The Hero’s Disciple Has Returned

…This is strange.

“I’ve been sleeping too soundly lately…”

The most common chronic illness mercenaries develop is sleep-related problems. They become unable to sleep deeply. The night is an opportunity for allies, but also for enemies. Surprise attacks at night can be carried out by allies or enemies. Therefore, experienced mercenaries are wary of the night. In other words, it’s natural to be unable to sleep deeply. So even after retiring, I still couldn’t sleep deeply. Moreover, since I’m not alone now and have a child to take care of, it was natural that I couldn’t sleep deeply.

But lately, I’ve been sleeping too soundly, to a strange degree. As if I’ve been put under a spell. But if one is forced into a sleep state by magic, it should normally result in fatigue building up rather than being relieved, since it’s being forced. Well, if an extremely high-level magician used magic with extreme care, it might be possible… But no matter how I thought about it, it was too unrealistic, so I had to shake my head.

“But you seem to be getting glossier day by day?”

Somehow, you look glossier every time I wake up? Is it because you’re in a growth phase?

I’m trying my best to find out, but since there’s nothing left about dragon eggs to this day, there are inevitable limitations.

Involuntarily, the last conversation I had with the soul of the last Dragon Lord came to mind.

-The dragon egg is a perfect being, so just take care of it sincerely by its side. Well, it’s good to play with it using magic. Take care of it with affection and play with it with magic from time to time.

That appearance of smiling coolly with a ‘Isn’t it easy?’ feeling…

If possible, I wanted to throw a punch.

It wasn’t strange.

It’s a dragon, isn’t it?

As a perfect being that can use magic just by breathing exercises, it would have solved everything with magic. So naturally, even if it wanted to tell humans how to take care of a dragon egg, it couldn’t. But even so, who would think that’s a way to raise a child? If you wrote that in a parenting diary and showed it to someone, you’d be lucky if they didn’t throw the diary in your face saying, ‘You’re not qualified to be a parent!’

“Sigh. I’ll do my best to take care of you today too.”

Today again, although I’m at a loss, I steeled my resolve to do something somehow for that small child.

♧♧♧

“Welcome back.”
“You should have rested.”
“It’s fine.”

Great Magician William, who had been waiting for Sera who returned by spatial movement magic after spending time with the dragon egg without Jade knowing, greeted her. Riel was asleep with William’s daughter Ellie, and Leo had fallen asleep as soon as he lay on the bed due to the fatigue accumulated from receiving training that exceeded his limits.

“Is the dragon egg alright?”
“Yes, it’s a good child.”

William inwardly sighed in relief. Fortunately, the dragon egg seemed to have pleased his lord. He couldn’t help but be truly relieved that it could end without bloodshed. But after feeling relieved, a new worry arose.

“But will it really be alright?”
“What?”
“It’s a dragon after all, isn’t it?”

The most perfect being in this world

It was clear that it wouldn’t be easy for a human to take care of the strongest race, known to be untouchable even by demons who would do anything to bring this world to ruin. It was no joke that it wouldn’t be strange if someone died from a spell cast playfully by a hatchling. Considering the intense presence Great Magician William had felt from the dragon egg, it really wasn’t a joke.

“That’s why I’m educating it in advance, so don’t worry.”
“……”

William immediately thought of Leo’s training process… Sera was the one who deliberately rolled and rolled the child over and over and called it training. For such a Sera to educate… Isn’t it inevitable that no trust is generated? Even though she was the lord he had sworn loyalty to, William thought it was an inevitable and natural result that even he couldn’t trust her on this issue. But even so, he couldn’t dare to speak up to his lord.

‘Since it’s a matter of Master’s safety… My lord would be the most concerned.’

If nothing else, he could trust her on matters concerning Master. He didn’t know how she was educating, but at least it wouldn’t be in a way that would harm Master. He could be certain of that and trust it. He decided to think that was enough for now.

‘To begin with, educating a dragon… It’s a problem even I, a Great Magician, can’t handle.’

No matter what anyone says, we’re dealing with the strongest race. And the stronger a being is, the higher their self-esteem tends to be. Apart from Jade, who was acknowledged by the last Dragon Lord, the only human who could step up regarding the issue of educating a dragon would be his lord. Because his lord was monstrously strong and moreover, a ‘very special being’.

This wasn’t simply because she was a hero.

If his thoughts were correct, his lord was…

“William”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Don’t bother using magic like memory erasure. Unless you completely annihilate your self, you won’t be able to hide from the demon race.”

If William had noticed Sera’s truth, conversely, Sera had also noticed that William had approached the truth.

“…Then I shall do as you say.”

William knew that Sera was regressing. As a Great Magician, he knew best how powerful a weapon that was. If the existence of this powerful weapon could be leaked to the Demon King due to him and that information could be passed on, William thought he should willingly annihilate his self. The Sera he had seen was the strongest being in this world. If even such a being had been defeated and regressed… The Demon King must surely be a being comparable to a god. What if such a being learned of the possibility of regression? It would be good if nothing happened, but…

How high is that possibility really? Even he, as a Great Magician, had thought of various plans when he learned of the existence of regression, thinking ‘Maybe? Perhaps?’ Then what about the Demon King? The demon race? How low is the possibility that they would not try to use it if they really learned of the existence of regression? William was certain that it would be very low, and in the worst case, the possibility of finding a way to use it was not low at all.

If it had never happened, it might be different, but once it had happened once, it wouldn’t be strange if it happened twice.

Then William rationally judged that preventing the possibility of regression from falling into the hands of enemies would be the top priority.

“……”
“Wouldn’t it be bad if that truth was passed on to the demon race, more precisely to the Demon King? That’s why you’ve kept it a secret from Master too, right? Then rather…”
“William”
“…Yes, my lord.”
“‘The previous me’ might have told you to do so. I might have even tried to see your blood by my own hands. Because I could make any wrong choice under the pretext of protecting the world.”

How many lives had she sacrificed as offerings to save the world. At first, it wasn’t an easy choice. It was a very difficult and painful choice. But as she kept doing it, she became accustomed to it. The coward who trembled at the sacrifice of 1 person suddenly became capable of 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000, 100,000… Later, no matter how many people died, the weight of those lives felt like mere numbers. When you get used to it, it feels lighter, and later, it doesn’t even remain in your memory.

When she came to her senses, she was sacrificing people while considering efficiency. As a result, she became so broken that she could think it was fine if she could reach her desired goal efficiently, even if many lives were sacrificed. Sera realized too late that another name for adaptation is collapse. And despite doing all that, she ultimately failed to kill the Demon King. She failed to save the world. Despite making so much blood spill under the pretext of saving the world, she failed to achieve the most important goal. And yet, she couldn’t even remember those she had made into sacrificial lambs.

That’s why she knows.

You might think it’s good if you can save 10,000 people by sacrificing 100… But that’s a terrible trap. Because people adapt to sacrificing those 100 people. And when you adapt to that and repeat it several times, the number of victims easily exceeds 10,000. Sera, having seen the end of that path, can affirm it. That humans are crazy beings capable of adapting even to such madness.

“William, no one follows someone who doesn’t try to shoulder the burden.”
“……”
“The moment I sacrifice you for my own comfort, I lose my qualification as a hero.”

A hero is someone who leads people

They walk at the very front, but not to defeat the Demon King alone. It’s to create a path for people to walk on. That’s why a hero must lead people while defeating the Demon King. If you want to fight alone, if you want to kill the enemy alone, if you want to exist alone like that, then you’re not a hero but just a Demon King. That’s why it’s not the path of a hero.

Sera had forgotten

This obvious fact.

She had forgotten it while wandering in infinite regression.

She was able to recall this obvious fact

Because she met Jade.

If it weren’t for him, she would still be wandering, having forgotten this obvious fact.

But she met Jade and through Jade, she was able to recall this extremely obvious fact. That’s why she couldn’t make William a sacrificial lamb. She shouldn’t. Above all, Sera herself didn’t want to do that.

“Taking a father away from his daughter is the role of a Demon King, not a hero.”

She is a hero.

She should be someone who protects, not someone who causes sacrifices and leads to death.

That’s why she doesn’t kill William. She doesn’t make him a sacrificial lamb. She doesn’t abandon him.

The danger that arose from William reaching the truth? She shoulders that too. That’s the natural choice for a hero.

“Above all…”

It’s not that she’s soft or greedy.

Simply

“I’m strong.”

She’s strong enough to shoulder and protect anything. Fighting with Jade’s aura heart, she is by no means weak. She is stronger than anyone. A pillar made of such conviction and determination supports her soul.

William bowed his head.

Although his lord made him feel many thoughts and emotions… She was truly the only person in this world most suited to the name of hero.

“I will do my best to assist you by your side.”
“That’s enough.”

Sera moved forward without hesitation, and William followed behind her.

That back view was, no matter what anyone said, the most perfect back view of a hero.