The hero party vanquished the demon king. With the honor of saving the world, they were guaranteed substantial rewards and various privileges. So, now they could cleanly part ways and live out the rest of their lives in prosperity. That’s how the Rogue of the hero party, Sentimental, saw it.
“Our journey isn’t over yet!”
Until the hero suddenly went nuts, that is.
“No, it’s over. We defeated the demon king and received our rewards.”
“Rogue! Why are you talking like that… Do you dislike me…?”
“No, that hero? I’m just talking sensibly right now.”
“Our friendship cannot be scattered so lightly by mere common sense!”
“I only joined because they said they’d forgive my past sins!”
It’s a party formed to vanquish the demon king, so if they’ve done that, it’s over.
Where on earth is there room for friendship?
“I guess being a hero isn’t for me.”
Sentimental left behind the anxious hero and searched for someone more ‘talkative’ to engage with. He noticed a saintly figure smiling brightly at the hero.
“Saint? What do you think?”
“Well, since the Goddess hasn’t issued a decree to disband the party, shouldn’t we continue?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Didn’t the Goddess issue a decree when the party was formed? To help the hero defeat the demon king. So, shouldn’t there be a decree when wrapping things up too?”
‘Hmm, that kind of makes sense.’
No, no it doesn’t.
The decree was initially about defeating the demon king, and that’s done now. So, wouldn’t it be okay to disband?
Don’t rely on decrees for everything just because you’re a saint!
“Wizard! Can you say something?”
“Hehehe, the demon king’s horns… heart… new material…”
Ah, this won’t work.
The wizard wasn’t in a state where conversation was possible.
The eyes had lost their focus. The Wizard was even drooling from the mouth.
“…Elf, shouldn’t you return to the forest as well?”
“I rather enjoyed this party. How about we take some time to prepare for our parting?”
“Oh, just a moment─”
“It wouldn’t hurt to enjoy the twilight of our lives for about 30 years.”
‘This crazy long-lived bastard!’
Looking at the elf, who seemed to be wondering what the problem was, Sentimental once again felt despair. You shouldn’t expect anything from long-lived creatures like elves in the first place. All that’s left for an old geezer like him, who’s been living since the era of the previous heroes, is time!
“Hey, everyone! How about we challenge the Great Labyrinth this time? It’ll surely be fun!”
“Hehe, sounds good.”
“Hehehe… the Great Labyrinth… new spells… ancient artifacts….”
“A leisurely stroll seems appropriate.”
Watching the companions deciding on a new adventure, Sentimental felt a renewed sense of despair. I had a grim feeling that this journey would continue for a very long time.
.
.
.
Sentimental didn’t join the hero party out of any noble cause. I was simply caught by the guards while attempting a bit of thievery and reluctantly joined under the condition that all my past crimes would be forgiven if he helped defeat the demon king.
“I want to escape…”
The demon king had already been defeated, and Sentimental had been pardoned for all my crimes. I had received a reward substantial enough to live a life of luxury, and with the added prestige of having defeated the demon king, I could even spend my remaining years enjoying noble pursuits at some estate.
If only I could retire from the hero party.
But that cursed hero had no intention of allowing retirement.
“Rogue! Where are you going again?!”
“The bathroom.”
“Don’t go somewhere farther away like last time?”
“…Fine.”
Sentimental had even tried to escape using his skills, but all his attempts had failed. The chicken-hearted members of the hero party had better means of exploration than even a skilled rogue like him.
To summarize the process of my failed attempts:
“…Elf? How did you manage to track me?”
“Tracking leftover traces on the road is familiar to me. It’s also the role of a hunter to chase prey, you see.”
The first attempt at escape failed due to the tracking skills and experience of the elf hunter.
“…Wizard? How did you find me?”
“Hehe… I extracted magic from Sentimental’s hair and used wide-ranging detection magic… I tried mixing a few new magical symbols, and the effect was quite good… Hehe, hehehe!”
Learning from the first failure, Sentimental tried to erase all traces and flee, but this time he was caught by the wizard’s detection magic.
I hadn’t anticipated that such extensive detection would be possible.
“…Saint? How did you get here?”
“The Goddess guided me.”
Despite wearing a hood to block magic and hiding, this time Sentimental was exposed by the saint’s divine guidance.
Looks like the Goddess has nothing better to do.
“…Hero? How did…”
“Rogue ! Where did you go alone?! I-I was worried… I searched the whole town!”
Despite obtaining proof of devil worshippers from the black market to avoid the Goddess’s gaze, Sentimental was caught by the hero.
He didn’t dare ask the hero about the extent of what he meant by ‘the whole town.’
“Rogue! Did you have a good trip to the bathroom?!”
“…Uh, yeah.”
In other words, escaping from the hero party is ‘absolutely’ impossible through conventional means. This is a fact learned through numerous failed attempts.
Sentimental is firmly bound to the hero party. It’s not tied by the power of friendship or bonds, as the hero claims, but quite literally bound. As long as the hero desires a ‘continuing journey,’ it’s likely to continue in the future.
“How on earth can I retire from this party…”
Now, I truly wants to live freely.
After exploring the first floor of the Great Labyrinth and settling accounts at the Adventurer’s Guild for the loot obtained there, Sentimental found little of note. Compared to the vast wealth received as a reward for defeating the demon king, the results were meager indeed.
While the hero happily hummed a tune, Sentimental felt even more miserable due to the contrast in their states of mind.
Feeling like he might die of hypertension if he continued like this, Sentimental averted his gaze. The Adventurer’s Guild was bustling with people moving about or chatting amongst themselves.
However, there was a particularly crowded area in the guild.
Curious, Sentimental looked over and saw a man who appeared to be an adventurer, pointing and shouting at someone.
“Porter! You’re expelled from the party!”
“W-why?”
“Your abilities in cooking, cleaning, laundry, navigation, negotiation, trap detection, crafting, pensions, buffs, healing, they’re all useful, but other people can do those things well enough! Your damage dealt to monsters in the dungeon is overwhelmingly lower than that of other party members, so you’re no longer useful!”
“T-that can’t be!”
Are these guys insane…? Of course support roles deal less damage to monsters than combat roles. Despite seeming quite competent as a porter from what he’s heard, Sentimental couldn’t understand why she was being expelled.
“Surely they’re not really expelling him for such a reason.”
That excuse is pathetic. There must be some other reason, like lacking social skills, causing discontent within the party, or having some eccentric taste that’s hard for others to accept.
Well, those underlying reasons aren’t important. As long as it provides a distraction from my miserable state of mind, it’s enough.
“Rogue! Why are you finding this so amusing?”
“These idiots.”
“I want to see these idiots too!”
However, that momentary tranquility was shattered by the cheerful approach of the hero.
The commotion over expelling the porter ended with the porter, who had been hiding his strength, knocking out the party members. Wait, that guy’s a support role? With that level of power, he must have deliberately concealed his strength to get expelled.
“Deliberately getting expelled?”
Could that be possible?
Suddenly, the thought flashed through my mind: “If I get expelled, I can quit.” It was a realization I hadn’t even considered before, and it left me slightly bewildered. I had only been thinking of fleeing from the hero party; I hadn’t even thought about the possibility of the party members themselves driving me out.
With a slight change in perspective, everything became clear.
If the party members won’t release me from the party due to friendship or bonds, then I just need to break those bonds. By repeatedly behaving unfavourably, I could make the hero expel me. It might be somewhat undignified, but considering I had already defeated the demon king and gained enough wealth and fame, a little stigma wouldn’t hurt.
“It’s not bad from the hero’s perspective either. Hero can just kick me out and continue traveling with the other party members.”
Those who want to rest can rest, and those who want to keep traveling can keep traveling.
“Hero.”
“Yeah? Rogue, what is it?”
“Let’s do well from now on.”
“Yeah! Hehe.”
This marks the beginning of the plan to cause enough trouble to get expelled.
“Um, Hero?”
“Yeah?”
“It’s nothing…”
.
.
.
Deliberately failing to dismantle traps to make the hero fall into them.
The hero mostly escaped unscathed from most traps. Although the hero sustained minor injuries, it was easily healed by the saint’s divine power.
“Hehe, Rogue, are you tired today? Want me to cast a healing spell on you?”
“No, I’m fine…”
Come to think of it, a rogue isn’t really useful in a party consisting of world-class adventurers…
The hero party vanquished the demon king. With the honor of saving the world, they were guaranteed substantial rewards and various privileges. So, now they could cleanly part ways and live out the rest of their lives in prosperity. That’s how the Rogue of the hero party, Sentimental, saw it.
“Our journey isn’t over yet!”
Until the hero suddenly went nuts, that is.
“No, it’s over. We defeated the demon king and received our rewards.”
“Rogue! Why are you talking like that… Do you dislike me…?”
“No, that hero? I’m just talking sensibly right now.”
“Our friendship cannot be scattered so lightly by mere common sense!”
“I only joined because they said they’d forgive my past sins!”
It’s a party formed to vanquish the demon king, so if they’ve done that, it’s over.
Where on earth is there room for friendship?
“I guess being a hero isn’t for me.”
Sentimental left behind the anxious hero and searched for someone more ‘talkative’ to engage with. He noticed a saintly figure smiling brightly at the hero.
“Saint? What do you think?”
“Well, since the Goddess hasn’t issued a decree to disband the party, shouldn’t we continue?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Didn’t the Goddess issue a decree when the party was formed? To help the hero defeat the demon king. So, shouldn’t there be a decree when wrapping things up too?”
‘Hmm, that kind of makes sense.’
No, no it doesn’t.
The decree was initially about defeating the demon king, and that’s done now. So, wouldn’t it be okay to disband?
Don’t rely on decrees for everything just because you’re a saint!
“Wizard! Can you say something?”
“Hehehe, the demon king’s horns… heart… new material…”
Ah, this won’t work.
The wizard wasn’t in a state where conversation was possible.
The eyes had lost their focus. The Wizard was even drooling from the mouth.
“…Elf, shouldn’t you return to the forest as well?”
“I rather enjoyed this party. How about we take some time to prepare for our parting?”
“Oh, just a moment─”
“It wouldn’t hurt to enjoy the twilight of our lives for about 30 years.”
‘This crazy long-lived bastard!’
Looking at the elf, who seemed to be wondering what the problem was, Sentimental once again felt despair. You shouldn’t expect anything from long-lived creatures like elves in the first place. All that’s left for an old geezer like him, who’s been living since the era of the previous heroes, is time!
“Hey, everyone! How about we challenge the Great Labyrinth this time? It’ll surely be fun!”
“Hehe, sounds good.”
“Hehehe… the Great Labyrinth… new spells… ancient artifacts….”
“A leisurely stroll seems appropriate.”
Watching the companions deciding on a new adventure, Sentimental felt a renewed sense of despair. I had a grim feeling that this journey would continue for a very long time.
.
.
.
Sentimental didn’t join the hero party out of any noble cause. I was simply caught by the guards while attempting a bit of thievery and reluctantly joined under the condition that all my past crimes would be forgiven if he helped defeat the demon king.
“I want to escape…”
The demon king had already been defeated, and Sentimental had been pardoned for all my crimes. I had received a reward substantial enough to live a life of luxury, and with the added prestige of having defeated the demon king, I could even spend my remaining years enjoying noble pursuits at some estate.
If only I could retire from the hero party.
But that cursed hero had no intention of allowing retirement.
“Rogue! Where are you going again?!”
“The bathroom.”
“Don’t go somewhere farther away like last time?”
“…Fine.”
Sentimental had even tried to escape using his skills, but all his attempts had failed. The chicken-hearted members of the hero party had better means of exploration than even a skilled rogue like him.
To summarize the process of my failed attempts:
“…Elf? How did you manage to track me?”
“Tracking leftover traces on the road is familiar to me. It’s also the role of a hunter to chase prey, you see.”
The first attempt at escape failed due to the tracking skills and experience of the elf hunter.
“…Wizard? How did you find me?”
“Hehe… I extracted magic from Sentimental’s hair and used wide-ranging detection magic… I tried mixing a few new magical symbols, and the effect was quite good… Hehe, hehehe!”
Learning from the first failure, Sentimental tried to erase all traces and flee, but this time he was caught by the wizard’s detection magic.
I hadn’t anticipated that such extensive detection would be possible.
“…Saint? How did you get here?”
“The Goddess guided me.”
Despite wearing a hood to block magic and hiding, this time Sentimental was exposed by the saint’s divine guidance.
Looks like the Goddess has nothing better to do.
“…Hero? How did…”
“Rogue ! Where did you go alone?! I-I was worried… I searched the whole town!”
Despite obtaining proof of devil worshippers from the black market to avoid the Goddess’s gaze, Sentimental was caught by the hero.
He didn’t dare ask the hero about the extent of what he meant by ‘the whole town.’
“Rogue! Did you have a good trip to the bathroom?!”
“…Uh, yeah.”
In other words, escaping from the hero party is ‘absolutely’ impossible through conventional means. This is a fact learned through numerous failed attempts.
Sentimental is firmly bound to the hero party. It’s not tied by the power of friendship or bonds, as the hero claims, but quite literally bound. As long as the hero desires a ‘continuing journey,’ it’s likely to continue in the future.
“How on earth can I retire from this party…”
Now, I truly wants to live freely.
After exploring the first floor of the Great Labyrinth and settling accounts at the Adventurer’s Guild for the loot obtained there, Sentimental found little of note. Compared to the vast wealth received as a reward for defeating the demon king, the results were meager indeed.
While the hero happily hummed a tune, Sentimental felt even more miserable due to the contrast in their states of mind.
Feeling like he might die of hypertension if he continued like this, Sentimental averted his gaze. The Adventurer’s Guild was bustling with people moving about or chatting amongst themselves.
However, there was a particularly crowded area in the guild.
Curious, Sentimental looked over and saw a man who appeared to be an adventurer, pointing and shouting at someone.
“Porter! You’re expelled from the party!”
“W-why?”
“Your abilities in cooking, cleaning, laundry, navigation, negotiation, trap detection, crafting, pensions, buffs, healing, they’re all useful, but other people can do those things well enough! Your damage dealt to monsters in the dungeon is overwhelmingly lower than that of other party members, so you’re no longer useful!”
“T-that can’t be!”
Are these guys insane…? Of course support roles deal less damage to monsters than combat roles. Despite seeming quite competent as a porter from what he’s heard, Sentimental couldn’t understand why she was being expelled.
“Surely they’re not really expelling him for such a reason.”
That excuse is pathetic. There must be some other reason, like lacking social skills, causing discontent within the party, or having some eccentric taste that’s hard for others to accept.
Well, those underlying reasons aren’t important. As long as it provides a distraction from my miserable state of mind, it’s enough.
“Rogue! Why are you finding this so amusing?”
“These idiots.”
“I want to see these idiots too!”
However, that momentary tranquility was shattered by the cheerful approach of the hero.
The commotion over expelling the porter ended with the porter, who had been hiding his strength, knocking out the party members. Wait, that guy’s a support role? With that level of power, he must have deliberately concealed his strength to get expelled.
“Deliberately getting expelled?”
Could that be possible?
Suddenly, the thought flashed through my mind: “If I get expelled, I can quit.” It was a realization I hadn’t even considered before, and it left me slightly bewildered. I had only been thinking of fleeing from the hero party; I hadn’t even thought about the possibility of the party members themselves driving me out.
With a slight change in perspective, everything became clear.
If the party members won’t release me from the party due to friendship or bonds, then I just need to break those bonds. By repeatedly behaving unfavourably, I could make the hero expel me. It might be somewhat undignified, but considering I had already defeated the demon king and gained enough wealth and fame, a little stigma wouldn’t hurt.
“It’s not bad from the hero’s perspective either. Hero can just kick me out and continue traveling with the other party members.”
Those who want to rest can rest, and those who want to keep traveling can keep traveling.
“Hero.”
“Yeah? Rogue, what is it?”
“Let’s do well from now on.”
“Yeah! Hehe.”
This marks the beginning of the plan to cause enough trouble to get expelled.
“Um, Hero?”
“Yeah?”
“It’s nothing…”
.
.
.
Deliberately failing to dismantle traps to make the hero fall into them.
The hero mostly escaped unscathed from most traps. Although the hero sustained minor injuries, it was easily healed by the saint’s divine power.
“Hehe, Rogue, are you tired today? Want me to cast a healing spell on you?”
“No, I’m fine…”
Come to think of it, a rogue isn’t really useful in a party consisting of world-class adventurers…
