4 - Chapter 1: Episode 1 [The Beginning of Everything]
What is this...?
Am I alive?
My comrades are shedding tears.
"Yuria!! Yuria has woken up!!!"
Saintess Aria calls out to her comrades.
What on earth happened?
I distinctly remember falling into the Demon King's final trap, losing consciousness,
and then dying, didn't I?
Am I... alive?
Cynthia, who'd been scouting the area, rushes over.
"Yuria!"
Cynthia embraces me.
After her, Aria, Lily, and Ella embrace me.
"Oh, sniff, we all thought you were dead, truly, sniff, sniff."
"Honestly, I thought I was a goner this time."
"Hwaaaah, thank goodness, truly thank goodness."
How lucky I am to have comrades who worry about me like this.
But I only let myself get lost in their concern for a moment.
Snap out of it.
If I keep causing them such worry, I wouldn't be much of a Hero.
I should get up quickly, show them I'm fine,
and celebrate our victory.
I brush myself off and stand up, showing them I'm perfectly fine.
"Come on, everyone, don't worry so much. I'm perfectly fine, aren't I?"
"Really? Sniff, sniff."
"We don't know what the Demon King might've done. I'll check you over."
Saintess Aria checks for any curses.
Her Holy Power flows from her fingertips, coursing through my entire body.
I don't resist Aria's Holy Power, accepting it comfortably.
Aria's Holy Power was always warm, after all.
Aria's expression as she examined my body was a little strange.
"What is it, Aria? Is something wrong?"
"Well..."
"Tell me, what's wrong?"
"There's no problem at all. It's too clean. That shouldn't be possible, should it?"
"What? There's absolutely nothing wrong with my body?"
"Yes, Yuria's body is perfectly healthy. No curses, no wounds. Not even the injuries from the battle with the Demon King..."
Beside her, Knight Ella pats Aria's back, complaining.
"You scared me! Aria, why do you have to surprise us like that? It's a huge relief he's fine."
"But... it's strange, isn't it? How could the Demon King's trap heal even the wounds I'd sustained up until now? The Demon King wouldn't do that!"
"It's certainly strange, but you can't find any problems right now, can you?"
"Yes, it's unsettling, but Yuria's condition is normal."
"Then what's the point of worrying? We've defeated the Demon King, so let's go back and announce our victory!"
"But what if something goes wrong with Yuria!"
"So, from now on, one person will stay by Yuria's side and monitor his condition, to see if it worsens."
"That's right. For now, that seems like the best option."
Knight Lily had excellent judgment and skillfully commanded the front lines, so everyone quickly agreed.
I agree with Lily.
I don't want to cause my comrades any more worry.
"Then there's no problem right now, is there? We should head back and toast our victory! Everyone must be tired from the journey, so let's drink and celebrate to our hearts' content for once."
Cynthia chimes in, agreeing with me.
"Yeah, yeah, why are we being so down in the dumps?"
"That's right, let's go back and drink until we can't see straight!"
And so, we turn our steps toward Kellen, the Royal Capital.
The journey to the Capital was smooth.
Perhaps it was because we'd slain all the monsters and Demon Race on our way to defeat the Demon King?
Not a single enemy appeared to hinder us.
Upon our safe arrival at the Capital, a grand parade was already prepared, starting from the gates.
Splendid carriages and countless spectators.
Flower petals fluttered in the sky.
—Waaahhh!!!
—Thank you, Hero!!!
—Hero is the best!!
—Archmage Ella, that magic was truly magnificent!
—Hero's sword strikes were also excellent!
—Thanks to Hero, we survived the Demon Race invasion! Thank you!!!
—Kyaaaah, it's Hero! So cool!!!
—Hero, I love you!
—Hero, thank you for saving our family!!
"Wow, this is incredible?"
Beside me, Knight Lily praises me even more.
"Yuria, these are all the people you saved. You should be proud."
"Haha, don't praise me too much. It's an achievement I couldn't have dared to accomplish without all of you."
"Indeed! If I hadn't sealed all the Demon King's magic at the end, you wouldn't have been able to do it."
Archmage Ella playfully pokes my side.
"That's right! It's all thanks to Ella."
I lightly pat Ella's head in thanks.
"Hehe, that's right."
Then Cynthia, who'd been quietly watching, bursts out with a complaint.
"Hmph, if Lily and I hadn't stopped the Demon Race army pouring in from outside, it would've been difficult, you know?"
"That's right, that's right. Cynthia and Lily both did incredibly well. If the Demon Race had attacked us from behind, there would've been no hope."
Suddenly, Saintess Aria also interjects.
She wasn't the type to get involved in arguments like this, was she?
"Hmph, if I hadn't neutralized the Demon King's barrier, you wouldn't have been able to pierce his heart!"
"That's right, thanks to our Aria, we were able to finish off the Demon King. Thank you so much."
Only after I'd patted each of my comrades' heads did the commotion seem to settle down.
As we chatted, the carriage soon arrived at the Royal Palace entrance.
"Now we must go meet the King."
My comrades leap to their feet.
"Yes!"
We arrive at the audience chamber and face the King.
"Hero, you have accomplished a feat unprecedented in history. Thanks to you, our people can enjoy peace."
"You flatter me."
"No, tell me your wish. I shall grant anything."
My wish?
This war was fought because I wished for everyone to live in peace.
If this journey had been for my own greed, I would've fallen before reaching the Demon King.
My comrades would be the same.
"If you wish to be King, I shall give you the throne. I shall prepare anything I can bestow upon you. Speak your wish."
"I have no such grand wish. My only wish is for people to live in peace."
"Truly worthy of being called a Hero. Your courageous actions and noble character shall be recorded in history for all time."
"Do the others have no wishes? I promise to do my best to grant them."
"We too desire nothing."
As I expected, my comrades also have no great desires.
"Very well. Then enjoy tonight's banquet to the fullest. The protagonists of this party are none other than you, the Hero's Party."
"Yes, thank you."
And so, we leave the audience chamber.
And as expected,
that day's banquet was held on an enormous scale.
The Imperial Palace, with its gates wide open to all citizens of the Capital,
hosted a festival gathering tens of thousands of people throughout its grand courtyard, which began with a magnificent fireworks show by the court mage.
It was a time to meet many people, share blessings, and receive thanks and gratitude.
Time passed in a blur,
and by the time the festival was in full swing, past eleven o'clock,
"Hey, Yuria, why are you over here in this corner?"
"Just... I met too many people, so I got a little tired."
"You too? I'm getting tired now, too."
"Shall we sneak away?"
"It wouldn't look good if the protagonist of the party went in first, would it?"
"What are you talking about? You're the protagonist, so you can do whatever you want."
Honestly, my body and mind were utterly exhausted.
Should I just rest?
Since I wasn't used to dealing with so many people to begin with, my fatigue was even greater than usual.
"Alright, I'll head in first then."
"Okay, go in and rest well. I'll explain everything."
"Yeah, thanks. I'm heading in first."
And so, I returned to my room and threw myself onto the bed.
Haa... I'm so overwhelmed.
Still, seeing everyone happy makes me feel good.
Everyone was enjoying themselves, smiling at the splendid party.
Yes, it was for this—
to create a world like this—that I'd strived.
I felt proud
as the long-awaited result unfolded before my eyes.
【System Notification】
Huh, what's this?
A notification popped up on the Hero System.
When did it appear?
I thought I wouldn't need it anymore since I'd killed the Demon King, so I hadn't checked it properly,
but you never know.
I should check it.
【System update complete.】
An update? What kind of update?
I don't need any more power than this.
Judging by the update time, it seems it just finished.
【A new 'Coitus' stat has been updated for the user, Hero.】
Coitus? What's that?
I should check it first.
[Status Window]
A very familiar window unfolds before my eyes.
【 Name 】
Yuria : Lv 94
【 Stats 】
▷Strength : 92
▷Agility : 85
▷Stamina : 90
▷Mana : 81
▷Holy Power : 87
▷Coitus : 1
A new stat has appeared in the Status Window.
Coitus.
What kind of stat does that represent?
And the stat is 1?
Normally, a newborn baby's stats are set to 1.
Adult males are usually between 6 and 8.
【A new trait has been added.】
What? Something new has been added again?
[Trait Window]
【 Traits 】
▷Hero : Lv. 10
▷Owner of the Holy Sword : Lv. 10
▷Sword Master : Lv. 8
▷Indomitable Will : Lv. 9
▷Incubus Trait : Lv. 1
What is this? An Incubus Trait?
An Incubus is a Demon Race, but...
Why would I have such a trait...?
Could it be related to the magic formula the Demon King cast on me at the end?
My head was spinning.
Did the Demon King implant a trait in me instead of a curse?
Is that why Saintess Aria couldn't find it?
Yes, let's examine the details.
[Incubus Trait]
-A demonic body that charms women. Its gestures, its scent—everything about it charms women.
-Women in the vicinity below a certain level are forcibly charmed in proportion to the trait's level.
-Forcibly induces estrus in nearby women in proportion to the trait's level.
"What? It forcibly charms women?"
It's nothing special?
I thought it was a curse the Demon King put on me, but it doesn't seem like a big problem.
Anyway, my comrades would never be charmed by something like that,
so I probably don't need to worry too much.
The worry that had been lingering in a corner of my mind—
the effect of the unknown magic circle used by the Demon King—was now estimated.
As the questions were somewhat resolved, even the tension I'd been holding onto completely dissipated.
'Haa... I'm tired. I'll just think about the rest tomorrow.'