The beast tamer exiled from the hero’s party and the cat eared girl from the strongest race meet
About two hours had passed since we began exploring the dungeon.
We had entered the lower levels.
Our pace slowed somewhat, but since it wasn't an especially difficult dungeon, our progress remained steady.
...And then, we arrived at the staircase leading to the lowest floor.
"If we haven't found Mina after coming this far..."
"Then it's highly likely she's on the lowest floor," Stella replied.
Just as Stella said, Mina should be beyond this point.
Or perhaps one of her allies...
Either way, we were bound to make significant progress.
Prepared for whatever might happen, we steeled ourselves and descended the stairs to the lowest floor.
And then...
"Yo."
"..."
Mina was there, together with an unfamiliar man.
The moment she saw me, her eyes widened slightly in surprise.
"Rain? Why are you here...?"
"I was about to ask you the same thing... I'm here helping the Hero, Chiffon, search for you."
I deliberately emphasized the word "Hero."
A faintly bitter expression crossed Mina's face...
But she quickly regained her composure, returning to her usual calm expression.
"I see. There are many things I'd like to discuss with you... but for now, they'll have to wait."
"I agree."
There were plenty of things I wanted to ask Mina as well.
About Arios.
About Aggas.
Why she was acting together with the demons.
However, that was Chiffon's role.
I couldn't just butt in.
My purpose today was simply to support Chiffon.
"Are you Mina, formerly of the Hero's party?"
When we got within a certain distance, Chiffon stopped and asked.
She was wary of an attack and had no intention of getting any closer.
"Yes."
"I finally found you. That's a relief. I'm Chiffon, the newly appointed Hero."
"...I see."
As someone from the former Hero's party, Mina apparently had mixed feelings about the new Hero, and she frowned slightly.
Still, unlike Arios, she didn't throw a tantrum and continued the conversation calmly.
Seeing that, I couldn't help thinking that Mina was the more mature one.
"Since you already know Rain, I'll skip the introductions. These are Stella, captain of the Horizon Knights branch, and Ellis, a Holy Knight of the Church. They've been helping me."
"The Church...?"
The moment she heard the word "Church," Mina's expression changed.
She looked like a child nervously watching a parent's reaction after pulling a prank...
Restless and unable to hide her unease.
"I'd appreciate it if you could introduce the gentleman standing beside you, Mina."
"...This is Verg. He's an ally who's helped me in many ways."
"I'm Verg. Nice to meet you."
The man casually raised a hand in greeting, but he couldn't completely conceal the fighting spirit lurking beneath his relaxed demeanor.
He remained on high alert, ready to fight the instant anything happened.
Besides...
That man named Verg...
He was a demon.
It was his unique presence...
Or perhaps the atmosphere that clearly differed from an ordinary person...
Having encountered so many demons before, I could instinctively tell.
Chiffon seemed to have realized the same thing. Her gaze sharpened as she questioned Mina.
"He's a demon, isn't he?"
"..."
"There's no point trying to hide it. My mission is to defeat the Demon King. Demons are my enemies... There's no way I'd mistake one for anything else."
"And if that's true, what will you do?"
"Hmm... That depends on how you answer, Mina. To be blunt, I've come here to capture you—or, if necessary, kill you."
She really did put it bluntly.
She was probably trying to shake her opponent's resolve.
By taking the initiative, she intended to steer the conversation in our favor.
I couldn't help admiring Chiffon's bold negotiating style.
"But... before that, could you tell me what's really going on? What are you doing now? From what I've heard, you've been traveling with demons... I'd like you to explain why. Depending on your answer, how we deal with this could change completely."
If Mina had no choice but to cooperate with demons, then there was room for leniency.
However, if she had truly sided with them...
Then she would have to be cut down.
Even in the face of Chiffon's declaration, Mina remained perfectly calm.
"My objective... is you, Chiffon."
"Me?"
"I haven't come to defeat you, nor to capture you. I simply want you to understand Arios and me. That's why I stopped hiding in the remote regions and came all the way here."
"...Sorry for interrupting."
There was something I absolutely had to ask.
"You said 'Arios and me'... What happened to Aggas?"
Lin had become a demon, so we had defeated her.
That explained why her name hadn't come up...
But what about Aggas?
"Aggas... is dead."
"What...?"
Her unexpected words hit me harder than I anticipated.
"The details... well, I'll explain them if the opportunity arises."
"...Understood."
I never imagined Aggas had already died.
Even if he had survived, things probably wouldn't have ended well for him.
Like Lin, he might have become a demon.
Even so...
The death of a former party member still filled me with sadness.
"Um... getting back to what we were discussing, what did you mean when you said you wanted me to understand?"
"It's true that I'm receiving assistance from demons like Verg. However, that doesn't mean I've sided with demonkind or become humanity's enemy. Even now, I'm still fighting for the sake of the people."
"Then why are you with demons?"
"Verg and the others belong to a moderate faction of demonkind. They wish for peace between demons and humans."
"What?"
Showing surprise during a negotiation was a mistake...
But in this case, it couldn't be helped.
It wasn't just Chiffon.
I was stunned as well.
Stella and Ellis both stared in shock.
"Demons... want peace?"
"Not all demons—only a portion of them. There are those who no longer wish for endless conflict and genuinely hope for peace. I came here as their envoy, to make contact with you, the Hero."
"..."
Was what she was saying really true?
Or had she been deceived?
Those doubts were clearly written across Chiffon's face as hesitation crept into her expression.
...And that hesitation became an opening.
Comments
Post a Comment