Ch.32The Five Desires and Seven Emotions (3)

# The Seven Deadly Sins (3)

‘Hehehe.’

In the end, Esmeralda must have been unable to resist the temptation of the book.

Eirene opened her eyes slowly, confident that her plan was working like clockwork.

“Uh… t-this…”

When she opened her eyes, she saw Esmeralda, face flushed red, deeply engrossed in reading the book, just as expected.

Eirene grinned and crawled toward Esmeralda.

She was so focused that she didn’t even notice Eirene approaching.

“…”

As Eirene reached Esmeralda, just as she was about to extend her hand to surprise her…

‘Wait, she’s this focused? What kind of content is it exactly?’

Even though Eirene’s hand was close to Esmeralda’s face, she couldn’t take her eyes off the book.

Considering a hero’s senses, it wouldn’t have been strange if she’d been caught long ago.

“…”

Eirene continued crawling closer and this time quietly peeked from beside Esmeralda.

And then some time passed.

“Ah! H-how could, h-heavenly god… This is blasphemy. This is blasphemous. How could such blasphemous…”

“They do that there…? Ah, no, is this even possible…?”

And so, the two finished reading the book.

***

Lug was still driving the carriage, looking up at the warm sunlight.

And the two people sitting in the cargo area of the carriage were silent.

Both Esmeralda, who had said she wouldn’t fall for Eirene’s scheme,

And Eirene, who had been planning to tease Esmeralda.

Neither could say a word to the other.

It was uncomfortable to look at each other’s faces.

‘Lug… you were really restraining yourself in what you imagined about me.’

Esmeralda understood Lug.

Of course, that didn’t mean she would accept his sexual harassment.

‘Ah, t-that… How could that… What should I…’

And Eirene was troubled.

This book was a gift from Millia to Lug. That means the two of them exchange such books.

Eirene needed to raise her guard against Millia.

The woman she thought was immature, stupid, and socially awkward was actually in the most dangerous position.

‘That lewd woman with only big breasts…’

When everything ends and she gets her hands on Lug, that woman will be in the way.

But Millia is stronger than Eirene. Unlike her, a priestess, Millia is essentially a strategic weapon specialized in firepower.

She can’t win with strength.

And in terms of influence and power, it’s difficult to see the current Heavenly God Order surpassing the Magic Tower.

Yes, she’s at a disadvantage.

“…Hero.”

Then what should she do?

How can she gain an advantage over that woman whose lewdness extends from her head to her chest?

Honestly, she thinks she’s better-looking. Her chest might be a bit smaller, but it’s not small by any means.

She may be behind in power and strength, but her manners and personality are perfect.

Then what remains is one thing.

“…Would you like to try this?”

Knowledge of how to seduce a man.

“Eirene, what are you saying? Have you finally gone mad? No, I knew you were crazy, but…”

“Hero, you have an obligation to cooperate for the sake of our contractual relationship.”

“I never made a contract with you…”

“I promised to give you Lug.”

“I said I’d think about it.”

“So you don’t want to?”

“No.”

“Then I have no choice.”

Eirene nodded. It wasn’t that she accepted and gave up.

It just meant she would proceed anyway.

Light began to gather around Eirene. She created long, flexible strings by giving physical force to her divine power.

Despite being made of divine power, these unpleasantly writhing strings instantly bound the limbs of Esmeralda, who had been watching Eirene with a contemptuous expression.

Esmeralda, who had been curious about what Eirene was trying to do, finally looked toward the book that she had sealed away in a corner as if it were banned.

And she understood.

What Eirene was trying to experiment on her.

“Uh… if you want to do that, you should do it to yourself, not me…”

“To maintain mental strength, I need to remain in a calm state.”

“Hiik?!”

The writhing tentacles began to caress Esmeralda’s body.

It didn’t feel good. It was just creepy and unpleasant.

But considering that the female knight in the book had also made such monologues at first, it was obvious what would happen if this continued.

“Don’t be ridiculous…”

Esmeralda snorted.

She was someone who had always overcome trials. A hero.

“If you’re that curious, you should test it on your own body, you know?”

In an instant, she mimicked Eirene’s actions with mana and bound Eirene’s limbs in the same way.

“My, Hero. Let me go.”

“You should let go first.”

The two looked at each other with bright smiles.

But even so, neither released the tentacles binding each other’s limbs and writhing over their bodies.

“Let go.”

“You first.”

A childish battle of pride.

If anything, they were only more intensely toying with each other’s bodies.

“You… ugh, started it… eek?! first!”

“I… hiik?! at least didn’t try to do… ugh! such lewd things as you… haah!”

The two were surprisingly focused on toying with each other.

They didn’t even think about removing the tentacles wrapped around their own bodies.

Just listening to their words, it seemed like they were fighting by pulling each other’s hair, but in reality, they were just engaging in obscene and vulgar actions.

Yes, it was attack rather than defense.

Gradually, both of their breathing became rough and their faces turned red.

Between their words, saliva flowed out shamelessly, and moans began to fill the carriage.

It was a sensation too novel for the purest saintess in the world and a hero who had lived her life only working.

The two had tears in their eyes but wouldn’t back down.

If they focused on removing the tentacles here, wouldn’t they look weak?

What exactly would look weak was a matter only the two of them knew, but they were serious about it.

“Haa… haa…”

“Ugh, huugh…”

And finally, when they could barely speak to each other…

Bang!

With a loud noise, the carriage hit a tree and stopped.

“Ah, oh no.”

Only then did the two discover Lug, who was staring at them with wide eyes.

“Please don’t mind me and continue.”

[Note: I am preserving this moment with a recording spell.]

***

“Ah, did you sleep well last night, Hero?”

“Ah, yes…”

Esmeralda bowed her head when she encountered Lug coming down from the second floor of the inn.

Today, too, Lug hadn’t run away.

Well, even if he had tried, he would have only suffered from hitting Eirene’s barrier, but the fact that he was fine meant he hadn’t even tried.

Esmeralda tilted her head at the recent changes she saw in Lug.

[Note: I am continuing deep contemplation on the principles of all things, life and death, and the essence of humans and demons.]

Yes, that’s it.

What on earth had happened?

He looked as if he had become an enlightened sage.

After the obscene war with Eirene, whenever he slept alone at the inn, he would appear like this the next day.

Well, even that wouldn’t last more than three hours, but it was strange.

Unfortunately, Esmeralda had only learned about sexual knowledge from books, so she couldn’t guess the reason.

‘Well, it’s much better than having lewd thoughts. I wish he would continue to show this kind of behavior.’

Truly unfortunately, Esmeralda couldn’t know that she was already subjected to all kinds of sexual harassment in Lug’s mind.

If she knew that fact, how would she have acted?

Well, whatever she did, the sexual harassment toward her would be endless.

It was a relief that the gaze had been halved as much as Eirene was there.

‘Indeed, this guy has changed.’

More precisely, his sexual desire had increased.

And his intelligence had decreased.

If there was anything she could guess, it was only Lug’s unidentified characteristic.

She only regretted that she had fainted without seeing the end of that power that day.

‘Honestly, it doesn’t seem related.’

The image of Lug rising even in a critically wounded state had a somewhat transcendent atmosphere.

-Lug is the Heavenly God. Yes. Right now, he’s confused in his memories because of the dirty demon blood…

Eirene’s nonsense flashed through her mind.

At the time, she thought Eirene had completely broken down, but now she had her doubts too.

Of course, she didn’t think Lug was a heavenly god either. She thought he might be a being with a special bloodline, similar to that.

‘…An illegitimate child of the Demon King?’

Honestly, she couldn’t deny that it was the most plausible assumption.

A mid-level commander tried to rescue him, and a corps commander came personally to behead him.

She was about to reach the same conclusion as some advisor somewhere.

‘But, the part about being a half-blood bothers me.’

But she was different.

She was a bit smarter than Lilith.

Of course, if they were to compete in strategy, Esmeralda would likely lead her army straight to defeat.

They just had different roles they were good at.

‘If I consulted with Eirene… Ah, that crazy woman was claiming he’s a heavenly god. Right.’

No conclusion could be reached.

Esmeralda eventually had to stop thinking, leaving the question unanswered.

“Ah, good morning everyone.”

“Eirene. Did you sleep well last night?”

“Of course. Someone locked the door from the outside so I could really sleep soundly.”

“I’m glad. I tried hard to make sure the hammer sounds weren’t heard.”

Esmeralda had been working hard to prevent Lug from escaping.

This party must be maintained. That’s why she tried her best to stop him.

But as a result of those efforts, another person was trying to escape.

And she was trying to escape by kidnapping the one who had tried to escape earlier.

What the hell is going on? Just when she thought she had solved one problem, it came back as a bigger one.

Actually, she knew the reason.

It was probably because she judged that kidnapping a heavenly god (self-proclaimed) and running away was better than catching the Demon King.

Esmeralda was having a hard time because of Eirene, who had completely lost her mind.

‘Moreover, unlike Lug, this woman is smart.’

She couldn’t let her guard down.

Even now, seeing her smiling brightly was unsettling.

Eirene must not be allowed to escape with Lug.

If that happens, not only would their strength be weakened, but Millia would go berserk.

That’s why Esmeralda decided to go find Millia herself, when normally she would have waited for her.

‘I need to maintain balance.’

Two people who have feelings for Lug.

She needs to counter them.

It would be better if Lug struggled to choose between the two.

Of course, she would have to interfere so that he couldn’t choose either.

‘Wow, so much to do! This is great! I won’t be bored!’

For Esmeralda, who had thought the carriage journey was boring until just recently, the thought of having to walk a tightrope of death from now on couldn’t be more welcome.

She secretly burned with fighting spirit, as if she wanted to behead the Demon King right now.

“Ah, Saintess. Please wear this. Hero, please take this too.”

While Esmeralda was grimacing alone thinking about the future, Lug handed fur clothes to the two.

The Glacies Magic Tower was chilly due to the nature of its research field.

Even in hot summer weather, the area around the Glacies Magic Tower was always cool.

Of course, it was even more severe in winter.

“Ah, thank you, Lug.”

Now that autumn had arrived, the weather was no different from winter in other regions.

If he had considered and prepared for that, it showed considerable preparedness.

And good consideration too.

‘Well, he passes as a porter.’

Despite everything, Lug never does his work halfheartedly.

It would be nice if he took better care of his own life.

That’s why Esmeralda thinks Lug is pathetic.

If he had acted as well as his usual attentiveness, if he had done less nonsense.

How good would it have been for both of them?

“Ah, I ordered breakfast earlier, so it should be coming out soon. Since it’s morning, I asked for simple warm soup.”

“Ooh…”

Esmeralda was impressed by Lug’s thorough preparation.

Until now, she had thought of him as a demon spy and a mental health supplement for party members, so such consideration felt newly different.

The fact that she only realized this now was probably because of Eirene, who was looking at Lug with honey-dripping eyes, moved by him even now.

‘No, it’s not honey dripping, she’s casting brainwashing.’

She thought her eyes were unusually sparkling, but she was casting brainwashing.

Esmeralda slipped between the two to interfere. That was enough.

And so, Esmeralda’s nerve-wracking daily life began again today.

But…

“Lug.”

“Yes, Hero.”

“Isn’t this… a bit much?”

“Is it? Isn’t this normal?”

“No.”

Esmeralda was shocked by the amount of food filling the inn’s table.

It’s a lot. No matter how you look at it, it’s a lot.

Considering the usual amount they eat, it’s enough to make one wonder if Lug is making some kind of protest.

But judging by Lug’s expression and surface psychology, there was no such indication.

He truly and purely thought they could eat this much.

“Let’s eat for now. If it’s not enough, we can order more.”

“Ah, yes…”

It won’t be insufficient, though?

Esmeralda sat at the table at Lug’s urging, without time to think.

She exchanged glances with Eirene, who also sat at the table, but it was hard to understand what was going on.

“Thank you for the meal.”

And so the meal began.

Lug ate all the food that Esmeralda and Eirene thought was too much.

It looked as if he was obsessed with eating.

***

After the meal.

They decided to head to the Glacies Magic Tower again after taking a short rest.

Of course, they could leave right away.

But basically, since Lug is the porter, the two can only leave after he finishes preparations.

Yes, that means now is the perfect time for the two to legally conspire.

“What do you think?”

“He was cute.”

“You crazy woman, not that. Don’t you think it’s clearly strange?”

“Yes, it is.”

Esmeralda glared at Eirene, who was spouting nonsense again, and asked in a serious tone.

“Honestly, just from that, I can’t tell what the problem is. I can’t just blast him with divine power saying I’ll heal him, can I?”

“Why not? Isn’t he a heavenly god?”

“The current Heavenly God is weakened by the poison of insects.”

“…So that’s the setting.”

“It’s not a setting, it’s real.”

Esmeralda read something like madness in Eirene’s eyes and nodded obediently.

There’s no point in arguing about this topic. It would only provoke her unnecessarily.

“What about you, Hero? Do you have any guesses?”

“Guesses… Actually, I do have one.”

Esmeralda confided in Eirene about Lug’s condition.

About his unidentified characteristic and how even if they combined their strength now, they wouldn’t be able to easily subdue Lug.

Listening to this, Eirene asked with a hardened expression.

“Was there nothing else unusual?”

“…”

“So there was?”

Esmeralda wondered if she should mention this.

Honestly, isn’t it private?

Of course, it’s also funny that Esmeralda, who can see such private matters without filtering, would say such a thing.

She sees it because she has no choice.

“No matter what I hear, I won’t despise Lug, so why don’t you just tell me?”

“…His sexual desire seems to have increased.”

“Oh my.”

Despite her earlier promise, Eirene grinned, and Esmeralda felt sorry for Lug.

“Hmm, I see. Lust and gluttony… Then perhaps?”

Eirene approached Lug, who was preparing the carriage, as if she had recalled something.

“May I check the luggage?”

“Ah, that’s fine.”

With Lug’s permission, Eirene circled around him, examining carefully.

She’s showing off.

“Hmm, no problem. May I check the other luggage as well?”

“Ah, yes.”

“Then excuse me.”

While Esmeralda watched this show-off behavior with half-closed eyes,

Eirene soon crawled onto the carriage and searched around.

“Hero.”

And not long after, Eirene beckoned to Esmeralda.

So Esmeralda also lightly jumped onto the luggage carriage.

Eirene opened one of the many luggage boxes and showed its contents to Esmeralda, saying:

“What do you think?”

“It seems to have increased.”

“These are things Lug has been replenishing little by little whenever we visit a village.”

“I didn’t notice because I wasn’t paying attention, but now that I see it…”

Isn’t this a bit much?

Esmeralda looked at Eirene without finishing her sentence.

In response, Eirene said with a more serious expression than usual:

“Hero, do you know about the Five Desires and Seven Emotions?”