Araya v2c20

Volume 2 Chapter 20 Saint Ren’s Worries

Edited by: Kanaa-senpai

 I’m Ren. I’m the Saint¹ of the Hero Party, the group tasked with subjugating the Demon King. Honestly, I’m probably a background character everyone has already forgotten about. Back in my old world, I was just a normal second-year high school student whose only “heroic” trait was doing a bit of volunteer work. Even that only started because my parents dragged me along. It wasn’t like I had some burning desire to save the world; I just enjoyed the gratitude, and it was hard to say no once people started counting on me.

 That day was like any other. I’d finished some volunteer work around the school and was taking the train home. The heavy rains had added a lot to our workload, so I was on a later train than usual. I didn’t mind it at the time. Then came the explosion. The train screeched to a halt, and screams erupted from the cars ahead. I’d never dealt with real trouble before, so I just froze. Then came the thumping sounds-more explosions from outside. I finally realized I had to run, but it was too late. The tunnel collapsed, and just like that, my life was over.

 (Talk about a cliché reincarnation…)

 I died, only to be told to defeat a Demon King. I wasn’t alone; some of my schoolmates and a few older salarymen were with me. It didn’t feel like a rebirth so much as a mass teleportation, since our bodies didn’t change at all.

 When I used my Appraisal² skill, my Class showed up as “Saint.” Basically, I’m a healer and a buffer. I’ve dabbled in MMOs, so I know the drill: if your party is full of “muscle-brains,” the healer is the one who suffers. They charge in without a plan, then scream at you if a buff drops or a heal is a second late. Still, I always liked the challenge of a good party rotation. Given my personality, I’m much better suited for the backline than being a frontline tank or attacker.

 Shouta-kun was the one who scouted me. Since I was the only male healer available, I didn’t really have a choice but to join the Hero Party. Our lineup consists of Sword Saint Shouta-kun, Holy Knight Takumi-kun, Sage Osamu-san, and Heavy Warrior Otto-san.

 Back at school, Shouta-kun was the Student Council President-a real “shining star” type. He’d even lecture the delinquents without flinching. I was always a bit anxious around him, but he seemed to have his act together. He was the kendo club captain, so I knew he could fight.

 (But the rumors… they weren’t great.)

 I’d heard whispers about him forcing himself on girls from other schools, but nothing ever became a legal issue. Takumi-kun was a “go-home club” kid who hung out with the wrong crowd, though he never got caught doing anything major. Osamu-san and Otto-san were coworkers in their past lives, a classic boss-and-subordinate pair.

 Lady Martina and Knight Order Commander Günther-san suggested I take a Sewa-gakari³, but I turned them down. I just wasn’t in the mood for that kind of… service. Shouta-kun declined too, but the other four jumped at the chance.

 That’s how Sakura-san got caught two-timing, though it was an open secret that she was actually three-timing. Shouta-kun and Takumi-kun were the only ones who hadn’t realized it.

 After Lady Martina “disciplined” Takumi-kun on the first day, everyone was on their best behavior for a while. On day two, our training with the knights began. Commander Günther-san is a high-level beast. In mock battles, he wiped the floor with us. Not surprising, given the level gap.

 We spent a month grinding in the dungeons until we hit Level 20. Then, it was time for our world tour. Shouta-kun’s Beacon of Hope⁴ skill relies on positive emotions-trust, admiration, expectations.

 Grinding in a dark hole doesn’t help with that, so we have to do the PR rounds and show the people their savior. Our first major stop is the Sangster Holy State, the heart of the “Seven Pillar Religion.” Since we’re basically “Messengers of God,” they were dying to meet us.

 We have a rotating escort of Maultasche knights. None of us know how to drive a carriage or navigate this world’s common sense, so we’d be dead without them. The kingdom isn’t doing this out of the goodness of their hearts, obviously, but we don’t have the luxury of saying no. We can barely handle a campfire, let alone a cross-continental trek.

 We hit the Souveraineté Empire first to beat the winter snow. The Empress had eyes like a hawk-terrifyingly sharp. I was glad Shouta-kun did all the talking. At the welcome gala, they tried to recruit him, but he played the “Demon King first” card. Smart. It’s way too early to decide where we’re going to retire.

 The party was crawling with beautiful women throwing themselves at us. I found the desperation a bit much, but the other four were loving it. The knights and Caretakers had to basically play bodyguard to keep things from getting out of hand. (It was a blatant Honey Trap. Are these guys really that dense? How did the two “adults” survive in the corporate world?)

 The Holy State was just as welcoming, though they skipped the recruitment pitch and went straight for a massive parade. It was incredibly embarrassing. Everyone else seemed to enjoy the attention, but I just wanted to hide. And to think, we have to do this all over again if we actually win. Great.

 Dukedom was the most tolerable. No recruitment, just a standard audience with the Grand Duke. He was a mountain of muscle and acted like it-arrogant as hell. His land is rich, but it’s plagued by monsters from the eastern mountains. We did some subjugation work at his request. Honestly, at our level, we weren’t doing much, so it was clearly just a PR stunt to show the “Heroes” were helping the Dukedom. For a guy who looks like a meathead, he’s a pretty decent strategist.

 Living with these guys has been an eye-opener. Shouta-kun has a strong sense of justice and never hesitates to help someone in need. In that sense, he really is a Hero. But he’s also stubborn and constantly clashes with the others. I support him from the sidelines, but I’m not getting caught in that crossfire.

 (The real problem is his… appetite.)

 Shouta-kun has a disgusting track record with women. He prefers humans, but he isn’t picky. He’s dragged girls into inns and forced himself on them more than once. It led to a massive blowout with the others, and while he’s “quieted down” since then, he just moved his activities outside where he won’t get caught. The knights have warned him, but they’re terrified of a confrontation that would break the party.

 Takumi-kun is just as bad, though he has different tastes. He’s obsessed with the “fantasy” aspect-beastmen and demi-humans. While Shouta uses raw power, Takumi uses his status and threats of violence to get what he wants. He’s a small-fry bully with a big title. I hate that I’m not strong enough to call them out on it.

 Then there’s Osamu-san. He’s a Sage, but he plays like a total “DPS-brain.” He ignores all advice. He spends his time bragging about his elite university and his corporate “glory days” back in Japan. “Young people have it too easy. In my day, we were lucky to get one day off a week!” He’s the definition of a toxic boomer.

 He’s also definitely doing something creepy with magic to spy on women, though I haven’t caught him in the act yet. He never mentions the wife he left behind. I saw her when we were summoned-she looked so kind. I can’t imagine why she stayed with him.

 And Otto-san… he’s a sycophant. He bows and scrapes to Shouta-kun and Takumi-kun but treats me like a subordinate. He constantly tries to “mentor” me while I’m trying to work. When I ignored him once to focus on a task, he blew up, telling me to “look a senior in the eye when he’s talking.” I’m not his junior, and he was the one interrupting me. Now I just nod and say “yes, yes” until he goes away. He’s obsessed with his status as a Hero and treats tavern staff like trash. It’s humiliating to be seen with him.

 I’m genuinely worried about whether we can actually pull this off. Our reputation is in the gutter. I see the way our Caretakers look at the guys-their eyes aren’t smiling. They don’t see “Heroes”; they see trash they have to put up with. The guys treat them like objects to be collected, and the women just play along to keep the peace.

 In a fight, though, I can’t deny their stats. The Hero is a monster-high damage, self-buffs, no real weaknesses other than a lack of self-healing. The Sword Saint is a close-quarters beast who uses Flash-Motion⁵ to delete enemies instantly. The Holy Knight is a solid tank; he knows how to keep the “aggro” on himself, even if his personality is garbage. The Sage hits like a truck with his spells, as long as he isn’t drawing too much heat. And the Heavy Warrior is a physical powerhouse, though he’s a liability against magic. He takes every debuff in the book. If he doesn’t fix his resistances soon, he’s going to hit a wall.

 It’s been a year since we arrived. We’re heading back to Maultasche for a week of rest before we head out again. I like the scenery, but I’m exhausted. If we kill the Demon King, I get to be a noble and live a quiet life. I just have to survive these guys for two more years.

 —

 Summary:

 Ren provides a retrospective of the first year since the Hero Party was summoned. He details his own tragic death and the problematic personalities of his fellow party members. The chapter focuses on the internal rot of the ‘Heroes’ despite their impressive combat stats.

 —

 Trivia:

 - Ren was a volunteer in his old life, but mostly out of social pressure.

 - The Beacon of Hope skill is powered by the public’s positive perception, making PR work mandatory.

 - Sakura-san was actually three-timing, a fact the other male members remain oblivious to.

 - The Empress of Souveraineté is described specifically as having ‘hawk-like eyes.’

 - The ‘Sewa-gakari’ are officially attendants but serve as s*xual outlets for the heroes

 —

 Character Insight:

 Ren shows high levels of ‘Self-Preservation’ and ‘Cynicism.’ He is aware of the moral failings of Shouta and the others but feels too weak to intervene, choosing instead to focus on his own goal of a peaceful retirement.

 —

 Behind the Scenes:

 The author uses this chapter to deconstruct the traditional ‘shining hero’ trope, establishing the party members as realistic, flawed, and even villainous individuals from a modern society.

 —

 TL Notes:

Notes:

• Ren – Second‑year high school student reincarnated as a Saint; healer and buffer for the Hero Party. Cynical, observant, with MMO experience, he wears a plain school uniform and a subtle halo, and refuses caretakers like Shouta.

• Shouta – A 17‑year‑old high‑school student, silver‑haired and sharp‑eyed, now the Student Council President reincarnated as a Hero. He bears the Sword Saint class, holds the titles Hero of the Slash and Hero of Lightning, captains the kendo club, and wields Beacon of Hope—yet stubbornly rejects any caretakers.

• Takumi – Teenage boy in modest holy‑knight armor, summoned as Level‑1 Holy Knight. Once a delinquent and former ‘go‑home club’ member, he’s arrogant, over‑familiar, and now the party’s tank. He’s beaten by Martina, betrayed by his girlfriend Sakura, and serves in the Hero Party.

• Osamu – An 18‑year‑old reincarnated graduate, now a Sage of the Hero Party, sports thick hair and a modern look. Formerly Araya’s boss, he died in a wreck with a shattered body and wields high‑level Fire, Wind, Water and Earth magic. He’s a middle‑aged salaryman‑type sage obsessed with his academic and corporate past, using high‑firepower spells.

• Otto – Heavy Warrior of the Hero Party, reincarnated from a former subordinate of Osamu. Clad in bulky armor with a stern visage, he is arrogant toward Ren and the service staff but fawningly obedient to Shouta and Takumi.

• Günther – A Knight Captain or high-ranking official overseeing the Hero’s summoning and training. Experienced and pragmatic. An official or instructor responsible for explaining the world’s systems (Status, Hero summoning, and Taboos) to the summoned individuals. Knight Order Commander. Loyal subordinate to Martina and the King. Capable of healing magic.

• Martina – Martina-sama, daughter of nobleman Fritz Gilman, is a striking beauty with sharp sanpaku eyes, a slender‑curvaceous figure and a C‑cup chest. As a high‑ranking Gilman heir and instructor for summoned beings, she commands with seductive poise in high‑slit cheongsam dresses, holds top noble status and is a leading Prime Minister candidate. She rivals the Home Secretary, who secured Yuko’s apprenticeship.

• Sakura – Reincarnated high‑school girl, Destroyer class, 160 cm slender with twin‑tails, perpetual scowl, thin chest armor and short‑hair yankee look; JK Party member, high‑tension toward Daisuke, double‑dates Hero Shouta and Holy Knight Takumi, and is the girl the protagonist openly dislikes.

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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.