The stench of blood filled the air everywhere. On the devastated land, the massive Demon King drew his last breath.
The sound of the Demon King collapsing seemed to signal the end of my life as a Hero.
When everyone was rejoicing at accomplishing what they had so desperately wished for, I couldn’t genuinely smile. Rather, it felt like my windpipe was being squeezed tight. It was because I had grown attached during those three years—short if you call them short, long if you call them long—attached enough that I wanted to stay in this world instead.
“Rian. What’s wrong?”
Alli tilted her head. I must have seemed strange, not celebrating and just blankly watching this situation.
Well, it would be strange. The person who was trying to kill the Demon King killed him but isn’t even happy about it. I mocked myself inwardly.
[Sihyeon. It’s time to go back! You’ve worked hard and thank you so much!]
The unwelcome voice of God filled my head. Alli still had a puzzled expression. So I shook my head weakly from side to side as if it was nothing.
‘Give me some time. I need to say something before I go.’
I said inwardly, thinking of God.
[Yes. But please understand that there isn’t much time. Since the Demon King is dead, it can’t be helped……]
‘I know.’
“Everyone worked hard.”
I never thought I’d actually say these words. At first, I never imagined that the home I wanted to return to would become this undesirable. Moreover, that I’d want to stay and live here.
When regrets started forming, I thought everything would be fine if I just quickly caught the Demon King, but it wasn’t. The more I subjugated, the closer the end came, the more I just wanted to stay. I even regretted not delaying it, not subduing him later.
“Hey~ Rian worked the hardest!”
“That’s right! If it weren’t for Rian, this world would have been destroyed!”
“Why are you saying such things so cheerfully! Ahem, well…… it was an honor to kill the Demon King together with you.”
Everyone’s faces were full of smiles. The laughter wouldn’t stop. It made sense since they no longer had to smell the familiar stench of blood or see disgustingly shaped monsters.
“Rian.”
Ruvlian approached right up to me. He widened his eyes round and wrapped his arms around my waist.
“What are you so anxious about?”
“……”
“The Demon King is dead and things turned out the way you wanted, so what’s the problem?”
Ruvlian rested his face on my shoulder and spoke in a gentle voice. His breath touched my ear, but having experienced this for three years, I could let it pass indifferently.
Anyway, I didn’t know how to get out of this situation. Even if I didn’t know about the others, I didn’t think this guy would let me go.
I tried to confess the truth, but well. Looking at Ruvlian clinging to my side and my companions chattering noisily in celebration, I wondered if I really needed to say it.
It was obvious I’d ruin the atmosphere, and I wanted to end things with smiling faces.
“It’s nothing.”
I replied to Ruvlian, the only one who noticed my anxiety. It was an answer that came after deliberation. There was nothing good about them knowing that I came from another world and would soon be returning. So I decided to hide that fact. It was a naive thought that surely I’d have time to write a small letter.
“Yes. If Rian says so, I’ll let myself be fooled just this once.”
Unnecessarily perceptive. I glanced at Ruvlian once, then shook off the arm wrapped around my waist and started walking. My companions naturally followed me.
“Let’s hurry back.”
I stroked the horse tied up at a somewhat distant location. Mounting the horse, I jerked my chin toward the remaining horses. Understanding what I meant, my companions mounted their horses one by one. Except for Ruvlian.
“Ruvlian.”
“My horse seems to have disappeared when we were dealing with the Demon King. I guess I’ll have to ride with Rian. Right?”
It was actually more like “Ri~ght?” He stretched out the end of his words and gathered his plump aegyo-sal, smiling with his eyes like a fox.
“Huh? I saw Ruvlian untie his horse earlier, mmph!”
Seeing him even seal Alli’s mouth with magic, that statement was undoubtedly true. To untie his own horse just to say he’d ride together. It was so typical of Ruvlian that I was at a loss for words.
“He lied. Let’s ride together, Rian.”
Ruvlian spoke a lie that didn’t even work and approached me with movements that seemed to make a *jjoreurreu* sound. Then he grabbed my finger and smiled charmingly, making me sigh. I found that look cute. I’m not in my right mind either.
‘How long can I hold out at most?’
[I’m not sure exactly, but maybe a day or two?]
‘Got it.’
Two days…. Since there wasn’t much time left, should I just go along with it? We won’t meet again after this anyway, so just this once should be fine. After finishing my rationalization mixed with personal feelings, I nodded.
Immediately catching the meaning to get on, Ruvlian climbed up behind me. It couldn’t be helped since Ruvlian was taller than me.
“Rian.”
“What?”
“Mm. Just. Because I’m happy?”
My shoulder tickled. What I presumed to be his nose touched my neck. I didn’t look back, but I could tell Ruvlian was rubbing his face against my shoulder.
“Now that I think about it, what’s everyone going to do now?”
Deadrian asked as if he’d just thought of it. Unlike me, who couldn’t readily answer, Alli and Montrio opened their mouths first.
“I’m going to work on my parents’ farm!”
For a celebrated spirit mage, it was an extremely modest dream. But shouldn’t Alli know by now? As a companion of the Hero who defeated the Demon King, living that peacefully was out of the question. Since I had no intention of crushing Alli’s dream, I didn’t voice those words.
“Since I’ve achieved merit… talk will come up about aiming for the Crown Prince position. I’m not interested, but I’m thinking of teasing hyung-nim.”
“Montrio has such a bad personality, Rian. From now on, only play with me and not Montrio.”
“Ha! There’s a limit to putting on airs. Everyone here knows you have the worst personality!”
“Montrio, I know you have the worst personality. You can’t cover it up by pinning it on me.”
Amid the commotion, the word “from now on” caught my ear and nothing else entered. There is no future where I exist in this world, but Ruvlian, who didn’t know that fact, easily drew a future “together.”
“This is unbelievable. Rian, don’t you think this guy has the worst personality too!”
Montrio’s cry snapped me out of my flowing thoughts as if cold water had been poured on them. He seemed to be seeking an answer from me, but I hadn’t heard the question.
“Sorry. I didn’t hear. What did you say?”
“I asked if this guy doesn’t have the worst personality among us.”
My gaze following his extended index finger stopped at Ruvlian. When I glanced back, Ruvlian had an aggrieved look and was drooping his previously sharp eye corners all the way down.
I straightened my head. It was to judge without being swayed by his face. Certainly, among my companions, the person with the worst character was Ruvlian. It wouldn’t be wrong to say the phrase “beauties and handsome men are worth their face value” exists solely for Ruvlian.
Though he pretended otherwise, Ruvlian’s personality was shit. To me, he acted like a gentle and fragile puppy, but to others, he acted like a son of a bitch who really understood what was said but ignored it.
It’s just unfortunate that only our companions knew that gap. If I saw someone with god-given looks in the advancement procession, I’d want to warn them to keep their distance first. Having followed that train of thought, I unconsciously nodded.
“Why are you nodding? Even in Rian’s eyes, do I have a bad personality……?”
Then he slightly revealed his face that had been buried in my shoulder and made a forlorn expression. Ruvlian’s long golden eyelashes trembled with a flutter, and beneath them, blue-green eyes that seemed to hold a clear summer day appeared and disappeared repeatedly.
“Well. You’d know best yourself.”
I know that appearance is an act, but I can’t win.
I answered ambiguously while stroking Ruvlian’s brilliant golden hair. Hair that seemed like it would melt away at any moment wound around my hand. Ruvlian, apparently pleased with my rough petting, even closed his eyes and slowly raised the corners of his mouth.
“So what are Rian and Ruvlian going to do? I’m planning to just take the money and run~ I don’t want to be tied to the temple anymore!”
Deadrian raised his voice and laughed refreshingly, cutting in. In my head, God was whining that raising children was useless. I silenced God and vaguely imagined the future.
Probably…… when I go back, I’ll just study or something. I’m a senior in high school, and I’ve taken a break from studying for three years. My memory is good and my foundation is solid, so I’m managing, but otherwise, wouldn’t I have had to retake the year? Thanks to God, I didn’t have to worry about money, but the sudden change in grades would have a big impact on my future in various ways.
Even after finishing my imagination, I couldn’t bring up any words. To bring up the words filling my head, I’d inevitably have to explain that I was going back, so I couldn’t help it.
“I’m going to follow Rian around and then propose or something.”
I whipped my head around at the brazen words. Ruvlian had dyed his white cheeks—which hadn’t tanned even while traveling to subjugate the Demon King—a peachy color.
A chuckle escaped at his utterly shy behavior. I could also hear occasional retching sounds from the side. Montrio was obviously giving Ruvlian a disgusted look.
“You’ll accept my proposal, right? Right, Rian?”
“……I’ve occasionally thought you were like a dog, but I didn’t mean for you to actually spout dog sounds.”
“Woof woof?”
“Crazy bastard……”
Ruvlian tilted his head and made woofing sounds. Separate from his pretty appearance that drew gazes, I sometimes wanted to shut that social menace of a mouth.
Looking around, among them, the purest Alli laughed brightly saying “Wow! Dog sounds!” and Deadrian laughed quietly as if the situation was amusing. Lastly, Montrio kept dry heaving.
Among them, Montrio was the most normal.
“Ruvlian.”
“Yes.”
“Shut your mou— no, just shut up.”
I changed my words, remembering last time when I told him to shut his mouth and didn’t even break even. Ruvlian must have remembered that time too, as he pressed his mouth to my ear and pestered me for an answer saying, ‘Shut my mou—what comes after? Won’t you tell me?’
The sensation of lips and breath were transmitted wholly. It was one of the things I’d grown accustomed to now, so I didn’t particularly feel the need to stop it.
But still, I wished he’d keep his mouth shut. I blocked Ruvlian’s mouth as he continued to urge an answer. It would have been perfect if only Ruvlian hadn’t taken that as an opportunity and made smacking sounds while kissing my palm.
