Chapter 23 (1/2)

Chapter 23 – The Hero’s Dream Of Despair 1

「Oy, listen to this It turns out that the Hero-sama, or rather, that Hero fellow had underhanded connections with the Demonkin He killed the previous Deeous ruht now, but it’s turned into a big deal behind the scenes」

「Riiight, I’ve heard, I’ve heard That revolt in the slums from before as well, it was actually Hero-saht now? Whatever, it’s a pain, Hero will do Turns out that rebellion was a result of the Hero going “Since the residents of the slue,for it I feel sorry for the King since the person who defeated the Demon Lord is said to be that Hero, there is probably no one in the kingdoh that can be dispatched after hi who bitterly issued that edict as well, they don’t see into slavery And it’s not like those enslaved guys committed any crimes in particular, they were just a bunch of commoners simply unable to afford food with the sudden price inflation Truly the scuuy like that respectfully just ht, in a bar not far from the main street

The rain that poured from the dull sky was as if a God tripped over a bucket of water above the clouds

(fuckers, talking shi+t as they please…)

Hidden under a hood deep enough to obscure the eyes I observed the surroundings, while slowly sipping away at the remains of the low alcoholic drink made from a lemon-like fruit juice diluted ater

What could be heard aroundi to raise et drunk so ht in a bar was half a year after the very day I killed the De that period wherever I went, I could only hear the rue into the absolute worst kind, their contents deteriorating by the day

In this different world, the capital, a place that I had probably stayed in the longest, was already coanthe Hero had aled ender with 【Mirror Sword of the Heavenly Evil Spirit】 If I didn’t make it so no one could tell it was me, then I wouldn’t be able to walk in public Actually, if there was no one who could becoet inside the city in the first place

By this point, I suffered uncountable of attacks by those ere once allies

And I couldn’t even make sense of the reasons behind all those assaults

The warrior of greatthe number one Hero couldn’t be fulfilled while I was around

The dancer that was like a reliable sister during the journey who said it was both for the dreae bounty that was on ician that was concerned about his surroundings during the journey who said that he needed my body as a research specimen in order to leave a mark in history

The merchant whoe who ai troubled by the possibility ofthat very e to othermartial artist on a journey of self-improvement who tried to kill me to raise his level

The former assassin sent by the royal fa ability who spat out without any hesitation that they were to killat ers that were saved along the ho looked at iveness for selling me out for a reward

And finally, the kind-hearted Saintess that was always there to encourage and cheering someone up who branded me as an “Enemy of God” and “So the reason for her betrayal even when asked directly

The Kingdom, the Empire, the Beastdom, and the Republic, the countries that I supposedly protected all becaovernment proclamations without any doubt and whenever they found out I was the Hero, they drove me aith curses and stones like a leper

But even now, I didn’t want to believe that I was betrayed and I wanted to bawlreat pains, I made it to the Royal Capital while surrounded by the sea of hostility All the pain and sadness alive up nu heart in one piece was her, the Demon Lord’s, promise

『I’m sure you’ll return to your home, to your fairl that had irl with s of note

A timid liar, a coward full of bluster, an obstinate person

Even when laughing heartily, she was a crybaby

Even when arrogant and selfish, she was sensitive to how I felt

A girl that added color to thishatred

I touched the s fro enor, amount of mana The core was to the Demonkin what a heart would be for huic required a vast a consumed the antique treasures passed doithin the royal faether, they had their mana completely consumed and seemed to become absolute junk

To ed her life and handed thatI had always pursued so that I could return to irl hile saying there would be no hard feelings whether it was her win or loss, allowed herself to be killed on purpose at the very end

『It’s a sha with you to your world Well, still, it’s fine I had always been getting things frooes, we’ll be all even I’ve said before that I am a woman that properly returns what’s borrowed, haven’t I』

「Eh you… You’re always overdoing it」

『I’m sure you’ll return to the previous world, to your home, to the place where your faotten immediately, so for a while live whilst you cry Make an ultra splendid grave forofabout your fa to ! Kukuku, ah, like this even death is unexpectedly so forward to? Even when you’re a coward? You’re doing a very bad job lying right now」

『Right, there’s oneyou can die at any moment and finish any and all unfinished business without leaving any unresolved oodbye to a life that looks like you randoive you So prepare yourself since I’ll properly watch over you If you show ive you a right shost!』

「It’s fine whether you’re born again or haunting irl was scorching the inside of th each time she replied

Several lines of our final conversation passed through irl to the end And I, who had allowed that, was the worst of et of the people whose request of “Defeating the De this far I had absolutely no way of refuting the words “Great Fool” that the girl called me with Truly, I was an idiotic, foolish, crappy piece of shi+t By the tiret my choices

Precisely because of that, I had to protect the promise made at the end no matter what happened To fulfill my vow to the Demon Lord and achieve the reunion with ht now

Before I noticed, the liquor in rim there Why not drink with us? We’ll ree」

「…… No thanks Oy, I’ll leave the money owed here」

「Ah, OY!! Tch-, what’s with that, that’s no fun at all」

Brusquely rejecting the invitation of the generous drunkard I left the bar with lass of liquor on the table

Once I went outside, the robe was struck by large, bursting waterdrops and started to have a hard ti the rain out

This sort of weather was predicted in advance so the pedestrians were scarce

For now, having sobered up with the use of the 【Herb Insect Wing Sword】, I headed to the nearest entrance to the slums The people I had saved fro the Wall Eaters attack lived there They guidedplace to return the favor froinally intended to return to the royal capital for a couple of days and infiltrate the royal castle on the following night My aim was the roo, Queen, and the knight corps seemed to be absent from the city

I kind of wanted to ask thedom betraythe next De the previous one However, in the end, I had prioritized returning to ood call to sober up fully, huh?」

Without having it look unnatural I left the route leading straight to the hideout and entered a nearby alley instead

Of course, I was cautious not to expose inal path beforehand

「Wha-, do you have any business withanyone reasons to pursue uised as a wo asthem all the way to a street deserted of people It was directed at the individuals that shadowedtoo close or falling behind too much

After that silence fell upon the alleyway

Just as I was thinking of confronting due to their refusal to reply, a pair of men dressed completely in black froht you be Hero-sa 『Godspeed』, the most advanced skill in Haste, and 『Ground Shrink』, the most advanced skill in Sky Walk, I ed to blink and pressed 【Twin-Edged Blade of Light and Shadow】 against his neck