1 – return-1

The adventure was dangerous and wild, but in hindsight, the only memorable moment was the moment of walking across the endless land.

I don’t know how far it will be from the Empire to the Devil’s Castle, but it was too far for me, a normal person, to walk.

Wizards were floating around, and elves and warriors had physical abilities close to those of humans in the first place.

At least, the warrior walking in armor showed signs of being a little tired within the category of ‘very well-trained human’, but after gaining the strength of a warrior one by one during the adventure, there was no such appearance.

Even the weakest saints lightened their bodies and healed their fatigue with divine power, so I was the only human who walked barefoot.

Due to my own reasonable judgment that if I use divine power on non-combatants, I will not be able to deal with an emergency, so I did not receive any treatment.

“Are you going to play tricks until the end, porter?”

“I’m going…!”

The sensation in his feet had long since disappeared.

I couldn’t help but feel offended by the grainy texture of the sand inside my shoes, the sticky and stinky feeling mixed with dirt, blood, and dust.

Because the pain I was already feeling in my brain was so great and varied.

Still, it was the happiest and most rewarding way out of all the ‘return’ roads. It was an insanely tedious and meaningless march to retrace the road once passed.

When I thought it was over, my body felt a little lighter.

I already lightened my body more than seven times with this thought today, so it was likely that the medicine would fall off, but it still seemed to work well. About, about a sip of water.

“What are you planning to do when you get home, everyone?”

The saintess spoke first, as if it was difficult for them to endure this boring atmosphere.

“I want to go back to my duty as a knight… but, for the time being, I think I’ll have to stick to the duties of the princess and the hero. There won’t be a break, but if a party is needed, I’ll invite you too.”

“Back to the World Tree…”

I wanted to hear other people’s stories too, but at that time, my head was so hot that I had no strength to think.

My body somehow squeezed the strength beyond its limit, and I couldn’t stop walking, but I didn’t have the strength to listen to and understand the other person’s story.

If she fell down like this, she would be hit by Eleanor’s strong kicks and forced to get up. However, I was already using my body more than I could.

Even if he returned to Earth like this, he overworked his body to the point of not knowing how many years he would have left. If I had pursued my own happiness, it would have been more beneficial for me to give up returning midway through the adventure and commit suicide.

“Ugh…”

The throbbing head is back to normal. I was breathing endlessly, but it was obvious that I would collapse right away if my lungs gave me oxygen as much as I wanted.

I forcibly swallowed my breath and continued walking, but somehow my sight returned.

What he saw in front of him was the back of the saintess. It was a landscape that I had seen so many times during my adventure that I was tired of it.

“Seriously, will you greet me even if I go silently?”

“If you’re a saint, you’re always welcome. Rather, I’d like to sing first. Just by telling us this heroic story, we’ll be able to unite my followers.”

The conversation went back and forth in a much lighter atmosphere, as if they had become attached during the trip, or if the tension was relieved after defeating the demon king.

Of course, I wasn’t in between.

“under…”

There were times when these people also thought it was okay.

/////

When I came to this world, the first person I saw was the Emperor.

“You were chosen by the goddess. You were summoned on a mission as a warrior!”

It was a tone that was kind and pressured, and even when I heard just one word, I could feel that he was a different person from me.

However, it was also something I was prepared for. After the soul and body are suddenly sucked out of the earth and experience crossing the dimensional rift, the power to doubt the absurd situation disappears.

I had no choice but to be open to new common sense, to the point where I could believe without a doubt even if anyone appeared and claimed, ‘I am a god!’

However, my body was the same. The clothes and shoes I was wearing were the same. I had the feeling that something was buzzing inside me, but I didn’t feel like I could do anything to fight it.

I asked to go back and said I didn’t want to fight. After hearing my words, the emperor smiled strangely and made a sweet proposal.

“Then, many people will die. The demon king will destroy the world, and monsters will attack until the next hero is chosen. Innocent people will die.”

After hearing that, I wasn’t afraid. However, I wasn’t sure if I could really do it.

“I understand your anxiety. If you are not prepared to fight, the path of a hero is rough and dangerous…”

More at noblemtl com

Just as I was about to say I needed a moment to think, he offered me a sweeter option.

“You can lend the strength of the warrior you have to someone who is ready. You don’t have to fight across the battlefield of life and death, just relax in the palace and return as soon as the news of victory comes in.”

I didn’t think that I was the main character of the world. If there was such a way, it would make sense for whoever has the best chance of saving the world to participate.

However, if being a hero was my duty, I didn’t want to throw it away.

“Did he… agree?”

“What? Ha ha ha ha!”

No matter how funny my question was, he burst out laughing. Even that laugh was hearty and huge, and I felt as if I would be overwhelmed by the sound.

“Of course! He’s prepared for just that! I was worried about something… If you’ve made up your mind, let’s go! If you spend even a little more time as a ‘hero’, the ceremony might fail!”

As soon as I gave my consent, the emperor laughed and praised my decision, which was not my decision.

Within a day, several maids called me. Blindfolded, I was taken to a deep, secret place, probably somewhere in the basement of the palace.

Wizards dressed in gray drew figures on the floor in silence. After a long time, a magic circle was completed with circles, triangles, patterns, and letters that were never seen before.

“You are a warrior.”

And in front of me was a woman as beautiful as a flawless, shining sword. In two circles with slightly overlapping ends, she and I took our seats.

“…yes.”

“Don’t you regret giving up your power…?”

It seemed to be seeking something, and it was also like interrogation. But I had too little time to think about this choice to answer her serious questions.

“It doesn’t matter. Someone who can do it should do it.”

Power was not needed in the first place. Life on Earth wasn’t necessarily happy, but I still liked life with modern civilization, familiar and predictable.

According to the emperor, the warrior can be returned to the original world only through a special ceremony that can be used after the demon king is defeated.

It is right for someone who can do it for me and for the people of this world to go.

As the wizards began casting spells, she and I stopped talking. As I had heard before the ceremony began, I quietly closed my eyes and drained all remaining energy from my body.

I felt pain, a strange feeling, a disgusting sensation as if something was being pulled out of my stomach with my mouth, and soon all remaining strength was drained from my body. So she became a warrior.

/////

I soaked myself in cold water that seemed to cut my skin. There was a person who was insanely sensitive to my smell, no, there was one party member, so I had to wipe my body with the momentum to peel off the skin from my whole body.

“hurt…”

The less disgusting thing about the bath was that it was something I had to do at least once anyway, and that it didn’t matter if I moved my body minimally.

In other words, at least it was time for the body to rest.

Even when they returned to the party, the saintess’ errands, the archer’s contempt, the wizard’s bullying, and the warrior’s training awaited them. I don’t know anything else, but it was impossible to endure the warrior’s training with this physical condition.

The downside is that you can’t let go of your mind. I can’t concentrate on anything or fall asleep.

You just have to feel the painful blades of liquid hacking through your body.

‘Why should I be doing this?’, ‘Should I participate in the adventure even while doing this shit?’ You have to open your eyes and accept the same anger, resignation, sadness, and despair shaking your head.

Obviously, at first, I started with the determination to do anything, but as this work ended, my anger increased.

The melancholy was only briefly covered by a greater hope, a visible future of being able to return home, but it naturally came to light when I thought about it in such cold water.

“…let’s go back.”

After completing the ritual of return, they are people you will never see again when you return to Earth.

It’s okay to stop laughing, holding back, and bending over. The Demon King is dead, and the adventure is over.

“You’ve held up well…”

Now we just have to walk a little longer. Until the end, I tried my best not to be ashamed of. I tried to show a good image, and I did my best within my ability.

I wiped off the cold water with a rough cloth and put on my clothes. The coldest weather has passed, but the cool wind still blows, drying the clothes and taking away the heat from the body.

As soon as the party returned to the tent, the archer’s eyes met. As soon as she saw me enter, she grabbed my nose and glared at me with her eyes.

“It still stinks. Wash again.”

f*ck you.