The Villainous Noble Tried His Hardest to Break the Original Storyline, and Now the Heroines Are Acting Weird - 39

Chapter 39

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Unless they were truly capable enough to stand alongside me, anyone halfway competent would only end up getting in the way. Besides, I was fighting to save my little sister. I was doing all of these just for my own selfish desire. I never intended to drag anyone else into it. If someone like Sasha volunteered on their own, that was a different matter entirely.

“…So basically, you want us to fight the demons in exchange for healing us?”

“That’s what it comes down to. Of course, I’m not planning to launch an attack right this moment… But to minimize the damage from the demons, I want to gather brave people like you, those who can stand up against them.”

People who could stand up against the demons, huh. It was true. Even in the game, most people had already given up on the idea of fighting demons at all. If anything, many chose to sell information in hopes of receiving the special reward promised to those who discovered the Hero’s whereabouts.

Golsh-san was probably hoping to gather trustworthy allies and eventually pass things on to Aifi. He too likely believed that he didn’t have much time left. People in this country changed generations quickly. That was simply because parents were killed off early for the sole purpose of throwing their children into despair.

Golsh-san, and my father as well… If nothing was done, there was no telling how much longer they’d be able to live intact in this world. Hearing Golsh-san’s words, Eld gave us a smile, but he didn’t seem entirely convinced.

“Fight the demons, huh.”

He muttered softly, then gave a visible shiver. That was just like Eld in the game. Eld was the only one who joined the party as a guest character. At that point, the Hero had already been defeated by the Demon Lord of Wrath, was a wanted fugitive, and emotionally crushed. That was why the Hero asked Eld—who had also been beaten by the demons but continued fighting anyway.

‘Why are you still able to fight? Aren’t you scared?’

And Eld had replied.

‘I am scared, but… I have people I care about. That’s why I fight. I fight to protect them.’

He acted cheerful on the outside, but he’d also said.

‘The truth is, I’m not really that upbeat. I just force myself to act that way.’

Right now, he had the expression of someone whose weaker side was showing through.

“Golsh… Don’t put too much faith in me.”

The one who gave a weary smile wasn’t just Eld. Ruby and Bruna were trembling as well, maybe because they had experienced the same thing. Even Sasha seemed to understand the feeling and wore a bitter expression.

“Eld… What do you mean by that?”

“…Even if we’re healed, who knows what’ll happen to us? Honestly… I’m scared. Back then, I just moved on instinct because a kid was being targeted,  but it ended like this, and I regret it. Just thinking about the demons… It scares the hell out of me. I don’t even know if I can pick up a sword again and stand against them.”

Maybe right now, Eld didn’t yet have anyone he clearly wanted to protect. Perhaps, from here on, he would encounter people he wanted to protect before the main story began. That must be the reason why he didn’t have that kind of resolve yet.

When will that happen… I don’t know.…But if Eld doesn’t become the version from the original story, it could create some contradictions in this world.

“You can call me pathetic if you want. But I’ve already—”

“I want to defeat the Demon Lord.”

I cut off Eld’s words and spoke up.

“My father… Most probably on my fifteenth birthday, my father will be killed. Apparently, the same thing happened to my grandfather.”

“…That’s likely how it will go for the Fortas family,”

Golsh-san said with a remorseful look. I understood that too. That was exactly why I wanted to increase the number of allies who could fight, even if just a few.

Eld was a character from the original story, someone I could trust. He was someone who, to the very end, fought with everything he had to help the Hero escape.

I wasn’t saying he had to risk his life. I wasn’t saying he had to fight for me either. But I didn’t want to see him stay broken like this. After all, he was someone who had the ability to protect those close to him. I didn’t want to let someone who might become a vital force in protecting this town just walk away now.

“I’m going to defeat the Demon Lord of Wrath when he comes on my fifteenth birthday.”

Those reckless words made Eld look confused as he asked me.

“W-what do you mean…? There’s no Hero around yet, right?”

“We don’t know when the Hero will be born or if we can even rely on them. If we cling to such faint hope, we won’t be able to protect the people we care about.”

In fact, that Hero was someone important to me. To speak to Eld in a way that would resonate with him, I chose the words he had once used.

“I want to protect my precious family and friends. That’s why I’ll defeat the Demon Lord of Wrath and save my father. I’m not saying I’m not afraid to fight him. But I’ll fight anyway, because I have no other choice.”

I wasn’t particularly afraid. Even so, I chose to speak words that Eld could relate to, so he’d find it easier to agree. I was only able to make such rational decisions thanks to everything I’d experienced.

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