The Hero Who Returned From Death Quits

61 – EP5. Memory of the Wind

Angel tried to grasp the wind in his hand. The wind lightly brushed his hand, as if it was a matter of course, and he felt a bitter taste in that fact. It was because his forgotten memories, which had disappeared without a trace like the wind, came to mind.

The memories that had flown away like a flick of a finger left him feeling empty. He began to ponder. Unlike his previous memories, it was pure emptiness, not born from pain or fear, not from urgency or will.

He started to wonder why he had become a hero. Why had the gods made him a hero, leading him into a cruel fate? Why did he have to uncover hidden truths and fight forcibly? Were there not stronger individuals, smarter ones, and mentally tougher ones? Why was he forced to endure such hardships? Were other heroes subjected to such trials while defeating the Demon Lord? Was he truly on the right path?

Various doubts swirled in his mind.

But no matter how much he thought, nothing changed. In the end, he was destined to die again, to be dragged into unwanted events, and to lose precious memories.

He felt a sense of doubt. Enduring countless deaths and suffering could be understandable. Even though he had once broken down and fallen, he had almost succeeded after countless attempts. However, there were other things that were even more unsettling.

He looked at his own hand. Until recently, the phantom pain had tormented him, but now he couldn’t even feel the pain. It was as if his body had become completely detached from the world. Even if he tried to recall the pain, his brain and body seemed too familiar with pain and didn’t even send signals.

Even his heart, what about it? He had become accustomed to dying at the slightest mistake. He realized that he was losing his human emotions, and his impression of death had started to become mundane.

He held his face in his hands and said.

“…Can I live a normal life after killing the Demon Lord?”

The scenery of his hometown began to fade away one by one. When he closed his eyes, the sound and the scent of grass that were so vivid in his hometown gradually became blurred, like a faded painting.

He thought of himself as a rusty cogwheel, realizing that he was losing himself.

He began to shed tears.

“Will I be able to regain my daily life….”

He clenched his fist tightly and sobbed.

“I miss my hometown so much… I know that I have regretted becoming a warrior more than once… but now, I am so scared of losing myself… I miss my hometown… “

He cried, listing painful and difficult events.

“I don’t want to lose the past I spent with loved ones anymore… I don’t want to get used to pain… I… I…”

He closed his eyes and frowned.

“I miss my mother… “

He closed his eyes and walked clumsily towards the bed.

Hoping to see the scenery he missed in his dreams, he fell into a deep sleep.

Since being threatened by Ainzell, the emperor had been cautious in his dealings with him. The fact that his opponent could reveal his most important and fearsome secret at any moment made even the emperor, who had great political acumen, hesitate to make any rash moves.

However, the emperor had no choice but to make this request to Ainzell, although he hesitated.

From Noble mtl dot com

“Warrior, can you go to the Kingdom of Tyrentus?”

The Kingdom of Tyrentus. It was a land of fairies, known by various names such as the Fairy Kingdom, Fairytail, and Great Forest.

“… Is it Lena’s hometown?”

“Yes, that’s right. Lena Tyrentus, the princess who is also your comrade, it must be her hometown.”

Ainzell twitched his eyebrows. The emperor flinched at his expression, but soon regained his composure.

“… What is the reason I have to go there?”

The emperor sighed with relief inwardly and spoke.

“Do you know about the Three Great Calamities of the continent?”

“If you’re talking about the Three Great Calamities of the continent… are you referring to the Lich King, the Black Ocean, and the Titan?”

The Three Great Calamities. It was a general term for monsters with overwhelming power that could destroy several countries.

The Lich King, who ruled over countless undead and pushed several kingdoms into the abyss of death.

The Black Ocean, which swallowed up an entire city and tainted the sky with darkness.

And finally, the Titan, a born destroyer who controlled all kinds of Ain races from goblins to ogres, and destroyed everything with transcendental power and strength.

Except for the Demon King, these three Great Calamities were the greatest threat to humanity.

The emperor nodded his head.

“Yes, and one of them, the Lich King, was wiped out by the warrior, you, by fighting alongside Grandis.”

The emperor spoke calmly, but his spine chilled. If the underestimated Demon King were to appear on the frontlines, he couldn’t even imagine what would happen.

“And the Black Ocean is swallowing up several cities in the north, and the important one is the Titan.”

“Is it Titan?”

Angel looked at the emperor with a displeased gaze. The emperor, sensing his mouth drying up, spoke.

“Titans are attacking the Tyrantus Kingdom. Although the fairies are strong enough to withstand them one by one, we cannot ignore the absolute numerical advantage they possess.”

“…So you’re saying that I, or rather, our colleagues have to go there and fight against the Titans?”

“…There’s no other choice.”

Angel wiped his head.

“…If you really want to support them, you should send the knights. Honestly, I don’t think I’ll be of much help. Dealing with the Lich King was a lucky incident to stay alive, and I have no confidence in fighting the Titans using conventional methods.”

In other words, he meant that he didn’t want to go, so he should use his resources and sacrifice his troops. The emperor felt his face gradually contorting.

“…We can’t just deploy troops recklessly. We’re currently in a confrontation with the Demon King.”

To be frank, a party of warriors cannot exert their full combat power in a confrontation. A party of warriors is a group formed to effectively oppose a small number of powerful enemies, and their power is diminished during a confrontation.

However, such a thing was not a concern for Angel.

“So you should send more knights. What can our colleagues do against the Titans? If they’re allies, they should at least help, even if it means using something important. And honestly…how would you expect something to happen without me, all the way to the distant Tyrantus Kingdom?”

Angel sarcastically mocked the emperor. But the emperor did not get angry in the end. It wouldn’t change the situation even if he got angry, and he only pursued efficiency.

“…It’s your colleagues’ homeland.”

The emperor said. Angel was about to reflexively ask what that had to do with anything, but he shut his mouth.

What would he do if his homeland were in such a situation?

Could he say that it didn’t matter even if his homeland was trampled by Titans?

Angel gripped his forehead.

“…Damn it.”

Angel muttered quietly enough not to be heard, then looked at the emperor and spoke.

“…Fine, let me and my colleagues go to Tyrantus. But it would be better if you didn’t plan anything in my absence.”

“…Understood.”

The emperor nodded, and Angel sighed.

Damn it. Talking about his homeland made him weak-hearted.

And a few days later, Angel received a message.

“…What?”

The destination for the warrior party to go changed from Tyrantus Kingdom to Detrem Kingdom.

Angel frowned.

“How did this happen?”

Detrem Kingdom was a prosperous kingdom and had a close relationship with the Empire as a trading partner for a long time. Of course, the waves of the Demon King’s army reached Detrem Kingdom as well, but it couldn’t be denied that it was in a much better situation than the Tyrantus Kingdom, which was under attack by the Titans.

Angel sent a letter to the Emperor.

– I heard that my destination was the Kingdom of Tirenthus. While the Dethren Kingdom may not have suffered greatly due to the Demon Lord’s army, are you trying to discriminate against allies? –

He was very angry.