I opened it on a whim during a break from development, and that was the end of me. A story about how 'Who Killed the Hero?' has completely wrecked my emotions.

Introduction

Hello, this is Neko NYA.

Recently, the implementation of my self-made barter site 'TradeHub' has been in its final stages, and honestly, my brain has been completely filled with Python code and piles of debugging.

'Ah, I want to step away from the screen and rest my eyes for a bit.' It was with that light, truly lighthearted feeling that I picked up that one book that had been buzzing on my timeline a while ago.

'Who Killed the Hero?'

I want to give my past self, who shelved it when it became a hot topic thinking, 'I get that the premise is interesting, I'll read it later,' a full-blown lecture. This wasn't a breather; it was an outrageous 'monster' that grabbed my heart and swung it around.

This is the first novel I've binged in my life since 'You, Like the Stars'!!

I'll explain its appeal while keeping it to a minimum so as not to spoil anything.

Chapter 1: The world after defeating the Demon King, isn't it too beautiful and too cruel?

I love stories like Frieren: Beyond Journey's End...

I had guessed it from the title, but this novel was

beautiful, and cruel

Well, in a normal fantasy, you defeat the Demon King and it's 'happily ever after' with the end credits. But this story begins 'after' that.

The savior who saved the world, the hero, has died. And not during the battle with the Demon King, but 'after' peace had arrived.

'Who on earth killed him?'

It proceeds in a documentary-like format where a single knight visits the companions who once traveled with the hero (the saint, the sage, the warrior...) one by one to investigate his final moments.

This feels close to 'analyzing error logs' in implementation. You follow the logs known as testimonies. But the image of the hero described by each person is completely different. Some say he was a 'saint,' while others say he was a 'coward.' The thrill of the outline of the 'hero' data becoming increasingly distorted as you read on... this should be irresistible for mystery lovers.

Chapter 2: The bug called 'Hero,' or perhaps, salvation

The most painful part of reading this was the moment I was forced to realize the obvious fact that "the Hero was just a child, maybe 15 years old or so."

We tend to focus only on perfect deliverables or the role of the "Hero," ignoring the person inside. The image of a clumsy boy who tried so hard to live up to expectations, hid his loneliness, and still tried to protect someone.

Doesn't this hit way too close to home for those of us living in the modern world? We have to become someone, we have to build a track record. For everyone playing a "role" under that kind of pressure, this story becomes a cruelly gentle salvation.

Honestly, in the scene where the Saintess speaks his true feelings, I thought my PC keyboard was going to get soaked with tears (lol).

Chapter 3: The beauty of this "structure" is nothing short of artistic code.

I usually focus on the readability and structural beauty of programs, but I completely take my hat off to the "plot" of this novel.

The casual lines and foreshadowing built up from Chapter 1 converge into a single "truth" the moment you reach the end, like puzzle pieces clicking into place.

There isn't a single line of wasted description. Everything is meticulously calculated for the "goal" that is the final scene.

After finishing it, you immediately want to go back to page one. The discoveries on the second read—realizing, "Oh, so that's what this line meant!"—make you cry even more than the first time.

Chapter 4: The only warning: you won't be able to get anything done until morning.

I've been praising it to the skies, but if I had to point out a "problem"...

"It's so interesting that your plans for the next day will be completely ruined."

Yesterday, I actually intended to finish my design revisions, but before I knew it, it was bright outside. I just couldn't stop saying "just one more chapter." That's how extraordinary the story's pull is.

Chapter 5: Finally: I want you to witness your own "Hero."

Thank you so much for reading this far. This is just my "personal reading impression," but I would be happy if even a little of this passion came across.

Honestly, there are times when I feel like giving up due to funding or development issues, but reading this book reminded me of the nobility of "creating something for someone else, even if you're clumsy at it."

If you are thinking, "I haven't had an experience that moved my heart lately," or "I want to immerse myself in something, but I don't know what to read," then please check it out from this link right now.

Check out 'Who Killed the Hero?'

All you need to buy this book is a few hundred yen and the courage to accept a night of sleep deprivation (lol). But I guarantee that what remains in your heart after finishing it is worth far more than that.

I am truly envious of you, the "uninitiated" reader who has yet to experience this shock. Please let me know your thoughts in the comments section.