Description
A party was formed to defeat the Demon Lord. The party was formed with the hope and expectation of the whole nation.
One was a human born in an abandoned city. He was the warrior, Kyle. Another was an Elf of the World Tree, Lemia of the Goddess of Archery. The third, a priest blessed by God called Saint Sarah.
The last member was me, Raniel, the next owner of the Gray Magic Tower.
Our party of four was popular. Our names spread through the continent as we defeated the Demon Lord’s armies. One of our greatest achievements was cutting off the head of one of the Four Heavenly Kings.
Of course, I can’t say all the achievements were mine. At least a quarter of them; maybe half, if I am being honest. That was how much I put into the part. I gave it my future, my power, and even my life. And yet…
“You are not with us,” Kyle said.
“What?” I asked, confused.
“Raniel, I think the goal you are pursuing is different from ours,” he said.
I couldn’t understand the arrogant warrior, Kyle. What is this bastard going on about? I tilted my head, staring at him. I had been in the party for five years and now, all of a sudden, this was happening? “What bullshit are you saying, Kyle? Are you insane?” I asked.
“See?” Sarah said, folding her hand under her breasts. “I don’t like that rude attitude. Right, Kyle?”
I stared at Sarah, who clung to Kyle’s right arm. She shuddered when I glared at her and then hid behind Kyle.
“You know, every time you are involved things end up messy,” she muttered.
“It is bad, to be honest. Think about the cleaning up we have had to do because of you, Raniel. It’s disgusting. You make all the trouble and we have to clean up together,” Lemia said, her voice low to a grumble. She was holding on to Kyle’s left arm.
I still didn’t understand. What is wrong with these people? “What cleanup are you talking about?” I asked. It was so ridiculous, I had to laugh. What did you all do, damn it? I did all the cleaning up for you and now… “What are you grumbling about? Who stopped the Bone-Dragon from ruining the village when you guys disturbed the dragon’s grave by mistake? Who covered for you when you fell behind while running into the Devil’s Castle? Who helped you kill the Four Heavenly Kings?”
“…Stop the silly story.”
Damn!
“Hey, Kyle. You can’t do this to me. Who stood guard alone when you were fucking those bitches every night?”
“…A sleazy bastard.”
“You are the sleazy bastard who goes out with two women every night when we are here to kill the Demon Lord. Shit, it’s ridiculous! I can’t even speak.” I smacked my forehead. “Didn’t you say we should kill the Demon Lord? Didn’t you say we should make an achievement that would be recognized all over the world? Who did the dirty work to achieve that? You took me out of the magic tower, Kyle.” My voice shook. “Catching the Demon Lord? That achievement, for just that, do you know what I gave up? I left the tower, Kyle! A bastard who understood that wouldn’t do this to me.”
The next owner of the Gray Magic Tower, the greatest magic tower in the kingdom.
The promised golden future, the place every wizard wanted. I gave up my seat and followed Kyle. I believed in the words Kyle whispered to me and followed him. And now, what? We had different goals? What was wrong with that?!
Blood rushed to my head.
“How can you do this to me?”
“…This is what I don’t like, Raniel,” Kyle said.
“What?” I asked, shocked by his answer.
“You always think about achievements, training and efficiency. Catching the Demon Lord is for world peace, to prove justice. But to you, suppressing the Demon Lord is just an achievement.”
I laughed. I couldn’t believe what I just heard. What is this little bastard saying?
“That’s disgusting.”
“Ha.” I ran my hand through my hair, trying to push down the rage churning in me. “You are good at talking. For a scumbag who ran away peeing and throwing his colleagues in front of the Demon Lord, you are good with words.”
“…”
“What?! Hey, Raniel! What did you just say?!”
“There are things to say and things not to say, damn bastard!”
“Look who’s talking now! Who was it that dragged you out when you passed out after that bastard ran away? Who was it that tied up the Demon Lord’s feet by grinding half of my life?”
Kyle was quiet, but Sarah and Lemia were jumping like horses, ready to beat me to death with their hooves at any moment. They looked so funny, I couldn’t stop laughing.
Why did I save these bastards? I almost died trying to save them and now I wondered why I did it.
“That’s not it, now…!”
“Sarah, don’t fight. You don’t need to talk to such a vulgar man. We shouldn’t have even started working with him…”
It was noisy. I covered my ears and closed my eyes. Everything seemed worthless now. These people I thought were my companions now sounded like animals to me.
“I only think about achievements?” I asked. Four years of patience, and it was all going to end like this? Realizing it was really all gone, I opened my eyes. “Achievements, yes. I’m a snob who knows nothing but achievements. But that doesn’t mean that you, Kyle, Sarah, and Lemia, are righteous. You are low-life bastards.” I stretched my arm and pointed at them.
They had so many luxurious and extravagant items to be used by a party of heroes to slay the Demon Lord. “The things you got from the villagers without paying, telling them you guys are a heroes’ party. The items you borrowed from merchants who only prayed that the Demon Lord will die as soon as possible so the roads will be safe to trade again,” I said, still pointing at them. “Are you planning on returning them?” “Do you even have any plan to catch the Demon Lord?”
Of course not! I laughed so hard my body shook. They were losers.
“You guys have no intention of catching the Demon Lord after all.”
They didn’t answer me.
“You probably wanted to at first. But not anymore. You bastards just want to eat the freebies that come to the Heroes’ Party, and go everywhere flaunting the prestige. But of course, point your fingers at me! Fucking blame me for caring about achievements!” I sighed, trying to balance my breath. “Let’s be honest, you just don’t want to see me after trying to catch the Demon Lord.”
I was tired now. When I first set out on my adventures, I believed in the possibilities they showed me. I trusted them. That was why I endured, no matter how much they behaved like assholes.
Four years of trust. Four years of waiting.
“Ha!”
This was the end. My trust had been trampled on, and what I got after waiting for so long was the brand of a snob.
“Fucking bastards.”
I pushed Kyle’s shoulder and walked over to the pile of items. Out of the mountain of rare items, I had just one. It was an old wooden wand my teacher gave me when I left the magic tower. I grabbed it and stood up. Then, suddenly…
“…”
I met Kyle’s eyes. He was silently watching me.
Sarah and Lemia were nothing to me. I had lost all my affection for those bitches long ago. However, Kyle was different. I thought he was different.
“Hey, Kyle,” I called. I thought he hadn’t given up yet. “You shouldn’t have done this to me.”
Pat.
“What?”
I tapped Kyle’s shoulder once. “Live well, loser.”
