The Man Who Remained — His Second Life Began with a Humble Bow of Apology.

A Second Life That Begins from the Epilogue. Part – 1.

What was my role in all of this?

That question had haunted me for so long.

And now—at long last—I’ve found my answer.

At the end of our journey, within the Demon Lord’s castle, in the moment that the Demon Lord breathed his last—I finally understood.

My name is Cross.
Cross Vish.

Just an ordinary young man from a small, quiet village.

I met the people who would change my fate in the latter half of my twenties.

I was confident in my swordsmanship.

From the time I turned ten, I was already sparring with adults. By fifteen, there was no one in the village who could beat me.

Sure, I was a frog in a well. But I had some talent, I’m certain of it.
Still, I never let it go to my head. I continued to sharpen my skills, all while recognizing my own potential.

Someday, I told myself, I’ll rise through the ranks, become a soldier serving the royal court, and bring my parents to the capital. I’ll give them the life they deserve.

That dream kept me going.

Then one day… four travelers came to our village. They looked to be around my age.

A handsome blond man and three stunning women, each striking in her own way.

One was a beautiful blonde dressed like a priestess.
Another, a red-haired woman in the garb of a witch.
The third, a girl who looked quite ordinary—aside from how adorably charming she was.

In our little village, their presence was like a spark in the dark. They stood out, unmistakably.

We assumed they were famous adventurers. And with that assumption, we welcomed them warmly.

They entered the tavern, smiling with practiced grace, and asked the barkeep:

“We’re looking to hire a skilled guide. Is there anyone available?”

At that, the tavern owner glanced out the window with a troubled look.

It was simple enough—no adventurers of their caliber had ever set foot in our village before. Curious villagers had swarmed the area outside the tavern just to catch a glimpse of them.

Outside, the murmurs began.

“You go.”
“No, you should!”
“You’re better for guiding than me.”

No one was truly unwilling.
They just didn’t believe they were good enough. The travelers were clearly on another level, and everyone felt it.

Inevitably, all eyes turned to me—the best swordsman in the village.

I wasn’t arrogant. At least, I didn’t think I was.
But seeing them—maybe five or ten years younger than me—I assumed I could hold my own.

So I stepped forward and spoke up:

“I’m… the best swordsman around these parts. How much are you offering?”

That was how I met them—these companions who would become part of my life for so long.

The blond man looked at me and smiled elegantly.

“Name your price.”

I took that as a challenge—he wanted me to put a value on my skill.

They needed more than a guide; they needed someone who could fight too.
That meant we were heading into the forest on the edge of the village. Dangerous territory, swarming with monsters. But it was the only place around here adventurers might actually go.

I calculated the rate for a guide and tacked on my swordsmanship.
A silver coin felt fair.

But then… I messed up. Badly.

“A gold coin,” I said.

It wasn’t greed. Just nerves.
I was born and raised in this village. I’d never even seen a gold coin before.

The moment I said it, everyone in the tavern gasped.

“I see,” the blond man replied smoothly.

Then, without hesitation, he dropped a gold coin into his glass and handed it to me.

Tears stung the corners of my eyes as I downed that drink and took the coin.

“S-So… the job’s mine, then.”

I couldn’t back out now.
I’d accepted a gold coin. That meant I had to deliver gold-coin-level work.

The pressure was crushing.

We were to leave at dawn. That night, I did everything I could to prepare.
I broke the coin, bought the best preserved food I could, traps, emergency gear, portable shelters—anything I thought might help.

But this was a small village. I couldn’t even spend a tenth of the coin.

Which meant I now owed ten times that effort.

My stomach never stopped aching.

And so, our journey began.

From the moment we set out, my anxiety worsened.

Sure, I was the best swordsman in the village. But their skill was on a completely different level.

The blond man’s blade cut through every monster in a single strike—and never once got stained with blood.

The priestess wielded a staff marked with a cross. With every sweep, monsters disintegrated into pure light.

The witch yawned as she cast spells, effortlessly binding and disabling enemies.
Half the reason I could even defeat any monsters at all was thanks to her magic support.

And the seemingly ordinary girl? Far from it.
She always sensed monsters before anyone else, moved soundlessly, and struck without hesitation.

Even I, their teammate, could never quite sense her presence.

The four of them were a complete, perfect party.
There was no room for me.

I gave up the foolish hope of surpassing them.
But I couldn’t just stand there, either.

I’d taken a gold coin—I had to earn it.

Into the depths of a forest I’d never dared enter before, into a place we were always told to avoid, I fought.

Desperately. Desperately. As if my life depended on it.

Even then… I only managed a tenth of what each of them could do.

***

That night, I used everything I’d bought and prepared a full meal.

It was the least I could do—to be of some use behind the scenes.

That’s what I told myself.

…Not a single person touched the food.

And so I ate all five servings alone, crying the whole time.

The next day, I sensed something was… off.

The four of them were kind people. They had never treated me poorly, even though I was mostly useless.

But today, for some reason, they were unusually friendly.

And then that evening, the blond man came up to me and said:

“I know I turned it down yesterday, but… would you be willing to make that meal again for us?”

Finally—I had something I could do for them. I wasn’t just dead weight.

So I cooked for them.

This time, all four of them ate the meal.

They told me it was delicious.

I cried again.

But this time, it was from happiness.

“Cross. I understand the kind of person you are now. Hiring you was the best decision we’ve made.”

To hear those words…

I felt for the first time that I might actually be worth the gold coin they’d paid. That I might be able to fulfill the role I’d taken on. The joy I felt in that moment was beyond words.

And so I joined them—as a guide and a bit of extra support.

I did everything I could.

Even though I wasn’t on their level, I made sure never to get in their way. I did my best to make their journey easier.

With all my heart, I followed them.

At the heart of the forest stood an old mansion.

Inside was a vampire.

A monster of such high rank that it could wipe out my entire village in a single night.

By then, I had encountered so many shocking things that I was almost numb to fear.

But I wasn’t afraid.

Because I believed—truly believed—that the four of them were stronger than any vampire.

And just as I believed, they defeated the vampire with terrifying ease.

So effortlessly, in fact, I began to wonder if it had really been a true vampire at all.

Their strength defied all reason.

And then… with its final breath, the vampire whispered:

“Why… would heroes be in a place like this…?”

It was in that moment that I finally understood who they were.

They had been chosen—those who would change the fate of the world.

Saviors who would rise for the sake of others.

They were… the last hope of this world. Heroes.

I immediately dropped to my knees.

How arrogant I’d been, thinking I could stand beside them.

Fighting alongside them? Unthinkable.

They were like gods. And I—a mere villager—was not even worthy to stand at their side.

But then, the blond young man—Claude, the Hero—extended his hand to me.

Smiling like a child, radiant with genuine joy, he said:

“Cross. Join my party. I need your strength.”

That invitation… was more intoxicating than the finest wine, more alluring than the most beautiful woman.

There was no way I could say no.

Even knowing I would never be their equal… I wasn’t strong enough to refuse.

And from that day forward, I became a true member of the Hero’s party.

They were, in every sense of the word… my comrades.

At least, the five of us believed that.

But the world would never accept it.

My abilities were nothing special.

Just as I had once said myself, I was barely fit to be a royal soldier.

Yes, that might be impressive in the grand scheme of things. But compared to the heroes—who were considered the treasures of the kingdom—I was painfully inadequate.

So people assumed I was a tagalong. A fan. A servant. In other words, a slave.

Once, we were invited to a noble’s party.

That noble treated me like a mere servant and placed a plate on the floor.

“That should be enough for a manservant. Come, Hero, let us leave such rabble and enjoy our noble table together.”

That’s what he said.

And I didn’t argue.

I simply ate off the plate on the floor, alone.

Even as laughter echoed around me, I paid it no mind.

But the four of them—they truly thought of me as one of them.

I never understood why. I never knew what they saw in me.

But I know they believed it with all their hearts.

At that noble party, all four heroes quietly moved their plates to the floor and sat beside me.

To them, it was the most natural thing in the world.

That’s how strong our bond was.

On our travels, we were told the same things over and over:

“That dead weight is holding the heroes back.”

“I don’t know how you wormed your way in, but you’re useless. Just leave already.”

“You’re a stain on the heroes. It’s a crime just for someone like you to be seen by them.”

I heard those words more times than I could count.

And honestly… I thought the same things myself.

Many times, I considered leaving the party.

But each time, they stopped me.

Each time, they told me I was one of them.

They always called me… their comrade.

It had been weighing on me so heavily that I finally asked them.

“Why me? I have no strength, no magic. I come from a simple village. I’m just an ordinary man. So why did you choose me to be part of this team?”

At that moment, the others looked troubled, and all four of them apologized to me.

“We’re sorry. Because of us, you’ve had to suffer. But… the truth is, we really do need you. Without you, we can’t do anything.”

“But why? I’ve never felt like I’ve been of any use.”

Claude shook his head.

“No. Just by being here, you give us hope. There’s no one we trust more than you.”

Those words didn’t sound like lies—and I believed them.

Even so, I continued to wonder:

What am I really good for?

I couldn’t find the answer, no matter how hard I searched.

But eventually… I did.

At the very end of our journey, during the final and greatest task we would ever face as a party—I finally understood what I was meant to do, what I was capable of contributing.

***

At the Demon King’s castle, everyone gave everything they had—no, to be honest, everyone except me poured their very soul into the battle that finally defeated the Demon King.

They’d all gone beyond their limits. And I—who could only stand behind them, helpless—was filled with shame.

But even then, they smiled at me.

In their eyes, there wasn’t even the slightest doubt.

You’re one of us, they said without words.

***

And then I saw it.

The Demon King, collapsed, blood pouring from him, already half-dead—was raising just one hand toward Claude.

No one else noticed it.

They had pushed themselves so far that they no longer had the strength to notice something like that.

But I—who had done nothing, who could do nothing—was the only one who saw it.

And in that moment, I understood what fate had brought me here for.

I was meant to be the one to take the blow in the hero’s place.