Chapter 1: The Hero’s Unconventional Path

Divine Calendar Year 1552—

I was reportedly born in this year.

“What a pity! This thing has no magic whatsoever! Get rid of it at once!”

This was the first appraisal I received after my birth. Soon after, I was adopted by my mother.

***

Divine Calendar Year 1564—

I learned the purpose of my existence. I then fled the royal palace, embarking on a journey to vanquish the Demon King as a hero unrecognized and devoid of any magical abilities.

***

Divine Calendar Year 1565—

I finally arrived at the Demon King’s castle.

But then…

“Hey! Hold on! Demon King!”

I shook the Demon King’s shoulder.

At this moment, the Demon King, feared by all, lay sprawled on the ground. Their abdomen was caved in, blood trickling from the corner of their mouth.

Their pristine white hair, scattered across the floor, was now stained crimson. Their brow furrowed, then their eyes slowly fluttered open, revealing a profound weakness that suggested death was imminent.

“Cough! Cough, cough! Don’t move so much; it hurts, you know…”

Yet, facing impending death, they showed no fear. Instead, a faint smile graced their lips, as if uttering, ‘Finally, freedom.’

“You’re still smiling, even like this! No, if things continue like this… Hold on! I’ll take you now…”

“Don’t waste your energy. You can’t save me.”

I knew this with absolute certainty. The extent of their injuries, the irreversible consequences—I understood it all too well, for I was the one who had brought them to this state.

“Die, Demon King!”

“Come at me if you dare!”

This had been our exchange when we first met.

I possessed no magic, no magical power. Divine artifacts like holy swords, celestial bows, or demon spears were beyond my grasp. All I had was a single box, a personal magic cube known as the “Prism,” which granted me power.

Clutching it, I had cut through thorns and brambles, finally reaching the Demon King, solely to fulfill the mission I was meant to undertake but which no one had ever entrusted to me—to vanquish the Demon King.

I charged forward, harnessing the power bestowed by the “Prism.” With my slender arm, I drove a seemingly powerless fist into the Demon King’s abdomen.

If it connected, the nerves and blood vessels in their muscles would gradually rupture, leading to their eventual demise.

Of course, things could never be that smooth. My actions were reckless; this was the Demon King, not someone easily defeated. They could have instantly annihilated me in the next moment.

However, this was merely a feint. Once they reacted, I would then…

“Pwah!”

“Eh?”

My fist… it went through?

I was stunned by the impact reverberating through my knuckles. All my focus had been on anticipating the Demon King’s defense or counterattack, but nothing materialized.

This beautiful, exquisitely proportioned, white-haired Demon King had simply absorbed the blow with their delicate body.

By the time I regained my senses, the Demon King had already collapsed, blood spilling from their cherry lips, staining their black robe and pristine white hair.

To absorb my punch without any defense, and not immediately perish, was already remarkable. All that remained was to wait for their body to gradually fail, eventually succumbing to blood loss.

Finally, at this moment, the Hero had successfully vanquished the Demon King.

…But! I refuse to accept this!

What kind of absurd development was this?! Where was the life-and-death struggle?! The cries of despair?! The battle between a Hero and a Demon King wasn’t supposed to be like this!

“Demon King!”

Still reeling from the situation, I hastily knelt beside the Demon King, shaking their shoulder.

“Ah… it hurts so much, my whole body is tearing apart… What kind of punch was that, anyway… Shouldn’t a Hero use a holy sword to strike?”

“A fist is the most powerful weapon, alright! No! This isn’t the time for your commentary! I… I should… what should I do…?”

My mind was a chaotic mess, filled with fear. I should have been overjoyed; I had defeated the Demon King, fulfilling my life’s sole mission.

By bringing their head back to the human kingdom, I would enjoy immense wealth and glory, finally gaining the world’s recognition, not merely existing as a tool!

But now, I didn’t want the Demon King to die like this. All I wanted was to save them. Yet, I possessed no healing magic, and the damage from that punch was irreversible.

“Why are you crying? You’ve eliminated me; be happy. This is humanity’s wish, after all.”

Only then, at the Demon King’s words, did I realize I was weeping, snot and tears streaming down my face. I leaned over, embracing the Demon King’s body, as if praying to the High God to save them.

“Why, why didn’t you fight back?!”

“This… why? I don’t know… Haha… *cough, cough*!” The Demon King, as if nothing was amiss, chuckled. “You’re the Hero; don’t cry over the Demon King…”

“That’s not it! I’m not a Hero! This world doesn’t even know my name! I’m just… I’m just a discarded tool!”

I roared at the Demon King, venting the suppressed indignation in my heart.

True Heroes were chosen by the world, bestowed with the title in a ceremony, gaining global recognition. But I was merely impulsive, taking the “Prism” and rushing to this place.

I was a mere impostor Hero, never even expecting to defeat the Demon King. Perhaps… I had only come here to die.

“Ah… Although I don’t understand what you’re saying, isn’t it wonderful? A stranger killed the Demon King. Wouldn’t that give you plenty to brag about to those official Heroes?”

“I don’t want any of that! Now… now I just want to save you!”

“Why?”

“I don’t know!”

“…You truly are a strange child.”

Watching my panic, the Demon King offered a gentle smile, like a mother comforting a child who had accidentally caused trouble and was crying in fear.

“My name is Bella. What’s yours?”

“My name is… my name is Zero…”

“Zero, you say…” The Demon King, Bella, struggled to lift a hand, caressing my cheek. “My daughter, my only daughter, I entrust her to you…”

“What do you mean, ‘entrust her to me’! I don’t want to! Your daughter is your responsibility! You survive and be responsible for her yourself!”

“You must ensure her… happ… ness…”

Ignoring my protests, and without me fully grasping their meaning, the Demon King’s hand lost its strength and fell limp.

“Demon King? Demon King! Bella!”

I cried out, but there was no response.

Logically, the body’s deterioration shouldn’t have been so rapid, yet the truth was, the Demon King was dead. Their breathing had ceased.

What had truly happened? No one could answer me now. The Demon King’s death had become an enigma.

…No.

I heard it. From behind the throne, the cry of an infant, a heart-wrenching wail, as if sensing its mother’s death.

That must be the Demon King’s daughter, then?

Wiping away my tears and snot, I rushed behind the throne. There, I saw a baby crying in a swaddling cloth.

I hadn’t expected it to be an infant. But why entrust their child to me? Even if I was a fake, I was still a Hero. Were they not afraid I would eliminate the root of the problem?

Nevertheless, I picked her up, gently patting her back, trying to soothe her. Fortunately, she quickly quieted down and fell asleep.

I couldn’t do it. Even if she was the Demon King’s offspring, she was just a baby. I couldn’t bring myself to harm her.

However, precisely because she was the Demon King’s descendant, I couldn’t take her with me. Sooner or later, she would become an enemy of humanity.

Yet, I couldn’t simply ignore her either. If I left her here, she would either starve to death, be killed by arriving human Heroes or armies, or be devoured by the monsters that would eventually occupy this place.

What about the Demon King’s subordinates? Shouldn’t the Demon King have had many? Where were they all? Why hadn’t I seen any of them on my journey?

What… what should I do?

***

Divine Calendar Year 1576—

“Please come again.”

I addressed the departing customer, then settled back into my chair behind the counter, propping my chin in my hand as I idly surveyed my pharmacy.

So much time had passed, yet that event remained vivid in my memory, as if it had only occurred recently.

Afterward, I took the Demon King’s daughter and settled in a village in the Kingdom of Fahl. I lived under an assumed name, opening a pharmacy to make a living.

With the Demon King’s death, I had lost my purpose. After much deliberation, I decided to cast aside that vexing identity and live as an ordinary person.

I changed my name to Ken and named the Demon King’s daughter Nina—no, she was my daughter now!

Although she was the Demon King’s descendant, she was merely an innocent infant.

Thus, I honored Bella’s unilateral request, adopting the child as my own daughter, giving her a name, and vowing to let her live a normal life, far removed from the world’s conflicts.

Initially, it was simply a sense of responsibility; I merely wanted to care for the child.

But over the years, I had witnessed her smiles, her tears, listened to every “Papa” she uttered, and watched her grow from that crying infant into a healthy, adorable girl… What an incredibly joyful thing that was!

Over these past ten years, all my emotions had poured into Nina. I had long decided to treat her as my own flesh and blood daughter, genuinely wishing for her happiness from the bottom of my heart.

Therefore, we had to conceal our true identities.

I was no world-saving Hero, merely an ordinary pharmacy owner. Nina was not the Demon King’s descendant; she was *my* daughter! My daughter alone! No one could take her from me! She was mine! Only I, her father, could ensure her happiness!

Naturally, under my doting care, my daughter became utterly reliant on me, her father, and the love I gave was returned in kind.

However, my indulgence had led to some issues.

“Hello~”

As I was reminiscing about the past, the door opened. A nun greeted me, then respectfully approached the counter.

Draped in a black and white nun’s habit, her long golden hair was faintly visible beneath. A pair of delicate, thin-rimmed glasses rested before her luminous eyes.

She appeared gentle and refined, her sweet smile making her seem as healing as an angel.

She was the nun from our village church. I wondered what brought her here today?

“Hello, Sara.”

“Hello, Mr. Ken. Could you help me find the medicine written on this?”

She handed me a small piece of paper, her gaze fixed on my face. I didn’t pay it much mind, taking the paper and glancing at it.

“Yes, please wait a moment.”

I turned to search the shelves for the medicine, then packed it into a paper bag.

“Here you go.”

“Thank you very much.”

I extended the paper bag with one hand, and then…

“!!”

Instead of taking the bag, Sara grasped my hand. Her eyes stared intently into mine, her cheeks flushed crimson, and her smile took on a deeper meaning—I suddenly felt a sense of unease.

It had to be said, despite being a nun, her beauty was enough to captivate countless men. She was quite popular in the village; usually, a single request from her would draw a multitude of admirers, eager to solve her problems.

It was precisely for this reason that the usually tranquil church often gathered many men, either praying or confessing, though everyone knew it was a pretense, merely to bask in Sara’s healing smile.

She was a nun; marriage was impossible, and she couldn’t show favor to any man. What was the point of pursuing her? Moreover, she had become a nun under duress, to escape marriage. From that perspective, how could she possibly accept romantic overtures?

Yet, this very girl always showed a peculiar expression when facing me. Now, she held my hand tightly, gazing at me with deep affection.

Should I call it friendliness? In any case, it made me slightly uncomfortable. To have my hand held by such a sweet girl, to be shown such favor, even if she was a nun, I couldn’t help but feel a flutter in my heart.

Still, if anyone else saw this, it would surely trigger a catastrophe, at the very least… a murder.

“Um, Sara? What are you…?”

“Mr. Ken is truly so kind. You always take care of us.”

“Ah, that… it’s nothing, really.”

Regarding this, I provided all my medicines to the church for free because they housed several orphans. The church wasn’t wealthy, so I decided to supply them with medicine without charge.

After all, I was a father; I deeply understood the difficulties of raising children. This small gesture was hardly worth mentioning.

However, Sara was a very kind girl and would undoubtedly be grateful for my help, seeing me as a benefactor. This wasn’t the first time she had shown her appreciation. Looking at her innocent expression, I couldn’t refuse, fearing I might hurt her feelings.

But, could you perhaps change the way you express your gratitude, just a little?

“Um, Sara, holding my hand like this… isn’t it a bit inappropriate?”

“Does Mr. Ken not like it?”

“No, it’s not about liking or disliking it. It’s just… you’re a nun, right? Isn’t this a bit too intimate?”

“Not at all. You are our benefactor, and I have no special intentions toward you. This is merely… gratitude.”

“I… I see.”

“Mr. Ken, you are indeed older than me, aren’t you?”

“Uh, yes, that’s right…”

“But you look more like a younger brother.”

“Wait, wait a moment!”

However, at this very moment, Sara did not release my hand. Instead, she interlocked her fingers with mine and leaned forward, her face drawing ever closer.

I felt her chin tilting up, her eyes slowly closing, and her moist lips approaching a certain part of my face.

This was certainly not what one would call gratitude. Would any nun in this world express thanks in such a manner?

Of course, whether she was a nun or not didn’t matter. I wasn’t worried about divine punishment for defiling a nun, nor was I afraid of being beaten by Ms. Sara’s fans. Right now, I was more concerned for my own life!

In any case, I had to make Sara leave now!

“Ms. Sara, please…”

Click.

Well, it was too late.

The sound of a door opening echoed behind me. Immediately afterward, I felt a chilling presence from behind, accompanied by murderous intent directed at me.

I also felt a cold, sharp point against the back of my neck, along with a similarly cold, yet innocent and sweet, voice belonging to my daughter:

“Papa, what… are you doing?”