[What are you willing to sacrifice for your family? Sentimental people would immediately say, "Everything!" The more reserved ones would hesitate a bit, and the tough types would claim they don't care. Ugh... too bad I'm a sentimentalist].
It was in that luxurious room that Eídal Granier had found his answer, and he believed in it.
"No matter what, I must be useful."
[What are you willing to sacrifice for your family?] The question from his master echoed again in his mind.
Letting out a long sigh, he waited for the group of heroes to arrive. He stood in a side alley off the main street. According to the rumors he had gathered, the group of heroes was in this city. If he was patient, sooner or later they would pass through the main road leading to their inn.
The heroes were not only respected but also feared. Beyond the curious gazes of a few passersby, no one would approach them directly.
Then, Eídal saw them. It was a small group, no more than three people, but what stood out the most was the girl leading them.
'Beautiful,' he thought.
It was a word he hadn't even dared to say to Íngrid.
Dressed in light armor of pure white, she was a woman with an overwhelming aura. Since she wasn't wearing a helmet, Eídal could see that her well-defined features would appeal to anyone, whether man or woman.
Contrasting with her armor, her jet-black hair cascaded in waves, and her golden pupils gleamed, just like the embossed decorations on her outfit. She was beauty incarnate. At her waist, she carried a small rod shaped like a spear, adorned with curved glyphs. It was the weapon of the spear heroine.
Her presence was also imposing, four or six fingers taller than Eídal. She might have been around twenty-two to twenty-four years old. Her calm face seemed like a mask hiding the brutality of her power. She was someone ranked Mithril within the fallen system. Compared to Eídal, it was like the difference between heaven and earth.
Her companions were also intimidating. One was a blonde man with various decorations in his hair. His vacant eyes gave the impression of someone devoid of emotion. The one at the rear was a slim young girl, but her stride suggested she had a fiery temper, as if ready to fight the first person she encountered.
Once the group passed him, Eídal clutched the case to his chest, steadying his trembling legs.
"G-get out of the way!" he shouted from behind the group as he ran in their direction. "Ex-excuse me!"
Feigning a hurried escape, he pretended to run past them. But due to the commotion, one of the group members turned, and Eídal couldn't avoid crashing into them.
"Ahh!"
"Ow... that hurts."
Both of them fell like sacks onto the cobbled street. Naturally, it wasn't the spear heroine he had collided with, but one of her companions at the back. It was the young girl. She wore a long leather skirt with side slits up to her knees and an oversized white shirt. Around her neck was a scarf with shades of red and black, matching her gloves. Her outfit wasn't much different from what Eídal was wearing. Her brown hair was long but messy. She had slightly dark skin, and her blue eyes glared at Eídal in anger.
"What the… that hurts!" the girl said.
"Uh… s-sorry!"
"Just get off me."
Eídal carefully stood up and extended a hand to her.
"This isn't my day."
Accepting the gesture, the young girl also got to her feet. Rubbing the back of her head in pain, she muttered something, but by then, the entire hero group had fixed their eyes on Eídal. The first step had been completed. Then, the girl leading the group approached, and the young girl who had been scolding Eídal simply stepped aside.
"Uh… um…"
Seeing her up close, Eídal realized the immense gap between their levels. Trying to lighten the mood, he attempted a weak grin: "Umm…"
But no joke seemed appropriate for the moment. In his mind, Eídal thought: 'Maybe I should kiss her feet… and pretend none of this happened.'
However, clenching his fist, he quickly dismissed the idea of fleeing.
When he didn't speak, the heroine just furrowed her well-defined brows and asked:
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
'It didn't work!'
Her voice was slow but pleasant to the ear, though Eídal wished he hadn't heard what she said. He cursed himself for not coming up with a better plan.
"Uh, I…"
"Are you going to talk or not?"
"Ah! Um…"
Without exaggeration, he felt like an ant facing an elephant. Everything depended on his next response, so Eídal decided to think carefully. After all, he was on an adventure where he was completely alone against the world, where he had to be the wolf among sheep.
In this race to kill the heroes, who would come out on top?