Two Heroes
In the ancient times, this world sunk into the darkness.
The atmosphere was stagnant, and it was as if the death was approaching simply by sucking that air. People spent their daily lives with spiritless eyes, both their bodies and minds followed the course of death.
Everyone was further pushed into the life of fear with no future and hope.
In such world, one, no two lights have lighted up.
Their detailed origins were unknown to the world, but the stories of their encounters became famous in a very short time.
It’s said that a mountain has vanished because of their quarrel.
The cause of their quarrel at their first meeting is not definite, but both of the young men were proud of their power, resulting in both sides not wanting to pull back.
Until now, there were no people who could win against their magical power and strength, they were no outlaws, but there wasn’t anyone who went against their will.
That’s because the two men stand before each other. Moreover, they weren’t afraid of their opponent’s power, they felt that the opponent has equal power to themselves.
They were irritated by such opponent, and being prideful men, it turned into a competition.
They were not as stupid to injure each other without reason, but they weren’t adults enough to obediently acknowledge the opponent’s power.
They would compete in strength, they would seek strong monsters and bring them down.
Their strong points diverged into sword and magic, but they competed with those powers, but the victor wasn’t easily decided.
In the meanwhile, they decided to travel together, and they got to know each other while sometimes helping each other.
However, because their stubbornness was authentic, they couldn’t reconcile as it would seem like defeat.
And then, as mentioned before, a mountain has vanished.
There was a poisonous swamp at the top of the steep mountain where no grass grew, and a gigantic monster that looked like a mix of a snake and a catfish resided there.
They have competed for who will defeat that monster, but because they were absorbed in arguing, they have completely fallen into the monster’s trap.
They were stronger than the monster, but sometimes, pride plunges people into a predicament which could deprive them of their lives.
Although they were taught such a lesson by someone before, they didn’t pay attention to it. If there were now destroyed because of their own carelessness, they wouldn’t be able to laugh it off as an unrelated story just as before.
However, unfortunately, they didn’t have such pretty character that would immediately allow them to become humble.
Even though they were about to be killed by a monster, they were broadly grinning and glaring at each other.
From a women’s point of view, they can only think that their vigor is useless and stupid, but men like them will answer with a pride of a man.
And then, when thinking that they would die while pretending to be tough, the sky became their ally.
A drop of fresh water fell into the swamp covered in the monster’s thick fog which trapped magic, causing the legless monster’s body to lost freedom over its movements.
That drop brought them freedom for about one second.
It was less time than a blink of an eye, but it was enough time for them to counterattack.
They let all their power loose at that moment.
The swampy mountain and the monster vanished without a trace, and even the dangerous monster forest at the foot of the mountain disappeared.
Thus, they remained standing on an empty ground.
They muttered “You, are good” both at the same time while breathing heavily.
They were in a daze because their lives were saved, but after looking at the erased mountain and each other’s face, they gradually started smiling until they burst out in laughter.
When the swordsman said “Well, this much is easy for me” while broadly grinning and laughing, the magician fun! laughed scornfully in reply.
They became friends and then traveled together.
They later were called two heroes who saved the world.
The swordsman became the King and established a country called Morgenroth.
The magician spared advice when the swordsman who became King asked, but he himself chose to live quietly in seclusion.
“Okaasama, that hero is the royal family’s ancestor then!”
“Well, that’s what’s being said.”
There are many fairy-tales and historical facts, and the legend of the two heroes is very famous.
There are many countries in this world, but Morgenroth is the oldest country, and it’s said that the hero who saved this world from the darkness is the founder.
It’s said that the capital of Morgenroth was built in the center of the world, and it seems that the founding festival has been held since its founding.
“Then, is that story also true?”
“That story?”
I told Wirbel about the heroes as him the bedtime story, but he shows no signs of going to sleep.
On the contrary, he’s wide-awake because of the heroic tale which many boys like.
“Yes! Hero-sama was accompanied by a dragon, wasn’t he?”
“Ah, that’s right, it’s famous.”
In the stories about the hero, his dragon friend often appears.
I can’t be really sure if there was a dragon that was his companion, but considering that there’s a dragon on the royal family’s crest, it might be fine to consider it true.
Suddenly, I remembered a sentence of a legend Ojisama told me when I was small.
(The Holy Ones has no shape. The Holy Ones would take on the shapes which the swordsman and magician have bestowed upon them. The Holy Ones would increase their powers after taking shape, and it became the power to exorcise demons.)
A shapeless takes on a shape?
Is there a relation to why Hero-sama was accompanied by a dragon?
Besides… what is it? Hasn’t something similar happened recently?
No, must be my imagination… it’s just my imagination, right? Probably.
“Okaasama? Did something happen?”
“No, it’s nothing. But, I became slightly sleepy. Let’s sleep already, okay?”
“Yes, I became somewhat sleepy as well…”
Wirbel who’s laying in the same bed curls up in my arms.
When I pull up the sheet to cover us and close my eyes, I could already hear Wirbel’s sleeper’s breath. I also slowly fell into sleep.