Ex-Hero, Now Freeloader

2 - Out to Exterminate Orcs, Encounter with a Silver-Haired Beauty

That day was my first solo mission ever.

Usually at least one of the Saviors would come along like a chaperone.

Said mission was...to destroy a demon tribe that deals with illegal slaves.

『I suppose I am to be used to slash such filth once again...』

「You're a sword. You're just getting covered in blood, stop complaining.」

Demon Territory, the forest.

The miasma is thick here, and the vegetation is otherworldly when compared to the human world, albeit we have all sorts of countries.

Strange sights stretched out before me. Trees with tentacle-like branches, flowers with teeth that seem to be whistling, bubbling mud as if it were boiling, and so on.

The stem of a flower with petals and a mouth-like thing in the center suddenly shoots out and bit the corpse that was lying nearby. It crunches and chews it vigorously.

『That's holy sword discrimination! Do you think swords don't like being clean?!』

「...If you didn't want to get dirty, then you should've asked me to leave you in the royal palace's treasure vault.」

Littered around me were the corpses of demons.

I say demons, but they can vary in size and appearance from human to dragons as big as a mountain, but this time, it is the pig-faced Orcs.

『I am a holy sword, you know? I am destined to be by the side of the Hero.』

「Then why don't you tell me what to do?」

En route to the identified enemy stronghold, I encountered a group of enemies that seemed to be a part of their team.

I asked them to surrender, but they didn't comply, so it turned into a scuffle.

The result? They were wiped out.

『Polish me until I'm all clean later and speak to me softly.』

「...I'll take proper care of you. You're just a sword but you're still my partner.」

『Hmph, that's fine... Wait, is it? Something about the way you phrased that just didn't sit right with me.』

All Six Saviors have a crest somewhere on their bodies.

It appears that age doesn't matter, since it can appear on a hardened military soldier, it's possible that it can appear even on a newborn baby.

I say possible because there hasn't been an actual case of a baby having a crest.

As of now, I am the youngest recorded case of the Hero crest appearing on a person, at five years old.

While doing my best not to step on the corpses, I head towards the enemy base.

「You're pretty full of yourself, huh?」

『I mean, I do have the power of all previous Heroes throughout history dwelling within me. Only a Hero may wield me. So long as I am used, the Hero is unbeatable! ...Almost. It's only natural to expect humans to be grateful for me.』

「Hmm... Well, guess you are a good sword.」

While cutting the tree branches that occasionally attack me, I proceed forward until I reach a clearing.

There's the target cave.

According to the intel from the co-conspirator that the War God captured, this should be their base.