I Picked Up the Hero Who Banished Me

12 – [The Hero Who Defeated the Demon Lord – 09]

“Haa.”

Alex Reynolds sighed.

He’d slain the Demon Lord, and with that, Alex had become a hero in every sense of the word.

Everyone hailed him as a hero, and the name ‘Sage Alex Reynolds’ would become so famous that he’d be recognized anywhere in this world.

Alex possessed everything the world could offer—wealth, fame—yet, he couldn’t help but sigh.

‘Stupid b*tches.’

He swallowed the words he could never utter aloud, downing cold water to quell his rising frustration.

The Saintess, Bellita Bright, and the Elf Princess, Raina Forest, were far more fragile and dim-witted than he’d imagined.

However, their positions and lineage were undeniable, so, whether he liked it or not, he had to maintain a good rapport with them.

‘The Saintess’s and Elf Princess’s powers are vital to the kingdom.’

Bellita aside, Raina, as an Elf Princess, served as proof of amicable relations between Elvenheim, the land of the elves, and the kingdom.

While marrying Bellita would be ideal in theory, for the sake of the kingdom’s prosperity, perhaps marrying Raina to maintain a good relationship with the elves would be better.

A friendly alliance with the elves would help keep the Empire in check, and they might even be able to borrow some of the elves’ mysterious tools.

Even if he couldn’t get his hands on the elven treasures, he might acquire something of equal value.

‘The kingdom will now grow stronger. Now, with all the honor focused on the kingdom, is the perfect chance to make it the strongest nation.’

The best plan would be…

To use the warrior, Olivia Reinhardt, as the kingdom’s sword.

Having witnessed her power firsthand more than anyone, he knew how fortunate it would be if her strength were on their side.

But, conversely, he also understood how foolish it would be to oppose her if she were to become an enemy.

So, he killed her.

The kingdom must never let its enemies live.

Her being an enemy was a greater fear than her being an ally was a comfort, so I killed her.

“Alex.”

“Hmm? …Lady Lilith, please forgive my rudeness. I never imagined you’d be outside.”

Lilith Cliford.

The eldest daughter of the current king, Cromwell Cliford.

Her intuition was keen, but she had been frail since birth, unable to properly engage in social activities. There were even people who had lived in noble society for quite a long time who had difficulty seeing her face.

Her face was ashen, and I knew why she was here, what she wanted to ask, but Alex deliberately acted oblivious.

“Olivia is dead?”

Alex wore a sorrowful expression.

Truly, a comrade had died, and he was so sad, it was an expression as if he was holding back tears.

“She fought bravely. Even while fighting the Demon King, she never gave up, and she even protected us, who were nothing but hindrances… Perhaps, if we hadn’t been there, she wouldn’t have died.”

“……”

“This glory I’m receiving now should rightfully be Olivia Reinhardt’s, the hero… I am merely heartbroken by my own inadequacy.”

Lilith appeared slightly out of breath; it seemed she’d run, uncharacteristically.

Her constitution wasn’t good either.

She was a woman who had no value except for maintaining the Cliford family bloodline, but there was no benefit to be gained by appearing bad to others.

Unless you were going to kill someone, maintaining good relations while wearing a mask was what social life was all about.

“There’s no way Olivia could be dead.”

“Lady Lilith.”

If someone who didn’t know had seen it, they might have thought that Alex looked heartbroken for Lilith, who was despairing over the loss of a friend.

“The corpse?”

“All we recovered was an arm. The rest vanished with the Demon Lord.”

“That kid wouldn’t die to some Demon Lord. Something’s wrong… Alex, look at me and say it again. Is she really dead?”

“……”

I hate people with sharp instincts.

They ignore logic, grab results that could be called stubborn, and more often than not, they’re right.

Olivia and Lyris were close, and I think I understand why.

Both of them lived by gut feeling alone, logic be damned.

Alex hated it.

But Alex showed no hint of it on his face, and with an expression that seemed to mourn his comrade, Olivia Reinhardt’s death, he said,

“Yes, unfortunately.”

“……”

Her already pale face turned even whiter, making it almost unbearable to look at.

“Ah, Lord Alex! You were here!”

“What is it?”

“A messenger from East Port! Demons are attacking East Port!”

“……!”

“……!”

Alex and Lyris, who shared not a single similarity, stared at the soldier who came to deliver the report with the same expression for this one moment.

*

“A demon?”

A demon.

A type of monster, characterized by horns and wings, with a cruel appetite for devouring humans alive, making its threat rank considerably high.

And, above all, the most dangerous demons were said to possess intelligence, making dialogue possible.

This wasn’t just a demon thing, but more importantly, what was the reason for demons suddenly attacking East Port?

‘The Demon Lord’s captured, so monster strength is weakened.’

The Demon Lord wasn’t just the strongest monster, but also played a role in empowering other monsters by its mere existence.

Therefore, the death of the Demon Lord inevitably weakened monsters, and for at least a few years after its capture, the monsters would remain quiet, refraining from major incidents.

But, at this point, not long after the Demon Lord was captured, for demons to suddenly attack a village in such large numbers was strange no matter how you looked at it.

Furthermore, the coordinated movements suggested that this wasn’t just something low-ranking demons did on a whim, but rather, there was a high possibility that someone above was ordering them.

“Kyaaah!”

“Oh no! …Cough! Ugh!”

As a villager was about to be attacked, the Hero instinctively reached for the spot where he always carried his holy sword and was about to leap out, but then coughed violently and staggered.

It was impossible to ask the Hero, who was having difficulty even standing, to fight.

“…….”

I glanced around for a moment.

The demons’ locations.

The citizens’ locations.

My current location.

It had been a long time since I properly fought, so I was somewhat nervous, and it felt like my fingertips were trembling. No matter how I looked at it, I just wasn’t made for battle.

“Get down!”

*Whoosh!*

As I moved my hand, the spirit’s flames erupted, engulfing the demons, setting them all ablaze.

The demons who had been about to attack the citizens were all burned away, but it was only what my eyes could see. In the sky, more demons were still moving.

Smoke was rising from all around, not just the clock tower.

“Livia, are you alright? Can you move?”

“Y-yeah, I’m fine… Take care of the citizens first! You moron!”

“…….”

My slightly blank expression made the hero realize what he had just said, and he fiddled with his mask as he spoke.

“No, um… sorry, it was involuntary.”

“Wow, seeing your old personality resurface is kind of nice.”

“You like being yelled at?”

“No, I like your confidence.”

“…….”

I didn’t hate that his angry words were about protecting innocent citizens, not me.

He was saying it all while suffering, agitated by the poison.

“Anyway, right now you’re just a citizen too. Evacuate first….”

*BOOM!!*

A loud sound echoed, and suddenly a shadow appeared.

The huge shadow was large enough to cover both the hero and I, and the magic power it radiated, which I didn’t even need to look at to feel, told me it was no ordinary low-level demon.

A tense face, I turned to see a hulking figure with vast, black wings.

Horns that seemed to funnel a concentrated flow of magic added to the crushing pressure. It was no joke.

“You.”

‘It spoke! A high-ranking demon…!’

Could it be here to kill the hero?

The thought flashed, but then the demon pointed a finger, not at the hero, but at me.

“You’re the strongest in this East Fort. The scent, it emanates, the scent of the strong.”

“…….”

Monsters, by nature, adhere to the law of the jungle; their hunger for the powerful is intense.

It’s no accident that the Demon King’s throne isn’t decided by votes, nor by bloodline, but only inherited by the ‘strongest.’

This demon had caught the scent of my magic and judged me worthy of a fight, making a beeline for this place.

Among the demons that attacked, this one was probably the strongest.

If I could just somehow take care of him, the lower demons would lose their leader and retreat in chaos. If that were the case, the soldiers in East Fort might be able to handle the rest.

“Fight me!”

*Thwack!*

I swiftly grabbed the hero and retreated backward.

*KWAANG!* A thunderous crash echoed as the ground where I’d been standing was shattered, fragments flying with sickening force.

“Ugh, heh!”

“Ms. Livia, listen to what I’m about to say.”

*Whoosh, whoosh.*

The sound reverberated as the hero’s body glowed.

I’d cast every buff I could, and bestowed a spirit’s blessing upon him.

“If you keep running that way, you’ll find a tavern called the White Angel.”

“Uh, yeah?”

“That’s where you need to go. Madam Florence is someone with real influence in this East Port. If you mention my name, everyone there will know it, so ask for their help. I’m truly sorry I can’t escort you all the way there.”

“What are you talking about? You need to run too! That’s a high-ranking demon, no question! You can’t win against something like that!”

“I know.”

“…….”

Its sheer presence felt like it could turn me into a lump of meat in one blow, it was terrifying.

“But if I don’t, other people will die. Innocent people who don’t even know how to fight.”

“…….”

“It’s okay. I’ll fight for a bit and then run. My life is precious too. Besides, there’s a chance reinforcements might come if I’m lucky.”

“Royce.”

I grabbed the hero’s shoulders and spoke.

“Run to live. That’s not wrong. Just like it wasn’t wrong for the citizens to leave everything to you and flee, it’s not wrong for you to leave it to me and run.”

“No, it’s different!”

“It’s not different. I’m the same as you… Now run, or do you want to see me fighting to protect you?”

“…….”

The hero wasn’t stupid.

He seemed to realize that his very presence here was an obstacle and a burden to me.

The Hero glanced at the demon side for a moment, then shivered. The fear that had burrowed into her heart wouldn’t let go, shaking her very core.

“Y-You can’t die. …You absolutely have to run. You hear me?”

“You need to be careful too, Livia-ssi, even if they’re lower demons, they’re dangerous for you right now.”

The Hero nodded at her words and took off running in a clumsy gait.

At that speed, it would take quite a while to arrive.

Even if she couldn’t make it all the way to White Angel, it would be best if she could at least get under the protection of the soldiers.

Judging by the magic I could feel, there weren’t any demons as strong as this one, most were lower-level. A few mid-level demons mixed in were a bit of a pain, but there was nothing I could do but cheer on the soldiers in my heart.

“Is that enough?”

“I didn’t think you’d actually wait. I figured you’d be more demon-like and just ambush us.”

“I want to fight the strong. …If I’m busy protecting that woman, I wouldn’t be able to fight you properly, and that wouldn’t be fun.”

“So, survival of the fittest?”

“That’s the instinct of us monsters. I think we’re actually simpler than humans, so it’s easier to live this way, don’t you think?”

“I hate it because it’s barbaric. It’s also weird how you’re so obsessed with eating humans you don’t even need to eat.”

“That’s a shame.”

*Whoosh*, a flame flickered at my fingertips.

“I’ll eat you, and I’ll become stronger.”

‘It’s been ages since I’ve fought… This is nuts, really.’

This…

No matter how I think about it, doesn’t this feel like I’m the one who has to kill it?

Fucking hell.