episode_0221

The evil woman――no, the witch Charlotte is dead.

The mud that threatened the royal capital burned away in the rising light of dawn without even leaving a heap of ashes, and the people of the royal capital who saw it were convinced that Hermel had succeeded in killing Charlotte.

The person next to them had rebelled, and the people embraced each other and sang, as if they had completely forgotten that they had been anxious to kill each other just a day before.

It was the birth of a hero, the second coming of a warrior, a story from a fairy tale had come true, and those who saw the mud disappear were intoxicated with the joy of surviving, shouting like that.

And three days later, those who saw Hermel returning to the royal capital on foot praised Hermel, calling him a hero who appeared with the rising morning sun, calling him the Hero of Dawn and the Hero of Hyocheon.

“I’m leaving.”

Of course, all that praise and admiration meant nothing to Hermel. Therefore, as soon as Hermel trudged back to the royal capital, he locked himself in the royal castle.

He then slept for four days, and as soon as he woke up, he went to see Sargela and conveyed his wishes.

I’m leaving.

He did not reveal where he was going or why he was leaving. Hermel simply stubbornly showed his will to leave.

“Are you really leaving?”

“Yes. I was just stranded because of this incident, but I had planned to leave from the beginning. You know.”

“People will be confused.”

Hermel snorted and said at Sargela’s words.

“When did I ever care about that? And that’s not my concern, it’s your brother’s concern. Because I am a wanderer, and my brother is the one who will sit on the king’s throne.”

“… I guess so.”

Sargela nodded at Hermel’s words. Hermel chuckled and patted his shoulder at his attitude as if he had no intention of persuading him from the beginning.

“You will have a hard time in the future.”

“I never thought the day would come to hear those words from you.”

Hermel smiled bitterly at those words and shook his head.

“I learned one thing. What you want to say or convey must be said before it is too late to convey it.”

“Are you saying you won’t do something you’ll regret?”

Hermel closed his mouth for a moment, looked at Sargela, and then shook his head.

Her eyes were brighter and firmer than ever.

“No, no matter what you do, you will regret it. Even when it comes to simply choosing food, I regret thinking, “Oh, I should have eaten something else instead of this.” If you think you won’t do anything you’ll regret, you really won’t be able to do anything, right?”

“I think I realized something.”

“There is no need to use grandiose expressions such as enlightenment. just… . I just learned that if you’re going to regret not doing something, you should do it and regret it.”

Sargela laughed at those words.

“Isn’t this what you have been doing until now?”

“This is different from attacking back and forth like an animal without any regrets. Well, I can’t explain exactly how it’s different. That kind of thing doesn’t suit me.”

Hermel scratched his head as he said that, and Sargela nodded and said.

“I hope your path ahead is filled with light.”

“Uh. I wish you well. Please tell my grandfather and grandmother.”

“You’re not telling it directly?”

“I’m going to get a little busier from now on. I’ll go then, bye.”

Hermel said with a grin and immediately left the castle.

Sargela looked at Hermel leaving and quietly closed his eyes.

“You heard the whole story, right?”

There were three people who responded to Sargela’s words.

“Eng… . Was it really necessary to go through the trouble of doing this?”

“I wanted to say my last goodbye face to face… .”

“If this is also befitting of a princess, then it must be befitting of a princess.”

It was Professor Draco, who had completely disappeared due to a curse, and Germa and Jean, who were hiding together with her help.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be able to say my last goodbye soon.”

At Sargela’s words, Professor Draco snorted and crossed his arms, while Germa and Jean smiled and nodded.

“By the way, you are the Crown Prince. How did you know that the princess would come here right away?”

“… Instead of looking at the situation or evidence, I looked at the person himself, so I was able to see Hermel’s next actions to some extent. Of course, there is still a long way to go.”

Sargela, who spoke with a bitter smile, shook his head and continued speaking.

“Now, you know what we have to do without saying anything, right? We have to move as planned in advance, so hurry up.”

“As instructed.”

“You’re really pampering me until the very end, tsk tsk… . Still, I like it better than the previous king, so I’ll follow suit this time hehehe… .”

“It’s been a while since I’ve worn a uniform. haha… .”

They all smiled and nodded, and Sargela also smiled faintly and looked out the window.

The clear, cloudless sky was beautiful, perfect for a hero to embark on his journey.

* * *

Hermel came out of the castle and went to see the streets he had not seen since he had slept for three days.

On the streets, everyone, including rebels and all, was working together to build new collapsed buildings or clean up the messed up streets.

“It’s fascinating… .”

He looked around and muttered with an expression of disbelief that people who had been struggling to eat each other just a few days ago could join forces like this.

At that time, one of the citizens who was moving materials recognized Hermel and began to cheer loudly. Other citizens also noticed the sound and began to cheer and praise him.

Of course, Hermel just passed them by with a reluctant expression on his face.

Hermel, who was walking like that, stopped for a moment in front of a newly built church.

While he was glaring at the design, which was completely different from the existing church, a familiar voice reached Hermel’s ears.

“Hermel!”

When Hermel turned his head, what he saw was Ceria, who was helping with the work by bringing water to the tired people.

As soon as she saw Hermel, she smiled brightly and welcomed him, and Hermel said as he looked at Seria popping out from an unexpected place.

“She does everything for being called a saint.”

“Even if you call her a saint, she is still the same person. More than anything… . Just watching and letting go is not for me.”

“Fuhu… . I know that feeling.”

Hermel shrugged his shoulders while saying that, and Ceria smiled and nodded.

“I heard that as soon as he returned to the royal capital, he went into the royal castle and never came out… . Aren’t you busy with work?”

“What is the job? I just slept. The aftereffects were a bit severe.”

Ceria, who vaguely understood the aftereffects Hermel was talking about, smiled awkwardly and nodded.

The conversation stopped for a moment, and the sound of nails hammering and people talking filled the surroundings.

“So, what brought you here today?”

“Well, your help was great in resolving this matter. I happened to be on my way there so I wanted to say hello.”

“How to get there? Where are you going?”

It was Seria who spoke first.

Hermel responded to those words with an expression that said it was nothing.

“Travel.”

“… Travel?”

“I will leave the royal capital and travel around the world. Besides that, I also have something to find.”

At Hermel’s words, Seria’s smiling face froze.

“Really? No, more than that. Why?”

“I was planning on leaving the royal capital from the beginning. I just couldn’t go out because my feet were tied.”

“… I see.”

Seria nodded, and Hermel continued speaking while looking at Seria.

“Well, if I hold on for a long time, there’s nothing I can say. I’ll just go now. Good job.”

“Yes. Blessings on your path――”

“Ah, don’t do it. When you say it’s a blessing, a real blessing comes down and you get tired. Because of that, I slept for three days?”

“Ah, that’s right… . hmm… . Well then, cheer up. I hope you find what you want.”

After seeing off Seria, Hermel left the place with a quick wave of his hand.

Seria, who was watching Hermel leave, prayed quietly and then turned her back.

“If you are injured, please come to me~!”

Seria… . No, she, who would now be more commonly called a saint, smiled and approached people.

* * *

When Hermel arrived at the castle gate, he felt something strange.

Why are there so many articles here? Those are the knights of the Order of the White Lion. No, and why is the castle gate closed again?

“What is it?”

Just as Hermel expressed his doubts, the citizens walking around also blinked at the sudden appearance of the knights.

And the doubts of Seria and the citizens were soon answered.

[today. It is the day when Hermel, the hero who saved us, takes the first step on a great journey.]

“Sargela… ?”

Hermel frowned at the sound of Sargela’s voice coming from above the castle gate.

Citizens cheered at the fact that they could see the hero embark on a great journey.

[I won’t talk too much. May your path ahead be blessed.]

With those words, the citizens began to shout “Long live the hero Hermel,” and Hermel repeatedly swept his arms as he felt his skin grow.

“Hahaha, you still hate this kind of place. Princess.”

Hermel turned his head at the sound of a voice coming from behind, and frowned as he saw Jin approaching with a cool smile.

“Jin? Did you plan this!?”

“No way. I know very well what the princess’s temperament is like, but would I be crazy enough to plan something like this? And no matter how much I try, I can’t recruit Sargela.”

“Hehe, if a so-called hero leaves without saying a word, the citizens will fall into chaos. To prepare for that, the crown prince… . No, this is what Sargela planned.”

“Grandpa!? There was even a grandfather!?”

Hermel opened his eyes wide and looked left and right, and Jin and Germa smiled happily and nodded.

Hermel, who sensed that he would not be able to get out if he continued like this, sighed and began to walk, with Jin and Germa following behind her as if they were escorting her.

Just before she passed, the knights standing on both sides held their swords together to show respect, and the sound of magnificent music began to flow, as if a band was hiding somewhere.

“More than that, Sargela. Shouldn’t I call you king now?”

“He directly said that the king’s seat was not for him and that he would come down on his own. Well, thanks to that, the throne is now vacant.”

“It is a kingdom without a king… . Haha, things like this happen in life.”

“Ha… . I don’t know how you can only pick the things that really give you headaches.”

Hermel sighed, but soon smiled and shook his head, seeming to be in a good mood.

The road ended before we knew it, and Hermel stood in front of the wide open castle gate.

“May what you wish come true.”

“Live as you wish.”

Hermel smiled at the two people’s greetings and turned his back.

Hermel quietly lowered his head and looked down at the completely broken bird-shaped brooch.

Hermel, who was looking down at the brooch, soon put the brooch in his arms and raised his head.

“I’ll go.”

He didn’t say he was coming back. The answer was that he might not return, but no one complained about that.

Hermel passed through the gate and began to move forward.

She didn’t look back.

Because what she was looking for wasn’t here.

* * *

Bubble bubble――

Time is like flowing water. You can’t block it with your hands, and you can’t resist it with your legs.

Therefore, it is best for people to let time flow and go with the flow rather than resisting it.

As I followed the passage of time, 10 years had already passed. 10 years have passed since that day. Ten years have passed since the disaster.

“… … .”

Sarah――

I flipped through the newspaper on the desk and read what was written in it.

[10 years after the catastrophe in the Trueno Dynasty. The fall of a dynasty that lasted for hundreds of years and the emergence of a saint.]

Eventually, the Trueno dynasty fell. It’s not because everyone died, it’s just that he completely gave up his throne and crown and destroyed it.

The Kingdom of Trueno is no longer called a kingdom, but a castle. The country is somehow maintained thanks to the appearance of Seria, called the Saint of Dawn.

“It’s not like I’m barely holding on.”

Rather, life would have become much better than before.

Now that the nobles and kings who were rotten from the root are gone, the people’s lives are stable, and other countries cannot touch her because of her title as a saint who causes miracles.

I can’t do that if it makes life harder than before. That is, unless you are committing a crime with the intention of getting killed.

“Suuu… .”

After taking a sip of the steaming tea, I quietly closed the newspaper and looked out the window.

As I listened to the sounds coming from the village below, I heard a familiar name.

[If you keep crying like that, witch Charlotte will come and catch you!?]

[…] Breathe! Ugh… .]

[shit… . Is it Charlotte’s curse? Why am I so unlucky today? .]

Charlotte, who caused the disaster, was talked about even after her death. Of course, in a bad way.

It’s natural. Because it caused such a disaster. Well, it’s funny that we don’t know exactly what Charlotte looks like.

If you look at the fact that the name witch has been passed down through word of mouth, it seems that she has built up quite a notoriety.

I quietly closed my eyes to the sound coming from outside the window, and closed my eyes with a long sigh.

Trap – plod –

At that time, I heard heavy footsteps in my ear, opened my eyes, and turned my head toward the door.

No one will come visit me. Who is coming to visit me? No, it must be something passing nearby.

After laughing, I sighed and tried to close my eyes again.

Trap – plod –

The sound of footsteps became louder. It meant that the owner of the footsteps was coming towards this direction.

What came to mind was who was visiting me.

chin–

Eventually, the footsteps stopped right in front of the door, and there was a knock on the door.

Probably not. no way. I opened my mouth, feeling a sense of déjà vu.

“… Please come in.”

Eventually the door opened and what appeared was――

“――Finally… . I found it.”

“Ah… .”

“Really… . You always exceed my expectations.”

I said that and smiled.

BONUS: Review

hello. It is a typesetting MUTE.

As you all know, I am the author of The Wicked Girl in the Game.

I finally became the villainess in the game and it was completed.

When I finish something, I feel strange. It’s amazing that a person who completely ruined the first work was able to finish it like this, and it just feels a bit strange.

Still not bad! Rather nice!

That’s all of my impressions. If I had accomplished this on my own, I would have been running around and bragging to the neighbors, but that’s not the case.

I think that I was able to complete my work because there were people who read my writing.

So, I would like to dedicate all this joy and happiness to all of you who have been with me.

I guess that’s all I have to say here.

Readers who have loved, supported, and read Becoming a Villain in a Game. Thank you very much.

I’ll take a short break until I get to the end and come back with the side story!!

There are a lot of side stories prepared! No, there are a lot of things I intentionally left unused because I was worried that writing a side story in the middle of an act would break the flow! So, I’m itching to write a side story right now, but like a double head, yay, it’s finished!!! This is how I put the final word on it!

Anyway, I look forward to seeing you again with good work someday!!