Chapter 1: Apparently, I’m not a true companion

Translator: Tseirp

It has been three years since the start of the invasion of the Avalon continent by the dark continent under the rule of the Demon Lord of Fury, Taraxon.

In just three years, four countries have been destroyed and half of the continent had fallen to the hands of the Demon Lord.

The humans were at wit’s end … but the Gods did not abandon them.

There was a prophecy that foretold the birth of the Hero.

And then, there was a young girl who commanded a local force in a land with barely any defenses and repelled the advance unit of the Demon Lord Army.

The Hero Rooty Lugnason appeared in the capital, evident to everyone to possess the Divine Protection of the Hero.

Having performed various acts like settling the capital’s chaotic underground thief gangs or obtaining the proof of a Hero from the ancient Elves who slumber in the ruins, even the King believed that the young girl was the Hero of legend.

Then, the Hero embarked on a journey to save the world with the people’s cheers and blessings.

☆☆

Zoltan, a remote frontier far from the Hero’s hometown and far from the Demon Lord Army’s front lines.

Although rich in water sources, it is in the path of the storms coming from the southern sea so it is known by the North and East as the 『Wall at the end of the World』, with further exploration hampered by the Great Mountain Range. In addition, due to the widespread wetlands, transport was bad and development was slow.

Strategically, there was nothing worth noting.

With Zoltan’s abundance of water sources and the flooding of the river due to the storm, the fertile earth supplemented with nutrients with good drainage meant it was a prime agricultural land where one could obtain crops just by sowing seeds. However, trying to earnestly set up an agriculture plot there would result in everything getting blown away due to the storm in most cases so the people there naturally ended up with lazy personalities that hated putting in the effort.

Everyone working in the capital fears being relegated to the Zoltan, the land of laziness. It was an abandoned land where even criminals do not approach as there was no way for them to earn there.

The only people who went there were either fugitives, hermits or weirdos.

However, for the current me, there was no better land to be in.

“Three kilograms of Henbane (TN: Hyoscyamus niger/stinking nightshade/black henbane), two kilograms of Lycium chinense (TN: A boxthorn species from which wolfberry is harvested) leaves, and one bag of white berries …”

I strode up to the collectibles purchase counter in the Adventurers Guild with the medicinal grass I harvested.

“Thank you for your hard work as usual, Red-san … the total will be 130 Peryl.”

The receptionist lady skillfully and promptly completed the weighing and handed me the money.

“Please come again.”

The surrounding adventurers grinned and laughed as they saw me leave the counter.

“Hey Red, you went to harvest herbs again huh? Why not do some Goblin extermination once in a while huh?”

“Sorry. This is my nature.”

“But see, isn’t it time, that copper sword is not cool. I feel ashamed as a fellow adventurer if you don’t at least have a steel sword.”

I shrugged my shoulders.

Of course, it didn’t feel good to be made a fool of but it was nothing compared to that time.

These adventurers were just joking around and weren’t serious. After all, they were also adventurers with the lazy soul of Zoltan, only accepting simple requests.

As to why I would be an adventurer in a place like this … it would be a story from before I became an adventurer specializing in harvesting herbs.

☆☆

In the past, though I say that but it has not even been a year, I was in the Hero’s party.

At that time, my name was Gideon Lugnason.

What’s there to hide, the Hero Rooty Lugnason was my younger sister.

In this world, every person is born with a Divine Protection. It showed the way the person should live and was a power bestowed upon by the Gods, hence it was called Divine Protection.

According to the type of Divine Protection like 『Warrior』 or 『Magic-user』, it would grant powers in the forms of level and skills.

I had the unprecedented Diving Protection called 『Guide』.

Its power was Starting Divine Protection Level +30.

I was Level 31 the moment I was born.

I had the level of the Imperial Guard Knight class.

Naturally, I was fawned over, actually went to exterminate monsters from the age of six and was scouted by the Knight Order when I was eight. And I was promoted to become vice captain at the age of 18.

When it was known that my younger sister was the Hero, we were hailed as the twin wings of hope for humanity.

After finishing the battle together with Rooty at the frontier, when it was time to depart from the capital to defeat the Demon Lord, I was naturally added to the party.

At the very least, I was stronger than my younger sister at that time and was the top five knight in the capital. Nobody opposed to my addition to the Hero’s party.

Apart from the Sage Ares who was also added to the party.

In the end, Ares was right.

My Divine Protection was 『Guide』. A Divine Protection meant to protect the Hero’s journey.

As the Heroes gained levels and acquired powerful skills, the problems of the 『Guide』 became clear.

The Hero Divine Protection had skills useable by a Hero, a Sage Divine Protection had skills meant for Sages, even the commonplace Warrior Divine Protection had skills prepared for Warriors but there were no skills meant for Guides.

The only skills I could choose from were the common skills everyone could learn.

Even though I was strong at the start of the journey, my companions gradually caught up to me, overtook me and I became baggage to the party.

My role was to aid the immature Hero but to step off the stage once the middle stage approaches.

☆☆

“You are not a true companion.”

After the end of the fighting against Desmond of the Earth, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon Lord army, when we were at the celebration at the Lord’s house, I was called outside by my companion Sage Ares and was told that.

“What do you mean?”

“A true companion is a companion who shares the tribulations and fight together.”

“Am I not doing that?”

“You can tell it yourself right? To say it bluntly, you are a burden. The fight with the Four Heavenly Kings, Desmond of the Earth, what did you do?”

” … I was also wielding a sword to fight.”

“No, your sword did not deal any decent damage to Desmond. More importantly, Desmond ignored you. Even though you were caught up in area attacks, he never once attacked you.”

That was certainly true.

I was ignored by Desmond.

“You were not a threat to him and yet you could not avoid an area attack that wasn’t even aimed at you. Having been injured, Rooty had to heal you. Just that alone would cost us one move.”

” … That.”

“Your existence is a weight for Rooty. Don’t you think that is worse compared to just being a burden?”

“At the very least, I still put in the effort to be useful.”

“Effort? Are you an idiot?”

“What!?”

“Even if you put in the effort and succeed, it does not excuse being a burden. Do you think you can be forgiven for being a burden because you put in the effort? Don’t be selfish! You’re not a true companion after all!”

I couldn’t refute his arguments at all.

Maybe it was the right time. I thought.

I always had it at the back of my mind but … maybe today was the day.

“However, I am Bahamut Knight Order’s vice captain, being sent home because I was a burden would hurt the honor of the Knight Order …”

“So you place the honor of the Knight Order before the danger to the world huh? Hmph.”

“That’s why I will investigate the Demon Lord army’s status on my own from now on … and I will not return. At least let me do that.”

“I see, fine. I’ll match your story.”

” … Thanks.”

I tried to leave with my head down.

“Hey.”

Ares stopped me.

“Leave your equipment, we were the ones who obtained them.”

” …… ”

Leaving behind the treasured sword on my waist 『Thunder Waker』, the Ring of Mental Defense, the Evasion Coat and other equipment, I received a few coins for travel expenses and a cheap copper sword as I left.

However, I had lingering attachment.

The next day, I wanted to see my younger sister’s face one last time before I left the party.

The younger sister who said Onii-chan, Onii-chan as she hugged me.

Of course, I was a lot weaker compared to her now but I was still worried how my younger sister would be on her own after that, moreover … I was hoping … to see if she was distraught now that I was no longer there.

But … the scene shown in my eyes when I secretly peeped into the window was that of Ares hugging my younger sister with his hands around her shoulder.

“I see … so that’s how it is.”

I was no longer needed. It became clear to me.

Just like he said, I was not a true companion.

Damn it, for some reason, tears came out.

You may no longer need Onii-chan but I would be happy if you would occasionally think of me … while muttering pathetic words, I left town at the break of dawn.

After that, I changed my name to Red, became an adventurer with a boring herb harvesting specialty and flowed to this abandoned land, Zoltan.

☆☆

“It was tough then.”

Being alone, I sobbed despite being a man.

Having been kicked from the party, I had no drive to do anything for some time. After snatching money by swiftly defeating the bandit group that was plaguing the town I stayed in, although unaccustomed to it, I escaped reality through liquor.

But doing things like that made me stand out.

If my true identity was revealed, I would probably inconvenience the Captain and Lord who took care of me.

I psyched myself up, traveled to the frontier Zoltan as the adventurer Red and decided to have a new dream here.

“I will start a herb store as a business here at Zoltan and leisurely have a slow life on my own! I have no talent in fighting, I will live in peace from now on!”

I was worried for my younger sister but being weaker than her, there was nothing I could do.

I wasn’t a true companion after all so I’ll leave the Demon Lord to them and live for my own sake here!

For that sake, I gathered money through herb harvesting requests and drew a map for myself to show the distribution of medicinal herbs according to the season.