The Hero was in recovery for two weeks after his fight with Clandra-ζ. The source of bright water in which the queen had immersed him, which she had filled with her fairy dust had done him extremely good and healed his wounds. However, in this "lake", something strange happened. First of all, the Hero had a very strange dream, it was different from all his nightmares or dreams of the past, he was bathed in a sparkling light, blinding even, he could not move, he was like paralyzed, unable to react. There was only his senses which functioned suitably, and that was his hearing which was useful to him since he perceived a buzzing sound in his ears, then little by little, this one became more and more audible, until he perceived through its incomprehensible noises. Then little by little, he finally understood these words... his words... But his voice was too jerky for him to understand anything concrete.
"Hero... You are... the... last... of... Save... the kingdom... destroy the... tower of... Ba... him... He... shore... already... there!".
But her voice no longer reached him because of the genetic attribute and it disappeared in the meanders of the Hero's mind. He woke up with a start, frightening all the nurses and doctors around him. He realized that he had been moved from the lake to the hospital. But how did he know that he had been placed in the lake of dreams if he had passed out?
And the second one he discovered with horror: his heroic regeneration was no longer working. At least temporarily.
During the two weeks of recovery he underwent drastic treatment to heal his wounds so that no necrosis would set in. They tried to make his regeneration work again but it didn't, his genetic attribute was still interfering with the magic, or there was the possibility that no one but the hero and the Nemesis could interact with the powers they possess, which seemed the most logical.
Since his awakening out of the Lake of the Songs, he did not cease ruminating on the strange dream which he had made, of this face which did not cease advancing towards by pronouncing this sentence in this language which was however unknown to him and that nevertheless, it seemed familiar to him. This woman was unknown to him, he had never seen her of all his life but not only she addressed him by her title but especially, this presence, he had already felt it before, no, this presence had never left him.
"If his memories were exact, it was a city located outside of Francilia, in another country adjacent to theirs which had been destroyed during a war against the old sixteenth government of Francilia which disappeared four hundred and five years ago. But he also remembered that this city did not exist since much longer than that.
What the hell was happening to her? Why were these questions rotting his mind? What other kingdom did he have to save from destruction? If it was Sylvania, his mission was almost complete with the arrest of the Adepts of Marryneia.
- Nalo?" called Jacob.
The Hero turned toward the voice and saw his Elf friend in a wheelchair, his chest wrapped in bandages. The human removed his hands from his head and widened his eyes when he saw his friend in good health.
- How are you, Jacob?" asked the Hero.
- It could be better, but it looks like you're in worse shape than I am," laughed the elf.
It is true that the Hero's body was in a pitiful state, however the magic of the Lake of Songs was beginning to take effect and remove all traces of burns, he would not be able to grow his arm again but he did not worry about it more than that, he had already come back as new in even more miserable states than this.
- What do you say you and I go for a walk?" offered Jacob, "I mean, if you're up to it.
- Don't worry, the Hero reassured him, I'll call a nurse, she'll get me a wheelchair that I'll push with my one arm.
Finally, the nurse carried the Hero in his wheelchair to a greenhouse that served as a park because he had no strength to move on his own. She placed Jacob and the Hero under a tree in the shade of the artificial light, and they could see children having fun with their parents, playing kites and frolicking in the artificial plains as if they were a landscape from the past.
- I didn't get to see your fight but you did well?" asked Jacob.
- You see how I am?" laughed the Hero, "Of course not. But I won, and I avenged you.
- Don't say that, you didn't avenge me.
- What do you mean?
- I never asked you to avenge me. I understand that you may be angry that I got all over the place, but I was aware of my choice in using my body as a shield for you.
- Why did you do it knowing that I am immortal? It was a stupid choice!
- Well, that's because I wanted the Wingless Princess to win.
- You are not stupid, you know she has few allies, especially knowing that her only project is to get wings thanks to her enthronement to the throne. A silly and selfish dream that should have no place in a race for power.
In the end, he too found the dream selfish and stupid, given the high stakes involved in taking power. He understood the queen and the parents of the Fairy, but the others supported her out of simple friendship. However, wasn't he, who was supposed to defend the simple people, those most in need, simply the servant of the elite of this kingdom? Perhaps this is what Malalalivia reproached him for, but she did not dare to say it since they were allies and friends, well, he imagines.
- But this airy fairy has always been like that: stupid. In spite of everything, she remains a gentle, kind, emotional person, who loves others to the point of crying not knowing why she is hated, or rather not understanding why such hatred is falling on her. So, taking pity on her, her friends decided to do everything to make sure she got what she wanted with all her heart. Nevertheless, as you have seen, she is still a silly child with strange reasonings, taking Beneltig as a champion is part of it, Mina was a better choice, but she is so "innocent". That's why we decided to help her all the way, both in and out of the arena, it was a godsend that you showed up, and considering the skills and danger we both faced, I don't think Mina would have made it.
The Fairy had devoted friends, the Hero thought. Few living beings would have done so for others as they do, Marinanélia had lost her place to the Fairy. A huge gesture, which he did not know if she would return. The Hero lay down on his chair and took advantage of the darkness offered by the tree to relax.
- Stupid friends struggling stupidly for a stupid fairy with a stupid dream. I'm making fun of it but that's what friendship is all about.
- You say that as if you were discovering it.
- A little bit. I've never been in a situation like this for anyone, as far as I can remember, it's always been the other way around.
- Then participate for the second one in something stupid in the name of friendship: organize her birthday party.
- Her birthday? When is it?
- The fourteenth, the day after your fight.
- So in less than a month... that's enough, I think," he reflected, "except I don't know how to throw a birthday party.
- Have you ever made one?
- From memory... No. A cake with my mother in our room, then Zelda would come by to give me a present..., sometimes.
- Well, ask Princess Marina, Lin and Mina, they will know what to do.
- Fine, I'll do it when I get out of the hospital. You're making me plan a birthday party when potentially I could lose.
Jacob smiled.
- I've seen her fight, and you might be in trouble. But losing, do you really think so?" the elf asked.
- I didn't watch any fight in the arena, but I did watch it and it's going to be complicated, but hey, no choice.
- Princess Malalalivia is the only opponent I wouldn't want the Fairy to meet in the end, it's good luck and bad luck that you are facing her now.
- Given the face of the kingdom, the revolutionary ideas she has, they will fail her no matter what. I finally realize who would make her fail if I win.
- Then lose.
- Right?
The Hero suddenly turned to his interlocutor with a sharp pain.
- What do you mean "lose"?
- If your heart is telling you that despite the promise you made to the faery that this is not the right choice, it would be absurd for you to persist. Mina will resent you, the airy fairy will resent you, everyone else will resent you, but you will have done it according to your ideals.
To make the Fairy lose so that Justice prevails over discrimination and despair. It was an idea that the Hero supported, but he was not the master of the place and he did not live here, he did not have to intervene in the future kingdom. He was only the tool of his protégée. It was hypocritical of him since he was going to fight the Fanatics who were preying on the children and lonely people of the kingdom of Sylvania in honor of a dead woman.
- Don't worry about me. I will honor my promise.
- Good. Then I wish you good luck against Malalalivia Grave.
- His champion is not so bad that you should wish me luck.
- You really didn't watch the fights then," laughed Jacob.
Two weeks later, the Hero regained his heroic abilities and was able to rebuild his body properly with the help of the doctors who replaced the six screws that supported his bone structure correctly. He then went to meet the Fairy at her home and found her in her room, surrounded by books and papers, eagerly studying all the magical knowledge she had to acquire as a queen. The Hero did not perceive any books about power or governing a country.
- Yo!
- Yo? repeated the princess awkwardly not understanding this interjection.
- What are you doing that's beautiful?
- I'm studying for finals. It's gonna be a piece of cake with you. Sorry I didn't come to see you.
- It's okay, I was a little busy anyway. I wanted to stop by and see you before I went to practice again because Jacob told me to throw you a birthday party.
- Normally, this is a surprise," laughed the fairy shyly.
- Did you? I didn't know...
The closer we got to the date of the Hero's supposed departure, the colder their relationship became. He had not wanted to hide it from her, but although they say that she was stupid, she was quite intelligent what meant the departure of his champion and his pursuit of the enemy of the Earth, she remembered the words he had pronounced in front of the queen, that cry of anger and despair that he shouted in front of everyone.
"I WILL DESTROY THE WORLD WITH YOU AND THE HERO OF THE LEGEND, EVEN IF IT MEANS LOSING MY LIFE!"
Just thinking about it gave her goose bumps. She even wondered with what force she had been able to stop him, it seemed to her totally vague, her memories were volatile, vaporous. But she knew that in the state in which she had found herself, she had the means to stop him, she had never been so good, so strong, so confident as at this precise moment.
However, although she would have liked to, she could not reproduce this state, so she was going to have to act with the weapons she had in her hands and the best weapon she had at her disposal was none other than this birthday party that the Hero had planned to organize for her, it was the last moment before he went away! Besides, why did she think that he was going to leave? The tournament did not end only with the fight! He had to be there for the finals, she was going to have to face the four finalists and their champions in a media and information battle that she had never experienced. How was she going to do it without his support? He had to stay.
- I think I'm going to bite the boner off the other holy knight I saw at the barracks," said the Hero, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
- What do you mean? What holy knight?
- The fairy there that to scales of dragon on his face.
- I don't know who you mean... But why would you want to steal his gun? Do you want to end up in Limbo again?
- But no, it's just going to be a loan for my fight with Lelelitio, I've been practicing with the stick at the same time as when I was learning how to use the technomagic thrusters. I always wanted to fight like in the book I told you about!
- The "Shonen"?
- No, that's the kind!
Which is also wrong because "shonen" is the editorial target, but then again who was going to take it back in a world where almost no new books were published, well, even that sentence is wrong since some people liked to waste their time doing it while barbarians liked to ravage anything that looked like wells of knowledge, that's why the Universal Libraries were much more protected places than anything else, especially by Doctor Gear-O.
- Who will defeat me with the weapon of the greatest hero?" laughed the Hero.
- Probably Lucello, since you got scared when you saw him. And then, aren't you supposed to be the biggest hero of all?
- What do you mean I got scared in front of Lucello? Are you crazy? I can return his mother whenever I want !
- Turning over his mother? Stop speaking Franca, especially when you use words in unconventional ways.
- I beat him up, if you like.
- Ah! Surely... But you got scared, she continued to mock.
- But that's nonsense. Besides, why are you talking about him? You're dating now.
- Yes, we've been seeing each other. He came with me to the arena when you fought the humanoid tree since Beneltg disappeared. He even supported you.
- That's nice...
...but I don't give a damn,.. said the Hero in his mind.
For some reason, the Hero felt even more animosity towards the vampire when he learned that he was hanging out with the Nameless Fairy. A strange feeling came over his mind, a feeling he had never felt before, he couldn't describe it at the moment, but it had something to do with his fairy telling him about this Lucello.
- So you're going to drop Beneltig for Lucello," said the Hero as he went to sit on one of the petals of the fairy's flower-shaped bed and crossed his arms.
- And then what? furiously refuted while turning towards him, even if Benji is a finished idiot doubled of a womanizer, I will not "let go" my lover whom I know for a long time for a thin pale licorice. Still.
Anyone with cognitive faculties and a foot in the door of a relationship knows that what the Fairy just said was just a lot of fluff. Not that she is lying, but Beneltig with his nonsense has created a big gap which the first idiot would be able to jump into to ruin their relationship and take the beautiful one away. Nevertheless, the Hero only possessed cognitive faculties, so he did not question her word, and told himself that Beneltig was lucky to have a woman so in love with him to put blinders on in front of the nonsense he was doing.
- You could still talk to him if it bothers you so much that he talks to other girls.
- I already told him but he said it's nothing, they're just friends, you worry about nothing"...
Even Asteron is a better liar, I thought along with the Hero.
- Then good, even if Benetig makes me mad by disappearing and reappearing with all goes, at least I have you..., she confessed to him.
The Hero's heart nearly exploded upon hearing this.
- ... and Lucello.
The Hero's heart stopped beating and his eyes went blank.
- I'm kidding, Na-lo, laughed the Fairy, even the others say he is a bad person, but well, he said that about you and yet, look at us now, she laughed.
- Yeah...
- Are you offended?
- Of course not, what do I care?
The Fairy laughed so hard that she was sick to her stomach.
- Well, I'm going to go, I have a training session to resume.
- No, but wait, said the apt princess with a smile on her face, tears in her eyes, I hope at least that you practice being more flexible as Sir Sawyer asked.
- Yeah, yeah!" shouted the Hero, scowling.
He left the Fairy's room, hearing her laugh again, and left the house, waving to the Fairy's brother and indicating that he was going to leave so he could close the door behind him.
This Lucello...
As he spoke her words, he understood why he was annoying her - but not why his instincts had screamed at him to get out of her way the first time he met her - he was jealous. Which pissed him off even more because he didn't see himself as a jealous person, and considering what it meant to be jealous, he really didn't see why he was.
The next day he went to the barracks to train. He wanted to get stronger again and again, losing his abilities really worried him although he pretended the opposite, losing them reminded him how valiant his body was. His insides were twisting, his skin was chiseling, his muscles were tense... All the symptoms of his illness were waking up at a lightning speed, but he remained dignified, he should not show the slightest sign of weakness, especially not to the Nemesis that he knew would always be there on the lookout to watch his every move, despite the fact that his genetic attribute prevented him from communicating with him properly. However on the way, he crossed Mina, Marina, Lin, Titou and Alexandre who, precisely, were in search of him.
Seeing them approaching, he pandiculated and scratched the back of his head, while coming to meet them.
- Nalo! Nalo! Nalo! they repeated.
This name had finally been adopted by all but the princess - it was not the name she wanted to give him, so she would not name him that.
- What do you want from me?
- Lucello... Lucello is not a good person!
- Why?
- You don't see it, he made our fairy change, answered Marina.
- How so? I saw her yesterday before my practice, she was working on the finals of the coronation tournament.
- She almost doesn't talk to us anymore, she prefers to talk only with Lucello, Titou revealed, her guy is a manipulator.
- And what do you want me to do about it? Go talk to him, I need to focus on my last match, get back to my swordplay and get my equipment modified.
- You are his champion!" said Mina.
- And you, her best friend!" said the Hero, "unless... it's the fact... that Lucello scares you," said the Hero with a smirk.
No response from them. The Hero had said this as a joke, he didn't really mean it, he didn't think it would turn out to be true.
- So if I'm going to confront him by fighting with him, will you come with me?" asked the Hero.
- Yes! they answered without hesitation.
- And without me?
Again a silence. The kind smile of the Hero disappeared, what he saw in front of him displeased him very much.
- Mina and Lin, will you come on the famous day? asked the Hero.
- Uh... yes, they replied.
- And how can you trust me on that day if you're scared of the first long asparagus that comes along?
They did not know how to respond to the Hero's question.
- Another fairy is afraid, very afraid, I feel it every time I see her, and yet she just keeps going, going and going, despite the many challenges she faces. And you know this, Lin, because you were with me the day we came to get you.
- Yes...
- If a vampire scares you then don't come because the number of dangers that will stand before us, he said as he passed between them.
Mina clenched her fists, she knew he was right but how could she let him call her a coward when she had vowed to become the leader of the Queen's Saints to protect her friend?
- Don't think you're above us, hu...
Without anyone seeing him, the Hero placed his hands on the cheeks of the dwarf, left hand on left cheek, right hand on right cheek, arms crossed, he was in position to break her neck. His eyes shining with a scarlet glow even more pronounced than usual, hidden by the darkness of his hood, giving the impression of facing death.
- Mina, don't think that insulting me will change your fear. Whether I go or not, will not change the fact that if I am not there, you will be unable to defend her.
He let go of her and continued on his way.
- Oh yeah, get ready, I have to throw a birthday party for your friend who you love so much you don't want to be in charge of settling her account with some evil guy lurking around her, so when I come to visit, be ready.
- Nalo... What if it was the Nemesis?" suggested Mina.
The Hero stopped for a moment. He stood there, unmoving, saying nothing. No other person tried to add anything to Mina's proposal. To say it already suggested that the greatest danger of the Earth in the enclosure of their wall and that he was playing the hero under his nose - non-existent.
He turned his head and said to them:
- If this was the Nemesis, I would have already burned this nation to the ground to annihilate it and you probably wouldn't have survived," he laughed with a broad smile.
And he went on his way, laughing happily.
The Nemesis... What a load of crap he could tell those...
He had already met the Nemesis and each time he met him, an unpleasant nausea rose to his throat, with Lucello... He just distinguished a strange insect smell. Maybe a vampire who is a vegetarian, he thought.
At the top of the tower, he resumed his training with the sword, with the handling of the gloves from which he had removed the claws because it was really not a style that he appreciated but that for his future opponent, he was not going to be so violent. Although he was going to use new strategies since he had acquired fire and lightning crystals - thanks to the queen who materialized them after acquiring the knowledge from the archmages of the Dark Protectorate -, he didn't want to silence Lelelitio and create despair in the heart of his princess, he wanted to show that anyone could defeat him with determination, and being the hero of the legend wasn't a question of being a chosen one or not. If he faced him directly, the lesson would be more than better, but well, fate did not see it that way. To make it easier for him, he had asked that he strengthen his seal, he did not know if with this strengthening he could still break it, but why break it in front of Lucello.
At the castle, small adjustments were added to the raid plan with the new elements brought by new unexpected informants. It was Clandra-ζ and her princess Jigalénélia who were received by the queen at the request of the Hero, who demanded that they be pardoned and protected if they revealed additional information, and they did. Jigalea revealed the families involved in the sect, the source of their funds, how their costumes were made, where they met, what dead language they used at appropriate times... Much of this information was already known to the queen thanks to the torture carried out by the military police on Detsin in the presence of the queen to make sure he didn't die or get killed, but this at least helped to prove their good faith
On leaving the meeting with the queen, Clandra-ζ apologized to his princess for failing and not living up to what he should have been making him betray theirs to save himself.
- If it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't have said anything," Jigale revealed.
- Why?
- I must have seen my father only a dozen times in my life, always busy with his shenanigans with the Apostles of Marryneia, so since the choice was between you and him, I preferred to choose you because even if you were humiliated in the arena, you fought in my honor, and that since I had you under my orders.
- Princess..., said the Treeman-ζ.
- It is nothing. Come on, now, we have to go where the queen told us to be.
In the throne room, once the preparations were established, the queen went to sit on her throne, her head glued to the top of the royal seat, closing her eyes, exhausted by this story. Since the revelation about Globox, she had not slept and had not done anything on the administrative side of the kingdom, and despite this, she had dark circles. Which was a first since she had received full powers.
- Selia... Selia!
She woke up from her lethargy.
- You remember, you don't interfere.
- Yes. I already know that. I can't join you "because of the tournament" yada yada.
- That's good, you memorized it.
- You realize that he didn't betray us but Globox did.
- It's amazing, isn't it? While he will have to blame you since you supposedly killed his father.
- We were called the infernal quartet but he was clearly part of it, laughed the queen, in the end, our quartet will stay with him.
- Is this a good thing?
- Not in the least.
Sawyer arranged the plans and documents in tubes and threw them into a hole that would lead to the Royal Archives where they would be stored.
- This story will be settled and everyone will be safe.
- Yes...
Neither of them looked at each other to avoid showing their sadness to the other, dodging each other's eyes.
- Sawyer, you should take a break, go train the boy or go join your little wife, the queen advised him.
- My little what? Oh yes, that's right. Maybe I'll go when she's less busy, but as far as Elena's son is concerned, I don't think he needs me anymore, the logical continuation of the dance can't be done since he doesn't know how to fly and he took the initiative to train by himself every day, so I don't need to push him anymore. So, it's rather up to you to go to him.
- I don't want to disturb him.
- Okay... Well, I'm going to go.
- Okay...
And so the two parted. When he left, the queen hid her face with her hands and sobbed again.
The days passed and we arrived on the day of the assault on the Fanatics' hideout.