The Villainous Noble Who Kept Rewinding After Death: The Story Somehow Changed When I Committed Suicide

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The Villainous Noble Who Kept Rewinding After Death: The Story Somehow Changed When I Committed Suicide

Chapter 44: The Fear of Death

As I talked with Fiera while resting my head on her lap, a group of adventurers from the Forest King subjugation team passed by and approached us.

I straightened up to look at them, and they scanned the area with expressions that were hard to read.

“This is…”

“What on earth happened here…?”

The members of the subjugation team looked incredulously at the transformed surroundings, witnessing the aftermath of my fight with Build.

Upon seeing Build’s corpse lying on the ground and us standing a short distance away, the adventurers and knights drew their weapons and got into a defensive stance.

(Is there some misunderstanding here? Are they on guard against us?)

Well, in a situation like this, it’s only natural for them to be cautious about us, not knowing whether we’re allies or enemies.

“Everyone, put down your weapons!”

As I pondered how to handle the situation, a figure who appeared to be the lord raised his hand and urged them to lower their weapons.

“But Zoido-sama, until we know who these people are, we have the duty to protect you…”

“That’s fine. Judging by the situation, they most likely defeated the Forest King… Am I wrong?”

The man named Zoido stepped forward and asked us.

“Yes, you’re correct. We defeated it.”

Upon hearing my answer, the adventurers and knights murmured among themselves, but Zoido remained calm.

“…Can you move?”

“I’m embarrassed to say, but, like my looks, I’m in tatters. I don’t think I can move for a while.”

“I understand. Hey! Anyone who can use healing magic, heal them!”

At Zoido’s command, several magicians stepped forward to cast healing magic on us.

However, unsurprisingly, they didn’t restore the severed arm I had lost.

(Well, not many can perform healing magic that can restore lost limbs.)

When the magicians finished casting their spells and stepped back, we stood up and faced Zoido.

“Thank you for the healing. I’m A Rank adventurer Eir.”

“I’m also an A Rank adventurer, Fiera. Thank you.”

“A Rank, huh…”

Upon hearing our self-introductions, not just the other adventurers but even the level-headed Zoido showed surprise.

“…I apologize. I was taken aback. I am Zoido Adonia, and I manage this territory. Behind me are my knights and the adventurers gathered for the subjugation of the Forest King. Nice to meet you.”

Zoido extended his hand towards us, seemingly asking for a handshake, which I reciprocated with my remaining right hand.

“Now then, could you tell me why you are here?”

I considered lying and saying we had stumbled upon the fight by coincidence, but then I recalled that we had crossed paths with these people before, so I decided to tell the truth.

“Well, at first, we were dealing with a horde of monsters in the town, but when I used detection magic to probe the forest, I sensed the presence of the Forest King. The sheer strength made me want to fight it, so we came here.”

“You wanted to fight…?”

“Yes. If there’s such a strong opponent, wouldn’t you want to fight it?”

I smiled and sought their agreement, but not a single person nodded in response.

I wondered why, and then glanced sideways to find Fiera nodding her head.

“…Aren’t you afraid of dying?”

“Dying?”

At first, I didn’t understand what Zoido was getting at, but then I realized how elevated I had been during my battle with Build and took a moment to consider.

(Ah, hmm? Oh, I see. Normally, dying is scary and unpleasant. That’s why they didn’t empathize with me.)

“Well, I personally have no fear of dying. If I die, that’s just how it goes.”

Upon hearing my answer, Zoido and the others looked at me as if I were something alien, before shifting their gaze to Fiera.

“Do you think the same way?”

“I enjoy fighting strong enemies, but if El were to die, I would go with him. There’s no fear or hesitation in that.”

Fiera’s words carried a weight that felt deeper than before, but I judged it best to ignore that.

Hearing our responses, Zoido and the others still looked perplexed, but I didn’t particularly want them to understand all of my thoughts.

Rather, fearing death is a normal feeling, and it is us who are the abnormal ones, so pondering it further was simply pointless.

“Well, I understand you both. For now, let’s head back to town. Since it seems you dealt with the Forest King, there’s no need for us to remain here.”

Zoido said this, then turned to signal the adventurers and knights to retreat.

In the meantime, I retrieved the magical stone from Build, used earth magic to dig a hole, and buried him there.

This was my way of showing respect, alongside my whim of not wanting to strip materials from a powerful opponent’s corpse.

Afterward, I joined the subjugation team led by Zoido, and both Fiera and I headed back to the Town of Adonia.

When we returned to the town, it seemed that the monsters had calmed down since Build’s defeat, as most of them had retreated back into the forest.

Nevertheless, many corpses of monsters and people littered the outer walls, conveying just how fierce the battle had been.

As I gazed at the remnants of the battlefield, I noticed a woman with purple hair approaching from the opposite side.

“Zoido-sama, you have returned.”

“Ah, Rene. Thank you for defending the town.”

“No, it was the least I could do. But I must say, impressive work. To defeat the Forest King in such a short time!”

Zoido, receiving praise from Rene, chuckled and shook his head.

“No, we didn’t defeat the Forest King. It was those two adventurers over there.”

When Zoido pointed towards us, Rene turned her gaze in our direction.

“You two…”

“Hello!”

I nonchalantly replied as I waved lightly at Rene before immediately returning my attention to Zoido.

“Did they really defeat it?”

“Yes. While we were unable to advance because of the Forest King’s hostile presence, these kids raced past us.

Then we heard the sounds of battle, and when it all went quiet, we headed over to find the Forest King slain with these kids still there.”

Rene still seemed unconvinced by Zoido’s account, but with the actual participant confirming it, she appeared to be unsure how to evaluate the situation.

“Shall we head back to the territory? We can’t just stand around talking here, can we?”

“…Yes.”

Following Zoido’s suggestion, our discussion wrapped up, and we moved to enter the territory.

The sky was painted an orange hue, and night was drawing near.

Fiera and I, feeling exhausted, tried to head back to the inn when Zoido called out to us.

“Could you wait a moment?”

“Is something wrong?”

“May I ask about your plans for the future?”

“Well… We were thinking of resting for about three days before heading to the next town.”

“Three days, huh… Then, I’m sorry, but could you come to my mansion two days from now around noon? I’d like to express my gratitude for this incident.”

Zoido, looking thoughtful for a moment, then made that suggestion.

However, I didn’t feel like I had done anything deserving of thanks, as I had merely followed my own desires into battle.

“Please don’t refuse? I have my duties as a lord to uphold. It would be appreciated if you could understand that.”

“…Understood.”

Being told this as a noble, I couldn’t refuse, so I begrudgingly agreed.

(Plus, if I refuse and get stopped at the checkpoint when leaving the territory, that would be a hassle.)

“In that case, could you drop by the guild on your way back?”

Rene’s words elicited a slightly annoyed expression from me, but she continued with a wry smile.

“Seeing you make a face like that is rather hurtful. It’s not bad, don’t worry. I just want to hear the details of this incident and consider you for a rank-up. Will you cooperate?”

“Alright.”

Since I definitely wanted to up my rank for the future, I decided it was an opportunity worth taking, so I agreed to stop by the guild.

And so, having settled everything, we walked through the town to finally rest our tired bodies at the inn.