The Hero Who Returned From Death Quits

90 – EP5. Wind Memories

“…Sorry.”

He muttered softly.

It was his fault. At least, he believed so.

He thought it was inevitable.

He believed that even if it meant sacrificing himself, he had to choose this method.

He was mistaken. The job spread like a wildfire faster than his thoughts, and the fight escalated beyond his expectations.

The fight consumed everything, and ultimately, everyone suffered.

He thought to himself. Was it really an unavoidable situation?

Was it truly necessary to fight against his will?

A plan blinded by realism and fear is different. His life would revive again even if he died, so why was he so hasty and afraid?

He did not want to witness the pain of those around him.

He looked around.

Ibércas’s face and the charred ruins were visible. Ah, yes…

The moment he returned, it was the moment he dealt with those who attacked Ibércas.

Perhaps something unknown that allowed him to turn back time had affirmed that everything was fine until this point.

Ainz bit his lip.

So, at this moment, what should he do?

Ainz grabbed Ibércas’s shoulders.

“Wait, hold on, Ibércas. Don’t inform anyone yet.”

“…Not even to my contractor?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Ibércas looked into his amethyst-colored eyes and spoke.

“Perhaps we can catch them all at once. If we move too hastily, there’s a possibility of unnecessarily provoking those bastards. The better option is to resolve the situation without even needing to catch them.”

Ibércas scratched his head.

“…Alright. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but it can’t be helped.”

After bidding farewell to him, Ainz went to the assigned room.

“What?”

Ricardo frowned and spoke.

“They attacked the Hero? Are they insane?”

When Ricardo made a puzzled expression, the messenger who came to deliver the news hurriedly spoke.

“First, I failed. Thankfully, it seems the king is unaware of it… But why did it have to happen like this… It’s quite unfortunate.”

“Unfortunate? What do you mean?”

Ricardo looked at him skeptically and asked.

“It’s actually a stroke of luck. The hero must not die right now. Being in good health is the best option, and dying when the war with the Empire starts is the second-best. It’s a pity that I’m saying such things to a hero, but that’s the reality.”

Ricardo shook his hand with a resigned expression.

“Sigh… That’s enough. Go away.”

Angel had to come up with a solution. Choosing a peaceful method was not an option since the Empire was wary of him, and if he chose to fight, this place would turn into a sea of flames immediately.

Angel pondered repeatedly. What should he do? How could he resolve this hopeless situation?

In the midst of his thoughts, a sudden idea flashed in his mind.

If he couldn’t use the Empire, why not use other countries instead?

Angel quickly began writing a letter.

It was a letter to the Saint.

The content was brief. It was merely a request to convey that in other countries, the fairies had considerable combat strength.

Angel knew that such a request would not be easily granted by Beatrice, but because the entire country was in a dire situation, he mentioned that he could help in this way. Beatrice was not known for being stingy when it came to helping others.

And ten days later, it was proven that the request to Beatrice was quite effective.

He sent letters requesting foreign countries to deploy fairies to help them.

Beatrice, who was notorious for not giving favorable reviews easily, created a kind of myth about the fairies’ combat capabilities, which spread through people’s mouths, swelling the demand for fairies’ assistance from nations struggling against the demon king’s forces.

Many countries, like participants in a competition, vied for the fairies’ help, seemingly shedding light on nations that had previously appeared bleak.

“…I never expected things to turn out this way.”

Ricardo gazed out the window and tilted his teacup. He made a sound, sipped the hot tea, and carefully placed the cup back down.

“It’s truly fortunate for our country. With things like this, we won’t be able to incite a rebellion.”

In front of others, he had framed it as a revolution, but in reality, he had considered his actions as a rebellion. However, the rebellion was suddenly blocked by the unexpected positive change.

He laughed, a truly jovial laughter.

“That Empire is acting like they’re in a hurry to offer us the best conditions! hahahahaha!”

He burst into laughter, tears welling up in his eyes.

“Our country has gained the driving force for development.”

But…

It was when he was lost in thought. A knock on his door could be heard.

“Yes, please come in.”

At least knocking like this meant that it wasn’t his subordinate. Who could be visiting all of a sudden? Ricardo looked towards the door.

The person who opened the door and entered was a warrior.

“Ah, you’re the warrior.”

“Yes, I am.”

Ricardo motioned for the warrior to sit down and served him warm tea. He couldn’t help but feel sorry when he thought about what he had gone through because of his subordinates.

“May I ask why the warrior has come to my room?”

Ricardo smiled and responded to him.

“…Given the current situation, can you stop the original plan that you were going to carry out?”

“…Excuse me?”

His facade shattered.

“Let me say it again. I understand that you stand above those who attacked me. Whether you ordered them or not, they attacked me, but I did not expose it. I don’t want this country to fall into chaos.”

Ricardo trembled and looked at Angel.

“…Yes, I understand.”

“The current situation in this country has become very favorable. I contacted Beatrice and made other countries desire Tirenthus. This country can grow tremendously in the future. It has already gained some strength.”

Ricardo smiled. Then, he lowered his head.

“…I see. Somehow… I couldn’t believe it. It was all thanks to you, Warrior.”

He greeted Angel with his head bowed.

“Thank you. Really… Thank you. Because of you, hope has been born in this country.”

Angel looked at him and spoke.

“In that case…”

“Of course, the plan will definitely be scrapped. There is no reason to forcefully destroy the future of this country in this situation.”

Angel felt relieved upon hearing those words. Finally, it was over.

“…Then, may I ask one more question?”

“Yes, of course.”

Ricardo laughed at Angel’s words and replied.

“Why did you try to fight against the Empire?”

It was a question that had been bugging him in his mind for a long time. Angel finally asked him that question.

“I don’t think you believe that you can win against the Empire. The chances of winning are almost non-existent, and if you lose, the whole country will be destroyed. It didn’t seem like a decision befitting you. Why?”

It was just before the reason that had been tormenting him repeatedly was revealed.

“…I have lived rationally for a long time. No, I have lived pretending to be rational.”

Ricardo hesitated before finally opening his mouth.

“Of course, I knew that it didn’t make any sense to challenge the Empire. I knew it better than anyone. But… becoming so powerless, it was too pitiful to make a rational judgment.”

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Ricardo bit his lip and made a complex expression before continuing to speak.

“In a way… it was like attempting suicide on a national scale. Instead of groveling in pessimistic reality, I wanted to fight and die. It wasn’t about rational judgment. If my fate was inevitably death, I wanted to burn myself out like a moth.”

Angel stared at him intently. Upon closer inspection, Ricardo’s eyes had blood vessels swollen and prominent.

“…And it’s the same even now.”

Ricardo began to release the emotions he had concealed.

“Wounds and pride will never be recovered. I know that our country has obtained a tremendous opportunity. It should be a time of celebration. But what good is that? Even now, the agony I felt when I realized the pitiful state of our country, which is inferior to any other hero, is scraping my heart and making it bleed. Even if our country develops in the future, it will be at the expense of adapting to other countries and shedding blood on their behalf.”

Angel furrowed her brow as she looked at him. Could it be that he still wanted to fight?

“…Are you still considering continuing with that plan?”

“No, absolutely not. Regardless of my feelings, our citizens are finally seeing the light. It should be a reason to rejoice. But… I can’t accept this outcome.”

“Then what do you plan to do?”

“…I don’t know.”

Ricardo looked towards the window.

“Maybe, from the beginning, I was never fit to be a leader.”

After the hero left, Ricardo smiled.

“Hero, I am truly deeply grateful to you.”

Thanks to the hero, his country, his beloved homeland, could finally see the light. He felt nothing but gratitude and apology. As a foreigner in his own country, he came to help them and put his subordinates in danger. And yet, he helped his country.

Ricardo shed tears.

But more than that joy, he still felt more despair. Can he forget everything just because his country is developing by sending troops for the sake of another country? Can he forget the past of being mercilessly ignored and feel at ease about progress?

Maybe others could do that.

But he couldn’t. He let out a laugh.

“Ha… hahahahaha… hahahaha… “

He laughed while shedding tears. He laughed frantically.

“hahahahaha!”

His laughter stopped.

If he could endure this moment, a bright future would await him. He was undeniably the rightful successor, and after his father developed the country, he would inherit it and be able to enjoy everything.

But that wasn’t what he wanted.

He didn’t have the courage to endure the current despair and face a bright future.

He tightly grasped the knot of the rope. It was a rope tied tightly and suspended from the ceiling.

“I’m sorry.”

He apologized. To the warrior, to his father, to his younger brother. To everything that had allowed him to exist.

“Thank you.”

He expressed gratitude. To everything that had been the driving force behind his life until now.

He smiled, closed his eyes, and tied a knot around his neck.

Soon after, a body hung from the rope, swaying in the air. Then, the swaying stopped and the figure hung lifelessly.

A prince faced death in this way. The sweet, chosen end.

EP5. The End of Wind Memories.