Ch.144The Main Character (2)

# Main Character (2)

Faced with Esmeralda’s fierce demeanor, Lug backed away slowly while trying to appease her.

“N-no, it was just a joke.”

“Don’t make jokes like that. They’re not funny and only irritate me.”

“I’ll keep that in mind…”

Lug nodded repeatedly, yielding to Esmeralda’s intimidation.

Seeing this, Esmeralda finally nodded and turned around to lead the way again.

Lug followed behind her as they continued through the treacherous terrain of the demon realm.

The temperature had become so scorching that he could barely remember the previous night. The temperature difference was more severe than in most deserts.

And with such heat, fatigue was inevitable.

“Sigh…”

Esmeralda, who was leading the way, let out a deep sigh.

She desperately missed Eirene and Millia. Without Millia’s magic to block the sweltering heat or Eirene’s barrier to shield them from the magical energy in the air.

Because of this, Esmeralda couldn’t help but drip with sweat.

“Mr. Lug.”

“Yes, Hero?”

“What are you thinking about right now?”

“That the view is quite nice?”

“…At least you’re consistent.”

Lug had been staring at Esmeralda’s back, which had become somewhat transparent from sweat.

She could only sigh deeply at his blatant gaze.

And part of her hated herself for becoming accustomed to such situations.

“Mr. Lug.”

“Yes, Hero?”

“Please keep your eyes down before I take back the cloak I lent you.”

“Understood.”

The reason Lug could steal glances at Esmeralda’s skin was because she had lent him her cloak. Her cloak was a type of magical tool, and she had decided to lend it to Lug since he had a large wound on his back.

But at this moment, having to endure Lug’s gaze, Esmeralda seriously contemplated his life and death.

After consideration, she ultimately decided to forgive him and continue lending it to him, but she couldn’t help but repeatedly regret and loathe herself for liking someone like Lug.

“Mr. Lug.”

“I’m sorry, Hero. Even if you tell me not to look, how could I not? My eyes are drawn to you. It’s really unreasonable to ask someone not to look at someone as attractive as you.”

“Well, if that’s the case, I guess it can’t be help— No, that’s not it.”

Esmeralda momentarily felt pleased by Lug’s compliment but quickly returned to a composed attitude and stopped Lug who was following behind.

“It seems we have a visitor waiting for us.”

Esmeralda could see an elderly man standing in the middle of the path, blocking their way.

A commander of the Demon Lord’s army.

“Eleven…”

“I’ve been waiting for you. I knew you would come this way.”

A seeker who had one foot in the realm of transcendence had been waiting desperately for the two of them to climb to a higher level.

“But I see you’re alone. Shouldn’t dealing with me be your priority above all else?”

Esmeralda asked Eleven, who had a somewhat detached atmosphere about him.

Something felt strange.

“Indeed, you’re quite perceptive. Before setting out to track you, I was asked by Twelve to report the current situation to the Demon Lord’s army.”

“And yet you put the report aside and waited for me instead.”

“I suppose I became greedy.”

“Greedy?”

“The greed to climb higher than where I am now and see that scenery.”

“Hmm…”

A calm madness.

Like small ripples spreading across a water surface, behind that demeanor was hidden an intense aura.

“But it seems the one with you is too injured to fight… Will I be alright on my own?”

“That’s fine with me. In fact, if he would be a hindrance, he can leave first. Your companions are still being pursued, so shouldn’t you join them?”

“You’re quite kind.”

“I suppose the scenery I see has changed.”

“…”

This is tricky.

In that brief moment, the atmosphere he exuded changed again. Like a cloud, his presence seemed both illusory and naturally fitting.

Is this what it means to have taken half a step further into transcendence?

Perhaps even without Lug’s help, Eleven would soon fully step into the realm of transcendence.

“Mr. Lug, what do you want to do?”

“…I’ll go ahead. In my current state, I would only be a hindrance.”

“Good thinking. I don’t think I’ll have the luxury to look after you this time. Go ahead. I’ll keep an eye on you.”

“Then I’ll see you later.”

Lug bowed his head to Esmeralda and then walked straight toward where Eleven was standing.

Esmeralda readied her holy sword in case he attacked immediately, Eleven watched him from the corner of his eye, but Lug simply passed by calmly.

Even Eleven couldn’t help but be surprised by such boldness.

“Haha! I wanted to fight that one too, but it’s a shame!”

“Is that so? No need to regret it. I’ll make sure you have no reason to.”

“Well, I could always kill you and then go after him.”

Esmeralda pointed her holy sword at Eleven. This time would be different.

Because she is the Hero.

The person who carries the greatest karma in this world.

Someone who faces more dangers and trials than anyone else but can receive commensurate rewards.

That she is such a being.

“Let me prove it. Eleven, I will defeat you here.”

“Let me witness the specialness of the Hero!”

***

When Extra, who had lost consciousness from Force’s strike, opened his eyes.

He could see Garnet and the members of the Hero’s party looking down at him.

“Damn it…”

A sight that naturally drew a sigh.

It’s among the worst sights to wake up to in the morning.

“Did you just sigh at us?”

“…Of course not. I sighed at my miserable situation.”

In a sense, it wasn’t a lie.

Despite all his hardships, his homeland had been destroyed.

In such a situation, how could he not sigh?

Momentarily blinded by rage and going berserk, Extra had been forced to kneel before overwhelming power and regain his composure, and now he could only despair.

“I knew that bastard would do something like this someday.”

Extra knew in detail why Abadon had been destroyed.

Unlike others, he had sought information about what happened to Abadon from the beginning.

Through this, he learned.

That bastard Leviathan had betrayed them alone and was purged by the other side. He had expressed dissatisfaction in Abadon because of his usual image, and that’s what led to this disaster.

Isn’t it ridiculous?

Abadon was destroyed because of the power struggle between the previous Demon Lord and the current one.

“I went through all that hardship to prevent this… Damn, I can’t do anything right.”

Extra covered his eyes with his forearm and gritted his teeth.

Whether he was hiding tears or just suppressing his resentment.

One thing was certain: Extra hadn’t completely given up yet.

“So you’ll continue?”

“I have to. That’s how I’ve always lived. I, who was nothing, came this far! I was trying to escape that state!”

Extra lacks talent.

No, that’s not entirely true.

He was an officer of colonel rank, after all. But there was a limit to his efforts. He couldn’t overcome the wall of talent and couldn’t reach the rank of general.

Yet he jumped into the middle of battlefields where dragons and demons clashed to save his fellow soldiers.

He became a traitor by siding with the dragon race to save Abadon.

Knowing he wouldn’t fit in anywhere, he chose to become a half-dragon, half-demon monster and gained power.

And was the power he gained enough to overturn everything?

“I’ll continue to move forward, even if it’s slow. I must have revenge!”

Even with all that, he was still nothing. Even after embodying the power of dragons, he couldn’t fully surpass Esmeralda, could he?

His vessel is small. He lacks talent.

But he didn’t give up.

“I know. I know who to blame.”

The leader of Abadon, Leviathan?

He’s already dead.

Then the Demon Lord Belphegor?

No, he made the choice that any ruler would naturally make. Advancing with an enemy at your back is foolish, and Belphegor had to strike Abadon to protect his allies.

From the beginning, Belphegor didn’t even consider Abadon a threat.

He simply made a decision as a ruler.

As a former soldier of the Demon Lord’s army, Extra couldn’t help but understand that decision, even if he didn’t want to.

Then who is the problem?

Who should he blame?

The source of the incident is gone. The one who gave the order had no choice.

“This might sound ridiculous, but I cannot accept the existence of Commander Force.”

Despite it being an order, he would blame Force for killing everyone, regardless of age or gender.

He would hate the monster who brought down his hammer without a shred of doubt or hesitation.

“He wasn’t a soldier but a beast worse than an animal!”

Extra removed the forearm covering his eyes and shouted.

There were traces of tears he couldn’t hold back.

“Then get up, you idiot.”

Garnet frowned and shouted at Extra.

“If you have something you want to do, don’t just lie there sleeping, do it.”

“Yes! That’s what I intend to do! That’s what I was going to do from the start!”

“The Hero’s party will help you.”

Extra, who had stood up without Garnet’s help, raised his head.

He saw the members of the Hero’s party standing around him with reluctant expressions.

“For someone like me?”

“We’re already marked anyway. And if you want to ask about that, ask Esmeralda, not us. We’re doing this because she wanted to.”

“Where is the Hero?”

“Don’t know, she got separated. So now she’s being chased by Force… It seems we’ll have to confront him.”

They couldn’t completely shake off Commander Force and were now cornered.

Yes, a situation where they had to fight anyway.

Garnet was simply giving Extra, who would have wanted to fight the most, an opportunity.

“We’ll do our part. You do yours properly. Don’t be an idiot and get your head smashed in like last time.”

“Yes.”

Just as Extra reignited the dying flame within him.

The final battle between the Hero’s party without their Hero and Commander Force’s group was imminent.