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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: How to Become a Hero - 1
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The historic first night our party became complete—that is, the night I joined as the final member.
Kaild once made a proposal.
"Let's bury our pasts."
"Huh?"
I had just resolved to ask who "Bion Kunze" was.
In the Blood Letters I see, when there are multiple victims, the order they're listed follows one rule.
The higher up they go, the harder it is to discern their sin.
You could call them sins shrouded more deeply in veils.
In other words, that bastard Kaild had committed the most secretive sin against Bion Kunze out of over 148 million varied crimes.
How could I not ask?
Kaild, as if he'd anticipated it, locked eyes with me and continued.
"There might be those among us who haven't lived solely glorious lives."
"You talking about me?"
It felt aimed at me, but Neril arched an eyebrow as she spoke.
Kaild shook his head as if it were absurd.
"What are you saying? This applies to everyone."
"..."
"With our common enemy, the Demon King, right before us, I won't tolerate squabbling over each other's pasts. If any party member does, I'll expel them in the Hero's name."
Ah. That's trouble.
The overwhelming reward promised after slaying the Demon King.
It was the cornerstone of my blueprint for a lavish retirement.
"Everyone agree?"
"Yes!"
"Good. It's only natural, when you think about it."
"Wise as expected."
The foolhardy party members, utterly smitten with the Hero, naturally agreed.
I nodded reluctantly, dead last.
"Fine. But after we kill the Demon King, I've got some questions."
"..."
"Especially for you, Kaild."
Kaild replied with a radiant smile.
"Ask away."
That smile was so dazzling it defied description, and I made my resolve.
No matter what, we have to kill the Demon King.
And only the Hero can do that.
So for now, I'd hold back. But.
'I won't trust this guy to the very end.'
That determination never wavered, even years after I joined the party.
Not even now, in this final clash with the Demon King.
"Finish it! Kaild!"
This was probably the first time in my life I'd shouted so loudly.
Perhaps because of that, the blood-soaked party members, barely clinging to life, stared at me in shock.
Was it that astonishing just to hear me raise my voice?
There were more pressing things to focus on right now.
Like our "Hero" severing the Demon King's head.
In any case, at my shout, Kaild—the god-sent Hero—caught his breath and responded.
"You shouting like that is a rare sight."
"Cut the nonsense and hurry up."
"Heh. Alright. It's over now. Demon King of Lies and Deceit, Idria. Die!"
Kaild's Hero sword flashed at a speed invisible to the eye.
"Grk."
Idria's head—the one who had driven the world to the brink of darkness—fell to the ground all too easily.
"We... we did it."
"As expected of the Hero."
"It's finally over. This endless damn fight."
"We literally saved the world. Heh."
The party members struggled to their feet.
Hero Kaild simply stared down at the Demon King's severed head, unresponsive.
I was the only one fixated on his back.
The others were too distracted by the feat of slaying the Demon King of Lies and Deceit.
"Serein. Heal me. I'm really in bad shape here."
"Sorry. My holy power's tapped out. Anyone got spare potions?"
"As if. We all scraped the bottom of ours."
"True, the fight was brutal. But I'm seriously hurting."
They chattered among themselves before finally turning to me.
I shrugged and said,
"Used all of mine too."
"So no one has any healing left?"
The last part came from Kaild's mouth.
Only then did the others' gazes shift to him.
He still had his back to us, gazing at the Demon King's corpse.
The moment I saw it, lightning struck my mind.
'No way. No way.'
It couldn't be. It shouldn't be. It mustn't be.
But as always, my reason overpowered my instincts.
I swallowed hard and said,
"How long are you gonna stand there with your back turned?"
"..."
"Come to think of it, you didn't use a single item during the fight. Got spares? Share some."
Suppressing my pounding heart, I forced the words out.
Hero Kaild slowly turned around.
He pulled an item pouch from his bosom.
He rummaged inside and produced countless legendary items said to revive even corpses.
At that, Risel—the party member who had trusted and followed Kaild more than anyone—lit up and said,
"You took down the Demon King without a single item in that battle too? As expected of the Hero."
"Hero."
"Heal Serein first. Then she can heal the rest of us."
"The Hero was dead from the start."
Everyone fell silent at Kaild's words.
Bewildered faces, unable to grasp the meaning.
But I had already pieced it all together.
"You... you don't mean..."
"Maide Mohan. My final comrade. The one who knew me the shortest time yet doubted me more than anyone. As expected, you caught on first."
"Guh."
"You were a real pain. But lucky for me. You always prepared contingencies. Did you charge in thinking it was the last fight? Not like you."
Whoosh.
He dropped the incredible potions that only high nobles could barely obtain.
Processed with magic, the containers didn't shatter from the fall.
So he stomped them flat.
Crunch. Crunch.
Like crushing a tough earthworm, Kaild ground them meticulously with his filthy boots.
Any potion exposed to outside contamination was now useless.
Seeing that, Neril was the second to realize, right after me.
"Wow. Holy shit. Fuck."
"..."
"Maide. This is what you noticed? For real?"
Her stunned expression was oddly amusing, even in this situation.
Then Risel cried out again.
"Cough. Kaild. What the hell! Without those, we're..."
"Oblivious to the bitter end. Risel."
"Yes?"
"Put simply, Maide was right. He saw straight to the bottom of who I am more accurately than anyone."
Kaild grinned as he continued.
"Told you earlier. The Hero died from the start."
"..."
"To be precise, I killed him."
"What are you even saying! I don't understand a word. You're the Hero! Urk."
Overexerting himself on the brink of death, Risel spat blood.
Kaild didn't care and pressed on.
"You all got perfectly duped. You, the emperor and nobles awaiting our return, the whole world."
"..."
"Everyone except one—Maide."
Incongruously kind, Kaild looked at me.
"Maide, before you die, mind telling me? Why'd you doubt me? My act was flawless."
I smirked.
Now I understood.
How he could rack up sins against 148 million—nearly the entire continent.
He had deceived them all.
The sin of falsehood.
I uttered the name I'd wanted to ask about since we first met.
"Bion Kunze."
"...!"
"Now I get it. He's the 'real Hero' you killed, isn't he?"
Kaild's face twisted in utmost horror.
"H-how... how do you know that name?"
He bellowed in rage.
"Answer me! Maide."
"You answer first. Only the Hero can slay the Demon King. It's an unchanging truth throughout history."
"..."
"Meaning the Demon King isn't dead yet. Because you're no Hero."
"..."
"Just chopping off the head? Don't get careless. I don't know your ambitions, but wouldn't it be smarter to finish him off completely first?"
Kaild glared at me before shaking his head.
Then, in a voice dripping with sinister intent, he said,
"Kill the Demon King? Such harsh words."
"...What?"
He turned back to the corpse and reached toward it.
Kaild's sword wound already gaped deeply in the Demon King's chest.
He plunged his hand into the gash as if drawing an item from a pouch.
Rustle, rustle.
What he pulled out was the Demon King's heart.
Its core.
"As you said, only a real Hero could destroy this core. But let me ask—why should I?"
"..."
"With this core alone, I can command every monster on the continent. I plan to put it to better use."
"Better use?"
"Hey, Maide. A Hero needs crises."
A sleazy grin spread across his face.
"Once the Demon King falls and peace arrives, the world won't need a Hero anymore."
"..."
"People forget. Gratitude fades from hearts. A few generations pass, and our names become mere bedtime stories for kids."
"..."
"That can't happen. The continent! The Empire! They must always be in crisis. That way, they'll need me. My power—the Hero's power."
I got it now.
He planned to periodically unleash monsters with that core to threaten the continent.
Then, as the "Hero," swoop in to resolve the crises.
To be worshipped eternally.
Loved forever.
Without a thought for the rivers of blood it would spill.
"From what I've observed, none of you get my deeper purpose."
"No kidding. You lunatic."
"Pity. This is farewell. Won't answer my question? Fine by me. Once you're all dead, it'll all stay buried in darkness."
I slowly rummaged through my pouch.
Good thing I never trusted him to the end.
My precautions were spot on.
I said,
"Yeah, I won't answer. But you will."
"What?"
"What does this look like?"
In my hand was a communication orb.
The long-range communication orb invented by Archmage Iori Otics.
The self-proclaimed Hero's eyes went wide.
"I never trusted you once. So I made preparations."
"Th-this..."
"This orb's linked directly to guilds across the continent, every major noble—even the Emperor. Your confession just went through loud and clear."
"Maide, you son of a bitch!"
"Continent needs crises? No—now you are the crisis. If we catch you, we'll lop off your limbs as mercy."
With that, I hurriedly pulled out spare potions.
Claiming I was out earlier was a lie.
I'd held back until I saw how Kaild would play it.
"Here, drink up."
"M-Maide."
"Down it and get up. No one's dumb enough to rely on Kaild at this point, right?"
Murderous glints filled their eyes.
They gulped the precious potions and rose.
A complete reversal.
No matter how monstrous Kaild was—even if he were a real Hero, which he wasn't...
Facing all of us at once, seizing the advantage would be pure arrogance.
"Grrrr. Maide! Maide!"
"What?"
"If not for you. Without you, everything would've been perfect. I'll kill you myself!"
At that, the revitalized party members shielded me behind them, as if by prior agreement.
They didn't turn to face me—couldn't bear to.
They'd always resented my distrust of Kaild.
In that stance, they spoke.
"To kill Maide, you'll have to get through me first."
"Though that's impossible."
"Sigh. To think we trailed a bastard like this as our Hero."
"Judgment time starts now."
Kaild flinched.
Neril, looking immensely satisfied, said to me,
"In the end, you were right. Lives up to the name."
Well, that settled it.
Twists and turns aside, it all worked out.
That was when it happened.