“Maybe, just maybe, a hero is someone who’s gritty and never gives up. Someone who refuses to surrender no matter what. Sure, being strong is important, but it’s more than that. It’s about strength of heart, too. The kind of person who becomes a hero has that strength.”
[Do you think such a person will ever appear?]
“They will. You see, anyone can become a hero. But most people kill that hero within themselves, just like I did fifteen years ago. But there are many people in the world. Somewhere out there, there’s someone who will remain a hero to the very end.”
As I murmured those words, a noise came from the carriage where our companions were sleeping.
It must have been time to switch shifts. Our conversation ended there.
The ruined capital of Malica, Garnahazza.
Fifteen years ago, this was the battleground for a fierce war between humans and monsters.
After a three-day journey, Leonard and his companions finally arrived at this place.
The scars of that battle from fifteen years ago were still visible.
And in the center of that devastated city stood the demons.
The demon Belzera, regarded as the de facto commander of the Demon King’s army. His intelligent red eyes belied his monstrous nature. He was nearly twice the size of a human, with a body covered in black scales that resembled armor. A massive sword, far larger than any human weapon, hung at his waist.
Behind him stood three other demons, slightly smaller in stature than Belzera. Like him, their bodies were covered in scale-like armor, but their scales were red, blue, and green, respectively.
The red demon wielded a long battle-axe, the blue one a gigantic spear, and the green one held a long, two-handed club.
Leonard and his companions had disembarked from their carriage before entering Garnahazza. They slowly advanced toward the demons. The distance between them was considerable.
[Are you Leonard?]
Belzera’s voice was low but echoed through the surroundings as if it were a musical instrument.
“That’s right. And you must be Belzera?”
[Indeed. I have heard of you. I, Belzera, guarantee the safety of you four. In return, you must kill any human hero that appears. The method does not matter.]
Belzera’s words were concise, with no wasted breath.
“If you’re guaranteeing our lives yourself, then there’s no problem. But are those three behind you your only guards? Isn’t that a bit careless?”
[This is sufficient. I judged that bringing more might scare you into not showing yourselves. The best outcome is if you betray humanity. The second-best is if you try to deceive us, and we kill you. Both are advantageous to us. So, which will it be?]
Belzera had anticipated that Leonard and his group might challenge him. Even so, he had only brought three demon guards.
A thin layer of sweat appeared on Leonard’s forehead.
“Did you really think we’d break our promise?”
[Deceit is the way of humans, though it is lamentable. But you are strong, having slain many demons. Killing you would be meaningful to us. Therefore, it doesn’t matter whether you betray humanity or break your promise.]
Belzera and his guards remained unfazed.
They expected Leonard and his group to attack.
“Demons really are wary, aren’t you? I was hoping to surprise you a bit.”
Leonard drew his sword. Efsei readied his spear, while Sophia and Nina began chanting spells.
[So, you choose to fight, humans. But you have no chance of winning.]
Belzera also drew his sword, a black aura enveloping its blade.
The demons who had been standing behind Belzera moved forward.
And so, Leonard and his companions’ final battle began.
I had witnessed countless battles.
At first, I prayed for the heroes’ victory, but I was repeatedly shown how meaningless those prayers were.
I am powerless. I had tried to use my prophetic visions to confuse the enemies of the heroes, but my illusions could not move, and were of little help.
Gradually, I began to avert my eyes whenever it seemed the heroes might lose, and sometimes I even stopped synchronizing with the illusions altogether.
But this time, perhaps for the first time in decades, maybe even centuries, I found myself praying for Leonard and his group’s victory. Not to a god, but to something I believed in.
Efsei, Sophia, and Nina were engaging the three demon guards.
Now that I think about it, these three had always fought in a way that drew the attention of monsters. They must have been preparing for this battle with Belzera all along.
Efsei, as a warrior, might be expected to engage in direct combat, but for Sophia, a mage, and Nina, a priestess, to directly fight demons was nothing short of suicide.
Yet, their movements were surprisingly agile, unlike what you’d expect from magic users.
They must have enhanced their bodies with magic, allowing them to run swiftly and keep the demons occupied.
This was more than just magic. It was likely the result of constant training. I noticed that they wore shoes and clothing designed for ease of movement.
Magical talent is largely a matter of innate ability. And Leonard’s party members were all likely over thirty by now, so further growth wasn’t something they could expect. That’s why they had trained their bodies, where improvement was still possible.
Of course, they weren’t just running around. Whenever an opportunity arose, they cast spells at the demons.
Their determination to take down the demons even if it cost them their lives was palpable.
But despite their efforts, they were still walking a tightrope over a chasm.
Even when their spells hit directly, the demons showed no signs of faltering.
The demons might appear to be struggling, but if they landed even one blow, it would all be over.
The same was true for Efsei.
He was locked in combat with the blue demon, spear against spear, but compared to the demon’s massive weapon, Efsei’s spear was like straw.
Every time their weapons clashed, Efsei’s spear bent dangerously, as if it would break at any moment.
Just watching was painful. But Efsei didn’t give up, continuing to fight, doing his best to pull the demons away from Belzera.
Efsei, Sophia, and Nina were all risking their lives to buy time.
They believed Leonard would win.
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And Leonard was fighting more desperately than I had ever seen him before.
There was no room for his usual witty remarks as he narrowly dodged the massive sword enveloped in a black aura.
This was my first time seeing Belzera as well, and he was a terrifying demon.
When he swung his sword vertically, the ground split. When he swung horizontally, ruins crumbled to dust.
It was like an attack combining both sword and magic.
Despite this, Leonard kept trying to close in on Belzera, undeterred by the overwhelming odds.
His movements were as nimble as a circus acrobat, but advancing toward the eye of the storm meant he was forced to retreat repeatedly.
Belzera’s assessment was probably correct. It didn’t look like Leonard had any chance of winning. But Leonard kept pushing forward, twisting his body, forcing his way through the storm.
One wrong move, and his life would be snuffed out like a candle in the wind.
He dodged again and again, stepping forward repeatedly, and each effort seemed wasted.
But Leonard never looked back. He had likely fought countless one-on-one duels with demons for this very moment.
After dozens of attempts, Leonard finally swung his sword.
It barely grazed Belzera’s fingertip, leaving a small wound.
But Belzera’s movements didn’t slow.
Without losing heart, Leonard charged at Belzera again.
It was like the old saying, “Dripping water hollows out stone.”
As he gradually inflicted more wounds, Belzera’s movements began to falter. Perhaps it was the accumulation of injuries or maybe the disruption of his focus.
Finally, Leonard closed the distance, coming within a step of Belzera.
He aimed for the neck, raising his sword high.
But Belzera’s sword struck first.
It severed Leonard’s right arm from the elbow down, sword and all.
[This is the end.]
Belzera’s lips curled into a smile.
“Don’t underestimate humans, demon!”
Leonard didn’t even flinch at the loss of his arm. Instead, he used the force of the blow to spiral toward Belzera.
With his remaining left hand, he drew a dagger from his waist.
It was the dagger Leonard had taken from Carmine’s body.
──I’ll carry on his will──.
Those words, from the first time I met Leonard, echoed in my mind.
Without realizing it, I found myself kneeling, praying.
Praying that the dagger would reach its mark.
It was over in the blink of an eye.
Before my tears could even fall, Leonard drove the dagger into Belzera’s neck with his whole body.
A miraculous strike, yet the dagger struck a little too low, close to the neck.
I knew that for a demon as powerful as Belzera, this wouldn’t be a fatal wound.
For the first time, Belzera’s face twisted in pain.
But only for a brief moment. Belzera’s right arm then swatted Leonard away like a fly.
The dagger remained embedded in Belzera, while Leonard crashed to the ground, barely managing to lift his upper body with his left arm.
It was no wonder; blood was pouring from his severed right arm.
Belzera pulled out the dagger. Red blood gushed out.
[Impressive, human]
There was no pain or anger in that voice, only admiration.
[I will acknowledge you. You are a hero. And heroes are for Belzera to kill]
“Well, isn’t that nice…”
Leonard quipped, but his face was pale from blood loss.
“But someday, a true hero will appear before you. Even if it takes a thousand years, they’ll surely succeed”
Whether by chance or not, Leonard’s gaze turned towards me, who shouldn’t have been visible.
He was smiling as usual. That frivolous smile I used to hate.
— But now, that smile seemed endearing.
[I don’t understand what you’re saying, but this is the end]
Belzera’s great sword was mercilessly swung down.
Looking around, Efsei and the others, who had lured the guardian demons far away, had fallen as if their role was complete. The three demons were returning this way.
It was over. My journey this time had come to an end.
However, there was no usual emptiness.
Leonard had believed in me. And he had shown me what it means to be a hero.
I can start over. As many times as it takes.
Surely, I should be able to change this outcome someday.
I could feel the lost fire igniting within my chest.
While waiting for next chapter , 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 Wicked Princess and 12 Eyes – The Strongest Squires and the Legendary Evil Woman, the Second Time in Her Life
- The Suspects of Necromancy
- The Exiled Merchant Saves the World with the Power of Gold (translated by my friend meerkat)
Also check out my friend Localizermeerkat for more LN translations!
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