94. A Hero’s Life

“I’m sorry. I’ll save my hugs because there’s someone else I want to embrace. There’s someone I want to share my joy with first.”

“That’s too bad.”

Inkheart shrugged as if he didn’t mind.

Even after I summoned Sylraion, Inkheart continued to evaluate my spirit magic. He was a kind person, unlike Sylphid who left immediately, saying it was more boring than expected. Darius’s ancestor from a thousand years ago.

“You say you haven’t summoned spirits much, but you have a technical sense for it? You use them well.”

“I guess that’s talent.”

Since I usually summoned spirits in life-threatening battle situations, my utilization skills had to be high even if my affinity was relatively low.

“Actually, despite how he acted in front of you, when he’s with me, Sylphid highly praised your potential. If he hadn’t made an exclusive contract with me, he would certainly have been interested in you.”

“Exclusive contract? I think I heard something similar earlier.”

“Hmm.”

Inkheart smiled faintly.

“If you’re considering making a contract with Sylphid beyond Sylraion, I should tell you that’s impossible. He made an additional contract with me. I had aptitude for spirits other than wind spirits, but I promised to only work with wind spirits. In return, he promised to remain faithful only to me during my lifetime and not make other contractors.”

So that’s what Inkheart meant earlier when he told Sylphid he would be delighted if their contract was canceled and he could meet other spirits.

“How did you make a contract? With that peculiar Spirit King?”

“Well…… I don’t need to tell you this much, but I keep talking in front of you. Maybe it’s because you’re a fellow spirit mage, and a wind spirit mage at that.”

If he felt a sense of closeness with me, perhaps it was because he instinctively sensed that we would be connected across an enormous span of time.

“I’ve never told this to anyone.”

“Would you believe me if I said there’s some connection between us?”

I winked. Inkheart chuckled, perhaps charmed by the coquettishness of his future grandson’s daughter-in-law.

“Sylphid is young for a spirit. He’s lived maybe 80 years. And this story is from when I was young. Sylphid was newly born and couldn’t control his energy, so he was running around. Because of that, the whole village suffered from wild winds.”

He slowly began his old tale.

“People didn’t know about spirits and thought the crazy winds were just natural disasters. I don’t know how it came to be…… but in our village, it was a coming-of-age ritual. Going to the mountain behind the village on a day when the wind blew wildly.”

* * *

It was an ordinary village. Except for the hill behind it where the wind sometimes blew wildly.

People who climbed the mountain on windy days often spoke of seeing wild horses running through the wind. Horses running so fast their feet couldn’t be seen.

In fact, the hill wasn’t suitable for horses to grow. So people thought they must have seen hallucinations in the thin air.

The boy who would later carry numerous achievements attached to his name was still young. He could have gone through his coming-of-age ceremony later.

Though no one told him to, the boy climbed the windy mountain behind the village, eager to become an adult quickly.

It was a day when the wind blew wildly. At the top of the mountain, the boy discovered a burning horse. A burning horse. There was no other way to describe it.

The horse was running, overturning all grass and soil. And occasionally, unable to control its temper, it shook its head from side to side and threw tantrums.

I must catch it.

The beautiful horse with its burning mane captured the boy’s heart.

And he believed without doubt that this horse was meant to be his.

Grab!

Without stirrups or a saddle, he leaped straight onto the horse. The horse snorted and kicked to throw him off.

〈Neeeigh!〉

〈I won’t fall off!〉

It was his first time riding a horse, and this one was thrashing about.

The world was spinning, but Inkheart wasn’t afraid. Instead, he shouted loudly as if trying to intimidate the horse.

〈Stay still!〉

The horse naturally didn’t like this. He embraced the horse with his bare body, and the horse, forced to carry him, became even more enraged and wild.

〈Neigh!〉

The horse raised its front legs high. The next moment, Inkheart realized the horse intended to drive him to a cliff and throw him off out of annoyance.

〈You think you can escape me?〉

For hours, they fought fiercely. The horse absolutely refused to acknowledge him as its master, tried to throw him off to his death, and Inkheart fought back at the same level as the horse.

He clung to the horse’s body, dug in his nails, and bit the horse with his teeth. No one would have tamed a horse like that.

〈Can you handle me?〉

〈Acknowledge me now!〉

In a trance, the boy didn’t find it strange that the horse spoke to him and answered.

〈Yes, you’ve caught me! So you must take responsibility! To think that a mere human would try to tame a Spirit King!〉

Sylphid’s voice sounded both incredulous and pleased as he said this.

It was an ordinary village, except for the strange winds that blew on the mountain behind it. A small village that didn’t even leave its name in history. The life of a boy who lived there changed from that moment.

* * *

Inkheart finished his story with a faint smile.

“Just as Sylphid recognized your talent when he first saw you, he recognized mine at a glance too. Inside he was dying of envy, but outwardly he put on tremendous airs.”

“Oh, I think I know what you mean.”

When Sylphid gave me Sylph, how much he showed off to me!

“I knew nothing about spirits.”

He smiled brightly.

It sounded like while Sylphid was equally an immature young Spirit King, it was easy for him to take advantage of a country youth who knew nothing about spirit mages or spirits.

“He presented me with dreams and hopes. He saw the ambition inside me and said he shared the same dream.”

“Ambition?”

“He told me I was very special. He said someone like me couldn’t have been born into the world without a reason. He told me I was born because there was definitely something I needed to do.”

“That’s true, isn’t it?”

The great Inkheart, the founding Inkheart. Sylphid accompanied him on that journey and helped achieve those accomplishments.

“What is?”

“That you’re special and have something to do for the world. People are actually praising you, aren’t they? Making peace between great people, receiving proposals from beautiful ladies. You’re truly amazing!”

“I don’t see what meaning those things have.”

My admiring smile cracked.

“There were moments when I felt meaning in what I had accomplished. But I’m tired. If there’s a problem, I rush to it, solve it, and then set out on another journey. My stories remain as mere drinking tales.”

He smiled sadly.

“I don’t even have alcohol right now. Actually, what does it matter what I accomplish? Whether I clean stable manure or someone else does, people’s stories don’t change.”

Is this really the great founding Inkheart? The one who left a treasure vault for his descendants for the future Demon King?

The confident and witty Inkheart from the old stories I knew wasn’t here. Here was a young man tired from excessive tasks.

“The things you’ve done definitely have meaning.”

The achievements you’re making now will be passed down for a thousand years. Would it sound more uncertain and absurd if I said it like that?

“Sylphid told me a great task awaited me. That everything was just preparation, and only one task was prepared for a true hero.”

Preventing the Demon King’s revival.

“I dare not even speak of it.”

“It might not be as bad as you think. Look, you’ve done well so far.”

It won’t happen in your generation, so don’t feel too burdened. This too wouldn’t be comforting if I told him in advance.

“In rumors, I always do well. Never almost failed at a task, never faced a real life threat…… such illusory rumors.”

This young man resembled Darius so closely that seeing him disheartened under the weight of his future particularly broke my heart.

Perhaps only three or four years older than Darius. He had transformed from an ordinary country youth to a chosen hero of the world in an instant, but behind his solid sense of responsibility, he was lonely.

“It seems the long journey has tired you. I think it’s time for you to settle down.”

I barely managed to smile while trying to hide my reddened eyes.

He would soon settle here. Ending his journey and leaving the name of the Inkheart Grand Duchy, as the guardian of this land.

But who would have known? That the legendary Grand Duke Inkheart was this exhausted when he put a period to his journey…… That he struggled alone because the name of a hero was too heavy.

Crunch, crunch. Just then, the sound of grinding herbs came from outside.

“Do you hear Koroso grinding herbs? You saved him.”

“Anyone would have stopped them if they saw an innocent child about to be killed in the name of human sacrifice.”

“Not just anyone.”

I emphasized.

“Koroso said he was grateful that you, Inkheart, saved him. It was you, not anyone else, who saved an innocent child. Among people who would have watched an innocent child die without guilt.”

I firmly gripped his shoulders. Inkheart’s black eyes met mine.

“Do you understand?”

“Not just anyone?”

“Of course. You did it because you’re you, Inkheart. Anyone could have done it, but among all those people, only you stepped forward, and that’s why Koroso is alive.”

Am I mistaken? His face seemed to redden slightly.

“I’ll remember.”

I will, Koroso will, and many others will.

Through the northern history that will continue for the next thousand years, we will remember.

Moreover, even if it changes somewhat, even if it’s not exactly the same, his kind heart will be passed down through bloodlines, down and down…… and eventually reach the one I know.