I Became the Hero Who Banished the Protagonist chapter 70

70. The saint and the warrior (2)

“A warrior.”

Someone’s words made everyone there look back. The gaze on me increased. One to two, two to five, five to twenty. The sound of hitting and breaking died down. Even the shouting was gone. Those who had distorted their faces as if they were going to find and kill Puritan believers became expressionless. I took off the hood and threw it off to draw attention, but it was so good that it worked.

“A real warrior.”

“Why are you here?”

I looked at the people without saying anything. They seemed to regard me as if I were a statue. With the noise of the chattering onlookers, the residents slowly began to surround me. The noise of the people chasing Marianne and Georg in the alley also died down. Apocalypse worshipers and ordinary villagers, all who had been Bakhtins’s people, were gathering.

“[Illroy]”

The holy sword called me. I didn’t answer the Holy Sword. At least now wasn’t the time to depend on her. Beyond the light emitted by the training overhead, people flocked like shadows. The faces of those who were invisible when there was no light were coming into my eyes one by one.

The photons that dyed their eyes red. Children with tears in their eyes, young men with wary eyes, and women holding onto mottled aprons.

“… Why did you come back here?”

An elderly man asked me. I couldn’t answer that saying that I came to save you. Illroy, even though the warrior party succeeded in protecting the world, they failed to protect Baktins. For these people, for whom the Baktins are the world, it would be no different than a failure to protect the world.

“Hero, did you come along with the members of the Puritan Church to arrest us, the teacher?”

I shook my head.

“I didn’t come here to catch you. Wouldn’t the teacher know?”

“The teacher is not a bad person. He took care of us and told us why we were put through this. Now tell us the way we should go forward.”

The old man’s voice was hoarse.

“The child treated by the teacher is dying. People are losing interest in living life. Even now, there will be people who are afraid of your actions.”

It was wrong, I told the locals with certainty. I’m not sure if you can hear me.

“They look forward to the death of others. You should never trust them.”

“… Now we are trying to get rid of the place where we lean on.”

“The teacher and his teachings are wrong. Harming people is not teaching.”

I spoke clearly and slowly so that the people could hear.

“Even if that’s the only place you lean on, I’d say it’s wrong. And they will try to get you out of there.”

“… Our reality, this world.”

The old man opened his mouth in a trembling voice.

“He disappeared that day. The resentment and anger just piled up one by one. The world celebrates this. And when disaster strikes the world again, there will be no people like us.”

Heh heh, the old man let out a big laugh. It was a harsh, dry laugh, like sandpaper scraping the depths of the lungs.

“Only we became lunatics. The North, champion, you defended so well. When the whole world rejoices and celebrates defeating the calamity, Baktins and we disappear from our memories, stay in the past, and become psychopaths who resent the world in pain… !!”

The old man spoke in a voice that seemed like it would break at any moment. Someone held the old man who was staggering and spitting out words.

“Swear at me for being cunning. Sell it as narrow-minded and petty. I mean we don’t care at all. However, you should also know that the words that we had to accept this ending, that it was something that should have come to everyone someday, comforted us more than the irresponsible words that told us to look at hope vaguely and clumsily.”

The old man sighed and let out a breath. I lowered my head following the old man who was sitting down.

“… It doesn’t matter anymore. Hero, whether you annihilate the people here or leave them alone.”

It’s something you don’t know. It’s a pain you don’t know But I couldn’t just block my ears and walk away because I didn’t know. It’s not Illroy’s fault, nor is it Arjen’s or Isis’ fault. But innocence did not mean irresponsibility. I looked at the residents of Baktins for a long time as if having a snowball fight. And what they probably never wanted, I said.

“I’m sorry.”

People’s eyes flickered. There were also people who openly distorted their expressions.

“I couldn’t properly protect this place because I was lacking.”

And, laughter erupted from beneath his feet. He was a demon worshiper who had kept his mouth shut. He looked at me with blood dripping from his mouth.

“It’s a minister, it’s a minister!! It’s just an apology for leaving this place like this and then coming back and doing nothing. It’s not funny at all.”

I ignored him. The worshiper croaked, foaming at his mouth and continuing to laugh.

“You look very ugly, warrior!”

However, the words of the worshiper did not seem to reach the ears of the villagers. Residents were emotionally agitated. Most of the things I feel are anger, resentment, and futility.

“… If you apologize like that.”

A woman’s voice was heard.

“What should we do? The destroyed house, the land, the dead family. You don’t come back with an apology. And apologies, are you making us fools by shamelessly bowing your head? To make you the only good person, and make us an ugly group of people who lash out at those who apologize? great. I’ll show you how far we can get ugly.”

swish

The woman threw the bucket she was holding at me. The bucket I threw with my slender arm couldn’t even fly far, and after hitting my arm, it bounced helplessly and rolled across the floor. They probably know deep down in their hearts. The fact that none of this really happened through anyone’s fault.

“I apologize… I apologize… I.”

The woman then sat down as if her legs were giving up and began to cry. Then, the people who were still were glaring at me, changing their expressions in various ways. Dozens, hundreds. Thousands of resentment pierced me like arrows and spear points. I took a small breath and looked at each of their emotions.

“… Why should we be doing this?”

People’s voices were heard. A small stone fell at my feet.

“Why do we have to suffer like this!!”

The objects flying towards me began to increase. boulder. Wooden planks, buckets and pipes. I didn’t defend against flying objects and was hit intact. The body was not strengthened. I didn’t even erase the training above my head.

puck. puck. The things that hit my body gradually increased. clothes are torn I got a bruise on my arm. The skin on his shoulder was torn and a bucket flew into his forehead. A stone hit his head and passed.

“How did you keep it there? Why couldn’t we keep it?”

puck. puck. What hurt as much as flying objects was their words. It was a deception to accept as my business what was not my business, and perhaps it was to accuse them of other sins as well. But if I don’t even apologize like this, the words of those who deny the world are justified. Words about this place being abandoned become true. I couldn’t let it go like that. I won’t abandon them to the end anymore.

“My family. My hometown is… !”

puck. puck. As the scars on my body increased, people’s anger also grew. The flying objects were resentment and anger. sick. The wounds they suffered are so painful.

“Who’s giving it back… .”

His forehead was torn and bruises increased. It hurt even more when an object flew into the place I hit.

“why… . why!! We are supposed to be like this!!”

A fist-sized stone flew at his head. The stone hit the spot where the forehead was torn once more. The wound opened and blood gushed out. It hurt. I took a step back.

“why. why.”

Empty questions asking why hovered in the air. Anger was turning into crying one by one.

—

Illroy was being baptized with a myriad of rubbish. For some reason, Illroy didn’t seem to even try to protect himself. Isis stood still, staring at Illroy in the crowd. With a shining training ring floating above her head, her eyes were still looking at people. He was being hit by a block of wood, an iron pipe, and a stone.

“Illroy… .”

Daphne’s face contorted. Having exhausted her mana, she had no strength to walk and had to stare at Illroy helplessly. Daphne’s fists clenched in anger. Fingernails dug into her flesh and blood trickled out.

Isis tried to exhale, but her breath caught in her throat and would not come out. It was as if the pores in her body were blocked, blocking the exhalation of something. Emotions and thoughts were trapped in my head and swirled around.

“Why did this place have to be destroyed!”

It wasn’t Illroy who had to bear that resentment. If it had been his choice, he might have really been able to save this place. He was the only person standing there who deserved to be stoned. Isis bit her lip. sick. It hurts that those horses are headed for Illroy. My heart would hurt even more if I said that directly. Because he wanted to protect this city until the end.

puck.

Illroy was already a wreck. His clothes were half tattered, and his head was shattered, with blood streaming down his face. Isis unknowingly broke through the people and stepped forward. Pushing people aside, he stepped forward. Illroy’s head turned to Isis. Illroy’s shocked expression. Isis ran to stop him, and a disparate cry came from the crowd.

“die!!”

It was a cry of a kind far removed from people’s resentment and anger. Then Isis saw something shiny flying straight towards her. The object flew in aiming for Isis’ forehead without an error. at last. It’s like this. I’m being punished like this Isis closed her eyes.

puck.

There was no pain. Isis wondered at him and opened her eyes. Blood was dripping in front of my eyes. Isis, it wasn’t her blood. Isis blinked in bewilderment and lifted her head. She felt someone’s hand on her back again.

“It looks like there’s someone still hiding.”

A dagger pierced Illroy’s hand. Isis took a small breath when she saw the reverse pentagram engraved on the hilt of her dagger. Illroy slowly rose from his seat and gazed sharply into the crowd.

“Georg, Marianne!”

At Illroy’s cry, two shadows jumped out of the alley. There was someone trying to run through the people. However, he was soon caught by Georg and Marianne, who came running, and let out an unsightly scream. Illroy stared at it with furious eyes, then turned back to the people.

“no… . I never intended to harm the saintess… .”

People were terrified. They would have known. The fact that if a hero wants to, he can harm them all even with his eyes closed. But Illroy doesn’t. He immediately relaxed his expression, pulled out the dagger in his hand, and put it on his belt. Blood dripped down Illroy’s left hand.

“I know.”

A moment of awkward silence followed. Isis stood up with Illroy helping her. People’s misunderstandings had to be corrected. They don’t know what happened that day, the day of the Kraken fight.

“Everyone. I have something to tell you.”

Isis opened her mouth, and people turned their heads toward her. Then, Illroy quickly covered Isis’ mouth and shook his head. Isis tried to push Illroy’s hand away, but Illroy was stubborn.

why. You’re not giving me a chance to clear up your misunderstanding. It’s not a pain you can handle. The resentment you deserve, not the anger.

“please.”

When Isis heard Illroy speak so briefly, she grabbed his arm and knelt down. No matter how hard Isis tried, Illroy wouldn’t let Isis open her mouth. At that time, there was the sound of a door opening in a corner of the alley, followed by the sound of footsteps approaching this place.

“Saintess!!”

It was the worst, worst timing. The man was approaching the crowd with his son. The child rubbed his eyes as if he were sleepy, but when he saw the sight of a large number of people, he opened his eyes in surprise.

“I wondered if he was going out of nowhere, but about something like this… .”

People mumbled and looked at the boy who looked fine.

“… No, not too long ago, your son… .”

The man shook his head and nodded toward Isis.

“The saintess just healed it. He took off the fake sorcery of the damned ‘teacher’ you were talking about, and treated him perfectly like this.”

The man spoke as if appealing to people.

“Please, open your eyes and look. They’re just trying to use us. Don’t be fooled by deceptive words, let’s see who’s really out there for us.”

There was a commotion. Isis looked at the people’s argument with a devastated expression. He seemed to have forgotten his own story. The people were divided into two groups and arguing fiercely. Those who insist until the end saying that ‘Teacher’ is right, and those who the man starts persuading one by one. Belief in heresy gradually began to shatter, but the truth that Isis was trying to tell became more and more buried.

“Do not say.”

Illroy’s voice came. Isis’s hand, which held Illroy’s arm, trembled. This is already the situation. Even Isis understood that she could no longer tell the truth. When Isis relaxed, Illroy only then let go of Isis. My body was losing strength. Isis fell to the floor exhausted.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Illroy hugged Isis. Isis was helplessly held in Illroy’s arms and looked at the people. It seemed that the scenery scratched Isis’ heart again.

“Hero.”

A man’s voice was heard. It seemed that he was quite shaken by the fact that the person who had helped him so far was a hero. The man looked at Illroy with complicated eyes and sighed.

“Let’s go with the saintess.”

Illroy nodded. And with Isis in her arms, she walked through the crowd. The waves of people parted and opened a way for Illroy, but their gaze was not kind. lingering resentment and anger. And some sympathy for Isis. Isis couldn’t bear to meet that gaze, so she turned her head and put her forehead on Illroy’s chest.

“Don’t show yourself again.”

“We will not forget this. You too live with the guilt of not being able to protect this place.”

people were talking Illroy was getting hit with every word they threw. Isis swayed and grabbed Illroy’s collar, then lifted a hand with difficulty and placed it over Illroy’s ear.

“That is what I need to hear. You don’t have to listen.”

Illroy shook his head. Then, he gestured as if to lower his arm.

“That’s what I need to hear.”

Illroy said so and moved on silently. Criticism from people continued to fly. Isis grabbed Illroy by the collar again and lowered her face. The bloodied hero moved his steps with such a calmness that it hurt his heart.

Hold on.

Power entered Isis’ hands. The tears I was trying to hold back came pouring out. Guilt, remorse, regret. Isis desperately held on to Illroy in the whirlwind of emotions.

“sorry… .”

Along with crying, words came out of Isis’ mouth. Just like a child confessing their sins to their parents, Isis wept and vomited up her mistakes and begged for forgiveness.

“sorry… .”

A hint of Gaebyeok was beginning to appear in the dark sky. The hero just walked away without saying anything, and the saintess cried in the arms of such a hero and apologized endlessly.