"I'll Catch Up Later, So Go On Ahead!" I Said, and Stayed Behind in the Dungeon for Five Years. When I Returned to the Royal Capital, for Some Reason, I Had Become a Great Criminal, So I Decided to Retire. But Outstanding People Keep Gathering Around Me Though... - Episode 21: The Truth from Five Years Ago

Episode 21: The Truth from Five Years Ago

“I’ll catch up later, so go on ahead—!!”

We had defeated the boss of the Calamity Causal Dungeon – Abyss Sanctum. But a massive number of monsters appeared on the floor afterward.

None of us—aside from Senpai—were in any condition to fight.

There was no way we could leave him behind… but if we stayed, we all might die.

Senpai was the only one still able to fight.

It was an unbearably painful decision. But in the end, we entrusted everything to him and escaped.

“Outside?”

“Looks like a forest.”

“*Sniff sniff*… I think it’s the forest near the royal capital. I recognize the smell.”

Thanks to Senpai, Estelle, Luster, Sharo, and I made it out safely.

We had already defeated the dungeon’s boss, and Senpai should be able to come back soon too…

That’s what we believed.

After all, Senpai is the strongest Hero in this entire world.

“Uu… Sensei…”

Sharo dropped to her knees and cried.

She always acted tough toward Senpai. But I knew she admired him more than anyone else.

I gently placed my hand on her shoulder.

“Sharo… it’s okay. Senpai will come back.”

“Yeah… yeah!”

After that, the four of us decided to report to the royal castle.

The threat of the Abyss Sanctum had effectively been eliminated.

As long as Senpai returned, everything would be fine.

The castle gates slowly opened.

We walked forward in silence, heading toward our audience with the king.

The guards stood wordlessly in formation. They were flanking us on both sides. Their eyes were piercing like needles.

“You’ve returned.”

From the throne, King Granheldt looked down at us.

Dressed in a magnificent platinum robe, the aging king still had a sharp glint in his eyes.

His silver hair and neatly trimmed beard gave him a commanding presence.

At his side stood Prince Raiz.

“Yes. We’ve returned.”

We knelt before the king.

As always, it was Estelle—the Saint—who spoke on our behalf.

“Hmm. And what of Hero Haruto?”

“He is still inside the Abyss Sanctum. He remained to let us escape. However, we’ve eliminated the dungeon’s threat. There should be no further danger to the kingdom.”

“I see… Just as I suspected.”

“Just as you suspected…?”

Something felt off.

We’d just come back from a deadly dungeon. But there was no celebration, no gratitude.

The atmosphere here… was unnatural.

“Allow me to explain.”

Prince Raiz stepped forward. He was holding what looked like a set of documents.

“As for Hero Haruto—He is suspected of infiltrating the royal treasury beneath the castle and stealing sacred relics.

There’s evidence suggesting contact with foreign nations.

Analysis of the gate in Abyss Sanctum shows traces of his magic.

It’s highly likely that Hero Haruto is the mastermind behind the Black Calendar Calamity.

He is now under suspicion of high treason.”

…What?

That’s impossible.

We were with Senpai the whole time.

There’s no way he could’ve done any of that.

High treason…?

It made no sense.

My mind couldn’t keep up with the sudden revelation.

“He probably stayed in the Abyss Sanctum to escape his crimes. We will now issue a wanted notice for Hero Haruto on charges of treason. And you four are suspected of aiding him. You’ll be interrogated immediately.”

I wanted to scream “Don’t be ridiculous!”—

But Estelle stepped forward first.

“My… what a situation. We knew nothing of this. But we will cooperate fully. After all, we care deeply for the kingdom’s future.”

“Hmm. A wise decision. Take them away.”

We were taken into custody.

At that moment, Estelle whispered under her breath, “Just follow along for now.”

For a brief instant, her eyes burned with hatred.

That was enough for me to calm down.

Estelle felt the same way.

We were interrogated, but released a week later.

There was no evidence we’d collaborated in treason.

Still, I couldn’t believe the kingdom would do something so vile.

After we were released, we gathered in a back alley under the cover of night.

Everyone had their heads down.

“Luster-san. Any presence nearby?”

“None right now.”

“Understood.”

Estelle confirmed with Luster. But I was too furious to stay calm.

I turned on Estelle and let my emotions erupt.

“Estelle… what’s going on!? You know Senpai would never commit treason! Why didn’t you say anything—why didn’t you object!?”

As I confronted her, Estelle suddenly slammed her fist into the wall with a loud *bang!*

Bl00d dripped from her knuckles.

Seeing that snapped me back to my senses.

She was just as furious as I was.

“They had this all planned out. Objecting on the spot would’ve been unwise.”

Her calm words helped cool my head.

She’d remained clearheaded when we couldn’t.

“I believe Haruto-sama was set up. Those charges—they’re fabricated.”

“Fabricated…?”

“A power struggle for succession… No, it might involve more than that.”

“Estelle! Hey!”

“Judging from the situation, I’d say Prince Raiz is the one orchestrating this. But the kingdom isn’t monolithic either…”

“Wait—please explain clearly!”

When I asked, Estelle turned to face me and began to explain.

“Hero Haruto—

His presence became too great.

Now that he’s conquered the Abyss Sanctum, his name will go down in history.

He might even hold more power than the king.

For anyone aiming for the throne, he’s a serious threat.

That’s why… they fabricated crimes to erase him from society.”

What…?

They brought down Senpai for something that selfish?

“Whether Haruto-sama returned or not, the same outcome was inevitable.”

“T-That’s unforgivable…!”

“Human power struggles are truly ugly. Not just royalty—nobles may be involved too. They see Haruto-sama as a threat to their status. Sending him to the Abyss Sanctum was probably part of the plan. Even the gate’s sudden appearance… may have been no coincidence.”

“…No way. That can’t be true…”

I fell to my knees in disbelief.

We’d risked our lives for this kingdom as a hero party—

And this was how we were repaid…?

I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t want to believe it.

It was too cruel.

“Estelle.”

The one who spoke next was Luster, who had remained silent until now.

She wasn’t one to talk much. So this was rare.

“…Revenge. We’re doing it, right? I’m in.”

“Huh…?”

I didn’t understand what she meant at first—

But Estelle smiled softly at her words.

“Of course. After what they’ve done to Haruto-sama, we can’t just let this go.”

“B-But! It’s the kingdom we’re talking about! We can’t possibly take them on alone—!”

“So what? Felina-san—can you forgive the kingdom for what they did to Haruto-sama?”

I hesitated—but the answer was obvious.

“…Of course not. I’ll never forgive them.”

We were going to take revenge on the kingdom.

It seemed impossible at first.

But the people who did this to Senpai lived freely while he was branded a traitor.

There was no way I could accept that.

Hatred swelled in my heart.

“I’m in too.”

Sharo’d been downcast this whole time. She suddenly stood up.

Her eyes were also filled with hatred.

“Understood. However… this will be a long battle. The kingdom isn’t foolish. They’re probably watching us. If we act suspicious, they’ll fabricate charges again. In the worst case, we could be executed despite being innocent.”

I clenched my fists so hard bl00d trickled out.

The rage was overwhelming—I thought I might lose control of myself.

“For now, we’ll play along—pretend to be loyal. Behind the scenes, we’ll carry out our plan for revenge. First… let’s discuss whether we can rescue Haruto-sama.”

We decided to prepare equipment and go back to rescue Senpai—

But the gate to the Abyss Sanctum had been completely sealed.

We didn’t know the gate’s behavior or any way to reopen it.

We couldn’t return to the Abyss Sanctum anymore.

And neither could Senpai…

So, we began advancing our plan for revenge in secret.

Senpai is a hero.

To protect a place for him to return to, we had to move quickly.

But the plan faced many obstacles.

The kingdom wasn’t unified—various interests clashed.

Behind the scenes, it was a bl00d-soaked battlefield of politics and greed.

—

“…Senpai. It’s already been a year, hasn’t it?”

One year passed. Senpai still hadn’t returned.

I saw his wanted poster in town.

I wanted to rip it down—but held back.

They were trying to destroy the honor of a true hero…

I buried my intense hatred deep inside.

To create a place for Senpai to return to,

I had to keep fighting.

—

Two years had passed. Senpai still hadn’t returned.

Our plan was steadily moving forward.

We had narrowed down the list of royal and noble figures likely involved in the conspiracy. But they never let us get definitive proof.

Even so, step by step, we were making progress.

—

Three years had passed. Senpai still hadn’t returned.

We had added one more person to our current group to help us advance the plan.

Thanks to that person, we learned many things about what was happening behind the scenes in the kingdom.

However, the darkness we uncovered was far deeper than expected.

It was clear it would still take a long time.

Even so, giving up was never an option.

Even if it meant dying together with my enemy—I would carry out this revenge.

—

And then—four years had passed.

By then, we all understood.

That Senpai… wasn’t coming back.

Deep down, we still hoped for his return. But time kept whispering to us to give up.

So we did something together—

The four of us pitched in and had a grave built for Senpai.

It was placed on a hill outside the royal capital, where you could look out over the sea.

A steady sea breeze blew by. It was brushing through the flowers and grass. It carried with it a faint scent of salt.

“Ugh… waaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!”

I clung to Senpai’s grave and cried my heart out.

I wanted him to come back.

Memories of his smile, of the days we spent together, came rushing back.

It had already been four years. But there hadn’t been a single day I’d forgotten.

The flame of revenge within me only burned fiercer with time.

“Senpai… I swear. I swear I will get revenge—no matter what.”

I made that vow at his grave.

I will see our plan succeed.

No matter how long it takes—

For Senpai’s sake, I will get revenge.

—

It had been five years since Senpai disappeared.

I had come to buy some bread to offer at his grave.

There was a well-known bakery in a town called Rothen. It was far from the royal capital.

Senpai liked bread. So I always brought delicious bread as an offering.

I just wanted him to be a little happy, even now.

“Welcome!”

I entered the store like usual.

Up until now, a girl named Lisel-chan had always been at the counter,

But today, someone I didn’t recognize was standing there.

—Huh? Who’s that…?

He had a large, tall frame, with long white hair.

His face looked stern, and his eyes were sharp.

He didn’t resemble anyone I knew—he looked completely different.

But for some reason…

I had a feeling.

Something told me—intuitively—that he was Senpai.

Not reason, but something deeper—my soul seemed to cry out to me.

“Good morning. Ah… are you new here?”

Just for a moment,

I almost started crying.

But I kept my composure and greeted him.

My heart was pounding so hard, it hurt.

I wondered if—just maybe—he really was Senpai.

Even though it couldn’t possibly be true,

My heart remembered that warm, nostalgic feeling.

That was… when Senpai and I met again.