I looked around, the dark aura of the forest seeping into my skin, almost tangible. Even without using my magic, the malice saturating this forest was perceptible.
"I never thought my kingdom would look so dark in the eyes of a mortal."
Though "dark" isn't quite precise—it was more of a cold, oppressive atmosphere, like a heavy stone pressing on my chest, making it impossible to breathe. I could feel countless eyes watching me, the rustle of trees whispering among themselves.
A woman with flowing hair appeared before me in a trail of light. I think her name was Hermina.
"Lord? What happened to you?"
Curiosity was clear in her gaze.
"Don't look at me like that."
Being stared at by her made me uneasy, as if my soul was being pierced by a sharp gaze.
"Forgive me."
She lowered her head, her shoulders trembling. Was that fear?
"There's no need to be afraid, you are important to me. Just don't stare at me like that again, it hurts."
Hermina's expression brightened at my words, she looked ready to burst with happiness.
"I'm important to you, my lord?"
I smiled at her naïve question and asked:
"Why wouldn't you be?"
"I-I don't know..."
Hermina stammered as she spoke.
Her eyes still shone as she looked at me, and she asked expectantly:
"Could you repeat it... that I'm important?"
"You are important to me. I hope you continue to follow me, for I need your help."
I could see her shiver with pleasure at my words. She looked very cute, but that lovely appearance couldn't deceive me. I knew the terror hiding beneath.
"Hermina, you hold authority over my throne. Send me to the kingdom of Kior. I want to intercept the hero's party, they should be returning after failing their expedition in the demon realm."
She hesitated for a moment, her purple eyes reflecting deep thoughts. I knew what she was thinking, so I reassured her:
"Don't be jealous, Hermina. Even if I glance at others, my gaze will always return to you."
Hermina blushed and replied:
"Me?! Jealous? I wouldn't dare."
Even as she denied it, a faint smile appeared on her lips, revealing how pleased she was with my words.
"Can you do this for me, Hermina?"
"Yes, my lord!"
Immediately, her eyes began to shine with the light of the stars. The glow became so intense I had to shut my eyes to avoid being blinded.
I felt space distorting around me. When it stabilized, I opened my eyes again.
The first thing I noticed was the change in my clothing. Instead of my black cloak, I now wore silver armor from head to toe. It was light and elegant, imbued with some kind of starlight magic.
This was surely Hermina's doing. That jealous girl would never let me go out wearing just a simple cloak, risking someone catching even a glimpse of my body.
I shook my head and looked around. I was standing in the middle of a bustling street. It seemed no one had noticed my sudden appearance, as everyone was distracted, and luckily the crowd had hidden me from prying eyes.
When I slipped out of the crowd, I was finally able to examine my surroundings more carefully. I was near the kingdom gates. From the conversations of the passersby, I learned that the hero's party was returning in three days.
The entire kingdom was ecstatic, awaiting the news of the Demon King's death. Experts were decorating the central street, the path where the hero would march through the city.
There were stalls along the roadside, even large shops were offering discounts. It looked like a great festival, which was only natural—the Demon King had been a great scourge upon this world. His death would, of course, be cause for celebration.
"I pity these people, they'll be so disappointed when the hero returns defeated."
I turned to leave, intending to find the Church of Light, a place to rest my body and mind in the presence of Alicia.
"What did you say about my brother?!"
I turned to face the source of the shout. A small girl with long, curly black hair, an oval face, and expressive eyes. I recognized her instantly—she was Lisa, Leonard's sister.
Her cheeks were red with anger. From what I remembered in the novel, she was a brocon, so such a reaction at hearing her beloved brother insulted was only natural.
"I said your brother is a failure."
The girl's anger flared, she looked about ready to explode. She pointed at me and shouted with her shrill voice:
"Y-you! Who do you think you are, talking like that about my brother?!"
Her yelling drew the attention of those nearby, people began to gather to see the commotion. Most were against me—naturally, since we were talking about the hero everyone idolized.
A few drunkards even tried to attack me while shouting threats. I didn't bother to fight back, simply dodging their clumsy swings, none of which even grazed me. In the end, they tripped over their own feet and collapsed on the ground while the crowd watched in silence.
At the center of it all was the girl. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she muttered to herself: "So he has some skill... but it's not much."
From the corner of my eye, I noticed the guards quietly gathering, ready to intervene if a fight broke out. Lisa seemed to notice them too, for she began calling them over.
"Guards! This man attacked two drunkards! Arrest him!"
I wouldn't be able to defend myself from that accusation. Two men were lying on the ground—whether or not I touched them, the newly arrived guards wouldn't know. And the crowd would surely turn against me.
A cruel plan—though shallow, it was perfect. It would have worked... if it were anyone else.
From this, I could see Lisa was truly cunning, using such a scheme to punish me.
I only insulted her brother—why such hatred?
She reminded me of Hermina.
In mere minutes, I was surrounded by armed guards in armor, their spears aimed at my face as they shouted orders of surrender.
Lisa stood there, staring at me with a triumphant smile.
I hadn't wanted to reveal my face, but it seemed I had no choice. I removed my helmet. My long white hair cascaded down, and my golden eyes pierced into the guards, forcing them to step back under the weight of my gaze.
"Wait! He's Kyle!"
"The hero's knight?!"
"What?!"
The people cried out in hysteria, recognizing me instantly. This androgynous beauty was impossible to mistake—it belonged to the most beautiful man in the world.
"So beautiful!"
"You're my husband, damn it!"
"Ah! But if Kyle wants me, I'll accept. Wouldn't you?"
The man's wife was left speechless. Scenes like this repeated everywhere. My beauty was enough to charm nature itself, so charming these villagers was trivial.
"Hmph! He's not that handsome." Even as she said it, Lisa couldn't tear her eyes away from me, as though drawn by a magnet.
Hmm...
This was why I hadn't wanted to reveal myself—now the entire world would know where I was. But it didn't matter, sooner or later I would have been exposed anyway.
"Citizens of Kior!"
All fell silent at the sound of my commanding voice. They held their breath, anxious for my next words.
"Dark times are coming. We have a weak, unworthy hero—one incapable of even reaching the Demon King's castle."
The crowd stirred, their hearts shaken, uncertainty spreading across their faces. They didn't know if my words were true, but as a former member of the hero's party, my words carried weight.
Seeing them stunned, struggling to process the sudden revelation, I decided to add more fuel to the fire:
"I ask you, brothers and sisters—how can our world be saved if we keep placing our hopes in someone so pathetic?!?"
"Lies!!!"
The one who shouted was Lisa, rising to defend her brother's honor:
"My brother is not weak, nor pathetic! He is the worthiest of men, chosen by the Goddess of Light herself to wield the sacred sword."
"..."
"Don't believe the words of this liar! This is clearly a malicious speech, an attempt to tarnish the Hero's name!"
"..."
"My brother will return in three days, bearing the news of the Demon King's defeat!"
I stayed silent, letting Lisa speak. It was obvious she wanted to sway public opinion, turning them against me. But the seed of doubt had already been planted—her words alone wouldn't erase it.
It seemed the crowd wouldn't disperse soon, so I decided to leave. At that moment, the guards snapped out of their daze and stepped back respectfully, opening a path through the masses.
Before leaving, I cast one last glance at Lisa, who glared at me with burning hatred. I waved at her with a smile and walked away.
Once I reached a safe distance, I donned a magical disguise to alter my face and armor. In little time, everyone would know this silver armor belonged to me, so better to avoid the hassle.
Now unhindered, I crossed the kingdom of Kior in search of the Church of Light. It wasn't long before the tall towers of the cathedral came into view.
Upon entering, the first thing my eyes fell upon was a statue without distinct facial features—just a woman holding a torch in her left hand and a sword in the other.
The woman depicted was Alicia. The goddess of fire, light, the forge, and justice. She was also the goddess of fertility—but that detail only I knew.
"Have you come to confess?"
A newly arrived priest asked with his aged voice. I turned to face him and asked while removing my disguise:
"After all this time, you still can't recognize me, Dorian?"
He looked surprised at first, but soon recognition lit his face and he welcomed me warmly, as though greeting an old friend:
"Kyle! It's been so long. I'm amazed at how much you've grown. It feels like yesterday you were just a curious child, but now you're a man!"
The priest's voice was full of pride. I smiled at his words and replied with a laugh:
"Hahaha—And you're the same as ever, Dorian. Seems time has passed for everyone but you."
"If only. I'm already old, and my back is killing me."
The priest invited me to sit and talk. I agreed, and the conversation flowed naturally. Dorian was the closest I ever had to a father, both in this world and the last.
Despite his age, he acted like a child, asking about every detail of my journey. I told him everything, leaving out only a few less important parts.
"How could Leonard do this to you?! After everything you've done!!" Dorian said with righteous indignation. "And Sophie! She dared break a vow sworn before the goddess!"
I had never seen the priest so furious—he had always been serene, and I thought he was incapable of anger. I was wrong.
"Don't worry, my son. Retribution awaits such sinners."
An interesting fact about Dorian was that he had never liked Hero Leonard, deeming him unworthy and openly voicing his disapproval.
"Father, it was good to talk with you, but now I need to rest—I'm very tired from the journey."
"Oh? Heavens! I'm taking up your time!"
The priest stood, clapping his hands and calling the servants:
"Follow them, they'll show you to a room for the night."
I bowed slightly and thanked him:
"Thank you for your hospitality, Father."
"No need to thank me." He waved dismissively. "The house of the Goddess is your home as well."
With a final farewell, I followed the servants to the back of the cathedral, where the quarters were located. My room was simple, nothing extravagant, but quiet and cozy. It felt as though I could fall asleep just by lying on the bed.
And that's exactly what happened—or rather, not quite. I had been pulled into a dream!