I Became the Hero Who Banished the Protagonist chapter 9

9. uncomfortable eating (2)

“Long time no see, Bishop Andre.”

When the bishop’s name was called, he nodded and smiled even thicker. Even if it wasn’t so, the bishop’s eyes became completely narrowed. The rosary around his neck glowed softly like the moon in the light of the street.

“Probably the first expedition… , It’s the first time I’ve seen you before going to defeat the ‘Third Plague’, right? I don’t know if you’ve been having a good vacation so far.”

Vacation, can’t you see I just came back from work? Are you being sarcastic? I wasn’t in the mood to talk about my current situation, so I immediately changed the subject.

“Why did the Bishop come to Kairos Kingdom?”

The bishop raised his eyebrows. It’s like asking if you really don’t know that. So, did you ask that question because I seemed to be having a good vacation?

“The warrior should know better. It’s a little hard to talk openly on the side of the road like this, but… .”

The Bishop glanced around and said. yes i know It must have something to do with Isis suddenly leaving the warrior party this time. Daphne’s bewildered expression, my subtle expression, and Bishop Andre’s kindly smile all came together to create an odd scene. Bishop Andrew glanced at Daphne and nodded in greeting.

“You are the new companion of the hero. nice to meet you. My name is Andre Zavin.”

“all… My name is Daphne Epiphone.”

Daphne hesitantly received the bishop’s greeting, then crept up behind me. There was a strange sense of intimidation in that gentle smile on his face. With a sigh, I quietly covered Daphne and stepped forward. Bishop Andre was, in a different sense, a difficult figure. I knew very well what lurked behind that figure. Glancing at the Bishop’s shimmering shadow, I switched to a vigilant posture.

“There are probably not just one or two busy things in the Holy Land, so you dared to come to visit us.”

“Anyway, it’s related to the hero, so can I send someone lower than me? The Pope himself ordered me to go, so it is only right that I move.”

Bishop Andre sighed lightly as he said that. If it weren’t for the clerical attire, I would believe it to be the expression of an ordinary office worker working overtime. The bishop quickly erased that tired look from his face and clapped his hands. One expression management was enough to stick out the tongue.

“By the way, have you eaten? If you don’t mind, I’d like to talk slowly over a meal or something-“

The Bishop turned and looked at Daphne. Behind my back, I felt Daphne’s shoulders shrink slightly.

“How is Daphne? Since you’re a member of the hero’s party, if you want to have a meal together, I’ll treat you with the hero. I arranged for a pretty good restaurant.”

Daphne immediately shook her head. It was a smart choice. No matter how you look at it, it was not the atmosphere to enjoy a meal together. Daphne then looked at me with worried eyes.

“You go first, Daphne. It’s the weekend from tomorrow, so take a good rest and come out on Monday.”

Daphne didn’t seem to let go easily as she stepped back. It looked like a puppy waiting for its owner to go to the bathroom. It wasn’t until I gave her a reassuring smile that Daphne greeted me and slowly, looking back this way to the end, disappeared across the shining path.

The back of my head stung. When I turned my head again, Bishop Andrew was looking at me with an expression of surprise.

“… Your personality seems to have changed a bit. Or is she something special?”

“I remember we haven’t seen each other long enough to talk about personalities.”

He answered harshly on purpose, but Bishop Andre had a nonchalant expression on his face. It was probably an answer close to Illroy’s personality.

“Well, good. By the way, do you have a good time? I can’t help it if it doesn’t work out… .”

Do you think I have a choice in the first place? I shivered as I felt a chill run up my spine and penetrate my brain. It would be difficult to buy a needless vigilance by revealing it on the outside. I nodded my head with the most calm expression.

“No, good. I know you need a little time to talk.”

Hearing my answer, Bishop Andre nodded his head in satisfaction, and without further ado he turned his back and began to walk. The rosary around the bishop’s neck swayed and sparkled. I didn’t let go of my tension and started following Bishop Andre slowly. At the same time, I reflected on what kind of person Bishop Andre appeared in the original work.

Andre Zabin.

One of the bishops of the main religion, the Puritan Church, in ＜I’ll Never Go Back＞. Short, well-groomed blonde hair mixed with narrow eyes, and a gentle impression are characteristic. He’s tall, skinny, similar to Illroy. If you look at it this far, it’s just an ordinary clergyman’s supporting role, but-.

“The weather is fine.”

Behind the smile as he looked back, there was a butcher holding a cross.

Some called him Executioner, others called him Judge. Those who hated his group called them Puritan Dogs or Pope Dogs, but there was no official designation for Andre Zavin and his group.

Heretic Questioner.

A group willing to do anything to straighten out the authority of the Puritan Church. Their specialty was murder, their hobbies were torture, and kidnapping and threats were carried out as naturally as breathing. Of course, the Heretic Questioner was the most secret group of the Puritan Church, and they did not have many activities. So, far from knowing the members, most of them didn’t know the existence of the Heretic Questioner at all, or even if they did know, they dismissed it as an urban legend.

Well, at least I know very well that I am not. And now I was going to have a meal alone with the person who is the head of the monsters. Rice will go well.

“Now, this is the restaurant I found. Doesn’t it look pretty good too? I should have been living in the capital all along, but I couldn’t find such a treasured place.”

“… I don’t have much time to go looking for a good place to eat.”

“That is unfortunate.”

Andre beckoned me to the entrance of a small diner marked ‘Full Moon’. I walked towards the door of the restaurant that Andre had opened, feeling as if I was walking into the flames carrying firewood.

“I came across this place by chance in the royal capital a few months ago, and the workmanship is amazing. Do it well according to my taste. You can look forward to it in many ways.”

Andre, who sat in a corner seat as if familiar, said that. Bishop Andre wouldn’t have come to kill the hero right away. If I did, I would have been killed a long time ago. In the original work, it wasn’t when Illroy died, so it’s very likely that he really just came to talk with me today.

Click, click.

Wine was placed on the table. Andre eagerly took the bottle and unstopped it. It’s probably not a very good wine, but he didn’t seem to care. shiver. Dark red wine filled my glass. Since the pourer is a human being, I tried my best not to associate the color of the wine with blood.

“Oh, I forgot to say this. Congratulations on repelling the ‘Third Plague’. It’s never too late, though.”

Andre lifted a full glass of wine. I reluctantly raised my glass and made a toast.

“Don’t congratulate me. It’s embarrassing to see you paint your face with gold.”

Bishop Andrew moistened his lips and smiled. Gray eyes peeking through the slender eyes caught me. There shouldn’t be a knife lurking in there.

“This is really humble. Anyway, the hero who defeated the third plague this time is now standing shoulder to shoulder with the legendary heroes of the past. If you are embarrassed by such compliments, you will have a hard time in the future.”

“The introduction is long.”

I cut Bishop Andrew off at once. It wasn’t a fuss, and it wasn’t deliberately irritating. That human butcher was not far behind enough to be stimulated by such a conversation. As if to prove that, Bishop Andre put down his wine glass and looked at me with curious eyes.

“Isn’t there something else you want to ask?”

The Bishop took another sip of the wine. It seemed that Bishop Andrew’s interest in the conversation increased as I crooked myself. A perverted child. I don’t know if the increased interest is good or bad.

“I knew that the hero would have a conflict with Isis when I first saw him.”

“Isis probably knew that too.”

When I answered indifferently, Bishop Andre burst out laughing.

“Hero, your prestige that is revealed externally is important. That’s why I gave the warrior considerable authority in the expedition.”

The bishop stirred the wine glass slowly in the air. While I was drinking, the Bishop was emptying about a third of the cup that was already full.

“Of course, the hero is not just an adventurer who can defeat the threats of the world, but also a special envoy of the Kairos Kingdom traveling overseas, a warrior chosen by the Church of Korea, a prover of myths, and a spreader of faith. do.”

Every time the bishop opened his mouth, one more coat of arms was added. I didn’t want to hear it any more, so I waved my hand and frowned.

“So, what do you want to say?”

“I can’t separate the saintess and the warrior just because of that mercenary. Do you understand?”

Click.

Plates began to be placed between me and Bishop Andrew. A steaming meat loaf was placed in front of me, and bean salad and bread were placed in front of the bishop. The bishop happily picked up a fork and dipped the vegetable into his mouth. Vegetarian Heretic Questioner. It was a combination that didn’t even make me laugh. The bishop politely chewed and swallowed the salad before opening his mouth again.

“No matter what reason the hero expelled the mercenary, Isis shouldn’t have done that. I mean, I should have stayed by the warrior’s side until the end. Looking at this situation, I also wondered if the warriors party was formed a little hastily when it was still immature.”

yes.

Isis, she must have thought that the Puritans would never touch her. This is true to some extent, but she was overlooking an important point. Isis herself can’t be touched, but Arjen, who has just become a wandering mercenary, can be touched as much as she wants.

“Don’t worry, the saintess will be back at the party soon. We will be able to punish the mercenary who seduced Isis.”

Assume that Arjen tricked Isis into leaving the party together. I will condone anything else. The bishop was suggesting so.

The Bishop’s smile was benign, but that made it all the more frightening. It felt as if I was talking face-to-face with a dagger that could stab me at any time, not a person.

“Looks like they’ve found a replacement for that mercenary. So it’s okay, warriors, don’t worry. We may delay our next expedition, and give the party time to reorganize when Isis returns.”

In the original story, there was an episode where Arjen and the Heretic Questioners fought. After kidnapping Isis, who had barely reunited with Arjen, Arjen, who lost his eyesight, grew up and cut down the Heretic Questioners. Thanks to that incident, Arjen, who had been trying to live a quiet life, embarks on a disaster attack in earnest.

First, it must dry. No matter how prepared I was for emergencies, it was dangerous. But how?

“But it’s not good to wait too long, so let’s solve it as soon as possible… .”

“Isis.”

I cut off the bishop’s words halfway through. There seemed to be a way out of the situation.

“I didn’t follow that mercenary, Arjen, and leave the party.”

“… Whoa.”

Bishop Andrew’s gray eyes lit up. The Heretic Questioner’s gaze, which seemed to pierce my eyes, seemed to trap me and imprison me like the iron bars of a prison.

“What if?”

I put my fork down on the plate, as casually as I could, and leaned back in my chair and looked at Bishop Andrew. With an arrogant look in his eyes, as the original Illroy probably does.

“I expelled the saintess myself.”