Suicide Before Defeating the Final Boss

Suicide Before Defeating the Final Boss – 12

EP.12 The Kind Demon

When Jeong-hyeon told her she was a distraction and asked her to leave, the First Princess looked at him with a blank expression.

“… A distraction?”

Who would dare tell the First Princess to leave because she was a distraction? Even if someone did, it would be a royal or someone of equal status, and they would certainly phrase it more diplomatically.

“… You’re saying I’m a distraction?”

The First Princess, looking shocked, asked again. It was probably the first time she encountered someone this rude. She seemed to wonder if she had misheard. He nodded to confirm.

‘This is for the best.’

Now that Bishop Lea had arrived, he had no capacity to deal with the First Princess. His plan was to make her as uncomfortable or angry as possible, exploiting her political circumstances that made her hesitant to act boldly.

‘Of course, without crossing the line.’

He aimed to irritate her just enough so she would think, ‘I shouldn’t get involved with this guy.’ This was the most crucial aspect. So, he deliberately provoked her emotions.

“……”

The First Princess seemed to catch on, staring at him silently before her face returned to its initial expressionless state.

“… Sorry for being a distraction.”

Whether she was really angry or just saw no point in continuing the conversation, she drew a clear line. Thankfully, his plan seemed to work. He was about to let her go but decided to push once more.

“No, it’s fine. I’ll leave. You can use this place, Your Highness.”

Her expression turned to one of utter disbelief, as if thinking, ‘What kind of lunatic is this?’

***

After that, the First Princess and he left the mountain in a sort of silent competition. It was a childish act, but she seemed completely unprepared for such direct confrontation and was easily swayed by his intentions.

‘This is easy.’

She might have been adept at political maneuvering and subtle insults, but she was clearly inexperienced with straightforward bluntness. He decided to continue using this tactic to keep her at bay for the time being.

“……”

As they descended, they didn’t look at each other and went their separate ways. He thought this level of detachment was perfect until Bishop Lea was no longer a threat. Once she was far enough away, he headed back up the mountain.

‘No matter what, I can’t give up on training.’

With the distraction gone, he wanted to resume his training quickly. As he climbed, he noticed the nearby marketplace bustling with activity.

Despite newspapers reporting that the Demon King’s influence was growing stronger, and the world needed a hero more than ever, the marketplace was bustling and lively. Watching the carefree and happy people, he scoffed and turned away.

Soon, they too would have expressions similar to those in war zones. They would learn that there was no hero left in this world. Or rather, that even the hero had abandoned this world.

Grinding his teeth, he directed his anger at the kingdom that had tried to turn him into a divine power bomb, vowing to make them pay the price.

***

It was late in the evening when he finally finished his training and took a moment to catch his breath. Although he couldn’t train by releasing divine power, which meant his stats didn’t increase significantly, he did manage to considerably improve his sword skills and swordsmanship level.

*-*

Lee Jeong-hyeon [Level: 1]

[Stats]

Strength: 22 Agility: 19 Stamina: 17 Magic: 6 Divine Power: ???

[Traits]

(Unrealistic Genius)
(Unrealistic Luck)

[Skills]

Basic Swordsmanship Lv:7
Basic Sword Aura Lv:3

*-*

His stats still weren’t very high, but he could at least claim they were on par with new academy entrants. His skills, though still at low levels, were improving rapidly, and given enough time, he could raise them to high levels. If only he had more time.

‘Time is running out.’

Even a few more months would have allowed him to reach a satisfactory level. But with no such luxury, he constantly felt pressured by the ticking clock.

‘I wish I could just drop out of the academy and train alone in the mountains.’

But the system’s rule that failing to achieve excellent grades meant death made this impossible. As he pondered these thoughts while heading back to the dormitory, he saw Lucia waiting anxiously in front.

Wondering why she was there, he approached and spoke. Lucia, startled and responded.

“Jeong-hyeon, why are you so late?”

He didn’t understand why she was so worried, as it seemed like his usual time. He calmed her down and asked for an explanation.

“Why are you out here?”

Lucia looked around nervously before whispering.

“Bishop Lea found our hideout.”

“Hideout?”

“The infirmary…!”

Whether or not the infirmary could be considered a hideout was debatable, but the important thing was that Lea had found Lucia. His expression hardened as he asked Lucia.

“So, what happened?”

“I don’t know exactly, but she asked if anyone from the Order had visited. I said no one had, and she just left.”

His mind raced. The question about whether anyone from the Order had visited suggested Lea had sensed a significant divine power—his distinctive trace.

‘Hearing that no one from the Order had visited…’

she likely suspected Lucia was hiding something and left to investigate further. Reaching this conclusion, he realized it was too dangerous for Lucia to see him for a while. He told her they should avoid meeting each other for some time.

“… Yes? Why?”

Lucia looked at him with an expression that reminded him of a puppy caught in the rain, utterly dejected. Puzzled for a moment by her forlorn look, Jeong-hyeon listened as Lucia muttered almost as if digging into the ground.

“… Do you dislike me now?”

Of course not. Who would dislike a priestess who generously used divine power? But he couldn’t explain his relationship with Bishop Lea, and he struggled to find a way to clarify things. Lucia’s mood seemed to sink even deeper as she spoke to him.

“I kind of figured it out. Other people I met at the academy also distanced themselves from me after a few days… So, when you told me not to follow you to the infirmary, I had a feeling.”

Observing Lucia’s emotions sinking to the depths, Jeong-hyeon quickly tried to make amends with an excuse.

“It’s not that. It’s just because of the exam period. The exam evaluation is coming up soon, right?”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to make excuses. I’m used to this.”

Perhaps because she had experienced such situations several times before, she didn’t believe his words at all.

While pondering what to do about this, Lucia fidgeted with her fingers, awkwardly smiled, and bid him farewell.

“Thank you for everything… You’re kind, so you’ll easily win anyone’s favour.”

As she turned to leave, he had no choice but to grab her wrist and speak up.

“No, really, that’s not it.”

“What?”

“You’ve been saying nonsense since earlier. I just meant I might not be able to meet you for a while due to exam preparations.”

“But…”

“Okay, I’ve made up my mind. From tomorrow onwards, you must come to training without fail. I won’t let you off easily even if you whine.”

With a voice mixed with confidence, Lucia showed a half-relieved and half-terrified expression. It seemed to be a mix of relief that their bond had not been broken and fear that she would have to endure his insane training. Therefore, Lucia hesitated for a moment, then awkwardly chuckled and said to him.

“… Jeong-hyeon, I’ve thought about it. If it’s because of the exams, then it’s better if we stay apart for a while.”

“Nope. You’re coming with me, no matter what.”

“… Demon.”

“Weren’t you just calling me kind?”

“… A kind demon.”

Despite her complaints, she eventually smiled.

“Still, I’ll help you. You can’t do it without me, Jeong-hyeon.”

Lucia promised to help with the training, despite her mixed feelings.

***

The dark room was furnished only with simple yet elegant furniture. Alone in bed, Lea suddenly clutched her throat in pain, coughing as she sat up.

‘Why…’

As soon as she woke, she cursed herself for waking up, biting her lip hard enough to draw blood. If only she could have stayed in the dream a little longer, she might have seen his face. But her wretched body had forced her awake.

Blood seeped from her bitten lip, but she didn’t care. She trembled as she recalled the fleeting glimpse of his back in her dream. Even the mere memory of his silhouette brought her immense happiness. If she could have seen his face, that happiness would have doubled…

“Ah.”

A cold breeze brushed her face, snapping her back to reality. As always, once the overwhelming emotions subsided, only rational thoughts remained. No matter how vividly she saw his face or begged for forgiveness in her dreams, it was all just a fantasy.

She had come to realize that it was something that could ‘never’ come true. After all, the hero was as good as dead because of her… no, because of them.

Unable to bear this truth, Lea had tried to strangle herself, hoping to end it all. But then she remembered the trace of divine power she had sensed in the infirmary, a trace that resembled the hero’s.

It was vast like the ocean, intense yet incredibly warm. As she recalled that feeling, she slowly released her grip on her throat and covered her face with trembling hands.

Perhaps she had found a substitute for the hero… or maybe someone who could save her.