How To Leave The Hero Party- Chapter 2

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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They say good news and bad news always come together.

Overjoyed at the good news I’d received that morning, I opened my laptop.

I was about to launch Seeker of the Eight Stars—a game I’d played more than enough, a game that countless people had told me to quit—

When a sudden Steam chat message popped up on my monitor.

It was from the developers of Seeker of the Eight Stars.

[Um…]

Why would the developers suddenly message a random player?

Curiosity quickly turned to suspicion, my relaxed posture morphing into one of tense dread.

Just that single word in the chat window sent shivers down my spine, my hands and feet trembling.

[…You know the drill, right?]

“…Shit.”

And with that, I was pulled into the game.

[You can return to reality after completing all achievements.]

When I came to, I was in a city bathed in the deep darkness of night.

Though the sky was dark, a single, crimson moon hung overhead, illuminating the city as if it were daytime.

Subtle red lanterns hung outside the risqué establishments catering to men. Green lanterns marked the gambling dens where lives weren’t wagered, but gold.

Taverns selling food that might be unavailable by tomorrow hung yellow lanterns. Shops selling equipment to adventurers and soldiers battling monsters displayed blue lanterns.

The city seemed vibrant, decorated with these colorful lights.

Unlike my deflated mood.

Shouldn’t there be some kind of disclaimer? Some opportunity to complain, to curse, before getting dragged into this?

Why me? I’m a good person! I didn’t do anything!

Of all the games, why did it have to be this roguelike? This notoriously difficult one?

“Hah… Shit.”

As a stranger to this city—no, to this entire world—I could only bite my lip.

The sky was black, the moon crimson.

A crimson moon.

That meant this was Hardcore Mode— a party size locked to three members, increased stress levels, and boosted enemy attack and defense.

The only silver lining was my class, Sage, available only in Hardcore Mode.

True to its title, Seeker of the Eight Stars allowed players to choose from eight classes to form their party, including the Hero.

Hero, Knight, Archer, Warrior, Mage, Priest, Thief, Shaman.

But Hardcore Mode added one more– the Sage.

The nonexistent ninth Seeker, a class with a description designed to make any gamer’s heart pound.

Following the concept of “Jack of all trades, master of none,” the Sage could use all the skills of the eight main classes, including sub-class skills—except for their ultimate abilities.

It was the developers’ meager attempt at balancing the brutal difficulty of the limited party size.

Even if I couldn’t use ultimate abilities and my skills were weaker than those of the specialized classes, having access to a wide range of skills meant I could adapt to various situations.

That’s why most Hardcore players included a Sage in their party, and I was no exception.

Of course, the best option would be to become the Hero and control the situation myself… but even with my eternally optimistic nature, I’d rather not risk gender-bending and the horrors of forced feminization. So, this was truly the lesser of two evils.

“Haah…”

Further cursing was pointless. I’d happily fill the Tripitaka Koreana with swear words if it would get me back to reality, but it wouldn’t.

Besides, excessive stress was a death sentence in this game.

So, think positive.

No matter how bleak reality might be.

It wasn’t completely hopeless.

[You can return to reality after completing all achievements.]

My only clue, my only hope, was already laid out before me.

So, I had to do it.

It was late at night. The time when the first stars of dawn struggled to assert themselves against the crimson moon.

People heading home after a long day’s work.

Others returning to worn-down lodgings or inns to prepare for tomorrow’s battles.

And some wandering around, looking for another drink.

Passing by the people filling the streets for various reasons, I arrived at the Tail Tavern.

The place where the Hero met her companions in Chapter 1 of the game.

Where the player encountered their comrades and the main storyline began.

I prayed, hands clasped together, that party recruitment wasn’t already over.

Then, I opened the door.

“Now! To the defeat of the Demon King!”

A beautiful woman with golden hair.

A stern-faced knight with short, silver hair tinged with blue, clad in worn armor.

And an Elven Archer with jet-black hair, dressed lightly.

The three beauties clinked their glasses, dreaming of a bright future.

Hero.

Knight.

Archer.

My mind went blank as I saw their party composition.

Seriously…

You’re going without a healer? How are you planning to manage your stress and health?

“…Excuse me.”

“Yes?”

“Are you by any chance Hero Claire? I heard you were recruiting party members…”

“Oh my. What should we do?”

Flustered, she stammered before bowing her head apologetically.

“We’ve already finished recruiting…”

I’d tried my luck, but it was a no-go.

The blueprint I’d meticulously crafted on my way here, aiming for all achievements, instantly turned to dust.

Sweat trickled down my back, my neck stiffening.

Hardcore Mode, no Sage in the party, and no healer?

At this rate, they wouldn’t even make it past Chapter 3 of the main storyline, let alone defeat the Demon King.

Considering that only the Hero could defeat the Demon King…

This wouldn’t do.

Despite my panic, I managed a smile towards Claire, who still showed no sign of wanting me in her party.

While Leventia and Evangeline, who had joined the party before me, chattered and tried to console me, I gave them vague replies, my mind racing.

My experience as a gamer with over 10,000 hours invested in this game allowed me to quickly devise a new blueprint for achieving all achievements.

“Well, it can’t be helped.”

“Yes… I’m sorry.”

I shook my head at her apology. I’d retreat for now.

Sitting alone at a table, nursing a beer, I observed the three of them.

They all dreamed of a hopeful tomorrow, but their eyes held anxiety. As if to prove the difficulty of Hardcore Mode, their stress levels were already visibly rising.

But don’t worry.

Whether you like it or not,

I will make sure you defeat the Demon King.

And for that purpose,

I’ll gladly shower you with all the agape love you need.

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…For a moment, I lost myself, a memory from the past surfacing.

I looked at the two who had caused my momentary lapse.

An intellectually beautiful priestess.

And a werewolf shaman boy with a perpetually cheerful grin.

These two, who I’d teamed up with for this quest, had managed to drive me to the brink of insanity in just a few hours.

They were truly something else.

“Wow! Mr. Sage! Are we hunting a Wyvern now?! A Wyvern! A Wyvern! Wow! I’ve never seen a Wyvern before! I wonder if we can catch it? We can, right? Right? Right?”

The relentlessly cheerful werewolf shaman chattered excitedly.

“Wow! You know about Wyverns! Just in case you didn’t, Wyverns have a pair of wings and a long tail tipped with a diamond-shaped point. And their teeth, well, it depends on the species, but they usually have dozens. The Wyvern we’re hunting this time is venomous!”

The priestess pushed her glasses up her nose as she explained, in far more detail than necessary.

“But Mr. Sage, you can use detoxification magic, right?”

“Yes. Detoxification magic is basically a type of healing magic related to water, and it’s divided into two types. Its origins can be traced back to magic and holy power, and the detoxification magic that Mr. Sage uses is magic-based, specifically water-based. Therefore, it’s highly effective against biological poisons, so the threat of poison can be greatly reduced!”

“Oh, I see! But Wyverns are still dangerous monsters! I’m counting on Ms. Priestess’s healing too!”

“You shouldn’t rely solely on healing. I don’t know how much you know about healing, but it’s divided into two types: one that accelerates the body’s natural healing process and one that uses holy power to directly heal…”

Six months had passed since I left the Hero’s Party.

To achieve the “Now I’m an S-Rank Adventurer” achievement, I had joined the Adventurer’s Guild and accepted every single quest available, regardless of party members.

Which is how I ended up with these two.

Seriously, wasn’t this a bit much?

One’s an info-dumper and the other lives in the world of their fantasies…

Were there no normal adventurers?!

Out of all the people I’d quested with in this town over the past few months, the sane ones could be counted on one hand. And even on my last quest here, I had to deal with this.

“By the way, Mr. Sage.”

“What.”

“There’s a quest at the Adventurer’s Guild. They’re looking for you! Apparently, the Hero’s Party is desperately searching for you! Shouldn’t you go check it out?!”

Ever since a month after I left the Hero’s Party, requests for me had increased, not only from the Adventurer’s Guild but also from several towns. Out of curiosity, I’d checked and found out that the Hero, the Knight, and the Elf were constantly looking for me.

They had apparently even personally visited some towns, but I’d never actually run into them.

Not that I was avoiding them. If anyone should be doing the avoiding, it was them.

The reason I hadn’t met them was simple.

Unlocking achievements was more important than listening to their whining.

“Leave them be.”

“Wow! The Hero’s Party…”

“Oh, please, Priestess. Shut up. It’s almost time to hunt the Wyvern.”

“It’s a Wyvern!! Mr. Wyvern! Hellooo!”

“You too, shut up…”

I was going to lose my mind.

Maybe the Hero’s Party were better after all…

Or were they?

Anyway, let’s finish this quickly and get back. I have a lot to do.

Once this Wyvern is dealt with, I’m done with quests in this town.

Hopefully, I can party with some sane people for the quests in the next town…

-SCREEEEEECH!!!

A harsh shriek pierced the air, and the sky darkened. A hideous monster, its body covered in black markings, descended.

The Wyvern, eyes filled with venomous rage, swooped down towards us.

Seeing this, the werewolf shaman raised his staff, and the priestess immediately pulled out her holy book and began to pray.

And me, the sage?

“Bind.”

I flung the chains I’d prepared, snaring the Wyvern’s wings. It crashed to the ground, disoriented.

“Heave-ho!!”

I swung my hammer.

The Wyvern reeled from the Warrior’s basic skill, Crash. The shaman, wielding a dagger, leaped forward with a wide grin.

“Woohoo! Wow, this Wyvern is huge!”

“The reason why Wyverns are so large is because they were baptized by chaos before the Demon King. Many monsters were transformed because of it, but Wyverns were particularly affected. One theory about this is…”

My ears were about to bleed.

Couldn’t they just fight without talking?

…Seriously.

Past or present, my parties were always filled with weirdos.

Everyone has their own quirks, but in this game, even the NPCs seemed stressed out.

I could understand. Whether adventurer or Hero’s Party member, it was a life sustained by killing.

Compared to a normal life, the burden was immense, affecting not only the body but also the mind.

“Woohoo! We got it! We got it! Wyverns are nothing! Ahaha! Mr. Sage, you worked hard! It was really easy just like you said! Should we hunt some other monsters? How about Twin Ogres? No, no! A Mud Dragon would be good too!! Or maybe…”

“Wow! You know about Twin Ogres! They’re really, really strong. Twin Ogres have two heads and…”

They say God only gives you trials you can handle.

But couldn’t I get some easier trials for once? I was already struggling enough.

Last time, it was a nymphomaniac. Before that, a kleptomaniac.

And this time, a hyperactive kid who couldn’t stop talking and a chronic info-dumper…

Why couldn’t I ever party with normal people?

Anyway, the quest was complete. Carrying the Wyvern head, the quest item, we returned to town.

“Alright, let’s disband and never see each other again.”

“Ehhh~! I want to keep partying with Mr. Sage! How about we form a fixed party?! Should I apply? No! I’ll apply, so Mr. Sage just stay put!”

“Fixed parties are formed through an application to the guild, usually by adventurers who have worked together for a long time. Because of this…”

“No way. Don’t apply. I’m serious.”

I flatly rejected their proposal. There were plenty of normal adventurers out there, so I had no intention of continuing with these two.

No wonder my evaluation rank was low despite my high success rate.

“Here.”

I submitted the Wyvern head to the Adventurer’s Guild receptionist in place of the others. She beamed at me.

“Thank you for your hard work. Slaying a Wyvern is no easy feat…”

“So, that’s all the outstanding quests in this town completed, right?”

“Um… Yes, but… Mr. Sage, there’s a letter for you from the Royal Palace…”

“If it’s from the Hero’s Party, just throw it away.”

“No, this is directly from the Royal Palace.”

Could it be? I wasn’t even an S-Rank adventurer yet, and I was already getting royal quests?

I took the letter from the receptionist, unfolded it, and smiled.

“What is it?”

“They’re recommending me as the Princess’s tutor.”

“Wow! That’s amazing!! Becoming a royal tutor!”

She gushed excitedly, but I didn’t care about such honors.

This simply meant a chance to complete the “S-Rank Tutor” achievement, which normally required several steps, in one go.

There was no reason to refuse.

Even if it meant running into the Hero’s Party again.

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