Chapter 103: Watching a Show - IV

Upon returning to her humble abode, Lila prepared for a lonely dinner.

As she roasted a griffin wing the size of a car, she went through her mental exercises for the night. Questions and doubts rang incessantly in her mind.

Why was she here, fighting so desperately? Wielding light-attributed mana, but not the <Sword of Light>?

Despite being on the front lines, was she still hesitating on whether or not this was truly her?

Were her convictions wavering the moment she stood before an endless army of demonic beings?

For what purpose was she fighting?

What goal did she want to achieve?

Wasn’t her wish to live a carefree and unbridled lifestyle, adventuring across the lands and bearing witness to the greatest sights of the world?

She and her party, Heaven’s Grasp, hadn’t even scratched off a portion of their plans.

And yet... here she was, nearly a continent away from her friends, fighting a battle she never dreamed she would ever fight in the position she was in now.

’Fate works in such mysterious ways...’

Lila sighed, feeling her mouth watering from the smell of roasted griffin meat. The tantalizing aroma was rich and savory, with the faint hint of the salt wood charcoal used to feed the flames.

’I still can’t believe that I’m the Hero of Leisha.’

The <Sword of Light> on her back was a little heavier today. Seemingly sensing that her doubts and worries had grown once again.

—[ Oh, child of the light. ]

A voice sounded in her mind. Though it was weak, there was a splendor in her intonation, akin to a small choir humming with her every word.

—[ Sometimes, there is no need to think so deeply. But a Hero is also not a mindless soldier battling on the front lines. Reconsider what heroism means to you, and maybe you’ll see your purpose a little better. ]

"Mikel," Lila almost cursed, "These questions of mine do not concern you. The battlefields beyond these mountain walls have brought me a sense of liberation I never thought possible."

With her newfound light affinity, she could fight endlessly as long as the sun supported her movements.

Furthermore, she could even charge her mana, imbuing it with the light attribute, to use even in the dark. Past heroes and those with an affinity for light-attributed mana had created this technique to alleviate their most glaring weakness.

Though rare, it was handed to her on a silver platter the moment she arrived at the human-demon border.

’They sure are making good use of me, huh?’ A flash of amusement crossed Lila’s gaze.

—[ Sigh, why do you find such joy in being a dog for those war profiteers? You’ve become nothing but a useful tool for the kingdoms to save on costs. ]

Mikel’s tone turned a little harsher.

—[ Why not overthrow them and truly end the war? This human-demon conflict... It’s too filled with dread and misery. ]

Lila’s lips twitched upon hearing such words. There was something wrong with the angel in her sword. Definitely.

Not because she knew what angels were like, but simply because this particular Being of Light came off as... robotic somehow. Its mimicry of human tones and empathy tended to diverge from what she truly felt, leaning into her woes and worries so much that it felt exaggerated.

What did it mean by truly ending the war?

Weren’t the humans and demons archenemies? They had been in conflict for centuries at this point, and yet no conclusion was in sight.

"Huh..."

Was Mikel actually onto something?

Based on her own understanding of the world, it was clearly suspicious that such a war lasted for so long. Even though it was a war between races, it didn’t make sense that they were always so well-balanced against each other.

Whenever the demons developed, the humans achieved greater heights. Whenever the humans faltered, they’d drag the demons down with them as well.

Lila’s suspicions sharpened for a moment before swiftly dying down.

The griffin wing she’d been roasting was fully cooked. The meat was juicy, and the outside skin was a beautiful golden brown.

’Maybe I’m just a little too hungry to think right.’

That was why Mikel sensed a spike in her emotions, speaking the limited words he was capable of between his week-long slumbers.

But her suspicions...

’I feel like Mikel is trying to tell me something he’s not allowed to say.’

Something that a Being of Light would never acknowledge. A sin so great it could distort the world’s idea of righteousness and heroism.

The reason for Lila’s growing suspicions was simple:

Any sentient being was capable of scheming. Any organization of sentient beings always prioritized the organization’s survival over its individual constituents.

What if the human-demon war was nothing but a way for both races to stimulate their potential?

A war so brutal, bloody, and terror-inducing that heroes are forcefully born, stimulated by the world to rise up and fight.

’Only with a common enemy can humanity remain united, huh?’

Lila couldn’t help but recall the words of a young noble she’d met on her way to Walvaskaz. Words that were spoken seemingly as an afterthought, accompanied by a shallow sigh and a nonchalant shrug.

Now, they came back, ringing in her mind somehow.

’Does he know something?’

Lila licked her lips as she finished up her meal. Her mind continued to wander to the not-so-distant past.

Those conversations she and that young noble had over tea had been so jarring. The topics were so mundane that they were relaxing... but the timing.

Ah, the timing.

Their exchanges always had a subtle undertone.

Aventine would usually invite her to tea at odd times—moments before or after something violent was going to happen. Or when she needed to ask him about something concerning their lives...

’No, wait.’

All those times that she confided in him.

All those hours they spent over tea, talking about the knots in her heart.

’Aventine...’

Lila couldn’t help but show a wistful smile.

’I wonder when we can enjoy another cup of tea together?’

She’d amassed a lot of questions that she dearly needed answered. All these doubts were difficult to resolve on her own, away from those who she cared about and who cared about her, not as the Hero of Leisha.

Admittedly, she was a little lonely.