Because of the Hero Summoned from Another World, I Got Replaced and Made the Backup—And My Childhood Friend the Saintess… - Chapter 22: My Hero

Chapter 22: My Hero

The castle, which I hadn’t seen in some time, was buzzing with activity.

Everyone was busy preparing for tonight’s party.

Fancy decorations lined the halls, and nobles and merchants I’d never even seen before wandered through, clearly helping with the final touches for the event.

As one of the party’s “stars,” I couldn’t take more than a few steps without someone stopping me for a chat.

Greetings.

Questions about the Demon King subjugation.

Talk of adoption offers… even rumors about my “marriage” to the Hero.

Everyone had something to say.

But I didn’t stick around for any of it.

I gave the bare minimum of polite responses, then slipped away as quickly as I could—heading straight for the Crown Prince.

After all, I’d left Kanda behind to deal with the social vultures in my place. He’d survive.

“Your Highness!”

Deep within the castle was a quiet corridor, untouched by the noise and chaos outside.

That’s where the Crown Prince’s private room was—and where I found him.

“You’ve returned.”

He looked over at me calmly as I entered.

Seated around a table with him were the Knight Commander and his former teacher.

The three of them sat on sofas, while the Crown Prince’s personal maid stood quietly nearby.

Just those four.

Clearly, they’d been waiting for me.

“Where is he?”

“He’s alone in the royal forest right now. Looks like my prediction was correct.”

I asked without even sitting down.

Technically, speaking so casually in front of royalty should’ve been unthinkable—even for a Saintess.

And judging by the way his teacher narrowed his eyes at me, he wasn’t too thrilled about it either.

But no one said a word.

Not here. Not now.

The Crown Prince answered plainly.

“Then I’m going to him.”

“The Knight Commander and I will go too. You’ll need a ride, won’t you, Lady Arianna?”

With that, His Highness stood up.

As he passed in front of me on his way out, he gave a few quiet instructions to his maid.

The Knight Commander followed right behind him.

“As for Kanda, we’ll leave him in the care of his teacher. I’m sure dealing with nobles won’t be too much trouble.”

At those words, the teacher gave a small, respectful bow.

With a quick glance back at him, I hurried after the Crown Prince.

—Wait for me.

I’m coming right now!

I rode behind the Crown Prince on horseback as we raced toward the forest, and the whole time, one thought kept circling in my mind—

What does it really mean to be a Hero?

In this world, the simple answer is: someone who can defeat the Demon King.

Some say the title of “Hero” doesn’t belong to just one person.

That more than one person could earn it.

But the Goddess chose only one.

Only he was marked as the one who could bring down the Demon King.

That’s why he became the Hero candidate.

And once he was given that role, he gave it everything—body and soul.

I know how hard he’s trained.

To the point it nearly broke him.

I know how much he’s studied.

Even when it felt impossible to keep going.

He learned proper manners from his teacher, and it started to show in the way he carried himself.

And the training he used to grumble about?

Now, he pushed himself harder and longer than any knight in the squad.

He always looked ahead with those clear, unwavering eyes—

Fighting for the Crown Prince’s sake.

He had the kindness you’d expect from a Hero,

And the courage to face monsters for the sake of others.

Even if the whole world refused to call him a Hero…

I would.

I’ve always believed in him.

But now—

He’s earned that title with his own strength.

All that hard work, all those years of effort…

People are finally starting to see it.

Even the Crown Prince acknowledged him.

He said that once the Demon King was defeated, he’d make him his personal knight.

And that’s no small thing.

Not a single commoner has ever been named a royal bodyguard before.

It’s honestly incredible.

Even the Knight Commander rushed in to help him.

He’s a man of few words and strict standards,

But it’s clear—he respects him.

And his teacher too…

As strict as he is, he agreed to help this time.

Because it was him.

Because he earned it.

“I really wanna run to Teach and fight by his side too… But I know having me there would only get in the way. So I’ll just wait here like a good boy—until Teach and Anna come back after defeating the Demon King.”

If Kanda had come with us, people might’ve assumed he was the one who defeated the Demon King.

He understood that—so he chose to stay behind at the castle.

In his own way… Kanda was a Hero too—just walking a completely different path.

Yeah. I’ll admit that now.

We galloped through the forest, trees whipping past in a blur.

We were close now—he had to be just up ahead.

Was he already face-to-face with the Demon King?

Even though I kept telling myself he’d be fine…

The worry in my chest only grew heavier.

I wanted to reach him.

I wanted to help him.

I wanted to stand right there beside him.

Faster.

Faster—!

Then, up ahead, I saw it.

A small clearing in the forest—soft light filtering down through the trees.

And there he was.

That broad back I’d missed so much.

A presence so steady, just looking at him made you feel calm.

He was standing there.

And in front of him… floated a pitch-black sphere.

A giant eyeball, completely swallowed in darkness.

From the orb, tendrils began to stretch toward him.

But he didn’t move.

—What’s going on? Don’t tell me… the Demon King got to his heart?

—No! No way! That can’t be it!

Ever since Kanda was summoned, things hadn’t exactly been easy for him.

And I know those days must’ve been just as painful for him, too.

Losing everything he’d worked so hard for—

Seeing that look of pain on his face… it hurt me just as much.

But he’s not the kind of person who breaks because of something like that.

He’s not the kind of person who thinks it’s okay to let others suffer just because he’s hurting.

If he were, no one would respect him the way they do now.

That’s why I believe in him.

If it’s him—my Hero—then I know he can do this.

“If you really are the Demon King—!”

Dark tendrils surged toward him.

They lashed out from every direction, trying to coil around him—trap him.

But—

“Then I’ll take you down! That’s what I can do!”

With both hands gripping his sword,

He cut through every last one—shattering them into pieces.

※Next time, the perspective shifts back to our protagonist!