The next time I heard Rainer's name was in a conversation with another "Hero."
"There is a man named Rainer," the merchant said. "He was one of the adventurers who survived the fall of Lysoria. Now, he is renowned as one of the few skilled warriors left."
That was what a prominent merchant from the city of Eldoria had told him.
"If you have the ability, I would like you to join us…"
The Hero showed interest in Rainer. He was preparing to face the Dark Overlord—having powerful allies would only increase his chances.
"No, that shouldn't be," the merchant said with a shake of his head. "He's a greedy man, always demanding payment. Back then, I was stranded, unable to escape the country after it fell to the Overlord's army. That's when Rainer and his companions arrived. They cleared the path, defeating the monsters in our way.
But then, they demanded 400 gold coins as payment."
"Four hundred gold coins?!"
The Hero was shocked. That amount of money could fund years of travel. Even a noble would struggle to gather such a sum.
"Yes, it was absurd. They knew no one else could save us, so they set the price as high as they pleased. I had no idea how I could pay it."
The merchant gave a wry smile.
"But that wasn't all. While hiding in a village abandoned by its people, I came across a young boy who had been left behind. He was around the same age as my daughter, a pitiful child who had lost his parents. So I told him, 'Let's get out of here together.'"
I thought bringing one more child wouldn't be a big deal.
But Rainer thought differently. He demanded payment for the boy's rescue.
"Fifty gold coins," the merchant said bitterly. "Fifty. For a child."
The Hero frowned. A man driven only by money could not be trusted.
The demons of the Dark Overlord's army were not mere beasts acting on instinct. They possessed intelligence, magic, and power greater than that of humans. If necessary, they would use whatever means were available—bribery, deception, or manipulation—to turn people against one another.
That was why a hero and his allies needed more than just strength.
They needed conviction.
"That's right, Hero," the merchant continued. "Rainer is a skilled man, no doubt. But he fights only for gold.
As a businessman, I know the value of money better than anyone, but even I can see—without conviction, he is not the kind of man who should stand at your side."
"That's a shame."
And that was the end of the conversation.
The Hero continued his search for allies, leaving the thought of Rainer behind.
As a prophet, I suggested several potential companions for him. He chose one of them.
But in the end, this Hero never reached his destiny.
He fell before the journey was complete.