My name is re.
I have brown messy hair, beautiful green eyes, and a small figure like a child.
My parents, whose faces I couldn’t even remember, gave me a grand name with the meaning of dazzling light, with the hope for me to brighten this dark and bleak world.
But I couldn’t understand the meaning of my name.
Even though I was young, I could tell the world was too dark for me to illuminate.
“I’m
“Ug
Since my younger sibling and I ended up on the streets, I have witnessed countless hardships.
Children crying beside their emaciated parents or wandering around abandoning their sick parents, risking their lives for a piece of bread. Shady organizations or illegal guilds often took advantage of and recruited these orphans.Not to mention the bodies lying on the streets, which seemed to increase at least one or two every day.
One day, the adult who had given snacks to my sibling and me was found dead the following day, and I realized.
There was no light in this world.
If I hadn’t met ‘him’.
If I hadn’t gone to beg from him to get even a piece of bread for my sick sibling that day, I would have lived my whole life thinking that way and eventually be a victim of the streets.
But one day, ‘he’ appeared in the back alley.
The Hero that changed everything.
The gold coin he gave that day, and the talent I awakened through the ring he gifted helped my condition tremendously.
Thanks to those, my sibling and I no longer had to live precariously in the back alley and could move to a safer ce.
Of course, it wasn’t just us who changed.
The back alley, once filled with the empire’s corruption, was now bing a ce where people could live.
Orphans who once roamed the streets begging daily now received free lodging and education at the orphanage established by the Hero.
The terrifying organizations of the back alley were losing power and disappearing.
Dead bodies, once amon sight, were no longer seen throughout the entire area, and now the Hero’s charity food stations were as numerous as pebbles on the street.
These changes were unimaginable a few years ago when we survived by rummaging through trash cans.
All this happened because the Hero purchased the entire control of the ‘Alley Market’ and implemented reforms to the ce.
And that was not all.
The Hero’s good deeds didn’t stop there.
Recently, I learned that he fought directly against the corrupt Imperial Family and the Church, secretly did volunteer work, and even sent support funds to the academy. ??
He even fought against the evil forces threatening the world.
It seemed more and more that the person destined to illuminate the world was not me, but the Hero.
Wouldn’t it be more appropriate for such a messiah to save the world rather than a little kid like me?
As I thought, even though I didn’t fully know him, the Hero continued to move forward, and the moment when the entire Empire would sing praise of his name didn’t seem too far off.
<em>- Thud…!</em>
“Hero!!!”
One day, in a dark ce where I was banished with some prettydies, I realized his true identity and fate.
A man who had to perform a pun-like act called ‘False Evil’ to save the world.
A man who had to hide his true self and do good deeds.
Despite carrying everything on his shoulders, in the end, he was a boy only four years older than me who intended to sacrifice himself in the end.
That was the true identity of the Hero, whom I thought was a transcendent and invincible being.
He, who was losing his light with a sword pierced through his heart, was the one who needed help from others the most.
And only then did I understand the reason for my name, ‘re.’
To illuminate the world, I didn’t need to shine as brightly as the sun in the sky.
I only needed to shine brightly for one person.
Since realizing that, I’ve had only one thought. And to achieve that thought, I ran and ran toward the Empire as soon as I escaped the dark space.
In fact, it was a reckless act. I was exhausted, and the sea I had to cross to reach the Empire from the Eastern Continent was perilous.
Sure enough, before I could even cross half the sea, I was attacked by a horde of monsters.
But even so, I couldn’t give up.
Even when I fought against the monsters for days, I kept going, my desire to save my Hero was stronger than my desire to give up.
And when I was suddenly teleported to a ruined guild in the back alley, my mind was filled with only one thought.
<em>I have to reach him.</em>
I ran and ran, with that thought as a guiding light.
“Hero…!”
“H-Huh…?”
Finally, I reached you. You had been through so much.
I’m still in your debt, so I will be your light.
“What… what is this…?”
“Hehe.”
Now it’s my turn to illuminate you, Hero.
***<em>- Rub rub rub…</em>
A girl with brown messy hair was standing on tiptoe, rubbing her chubby cheek against my chest.
<em>- Stretch…!</em>
“Eek.”
As I absentmindedly stared at her cheek, I instinctively stretched it, and she looked up at me with a puzzled expression, her cheek still pinched.
“Why are you doing this?”
“…”
I should answer when asked a question, but my mind wasn’t working.
My head felt like it had been hit by a sledgehammer.
Err#@ M#☆
Err@% S%r#@%…
Still staring nkly and stretching re’s cheek, I reached out to the shattered system window spreading all around.
<em>- Shatter…</em>
As soon as my hand touched it, the system, which was somewhat maintaining its shape, began to disintegrate into dust, and within a few seconds, the ‘Path of the False Evil’ systempletely disappeared before my eyes.
“…”
Staring at it nkly, I tried calling the system internally, but the window that used to annoyingly pop up in front of my eyes remained unresponsive.
“System.”
Even when I called out loud, it was the same.
The system has been deleted.
Only that message floated around.
“Hero! You can rx now!”
As I stared at the unbelievable situation with a nk expression, re, who had been rubbing her cheek against me, smiled and reached out her hand.
“I will protect you!”
The ring on her left ring finger sparkled, reflecting the light from the starry curtain behind her.
“…Kid.”
“Yes, Hero!”
“Did you… break my system?”
As I took my hand off her reddened cheek and patted her head, I asked in a low voice.
<em>- Thump, thump…</em>
At the same time, my eyes began to tremble, and my heart pounded rapidly.
Could this little kid in front of me really destroy the system? The wretched system that had been tormenting and binding me all this time?
“I don’t know what it was, but it was trying to give you a penalty!”
As I was lost in thought, re put her hands on her hips and started fuming.
“I got so annoyed that I snapped my fingers, and it shattered!”
“Oh…”
“But, did I do well? Or did I do something wrong…”
Hearing her words, something began to surge inside me.
<em>- Step, step…</em>
“Hero?”
Suppressing the bubbling emotions, I gently held re’s hand and walked outside the curtain of light with a trembling heart.
<em>Really? Is it really…?</em>
The ‘penalty window’ that should have appeared dozens of times by now waspletely gone. Though this alone suggested enough about the current situation, I needed to be sure before taking any action.
<em>Is the system really gone?</em>
At the very least, I needed to verify it.
***“Academy disciplinarymittee members, have you made any progress?”
“Oh, Lady Limia.”
In the academy’s hallway upied by the curtain of light created by Frey, the disciplinarymittee members gathered around it, and bowed their heads in respect to the student council president, Limia.
“I’m sorry, but it seems difficult at the moment.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“The barrier is too strong. Even though severalmittee members have tried, we couldn’t even scratch it, let alone dismantle it…”
Sweating profusely, the head of the disciplinarymittee replied, and behind her, the light barrier, which had been obstructing student passage for hours, shone mercilessly.
“Hmph, step aside.”
Limia, who had been ring at the barrier with a displeased expression, began to rotate her wrist and stepped forward.
“I’ll give it a try myself.”
“Are you sure, Lady Limia? But none of themittee members–”
“Move.”
“…Yes.”
She pped away the maid who was blocking her and began to gather golden mana in her hand.
“No mere star can outshine the brilliant sun.”
<em>- Crackle, crackle…!!!</em>
“Begone.”
With a sneer, she unleashed her mana at the barrier.
<em>- Crackle, crackle!!!</em>
“Kyah!?”
But contrary to her confident expression, the barrier easily deflected her attack, scattering it in all directions.
<em>- Sizzle…</em>
“Hot, hot!”
“Lady Limia, are you alright…”
“Ugh!!”
Startled, Limia quickly patted out the fire in her long hair, then angrily approached the barrier.
“Damn it…!”
<em>- Swoosh…</em>
“Eek?”
With a twisted expression, she was about to kick the barrier when Frey suddenly appeared from behind it, causing her to lose her bnce and fall to the ground in surprise.
“…?”
Holding re’s small, delicate hand, Frey looked around with a puzzled expression before fixing his gaze on Limia.
“Excuse me…”
“Frey, you…”
<em>- Shhhh…</em>
“What… what is this?”
Then, he suddenly covered the left eye of the disciplinarymittee head with his hand and began to wrap it in ster mana.
“What… what are you doing…”
“One of the ster’s magic abilities includes healing, and it’s particrly effective at mitigating long-standing curses.”
“What?”
“I haven’t been able to use it until now…”
Ignoring themittee head’s contorted expression, Frey gently touched her eye area and then smiled purely as he withdrew his hand.
“Now, how is it? Did I… gah!”
“What are you scheming?”
But instead of a response, themittee head grabbed Frey’s throat and mmed him against the wall.
“Argh…”
“You bastard. How dare you…”
“Committee head!”
“…What?”
Choking Frey mercilessly, she turned her head at the urgent voice of an academy maid.
“Y-your scar…”
“What?”
“Your scar is… gone.”
“…!?”
The scar that covered the left side of her face was herplex.
Hearing that it was gone, she turned to look at the window.
“Huh…?”
Indeed, the area where the hideous scar used to be now had smooth, unblemished skin.
“Argh…”
“W-what is this…”
“Let go of him!”
“Ouch!”
Staring nkly at the reflection and muttering in a trembling voice, she hastily let go of Frey’s neck at the pain in her arm.
“Hero…!”
“Cough, cough!”
“How could you just let them do that to you? You should fight back!”
As re patted Frey’s back while he clutched his throat and shed tears, she turned her head and red fiercely at themittee head.
“Hey!”
“Huh?”
“The Hero healed your scar! You should thank him!”
re ran over, wildly swinging her arms and shouting.
“Really? He healed my scar? But even the Magic Tower couldn’t–”
The woman, who had been struck dumb by re’s flurry of punches, stared at Frey with a bewildered expression.
“…”
“Th-thank–”
Frey looked at her with slightly darkened eyes before turning away and starting to walk forward.
“Hey…”
“Y-yes?”
<em>- Shimmer…</em>
“…!?”
Then, Frey began to gently touch the cheek of the maid who had been pped by Limia.
“How is it?”
“…Ah.”
Seeing the maid’s cheek return to its original state after being red and swollen, Frey smiled and asked.
The maid lowered her eyes and blushed, responding in a quiet voice.
“Th-thank you…”
“…!”
Frey flinched at her words and broke out in a cold sweat as he looked around.
“…”
A long silence followed.
“Uh, uh…”
The strange groan that broke the silence came from Frey.
“Uh… haha…hahahaha…”
“Disciplinarymittee, quickly subdue…”
“haha!! Uh-haha-haha!!!”
“…”
Limia, who was about to give an order, fell silent along with themittee members as they watched Frey burst into hystericalughter.
“Haha-haha-haha!!!”
“He’s gone mad.”
“Haha, ha… haha…”
Ignoring the stares directed at him, Frey sat down in the hallway,ughing and crying like a madman.
“Th-thank you…”
“Ugh.”
“Kid… really, really… really thank you…”
Then, as re patted his shoulder, he hugged her tightly, rubbing his cheek against hers.
“You’re free now, Hero.”
“Uh, uh…”
“So don’t worry about anything and live as you wish!”
re gently patted his back and whispered cheerfully.
<em>- Shimmer…</em>
The starlight from the copsing barrier illuminated them.
***“Kid, thank you. Truly.”
“Hehe.”
“I owe you a debt I’ll never be able to repay.”
Having sessfully evaded the pursuing disciplinarymittee thanks to the light curtainmotion, Frey patted re’s head as she clung to him, speaking with a helpless expression.
“How can I repay this kindness?”
“It’s okay. I just…”
re, who had been smiling at Frey, suddenly trailed off.
“Debt…? Kindness…?”
She then began to ponder, touching her cheek with her finger.
“Um… well, then… then…”
As she started fiddling with her ring with a mischievous smile,
“Oh! Right!”
Frey suddenly widened his eyes and pulled out a crystal ball from his pocket.
“I need to send a message…”
“…”
“…Huh?”
But as he tried to initiate a signal, he froze, his expression bing one of confusion.
<strong>[1657 missed messages]</strong>
<strong>[526 missed calls]</strong>
“Oh…”
<strong>- YoungMasterYoungMasterYoungMasterYoungMasterYoungMasterYoungMaster</strong>
<strong>- Freywhereareyounow?</strong>
<strong>- Yousaidtomeetattheportwhereareyou?</strong>
<strong>- Did you deliberately give the wrong time?</strong>
<strong>- AnswerbeforeIrapeyou</strong>
<strong>- Master? Master? Master?</strong>
<strong>- Frey. I need to turn you into an ego sword. Please, contact me…</strong>
The crystal ball glowed red hot as it continuously vomited out a slew of messages.
“…”
Feeling a chill down his spine, Frey looked at the top of the crystal ball and gaped.
<strong>[Call in progress……….]</strong>
<strong>[Caller: My Precious Gem]</strong>
“How do I handle this?”
“Huh…?”
Sweating profusely, Frey instinctively pulled re closer.