The World After Leaving the Hero’s Party

Chapter 2: Defeated the Demon King

They say good news and bad news often come together.

Happy with the good news I received early in the morning, I opened my laptop.

Just as I was about to start Seeker of the Eight Stars, a game I’d been told to let go of many times, a sudden Steam chat notification popped up on my monitor.

It was from the developers of Seeker of the Eight Stars.

[Hey…]

Why would the developers suddenly chat with a mere player?

Confusion turned into suspicion, then quickly twisted into a cold, creeping terror.

With just those few words on the chat screen, cold sweat ran down my spine, and my hands trembled.

[You know, right?]

“…Shit.”

And with that, I was drawn into the game.

[If you achieve all accomplishments, you can return to reality.]

When I came to my senses, I was in a city in the dead of night.

The sky was dark, but the city was brightly lit by a lone red moon, shining as though it were midday.

In the shady bars catering to men, red lanterns hung quietly, while in the gambling dens where gold was risked instead of lives, green lights glowed. Taverns selling food that might not even be available tomorrow hung yellow lights, while shops selling gear to adventurers and soldiers bore blue lights.

The multicolored lights decorated shops across the city, giving it a lively appearance—quite the contrast to my heavy mood.

Isn’t this the kind of situation where you’re supposed to be dragged into a game after screaming and cursing your grievances to the heavens?

Why, then, did this have to happen to a good person like me who didn’t even complain?

Of all games, it had to be this roguelike, infamous for its brutal difficulty.

“…Shit.”

As a stranger in this city—or rather, in this world—I bit my lip.

The sky was black, and the moon was red.

A red moon.

It also meant I was in Hardcore Mode, where the party was limited to three members, stress levels skyrocketed, and enemy attack and defense were boosted.

The only solace was that my class was Sage, a class exclusive to Hardcore Mode.

In Seeker of the Eight Stars, Players can choose among eight classes, including Hero, Knight, Archer, Warrior, Mage, Priest, Rogue, and Shaman, to form a party. But only in Hardcore Mode is there a ninth class: Sage.

As a “Jack of all trades and master of none,” Sages can use skills from all main and sub-classes, except for class-specific ultimates.

A small token of the developer’s conscience in a game of such difficulty.

Even though I couldn’t use ultimate skills or have as strong an effect as the actual classes, being able to use a variety of skills meant I could handle various situations.

Most Hardcore players included a Sage in their party, and I was no exception.

Of course, it would have been best to play as the Hero to control the situation myself, but there was one thing I absolutely refused to deal with: getting gender-swapped and corrupted.

“Ha…”

No point in cursing further.

If chanting profanities could bring me back to reality, I’d do it all day, but that wasn’t going to happen.

The game’s feature where excessive stress equals death only made things worse.

So, I’d better keep a positive mindset.

No matter how hellish things get.

Besides, there’s at least a way out.

[If you achieve all accomplishments, you can return to reality.]

My sole lead and hope were set.

So…

I had no choice but to go through with it.

It was late at night. The time when even the red moon couldn’t hide the faint light of the early morning star trying to peek through.

Passing through people heading home after a long day, those returning to old inns to rest before another battle, and others wandering around for one last drink, I arrived at the Tail Tavern.

This is where the hero meets their comrades in Chapter 1.

Players encounter their allies here, and the main story begins.

I prayed to the gods that they hadn’t finished recruiting party members.

Gathering my hands in a silent prayer, I opened the door.

“For the defeat of the Demon King!”

A beautiful blonde woman.

A stoic female knight with short silver hair tinted with blue, clad in worn armor.

And an elf archer with sleek black hair.

Three beauties clinked their glasses, dreaming of a bright future.

The Hero.

The Knight.

The Archer.

As I looked at the party lineup, my mind went blank.

Guys… did none of you think about stress management or healing and go without a healer?

“…Excuse me.”

“Yes?”

“Are you Hero Claire? I came because I heard you were recruiting party members…”

“Oh, uh, I’m sorry.”

Flustered, she hung her head and apologized.

“Our recruitment has already ended…”

I had hoped, but to no avail.

The plan I’d meticulously crafted for achieving all accomplishments was instantly rendered useless.

Sweat dripped down my back, and tension built up at the nape of my neck.

Hardcore mode, without a Sage or a healer?

This party wouldn’t last past Chapter 3, let alone defeat the Demon King.

Considering that only the Hero could slay the Demon King…

This wouldn’t work.

Barely managing to smile, I looked at Claire, who seemed to have no intention of including me.

As the others, Leventia and Evangeline, consoled me, I responded absentmindedly while recalculating a new plan in my mind—one that would lead to all accomplishments.

“Well, it can’t be helped, then.”

“Yes… I’m really sorry.”

I shook my head at her apologetic response.

For now, I withdrew.

Sitting alone, nursing a beer, I watched the three.

Each of them was dreaming of a hopeful tomorrow, but I could already see the stress building in their eyes, a testament to Hardcore Mode.

But they need not worry.

Whether they like it or not…

I will make sure they defeat the Demon King.

For that, I could give them all the agape love they needed.

—

A sudden flash of past memories brought me back to the present.

I looked at my new companions.

A smart-looking female Priest, with glasses perched on her nose, and a wolf-boy Shaman with a bright smile.

These two had somehow driven me to my limit within just hours of starting this quest.

“Wow! Sage! Are we going to hunt the wyvern now?! Wyvern! I’ve never seen one before! Can we really catch it? Right? Right?”

The overly cheerful wolf-boy chattered, grinning ear to ear.

“Yes, a wyvern! Just so you know, a wyvern has a pair of wings with a diamond-shaped tail and dozens of teeth, depending on the species. The one we’re hunting is venomous!”

The Priest pushed her glasses up, explaining in detail, more than necessary.

“But Sage can cast antidote spells!”

“Yes. There are two types of antidote magic, primarily linked to water healing. One is based on magic, the other on holy power. Sage’s antidote magic falls under the water category, making it very effective against venomous creatures.”

“Oh, got it! Still, wyverns are dangerous! I’m counting on your healing!”

“You shouldn’t rely too much on healing. Healing is mainly…”

It’s been half a year since I left the Hero’s party.

To achieve the accomplishment Now I’m an S-Rank Adventurer Too, I joined the adventurer’s guild and started taking quests with any party I could find.

As a result, I’d been stuck with odd companions, like these two.

But seriously, this is too much, isn’t it?

One’s an info-dump, and the other lives in a flower field.

Are all adventurers this abnormal?

“Anyway, Sage.”

“What?”

“There’s a quest at the adventurer’s guild looking for you! The Hero’s party is apparently desperately searching for you! Aren’t you going to check it out?!”

Ever since a month after leaving the Hero’s party, not only the guild but several villages had been searching for me. I heard that the Hero, the Knight, and the Elf had been looking everywhere for me.

In some villages, they even showed up in person, but we’d never crossed paths.

It’s not like I was avoiding them. If anything, they’d be the ones avoiding me.

The reason we hadn’t met was simple.

Accomplishments were more important to me than listening to their long, drawn-out complaints.

“Just ignore it.”

“Wow! The Hero’s party…”

“Oh, please, Priest, shut it. It’s time to hunt the wyvern.”

“Wyvern!! Hello, Mr. Wyvern!”

“Quiet, will you…”

I might lose my mind at this rate.

At least the Hero’s party was more tolerable…

Was it, though?

Anyway, let’s finish this quest quickly. There’s still work to be done.

After the wyvern, my quests in this town are complete.

Hopefully, I can find a normal party in the next village…

With a loud screech, the sky darkened as a monstrous creature covered in black spots loomed over us.

The wyvern glared down, preparing to attack.

Seeing it, the wolf-boy Shaman raised his staff, and the Priest pulled out her prayer book.

And as for me, the Sage…

“Bind.”

I threw the chain I’d prepared, tying up its wings and bringing it down.

In the confusion, the Shaman grinned wildly, rushing forward with his dagger.

“Wow, it’s huge!”

“It’s huge because wyverns were altered during the chaos before the Demon King’s era…”

Please, could they just fight without talking?

…Honestly.

Neither the past nor the present had a single normal person in these parties.

Everyone carries a bit of madness in them, but this game doesn’t just stress out the main characters; it pushes everyone to their limits.

It’s not hard to understand why.

Whether they’re adventurers or members of the hero’s party, they sustain their lives by slaying other beings. Compared to ordinary life, the burden they bear is immense, impacting not only the body but the mind as well.

“Woohoo! We did it! We got the wyvern! Haha! Sage, thanks for the help! It really was easy, just like you said! Think we could take down some more? How about a Twin Ogre next? Or maybe a Mud Dragon!”

“Oh! You know Twin Ogres? They’re incredibly strong. A Twin Ogre has two heads and…”

They say God only gives people the trials they can endure.

But couldn’t He make them a little easier?

The last time, I had a pervert in the party; before that, a kleptomaniac. And now, a kid with what feels like manic energy, who never stops talking, paired with a compulsive explainer…

Why can’t I ever team up with normal people?

Anyway, the mission was over, and we returned to town with the wyvern’s head.

“All right. Let’s disband and not see each other again.”

“Awww~ But I want to keep adventuring with you, Sage! How about we form a permanent party? I’ll submit the request myself!”

“A permanent party is something you can apply for at the guild, usually formed by adventurers who have been working together for a long time. Due to this…”

“Enough. Don’t file it. Seriously, you’ll regret it.”

I ignored their suggestion without a second thought. With so many competent adventurers out there, I had no intention of continuing with this group.

Though, something about them probably explains their low ranking despite their good performance.

“Here you go.”

I handed over the wyvern’s head to the adventurer’s guild office on behalf of the two. The clerk accepted it with a bright smile.

“Good job. Wyvern hunting isn’t easy…”

“So, are we finished with all the outstanding quests in this town?”

“Well, yes… but, Sage, there’s a letter here for you from the royal family…”

“If it’s from the hero’s party looking for me, just toss it.”

“No, this one is directly from the royal family.”

Could it be? I’m not even an S-rank adventurer yet, and I’m already getting royal quests?

I took the letter from the clerk, unfolded it, and laughed as I read.

“What is it?”

“They’re recommending me as a teacher for the princess.”

“Wow! That’s incredible! Becoming a royal tutor!”

She was thrilled, but to me, it wasn’t such an honor.

This was simply a chance to complete the S-Rank Mentor achievement, which usually requires several stages to unlock.

So, there’s no reason to turn it down.

Even if it means I might run into the hero’s party.