The Hero Suddenly Proposed to Me, but… Volume 1 ss1 part3

Fresh from the oven! Hahaha!

Sorry for the delays. As much as I wanted to follow my usual schedule, my time is limited. I already lost two precious weekends where I could have had more time to translate and I also became busy with school. The good news is: I HAVE A NEW LAPTOP! Banzai! I can now go back to my usual schedule of releases.

I received the raws for side stories 2, 3 and 4 (uhhh… yes, that’s right.) Thank you very much, !

P.S. I collaborated with Ainushi Translations and translated a oneshot. The title is “” The story is short but it’s cute! And please, don’t be shocked with the high-quality translation. It was edited and proofread. Fufufu~

This is the last part of the 1st side story.

VOLUME 1: Side Story 1 – Empty Heart

(3)

"Being born with the power to defeat the Demon King is the significance of my existence."

That is why if the Demon King disappears from the world, I will lose the meaning of my existence. If I have to fight him for the sake of the world and humanity, if it is their dearest wish, then it must be fulfilled.

But I have not chosen to fight for the sake of the world or the humanity. It was a battle for the sake of the reason of my existence.

If my fight with the Demon King is over, what will become of me?

—An empty person. A person who has no reason to exist or to live.

Yes, that's what I thought. I'll return to my former self. To my broken, empty self. I will only return like before.

But somehow, I felt afraid. I don't want to go back. I want to be someone who has a reason to live.

Therefore I hesitated to defeat the Demon King. My reason was that it is still not the right time.

I avoided squaring off against the Demon King. If the Demon King of the present age is of the same strength as the Demon Kings that the previous heroes have defeated, while knowing that it is enough to defeat him—

"They'd be shocked when they hear about the strongest hero." I said in self-derision. Though I do not possess anything—I am afraid to lose.

……Really, having emotions is just a nuisance.

That time came. A messenger from the Kingdom of Schwarze visited the inn we were staying. The Second Princess Louise was kidnapped by a demon and they requested for our help.

……The demon probably took her for himself.

I wonder if the messenger realized that the hero who is supposed to be brave and the strongest than anyone was upset at his words.

That night, there is an unconvinced expression on my comrades' faces, who were gathered in my room to decide on what course of action to take. It was not only I who was afraid for this journey to end. They also know that when I defeat the Demon King and the demons, I won't have a reason to exist anymore.

That's what I fear. About what will happen after I defeat the Demon King.

"Should we refuse?" Renas asked. "I feel bad for the kingdom of Schwarze but I think it is too early to fight the Demon King.

"Th-That's right! I also think it's too soon." Milly agreed with Renas.

"Is it really the Demon King? Personally abducting someone was not done by the Demon Kings in the past." Rufus interjected.

"But I heard that this Demon King is an eccentric. There were times that he went off on his own." Renas added.

Their opinions were divided. Should we decline or decide after confirming the facts?

"Greed, what should we do?"

After exchanging opinions for a long time, Farah quietly asked me, who has kept silent all this time. If the opinions are divided, the leader, the hero, will decide. Because that was the established rule.

I thought for a while before I spoke.

"Let's listen first to the story…… After determining if the demon they saw is really the Demon King—that's the time we will decide if we should accept the request."

The next morning, we headed to Schwarze together with the messenger on a carriage.

I did not expect the destined encounter waiting for me there.

Schwarze is a rich but a small kingdom. The castle is also small compared to the palace of Elusion. However, because of the personality of the King, it gave an overall gentle impression and my friends, majority of which were commoners, seemed to like it.

The spirits are also pleased with the people here. A calm and good nationalism can be felt. (T/N: ????)

"I will now show you to the drawing room."

It was what the messenger said after we got off the carriage and stood at the courtyard, looking around.

"Hero-sama? ……Is it you, Hero-sama?"

A person who came out of the small entrance for employees asked me.

Reflected in my eyes was a small woman looking at me. Her light brown hair was arranged and she was dressed in a dark blue maid uniform.

……My heart pounded heavily for some reason.

"I beg you, Hero-sama……!"

That little body ran towards me as if it was bouncing. I used my [Analysis] skill at once when I saw that woman. She might be a person manipulated by demons who could potentially bring harm. Demons have red eyes which can't be hidden even if they use magic, so they can never get close to me at all. That's why they occasionally manipulate humans through magic. Because of that, it was customary to scan humans who approach me.

My [Analysis] skill activated and characters appeared in my mind—

《Aria Milford》

Race: Human

Occupation: Princess Louise's lady-in-waiting

Social status: Viscount Milford's daughter

Age: 18 years old

Hometown: South of Schwarze, Viscount of Milford's estate

LV: 1

HP: 10

MP: 0.01

Status abnormalities: None

Skills: Tsukkomi EX

Apparently, she was not being manipulated…… What is that displayed skill [Tsukkomi EX]?

While pondering about that, she went straight into my bosom.

……Somehow, my heart pounded heavily again.

"I beg you, Hero-sama!"

Within my arms, she looked up to me and clung. The moment I looked into her brown eyes brimming with tears—the world changed.

My heart swelled.

My soul trembled.

An intense feeling overwhelmed me.

—I found it.

Emotions I have never felt filled my chest. Something overflowed.

Great joy. That pleased me.

……Something filled my empty heart. Filled it up.

"The princess was . . . The princess was abducted by a demon who claimed he was the Demon King!"

The woman in my arms appealed.

"Aria, I understand your feelings, but this is the courtyard……"

I silenced the messenger who spoke in a reproachful tone. I wanted to hear her voice more. I wanted to keep her in my arms.

"Beside me . . . Beside me, the princess was……!"

Her body that was leaning on my chest was soft and warm—my heart and body ached for those feelings.

Just like now, a lot of women have clung to me like this. Sometimes they'd confess that they like me. But my empty heart has never reacted at all. She is completely different. I don't want to release her from the shelter of my arms. I felt the thrill of pleasure when I saw myself reflected in her brown eyes. I never thought I wanted her to burn me in her memory.

Ah, I said as I understood. This feeling is overflowing.

Is this an emotion? When you "think" about another person?

—I found it.

I acquired an emotion, my empty heart shouted.

—I found it. Something that I want. Something that I want to obtain.

—And the reason to live.

"I beg you, Hero-sama!"

She looked up at me while she still clung to me. Her teary eyes and gaze made my heart and body ache even more.

"The princess . . . Please save the princess! From the hands of the Demon King!"

—Demon King.

Even when I heard those words, I did not feel the fear and anxiety that I've felt up until a while ago. On the contrary, I don't need to anymore. Because I found it. That's why the Demon King is not needed.

I'll defeat him quickly—for her sake.

I gently touched her back to calm her. Feeling her warmth in my hand, my heart became full.

"It's all right."

I smiled unwittingly. I saw the startled expressions of my friends at the periphery of my vision but I did not pay attention. The only one who is important in my eyes is her.

"It's all right."

When I repeated those words while smiling, hope sprang in her eyes. When I saw it, I felt my own smile becoming more natural and deeper.

I felt love for the first time ever since I was born.

For your sake, I will defeat the Demon King and the demons—

"I will definitely save your princess."

—If you become my reason to live.

Chapter end