* * *
So in the end, I couldn’t be of any help.
All I could do was watch as the Hero, gritting his teeth in pain, wielded his sword with his left hand and fought on.
“……”
After the battle ended, I was able to regain my composure, but did that even matter?
The enemy was already dead.
The curse that had bound me was lifted, so of course, I could move again.
But I never got the chance to make up for my mistake.
The Hero’s wounds had worsened because of the reckless way he moved while injured.
I poured a high-grade potion on him to heal him, but it hardly worked.
The lingering effects of the cursed spear that slowed recovery didn’t disappear even after its owner’s death.
I used up every potion I had, but the Hero was still in agony. I wanted to vanish.
“Hey.”
We were called the party that would save the world, but realistically, the Hero was our cornerstone. Without him, we were nothing.
What if he couldn’t recover from these injuries?
What if he became unable to fight?
And all of this was my fault.
Could I possibly atone for this sin just by giving up my life?
Rationally speaking, not a chance.
What would dying solve? It’s not as if my death would magically produce more high-grade potions.
So I prayed.
I scavenged through the ruined market that had been laid waste by the demon attack, begging a god whose existence I doubted.
I pleaded, admitting I was wrong and promising never to meddle again, asking them to grant me even a single potion if they cared for the Hero.
“Raul.”
As if answering my prayers, I found an antidote that could alleviate the curse.
I cried so much that I thought I had no tears left, but they still came.
“Raul Florenti.”
“Ah!”
The Hero’s hand gripped my shoulder, snapping me out of it.
I was shocked at how easily I’d zoned out.
What a fool I was.
The fight had long ended.
The skull had a clean puncture in its forehead from the Hero’s sword.
He must’ve killed it instantly as it charged.
The eerie blue flames had completely died out.
“Are you alright?”
“Y-yeah. Of course.”
I answered as naturally as I could, but I felt awkward.
The Hero was the one who got hurt and dealt with the enemy, yet I was the one being asked if I was okay.
All I’d done was hide behind him, and here I was being fussed over.
Even though he could easily handle such creatures, I’d still made such a big deal out of it.
“It’s just… That wasn’t the kind of monster you’d usually see near the forest’s edge. I was caught off guard.”
“That’s true.”
The Hero slid his gleaming sword back into its sheath.
“And its size as well.”
He kicked the cracked skull, shattering it completely.
White bone fragments scattered all around.
Normally, being a skull, it should’ve been about the size of a human head.
But this one was easily twice that size.
It was a clear sign that the power of the demons was influencing this dimension.
My heart raced uneasily.
It felt as if the entire world was whispering that time was running out.
A month had passed since I returned, and what had I done?
Hadn’t I just been a burden to the Hero?
Was this really okay?
I needed to show some results—something to make up for stealing the Hero’s opportunity.
‘Calm down.’
I suppressed my growing anxiety.
Giving in to emotions wouldn’t help anything.
My first attempt had failed miserably, but I already had a new plan.
I still had options.
I couldn’t afford to just dig myself into a hole.
I needed to be useful—to the Hero, to humanity.
‘Stay calm and do what needs to be done.’
After that, it was quiet for a long time.
Perhaps the other monsters had seen the Hero deal with that skull so quickly, as none dared to approach.
Whether beast or monster, they all valued their lives.
Walking in silence, I became more attuned to the movements of the creatures in the forest.
I knew there were no demons, but whenever I felt a large presence, I couldn’t help but flinch.
My body overreacted, sending warning signals.
Even though I knew I was being jumpy, calming down wasn’t easy.
I’d spent years honing my senses to catch every movement, and just a few weeks weren’t enough to erase the fear engraved in my mind.
I kept unintentionally moving to stand behind the Hero, forcing myself to snap out of it.
I knew it was probably the right choice, but if it was something the Hero commanded, I wanted to follow it.
‘Ah, it’s red.’
The sun had already set.
The fiery red sky seemed to reek of blood.
Uneasy, I lowered my gaze, but the crimson light still stained the world.
When was the last time I thought a sunset was beautiful?
Well, it didn’t matter. I could worry about sunsets after defeating the Demon King.
Do you know what a sunset means?
It’s time to feed the Hero.
I pulled out the rations I’d packed tightly into my bag, one by one, choosing the foods the Hero had said he liked.
The Hero didn’t say anything but ate well.
Watching him cleanly finish a tart while walking was oddly satisfying.
Packing plenty had been worth it.
Still, it was a bit disappointing that he didn’t react the way he did the first time he tried it, overwhelmed by how delicious it was.
How could he adapt so quickly?
“Aren’t you eating?”
The Hero dusted off crumbs from his hands and looked at me.
I felt honored he even cared.
I shook my head. I didn’t feel like eating.
The setting sun was too red, making even food look like it was soaked in blood.
Not exactly appetizing.
One war where I’d had to eat blood-soaked food was enough for a lifetime.
“……”
The Hero’s gray eyes silently observed me.
Thinking he might want something else, I pulled out a meat pie.
“That’s not it.”
Despite his words, he took the pie, split it in half, and ate it in two neat bites.
What wasn’t it?
“Let’s rest here.”
Already?
The sun hadn’t even fully set.
We could walk for longer.
Both of us had excellent night vision and had traveled overnight plenty of times before.
There was no real need to stop just because it was getting dark.
“Is there a problem?”
No, of course not!
If the Hero wanted to stop, then of course we’d stop.
We weren’t in a hurry; there was no issue.
I shook my head furiously.
If I’d known we’d stop, I’d have set up camp before dinner.
Eating while walking wasn’t exactly convenient.
Maybe that’s why the Hero wanted to rest.
Setting up camp was easy for us since we were used to it.
Even though it was summer, the forest was cool at night, so we lit a fire and sat around it.
The deep forest was chilly, even cold.
By the time we finished preparing, night had fallen.
I grilled some sausages over the fire and ate with the Hero.
Despite finishing both a tart and a meat pie earlier, the Hero still ate a few sausages with me.
Watching him eat so heartily was satisfying.
I only ate one.
With my stomach full, I felt sleepy.
Had we really walked so much that I was already tired?
Maybe I’d let my guard down because the surroundings were peaceful.
The crackling fire lulled my mind.
I didn’t want to think about anything anymore.
“Hey.”
No, I must.
If the Hero calls, I have to respond, no matter the thought.
* * *
