EP.1 Betrayal
Several years have passed since I fell into another world and struggled to survive.
At first, I kept fighting at the king's command.
When I finally had the time to look around,
I was already being called a hero.
A rival of monsters and the demon king, and the kingdom's hero.
It sounds nice, but the problem was my popularity.
What's wrong with being popular?
Of course, it's a problem.
Especially if you're more popular than the king.
"Sigh... I wonder what I'm being summoned for today..."
I've received every warning possible.
Not showing my face to the public is a basic rule.
There were even disturbing rumors that I might start a rebellion.
Thanks to that, everyone I met was under the influence of the kingdom.
There probably aren't any more warnings left to receive.
Honestly, if you look at it, I've hardly done anything wrong.
"Sigh... I should just hurry up and defeat that demon king guy..."
Putting aside my annoyance, I entered the room where the king was waiting.
Unlike the usual audience chamber, I was summoned to the basement, which meant it must be something important.
Creak-
"Oh...! Sir Theus!"
King Brutus welcomed me, even using an honorific.
Actually, it hasn't been long since he started using honorifics with me.
Back when I was making mistakes and failing here, he treated me like anyone else.
"Ah... You're all already gathered. Sorry I'm late."
"Haha... A hero can be a little late sometimes."
He sure talks well.
Yet he meddles in even the smallest things.
I knew firsthand how different King Brutus was from his appearance.
'Politicians really are exhausting.'
I wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible.
Meetings like this always had a cheerful atmosphere, but their true intentions were always dark.
"So, why did you call me here today?"
"Well... The final battle with the demon king is just ahead, isn't it?"
"That's right."
"Before the final battle... I'd like you to make one promise."
Brutus gave a silent signal to the men beside him.
The men in robes were royal court magicians.
All of them were very powerful.
Unlike the king, their atmosphere was cold.
"...What kind of promise are you talking about?"
Suddenly, I felt a chill down my back.
It had been a while since I felt this way.
It was similar to the feeling of facing death on the battlefield.
This was definitely not something that could end with a smile.
My instincts were warning me.
"After you defeat the demon king, I want you to give up all the power you possess."
"..."
For a moment, I couldn't say anything.
Had the king gone senile already?
Some of my power was given to me when I was summoned.
But that was just the foundation.
Most of it, I had to earn through life-and-death struggles.
'He wants me to give up all my power after defeating the demon king?'
I've put up with all sorts of ridiculous conditions until now.
But this demand had crossed the line by far.
'If I refuse... it looks like they're prepared for that...'
Not just inside the basement, but I could sense people outside as well.
It was clear they'd calculated everything and called me here.
Refusing would mean declaring war on the kingdom.
And right under the royal palace, at that.
They must have prepared thoroughly.
If I refused, they probably thought that was fine too.
'Bastards...'
It's true what they say-being too naive is dangerous.
Despite all the hardships I endured with little reward,
I was being treated like this.
"...What will you do?"
"Can I ask you one thing?"
"Ask anything."
"My achievements so far will be recognized, right?"
"Of course. You don't need to worry about that. Giving up your power won't change how we treat you, Sir Theus."
I glanced at the king's face.
But it was hard to read his true intentions.
He was too skilled at hiding his real feelings.
I remembered clearly how he used to discriminate based on ability, so I couldn't just trust him.
'I can't refuse by saying I don't trust him...'
Thinking about it, it was infuriating.
After risking my life to fight the demon king,
if I survived, they'd strip me of my power.
You could call him a thief rather than a king.
"...I'll trust you."
In the end, I had no choice but to accept.
Maybe I shouldn't have come this far in the first place.
But it was too late for regrets.
"Then let's proceed with the magic contract. Royal magicians, surround the hero!"
The royal magicians didn't show their faces until the end.
They were clearly on guard in case I tried something.
A deep sense of regret washed over me for the life I'd lived so far.
'Fighting for bastards like this... I must be completely crazy.'
They say you see a lot when you have a realization.
All the things I'd let slide out of annoyance came back to me one by one.
It was all to keep me in check and then discard me when I was no longer useful.
'They plan to use me until the last moment, even though they're planning to throw me away. Disgusting.'
The royal magicians surrounding me immediately began chanting spells.
Refusing would be easy.
But I had no follow-up plan.
I had to stand there and be forced into the contract.
"...With the sword of discipline, we bind this unbreakable oath!"
The contract ended in an instant, thanks to their forced acceptance.
Now, if I killed the demon king, I was destined to become a powerless human.
The king smiled kindly, apparently satisfied with the outcome.
"Your broad understanding and consideration will be the light of the kingdom."
"Then, may I go now?"
As I turned to the door,
I heard the soldiers at the entrance moving aside.
They must have decided there was nothing more to worry about.
Honestly, I should have said goodbye to the king and done other things, but I just wanted to leave quickly because I felt so disgusted.
"Rest well. If you ever want anything, trust me and just tell me."
His changed tone only made me more uncomfortable.
"Of course."
I gave a fake smile and opened the basement door.
He probably saw right through my feelings.
It was impossible to hide my emotions when I felt this bad.
'From today, even sleeping will feel suffocating.'
There's no way he'd just let me be.
That sly king was probably even considering the possibility of rebellion.
He'd keep me under strict surveillance until the final battle.
Running away would mean being hunted as a wanted man.
Starting a rebellion would be even riskier.
All I could do was fight the final battle and collect whatever reward the state gave me.
'They're crushing my fighting spirit before the battle even starts...'
Rationally, it was a reasonable strategy.
If I defeated the demon king, I really could have started a coup.
Stories of heroes becoming kings are surprisingly common.
Even if I don't rebel now, who knows about later.
That suspicion seemed to be why they were keeping me in check.
'If I run away without fighting... I guess they think it'll help solidify the royal authority.'
The victory was already tilted in the kingdom's favor.
It was just a matter of how much damage would be done.
Maybe they even hoped I would run away.
Since I'd accepted the contract magic,
whoever killed the demon king, I'd just become an ordinary human.
'Now that it's come to this... I guess all I can do is fight...'
"Your Majesty, the plan is finally nearing its end."
King Brutus wore a sly smile.
There were no more obstacles in his way.
He was full of confidence.
Both internal and external problems were about to be solved.
"Let's confirm one last thing. You've prepared everything for dealing with the hero afterward, right?"
A room with a cold atmosphere, lit by moonlight.
The king's low voice sounded chilling.
"Yes. Once the hero loses his power, we'll take care of him before he can return."
"If the hero dies in battle..."
"In that case, the demon king will suffer a heavy blow, so it's not a loss for us."
There was no option for the hero to survive.
His very existence was a huge burden for King Brutus.
Especially with the recent suspicious movements among the nobles.
"Even if his powers disappear, the hero's prestige won't diminish. He'll probably hold a grudge against us... It's an unavoidable choice."
"Absolutely right, Your Majesty."
"Make sure he can't escape. Watch him closely."
"Leave it to us. We've set up measures so we'll know immediately if he leaves the palace."
"Good. And you're monitoring him thoroughly inside the palace as well?"
"Well..."
The vassal looked troubled.
Leaving the palace would be an open act of hostility.
But inside the palace, it was harder to justify strict surveillance.
The hero's abilities were the biggest issue.
"We're maintaining as much surveillance as possible, but we're trying not to provoke too much backlash."
"So there's a chance he could target me inside the palace?"
"Don't worry. We'll always be nearby, just like now. Even if we can't win, we can stall for time and capture him in the end."
"That's reassuring."
There were no more threats to his safety.
Surveillance was being maintained to prevent any escape.
Nothing was left to trouble the king.
"But... wouldn't it be better to eliminate him before he deals with the demon king?"
A relatively young noble spoke up, sounding worried.
He seemed quite concerned about possibly incurring the hero's wrath.
"It's for the best. No matter how talented we are, the hero is strong enough to be called a hero."
"That's right. If we face him head-on, it might make defeating the demon king impossible or at least delay it."
"Exactly. Even if we don't like it, hasn't he been useful so far?"
The nobles were all convinced that the current plan was best.
Use the hero as much as possible, then get rid of him before trouble arises.
It was hard to think of a better way.
"The most difficult part-the contract magic-has been handled smoothly, so all that's left is to wait for the best outcome."
Even in the worst-case scenario, the king's losses would be minimal.
Confident, the king brought a glass of blood-red wine to his lips.
The nobles around him seemed to relax as well.
"But... what if the hero joins forces with the demon king? Wouldn't that be a big threat to us?"
The youngest noble raised the question.
The chilling suggestion made everyone flinch for a moment.
But soon, laughter broke out among the nobles.
"Haha! That's a funny thought! The hero and the demon king joining forces."
"An alliance is only possible with someone you can trust. How could a hero who can't even meet a mere servant pull that off?"
"He probably doesn't even realize he's about to be discarded. Maybe he's a bit angry now, but he'll just think his best option is to fight hard."
Those in the room dismissed the idea as impossible, chatting in a cheerful mood.
They had no idea someone was eavesdropping from outside the window.
"...I heard everything, you bastards."