I Was Reincarnated as the Villainous Knight Commander Who Betrays Everyone at the End, So I Plan to Leave the Fake Hero’s Party with the Exiled Girl Who’s Actually the True Hero! ~While Watching Over the Protagonist Up Close, I Somehow Ended Up Destroying the Whole Scenario~ - 17

Chapter 17: Fake Hero Side: The Assassin Ponders

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Three days earlier. The Hero Allen sat alone in a dark room. He was in agony in the silence. 

“I am a hero… But what does it mean to be a hero?”

For the first time in his life, he questioned his own reason for existing. Allen had been destined to be a hero since birth. Just before the royal prophet of Azure Kingdom passed away, they left a prophecy.

『A young one of the ancient royal bloodline shall be the true hero to slay the Demon Lord.』

Upon hearing this, Allen’s mother was overjoyed. Everyone believed the “ancient royal bloodline” referred to the Azurlite royal family, rulers of Azure Kingdom since ancient times. So, to make Allen the hero, his mother poisoned his half-brother. That half-brother was the only obstacle. After all, he was a young man of the Azurlite bloodline, just like Allen.

“Nii-san, I… I am the hero, right?”

On the surface, Allen’s relationship with his half-brother had been terrible. Of course they couldn’t have gotten along—or so everyone thought.

Allen’s mother, a queen consort, had given birth to Allen, while his half-brother had been born earlier to a concubine. Though Allen held the legitimate claim to the throne as the consort’s child, by birth order alone, his half-brother should have been ahead.

At least, that was the official story.

In reality, their relationship hadn’t been so bad. A kind, dependable older brother and a little brother who liked to rely on him. Their bond was just like any normal siblings.

“Nii-san… I have to remain the hero for your sake too… Nii-san, tell me… Am I truly a hero now?”

Allen still remembered vividly. His half-brother writhing in pain before his eyes, having swallowed poison and the face of his mother, smiling as she watched it happen.

“That’s right. I want to prove that Nii-san’s death wasn’t in vain. I need to show that it was right that I became the hero. Otherwise, I…”

“…”

A lone shadow silently observed the muttering Allen nearby. It was the assassin, Krok. Krok looked like he desperately wanted to say something. He was screaming inside his mind.

Why is he on the verge of a mental breakdown!?

As an assassin, Krok constantly reminded himself to stay calm. Even he was struggling to comprehend the current situation.

…Still, even though the hero in this state, the Sage and the Saintess are just out shopping leisurely. How can they call themselves his companions?

Just as Krok suspected, the Sage Dorothea and the Saintess Maria were nowhere near Allen.

Ever since the incident with Lars, they had been indulging in daily shopping sprees in the town of Handel to relieve their stress. Krok felt a deep sense of discomfort.

The Sage and the Saintess are hopeless. They’re not worth working for. But this hero… it’s too early to give up on him.

Krok had always felt something was off. That was because the hero, Allen, was astonishingly naive and ignorant.

There’s no way someone as educated as a prince wouldn’t notice the value of that girl, Ciel.

Before taking on this job, Krok had gathered information on everyone in the hero’s party.

Naturally, that included Lars and Ciel.

The hero was, for better or worse, an ordinary boy. Decent with a sword and magic. Politically speaking, he’s a bit lacking but still acceptable. But he did have one exceptional trait. He could see people for who they really were.

Allen, both hero and prince, was mediocre as a ruler. He couldn’t boast great strength or wisdom. But after his beloved older brother was murdered by his mother, Allen had learned to live by reading people’s expressions. Through this, he developed the ability to discern others’ true natures.

With that kind of perceptiveness, there was no way he wouldn’t realize that Ciel was a valuable companion, even without combat ability. If the Sage had suggested abandoning Ciel in the forest, the hero wouldn’t have just gone along with it. Even if he accepted the idea of exile, he couldn’t have left her in the forest. He should have had that much heart and common sense.

Yet Allen had not objected to Ciel’s banishment. There were several possible explanations. First, that the hero was an even bigger fool than Krok had imagined. Or—

He’s being manipulated to think that way.

Narrowing down the suspects was easy. They had to be someone who’d been with Allen since he started acting strangely.

Lars and Ciel are both out. They’ve already left the hero’s party. That leaves two suspects.

Sage Dorothea and Saintess Maria. The prime suspect was the Sage Dorothea, who commanded a wide array of magic. If she was using spells to manipulate or brainwash Allen’s thoughts, it wouldn’t be surprising.

But Dorothea isn’t the type for such tricks. She’s too much of an idiot and that’s exactly why the hero trusted her…

Sage Dorothea was like a rabid dog who snapped at everyone. A fool who blurted out whatever she thought.

Dorothea has no guile at all. Sure, she’s got major personality issues, but at least she’s straightforward.

Of course, if Dorothea’s every word and action had been an act, that would be a different story. But she was practically innocent—gray, but close to white.

That means the most suspicious one is—

The good-looking woman who always stood behind Dorothea with a perpetual carefree smile on her face. Saintess Maria. 

But what’s the motive? What would Maria gain by manipulating the hero’s mind? …I don’t know.

He couldn’t figure it out, but Krok decided the hero needed to be separated from the Sage and the Saintess. In his current half-deranged state, Allen would be easy for Krok to sway.

“Ah~ Hero-sama. Do you have a moment?”

“Krok…? How long have you been there…?”

“I’ve been here the whole time~. More importantly, Hero-sama, why don’t we do some training?”

“…Training…”

“Yes. Let’s get away from your companions for a while and train until you’re strong enough to cross Death Mountain Range alone~ You know, so you can defeat the Demon Lord~.”

“…That’s right. I have to become stronger to defeat the Demon Lord… To stay a hero, I must get stronger… I’ll tell Dorothea and Maria—”

“I’ll tell them for you~ Now, hurry~ Let’s go train~.”

And so, Krok took Hero Allen and left the town of Handel. He left a note imitating Allen’s handwriting.

『I’m going to train with Krok for a while. Dorothea and Maria, please wait for me in Handel.』

But Krok had no intention of letting Allen meet Dorothea or Maria again until his mind was restored. Thus, the hero’s party was effectively disbanded.

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