Report and Bestowal
“Thank you for taking the time to meet with me, Your Majesty the King.”
“Do not mention it. I owe you a great debt. I can spare as much time as needed.”
“I am truly grateful.”
In a chamber of the Royal Castle, I knelt in front of the throne, weaving my words amidst the presence of the King and the surrounding nobles. This was the audience chamber, where matters of national importance, such as the awarding of medals and the granting of nobility titles, could only be conducted with the King’s approval.
The moment I arrived at the castle, I was whisked away to this room, and without a moment to tidy myself, I was thrust into an audience with the King. I recited the formal greeting that had been drilled into me… and then proceeded to deliver the report that was the purpose of my visit. However, since the Duke had already sent the details ahead of time, I simply conveyed the facts to the King, knowing that explanations were unnecessary. I had no recollection of using my position as a Hero for any personal gain, so I returned to my usual demeanor.
“So, what has happened?” the King inquired.
“I will be brief. The man known as Ferno Desire was declared by the Apostle who descended from the heavens to not be a legitimate Hero. He was stripped of the Holy Mark that manifested on his right hand, a symbol of his status as a Hero, as well as the Holy Sword meant to slay the Demon Race. Without the legitimacy of fate, Ferno Desire has ceased to be a Hero and can no longer claim that title.”
“……Hmm.”
“This audience is to report the clear fact that I am no longer a Hero. I have no awareness of having falsely claimed to be one, yet it is an undeniable truth that I was not a Hero. For the past five years, whether intentionally or not, I have been masquerading as a Hero. Thus, I have come to speak with you, Your Majesty the King, who has stood as my guardian.”
I had merely come to inform him. If I were to be exonerated, that would be splendid. If I were to be exiled, I would take my revenge by slaughtering the Demon Race within the kingdom before departing. Should I be detained, I would resist fiercely and seek asylum; if the sentence were death, then I would take everyone here with me.
Upon closer inspection, I noticed that there were members of the Magic Union present, along with those from the Church who had burdened me with useless allies. Perhaps it wouldn’t be a bad idea to unleash my frustrations and cause a ruckus.
Well then, let them bear the consequences of their actions…
“Hmm… this is indeed difficult to accept.”
“…Your Majesty?”
“On that day five years ago, when the Demon Race appeared and chaos engulfed the world, I distinctly saw the Holy Mark shining brightly upon your hand. On that day, you drew the Holy Sword, which only a Hero could wield, and demonstrated the hope of humanity.”
…This is not what I had anticipated.
“I remember the report of your victory against the ‘Gluttonous Grimoth,’ which had taken position along the supply lines of the royal capital, causing numerous casualties, despite your severe injuries.”
“I recall how you pursued the ‘Festering Festival Nahash,’ which had brought storms and thunder to the kingdom, and vanquished what seemed to be an eternal disaster, restoring the light of the sun that brings blessings.”
“I remember how you reached the core of the ‘Corrupted Doll Dolrap,’ a vile being that desecrated the honor, pride, and dignity of humanity, liberating all who had been insulted and eradicating the evil that was both the beginning and end of this calamity.”
“I remember the moment you uncovered and destroyed all the manifestations of the ‘Formless Shapeshifter Galek,’ which had infiltrated the human realm, causing a gradual collapse, and killed its true form, which had transformed into a Dragon, dispelling the darkness that had ensnared the kingdom in distrust.”
Ah, I see… This is about the battles against the Demon King’s Army Executives. I didn’t know their names, but recalling what I had done brought back memories. Grimoth was a monstrous creature that resembled a mix of a hippo, a rhino, and a cow; Nahash was a demon that danced strangely; Dolrap was a creepy doll; and Galek was a slime that frequently changed its form.
If asked for their characteristics, I could sum them up in one word: trash. Yet, they were absurdly tough and dealt unreasonable damage, while my allies were engaging in treachery, leaving me to fight for my life alone… Ah, this is bad; the urge to kill is rising.
The order of events is jumbled, or perhaps it’s just the memories that are strongest? Or maybe he’s recounting them in order to prevent them from slipping away… For now, Grimoth was the third, Nahash the seventh, Dolrap the fifth, and Galek was either the fourth or sixth.
“I remember the day you faced the ‘Sleepless Giant Dalbandi,’ a moving fortress that spread monsters while controlling ancient ruins transformed into a dungeon. You repeatedly challenged it, ultimately defeating the calamity that had merged with the dungeon’s heart, reclaiming the night for humanity.”
Dalbandi… was a massive Golem. It was the first of the Demon King’s Army Executives I fought. Back then, it wasn’t as strong as it is now, and I had to crawl through hordes of monsters to reach its heart, which was smooth and unlike the surrounding rocky terrain. I crushed it, but I was severely injured afterward, spending an entire month bedridden while the Saint’s useless prayers only made my wounds worse.
“I remember how you dragged the ‘Unstoppable Death Knight Raihan,’ a nightmare that clung to death and led the undead who spread death indiscriminately, into the sunlight, restoring the dignity of death that should be revered and cherished.”
Raihan… Ah, he was the sixth. He appeared to be a corpse, but the true form was the spirit of a Demon Race trapped within a gem attached to his weapon. I don’t recall struggling much; I found the boss, disarmed him, and when the gem tried to escape, I crushed it, killing him.
At this point, I had no trust in anyone except for Fana, and I had no intention of being trusted. I had been honing my strength and had stopped relying solely on weapons.
“I remember how you faced the ‘Mocking Blood Diabo,’ a being that plotted to cover the world in darkness, and single-handedly confronted it on its own stage, annihilating an entire faction of its minions in a single night, bringing hope to humanity that continued to expand its influence.”
Diabo was the second. It had been expanding its influence in the neighboring Empire, so only I could move freely while the others were unable to cross the border. I had to confront it alone, using magic to shroud the night. I remember trying to fight with the Holy Sword but found it too bright to wield effectively, so I drove it into the ground to use as a light source while I killed everything in sight. At that time, I was still unaccustomed to fighting in darkness, unable to distinguish the Demon King’s Army Executives from the rest, so I killed everything within reach. Additionally, the lesser demons were not widespread enough to flee, making it easy to wipe them all out.
“I remember the ‘Evil Golden Phronis,’ a massive Dragon that sought to cover the world with its minions, and how you led the people fighting for their lives to sever its golden neck and pierce its heart. This tale is still sung in the streets as a remarkable and fresh hero’s tale, and I have recounted it several times as a bedtime story for children.”
Phronis was the eighth, the one I killed just before the Sage nearly killed me. To be honest, while it was indeed strong, its strength came from its size and toughness. Compared to the most recent Demon King’s Army Executive I had fought, it was relatively weak, and I could easily counter its breath attack by uprooting the ground. The Dragons it commanded were a nuisance; when I tried to crush its eye, they acted as meat shields, and when I attempted to tear off its wings, it would unleash its breath. I still think that if it weren’t for the Sage’s reckless actions, I could have easily killed it.
Well, I did sustain severe injuries from its claws and fangs in the process.
“And you all may have heard of the most recent achievement: the defeat of the ‘Time Overcoming Crime,’ the worst of the Demon Race, who claimed to be the strongest and had turned many knights of the kingdom into mere corpses. You achieved a complete victory against this Demon Race, who manipulated the realm of time, a feat that even past Heroes could not accomplish. When I heard of this achievement, I was astonished… and moved.”
Crime was the one I killed just before losing my Hero status. He appeared human but was a troublesome Demon Race who could stop time and attack while preparing his next move. Fortunately, he never attacked while time was stopped, so I predicted his movements and struck just before he could stop time, taking advantage of his moment of confusion to pierce his heart and tear out his throat.
He was indeed strong; had I made a mistake, I wouldn’t have had a second chance, and I would have either been killed or forced to flee.
But why am I recounting all of this?
“Yes, these are great achievements.”
……?
“Overcoming battles that brought death close and continuing to seize victory should be celebrated, regardless of who accomplished them! Should the fact that you were not a Hero diminish what you have achieved? Should we erase your accomplishments simply because you are not a Hero? No, absolutely not!!!”
………Oh… damn it, this old man, could it be…
“It should be celebrated! It should be sung! This achievement is a new history! A new hero’s tale!! A new myth!!! For the people of this world! And for humanity that may face hardships in the future!!! To show them a light of hope!!!”
………I realized too late, damn it.
“I hereby bestow upon Ferno Desire the title of Hero in the name of the Alstoval Kingdom!! As the hope of humanity! The glory of humanity! The future of humanity! As a name that will be passed down through the ages!!! I grant you the title of Hero!!!”
…Ah, well, if they’re going to put a collar on me, this is an effective means. Moreover, he understands what I have accomplished and recognizes my influence… If it were to be publicly declared that I was a fake and not a Hero, the kingdom would surely descend into chaos.
At the very least, those who had suffered at the hands of the Demon King’s Army would harbor distrust toward the kingdom, and the Empire might take advantage of the turmoil to criticize the kingdom while offering their support, potentially obscuring the truth afterward.
I don’t want to turn both neighboring countries, which are currently not hostile due to mutual benefits, into enemies. Therefore, the King is making a statement not as an individual but as a representative of the kingdom.
I could ignore it. I could say I don’t care about the title of Hero and live freely, but doing so would undoubtedly lead to the kingdom’s ruin, and I would be subjected to unfounded slander, losing my freedom.
I wouldn’t mind if the leaders of the kingdom perished, but it would leave a bad taste in my mouth if innocent people who knew nothing were sacrificed, so I can’t allow that… Ah, damn it. I should have arranged to meet with him privately.
“What say you? Will you accept?”
…I can’t refuse. The benefits of declining are minimal. In fact, accepting would serve as proof of my identity, and while there may be some difficulties, I could still live freely. There are likely other pros and cons, but there’s no merit or reason to refuse here.
……It can’t be helped.
“Of course, I shall strive to pave the way for the future of humanity.”