Chapter 3

The request from the king was a simple one.

"Please fight to defeat the Demon King."

That was all.

If I fight as a hero, everything I need to live will be provided, and apparently, I can even be given any entertainment I desire.

This time, the treatment is far better than the first time.

It’s clear that they need a hero that much.

I can tell from the fact that I wasn’t punished.

When I asked if I could return to my original world, the king replied, "It’s impossible at this stage."

The kingdom has used up all its magic power to summon me and doesn’t have enough to send me back.

The king said that if I wait six years, I can be returned for sure.

Ah, how laughable.

Last time, he said "four years," but this time it’s six.

It’s two years longer.

I can’t trust a word the king says.

But still, I said,

"I will fight as a hero."

Of course, I have no intention of doing so.

But it will be easier to act on the surface as if I’m complying.

The more opportunities to kill Ryuzas, the better.

Besides, I was just summoned and don’t understand the situation.

Given that the king has changed since the last time I met him, it’s likely that several years have passed.

It’s best to gather information before taking action.

Thus, I became the kingdom’s hero in appearance.

"Right, I haven’t heard your name yet.

Sir Hero, may I have your name?"

As I was about to leave, the king asked me.

"Amatsuki Iori"

Of course, I didn’t answer with "Amatsu."

◆

From the next day, I had to follow the schedule set by the kingdom.

In the morning, I learned about this world.

In the afternoon, I received tactical training from a knight.

After dinner, I received magic training from a mage.

There are breaks and lunch in between, but that’s the general routine.

To be honest, it’s a waste of time.

The knight’s movements are inefficient, and the magic training is ineffective.

The knights and mages are less skilled than when I was here.

However, I have to pretend to be hearing everything for the first time to avoid suspicion.

My impression is terrible due to the Ryuzas incident.

I’m constantly under surveillance by mages.

It’s possible to slip past the surveillance, but it’s not a good idea.

Without magic, I need to be cautious.

For a while, I decided to act as a compliant hero and focus on gathering information until the surveillance loosens.

◆

Ten days have passed since my second summoning.

The surveillance has eased, and I can move around a bit more freely at night.

I completed my daily schedule and headed to the library after dark.

In the library, filled with the smell of old paper, I picked up a book about "Amatsu."

From the information I’ve gathered over the past few days, I learned something.

It seems that thirty years have passed since that day.

I was surprised that so much time had passed.

But it makes sense that the king has changed.

Upon reflection, Ryuzas also looked older.

And there’s one more thing.

It seems that the "Demon King" Ortegia is still alive.

"Truly, a masterpiece."

When I learned this, I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity.

In other words, Ryuzas and the others failed to defeat the Demon King.

They were mocking me, saying they could kill the Demon King without me.

Now, I can’t help but laugh at the question: Why was I killed?

Since then, the Demon King has been gathering power in the Demon King’s Castle.

The kingdom seems to have hastily summoned a hero before the Demon King could move.

The kingdom’s library had books about the "Hero Amatsu" and the Demon King, making it easy to investigate.

There were many discrepancies from the facts.

It seems that I was killed by the Demon King.

Despite not even reaching the Demon King.

There was one mysterious point in the library books.

The names of Lucifina and Dione were nowhere to be found.

Only their existence had vanished from the party.

If they had died, it would make sense, but this is abnormal.

Their presence is also not in the castle.

It’s strange that Lucifina, who belonged to the kingdom’s knight order, is not there.

I need to find a way to investigate this.

"No results, huh."

Even after searching through books related to Amatsu, their names were still not there.

I took a few books and left the library.

I deliberately took a roundabout route to my room to memorize the castle’s layout.

Some parts have been renovated, and the positions and numbers of rooms have changed, but I have most of it memorized.

As I walked, I encountered several people in the castle.

They all bowed and greeted me, but each had a faint look of contempt on their face.

"…He’s in the library again, isn’t he?"

"He should practice magic before he starts reading books."

I could hear the whispers of the people I passed.

It’s already clear that I can’t use magic.

Combined with the Ryuzas incident, there’s a lot of dissatisfaction with the second hero.

Initially, they called me "Sir Hero," but now they call me "that one" behind my back.

Even without magic, I have some skills.

I learned how to use my eyes and ears on the battlefield, so I can hear voices from a distance.

Do they not realize they’re being heard?

"Amatsuki Iori. Is he really a hero?

He can’t even use magic properly. He’s just a kid."

I stopped in front of a room when I heard my name.

It seems they were discussing me inside.

I could sense four or five people inside.

"…!"

Among the muffled voices, I recognized one.

"There’s no doubt he’s a hero. But if we send him to fight the Demon King’s army, he’ll die right away."

It was Ryuzas’s voice, hoarse but unmistakable.

He seemed to be talking with his mage comrades.

I held back from barging into the room and listened quietly.

"Without magic, he’s completely useless."

"Yeah. At the very least, he should be able to take down the Four Heavenly Kings. Otherwise, it’s not worth it."

Ryuzas spat out, as if he had drawn a bad lot.

"…!"

My head turned white with anger.

I bit my lip to the point of drawing blood, barely restraining myself.

If I acted now, my act of compliance would be ruined.

"Sir Ryuzas, you fought alongside the previous hero, Sir Amatsu. What was he like?"

Ryuzas answered the question.

"He was a brave one.

He had the ideal of world peace, truly the ideal of a hero.

I wanted to fulfill his ideals, but I regret the outcome."

Ryuzas said, putting on a show of regret.

—You were the only one with such ideals.

Who was it that mocked me like that?

"Ah… I understand."

Indeed, you’re that kind of person.

"Even if the hero is useless, there’s still a use for him."

With those words from Ryuzas, I suppressed my boiling emotions and returned to my room.

After that, another week passed.

—And I began my actions.