Chapter 1: Ressurection
I died.
It was a miserable death.
I thought that being eaten by dogs was a death befitting only the underlings of villains who had failed their mission.
But to lose my limbs to more hideous things and be…
Still, I won’t have to feel pain anymore.
Now, there will be no more suffering.
“Ah. Aah…”
Before I knew it, there was a white-robed woman, kneeling and weeping.
That woman, whom I had definitely seen briefly before coming to this world –
Could it be. You…
“This ending… For those who have overcome hardship – ”
The beginning of the prayer, which proclaimed her to be a benevolent and all-seeing great goddess,
I realized, was true.
Goddess, Armilla.
Just by looking at her, I could tell how much she had cherished me,
How much grief she felt at my death.
Her crying didn’t stop for a while.
I could only look at her.
“You were in a lot of pain.”
“Yes, something I never want to experience again – ”
“No, your… heart.”
She pointed at my chest with her hand.
Surprisingly, as if pierced by something… there were three holes there.
“That you received unforgivable hatred from three people… Such a thing. Originally, it is a mark to measure the degree of sin, but… you are…”
Ah. Right. They were like that.
I understand well –
“No. I don’t understand. Such things. Originally, it is my fault that I couldn’t protect you more.”
“Why…”
“I think I need to tell you a little about the Demon King…
Kang Da-eun, the hero chosen by me, who came with you,
Sirke Aidella, the only child who can reach me,
And Erika, the eldest daughter of Soruel… Yes, the elven archer.
These three relied on you in many ways.
To you, yes. They had feelings as a romantic interest.
Even though it was a beautiful feeling, I was very sorry to see them not showing it,
The Demon King twisted that feeling.
The Demon King is, gone. I removed his existence directly here with my authority.
Originally, I should have imprisoned him in hell and made him burn forever…
But he interfered with an area that a created being should not have touched.”
“I don’t understand… They…”
“The Demon King, despite being a creature, interfered with the essence of creation. With what I value most, the emotions.”
“Because of my desire to see more of those emotions, it is my fault that I couldn’t prepare for what would happen to you.
If I had done my duty a little more… definitely!”
Crying out like that, she started to shed tears again.
According to her words, I was loved by the three.
But the Demon King twisted their emotions, and it became terrible hatred towards me…?
Even if that’s the case, my wounded heart cannot be filled.
A dead fate cannot be changed.
It shouldn’t be changed, right? That kind of thing.
At this point, I want to let go of my powerless self and just rest.
Looking back, the result that all my efforts were in vain stems from the mere desire to be useful.
Now that I’m dead, I should let go and rest…
“No… It cannot be made in vain.”
The goddess looked at me with dead eyes, then gently held my hands.
“Go back. Please enjoy the happiness you couldn’t enjoy.
Now that the Demon King is gone, you will surely be able to be loved.
Your efforts were not in vain… Please…
When you come back, I hope your wounds, your gloomy heart, and your expression,
Are all bright.”
She gently pushed me, and
When a flash of light passed before my eyes, I was able to get up again in the place where I had died.
“What… what is this…”
I, was alive again.
At the threshold of death, she pushed me away.
How is this,
No. More than that,
Why?
I didn’t want to face them.
Death was the only sure way to separate me from them.
Before entering the Demon King’s territory, their attitude changed drastically,
And according to their attitude, my treatment also fell into the abyss.
As the saying goes, when you look into the abyss, the abyss also looks at you,
In the city located at the forefront, giving and receiving hatred was a daily routine.
And in that place, I was a person who deserved hatred.
Even the hero and his great companions looked down on and mocked that person,
What would the others be like!
To find happiness from them…
Even if the Demon King is gone, I can’t do that.
My heart already has holes in it.
After being dazed for a moment, I looked around.
The surroundings, which had been full of grotesque trees, the Demon King’s territory, had long since turned into a lush, green forest.
The river, where blood-colored liquid flowed, became a beautiful river that emitted emerald light,
The ferocious roars that were occasionally heard turned into the chirping of birds that pleased the ears.
I was in an unbelievable space.
Once, death was scattered everywhere,
Even those three who seemed invincible were a little afraid of it, and this place was,
Offering me unbelievable tranquility.
Suddenly, I looked myself over because my physical condition was unusually good.
Fortunately, my torn arms and legs had returned to their original places,
Only the armor I was wearing had been tattered for a long time.
Certainly, the result of the fight right before death.
I felt light somehow.
I took off my armor and searched for a sword, but soon gave up.
“Huh… really.”
It was already rusty, stuck firmly in the tree.
The black stains remaining on the rusty sword proved that my end was not a lie.
And… that all those things were true.
It reminded me that this was not a dream.
How much time had passed, looking at how rusty the sword was…
I secretly wished that this scene had been created after a few decades.
I wanted to be forgotten.
If so, I could live in peace.
But for now, it’s a rest.
I needed some peace in my daily life, which was stained with blood and flesh.
I gently brushed my hand over the flat stone where the sunlight hit, and it was full of pleasant warmth.
Moreover, the cool breeze blowing from the river was inviting me to a nap with a sweet and refreshing touch felt all over my body.
Yes, wouldn’t it be against the principles of being a human not to fall for this temptation?
I lay down a little lighter than usual, feeling the sunlight all over my body, and closed my eyes for a moment.
It was warmth I felt for the first time in a long time.
“…Next one, Your Majesty.”
“Speak.”
“Regarding the hero, the saint, and the honored guest from the Armilla Autonomous Region – ”
“Haa…”
Sitting on a stone throne and sighing deeply,
This old man, whose beard, hair, and all fur were white, and who was holding his head, was none other than Ordias III, the master of the Kardia Kingdom.
“Your Majesty, I am sorry but…”
“No, continue.”
“Yes. As you know, the hero, the saint, and the honored guest returned a week ago, but…”
Right. What happened after their return was the problem.
The saint went to receive the oracle, and then hit her head on the floor,
The hero muttered something,
The elf screamed.
“…Your Majesty?”
“I am listening. Continue.”
‘Even though you weren’t listening…’
One from another world,
Another from the Soros Papal States,
And the last one from the Armilla Autonomous Region, which had little contact.
In a situation where we might have to send back such valuable people,
At a time that could be a good opportunity from the country’s point of view, the king, who was just stroking his beard, glanced at him and then continued his report.
“…Therefore, there remains the question of how to treat them in the future.”
“The saint and the honored guest clearly had words from the messengers urging their return, but what should we do with the hero?”
“Your Majesty, that is not the problem!”
“Then?”
“The honored guest is from the Armilla Autonomous Region, which has little contact…”
‘Oh, damn it, here we go again.’
“Then we don’t need more interaction! They were the ones who looked down on us in the first place! Let them do as they please!”
“Hey, it’s a wrong attitude not to try to understand and to reject – ”
The endless factionalism battle started again, and Ordias supported his throbbing head with his hands.
‘The real problem isn’t that damn politics, it’s the people.’
These damn vassals were busy calculating their own profits and biting at each other again.
Pathetic guys.
“Alright, that’s enough! The hero will be summoned to this place tomorrow and asked about his treatment,
I will convey the intention to ask the other two honored guests for future exchanges, so know that and all of you, leave!”
“However, Your Majesty,”
“It is the royal order.”
“…!”
At that moment, all sounds momentarily stopped, and then the vassals bowed their heads.
“”We will obey the order.””
“Chancellor, you for a moment…”
“Ah, yes. Your Majesty.”
After the vassals disappeared one by one through the open door, the chancellor sat beside the king, holding his head.
“Haa…”
“Your Majesty, you have suffered a lot to deal with those morons who don’t even know your inner thoughts.”
“Oh my, Peter, how did you hold back from that damn habit of yours?”
The two exchanged light jokes, and then began to ponder with serious expressions.
“So, they still don’t know the exact condition of the honored guests.”
“That’s right. Those who don’t even notice that there was one more person besides those three.”
“Woo… Jin? Woojin Han? Han Woojin?”
“It’s right to call him Han Woojin.”
The chancellor was still not used to the name of the other world, as unusual as the hero’s.
But the spirit of that man, the unusual and correct posture towards the front even though he had nothing, secretly touched his heart.
The chancellor felt something was wrong with the king and the hero’s party, and the accident at the oracle informed him that his guess was correct.
“When will you tell them about the disappearance of those three, or rather, their move to the forest?”
“Even if we know, we can’t do anything about those three.”
“What are the measures?”
“Shouldn’t I ask you that?”
“…”
“If even the chancellor has no idea, we can only watch.”
And, even more than the problem of the hero’s party, he had to deal with the problems that were happening right now.
And if the chancellor had noticed, the autonomous region and the Papal States must have found out as well.
Who could dare to stop those three who had defeated the Demon King?
We could only pray that peace would come to the four.
…And I earnestly wished that I could successfully process these mountains of documents.