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Ex-Hero, Now Freeloader – Chapter 32

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Translator: Kobracon

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32 – Rampaging Saint

The Savior’s Crest removes the limitations of Human growth.

It does exactly that. It does not give you the ability or talent.

The War God was always an intelligent man, the Swordmaster was talented with the blade, and the Magic Archer was an expert with the bow.

The Sage was a magic researcher, and the Saint worked as a healer.

In other words, I was chosen as the all-powerful Hero because of my innate talent.

So if the Crest had not awoken in me, I would have likely grown up into an adult that had talent in all sorts of things. A jack of all trades.

Well, anyway.

The Crest only removes the limitations of improving one’s talents. It does not grant you that talent.

This is why effort is what is important.

If you don’t work hard, you can’t improve well unless you work efficiently and properly.

Originally, the Saint specialized in healing.

She displayed a miraculous ability to heal wounds but had no combat capabilities.

But the current Saint Marie is different.

「Freeloader…freeloader…you say? Heh, heheheh, did some vile succubus whisper in your ear “I’ll take care of you, Rain. You won’t have to lift a finger.” and corrupt my dear sweet Rainy? …Unforgivable… I must use all in my power to purify you…」

First off, let’s discuss mana.

With the continuous use of healing magic, her mana generation grew leaps and bounds.

Similar to the Sage or me, she overused her mana and raised its upper limit.

「I must first save Rainy from his nightmare. Indeed, he continued his mission as a Savior while under the corruption of the Demon’s whispers. For he is a strong child. I’m sure he will awaken after several punches from my fist filled with holy love.」

Next is her all-essential healing magic.

Her healing magic does not turn back time, it activates a Human’s healing ability to the extreme.

With ordinary healing magic, excessive healing could shave years off a person’s life or debilitate them.

But when the Saint or I heal, we rejuvenate a person’s life force itself with mana while also healing their wounds.

With this, people on the brink of death can be cured in an instant with no issue but…another problem arose.

That is what Marie realized.

If one’s own magic can rejuvenate a being’s life force, could that be utilized in a fight?

There is a tale of a mother who tried to save her child who was pinned under a fallen bookshelf when their house was on fire.

She was dainty and weak, but with the sole thought of saving her child, she lifted the bookshelf, saved her child, and escaped safely.

However, later on, her back was dislocated and her physical health deteriorated.

I’ve often heard stories like this on the battlefield too.

In moments of crisis, soldiers unconsciously portion off their life force and exhibit superhuman strength.

The Saint uses her enormous amount of mana to spread her life force all across her body, strengthening her.

Even if she were injured, it would heal instantly.

The end result is an immortal healer that can box with superhuman strength.

「Big sis Marie will save you.」

Marie’s figure disappeared… No.

It just looks like it did because she moved so fast.

But I am the Hero.

There’s no way that I couldn’t block a fist aimed directly at me from the front.

I pull out Mika in a flash and block Marie’s blow with the body of the holy sword.

『…!!! Th-this woman’s going all out…?!』

Mika and I can withstand the blow, but the ground is a different matter.

My shoes sink halfway into the ground.

「Rainy. You really do love me after all. I’m so happy.」

I could have cut her with Mika, but I chose to block instead.

Marie noticed that.

「Could you please go home?」

「Together?」

「…Haaa…」

「…You wound me with that blatantly obvious sigh. sob…」

While saying that, her other fist is heading for my abdomen.

I use Wind Magic to dodge into the sky and use Gravity Element magic to apply pressure on her.

Unable to withstand it, she falls to one knee.

「Nn…」

I know she can heal, but I still don’t want to cause any damage that spills blood.

『Fufufu, I’ll help you out Rain. Let’s scatter crimson flowers across the miasma soil!』

She’s talking like a bad Demon again.

This is difficult. If she was a King-class, the battle would be over by now.

「Why did you come here, Marie? You know you can’t beat me.」

「Wh-why…? S-so that I can bring Rainy back onto the path of righteousness…」

「Like I said, how are you gonna bring me back if you can’t even beat me?」

「Th-that… I’m…」

The War God leaves me alone because he knows that I’ve been hunting bad Demons more effectively than before.

So long as I still function as a Savior, he doesn’t mind letting me be.

I didn’t know what the Saint would do, but I definitely didn’t think she’d take things this far.

I don’t understand what she’s thinking or feeling.

But with her shoulders shaking, Marie stands up in the middle of the gravity spell.

She’s resisting by rejuvenating her life force while wrapping herself in an unusual amount of mana, huh?

「I’m…lonely…!!」

Marie swung her fist.

A ridiculous amount of mana surged.

I flowed mana into Mika and repelled the incoming mana.

It would’ve been ideal if I deflected it into the sky, but I couldn’t afford to do that at that moment.

As a result, Marie’s mana flew into a far-off mountain and the tip of the mountain disappeared.

The faraway mountain was turned into a pudding shape.

Why does the Saint, the weakest member of the group, have such an insane technique?

No, not the time.

「L-lonely…?」

Now that she mentions it, she did say something to that effect earlier.

When I came back from my first day in the Magic Academy, the kids said they were lonely.

Lonely enough to crawl into my bed at night, but is Marie like that too?

「That’s right…! Don’t you feel the same, Rainy…?!」

「Huh? Uh…no, not really…」

I responded plainly, then Marie’s face turns to despair.

「Wha… No… Rainy should still be that sweet dear boy who can’t leave his big sister’s side…」

It’s rare that I receive advice about human interactions, so I listened to them properly.

The others were lazy in that regard…

Also, I never once called Marie my big sister.

「N-now that it has come to this…! Holy Fist Punishment!」

Marie gathers mana into her fist once again.

Unlike the previous attack, she gathers more and more mana.

「Oh crap.」

The last time she used this was during a subjugation mission where bad Demons were dragging beautiful women under the sea to be killed and eaten.

I think the sea split and didn’t go back to normal for a while.

Since she doesn’t want to kill me, she probably just wants to deplete my mana with a full-powered blast from her.

As for me, it’d be trouble if she came back, so I want her to go home on top of agreeing to let me be.

In order to make her listen to me, I guess I have no choice but to make her unable to fight.

I sheathe Mika and come back down to the ground. I also released Marie from the gravity spell.

『What the? You idiot! Why’d you give up the high ground and put your partner away?!』

「No, I want to beat her on equal grounds.」

I gather mana into my fist.

I don’t think my power is holy or anything, but it’s the same technique as Marie’s.

「Let me show you the miracle of love.」

「No, that’s just violence.」

「Here I come.」

We kicked off the ground at the same time, our fists collided.

The impact caused the ground to overturn, the Hero and the Saint’s vast mana blows the miasma away, the dark clouds darkening the world disappear, and then…

「Urgh…」

The Saint staggered on the spot.

I won.

Her mana is mostly depleted.

On the other hand, I still have some to spare.

…I really have grown stronger since leaving humanity.

By Marie’s calculations, I was supposed to have used up all my mana by now.

In any case, I have rendered her unable to fight.

Now I’ll just talk to her to persuade her to-

「Sir Rain!」

Eleanor teleports in…

And she’s not alone.

「R-Rain is a friend. No matter if you are the Saint, force is not allowed.」

It was the Demon King’s son, Fripp.

「Don’t bully Mr. Hero…!」

Fripp’s sister, Myuri too.

「Y-y-y-yeah! Rain is already a friend, so if you wish to take him away, I will fight you!」

Jural, who I dueled in the academy.

『I shall aid you, Freeloader Rain.』

Even the white fox.

The kids were on its back. Leading them is the fox-eared Ur.

Every one of them is shouting at Marie to not take me back.

Lejie, Myuri’s escort, the teacher Louto, the intelligence officer Vivi along with Eleanor are all openly glaring at Marie warily.

Even the maid Ferris.

「Sir Rain is happy in our country. We will show no mercy to anyone who interferes with that, be they Saviors or otherwise.」

Eleanor spoke as the representative for them all.

『Y-you guys… All for Rain…』

Mika was deeply moved.

I’m happy too. Truly. My chest feels warm and fuzzy.

But…sorry, guys.

I’ve already won…

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