Ch.122Victory Conditions (5)

# Victory Condition (5)

It seems like I’ve gotten involved in something troublesome, but this is the only way to enter the demon realm anyway. Moreover, considering the hero party’s objective, this situation might actually be an opportunity.

After all, if we’re targeting the Demon King, we’ll inevitably clash with the Legion Commanders, and being able to prepare for that in a fortress environment would make things much easier.

“Well then, shall we hear about it? What kind of person is Legion Commander Six?”

Esmeralda was resting inside the fortress city, receiving generous hospitality from Fellheim Senova.

It was Fellheim Senova’s consideration, ensuring she could rest well to respond at any time.

And Esmeralda didn’t miss this opportunity to prepare countermeasures against Legion Commander Six.

“About Six…”

Esmeralda asked Garnet, who was crunching on a carrot.

As the former Legion Commander Five, she would know more than what was generally known.

‘By the way…’

Esmeralda thought as she looked at Garnet’s haughty expression.

‘…why is she always eating something?’

Recently, whenever she saw Garnet, the first thing she noticed was something stuffed in her mouth.

If it were delicious food or snacks, she could understand, but seeing her eat vegetables and fruits raw was perplexing.

Since she was consuming food supplies rather than processed foods, Esmeralda was starting to worry about the provisions Lug had stockpiled.

If she were eating proper meals, Esmeralda could complain about her being extravagant, but watching her crunch on those things with an expressionless face made it difficult to say anything.

To be precise, it felt more desperate than greedy, which was rather bitter.

“If I had to sum up Six in one word, it would be ‘abrasive’.”

Garnet said, twisting her hair after finishing her carrot.

Her furrowed expression alone showed what she meant by “abrasive.”

“That guy is a tactician. You know that mages are treated like siege weapons, but he’s particularly excellent as a tactician. He’s especially outstanding in that area.”

The 6th Legion is known as the strongest legion in the Demon King’s army.

Not because of the individual strength of the Legion Commander, but because of the excellence of their leader.

“So would I lose if I fought him?”

Garnet narrowed her brow at Esmeralda’s bold question.

Wasn’t asking that question an affront to her pride in the first place?

She was originally strong enough to aim for Legion Commander Force’s position, and Six was someone she had already trampled over.

Of course, she currently couldn’t exert her full strength due to Agni, Esmeralda, and the aftereffects of imprisonment.

“Even now, I would win against him.”

“Ohhh…!”

However, Garnet was confident she could defeat Legion Commander Six even in her weakened state.

It wasn’t recklessness. Nor was it arrogance.

It’s just…

“But if we fought on a battlefield, I would have definitely lost even before I became weaker.”

“Ohhh…”

Because their areas of expertise were different.

As mentioned earlier, Six is a mage.

Due to the nature of the ranking battles that determine the hierarchy of Legion Commanders, one-on-one duels are inevitable, and Garnet, who excels in close combat, would almost certainly win even without her flame spirit authority.

However, on the battlefield, facing a mage who has built walls with enhanced soldiers would inevitably be difficult.

Moreover, the opponent isn’t the type to overwhelm with firepower but rather the type to strengthen allies with various support.

In other words, in the current situation, they’ve encountered the worst possible opponent.

It’s only natural that the fortress city, which has been firmly defending humanity’s frontline, has been pushed to this point.

“And junior, I’ll give you one more special piece of advice.”

“Since we’re cooperating anyway, why don’t you just help me outright?”

“Don’t I need to keep my activities hidden for now? Don’t forget that the reason you’ve survived until now is because you were an insignificant existence.”

“You’re being quite blunt.”

Esmeralda is weak.

She’s like a frog in a well. That’s why she’s been pushed far down the priority list and has survived until now.

Because she was too insignificant compared to the immediate problems at hand.

Of course, she’s now considered someone who needs to be dealt with to some extent, but she’s believed to be dead.

Moreover, since it’s said that the Demon King, Belphegor, personally dealt with her, no Legion Commander in this world would doubt it.

Because all the Legion Commanders have directly witnessed Belphegor’s status.

In that sense, Esmeralda’s current position can act as the sharpest dagger.

But what if news of the hero’s survival spreads? That alone would make the Demon King’s army focus on Esmeralda.

They couldn’t overlook the fact that she survived an encounter with the Demon King.

“If I help you, it might be convenient for now, but you’ll suffer later.”

But what if news that the former Legion Commander Five is accompanying her is added to that?

Eight or nine times out of ten, they would consider the hero party as the top priority target.

In the worst case, Legion Commander First might personally take action.

At that point, whether it’s Garnet or anyone else, they wouldn’t be able to do anything.

“Honestly, I think it’s better to secretly infiltrate the demon realm as we are now.”

So, the most ideal scenario would be to avoid confrontation, infiltrate the demon realm, and plunge a sharply honed dagger at the most crucial moment.

“But you won’t do that, will you? Because you are…”

Garnet knows. She knows because she was once like Esmeralda.

Looking at Esmeralda’s unwavering gaze, Garnet smiled gently.

“A hero.”

A hero because she can’t tolerate injustice.

Only those who can remain true to themselves, even if they take the difficult path, can become heroes.

“So I can’t help you in a way that would draw attention.”

“Then?”

“If you can create a one-on-one situation with Six…”

She could crush his skull.

If she can make it so that the opponent doesn’t know she crushed his skull, that would work, wouldn’t it?

Esmeralda felt reassured by Garnet’s confident declaration.

“By the way, it would be the same if you asked that bastard Lug.”

“…Ah, right, he’s here too.”

“Did you forget? He’s probably the strongest among us.”

“Honestly, he’s not someone I have much expectation for…”

Garnet clicked her tongue as if dumbfounded, then nodded. Honestly, considering what he’s shown so far, it’s not strange to think that way.

“I guarantee that at least someone at the level of Second would be needed to stop him in a one-on-one fight.”

She remembers the moment she was defeated by Lug not long ago.

After being hit by his attack, she found herself on a bed when she regained consciousness. She couldn’t block it or even respond.

The only thing Garnet remembers is that blue flame that penetrated all of her defense systems, like an illusion magic passing through a wall.

However, his weakness is also clear.

“But the problem is his physical frailty.”

“Because he’s weak.”

Simply put, he’s like a glass cannon. Even if that glass cannon has the penetrating power to pierce through anything, it’s a separate matter whether he can hit the target.

One mistake, and he might miss his attack and be counterattacked.

In that sense, Lug might be the most hidden dagger in the hero party.

“So don’t have unnecessary expectations of him. It’s better to keep him hidden until you can definitely bury an enemy or unless you’re facing someone stronger than Force.”

“Then honestly, there’s not much difference from how it’s been so far.”

“That’s right.”

Esmeralda immediately erased the image of Lug that had come to mind based on Garnet’s words.

Fortunately, it seemed there would be no change in her behavior pattern, then or now.

This was the result of Esmeralda’s distrust, not calculating Lug’s power as part of her comrades’ strength.

“And junior.”

“Do you have more to say?”

Esmeralda now listened attentively to Garnet’s words, her eyes shining.

Although she was an enemy in the past, in the hero party filled with all sorts of trash-like humans, she was currently the person Esmeralda could rely on the most.

How wonderful it is that information about the enemies is flowing so smoothly.

“Six might not be the only Legion Commander here.”

“What…?”

“That guy is both strong and meticulous. He might be inferior to Lieutenant General Lilith in strategy, but in tactics, that skeleton bastard is unmatched.”

Six is a lich. And one of the former human archmages.

The former Archmage of Cadaver Tower, Despair Undertaker.

Commonly known as the Mortician.

“By himself, he remains as Legion Commander Six, but if you include ‘that’ guy he made independent, the position of Force wouldn’t belong to that muscle-head who’s only strong, but to him.”

“What do you mean?”

“What do I mean? I’m saying he separated his strongest undead and placed it in the position of a Legion Commander.”

Garnet, seemingly trying to end her conversation with Esmeralda, took out a potato from a supply box she had set aside and began cleaning it.

After cleaning off the dirt from the potato, Garnet added as she baked it with her ability:

“9th Legion Commander Nine. That bastard is a Death Knight raised by Six.”

“…”

While Esmeralda remained silent, Garnet, who had baked the potato to a golden brown, took a big bite.

“Ah, delicious.”

She looked happy, oblivious to Esmeralda’s burning feelings.