Chapter 216 – [Hero] Bridle
There was no Seria or Arin around.
It was just the two of them, and they were walking around the streets together.
I can’t figure out what that means.
I had to pause for a moment.
“Why is that?”
Ertina, who hadn’t seen them yet, asked curiously, but she soon found them too.
“… You.”
She looked at Jeren with her disapproving eyes.
According to Ertina, he is a necessary existence for the death of the Demon King.
It is the target that the demon king must hand over his power to.
… If so, doesn’t that mean that he is a candidate for the new demon king?
However, it is a very embarrassing story because the devil will not die if there is no one who will inherit the power of the devil.
If left alone, the same thing will happen again, and if you interfere, he won’t die.
What the hell am I supposed to do?
I can’t find any answers on my own.
And every time I did, I would ask everyone.
If I borrow everyone’s wisdom, something good might come out.
Aren’t colleagues originally like that?
But, can I talk to them now?
Ertina said so, probably reading my worries.
“What are you going to do? I’ll leave it up to you.”
It would have been better if Ertina had told everyone to talk.
But this kind of concern is meaningful only when I do it myself and come to a conclusion.
If you just follow what others have done, you will end up blaming others when things don’t work out.
Yes, I have to decide and I have to take responsibility.
“… Both of you, no, we have something to talk about tonight.”
We have to talk, including Seria and Arin, who are not here.
I said that, but the first thing that caught my eye was the two of them holding hands.
… Have you ever gotten along so well?
My body trembled, but I tried hard not to show it.
I don’t want to show my ugly side in front of them.
And also to Ertina.
I took my eyes off the hand and looked at them.
“… It’s an important story.”
Yuni has a slightly restless face.
You don’t have to worry about things like me anymore.
Since I’m no longer in a romantic relationship, whether or not I visit him has nothing to do with me.
… Yeah, it doesn’t matter
It shouldn’t matter
Compared to him, Jeren had a much more laid-back attitude.
You’d think you’d almost passed it anyway.
In fact, I don’t like it because I can’t deny this idea.
New demon king.
Would he be happy to become the Demon King?
He said he couldn’t kill.
But really… ?
If he suddenly stabs himself with a sword, wouldn’t he die no matter how much fate protects him?
Of course, I didn’t really mean to stab him, so I just thought about it for a moment.
“Should I talk to you then?”
What you say is probably the most accurate.
But I wanted to tell the story myself.
With Seria, Arin, and Uni.
With everyone.
“… No, I will.”
She gave a small nod of her head as if she understood.
And Ertina looked at Jeren and reminded her of wishing her well in her choice.
I said that once before.
I didn’t know it then, but now I know.
He asked me not to make the choice to become the demon king.
Can the future be changed with just one word like this?
But Ertina couldn’t have stayed still.
Even if it was meaningless, I couldn’t help but bet on this slim chance.
He also frowned slightly, not understanding anything.
“Hero, let’s go.”
“… Yes.”
I’m uni… He looked at Yuni, who was holding his hand, and turned around.
If that’s your choice, I won’t meddle anymore.
There is no reason to interfere now.
My heart still hurts… That’s something I’ll have to endure.
After a moment of silence, putting her hand on her chest, Ertina looked at me.
“… Are you all right?”
“Yes… I’d like to say, but it’s a little difficult after all.”
“Still, you succeeded in showing a strong image. You have changed a lot.”
Change…
Have I grown up?
Or has it just changed?
“I am… Are you doing well?”
“Yes.”
She said without a moment’s thought.
“No matter what. Because you have the courage to face what you fear and what is difficult to face.”
“Courage…”
“That’s why you are a warrior.”
Is it like that?
It’s a strange feeling to be comforted by an enemy.
Although this isn’t the first time either.
“… Thank you.”
“I decided to become the wind.”
“Yes?”
I turned to her at her sudden noise.
“… The hero has heard such an analogy before.”
Perhaps he was referring to the hero before me.
“He said that he is the captain who decides where the ship should go. It is the other crew members who actually manage and drive the ship.”
“Um, yes…”
I don’t know much about ships, but I thought I knew roughly what I was talking about.
“When the wind blows in the direction you want, it is easier to navigate. Hearing that, I said that I would be the wind blowing in the direction the hero wants.”
As she said that, she sent a light breeze through my hair.
He fluttered and his bangs fluttered a little.
“… But in the end, it didn’t turn out to be what he hoped for.”
I hesitated for a moment as to what to answer at her lonely words.
“I’ll blow a little for you instead.”
“Ah… Go, thank you.”
In gratitude, she stared at me and asked.
“What do you think?”
“Yes? What, what?”
“If you fail… What if your lover steps in and helps the next generation of warriors?”
I want to end all of this
But if I fail, my lover… Right now, only Uni comes to mind naturally, but anyway, what if she continues my unfulfilled will with the next hero?
“… I think I will be grateful.”
I don’t want to see you suffer even in the distant future, but I’d be grateful if you did your best for me, no, for the sake of all future generations.
Because that’s what I’m supposed to do
At my answer, she smiled in satisfaction.
“Is it so. Then the warrior must have been like that too.”
Ertina smiled brightly.
“Thank you.”
***
That evening, I gathered everyone on the first floor of the dorm and told Ertina about the story.
As promised, she didn’t interrupt my conversation, only occasionally continuing to talk a little when I asked for clarification.
“… What do you mean?”
Of course, it was Arin who was most shocked.
The fact that the god they believed in and followed had actually disappeared was not enough, and they came to know the truth that this situation itself was in the bondage created by the goddess.
She gripped her necklace with religious symbols on it, almost crushing it.
“Oh, Goddess… No, it can’t be…”
“… I’d like to say it’s nonsense, but it’s certainly plausible.”
Seria looked quite shocked as well, but she seemed still able to afford to sit still.
“Oh, that can’t be! What are you talking about!”
“Arin, calm down…”
“Bo, look!”
Arin prayed and blessed me.
Her arms feel lighter.
“Isn’t the power that cannot be explained with this magic itself the proof of being a goddess? Ah, no matter how brave you are, such words…”
“Sera said so.”
Ertina intervened instead of me who was hesitating not knowing what to answer.
Arin paused and looked back at her.
“No one heard the voice of the goddess, and she was unstoppable when she misused her powers.”
Misuse
I suddenly remembered how she used her blessing differently.
The look that makes people strong and strong, but not the one who is the one who is the one who is the one who is the one who is the one.
Obviously, such behavior was not the original function the goddess had hoped for.
“That…”
Arin bit her lip.
Arin himself learned how to operate it.
However, she never suffered any side effects from Arin.
“That’s just… With the connivance of the goddess…”
“Yes, if you think so, then so be it. I don’t know much about doctrine.”
Ertina was not detailed enough in her doctrine to have an in-depth discussion with her.
Therefore, no one could refute or agree with Arin’s words.
“No, I will… No way…”
Jeren put her hand on Arin’s shoulder, which was confused.
Seeing him like that, I wondered if I had only done good things to him, but there are more important things than such trivial things.
Listen to his true heart and find a way to end this bondage itself.
“Well, then, how far is the fate decided?”
Uni asked Ertina if she was still uncomfortable talking to me.
“… Well. We don’t know for sure either.”
“Then maybe…”
She looked at me with hesitant eyes.
“Could we… Everything I did…”
“I’m sorry, but I couldn’t hear you well. What did you say?”
“…”
Yuni munched her mouth and finally closed it.
What do you want to say?
She waited for a while, but Yuni lowered her head instead of saying more.
Uni seems she won’t talk more.
I made up my mind and looked at him and asked.
“So, I want to ask you something…”
“Hmm…”
My eyes met with his.
“Are you going to become the Demon King?”
I wondered if I should tell him about this.
When I heard this, I wondered what I would do if I had a desire that I hadn’t had before.
However, if he wanted to become a demon king, he decided it would be better to check it out now.
If you can’t stop it no matter what you do because it’s fate anyway, it’s better to prepare from now.
… I still don’t know how to stop something that can’t be stopped.
He said with a slightly perplexed expression.
“If so?”
“Even right here…”
When I put my hand on the sword, Seria and Arin’s reactions sharpened.
It seemed to be an instinctive reaction, but after that, I felt a little hesitation from them too.
Protecting him here means defending the new demon lord.
Seria and Arin bit their lips and conflicted.
Yuni had been keeping her head down for a while.
“Now, wait a minute. A problem that could be solved so easily would not have been repeated for so long.”
Still, Seria said desperately that she would try to prevent her master from dying.
“… That’s right. I guess everyone called it fate because it couldn’t be easily reversed.”
Ertina answered as she crossed her arms.
She seemed unwilling to be forced to take her side.
Seria let out a sigh of relief.
But she still hasn’t heard his answer.
The answer from earlier seemed to be just a reaction rather than a real thought.
“… Don’t make fun of people, and I hope you will answer me.”
“Oh… Sorry for this.”
He went back to his old ways and smiled.
“It looks like I made you feel bad.”
“… You know me well.”
He thought for a moment and then said.
“It’s the demon king…”
What if me?
If I were given that chance… Shall I take a seat?
Strength.
If you become a demon king, you will be able to gain very strong power.
I don’t know, but probably a lot of money.
At least you won’t have to live worrying about anything.
You don’t have to live a life that’s hard to live a day without someone’s help.
If it was me in the past, I might have received it.
He probably didn’t know what a demon king was, and he didn’t have a life full of leisure enough to think of other people.
But… At least now I won’t get it.
Because I know what that place is made of.
I do not want to sit on a throne of human flesh and blood.
Ertina as well as I were paying attention to hear his answer.
Indeed, how will he answer here?
“To be honest…”
And finally he said
