Chapter 3 ◆ From the Church
Today, I was finally going to hunt with Shizuko-san and the others… or so I thought, but my plans were thwarted right from the start.
Knock, knock, knock. The door was rapped upon.
A bad feeling washed over me.
If it were a request, it would come through the guild, and I don’t yet have any personal friends here.
That leaves only one possibility: someone bringing trouble to my doorstep.
“Yes?”
“Ceres-dono, a message from Pope-sama.”
Likely a priest, he handed me a recording crystal from the Pope and left.
If a communication crystal is like a telephone, a recording crystal is akin to a video letter—a filmed message, essentially.
For a moment, I stood there, unsure what to do with the crystal, but Shizuko-san and the others quickly spoke up.
“Ceres-kun, isn’t that a recording crystal? You should watch it right away,” Shizuko-san urged.
“Putting off things like this just makes them more troublesome,” Haruka-neesan added.
They all pressed me.
No choice, then. I’ll have to delay the hunt a bit.
“It’s been a while, Ceres-dono.”
This time, it’s from Pope Romalis-sama of the Holy Nation of Gandar. The contents—
It’s not mandatory, but if possible, they want me to return to the “Demon King subjugation journey.”
Depending on my achievements, they’re offering Kohane’s small castle and its surrounding lands as a fief, along with a noble title. Furthermore, they’re considering an engagement with the former Saintess, Cecilia-sama.
“My, my, the Holy Nation’s offering Cecilia-chan, huh?” Shizuko-san remarked.
“Shizuko-san, don’t tell me you know her too?” I asked.
“Ceres, know her? Cecilia’s practically Shizuko’s disciple!” Haruka-neesan said.
“Haruka, that’s not true. I just gave her a bit of guidance on healing magic when she was still green,” Shizuko-san corrected.
“Shizuko… really? You may think that, but that girl calls you ‘Master,’ doesn’t she?” Sayo-san teased.
“Sayo, nowadays, she’s surpassed me. I’m hardly someone to be called ‘Master,’” Shizuko-san protested.
“Well… if Shizuko says so, I suppose that’s that,” Sayo-san relented.
“So, Ceres-kun, it’s not that big a deal,” Shizuko-san concluded.
They chattered animatedly, explaining it all.
The previous Hero’s party is said to have challenged the Demon King but lost and fled.
But something about it doesn’t add up.
They entered the Demon King’s territory, fought him in his castle, and lost.
Surrounded entirely by enemies, how did they make it back?
The Hero died. The Sage died. Only the Saintess and Swordmaster remained, in a sea of foes.
Yet those two returned alive.
Could it be…?
“How did Cecilia-sama and the previous Swordmaster escape after failing to defeat the Demon King?” I asked.
“If it’s Ceres-kun, I suppose it’s fine to tell you. It was Sayo’s doing,” Shizuko-san said.
“We just helped Sayo out. You don’t want to anger the ‘Tear-Eyed Ice Princess,’” Haruka-neesan added.
Sayo-san flailed her hands in a panic.
“Ceres-san, I’m not that scary when I’m mad! Really!” she insisted.
Her face flushed red with embarrassment, Sayo-san looked incredibly cute.
“But how did you escape the Demon King and his demons’ encirclement?”
“Ufufu, well, you know how we said Shizuko and Sayo are good at dirty tricks? Sayo negotiated for their lives when they were at their wits’ end,” Misaki-san explained.
“Negotiated? How?”
“Ufufu, Sayo was ruthless. The Demon King at the time had a daughter he cherished above all else, living outside the castle. Sayo ordered her kidnapping and negotiated a hostage exchange. The method and negotiation were—”
“Misaki, please stop there! Ceres-san, don’t believe her… I’m kind, right, Ceres-san?”
Sayo-san’s face was suddenly right in front of mine, her teary eyes staring into me.
“Uh, Sayo-san is as kind as a goddess—”
What else could I say?
“Good boy,” Sayo-san said, satisfied.
Finally calming down, Shizuko-san spoke again.
“That aside, two nations making offers so quickly is quite something.”
“Which means the Garban Empire is likely next. That’d make all three major powers,” Haruka-neesan noted.
“Probably. The Empire’s struggling most with demons, so their offer might be the best. Plus, they’ve got the Fire Dragon Mountain Range where dragons dwell,” Sayo-san added.
“Ceres-kun, shall we keep observing for now?” Misaki-san asked.
“I think a backer is necessary, so… you should align with someone eventually,” Sayo-san advised.
“I agree with Sayo,” Shizuko-san said.
“Ceres, what do you want to do?” Haruka-neesan asked.
All four turned to me for a decision.
I thought I’d escaped the Demon King subjugation, only for it to come to this.
I don’t even want to fight that much…
◆◆◆
After our discussion, we decided to stick with observing for now.
With that settled, we finally went hunting together.
We debated hunting orcs or ogres and settled on ogres.
That aside, something’s seriously off.
Shizuko-san is supposed to be the healer, the support—
“Rob!”
“Ugaaaah!”
As Shizuko-san swung her staff and chanted, the burly ogre’s muscles withered, aging into a husk and collapsing dead.
I’ve never heard of or seen such a spell.
“Incredible…”
I couldn’t help but let out a gasp of awe.
“It’s your first time, so it’s surprising, right? That’s Shizuko’s original spell. Normal healers use recovery spells to grant vitality, but Shizuko figured out how to reverse it—stealing vitality from the enemy,” Haruka-neesan explained.
“Exactly… It’s terrifying. As a woman, it’s my worst nightmare… Dying like a withered hag? No thanks. Ceres-san, don’t you agree?” Sayo-san said.
Beside her, countless ogres stood frozen like wax figures.
“Sayo’s scary too, Ceres-chan. That’s her original spell, ‘Absolute Zero.’ It freezes any creature from the inside out,” Misaki-san added.
“Ceres-san… I can’t do anything like ‘Absolute Zero.’ I just drop the blood in their bodies to about minus 200 degrees to freeze it instantly,” Sayo-san clarified.
I haven’t fought at all, yet ogre corpses keep piling up around me.
Around Haruka-neesan, who’s chatting casually, lie ogres sliced into pieces. Around Misaki-san, ogres with heads crushed into their bodies litter the ground.
“Halka’s always slicing them to bits. Doesn’t that get tiring?” Misaki-san teased.
“And you always crush them. Look, this one’s head is practically a turtle’s!” Haruka-neesan shot back.
I knew their weapons and had heard about their fighting styles, but… this is nothing like I imagined.
Sure, I expected them to be strong as former S-rank adventurers, but…
It’s not just strength—they’re skilled.
If Zect and his party fight like a textbook, Shizuko-san and the others deliberately choose methods their enemies hate.
To their foes, it’s a nightmare.
Proof? Even ogres, who shouldn’t feel fear, looked terrified.
No matter how muscle-brained, seeing comrades killed so brutally would shake anyone.
Ogres trying to flee are diced by Haruka-neesan’s rapier, moving like the wind.
Normally, a rapier wouldn’t dismember a human, let alone an ogre.
Misaki-san crushes those that follow, Shizuko-san turns them to jerky, and Sayo-san freezes them.
It’s utterly one-sided slaughter.
And this isn’t even their full strength—two are fighting while the other two chat with me.
“They’re way stronger than Zect’s party,” I said.
“Ceres-kun, that’s not true,” Shizuko-san protested.
“We’re not great against large monsters like dragonkind,” Haruka-neesan said.
“Exactly… Human-sized foes are our specialty,” Sayo-san added.
“Well, ogres and orcs are easy enough,” Misaki-san concluded.
Saying they’re “not great” doesn’t mean they can’t hunt them.
But why did such skilled fighters quit adventuring?
Why live as villagers?
Haruka-neesan had a relatively happy marriage, but Shizuko-san, Sayo-san, and Misaki-san had more than enough power to dominate their husbands.
“Why’d you quit adventuring?”
The question slipped out.
Having finished off the ogres, Haruka-neesan wiped her sweat and answered.
“Because we got tired of killing people and being feared.”
“Neesan, what do you mean?”
“Ceres, our best hunt is ‘people.’ That’s where we started. That’s why everyone feared us. So we quit adventuring and yearned for ‘normal,’” she explained.
Now that she mentions it—
“Ceres, kill yourself, or I’ll kill her.”
That kind of tactic isn’t for monsters—it’s built for killing people.
But…
“Neesan, can I say something?”
“What’s with the formality, Ceres?”
“When I asked if you were way stronger than me, you said, ‘Ceres, that’s a bit much. I think I could handle maybe half that number at best.’ You said that, right? How many have we hunted now?”
“Huh?”
“We’ve already taken down nearly a hundred, and over there, Shizuko-san’s finishing off the King.”
“Well, Ceres, uh… Why’s that? Haha!”
Ouch—Haruka-neesan suddenly put me in a headlock.
Her chest against my face feels nice, but it still hurts.
“Even we women want to seem delicate to the ones we love! Get a clue, you’re a guy!”
“…Right.”
I was ready to step in if they were in danger, but…
There’s no need. They’re that strong.
◆◆◆
Two weeks after hunting with Shizuko-san and the others.
Lately, I’ve been followed by someone.
Even now, while shopping with Shizuko-san, I feel their presence.
And it’s something terrifying.
They direct fleeting bursts of killing intent at me alone, unnoticed by even veterans like Shizuko-san.
Just feeling that intent makes my body tremble.
It’s more terrifying than anyone I’ve ever faced.
Someone who inspires this much fear… the Demon King?
No, the Demon King wouldn’t leave his castle in the Demon Nation.
That leaves the Four Heavenly Kings.
But targeting just me, without Zect’s party, makes no sense.
This enemy is “focusing solely on me.”
I don’t know why, but it’s convenient.
I don’t want to involve Shizuko-san and the others. If I handle this alone, the worst-case scenario is just my death.
“I forgot something. Go on ahead.”
“Okay, see you later.”
Parting with Shizuko-san, I walked off alone.
◆◆◆
I left the capital and headed to a nearby forest.
“You’re following me, aren’t you?”
“Hoh, you noticed?”
A man clad in black emerged from the trees.
His eyes—there’s no way he’s ordinary.
“With that kind of killing intent, anyone would notice!”
“And you came to a secluded place… That means you’re willing to fight, right?”
I knew the moment I saw him.
Even if I, Shizuko-san, Zect, and his party fought together perfectly, we’d never win.
“I don’t think I can beat you. That terrifying aura… Are you one of the Four Heavenly Kings, or the Demon King himself?”
Those are the only ones I can imagine wanting to kill me.
His face twisted into a scowl, clearly displeased.
“Demon King? Four Heavenly Kings? Don’t mock me! I am Black Dragon, one of the five Dragon Dukes, the pinnacle of dragonkind, a royal dragon. Don’t lump me with such lowly races!”
Something’s off. The pinnacle of dragons is the Dragon King, defeated by a Hero ages ago when they ruled like demons.
“You’re from the Dragon King’s clan, defeated long ago?”
“Humans wouldn’t know, but that was a mere mid-tier dragon. In human terms, a common soldier. The weakest among strong dragons. Thousands surpass it. It hadn’t even mastered immortality—a half-baked creature.”
This is bad. He’s far above the Dragon King, said to rival the Demon King.
Why? I was thrilled to escape the Demon King subjugation, only to face a return to it and now confront something stronger than the Demon King.
Avoid it. I must avoid fighting.
“What business does a near-divine being have with someone like me?”
“Divine? My lord, Underworld Dragon Bauwa-sama, rules the Underworld, far above your human Goddess. Indeed, I’m close to a divine dragon. Even your Goddess is beneath me in raw combat power. Call me a divine dragon, not a god, or it’s no compliment.”
This is insane. He’s beyond Heroes or Demon Kings—stronger than the Goddess herself.
“Let me rephrase. What business does the great Divine Dragon Black Dragon-sama have with me?”
This world is too terrifying. A being who calls the Demon King a weakling exists?
History books never mentioned such a creature.
But my trembling body tells me his words are no lie.
“Indeed. For a human to slay countless dragons is a remarkable feat. I commend you.”
Wait, I’m being praised? He’s not here to kill me?
“I’m deeply honored.”
“Indeed. Dragons are mighty and honor strength. We don’t lose even to many. Yet you, alone, felled countless dragons. You’re impressive, human ‘Hero.’ I’ll never forget your name. But it’s also true you killed countless dragonkind. Thus, with utmost respect, I, Black Dragon, one of the five Dragon Dukes, challenge you to a duel. Be honored to face a Dragon Duke.”
“What!?”
Why does it turn into a fight!?
No, no, no, no, no! All I see is death!
I was just starting to live happily!
What do I do!?
“For an unworthy novice like me to challenge the great Divine Dragon-sama is impossible. I decline—”
“I’ll give you a handicap. We’ll fight in the crater atop the mountain beyond this forest. Win by defeating me or escaping back to this forest. I won’t transform into my dragon form during the fight. That’s your handicap. Now, let’s go—Dragon Form!”
Black Dragon’s form shifted into a massive black dragon.
“Waaaaah!”
He’s as big as a mountain—bigger than the royal castle. It’s like telling a tokusatsu hero to fight a giant kaiju.
How am I supposed to beat this?
His gaping maw, capable of swallowing me whole, snatched me up and dropped me into the mountain’s crater.
“Come at me whenever you’re ready.”
Black Dragon landed before me, reverting to human form.
Damn it, there’s not even a tree here.
The crater’s just a rocky field.
“Sky Step!”
I used a skill to walk through the air.
Darting into the rocks, I hid in their shadows.
I remembered catching crabs by the river as a kid.
A tiny crab facing me with its pincers—that’s me now.
“Where are you hiding?”
Black Dragon, still human, approached, spewing flames.
The rocks were melting.
Rocks melt at around 1,000 to 1,200 degrees, right?
If that hits me, I’ll melt with the rocks.
Even a Hero couldn’t handle that, could they?
It’s hot… The melting rocks are raising the temperature, and even at this distance, it’s scorching.
“Hey, how long are you going to hide? Keep this up, and I’ll melt every rock!”
No way—he sprouted wings and took to the sky.
If he does that, I’ll be found, and flames from there will kill me.
“Wait! You promised no dragon form! Humans can’t fly, and those wings are dragon wings!”
If he breaks promises, I’m dead. But I want to believe he’s the prideful type who keeps his word.
“True, these wings are dragon’s. My apologies, I’ll come down.”
Black Dragon retracted his wings and descended.
But he’s already found this spot.
I need to escape fast.
While he’s landing, I seized the chance, darting from the rocks.
I ran with all my might, heart pounding, at full speed beyond full speed.
No arrogance here—I’m faster than Zect the Hero.
“Hah… Hah… A little more—”
“Sorry… Too slow. That won’t let you escape.”
Damn it! He circled around!
I’d prepared four strategies against the Demon King’s army.
Three won’t work on Black Dragon.
The one that might is just a stall, but I have no choice!
Didn’t expect to use it here.
“Hoh, finally ready to attack? Good, I’ll take it!”
“Anti-Demon Technique… Carolina Attack!”
I hurled a powder of this world’s spiciest chili and wasabi at Black Dragon’s face.
The name comes from the spiciest chili in my past world, the Carolina Reaper.
How’s that!?
“What’s this—Ugh! Spicy! It hurts! My eyes, my eyes! Gah, cough!”
In my past world, capsaicin was used in anti-molester sprays.
Believe it or not, it’s even repelled wild beasts, including lions.
Strength and magic may not work, but creatures have taste.
Magic can’t nullify taste, so spicy attacks targeting taste and mucous membranes should work!
Maybe plain spiciness isn’t seen as a “status ailment” by magic, so it slips through.
This could be a flaw in this world’s magic—maybe.
He’s a dragon, so water or time will fix him.
For now, I need to escape as far as possible.
Leaving the writhing Black Dragon behind, I sprinted from the crater toward the forest.
I have other anti-demon tactics, but they won’t work on Black Dragon.
He’s not moving yet.
“Sky Step, Sky Step, Sky Step, Sky Step, Sky Step!”
Chaining the skill, I reached just shy of the forest.
But—
“Hah, hah, damn, damn, damn! You bastard, how dare you!”
Black Dragon caught up in an instant, his claws tearing me apart.
My upper and lower body separated, the scene unfolding in slow motion.
“Coward! Those are dragon claws! And this is already the forest—Guh, gaaah!”
My vision darkened… My lower half lay beside me…
I’m probably… going to die—!!
◆◆◆
Black Dragon looked down at Ceres’s corpse before him.
This is bad. This is already the forest, and I killed him with my claws.
I, a Dragon Duke, killed a victor in my pain.
What dishonor.
But what’s done is done.
He defeated a Dragon Duke… I’ll grant him that honor.
“Victor Ceres, I bestow upon you my liver and blood as proof.”
I tore out my liver and forced it into Ceres’s mouth. Then, I severed my hand, sprinkling blood evenly over his body.
I don’t know the meaning of this.
But long ago, humans who defeated true dragons coveted their “blood” and “liver.”
As the victor, Ceres deserves this…
Thus, I must atone for breaking my promise.
I took a life that could’ve lived.
Even I can’t revive the fully dead.
The afterlife is the domain of Underworld Dragon Bauwa-sama.
As atonement, I’ll grant him my—Black Dragon’s—blessing.
If he’s marked as my kin, Bauwa-sama’s world might show some leniency.
Don’t hate me, Ceres.
I’ll bury you with care!
◆◆◆
Where am I? It’s pitch black.
…Across the river, there’s a bright, beautiful flower field.
My parents, who should be dead, are there, shouting, “Don’t come!”
If I go there, I feel I could be happy.
Everything would end, and I could rest peacefully.
I’m sleepy… and so tired.
Sleeping in that flower field would surely free me from this exhaustion.
I started crossing the river, swaying.
But the more I crossed, the darker my parents’ faces grew.
They shouted angrily, “Don’t come!”
But it’s dark and cold here. I don’t want to stay. I want the flower field.
Before I knew it, I’d crossed the river.
My parents spoke to me, looking sad.
“Ceres… Why did you cross? This is the afterlife… You can’t go back.”
“There’s no returning from here…”
The surroundings darkened. From the shadows, a demonic figure approached.
“You crossed at last, fool! Your parents tried so hard to stop you. Beyond here is the Underworld… No human can return!”
Not an ogre, but a monstrous, horned creature spoke to me.
This must be a dream.
Proof? Despite its terrifying appearance, I feel no fear.
It’s not as bad as Black Dragon, but it’s easily over ten meters tall.
“The Underworld, the afterlife? I can’t die yet. Right, Dad, Mom, I’m sorry. I married four wives. You know them—Shizuko-san, Haruka-san, Misaki-san, and Sayo-san. I have to go back…”
I told my parents about my marriages.
Mom covered her mouth in shock.
“What!? They’re all my friends, aren’t they?”
“Losing us so young must’ve shaped you… But four wives? Are you a Hero or something?” Dad asked.
Is he calling me a playboy? Mistaking it for bigamy?
“No! Zect’s the Hero. I just joined his party.”
“I see. You’re working hard. Gatekeeper, please, let our son return!”
“I beg you too!!”
“No! That’s a rule that cannot be bent.”
“Dad, Mom… I’m glad I saw you. I’ll come back someday. But for now, I want to spend more time with my wives.”
“Yeah, I understand. Sorry, but we’re sending our son back!!”
“Go quickly while we hold him off!”
They stood before the Gatekeeper to block him.
“It’s futile! Once here, no one returns, not even a Hero. You can’t bring weapons to the Underworld—not even holy swords. Here, all humans are weak. You can’t beat me!”
Maybe because I fought Black Dragon, I can talk to this terrifying being without fear.
“That sounds like if I defeat you, I can return.”
“No human has ever defeated me since ancient times. If you win, I’ll let you go!”
But I have no weapons or gear.
Didn’t bring them?
No choice but to try.
If I hadn’t fought Black Dragon, fear might’ve paralyzed me.
“A weakling like you can’t beat me!”
But my body and heart rebel. No evidence, yet something insists he’s a weakling.
This must be a dream. My form shifts into a jet-black hybrid of dragon and human, half Black Dragon’s size.
Long claws sprout from my hands.
“Th-Th-Those claws, those eyes! The ruler of the Underworld, a royal dragon! Forgive me, help, help—Nooo!”
My consciousness faded.
◆◆◆
I woke up, buried in dirt.
My mouth reeks and tastes strange.
I need to get out—
Moving my hands, I pushed away the soil.
Emerging, I was caked in blood and dirt, clothes like tattered rags—a zombie.
It’s dark, the moon high.
Why am I alive?
By my memory, my body was torn in two. I shouldn’t be alive.
Was that a hallucination born of fear?
The demonic creature after must’ve been one too.
Meeting my dead parents again? Impossible.
So, somewhere along the line, I saw hallucinations.
Black Dragon probably beat me senseless, thought me dead, and buried me. That’s likely it.
If he thinks I’m dead, he won’t come after me.
(Being alive is wonderful.)
I’m alive—time to return to everyone.
Savoring the joy of life, I walked toward the capital.
◆◆◆
Days after the Bushya incident, Rida and the others spent their time at the inn reflecting.
Our shameful battle created a rift between us and Zect.
I’m a Swordmaster, yet I showed such disgrace… Of course it did.
(He’ll blame us.)
I thought so, but surprisingly, Zect didn’t reproach us at all.
Maria and Meru braced for a shouting match, but…
Zect said nothing, did nothing.
At first, I thought he was too angry to speak, but that wasn’t it.
He responds when spoken to, but we don’t know what to do anymore.
“Maria, what should we do?”
“There’s nothing we can do. We failed so spectacularly.”
“More importantly, are you all okay? The dragons were terrifying, but it’ll only get tougher.”
““Ugh.””
“Right. With that failure, Zect must’ve faced heavy criticism.”
“What penalties will we face?”
“And what do we do moving forward?”
““…””
Our discussion yielded no good ideas.
Maria and Meru just stared down, dejected.
We had no clue what to do.
I can’t be the only one thinking, If only Ceres were here.
◆◆◆
When alone, Zect found himself reflecting more often.
I… No, we were protected by Ceres.
(What kind of Hero am I? What kind of Hero’s party?)
Pathetic.
He always told me to read books.
I said, “It’s irrelevant to a Hero,” and did nothing, but knowledge might’ve changed the outcome.
He often refused big requests, saying, “You’re not ready.”
He was right!
We’re the Hero, Saintess, Swordmaster, and Sage—strong by our jobs.
Ceres trained relentlessly and minded our gear to keep up with us.
If we’d done the same, things might’ve been different.
Even with him there, the battle wouldn’t have shifted much.
But he’d have protected the other three, encouraged them. He’d have done something.
We wouldn’t have lost so shamefully.
Maybe he’d have disrupted the dragons’ charge.
Not to win, but to divert them—that’s what he’d have done.
I don’t know for sure, but I can’t help thinking he might’ve.
Hahaha… Even gone, he’s still “protecting us.”
He negotiated with Pope-sama to shield us from blame.
He argued fiercely with the church’s leaders over our past failure.
Could I do that?
The Pope—the world’s most powerful man.
Even a king couldn’t negotiate like that.
But he did.
Why could he?
I don’t know, but I know why.
(For us.)
He worked so hard for us.
And I drove him out.
What an idiot.
◆◆◆
For the first time, I thought seriously.
I’ve probably never agonized this much.
Finally, I sorted my thoughts.
So I called the three together.
Rida, Maria, and Meru looked tense.
Of course. After that failure, they probably expect me to yell.
“No need to look so down. I’m at fault too. This is about that incident, but it’s not to blame you. Ceres—”
I told them what Pope-sama said about Ceres.
“Ceres did that?”
All three looked shocked, then bowed their heads.
“Yeah. Because he negotiated thoroughly, we faced no repercussions. So I thought it over and want to talk.”
They nodded, awaiting my words.
“This is my opinion, but if Ceres returns, I’ll step down as party leader. I’ll be just a member and let Ceres lead. I’ve realized too late—I’m not cut out for it.”
“I see. If that’s what you think, so be it,” Rida said.
Maria and Meru nodded deeply.
They must’ve sensed it too. Their downcast eyes showed no objection.
“But I’m still the leader for now. As leader, I’ve decided to issue one order. Maria, Rida, Meru—I’ll expel you three from the party soon! During the dragon battle, I realized you’re just girls. As kids, you were crybabies, always needing me or Ceres to help. Your crying faces then were the same as back then. You should stop fighting… Return to the village or go to Ceres.”
“Zect, I appreciate your feelings and that you’re not blaming us. But expelling us three Chosen is impossible,” Rida said.
“Expelling a Saintess? Unthinkable…” Maria added.
“Same for a Sage,” Meru said.
“Just hear me out! First, Rida, the Swordmaster. It’s not impossible—expulsion might be feasible. In some eras, only the Hero, Saintess, and Sage existed, and some Swordmasters were expelled and lived freely. Next, Meru, the Sage. It’s trickier, but Sages pursue magic, not holy attributes. With some pushback, it might work. The problem is Maria, the Saintess. That’s nearly impossible.”
“Meru and I can’t leave without Maria!”
“Don’t worry about me…”
“No way, leaving Maria alone? And what about you, Zect?”
These three are tight-knit. They’d never leave Maria.
“I get your feelings. Ceres told Pope-sama and the others, ‘If you force us into deadly work we don’t want and demand responsibility for failure, I’ll make the Hero quit!’ He wouldn’t say that without a plan. There’s probably a way to quit. There has to be a way to get all three of you out, including Maria. It’ll take time, but I’ll find it. Trust me.”
Hearing me, the three looked ready to cry.
Ceres, you wouldn’t let these crying girls fight, would you?
I’ll do the same. Even if I can’t now, I’ll make sure they can quit.
“Wait, what about you, Zect?”
“You can’t do anything alone…”
“Yeah, you’d be alone!”
Haha, what a mess.
“I’ll ask Ceres what to do.”
If that doesn’t work, I’ll fight alone and die.
That’s all there is to it.
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