By Zephyria After those words, Tarajiel was silent for a while.
Eddie had to chew over his every word, as the things he had heard didn’t quite make sense.
The Demon King, who had been removed from the story, and Eddie’s soul, which was being dragged into this world. The Demon King’s benefactor, who had returned to this world without missing that fleeting moment…
That was why Eddie was the Demon King’s benefactor.
“Of course, the primary objective was this damned thing trying to leave this world as just a story… I had no choice but to use you. I know it hurt you a bit.”
As he said that, he tapped Eddie’s abdomen. Eddie, who was staring blankly, not understanding what that action meant, realized it was the spot pierced by the fake Holy Sword and his expression hardened.
‘Used’ him? Then Arthur’s appearance wasn’t a coincidence.
He wondered how Arthur could have suddenly appeared there, but it seemed the Demon King’s hand had been involved.
Tarajiel looked troubled seeing Eddie’s stiff expression.
“Don’t make that angry face. I admit that at that moment, it unintentionally became a collaboration with this ‘story.’ I apologize for that. But my reason is different from the ‘story’ that lured you out to kill you. I only used you as bait; I didn’t intend to erase you from this world like it did.”
See, who came to save you as a bonus.
He acted shamelessly. But Eddie paid more attention to what Tarajiel had said earlier.
Lured out?
“What.”
“Don’t you find it strange? Why you suddenly went outside the mansion at that moment.”
“……?”
That itself was wrong?
Eddie recalled that moment. Despite the Holy Sword warning him it was dangerous and he shouldn’t, when normally he would have agreed and stayed put, or gone with Gerold or Ebon, Eddie had uncharacteristically insisted.
He insisted he had to go out to buy vegetables. It wasn’t even that important, and the Holy Sword’s warning wasn’t wrong, yet he stubbornly insisted and walked out of the safe mansion alone.
Arthur, who appeared as if perfectly timed, and the moment he was stabbed, his body froze as if he couldn’t move, and he remembered hearing the grinding sound of gears.
It was the Demon King who tempted Arthur to kill Eddie…
…and it was this ‘story’ that lured Eddie to his death.
This ‘story’ wanted Eddie to die and disappear from this world, and the Demon King, expecting Eddie to be summoned by the story upon his death, used Eddie as bait.
To find the location of the story’s true form.
And seeing Eddie’s soul being sucked into this place, he had torn through space to come find him directly.
Either way, they had both used him. Eddie unconsciously clenched his fists.
As if the chilling sensation from that time was returning, Eddie unconsciously fumbled at his chest.
Of course, there was no wound, and no more blood was flowing.
Perhaps it was because he hadn’t come here with his physical body, but in a state as if his soul had been extracted.
It was the lesser of two evils; yes, Tarajiel, who had eventually saved him even though he had led him to death, was better than the damned Part 2 that had tried to erase Eddie’s soul entirely from this world, but both of them were equally terrible.
Eddie let out a sigh of emptiness, “Ha,” at the harsh treatment he hadn’t known about, having been treated so preciously by Ketron, Gerold, and Ebon.
“…Why me?”
After hesitating for a moment, Eddie asked after a long while. Tarajiel tilted his head.
“Hm?”
“Why me?”
Realizing it wasn’t a question directed at himself, but a question about why the story had chosen him, the Demon King exclaimed, “Ah,” and scratched his cheek.
“Well. I don’t know that much.”
He chuckled, his eyes twinkling as if he were making an interesting deduction.
“Try to flip it around.”
“Flip it around how?”
“Instead of ‘Why me?’, the reason why it had to be you.”
At those words, Eddie’s eyes widened.
Not just bringing Eddie along, but thinking about the reason why it had to be Eddie?
While a change in perspective was good, nothing immediately came to mind. To Eddie, Tarajiel asked various things as if to give him a hint.
“Did you perhaps like this story?”
Eddie nodded. Although he hadn’t read it from the start, he was a reader who had joined near the ending, and Eddie had loved this novel very much. Especially Ketron, the protagonist.
“What happened to the original you who was reading that story? When did you die?”
“…I died. Around the time I finished reading the story.”
“Aha.”
Hearing that much, Tarajiel clapped his hands, as if he knew the answer.
“Then it might be for that reason.”
“What?”
“You liked this story, and you happened to die when you finished reading the end of the story. If you liked this story, you would have liked the protagonist Hero too, you confirmed the end of the story, and you even died at that moment, in a soul state?”
“…….”
“Anyone would see that you’re the perfect condition to bring over, right?”
Eddie’s expression turned blank.
Hearing that, it seemed like a perfect condition.
Lee Jeong-hoon, who was full of the desire to help Ketron, had just finished reading, knew the situation well, and was coincidentally in a soul state after death.
In a world where most people had forgotten the Hero, someone who knew the Hero, sympathized with him, and cherished him at the same time.
From the story’s perspective, Jeong-hoon—Eddie—would have been the most suitable being as an assistant to the story, someone who could wholeheartedly help the protagonist.
“The story stole your soul, then. To this world.”
Tarajiel drove the point home.
Ketron’s assistant, Eddie.
One of the main characters in the early part of 〈The Hero Doesn’t Hide His Power Part 2〉 and the protagonist’s savior. A being who helps the protagonist achieve a true ending, not the messy ending of Part 1.
However, due to the ‘characters’ from another world his soul dragged in and the changed relationship with Ketron, he became a main character who ruined the story in the latter half.
A wicked being who would ruin the story.
Yes, when you think about it, the fact that Eddie and Ketron became that kind of pair must have brought a shock of a genre change to this world. The ‘story’ must have been displeased that a character it never intended to include in the desired ending had become so prominent.
That’s why the story tried to eliminate Eddie.
So that he could no longer ruin the story.
But that ‘story’ just disappeared.
Its coercive power was destroyed and vanished by Tarajiel’s hand.
Then—
“So now, has the story’s coercive power disappeared?”
“Probably? Well, it seems fine.”
Tarajiel spun around. With a “Ta-da!” smile, he spread his arms wide, looking like a mischievous imp. The fact that he, a character within the story, was fine even after the story disappeared implied that only the story’s influence had vanished, and there were no other problems.
At his words, Eddie felt his slowly beating heart begin to race.
“Can I go back? To that world?”
Those who find hope tend to brighten up. Eddie’s face lit up as if a lightbulb had been switched on.
“You can go.”
Tarajiel gave an affirmative answer. Upon hearing that, Eddie quickly added,
“Then take me with you.”
Hope had emerged.
Hope to return to Ketron’s side.
The Demon King, who called him a benefactor, might help Eddie. No, who was it that had used Arthur to lure Eddie to his death to destroy this story in the first place? Of course, he should take him, shouldn’t he? If he had any conscience. Though he didn’t know if demons had such a thing.
However, Tarajiel, knowing perfectly well what Eddie wanted, didn’t look particularly pleased. Instead, with a troubled expression, he stroked his chin and uttered a thunderous statement.
“But there’s nothing good for you going there.”
What was this supposed to mean? Eddie’s mouth fell open in disbelief.
“Because I’m going to rule this world. Now, if I just do well, this world will be mine.”
He smiled apologetically for not being able to give the affirmative answer Eddie wanted.
“It’s not beneficial for me to send you, who will be the Hero’s support, over there.”
At those words, Eddie’s heart sank again.
Eddie, an ordinary person with no abilities, and naturally, his soul was utterly ordinary. If the Demon King hadn’t helped him, he would have just had his soul annihilated without a second thought.
On that basis alone, Tarajiel might say he had repaid his debt. But in the end, wasn’t it Tarajiel who had sent Eddie here in the first place?
And for his own benefit, to find a space for this story to take Eddie, he had manipulated Eddie’s soul to be sent here.
The reason he had eliminated this ‘story’ was likely not just because he was displeased by being controlled by an unknown force, but because he knew the ideal ending the story depicted was the Hero’s victory. It was unlikely that he would readily let Eddie, who intended to return and help Ketron, go.
But Eddie had something to say too.
“…You called me a benefactor.”
“Hm?”
“If I’m your benefactor, shouldn’t you repay my kindness?”