Chapter 2
Chapter 2
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Return-1
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The adventure had been dangerous and rough, but looking back, the only moments that stuck in my memory were the ones spent trudging across those endless plains.
The distance from the Empire to the Demon King's castle was anyone's guess, but it was far too vast for someone like me—a regular human on foot.
The Mage floated along effortlessly, while the Elf and the Hero possessed physical abilities that bordered on inhuman to begin with.
Even the Hero, clad in her armor as she walked, had shown faint signs of fatigue at first—still within the realm of a "highly trained human." But once she began acquiring powers one by one during the adventure, even that vanished.
The relatively frail Saintess wrapped herself in holy power to lighten her body and heal her fatigue, leaving me as the only one plodding along on foot in the flesh.
They had a reasonable rationale: using holy power on non-combatants would leave them unprepared for emergencies. So, I received no healing whatsoever.
"Planning to slack off until the very end, Porter?"
"I-I'm going...!"
The sensations in my feet had long since faded.
I couldn't feel the gritty sand sneaking into my shoes, or the sticky, grimy mix of dirt, blood, and dust with every step.
My brain was already overwhelmed by too much pain, too varied to register any more discomfort.
Still, this "way back" was the most joyful and rewarding path of the return journey. Retracing our steps over familiar ground was mind-numbingly boring and pointless.
Now that the end was in sight, my body felt a little lighter.
Today alone, this thought had lightened my load more than seven times, so the effect should have worn off by now—but it was still working, if only by about a sip of water's worth.
"What do you all plan to do once we're home?"
The women were struggling with the tedium too, it seemed, as the Saintess was the first to break the silence.
"I'd like to return to my duties as a knight... but for the time being, I'll have to stick to my roles with the Princess and the Hero. No rest in sight, but if we need a party again, I'll invite you all."
"Back to the World Tree..."
I wanted to hear what the others had to say, but my head was burning up right then, leaving me no room to think.
My body was somehow squeezing out strength beyond its limits, keeping my feet moving, but I lacked the capacity to listen and comprehend anyone else.
If I collapsed now, Elenor's harsh kick would force me back up. But I was already pushing my body harder than it could handle.
Even if I made it back to Earth like this, who knew how much lifespan I'd have left after such abuse. If I'd been chasing personal happiness, quitting the adventure midway and just ending it all would have been the smarter play.
"Ugh..."
The throbbing in my head finally eased. My lungs burned endlessly for air, but giving them what they craved would drop me right then and there.
Forcing down breaths, I kept walking, and my vision gradually cleared.
The Saintess's back filled my view—a sight I'd grown sick of seeing during the adventure.
"Would they really welcome us back without a word?"
"As a Saintess, you'd be welcome anytime. In fact, I'd love to call you myself. Just sharing this heroic tale will unite those who follow me."
The mood had lightened considerably since defeating the Demon King—whether from bonds formed on the road or tension finally releasing—and conversation flowed easily.
Of course, I wasn't part of it.
"Ha..."
These people... there were times I thought they were decent.
///// When I first arrived in this world, the first person I saw was the Emperor.
"You've been chosen by the Goddess. Summoned to bear the Hero's mission!"
His tone was kind yet laced with pressure, instantly marking him as someone far above me—even from a single sentence.
But it was also something I'd half-expected. After having my soul and body yanked from Earth and hurled through a dimensional rift, my capacity to question the bizarre had evaporated.
At that point, even if some random person popped up claiming "I'm a god!", I'd have believed it without doubt. I was wide open to this new reality.
Still, my body was unchanged. The clothes and shoes I'd been wearing on Earth were still on me. I felt something humming inside, but it didn't seem like enough to fight with.
I asked to be sent back. Said I didn't want to fight. The Emperor, hearing me out, gave a strange smile and made a tempting offer.
"Then many will die. The Demon King will destroy the world, and until the next Hero is chosen, monsters will ravage us. Innocent people will perish."
After that, I wasn't scared anymore. But I still couldn't be sure I could pull it off.
"I understand your unease. The Hero's path is brutal and perilous for someone not prepared to fight."
As I was about to say I needed time to think, he dangled an even sweeter option.
"I can lend your Hero's power to someone who is prepared. No need for you to brave the battlefield—you can just relax in the palace and return home the moment victory is declared."
I never saw myself as the world's protagonist. If such a method existed, the one most likely to save it should take part.
But if being the Hero was my duty, I didn't want to just dump it on someone else.
"Did that person... agree to it?"
"What? Hahaha!"
My question must have been hilarious, because he burst into booming laughter—so grand and overwhelming it nearly drowned me out.
"Of course! She's been prepared for exactly this! What were you worried about...? If you've decided, let's get on with it! The longer you remain 'Hero,' the riskier the ritual becomes!"
The moment I consented, the Emperor laughed and praised my decision—which wasn't really mine.
Less than a day later, maids summoned me. Blindfolded, I was led deep underground, somewhere secretive in the palace.
Gray-robed Mages silently drew patterns on the floor. After a long while, a magic circle emerged—circles, triangles, unfamiliar runes, and symbols all jumbled together.
"You're the Hero, then."
Standing before me was a woman as stunningly beautiful as a flawless sword, its gleam unmarred.
We sat side by side in overlapping circles at the circle's heart.
"...Yes."
"Do you regret... giving up your power?"
Her words carried a hint of longing, or perhaps interrogation. But I hadn't thought enough about my choice to give her a proper answer.
"Doesn't matter. Whoever can do it, should."
I didn't need the power anyway. Life on Earth wasn't perfect happiness, but it was familiar, predictable—modern civilization.
According to the Emperor, only a special ritual after the Demon King's defeat could send the Hero back to their world.
For my sake, and this world's people, the capable one should go.
As the Mages began chanting, she and I fell silent. As instructed before the ritual, I closed my eyes and relaxed completely, letting go of all remaining power.
Pain, alienation, a nauseating sensation like something being yanked from my gut—it all hit, and soon the power drained fully from my body. Just like that, she became the Hero.
///// I soaked in water cold enough to slice skin. With one party member hypersensitive to my stench—no, one party member period—I had to scrub like I was peeling off my hide.
"Ow..."
The upside of bathing was that it was inevitable anyway, and I barely needed to move.
In other words, at least my body got a break.
Heading back to the party meant errands for the Saintess, scorn from the Archer, torment from the Mage, and Hero training. No way I could endure that in this state.
The downside? I couldn't relax my mind. No focusing, no drifting off.
Just endure the liquid blades carving up my body.
'Why do I have to go through this?' 'Do I really need to keep adventuring through this hell?' Rage, resignation, sorrow, despair—they swirled in my head, and I had to face them wide-eyed.
I'd started with resolve to do anything, but as this dragged on, the anger only grew.
The gloom had been masked by greater hope—the tangible future of going home—but here in the cold water, it surfaced naturally.
"...Let's go back."
Once the return ritual was done and I was on Earth, I'd never see these people again.
No more smiling, enduring, or bending. The Demon King was dead. The adventure was over.
"You held up well..."
Just a little farther. I'd given it my all to the end, without shame. Tried to show a good face, did my best within my limits.
I wiped off the cold water with a rough cloth and dressed. The coldest weather had passed, but the brisk wind still dried my clothes while stealing my body heat.
The moment I returned to the party's tent, my eyes met the Archer's. She pinched her nose the instant she saw me and glared.
"You still stink. Go wash again."
It sucked.