Ch.207Side Story 2. The Story After, Esmeralda (4)

# After the Story, Esmeralda (4)

Esmeralda may have some foolish aspects, but she’s not an idiot.

Yes, that means she doesn’t recklessly approach obvious dangers.

The mushrooms she gathered instead of berries are a case in point. She’s not stupid enough to casually put such suspicious mushrooms in her mouth just because she had no other choice.

So she’ll at least check first.

“Lug! Can these be eaten… W-what are you doing?!”

“I’m repairing the hut, just like we discussed.”

Lug was on the roof of the hut with his upper body exposed.

After dismantling the roof, he was working to ensure rain wouldn’t leak in, though his work was somewhat crude.

Since he had to work outside in the rain, it made sense to remove his clothes rather than get them wet.

Of course, he couldn’t strip completely, so he had only removed his top before climbing onto the roof.

Esmeralda’s shouting at such a natural sight revealed her ulterior motives.

“Y-yes. That’s what we said.”

Belatedly realizing this fact, Esmeralda felt her face burning despite the pouring rain.

She could tell how her face must look without needing to see it or have someone confirm it, so she decided to enter the hut first with her head bowed low.

“Ah, I think there’s a leak in this part.”

“I see. The finishing seems incomplete on this side.”

And so Esmeralda spent time helping Lug with his work from inside.

The time wasn’t short, allowing her to manage her flushed face.

By the time Lug had roughly finished making a new roof that wouldn’t leak and came inside with his wet body…

“I’m a bit late. Still, I’m glad I could finish before nightfall. Ah! What were you going to say earlier?”

“Ahem!”

Esmeralda, who had been stealing glances at Lug’s body, deliberately cleared her throat to hide her gaze as she spoke.

“I tried to gather food from the forest, but the berries were completely gone.”

“That’s terrible.”

“Instead…”

Esmeralda laid out the mushrooms she had brought in front of Lug.

Yes, Esmeralda has foolish aspects, but she’s not an idiot.

Acting solely on intuition and causing major problems is something that happens often when you’re part of a party.

To prevent such things, exchanging opinions with each other is essential.

And Esmeralda also knows that Lug is more capable in this area.

Having infiltrated the hero’s party as a porter, Lug had been handling all sorts of miscellaneous tasks.

“There were lots of these mushrooms.”

Esmeralda hesitantly explained the situation.

“Even if there were no berries, it’s remarkable in a different way that you only brought back mushrooms. Do you have a death wish?”

“…”

Esmeralda couldn’t raise her head. Once her attention had gone in that direction, she couldn’t look elsewhere.

Mushrooms here, mushrooms there.

With only mushrooms filling her vision, how could she have seen any other type of food?

“But, well… it’s fine. These mushrooms are edible.”

“I-I see.”

Esmeralda felt relief, though with an inexplicable sense of disappointment.

She had asked because it would be a disaster if they were poisonous, but fortunately, they were edible mushrooms.

“It brings back memories. I remember gathering and eating these mushrooms when field cooking supplies were short.”

“Your military life must have been tough.”

Esmeralda perked up her ears at this unfamiliar story. This was practically the first time Lug had spoken about his past, especially from when he was a demon.

“Rather than military life, the environment of the demon realm itself was like that.”

That was true.

The reason the Demon King prepared to invade in the first place was because the environment of the demon realm was so harsh.

Even the Demon King’s army, which received preferably treatment within the demon realm, was only by demon realm standards; compared to the human realm, even that army would be considered impoverished.

In that sense, these mushrooms were food that could be eaten even in the harsh environment of the demon realm.

“Indeed, this mushroom grows well even in harsh environments, so it was often seen in the demon realm too. It has a slightly spicy and tingling taste.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

Esmeralda nodded as she touched the mushroom with her finger.

It was a relief that they were edible.

Esmeralda had been worried about what if they were dangerous aphrodisiac mushrooms or something similar, so she could feel relieved.

At least, that’s what she thought.

“Then tonight’s dinner is decided. How do we eat these?”

“They’re usually put in soup or grilled as they are.”

“Simple is good. Soup is out of the question, so let’s grill them?”

“I’m perfect at controlling fire, so leave it to me.”

“Then I’ll get to taste Lug’s cooking after a long time.”

Esmeralda nodded with a broad smile.

Getting lost was desperate, but an opportunity like this to reminisce about the past was rather welcome.

Moreover, it was a private meeting with just the two of them.

Such experiences were rare. Not only because of everyone else’s vigilance, but also because the two of them had risen to such prominent positions that they couldn’t return to those days.

So Esmeralda decided to enjoy this moment.

Watching the crackling bonfire and the mushrooms being grilled over it.

Esmeralda reconfirmed her feelings and realized they were deepening.

‘Is it because there’s nothing else to do?’

With nothing to do, thoughts deepen, and as thoughts deepen, so does the heart.

“They’re done grilling.”

“They looked suspicious at first, but now they look quite appetizing.”

“Don’t they? Please try some. I don’t know if you’ll feel the same way now… but they were quite a delicacy to me.”

“Then I’ll try them out of respect for your sincerity.”

“More importantly, there’s nothing else edible anyway.”

“Haha, that’s true. Then I’ll gratefully eat them.”

“Yes, then I’ll also…”

And so Esmeralda was able to enjoy this moment.

***

The mushrooms Esmeralda gathered.

It seemed like it wouldn’t even lead to the slightest mishap, but…

Unfortunately, it didn’t end as such a peaceful story.

Of course, Lug’s words weren’t wrong.

The mushrooms Esmeralda gathered were indeed one of the fairly well-known food items in the demon realm, and they were the same mushrooms Lug had often eaten.

However, the important part here was that they were “fairly well-known food items in the demon realm.”

The environment of the demon realm is harsh.

Beyond simply not having rain or having rough terrain, it’s difficult for crops to grow because the land is contaminated with demonic energy.

Yet those mushrooms had taken root even in such a demon realm.

Which means…

“Mmm…”

The mushroom itself had adapted to the environment of the demon realm, that is, to demonic energy.

After all, Lug’s common sense was only common sense in the demon realm.

It’s different for ordinary humans, whose physical conditions differ from demons.

Therefore…

“Strange… this is…”

Only after eating the mushrooms.

Only before going to bed could Lug notice the anomaly.

His body was hot. His head was dizzy, and blood was rushing to his lower body.

He knew what this was.

No, he couldn’t not know.

The things La•Pa had done several times when trying to stop him in the past.

‘An aphrodisiac effect…?’

Lug only realized it then.

He was now an ordinary human.

Food that he had eaten normally as a demon could be poison to him now.

Come to think of it, it was strange.

For mushrooms to be spicy or have a tingling taste—that itself was a problem.

Especially the “tingling” sensation should have been a warning sign.

It was only because of his sturdy demon body that he could digest them.

“Haa… Haa…”

Lug crawled on the floor.

This was dangerous. If it was just an aphrodisiac effect, that would be fortunate, but if there were more serious problems, he needed to resolve these symptoms.

As Lug was trying to think of a solution through his dizziness…

“…”

Lug felt a gaze.

And then it occurred to him.

If he was in this state, what about the other person who ate the same mushrooms?

What about the hero, Esmeralda?

With that thought, and simultaneously detecting the gaze directed at him, Lug swallowed dryly while lifting his body to look in the direction of the gaze.

What was there…

“Lug… sir…”

Brilliant golden hair.

Eyes shining like emeralds.

Flushed cheeks and rough breathing, just like his own.

“…Hero.”

“No.”

Esmeralda firmly shook her head and said.

“You should call me Esmeralda.”

“…”

And with that, she pushed Lug down.

“You made me like this, so if you don’t take responsibility…”

Her long-suppressed dark desires.

Had grown so enormous that they overwhelmed even her fear and embarrassment.