I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit [467]

Thirty-one years after Himmel the Hero's death.

Upon entering the town, Aesc and the others let out relieved smiles. Their long-tensed nerves finally began to unwind.

Fern smiled softly. "It's been a while since we've been to a town."

"Finally, a proper break. I'm so sick of chewing through those rock-hard loaves every day. Without water, they're impossible to swallow."

Stark's steps were light, but just remembering the journey made his expression turn a little bitter. "Honestly, I feel like we could've used that food as weapons against monsters."

"That's not too far off, but it still doesn't beat baguettes and mooncakes."

Aesc interjected with perfect timing. "But hey, if I reinforce them with enchantments, then it's no problem."

"With your enchantments, even a random rock by the roadside could be turned into a monster-slaying weapon."

Frieren added with a straight face.

"Lady Frieren, the way you said that just now makes it sound like our food is harder than rocks."

Fern glanced at Frieren with a hint of reproach. "Come on, saying our food's tougher than stones is going a bit far, don't you think?"

The topic clearly struck a chord with Aesc.

"Oh no, it's not an exaggeration at all! Didn't I just mention baguettes and mooncakes?"

"Wait, what even are baguettes and mooncakes?" Stark frowned. "Never heard of them in my life."

Aesc slowed her pace and moved to the center of the group, raising one finger like a teacher about to begin a lecture. "Baguettes and mooncakes are basically the sacred weapons of the culinary world. The hardest spear and shield among all foods. I once tried cutting one with a short sword out of curiosity… sparks flew, and the blade snapped in half."

"…Are you sure you're not talking about demon-sealing stones or some kind of ultra-durable metal?"

Sparks flying, blades snapping—those descriptions had no business being associated with something edible.

Having never seen a baguette or mooncake before, Fern and Stark were left to imagine them on their own.

With only their limited imagination to go on, all they could conjure up were images of "super-hard, iron-gray metal bricks"—objects that had absolutely nothing to do with the concept of "food that fills your stomach."

"…If there really are foods that tough, wouldn't most blacksmiths end up getting replaced by chefs?"

Stark's thought, while absurd, was hard to argue with.

The group's first priority after arriving in town was finding an inn.

The moment they entered their room, Aesc and Frieren simultaneously dove onto the bed.

"Ahhh, a soft bed."

"Ahhh, a warm bed."

Without even changing clothes, they rolled around like children, turning the neat bedding into a complete mess.

"Honestly… Lady Aesc and Lady Frieren really act like kids sometimes."

Fern muttered with a blank face.

Aesc was manageable—at least she could take care of herself. But Frieren was a constant source of worry for Fern.

Still, what could she do? She was Frieren's apprentice. She had to dote on her, like it or not.

Once everyone had settled in and unpacked, they gathered outside the inn.

Frieren: "Until tonight, let's each do as we please."

Fern: "Understood."

Stark: "Got it."

Aesc: "No objections here."

Even though they were a party, it was important to have personal space now and then. Solo time helped clear the mind.

"I want to stop by the blacksmith's."

Stark was the first to speak, glancing at the long-handled axe on his back. "We've been fighting nonstop since entering the Northern Plateau. I want to take the chance to have my axe properly sharpened."

Next was Frieren.

"I think I'll just wander around and see if there are any magic tomes or herbs worth buying."

"I don't really have anywhere I want to go."

Fern tilted her head, eyes darting briefly before she spoke again. "I'll just stay at the inn."

Aesc nodded. "That's not a bad idea. Resting up is important—we've had a rough stretch. If you get bored, you can read one of the storybooks I wrote."

"Thanks, Lady Aesc. I'll do that. What about you? Where will you go?"

Fern's question was casual, but it left Aesc momentarily flustered.

"I haven't really decided. Staying in and lying in bed sounds tempting… but maybe I'll wander around a bit too. Who knows, I might find something interesting."

With that, the four split up and went their separate ways.

As the others disappeared into the crowd, Fern turned back toward the inn—only to catch a glimpse of someone familiar jogging toward her.

"Lady Aesc? Did you forget something?"

"Ah, I did. But not something I needed to bring—something I needed to leave."

Before Fern could ask what she meant, Aesc cast a spell at the entrance.

"To make sure I don't get lost while wandering around, I'll leave a marker here… There we go."

It was a short spell, over in seconds. Leaving a coordinate point wasn't anything complicated.

Ah… that's right, Lady Aesc's kind of a directionally challenged person, isn't she?

The realization hit Fern belatedly.

Aesc had never really shown signs of it, so even though she'd once admitted it herself, Fern had long since forgotten.

She's so practiced at it… Has Lady Aesc been placing these markers in every town we visit? I never noticed before…

In villages, Aesc probably didn't need to—smaller areas could be surveyed just by flying a little higher. Probably no one would get lost in a village… right?

"Well, I'm off."

"Take care, Lady Aesc."

Aesc raised her hand high and waved goodbye. Then, with a turn down a side street, she vanished from view.

After parting with Fern, Aesc wandered the town aimlessly.

Though the sun was shining, the air remained cold. Without a scarf, the wind slicing past her neck was sharp and biting.

But Aesc never liked wearing scarves. Ever since she was a child, she couldn't stand the itchy feeling of wool against her neck. Still, her mother used to force her to wear one.

Frieren was the same. She didn't like scarves either… and Fern would always force her to wear one. Just like back then, Aesc thought.

"There's a statue of Himmel here too, huh?"

Aesc had arrived at a plaza. In its center stood a bronze statue of Himmel.

The statue resembled the Himmel she remembered, which was a pleasant surprise.

"Looks like they haven't tampered with his image here. In one town we visited, they'd changed Himmel's statue into a nobleman I didn't even recognize…"

Himmel, who had defeated the Demon King, was just a regular guy from a small village. But some nobles, hungry for status, reshaped him into one of their own. Some even deified him, turning him into a fictional, untouchable hero.

That statue had shown Himmel as a lavish nobleman in formal wear, adorned in ornate jewelry. Even his sword was gem-studded and clearly designed for appearance over function—it looked like it might break the moment it was swung.

Stark had questioned whether someone could even fight dressed like that.

But nobles who spent their days scheming in their estates wouldn't understand things like that. All they cared about was making things look grand.

The common people respected Himmel—the hero who had freed the land from the Demon King's terror. So they didn't see anything wrong with it. They didn't know that Himmel himself had no interest in fancy clothes or noble titles.

"Hm… so this version has the sword sheathed, huh?"

Aesc admired Himmel's statues, despite herself. Across the continent, every single one struck a different pose.

It was hard work making them all unique. Aesc figured Himmel had it rough—but not as rough as they did. On average, it took ten hours or more each time a statue was commissioned. There were times when the wait was so agonizing that Frieren actually burst into tears.

Aesc stood before the statue, chin resting on her hand, lost in thought.

"They say… touching Himmel's statue brings good luck."

No one knew where or when that rumor had started—but hey, you're here anyway, right?

"Doesn't cost anything. It'd feel like a waste not to."

A teasing glint danced in her pale blue eyes as she stared up at Himmel's statue.

Due to the height, even reaching up on tiptoe, Aesc could only touch Himmel's thigh.

"I'd rather touch your head, honestly… but I'd probably get scolded for disrespecting a hero."

The farther north you went, the closer you got to the Demon King's castle. And in the north, the reverence for Himmel the Hero only grew stronger.

Touch his head in public? She'd probably be vilified by the entire town.

Aesc didn't like being forgotten by time—but she didn't want that kind of attention either.

So, in the end, she settled for touching Himmel's shoe.

"Not that I think this'll do anything… But Himmel, please bless me. Let the next world I go to be a good one."

After a brief pause, she added, "Doesn't have to be as good as this one. Just not too much worse. Elena's world would be nice… but nothing weird like Daogui Yixian, please. And definitely nothing to do with Kezong. Please, I'm begging you!"

A tough request for Himmel, honestly. Even the Creator Goddess might not be able to grant that one.

But that was fine. Aesc didn't really expect Himmel to help with that. It was more like talking to an old friend.

"Big sis, what are you doing?"

A sweet, childish voice spoke beside her. Aesc turned to find a little girl staring up at her, big eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Big sis is asking Himmel for a blessing."

Aesc's eyes curved like crescent moons as she smiled, naturally slipping into the role of "big sis" despite being old enough to be the kid's great-great-grandmother.

"Didn't you know? They say if you touch Himmel's statue, you'll be blessed with good luck."

"Really?"

"Of course! Want to try it too?"

The girl furrowed her brows, looking conflicted.

"But… wouldn't that be disrespectful to the Hero? Wouldn't he get mad?"

"It's fine. Trust me—Himmel wouldn't be mad. He'd be thrilled. He always enjoyed being popular."

"You talk like you knew the Hero."

Aesc just smiled and didn't answer.

She crouched down to the girl's eye level, hands resting on her knees.

"So, do you have a wish? Something you want Himmel to help with?"

"Hmm…"

The girl hesitated, then said, "My friend's mom bought him a ball… I want one too. Then I'll have something to play with when I'm by myself."

"I see."

Aesc's gaze softened further, like she was looking at her younger self.

Then she lifted the girl up, high enough to reach the statue.

"Alright then—place your hand on the statue like I did, and ask Himmel the Hero for good luck."

The little girl did as she was told, making her wish.

"Will Lord Hero really give me good luck?"

Cradled in Aesc's arms, the girl looked uncertain.

And Aesc answered her like this:

"He definitely will. Because Himmel never let anyone down. He never failed to meet a single expectation. He always stood up… when everyone else had already given up."

Still holding the girl close, Aesc looked up at the statue—now overlapping in her mind with the person she'd known. She spoke, half to herself, half like complaining to someone who wasn't there.

"Seriously… always running ahead like that. Do you have any idea how hard it is to follow you? That guy who always took the longest route possible, never stopping to think about how hard it was on the rest of us. Always handing us his trust without hesitation… even when we doubted ourselves."

'If you can't believe in yourselves, then believe in me—because I believe in you from the bottom of my heart.'

"Beautiful words, sure. But if we ever ended up betraying that trust… we really wouldn't be able to forgive ourselves, you know? You idiot…"