The beast tamer exiled from the hero’s party and the cat eared girl from the strongest race meet

Chapter 329 Alliance established

(TL:By Rafael,valhallatls.blogspot.com)

Arios, Lin, and Mina were visiting a mansion located within the forest at the western edge of the central continent.

Surrounded by tall trees, even during the daytime, the interior was dimly lit.

There was no one else around.

However, the mansion was meticulously cleaned.

"Where is this?"

"It's a luxurious mansion, but the atmosphere feels dark."

"Monica. What are we doing here?"

Arios looked at Monica, who stood at the rear, with suspicion.

However, there was no hint of hostility in his gaze.

It was just a question of not understanding why they had been brought here.

"First, please come this way."

Monica walked ahead, leading Arios and the others to the drawing-room.

There were sets of sofas and tables, and tea and snacks were also prepared.

"It's just tea for now since it's a delicate time, but if you're hungry, we can prepare a meal for you."

"...No, I'm good."

"Me too. I'm not hungry yet."

"I... instead of that, could we talk? Monica said that if we come here, we can regain the power to rise as heroes again..."

"If that's true, it's a very grateful story. But because no explanation has been given about how, I can't help but be curious, even though I don't doubt Monica. I've been feeling impatient."

"I'm sorry. Due to special circumstances and to prevent information leakage, I kept it secret until the last minute. However, there's no need for that anymore. I'll tell you everything."

Arios and the others sat on the sofa, and Monica sat opposite them.

"The way for Arios-sama and others to gain power... is simply to form an alliance with my master."

"Master? Alliance?"

"In fact, I serve a certain individual... under that person's orders, I have been assisting Arios-sama and others until now. I want Arios-sama and others to form an alliance with that person. If you do so, my master will not hesitate to cooperate, and Arios-sama and others will gain even greater power."

"Hmm..."

Arios thought about whether they should form such an alliance with interest.

Arios had long suspected that Monica was receiving orders from someone.

She was efficient in various things, such as when she helped them or when she informed them of Aggas's betrayal.

Was there a collaborator, or was there someone above Monica giving instructions?

Arios, not being foolish, had been suspecting that.

"...For now, could you let us meet Monica's master? Whether we cooperate or not can be decided after that."

"Arios, are you sure? We have no idea who this person is."

"If we believe Monica's words, this person has done a lot for us. At the very least, they shouldn't be our enemy."

"We should listen to Arios. It's okay to hear what they have to say, and I'm interested in the story about becoming stronger."

"...Yes, I understand. For the sake of fulfilling our mission, we need power. For now, let's trust Monica."

Although their qualifications as heroes had already been revoked, Mina still spoke of their mission.

Regardless of their position, she believed that what they should do remained the same...

Or perhaps, she was avoiding reality by stubbornly clinging to that belief.

"Thank you. I'm relieved that Arios-sama and others said that."

With unanimous agreement, Monica smiled happily.

There was no hint of malice, only a sense of relief at being able to fulfill her duty.

Seeing Monica's face, Arios thought that he might be willing to cooperate with whoever this person was, even though he didn't know anything about them yet...

That sounded like trusting Monica, but in reality, he was just abandoning his thoughts.

It was natural for Monica to cooperate with him, a hero.

She wouldn't deceive a hero.

That's what he thought.

Even though he had been deprived of the title of "hero," he still clung to it...

Thinking that glory was still continuing as if it were obvious.

"So, who is your master?"

"Yes, please wait a moment. I will call them right now."

Monica bowed and left the room.

Arios, Lin, and Mina were left in the room.

"What kind of person do you think Monica's master is? Is it a knight after all?"

"I wonder. It's not impossible... but I think it's someone else."

"What do you mean?"

"Well..."

Unfortunately, they had become traitors to their country.

There would hardly be any knights willing to cooperate with them.

If there were any, it would be limited to those who pretended to be "knights" like Monica.

If Monica's master was such a person, they would also be a traitor to the country.

A criminal?

No, their power was too great for that.

Setting up such a mansion, building a huge information network...

That's not something an ordinary person could do.

So, what possibilities remained?

A noble with power comparable to a king.

Or perhaps, the strongest of their kind.

Or... something non-human.

...Arios stopped his thoughts there.

Despite thinking about various things, there was a lack of information, making it inconclusive.

"Well, we'll meet them soon. There's no use speculating about it."

"That's true."

"Oh, it seems they've arrived."

The door opened, and the three of them focused their attention.

First, Monica appeared as if guiding someone... then, next, Reez appeared.

"!?"

Arios, Lin, and Mina were surprised.

Reez was wearing a glamorous dress and adorned herself with a floral hair ornament, exuding a dazzling aura.

However, such things couldn't hide the black magic overflowing from her body.

Moreover, Reez herself didn't seem to intend to conceal it, leaving her demonic power as it was.

Arios and the others weren't so oblivious as to not notice that...

At a glance, they noticed that Reez was a demon, and their faces stiffened.

"Nice to meet you. I am Reez, Monica's master. Pleased to meet you from now on."

"...I can't believe it, a demon."

Arios said with a bitter expression.

They were considering the possibility of something non-human.

However, of all things, it was demons.

Arios and the others remained unsure how to react, closing their mouths.

However, without being flustered by such a reaction as if she had expected it, Reez continued to speak calmly.

"You all are a hero party. I understand that. It's normal to feel hesitant and suspicious when a demon like me offers cooperation."

"...You're quite confident, aren't you? Showing up as a demon in front of us, expecting to be safe?"

"Well, this is a place for discussion. I believe you won't be rude enough to attack us out of nowhere."

Humans and demons were natural enemies, and it was almost unthinkable to negotiate.

Even if they were suddenly attacked, it would still be considered self-defense.

However, being directly confronted like this did cause some hesitation.

When faced with someone with whom words could communicate, it was normal to feel some hesitation, unable to become completely ruthless.

"...Alright. Let's hear what you have to say first."

"Arios!? There's also the possibility of this being a trap..."

"Huh, seriously? Is that okay? She's a demon, you know?"

While Mina and Lin were surprised, Arios calmly advised them.

"If it's a trap, they wouldn't go through all this trouble. They could have finished us off without helping. We don't know her true intentions yet... but at least, it's worth listening."

"As expected of you, Arios-san."

"Well... hmm, well, if Arios says so..."

Lin seemed a bit hesitant, but in the end, she decided to trust Arios's judgment.

"...Understood."

Mina seemed to feel more uneasy than Lin.

With few words, she just said so.

Still, consent was consent.

With the approval of their comrades, Arios proceeded with the conversation.

"So, Monica mentioned that you would lend us your power. What exactly does that mean? You want us, as a hero, to become allies with demons?"

"No. I don't want you to become allies with demons, but with me."

"Hmm?"

"Currently, I am in a state of rebellion, having defected from the main demon faction."

"A split within the ranks?"

"That's a valid interpretation."

After that, Reez explained their situation to Arios and the others.

Lately, there had been changes among the demons.

Instead of following the demon king who sought to annihilate humans, there were those who chose to coexist with humans.

Reez was one of them.

Of course, it wasn't an easy path.

Not only were they not believed by humans, but they were also targeted as traitors by their fellow demons.

It was frustrating, but without power, they couldn't realize their ideals.

For that reason, Reez wanted Arios to become their ally.

To lend each other strength and achieve their respective goals.

Reez explained such things.

"I see... demons aiming for coexistence with humans. It's a hard-to-believe story..."

"However, it's the truth."

"...Alright, I'll believe you."

After some thought, Arios accepted Reez's words.

However, he didn't completely believe the current story.

If Reez's story was true and humans and demons could coexist, he would be the protagonist and could return as a hero.

Even if it was a lie, as long as there was a use for it, they could use it.

He thought he could just use the other party.

That was how he thought.

"Thank you, Arios-san."

"So, from today, are we comrades?"

"Yes, please take care of me."

Arios and Reez shook hands, both smiling.

In the background, Monica laughed.

While bowing so as not to be seen by anyone, she had a terribly twisted smile on her face.

TL Note- The bad guys have joined the evil guys.....

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