Ch.43The Mage Millia (9)

Mage Millia (9)

The sight of fireballs falling from the sky and burning Millia’s tentacle monster looked almost like divine punishment.

Well, in reality, the falling fireball was a demon and the tentacle monster was magic cast by the hero party’s mage.

Anyway, to get to the point, the flames that fell from the sky didn’t seem to cause much damage on their own.

That makes sense.

It’s a physical form of magic of that size. It must have contained an absurd amount of mana, so it would be difficult to burn it completely with just that.

But the important thing is…

“Oh? This is interesting?”

None other than the being inside that flame.

The 5th Corps of the Demon King’s Army that I belonged to.

Five, the commander of that corps.

The beautiful curve of her snow-white bare legs visible through her red dress might put one’s mind at ease, but in reality, there’s no bigger bitch than her.

She’s kicked my ass for no reason more than ten times just passing by.

That damn woman.

I shouldn’t have been swayed by those legs and applied to the 5th Corps.

Well, even without that, the Magic Military Unit was biased toward the 5th Corps anyway.

“What impressive magic.”

Five was looking down at everyone with interest from atop Millia’s dried-up tentacles.

Her personality may be terrible, but her skills are real. How many people are there who can use both swords and magic well?

Yes, she is the magic spirit born from the corpse of a past hero.

Considering that our hero is a blockhead who can’t use magic, she’s quite remarkable.

“No, she’s on our side. This is crazy.”

Am I not thinking straight?

KWAAAANG!

Was it punishment for my fickle sense of belonging?

Just as I tried to come to my senses, a thunderous sound erupted behind me.

Followed by a delayed blast of hot air.

“KIEEEEEK!”

I had to writhe my limbs no less frantically than Millia’s summoned tentacle monster as I rolled across the snow.

“Our special Lieutenant Lug. You were here? Seeing your face, I remember now. Yes, that’s right. It was you.”

“…It’s Captain Lug.”

“Oh? You got promoted? Sorry, I wasn’t paying much attention.”

I quietly distanced myself.

If it were any other demon, I might not know, but I doubt Corps Commander Five came looking for me to rescue me.

Moreover, Commander Lilith asked what the next destination after Glacies Magic Tower would be. She probably doesn’t plan to carry out operations here.

If I had to choose who to trust, I’d choose Commander Lilith.

She’s not only beautiful but also has a kind heart.

“What brings you here?”

“Your tone is a bit disrespectful, isn’t it?”

“What business brings you all the way to this remote location?”

“That’s better.”

I am Lug the weakling. A demon who can be as servile as needed before the strong.

It’s because of this demeanor that I’ve been able to live without arousing particular suspicion within the Demon King’s Army.

“Well, let’s see… The hero party infiltration plan… was it? That one.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Well, it’s only natural.

If she came looking for me knowing I was here, it must be related to the plan.

It’s a bit unsettling that she seems to have approached through a different route than Commander Lilith, but…

“Who planned that?”

“…Excuse me?”

Who planned the hero party infiltration? Of course that would be…

“I believe it was Colonel Extra.”

“…Are you aware that you moved troops without upper-level approval for such a plan?”

“You should take that up with the Colonel. Did he not get approval?”

“…”

Corps Commander Five glares at me.

Does she think I’m lying? Unfortunately, I’m not lying.

Look at these bright eyes.

Aren’t they burning blue?

“Corps Commander, your eyes are full of wrath.”

“Haha! You caught me… The you I remember wasn’t this perceptive.”

“I don’t understand why you’re angry with me.”

“Is it convenient to blame the dead Colonel Extra?”

“Of course not. I’m still mourning the Colonel.”

“I hate people who play games.”

“How unfortunate. But the Colonel departed so artistically, perhaps you could forgive—”

“Planning to keep playing dumb?”

“I’m not playing dumb.”

Yes, I truly don’t know about this.

The hero party infiltration plan was really designed by Colonel Extra.

From the beginning, I accepted it thinking I could see what the human side was like.

Well, by now I’ve seen enough and would like to go see the Demon King.

From the start, I truly thought it had been approved by Corps Commander Five.

But now it seems that wasn’t the case.

“Hmm…?”

“…”

Fortunately, Five calmed her anger and began to think seriously.

Yes, she should think a bit, given her position as Corps Commander.

I carefully extinguished the blue flames in my eyes and decided to contemplate along with Corps Commander Five.

Colonel Extra.

Honestly, we didn’t interact much. But his final moments were impressive enough to remain in my memory.

What a truly loyal man.

A man who deliberately got himself killed by the hero for my sake.

I respect him.

Isn’t that enough?

“Well, whatever. If that’s not it, fine.”

“I’m glad the misunderstanding is cleared up.”

“…Is that what you thought I’d say?”

“That’s what you just said, isn’t it?”

You just said it.

“No, that’s not what I meant… Did you really think I’d believe just that and leave quietly?”

“I was hoping you might take me with you.”

“Ah… That does clear up my misunderstanding. You were an interrogator, right.”

I don’t know what element she used to make that judgment, but that’s exactly the outcome I wanted.

Why would I keep messing with my own memories?

Displaying ignorance while excluding intelligence is often more effective than any decent acting.

…That’s what was written in my diary. I must have written it down so I wouldn’t forget due to my own stupidity.

I actually had forgotten until recently. I only remembered because someone forcibly broke down the barriers I had set up.

Demon blood is truly frightening.

It turns people into idiots and fools.

Or maybe only the blood flowing in my body is idiotic and foolish.

“Yes, I don’t think someone as stupid as you could deceive my eyes.”

“That’s a bit harsh…”

WHACK!

Corps Commander Five’s kick lands squarely on my shin.

The pain felt like burning fire.

As expected of someone with fire attributes, this is why I hate this bitch.

“Still, it’s strange.”

“…If you’re thinking my shin is strange, you’re wrong. There’s nothing protruding there.”

“No, not that. I just don’t understand why Demon King Belphegor and that woman Lilith are so interested in an idiot like you.”

“Because Commander Lilith is kind?”

“So I’m not?”

“…”

No matter how stupid I am, I know this. This is something I shouldn’t answer.

WHACK!

“Ugh?!”

“Why don’t you realize that silence itself can be an answer?”

The scales in my heart are now tipping back toward the human side.

I never imagined they would tip for something like this.

“Well, never mind. I’ll find out when I take you back. You said you wanted to return, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. But there’s still a problem that needs to be resolved.”

“Do I, a corps commander, need to accommodate your circumstances?”

“That would be nice, wouldn’t it?”

“…”

Five’s gaze shifts to my shin. I retreated cautiously.

“…I’m starting to think Extra might have deliberately made such a plan to get rid of you, the interrogator.”

“That can’t be. The Colonel sacrificed himself to save me.”

“That’s just a figure of speech. So? What’s the problem that needs to be resolved?”

“Oh, well…”

Just as I was about to speak, I found myself at a loss for words.

I want to properly say goodbye to Millia.

As she said, these three years weren’t meaningless to me either. Well, where there’s a meeting, there’s a parting, right?

And if there’s a parting, there can be a reunion too. I was planning to leave some words like that to calm her down…

But should I really tell Five and ask for her understanding?

How does Corps Commander Five view the hero party?

Within the Demon King’s Army, the evaluation of the hero party is “not worth paying attention to.”

…At least until very recently.

But what about now?

Wouldn’t she think it’s better to kill them if given the chance?

“…On second thought, it’s not an urgent matter. I think it would be best to return quickly.”

If that’s the case, there’s no benefit in wasting time here.

Five’s avatar can’t separate too far from her main body, so it would be better to return to the unit and separate from the hero party.

“Oh, really?”

Five smiles as if pleased. Then she suddenly grabbed my neck in a swift motion.

The action was so quick I couldn’t respond.

“I was confused because you’re stupid. But you do read the situation, don’t you? Thanks to that, my doubts are finally cleared. I was wondering why I was still here.”

“Kuk…”

“You’ve grown attached to the hero party, haven’t you?”

In an instant, fire begins to engulf the area around me and Five.

“I find attachment quite frightening. When blinded by attachment, one can’t even consider the possibility of betrayal. That’s why I don’t keep people who get swept up in attachments in my corps.”

Despite her relaxed voice, her eyes are quite chilling.

Yes, it’s anger. She’s looking at me with the greatest anger she’s shown so far.

“Is there any reason I should keep someone like that alive? Especially you, who’s grown attached to the hero party, the enemy of the Demon King’s Army?”

I could see the killing intent she swallowed.

The fire demon that has devoured countless people stirs the line within me.

“Is that from personal experience?”

“…”

When I came to my senses, I was staring through Five.

My mind, unnaturally calm, had torn into Five’s heart.

Ah… this is going to be a disaster.

“…You, you were really pretending to be stupid? It was a perfect act.”

“Haha, that can’t be.”

“Bullshit.”

Because I’m terrible at acting.