We Defeated The Demon King And Disbanded Without Any Conflict – Chapter 37

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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‘Just in case, we need to raise the next generation of heroes..!!’

That’s what I told myself with a grand internal declaration, but frankly, my power was utterly insignificant.

It was Odrox who held back the attacks of the demons and monsters.

It was Lian who took care of the party’s mental state and healed their injuries.

It was Rain who was, well, the center of everything.

And it was Sola who was responsible for the firepower that wiped out the enemies.

All four of them were so strong that they seemed almost superhuman, and their personalities were equally exceptional.

The fact that they had put up with me all this time was a testament to that.

To be honest, I think I was at least a little helpful during hunts and Labyrinth explorations.

After all, knowing the enemy’s information beforehand was a significant advantage in battle.

However, when it came to the most important battle against the Demon King, my role was practically nonexistent.

A weak body, mediocre swordsmanship, magic that couldn’t even compare to Sola’s, zero holy power, and slowly dying because of a curse.

I was nothing more than dead weight, not even worth targeting.

Well, everything worked out in the end, so it was fine.

No one died, and no one suffered any life-altering injuries.

The important thing now was that a demon had appeared, contrary to our predictions, at a time when our party’s combat capabilities were still intact.

And there were many promising candidates who possessed both talent and the will to take on the responsibility of protecting the continent’s peace.

I discovered a fragment of the destroyed core among the debris.

Yes, this was what I was looking for.

I remembered that when we attacked the mobile fortress, we finished it off by destroying its core.

That round, smooth thing that couldn’t possibly speak was surprisingly talkative.

It had also mentioned something about the Demon Realm back then… I couldn’t hear everything because I interrupted it midway through.

I put a green fragment into my backpack.

I would need to talk to Sola about it later.

I searched through the rubble but found nothing else noteworthy.

There were only the mangled corpses of monsters that the other teams had brutally slaughtered.

It seemed like we were the only ones who had encountered a demon.

That was a relief.

If they had swarmed us in large numbers, it would have been a complete disaster.

I stood up and dusted off my pants.

As I looked around, all I could see were grass and trees.

It was a sight that would have taken anyone’s breath away, but I didn’t particularly mind.

Deserts, jungles, abysses, coasts, ruins… I had traveled them all alone.

Countless times, I had faced situations far more desperate than this, but somehow, I always managed to find a way out.

This was nothing.

…Probably.

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Al Sola’s words, declaring that she had encountered a demon, were like a bolt from the blue.

The original Hero’s party, who had experienced the overwhelming power of demons firsthand, frowned in unison.

The Duke, who had been momentarily lost in thought, looked at them with a puzzled expression.

The other members of the Seven Stars also glanced at them curiously.

It was as if they were asking, “How strong can a demon be to warrant such a reaction?”

“Have any of you actually faced a demon in battle?” Rain asked the members of the Seven Stars.

Of course, none of them raised their hands. They had not been active during the time before the Demon King was defeated.

“Then have any of you even seen a demon in person?”

This time, the Duke, who seemed a bit older than the others, hesitantly raised his hand.

“Yes, but… I only saw it from afar. I didn’t get a good look at it. I just caught a glimpse of something that looked like a demon while I was fleeing.”

His words meant that he hadn’t seen or fought a demon, just like the other Seven Stars.

“Who is the strongest adventurer currently active?”

“Among those active in Hidin… the strongest adventurer is the Platinum-ranked adventurer, Hon Mellick. He is known to primarily use a spear.”

“And who is the strongest among the mercenaries?”

“If you’re talking about the entire continent, it would be Obrien Lil Jernom… He’s elusive and not officially recognized, but…”

“Even if those two joined forces, they wouldn’t last three minutes against a demon in the Demon Realm. Even if we assume they’re weakened after coming to the human realm, they would die after ten minutes, tops.”

Her calm words made the Duke’s jaw drop.

The other Seven Stars weren’t much better.

Merton, naturally curious, was the first to directly question her.

“May I ask why?”

“Because the demonic energy that demons emit acts as poison to our bodies. Unless you gradually acclimate to it, your body and senses will dull, and the circulation of mana within your body will also slow down.”

Her words carried weight because they came from Rain, who had entered the Demon Realm and fought demons firsthand.

That was why her words instilled a sense of unease.

If someone else had said those words, they might have been dismissed as a joke.

However, the Rain they knew was not one to lie.

The fact that she, who possessed a strength that reassured others, was speaking so grimly about the danger was no small matter.

On the other hand, some began to doubt Rain’s strength.

The Hero.

But a former one.

Perhaps now, a fading star.

It had been a long time since she had demonstrated her true strength.

As the saying went, weapons rust when unused, and combat skills deteriorate without practice.

Merton, who had explored the Demon Labyrinth with her, harbored the same doubts.

The way she had effortlessly cut down monsters had led him to the foolish misconception that the monsters were weak, not her.

The Seven Stars, their arrogance fueled by their titles and the sycophants around them, continued to grow complacent.

And that, in turn, led to this:

“But honestly, aren’t the original Hero and her companions fading stars now? None of you have much real-world experience, and there are plenty of talented adventurers these days.”

Those words were spoken with careless abandon.

They did not remember what had happened after Odrox had struck them.

They had forgotten that they had been utterly defeated and rendered unconscious.

That was why they were so brazen.

Lian nodded slightly, as if agreeing with their sentiment.

“That might be true. There weren’t as many talented individuals active when we were around.”

Emboldened by her words, Merton became even more audacious in his pronouncements, his head swelling with pride over being a member of the Seven Stars.

“Al Sola mentioned encountering a demon. It’s good that she managed to subdue it with her little tagalong… But even if she is a great mage, I don’t think it was wise to allow an outsider to participate based solely on her own judgment.”

“Merton Jin.”

Rain calmly called his name.

However, Merton, his engine already running, did not stop.

“By ‘tagalong,’ I mean… well, Al Sola brought along this suspicious-looking individual as her companion. No matter how great a mage she is, I don’t think it was a good idea to bring in an outsider based solely on her own preference.”

“Merton Jin.”

“Perhaps he’s exceptionally skilled in some way? That’s why…”

“Merton Jin.”

“Oh, yes! Hero! What is it…?”

“Three times.”

“Excuse me?”

What Rain Garden hated:

Unjustified discrimination and looking down on others, speaking carelessly.

Insulting her comrades.

Speaking ill of him.

Odrox, who knew Rain’s triggers all too well, massaged his forehead.

Three times.

Rain had given him ample opportunity.

Lian stood up cautiously and spoke to the Duke in a low voice.

“Things might get messy, so please accept my apologies in advance. And I’m truly sorry, but could you please excuse yourself for a moment?”

Sola stared at Merton, her expression unreadable.

Merton had been about to insult both her and Ron simultaneously.

Len tried to stop Merton, who was becoming increasingly reckless, but seeing the situation had already escalated beyond repair, he decided to feign ignorance.

Prometheus, who had been slightly sympathetic to Merton’s stance, discreetly reached for his weapon, just in case.

Only Merton remained oblivious to the situation, unable to read the atmosphere.

The door closed.

“So, Hero, to be honest, I’m not sure if those demons are really that strong. Our adventurers…”

Swoosh—Thud—Thump—

One swift cut.

Three fleshy thuds.

Merton stopped talking at the gruesome sound that shouldn’t be heard in a place like this.

He felt a strange emptiness.

He could no longer feel the hand that had been resting on the table.

And then,

“Aaaagh! Aaagh! Wh-What…”

Merton looked down and saw a growing pool of red spreading out from him.

Only then did the searing pain register.

“Merton Jin. Learner.”

Merton looked up at Rain, who had spoken his title, surname, and given name in her usual flat tone.

He couldn’t detect any emotion.

No, he couldn’t read her.

His vision blurred from the sudden pain.

Why?

Why would the noble Hero, who always strove for equality do this?

How could she be the first to draw her sword here?

And that speed!

Why couldn’t he comprehend what was happening?

Had she gone soft after becoming the headmaster?

Had she even used her holy sword before?

No, had she ever drawn it in the first place?

“I will not tolerate any further insults towards my comrade. By the authority vested in me as the continent’s First Star and original Hero, I, Rain Garden, hereby sentence the Sixth Star to death.”

Those words, spoken with such nonchalance, declared that she would execute him, one of the chosen heroes.

Merton trembled, feeling the cold fury emanating from Rain, yet he still tried to salvage the situation with a bluff.

“Wh-What right do you have?! Does the First Star have that kind of authority?! Don’t be ridiculous!! What authority do you have over another member of the Seven Stars… I… I…”

His vision blurred as he felt a strange warmth spreading through his body.

As the light converged, the bleeding stopped.

His mind cleared, but there he was, lying face down in a pool of his own blood.

It was no easy feat to regain his balance and stand up, especially in his current state: one leg, no arms.

“L-Lian… Lian! Saintess! You’re on my side, right?!”

He desperately turned to Lian for help, but his vision, now coming into focus, caught the gazes of four pairs of eyes fixed upon him.

He had been so caught up in his own world, spouting nonsense, that he had failed to notice.

His belated regret did nothing to change the situation.

His words, once spoken, could not be taken back.

There was no saving grace.

He was met with cold, emotionless gazes, like those of an enemy.

“Th-There…”

He felt a primal fear grip him.

The chilling gazes of seasoned warriors, who had walked through fire and emerged victorious, were terrifying.

He felt like prey.

“…Save… Save me…”

He felt a warm trickle run down his leg, the yellowish liquid mixing with the blood pooling beneath him, but no one cared.

He frantically darted his eyes around, but Len Shri Kisron had his back turned, and Prometheus was lying unconscious near the wall, seemingly subdued.

There was no one to help him.

As that realization dawned on him, tears welled up in Merton’s eyes.

“I-I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I was being foolish… arrogant… Please forgive me… I’ll do anything… just spare me…”

“That’s not necessary.”

Rain dismissed his desperate pleas.

Her lips, her brow, her gaze—nothing moved.

Her expression was the same as always.

Rain, with her usual calm demeanor, picked up a simple iron sword—the kind commonly seen on the battlefield.

It was stained with blood, the red mixed with yellowish fat, a sight that filled Merton with terror.

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[BRUTALITY]