At the royal castle of Symphonia Kingdom, Symphonia’s King, Ryze, had a difficult look on his face. The reason for this was the information that came from the country’s intelligence department.
The information spreading around was about Hydra Kingdom, and although there had been no official announcement from Hydra Kingdom as of yet, it was information that was attracting a great deal of attention.
[……Then, there’s a high probability that this is true?]
[Yes, there’s a strong possibility that the rumor that a stone monument presented to Her Majesty Laguna by First Hero Kujou Hikari being unveiled at Hydra Kingdom’s Founding Festival is true. There’s something that is kept quite securely in Hydra Kingdom’s royal castle, and it’s highly likely that it’s the aforementioned stone monument……]
[I see…… As to be expected of her. I’m not sure if I should say she’s quite shrewd or not, but she sure used something that could be considered forbidden……]
A stone monument left by the First Hero still stands on the Hero’s Hill, where people from all over the world visit to pray and express their gratitude. That shows how great of an achievement the First Hero had in her journey.
As her whereabouts after the signing of the Treaty of Friendship were still unknown, there were rumors of the First Hero’s existence in this world up to this date, her probable death, and her possible return to Japan after the completion of her journey.
At the same time, it was also rumored that Underworld King Kuromueina and the Hero’s party might have known what happened to her, but until now, the circumstances about this matter had never been revealed.
However, information that Hydra Kingdom was going to unveil a stone monument given to Laguna by the First Hero at their Founding Festival shocked everyone.
First of all, there’s a high degree of credibility that the aforementioned stone monument is authentic. Laguna was a member of the First Hero’s party and one of the world’s greatest heroes. That being the case, it’s not surprising that she received some kind of message from the First Hero.
However, the important question here was when said monument was given to her. If it was at the time of the signing of the Treaty of Friendship a thousand years ago, her having such a thing does make sense. Even still, it definitely would turn out into big news worldwide……
However, this raises questions about why any information about this monument was not disclosed until this moment, and along with that, there was also the growing rumor that “the monument was actually gifted only very recently”. If this were true, this could end up being evidence to support the theory that the First Hero still lives together with everyone.
And indeed, some of those holding power, including Ryze…… have witnessed the war in the God Realm revolving around the World’s Singularity, Kaito. And sighted within that battlefield at that time was the First Hero……. Therefore, he thinks it is quite possible that the First Hero is still living quietly in this world.
(Merely the possibility of a message from the First Hero is enough to generate this level of attention…… but when it’s confirmed as a fact, the level of attention their Founding Festival generates will likely surpass even that of Symphonia Kingdom and Archlesia Empire…… She’s really gone and done it.)
It’s a fact that the Six Kings and the Supreme Gods are extremely high profile…… but they do show up once every 10 years for the Festival of Heroes. The opportunity to meet both the Six Kings and the Supreme Gods in that one place exists.
However, the First Hero, on the other hand, even though she’s been known worldwide, since the signing of the Treaty of Friendship, she had never appeared in public, and even her whereabouts are shrouded in mystery. Having the knowledge of her existence would certainly bring about a great impact to the world.
Admiring Laguna’s actions, Ryze speculated that the current vague flow of information is also part of her plans. With the current situation, with various opinions being expressed while the information remains vague, the moment when Hydra Kingdom makes its official announcement will create a significant impact and guarantee a bustling Founding Festival.
[……By implementing such a strategy, it reflects a strong sense of their confidence…… In other words, it’s almost certain to be authentic…… With considerable attention already gathering within Symphonia Kingdom, it’s essential to be prepared for an immediate proclamation once the formal announcement from Hydra Kingdom is made.]
[Understood.]
During such a tumultuous time when the world is buzzing with excitement, the center of attention, the First Hero…… Neun had her head slumped on a desk.
[Hahaha, so that’s why you ended up making a stone monument huh. Seems like you also got it rough, Hikari~~]
[This isn’t some laughing matter, Hapti…… Just thinking about how this would increase attention on me and strange statues of me would start popping around again makes me feel depressed.]
[Well, the way I see it, the sales of Hikari Manju going up is a good thing. Rather, as expected, even Laguna won’t ask for your direct appearance huh~~]
[If she had asked me that, she knew I would have refused. She was very shrewd like that, and she was able to determine the line where I would compromise.]
In fact, Neun doesn’t have any intention of appearing in public any longer. Indeed, as the First Hero, the power of her words has become quite influential, but she herself doesn’t wish for her words to have unintended consequences and impact various things.
In the first place, she set out to defeat the Demon King because she wanted to help those who had helped her, not because she wanted wealth or fame.
Hearing Neun’s words, Hapti chuckled before speaking.
[Well, since we’re here, why don’t the two of us see the festival too?]
[……I suppose so. I don’t really want to get anywhere close to the Central Plaza, but we could explore other areas’ stalls and booths.]
[It’s decided then~~]
Hearing the words Hapti spoke in a laid-back tone…… words of invitation which she could tell were intended to change her dejected mood, Neun faintly smiled.
<Afterword>
Serious-senpai : [I see, she isn’t going to be directly attending, but is going to present them something…… Even so, fumu…… Neun and Hapti will participate in the Founding Festival Together. Meanwhile, Kaito has 2 extra seats on hand…… Oya? Oya oya?]
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