"What's a shame?!"
"God Coumar meat is one of the ultimate phantom ingredients. I really wanted to bag one of those…"
"I'm done! I want to go home!"
I wanted to go back to the castle and hug Nina-chan. I wanted to bury my face in those breasts! I wanted to be pampered by Risha! I wanted a beautiful older sister to pat my head!
Why was I mountain climbing with this Cooking Hero?!
Despite my complaining, I continued the "Dangerous Gourmet Hike." An hour later, my physical and mental strength finally hit zero.
Wright grabbed my arm and pulled me the last few steps.
"Alright, we're here. This is the spot."
"Hah… hah… We… we made it…?"
I sank to my knees, gasping for air. If I didn't catch my breath soon, this was going to be my grave. I took the canteen Wright offered and practically inhaled the water.
Once I finally calmed down, I looked around.
It was a vast, open meadow. Lush green grass and beautiful wildflowers stretched out in every direction. There was a massive rainbow arched across the sky, even though it hadn't rained.
Beyond the meadow lay Odelia, the kingdom that had taken me in. I could see the great castle in the center and the tiny figures of people moving through the streets.
The contrast between the silent majesty of nature and the bustling life of the town was strange, yet they felt perfectly at one. The warmth of the scene was so overwhelming that I couldn't help but whisper:
"…It's beautiful."
"Isn't it? It's my secret spot. I come here alone sometimes. I don't think anyone else knows about this place besides you now."
"Is it okay to bring me here? If it's a secret?"
If no one else knew, that meant even Alice, Risha, and the old man Maurice hadn't seen this. Was it really okay to bring a guy he'd only known for a few weeks to a place like this?
Wright sat down beside me, gazing out at the town of Odelia.
"I started learning the sword and magic seven years ago. It was the day my father, a knight of this country, died in battle."
He began to speak about his past without warning. I knew his father was gone, but I didn't know the details.
"At the time, I just wanted the power to protect my mom. I learned the sword from Maurice and magic from Risha. I got stronger, I went to the front lines… and somehow, I've managed to survive. Then, before I knew it, people started calling me a 'Hero.'"
Wright gave a self-deprecating smirk.
He was called a Hero because he was the hope of humanity. People believed that if Wright was there, they could win any battle. He had an indomitable spirit that never broke, no matter the odds.
To the humans fighting the demons, Wright was hope personified.
But Wright himself had never wanted that. His real dream was to inherit the diner and become the best chef in the world.
"Honestly, I'd much rather spend my time watching people smile over a good meal than hurting others."
"Then why do you fight?! You don't have to do this, Wright…"
Wright wasn't much older than me. In my world—and even in this one—kids his age should be studying or playing with friends. And if he wanted to protect his mom, wouldn't she be happier if he just stayed by her side?
I truly believed he didn't need to be the one fighting.
Wright lay back on the grass, reaching his right hand up toward the sky.
"Maurice and the others told me the same thing once. They told me to leave the fighting to them and stay with my mother. But… I can't just act like this has nothing to do with me."
"...?"
"The war in this world… it's not just a problem between races. It's a problem for every single person living here. Someone's family gets killed, so they kill in revenge. It's been a cycle of hatred since ancient times."
I'd heard this when I was learning about this world. The conflict had reached a point where it seemed impossible to stop. The hatred between humans and demons was too deep.
"It has to be cut off somewhere. If it isn't, we'll just keep destroying each other until there's nothing left. To stop that, every single person living in this world has to think about the future. That's why I fight—to face this world head-on. Because I don't want to leave behind a world that only knows sadness."
Wright sat up and looked back toward the castle town of Odelia.
"I don't know if what I'm doing will actually stop the fighting. To be honest, there are times I lose confidence and wonder if I'm doing the right thing. After all, I've taken many lives on the battlefield myself… But even so, I want to find it. I want to find a way for the humans, the demons—for everyone in this world to be able to smile again."
As he said that, he was wearing his usual, breezy grin.
Ah… I see. That's why he's always smiling. To make everyone else smile, Wright has to…
"So, there it is. I'm going to keep being the 'Hero' for a while longer. I don't know how far I'll get, though."
[Issei's presence in the narrative has returned after a long absence. The next chapter will also delve into the past.]
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