Carlos
Before I knew it, Elliot had vanished. No one in the castle knew his whereabouts. My cousin Elliot was like a younger brother to me—ever since we were children, he had always looked up to me.
“Lord Carlos, you will surely become the Hero!”
He used to say that with sparkling eyes.
When had he become so emotionless?
Was it when he officially became a knight? When he trembled as he stepped onto the battlefield?
—Or was it when the knights who died that day saved his life?
A bad feeling gnawed at me. No, if I were honest, I had sensed it from the beginning. I had been relieved that he wasn’t traveling with Felip and the others. I had believed he wasn’t the kind of man to consort with demons.
And yet—he was also the type to do anything to make me the Hero.
Perhaps I had let sentiment cloud my judgment. Not I, but me—though the distinction hardly mattered now.
Regardless, I had to confirm the truth—and as quickly as possible.
There were no longer any retainers who could follow me. Felip was gone. Elliot was gone. A pang of loneliness flickered in my chest. Not wanting to make a spectacle of it, I donned only the bare minimum of armor—a breastplate—and left my chambers, only to find Elenor waiting for me.
“Where are you going, Brother?”
Her voice was tinged with unease. She hadn’t come here by coincidence—she must have sensed something.
Then again, perhaps that was to be expected. Elenor was the princess of this kingdom.
“Elliot’s missing. I’m going to look for him.”
“Not just Felip… but Elliot too?”
Her eyes widened, shimmering with unshed tears.
“Don’t worry so much. I’ll find him soon enough. Maybe he just went to the city for a bit of fun.”
I forced a lighthearted tone and gave her shoulder a reassuring pat.
“Brother…”
The unease still lingered in her expression.
“Promise me you’ll come back?”
“—Of course. I don’t die so easily. You know that better than anyone, don’t you?”
With those words, I hurried on my way. There was still time—if I acted now, I could catch up.
If Elliot had truly betrayed us, he would have made contact with the Demon King’s forces before pursuing Ares’ group. That would take considerable time.
Meanwhile, Ares and the others were traveling by carriage, so they couldn’t have gotten too far. If I rode hard, I could overtake them.
(If nothing ends up happening, I can just say I got lonely and came to see them off.)
Holding onto that too-convenient possibility, I spurred my horse onward.
The sun had long since set, but turning back wasn’t an option—not until I confirmed Ares’ safety. That Hero was too radiant. Too precious to lose.
Pushing through the darkness of night, I finally caught up—
—Not to Ares and his companions, but to monsters.
Even in the dim light, my magically enhanced vision revealed a horde of creatures encircling the forest. No matter how much Elliot had aided them, what in the world had the border patrol been doing? I clicked my tongue in irritation. From my vantage point on the hill, I observed the monsters’ movements—until an explosion and their shrieks tore through the air.
So, Ares and his group were the ones being surrounded. That blast must have been Solon’s magic.
He was brilliant, but stubborn and hopeless at navigating social situations.
The sounds of battle grew incessant—until the unmistakable clang of steel against steel rang out.
That wasn’t the sound of humans fighting monsters. It was the sound of two humans clashing. Likely Elliot and Ares.
I couldn’t let Elliot kill Ares—nor could I let Ares kill Elliot. Why must a Hero who sought to save others be forced to kill—or be killed—by another? Such senselessness was beyond my comprehension.
There was no time for hesitation. I urged my horse toward the sounds of battle.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
“Move!”
I charged through the forest, cutting down monsters from behind.
Of course, it wouldn’t be that easy. An ogre soon blocked my path, flanked by dozens of goblins sneering with grotesque faces.
Disgusting creatures. I dismounted and murmured an incantation in the ancient tongue—
A fireball spell. The best way to wipe them out in one go.
Sword in my right hand, magic gathering in my left. The goblins’ expressions shifted—wavering between fight and flight. Too late.
The spell erupted, a blazing orb crashing into their midst before exploding, engulfing the area in flames.
I sprinted through the inferno, the searing heat licking at my skin. No time to dwell on burns—magic was powerful, but not endlessly repeatable.
Solon was called the Great Sage not just for his spells, but for his inhuman mana reserves. His bloodline likely held traces of a god—or a demon. No ordinary human could wield such power.
Ares truly was blessed with formidable allies. Perhaps Heroes needed not just strength, but bonds as well.
More monsters barred my way—hobgoblins this time. Only five or six, but tough opponents. Without hesitation, I unleashed another fireball.
The flames roared, yet the hobgoblins still lunged through the blaze. Resilient, but slowed. My blade found their throats, cutting them down one by one.
The clashing steel was close now. Elliot likely sought to prove himself by slaying the Hero with his own hands—”This man is weaker than me, weaker than Carlos. Thus, Carlos is the true Hero.”
Why had he fixated so desperately on the idea of me being the one to slay the Demon King?
…It must have been my fault. The thought stung.
I’m sorry. I wasn’t strong enough. Not strong enough to live up to your hopes. This kingdom no longer had a Hero capable of defeating the Demon King. I was only ever meant to be the Hero who protected Ludonia.
Finally, I caught sight of them.
Elliot’s sword sent Ares’ blade flying.
Impressive, Elliot. You might truly be stronger than Ares.
But a Hero wasn’t defined by strength alone. Ares scrambled desperately—crawling, flinging sand, resisting in the most undignified ways.
Elliot’s eyes mocked him.
Die gracefully, like a Hero should.
But no—that stubborn will to survive, no matter how ugly, was what made a Hero. Something I had lacked.
“Elliot!”
I cut through the monster encirclement, trying to draw their attention.
Elliot’s gaze flicked toward me—
But Ares’ eyes remained locked on him.
A spell erupted from Ares’ hand.
TLNOTE:
Because of that volume 1 and 2 fan translation in this site will be removed in the near future
otherwise check the internet archive
As usual, please consider reading other novels written by Daken sensei listed below :
- Monster Meat Led Me to the Throne
- The Castle of Canaan ~ The Lost Kingdom’s Princess, the World’s Hidden Treasure, and the Grand Adventure of the Mightiest Band of Thieves Versus an Empire ~
- 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)
- The Last Magic (translated by my friend narwhal)
Also check out my friend Localizermeerkat for more LN translations!
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