Hero Candidate
“Ah.” She kept pushing the fruit skewered on a toothpick into my mouth. What on earth was going on here? Was it because I couldn’t use my arms? No. I could move them just fine. I’d already shown her that earlier.
“Ah…” Reluctantly, I took the fruit she offered and bit into it.
“Chew it properly. The priest healed you and the physician checked your pulse, but you suffered internal injuries. Your organs must be in bad shape.”
“Uh, yeah…”
I was extremely flustered. If it had been anyone else with this kind of personality, I wouldn’t have thought much of it. But the Hedi I knew… well, she hadn’t met Cain yet, so her name was still Hediji. Either way, this wasn’t her usual nature. She was cold rather than soft, always prickly and sharp to the point of violence. Feminine gentleness like this was far from her.
Yet here she was, feeding me?
“Mmm…”
After I finished chewing and swallowed, she immediately skewered another piece and held it out.
“Here.”
I kept accepting the fruit. It tasted good, so I didn’t mind. After being unconscious for two days, I was genuinely hungry. I hadn’t expected my first meal after waking up to be this delicious.
Before I knew it, the plate was empty.
“All done.”
“Yeah…”
Still unable to grasp the situation, I gave only mechanical replies, my face burning with embarrassment. She placed the empty bowl back on the tray.
“Do you need anything?” she asked while doing so.
“…Need anything?”
“I’m heading out to collect the reward for slaying the demonic beast. If you need anything on the way, I’ll pick it up for you.”
“Hmm… I don’t think so.”
“Really? Then give me your adventurer’s license. I’ll get yours too while I’m there.”
“Uh… sure.”
I handed her the license from my pocket. I knew she wasn’t the type to steal, so there was no hesitation. Her straightforward personality, one that didn’t even warrant suspicion, was as refreshing as ever.
“I’ll be back.”
With that, she left the room.
“……”
Left alone, I stared blankly at the door she’d gone through.
‘…Is she being nice because I saved her life?’
As I’d thought earlier, her behavior was completely different from the image I had of her. Had she always been like this? She was incredibly kind.
…Ah. No way she’d always been like this. She was the same girl who’d silenced rowdy kids with harsh words, beaten up boys making crude jokes, and thrown sharp insults at Zick when he got too excited about activating the magic stone. The Hedi I’d seen matched the one from the game.
For her personality to change this much, there was only one answer.
‘Because I saved her life. And because she almost got me killed.’
It was the most plausible reason. I nodded to myself, convinced, then lay back down comfortably. With no more thoughts to dwell on, I closed my eyes.
‘Yeah. That must be it.’
I drifted back to sleep without a care.
*
The day after I woke up, news from the underground labyrinth arrived. Many who had gone missing after venturing into the ant nest had been found dead inside the labyrinth. Among the reports was one piece of good news—Monaka had survived. It was a miracle.
After the Twilight Queen’s death, the numerous Big Spiders under her control had lost their leader and begun fighting among themselves. That chaos led to Monaka’s discovery, still trapped in the food storage. Word spread that the ordeal had left her mentally unstable, forcing her to quit adventuring.
It was unfortunate, but I found comfort in the fact that she was alive.
The ant nest was temporarily designated a restricted zone, and the news quickly spread throughout the Adventurers’ Guild. Along with it came a slight shift in how people viewed me. Rumors had begun to circulate.
At first, I’d been terrified when I heard people were talking about me.
‘I was worried they’d say something like “the guy who sent his entire party to their deaths.”’
I’d expected my reputation to plummet and infamy to spread. But the rumors were surprisingly positive. Word had gotten around that the youngest adventurer to ever solo a labyrinth boss of unknown rank—the Twilight Queen—had done so.
‘…Aren’t they overhyping me a bit too much?’
A true hero should be strong enough to crush something like the Twilight Queen with a single finger. I’d only managed it thanks to my veteran knowledge and some clever tricks. I could never become a real hero. I knew that.
Besides, I hadn’t defeated the Twilight Queen alone. Hedi had fought alongside me. If I’d been by myself, I probably wouldn’t have had time to gather my Auror and would’ve been in danger too. Yet it seemed Hedi had reported to the guild that I’d taken down the Twilight Queen single-handedly while she contributed almost nothing.
‘It feels good, and I’m grateful, but…’
I couldn’t help worrying that such exaggerated rumors might cause trouble later.
“Hey, Hero Candidate.”
Inside the carriage heading back to Ariel Academy, Hedi sat across from me, giggling as she teased.
“…If the real hero hears that, it’ll be embarrassing. Don’t call me that.”
“What’s the big deal? You are a candidate.”
“I’m telling you, I’m not.”
Hedi rested her chin on her hand and kept staring at me with that mischievous grin. We’d grown noticeably closer. Maybe that was what happened when people shared life-or-death moments.
“If you’re not a candidate, then what are you?”
“……”
She was one to talk. She was going to become a Sword Master in the future. But I couldn’t say that. Even if I told her she’d become a Sword Master someday, would she believe me? So I stayed silent and turned to look out the window instead.
“……”
“Heh heh.”
Whatever she found so amusing, she kept giggling while watching me. I tried to ignore her gaze and stared outside, but she continued looking at me until I eventually fell asleep.
*
“Haaah… We’re finally here.”
Hedi stretched as she stepped out of the carriage. We’d arrived. I followed her out and looked ahead with a neutral expression.
Ariel Academy. The elegant architecture and the cluster of large buildings felt familiar after seeing them so often. I didn’t feel much of anything. I was just exhausted. Even though I’d slept in the carriage, I wanted nothing more than to get to the dorm, shower, and rest.
As we walked, she glanced back.
“Hey, Candidate.”
“……?”
“What are you doing tonight?”
Why was she asking?
“Probably just resting in the dorm.”
“Yeah? What about dinner?”
“Hmm… I’ll probably eat at the cafeteria.”
“…Want to eat together?”
“Huh?”
I flinched. Eat together? She was one of the heroines who would eventually become involved with Cain and become a Sword Master. Getting close to her at the academy would likely entangle me with Cain too, but…
“…Sure. Let’s eat together.”
It was too late to nitpick now. Besides, I’d grown fond of her as well. I didn’t want to push her away. She’d nursed me while I was unconscious, treated me kindly, and we’d entrusted our lives to each other on the battlefield. It wouldn’t be right to reject her now.
“Heh, I’ll wait on the third floor.”
Smiling under the crimson glow of the setting sun, she turned and walked off briskly.
…She really did look like a cute girl when she smiled like that. It was a shame she’d lost that smile in such a harsh environment. While we were friends, I should make her laugh more often.
The reward money from defeating the Giant Ent and the Twilight Queen had been substantial. I wouldn’t need to take on adventurer work for the next year just to cover food expenses. I’d even forced half of my share on Hedi despite her refusal. So she wouldn’t have to risk her life for money anymore either.
Things seemed like they’d go smoothly from now on. With no worries, I thought I could attend the academy at a leisurely pace.
…That’s what I’d thought.
“Hey, you bastard! Sian! What the hell?! What’s going on?!”
“Girlfriend? Girlfriend? Girlfriend? Girlfriend? Girlfriend? Girlfriend?”
“Wait… isn’t that Hedi? The famous sword genius who supposedly rivaled Aria in swordsmanship…”
A commotion erupted in the student cafeteria, drawing everyone’s attention to our table. Even Hedi, who’d been eating across from me, widened her eyes in surprise and looked toward the source of the noise.
…Lloyd, Louis, Bobby. I’d completely forgotten they existed.
“You disappear for days without a trace, and it turns out you went off to get a girlfriend?!”
As long as these guys were around, a peaceful life seemed impossible.
“…Candidate. Who are they? Friends?”
…I really needed to cut ties with them soon. Flustered by the sudden racket, I covered my reddened face with my hand and tried to ignore the situation.