Because of the Hero Summoned from Another World, I Got Replaced and Made the Backup—And My Childhood Friend the Saintess… - Chapter 18: —Trying to flirt with him while I’m gone? Oh, no you don’t!

Chapter 18: —Trying to flirt with him while I’m gone? Oh, no you don’t!

During the journey, I exchanged letters with him pretty often.

[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?]

Every time we arrived in a new town or village, I’d send a letter through the local church.

I’d let him know where we were headed next, and he’d send his reply to that location.

Most of my letters were filled with everyday details.

Sometimes I’d talk about close calls with monsters, or little things that happened during battle.

Since he couldn’t come on this journey with us, I wanted him to experience it through me.

I wanted him to know what I was seeing, feeling, and living through.

That’s why I kept writing to him.

His letters, on the other hand, were always about his quiet days back at the castle.

How he was keeping up with training, random conversations with the Knight Commander, or getting summoned by the Crown Prince.

Even though I know it must hurt—not being able to go on this journey as the Hero himself—

He never wrote a single word about that.

He could’ve told me how he really felt.

If it was painful, he could’ve said so.

If he was sad… I wish he would’ve written that.

And if he had…

…I might’ve—

Well, anyway.

[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—]

…

Wait, what!?

While I’m away—he’s just out here casually chatting with some random Sister!?

When I read that letter from him, I nearly screamed inside my room at the inn.

I’d been calmly sitting in a chair, reading—

And then bam!

My hand clenched into a fist and SLAM—I pounded the desk in front of me.

—How dare someone try to flirt with him while I’m away!!

Did that Sister seriously think she had a chance just because he’s not the official Hero?

Like she thought he might be emotionally vulnerable or something and swooped in, hoping to become his new partner?

Absolutely not.

Not on my watch!

“—Anna? I heard a loud bang… you okay in there?”

That must’ve been the desk slam. Kanda called out from the hallway.

Okay?

Do I look okay!?

I need to finish this Demon King business immediately and get back to him now.

“Lord Kanda.”

“Uh, yeah? Are you okay?”

I stood up, marched to the door, and flung it open.

Kanda was standing there, completely caught off guard.

“This next monster we’re going to fight? I’ll be taking it down myself.”

“Eh…? Wait, what brought this o—”

“I’ll be taking it down. Myself.”

“…Yes, ma’am.”

…Also, he needs to feel it too.

If my heart’s getting all twisted up over this, then his should be a mess too.

That’s only fair.

So—

After defeating the monster, I went into town with Kanda and the rest of the party…

And sat down to write him a very special reply.

[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.]

It had been some time… but that night, I had a dream.

A dream from when he was little.

No—more like the dreams I used to have back when I was little.

Those sparkling eyes.

That burning fire in his heart.

The way he lived and breathed as a Hero, overflowing with life and purpose.

It wasn’t the reality I knew now.

It was the way things should have been.

Why would I dream about that now, of all times?

That version of him… I can’t even see it anymore.

We’ve already left on this journey.

And he’s still back there—alone—in the castle.

This dream… it was one of those.

The kind I used to have when I was a child—

When the goddess would whisper to me.

“The Demon King is a being born from all the filth of this world. Fear, sorrow, rage, loneliness, hatred… all those emotions twisted together into one existence. And only something of this world can truly destroy what was born from it.”

It was a voice I remembered.

So gentle. So warm.

It wrapped around my heart like a soft, comforting embrace.

The voice of the goddess.

It had been so long since I last heard her.

Why now?

Why choose to speak to me now, of all times?

I didn’t know the reason.

But one thing was certain—

She definitely had something important to tell me.

“The Demon King and the Hero are two sides of the same coin. The Demon King always appears before the Hero.”

—What’s that supposed to mean, Divine Mother?

“The Demon King’s influence has already reached the castle.”

Her voice sounded almost apologetic.

The Demon King’s influence… is already inside the castle?

What was that supposed to mean?

Just as I tried to grasp it, my awareness began to rise—too fast.

Only moments ago, I knew I was dreaming.

But now, that clarity was slipping away.

—Divine Mother!

“Be careful. The Demon King… devours the heart.”

That’s when I woke up.

The first thing I saw was the ceiling of the inn we were staying at that night.

And by my pillow—

His latest letter… and a flower from our childhood memories.

Just as we were nearing the Demon King’s stronghold, a letter arrived from the crown prince.

It contained updates on the Hero Summoning, and new findings about the Demon King.

[After receiving the Goddess’s oracle through you, I investigated several nobles I had already been monitoring.

Traces of mental tampering—likely a form of thought manipulation—were detected.

Curiously, every one of them had been strong advocates for the Hero Summoning.

Some of the prophets exhibited similar symptoms as well.

This could mean… the Demon King may have revived much earlier than we anticipated—

And had already begun spreading his influence within the castle.]