Upon hearing those words, Anna fell into a long silence. She didn't speak, but instead dragged her feet toward the body lying by the door. Slowly, she knelt down, her shoulders trembling slightly.
That was her newlywed husband, now forever lost to this massacre.
A suppressed sob escaped her throat, carrying a heart-wrenching agony, but it quickly faded into a low whimper before falling silent entirely.
Himeko stood quietly to the side, making no move to disturb her.
Some wounds can only be processed slowly by oneself; at a time like this, any words of comfort would ring hollow and powerless.
After a long while, Anna slowly raised her head. The tear tracks on her face had already dried, leaving behind nothing but a deathly, hollow pallor.
She turned her head and looked at Himeko with a gaze that no longer held a trace of weakness—only a cold, absolute resolve and a desperate thirst. "...Tell me, please. What must I do to become as strong as you?"
Her voice was hoarse, yet it carried an undeniable firmness. "If you can, please tell me. I beg of you..."
Before the words had even fully left her lips, Anna slowly bowed her head until it pressed heavily against the blood-stained ground. Her posture was respectful and humble, yet it carried the resolve of someone who had burned all her bridges.
"You want to become strong...?" Himeko mused for a moment before asking in a calm voice, "Before we get to that, I have a few questions for you. Please answer them truthfully."
"Please, ask anything," Anna replied immediately.
"First, do you know someone named Keyaru? Or perhaps Keyarga, or Keyara?" Himeko inquired.
Anna searched her memory carefully before shaking her head. "I'm sorry, I don't know anyone by those names. At least, no one in this village. If they are from somewhere else, I wouldn't know."
"I see..."
Hearing this, Himeko gained a rough understanding of the situation. It seemed this world, like the Mushoku Tensei world March 7th had visited previously, was missing certain key individuals.
Of course, whether they simply didn't exist in this world or were currently elsewhere was something she would have to discover later.
For now, she needed to continue gathering intelligence.
"Then, my next question is... do you know about the Heroes?"
Himeko asked what she felt was the most critical question.
"Heroes?!" A flicker of surprise flashed in Anna's eyes, only to be replaced by a shadow of gloom. "Are you... a Hero? No wonder you're so powerful. If that's the case, then I... I could never become as strong as you."
"Oh? Why do you say that?"
Himeko felt a surge of relief—the fact that Anna knew about Heroes meant the Hero system still existed in this world, which was undoubtedly good news.
She pressed further without changing her expression, wanting to clarify the specific details of this world's Hero mechanics.
"Because since ancient times, there can only ever be ten Heroes," Anna answered, her voice tinged with a mix of helplessness and longing. "Unless a current Hero dies, a new one will never appear. And a Hero's strength is overwhelmingly superior to that of an ordinary person. Aside from the legendary Demon Lord, no one can kill a Hero. Their lifespans are incredibly long; they can easily live for hundreds of years. Among the known Heroes today, the eldest is only in his fifties. I could never wait for the day a Hero passes away. And as for getting stronger through other means... no matter how hard one works, it's impossible to reach the height of a Hero."
"I see."
Himeko nodded slightly, having reached a conclusion.
The Hero setting in this world deviated slightly from the original story, but not drastically. In the original, when a Hero died, the class became vacant, and it wasn't a matter of an immediate new selection; rather, someone with the right qualities had to undergo a trial to inherit the Hero title and the Divine Arms.
From Anna's words, it seemed that in this world, a successor was chosen immediately upon a Hero's death. This undoubtedly made the task of the main body becoming a Hero much easier.
She looked at the thirst and resolve in Anna's eyes, her voice softening as she asked again, "Then, even if you can't become as strong as me, do you still want to get stronger?"
"Yes!" The word practically burst from Anna's lips, a fierce fire igniting in her eyes. "I want to get stronger! Even if I can't be a Hero, even if I'm only a little stronger than a normal person, I won't have to stand by and watch my loved ones die again! I won't be at the mercy of others!"
As she spoke, her gaze landed on the corpse on the ground. Her eyes were cold and decisive; there were no more tears.
"In that case, I'll give you a chance."
Himeko smiled thinly, a look of understanding in her eyes.
She could use this opportunity to try using the newly unlocked Admin privileges to invite Anna to become a tenant of the apartment—something she had already obtained Su Mu's consent for through their mental bond.
Anna possessed a blend of gentleness and tenacity similar to Misaki's, perfectly meeting the criteria for the apartment. After all, "beautiful girl" didn't strictly mean she had to be a teenager.
"Accept my invitation." Himeko gave a light wave of her hand, and a pale blue light screen materialized in front of Anna. It displayed lines of invitation text automatically translated into the language of this world. "Join the apartment as a tenant. There, you can continue to grow stronger. Perhaps one day, it won't even be impossible for you to surpass a Hero."
"...This is?!"
Anna stared at the sudden appearance of the light screen, her eyes filled with shock and suspicion. She instinctively reached out to touch it, then hesitated.
After a brief moment of doubt, Anna took a deep breath. The shock in her eyes faded, replaced entirely by resolve.
She had nothing left to lose. This was perhaps her only chance to grow strong and take control of her own life.
She reached out and tapped the screen, her voice low and firm. "I understand. I accept the invitation."
Himeko nodded. She knew the invitation panel would automatically adapt to the current world's script and cognitive framework, so there was no need to worry about a communication barrier.
"Very well," Himeko said with a smile. "You can check the specific functions of the apartment through the panel in front of you. For now, you can choose to return directly to the apartment. Pick a room you like, wash up, and settle your mind."
"Understood. Thank you, My Lady."
Anna quickly browsed the information on the panel, her eyes widening in surprise, followed by a look of deep contemplation.
"There's no need to be so formal," Himeko said kindly. "Currently, only the 49th floor has tenants. You can choose an empty room on that floor so you can get acquainted with the others."
"Understood."
Anna nodded, her tone noticeably more relaxed.
"In that case, I'll head back first." Himeko paused as if remembering something, then added, "Once you've chosen your room and finished washing up, come to the only occupied room on the 49th floor. The tenant there invited my husband over for lunch; you should come along as well."
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