Chapter 0 - Prologue.

He was the weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings, and he was the leader of the Rebirth Demon King’s Enforcement army. His name was Artpe Hirtana Kelduke.

His name was spread across the human world as being one of the Four Heavenly Kings.

If one mentioned the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King’s army, the humans would think about the monsters that could cause the mountains to fall. They were seen as beings that could cause earthquakes and the seas to dry. However, Artpe was different.

He was someone, who had been recognized by the Demon King, through polishing his strange ability. He was named to the prestigious title of being one of the Four Heavenly Kings thanks to his strange ability

However, he was weak.

He would make an entrance with an awesome aura wrapped around him, but in the end, he would die by the hands of the hero’s party. Then a being with a more awesome aura would show up and say, ’Hoo hoo hoo. In truth, he was the weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings!’ In this story, he was casted as being the weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings.

“The hero is really coming, commander. Don’t we have to run away before that happens?”

As expected of the subordinates under the weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings, all the demons under his direct command were lacking in firepower. On top of it all, their temperament was lacking too.

“If you want to run away, you should try running away.”

“I’m sorry!”

His subordinate was thinking about running away even before the fight. He hit his subordinate in the back of the head, and he climbed to the top of the Demon King’s castle. When he did, he could clearly see the hero’s party coming through a doghole created to bypass the castle wall. It seemed this was their attempt at secretly infiltrating the castle.

Whenever a Demon King was born to conquer the world, a hero always appeared to put a spoke in the wheel. The hero was the Demon King army’s ultimate enemy.

“She really is here. The Demon King on borrowed time now.”

The hero had appeared around three years ago, yet she was already here. Who would have expected that?

Artpe couldn’t smack himself in the back of the head for having such a thought.

Still, he was a bit relieved. She was here much earlier than expected. There was no way the hero would be able to win against the Demon king.

“The problem is my troops will be the first to face them.”

Maybe a Demon King’s mind was reshaped when the successor puts on the crown. The crazy Demon King had a terrible personality, and he always sent the weakest amongst the Demon race to fight the hero first.

This strong-willed hero was able to rapidly grow for the past 3 years, because the weakest demons were sent first. Then the degree of difficulty was slowly increased as the troops failed. If the Demon King wasn’t a lord, Artpe would have smacked him in the back of the head.

Currently, Artpe was moving, and the reason behind his action was obvious. The weakest force in the Demon King’s castle was his force, and he was their commander. No one from the Demon King’s castle would lift a finger until every single one of them were killed.

Artpe decided to look on the bright side. He was one of the Four Heavenly Kings. Would he really be killed by a new hero? The last time he checked on her level was about an year ago, and the hero had been level 200. She might have grown a little bit, but she wouldn’t even be able to scratch the Demon King’s castle.

“Let’s check her out first.”

This was the ability that allowed Artpe to reach his command post. He activated the Read All Creation’. It was as the words implied. It was an ability that allowed him to find out information about anything that exists in this world. His innate ability was one of the reason why the Demon King kept Artpe by his side.

He had trained his ability through the years, so he was able to successfully activate his ability from a long distance.

Several lines appeared in front of his eyes. It was written in the language of the Demon Clan.

[Name - Maetel]

[Race : Human Female]

[Title : Hero]

Artpe was at a loss for words. He had known the female hero was a commoner, and her name was Maetel. However, he lost the ability to speak when he read the last line.

[Level : 374]

“······.”

“What should we do, commander?”

He couldn’t even hear the question asked by his subordinate, who stood by his side. Artpe’s mind was in a confused state.

What? 374?

When he checked up on her only a year ago, he was sure she was only level 200! The Demon King had just reached level 400!

“Hey. Did we do something to the humans recently?”

What caused the worm to become a dragon?

“The Demon King wanted spice things up a little bit, so he personally dispatched several armies to where the hero lived. Now that I think about it, I heard no news of their return.”

“Ah-ha. He wanted to spice things up a little bit? Kyah. I didn’t know about that!”

He marinated her so perfectly that a hero appeared as a full course meal! That son of a bitch! I should just call him a chef instead of a Demon King!

Artpe’s subordinate looked at Artpe’s stormy expression, and he immediately grasped the situation. His subordinate made a sour face as he asked Artpe a question.

“Should we run away, commander?”

“Yeah. Now I want to run away too.”

This was beating a dead horse, but Artpe was the weak. However, in the end, he was still one of the Four Heavenly Kings. He was level 350, and he had considerable amount of skills. However, this was also why he knew what the disparity between him and the hero meant.

Even a single level difference meant one’s soul was outclassed. It was impossible to beat the other unless one had a really good Skill.

What would happen if there was a difference of 24 levels? Even if he gathered all his soul to oppose the hero, he would be destroyed by a single move.

Artpe really wanted to run away. He wanted to crawl through the doghole made by the hero. How great would it be if he could run away to a place where a being from the Demon race wouldn’t be recognized? He wanted to go to a peaceful place where fighting and war didn’t exist. How great would it be if he could just live as he raised some cows!

“Koo-ooh-ooh.”

When he had that thought, a red choker appeared on his smooth neck, and it ruthlessly tightened around his neck. It put pressure on his body and mind. He was owned by another. The Demon King’s Innate Ability called Absolute Control was activated.

When one was defeated by the Demon King, the Demon King’s Innate Ability activated to control his opponent. Once his innate ability took hold, it was impossible to escape from it. One had to follow all his orders, and if one held thoughts that ran contrary to his orders, one’s neck would be choked.

When that happens, death was the final outcome. One had to turn back into a docile sheep to follow his order, or one could just choose to die. Artpe had to select one of the two choices right now.

Artpe wanted to live a little bit more, so he chose the former option. The choking sensation around his neck quickly disappeared.

“Commander.....”

“It’s all right. Don’t say anything.”

There were several times in the past when he felt the sensation of being choked to death. It was akin to what happened a moment ago. On such occasions, Artpe struggled to live by not resisting against the orders of the Demon King. This was why he was able to stay alive until now.

He had experienced scenes of violence until he was fed of with it. He wouldn’t be broken by a mere hero.

However, it was also clear that he would lose for sure if events continued along down this path. Artpe thought hard on how he’ll be able to survive this. In the end, he chose the last resort. He hadn’t wanted to choose this option.

“······please go contact Etna-nim.”

She was the only woman amongst the Four Heavenly Kings. She was the leader of the Army of Thieves. Her name was Etna Carlyfate Mirecard. She was ranked second in Four Heavenly King’s ranking. However, the most important part was that she was in love with Artpe.

“Tell her I’ll agree to the Soul Pact if she helps me. She’ll come here after she gets permission from the Demon King.”

The Soul Pact was the absolute contract of amity that could be made amongst two Demons. Basically, it signified marriage.

“....do you really want to marry her? You still won’t be able to die a natural death.”

“Can’t you see I’m about to die right now? You really want to argue about this right now? Are you trying to pick a fight with me? Do you want to die before me?”

When Artpe browbeat him, his underling quickly ran into the castle. He let out a sigh at this sight.

Etna was a beautiful and powerful woman. Even amongst the Demon race, who was famous for being ill tempered, she clearly possessed a pure nature. This was why she was popular amongst her subordinates. A woman of such caliber liked him. This was a big blessing for him even if she wasn’t his type.

So why did Artpe turn down her proposal until now? The man, who was ranked 1st amongst the Four Heavenly Kings, was in love with Etna. Artpe didn’t want to make enemy of this man, so he had turned down her offer.

However, he couldn’t worry about making a future enemy right now. The hero’s party was coming towards him, and they were too scary for him to worry about the implications of his action.

Ah, they were already running amuck.

His two eyes clearly saw the sight of his Enforcement army being crushed in a distressing manner. It was true. He was really afraid.

Please come before it is too late!

Please allow Etna to participate in the battle, Demon King! If you leave them be like this, you will also be in danger! Please allow her to participate in this, Sheff!

“Please don’t cause any trouble, and surrender to us, Four Heavenly King Artpe Hirtana Kelduke. There is no need for us to fight each other any longer.”

It was all too late.

Fuck this demonic life of his...

Artpe looked at the innocent looking girl, who was the hero. She had her sword pointed towards his neck, and she had a slightly sorrowful expression on her face. He let out a hollow laugh.

“You make it sound as the Demon King’s army isn’t on a campaign to bring about world peace.”

She probably didn’t know about the existence of the shackles that bound all demons under the Demon King’s service. Even if he didn’t want to fight, he had to force himself to fight. He didn’t like killing humans, yet he had to force himself to kill them. She probably didn’t even know such a demon existed within the Demon race.

If she found out about the truth, this kind girl would probably be unable to swing her sword against them. However, Artpe decided not to tell her anything. Since things had progressed this far, he thought it might be better if she was able to kill the Demon King once and for all.

“Still, the others around you seems better equipped for this.”

There was a magician, a warrior equipped with a shield and a sharp-eyed thief with a dagger. If Artpe said or did anything funny, they would kill him without giving him any quarter.

They knew the truth behind the Demon race, yet they still decided to walk the road of carnage. They were true heroes, and Artpe admired them. They were qualified to be by the side of this heroine.

“Hero. I’m pretty sure a very good looking noonim will be coming here soon, and she’ll be very angry when she sees my corpse. I want you to give her this message.”

Artpe’s weird and offbeat words were taken as being a start of some kind of ploy by the thief. The thief moved immediately. He was incredibly fast. He might be faster than the hero.

It was understandable. There was no burning animosity shown towards the hero by Artpe, and it seemed she would need a good amount of time before she could bring herself to apply the final blow to him. Her impatient comrade had stepped forward to try to kill him in her stead. Artpe had expected such a move.

“In truth, I.... Kuh-huhk!”

The thief’s dagger pierced through Artpe’s heart. The blade was sharper and deadlier than the ugly past of his childhood. It had shredded his heart, but Artpe didn’t die immediately.

“In truth, I’m not too fond of older women... Kahk. Please tell her...!”

“W...what the hell are you talking about? Why are you saying such strange words! This makes you... It makes you seem like a normal person....!”

The hero had a sad expression on her face. It was as if she was about to cry. When Artpe faced her pure sadness, he felt better. He grinned.

In the end, he would die, but his tedious life would come to an end.

If he was born again, he wanted to be born in a place where he was free of that damn Demon King.

Artpe gave a heartfelt prayer as he closed his eyes.

Before he died, he heard the angry shout of a woman, but he didn’t care. He was about to die, so it was none of his business.

This was how Artpe Hirtana Kelduke died.

He was one of the Four Heavenly Kings in the Demon King army, but his death was miserable. It held no weight.

In his last moments, he could see two lines of words etched into his retina. However, his consciousness was already fading into death.

[Innate Ability Read All Creation has evolved.]

[Secret Option Rewrite is Activated.]

When he opened his eyes again, he was in the form of a small male child.

“Huh?”

Didn’t a thief ruthlessly stab a dagger into his heart a moment ago? Artpe was having a hard time getting used to his rapidly changed situation. He looked around his surrounding.

It was a very small and worn down hut. The window up top was letting in sunlight, and the light illuminated a cloud of dust. This looked like a place where humans would live. Now that he thought about it, it seemed he had taken the form of a male human child!

‘Is this Illusion Magic?’

However, this thought lasted only for a brief moment. His soul held his Innate Ability called Read All Creation. It allowed him to pierce through all lies. It showed him only the truth. This was why he was sure he wasn’t under any Illusion magic.

‘Mirror. I have to find a mirror. I have to assess what kind of situation I am in.’

His ability, Read All Creation, was an incredible power. However, if he wanted to Read himself, he needed a reflective surface to see himself. It didn’t matter if the reflection came in form of a puddle, mirror or even a person’s eyes.

He searched the small and dirty hut, but he couldn’t find a mirror. In the end, he was successfully in finding a bowl on top of the kitchen table.

He poured enough water into the bowl, and he could see a blurred image of himself.

“······it is me.”

He had black hair and purple colored eyes. He had white enough skin to be called pale. It had been a long time ago, but his face was identical to the face he had when he was a very young Demon. It was indisputable. Artpe was himself, but at the same time, it was indisputable that he was a human.

Artpe was still in the midst of despairing when his Innate Ability Read All Creation delivered the final blow.

[Name - Artpe]

[Race : Human Male]

[Level : 1]

[Strength : 3, Agility : 2, Stamina : 2, Magic Energy : 19]

[Innate Ability : Read All Creation(Step 2)]

His name, race and level were all too shocking! If there was a god, he wanted to kill the bastard! He’ll kill the god alongside the Demon King!

“······huh?”

Soon, Artpe realized the most shocking part was still left for him to be discovered.

[Innate Ability : Read All Creation(Step 2)]

His Read All Creation was now on Step 2?

‘When did the Innate Ability develop stages?

It happened when Artpe was thinking over this question.

The door to the hut opened, and a human ran in from outside.

“Let’s play, Artpe!”

The one, who spoke, was a beautiful human girl.

She had such beautiful golden hair that it was almost unbelievable that a commoner had such hair.

Her emerald colored eyes were bright and passionate.

Instead of the rag she was wearing, a silk dress would have gone better with her white skin and well-formed feature.

“Hero?”

Artpe was so taken aback that he mumbled to himself.

Somehow, the hero heard his words. Maetel let out a bright laugh as she replied.

“Yes. Let’s go play being heroes!”

This was the day when Artpe died as a demon.

He was reborn as a 12 year old male human, who was the childhood friend of the hero.

It had been two days, since he was reincarnated as a human male child, This was when Artpe came to a decision.

“I have to kill the Demon King.”

It was a really fucked up situation, but he had to kill the Demon King.

Why?

The reason was obvious. A Demon King’s 1st priority was to kill all of humanity.

Artpe was a human now!

Would he have been better being reborn into the Demon race? No way.

The reason why the bastard was trying to kill all the humans was the fact that the Demon King’s Innate Ability didn’t allow him to dominate over humans. His Innate Ability only worked on the Demon race, and the Demon King had been thorough in catching all the demons. He had put all the Demons under his rule.

Since the Demon King existed in the same era as him, there was no way he’ll become free unless he killed the Demon King.

Artpe had lamented when he was confronted with this decision. He wanted to be alive to see the hopes and dreams of the future.

‘Why in the hell did I have to be sent back to the past! If I was born 3 years after the hero or the Demon King was killed, I could have lived in the countryside without any ambitions. I could have just lived, while I tended cows!’

He could somewhat guess at the mechanism behind his reincarnation. His Read All Creation had evolved into its second stage. He didn’t know the exact cause, but he knew this was all related to his ability.

He always knew his ability was unusual, but he never expected it to be able to bend time and space. No, the fact that there even was a Step 2 to his Innate Ability was a surprise for him!

However, the problem he now faced was the fact that his Innate Ability had distorted not only time, but the cause-and-effect relationship of events.

“Artpe!”

The door opened in the same fashion as two days ago. A bright light entered into the hut, and Artpe already knew the name of the girl entering the hut.

“I knew you would come, ‘Maetel’.”

“You were waiting for me! I’m so happy!”

The girl let out a bright smile in front of Artpe. She looked very young, but he was sure that she was one of the heroes in his memories, who had invaded the Demon King’s castle. He had also verified this fact through his Read All Creation ability, so it was irrefutable.

“Why would I wait for you? Just looking at you make me feel anxious.”

“Anxious? .....Ah, jeez~ Artpe~ ”

The 12 year old hero was under a false impression when she heard Artpe’s words. She squirmed and twisted her body in embarrassment. Artpe groaned when he saw the young hero fall into a delusion.

During his past role as one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King’s army, the Demon King had ordered Artpe to gather information about the hero. In truth, it was a task beneath even the weakest amongst the Four Heavenly Kings, but that fact wasn’t important right now.

The important part was the fact that the past hero didn’t have a childhood friend.

“Let’s go play being heroes, Artpe!”

“I’m sorry, but I’m sick of both the heroes and the Demon King.”

“Then you can be one of the Demon King army’s Four Heavenly Kings!”

“That is one thing I’ll never do!”

Artpe pushed aside the hero, who came at him in a playful manner. He kept letting out a sigh. He had wished for a life where he wasn’t entangled with the Demon King, so this time around he was entangled with the hero. If he had the opportunity to meet the goddess of fate, he would most definitely flip her off!

Instead of being entangled with the hero, he would have preferred to live life as the normal Villager A. Then he would be able to focus on his profession, while leaving all the problems of this world to the hero. He could just put his trust in the hero, since her unlimited growth potential would let her overcome everything.

If he was unlucky enough to chance upon the hero’s party, he would just say, ‘If you follow down this road, you will come upon the Demon King’s Castle!’ Or he would tell them, ‘Our town’s population of wildcats have gotten out of control. Could you help us catch them?’

He would just tell them some half assed excuse to get rid of them!

‘This world is already different from the past I knew’

To be precise, Artpe had reincarnated as the hero’s childhood friend. From this point on, the future would be in flux. Even if he ran away from the hero right now, the changed timeline wouldn’t revert back. It wasn’t a realistic possibility.

“Eh-whew. Artpe is trying to play by himself again. Then I have no choice. I’ll stick by your side.”

“No, I really don’t need you right now. Could you leave me alone?”

“But I need Artpe.”

Artpe despaired. What the hell did he do before he became aware of his previous life’s memories? Why was he in such a good relationship with the hero! It was so bad that even if he managed to run away, he worried the hero would track him down!

“You....”

“Eh-heh-heh.”

The hero let out a simple and honest laugh as she sat next to Artpe. It seemed events weren’t going to proceed in accordance to Artpe’s wishes.

This was a problem. Artpe’s biggest worry was the relationship he had with the hero.

A hero was literally a walking box of storm and calamity. Even the most peaceful town would be put in danger when the hero became involved. Moreover, anyone who encounters the hero becomes embroiled in the hero’s business.

In the past, there was a very famous story about the hero taking every valuable item when passing through each town. The most insidious part about this story was the fact the townspeople had an irresistible urge to give whatever they possessed to the hero. If the hero fulfilled a request, one would have to give up a treasure as recompense!

So what would his life be like as the childhood friend of the hero!

‘No. I don’t know how the future will unfold. This girl might not awaken to become a hero.’

If a Demon King existed, a hero always appeared. However, Artpe had reincarnated as a human, so the future had changed. It wasn’t a certainty that Maetel would awaken as a hero.

“Still, I wouldn’t bet on it.”

Maetel would become a hero, and as her childhood friend, he would get swept up in her business.

In truth, that scenario was the most likely one to come true. In this world, the most talented person was chosen to become the hero. Artpe had used his Read All Creation to verify the talent possessed by the 12 year old Maetel. She was so outstanding that it made one wonder if the gods made a mistake in creating her.

He followed this thread of logic to come to his previous conclusion.

He had to kill the Demon King.

“My life as a demon... No. My life as a human is really....”

Artpe wrapped his head with his hands as he despaired. Maetel consoled him.

“Hang in there, Artpe! We have to endure, and we have to live five times the life we have already lived!”

“Where did you learn such a phrase?”

“I learned it from Artpe.”

It seemed he wasn’t a normal guy even before he recovered his memories! Artpe’s head started to hurt more. Maetel, who didn’t know his inner thoughts, kept smiling.

“I only want to live a quiet life.”

“You always say those words, Artpe.”

“However, the world won’t leave me alone.”

“That is also one of your favorite phrases you like to speak.”

“It isn’t really important how I got here. How should I proceed from now on.... Mmmm?”

He grumbled as he started responding to Maetel when a flash of light illuminated the inside of his mind.

Until now, he had assumed that the future was distorted, because he had reincarnated as the hero’s childhood friend. However, was that actually true?

In the past, Artpe had used his Read All Creation to track the hero’s whereabouts. Of course, he also had a complete grasp of what developed in the human world.

Would everything he remembered change just because of Artpe’s presence? He was only a single person.

‘There’s no way that would happen.’

Yes. At best, an additional male child was born in a mountain village. There was no way such an event would cause the war to be canceled or a king to be poisoned!

However, how could that be the only implication? He knew the location of legendary thief’s grave. The grave held riches. He also knew the locations of the Archmage’s ruin, Balrok’s Nest, and Archmage Rain of Louin’s Magic Tome. They would be in the same place as the locations in his memories!

“My god.”

He finally realized the whole truth, and a shiver ran up his body. His Read All Creation ability allowed him to remember what had happened in the human world and the demon world. It didn’t matter if a lot of event in his future would change. He still had many information that he could use to his advantage!

There were many riches, many magic, many skills and many hidden hunting grounds!

“If I can acquire all of this with her....”

“Ah, Artpe.”

Maetel’s cheeks turned red. Artpe had mumbled his words, and it seemed another big misunderstanding had occurred. However, Artpe was too excited to worry about it.

“If that happens, maybe······.”

He’ll be able to compress the development process of the hero, and she would be able to gain items that were never in the possession of her previous self. If he could let her gain everything he figured out with his Read All Creation ability, the killing of the Demon King might not be a problem!

If he could make that happen, he would be free! Moreover, he could use the position of being the hero’s childhood friend to lead a peaceful life!

The future he could foresee was letting out a radiant golden light. Artpe suddenly stood up from his seat. Maetel also stood up.

“All right. Leave everything to me, hero.”

“Hero? As expected, you do want to play hero!”

“I’m not talking about playing house with you. I’ve never been as serious as this moment in my life.”

“······ah, all right.”

The hero’s face had turned red, and she kept nodding her head.

“I’ll leave everything to Artpe.”

“You just nodded your head. You can’t take it back.”

“This is true for Artpe too! You can’t back out of this!”

Artpe was satisfied with Maetel’s answer. At this point in time, the two of them completely misunderstood what each of them were promising. Artpe was dreaming about a peaceful future, so he hadn’t realized this fact.

“All right. Then you should head back for now. I’ll have to be thorough in making a plan for us.”

“A plan... You are being very earnest about this. All right! I’ll go wait patiently for you!”

Maetel turned around, and she opened the door to the hut. She was about to exit when she said, “Oh”, as if she had just remembered something. She called out towards Artpe.

“You do know what is happening in the afternoon, right? Baptism Ritual!”

“Baptism Ritual? Ah!”

When one was born into the Demon race, one possessed all of one’s abilities from the start. Demons had to be ready to fight as soon as they were born. However, humans were different. Humans had to contact the gods through the priests, and a Class was given to each human. The Classes ranged from carpenter, farmer, adventurer, warrior, etc. A human’s station in life was determined at that point. The humans call it the Baptism Ritual.

“What Class will I receive? I’m looking forward to it!”

“I’m also looking forward to it, but I could already guess what my Class is.”

“That’s amazing, Artpe!”

There was limit on what Class one could acquire, and it depended on one’s station in life, and one’s ability. One cannot become a knight unless one was a noble. One cannot become the heir to the throne unless one was the son of a king. If one didn’t have the ability to manipulate Mana, one couldn’t become a magician.

Still, it didn’t mean one couldn’t escape an already chosen Class.....

Artpe smiled as he felt the unrefined Mana circulate around his body.

Was it because he was a Demon in the past? Currently, he was only a 12 year old child, yet he had a large reserve of Mana. Moreover, he could wield the Mana freely. Unless something went wrong, he would probably become a magician.

“You’ll probably become a hero.”

“Hero? Of course, I do like to pretend and play at being a hero, but.....”

Maetel let out a timid laugh.

“Truthfully, there is one thing I want more than me being a hero.”

“Ah. Is that so?”

“I would love it if Artpe was able to become a hero!”

“Pffft.”

Artpe couldn’t hold back his laughter when he heard those words.

“Yes. It would be hilarious if that happened.”

“Oh god. Please give guidance to this child’s path!”

“Yeah yeah. I beg of you. ”

[You’ve earned the ’Hero’ Class.]

“....uh?”

When he really became a hero, Artpe could no longer laugh.

“Hoo······.”

He had mapped out a golden plan to bring about a tranquil future for himself, but his plan went awry from the start. All the fault lie in the fact that Artpe was chosen to be a hero. The future in front of him was a confusing and chaotic mess.

“Why me!”

“This is all very splendid, Artpe! Isn’t it!”

Maetel stuck close to him, and she was all smiles. On top of her head, Artpe could see words that could be only seen with his eyes.

[Name : Maetel]

[Race : Human Female]

[Title : Hero]

[Level : 1]

[Strength : 8, Agility : 12, Stamina : 11, Magic Energy : 10]

“No matter how I think about this, this doesn’t make any sense...”

That’s right.

This time around two heroes were chosen.

“I had faith that Artpe would become a hero. Artpe is smart!”

“I believed ‘you’ would be the only one to become a hero.”

This was what happened in his previous life!

Maybe this was the 1,000 year anniversary of creation of this world, and this was some kind of a massive event where two heroes were given instead of one!

Yes. The fact that there were two heroes meant that the probability of success in killing the Demon King had gone up. That was a good thing.

Still, why did he have to one of the heroes! The fact that he was the hero’s childhood friend was already dangerous enoght, yet now his situation had worsened!

“Please wait a moment. We’ll contact the palace, and we’ll take both of you to the capital”

“Palace! Are we really going to a palace!?”

“Yes. I’ll be back soon.”

“Yes!”

“······uh?”

Why were there two heroes? Why did he become a hero!

He wrapped his hands around his head as he faced the nightmare-like reality in front of him. When he raised his head, he discovered the priest in charge of the Baptism Ritual moving quickly towards the exit. The sight evoked an ominous feeling within him. Artpe narrowed his eyes as he asked Maetel a question.

“What did he just say?”

“He’ll contact the palace, and we’ll be taken to the capital!”

“The capital!?”

“Yes, the capital! It is a shiny city!”

Maetel’s voice was filled with happiness and delight. She sounded super sweet. Artpe heard her overly sweet words, and it caused his expression to sour in real time!

In his previous life, he clearly remembered what happened to the hero when she went to the capital. He shouldn’t be wallowing in despair as he stood by doing nothing! If they didn’t get out of this situation, they will be ruined!

Artpe decided not to ruminate over his situation right now. He could dwell on his own misfortune at a later time. The important thing right now....

They had to run away!

“Capital! Palace! Being a hero is really great!”

“You are completely mistaken. The palace isn’t as grand a place to be as you think.”

Why did humans treat heroes well? They wanted to trot out the heroes to face the Demon King. It didn’t matter if other humans gave them nice clothes and food. When the time came, they would push the two of them out into the streets. They would expect the heroes to kill the Demon King. Basically, the two of them were akin to domesticated pigs that would be fattened and eaten later.

“Well, let’s talk about the problem we face right now. ”

“Pork is too expensive to eat!”

“The quality of the fodder they are trying to feed us stinks! It is pathetic!”

Did she understand what Artpe was trying to convey? When she heard his words, her pupils shook for the first time. It was as if the world was about to fall on her head. She asked in a serious manner.

“Wa. The food at the palace isn’t tasty?”

“It is the worst.”

Artpe was firm with his words. It had already been several hundred years since the fight between a hero and a Demon King. Of course, the palace had a manual in regards to how to develop a hero. However, it was very outdated! It was trash! Even the common soldiers of the Demon Army would ridicule the manual if they saw it!

‘In truth, the hero’s development was delayed, because she followed their manual.’

Maetel’s potential was remarkable. In only a year, her level had increased from level 200 to level 374. Even if the Demon King continued to provide a constant stream of fodder, her growth rate was unbelievable.

Such an amazing hero had lived in the palace for several years, yet her growth rate had been absurdly low. If the Demon King hadn’t paid attention to her, she would have never reached the Demon King’s castle!

Therefore, if the two heroes were dragged into the palace, the only thing waiting for them was a terrible loss! It would be game over for them!

“Humans are the biggest enemies of other humans. I want you to remember this, Maetel.”

“Ah, all right. Humans are the biggest enemies of other humans... The food at the palace tastes bad....”

This was the moment when the hero realized humanity was her enemy.

“So what should we do, Artpe?”

“Don’t worry about it. I thought of a way to nurture... I know how we’ll develop ourselves. I know things are a bit messed up right now, but... Tsk. It can’t be helped. Let’s do this my way.”

His original plan was to gather all the skills and magic in this world. He planned on giving it all to Maetel. However, he had also become a hero now. Their enemy didn’t have a single target anymore. The target had split into two, and Artpe didn’t want to die. This was why Artpe had no choice, but to come to this conclusion.

“From now on, you’ll learn about weapons. I’ll learn magic. The rest... We’ll appropriately split it up between the two of us, and learn it.”

“Yes!”

A hero was able to learn skills and magic from all Classes. This special characteristic made the Hero Class a cheat Class. Moreover, there were a good number of unique skills and special skills hidden around the world, and they could only be mastered by the hero Class.

Normally, it was foolish to learn magic and weapons at the same time. It slowed one’s development in both fields. However, the hero had to swallow the bitter pill of learning both fields, since the hero was pushed to learn all the skills and special moves that could only be learned by the hero...

‘However, there are two heroes now.’

The most fundamental problem had been solved. The two of them could choose one’s specialty field ahead of time. Each skill they gained could be maxed out. This would simplify their plan on how they would dispose the Demon King!

“....this is hogwash! Ooh-ahhhhh! Why am I a hero!”

“Artpe. A hog doesn’t wash itself!”

“Don’t undercut me so coldly at a time like this!”

This wasn’t his original plan! He planned on developing Maetel into a great hero, and he planned on eating the crumbs off the table from the back! He would have to fight the bone chillingly strong Demon King! Shit!

“Ooh-ahhhhhhhh. Please tell me this is all a dream!”

“This is really like a dream, Artpe. Artpe and I are heroes.... Together....”

Maetel’s idiotic reaction didn’t allow Artpe to escape from reality. If he dropped the ball, the Private A of the Demon King’s army might be able to kill them! Artpe let out a big sigh as he flicked Maetel’s forehead.

“Ouch.”

“You have to get ahold of yourself from now on. A hero becomes the center of attention for the humans, but at the same time, the hero becomes the target of every demon within the Demon race.”

“It’s all right. I’ll protect Artpe!”

“Yes. I like that you are courageous.”

He was a little bit late in realizing this, but.... This girl was a bit of an idiot.

How was she able to learn magic and healing spells? After much consideration, he realized Maetel had only used her sword in his previous life. He hadn’t seen her use anything else.

Even as he lost, he had thought the hero was acting cool when she held back from using any magic. However, Artpe was mistaken. The hero had been an idiot, and she hadn’t been able to handle any difficult magic!

“Eh-whew. Maybe this is for the best. It seems the gods are pretty smart.”

It was said a diamond on a dunghill is still a diamond. Artpe had the experience of living as a Demon, so he was more adept at manipulating magic compared to most humans. He was made into being a hero, and at the very least, he was better at using magic than Maetel. This meant their chances of beating the Demon King had gone up.

If he didn’t have this idea to cling onto, his stomach would be churning from pain.

“I reincarnated for nothing······.”

“Huh? Reincarnated?”

“It’s nothing. Let’s get ready to escape.”

“Escape?”

When Maetel made a retort, Artpe didn’t say anything. He just pointed out the window.

“Artpe! Let’s talk for a little bit!”

“We gave you bread yesterday!”

“I have an item left behind by your father, Maetel! Why don’t you come out here for a brief moment.?”

This was a hut where Artpe lived by himself. This was no where near the center of the village, yet the people of the village were all gathered in front of his hut. It was a scary sight.

“Ah. He said my father left an item behind! I’ll be right back.”

“They are liars. Stay by my side.”

“Yes!”

Artpe stopped Maetel from getting up. She almost fell for the most basic trick. He let out a sigh. He would have to turn away the people, and he would have to escape the village with Maetel. His immediate future looked bleak. At that moment, Maetel’s naive voice asked a question.

“So why are so many people gathered outside? Normally, they are very chilly towards Artpe and I.”

“Since we are heroes, they probably want to create a tie with us at all cost. Still, they are only level 1 starter village people ABCD.”

Artpe was an orphan of unknown origin. Maetel had lost her mother when she was young, and her father was a traveling merchant.

The villagers weren’t heartless enough to let the two die. They helped the children get by, but they were considered to be a drain on their resources. This was why the villagers had treated them as if they were undesirables.

However, the two of them had suddenly become heroes!

Until now, the people of this village had treated them poorly, and those memories were flashing through their minds. This was why they had all gathered here to leave a positive memory behind in the two children’s minds.

“If they had something useful, I would take it, but....”

There was no hidden treasure or skill in this village. He had checked with his Read All Creation ability.

Basically, he had nothing to gain from the villagers. This tow had no special characteristics aside the fact that the heroes were born her. This was basically a quintessential starter’s village!

“Nothing good will come from getting involved with them. Even if we received and completed a request, they probably would give us some grass as a reward.”

“I’m good at eating grass. When I was young, father taught me which grass I could eat.”

“I’m not going to eat grass. I’m not a cow. Are you a cow?”

“No!”

“Then you shouldn’t eat it from now on.”

“Yes!”

He didn’t care about the worries of the villagers. They didn’t interest Artpe. The fact that he was a hero now was annoying, so he didn’t feel the need to get involved in other people’s business! The only things he needed was money, level, skills and spells!

“This is why we have to run away. If we stay put, we might be dragged away to the castle.”

“I also don’t want food that tastes bad!”

Maetel let out an energetic shout as if she agreed with Artpe. However, she soon asked a question in low spirits.

“If father comes back to find me missing, he’ll be sad. If I go stay at the castle, I can contact him. I can’t do that if I go with you.”

“You are sharp in regards to some topics.... Well... Mmmm.”

At this point in time, Maetel’s father had died in a remote part of the continent. Artpe had been in charge of investigating her, so he was sure of it.

However, he couldn’t just tell her that her father was dead, because it was so in his previous life! Artpe’s existence might have changed Maetel’s father’s fate, but that possibility was very low. However, he didn’t feel the need to attack Maetel mentally at this point in time.

This was why he made up a reasonable-sounding excuse.

“We’ll leave behind a letter. Your father knows that you are close with me. He’ll probably come looking for you at this hut.”

“Artpe. I know how to read letters, but I don’t know how to write....”

“It’s all right. I know human...I know how to read and write the Kingdom Language.”

“That’s amazing!”

When Artpe raised his right hand, a blue light appeared at the end of his index finger. This couldn’t be called magic. It was the most basic mana technique called Mana Manifestation. It was possible to engrave letters into the wood using the hot mana. Maetel’s eyes became brighter. Artpe grinned as he confirmed something with her.

“Does your father know the Kingdom Language?”

“Of course!”

“All right, hero. Do you have anything you want to tell your father?”

“Yes, I do! So....”

Artpae transcribed all of Maetel’s words on the wall of the hut. He let out a sigh as he stepped back. He thought this was pointless, but if he could keep her morale up, it was worth it.

‘I’ve gone through the trouble of doing this. You should come back alive, and search this hut out.’

He grumbled as he gave his wish, and he grabbed Maetel’s hand.

Kyahh!

Maetel let out a bashful sound, but he ignored it.

“Let’s run away.”

“Y...yes!”

“Aht, Artpe!”

“Maetel!”

The two of them charged out of the hut’s door in an energetic manner. The villagers rushed forward. Artpe didn’t know when the priest would be coming back, so he didn’t have the time to deal with the villagers. Artpe chose the weakest looking villager. He glared at the Villager D as he spoke.

“We have to go to the restroom.”

“I...I’m sorry.”

Village person D backed off. Villager A, B, C and E followed D’s example as they also backed off!

This was the moment he had been waiting for. He ran as he pulled Maetel behind him. Villager D looked at the children’s back. It seemed the two of them really had to go to the restroom.

However, the two children was never seen again. They didn’t return to the village.

The heroes succeeded in running away.