The World After Leaving the Hero’s Party

“H-Hey… Hyun Woo.”

Hyun Woo.

Yoon Hyun Woo.

Up until after Chapter 5, when things became strained, Claire used to call me by my name more often than by the title ‘Sage.’

Since the end of Chapter 2, when I had lightened her burdens and relieved her stress.

The name Hyun Woo had, in a way, created a special connection between Claire and me.

Perhaps now, by calling me ‘Hyun Woo’ instead of ‘Sage,’ Claire was attempting to display and maintain a bit of closeness.

“…I… I missed you. Really… drinking tea… like this with you reminds me of the old days…”

There had been so many moments that it was hard to remember them all.

Seeing me look at her, Claire began to speak, her words tumbling out in disarray.

“A-and… I noticed that summer… um, the summer festival will be held soon.”

“Ah, that?”

“Yes. Do you remember? Back then, when we went to the summer festival, we went around everywhere…”

To conquer the summer festival, we visited every stall, played every mini-game, and collected every medal.

And together, we managed to complete that achievement smoothly, working as a well-coordinated team.

While I recalled those memories, Claire was watching me.

No, she was actually looking at our shared past.

“It was… really fun. It was, wasn’t it? Huh? We were really happy, weren’t we? I was full, and I told you to stop, but you, Hyun Woo, you grabbed my arm and dragged me along… And, you know? The truth is… I didn’t mind. I wasn’t annoyed at all. I just liked it… when you’d take me around.”

“Hm. Right.”

Claire’s words were scattered and unstructured. She seemed desperate, speaking as if her thoughts couldn’t even keep up with her voice.

“The truth is… when they said I’d been chosen as the hero, it didn’t really sink in at first.”

I remembered. I knew this story well.

Claire, who had been a simple village girl, became a hero by drawing the Hero’s Sword and being chosen.

She hadn’t known the proper etiquette, swordsmanship, or magic.

Or how horrible and grueling fighting monsters could be.

The destiny of the innocent village girl shifted from that moment.

She became a hero and, aware of her duty as one, embarked on her journey.

But even throughout the journey to vanquish the Demon King, deep down, Claire still remained a frightened village girl.

She tried to hide it, covering it with her obligations as a hero.

“But then… I realized. People… people praised and cheered for me.”

True, traveling with Claire often meant receiving free services from those who recognized her.

Thanks to that, achieving our goals was easier than expected.

“That’s when I understood. Oh. I really am a hero. That I… that I gave these people courage. But…”

Gulping audibly, Claire stared at me blankly.

Her eyes looked less like those of the hero who had defeated the Demon King and more like those of someone deeply intoxicated.

“To me… it was you… It was you. Only… only you gave me courage. You made it possible for me to move forward, to fight… It’s ridiculous that I’m only realizing it now, isn’t it? I knew you were struggling, but I just wanted the party to stay together, so I turned away and ignored it. What an idiot… What a fool… I’m not… not even fit to be a hero.”

Claire, who had been smiling as she reminisced, now clutched her arm with a trembling hand. She scratched at the fabric covering her skin.

Scritch, scritch.

She scratched so hard the fabric threatened to tear, muttering absently to herself.

Without realizing what I was about to say, she kept pouring out her inner thoughts.

“You always worked so hard for us, gave it your all, and yet we didn’t even notice. Hic… I was nothing. In the end, I was a fool who didn’t know what I could do or what I should have done. I only managed to fulfill my duty as a hero because of you, but I was too much of a fool to see that…”

With her head drooped, Claire continued murmuring in a constant stream.

Her once-bright, sunlit eyes darted aimlessly, unfocused, while her hands clenched at the empty air as if grasping at an invisible rope.

Her shoulders sagged, and her legs, touching the tea table, trembled as her tears spilled and splattered onto the floor.

Unable to look at me properly, her tear-streaked face glanced down as she clung to my sleeve, her voice choked and fractured, like a broken, waterlogged radio.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… so sorry… I’m sorry… I…”

She trembled violently, as though she were a drug addict struggling through withdrawal.

Like someone who had just been told they’d receive no more of the drug they depended on.

—Bang!

Just as I was about to say something, the door suddenly swung open. Claire and I looked over to see a young girl standing there, a vision in her red dress.

Princess Lucille Ermeyer had arrived.

She had apparently run here in haste, as she stood in the doorway, gasping for breath, eyes darting between Claire and me.

“Princess? Is something the matter?” I asked.

“Huff… huff… um, um, T-teacher.”

At the word “teacher,” Claire flinched, her gaze shifting between Lucille and me, her eyes filled with confusion and disbelief.

Why had she come here?

And, besides, I hadn’t even officially taught her anything, yet she was already calling me her teacher.

This seemed like a promising start for the future.

The future was looking bright!

If I played my cards right, I might even achieve this title within a month or two!

“…Teacher. Um, I wanted to learn more about what you taught me earlier… um, would it be possible for you to spare me some time?”

“Ah, yes. Of course. Hey, Claire. Let’s continue this conversation later. I have to step out for now. And about your arm—oh? Perfect timing.”

A priestess, likely accompanying the princess, was waiting just outside the door.

As the princess’s attendant, her healing would be far more potent than mine, so she could give Claire the treatment she needed.

With that, I asked her to heal Claire, then turned to approach the princess.

Looking closely, I could tell she had truly exerted herself.

Her self-esteem was usually so low that she rarely even left her room, so for her to come here on her own must have been a tremendous effort.

As she gasped for breath, her legs trembling like a newborn fawn’s, I gently supported Lucille.

“But, Princess. Why did you come here?”

“Well… um…”

She glanced nervously at Claire, who was staring at me, her tear-streaked face blank and desolate.

“Let’s step outside.”

Claire, with her tear-streaked face, was staring blankly at me.

Lucille, too, kept casting sidelong glances at her.

I wasn’t sure what their connection was, but it didn’t seem like they needed to be in the same room at the moment.

I led Lucille outside, and only once we were out did she speak in a quiet voice, just loud enough for me to hear.

“I… I know about your relationship with the hero. So… I was worried that she might try to harm you or take you away by force…”

“Haha, that’s not going to happen.”

If it did, she’d be crossing a line, and that would make her my enemy.

Hearing my reply, Lucille broke into a soft smile, a gentle blush spreading like a peach blossom.

Then, realizing what she’d just done, she quickly paled, deflating as her breaths came in quick gasps. I reached out to steady her.

“I-I’m sorry. I… I barged in, um, without proper manners…”

“It’s alright.”

I escorted her back to her room, and, as we reached her quarters, she finally seemed to relax and leaned against me.

Just like those from the past who leaned on me when they struggled with burdens they could no longer bear.