I am back – Chapter 12

It seemed that Saintess Pia was someone who couldn’t get angry.

In the past, Kalia and Dana had once bet on who was a better person, the Saintess or the Hero.

Kalia thought that the Hero could get angry. Whenever he fought with her, he always had a serious expression, and he genuinely fumed at the atrocities committed by the Demon Race. Kalia believed that if she and Dana did something unjust, the first to get angry would definitely be the Hero.

Dana thought that the Saintess was a bit more uptight. The Magic Tower and the Church didn’t have a great relationship, after all. In the Magic Tower, they saw the being referred to as the ‘Goddess’ by the Church more as a great prophet than a deity. They thought the very concept of a God was meaningless, so they followed the Goddess while avoiding calling her that. Every time Dana referred to that ‘Goddess’ as a prophet, Pia would make a strangely uncomfortable expression.

Of course, Arna snickered at how ridiculous their debate was. Even so, she still found the situation amusing to watch.

However, since both individuals were not the type to cross the line, it ended merely as a light-hearted joke of poking fun at the Hero and Saintess, neither of whom truly got angry. Saintess Pia chuckled awkwardly as if she were in trouble, while the Hero seemed utterly oblivious to Kalia and Dana’s teasing.

Ultimately, Kalia and Dana’s bet ended in a vague conclusion when they both expressed their intention to concede, tired of the lack of reaction from the Saintess and the Hero.

“…I wonder if you, Arna, would even join in.”

If Arna had been caught up in the fun that day, she would surely have won the bet.

Fortunately, they were in the Saintess’s room, so there was no one around to judge such matters.

I was currently wandering around the party members’ rooms, trying to persuade the Hero. If I could hear what not just Arna but the other members had to say, perhaps the Hero’s mind could be changed.

“If he chooses to do that in that moment, then of course, it should be respected. Conversely, if I chose such a thing, would you respect that?”

Arna was at a loss for words to Kalia’s question.

…It wasn’t just Arna who thought of sacrificing when necessary. The Hero felt the same way, and Kalia did too. They just hadn’t expressed it verbally.

No matter what I said to her, as she checked her gear with a dull expression, I felt like it wouldn’t reach her anymore.

“You know it too. That Hero in such a state will absolutely not change his mind, no matter what others say.”

Dana shrugged and remarked.

Even as she said that, her hands were busily working. She was doing her best to find ‘a way for everyone to survive.’

Arna could no longer interrupt her.

Lastly, I arrived at the Saintess’s room.

The Saintess was looking at Arna with a genuinely rare intense glare. It wasn’t a face that looked particularly scary. It was hard to picture her as someone who couldn’t get angry with that face. Even more so than the Hero, who often displayed anger in front of the Demon Race.

Thus, the fierce glare from Pia, the Saintess, looked somewhat awkward.

“I won’t tolerate any acts that insult the Goddess.”

“Insult? Did you just say insult?”

I knew it in my head.

That I had made Pia this angry indicated how absurdly unreasonable I was being.

It was true that elves did not regard the Goddess as an absolute being, but that did not mean they denied her existence. They simply respected her more as a manager overseeing things rather than a ruler of the world.

That’s right. The ‘Goddess’ in the eyes of the elves was a ‘manager.’

Not an ‘absolute being’ who could do as she pleased with everything in the world.

“I wonder how right it is to let a soul that has already died fall into this hell without finding peace.”

That was correct.

If what the Hero said was true and he was someone who had ‘died’ once, then he should have entered peace long ago. There was no doubt that he lived a life that wasn’t wretched enough to suffer after death, which meant he should have been able to escape the pains of life and find rest.

But he had returned to this world.

To one filled with the horrific being known as the Demon King.

To a world where the Demon Race ravaged and murdered humans, where the corrupt nobles indulged in power struggles while there was barely enough strength to stand against the Demon King’s army.

Of course, not all nobles and royalty were rotten. There were many good people, which was why the Kingdom still held on. If there was a capacity, it wouldn’t be impossible to cut out the rotten parts.

That’s right. This was not paradise. It was a living hell where humans who hadn’t even lived for 20 years died on the battlefield.

At least it was not a place for a righteous person to meet their end.

“That’s…”

At Arna’s words, the Saintess momentarily fell silent.

“The Hero has made his choice.”

“…”

This time it was Arna’s turn to bite her lip.

…Yeah, that’s true.

He was such a righteous person.

If he could be born again and save people, he would willingly choose that.

But in that case, shouldn’t the Goddess not give him such a choice?

“What you’re saying now disregards not just the choose of the Goddess but also the will of the Hero.”

“…What did you say?”

To Arna’s question, the Saintess exhaled deeply.

“Do you really think I haven’t thought about that? No matter how much of a Goddess she is, isn’t it wrong to send someone who has already suffered in another world back here to endure more pain?”

“…”

“I’ve shared my concerns with the Hero. Do you know what the Hero said at that time?”

The Saintess was now crying. Thick tears rolled down her cheeks and fell to the floor.

“He said he was grateful that he could live one more life.”

“…”

“That he was glad to have met companions like you here, and that he was happy to protect this beautiful world. It made him feel like he was finally a hero, someone who mattered.”

“…”

Hearing the Saintess’s words, Arna was left speechless.

“…What? Is that what he said…?”

For a long while, she gaped, then that was all she could say.

“I’ve heard about the Hero’s previous life. Yeah, you could say that he lived in the ‘suffering of life’ as you put it. The previous Hero certainly didn’t live a wealthy life, nor was he part of the highest echelons of power. But…”

The Saintess gritted her teeth. She fought back tears and struggled to continue speaking.

“But still, he had people he loved.”

“…”

Ah,

That was it.

Arna had only just learned about the Hero’s past, but the Saintess must have known for a long time. She was the ‘Saintess,’ able to speak directly with the Goddess, and thus she likely shared knowledge with the Hero, who was another being capable of such dialogue.

“There is no life that is only filled with suffering. In every life, there are those you absolutely don’t want to lose and lines you cannot cross. And…”

“…”

“And there are definitely people you want to meet again.”

Arna found herself at a loss for words.

“So, if he says he wants to go back… then it’s right to let him.”

Contrary to the content of her words, the Saintess was clearly sobbing.

“That’s the right thing to do, isn’t it…?”

Eventually, Pia collapsed onto the floor.

Earlier, while talking with the Hero, she had kept her head bowed.

I see.

Everyone had already made up their minds. They were all trying to do something in their own way.

Instead, it was Arna, who was acting like a child throwing a tantrum, who was older than all the other party members combined.

“….”

In the end, that day, Arna couldn’t persuade anyone.