A short while later, another new customer arrived.

A blond-haired man with a sturdy build and refined outfit, exuding an air of “I’m a knight”. Handsome face, trimmed beard adding a touch of allure.

“This is…the shop that guy frequents, right? Zac…no, Are…no, the uh…plain-looking guy with somewhat unruly chestnut hair. Know who I mean?”

I understood. His looks are ordinary but he leaves a strong impression.

“Yes, the one who started coming recently?”

“That’s him, that guy. Give me the sweets he bought. All the leftovers.”

“That’s…quite a lot, will you be alright?”

Far too much for one person to eat.

“No problem. It’s souvenirs for my fiancée. Kept her waiting a long time, so I should get her something nice to eat.”

The blond man grinned, a nice expression. He just gets more attractive.

“You have a fiancée?”

I felt a little disappointed.

“She’s my cousin, but we’re close as family. And she’s the daughter of someone I respected. A woman far too good for me, really,”

the blond man said, looking a little embarrassed. That bashfulness was kinda cute.

Such a splendid gentleman, yet he has this adorable side too.

After the blond man left, quite some time passed and it was almost closing time when another new customer arrived.

This time, it was someone dressed like a stereotypical mage, with a purple hood. Rare to see a mage at a sweets shop. Might be our first at this shop.

Mages make me think of drinking some weird green gloppy potion instead of eating sweet things.

This mage looked high-strung and hard to please at a glance. Got to be careful with types like this. They’ll find fault with the store’s goods over trivial things.

I decided to put my best into serving him.

“Hey, that unimpressive guy didn’t come to buy sweets today, did he? Chestnut hair, somewhat unruly. Know who I mean?”

The mage asked brusquely.

(Huh? Him too?)

That makes three people. What kind of person is he to have a beauty, knight, and mage looking for him?

He looks completely ordinary, just a commoner. Maybe he’s famous as a master at finding delicious sweets?

“He was here, but…”

“I see. Give me the same sweets as him.”

The mage had no manners at all.

“I’m very sorry, but a customer already purchased all of those…”

I answered as apologetically as I could. I was worried the mage might get angry.

“Tch, must have been that Leon…typical for aristocrats…”

The mage frowned, but didn’t get angry and just grumbled complaints to himself.

“Um, we do have other sweets available…”

As the store’s poster girl, I tried to promote our wares even to this troublesome-looking person.

“Hmph.”

The mage snorted, a little dissatisfied.

“I wanted the same ones as him. But I can’t just come to the store and leave without buying anything, that wouldn’t be right. It can’t be helped. I’ll buy some of the leftovers.”

I don’t know why, but even though he’s going to buy stuff, I can’t feel sincerely happy about a customer who says too much.

The mage casually chose some sweets, including one I had made.

(Oh no, what if he doesn’t like the sweet I made and burns down the shop with magic?)

I imagined him cackling as he set the shop on fire. It was so vivid.

“Um, that item is…”

To prevent anything happening to the shop, I tried to stop him from buying my sweet.

“What is it? Do you not want me to buy that? Does this shop display items not fit to sell?”

He sounded very displeased.

No store clerk could stop a purchase after being talked to like that. I reluctantly told him the total for the items.

The mage boredly took out money from his pocket and I reluctantly accepted it.

“Thank you for your business. Please come again.”

I recited the familiar words flatly, hoping he wouldn’t actually come again.

---

About a week later, the supposed sweets connoisseur visited the shop again. The woman with glasses was with him again.

My dad jumped out of the kitchen again and started talking about sweets with him.

He wasn’t very good at explaining, but I liked how he tried his best to convey the appeal of the sweets.

Then the woman with him said to me:

“The sweets were very delicious. My mother said they were tasty too.”

“That’s good to hear. You and your mother get along well?”

“I wonder… Actually, we hadn’t seen each other in a long time. We met once briefly before, but after that my mother shut herself in her room and I was at a loss. But this man went with me to see my mother and forcibly opened the door to her room.”

The woman gazed at him affectionately. Oblivious, he continued talking sweets with my dad.

“That must have been…quite difficult?”

It seemed like complicated family circumstances. I hesitated whether I should pry further.

“Yes, it was difficult. But when he offered sweets to my mother, she silently ate them and murmured ‘delicious’. After that she gradually started talking more. So today I want to buy sweets here as souvenirs for my mother again.”

The woman looked happy as she said this. He really is a sweets connoisseur. Making people happy with sweets isn’t easy.

That day, right after he left, the beauty came and bought the same sweets as usual. After her the blond knight bought them out.

The last customer was the mage, right before closing again.

“Sold out today too?”

The mage looked disappointed. As unpleasant as ever.

(If you think that, you should come earlier)

I thought that, but a chill went down my spine as the mage glared at me as if he could see my thoughts.

“Can’t be helped. I’ll buy some leftovers again today.”

He says too much as usual. But he doesn’t complain about the sweets he bought before, and doesn’t suddenly cast any spells, so maybe he likes them after all?

“I’ll take that, that and that. And that too.”

The mage casually chose sweets, including my sweet again. Though his choices are random, he always takes my sweet.

Could it be he actually likes it?

But he seems like the type to only say nasty things if I ask, so I couldn’t bring myself to ask his opinion on the sweets.

---

This continued about once a week for several times.

According to the supposed sweets connoisseur, the beauty, the knight, and the mage were all his dear friends.

When I asked “Then why not come together?” he said:

“Everyone’s busy with their own circumstances, so we rarely get the chance.”

Is that so? Maybe for the knight and mage, but the beauty shows up right after he leaves, as if following him.

When I tried to mention that, a chill went down my spine. I sensed a gaze from outside.

I timidly looked outside the shop’s glass and the beauty was standing there. She smiled.

Creepy.

…I should stop. Can’t say unnecessary things about customers. For my own sake too.

The last customer that day was the mage as usual.

After confirming the sold out items as always, he chose several items from what was left, including the sweet I made, as usual.

His choices are random, but he always takes my sweet.

Maybe he really does like my sweet?

“You always buy that sweet, is it delicious?”

I gathered my courage and asked.

“Not tasty.”

…Shouldn’t have asked. This mage really is the worst.

“You made this sweet, didn’t you?”

The mage said with a laugh.

What an awful person. He knew I made it and still said it wasn’t tasty.

“Yes, but…”

“Only you look at this sweet differently, with an emotional gaze. So I could tell.”

As expected of a mage, very observant.

“If it’s not tasty, why do you always buy it?”

I asked petulantly.

“Hmm, the other sweets are polished and tasty. However, unfinished things have their own value. You can see they’re gradually becoming more delicious because they’re unfinished. It’s fun to enjoy the process of growth. A friend taught me that even incomplete things have value.”

That friend is probably the sweets connoisseur?

The mage looked at me.

“Of course, that growth is only possible through your hard work. That’s why I buy it every time. If you weren’t trying hard, I wouldn’t buy it. Don’t fear failure, keep challenging yourself. Don’t worry, I’ll buy it.”

After saying that, the mage paid and left.

That mage is sly. I think magic like that is really unfair.

I realized my face was red.

READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM

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Afterword

I started posting stories on the website Shōsetsuka ni Narō when I was quite old, at 44 years old. My first work, [After Eating Monster Meat I Became King], garnered almost no response, and I ended the serializition feeling dejected.

Then, in the year I turned 45, [Who Killed the Hero], received high praise from many people, and it was decided it would be published as a book. (My first work [After Eating Monster Meat I Became King] is also scheduled to be published in book form around the same time by GCN Bunko.)

Since I had been posting on Shōsetsuka ni Narō, of course I wanted to become a novelist. But I didn’t just want to become a novelist. I wanted to become an amazing novelist.

Nowadays various people including authors post “wish lists” online, but actually I have just one wish.

To win the Bookstore Award.

Ah, I know what you’re thinking.

The editor reading this afterword first probably thought “Isn’t he an idiot?” I started writing novels at 44, and in the genre called light novels at that, so it’s practically impossible, right?

But that’s what I wrote about in this story.

Taking on things people say you “couldn’t possibly do” or “could never become”. Keep trying hard even if people think you’re foolish. Have just a little expectation in yourself. That’s what it’s about.

Of course, I don’t think it’s impossible. I’m confident this is a story anyone from children to seniors, men and women, can enjoy. I believe it has become a book booksellers can recommend to anyone saying “This is interesting.” A book that even people who don’t normally read would read. Considering that, don’t I have a chance at the Bookstore Award?

Also, I feel that just being a light novel means I won’t even be considered without speaking up. My voice needs to be heard just to be recognized as a contender.

But even if this work is completely ignored, as long as books of mine come out I’ll aim to be the amazing novelist who wins the Bookstore Award.

Well, even if a middle-aged guy who miraculously became a novelist at 45 makes a fool of himself stubbornly demanding the Bookstore Award and fails miserably, I have no regrets.

Because I want to live like a hero, you know?

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TL Note :

Wow, just wow. This novel is definitely one of the best LN I’ve ever read. I’m not sure if I want volume two of this novel since it ended perfectly. Heck, I wish the extra story didn’t exist because of how perfect the ending is. 

That’s all from me. See you again.

 

EDIT :

While waiting for Volume 2 , I implore you dear readers to read other masterpiece novels that also written by the same author :

• Monster Meat Led Me to the Throne
• The Suspects of Necromancy
• The Wicked Princess and 12 Eyes – The Strongest Squires and the Legendary Evil Woman, the Second Time in Her Life
• The Exiled Merchant Saves the World with the Power of Gold (translated by my friend meerkat)

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