Prologue: Thus Spoke God

The Republic of Zoltan.

It can be found by following the road from the eastern border of the Kingdom of

Avalonia. The region sits between the great unexplored mountains known as the Wall

at the End of the World and the southern sea that is home to storms and enormous

monsters.

In this world of unending war of God's design, where the only recourse is to fight,

Zoltan has managed to evade the larger battles by lacking any strategic value.

In the Hero's story, the only role Zoltan plays is as the forgotten place where the queen

consort Misphia of Veronia is hiding.

The Veronian royal court.

Ruti the Hero stood before Dowager Queen Leonor and the newly coronated King

Yuzuk.

"Even if you are the Hero, to force your way into the throne room with a sword at your

waist is not something that can be forgiven."

A brilliant ruby ring on the dowager queen's finger stuck out as she pointed at Ruti

and her company. The queen's aged appearance, the way she adorned herself in

jewels, and how her face twisted in a snarl made her resemble depictions of witches

in old legends.

The Veronian knights stood at the edges of the room with hands at their sword hilts,

staring down the Hero's party.

Ares the Sage and Tisse the Assassin recoiled slightly at the wave of hostility, while

Prince Kiffa the Weapon Master raised his shield as if to cover the two of them.

Yarandrala the Singer of the Trees didn't so much as bat an eye at the knights, staring

only at Yuzuk on the throne and Leonor beside him.

Yarandrala's hatred for the demon lord's army had grown more intense since Gideon's

death, never fading, even at rest.

"Dowager Queen Leonor, we have come to correct your mistake."

Ruti gazed at Leonor with red eyes that never wavered.

The dowager queen, enraged, screamed, yet Ruti's expression didn't falter.

The door behind Ruti blew open with a slam.

"Silence, Leonor."

With that sharp rebuke, Prince Salius, in the prime of his life, entered with his soldiers,

followed by a high elf wearing an eye patch—Admiral Lilinrala—and one other.

"S-sister?! You're supposed to be dead!"

The last to enter with Salius was Misphia, whom Ruti and her party had brought along

with them on their airship.

"Hmph, I survived lo these many years that I might finally see this day."

"What are you getting at?!"

"This is the day your evil deeds are finally brought to an end! Hero, let the truth be

known!"

Ruti pulled an ancient-looking mirror from her cloak.

"Mirror of Larael, unveil the evil that lies hidden!"

Ruti pointed the mirror at King Yuzuk.

"Argh!"

King Yuzuk had worn a confident smile thus far, but when he saw the looking glass, he

scrambled to conceal his face.

However, it was too late.

The visage of a horned demon appeared in the mirror.

"Gh! Gaaaaah!!!"

King Yuzuk's body bubbled, swelled, and transformed into a demon with twisted

horns.

"A contract demon!" Ares shouted at the sight of the creature.

In reality, the king was a monstrous contract demon.

"Eeeeek!" Leonor swooned at the sight of her son becoming a horrible monster.

"Accursed Hero! How dare you!"

"Contract demon! You deceived Dowager Queen Leonor and sought to take over the

Kingdom of Veronia!"

"Deceived? How rude. I simply granted her wish. King Yuzuk's spirit resides within me

yet. Although, he can no longer move a pinky of his own volition." The contract demon

laughed and then glared at the Hero. "You've ruined everything. There is no greater

humiliation for a contract demon than to be exposed! You shall feel the full wrath of

one hailed as an equal to a member of the four heavenly kings!"

"He's attacking! Get to safety, Misphia!"

Ruti drew her holy blade, and the rest of her comrades moved into position.

Clad in flames born of a swelling magic power, the contract demon leaped at the Hero's

party.

It was a fierce battle.

Ruti the Hero sheathed her sword and walked over to Leonor.

The woman was sobbing, collapsed on the ground.

"Dowager Queen."

"…Yes?"

"The demon is gone now."

"Thank you. At the very least, I won't become the foolish ruler who destroyed her own

nation."

"You will now be judged by Veronian law."

"I imagine it will be the death penalty. I've accepted that much. After the terrible

crimes I've committed… After having killed my own beloved child…"

Sadness crossed Ruti's face.

"To think the Hero would feel sorrow for one so foolish," the dowager queen remarked.

"You regret your sins."

"…I lost my beloved son to my lust for power. Hero, please share my story with the

world. This is the fate of those who betray humanity."

"Dowager Queen…"

"Here…" Leonor passed a key to Ruti.

"What is this?"

"The previous king stole the demon lord's ship, the Vendidad, from the dark continent.

This is the key to control it. You'll find a map for crossing the waters to the dark

continent in that old vessel."

"!"

"It's impossible to pass through the demon lord's storms in an airship, but you should

be able to reach the dark continent with the Vendidad."

"…Thank you very much, Dowager Queen Leonor."

"Hero, please save the… world!" Leonor drew the slender sword at her hip and thrust

it at Ruti's chest.

The Hero's expression was unchanged as blood trickled from her lips and the world

lost color and went still.

Leonor's old body grew young, returning to the form it had possessed when she died.

Her weak, dull eyes regained their fiery vitality.

"What did you hope to convey by showing me this? That this is what my life should

have been?"

Leonor looked up at the sky, at the inextinguishable gleaming light.

There was something in the middle of that radiance, but it could not be perceived by

human eyes.

"Demis."

Leonor's eyes burned, yet she stared straight at the almighty.

The Veronian throne room disappeared, replaced by a single, unbranching path.

Leonor stood alone, facing off against God.

Merely glimpsing that light was enough to fill anyone with awe.

It evoked a desire to follow, to kneel, to lower one's head to the ground in obedience.

"Being deceived by a demon, saved by the Hero, and experiencing a change of heart

before peacefully accepting my execution was to have been my life. Are you implying

that was my happy ending? Your efforts are pointless. I have no regrets at all about the

way I lived."

Leonor did not yield. Even in the face of the divine, her will, the very thing that led her

to rebel against the world at every turn, was firm.

"This is a waste of time. I have no need for saving and no need for mercy. It's a repulsive

thing. Sentence me to a reborn life as a worm or toss me into whatever hell you please."

"My beloved child," Demis said.

Blood flowed from Leonor's ears. The voice was greater than all of humanity crying as

one. Demis's words were too mighty for a mortal.

Although Leonor's eardrums burst, God's voice still reached her.

The woman's eyes grew bloodshot, and she gritted her teeth to endure it, but still she

did not bend her knee.

Demis continued, "My beloved child, you have gone astray."

"No, I made no such mistake. As I've already told you, I bear no regrets."

"O foolish child, o child on an idle journey, you are still loved by God."

The divine's voice was filled with affection.

Leonor sneered. "You would even love me. Truly, God is kind. But I do not love you."

Her resolve would not falter.

Face-to-face with God and confronted with the possibility of annihilation, she refused

to alter her way of life. To reject having lived as an evil woman to her heart's content

would be to lose herself. Accepting what Demis had shown her, becoming that weak

being clinging to the Hero who called herself Leonor: an eternity of torture in hell was

preferable.

"No," spoke God.

Leonor wondered what he meant. Looking down at the straight path she walked upon,

she hit upon a doubt.

"Demis, would you perhaps answer me one question? How far does this path go before

it forks?"

As far as she could see, it was a single line in both directions.

If there was a hell, the path would have to branch somewhere.

"Leonor, o wise child. What you suspect is indeed the truth."

"You can't mean…"

"No matter how my children live, the course is unchanged."

"So there's no such thing as hell."

"On this path, you shall be reborn as a badger. That is already set."

"Then is there any meaning at all in people's lives? Good and evil? What was the point

of all those who lived as obedient servants to your blessings?"

"Yes, my child. People's lives have meaning. I wish to save all members of my cherished

flock. All of you are loved, my child. From the bottom of my heart."

Leonor's form broke apart.

She was transforming back into a pure soul without will or memories.

With the last bits of her persona, Leonor continued to observe and consider what was

happening.

And at last…

"Now I understand the point of the Hero."

…Leonor arrived at one answer.

"Congratulations, my child. Were you born as the Hero, I am sure there would have

been salvation. For that alone, I am sorry. When you eventually become the Hero and

return to me, let us speak again."

Leonor no longer had a mouth, or words, or intelligence.

Her soul gradually lost its form, but she stared at God until the final moment.

"Farewell, my beloved child. My love and the blessing that will support you shall ever

be at your side."

Demis peered out over the world spread endlessly around him.

Countless souls flowed along their paths.

And amid all of them, there was one special entity.

That soul gave off a light different from the sort that God desired.

The almighty grieved that things did not go as intended.

Thus, when the Hero went off her path, God touched the world, if only for an instant.

Seeing that one other soul now gleamed, Demis smiled in satisfaction.

God's love flowed into a certain monastery in the southern part of the Kingdom of

Avalonia.

There, a lone boy knelt before the altar and offered up a prayer.

This child was the prince of a fallen nation. He'd lost his homeland and family to the

demon lord's army and had no one left.

Van of Flamberge, the youngest child of the King of Flamberge, had not yet been

consumed by hatred. He prayed with a tranquil heart.

Lord Demis, please accept my devotion. Let my life be lived by your will.

His prayer was not a request, but an offering.

Following the favorite motto of the friar who'd taught him, Van wanted nothing from

God. Instead, he offered his life in obedience to the almighty's teachings.

Perhaps that's why the miracle occurred.

One day, Van became the Hero.

Divine Blessings were gifts from God, exactly as the name implied.

And although Van was stunned by this transformation, he didn't hesitate.

His life was in service of Demis's will.

Van began to act as the Hero should.

First, he sought for the church to validate his Divine Blessing.

The boy left the monastery, journeying to the Last Wall fortress.

Thus did Van the Hero's adventure begin.