When I said, "You can be a hero," to a child with no talent, he really started to become a hero, so I acted like I knew what I was doing, like I was a wise master. - Chap 15.2: Hot Springs

When Dan removed his underwear, he was completely naked. A shock ran through Will again. That’s because he saw a resemblance between the Hero Dan, whom he had seen bathing in a waterfall, and his ordinary adventurer friend Ban, who was standing before him now.

(Eh!? Wha, eh!?)

The enormous size and steel-like firmness of his body were enough to make Will question if they were even the same species.

“Will? What’s wrong?”

“Ah, no, nothing… You just, uh, remind me of someone I know, body-wise…”

“Eh? …Are you the type to stare at people’s bodies and remember every detail?”

“No, that’s not it! I just, uh, was really surprised by that acquaintance, especially his lower half…”

“Enough of that, let’s get in. We’re all pretty much the same, you know.”

“Right, I guess…?”

With a look of disbelief, Dan, no, adventurer Ban, headed straight for the bath. Following him, Will also stripped off his clothes and entered the bathing area. After washing their bodies thoroughly, the two submerged themselves in the tub.

As Will soaked in the tub, he was overcome with a mysterious sensation of fatigue lifting from his body. The shock of seeing something unexpected from the sky, followed by the surprise of his adventurer friend’s lower half, seemed to fade away, and he even wondered if today was a day dedicated to lower halves.

“Ban-san, are you rich?”

“No, just an ordinary person.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Hmm, well… I feel like I’ve surpassed the desire of wanting to be a hero. I did feel that way at some point, but now I’m searching for something more important.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s things like ‘meaning’ and ‘purpose’. Being a hero isn’t everything. What’s important is knowing what you’re fighting for, what you’re living for.”

“I understand. But that’s difficult, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is. But while pursuing it, you can get to know yourself more deeply. That’s my current goal.”

“You’re amazing, Ban-san… I want to be like that too.”

“It might take some time, but try to pursue it at your own pace. And cherish the experiences and encounters you have along the way.”

The two talked about this topic for a while, deepening their bond.

“I believe… self-sacrifice is necessary.”.

“I think so too,” responded Ban. “But, there was a time when I somewhat doubted that in the past.”

“You too, Ban?”

“Huh? Wil, you felt that way too?”

“Y-yes. I can’t quite put it into words though.”

“Heh, is that so?”

(What a cold reaction!?)

For just a moment, Wil was about to retort at Ban’s overly cold reaction, but he was curious about the continuation of the conversation and remained silent.

“You know, whether it’s a hero, a warrior, or whatever else… I used to think that helping people is beautiful, cool, and wonderful. But then, there were people who took risks to do it, and I kind of felt uneasy when they were praised for that.”

“――Ah.”

(That’s it… What I was thinking…)

Sympathy. That’s what overcame him. He could see the cracks. But he hadn’t been able to apply them to himself. Yet, he was once again surprised that the being before his eyes could do it so easily.

“You know what I mean? I couldn’t accept that even death could be justified by putting a person’s life at risk to help someone else…”

“…”

“I had some acquaintances like an elf magician, a swordsman, and a martial artist.”

“It sounds like a hero’s party. An elf magician, a swordsman, and a martial artist.”

“Right?”

(The conversation’s too light…)

Though they were in the middle of a serious conversation, Ban’s mood was incredibly light, and Wil almost retorted but kept silent again. He focused on the words from the being before him.

“Uh, what was it? Oh yeah, do you know about the divine oracle?”

“A divine oracle? It’s a revelation from the gods… given to those with the vessel of a hero…”

“Yeah, exactly. You know it well.”

“Thank you!”

“Yes, you’re welcome. So, actually, I knew someone who received that divine oracle.”

“What!?”

“So, they were told by those around them to fight. They couldn’t accept it… Everyone was pushing them, pointing and telling them to fight against the demons. The pressure made them cry.”

“What, really?”

“Oh, it’s not a sad story! So, they couldn’t accept it, but they loved it, and they sort of just went with the flow and became a hero.”

“They did it!? According to the divine oracle!?”

“Well, who knows?”

“I… I want to know the rest of the story!”

Just as if he were tracing a hero’s tale, Wil couldn’t help but prompt for the continuation of the story. That’s because he loved hero’s tales more than anything else.

“Really? Well, I guess I was just following the oracle, or rather, I just defeated the culprit.”

“Am-amazing!”

“Right? The Demon King is like a one-punch deal.”

“Whaaaaat!?”

“Amazing, isn’t it?”

“It’s absolutely incredible!”

“Well, it’s a lie though.”

“Eh?”

“It’s all made up. You often get told that you’re easily deceived, don’t you?”

“Y-Yes, I do.”

“Be careful.”

“Y-Yes.”

(What, it was a lie… Huh? But, didn’t the hero Dan’s tale have such a spell…?)

“So, to get back to the topic… the most essential thing, huh. Well, both power and self-sacrifice are important, I guess. It varies from person to person.”

“Both?”

“In the end, a hero solves problems with power. It’s resolved with violence. You could even call it a belief in violence as the supreme principle, and you wouldn’t be wrong.”

“T-That’s true.”

“There was a hero who thought a demon king looked kind, so he tried to talk to him three times, and when he thought it was pointless, he crushed his face.”

“Eh!? Who was that!? I’ve never heard of such a thing!?”

“It was me.”

“Eh!?”

“Just kidding.”

“T-That’s what I thought.”

(Ugh, he lied to me again. Even though he just told me to be careful… But I feel like this person is also at fault. Not because he lies, but because he has a strange charisma that makes me believe him.)

“And then there was self-sacrifice, right?”

“Yes, a royal child named Alfred said it.”

“Ahh, I see. Well, that sounds like him.”

“Sounds like him?”

“You and I already have heroes that we look up to and reach for, but the first hero didn’t have such a concept, right? It feels like he created that.”

“Hm, I see.”

“So, maybe he became a hero purely because he wanted to help others. That’s why he was called a hero, I think. Well, I don’t know the real story, but it seems like something a descendant would say, right?”

“Yes, it does!”

Without thinking, Will ended up showing agreement. Next to him, Ban begins to think about something while yawning. Seeing that expression and listening to the conversation up until now, Will felt that perhaps Ban knew something about Hero Dan.

“Um, excuse me.”
“Hmm?”
“What do you think about Hero Dan?”
“I think he’s Hero Dan, but…”
“No, no, I don’t mean that… Like earlier, I want to hear more of an in-depth opinion, you know…”

As Will says this, adventurer Ban narrows his eyes.