CH 25

“Alexis, left!”

“Haahh, no problem! [Full Moon Scraper!]”

While cutting down the demonic beast in front of me, Alexis, nodding at my warning that I raised just in case, unleashed a technique with the power of the holy sword. The technique, which used to send out slashes like a crescent moon, now fired out a round, shining white and silver light bullets that blasted away anything in their line of fire, whether it was a tree or a demonic beast.

“I knew it would be awesome, though the real Holy Sword … is clearly not as easy to use.” Alexis said.

“Well, I can’t deny that. But hey, there’s nothing wrong with it. … right?” I replied.

“Right!”

We were engaged in a fierce battle in a vast forest called the Demon Border, which separated the realm of humans from that of the demon race. In the human world, wielding a sword like this would cause too much damage to the surrounding environment. However, in a place like this, it did not matter how much damage was done, because the dense magic power that it accumulated would return it to its original state within a few days.

(The reason why the holy sword was sealed was because it was absolutely too powerful. That’s not a good thing to have as your first weapon.)

I know that getting a great weapon was a part of the Hero’s strength, but I also understand that if a person was suddenly given a power too strong for his/her stature, he/she would grow distorted by it.

I thought it was a mysterious act by someone malicious, but they were completely right to limit the ability to handle this power to only those who had developed enough competence and thoughtfulness to break through that magic riddle. 

“Ed! Alexis! I’m done here!”

“Gaahah! I’m 100 years too early to let a little fish like this block my muscles!”

“Oh, I see. Well, let’s take a little break.” I said.

Tia and Gonzo, who had just finished defeating the remaining monsters, arrived, and I took the camping equipment from the [Stranger Box] and laid it out in a suitable manner. Thanks to the magic tool I bought before, we could produce water as much as I wanted, and we had plenty of food to eat. It had already been about a week since we entered the demonic forest, but there was still more to go and we needed to save as much as we could.

“…It’s been six months now.”

Although it was impossible to make a fire, a magic tool would be enough to generate heat. Alexis, sipping his after-dinner tea, suddenly muttered.

“If I hadn’t met you six months ago,…, I wonder where we would be now and what we would be doing?” Alexis continued.

“Hmm? Well, … it’s just a guess on my part, but I’m guessing you’ll probably be around Toruta by now, killing pirates?” I said

“Toruta? Oh, come to think of it, I did hear something about pirates running amok in that area not too long ago. …As usual, you’re a man with detailed information.”

“Hehe, well.”

Alexis chuckled, to which I replied with another vague smile. That was because I remembered most of what I did in the first round. Well, now that things have changed so drastically, I really only “know” about the past …, or is it the future? It only served to make me nostalgic.

“Six months, six months. … I wonder. It feels like Ed and I have been together much longer than that, and yet it’s only been six months.” Tia said.

“Gahahah! Sometimes a day spent together is more memorable than ten years of just passing each other. The length of time is of no importance. Unless it is as dense as my muscles!” old man Gonzo also chimed in.

“Ugh, it sounds like he’s probably trying to say something nice, but I just can’t accept it honestly because of his muscles. …” I replied.

“What did you say!? Muscles are great!”

“The old man is still the same. … Look Tia, the meat here is cooked nicely.”

“Yay!”

Old man Gonzo, as usual, and Tia was smiling and they were chomping on the meat. I looked at them, and they looked at me. Their eyes were filled with deep trust, not the kind of look you would give to a mere porter. It was a warm and honorable feeling, but it was also what worried me at the moment.

(Seriously, what am I going to do ……)

In order for me to leave this world, I must be recognized as a member and be expelled from the hero’s party. Since we have been working together for six months, I have already achieved the condition of “being recognized as a member of the party,” but to be honest, the condition of being expelled from the party was much harder to achieve because they trust me too much.

First of all, I rejected any attempt to betray them out of my head. If I was going to do that, I wouldn’t have done the second round in the first place. On the other hand, it was also difficult to cut corners on work so as to be expelled.

To be trusted deeply means that even if I cut corners, it won’t be because I was “slacking off,” but would be “something is going on, or you are not feeling well?” and they would be more concerned.

(Should I try to peek at Tia while she’s changing clothes like I did before? No, but that was just an act of concern for me, so I’m sure they won’t kick me out if I happen to peek now. …)

If I persistently peek around while saying “gehgehgehgehgeh”, I would get kicked out someday, but that was too roundabout and too disgusting. Also, I could put up with them being angry or disliked, but if Tia really cried, I would be hurt beyond recovery, so it was not good for me because it would hurt me in a way I could never recover from.

(I guess I’ll just have to lose one of my legs, then, won’t I?)

If I were to lose a leg, I would not be able to continue my journey. We have prepared transfer crystals for the return trip for us, so I would probably be sent back with it.

However, it was also difficult to intentionally injure myself to the point of losing my leg. Ideally, if I were aware of the enemy, let it catch us by surprise and lose my leg in the process of protecting someone else, but there was no way that such a convenient situation would be available to me anytime soon.

(It’s not good to be acknowledged too much. Somehow ……)

“Hey, Ed?”

“Hmm? What is it?”

As I was lost in thought, Tia suddenly spoke to me. I turned my head to look at her, and her round jade eyes were staring at me.

“You’ve been thinking about something for over a month now, haven’t you? Isn’t it about time you talked to me about it?”

“Eh!? W-what are you talking about? I have n-no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Hmmm ..?”

Tia hit the nail on the head, but I still played it dumb, and she sounded displeased with me.

“Well, okay. But am I really that unreliable?”

“… I don’t know what you’re talking about, but that’s not true.”

I patted Tia on the head, and her cheeks puffed out in response.

“Mou¬, you are treating me like a child again! I’m about eighty years older than you!”

“Haha. I see.”

In terms of mental age, I’m a little over 120 years old, you know? A girl 20 years younger than me should be a child, don’t you think?

“You are so cute. Do you want some candy?”

“I don’t want it! Hmph, Ed’s mean!”

I smiled a little sadly inwardly at Tia, who turned away, revealing her anger with a pout.

(Thanks, Tia.)

No matter how things turned out from here, the time to say goodbye was near. As long I didn’t know what would happen after we defeated the Demon King and if the hero’s party “disbanded,” I must be expelled before that time no matter what, so no matter how long we’ve been together up to this point, we’d probably only be together for another two months or so.

I would have to repeat such farewells 100 times from now on. I didn’t know if I would be allowed to come back here afterwards to see the ending again, but … there won’t be at least a third round.

Then, this time, I want to say goodbye with no regrets and have a sorrow-free ending. For that, I must do what I can do now to the best of my ability.

(Well, for the time being, let’s think about it after we get out of the demonic forest. I don’t know what’s beyond that, and maybe there’s something that will get me exiled easily.)

I muttered to myself inwardly, as if to say to myself, “Wouldn’t it be better to bury my bones in this world?” I crushed that idea quickly. And if I devoted myself to the battle to forget it, we would finally succeed in becoming the first human beings to go past the demonic border.

""

“This is ……!?”

“Oh, no, why!?:

“… haha, so this is what happens in the end?”

Before us stood an army, filling the land.