The beast tamer exiled from the hero’s party and the cat eared girl from the strongest race meet
This was the first time Mina had ever dealt with a man like Verg.
Arios, Aggas... and even Rain had all shown a certain degree of consideration toward Mina because she was a woman.
They had always been careful to make sure no problems arose.
Verg, however, was different.
A woman?
What do I care?
Man, woman—it makes no difference to me. I'll do whatever I want.
That was the kind of attitude he had, doing exactly as he pleased.
At first, Mina found his behavior unpleasant.
Yet strangely enough, she couldn't bring herself to dislike him.
He was certainly rude, but he treated her as an equal.
It felt as though he was looking at her for who she truly was...
And little by little, Mina began to let her guard down around him.
...
However—
Mina failed to realize that this trust only flowed one way.
Humans and demons.
The gulf separating the two races was immeasurably vast, not something that could be crossed so easily.
Just as humans feared and despised demons...
Demons, too, harbored an intense hatred toward humans.
"...Hm?"
Suddenly, Verg tilted his head.
An instant later, his expression hardened.
"What's wrong?"
"This just became a pain... We've got intruders."
"What?"
"I don't know who they are, but someone's heading straight for this place."
"Are you certain?"
"No doubt about it. They're coming directly here... straight for the deepest level. Normal adventurers would be wandering all over the dungeon looking for treasure, right?"
"Yes, that's true. If they aren't doing that, then they must have business in the deepest level... Which means they're looking for us."
Of course, nothing was certain.
It could simply be a coincidence.
But given the current situation...
Mina decided it was wiser to assume the worst and agreed with Verg's assessment.
Even so...
Verg was a demon.
Ordinarily, she should have considered the possibility that he was lying.
But she didn't.
That was how much she had come to trust him.
"Can you tell who the intruders are?"
"I can tell they're strong, but not much else. Ah... wait. This presence... is that the Hero? And there are two members of the Strongest Species with him."
"The Hero!? And members of the Strongest Species...?"
Without thinking, Rain's face came to Mina's mind.
Could he be inside this dungeon too...?
"There are six of them altogether. One's the Hero, and another has a similar sort of presence. Then there are two from the Strongest Species. The last two... I can't really tell. So, what're you gonna do?"
"That..."
Mina fell into thought.
She had wanted to make contact with the Hero from the very beginning.
If he had come to her of his own accord, that worked in her favor.
However, everything depended on the Hero's purpose.
There was little chance he had arrived here by coincidence.
It was reasonable to conclude that the Hero had come seeking her.
"Could it be... that he wants to talk, just as I do...? No... thinking that would probably be far too optimistic."
Considering she was a wanted fugitive, it was far more likely that he had come to capture her.
If she revealed herself honestly, she might be arrested on the spot.
Even so, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
She might be able to speak with him without interference.
And perhaps...
She could fulfill her other mission as well.
"I have a favor to ask of you, Mina."
Reez's words resurfaced in her mind.
"Please, reconcile with the new Hero if you can... But if that proves impossible, then you must kill him. The Hero thinks only of exterminating the demons. He has not the slightest intention of seeking peace. As long as someone like that exists, our dream can never come true. More blood will be spilled... but it is a necessary sacrifice. When that time comes, I trust you'll make the right decision."
She remembered those words all too clearly.
"I..."
Should I speak with the Hero?
Or kill him?
Mina's heart wavered.
Unable to reach a decision, she agonized over it again and again.
The uncertainty stirred her heart, clouding her thoughts.
"...Heh."
Watching her struggle, Verg let out a quiet chuckle.
It was as though he were saying,
Everything was going exactly as planned.
"...Verg."
"Yeah? Made up your mind?"
"We'll wait here for the Hero and the others."
For the time being, Mina chose to make contact.
There was a high possibility the Hero had come to arrest her...
But even so, he probably wouldn't attack her the moment they met.
There should be an opportunity to talk.
If she could persuade him, all the better.
If not...
"This may be a dungeon, but I heard it's under your control, Verg, and that you can manipulate it in various ways."
"That's right. I can activate traps whenever I want, and if I've got a little time, I can even change the dungeon's layout."
"And an escape route, in case things go wrong?"
"There's a teleportation magic circle in the room farther inside. It's single-use, so nobody'll be able to follow us."
"Then we'll try talking first. And if negotiations break down, we'll use it to escape."
"So you're not going to fight?"
Verg's gaze sharpened, as though questioning why she wasn't following Reez's instructions.
But Mina answered calmly.
"If it becomes necessary, then I will fight—but not now. This has all happened so suddenly. They won't have had time to prepare, will they?"
"Well... that's true."
"So for now, we'll prioritize talking. If we do end up fighting, it'll be another day, after we've both had time to prepare."
"Alright, got it. If we're gonna do it, we'd better make sure we finish the job. Being cautious isn't a bad idea."
"..."
"What's with that look?"
"Nothing. I was just surprised you agreed so easily..."
"My job is to support you, Mina. If you've made your decision, then I'll follow it."
"...Thank you."
Mina smiled faintly and offered her gratitude.
It was a small but genuine sign of the trust she had begun to place in Verg.
Watching her smile...
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