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 38

“Oh my, oh my~ When exactly did I introduce myself to you~?”

The drawn-out tone only made the situation more unsettling.

“I don’t recall calling myself a Golden-Ranked Hero for the past few decades, you know~?”

“Could it be that you’re a lot older than you look?”

That was something they should be saying, not me. I almost wanted to retort, but I held back as Noah flashed a dark, amused smile.

Despite appearing to be in their mid-twenties at most, the swordsman before me was actually sixty years old.

Noah Brightless—the Golden-Ranked Hero.

Cursed with immortality after slaying a guardian dragon of a certain kingdom, they became a wanted criminal.

Now, they were a fugitive, traveling the world in search of a way to break the curse.

At least, that was their background in my novel—assuming everything still aligned with the original setting.

But judging from the way Noah was exerting pressure on me just for carelessly mentioning their true identity, it was safe to say they were still very much on the run.

That being the case, I’d rather just keep quiet and have them leave the city as soon as possible.

The last thing I needed was for them to think about silencing me.

“…You wouldn’t happen to be a pursuer from that kingdom, would you?”

Noah smiled as they asked this—but at the same time, they subtly reached for their sword.

Please, for the love of all things holy, don’t draw that.

And while we’re at it, if you’re trying to stay hidden, maybe reconsider that flashy appearance?

Oh, right. According to my novel, Noah’s hair and eye color reverted to their natural state due to the dragon’s curse, no matter how many times they tried to change them.

“Calm down, I’m not a pursuer. Just relax, put your sword back in its sheath… and then go ahead and toss it into the corner of the room while you’re at it.”

“You say you’re not a pursuer, yet you’re treating me like a dangerous criminal~”

“By the way, I have no intention of surrendering.”

Before I could even react, the tip of Noah’s sword was already right in front of my nose.

Lightning-fast.

I instinctively raised my hands in a surrendering gesture.

“Wait! I swear to the goddess, I’m not your enemy! If anything, I consider you a lifesaver.”

“So if someone really is after you, feel free to run. I won’t stop you. In fact, I’d prefer if you left as soon as possible.”

I laid my cards on the table—no lies, just the truth.

“If it’s money you need, there’s a bag of gold coins on the desk over there.”

“Not really looking to become a thief, you know… But you really are a strange one~”

“Then again, Chrono’s a bit of an odd one herself. Maybe the leader and their party members do start resembling each other.”

If Mian heard that, she’d definitely protest.

But at least Noah had finally returned their sword to its sheath.

“So, you know who I am. Yet, you claim you’re not a pursuer. That’s true, right~?”

Noah’s eyes studied me carefully as they asked.

I nodded. Lying here would be the worst possible decision.

“Right, right. Just so you know, I cast a truth-extracting spell on you earlier~”

“If you had tried to lie, you would’ve been writhing in agony right about now.”

Hearing that after the fact made me inwardly pat myself on the back for choosing honesty.

“But, see, this spell only detects lies. What I really want to know is how you know about me.”

“So… do I have to resort to torture?”

The way they said it—so casually, so matter-of-factly—sent a chill down my spine.

Lying was out of the question.

Claiming I heard it from Chrono wouldn’t work either.

In fact, Chrono was probably still unaware of Noah’s real name—at best, they might have introduced themselves as something like Noah Bright.

Not exactly the best alias.

“I’d rather not rough up someone Chrono’s acquainted with, so could you hurry up and answer~?”

Noah was clearly growing impatient, their tone taking on a slight edge.

Fine. I had bought enough time to think. As long as I didn’t lie, I should be okay.

“I know about you because I read a story that you appeared in.”

“A story? About me?”

“I know that Chrono is destined to become the world’s greatest hero. And you… you are the one who will become Chrono’s mentor.”

For the first time, Noah’s gold-and-red eyes flickered with genuine confusion.

Seeing their reaction, I felt my nerves settle slightly.

Noah was necessary for Chrono’s growth.

Although I had initially wanted them to leave the city immediately, I now hoped they would at least stick around long enough to train Chrono first.

For that to happen, I needed to convince them that I was an ally.

I asked Noah to cast a soundproofing spell over the room to ensure our conversation wouldn’t be overheard.

“Oh, I’ve had one up this whole time~” they replied nonchalantly.

The realization that I had been alone all this time with someone so accustomed to covering their tracks sent another shiver down my spine.