"A certain hero...?"
Shuna nods slightly at my question.
"Yes, exactly. Zelos, do you know the Empress of Magic, Scarlet?"
"..."
I freeze at the unexpected name. Seeing this, Shuna misinterprets my reaction and gives a somewhat lonely smile.
"Well, she's not as famous as Zeroth, so it's understandable. Scarlet was a mage who was said to have played a pivotal role as Zeroth's right-hand during the subjugation of the evil god a thousand years ago."
"I see..."
I reply awkwardly, but inside, I'm anything but calm.
Scarlet—the so-called Empress of Magic. Of course, I know her. I should. After all, when I was Zeroth in my previous life, she was the most frequent party member I teamed up with.
(This reminds me that not just Zeroth, but my companions from back then are still remembered in this era...)
I realize anew that this is the world of 'Creon' a thousand years later.
Still, hearing her name from Shuna's mouth is quite surprising. Trying to maintain my composure, I ask Shuna,
"So, why do you admire Scarlet?"
Though I feel resistance to adding "sama" to her name, I keep it respectful since she's a legendary figure in this era.
Shuna's face lights up as she begins to speak.
"Scarlet-sama left behind many legends! She overwhelmed hundreds of soldiers on her own, fought and defeated a powerful dragon by herself. It's already difficult for mages to fight solo, but she did it magnificently. I believe she was a noble person who mustered courage to protect others..."
"......"
Shuna's eyes sparkle as she speaks.
On the other hand, I recall conversations with Scarlet in 'Creon.'
"Oh, I need to relieve some stress! I know, I'll mess with that PK guild, lure them into my territory, and then wipe them out with my ultimate magic! Yes! Everyone will be happy with this solution!"
"Listen, Zeroth! I developed a new spell, but all the local monsters die too quickly for me to test it! What? 'The dragon in that town's event quest is pretty tough, perfect for testing. I use it to try out my sword techniques often.' That's brilliant! I'm off to try it out!"
"Why is it that you're the one getting all the credit for subjugating the evil god, and not me! It's so unfair, unfair, unfair!"
...There's likely a huge gap between Shuna's ideals and the reality of Scarlet. Knowing this, I feel quite awkward. Well, I did similar things myself back then, so I can't criticize her too harshly.
As I reminisce about those nostalgic days, I let out a nervous laugh.
Then Shuna suddenly says, "Hey, Zelos. According to the legends, Scarlet-sama always had Zeroth-sama by her side... Do you think they were possibly lovers?"
"No."
"Huh?"
"Absolutely not. You can be sure of that."
While my relationship with Scarlet wasn't bad, imagining a romantic connection is impossible. She was more of a mischievous friend, a partner in thoroughly enjoying 'Creon.'
"Why do I feel so convinced by Zelos's words, even though he shouldn't know such things..."
Shuna looks bewildered by my statement.
Oops, maybe I was too forceful.
I reflect for a couple of seconds.
After a brief moment to calm down, Shuna continues.
"Where was I? Oh, right, why I admire Scarlet-sama. I've read her legends since I was little, so I was thrilled to receive the same [Emblem of Magic]. As you know, Zelos, it hasn't been easy to join parties since then... And there have been other setbacks too, but—"
She turns to me, looking straight into my eyes.
"Thanks to you, today has been really fun. Thank you, Zelos."
"...You're welcome. But remember, the toughest part—the boss battle—is still ahead."
"Right, what am I saying all of a sudden..."
Shuna blushes and scratches her cheek.
Just then, our MP fully recovers.
I stand up and extend my hand to Shuna.
"Shall we go?"
"Yeah."
We make our final preparations and head to the boss room.
A few minutes later, we stand before a gigantic entrance. There are no doors, just an open passage.
In hidden dungeons, just entering the room can be difficult, so they often allow you to escape during boss battles. The same applies here in the Mausoleum of the Underworld.
I glance at Shuna, who nervously grips her staff.
"Are you ready for the boss battle?"
"Yes. I'll follow the strategy we discussed."
With the final check complete, we enter the boss room.
Awaiting us is the Dark Sorcerer, shrouded in darkness.
Recommended for level 35, it's a formidable foe with troublesome skills, but with our current abilities, we should be able to defeat it without problems.