The Hero King, Reincarnate to Master the Art of War

The following days were filled with the laborious task of civil engineering. Inglis was tasked with reconstructing the portion of the defensive walls that had been utterly demolished. Assisted by Rafinha, Ada, and members of the chivalric order, the work was far from lonely. For Inglis, it even served as an adequate substitute for her training.

The materials provided by Jeldegrīva, the Duke of War, were superior to ordinary stone. As a result, the new defense wall was more robust than ever before. Even Rafinha couldn't help but smile at the outcome.

However, Rafinha harbored mixed feelings about Jeldegrīva, primarily due to the Highlander's declaration that he would return to take Inglis as his wife. Her concern was overshadowed by her worry about Eris' injuries.

After spending time recuperating at Ymir's castle, Eris' body exhibited remarkable healing. From multiple broken bones to moving about as usual, her recovery was swift.

Yet, one significant issue persisted.

“Let’s do this again, Miss Eris.”

“Yes…!”

Within Ymir castle's training grounds, Inglis and Eris stood hand in hand.

A golden radiance emanated from their clasped hands, gradually enveloping Eris' body. Normally, the light would intensify to a blinding brightness, and Eris' form would morph into a pair of swords. But now, things were far from normal.

As the glow expanded, it simply faded away and vanished.

“So…it's still the same.”

“The light keeps disappearing…!”

“You're right. This isn't good…”

Eris shook her head, sighing in frustration. While the injuries to her humanoid form were healing, her ability to transform into weapons was still impaired. Despite numerous attempts, there was no sign of improvement.

“I'm perplexed. At this rate, I'm incomplete as a Hyrule Menace.”

“I-, I'm sure you just need to rest a little longer! It'll be fine, so please, cheer up.”

Rafinha did her best to uplift Eris' spirits. Her words might not have sounded entirely convincing, but her earnest efforts were simply too endearing. Inglis found satisfaction just by watching her.

“It's okay. We're not completely out of options. Though, I don't think I can afford to be complacent.”

Perhaps sharing Inglis' sentiment, Eris smiled, patting Rafinha's head. If Inglis remembered correctly, Eris had also embraced Rafinha during her battle with Jeldegrīva. Perhaps Eris had a soft spot for children?

“The damage to the twin swords really is the cause, then.”

“I do think so…this is unprecedented for me, but I'm certain of it.”

“Forgive me, it's all because I fought so rashly…”

Inglis felt profound remorse for her mistake leading to such a serious situation. She bowed her head in apology, to which Eris responded with a reassuring pat on her head.

“Don't dwell on it too much. I'm actually relieved it happened during a match rather than in a life-or-death battle. We've gained valuable insights. Hyrule Menaces were considered the ultimate Artifact, even I believed so, but we discovered something even greater in Highland. Caraldo's giant sword transformation is a weapon that surpasses me. Had I been on equal footing with him, the match would have ended in victory for you, don't you think?”

“That's…”

While it was true that Caraldo possessed superior direct strength, Inglis might have won the match without injuring Eris if she had used Divine Feat from the beginning instead of recklessly employing Eris. The question of whether such a battle would have been enjoyable or contributed to her personal growth was another matter altogether.

In this regard, Eris' supposed lack of strength only deepened Inglis' guilt. Just as Inglis had her Divine Feat, Jeldegrīva might have had a secret weapon of his own.

As Inglis mulled over these thoughts with a complex expression, Eris lifted her up.

“I'm not exactly copying you, but as someone who will fight beside you, I realize I must become stronger as well. This notion never crossed my mind since I became a Hyrule Menace. Until now, all I did was tremble in fear, praying a Prisma wouldn't appear. My lack of strength has been revealed, and that alone makes our recent match fruitful. Plus, we learned that even the mightiest Highlander is not entirely out of reach…”

“Miss Eris…”

“What is it?”

“Do you have a fondness for children?”

“…?!”

“No, I just noticed that you naturally embraced me.”

“I-, I see…you're right. You're so adorable, my arms just acted on their own…”

Eris' cheeks turned pink, possibly feeling a bit shy. Had she always longed to hug Inglis but never found the words to express it?

“You can hug me too! I'll be glad to help cheer you up.”

Rafinha offered, looking up at Eris with arms outstretched. Her smile and gesture were utterly endearing.

“I want to hug Rani too!”

Inglis leaped from Eris' arms to embrace Rafinha.