---

The Hero Appointment Ceremony has concluded.

Camila Lowell has become the Hero officially recognized by the continent’s largest religion.

Now she has shed her trophy status and is equipped for normal activities.

In an era where swords and bows are fading, and bullets are flying, what can the likes of heroes, magicians, and shamans really do?

– Kaaaaaackーー!

A monster with a bullet lodged in its eye started thrashing about. Its tough skin made the pistol bullets bounce off harmlessly. Seeing it still standing after being shot in the eye, it was clear it had a massive head.

At three o’clock, a monster with dark blue skin was charging forward with a hefty build.

“Hey! Three o’clock! Three o’clock!”

As I pointed out the direction while firing, a bright red flame erupted from Camila Lowell’s hand.

– Whoosh~!

“Burn!”

“Wow, that’s awesome!”

Watching the monster turn into firewood, Camila Lowell and I high-fived.

Even in this moment, where romance-less machinery dominates the battlefield, there’s a reason for people of this type to shine.

Because they are all useful.

—

Episode 3 – A Fantastic Holiday

“Thank you for your hard work!”

“You too, Hero.”

“Thanks!”

As Camila Lowell bowed her waist to thank the knights, the grim expressions of the armored men softened.

“Colonel, shall we just mark the positions?”

“Yeah, the cult will handle the bodies.”

“Understood.”

Jake set up a signal device near the thoroughly cooked monster.

It’s a sort of GPS using magic waves. To put it simply, it’s a signal device that tells you a location. Besides that, it has no other functions.

“Alright! We’re moving to the next location!”

Just as we finished setting up the signal device, one of the priests took the lead.

Thus, we slowly moved along the procession, leaving the bodies behind.

—

Camila Lowell has officially been recognized as a Hero.

Today, we began our journey of slaying monsters alongside her.

It was both a debut and an event to showcase the Hero’s abilities.

The location was No Man’s Land, situated between the cult and the kingdom, an area occupied by marginalized people and monsters. It is better described as a lawless zone where the country’s administrative power does not reach.

Immediately after the summoning of the Hero, detailed personal information and abilities regarding Camila Lowell were classified and delivered only to the heads of various countries.

Now, anyone who reads the news or newspapers can get a rough idea of what kind of abilities she possesses.

“In short, the confidentiality has been lifted.”

“Still, not everything is public, right?”

Of course, not all information has been released. As with all classified information, only fragmented details have become known.

“As her colleague, I didn’t know about her abilities either.”

“National secrets don’t just become known easily.”

“Exactly.”

The reason Camila Lowell’s ability information was classified was to protect her from the demon race and terrorists.

Many would question what could be done with just information about her abilities, but,

“If you know her abilities, it’s easier to counter.”

The fact that this information leaks is fatal.

It’s akin to how modern states tightly guard the precise capabilities of their missiles, tanks, and aircraft. If tank armor specifications were leaked, it’s clear an opposing nation would develop new shells.

So sometimes news surfaces about the defense research institute being hacked, and military secrets getting leaked.

Information is a form of national power, and knowing is strength.

That’s why intelligence agencies vie for budgets.

“Hey, did you see that fire earlier? It was incredible.”

“It took out three monsters the size of a house at once.”

“Exactly, that’s something else.”

Camila Lowell has been identified as using fire.

Anything could be slapped on it – pyromancer, pyrokinesis, fire sorceress, whatever you want.

Seeing flames that could instantly engulf a dog the size of a small car surprised some of the priests.

“Hero’s abilities seem to be outstanding. They don’t fall behind seasoned magicians at all.”

“She certainly has an extraordinary growth rate for a beginner.”

“Most heroes grow quickly.”

The term Hero carries that much weight.

To see her abilities used for the first time today and be compared to elite magicians trained systematically in the army is astounding.

For reference, these are ‘elite’ magicians. They’ve been trained for several years.

To simplify, it’s like a recruit who just picked up a gun showing shooting skills akin to a special forces sergeant.

The abilities themselves and their growth rates and limits are all different.

However, there is one glaring issue.

“Is Camila Lowell coming to her senses?”

“Not yet.”

“Ugh.”

She fainted while channeling her abilities.

—

With swords and arrows now mere jokes, there’s a reason magicians are still relevant on the battlefield.

Even with the emergence of anti-tank missiles and attack helicopters, tanks still remain in service for the same reason – it’s hard to find replacements.

Just as armored units confront armored units in modern warfare, magic responds to magic properly in this realm.

The soldiers here aren’t exactly dull; they established this military system. It’s a system built by those who have read some books in the academy and experience in the field.

Because magic is extraordinarily convenient and effective.

Nations spending money on defense typically have research institutes dedicated to military magic.

It’s akin to the Defense Science Research Institute, U.S. Army Research Development Command, or U.S. Defense Science Research Institute.

In reality, research and development eat up a lot of resources, and even if an institute exists, they often don’t operate well.

Leaking technologies and siphoning off researchers is standard operating procedure, and document thefts occasionally happen. Such is the nature of military research facilities. One of the tasks of intelligence agencies is managing those secret facilities and human resources.

People who are genuinely intelligent don’t work as civil servants. They work as researchers in corporations.

In any case, magic is an exceptionally useful field of study. And the monopolizers of it are the Magic Towers.

When you see that a few magicians from the Imperial Guard HQ were expelled from the Magic Tower last time, it’s evident that they take security quite seriously here.

“Is anyone there?”

Upon entering, I found Camila Lowell in her hospital bed, attended by Lucia.

“Welcome, Colonel.”

“How long have you been here?”

“About an hour, I think.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

I pulled up a simple chair and took my place next to the hospital bed.

Camila Lowell fainted during the intervals of using her abilities, and on the eighth occurrence, she collapsed.

Even a high-ranking healing priest brought along for emergencies couldn’t wake her up with healing spells. After being transported to the hospital for a precise examination, they couldn’t determine the cause but confirmed there was no issue with her health.

What could be the situation?

“Lucia, do you happen to know anything about this?”

“About the fainting?”

“Yes.”

Lucia has served as a healing priest in the war. Given that she roamed the battlefield for two years, she might have had similar experiences.

She contemplated for a moment, her blonde hair cascading down.

“I’m not entirely sure, but magicians do occasionally faint from exhaustion.”

“Exhaustion? Ah, from using up all their magic power.”

“Yes.”

While skills in games consume a set amount of magic power, this is reality.

Exerting yourself while running can lead to cramps, and if you lift something heavy without strength, you might drop it.

There are instances where inexperienced magicians faint when they push themselves beyond their limits without knowing their boundaries.

Even skilled magicians make such mistakes occasionally. After all, people do have off days.

“So then, is it safe to say this was magic exhaustion?”

At my question, Lucia frowned slightly.

“That’s something I can’t confirm, as I’m not a magician.”

“I understand.”

By the way, the cult and the Magic Tower don’t get along well.

Historically, during a time when magic was not systematically organized, there were executions of those labeled as witches or demons.

So, there were instances where wizards would pick fights with the cult, and following the establishment of magic as a field of study, the Magic Tower was founded. Coincidentally, public sector jobs related to magic began to emerge at that same time.

In any case, it seems this is something I need to ask a magician about due to its close relation to her abilities.

While I was lost in thought, Lucia’s voice broke the silence.

“I hear you’re heading back to the kingdom soon?”

“Yes. Being a soldier, I need to report, as well as undergo a checkup.”

“Is your body alright?”

“I’m fine after receiving a healing spell.”

They checked for symptoms of poisoning, and thankfully, nothing was found.

I was worried about what might happen if there was an issue, but Veronica, being a healer of at least cardinal status, confirmed there was no health problem.

As I grabbed the doorknob to leave, promising to notify when Camila Lowell awakens, I hesitated.

“Er, what happened to the corpses of the monsters?”

“I heard the by-products were bought by those in business.”

“Oh, I wanted to collect some blood.”

Here, monster blood is often used in medicines.

And by medicines, I don’t mean simple antibiotics or cold medicines but rather processed using magic to create various mixtures. You could call it potions.

The by-products from monsters vary greatly in terms of usage, making it tough to specify a single application. Some are completely useless while others are used as aphrodisiacs, pigments, and almost like hair growth products.

I’m not well-versed in such matters.

I’ve encountered monsters a few times during military operations in No Man’s Land, and capturing them is incredibly tough. Their toughness is something, but the sheer number of them is daunting. I have no idea where they keep reproducing.

There’s a slim chance they might breach defenses and come into a town or city, and when that happens, it’s a real disaster.

One could say that an all-you-can-eat buffet of monsters would burst open. Moreover, the unit that failed to maintain its watch would certainly face a bloody storm.

Unless it’s a city capable of housing a magician, one has to request military support and hope all residents escape.

To prevent such calamities, bounties are regularly placed, and freelancers or adventurers are contracted for assistance. What’s called an adventure actually entails earning a living in a dangerous gig with high risks.

That’s why, for various reasons, the military forcibly drafts those with high magical aptitude. Most come in as sergeants. For your information, we serve a mandatory term of about five years.

Naturally, plenty of people who want to avoid military service fill the parade ground. The military police are on patrol to catch those. I once saw them running around nightclubs with clubs, and it was quite pitiful.

Due to their lack of formal magical training, they sometimes struggle to control their abilities, and when they resist, magic inadvertently activates. In those cases, casualties are guaranteed, and those using magic meet execution.

Even so, the fact that they keep running away speaks volumes about them being a walking bomb.

“I’m off now.”

“Take care.”

—

After a few days, I returned to the Embassy and took some rest.

As I was packing my things to return home and tidying the room, I heard a knock.

“Packing your things?”

“Sir Analyst?”

The Information Analyst.

In other words, the analyst.

“What brings you here?”

“I have a simple message to deliver.”

“Oh, okay. Please go ahead.”

I offered the analyst a chair, but he declined and got straight to the point.

“When you return home, all of Colonel’s subordinates, namely Lieutenant Pippin and Lieutenant Jake, are scheduled to receive leave.”

“Oh, that’s good news. How long is the duration?”

“I believe it’s a week.”

That’s more generous than expected.

Jake has a home near the capital, and Pippin has plans to hang out with friends in the capital.

I casually hinted to the colonel, and he handled it well.

“And the Hero will also take a short break.”

“Ah, due to fainting, right?”

“Please keep this confidential.”

“I’m sorry.”

The fact that Camila Lowell fainted while using her abilities has been classified.

The colonel mentioned it lightly, but it seems he doesn’t know exactly why she fainted.

He mentioned requesting research from the institute, but has it been two months already?

“Regardless, the Hero must undergo a formal examination upon return. It’s estimated to take about two days.”

“So I’m not providing security then?”

“No, the colonel has separate plans.”

What’s this about?

What are they planning to do with me away from the security detail?

As I tilted my head in confusion, the Information Analyst spoke in a low voice.

“You need to go in for a face-to-face report.”

“Oh.”

I had completely forgotten about the report.

Nodding as if I understood, I asked,

“Is there nothing else on the agenda?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Excuse me?”

“They say it will be conveyed directly when you return.”

It seems the colonel has things he wants me to do.

 

---