Fragment 3: The Prophet
My power as a Prophet is not limited to rewriting the world repeatedly through [World Revision].
As a Prophet, I can manifest my form—an illusion—as someone’s shadow companion. Conversely, I cannot become the shadow of anything other than a human. Thus, in hopes of aiding Ares and the others even slightly, I attempted to attach my illusions to those under suspicion. By doing so, I believed I could discern who among them was a shapeshifter.
Yet, in the end, I never discovered who the shapeshifter was.
I was able to inhabit the shadows of everyone on Prince Carlos’ list—people like Felip and Elliot—without exception.
Perhaps I should have simply remained as someone’s shadow companion. But I chose not to. I feared I might never return to Ares’ side again.
In truth, I had a bitter experience in a past [World Revision] where becoming someone’s shadow caused me to drift away from the Hero, leaving me unable to return. The memory of that made me reluctant to leave my illusion transferred from Ares to another for too long.
That said, I did leave Ares’ side once. There was one person I found particularly suspicious.
Princess Elena.
She was undoubtedly human. Yet, at the same time, I sensed something strange about her.
This was more of a gut feeling, like a shrine maiden’s intuition. I had felt it several times across repeated [World Revisions], and without fail, the ones who gave off that impression wielded some kind of power.
——Like Maria, for instance——.
Indeed, Princess Elena had odd tendencies—staring intently at empty spaces, sometimes conversing with unseen presences. She seemed careful to avoid being noticed by others, but naturally, my illusion escaped her awareness.
Because of her eerie abilities, the people of the castle feared and avoided her. Almost no one approached her, and even the maids kept their distance, leaving her isolated. Yet, this very loneliness only deepened my suspicions.
Those who collude with the Demon King’s army often harbor resentment toward their kingdom or society. In that sense, Princess Elena seemed the most suspicious of all.
Fortunately, she took an interest in Ares, which meant I had many opportunities to observe her without worrying about being permanently separated from him.
Among Elena’s actions, the most unsettling was her conversation with Prince Carlos. The two often spoke in private, and their discussions were… intriguing. Moreover, whenever they were alone, Elena would drop her formal speech and address the prince casually.
“Why did you bring the kingdom’s Hero here?”
In Prince Carlos’ private chambers, Elena crossed her arms and questioned him reproachfully.
“My decision. I was curious about this so-called ‘true Hero.’ Besides, we needed someone to root out the traitor.”
The prince didn’t seem bothered by her tone.
“You’re the real Hero. To me, Brother, you’ve always been the true Hero. Ares looks unreliable, weak—there’s no way he could defeat the Demon King.”
“Is that so?”
The prince shrugged.
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“That man moves forward precisely because he lacks strength—because he has the courage to advance without relying on power. Perhaps what the Hero destined to defeat the Demon King needs is that kind of resolve. Something I never had.”
“But you do have it, don’t you?”
“Perhaps. But what you wished for was my protection of this kingdom, not the Demon King’s defeat.”
……I couldn’t fully grasp Prince Carlos’ meaning.
“By the way, why do you reject Ares as the Hero? You seem to get along well enough. Haven’t you been meeting with him often?”
“It’s not that I dislike him. I just wanted you to be the Hero, that’s all. Everyone calls Ares the ‘true Hero,’ but isn’t that strange? While everyone else struggles, he alone gets special treatment? If saving people is what matters, then it shouldn’t matter who becomes the Hero—even if a monster did it, so what? What difference does it make in the end?”
For once, Elena’s emotions flared. Did she have some special feelings about the concept of a Hero?
“——Perhaps you’re right. But in that case, a Hero must live a life of sacrifice. Even I, whom you wish to be the Hero, may never defeat the Demon King—but if the time comes, I am prepared to lay down my life.”
“I don’t need you to sacrifice yourself. I just want you to protect this kingdom.”
“Silver-Haired Princess, to protect this kingdom, we must protect the world itself. Without a Hero to slay the Demon King, there is no future for Ludonia alone.”
Prince Carlos’ expression was gentle as he spoke.
“……Is that the ‘beautiful thing’ you desire?”
“Yes. To act for another’s sake—I find beauty in that. Like the stars in the night sky, it may be a beauty without meaning. But to me, it is beautiful all the same. Ares possesses that. That is why I do not wish to see that man die.”
“I don’t understand such complicated things.”
Elena turned her head away petulantly.
“I just wanted to be someone’s special person. Being alone… is lonely.”
“You can be.”
Prince Carlos smiled softly.
“That, I can promise you. Silver-Haired Princess, you too are beautiful. Your heart—one that wishes for others and worries for me—is something special.”
Hearing this, Elena lowered her head and left the room.
It was a strange, lonely conversation. Telling Ares would only confuse him.
Yet, I deeply resonated with the idea that a Hero is one who offers themselves in sacrifice. After all, I had witnessed it countless times before.
TLNOTE:
Because of that volume 1 and 2 fan translation in this site will be removed in the near future
otherwise check the internet archive
As usual, please consider reading other novels written by Daken sensei listed below :
- Monster Meat Led Me to the Throne
- The Castle of Canaan ~ The Lost Kingdom’s Princess, the World’s Hidden Treasure, and the Grand Adventure of the Mightiest Band of Thieves Versus an Empire ~
- The Wicked Princess and 12 Eyes – The Strongest Squires and the Legendary Evil Woman, the Second Time in Her Life
- The Suspects of Necromancy
- The Exiled Merchant Saves the World with the Power of Gold (translated by my friend meerkat)
- The Last Magic (translated by my friend narwhal)
Also check out my friend Localizermeerkat for more LN translations!
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