[Reminiscence 5] At the End of the Battle
“Berserk!”
As Ganon shouted briefly, his body was faintly enveloped in a pale blue light, and in an instant, his eyes became bloodshot and turned bright red.
Berserk is a skill that temporarily doubles one’s status at the cost of turning oneself into a mad warrior who continues fighting until all enemies are eliminated. While its effect is significant, it robs one of normal thought and stamina.
Ganon raised his battle axe and took a big step towards Majin Becker. Immediately, two great swords came down on Ganon.
However, Ganon doesn’t dodge.
His prized golden armor is slashed, and the blades should be reaching his flesh, but he charges on regardless.
“Hm?”
Sensing something odd about this reckless charge, Majin Becker aims at Ganon with yet another arm.
That’s when Rainer moved.
“Ground Contraction”
It’s the special technique of Rainer, a swordsman specialized in speed. With a quickness that leaves afterimages, he moves behind Majin Becker in an instant.
“Light Speed”
Rainer’s ultimate sword technique, unleashing a magic-imbued slash while maintaining the speed of Ground Contraction. He aims for Majin Becker’s neck.
“I won’t let you!”
Majin Becker’s remaining arm delivers a lightning-fast strike at Rainer.
Rainer avoids it by leaning his upper body backward, then launches his Light Speed attack using the momentum as he rises. However, due to the evasive action, it doesn’t reach the neck, instead slicing off one of Majin Becker’s arms.
Rainer retreats to create distance. Ground Contraction puts a great strain on the body and can’t be used consecutively.
“Sorry, I couldn’t reach…”
As Rainer was about to call out to Ganon, what he saw was Ganon, his body slashed by two great swords, still exchanging blows with Majin Becker.
Ciel was continuously casting healing magic on Ganon with teary eyes, while Louise was desperately chanting attack spells.
“Ground Contraction!”
Immediately realizing this was the critical moment, Rainer activates Ground Contraction in succession.
Feeling as if his lungs were expanding and his heart contracting, he approaches Majin Becker again.
Majin Becker also pulls his swords out of Ganon, showing a stance ready to counter.
However, one arm is occupied with Ganon, and another is used to avoid Louise’s magic.
If anything, it’s a vulnerable state, just like before.
Rainer, with a do-or-die determination, slips through Majin Becker’s swords and extends his blade towards Majin Becker’s throat.
(I’ve got him!)
The moment he was certain of this, Majin Becker’s four eyes glowed brightly, the light converging. It became a single heat beam aimed at Rainer.
Rainer narrowly avoided the heat beam but lost his chance and jumped back, retreating to where Ciel and Louise were.
“What was that? Is anything goes now!?”
Rainer was stunned by Majin Becker, who had fired some kind of beam from his eyes without chanting. Anxiety runs through him, wondering if they have any chance of winning.
“That heat beam disappeared quickly. It probably has a short range and can only be used at close distances.”
On the other hand, Louise saw through the ability at first glance.
“More importantly, we need to hurry or Ganon will…!”
Ciel, who continued to support Ganon, urged the two to continue the battle. Ganon was already beyond his limits.
But at that moment, a blade emerged from Ganon’s back. His torso had been pierced.
“Ganon!”
Ciel screamed.
“GAAAAARGH!!”
Ganon, shouting while coughing blood, chopped off Majin Becker’s arm holding the sword that had pierced him with his battle axe.
Ganon fell to the ground along with Majin Becker’s severed arm, but he no longer moved an inch.
“This is bad.”
Rainer looked around, but the situation was dire everywhere.
“So, in the end, Trao was right?”
Louise responded lightly.
“I wish we could have gone on an adventure with Garnet’s children at least once. Trao was sneaky, secretly helping such cute kids.”
Ciel smiled slightly.
“Stop saying things like that! It’s like we’re about to die. I don’t like it. I have a dream of marrying a rich man and living a fun life until I die.”
Louise scolded Ciel for her comment.
“Then how about Trao? He’ll surely become rich.”
“Even if he’s rich, it’s meaningless if he’s stingy!”
While Louise and Ciel were exchanging words, Majin Becker was slowly approaching.
“It’s frustrating to have Trao say ‘I told you so,’ so let’s try a bit harder.”
Rainer calls out to the two.
“Right.” “Yes.”
While talking, the two release the spells they had been preparing.
Ciel casts a support spell on Rainer to enhance his abilities, while Louise turns the ground under Majin Becker’s feet into a swamp to restrict his movement.
“This is…”
Majin Becker, his feet entangled in the muddy ground, raises his voice.
“You can’t cut through that magic with a sword, can you?”
Louise winked. At the same time, Rainer started running.
Moving like he was flying around Majin Becker, he aims for blind spots.
Majin Becker, with his feet trapped, tries to respond by twisting his body, but his movements are slow. Moreover, having lost two arms, he can no longer respond in all directions.
Furthermore, Louise releases an attack spell, and as Majin Becker swings his sword to nullify it, his body opens up.
“Ground Contraction…”
Forcibly swallowing the blood rising from his lungs, Rainer activates Ground Contraction for the third time.
He instantly dives into close range, aiming for the throat again. But,
“Don’t underestimate me!”
Majin Becker pulls his feet out of the swamp and delivers a knee strike.
Hit by the unexpected attack, Rainer is sent flying.
“Guh…”
Rainer, bouncing and rolling on the ground, lets out a dull voice.
“Rainer!”
Immediately, Ciel chants a healing spell, and Rainer manages to stand up using his sword as support.
During this time, Majin Becker thrusts his great sword into the ground, forcibly dispelling the magic and returning the swamp-like ground to its original state.
“No way…”
Louise gasps. It was unthinkable to break magic in such a way.
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“One more time…”
Rainer pushes his not-fully-recovered body.
And he holds his sword in front of him.
“This is it, Majin Becker.”
“Very well, human hero.”
Despite saying this, Majin Becker thought the opponent no longer had a chance of winning.
Even though he had lost two arms, the opponent was already out of strength. There was no reason for Majin Becker, superior in raw power, to lose.
Louise begins chanting a spell. Ciel casts another healing spell on Rainer.
And as Louise’s spell is completed, Rainer starts running. He’s no longer in a state to use Ground Contraction.
Majin Becker was supposed to block Louise’s spell with one arm and have enough power left to counter Rainer with the other arm.
“Guh!”
Feeling unexpected pain, Majin Becker lets out a groan of agony. And he loses his balance.
At the edge of his vision, he saw Ganon, whom he thought was dead, dragging his body and kneeling, swinging his axe at Majin Becker’s Achilles tendon.
Rainer approaches, brandishing his sword. It’s too late to defend with a sword now. Majin Becker tries to concentrate magic in his eyes to release a heat beam, but Rainer shows no sign of trying to avoid it.
(Well done)
Majin Becker releasing the heat beam and Rainer swinging down his sword happened simultaneously.
Majin Becker’s head flies through the air, and Rainer’s chest is pierced by the heat beam.
“We did it, Trao…”
Rainer muttered in his fading consciousness.
“Ciel! Heal Rainer immediately!”
Louise shouts. But Ciel leans against her back.
“Ciel?”
As she turns around, she sees several arrows piercing Ciel’s chest. Ciel leans against her back as if to protect her, then falls to the ground. Her expression was peaceful.
Looking around, the Demon Lord subjugation team was in a state of total annihilation, with no survivors in sight. Even the mighty Ganon had finally breathed his last beside Majin Becker’s corpse.
“You went ahead, huh…”
Louise, Rainer, and Ciel were childhood friends. However, she had always thought Rainer and Ciel would end up together. As for herself, she thought she might end up with Trao out of necessity.
(Though I really don’t want such a stingy guy)
Several arrows approach and pierce her body.
Louise watched this as if it were happening to someone else.
(There’s more than enough blood)
Unlike Ciel, Louise was still wearing the death-scented black robe prepared by Trao.
It was partly because it was given by Trao, but also because she needed to wear it continuously to make the black robe recognize who its master was.
(A self-destruction spell, what bad taste, Great Sage)
Hidden within was a spell prepared by the Great Sage who created the black robe, to retaliate against those who harmed him. In the end, he never used it himself in his lifetime – a calamitous magic that spreads death throughout the area, activated in exchange for one’s blood and life.
The black robe, having absorbed Louise’s blood, changes form as it further drains its master’s life.
A dragon, like a torrent of black magical power, manifests and attacks the remaining demon soldiers on the battlefield.
“I leave the rest to you…”
Louise’s last words were directed not at the dragon, but at Trao.
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Afterword
There’s a genre in light novels known as [exile stories].
The story begins with the impactful moment where the protagonist is exiled by their companions, drawing in the readers. However, the plot unfolds to reveal that the protagonist actually possesses incredible talent. Those who exiled them fall into decline, while the protagonist finds recognition and happiness elsewhere.
It’s a straightforward tale of good triumphing over evil. In simple terms, it’s like Cinderella. Treated poorly at home but admired at the ball for her beauty, and ultimately marrying the prince.
However, I never quite resonated with such [exile stories].
Questions like “Wouldn’t it be strange for companions to misjudge the protagonist’s abilities so completely?” “Can you really call people ‘companions’ if they lack a foundation of trust?” “Isn’t the reasoning for exile too flimsy?” and “Isn’t the story just a one-trick pony?” always bothered me.
So, I wanted to address these issues and write my own exile story.
A story where the protagonist’s abilities are genuinely hard to recognize, where there are valid reasons for the exile, where there’s a real sense of trust between companions, and where the ending ties everything together.
And thus, [The Exiled Merchant Saves the World with the Power of Gold] was born.
To be honest, it’s debatable whether this work is compelling as an [exile story].
The protagonist isn’t a good person. The companions who exiled him aren’t villains. Therefore, it’s not a simple tale of good versus evil.
Moreover, the protagonist Trao uses the power of money to defeat the Demon King. There are no dreams or hopes involved.
Yet in reality, money often solves problems. Hence, I thought this ability had a sense of realism.
Being exiled for being miserly with money is also a convincing reason.
In the story, Trao frantically earns money. It’s not an admirable way to make money, but with that power, he accomplishes great things.
However, what he truly wanted couldn’t be bought with money.
I believe real life is similar in this regard.
February 2024
Daken
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