Ch.69XX Tina (14)

XX Tina (14)

Esmeralda rubbed her wrist while examining the person before her.

The moment she handed over Lug, her body began to move again.

That alone was enough for Esmeralda to know who was behind this restraint. Though she had no idea what was happening…

‘Millia or Eirene would know.’

Esmeralda decided not to provoke unnecessarily.

She was already exhausted from fighting Haona. In such a state, there was no way she could win against an unidentified dragon race.

Moreover, this was someone capable of organizing and mobilizing a group of this scale.

There was no telling what they might do.

“May I take that as acceptance?”

“…I suppose so. It’s not like we could stop you even if we refused.”

“How wise. Especially those eyes. You understand my intentions.”

La•Pa seemed to know what Esmeralda was thinking by looking at her eyes. She knew that even if she sent a legion commander from here, it wouldn’t mean siding with the demon race.

“Now, go. While I’m being merciful.”

“…I don’t know who you are, but I appreciate the kindness.”

Haona bowed slightly to avoid offending La•Pa while keeping a close eye on her every move.

Haona also knew.

That she wasn’t being released out of simple goodwill.

Keeping in mind that dying here might be better in some circumstances, Haona distanced herself.

“Haha, how amusing. She seems to think I’m going to do something.”

However, La•Pa did nothing until the moment Haona left the ruins.

No…

“I’ve already done it.”

Everything had already ended.

Everyone, including Esmeralda, was overwhelmed by the sight.

“Well then, esteemed hero party. Let me introduce myself again. Pleased to meet you. I am La•Pa, the dean of the Eye of Truth.”

“…”

No one could smile at that cheerful greeting.

Everyone had just witnessed what she had done to resolve this situation.

“Ah, nice to meet you. Everyone seems quite tired. I’ll apologize on their behalf, La•Pa.”

“Indeed, Lug. How unfortunate.”

But Lug was different.

He appeared clueless, as if he hadn’t grasped the situation.

Esmeralda thought this was typical Lug and felt her tension ease.

Though she was tense in a different way.

“You two seem close, Lug.”

“Lug, who is that person?”

Eirene and Millia were reacting to the seemingly familiar relationship between Lug and La•Pa.

Lug shrugged and answered without understanding the situation.

“She’s a stranger to me?”

A lie.

Everyone except Tina could tell.

Lug was so bad at acting that it had come full circle to being incomprehensible, but La•Pa was blatantly showing that she knew him.

‘What the hell is this guy really up to?’

It was almost frightening at this point.

Like an onion, each layer revealed something new.

Yet Lug himself was frowning and staring at La•Pa’s skirt hem as if he wanted to peek at her underwear.

“Squawk!”

La•Pa naturally stepped on Lug’s face as she approached.

Her gait was so natural that Esmeralda didn’t sense anything unusual until La•Pa passed right by her.

“Hmm, you’ve been negatively influenced from outside. This wasn’t supposed to happen… I’m sorry, Tanha. Were you surprised?”

“…I told you my name is Tina, not Tanha!”

“Yes, yes, my daughter. I know you’re very angry. But please calm down. Do you think I would have fed you that if I wanted to make you like this?”

“You wouldn’t?”

“At least not now.”

“Wait, so you really did intend to turn me into some strange monster?!”

“Monster? How hurtful… I was planning to adopt you properly.”

“Who gave you the right?!”

Tina couldn’t help shouting at La•Pa for making such a major decision on her own. She seemed to have forgotten the overwhelming performance La•Pa had just shown.

That was strange.

Esmeralda felt a chill as she sensed everyone gradually forgetting about La•Pa’s dangerous nature.

“…”

As she turned around to keep her guard up against La•Pa, Esmeralda’s mind went blank for a moment when she saw La•Pa smiling at her.

‘Ugh?!’

This was bad. Her vigilance was fading.

Esmeralda clenched her fist tightly and glared at La•Pa, trying to maintain her slipping mental state.

Clap!

At that moment, La•Pa clapped her hands as if to break Esmeralda’s concentration, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Shall we talk outside? You must all be tired from being trapped in this dark, damp place. There’s an Eye of Truth branch nearby where you can rest.”

A feeling like fog settling in her mind.

Suddenly, everyone seemed to forget this bizarre situation and began expressing their fatigue to La•Pa with familiarity.

Esmeralda dug her nails into her thigh, resisting this strange sensation.

“No, we should…”

“You can shower too. Especially the hero, who’s soaked in sweat.”

“Oh…!”

“Don’t look this way! Lug!”

But even that focus was broken by a moment’s distraction.

Esmeralda finally noticed her shirt clinging to her body due to sweat, revealing her figure, and kicked Lug who was on the floor.

Lug felt wronged.

Honestly, he had been enjoying the view, but did she need to kick him?

“Let’s go quickly. And let’s cover Lug’s eyes on the way.”

“Let’s do that.”

And so the hero party followed La•Pa, seemingly having forgotten the important issue.

***

Just half a day ago, the hero party had thought they should be wary of the Eye of Truth, but now they were comfortably resting at one of its branches.

Most of the party members had showered immediately upon arrival and gone straight to bed, complaining of exhaustion.

The only ones still conscious were Tina, whose physical abilities had improved after becoming a dragon race and who had joined the fight with Haona late, and Lug, who had spent more time unconscious.

“Ah, Lady Tina, you’re here.”

“Yeah, I’m here.”

Lug, who had gone to the dining hall early to wait, nodded toward Tina who entered later.

She had become a dragon race.

Or more precisely, a dragon race hybrid.

She had just finished discussing this with La•Pa.

Since Esmeralda and the other party members had collapsed in exhaustion after showering, it fell to Lug to check on the aftermath.

For someone who had resolved to escape soon, Lug was working quite diligently.

“Are you alright?”

“Huh? Oh… this is temporary. I’m like this now because I’m overflowing with power, but I’ll be able to control it later. Don’t worry.”

“I see.”

Tina swished her tail, tapping Lug’s back.

“…Though I think it might be better if you showed a little concern.”

“Honestly, I like this side of you too, Lady Tina. Especially that somewhat seductive atmosphere.”

“Ugh…”

He liked how she had tried to seduce him. Lug spoke his mind without any intention of hiding it.

“Are you okay now?”

“Y-yes… I still feel some urges, but not as bad as before. I don’t know why, but maybe I was just overwhelmed the first time. If it happens again, you should probably stay away from me.”

Tina rambled somewhat despite Lug’s natural demeanor.

“You’ll be fine.”

“…”

For some reason, Tina felt herself relax at Lug’s confident tone.

It felt different from when she had expressed her desires earlier.

A certainty that everything would be alright. That’s what she felt from Lug.

Did he notice her gaze? Lug brought Tina’s portion of food and set it in front of her as he spoke.

“Nothing has really changed, has it?”

“Huh?”

Lug nodded with satisfaction as he prepared a combination that considered both health and taste.

True to his role as a porter, he took pride in transporting food ingredients.

“You’re still just Lady Tina, aren’t you? Whether you become a dragon race or unemployed, you’re still Lady Tina.”

“I’m not unemployed, you jerk.”

“Then that’s even better.”

“Better…”

Lug seemed completely fine with Tina’s transformation.

Not because he didn’t care.

Tina was secretly concerned about the changes that had happened to her.

Of course, how could anyone be unconcerned when their race had changed?

Many things would be different.

She would need to adapt to her changed self.

But somehow, she wasn’t afraid or worried.

Yes, that was probably because…

“Yeah, that’s right.”

She had someone who would support her through this adjustment period.

“I’m just Tina. The scholar of the hero party that you know, Tina.”

“Not a scholar but a thief… Ah, right. Lady Tina is a scholar.”

“Seriously, this guy really says whatever he wants.”

Tina clicked her tongue at Lug’s blatant slip-up.

But despite that, there was a happy smile on her face.

Tina the thief.

Tina the scholar.

Tina the dragon race.

All of these were her.

Yes, she was ultimately a proud member of the hero party…

Just Tina.

She didn’t need to be special.

She didn’t need to be extraordinary.

Her presence alone was enough to give her meaning.

“Ah, but maybe I have changed a little.”

Tina murmured as she looked at Lug gazing down at her.

“I might have become a bit greedier.”

Without her realizing it, her tail had wrapped around Lug’s waist.