Volume 1 - CH 3.5

“You aren’t evil. I’m a hero, a hero wouldn’t kill a good person.”

I repeated the words I’ve been saying to the witch back in our previous life.

Killing her meant I’d be going against the principle of heroism itself and I would be acting against the role that had been assigned to me.

Hearing that, the witch’s face contorted as she gritted her teeth.

“I cursed the world, you know?! I made the world suffer! I’ve caused countless deaths! How could you say that I’m not evil?!”

“You didn’t even do that voluntarily! You were just mourning the death of your parents, you didn’t mean to make anyone suffer! If you’re evil, then why were you trying to help other people?! They hated you, you could just leave them to die!”

She could just run away and admit that it wasn’t her fault.

She could just ignore those people who weren’t worthy of her help.

I had never seen a kinder person than her in my entire life.

“What I was doing didn’t matter! In the end, I cursed the world and that was what everyone in that world cared about! I helped them so I could atone for my sins! I know that won’t make them forgive me, but still, I had to do that…”

“An evil person wouldn’t even think of something like that, you know?”

I grabbed the witch’s collar.

Pulling her close, I stared deeply into her eyes.

“The world might think you’re evil, but I don’t care what they think. You’re a good person. I’ve seen your kindness with my own eyes.”

The witch let out a weak laugh.

There was a faint smile on her lips.

“…That kind of thinking is why the church executed you back then.”

She was right.

The church executed me because I was going against God’s decree.

After I decided to spare the witch back then, we went on a journey together.

A journey to save the world.

‘We’re only doing this because we have the same goal. That’s the extent of our relationship, got it?’

‘You don’t need to tell me that.’

In order to save the world, we first had to go to the center of the world and get rid of the curse from there.

‘Isn’t swinging your sword the only thing you can do? Just go forward, I’ll protect your back.’

‘…You don’t need to tell me that. I don’t expect a weak-ass like you to be the vanguard anyway.’

‘Who did you call a weak-ass?! Seriously, shut your mouth and fight already!’

To get to the center of the world, we had to travel through the Great Dungeon at the center of the continent. However, due to the witch’s curse, the dungeon had transformed to a den of demons.

‘W-Wait, are you okay?!’

‘…What? Are you worried about me?’

‘O-Of course not! If you were to die after letting me live like this, I swear I’ll never forgive you!’

‘…What an annoying woman. Well, whatever.’

Although we weren’t unscathed, in the end we managed to get rid of the curse deep inside the Great Dungeon.

‘We did it! We did it, Grey!’

‘…Yeah. Guess my role as a hero ends here.’

‘What? What’s with that lackluster response? Aren’t you happy about this?’

‘I feel relieved more than happy, honestly.’

And so, we saved the world.

I’ve done my part as the chosen hero.

But on our way back, the elite group of the church ambushed us.

‘Ex-Hero, Grey Handlet. You are under arrest.’

Although I managed to make the witch escape safely, I used up my power and ended up captured by the church. According to them, my crime was being brainwashed by the witch. I tried to explain to them what really happened, but no one lent their ears to me.

The church announced to the world that the hero had betrayed them, the people, the world and God. The witch and I were the one who successfully saved the world, but the church claimed it as their achievements instead.

In the end, I was executed as a sinner. The hero had fallen into a sinner who was hated by the whole world.

And that was the end of my previous life.

That was the end of Grey Handlet.

There was one thing that I regretted back then.

I promised the witch that I’d show her what true happiness looked like.

Yet, I left her behind in that world.

She was all alone in that world.

‘You’re no longer a hero.’

I knew that better than anyone.

Even before I was reincarnated to this world, I was no longer a hero.

I wasn’t able to become her hero.

I remained as her nemesis until the very end.

I knew that, but I was too afraid to admit it.

So, for the longest time, I decided not to think about it.

“Cerys…”

But one question remained unsolved for me. What happened to her after I died?

If she reincarnated to this world, then, how did she die?

“What happened to you after that?…”

When I asked her that, she grabbed my collar. There was hatred in her eyes.

“How could you ask me that kind of question casually?! You died, so I could no longer be saved back then! Because of you, I missed my chance to die! And…”

She let out a pained sigh as tears began to fall from her eyes.

“…After you were gone, I became alone again…”

I couldn’t say anything after hearing that.

I could do nothing but watch as her tears fell into the ground.

“…Around the time you were executed, they managed to catch up to me. The people who were deemed as failures of the Hero Creation Project by the Sage… The exorcists…”

The witch wiped her tears with her hands.

“The Sage was correct, they were failures. Even when grouped together, they were unable to dispel the curse bound to my soul. In the end, only you were able to do that. So, I decided to reincarnate both you, who were about to be executed and myself to this world…”

In other words…

“…You were killed around the time I was executed, huh?”

Her end was too sad.

“I deserved that, so I don’t really care.”

The witch let out a deep breath.

“…I talked too much. We should go back, everyone will be worried.”

“Wait, we aren’t done yet! What can I do to help—”

“I have no reason to answer that.”

She cut me off.

“…Seriously, worry about yourself first before worrying about others. Stop that curse-driven action of yours. I’ll say it again, you’re no longer a hero and I’m your nemesis, so stop trying to help me… Just leave me alone…”

“I–”

“Can you confidently say that your actions aren’t being influenced by the curse from your previous life?”

I couldn’t answer her.

“If you can’t answer, then you know what to do.”

I couldn’t even attempt to move my lips to answer her.

“You once said that you’d show me what true happiness looked like. I know you meant well and you probably are still thinking of doing it, but, don’t screw with me, you don’t even know what it looks like yourself.”

“What do you mean I don’t know? I’ve seen true happiness before.”

“But, have you experienced it yourself?”

She was right.

But what did it matter?

I’ve never experienced it because I’ve never thought about my own happiness to begin with.

“…Enough, let’s just go back.”

The witch sighed and turned away.

Sensing that my legs didn’t move, she turned her glance toward me once again.

“They’ll get suspicious if we don’t move soon.”

“…Can I ask you something?”

I asked.

The witch and I were enemies, so there was no reason for me to help her.

But, if that was the case, why did she keep admonishing me?

Why was she concerned about me?

“Cerys, why did you choose to reincarnate to this world?”

I asked.

I called her name and asked her in a serious tone.

“I understand why you reincarnated us into another world, but, why here? Why did you reincarnate us into this peaceful country? Answer me.”

I knew that it was because of her kindness.

She did everything for me.

“I… I…”

Once again, tears welled up in her eyes.

“I… Just wanted to make you happy…”

After saying that, she dashed into the restaurant.

That was unfair.

I was glued to where I stood for a while before I followed her.

The sky above was cloudy, perfectly resembling my gloomy state of mind.