Interlude 2
“Damn it! Every single one of them… nothing but useless trash!” Allen slammed his fist on the desk, his face twisted with irritation.
He was currently in a room within a building reserved exclusively for the Hero, with dozens of papers scattered across the desk before him. The documents detailed information about applicants hoping to join the Hero’s Party—names, ages, genders, classes, and the magic they could use.
After failing a recent quest, Allen had been recruiting new members to fill the gaps left by those who’d departed. The requirements were clear: someone to replace Lina, who’d left after the quest, and a support class with skills far surpassing Lloyd’s.
Allen had even asked the king to inform him if any exceptional candidates applied, and he’d been eagerly awaiting news.
But…
“What the hell is this!? I get that there’s no shield-user on Lina’s level, but to have nothing but support classes even more useless than that trash Lloyd… What’s going on!?”
Allen was visibly frustrated by the lack of suitable candidates.
As one of only four Heroes on the continent, he had assumed that simply putting out a call for recruits would attract exceptional talent. That’s what he believed before the recruitment began.
But reality was different.
Far from exceptional, most of the applicants were utterly useless… No, there were probably some decent ones among them. But not a single one met the standards Allen was looking for.
Part of it was that Allen’s expectations were extraordinarily high. However, the real reason no suitable candidates appeared lay elsewhere.
It was, without a doubt, the failure of the recent quest.
Word of the Hero Party’s failure and the severe injuries sustained by its members had spread quickly through the town. Through travelers and merchants, the news reached other cities and even the royal capital.
As a result, capable individuals avoided applying to Allen’s Hero Party. The more talented they were, the quicker they were to write Allen off.
“So… what do we do? It doesn’t seem like there are any good candidates…” Sheena asked cautiously, gauging Allen’s mood.
Miiya and Lulu, meanwhile, sat nervously in their chairs, visibly tense.
An awkward atmosphere hung over the room.
“…Tch, no choice. There are a few who could maybe replace Lina. They’re not as good as her, but that’s to be expected. The real problem is finding someone to replace that trash Lloyd. At the very least, they need to be able to use storage magic to even be considered…” Allen said, scanning the list of applicants.
But there wasn’t a single candidate who fit the bill.
Their reinforcement magic was limited to boosting two attributes at most…
“What do we do? Just go without for now?” Miiya asked.
Allen hesitated, then picked up a sheet from the pile—a list of shield-user applicants.
“Out of these, this one’s the least bad…” Allen muttered, staring at the paper with a dissatisfied expression.
At that moment, a loud banging came from the door.
Allen tilted his head, puzzled.
“Miiya, go check,” he ordered.
“Got it…” Miiya replied, leaving the room.
Seconds later, several knights burst in, clearly panicked and out of breath.
“The Knight Order? What do you want?” Allen asked.
“We received a report from a knight using detection magic to survey the forest. A massive horde of monsters—roughly ten thousand strong—is advancing toward the city!” one of the knights explained.
“What!? Ten thousand!?” Allen shouted, leaping to his feet.
Sheena and the others’ shocked expressions mirrored his own.
“And what do you expect us to do about it…?” Allen asked, though he already knew the answer.
He swallowed hard.
“Yes… This is an emergency quest, and we’ve come to request the assistance of you, the Hero Party,” the knight said, as they all bowed in unison.
“I see… An emergency quest,” Allen muttered.
Unlike standard quests issued by the Adventurer’s Guild, emergency quests were issued by the Knight Order during crises. When an emergency quest was declared, the Hero Party was obligated to participate unless a member was severely injured or gravely ill. Refusal meant the revocation of the Hero title. Other adventurers could join emergency quests, but for them, participation was optional.
The threat of title revocation was the key difference between standard and emergency quests.
“Damn it…” Allen cursed under his breath.
He could refuse, technically. But doing so would cost him his Hero title.
What happens when a Hero’s title is revoked? If Allen lost his, even though his class was Hero, he’d lose all state support and be forbidden from calling himself a Hero.
For Allen, losing the Hero title was something to avoid at all costs. Being a Hero brought adoration from the populace and a generous salary. There was another reason he couldn’t refuse: his public image.
Refusing this emergency quest wouldn’t just strip him of his title—it would brand him as the former Hero who abandoned the city. Everywhere he went, he’d be met with cold stares. Especially for Allen, who had publicly declared he’d “annihilate the demons,” refusing now would make him look like a coward who fled.
“Damn it, at a time like this…” Allen grumbled.
It was the worst possible timing for an emergency quest.
He had no grounds to refuse.
“Then, Heroes, we’ll be outside, urging the townspeople to evacuate while we wait,” the knights said before leaving the room.
Allen watched them go in silence.
“Hey, what happens if we refuse?” he asked Sheena.
“Most of our funding and rewards come from the state—taxpayer money—so revocation is certain. And…” Sheena trailed off.
“We’d be vilified by the public and could no longer call ourselves Heroes, right? But on the flip side, if we shine here, we could wipe the slate clean from that failure, couldn’t we?” Allen said.
“What…?” Sheena let out a strange sound, caught off guard by Allen’s unexpected words.
Ignoring her, Allen pressed on.
“Right, Sheena? We can do this, can’t we?”
“Y-Yes… This is an emergency quest, and the city’s survival is at stake. If we succeed, it’ll not only erase the failure but elevate your standing above the other three Heroes,” Sheena replied.
“I see…” Allen said, a sinister smile creeping across his face.
“Hey, Allen, are you…?” Lulu asked, her face filled with unease.
It wasn’t just her. Sheena and Miiya were looking at Allen as if to say, “What are you planning?”
“Alright, you lot, get ready. We’re going to crush those monsters and show the people I’m the strongest!” Allen declared, leaving the room swiftly to prepare for battle.
Sheena and the others watched him go with worried expressions.
◇
Having finished preparations, Allen and his party emerged from the building.
While Allen’s face brimmed with confidence, Sheena and the others looked anxious.
“Are you ready, Heroes?” a knight waiting outside asked.
“Yeah, all set. No problems here,” Allen replied.
“I see. We’ve already sent the quest to the Adventurer’s Guild. Unfortunately, it seems no S-Rank adventurers are available…” the knight explained.
According to him, only adventurers of E-Rank or higher could accept this quest. Normally, such a high-difficulty quest would require D-Rank or above, but given the city’s crisis and the many voices saying, “Let us help too,” the guild branch leader and knights had agreed to lower the requirement.
Indeed, the more people fighting, the better their chances.
But…
“All B-Rank or lower, huh…” Miiya muttered, her face clouding with worry.
Doubt crept into Miiya and the others—could they really handle a monster horde with their current strength?
Allen, however, was unfazed.
“No big deal. You’ve got me, the Hero. Doesn’t matter how many weaklings show up,” he said, as if he alone was enough.
“R-Right! As expected of the Hero! We knights will support you fully!” one of the accompanying knights replied.
“Hmph. Just make sure you don’t hold me back,” Allen said, his face radiating confidence.
He still believed his last failure was just bad luck—that there was no way he’d lose to a monster horde.
The idea that the failure was his fault or that he needed to reflect didn’t exist in Allen’s mind. All he had was baseless confidence that he wouldn’t fail again.
“Alright, take us to where the adventurers are!” Allen ordered.
“Y-Yes, sir!” the knights responded, leading Allen and the Hero Party to the Adventurer’s Guild.
◇
“Hey, isn’t that the Hero…?”
“I heard he’s joining the emergency quest.”
“But is that okay? Didn’t they fail last time? I heard one of their members got badly injured and left.”
“Nah, it was probably a fluke. He’s one of only four Heroes on the continent. Allen will save the city, no doubt.”
The townspeople’s reactions to seeing Allen varied.
His reputation had clearly taken a hit due to the recent failure. Before that, everyone would’ve cheered, “Allen will handle it!” without hesitation.
But now, things were different.
Some people were already packing their belongings and leaving the city in a hurry.
“…Tch. They’d be better off staying and trusting me. What a bunch of idiots,” Allen muttered, eyeing the people with their bags.
Those who met his gaze quickly looked away and hurried off.
“Whatever. After this quest, they’ll see I’m the strongest,” Allen said, his confident expression unshaken by the townspeople’s words.
Miiya and the others, walking behind him, watched his back with uneasy faces.
◇
A few minutes after leaving the building, the knights stopped in front of a large wooden structure.
“Heroes, we’ve arrived at the Adventurer’s Guild,” one of them announced.
“Oh, this is it? Man, what a rundown building,” Allen remarked.
Compared to the Hero’s residence, it might seem shabby, but by general standards, the Adventurer’s Guild was a decent building.
The knight gave a wry smile at Allen’s comment.
“Well… it’s a building with some history…”
“Whatever. Probably the last time I’ll come here anyway,” Allen said, opening the guild’s door.
The moment he did, every adventurer inside turned their eyes toward him.
Unfazed, Allen strode confidently into the guild.
“Yo, you lot the ones joining this quest?” he asked the adventurers, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction.
“Yeah, that’s us. Got a problem?” one of them shot back.
“Nah, I knew you’d be weak, but you’re even more pathetic than I expected. Not that I was counting on you adventurers anyway, so don’t worry,” Allen said, patting the adventurer’s shoulder as if to say, “Relax, I’ve got this.”
“What did you say!?” the adventurer snapped, unable to contain his anger.
He lunged at Allen but was quickly restrained by nearby knights, preventing the attack.
“Damn it…” the adventurer growled.
“Ha… Are adventurers this dumb too? Well, you’ll at least make decent meat shields,” Allen said, smirking mockingly at the restrained man.
“What’s with that guy?”
“He’s a Hero, so what? Acting all high and mighty…”
The adventurers’ sharp glares turned on Allen, their voices dripping with resentment.
Their complaints only fueled Allen’s irritation.
“…Useless idiots,” he muttered, clicking his tongue.
The adventurers, in turn, struggled to contain their anger at his arrogant attitude.
Allen and the adventurers locked eyes, tension crackling between them.
Seeing the situation deteriorating, a knight approached Allen to intervene.
“E-Excuse me, Hero. We’re short on time. Let’s start the strategy meeting for the monster subjugation,” the knight urged.
“Yeah… fine,” Allen agreed, slumping into a nearby chair.
With an air of superiority, he began explaining his strategy.
“Here’s my plan. First, all you magic-users hit the monsters with your strongest spells—big, flashy ones. Then me, the knights, and the melee adventurers hold the line until the mages can cast again. That should take care of the horde, right?” Allen said, looking at the adventurers and knights as if daring them to object.
But…
“Huh?” the room collectively gasped.
Adventurers, knights, and even members of the Hero Party stared at Allen, mouths agape.
Confused by the unexpected reaction, Allen tilted his head.
“What? Got a problem?”
“Um, I’m a mage, but I can’t cast anything that powerful…” one adventurer said.
“M-Me neither,” another added.
Anxious voices rose from the adventurers.
It was only natural. These were B-Rank or lower adventurers—none of them could wield the kind of magic Allen was envisioning.
Then, an unexpected voice joined in.
“Uh… I’m not confident either,” Miiya said, her face clouded with unease.
After the previous quest’s failure, Miiya had gone alone to the forest to test her magic. She’d experimented repeatedly, casting until her mana was depleted.
But she hadn’t once managed to produce magic like she used to.
Miiya knew she could no longer cast the powerful spells she once did. She didn’t know why, but she was certain she was lacking now.
“Hey, Miiya, are you still hung up on that? It was just a one-off where your power dipped. No need to worry…” Allen said, trying to encourage her, oblivious to her struggle.
But Miiya shook her head.
“No… I tested it over and over after that. I kept trying, but I couldn’t cast like before. Not once,” she said, looking down with a lack of confidence.
“Miiya, what’s wrong with you? Hey, Lulu, Sheena, say something!” Allen urged, prompting the two to cheer her up.
“Yeah, Allen’s right. It was just a fluke. Don’t let it get to you,” Lulu said.
“Exactly. Don’t let one failure bring you down like this,” Sheena added.
Allen, perhaps thinking their encouragement would fix things, placed a hand on Miiya’s shoulder and tried to persuade her.
“See? They’re saying it too. And you’ve got me. As long as I’m here, the monsters don’t stand a—”
“But, Allen… you haven’t trained in ages. Even after failing that quest, you just said you were fine and didn’t bother training,” Miiya interrupted.
At her words, the knights and adventurers all turned to look at Allen.
“W-Well, that’s…” Allen stammered, flustered, scrambling for an excuse.
Not training after failing a quest was something he’d wanted to keep under wraps.
“I-It’s just… I was busy, you know? With recruiting new members and all. You get it, right?” he said, grasping at straws.
But Miiya didn’t even listen. Her expression grew darker by the second.
The adventurers and knights, hearing this, sighed heavily, their faces filled with exasperation.
“No… I can’t do this anymore. Back then, you were so hardworking, shining so brightly. But now? You’re not the Allen I admired!” Miiya cried, shaking off Allen’s hand, throwing her staff to the ground, and storming out of the guild.
“Hey, wait!” Allen reached out, but his hand grasped only air.
“Miiya, let’s talk—” he called, starting to chase after her.
But a knight blocked his path.
“What the hell are you doing? I need to go after Miiya!” Allen shouted.
“What the hell are you doing?” the knight shot back.
“Huh?” Allen tilted his head at the unexpected retort.
“What are you—”
“Hero or not, when your comrades get hurt, don’t you normally train to make sure it doesn’t happen again!?” the knight demanded.
“Huh? I’m a Hero. I don’t need to—”
“Shut up,” the knight snapped, staring at Allen with disdain.
“Losing comrades and still doing nothing? You’re no Hero. Even if your class is Hero, you don’t deserve the title!” the knight declared, shoving Allen forcefully.
Allen crashed into the guild’s wall with a thud.
“Ow! What the hell!?” he groaned.
“Pathetic for a Hero. We don’t need you. You’re in the way. Get out,” the knight said coldly.
“Huh? What are you talking about? Without me, you guys are—”
“Allen, let’s go,” Lulu said, stepping in front of him.
“What? Why…?” Allen asked, confused.
Lulu glanced around, and Allen followed her gaze.
“What the…?” he muttered.
The knights and adventurers were glaring at him, some with looks of disgust, as if he were filth.
There was no place for Allen in the Adventurer’s Guild anymore.
“Damn it…” Allen growled, standing up as hostile stares bore into him.
“I don’t care what happens to you lot!” he shouted.
“You’re irrelevant whether you’re here or not. You’re just a nuisance,” a knight retorted.
“Oh, is that so? Lulu, Sheena, we’re leaving this city. I’m done with these losers!” Allen declared, storming out of the guild with Lulu and Sheena in tow.
“Hey, what do we do now…?” an adventurer muttered.
“The Hero Party bailed on us!”
“Ten thousand monsters… We can’t possibly handle that!”
The adventurers began to panic.
They had gathered out of a desire to protect the city, but they knew their strength alone wasn’t enough.
So why had they joined this quest?
Because of the Hero.
Heroes were seen as those who took on special state missions to protect the nation from monster threats—the ultimate forces of the three major powers: the kingdom, the empire, and the theocracy.
The adventurers had joined because they’d been told one of the four Heroes would fight alongside them to protect their city.
But…
“Is that guy really a Hero?” one adventurer scoffed.
“He’s so weak!”
“I heard he was supposed to be the strongest Hero…”
The Hero who appeared wasn’t the one they’d envisioned.
The adventurers’ anxiety grew.
“Hey, Knight Order, this isn’t what you told us!” an adventurer demanded, seeking an explanation.
“We’re truly sorry… We never imagined the Hero would be like that. When we saw them fight before, they were undeniably powerful, with excellent teamwork and brilliant strategies. So why…?” the knight who’d shoved Allen—apparently the leader—said, bowing deeply.
The dozen or so knights behind him followed suit.
They, too, hadn’t anticipated this situation.
This wasn’t the first time the knights had met the Hero. Some had seen the Hero Party fight multiple times. Back then, their teamwork was impeccable, their presence unmistakably that of Heroes.
So, the knights were just as baffled.
“What happened to the Hero Party…?” one muttered.
At that moment, the guild’s door burst open.
Standing there was a woman in armor, missing her left hand from the wrist down.
“L-Lady Lina?” a knight asked.
“Yes… I’d like to join, however humbly,” Lina said, bowing deeply.
She carried a shield on her back, her equipment showing her genuine intent to fight.
“B-But…”
The knight’s gaze shifted to Lina’s left hand.
Everyone in the city—knights, adventurers, and townsfolk alike—knew that Lina had lost her left hand from the wrist down. It was obvious to anyone that she could no longer fight as she once did.
Lina herself was fully aware of this.
“I know what you’re all thinking. I can’t fight like I used to. I might not even be useful in battle… But I believe I can at least serve as a wall for you. So, please… will you let me fight alongside you?” Lina said, bowing her head.
The adventurers exchanged glances.
“Well, I don’t see why not,” one said.
“Exactly. I’ve heard Lina’s an amazing shield-user. Even with one arm, she’s probably still strong,” another added.
Positive opinions began to rise among the adventurers.
The knights, too, chimed in.
“We’d be honored to have your assistance,” one said.
“Absolutely! Lina’s worth a hundred men—way more useful than that so-called Hero!” another exclaimed.
Hearing their support, Lina bowed again.
“I’m sorry… I might be a burden, but I’m counting on you,” she said.
“No, we’re the ones counting on you. But please, Lady Lina, don’t push yourself too hard. If there’s anything we can do to help, just let us know,” a knight replied.
“Thank you. In that case, I hate to ask right away, but… do any of you knights know a man named Lloyd?” Lina asked the Knight Order.
“Lloyd… You mean the White Mage who was recently expelled from the Hero Party?” a knight clarified.
“Yes, that’s him,” Lina confirmed.
“What about him?” the knight asked, tilting his head.
“It’s just… I’ve come to realize that the Hero Party was able to succeed in its quests not because of Allen, the Hero, or Sheena, the Saintess. It was because of Lloyd, the White Mage,” Lina said firmly.
“Th-That’s…”
The knights paused, as if suddenly recalling something.
Indeed, Lloyd had been with the Hero Party until their string of successes ended. They must have forgotten.
Support classes like White Mages often stay at the back of the battlefield, rarely drawing attention. Unlike healers, their contributions are mostly invisible. Even in famous parties, it’s common for only the support class’s name to go unrecognized when asked.
“Now that you mention it, Lloyd was the one giving orders back then, wasn’t he?” a knight recalled.
“Yes, exactly. Thinking back, it was Lloyd who refined Allen’s strategies before quests. His presence was why the Hero Party never failed. Their strength was likely enhanced by his magic. And yet, I treated him so horribly…” Lina said, her voice heavy with regret.
One of the adventurers listening raised a hand.
“Uh, excuse me…”
“Hm? What is it?” Lina asked.
“N-No, it’s just… A few days ago, Yui, an S-Rank adventurer, brought a White Mage named Lloyd with her,” the adventurer said.
“Wh-What!? Is that true? Where is he now?” Lina asked urgently.
“He and Yui’s party accepted a quest a few days ago to deal with High Wolves at a distant farm,” came a voice from the back of the guild.
An elderly man emerged from a room deeper within—it was Ulgo, the branch leader of this Adventurer’s Guild.
“S-So, when will they return?” Lina pressed.
“Hmm… The farm Yui’s group headed to takes several days just to reach,” Ulgo replied.
Lina let out a sigh of relief.
She had feared Lloyd might have left Ishtar for good, never to return. But if he was just away on a quest, that meant he’d come back…
“So, he’ll return to the city with the S-Rank adventurers, right?” Lina asked.
“Aye, that’s the case, but…” Ulgo began.
“Good… Then there’s still a chance,” Lina muttered under her breath.
The adventurers and knights looked at her curiously, puzzled by her reaction.
“I know some of you might object, but will you hear me out?” Lina asked.
Everyone nodded silently, ready to listen.
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