Chapter 1

Today, three chapters are updated. Chapter 1:

In the castle's throne room, I was reporting to the king.

"Anyway, we couldn't catch the Evil Serpent, but I destroyed the sea dragon's nest."

The king grimaced.

"Again, you couldn't defeat it... What's wrong, Alec? You used to be so active..."

"Indeed, I couldn't defeat it properly... But I destroyed the nest, so the coastal residents' suffering should decrease..."

The minister standing next to the king said in a condescending tone.

"Isn't it because you're getting old? You can defeat the minions, but not the boss-level enemies. Isn't that what makes you an unworthy hero?"

"H-ha..."

The king opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something but only sighed.

The minister brought a tray with a bag on it.

It seemed he was going to give me something.

"What is this?"

"Hero Alec, you've worked hard. It's time to retire and rest."

"Wh-what!? --So suddenly!"

"This is the king's final act of mercy. Here are a hundred gold coins. Please take them."

"But-- there are still monsters--"

"Yes, let me introduce you. This is the new hero, Marius."

A tall, slender young man appeared.

With his wavy blonde hair and sharp, red eyes, he looked like a model. He was even the son of a noble.

"Hello, former hero Alec. I believe you know me. I'm Marius Forlight, a hero candidate who has been active for a few years. I've already defeated the Evil Serpent that you chased away."

Marius smiled, showing his white teeth.

He was the complete opposite of me, a short, average-looking man with black hair and eyes. He was a popular hero among girls.

I thought to myself, of course, the next hero is Marius.

He was a noble but approachable, friendly, and easy to talk to.

He listened to me and followed my advice.

I thought of him as a cute junior.

--And he even offered to share the credit for defeating the Evil Serpent with me.

I thought he was a good guy.

Well, if he's going to be the hero, I guess it's inevitable that I'll be fired.

The minister grimaced.

"How many times has this happened? Marius finishing what Alec left behind... It's clear who is fit to be a hero."

"Alec is getting old, and I can handle it on my own from now on. There's no need for two heroes."

"I'm sorry, Alec."

Only the king looked at me with sympathy.

But since I kept failing my missions, he couldn't say anything.

"Yes..."

It seemed my dismissal was a done deal.

I couldn't argue, being the poor speaker that I am.

I gave up on arguing and reached out to take the bag from the minister.

It was heavy, filled with gold coins.

The king must have thought that by accepting the gold coins, I had agreed to resign.

He said,

"Then, Alec. Leave the hero's medal and rest well."

"...Yes."

I bowed, took off the medal I wore around my neck, and handed it to the minister, then started to leave.

But Marius smiled at me.

"If people find out you've been fired, they might say bad things. It's better to leave through the back door."

"Ah, right..."

"I know a good back door. Come, Alec, I'll show you the way. This way."

Marius walked ahead with a caring smile.

As I followed him down the castle's corridor, I thought to myself, this isn't for my benefit.

It's to maintain the country's reputation.

The upper echelons are trying to hide me, a disgraced hero and a disgrace to the country.

Marius is just saying it in a nicer way.

This is what it means to be worldly-wise.

I couldn't do it at all.

I was a hero who could only stubbornly fight monsters. No, I was a former hero.

We arrived at the back door of the castle.

It was deserted, and no one would see me leave from here.

I looked at Marius and said,

"Try your best for me. Goodbye."

I tried to sound casual, but Marius looked down at me with a contemptuous smile.

"Huh? Your way of speaking is off, isn't it?"

"What! What do you mean?"

"You're not a hero anymore. I'm a noble. --You're not someone I should be talking to."

"Wait, I've helped you a lot, haven't I? I taught you how to fight monsters and even shared some of my kills with you."

"For that, what do you expect me to be grateful for? Do you think that makes up for all the times you held me back?"

"Held you back! You... What are you talking about..."

"Because you, an old man, kept being the hero, I, a young and talented handsome man, was stuck with menial tasks. I'm superior in every way. Magic, swordsmanship, knowledge, lineage, and looks! I should be the hero people praise. But all I got was orders and instructions!"

Marius sneered at me.

I stammered, trying to defend myself.

"No, that's not true... I did it for your own good..."

"Acting like a senior, you were really annoying! I was irritated all the time! You poor peasant! --Now, get lost! Don't show your face again-- Ah, you'll probably spend all 100 gold coins in half a year and die on the streets, so I'll come to see your ugly dead face, hahaha!"

I was stunned, unable to say anything.

I thought he was a good guy, and I believed he would be the next hero.

Marius kicked me out the back door and laughed as he closed it.

"Die like a peasant, just like your parents, hahaha!"

The door slammed shut.

I was in shock from his harsh words.

I felt betrayed.

--No, not just 'felt' betrayed, but actually betrayed.

Could it be that my recent failures and the credit being taken by Marius were all part of a plan?

But I had no way to investigate now. The hero with the authority to investigate had been fired.

I had no choice but to wander aimlessly.

However, I could accept being laughed at, as I had made many mistakes.

But I couldn't forgive him for insulting my parents.

◇ ◇ ◇

Thrown out the back door of the castle, I wandered the streets.

Under the bright afternoon sun, people were walking on the cobblestone roads.

For some reason, the everyday scenes of people's lives felt strangely distant.

--What should I do now? Where should I go?

My parents are dead, and my home is gone.

At least I made them proud by becoming a hero before they passed away.

I checked the bag I had been given, wondering if it really contained 100 gold coins.

I was surprised to find 100 large gold coins, each worth 100,000 goats, totaling 10 million goats, ten times what I expected.

There was also a letter inside, written by the king.

"I'm sorry, Alec. I know best how much you've worked for the country. However, in the past 1-2 years, your kill count has dropped significantly, and even I couldn't defend you. This is at least some compensation."

The king, who had treated me like a child after my father's early death, was sad that I couldn't meet his expectations.

...Wait, but in the past 1-2 years, even though I failed some missions, my kill count didn't change...

I was confused.

Marius might have done something, but now that I'm no longer a hero, I can't investigate.

More importantly, I needed to deal with the current situation. Survival was the priority.

How long could I live with 10 million goats?

A night at an inn costs 20,000 goats, so 500 days?

No, the hero's party stayed at expensive inns, so cheaper ones must be available... How much do they cost?

What about daily food expenses? How much do weapons and armor cost?

As I thought about these things, I felt a shock like a vice squeezing my heart.

For 30 years, I had just fought as a hero, and my attendants had taken care of all the daily chores.

"Trouble... I don't know anything."

I had been a hero since I was 9, so I had no common sense.

I might have even been kept isolated to prevent me from gaining any 'strange' knowledge.

Cold sweat trickled down my back.

From now on, I had to do everything myself.

I was a middle-aged man with no life skills.

--Is there any way out?

Can I rely on someone?

But as a mediocre hero, I had no acquaintances.

I tried to think of someone I could rely on, but Marius's mocking face came to mind.

Even people I trusted could betray me.

In the worst case, I might even be tricked out of this money.

I didn't know the prices, so I could be overcharged tenfold or a hundredfold, and I wouldn't be able to tell.

I couldn't trust anyone.

And I didn't have the common sense to judge whether someone was trustworthy.

"Then, what should I do... Is it over...?"

I could only whisper in shock.

At that moment, I remembered something from the past.

When I had been a hero for 15 years.

In my twenties, I wanted a lover, but I was told that a hero must be virtuous to retain his holy power, so I lived without alcohol, tobacco, women, or gambling.

I wanted to meet many women.

So I envied the men who created harems with slaves. I secretly wished I could do the same someday.

--That's it, slaves!

Bound by subservience magic, they would never betray their master.

They would take care of their master's daily needs.

I gripped the bag of gold coins and headed for the back alleys of the city.

The next chapter will be updated in the evening.