Volume 7 Chapter 8 The Curse Of The Hero
A Hero is a general chosen by the goddess for the God-Demon War.
They are an invaluable piece that must never be taken, the strongest piece. It's like the king in shogi.
However, just because someone is chosen doesn't mean they undergo any changes. In fact, when I was summoned to Asteris, I didn't have any cheat-like abilities. At first, I was beaten up by the knight order's apprentices, and I ran away from goblins in fear.
I thought that "My True Name" was the blessing of the Hero, but it seems that the previous Heroes all used different types of magic.
I had been thinking of it as a free pass to various countries, with assassination included, but...
"The curse of the Hero? I've never heard of such a thing."
"Well, that's because we just call it that ourselves."
"We?"
"Eris was the first one to notice. Me, Mevia, and Sharla secretly investigated so you wouldn't find out."
What the hell is that?
I was never told a single word about that. Besides, I also researched about the Hero myself in the past, and there was not a single mention of a curse in any of the literature. If there is a possibility,
"Is it because I killed the Demon Lord?"
But it's unlikely that Julius would do something like leaving a curse before his death. He wasn't that kind of man.
As expected, Kou shook his head.
"No, it's not about the Demon Lord, but rather the demon."
"Then what is it?"
"By the way, how much do you know about the Hero?"
Well, I was once a Hero. I know most things.
"The Hero is chosen by the goddess during the God-Demon War. The outcome of the God-Demon War depends on whether the Demon Lord or the Hero falls. I don't know the reason for choosing the Hero, but every Hero in history had exceptional talent in magic."
Kou nodded at my answer.
"That's right. The problem lies there. Every Hero in history was strong."
"I hate to say it, but yeah, that's true."
After all, that's the kind of person who is chosen.
"Yeah, that's right. It's only natural for us, the people living in Asteris, to think that way. That's why we didn't have any doubts. But that's not all."
"What do you mean?"
"It's a simple story. From the moment the hero is chosen, they receive a certain magic blessing and become stronger. They named that magic. It's a divine spell that influences all human races and forms the core of the god-demon war."
Kou narrowed his eyes and uttered the name.
"'The Chosen Hero (Brave Face)'."
"A magic blessing?"
That can't be. The hero is mainly just a title. Like Lisha's 'Key,' they have a role in determining the outcome of the god-demon war, but I've never heard of any kind of blessing.
"So, does that mean all my power comes from that magic?"
"Not all. After fighting you just now, I'm convinced that you're no longer affected by 'Brave Face.' Yuusuke as a magician is the base for your strength, and it was enhanced."
"Enhanced? Wait a minute."
Even though I'm told that, it doesn't quite click.
Kou chose his words carefully as he continued to explain to me.
"To be honest, there's a lot of speculation in this story. No one, not even Mevia, knew about 'Brave Face.'"
"Even Mevia... So, in the end, what does this enhancement mean?"
Kou turned to me after looking at Kanami and Lisha.
"The hopes and trust of the people towards the hero. Such positive emotions accumulate as power for the hero. That is the effect of the 'Brave Face' that we have speculated."
"That's ridiculous!"
Those words came from Kanami, not me. Everyone's gaze turned towards her.
"What's wrong?"
"That kind of magic is impossible. It involves the emotions of all humanity, the scale is far too large. Moreover, no one should be able to notice it."
"But it's a 'magic of the god.' That's why."
Kou casually answered.
Kanami looked towards Lisha, who is related to the church, and Lisha shook her head vigorously. Mevia didn't know. There's no way she could know.
"It's not really a strange story. The god-demon war itself is like a magic on a global scale. It's not strange for the titles of hero and demon lord to have that kind of power."
"W-Well, that may be true, but..."
"More importantly,"
Kou looked at me again.
"We're actually seeing you, Yuusuke, who is affected by the 'Brave Face.'"
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
Even though I myself had no idea, did Kou and Eris notice?
Without thinking, I turned to Sharla, and she nodded hesitantly.
"...Certainly, Yuusuke at the end of the war was strange."
"Strange...? It was nothing out of the ordinary."
"You were strange. Your combat power at that time was extraordinary."
"That's not... possible, I think."
Wait, wait, let me remember. Certainly, during the end of the war, I was in great shape. There was a feeling that everything was moving according to my image.
But I thought it was because my concentration was increasing towards the final battle. Magic is strengthened by the stimulation of emotions, so it could be because of that.
"No matter how good your condition was, it's impossible to cut down a Lord with just one strike. And it was 'Viona the Destruction.' In terms of pure combat power, they were the strongest among the Lords."
Come to think of it, there was also that. I thought I could do it, and when I tried, I was able to do it.
"Well, that's because I was in great condition as Ultimate Yuusuke."
"If that's the hypothesis, then I can accept it. After all, at that time, you were a Hero recognized worldwide. I don't know about when you were called, but at least the trust from the people was different."
"Ah, yes..."
Kou pondered over his words as the joke was lightly brushed off.
Unconsciously, I gazed at the palm of my hand and remembered. When I came to this world, I had no fame as a Hero whatsoever. To avoid attracting the attention of demons, both the country and the church had concealed my existence.
From there, I trained, fought, and within a few years, became capable of defeating demons and even a Lord.
Eventually, I stood before the Demon Lord.
Was that the effect of magic?
"But, if that's the case, why does it become a curse? It's just me becoming stronger as a Hero, right?"
"No, the influence is not just about becoming stronger. I explained it clearly earlier, but the essence is different. 'Brave Face' is probably a magic that embodies the wishes of the people. That's why you were given the power to defeat the Demon Lord and bring an end to the Great War."
"What's the difference?"
As I asked, there was a presence next to me, shaking her body heavily.
It was Tsukiko, who had been silently listening to the conversation all along. She hesitated on whether she should interject in the conversation, but couldn't hold back any longer and opened her mouth.
"Wait. Kou-san mentioned positive emotions earlier, right? What if, what if... they were negative emotions?"
At those words, time stood still. Negative emotions. In other words, hostility or fear.
Without anyone saying anything, a painful silence pierced through. Lisha anxiously squeezed my hand.
Kou let out a sigh and spoke.
"I don't understand. Neither I nor Eris understood. The only thing that's certain is that if the threat of the Demon Lord disappears, the feelings that gather around Yuusuke will not only be hope."
Kou's words continued as they were.
"And the 'Brave Face' also has a strong influence on one's personality. That's why, towards the end of the war, Eris was constantly investigating about heroes while fighting. Your way of thinking back then was clearly abnormal."
"..."
I couldn't say anything.
In the final stage, I was definitely only thinking about defeating the Demon Lord.
I thought it was natural, and I didn't find it strange at all. Because I was a hero.
From when I woke up, or even when I was asleep, I was only thinking about Julius.
How should I strike? How can I kill?
The idea of coming back alive didn't exist there. I seriously believed that I had to kill the Demon Lord even if it meant stabbing myself. It would definitely be a curse if that were the side effect of the immense power called a hero.
As I hung my head, more words were spoken to me.
"Realizing that there was no other way, Eris took a gamble. She wondered if the 'Brave Face' would disappear once the God-Demon War ended. The result was a loss. After the battle, it was not Yuusuke who remained, but a Hero. The very embodiment of the greatest hero that people desired."
Kou said. The answer at that time. Why did Eris go to such lengths to send me home?
By hearing this much, I should already understand. Yet, I remained silent, just listening. Alongside the despair that Eris must have felt.
"Hope, fear, anticipation, disappointment. If things continue like this, your personality will be destroyed by the emotions of the people. I couldn't laugh. No country's records properly depict the story of the Hero after the God-Demon War."
Kou said, spitting out the words.
The ending of the story is simple. Defeat the enemy and end up happy. But reality isn't that easy. Our lives will continue on, even beyond that.
"So..."
In the end, the truth was a simple story.
Eris, all along.
"Yuusuke, Eris chose the path for you to live as a human. The happiness of both of you, the pride of being royalty, the future of the country. She gave up everything and saved you from the curse of the Hero."
——You're still the man I know.
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