Edited by: Kuro and Lille
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For Grey, the worst part of this S-ranked world was the waiting game. He was rescued at the age of 10 and he had to wait until the age of 18 to meet the Hero chosen by the Gods.
Luckily, time flew by as it should and he had his 18th birthday just a few days ago. God System proposed to Grey yesterday, much to the Hansferd family's reluctance and displeasure. Well in the end, if their baby said yes, they could only support him!
For Grey, the time went by both quickly and slowly, but he was finally glad to get closer to his goal.
During the wait time, Grey was able to pick a name for God System. God System wanted to have a name that was also a color, just like Grey, so it took some time to decide. God System had already gone into the body of someone named Cyan, but it wasn't clicking for God System.
In the end, Grey and God System agreed with the name Azul, which was another name for sky blue. Grey thought this name fit God System perfectly because no matter where Grey and God System were, they were always living under the same sky and it was that same sky that brought them together.
Other than naming Azul, they also trained a lot together so they would be strong enough to help and train the Hero when they arrived.
He was also able to form contracts with a fairy from each element, making him the strongest elemental sage on the continent.
As for Vincent, he became a great personal butler for Grey and was strong enough to protect Grey by himself. He was quite gifted with the sword but he could also use a spear if needed.
All in all, Grey felt he was preparing well for the completion of this world!
[Grey! The Gods told me that they are about to choose the Hero.] System 225 exclaimed just a few days after Grey's 18th birthday in this world.
System 225 got the news while Grey was training his magic like he did every morning.
The Gods were able to communicate with Grey through System 225. If Grey had any questions or needed help with something, System 225 asked the Gods. They didn't mind and communicated quickly through System 225.
Usually, it was just asking about how the world was created, how the magic system worked, or even some details about useful items that could help the Hero and Grey on their journey. This time, though, System 225 came with exciting news.
Finally! After 8 long years, Grey could get the show on the road and complete this world!
'When did they say they would pick?'
[Tomorrow! The churches around the country will get the name, gender, and age of the Hero. Between the two of us, they told me that the Hero is a young lady and she's 16 years old. She's a commoner with no experience with fighting or magic. Her dad died when she was young, so it's only been her mother raising her.
[She lives on the outskirts of Tresna Kingdom so it will take some time before she can get to the capital and pull out the holy sword that's situated in the central church.]
The holy sword was a sword that only responded to the Hero when the Demon King was about to resurrect.
[Oh, I almost forgot, they will also be choosing the companions that will be assisting her on the journey. You and Prince Alastair will be two of the chosen. The other two will be a priest named Aeneas Espir, the next Pope, and a young elven woman named Faylan.]
'Wait! Can Vincent come with us too?'
[Hmm… let me ask.]
After a few minutes of waiting, System 225 came back.
[They said it's fine. He will be added to the list of companions for the Hero.]
Grey let out a sigh of relief. He didn't have the heart to leave Vincent behind while he went off killing monsters and demons.
He used up a lot of magic while training earlier, so Grey decided to rest on a nearby bench. In the meantime, he listened to System 225 talk about the other information the Gods gave to them.
According to System 225, Aeneas was a priest through and through. He couldn't use any attack magic and only knew how to use a staff for self-defense. He mostly healed and buffed his comrades, and debuffed enemies.
Aeneas was a young man, in his early 20's, with long blonde hair and blue eyes. He was thin and looked like he could be blown away by a strong gust of wind, but he had this otherworldly feeling to him. It could be seen that the amount of holy magic he possessed was the cause of this.
As for Faylan, she mostly used a bow, but when situations made using one difficult, she switched to dual daggers. She had shoulder-length green hair that was pin-straight. She had bangs that were parted in the middle but it was styled so that they were a bit shorter than the rest of her hair and curved slightly at the bottom. She also had bright yellow eyes that looked almost gold, but not quite.
This made the Hero's group very balanced. The Hero obviously used a sword but could also heal people. Grey decided to specialize in magic but he also knew how to use his staff for self-defense. He also had a dagger on him at all times just in case. As for Azul, he used a shield and a mace, taking up a more defensive role. He also had a sword on him just in case his mace went missing or was otherwise not a possible option. For Azul, this was nothing new and he was quite comfortable with protecting his comrades.
As for how they would all meet, the Gods will make sure that they will all meet in the capital of Tresna Kingdom, Trese.
The Demon King was across the continent in a huge area known as the Demon Continent. The Demon Continent was twice the size of Tresna. There were two other countries between Tresna and the Demon Continent, so it would take some time to get there.
[Everything is finally getting started so be sure to train the Hero when she gets here! I heard the Hero will train in Trese for about a month before you can start the journey. But I'm sure you all can continue to train her on your journey there.]
Grey didn't mind training this young Hero, but he could only hope she was receptive to learning how to use the sword and magic…
*****
At midnight in the Tresna Kingdom, everyone in the churches got the news of the Hero being chosen.
The Hero was a young lady named Evelyn Reyne. She had a shoulder-length bob, no bangs but the front part of her hair was always held back with a simple bobby pin. Her dark brown hair was thick and wavy. After getting the title of Hero, her dark brown eyes turned a golden amber color, signifying that she was indeed the Hero for the current generation.
She and her mother were farmers, so to become a Hero overnight was more than just a shock to her. She was confused, bewildered, and half in denial about it. She knew it wasn't wrong though, because of the change in her eye color.
A farmer becoming a Hero? What were the Gods even thinking!? Many people were thinking the same.
Grey and Azul were also a bit confused about why the Gods chose a farmer. This farmer didn't even know how to hold a sword!
They had their work cut out for them huh…
This was an S-ranked world so even helping the Hero wasn't going to be easy.
Well, with the prophecy, all the Hero's companions have already met up at the central church where the Holy Sword was. They just needed to wait a few more days until they finally met the Hero.
Luckily for Grey, Azul, and Vincent, the other two companions, Aeneas and Faylan, were kind and strong. While waiting for Evelyn to arrive, they trained together and got to know one another. It was best if they got along well so the journey would be smoother.
And finally, a week later, the Hero Evelyn arrived in the capital.
She arrived in a light tan dress that went up to the top of her knees. She wore an olive green apron, a bandanna to keep her hair out of her face, and brown shin-high boots that looked like they were buried in the ground first.
Overall, she looked like a typical farmer, even the calluses on her hands showed how she toiled in the soil every day.
Grey and Azul weren't surprised, but Aeneas, Vincent, and Faylan were a bit surprised by the teenage girl with sun-kissed skin and a strong country accent.
Evelyn didn't mind their blank stares and greeted everyone with a joyful smile. "Good day everyone! Sorry for my bad manners, I'm just a country farmer gal. I hope I don't offend any of ya."
Grey shook his head and gave a polite bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Hero Evelyn. My name is Ren Hansferd."
"Ren, is it? No need to call me Hero, Lady, or whatever ya nobles like to call people. I'm just Evelyn Reyne, but you can call me Evelyn!"
She took his hand and shook it up and down excitedly. It was how the common folk greeted people.
Grey, of course, didn't take any offense to it and happily shook her hand. She seemed like a good girl and was quite normal and polite. Judging from first-time impressions, she didn't seem like a hassle to train… Some people would throw fits while others would demand the best treatment because their status has gone up, but she didn't seem like that kind of person. Just from her handshake, he could tell her grip was strong. He felt it wouldn't be too bad or hard to teach her.
Vincent looked stunned at Evelyn shaking Grey's hand. As Grey's friend and servant, he wanted to reprimand her, but since Grey was okay with it… he could only grit his teeth and turn a blind eye. If the Hero turned out to be a bad person, he wouldn't hesitate to leave her behind to ensure Grey was safe!
Evelyn also shook the hands of her newfound companions and couldn't wait to explore the capital. She also liked to talk, so for the quiet Aeneas, it felt like she was talking his ears off.
"It's my first time in the capital. I've heard lots of stories as a little gal and can't wait to tell my mum all about it when I get back!"
"In your free time, we will definitely explore the capital with you," Grey pulled the conversation back so they could get through the formalities and end the day. "For now, let's get you ready for your duties as the Hero. I know it's a lot, but we will do our best to help you through it."
Grey said this because the Hero had a lot to do. For the month that Evelyn would be here, she had to learn the sword, magic, etiquette, literacy, mathematics, geography, history, dance, and a few other topics within a month. She would be greeting nobles and higher-ranked individuals every weekend, so it was crucial for her time in the capital to learn all of these things.
Of course, no one expected a farmer to get it right away, but it was still needed now that she was a prominent member of society.
As one of the Hero's helpers, it also meant he would be teaching her alongside the other companions and tutors…
He hoped she would be able to handle this new way of life… Hopefully.
"Oh, I heard there was a sword I have to pull out of the ground! Let's go there right now!" Evelyn excitedly said and began to pull Grey with her to God knows where.
She didn't even know where the sword was!
The sword pulling, much to the displeasure of many, was pulled out of the ground with a young lady pointing it into the air like she was in some sort of comic book…
The sword-pulling ceremony was canceled because once the sword was pulled out of the ground, it could not be placed back until the Demon King or the Hero was killed.