Ch.90The Ascetic of Kapila (3)

# Capilla’s Ascetic (3)

Just as the serious negotiations between Lug and Garnet were about to begin!

Grumble.

“…Before we talk, could you feed me something first?”

Unfortunately, Five had just been released from captivity.

It seemed more important to fill her stomach before negotiations.

While it was humiliating to say this in front of Lug, her pride had been in tatters for a long time.

She was now in a state where she could willingly endure this level of shame.

“Of course. There’s no rush.”

Lug smiled brightly, oblivious to Five’s feelings.

***

Five was only able to relax after having a simple meal and taking a shower.

Peace had finally returned to her body and mind. Considering she had been captured until just recently, her recovery was remarkably quick.

“Phew…”

The refreshment from the shower and the satisfaction from the meal.

All of it was making her content. Now she could think positively about dealing with Lug.

Of course, that would depend on the content.

“…Yeah, everything’s fine, but could you do something about that stare?”

First, she needed to deal with Lug, who was intently staring at her exposed skin through the gaps in her towel.

If he had been stealing glances, she would have found it unpleasant, but his blatant staring was simply frightening.

It felt like encountering an incomprehensible madness. It was quite unsettling.

Lug’s gaze, which had been fixed on her chest area, now moved down to scan her legs.

Five, who had been clutching the chest part of her towel, looked down at the lower part of the towel, then bit her lip and turned her head away.

She had to choose which part to cover first.

Five chose her chest.

This was fortunate for Lug, who rarely appreciated Five’s leg lines so highly, but Five had no way of knowing that.

“…Could you ask Extra to bring me some clothes to change into quickly?”

“You seem impatient. However, even if you change now, your clothes will just get damp from your wet hair, so wouldn’t it be better to stay like that a little longer?”

“Ugh…”

Surprisingly, Lug was making sense.

He often showed flashes of intuition when faced with someone’s true feelings.

“…Fine, whatever. Let’s continue our earlier conversation. What do you mean you can help me?”

“Right. I’ll get straight to my purpose. I want to meet and talk with the Demon Lord.”

A surprisingly sensible goal.

Five had been prepared to burn this place down and leave if Lug had babbled about defeating the Demon Lord.

Her own challenge to the Demon Lord was merely due to lingering attachments from her past life.

That’s why she was trying to challenge despite knowing she would lose, but if Lug had said such a thing, she wouldn’t have believed him.

She would have considered it deception and eliminated any possibility of cooperating with them.

But a conversation?

That made it seem like meeting Belphegor itself was the goal.

“I was able to see him recently, but before I could even speak, he blew up the surrounding area and disappeared.”

“Hmm…?”

Five frowned at Lug’s words, which sounded like a firsthand experience.

Was Lug that significant? She knew Belphegor’s status well.

After all, wasn’t he the one who silenced the entire demon army and even brought the previous Demon Lord, Leviathan, to his knees?

She had been there too and had taken quite a beating.

“Yeah, so what’s your conclusion?”

“I want to borrow the Corps Commander’s power. I don’t think I can reach the Demon Lord’s castle alone.”

“Power? Or name?”

“Depending on the situation, I might need both.”

“So you’re not completely thoughtless?”

For a torture officer, his thinking was quite normal.

Yes, with Corps Commander Five’s ‘name,’ they could easily reach the Demon Lord’s castle.

After all, how many demons would block their way if they invoked her name?

But Lug knew.

That too was only a matter of time.

She was officially considered dead, so that information would eventually spread.

When that happened, there would be problems with clearing a path using Five’s name alone.

Yes, that’s when Five’s military power would become necessary.

“This isn’t funny.”

A plan to meet the Demon Lord.

It’s undoubtedly the fastest and most realistic plan. But Lug was forgetting the most important part.

“Why should I help you?”

That was precisely it—he was unilaterally receiving Five’s help.

Lug’s claim about helping her challenge the Demon Lord was just wordplay.

If she cleared the path that way, she would naturally end up facing the Demon Lord.

In other words, Lug’s proposal was missing the most crucial part.

“You want to use me without showing me this hidden power of yours?”

“That’s right.”

Yes, Lug’s proposal would only work under the assumption that he had skills comparable to Five’s.

Only then would it be cooperation rather than assistance.

If it were in exchange for saving her life, that might be different, but Lug had rescued her first and then initiated negotiations separately. So Five had no obligation to be bound by that.

“Then how will you show me?”

“What a strange question.”

Lug sighed deeply as if dumbfounded, and shifted his gaze from her legs to her eyes.

“From the moment I sat here, I had no intention of hiding anything.”

Lug’s eyes weren’t hazy as usual but were clear as if piercing through to the core.

Yes, just looking into those eyes, Five could feel a certain pressure constricting her heart. No skill test was needed.

The moment she met Lug’s gaze, she felt the same sense of crisis she had felt from Corps Commander First.

But what perplexed her most wasn’t that.

“No… But why were you staring at my legs with such eyes? With such clear, pure eyes…”

“Because they look good. Ah, that’s a compliment. Corps Commander, you have the best legs of anyone I’ve seen.”

“…I’d like some time to think about your proposal.”

It was the fact that Lug was the same madman whether his eyes were hazy or clear.

Five postponed her decision based solely on one external factor, apart from the possibility and Lug’s actual military power.

It was whether it would be okay to travel with such a pervert.

***

Hero Esmeralda had returned to her village.

Partly because of what Lug had said, to think carefully and decide for herself.

But also because she had realized the reality of the Demon Lord’s existence.

In other words, she had acknowledged that she might die.

No, she realized that the probability of death was higher than ever before.

That’s why she wanted to see her hometown, even if she had to force it.

Because it might become a place she could never return to again.

Esmeralda had returned to her hometown for such sentimental reasons, but…

“Oh my, this stew is really delicious. I wondered who taught the Hero to cook, and it was her mother!”

“Oh my, listen to her. How does she choose such pretty words? Does it suit your taste, young lady?”

“…Yes.”

“Auntie! Give me another bowl!”

“Sure, Tina, you need to eat a lot and grow more. Is this enough?”

The scene at her home was somewhat different from what she had expected.

The members of the hero party, who would normally be off doing their own things, had all invaded Esmeralda’s hometown.

The incident started because of Tina’s statement.

They had followed her to monitor her, suspecting that she might be hiding Lug.

For Esmeralda, who had come to collect her thoughts, it was only troubling.

It felt like her last memories were being tainted.

“Oh my. I was so worried because our daughter was always out beating up kids. I wish she had been more gentle like our Saintess.”

“No, no. How much have we benefited from the Hero? I actually admire the Hero’s bold actions.”

“…”

As always, Eirene Saintess was playing the role of a natural saint in front of ordinary people.

Esmeralda wasn’t sure whether she was used to this situation or not as she barely noticed the food going down her throat.

Still, the previously tense atmosphere had somewhat subsided.

Rather than due to her desperate explanations, it was because they had started competing among themselves.

Yes, they hadn’t given up on Lug.

They were still searching for Lug using their respective groups.

And in the midst of that, they had followed Esmeralda to monitor her.

“I’m going to get some fresh air for a bit.”

“Huh? You’ve barely eaten anything.”

“Haha… I don’t have much appetite.”

“Don’t tell me our daughter is upset because I compared her to the Saintess?”

“Come on, why would I be upset about that? It’s just hot.”

Truly.

Esmeralda wouldn’t be bothered at all by being compared to Eirene.

Because she knew that Eirene was just glossy on the outside but rotten inside.

Of course, she would be angry if they compared appearances. That’s a different matter.

She was confident in her looks.

“Ah, Hero, may I join you? It’s my first time exploring your hometown in detail.”

[Note: I’m thinking she might be going to meet Lug who’s hidden somewhere.]

“No…”

“Could it be that you find my company burdensome…?”

“No…”

Two “no’s.” But the nuances couldn’t be more different.

The first was “What is this crazy woman thinking?” while the second was “This bitch knows how to talk.”

Based on what Esmeralda’s mother had said, Eirene had chosen words that Esmeralda couldn’t refuse.

There was no way she could decline.

If she refused here, it would be like confirming the concerns Esmeralda’s mother had expressed earlier.

Anyone watching would think she was leaving because she was annoyed at being compared to Eirene.

“I want to go too.”

And if Eirene goes, Millia comes too. The two people who are most sincere about Lug wouldn’t watch one get ahead in such a situation.

“Ah, then me too! I’ve eaten well, so I need to make room in my stomach.”

And Tina, who hadn’t thought that far, joined Esmeralda’s walk just by reading the atmosphere.

Esmeralda felt the meal she had just eaten sitting heavily in her stomach, frustrated that she couldn’t be alone either at home or outside.

“…Shall we go then?”

Esmeralda forced a smile as she looked at the members of the hero party trailing behind her like they were monitoring her.

‘I shouldn’t have come home…’

But inside, she was burning up.

Where on earth was someone who could understand her?

Perhaps they might be nearby.

In a cabin near the village.