Ch.9The Reason He Is Needed (7)

Why He’s Needed (7)

After somehow shaking off Fellheim’s persistent gaze, the hero Esmeralda entered her room alone and gritted her teeth at Lug’s incredibly careless attitude.

‘Seriously, he’s a spy! How can he be so bad at managing his expressions?!’

Until now, though he hadn’t been great, he’d never been this blatantly incompetent. Of course, this was an unusual situation. The other party had been showing subtle hostility toward Lug.

‘Yes, our reputation has grown too large. That’s why he doesn’t like Lug being among us.’

Esmeralda chewed her fingernails as she pondered.

The risk of continuing with Lug versus the risk of not doing so.

Which would be more dangerous?

Esmeralda had good intuition and could somewhat see through others’ true feelings thanks to her power, but it was impossible for her to see the bigger picture of what would unfold.

She was, after all, just an ordinary country girl. The only reason she had become what she was now was because she had been chosen by the holy sword.

She couldn’t have received proper education, so her limit was the survival tactics of commoners.

BOOM!

Just then, a noise loud enough to be clearly heard reached Esmeralda’s ears as she sat alone at her desk, deep in thought.

“Demons! Demons have invaded!”

“Everyone grab your weapons! Just report any demon sightings immediately, don’t try to engage them directly!”

“Sigh…”

Esmeralda heaved a deep sigh. It seemed that Lug, who had been anxious since earlier, had caused some trouble.

Setting aside his lacking abilities, he was certainly bold in his actions.

“I need to handle this somehow.”

Esmeralda immediately rushed out.

She needed to resolve the situation first. Whether to deal with Lug or not, she had to save people first.

She was a hero, after all.

***

Esmeralda rushed out of the building without even unpacking her luggage.

By luggage, I mean her personal belongings.

Of course, that other Lug was in a similar position to her personal belongings.

“…”

What Esmeralda discovered after rushing out was a group of suspicious-looking individuals.

And a sack they were carrying that looked just right to fit a person inside.

“…Don’t you think wearing black robes in broad daylight makes you more conspicuous?”

Esmeralda quietly drew her sword while looking at the black-robed figures with disbelief. The holy sword, symbol of the hero, revealed itself.

“Hmm…”

Esmeralda barely managed to hold back the words that were about to escape her lips.

There was an uproar about a demon attack, but her opponents were human. She, who had fought demons all this time, would know.

‘This is human doing, and the mastermind must be Fellheim Senova, who’s been eyeing Lug with disapproval since earlier.’

The timing was quite coincidental.

It was a timing that could arouse suspicion, but also when people would be most relaxed.

They were targeting the moment when a body tired from a long journey first entered a place where it could feel safe.

As expected of someone who commands a fortress city, they seemed to understand human psychology precisely.

If that was the case, it was obvious who would be inside the sack the black-robed figures were carrying.

‘It must be Lug inside.’

Esmeralda used her hero’s power to examine the sack closely.

The person’s name and status appeared over the sack in her vision.

[Name: Lug]

.

.

.

[Note: He believes the current kidnapping is a plot by the Demon Lord’s army to extract him, so he is cooperating.]

Esmeralda tilted her head in confusion, then examined the black-robed figures.

“Huh?”

The group was cautiously retreating while keeping an eye on Esmeralda.

[Note: They intend to kidnap Lug and quietly dispose of him.]

‘No, what is this idiot doing?’

Didn’t I tell you not to follow strangers?!

A battle unlike any the hero Esmeralda had experienced before was about to begin.

***

Earlier, when I communicated with Colonel Lilith, she added something at the end of our conversation.

-Ahem, anyway, I’ll contact you again soon. Until then, please stay safe.

So this is what she meant.

It was a signal that they would rescue me soon! Wow! As expected of Colonel Lilith! How could she devise such a strategy?!

A method to protect my identity while ensuring my escape!

As expected, someone from the Demon Lord’s army’s Strategic Planning Department is truly different.

“Tsk, the hero…”

But it seems even this surprise operation wasn’t enough against a hero who had been through countless battles.

I stayed as quiet as possible while inside the sack.

There was no reason to do so, but I was just scared.

Common Magic

[Search]

I quietly cast a spell to check the situation around me.

Besides the man carrying me, there were six more people around me.

And among the hero’s party, only Esmeralda was here right now.

If not now, I might never get another chance to escape.

Our execution team probably doesn’t fully understand the hero’s capabilities, which is why they’re hesitating.

I can’t help it. Even if they’re good at acting like real kidnappers, they can’t perfectly respond to someone they’ve never met before.

‘I’ll have to help a little.’

Fortunately, as someone deployed for infiltration missions, I specialize in discreetly casting spells.

Black Magic

Six Realms Manifestation – Hungry Ghost Realm

[Grasp of Craving]

The prisoners of the Hungry Ghost Realm. The grip strength of their hands extended in hunger.

That magic crawled along the ground like a snake and grabbed Esmeralda’s ankle.

“What is this?!”

“Now’s our chance.”

“…?!”

However, the execution team seemed more surprised than the hero.

Even as the hero tore apart my black magic with her holy sword, the execution team still couldn’t do anything.

These guys are frustrating…

No, that’s not it. It’s understandable. They’re friends I’ve never coordinated with before, so I expected too much.

Yes, I understand. But that was just the first time, it’ll be different now.

Black Magic

Six Realms Manifestation – Asura Realm

[Chaotic Footing]

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

With a sound like hundreds of people stomping at once, the ground around hero Esmeralda collapsed.

It’s an attack spell, but rather than its power, it focuses on restricting the opponent’s movement.

With this, the hero retreated further back from where she initially stood.

Now! Let’s escape! This will only work a few times; that monster of a hero will adapt quickly.

Fortunately, the execution team seemed to understand the situation and began to turn around.

But something held them back again.

“Haha…”

It was the killing intent of hero Esmeralda.

***

Esmeralda tried to rescue Lug. Regardless of him being a spy, wasn’t he a comrade? If he was taken away like this, he would surely face brutal torture.

If someone was going to kill him, she would do it herself.

And she would do it as cleanly as possible. That was Esmeralda’s justice, even for a spy she was using.

‘I’ll kill him. I’ll really kill him.’

But that justice was now violently shaking.

Her ankle, caught at an unexpected moment, still stung.

She couldn’t help but be caught off guard by such an unfamiliar method.

Fortunately, Esmeralda had been keeping an eye on Lug all along.

It was her duty to closely monitor the movements of a demon spy, so she could respond quickly.

Yes, if it hadn’t been her, it could have been dangerous.

With the black-robed figures in front of her, her ankle was caught and her body wavered. If the opponent had been a slightly more experienced assassin, Esmeralda’s head could have been severed.

“I will definitely kill him…!”

Her duty changed from rescue to elimination.

Esmeralda immediately charged toward the opponent with her sword.

But her target wasn’t the black-robed figure. It was the foolish demon spy, Lug, who had been hindering her with unfamiliar magic.

She would punish the damn traitor.

‘Definitely!’

The holy sword of hero Esmeralda emitted a more brilliant light than ever before.

“Ugh?!”

At her aggressive movement, the black-robed figures retreated while pulling the sack they were carrying.

Faced with such an obvious intent, even the black-robed figures who had planned to quietly dispose of Lug ended up protecting him.

Their positions were suddenly reversed.

“Haha, how long do you think you can protect him with such movements?”

And Esmeralda felt an indescribable pleasure.

The black-robed figures were overwhelmed by the joy and madness in Esmeralda’s eyes.

But surprisingly, Esmeralda was in a very calm state.

‘Just the arms and legs first… Unfortunately, I can’t go further.’

She was exercising extreme restraint to avoid killing Lug.

“W-wait! Do you know what’s in here?!”

“Why would I care? If demons are carrying it, it can’t be anything good.”

“We’re not demons…”

“Boss!”

“Ahem! Hmm, hmm… Inside this is a person. Surely the hero wouldn’t swing her sword at a person?”

“I would.”

The hero was serious.

Though she acts foolishly in front of people, she is someone who can make extremely cold judgments.

“I know that my life is worth more than hundreds of people. So if a hostage can’t be saved, I won’t hesitate.”

“…And if they can be saved?”

“Are we close enough for me to tell you my criteria for making that judgment?”

Esmeralda grinned.

She said this, but knowing for certain what was inside, there was no need to negotiate.

And in her eyes, the thoughts of the black-robed figures were clearly visible.

[Note: They genuinely care about you. That’s why they’re trying to avoid Lug dying in front of your eyes.]

Fellheim Senova is a veteran who has fought demons on the frontlines.

Yes, she knows well.

How difficult the situation at the front is, how desperately the hero’s presence is needed.

She genuinely cares about the hero. That’s why she wanted to remove Lug, who was nothing but a burden.

Pretending to be demons was also an action to direct the hero’s anger toward demons while simultaneously removing Lug, who was only holding her back.

In other words, she intended to channel Esmeralda’s hatred in a specific direction.

‘Then at least they won’t kill Lug in front of me.’

Fellheim Senova thinks that she, as a hero, is clinging to Lug.

She thinks Esmeralda is too naive to cut off what needs to be cut.

She doesn’t want humanity’s future to be held back like that.

So she wouldn’t want to hurt Esmeralda. No, even if Esmeralda gets hurt, she would want her to pour that resentment and anger onto the demons.

Esmeralda tapped her shoulder with her holy sword, her expression more relaxed.

It had become a fight she couldn’t lose.

And just at that moment of contrasting emotions…

BOOM!!

Flames erupted from behind Esmeralda.

Intense mana, overwhelming destructive power.

Seeing those familiar fragments of power, Esmeralda muttered in a dejected voice.

“…Millia?”

“Lug, where are you? Where did you go? I said I would protect you…”

[Name: Millia]

[Race: Human] [Title: Explorer]

[Trait List]

Common Magic Lv. 59

Elemental Magic Lv. 57

Spatial Magic Lv. 10

A trait list that seemed to follow the textbook path of a mage.

And…

Black Magic Lv. 31

Curse Magic Lv. 37

Biochemical Magic Lv. 28

Human Experimentation Lv. 17

Along with heinous traits bundled together like a criminal’s gift set.

[Total Estimated Level: Lv. 341]

[Note: Suffering from separation anxiety, delusions, and homicidal impulses.]

Yes, she was the absolute reason why Lug was needed in this party.