“Where is this…?”
It seems I’ve been transported somewhere in the mountains, to a place I don’t recognize.
From the plants around me, it’s clear that this is not the Great Continent.
The Great Continent.
I’ve visited there several times leading the hero party, but the plants there are mostly red and they drool as they try to eat people.
In other words, just the presence of ordinary trees and grass here is enough to prove that this is the continent of humans, the Rave Continent.
That alone brought me some relief.
“If I were isolated alone in the Great Continent without my comrades, I’d definitely die…”
That’s right.
I was just a naïve fool who only relied on the help of my companions.
As a hero, I should’ve been fighting the Four Heavenly Kings or the Demon King, but I was stuck in place.
I did manage to block the demon army’s advance, but that was about it.
I always failed when it came to capturing the big players.
I was even told that a hero as incompetent as me hadn’t appeared in a century.
“It was a year full of insults… Well, whatever. I’ll start a new life now. There’s no way back to Earth, so I’ll have to get a new job, right?”
I tend to get over things quickly.
Besides, the title of “hero” wasn’t that comfortable.
I actually felt relieved, like I had finally put down a heavy burden.
“First, let’s get out of this mountain.”
I didn’t know the area, but luckily, this mountain didn’t seem that big.
You could say it’s about the size of a neighborhood hill. I climbed up to a higher place to get a better view, and below, I saw a small village.
“I can even see a castle on the other side of the village. Is it ruled by some rural noble? I hope I can find a job there, maybe as a knight if possible.”
I began to descend the mountain towards the village, hoping it wasn’t a hostile place for outsiders.
Meanwhile, in the capital of the Renal Empire, Reinaer, the end of the seven-day banquet was finally approaching.
At first, the guests had been excited to attend, but now, they just wanted the banquet to end, and that was because of the new hero, Raul.
“Whooaaa! Are there no prettier women? No more expensive drinks? I’m a hero!! I have the right to do anything I want!”
Raul was wandering around, causing trouble, and everyone was getting fed up with him.
“Hero, please maintain your dignity. Even the former hero, Victor, didn’t act like this.”
If someone tried to give him advice, he would reply with threats.
“? Are you dissing me? If you keep this up, I won’t fight the Demon King!!”
Emperor Carlos was sick of it and withdrew to the palace, leaving his subordinates to suffer.
Still, most thought that once the seven-day banquet was over, Raul would go on an expedition, so they just needed to endure a little longer.
But then Raul crossed the line.
“But normally, when a hero is summoned, isn’t he married off to the princess? Where’s the princess here?”
Everyone was stunned by this remark.
The princess.
To be precise, the crown princess.
There was, of course, a crown princess in the Renal Empire.
However… she wasn’t the kind of princess Raul expected, one who would wait eagerly for the hero’s return.
She was someone entirely different.
“I also want to marry the princess! If you don’t accept this condition, I won’t fight the Demon King!!”
Raul’s ridiculous demands began.
As the seven-day banquet was drawing to a close, his stubbornness made everyone uncomfortable.
Even Cynthia, Tiffany, and Jeanne were shaking their heads.
But then, the crown princess herself appeared before the hero.
“Very well, Hero.”
The crown princess.
Irene.
She was a strange woman who wasn’t satisfied with her noble status as a princess.
After graduating at the top of the academy, she even obtained the license of a high-level mage and joined the military, earning many honors and rising to the position of general.
Everyone was curious about what she actually wanted. Did she want to be a mage, a general, or perhaps even an empress?
Maybe she was aiming for the supreme position.
There were rumors that, though women hadn’t inherited the throne yet, Irene’s achievements were significant enough that an unprecedented decision might be made to break the tradition.
In any case, it was clear that she was no ordinary person.
Irene was never going to settle for being offered as a tribute to the hero.
While everyone was wondering how she would respond, Irene humbly lowered herself and showed respect to the hero.
“If you, Hero, bring me the head of a Demon King… no, at least one of the Four Heavenly Kings, I, Irene, will surely become your companion.”
“Whoa! Of course, that’s how it should be! But isn’t the princess supposed to travel with me?”
“I am not a member of your hero party. You have excellent comrades in Cynthia, Tiffany, and Jeanne. Go with them and achieve great feats. I, Irene, will wait for your brave return.”
“I see… But Irene, you’re more beautiful than any woman I’ve ever seen… Will you really marry me?”
“If you bring me the head of one of the Four Heavenly Kings, I will.”
“I’ll definitely go and kill one of the Four Heavenly Kings!! I’m leaving right now!!! Cynthia! Tiffany! Jeanne! Prepare yourselves!!!”
Raul, who was infatuated with Irene’s beauty, couldn’t contain his excitement and immediately set off on the expedition.
He seemed already fantasizing about marrying Irene.
The members of the party had no choice but to follow him, halting the banquet.
Thus, the seven-day celebration for the birth of a hero ended somewhat abruptly.
People speculated that this might have been Irene’s goal all along.
In other words, it was thought that she had used this opportunity to get rid of the troublesome hero.
Of course, Irene didn’t say anything like that.
Anyway, hearing the news that the hero was leaving, Emperor Carlos hurriedly prepared for the expedition.
It seemed that he was pleased that the hero would be leaving.
From his perspective, the hero was a bothersome existence.
On the Rave Continent, only the Pope or a hero could challenge the emperor’s authority.
Unless a hero like Victor had lost the support of the people, no matter how powerful the emperor was, he couldn’t just treat a hero recklessly.
From the emperor’s standpoint, it was much more beneficial for the hero to leave and fight demons far away.
“To our new hero, the 99th Hero Raul Grounder, I command you to march to the Great Continent and bring back the heads of the Demon King and the Four Heavenly Kings! The funds necessary for this expedition will be provided by our empire!!”
“Understood, Your Majesty. Just trust me. I’m a hero, so I’m definitely strong,” Raul replied, seemingly without a doubt in his mind that he was a powerful warrior.
The Emperor agreed with this opinion.
“Indeed. As the General of the Empire’s Eyes, Zero, has said, there’s no doubt about it.”
At these words, General Zero flinched slightly. No, the phrase “no one noticed” wasn’t quite right. Only Princess Irene, who was watching from afar, noticed the cold sweat running down Zero’s back.
“Now, hero! And you, the brave companions of the hero! Depart! This expedition will target the western region of the Great Continent. It’s the area we’ve been eyeing for the past 20 expeditions. However, as everyone knows, the previous hero, Victor Evans, was unable to secure even a single inch of land and always came back empty-handed after endless stalemates! This time, I believe you will return with definitive results. Now… depart!”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
“Understood, Your Majesty!”
“We will carry out your orders.”
“We will follow your orders immediately.”
With the Emperor’s command, the 99th Hero Party finally set off on their expedition.
The citizens cheered wildly, celebrating the hero’s departure.
“Please, conquer the western region, Hero!”
“Because of that bastard Victor, our taxes have dried up! We need new land and money!”
“Please! Victory!”
“This hero will be a success. The General of the Empire said so.”
“Right! He’ll definitely bring back the head of one of the Four Heavenly Kings!”
“Hooray! Let’s celebrate in advance, hooray!”
“Hooray!!!!”
The party members were overjoyed at the long-awaited cheers. The wizard Cynthia, perched on her horse, waved her hand and was moved.
“How long has it been since we got cheered like this?”
“Victor got cheered at first too,” replied the knight Jeanne.
“But after failing repeatedly, he lost popularity, and on his final expedition, the citizens threw stones and cursed at him when he left.”
“It really feels like we’re finally a real hero party,” Tiffany said happily. But the most pleased of them all was Raul.
“Everyone, cheer for me! I will meet your expectations!!”
He was overcome with emotion, as if it were his first time receiving such expectations from anyone. That’s right. Back on Earth, he had been a pathetic, despised otaku and hikikomori.
“Wow! I’m so glad I got summoned to this world!”
Completely unaware of the tragic fate awaiting him, Raul disappeared from the citizens’ view.
He wouldn’t be returning to the Empire for a while.
A typical expedition to the Great Continent would take at least several months.
So, for now, the concept of “hero” would fade from everyone’s attention.
One person who was relieved by this fact—General Zero—wiped his cold sweat, thankful for the few extra months of life.
“Now… everyone will probably forget about the hero for a while. I can only hope… that a miracle happens.”
He muttered to himself, trying to calm the rapid beating of his heart.
He would be safe for the next few months, until the hero returned…
But after that, the problem would arise.
He had to come up with a new strategy.
He needed to weave some logic to avoid taking the blame.
“At least I’m not busy… I still have time.”
Just as he was lost in thought, planning to relax with some sweet wine, he heard a knock on the door.
“Are you there?”
Knock, knock.
Someone was knocking from outside.
“It’s Irene. I came to speak with you, General, so could you please open the door?”
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