episode_0026

A secluded forest near the Kubele.

Milreya stood in front of a large rock, drawing her longsword.

I sat on a small rock behind her, watching as she demonstrated her swordsmanship.

Ping—

After a moment, with a strange sound, Milreya’s sword gleamed.

She then forcefully bent the rock horizontally, before sheathing her sword in its scabbard.

The rock remained unscathed.

But as she turned around to walk away, the rock split in half with a loud crack.

“The key is in controlling the magic. By precisely adjusting the magic stored in the sword, you can cut at the exact moment you desire. In theory, you could make a monster bleed today and die tomorrow.”

“So, it can be delayed?”

“Yes. And if you can do this, you can gain a significant advantage over an opponent using the same sword. Since the visible attack and the actual cutting time are different.”

Indeed, it was a confusing technique just to think about.

If Milreya could freely wield this skill, she could set a kind of timer to cut at different times for each of the five strikes with her sword.

It was a terrifying technique for the one receiving the attack, as it was difficult to figure out how to defend against it.

Although I was still unable to follow her level of magic control, I had to be satisfied with just watching for now.

After reaching some kind of agreement with her, fortunately, her strange stalking behavior had ceased.

Instead, she started coming to me every day under the pretext of seeking advice, waiting for me to finish my tasks and report to the guild before asking about morning walk routes or what would be good to eat for dinner.

I had clearly told her to come only when she needed advice.

Milreya seemed to enjoy conversing with Unoah without realizing it.

Having never had someone to talk comfortably with for a long time, conversations with Unoah were addictive for her.

Although the narration describing Milreya’s state seemed a bit more dangerous, at least the unpredictable way she used to appear suddenly had disappeared.

Anyway, her teaching me swordsmanship was a great gain.

No matter how much money I spent, finding a swordsmanship master as powerful and skilled as her would not be easy.

I made sincere efforts to make the various techniques and tips she taught me my own.

She showed me everything from the basic stance of swordsmanship to several techniques that were impossible to follow immediately.

One day, while repeating the routine of handling guild tasks in the morning and training with Milreya in the afternoon.

“I plan to leave Kubele tomorrow.”

Milreya suddenly said to me.

Is she finally focusing on her main job?

She definitely had a goal to subdue the demons.

“So, there’s something serious I want to ask you today.”

“Ask away. I am Milreya’s advisor, after all.”

Even though all the ‘advice’ she had given me so far had been nothing but small talk, it seemed like she was coming to meet me under the guise of advice rather than seeking it.

But today, the atmosphere was a bit different.

She maintained the same expressionless face in all situations, whether it be joy, sadness, anger, hunger, or sleepiness.

But after seeing her so often, I was starting to understand her emotions a little through the atmosphere.

“In fact, I’ve been investigating a certain demon tribe for a while now,” Milaia began her story.

“The reason I suspected you as a demon back then is also related to that.”

“What do you mean?”

“According to the information I have, there’s a demon near here disguised as a human, hiding among them.”

She started telling me about the demons disguised as humans in the human world.

Direct subordinates of the demon lord, called ‘Lords.’

There were particularly powerful demons like ‘Bloodstain,’ who had ravaged her homeland.

Milaia had obtained information that a demon known as the Deceptive Lord had been hiding among humans for a long time.

Her goal was to eradicate all demons, so she searched for the place where the demon was suspected to be hiding.

If she saw someone suspicious, she would investigate thoroughly.

But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t find the demon hiding among humans.

And then, by meeting me, she began to suspect me as that demon.

“But how did you find out that such a demon is hiding?” I suddenly became curious while listening to Milaia’s words.

“I tortured other demons for information. Do you want me to explain in detail? Or do you need advice?”

“No, you don’t have to explain in detail.”

Although I had become somewhat accustomed to her, Milaia was still occasionally frightening.

She continued to explain in great detail about the demons she had investigated.

My brain capacity was exceeded.

I guess I’m not cut out for scholarly pursuits.

“…That’s all I know. That’s why I wanted to hear your opinion as well.”

Milaia, who had finished her long and boring explanation like a demonology class, asked me.

“Um…”

Honestly, I had nothing to say.

My concentration was already shattered, and only the content of ‘There are demons among people’ remained in my head.

“You might see something that I can’t see. Like in Daina Village.”

“…The church?”

At that moment, a certain memory flashed through my mind.

The Freya Church in Vaynar where I used to work as a janitor.

Come to think of it, Bishop Javiel there wanted to kill the hero and the saint.

And he also served some suspicious ‘master.’

If a demon was hiding among humans, he was the only one.

I already knew through the narration that he was a suspicious character.

“Perhaps Bishop Javiel of the Freya Church might be the demon you’re looking for.”

I immediately told Milaia.

Milaia stared at me in silence.

Oops, I blurted it out without thinking.

Although I naturally learned the fact through narration, it might sound out of the blue from her perspective.

I should have at least loosely tied some evidence to my words…

But soon Milaia nodded and spoke.

“Indeed… You have great insight. It was a good decision to seek advice from you.”

“R-really?”

“Definitely, everything fits perfectly. If we control one of the Seven Goddesses’ sects, it will be much easier to monitor the saint and the hero. And since the Freya sect is the smallest among the seven sects, it should be easy to control.”

She seemed relieved that she understood on her own.

It’s like speaking gibberish and being understood perfectly.

It feels like catching a mouse after stumbling around, but as long as Bishop Javiel is a bad guy, it doesn’t matter.

The process is important, the result is what matters.

“Yunoa.”

Milrea looked at me with a subtle gaze and called my name.

“Yes?”

“You’re not coming with me after all?”

Is she still insisting on taking me with her?

Especially when we’re going to fight against demons this time…

Does she really want to bring me along?

Without a moment of hesitation, I replied.

“No.”

***

The Hero and the Saint.

In the old stories told to children, the Saint is compassionate, and the Hero is just.

The Demon King is wicked and always seeks to destroy the world.

And in the end, the Demon King dies at the hands of the Hero, and the world regains peace.

Mothers joke that if a child cries, the Demon King will take them away.

Boys play with wooden swords, pretending to be Heroes, while girls dream of marrying a gallant Hero when they grow up.

In the tales of old, the Hero and the Saint were like that.

“Are you the Saint? You seem weaker than I thought.”

The Hero, Cain, lifted the Saint, Selena’s chin with his index finger, speaking mockingly.

Cain’s gaze was directed towards Selena’s chest.

Selena was flustered.

Surely the Goddess’s prophecy indicated that this man was the Hero.

Did the Goddess make a mistake?

Or has this world been abandoned by the Goddess?

“Let go.”

“…”

Cain smiled at Selena.

Selena didn’t move from her spot.

“Hero, I am a Saint. I cannot do such things.”

“Before you became a Saint, you were just an ordinary woman.”

“…”

“I am the chosen Hero. Everything exists for my sake. No one can stop me.”

“If you are the chosen Hero, please have a heart befitting a Hero…”

But despite her plea, Cain’s finger on Selena’s chin slowly moved down her neck to her collarbone.

With her eyes tightly shut, Selena shuddered at the chilling sensation.

Cain was pleased with his status as a Hero.

As long as the Demon King existed in this world, no one could touch the Hero.

Even the esteemed Knight Commander could only suppress his anger at being called a Hero.

“Think carefully. You must please me in order for me to fulfill my duties as a Hero.”

“Are you really considering abandoning your duties as a Hero?”

Cain stroked Selena’s cheek as he spoke.

“Honestly, if there were no Demon King, would there be a need for a Hero? I don’t have any reason to defeat the Demon King… Aargh!”

But before he could finish his sentence, an immense pain suddenly struck Cain.

It felt like his limbs were being torn apart.

“Ugh… What, what is this?”

Cain knelt down, gasping for breath, without understanding what was happening.

He checked to see if his hands and feet were still attached.

There was nothing wrong with his body.

“Damn it! What is this?”

Cain shouted at Saint Selena in frustration.

But she was just as clueless about what had happened.

He was just about to say that he didn’t have any reason to defeat the Demon King…

To leave the Demon King alone and enjoy the power and authority as a Hero to his heart’s content.

But Cain was unaware.

The countless Heroes that appeared in the old tales.

Heroes always inevitably defeat the Demon King.

Because Heroes are just.

No.

Heroes had no choice but to defeat the Demon King.