Heroes and Machine Girls Looking at Profiles

16 – The Avenger of the Empire

The girl who introduced herself as Rushe was left in the care of Ortrinde.

Though I had my own doubts about trusting her, it was the fact that she clearly felt uncomfortable around me that heavily influenced my decision.

If both parties are uncomfortable, it’s best to keep a distance from each other.

Above all, leaving her, who can be considered a protection target, with Ortrinde with a strength specialized in ‘defense’ was not a bad choice.

But as long as he did not know her intentions, he didn’t forget to remind Ortrinde to be careful around her.

“It seems like you’re a bit overly cautious,”

Reinforce pointedly commented.

He did not particularly deny her words.

Since I knew that I was worrying over possible trivial matters.

However, even so, I could not trust first if I could not be sure that the profile was not having any ulterior motives.

Even though I was aware that this might have been wrong, there was I who found this impossible.

“Exc… excuse me…Mr. Hans, right?”

“Huh?”

Rushe called me with a trembling voice.

When I looked back at her, she flinched with surprise and averted her gaze momentarily but then met my gaze again and opened her mouth.

“Um…Mr. Hans, you mentioned you were a traveler, right?”

“Yes, and…?”

“Did you come to this marshland… to find… by any chance a historic site?”

Historic site.

Rushe, whose pupils flickered uncertainly as she said the words.

Seeing this, I responded without any change in my expression as if I didn’t care.

“Yes, I heard that there might be one around here.”

“Oh… I see…”

“Why, what’s the matter? Is there a problem?”

“No… no…!! I’m just surprised to hear there are people who still know about the historic site.”

Bingo.

I essentially trusted the vague contents of the fairytale book and Ortrinde’s fuzzy memory and came here, never expecting to find further possibilities here.

I smiled and said to Rushe,

“Rushe, you seem to know a lot about the historic site.”

“Yes…what?!”

“I just came here based on a rumor that there might be a historic site around here. I thought you might be a scholar, Rushe, so I assumed you might know something.”

“Me…a scholar?”

“… Didn’t you say you were a botanist?”

Rushe had a blank expression for a moment.

Then she gave a start and stuttered.

“Oh…! Yes, I’m… I’m a scholar…”

Sweating profusely, her eyes flickering constantly.

Regardless of the profile or skills, there was one thing I could be sure of.

This girl, she really can’t lie.

“I…I’ve only seen old records… I don’t know much.”

“hahahaha, any little stories would do.”

“Y…Yes… actually, there are supposed to be relics around here from a time of a great war in the distant past.”

That’s when Rushe started explaining.

To summarize her explanation:

In the distant past, a grand fortress once stood in this region when war raged.

During that period, these surroundings were dominated by an ordinary forest rather than marshes, and it’s said the fortress’ geographical significance meant this area was constantly a battlefield.

In the midst of all this, the side that controlled the fortress developed a terrifying weapon of annihilation.

This destruction weapon, with its immense power, swept away the nearby enemy forces. Its magnitude was such that it’s said to have changed the local climate and environment.

Consequently, the forest previously occupying the area transformed into a wetland, intensely affected, even the temperature rose.

The terrifying weapon was sealed due to its immense power, and with the destruction of the fortress, it was all but forgotten.

However, the one in charge of the fortress supervision at that time did not forget about the destruction weapon and reportedly left a record for future generations.

Well, it’s pretty much along those lines.

I’m unsure what they meant by a “destruction weapon,” or whether it genuinely refers to a relic of a goddess, but I’d rather believe it is to keep a grim reality at bay.

At least, it was largely confirmed that a relic existed.

Then it happened.

Carefully progressing through the swamp, human presence became apparent to my senses.

“Master, life signs detected. They are human once again.”

Orthrinde, who must have noticed as well, uttered a warning.

I silently moved to a hidden location, and upon seeing me, Rusche and Orthrinde followed, concealing themselves.

As we moved, something caught our eye.

“…A…A relic. But there are people…”

Just as Rusche said, the remains of the fortress, a ruin now, stood at the heart of the marsh.

And there, individuals surveilling the area around the relic.

“…Clerics.”

“Those people…? But why are clerics at a relic…?”

Though not bearing the sign of the church on their robes, they were indeed clerics.

They are the Church’s battle-clerics, carrying out covert operations without openly revealing their cleric status.

But I recognized them – I had encountered them a few times during my hero days.

A relic that clerics were watching over.

The possibility that it was a relic of a goddess significantly increased.

“W…What do we do? They look scary…Shouldn’t we avoid them?”

Seeing Rusche flustered, I shook my head.

Indeed, those church battle-clerics were considerably powerful.

Around five of them could take on a medium-class demon.

“Leave it to me.”

“He…Huh?”

Still, I am a hero.

A hero who can easily defeat a medium-class demon with just a primitive wooden stick.

“Phew…”

I heaved a sigh, tying up the unconscious battle-clerics.

“Master, there are more over here.”

From yonder, Orthrinde came carrying two unconscious battle-clerics on his shoulders.

I thought a few had ignored me and charged towards him, but it seemed that Orthrinde had easily handled them.

“You didn’t kill them, did you?”

“Yes, probably knocked out due to a concussion.”

After carrying Ortlinde around, they tied up the priests together and left them on one side.

Looking at us, Rushe, with her mouth wide open, said in surprise.

“You…you are both really strong.”

“Well…as we travel, we experience all kinds of things.”

After tying up about twenty unconscious priests and throwing them aside, they thoroughly surveyed the ruins.

It was a ruin left with traces so clean it was impressive.

At best, there were remnants of what appeared to be a fort’s foundation – just enough to show it was once a stronghold.

A fleeting thought questioned whether such a place could truly be the ruins of a goddess, but given that the church’s secret battle priests were guarding it, there had to be something.

“No way it was nothing.”

“Everyone! Please come over here!!”

At Rushe’s loud voice, they went in the direction of the sound.

Next to Rushe was Ortlinde, who was set to protect Rushe, and a large structure that seemed to have something.

Unlike the shattered trace remnants of the fortress foundation, it was a structure that had retained its original form.

It had a familiar feel, but they couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

“This…could this be the altar where the statue of the goddess was placed?”

“Huh?”

“You know…the large statue of the goddess in the temple. It’s similar to that.”

…Indeed.

It seemed familiar, and it resembled the statue of the goddess found in the ruins on Mt. Lindium.

The structure underneath the statue looked similar.

The detailed design differed, but the size and overall shape were almost identical.

That meant…

Schwing

They drew the Reinforce.

Suddenly, upon drawing the sword, Rushe showed a surprised expression.

As they held the drawn Reinforce, they slowly walked around the structure.

“…Huh?!”

The Reinforce began to vibrate with a chill.

Bingo.

Confident, they approached the structure holding the Reinforce.

As the vibration of Reinforce grew stronger, no sooner had they laid it near the structure than…

Krrr

A hidden passage that had been at the back of the structure revealed itself.

With the appearance of the hidden passage, Rushe stared at the passage with her mouth wide open.

“Let’s go in.”

“Y…Yes!!”

When they spoke and stepped into the passage, Rushe, having now come to her senses, hurriedly followed them, leading Ortlinde into the passage.

As they entered, the long underground passage continued on just like before.

They moved forward, illuminating the passage using the light emitted by the Reinforce.

“……”

Lucia, following behind us.

When I slightly turned back to look at her, she looked slightly worried, but also like she was hesitating to say something.

But when our eyes met, she was clearly shocked, and dodged my gaze.

In the end, I stopped walking, turned around and said,

“Lucia.”

“……”

“Lucia?”

“Ah… yes! You’re talking about me?!”

Seems like she had forgotten that she was using an alias.

“Is there something you want to say?”

“Yes… yes?!”

“If you have something to say, go ahead. It’s more annoying when you’re beating around the bush like this.”

At my words, Lucia closed her mouth and looked at the ground.

After swallowing hard and taking a deep breath, she finally spoke up.

“…Then, there’s something I’d like to ask…”

“Go ahead.”

“The black sword you’re holding, could it be the Holy Sword Reinforce…”

……

Indeed, it was not too surprising that she figured it out.

Although Reinforce itself is not known to the common people, those in the high ranks of nations would instantly recognize it.

Normally, I’d keep it in the scabbard, wrapped in cloth, but now that it was out in plain sight, it wasn’t too strange that she noticed it.

“…Correct.”

“The Holy Sword Reinforce, I heard that Princess Agnes of the Kingdom of Cloeti holds it…”

Ah.

Was that counterfeit I made still being believed to be real and carried around?

“No… but that appearance and light are unmistakably that of the Holy Sword Reinforce… and if I consider the name Hans too…”

Lucia must have come to a conclusion with those thoughts, looking at me, she spoke with a trembling voice.

“…Are you, perhaps, the Hero named Hans?”

“Yeah.”

“I heard that you died in the fight against the Demon King… If you’re alive, why hide your identity…”

“Well.”

I looked at Lucia and said.

“You’re hiding your own identity and name too, aren’t you?”

“……!!”

At my words, Lucia flinched in surprise.

I shook my head.

“No, it’s not that I blame you. I just wanted you to understand that everyone has their circumstances.”

Well, whether she accepts my words or not is not my concern.

If she seemed to reveal my identity somewhere, I could handle it.

But she looked straight at me with a resolved expression.

“No, it would be rude to keep hiding my true identity from you, the hero.”

She took a deep swallow, as if making a decision, and then opened her mouth.

“My name is Luciana Ruth Valery, a noble…of the Halfas Empire.”

Luciana Ruth Valery.

The moment she mentioned that name, the profile skill reacted.

This was the proof that she had pronounced her real name.

And then, her profile appeared before my eyes.

Name: Luciana Ruth Valery

Age: 18

Class: Noble

The eldest daughter of the former duke of Valery, a prestigious old family of the Halfas Empire.

She was once betrothed to the prince of the empire, but now her engagement has been dissolved and her position taken away.

Seeking revenge against her homeland that ruined her family and lineage, she is in search of destructive weapons.

“… Huh.”

The profile that appeared before my eyes had more to do with me than I first thought.