The demon lord collapsed to his knees.
“It’s over,” said a swordsman in gray armor.
He held the demon lord in his steadfast gaze as he raised his sword…
✦ ✦ ✦
The whole kingdom seemed to shake from the thunderous applause that the victorious heroes received upon their return.
“They’ve slain the demon lord!”
Monsters were no longer a threat. That day would be remembered as the beginning of an epoch belonging to humans.
The valiant heroes waved at the crowds from atop their horses. There was the charismatic Hyrune the champion, famed for excelling even the royal guards’ captain in swordsmanship. Next to him was Enerith the sage, a genius magician commanding magic of all elements. The third of the heroes was the beautiful Meloia; a saint blessed by the king of spirits, she could cure any injury with her healing magic.
“…”
A certain man was watching the celebrations from a distance. The crowds did not know his name, and yet he was the one who had killed the demon lord. He was the fourth hero, the strongest man in the world. His name was Theodore.
✦ ✦ ✦
A year had passed since the start of world peace. Monsters were becoming a rare sight, the kingdom so safe that children were allowed to play outside the city walls unsupervised.
The four heroes were in the far eastern reaches of their country, in front of a giant door to a tower.
“Are you sure you want to go inside, Theo?”
Hyrone put his hand on the swordsman’s shoulder, urging him to reconsider. There was nobody there besides the four heroes.
The swordsman gazed up at the tower, his stiff black hair swaying in the wind.
“I wish to find out what lies at the top of this tower, this monument created by God when the world was. I wish to find out why those who enter never come out.”
His dark eyes were fixed on the tower.
He’d never had any interest in wealth or status. He didn’t even want to be recognized as one of the kingdom’s heroes. What drove him was a desire for self-improvement.
Theodore looked down at his hands, his face entirely dispassionate. He slowly closed his hands into fists.
“I have this need to climb this tower, and I hope that what I find at the top will give me some sense of fulfillment at last.”
Theodore had never known his limits. He kept fighting, searching for something he couldn’t define, something that would make him feel fulfilled. That was why he’d joined the heroes on their quest to defeat the demon lord, but even when he’d done the deed with his own hands, Theodore didn’t feel like he’d achieved what he’d wanted. His companions were aware of that.
“How can we keep protecting the world if we might lose you, Theo? It was you who released the kingdom from the clutches of the demon lord and his minions!” Meloia pleaded with him tearfully.
She knew it was hopeless to try to change his mind, though. None of them could say anything that would stop him.
“I can climb this tower without regrets because I know I’m leaving the kingdom in your hands. Besides, I told you before that this would be my next objective after the demon lord.”
The tower stood so tall, its summit disappeared among the clouds. There was nothing stopping people from entering, but those who did go in never came back. Nobody knew what was inside.
“Thanks for everything,” Theodore said to his companions, his hand already on the door.
The door was heavy, and it creaked when Theodore pushed it, but it opened easily, as if welcoming him. All Theodore could see from the entrance was darkness.
“Wait, Theo! Listen! Meloia is in—”
“Enerith, stop. Say no more,” Meloia quickly interrupted the sage.
Her greatest act of kindness toward Theodore was her hiding her feelings for him, so as not to interfere with his calling.
Theodore stepped into the tower, turned, and smiled one last time at the three heroes.
“See you later.”
In the second year of the kingdom’s history, the elusive fourth hero, the swordsman Theodore, slayer of the demon lord, entered an ancient structure made not by human hands but by God’s own hands—the Celestial Tower.
✦ ✦ ✦
What Theodore saw next was a vast grassland. He was inside the tower, and yet to his astonishment, there was a blue sky above him, dotted with slowly drifting clouds. A warm breeze was blowing.
Theodore looked around and saw a large village not too far away. He started walking.
As soon as he reached the village, its residents came out to greet him, a new arrival. There were about three hundred people of all ages.
“It’s been a long time since someone has dared to enter the tower.”
“I’ve lived more than a hundred years. I can tell you it’s been half a century since the last arrival.”
Theodore asked the villagers about the tower. They told him that to reach the top, he’d have to make his way up countless floors, each with a hidden stairway to the next level, guarded by a holy beast. While inside the tower, people didn’t age or die. They simply kept on living, exactly the same as the day they had entered.
“If you keep heading north, you will find a large city. Its inhabitants are all people who’d wanted to reach the top of the tower, but their spirit was broken in the end, and they gave up. Be vigilant against them.”
The villagers convinced Theodore to take off his heavy armor and helm, since he didn’t need them in the tower, where he was immortal. They gave him worn-out traveler’s clothes to wear instead. Theodore didn’t care too much about that, but he insisted on keeping his sword. He left the village and headed north.