The Main Heroines are Trying to Kill Me

A few months after the Demon King’s declaration of war.

A woman walked along the darkened streets of the Empire, her head bowed low.

- Thud…!

Despite the calendar still indicating the transition from summer to fall, a bitterly cold wind, sharp enough to chill to the bone, enveloped her.

“…Ah?”

As she staggered, she looked down and saw the date on a tattered newspaper that had been blown around by many hands, now crumpled at her feet.

Breaking News: Massive Invasion of the Demon King’s Army on Imperial Coast!

Uncertainty on When They Will Advance on the Capital… A Tense Situation

Is There Really No Escape from the Besieged Empire…

- Rustle

She gazed blankly at the newspapers, her trembling hands reaching out to grasp a handful.

The headlines from the recent date detailed the despair that had struck the Empire.

A massive number of the Demon King’s Army has encamped on the coastline.

Their numbers are uncountable, but according to rough estimates from informants, about…

Even mobilizing the entire imperial army and the citizens would make it nearly impossible to stop them.

In this dire situation, where is the Hero to confront the Demon King, and where is the head of the Starlight family, who holds the right to a private army?

If they are witnessing this disaster, they must not stand idly by…

- Crunch…

Reading through the commentary written just days before the declaration of war, she crumpled the paper and picked up another one.

A month has already passed since the Demon King’s army landed on the coast.

That’s not all. Dragons, allied with the Demon King, have taken over the skies, blocking the last escape route, and the land has long been covered by the unknown Erosion Phenomenon.

The only fortunate thing is that they have not yet advanced towards the capital.

The Demon King’s Army and the Demon King have shown no signs of movement for a month, the dragons merely cast shadows on the ground, and the erosion from the north has momentarily halted.

“Sigh.”

She read the more recent newspaper and sighed deeply, looking up at the sky.

Even now, dragons flew low in the darkened sky.

They exuded their unique aura to the creatures below, fixing their gleaming eyes on the ground.

But can this really be called fortunate?

Starting from the coast, the ice that has begun to cover the entire Empire has brought an untimely winter.

Is this due to the Demon King’s Ice or the waning sun?

Either way, the darkness, and cold that have befallen the Empire of the rising sun are pushing the citizens to their limits.

Not to mention, the aura and gaze of the dragons in the sky instill fear and panic in everyone.

The gleaming eyes of the demons lurking in the distant darkness rob everyone of their hope.

After staring blankly at the dragons in the sky for a while, she lowered her gaze and resumed reading the newspaper.

Is there really no hope left for the Empire?

No, there was hope.

We tore it apart with our own hands.

Now… All that is left is despair.

Her hands began to tremble quietly.

Even so, the author would like to cling to a very small possibility.

A summary of the imperial public opinion, which had gradually converged in the face of despair, was written in the newspaper.

The noble and righteous boy whom no one knew.

The savior who was oppressed by all.

The Hero of False Evil.

If you are reading this.

If it is not too late.

Her grip on the newspaper tightened.

Please give us a chance to kneel before you.

Please give the Empire that has lost its light a chance to atone.

Give us a chance to reciprocate your dedication, even now.

May we dare to ask this of you?

The newspaper crumpled completely in her hand.

As we face the impending end, we hope this futile writing reaches you.

She let go of the crumpled newspaper with a blank expression.

Please show mercy to the innocent, just this once…

“Sigh…”

Letting out a soulless sigh, she began to walk again with heavy steps.

We are sorry, Hero.

Please come back, Hero…

Please don’t abandon us…

Save us…

Around her, people wrapped tightly in their clothes were marching down the frozen streets, holding picket signs.

This was the last desperate struggle of the imperial citizens, which had begun several weeks ago.

In a situation where there seemed to be no way to survive, this was the last action they could cling to with hope. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

- Beep… Beep beep beep…

But as she silently watched this pitiful display, knowing the truth, a mechanical sound emanated from her arms.

“…Hello.”

- Lady Vener, where are you?

“Just… getting some fresh air.”

- In this weather?

Pulling out a communication crystal from her arms, Vener, with hollow eyes, answered, and a puzzled voice came from the crystal.

- In any case, please return to the task force tent quickly.

“…”

- The atmosphere worsens when the chairwoman is absent.

She was the only one from the Hero Party outside when the academy was closed.

Recognized as a suitable candidate, she had been serving as the representative of the task force. She closed her eyes and nodded at the message.

“I’ll return soon…”

Ending the communication, Vener resumed her weary steps through the Empire’s outer streets.

“Sigh.”

The capital was surprisingly crowded for a city under siege by the Demon King.

It was only natural, given that all escape routes were completely blocked.

The outskirts of the Empire and the forests were already covered by the Erosion Phenomenon or occupied by the Demon King’s Army.

Ironically, this made the capital, at the center of the Empire, the safest place.

No, rather than being safe, it was simply the only place left where survival was possible.

And discussing safety under the circumstances, with dragons covering the sky, was ironic in itself.

- Step, step…

After being tormented by this dilemma and eventually storming out of the task force’s tent, Vener, completely exhausted, wandered aimlessly through the Empire’s streets. Eventually, she turned her gaze to the side.

Temporary Shelter

“…Sigh.”

What she saw was a temporary shelter. With the entire Empire crowded into the capital, these pigsty-like spaces had sprung up everywhere, filled with people in rags.

They had been cut off from supplies for so long that they could not have proper meals, suffering from the cold and hunger, worse off than beggars. And among them were even the Empire’s nobles.

Who would believe that those arrogant nobles would beg for food on the streets?

A few months ago, anyone would scoff at the idea itself.

“Um, excuse me… Could you give me some potato… even the peels are okay, please?”

But now, the miserable truth was undeniable. The pitiful girl shivering in the cold and asking for scraps was once the daughter of a count.

“Cold… So cold… Mother…”

And over there, similarly shivering in the cold, poking at a dead campfire, were the wife and daughter of a baronet.

Behind them, the maids of a once prestigious marquis family huddled together to keep warm.

Without having evacuated from the Empire in time, even the highest nobles couldn’t escape the impending doom. Their mansions, wealth, and food were all frozen solid by the Demon King’s ice, forcing them into these shelters where at least some supplies were still distributed.

“Here, some potatoes and melted water.”

“Th-thank you…”

“Do you need anything else?”

“No, thank you… This is enough…”

A few months ago, these people spent more on a single meal than the common folk did in several months. Now, they were humbly grateful for a girl’s small offering of potatoes.

“Those people used to look down on us…”

“Why did we act that way…”

“If we could go back, we’d donate every day.”

Who would have thought such dramatic unity between commoners and nobles would ever occur?

“Everyone, big news! We’ve run out of fuel…!”

“We’re out of firewood too! There’s nothing left to burn…”

But the small miracle happening in one shelter was bound to wither soon.

“So… What do we do now?”

“…”

A few days ago, the Empire’s supplies completely ran out. They had been rationing and conserving for as long as they could, but there were no more supplies to distribute.

Even Vener, who had come out, hadn’t eaten for several meals.

“My eyes are heavy… I’ll just sleep for a bit…”

“No, you can’t sleep! Please don’t sleep!”

“Excuse me…”

The count’s daughter who had received the potatoes spoke with drowsy eyes to the common girl shaking her.

“I’m sorry…”

“Huh?”

“I didn’t know… this kind of life…”

“Excuse me!”

Watching the pitiable sight, Vener turned her head away.

“…”

Endless temporary shelters lined the frozen streets of the Empire. Surely, similar scenes were happening inside those shelters as well.

“…How did it come to this?”

Standing on the street, looking hopeless, Vener eventually sank to the frozen ground and muttered.

“How did it all come to this…”

She closed her eyes, her mind foggy, and began to recall the past.

.

.

.

.

.

“Excuse me.”

“…”

“Excuse me?”

“Mmm…”

Vener, who had been sitting hunched in the biting cold with her head down for a long time, slowly opened her eyes at someone’s call and looked up.

“You’ll freeze to death if you sleep here.”

“Ah, yes… Thank you…”

She nodded at the person in front of her and tried to force her stiff body to stand.

“…Huh?”

Then, her eyes widened as she stared at the man before her.

“Ah? Ahhh?”

“Um…?”

Grabbing his cheeks with a strange noise, Vener’s eyes filled with shock.

“Y-Y-Young Master? Is it really you?”

“…What?”

“Have you really returned…?”

“Uh, excuse me? What are you doing?”

Seeing the boy’s bewildered expression, Vener shook her head with a dazed look.

“…Ah.”

She then lowered her head, a dejected expression on her face.

“I’m sorry. I must have mistaken you for someone else…”

“Really?”

“Yes… You just look so much like someone I know… Your physique and height are the same…”

Mumbling, she asked in a desperate tone.

“By any chance…?”

“Huh? What?”

“F-F-Fre…”

“…?”

“…Never mind.”

Seeing the boy’s still puzzled expression, Vener’s eyes darkened, and she apologized once more.

“But… why are you walking around outside?”

“Huh?”

“It’s dangerous out here. Where are your parents?”

When Vener asked the boy who had woken her, he scratched his head and replied.

“Oh, well… I just arrived here.”

“What?”

“I’m actually from the Eastern Continent. A few months ago, I decided to travel to the Empire. But when I arrived, the atmosphere seemed… off.”

“…?”

Hearing his explanation, Vener stared at him with a puzzled expression.

“That’s impossible.”

“Impossible? What’s impossible?”

“the Empire’s borders are surrounded by the Erosion Phenomenon. There are monsters everywhere.”

“Oh, you mean that dark fog thingy?”

Hearing this, the boy spoke with an embarrassed look.

“That was tough. I had a hard time with it.”

“…What?”

“I had to fight through that dark fog for several days. I got injured quite a bit.”

He showed the massive wounds on his body, causing Vener’s jaw to drop.

“Excuse me, but… what did you do in the Eastern Continent?”

“Nothing special… I was a wanderer, I guess? Something like that.”

“…What’s that?”

“I traveled around the country, training my body. Sometimes I took on some jobs.”

As he awkwardly unfolded and waved a fan, Vener grabbed his shoulders and knelt down.

“Could you… help our Empire?”

“Huh?”

“Our Empire is in great danger. It’s on the brink of destruction.”

“Uh…”

Seeing his half-closed eyes, Vener pleaded earnestly.

“E-Even a small amount of support would be greatly appreciated. Seeing that you broke through the border, you must be very strong. Could you lend us your strength?”

“Well, I’m not that strong. Among wanderers, I’m just an underling. I nearly died several times trying to break through that fog.”

As the boy shook his head uncomfortably, Vener knelt down, begging him.

“N-No, breaking through the Erosion Phenomenon makes you as strong as a knight commander.”

“Uh…”

“Most of the knight commanders have retired or gone outside the borders to request reinforcements. Please… lend us your strength. We will reward you generously.”

Hearing this, the boy covered his face with his fan, looking troubled, then sighed and spoke.

“I have one condition.”

“…What is it?”

“I need to see for myself how desperate the situation is. How serious it is.”

The boy helped Vener up as he spoke.

“I’ve been training… I mean, trying to break through the border for months, so I don’t have any information.”

“Ah…”

“So I want to look around the Empire to understand the situation. Could you guide me?”

Then, with a smile, he added.

“…If I think it’s serious enough, I’ll help for free.”

“Th-thank you…!”

“Ouch, ouch.”

When Vener grabbed his arms in gratitude, he gently pushed her back.

“Sorry, I hurt my left arm… pulling it hurts.”

“Ah…”

“Well then, please guide me.”

“Understood…”

As Vener bowed her head and began walking, the boy followed her, hands behind his back.

“Um, excuse me…!”

At the voice coming from the temporary shelter behind them, the boy turned his head.

“Th-thank you…”

“I-It’s warm…”

Inside, the girls were gathered around a glowing warmth, warming themselves.

“I-It sparkles…”

“What is this?”

Watching the bright, star-like light, the boy quietly turned his gaze away.

“Let’s see if it’s worth coming back.”

He muttered to himself as he continued walking.