Evade The Hero and Flee!

Chapter 337

35. Flee from the Heroes (10)

#8 Their Situation: A Certain Hero’s Situation

– Wake up, hero! 

A voice echoing in my head made me close my eyes.

– I know you’re not really unconscious, hero! So wake up!

Ah, I don’t know. I’m unconscious. I’m unconscious. So don’t wake me up.

– You’re not even trying to hide it at all!

There’s no need to lie to an opponent I can’t hide from anyway.  

She’s angry but what can I do? 

If my opponent was the metal bat, it would have moved before I could even speak. Because the metal bat could move on its own.

But in the case of a wooden bat, it couldn’t move on its own. 

Because it was an object given a soul.

– To think you’d compare me to that blasted older sister…!

Ugh!

The sound of grinding teeth echoed in my head.

Oh my! A goddess grinding her teeth inside someone’s head.

– This is your chance. A chance to defeat evil and save the world!

A chance. Yes, a chance.

A chance to board the express train to the afterlife.

– You don’t know your own worth. You’re strong! When I was still a god, I never saw anyone as strong as you!

Oh my! Words of encouragement from the goddess!

And from the goddess of benevolence and devotion who saved the world at that!

A normal person would have cried tears of joy and gained the courage to stake their life in a fight against the Demon King.

Normal people that is.

But I was not a normal person. I was a human who had been trained by Instructor. 

– Just what is that Instructor of yours! 

There were many contradictions in the words of the goddess as she screamed.

For example, when the benevolent and devoted goddess was still a god, she sealed away the evil god and fell into a deep slumber.

In the very distant past, so long ago that no human records remain, only persisting in legends.

– Th-that’s…!

In that time, much has changed in the world.

In the way of the sword, masters used to pass their skills down through generations, maintaining secrecy so only one existed per era, but now many coexisted within a kingdom.

For magic, mages learned to understand the fundamental principles behind long incantations, gaining the ability to use magic without chanting spells. 

For summoning as well, the necessary conditions for summoning different entities were gradually established, and stronger and sturdier weapons could be distributed.

It is said that humans are a race that achieves much in a short time. 

When such humans progressed and evolved over tens of thousands, no, more years, how could a goddess who slept through it all know anything!

– Th-that may be true, but… you are strong. Among even the advanced humans, you are exceptional. Please believe in yourself!  

What’s there to believe.

Just looking at the monsters fighting over there, I can tell I’m an ordinary human.

– No! You can do it! 

I might be able to, sure.

– Yes! You can do it!

But just because I can do something doesn’t mean I have to.

– Huh…?

Why do I have to go fight over there anyway?

– Didn’t you come to save the world?

Did I? I came because my superior ordered all troops to assemble.

– You’ll listen to your superior but not the words of a goddess?

I don’t have a choice. My superior’s words are mandatory while the goddess’s words are a request. 

For a normal superior, the threat is getting fired. But here, the threat is ceaseless harassment unto death.

– That’s just…!

Leaving behind the frustrated goddess, I opened my eyes a little and looked at the Demon King.

“What a monster…”

The Demon King who seemed more like a pillar of darkness given form completely embodied evil. 

With a single swing of his arm, dark energy split the air. With a single stomp of his foot, the earth screamed.

The Demon King. 

I could directly see why humans still feared the Demon King even after advancing so far.

– The Demon King is a system anomaly. He appears when evil in the world accumulates past a certain threshold. No matter how much humans have advanced, facing the Demon King will still be difficult.

An anomaly that appears when evil accumulates past a certain point, huh…

“It sounds to me like you’re saying the more humans advance, the more evil can also advance.”

– That’s right. Humans grow through their past experiences. The advancement of weapons and battle techniques means there were that many more wars. 

That makes sense.

Wasn’t the reason so many strategies, tactics, weapons and armaments appeared recently because of the Great War?

The Empire’s magical bombing was so devastatingly effective, but it overshadowed countless other tactics and weapons.

– The Great War… That must have been a tremendous conflict. The bigger the war, the easier it is for evil to accumulate.

That’s for sure.

The emotions of the dying would also be evil, and the perpetrators taking lives would be filled with malice as well.

Even the kindest village person would feel anger watching their comrades die to the enemy.

– Among all races, humans and dragons produce the most evil. Dragons may be fewer in number, but… humans are not. 

Humans make up the greatest population in this world.

And compared to elves and dwarves, there are more evil beings among humans.

– Yes, that’s right. So as humans grow stronger, the Demon King will also become more powerful.

Hm… The more I hear, the more humans sound like a terrible race. 

– No, while it’s true humans produce a lot of evil, there are also many good beings among them. That’s why gods also choose their apostles, their heroes, from humans.

From what I’ve heard so far, it seemed like you were telling me to take care of the Demon King situation since he appeared because of us. 

– How could that be possible? The very existence of the so-called Demon King arose due to that damned…I mean, evil god’s wickedness in the first place. 

Hmm… You make a fair point. 

If that evil god hadn’t opened the sealed box of evil, none of this would have happened.

Wait, then isn’t this the gods’ fault? 

But why are humans taking responsibility for it?

– Th-that’s…!

Wow, now that I think about it, this is too unfair.

The gods are making me clean up the mess they made, right?

Without any compensation!

Who was it that called her the goddess of benevolence and devotion!

She’s the goddess of ruthlessness and exploitation, not benevolence and devotion!

– Who’s calling me the goddess of ruthlessness and exploitation! I’m not toying with people like that ev- I mean, evil god! 

You’re not toying with us, you’re sending us to our deaths.

– You won’t die. If you inherit my power, you can defeat the Demon King. 

Creepy. 

– What’s the problem now?

Inherit your power? When did you ever give me such a thing?

– This time I cannot let it slide! I never forced you irresponsibly like other gods saying ‘Become my apostle!’. I explained all the benefits and responsibilities of becoming my apostle. I explained so eagerly… How can you say that?!

Hmm…Unlike before, hearing the confident tone in her voice, it does seem like that happened. 

– I-it seems like that happened? 

Yes, goddess. Our instructor said this before.

– W-what is it?! What did that instructor person say?!

No matter how many contracts there are, you must scrutinize them carefully. You must know every tiny print with a magnifying glass so you don’t get stabbed in the back.

However,

– However?

For terms and conditions that you’ll be signing the contract anyway, it’s better to pretend to listen. If it’s something you don’t need to see, don’t look at it and just skip over it. 

– Th-then my explanation…?

I’m sorry, goddess. I just pretended to listen because it was tiresome. 

– Th-then why did you make the contract with me…?

Because Her Highness the Empress told me to bring back that instructor from where the Demon King is…I thought it would be helpful to use you as much as possible?

– I’ve been used! And I’m a goddess! A goddess who saved the world! I’ve just been getting used this whole time!

Hmm…The shock the goddess received seems to have been tremendous. 

She keeps repeating that she’s only been used.

“Okay…”

Creeps forward slowly in the corpse-like movement technique learned from Instructor

It’s been about 6 hours, but the battle between the Demon King and the hero still hasn’t ended. No, it was becoming more intense. 

– Wh-where are you going?

Where do you think? 

“Running away”

I was planning to pretend to be a corpse until the situation ended, but the evil power emanating from the Demon King was intensifying. 

Accordingly, the magical power of the hero fighting back was also becoming more powerful. And so was the movement of our Captain fighting alongside him.

– Running away? If you help that hero now, you can win! Many gods have blessed that hero. Have faith in his power! The moment you join the fight, victory will surely be yours!

“The blessings of gods, huh…”

There was only one hero in each religion, so I guess not. 

– Gods have limits on the blessings they can bestow upon the earth. Having one hero in each religion is a choice made for efficiency. That’s why the blessings are focused on the apostles, heroes, saints and holy maidens directly chosen by the gods.

“So you mean…”

– Yes, that’s right. Many gods are funneling the blessings they’d give to their own heroes and concentrating them on one hero. So the odds are very much in your favor! 

“Even with countless gods funneling blessings onto a single hero, he still can’t defeat the Demon King!”

– Wh-why are you being so difficult?

Hey! I’m not being difficult! 

Please acknowledge that I have a good grasp on reality.

– You can win. So hurry up and fight! 

“Now you’re telling me to fight openly.”

-You don’t even want to listen to me anyway!

I never outright refused to fight the Demon King though.

– You didn’t say you would either.

“You noticed that huh…”

– Do I seem like a goddess who wouldn’t even notice the same pattern?

“Hmm…”

The problem was using the same pattern I guess. 

– So make a promise with me. That you’ll fight the Demon King right now. The moment that hero collapses over there, the world could be in real danger.

I answered the goddess’s serious voice seriously as well. 

“I don’t think there’s any real reason why I must be the one to fight, goddess.”

– Are you just going to stand by and watch the world be destroyed?

No, I think you misunderstood.  

“The world will not be destroyed.”

– Do you think that just because it hasn’t been destroyed so far, it will continue to maintain that forever? The world can change from the smallest things. Like how the concept of evil itself was born when gods from another dimension dealing with evil came to this world! Or how one stupid god released the evil he had sealed in order to satisfy her own greed, throwing the world into crisis!

“They don’t seem like small things to me, but maybe that’s just my feelings…”

– No, they are small things. Even now humans are summoning gods from other worlds and opening treasure chests hidden in dungeons to find treasures. 

Hmm…While slightly different situations, I guess it could look the same to a god. 

However, you see,

“I think you’re mistaken about something. The reason I stated isn’t because of those.”  

– There’s another reason?

“Yes, that’s right. I was also taught by Instructor after all.”

“What on earth is that instructor…

The instructor said. Things don’t always happen the same way. The world can face changes based on even the most trivial things as an opportunity. 

-…That’s the best thing I’ve heard so far.

“The reason why I guarantee the world won’t be destroyed is exactly that.”

I raised my hand and pointed at the hero fighting the Demon King.

– Do you think that hero can defeat the Demon King? If so, helping now would be more certain….

“No, not the hero.”

The one I was pointing at was not the hero, but my junior and captain, Mirea, by his side.

“Let me ask one thing. Does that girl fighting over there have the blessing of God as well?”

-Uh…?

For a moment, the goddess of benevolence and devotion closed her mouth. 

-No… she doesn’t.

“Yes, that’s right. She doesn’t have any blessings at all.”

She said it herself. Only the heroes and saints chosen by God can receive God’s blessings. 

There was no way a Captain of a squad completely unrelated to the denomination could receive God’s blessings.

“Despite not having received God’s blessings, a human like that exists fighting so well like that.”

-Th-that’s because she’s special!

“Yes, you’re right. She is special.”

With some distance between us, I stopped flying and started walking.

“But what if there were several people who were special like that?”

Even within the bizarre group called the Ast Kidnapping Group, Mirea was evaluated as the best.

Hadn’t the lady also said that except for Princess and Lady Reina, there was no one who could compete?

However,

“The Ast Kidnapping Group is full of talents on that level. Nearly hundreds of experts.”  

Beings who can fight the Demon King despite not having God’s blessings.

There were hundreds, no, thousands of such people.

“The Demon King is destined to fall anyway.”

If those who aren’t moving now start moving, there’s nothing even the Demon King can do no matter what.

“So there’s no need for me to move.”

– …….

The goddess could not say anything.

She just quietly watched the Demon King, hero, and Mirea fight.

“If there is a perfect timing to defeat the Demon King, I will fight as well.”

– I understand.

Alright, it’s settled.

I won’t bother the goddess anymore now.

I’ll wait for an opportunity here, and when the Demon King really collapses, I’ll finish him off….

“Oh? Kyaak!”

I thought it was over, but I got ambushed and flew off in the same way again.

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