TWEM Vol. 8 Chapter 13
by nellstewartChapter 13 – In the World I Saved, I Wish for Peace
News of Chronos’s defeat spread across the land the moment I returned to the surface.
Emboldened, the Allied Forces swept away the last pockets of resistance.
Monsters were exterminated, while the demons and fallen angels surrendered en masse.
The demons were placed under Fran’s jurisdiction for judgment, while I personally applied magic constraints on Lucifer’s former followers and sent them to the floating fortress, now under international management.
Well, it’s basically a wasteland now, but I’m sure the place will be put to good use eventually.
So, with peace restored to the world… what about me?
After overseeing the bare minimum post-battle proceedings, I returned straight to the estate in the Kingdom of Perdis.
I collapsed into bed the moment I got back, and apparently, I just woke up after two whole days.
Honestly, I was surprised.
Good thing I’d warned them I might not get up for a while. If I’d slept for two days without saying anything, they probably would’ve panicked.
Thinking about all that, I left my second-floor room and headed down to the living room, where Finne greeted me as soon as she saw I was awake.
“Good morning, Haruto-san. How are you feeling?”
“Morning, Finne. Thanks to you, I’m feeling great.”
“That’s a relief… Oh, right. His Majesty was asking for you.”
“Dillan, huh? Lemme guess—he wants to talk about rewards or something?”
“Aha… ha ha…”
Finne gave a wry smile at my deadpan response.
Was I too blunt?
That’s when I realized something.
“By the way, where is everyone?”
“Iris, Asha, Ilmina, and Charlotte went to the castle first thing this morning. They said to come by once you were awake.”
“Right… they’re all princesses, so they’ve probably got a lot on their plate.”
“Exactly. As for Ephyr and Kuzel, they went out with Zero. They should be back soon. Lastly, about Suzuno—”
“She’s with Tendo and the other heroes, isn’t she?”
“Yes. She said there were things they all needed to talk about.”
Talk, huh…
The Demon King—originally the reason we were summoned here—no longer needed to be defeated.
The ultimate threat, the Evil God, was gone too.
Which meant the heroes didn’t really have a reason to stay in this world anymore.
So… I guess it’s about going home.
I’ll have to be part of that conversation too.
While I was thinking that over, Finne suddenly remembered something.
“Oh, and Haruto? The whole world’s going crazy over you right now.”
“Over me? Why?”
“Because you’re the hero who saved the world! And the man who accomplished the feat of slaying a god!”
She seemed pretty proud as she said that, but honestly, I don’t really care about standing in the spotlight.
…Okay, maybe it does feel kind of nice.
“Anyway, I guess I should go see Dillan.”
“Let’s go. Iris and the others are waiting too.”
Just as we stepped outside, I noticed Glatnis sprawled out in the garden, basking in the sun.
“You look real comfy there, Glatnis.”
“Ah, my Lord. You’ve awakened.”
“Just now.”
“I’m glad to hear you rested well. …Please, look at the sky.”
At his prompting, Finne and I looked up.
Clear skies. The sun was shining, and the breeze felt incredible.
Yeah, no wonder he seemed so relaxed lying out here.
“Perfect weather for a nap. By the way, aren’t you going back to the Labyrinth?”
“No, I thought I’d stay here for a while longer. I’ve left things in the care of other monsters—no worries there. They’re around level 400, so there’s little chance they’ll be defeated.”
“Got it. I’ll build you a cozy nap spot later.”
“Ohh! That sounds delightful. I look forward to it!”
“Anyway, we’re heading to the castle. If Ephyr and Kuzel come back, tell them where we went.”
“Understood. Take care.”
Before we reached the gate, I ran into Sebas, the head butler, and passed along the same message I had given Glatnis.
Sebas was probably the more reliable option. Definitely.
~
As we made our way to the castle, we found the royal capital in full celebration.
The war was over, and the victory festival was in full swing.
Finne and I picked up some grilled skewers from a food stall on the way, munching as we walked.
Good thing my face wasn’t that well-known.
Still, soldiers knew what I look like, and with all the merchants and adventurers I’ve interacted with, there were more than a few people here who’d recognize me.
“Hey! It’s the hero!”
One of the patrolling guards shouted, and like clockwork, everyone around turned to look at me.
“…This is bad.”
“Y-Yeah…”
We both realized what was coming.
“Is it really the hero!?”
“Thank you so much!!”
“Hero, please shake my hand!”
A wave of people swarmed in.
Before I knew it, we were completely surrounded. We couldn’t even move.
“You saved the world!”
“Of course he did—he’s the world’s strongest adventurer!”
We weren’t going anywhere at this rate.
With no other choice, I pulled Finne close and scooped her up in a princess carry.
“Eep—Haruto!? Wh-What are you doing?!”
“Just bear with it.”
She blushed and flailed in confusion, but it was the only way I could think of to get us out of that crowd.
Holding her tight, I jumped and landed on a nearby rooftop.
Disappointed cries rose from the people below, but we’d be stuck till sundown if we tried to greet every single one of them.
I could have used teleportation… but I didn’t have a good spot in mind, and I didn’t want to draw even more attention.
So, instead, I just dashed rooftop to rooftop, making straight for the royal castle.
When the castle gate came into view, I leapt again, landing right in front of the gatekeepers.
The gatekeeper instinctively pointed his spear at me when I suddenly appeared.
“W-Who goes th—wait, Haruto!?”
It was a familiar face. Recognizing me, the guard quickly lowered his spear and looked toward Finne, who I was still holding in my arms.
“U-Um… could you maybe put me down now? This is really embarrassing…”
“Isn’t it a little late for that?”
“Come on! Just put me down already!”
“…Alright.”
I did as she asked and gently set Finne down.
“Haha, even the great Haruto, savior of the world, becomes weak in front of Lady Finne.”
The gatekeeper chuckled. Finne blushed and looked down shyly.
“Enough out of you. Anyway, may we pass?”
“Of course. His Majesty is expecting you.”
We passed through the castle gate and entered the royal palace. Almost immediately, a maid arrived, bowed deeply, and guided us through the halls. As we walked, every soldier and maid we passed stopped to bow deeply. No doubt they were expressing their gratitude for saving the world.
Eventually, we were shown into the familiar guest salon. After waiting a few moments, King Dillan arrived, accompanied by Queen Amalia, Iris, Asha, Ilmina, and Charlotte. Iris immediately rushed over to me.
“Haruto! You finally woke up!”
“Your Highness, please—Haruto is still recovering.”
“But I was just…”
“You were worried about him, weren’t you, Your Highness?”
“A-Asha!?”
I gently patted Iris’s head as she lowered her eyes.
“Sorry for worrying you. I’m alright now.”
“I-It’s not like I was worried or anything!”
She turned away, cheeks red, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Asha, don’t tease Iris too much.”
“She’s right. Iris might not show it, but she really is a worrywart.”
“Speaking of which… didn’t Ilmina and Lady Charlotte also worry quite a bit about Haruto?”
““—!””
Asha’s comment made both Ilmina and Charlotte blush furiously and freeze mid-sentence.
“You were worried too, Asha…”
“Your Highness!?”
Iris’s accusation sent Asha spinning, frantically trying to respond.
Amidst the flurry of embarrassed responses, laughter echoed through the room. King Dillan and Queen Amalia were watching the scene warmly.
“Your Majesty, Your Highness… could you not laugh and help me out here? It’s honestly embarrassing to listen to.”
“What’s wrong with enjoying the moment?”
“He’s right. I can understand how Iris feels.”
“Good grief…”
I sighed heavily and sat down on the sofa as Dillan gestured. A maid served tea, and once we’d all taken a sip, the conversation began.
“First of all, Haruto. On behalf of the people, thank you for saving our world.”
Dillan and Amalia bowed deeply together. It had been a while since I’d seen them act so formally.
“There’s no need to thank me. I wasn’t alone. It was thanks to everyone’s efforts that we could save the world. The gratitude shouldn’t be mine alone—it belongs to all who fought.”
There was no false humility in my words. It was simply the truth.
Dillan and Amalia raised their heads.
“You’re right. We all made this victory possible together.”
“Then let those words be shared with everyone who fought.”
“Indeed. Now, moving on…”
With that, Dillan shifted to the topic of what came next.
“Demon King Fran, who returned to the demon lands, is dealing with the punishment of the demons who sided with Alogis. She mentioned she’ll be visiting soon, and when she does, the leaders of all nations will gather to sign a peace treaty. A formal signing ceremony, if you will.”
“I see… so the conflict with the demons is finally over. Trade between humans and demons should flourish after this.”
“Yes. While cities were spared damage during the war, the human toll was heavy… A shrinking population leads to economic decline. We’re hoping to boost economic recovery as much as possible.”
That made sense. Then Dillan turned to me.
“So, Haruto… what will you do now?”
“Me, huh…”
At his question, all eyes in the room turned to me.
There was something I wanted to do: return to my homeland, Earth. As much as I’d grown used to this world, I still wanted to return to Earth, just as I’d planned from the beginning.
“I think I’ll take it easy for a bit… and look for a way home.”
“Home, as in the same other world as Tendo and the others?”
“Yeah. I want to go back with everyone. I’ve got family waiting for me.”
Everyone nodded, fully understanding what that meant.
“I’ll go with you wherever you go, Haruto-san.”
Finne smiled as she said that, and Iris and the others smiled in agreement. Of course, we’d all return together.
“Thanks. I’d like to make it possible to travel freely between this world and mine someday, so I’ll need to start preparing.”
Dillan looked relieved at my words.
“I’m glad to hear that. I feared this would be a final farewell.”
“I love this world too. I’ll make it happen—just wait and see.”
“Good. I’d be lonely if I never got to see my grandchildren.”
“Oh yes… I’d love to see my grandchildren soon.”
As soon as the word “grandchildren” was mentioned, Iris’s face turned scarlet. I reached out and patted her head.
“Someday.”
She only blushed even more, and the room burst into laughter again.
“Well, let’s leave that topic for another time.”
“Oh no, not this again…”
“Now then,” Dillan continued.
“I mentioned earlier—leaders of every nation will gather in one week.”
That was soon, but not unexpected.
“In connection to that, we’d like you, Haruto, as the greatest hero of the war, to give a speech.”
“A speech? Like, a formal address?”
“Yes. The people of every nation will want to hear the voice of the hero.”
“If I’m being honest, I’d rather not…”
“I thought you’d say that.”
“Then why ask?”
“…Will you do it?”
He probably would’ve made me do it anyway, even if I said no.
“Fine. I’ll do it. I can talk about whatever I want, right?”
“Yes. I’ll leave the content to you.”
As I mentally planned my speech, Suzuno, Ephyr, and Kuzel entered the room. Apparently, they got the message I sent.
“Haruto, you finally woke up.”
“Honestly! We were so worried.”
“Took you long enough.”
I felt a little guilty hearing them all say that.
“Well, I suppose we’ll let it slide, just this once.”
“I’ll allow it.”
“The enemies were strong, after all. That was fun.”
Suzuno and Ephyr smiled gently. Kuzel, as usual, nodded vigorously.
“By the way, Suzuno…”
“Yes?”
“How are Tendo and the others? They alright?”
I hadn’t seen them since the battle, and I was a little worried.
“Yeah, everyone’s fine. They’re staying in a dormitory Lord Dillan arranged.”
“Glad to hear it.”
Feeling relieved, I told her what I wanted.
“Could you gather everyone later? I want to talk about what’s next.”
“Of course. I’ll let them know.”
“Thanks.”
At that moment, Dillan clapped his hands.
“Well then, since everyone’s here, why don’t we have an early lunch? I’m sure Haruto hasn’t eaten anything yet.”
He looked directly at me.
I’d had a small skewer at a food stall on the way here, but that hardly counted as a meal. I’d also ended up eating most of the tea snacks that were served earlier.
“You’re right. I only grabbed a bite on the way here—I’m starving.”
“Perfect. I had the kitchen prepare something ahead of time, just in case. Let’s head to the dining hall.”
We left the guest salon and moved to the dining room, where a grand feast awaited us.
We took our seats and began to eat.