I take it back. This is hell.

“Oi bastard. Be sure the signboard is super clean.”

The person who just uttered those words was the employer for the day. She was the owner of a bar and I was hired to be a waitress.

I am currently standing on a ladder cleaning the sign while wearing the bar uniform.

It is a short one-piece maid skirt.

There is a crowd watching as I do work. From time to time some throw rotten vegetables in my direction and other times.

“Ahhhhhh”

“Watch were you standing bastard”

I fell down for the 5th time already. The guards who are supposed to protect me snicker and laugh every time someone makes me fall down from the ladder.

“Oi… I am not paying you to lay there.” The owner said before throwing cold water on me. These people clearly had hatred for me.

Am I going to survive three months of this?

My jobs became worse and worse.

Carrying heaving building materials.

Cleaning public toilets.

And being the punching bag for some noble’s son.

The worst of them was the weapon shops owner who hired me to test out her whips.

As the weeks turned into months, I began to lose my sanity. I could hear the faint voice of Susan from time to time but it was fading as my treatment worsen.

I was scared. I thought I would survive this, but I think I will not. I feel like I am carrying a heavy burden on my shoulders.

***

“Oi you piece of shit, get into your cell,” a knight said as she kicked the collapsed Nakimo.

He made no sound and simply rolled into his cell. His eyes were lifeless. He had endured countless beatings and humiliations over the past two months.

He became a lifeless doll.

“I can’t believe I was stuck with watching over this piece of shit.” The other knight uttered before stomping on him. “Why don’t you just die already, your no good for nothing hero of that bitch goddess.”

“What do you think you are doing!?” a voice shouted at them.

“Lady Susan!”

“Is this how you are supposed to treat him?”

“But…”

“No excuses. The royal family and the faith of the two goddesses have already determined his fate. Are you going against the royal family and the faith?” she asked with a glare.

“No princess, we would never?”

“Please forgive us.” They both pleaded

“Leave. I never repeat this transaction again.”

““Yes””

Susan approached the motionless Nakimo with a painful expression on her face. The cheerful Nakimo who used to thank her for standing by his side was nowhere to be seen. What lay before her was an empty shell.

She sat him upright and began to ten to his wounds. She could no longer afford to use the healing skill and resorted to using medicine.

Because of this, Nakimo’s body was now plagued with scars. She would glance at Nakimo’s face as she applied the medicine to the scars. This should have been painful for Nakimo but he made no movement or sound.

She then feeds him a small portion of porridge.

“Open wide. There you go. I couldn’t bring any clean water today. I will try tomorrow. I found a farm deep in the countryside thanks to the temple. You can live peacefully there. There is only one month remaining before you are set free, so just hold on. The other heroes are beginning a tour of the human continent soon. They were part of the delegation that went to the demon kingdom, but they are touring the kingdoms to boost morale. They will arrive here next month, but I guess you don’t need to know that.” she said with a wry smile.

After feeding him, she wiped his mouth with a cloth before saying her goodbyes.

“I will come again soon. Until then, take care.”

“Thank… you…” he said softly.

Susan didn’t turn around but she clearly heard his whispered words of gratitude. She left the with a pale look on her face.

“You look, ill sister. Is something bothering you?”

Susan was walking the halls of the castle when a voice called out to her.

“Sofia… It's nothing.”

“You can’t fool me. It was about that hero, wasn’t it? The whole castle is talking about it you know. They say you have fallen in love with him.”

She sighed when she heard that.

“Even you have heard that rumor I see.”

“You should keep your distance from that hero sister, otherwise people will say bad things about you.”

“Let them talk. As long as my conscience is clear I don’t care what they say.”

“You are so strong-minded sister. I wish I could be the same.”

“You will be Sofia. Have faith in yourself.” She said as she patted her head. “Are those flowers for aunt’s grave?”

“Yes. Why don’t we go together?”

“I can’t. I have to go to the temple.”

“Has something happened?”

“I need to return the staff of kroon back to the holy land soon.”

The staff of kroon was a magical tool made a long time ago to help in the summoning of heroes.

It used to magnify the magical power of people who wielded it to allow them to summon heroes but these days it allowed one to connect to all the mana orbs on the humans continent and draw out the amount of mana needed for the ceremony.

It was the only magical tool of its kind in the whole world. The holy land usually required the priest to return the staff after the summoning was done but an exception was made for Susan.

This was meant to be the last summoning of heroes, to begin with, there was no reason to value the staff highly as they had done before. For this reason they allowed Susan to to take the staff back to her home kingdom.

“Eh… When will you be taking it back?”

“Hmm… I may have to leave by next week.”

“You can’t!”

“Eh… Why not?”

“That’s because… The heroes will be coming here next month. What is if something goes wrong? Father and the prime minister don’t tell me anything, even though I am the next heir. What if they are planning on hurting mother? I… I…”

“Okay-okay… claim down Sofia. I am sure that father means no harm towards mother. This is just his usual political rebellion. Mother will crush it when she returns. As for the prime minister, I was concerned about him before but he hasn’t done anything to catch my attention. I was probably overthinking it. Leave the heroes to him and everything will be fine.”

“But… but…” she said with teary eyes while clinging to her with one hand. “Can’t you just stay until the heroes arrive?”

“Alright. I will tell the temple of my intention to stay until the heroes arrive.”

“Thank you, sister.” She said before hugging her closely.