Once I finished talking with Agetha, I headed to the room where the Armored Bugbear is for acquiring the 'Thief's Skills.'
Yeah, I managed to defeat them without any trouble.
"You seem quite adept at this."
Suddenly, Agetha spoke up.
She had already dispelled her doppelgänger and was in a state of communicating remotely.
"Well, I've done it many times."
I've conquered this room countless times. Thanks to that, I have every attack pattern memorized.
"So, should I head to the hero Eligion now?"
"Yeah, Noct is already on his way. Hurry up and join him."
"So, in the end, what are we going to do about the hero Eligion?"
Kill him? Spare him? Whatever the decision, I had decided to follow Agetha's lead.
"There's no need to kill him, but we need to take the holy sword he possesses."
I remember hearing that Agetha is sealed within the holy sword held by the hero Eligion.
"Is it not enough to borrow it a little instead of stealing?"
"Can I leave it to Kiska?"
"Probably, there should be no problem, but…"
"In that case, I'll leave it to you. Well, you see, Noct seems to be bad at negotiations at first glance, right? So, when Noct was the only collaborator available, there was no choice but to forcefully take it, but if Kiska helps, it seems like there will be more options available"
Noct is always silent. Negotiating with someone like that seems impossible.
"By the way, isn't it quite difficult to forcibly take the Holy Sword from the Hero Eligion? Is Noct, who can do that, strong?"
What was Noct's rank again?
Oh, right, I wasn't told.
But the Hero Eligion's rank is the highest, a Master, so it's clear that the Hero Eligion is stronger.
"Well, he is the strongest piece I've prepared"
"Is that so…"
"His profession is an assassin. In terms of killing unexpectedly, there's no one who can match him"
So, Noct is an assassin. The skill 'Assassin' seems like a skill that requires considerable training to acquire.
"But, he claimed to be a swordsman too"
"An assassin wouldn't easily reveal their tricks. For the time being, he claim a lower-class profession"
Well, if you put it that way, it makes sense. Even Nyau, despite being a sage, initially claimed to be a magician and it might be natural not to flaunt an advanced profession too easily.
"By the way, what rank is the assassin Noct?"
Suddenly, I became curious and asked.
The Hero Eligion's rank is the highest, a Master, and is seventh in the hierarchy. The ranks of the other members of the Hero's party are Diamond, the second from the top.
By the way, I am the third from the top, Platinum.
"Master"
"Huh?"
"Ranked sixth as a Master. The assassin Noct is stronger than the hero"
Seriously…
I involuntarily lost my words.
◆
Agetha guided me to the location where the assassin Noct was.
It seems that the Hero Eligion is nearby.
"Hello, Noct-san."
Since Noct is an assassin, I address him. However, he just nods silently, giving off an intimidating vibe. It's even scarier when I think of him as a Master. What is this person really thinking?
"Well then, head to the location where Hero Eligion is. Initially, Kiska will negotiate, and if it fails, Noct will take over. The details of the plan have already been communicated to Noct. Go』"
"Alright, understood."
So, we head to the location where Hero Eligion is.
"Hey, isn't that Kiska? I'm glad you're safe. And it seems Noct is with you too."
When Hero Eligion spots me, he speaks in a friendly tone.
"Yes, I happened to meet Noct. It's reassuring to see that Hero Eligion-sama is safe as well."
I respond.
Now, how am I going to smoothly get the 'Holy Sword Hagentia' that Hero Eligion possesses? Thanks to the repeated loops, I have a certain understanding of Hero Eligion's personality. It's time to make use of that.
"Then, shall we have Kiska guide us to the dungeon right away?"
"Before that, Hero-sama, I have a favor to ask."
"A favor? What is it?"
"Could you please entrust the Holy Sword Hagentia to me for a while?"
"… What do you mean?"
"Actually, there's a seal placed on that holy sword. So, I want to release its true power."
A human is sealed within the Holy Sword, but revealing such an extraordinary truth might be met with skepticism. Instead, let's maintain the narrative that the sword's true power is under a seal.
"A seal? I've never heard of such a thing."
"But it's true. Of course, I'll return it as soon as the seal is lifted."
"Are you saying you will lift that seal?"
Hero Eligion, upon hearing this, looks at me with a wary expression. It's only natural to be cautious. Believing such an absurd story would be strange. However, I already have prepared material to persuade him.
"No, I won't be the one to lift the seal. The swordsman Noct here will lift the seal."
Upon saying this, Hero Eligion looks surprised.
"Is that true, Noct?"
When he asks, the assassin Noct nods silently.
"Understood. If Noct-san guarantees it, I'll temporarily entrust it."
Hero Eligion hands over the 'Holy Sword Hagentia' to the assassin Noct.
For now, the negotiation is a success. While it might be challenging for my words alone to earn trust, it seems the words of Noct, the Master assassin, worked well.
Afterward, Noct carefully places the 'Holy Sword Hagentia' on the ground and takes something out from within his robe. It appears to be a gem, and upon closer inspection, intricate patterns are engraved within.
I couldn't discern the nature of the gem. However, as Noct holds the gem, he mutters something under his breath. Suddenly, the gem starts emitting a dazzling light.
The gem is drawn into the 'Holy Sword Hagentia' as if being absorbed, and the sword begins to glow. The light gradually intensifies, eventually filling the vision with brilliance. To escape the brightness, it's necessary to shield the eyes with the arms for a while.
Then, when I become aware again, the light has subsided.
"Finally, I can get outside!"
A voice is heard—a familiar voice.
"Now, I can finally do the work of a hero."
In front of me is none other than Agetha, the hero.