The morning after the entrance ceremony, I collapsed onto my bed in my dorm room.

  ...The hero is gone.

  The saint is doing business.

  The sage is hunting for a husband.

  The same words repeated endlessly in my mind. I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to believe it.

  But it all seemed to be true.

  Which meant that the "scenario of destruction" I'd spent five years desperately preparing for... had never existed in the first place.

  Then what was all of that for—?

  I swung my sword. I studied magic. I secluded myself in the mountains.

  All of it was for today. To avoid being cut down by the hero. To avoid being condemned by the saint.

  And yet.

  "...Hah."

  I let out a dry laugh.

  "The hero isn't coming. Neither is the saint, nor the sage."

  Then I—

  The thought felt dangerous.

  Like the words might jinx it.

  "Am I... free?"

  The moment those words left my mouth, the reality of it slowly sank in.

  "...They're gone! My Doom flags are gone!"

  I shot upright.

  "YESSSSSS!!"

  I let out a victory yell in my room.

  The sound bounced off the walls.

  Five years—five whole years! Drinking muddy water while swinging my sword, chanting spells under freezing waterfalls, suffering nightmares at night and apologizing in my sleep—and now I was finally free from all of it.

  "No more worrying about being slain by the hero! No more worrying about being condemned by the saint! I'm free! I'm finally free!"

  I danced around my room. Now I could live a peaceful, ordinary noble life without a care in the world. Reading whatever books I wanted, researching whatever magic interested me, occasionally returning to my territory to interact with the people...

  "Perfect. It's the perfect life plan."

  Right, I should write a letter home. 'Your son is living peacefully and safely at the academy.'

  "Hehehe, hahaha!"

  I laughed like a proper villainous noble in high spirits. When I threw open the curtains, clear skies greeted me. Little birds perched on the stone statues' shoulders, singing beautifully.

  It was as if they were celebrating the beginning of my new life.

  But then—as if to dampen the celebration—a small voice whispered from the back of my mind.

  "...Wait."

  My laughter cut off.

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  My chest tightened before I knew why.

  What about the Demon King?

  In the original story, the hero's party traveled across the land, gathering companions and building their strength... and then, five years later, they defeated the resurrected Demon King. That was the climax of Eternal Quest.

  But with the hero's party in this state...

  "No, wait—will the Demon King even actually resurrect? It's just a game setting, so in reality..."

  I knew full well I was being optimistic. But wasn't I allowed to think positively, just a little?

  No—actually, I just don't want to consider the worst-case scenario.

  "...I should at least organize my thoughts."

  I sat down at my desk and picked up a pen. Relying on my memories, I began writing down information about the Demon King's resurrection from the original game.

  'Signs of the Demon King's resurrection: abnormal monster outbreaks in various regions'

  'Conditions for resurrection: destruction of the seven sealing stones'

  'Time of resurrection: approximately five years after the story begins'

  "So there's a possibility the Demon King could resurrect in just over five years..."

  My palms went clammy. Once I started considering the possibilities, I couldn't stop.

  "...Besides, I'm the villain here, remember? Why do I have to worry about this?"

  I tried to convince myself of that, but reality was cruel. After all, the hero who was supposed to save the world was shut up in his house.

  Still, there was no point panicking based on speculation alone. First, I needed to accurately assess the current situation.

  "Maybe I should ask Oscar for more details."

  The next day, I found myself in the academy courtyard. The white marble benches and flower beds lined the space, and despite it being lunch break, I could see students practicing their sword forms and diligently studying.

  "What's this about, Dylan? What's with the serious tone?"

  After a while, Oscar, whom I'd summoned, appeared.

  He sounded relaxed.

  Too relaxed for someone living in a world that might end.

  "Ah, sorry about that."

  "Got something to discuss? Don't tell me you've already failed at making friends?"

  "No, that's... that's still a work in progress. But that's not what I wanted to talk about."

  Oscar had already disrupted my conversational rhythm.

  "Right, right, don't forget to make friends though—so what did you want to ask me about?"

  Swallowing my slight irritation, I carefully chose my words before continuing.

  "I wanted to hear more details about the hero situation."

  "Ah, you mean Leon? What do you want to know?"

  "For example... just how much of a shut-in is he?"

  Oscar gave a wry smile.

  "Bad. Really bad. Apparently he hasn't left his house in almost three months, and he has his meals brought to his room."

  "Three months..."

  That's pretty serious.

  "In his village, they've even given him the nickname 'The Hermit Hero.'"

  That nickname shouldn't exist.

  Not in the world I remembered.

  Yet here it was—proof that everything had gone wrong.

  I actually felt a bit sorry for him.

  "Was the hero really that weak?"

  Oscar shrugged at my question.

  "Who knows? Maybe it just proves that even heroes are human in the end?"

  A reasonable answer.

  "...Then what about the Saint, Lady Alicia?"

  I already knew the answer. Still, I needed to hear it out loud.

  "Ah, the saint. She's now the most successful merchant in the capital. Products with the 'Divine Blessing' as their selling point are flying off the shelves, apparently."

  "Divine Blessing as a selling point?"

  "Things like 'Charms blessed by the Saint' or 'Medicinal herbs purified by the Saint.' Well, since they actually work, no one's complaining."

  I could never have imagined that Saint Alicia would go into business.

  "...And what about the Sage, Lady Erna?"

  "Her marriage hunting has gotten serious. The other day she apparently created a 'List of 100 Conditions for My Ideal Man.' As for magical research, she wants to 'do it together with a boyfriend.'"

  ...This one's the worst.

  "Why would she..."

  "Apparently she changed completely sometime after the new year."

  "The new year..."

  I gripped the edge of the bench. Everything was unraveling faster than I could process.

  "...Finally, what about Knight Commander Galm?"

  "Nothing's changed with him. He's still doing his job as commander as usual."

  "...Really?"

  "Really. He's still the same serious knight as always."

  "I see..."

  "Though he does seem busy lately."

  "Busy?"

  "Yeah. Apparently there've been more monster sightings in various regions recently. The knight order has been on high alert."

  My blood ran cold.

  The words matched my notes too perfectly.

  "Monster... sightings?"

  "Unfamiliar types of monsters on the roads. Howling at night."

  'Signs of the Demon King's resurrection: abnormal monster outbreaks in various regions'

  "Dylan? You look pale."

  "N-no, it's nothing."

  "You sure?"

  "...Actually, I have one more favor to ask."

  "What is it?"

  "That Lady Alicia's... Alicia Trading Company. I'd like to visit it."

  "Silver Coin Street. White sign. Gold letters."

  "Thanks."

  Oscar departed with light steps.

  Left alone, I sat down on a courtyard bench.

  "...Abnormal monster outbreaks."

  The words echoed in my mind.

  ...Could it be?

  No, I'm overthinking this.

  But—

  What crossed my mind was five years of effort.

  "Did I... break it?"

  The question felt heavier than any sword I'd ever held.