Translated: Sei, MTL-sensei-tachi
Edited: Sei, Grammarly no Danna
Source: Syosetu

Support us on Ko-Fi or Patreon to make this translation and the translators keep alive.
Thank you for your support ZaneofBane
TL Notes: I am sorry, I've already translated it but I forgot to post it. I really didn't realize I hadn't posted in 3 weeks. Sorry for the delay.

Chapter 269


　Beyond the memories that were once shown to us in Samarial.
　We were left speechless by the extraordinary strength of the previous hero, Hisago-san.

"———For Hisago, the evil dragon was not even a threat."
"How wide a range of things could he seal?"
"I don't know. He was even able to seal away me. Surely there's no limit?"

　I understood that the Demon King's words sounded as if he was not saying them seriously, but I could understand why he could only say that.
　The sight of him fighting, launching spears out of nowhere, creating flames, and using even the power of the evil dragon itself as his own power, made me think that he was even more of a monster than the evil dragon.

"But then why was the evil dragon sealed away?"
"...Yes, that's true."

　Nea nodded at my muttering.
　No matter how you look at it, the evil dragon is overwhelmed by Hisago-san's power from start to finish.
　The battle I know of between the previous hero and the evil dragon ended with Hisago-san jumping into the dragon's mouth and thrusting a small sword, the weapon of the hero, into its heart, sealing its soul.
　But the scene we are now being shown is———,

『What's wrong? Stand up』
『Gi, gizah... uujaa...!』

　The Evil Dragon, with one eye crushed and one wing torn off, lies prostrate on the ground, a pitiful sight to behold.
　Nearby, Hisago-san, who had sheathed his sword as he landed on the ground, looked down at the dazed Evil Dragon and put his hand on his chin.

『...Right.』

　He pulls out his small sword as if holding it backwards, forcibly opens the Evil Dragon's mouth, and steps into its mouth.
　Just like that, he disappeared into the evil dragon's body ——— and just as I tried to see what he did next, I heard a noise that indicated a change in scene.

"Demon King?"
"You'll find out later. First there's something you should see."

　———Ah, so that's how it is.
　So you want to show us that even the hell that awaits us from here on out is lukewarm.
　I grit my teeth at the Demon King's viciousness and meekly turn my attention to the next scene.
　There, I see Hisago-san and Nagi-san surrounded by many people.
　From what I remembered so far, I thought that they were being blamed by many people and having stones thrown at them, but this time it was completely different.

『Thank you...Thank you...』
『Thanks to you two, the dangerous situation is...』
『How can I thank you...』

　Those were words of pure gratitude.
　Although the streets of Samarial were badly damaged by the evil dragon's attack, the people living there were safe.
　They sent their heartfelt thanks to Hisago-san and Nagi-san, who saved their lives ——— and the two who received the thanks had a look of not knowing how to react to the unusual situation.

『So things like this happen...Hisago.』
『Yeah, I guess. ...I didn't expect this to happen either.』

　Hisago replies awkwardly to Nagi's slightly happy words.
　Seeing the two of them, Ferrum's expression brightened a little as he turned towards us.

"This is what they call reward... right? Usato?"
"..."
"Hey, say something. Why do you look so serious, Nea?"

　Ferrum tilted her head at me and Nea, whose expressions remained stiff, but knowing what was to come, even this “rewarding scene” seemed painful to me.
　Hisago-san and Nagi-san then decided to stay in the city for a while to help with the reconstruction and treatment of the injured.

『Doryah!!』

　Nagi-san was carrying rubble and wood with strength beyond what one would imagine from his appearance, while Hisago-san was treating people injured by the evil dragon.

『Uncle, what's this?』
『This is a medicine that gives you vitality... no, it gives you the will to live. With this, you too will feel better in no time』

　Hisago-san was showing a ball of light he had taken out of his palm to a boy whose head and arms were bandaged.
　Perhaps he was sharing the life energy he had taken from the enemy in the form of a seal during the battle, and was giving it to the boy, who was in a weakened state.
　As the boy receives more light, color gradually returns to his face.

『Thanks, Uncle!』
『Yeah. But your body is still tired, you should rest a little longer』
『Mm!』

　When the boy nodded with a smile, Hisago-san smiled kindly and reached out his hand to the boy's head———and while he pretended to hesitate for a moment, he slowly stroked the boy's head.

『Just seeing you looking healthy... that alone will make your parents... your father and mother happy』
『And Uncle?』
『...Yeah, of course. ...I have to see the others too. See you later』

　Hisago heads off to the next injured person as he hears a boy's voice saying "bye-bye."
　One after another, he offered his hand to those who were suffering from the poison of the evil dragon.
　...Could he, at least for this moment, become the "hero" he had always envisioned?
　I hoped so.
　While I was sincerely hoping so, he suddenly stopped and looked up at the sky.

『A tower, huh?』

　The buildings he sees make me understand undeniably that the situation is already close at hand.
　The building that is being erected before any other building.
　It is the tower that was called the “symbol of hope in Samarial” in our time, being assembled at an exceptional speed by earth-based magic.

"At this point, I guess he still had hope for the human race. No, he might have had a better life if he had just headed for the Lingle Kingdom instead of dealing with the evil dragons in the first place."
"..."
"Usato. You know what's coming next, don't you?"

　The Demon King asks me this question, as he knows what will happen next.
　Perhaps taking my silence as an affirmation, his smile deepens and he continues to talk to me with a look of deep interest.

"What did you think when you learned the truth? What feelings did you have for humanity?"
"...Anger."
"Yes. That's correct."

　Perhaps satisfied with my answer, the Demon King speeds up the scene.
　After a brief flash of light, the scene changes, from the square where the injured had been taken to what appears to be a castle hall.
　It didn't seem like much time had passed since the previous scene, but the view outside the window was shrouded in darkness, and the sky was covered in clouds so thick they obscured the moonlight.

『Hero-sama!! You are someone that Samarial needs!! No! Your very being! It is not enough to say that your power is a treasure that surpasses all else!!』
『———King of Samarial, what are you imitating?』

　Hisago-san was tightly bound by chains extending from the magic circle.
　Seeing him like that, the then king of Samariar spat out words as if he had lost his mind, and next to him stood the magician from when he was alive.
　Ferrum shakes my shoulder, bewildered by the situation that is so out of the ordinary.

"Hah? What's going on?! Why is that beard tying up the man who is supposed to be his benefactor?!"
"Power that's too strong can lead people astray. When King Samarial saw Hisago fighting the evil dragon, he was mesmerized by the fight... no, by his power."

　The magic has already been activated, and dozens or hundreds of chains that are familiar to me and Nea are wrapped around Hisago-san's body.

『Your power is too valuable! For the prosperity of my kingdom, your power! Your blood!　Your will! I have come to bring you into my kingdom!!』
『……』

　As Hisago stared with cold eyes at the king of Samarial, who spoke with a look of unquenchable excitement, he realized something as he tried to break the chains that bound him with his arms.

『———, Could it be, this is...!』
『That's right! This is a magic spell prepared by my subordinates to hold you in place while———』

　Before the king can finish his sentence, Hisago-san pulls out the sword at his waist and destroys all restraints with a single slash.
　Without even taking a moment to look at the King and the sorcerer, who looked shocked and despairing, he jumped out of the castle window and headed off somewhere.
　His expression had turned to one of anxiety and fear he had never seen before.
　Before he knew it, it had begun to rain, and he was drenched by the rain, but when he arrived at his destination, what he saw was———,

『No, way?』

　The wounded had died as if they were asleep.
　Those who had gathered in the square had been injured in the attack of the evil dragon, and had absorbed poison, rendering them unable to move.
　The lives that Hisago-san had healed and saved had been taken away for reasons that were too selfish.

"Ferrum. The king and sorcerer of Samarial have taken measures to bind Hisago to the land."
"Wh, what is that..."
"They offered the injured people who were unable to move after being attacked by the evil dragon as magic sacrifices, and turned them into power. The result was... as you can see, the magic formula was easily broken, and all that remained were their dead corpses, their souls extracted..."

　Nea explains to the stunned Ferrum.
　The Samarial people there, except Hisago-san, could do nothing but cling to the corpses of their respective family members and friends and break down in tears.
　Hisago-san himself sat down in front of one of the corpses and held the body that had likely been alive just a moment ago.
　The corpse was a boy whom Hisago-san had healed with his magic.

『……』

　Nagi-san rushes to Hisago-san, who has sat down with the child in his arms, who is no longer moving, without saying a word.

『Hisago! I'm being held back by soldiers...!? Wh-what's going on...』

　As she was left speechless by the sight before her, he told her in a faint voice the events that had led to this moment.
　Nagi-san, who has learned that the people who were supposed to be cured have died meaningless deaths, looks backward, drawing her sword with a look of anger on her face.
　Beyond that is the castle of Samarial.

『Nagi, what are you planning to do?』
『I will make them pay for what they have done. I will never forgive them...!』

　She intends to kill the king and the sorcerer.
　Just by the look of anger on her face, you can tell that she is trying to do so.

『...It's alright, just let them go.』
『Hah?』

　Hearing Hisago-san's flat voice, Nagi-san instinctively turned around and stopped moving as if paralyzed.
　He slowly laid the body on the ground and stood up, but his eyes and expression were blank, as if all emotion had been stripped away from him.

『Let's get out of here』
『Get out of here, you said... What about the scum who killed these people!? Are you telling me to just let them go!?』
『They're not going to have a good end. They'll get what they deserve... someday, for sure』

　He speaks as if he is certain that it will be so, and Nagi-san, forgetting her anger from earlier, walks up to him, distraught.

『We're going to ... to the Kingdom of Lingle, of course, right?』
『No, we are not going to that country.』

　After seeing the people he was supposed to have saved, he turns his back and starts walking away.
　There was no sadness or anything in his eyes.
　All that remained there was a sense of hopeless resignation.

『Enough already. I'm thinking of ending this』
『Ending this...?』
『This pointless skirmish with the Demon King, and everything』

　It seemed as if those words were a declaration of war against the Demon King at that time.
　The life he had saved had been lost because of the heartless king and the sorcerer, and the last thing that held his heart together had been torn to shreds.
　There was nothing left that could hold him together now.

『No matter how many good people there are, no matter how many innocent children are laughing, they are trampled on by the bad guys who are rotten in body and soul. ...There were just too many that kind of people in this era』
『Hisago...』

　The city of Samarial is shrouded in sadness.
　Hisago-san and Nagi-san were making their way through the pouring rain.
　I had no choice but to try not to look away from their painful scenes.

"From this point forward, only fragmentary memories exist, with a few exceptions."
"...Why?"
"Because he didn't want to show it. If he had just been fighting our army, that would have been enough, but he was obviously going to places other than where our army was ——— and doing something"

　Doing something...?
　Is it something that even the Demon King doesn't know...?

"But I'll tell you what, this event was the trigger that finally got him motivated enough to fight me."

　Fragmented footage was projected onto the landscape.
　The wizard of light singlehandedly swept away the forces of the Demon King's army, overwhelming them.
　His back figure was brave enough to be called a "hero," but the way he fought was that of a fierce god.
　But in the midst of the battle he let the beasts escape, who had been treated badly on the battlefield.
　After the battle, he had them relocated to a forest far from human habitation, where he taught them human culture and education.
　Among them is a girl who looks exactly like Nagi-san.
　However, this one is not as headstrong as Nagi-san and has a calm atmosphere.

"He led the beastfolk to clash with us. With the power of Hisago alone, most of our army was wiped out, and then he set foot on our castle."

　The Demon King looks nostalgic, perhaps remembering those days.
　The castle of the Demon King several hundred years ago.
　If it wasn't here, then it was probably those ruins.

"To settle things with me."

　The next one will probably be the last.
　I have to see what kind of choices and what kind of path this person called Hisago made, on behalf of Senpai and Kazuki, who are not here now.

——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———

Author's Notes:
Hisago's heart broke here.