Chapter 1: The Hero Who Finished the Story...
Even now, when I close my eyes, I can still remember.
The moments I spent with the family I loved.
Those blazing days when we laughed, shouted, struggled, and screamed, yet still got back up and ran on.
Laughing together, crying together, and pushing forward until, in the end, I became a hero.
After severing the breath of the black calamity and accomplishing feats that made the gods gasp and humanity praise me, I brought the peace to the mortal realm that everyone had longed for.
But what waited at the end of it all was only eternal loneliness.
The voices that praised me could no longer be heard by anyone but me, and there was no one left with whom I could share that joy.
The comrades I had relied on, the beloved goddess I served, the heroes I had admired—all of them had fallen away, and only I remained.
I know I shouldn’t think this way, but sometimes I still do.
If only I had been stronger.
If only there had been a better way.
If only I had more time.
If—if—if—
Countless what-ifs crossed my mind every day. But what-ifs were only what-ifs, and reality always offered nothing but bitter pain.
Today was no different. In fact, today was especially so.
Today was Elegia, the day to mourn the dead heroes.
Today, I was going to pay my respects to my heroes.
*
...That was the plan, anyway...
“An intruder!”
“Who are you?!”
“Go get the boss, now!”
“Surround him!”
How had things ended up like this? Ignoring the commotion around me, I drifted into my own little world.
*Where is this?*
I had definitely gone to sleep a little earlier than usual yesterday.
Tomorrow... or rather, today, was Elegia, and I had nothing else to do anyway.
It wasn’t like I hadn’t been able to sleep. On the contrary, for once I had slept well. Maybe the best I had in the past few years.
Unless I had some kind of sleepwalking disorder I didn’t know about, I should have woken up in my bed today. And yet...
*Where am I?*
I had clearly fallen asleep in bed, but when I came to, I was buried in the wreckage of what looked like a shattered hut—as if a meteor had fallen or a bomb had gone off.
That alone was shocking, but there were countless people surrounding me as well.
I had been thinking that maybe I was finally skilled enough to be called a seasoned adventurer, and then something like this happened. Was I still nowhere close?
Maybe they didn’t like that I was having such pointless thoughts. Before I knew it, the man who seemed to be leading the group surrounding me shouted, “Who are you? How did you find this place?!”
“Uh... well?”
I’d like to know that too. Where even was this place?
*A Dungeon... maybe?*
No matter how I thought about it, the atmosphere and the sensation both told me this was a Dungeon.
But did that even make sense? I wake up and I’m in a Dungeon? Unless I’d been kidnapped, there was no way that should happen.
And yet, for some reason, my instincts were certain this was a Dungeon. Honestly, the place did look a little familiar too.
*This place... it’s similar.*
It was like the safe zone we used to rest in on the middle floors. A place tucked away in a corner, one that Ryuu had told me was a secret spot.
It happened to be between the lower and middle floors, so whenever we had business on the lower floors, we always came here.
...Huh? Then why were these people here? Did someone find it after I quit being an adventurer?
“Um... is this maybe your hideout or something?”
“...And if it is?”
So that was it. I finally understood.
Of course they’d be on guard if their secret place had been exposed. An adventurer’s greatest enemy isn’t monsters or the Dungeon, but other adventurers. They must have been worried I’d cause them trouble.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t come in on purpose...”
“...You expect me to believe that?”
Fair enough. Normally, no one would believe that.
But there was nothing I could do about it. I didn’t know why I was here either.
Come to think of it, that was a little annoying. This place used to be ours.
“I woke up here too. I’d like to know what’s going on more than anyone.”
“...Fine, I understand.”
Oh? He was more reasonable than I expected.
I’d been a little worried because he looked rather menacing... to be honest, kind of like a criminal, but maybe he was actually normal—
“You think I’d just believe you and let you tell the truth? Get him!”
“Ehh...”
Seriously? Even so, they were attacking without warning?
I thought adventurers like this had all disappeared. So crime really never goes away completely, huh.
*
“Ah, so this is the place after all.”
Following the fading traces of my memory, I walked along until a familiar village came into view.
There were a few differences from what I remembered, but this was definitely the place I knew.
So this really was a Dungeon. No wonder I was here—it was strange.
Even if it was strange, I couldn’t stay here forever. Luckily, I still had all my gear, but I had no food and not much money. First I’d head to Rivira Village, get something to eat, and then go into Orario.
“Orario...”
How many years had it been? I couldn’t even remember properly anymore.
I ran a hand over my face. The touch that came back felt no different from when I was young.
Supple skin with not a wrinkle or blemish in sight. I had picked up quite a few scars after all the battles, but the texture of my skin was still enough to call boyish.
Maybe it was thanks to my goddess’s blessing, or maybe I was just naturally youthful-looking, but even as a human, I hadn’t changed much at all, almost like an elf.
Because of that, every time I looked in a mirror, memories from back then would drift up faintly.
*Have I gotten a little more grown-up?*
I knew it was an indulgent complaint, but having grown up watching many adults, I found myself admiring maturity more than youth.
How should I put it? The kind of maturity that made people dependable and cool just by standing there.
I was old enough now that I should have started giving off that sort of presence, and yet...
“Tch. Never heard that in my life.”
For some reason, people around me always treated me like a child. Was I still just a kid?
It couldn’t be my appearance. Finn, a Pallum, looked far more childlike than I did, and yet he had the air of the most mature man alive.
Maybe I really was still just young.
“What a shame.”
At my age, I felt a little pathetic for still not being an adult.
Then again, was it even strange that I, who was still clinging to the past, couldn’t become an adult?
“Oh, there it is.”
Rivira Village, seen after such a long time. It had been a village I’d grown sick of during my adventuring days, but after not seeing it for a while, it suddenly felt nostalgic. Strange how that worked.
Anyway, now that I was finally here, I’d eat something and head up—
“...Huh?”
Then, all at once, I felt something strange.
Something was off, but I couldn’t tell what.
“What is it?”
I looked around, but nothing stood out in particular.
The village was a little different from my memory, but it was a village built to be broken eventually. My memory lost reliability after just a week anyway.
The sharp-eyed looks from the residents weren’t strange either. This was an adventurers’ village; suspicion was only natural.
...Of course, it had been a long time since I’d been looked at like this, so it was a little uncomfortable, but most of the people here were unfamiliar to me, which probably meant the place had been thoroughly overhauled while I was away. I’d seen this happen a few times even back when I was active.
Aside from that being a little excessive, it was the same old Rivira Village. And yet, despite that, an unshakable sense of wrongness kept clinging to my legs and refusing to let go.
What was it? What on earth was—
“Ah...?”
When I finally looked up, I was able to understand the source of that unease.
[37th Rivira Village]
*Thirty-seven...?*
I didn’t remember clearly, but the last Rivira Village I’d seen was at least over 400. And now it was 37? What in the—
“Oh, did they maybe start over from one?”
That seemed plausible. Come to think of it, 400 was a bit much. It was definitely plausible.
...Was it really?
Honestly, even I didn’t trust that thought very much.
If that were the case, they wouldn’t have bothered counting in the first place. Adventurers’ petty vanity would never have allowed them to start the number over again.
But until I confirmed it, I shouldn’t jump to conclusions. I decided to stop a passing person and ask.
“Excuse me...”
“Huh...? Who are you?”
*Who am I?*
Did this person not know me? Me, the number one on the [Promising Future] ranking, number three on [Strike While the Iron Is Hot If You Want to Turn Your Life Around], and number seven on [The Male Adventurer Who Wants to Be Called ‘Big Sister!’]?
That was strange. I’d thought I was fairly famous, but maybe I wasn’t as well known as I’d assumed.
I’d been resting for a while, sure, but that reaction was a little harsh. It stung a bit.
“I just had something I wanted to ask... Do you happen to know which number Rivira Village this is?”
“What are you talking about? Are your eyes just for decoration? Can’t you see the 37 written right there?”
“Ah, no, I mean the number including the ones before it.”
“Huh...? What are you even talking about?”
...So I was wrong after all?
“...No, sorry. I must have been mistaken.”
“Tch. I’m busy, and you’re messing around.”
Watching the man walk away after spitting on the ground, I could only stand there in a daze.
Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.
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