About

A world where swords and magic exist, inhabited by humans, demons, elves, and dark elves. Once, the world was plunged into crisis by a powerful Demon King. The one who defeated that Demon King and saved the world was the protagonist, the Hero of that era. The protagonist traveled with companions to subjugate the Demon King, but his strength was far beyond the norm, even among his allies. Although his companions were powerful enough to leave their names in history, in reality, the protagonist's power was overwhelmingly dominant in most battles, including the final confrontation. After the Demon King was defeated, the protagonist vanished from the public eye without seeking fame or power. Many years have passed since then, and a new Demon King has appeared. A new youth has been chosen by the world as the "Hero." The protagonist believed there would be no meaning in him defeating the Demon King again. Rather than him continuing to protect the world, the next generation must become capable of protecting it with their own strength. Hiding his identity as the former Hero and his true power, the protagonist joins the young Hero's party as a support member. His goal is to support the current Hero and his companions from the shadows while helping them grow. The protagonist stays as inconspicuous as possible during combat. He secretly weakens enemies. He buffs his allies' abilities. He blocks fatal attacks from the shadows. He eliminates dangerous monsters in advance. He quietly handles scouting, camping, cooking, and equipment maintenance. He stayed thoroughly behind the scenes so the youths would believe they fought, won, and gained experience through their own efforts. However, this backfired. The current Hero and his party began to believe they had grown strong at an incredible pace. In particular, the current Hero grew more confident with every success, gradually becoming arrogant. Unaware of the protagonist's support, he began to think: "This guy does nothing in battle." "He's just tagging along with us." The protagonist also began to harbor doubts while watching the current Hero. In terms of strength alone, he had enough talent to be a Hero. However, he looked down on those weaker than himself. He took being praised by others for granted. He prioritized his own judgment over his companions' opinions. He was slowly drifting away from the "Hero" the protagonist wanted to raise. Meanwhile, the companions in the Hero's party generally support the current Hero's opinions. However, their reasons vary. One believes the Hero's judgment is absolutely correct. One agrees simply because they want to be liked by the Hero. One has a weak will and follows indifferently because the Hero said so. One feels doubtful about kicking the protagonist out but goes along with it, unable to resist the strong pressure of the group. In this situation, the current Hero finally speaks to the protagonist. "We don't need you anymore." It was an expulsion from the Hero's party. But the protagonist does not get angry. In fact, by this time, the protagonist himself had reached the same conclusion. The problem for the protagonist wasn't being kicked out of the party. It was whether the young man he tried to raise as the next Hero was truly fit for the role. The protagonist gives up on the current Hero and decides to leave the party himself. He has no intention of seeking revenge. He has no intention of showing off his strength. He doesn't even want to make them regret kicking him out. He simply chose the wrong person. If so, he just needs to look again. Thus, the former Hero who once saved the world leaves the young Hero's party. And without revealing his identity to anyone, He sets out on a new journey to find the person who "truly deserves to be a Hero." The story begins at the moment the protagonist is banished from the Hero's party.