Ch.41Chapter 41. Finally Face to Face

[Intermediate: Presence Concealment (Lv. 5)]

[Low: Today’s Fortune (Lv. 2)]

[Intermediate: Tiger Spirit! (Lv. 6)]

[Intermediate: The Unbearable Lightness of Being (Lv. 5)]

[Special: Presence Detection (Lv. Max)]

After parting ways with Lucy’s group, Lin immediately used several appropriate skill scrolls in succession.

Two skills to erase his presence and weight, one skill to boost his luck just in case, one strength enhancement, and finally the remaining special-grade detection skill.

The special-grade was precious, but it was far better than losing his life by being too stingy.

Alright, let’s begin searching for the Second Hero’s tomb.

It shouldn’t be too difficult since all he needed to do was look around while following the coastline.

Since it was an object that appeared according to probability, he had to leave it entirely to luck.

Lin moved his feet slowly but diligently.

The reason he didn’t use a speed enhancement skill was because he was worried he might pass by the tomb without noticing if he walked too quickly.

After walking for quite some time, the black-haired girl beside him sharply asked:

“Why do you keep following me?”

Let’s not misunderstand.

It was the girl who had been following him.

At some point, she had attached herself to Lin’s side and was walking alongside him as if escorting him.

“You can see me?”

“Is that supposed to be a question?”

Strange? Had the scroll expired?

Of course, skill scrolls didn’t have expiration dates.

“Pulse, breathing, body temperature—I can sense any living creature.”

Theoretically correct, but Lin had used skills to make those biological signals faint.

She detects surroundings through such things rather than aura?

As far as Lin knew, that wasn’t a characteristic of demon swords.

That was something vampires could do.

A chill ran down his spine.

Sensing that his judgment had been wrong, he tried to appear calm.

“Why are you alone?”

“Because I want to be.”

It was a true statement, but the kind of answer that made him want to argue.

“What about you? Why are you alone?”

“It’s only temporary.”

“Liar.”

The black-haired girl denied it firmly.

“You’re carrying everything by yourself without sharing anything important, wandering around alone.”

“…”

“Do you think that makes you look cool?”

“Not at all.”

“You just keep enduring, bottling everything up while not even being treated properly.”

“I can endure it.”

“Liar.”

Her second denial.

This one hit harder.

“The heart isn’t that strong. No matter how physically strong you are, it’s the heart that supports it. I’ve seen countless times how small irritations, disappointments, doubts—just the tiniest cracks—can lead to wrong actions and results.”

“You talk like you’ve lived a long time.”

“You don’t need to live long to see it.”

“What have you seen?”

“Would you understand if I told you?”

Though it sounded spiteful on the surface, there was concern hidden within.

“I’ll listen, at least.”

“As if you could.”

“I still want to hear it.”

“Hmph. It’s simple and straightforward.”

The girl stopped walking and gazed at the horizon.

“Whether with malice or goodwill, whether by choice or force, someone who keeps secrets accumulates misunderstandings, jealousy, envy, resentment, and hatred. Even if the target is someone they loved.”

Her voice was small and infinitely sad.

“In the end, he was betrayed by those he tried to protect, and when he finally cried out, no one listened, and that stupid man had his head cut off and died.”

“…Who was that man?”

“Someone.”

The girl started walking again.

“Do you think the burden you’re carrying is natural?”

“Since I’m a porter, it’s only natural.”

“How ridiculous.”

The girl was being spiteful again.

“You’ll have your head cut off and die soon too.”

Lin stopped in his tracks.

The black-haired girl immediately stopped as well.

“Why?”

“I thought you were being kind.”

“W-what?!”

“You’re worried about me, aren’t you?”

Her pale face turned bright red.

“W-who would worry about someone like you!”

The girl grabbed the hem of her skirt and shouted at the top of her lungs.

“A human with no strength doing things beyond your capability! And alone at that! Live like that forever! Struggle all by yourself until you die!”

“Well… I’m quite used to being alone.”

“What…!”

She approached him with disbelieving eyes.

Lin remained still since there was no hostility.

“Did this tell you to say that?”

Her small, delicate hand pressed against the left side of his chest.

“Did this unfeeling thing tell you to talk like that?!”

Lin felt sorry for the girl.

Why was she making such a pained expression?

He himself was fine.

“I’m a porter. A porter who carries the party’s burdens and moves forward.”

“You just need to move items. Nothing more is necessary.”

She spoke as if she knew everything.

But Lin didn’t bother to ask.

It felt refreshing to have someone concerned about his essence.

“A porter must carry all burdens.”

“All burdens?”

“Yes.”

“Then where are your burdens?”

The girl circled around Lin, examining him, but couldn’t find anything.

“I don’t see them? Ah! They’re trapped in here, aren’t they?”

She poked his chest again.

“Fine then! Since you said you can do it alone, go ahead and do it well until the end!”

“Thanks for the encouragement.”

“It’s not encouragement!”

The girl, dissatisfied with everything about Lin, snorted.

Though she tried to act cool, she soon showed her frustration by stomping her feet.

“Eek! I don’t care what happens to someone like you! I won’t even look at you!”

The girl’s body gradually crumbled like powder.

Not turning into smoke like an illusionist, but like flower petals carried away by the wind.

“Take care.”

“Oh, come on!”

After the girl disappeared, Lin was certain.

That was the Demon Dragon Warrior.

And he felt dismayed.

“Then where on earth is the demon sword…?”

There was no time to waste.

Lin hurriedly followed the coastline.

But there was no sign of anything resembling a tomb.

Eventually, he ran and ran, but he simply couldn’t find the Second Hero’s tomb.

“Haa… haa…”

The sun had set.

The sky was tinged with sunset colors.

Lin had walked so far that he had reached the dock.

With his breath coming up to his throat, he bent over to catch his breath.

Unable to wipe his sweat because of the mask, he struggled to raise his head, and then,

“It’s right there! A demon!”

Arsil was pointing at him.

Huh… what?

Did they arrive already?

“You bastard!”

At that identification, Gendry roared and drew his sword, charging at Lin.

Ah, since yesterday, really,

Nothing is going according to plan.

The sword approaches right up to his nose.

And then,

“Get out of the way, you damn bastard-!!!!!”

A red-gold light exploded, filling his entire field of vision.

—

“Something’s strange.”

As the ship approached the dock, Arsil frowned.

“What do you mean?”

“I can feel demonic energy throughout the entire island.”

When Arsil answered Naidrian’s question, the entire hero party stood up.

Rainford raised his shield and climbed to the bow, and the mage narrowed her eyes, staring at the island.

When boarding the ship at the port town, they had certainly expected demons to be in the archipelago, but they hadn’t expected them to be so openly established.

“Once the ship docks, everyone prepare for battle before disembarking.”

Tch, who are you to give orders?

Though she felt unnecessary defiance, Arsil put on her dragon scale gloves without complaint.

When the ship fully entered the dock, the hero party jumped onto the pier without waiting.

The few people there backed away in surprise at the sight of them fully armed.

“You armed humans! Don’t move!”

Having heard that a ship was arriving as evening approached, Gendry, befitting his role as the successor to the guard captain, was waiting with his soldiers.

When the hero party disembarked from what was not a simple supply ship, he immediately conducted an inspection.

“Drop your weapons if you don’t intend to fight us!”

“You idiot! How can we drop our weapons when demonic energy is everywhere! Are you telling us to die at the hands of demons?!”

When the quick-tempered Arsil retorted harshly, Gendry hesitated.

Raising his hand to stop the guards, he calmed his trembling heart.

“What are you talking about! Demonic energy?”

“Damn it, can’t anyone feel this foul energy?”

Even for a trained warrior, demonic energy feels eerie or chilling.

Only those associated with holiness—the saint, heroes, and priests—could properly distinguish it.

Even heroes had difficulty identifying it accurately without a holy sword.

“We are the imperial hero party! This is a certificate with the Emperor’s seal!”

When Rainford held up the parchment, the imperial seal shone.

Recognizing it as a genuine hero party certificate, Gendry wanted to collapse on the spot.

They had finally come.

Those who would save this island.

And it was the hero party!

“Please help us!”

“Deputy Captain?!”

“What are you doing, sir?”

The guards were shocked by his sudden plea and tried to stop him.

Even if they were the hero party, their pride wouldn’t allow them to kneel before outsiders.

But Gendry didn’t care and banged his head on the ground.

“For days now, a demon has appeared and hypnotized the island, doing as it pleases. Everyone except me has been hypnotized and doesn’t feel anything strange!”

“Deputy Captain, what are you saying?!”

“Deputy Captain!”

“Please raise your head. I am Rainford, the shield knight of the hero party. If you tell us the details, we will do our best to defeat that demon and save the Zramun Archipelago.”

“Oh, Sir Rainford, whom I’ve only heard about in rumors!”

When the shield knight helped Gendry to his feet, the moved deputy captain’s eyes welled up with tears.

Rainford smiled kindly and asked him for guidance.

“Now, shall we go inside and talk?”

“No, that won’t be necessary.”

“Why, Arsil?”

“It’s right there! A demon.”

The person Arsil pointed to was Lin, who had just straightened up after catching his breath.

It was a misjudgment that came from not knowing that Lin’s arms had been corrupted by the Demon King’s demonic energy.

“That one…!”

Gendry’s eyes widened as he recognized Lin’s mask.

No wonder the demon sword was circling around him!

“You bastard!”

At his mental limit, Gendry drew his sword and charged without further observation.

Just as he closed the distance in an instant and swung his sword at Lin’s neck,

“Get out of the way, you damn bastard-!!!!!”

Lucy flew in, exploding with red-gold magical power.

For some reason, she had thrown off the mask she had been wearing for her porter part-time job.

The red sword deflected Gendry’s blade just in time.

SWAAASH-!

But immediately after came Naidrian’s arrows raining down.

All aimed at Lin.

“Uwaaaaah!”

She twisted her entire body and deflected them all with her sword.

Thank goodness, she protected Lin…

“Hey.”

“…?!”

“Is a demon that precious to you?”

Arsil, who had rushed in at the same speed as the arrows, exploited Lucy’s opening and threw a punch.

Directly at Lin.

THWACK!

“Kuhak!”

Call it divine fortune.

Perhaps thanks to the luck-boosting skill scroll he had used earlier, Lin moved slightly to the side in the confusion and avoided a direct hit to his vital point.

But he had still been struck, so Lin coughed up blood and fell backward.

“Hello, Lucy. Long time no see.”

Arsil taunted as she dusted off her hands.

“I didn’t want to reunite like this.”

Regardless, Lucy’s gaze remained fixed on Lin.

“Aah…!”

She knelt before him.

She checked his chest rising and falling slightly.

And the blood trickling down his chin.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

A blood-curdling scream shook both heaven and earth.

“Kuk?! When I wasn’t looking, you’ve gone completely mad…!”

“Arsil, get back!”

At Naidrian’s shout, the saint hurriedly bent backward.

The red sword swept through where her neck had been.

“Hero! Have you fallen?!”

The enraged Arsil demanded, but it didn’t reach Lucy’s ears at all.

When she raised her head, which had been bowed motionlessly, everyone present froze.

Hot, sticky tears of blood were flowing down the hero’s face.

“Not a single one of you…”

Red-gold magical power surged.

“Should think about returning alive.”

Furthermore,

“Don’t even think about begging for your lives.”

Anyone who harmed him, anyone who tried to harm him, all of them, every last one!

“I’ll tear you to pieces with my own hands!”

Lucy’s magical power was no longer red-gold.

It had turned blood-red.

[Estel Style Secret Technique]

“Cleaving Slash-!!!!”

The blood-red sword energy split the sailing ship at the dock in two.