Keita finally looked away from that memory.
He shook his head. It was painful, every time that he remembered that conversation.
The sun was already rising in the sky. If he stood around here, the villagers might see him as they made their way into the mountain.
‘Your power and lands will be safe. You can do what you want until the end of the game. However, do not try to ally yourself with the kobold.’
That was the last thing that the Seer had said.
Keita didn’t know what happened after that.
When he came to, he was lying on his bed in his room. His eyes were staring at empty space.
And then Vengras came in and ordered him to depart from the village. That was the day before yesterday.
‘Please use this. After all, I’m sure it will be difficult to make a speech while everyone is watching you.’
He was given a single sheet of paper. The words written on it were terribly simple and straightforward.
And there was a farewell party. A ceremony that did not feel real to him. He had to talk to the clueless villagers who were sad about his departure. And the time passed by quickly.
And then Keita stood on the stage and read the note as he was told.
‘E-everyone… Thank you… For preparing this feast in my honor today.’
The moment he spoke, his heart shattered.
To have to be thankful for this…when he did not even want it.
‘First, I would like to take this opportunity…to apologize. In spite of being a Hero, I was not strong enough… I could not protect this village. I apologize to all of those who were lost.’
Still, when he thought about the reason being his own lack of strength, he wanted to run away. Regardless of what the Seer said, it did not change the fact that he could not save them.
‘Thankfully…the Seer and his Hero helped this village survive… And they continue to offer us protection… I am very grateful.’
But the savior was only using the village to expand his own forces. Keita knew it. But he could do nothing.
‘It’s not exactly because I no longer have anything holding me back…but once again, I intend to begin training to strengthen myself.’
For what?
He was no longer a village Hero.
If he was going to train, he should have done it a long time ago. It was too late for it to have any meaning now.
It was just a story. Something convenient for him and the See.
‘A few people asked me to stay here… But I do not want to rely on anyone again. And so I must go elsewhere… I must start again…’
He could not bear it anymore. Not when so many of them were watching him with piercing gazes.
A useless, weak Hero. There were definitely some in the audience who were thinking just that.
By the time that Vengras helped him off of the stage, Keita was letting out a groan.
And now, he was walking alone down the road.
Without any clue about his destination.
What should he do now?
Keita looked up at the sky and was about to open his mouth. But in the end, he stopped, and swallowed back any words that would have been spoken.
After being stripped of everything, he had no worth now.
With such thoughts in his heart, Keita went back to feeling wretched.
However, now, there were no tears left to be shed.