Because of the Hero Summoned from Another World, I Got Replaced and Made the Backup—And My Childhood Friend the Saintess… - Chapter 05: In Our Usual Corner of the Castle

Chapter 05: In Our Usual Corner of the Castle

“Why don’t you come to that place anymore?”

Arianna asked me one day.

It was during a break between Kanda’s training sessions.

“Been busy.”

Even after she stepped in back then, I didn’t change how I trained Kanda.

Sure, I thought about easing up.

At one point, I even considered asking the Crown Prince to replace me as his instructor.

But if I stopped training him, then I’d have nothing left to do in this castle.

And if I went easy on him… he might not get strong enough.

And if he’s not strong enough, he might die out there.

From Kanda’s point of view, I probably looked like the worst kind of person.

I banned him from using his strongest ability.

Made him train until he collapsed—every single day.

He once told me he never asked to come here.

Said he’d never even fought before arriving in this world.

Then, out of nowhere, they drop the whole “defeat the Demon King” thing on his shoulders.

And to make things worse, they stick him with a trainer like me.

Honestly… Kanda should’ve been treated with more care.

It made sense that Arianna would want to protect him.

Maybe I really did look like I was taking my frustrations out on him.

Even if that was never my intention,

I wouldn’t blame anyone for thinking that way.

I was the Hero candidate who had trained for years.

The one everyone assumed would end up marrying the Saintess.

Then this guy suddenly shows up—

Takes the title of Hero.

The Saintess ends up at his side.

And I’m stuck being his trainer… pushing him through brutal drills every day.

“There’s something I want to talk about. Could you come tonight?”

“…Okay.”

I gave a reluctant nod to Arianna’s request.

When someone says “I want to talk,” it’s hard to just turn them down.

Besides…

It’s not like I’ve actually been too busy to go.

That was just an excuse.

The truth is—

I didn’t want to.

“Thank you so much!”

Arianna smiled when I agreed.

It had been a while since I’d seen her smile like that.

Lately, we hadn’t talked properly at all…

And for some reason, her smile felt like something from a distant past.

By the time the stars were twinkling softly above, casting a quiet glow over the castle—

I found myself walking to our usual spot, just like she’d asked.

I had no idea what she wanted to talk about.

Was it something about Kanda’s training?

Just a casual chat, like we used to have?

Something serious—like the Demon King?

Or… something else entirely?

Honestly, I hadn’t been able to read Arianna lately.

Back when I used to stand beside her, I thought I understood what she was feeling.

But now…

Now it’s Kanda who stands next to her.

And even if the distance between us hadn’t really changed—

It felt like our hearts had drifted far apart.

Even though Arianna and I had basically grown up like childhood friends,

That’s all we really were.

We weren’t dating.

We weren’t officially engaged.

I liked her—no doubt about that.

But I had no idea how she felt about me.

She never acted like she was against the idea of us getting married someday, but still…

Kanda, on the other hand, had this impossible responsibility dropped on him out of nowhere—

And yet, he kept moving forward.

He stuck with the training, even through the harshest parts.

That once-weak body of his had started to build some muscle.

He was definitely looking stronger.

Even the way he carried himself had changed—his expression, his posture.

Some of the castle maids had even started whispering about him behind his back.

Kanda was the official Hero now—

The one the kingdom had chosen.

Not like me… the spare.

So, if Arianna’s attention had started drifting toward him,

I guess I couldn’t exactly blame her.

…

But honestly, thinking about all this now—

When the Demon King’s revival is practically breathing down our necks—

It’s just… stupid.

I knew better.

This isn’t the time for personal feelings or tangled emotions.

Not some love triangle drama.

What matters right now is how we’re going to face the Demon King.

Who Arianna ends up choosing… that’s not the point.

What is important is figuring out what I can still do here, in this castle.

There has to be something.

That’s what I kept telling myself—

But then…

“It’s really reassuring to have you here, Anna.”

“Thank you, Lord Kanda. Now then—”

Just seeing Arianna and Kanda talking alone—

At our usual spot—was enough to make something inside me twist.

They looked like they were having fun.

Laughing.

Chatting casually.

They didn’t even seem to notice I was approaching.

“Arianna.”

“Ah—! You startled me… But I’m glad you came.”

The moment I called out, Arianna flinched slightly and turned toward me.

Kanda turned too—and when he saw me, his whole face lit up.

“So the person Anna was waiting for… was you, Teach!”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Then I’ll get going. Thanks for the chat, Anna. And thank you for your hard work, Teach!”

Kanda didn’t linger.

As soon as I arrived, he smiled, said his goodbyes, and left.

He was warm.

Always polite—even to me.

And all I could manage was a quiet, awkward, “Thanks… good work,” as he walked away.

Even that small exchange—

Made the difference between us feel enormous.

It stung.

Like I was being reminded—again—

That I wasn’t enough.

“Thank you for coming.”

I heard her say it.

But it didn’t reach me.

The words just… slid past my heart.

“Anna… huh. So that’s what he calls you.”

Before I even realized it, the words slipped out.

Completely unintentional.

“Huh? Oh—yeah, well… It seems like in Lord Kanda’s world, the name Arianna is considered kind of long. He said names there are usually just two or three letters, so I told him he could call me Anna if that’s easier.”

“I see…”

Letting someone call you by a nickname like that—

It meant they were getting closer.

It meant they were getting comfortable.

And just like that, another weight settled on my chest.

“So… what did you want to talk about?”

Trying to shift the mood, I brought the conversation back on track.

After all, the reason I came here tonight was because Arianna said she had something she wanted to tell me.

I didn’t know what it was about,

But since I’d come all this way, I at least wanted to hear her out properly.

“Ah, right! Of course! The thing I wanted to talk about is—”

What she told me next…

Was more than enough to shatter what little I had left.

“I’ve been chosen to accompany the Hero on his quest to defeat the Demon King… as the Saintess!”