The Former Hero Begins to be Re-evaluated

What Ria told me was quite shocking.

“So you’re saying you’re the first princess of the Kingdom of Artes?”

“No. I’m the third princess, but now I’m the first in line for succession.”

She was saying that Ria was the one who would inherit the Kingdom of Artes, which is currently in a state of civil war and chaos.

Honestly, I couldn’t help but be surprised to hear that.

Well, I thought there would be some circumstances, but still, heir to the throne?

It was something I couldn’t have imagined.

“Huh.”

So I thought maybe Ria was just making up a story to me, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

Certainly, it wasn’t an implausible story.

It seems Ria somehow managed to escape well from the kingdom in civil war.

She stayed at the church as an orphan, and flowed into the village to live ordinarily.

Then she really coincidentally met me, a hero.

After meeting me, she brought me to the Kingdom of Artes like this now.

“So you dragged me into this? To end the civil war?”

Maybe Ria’s plan was to use the hero?

I sighed and asked Ria.

“Um… It’s not that far.”

Ria seemed a bit dejected at my words.

She probably felt a bit guilty about trying to use me.

But it seems she didn’t intend to completely use me.

“I just thought it might look impressive if I entered the country with you, hero.”

It seems she didn’t particularly intend to ask me to help directly.

Ria just seemed to want to borrow my prestige.

“Once I legitimately receive the right of succession to the throne, I was going to try to manage somehow after that…”

Even if I quit being a hero, the prestige that a hero holds is not trivial at all.

She probably intended to use the fact that she entered the country with a hero.

It seems she only intended to rely on me to that extent.

After that, she seemed to think she could manage somehow.

Really… It was an absurd story even hearing it again.

“Sigh… I can’t live because of you.”

Should I call this cunning or cute…

So what am I supposed to do about this?

Anyway, I seem to understand Ria’s circumstances roughly.

Ria wanted to end the civil war in the kingdom in civil war, and legitimately inherit the throne.

So in this situation, what should I do?

Whether to help Ria, or just leave her be.

I couldn’t help but ponder on that problem for a moment.

‘Alright… Let’s try helping her.’

And when I pondered, I decided to help after all.

I’m not sure if this is really right, but.

In fact, although this decision seems like it was made simply, it was a decision I pondered quite a lot.

I don’t view rebellion as only bad.

In the first place, there are complaints because there are problems with the state, and that’s why rebellions occur.

I think the monarch running the state also has some responsibility for rebellions.

Of course, there are cases where rebellions occur unjustly even when the state is run well, so I think it’s a problem where we need to listen to both sides at least.

And even if one side is wrong, I think it’s basically not an issue for an outsider like me to intervene.

They should judge and decide their own future themselves.

I think someone else shouldn’t judge and decide for them.

Even if that someone is a hero.

So when I was a hero, I tried not to get involved in issues of people fighting each other if possible.

Unless it was killing demons.

Certainly, if I was the former hero, I wouldn’t have gotten involved.

‘It wouldn’t be bad to believe in her once.’

Yet the reason I decided to help Ria was simple.

I felt that Ria wouldn’t become such a bad king.

Well, she’s basically smart and has a friendly personality, and although she tried to use me, she tried to do it minimally, and basically tried to resolve things herself.

At least she wouldn’t put the people in crisis or starve them to death.

I decided to help Ria because I valued those things highly.

Seeing how she acts, at least she wouldn’t become a tyrant or despot…

Moreover, I’m not a hero now, right?

If I was a hero, I wouldn’t have helped, but now I was just an ordinary farmer with some strength.

I was somewhat free from responsibility compared to the past.

As an individual, it should be fine to help Ria for my own beliefs and interests.

“Ria. Make sure you repay your debt to me later.”

“What?”

“Follow me.”

I said while patting Ria’s head.

I’m thinking of helping her.

But don’t misunderstand.

I wasn’t helping for free at all.

I’m planning to definitely get it back later with interest.

#

After parting with Herald, the hero party members leisurely waited for Herald in a city near the demon realm.

A recently established city, there were many attempts to build a city here due to various minerals produced near the demon realm, but it only became active recently.

As the demon realm was gradually cleared by Hero Han Soo, only then could a city be established.

The hero party members were waiting for Herald in such a city.

To return to the Empire together with Herald after he defeated the Demon Lord…

They promised to meet here again.

“Is… is that true?”

“Yes. It seems certain.”

However, they were met with news like a bolt from the blue.

It was the news that Herald had died.

The staff of Luna, the mage of the hero party, began to shake greatly.

The various buffs she had cast on Herald before parting, the news was that those buffs had ended.

Although there was clearly still time left, the time of the buffs had ended.

This was definitely an ominous sign.

A very ominous sign that Herald had died to the Demon Lord.

Of course, Herald himself could have cut off Luna’s buffs.

Buffs can be cut off by oneself if desired.

They can be cut off immediately just by blocking magic power.

But that definitely wouldn’t be the case.

In the first place, why would he cut off the buffs himself?

While fighting against none other than the Demon Lord…

There’s no way that would happen.

No matter how much I think about it, there was no reason to cut off the buffs himself.

“Hero Herald.”

“Ugh…”

So, this situation could be thought of simply.

Herald must have died to the Demon Lord.

That’s why the buffs were cut off.

The party members confirmed Herald’s death.

Upon learning that fact, the party members took a moment to mourn him.

It was a short time, but they had been together with Herald as party members.

“Now… what should we do?”

“…”

But after such brief mourning, they couldn’t help but worry greatly about what to do about this situation going forward.

The current situation could be summarized simply.

Herald was killed by the Demon Lord, and the hero party failed to subjugate the Demon Lord.

They were people who joined the hero party for their own circumstances.

The beastkin, Nafira, for the independence of her tribe.

The elf, Kirne, for trade with the Empire.

The saint, Ayla, to maintain her position as a saint.

The mage, Luna, to succeed in the magic tower.

They joined the hero party due to circumstances they absolutely couldn’t ignore.

So they had to defeat the Demon Lord no matter what.

But what is this result now?

The party members had believed that Herald would defeat the Demon Lord.

But the result was Herald’s death.

They failed to achieve the mission of defeating the Demon Lord.

“I don’t know. What are we really supposed to do?”

What should they do from now on?

No matter how much they thought about it, no proper answer came to mind.

“We can’t… go back either.”

Thinking logically, returning to the Empire would be the correct answer.

The most important thing to do now is to return to the Empire and inform them that Herald died. That would be the most correct judgment.

But they didn’t have the courage to do so.

What would they say when they go to the Empire?

Only Herald died, and they survived.

How would they answer the question of why they are alive?

There’s no way they could give a proper answer.

Moreover, it would be one thing if they had subjugated the Demon Lord like that, but they even failed to subjugate the Demon Lord.

This could result in the party members not receiving the objectives they must receive from the Empire using this as an excuse.

Knowing these things, the party members couldn’t help but look at each other’s reactions.

No one could bring up going back to the Empire first.

“Oh? A message has arrived.”

However, the party members were destined to return to the Empire eventually.

The mage Luna’s staff glowed.

Probably the court mage sent a message through Luna’s staff.

Luna and the party members focused on the staff.

To read the Empire’s message.

[The hero party is to return to the Empire and report on the current situation.]

And the message they read was what they least wanted right now.