{Prologue} The Mastermind Should Always Appear with a Round of Applause!
“Splendid. To think you’d go this far.”
“W-who are you…?”
With a broad smile on my face, I slowly applaud the Hero.
He had overcome countless trials and finally slain the Demon King. A true Hero. It was only natural for me, as a fan, to offer my praise to a person who was about to become a legend.
“I’ve truly become a fan of yours… That was a magnificent battle. You’ve grown far beyond my expectations.”
“W-what are you saying… You don’t mean—”
“Yes, exactly that.”
I affirm the Hero’s words. If he says so, then it must be the correct answer. To be honest, I don’t really know what he’s talking about, but it doesn’t matter. Because he said it.
The Hero and his party, having just won a fierce battle… all of them are staring at me intently.
“All of your battles until now—have been in the palm of my hand.”
I show off a magic stone used for filming (it’s about the size of something you’d expect to drop from a Demon King’s corpse). It looks like the kind that drops when you kill a monster, but it’s actually different.
As a fan, I have to record the history of your battles for future generations, you see.
“No… way.”
“You’re lying, right…?”
“Absurd!”
“…As I thought, the Demon King didn’t actually want to fight?”
The Hero’s party seems to be quite shaken. Well, it’s understandable. It’s only natural to be surprised by me suddenly appearing from behind.
A beautiful girl mage, a large man who is a priest serving as both tank and healer, and an elf girl who is a spirit user.
Of course, I have respect for the comrades who supported the Hero as well. Therefore—
“I must express my gratitude to you all as well. I have been looking forward to this moment for a long time… Thank you. Thanks to you, my wish has been fulfilled.”
“Y-you bastard!”
The Hero must be happy to receive praise from a fan. His voice is cracking.
However, he is already covered in wounds. He can barely even stand. It was a life-or-death struggle for all of them.
“As expected of the Hero’s party, you can’t move with those injuries. I only wanted to say hello this time. I think I’ll take my leave now… Well, we’ll meet again someday, as long as you continue to fight.”
“Who are you?!”
“I told you, I’m a fan. Your fan.”
“Don’t screw with me…! Tell me your name!”
For the gentle Hero to shout like that… how rare. That’s a “rare scene,” I should make sure to record it.
He must be irritated, having to deal with a fan when he’s so exhausted. I think those human-like parts of him are charming in their own way.
“Me? My name is Emo-sugiru. I’m what you call a ‘reincarnator.’ I came from a world different from yours.”
“What on earth are you… what is your goal! What are you doing with that magic stone!”
“I’m going to change history. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say I’m putting an end to the past.”
That’s right—with the recorded footage in this magic stone, the heroic epic will remain.
For this country—no, for all of humanity—you could call it a page in history. Because the days of trembling in fear of monsters and the Demon King have come to an end.
“Though it is a bit disappointing… Now that the threat of the Demon King has vanished, your battle ends here.”
“Not yet… not yet…! I will… definitely…!”
“Haha, don’t push yourself. Even if you’re a Hero, you’re still a child of man. It would be for your own good to just lie there quietly, you know?”
I wonder why?
Even though I was worried about them, they all had terrifying expressions. They were grinding their teeth and looking quite frustrated.
I see… I get it. They want to look cool because they’re in front of a fan.
“Ah, right. Shall I reveal the secret at the end?”
“…What?”
I decided to give them an explanation before I left.
The reason they didn’t notice my presence. The reason I didn’t get caught up in the battle.
“Do you recognize this?”
“No way…!”
“A magic item…!”
The Hero was surprised, and the beautiful mage girl voiced the answer.
This is a fantasy world of swords and magic. It’s a very “template” world. In such a place, magic items were common weapons.
The standard way for the strong to fight is to use magic or martial arts, while magic items are used strictly for support. However, I had no talent.
Therefore—I wear a massive amount of magic items. They are excellent pieces with built-in presence-concealment and magic barriers, which I spent a fortune to acquire.
“For you all, this should be explanation enough, right?”
” ” ” ” …! ” ” ” “
Since they’re the Hero’s party, they should be able to understand without a detailed explanation. I was just standing behind you thanks to magic items, you know?
“Are you saying that magic and martial arts aren’t even worth using?!”
“Haha, I wonder about that. There’s just too much of a difference between you and me.”
I’m not a genius like the Hero’s party.
I’ve never been able to use magic or martial arts… however, in order to do my “stalking”—ahem, I mean “fan activities”—I need to stay out of the crossfire and erase my presence.
And that’s where these magic items come in!
“Well then, excuse me.”
“W-Wait…! I… I will absolutely get you!”
“Goodbye, members of the Hero’s party. It was fun talking to you.”
I said that with a slightly reserved smile.
Talking to them any longer would be a nuisance. They must be tired, so I should withdraw.
＊
“Eh…?”
The next day—for some reason, I was on the national most-wanted list.
The sketch looks exactly like me, and the name is the same too. A death sentence has already been issued, and there’s even a massive bounty.
Did I do something that bad? You’re kidding, right?
“Why am I being treated like a criminal? Did my stalking get exposed?”
And so, my life on the run began.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT gadgetizedpanda.net
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They say that when humans are pushed to their limit, their true nature is revealed.
I think it’s a bit different.
What is tested is “talent.” To survive an extreme situation, people try to solve it using the method they are best at. So, it’s not true nature, but “talent.”
“I am a genius, a genius at supporting my idols…!”
I desperately tell myself that.
Right now—it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say I’m in an extreme situation. After all, I’m being hunted by the state…
Apparently, they are under the misunderstanding that I am manipulating humans and demons from the shadows, have obtained the Demon King’s magic stone, and am plotting to overthrow the world.
If I get caught, it’s the death penalty.
“I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die. My talent for ‘idol-simping’ is completely useless here…!”
How did it come to this?
I just gave the Hero’s party a greeting and some praise.
I didn’t do anything that warrants the death penalty. In the first place, no magic stone actually comes out of the Demon King’s corpse. This fabrication has gone too far.
“Forget the country, it’s even difficult to leave this city… What should I do?”
Even just leaving the city requires identity verification.
Whether you’re registered as an adventurer or a merchant. Regardless, in this world, if your identity isn’t guaranteed, you can’t even leave or enter a city.
In short, once you’re on the most-wanted list, it’s checkmate. The fact that I’m in this city will be discovered soon. It was only a matter of time.
“If I didn’t have these magic items, I’d probably be caught by now…”
the magic items I own are specialized for stealth. Erasing presence, turning invisible, or magic barriers to block attacks. They have zero offensive capability. I can do nothing but run.
The effects are also temporary and can’t be used forever, so I’ll eventually be caught at this rate.
“Hm?”
For now, I’m in a deserted back alley, but the public order here is bad.
It’s better than a slum, but you could say it’s a place where the poor and criminals gather.
The reality is that the criminals here are left alone because they aren’t “big fish” worth the state’s effort.
If there’s major damage, it’s a different story, but basically, they are left alone, and ordinary people don’t come near.
“Excuse me, are you perhaps the ‘Masked Demon General-sama’?”
As I was walking, there was a middle-aged man sitting down, so I spoke to him.
He had cheap liquor in one hand and was looking at the sky with cloudy eyes.
An aura lacking any ambition. Disheveled clothes… He looked like nothing more than a drunkard from the lower class. But I knew. He was a human who belonged to the Demon King’s army.
“……Who are you?”
“Me? I’m Emo-sugiru. Just a popular guy on the national most-wanted list.”
“I know that. Why were you able to see through my identity?”
“You showed your true face once in front of the Hero, didn’t you? I’m a fan of his.”
The moment I mentioned the word “Hero”—
I was hit with an incredible killing intent. Scared! I’m gonna pee myself! Help!
“Even if you knew my true face, to think you’d track down my location… I don’t recall making such a blunder, but your information network is impressive.”
“E-eh…”
No, I didn’t come to see you.
I just happened to be passing by and saw enemy general defeated by the Hero’s party, so I spoke to him.
The masks this man makes are special. Apparently, they can not only change your face but also grant various abilities. He was supposed to be a high-ranking officer who used that power to strengthen the Demon King’s soldiers.
Considering my future life on the run, I absolutely want one. I wonder if he’ll sell me a mask.
“Meeting you was just a coincidence.”
“…A coincidence, huh? Well, fine. So, what’s your business?”
“Could you sell me a mask?”
“Hah… I see. You need it for your life as a fugitive. You know the answer, right? It’s a no.”
As I thought…
No good, I was rejected normally.
“I barely have any power left. I lost an arm in the battle with the Hero… Now that the Demon King is dead, I’ve lost the magic power I was given as well.”
“So, if your arm comes back, I can interpret that as you being willing to make one for me?”
“……What?”
I’m relieved to see that it’s not that he dislikes me.
Simply put, he can’t make a mask because he’s missing an arm, and since his magic power has decreased, he can’t imbue special abilities. That’s all.
However, the ability to make a mask that changes your face shouldn’t originate from the Demon King’s magic power. If his arm returns, I can get the item I’m after.
“If such a thing is truly possible, I’ll give you at least one mask.”
Looks like the deal is made.
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This is so funny he did not even realize how evil his words actually sounded outloud this guy 😭
And oooh new victim, ehm I mean soon to be friend ;D