Chapter 157.1: Hero (Part 1)

Mira departed from Sentopolly and headed back towards Arkite. She sat in her luxurious wagon, finally able to spend time relaxing there. Then the communication device attached inside began to ring.

「Okay okay... what is it?」

『Hey, you finally picked up.』

Mira stood up lethargically and placed the device to her ear. Solomon's voice sounded relieved to hear her, though also somewhat tired of waiting.

『Were you sleeping? It's still daytime, you know.』

「Something like that. I'm sure you already know everything, yes? I was busy dealing with everything after that too.」

Mira reclined herself against the mattress in the closet, resting her exhausted body. From the side, she looked rather slovenly, her dress crumpled up and exposing her thighs.

『I know, I heard you worked hard too. And apparently you even summoned the Spirit King? I'm sure you're already gaining a name for yourself.』

「To be accurate he just showed up by himself. I still can't believe you would make me embarrass myself in public like that though.」

It had been Solomon's idea to present Mira on the spirit flying ship during their announcement, alongside all those other famous adventurers. That was part of his plan to eventually have Mira recognized as one of the Nine Wisemen. Somehow she still resented being pushed onto the stage without warning though.

『Well, it'll eventually make things better for you. So just hang in there and keep going like you have so far.』

Those were Solomon's honest thoughts. There was no malice hidden in his words, only delight. Mira could not talk back anymore after that, so she just said 「Okay, okay」 with a low voice.

「I doubt you'd call me just to say that though. What do you need? I finally got to return home and relax, and you had to blast my ears off with that annoying bell.」

『Whoops, sorry for that. Could you just do me a small favor? There's some files I want to get from the Eabates Trading Corporation. I've already spoken with them so they should give you everything the moment you show up. It's nothing big.』

Mira kept sulking and complaining, but Solomon did not seem to have a smidgen of remorse giving her more work. Quite the opposite, he had already prepared everything without asking her first. She had little option but to accept.

「Files, huh...」

Mira muttered with a mocking tone. It was annoying, but she was not in a position to refuse it. But her lack of a clear answer was something that highlighted the relationship they had with each other.

『It's a very important contract to unite both countries. Please, I'll make sure to prepare a feast for you when you get back.』

「...Hmph, you better don't forget that.」

『Of course. Thanks again, I'll be waiting.』

Saying that, Solomon hung up.

Everything had gone to plan, and offering food in exchange sealed the deal. Solomon was familiar with Mira's tastes. Solomon was the king, so Mira was excited to see what kind of feast he could organize.

「Well, guess I'll have to head that way then!」

Mira pulled herself up and tidied her clothes, then glanced at the scenery outside as she ordered Garuda to change course to Roseline.

As the wagon slowly turned around, Mira looked at a mountain range far away, and thought back to Chimera Clauzen's main base, wondering if it had been located somewhere around there.

The Eabates Trading Corporation's headquarters were located in Roseline. The entire plot of land around and behind it belonged to Eabates as well, with the chairman's residence in the center and multiple other buildings around it. The corporation's staff, the employees of its various facilities, and many of its merchants lived there, and from high in the sky it looked like a small city.

The wagon held by Garuda slowly descended on the open space in front of the chairman's residence, landing there.

「We've been waiting for you, miss. Please come with me, the chairman will see you right now.」

Mira's grandiose entrance matched up with her description, so she was quickly recognized. There was no crowd of curious onlookers, only a polite maid waiting for her to step out of the wagon.

「Okay.」

Mira gave a short answer and followed the maid into the residence. The furniture was carefully cleaned and kept tidy, without looking extravagant. It simply gave an air that someone was actually living there.

The maid took Mira to the third floor. After announcing the guest's arrival, a cheerful male voice answered from within a room. Opening the door, the maid signaled to Mira to go inside.

「Nice to meet you, Mira. I'm Ulysses Teles Eabates, the chairman. I'm glad to finally meet you in person after collaborating for so long.」

Everything seemed to happen incredibly fast. The chairman Ulysses stood up and firmly shook Mira's hand, greeting her amicably.

「Ah, yes. Me too, nice to meet you.」

Those were the manners of a successful and prominent merchant. Mira felt a bit overwhelmed feeling his sharp and discerning eyes on her.

Unlike the somewhat plain look of the mansion, Ulysses had a striking appearance. He was clearly past the prime of his life, but his body did not seem deteriorated or weakened yet, his figure still looking firm. His height was average for a man, but somehow he seemed taller. That was Ulysses, the next ruler of Roseline.

「I didn't expect that rumored successor to be connected with my good friend. What a small world, right? I'm glad I could meet you.」

Ulysses smiled happily as he somewhat reluctantly let go of Mira's hand, he seemed to truly mean every single word. The good friend he mentioned was Solomon. But something else had caught Mira's attention as she tilted her head to ask:

「Rumors? Successor? What are you talking about?」

「Oh, I guess it's true that the very topic of those rumors is completely oblivious to them. Somehow I'm usually the first one to find out when rumors spread about me.」

Hearing Mira's confused questions, Ulysses muttered in a slightly wondrous way. In his line of work, rumors could greatly affect whether his business would improve or get worse. He was always attentive to rumors relating to himself, so he could take early action if needed.

「Well, what are those rumors about?」

「If I've perked your interest, I'll tell you.」

Ulysses answered with a theatrical voice and pulled out a book from a nearby bookshelf as he spoke. The book told the tale of Forsythia, a hero of legend.

A long time ago, when a king of the monsters appeared, there had been a young girl too. Her name was Forsythia, she inherited the Spirit King's Divine Protection, and fought valiantly while armed with the power of spirits. Her exploits had garnered her a lot of respect amongst people.

As that era neared its end, Forsythia brandished the Spirit King's power as her own, overcoming countless battles before confronting the king of the monsters and defeating it. Afterwards she was known as a hero, her tale becoming a legend.

「Word is in the street that you've inherited the Spirit King's Divine Protection as well. And as a summoner you can call forth spirits as well, right? Not to mention that you were an integral part in taking down Chimera Clauzen and stopping their evil deeds. All of that has sparked rumors amongst the people that you're Forsythia's successor.」

Ulysses sounded excited telling that story, and when he was done he placed the book on his desk, leaving it open on the last page. There was a drawing there, depicting Forsythia wearing knight armor, while surrounded in an aura similar to the Spirit King's. The illustration painted her as a charming and beautiful woman, which made Mira feel like calling her Forsythia's successor was a bit of an exaggeration, but that did not deter Ulysses.

「I felt like a lot more people were staring at me lately, I guess that's why...」