Chapter 5

It seems that the hero has a series of equipment called the "Hero's Equipment."

Just how much of a standard RPG is this...

I almost want to applaud.

And, as is typical, it seems to be hidden in various places.

Okay, okay, okay.

In a dungeon, right?

Or maybe in the basement of some village chief's house?

...So, for now, since this castle doesn't have anything like that, Amane was given a suitable weapon to borrow and came to the castle's armory to choose it. Among the various types of swords, spears, and bows neatly lined up, the delicate girl looked completely out of place, which was rather surreal.

"Hmm. Spears are so big. It's going to be difficult to handle the weight... And I only dabbled in archery, so I'm not very confident with that."

Watching Amane, who was calmly muttering with a troubled expression, I can't help but wonder if this is really okay. Does she understand that she's being asked to fight and kill for strangers?

...

A sigh escapes me.

Sorry, but I have to speak up.

"...Prince, isn't the hero's final equipment already decided? What will you ultimately use to challenge the demon king?"

After waving my hand in front of the prince, who was looking at Amane with a feverish gaze, he straightened his back with a start.

Welcome back.

"I have heard of the [Sword of the Sky]. In ancient times, the first hero received it from the goddess..."

"Thank you. A sword, then. Amane, pick a sword you can handle and try it out."

Amane obediently replied, "Okay," and started looking for a sword.

I ignored the prince, who looked displeased at being interrupted.

"This one should be manageable."

"Oh... Yeah, that's good, I think."

I nodded in exasperation at the delicate girl who had chosen a rather heavy sword and was swinging it effortlessly.

By the way, this girl is a kendo practitioner.

She seems to be better at unarmed combat, like aikido or judo.

She's more of a front-line melee fighter...

"Should I also borrow a dagger or a knife?"

"Oh, that dagger would be good."

With that, they chose the weapons and armor, and today's activities were over.

For dinner, it was the three of us, including Prince Atheros, who is completely smitten with Amane. Amane is a naturally dense girl when it comes to romance, so I gradually started feeling sorry for the prince, but I don't particularly want them to get closer.

She only responded when spoken to and enjoyed the luxurious meal.

<Day 1 in the Other World> ended.

<Day 2 in the Other World> morning.

Finally, the hero's preparations began.

First, the selection of attendants.

She is apparently taking a knight, a mage, and a priest.

I wanted to gather information about this world in a place where no one would notice, but since Amane insisted on coming with me, I accompanied her in the selection of the knight. She's not usually shy, but I guess the different world makes her a bit anxious.

The selection method was a tournament-style match.

Deciding by skill is straightforward, but I didn't like the young man who won.

"Amane, if you can hear me out, could you ask the runner-up to come along too?"

"Okay, I will."

"See you."

"Eh?! Are you leaving already, big sister?"

"I'm not leaving the castle, so don't worry."

Waving goodbye to Amane and leaving her with the prince, I started wandering the castle to gather information.

Since Amane calls me "big sister," my status in this castle is apparently quite high.

In other words, there are several cunning old men who are plotting to manipulate Amane through me.

Thank you for the trust.

I casually mentioned to the third pot-bellied old man, "Amane and I both love sweets," and then wandered off to find the next target.

It's so easy to be the bait.

"...Ryo?"

"Y-yes?"

Oh, this next target is young.

When I turned around, I saw the knight who had come in second place in Amane's attendant selection tournament.

Since Ryo is a young lady, I'm trying to sneak in some romantic elements whenever I get the chance. But... will it really turn into a romantic element?