Quit The Hero Party

EP.1 I Quit the Hero Party.

There was a party formed to decapitate the Demon Lord.

A party that was filled with the hopes of the entire nation.

Born in an abandoned city, the human hero Kyle.

The Elf of the World Tree, Archery Master Remia.

The priest blessed by the God, Saint Sara.

And.

The next Master of the Tower from the Ashen Tower, me, Raniel.

Our party, consisting of these four, was quite famous. We made a name across the continent, repelled the Demon Lord’s Army several times, and even accomplished the feat of taking down one of the Four Heavenly Kings.

Although, I wouldn’t say it was all thanks to me.

But, at least I thought a quarter of it… no, to be honest, half of it was my share. I poured my everything into this party.

My future.

The power I would gain.

And even my lifespan.

Was that why?

“You don’t fit in with us.”

“….What?”

“Raniel. I think what you pursue is completely different from our direction.”

I couldn’t make sense of what that supposedly great hero Kyle was rambling on about. What does that even mean?

‘What the hell is this guy blabbering about.’

I tilted my head. I mulled over Kyle’s statement multiple times. The more I thought about it, the more my head tilted.

“What nonsense? Kyle, have you lost it?”

“Look, I don’t like your vulgar tone, okay? Right, Kyle?”

I glared at Sara, who was clinging to Kyle’s right arm, chiming in. She flinched but soon murmured behind Kyle’s back.

“From the start? You know, don’t you? Every time you step in, things end up messy.”

“If it just ended messy, that’d be great. It’s annoying. It ends up being a freaking disaster. Even after that, with all the cleanup… honestly, I think it’s disgusting. You cause the mess, so why do we all have to clean it up?”

This time, Remia, who clung to Kyle’s left arm, complained.

It wasn’t the first time those two surrounded Kyle like that. So typically, I would just ignore it, but… what I couldn’t ignore was the word ringing in my ears. I frowned.

“What, cleanup?”

I couldn’t help but laugh out of disbelief.

You call it cleanup? Bullshit. I’ve cleaned up all the messes you made.

“Hey, who stopped you from messing with the Dragon’s Grave and almost got the town turned upside down by the Bone Dragon? Who covered for you when you almost died storming the Demon Lord’s castle? Who bought time for you when you took down that Heavenly King?”

“···That was.”

Sara and Remia fell silent.

I couldn’t keep quiet. I had a lot more to say. I whipped my head around to look at Kyle. He was looking at me with the same eyes as ever. Maybe that’s why I was even angrier.

“Hey. Damn it, Kyle. You shouldn’t be treating me like this. Who stood watch while you were banging those girls every night?”

“···Vulgar idiot.”

“Vulgar? The bastard who said let’s take down the Demon Lord and then bangs two girls every night is you, damn it. Ugh, I can’t even speak because I’m so dumbfounded.”

I slapped my forehead.

“You said to take down the Demon Lord. You said you’d make a name for yourself. You said you’d take the dirty, hard path for that. You were the one who pulled me out of the tower, Kyle.”

My voice trembled.

“I came out of the tower believing in that goal, that achievement. How could someone who knows that treat me like this?”

The next Master of the Tower of the Ashen Tower.

A promised golden future, a position any mage would drool over.

I gave that up and followed behind Kyle. I followed only believing in what he whispered to me. But now, what? Different directions? What the hell? Blood rushed to my head.

“But how can you treat me like this?”

“···That’s what I don’t like about you, Raniel.”

“What?”

“You only sing about achievements, results, and efficiency. Catching the Demon Lord is for peace. It’s to prove justice. But you see the Demon Lord’s defeat as just an achievement, neither more nor less.”

Kyle said.

“That’s what feels disgusting to me. It doesn’t feel honorable.”

Not honorable, huh?

I couldn’t help but laugh.

Look at the way this bastard talks.

“Are you even in a position to say that?”

I brushed my hair back irritably.

“Can a pathetic bastard who ran away leaving his comrades in front of the Demon Lord talk about honor?”

“·····.”

“What?! Raniel, how could you say that?!”

“There’s a time to speak and a time to shut up, you vulgar human.”

“Looks like what you’re saying now is something you shouldn’t say to me. Who dragged you guys when that pathetic bastard ran away? Who sacrificed half their lifespan to hold down the Demon Lord?”

Kyle stayed quiet, but Sara and Remia were ready to beat me down at any moment. Watching them made me chuckle. It was hilarious. This whole situation felt so ridiculous to me.

Why did I even save these pathetic idiots?

Why was I burning my lifespan for these bastards?

“That’s not the point right now…!”

“Sara. Don’t engage. There’s no need to talk to such a vulgar person. Seriously, from the start…”

It was noisy.

I covered my ears and closed my eyes. Everything felt pointless. The people I thought were my comrades now looked like barking beasts to me.

“Only obsessed with achievements…”

Years of patience. In the end, this is the conclusion that came. As I opened my eyes, I felt it was really over.

“Achievements, yeah. I’m a superficial bastard only obsessed with achievements. But, that doesn’t make you, Kyle, Sara, or Remia, righteous people.”

I pointed at their backs.

In that spot lay luxurious and extravagant items that were far too much for a hero party to use while rushing to catch the Demon Lord.

“You’ve brought these things from the village without even paying a fair price. You borrowed them from merchants praying for the day the Demon Lord would die and the path to the continent would open.”

Pointing at them.

“Do you plan to return that?”

I said.

“Do you even plan to catch the Demon Lord?”

A smirk crawled up my face.

“You guys don’t have any intention of catching the Demon Lord, do you?”

They didn’t respond to my words.

Silence meant confirmation.

“Maybe you wanted to at first. But not now. You’re just a bunch of pathetic idiots taking continuous support from the hero party, looking for glory elsewhere. But what? Justice? Just because I’m a bastard obsessed with achievements makes me disgusting?”

“Let’s be honest with each other.”

“You just still can’t stand that I wanted to catch the Demon Lord.”

I was exhausted now.

When I first ventured out, I believed in the potential they showed. I trusted them. That’s why, no matter how pathetic they showed themselves, I endured it. Because I thought it was worth it.

Years of trust.

Years of waiting.

And finally today.

After years, they returned an answer to my trust. In the worst form and the worst way. Trust was trampled, and in return for waiting, I received the label of a superficial bastard.

“···Ha.”

I was sick of it.

When the answer to years of trust came back as betrayal, the emotion I felt was contempt.

“You pathetic bastards.”

I shoved Kyle’s shoulder and approached the pile of belongings. Among the mountain of luxury items, there was only one thing of mine. The old staff my Master gifted me when I left the tower. I stood up holding it.

Just as I turned around.

“·····.”

I locked eyes with Kyle, who was silently watching me. Looking at him, I slowly opened my mouth.

“Hey, Kyle.”

Though I’d long lost all affection for those bitches, Sara and Remia, I thought Kyle was different.

“At least, at least, you know.”

At least, I thought this guy hadn’t given up yet.

“You shouldn’t be treating me like this, not you.”

Thud.

“What.”

I nudged Kyle’s shoulder once.

“Live well without me, you bastard.”

---