How To Leave The Hero Party- Chapter 22

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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Now that we had found our target, all that remained was to act.

The party entering the Moon Temple would consist of myself, Wilkers, Lark, and Veronica.

The four of us would wait in the rear, and while the Hero’s Party and the special unit engaged the temple’s defenders, we would make our move.

“Alright, everyone, get ready.”

Just then, Claire, who had been watching us from a distance, approached.

“Mr. Lark, don’t bards prefer to fight outside of dungeons?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, that’s right.”

“Then… if Hyun-woo allows it, could I take your place?”

“Huh? Well, I don’t mind. Hey, Sage, is that alright?”

I was in charge of the party composition. Lark couldn’t make a move without my permission.

So, Claire approached me and pleaded,

“Um… Hyun-woo, if you don’t want me, then Leventia or… Evangeline would be fine too. We’ll follow your orders better than Mr. Lark. If you want…”

“You’ll even offer your lives?”

She nodded.

Her face was clouded, and she gave a small nod.

Leventia and Evangeline, standing in the distance, looked much the same, their gazes fixed on us, their faces filled with a desperate longing.

“Hmm. Isn’t a bard necessary for the party composition?”

As I was thinking, Veronica stepped forward. Claire flinched at her voice, then looked at me, her eyes glistening with tears.

“What’s your decision, Sage? I’ll respect it. Of course, I’m sure you could handle it even with a change in personnel. But…”

“But?”

“Didn’t you suggest this party composition because it was the best one?”

Not really.

In the final battle of the “Pale Moon” event, Veronica was the key. The rest were just support.

If I hadn’t taught the kingdom’s army how to fight the White Beasts, the party composition would have been more important, but as it was, it didn’t really matter.

“From the Church’s perspective, eradicating the cult and eliminating the threat is our top priority.”

Veronica’s firm words made Claire clench her fists. She looked at Veronica, then her lips moved.

“…Cardinal Veronica.”

“Yes, Hero? What is it?”

“Are you… speaking purely for the benefit of the Church?”

“What reason do you have to believe a cardinal like myself would have any other motive?”

“Hyun-woo can always think of other ways. And we’ve worked with him for a long time, so…”

“Oh, you worked so well together… that that happened?”

Veronica’s lips curled into a smirk. Claire flinched and lowered her head.

The atmosphere was becoming tense. Even Wilkers, who had been chattering away obliviously, fell silent. Lark was sweating nervously.

Time to put an end to this.

“Enough. There’s no need for infighting when the enemy is right in front of us.”

“Then?”

“We’ll stick to the original plan.”

Claire’s shoulders slumped. Veronica smiled triumphantly.

With the matter settled, Lark scratched the back of his head with his long tail.

“Did I give them an opening? I didn’t think it would get this tense. Tsk.”

“It’s fine. It happens.”

“You always say that. That’s why…”

As Veronica was about to offer some advice, Claire shook her head sadly.

“No… I was being unreasonable. Mr. Lark, I apologize. Hyun-woo, I’m sorry. Then…”

Claire apologized and walked away, her steps heavy. As she returned to her post, General Leoden approached.

“Shall we begin?”

“Yes? Ah, yes. Let’s.”

At my signal, General Leoden raised a flag, and the special unit charged towards the Moon Temple.

“Alright, let’s get ready.”

I picked up a lance, a favorite weapon of knights. Lance Charge, a knight skill, would be useful for clearing a path.

As I mounted my warhorse, Lark and Wilkers mounted theirs.

“Heave-ho.”

Veronica, with surprising naturalness, mounted my horse behind me.

She wrapped her long arms around my waist and held me tightly. I glanced back at her.

“What?”

“I don’t know how to ride a horse. And I need to cast a protective barrier, just in case, so it’s better if we ride together. We’ve done this before.”

We had done something similar in Silver Village. At her mention of it, I shrugged.

“What have you been doing all this time, not learning to ride?”

“The position of a cardinal is a busy one.”

“Is it really appropriate for a cardinal to be hugging a man like this?”

“A man?”

She chuckled at my joke.

“What does it matter? It happens.”

So cool.

Unlike those three, who were still staring at us from a distance.

“Anyway, is everyone ready?”

I gripped the reins with one hand and the lance with the other.

The battle had already begun. The special unit was engaged in a fierce fight with the White Beasts and the cultists.

“Lance Chaaaaaarge!!”

My lance shattered a cultist’s head, and my horse trampled his corpse.

“Shadows!!”

Wilkers’ shamanistic magic created a path of shadows.

–Screeeech! Ting ting ting! Didi-didi-ding!!

Lark’s ear-splittingly terrible music made the White Beasts falter.

“Let the light burn here!!”

A torrent of holy fire, conjured by Veronica, rained down on the White Beasts.

And then,

“Lance Chaaaaaarge!!”

My own Lance Charge.

Despite it being our first time working together, the four of us advanced towards the Moon Temple without any problems.

“Wow~! As expected of the Sage! Your timing is perfect! Just like in the last dungeon! Oh, by the way, how is she? My friend!”

“…She?”

Veronica, behind me, asked as Wilkers shouted cheerfully. Lark, blowing a dissonant tune on a pipe instead of his lute, distracting the enemies, added his own two cents.

“He’s talking about the Sage’s student! That… cute, talented girl, with a musical sensibility similar to my own!”

If Lucille heard that, she would have a fit. She had nightmares after hearing your music.

“Oh… I see. Impressive. I heard that the Princess is a recluse and doesn’t get along with people. You managed to befriend her and take her outside?”

“I get along with everyone.”

“…By the way, aren’t you going to introduce me to her?”

“Huh? Why?”

“Well, she’s your student.”

I swung my lance, impaling a cultist who had leaped at me, then threw a dagger, which found its mark in the forehead of another. As the path cleared, Wilkers’ shadows widened it, and my Lance Charge sent a White Beast reeling.

“So what? Why do you want to meet my student— Oof?!”

Veronica pinched my side. I glanced back at her pouting face and glared, then turned my attention back to the battlefield.

–BOOM!!

–Whoosh!!

The special unit was fighting well. Thanks to my instruction on how to fight the White Beasts, they seemed to be suffering minimal casualties.

And the members of the Church and the adventurers were holding their own against the cultists.

–ROAR!!!

Occasionally, a powerful beast, too strong for them to handle, appeared. But that wasn’t a problem either.

–BAM!!

Because we had our own powerful individuals.

Wilkers stared in awe as a beast the size of a three-story building exploded.

“Wow, is that Lady Leventia’s Tiger Blow? Amazing…”

“Evangeline’s Guided Shot is more impressive.”

Tiger Blow, a knight’s ultimate skill that could destroy large enemies with a single blow, and Guided Shot, an archer’s ultimate skill that allowed them to control an arrow and strike an enemy’s weak points.

And Hero Claire, supporting them, wielding the Hero’s sword, defeating enemies and empowering her allies.

The three women were undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with.

“…They really are strong.”

“They didn’t defeat the Demon King by playing tiddlywinks.”

“Hey! Sage! One’s coming this way!!”

A massive White Beast broke through the special unit’s lines and blocked our path to the Moon Temple.

“Th- That one looks strong…”

“Mr. Sage! The strategy is…”

Just focus on its weak points, don’t worry. I raised my lance at Wilkers’ trembling voice.

And then,

–BOOM!!

Leventia, who had been fighting another White Beast, leaped into the air. Like a falling meteor, she descended, striking the White Beast before us. She landed gracefully and looked at me.

What? Was she expecting praise?

But she seemed satisfied with just my attention, and immediately engaged the White Beast in a one-on-one battle.

“…Let’s go.”

Veronica said, watching the fierce battle. Right. We didn’t have time to watch.

We bypassed the battlefield and arrived at the white building. At the entrance to the temple, a staircase leading down, Wilkers said hesitantly,

“Mr. Sage, the entry limit is three.”

“I know. That’s why I have this…”

I held up the bracelet, and a red light enveloped Veronica.

“Now then…”

“…What are you doing?”

“Don’t be so stingy about holding hands.”

I took her hand, just like in the game, and gestured to Wilkers and Lark. They nodded and entered the temple. I turned to the frowning Veronica and said,

“Let’s go in together. On three. One, two…”

“Ugh… one, two…”

The two of us stepped through the portal created by the first two entrants. My vision blurred, and the scene before me changed.

“What is…”

A wide corridor. Wilkers, who had entered first and was examining the area, looked grim as he touched the wall.

“I’ve never seen this kind of material before. Mr. Sage, do you know what this is?”

“I don’t.”

It wasn’t in the game.

“Oh, Mr. Sage, there’s something you don’t know?”

“I only know what I know.”

“Ugh, then are there any traps?”

No traps.

In this dungeon, there was only one enemy.

The Pale Moon, at the end of this corridor.

Ignoring the possibility of traps, I walked down the corridor. The other three quickly followed. As we walked, I explained the strategy for fighting the Pale Moon.

“Alright, we should be able to enter now.”

We reached the door at the end of the corridor. The others fell silent, their faces tense, sensing the ominous aura emanating from beyond the door.

“Are you ready?”

They nodded, steeling themselves. I opened the door, and…

“Good heavens…”

“Wh- What is that?”

“…Something like that… existed?”

The room beyond the door was a vast plaza, as large as the battlefield we had just left.

And in the center of it,

A pale orb, emitting a soft glow.

And…

“…It’s coming.”

Hundreds of tentacles, hidden in the orb’s shadow.

As the tentacles writhed,

The white orb cracked open, revealing a single, yellow eye.

Alright.

This was the final stage of the event.

Time to focus.

If we failed, it was game over.

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