155 154. Hero listening to rumors.txt (1/2)

The sailors shouted in unison.

Their cries were similar to screams.

'I', who had taken up a position at the top of the main mast at the top of the thing, picked up the sword that was propped up in response to the voice.

And then, without caution, he looked around and gathered information.

However, what I see in my eyes is the same scene.

As usual, the fleet was in a beautiful formation, floating in the sea. And in the distance, there is one large ship of superior quality. It's just the prey ship that's floating in the water. I've just fired a shell into that ship as a greeting.

It is understandable if they are screaming in front of their prey, but I don't understand why they are screaming.

I kept looking around from the top of the thing and finally noticed something unusual. I didn't notice it because I was only looking away from the high ground.

The sea in which seven fleets of ships swim. The sea near it--.

--freezing.

The flotilla hadn't moved in the slightest.

All seven ships were large enough to pack enough food to cover a town. All those super-heavy ships stopped at the same time. No matter how much wind was blowing, not one of them was moving. Anyone would have panicked. Neither did I.

The crew underneath the masts are running around trying to figure out why.

And, fortunately or unfortunately, I was the only one who could figure it out at a glance.

This time I knew because I was high up.

I found ”him” ahead of the ship's direction of travel.

The color of the sea had changed only in part. The sea had become pure white, just like a snowfield. With my good eyesight, I could see that it was frozen.

On the white sea, a young boy was standing on top of it.

A black-haired, dark-eyed boy standing with a beautiful crystal sword in hand.

His face was innocent, and he appeared to be of age of adulthood or not. However, even from a distance, I could tell that the boy was not just any man.

First of all, the magic power that he wears is so thick that it can be seen. That's where it gets crazy. And the pale blue magic power is swirling around the boy like a whirlwind. The magic power continues to be converted into ice underneath his feet, and as if the earth cracks are spreading, the magic circle is eroding the sea.

A black-haired, dark-eyed boy handling the cold air.

I had heard of that existence.

It was a new gossip in my ears.

The story of the 'hero' who appeared in the northeastern confederacy--

And it's not just a ”hero” either.

This is the story of an inhuman ”hero” who has achieved an unbelievable feat, like something out of a myth.

They say - ”The strongest”. They say - ”The Sage of Swords”.

The titles of this ”hero” are many.

I've got a lot of titles, starting with 'Dragon Slayer', 'Guardian Killer', 'Dungeon Holder', 'Leader of the Mirage Guildmaster', 'Swordsmanship Successor', 'Snow Knight', 'Swordsmanship Successor', 'Snow Knight' and 'Hero'. 'Natural Hero', 'Saint's Bridegroom', 'Strongest of All Time', 'Winner of the Dancing Competition' - there were more.

Two names were too many for him. Hence, people only call him 'Hero'.

When you say 'hero' now, the boy is the only one that comes to mind, so there is nothing wrong with that.

I'm not sure how good he is, but I'm sure he's not the only one.

Are you saying that the boy in the corner of your eye is that 'hero'?

If that's the case, then there's no way he's going to win.

Just when I was about to lose the will to fight, the boy ran and leapt out of the water.

At the same time, the sailors below noticed him and called out to me, ”Hey, Philo!

'Hey, Firo!　Enemies, and they use magic!　You fight, too!

Of course.

That's why I'm on this boat. I'm what you might call a hired gun.

After being driven from my country, I'm no longer a knight, and I'm helping bandits to eat. I'm not going to be able to get my hands on any of them. I'm sure you'll be able to find a lot of good reasons for this.

It's a good thing.

That means that the boy is mine. I'm not going to be the only one to have a problem with the ship.

If I don't move now, I'm in violation of the contract.

If this fugitive escapes, he'll have no business being a mercenary in these waters.

I understand that.

But my body won't move.

I'm afraid of the boy who approaches.

I can tell at a glance.

My body shakes because I can tell.

That thing is strange.

The magic is too strange.

I can still understand standing in the sea with my feet frozen.

I'm sure a wizard who is good at freezing magic could do it. But there's no way to stop the ship. I know how much propulsion (energy) the ship has to move forward. I know how much of that enormous energy the boy used freezing magic to reduce it to zero. I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this.

I'm not going to be able to get a good idea of what to expect. I'm sure you'll be able to get a good idea of what to expect.

Without a doubt, the boy who is standing on the sea right now is a 'monster'.

And that boy will land on the deck of the ship.

The power of his leap is enough to make me laugh dryly.

His magic power is strange, but so is his physical ability. It's clear that he's not a pure wizard.

His eyes are also thin on reversals in close combat.

There are no gaps anywhere. The chances of victory are close to zero.

How am I supposed to fight?

There's no way I can win.

Unfortunately, I was the only one who could figure that out. There was no wizard in the crew that could understand the boy's capabilities.

When the boy got on deck, the sailors' arrows and magic flew at him.

But they did not reach him. Not a single attack, like rain, could reach him.

The moment they touch the boy's magic, the arrows slow down and the magic dampens.

He lightly paid off the crystal sword and played off all the attacks that came flying in.

Without a moment's notice, the sailors attacked.

Our captain takes the lead in slashing at them. The sailors then attacked the boy with a wide variety of blades.

But they are unable to reach him.

The boy swings his sword leisurely and flicks all the weapons that come his way. At first glance, the swordsmanship appears blunt, but it's a terrifyingly lean 'technique'. I know this thanks to the experience I learned in the knight's house. It's the swordsmanship of the Alais family that produces the ”Sword Saints”.

The sword is quieter and more beautiful than any knight I've ever seen.

More than the state's swordsmen, more than the winners of the famous swordsmanship tournament, more than any of the noble knights of the House of Ares.

As if painting the world with color, the boy destroyed all his enemies' weapons, leaving ice particles in his wake. Then, with his soft movements, he breaks the posture of the sailors and rolls them onto the deck.

At the same time, he restrains them one by one by means of an ice magic lock.

The boy's fight was an art form. It was even as if he was looking at tens of thousands of masterpieces in a row.

But it was too far removed from reality.

That's why it feels more horrible than it feels beautiful.

I'll be 30 years old. I've fought big monsters many times. Of course, I've almost died many times. I've been through a lot of tough times. I'm confident that I wouldn't raise an eyebrow at an ordinary event.

And yet, I was so scared that I still couldn't move my body.

The battle on the deck is slowly subsiding.

Our captain is not a good man, but he's good at what he does. Otherwise, he could not lead seven ships of these ruffians. And yet, the boy has robbed him of his captain's consciousness, as if he were knocking down a bunch of mooks.

The same is true of the sailors. There are few bandits in this sea that can match this fleet. Otherwise, they would not be able to repeat their lawless imitations in the waters near the mainland. Those strong sailors are being rolled over one by one.

Oh, I don't feel like I'm fighting a man.

I can only think that I am suffering from a natural disaster, or perhaps even divine d*mnation.

Even more frightening, the boy is out of touch. He's so worried about the enemy's injuries that he's conquering them without a scratch.

His arrogant and unreasonable charity is now blasphemous.

Blasphemous, but--

But when you see that the boy doesn't kill his enemies, you can see the fear subside a bit.

It's a cash thing. Finally, my body was starting to move a bit.

I finally manage to take a step forward.

I whip my trembling body and get off the mast in a desperate effort.

But when I got down, it was all over.

Only a shimmering white snow was left, and no one was standing except the boy.

It was a fantastic, unreal sight.

The boy turned his eyes to me as he came down.

His unfathomable black eyes catch me.

I took my love sword and held it at the ready.

If I'm not killed, there's still a way to fight. I want to believe there is.

”- You seem to be very good at it. Probably the best in the ship.

The boy looked at me and said so.

With one glance, he could see through my position on the ship.

His dark eyes were creepy, as if he could see through everything.

''Well, I may not be able to go easy on you if you resist ....... So would you please drop the sword?

Kindly, the boy recommends surrender.

'Don't lick it. ......'

But I couldn't retreat to someone who wouldn't even kill my enemies. My silly willpower and calculation made my feet move forward.

''He's good at ...... fire magic and sacred magic. And he's the type who fights with skill rather than strength. Apparently, you're a knight in disguise.

But I can see through it.

Those eyes are a deep black that looks as if it could swallow me up at any moment. I felt like I was seeing the color jet black for the first time.

The boy threatens to tell me that he knows everything about me and tells me in a distant way that it's useless to fight him.

My fears swell and I almost stop in my tracks.

The boy sees this and smiles kindly. But the gentle smile looks as if God has pity on the fool. It's a blasphemous charity.

'Are you afraid of me?　There was a bit of elation, but now the fear seems to be winning out. As it is, it would help if you were frightened: ....... No, if you are as good as you are, you can overcome this level of fear.