The Hero’s Party Members Treat Me Well for Some Reason

6 – Shall I Withdraw

What followed was a… predictable story. Becoming a hero at the imperial hero selection ceremony held at the royal palace.

The ceremony was held in the imperial capital, and it was a structure where anyone who drew the holy sword bestowed by the Goddess of the Sun would naturally become a hero.

It had been a ritual conducted for generations, almost a continent-wide tradition.

As long as you drew it, regardless of your social class, personality, or image, you could become a hero right away.

A truly fortunate story.

With such settings in mind, I entered the imperial capital.

“Welcome! It’s an opportunity where anyone can become a hero by drawing! People aiming for a life-changing moment! You are the hero chosen by the Goddess herself! Those who think they are, step forward and try drawing the holy sword!!!”

“You need strength to draw it! Buy some food!”

“Ugh! I failed again!! It was my third attempt.”

In the central square of the capital, the selection ceremony was in full swing.

The announcer loudly continued the proceedings, merchants looking for a profit by selling food, and individuals seeking a life-changing moment attempting to draw the holy sword repeatedly.

In a temporary throne set up for the nobles, the king watched the ceremony with a bored expression.

This is the 14th day in a row for the hero selection ceremony… it’s bound to be boring.

Since they were selecting only one person from the entire continent, the selection ceremony often didn’t end in just one day.

Even when I was absorbed in the game, the hero selection ceremony was still ongoing.

Of course, even considering that, two weeks felt quite long.

In most cases, a hero would emerge within a week.

Perhaps that’s why the square was quite empty. The event had already run out of exciting things.

Thanks to that, there was more anxiety about what kind of hero would appear in the crowd.

The king probably had similar thoughts. That’s why he was considering the insane plan of going on a quest without a hero and would soon put it into action.

I was starting to get tired of this boring selection ceremony.

In this situation where some expectation, anxiety, greed, and boredom were all mixed together,

I stepped forward.

“Alright! Another new challenger… uh, uh?”

Passing through the crowd in the square and going past the host, I finally stood in front of the holy sword.

The flustered host who looked at me from behind was ignored. They must have felt some fear. After all, I had a curse related to fear placed upon me.

“Hmm…”

I also ignored the king’s eyes that looked at me with displeasure.

Instead, I focused my gaze on the sacred holy sword in front of me.

It was like Excalibur itself, a sword embedded in solid rock.

Many people had challenged it but failed in their attempt to draw it.

There must have been knights called the best in the empire among the challengers, as well as the leader of the Tower of Daema.

“Try it quickly. You’re probably going to fail anyway.”

Hearing the king mumbling in front,

I drew the holy sword.

Swish!

There was no resistance.

I didn’t feel the weight of the holy sword or the sensation of it being stuck in the rock at all.

As if it had always been my sword, the holy sword tightly nestled in my hand.

Such was the appearance of the revealed holy sword.

Receiving the grace of the sun god, it shone brilliantly like sunlight, a dazzling double-edged sword.

“!!”

“!!!”

The astonishment spread throughout the surroundings.

From the first impression, the brat who was unlikable from the start easily pulled out the Sword of Holy Knght that no one was able to pull out for two weeks straight.

It must feel like having not only one’s dignity torn away, but also one’s soul.

Various noises echoed around.

“What, what!” exclaimed the loud announcer.

“This can’t be!” exclaimed the guards again.

“It seems like the end of the world is truly approaching… Isn’t there really no talent like this on the continent?” even an elderly citizen nearby muttering such words.

The humans I saw for the first time today are already despising me.

It was truly an amusing situation, so I couldn’t help but snicker.

Everyone seems to feel repulsed by the unexpected situation, but what can be done?

I have already pulled out the Sword of Holy Knight, and this is a situation that cannot be reproduced by manipulation. The countless individuals who failed for 14 days can prove that.

Likewise, it was impossible to invalidate it.

To nullify a tradition that has been passed down in the country for hundreds of years just because it doesn’t sit well with someone’s heart.

It’s impossible.

Even if it were possible, the current king is not such a remarkable person.

“I… I appoint you as a knight…”

Thanks to that, I was able to be appointed as a knight without any issues, just experiencing some commotion.

The sight of the king, with a face full of frustration, granting me a position was quite worthy of seeing.

It was painful to see the other members of the knight party having seizures when they saw me, but…

*

Wait, what!? This is supposed to be a knight? Don’t even kid around!!

The imperial fortune has run out… In the end, is it my fate to decline?

Oh, Ene-nim… If it’s your will, then I will believe and follow for now, but…

That’s wrong. I can already see the wickedness overflowing from your soul. Is this person really suitable to be a knight? Are they not a spy sent by the Demon Lord Army?

These were the words I heard when I first met them after becoming a knight.

Especially from those girls who had higher expectations for a knight, they must have felt quite disappointed.

My body was covered in curses of dislike, after all.

Although I don’t know how I will appear to the other person… It’s probably not a good feeling at all.

Thanks to that, I felt like I was stepping on thorns from the first meeting.

“But, thinking about it, that time might have been better.”

Of course, from my current standpoint, I would rather have that time.

At least back then, we were awkward with each other, so they couldn’t openly criticize me.

But now that the distance has narrowed somewhat, all I do is get pushed around every day.

Being pushed around is supposed to indicate a close relationship. Is this what a proper human relationship is like?

“What kind of thoughts are you lost in all by yourself?”

As I tried to hide my bitterness, a knight approached from the front and asked me.

I casually smiled and replied, “Oh, just lost in my thoughts.”

“Tsk, walk straight and look ahead. Don’t even know how to perform basic scouting as a warrior?”

What a jab right into the heart.

Well, anyway, that’s how I became a warrior.

The rest is a story of the events that happened over the past six months… but let’s skip over that since it’s pretty obvious and boring.

I was just fighting monsters and getting scolded.

I was cooking, but got picked on. During a late-night watch, we suspected that one of us might be a spy for the demon army.

We fought over different opinions while walking and even experienced personal insults. I foolishly stepped forward and was called useless.

Even when my skin was torn by a monster, they deliberately delayed healing my wounds. Or at some point, the dismantling tasks became solely my responsibility.

…Well, those kinds of stories.

Curses related to fate turned out to be much more malevolent than I had thought.

Curses of suspicion, dislike, and malevolence only seemed to intensify the longer we were together, more so than at the first encounter.

Within half a year, the party members who should be trusting and relying on each other began to doubt and despise me.

They turned into what people commonly refer to as a “hateful group.”

Slowly cultivating the seeds of doubt within, and making it bloom into conviction. That is the true power of the curses placed upon me.

It’s no wonder I can’t establish any meaningful connections.

Do you know what these girls in the current party think of me?

“No matter how you look at it, he’s suspicious… That guy can’t possibly be a true demon or one of their subordinates, can he?”

“Indeed, there is a possibility. When I saw his soul, it was as if it was tainted with darkness.”

He was undoubtedly a sinister figure.

Unnecessarily disliked and suspicious. It was a perfect fit to suspect him as a sinister figure.

Even the conversation between Lily and Adele was discussing suspicions about me being a part of the demon army.

“Cliché, it’s so cliché.”

Little did I know, there was a sinister figure in the party.

It’s a typical cliché. As easy as people can think of.

As easily as one can think of, it is also easy to get caught up in it.

If you roughly put together a scenario, it is easy to have confidence in it, you see.

“Well, let’s keep pressuring him. If he feels psychologically cornered, he’ll show something.”

Perhaps the reason why they keep tormenting me is related to that.

Nevertheless, since I am a hero, I cannot directly expel myself, so I hope to leave on my own.

Like the office workers who recommend resignation.

It was a situation where sighs came naturally.

As human hearts go, they usually have a fluid nature.

Meaning they are not constant and always flow like water.

Because of that, depending on the situation, they tend to change drastically.

The determination made late at night to live diligently easily disperses with the fatigue that comes in the early morning.

Also, the determination made on a special day naturally wears off over time like a rock on the beach.

As it is, my initial determination is also being worn away.

In simpler terms, it means I’m exhausted.

The gloomy times of the past six months were enough to exhaust me and make me regret.

The ugly appearance of the heroines, who always showed their splendid side in the game.

The expression of contempt and annoyance that came to life.

Amidst countless insults, suspicions, and persecuting gazes, I had no choice but to endure them again today.

“Should I withdraw?”

The word that has been repeated in my mind hundreds of times.