Turns out it was an isekai situation.

Larian the archmage led his party towards the Demon King’s castle. They carved a bloody path towards the throne room and confronted the Demon King head on.

After a long and violent battle, in which his entire party was wiped, Larian also found himself at deaths door, hanging limply in the hands of the Demon King.

The Demon King was uttering a long monologue about something or another, but Larian’s hearing was shot and his mind in turmoil, only a faint buzzing sound ringing in his ears, as he came to grips with having failed the mission.

As the Demon King continued cheerfully gloating, Larian felt a sliver of mana gathering in his body, not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, he immediately summoned every ounce of strength he had remaining and called forth the most destructive magic he knew.

‘Explosion…’

With that Larian was no more.

…

After which followed the standard Isekai tropes, Larian found himself in a white room facing a goddess. She thanked him for bringing peace to the world, and called upon him once again to take up arms to face a new emerging threat.

With that Larian found himself back in the Eledor continent but this time 400 years into the future.

…

The world was devastated by the emergence of dungeons. Invaders from another world seeking to weaken and then eventually conquer the realm.

With full support from the Wise King, and backing of the entire kingdom. Larian, once again gathered companions and allies, he delved into dungeon after dungeon, fought stronger and stronger opponents, suffered uncountable setbacks and losses, but eventually stood victorious.

…

Hailed as the nations hero, Larian found himself at an extravagant award ceremony at the Capital. The wise King himself wished to grant him any boon he so desired.

The Wise King went on a long monologue about something or another, but Larian wasn’t paying attention, for he was distracted by something else. The Wise King seemed awfully familiar…

As the Wise King continued cheerfully gloating about his own contributions of support to the Hero, it finally occurred to Larian.

“ITS YOU!!!”

…

The Wise King found himself in a bit of an awkward situation. Turns out the Gods were so fed up with his antics, that they finally sent someone to expose him.

After thousands of years toying with the world, bringing it to the edge of destruction with one hand, then switching sides and reversing the flow with the other, the Wise King, for the first time in a long time, found himself in a situation he hadn’t experienced before…

The pawn he used, turned out to be an agent of the goddess, the fame and power he helped the pawn to gather turned around to become the very noose around his own neck.

As the former Wise King stood at the gallows, with the crowd jeering and calling for his head, he began thinking about what role he should take on next when his body eventually regenerated.

‘I haven’t been a phantom thief yet, that could be fun’.