Will I End Up As a Hero or a Demon King (WN)

Chapter 63

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Chapter 63 – Four Reincarnators

Since it was going to be a rather complicated conversation, Amanda-san and Peiro-san went home, and it was just me and Yagov-san in a room at the inn.

Yagov-san seemed to have bought a bottle of wine from the innkeeper and started talking while pouring it into the glass himself.

“Well, what shall we talk about first? …But before that, there is one thing I would like to confirm first.”

“Hmm? What is that?”

“You said earlier that you’ve only been in this world for about a month. Is that correct?”

“Yes, that’s correct. I was in the Great Palmera Forest, and the first human settlement I visited was the city of Bezart.”

“Is there any possibility that your memories up to that point have been lost?”

“I don’t think so, as you can imagine. I still have the memories of the time before I was sent away from my former world.”

“Hmmm… If that is the case, Loki and the otherworlders so far seem to be similar, yet completely different…”

I remembered the conversation I had with the Goddesses.

The Goddesses said that in order to develop civilization, they call the souls of deceased Earthlings to this world.

In other words, they are reincarnated and born in this world.

On the other hand, I come to this world from a halfway state after being transmigrated.

That is why I was treated as an outsider.

I think there is a connection between what the Goddesses said and the discomfort that Yagov-san feels.

“So it’s the difference between transmigration and reincarnation.”

“Transmigration and reincarnation… these are words that seem to fit well. It is a well-known fact that there are otherworlders in this world. Even children know about them because there are songs about them. But in terms of the distinction that Loki makes, all otherworlders are just reincarnated, and as far as I know, there is not a single person who calls themselves a transmigrant.”

“My guess is that they were there, not that they aren’t. That’s why there were all those remains in the Great Forest of Palmera.”

“Does that mean that all the transmigrants are dead?”

“I don’t know if they are all dead. To begin with, I don’t even know how many people were sent to this world. But I myself managed to escape from the forest in a situation where I was always close to death, so if I had made a mistake, I would have died too, leaving my belongings behind. If they were sent to the Great Palmera Forest, there is a strong possibility that they would have died soon after.”

“So there is a possibility that there are still remains somewhere in Palmera… You don’t have to answer that question if you don’t want to. Loki, you once said that you had a destiny?”

“It’s a simple story, that is ‘escape.’ To escape the forest and go to the human settlement to survive. That was my purpose in the beginning.”

“I see. Now I finally understand. It didn’t work when I called you. It seems I made too many assumptions.”

“What do you mean?”

“I always thought that all the otherworlders were reincarnated. Therefore, I judged that there was a high possibility that Loki was a reincarnated person, and at worst, you could do great harm to this city… I was very cautious.”

“Huh? Do you have that impression of reincarnated people in this world?”

What does that mean?

Obviously, it seems to be different from the impression the Goddess has of reincarnated people.

“Right now, there are four people on this continent who claim to be from another world. Each of them has special powers, and to put it simply, these four… or three… It is no exaggeration to say that these three people make the world go round.”

“And you don’t mean that in a positive way?”

“Different people may see it in different ways. However, the wealth is concentrated in one place, and the territory of other countries is taken away by outstanding military power, and wars have been frequent, especially in the last five years.”

“I see…”

I can somehow imagine them getting a ridiculous skill and getting carried away.

As a person who didn’t get the cheat skill, my fists naturally tightened.

“But as for wealth, doesn’t that mean that innovative things are being created and people’s lives are becoming more comfortable and prosperous?”

“I don’t deny that. It is also true that there is that aspect. But most of what they do is long-distance transportation, what some people call ‘transfer,’ and they create enormous wealth by transporting huge amounts of goods between fixed countries instantly. Some benefit, but on the other hand, many merchants and carriers lose their jobs, and in order for the transfer to be possible, they would have to become a vassal state of the country where the reincarnated person is located in order to be recognized. So the ultimate goal is the territory of another country.”

“I understand that when something innovative is born, the old thing, the old system, is eliminated as a natural process―but it still seems forced or part of a struggle for supremacy.”

“I am sure the higher-ups in each country feel similarly to Loki. The Elgrant Kingdom and the Velfreya Empire are taking the land by military force. The Kingdom of Alvart takes the land through logistics and money. And the Republic of Elyon, which is also an inviolable zone. If things continue as they are, eventually only these four countries with reincarnated people will remain, and the rest will most likely be annexed by another country.”

“Um, just for reference, can you tell me what kind of reincarnated people are in which countries?”

“Yes, that is fine. As far as I can tell…”

What I learned about the four reincarnated people gave me the impression that they lived as they pleased, for better or worse.

Takuya, the crown prince, belongs to the Kingdom of Elgrant, a large country that occupies a large part of the northwest of the continent. He is also known as “Takuya the Hero.”

He is the most famous of all otherworlders currently known, and even I have heard of him as the man who defeated the Demon King Loki.

But he is the one who defeated “Demon King Loki,” isn’t he? When I asked about it, I was told that it was an imaginary fairy tale and that there was no such Demon King in reality.

I think it’s too much in many ways to make yourself the hero of a made-up story…

By the way, the fact that I said the name made Yagov-san even more suspicious of what I was up to.

Takuya seems to have the best personality among the reincarnated people, and although there is no talk of him killing people unnecessarily, he is quite famous for holding on to women from other countries as long as they are good-looking.

In short, he is a confirmed harem guy.

Yagov-san met Takuya directly, and it is said that he was the one who taught him about the other world, saying, “The stake that sticks out will be hammered down.”

I wonder if he implanted it in his mind at that time?

Next, competing with the Kingdom of Elgrant, is the Empire of Velfreya, a large country in the southwest of the continent.

The small countries between them have been almost swallowed up due to their close proximity, and it seems that they have been at war with the Kingdom of Elgrant for the past five years.

The reincarnated figure that belongs to them seems to be a person named “Shiva,” who is the current marshal of the Empire…

Judging from the name, it seems that he made it up the same way I did, and it is unlikely that it is his real name.

I wonder if reincarnated people are in the habit of changing their names, as in the case of the hero Takuya, who must have received his name from his parents in this world.

It is also unclear whether the name Shiva is Japanese.

Unlike Takuya the Hero, he seems to kill women and children without mercy and is so terrifying that an ordinary soldier would fall to his knees at the mere sight of him, so I would say he is the most dangerous of all the reincarnated people.

Another of the top three is the Alvart Kingdom, which is located in the eastern part of the continent.

It is said that this is the country where the wealth is concentrated due to the transfer of logistics through skill.

However, technically speaking, it is not so much the country as it is the individual “Marie,” who is also a reincarnated person and a noble, who has enormous wealth and so much influence that even the king has no say in the matter.

Since this country controls the western edge of the continent, it is said to provide war supplies to the two major countries on either side of the continent, absorbing the wealth of both countries while inciting war.

The countries near the center of the continent are suffering from a decrease in tax revenues, such as toll taxes and commodity taxes on cargo, due to the presence of the reincarnated Marie, but since they cannot easily choose to become a vassal state, they can only stand by and watch the current situation.

The last mysterious country is the Republic of Elyon, located in the southeast of the continent.

Originally inhabited by a large number of beastmen, the country is now ruled by a human named “Hans,” who openly admits to being a reincarnated person.

This country is said to be famous for having several powerful monsters, and although it is not overly aggressive, it has a considerable number of warriors.

In the past, it is said that the Empire once came around and attacked from the sea, but after the Empire was easily destroyed by a large army of monsters, the country came to be known as a country that will fight back terribly if you touch it, and all countries are becoming increasingly wary of it.

If you don’t touch them, they won’t do anything to you, so what’s the need for wariness? I thought so, but apparently, there are rumors that if you have beastmen slaves, you will suddenly be attacked, so the nobles and merchants of a certain size who have slaves in their lands are in a state of fear.

But from what I hear, they don’t seem to be interested in wars or territorial disputes, so they seem to be the best of the four.

Hmm… As expected from Yagov-san.

Since he is a guild master, he must be exchanging information with branch guilds in other countries.

The information probably also contains Yagov-san’s subjective opinion, so I can’t take it all for granted, but still, the impression of the people of other worlds as seen by the Goddess and the people living in this world.

I think I should keep in mind that there is a discrepancy.

Anyway… I’m just trying to be careful not to do any harm to myself, and I have no intention of doing anything after hearing the story.

I’m not the savior of the world; I’m just a weakling who cannot do anything.

So, I’m going to do my own role-playing.

I want to become strong by constantly hunting monsters.

Right now, I think that if I can fulfill my desire to be strong, that’s all that matters, and that will ultimately lead to my self-defense in case something happens.

When you think about it, whether I have the cheat ability or not, I am in the same hole as those four people.

I’m not much different from them in the sense that I can live as I please…

While I was thinking about that, Yagov-san opened his mouth again.

“Loki, be careful, okay?”

“This is about the reincarnated people, isn’t it? I’ll be careful not to get involved. In the meantime, I’ll stay away from the east and west sides of the continent――”

“No, that’s not it. I’m saying, regardless of the scale, be aware of the movements of each country.”

“Huh?”

“I won’t interfere too much with Loki’s abilities, as I promised… but every country is different, you know? The same is true here in the Kingdom of Lagreath. They think that if they can attract otherworlders, they can become a powerful country, and that’s exactly what’s happening in this world.”

“You mean… that I’ll be recruited from many different countries?”

“Yes. If they know that you are from another world, they will try to get you by any means. If they can only offer you the honor and wealth of a great job, that’s even better. At worst, there is a strong possibility that some countries will try to acquire Loki by force.”

“Uhh…”

“Many countries that don’t have these otherworlders are in dire straits because of invasions and economic hits. Unless you’re convinced by wealth and honor… which, judging by the look on your face right now, isn’t the case, is it?”

I nodded openly at Yagov-san, who gave me a look as if he could see right through me.

“Well… It’s not that I don’t like wealth and honor at all, but they are secondary to my own personal growth.”

“Then even more so. Hide the fact that you are from another world as much as possible. But if you hunt like you do now, you’ll inevitably stand out, and they’ll eventually find out. It’s up to you how you adapt to that.”

When he says that, my eyes naturally go up.

It is not in my nature not to do it, even though I can.

I don’t want to be burdened with it.

But if I don’t do anything, I’m more likely to get into trouble…

“I don’t have any proof… but I’ve heard a lot of rumors that there are otherworlders who don’t talk about it publicly and live their lives in secret. This is one way of doing it…”

“Yagov-san. I’m not proud of it myself. I tried to imagine it a little, but I quickly came to the conclusion that it would be impossible due to my personality.”

“That’s also true. It was a stupid question, considering the amount of material you’ve had so far. That means…”

“If it is just a normal invitation, there is no problem, but if they come in force, I will have no choice but to counter with force.”

That’s right. After all, it is like a game.

If they appear before me as a clear enemy, I will crush them with all my might. That is the only way.

“Looking at Adent and the others, I guess that’s the case… But I’m also an inhabitant of this world. Not that I’m too worried about it, but please, please don’t do anything that will bring even unrelated people into it, okay? If that happens, I will have to announce that Loki is an otherworlder, even at the risk of being killed by you. Just as a reminder.”

“I don’t intend to do that. I just want to hunt monsters and get stronger. It’s just that if anyone interferes with my wish―which is common for such hunters―that’s all I’ll do.”

After downing the remaining glass of wine in one gulp, Yagov-san mumbles with a troubled look on his face, “That’s still a relief.”

Honestly, I think he wants me, an otherworlder, to stay in a quiet and moderate category.

I kind of get that vibe from the stories I’ve heard so far about the rise of otherworlders.

But I want to strive to be the strongest.

I have no cheat abilities, no blessings, and I can’t even choose my job, but…

But it’s still a world where hard work pays off.

I want to do what I have to do.

“(I will try not to cause trouble as much as possible…)”

With this muttering in my mind, the meeting ended here.