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 42

After the ridiculously overpowered Noah left the room, I felt as if I had just finished a full sprint.

Mentally, I was exhausted, though physically, there wasn’t a single ache.

It seemed he had healed the injuries I sustained from the giant slimes.

He might even be more skilled in healing magic than Est, our party’s designated healer.

That would certainly explain how he had survived decades on the run.

“The all-powerful hero, huh…”

Not only had he offered to train Chrono, but he had also included me in that offer.

Becoming a Gold-rank adventurer was something I had already been considering.

Logically, I should have accepted his offer without hesitation.

But I hadn’t given an immediate answer for a reason.

My past life as Takumi Haimura, a working adult, had taught me the risks of making snap decisions.

I didn’t like to remember the mistakes I made when I first moved from the countryside to the city.

I had been scammed, pressured into unnecessary purchases, and even tricked into signing up for an annual gym membership I barely used.

I had learned the hard way that it was always better to take time to think things through.

There was another reason—Noah’s training was brutal.

In the novel, Chrono had to carry the entire party’s supplies while running, and even she had been completely exhausted by it.

It was undoubtedly effective, but it was also grueling.

I could barely tolerate PE class back in school—how was I supposed to survive something even worse?

“…Still, refusing just because it’s tough isn’t an option either.”

Being a swordsman was a physically demanding job.

And more than that, it was a dangerous one.

If I ran from training and ended up dying in a real fight because I wasn’t strong enough, I’d have no one to blame but myself.

And Noah had already made it clear—that was my future if I did nothing.

Before the fight with the giant slimes, I might have dismissed his warning.

After all, if an enemy was too strong, I could just run away.

But reality had been completely different.

When I faced the giant slimes, I couldn’t run.

The town’s vigilantes refused to help, and Chrono wasn’t there to back me up.

I took hit after hit from those monsters, but even then—

I couldn’t give up because a child was trapped inside one of the slimes.

And in the end, I had only managed to save them thanks to sheer dumb luck.

I had planned out a strategy to defeat the slime, but nothing had gone as expected.

“It’s not just Chrono—I have to get stronger, too.”

Alva had his own life, his own battles to fight.

Dumping everything on Chrono and living safely at home wasn’t an option.

And yet, I hadn’t even considered quitting adventuring for a safer career.

Was it because I had fully become Alva Grayblood?

Even now, despite my past-life memories taking precedence, I couldn’t suppress the thrill of battle.

Maybe that was why I had kept swinging my sword, even while being pummeled by the giant slimes.

Thinking about it that way, Alva’s miserable death after exiling Chrono almost felt… fitting.

Dying alone in some back alley, rather than passing peacefully at home, surrounded by family.

“…Yeah, no thanks. I don’t want to go out like that.”

I shook my head.

Being an adventurer meant living with the constant risk of death, but that was still a pathetic way to die.

“At the end of the day… I died because I was weak, didn’t I?”

I had challenged a monster beyond my capabilities and lost.

If I had been stronger, I wouldn’t have died.

Judging the strength of your opponents was important, but in the end, the best way to survive as an adventurer was to become stronger.

Even my old teachers used to say, Work hard now so you can enjoy life later.

That settled it.

I stretched my arms, feeling my body slowly loosen up.

The decision was already halfway made.

All I had really done was accept the fact that I was going to go through Noah’s brutal training.

“I’ll check with Chrono first, and if she agrees, we’ll ask Noah to train us together.”

It might be a good idea to bring a gift when we ask.

Something like a box of sweets.

Did I ever establish what Noah’s favorite food was when I wrote the novel?

I couldn’t remember.

Maybe Chrono would know since she was the one who brought him here.

“Speaking of which… when did Chrono even meet Noah?”

I tilted my head.

In the original story, they weren’t supposed to become close until after she was exiled.

It wasn’t impossible that they had run into each other in this city before, but…

The fact that she had gone out of her way to bring Noah along for the slime hunt meant she trusted his abilities.

Which made me wonder—how did she know how strong he was?

“…Well, I guess I can just ask her.”

If Chrono was willing to answer, great.

If not, I’d figure it out later.

After living alone for so long in my past life, I had a bad habit of overthinking things.

It was fine now, but I’d have to make sure I didn’t lose myself in thought during battle.

I stepped out of bed—

And that’s when I realized my clothes had been changed.

The fabric was light and breathable, but damp with sweat, making it uncomfortable to wear.

Next to the bed, a small table held a bowl of water and a towel.

“…Might as well clean up and change into something fresh.”

Slowly, I started taking off my clothes.

My muscles ached slightly from lying in bed for so long.

Once I had stripped off my shirt, I grabbed a clean cloth and wiped off the sweat clinging to my skin.

I should probably change my undergarments as well.

Just as I pulled down my pants—

The door swung open.

Without so much as a knock.