Why…why did things turn out like this?
Motoyasu Kitamura staggered lifelessly down the street like a walking corpse.
The street bustled with passersby, but upon seeing Motoyasu wearing nothing but a pair of shorts, people hurriedly kept their distance as if he were contagious.
Some women even said something to him.
But he didn't care.
Would a human care what pigs had to say?
Of course not.
In Motoyasu's eyes, all these women now bore the faces of pigs, their voices sounding like squealing.
What are these pigs even saying? Disgusting...
Come to think of it, the very reason he'd come to this world was because two pigs forced themselves onto him, leading to his death by stabbing.
After arriving in this world, he'd worked hard to create a harem with good relationships, precisely to avoid another "knife-in-the-gut" ending.
But things had turned out completely different from what he imagined.
From the moment he was summoned, he'd been fighting earnestly for this world—saving the princess of this kingdom from being assaulted by the demonic Shield Hero, and even defeating the boss during the Wave.
It was supposed to be double the joy, so why did things end up like this?
How did he fall so low?
After losing yesterday's duel, he'd spent the whole time reflecting alone in his room. But then Itsuki Kawasumi and a group of knights suddenly stormed in, accusing him of being a fake hero.
From that point, he was stripped of all his equipment and money, then tossed out of the castle.
That woman…
That red-haired pig called Myne was just using me, wasn't she?
Thinking about it now, were Naofumi Iwatani and Kiriko actually innocent? Had they never intended to harm that red-haired pig in the first place?
How laughable. He'd known nothing, and like an idiot, he'd followed that red-haired pig's every suggestion and made enemies of Naofumi and Kiriko.
How foolish...how laughable...
How pitiful.
Surely, they wouldn't forgive him.
Even if he put himself in their shoes, forgiveness was out of the question.
Grrr...
His stomach suddenly growled loudly.
Motoyasu finally realized that since he'd been kicked out of the castle, he hadn't eaten anything at all.
No…even before that, during the banquet, he'd hardly touched any food because of the duel with Kiriko.
Forget it. Let's eat something first.
"Welcome—Ugh?"
The tavern worker who habitually bowed nearly shrieked at Motoyasu's appearance.
"Warm a bowl of wine, and bring a dish of spiced beans."
Motoyasu, intending to pay with copper coins, touched empty air before remembering he had no money left.
He could only plead with the worker.
"I don't have money right now. Could you let me eat something first? I promise I'll hunt a few monsters afterward and pay you back."
"Get out of here now, or I'll call someone!"
The tavern owner emerged from behind the counter, glaring at Motoyasu hatefully.
"We don't serve fake Spear Heroes here."
Motoyasu quickly protested.
"No, I'm not a fake—I'm the genuine Spear Hero!"
Seeing the scene, tavern customers began joining in the conversation.
"I heard that fake Spear Hero tried to assault his own teammate."
"Wasn't that something the Shield Demon did?"
"Who cares? The Shield Demon and the fake Spear Hero are both trash anyway. Clearly, the true summoned heroes are only Sword Hero-sama and Bow Hero-sama."
"Hahaha, that's true. Hey, owner, quickly kick this guy out. Just having the fake Spear Hero here makes the wine turn sour."
The tavern owner nodded and bowed toward the customers, then turned to Motoyasu with a fierce glare.
"You heard them. Get lost now, or I'll call the guards!"
"No, why won't any of you listen to my explanation—"
Before Motoyasu could finish, the tavern owner grabbed a chair and violently smashed it onto his own table.
"Help! The fake Spear Hero is causing trouble!"
After a moment of stunned silence, the tavern staff exaggeratedly collapsed to the ground. One particularly theatrical employee even dipped his fingers in ketchup from the table and smeared it wildly on his own face.
"Ahhh! Medic! Someone get a healer!"
Motoyasu stared dumbfounded as the tavern owner and staff dramatically lay sprawled out on the floor.
Moments later, rapid footsteps approached, and guards patrolling the streets burst into the tavern.
Seeing the tavern's "tragic scene," the guards immediately grasped the situation—or at least thought they did.
"Seize the fake Spear Hero! Kill him on the spot if he resists!"
"Wait, please, listen—I didn't do this—"
But the guards had no intention of hearing him out; in fact, it seemed like they genuinely planned on killing him.
"Damn it! You forced my hand!"
Motoyasu dodged the guards' attempts to seize him, putting distance between them before positioning his spear for a throw.
"[AIR STRIKE JAVELIN]!"
A glowing green spear shot forward, knocking away the guards in front like scattered kites.
However, he'd deliberately controlled his power, so the guards were merely thrown aside without being killed.
Taking advantage of the moment, Motoyasu rushed out of the tavern, past the fallen guards.
"You still claim you're not the fake Spear Hero? The real Spear Hero-sama would never attack us!"
The guard captain shouted bitterly at Motoyasu's retreating figure.
"Chase him!"
"Don't let him escape!"
The guards hurriedly picked themselves up, pursuing Motoyasu into the streets.
"Any sign of him?"
"No."
"Damn it, where did that bastard go?"
"Let's report this to His Majesty and request aid from the knights and other Heroes."
"We have no choice."
Outside the alley, the guards, after searching for a long time and finding nothing, finally left in frustration.
Deep within the filthy alley, Motoyasu—still in nothing but his shorts—sat miserably on the ground. Garbage and filth surrounded him, with flies buzzing incessantly.
Why am I hiding here?
Perhaps subconsciously, he'd chosen a place fitting for a stray dog like himself.
What should I do now?
He had no idea.
Maybe sitting here until he rotted away wasn't such a bad idea.
Just as this thought crossed his mind, footsteps suddenly echoed nearby.
They weren't the heavy steps of guards. It was a single person, light-footed.
Who could it be?
Motoyasu raised his head, locking eyes with the approaching girl—Gabriel.
"Hey, wanna eat?"