Chapter 105 - N Years, the Weakest Body and an Indomitable Spirit - 2

Reality differs from the media.

Superheroes who remain effortlessly composed in every situation do not exist in the real world. Not when the lives of tens of millions across the continent rest on their shoulders.

As tears streamed down her face into Maria's bosom, feeling the warmth of that tender affection—

Frey thought.

'So this is why...'

The reason Karnos had brought Maria here.

'He... she knew.'

A chill suddenly ran down her spine.

'She knew Maria would forgive me... she could see into her heart that well.'

And also, that once Maria learned the truth, she would do everything in her power to help Frey.

'Such terrifying insight and such self-righteous conviction... without giving a single thought to the wounds Maria or I might suffer, he just placed Maria before me for the sole reason that it would benefit him. If the Demon King's goal had been something like destroying the continent instead of finding a worthy opponent to go all out against... the world would already be...'

Whether to laugh or cry at that realization, Frey could not decide.

"What must I do? Should I devote myself to the original purpose—making Sir Joker repent?"

"Uh, huh? Ah... yeah, that's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠right. It's something only you, Maria, can do in this world."

"Yes. I will carry out the mission given to me, no matter what. Because that is the duty the Lord has bestowed upon me."

"You have to be careful... Joker is a terrifying person."

Squeezing her eyes shut, Frey recalled the Joker she had seen in her past life.

Truthfully, she hadn't had much direct contact with Joker. Except for their clash in Tartarus.

But she had heard things—

'In the past life, the Cheon-ung was the one who handled Joker. The Cheon-ung managed him for nearly thirteen years, but after going through 'that incident,' she ultimately broke down. And Joker was thrown into prison.'

When conflict had erupted between the demon realm and the continent, the continent lacked the power to contend with the demon realm. Even without the Demon King personally stepping forward, if absolute experts like the Seven Great Demons or the Four Grand Dukes of the demon realm waged guerrilla warfare in earnest, the continent would have been helpless to resist.

But fortunately—or unfortunately—two of the Four Grand Dukes had little interest in invading the continent. They were King, the Southern Grand Duke of Sloth, and Joker, the Northern Grand Duke of Pride.

Yet Joker couldn't simply be left to his own devices. He wasn't interested in the war between the demon realm and the continent, true—but as a third party, he was more zealous than anyone when it came to plunging the world into chaos.

In some ways, he was even more dangerous than the Demon King's army. Especially since his martial power was enough to break the Dragon Lord. To control such a being, the continent assigned one of its greatest heroes to be Joker's exclusive handler.

The end of that arrangement was a tragedy so horrific it was difficult even to speak of...

"Maria, it won't be easy. I've placed too heavy a burden on you."

"It's alright. Rather, I'm simply glad to have found my purpose."

"I don't know exactly what feelings Joker holds for you... but it might be harder than you can imagine."

"No. It's just that the world hasn't recognized it. Sir Joker is a kinder person than anyone thinks. I firmly believe he can be saved."

"...Seeing him in Tartarus, I think I could believe that too. But that was only possible because it was you, Maria."

Even though Frey had chosen Maria because she was the only one who could take on this role, she couldn't help but worry terribly.

"And what will you do now, Hero-nim?"

"Me? I'll just have to endure however long is left. You know my birthday is a few months later than yours, Maria."

"And after that?"

"Hmm... you mean in this life, don't you? I'll try to keep things as close to the past life as possible. That way Joker won't sense anything strange, and he won't catch on to our intentions."

"It will be a difficult path."

"Don't say that. I'm the Hero. Even if everyone hates me, I alone must love the people. That's what it means to be the Hero. We were both taught that from childhood, weren't we, Maria?"

But Maria was actually more worried about Frey.

"Walking the same path as your past life... does that mean you will kneel to the Demon King once again?"

"Yeah. Only on the surface, of course. Behind the scenes, I'll have to help the continent. Actually, in a world ruled by the Demon King's army, that side is more convenient."

"People will curse you, Hero-nim. Even if Sir Joker eventually defeats the Demon King, all the glory of killing him will go to Sir Joker alone. Once a reputation is tarnished, it's hard to recover."

"I don't care. As long as the continent can be saved, it's right for me, the Hero, to take that position. In the end, everything happened because I wasn't strong enough."

"Even your status as the Hero... could be broken. I'll do my best to prevent the Church's excommunication declaration, but..."

"That's more than enough. And I'm used to being hated, so it's fine. Even if I weren't, I'd have to endure it."

Maria's gentle hand stroked Frey's bowed head.

Frey slowly closed her eyes. There was a strange power in Maria's touch that calmed people.

"There is something I wish to ask you."

"I'll answer anything."

"During our time at Eden Academy... we were good friends. According to my memories. Is that correct?"

"...Yes. That's why we formed the hero's party after graduation too. I respected you, Maria. I held you in deep reverence."

As if drawing out a confession from a child who had done wrong—

The Saint Maria's voice carried a strange power.

"But then why... during the exam... did you leak the answer sheet?"

"..."

"I am not someone who rushes to die over past mistakes. Whatever wrong you may have committed in the past, I love Sir Joker as he is now. So please, tell me. As a clergy member, I must hear the Hero's confession."

"...Alright."

Her voice also carried a firm resolve. She was determined to get the truth from Frey no matter what.

Pressed by that will, Frey reluctantly opened her mouth.

"At that time... I was still quite young."

"To be honest, I enjoyed competing with you, Maria. I was always second and you were always first, but despite having the renowned fate of the Hero, my self-esteem was actually quite low. It wasn't that being second place was humiliating—rather, I felt pride thinking, 'Am I really competing with that Saint Maria?'"

"But... I suppose the adults didn't see it that way, haha."

At that point, Frey paused for a moment. She hesitated slightly. Maria tilted her head.

"Well, there's that pride thing, you know? A kind of face-off? Especially since the Empire and the Holy Nation are rival nations..."

"The Hero is born from the Empire, but the Saint is from the Holy Nation. And while the Saint is the strongest in history, the Hero is the weakest in history. That alone is enough for people to chew over and pick apart. And on top of that, even though we attended the same academy, the gap in academic performance was glaringly obvious."

"You know what corporal punishment is, right? Educational physical violence. There wasn't a single kid who hadn't experienced it. You'd get the rod for getting a problem wrong, the rod for not doing your homework, the rod for insufficient training... Having endured it since childhood, you'd think I'd be used to it, but when I was young, it was truly painful."

"In novels, you see that kind of image—a master who beats their disciple, and a disciple who bickers with them. They squabble on the surface, but underneath, they're close. But that's just in novels. My solemn and strict teachers—every time I fell behind you, Maria, and every time the Empire's prestige was diminished—they looked like demons from hell. The education of a Hero isn't an easy path, is it?"

"Surely... that's why..."

"Yeah. That was the reason. I thought if I got first place, the beatings would stop. Well... even when I stole the exam sheet, you found the flaw in my answer key and took first place anyway. I ended up staying in second."

Frey confessed as if it were utterly trivial, but to Maria, listening, it was a deeply depressing story.

"S-such... I never thought of it that way."

"It's not your fault, Maria. If anything, it's my fault for not getting first place."

"Then, in this life, I could..."

"Don't waste your thoughts on that. Joker must not find out that I'm a regressor. For that, I need to lose to you in this life too. Well, it doesn't matter if you lose to me, but I need to maintain a second-place record similar to my past life."

"..."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

As Maria's heart grew heavy, transparent teardrops welled in her eyes. Just then, the girl who had been quietly watching from behind the two of them parted her lips.

"Hero. Enough pointless talk. It's nearly time to go."

"Go? Where is Maria going?"

"It's time. She must go to the continent. To be born."

"Ah... it's already time..."

There were no clocks in the divine realm. Even if there were, none were within Frey's field of vision. Only then did Frey regain her sense of time.

"Saint. Now that you know the truth, return to the continent. There is no longer any reason for you to remain in the divine realm."

"...Yes. But I ask for a brief reprieve."

"What further reprieve could you need?"

"Hero-nim, please look this way for a moment."

"Maria? Why?"

Maria's slender fingers wrapped around Frey's middle finger.

White blossoms, like bean sprouts sprouting in a drought, encircled the finger like a pillar.

It was a radiant white ring.

"It is the Saint's blessing. Wherever the Hero-nim may be, it will draw good fortune to you."

Swish—

As if refusing to wait any longer, Karnos's magic pulled at Maria. A five-colored rift opened in the air.

"Maria! T-take car...!"

Seeing that, Frey jumped up from her seat to see Maria off.

Vwoom—

"...Go."

Before Frey's mouth could even close, Maria and Karnos vanished into the rift.

Left alone once again, Frey swallowed a bitter mouthful of saliva. It was the taste of solitude that came from being abandoned.

She was truly glad to have met a close friend after so long and to have unburdened her heart, but she couldn't deny the sorrow of parting.

"Somehow... it feels like a storm has passed... haha..."

Yet, she couldn't deny that the weight on her heart had been lifted, making her shoulders lighter. Frey smiled faintly. A smile of pure innocence.

Click—

The Hero grasped her weapon with newfound vitality. The Holy Sword Excalibur. An ancient blade used by the first Hero, Nibelungen Siegfried, to sever the neck of the first Demon King.

For several hundred years, no one had been able to wield it carelessly—but Frey was a chosen Hero even among Heroes. Though she herself did not appreciate that fact.

Scrape—

The heavy iron sword was dragged. Frey rose to her feet on knees that were not light.

And then, she stepped forward.

Because she still had two firm legs.

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