<> She asked him.

Spirited? Taken away? No that was hardly what happened to him, but the question of whether he should explain it to her stopped him from answering immediately.

He looked back to the siblings and saw their confusion at the turn of events. Not even his closest of friends or family knew. He had never spoken to anyone of his condition and starting with a stranger was filling his mind with doubts. 

<> Aiven fumbled on his old language, opting for a more neutral answer.

He could feel his face turned a shade redder at his failure in speaking. It was expected since he had to bury the old-world language as he tried to adopt this new one. It’s been exactly ten moons since he used it. He knew that he has nothing to be ashamed of and yet the idea of showing his inadequacy in front of this being makes him squirm on his feet.

<> she sang and bowed gracefully to him. Her words were like honeyed sweet that lured him towards her and beckoning him to lower his guard even more.

Everything is all right, she's the hero, she won't hurt us, a purring voice came to his mind, letting his mind feel elated.

His expression was not too far out from the ones his companions were also having as he felt his gut tightening in a knot.

<> His mouth moved on its own.

Aiven tried to shake off the captivating feeling and made a slight movement of his hands, telling Simos that they should leave. But the two only looked at him as if asking if he had gone mad.

They were already in front of the hero champion and Aiven can't think of any reason for them to leave abruptly. On closer look, Simos and Delica were visibly struck by the presence of the Lady. It won't be wrong to assume that they were captivated by the champion on the spot.

This was the same person they tried desperately to see at the Champion’s Parade, the one that placed on their pedestal.

The deliverer of Evil. The Warrior-Goddess of Red Flag. The Hero of the Seven Rivers who vanquished the Demon Lord eight moons ago and continued to explore the Four Rings of Outer Frear.

<> she said. Again her voice wrapped around his mind and he can't help but only focus on what she was saying to him once again.

Simos and Delica were stunned seeing how courteous the Hero of the Seven Rivers was towards their silent friend.

They can’t even voice out in the conversation since Aiven and the Lady were using a language they cannot understand even with their [Tongue of Babel]. For them, it sounded like they were chirping, but even so, they felt compelled to get the attention of the lady.

“Please, let us talk, my Lady. It would be discourteous to my companions,” Aiven finally said in the origin language but the siblings only went one step stiffer than they already were.

“D-did he just said a complete sentence? Did he just said more than one wor—!?” Simos was mercilessly elbowed by Delica while chastising him.

“Shut it,” the girl warned to his brother, eyeing Aiven worriedly.

Lady Yuusha glanced at his party members and nodded in their direction.

Sensing the Lady's eyes on them, the two clamored on their feet and also bowed. 

“Greetings Lady Yuusha! I am Simos of house Sila-ir, under the flag of Alvalar.” Simos, sheathed his sword, took his ceremonial dagger with his house’ crest and bowed his head while pointing the dagger to his chest, offering the hilt to the lady as a sign of knight’s fealty.

“Greetings as well, my lady. I am Delica of the same Canary House.” Delica followed, doing the same action as his brother.

The two were anxious. It was their first time performing the Vow of the Trusted reserved only to the royalty and higher officers they deemed worthy of their loyalty. And it’s obvious they were happy, despite the confusion and the intoxicating presence of the hero, that it was with the Lady herself they performed it with. Then they waited for Aiven.

He could almost feel the pressure that he hastily made the bow.

Don't panic, it's just an introduction. Nothing dangerous about that, the same thoughts kept repeating as it crept to his mind.

“Greetings Lady Yuusha! I-I am Aiven of house Gallinthe.” He stammered but the snicker that followed made him loosen his shoulder embarrassingly with his friends. He looked considerably weary just from saying those lines.

Eight words. Hah, it's such a pain, not even their Superior can make him recite the embarrassing speech which led him to punishments too long to enumerate.

“Stand down, noble adventurers.” Lady Yuusha announced, <> she added for Aiven to hear and he reddened again with the joke only they would understand.

Immediately, he felt small and weak. The child's mind still affecting his emotion, it seems, or was he simply pushing the blame away as he tried to talk to a beautiful woman that had fascinated him since he remembered pieces of his memories?

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Then the Hero breathed a sighed of defeat. When she gazed at them again, a determination can be seen in her eyes as if she already made a decision and finally resigned to a fate no one knew but her.

“Aiven-senpai, do you trust your companions?” The red-headed girl looked tired. With her using the familiar honorifics, she looked like any sixteen-year-old highschool girl, and not a battle-hardened warrior-goddess burdened with death and guilt.

He was taken off-guard but automatically blurted out a clear 'yes'.

<> she whispered, which was only answered by a confused look from Aiven, and then she addressed the whole party.

“There is a mission I need to do, but I am running out of time. So I want to pass it unto you. If you succeed, this world would be saved from the vicious cycle of the Fates, and finally, peace for all races and all six realms. If not, this world—this reality, would be plunged in the spiral of corruption and darkness. Do you accept?”

A quest, not even the Lady can accomplish..? What is the meaning of this?

He was thinking of questioning the hero when there was a sudden pain on his temple and a sweet perfume of the lady came to his senses.

What...what was that? He asked stupidly, swaying a little at the barrage of sensation until his gaze went to the beautiful face of the Lady Yuusha and he was once again filled with her reassuring voice.

"Do you accept, young adventurers," she said.

“We accept!”

Just as he was mimicking the sibling's reply, a cold realization came to him.

[Oi, guys! We need to discuss this!] He fumbled with his hand's signs, trying to get the attention of his companions, trying to break away from the high level [Charisma] the hero was exuding.

Then Simos, the party leader, clicked the quest window, accepting the Hero’s mission.

Too late!

He lamented, reeling back to common sense and looked at the gleaming eyes of the siblings. Simos, the usual glutton for adventure, and Delica, with her starstruck gaze at the Hero of the Seven Rivers.

What is the meaning of this?! Aiven wanted to shout at the hero, but he still ends up glaring to the beauty as his friends continued to be under her spell.

<> she asked innocently.

Aiven controlled his mindless panic and shielded himself from any sensory impulses coming from the woman as much as he can. He refused to meet her gaze and started to breathe with his mouth. He can't do anything with her aura or the sound of her voice, not when he needed answers from her, but it's enough to take his consciousness back at the problem at hand.

With the [Charisma] of her level, it was only understandable that the passive attribute would raise to a tier capable of captivating people to the point of [Enchantment]. He had only heard of this, so he never knew how strong it was.

<< I...I don't understand,>> Aiven decided to act as if nothing happened. Simos had already accepted the quest, so it's impossible to back out. And right now, the hero had yet to do them harm, so he decided to wait and see what this person wanted from them.

After all, he was sane enough to know that antagonizing this woman would be seeking their own death.

If Aiven had raised his eyes, he would have seen the hero smiling indulgently towards him, <> she replied silkily.

Then she addressed everyone again, her voice rising at her announcement, “but before the finality of the quest. Will you listen to my story? To our story?” Her expression turned solemn. She glanced back at the tabernacle and raised her hand motioning to the place where she came from.

Then a small child appeared behind the altar. Her small footsteps echoed throughout the temple.

With the unexpected appearance of the hero, they almost forgot the second unknown that he sensed from the beginning.

After what seemed like seconds, the hero, closed her fist and the markings in her hand glowed.

Dispell? But why would—then Aiven's hands suddenly gone cold sensing a looming doom that came from this presence. He knew the child was not sending any killing intent, but just nearing within the child’s proximity send a strong fight or flight response to his body.

And just like him, Delica and Simos went into defensive

Lady Yuusha beckoned the petite girl dressed in rags to come closer and with the ray of the moon, they could see a young girl, half their age.

White silverlight hair, so long, it cascades to the marble floor, porcelain-like skin without any trace of veins or capillaries as if linen of white mithril was molded to her skin, and eyes of deep blood. She was so beautiful, it made the Goddess Soladrir’s beauty pale in comparison! She has an ethereal beauty that can rival celestial beings.

And on her back sprouted a pair of wings, glistening with the light coming both from the gold of the Goddess and the silvery blue of the full moon.

They all gasped on the sight of the young girl and unconsciously Delica murmured the one thought that came to their minds,

“D-Demon Lord!”