Stop It! It’s Not Me That’s Strong… It’s the Sword…! - Chapter 3

“We can’t do it… no matter what plan I come up with, there’s no way we can compete with a black mage.”

A heavy atmosphere wafts through the meeting hall.

The chief of the neighboring village and the adults were discussing the 『future defensive measures for the village』.

It all started with the destruction of Titus Village, Kurou’s hometown.

The『Black Mage』responsible for the destruction was still free in the surrounding and there was no telling when this village would be attacked.

Therefore, the adults put forth their opinions, but the village chief wasn’t optimistic about them and brushed aside their naive ideas.

This trend continued for three consecutive days.

“Don’t mistake them for ordinary bandits. The『Magic Armament』they use is famous for its threat, and『Black Mage』can’t be categorized same as other humans.”

“Ah! If I remember correctly, it’s a weapon that has really acquired the ability of 『myth』or『anecdote』under the influence of magic, right? I’ve never seen it before…”

“Umu”

Magic Armament―that is the name of the last trump card left in humanity.

A thousand years ago, the high concentration of magical power that overflowed the world affected not only living things but also some items.

These were the wreckage of legendary items that were once “imagined” to have special abilities.

“Originally they were relics from a long time ago and naturally, most of them are broken. It is not unusual to find only a piece or two fragments of those relics. However, if they are modified or integrated into ordinary weapons, they can exhibit a fraction of the power of legends.”

Their power was enormous.

Humans, who were once driven to the brink of extinction named the weapons that had gained unusual abilities through magical power―Magic Armament―and resisted the threat of monsters.

Through this, mankind regained its former authority over the world. However…

“…these black mages.” The village chief said bitterly, “They wields the power of the hopes of humanity for their own selfish desires.”

The fact that the humanity has escaped the danger of extinction―that humans can now afford the luxury and wealth―has led to the emergence of people who are willing to commit heinous acts for their own greed.

A prime example of this is the black mages. The incidents they were causing were gradually becoming more and more heinous.

“The one who attacked Titus Village in particular is said to have even used goblins in large numbers. If they were to attack us, we would be in serious trouble. We should go and call for『Magic Knights』soon. They are the wielders of legitimate magical armaments―the guardians of the country… if they are here, then the village will be safe!”

“Don’t be delusional! This is a countryside, okay? It takes a week to travel to a big city where knights are stationed! Besides, what should we do if we come across a monster on the way!?”

One villager countered, and others exclaimed, “That’s right!”

Tsuka village chief said, “Even if we can inform them without losing our lives on the way, is there any guarantee that the village will not be attacked before the knights arrive!?”

“There are only a limited number of people who can move at the moment. We can’t afford to have people working on such a foolish plan.”

“Let’s all think of a way to repel the black mage! If we work together, I’m sure we can pass through this disaster.”

The villagers inspired themselves to solve the problem on their own. Young people were especially motivated.

However, the village chief didn’t change his opinion. “Don’t underestimate a user of『Magical Armament』!”

He shouted in a raspy voice.

“I have seen it before. I once saw a knight with the nickname of『Blunt Destruction』smash an entire mountain of monsters’ nests with just a slash! There’s no way an amateur like us can

compete with a criminal who wields such power! Moreover, even monsters are following that mage.”

“Then why not just attack while he’s in asleep!?”

“That’s absurd! We don’t even know where he is!”

“Then, we should start looking for him now!”

Angry shouts of dispute resounded in the meeting place and confused by the unprecedented predicament, everyone yelled at each other as if to vent their unwillingness.

“Hey, village chief is a coward! Didn’t you say that Kurou-boy took a lot of kids and escaped? If push came to shove¹, we’ll be able to escape too!”

“Nonsense! That was only possible because of that boy!”

The village chief yelled at him in a very loud voice. The man who gave his opinion was silenced by the fierceness of his words.

“… I’m sure everyone have heard of it. The rumors about Kurou-kun, the prodigy of Titus Village.”

――The boy was famous in the neighboring village.

He was said to be a calm and intelligent child who had the demeanor unfitting of a child. He was an orphan without any guardians to take care of his well being… but, no one felt sorry for him as he showed his shine and worked hard from an early age.

“The children who were saved by him said, ‘He was like a matuer man, and everyone respected him. All the girls were full of love for him, and on the contrary, they were so nervous that they couldn’t talk. That’s…”

The village chief continued, his tone filled with enthusiasm.

“They were crying. Along with their gratitude to Kurou-kun, they were crying because they were disappointed in themselves, as they said ‘We escaped without any concern for others, and yer Kurou-kun rescued the little kids and saved them! While we were playing, he was desperately training his body and had even thought of an escape route for everyone! And yet we are…! ”

“…”

The men fell silent at the village chief spoke the valor of a 17 year old kid.

Outside the village――Kurou’s courage, who had gone alone to a place where monsters lurked in dense and even selected an escape route for all the survivors. The adults were humbled by his devotion, as he took the risk of being attacked on his own to save many lives.

――Compared to that boy named Kurou, we ended up making a fuss at the last minute and are now yelling at each other among our relatives.

‘Oh! How pathetic.’ They thought to themselves.

“Even a boy at such young age did his best to let the children escape…”

While the black mage was targeting other villagers, he was struggling to save the lives of children while escaping from goblins under his command, you know?

Can they say ‘we can do it too’ under such a life-threatening escape? Can they say that they will lead the way instead waiting helplessly? Do they have such courage?

“…”

No one opened their mouths. Everyone is awkwardly silent.

The boy had rescued many lives and escaped safely. What a great feat it is.

The first thing that came to their mind was that he was both kind and wise, and that he was able to achieve such feat because of his careful preparations.

Tl Notes:

This chapter is too long exceeding 2k words, so it is divided into two parts. I usually divide the chapters into parts, if the word cound exceeds 1800 words. Chapter 2 barely got full chapter as it had only 1724 words. Thank you.