I Am Not the Heroine

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At the edge of the northeastern part of the Empire lies a city.

The most notable feature of this city, ruled by the Count of Wintergard, is its gigantic walls.

Between the point where the massive mountain range encompassing the North ends and the new mountain range leading to the East, there is a colossal gate wall that serves as the city’s trademark and center.

“In the original story, it said that an unknown phenomenon occurs beyond this point with a massive influx of magical creatures.”

It’s not that the Demon King and the Hero appeared and caused this; rather, it’s said that invasions by magical creatures had been frequent even before that, prompting the construction of the enormous castle walls.

The wall at the Southwestern Gate, which could be considered the main gate, is about three times taller than the rest, indicating how much of a headache it must have been.

Thus, Wintergard was enclosed by this bizarre wall, which looked as though a massive carpet had been laid on it, resembling a single chair.

“Hero, the Count wishes to meet with you.”

“Let’s go right away. Please lead the way.”

The Count of Wintergard urgently called for us as soon as our party set foot in the city.

“It doesn’t seem like anything major happened in the original story…”

It might be connected to causality.

Upon arriving at the Wintergard Mansion, a middle-aged man with white hair hurriedly came out to greet us.

“Welcome, Hero Party! However, um, I have a somewhat urgent request!”

“Yes, understood. For now, I’ll let my companions settle in, and I will hear the relevant details first.”

“Please come this way!”

As Aswel gestured for us, he followed the Count into the mansion.

The other four of us, guided by the servants, began to unpack our belongings and head towards the reception room.

“So, the frequency of magical creature attacks has recently increased…”

“I see. Ah, welcome.”

Aswel summarized the discussions he had with the Count up to this point.

In short, the onslaught of magical creatures toward the Wintergard walls had intensified lately.

“Being attacked two or three times a day wasn’t a big issue. However, about a week ago, we started receiving four attacks just in the morning, leading to serious manpower issues.”

No matter how skilled the guards of Wintergard are in defense, they are still human.

Considering the fatigue incurred from an assault, many people would need to rotate in to fend them off.

But if that happens, the manpower and related expenses would skyrocket, so the Count ultimately made a request to the Hero Party.

“I would greatly appreciate your assistance in eliminating the source.”

He didn’t expect the complete eradication of magical creatures.

He just hoped to reduce the ceaseless onslaught, even just a little bit.

That was the Count of Wintergard’s request.

Aswel paused for a moment, contemplating the Count’s words.

Of course, given his personality and position, he wouldn’t refuse.

But because of that, he had to approach it very carefully.

The question was how to end it quickly while minimizing the damage.

“I will accept.”

“Oooh…!”

“However, I believe I need to discuss this with my companions. It would be beneficial for resolving the situation.”

“I understand. Then, I will inform the guards so they can assist you at any time.”

* * *

After leaving the Count’s reception room, we gathered in a single room to start our meeting.

“By the way, why are we doing this in my room?”

I grumbled while sitting on the bed, leaning against Rapirie.

Considering that the Hero Party came in, my belongings that I had neatly arranged were now in disarray.

“If you’re worried about it getting dirty, it doesn’t make a big difference, right? Look, those magical tools are all over the place.”

“Disorganized? That’s clearly ‘arrangement.'”

“Okay, okay. Or are we the ones feeling uncomfortable?”

Again, again.

I glared at Rapirie, who had her chin resting on my head.

Ugh, her grin back at me was really annoying.

Lately, she keeps asking, ‘Am I making you uncomfortable?’ so it’s been hard not to feel wronged.

“I’ll finish it up quickly. Sorry.”

“There’s really no need for Aswel to apologize.”

It wasn’t just his fault; we all shared the blame.

“First, let’s take a look at the map showing the overall walls and mountain ranges… Ah, thank you, Rui.”

As the meeting commenced, I used a pen to etch a map of Wintergard in shining golden letters that floated in the air.

Initially shocked, everyone seemed to have grown used to this, now pointing at various places on the map to formulate plans.

“First off, the attacks are reported to be coming from three directions: the northern mountains, the eastern mountains, and the valley in between.”

Moreover, the types of magical creatures emerging from each attack direction vary, and they don’t overlap as if they had made a promise.

“To be honest, it doesn’t seem like a natural occurrence.”

“Right. If it were natural, they would have fought each other and self-destructed a long time ago.”

From the moment we start seeing consistent behavior from magical creatures, it’s safe to consider it abnormal.

“I suspect it’s the Demon Race.”

Demon Race.

When magical creatures start acting strange, the Demon Race is usually involved.

We had already seen magical creatures attacking the four gates back when we were in Alpares.

I was thinking about the Demon Race too.

“So, how should we respond?”

We know it’s the Demon Race, so what type are they, and how should we counter them?

In fact, the key to this debate was this.

How to allocate the power of our Hero Party of six.

Since the attacks come from three directions, going all-in on one direction raises the possibility of overwhelming attacks on the other two.

But if we split into pairs, we could be easily picked apart.

Additionally, we need to pay attention to the defense of Wintergard, which makes the objectives practically fourfold.

“First, Rie, it seems most suitable for you to support the defense at the walls. What do you think?”

“I agree. As long as it’s a reasonable distance, I can also provide support from afar. But the issue lies with Ariya.”

Ariya possesses divine power as a Saint.

Thus, her capabilities become somewhat ambiguous in a situation like this, with dispersed objectives.

If there were just one target, it would be easy to go together, but with such a significant discrepancy in power, one side becomes even weaker.

“If I could split Ariya in two, it would be much more convenient, but…”

“Hii…! I’m so sorry…!”

“Of course, that was just a joke.”

At that moment, Rapirie gently rubbed her chin against my head and asked.

“Rui, what do you think?”

“Um…”

I also couldn’t think of a sharp solution right away.

“This time, Rui, don’t overdo it. You have trials to deal with, too.”

Aswel defended me, but the weight of responsibility didn’t press down on my shoulders at that moment.

However, disregarding the fact that we are now companions felt equally wrong.

Just then, Aswel’s words echoed in my mind.

“…Trials?”

“Yeah?”

“Everyone, I have an idea.”

“What is it?”

“That’s our Rui! I knew you’d pull through. I believed in you.”

Ignoring Serelin’s inexplicable faith, I said.

“Please leave the defense of the walls to me. More precisely, to my magical tools.”

If you’re unsure whether to prioritize your trials or the request, why not do both simultaneously?

* * *

The first aspect of that trial is to create the vessel that the deity-like existence will inhabit.

Creating a body for a divine being to enter sounds wildly absurd and difficult.

Thus, it’s naturally a given to discard any thoughts of succeeding from the outset.

And one shouldn’t try to make it resemble a divine body right from the start.

Though I possess various magical knowledge, I have virtually no related experience.

‘For starters, it will likely be a simple doll.’

I had no intention of making a body composed of flesh and blood just because it’s a divine being.

Instead, I thought of creating a mechanical body made of metal and electricity, similar to what was seen in The Record.

In the end, I need to complete a machine that will contain divinity, so I’ll first attempt to create the simplest automaton.

“What if I made the first prototype for my trial as a defense mechanism for the walls?”

“Umm?”

Serelin frowned, as though she didn’t understand.

“To put it simply, it’s a mechanical guard that moves with magic.”

This also served as an answer to a question that had been swirling in my mind since I learned about causality.

If a powerful entity enters the Hero Party, it disrupts causality.

Then, I wonder what happens to causality if a powerful being emerges from within the Hero Party itself?

This became the answer and the starting point for the trial, and I’ll focus on researching mechanical soldiers to defend the walls of Wintergard.

However, my companions must assist until the first prototype comes out.

“For now, I’ll focus on defense rather than trials, so it shouldn’t take too long. But since the overall design takes time, I’ll need your understanding.”

The design for the mechanical soldier is just a name at this stage.

No specifics for form, weapons used, or mechanisms are set yet.

I aim to complete it as quickly as possible, but I can’t predict how long it will take until it operates normally.

“Rui.”

Aswel looked at me and asked.

“Do you think it’ll take over a week?”

“No.”

“Then, I don’t mind.”

He chose a week not because it would take that long, but due to the schedule.

Other towns or cities have requests too, and above all, the Count and the citizens wanted a quick resolution.

But it wouldn’t actually take that long.

After all, I only need to make it functional for a one-time use.

“In that case, I’m in favor.”

“I’m on board too!”

“Same here!”

“Me too.”

And finally, with Aswel included.

“If you need help, just let me know anytime, Rui. We trust you.”

“Thank you, everyone.”

From that evening, I started fervently working on creating the mechanical soldier, based on the help from my companions.