Because of the Hero Summoned from Another World, I Got Replaced and Made the Backup—And My Childhood Friend the Saintess… - Chapter 17: On the Road—Just Me and Kanda

Chapter 17: On the Road—Just Me and Kanda

When he showed up, Kanda wrapped up our conversation and headed off.

Still…

Talking things through like that—finding even a little common ground—

It almost felt like we got along. Just a bit.

Strangely enough, he seemed a little put off by the way Kanda called me Anna.

Maybe he thought Kanda and I were closer than we actually were?

Totally not the case, by the way.

After that, I let him know that I’d officially been assigned to join the Demon King subjugation party.

It was something we’d always planned for from the start—

But the final decision hadn’t come down until just a few days ago.

And no, it had nothing to do with Kanda being the Hero.

Even if he’d never been summoned, I would’ve still been expected to accompany the Hero.

That said…

If he wasn’t the one chosen as the Hero, I honestly didn’t feel all that motivated to go.

I’m not the only one who can use the Goddess’s magic.

There are plenty of other people who could’ve taken my place on this journey.

But once the church gave the official order…

Well, it’s not like I had a choice.

Saying no just wasn’t an option.

“The church told me to go along with the subjugation team…”

I said it with a sheepish little smile, lowering my eyebrows in that please-don’t-blame-me kind of way.

He looked at me with concern and said,

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

It made me happy—knowing he worried about me like that.

But at the same time… it made me feel guilty.

He wasn’t allowed to go on the Demon King subjugation journey—

And yet here I was, going without him.

And more than anything…

I didn’t want to be apart from him.

“I’ll write you letters after we set out, okay?”

I said it quickly, trying to hide how I really felt.

In the end, we never did come up with a way to make him the Hero.

Before we knew it, the news came:

The Demon King had returned.

With nothing left to do, Kanda and I left the capital in a grand parade—cheered on by the entire city.

“Alright, we’re heading out! So wait for me, okay?”

“Not like I’m going anywhere—I’m kinda stuck here, remember?”

“That’s… not what I meant, but… never mind. Just make sure you write back when I send letters.”

That was the last conversation I had with him before we departed.

From what I’d heard, His Majesty was planning to have me and Kanda get married after the Demon King was defeated.

Even inside the castle, that rumor had already spread far enough to reach my ears.

Some high-ranking noble families had even approached the church about adopting me.

So yeah…

It’s pretty clear what they’re planning.

But I have absolutely no intention of marrying Kanda.

What I want…

Is to find a way—any way—to make him the Hero during this journey.

Worst-case?

If Kanda ends up defeating the Demon King, I’ll figure out a way to send him back to his original world and cancel this entire arranged marriage nonsense.

No matter what I have to do…

My heart belongs to him—and him alone.

“So in the end… maybe we really do have to let Lord Kanda get eaten by a monster—”

“Anna, your inner thoughts are leaking out. Kinda terrifying. Please stop.”

“I’m joking.”

It was just the two of us, traveling together.

Inside a no-frills, tough-as-nails carriage built for long-distance journeys.

With not much else to do, we passed the time having completely unproductive conversations like this.

“So, did you ever figure out how to get back to your original world?”

“Hmm… The court mage said there’s no way, but I don’t really buy that.”

“Any proof?”

“Just a gut feeling.”

I shot Kanda a look that pretty much said, Are you serious right now?

Apparently, once he gets comfortable around someone, he also starts talking nonsense.

He must’ve caught my expression and assumed I was mad, because he quickly scrambled to explain.

“I mean, think about it—They’re summoning something from another world they’ve never even seen before, right? Sure, this time it was me… but what if they accidentally summoned some huge, horrifying monster instead? If that happened, wouldn’t it make sense to have a failsafe? Like a spell that sends whatever they summoned right back to where it came from? That kind of setup wouldn’t be too surprising, right?”

I had to admit—Kanda kind of had a point.

Even if the summoning target was carefully chosen, depending on the situation when the spell was cast, things could still go wrong.

If nothing showed up, then no big deal.

But if, like he said, something terrifying came through—

Say, a monster as powerful as the Demon King we’re supposed to fight…

Yeah… that would be a total disaster.

So having a backup spell to immediately send whatever-it-was back to its original world didn’t seem that far-fetched.

“You’re right. There’s probably some kind of safety measure in place in case the summoning fails. And it’s not crazy to think that failsafe might be a return spell. Whether the court mages are lying or just don’t know… that part’s still unclear.”

“Actually, what I don’t get is—why was I summoned in the first place? Didn’t Teach already work super hard for this Hero thing?”

Can’t argue with that.

I’d wondered the same thing myself, so I’d asked the church about it.

And their answer?

“They decided he wouldn’t be able to defeat the Demon King.”

Apparently, that was all there was to it.

“They said it was based on one of the prophets’ suggestions.”

“Oh, you mean that super sketchy-looking person in the hood?”

“There are a few of them, but… yeah, I think you’ve got the right one in mind.”

That man who always hides his face under that deep hood?

Yeah, I’m short enough that I can still peek up and catch a glimpse of his face—he’s got a scar over his right eye—but for anyone as tall or taller than him, I doubt they see anything at all.

Well, I guess that’s kind of the point.

He did say he doesn’t like showing his scar in public, so in that sense… mission accomplished?

“He totally looked like someone you shouldn’t trust, though. Are we sure he’s actually a good guy?”

“Prophets have been involved in running the country for generations. And that particular one—sketchy fashion sense and all—is highly trusted by His Majesty.”

“Huh. Seriously?”

Honestly, I’ve got my own personal grudge against the guy.

After all, he’s the one who took the Hero role away from him.

Still, if he’s working in the royal castle, he’s probably competent.

And besides, prophecy stuff isn’t really my area of expertise anyway—so it’s not like I’m in any position to complain.

All I can do is hear the voice of the Goddess.

It’s not like I can predict the future myself.

And even that only happens when she feels like speaking.

I don’t get to call on her whenever I want.

“So in the end, we’re just waiting on the crown prince’s report, huh…”

Kanda let out a tired little sigh, and I gave a small nod in response.

The crown prince still wasn’t entirely convinced about Kanda really being summoned from another world.

He’d started quietly gathering information on his own, piece by piece.

Apparently, his take was something like: “Randomly summoning a Hero from another world out of nowhere? Yeah, no—something’s fishy.”

“Well, for now, let’s just focus on what we can actually do. I’m going to write a letter to him, so don’t talk to me for a while, okay?”

“You can write in a bumpy carriage like this!?”

And just like that, our carriage—along with the rest of the Demon King Subjugation Squad—continued rolling steadily westward across the kingdom.