Prologue ②
“Haah… Even if you say that, what can I do? I was just chosen because the Holy Mark appeared and I could pull the Holy Sword out, you know?”
“That record exists. However, your soul is not one that should be bound to the fate of a Hero. Even in this face-to-face meeting, I can clearly understand that. You are not the Hero; the ones selected by the Saint and the Sage are the true beings who should exist as Heroes.”
“Haah… So what do you want me to do? If you’re telling me to die for the sin of stealing fate, then I’ll resist with all my might and, while I’m at it, I’ll kill those three over there and escape.”
Shouldn’t the priority be to strip the titles of Saint and Sage from those two? Not that I’m particularly attached to being a Hero; after all, the reason I was dragged out from the mountains was because of this Holy Mark. Where did my will come into play? Please tell me.
“…I will strip you of your title.”
“Excuse me?”
“I will strip you of your qualifications as a Hero.”
“Haah… And then?”
“From this moment, this person shall be recognized as the true Hero, and you will atone for the sin of having stolen the fate of a Hero.”
“Oh? So what should I do? Should I go kill the Demon King or something?”
“…The power within you. I will strip you of that power, which has the potential to rewrite the laws of this world. Then you will have to fight and survive using only your own strength.”
“Oh, is that all? I thought you’d ask me to steal a dragon’s heart while it’s still alive or prepare hundreds of liters of mermaid’s blood or something.”
That would be no big deal. Finding mermaids or dragons would be the starting point, and as for the Demon King, I don’t even know where he is. If I were told to kill him within a year, I’d have to torture his subordinates to find out.
“Well then, shall we get started? Should I just cut off the arm with the Holy Mark?”
“…Are you not dissatisfied?”
“Nope. Rather, I feel like I’ve been liberated from those annoying people, so I’m quite pleased. So how do I lose my qualifications as a Hero? Should I just throw away the Holy Sword?”
“…Present the hand with the Holy Mark and the Holy Sword.”
“Sure.”
I offer the Holy Sword, which I’ve been carrying on my back for two or three years without drawing, to the angel who is enveloped in four pairs of white wings.
To be honest, I’m tired because the Demon King’s army officer I just killed was surprisingly strong. I mean, I’m just forcing a hole in my side to close up, so I want to treat it. I wish this would wrap up quickly.
“…I strip Ferno Desire of the Holy Mark and the Holy Sword. From this moment, Ferno Desire shall no longer be a Hero.”
“Uwee.”
Oh, the angel’s wings are spreading… Wait, is it completely naked? Amazing, those depictions of naked angels in ruins aren’t just figments of imagination; they’re actually naked. I can’t see any private parts, and despite the feminine voice, there’s no sign of breasts, so it’s probably just a body for manifestation. Still, I feel like I’ve gained something here.
Now, when I see a depiction of a naked angel, I can think, “Ah, this faithfully reproduces the truth.” Conversely, when I see a clothed angel, I might think, “But these guys aren’t actually wearing clothes…”
…Wait, is this going on too long? How long do I have to keep my eyes on this naked angel? Should I just cry like an artist moved by the beauty?
More importantly, the pain from the wound in my side is making me tear up… Huh? Is something being pulled out of me, like a ball of light?
“…It’s over. From this moment on, you are forbidden from claiming to be a Hero.”
“…Just claiming?”
“Indeed. It is only your self-proclamation as a Hero that is forbidden. The moment you attempt to deceive the people by claiming to be a Hero, punishment shall befall you from the heavens.”
“Hmmm?”
“Farewell. You shall likely never meet again.”
“Is that so? I have a feeling we’ll meet again someday.”
“…”
Oh, the Saint and the Sage, along with that guy, have taken the Holy Sword and the ball of light and left. I’d prefer not to see them again, but somehow, I feel like we might cross paths again.
Well, even if we do meet again, the relationship we had at this moment has been severed and vanished. There’s no need to speak to them or try to befriend them. If they do speak to me, I can just ignore them completely; that’s what they’ve been doing all along, and I don’t want to get involved if it doesn’t concern me.
Speaking of which, they didn’t say a single word since they arrived here, did they? I thought they might spit out some curses, but they remained silent, as if they were trying to avoid saying something foolish. Were they that scared of the angel? The angel seemed broad-minded enough to brush off their disrespectful attitude…
I don’t get it.
“Oh? They really disappeared completely, huh? And the power that was inside me has been taken away too. It feels strange since I’ve been aware of it all this time.”
“Are you okay?”
“Huh? Oh, I’m fine. It seems like they were considerate enough not to put too much strain on me, sensing that I was on the verge of death.”
“I see. Then let’s head back; you need treatment.”
“Yeah… Why are you still here?”
“Huh?”
As the angel disappears and I feel the absence of what was taken from me, a familiar voice calls out from behind, prompting me to respond. Suddenly, I remember that the Holy Knight was one of the chosen companions of the divine, and I ask why she hasn’t followed them.
Fana, who has casually beheaded the Demon King’s army officer I broke the neck of, answers nonchalantly.
“I had no reason to follow them. Unfortunately, I cannot abandon those I’ve traveled with for five years, shared meals with, and fought alongside just because they turned out not to be true comrades.”
“…You’re unnecessarily loyal, aren’t you?”
“Is that so? I think it’s normal.”
“Loyal, for sure. At the very least, the Saint and the Sage, who have traveled with me for five years, betrayed me without a second thought.”
“…Ah, those two. Don’t lump me together with those fools who are obsessed with their own desires and think they’re the best.”
“Well, that’s… fair enough. My bad.”
“Don’t worry about it. If you feel bad, just buy me a new sword or armor.”
“I don’t have any money, so give it up. And there’s nothing better than mithril around here; go find a hidden dwarven village or something.”
“Eh…”
“Don’t ‘eh’ me, you idiot. Well then, let’s hurry back.”
“Yeah. We need to treat you.”
“If you hadn’t dropped the bag with the potions, we wouldn’t have to resort to such a rough treatment.”
“Is it my fault? Wasn’t it the fault of that monster living by the riverside?”
“You got too close to the river, which was directly opposite our destination, and dropped it when a monster jumped out at you. It’s entirely your fault, you idiot.”
“Ugh.”
I walk back with Fana, engaging in this silly conversation. Our destination is a nearby town, a slightly larger one that houses the Duke who rules over this area.
The reason we came here to kill the Demon King’s army officer was that the Duke sought our help. After we dealt with the monsters attacking the town, he asked us to eliminate the army officer who was hiding here.
The Duke won’t be able to rest easy until we report that we’ve successfully killed him. And even though I’m no longer a Hero, it’s my duty to report the completion of the request I accepted.
“Oh, and I decided to stick with you because I didn’t like that guy.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“That so-called true Hero. It’s fine if he seems timid; it’s fine if he doesn’t seem to throw himself into battle; it’s also fine that he was chosen by those annoying fools… But I can’t stand the fact that he doesn’t even try to show any will of his own. If he’s going to claim to be a Hero and be there, he should at least interrupt the angel and take the Holy Sword from you.”
“Oh? Now that you mention it, those guys looked pretty tense. Is that angel really that intimidating?”
“I don’t know; unfortunately, I wasn’t raised with that kind of knowledge. But I didn’t think they needed to be that scared. I figured they could shake hands with blood-soaked hands after butchering livestock without any issue. That includes how they treated you.”
“Well, that seems about right. If they were pretending to be the chosen ones by the gods, they’d have been killed on the spot without question. If I were in charge, that’s exactly what I would have done.”
“I feel the same way… So, what’s next?”
“Huh? For now, we’ll report back, get you treated, and then head to the royal capital to report. I need to inform them that I was not a Hero and that the man currently with the Saint and the Sage is the true Hero who bears the Hero’s mission.”
“I see. And after that?”
“Well, I might become an adventurer to earn some money, and once I’ve earned enough, I’ll either travel to another country or look for a secluded place in the mountains or on an isolated island to retire.”
“I see… How far can I follow you?”
“…Are you planning to come with me?”
“Of course. I no longer think I can remain a knight. When I return, I’ll either be forced into a marriage with some random noble or be appointed as the personal knight of that insufferable, spoiled princess.”
“Now that you mention it, your family is like that… Well, do as you wish. You can follow me as far as you want, but if your family tells you to come back, you’ll have to return.”
“If that happens, I’ll have to brace myself… Do you have no intention of taking my virginity?”
“Absolutely not.”
“What!?”
“Don’t ‘what’ me! If you do that, I’ll either be executed or forced to be your partner!”
“Isn’t that fine? What’s the problem?”
“I have nothing but problems! I’m just an ordinary person born and raised in the countryside! I don’t know anything about noble customs or etiquette!”
“I’ll teach you!”
“I don’t need it!”
“What!?”