The Hero Party is Obsessed With Me Before Our Farewell

“It’s over…”

It had been quite some time since we entered the empire’s territory, yet the hero’s party showed no signs of slowing down.

The reason? Apparently, the hero had urgent personal matters requiring them to reach the capital quickly.

If we had been able to rest in a village or somewhere similar, things would have been easier. But no—she wouldn’t even explain something that important to us; she would simply tell us to keep moving forward.

Of course, the others probably already knew the reason. They must have had many conversations I wasn’t part of—after all, they never considered me part of the group to begin with.

Even so, now that the Demon King was dead, shouldn’t I be able to head to the capital on my own?

I tried reasoning with them, saying, “At this point, I think it’s safe enough for me to head home on my own.” But my suggestion was promptly dismissed by the majority.

The hero, the saintess, and the mage flatly refused—perhaps they still needed a slave or a punching bag.

The archer, for her part, yelled that she wanted to separate from me as soon as possible, but, outnumbered, her voice eventually lost its strength.

I was cheering her on, but honestly, the way she openly looked down on me made me feel a little resentful of her.

I had hoped that the archer, at least, would leave the group, but maybe she couldn’t bear the thought of parting from the companions she had grown attached to. In the end, she reluctantly stayed with us.

And so, my life continued to be miserable. I had to keep enduring the constant verbal abuse of the elf and the mage, complete every task given to me by the saintess, and offer my exhausted body as an object for the hero to relieve her stress.

Still, it’s finally coming to an end.

“We’re almost there…”

Seeing the capital come into view swelled my chest with emotion.

Or maybe that swelling sensation was just the result of my labored breathing, my lungs heaving so hard it felt like they might burst.

Even muttering to myself wasn’t an option. If I exhaled too forcefully, the raw, chafed skin inside my throat would scream in agony.

But even the simple act of trying to murmur brought a sliver of joy.

The Demon King was dead. I no longer had any obligation or reason to keep enduring this.

“Cover your face soon,” Eleanor said. “And Fasir, start walking on your own two feet. If you keep floating along with levitation magic, people will recognize you instantly.”

“What a hassle. This is practically a crutch, you know? At the very least, you could show some consideration for someone my age.”

“Either way, no levitation magic. We can’t afford to hire anyone or buy a horse here… so, pack mule, carry the mage on your back.”

“What?”

Despite her tone and manners being those of an old woman, the mage’s voice and appearance were like those of a child.

I’d heard she was both a genius and born with a lineage imbued with extraordinary power.

She had even managed to completely resolve her life expectancy issues at a young age.

But whether she was a genius or not, or light as a feather, wasn’t my concern. I was barely holding myself together as it was.

“You can’t even manage this, huh? Your pathetic body can’t do anything—you even forced the saintess to carry the whole load, didn’t you?”

The hero’s furious voice shook my weary frame. I wasn’t scared, but just standing in front of her was exhausting. And I didn’t have any energy left to spare.

The saintess had taken the belongings I was carrying when I collapsed from exhaustion.

The hero, despite being the strongest among us, refused to carry the group’s load herself, as if it was beneath her dignity.

The elf didn’t want to touch the bags because they were “stinky,” and the mage claimed dragging them with magic would crush the contents. That left only the saintess to handle the task.

“Well, this is nothing. Bend down and let me climb up.”

The mage’s childlike voice grated on my nerves. At first, I thought it was cute and sweet, but now it just triggered irritation and despair.

Even if I managed to return to Earth, I doubted I would ever hear a child’s voice the same way again.

Before coming to this world, I didn’t hate anything. But with every passing day here, the list of things I despised grew longer.

I wanted to protest, wanted to scream in rage, but I knew full well she wouldn’t back down.

Eleanor was the kind of person who viewed conceding to someone she didn’t approve of as a loss, no matter how valid their argument.

Besides, I no longer had the strength to even look her in the eyes and speak. All I could do was sigh and lower my back.

“Ugh…”

“Why are you so weak? Surely, you’re not suggesting I’m heavy?”

The mage lightly patted my shoulder with her tiny hand. Even that was enough to make me stagger.

“Let’s go.”

I wanted to tell her to shut up, but even trying to utter that single word made me feel like I was going to die.

The capital wasn’t far now; we were probably heading straight to the Imperial palace. Compared to the journey so far, it felt like nothing.

“Then let’s get moving!”

Grinding my teeth, I hoisted her onto my back and trudged after the hero once more.

This shit is finally coming to an end.

*************

The grand hymn resonated throughout the massive hall. The sacred voice, amplified by divine power, carried a profound impact, different from any microphone.

Yesterday, as soon as we returned, I asked the emperor to send me back to Earth. However, he dodged my request, saying I should take some time to attend the celebration banquet and say my goodbyes.

In the midst of all this, I wasn’t part of the hero’s group that enjoyed blessings and warm welcomes. Instead, I was just another person dressed in noble attire, clapping from afar.

“You have completed the most difficult mission faster and with more heroism than anyone else.”

The four women knelt before the emperor, their eyes closed, silently accepting his praise.

It was amusing to see those proud women kneeling before the emperor, though of course, there was a reason behind it—not that I really cared.

“In accordance with the will of the goddess, we have once again protected this world. This is another miracle brought about by your brave resolve, selflessness, and the goddess’s love…”

The summoning of the hero and the subjugation of the Demon King is a great ritual passed down since ancient times. It is not merely a battle between humans and demons but a ceremonial act in which the goddess’s apostle, the hero, defeats the world’s adversary—the Demon King.

The empire has existed for over a thousand years, and the summoning of heroes has persisted at intervals of several centuries.

Heroes enter dungeons that cannot be opened by anyone else, find the goddess-prepared armaments, defeat the sealed evil monsters, and acquire the goddess’s power through the guidance of the saintess, her most devoted follower.

The empire summons the hero, and the emperor assumes the responsibility of representing the goddess and tending to the hero until the subjugation of the Demon King is complete.

That’s why even the haughty archer, who sees all living creatures in the “human” category as mere monkeys or puppies, and the saintess, who has unwavering support from the clergy and answers to no one, bow their heads before the emperor.

“To have crushed the demon forces with minimal casualties, even before the Demon King could rally his subordinates, is an unparalleled achievement among all heroes.”

And as I watched from a distance, I was… bored.

The music was undoubtedly grand. After all, for years, the only sounds I had heard were the screams of monsters and, occasionally, the saintess humming her hymns.

The food was unquestionably delicious. Except for the early days of our journey, I’d often had to chew on rock-hard dried fruits or risk an upset stomach by eating unidentifiable remains.

Thanks to the vastness of the empire, there were plenty of delicious food options to choose from.

Although I wasn’t someone who frequented fancy restaurants, I was sure that no food I had eaten on Earth could compare to this.

And yet, I wasn’t happy.

Because of hunger, my stomach was screaming at me to put something inside, and even though I kept shoveling food mechanically into my mouth, I felt no satisfaction or joy.

I just wanted cup noodles.

Not because it wasn’t particularly good or anything like that—I just longed to smell that nostalgic artificial aroma and taste that spicy flavor (something I would never see or taste here).

And then, I realized something.

I hate this world.

Just as the magician made me hate the sound of children’s voices and the archer made me detest the entire elf race, this world had left me with too many negative memories to enjoy anything here.

And so, the celebration continued. Even though I was dressed in noble attire, no one approached me, as my face was unfamiliar to everyone.

Judging by the atmosphere, the banquet seemed like it would last all night, but I had no intention of waiting that long.

After drinking the strongest alcohol I could find, I slipped into the garden connected to the banquet hall, carefully leaned against a tree, and fell asleep.

Tomorrow, I will finally return home.