Reincarnated as the Final Boss of an Eroge, but I Just Want a Peaceful Life After the Game Ends - Chapter 23: The Title of Hero

Chapter 23: The Title of Hero

With the master of the Abyssal Labyrinth defeated, all the monsters inside vanished.

Even the ones that had made it outside lost the powerful buffs they’d been granted by the dungeon, weakening almost instantly. Their relentless assault fizzled out, and they were quickly pushed into retreat.

At that point, the Kingdom’s forces—now swelled to fifty thousand strong after two waves of reinforcements—crushed the remaining monsters with sheer numbers, picking them off in scattered groups.

Meanwhile, deep inside the dungeon…

Ars and his party, having found no boss at the end of the labyrinth, were left scratching their heads. With no enemies in sight, they turned around and began the trek back to the surface through a now-empty maze.

“That’s the Hero!” “Long live the Hero!” “The return of the true Hero!”

Praise echoed from the ranks of the Kingdom’s soldiers as Ars emerged.

And Ars?

He just shrugged and rolled with it.

“Eh, sure. This works.”

And so, the tale was set—the legend of how Ars and his party conquered the Abyssal Labyrinth.

On the way back, things took a… very Ars-like turn.

Not content with just his regular party, he pulled aside a well-endowed female knight they passed along the way, dragged her into the safe zone, and—well, let’s just say he made the most of his “heroic reputation” over the next few days before finally returning to the surface.

“That was kind of a letdown.”

Eliza muttered as they walked the quiet corridors.

As a seasoned adventurer, she’d cleared plenty of dungeons. But this was the first time she’d reached the end without facing a boss battle.

It didn’t sit right with her.

Still, the mission was accomplished. The monsters were gone. The dungeon was silent.

And maybe… that was good enough.

So, she decided to let it go.

“Isn’t it fine? We got what we came for without getting our hands dirty. And we still get the credit.”

Saintess Hanna figured someone else had already defeated the dungeon boss.

She had sensed traces of powerful magic being used in the area—that was all the confirmation she needed.

Nana Nona thought the same.

Officially, she was assigned to Ars’s party by Luna, acting as both his watchdog and the group’s go-to support mage—handling meals, supplies, and anything else they needed.

But even though she suspected the truth, she stayed quiet.

If this would count as Ars’s achievement, she had no reason to speak up.

All she wanted was his affection.

Her loyalty belonged to Ars—and only Ars.

Among the group, only Elmia remained calm as she mentally reviewed what she had seen in the boss room.

As a member of the forest elves and someone qualified to lead a full unit, she had both battlefield experience and a sharp mind.

(There were traces… of a higher-dimensional being manifesting.)

If the dungeon’s master really had been a demon, then it wouldn’t be strange for an angel to intervene.

In that case, signs of a high-dimensional presence would make perfect sense.

But that wasn’t the only thing on her mind.

As an elf—part of a race known for their elevated spirituality—Elmia had a deeper sense for these things.

(I gave my body to a human…)

The regret hit her later.

She felt like she had been defiled.

But no matter how much she regretted it, the fact remained—she had given her elven purity to a human.

And not just once.

Ars, thrilled by the idea of “getting with an elf,” had taken every opportunity to be with Elmia—every time they stopped to rest in the safe zones on their way to the final chamber, he reached for her.

And with each time, Elmia slowly began to regain her composure.

(I’ve been so thoroughly tainted by a human… I can never return to the village now.)

After losing all her subordinates to the monsters and having nowhere else to go, Elmia had no choice but to follow Ars.

◆

It took an entire month to return to the royal capital.

After all, they were moving with a full-scale army of fifty thousand troops.

Ars led the returning forces at the front—hailed by the people as the great hero who had stopped the monster rampage.

Just as planned, a month after conquering the dungeon, he finally arrived back at the capital and went straight to the castle.

In the audience hall, Ars and his party reported the successful clearing of the Abyssal Labyrinth.

As a result, Ars was granted the title of Baron.

And more than that—he was officially recognized as the Hero of the Kingdom of Eternia.

From that day on, Ars wasn’t just “Ars” anymore.

He was Hero Ars, acknowledged and honored by the kingdom itself.

As a newly appointed baron, he was granted the village of Umiberi as his domain and assigned to the House of Duke Faustler as a vassal.

However, since Ars was still underage and technically a student at the academy, a steward was dispatched from the Faustler family to oversee the territory.

Meanwhile, Ars continued living at the guard dorms on the Faustler estate, just as before.

And so, Ars received the surname Umiberi, becoming an official member of the nobility.

But even with all those changes in status and title… his day-to-day life didn’t shift much at all.

He continued living as he always had.

◆

Saintess Hanna had spent her life until now as a nun.

Even though people called her a “saint,” her roots in the slums meant she was never even considered for the position of deacon. She’d spent the last six years stuck in the Grand Church, unnoticed.

But her critical role in Hero Ars’s party—specifically, in helping to stop the stampede—finally earned her recognition. She was promoted directly to bishop.

Thanks to her relentless effort and the backing of a few influential cardinals, she was more than ready for the role—and quickly proved her skill and sharp leadership.

◆

But Ars’s women… weren’t exactly a united front.

The moment they stepped away from him, they often found themselves wondering why they ever followed him in the first place.

Take Eliza Gilmarie, for example—a renowned gold-ranked adventurer, famous across the Kingdom of Eternia.

She looked back and genuinely couldn’t understand why she’d given her virginity to a guy like that, let alone fallen for him.

Despite being born into nobility, she’d handed herself over far too easily.

And now… she regretted it.

As for the rest of Ars’s women?

They weren’t exactly what you’d call a tightly-knit group.

There was the prickly Saintess Hanna.

Nana Nona, utterly devoted to him.

And the forest elf Elmia, who had joined them during the Abyssal Labyrinth incident.

Of them all, Eliza’s only real interaction had been with Nana—short, passing conversations during their time as a party, mostly when they took turns handling the camp’s cooking. 

Just a few words. Nothing more.

Every now and then, Nana Nona would have these fleeting moments of clarity.

She was supposed to be serving as Luna Faustler’s personal maid.

After graduating with top marks as a mage from the Royal First Academy’s upper division, she hadn’t found suitable work—so Luna took her in. 

It was Luna who first told her to look after Ars.

At the time, Nana had accepted without hesitation. Or… at least, she thought she had.

But in those rare moments when her mind cleared, she began to question herself.

She was the daughter of a count. Still unwed.

So then… how had she given up her body so easily?

The doubts started piling up.

If a noble marriage was arranged and it turned out she wasn’t a virgin, it’d likely end in annulment not long after.

Nana wasn’t the strongest person emotionally.

She often felt like she was being crushed by her own fear and anxiety, moment to moment.

And right now—there was no cure for that fear.

Because every time she stood before Ars, those doubts vanished. Her heart would swell with longing, with worship.

Her thoughts—her will—would just slip away again.

She felt like she was being pulled out of herself… and she didn’t know how to stop it.

Meanwhile, Elmia—banished from the elven village—had been taken in by Ars and followed him all the way to the royal capital.

At the ceremony honoring Ars and his party for conquering the dungeon and officially earning the title of Hero of the Kingdom of Eternia, Elmia was met with a biting remark.

“Elves hate humans. Even if you’re part of Hero Ars’s group, it’s hard to believe you’re really on our side. Why not just make her his slave?”

It was true—elves hated humans.

In some parts of the forest, a human who stumbled across an elf could lose their life on the spot.

And just as elves harbored deep distrust toward humans, the feeling was mutual. Humans feared elves just as much.

Still, to suggest turning Elmia into a slave—despite her standing right there as a member of the Hero’s party—was utterly disgraceful.

Yet the King, after hearing the suggestion from his advisor, nodded in agreement and turned to Ars.

“I hereby order Elmia to become Ars’s slave.”

Ars gave a short, obedient “Understood,” and turned to look at Elmia.

And for some reason… she didn’t resist.

She looked back at him, as if silently accepting, (So this is how it must be.)

Without protest, Elmia accepted her fate.

Right there, on the spot, she signed the slave contract—pressing her blood onto the parchment brought in by the royal attendant.

Moments later, a collar was fastened around her neck.

Just like that, Elmia officially became Ars’s slave.

◆

After returning to the estate’s guard dormitories, Ars was summoned by Duchess Salea and spent his time in her private chambers.

Salea had been longing for him.

Back when Ars had been clearing dungeons across the Faustler domain, it was Salea who had personally cared for him with unwavering devotion in the capital.

She was usually timid—but when it came to Ars, something inside her changed. She became bold.

Even in broad daylight, she pulled him into her bed, the two of them undressing completely and fooling around like lovers.

It was a sight unbecoming of a noblewoman. Yet she didn’t hide it—not even from her attendants.

But those attendants, like her, had fallen under Ars’s influence. To them, this behavior wasn’t scandalous—it was normal.

With how openly they acted, it was only natural that her husband, Duke Doran Faustler, eventually learned the truth.

Yet when he tried to speak up, he was quietly stopped—by his own retainers, by loyal servants.

They warned him: if he tried to come between Salea and the kingdom’s Hero, he’d lose the support of his people and his vassals.

And so, Doran endured it all, swallowing the pain.

He loved his wife.

“A duke… offering up his own wife to the nation’s Hero…”

The thought tore at him.

It was humiliating.

Doran felt a hollow ache open up inside his chest, and before he could stop himself, he broke down—sobbing quietly as the tears began to fall.

◆

Princess Fina sat in her private chamber, quietly enjoying a cup of tea.

“Karen, you’re strong, but you also cook and brew tea perfectly… You’re basically superhuman.”

“I’m honored by your praise, Your Highness.”

It had been two months since she left Bahamul.

Karen Dyle had been appointed as Princess Fina’s personal knight. But by now, she had also taken on the role of her personal maid.

Which meant the two of them were almost always alone together in Fina’s quarters.

“Are you getting used to life here? Though I guess it’s always just us, and we don’t really leave the castle much.”

“Hmm… life in the capital isn’t bad, but I’m not happy with the ingredients here. I can never quite get the flavor right. That’s probably my biggest complaint.”

“Well, I think the food is delicious. Honestly, I don’t think there’s a single chef in the entire capital who could match what you make.”

“Even so… I just want to eat really good food again. Sigh… I want to go back to Bahamul.”

Karen’s comment might have seemed disrespectful to most people, but Fina was beginning to think of it differently.

To her, it felt like Karen’s way of showing that she was comfortable—her way of being honest without putting on airs.

“If you go back, I’ll be the one left helpless. So please don’t.”

Their casual back-and-forth… it was something Fina had come to cherish deeply.

“Anyway, did you send that in?”

“I did. But are you sure that was okay? I mean, even I wouldn’t be able to write something that embarrassing so casually.”

“It’s fine the way it is. More importantly—did you hear the news about the Hero?”

“The kitchen staff were celebrating like crazy. Saying he’s the second coming of the Hero and all that.”

“But… you’re stronger than him, right, Karen?”

“Your Highness, do you think I can just walk into a public setting and go, ‘That guy? Please. I could one-shot him. He’s a total pushover’?”

“You just said it now, though.”

Fina sat up straight, her expression turning a little more serious as she continued.

“More importantly—my father’s trying to set me up with Ars. I’ve been dodging it so far, but it’s getting harder to say no.”

“It must be tough to turn down the king’s request.”

“I just want to go on a tour somewhere—find a place to hide out for a bit.”

“A tour, huh? Then how about… a dungeon? You could level up while we’re at it, right, Princess?”

“Oh, right. I could, if I have a knight with me. That hadn’t crossed my mind. Still, I can’t be away from the castle too long… Maybe something we can finish in three months, round trip.”

“In that case, how about I pick out the perfect dungeon for your level-up journey? And if need be, I can princess-carry you wherever we go—three months will be plenty.”

“That sounds lovely, but you do realize I’m taller than you, right? Will that be okay?”

“Of course! I’m level 99, Your Highness. Carrying you is no problem at all.”

“I’m lucky to have such a strong knight. Even getting carried in a princess lift… I should really thank Sidol for bringing you into my life.”

“I’d love to see Lord Sidol again too. And honestly, I really miss the food in Bahamul.”

“Is it that good? I’d love to try it myself someday.”

“Once you’ve gotten stronger, I’ll take you there myself.”

“I’ll hold you to that. I’m looking forward to it.”

Karen had promised to take Fina to a dungeon—and eventually, to Bahamul

Of course, the idea of a single knight escorting a princess into a dungeon was unheard of.

But Fina wasn’t one to back down.

To silence the objections, she had Karen join the royal knights’ training sessions, where she participated in repeated mock battles.

And just a few days later, Fina secured official permission to dive into a dungeon with Karen—for leveling purposes, just the two of them.

From that point on, something changed.

Especially among the elite knights—those who had tried and utterly failed to even land a hit on her—Karen began to be known by a new title:

The Strongest Knight in the Kingdom: Karen Dyle.

At just sixteen years old, she was toppling full-grown knights with a single strike—without taking a scratch.

With her short hair and boyish looks, the way she handled a sword was pure elegance—sharp, dazzling, and precise.

Quietly, she began amassing a fanbase.

So many admirers across the castle, especially among the men, that her popularity rivaled even Princess Fina’s.

◆

“Was that really okay? That was your first time, wasn’t it?”

Back in the palace, Celebres had just returned after seeing Sidol off.

Her loyal high-elf attendant, Elsarion, gently posed the question.

“It is what it is. If he chooses to return to me one day, that’s enough.”

“True, we live on a different timescale than humans. But if Your Majesty says nothing, doubts will fester—and trust may never take root.”

“This is fine for now. As long as he continues on the path he’s chosen, he’ll survive. That’s why I granted him a skill. If he makes good use of it, that’s all I need.”

“Indeed… Though I must say, he endured Your Majesty’s magic better than expected.”

“Endured? He absorbed it. Every last drop. That man holds true potential. His mana… is exquisitely sweet. Honestly, it’s almost a shame he wasn’t born in our lands.”

“The last one to learn [Summoning Magic] was a human as well.”

“That was before my reign. I don’t know the full story. But Sidol… he feels different from any summoner who came before him.”

Celebres straightened her posture and let out a slow, thoughtful breath.

“And yet… to think I, the Queen of the High Elves, would fall for someone.”

With that, Celebres sighed deeply—lovesick and wistful, her thoughts tangled around Sidol.

High Elves were different from ordinary elves.

They lived for millennia—beings far closer to gods than mortals.

They could, on rare occasion, bear children, but they seldom took partners. Physical intimacy was nearly unheard of.

Even something as simple as a kiss… was exceedingly rare.

The kiss she gave Sidol had been the first in her countless years of life.

Now, with her heart stirred in ways she had never known, Celebres quietly cast [Spirit Magic]—

Sending a fragment of her consciousness outward, drifting through the ether… toward the one she couldn’t stop thinking about.