The Demon King, who aims to destroy this world.
The only one who can defeat that Demon King.
I kept watching such a being, peacefully sleeping.
Watching the innocent face of a girl, not even past ten years old.
"... To think I need to rely on a child like this..."
For both myself and the world as a whole.
Is it worth it?
Of course, I'm referring both to myself and to the world at large.
I might often say I don't want to die, but when you see humans ready to start selfish battles, suspecting and killing each other, it becomes hard to understand.
Shion, you're going to defeat the Demon King and save the world. That's the right thing to do.
I feel like I can't say such words anymore.
"Crow, are you listening? What will you do about Safran?"
"Just leave her be."
"Huh?"
"If she's a spy that can be easily caught by me, then who cares?"
"If you know you can't trust her, isn't she useful? She'll likely try her best to assist me to gain my trust and to ensure she isn't discovered. I just need to use her to my advantage, find out her employer's name and location. There's no problem."
"For now, we need to understand the full capabilities of the saintly swords. I don't want any more surprises, alright, Holly?"
"Er, yes. I'll share information about the remaining saintly swords tomorrow."
"As planned, we need to gather them all and use them. I'm counting on you, Holly."
"... Yes."
Shall we begin then?
Not that I really want to start.
A war between those misusing the saintly swords of the Divine Sword, weapons meant to save the world.
Afterword:
So, everyone, how did you find "The Rise of the Worthless Hero 2"?
It's Keizou Fujikawa, the author.
As I've written in my profile, I truly love RPGs.
The reason is that the protagonist has companions and they work together in a party.
It's amazing how various characters with their strengths and weaknesses come together and eventually save the world from a crisis.
Of course, there are cases where a character is so powerful that they could defeat the final boss on their own, or characters who obviously can't contribute at all. But that's fine too.
If everyone had the same abilities, appearance, and personality, no one would stand out.
It's good even if they just play a supporting role, like the protagonist of this work.
So, in the second volume, the theme is Crow challenging group battles, cooperating with his comrades, and overcoming crises.
I hope readers enjoy the development where they utilize each other's strengths and cover for each other's weaknesses.
In reality, even if they become comrades, there might be infighting, blaming each other, and competing for recognition.
In the real world, those skilled at taking others' achievements and pushing their responsibilities onto others are often revered. (Such people are socially successful, after all.)
Still, while it may be an idealization, I believe it's a virtue for humans to use their strengths to cover others' weaknesses and have their own weaknesses covered by others' strengths. "I'm not saying that it's the right thing to do. However, I just like such mutual help. On a side note, I received feedback that the cover of the first volume was a bit too bold, making it hard for some to bring it to the register. Don't be embarrassed to take it to the register! Use the second volume to cover the first volume's cover when you bring it to the register! Based on that feedback, we tried to tone down the suggestive elements for the second volume (though where, I wonder). Well, Holly is always dressed in something like a 'constant swimsuit', so it's never really toned down. I wonder who decided on such a design. (It was me.)
Now, let me express my gratitude.
First, to my editor who always forgives me for my crazy actions of sending in drafts without even writing a plot. Thank you always. To the illustrator, Great Moss-san, the illustrations for the second volume were amazing. Being able to see your illustrations before release is the best privilege.
To everyone involved in the publication, thanks to you the second volume has been safely released to the world. I truly appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.
To those who wrote their impressions of the first volume on Twitter, blogs, and such, I read them as much as I can. Even harsh critiques make me very happy. Ah, well, I prefer positive ones, okay? Whether it's praise or criticism, any reaction to my work makes me incredibly happy. Truly, thank you.
And to everyone who picked up this work, my deepest gratitude.
See you next time.
Special Bonus: Original Short Story 'A Day with the Hero and the Divine Sword'
A Day with the Hero and the Divine Sword
"Shion... Shion... It's morning. Wake up."
Upon hearing Holly's voice, I open my eyes.
Holly is in front of me, peering into my face.
"Come on, wake up, Shion. Breakfast is almost ready."
"Uhm..."
I'm so sleepy, but I get up from the bed.
"Here, I've prepared some water. Wash your face."
Using the basin she handed me, I wash my face.
Holly then hands me a large cup filled with water, and I use it to rinse my mouth.
By the time I'm about to spit out the water, Holly has already prepared a spittoon.
"Uhm..."
"Okay, now sit in front of the mirror. Let's fix your hair."
Still groggy, I sit in front of the dressing table, and from behind, Holly begins to comb my hair. My messy golden locks gradually become straightened.
During this, I'm drifting in and out of sleep.
After fixing my hair, Holly says,
"Now, change your clothes. Take off your pajamas."
"... Help me..."
"Ugh!"
In a split second, Holly clicks her tongue. She helps me out of my pajamas while I stand with my arms raised. Floating, she moves to a chest of drawers in the room and picks out two slightly different dresses.
"Which one will you wear today?"
That's the first time today I really look at Holly.
She's dressed so... unusually.
What's with that extreme exposure?
Maybe Holly has some exhibitionist tendencies?
But since only my brother and I can see her, showing off seems pointless.
Maybe she thinks it's okay to expose so much because no one else can see?
"Don't ignore me... Which one?"
"You choose."
"Tch!"
Holly clicks her tongue no matter what I say.
So, I feel like I can say anything.
Having only my underwear left after Holly helped me out of my pajamas, she helps me into a dress.
"Okay, now carry the Divine Light Sword on your back."
"... It's heavy... Can I leave it in the room?"
"You must be kidding! Every morning it's the same thing! You can't!"
While shouting, Holly helps me strap on the sheathed Divine Light Sword. "You were told to always have this Divine Light Sword with you. If the sword is ever away from you, my power weakens, and I cannot make you the hero."
"... I wouldn't mind if Holly became weaker."
"That's not good!"
Afterwards, I had breakfast with my brother and women named Cattleya and Iris.
Bread, salad, grilled salmon, and a warm soup.
There was also milk and fruit. Compared to my slave days, the quality and quantity of the breakfast was incomparable.
I'd prefer to chat with my brother while eating, but with several maids attending to the four of us, I couldn't relax.
It's even more unsettling than being alone with Holly.
Moreover, my brother always looks almost dead in the mornings, so the atmosphere isn't conducive to conversation.
"Crow, your eyes always look dead in the morning."
"... I'm not in good shape in the morning..."
"Huh? Just the morning? Aren't you always out of it?"
"Ah, that's true. I'm always out of it. There's never a time I'm not."
Holly, without any restraint, approaches my brother to talk.
She's always angry when she talks to me, but she's cheerful with my brother.
After the meal, when some time had passed, Holly possessed me. I swung the Divine Light Sword around in the courtyard, threw it, and then retrieved it. I also manifested light and released it into the sky.
This cycle repeated multiple times.