If Only I Could Go Home
If Only I Could Go Home
A giant fly with unpleasant, buzzing wings caught my eye. Besides the flies, I also saw mosquitoes that humans would generally avoid, along with butterflies, moths, dragonflies, and all sorts of other unsightly insects.
At the same time, the animals that had been driven away by the giant spider seemed to sense that their natural predator was gone, and I saw them rushing in.
Actually, they weren't running towards us, but since we were standing in the path where those insects and animals were passing, a situation arose where we had no choice but to block them.
Quickly grasping the situation, I saw people swinging their weapons, looking at the other monster-like insects rushing from the sky and ground behind them.
I, who was only being protected at the very rear, couldn't even say "cheer up" and was just quietly watching.
At times like this, I also felt a little sorry.
If things continued like this, I wondered if I might be sowing discontent among Agnes, Linda, and Flora.
When I should be putting in effort to defend, even that wouldn't be enough; I was just a burden who only needed protection. And if I was just going to act as a shuttle, only handing out Potions, I felt like I would also instill the doubt that someone else could replace me.
I needed the Hero, but perhaps the Hero Party didn't need me.
"Wind Field!"
With one of Flora's spells, a strong wind swept through the front, and because of that, the momentum of the insects flapping their wings and flying in was broken.
And the winged insects whose advance had slowed, Agnes instantly pierced their bodies or tore their wings, causing them to fall, and Linda struck down the boars, roe deer, and snakes rushing towards us.
Finally, Kylon, holding the Holy Sword that required both hands at the very front, was stopping them as much as possible.
As the insect corpses fell in droves and the animals that had been struck down and stretched out increased, the party was gradually advancing forward.
To exit through the path we had entered, we slowly pushed through them and moved forward.
And only much later, we were able to lead our tired bodies out of this forest.
As if to prove that the insects weren't just bigger, everyone had scratches on their bodies.
I knew that if you magnified insects, sharp things existed on their legs, but I didn't expect to witness it like this.
It was a sight I never wanted to see again.
For now, since we had properly completed the mission, I could say one thing was done. Obtaining an Enhancement Stone that could strengthen the Holy Sword just four days after the adventure began could be considered a great achievement.
Of course, the next Enhancement Stone would clearly be a bit harder to obtain.
Thanks to the shield with slime that insects disliked, even I, who had fewer injuries, had some threads pulled from my clothes due to the swarms of insects flying and bumping into me.
My wounds had already healed, but since there were four people whose wounds hadn't healed yet, I took out the Potions from my bag and handed one to each of them.
"Here, take one each."
"Ah, thank you."
Then Kylon chuckled and accepted it, and Agnes also expressed her gratitude to me with courtesy.
Flora initially showed an attitude as if she didn't need it, but then, thanks to me swallowing my pride and offering it, she accepted it with an attitude of resignation. However, Linda, who was the most troublesome, just stared at me silently.
"...Thank you."
But perhaps she had no intention of harming me right away, she expressed her gratitude to me in a somewhat curt voice.
I could only offer a bitter smile in response to her voice.
Dealing with people wasn't my field originally, so why was I facing such a situation? Should I entrust the Potions to Kylon next time? I even thought about that.
But if I actually entrusted even the Potions to Kylon, I felt like the other party members would just tell me to stay in a safe place and make Potions, so I changed my mind, thinking I should at least be a Potion shuttle.
Right, since I wasn't fighting, I should at least do some emotional labor.
Of course, if I were dealing with ordinary people or difficult customers, I would just resign myself, but having to read the mood of a bitch in love, there was nothing more painful than this.
Her gaze felt fierce, to the point where I thought, "Do I really have to go this far?"
Anyway, grateful that the first quest was over, I watched those whose wounds had healed and collected the empty bottles, putting them back in my bag.
*
"...Oh! Hero Kylon-isiyeo, you have protected the forest of this small village. I was already worried about what to do if this forest, being the closest to the Royal Capital, were to be damaged further... This has been passed down through our family for generations, so please accept it. Thanks to you, my home is safe."
"Thank you."
He, who received a red gem from the old man who seemed to be the village chief, bowed his head deeply, showing his respect. And as if pleased by that, the old man laughed heartily, and Kylon took it and absorbed it into the Holy Sword.
Kylon, who had thus left the village chief's house, carefully looked around and then opened his mouth towards the other Heroines.
"Well then, since we're tired today, let's rest at the inn for a day and then move to the Royal Capital again."
Royal Capital? Wait, the Holy Kingdom's Royal Capital? What are we going to do there?
No, is he going to do exactly what he said this morning?
That's too much of a gamble! The Heroines haven't even been fully captured yet, what is he doing?
After spending a whole day gathering the Heroines, what was he trying to do by acting in a way that would make all the Heroines leave? I simply couldn't understand his judgment.
And his decision to return seemed to puzzle Agnes too, as she, with sparkling blue eyes, cautiously raised her hand and asked.
"Kylon, why are you suddenly trying to go back?"
"Ah, that... I have something to do in the Royal Capital for a bit."
Since he didn't say what it was, it was clear that the others couldn't understand his opinion.
But amidst that, there was someone else causing trouble, and I could tell immediately even without hearing her voice.
"If it's something Kylon has to do, then perhaps he found a hint to catch the Demon King?"
Linda, not knowing anything, was trying to jump to a positive conclusion.
We shouldn't break up the Harem here, but that bitch seemed to be opening her mouth with the intention of dropping everyone else, as if she wanted to be the only Heroine left.
Of course, we could branch off into a pure love route or whatever here, but there's no way we'd reach the True Ending by taking a pure love route in this game, is there?
But I had nothing to say to persuade them here.
More than that, it seemed I simply didn't have any say.
Holding my throbbing head, those who heard Kylon's opinion nodded as if they understood Linda's loud words for now and entered the inn, but I couldn't accept it.
After renting rooms and dividing them into two, two, and one person as before, I, who had called him into my room for a moment, told him, almost shouting, in a voice quiet enough not to be heard by Linda in the next room.
"Are you, are you crazy? Ah, nothing has been confirmed yet, has it? What are you going to do if you kick out all the Heroines you've painstakingly gathered here? You didn't intend to do that, did you? Huh? Think about it again, even now. There's still plenty of time. There's also time to gather evidence. Huh?"
The person with the most say in this party was, no matter what anyone said, the Hero.
Of course, I wasn't trying to dictate the future of this party with a few words, but this wasn't right.
At the sight of the Hero, who seemed to be leading them to ruin like this, I couldn't just stand by and watch, so I continued speaking.
"The Pope isn't even here, so if you go and speak, relying only on yourself, who do you think will believe you? You could lose all trust for treason, couldn't you? Honestly, isn't it absurd to kick out all the Heroines designated by the game like this?"
This world is a game. But as long as I am here, as long as he is here.
This place was a game, and yet, reality.
It wasn't a simple game where you could just return to a save point if you messed up, but a situation that was a burden in itself, where you had to bear the consequences of your choices without any save areas.
There was no regression ability, nor could they start over from the beginning, so I hoped he wouldn't do anything too reckless.
So I moved my trembling hand and grabbed Kylon's arm as if to stop him, cautiously telling him.
"Le-let's think about it a little more. Huh? It's not too late to start by finding Pope-nim. Pope-nim, who isn't in the Holy Kingdom..."
"Yes, I will. That's why we're going back to the Holy Kingdom."
"Huh...?"
"Since it's the Holy Kingdom, there must be records of Pope-nim's movements deep within it."
It wasn't like he said this morning that he would just barge in and ask why they did that to me.
Back then, he spoke as if he would do something to the King, so I flinched a little, thinking he would do the same now.
But even so, if the King was truly abusing his power in that way, the moment the Hero showed signs of deeply involving himself in the Holy Kingdom, it was obvious he would be wary, so would he just stand by and watch?
Anxiety remained, and just as I unconsciously reached to scratch my neck, he firmly grabbed my hand.
"Even if we return to the Holy Kingdom, I won't let you get caught by the King. Don't leave my side."
"......."
Many things made me anxious.
It was hard to guess if it was okay to move forward.
This journey seemed so long that it felt overwhelming.
Still, the fact that someone from the same place as me was looking out for me made me feel a little grateful.
Towards Kylon, who was giving up this world, which was his desired world, for me, I could only offer a bitter smile.
"...Ah, I get it. Go to Linda."
Kylon, who heard my words, held the doorknob with a bitter expression and left, and watching him go, I cautiously lowered my gaze.
For the True Ending.
Kylon needed the Heroines, he needed the power of a Hero, and he needed the Holy Sword given to him.
Therefore, among what he possessed, he couldn't give up anything.
That's why, for him, I had to give up everything of mine.
Sexual desire, appetite, desires that couldn't be satisfied anyway.
If I could give up my pride and other desires and just head towards the True Ending....
If only I could go back to my home that way.