I’ve been stripped of my place in the world, and I’m so tired of life that I’ve decided to die! Goodbye, everyone! Whatever happens next, I don’t care anymore. - Chapter 2

I rushed forward to catch Fudra’s body.

“What are you doing? Elza, cut the rope! Cecilia, use healing magic!”

“Got it. Slash!”

Elza’s blade cut through the rope, and Fudra’s weight fell heavily into my arms.

“I’ll cast healing right away!”

It’s no use… His body is already cold.

“Cecilia… it’s enough. Stop…”

“What do you mean, stop? I’ll cast a heal right now!”
“It’s no use. Fudra is… he’s already dead.”

“You’re lying, aren’t you?”

Elza’s voice trembled, tears pooling in her eyes.
“No… No! He was alive yesterday! Just yesterday… yesterday…”
Even Isabel, always calm and composed, was now trembling, her face twisted with grief as tears streamed down her cheeks.
“I… I won’t believe it… Heal! High Heal! Fudra, wake up… Please, Fudra… FUDRAAAAA!”

Cecilia poured her energy into the healing spells, over and over again, but Fudra’s eyes never opened.

No matter how powerful a Saintess Cecilia might be, resurrecting the dead was beyond her.

As I held his lifeless body in my arms, I knew it.
Fudra was gone.

I had known the moment I lowered him down. His body was cold. He was no longer with us.

“I only exiled him.”

Yes, I cast him out. I took the women who were our childhood friends and made them mine.

But I never wanted him to die.

I thought he’d move on, find happiness elsewhere.

I thought he’d join another party, meet someone new, and live a good life.

That’s what I believed.

So why… Why did you have to die, Fudra?

Were you that desperate to stay with us?

Even in this harem-like party where all three women had become mine, you still wanted to be here?

“I know.”

Even so, you wanted to stay.

“Hahaha! Fudra’s dead! He’s DEAD! Fudra is GONE!”

I couldn’t stop the scream from escaping my lips. It echoed in the room, a mix of anger and despair.

Was it my fault? Did Fudra die because I took away his place?
I didn’t think it would break him like this…

I thought he’d survive, even without us.

“Did I really think that?”

Or was I just showing off how desired I was?

Was I looking down on him, flaunting my position as the Hero?
Did I push him into a corner without realizing it?

What a fool I am.

We were always together—the five of us.

Other comrades came and went, but the five of us were different. We were family.

If I hadn’t become a Hero… If I had lived an ordinary life, I could have only married one of them. Maybe Fudra would have married one of the other two, and they’d have lived happily in the village.

He was my only male friend.

My best friend.

If I were in his position… If I lost my best friend and my childhood companions, wouldn’t I despair too?

No, I wouldn’t have taken my own life.

But I would have been crushed.

Fudra… He was more caring, more devoted to us than I could ever be.
It was obvious he’d be hurt. I should have known.
Why… Why did I take Isabel from him?

Maybe Fudra chose Isabel out of deference to me.

I’m the worst. I didn’t even care about Isabel—I just wanted to assert my dominance over Fudra.

“Why did you do it?”

What did I hope to accomplish by taking everything from him?
“To seem impressive.”

That’s all it was. I wanted to show him how great I was.
But was Isabel even my type?

No. She was the exact opposite of the kind of woman I liked. She was rational, logical—a poor match for me.

“Then why did I take her?”

Because I wanted to show my superiority over Fudra.

That’s all it was.

And because of that petty, selfish desire… Fudra is dead.
If I hadn’t been so stupid, maybe he’d still be alive.

Maybe we’d still be laughing together as the five of us.

This was supposed to be my ideal harem party.
But it’s not.

The three women are crying uncontrollably.

And I… I can’t stop the tears either.

From now on, no matter what we do, we’ll always think of Fudra.
He was our friend. My best friend.

I’m such a fool. Damn it.

What were his last words to us?

“Thank you for everything… Goodbye, everyone. I love you all…”
That’s right. He said, “I love you.”

And he said “goodbye.”

What kind of face was he making when he said that?

He looked so sad… That goodbye was his final farewell.

He must have already decided to die back then.

That was his last goodbye.

Why didn’t I realize it?

Wasn’t I his best friend?

“Fudra… Fudraaaaaa!”

No matter how much I scream, no matter how much I regret, it’s useless.

Fudra’s eyes, which once looked at us so fondly, are now empty.
He’s gone.

“I’ve done something that can never be undone.”

This pain… I don’t think it will ever go away.

Fudra… I’m sorry.