I Picked Up the Hero Who Banished Me

1 – [Prologue – 02]

Born into the Reinhardt family.

Chosen as a hero, I made a contract with the holy sword.

I mastered techniques everyone around me struggled with for months, and became proficient in not just swordsmanship but all kinds of weapons.

But training alone had its limits, so I started gaining experience by actually moving with the hero party, and that experience became Olivia’s bone and flesh, showing growth befitting the title of the strongest hero ever.

Even before the journey, I was a strong human, but through countless experiences, I was changing into a being beyond human.

Overwhelming power.

Overwhelming talent.

Olivia herself was somewhat aware that she was emotional and didn’t think things through, but the fastest solution was always for Olivia to jump in and beat everyone up.

She figured it was the way with the least damage, the least bloodshed—the most heroic way.

“The Demon King… was strong.”

“Yeah, he was strong.”

Olivia mumbled, wiping away blood.

It had been a long time since she’d been pushed this far, and Olivia unintentionally answered honestly.

‘Made a mistake, a hero should’ve given a more valiant answer here.’

Shouldn’t a proper hero have laughed cheerfully here and said it was nothing?

Still, the Demon King was really strong.

While fighting with the Demon Army’s leaders, I thought with a bit of support from my companions, they’d be easy to handle, but it turned out that the title “Demon King” wasn’t just for show; he was strong, and like a villain, he struggled until the very end.

Ultimately, Olivia had won, and the Demon King was dead.

“…Huh.”

The sage, Alex Reynolds, gaped.

The Demon King’s castle was more than half-destroyed, it was obliterated, and the surrounding terrain was so wrecked you’d need to redraw the map.

Olivia herself was fairly injured, even with some critical wounds, but she didn’t make a sound, just quietly receiving the Saintess’s healing.

“Okay, that’s enough healing now.”

“But your injuries…”

“The bleeding’s stopped, so it’s enough. I’ll just bandage it up roughly.”

Olivia stood up.

“Let’s head back to the capital, we need to go back quickly and deliver this joyful news. As the Hero, I’ve finished what I needed to do.”

“Indeed. As the Sage, I am beyond happy. The King will be pleased as well.”

The Saintess, Velita Bright, said with a smile, to which Olivia responded with a somewhat unrefined tone.

“I don’t care whether that old geezer’s happy or not.”

“Ahem, Lady Olivia. You really shouldn’t say things like that out loud.”

“I’m the Hero, the Hero who defeated the Demon King. It’s not an exaggeration to say I saved the world. So, what can anyone do to me? I saved the world, what are you going to do about me grumbling a little?”

Olivia had her reasons for not liking the King, but she had neither the need nor the inclination to explain them to them.

Even though she defeated the Demon King, her work as the Hero was not completely finished, there were still many people left to save in this world. She had to fulfill that role, save as many people as possible, and carry out her duty.

“Haha, you’re absolutely right. You are the one who saved the world, Hero. It wouldn’t be right to do anything to someone who only expressed a couple of complaints.”

“Alex, you seem to be in a good mood.”

“Well, isn’t it the day we defeated the Demon King? It wouldn’t be strange for it to become a national holiday.”

“Your somehow unnerving way of speaking never fails to get to me, even at the end.”

“My apologies for that.”

The Hero’s party was four people.

They were originally five, but Olivia was exiled because of her.

Reputation was vital to surviving as an adventurer, and Olivia didn’t understand that being exiled from a hero’s party, of all places, held huge significance for the one cast out.

Anyways, this party of four ultimately succeeded in subjugating the Demon Lord, and now all that was left was to return.

“What will you do now, Hero?”

“Well, we’ve defeated the Demon Lord, so what should I do next… I guess I should travel around saving people.”

“That is also a wonderful thing to do, but isn’t it also important to leave behind a legacy? If it’s someone who inherited your blood, they would be strong and be able to save even more people.”

“More… people.”

Olivia’s eyes widened at Alex’s words, which seemed to emphasize a point.

Saving people.

More people.

“I see. A child, then.”

She had never considered it.

She’d spent every moment of her life fighting, becoming a hero, defeating the Demon Lord, and saving people. She was utterly ignorant about such things that involved being a woman.

In the first place, she’d never felt that flutter of heart, never had any romantic feelings for anyone, so it was even more foreign to her.

“Then let’s talk when we get back, about our future.”

“Huh?”

“Yes?”

“Huh?”

“No, um.”

Alex was unusually flustered, and Olivia wore a genuinely blank expression, not understanding what he was talking about.

Belita and Reina, who were behind her providing support, muttered quietly.

“No way, does he really not remember?”

“Maybe not. He’s the hero, would he even have cared?”

“…….”

Olivia heard Belita and Reina’s conversation behind her, but even so, she didn’t understand what they were saying and pressed her temple.

Alex’s face flushed slightly, and Olivia didn’t notice that it was from a shame-tinged rage.

Only Belita and Reina, who knew Alex’s true nature, sighed again.

Mocking him would have been one option, but it was truly a pitiable situation.

“Hero, have you forgotten? You and I are engaged.”

“……Engaged? You and me?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“……Was, was that so? ……No, wait, I guess it was. Sorry, I just didn’t pay any attention. No particular malice, though.”

“…….”

Olivia didn’t realize that this further wounded Alex’s pride.

But Alex quickly regained his composure.

He couldn’t let a mere scratch to his pride derail the mission.

“So, you’ll come with me too?”

“Where to, exactly?”

“To save people.”

“……That sounds like you’re saying you won’t remain in the kingdom.”

Olivia laughed, like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“Of course. Suffering people aren’t only in the kingdom? Let’s hurry, we have to at least report in for formalities’ sake.”

“…Understood.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll properly announce your contributions too. I won’t say something like ‘I basically caught the Demon Lord alone’. Well, actually, your support was helpful too.”

Olivia immediately spoke when she noticed her companions’ expressions weren’t good.

*Were they worried they wouldn’t get credit?*

That’s how they seemed, so Olivia spoke preemptively. If they wanted, she could even say to the king, ‘it would’ve been difficult to defeat the Demon Lord without them’.

It seemed like the number of times Olivia had gotten in danger or saved them was overwhelmingly more than the times they’d saved her, but still, ‘the number of times they saved Olivia’ wasn’t zero.

That was enough, and they’d fulfilled their roles.

“Ah, um. You’re very generous, Hero.”

“I thought you hated commoners, Hero. Considering you exiled *him*.”

“……”

“Ahem, let’s leave that topic. He knew his worth, his capacity, and his place, so he left without a word. Although, I wonder if it was necessary to give him money too.”

At Alex’s words, Olivia said,

“It was a whim… More than anything, I don’t dislike commoners, I just dislike those who don’t know their place and act up.”

“Exactly, Hero. As a hero, and as a noble, it’s our duty to protect the people… Isn’t that right?”

Olivia nodded at those words.

As a hero, she had to be perfect, and that went for her party members too. Every hero party in history was made up of nobles only, and not even once had a commoner been among them.

She’d exiled him only for that reason.

That was all.

It was because she thought a commoner didn’t belong in a hero’s party.

“I’ll ask once more, do you have no intention of remaining in the kingdom?”

“I already said no, and I’m saying again, the only people who can help aren’t just in the kingdom.”

Olivia’s will seemed unwavering, and Alex realized it wasn’t something that simple persuasion could change.

It was the desire to save someone driven to insane madness that made him a hero.

It was somewhat self-righteous, sometimes arrogant, perhaps even cruel and ‘evil’ looking, but at its core was the desire to save even one more person.

“And, you guys are here. You guys protect the kingdom you’re in. You’re strong, so don’t be discouraged if you feel you didn’t perform enough and just protect the kingdom. Leave the rest to me.”

“Hero-sama.”

“…….”

They each reacted in their own way, and Olivia assumed it was from the emotion of being recognized.

It wasn’t that far off, and in truth, Belita and Reina did have that sentiment in their hearts.

Although, being acknowledged by someone who had always been arrogant and looking down on them, even if it was at the very end, was enough to stir emotions. But the biggest reason for their subtle expressions wasn’t that.

“Then let’s go, we have to let everyone know the era of peace.”

“……Of course.”

Alex smiled as he watched Olivia, always walking ahead, as usual.

“We have to let everyone know the era of peace.”

“We have to let everyone know the era of peace.”

“We have to let everyone know the era of peace.”