While enjoying a meal at an inn in a border town of the kingdom, the hero Yujin recalled a recent event.
“No matter how great you think you are, do you really think you can kill the Demon King without me?”
“The idiot who thinks of himself as the Holy Sword has already given up on killing the Demon King, so just get lost.”
“I can handle the Demon King on my own.”
“No, the hero is giving you a chance.”
“Do you want to get hit?”
The wizard Noah had suddenly kicked the hero, the saintess, and the elf archer out of the party.
At first, it was absurd.
“Well, that makes sense.”
He was so full of himself that he didn’t even know his own place.
However, upon further reflection, it wasn’t quite that simple.
The hero knew better than anyone about Noah’s strength.
People from distant regions who hadn’t encountered the hero party treated the saintess as the vice-commander and the elf archer as the sharpshooter,
but in reality, the sword master, sharpshooter, and vice-commander were all under Noah’s control.
With sudden anger rising, Noah had expelled the hero party and went off to fight the Demon King alone.
“What has really happened with the Demon King?”
“It’s certain that something has occurred at the Demon King’s castle. A large magical entity has disappeared.”
The saintess, Syria, said that.
So, has the Demon King really vanished?
“What? So that gloomy man really did it?”
Ella said with an incredulous expression.
Hero Yujin raised his Holy Sword.
The hero’s Holy Sword has the ability to sense absolute evil.
With it, he could determine the location of the Demon King or the Four Heavenly Kings.
Surprisingly, recently, he felt nothing from the Demon King but only sensed his own presence.
If so, this is proof that he has caught the Demon King.
At first, he thought maybe he was just angry because Noah was off doing his own harem antics.
But now, he had suddenly expelled the hero party.
He thought that after a little time, he would cool down and laugh to himself, suggesting they reorganize the party.
But he never expected that Noah would actually pull it off.
“Hero. So, will that, whatever he is—wizard, sword master, or sharpshooter—be rejoining us?”
“Well, he kicked us out, so… hmm. Is it okay to just leave it like this?”
In any case, Hero Yujin was not at fault.
It was Noah who had expelled the hero, saintess, and elf from the party.
Since the goal of the hero was originally to defeat the Demon King, if that was now finished, it was fine to improve things.
“Do you know how much the king cherishes the vice-commander? We should take him back.”
That’s right.
Noah was very sociable and had a knack for charming people.
In fact, he was more popular than the hero himself.
The increased funding for the hero party was likely due to Noah charming the king.
That made him jealous, and it seemed he had started using him since then.
Ironically, the real problem was that Noah had become even stronger.
Well, thanks to that, the hero didn’t have to do much and could just play around with the girls.
Anyway, it seems the Demon King really is dead.
Since Noah hadn’t returned, there might have been something that happened to him too.
“Ah, but what if he self-destructed with the Demon King? Hmm.”
If it was true that Noah couldn’t come back, wouldn’t it be better to say he killed the Demon King instead of being honest and saying Noah did?
To be honest, the living must survive.
If the half-crazy Noah died along with the Demon King, it wouldn’t be so bad to swallow that.
“Well, how about we take a break for now?”
“Sure. Let’s rest a bit. I’m really tired.”
“Hmm. Let’s do that.”
He was starting to get tired waiting for Noah.
Having had dinner, it would be good to get a room soon.
As the hero party, which had arrived at the border town in the morning, was contemplating whether to chase after Noah or head back, they were in quite a tired situation.
Since it was a nameless border town, the security was terrible, and considering the drunkards that occasionally attacked, it would be best to book a room early.
Just as they were about to get up, a thin man who seemed to be the innkeeper approached.
“Oh. Are you the hero looking for accommodation?”
“Yeah. Just give me a room as usual.”
It seemed better to have a good time with two people for a change.
“I’m sorry, but for the payment…”
Tsk. If the other party is the hero, why not just treat him well instead of worrying about money?
The hero clicked his tongue and spoke.
“Seriously, merchants like this are no good. So, how much is it? Hey, Noah.”
“Isn’t that gloomy guy missing?”
At that moment, while searching for Noah, he suddenly remembered Ella’s words.
That’s right. He wasn’t here. Damn.
Could it be that he really isn’t coming back?
Or did he die heroically fighting the Demon King?
Either way, it didn’t matter.
Right now, without Noah, there was no accommodation.
“And the cost for dinner is 45,600 Lino.”
After all, it was an inn in a border area.
The prices were relatively low, but the high bill was likely due to the girls eating so much.
He hadn’t eaten much himself, so that was to be expected.
He had no idea where all that food went into that thin body of theirs.
Come to think of it, where did he put the money?
Suddenly, he remembered that he had transferred all the financial authority of the party to Noah.
Hey, I’ll manage the funding for the kingdom’s hero party separately.
Sure, sure.
Is that so?
The hero shouldn’t bother with such tedious matters; that gloomy guy should handle it.
The funding for the hero party was money that couldn’t be recklessly touched for entertainment and luxury.
As it was provided by the royal family, it was meant to prepare what the party needed for slaying the Demon King and provided for minimum convenience.
“I used the funds for food and accommodation, you know.”
“So I thought it would be a hassle, so I left it to Noah, but I never expected it to come back like this.”
“Ahem. Um, is it on credit? No, just put it on the castle.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Why complain? They’ll take care of everything at the castle anyway.”
In the worst-case scenario of not having any funding, the benefits for the hero party can be used at various places like inns, baths, and clothing stores.
When there is no money, the costs can be charged to the castle.
The problem is that the king might later inquire about why there’s no money.
“Hmm. That is true.”
“It’s mutually beneficial, right?”
Hero Eugene patted the innkeeper on the back.
The innkeeper had no choice either.
If he went against the hero’s words, he didn’t know what might happen.
Especially if the king was behind him, he could charge the costs later.
At that moment,
***
Bang!
Soldiers that appeared to be from the kingdom burst into the inn, and upon confirming the hero’s presence, rushed over.
“Hero! There’s a big problem! The Four Heavenly Kings’ despair, Pector, has attacked the Berta Fortress!!”
Despair Pector? Isn’t he that enormous, brutish guy who only relies on his strength?
There are even tales that his immense power can destroy a whole castle with the great sword he wields in an instant.
However, when attacking humans, he usually sends his army instead of moving by himself.
This time, it might be a similar tactic.
But anyway, since they asked the hero for help, he had to go and defeat or repel Pector himself.
This has become quite bothersome.
“Huh. The Demon King is dead, so why is the Four Heavenly Kings still alive?”
It’s absurd.
There are ancient records stating that if the Demon King dies, so do the Four Heavenly Kings.
Once again, ancient texts are not to be trusted.
But he couldn’t just ignore it.
This is why heroes are inconvenient.
They receive all kinds of privileges from the kingdom, yet they must assist whenever asked for help.
Until now, he had Noah doing the work for him, but from now on, he himself must resolve everything.
‘This is dreadful.’
If he had known it would turn out like this, he should have at least lent out either Siriana or Elana’s body and given them a proper reward.
Now, however, he had no choice but to comply.
“Please help us!”
Today, the kingdom soldiers looked more formidable than the Demon King’s army.
How long are they going to keep begging the hero party?
“Understood. I will go soon. Tell them to hold out at the Berta Fortress until I arrive.”
He answered weightily, but honestly, he felt uneasy.
“Anyway, if the Demon King is dead, defeating the Four Heavenly Kings shouldn’t be difficult!”
The saint clenched her fist.
Siriana and Elana were also making a fuss about wanting to fight.
He really couldn’t tell if they were thinking straight.
Hero Eugene clicked his tongue at their enthusiasm.
They talked a big game, but they had never fought against the Four Heavenly Kings.
To fight, one should know the enemy.
The problem was that they didn’t know how to approach their opponent.
“That’s not an easy problem.”
“What?”
“Honestly, I can’t guarantee victory in battle.”
He had never fought against the Four Heavenly Kings before.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Noah has dealt with the Four Heavenly Kings until now.”
In short, he wasn’t sure if the hero party could win against Pector.
A hero shouldn’t say such things, but he genuinely didn’t know.
“Are you saying you’re not confident?”
Would it be strange to say you were confident against an opponent you’ve never faced?
This opponent is not just any Demon King’s army.
They are the Four Heavenly Kings.
At the very least, one should have information to be able to fight.
“Honestly, when he faced the Four Heavenly Kings, weren’t we busy mingling around?”
“That’s…”
Now that he thought about it, that was true.
Even this time, Pector had been chased away by Noah.
At that time, he had been lounging around in bed.
If he looked at it that way, it really was the worst scenario.
‘What if I lose to Pector?’
If he fled, how would he be treated in the kingdom?
The one who caught the Demon King was Noah, but ultimately, it was the hero’s role to kill the Demon King, so everyone would praise Hero Eugene.
What if he lost to Pector?
In that moment, he would be questioned about the hunt of the Demon King.
Moreover, Noah had disappeared.
It would be great bait for the nobles in the kingdom who wanted to weed out the hero.
“Hah, is Noah really dead? Damn it.”
He tugged at his hair in frustration.
“Hero, it’s a big deal. You should hurry.”
“Hah. Since he’s stronger than me, I thought I’d put him in the party and enjoy the spoils. What’s this!”
Upon hearing the hero’s words, Elana and Siriana’s faces crumpled.
Thinking about it, the hero had never shown them a proper fight.
They had only rolled around in bed together.
Now, both women realized the reality.
The hero had not simply been overconfident by leaving everything to Noah.
He had intended to ride on Noah’s strength and relax.
Suddenly, memories flooded back.
“Hey, it seems the hero isn’t going to check, so you guys should at least look this over.”
“What is it?”
“It’s a strategy guide for the Four Heavenly Kings.”
“We don’t need something like that; the hero wouldn’t lose anyway.”
“Oh, really? Then good luck with that.”
At that time, Noah had clearly given him a book claiming it was a strategy guide.
He had burned it after ignoring it, but now that he thought about it, it was truly the worst mistake.
If he had known this would happen, he would have accepted it back then.
Thinking a gloomy man could fight against the Four Heavenly Kings, the hero assumed he could too, but it turned out that wasn’t the case.
‘They say if you devote your body and heart to the hero, you can defeat the Demon King.’
The saint felt incredibly miserable.
To think the one she had devoted her body and heart to had turned out like this.
‘What will happen to our elven race’s future?’
Elana, from the Elven race of the Great Forest, was known for her exceptional archery skills but had planned to marry the hero for the future of the Elven race.
Of course, not just because he was a hero.
It was because he was strong.
The Elven race holds a strong belief in their superiority and considers themselves noble.
Naturally, intermarriage with outsiders wouldn’t occur easily.
But there was one outsider they considered worthy of a bride and groom.
That was the hero chosen by the gods.
The hero was the strongest among humans, chosen for such a title.
Moreover, many nations looked up to him, making him a perfectly acceptable match.
That’s why she clung to the hero.
It was common knowledge that heroes were strong.
However, as Noah’s absence was increasingly felt, she too came to her senses regarding the hero’s pathetic demeanor.
‘I must have misjudged the person. I was too focused on the title of hero.’
What should she do?
What would the elder say if she returned to the Great Forest?
The saint and the elf only sighed about their circumstances.
“Hero, we must go.”
Eventually, it was the saint who broke the silence.
After all, as a saint, she had a duty to defeat the Demon King and the army of evil alongside the hero.
Now was the time to do whatever it took to fight against Pector.
Noticing the saint’s somewhat disappointed voice, the hero stood up.
“Alright. Let’s go.”
The hero set off towards Berta Fortress with the two women.