Indeed, what Dix said was true.
Their hero party was truly no different from a grain of sand in a vast desert.
But, other than that, Kaelus could compare this hero party to something else.
A seed of a giant tree that had not yet sprouted.
And indeed, Kaelus was right.
At first, Dix’s hero party only saved a few people.
But gradually, they saved a village.
And the climax was when they saved a country from monsters.
Up until now, Dix’s hero party had truly become the strongest hero party of all time.
And because of that, the people had placed a lot of faith in them to defeat the demon king.
The night before the final battle began.
In an excited mood, Veyra raised her beer mug, her voice very loud:
"Alright everyone, tomorrow is the day we all die, so let’s eat and drink freely!"
Amon got up angrily, then stuffed a bun into her mouth.
"Damn you bitch! We haven’t even reached the battlefield yet, and you’re already cursing that we’ll all die?"
Sunny stood up, and like Amon, he also held a bun:
"Don’t take all the fun, my friend. Let me join in."
"Let me go, you idiots!"
Veyra tried to struggle, but because she was very drunk after drinking 10 beers by herself, all her efforts were wasted.
She was no different from a fish out of water.
Tharok, who was already used to this scene, just sat there and enjoyed his dinner while listening to the noble jazz music.
"Hmm... How comfortable."
To be honest, the commotion caused by Veyra, Amon, and Sunny wasn’t that hateful.
Because thanks to it, all the soldiers for tomorrow’s battle felt better.
Their complexions had changed significantly.
They had felt much better than before.
At first, everyone thought that participating in this battle was no different from receiving a death sentence.
And who would be in a good mood if they knew they were going to die?
But seeing the overconfidence and carefree nature of Dix’s hero party, their moods were somewhat relieved.
They felt more confident.
A glimmer of hope appeared in everyone’s eyes.
While the party was nearing its climax inside, Kaelus was standing on the balcony, looking at the gorgeous starry sky.
Beside him, Dix was smiling, shaking the glass of wine in his hand.
He sniffed, then spoke, breaking the not-so-awkward silence:
"Do you know what day it is today?"
It was too easy a question.
"The day before we all went to the grave if we were unlucky, or came back with great glory if we were successful?"
Dix paused, then laughed.
"That answer was both correct and incorrect."
"On this day 5 years ago, you agreed to join my hero party, remember? So how do you feel about it now?"
"...Like you said, I had a wonderful life, although it was also quite dangerous."
Kaelus paused, then glanced inside the banquet hall.
Or rather, glanced at his comrades who had gone through life and death with him, who were enjoying the night before that fateful day.
"...And I made some great and trustworthy friends."
Dix smiled contentedly, sipping his wine, not intending to interrupt.
"I don’t regret my choice at that time at all."
With a smile, Dix’s eyes were glued to one of the stars in the night sky.
"...Are you scared, Kaelus?"
Kaelus replied to Dix with a triumphant smile:
"Of course not. I believe we will win. After all, we are the best hero party."
Hearing that, Dix chuckled.
"But to be honest, I’m feeling quite scared."
"Death is everyone’s greatest fear after all. But, unlike normal people, I can’t reveal my inner fear."
"Because I’m a hero, the hope of this world."
Seeing Dix always forcing himself to try so hard really made Kaelus’s heart ache.
With a sigh, he opened his mouth:
"Sometimes being a hero is tiring."
They had underestimated the power of the Demon King and the Demon Race.
They were too strong.
Much stronger than what humans could imagine.
"...I don’t want to die."
Grumbles were heard everywhere.
Blood pools, fires, and corpses were all around the demon king’s castle.
And ironically, most of them belonged to the soldiers who had participated in this battle.
Dix’s heroic party hadn’t even set foot in the demon king’s castle, yet now, 90% of the soldiers had gone forever.
Worse still, all the demons from all over the world had gathered around this place.
Turning it into prison, not allowing anyone to escape.
And not allowing anyone to enter the castle either.
This was truly a tragedy.
Tap, tap, tap, tap, ...
The weather started to rain.
As if it was gloating over the defeat of the hero party, of humanity.
"...What a surprise."
Veyra spoke up, her voice tired.
"Yesterday I said we would all die, and now it has actually come true."
Sunny, Amon, and Ragnar were too tired to curse Veyra like usual.
Then, a glimmer of determination suddenly flashed in her gloomy eyes.
"...Everyone go inside. I will stay here to hold them off."
She had made her decision.
"Tsk. What can you do alone?"
"So, I’ll stay here to help you."
Then, he stepped forward beside Veyra, placing his hand on her shoulder.
Ragnar deepened, also stepping forward.
The rain had made Amon’s jet-black hair fall down.
No one could tell what he was thinking.
"...I’ll stay too. You guys need someone to heal your wounds anyway, right?"
The decision had been made.
Kaelus immediately retorted.
"You guys will definitely die if you do that! And you’re okay with that?"
"Didn’t Dix say that heroes should always put their own lives first?"
The four of them then looked at Kaelus.
But, instead of getting angry, they just gently explained:
"...If you have a better plan, then say it out loud right now."
"This is the best plan."
"We can only have one outcome after all."
They smiled despite their exhaustion.
"For us, it’s better to die with honor than live in disgrace."
Kaelus muttered, his voice low.
The next moment, Dix grabbed his collar, and together with Tharok, sprinted into the castle.
Kaelus glanced at the four figures that were shrinking.
He didn’t want them to die, but like Amon said, it was the only choice.
"...I’m sorry... I’m sorry."
Tears just kept flowing.
Sunny’s voice echoed from outside.
Filled with positivity.
"If anyone survives..." Ragnar continued.
"...Then remember to visit our graves often!" Amon added.
Finally, only Veyra remained.
Taking a deep breath, she shouted:
"Don’t forget us, you bastards!"
In that final moment, Kaelus could still see the smiles on their faces.
They were happy smiles.