For the next three days, Tia and I enjoyed our remaining days to the fullest. The town was enjoying a bit of a festive atmosphere after we returned from our desperate situation, and we also had a lot of fun drinking with Gastor and the other guys in the rear guard that Tia had befriended, and Amelia took us to an expensive restaurant as promised. .On the morning of the fourth day, we received a send-off from Amelia at the entrance of the deserted town.
“I’m sorry. We should have sent you off with a grand send-off from the whole town, but…”
“No, No, No, please don’t do that. I am not that big of a person to be “banished” with such vigor.”
Amelia looked apologetic, and I chuckled, jokingly telling her so. Yes, this was a banishment, not a triumphant return to my hometown. If they gather people, it will be stones, not cheers, that will fly.
“Oh come on, don’t be silly. Where is anyone who really thinks you’re being exiled?”
“No, well, of course not.”
Of course, that’s just a facade. I told Gastor and the others that we were being expelled from this town, but none of them believed it. For mercenaries, changing their base of operations is a common occurrence, and there’s no longer any benefit to staying in this town now that the Demon King has been defeated and the attacks from the demons have ceased.
Although there are few who believe that there won’t be another attack in the near future, the fact remains that a major threat has been eliminated. Many of the mercenaries are considering traveling to other towns, anticipating a decrease in earnings if they stay here. To Gastor and the others, I am likely perceived as the first to ride the wave of this trend.
“Nevertheless, there must be consequences. The fact that you were expelled will be undoubtedly recorded. I will eventually move to restore your honor, but until then, please take it easy for a while.”
“Thank you, Amelia. Well, I don’t intend to make a splashy public appearance, so we probably won’t see each other again.”
“…… I see.”
At my words, Amelia looked a little sad. In front of Amelia, Tia, who had been quiet for a long time, slowly walked up to her and took her hand.
“Tia-kun?”
“If I’m going to be exiled anyway, I might as well be a little rude. Well then, Amelia. Thank you for everything!”
“… Haha, if you talk like that to an aristocrat, you certainly will be exiled. Ah, I had fun too. Thank you, Tia-kun. I will never forget what you did for me in my lifetime. Well then, this is the end… Ed-kun, Tia-kun! You two are hereby expelled from this fortified city of Drasden!”
After releasing Tia’s hand, Amelia drew her sword and held it high towards the sky, making a dignified declaration. We bowed to her and then took each other’s hands, turning our backs to Drasdon and starting to walk away.
“…How’s it, Ed? I don’t know myself….”
“Oh, don’t worry. We’re almost there, just five more minutes.”
Walking briskly down the road, we picked up our pace and soon lost sight of Amelia. Sensing that we were far enough away, we dashed behind some cover. Tia turned to me and asked for confirmation. We had yet to fulfill the most reliable condition for return, which was spending over half a year with the Hero Party. Furthermore, I had been away for two months, so it was uncertain if we would be able to return. However, it seemed that everything had gone smoothly.
“I’m glad! Or rather, what would you have done if it had failed?”
“Well, I’m not sure, but if only one of us can go back, I think we can hold hands and go back together. And if neither of us can go back… maybe we can return to town and secretly infiltrate the city, hiding until we meet the conditions and then show up in front of Amelia to get expelled again?”
“Ugh, I definitely don’t want to do that. It would ruin what could have been a beautiful goodbye.”
“Well, it didn’t happen, so why bother?”
“You’re so carefree.”
Upon hearing my words, Tia showed a slightly exasperated expression. The reason I wasn’t taking this too seriously was because we had learned that even if we defeated the Demon King, the title of “Hero” would not disappear. Even if one of us was left behind, I knew that we could still make it back as long as we spent at least six months together.
That’s right. As long as we’re both safe, a time difference of that degree won’t be a problem as long as we’re alive. We spent time firmly holding hands and… then safely returned to the <White World>
“Oh, there was a lot going on this time, too! First, Let’s check the {Records Of The Hero’s Story}!”
“Oh, you’re motivated Tia. That’s fine.”
I said nothing more and went along with Tia as she hurried.
In the past few days, I asked Tia once how she had helped me…. but she dodged the question so smoothly that it was obvious she was trying to hide something…. I didn’t press further after being brushed off like that.
Maybe there is something she doesn’t want me to hear. If that’s the case, there’s no need to ask. I helped Tia, and Tia helped me. The thread connecting our little fingers disappeared after we fulfilled the conditions, but our relationship didn’t change at all.
“Now, what does it say ……?”
Then, as Tia wished, I put my hand on the {Records Of The Hero’s Story}.. The contents of the book were about Amelia’s life, including her struggles as a noblewoman, and the story progressed with various anecdotes. And then, at the end…
–World 009, {Records Of The Hero’s Story} Final Chapter: A Commonplace Happiness
Amelia, the hero who successfully defended the town, was praised for her achievements and was promoted to the rank of senior knight, and over the next few years, she performed her duties without incident. After that, through the introduction by her superior, Amelia married the second son of a viscount and had a child with him, and completed her life as a very ordinary noblewoman.
(T/N: When are you two marrying)
“Um, so what do you think of this? Well, I think she had a happy life, but…”
“Oh, this is probably my fault,”
While Amelia’s life may have been modestly happy, it was not particularly remarkable, and Tia tilted her head in confusion. Meanwhile, I made a slightly awkward expression.
“What do you mean it’s Ed’s fault?”
“From Amelia’s position and talents, she should have been a hero specialized in defending bases. So if I had returned safely from reconnaissance, or if I had died, Amelia’s hero powers would have awakened to defend against the swarm of monsters attacking, and Drasdon would have become impregnable. And then, when the Demon King got fed up with not being able to defeat her, she attacked him directly and defeated him with [Dawnbreaker, ]which I had entrusted to her, and won the victory, which was probably how history was originally supposed to go. But you see, I don’t know why, but because I had the power of a Hero inside me, I defeated a large number of demonic beasts and the Demon King, all by myself. ……”
“So she just lost her chance to play an active role and her life became pretty normal?”
“I think so. It’s just a guess.”
I don’t know whether it was a blessing or a curse for Amelia herself. However, there is nothing that can be done about the history that has become that way. The defeated Demon King will never be resurrected even if the world changes its course, so the world in which Amelia can be honored as a Hero forever will no longer exist.
“….. So many people are safe as a result, and it’s impossible for you to not help, but if by any chance we have a chance to meet her again, that time let’s treat her to something delicious.”
“I guess so. Maybe then I could bring back some otherworldly specialties or souvenirs.”
What we overcame was greater than anything else, but because we didn’t mention it, the ending was subtle and lacked closure. We looked at each other and laughed, and the story came to an end.
10/10
(T/N: Next Arc whenever I get time, probably Tuesday or Wednesday. Also, Y’all enjoying the novel?)