The Story of Hero Among Heroes ~The Founding Chronicles of Arestia - Chapter 154 – Holy Lance

The corner of the military training ground: this was the place where the thickest barrier in the entire training ground was usually erected.

Because it’s the spot where people with superhuman strength like Ares, Sigurd, Darius, and Shu usually spar.

Two would spar in this spot every morning. It’s pretty much a common knowledge to everyone who uses the training ground now.

This morning, the spar actually looked like it was a real battle.

On one side was a golden haired female combatant while on the other side was a noble looking swordswoman with silver hair.

Both are women with equally fascinating beauty.

These two are Sharon and Liliana, the Lord of the Frontier Ares’ wives. It was their daily routine to spar in this spot in the morning.

Yes, because this was the only place where they could spar safely without causing widespread destruction.

The problem lies in their equipment. Sharon would wear her 『Valkyrie Armor』and Liliana wielded her 『Holy Sword Alflex』 to make the spar as close as possible to real battle. Any regular training ground would be demolished at the wake of their sparring session.

Today, they were sparring as usual.

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[Phew…]

After the sparring session, Sharon wiped the sweat in her forehead while stealing glances at Liliana’s『Holy Sword Alflex』. The sword carries a strong magic strengthening skill; it’s a companion that allows Liliana to bring out her full capabilities.

It’s been making Sharon uneasy recently.

At the moment, Sharon and Liliana are evenly matched. However, that’s only because Sharon had the『Valkyrie Armor』.

Similarly to Liliana’s sword, the valkyrie armor is like a companion that could bring out Sharon’s full potential. However…

(According to Ares, Liliana’s very own 『Valkyrie Armor』 is in the making…that will create a gap between us…)

Sharon couldn’t hide her anxiousness. Liliana’s Valkyrie Armor was already near completion, with only procuring the fitting magic stone that will act as the core left. Certainly, it’s difficult to find that level of magic stone…but it will be found eventually. When that happens…

(No doubt, Liliana will be much stronger… in that, she’ll be the only one between us to be able to keep up with Ares in the battlefield…)

The Valkyrie Armor added on top of the holy sword… the combination of the two should be enough to bring them closer to their level… Ares’ right hand men, Sigurd, Darius, and Shu…. Liliana would earn her right to stay next to Ares. While Sharon may end up only in secretarial role…

But she wanted to stay with, or even protect him some day… at this rate she won’t be able to fulfill the vow she promised upon herself the day Ares helped her.

[If only I have more power… I will be able to fight side by side with Ares…]

With that thought weighing on her, Sharon could only pray.

Perhaps because of her prayer… Sharon started to experience a mysterious event one day, about three months after Ares’ return.

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[So please come with me for a bit.]

[…butー, I still have some work left to do.]

[Cornelia-sama can do that in your place, right? In fact, she does it better than you.]

[Wellー, I can’t say anything when you put it that way.]

Ares was fairly disturbed by the sudden call.

Sharon suddenly told Ares to accompany her to a certain ruin in the northwest. Apparently, something has been calling her from there.

[I mean, isn’t it just a dream?]

[But, is it really possible that the report and my dream actually matched?]

Feeling that something fateful was going to happen, Sharon immediately asked Ares to accompany her to confirm the site. What frightened Ares was that she had already convinced Cornelia and George to cover up for Ares’ absence.

[We can get there in a day if we ride on a dragon, right?]

[Well, I can’t not go now, can I…? I mean, it’s not often that I’m allowed to go out while there’s still work left to do?]

[George agreed as long as Ares is only out for a day. In exchange, Ares will not be getting a day off this weekend.]

[…eh?]

[In other words, like taking a day off in advance?]

[D-domineering…]

Ares’ face turned hollow in disappointment. Meanwhile, the person standing next to him raised her hand.

[Excuse me… I can understand if it is just dear husband… but why do I have to tag along as well?]

It was Liliana who raised her hand.

[Eh? You don’t have anything to do right now, do you?]

[Nnhu! But I do have something to do! In fact, I have lots of things to do like training the soldiers and doing self training! …and why do I have to help you in the first place!]

Liliana complained. Sharon sighed, then approached Liliana.

[I understand. Let’s make a deal then. How about…]

She started to whisper something into Liliana’s ear. The previously annoyed Liliana…was soon less annoyed.

[Understood. I will tag along then.]

[Well, in a way, isn’t this the first time we get to go out with only the three of us? How about we just enjoy it?]

[Eh? No one else is tagging along?]

[As George put it:『Is it really needed？』. After that, I immediately backed off.]

[…that guy is terrible…]

Ares, Sharon and Liliana… each of them could match a thousand. Certainly… There’s really no need for escort.

[George also said that it’s troublesome if Sigurd or Shu were to tag along, so it’s faster this way. Those two would immediately abandon their work and follow Ares anywhere after all…. Anyway, let’s get on with it.]

[…am I really still the leader here…]

[Yes, that’s why, as I said earlier…]

That said, Sharon held Ares’ arm and dragged him to the dragon’s pen.

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Along the way to the ruin while travelling on top of the flying dragon, Ares had a casual conversation with his two wives.

Sharon told Ares and Liliana her part of the story in detail this time.

The two listened carefully in turn.

[…that’s certainly a mysterious dream]

[And it’s repeating… perhaps, something really is calling out to you.]

Ares shook his head in amazement, while Liliana nodded after hearing Sharon’s story.

They were now travelling in the sky on top of a flying dragon wyvern. This one was the fastest flight-capable dragon that Ares owned right now.

It’s been several years since they started raising dragons in earnest. And it finally reached a point where they could use the dragons as they want. One can say that the ability to travel around by riding a dragon like this is one of the frontier area’s powers.

Thanks to the wyvern’s flight speed, Ares and co. nearly arrived at the ruin in no time at all.

[It was curious, really. In the dream I was told to go to a ruin in the southwest, then when I checked on the report, there was actually a ruin there… moreover, the shape was almost identical.]

Sharon recounted her mysterious dream.

In a small shrine inside the large ruin, a young girl holding a dazzling spear kept calling out to her.

Upon reading the result of the investigation, Sharon was perplexed.

Was it really a coincidence? Just what kind of dream was it? she thought.

A frown appeared on Liliana’s beautiful face then she told Sharon..

[…regarding the spear, no need to think too hard about it. Perhaps it’s really just trying to reach out to you?]

[…what do you mean?]

[Well, I mean, it’s similar to how I found Alflex…]

Sharon simply laughed in response.

[It’s just something I do out of curiosity… I merely want to see it with my own eyes. Is that it?]

Whilst saying that, Sharon shifted her gaze downward. It’s only been a short time since they left Heinz, but there was indeed a large temple-like structure in the midst of a ruin.

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After Ares secured the wyvern’s rein on a nearby pillar, the trio proceeded into the abandoned temple.

[It’s surprising that there’s actually a ruin… in such a place.]

Ares muttered as they went deeper. Curiously, the temple had staircases leading underground.

[Perhaps there used to be a city around here.]

[Fumu… and it’s probably destroyed either by the barbarians or monsters. It is a possibility.]

The trio went down the stairs while discussing the ruin.

[Interesting. The temple has a staircase that leads downward. Looks like it’s worth exploring after all… oya?]

Ares stopped his pace. Liliana and Sharon noticed this at the same time and turned to look at what caught his attention.

[They’re here too… after all.]

Yes, it’s par for the course in any ruin: with undead monsters roaming around. And right now, there were a lot of zombies and skeletons in front of the trio…..

[They’re in the way.]

[Undead scum, become the rust on my holy sword!]

….suffice to say, they’re not the trio’s match.

[With this many undead around, perhaps next time we should bring Shadow along. This many skeletons will surely make him happy.]

Unfortunately, the swarm of undead wasn’t even enough to serve as an obstacle for the intrepid trio.

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The trio proceeded as is… and reached the bottom floor in record time. It was a huge hall. And at the end of it…was a small shrine.

[Nn… the atmosphere has somewhat changed.]

The air was solemn like inside an actual temple. Therefore, no monster was in sight.

Sharon took a deep breath as she saw the small shrine. Because it’s identical to what she saw in her dream.

[Wait… what’s the meaning of this? It’s really identical…]

Sharon unconsciously approached the shrine.

『…..You have come…..』

The voice of a little girl echoed.

Ares and Liliana immediately entered a battle stance, but Sharon continued to approach the shrine as if in a trance.

[Sharon!]

[What are you doing!?]

The moment Ares and Liliana moved forward while stretching their hands:

[Guh!]

[Wha!]

but they were repelled by an invisible force.

[Oi oi… this is… 『Divine Authority』? Is there a Divine entity in here?]

Sharon touched the shrine without caring about the worried Ares… and opened some sort of door.

A golden sphere was enshrined behind that door.

『Did my voice reach you?』

Suddenly, the sphere spoke.

[You are…?]

『Because you wished for me, did you not? That is why I have been desperately calling out for you. I have been waiting for someone to come here. And here you are, after hearing my voice. 』

[I wished for you?]

Sharon tilted her head.

『You wished for a power that would allow you to stand side by side with that person, did you not? A power to protect that person?』

[Ah… but…]

『I heard your heartfelt wish. That is why I raised my voice even more. I am sure that someone like you will eventually take me out from here.』

The sphere of light turned into a young girl this time.

Not only was Sharon surprised, but Ares was also amazed by this scene.

『Once upon a time, there was a city here. I was enshrined in this place to protect the city… However, the city was still destroyed by magic beasts. I wasn’t able to protect the city.』

[Why…?]

『Because no one could hear my voice. Thus I cannot leave this place…』

[…]

『It has been a long time since then. And one day…..I started hearing your voice. It was from a place far from here, but I could clearly feel your strong feelings. So I thought, Perhaps this person would be the one to take me away from this place?』

The young girl smiled afterward.

『I was lonely. I was alone without anyone else present here. So… please, take me away』

Listening to the story, Sharon smiled in response and gently stroked the girl’s head.

[…being alone in a place like this… Certainly it can be lonely. Very well, come with me.]

The girl laughed in satisfaction, then turned back into a sphere of light before finally coalescing into the shape of a spear.

『My name is『Minerva』. We shall be companions from now on.』

The spear gently floated into Sharon’s hand.

『The reason for my being is to『protect something important』. That was why your wish could reach me. I am looking forward to our collaboration in the future.』

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Ares and Liliana could only watch the exchange. But… even they understood.

[Sharon was probably chosen by that spear. That’s why it’s been calling out for her… Just like me in the past.]

[Just like you?]

[Dear husband, it was the same when I first met this little one.]

Before Liliana obtained the holy sword Alflex… she also heard voices from somewhere calling out to her, guiding her to find the sword.

[I think… Sharon finally got hers.]

Ares turned his gaze towards Sharon.

He could still see her talking to the spear… but… for some reason, she looked divinely beautiful at this very moment.

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After asking Sharon about what happened in detail, Ares decided that they should rebuild the ruined city.

[There’s a city here originally. So securing water sources should be easy. We might be able to rebuild fairly fast.]

Once Ares returned to Heinz, he immediately dispatched Shadow to the ruins. The latter quickly took control of the undead inside and used them as the workforce to help rebuild the city.

Afterward, many freed slaves were sent to repopulate the rebuilt city. A few years later, the city grew big enough to become a major city.

A temple was built in this northwestern city of『Minerva』where a statue of a young girl was enshrined inside.

And then…

The 『Golden War Maiden』Sharon was known by many to wield a particular weapon known as the 『Holy Spear Minerva』.

And the spear’s ability was 『Absolute Defense』.

It was capable of reflecting all sorts of attacks. She was said to only use this ability for『a certain someone she must protect』 as she fought side by side with him.