My name was Raigiel.
I was a cat.
Yes, a cat.
I was thoroughly enjoying my life as a cat.
In the winter, nothing beat being curled up inside the kotatsu. In the summer, the prime spot was on the cellar stairs. My daughters occasionally chased me out of my favorite places, but I lived every day with joy. I had no complaints and no anxieties. The food was delicious, too.
Perhaps that was why I occasionally found myself reflecting on the past. On my own misdeeds.
The Hero System.
I had utilized it alongside the Demon King System because I hadn't been able to destroy them, but I truly had done a terrible thing.
As a sign of my remorse, I decided to refrain from flirting with my wife that day.
Hm? What is it, my dear? No, it isn’t that I’ve come to dislike you... I’m sorry. I love you. Truly, I’m not lying. Oh, very well, I suppose it can't be helped. Shall we flirt, then?
My name was Kotoki.
I was once a man called a Hero. Now, things were different. I was just an ordinary man.
But what was that just now? That dream? Why in the world had I dreamed about being a cat? Was I sexually frustrated? Even if I were, why a cat? I didn't have that kind of fetish. I didn't... at least, I shouldn’t. No, I definitely preferred women. Gentle ones... with a generous bust.
I let out a soft sigh and looked at the back of my hand. The Hero's Crest used to be there.
It was a mark granted through a contract with the Church, the ultimate proof of being a Hero. As long as I bore that crest, I would be resurrected even if I died. There was no risk. I had only a single duty: "Defeat the Demon King." Aside from that, I was free. That was what it meant to be a Hero.
Then, without warning, my crest vanished.
I had no idea what had happened. I considered returning to the Church to consult with the officials, but without the mark, I couldn't even prove my identity. It took over ten days of searching before I finally ran into someone who recognized me. It was almost comical.
I spent about a year holed up in the Church trying to investigate the cause, but I made no progress. The only thing I learned was that I wasn't an isolated case; the crests had vanished from every Hero in existence. That was why I now lived my life while keeping my past a secret.
Heroes were supposed to be immortal. No matter how many times you killed them, they just kept coming back. In that sense, they were more persistent and troublesome than the local monsters. Because of that, ordinary people never dared to oppose them. But just because they didn't fight back didn't mean they didn't harbor hostility.
Being a Hero didn't mean your heart was pure or your actions were always just. Some were decent men, of course, but the majority turned rotten. They felt that since they were risking their lives to fulfill the mission of defeating the Demon King, they were entitled to special treatment. Their discipline slipped, their hearts grew lax, and they became pariahs.
No one ever stopped them. No one wanted to be the target of a Hero’s immortal grudge. Even kings wouldn't punish a Hero; at most, they would lodge a formal complaint with the Church. Since most Heroes were smart enough not to cause trouble for royalty or high-ranking clergy, it was the commoners—those who couldn't fight back—who suffered the brunt of their behavior.
I had always been careful not to cause such harm. I watched my language, maintained my manners, and never fought recklessly. In the two years between becoming a Hero and the day my mark vanished, I didn't think I’d done anything to earn the hatred of anyone but villains. Whether anyone would actually believe that, however, was another matter entirely.
There were far too many "bad" Heroes in the world. Being a former Hero was enough to get stones thrown at you. And since I hadn't done anything to stop the others, I suppose I deserved the stigma. It was my own cross to bear.
The Heroes who lost their immortality generally took one of two paths. Some, like me, abandoned the life and tried to find a new path as ordinary citizens. Others tried to keep living exactly as they had before.
I understood the first group. The merit of resurrection was gone. There was no point in bearing the burden of fighting the Demon King if you could actually die. In reality, without immortality, you probably couldn't even get close to the Demon King. So, you lived as a normal person. That made sense.
What I didn't understand were the ones who refused to change. I suspected they were just fools, but I understood better after meeting one. They had spent so long doing whatever they wanted with total impunity that they simply didn't know how to function as normal members of society. But without the crest, they weren't recognized as Heroes. Several had already been caught or killed as mere bandits. It made my skin crawl to think I could have shared their fate if I’d taken a wrong turn.
I was lucky. During my time as a Hero, I had always worn a full-face mask, so my face was virtually unknown. Taking every precaution, I moved to a region where I had never operated before. There, I began my second life. I took it seriously. I’d originally become a Hero to escape a life of poverty, not because I had some burning desire for the title.
I didn't have the business sense to start my own shop with the money I’d saved, so I looked for employment. Since I had confidence in my strength and combat skills, finding a job wasn't difficult.
I even got married. My wife was someone who had traveled with me during my Hero days. I’d assumed she would leave once I lost my status, but for one reason or another, she stayed by my side. I was incredibly grateful. Her personality was a bit sharp, but her bust was large. Our son was two years old now, and there was another one in her belly.
My name was Kotoki. I had long since forgotten about being a Hero.
When I first arrived in Shashato City four years ago, I worked as a carpenter. I took great pride in the fact that I helped build Big Roof Shashato, which had become the city's landmark. Now, I worked as a Security Guard for that very same building.
My current hobby was watching baseball. I’d even joined the local baseball team's Cheering Squad. I sometimes wished my job gave me a bit more free time, but I had a wife and child to support. Doing my work properly and then carving out time to cheer was a good lifestyle.
Heh heh. My team, the Tiger Demon King's Army, was quite strong. I wondered when the next match would be.
The History of Kotoki:
Seven years ago: Became a Hero. ↓ Five years ago: The crest vanished. ↓ Four to five years ago: Stayed holed up in the Church for one year. ↓ Four years ago: Retired as a Hero and moved to Shashato City. Worked as a carpenter. Got married. ↓ A little over two years ago: A son was born. Changed jobs to a Security Guard. ↓ Present: Wife is pregnant with their second child. Obsessed with cheering for baseball.