Ch.7The Reason He Is Needed (5)

The Reason He’s Needed (5)

It was the moment I carefully tucked away in my chest the gift imbued with nightly sustaining grace that Millia had given me.

“What’s that? What’s that? What are you hiding just now? Why are you looking around so suspiciously?”

Tina appears at my side with a mischievous expression, trying to play a prank.

While I try to stop this thieving girl from reaching into my chest pocket,

she grins and says:

“Could it be an erotic book? Pfft, well, I guess that can’t be helped.”

Correct answer.

She’s still got good intuition, this thieving girl.

Like a criminal confessing to a crime, I take the book from my chest and hold it up in front of Tina’s eyes.

“……”

Her face instantly turns red and her smile disappears.

“Ah, umm… Y-yes. It really is that… W-well, that happens, right?”

Though she usually has an arrogant attitude, she actually has no immunity when it comes to this area.

The Saintess, Eirene, may seem innocent but she seems to know everything, and Millia must have abundant knowledge since she gives books like this as gifts.

“Ahaha, what was I thinking? I thought maybe you were a spy hiding some magical communication device for secret transmissions. Ahahahaha.”

That’s also the correct answer.

How on earth can she pinpoint only the essential things?

I do have a magical device connected to the Demon Lord’s army in my chest. It’s something made by the magic guild that even Millia hasn’t detected… She’s really something.

Of course, I’m not confessing this time.

It’s not something to laugh off.

“Uh, well. Yeah. I need to clean up around here. Geez, why is there so much garbage in the base camp?”

Tina awkwardly makes excuses and walks away. Then she starts cleaning up the garbage (the corpses of dead demon soldiers) in the base camp.

For some reason, tears started flowing.

***

Fortress City Senova.

The frontline city that exists between the demon realm and the human world. This was the hero party’s current destination.

So why would the hero party, which aims for quality over quantity, visit a fortress city teeming with soldiers?

It was to deliver strategic supplies to the fortress city.

Being on the border with the demon realm, ordinary supply units would likely be attacked before reaching their destination, so the plan was to ensure secure delivery with the elite hero party.

“Huff… Huff…”

And when it comes to supplies, what else?

It’s none other than the role of me, Lug, who serves as the hero party’s porter.

Just for today, I’m not carrying the hero party’s luggage but being the luggage carrier’s luggage.

The wording sounds strange but… whatever. I have no complaints about my name.

How could I be dissatisfied with the name I gave myself when I came into this world?

Even though I’m a Mage, which is considered an intellectual profession in the Demon Lord’s army, once you start as the lowest member of a hero party, you have no choice but to do physical labor.

“Mr. Lug, you’re working so hard. If it’s too difficult, I can take over later.”

“…It’s fine.”

Esmeralda said such kind words, but I don’t believe her.

She just says that but has never actually taken over even once.

In fact, when it’s time to switch, she just declares a break.

What a bitch.

Yes, I don’t want to make a lovely young girl pull a cart either.

Moreover, isn’t this how I earn my keep, being of so little use that I should be called luggage rather than a porter? Though they call it strategic supplies, it somehow ended up being just one cart’s worth.

The horses that were supposed to pull this cart were all slaughtered in a previous attack.

Originally, I would have been luxuriously driving the cart, but what can I do?

My fate was screwed the moment I infiltrated the hero party.

“Ah, damn those demon bastards. I’m really pissed off. Really pissed.”

Usually it would be an act, but today I was sincere.

If it weren’t for these bastards’ attacks, the horses wouldn’t have died. Anyway, those who just swing swords on the battlefield all lack common sense.

“Ahaha, I’m sorry. If we had been a little more careful, this wouldn’t have happened…”

Hero, that includes you, so I won’t forgive you even if you laugh innocently like that.

Why are you fighting over there and causing a commotion? Do you have some grudge against me? You won’t let me retire after all this, so you’re quite a terrible boss.

Hero, I curse you!

“Wow, but your strength has increased a lot since the beginning? Lug, you look cool!”

“…I-is that so?”

Tina says while looking at my forearm with half-closed eyes.

It’s sexual harassment, but I’ll let it slide. I think so too. Day by day, I was developing a more robust physique.

Wasn’t I a specialist soldier when I joined the Demon Lord’s army? I didn’t do physical labor except for minimal training.

I must have become stronger than before by filling that gap in the hero party.

It’s natural when you’re constantly running away from dragons that attack the hero party.

“At first, you were so weak that I thought you might be a mage. Would it have been more convenient for us if you were?”

“……”

Tina, hitting the mark again today without fail. My heart aches at her casual remark.

It’s extraordinary that such a thought would occur to her when I was disguised as a villager.

Indeed, the self-proclaimed archaeologist thief girl might be the most dangerous in the hero party after the hero herself.

***

The hero, Esmeralda, cheered on Lug as he pulled the cart with his bare hands, sweating profusely.

Just by tormenting this demon spy like this, Esmeralda could gain the vigor to live on.

‘You’re working hard today too. Yes, if you want to live, you have to make an effort…’

Pleasure.

Unable to suppress the twitching at the corners of her mouth, Esmeralda broke into a smile.

Since it was just a hint of self-interest mixed into a smile of encouragement, no one could notice.

“Hehe.”

The hero’s somewhat twisted nature.

But no one would blame her for it.

After all, she’s playing the role of a pure and stupid country girl.

“Wow, but your strength has increased a lot since the beginning? Lug, you look cool!”

There was someone who joined in on Esmeralda’s joke. Esmeralda looked at Tina, who had suddenly appeared next to Lug and was sitting on the cart.

Although adding her weight wouldn’t make a noticeable difference to the cart, Esmeralda didn’t miss how Lug’s expression soured for a moment.

“At first, you were so weak that I thought you might be a mage. Would it have been more convenient for us if you were?”

And as always, her intuitive remarks. Even Esmeralda’s heart sometimes sank at those jokes.

‘She’s really amazing.’

[Name: Tina]

[Race: Human] [Title: Archaeologist]

[Trait List]

Dagger Technique Lv. 62

Search Lv. 22

Detection Lv. 42

Trap Disarmament Lv. 34

[Comprehensive Estimate Lv. 312]

[Note: She’s in a good mood imagining the city they’ll soon arrive at.]

The only conscience in the hero party.

A girl true to herself.

Until Lug came, Tina was practically Esmeralda’s only refuge.

Isn’t she an angel compared to those who see people as test subjects or materials?

Of course, Tina has her issues too. The problem is her intuition that I mentioned earlier.

-Eirene is a Saintess, right? So does she like, incite and brainwash people?

Her intuition was so good that she couldn’t distinguish between what should and shouldn’t be said.

She might have meant it as a joke, but to others, it could sound like provocation.

-…I-incitement and brainwashing? You mean persuasion and evangelism, right, Tina? Let’s be careful with our word choices.

-Haha! I was just joking!

-Fufu, Tina, you make interesting jokes. But you shouldn’t say such things in front of others, okay? The inquisitors will come for you.

Esmeralda’s heart still sank when she remembered Eirene’s cold expression at that time.

Of course, even that went awry because she started blurting out dangerous statements without thinking.

“Ah! I think we’ve arrived.”

After watching the conversation between Tina and Lug for a while, Esmeralda pointed to a castle visible in the distance.

According to Millia the mage, they had already gotten quite close.

“Now we can finally get some proper rest. Let’s all push through to the end, shall we?”

At last, they arrived at their destination for this journey, the fortress city of Senova.

***

The fortress city of Senova was a strategic stronghold located on the front line.

As such, it was naturally the place that received the strongest enemy offensives and was exposed to all kinds of schemes.

“Still, we arrived on time. Luckily, there don’t seem to be any demons around. Whew, what would we have done if there was a battle today? Right, Mr. Lug?”

“Y-yes, that’s right.”

Esmeralda smiled brightly at Lug, who was struggling to pull the supply cart. She knew.

That all of this was thanks to Lug.

Because Lug had asked his superiors not to attack today, not wanting to be hit by stray arrows.

‘It’s funny that they granted such a request… No, it must be a coincidence. It’s right to assume they had no plans to attack today anyway. Yes.’

Anyway, Esmeralda’s group reached Senova without any interference.

Their purpose was to supply goods to Senova, where supplies had been cut off due to enemy containment.

Yes. This was the stage where Lug the porter’s performance would shine!

“Is this all…?”

Those were the first words from the supply officer who had enthusiastically welcomed the hero party.

The fortress city of Senova was quite a large city. And the supplies that arrived for such a city amounted to just one cart.

How could anyone be happy with this?

Even when supply units are attacked and suffer near-annihilation, more supplies than this usually arrive.

That’s because an entire unit is mobilized for supplies in the first place.

It was only strange that the hero party had come with just one party for supplies.

“This damn… Urgh…”

The supply officer almost spat out a curse but managed to hold back.

His counterparts were the hero and her party.

Although the supplies were screwed, if he freely spewed curses here, his head might freely fly off. The supply officer decided to somehow smile and express gratitude.

“Thank you… No, but who can use this little amount…”

It wasn’t easy.

His true feelings slipped out without him realizing.

The supply officer closed his eyes tightly, imagining his darkened future.

“Ah! Of course this can’t be all of it! Millia? Let’s take it out.”

“Huh? Here? Wouldn’t it be better to go to the supply warehouse?”

“Just a little bit, just a little.”

Seeing Esmeralda’s bright smile, Millia began to deploy magic with a blank expression.

Magical formations of various colors adorned the air, appearing and disappearing repeatedly.

Thud!

From the center of the completed massive magical formation, a huge wooden box fell down.

“Here! This is just part of it, and we have five more boxes coming!”

“Oh… Ohhhh!”

The supply officer finally brightened up at the sight of the massive wooden box, which looked like it could fill at least three carts.

“????”

And Lug, who was watching all this, began to shake his pupils like someone who had lost his country.