Chapter 279
Speaking of "heroes," they are a classic archetype in entertainment like novels, games, manga, and anime, so commonplace that they've been worn out, to the point where some say labeling someone a "hero" immediately makes things boring. It's that familiar a profession.
Moreover, what Lady Iris is seeking is the most classic of classics, a heroic existence like a "Hero of Light."
"It's doable.""It's doable!?""Yeah, well."
That style itself exists in FBO too. In fact, there are players who recreate it completely, from equipment to character design and even skill builds, making a character that anyone would unmistakably call a hero. Some even go as far as creating meme-hero builds using templates, like heroes of each element, "zamaa"-type heroes, rags-to-riches heroes, or "heroes" (lol), showing how familiar it is.
"But well, things like the Legendary Hero's Sword or Armor, those kinds of legendary items, I can't prepare those right away, of course.""No, I'm not asking for that much.""Is that so?"
However, even I can't prepare weapons with legends like "slayed the Demon King" right now.
Heroes are beings closely tied to stories and legends. So, I thought she might want legendary weapons that play important roles in stories, like the one Lady Iris is holding, but when I asked, she said she didn't need that.
Lady Iris looked around as if to ask, "Is it always like this?" The others showed no sign of surprise, quietly enjoying their tea and snacks.
In other words, this flow of conversation *is* "Liberta."
In Lady Iris's imagination, she probably only expected to get advice on becoming a hero from me, never imagining I'd talk about preparing legendary weapons.
"The way you said that makes it sound like you *can* prepare legendary weapons.""I can.""You can!?"
Among dedicated players, there are those who don't settle for fake legendary weapons but create genuine ones with actual legends attached. And within the game's quests, there are also opportunities to obtain weapons worthy of being called legendary—the so-called developer-made, strongest NPC weapons.
"Which do you prefer: a self-made legendary weapon, or going to get a pre-existing legendary weapon? You can experience a fun 'legendary weapon story' with either, by the way.""Eh? Eh? Make a legendary weapon? Go get one?"
I generously offered information since it was for my favorite character, causing Lady Iris's eyes to widen in shock.
"Liberta, Iris is confused. Information overload is not good, you know.""Ah, sorry."
It felt less like her brain was refusing to understand and more like her common sense was refusing to comprehend. Lately, even Nell and Amina, who've known me the longest in this world, not to mention Ingrid, Claudia, Lady Esmeralda, and even the Duke, have gotten used to my unconventional responses, so I'd started accepting that as normal. That's why Lady Iris's reaction felt fresh.
"Sister, is Liberta always like this?""That's right. Iris, if you're going to interact with Liberta more from now on, you'll wear yourself out mentally if you're surprised by this. The trick is to think, 'It's just Liberta being Liberta,' no matter what he says.""I see.""Wait, it feels weird for me to say this, but isn't the way you all treat me strange?""It can't be helped. It's Liberta, after all.""I see, so that's the appropriate way to handle it."
Frankly, I was starting to feel a bit unsatisfied because fewer people were surprised by my knowledge lately, so this reaction is honestly fun. Although I have some complaints about how I'm treated, part of me also thinks it's inevitable considering my past actions.
The two sisters smiled warmly at each other. They really are sisters, huh.
Ah, seeing their expressions, enjoying themselves as if they'd just thought of a little prank, made me smile too.
Just being able to see this scene makes me feel that breaking the original story was worth it.
The Iris from the game I loved isn't here. The one here now is the real Iris Edelgard, a young girl simply enjoying a moment with her sister.
Ah, I see. As I understood, a feeling sprouted, mixed with a bit of superiority, wishing other players could see this scene too. This is just one route among the countless IF scenarios I've imagined, merely one possibility I guided.
If an original story purist were here, they might give me the middle finger and yell, "What are you doing!?" But I'm sure players who favor Iris would give me at least one round of applause.
Ah, damn. What a waste. Why did I keep missing the chance to see this scene?
"Now then, Liberta, one thing I was wondering about. You said you could *make* a legendary weapon, but how do you do that?""Yes! When we say 'legendary,' it mostly refers to arms and armor said to have been used by great figures of the past. To *make* that...""Could it be you mean making something with performance equivalent to a legend?""I see! That would make sense!"
While I was harboring such regrets, the two sisters began interpreting my words. Nell and Amina tilted their heads as if to say, "Is the interpretation that simple?" and Claudia's wry smile indicated that Lady Esmeralda's interpretation hadn't yet caught up with my train of thought.
"No, I mean making a weapon that *has* a legend.""Eh!?""How do you truly do that?"
Alright, let's put a lid on those precious feelings for now and return to the topic of heroes. Hero equipment inevitably includes legendary weapons.
There was a player who conceptually analyzed these legendary weapons and tried to recreate them.
"First, you tweak the name 'Legendary Weapon' slightly, changing it to 'A Weapon Possessing the Concept of a Legend.'""A weapon possessing the concept of a legend?""Correct."
When people hear "Legendary Weapon," most think of a powerful weapon with amazing abilities. And in RPGs, weapons boasting such legends often appear as the strongest or among the top-tier weapons obtainable in the latter half of the mid-game or the beginning of the late game.
However, that's the "Legendary Weapon" when focusing on performance.
According to the player who recreated legendary weapons, "That's no different from player-made powerful weapons."
"For example, a 'Dragon-Slaying Sword' that killed a dragon about ten years ago. If that story is known throughout the country, it's a weapon with the legend of having slain a dragon in the past, right?""That's right. Ah! The concept of a legend is...!""Exactly. 'Legendary Weapon' refers not to its performance, but to a great deed. It could be a deed about how strong the weapon was, but more importantly, it's about what was *achieved* with that weapon."
And this player also said: It's a "chicken or the egg" situation. What makes a legendary weapon a legendary weapon isn't that the weapon was strong, but that it was used to accomplish a legendary feat, which is why it's called a legendary weapon.
"In other words, if it has enough fame to be talked about worldwide, even a bamboo spear can become a legendary weapon."
You could call it a shift in perspective, but on the flip side, I'd ask if there's any other way to define a legendary weapon. Lady Iris nodded in understanding, and Lady Esmeralda was impressed such a method existed.
"In fact, if you prepare a weapon with incredible renown, like one blessed by the Spirit King, promote it widely, and store it to be passed down to the next generation, it becomes 'the legendary weapon blessed by the Spirit King, received by the previous Duke.' You can create a legendary weapon without even fighting, just like that.""So, you're saying strength isn't necessary for a legendary weapon?""It's just that strong weapons tend to become legends easier, but it's not necessarily true that all strong weapons become legends."
If you unravel the method of making legendary arms, it's not that special. In fact, the Dragon-Slaying Great Bow I gave to this Ducal house, if stored until the grandson's generation, would likely be talked about as the "Legendary Dragon-Slaying Great Bow."
"So, that's the gist. If you want to equip yourself with legendary arms as a hero, that's one way to do it.""Somehow... I understand it's quite different from what I imagined. In my mind, the image is stronger of a weapon an ancestor obtained after many hardships, hidden away for emergencies.""Those kinds of weapons exist too, you know? Should we go get one once you're stronger?"
And if asked whether weapons with that kind of meaning exist in this world, I would say yes. Since Lady Iris seems to have a desire to become a story-like hero, a treasure weapon obtained after a J○nes-esque adventure from some indie [quest] would probably suit her tastes better.
When I made such an adventure-story-like proposal, her expression shifted from the previous confusion to one with sparkling eyes.
"Is there a legendary sword stuck in a small island in an underground lake?""That's a very specific request.""It's the weapon from Iris's favorite story. But even with your knowledge, Liberta, a weapon identical to one from a fairy tale...""There is one.""There is!?""......So there is."
Claudia tilted her head, wondering if such a weapon existed, while Lady Esmeralda explained why Lady Iris wanted that weapon. Though knowing it was from a fictional story and shouldn't exist, their semi-doubtful gazes seemed to say, "If it's him, it might," so I nodded.
When I confirmed its existence, Lady Esmeralda made a resigned smile.
"Yeah, I'm aware of about... three weapons in locations matching that description.""There are *three* of them!?""What about the legend?""Ah, you want a one-of-a-kind? In that case, I recommend the sword stuck in the center of a fountain deep inside a temple atop a certain mountain. It's a masterpiece with all three merits: good performance, good appearance, and a good legendary backstory."
I think it's fairly common in other games too for legends to not be limited to one weapon. There might be restrictions like weapons for specific people, but otherwise, having multiple weapons isn't unique to FBO; it's quite common, isn't it?
In response to Lady Esmeralda's doubt, "Is it alright to have that many legendary weapons? Doesn't it diminish their value?" my retort is that in a world with such a long history, it would be stranger if only *one* weapon ever became legendary.
"Will that weapon choose me?""Anyone can pull it out as long as they meet the conditions. It's just that fulfilling the conditions is troublesome, so it takes some effort."
If you remove the restriction of it being a "sword," you can find even more legendary weapons, and most of them can be obtained by completing quests.
The true nature of "legendary weapons that only the chosen can wield" is that the method to acquire them is passed down through oral traditions within specific families, leading to the misunderstanding that only that lineage can obtain them. It's a blunt way to put it, but that's the truth.
"Can one become a hero more easily than I thought?""Iris, you must not use Liberta as a benchmark.""That's right, Lady Iris. Liberta's standards involve actions that would make the word 'harsh' feel lukewarm for normal people, so you must never consider that common sense.""That's right. It's because Liberta says it.""Yeah, it's because Liberta-kun says it.""Yes, it's because Liberta-sama says it."
Perhaps it's because of how I treated the game-in Iris, but I thought it might be better to tell her now rather than have her learn this truth later. And so, Lady Iris was left thinking that becoming a hero was easy.