Chapter 98
Chapter 98
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: Is This a Joke? - 1
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There was something I'd dreamed of since childhood. Becoming a hero and saving the world.
After the Demon King, the enemy of the world, appeared, Sairon had always held onto that dream.
To achieve it, she was chosen by the Hero's Sword, forged with the power of the sun.
She wanted to become the Hero.
But the moment she first grasped the Hero's Sword, she learned she could never be one.
The Hero wasn't chosen through effort.
The sword alone decided who was worthy to be its master.
Thus, Sairon, rejected by the Hero's Sword, was utterly shocked.
But she hadn't given up on becoming a hero. There were still paths left.
Namely, becoming a companion of the Hero.
Supporting the Hero and saving the world together.
Claiming that position to become a hero—that became Sairon's greatest wish.
And then.
The news that Evangeline, not her, had become a Hero Party member was enough to make Sairon feel utterly wretched.
She wanted to make herself known.
She wanted to show herself off.
Having the path to satisfy her overflowing desire for ostentation and self-assertion stolen away.
That inflicted a deep wound on Sairon's heart, and it made her sick—it was exhibitionism.
I am beautiful, strong, and righteous simply by existing.
Even if I wasn't chosen by the Hero's Sword or made it into the Hero Party, I am still beautiful, strong, and righteous.
Was there any need to hide such a me?
Her twisted desire for showmanship gradually made her reveal more of her body,
And even when she barely covered only the most intimate parts, it satisfied her urges more than it brought shame.
Yet it still wasn't enough.
Look at me more.
Praise me.
Rave about my beauty and strength.
Make the entire continent know me.
That didn't happen until the Hero Party defeated the Demon King, and her disappointment only deepened.
"...Are you the Sage?"
"Hm?"
In the end, disappointed at failing to become a hero known and praised by many, she continued her adventurer life.
At the kingdom's Adventurers Guild, Sairon spotted a man.
An adventurer recently making waves in the guild.
No, to be precise, someone who had already made quite a name across the continent.
The Sage, unofficial member of the Hero Party.
The one who, right after defeating the Demon King, left the party and became a solo adventurer, taking on even the most trivial quests others ignored.
To Sairon, with her strong exhibitionism, the Sage—who deliberately picked jobs no one understood—was incomprehensible. Seeing her, he smirked.
"Sairon Medwall."
"...You know me?"
"Who wouldn't? Top A-Rank adventurer, the beautiful elf who felled the Mine Demons of Rohillo Mountain. Plus, shaman of the Black Tree Sect, founded by the first Hero's companion shaman. Specialties in shamanism..."
"O, oh...?"
She never imagined the famous Sage would know her this well.
For someone with high exhibitionism like her, being recognized—especially by someone famous—was pure joy.
Moreover, the Sage before her was a hero who, though unofficial, had helped the Hero Party slay the Demon King.
"Anyway, why? Here to say hi?"
Sairon extended her hand with a grin toward the Sage, who chewed and swallowed some jerky.
"I'm recruiting for a dungeon crawl in Rotello's Labyrinth right now. Wanna join?"
He accepted the offer lightly.
From then on, they kept in touch and tackled many quests together.
Of course, she didn't always party fixedly with him.
He'd deliberately take on jobs others avoided.
She had no intention of scolding him for it, nor of joining him.
What puzzled her was why such a strong and wise Sage obsessed over such trivial tasks.
While solving one quest with him and parting ways, she entered the Adventurers Guild to rest.
That's when she spotted a truly irritating woman.
Evangeline.
The woman who had shoved her aside to join the Hero Party.
Sairon gritted her teeth at the sight, but quickly sensed something off about Evangeline's state.
She looked anxious.
Like she was being chased, or no—like she'd lost something important.
Her eyes shaky, she pleaded desperately with the guild staff, forgetting all elven decorum.
"Evangeline. What are you doing?"
"S-Sairon... Sairon! You! Youuu!!"
Evangeline rushed at her, eyes bloodshot. Sairon frowned at her state.
This wasn't how a world-saving hero should act.
The Evangeline Sairon knew would have mocked and ridiculed her.
But nothing like that.
Just overflowing jealousy and envy.
"Hyunwoo!! Where's Hyunwoo! You partied with him before, right?!"
"So what?"
Many adventurers had partied with the Sage lately.
He easily teamed up with even those adventurers shunned others and cleared quests.
He'd been in the Hero Party, had a mild personality, solid combat prowess, and vast knowledge.
He could handle most support roles.
He ignored rewards adventurers went mad for, focusing only on helping or saving others.
He ignored status gaps, skill differences, racial divides—blending harmoniously with anyone, to the point no adventurer hadn't partied with him once.
So what if she'd partied with him?
As Sairon wondered, Evangeline collapsed like a deflated balloon.
"Ah... Aaaah... Uwaa... H-Hyunwoo... Why... Why are you avoiding me...? Why...?"
Gazing down at her broken state, Sairon tilted her head.
Either way, Evangeline was her rival, the one who'd bested her.
How could she not be curious why such a rival had crumbled like this?
From then on, Sairon investigated the Hero Party and the Sage's relationships, finally confronting the truth.
"Ha."
The Hero Party treated the Sage like that?
Were they insane?
Why on earth?
No matter how she racked her brain, no answer came.
No matter how she analyzed the info, it made no sense.
The Hero, Evangeline, Leventia too.
And the Sage.
In the end, her only reaction was admiration.
"Impressive."
Enduring such treatment for years alongside the Hero Party.
It must have been so burdensome and tough—why had he stuck with them to the end, defeating the Demon King and saving the world?
Unlike the blessed ones, he didn't even have a divine blessing.
No mission to slay the Demon King.
Why had he done it?
"Well..."
From what she'd seen of the Sage so far, it wasn't so strange.
He never hesitated before dangerous tasks.
Even faced with powerful monsters, he found the optimal solution and dealt with them.
Money, fame, rare gear—none could taint his noble, exalted soul.
He seemed born a mighty hero.
That's why she grew more interested in him.
Even the Hero and Hero Party members were desperate for him—what if she claimed him?
She might become even more famous than the Hero.
So she flaunted her body—the flesh countless human men coveted and worshipped but never dared touch—to seduce him, only to be rejected.
That's why she admired him again.
He truly was a hero.
She realized he possessed the unyielding spirit of a hero unshaken by any temptation.
How could she seduce him?
How could she have him?
How could she stand beside that flawless hero?
While pondering, word came from her sect.
Retrieve the cursed doll.
She couldn't defy the sect's orders, but clues were scarce.
So she asked the Sage she'd coincidentally met, and as expected, he knew.
Thus, she partied with him and that obnoxiously bald human warrior Sixman—who paid her no more mind than dust—and headed south.
There, she severed her filthy, base desires.
Her pathetic wish to simply become famous.
She had no choice.
"Uwaaaaaah! Uwaaaaaah!!"
The Sage, whom she thought more heroic than anyone, able to laugh off any wound, hardship, or adversity.
"Shiweee!! Shiweeee!! Scawy!! Shiweeee!! I wanna go hoooome!!"
Was weaker than she'd thought.
"Fightin' shiweeee!! Boo-hoo... Moomieeee!! Moomieeee!! Uwaaaah!"
Far weaker.
"Sowwy... Hic... Boo... Sniff... Boo... I-I'll do bettew... E-Evangewine sis... Weventia sis... I'll cook bettew... Boo...."
Despite wounds beyond reason.
"Go home... Gonna go hooome... Uwaaaah... Sniff... Sniff... Home... Gonna go hooome... C-Cwaire sis... H-hewlp meee... Hewp meeee... Boo... Hic... Uwaaaaaah! Uwaaaaaah!! Shiweeee! Uwaah! Fightin' scawy!! Ghosts scawy!!"
Enduring solely through patience and effort.
That's why she knew he was even more noble.
After his regression to infancy and hours of wailing, the Sage finally slept.
But even collapsing from exhaustion into sleep, he seemed unable to rest properly.
Muttering apologies, whimpers, pleas to go home, and complaints of hardship—like nightmares.
He'd suddenly wake, wail for ages, then crash asleep again, repeating.
She couldn't help but be shocked.
Because the Sage had always been strong.
Always wise, more adult than anyone, overcoming everything.
It had to be hidden.
The Sage was a hero, a noble soul.
No one could know of such wounds.
"...Let's keep this our secret. And we'll cover for him."
For once, the bald human warrior she despised said something agreeable.
"Got it? If this leaks, one of us three spilled it. I swear on the great warrior Kreon: I'll protect the Sage and tear apart anyone who tries to dig up his secrets."
"...I swear on Lady Hariti as well."
"...Me too. I'll keep the secret."
She had no thought of exploiting his wounds as weakness.
He was weak.
Pitiful.
But more noble a hero than anyone.
Who in the world could endure such fear, terror, and pain yet act like the Sage?
Harboring a burning desire to go home, yet after slaying the Demon King and saving the world, he lived for others.
If not such a man, who was a hero?
Thus, the three made a secret vow.
When the Sage awoke, they pretended nothing was amiss.
Hide his pain and torment.
Make him shine solely as a radiant hero.
But their gaze toward the Sage had changed greatly.
Her petty, base desire to use him for fame was utterly gone.
In its place remained.
-Drip.
Had pushing her mind to its limit blocking his shamanism done it?
Her mind blanked, past events flashing with a headache, nosebleed as proof of overexertion trickling down.
Sairon wiped it with the back of her hand and smiled at the Sage, who'd used "Poisoned Wolf"—a shamanism that poisoned himself to boost attack power.
She barely stopped him from breaking his own fingers in self-harm.
The strain of forcibly activating the shamanism had wounded her internally, blood trickling from her mouth, but who cared.
Don't make me laugh. My hero.
I can't watch a noble, exalted you harm yourself.
"Ptoo!! Sixman!! How much longer?!"
"Almo...st!!"
Sixman's Executioner lashed out with an Aura of Darkness.
The protective shamanism—one that prevented suicide and blocked others' approach—was nearly shattered.
Sairon prepared to leap the moment it broke, then glanced aside.
Veronica bit her lip hard, staring unblinking at the Sage.
Gazing intently at her, Sairon grinned.
Yeah, someone like you should be fine.
"Hey. Cardinal."
"...I'm busy, so don't talk to me."
"The Aura of Darkness will break soon. Executioner's hammering it, so a gap for one person will open."
Just like before.
It'll be the same now.
"Rush in and grab the Sage. Keep him from self-harm."
"...What? Why would you—"
"Guess?"
Sairon smiled slyly.
She no longer held romantic feelings or petty emotions for the Sage.
Just sublime reverence for a noble hero.
She didn't like someone like her approaching that nobility.
The Sage must be a hero.
And beside a hero must be equal nobility.
"You seem noble enough?"
As puzzled Veronica tilted her head, Sixman's final blow shattered the Aura of Darkness.
Seeing it, Sairon shoved Veronica's back.
"Go."
You can catch the Sage.
So go.
Watching my hero's happiness from here is enough for me.
Author's Note
Hello! It's Malmulmalmul!
See you again at 10!
Bye for now~!