I Picked Up the Hero Who Banished Me - Chapter 35



34 – [In the Land of Elves – 02]

Reina Forest stared blankly up at the sky.

The sensation wouldn’t fade.

The feeling of the arrow, piercing through the head and heart of Olivia, the hero.

Unlike a sword, once an arrow is loosed, it’s beyond Reina’s influence, and her hands rarely get physically bloody.

But that moment.

It felt like something indelible had stained her hands.

‘What would Mother say if she knew?’

She believes it was a decision made for Elven Heim.

A kingdom might help Elven Heim, might save them from the current crisis.

She tried to convince herself that committing evil for the sake of her country, while not pleasant, was necessary, yet the fundamental guilt simply wouldn’t vanish.

“…”

Reina was afraid of Olivia, the hero.

Not because she was a bad person, but because she had a strong, self-righteous side.

Especially her attitude towards people or monsters with moral or ethical defects, it was nothing short of ruthless.

It wasn’t necessarily wrong, but even for people, once they crossed her line, they were just targets to be eliminated.

The cold-blooded hero wouldn’t listen to the excuses of the wicked, and she would rather save one more innocent life than waste time hearing them out.

There was an incident where a nobleman was colluding with a criminal organization, causing immense suffering to people.

He hadn’t committed direct murder, but many died as a result of his actions, so it was fair to call him a murderer in the truest sense.

She didn’t whisper about a problem that should have been kept quiet, instead she ran straight and killed that noble.

People dying.

People weeping, begging to be saved.

The fact that countless people were starving to death, dying in agony, spending hellish days because of crime syndicates—she killed not only the crime syndicates but the nobles themselves.

Without listening to excuses.

Without listening to pleas.

For her, the moment they crossed the line and committed a crime, they were already targets for elimination.

“…….”

It wasn’t wrong.

But there was something chilling each time I watched it happen.

She was a good person, but she was terrifying.

Those eyes.

A terror even arose that, with time, those eyes might turn to look at Reyna.

The fear that she might slice you if you did something that didn’t meet her standards was terrifying.

“……Alex, if you break your promise, I’ll kill you. I promise.”

Reyna mumbled, fidgeting with her neck.

She knew nothing of the world.

She was stupid.

Kindness shouldn’t be judged by appearances alone, I thought.

“Hmm?”

The communication stone glowed.

It was difficult to use in the Eastern Continent.

The unstable magic here made communication extremely challenging.

“Alex, is it?”

The only person who would be contacting her now was that man.

He should have said something before.

In the first place, it would have been polite to stay in the royal capital longer, but she didn’t want to see Alex’s face.

Just seeing that detestable face made her feel ill, and the more he was praised in the capital, the more it made her remember the person who truly deserved that praise, making her want to die.

So, she had thought to return to her hometown as quickly as possible.

There were many reasons, but the biggest was that she wanted to run away from Alex.

She sighed and activated the communication stone.

“What is it? You have something to say?”

-You finally answered. I was worried sick since you weren’t picking up.

“You know Elvenheim is in the Eastern Continent, and you also know that the magic in the Eastern Continent is rough, which makes communication difficult.”

-Yes, I am well aware. Please understand that I am that impatient right now.

What is it?

It didn’t seem like he had called just to tease Reina for frowning and being annoyed.

“What’s wrong?”

A slight chill ran down her spine, and her heart beat faster.

An inexplicable sense of unease, something close to dread, felt like it was pressing down on Reina’s shoulders.

Even though she hadn’t heard anything yet, Reina was tense, and Alex, whether he knew it or not, opened his mouth.

-Hero, Olivia Reinhardt, is alive.

“What?”

-And in that state, she’s probably heading to Elvenheim.

“……”

Reina’s hand trembled.

Alive?

A third of her head blown away, her heart pierced through.

One arm gone, poisoned with some kind of death god’s venom, and dropped from that cliff, and she’s *alive*?

And on top of that, you’re saying she’s moving in that state, all the way to this Eastern Continent?

‘She really is a monster. That woman.’

Her breathing hitched.

Every time she saw Hero Olivia Reinhardt fight, she couldn’t shake that thought, and now she was sure of it.

That woman is a monster.

Not human.

“Coming to Elvenheim? …Is she, is she coming to kill me?”

-….She is a completed Hero. It’s even questionable if she even has any personal grudges.

“……Huh, haha. So what? What do you want me to do?”

-It’s obvious. We have to kill her again. We’re people who can’t have Hero Olivia Reinhardt alive. We need to kill her again, and if she’s poisoned with death god’s venom, it might not even be impossible.

“I-impossible…! How the hell are we going to kill her?”

– There *is* a way.

That battle power.

That strength.

The goddess bestowed upon Olivia Reinhart all the talents needed for fighting.

If she didn’t have a sword, she could grab a tree branch and still cut a person, or just simply cut them with her bare hands.

She was best with a sword, but Olivia could handle most weapons without any problems, be it a bow, spear, or dagger.

How do you even kill someone like that?

Poisoning her while she was off-guard was the best we could’ve done.

-Isn’t it simple?

“Simple? What…!”

-No matter how great Olivia Reinhart is, in the end, she’s just a terminally ill patient poisoned by the Reaper’s venom. It is true that if we could get our hands on the World Tree’s sap in Elvenheim, it might be possible to cure her.

“The World Tree’s sap, you say…”

It wasn’t impossible, but was this the right timing?

I couldn’t predict Titania’s reaction.

Titania didn’t have good feelings towards the hero, Olivia, because of what happened in the past, but since she was the one who saved the world, there was a chance she would cooperate if she heard the truth from Olivia.

-Ultimately, if we don’t get that sap, time is our ally.

“What if she becomes desperate and attacks the elves? No matter how poisoned she is, a hero is still a hero!”

-Are you serious?

“Huh?”

-Even if there are people who have been swayed into cursing and seeing Hero Olivia Reinhart as an enemy, they can’t kill her. Not unless that civilian committed a crime.

“…….”

-Because she’s a warrior before she’s a person. Hasn’t our journey always been like that? She isn’t a person, she’s a warrior.

“Yeah, that person’s a warrior.”

Rayna said, sounding self-deprecating.

“We’re trying to kill someone like that.”

-Hoo, you’re getting sentimental, aren’t you?

“Shut up……!”

Rayna clutched her head.

Again.

We have to do it again?

It’s neither moral nor ethical.

Another evil act born of selfishness.

Is this really what a hero’s party, who are supposed to save the world, should be doing?

Absolutely not.

-So, what are you going to do?

“……Fine, I’ll do it. What do you need me to do?”

Rayna rubbed her neck, her face twisted in a grimace.

It’s already done.

Rayna didn’t have a choice.

*

“Are you *really* sure we shouldn’t inform the guard?”

“Yeah, Half Village is a town that doesn’t get treated well as it is. If it ended without anyone getting hurt, that’s the best outcome, right?”

“But if the guard investigates, maybe they’ll find something.”

“Lord Royce already investigated, and he said nothing came up, didn’t he? Then, there’s definitely nothing there.”

“No, I’m happy you trust my investigative abilities, but I’m no match for a professional.”

“You can use spirits, so aren’t you more capable than most of the guard?”

“…….”

I fell silent.

I’d investigated various things, including the body of the Reaper Cult leader, but I hadn’t gotten any substantial information. There was an inscription carved into the Reaper Cult leader’s flesh, and that was all I could discern.

It was designed to erase all of his bodily information at the moment of death, leaving behind practically no evidence on his body.

If he were alive, I might have been able to get some information, but basically, Reaper Cultists aren’t the type you can talk to, and most of the ones who use things like mind-erosion are stubborn types who wouldn’t budge to torture or coercion.

More than anything, according to Livia, he used a voodoo clone, so we don’t know when his last life was. If we were to restrain him, it wouldn’t be that difficult for him to slip away by self-inflicting something.

“Are you *really* going, then? Elven Heim won’t welcome you.”

“I know, Village Chief. …But an opportunity came up, and I’m trying to work up the courage. There’s something I absolutely have to tell my grandmother.”

“Alright… travelers, please take good care of this child.”

The village chief bowed his head to us.

“We were able to find peace thanks to you all. If it weren’t for you, I don’t want to imagine what might have happened. I’m ashamed to have shown you such an unsightly sight. I am sorry.”

Livia smiled from beside me and said,

From noble mtl dot com

“It’s fine. It’s only natural that the one who used mind-erosion is the bad guy, right? There’s no need to apologize.”

“Heh heh, thank you… Then, Silphi, be careful.”

“Yeah, I’ll be back.”

That’s how we left Half Village, headed towards Elvenheim.

Livia cautiously approached Silphy and spoke.

“Is that village chief basically like a parent to you?”

“Uh, well…”

Silphy scratched their cheek, looking troubled.

“I’m actually older.”

“……”

*Thud,* both Livia and I froze.

It seemed there was no information you could glean from this elf’s appearance.

Age, gender, all of it was a mystery.

“…Lois, this just popped into my head.”

“What is it?”

“Between older and younger, which do you like more?”

“If I say older, is there anything you can actually do about it?”

“I’ve heard there are pills in this world that make you older, I’ll try it.”

“Please don’t. Age isn’t a big deal for my ideal type. Older, same age, younger, as long as we click, it’s all good.”

“Oh, I see!”

Livia smiled.

I felt a strange mischievousness rise in me and followed Livia’s smile.

“I don’t even know if we’ve ever actually gotten along.”

“Ugh!”

“Ever since forever, you’ve just gotten mad at everything I do.”

“……Hoo, hoo-hoo.”

“Why are you laughing?”

Livia, with a face like a slightly wounded puppy, laughed.

“It means we’re close enough to joke around! Right!?

“…….”

“Right!?”

Her expression, pleading for confirmation, was almost heartbreaking.

I felt a little sorry for her, and she was kind of cute, so I said,

“Yes, you’re right.”

“……!”

Livia, as if she had never looked like she was about to cry, giggled, “Hehe.”

“I knew it!”

“……Livia’s like a puppy sometimes.”

“Ah, I felt that too. Just now.”

Silphi and I nodded in agreement, and Livia tilted her head.

“Huh? Me? Why?”

She didn’t seem aware.

Still, she was dull in those regards.