Prologue
Fuck...
It had been a while since I'd found a web novel this entertaining, and I was thoroughly enjoying it...
Until that son of a bitch of an author...
Cuckolded the protagonist in the final chapter.
And he didn't even tag it as NTR.
The premise was simple enough.
The hero of the novel journeyed to defeat the Demon King while building a harem with his party members, fitting the story's harem tag.
It followed the travels of the hero, his fiancée Saintess Emilia, the imperial princess and mage Lydia—who constantly bickered over who would be the first concubine—and Princess Illuen of the Elf Kingdom.
Toward the end of the novel, the advances of the party members, including Saintess Emilia, grew bolder. It even got slapped with an R-18 rating as they shared a bed, keeping the readers thoroughly hooked.
But the event that threw me into utter shock exploded in the final chapter.
The hero had defeated the Demon King.
On the day of the victory banquet back in the empire, he was preparing to propose to Saintess Emilia.
When she failed to show up at the scheduled time to head to the banquet hall together, the worried hero went to her room to check on her.
"Ah... more... just a little more... Ah, ah..."
A woman's soft, breathless moans leaked through the gap in the door.
The hero recognized the voice instantly. It was Emilia.
And then, he discovered the identity of the man she was making love to.
"Ngh...! Ah...! Haaah!"
"Emilia... I'm going to cum...!"
"Ah...! Haa... I-I think I am too... Your Highness..."
The hero couldn't bear to listen to them reach their climax.
Dropping the ring box onto the floor, he fled the scene.
As the epilogue later revealed, the mage princess Lydia already had a fiancé in a neighboring kingdom.
The elf Illuen had only slept with the hero and stayed in the party to gain the prestige needed to become the next queen. She had absolutely no intention of marrying a human hero.
All their affectionate behavior had been nothing but a calculated act to avoid being kicked out of the hero's party.
Oblivious to their schemes, the poor protagonist had dreamed of a rosy future while defeating the Demon King all by himself.
Meanwhile, the empire—which normally would have begged the hero to stay, offering bags of gold to prevent his retirement—no longer had any use for him now that the Demon King was dead.
He was practically chased out of the empire, without even receiving the retirement pension he had been promised.
The promised mansion, the servants...
The wealth that was supposed to fill his vault, and even the statue to be erected in front of the imperial palace—everything vanished like smoke.
Having lost Emilia, Lydia, and Illuen—the women he had fought alongside through thick and thin, and occasionally shared his bed with—the hero lost all will to live. The novel ended with him wandering aimlessly, a broken shell of a man.
How long did I wander after losing everything?
After standing on the precipice of life and attempting suicide time and time again, I finally learned the truth of this world.
A story where the hero defeats the Demon King, saves the world, and lives happily ever after...
No.
It was a tragedy where the hero saves the world, only to be abandoned by his party members and cuckolded in the end.
And I was the unsuspecting reader who had stumbled upon that untagged trainwreck.
Just a few hours ago, as I lay waiting for death after losing everything, memories of my past life flooded my mind, revealing the truth of this reality.
The hero and the Demon King, the hero's party and the Four Heavenly Kings, the holy sword and the demonic sword...
And the cuckolded hero of that novel...
Was me. I was a character born from an author's imagination.
Three years later.
My day in this novel's world begins with chopping wood to replenish the firewood I burned the night before.
Located in the northernmost region of the continent, this mountain is famous for its biting, merciless cold.
Fortunately, trees suitable for firewood are scattered everywhere, so the cold isn't much of an issue for me.
However...
Ever since my past life's memories returned after the betrayal, I've had to carry the full weight of that psychological trauma.
Whenever I think of the Saintess or my former party members, I suffer panic attacks. I am utterly ruined, both mentally and physically.
I simply live day by day, meditating and desperately hoping those memories will fade away.
After all, no one on this continent is looking for the hero anymore, and the Demon King who once threatened humanity is no more.
Once I finish chopping the wood in the morning and stack it indoors, I prepare my breakfast.
Though it's a far cry from the luxurious meals I used to eat as an active hero, salted meat from my own hunts and stale, hard bread are enough to satisfy me.
Above all, how blissful it is to eat without having to look at those filthy sluts.
Even now, just thinking about them makes me...
"Ugh...!"
A sudden wave of nausea hits me, sending me running to the outhouse. I do everything I can to avoid thinking about them around meal times.
But my life isn't entirely filled with such misery.
I frequently head down to the village to buy daily necessities.
Today, in particular, I set out for the nearby village market to stock up before the heavy snow season arrives.
I mostly buy dry bread that keeps well and the salt needed to cure meat.
But even these basic goods spike in price as the snow season approaches, making it hard to buy as much as I want.
I should have come a bit earlier...
As I browse the market, feeling the sting of inflation, my eyes are drawn to a woman crouching in front of an inn, a black hood pulled low over her head.
There is no way I'd run into anyone I know here, yet the aura radiating from her is undeniably familiar.
Even after I ignore her, finish my shopping, and load up on bread and salt, she is still crouching in front of the inn.
The sun is setting, yet she shows no sign of moving.
She doesn't seem to be waiting for anyone.
Judging by her tattered clothes and filthy appearance, she doesn't look like a normal traveler either.
I don't know why her presence feels so familiar.
"Ugh! What bad luck! Why are you loitering in front of my shop since morning?!"
Unable to watch any longer, the innkeeper brings out a bucket of cold water and douses the beggar-like woman to drive her away. The woman doesn't even try to dodge, taking the splash head-on.
I almost wished she would move to avoid it, but her stupidly sitting there and taking it only seems to infuriate the innkeeper more. The owner begins to kick her.
Thud!
The kick from the bear-like innkeeper sends her sprawling. Her hood slips off, finally revealing her identity.
"Aigoo, what is this?! No wonder my day's been so rotten! Having a creature like this in front of my shop! Get lost! Get lost right now before I call the guards!"
Only then does she slowly drag herself up, leaving the warmth of the inn to move to the center of the village, where the freezing wind howls.
I wanted to avoid her, but of all places, she sits right in the middle of the path leading out of the village. I have no choice but to pass by her.
"Tsk... You and I are in the same boat, aren't we?"
I should have just walked past. Why did I have to open my mouth?
At my voice, she looks up. She has silver hair bordering on white and dark, copper skin.
Her face is caked in grime from days of neglect.
She is Kir, a dark elf and the former assassin leader of the Demon King's army.
"H-Hero...?"
She and I shared a terrible history. Because of her, the subjugation of the Demon King was delayed by a year, and I had nearly died from the poison she slipped into my food.
"You have the wrong person."
As Kir tries to recognize me, I deny it and quickly leave the village.
However...
I made a huge mistake.
The woman I thought would remain crouching in the village begins to follow me. Despite limping from some injury, she manages to keep up.
Foolish.
I should have just ignored her and left.
Why did I have to meddle and invite this trouble?
I'd rather not stain my sword with blood if I can help it.
If I had left her in the village, she would have frozen to death tonight anyway.
I quicken my pace up the mountain to shake her off. The distance between us begins to widen.
Good.
Just get lost in the mountains.
You'll probably become beast food before you freeze to death by dawn.
Reaching my cabin after navigating the rugged mountain path, I toss logs into the fireplace to warm the chilly interior.
"Damn it..."
Just as I am thawing out my frozen body, I feel that familiar presence again. A curse slips from my lips.
I slowly approach the window and look outside. Kir is crouching right in front of my door, her hood pulled up.
Hah.
Let's see how long you last.
The mountain cold is on a different level compared to the village. No matter how physically superior dark elves are, their constitution is similar to humans. It is cold enough to freeze her to death.
She will either freeze to death at my doorstep or head back down.
Well, she might freeze to death on the way down too.
For dinner, I make soup with the beans I bought at the market.
Living alone for three years has improved my cooking skills. I can whip up a savory soup with just beans and salt.
After that, I usually wind down my peaceful day by drinking tea and reading a book in front of the warm fireplace before going to bed.
"Fuck."
I lie down in bed, only to sit right back up with a curse.
Unlike previous years, the heavy snow season has arrived early. Outside, snow is falling heavily.
I open the door and step outside to check on her. She is still crouching there, her head buried in her knees.
"Sigh... You idiot. Are you trying to die on my doorstep?"
She is still breathing, but hypothermia has already set in, and she has lost consciousness. I have no choice but to scoop her up and carry her inside the cabin.