Chapter 1: The Hero Approaches His Disciples
─The story begins several years ago.
Do you know about isekai reincarnation? You know, that genre of story you often see in web novels and manga.
It could be called the common tale of a person who died once and was given new life in another world.
The concept of reincarnation, thought to be purely fictional. Unbelievable as it may be, yes, I too was reincarnated.
Surprisingly, I was originally a student in modern society, but I got hit by a truck, and when I came to, I had become a baby in a medieval fantasy world with magic.
The son of commoners in some village, the faces of two people who seemed to be my father and mother were the first sight I saw.
I was incredibly shocked. A completely ordinary, run-of-the-mill male high school student who thought he had died suddenly found himself as a baby the next moment.
However, it’s also true that there was joy beyond the shock. So-called magic and such fantasy are things every guy dreams of. Naturally, I was incredibly fascinated by it too. The world I was reincarnated into even had legendary beings called heroes, which made my excitement soar even higher.
After all, heroes, mages, champions—I’d always loved those things. I had my chuunibyou phase too. I used to think about how I’d handle it if terrorists came to school.
I mean, that’s just what male high school students are like, right? I fantasized a lot and imagined myself being active with magic.
So I thought a wonderful otherworld life awaited me. I believed adventures that would make my heart race with excitement were waiting…
However, reality was cruel. First, I had no talent. Neither talent for swordsmanship nor magic—clearly, I alone was completely empty.
But that was still fine. There was a more problematic issue.
──My face was average.
In my previous life, I was also average-looking. I really thought I’d at least become handsome in another world. Even if I died, I couldn’t pull an SSR in the face gacha.
And not having talent for swords or magic was also a problem. But I worked desperately hard. Many people told me I had no talent, but I didn’t take it to heart and kept working hard. I continued working desperately hard. I repeated days where nothing seemed to sprout.
That’s when something became the talk of the entire world. It was news that the Demon King had been revived. Being a medieval fantasy setting, naturally a Demon King existed too.
The world awaited the birth of a hero. If the Demon King was despair, then the hero was hope. It was the template good-versus-evil duality, but I liked that too, and I had hopes that maybe I might be the hero.
Around that time, I began working as an adventurer. I threw myself into the battle against the Demon King’s army. There were many good-looking people around me, and as an average-looking guy, I felt out of place, so I wore an iron mask and worked hard while adventuring.
Desperately, desperately, I raced through that era. Maybe I wanted to give my all to something, just once.
In my previous life, I gave up on my own due to the gap between me and others. I thought “I’m probably no good,” “there’s no point in trying hard anyway,” and never took that first step.
But even so, I had my dreams.
I really wanted to become something like a fantasy hero!!
That was about all I had in my head. And after continuing to work incredibly hard for several years, before I knew it, I had become a hero.
Before I knew it, I had companions too.
We were called the Hero Party, and we even defeated the Demon King. I became something like a legendary figure.
I was happy. I didn’t dislike being thanked by people. But that wasn’t all.
The Demon King was revived again. Other Demon Kings appeared too. I mean, just how many Demon Kings are going to show up? I thought, but I figured it couldn’t be helped and defeated them all. Demon Kings that once gave me trouble became like a grinding game—I defeated them with that same mechanical feeling.
And even after I turned thirty, I was still called a hero.
[As expected of the Hero!!]
[Hero-sama!!]
Honestly… I got tired of it. And exhausted. Where did that me from my teens who was so full of motivation disappear to?
Even I don’t know. How long will being a hero continue? Just how long will Demon Kings keep appearing?
By my late twenties, I was thinking about such things daily.
Even being called a hero, it’s not all good things… When there were lives I couldn’t save, everything became my fault.
Some people say: Since you’re the hero, save them. Since you’re the hero, fight. It became troublesome, and I wanted to live a normal life.
I started missing the daily life from my previous world—watching anime, movies, and dramas through subscriptions. No, it wasn’t daily life. I missed the extraordinary. What I once yearned for as fantasy had now become my daily routine.
I want to quit being a hero… But it’s not that easy to quit. My existence has become a deterrent for peace. I know what would happen to the world if I quit.
I can’t just quit that easily…
What should I do… That’s when it hit me!! The point is, there just needs to be a hero.
I’ll raise one… A new hero…
I’ll raise a deterrent to replace me.
Once I thought of that, I was quick to act. I’m already thirty, but my movements are still swift. First, I decided to approach a young person with heroic talent.
I don’t know the details, but apparently in the old days there were other heroes besides me, and most of them were initially [misfits] or something like that.
Indeed, I was also a misfit in the past. So I thought I’d approach a misfit, and I found someone who seemed like one.
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A boy desperately swinging his sword in a rural village at evening… To be honest, his movements had absolutely no sharpness. Really uncool, and honestly weak-looking. I couldn’t sense any talent at all.
But I think I was kind of like that in the past too… though I wasn’t quite that terrible…
Well, whatever. He gives off a good misfit vibe. Plus, my instincts as a hero are telling me that guy will make it big!
“Hey.”
“Ah!! Eh!? Um, c-could you possibly be Hero-sama!?”
“What if I am?”
The boy who was doing practice swings seemed to notice me. Then he hurriedly ran over to me.
“Ah, ahhhhhh um! I, I, I am! Um, I’ve been admiring y-you!!”
“There have been many who said that before.”
“Right!! You are the world’s greatest hero after all.”
“Heh, indeed I am the world’s greatest hero.”
“Whoa! That legendary arrogance!! You really think you’re the strongest in the world!! Amazing!!”
In my previous life I was humble, but since this is my second life, it wouldn’t be interesting to walk the same path. So I’m going with a haughty ore-sama type character.
──However, because of that, I’ve fallen into the dilemma of not being able to show my true face to anyone. Because I’m too embarrassed and scared of being called out with “You were doing the ore-sama character thing despite being average-looking?”
That’s why I always wear an iron mask and have never shown my true face to anyone except my parents.
“Um, could I shake your hand?”
“You’ll never be able to wash it again.”
“I’d rather boast about that for the rest of my life!”
No, please wash it.
“Um, there’s something I want to ask… may I ask you a question?”
“Very well.”
“I, I want to become like you… I’ve been working hard for so long… but everyone around me says someone like me could never…”
Ah, I roughly understand what he wants to say. He’s asking if he can become like me, right?
“Can I, can I become a hero, a champion… do you think?”
“That depends on you. I couldn’t care less.”
“R-right…”
“However, I too had a time when I was weak like you. You’re still young, so there’s no need to give up yet.”
Now then, let me get straight to the point.
“I am… searching for a successor.”
“A s-successor…? Of what?”
“Obviously, of the hero.”
“H-h-h-h-hero!? A successor!?”
“Your voice is too loud. What if someone hears us?”
“S-sorry, b-but why? You’re said to be the strongest among all heroes in history, the absolute strongest…”
“Indeed, I am the strongest, acknowledged by myself and others. But you see, my body is gradually losing its original power.”
“N-no way… w-why!?”
“I was cursed by a Demon King in battle.”
“──?!”
Everything from start to finish is a complete lie. I’m perfectly fine. My body is still young and moves without hindrance. The other day when I jumped, I could have reached space.
“I see, the Curse King! The Demon King that appeared from another dimension! I heard even his breath could wither great trees… what a tremendous Demon King!!”
Ah, there was indeed one like that… I defeated it in one strike though… Well, it’d probably make him work harder if I go with that story.
If I want him to want to succeed me, I need to value the situation and make my voice deeper.
“That’s right. You understood well.”
“I-I was praised!! By Hero-sama!! I could die happy now!”
“I need you to live. I told you, didn’t I? I’m searching for a successor.”
“…D-don’t tell me, me? You mean me?”
“That depends on you…”
“I… could become… a hero…”
He’s trembling. But I understand the feeling. I used to get excited like that too.
“It’s merely a possibility. Whether you can become one depends on you… but I sensed potential.”
“P-potential… in me…”
“My intuition has never been wrong. Get fired up and try running.”
It’s actually wrong quite often, but whatever, no need to worry about that. The kid in front of me is really motivated…
“Uuu, t-to say such things to me… Hero-sama is…”
He started crying. Just how much does he like me…
──However, I’m thinking of approaching about six other people besides you…
I mean, come on? Even in horse racing, you diversify your investments rather than putting all your money on one horse, right? It’s more rational than investing everything in one person.
“Um! I-I’ll work hard!!”
“Mm, I have high expectations.”
“Me, a successor…”
I don’t need to mention that I’m thinking of making other successor candidates… That might kill his motivation.
That’s right, even though he clearly seems to lack talent, I should probably ask just in case.
Generally, even so-called misfits seem to have something that shines. Plus this kid resembles the old me! There’s got to be something, right!?
“So? What are you good at?”
“Um, it’s embarrassing to say to Hero-sama, but… I think I’m good at swordsmanship…”
Eh? I saw your practice swings earlier, but it really didn’t seem like a level you could call yourself good at…
“Is there anything else? Can you use magic?”
“No, I have no talent for magic at all… I’m just a bit confident in swordsmanship!”
“I see…”
You’re confident… It looked really uncool though.
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