Chapter 6 6: Kill the Hero (2)

At the end of the day―Or, well, whenever, really―I needed the Hero to be dead. Having observed the power of George, which was most certainly many leagues greater than even the best fighter on Earth, at least from before the Tower appeared, my first idea was to somehow come up with a way to make him kill the Hero. However, I swiftly recognised this scheme would never work. I didn't have context regarding the entire situation here, but even with just a little bit of common sense, it was obvious that someone with the title of 'Hero' wasn't a guy who people were going to want to actively kill, not anyone here. Even if he was a detestable bastard, these knights would likely do whatever they could to reign themselves in if resisting the will of the Hero would get them fired, or worse, executed. Of course, I didn't know if that's a real possibility, but considering the mediaeval setting, I could sure as hell make the bet that it is, and I had already seen the will of the knights to not interfere with the Hero, too. Above all, convincing someone to commit murder was by itself a tall order. Doing it against someone called the Hero? It sounded insane even just thinking about it. It should also be noted that the risk of something bad happening to me if I even make a joke about something like that is more than just high. With everything considered, it was impossible... [Certainly! Your line of thinking is correct, Enki! In many Illusory Worlds possessing a Hero-type Protagonist, having anyone that isn't related to the Antagonist do the deed... Of course, there are exceptions! But this certainly does not seem realistic... I would highly recommend thinking of an alternative approach!] 'Right? I thought as much...' So, with the Librarian's endorsement, I ruled that one out for now. [Ah, but fret not! For although I was unaware of your unfamiliarity with the Service, let it be known that I indeed selected a Contract suitable for your first! Therefore, no matter how the circumstances may seem, you are very much capable of clearing it, Enki!] "Thanks..." Fortunately, I did manage to catch a glimpse of the Hero's skill during training. Maybe it was because he was still new here, but he didn't appear very strong compared to a lot of the other knights. Of course, he was still stronger than me, but the thing to note was that it wasn't an insurmountable difference. In other words, I would have to weaken him somehow. That was tricky, and keeping in mind that I had to find a way to kill him myself, it was even more so. '...Well. I guess, the first order of business would be to get a suitable weapon.' With that in mind, casting brief glances at the other knights who were steadily recovering from the wearisome training, I made my way over to the weapon racks by the side. Other than swords, there were a number of spare weapons available. Everyone here was wielding a sword, but maybe these racks were for the training of other groups, as there was quite the varied selection. Without thinking too deeply into it, I reached out for a small, steel dagger, surreptitiously slipping it off the rack and hiding it behind my back as I walked to the changing room from earlier. "There. Should be fine for now..." My backpack, which previously held nothing but modern-day trash food, now contained extremely illegal contraband. That was the first step completed. But, naturally, it was only the beginning. Since we had some time to think and rest during this break, I should start simple. Excluding the status of Hero and all that, what are the basics of murder? Needless to say, I've never murdered anyone before, but I can still take examples from people who have. For starters, common sense would suggest luring him into isolation. After all, I couldn't have any knights, or worse someone like George catching me red-handed, else I'm just done for. I also need a way, as aforementioned, to weaken him, or something along those lines. Ideally, I might be able to catch him off-guard purely by nature of him being so up his own arse, but I'm not confident about that. Even if I succeed in catching him off-guard somehow, I'm not confident in what follows... I only have one shot before everything turns to shit, so I do have to ensure that whatever I go with, actually kills him... Well, honestly, it shouldn't take much. Even if he's called a Hero, he's still human, so I have no doubt he'll die if his head is cut off or if his heart is stabbed. The Librarian also said I could do it with my own strength, no matter how lacking... "Hhh, it's tough..." Scratching my head, I returned to the training arena, finding everyone else funnelling back into the hallway we originally entered from. Watching them go, I wondered if it was already that time for lunch. Then, I realised someone was missing. '...Wait. Is he already gone?' Perhaps as a matter of course, it was the Hero. "Shit... Senior!" Hurriedly, I called out to one of the knights from earlier who treated me well. Hasting my feet to catch up with him and the others, who were already well on their way to devour some grub, I caught his brows jump upon seeing me. "Oh, junior! You're alive! Yes, that's right, I knew you'd do well! Look how exuberant you are despite living through hell, now that's a knight! Very admirable!" I walked with them as we made our way to the canteen, collected our trays of food, and took our seats to begin the meal. Thereafter, scanning around to confirm that the Hero was nowhere to be found, I asked without hesitation. "Where did the Hero go? Does he not eat here?" At that, the senior flinched. "Ahhh, that, well, you know how that Hero is... Such a noble fellow wouldn't eat with commoner folk like us, now would he? Anyhow, you should focus on your meal there, junior. You managed to win and come out on top during the morning session, but afternoon training is an even tougher beast, you see." At that, I too, flinched. "...Afternoon session?" I never heard anything about that. "Pardon? Oh yes, of course." Nodding blankly, the senior raised his fingers up one-by-one. "Breakfast, morning training, lunch, afternoon training―That is our schedule as knights of the Royal Army. Ahaha, you must be thinking it is rather lax for the great Bevelite Royal Army, yes? Well it is thanks to the great words of our Knight Captain that we get evenings free! You saw him earlier, right? That's our George the Gracious, whoopin' that Hero just as he deserves, it was an entertaining spectacle indeed!" The words of the senior, though certainly entering my ears, were almost immediately discarded. The others around us, too, interjected. "Oi, what're you yappin' about? Can't you see you're frightenin' the lad?" "Aieesh, get off my back. He's no kid, see? He got through the mornin' sesh just fine, he can handle it." "Just 'cause you say that, it doesn't mean... Anyway, the kid's not been 'initiated' yet, has he? He might possess the drive to endure hell for now, but not for long I'll tell you that. No, what he needs is something to look forward to after a long'n gruellin' day at work, d'ya get where I'm goin'...?" All of a sudden, something was said to disperse my dreaded reverie. "Oh, that's a good idea! Say, junior, you're a good lad, listening well and quietly to your superiors. Keep that up and you'll go far, trust. What do you say about going for drinks later this eve?" "..." Gradually, I processed his words. Drinks? Abruptly, the illusory image of a fresh mug of frothy beer emerged in my mind. I wasn't a person who was fond of alcohol much, but on this occasion, the idea stuck out to me as a particular kind of suggestion. My mind whirred, and for some reason, everything seemed to come together. With a pint of faint hope replacing that beer in my mind's eye, I met the gaze of those senior knights, grinning wide at that looming promise of just a bit of debauchery. And, perhaps with a look that might be perceived as naive, I asked. "Can the Hero come too?" Subsequently, their expectant faces dropped.