Vol 1 Chapter 11: If I Messed Up, It Might Have Been My Life Flashing Before My Eyes (Great Labyrinth Arc)

The next day, Nio-san had vanished from the abandoned house at the edge of the village.

All that remained in the house was a note left behind by Nio-san.

It read:
“I have taught you all that I could. Please, become the hope of the people.”

Those words were entrusted to me—a guy living in this bleak village—as if I could bear the weight of such a wish.

There was also another, more cryptic line:
“If you ever feel like it, if the one you made a contract with calls, raise your hand to the sky, and hope will come to you.”

After leaving behind just these two sentences, Nio-san quietly departed from the village.

—The night before, a traveling merchant came running into the village, his face twisted with fear. He reported that a fierce battle had taken place nearby, waged with magic. He said he had seen a girl fighting with both sword and sorcery.

Upon hearing this, I understood—Nio-san had fought for us.

Naturally, the village chief and the other villagers reached the same conclusion. Yet, their response was:

“Good riddance.”

“That witch was always creepy.”
“We took her in, and she never even showed any gratitude.”
“She was probably killed by monsters anyway.”

Standing in front of the abandoned house, listening to the villagers whisper such things, I clicked my tongue in disgust.

Anger surged within me, but the contradictions in my feelings kept me from letting it all out, making the frustration swell inside.

Yeah, it’s true.
The monsters came because Nio-san was here.
But for ten years, she kept not a single one of them from entering the village.

Damn it. Why can’t I just be angry?
Why can’t I simply say, “Nio-san protected us from the monsters”?

Damn it. Damn it. Damn it…
Nio-san, just once—just once, let me be angry.
Shout at me, damn it! Say something like, “How dare you leave me behind!” or “Take me with you!”
Anything. Just give me something to lash out at.

Then, after that, I’ll thank you as much as you want.

Because of you… because Nio-san was here, these past ten years truly had meaning.
Because of you, this miserable village wasn’t so unbearable.

I had planned to leave the village with you one day.
To travel, learn swordsmanship along the way, and become an adventurer—or whatever else I wanted.

I held onto hope for the future, just as you had told me to.

And now, you’ve taken that hope away.
Damn it… damn it…

At the very least, I wanted to chase after you.
If it’s her, I know she’s alive somewhere.

So, I stepped toward the village chief, who was trying to calm things down, and spoke quietly.

“Give me permission to leave the village.”

Immediately, the village chief and the other adults swarmed me.

“You’re the one who’s supposed to take over the rice fields.”
“You’re the one who’ll be repairing houses and carrying timber from now on.”
“You’re the only young man left in this village.”

“You’re the hope of this village.”

No. No. No.
The hope Nio-san spoke of wasn’t something like this.

These adults act as if they can say whatever they want, just because I’ve been holding myself back.

As I struggled to contain the emotions boiling inside me, the village chief opened his mouth to dismiss me, and that—
that was the final straw.

“But with this, the village is safe. I’ve heard the monsters have been wiped out. We no longer have to fear them. From now on, we can live quietly, in peace.”

There was no mention of hope or the future.
Not even a thought for my future.

That was it.
I couldn’t hold it back any longer.

With all my strength, I slammed my fist into the village chief’s face.

The adults gasped in shock and rushed to stop me, but I didn’t care anymore.

“Screw taking care of you shut-ins! I’d rather become the hope of the world!!”

I shouted, raising my fist to throw another punch.

At that moment, something flew toward my open hand.

I instinctively caught it.

It was a black Asterion, slick with blood.

However, the black hue began to flake off the blade like rust.

“This is…!”

—”If you ever feel like it, just raise your hand to the sky, and hope will come to you.”

It was written in Nio-san’s note, and sure enough, the sword of hope, Asterion, arrived just as promised.
And as if acknowledging me, the black blade completely shed its color, transforming into a mighty greatsword.

Even the adults who had been closing in on me froze in terror at the sight of me wielding Asterion.

Seeing that, I couldn’t help but chuckle, recalling my contract with Asterion.

“Hey, what’s wrong? You were all talk before, and now, when a kid picks up a sword, this is what you get!”

It was utterly pathetic. Even though Nio-san fought on her own, these adults not only refused to stand up—they were even running away.
In fact, I could hear someone shouting from afar, “It’s the witch’s curse!”

Nio-san a witch? My life in this dull village, filled with a bleak future, had changed ever since I started spending time with Nio-san.
Those were truly radiant, hopeful days. She was never some witch or cursed person.

I’ll prove it. I’ll even make her say thank you when we meet again.

That’s why I’m leaving this village. According to Nio-san, even the monsters were after this sword. In that case, it’s better if they’re not around.

Luckily, the villagers were already shouting from a distance for me to leave.

So, I decided to shout as loud as I could.

I drew in a deep breath and revealed the “true nature” I had kept hidden inside.

“…Good riddance, damn rural village! I’m leaving this wretched hometown on my own! But mark my words—I’ll make you regret ever kicking me out! Even if I’m cursed, I swear to that person, I’ll become the world’s ‘hope’!”

Having shouted that, I left the village. Along the way, signs of battle were everywhere.
Amidst the corpses of monsters, I grew worried and searched for Nio-san, but she was nowhere to be seen.
Only, mixed in with the monsters’ tracks, were human footprints leading out of the village—beyond the forest.

“Come chase me, Nio-san…”

Then I’ll go after you. Once I catch up and bare my heart completely, I’ll follow you just as I always have.

“Just wait—I’ll catch up soon. No, I’ll become so brilliant that you’ll be the one to find me, the light of hope.”

That was when my life took a dramatic turn. I, who had spent my days in this desolate village mired in despair about the future, inadvertently began to shine as a light of hope while pursuing Nio-san.

Perhaps it was from that time on that I stopped hiding my foul mouth. It was as if Asterion revealed my true nature. I gradually realized that while Asterion absorbed magical power—and I could only use magic related to it—I was primarily skilled in swordsmanship, so the damage wasn’t too severe.

It seems I can’t let go because of the contract fate forced upon me, but I never had any intention of ever relinquishing it.

No matter how strong I became, no adventurer party ever tried to take me in.
Actually, to be precise, it was I who refused. Ever since I left the village at sixteen to search for Nio-san and vowed to become the world’s hope, I never engaged in the kind of feeble battles that would allow for collaboration with any mediocre adventurer party.

I swung my sword with everything I had—so as not to be seen as unworthy in front of Nio-san, who had taught me swordsmanship and entrusted me with Asterion. At the same time, I spent my earnings buying heroic legends and history books to acquire the knowledge that the closed-off village had never given me.

Before long, as I became renowned as an invincible swordsman unmatched by anyone, an invitation finally came asking if I would become a Sword Saint, and I jumped at the chance without hesitation.

If I could become the Sword Saint of hope who would defeat the Demon King—if I shone bright enough—Nio-san would surely recognize me.

The sword I wielded for hope was always used while searching for Nio-san, and defeating the Demon King would just be a bonus.

I refused to let this light end as a mere, fleeting glimmer that might vanish amid the smoky haze of trivial battles.

—For that reason, to continue being the light of hope, I needed to act righteously.

—That’s why I saved Yuu. I protected Yuu. If I couldn’t even be the hope for one girl, then I’d never reach Nio-san.

I had almost regretted dying for that, but then I realized I was still alive.

Nearby, I heard Yuu’s voice. I managed to open my mouth and call her name.

“…Uah… Yuu…?”

“…Ah… thank goodness… Kaim…”

—The light that had grown brighter as I searched for Nio-san strangely connected my life with my nearly severed right arm.

When I opened my leaden eyelids, I found myself in the underground of the Grimoire Great Labyrinth. After blasting aside that armored bastard, most of all, Yuu was crying tears of joy that I had awakened.

“…Was it a dream, or what?”

Had things gone awry, it might have all been a life-flashing-before-my-eyes moment.