About

In a world of swords and magic, inhabited by humans, demons, elves, and dark elves. Once, the world was pushed to the brink of ruin 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 journeyed with his companions to slay the Demon King, but his strength was far beyond the norm, even among them. While his allies were legendary figures in their own right, the protagonist's power was overwhelmingly dominant in most battles, including the final confrontation. After the Demon King's defeat, the protagonist vanished from the public eye, seeking neither fame nor power. Many years have passed, and a new Demon King has appeared. A new youth has been chosen as the world's "Hero." The protagonist believes there is no meaning in him defeating the Demon King again. Rather than him protecting the world indefinitely, the next generation must learn to protect 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 goes to great lengths to avoid standing out in combat. He secretly weakens enemies. He buffs his allies' abilities. He deflects fatal attacks from the shadows. He eliminates dangerous monsters before they are encountered. He quietly handles scouting, camping, cooking, and equipment maintenance. He stays strictly in the background so the youths feel they fought, won, and gained experience on their own. However, this backfires. The current Hero and his party begin to believe they have grown strong purely through their own talent. In particular, the current Hero grows more confident with every success, gradually becoming arrogant. Unaware of the protagonist's support, they begin to think: "This guy does nothing in battle." "He's just tagging along with us." The protagonist, watching the current Hero, also begins to have doubts. In terms of raw strength, the boy has enough talent to be a Hero. However, he looks down on those weaker than himself. He takes being praised for granted. He prioritizes his own judgment over his companions' opinions. The "Hero" the protagonist wanted to raise is starting to head in a slightly different direction. Meanwhile, the other party members generally support the Hero's opinions. Though their reasons vary: One believes the Hero's judgment is absolute. One agrees simply to stay in the Hero's good graces. 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 group's momentum. In this situation, the current Hero finally speaks to the protagonist. "We don't need you anymore." It is an expulsion from the Hero's party. But the protagonist does not get angry. In fact, by this time, he had reached the same conclusion. The problem for the protagonist isn't being kicked out of the party. It is whether the young man he tried to raise as the next Hero is truly fit for the role. The protagonist gives up on the current Hero and decides to leave the party of his own accord. He has no intention of seeking revenge. He has no intention of showing off his true strength. He doesn't even care about making them regret kicking him out. He simply chose the wrong person. If so, he just needs to find another. 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.