, I simply lay down."
"..."
My lady, you can eat just about anything, but you really shouldn't sleep just anywhere based on a whim.
However, given the presence of the [Saintess] buff, even if he were a complete degenerate, he wouldn't be able to harbor a single wicked thought towards her.
"This is the first time we have met. In the future, remember not to sleep in a stranger's bed," Anyi advised.
"Why not?"
"..."
This is a matter of basic common sense! Ariana's simple four-word question had an earth-shattering effect on his patience.
"You might not think it's a big deal, but you should consider how others feel. At the very least, an ordinary person doesn't want to wake up and find a stranger in their bed. People are at their most vulnerable while sleeping; just the knowledge that someone entered your room while you were unconscious is enough to destroy one's sense of security. Do you understand? For all I knew, you could have been trying to assassinate me," Anyi explained bluntly.
"Oh—" Ariana nodded solemnly. "I have been enlightened!"
At that moment, Ariana checked her quest log, noting that the distances to the other two Heroes had significantly decreased.
[Travel to Brana City, invite [Thorn Hero: Miruku · Sinsa] to join the Hero squad (Distance: 1.4 km).]
[Travel to Navan Town, invite [Shield Hero: Layton · Shiklai] to join the Hero squad (Distance: 5.2 km).]
...
Before having breakfast with Ariana, the clergy provided him with a set of platinum formal attire. After changing, a devotee informed him that the third Hero would arrive shortly, meaning breakfast would be slightly delayed. As for the fourth Hero, they were still some distance away, so the plan was for the first two Heroes to dine with the Saintess first.
Before the meal, a devotee escorted Anyi into a grand hall. From across the room, he saw Ariana seated upon the Sacred Throne. Because the Saintess occupied it, it was dubbed a Sacred Throne, though it was essentially a massive chair similar to a royal throne. Ariana sat in such a way that her feet didn't even touch the ground, making it easy to imagine her having to crawl onto the seat.
The original single seat had been expanded to four. Any Hero summoned into the same squad as the Saintess was deemed worthy to sit alongside her. Thus, four seats were arranged in a row, following the sequence designated by the quest. Since Ariana represented the Saintess and was meant to sit in the center, the seats were ordered: Anyi, Ariana, Thorn Hero, and Shield Hero.
Anyi didn't know exactly why he had been brought here, but he sat down according to the arrangement regardless. At the same time, he overheard reports from the arriving devotees.
"Four Heroes have emerged in the Duchy of Castelmog; they are currently gathering on the road."
"The Kingdom of Agueros reports a total of ten Heroes across seven territories. Six intend to group up, while the other four have set out toward different regions active with demons."
"Matas Village reports the birth of one Hero, known as the Dog Hero. He has gained the scent, hearing, fangs, sight, and taste of a canine. He has formally requested the Saintess to revoke his Hero status because he and his family have... developed an unfortunate interest in waste matter."
With the Gluttony skill, he could probably binge-drink ten barrels in one go, Anyi added silently to himself.
"A Hero is chosen by God. The Saintess cannot revoke his abilities. Tell him to persevere," Anyi said dismissively as he walked past the devotees to take his place beside Ariana.
The reporting devotee looked toward Ariana for confirmation. She nodded, affirming Anyi's statement.
"As you wish, Lord Sword Hero," the devotee said respectfully with a bowed head before departing.
Once he left, the others continued their reports. Ariana leaned in slightly and whispered to Anyi, "How did you know I cannot revoke the abilities of other Heroes?"
Even she didn't know that!
"I didn't, but we are currently at war with demons. Since he was chosen by God, he must possess some superior quality. If his status were revoked, it would simply mean wasting talent before the Demon King is even defeated," Anyi replied quietly.
"I see," Ariana said, a look of sudden realization dawning on her. I didn't expect such a deep level of consideration! The Sword Hero truly is a brilliant individual.
In truth, Ariana lacked any such authority; she was merely a unique Hero, not an administrator with restrictive powers.
After listening to the reports for a while, Anyi began to grow bored. Frankly, the actions of other Heroes held no interest for him. This was essentially a "territory occupation game" designed for Heroes to grow as they saw fit. The ultimate goal was the death of the Demon King, and since everyone shared that goal, they were bound to confront the same "BOSS" eventually.
However, the officials of the Aldrich faith hadn't realized this yet. They viewed the unconventional Saintess as the sovereign of all Heroes, insisting on reporting every trivial detail to her.
「Sigh, what a waste of time...」Anyi closed his eyes and sighed inwardly.
"Everyone, I have an idea." He opened his eyes, stood up, and interrupted the reporting devotee.
The clergy looked up at him, their faces masked with doubt. Ariana, who had been diligently taking notes, looked up with curiosity, wondering what Anyi was about to propose.
"Instead of reporting with such low efficiency, why not construct a grand map to track the movements of every Hero?
If we utilize a map to visualize the data, then regardless of where a Hero is summoned, where they congregate, or where they deploy, we could assess the entire situation at a single glance, could we not?"
As Anyi spoke, he punctuated his words with broad gestures.
"If the master map lacks detail, then subdivide it into regional maps. That would make cross-referencing information far more convenient. Reciting word-for-word reports doesn't make your jobs easier, nor does it lighten the workload for Her Holiness the Saintess. Please, present your intelligence using a more streamlined method."
The devotees exchanged hesitant glances, unsure whether to implement such a radical shift in protocol.
"Let us proceed exactly as the Sword Hero suggested." Ariana, far from being slow-witted, made an immediate judgment.
"As you wish, Your Holiness!"
With Ariana's blessing, the devotees finally broke into animated chatter.
"Efficiency... Yes! This method is remarkably efficient! Lord Sword Hero is absolutely right!"
"A map is a brilliant idea! Thank you for the suggestion, Lord Sword Hero!"
"I shall procure the regional cartography at once!"
The hall became a whirlwind of activity. Those who remained ceased their verbal reports, instead focusing on condensing their intelligence into concise data points for the new map. Once the crowd had thinned, Ariana turned to Anyi.
"The method you proposed is excellent, but I didn't actually find their reporting to be a burden."
Anyi had implied she was being inconvenienced, but that wasn't the case. The devotees weren't merely gossiping; they were delivering vital updates. To Ariana, simply listening was no hardship.
"Your Holiness, please do not misunderstand me.
I came here to join your squad so that we may eradicate the demons together, not to sit idle while others recite lists. If you believe being a Hero means spending your days monitoring the movements of thousands of others, then you should remain here. I, however, will use the power granted by God to slay demons—even if I must do so alone."
Anyi spoke coldly, not returning to his seat, and began to walk away.
Thump, thump—
Ariana's heart jolted, her bright golden eyes widening. The power granted by God... is for slaying demons!
"Are you angry?" Ariana leaped down from the throne and hurried after him, catching his sleeve.
"I am. When it comes to exterminating demons, I refuse to waste a single moment. Meeting you has already cost me an entire day," Anyi said.
In his previous life, by this time, he would have already put a hundred Goblins to the sword.
"I am sorry. I realize now that I was wrong." Ariana followed him closely, her golden eyes shimmering with sincerity.
Before Anyi could respond, a devotee hurried in from the outer hall and called out to them:
"Your Holiness! Lord Sword Hero! The third Hero has arrived!"
The [Thorn Hero: Miruku · Sinsa] had made her appearance.
「Thorn Hero... what kind of person is she?」Anyi wondered.
In his past life, the squad centered around the [Holy Hero] was considered the pinnacle of all Hero teams. Regardless of her specific combat prowess, Ariana's fame was unrivaled; everyone knew her as the original Hero. The Shield Hero, too, was the ultimate bulwark, having led the charge to soak up the Demon King's wrath during the Holy War.
There was also another legend known throughout humanity: the "Scarlet Witch," the [Extermination Hero]. Her power scaled directly with the number of demons she slaughtered, making her one of the world's premier killers.
And then... there was the Thorn Hero.
"..."
Anyi honestly couldn't recall anything remarkable about her. It felt as though she had only been there to fill the fourth slot in the squad. As the saying went: "Her role is vital, because without her, the game cannot begin."
In short, he would meet her and judge for himself. If she truly belonged to the strongest squad of his previous life, she had to possess some extraordinary quality.
...
「I am Miruku · Sinsa, fifteen years old, the second daughter of the Sinsa family—the most renowned assassin clan in Brana City.
From this day forward, I join the Hero squad. I look forward to our cooperation.」
Inside the luxurious carriage, the white curtains were drawn taut, masking the figure within.
The occupant was not sitting on the plush bench at all; instead, she was huddled beneath the seat in the cramped footwell.
She repeatedly visualized her self-introduction, mentally rehearsing countless potential scenarios.
Finally, overcome by exhaustion, she leaned against the wooden paneling.
"Why... did it turn out like this..."
The Sinsa family was a legendary lineage of assassins in that region.
Miruku had always been a shy child, yet everyone in her childhood circle recognized her. Growing up, people would frequently say, "You must be Miruku, the Sinsa family's second daughter, right?"
This led her to develop the subconscious belief that "it doesn't matter if I don't introduce myself."
At age seven, she entered a magic academy in another metropolis. She gave the most unremarkable introduction possible: "I am Miruku · Sinsa," and then took her seat.
She left no impression on anyone. No one showed even a spark of curiosity toward her.
The social interaction time originally scheduled for her first day was cut short when she retreated to the dormitory early. By the second day, social cliques had already solidified in the classroom. Miruku had missed the critical window for making friends.
「Should I try to talk to them?」
Miruku occasionally entertained the thought.
However, whenever she heard others laughing about where they went to play, what they ate together, or the shared experiences between them, she could never find an opening to join the conversation.
Eventually, when someone did finally address her, she would spend far too long agonizing over how to continue the dialogue. By the time she formulated the "perfect" response, the moment had passed, the topic had shifted, and she was left only with the bitter regret of her own silence.
「Anyway, even if I speak, I don't know what to say. The conversation won't lead anywhere meaningful, so it's pointless whether I speak or not.」
Perhaps at that tender age, she hadn't explicitly articulated this thought, but she had subconsciously accepted this pattern of behavior.
During the years when she should have been the most vibrant, she became a solitary child.
Eating alone, practicing magic alone, doing homework alone. Even with roommates, she maintained only the barest minimum of interaction. If a conversation was ongoing, she never had a prepared contribution. Without something substantial to say, there was no way to sustain the discussion.
In the year she turned eleven, she graduated.
At a social banquet hosted by her family, she noticed that her father was also a man of very few words. However, despite her father's silence, people constantly flocked to him to chat—a situation diametrically opposed to her solitary life.
So, she asked:
"Father, why is it that even though you never say anything during their conversations, they still keep trying to talk to you?"
Her father explained:
"Because in their eyes, I am a strong individual."
"A strong individual?"
"I don't speak because I don't want to waste my breath on them. They talk to me because they seek my approval and appreciation. So, all I need to do is smile or nod, and they will continue talking beside me endlessly."
"In that case, isn't that also wasting Father's time?"
"It was meant to be an activity for entertainment. If you consider that a waste of time, then all entertainment in the world shouldn't exist."
"Then, Father, when will you talk more?"
"When I am exchanging experiences with other strong individuals. Listen carefully, Miruku. Strong people don't talk much because they fear saying something foolish. But when weak people are silent, it betrays a lack of confidence. If you don't want to waste your breath on the weak, then go and become strong."
"...Yes!"
From that moment, the seed of "becoming strong" was planted in Miruku's heart.
She, too, wanted to raise a glass of red wine, stand amidst the crowd, listen to the chatter all around, and then simply nod to receive the pleasure and adoration of the masses.
To that end, she crafted a meticulous and thorough plan to "become strong"!
First: Enhance her training to become a elite assassin within her family!
Next: Assassinate enemy generals and high-ranking officials to forge a reputation, becoming a legendary assassin known far and wide!
Finally: At a grand banquet, adorned in a beautiful evening gown, she would raise a glass of red wine and stand amidst the throng, soaking in their praise and admiration!
From then on, Miruku began day after day of grueling training, all for the sake of reaching the goal in her heart.
However...
The enemy nation ceased to exist.
Rumors spread that a Demon Invasion had razed the entire country.
Upon hearing the news, thunder and lightning struck Miruku's heart. What should have been a joyous occasion for her countrymen—a celebration of peace—instantly shattered Miruku's world.
Her fame! Her evening gown! Her glass of red wine! The image of the adoring crowd!
All shattered!
For several days, she stood before the announcement board proclaiming the destruction of the enemy nation. she read every word from top to bottom, again and again, unable to accept this reality.
The enemy nation is destroyed! The enemy nation is destroyed! Sob, sob... ahh!!!
And then, at some point, her gaze focused on the word "demon"...
Demon... demon...
Right! Demons can destroy enemy nations! Then if I just destroy the demons, won't I become the strongest assassin in the entire world?!
Instantly, her gray world lit up once more!
The image of the crowd surrounding her! Her glass of red wine! Her evening gown! Her fame!
It was all coming back!
She would destroy the demons! She would become the strongest assassin!!!
...
"I am the Thorn Hero... I want to become the strongest assassin..."
Miruku mechanically forced two sentences out of her mouth.
No... it's not enough...
Her strength was still nowhere near enough to destroy the demons! She wasn't fully prepared yet—so how could things have moved this fast?!
"Clatter."
Suddenly, the carriage stopped. Miruku was jolted out of her reverie.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait!!!"
Who was it that shoved her onto the carriage anyway?!
Ah, it was she herself who had stepped onto the carriage to begin a new life.
「But, does the Hero squad tasked with slaying demons need a useless person like me? Am I being too presumptuous for coming? Perhaps I should refuse to join the squad...?」