Arlyne O's POV
After everyone reluctantly agreed, I securely bound my brother's arms and legs and gagged his mouth. I then placed him in a sack, rendering him immobile.
With my brother temporarily dealt with, we discussed our plan of action. We agreed to follow Theo's proposal: to gradually eliminate the black faunmia on the upper floor, which was our only way forward.
However, before embarking on this mission, Kyra suggested that we investigate the source of 'that sound.' If it turned out to be another friendly team, we should consider forming an alliance with them.
Kyra's eyes, reminiscent of an aurora night sky, sparkled with childlike curiosity. I couldn't help but find her deanour endearing, 'Cute!!'.
Theo readily accepted her proposal, and I concurred, as it was a suggestion from the princesses themselves.
Simon, who had faced ntal challenges due to my brother, was eager to take the lead in guiding us through the Maze. We chose not to ntion my brother's condition, and instead, we followed Simon's lead.
On the way we encountered one or two Faunmia, but with the help of Princesses, we could kill them though it wasn't as easy as before I killed the one hidden in the treasure chest, these guys were more agile and strong.
Since then we never encountered Scorpions....it made think Scorpions ran away?
As we progressed, I noticed that Theo was attempting to engage the princesses in conversation, but they only responded with nods.
Simon, on the other hand, was persistent in seeking my attention.
'I wish it were as easy to rid myself of these unrequited feelings' I thought, struggling to manage my emotions.
....
....
Hours passed since we initiated our plan. What was initially intended as an exploration had devolved into circling aimlessly, unable to find any significant clues.
'Yes, we have been circling around in the sa fucking direction!!!'
"Simon, we've been going in circles for over an hour" I tried to convey my frustration as gently as possible.
"No, Arlyne, I'm sure this is a different direction" Simon replied, attempting to sound convincing.
"..." I clenched my teeth, struggling to maintain my composure.
....
After another half an hour of aimless wandering,
Okay, my patience had reached its limit.
"Simon, are you incapable of finding the right path?" I inquired, frustration colouring my tone.
"Give a mont, Arlyne" he responded in a fluster.
"But you've been saying that for hours!" I retorted.
"...."
"Let ask you plainly, did we get lost?" I pressed, growing exasperated.
"..." He averted his gaze.
Annoyed, I turned to ask Theo,
"King Theo, could you please ask your's-"
"W-Wait, I tell you the truth.....We Lost"
""""...""""
I couldn't help but glare at Simon.
As I was about to punch his face. Suddenly, a loud noise echoed and we turned cautiously when we saw an auburn-haired man approached us casually.
He inquired if we needed assistance, despite Theo and Simon's hostile glares.
Despite that, he shrugged it off and asked .
There was a hint of displeasure in my eyes.
I found it disrespectful that soone would ask for the virginity of a Saintess, regardless of the individual's character.
I know I am biasing because if it were to happen to our Princesses, I would have already sliced off his tongue and 'that thing'.
While I was tempted to react harshly, this was not the appropriate ti. The man had tead up with Alexander, and I suspected he was nearby.
As I was about to ask for his help, Simon interrupted and....shooed him?
'....Is he for real?' I scread inwardly.
I eventually managed to secure his assistance, and it appeared that he needed our help as well.
I breathed a sigh of relief; it seed like a mutually beneficial arrangent. We were under no obligation to one another, and I was confident that we, as a group, could easily deal with any treachery on his part.
'Tuck, Tuck, Tuck'
But then, we heard the familiar sound of approaching footsteps, which made it apparent that the monsters were closing in.
"Tsk, they've found us" I muttered in frustration.
"RUN!!!"
I shouted for everyone to run, and we fled from our pursuers.
After a series of turns, we halted, relieved to no longer hear the sound of pursuing monsters.
"Dammit, if not for their sheer number, I'd have wiped them all out" Simon complained, his frustration evident.
'-ha- I also felt the sa way' I silently agreed with his sentint. I couldn't help but feel that we were trapped and at the rcy of these relentless creatures.
Theo, breathing heavily, turned to Kyra, his tone worried, "Are you okay, Kyra?"
"I'm fine, thank you, Mr. King Theo" she replied softly.
"Okay, and I've told you before, you don't need to use honorifics" Theo responded, looking sowhat dejected.
"Forgive , Mr. King Theo, but I cannot bring myself to disrespect the future king of Theos Kingdom" Kyra replied respectfully.
"Again...sigh, Why can't you be more like your sister Kira?" Theo said with a dejected face.
"Forgive , Mr. King Theo, but I am not my sister" Kyra replied.
"Heheh" Kira giggled at her sister's response.
Theo couldn't seem to grasp the subtleties of their interaction.
But then, Simon abruptly shouted, "Wait a second!"
We all turned our attention to him.
"Where is that...'Filth'?
Hearing that we know who he was calling.....As we scanned the area in search of Eli.
Kira posed a question that seed to have crossed all our minds, "Did he fight them?"
Kyra, her voice tinged with doubt, responded, "Don't know"
Simon, with an air of nonchalance but a slight smirk playing on his lips, stated, "Well, he should be eliminated already, right?"
Theo, sharing Simon's smile, added, "Maybe".
'sigh' With a resigned sigh, I was about to inquire about our next steps when Kira's unexpectedly strong voice broke the silence.
"We should help him" Kira announced with unwavering determination, her usually quiet deanour giving way to a rare mont of assertion.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
We stood there in surprise, taken aback by Kira's sudden assertiveness. She was typically the quietest and least vocal among the 'sisters', even when communicating with them.
"....Are you sure?" Kyra inquired, her smile evident.
Without hesitation, Kira reaffird her decision, "Yes."
"Well then, Arlyne, we should help him" Kyra declared as she took Kira's hand and ran off in the direction they believed the man was in, leaving us behind.
"..."
"..."
"...W-Wait. Princesses!!"
The sudden departure of the princesses left us flabbergasted and unprepared, but we quickly snapped out of our daze and gave chase.
We pursued the sisters and eventually caught up to them.
"W-Wait, Kyra and Kira. Why are we doing this?" Theo, who ran alongside , suddenly asked with alarm.
"Ye-Yes, why do we need to help that filth?" Simon interjected, his displeasure palpable.
'Why Simon was irritated by him?' My concern grew as I noticed Simon's growing animosity toward Asher Eli.
"Tell them, Kira" Kyra instructed.
Kira then explained, "He has a cure for Oliver" her blindfolds gazing at the seemingly endless walls, giving a sense that she could perceive things beyond what was visible to us. But I set aside my curiosity; Wait, that's not important what she said....
"What?"
My eyes widened in shock as I processed Kira's statent. Without a mont's hesitation, I mustered all the strength in my legs and sprinted toward our destination.
'sssshhhh'
My footsteps echoed as I raced faster than anyone else.
"W-Wait? Arlyne!" Simon's voice resounded behind as he tried to keep pace.
Soon, I reached our destination, hoping to find him before eliminated,
"...."
But, what I witnessed was far from what I had expected.
"What in the na of...God is happening here?" I muttered to myself as I saw an astonishing spectacle, sothing I never thought possible from a....re mortal.
I set the sack on the ground, feeling the strain on my legs and shoulders, and watched as my companions gradually arrived on the scene.
"-Ha-Wha-ha-What happened?" Simon panted heavily, his surprise evident as he observed the auburn-haired boy engaged in a frenetic battle.
"!!!"
"What in the heavens..." Kyra muttered in amazent, her eyes wide as she took in the astounding display.
"Sister Kyra?" Kira inquired, her tone marked by a question mark.
"..." Kyra was montarily at a loss for words.
"..." Theo, his mouth agape, struggled to comprehend what he was seeing.
"I-Is he a-lso a Hero C-candidate?" Simon muttered in disbelief, the shock reflected in his eyes.
"..." My own eyes widened in realization.
'Damn it, how did I not realize this earlier?.....Could Asher Eli be a Hero candidate from the Dawn Kingdom?'
A Hero was not rely soone who pulled a sword from thin air or was born with exceptional mana capacity and talent.
A Hero Candidate was an individual capable of repelling and destroying Dark Mana, an ability that Dark Mana itself feared.
And That ant to be a Hero 'Candidate' only, not a National Hero.
The road to becoming a National Hero that was acknowledged by everyone was not an easy one; it involved hard work and significant contributions to society. These will determine their future steps to be the Hero of the Kingdom.
As I watched Asher Eli's remarkable display of power, I couldn't help but think about the rarity and prestige associated with such individuals.
Though it may not appear as impressive as other requirents, only six Heroes have been recorded in history, excluding the current ones. What's more, the previous Hero candidates always vanished before they could be confird as full-fledged Heroes.
My gaze shifted to the princesses, who were also Saintesses of our kingdom. Their reaction to Asher Eli's abilities indicated that even they hadn't anticipated the true nature of his power, highlighting the secrecy surrounding the Hero Candidates.
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