Volume 11 Chapter 14 Saint Ren’s Goal
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
In my previous life, I just drifted through life without any goals, but in this world, I have two goals.
One is the subjugation of the Demon King.
It’s for everyone who has taken care of me, and I believe it is the duty of those of us who have been given the power to do so.
And the other is to raise the skill level of Healing Magicⁿ as quickly as possible.
Although, this has nothing to do with contributing to the party or the duty to save the world, it is for a very, very personal reason.
It has been about three months since Otto-san left the party.
At first, there was some disorder in our coordination, but it soon stopped being an issue.
As expected, the level-up speed has increased, and I feel like I’ve had a little more room to breathe lately.
I am grateful that the nonsensical guidance—the boasting—has disappeared and that wasted time has been reduced.
After hunting monsters requested by the local lord, we discuss our reflections on today’s battle during dinner at camp.
”The old man really wasn’t necessary,” Shouta-kun remarked, taking a bite of his meal.
”Yeah,” Takumi-kun agreed, nodding emphatically. “He doesn’t know his own place and seeks status he isn’t suited for, so he just exposes his own ugliness.”
”Kahaha, no doubt about it,” Shouta-kun laughed.
I sat there quietly, listening to the Sword Saint and the Holy Knight talk so happily about Otto-san. I felt similar things, sure, but I couldn’t help but think: even if you feel that way, isn’t it better to keep it to yourself? At the start of our journey, those two were incredibly awkward because of that whole double-dating incident with Sakura-san, but eventually, that tension faded. Maybe their personalities are just that compatible, but they’re always hanging out and laughing about something.
”Because of that idiot, I was deeply embarrassed,” Osamu-san grumbled, his voice dropping into that strange, elderly register he’d adopted. “I should have just kicked him out way sooner, I should have.”
Whenever Otto-san came up, Osamu-san would get into a foul mood. It was his own damn recommendation, but he’s never been one to be fair about his own mistakes. Over the last year, his speech patterns had become even more archaic.
He’d always used watakushi (儂) for himself, but didn’t he say he was only around sixty in his previous life? Standing next to us, he looks exactly our age, which makes the whole act feel jarring.
I suppose in this world, people of long-lived species can look young while being ancient, so the locals don’t seem to notice. I shouldn’t let it bother me.
The real problem is how much he hates being told what to do. He’ll launch high-level magic anywhere he wants, never once considering hate control.
When he gets frustrated because he can’t use his big spells in a messy fight, he starts firing them off without caring who gets hit.
Even when Sota-kun tries to warn him, he just shrugs it off, acting like it’s our fault for not dodging. He really is a handful.
”Sota-kun, are you alright?” I asked, noticing his silence.
”Ah, Ren-kun,” he replied, finally looking up. “I’m okay, it’s nothing.”
Lately, Sota-kun has been lost in thought. Before, he would have shut down any trash-talking about Otto-san immediately, but now he just lets it drift past him. Since the Hero’s power is the linchpin for everything, his lack of spirit is starting to weigh on me.
”Everyone, we have a schedule tomorrow, so please go easy on the liquor,” I said, trying to steer the mood.
”Tch… it can’t be helped,” Takumi-kun muttered.
”I won’t cause any trouble,” Shouta-kun added.
”Hmph,” Osamu-san scoffed, “you don’t need to tell me that.”
They looked annoyed at the lecture, but we have to report to the local lord tomorrow. If we flake on it, it reflects poorly on the Maultasche Kingdom, and we could end up branded as wanted criminals. We’ve hit level sixty, but I don’t think we’d last long if the whole world was hunting us down.
”Hey, Caretaker, it’s time to sleep,” Takumi-kun said, beckoning the girl beside him.
”Yes, Takumi-sama♡” she chirped.
”We’re going to sleep too,” Shouta-kun announced.
”Yes, Shouta-sama,” his attendant replied.
”I’ll sleep too,” Osamu-san said, turning to his own shadow. “Hey, let’s go.”
”Yes,” the girl murmured.
They went off to their tents without further fuss. Takumi-kun’s Caretaker is naturally bubbly, Shouta-kun’s is the cool type, and Osamu-san’s is entirely subservient. They’re all beautiful women, and they seem to be favorites, though they rotate them around. Takumi-kun and Shouta-kun even share their experiences and impressions with each other.
I guess that’s their hobby, but talking about it right in front of the girls themselves feels cold. You can see it in the girls’ eyes—they aren’t smiling—but I don’t know if the guys are just oblivious or if they really don’t care.
I watched them disappear into the tents. It’s fine when we’re camping, but in the middle of town, they still cause trouble. Sota-kun usually catches them and snaps, which keeps them quiet for a while, but the cycle always repeats. I wonder if people really can’t change. They work fine in combat, but I can’t imagine ever being close to them. They were erratic from the start, but being here has only made them more arrogant.
Well, I’ll sleep too. The Knights keep watch at night, which is a massive help. If it were just the five of us, we’d have to rotate guard duty, and I doubt those three would stay out of trouble in town if they were exhausted.
”Then, I will sleep too,” I said, standing up.
”Good night, Ren-sama,” Hera-san replied, bowing slightly.
”Hera-san, good night. Thank you as always.”
”Thank you for your concern. This is also my job, so please don’t worry about it.”
I exchanged those words with Hera-san, the knight assigned to me. It might be a distraction, but I’ve become quite fond of her lately. We aren’t dating, but we’re more than just acquaintances. She’s kind, serious, and has a soft touch—a rarity in this world where people are often so blunt.
”…If there is a monster attack, please do not hesitate to wake me,” she added quietly.
”…Thank you.”
It was hard to pull my gaze away. She seemed to feel it too.
”Ahem, Ren-dono,” a voice boomed—the Vice-Captain. “I apologize for interrupting such a heated moment, but shouldn’t you be going to sleep?”
”N-No, I am going to sleep, I really am!” I stammered, my face flushing.
”T-That’s right, Vice-Captain,” Hera-san said, her own face turning bright red. “I don’t have that kind of relationship with Ren-dono yet…”
”I don’t mind as long as you maintain moderation,” the Vice-Captain laughed. “Hera is a Knight so she cannot be a Caretaker, but since Ren-dono is a ‘Saint,’ I will accommodate your wishes as much as possible.”
”Um, no, that…” I tried to find words.
”A-Ah, thank you, Vice-Captain…” Hera-san whispered.
The teasing from her superior made me want to vanish. I grabbed the chance to bow and head toward my own tent. I noticed Sota-kun still sitting by the fire, so I decided to check on him.
”Sota-kun, you’re heading to bed too, right?”
”…Ren-kun, could you keep me company for a bit?”
”Eh? That’s fine, but what’s wrong?”
”Just a little something.”
He sounded heavy. With the Knights around, he couldn’t speak freely, but I knew he could use Wind Magic to mask our conversation. We walked a few paces away.
”…So, what is it?”
”…Ren-kun, you’ve been getting along well with Hera-san lately, right?”
”That’s, right. Was that the problem?”
”No, she doesn’t seem to mind, and I think it’s fine. I’m sure you’d handle it with moderation.”
Hera-san was a replacement, a wonderful woman who somehow escaped the attention of the others. It was because of her arm—she was an amputee, lost in the line of duty. Healing magic that could restore limbs was locked behind the high-priced coffers of the Temple.
”And… what about Hera-san? By any chance, Sota-kun, too?”
”No, that’s not it. …You see, in my previous life, I had a childhood friend.”
”I know that too. Nakano-san, right?”
”…Yeah. I used to call her Aki.”
She was so bright, the complete opposite of me. I had seen them talking often when he was student council president, but I never realized there was more to it.
”By any chance, did you love her?”
”…That’s, right.”
To hear Sota-kun say it so plainly… it hit hard.
”It’s been over a year. At first, it was like a dream, the pressure of being the Hero, the need to grow stronger… there was no room for anything else. But lately, I keep thinking about Aki.”
”I see.”
”In my previous life, she was always just there. I didn’t realize how much she held me up until she was gone. I realized I’m just an immature person who can’t do anything alone.”
”I don’t think that’s true,” I countered.
”No, it is. She’d call me out when I was wrong and cheer me on when I failed. I was just leaning on her the whole time. I’m a hopeless man. I’m no Hero.”
The self-deprecation was suffocating. I needed to pull him out of it.
”Sota-kun, you are a Hero. You do things no one else can do. I guarantee it.”
”Ren-kun…”
”Commanding in battle, dealing with the bigwigs, inspiring the people, handling those three idiots—I couldn’t do it. Have more confidence in yourself.”
”…Thank you, Ren-kun.”
He settled down, the edge returning to his face. It was just the grief talking, but it was a deep, unresolvable wound. I would just have to keep a closer eye on him.
My own goal, meanwhile, remained fixed: to raise my Healing Magic to skill level eight. I need that Revive spell to fix Hera’s arm. Five years of normal leveling is too slow—I have to do it in two, before we face the Demon King. I still couldn’t tell her. I was just too embarrassed.
—
Summary:
Ren struggles with his party dynamics and his secret desire to heal Hera’s arm. Sota-kun opens up about his past, revealing deep-seated grief and self-doubt concerning his former childhood friend. The party dynamics remain unstable due to the reckless nature of the other members.
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Trivia:
- Ren’s goal to heal Hera’s arm is motivated by his desire to acquire the Revive skill.
- Healing amputations requires Temple-level intervention, which is financially inaccessible to ordinary Knights.
- The Caretakers are rotated among the male party members, and this “swapping” is an open source of friction.
- Sota-kun’s depression is explicitly linked to his “Nakano-san withdrawal.”
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Character Insight:
Ren displays a surprising capacity for personal attachment in contrast to his cold analysis of his party’s dysfunction. Sota-kun shows the first clear signs of genuine vulnerability rather than his usual stoic leadership role.
Notes:
• Otto – A 170cm, stout, late-40s exiled Hero’s Party tank (lvl 52) with a buzz cut and bulky armor. A possessive, woman-obsessed doctorate holder, he lacks combat ability and was expelled for stealing from a Sealed Vault. Serving only Shouta and Takumi, he tyrannizes Ren and staff, feigns mentorship, hoards Maultasche artifacts in the Souveraineté Empire, and is easily manipulated by Sakura.
• Shouta – A young man who is the Sword Saint. In his previous life, he was a kendo club captain.
• Takumi – Teenage Holy Knight and party tank, once a reckless Earth delinquent. Despite his modest armor and Level-1 start, he is arrogant, over-familiar, and hedonistic. He shares a casual relationship with his Caretaker and belongs to the Hero Party, having joined after being beaten by Martina and betrayed by his girlfriend Sakura.
• Sakura – Reincarnated high-school girl and Destroyer-class transferee with a slender 160cm frame, twin-tails, thin armor, and a scowl. Leveling up improved her initially flat face. Highly manipulative and transactional, she seeks noble status through relationships. A former JK Party member who double-dated Shouta and Takumi, she is disliked by the protagonist and Daisuke. Now Otto’s supportive yet antagonistic “stupid couple” girlfriend, she moved to the Imperial Capital after a failed attempt to control him following his Hero Party expulsion.
• Osamu – Scrawny 160 cm man with messy, medium‑length hair. Though young, he looks older and adopts an elderly persona, using ‘washi’ and archaic speech. Once an 18‑year‑old team leader who died in a wreck, he is now the Hero Party’s Sage, wielding advanced Fire, Wind, Water, and Earth magic. Harsh and reputation-obsessed, he is an acquaintance of Otto and previously supervised both Otto and Daisuke.
• Sota – 17‑year‑old silver‑haired, sharp‑eyed former Student Council President, now a Hero and Lightning wielding Beacon of Hope. He leads the Hero Party, travels with handlers, is coldly pragmatic and shuns caretakers. Also the Hero who expelled Otto and allegedly gave him secret orders.
• Ren – Reborn as a second-year high-schooler Saint, this cynical, observant narrator serves as the Hero Party’s healer and buffer. Wearing a plain school uniform with a faint halo, he rejects caretakers like Shouta and resents Otto’s forced mentorship. He views his party pragmatically, drawing on MMO tactics while prioritizing his personal goal of leveling up his Healing Magic.
• Hera – A female Knight who attends to Ren. She is an amputee, missing one arm from a previous monster encounter, and is noted for her serious, kind, and professional demeanor.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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