Several days had passed since Sylphia received the title of Lord.

She let out an exasperated moan, "Ahhhh..." Her writing utensils rattled as she slammed her face down onto the hardcover book, sitting on her desk. "That was hell."

She spent all of that time reading through the books Alphonso bought for her back in Ealdton and it drained her. Ugh, my head hurts...

I've never read so much in my entire life.

To top it all of, they were handwritten. Though the writing was mostly legible, as someone who had become accustomed to standardized font all since childhood, she found it difficult to keep reading at length and often needed to put the book away and lie down for a moment. Then an hour. And the next thing she knew, she had procrastinated for most of the day.

She massaged both sides of her forehead. It's written in script, too... literally, 'Empyrian Script'! Are you kidding me? No wonder nobody reads in this goddamn world. After a quick rant, she got off her desk and jumped onto her bed.

"Ahh... comfy..." She rubbed her face into the soft cloth draped over the mattress. "Now that I'm done reading up on this stuff, I should try and get some practice. What a bother." She rolled around the bed, squeezing her pillow in her arms. "Ahh, I just want to sleep on my bed all daaaaaaay...!"

When she was finally satisfied, she flipped onto her back and calmed down.

I learned a lot from those books, though...

"Hup!" Sylphia got on her feet.

Like Alphonso said, the class skills were written into the myth of the legendary heroes.

She walked over to her closet and started browsing for dresses.

In particular, my class - Commander, primarily has party buffs as their main choice of skills.

Setting her sights on a white, frilled blouse and matching rose pink skirt, she pulled them out and put them on.

The most interesting skill it had, however, was its namesake, "Command". It seemed to increase an ally's ability when they follow my orders. I was pretty skeptical that the book would tell me anything useful, but since it confirmed a skill I had, which means I can probably trust what it says on other skills that I haven't discovered yet.

"Hm, hm hm, hmmmm..." Sylphia started humming as she slipped out of her indoor clothes and into the dress.

Aside from that, Commander also has offensive skills, such as "Intimidate". I guess that's what activated when I was scared the bandits into running away. If so, then it's pretty useful.

Sylphia posed in the mirror. "Mm. Cute!"

Speaking of activation, the book said nothing about how to use it. I already have my suspicions though... I reckon the skills automatically activate when I try to do them. That's probably why I was able to use command and intimidate without knowing that they were real skills.

She then turned about and viewed herself from different angles. "Mm! Very cute!"

That has its ups and downs. For one, it'll always be there when I need to use it... but on the other hand, it'll also be there when I don't want to use it... That might get me into trouble one of these days.

Next, she opened the drawer beside her bed and started rummaging for accessories. The drawer was filled with clips and ribbons of various designs.

Need to be a bit more careful...

She took a clip with a yellow, rounded design and nodded. "Aha. Cute!" she said, before clipping it onto her hair. She then twirled around and, finally, winked at herself in the mirror. "Yep! This outfit really brings out Sylphia's natural beauty!"

Unfortunately, there wasn't a similar book about the special traits that were also available at the character creation. But the other book I picked, "The Heart of Humans" at least seemed vaguely related to the one I picked - Mind Control.

She then sat down on the bed and started slipping into her thigh-high socks.

There were a lot of interesting concepts it discussed, but it didn't mention anything like specific skills. The whole book was written in this vague, cheesy way that just flies right over my head... That said, since it's mind control, after all, it obviously requires another person to use it on, so I can't practice it by myself.

Finally, she slipped on her sandals and checked herself out in the mirror one last time.

"Mm! Sylphia is cute again today!"

Maybe I'll try it on Rika. She snorted. Poor girl. She doesn't even realize it when I'm toying with her... She can't see whenever I'm using the black smoke, after all. That Elements book told me a bit about that. It's apparently some sort of residue made by the magic. Well, that's pretty obvious to me now, though. I wonder what determines who gets to see magic and who doesn't...? Just luck?

She then headed out of her room and greeted the maid stationed outside.

What I didn't find absolutely any information about though... is what happened to the heroes once the Demon King was defeated. Their myth sort of ends right then and there - like 'everyone lived happily ever after'. Though it seems 'ever after' only ever lasts for 1000 years.

The castle bustled, as usual, with busy hands hauling boxes, maintaining the plants and cleaning the halls.

Well, I'm stumped. She sighed. Though, come to think of it, it must have been at least a few weeks since I came into this world. If my body was still plugged into the game for that long and nobody, not even my mom, came up to save me... Her eyes glazed over. I'm 100% sure my old body is dead, and there's nothing to come back to. She sighed again. There are other myriad possibilities, of course, like time in the old world, somehow, isn't moving while I'm stuck here, but, just in case... Just in case... I probably shouldn't die while in Sylphia's body.

"Mm." she muttered to herself, "No dying until I'm absolutely sure I'll have somewhere to go. That isn't hell."

She eventually passed the windows facing the palace garden. Even there, out under the mild morning sun, busy hands were at work. Though this time, not for the sake of maintaining the castle.

Well, there's nothing wrong with just taking it easy in this world anyway. I'm in the body of a cute little girl, I get to live in a literal castle, and in a fantasy world to boot! What's not to love? For a moment, her mind wandered to the old life she lived in her world. Well, I guess there isn't any internet or games here. That's a bummer. And it is pretty lonely, not being able to see my family anymore...

She faced the door leading to the palace garden - a single wooden door with a polished bronze knob.

I would like to see my family again, though... but I can't imagine what to say if I face them in this body.

She shuddered.

Ah well, there's no point in worrying about it if there's nothing I can do about it, right?

She turned the knob and pulled the door open.

As far as I can tell, this is my new life. So I'm going to enjoy it as much as possible!

The cool breeze immediately wrapped around her as she stepped outside. She covered her eyes against the sun as she looked around the garden.

"Mm. That's right." She nodded. "Now, let's see how Rika's doing..."

Sylphia sat in an open pavilion set on the lush side of the palace garden. Amid the gentle breeze, she listened to the rhythmic sounds of wood striking against wood as her knight-in-training, Rika, sparred against one of the most respected veterans of the Royal Knights.

Rika stepped to the side and deflected Sir Dorlan's blow with her shield. Following up with her parry, she pressed her advantage by thrusting her sword right for his abdomen while he recovered from her parry. Her blows were blocked by his own shield, however. Finally, the two of them separated and returned to their basic stances.

She panted, her posture wavering as she lifted her shield in front of her. With sweat dripping down her chin, and the bandages wrapping her splintered hands slipping off, she looked as if she was ready to fall down in any second. On the other hand, Sir Dorlan, almost leisurely, raised both sword and shield and readied for another attack. She braced herself.

Then, he lunged forward.

With a loud smack, he drove the pommel of his sword right into Rika's shield. The impact finally buckled her knees, forcing one of her knees to the ground. He pressed his advantage. Blocking Rika's counterattack, he finally slipped his sword behind her defenses and, finally, pointed it at her chest.

Heaving a loud sigh, Rika fell on her back. "Aaagh! Not again!"

"Ha, ha, ha. That's because you keep taking the blow with your shield." Sir Dorlan pulled her up by the hand. "How many times have I knocked you down that way? Figure out how to deflect the blow already."

Rika scratched her head. "I know, I know." She snickered. "It's hard to break a habit..."

"Ha! If you've got the energy to laugh, then you still have the energy for another round!"

"You bet!" After giving her arms a good stretch, Rika went into her stance.

Sylphia yawned. I'm bored... hmm... Soon, the bored frown on her face warped into a mischievous smirk. Eheheh... let's play with them for a bit...

She thus stepped down from the pavilion.

"Good morning!" Her tiny voice rang like tiny bells draped along the windowsill. She approached them with a spring to her step and a bright smile on her face, concealing her ulterior motives.

"Oh, Miss Heroine!" Sir Dorlan dutifully bowed. "Come to observe Miss Evrika's training? Or perhaps you have come to join us, ha ha!"

Meanwhile, silenced from exhaustion, Rika simply smiled and waved at her.

Sylphia giggled. "Actually, I did indeed wish to join your sparring, if you don't mind." Her eyes narrowed.

"Eh?" Rika winced. "Are you sure, Sylphie? Sir Dorlan doesn't play around..."

"Don't worry about me. All I'll be doing is testing the effects of my magic."

"Huh...?" Rika cocked her head to one side.

"Basically, I'll be telling you what to do."

As if she finally understood, Rika's eyes popped wide open and said, "Wait, wait, Sylphie, we can't do that! There won't be any meaning to my training, then!"

Meanwhile, the knight had a blank, confused look on his face.

"Pardon me for interrupting your sparring session, Sir Dorlan," Sylphia gave a curtsy and said, "but may I?"

"Ah-" Rika pouted. "Sylphie, that's not fair!"

"Ah ha ha ha ha!" he bellowed out a hearty laugh, "It's fine, Miss Evrika! It would be my honor to train both the Lord Heroine and her Knight!"

"Eeh... Sir Dorlan, you don't understand-"

Sylphia cut her off, "No, Rika, you're the one, who doesn't understand."

"H-huh?" Her brows furled.

"When you complete your training, what do you think you'll do while you are with me?"

"W-well, I'll protect you, of course!"

"By yourself?"

"Well... yeah..."

Sylphia rolled her eyes.

"Wha- are you making fun of me!?" Rika shook her fist at Sylphia. "That's why I'm training so hard, isn't it?"

"Now, now..." Sir Dorlan stepped in between them. "Please don't fight."

"Is it?" Sylphia asked. "Would you become so strong that you can defeat the Demon King alone?"

"A- I... well..."

"If you could fight my enemies by yourself, then why am I the Hero, instead of you?" Sylphia crossed her arms. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Rika hung her head.

The heroine let her anguish in thought for a few more moments, to see if Rika could figure out what she meant, but eventually, she got tired of waiting. With a sigh, she said, "Listen. When you fight for me, you won't be fighting alone."

The girl lifted her face and met eyes with Sylphia.

"At the very least, I will be there with you." Sylphia waved her finger at her. "Right? Because I can't fight by myself, you, Rika, are training to be my sword!"

She shuddered.

"It doesn't matter how strong you are. If we can't fight side-by-side, all this training is pointless!"

Rika's shoulders fell.

Meanwhile, Sir Dorlan placed his hand on the girl's shoulder and gave her a nod of approval.

"Sylphie..." she whispered to herself. Then, she slapped her cheeks with both hands, shaking her head with great vigor. A flame sparked to life in her eyes. She looked at Sylphia straight in the eye and said, "I understand now! Sylphie, you can count on me!"

"So then, it's settled!"

"Mm!"

She then looked away and snickered. So easy. The thin black smoke that had collected in front of Rika's eyes soon dissipated.

Rika turned to Sir Dorlan and lowered her head. "Sir Dorlan! Please spar with both of us!"

"And please treat me as an enemy, Sir Dorlan," Sylphia added. "Do not hold back."

He smirked. "Of course! It is a great honor to personally see the power of the Lord Heroine!" As soon as he said this, he adopted his stance.

All right. Time to try out a few things...

The little girl then pulled her bodyguard down by the shoulder and whispered in her ear, "I believe in you, Rika. So believe in yourself, too."

In an instant, the girl's face turned as red as her hair. "W-w-wha-!?" she stammered.

As she pulled away, she left her with a sultry grin and a thick black smoke, seeping into her pores.

Flustered, the redhead placed her hands on her cheeks. "Uuuuu..."

Hm. Hm. She really doesn't see it, as I thought. Well, whatever. At least it still works without her needing to see it.

Now, let's see... If I didn't mess that up, I should have cast Encouragement. It's pretty hard to tell which spell I'm using since it all comes out like this creepy black smoke no matter what... Anyway, the description was vague, but I'm guessing it improves her abilities. We'll see.

"Oh?" Sir Dorlan raised his guard. "That's interesting."

'Oh'? Sylphia's brows furled. Can he see it? Alphonso taught me that some people are born with the ability to see magic - and it's a prerequisite to using magic. If so, what sort of magic can Sir Dorlan use?

She shook her head. Anyway, let's leave that aside. "Let us begin." she said, "keep in mind that either of us is your target, Sir Dorlan. If you defeat me, then Rika loses."

"Huh!?" Rika twitched. "Wait, isn't that a bit-"

"That is your job, after all." She raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it?"

"Ha ha!" Sir Dorlan dug his feet into the ground. "Miss Evrika, make sure to protect the Lord Heroine with everything you've got! Don't disappoint her!"

"Uuuu... the pressure just keeps on mounting..."

"Alright..."

The air stood still. Both warriors stared each other without so much as a twitch.

And then, a shout.

"Here I come!" Sir Dorlan's legs sprang up like an explosion, propelling him instantly to great speed. Despite that, he still had the agility to weave from side to side to confuse Rika.

Startled, she attempted to intercept him with her shield.

"Bad decision!" With all of the momentum behind him, Sir Dorlan drove his own shield into her.

"Kyaaaa!!" Rika fell down to the grass.

"Not good enough, Miss Evrika!" He raised his sword over his head.

"Oh, shit!" Putting all of her strength on her feet, she shot out of the way of his downward stroke. "Ueh!? My... my body feels really light!"

"Wha-!" Sir Dorlan withdrew and returned to his guard. "You startled me there, Miss Evrika... I've never seen a move like that before."

"M-me neither, actually..." With a crooked smile on her face, she, too, raised her ground.

Her breathing is still light. Not bad. That move just now would probably have been impossible if it weren't for Encouragement. It looks like that skill is able to improve physical strength. That's good. Clearly not mental ability, though... Puhehe.

"Keep going, Rika," Sylphia said, "You're doing fine." Then, averting her gaze, she muttered under her breath, "Relatively..."

"Eh? Ah, okay." Rika nodded.

"Miss Evrika," Sir Dorlan raised his voice. "Just make sure you do not grow dependent on Lord Heroine's magic!" He pointed his sword at her. "You should also focus on growing your natural talent!"

"Yes, Sir Dorlan!"

He grinned. "Good answer!"

"Now, Rika, it's your turn. Attack!"

"Huh, what!? Weren't I supposed to protect you?"

"Don't worry about me. I want to see you attack!"

"Uuuuu, if you say so!" Winding her legs, Rika then blasted forward. "Eeeeeh!?"

"Hng!" Sir Dorlan stood his ground and prepared to take the charge.

Heh. Bad idea.

"Crush his guard," Sylphia said, with a wicked grin.

The moment Rika raised her sword, black haze formed around her arm. Focusing on her cut, she brought the sword onto Sir Dorlan's shield with all of her might. With a thundering crash, splinters of wood flew off in several directions.

"Nggggggh-" Sir Dorlan staggered backwards.

"Woah!?" she yelled.

"Gah." He wrung his shield arm. "I'm going to feel that tomorrow." When he inspected his shield, a large notch had appeared right here Rika's sword impacted into it. He whistled. "That's pretty impressive."

Rika was equally surprised.

"Ah," He stretched his shield arm around. "This won't do. Looks like I can no longer allow the Lord Heroine to do as she pleases."

He is regarding me as a much larger threat than Rika now. Time to up the ante.

"Please do not hold back, Sir Dorlan," Sylphia put up a devilish grin. "or you might get hurt."

His light expression turned sour. "Indeed."

The dark haze spread across the garden.

Taunting. One of the Commander's few offensive skills. The story vaguely described it as doing some sort of debuff, but...

Sir Dorlan switched his stance, his eyes focused on Rika.

...doesn't it look like he's powering up instead? If this doesn't pan out, I'll probably stop using this skill...

With purposeful steps, inched forwards crouched slightly and shield presented forward.

Huh? Is he going on the defensive?

"Rika, Attack!"

"Alright!" She charged at him straight in front. However, the moment she closed the distance, Sir Dorlan peppered her with a barrage of blows.

"Wah, aaaa-haaaaa-ahhhh!!" Rika leapt back to catch her breath. "W-what the..."

Sir Dorlan advanced unabated. Several times, Rika tried to attack him, but even going around him proved fruitless.

Noticing that Sir Dorlan was approaching her, Sylphia started moving backwards.

"Are you just going to run, Miss Heroine?" Sir Dorlan said. "It will not always be possible to run from an enemy."

Sylphia clenched her fist. What the hell is this? Is this what Taunt does!? What a shit skill! I don't get it at all! At that moment, a memory sprang up in her head like a fish leaping out of the water. Oh God... this... I forgot... I already tried this skill, didn't I!? On that bandit with a silly name! Oh God, oh God, I almost lost my life that time!

"Sylphie!" Rika ran in between them and covered Sylphia.

"What do you say, Miss Evrika? Let us finish this in the next clash."

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Rika flinched. "F-fine." She dug her feet into the ground. Then, glancing at Sylphia, she whispered, "Sylphie, I won't give another inch. I'm sorry... even with your power, I'm still useless..."

Sylphia's eyes widened. In an instant, her mind cleared and she let out a chuckle. "It's okay, Rika. Just do your best."

"Mm!" She nodded. Once more, a stream of Sylphia's black magic streamed into her body.

Sorry... but you're probably gonna lose...

Soon, Sir Dorlan loomed over them.

"Now!" Rika leapt forward, ramming her shield into Sir Dorlan's.

"That won't work!" He yelled.

The two struggled face to face. Even while Rika pushed her shield into him, Sir Dorlan continued advancing forward, all the while fighting off her attempts to thrust around his shield.

"Miss Evrika, do not waste your time on fruitless aggression! That is unbecoming of a Royal Knight!" Finally, lunging forward with his shield, he toppled Rika over.

"Gahaaa!" Even with Sylphia's magic strengthening her, Rika collapsed flat on her back.

Tsk. Sylphia sighed. Well, that's a loss, then.

With Rika out of the way, Sir Dorlan finally faced Sylphia and shouted, "Prepare yourself, Lord Heroine!"

Eh!? Wait, he isn't gonna finish her off!?

He then charged at full speed at Sylphia.

Shit! What!? Just tap her on the chest or something! What the hell are you doing!? A shiver ran down her spine. Oh God is this the effect of taunting!? Fuck! Fuck! I'm never going to use this shitty skill ever again! Gotta think! Gotta do something...!

At that moment, a thought crossed Sylphia's mind.

Wait... to counteract my magic... can't I just use my own magic...? There's one way... something I read on The Heart of Humans... Intimidation.

Sylphia took a deep breath, muttering to herself, "Keep calm..."

She then hid her arm behind her back, standing firm as the fully armored knight dashed straight at her.

"What's wrong, too scared to move!?" He readied his sword.

As he came face to face with her, he saw a wide grin plastered upon Sylphia's face. Her deep, dark gaze started looked right into his eyes. The black mist formed densely around them, so much so that it became hard to see.

Sir Dorlan shuddered. His charge ground to a halt. "What are you planning!?"

"Why did you stop, Sir Dorlan?" She giggled. "Don't you wish to see my surprise?" There isn't anything, though.

The black mist grew even denser. So much so that Sir Dorlan started swatting it away with his shield, as if it were a swarm of insects.

Oho, so he does see the black mist.

"I will have to refuse, Lord Heroine," he said with a shaky grin, "all the instincts I honed from more than 20 years of soldiering... are all telling- no, screaming at me to stay away."

It actually worked...? Nice. So my interpretation was right. And it looks like it dispelled the taunt from earlier too. Interesting. Very interesting. But there's greater potential for it still... Alright, now for the next test.

"Hmm?" Sylphia's grin faded away into a slightly unamused smile. "How boring. In that case, then I shall make my move."

Sir Dorlan put up his guard.

Apart from merely intimidating the enemy, that book seemed to suggest something far more interesting...

"Are you ready?" Swung her hidden arm around.

Sir Dorlan flinched and then tightened his guard. "Come!"

Sylphia grinned.

I'm not sure if it's a skill related to the Commander class, or perhaps it's an effect related to the Mind Control blessing, but this skill is really exciting...

She raised her arm in front of her, her fingers mimicking the position of holding a pistol, and pointed it at Sir Dorlan's face.

I wonder what he's seeing right now? Is he actually hallucinating a gun in my hand, or is he terrified of whatever invisible thing I'm swinging around? Does he even know what a gun is?

His eyes widened as the black haze formed the shape of the pistol in her hand, swirling into itself like chaos made manifest.

Then, timing it in between his breathing, Sylphia then said, "Bang!"

"Hnk!" As if blinded by a burst of light, Sir Dorlan flinched and covered his eyes.

Sylphia blew onto her hand as if doing so into the barrel of a pistol.

After a few moments, he peeked up from his shield. He jeered, "Hm? What's this? A feint? But a feint without a follow-up is just a waste of time, Miss Heroine."

"Oho?" Sylphia widened her smile. "Was there really no follow-up?"

"Hng!?" Sir Dorlan turned around.

Behind him, Rika, panting heavily, pointed her sword at his back. In between her breaths, she said, "Sir... Sir Dorlan...! Surre... surrender!"

Slowly, his expression of disbelief faded away, replaced by a subtle smile. He sighed. "Using yourself as bait, Lord Heroine? How reckless." He shook his head. "We Knights are trained to minimize the danger that our Lords have to face, you know?"

The effect exceeds my expectations... Can I just make up whatever I want, and I can make them hallucinate it? He shouldn't have any idea what a gun is, but his reaction is on-point! Sylphia giggled. "I apologize, Sir Dorlan. But this is the way I like to fight."

He scratched his head. "Hah, if that's so, even I won't be able to guarantee your safety!"

"Then Rika will do just fine, right? She can't guarantee my safety to begin with!"

He snorted.

"H-hey!" Rika pouted. "I'm doing my best, you meanie!"

Sylphia giggled. "Just kidding!"

She then proceeded to repeatedly hit Sylphia over the head. "Geez, Sylphie!!"

"Hey! Hey!" She yelled. "You've got dirt all over your hands! Stop that!"

"Mmmm..." Sir Dorlan grumbled. "That's a bit frustrating, though..."

"Hm?" Sylphia cocked her head. "What's the matter, Sir Dorlan?"

"Hmm, no, it's nothing important..." He crossed his arms. "I just wonder why I didn't just pin Miss Evrika when I was able to throw her down...? Normally, that should have come as an instinct." He scratched his head. "Ahh, maybe I'm starting to show my age..."

That's right... he didn't need to defeat me at all. If he didn't come after me and left Rika behind him, he would have won anyway. She sighed. I guess that really is what taunting does - it makes people come after me no matter what...

Ugh, it would have been useful if I were the tanky sort of character, but little miss noddles for arms here probably won't survive a light breeze. Yep. It's settled. I'll seal that skill away.

"In any case," He lowered his head. "I am humbled by the power of the Lord Heroine. I had never seen such powerful magic before."

"No, no, no, your performance was splendid, Sir Dorlan." She clasped her hands together. "It puts my heart at ease that you are the one training Rika." She tilted her head and drew a modest smile upon her lips. "I look forward to the day she receives your approval."

Sir Dorlan lowered his head further. "I am truly humbled by your words."

Though hardly visible, a slight haze gathered above Sir Dorlan.

Charm. Well, it doesn't actually have a name, since I read it on The Heart of Humans, but it's pretty much the opposite of intimidation. By inference, I'm guessing that it allows me to manipulate people's emotions and even show them hallucinations... but I think that's enough hallucinations for today. "Thank you for allowing me to interrupt your training today, Sir Dorlan," Sylphia said as she gave, again, a curtsy.

"Hm." Sir Dorlan towered over Sylphia's tiny body. He then placed his palm on Sylphia's head and ran it from side to side. "You are a very polite girl, Lord Heroine. It was an honor to spar with you."

Sylphia did not expect to receive her first head pat from Sir Dorlan. She felt a strange warmth flowing down her head and into her shoulders. Almost out of instincts, the corners of her mouth perked up and formed a contented smile.

"Ah-" Sir Dorlan suddenly withdrew his hand. "I'm sorry, Lord Heroine! I just got dirt all over your hair!"

Sylphia grimaced. "Eeeeh!?"

"Ah, ah, hold on! I should have a handkerchief here somewhere!"

"Hee hee," Rika smirked. "That's what you get for being a meanie."

Eventually, Sylphia gave up on cleaning her hair and decided to just take a bath afterwards. She sighed. "Well then, I shall take my leave."

"Hm?" Rika said, "Where are you going?"

"I'm tired." She yawned. "Make sure to learn all you can from Sir Dorlan."

"Eeeeh? From just that!?" Rika's voice shrank in the distance as Sylphia made her way back to the palace. "You didn't even move all that much!"

Sylphia giggled. "I'm not the athletic type, you know! See ya!"

"Geez!"

As Sylphia closed the wooden door behind her, she could still Rika's whimpers on the other side. She giggled to herself.

Yep. Rika's cute again today!

As she strolled through the castle's halls, greeted by the servants that worked day in and day out to maintain it, she continued recollecting about her battle with Sir Dorlan.

When she then turned the corner, still lost in thought, she bumped into a suspicious looking man in a dark hood.

"Oh, excuse me, Miss Heroine," Alphonso said, with his usual rasp.

"Ah no, it's-"

Upon seeing his face, she remembered two things. First, the irritation she still held against him for making her fight for Ealdton without helping, save for the very last moment, put her immediately back into a sour mood. And second, she remembered the subject they discussed, or, specifically, did not discuss during their ride to Ealdton.

"A-actually," She cleared her throat. "Are you free right now?"

"Hmm?" He placed his hand on his chin and thought for a few moments. "Maybe I am?"

Huh? Are you really going to fuck with me right before lunchtime?

"I-in that case," She shook her head. "can we continue that discussion about the heroes and demon lord from the other day?"

"Hmmmm? What discussion?"

"The 'private' one."

"Aaaahhhh...." His voice rose gradually over several seconds. "that."

Sylphia's eyelids fell. "Yeah, 'that'."

"Very well. Follow me."

They went past Sylphia's room and continued towards a far corner of the palace, seldom walked by either guards or servants.

There, they entered a room with very little lighting. Scattered all over the floor were books, tools and a myriad of unidentified bits and bobs. Around them, based on whatever silhouettes she could glean, were rows upon rows of shelves, also filled with books and other items.

"Ah, please wait there," he said, "allow me to tidy up for a moment."

Alphonso brought out a chair for her from deeper inside, while he put some of the clutter away. By the time the floor was visible again, he took out a chair for himself and sat down.

"I must apologize that I cannot provide you with any refreshments;" Alphonso said. "you see that I do not keep any here, and I have specifically told the servants to not come near this room." He shifted his position closer to Sylphia. "Now, then, what did you wish to discuss again?"

"A-ah..." Sylphia tried to recall as quickly as she could. "Yes, that's right, when you said that I was summoned in this world, it was to fight the Demon Lord that was not to arrive for another 500 years."

"Ah, yeeeeees..." he intertwined his fingers. "Now, I remember. And you asked why this is, correct?"

"Yes."

"I do not know." He answered without delay.

Sylphia's jaw dropped. "Huh?"

"I do not know."

I wasn't asking you to repeat yourself, you ass.

Alphonso took a breath, before standing up and walking up to a rack filled to the brim with books. "When you asked why, I assumed you were asking about the reason for summoning Heroes 500 years earlier than the Demon Lord they were supposed to vanquish." He then took one out and flipped through its pages. "I certainly cannot answer that..." When he finally settled on a page to read, he then took his seat. "But there is always the 'how'."

"'How'? What do you mean?"

"The summoning ritual."

"Uh-huh..."

"In short, it is a ritual - a ceremony, to summon the Legendary Heroes into this world. It is quite a laborious and expensive task. You remember the day when you were summoned into this world, do you not?"

Ah... the day when I unwittingly exposed myself in front of a gallery of cheering strangers. Thanks for reminding me.

She averted her gaze. "Y-yes..."

"That was the ritual."

"I see... but that doesn't really answer any of my questions..."

Alphonso glanced down at the book for a moment. "One thing to know about the ritual is that it requires and emanates a tremendous amount of magic. It is impossible to hide this from sensory spells, especially the ones we always have running within this castle."

"Okay?"

His expression turned grim. "Several months before your summoning, we detected a tremendous amount of magic being expended in Rafale."

"Rafale?" Sylphia cocked her head to one side.

"Rafale. The country neighboring Londinium to the North. I believe I mentioned that when I lectured you on the geography of Terra Nova."

"A-a-ah! Y-yeah..." She averted her gaze. "now that you mentioned it, I remember now? Mm. Rafale."

He sighed. "Well, I cannot say for sure, for I am only the court mage. However-" He then put the book to one side and leaned his back against his chair. "Several weeks after that event, the King approached me to begin preparations for the summoning of the Legendary Hero."

She swallowed her breath.

"After that, we detected more and more of such massive magic usage all over the world." His eyes narrowed. "Finally, almost two months ago, we summoned the Legendary Hero, Sylphia." He said, presenting his open palms forward. "And here we are."

She stood up. "Wait, so there are other Legendary Heroes!?"

"Indeed."

No way...! Like me!? Wait, does this mean... they're other players!? Her eyes widened. "I need to meet them," she blurted out.

"I'm afraid that will be rather difficult at the moment."

"Huh? Why?"

Alphonso let out a troubled breath. "Hmmmm... it's difficult for me to say."

Her eyes twitched. "Huh..?"

"There are many factors. One being the risk you will put yourself in, being in that... state."

"I don't get it, why would I risk myself meeting a fellow Hero?" For God's sake, they're fellow players! Then, it hit her. Wait, fellow players...? Does he mean, they could PK me!?

"Have you understood?"

"W-wait, but why would the PK- err... attack me all of a sudden? The myth of the Legendary Heroes never said anything about them killing each other!"

He hung his head and sighed once more. "I'm sorry, Miss Heroine, but the exact answer cannot come from my mouth. If you truly wish to know, please approach and ask the King. Though I doubt he will tell you, either."

"It just doesn't make sense! We're supposed to fight the Demon King, aren't we!?"

"Indeed. And yet you are here, and he is not..."

"H-huh...?"

"It's strange, is it not?"

"Well, duh, that's why I asked you about it!"

He took a shallow breath and then paused as if he second-guessed what he was just about to say. "Miss Heroine, what I am about to tell you shall not leave this room."

She flinched. What's this all of a sudden...? Wiping the sweat collecting on her forehead, she nodded, saying, "Alright."

"No one may hear this. Not even your Knight, Miss Carlisle. Only I, you, and the King can know about this."

"Fine."

"Very good." He shifted to a more relaxed position. "Recent events show that the Raffalian Republic has been heavily militarizing."

"Huh...? So you think Rafale will invade this Kingdom?"

"I doubt it." He rubbed his chin. "Our Kingdom is at least twice the size of Rafale, and even if our armies are smaller in comparison, our military technology should be generally on-par."

"In that case..."

"Oh, you figured it out?" He snapped his finger. "Tell me what you think."

She spoke hesitantly, "Rafale... summoned a Legendary Hero to tip the balance of power?"

"If so, then that would be very irresponsible. But it is a possibility that cannot be disproven."

"What do you think?"

"I think..." Alphonso took a breath and rubbed the ridge between his eyes. "...Rafale summoned the Demon Lord."

Sylphia's heart dropped.

"T-The Demon Lord!?" She stood up.

"Not too loud." He pulled her back down.

"S-sorry... but why do you think they summoned the Demon Lord?"

"Nothing concrete..." Alphonso reached for the book he put down earlier. "But it is my belief that the Legendary Heroes cannot be summoned before the Demon Lord invades. The records are unclear as to whoever comes first; the Heroes or the Demon Lord, only that they appear at around the same time to do battle. But if you think about it... there would be no reason for the Heroes to heed our call if there were no Demon Lord." He then ran through its pages for a moment before continuing. "It is a simple reasoning based on who summoned something first. Rafale was the one who started this chain. If there truly is a Demon Lord lurking in our world today, then it must have been summoned by them."

"But.. you said you didn't know which one came first. Isn't it possible that the heroes get summoned first so they can power up or something before facing the demon lord?"

"True. But then that means the demon lord would be..."

Sylphia leaned closer. "Be...?"

"You."

A long silence passed.

Then, Alphonso put his hand on her shoulder and said, "I mean no offense, but I don't believe that is possible. After all, and the myths are clear about this, the Demon Lord possessed enough power to overpower all of the heroes."

She clenched her teeth. Shut up, you damn geezer.

Then, a loud gong, followed by mechanical ticks, echoed around the room, startling Sylphia.

"Oh, look at the time," Alphonso said as he looked to the tall clock at the edge of the room. "You must be hungry by now, Miss Heroine."

"Huh? Ah..."

How long have we been chatting here?

He stood up, returned the book to its shelf and said, "I should be going back to my work now. I apologize for not providing you with anything concrete."

"Ah, no..." She waved her hands in front of her. "I-I've learned a lot."

"Is that so?"

The two left the room.

"I shall be on my way then, Miss Heroine," Alphonso said, as he walked away in a hurry, "please take care."

"I will." Sylphia nodded.

"Oh, and I almost forgot-" Alphonso turned around. "I understand that you have finished your studies - if you wish to put your knowledge into practice, I suggest visiting the Adventurer's Guild, and not practising on the Royal Knights."

"Geh-" Sylphia winced.

He... saw that huh?

"A-ahhh... I will!" She scratched her head. "Aha, ahaha..."

Wait a minute, did he say... Adventurer's Guild!?

Her eyes lit up like a starry sky.

Of course! How could I forget - the staple of all Fantasy RPGs! The Adventurer Guild! Dungeon crawling! Treasure! Monsters!

She then started giggling all by herself in that dark corner of the palace.

I'm getting weirdly excited all of a sudden!