CH 214

#3 Their circumstances: the circumstance of Wieref Lil Vereiden, a man who used to be a hero III

We did not spend much time in Mareid Kingdom. Aristocrats and bureaucrats came multiple times each day and tried to force me to marry their princess. We had to run away during an outdoor event and did not care when Maried complained to our elders. The princess seemed strange, and I was actually concerned she might do something.

We traveled on, and the oracles stopped like our God wanted to give us rest after catching a dragon. However, our rest did not last long.

“It’s an oracle, Wieref!”

“Damn…”

While Ariel started to call me by my name after we became lovers, she was now even more forward when asking me to do jobs. However, just looking at her made me glitch.

“Please, stop.”

“How can I go on…”

I heard my comrades complain, but Ariel was indifferent.

“Hey, it’s my man here! Go and find someone if you’re jealous.”

Everyone became silent and looked at me. I could not even hide my face as her hand was on my arm. I changed the subject.”

“So, what’s the oracle?”

“It seems a kingdom nearby is in danger, but you can solve it!”

“Yeah, this job should be easy compared to the dragon.”

I tried to lighten the mood as we arrived at the designated kingdom. My party members did stop glaring at me as their anger went toward our God.

“We just fought a dragon!”

“Why us?!”

“How many left?”

“A lot!”

The problem was that all of the monsters were ogres.

“Damn!”

“I need time to heal!”

“Drink a potion!”

Beral ignored me, and Lime also took the chance to step back.

“Hey, is this revenge?!”

“How can you say that?”

However, I knew that this was payback for Ariel and my antics.

“Hey, come back!”

The ogres looked straight at me. Thirty of them were ripping trees and everything.

“I’m sorry. Help!”

“You can do it, Wieref!”

“You, just give me strengthening spells!”

While Ariel cheered me on, I needed something stronger.

“Your love has grown cold…”

“You’re enjoying this, right?”

I then had no time to talk, as I really had to defeat the ogres mostly by myself. While they did support me, I still had to do that.

“Wieref!”

I had to wonder whether Ariel was playing me on as she healed me.

“Ariel, are you doing this on purpose?”

“Does it work?”

“…Yes.”

I again felt my party members’ glares, which became our daily routine. Beral and Lime grumbled, and Jerual’s silent gaze. Ariel would ply me on, so their gazes grew colder.

I actually did not mind what went on as we grew older. I gave up my place as a hero to my successor and found a place to live with Ariel. There was trouble, but we had a laugh every day.

However, such days would never come again, as none of my comrades remained alive.

“What do you think?”

I glared at the voice but could not speak. My vocal cords were ruined. Maried’s princess, Nahel, seemed satisfied with my condition.

“You seem to be enjoying my gift.”

Her gift meant killing my comrades in front of me. The crazy bitch.

“However, that was my last.”

Her sincere expression made me nauseous. How could she be so cold to those who had saved her country?

“Don’t look at me like that. This is all your fault.”

That was exactly what she said when she killed Lime in front of me.

“……”

I wanted to tell her to get this over with, but I could not speak still.

“Your voice was like music at first.”

I wanted to rip her apart. As she was saying, my curses and screams were like music. My comrades died in front of me in the cruelest ways one by one, and today was the last.

“You could have just accepted me. I would have been happy to be your mistress! Your comrades, who had saved Maried, would have not met such deaths if you’ve only looked at me!”

Nahel came up to me holding a black orb.

“God…will not…”

“Ah, are you waiting for the God of Battle? However, even such a deity cannot know our secret.”

She held out the orb.

“I know that Gods watched over our world and helped out those who had helped them. That was why I had to wait for you after your retirement.”

That meant she had been watching me, as my successor was not famous yet, and my temple wanted to use the title Dragon Slayer. While it was not a secret, the information had not spread out.

“However, I found this orb.”

Nahel stroked it lovingly as she spoke.

“This is a fragment of the Evil God, the only evil our Creator had not made. This allows us to remain in secret.”

She was truly crazy, as even those who whispered the Evil God’s name drew soldiers. That fragment would ruin her country.

“So, let’s go to our main event.”

“……!”

I knew who she meant as she took out a bag, but the only thing I could do was frail about. My ankles and wrists were cut, and I was doused in medicine. Only the chains clanked.

“I’m happy that you’re happy.”

Nahel looked ecstatic as I glared at her, but my eyes grew dim on seeing the bones that spread out from the bag.

“I did not kill her before she had the child! But they were too delicious for me to resist!”

I knew what she would have done as I watched her act. I could only cry, and that was when I heard the voice.

-This is human evil.

-I am born from such evils.

-Are you not angry for having met this fate after all you and your comrades have done?

-Accept me and fight the world. While you will lose, I promise you this.

-You can rip her and her country with your hands.

-That is why I was born, and I exist.

My answer was fixed, and Maried was in ruins as I answered. Then, the evil disciple who would bring about the end of the world was born.