Chapter 101: Younger Brother

Zahak’s perspective.

「Did you hear that? Lord Zahak seems to have obtained the World Tree’s fruit. 」

「Is it true? Then, Lord Zahak will also join the ranks of the great heroes. Following his younger brother, Lord Rostam, he is also blessed with talent. 」

「No, that doesn’t seem to be the case. There are rumors that he actually received it from someone else. 」

「Then, didn’t he get through his achievements? Then, no matter how much of a Creation Skill he has, it will be difficult for him to join the ranks of the great heroes…」

From then on, rumors spread that I obtained the World Tree’s fruit, and that I obtained the Creation Skill.

At first, I thought that I’d be fine if I had the Creation Skill.

But it was a mistake.

The Creation Skill I got was not something that would enhance my ability.

It was, so to speak, an ability that activated its effect only on other people.

It was the creation ability that manipulated the mind and personality.

Certainly, it would be a very powerful skill if used for aggression or strategy against other countries.

However, this was not the “royal road” I wanted. *

Raising the hero rank through the hero system meant that you “climbed the stairs” only when your own achievements were recognized.

That was a judgment based on the eyes of the goddess who was looking at this earth. There was no way that small tricks would work.

In other words, the ability I obtained was an ability that deviated from the royal road.

I didn’t get the power I sought until the end.

As a result, I was left with a Creation Skill that I didn’t acquire through my own achievements, and I suffered from doubts, suspicions, and ridicule after acquiring it.

What should I do?

How could I stand shoulder to shoulder with my brother?

How could I become a great hero like my brother?

It was none other than my younger brother Rostam who reached out to me. Back then, I was frustrated by impatience and anxiety.

「Brother. The other day, I finally found the location of the SS-rank monster that I’ve been looking for, for a long time. In that case, would you be willing to help me subjugate it? 」

For Rostam, it was a subjugation mission that shouldn’t have been profitable.

SS-rank monsters were the highest rank monsters determined by humans and the goddess.

Those who subdued it were immediately given the title of Great Hero.

For Rostam, who had already obtained the title of Great Hero, there was almost no merit in challenging a SS-rank monster. Nonetheless.

「Defeating SS-rank monsters is the final goal of the heroes living in this world. I cannot allow myself to be proud for claiming the title of Great Hero without accomplishing that feat. So brother, please lend me your strength. 」

The eyes of my younger brother were staring straight at the royal road.

However, I knew that it was just a formal reason.

The real reason was that my younger brother set the stage for me to obtain the title of Great Hero and presented me with a chance to qualify for it.

I was a little hesitant, but I still took my brother’s outstretched hand.

—

And what my brother Rostam and I were up against was an SS-rank beast called Behemoth.

Even though Rostam had already obtained the title of Great Hero, it was a difficult battle to face an SS-rank monster.

I tried to support Rostam, but it was an opponent of an order of magnitude that made me realize the difference between heaven and earth.

The battle continued for seven days and seven nights, until Rostam’s blow mortally wounded Behemoth’s exhausted body.

However, it also led to Behemoth’s final counterattack.

The moment the raging beast approached me, I saw my younger brother Rostam fall to the ground in order to protect me.

I still couldn’t remember how I felt at that time.

Was I just stunned by what happened?

Did I cry and grieve when I saw my younger brother collapse?

Or did I feel relieved and a little bit of joy when I saw it?

I didn’t know the answer.

All I know was that when I noticed, I was holding Rostam, who had fallen.

「…Brother…」

A fatal wound.

I couldn’t help him.

As I held his hand, I could feel my brother’s life disappearing.

Was I going to let my brother die like this?

No, I couldn’t save him anymore.

This was unavoidable, the right thing to do.

With this, I could assume the throne without hesitation.

I wouldn’t be compared to my younger brother anymore.

Was that so?

Was that really true?

Was that what I wanted?

Why did I ask for power?

Was it because I was jealous of my brother and didn’t want to admit I was inferior?

No.

That wasn’t the reason I started seeking power.

I just…

「…Brother…with this, brother… you should be able to obtain the title of Great Hero…you’ll get the title of Great Hero without any problem…」

After hearing those words, I couldn’t help but freeze.

Did Rostam know?

All this time, what was being said about me in the shadows?

Rostam’s words continued.

「…Big Brother was the one who taught me the way…the one I admired, the stronger than anyone I know…I can’t stand being compared to me and being despised. I didn’t…I know it because my brother is much stronger than me…」

I just shook my head at those words.

Wrong. That wasn’t not me. It was you.

A brave man who was more talented than me and who went ahead of me.

I was frightened by my brother, and I was terrified that one day he would leave me behind.

But no.

My younger brother respected me more than anything else. He made me his goal.

There was no jealousy, no fear, no pity.

There was only one thing, the feeling of wanting to be next to each other.

The moment I knew that I realized what kind of feelings I had had for my brother.

「…But this is a little disappointing…」

That was why I asked for power.

It wasn’t competitiveness towards my younger brother Rostam, or an inferiority complex or hatred, let alone jealousy.

It was a purer feeling towards my brother.

「…Because if possible…I also…I wanted to walk on the road…side by side with my older brother…」

I just wanted to be next to him.

That was it.

Along with my younger brother Rostam, I wanted to stand next to him and walk with him on the royal road.

But by the time I realized it, my brother had already died in my arms.

I wanted power, I wanted to be a great hero. But I just wanted to stand next to my brother on an equal footing.

There was no need for it, but I let my brother die for my own vanity.

What should I do?

It would be a mistake for a man with no talent like me to survive, and for someone like my younger brother, who the world wanted to worship, to die.

Yes, this was wrong.

The older brother should not kill his younger brother.

Before I knew it, I was approaching the fallen Behemoth, still holding my brother’s corpse.

The Behemoth was dying, but still breathing.

I touched the fallen Behemoth, and with the other hand I touched my sleeping brother’s forehead.

I had heard of it.

The SS-rank monsters had the ability to transform themselves into human forms.

I wasn’t sure if this was possible.

Perhaps, I was insane at that time.

But even so, I wanted to change the fact that my brother was dead.

I gave the memories and emotions that remained in my younger brother to the Behemoth and transformed them to be the Behemoth’s own memories and emotions.

And then, lying in front of me was a Behemoth with the appearance of my younger brother.

I couldn’t say anything after that.

Behemoth, who had the appearance, memories, and personality of my younger brother, became Rostam without being suspected by those around him.

However, the Creation Skill that I had that transformed its personality only last for about a month at the longest.

Therefore, ironically, by becoming a great hero and being by his side as Rostam’s assistant, I kept Behemoth’s memory as Rostam.

Before long, it was rumored that my younger brother, Rostam, had brainwashed me and used me as a puppet to take the right to the throne, but that was convenient in its own way.

That allowed me to step down from the throne. So the throne went to my younger brother.

I was fine with being my brother’s shadow.

If I could stay by my brother’s side and save him, then so be it.

However, it was difficult to say that the Behemoth who took the place of Rostam was the same he was before.

That was natural, because everything, such as the imprinting of memory and personality, couldn’t go perfectly well.

There would always be cracks and deficiencies.

Because the memories imprinted on the Behemoth were not only my brother’s, but also my own memories and personality, or the false image of my brother that I wanted it to be.

Therefore, my younger brother’s personality was more emperor-like than before.

Rostam’s actions after he became emperor came to be disliked, probably because of my influence.

And, perhaps because of that, my younger brother confided in me about the World Tree’s growth plan, which could be taken as a violent strategy.

Not only the hero system, but also the promotion of people’s growth, including clashes against other countries, and his own hostility towards prospective great heroes, for example, the Cultivation Hero.

The role of the Demon King was done by the emperor himself.

When I was told the plan, I made up my mind.

I would bear all the final stigma when that was accomplished.

The crime of letting my brother die, and the crime of creating a fake brother, I decided to reveal all of them in order to make amends.

Because the sin was mine.

Me, who caused my brother to die.

—

「…This is the truth of everything…Therefore, Cultivation Hero. Everything about this incident was caused by the “Rostam that I created”. It was all caused by me…in fact, I was the one who falsified the memories of the people around me…This Rostam, no, the Behemoth, was being used and manipulated by me…In that case, the person who was manipulating it should be punished. Well…I’m prepared…Cultivation Hero…No, even Behemoth, whom I changed its memory have the right to take revenge on me… I don’t care about it…Just do it quickly and with no mercy…」

Saying that, Zahak spoke while kneeling.

He committed his own sins.

And he was the real trigger for this event to begin with.

Honestly, I had no intention of doing anything to this person.

It was true that he was the one who actually changed Mina-chan’s memories, so he should pay a certain price.

But even so, if I had to punish this guy with something, it would be…I thought someone else would be more suitable than me.

「…」

Rostam, no, Behemoth, who was kneeling next to him nodded, stood up and extended his hand to Zahak, and then…

「…Brother. 」

He held his hand out to Zahak.

「I knew. 」

「…What? 」

At Behemoth’s words, Zahak raised his head in surprise.

What was there was the emperor’s usual fearless smile.

And at that moment, the voice of a familiar girl resounded from behind our backs.

「He’s saying he knows. He has always wanted to be your brother, Zahak. 」

When everyone turned around, Lily was there.

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*An auspicious or easy way or means to achieve something: the royal road to success.