Editing Kenkoku no Jungfrau:Volume 1 Chapter 1 (section)

===Part 4===
Fortunately, Mana seemed to have reached the barracks safely. It was when she had misplaced Heath and was running away from soldiers with some pompous appearances. The instant Mana had spotted Heath; she ran over to him and burst into tears. And it took some time to calm her down.

The superior officer who had known the circumstances told Heath that it was okay to take the day off, but this was his long-awaited job. After taking his sister back home, he once again returned to the barracks.

In the guardhouse, his took on of the spears hanging on the wall. Though It was a simple item without any ornaments, it excelled in sharpness.

His own spear had broken in that previous incident.

–What should I do? Even though I have to buy Mana’s textbooks…

To the poor Heath, even a cheap spear was not something he could afford purchase often.

At the tip of the spear, there was a sharply honed edge. The long pole supporting the edge was limited to only piercing, slashing and striking downwards but because of its long length, it can bring out power beyond the users physical strengths. 

The spear was a tool used in battlefields. If one grips it, it naturally locks his emotions.

Maintaining the spear with the whetstone and an old cloth soaked in oil, Heath started to recall

–The <Engraved Blades> war huh…

For the last half year, the attacks from the Saika have intensified, and the tension of battle had even made its way to the king’s capital, which was a long distance from the front lines. The king’s capital being directly attacked was something unthinkable but just a few moments ago, even that protection had been broken. If it wasn’t for that girl who called herself Luna, there would certainly have been one casualty today. 

The animals of the forest should have also felt the sighs of wars, and incidents of stray Saika attacking people had also increased. That Saika appearing in a place which was just beside human residence just a while ago was most likely also because of that.

And then, there was also this internal discord.

Cladding himself in armour, and taking up a spear was to protect the citizen from an enemy like that, in other words, to fight as a soldier. 

“Hey newbie, if the maintenances are done then hurry up and go to your post!”

“Roger!”

After being yelled at by a senior soldier, Heath replied with a shout and hastened towards the post he was appointed to. The barracks was built just inside the outer wall gate, and the Main Street that continued from the gate ran along almost all the main facilities in town including the royal castle.  
–A heroic tale doesn’t only belong to the hero.

The people always long for the heroes who do brilliant deeds of arms. Aiming to be heroes like them, people start wanting to be strong.

But, if the only character in the story was the hero, then heroic tales would not exist.

There was an indispensible existence that should always be in a heroic tale.

Then exactly what was it?

Someone who should be protected?

Indeed, someone to protect was certainly necessary. It could be the people of a country. Or it could be a beautiful princess. Saving either, certainly that was necessary to earn the title of a hero.

But, a hero apart from them exists too. A hero who can accomplish anything without needing help from anyone. So it isn’t always an absolutely necessary thing. 

Then, was it the existence of an adversary?

A hero who defeats evil was indeed something that shakes one’s heart. Slashing an enormous enemy with a single sword and defeating it was definitely a sight that could even bring tears to our eyes.

But, there are heroes who go through a lot of distress in order to save someone. Defeating the enemy wasn’t the only thing in a heroic tale.

“So you’ve arrived.”

When he arrived at his post, he soon saw a young man with a similar appearance near the spot. All day today, it seemed that the young man would be his partner for the time he would protect that place.

After Heath nodded in agreement, the young man returned a ferocious looking smile.  

The glint in his eyes were so full of fighting spirit that it made Heath unconsciously thank the fact that he was not a Saika.

And when Heath took an upright posture at his allocated position, the young man thrust the end of his spear on the ground.

“Well then, let us pray that nothing at all happens today and start the watch-keeping.”

Heath occupation, it was ‘Gatekeeper’.

In all heroic tales, the one to call the hero after noticing an abnormal event before everyone else, and receiving the hero who had come from a long distance, then unfolding a life or death battle for not letting that hero pass was always the gatekeeper!

At the same time, the one to lose his life first of all in all heroic tales was generally the gatekeeper. But Heath was satisfied with his job.

Rather, because Heath who had no talents excelled in this, it gave him a good sense of fulfilment.