How To Leave The Hero Party- Chapter 4

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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The world of Seeker of the Eight Stars revolved around a kingdom ruled by a queen. While Adventure Mode allowed travel to other countries, the main storyline primarily unfolded within the kingdom.

Consequently, the Hero’s Party frequently visited the royal capital, and naturally, so did I.

However, this was our first official meeting.

After all, I was an unofficial member, lacking divine protection.

I’d always wondered what significance that protection even held… but what could I do? There weren’t many achievements related to the royal family, so I hadn’t bothered much with them.

And yet, here I was.

“So, you are the Sage.”

Seated on the throne was a red-haired beauty with a weary expression. Wearing the golden crown that signified her royalty, she appeared haughty yet exhausted.

As if to prove that the kingdom, and indeed the world, was still in peril despite the Demon King’s defeat, the Queen’s face was drawn, lending her a certain decadent allure.

She touched the dark circles under her eyes, then moistened her dry lips with wine.

“The Sage. I’ve heard tales of you.”

“Is that so?”

“The Hero often spoke of you.”

“I, too, have heard of Your Majesty from the Hero.”

“Indeed.”

The monarch who supported the Hero to defeat the Demon King.

Me, who supported the Hero to defeat the Demon King.

Our roles were the same, yet we only knew of each other through a third party.

“The Sage. Sage… Sage.”

She muttered the word repeatedly, a small smile playing on her lips.

“Are you truly as wise as the title ‘Sage’ suggests?”

“I wouldn’t say so.”

It was true.

I was called a Sage simply because I could use skills from other classes and because my 10,000 hours of playtime gave me extensive knowledge of the game’s mechanics and lore.

I didn’t actually possess any profound wisdom.

“Rucal.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Question the Sage.”

At the Queen’s command, an elderly mage in a pointed hat stepped forward.

Rucal, a powerful mage who held a significant position even within the game, posed several magical questions. I shook my head.

“I don’t know.”

“…Hegen.”

Hegen Rossfield, captain of the Royal Guard and a renowned warrior across the continent, drew his sword before me.

“Do you know what swordsmanship style this is?”

“I don’t know.”

“Soltbergen.”

“From the stars and heavens above…”

“I know nothing of astronomy.”

The exceptional individuals gathered before the Queen continued to question me, but I remained silent.

Or rather, I couldn’t answer.

I could hardly answer if I didn’t know.

I could have answered questions about monster strategies or dungeon layouts…

But these theoretical questions that arose when the game became reality were beyond my knowledge.

“…The so-called Sage knows nothing. Then why are you called a Sage?”

“I’m not sure.”

The Queen’s interest was waning. Yet, she didn’t dismiss me.

This meant she still wanted something from me.

“Then tell me, what do you know?”

“I know how to live in this world.”

The throne room fell silent, so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Only the occasional heavy breaths of the maids and knights proved that time was still flowing.

In the silence following my statement, a spark of interest returned to the Queen’s eyes.

“How to live in this world. Is that important?”

“It is. Sometimes, people get lost or isolate themselves because they don’t know how to live.”

“I see. Yes. I see…”

She cut me off mid-sentence and nodded several times.

Was I getting fired already?

As I watched, the Queen continued calmly,

“Very well. Head Maid, escort the Sage.”

“As you wish, Your Majesty.”

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“He is a strange one.”

“Indeed.”

He was a strange man. She had heard many stories about the Sage, not only from the Hero, but throughout the kingdom.

He could wield magic and healing arts, Warrior skills and a Thief’s dexterity.

He possessed excellent archery skills, could wield a sword and shield like a Knight, and had knowledge of shamanistic rituals.

Moreover, he knew the layouts of hidden dungeons across the land and was versed in myths and secrets.

He was truly versatile and erudite.

There had never been anyone with such power.

“The Sage appeared around the same time the Hero formed her party, correct?”

Extraordinary individuals always stood out. But the Sage was different.

He had appeared as if he had suddenly fallen into the world.

No one knew about his past, no one knew his homeland.

Not even the duchies or city-states, let alone the kingdom.

At first, they suspected him of being a spy for the Demon King and investigated him, but that wasn’t the case.

Despite lacking divine protection, he followed the Hero’s Party, supporting them.

Without asking for anything in return.

They wondered if he was romantically involved with the three beautiful women, but that didn’t seem likely.

Their treatment of him was harsh and cruel.

Yet, the Sage hadn’t left.

As if his sole purpose in life was to defeat the Demon King.

And as soon as the Demon King was vanquished, he left the Hero’s Party. The rumors that followed were even more bizarre.

He cleaned the dilapidated stables of a rural inn in place of the ailing innkeeper.

He escorted a lost child home.

He destroyed an ogre den to retrieve a lost heirloom for an old woman.

He conquered dungeons alongside adventurers, saving entire regions, and even defeated a monster that controlled humans and sought to destroy a city.

Yet, the rewards he received were paltry compared to his efforts and power.

Despite his ability to use skills from all classes, his position as an unofficial member of the Hero’s Party,

And his significant contribution to the Demon King’s defeat,

He acted as if such things were of no interest to him.

He saved people.

He occasionally participated in festivals, enlivening them with his lute playing.

He entered card game tournaments – seemingly popular, but ultimately frivolous – rejoicing over useless cards and reveling with the other participants.

Yet, he never stopped helping and saving people.

As if that were his only joy.

Considering all of this, he was clearly no ordinary person.

“A curious individual.”

“Indeed, Your Majesty.”

The fact that one person could use skills from all classes implied an immense amount of knowledge contained within that small head.

It was simple logic. The knowledge required to wield magic differed from the knowledge required for swordsmanship.

Furthermore, the knowledge needed for holy power and shamanistic rituals were practically opposites.

The same applied to other skills.

And yet, he had mastered them all at such a young age?

And despite possessing such knowledge, he chose to feign ignorance in the face of simple questions, displaying humility?

Even when offered positions that could elevate his status significantly?

He was utterly incomprehensible.

Such a powerful individual.

Such an extraordinary individual.

It made her wonder what he truly desired.

“I wonder how he will treat the Princess.”

The interest that had vanished earlier returned to the Queen’s eyes.

What reason could he, a man who seemed to need neither money, fame, glory, power, nor even the company of beautiful women, have for accepting the position of the Princess’s tutor?

“Continue monitoring the Sage.”

Sensing the potential for something interesting to unfold, the Queen turned to leave the throne room but paused.

“Ah, when is General Leoden scheduled to give his regular report with the Hero?”

Rucal calmly replied,

“Today, Your Majesty.”

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I wasn’t stripped of the offered tutorship just because I couldn’t answer their questions. That was a relief.

Anyway, the important thing was becoming the Princess’s tutor.

In the game, the achievement unlocked when the student reached a certain level… would it be the same this time?

Lost in thought about what to teach, I followed the Head Maid. She stopped before a large, ornate door.

“We’ve arrived.”

“I see. Thank you. I’ll take it from here…”

“Um, Mr. Sage.”

The Head Maid turned to me with a serious expression. It seemed she had something important to say.

“Her Highness might be… somewhat… disappointing in your eyes. I ask for your understanding in that regard.”

Even the Queen, her own mother, hadn’t spoken like this. I stared at the Head Maid. The wrinkles around her stern eyes seemed to reflect her deep concern for the Princess.

‘Tsk tsk. You’ve lived a tough life, haven’t you?’

“…Her Highness suffers from very low self-esteem.”

“Oh… Why is that?”

A princess with low self-esteem.

It wasn’t an unusual trope. It was common for someone to be overshadowed by an overwhelmingly powerful heir or other siblings.

However, as far as I knew, Princess Lucille Ermeier was the Queen’s sole heir.

So why was she like this?

In the game, she had been an unremarkable NPC, lacking any distinct personality or significant role, obediently following instructions.

“She’s been like this since she was young. Perhaps… she’s overwhelmed by the pressure from Her Majesty… or perhaps…”

“Is that your assumption?”

“…Yes. I don’t know for certain. All I know is… Her Highness constantly feels inadequate.”

“I see. I understand.”

It couldn’t be worse than the Hero’s Party or those adventurers, could it?

At worst, she’d have low self-esteem and throw tantrums to hide it.

I could handle that.

–Knock, knock.

I knocked on the door. The Head Maid looked at it anxiously. I knocked several more times, but there was no response.

“…Could she be asleep?”

“I don’t think so. Um… Your Highness, the Sage is here.”

–Crash!

–Eeeeeeek! Your Highness! Your Highness!

A sudden crashing sound from inside, followed by the maids’ screams. What was going on?!

I quickly opened the door, preparing a spell. But contrary to my expectations, nothing seemed amiss inside.

The crashing sound had simply been a chair falling over, the shattering sound from a vase that had been on the table.

“H- Hic… S- Sorry. I’m sorry…”

A frightened rabbit, who I assumed had been sitting on the chair moments ago, was huddled in the corner of the room.

A young girl with the same red hair as the Queen.

Unlike the Queen, however, she had silver eyes and a cute face, hidden behind the folds of a lavish, expensive-looking dress.

Her downcast bangs obscured her eyes, which darted nervously around, betraying her anxiety.

Then, her eyes met mine, and she flinched, quickly lowering her head.

I gave her a gentle smile and bowed.

“I am Sage Song Hyun-woo.”

The Princess, who had been looking pleadingly at the Head Maid, hesitated at my greeting before giving a small nod.

“I- I… I’m… Lucille Ermeier… Princess… of this kingdom…”

She mumbled, then clamped her mouth shut. Just as the Head Maid had said, she seemed to have very low self-esteem. She was also timid, unsure how to interact with someone she’d just met.

Hmm…

I looked at her, then turned to the Head Maid.

“Excuse me…”

The Head Maid soothed the Princess and led her to the bed, placing a large stuffed animal in her arms. Only then did some of the anxiety seem to drain from her face.

But her silver eyes continued to dart around, glancing nervously at me.

No.

To be precise, she was afraid of everyone in the room.

As if she expected them to hurt or ignore her.

“…Sorry… I’m sorry…”

“What are you sorry for?”

“…I… Um… I… I’m not good enough…”

Watching the Princess apologize and bow her head before I had even done anything, I thought,

“I- I’m just… worthless trash… and… compared to the H- Heroes… who… who traveled with you, S- Sage… I’m inferior… and… a d- disgrace to the… glorious… r- royal bloodline…”

The Head Maid looked at me anxiously. Did she think I wouldn’t do anything after seeing this?

Under the gazes of the Head Maid and the other maids, I smiled.

This was fine.

This much, I could handle.

“No, Your Highness. You are one of the finest people I have ever met.”

“…Huh?”

After all, compared to the people I’d met, she was pretty normal.

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