I went to the funeral of a guy named Carl Hamilton, a famed hero of the northwest. He was once hailed as a hero after defeating the Black Dragon—that had appeared in the northwest of the continent and rescuing a princess of the local kingdom.
Cause of death: pneumonia. I heard he died after contracting it due to extreme malnutrition and a weakened immune system. Damn... A guy who once stood at the peak, a real hero, dying from pneumonia…
In the cathedral where his body was laid, there was a faded wooden coffin—presumably holding his remains—and a portrait of him smiling. Some rusted sword and armor were set up beside it to represent his past glory, and a handful of old-time heroes, clad in gloomy expressions and outdated armor, stood around laughing and chatting about their glory days.
I just paid my respects and offered condolence money before leaving quickly. Being around them made me feel like I'd end up just as washed-out and empty.
The world has changed. This peaceful age is no longer one that shines for heroes. And yet, some fools still go around thinking they'll become a hero, slay monsters and demon lords, marry a princess, and live happily ever after. If I meet anyone with such delusions, I honestly feel like I should beat some sense into them.
You're asking who I am to say all this? I'm none other than Kyle Rook—once hailed as the strongest, the very best. A true hero in every sense of the word.
And now? I run a bakery.
Yeah, me—the guy who once took down the demon lord Bel, who threw the world into terror, and who put arrogant dragons back in their place—I now bake bread for a living. But I feel no shame or embarrassment about that.
What? You think the greatest hero making bread is embarrassing? Hell no. Honestly, I'm proud to be running a bakery, living my life and making good money.
In peaceful times like these, the world doesn't need heroes anymore. All heroes know how to do is fight. And when there's no fighting left, there's nowhere left for them to go.
I sensed it long ago—when the world finally found peace, heroes would lose their place. What can a guy who only knows how to fight do in a world without conflict?
Marry a princess and live happily ever after? Don't make me laugh. These days, princesses have high standards. They're all looking to marry rich and handsome princes from foreign lands. No princess in her right mind would marry a scruffy commoner who just happens to be good at fighting.
And even if she wanted to, the nobles and ministers of the kingdom or empire would fiercely oppose it. A princess or imperial daughter marrying a commoner? Ridiculous. The idea of a hero marrying a princess is just something from old fairy tales now.
What about becoming a knight or mercenary, you ask? Yeah, no. That's just as unrealistic.
To become a knight, you need a license—and that usually requires noble status. You need to be from at least a baron's family to even apply. On top of that, you have to have good grades from high-level magic and swordsmanship schools, and you'd better have graduated from a top academy. It's not something just anyone can do.
Mercenaries have it even worse. In a world as peaceful as ours, there's no need for them either. Getting into a mercenary guild—especially a big one—is damn near impossible. Even getting into a mid-tier local guild is like reaching for the stars. As soon as a spot opens, a job posting goes up and hundreds of applicants swarm in. The competition is insane—hundreds to one—so unless you're exceptional, good luck getting in.
I saw all this coming. So, I focused on something I'd always had a bit of talent for—baking. I trained in it seriously and earned an official continental certification in baking and pastry. Now I can open a bakery and earn a living anywhere across the continent.
Heroes need to wake up and see reality. They need to change and adapt if they want to survive in this world. Romance and fantasy are long gone. To survive in this cold, pragmatic world, you've got to lower your pride and learn a skill—anything.
Or, if even that's too much trouble, you'd better be ready to work manual labor. Because at the end of the day, survival is what matters. Don't waste your life dreaming about past glory—adapt to the present and live.
At the very least, don't starve to death. Don't die from something like pneumonia.
I'm not saying all this because I think I'm better than anyone. It's just painful watching my former comrades die off one by one. That's why I'm saying this.