"He killed it..."
I muttered those words as I watched Demon King Zoga collapse, blood spraying into the air.
"It appears we’ve successfully saved the world," the Hero remarked, his expression radiating a deep sense of accomplishment.
"Congratulations," I said.
"There's no need to be so formal. Actually, Kiska-kun, I owe you a debt of gratitude. It was only because you guided us this far that we were able to bring down the Demon King."
"No, the credit belongs entirely to you, Hero. I did nothing."
My response felt mechanical, detached.
The Hero had defeated the Demon King. That was a good thing—something worth celebrating. And yet, I couldn't shake the persistent sense of unease sticking to the back of my throat.
In the end, I never found Ageha.
But it was an undeniable fact that the Demon King, the supposed catalyst for the world's end, was dead. This truth remained: the world had been saved.
◆
As we waited in the aftermath of the battle, the rest of the Hero’s party began to arrive one by one.
"Highness! Please, forgive me! I failed to be at your side during your hour of need!"
Holy Knight Kariana was the first to reach us. A few hours later, the others appeared.
"Ho! So this is where you were! We finally found you!"
"Phew... finally! I thought I was going to die!"
"............"
Golgano the Dwarf, Nyau the Elf, and the hooded man, Noc, had found their way back together. Nyau looked utterly spent, her footsteps heavy and unsteady.
From what they told us, the teleportation magic had initially scattered them to different corners of the floor, but they had managed to regroup while exploring the dungeon. When they learned the Demon King was already dead, they stood in stunned silence before erupting into praise for Hero Eligion.
"Well, that makes everyone," Eligion said.
Given the staggering complexity of the Kataroff Dungeon, the fact that we had all reunited was nothing short of a miracle.
"Are we going to clear the rest of the dungeon to find an exit?" I asked.
Deep in the heart of the dungeon, there was usually no way out except to push forward and complete the clear conditions.
"Actually, there's a better way," Eligion said, flashing a confident thumb-up.
"Hmph! You’d better be ready to thank the genius mage Nyau!" Nyau declared, puffing out her chest with pride.
"You're a pain," I muttered.
"Waaah! Did you hear that?! This person just looked at Nyau and said something mean!"
Ah. It seemed I had let my inner thoughts slip out.
"Stop crying over every little thing!" Kariana barked.
"Gahaha! Some 'genius' you are, crying like a babe!" Golgano added with a boisterous laugh.
Nyau whimpered, tears pricking the corners of her eyes.
"My apologies, Kiska-kun," Eligion whispered to me. "She’s a handful when she’s in a bad mood. It would really help me out if you could apologize."
"If it'll make things easier..."
I turned to Nyau and gave a slight nod. "Sorry. My mistake."
"If... if you ever make fun of Nyau again, I won't forgive you!"
"Right. I’ll keep that in mind."
"Well, I suppose I'll forgive you this time. Nyau is very kind, after all!"
Her condescending tone was grating, especially given her childish appearance, but I bit my tongue. Dealing with her temper again would be far too much trouble.
"So, Nyau-san, what exactly can you do?"
"Hmph! Prepare to be amazed!"
She thrust her staff—which was as tall as she was—into the air.
"I command in the name of Nyau. Order born of chaos. Absence of good and evil. Brilliance beyond the earth. The world is not yet satisfied. That which is desired lies within the quickening. All things shall eventually turn to dust. I command thee. Teleportation Magic, First Tier: Regreso!"
A massive magic circle erupted around Nyau. By the time I realized it was a teleportation circle, our entire group was standing outside the dungeon.
"Teleportation magic..."
I’d heard stories of it—magic that could bridge vast distances in the blink of an eye. But I’d also heard that only a literal handful of mages in the world could actually cast it. This bratty little elf might be a much more capable mage than I’d given her credit for.
"Heh-heh! How about that?! Now you see just how incredible Nyau is!"
Beside me, Nyau wore a triumphant, smug grin. Honestly, my annoyance still outweighed any admiration. On a whim, I reached out and pinched her cheek.
"Fugyaaa! Why did you pinch Nyau’s cheek?!"
She looked around for someone to come to her defense, but everyone pointedly ignored her. They probably thought she was a pain, too.
"Look! The Hero! He’s slain the Demon King!"
"Is that... is that the Demon King’s body?"
"Woooooah! All hail the Hero!"
As soon as we emerged, the villagers of Kataroff Village swarmed us in a massive crowd. I realized then that Nyau had teleported the Demon King's massive corpse out with us. Seeing the monster’s remains, there was no longer any doubt—we were the Hero’s party that had ended the war. The excited villagers surged forward to welcome us.
◆
"Are you really leaving already?"
A grand banquet had broken out in the village to celebrate the victory. While the air was filled with the sound of drinking and laughter, I was alone, making my final preparations to depart.
It was Hero Eligion who approached me.
"Yes. I have something I need to take care of."
"I see. I’m truly grateful for everything. If you ever find yourself in trouble, please, come to me."
"I appreciate it, but I shouldn't bother the Hero with my problems."
I was a mere Farmer by birth; I had no business relying on a Hero, let alone a prince. I turned him down as gently as I could.
"I understand. I hope you find what you're looking for."
I might have been imagining it, but Eligion looked slightly saddened by my refusal. Regardless, those were our final words before I walked away from Kataroff Village.
I had only one objective left.
I had to find Ageha.