The Hero Who Returned From Death Quits

EP9. ■■

Suddenly, I came to my senses.

I don’t know why. I just have a vague feeling that something is wrong.

I couldn’t even say for sure what it was, but I could feel the sensation clearly and eerily squeezing my breath.

I opened my eyes.

The room was filled with bright lights. The bed that held me up was soft, and the blanket that covered me was soft. Nothing was less than the best.

And then, I suddenly felt something.

“I have to go.”

I have to leave. I don’t know why, but I just feel like this is not the place for me.

This feeling of unease running down my spine wouldn’t let me just sit here and relax.

And then, as I left the room, Peria’s face lit up.

“Ah, Feria.”

I looked at her. Feria had an uncomfortable expression on her face.

“what’s the matter?”

When I asked, Feria bit her lip slightly and said,

“Your expression is strange.”

“My expression?”

I couldn’t quite make out what she was saying. I had just woken up, what was wrong with my expression?

Feria sighed softly and thrust a mirror at me.

My complexion was pale, my eyes were red and veiny, and I could see that I was sweating coldly.

“Besides that… you were groaning last night. It seemed like you were having a nightmare.”

“…? How did you know that?”

“…I installed a visual device in the room in advance in case there were any health problems.”

But, by that I mean, a viewing device is actually a surveillance device. And, if that’s the case, doesn’t that mean that every morning, Peria watched me trying to hide my lower half? I felt my face heat up in an instant.

“Uh… I didn’t mean it badly. Anyway,”

She grabbed my cheek, looked me in the eye, and said.

“What’s wrong with you?”

I hesitated for a moment and then answered.

“…I feel like I’m dreaming. I feel like this is not my place, and something… something serious is happening.”

“Something serious? What could possibly be serious?”

Feria’s words brought up something serious that I had forgotten.

“The energy that turned me into a monster.”

“what?”

“The black magicians gathered the sacrifices and performed some kind of ritual. After the ritual was over, an aura similar to that of the Demon King spread out… I don’t know what it was. If we leave it alone, it seems like something big could happen.”

Feria looked into my eyes and said.

“…First, come down to the banquet hall. Let’s eat first and then talk.”

I followed Peria. Today, too, the banquet hall was filled with splendid and luxurious delicacies. However, I could not eat them with ease. For the past few days, I had been eating well because I was happy that I had regained my nature and that I could enjoy the pleasure of eating, but now, I did not feel like that.

Feria spoke to me as she elegantly cut the fish steak.

“So, what was that story from earlier? We should talk about it when we’re all together. Beatrice and Sein are at their bases, but I think we should at least gather at the palace and talk about it together.”

I hesitated for a moment and then opened my mouth.

“Well, actually, I don’t have any clear evidence. It’s just that my body’s instincts sounded a warning. I’m just… concerned about the aura that resembled that of the Demon King that overtook me.”

Lena nodded.

“That’s right… Well, that’s the ritual that the warlocks were trying to accomplish even while burning the World Tree, but I don’t think it would end with just such an ominous aura. That aura must have some kind of substance.”

“Yes. But… I don’t know what it really is. That’s why I’m more worried.”

“hmm…”

Feria thought about it for a while and then said.

“There was something like that… right? You said that you became a monster because you were influenced by that energy?”

“Oh. That’s why the black magic of the Demon King inside my body went wild and caused this. However… What worries me the most is that nothing happened even after that. Not immediately, but it’s been several months since that happened and nothing has happened yet, don’t you think it’s a bit strange?”

“Sure, that’s true. I’m also concerned about what the warlocks said right before you turned into a monster at the end…”

“What did the warlocks say?”

“I think they said that it was already over, that even if they died, a new world had already opened up. They had madness in their eyes, but that doesn’t mean they were complete lunatics. They were people who still had their sanity intact.”

“…What on earth could it have been?”

As I said, Peria stroked her chin for a moment and said.

“Hmm, then… I think it would be better for you to gather information rather than moving on your own. To be honest, I don’t even know where to get information on the things you mentioned… Ah, there might be a way….”

“what?”

When I asked, Feria hesitated, tapping her index fingers together.

“What is it?”

Lena and I wandered around Peria’s lab. There were so many things we were seeing for the first time that we felt dizzy.

“I heard you moved your lab from the rooftop. There are a lot of things I’m seeing for the first time.”

Lena told Feria, and she said it was no big deal.

“There’s no need to think about research expenses. No matter how expensive the experimental equipment I buy, if you think of it as being similar to spending extravagance as a member of the royal family, it’s not a big deal. It’s different in many ways from when I was a magician.”

“Oh, by the way, didn’t you say you quit your job as a rooftop host?”

“Ah. It’s not something a person can do to work as both the Emperor and the Magic Tower Master at the same time. So there’s nothing I can do. You can just hand over the Magic Tower Master’s work to someone else, but if you hand over the Emperor’s work…”

“Oh, I understand.”

We, who had been spouting nonsense like that, finally witnessed the method that Peria had spoken of.

“…It’s been a while.”

I said so and looked at the piece of metal in front of me.

It was a piece of the holy sword that was emitting a soft glow.

I picked up the fragment of the holy sword. A cold, yet strangely warm feeling enveloped my fingers. I flicked it with my finger, and a jingling sound was heard.

It was a reunion after months of trying to attack Grandis, after the holy sword broke.

It was a strange feeling. I had resented it so much, and regretted not having held such a sword. There was a time when I believed that if I could somehow break it, I would be freed. But now, before my eyes, the sword had become a mere piece of metal.

I was lost in thought. Seeing it again like this made me feel refreshed.

“The Holy Sword contained your records. So… maybe if we look at the records from the past, when God created it, there might be some. The only question is how to find out about those records. What should we do…?”

“Hmm, well. I think there are some conditions. The Holy Sword is known as the Sword of God, so isn’t it a bit strange that you can read the records with magic power? Of course, there are those who say that magic power is also a type of power created by God… Above all, when I was a warrior, I didn’t have any particular difficulty using black magic.”

“Black magic… Black magic… First, let’s call Beatrice. If she has divine powers, she might be able to help…”

“I can use divine powers too.”

“No. Unless you’re at a level beyond transcendence, you wouldn’t even be able to interfere with that piece. Even the fact that I was able to interfere was because it was in a broken state. If it were in a normal state… at least someone like the Spirit King would have been able to approach it.”

“I see… In that case, I guess it would be best to call Beatrice first.”

“Okay, I’ll contact you.”

At that moment, Feria suddenly started receiving calls.

[Your Majesty! This is a big problem!]

“Huh? What is it?”

[It is said that Grandis’ territory disappeared overnight!]

As soon as we heard that, our faces hardened.

Grandis’s domain disappeared? I didn’t even know how to react to such a sudden turn of events.

And then, while we were thinking like that, a woman appeared in front of us.

“hi?”

It was a languid voice that I already knew. But that made me even more agitated.

Before my eyes, I saw a woman with black hair and horns… a very familiar appearance.

“I came because I have something to say.”

I felt like my head was starting to hurt.