The Hero Who Returned From Death Quits

7 – EP1. Breaking Dawn

His hand trembled, and his breathing became rapid.

Was it the shock of his first murder, or was it the fear of death? He shivered with a mixture of these emotions.

The hero had killed a person.

The person was not innocent. He had at least killed Angel once.

But that didn’t mean the feeling of killing a person disappeared.

It was different from the sensation of cutting down monsters.

The Holy Sword easily pierced the priest, and he drank his blood.

What was he feeling after killing a person?

Was it fear, guilt, relief, or sympathy?

Sleep eluded him.

He tried not to recall vivid memories.

One thing was certain: he couldn’t go back to before he killed a person.

The simple question of whether the experience of killing a human made him feel uncomfortable was something he couldn’t grasp.

…What had he tried to kill himself for?

Ah, nonsense. The remnants of suppressed unconsciousness that he had tried so hard to contain suddenly burst beyond the bounds of his consciousness.

The fact that even when he washed his hands, the stain of human blood didn’t change, it was an irreversible realization.

Why did he want to kill himself?

Was it fear? Curiosity? Hatred? Or perhaps some inspiration from a distant universe, or maybe his own sense of justice?

Thoughts intertwined endlessly.

He lay there for a long time, gazing up at the ceiling, barely able to find sleep.

The next day, he met Beatrice for the second time.

“Sir Knight, do you know where I can learn magic?”

“Oh, yes. I can use a bit of magic, but I’m still learning.”

“Huh? You’ve already learned some magic? You’re progressing quickly.”

The holy maiden who said that had eyes the color of the sky.

“Usually, people struggle more with drawing out magical power than with actual spells.”

As she spoke, the pure white maiden made an “ah” sound.

“Come to think of it, it seems that knights progress quickly in both divine and magical power. The Holy Sword might be assisting in some way.”

Angel nodded. Indeed, while he might not know much about magic, drawing out magical power took him less than ten minutes.

Beatrice let out a small laugh and said, “It’s always tight on time when selecting a knight, so you need to grow quickly. Thank you for showing me your progress; it fills my heart with joy.”

“Oh, yes.”

“Then you should also learn to use miracles. I have nothing else to do, so I’ll teach you personally.”

A small cluster of light appeared in Beatrice’s hand.

“The world is filled with power.”

The light expanded to the size of her head, and she moved it around as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Magic is a special power separate from physical strength. But strictly speaking, it’s just a vague term.”

Angel swallowed his saliva.

“Magic uses magical power, and dark magic uses dark magical power.”

The cluster of light trembled.

And then, it emitted a tremendous light.

“This is divine power, the power to work miracles, protection, healing, and purification.”

Angel looked into Beatrice’s eyes once more.

Her eyes seemed to burn with desire.

“Sir Knight, you should learn various methods, not just magic and swordsmanship, but also miracles and archery.”

Ainzel remained silent, lips tightly sealed.

“Alright, let’s get started,” she said.

The night grew deeper, and Ainzel lay on the bed.

However, he clutched the Holy Sword tightly beside him.

Was it born from the fear of not knowing when he might die?

He had experienced being stabbed to death by a priest.

He couldn’t trust anyone, not even a saint.

As the night of mistrust deepened, he imagined in his mind how to pierce someone, as quietly and suddenly as possible.

His mind was slowly wearing away, but at the same time, it was becoming sharper.

He tried to create a light in his hand. He realized that the power of protection and healing had little meaning to him, at least for himself.

Even if new flesh grew, he couldn’t heal the bruise in his heart.

Even when his skin became clean and his complexion returned, he remembered the past when he had died and been wounded there.

Sometimes, he couldn’t control his facial expressions. To be more precise, there were times when the sensation above his neck completely disappeared.

Phantom pain? No, it wasn’t. After experiencing the sensation above the neck disappearing completely, the pain of the following silence was stronger than phantom pain.

But he slept. The next day, the swordsmanship master would arrive to teach him swordsmanship. Swordsmanship was greatly influenced by the condition of the body, at least that’s what he thought. He needed to get rid of the fatigue in his body in advance.

And the next day.

“…This is what they call a hero, I can’t believe it,” said Sein Ludelan, the noblewoman of the Ludelan family at the time and the appointed swordsmanship instructor for Ainzel.

As soon as she arrived at the holy land, she started teaching swordsmanship and this was what she said when she saw the result of Ainzel wielding a sword.

Ainzel’s eyes were shaking violently.

“I’m sorry…”

Ainzel reflexively tried to apologize, but Sein stopped him from apologizing.

“It’s not about getting angry because you can’t do it.”

“Really…?”

Ainzel was confused. What did this woman mean? If it wasn’t because he couldn’t do it, then was she angry about something he didn’t like?

And that question was immediately answered.

“Your thrusting.”

Sein scratched her chin.

“It was like you were showing off your life. It’s a sword for killing people. It’s a sword that waits quietly for the opponent to relax and pierces the opponent’s heart.”

With a start, Angel’s body trembled.

“That’s not a knight’s sword. It’s an assassin’s sword. I wonder where you learned to use a blade like that… It’s a sword fit for someone who’s experienced in murder, someone who has never held a sword except for ambushing their targets. At least, it doesn’t suit a hero. Assassinating a demon king is practically impossible.”

Angel’s complexion turned pale. Had he really figured that out just by watching a simple thrust?

“I, um, that is…”

“Enough. To be honest, I’m disappointed. I don’t know what you’ve done in the past, but it would have been better if you didn’t know how to wield a sword at all, rather than using an assassin’s blade as a hero.”

Angel hung his head. He didn’t know what to say. His mind had gone blank.

“Hmm… I heard that you killed an ogre. Is that true?”

Sain asked with a furrowed brow.

“Yes, it’s true.”

“I heard there was a body of an ogre that you took down, though it was a pretty small and weak one. Still, it doesn’t make sense.”

Sain grabbed Angel’s shoulders and asked, “That body was riddled with shallow wounds all over, as if it had been toyed with and worn out through a prolonged battle. Do you think that makes sense?”

Her tone changed.

“Dragging it into a prolonged battle means you dodged almost all of its attacks, meaning you could predict how the ogre would move. How do you know so much about the ogre’s movements based on such limited information?”

Angel’s eyes trembled with distress.

How did he know? How could he deduce all that from just a few clues?

Angel made up his mind. Well, keeping his mouth shut at this point would only make him look suspicious.

“I’ve encountered an ogre before.”

“What?”

Sain spoke in disbelief.

“By chance, I encountered an ogre before, and I saw soldiers dying at the hands of the ogre. I remembered its movements from back then, which helped me catch it.”

He didn’t lie; he didn’t lie.

“And as for the way I wield the sword… I had my reasons, and that’s all I could learn. I don’t stand a chance unless I use ambush tactics.”

As he spoke with determination, Sain’s eyes showed a hint of bewilderment.

“Please, teach me the way of the sword. I want to become a hero who can fight and win head-on against our enemies.”

With a serious gaze, Sain missed the chance to say anything.

No, what could I possibly say to that look in his eyes?

Sain’s words got stuck in his throat for a moment, and then he said,

“…Well, there’s no helping it. I get it. After all, I came here to teach you in the first place. How old are you?”

Angel hesitated.

“…I’m sixteen.”

“Sixteen? Good. We’re the same age then. From now on, drop the formalities.”

Angel looked at Sein, wondering what that meant.

“Since you asked for this, I’m going to be tough on you… It might drive you crazy inside to use honorifics with someone who makes you want to curse, but you know what? I don’t intend to stress you out to the point of trying to kill you with stress before a hero takes me down as a demon lord.”

Angel began to feel uneasy.

“U-uh, okay.”

“Good, then…”

Sein gripped his sword and channeled his magic. The blue blade shimmered.

“You see this? This is a blade of magic.”

Angel stared at it with wonder in his eyes.

“Within a year from now, I’ll make sure you can use this.”

“What?”

Startled, Angel blurted out his words.

“Heroes receive assistance from a holy sword when they handle magic and divine power. Naturally, they should be faster than regular people.”

“You mean…”

“With hard work, there’s nothing that can’t be achieved.”

Sein cleared his throat.

“At first, I didn’t like you, but my opinion changed when I saw your eyes. I’ll put in my utmost effort to train you, so be prepared.”