Former Hero, Current Deadbeat Liam (2)

The most ideal way to solve a problem is dialogue, not violence. Intelligent races generally try to talk their way through a situation. And yet the world also had its share of types who simply could not be managed by gentle means. The blonde headache standing in front of me was the poster child for that pathetic category.

"That was just a little sting of a punch..."

Infuriatingly enough, the other world's Liam showed not a shred of remorse, no matter how rough the method.

"Want me to hit you again?"

"Sorry. It'll only hurt your hand."

I'd wrapped my fist in Aura, no question about it, and my hand still throbbed — the same way it would if I'd punched a slab of steel with my bare knuckles. I'd heard that once you transcended human limits, divinity itself took root in the flesh. They called it the final realm a Hero could reach: power befitting the Goddess's own proxy. It was a height still impossibly far from Selen's grasp.

"I'll take as many of your punches as you want."

But why did it have to be this idiot who'd reached the peak? His mindset was certainly Hero-like, but his behavior was still completely unhinged.

"Please allow me to apologize in his stead."

Poor Eluke just kept bowing to me, over and over, for something that wasn't even her fault.

"It's been so long since I've seen a Clitia this fiery mad."

Meanwhile, the actual culprit just grinned like an idiot, as if none of this bothered him in the slightest.

"So when are you going back to your own world?"

He was strong enough that I wanted to keep using him, but his attitude rubbed me the wrong way. Besides, my body couldn't use mana anyway, so sending him back might have been the smarter call.

"We've got to lift our Clitia's curse before we go."

Unfortunately, he showed no intention of leaving whatsoever.

"Didn't you already hear? The Church wiped out every dark mage who lived in the original world."

"Ah, right. I remember."

It was the very first thing Eluke had done after ascending to the papacy.

"At the time, the thought of seeking help never even occurred to us."

"Yeah, I guess it wouldn't have."

Truth be told, even now this was a plan we'd only come up with because we were desperate. It's not like antisocial types like dark mages would just happily help other people out.

"We'll only stay until the curse is lifted, so don't hate us too much."

The way he winked at me made my blood boil all over again.

"Tell me why you pulled a stunt like that."

I almost flung the Clitia Volunteer Corps uniform I'd been holding, then set it down gently instead. No matter how angry I was, I couldn't treat a nun's habit roughly.

"Can I get up now?"

"Talk from right there."

The other world's Liam stayed on his knees, wearing a completely unashamed expression.

"I heard the whole story. Your master wanted to turn you into a dark hero, right?"

"So what."

"Sorry, but that's wrong."

I already didn't want to hear this.

"You're saying my master was wrong?"

"Obviously."

"Get out."

"Wait. Hear me out to the end."

Blue eyes charged with unshakable will locked onto mine.

"You can't have a dark side."

My fist nearly flew on its own.

"You have to be remembered in history as the most noble and compassionate Saintess there ever was."

"......"

There wasn't a trace of playfulness in that voice. He was so earnest it was actually unsettling.

"Who do you think you are? Do you even know how I've lived?"

I didn't want to hear another word, so I pressed him coldly.

"Of course I do."

He didn't flinch — just kept insisting with stubborn, unshakable certainty. He clearly had no intention of changing his mind.

"Don't talk nonsense. All you know is what Eluke told you."

"Just looking at what you did in Serda is enough to know what kind of person you are."

Instead of backing down, he launched a fierce counterattack.

"You blocked magic with your own body to protect the Hero's party. Is that something a person who only thinks of themselves would do?"

"That's..."

"Not even close. If you'd been some grim hero, you would've focused on Kbalt whether the Hero's party lived or died."

He didn't even give me room to speak. His blazing eyes stayed locked on me, unmoving.

"No ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠matter how incredible your regenerative power is, how many people would endure the pain of being pierced and sliced apart for someone else's sake?"

Before I knew it, he'd even stood up on his own. A fierce presence rolled off him like a wildfire raging out of control, and I was crushed by the sheer pressure of it.

"You underestimate yourself far too much."

He seemed to realize he'd gotten too worked up, because his tone softened a little.

"Think carefully about why the Goddess chose you as Her Saintess."

"She excommunicated me."

"And who do you think is the one who believes most firmly that She must have had a hidden reason?"

He already never bent his will for anyone, and now he had logic on his side too. I couldn't win with words. Which meant it was time to pull out my last resort.

"I like losing. You think a Saintess like that is noble? That's ridiculous."

I tore down the very preference that had kept me alive all this time — all to escape the unbearably heavy mold of being a "Saintess-like Saintess."

"Nobody in this world is perfect. You need a human side to even be capable of nobility."

But it didn't get through at all.

"Honestly, I don't even think of it as a flaw. I actually like it."

"...You like it?"

"Being that strong and still wanting to lose? That's just too adorable."

He wasn't merely "respecting" it — he was the first person who had ever truly understood. But why did it have to be him? It felt more uncomfortable than happy.

"Just take care of your own Clitia. Why bother worrying about me too?"

"Because I want every Clitia to be happy."

"......"

I couldn't find anything else to say. There was no point continuing the conversation. He wouldn't listen anyway. I supposed I should be grateful that at least his intentions weren't impure. It was better than that insane half-undead who'd tried to control my mind.

"You done being mad?"

He picked up on it instantly and grinned with shameless ease. I no longer had the energy to deal with him, so I finally gave up.

"I'll let it slide this once."

It had been a long time since just moving my mouth had worn me out this much.

"Still, he's more upstanding than our Liam, is he not?"

Logan, who had been quietly watching the whole time, brushed my hand with her cold fingers.

"Anyone looks fine compared to that guy."

"A fair point."

The other world's Liam, who'd been listening in, shot us an intrigued look.

"Who's that? That way of talking sounds familiar."

"I am Logan. I find it rather unpleasant, so I would ask that you kindly refrain from finding me adorable."

"Huh?"

"And do not wear that amused expression, either."

Honestly, it was pretty funny. I watched for a moment as Logan stubbornly refused the hand reaching to pat her head, then called for Eluke.

"Dwain's still the one in charge of the Volunteer Corps, right?"

"Yes. He is the Corps Commander now."

"Let's go see him right now."

I liked the decision to stop operating as a bandit gang. But the name "Clitia Volunteer Corps" was hard to swallow. If I left it alone, they'd probably start churning out all kinds of headaches. I needed to persuade them to take my name off it.

"Let us go together. Ah — Liam, please remain here."

"Why?"

"It means stay put and do not cause any trouble."

The other three of us agreed, so we left the other world's Liam behind and headed out of the earthen house on our own.

"It would be best if you covered your face."

Eluke handed me the brown robe she'd worn before. She already had her own hood pulled down over her head.

"What a pain."

"The combatants who went out to gather blood have returned, so our numbers have grown considerably. You will regret going as you are."

"That so?"

I decided to take the advice. She wasn't the type to say things for no reason. I threw on the robe and headed for the village.

The same narrow entrance I'd passed through many times. The moment I stepped inside, a deep, saturated pink flooded my vision.

"Am I the only one whose head is spinning?"

"Same here."

No matter where I looked, I couldn't see any other color. Everyone was wearing pink bridal gowns or nun's habits. Even the cloth stretched across the sky, even the ground itself. It felt like I'd shrunk down and wandered into a toy village.

"This is the Sage's handiwork. She also took the opportunity to neatly repair everything that was broken or cracked."

"This generation's Great Sage is not half bad, either."

Brenny's magic had only changed the appearance. But the ripple effects of that change seemed to have transformed people's hearts as well. They greeted each other with big, open smiles and snacked on what looked like blood sausage. Children ran around, and every so often a dog barked. The whole place overflowed with vitality. If traces of life had been sprouting like seedlings before, now they'd grown tall and even bloomed. It had truly become a village. Though the excessive pink docked a lot of points.

"But since everyone is wearing the same attire, even a robe stands out."

"That's what I was about to say."

Brown was normally a color that blended in. Not anymore. We were the only impurity of a different color — outsiders, obvious at a glance.

"It has already become an unspoken agreement. If one's face is covered, they are not to be paid any mind."

"That actually works?"

"You are seeing it for yourself, are you not?"

Not a single glance came our way. They were definitely treating us like we didn't exist.

"Dwain is commanding them quite well."

"Looks that way."

While we talked, we arrived in front of a building that particularly drew the eye. A grandiose signboard hung beside the door — and of course, it featured the emblem of a fist driven through a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠cross.

"Dwain should be inside."

"Can I just walk in?"

"You may."

I knocked a few times and turned the handle.

"Ah. What the hell is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that."

The moment I walked in, I saw a stone statue modeled after me — posed with an Aura-wrapped fist thrust forward. The face was similar enough, but the figure was wildly exaggerated.

"It looks just like you."

"I'm not that big."

For some reason, it put me in a bad mood.

"Welcome."

Dwain, who had been praying in front of the statue, turned to greet me. His lower body had been completely healed.

"What are you doing right now."

"I was praying to you — the guardian deity of our Volunteer Corps — for the peace of our organization."

I'd thought he was a decent warrior. Getting wrecked by me must have broken something in him.

"That's idol worship..."

"I am not a believer. And neither I nor any member of our Volunteer Corps has any intention of becoming one."

"Then why are you all dressed in bridal gowns and nun's habits."

In our Church, those training to become priests or holy knights are called brides and nuns. Uniforms for a life of piety. Naturally, ordinary people weren't supposed to wear them.

"We needed a reasonably unified uniform."

"You're going to get smited for that."

"If my end comes at the hands of a god, that is a death any warrior would welcome."

He really was Ivar's twin brother. That stubbornness of never bending his will no matter what anyone said — the more I looked, the more they resembled each other.

"I don't care about any of that. Just take my name off the Volunteer Corps."

"I imagined you would find it distasteful."

"You knew and you did it anyway?"

"It was to put an end to a life of merely surviving without truly living."

Dwain straightened his back and looked down at me.

"Wifilud, who raised us back up, reveres you. It was the perfect name to gather everyone's hearts."

I didn't know why everyone was so articulate about their opinions today.

"You are our parasol. Through the name 'Clitia,' we decided we too would stand proudly beneath the sun."

"......"

"If you still want your name removed even after hearing this, I will comply without a word."

I had no real choice.

"Do whatever you want."

I gave permission without thinking it over. If I just put up with a little inconvenience and in return the entire village got a satisfying life, that was a bargain.

"You haven't changed a bit."

"Stay out of it."

If they were going to do this, I hoped they'd at least work hard at doing good.

I wasn't worried even if She didn't answer anymore. The Holy Power that had dwindled inside ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my body was welling up once more.

Eluke gazed at Clitia offering her prayer and fell into a peculiar emotion.

A noble voice rang brightly inside her head. All things were according to the will of the Sun.