I was Reincarnated as an Incompetent Leader with Zero Popularity who met his downfall early on. Instead of banishing the hidden cheat Protagonist, I decided to embrace him, and somehow, I ended up being treated like a Hero instead. - Chapter 34

When I came to, I was in a park.

It was strangely spacious, yet the only playground equipment was a swing and a small slide.

After a brief moment of thought, I remembered—before I started elementary school, I used to come here almost every day.

Every time my mother went shopping, she would leave me here, as the park was located halfway between our house and the supermarket.

She would give me a simple order: Stay here and play quietly until I come to pick you up.

Most likely, she just didn’t want me pestering her for snacks at the store.

The swing and slide were off-limits since they were “too dangerous” for me to use alone.

So I would sit still, curled up in a corner, waiting for her to return with grocery bags in hand.

And now, for some reason, I—who was no longer Takumi Haimura—found myself in that very place.

“No, you are Takumi Haimura.”

A cool, gentle voice denied the thought I had barely formed.

I turned to see a woman sitting on a weathered blue-painted bench.

She wore a dazzling white sundress and a wide-brimmed hat—an ethereal presence, yet her glasses grounded her in reality.

“Elena…”

“The memories that bind you are always filled with sadness and loneliness.”

Perhaps that’s why they linger like thorns, constantly pricking at your heart.

Murmuring softly, the goddess rose to her feet.

The moment she lifted her pure white hat from her head, the park vanished.

I now stood on the stone floor of the temple, a place that felt strangely familiar beneath my feet.

Elena, now clad in an appearance befitting the goddess of knowledge, gazed at me with a stern expression.

Was she… angry?

She could read my thoughts, yet she said nothing.

Which meant—

Yes, she was angry.

I ran through possible reasons in my head, trying to pinpoint the most likely one.

“Wait… are you mad because I almost died?”

“I’m not the only one who’s angry.”

Her beautiful eyes narrowed at me, full of suspicion.

“Are you sure you used to be just an ordinary person?”

I could only offer a wry smile in response.

I had no idea how to answer that.

If I thought as Takumi Haimura, then yes, I was just an ordinary person.

But if I answered as Alva Grayblood, then… no, I wasn’t.

Elena sighed, her expression softening.

“When you’re with me, you can just be Takumi Haimura. That’s how I will always see you.”

“…What?”

For some reason, her words lifted a weight off my chest.

Maybe I had been carrying the burden of living as Alva Grayblood more than I realized.

No… that wasn’t quite it.

It wasn’t about living as Alva.

It was about the fact that I couldn’t tell anyone that I was also Takumi Haimura.

During the fight against Mian and the giant slime, I had become more and more Alva.

And naturally, everyone around me addressed me as Alva Grayblood.

That was fine.

That was how I intended to live.

I had made my decision.

Yet somewhere deep inside, anxiety and loneliness gnawed at me.

A fear that the more I lived as Alva, the more I would forget that I was ever Takumi Haimura.

But now I understood—

Elena is here.

No matter how much I became Alva Grayblood, she would always see Takumi Haimura within me.

Even if I ever forgot who I used to be—

As long as I had her, I would remember.

“Honestly, using a goddess of knowledge as a bookmark for your identity… Only you would think of something like that.”

Elena sighed in exasperation, but her voice was gentle.

“Sorry… No, I mean… Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

At my clumsy attempt at gratitude, the goddess smiled.

Then, she stepped forward and wrapped her slender, delicate arms around me.

“You did well. Though, personally, I would have preferred if you didn’t nearly die in the process.”

I never intended to push myself to the brink of death.

But looking back—whether it was the random attacker from before or this latest battle—I was beginning to realize I had a tendency to let my emotions take over.

“…In a way, perhaps that’s what makes a hero.”

The way you throw yourself into danger without a second thought to protect those who can’t fight for themselves.

She whispered the words as her soft, pale fingers brushed against my cheek.

A moment later, when she pulled her hand away, her fingertips were stained red.

“But you must cherish your life. No more throwing yourself away in reckless battles.”

“Elena…”

“And never forget—there are people who would grieve if you were gone.”

“…I understand.”

Her tear-filled eyes and trembling voice made me nod instinctively.

Just like our last farewell, our lips slowly drew closer.

Elena had said she would see me as Takumi Haimura.

But the truth was, the ease with which I could reach out and touch a woman like this was likely a result of Alva’s experiences.

I hadn’t realized it before, but now, I understood.

Even so, I still wanted to be Takumi Haimura when I was with her.

『Condition met. Alva Grayblood has acquired the title: God-Slayer of the Titans.』

『A new skill is now available for acquisition.』