Return to the Royal Castle ①
“I don’t think it will come to that, but…”
“What’s wrong?”
“What if we return to the Royal Castle and I’m not the real Hero? What if they say I should be captured or executed?”
“Hmm…”
After rummaging through the corpse of the Earth Dragon, we resumed our journey. About two hours passed according to my internal clock, and as we walked through the endless expanse of empty fields, Fana posed that question to me. I placed my hand on my chin, gazing upward as I imagined that scenario. Considering the most comfortable and free action I could take in that situation, only one answer came to mind, and I voiced it.
“If that happens, I’d make them disappear.”
“…Who would that be?”
“Everyone. All those present in the Royal Castle at that moment.”
Even if there were a few capable individuals among them, the only one who might pose a significant threat, based on my memories from five years ago, would be the Knight Commander. Even if a couple of others joined in, they wouldn’t stand a chance against a coordinated group of dragons. And even if I faced some resistance, I could turn the entire area where the Royal Castle stood into a barren wasteland in just two hours.
“Well, you could do that… but, yes, I suppose. You don’t have any sense of loyalty, nor do you have any aversion to killing, so it makes sense.”
“Ah, it would be effortless. Besides, I have no ties to them, nor do I have any acquaintances there.”
“Hmm, then what should I do in that case…”
“Huh? …Oh, right.”
I had unconsciously pushed it from my mind, but now that it was mentioned, Fana was officially part of the Knights Order. If I were to become an enemy of the Royal Castle, Fana would have to choose between betraying her loyalty to side with me or remaining loyal to her order. It was a relationship that wouldn’t easily allow for killing without hesitation, and if I were to confront her directly, I wouldn’t be able to kill her so easily either. An unexpected obstacle had emerged from an unexpected direction.
“…Alright, I’ll side with you.”
“…Are you sure? You have family and friends, right? If it comes to that, I won’t hesitate to eliminate your family and friends as well.”
“Yes. I thought it over lightly, and I’d prefer to prioritize you over my family and friends. Even if I were to capture you and hand you over, all I’d gain would be praise and the burden of your accomplishments. So, it seems better to rampage alongside you and escape without regrets.”
“…That’s surprising. You decided so easily.”
“Is that so? I’ve been with you for five years. We’ve shared meals, fought on the battlefield, and faced death together. With someone I’ve been so deeply involved with, I should prioritize that over some invisible loyalty that’s just self-imposed.”
“I see… I see.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
How can you say something so embarrassingly straightforward?
… I hadn’t really considered it, but is it really that significant? I thought she might say something about dying for loyalty, but it seems I’ve embedded myself deeper into her life than I realized. I hesitate, yet I can still calmly choose to kill her if it comes to that…
“…Well, if that’s the case, then it’s fine.”
“Yes… oh, and about that.”
“…What is it?”
“If you were accepted and then asked to kill the Demon Lord, what would you do?”
“The Demon Lord?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm…”
To be honest, I only set out to kill the Demon Lord because I was the Hero. That’s why, once I’m no longer the Hero, I’m just an ordinary commoner with no reason to care about it… but I have nothing else to do.
If the purpose of defeating the Demon Lord is gone, and I’m asked what I want to do next, I can’t think of anything in particular.
If I had to say, it would be to earn money to live comfortably when I grow old, but I could just find a dragon, sell its corpse to a merchant a few times, and that would be enough… but doing it for free is a different matter.
“I’ll refuse any request without compensation; if there’s a reward, I’ll accept it.”
“A reward, huh?”
“Yes, a reward. Originally, the mission to defeat the Demon Lord was only undertaken because I held the title of Hero, and now that I’m in my current state, I can’t find any reason or significance to accomplish it. If anything, since I’ve already killed so many of the Demon Lord’s Army executives, I might as well finish off the remnants and the Demon Lord, but… I want a reward.”
“Is it really that important? Even after killing the Demon Lord’s Army executives, you didn’t accept any rewards at that time?”
“That was because I had a mission.”
“Huh?”
“Is that difficult to understand?”
“Yes, it is.”
Hmm, how should I explain this? The truth is, there was no other reason. Even if I was battered and on the verge of death, a Hero is someone who kills the Demon Lord. Accepting anything in that process goes against my principles, so I simply refused.
Conversely, now that I’m no longer a Hero, I have no direct ties to the Demon Lord. Therefore, unless I have a compelling reason, I can’t find a reason to go after the Demon Lord.
“Ah, I see.”
“Huh?”
“When you protect someone of your own volition, you refuse a reward, but when you take on a job to protect someone, you accept the reward. It’s a similar feeling.”
“…I see. That makes sense. So, what specifically do you want?”
“Money and medical supplies.”
“…You’re not very greedy, are you? If you’re taking on the mission to defeat the Demon Lord, you could ask for a title, land, or even royal bloodline without any issue.”
“I don’t find any of that appealing… it all seems like a hassle.”
“A hassle… that’s true. Even if I were in a position to demand something, I wouldn’t want any of that.”
“Right?”
All of it seems like a hassle. If I were to demand a title or land, there would be backlash, and I’d have to do the corresponding work. As for royal bloodlines, they don’t seem attractive to me, and I’m not particularly interested in royalty. Well, I wouldn’t say I’m completely uninterested if it were the Third Prince I fought alongside on some battlefield.
Considering all the potential troubles that could arise, asking for something simple like money and medical supplies, which can be settled on the spot, seems sufficient. That way, there wouldn’t be any backlash.
“Well, that’s about it. Either way, I won’t be staying in this country forever.”
“You mentioned that… should I also abandon my family name?”
“If you’re going to abandon it, make sure to follow the proper procedures. I don’t want your father chasing me down because you were seduced or something.”
“Ah, of course. I have enough sense for that.”
“Then… what is it?”
“Huh? …Ah, something smells.”
As we walked through the fields, a pungent odor wafted toward us from somewhere. I didn’t sense any particular presence, hostility, or gaze, so I could guess it was coming from quite a distance away.
However, this feeling… where have I encountered it before? Ah, I remember now.
“Hey, let’s go.”
“Huh? Did you remember something?”
“Yes, we should hurry. Once we get closer, you’ll remember too.”
“…Understood. Let’s move quickly.”
I called out to Fana, and we began to run through the fields. We veered slightly off the straight path back to the Royal Castle, but this was no time to worry about that. We headed toward the source of the smell. If it was wafting without any presence, it must be of considerable scale or a massive body.
“!! Undead!”
“Yes. And if the smell is that strong, then…”
“A large-scale parade…!!”
“Or perhaps a giant Undead.”