CH 277

And so, we who had resumed our journey, continued to visit various places and solve various problems. From fighting pirates on a ship departing a port town, traversing a mirage tower piercing the sky in the desert, to confronting a massive fire dragon in a volcano spewing magma, our adventure was truly something to be called a “Hero’s Party”.

Of course, it’s difficult for a mere porter to keep up with such intense adventures. That’s why I, myself, had to make even more efforts to become stronger…

“He went that way!”

“Understood!”

We were in the infamous No Return Forest, a place called “Demon Land” separating human and demon territories, where I found myself face-to-face with a large boar monster. This creature, smaller than other monsters at about two meters long, sported tusks thicker than Gonzo’s thighs. There was no way any monster living here could be weak.

“Oink!”

Snorting, scraping the ground with its claws, the next moment, a mass of black meat lunged at me at a speed that was hardly visible. An ordinary adventurer would not even be able to react to this attack and would be skewered, while those considered top-tier might barely manage to deflect it, but…

“Hmm!”

“Bogi–i?”

My single stroke split the boar’s huge body right in half. Standing in the center of the chunks of meat flying off to either side, I was not even splashed with a single drop of blood. A truly sharp attack can cut without the body even realizing it has been cut.

“Hmm, well, that’s about it.”

“It seems you’re done as well.”

As I finished and took a breath, Alexis approached me. But the look on his face was not admiration for my technique, but a wry smile filled with some sort of disbelief.

“I never imagined you’d really become this strong… I have no choice but to apologize for my lack of foresight.”

“No, no, not at all! I’m the one who’s most surprised, after all.”

Indeed, I have become stronger. During the journey, I had the opportunity to be trained by a famous swordsman. After receiving his teachings, I became unbelievably stronger at a ridiculous pace.

By the way, according to the swordsman, “Your growth seems less like a young person blooming and more like a master who lost his memory recalling his skills.” I was really puzzled about who I might be.

But even if I was told that, I’m just a mercenary, nothing more, nothing less. I grew up goofing around with the kids in the same village, so there wouldn’t be any dramas like “Actually, I’m a lost half-elf child who lost his memory…” 

“Really, you’re so mysterious. It didn’t seem like you were holding back before either.”

“Gahaha, isn’t it fine! There’s nothing to worry about if the kid gets stronger! Perhaps because of his solid basic training, his talent suddenly bloomed.”

“Haha… I would be happy if that’s the case.”

To Rouge’s baffled face and Gonzo’s cheerfully laughing face, I respond with an indescribable smile.

Well, indeed, the fact that I can apply such sword techniques in practice was probably because I was still persistently repeating Gonzo-style training. My basic physical and muscular strength have surged, enhancing my swordsmanship, to the point where I can even compete with Alexis, whom I used to think was unreachable.

“Anyway, I have no complaints about entrusting my back to you now. At this rate…”

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“Yeah, we might be able to get through this time.”

In response to Alexis’ murmurs, Gonzo quietly replied. Since I joined the Hero’s Party, three years have passed. The adventure was nearing its climax, and we were finally venturing into the Demon King’s territory.

However, the Demon Land, which should be called the final trial, had a harsh environment. We were forced to turn back halfway even on our second attempt, which was thoroughly prepared after the first reconnaissance.

And now, it’s our third attempt, fully prepared. By carrying a large amount of supplies with me and Gonzo, despite a bit of hindered movement and potential combat wear and tear, we’ve already reached quite deep into the Demon Land. If we continue at this pace, we should be able to get through in a few days.

“Ed, how are the water and food?”

“We still have plenty. Assuming we’ll use the transfer crystal to return, we should be able to last a month after getting through the Demon Land.”

This time too, we have prepared transfer crystals for each of us, albeit with considerable difficulty. If there was no return journey, the stay time was simply doubled. There was a limit to the amount of supplies we could carry, so this difference was overwhelmingly significant.

“Transfer crystals, huh… we used them last time too, so if it doesn’t work this time, we might not be able to prepare them next time.”

“Yeah. But it would be pointless to lose our lives because we were stingy with our stuff. We should use it properly when we need to, and then consider other options.”

“That’s right. There should still be several ruins we haven’t explored yet, so we can probably manage four, right?”

In response to Alexis’ grim face, Gonzo and Rouge gave optimistic opinions. Transfer crystals are basically relics excavated from ruins, so they are not something you can get if you have money. We are the Hero’s Party, so we get priority, but if there’s none, there’s nothing we can do.

“But isn’t it pointless to think about failure from now on? If we succeed in this expedition and defeat the Demon King, that’s the end of it.”

“Well, I suppose…Hmm, it seems I’ve been a little faint-hearted.”

“Anyone would feel anxious after experiencing failure. But we’ve used that as a fuel to prepare, and you have comrades who support you. Don’t worry, Alexis, we’ll carve out the path of the Hero!”

“Hmph! Of course it’s going to be fine since I’m here! If you have time to say pathetic things, then get moving! Ed, you too.”

“Eh, why me? Was there any part in that conversation that blamed me?”

“What are you talking about? Your very existence is underwhelming, isn’t it?”

“Isn’t that really harsh!? Hey, Yuusha-sama, I’m doing my best, right?”

“…Heh, that’s right. It’s unacceptable for me, the Hero, to stop when someone ordinary like you is calmly moving forward. Let’s go. We should be able to get through soon.”

“Huh?”

For some reason, the party’s unity strengthened through slander towards me, and we all shared a light laugh as we continued deeper. In the forest, where it’s still dark at noon, keeping our nerves on edge for the powerful demonic beasts that could attack from anywhere, draining our physical and mental strength, we never stopped our journey… and finally, that moment arrived.

“Hey, isn’t that the outside over there?”

We could see strong light leaking through the gaps in the trees at the end of Rouge’s gaze and words. This meant that the forest was ending there.

“Ohh, finally!”

“Alright, just a little more! Everyone, pull yourselves together.”

Just because we’ve gotten through the dangerous territory doesn’t mean the journey is over. Rather, we’ll have to make our way through the Demon King’s dominion to its castle, and more importantly, there’s likely a tough journey ahead even after reaching the castle and facing the Demon King.

But still, we’ve finally reached a milestone. Suppressing our excitement, we walked through the last of the forest, on guard yet at a slightly faster pace…

“What…is this…!?”

“This is…”

“You’re kidding, right…?”

“…………………”

A clear view for the first time in a while. We each let out words at the sight before us. What awaited us on the expanded plain was a large amount of the Demon King’s army, enough to bury the ground.

(T/N: Sorry readers, made a mistake the Name of Demon King Of The End is “Endroll”, found out in later chapters. I always thought it was just a way of saying Demon King Of The End. I’ll keep the name Endroll from now on and edit the old chaps when I get time. Once again I apologise)