Mental Rebirth: The World's Savior Was Not Me, but My Childhood Friend and Stalker

When I regained consciousness, I found myself lying on a bed. It seemed the threat to my life had passed. Sitting up, I looked around. Touko was in the corner, curled up and crying, looking sorry for herself.

“You’re not jumping at me like usual, huh.” “Don’t be mean… but, you’re right, I’m sorry… truly… Are you okay? The doctor said you were fine…”

My body felt alright. Aside from the fainting, there were no lasting effects. I moved my shoulders. Yep, all good. I assured Touko I was fine, which brightened her expression momentarily before it darkened again.

“It’s just that… I was scared of being abandoned by Yuusha again. I’m at fault, yet I remembered that time… and lost my temper… I’m sorry…”

Touko apologized, her voice trembling like a guilty person awaiting judgment. She was probably referring to when we stopped playing together as we used to. We often played in each other’s rooms and even shared a futon when one of our parents was out. But that was in the past. As we grew older, things like that became impossible. The awareness of each other as the opposite sex naturally brought distance.

“I won’t abandon you. We’re childhood friends, after all, friends. But I’ve always thought about keeping some distance… Just to be clear.”

I carefully set boundaries, my last line of defense. Touko chuckled at this, returning to her usual self.

“You never change, Yuusha. Always thinking of me… That’s why I was saved. That’s why Yuusha is… no, never mind.”

Touko muttered something meaningful, but I chose not to dwell on it.

“Well, I guess I should get back to work.” “Yuusha, here. I’ve been keeping this for you. They said you don’t need to come to work anymore.”

Touko handed me a bag. Inside were coins. Not needed at work anymore… What does that mean?

I was stunned, and Touko explained apologetically. I had been fired, having angered the manager. Rubure, too. The bag contained a day’s wages.

“Well, it can’t be helped… How much is this in yen?” “It’s not yen, but Peta. 3000 Peta. But it’s okay to think of it as yen.”

So my labor was worth 3000 yen, which was meager but better than nothing. Mei and Rubure were waiting outside, already changed and ready to leave.

“Yuusha, you’re awake? Did you hear? They told us not to come back after just one day… Unbelievable!”

Rubure swung a bag around, visibly larger than mine.

“How much did you get, Rubure?” “Me? 30,000 Peta. Wait, Yuusha, have you been paid yet? What’s that in your hand… Could it be…?”

Seeing my small bag, Rubure smirked and pointed at it. Damn… it made sense, considering Rubure’s job had a higher rate due to her appealing looks. Unaware of this, Rubure teased me about my modest wages, saying my worth was only a tenth of hers. I have yet to receive a response…

“Wow, Yuusha, is it just a talent gap? Maybe people recognize my overflowing talent and skills. What will you do, Yuusha? You can’t live on that, can you? If you bow down and lick my shoes, I suggest supporting you.

“Rubure.”

“When we first met, you kept trying to make me lick your shoes whenever you got the chance,” Rubure said to Touko with a straight face. The cold, heavy pressure in her words made Rubure visibly flinch.

“Yuusha is under my care for life, so it’s not a problem.”

Why do they keep assuming I can’t be independent? I seriously feel like crying.

Back at the hotel, we shared the information we gathered. I immediately shared what I had found: Rubure’s father was exploring ancient ruins and had gathered mercenaries. It seemed they were already advancing into the dungeon.

“I’m surprised. He was working… I thought he was just playing with Rubure…”

It was sheer luck, but thankfully, Mei didn’t seem disappointed. Next, Mei shared the information she had collected. Recently, there had been some suspicious activity in the port town of Luftla, which was different from the Demon Lord’s army’s maneuvers. They seemed to be preparing something. She also had supplementary information on Rubure’s father. The mercenaries he hired were chosen solely for their strength, without regard for their ability to sense danger, which is usually crucial in dungeon exploration. Additionally, it was confirmed that ancient machinery that was still operational was found inside the dungeon. Lastly, she described Rubure’s father’s appearance in detail, matching Rubure’s memory, and it seemed he hadn’t disguised himself or changed his hairstyle.

We decided to inquire at the guild based on the information we gathered the next day. We also wanted to check on the progress of the people-search request, even though it had only been a day.

“An elf and mercenaries exploring ancient ruins? Oh yes, they were here. They’ve already returned.”

The guild receptionist’s response came too easily. She pointed towards a group eating and drinking in the guild’s dining area, but no elf was among them. They must have separated. We decided to talk to them. They said they had reached the dungeon’s depths and planned to return soon. They were excited, calling it a ‘profitable dungeon.’ But as for the elf’s whereabouts…

“He should be coming back here soon. Said something about going to the bank to withdraw money for payment. Oh, speak of the devil. Hey, older man! You’re wanted over here!”

One of the mercenaries waved towards the guild’s entrance behind us. There stood an elf, just as Rubure described, with bottles and exploration tools hanging from his belt and a decorated staff at his waist.

“You… Rubure?”

Rubure’s father looked incredulous but smiled broadly and said, “Rubure!” Rubure also shouted, “Papa!” and they embraced. It was a touching reunion. Despite her calm demeanor during the journey, Rubure must have missed her father. She snuggled into the warmth of her long-missed father.

“Mei… even if Rubure’s father serves the Demon Lord… protecting this scene feels like the biggest achievement, doesn’t it?”

“Even so, the Demon Lord is our enemy. Master, please don’t forget that every human has a family like theirs.”

Mei watched the reunion with a smile, though she spoke those words. She was right, but it’s sometimes right to do only the ‘correct’ thing. Sometimes, acting beyond rationality is necessary, as this reunion showed.

Rubure’s father paid the mercenaries, who happily accepted and left the guild.

“I’ve heard about you from Rubure. My name is Treson. I lived in the Nabile Great Forest, but now I serve the Demon Lord.”

Mei’s eyebrows shot up. This elf casually confessed to being an agent of the Demon Lord. Even knowing this, his frankness made me suspicious.

“Treson, do you understand the implications of what you just said? This is human territory. As a minion of the Demon Lord, you could be captured and tortured.”

The word “torture” made Rubure react sharply. She couldn’t stay silent hearing such a threat to her father.

“No, don’t torture Papa! That’s too cruel!”

“Rubure, remember our conversation? What would you do upon meeting your father? Stay neutral like other elves, or join the Demon Lord like him? Do you understand? Protecting your father means siding with the Demon Lord.”

“I… Papa… Can’t we go back to the forest now? Together with Mama, like old times? I made friends, even though they were outside the forest… That’s okay, right?”

Rubure cheerfully told Treson about her journey. The most enjoyable part was the time spent with us. Despite being brief, this experience held a significant place in her heart.

Treson listened, nodding, proud and happy as Rubure spoke about her adventures.

“Experiences are valuable, Rubure. Elves mature slower than humans because of this. Humans live various experiences in their short lives. They live to the fullest because their time is limited. Rubure, you’ve grown a lot traveling with these humans. As your father, I’m truly happy. When did you grow up so much?”

Treson smiled, patting Rubure’s head. Rubure, bashful yet happy, smiled under her father’s large hand.

“I’m really happy. With this, you’ll be useful as a material.”

A chill ran down my spine. The warm family moment vanished instantly.

“Touko!!!”

I shouted, knowing I was too late. Touko responded to my call, quickly closing the distance to Treson and forcefully pulling Rubure away. Rubure blinked, not understanding what was happening.

“That was quick. Is this the power of the rumored Savior? It was so fast I didn’t have time to cast a spell. But… the preparation is done, Rubure.”

Treson’s true nature was revealed, like that of a repulsive, skin-crawling insect. The Demon Lord’s minion was now unmasked.