1. A Hero in the Previous Life
I was a Hero in the previous life.
…If I declare such thing with a serious look, I would swiftly be slapped with the label “chuunibyou¹” by the current society in the world I reincarnated into.
As a matter of course, I never revealed it to anyone until now because I’d like to be una.s.sociated with such label.
I learned in my previous life.
That as a human, being mediocre is the best.
I do not need things like unique abilities.
Even if you have such power, it doesn’t mean you will attain happiness— rather, it’s nothing but trouble.
…No, I seriously think it was a worthless life.
Fortunately, the current me is neither good nor bad—– a true-to-life ordinary kid.
The environment that surrounded me was also peaceful.
——–That’s right, until he transferred to our school.
“I was a Demon King in the previous life. Sooner or later, this world will be placed under my rule. Submit to me as I have instructed you, lowlifes. I will not take your lives for the mere connection we have of being cla.s.smates.”
Towards the transfer student who arrogantly proclaimed that in front of the blackboard, all of my cla.s.smates except me drew away in distaste.
In a certain sense, the transfer student who uttered a chuunibyou speech in the first day of entering his new school, is a brave man(hero)². Not a Demon King.
He surveyed the cla.s.sroom majestically without being discouraged by the cla.s.s’s gazes expressing “What the heck is this guy saying?”
And it was a work of fate that our eyes met.
…Right, I was the only one looking at him with a different gaze.
I did not pull back in disgust.
That is because———— he is a genuine 「Demon King」.
(Are you kidding me…?)
From the top of the platform, he grinned at my aghast self.
“You…!”
I instinctively sensed an impending crisis and averted my gaze and turned away.
…But it seems to be completely useless.
The awfully stupid petapeta~ sounds of slippers³ approached, my hair was pulled violently and I was forced to look up.
(Did he find out?)
The sound of my thumping heart echoed noisily.
Why do I need to meet the Demon King even as far as reincarnation?
I am just an ordinary kid.
Something like a Demon King…what should I do?
“You! You are Alois!”
Up close, there was the much younger face of Demon King from my memories. ———— With a joyful look on his whole face. It was such a very innocent smile that I unconsciously watched in fascination and was stupefied.
“Alois!”
When the Demon King suddenly embraced me, my mind became blank.
(…Or rather, who’s Alois?)
Being dumbfounded, I was hugged for a while. But I noticed we were being bathed with gazes from the cla.s.s so I strongly pushed back the body of the Demon King.
I was dragged into an unthinkable spectacle.
“I am not Alois. ”
The Demon King’s smile disappears, and bewilderment appears instead.
“What did you say?”
“Like I said, I am not Alois and I don’t know someone like that.”
“…I see, your memories have not returned. However, you can be relieved. I will not forsake you. I was able to meet a fellow comrade at last, I will allow you to serve me even without your memories.”
“No, no, wait a moment.”
Don’t include me in your subordinates without permission.
I don’t have the intention to serve you.
To begin with, I am not your va.s.sal, I am the Hero. You can’t draw the Hero into your faction, you know?
“You will be my First Retainer from today on. Endeavor yourself.”
————- Like I said, I am the Hero.
“Demo³… Suzuki Teru-kun, since you’re done introducing yourself, how about you sit down now?”
The homeroom teacher showed a cramp smile and finally started to control the situation.
…But I think no one missed that he almost carelessly said “Demon King”.
The real name of the Demon King seems to be Suzuki Teru.
The teacher wrote it on the blackboard before the chuunibyou self-introduction.
The surname of the Demon King is the quite common “Suzuki” (I’m sorry to all the Suzuki in the country) but furthermore, for his name to be Teru (to shine), I cannot help saying it’s ironic. A Demon King which sparkles…Is it indeed rude if I laugh?
By the way, my family name is Satou.
Right. It is the Satou which dominates the first place in The Most Common Surname ranking in j.a.pan.
My name is Kakeru.
Satou Kakeru.
It was a common name and there were probably lots of people with exactly the same name in the whole country. I like having this ordinary name very much. Ordinariness is very great. Ordinary, cheers!
However, to me who loved such normalcy above all, the existence of the Demon King created large waves.