Chapter 9: Beyond the Last Straw
They hadn’t intended to corner the Hero from the very beginning. After all, the Hero had earned their trust and had an astonishing record of conquering seven of the Newly Constructed Ultimate Labyrinths.
Above all, the Saintess, Mika, supported him. The members of the Church couldn’t very well oppose the Hero either. Because of this, rather than regretting their actions, they had delayed their response to the Hero, leading to absurd damages spreading across various regions.
Gilbert had belittled the Hero, but he didn’t think of him as completely incompetent. He was certain, however, that the Hero’s character was foolish and utterly hopeless.
In truth, the propaganda that followed the Hero’s conquest of the Blade Labyrinth was astonishing. The kingdom had publicly announced the existence and achievements of Hero Ryuguin, even going so far as to prepare a stage using a top-tier theater troupe to spread the word throughout the towns, and he had even written the script himself.
What was even more cunning was that, to protect his own position, he had approached Princess Puffy and Saintess Mika, securing two solid backers from the Arcana Kingdom and the Church.
Had it not been for this decision by the Hero, Gilbert, who was a co-conspirator in this scheme, might have been driven to madness and taken the Hero’s life. And just as much—
Gilbert succinctly explained the situation to Siesta, skipping over parts as he went along.
A whirlwind of emotions swirled within Siesta’s heart.
The fact that they had summoned the boy for their own convenience.
The memories shared with him.
The current Hero.
Gilbert’s treatment of him.
It was unavoidable… it was, but—
“Look at that face again.”
Gilbert let out a small sigh.
“This is just how it has to be.”
Though he had been cheerful just moments ago, a definite shadow now crossed his face.
“I feel bad for you. Even though you went through all that trouble to come here, we had already started preparing before we could hear your story.”
“No… that’s not necessary.”
Siesta understood.
This was something that couldn’t be helped.
This flow was already unstoppable.
“What do you think goes through the mind of someone who treats what others hold dear with such disdain?”
Gilbert asked Siesta.
She had no answer.
“Such a person will ultimately be treated in the same way. It’s only natural. If they behave like that, those around them will treat them the same. Yet, how can they convince themselves that they are special and deserving of protection?”
He spoke to Siesta as if in a monologue.
“In the Hero’s world, there’s a saying: ‘The last straw that broke the camel’s back.’”
Siesta listened quietly.
“As you know, straw is hollow and weighs almost nothing.”
Gilbert mimicked picking up straw.
“One by one, you place that light straw on the camel’s back. One by one, over and over again.”
He gestured as if placing the straw somewhere repeatedly.
“The camel is sturdy, so even if you place a hundred or a thousand straws, it won’t budge. But still, you keep placing the straw. At first, the strong camel can endure, but as you keep adding straw—ten thousand, a hundred thousand—it will eventually start to creak. And if you continue placing straw without care—”
Gilbert paused.
Siesta felt as if she heard something snap.
“In other words, the thing that finally breaks something that has been barely holding on is referred to as the ‘last straw.’”
His voice grew even lower.
“He has been placing straw on the back of our world.”
Siesta felt a chill run down her spine at Gilbert’s changed demeanor.
“Wasting resources was one straw.
Using the Hero as a shield to boast loudly was another.
Looking down on us was yet another.
He has belittled everything we hold dear—our beliefs, our wishes, our hopes, our people, and the Saintess—he has mocked and scorned all of it, continuing to pile on the straw.”
Then, what was the “last straw” for Gilbert?
“The girl in the Town of Lemone was a bright, cheerful, and devout Sister loved by all.
That girl was kidnapped by ‘a certain individual,’ resulting in her bearing an unhealable wound in her heart, losing everything, and ultimately deciding to sever all ties with the world, heading to the distant monastery…”
Siesta instinctively swallowed hard.
She recalled something from Gilbert’s story. If this was indeed the Hero’s doing, it was a tale devoid of any hope.
“In the end, no matter how grand I may act, I’m not a great person myself.
I simply dislike him.
I dislike how he has treated everything I hold dear with disdain.
I will never forgive him.
And I think that’s perfectly fine.”
She felt an unusual chill emanating from him through the screen.
“Death would be too gentle. So I’ve decided to use him until I can crush him.”
The Hero’s fate was already sealed.
No matter what words were thrown at him, his will could no longer be changed.
This concludes the second chapter for today.
Next is the instruction manual.
And once again, I apologize for the repeated announcements, but we are currently running a limited-time event on Piccoma where you can read up to Chapter 7 all at once until June 23rd!
If you have the time, please take a look!