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Going north is taboo.

But what does taboo matter when it comes to the hero’s journey?

Especially when it’s about gaining ‘power,’ which is arguably the most crucial thing for a hero, and that power could be vital in the showdown against the Demon King.

And then—

“Master, if I acquire the Spirit Device, will I be able to ride with you?”

“Uh.”

“Then let’s go right away!”

Hero Lucius is hoping for that right now, so who would dare stand in the way of the hero’s journey!

No one can obstruct the path of a hero.

The path the hero wishes to tread is the way itself, and no one can hinder the hero’s progress.

Especially if the hero declares, “I’m going to obtain the power to fight the Demon King!” The one trying to stop him is either:

Someone afraid of the Spirit Device, which is the power the hero seeks, or—

A spy from the Demon King’s Army.

So, we must head north to obtain the Spirit Device.

Even if that path is unbearably cold, with skin freezing from the ice.

There was—

Nothing.

“…Am I really sure about this?”

I couldn’t help but contemplate seriously the sight of our hero party trudging through the snow.

Rosmas, still in the typical forest guardian attire.

Droniel, now boldly showing her face as a knight.

And Yan Diere, essentially the Saintess of the Order of the Crescent Moon Goddess, with an embarrassingly revealing robe that left her armpits, back, side chest, and even her groin and legs completely exposed.

All thanks to the blessing of the Moon Goddess, they had become ‘bodies immune to the harm of the cold.’

“May the blessings of the Moon Goddess be with us.”

As Yan Diere cast her blessing upon the others, a blue moonlight wrapped around them like a protective shield.

Naturally, the cold couldn’t pierce their skin, and the moonlight shielded them like a thick coat, keeping their body temperatures stable.

As for Lucius, who had the backup of the Holy Sword—

“…Ugh, it’s cold.”

“Are you feeling cold even though you’re undead?”

“Seems like it.”

“Should I offer you my blessing…?”

“Are you trying to kill me?”

Currently, I was the only one shivering in a thick coat.

“Master, since there are no people around, I can use the Holy Sword’s wind to create a barrier around us. I’ll keep the path you walk warm.”

“Are you an idiot? Using the power of the Holy Sword here! The Holy Sword should be used at crucial moments…Ugh!”

Cough.

I barely held back a cough.

Here I am, a dead body with annoyingly human-like tendencies, feeling unnecessarily uncomfortable.

While meals are unnecessary, my body is hypersensitive to changes in temperature and muscle pain, so I had no choice but to bundle myself in layers to protect this weak human physique.

“Droniel, I should express my sincere gratitude to Father once again.”

“I’m sure Father will genuinely be pleased to hear that he’s able to assist the Sage.”

“Yeah. This… was it called a mustang long coat? I truly like it.”

Not only was it good for maintaining body temperature, but the fur that tickled my neck and the fact that it covered my entire body were also wonderful.

‘You know, it might be nice to cut it around the hips later and wear it casually?’

While women’s attire has developed in a way that’s quite moonsaint-like over the past five centuries, men’s clothing has also changed quite well.

There are subtly masculine outfits that I’d actually like to wear, but instead, I had to derive satisfaction by dressing Lucius in them.

“Why? Lucius, do you want to wear this too?”

“No, I do not.”

“Then why do you look at me so sorrowfully? Can you explain again?”

“It’s fine. Master feels no discomfort wearing such thick clothing.”

“Right? Hehe.”

Lucius’s expression looked a bit bitter, but for me, the fact that only my face was exposed besides my skin was quite nice.

“If you travel in the northern continent, you’ll definitely need this. Sage, this is an heirloom called the ‘Veil of Purity.’”

“Are you telling me to wear a veil?”

“No, use it as a muffler. Wear the hat as is and cover your face with the veil. It will be very helpful.”

“Thank you, Count Odrone.”

Before teleporting from Count Odrone’s territory, I received a muffler as a gift.

“I’ll help your daughter build a good relationship with Lucius.”

“Oh…! Truly, you are the Sage. Is there anything you need?”

“Do you have any magic stones?”

“I can provide a lot. Of course, both now and in the future.”

“It’s nice to have someone I can communicate with.”

“Hehe.”

Count Odrone and I made some backdoor deals, and the muffler—the Veil of Purity—was his kindness and gift.

It had a nice touch, with a silky white color reminiscent of the snowfield.

Thanks to it, I could move into the northern part of the continent without feeling much cold…

Creeeak.

The thin ice pricked my skin as I passed by.

Is it the cold air of the northern continent, or the cries of countless slaves of the Demon King drowned in horror that linger in this land?

No.

“Hey, Lucius. Did I do something wrong…?”

“You haven’t done anything wrong, Droniel.”

“Then why does your expression sour every time I call you?”

“It’s not that.”

It was the cold wind blowing from behind.

“Hmm, so you’re calling me Lucius….”

“What’s wrong with calling me Lucius? I’ve lived my whole life being called Lucius!”

“Didn’t you call me Arthur?”

“No, Lucius. Wait a minute…”

“If my memory serves me right, didn’t you call me Arthur? Droniel.”

“Ah, no. Anyway, whether it’s Arthur or Lucius…”

“Hehe. So you call me Lucius….”

It’s so freezing, it feels like my back will break.

“Hero Lucius. Is the name important to you?”

“No, it’s not that the name is important…”

“Then please call me Yan. I will call you as you wish, Hero Lucius.”

“Uh, no, wait…”

“It’s a little odd but also fascinating that there are two names. Hero Lucius. Hero Arthur. Hehe, whichever it may be, you remain the hero. Ah, but in places where you have to hide the fact that you’re a hero…”

“Hehe. So you call me Hero Lucius….”

“…….”

Ah, my skull aches.

It feels like there’s a sword fight happening behind me, and the shards of that sword are flying toward me, scratching my neck.

Arthur.

Lucius.

Hero Arthur.

“……Hey, everyone gather around.”

I finally couldn’t hold back anymore.

“See that cave over there? The sun is setting, so let’s rest there today and continue our journey tomorrow. And…”

I pointed at each of the four of them, then reached out my finger once more toward Lucius.

“What’s your name?!”

“Pardon? I’m Lucius.”

“Then it’s Lucius!”

By the name of the Sage.

“Why are you fighting over names like children! Just everyone call me Lucius like I do!!”

Unified.

*

“Lucius, are you a demon?”

“First off, I’m not, but why the sudden question about demons?”

“You seem to place importance on names.”

At my words, Lucius bowed his head in acknowledgment, as if struck.

“About names, I really think they’re important. Names carry the magic of revealing oneself.”

“Magic…”

“Yeah. Ah, I’m not talking about the demons. A name reflects a person’s identity.”

Every name in the world has meaning.

“I know the story about your name. Arthur, Lucius. Both are precious names to you.”

Arthur Lucius.

Last name unknown.

I can’t even call it a surname because one is the name my parents left behind, and the other is the name given by the old hunter who raised him.

“Someday, you will get a last name, and there will come a time when you’ll have to choose one. Whether it’s Arthur or Lucius.”

“Yes. You’ve mentioned that.”

So if he gets married, the last name will likely follow the name of the territory he is granted or his wife’s last name.

“I’m not saying to decide it right away. Whether you are Arthur or Lucius. What I want to say is if you have to choose one of the two, that decision can be made later. The name you select now can be changed later! So!”

I thought about turning this around, but I decided to just say what I thought directly.

“Choose clearly between Arthur or Lucius!”

“That’s….”

“I’ve seen many parties, but this is the first one where they argue over the title of the hero!”

How ridiculous.

“Doesn’t separating Arthur and Lucius mean something? It must mean something, which is why you feel uncomfortable being called Lucius by others.”

“…….”

Lucius couldn’t say a word.

He probably understands how absurd it sounds.

The very notion that some can and some can’t is a failure of heroism.

“A hero mustn’t give someone special treatment. A party shouldn’t be discriminatory. That’s what being a hero is about. You may favor someone and have a close relationship with one person, but you can’t detest someone else.”

“That’s not it.”

“Then there’s no problem with everyone calling you Lucius?”

“…….”

“See? You’re very sensitive right now.”

It’s the first time I’ve seen Lucius react emotionally like this, but I couldn’t let the hero party fall apart right from the start.

“Have you perhaps felt uncomfortable with me calling you Lucius until now?”

“Oh, no! That’s not it! It’s just…”

“Just?”

“…Um, it’s just that there’s a conflict within me between being Arthur and Lucius….”

“You know, saying that is really strange, right?”

“…….”

Lucius scratched his head, and I patted Lucius’s back.

“I’m not siding with anyone in particular, but if this keeps up, only Rosmas will become strange, right?”

“I understand what you mean.”

Lucius nodded heavily.

“…So, I am to become everyone’s Lucius?”

“Hehe. Hey, Lucius.”

I approached Lucius and tapped his shoulder.

“Names don’t matter right now. What truly matters is the full name you’ll earn after defeating the Demon King.”

“My full name?”

“Right. Names don’t matter. I even changed my name.”

“…You changed your name?”

“Yeah. I had a different name originally.”

The name given to me by my parents when I was born.

“What was it?”

“I won’t tell you.”

Why would I reveal my real name?

But—

There’s a reason.

“You already know my name.”

I’ve never directly told him, but he knows my name because Lucius.

 

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