Because of the Hero Summoned from Another World, I Got Replaced and Made the Backup—And My Childhood Friend the Saintess… - Chapter 07: “Envious of the Hero’s Big Moment?”

Chapter 07: “Envious of the Hero’s Big Moment?”

Thanks to the warning network spread throughout the kingdom, it didn’t take long to figure out where the Demon King had returned.

It happened near the far western edge of the country—just beyond the limits of human control.

They sent out a few scouts to investigate, and according to their report, monsters were already gathering in massive numbers around what looked like the Demon King. On top of that, even stronger monsters had started appearing—like they were taking command.

If we left it alone, the monsters would probably start organizing. 

And once that happened, there was a real risk they’d turn into a full-on army and come storming in like an actual military force.

We had to defeat the Demon King before it got to that point.

The moment word spread about the revival, a full-fledged Demon King Subjugation Squad was formed, with Kanda at the center. After a huge parade with cheering crowds and fanfare, the group set off without delay.

“I’ll be back, okay? So wait for me.”

“Wait or not, it’s not like I can go anywhere…”

“That’s not what I meant… But fine. Just make sure you write back when I send you letters.”

Right before they left, that’s what Arianna said to me.

Honestly, I didn’t really get what she was trying to say. I mean, I’m stuck in this castle—I have to wait. And of course I was going to write back. She didn’t need to remind me.

As I stood on the castle balcony, watching Arianna and the others leave, my mind drifted to what might happen next.

With Kanda gone from the castle, my role pretty much vanished for real.

Technically, I was still “on standby”—just in case something happened to him—but let’s be honest. That wasn’t a real job.

If Kanda couldn’t win even with the Holy Sword, there’s no way I could beat whatever managed to take him down. Not a chance.

Still, I couldn’t just sit around doing nothing. So I went back to the same training routine I used to follow before Kanda ever showed up.

I wasn’t doing it to get stronger or anything. I just needed something—anything—to keep my mind occupied. But even then, I couldn’t focus. My heart wasn’t in it.

So every day turned into the same thing—wear myself out for no real reason, then crash into bed by nightfall.

“Look at that commoner, still clinging to relevance even after being kicked off the stage.”

Yeah, I heard the whispers. They came from the noble officials working around the castle.

I tried not to let it get to me, but… it’s hard not to feel like crap when stuff like that reaches your ears.

And it’s not like I could fire back with a “That’s not true!” or anything. I didn’t have that kind of status. I was just a backup Hero—some random commoner the Crown dragged in to play second fiddle.

No goal. Nothing to do. Just rumors and side-eyes all day.

And little by little, it chipped away at whatever energy I had left.

I even tried asking—just once—if I could help out with monster subjugation missions again.

Didn’t get approved, of course.

Still, updates about the Demon King Subjugation Squad kept rolling in. Every detail, sent straight back to the castle and passed around like daily bulletins.

They took down monsters along the way. Helped out a village in trouble. Even defeated one of those newly emerged leader-type monsters.

Sounded like the journey was going well.

Of course, I’m sure it wasn’t just Kanda doing everything—but still, it was clear he was the one leading the charge. The Hero.

There probably wasn’t any reason for them to call me in.

“Envious of the Hero’s big moment?”

That’s what the Knight Commander said to me one day while I was half-heartedly going through the motions of training.

Close-cropped hair, a body built like a fortress, and a face that could probably scare a bear just by looking at it—yeah, still as intimidating as ever.

He was the same guy who once told me, “You’ve got what it takes to beat the Demon King.” But now, I couldn’t even go on the journey to try.

Lately, I’d been avoiding him when I could. 

It just felt… awkward.

“…No. Not really.”

Was I jealous or not?

If I said I wasn’t jealous at all, that’d be a lie.

Kanda was standing in the place I might’ve been. Doing the things I might’ve done.

And yet… deep down, I knew I probably couldn’t have pulled off what he’s doing. As pathetic as it sounds, Kanda—with that Holy Sword—was way stronger than me.

“You’ve got your own role to play. Don’t waste time worrying about what those loudmouths say.”

“…Yes, sir.”

That was all he said before turning around and walking off.

Maybe he just couldn’t stand watching me mope around anymore… and came over to give me a push.

“My own role to play, huh…”

But really—what can I do?

Not as the Hero’s backup.

Not as someone’s replacement.

Just… me?

Arianna’s letters ended up arriving more often than I expected.

Looked like she wrote one every time they reached a new town or village.

[Every new place has something exciting to see. There are so many things you’d never experience just staying in the castle or the church.

The town we’re in now is famous for sweets made with fresh eggs, and… I may have eaten a bit too much.]

[They held a welcome party for us in a village we stopped at for supplies. We sang songs and danced with the villagers… Nothing fancy, but it reminded me of home in the best way.]

[The monster we fought the other day was really strong. A few knights got injured. I healed them right away, but they’re being rotated out just to be safe.

Has anything like that happened on your end?]

She shared all kinds of things—small moments from the journey, and even the scary ones when things didn’t go according to plan.

And in return… my letters were painfully dull.

Just the same old stuff. Training routines. Castle life.

Nothing ever changed around here.

I barely had anything worth writing about.

[One of the sisters from the Central Church spotted me the other day when she came to the castle on some errand. Not like she had any business with me or anything—guess she just saw me and decided to say hi. You know the one, right? From the Central Church—]

Yeah… when I start putting stuff like that in my letters, it’s a pretty clear sign I’ve got nothing to write about.

I mean, what’s Arianna even supposed to say to that?

Still, I sent it off anyway.

And then… the next letter I got back had slightly shakier handwriting than usual—like she’d pressed down a little too hard with the pen.

[The other day, I went shopping at the town market with Lord Kanda.

We tried these grilled beef skewers with lots of local sauce on them—they were delicious.

Oh, and I actually got to take down a monster myself for the first time in a while, using the Goddess’s magic.]

And just like that, our little back-and-forth of letters continued.