Chapter 28

"Who are you, Ryuya? Do you know this so-called hero?"

The king, who had shown no interest in the hero himself, now seemed to be intrigued by this.

"Yes, he was a friend from the past. It seems he received a good skill during the Blessing Ceremony and was taken to the church. I haven't seen him since then."

"Hmm, what a coincidence."

I used to be an orphan by the roadside, and I lived by helping each other with friends in similar circumstances.

Riber, Zeta, Cidroad.

We all received good skills during the Blessing Ceremony and vowed to escape our miserable lives as orphans. However, among the four of us, I was the only one judged as 'Skillless,' while the other three received exceptional skills. The church, recognizing their skills, took them away, leaving me behind.

This is the first time I've seen Riber since then.

"I don't know such a person."

But my former friend treated me as if I didn't exist.

"I don't have any 'Skillless' acquaintances. If I did, they would only be a dirty stain that tarnishes my glorious history."

"If he says so, then it must be true."

I didn't feel like arguing to cling to our past friendship.

If the value of a person is determined by whether they have a good skill, then the path between Ryuya and me diverged at the moment when the skills were judged.

"Why are you here, Ryuya? This is no place for a 'Skillless.' It's a noble place. You should return to the alley's garbage dump where you belong."

"Indeed, I would like to leave as soon as possible."

Apparently, he acknowledges our past friendship on a personal level, but the look he gives me is full of contempt for someone who has nothing.

Riber has changed.

Five years ago, he wasn't such an arrogant person.

"Your Majesty, I would like to proceed with the urgent matter at hand."

"An urgent matter? Oh, was there such a thing?"

The king's reaction seemed unexpectedly surprised.

Riber looked as if he had been taken aback.

"Please don't act so surprised. Your country is under attack by demons, and the church is aware of the crisis. As a fellow human, we cannot ignore this crisis, so the church has sent me here."

"Hmm?"

What Riber has been saying about 'crisis' and 'demons'...

"That is true. Dealing with vicious demons is beyond the capabilities of a single nation. Only with the support of the church's excellent healers and powerful heroes can they be driven away."

"That's right."

"Our country immediately sent a request for assistance to the church as soon as the appearance of demons was confirmed. Repeatedly. However, the church has not responded at all and has remained silent."

"Is that so?"

Lesreza explained to me on the side.

"The church monopolizes all means to combat demons. They have clerics who can use holy magic effective against demons and healers who can use recovery magic. And there are heroes, who are said to be the strongest among skill users..."

The one standing before us is one of them.

"When the church receives requests from countries, it sends these personnel to help in the fight against demons. In return, it demands huge donations, siphoning money from all over the world."

A global extortionist, you might say.

Given this, the king's current attitude makes sense.

"The battle against demons cannot afford even a moment's delay. The church's slow response is fatal. If this situation does not improve, we will have to reconsider our donations to the church from next year!"

"Please wait. You shouldn't rush into things. I am here now, am I not?"

Riber spoke in a tone as if he were soothing a child, even to the king.

"The church is not only involved with your country. Many other countries are also exposed to the terror of demons. It is impossible for the church to respond immediately and perfectly to all of them."

"Are you saying there is a priority order?"

"Exactly. When two situations arise simultaneously and cannot be handled at the same time, one must be dealt with first and the other later. In such cases, it is only right to prioritize those who have been more helpful in the past."

The king's face grew increasingly stern.

"Our country donates a huge amount of money to the church every year! Is that still not enough!?"

"With all due respect, there are many other countries that donate to the church."

The king slammed the armrest of his throne.

He must be very angry at the other party's words.

"However, Your Majesty, I have a good proposal for you. A bright future for both your country and us."

"I have already declined that proposal."

"Please reconsider. This is a rare opportunity!"

And then Riber said:

"The marriage between this hero, Riber, and Princess Lesreza!"

"Huh?"

Who did he just say?

Lesreza?

The woman standing next to me has that name, but is she the same person?

When I turned to look, she deliberately avoided my gaze.

"Marriage to a church official is the highest honor! If this marriage is realized, I will be your adopted son and will prioritize this country in every way!"

"Are you asking me to sacrifice my daughter for the safety of the country?"

"Isn't that what a king should do?"

Riber's gaze became like that of a constricting snake.

"This is your final ultimatum, Your Majesty. Depending on your answer, I can return to the church right now."

"Didn't you come here to fight the demons attacking our country?"

"I won't engage in a futile battle. The hero's strength is precious and should be given to those who desire it the most."

"That's despicable, a pure threat."

It's as if he's saying, 'If you don't accept my demands, I won't help you.'

This is too much, and I should have intervened, but I didn't.

I could predict where this conversation was heading.

"Your Majesty, please recognize our marriage. This will defeat the demons, bring peace to the country, and make everyone happy!"

"I refuse."

"Wh-What!?"

Riber, who never expected to be refused, looked completely flustered.

"You are a foolish king. Is it fine for your country to be destroyed by your stubbornness?"

"Rather than survive by relying on a scoundrel like you, I would prefer the country to perish. But that won't happen. Our country will be safe without bowing to someone like you."

"What do you mean?"

"You must be thinking, 'If I don't help, this country will be destroyed by demons,' and 'Therefore, they have no choice but to listen to me.'"

"Ugh?"

"That plan only works because demons are attacking our country. If you want to avoid destruction, you have to rely on a hero."

"You understand very well...! If you can see the reality so clearly, why don't you just accept it...!"

"You are the one who doesn't understand the reality."

"What?"

"The demons have already been defeated, and our country is out of danger. You are no longer needed."

"What!?"

Riber's voice was full of surprise, as if he had never heard this before.

"How can that be! When did this happen! The demons attacking this country have been defeated!?"

"I thought you were just being overly confident, but you really didn't know. Did you not see the victorious atmosphere in the town and the castle on your way here?"

"Wasn't it a welcome for me!?"

"How self-centered are you?"

The king was exasperated.

But Riber must have realized that his plans were completely ruined.

"You didn't respond to our request when we needed you, and now you show up after everything is resolved, acting as you please. Is this the way of a hero, to act like a burglar!?"

"Ugh? Ugh...!"

"I will report this to the church headquarters as a formal protest. We will also reconsider our donations from next year, so you should report this to the church as well!"

"Wait! Your Majesty, wait!"

"I don't want to see the face of a scoundrel like you ever again! Get out!"

The king was genuinely angry.

It was a justified anger.

At this point, a normal person would be terrified and leave, but heroes, being heroes, have thick skin.

Even after being told to leave, he clung on.

"I can't believe it! How could you defeat those vicious demons without a hero's power!? Demons can only be defeated by heroes! This must be a lie! You're lying about defeating the demons to gain an advantage in negotiations with me!"

"Believe what you will. Whether it's the truth or a lie, I won't accept your demands."

"Then answer me! How did you defeat the demons! If it's not a lie, you should be able to answer!"

The king sighed deeply, exasperated by Riber's persistence.

He tried to have the soldiers restrain and remove him, but...

"Hero, please calm down..."

The bald minister interjected.

"Unbelievable as it may seem, the demons were indeed defeated. And the one who did it is the 'Skillless' man standing there."

He pointed at me.