Because of the Hero Summoned from Another World, I Got Replaced and Made the Backup—And My Childhood Friend the Saintess… - Chapter 06: Aren’t You Scared of Fighting Monsters?

Chapter 06: Aren’t You Scared of Fighting Monsters?

This was back before Kanda arrived—

Back when I was still the Hero candidate.

As part of my training, I went on a monster subjugation mission with the knight corps.

Arianna came along, too.

It was actually the first time we’d ever traveled somewhere together—

Though since it was an official mission, there was no sightseeing or anything like that.

We made camp deep in the forest, built a fire, and prepared for battle the following day.

That night, I wandered a little ways away from the others and started practicing with my sword.

The area had already been cleared—most of the monsters had been taken care of before we set up camp.

And I’d told the knights where I was going, so it wasn’t like I snuck off without saying anything.

I didn’t have a natural gift for combat.

That’s why I used every spare moment to train—especially when no one was watching.

That time, Arianna followed me.

She didn’t say much at first.

She just sat down beside me, quietly watching as I swung my sword again and again.

“Who knows what kind of reckless training you’d put yourself through if I left you alone?”

She said it with a small smile—half-joking, half-serious—as she stayed there with me.

For a while, the only sounds were my sword cutting through the air, my steady breathing,

the gentle rustling of forest leaves, the soft chorus of bugs and nighttime animals, and the distant voices of the knight corps finishing up camp.

Under the moonlight—

In that quiet corner of the woods—

Arianna and I shared a rare, peaceful moment.

Just the two of us.

“…Aren’t you scared of fighting monsters?”

Arianna asked me that out of nowhere, while I was still mid-swing.

I paused and turned to face her.

“Wish I could say ‘Not at all!’ with a big, confident grin… But yeah—I’m scared. If I had some natural gift for fighting, maybe I’d feel differently, but…”

Fighting monsters is scary.

Of course it is.

I’m just a regular guy from some freezing, forgotten village.

Not born into a knight’s household.

Not blessed with talent or strength.

Getting hurt hurts.

And yeah—pain is scary.

You never know what a monster might do.

Pretending I’m not scared would be a flat-out lie.

“But… if you’re scared, why do you still fight? Just being near a monster makes my legs freeze up. And I’m not even the one doing the fighting. So how can you fight, even when you’re afraid?”

I thought about it for a moment before answering.

“…Like I said before—I’m fighting for the Crown Prince. Compared to that, my own fear doesn’t matter much. And… there are people I want to protect, too. People I don’t want to see get hurt.

If I fall… Then the ones behind me will be the next to suffer.”

“At least… this time’s a little different.” I added that quietly, almost as an afterthought, as I opened up to Arianna about the things I’d kept bottled up.

The Demon King was a real threat to humanity.

If it ever started rampaging, the damage would be unimaginable.

And if that happened, there’d be no way His Highness could build the peaceful kingdom he dreamed of.

…And while I could never bring myself to say it out loud—

If I ever fell, and Arianna got hurt because of it…

I don’t think I could forgive myself.

That’s why I had to fight.

That’s why I had to defeat monsters.

That’s why I had to get stronger.

“So you’re doing it… for someone else?”

“Hmm… not exactly. But yeah, I guess that’s kind of what it comes down to.”

“I see… If it’s for someone else, then maybe… I can be a little brave too.”

“You know you don’t have to fight monsters tomorrow, right? Just stay back and heal us if someone gets hurt—that’s more than enough.”

“Hey! Don’t say that when I’m trying so hard to psych myself up!”

“Okay, okay! I’m sorry!”

Arianna gave me a few light smacks with her fists—more like gentle taps than anything serious.

And as I looked at her…

I thought again.

I really wanted to protect her.

Arianna—the same girl who once told me how scared she was of fighting monsters—

Was now preparing to march into battle with the Hero to face the Demon King.

“The Church asked me to accompany him…”

That day, when Arianna looked at me with that troubled expression,

All I could bring myself to say was—

“Be careful, okay? If things get dangerous, don’t hesitate—run. Run first.”

That was it.

That was all I could offer her.

I knew she didn’t have the option to say no to the Church.

Just like I couldn’t refuse when they told me I was now the Hero’s backup.

It was true—Arianna’s healing magic, a gift from the Goddess herself, was on a whole other level.

Even the high-ranking priests and royal court mages had never seen anything like it.

And her magic wasn’t just about healing.

The Goddess’s magic also had support spells, buffs, and even powerful anti-monster effects.

To be honest…

She was the perfect companion for a party tasked with defeating the Demon King.

Even if Kanda had never been summoned—

Even if I had become the Hero—

I’m sure Arianna still would’ve come along with me.

“Once we set off, I’ll write you letters and send them, okay?”

That’s what Arianna had said, smiling like she always did.

And honestly… it made me really happy.

If she actually sent letters, I knew I’d write back. Every time.

…It’s not like she and Kanda would be traveling alone.

They were going to face the Demon King, after all.

The kingdom would make sure to form a proper party—

A solid team, carefully selected, just like the ones I’d joined during monster subjugation missions.

But still…

Sigh.

Thinking about this stuff never helps.

In the end, I wasn’t even allowed to leave the castle.

There was nothing big I could actually do.

At best, I could read her letters… and write back with words of encouragement.

…Not that she’d necessarily be feeling down during the journey, but even so.

Until Kanda departs, I’ll just keep training him.

Make sure he’s strong enough to protect everyone.

That’s all I can do.

“Thanks again for training me today, Teach!”

At some point, Kanda had started calling me Teach.

And I guess it made sense—I was in charge of his training, after all.

Kanda was a good guy.

Straightforward. Honest.

Always open with his feelings.

If he hadn’t been dragged into all this…
He probably would’ve just kept living a peaceful life in his own world.

“During training, I’ll push you to your limits. But in a real battle, you don’t have to go that far. If it ever feels like too much—fall back. Got it?”

“Yes.”

“If you go down, everyone around you ends up in danger. The most important thing is staying alive. As long as you’re alive, you’ll always have another chance.”

“…Understood.”

As we sparred with our swords, I made sure to pass on the important stuff—

Little by little, one lesson at a time.

Kanda had come a long way since we started.

He could keep up with the training now.

Without the Holy Sword, I’d still say I had the upper hand.

But the moment he summoned it, there was no comparison—

He completely outclassed me.

“…Take care of Arianna, will you?”

I muttered the words softly, almost like I was saying them to myself.

“Absolutely!”

Kanda nodded, eyes filled with determination.

And then, not long after that—

The news arrived.

The Demon King had returned.