anwhile, fifty kiloters away from the Desert of Chaos lies the renowned border town of "Arthamonth."
Positioned as the final bastion of the Holy Empire of Elysium and humanity's frontline stronghold, it stood perilously close to the Demon Race's territory.
At this mont, within Arthamonth, known for its tranquil ambiance, an unusual scene began to unfold.
A multitude of people congregated in the town square near the gate, their faces alight with anticipation and energy. n, won, children, and the elderly alike were united in their excitent.
The bustling crowd had assembled in anticipation of the arrival of Luna, Valen, Natasya, Rain, and Guren—the formidable leaders who would spearhead humanity's defense against the Demon race in the upcoming war.
The news of the impending war and Velix's declaration had swiftly disseminated across the Empire, reaching the Holy Orthodox and extending even to the territories of other races worldwide, including the Dragon Empire and beyond.
Thus, as a border town and the frontline fortress of mankind, Arthamonth's populace naturally learned of the news sooner, despite the town's considerable distance from the Imperial Capital.
"Have you heard? The Bow Hero Luna, the Spear Hero Valen, General Natasya, the Great Mage Rain, and Marquis Guren, leaders of our fight against the Demon race, are said to have arrived at the town gate," a curious man in the crowd asked.
"Yes, it's confird! They're here, and Mayor Daniel is currently greeting them," another person responded, confirming the news.
"Fantastic! I'm eager to catch a glimpse of them!" The man exclaid, and his face lit up with excitent.
"Absolutely! I'm hoping to catch a glimpse of them too!"
Conversations regarding the arrival of Luna, Valen, Natasya, Rain, and Guren echoed throughout the square.
The common the of discussion centered around their excitent to witness the renowned and awe-inspiring figures who would lead humanity into its first great war against the Demon Race in this era.
While the town square bustled with people waiting to see Valen, Luna, Natasya, Rain, and Guren, the town gate was equally lively, with hundreds of troops lined up and a middle-aged, bald man in noble attire standing in front of them.
The balding middle-aged man was none other than Daniel Luzard, the 50th mayor of Arthamonth town and the nobleman entrusted with guarding it.
His expression brimd with smiles as he gazed upon the five figures before him, who were none other than Luna, Valen, Natasya, Rain, and Guren.
"The Bow Hero Luna, the Spear Hero Valen, General Natasya, Great Mage Rain, and Marquis Guren, welco to Arthamonth," Daniel said, bowing his head respectfully. "As the 50th Mayor, I warmly welco you to our town."
Seeing the grand welco before them, Luna, Valen, Natasya, Rain, and Guren were slightly surprised, though their expressions remained unchanged.
Stepping forward slowly, Luna gave a slight nod and a small smile. "Thank you for your welco, Mayor Daniel. I apologize for any disturbance our arrival may have caused."
"No, no, Hero Luna! How could your arrival disturb us?" Daniel imdiately shook his head. "Your arrival is a blessing to Arthamonth, and I am very grateful for it."
"Moreover, it is my duty to welco you all, the warriors who will lead humanity against our eternal enemies, the demons."
Upon hearing his words, Luna simply nodded slightly and said nothing further about the grand welco.
"By the way, my troops have set up tents within five kiloters of the town. Is that alright?" Luna asked Daniel with a calm expression.
Though their statuses were worlds apart and she didn't need to be polite, Luna chose not to be frivolous or careless.
Acting arrogantly or using her status to suppress those beneath her would not only damage her image as a hero but also go against her principles.
Moreover, she was a hero with strong pride, and there was no way she would tarnish it by oppressing the weak.
"Certainly, Bow Hero Luna; in fact, I find it quite distant to set up tents within five kiloters," Daniel replied politely, proposing, "What do you think about bringing the troops into the town?"
"While Arthamonth may not rival the size of the capital, it can still comfortably house 600,000 troops," Daniel added with a faint smile, extending the offer graciously.
As both the mayor and the noble entrusted with guarding the border city, how could Daniel resist seizing such montum and a golden opportunity?
If he could establish rapport with the heroes Natasya, Rain, and Guren and earn their recognition, wouldn't his stature soar in the future?
Therefore, upon learning of their arrival, he felt a surge of excitent and ticulously orchestrated their welco.
Upon hearing Daniel's offer, Luna shook her head and replied, "I appreciate your kindness, Mayor Daniel, but it's unnecessary. The troops will camp outside to prepare efficiently for the impending war."
"Additionally, our stay will be brief; we depart for the Desert of Chaos tomorrow."
Though Luna's refusal saddened Daniel, he maintained a polite smile.
"Very well, if that is your wish, Bow Hero Luna, I shall respect it. Allow to escort you to my mansion for your brief respite," Daniel said, bowing his head respectfully.
This ti, Luna accepted his offer with a slight nod.
"In that case, we'll accept your hospitality, Mayor Daniel," Luna said, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Under Daniel's guidance and with a procession of troops guarding them, Luna, Valen, Natasya, Rain, and Guren entered the town, greeted warmly by its citizens, who had eagerly awaited their arrival.
"Welco, Bow Hero Luna and Spear Hero Valen! We're thrilled to have you here!"
"The Bow Hero Luna, please look this way!"
"General Natasya, I admire you greatly! Could you grace with your smile?"
"The Spear Hero Valen, look over here!"
"Great Mage Rain and Marquis Guren, a mont of your ti!"
The arrival of Luna's entourage, escorted by Daniel and the town's troops, sparked a burst of festive greetings from the people.
In response to their enthusiasm, Luna didn't ignore it but smiled and gave a slight wave.
Even Valen and Rain, typically indifferent to such welcos, joined in, waving at the residents.
Their apparent welcoming deanor only served to fuel the residents' enthusiasm and excitent as they proceeded toward the mansion, enveloping the entire town in rare screams and excitent.
...
Inside the mansion...
In the grand hall, Daniel stood respectfully before Luna, Valen, Natasya, Rain, and Guren, accompanied by several maids.
"Bow Hero Luna, Spear Hero Valen, General Natasya, Great Mage Rain, and Marquis Guren, I have prepared rooms for your rest. The maids behind will escort you to your respective rooms," Daniel said courteously, gesturing toward the servants who bowed in acknowledgnt to Luna and her entourage.
"Thank you for your efforts, Mayor Daniel. I appreciate the preparations you've made," Luna said with a soft smile, her tone cold yet softer than usual.
"You're welco, Bow Hero Luna," Daniel responded respectfully. "Then, the maids will guide you to your rooms, and I won't disturb your rest."
With another respectful bow of his head, Daniel glanced at the maids behind him before exiting the hall.
As Daniel departed, Luna shifted her gaze to Valen, Natasya, Rain, and Guren.
"We've endured a long and arduous journey in the past few days. Therefore, today, you are to rest well and prepare for tomorrow's battle," Luna instructed with indifference.
"Ah~ Finally, I can rest properly," Valen replied lazily, his usual reckleness smile in place.
Natasya, Rain, and Guren remained silent but nodded in acknowledgnt of Luna's instructions.
"Very well, you may rest," Luna concluded before departing with one of the maids to her own room.
Observing Luna's departure, Valen, Natasya, Rain, and Guren followed suit, each escorted to their respective rooms by the remaining maids, leaving the great hall instantly silent.
...
Inside the luxury room, Guren lay sprawled lazily on the bed, his eyes closed as if in slumber.
The five-day march had sapped his strength, leaving even soone like him, with his robust physique and endurance, thoroughly exhausted.
"Hah~" Guren sighed, slowly opening his eyes to gaze at the ceiling with indifference.
"Tomorrow marks the beginning of the war and my opportunity to make my debut, as well as my chance to earn recognition from all of humanity and ascend as the next sword hero," he muttered nonchalantly, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Becoming a hero had always been his childhood dream, a longing that never faded.
As the bearer of the fourth hero's destiny, an existence that should not exist in this world, he felt akin to a sword lacking its blade, for he lacked the holy weapon that heroes should wield.
Therefore, he was eager to leap onto the battlefield and demonstrate his true strength, hoping to garner the recognition necessary to be anointed as the next sword hero.
Moreover, he eagerly anticipated the mont when Valen would witness him unleashing the power of a hero; imagining the shock on his face later would be quite entertaining, wouldn't it?
Just as Guren was lost in his reverie, a letter from Emperor Velix, conveyed through Jim before their journey to the Desert of Chaos, suddenly ca to mind.
Swiftly, Guren stood up and reached into his robe pocket, extracting the letter tucked inside.
"Pri Minister Jim instructed to read it when we're in the Desert of Chaos or nearby," Guren muttered to himself as he examined both the front and back of the letter, finding nothing remarkable except for the Imperial seal adorning the front.
Without further delay, Guren unfolded the letter and ticulously read its contents while seated on the edge of the bed.
After a minute of absorbing every word, Guren's expression hardened, his entire body tensing as if struck by high-voltage electricity.
His green eyes widened, and the hands clutching the letter trembled uncontrollably, disbelief evident in his reaction.
"What does this an? His Majesty wants to return to the Imperial capital to retrieve the Holy Sword of Zenith before the war begins?"
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A/N: Cough! To be honest, I really wanted to update two chapters per day, but I'm a bit busy this month, so I can only upload one chapter per day. Therefore, I apologize... (シ. .)シ
However, I will endeavor to update two chapters per day in the future (if I have ti). __φ(．．;)
Thank you for your support in advance, and stay tuned! ε٩(๑> ₃
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