I Will Eventually Embark On The Path Of No Return Called A Hero

[Arc5] - 39. Pain, Sin, and You - Everything is Mine!

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It happened when Ban got wildly drunk after looting the entire city for plush dolls. Cyd and King sat together by the glow of the fireplace, sewing up the damaged areas on the dolls.

Cyd had long wanted to discuss Ban and King's relationship, so he seized this opportunity to chat privately with King.

"King, what do you think of Ban as a person?"

"Clearly, he's a bad guy," King squeezed out, his chubby face showing displeasure. "He does whatever he wants without caring about the consequences for others. He's a downright sinner."

"Well… I remember Ban used to bully you quite a bit, so maybe this question isn't quite appropriate." Cyd glanced away, his quick stitching of the doll masking his expression.

Jeez, Ban, your brother-in-law seems to really dislike you!

"I may not be fond of Ban, but I don't hold biases against others based on my feelings." King scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Fairies, by nature, are lazy. With our long lifespans, we take everything lightly, so we don't hold on to such feelings for long."

"Lazy by nature, huh? That actually matches your sin quite well."

"True," King replied with a forced smile, his stitching on the doll slowing down. "I abandoned my kingdom, my duties, and my sister. I was unaware of my friends' suffering and disappointed…hah, what a lousy king I am."

[A fairy's relentless killing of humans led to war between fairies and humans, due to the negligence of the Fairy King. Thus, the Fairy King was sentenced to a millennium of confinement.]

"I don't know about that; I think you're a good king. I've seen kings who follow only their own desires, treating their sins as badges of honor. I don't get along with people like that. Of course, you're not quite on Bartra's level," Cyd said, handing the repaired doll to Medusa. "One day, you'll become a great king because you're more willing to use your strength for others."

"Is that so?" King lowered his head, a glimmer of moisture flickering in his eyes.

"After all, you never fought back when Ban bullied you, but you went all out to protect others."

"That's just to protect Diane and everyone else." King turned away, his Spirit Spear, with its multiple forms, assisting his clumsy hands in sewing up the doll.

"So, you like Diane, don't you?"

"W-what are you talking about, Vice-Captain?" King's face flushed as he sprang up, raising his voice—only to realize Diane was sleeping nearby. His Spirit Spear instantly transformed into a massive guard form and punched him in the stomach, stifling his scream.

"What's with the big reaction? Everyone but Diane already knows about this." Cyd pointed to King's face. "Your feelings are written all over it. But your indecisiveness frustrates the people around you."

"But Diane likes the Captain." King looked gently at the giantess girl curled up on the floor. "As long as Diane is happy, that's enough for me. Besides, I don't deserve to pursue her anymore. But still…I can't just let go. Hey!"

King's eyes lit up, and he pounced toward Cyd with the fierceness of a tiger.

"Vice-Captain, teach me how to get along better with Diane!"

"Affairs of the heart are beyond me. In fact, my own wife is still hunting me down," Cyd shook his head and sighed at the glowing constellation in the night sky. "I just don't understand. My attempts to do the right thing only hurt her."

"Seems like you have a story too, Vice-Captain." King sighed, stitching the doll with a heavy heart.

"I figured I'd wait it out; fairies live long lives, after all. Maybe after the Holy War, I'll have the courage to confess to Diane."

"Hmm." Cyd nodded, steering the conversation back. "For everyone to have peace of mind, I think you should try to understand Ban."

"Impossible. He always keeps his thoughts to himself."

"That's just Ban's nature, acting indifferent in front of everyone," Cyd said, patting King's shoulder. "So if one day Ban makes you furious, stay calm and rip away his facade to see the truth he's too lazy to explain."

"Because Ban is a sinner, not a villain."

Vice-Captain, was that remark meant for this moment?

King gazed at the girl lying in Ban's arms within the illusion, his sister, who had been lonely for 700 years. This man he disliked had chased away that loneliness in just seven days.

He's not a forest-destroying sinner, but a victim, willingly bearing all the pain and guilt alone.

"Sin of Greed, do you even want to claim this pain and guilt as your own?"

"Hm? It's nothing major." Ban looked calmly at the scene before him. He wasn't one to lose his mind like Meliodas. He simply let this bitter pain etch into his body, unable to leave a single mark.

"It's all my fault." King knelt down, supporting himself on the ground with his hands, feeling the pain and regret, even if it was useless.

"Tch, how long are you going to keep looking so weak?" Ban impatiently grabbed King by the collar, lifting him up. Seeing King's tear-streaked face, he raised his fist but couldn't bring himself to strike.

"Ugh…" Ban put King back down, scratching his ear in irritation. "I'll say this once: I'm going to bring Elaine back, and you just need to be ready to apologize."

"You…you want to revive Elaine?" King clenched his fists tightly, looking up earnestly. "Understood, I won't interfere."

"Hmph, good sense," Ban smirked. That was his way, owning all the responsibility and pain as his own.

"Though if I see you struggling alone, I'll jump in without hesitation."

Ban's face soured—that was King's way, using his power unreservedly to help others.

"Pfft, we've known each other long enough. I'm not about to slip up now." Ban rubbed his neck, yawning as he walked toward the exit.

"Oh, and stay like this. You look better than that deadweight look of yours."

"Hey, I carefully picked that form for its dignity!" King protested from his Spirit Spear-turned-cushion but didn't revert back, thinking…

"Maybe Diane would prefer this look."

"I'm not listening to your bad advice! I-I just felt my shoulders were heavy."

"Your face is red as a baboon's behind. Diane's probably the only one who hasn't realized you like her, slow as she is."

"Don't you dare say anything bad about Diane!"

Heh?

A light laugh made Ban and King turn sharply. They saw the Fairy King's Forest lush and green again…and a girl smiling at them from a tree branch.

"Elaine…"

King didn't get the chance to finish as Ban pressed a hand over his face, shoving him aside. Ban raised a hand, grinning at the distant girl he loved.

"Just wait there for a bit. I'll come for you soon enough!"

Elaine giggled, nodding as she waved at Ban, who walked off carrying King.

[I'll wait for you, Ban.]