…
[This sentence is supposed to be ch 0 but I merged it here cause it’s only one line]
“I hereby declare from the [Heartlick Cathedral] ―― The power of the goddess is already diminishing. Soon, the Demon King will be resurrected. If that happens, this world, [Planet Number], will be headed for destruction. Therefore, what we need now is… the emergence of a brave hero.”
…
[This is the start of the actual first chapter]
—Now then.
Despite that being my catchphrase, I am in a rather privileged position in the kingdom. Perhaps it’s rare to find someone as fortunate as me within the confines of the [Kingdom of Reinella].
However, please don’t misunderstand. This is not something to boast about. If anything, it’s closer to self-torture. You’ll understand once I explain further.
For instance, when I walk around the [Royal Capital, Miracle], I often get stopped. Not by acquaintances, but by strangers.
“Hey, aren’t you the hero from the [First Family]?! You’re Saburo, right?!” (Stranger)
Usually, it goes something like that.
Mhm, that’s right. I am indeed a hero. My name is Saburo. The leader of the [First Family].
Of course, I always respond to such questions warmly. I believe that smiling and answering politely is another duty of a hero.
By the way, among the people who approach me, there are also content creators and live streamers who are active on ManaTube or Manatch1. Sometimes, they ask me hesitantly, ‘Can I take a short video?’ or ‘Can I stream this?’
Of course, my answer is always “Of course!” Again, I don’t want it to be misunderstood. I’m not arrogantly full of myself. It’s just like I said before. I believe this is also part of being a hero.
Then the conversation begins with the camera pointed at me.
Now then.
I don’t know where the rumors are coming from, but it seems that these people are keeping track of [First Family]’s movement. As for the questions… ‘What kind of requests did you handle in the [Republic of Zuminar]?’ or ‘Is it true that you trained with the Imperial Knights in the [Terian Empire]?’. Such questions come flying at me like arrows.
And the questions that really stump me usually come towards the end.
“I heard that [First Family] consists of members gathered by Saburo-san! So, what’s the secret behind the creation of [First Family]?” (Content Creator)
It’s a genuinely innocent question. Moreover, the eyes of the person who asked at that moment return to those of a child. They’re no longer concerned about the camera.
I pause for a moment. If I had a mug in my hand, it would be better to take a sip of the coffee inside so that it wasn’t awkward. Anyways, I take a moment. Then I respond, as always, with the same answer.
“It was just luck.” (Saburo)
Ah, of course, it’s a lie. Nothing but a lie. But there’s no other safe answer. And I know that this kind of response is the most appreciated.
“Wow! Really? Luck, huh. But they say luck is part of one’s abilities, right? You’re so humble, it’s admirable.” (Content Creator)
If I get a reaction like that, it’s perfect. At worst, I’ll get a response like, “Well, I guess you can’t really talk about it honestly, right? It’s like a trade secret?” It’s fine either way.
—It was just luck.
A lie. An obvious lie. If it were just luck, anyone could form a party like [First Family] without any effort.
It’s not just because of luck.
The real factor lies in something else.
……
“—So? Sabu-senpai. What’s the truth? If you called your cute kouhai-chan all the way to the tavern just to listen to such complaints, you’ll at least tell me the truth, right?” (Dark-chan)
And there it is.
Leaning over the counter as if to peer into my face is a girl—commonly known as Dark-chan.
She has short, dark hair with sparse platinum streaks that suit her well. Given that it’s summer, she’s lightly dressed. Her healthy, tanned skin is visible from outside her shorts.
In short, she’s my adorable kouhai… well, she was my kouhai for only about a year.
She enrolled at [Salamina High School] when I was in my final year.
What process did we go through to become friends? Honestly, I hardly remember. But our relationship as senpai and kohai continues to this day.
Returning to the present, I’m twenty-three and Dark-chan is twenty-one.
“…Of course. I have a reputation for being kind to my kouhais, you know. I’ll foot the bill for this tavern too, and above all, I want to celebrate our long-awaited reunion, so I won’t rush to any conclusions.” (Saburo)
“That’s good to hear. Ah! Hey Boss! Another ale from the barrel! And some snacks, preferably meat! Bring them over, and don’t mind the cost! …But yeah, seriously, it’s been a long time since we last met, right?” (Dark-chan)
“About a year, I guess?” (Saburo)
“Yeah, I know right? After senpai graduated from high school, you had quite a fun year, didn’t you? It was around when you were… eighteen, right? That’s when our relationship started to drift, right?” (Dark-chan)
“Well, yeah. But, you know, there were unavoidable circumstances. After all, that was around the time when [First Family] was formed.” (Saburo)
“Yeah, true. But it was still a shock when you suddenly became the leader and a hero… I mean, you said you were going to become a hero, with a distant look in your eyes. And to think that you would actually become one so quickly.” (Dark-chan)
Dark-chan’s expression, with her lips slightly pursed in what seemed like a pout, was undeniably cute. It’s easy to see why she’s popular. But at the same time, I can’t help but feel like I made her lonely.
It was five years ago. When I was eighteen.
I formed an adventurer party called [First Family] with my childhood friend and three other close friends I made during my school days. And I ended up becoming the leader of that party.
And by some twist of fate—I became a hero.
“You were the youngest from the [Kingdom of Reinella], right, senpai? To become a hero. I was seriously freaking out about it. I didn’t think you would be such an amazing person.” (Dark-chan)
“Well, I’m not amazing at all. Honestly.” (Saburo)
“Even though you passed the [Hero’s Trial]?” (Dark-chan)
“Even though I passed the [Hero’s Trial].” (Saburo)
“I heard the rumors. You cleared the [Neltan Cave] in three days, right? And I heard it was a record time…? If becoming a hero at eighteen is the youngest record, and passing the [Hero’s Trial] in three days is also a world-record speed, then your modesty, it’s almost sarcastic, isn’t it?” (Dark-chan)
Hmm. Looking at it from a third-person perspective, it might come off as sarcastic indeed.
I glance around the tavern for a moment. Due to being summer’s peak time, the tavern is bustling with noise. There are groups of people laughing loudly, as well as orc mercenaries tossing a big man against the wall in a scuffle. There are also Succubi2 flaunting their cleavage, seducing men, while there are also adventurer parties causing trouble, seemingly on the verge of disbanding.
Normally, due to my somewhat famous position, I wouldn’t be able to come to such a public tavern. It’s obvious that I would attract attention.
That’s why I had my party’s mage cast a spell to conceal my presence. Thanks to that, Dark-chan and I can enjoy each other’s company without any issues, even in a place like this.
“Well, your companions must be quite amazing too, Senpai. I’ve never met them, so I wouldn’t know. But there are prerequisites for becoming a hero, right?” (Dark-chan)
“Yeah, there are. Firstly, you need to be the leader of an adventurer party with at least four members.” (Saburo)
“Oh, right, I remember now. And then, all the adventurers in the party need to be at least Rank B, right?” (Dark-chan)
“That’s correct.” (Saburo)
“Wow. But yeah, when you think about it, Senpai’s party is seriously stacked. Well, that’s to be expected from a hero party, though.” (Dark-chan)
The three conditions necessary to become a hero were:
1. Being part of an adventurer party with at least four members.
2. All non-leader adventurers must be ranked B or higher.
3. Successfully overcome and survived the [Hero’s Trial].
I fulfilled all of these requirements at the age of eighteen and became a hero.
Heroes are different from regular adventurers. Adventurers are essentially freelancers with no obligations. However, heroes have obligations. They are required to join the Adventurer’s Guild of their home country.
In other words, I hold the position of a hero as my profession.
…I lift the tankard of ale to my lips. Tilting it back, I gulp it down in one go. There’s a burning sensation in my stomach, but I pay it no mind.
After emptying the tankard, I turned to Dark-chan.
“It wasn’t all just luck. Everything started from a terrible misunderstanding on my part.” (Saburo)
TL Notes:
Thanks for reading!
New series. I decided to just go back to translating WN. Translating two LN at once was just too much. This series is kinda interesting cause it reminds me of Strange Grief and I like that story.
The author put this as a harem, but I scram through like 18 chapters but nah the harem ain’t there. There are like 2 side characters who might as well be main characters with how much focus they are getting. You’ll see them later.