Beyond the Hero’s Death – 34 | Sousaku – 創作

Episode 34: A small miscellaneous afterword-like note of Chapter 3

Thank you for always reading my work. I am the author.
The entire series has passed the halfway point, and it is thanks to the daily responses from readers that updates can be made every day. Thank you for your bookmarks, support, comments, and stars.
Chapter 3 was about Irene, a former traveling companion, and the people around her.
The appearance of an entity that is both the Queen of Ice and Snow, a disaster, yet stands on the side of humanity, forces us to reconsider what a disaster truly is, and serves as an episode about a mad religion and human arrogance.

・Irene
A beautiful saint with a generally good personality, unless she gets excited about children and loses her composure. Although she said she was far from religious, her maternal nature, which allowed her to treat people of all races equally, and her ability to be kind to others due to her difficult childhood experiences, were unmistakably those of a saint. Even if you take away her unfortunate fetish, that's probably why the goddess made Irene a saint.

Even while traveling, she was a reliable older sister who cared for her friends and looked out for them, and she also provided comic relief, making her an irreplaceable member of the group.
When she first saw Al, she was so overwhelmed by his cuteness and loveliness that she started bleeding from her nose. She was so moved by the precious interactions between Al and Falty that she felt like she was about to ascend to heaven. Irene's cheerful presence must have been a refreshing change from the heavy atmosphere during the journey to defeat the Demon King. ……A breath of fresh air? Maybe, maybe not?
In any case, she was definitely someone you could rely on, Raoul respected her, and for Falty, excluding her sexual preferences, was someone she could genuinely admire, so they treated her with the respect she deserved.
She was loved by the children in the town, and many of the adults who visited Irene's town were attracted to her personality and way of thinking.
Perhaps it is because she is not perfect that she is considered a saint beyond compare.

I cut this part out because I thought it would make the conversation with Raoul too heavy, but there was also a setting where Irene was unable to have children because of her desperate struggle to survive in the past.
I also subtly paid homage to the super-powered state that appeared in the original work, hoping that it would make people smile a little. I hope readers will enjoy imagining Irene's appearance as a tough, muscular woman.
I wrote this hoping to convey Irene's character, who can brighten up even a gloomy atmosphere.

Queen of Ice and Snow
Setsu-chan. Irene's first foster child, she is characterized by her slightly awkward speech. Although there wasn't much change in her expression, she responded in a childlike manner, probably because Irene treated her with affection. For more details, please refer to Chapter 4.

Pope
A person who embodies the worst aspects of the Holy Church. Because he was a member of a minor faction, he was unable to obtain vested interests and spent his days in frustration. Taking advantage of the chaos that followed the defeat of the Demon King, he staged a rebellion within the church, purged the dominant faction, and took control of the church. Although he was a vulgar man who acted solely out of self-interest, he agreed to form an alliance with the empire and receive weapons because he shared the empire's goal of exterminating other races. No matter the excuses, the root of his actions is his obsession with power, his desire to hold sway, and his desire to satisfy his own desires. He is a man who is beyond the control of even kings.
However, he was blessed with good luck and everything went smoothly, so he was intoxicated with his own sense of omnipotence, but when he ran into Raoul, his ambitions were dashed, and he was crushed by Irene and became nothing more than a flat pancake.
The dissatisfaction stemming from years of dedicated service in the church's shadows, handling its dark and dirty work, yet receiving no recognition, coupled with the frustration of being unable to partake in the privileges and benefits enjoyed by the upper echelons—who, without much effort, exploited those below them and reaped the rewards—led to an explosion of anger. This was also the result of the church allowing internal tensions to simmer unchecked. The upper echelons of the Republican faction were ultimately the real problem, regardless of the activities of the lower ranks.
Archbishop
A man as corrupt as the Pope. He is a thin man with silver hair slicked back, but his face doesn't look too bad. Although he lost both arms, he is still alive because he was captured by the Devil. There is a reason why the archbishop became corrupt, but that may be touched upon in the story.

So, I've successfully finished Chapter 3, and now it's on to Chapter 4, which takes us to the empire. Little by little, things that have been hinted at will start to become clear. I will be writing Chapter 4 and the Final Chapter, but since I am progressing at the originally planned pace, the main story is scheduled to be completed by the end of January.
I have been preparing with the intention of submitting this to Kakuyomu Con 9, and at this point, it has exceeded 100,000 characters and has become quite a substantial volume, but I am extremely grateful to my readers for their continued support……! There is quite a lot to read, so please read it at your leisure.

After the main story is completed, I am preparing some after-story content for those who have followed along, as well as stories about the despicable characters who appeared in the main story, so I may write those as well. There are no plans yet, but I think I will be able to release some kind of bonus content.
Thanks to everyone who has read my work, it seems that more people will be visiting Kakuyomu Con 9 than I had anticipated, which is truly gratifying. Among the bright and cheerful fantasy works set in different worlds, my short, unconventional title and harsh content are able to stand out, and I am deeply grateful to everyone for that. We would appreciate it if you could bookmark, support, or give us a star rating……! That said, I'll see you again in Chapter 4. See you later!