Chapter 105

Reality is different from media.

In any situation, a super-relaxed superhero doesn’t exist in reality. Especially not when millions of lives across the continent are on their shoulders.

While sobbing into Maria’s warm embrace, Frey thought:

‘This was why…’

The reason Canos brought Maria along.

‘He… she knew all along.’

Suddenly, Frey got goosebumps.

‘Maria believed I’d forgive her… judging by her kind nature.’

Also, once Maria learned the truth, she’d do her best to help Frey no matter what.

‘It’s an insight so terrifying and self-righteous… Neither Maria’s nor my pain mattered to him; he just used her for his own benefit. If the Demon King had aimed for something like destroying the continent rather than fighting evenly, the world might’ve already…’

Frey didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at that fact.

“What should I do? Should I focus on repenting Joker as originally planned?”

“Uh, yeah? Ah… yeah, that’s right. You’re the only one in this world who can do it, Maria.”

“Yes, no matter what happens, I will fulfill my mission. It’s the calling given to me by the Lord.”

“Be careful… Joker is a frightening person.”

Closing her eyes tightly, Frey recalled Joker from her past life. Honestly, she didn’t have much interaction with him except for the conflicts in Tartarus.

But she did hear stories.

‘Joker was handled by the Heavenly Hero in the previous life. The Heavenly Hero managed Joker for about 13 years but eventually collapsed after ‘that incident’ and Joker was imprisoned.’

When the Demon Realm clashed with the Continent, the latter lacked the strength to counter the former. Even without the Demon King stepping in, just having the Seven Deadly Sins or the Four Great Dukes of the Demon Realm wage guerrilla warfare would’ve been catastrophic for the Continent.

However, two out of the four dukes weren’t interested in invading the Continent: King, the Duke of Sloth in the South, and Joker, the Duke of Pride in the North.

Still, Joker couldn’t be left unchecked since he enjoyed causing chaos between the Demon Realm and the Continent despite being uninterested in the war itself.

In a way, he was even more dangerous than the Demon King’s army. His power was strong enough to defeat Dragon Lords. To control such a Joker, the Continent assigned one of its strongest heroes exclusively to handle him.

Unfortunately, that story ended in a tragedy too terrible to speak of…

“Maria, this won’t be easy. I’ve burdened you with too much.”

“It’s alright. On the contrary, I’m glad to finally find my purpose.”

“I don’t know exactly what feelings Joker harbors toward you, but it could get very tough.”

“No, people just didn’t understand him. Joker-sama is kinder than they think. I firmly believe he can be saved.”

“…I saw something similar in Tartarus. It was possible because it was you, Maria.”

Though Frey chose Maria for this role due to lack of alternatives, she still worried deeply.

“What do you plan to do now, Hero?”

“Me? I’ll try to survive until the end of this lifetime. You know my birthday is a few months later than yours, right?”

“And after that?”

“Hmm… talking about this life, right? I aim to follow the same path as last time. That way, Joker won’t suspect anything and won’t uncover our intentions.”

“It’s a tough road.”

“Don’t say that. I’m the hero. Even if everyone hates me, I must love the people. That’s what it means to be a hero. We’ve both known that since we were kids, Maria and I.”

Actually, Maria was more worried about Frey.

“Does walking the same path mean kneeling to the Demon King again?”

“Yeah, though only on the surface. Behind the scenes, I’ll help the Continent. Ironically, it’s easier when the Demon King rules.”

“They’ll curse you, Hero. Even if you manage to defeat the Demon King through Joker, all the glory will go to Joker. Once lost, your reputation won’t return easily.”

“That’s fine. If I can save the Continent, it’s my duty as a hero to stand there. Ultimately, it happened because I wasn’t strong enough.”

“Even the title of ‘Hero’ could be stripped away. I’ll try to prevent the church from excommunicating you.”

“That alone is enough. And I’m used to criticism, so it’s no problem. Even if I wasn’t, I’d have to endure it.”

‘Physical violence scars the body, but verbal abuse scars the soul. How can he be okay with that…’

Maria’s soft hand gently stroked Frey’s bowed head. Frey slowly closed her eyes. There was an inexplicable calming force in Maria’s touch.

“I have one question.”

“I’ll answer whatever it is.”

“At Eden Academy… were we good friends, according to my memory?”

“…Yeah, we formed the Hero party afterward. I respected and admired you, Maria.”

As if leading a child’s confession of wrongdoing,

Saintess Maria’s voice carried a strange power.

“So why did you leak the exam answers back then?”

“…”

“I’m not someone who clings to past mistakes. No matter what errors you made in the past, I love Joker-sama now. Please tell me. As a cleric, I must hear your confession.”

“…Alright.”

Moreover, there was a firm determination to uncover the truth.

Pressed by this resolve, Frey reluctantly opened her mouth.

“Back then… I was pretty young.”

“To be honest, I liked competing with Maria. I was always second place while Maria was first, but unlike the prestigious destiny of being a hero, my self-esteem was quite low. Being second wasn’t humiliating; instead, I felt proud thinking ‘I’m competing with Saintess Maria.'”

“But apparently, the adults didn’t see it that way, haha.”

At this point, Frey paused briefly. Hesitating slightly, Frey looked unsure. Maria tilted her head curiously.

“You know, there’s always some kind of ego battle, right? A sort of face-saving competition, maybe? Especially since the Empire and the Holy Kingdom are rivals…”

“The Hero comes from the Empire, but the Saintess comes from the Holy Kingdom. And historically, the Saintesses are always the strongest while the Heroes are the weakest. That alone gives people plenty to gossip about, and when we’re at the same academy, the academic gap becomes glaringly obvious.”

“There’s corporal punishment, isn’t there? Physical discipline for educational purposes. Everyone probably experienced it. Get hit with a ruler for wrong answers, missed homework, insufficient training… You’d think I’d get used to it growing up with that, but it hurt so much when I was little.”

“You see those teacher-student conflicts in novels where the student argues with the strict mentor, but secretly they get along well? Turns out, that’s just fiction. Those stern mentors seemed like demons from hell whenever I fell behind Maria or whenever the Empire’s prestige was damaged. Training to become a Hero isn’t easy, is it?”

“Surely… so that’s why…”

“Yeah, that was the reason. I thought getting first place would stop the punishments. But even when I stole the test, Maria still found flaws in the answer sheet, took first place, and I remained second.”

While Frey confessed nonchalantly, Maria felt utterly disheartened hearing the story.

“T-that… I never realized…”

“It’s not your fault, Maria. If anything, it’s my fault for not being able to beat you.”

“In that case, this time around, let me…”

“Don’t think about useless things. Joker shouldn’t find out I’m a regressed person. For that, I need to lose to Maria again this time, or rather, I need to maintain the same second-place performance as last time.”

“…”

Maria’s heart felt heavy as tears welled up in her eyes. Just then, another girl who had been silently watching them spoke up.

“Hero, stop saying unnecessary things. It’s time to go.”

“Go? Where is Maria going?”

“When the time comes, we must go to the Continent. To be reborn.”

“Oh… Time has passed…”

There were no clocks in the Divine Realm. Even if there were, none were within Frey’s sight. Only now did Frey regain her sense of time.

“Saintess, you know the truth now. Go to the Continent. There’s no reason to stay in the Divine Realm anymore.”

“…Please grant me a little more time.”

“What more time do you need?”

“Hero, please turn around for a moment.”

“Maria? Why?”

Maria’s delicate finger encircled Frey’s middle finger.

A pillar wrapped around it like a bean sprout in a drought.

It was a radiant white ring.

“It’s the Saintess’s blessing. May it bring you good fortune wherever you are.”

Swoosh—

Before Frey could react further, Canos’ magic pulled Maria toward a rift of colorful cracks in the air.

“Maria! Take care…!”

Just as Frey stood up to bid farewell,

Whoosh—

“…Goodbye.”

Before Frey could finish her sentence, Maria and Canos disappeared into the rift.

Left alone again, Frey swallowed bitterly. The loneliness of being left behind lingered.

She truly rejoiced meeting her old friend after such a long time, but she couldn’t deny the sorrow of parting.

“It feels like a storm has passed… haha…”

Yet, she couldn’t deny the relief of shedding her burdens either. Frey smiled softly—a pure smile.

Clang—

The Hero gripped her weapon with renewed vigor. The Holy Sword Excalibur, wielded by the first Hero Siegfried Nibelung and the sword that severed the neck of the original Demon King. For nearly hundreds of years, no one dared to use it recklessly, but Frey was the chosen Hero among Heroes. Though she personally didn’t appreciate it.

Grgrk—

The heavy iron sword was drawn. With legs that weren’t light, Frey rose shakily.

And moved forward.

Because she had strong legs to carry her.

*****

My narrow shoulders feel like they’ll collapse under the weight.

My weak legs tremble as if they’ll break.

However, I must not succumb to hardships. This is the mission you’ve entrusted to me.

I am a wandering lamb with a destination. I know where to go, yet the road is so long and perilous that I fear it prematurely.

Countless lives rest on my shoulders. If only I could bear them effortlessly, but alas, my body and spirit aren’t as noble as my esteemed friend.

Sometimes, just sometimes,

Satan whispers into my ear.

“Give up and it’ll be easier.”

I know I shouldn’t. Satan is merely the conflict and temptation within my own heart. I am aware of this.

But it’s overwhelming. Closing my eyes and opening them to find another day beginning is frightening and painful.

Lord, the most great, noble, and omnipotent Lord,

I still don’t understand. I haven’t grasped your will.

Why me?

There are so many virtuous people around. Strong individuals abound. There are many who are both good and strong.

Why, out of countless others, did you choose me, someone so weak, for such a heavy mission? What sin have I committed?

What is my fate, destiny, divine will? Sometimes I even think the path you’ve set for me is a curse. Why did I receive your great touch?

I am dull, foolish, and disrespectful.

So dull that this foolish servant cannot fathom your holy will. Perhaps it was a mistake for me, a mere mortal, to attempt to grasp it.

Even knowing I shouldn’t harbor such thoughts, when I let my guard down, irreverent thoughts surge forth. My lack of faith practice makes these burdensome destinies hard to shake off.

Why did you give such immense power to that wicked Demon King while granting me, the Hero, strength that can’t even compare? Could the Judgment Day mentioned in scriptures truly be upon us? Is this world abandoned like an unruly child?

I, the weak one, undergo such foolish wanderings.

Lord,

Why am I the weakest Hero?

Why is the Demon King the strongest Demon King?

Why must I live such a life instead of the heroic tale of an ordinary Hero?

…

Lord, guide my path every day, Lord who is always by my side though unseen.

If you are listening to this pitiful prayer,

Grant strength to your apostle.

The power to repel cunning evil.

The authority to uphold noble justice.

The vision to cut through thick darkness.

The courage to wield the Holy Sword against monstrous hands.

The steadfast will to resist the temptations of fleeting pleasures.

The precious strength to overcome all trials given to me.

Grant strength to your most earnest and desperate apostle.

This humble servant humbly pleads.

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