I'm Not the Heroine-Chapter 77

It was so hot I couldn’t even touch my own skin.

‘Aswell is the hero of the heroines.’

What did I even say...!

"....."

I stopped mid-run and glanced back, but thankfully, Aswell hadn’t chased after me.

"Aswell... he must have hated it..."

I slowly brought my hand to my lips. I could feel the small, soft sensation.

Just moments ago, that had... touched Aswell’s cheek.

I slowly tightened my grip on the robe with both hands.

It was chaotic. The fact that I had done something like that without even realizing it.

But on the other hand, it didn’t feel... bad.

I didn’t feel disgust, hatred, or fear.

Instead, feelings of embarrassment, excitement, and a racing heart—things I thought were far from me—swirled around me.

‘What should I do next...?’

Unfortunately, I didn’t know any magic to turn back time.

Even if it existed, I wasn’t sure I would use it.

‘Well, I’ve gathered my courage now.’

Rather than waiting and doing things like bringing food slowly and hoping to recover, moving forward with things quickly seemed more efficient.

"Efficiency is important."

When the hero is down, the world is in danger.

So, I had done the right thing... I had given him a kiss.

"Yeah, of course. And you think he’s never done anything with any of the other heroines?"

I bet somewhere out of my sight, he was kissing and doing all sorts of things with other women.

Ouch!

".....He wouldn’t have kissed them, right?"

Anyway, it was just confusing emotions swirling around me.

But still, I had done something right, hadn’t I?

I looked at the room where Aswell had been, then hurried to my room.

".....Louis."

It was the first time.

Until now, the only things that had been close to his face were the fangs and claws of monsters, and the weapons of demons.

Maybe that’s why, Aswell’s 'gift' felt even more significant to him.

Thump. Thump.

".....Louis."

The countless worries and self-reproach that had been bothering him earlier slowly melted away.

Instead, another emotion started to torment Aswell.

It didn’t match the harsh path of the hero, and that troubled him.

[The Hero’s Party is weak.]

Tania Astraea’s words.

Until just now, he had heard them pessimistically, but now things felt different.

‘I am weak.’

It wasn’t just about being weak as a hero.

He was weak enough not to protect a single woman.

She even had more strength than he did.

How could he try to protect and care for someone when he couldn’t even surpass her?

If he couldn’t protect a single woman, how could he protect the world?

Shh...

Aswell didn’t notice.

For a moment, his black hair had turned completely white.

"To protect Louis, and to protect everyone."

Tania Astraea. According to her words, he had to grow stronger.

Click.

"You said everyone’s in their rooms, right?"

He had risen with the help of a woman, and now it was time to take action.

As the party leader, he had to get everyone back on their feet.

Aria, Serelin, Lafiré, and Niabella were all hiding in their rooms, each for different reasons.

But they shared one thing in common.

‘Am I... really useful?’

Doubt about themselves.

Were they really needed in this party?

To find an answer to that question, they stayed up all night, thinking it over.

But someone came to get them out of their rooms.

"Everyone, wake up!!"

Knock knock.

With a light knock, his voice reached them.

The man they had all secretly admired for a long time.

But none of them could bring themselves to get up.

They couldn’t face him.

So, they thought that if they didn’t respond, he would probably give up and try later.

The four of them were thinking that.

But Aswell was different.

Clunk.

Clunk.

Clunk.

Clunk.

"H-Hero?"

"Aswell...!"

"Hey, hey! Why are you coming in?!"

"Hero! I-I wasn’t trying to ignore you...!"

The sound of the door opening four times, followed by four different reactions.

Aswell met each of them individually and spoke to them.

"I don’t want you to blame yourselves too much. I think of this as a process of growth."

And so, Aswell began to speak honestly with the four of them.

As a result...

".....Louis."

"You all came out."

The four of them joined for dinner.

"Thank you for waiting."

"Sorry for answering so briefly earlier..."

"Uh... sorry."

"Sis..."

Aswell gently patted Niabella’s head and greeted the party members with a warm smile.

The four of them felt grateful to Aswell, who had comforted them, and at the same time, felt sorry and thankful to the one who had brought Aswell to them.

"I’m glad you’re all back. Aswell, well done..."

".....?"

"?"

"??"

".....??"

They were all surprised when they turned quickly and flushed red, glancing at Aswell. But it didn’t last long.

In the end, all the party members had gathered their hearts and were ready to accept whatever was coming next.

"Alright, let’s eat."

And so, the six members of the Hero’s Party were able to enjoy their last dinner in Wintergard together.

[Sent from the Headquarters Church.]

Saintess Aria is permitted to undergo further training. The Pope himself will take action in this regard...

"Hmm... this can wait."

Tania Astraea sat in mid-air, tossing or scattering piles of letters around her.

[Sent from Zertolt’s Sword Mountain.]

‘God’ has received the proposal. The Empire’s knight climb is approved.

"This is fine too."

[Sent from Yggdrasil.]

Acceptance of the Empire and Mage Tower’s proposals. However, please note that depending on Lafiré’s progress, permanent withdrawal from the Hero’s Party may occur.

"Lafiré... I think she was causing a fuss over succession to the throne. Well, I suppose she’ll figure it out herself."

Tania stretched and yawned as she muttered.

"I think I can handle that fiery little one... Ah, the Emperor is finally sending a reply. How quick."

Rumble...

Swoosh!!

The numerous letters swirling around Tania were torn apart or burned to ashes.

But Tania, unaffected, calmly looked at the golden-engraved letter that appeared before her.

[From the Emperor.]

The Hero Aswell and White Smith Louis will be guided to the Imperial Palace.

"Hmm..."

Tania furrowed her brow as she looked at the Emperor’s personal letter.

"Didn’t I specifically ask for the Hero’s relics? Why is he being so difficult?"

She wanted to vent her frustration on the letter, but it was impossible.

The golden-engraved letter was made with the Emperor’s ‘power.’

If she treated the Emperor’s belongings carelessly, the many weapons surrounding his throne would turn her into a pincushion.

In the end, she folded the letter politely and put it into the pocket dimension, then gazed off into the distance with a small smile.

"Well, they’re coming now."

Somewhere, out of her sight, the Hero’s Party was making its way to the East.

The Hero’s Party.

A concept, a presence, and a force that would continuously satisfy Tania’s insatiable thirst for knowledge.

It was for this reason that she had been interested in the prophecy etched on the Hero’s monument, and had started interacting with numerous powerful figures.

"What happened with the previous Hero’s Party? What secrets lie within the Hero’s relics?"

Tania’s body slowly began to rise, lifting into the air.

"What is a Hero, really?"

The sourc𝗲 of this content is freēwēbηovel.c૦m.

What could possibly make someone fight in a battle that stakes the fate of two worlds?

A law intertwined with the rise and fall of an ancient civilization, or perhaps many civilizations, connected to the origin of the world itself.

The Hero and the Demon Lord.

Tania was thrilled that she would be able to watch such a battle firsthand, so closely.

"...I didn’t expect Louis to participate."

Although she worried, at the same time, she felt a sense of support.

After all, Louis was her cherished younger sibling.

"....But can the Hero handle it later? There are five of them, after all."

Her heart might be with only one of them for now, but that could very well change with the passage of time.

"....It’s almost time to prepare for the guests."

Creak.

Clunk.

Tania, who had floated in the air for a while, grabbed the wooden door in front of her and entered.

The large mansion, decorated with a deep blue star pattern, was floating in the sky.

The aerial mansion Astraea.

It was a gift from the Emperor and Tania’s residence, and also her domain.

The mansion, supported by countless gears and magical circles, slowly descended to the ground, ready to receive its long-awaited guest.

And a week later, the Hero’s Party arrived in the East.