The Patriarch glared at me sharply, his sword pointed at my neck. His suspicion had reached its peak. I couldn't move; my mouth refused to form any words.
I had to be careful with my response. One wrong move, and my head might roll. It was the first time I'd ever felt this panicked in front of someone.
"I-I'm… I-I…" No matter how hard I tried, the words just wouldn't come out.
And then, without warning, my mind swapped places with Envi. Now Envi was in control of Nao's body.
"Ah, well, you see… I've lost my memories, so I don't really remember why I did that. It was just like CRING! ZUNG! BOOM!!" Envi rattled off a completely nonsensical excuse.
The Patriarch looked confused by the bizarre explanation. His intimidating aura remained strong, but Envi stood there unfazed, calm as ever.
"I've explained everything, so put that sword down already, old man." Envi casually mocked the Patriarch.
"Hmph. I don't understand you. Just a moment ago, you seemed like someone else entirely, and now you're back to your usual self." The Patriarch lowered his sword and dimmed his aura.
"Well, maybe it's just the memory loss talking. But I'm still me!" Envi said, puffing out his chest proudly while digging in his ear.
"Ugh… Fine. For now, I'll let this go."
"But listen carefully. I'm assigning you Blackmore's Quest. It's a task that must be completed by any candidate seeking to earn official recognition as Blackmore's hero. This mission will start three weeks later." The Patriarch's expression grew stern as he spoke.
"Alright, I'll take it on," Envi answered confidently.
"But this is the same quest that nearly got you killed last time. You didn't complete it before," the Patriarch added, his voice tinged with concern.
"Huh, really? I don't remember that! HAHAHA!" Envi's bluntness was annoying yet strangely effective against the Patriarch.
"Very well. This time, however, you must bring a team with you. You're free to choose anyone, including the Blackmore family knights. Previously, you went alone, and you barely returned alive."
Hearing this, I started to piece together what had happened to Naoki before I took over his body.
"F-fine, I'll think about it… maybe. By the way, what exactly does this quest involve?" Envi asked, digging for more details.
"You are to explore the shadow wolf lair. This mission is the same as before, but there's an additional objective: locate any signs of the Doomspire demons in the area."
"Eeh? Demons? You've gotta be kidding me, hahaha." Envi's casual tone betrayed his surprise.
"THIS IS SERIOUS," the Patriarch barked, clearly annoyed. "After the Mark incident, there's a strong possibility the Doomspire demons are expanding their influence into Blackmore territory. We believe the shadow wolf lair is their base of operations."
"So you want me to find them and take them down?" Envi clarified.
"No. You are only to gather solid evidence of their activities. Once you've secured proof, retreat immediately. Do not fight them recklessly. With that evidence, I can request assistance from Hero King Aslan von Braveheart to eliminate the threat."
"Got it, got it. But… why don't you and the Blackmore family handle this yourselves?"
"If I stepped in, it would cause a massive commotion and lead to unnecessary casualties."
"Fair enough… Well, leave it to me! Just sit back and watch—I'll get it done." Envi said, brimming with confidence.
"Very well. By the way, your tone is getting ruder!" The Patriarch, now irritated, raised a fist and aimed a punch straight at my head.
"Wha—danger!!" Envi quickly swapped consciousness with me.
THUD!
The Patriarch's punch landed squarely on my head, leaving a painful lump. That cursed Envi system! He always leaves me with the painful parts!
I spent the rest of the afternoon training with the Patriarch until the sun began to set.
...
...
The training with the Patriarch is over. He can only teach me what I can master. Now my Swordsmanship Skill has leveled up!
----------------------------------------------------------
Name: Naoki von Blackmore
Level: 32
Title: Failed Hero (Process to Hero of Blackmore Family)
Condition: Need Recovery
HP (Hit Points): 3,500
MP (Mana Points): 2,000
Strength (STR): 45
Vitality (VIT): 35
Agility (AGL): 55
Intelligence (INT): 25
Skills:
1. Swordsmanship Lvl 4:
Blackmore Katana Style:
-Kazekiri
-Inazuma
-Yanagi Uke
-Nisshou Giri
-Kasoseki
-Yam no Kiri no Seikatsu
2. Resonance Lvl 1:
-Karyuu no Issen
3. Power of Incarnation Lvl 1
Goddess Points: 70
----------------------------------------------------------
As I thought, the title Failed Hero is finally starting to change! If I complete the Patriarch's quest, that title will surely transform completely.
I also noticed that the Blackmore Swordsmanship techniques the Patriarch taught me have successfully integrated into my own skill set—now officially part of my Blackmore Katana Style.
As I pondered over the ideal team formation for the Patriarch's quest, I turned to wake Envi, who was—unsurprisingly—dozing off.
"Hey, you useless system! Wake up! You left me to train with the Patriarch alone while you lazed around!" I yelled at him, shaking him awake.
"Ugh, what's your problem? Can't you let me enjoy my afternoon nap? Just let me be lazy for once!" Envi grumbled before promptly going back to sleep.
"Hah... I guess I'll just decide on the team formation myself... Maybe I'll recruit some girls..."
"Girls, you say?! Alright, let's talk! Let's start right now!" The moment I mentioned girls, Envi sprang awake, full of energy. This perverted system! I hope a girl smacks some sense into him one day.
After a long discussion with Envi, we agreed to bring only nine people, making a total of ten, including me. We figured a larger group would only complicate the mission, especially with exploration and scouting involved. A smaller, more efficient team was the way to go.
I decided to use the Blackmore family knights for the mission: five attackers, two mages, and two tanks. Envi agreed with this setup, as our focus would be on swiftly taking down the nimble shadow wolves, which required more offensive power.
"Hey, Nao! Let's invite Lyra and Freya to join us! Come on, they're gorgeous!" Envi suggested eagerly.
"Hmm, I can't do that. They recently lost comrades in a battle that nearly cost them their lives. I can't put them in danger again!" I rejected his idea outright.
"Ugh, fine, I get it," Envi said, sounding disappointed. I couldn't believe I was stuck with a system obsessed with girls.
Our discussion concluded. Tomorrow, I planned to head to the capital to upgrade my katana and armor and stock up on potions. With three weeks left, I needed to prepare thoroughly. I also planned to grind my level up to 35 in the meantime.
---
The next afternoon, I set off for the royal capital to visit Edwin, the blacksmith. It was time to upgrade my equipment.
When I arrived at Edwin's forge, he greeted me with bright, eager eyes. But when I showed him my cracked katana and battered armor, his expression shifted to one of sorrow—he looked like he might cry.
"This… this can't be… What happened, Naoki-sama? What were you fighting?! It's impossible for my work to end up like this… sob sob..." Edwin asked, tears streaming down his face.
"Ahaha, I fought a mini-boss, some crazy monsters, and a powerful shadow. But don't worry, your craftsmanship is incredible! Even in that state, your work saved my life multiple times," I said, trying to console him while hiding the truth about fighting Mark, who had turned into a demon.
"Really? Huhu, I'm so glad to hear that! Alright, I'll upgrade your katana and armor!" Edwin's eyes sparkled as he made his decision.
"I'll use adamantium ore—a high-quality, incredibly durable material. I guarantee it'll last you a lifetime!"
"Alright, Edwin. Give it your best! I can pay whatever it costs now, hahaha," I said cheerfully, grateful for the Blackmore family's wealth after inheriting my new status.
"Really? That's great for you! But I won't charge you a single coin. This is my pride as the 'Magic Hands' at work. Consider it my honor to craft the best for you! You can pick up the upgraded katana and armor next week, as adamantium takes time to work with," Edwin declared firmly.
"Hahaha, I can't say no to that. Thank you, Edwin. If there's ever anything I can do for you, just let me know. I owe you a lot."
"Got it, Naoki-sama! I'll remember that." Edwin smiled broadly and got to work on my katana. I left his shop feeling confident.
As I stepped outside, I found myself face-to-face with two beautiful girls, one with blue hair and the other with red. It seemed they were just about to enter Edwin's shop.
"Oh, Naoki-dono! What a coincidence," Freya greeted me with her usual energetic smile.
"E-eh? I didn't expect to run into you today, Naoki-sama," Lyra said shyly.
"Hey, you two... What a coincidence, haha. What brings you here?" I asked, trying to sound casual.
"Oh, I'm here to help Lyra get a new magic staff," Freya explained.
"Yes, I want to make a staff that can speed up my casting and enhance my water-element spells," Lyra added.
"Ooh, you can use water magic?" I asked, intrigued.
"Yes, it's a specialty of my family, the Waterfall clan. But I'm better at support magic," Lyra admitted, sounding a bit self-conscious.
"Wow, that's amazing, Lyra! I'm sure you'll master it in no time," I said, patting her shoulder encouragingly.
"Th-thank you, Naoki-sama," Lyra replied, her cheeks turning a soft shade of pink.
"By the way, what brings you here, Naoki-dono?" Freya asked curiously.
"Me? Oh, I'm just upgrading my weapons and armor, haha…" I tried to dodge the topic of my quest.
"NAO! This is your chance! Invite them to join you! They're strong!" Envi urged excitedly.
"Really? Hmm, we just accepted a Rank B quest to meet our goals," Freya said, her tone playful as if tempting me to ask them along.
"This is perfect, Nao! The Blackmore quest is Rank B too. We can take them with us!" Envi was practically shouting in my head.
"Ugh… fine."
"Actually, I'm taking on the Blackmore quest. It's also Rank B," I said to Freya.
"Really? That's great, Freya! We can work together with Naoki-sama!" Lyra said, her face lighting up with excitement.
"You're right, Lyra. We owe Naoki-dono a lot, and this is a great chance to repay him. Would you let us join you, Naoki-dono?" Freya asked earnestly.
"W-well, I'm still hesitant… You've both just been through a lot fighting the Berserker Troll King. I don't want to put you in more danger," I replied awkwardly.
Freya and Lyra exchanged smiles.
"We're fine, Naoki-sama. A knight must be ready for any challenge," Freya declared firmly.
"That's right. Besides, we'd feel much safer with you, Naoki-sama," Lyra said, smiling warmly.
These two… They weren't afraid at all. Instead, they smiled at me. Truly, they were remarkable girls.
"Alright then. Please take care of me, Lyra, Freya. We'll depart in three weeks. For the next two weeks, we'll train and level up together. Be prepared!" I said, shaking their hands.
"Understood, Naoki-dono!"
"We look forward to working with you, Naoki-sama."
With them by my side, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. I will to protect them, no matter what.
...
...
---Continued to next chapter---