48 Episode 48 "Legend of the Dark Hero (with Poem)".txt (1/2)

An elf gets down on his knees.

That was the first kneeling I had seen in another world.

Raphilia was immobile, with her hands, feet and forehead stuck to the ground.

It's the kind of down-to-earth attitude that you want to include in your picture book.

...... No, you don't have to go that far.

I don't know what they would have done to me if it weren't for the 'bath people'. Thank you so much for your help: ...... Thank you so much!

With her forehead pressed against the ground, Raphilia spoke up.

'Don't be 'the one in the bath'. My name is Souma-Nagi.

I said. I've already taken off my ”sea dragon mask”, but Rafilia is still on her knees, trembling a little, as if she's afraid to look at me.

...... Also, you don't need to get down on your knees. You can't even talk to me in that state.

”Yes. 'The one with the bath,' as it were, Sooma-Nagi-sama!

Raphilia finally looks up.

Rita looks at me curiously.

I'll have to explain later why it's 'the bath lady' - I'll have to explain later.

I'll introduce myself once again. I'm Souma-Nagi and this is Rita. We don't mean to sound suspicious, but we are acquaintances of Iris Hapheumea...

No, no, no. You can't doubt your rescuer!　I trust Soma-Nagi and the others unconditionally!

You're okay, kid.

Raphilia's purple eyes widen and she looks at us.

”My name is Raphilia-Grace. As you can see, I'm ...... a would-be adventurer.

The bastard ......?

This experience has made it clear to me. I'm not cut out to be an adventurer.

Raphilia stood up and paid off her bare knees.

'I've had ...... a lot of bad things happen to me since I've been on the adventure ......

...... Really?

I left my hometown, longing for the fairy tale heroes I was told so much about in the old days, and I haven't had a good one so far .......

Rafilia flattened her elf ears and slumped.

'In the last battle, my friends were wiped out - all of them were incapacitated, and I was the only one who was able to recover. Still, everyone managed to recover with magic. Afterwards, as a reward for my work, Iris-sama invited me to go to the hot springs and asked me to go alone to ......, but during that time, they took all of my luggage, equipment and money away from me: ......

I was unhappy.

After that, I managed to get here with the three arsha I had left at hand, but I didn't have the money to go back to my hometown, and when I stopped by the Adventurer's Guild looking for a job, I got caught by the masked people.

Huh.

Raphilia held her chest and sighed.

'Listen, Rafilia-san, what part of your hometown is that?'

I couldn't help but ask.

I was afraid that if I was left alone, I would die around there or be enslaved.

”If it's in the direction of Metekal, I'm going to ask my friend to go with me because he's going to be leaving now...

It's a small village on a peninsula a month's boat ride away.

The other way or ......

Well, that's not where I was born. I can't remember being there more than five years ago.

...... Huh?

An elf girl (Rafilia) who folds her arms and nods her head saying, ”I'm in trouble, aren't I?

I'm not sure if it's easy to say that.

It's not just a matter of time before you get to the point where you're going to be able to get the job done.

”It's hard for me to react to such heavy talk all of a sudden!

But Rafilia seems to have certified us as ”people you can trust from the bottom of your heart”.

I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work.

Rafilia was picked up five years ago by an old baker's couple when she drifted off to a different port town than this one.

They were close at first, but as the bakery's business gradually tipped over, there was no place for Rafilia.

Or rather, that she was about to be sold off as a slave.

So, that I got a shot of energy and went on a journey to become an adventurer.

But I was treated as weak and useless at the party. And he took away his reward...

Rita and I could only listen with a blank expression on our faces as she spoke with gestures of ”Doriya”, ”Kihya” and ”Kite-ha” in a totally non-serious manner.

And now that we've reached Ilgafa from the spa town of Rihjelda, we're broke, so the great adventure of Rafilia-Grace is over.

.................. a few years of great adventure.

I mean, you're doing a lot of crazy stuff with no memory of it, Rafilia.

You're running headlong into the opposite of crisis management and safety measures and all that.

Why did you decide to become an adventurer in the first place when you don't even have a memory?

Because all I can remember from the past is my name and all I remember is being told the Tales of Heroes when I was little and that I was ”protecting” something.

Oh, I see .......

So, why don't you become an adventurer and protect someone ......?

Yes. I thought maybe I could remember who I am!

Rafilia's purple eyes sparkled and she raised her fist to the dusk sky.

''Because maybe my true identity is a legendary hero with his abilities sealed off, or a great wizard of the land of salvation!　If we run into a crisis, I'll awaken with a bang, and I might be able to defeat the Demon King and save everyone!

Just go home!

Me and Rita plugged in at the same time.

You can't go home, can you?　I don't care if it's near my home town. Just go home where it's safe.

There's nothing dangerous about it.

It's reckless to become an adventurer when you don't have any memories, and it's not right to travel alone without any knowledge of the land or information, and without any acquaintances.

Even I, who was summoned from another world, got information from Ashtarte at first, and I survived because Cecil and Rita were there.

It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to get your hands on some of the best products on the market.

That's right, you're going to get caught in a pressured interview!　I mean, it's a miracle I've survived until now!

If you can't go home, there's a town nearby that you know. Find a job there and you'll be safe.

I will. I may not be a legendary hero, but ...... I'm pretty happy with that.

Raphilia closed her eyes, held her large chest and murmured dreamily.

''I've seen the real legend, I've seen it for what it is. That's the only thing that will keep me alive for the rest of my life.

”Legend?

Yes, sir. I'm a righteous dark hero. That's why I inadvertently got involved with the 'Knights of Divine Life'. I thought that if they were the best party in Ilgafa, they might be that 'dark hero' - I was wrong, though.

'Maybe we should forget about the weird heroes.

”Yes ......, the truth is, I was also thinking of forgetting about that dark hero and not telling anyone about it. I felt that if I spoke about it, I would be entangled in the allure of the darkness ......

Raphilia nodded, her face a little red.

'What I saw of the 'dark hero who rules his slaves with fear and pleasure' will go down in elven lore.

I'd rather take him out.

Don't speak ill of her. I owe him a debt of gratitude!

By the way, where did you meet this dark hero?

Yes. In the spa town of Rihjelda, during the attack on Lady Iris.

The spa town of Rihjelda. The Iris attack.

Just as my party was about to be wiped out, he swooped in and wiped out my black armor (living mail).

Sweeping away the black armor.

I'll never forget the sun that appeared in the middle of the night and the wall of fire (Flame Wall) that looked like a castle wall. ......

A sun-like 'light' and a huge 'wall of fire' appeared in the middle of the night.

To ....... What a great guy!

Yeah, I know. I know. The hero.

I mean, that's something that doesn't like to be seen by the public because it hides its abilities...

He was a mad hero with a golden beast and a great dark magic girl.

''Where's the insanity attribute?''

''It was dark and I couldn't make out her face, but that person's fingers were touching the great magic girl's chest, and the girl had a face that said, 'Yucky ...... and more ...... happiness. It looked like the hero's mysterious control over the girl was bringing out her great magic. That's my subjective view!

”............ is a mistake.

Impossible!　How can you go wrong with a dark hero with beautiful, mesmerizing eyes (subjective), a noble demeanor (subjective), and a powerful dark hero who rules over his slavegirls with grace and grandeur (subjective)?

............ all.

Sooma-Nagii-sama can say that because he hasn't seen it in person!

Raphilia shuddered as she hugged her body with both hands.

The golden beast that waved its black armor with a single blow and the mysterious slaughterhouse maid are all true. The fact that the enemy is supposedly defeated by regular soldiers is proof of that!　Of course that dark hero had to control information to hide his identity!

I see. I didn't know you could think like that.

It's amazing.

I can't forget his voice that seemed to echo from the underworld, even now. It resonated deep into my soul and I was so hot that I couldn't sleep that day, and I ended up writing a bunch of poems praising my hero. ......

Can you tell me more about it?

Rita, who had been listening to the story in silence, shook Rafilia's hand, with a shudder.

''It's a poem honoring the hero who wiped out the 'Black Armor' army, right?　I think I, Cecil and Aine would all want to know. I'd love to know when you're done with your work.

Are you interested?

I'd rather buy the poem.

It's called The Contractor Who Runs in the Dark: Honeymoon in the Dark with a Slave Girl.

'Great. We should spread the word to the Bard's Guild right now.

Do you like it, dark hero?

You can tell me you love me.

You're a hero who uses slaves to defeat evil.

I'm going to tell the whole world how great he is.

I'm here.

with a grunt

Rita and Rafilia hold each other's hands again.

'No, I think we should destroy that poem right now. From an information control standpoint!

This is my soul. I'm determined to keep singing until I die.

Please don't.

But ...... I see. So Raphilia was the elven girl at that time.

No wonder Reggie remembers her.

I mean, the 'dark hero' that Rafilia saw was us.

So Rafilia, who was about to quit her job as an adventurer, fell for the Knights of Divine Life because she thought they were that 'dark hero'? Because she wanted to meet the hero she admired once again.

I guess it's ............, this guilt.

'But you're wrong about one thing, Raphilia,'

Rita murmured with a serious look on her face as she held Raphilia's hand.

'Mistake?　What is it?

Raphilia nods her head curiously.

'I don't think it's fear and pleasure that rules the slaves.

Eh. That's not true.

'Nope. A slave does not manifest his or her true power in such a way. I'm the one who draws the power from the slave, and I'm the one who draws the power from the slave, and I'm the one who draws the power from the slave, and I'm the one who draws the power from the slave.

Love?

Uh-huh. Oh, love. Yes, I'm sure of it!

I see. But I reject it because it doesn't burn well as a poem.

It was rejected.

Thus I was to be talked about as a 'dark hero who ruled his slaves with fear and pleasure'.

I'll double the ...... reward so you can erase that memory too. ......

By the time we got back to the house, the sun had set.

I introduced Raphilia-Grace to everyone and went to the kitchen.

I tell them what happened while I'm here. I'm also telling them that there's an elder slime living in the house and that I need either elf hair or claws or ...... and body fluids to get the guy to leave.

I'm sure you'll be able to get ...... just the hair and claws and that will complete the job, right?

No, sir. Now that you've given me a job, I have to be there for you!

Raphilia said, sweating, probably from running around.

She was serious. I'm too enthusiastic, though, and I look like I'm about to cry.

'I've got an elf here, Elderslime.

”Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!

Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop!

The elder slime snagged on the kitchen pillar, dripping blue.

'Please don't do that, it's too hard to clean up.

'Well, well, well, you brought me here ...... Oh, Elf. You are very much like the one who made the straw ....... My master was just as beautiful. He generously fed ...... to the straw and fed it to us ......