Ch.76Chapter 3. Where There Is National Pride, There Is Dueoksini (3)

After Ymir extracted the demon’s seed from Ermina.

“I believe you. You are indeed the protagonist.”

I wanted to say this to Ymir.

‘You have powers that only a protagonist could possess, so Ymir must be the protagonist.’

“Purification” – the ability to remove the side effects of “rampage” and “demonization” from this power, which is given to only one person in this world and is the foundation of this world.

“Aaaah! I’m not a murderer!”

“Calm down! The Goblin wants you to become a murderer! Don’t fall for its deception!”

“Give up! I’m already becoming a demon!”

“Aaaah!!! No…! I don’t want to become a demon and kill people!!”

“Ugh…! There’s no choice! Everyone stand back! I’ll handle this!”

The protagonist has used this purification ability to subdue several heroines’ rampages and return them to human form.

“Hwanung’s Touch—!!”

“Ah, aah…. Thank you….”

“Hey, what is that power?”

“…It’s a technique that uses the power of mugwort and garlic to turn non-human beings into humans! That’s all you need to know!”

But that ability appeared around volume 3, so I never expected it to show up at this point, which could still be considered volume 1 story.

‘Still, I’m relieved.’

I had some expectations.

‘Even though she appeared as a woman, she’s not a bad person.’

If Ymir was the protagonist.

If Ymir had decided to at least let Ermina die as a human.

‘I’m truly glad she’s not the type of person who would kill or ignore heroines who become demons just because she changed from a man to a woman.’

While I was intercepting Dueoksini, Ymir wasn’t trying to kill Ermina as a demon but to return her to human form.

Fortunately, that thought proved correct.

[Hey, Platinum Sun. You’re trying to hide that ability, right?]

[…….]

[You had to use your power to purify Ermina, but you don’t want your ability to be revealed. Am I right?]

Ymir nodded heavily.

Now that I know Ymir has the purification ability, I can’t let this information spread carelessly.

This world is full of demons, many of them imprisoned, and if they learn that Ymir has the purification ability, this country will immediately turn Ymir into a “tool” for demon purification.

As an instrument to wield power.

[You go over there. Release your transformation and lie down as if you’ve fainted. I’ll take care of the rest.]

I pointed toward where the mana powder had been, and Ymir hesitated, shuffling her feet.

[Heroes will arrive within 30 seconds. There’s no time. Do you want your identity to be discovered?]

[Just one thing to say.]

Ymir reached out her hand to me.

[I’ll return the robe you lent me. Let’s meet again at midnight on the full moon night, at that place.]

[…Sure.]

Ymir extended her pinky finger to me, and I linked mine with hers, making the promise.

“…It’s a promise.”

Removing her mask, Ymir ran back and left.

[A promise, huh. Well, I need to escape from here to keep it.]

I fidgeted with the golden orb Ymir had left behind, containing the trapped demon’s seed, waiting for the heroes to arrive.

Only a few minutes left.

So.

‘What scenario would be best?’

First, Ymir passed out in the cave after being attacked together.

Then for Ermina…

[Oh?]

She’s still alive.

The Taeguk Watch’s vital signal was nearly gone, but she was definitely alive.

[You’re not dead?]

I thought she had died when the demon’s seed was torn from her womb, but she seems to be alive.

However, she’s barely alive in any meaningful sense.

[There’s no magical power emanating from her body.]

The human Ermina Sternfeld is alive.

But “Ability User Ermina Sternfeld” is dead.

The foundation of her ability has been completely absorbed into the golden orb I’m holding, which could be called the “Golden Cradle” for convenience.

Moreover, “Female Ermina Sternfeld” is also dead.

The area where the demon’s seed had settled was a cradle of life, where the seed took root to turn its host into a demon while simultaneously creating a new demon.

Once contaminated by a demon’s seed, her body can no longer bear human children.

Given this situation, a “scenario” is needed to protect both Platinum Sun and Ymir.

[Hmm.]

I’ve found the answer.

Among the numerous scenarios in my head, to prevent harm to Ymir and hide her incredible abilities, I need to draw attention to myself.

“Kh, urrrgh…!”

[Oh? Still alive?]

Before the heroes arrived, Dueoksini, with her mask half-destroyed, glared at me with red eyes, grinding her teeth.

“You…!”

She stared at me with blood-red eyes, and I pointed behind me.

[If you truly want to make that woman a patriotic hero, then disappear from here.]

“……!”

[Do you want to expose the identity of the Geumbu Dosa, the secret royal inspector, to the world?]

“!!”

Dueoksini stared at me with a confused face, and soon she—

“…You’ll pay for this!”

Leaving behind what sounded like a promise, she vanished toward the sea in a flash.

That’s fortunate.

With her feminine voice, there was no “Wait, a woman?” situation.

If she had been purely male, I wouldn’t have felt much burden about beating her for nearly 30 minutes while Ymir was targeting Naberius.

If she had been female, I might have felt a little sorry.

[Phew.]

Dueoksini left, and Ymir hid in the cave.

Now all that’s left is to wait for the heroes to arrive.

[Are they coming?]

I readjusted my magical power and transformed into the appearance of a goblin in a formal suit.

“Ah…!”

At the forefront of the approaching heroes was her.

A woman wearing a white coat-like outer garment, leaping down from the cliff while snow fluttered around her—Snow White glared at me while assessing the situation.

“Who…are you…?”

[You’re late, hero.]

Honestly, they weren’t late.

It’s been exactly 5 minutes since Dueoksini reported the villain.

[I’m sorry, but it’s all over. Demon Ermina is dead, and all that remains is the shell that was once a demon.]

Puwhaak———!!

I clenched my fist and crushed the demon’s cradle extracted from Ermina.

Kiiieek!!

The demon’s seed, crushed in my hand, screamed strangely as it burst, and I summoned goblin fire to burn all traces of the cradle remaining on my hand.

[The demon is dead. All that remains is to kill Ermina Sternfeld, ‘who tried to kill her comrade.’]

“…!!”

Snow White immediately reached out toward me, and I swung my goblin club horizontally and stepped back.

Jjeojjeok!

An ice wall suddenly shot up from below.

Seawater that had seeped under the ground rose high to form a wall, and its speed was much faster than it would have been on open plains.

[The terrain is not favorable.]

“Ermina Sternfeld is protected! Medical team, please…!”

[How absurd.]

I pointed toward the cave where Ymir would be “unconscious.”

[Just because someone has a high rank, you prioritize the perpetrator over the victim?]

“What did you say?”

[Inside there is Ermina Sternfeld’s partner. She was attacked by Ermina and is unconscious in there.]

“……!!”

Baek Seol-hee, who had been guarding Ermina, handed her over to another faculty member who had followed, then quickly ran into the sea cave.

I remained still.

I deliberately stayed put, waiting leisurely until the faculty members surrounded me in a circle.

[How shallow. A-rank and E-rank, both are just one person. Both are ability users. You only see the injured A-rank perpetrator in front of you, and the innocent victim attacked by that A-rank….]

“Paramedic!!”

Snow White’s scream echoed from inside the cave.

With a much more serious voice than before, Snow White called for a paramedic, and beside her—

[?]

There was Ymir, covered in blood and wounds.

Her clothes were tattered as if torn by a sonic boom, and exposed areas showed marks as if her skin had been abraded by a sonic boom.

The injuries looked even worse than when Ermina was stabbed in the back by Dueoksini.

But those wounds, to my eyes….

“Quickly, to the rear!!”

“Ah, yes!!”

Snow White escorted Ymir to another teacher, and the teachers who were about to leave with Ermina on a stretcher hesitated for a moment before finally loading Ymir into the ambulance first.

“You… what exactly did you see here?”

[What did I see? I saw justice disappearing. I saw the strong unilaterally harassing the weak. Just because the weak discovered the strong one’s secret.]

Although Ymir seems to have added an excessive setup, I glanced toward Ymir being carried away on a stretcher.

Snicker.

If I’m not mistaken.

Ymir, with blood all over her head, seemed to give me a knowing look.

[…Ermina Sternfeld. She was caught by that weak woman while taking the mana powder found inside. And she tried to kill her.]

The public scenario is perfect thanks to Ymir’s scenario.

[I simply killed a demon who tried to kill someone to hide her own shame.]