It has been seven years since the elderly man is gone, and now Aleph sits on the same rock where the elderly man used to sit and talks to himself.

'Huh? The elderly man died?'

"Hey, old man Mount. I have been training the special move you taught me for the past ten years. I think I have finally mastered it. And I think I can finally leave this mountain that you said we could not leave until we mastered the special move."

Before the elderly man was gone, he taught Aleph and Beth some special moves that were unique to them. He also told them that they would only be able to leave the mountain once they had mastered this move.

"I can't believe it took me so long. I wish I was as good as Beth. She mastered her technique on the same day as you left this mountain. It sure was shocking that you both left me at the same time… But at last I can join her on her journey and defeat the demon lord."

'Oh! Is the Secondary character stronger than the Main character?'

Aleph steps down from the rock and begins to walk along the path beside him as he recalls the memories one last time.

"You were so protective of us, old man. But you were also so hard on us in training. Beth always tried to run away from the mountain, but you always caught her."

'Huh? There is no need for him to catch her, is there? It is not as if she can leave this mountain, right?'

Aleph stops and looks to his side, at a field of various plants. It was the place where they used to grow food, apart from hunting the occasional animal or bird that crossed their path. This is how they have survived all this time in these terrible mountains without too many hardships.

"You used to make us work in the fields and make us bring back some strange plant that only you were supposed to eat... Haha, such fun times. I wish they lasted longer."

Bending on his knees, Aleph plucks a leaf from the strange plant the elderly man keeps asking about and begins to smell it.

"Such a strange smell... reminds me of when we lived in the city. Yes... speaking of the city, it reminds me of that day... the day when Beth and I were kidnapped."

'Huh? Kidnapped?'

"One day, while we were sleeping in the street, an unknown person kidnapped us by blinding our eyes and tying our limbs. And for some reason they took us to these mountains and left us there to starve."

'Excuse me, Mr Knight.. wait... about this story... The narration and recollection are different though... ple-please w-wait.'

"But I was awake when the kidnapper carried us away in the jute sack. For some reason, the cloth blinding my eye fell off, and when I looked at the kidnapper through the small hole in the jute sack... he looked a bit like an old man."

'Is it not the elderly man?! This elderly man... he did not help the helpless children, he took advantage of the helplessness of the children!'

"I was in a deep sleep, so I didn't pay much attention."

'No, pay attention! This is not a fateful event or anything! This is clearly a daylight kidnapping!'

"After a while we were thrown onto the floor. But because my hands were tied, I couldn't move. And no matter how hard I called out to Beth, she did not answer me. For two whole days we were in that sack without eating anything."

'The reason they did not eat was not because they mistrusted humans, but because of the mistake of a trashy human!'

Around the same time, I heard someone say, "Ugh! How can I forget about them and leave here for two days? Tch, tch!"

"With the energy left in me I tried to call for help, but someone opened the sack and I thought it was the kidnapper, but it was you... old man."

'What you thought was right! That elderly man is the kidnapper!'

"But now that I think about it, even if I wanted to believe that you were the kidnapper, there was no way for that to be true..."

'Hey now!'

"There is no way someone so old with hot food helping two helpless children would be a kidnapper"

'What is wrong with this Main character?! Why do you not doubt him at least a little?!'

"This leaf… How did old man Mount use it? …Like this probably…"

Aleph picks up the leaf and skillfully rolls it tightly. He places the rolled leaf between his lips, envisioning himself as the wise old man. After inhaling deeply, he removes the roll and exhales slowly, releasing the air.

The elderly man used to light the rolled leaf and do the same thing, but Aleph did not light the rolled leaf, and yet, just the thought of inhaling smoke made him cough a lot.

"Blegh... It really is something only the old man can do."

'That is just tobacco, is it not?!'

"Me and Beth used to plough the fields every day while you slept under the shade of the trees."

'That is just slavery at this point!'

"Even though it was hard work, Beth tried to make it easier by role-playing with you... That she was a slave and you were the master and always trying to run away from work... Haha."

'Beth noticed it! She noticed that… Huh? Wait. Then she could have explained everything to the Main character, right?'

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

"Even after all the fieldwork was done, you would come to me and continue role-playing, making me act as another slave."

'Just how positive is this Main character?! Why do you want to believe your kidnapper instead of your benefactor?!'

When Aleph questioned Beth about her unusual behavior, she reacted with her typical anger, trying to belittle him and responding in her usual sharp tone.

"What is wrong with you, dammit? I keep on telling you that we should work together and get out of here, but why do you always side with that damn old man, huh?! Is your head broken or something, huh?!"

'Hey… The Secondary character… That tone… Even her recollection is a bit different from narration earlier, right?'

"Heh. You are just jealous that he calls me Main character and you Secondary character. Don't feel bad that I'm getting special treatment."

'What?! That is the reason?! The reason you blindly trust the elderly man is because you want the Slave no.1 title?!'

Beth probably felt a surge of irritation in that moment, as she seized him by the collar and leaned in closely to speak to him.

"Hey, you. This damn old man has kidnapped us and imprisoned us here. He makes us do all the mundane work and does not even help us. Can you not understand the situation we are in, huh?!"

"Haha, I like it. You are still in character."

-In that moment, the child and Beth thought at the same time-

'Tch! This Main character is no good.' 'Tch! This Main character is no good.'

Imagining that Beth had a funny expression on her face, he continued, "...But look, isn't it obvious that we have to help the elders who need help?"

At his reply, while still holding on to his collar, Beth bent her head backwards and said, "Yes, indeed," but she immediately head-butted Aleph, while expressing her frustration, "But not if that elder is a kidnapper!"

Beth released her grip on Aleph and faced away from him. After a moment, she glanced back over her shoulder, boldly stating that she no longer needed his support and was determined to leave, no matter what.

'Oh! What is she planning?'

"And the very next day, you mastered your unique skill and left this place."

'!'

"When you and the old man left me together, I was really distraught."

'Huuuuuuh!!! Dangerous! So dangerous! I completely looked down on Beth! I know she was strong, but I did not think she was mentally strong!'

"Hmm… The more I remember, the more it saddens me."

'What part of this is sad?! The part where the Main character is an airhead, huh?! Ahh, I do not want to hear this horror story anymore! Change it back to fantasy, please!'

"Yeah, I better practice my special move one last time before I leave this place."

'Huh?'

Aleph tossed the leaf away and reached an empty spot where he had supposedly been practicing his 'special move'. He grabs the white cloth he was wearing and pulls it tightly away from him as he says, "Here we go," letting it fly in the wind.

He positioned himself with his right foot stepping back, placing both hands at his waist on the right side. As he thrust his hands forward, he shouts "Ahhhhhhh!" It was as if nature itself was anticipating something from Aleph, unleashing a powerful gust of wind in response to his movement.

But nothing came out of his hands.

'There is no way that anything is going to come out! The only thing that comes out is your stupidity. At this point, I even doubt whether there is a Demon Lord or not.'

As the strong winds died down immediately, Aleph returned to his normal pose, praising his work, "Nice! That should do it..."

'There is nothing nice about it! Apologize now! Apologize to nature for expecting something from you!'

Aleph then walks up to a large tree, dusting the dirt off his hands, and speaks to it as if it were an everyday conversation, "You are smiling today too, eh, Mr Tree."

'Ah, it is Mr Tree!'

"If it had not been for you, I would not have been able to get this far. Ten years ago, when both the old man and Beth left me here, alone, you were the only one that I could talk to. There wasn't a day when I didn't think of giving up. And it was always your smiling face that kept me going."

'I know, right? It was good to draw a smiling face on Mr Tree.'

Aleph approached the tree, placed a hand on it and continued, "Every time I came to you, I would just talk and leave without laying a hand on you. Since this is my last day… Can I hit you?"

'Huh?'

The hand on the tree gripped the trunk so tightly that the tree showed its displeasure by cracking. He then swung his other hand at the tree, uprooting it and sending it crashing to the ground with a loud thud.

'Whhhhhhhy!'

Aleph then jumps up and sits down closer to the tree's face, and starts pounding on it while screaming at it.

"Damn you, Demon Lord! The one who will plunge the world into chaos. Prepare yourself! For I, Aleph, am coming to get you!"

'How did we suddenly end up talking about the Demon Lord?!'

"Old man Mount told me that this face looked just like you. And for the past ten years... No, for the past thirteen years I have been holding back my anger at you. And today I will let it all out!"

'That is the meaning behind a face on a tree! What the hell have you done, old man? How can you lie to him that such a smiling face belongs to the Demon Lord?'

"When old man Mount said he would show me the face of the Demon Lord, I did not expect it to be a smiling face. If only you were more terrifying... If only this face was more terrifying, I would not have felt guilty about hitting!"

'Is this not my fault then?!'

"I will not forget this face! I will not run away from you when I see this face! I will never hold back when I see this face! And I will make sure that I take you down!"

Aleph continued to beat Mr Tree, who had the Demon Lord's face, chipping it off bit by bit.

'I beg of you, please stop it! I was in the wrong! Please stop it! I cannot see someone smiling so hard get hit! Ah! This is just my imagination. I just have to imagine the tree with a scary face. …I cannot do it! I cannot imagine a scary face!'

Aleph then dismounts from Mr Tree, panting from the beating he has given to him.

"It's better to stop now. I will save the rest of the beating for the Demon Lord. Thank you again for your encouragement today, Mr Tree."

'Ah, what a sadist, to thank a person whom you have beaten up!'

With that, Aleph did all the things he wanted to do one last time, packed his luggage and went to the corner of the path that would lead him down the mountain. He stopped there, looked back one last time and said "Goodbye", before stepping out into the outside world.

And unbeknownst to Aleph, he was being followed by someone who had completely covered himself with a white cloth.

'Huh? Who might it be?'