“He was a friend,” was his succinct answer when asked about his relationship with the hero, Ares. His well-toned body was evident even through his clothes, his cropped blonde hair and neatly trimmed beard framing his handsome face. His overwhelming gaze indicated that he was no ordinary man.
Friend—his relationship with Ares must have been more complicated than that. They had known each other since their academy days and were members of the same party, having survived countless near-death experiences together.
Leon Müller, also known as the Sword Saint Leon, was once the leading candidate for the role of hero. “There’s no special meaning to it,” he said. “Before I met him, I never had anyone I could call a friend. I was born into a relatively high-ranking noble family. When you’re born into a noble family, relationships are either above or below you. You either respect or are respected, judging people you meet accordingly. Isn’t it terrible? That’s what being a noble is like.” He flashed a mischievous grin. The current Leon exhibited none of the airs typical of a noble. In fact, he was known for being fair and impartial, regardless of one’s social standing. Indeed, his casual manner of speaking to me made me feel no sense of the difference in our status.
“So, how was it when you met Ares?”
“I was a noble back then. Well, I’m still a noble, but I was living the life of one. I was also a candidate for hero. I had the pride that no one could surpass me in wielding a sword, and I was certain I was destined to become the hero. Everyone around me thought the same. So, I…” Leon’s eyes grew somber. “I hated him. A commoner who had the audacity to walk into the prestigious Falm Academy, reserved only for nobles, with his unimpressive appearance. I didn’t even want him in my line of sight.”
The Falm Academy, which still exists today, is renowned as an institution for nurturing heroes. However, it is not exclusively for nobles. Rather, it is open to anyone with the requisite skill. “Things were different back then,” Leon explained. “The original ideals of the academy had been lost, and it had become an institution where nobles sought to add prestige to their own offspring. Of course, anyone could enter if they had the money, so officially, there was no requirement for a certain social status. However, hardly anyone crazy enough to want to attend would have bothered. There were plenty of other ways to become strong: enrolling in private schools, becoming the disciple of a famous swordsman, or gaining experience as an adventurer.”
“So why did Ares choose to attend Falm Academy?”
“Simple. He wanted to become a hero. There were many ways to become a strong warrior, but only Falm Academy could recognize someone as a hero. Well, looking back, it wasn’t really necessary to attend the academy to become a hero, but at the time, people believed it, and so did he.”
“What was your first meeting with Ares like?”
“I wish I could say I’ve forgotten, but I still see it in my dreams. I glanced at him and dismissively said, ‘You’re not qualified to be a hero.'” What did Ares say in response? “‘Even so, I must become one,’ he replied. I hadn’t expected a commoner to talk back to me, so I was furious. I thought about cutting him down right then and there, but a teacher stopped me. They didn’t want any incidents involving weapons within the academy. While the teachers also seemed to view Ares as an out-of-place individual, they must have thought killing him would be going too far.”
“What kind of student was Ares?”
“He was mediocre. He had been an adventurer for a short while before entering the academy, so his combat skills were decent. However, his sword technique was self-taught, so he had to start from scratch. We had a few matches before graduation, but I never lost to him.”
“But isn’t it widely believed that Hero Ares had excellent grades since his academy days?”
“That’s a fabrication. After he defeated the Demon Lord, people from his academy days changed their tune and began singing his praises. They claimed he ‘had the radiance of a hero even as a student.’ But he didn’t shine at all. He was, however, abnormal.”
“Abnormal?”
“In mock battles during class, he would fight until he won or was genuinely defeated. He didn’t give up over minor injuries. He even faced teachers with full force. If he didn’t understand something taught in class, he would ask teachers or classmates until he grasped it. He practiced sword forms late into the night.”
“Wouldn’t that just make him a dedicated student?”
As a hero’s anecdote, it seems rather weak. “It went beyond dedication. Ares seemed to have no concept of rest. He didn’t have a single moment of free time. He spent all his time on ‘becoming a hero.’ He wasn’t really sleeping; he just collapsed when he reached his limit. At first, some people picked on him because he was a commoner, but they soon stopped associating with him. His obsession was apparent to everyone as being beyond the norm.”
“Even with all that effort, was he still just an average student?”
“No, he did grow in his own way. To put it simply, it was more like ‘if you go that far, you’ll see some results.’ Effort alone can’t surpass talent; that’s an undeniable fact. In the end, he never surpassed me in swordsmanship, nor did he become the best in other fields. Of course, his grades weren’t bad, but anyone could achieve that level of performance if they put in that much effort… Well, not many people could actually put in that much effort, though.” Indeed, Ares wasn’t the top student at graduation. That honor went to Leon.
“I was able to become the top student because I had the support of my family’s status as earls. If there had been royalty in the same class, they would have been the top student. Of course, I did have excellent grades,” Leon said with a grin. It was a cheeky smile, but one that made him likable.
“By the way, when did you and Ares become friends?”
“It was during an outdoor training exercise at the end of our third year. As a culmination of everything we’d learned in three years, we went on an expedition to the Rozoroff Great Forest to fight monsters.” The Rozoroff Great Forest is still known as a treacherous place where monsters roam. At the Falm Academy, this outdoor training exercise is still carried out as a traditional event.
“Even though it’s called a dangerous place, the strength of the monsters varies depending on the location. The forest is so vast that several countries occupy parts of it. Students go to areas where relatively weak monsters appear. Experienced adventurers accompany them as teachers, along with knights for protection. There should have been little danger… but one of the demons targeted the exercise.” This story is famous and has become part of the Hero’s tales. The members who later formed the Hero’s party defeated the attacking demon.
“It wasn’t as glamorous as it seems in the Hero’s tale. Most of the teachers and knights were killed, and of course, some students were sacrificed as well. It was a disgrace to the kingdom. To cover it up, the surviving students were hailed as heroes.” Indeed, the large number of casualties emphasized the demon’s strength, and consequently, the bravery of the students who defeated it, despite being mere students.
“Later, we realized that the demon we faced wasn’t particularly strong among its kind; it was just cunning. It probably aimed to gain fame with little risk by killing students who might become heroes. The teachers and knights might have fared better if they hadn’t been forced to protect us.” Even if weak, a demon is one of the most powerful species among monsters.
“How did the students manage to defeat it?”
“It’s simple. We were capable of winning from the start. Even as students, Maria, Solon, and I had exceptional power. However, we lacked real combat experience. We could defeat weak monsters, but we didn’t know how to work together to defeat stronger ones. I charged in alone and was easily defeated. Solon was confused when his magic proved ineffective. Maria was dumbfounded by the sight of bodies she couldn’t heal.”
Maria the Saint and Solon the Sage are well-known members of the Hero’s party. But at that time, they hadn’t yet unleashed their full potential. ”
So, what was Ares doing?”
“As soon as he saw the demon, he told everyone to run. He ordered us to scatter and flee without grouping up. I thought he was a coward for telling us to run without even fighting. But those who listened to him survived, while those who tried to fight died.”
“What about Ares himself?”
“He hindered the demon’s pursuit of the fleeing students. Instead of directly confronting the demon, he maintained distance and restrained its movements. He likely wanted to save as many people as possible. That’s why, when I was defeated by the demon , he intervened. If he hadn’t come, I would have died.”
“Did Ares try to make you escape as well?”
“No, he told me, ‘Get up! And fight!’ Can you believe it? Telling me to fight right after I lost to the demon? I thought there was no way I could win.”
But you fought. “For the first time in my life, I was beaten so badly that my pride was shattered, but still, a commoner was fighting alone. As a noble from an earl’s family, I couldn’t just run away. And he said to me, ‘Weren’t you going to become a hero?’ So, I mustered up the last bit of courage I had and stood up. In hindsight, that was the first time I ever showed true courage. Until that moment, I had never faced any difficulties in my life. That’s why, when I faced the terrifying demon, I was quickly discouraged and resigned myself to death.”
“How did you fight an opponent you couldn’t defeat? ”
“I fought the same way he did. Instead of facing the demon head-on, I kept my distance, looked for openings, and attacked. I once mocked it as the fighting style of the weak, unworthy of a knight. But trying it made me realize it was effective against stronger opponents. We should have used that tactic against the powerful monsters from the beginning. Ares and I attacked whenever we saw an opportunity. Following Ares’ instructions, Solon began using magic for diversion. Maria focused on healing us as we fought. And, eventually, we won.”
“Was it the first time the hero’s party functioned effectively in a battle?” “It might sound simple, but that’s true. While we were fighting, we didn’t think we could win. We couldn’t even tell if our attacks were effective. But, because he fought without any hesitation, we were able to fight as well. He was knocked down time and time again, but he always got back up and faced the enemy. I later realized that he must have been anticipating this kind of battle since the mock battles in our lessons. That’s why he never gave up easily in those mock battles and kept trying until he could win. He had learned many things in the classes we all took for granted. How to fight against a strong opponent, how to manoeuvre… that difference became apparent during the field exercise.”
“Did you think of him as a friend because he saved your life?”
“It could be, or it might not be.”
Leon gazed into the void. “At that time, I thought, ‘Ah, so this guy was the hero.’ It’s not sour grapes1He means he is not feeling inferior to Ares and is being objective in saying what follows , but after regaining our footing, I was the one who dealt the most damage to the demon. In terms of ability, I was indeed stronger than him. But it wasn’t about that. A hero needs strength, but that’s not all. Social status didn’t matter at all. It’s about the very essence of being a hero. I wasn’t a hero. And for the first time, I acknowledged someone else as an equal, regardless of their social standing.”
“Why did the hero die?”
“That must have been the fate of the man called Ares. That’s all there is to it.”
