"I will do everything I can to delay him by even a minute. For every extra minute, he is stuck somewhere, one of my kind gets to live a minute longer. My armies get one more minute to prepare. My soldiers get to write one more letter to their families."

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 1

My girlfriend and I found ourselves transported to another world. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way; only one of us was chosen to go. However it simply can’t be helped. There wasn’t much of a choice.

We were meeting up for our date outside of Ueno station. Kaori was waiting outside the station, while I had come by bus from my part-time job.

I spotted Kaori among the people. She was engrossed in her phone, smiling while tapping away on her screen.

These days she is always on her phone, even when we’re on a date. The last time we had dinner together, I asked her if there was a new app that caught her attention, but she always avoided answering. When I glance at her screen while she is tapping away, she always quickly turns away so that I can’t see.

“Kenta, it’s rude to look at a girl’s phone,” she’d say.

“Sorry, sorry.”

Based on the brief glance I got, she seemed to be texting someone.

Afterward, she put a privacy screen protector on.

Whatever she was doing, she didn’t want me to know.

In the end, I decided not to press her regarding this matter. Maybe she was playing a game she’d felt embarrassed about. I was a bit disappointed that she didn’t trust me, her boyfriend, with this kind of information. But then again, I also had some things on my phone I wanted to keep a secret (mainly pictures of my favorite idols).

I was a short distance away on the other side of the street when I called out to her, but she didn’t hear me. The crosswalk light was still red. I texted her, telling her that I had arrived. Kaori quickly looked up, scanning left and right. Although it was a bit hard to tell from a distance, her expression seemed troubled.

“Kaori!” I raised my hand.

She saw me and looked relieved. She began to cross the street while still typing something on her phone. No one else moved because the light was still red, but Kaori probably didn’t see it.

At that moment, a delivery truck came barreling down the street. It was headed straight for her.

“Kaori! Watch out!” I shouted.

Kaori finally looked up from her phone. She looked confused before realizing that the truck wasn’t slowing down.

I rushed forward and tried to push her out of the way, but I was too late. The truck crashed into both of us.

“Ahhhhhh, what a mess! I can’t believe this idiot…what am I supposed to do?! My superiors will punish me for this!”

Those were the first words I heard after getting hit by the truck. I opened my eyes. There was no sky, only a vast expanse of white. It was neither hot nor cold, no wind – ah! I wasn’t breathing. But somehow that didn’t bother me.

I see…

An endless white space without any of the properties of the real world.

This must be the afterlife.

“Idiot! Why did you have to do that?”

Whoever was speaking gave me a kick in the sides.

“Ouch!”

“Huh, I see you’re finally awake. Sit up.”

I obeyed the voice. Next to me stood a blonde girl with blue eyes dressed in long white ropes. She looked like the image of a Goddess or angel I had seen in one of those European picture books.

Before I could say anything, the goddess pointed a finger at me.

“Why did you have to jump in front of Kaori?! Only she was scheduled to die today! Do you understand how much trouble you’ve caused? Because of you, I will be charged with gross professional negligence. The new regime in Heaven takes this kind of thing very seriously, you know? How will you compensate me if I lose my position? It’s impossible! You’re just a lowly human who interfered with my assignment. Ahh…what a mess, what a mess…”

I raised my hand.

“Uhm…excuse me, I don’t really understand what’s going on.”

The goddess shot me an angry look. She began to explain with a sigh.

Basically, Kaori had been selected to be transported to a fantasy world to assist the Hero and his party in their fight against the Demon Lord. Their previous Priestess had died, and the Hero together with the King  requested a new priestess at one of the churches in his world. Kaori was deemed a suitable replacement as the properties of her soul gave her high mana capacity, as well as a natural ability for high-level healing spells. She’ll be able to heal the members of the Hero’s Party without any prior training.

Kaori had been selected by the goddess, and the paperwork had been filed and approved by Heaven. A delivery truck designated to kill Kaori had been selected and approved by the Heavenly Transport Committee.

“All the paperwork was done, everything was approved, the truck was in motion, and then you had to jump in front of Kaori! Damn it! Why did you have to do that?!”

Based on her tone, does that mean…

“Wait, Kaori is still alive?”

If dying and ruining the Goddess’s plans meant I saved Kaori, it was all worth it.

“Nope, she’s on her way to the next world.”

“…”

“The problem is that you also died. Why did you have to jump in front of that truck?! Of course, that big thing crushed both of you.”

So, I wasn’t able to save Kaori.

“I see…both of us died.” I felt a pang of pain in my chest. There were so many things I wanted to do. I dreamed of proposing to Kaori once I found a job after graduation. And then, hopefully, she and I could build a family together. All of those dreams were dashed now.

But…

If both of us died, then maybe we could be together in the next world.

I looked around, but no one else was in this white space.

“Where is Kaori?”

“She has already been transported to the next world. She has been assigned to be Priestess for the Hero’s party, remember?”

“Uhm, if you don’t mind me asking, what happened to us in Japan? Did my parents receive my body?”

The Goddess laughed. “You should’ve seen it. The front wheel drove over your stomach, and the pressure caused you to explode like a bomb. Splat! Guts everywhere! There wasn’t much for your parents to collect.”

“Why are you saying that with a big grin on your face?”

“Huh?”

“You’re grinning.”

“It’s funny.”

“…”

The Goddess shook her head.

“Anyway, you’re not scheduled to die for another fifty-seven years.” She snapped her fingers, and a scroll appeared in her hands. “According to your profile, you’re supposed to die at the age of seventy-seven when a yakuza grunt murders you because of your pachinko debt.”

“What? Pachinko debt? I don’t even play pachinko.”

“Not yet, at least. You’re supposed to start gambling after your wife leaves you for a younger man.”

“That sounds horrible.”

The Goddess snapped her fingers again; instantly, the document turned into ashes.

“So…what do I do with your soul…I can’t send you back because you’re already dead…I could put your soul inside a dog or a turtle. The Heavens don’t usually audit those, so I could get away with it…”

This was going in a really bad direction. While I love animals, I would prefer to remain human if I am to be reincarnated.

I raised my hand.

“Would it be possible to send me to the same world as Kaori?”

“Huh? The same world?”

“Yeah. You see, I love Kaori with all my heart. I wanted to marry her after we graduated. So, if possible, I want to be by her side in the next world as well.”

The Goddess considered it for a moment.

“That might be possible. The permit for transferring souls to Kaori’s new world doesn’t specify how many souls I can send over there. So…yes, I can do that without raising any red flags. If you want to be close to Kaori, I can even assign you to the same Hero’s Party.”

“Great!”

The Goddess looked at me.

“You say you wanted to marry Kaori after graduation?”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t you know what she was doing on her phone?”

“Wasn’t she playing a game?”

“Heh…” The Goddess smirked. “If you don’t know, then that’s okay too.”

“W-What?”

“Anyway, I’m tired of speaking to you. I’m going to send you to the next world then. Both you and Kaori will keep your original appearances. It will be a pain to construct new faces.”

“W-Wait, what did – “

Before I could finish, the Goddess snapped her fingers and the world went dark.

A lot of things happened afterwards.

I woke up next to Kaori inside a medieval castle. It seemed that we were sent to a world where magic was commonplace. In terms of technological development, it was roughly like fifteenth or sixteenth-century Europe. In other words, we were in a fantasy world.

The king of the country and his servants were surprised to see two of us appear inside the summoning sigil. There should’ve been only one priestess.

I explained what happened, and in the end, both of us were assigned to the Hero’s Party. Initially the king wanted me to stay behind for some reason, but Kaori insisted that I join the Hero’s Party together with her. In the end, the king reluctantly agreed. Afterwards, the King explained to us what our purpose here was.

What is the Hero’s Party?

In short, the Hero and his Party are a group whose only purpose is to defeat the Demon Lord and the demonic armies. In this world, humans have been fighting the demons for centuries. Ever since the periodic appearance of a Hero sent down by the Heavens a few centuries ago, humanity has been steadily reducing the territory controlled by demons. It looked like humanity was going to finally win once and for all. However, about fifty years ago, the demons crowned a new Demon Lord, and this one is rumored to be powerful enough to finish the fight. The demons have been making steady advances on the front lines, gradually eating away the human-controlled territories. With the last Hero having passed away decades ago, to counter that, the King asked the Heavens to bless his people with a new Hero’s Party so that the threat of the new Demon Lord may be vanquished.

The Healer (also known as the Priest/Priestess) of the Hero’s Party had died, and Kaori was supposed to replace her. Since there were two of us, we’d join the Party as Healers.

The Hero’s Party itself was a mixture of natives of this world and people who had been summoned. The Hero himself, Frieden, was a native.

The King also granted the Hero’s Party the Golden Charter, giving us access to free food and accommodation anywhere within the kingdom.

In other words, the Golden Charter was a blank check.

Maybe this quest wasn’t so bad after all.

3 months later

In just three months, the Hero’s Party had defeated the Demon Lord’s Fifth Army. Altogether, the Demon Lord had ten armies under her command, each led by one of the ten demon generals. Each of the generals was a legend in their own right, capable of striking fear in anyone who looked at them. And Frieden the Hero defeated five of them without breaking a sweat.

The Hero’s Party of five (plus one, me, which would make it six) was invincible. We traveled across the land, defeating every enemy we came across. With the Golden Charter in hand, we didn’t have to worry about food and drink.

Life was wonderful.

Or at least it should be.

After defeating the Demon Lord’s Fifth Army, we sat around a campfire in the middle of the forest. The group consisted of five core members, plus me, the unintended passenger.

“Hey, useless healer, get me another beer!”

“Yes…”

“Oi, while you’re at it, go down to the river and wash my clothes.”

“Understood…”

“Useless healer, can’t you move faster?”

“Yes…”

“Get us some snacks while you’re at it.”

“Okay.”

I ended up becoming a servant to everyone in the group. Each member was carefully selected by the Goddess to ensure that the composition of their soul would ensure high mana capacity or high-level combat skills.

This  left me as the odd one out.

Out of all the members, I was the only one who ended up here so the Goddess wouldn’t have to file extra paperwork. Out of all the members, only I didn’t have a soul that guaranteed natural high mana capacity or superior combat skills.

In fact, I barely had any mana at all. Kaori could perform high-level healing spells that could heal someone on the verge of death. Meanwhile, I could barely cast the most basic healing spells, and if I did, I’d be exhausted for several days.

Since I couldn’t fight, didn’t have great stamina, and didn’t have mana, the other members of the group began to see me as deadweight. They despised me for tagging along. As the days passed, they started to boss me around, openly calling me a useless healer and saying that since I wasn’t contributing, I should make life easier for the real party members.

At the same time, they couldn’t abandon me because I was Kaori’s boyfriend.

The Hero’s Party members consisted of:

- Frieden the Hero

- Kaori the Priestess

- Erika the Mage

- Schlacht the Berserker

- Tier the Beast Tamer

Frieden the Hero was our spearhead. He has been blessed by the gods with almost unlimited stamina, large mana stocks, and S-tier good looks. Even as a guy, I had to admit he was super good-looking. His face was on all the propaganda posters used to inform people about the Hero’s Party. Along our journey, we found that every town and village had fan clubs dedicated to him, filled with enamored village girls. Rumor had it that Frieden took advantage of those affections, leaving a trail of bastards along our journey.

Erika the Combat Mage specialized in long-range, high-damage spells. She supports Frieden in battle, usually clearing the first line of demons so that Frieden can easily cut into the core of the army.

Schlacht the Berserker wielded two long swords and wore no armor. He rushes into battle with Frieden, along with Tier the Beast Tamer. Together, they cover his left and right flank. Although sometimes Frieden rushes into battle without those two, it doesn’t seem like he actually needs their support to win.

I couldn’t help during battle, nor did I have enough mana to heal anyone, so I’ve been assigned to take care of the horses and the supply cart, as well as be the servant for every party member.

I went to the supply cart to get beer and snacks. When I came back, I discovered that only Erika, Schlacht, and Tier were sitting at the fire.

“Where are Frieden and Kaori?” I asked.

Erika turned her head, looking annoyed.

“I don’t know, they just got up and left.” She took the beer and snacks out of my hands.

“They just left? Where did they go?”

“Why do you care? It’s none of your business where the Hero and Priestess go. Remember your place. You’re only alive because of Frieden’s generosity.”

I gritted my teeth.

Originally, everyone wanted to kick me out, but Kaori persuaded Frieden to let me stay on. Frieden agreed, but also said that I had to earn my place.

“There is no room for deadweight in my party,” he told me soon after Kaori and I joined.

It was humiliating to be treated like trash every day, especially when I knew that I really was useless. My university education didn’t matter here. The only things that counted in this world were high mana capacity and sword skills. Unfortunately, I had neither. It’s especially embarrassing to be treated like this in front of Kaori.

“What?” Erika said. “Why are you just standing there?”

“Sorry, please excuse me.”

I left the campfire. Most of the time, I wasn’t allowed to sleep next to the warmth of the campfire – which was reserved for the five core members, who each had their own private tent (which I also had to set up). I had to sleep in the supply cart.

I returned to the supply cart, but I didn’t want to go to sleep yet. Kaori and Frieden had vanished. As a responsible boyfriend, I should make sure that she is okay.

I wasn’t aware of the direction they had taken, but I was certain they hadn’t walked past the supply cart; otherwise, I would have noticed them. That left three other possible basic directions.

On a whim, I decided to head east. I planned to walk for about ten minutes, then return if I didn’t find them. Any further, and I’d lose sight of the campfire.

I stumbled through the forest, my eyes slowly adjusting to the gentle moonlight. Unlike Erika, I couldn’t cast spells that improved my night vision.

“Damn it…”

It felt unfair that some people were simply born with superior mana capacity. They had done nothing to deserve it, but they acted superior around people like me who weren’t blessed. At the same time, I could not defy them because my survival depended on them. If Frieden kicked me out of the party…in this world where I didn’t know anyone…well, I’d probably die.

I despised myself for clinging to the safety the Hero’s Party provided.

Why did the Goddess have to choose Kaori? Wasn’t there anyone else with a suitable soul? If Kaori hadn’t been chosen, then she and I would continue to live happily in Tokyo. We could get married after graduation, live together, and possibly start a family.

“Damn it – “ I was about to scream out of frustration when a certain sound made me stop.

“Hanghhhh~ Harder~”

I froze.

I recognized this voice. It belonged to Kaori.

“Hah…hah…we need to hurry,” she said while breathing heavily. “The others will find out.”

“I’m almost done,” a second voice said. This one sounded like Frieden the Hero.

So these two had really snuck off together. What were they doing? I wanted to call out, but somewhere deep down inside, I already knew the answer.

I moved in the direction of the sounds with a sick feeling in my stomach. It was pretty easy to find them because they never stopped making noise.

After a few minutes, I could finally see them.

Kaori had her hands against a tree, with her priestess ropes rolled up to her waist, while Frieden was behind her.

Simply put, they were doing it.

“Kaori, you’re so cute.”

He leaned over and gave her a deep kiss.

“Frieden, you’re amazing!”

“Am I better than him?”

“Geez…don’t talk about him…hnghhh~”

Seeing them together like this made me want to throw up, and at the same time, I couldn’t look away. Thanks to the bright moonlight, I could see everything. Kaori’s face was filled with bliss. I had never seen her look so happy.

I hid behind a tree while they continued. After they finished, they hurriedly left while I stayed where I was.

“Kaori…” I mumbled her name while I cried. “Why would you…this kind of thing…”

Kaori and Frieden spent a lot of time together in his tent. Since he was the Hero, it only made sense for Kaori to be extra careful when casting healing spells on him. I did notice that they have grown closer as a result of that. They’d always sit together next to the campfire and chat late into the night.

Kaori was cheating on me.

I guess I should break up with her.

But if I broke up with her, there’d be no reason for me to stay with the Hero’s Party. If I confronted Kaori, we’d break up and I’d get kicked out of the Hero’s Party.

I had no skills, no mana. My university education wouldn’t get me a job here. The truth was that most citizens of the modern world would starve to death in a pre-industrial world.

Without the Hero’s Party and the Golden Charter, I’d starve to death.

But how can I stay with the party, knowing what she and Frieden are doing behind my back?

I could either swallow my pride or starve to death.

I looked up at the full moon.

You rotten Goddess, is this what you wanted? Is this my punishment for making your life a little difficult?

I staggered around the forest without any particular aim. All I knew was that if I went back to the camp now, I wouldn’t be able to control myself. If I confronted Kaori, that would be the end of my life. And if I attacked Frieden, he could kill me with a single slap.

What should I do? I’m damned no matter what.

I would’ve continued walking like this all night long if I didn’t bump into someone.

“Ouch! Watch where you’re going!” a high-pitched voice complained.

“Huh? Who is this?”

The trees covered the full moon, making it difficult to make out who I had run into in the middle of the forest. All I could tell was that this was a girl’s voice.

“Uhm…I’m looking for the Hero’s Party,” the girl said.

“Oh right…”

As a result of the posters that had been distributed across the land, Frieden the Hero had fan clubs in every town and village. This girl must be a fan from the local village.

“Do you know where they are?” the girl asked.

I’ve always had a good sense of direction. Even as a child, whenever my mother lost me, I was able to find my way home from the supermarket. I’d sit on the doorstep and wait until she came back, usually in tears. So even though I’ve been wandering aimlessly in my grief, I knew how to find my way back…for better or worse.

“Yeah, I know.”

“Oh! Are you a member? I don’t recognize you.”

The girl was rather short. Her head only reached my chest. The girl’s eyes emitted a gentle red glow in the darkness. Maybe she was using night vision enhancement magic like Erika.

“I’m the sixth member, well, it’s a long story. A lot of things happened.”

“I see, I see…I thought there were only five. From the posters, you know? So you’re the sixth member.”

All of the king’s propaganda posters advertise the Hero’s Party as a five-member group. The sixth addition was unexpected; no one wanted to change the poster design for someone useless like me.

Her eyes shifted slightly as if she was tilting her head.

“In that case, can you take me to the Hero’s Party?”

Her red eyes glowed even more brightly.

I let out a deep sigh. My heart was heavy with grief, the images of Kaori and Frieden still freshly seared in my mind. I wanted to keep wandering until I collapsed.

But at the same time, I couldn’t leave this child in the middle of the forest.

“Sure…let’s go meet the Hero.”

“Yay~ Thank you!”

She gave me a tight hug. For a moment I felt something sharp poke against my shoulder. Before I could ask what it was, the girl let go of me.

“Let’s go~”

“Sure, sure…”

For now, I decided to take her to the camp. I could decide what to do afterward.

I took the girl’s hand and led her through the forest. With patches of moonlight falling through the roof of trees, I was able to gradually find my way back to the camp. Eventually, we could make out the light of the campfire.

“There it is.” I pointed ahead. “If you go there, you will find Frieden and the other party members.”

“Mh, okay, thank you.”

Neither of us moved. I expected her to dash forward, eager to meet her Oshi, but the girl stayed where she was.

“What’s wrong? You don’t want to meet the Hero?”

“Eh? Uhm…I think I will stay here for a bit. You can go first.”

“I don’t wanna go back. I’ll wait here for you.”

“Uhm…it really is no trouble. Thank you for your help. I don’t want to trouble you any further.”

“It’s really no trouble.”

There was no way I could leave a child in the forest. She was probably feeling nervous. I heard of fan girls fainting when they see their favorite Korean idol leaving the airport.

I grabbed her hand and pulled her with me.

“E-Eh, wait – “

The girl staggered forward and stepped right into the moonlight. Come to think of it, she hadn’t once stepped into the moonlight the whole time, always making sure to stay in the darkness. I didn’t think much of it, but now that she did, I got a clear look at her. And I understood why.

Two thick curved horns grew out from the top of her head. Her fingers looked more like claws, and she had a star-tipped tail growing from the back.

Even though I was new to this world, I knew what this meant.

She was a demon.

Specifically, she was the Demon Lord. Her face was printed on all the propaganda posters around the kingdom. Her face was almost as famous as Frieden’s.

Everyone knew what she looked like. No one knew her name. Her large glowing red eyes weren’t red because of any night vision spell but because of the demonic mana in her veins (Erika and Kaori had blue mana, one of the main ways to distinguish humans and demons).

“Eeek! Don’t look at me,” the girl cried, stepping out of the moonlight and back into the darkness.

I took several deep breaths. If she really was the Demon Lord, she could probably kill me without moving a muscle.

“You’re a demon?” I asked.

“Uhm…your eyes must be playing tricks on you. I am a one hundred percent genuine human!”

That answer didn’t sound convincing.

“Can you step into the moonlight so I can get a good look at you?”

“Uhm…I’m allergic to moonlight.”

“There is no such allergy among humans…”

“Oh…I see. In that case, I am allergic to all types of light.”

“You’d be dead in that case.”

“No, no. I cannot show anyone who isn’t my husband my face. I am very shy, you see.”

Somehow, this explanation wasn’t very convincing either. Back in my home world, there were countries whose religion demanded that women hide their faces, but as far as I could tell, in this world, there was no such custom. The only religion in this world was the Word of Light, and the King declared that Frieden the Hero was a prophet.

“No such custom exists among humans,” I said.

“In that case, I am just shy. I don’t wanna show my face.”

What a troublesome demon girl. I couldn’t exactly force her. If she really was the Demon Lord, doing so would guarantee my death. If she was human, then I would have tainted her honor.

Let’s see…what should I do…

Ah, I have an idea.

“If you don’t want to step out of the shadows, then I can ask the Hero to come here.”

The girl reacted immediately.

“No, no! That is alright. I will simply observe the Hero from a safe distance.”

I sighed. There was nothing more I could do. At this point, I was pretty sure that she was the Demon Lord. Although it was just a brief glimpse, her face was identical to the one I saw on the propaganda posters.

If I run away, she will kill me. And if I call over Frieden, I wasn’t guaranteed to survive either.

Considering I had just seen Kaori cheating with the Hero, I wasn’t really in the mood to live. The rotten Goddess had truly put me in a terrible position here. Reincarnated into a world where my existing skills were useless, and my mana was low. It might actually be better if the Demon Lord could give me a quick and painless death.

Let’s provoke the Demon Lord into killing me. Maybe I can have a bit of fun while I’m at it.

“You really don’t want to meet Frieden the Hero? I can call him over right now.”

“No, no, that’s alright. Thank you for the offer.”

“Frieden impregnates the prettiest girl in every village we pass through.”

“I see, that’s useful information.”

“I think Frieden will be able to kill the Demon Lord without even trying.”

“Hmm…”

“The Demon Lord and her armies don’t stand a chance.”

“That is troublesome indeed…”

I smiled slightly. She might not have realized it, but she basically just admitted that she was a demon.

“Why would that be troublesome? If you really are a human, then you should be overjoyed by this.”

“Ack…”

“I’ll call over Frieden so that he can kill you.”

“Kuh - “

Her red eyes pulsed like a heartbeat. Suddenly her hands were enveloped by the same red light. It was just like when Kaori and Erika used magic. Mana concentrated in their hands right before they cast spells.

She pointed at me; instantly an invisible force pushed me up against the tree. The pressure wasn’t strong; I could still breathe normally but couldn’t move freely either.

The girl stepped into a spot of moonlight. She had thick curved horns on top of her head. Now that I could see her clearly, her face was more childlike than the propaganda posters would suggest. There was a hint of innocence about her. It was hard to believe that this was the Demon Lord who wanted to destroy humanity.

“It’s a shame that I have to kill you.”

“Hmm…yeah.”

“How do you want to die?”

“How nice of you to ask.”

“It’s only natural to respect a dying man’s last wish. Unlike you humans, we don’t slaughter senselessly.”

I raised an eyebrow. That is a lie.

“Everyone knows that demons eat humans,” I said.

The Demon Lord girl said nothing for a moment.

“That…that’s only because you humans have taken away all the farmland. We have nothing to eat, so…when we’re desperate, we have no choice. We’re on the verge of a famine. If I can just destroy the Hero’s Party, then our remaining forces will be able to retake at least enough land for some basic food security.”

Food security.

I could sympathize with her. Japan was also a country with little suitable land for agriculture. After the war, countless people starved to death.

She pointed at me. “Anyway, tell me how you want to die. I will respect your wishes.”

“Make it quick and painless.”

“Understood.”

She reached behind and pulled out a knife that shone brilliantly under the moonlight.

“Then I shall slice your throat.”

She stepped closer. The knife was just inches away from me.

Suddenly, a jolt of fear ran through me.

Heh…how pathetic. Even though I wanted to die, when death was in front of me, a desperate desire to live appeared out of nowhere.

“Wait, wait.”

She put the cool metal of the knife against my throat.

“Last words?”

“You hate Frieden the Hero?” I asked.

“Hmm? Yeah.”

“Me too.”

She moved the knife away from my throat but didn’t release me from her invisible grip.

“What do you mean? Explain yourself. You’re a party member. The Hero is conquering the continent for the sake of your race. Why do you hate him?”

I shared with her the details of everything that had transpired. Kaori had been chosen by the Goddess to replace the previous Priestess. I explained my sincere intention to rescue Kaori, only to find myself unexpectedly transported to this world alongside her because the rotten Goddess didn’t want to accept responsibility. I also confided in her about the challenges I faced – my lack of mana, the way I was treated within the party, and the moment when I witnessed my girlfriend betraying me.

“Frieden and the others were selected by the Heavens to eradicate my race,” the Demon Lord said with a bitter smile. “How can we win when even the gods have sided against us?”

We spoke at the same time. “It’s so unfair.”

We looked into each other’s eyes and recognized something we knew all too well.

“Let’s work together,” I said.

“Eh?”

She was so startled by my suggestion that her spell loosened. I dropped to the ground.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“We’ve both been cast aside by the gods. We both hate Frieden the Hero. We could work together.”

“Hmm…” She looked at me with skepticism.

“I could be your spy within the Hero’s Party. The demonic armies might stand a chance with extra information.”

She didn’t look convinced.

“The Hero’s Party defeated the fifth demonic army. We know you only have five armies left. Your armies haven’t won a single battle against the Hero. The tides of war are against you. Soon, nothing can stop the Hero’s march into demon territory.”

The Demon Lord laughed.

“The Hero is invincible. The gods themselves want to exterminate my race. How can information from a single human help?”

“The gods might have given Frieden peerless power, but Frieden does have a weakness.”

“And what is that weakness?”

“I don’t know,” I continued before the Demon Lord could speak. “I don’t know what his weakness is, but I know he has one.”

“How do you know that?”

“He is only human.”

She blinked, not fully comprehending what I said. Then, her eyes widened as realization set in. A moment later, she burst into laughter, and couldn’t help but chuckle along.

Then she suddenly turned serious again, looking at me.

“You’re willing to destroy the entire human race because the Hero is sleeping with your girlfriend?”

“Yes.” I added, “Maybe that is my weakness. I have a taste for revenge.”

I thought the Demon Lord would laugh, but she remained deadly serious.

“How can I trust someone who is willing to sell out his entire race because his girlfriend cheated on him? For all I know, if we can’t defeat the Hero, then you might hand me over.”

She has a good point. I wouldn’t trust a traitor either.

But…

“I died for her,” I said. “I jumped in front of a…err…horse carriage to save her life. I did that as if it was the most natural thing in the world. And in the end…she cheated on me.” I looked the Demon Lord square in the eyes, knowing that my next words would decide whether I lived or died. “I don’t know if you can understand that, but that is something I can never forgive.”

I took a breath and added, “If you still don’t trust me, then kill me now. I am done with this world.”

She studied me with her pulsing red eyes, and the red mana in her hands vanished.

“Fine, I will trust you for now.” She offered her hand. “My name is Anju. Anju the Demon Lord. Be grateful. You’re the only human I’ve ever given my name to.”

"Kenta."

I shook her hand. It was surprisingly small.

Anju continued. “I will need to verify your claims about your girlfriend cheating on you. You understand, right? It’s standard due diligence.”

“Sure, but how will you verify that?”

She smirked.

“Don’t worry about that.”

Afterward, she used a teleportation spell, and I returned to our camp. When I came back, Erika and Schlacht asked if I was pathetically jerking off in the woods and guffawed. I bore those comments with a pained grin. Kaori pretended not to hear what they said even though she was sitting nearby.

I looked at her. Mere moments ago, she was in Frieden’s hands, enjoying his touch, making expressions I thought only I got to see.

“Kenta, are you okay?” Kaori asked.

“Mh, yeah. Do you want to sleep with me in the supply cart?”

She averted her gaze.

“I’m low on mana; Frieden said it’s better if I sleep on his soft bed. He will sleep on the ground.”

“How nice of him to offer you his bed.”

“Mh! He is very kind.”

Erika and Schlacht snickered while Tier remained silent.

I have no doubt that Kaori was telling the truth – except the last part where Frieden will sleep on the ground.

The next day we packed up (I packed up the camp while the others berated me for being too slow while not helping), and we moved on to the next town.

We arrived at Braunheim by mid-day. From the moment we entered the town, people gathered on the main street and threw flowers at our feet. Looking up, I could see young women leaning out of open windows to get a good look at Frieden.

By this time, even Erika, Schlacht, Kaori and Tier were becoming celebrities. Kids ran up to Tier, asking if they could touch the beasts he had tamed. Older boys wanted to look at Schlacht’s collection of blades.

No one noticed me though.

The five party members were invited to the mayor’s office for lunch while I stayed behind to take care of our horses and supplies.

The first thing I did was use the Golden Charter to buy everything we needed. I had no idea when Frieden would want to leave (sometimes we stayed for a few days, sometimes we left in just a few hours), so I had to be ready to depart at the drop of a hat.

After purchasing all the necessary supplies, I located a stable and paid a stableboy to wash and feed the horses. Afterward, I made my way to a tavern and settled into a corner table. No one gave me a second glance when I entered.

Sitting alone with a drink in my hand gave me the chance to collect my thoughts.

Anju the Demon Lord agreed to let me be her spy, helping her bring about the downfall of humanity.

Anju doesn’t fully trust me and needs to confirm my claim that Kaori is cheating on me.

There is just one thing that doesn’t really make sense.

How would Anju confirm that Kaori is cheating on me?

If she has the ability to find out about the most intimate details of Frieden’s life, then why would she need me to spy for her? Theoretically, I could wait for Kaori and Frieden to do it again. But this world didn’t have cameras I could use to collect evidence. Anju would still have to take my word for it.

As I pondered this problem, the waitress placed a cup of drink before me.

“Sorry, I didn’t order this,” I said.

“It’s on the house,” she replied.

I looked up. She wore a cream-colored dress with a brown apron tied in front; her blonde hair was neatly arranged in braids.

“Thank you.”

She didn’t leave. Instead, she sat down next to me.

“Uhm…” I didn’t know what to say.

“I’m on break now.”

“Ah…”

I gulped. My heart raced. I had heard of this kind of situation before. Back in Japan, some of the handsome upperclassmen had shared tales about waitresses attempting to pick them up at restaurants, leading to encounters in love hotels after work. Of course this kind of thing only happened to the extraordinarily good-looking guys in their prime.

Could this finally be happening to me? Was this my popular phase?

“You’re a member of the Hero’s Party, right?” she asked.

“Y-Yeah.”

“You’re not on the posters.”

“A lot of things happened…there were only supposed to be five in the Hero’s Party. Due to circumstances I am the sixth member.”

She rested her chin in the palm of her hand and leaned in closer, our shoulders touching.

W-Whoa, she smells really good. If I leaned in just a bit, our lips would touch.

Kaori’s face flashed in front of my eyes, but I forced her out of my mind. She had already cheated on me; there was nothing wrong with me exploring possible relationships with other girls.

“Interesting…the sixth member.”

She licked her lips. She was quiet for a beat as if she was contemplating what to say next.

“If it’s not too much trouble, could you introduce me to the Hero?”

Ah…

The rush of excitement I felt vanished. Instead a cold feeling spread in my chest.

This kind of thing has happened to me before, both in this world and Japan. A girl would get friendly with me, with the intention of using me to get close to her actual person of interest – usually a better-looking friend or Frieden in this world.

To be fair, guys do the same thing with girls. They talk to the cute girl’s friend before making a move on the cute girl.

It’s a terrible feeling for the person who is being used.

I wonder if that is why I treasured Kaori so much and never complained, even when she spent most of our last couple of dates before our death on her phone. She was my first and only girlfriend. We met when she was dragged along by her friend, who wanted to use me to get closer to one of my friends. In the end, I asked Kaori out because I liked her and figured there was nothing to lose. She agreed, and we began to date.

“You’re the sixth member, right? I heard the Hero is having a party somewhere else. Maybe you could bring me to him? Or ask him to come here?”

I forced a smile. Unlike the girls at my university, this waitress wasn’t even trying to hide her true intentions.

“Uhm…it might be difficult to introduce you to the Hero.”

“Hmm? Why?”

“I don’t have much influence inside the Party. It might be better to ask Erika or Schlacht.”

Disappointment clouded her face. She glanced at the beer and a hint of annoyance appeared in her expression. She was probably regretting giving me a free drink before making sure I was useful.

“Could you bring the Hero here? His presence could help us raise revenue.”

“I’m sorry…I don’t think Frieden will listen to me.”

She clicked her tongue in annoyance and stood up, preparing to leave.

“Wait, “ I said, grabbing her wrist.

She looked down at me with a mix of surprise and annoyance.

“Be careful,” I said.

She looked confused.

This waitress reminded me of a foreign exchange student who came to my high school during my second year. They look eerily similar. She had learned Japanese but then found out that textbook Japanese was very different from how high schoolers spoke. In the end, due to the language barrier, she had difficulty making friends even though she studied harder than anyone else. I felt bad for her during that time, but I could do nothing since I couldn’t speak English.

“Be careful with what?” she asked.

“Have you heard of the rumors about the Hero?”

She didn’t sit down, but she didn’t walk away either. Her expression told me that the rumors had indeed spread to this town.

“A lot of people say a lot of different things about the Hero,” she said.

“Try not to get too close to the Hero. The things they say about him leaving a trail of bastards are all true.”

She pulled her hand away.

“Ah, sorry…”

She walked away without another word.

Chapter 2

We had a scheduled party meeting the next morning, which got pushed to the afternoon because Frieden wouldn’t come out of his room. Suspiciously, Kaori was also missing. When I asked Erika, Schlacht and Tier what everyone did last night, they only gave me vague answers accompanied by snickers.

At this point I finally understood the truth behind their answers. While I was resupplying and drinking on my own, Frieden and Kaori locked themselves in a room and went at it like wild animals all night long.

After several hours, Frieden and Kaori came downstairs together, their fingers intertwined. When Kaori saw me, she quickly pulled her hand away.

I pretended to haven’t noticed anything. For now, I need to remain in the Hero’s Party, so I have to act like a caring boyfriend.

“Kaori, good morning,” I said. “Did you get a good night’s sleep?”

“Mhh, yes – “

Frieden put his arm around her shoulder. “Kaori was sore from casting all those spells, so I helped her recover some mana last night. You should be thankful that I have a mana recovery ability since the gods haven’t blessed you with any skills.”

I wanted to grab his throat and rip his head off. How can he be so shameless? It’s as if he was saying, “Come on, I dare you to speak out against me.”

I lowered my head so that no one could see my expression.

“I sincerely thank you for your help. My lack of ability is shameful. Thank you for helping Kaori.”

Frieden nodded with satisfaction. “That’s right. Never forget that I am the Hero; all of you depend on me. Humanity depends on me.”

Erika, Schlacht, and Tier remained silent. Frieden, on the other hand, clapped his hands together.

“Let’s get the meeting started.” Everyone turned their attention to him. “Let’s keep this short; I have only one announcement to make.”

That was surprising. Usually, these party meetings start off with a speech. Frieden was the type who relished being in the spotlight. Soaking in adoration was like breathing for him.

Frieden nodded at Schlacht and Tier.

“You two are my main support, but you are constantly getting injured. Kaori can barely keep up with healing you two. And Erika isn’t suited for close-quarter combat.”

Everyone avoided making eye contact. To some extent, I think the other party members feared Frieden. His strength was so overwhelming that nobody could keep up with him. I wanted to tell Frieden to stop rushing into battle without considering others. It was unreasonable to expect Schlacht and Tier to keep up with his every step while protecting his flanks. But the truth was that the Hero Party’s sole purpose was to support Frieden. If Schlacht and Tier could not keep up with him, it was their fault, not Frieden’s.

Frieden continued, “That is why I have decided to temporarily add a sixth, I mean seventh party member as a third support in close-quarter combat.” He clapped his hands. “You can come out now.”

A girl came down the stairs and stood next to Frieden. She had long black hair and was rather short.

Wait a minute…I feel like I have seen her before.

It couldn’t be…right?

“This is Anju. She will join us for a short while.”

Erika raised her hand. “All five of us were selected by the Goddess to be members of the Hero’s Party. Adding a new member might upset our balance. It won’t look good if she dies in combat. It could also anger the gods.”

“That won’t be a problem.” Frieden pulled out a scroll. “Anju signed an agreement, releasing the Hero’s Party from any responsibility in the event of her death. She will also not introduce herself as a member but as a temporary guest.”

Anju raised her hand. Her eyes pulsed…just like a certain demon I met recently.

“Don’t worry about me! If I die, it’s my fault. I just want to support the Hero in his quest to kill all the demons! Please use me in any way you like. I’m happy to be the decoy or to take on the most dangerous flanks. Please think of me as a pawn you can use to make your jobs easier. Frieden is our country’s greatest treasure. I will gladly die for him.”

Frieden patted her on the head. He had a look of pure satisfaction on his face. Her words must’ve sounded like music to his ears. Even though he had a fan club in every town, even the most ardent fans wouldn’t say something like that.

“Anju will rush into battle with us. And if she dies, that’s her fault. She will support us with her life. Make whatever preparations are necessary. We will move out tomorrow at first light.”

With that, Frieden dismissed us.

I couldn’t help but notice that Schlacht and Tier looked dismayed by what had just happened. I couldn’t blame them. Frieden basically called them incompetent in front of everyone.

If they weren’t such bastards, I would’ve actually felt sorry for them.

After the meeting was adjourned, I headed to the stables to check up on our horses, with our newest party member following closely behind.

“Who are you really?” I asked after making sure that there was no one else.

“Hmm?” She tilted her head slightly with a grin on her face. “I am Anju, the newest human party member.”

Human party member.

“No real human party member would say that.”

“Why not?”

“Because it is assumed that they are human.”

“Heh-heh. I jest.”

She snapped her fingers, transforming into the Anju the Demon Lord, complete with horns, a star tipped tail, and glowing red eyes.

“How do you like my disguise? I think it’s rather well done.”

“You fooled the others, but you didn’t fool me.”

“Why not?”

“You still have the same look on your face.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? I made sure to change my face too.”

“I think it’s more of a problem with your attitude.”

“Hey!” She raised her hand. I thought she’d use her red mana to push me against the wall like before, but nothing happened.

“You’re not going to pin me to the wall?”

“Tch.” She clicked her tongue. “I can’t use my magic here. This town has guards that can detect demonic mana.”

“But weren’t you using a spell to change your appearance?”

“That spell is designed to suppress my mana. That way, both my appearance and mana signature will appear exactly like a human’s.”

“You do look like a human, but you haven’t changed the way you behave.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Humans are usually more reserved around people they just met.”

The way she walked and talked was no different from when she was in her original demon lord appearance. She exuded the confidence of a ruler with absolute power. There was no hesitation in her stride, no pause in her speech. She behaved as if she expected others to make way.

“I don’t understand.”

“Even though you appear like a human, you still walk and talk like a dictator.”

“I am a dictator.”

“…”

Anju giggled.

“I think I understand. I’m not stupid. I am the Demon Lord, after all.”

She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, the air about her had changed.

She appeared timid and weak, as if she needed to be protected from the whole world. She closed the distance between us, putting her small hands on my chest, and looked up at me with wide, unblinking eyes, almost as if she were on the verge of tears.

“Is this better…big brother?”

“…”

“Big brother is so cold…little Anju just wants to play with you.”

“Please stop that. It’s a bit disgusting.”

“Disgu – !”

She appeared to be genuinely offended by my comment. Hammering my chest with her tiny fists, she pouted like a child. It was hard to believe that this was the fearsome Demon Lord.

“How did you persuade Frieden to let you into the party anyway?” I asked. Frieden was the most arrogant and stubborn person I have ever met. I’ve never seen anyone change his mind. When Schlacht and Tier asked him to slow down just a little so they could keep up on his left and right flank, he ignored them. When Erika asked him to consider her mana cooldown period during battle, he told her it was her job not to slow him down.

“Heh-heh~ I have a good eye for this kind of thing.” She made the peace sign. “Last night in the forest, I noticed that your two melee support guys, you know, the guy with the two swords and the beast tamer, were always injured. The surviving soldiers from the fifth army told me that the Hero’s left and right flank were slightly exposed So, I thought there might be an opening for me. I waited until the Hero was alone for a moment and began talking to him at the tavern. And when I made the offer, he agreed.”

I feel like she skipped a lot of steps, especially the last part where she simply approached him and made the offer. Why did Frieden agree to her offer? Was it because she signed a waiver forfeiting her right to live? Or maybe they both had this vaguely arrogant personality that caused them to get along?

“From now on, I will travel with the Hero’s Party until I get proof that your girlfriend is really cheating on you.”

If she is so good at infiltrating enemy ranks, then why did she even need me as a spy? She could just spy on Frieden on her own.

I decided not to ask her that. My potential as a spy kept me and my hopes for revenge alive.

And that is how the Demon Lord joined the Hero’s Party on its quest to destroy…the Demon Lord.

It was such a ridiculous idea that I almost didn’t blame Frieden for not being suspicious. He must’ve never thought of any demon trying to trick him because he considered himself the strongest being in the universe. Nevertheless, Anju had managed to trick him.

Perhaps vanity is one of his weak points.

I thought it would be easy enough to show Anju how Kaori and Frieden fooled around behind my back, but it was harder than I thought.

Throughout the day, Kaori spent most of her time healing the sick and elderly. While we were all busy, Frieden went to different taverns and enjoyed the attention his fans gave him. The local girls surrounded him while the men could only watch from a distance, gritting their teeth and crying bitter tears.

By the end of the day, we had seen Frieden bed five local Braunheim girls.

Anju and I sat in a tavern, exhausted from following Frieden around.

“The rumors of Frieden leaving a trail of bastards are true, at least,” Anju said. “He did it inside every time. That man has no sense of responsibility.”

I was more amazed by his stamina. Not only did he bed five girls from his local fan club, he did it multiple times with each girl.

“That man is a monster,” I said. “Any other normal man would’ve died from so much activity.”

“Say, Kenta, what is your record?”

“…I prefer not to say.”

“Hee…it must be less than the Hero’s then.”

We both had our chins on the table, our eyelids heavy. I could tell she was trying to insult me, but I didn’t have the energy to summon a clever retort.

“Of course. I don’t feel ashamed to admit it because what he does is not normal.”

He had this much stamina even though he spent the whole night with Kaori. Could it be that while Kaori was his favorite, she could not keep up with his needs, so he sought out girls in his fan club? He does it so openly that I suspect that Kaori knows about it and silently gives her consent.

“Kuh…”

I wanted to cry.

How did I lose out to a scumbag like that? A naive part of me thought I could get Kaori back if I showed her what Frieden did with other girls.

“Don’t cry, Kenta. What Frieden does isn’t normal among demons either.”

“Ho…how many times is normal for a demon.”

She didn’t reply immediately.

“Maybe three or four times?”

“You’re not sure?”

Another moment of silence.

“That is what my friends tell me.”

“Oh…I thought you – “

“I-I don’t have that kind of experience.”

I peered at her. I thought she would have a whole harem of handsome guys because she was the Demon Lord. Could it be that she was a maiden?

“Anyway, Kaori and Frieden sneak off together all the time. I don’t understand why they are being so careful now.”

I wasn’t able to provide the evidence Anju wanted. There was a chance that she might call off the deal and kill me.

I remember reading that in Japan, men and women cheat at roughly the same rates, but men are perceived to be more prone to cheating because they get caught more often. The study said that women tend to carefully schedule their affairs so that they will never be found out.

Was Kaori doing that now? Could it be that she wanted to keep her trysts with Frieden a secret from me?

She clearly loves him a lot. Why would she want to keep it a secret? It would be much easier if she broke up with me and openly dated Frieden.

In that case, it meant that Kaori did not intend on breaking up with me. I didn’t understand her reasons, but at the very least, it meant that my position within the party was somewhat secure for now.

“Don’t worry, I’m a patient one,” Anju said as if she was able to read my thoughts. “I wasn’t able to see Frieden copulate with your girlfriend, but I did get a glimpse of his true character. Someone like him wouldn’t hesitate to lay his hand on someone else’s girlfriend. Now it’s just a question of observing Kaori’s character.”

She sat up and gulped down half of her drink.

“Huh, human ale is quite nice,” she muttered. “Say, you still consider Priestess your girlfriend?”

“Well…we haven’t officially broken up, so…”

We also haven’t done it once ever since we arrived in this world.

“I see.”

She finished her drink and ordered another one. She suddenly began to laugh.

“What’s so funny?”

“The gods have a sick sense of humor,” she said.

“What makes you say that?”

“The savior of humanity is rotten to the core, a bastard who takes the honor of countless girls, ruins them for life, and simply continues on without a shred of guilt.”

She smiled wryly with her hands around the mug.

“Frieden the Bastard,” I said.

“Heh-heh…”

Anju dipped her finger into her drink and scribbled some numbers on the table.

“What are you calculating?”

“An average of 2.5 a day…let’s say at least half of them are ovulating…considering how many days since he became the Hero…I’m calculating the number of bastards he has fathered…”

I laughed. “It must be over a hundred by now.”

“Mh.”

The next day, we moved out of the city. People threw flowers at our feet as we walked toward the city gates. Merchants and store owners wanted to give us free supplies, but unfortunately, the supply cart was already full.

Anju had taken on her human appearance. She was walking at the front of the caravan, waving at the people with a bright smile – the people she planned to conquer.

She really knew how to act the part after taking into account some of my feedback (although she still had trouble suppressing her natural personality). I would’ve been completely fooled if I didn’t know that she was the Demon Lord. It was almost creepy how good she was at pretending to be a party member. Her smile, hand movements, and gait – it was as if she was used to this kind of adoration.

Well, she is the Demon Lord, after all. Maybe she is worshiped like this everywhere within the Demonic Realm.

Little children came up to the different party members bearing gifts. Anju stroked them on the head, smiling down on them like a loving older sister.

If those kids only knew that she could blow them up at will.

We left the city and spent the whole day traveling on the road. At first we encountered travelers, preachers, merchants, and local village folk on their way to town. The further we traveled from Braunheim, the fewer people we came across on the road until night fell, and our roadside campfire was the only light other than the moon and the stars.

Normally, lighting a fire next to a road like this was a bad idea because it was a beacon for bandits, but no one in their right mind would try to rob the Hero’s Party.

(There was one time when a group of bandits tried to rob us. Frieden didn’t even look at them. He snapped his fingers and they turned to ash, the wind blowing away any evidence.)

“Frieden, what’s your favorite color?”

“Frieden, are you a native of this world or were you transported to this world like Kenta and Kaori?”

“Are you allergic to anything?”

“Frieden, what’s your favorite position?”

Sitting at the campfire, Anju bombarded Frieden with questions. I take back what I said about her being the perfect spy; she could barely conceal her intention of extracting sensitive information about him. Seated next to him, their shoulders touching, her eyes shining with curiosity, she proved to be even more nosy than the girls from Frieden’s fan club.

Frieden answered all of her questions. In fact, he seemed pleased about her desire to know everything about him. He answered at length (he prefers to be on top). Anju hung onto every word, making detailed notes as if he were a prophet delivering a commandment.

Kaori sat down next to me.

“Kenta, let’s eat together.”

She handed me a warm bowl of soup with some meat and vegetables in it.

“Ah…Kaori…”

It’s been a while since Kaori and I had a meal together. For the past couple of weeks, whenever we made camp, she always sat next to Frieden. When I asked her about it, it was because she needed to stay in close contact for her “deep healing” spells to work.

“You don’t need to cast deep healing on Frieden tonight?”

I could hear Schlacht, Erika, and Tier snickering. Until recently, everyone except me knew what ‘deep healing’ really meant.

“I don’t think Frieden will need healing tonight,” Kaori said with a gentle scowl on her brow. She glared at Frieden and then moved closer to me.

Ah…

She was angry that Frieden wasn’t giving her any attention now that Anju was hogging him. Usually, he’d be showering her with affection since there usually weren’t any other girls.

This was a troublesome situation. If Kaori and Frieden weren’t doing it tonight, I wouldn’t be able to give Anju the evidence she needs to trust me. And for as long as Anju sticks to Frieden like glue, Kaori won’t let him touch her.

Damn it, Frieden…I underestimated how much of a scumbag you are. I wrongly assumed that he would sleep with Kaori because that is what he did last time when we were camping. I didn’t think he’d completely ignore Kaori the moment a new admirer showed up.

“In that case, would you like to sleep in the supply cart tonight?”

Kaori’s gaze was fixed on Frieden and Anju.

“Mh, that would be nice.”

After dinner, Frieden and the other party members went into their private tents so they could rest for the night, so I used that opportunity to pull Anju into the woods.

“What do you think you are doing?” I asked.

“Eh? I’m gathering intelligence?”

She tilted her head as if confused about why I was annoyed.

“Is there something wrong?” she asked.

I let out a deep sigh.

“How can I show you evidence of Frieden sleeping with my girlfriend if you are next to him all the time?”

“Ehhhh? But this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for me to find out more about the Hero.”

“Can’t you do that after you see them do it?”

“Hmm…but I wanna gather intel now.”

“Please be more patient.”

“I can’t. I want to gather intelligence now. My need for information is overwhelming. A human wouldn’t understand.”

I tried not to let my anger show on my face. Anju was the Demon Lord, as she clearly felt no need to suppress her own desires. If she wanted to gather intelligence now, then everything and everyone else had to make way.

“Please give me the chance to prove that you can trust me. Don’t you think having a trusted mole inside the Hero’s Party is far more valuable than any information you can gather now? Think of the long-term benefits.”

“But…I wanna…now…”

She clearly wasn’t capable of long-term planning.

She put her knees together as if dying to go to the bathroom.

“It’s difficult to hold it in…you know?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll let you go to the bathroom. Please excuse me.”

I turned around to leave.

“That’s not what I meant!” She grabbed my arm, her face completely red. “I am the,” she reduced her voice to a whisper, “the Demon Lord…you’re not allowed to imagine me doing something like that. It’s ILLEGAL.”

“Is there a law against it?”

“There is. I made it a law just now.”

…

She truly was a dictator.

“Anyway.” She pointed a finger at me. “Gathering intelligence is my job. And proving to me that the Hero is humping your girlfriend is your job. Let’s both do our best. Dismissed!”

With that, the meeting was adjourned. She strutted off, heading directly for Frieden’s tent, intent on getting more information out of him.

I couldn’t be sure, but she didn’t intend to sleep with him, right?

Argh…the problem with working with a dictator was that dictators made terrible partners. They were incredibly selfish.

In the first place, it was she who wanted evidence of Kaori’s infidelity so that she could trust me.

When I returned to the supply cart, I found Kaori already waiting for me.

“Kenta, where were you?” she asked with a pout. She sat on the floor of the supply cart, wearing her priestess uniform.

“Sorry, I had a short meeting with the new party member.”

“Ah, the short one.”

“Right.”

I sat down next to Kaori. For a while, we said nothing. I couldn’t let her know that I knew she cheated on me. That would be the end of my party membership, and I’d lose any chance of getting my revenge on Frieden.

I had to act perfectly normal as if I didn’t know about her affair.

“Kenta…are you okay?”

“Hm? Is something the matter?”

“Mhm, it’s nothing.” She shook her head.

Our shoulders were touching. I could feel her gentle warmth against me. Every breath I took was filled with her sweet scent. Sitting together like this reminded me of our time together in my room. Both of us were students, so neither had a large apartment. My room was large enough for one person and too small for two. We’d bump into each other all the time, but somehow that was perfect.

This was the first time in weeks that I spent time with Kaori like this. She’d always come up with some excuse to stay in Frieden’s tent and after a while, she didn’t even tell me anymore. I thought I’d be holding back my rage, but to my own surprise, I just felt a vague sense of grief.

All of our precious memories, the years of our youth we shared, our relationship – all of that was tainted by what I saw in the forest.

I glanced at Kaori. Why would she do such a thing?

Part of me wanted to just tell her that I knew so I could find out why she did it, but I held myself back. I didn’t want to ruin this moment. And for some reason, I felt no animosity toward Kaori. It was my hatred for Frieden that kept me in line.

“Kenta, look at me.”

I turned to her, and our eyes met.

“Kenta, I know. I understand.”

My heart sank.

“I know you don’t feel happy in this world.”

“Ah…”

I gritted my teeth. Suddenly a surge of rage shot through me.

If she knew I was unhappy, why did she go off with Frieden? She stayed with him constantly, going into his tent at night and not emerging until morning. We sometimes didn’t speak to each other for several days because she was always with Frieden.

She put her arms around me.

“I want to make you happy,” she said.

I could feel her chest press against me, and immediately there was a reaction. It was involuntary.

“Ah…” Kaori looked down.

“Sorry,” I mumbled.

“Mhm, it’s okay. It’s been a while.”

She took off her priestess uniform.

I woke up the next morning with Kaori next to me. Every muscle in my body felt sore. I could barely feel my hips. It felt like someone had sucked my soul out.

Why do I feel this way?

That night, I saw a whole new side of her. I didn’t even know she could do those kinds of things.

Of course, I knew who had taught her all those techniques. And I also knew who she actually wanted to please.

“Kenta?” Kaori got up, rubbing her eyes.

“Kaori.”

Her long black hair was a little disheveled, falling over her shoulder and covering one eye.

“Good morning.” I went over and kissed her, but she turned her head away at the last moment.

“Sorry…I smell a bit.”

“Mh, you smell good.”

I could’ve tried kissing her again, but I chose not to.

“Sorry, I was a bit rough last night.”

She shook her head. “Mhm, it’s okay. Ah! It’s sunrise already. I need to get ready.”

She hurriedly gathered her clothes and left the supply cart.

I was about to put my clothes on when someone knocked on the side of the cart.

“Y-Yes? Just a moment.”

The person outside came around to the front of the cart, ignored what I said, and jumped in.

Who would have such a blatant disregard for good manners?

Of course, it was Anju the Demon Lord in her human disguise.

“Wow, you and the Priestess sure went at it like beasts in heat last night.”

“Ah…so you heard.”

“I wanted to have a chat with you, so I came over to the supply cart only to find it shaking. That Priestess girlfriend of yours really likes to be on top, huh?”

“Please stop…”

Anju crossed her arms. I thought she’d be taking joy in teasing me, but her expression was deadly serious.

“So…why did you lie to me?”

“Huh?”

“You’re clearly in an amorous relationship with the Priestess. There is no evidence that anything you said was true.”

“Wait a minute! You’re gathering intelligence. How can Kaori sleep with him when you’re with him all the time?”

“I am taking a great risk by disguising myself and joining the Hero’s Party to confirm your claims. So of course I want to gather intelligence while I’m here. Have you ever considered what would happen if my demonic mana was detected? I am strong, but I can’t take on the Hero’s Party on my own.”

Suddenly the supply cart had turned into a cage. I had to choose my words wisely.

“Anju…I mean the Great Demon Lord - “

“Anju is fine. You’re not a demon; there is no need to address me using my title.”

I got down on my knees.

“I appreciate the risk you are taking. I am terribly sorry for being unable to quickly provide the evidence you desire.” I had worked part-time at an izakaya before; my basic customer service training was turning out to be useful here. “I would never lie to you. My desire for revenge is real. You see what a bastard Frieden is. He is the kind of man who will abandon a woman without a second thought. You can confirm his trail of bastards for yourself. I humbly ask that you give me more time.”

Anju scratched her chin. She narrowed her eyes.

“Frieden is a womanizer. He couldn’t keep his hands off me last night.”

“If I may ask…”

“Stop with the formal language. It’s annoying.”

“Uhm…what did you do with him in his tent?”

“I figured he would try something, so I created a mana clone and sent that into his tent. Ah, don’t worry. I used a spell to suppress the mana signature of my clone, so the Hero shouldn’t have noticed anything. He was much too focused on my body anyway. I could see through its eyes but couldn’t feel anything.”

“So what happened?”

“As soon as we were in the tent, Frieden pushed my clone down and had his way with her. That man really doesn’t know how to hold back. I suppose it’s because no girl ever said ‘no’ to him.”

“Ah…”

“He went at it so hard the clone spell almost broke. After he was done, my clone stayed in bed with him and was able to extract some useful information.”

“Huh…what did she learn?”

“He likes women with a big chest. He really likes them.”

“…”

“He wants to sleep with Erika, you know, the Mage, but she doesn’t let him touch her.”

I thought of Erika’s chest. She did indeed have big ones. And it was true that she kept Frieden at bay. She respected him, but she did not get close to him either.

“Did he say anything about Kaori?”

“Ah…and…uhm…he also said something about Kaori. Are you sure you want to hear?”

I nodded. “I have to know.”

Anju considered her words for a moment, then took a breath.

“He doesn’t consider Kaori to be his girlfriend. She is just one among many women he sleeps with.”

“I see.”

Kaori was just a convenient woman for Frieden. That’s why he was able to go off with different girls when we were staying in the city without fearing Kaori finding out.

So, was being a convenient, disposable outlet for Frieden’s needs better than being my girlfriend?

And despite that, she still betrayed me for someone like him.

Anju put her hand on my arm.

“Hmm?” I didn’t understand.

“I might be a demon, but even I understand hearing this must be hard. I am putting my hand on your arm as a way of comforting you. Isn’t that a way for humans to communicate empathy? It was in a book I read.”

“A book you read?”

“Mh! Introduction to Basic Human Behaviors, Volume IV.”

“I see…”

Anju didn’t remove her hand.

“There is something else.”

“What is it?”

I couldn’t imagine what else she found out.

“The previous healer, I mean the priestess…the one Kaori replaced. Frieden says he killed her.”

I blinked. What did she just say?

“Wait, Kaori was meant to replace the previous priestess.”

Anju narrowed her eyes.

“Frieden told my clone that he killed the previous priestess. He says she betrayed him.”

I looked at Anju. Her human disguise was so good that I forgot she was the Demon Lord.

“How can I trust what you are saying?”

Anju smiled gently. “I see, you’re learning. Now you understand why I cannot trust you so easily without verifying your claims.” Her expression turned serious again. “The Hero, Frieden…he is very talkative once he is…relaxed. Once he is calm and satisfied and perhaps looking for round two, I can easily extract information.”

She grinned. “A man’s greatest weakness is always women.”

I let out a sharp breath through my nose. She might be a demon, but she had a good grasp of human nature.

“And why do you think Kaori is cheating on me?” I asked.

Anju removed her hand. She scratched her chin and studied me like I was an object.

“In terms of human men, I think you are a fine specimen. Of course Frieden is the manliest man of all, but that alone wouldn’t cause Kaori to willingly become his c******.”

“I’m surprised you know that word.”

“It was in the appendix of volume IV.”

“I see. A very thorough book, indeed. Go on?”

Anju said nothing for a while.

“Can you tell me about your life with Kaori before both of you were transported to this world?”

I told her about our lives and Kaori’s behavior while also trying to explain modern things like smartphones, the Internet and electricity.

“What a fascinating world,” Anju remarked. “I would like to visit it one day if the correct teleportation spell can be found.”

“So what do you think?”

Anju frowned. “I think I know…but I need to think about it first.” She poked her head out of the supply cart. “The others are waking up. You need to pack up the tents; otherwise, Erika will beat you again.”

“Can you help me?”

“I am the Demon Lord. Manual labor is beneath me.”

Anju left the cart.

On that day, we had a skirmish with a group of demons. It looked like an offshoot of the Demon Lord’s sixth army. We encountered them in the forest and immediately engaged in battle.

“This must be an advance scouting party sent by the general of the sixth army,” Anju told me in a quiet voice before the party engaged.

“You aren’t feeding information to your armies so they can avoid the Hero’s Party?”

She shook her head.

“No one other than my most trusted advisor knows that I am here.”

“What are you going to do?”

She gritted her teeth. “I will have to slay my own brethren to keep my cover.”

“I’m sorry.”

She smiled ruefully.

Frieden issued quick orders before the battle.

“Erika, support my charge forward. Schlacht, you stay back. Anju comes with me. I want to see what she is capable of.”

“Okay~” Anju drew her blades. She was a brilliant actress. Despite the fact that she was about to slay her own soldiers, she managed to maintain her happy-go-lucky persona.

Frieden rushed toward the demons, with Anju and Tier covering his left and right flanks. Erika cast spells to destroy any projectiles the demons launched to stop Frieden’s advance. Kaori and I stayed in the back, under Erika’s protection.

Over the past few months, I noticed that Frieden liked to slash his opponents across the chest, or stab them in the gut, and then move on to the next enemy.

As he fought his way through the scouting party, he left a trail of half-dead demons – all with critical injuries beyond saving, but not enough to kill them instantly, either. Frankly, I thought it was a cruel way to fight. I wonder if he left them like that on purpose. Maybe he takes joy in their suffering.

But I couldn’t openly criticize him during meetings since I wasn’t contributing during battles.

I watched Anju closely. What would she do under these circumstances? Could she really kill her own kind just to keep her cover?

Despite her small stature, Anju fought well. She either sliced their heads off, stabbed them in the heart, or knocked them out by slamming the hilt of her sword against the side of their head. The way she fought was efficient, making the smallest possible movements to take out her opponent.

On the other flank, Tier rode on the back of one of the beasts he had tamed. This time, he used the Greater Wolf he had raised after finding an abandoned pub in the wild. The Greater Wolf tore out the throat of the opponents while Tier slashed opponents using his long sword. He looked almost like a warrior on horseback.

After about an hour, the battle was over.

Anju quickly excused herself, saying that she needed to wash the blood out of her hair at a nearby river.

I had nothing to do (Kaori was too busy healing everyone’s wounds, and the invincible, uninjured Frieden was picking the pockets of the dead demons), so no one noticed me when I followed Anju into the forest.

I sat on a wooden log behind her as she washed her hair.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

She continued to wash her hair even though it was clean already.

“I tried not to look them in the eye. I did my best to give them a quick and painless death. There were a couple of times when I missed the heart and stabbed their lung instead…”

I couldn’t see her expression, but I could hear the pain in her voice.

“Anju…”

I put a hand on her arm. She pushed me away.

“Leave me alone.”

She didn’t turn to me. Her small shoulders trembled slightly. At this moment, there was nothing I could do to ease her suffering. I couldn’t even claim to understand her pain. I never had to use my own hands to kill those I cared for.

“I’m sorry.”

I got up and returned to camp.

While the Hero’s Party was recovering from the battle, I decided to do a bit of investigating. Two questions weighed on my mind.

1. Why did Frieden kill the previous priestess?

2. What did they think of Anju now that they had seen her in battle?

Although I couldn’t let the other party members know that I knew Frieden had killed the previous priestess. The official line from the king was that Kaori had simply been summoned to replace the previous priestess, who was no longer here. No one is supposed to ask what happened to her.

For now, I decided to focus on the second question.

Tier: “Get lost. I’m busy.”

Frieden: “Get lost. I’m busy.”

Schlacht: “Get lost. I’m busy.”

I was about to give up when the person who hated me most, Erika, gave me a surprisingly detailed answer.

“What do I think of Anju? Hm…”

She thought about it for a moment.

“Something about her rubs me the wrong way. She doesn’t feel like any person I’ve come across in this world.”

Frieden and Tier were natives of this world, while Erika, Kaori, Schlacht, and I were from another world.

“What do you mean?”

“Something about her personality is off…it just doesn’t feel right. The people in this world are usually more reserved, but this Anju girl…it’s like she has never been in real danger.”

Ah, so Erika did pick up on that. Anju’s behavior was far too happy-go-lucky for a human being in this world, where a single crop failure could mean starvation. This out-of-place sense of security that subconsciously influenced her behavior came from her status as the Demon Lord.

Erika continued.

“The way she handles the sword is different from Frieden and Tier. I’m not sure how to describe it. All three of them are natives of this world, but Anju’s swordsmanship just feels different from those two. It’s almost as if she is a foreigner.”

“You, me, Kaori, and Schlacht are all foreigners.”

“Mh, you’re right. But her swordsmanship feels strange in a way that Schlacht’s way of fighting doesn’t. I feel like I have seen Anju’s techniques somewhere before, but I can’t recall where.”

Crap, Erika was picking up on the fact that Anju’s swordsmanship was probably similar to the demons she was fighting – she just hadn’t fully realized it yet.

“W-Well, we’re all foreigners in this world. If natives like Frieden don’t find it strange, then…”

“Mh…you might have a point.”

This was the friendliest conversation I’ve ever had with Erika. Could this sudden reminder that we’re both foreigners in this world have caused her to open up to me?

“By the way, where are you from in the previous world?”

“Get lost, I’m busy.”

She turned her back to me and continued to polish her staff.

Sigh…

She shut me down the moment I asked her a personal question. She only ever told Kaori and me that she came from the same world as we did (we confirmed major world events and dates to ensure that we originated from the same version of our world), but she refused to disclose anything beyond that. Erika couldn’t speak Japanese and she had the features of a foreigner, so all I knew was that she wasn’t from Japan.

But…maybe this was an opportunity to get closer to her. Schlacht had no interest in talking to me, so Erika was the best chance I had at making a friend from my home world.

Let’s see…in this kind of situation, it might be best to be straightforward.

“If possible, I’d like to be friends since we’re from the same world.”

“I told you to get lost.”

She rammed the bottom half of her staff into my stomach. I fell to my knees, the pain causing me momentarily black out.

She spat on my head.

“Don’t forget who you are. In this world you are useless. You’re only alive because Kaori refuses to dump you.”

“Kuh…”

I got up and walked away.

Fine…

Since we’re from the same world, I wanted to ask Anju to spare Erika when she manages to defeat Frieden and the rest of this country. But if she had no intention of mending our relationship, there was no reason to spare her.

After a few more hours, Kaori had healed Tier’s wounds and treated his beasts too. We continued our journey.

Fortunately, we didn’t encounter any enemies for the rest of the day.

In this world, major towns were about three days’ journey apart, with at least one village every full days’ distance. The king designed the main roads so that travelers would always have a safe place to stay for the night while they were on the road. However, since we stopped to battle the advanced scout group, we didn’t have enough time to reach the next village by sunset. This meant I had to set up the tent, light a fire, and cook a meal. Everyone except Kaori complained about the meal, though no one offered to help.

When I lived in the dorms, I used to cook for myself to save money, but all of my culinary knowledge was useless here. In a world without soy sauce, mirin, and dashi stock, everything I knew was useless.

That night, after dinner, I saw Frieden and Kaori sneak behind the supply cart while I was eating. I silently indicated that I wanted Anju to follow me.

We gingerly followed their footsteps until we could hear their hushed voices.

“Kaori, what’s wrong? Why won’t you talk to me?”

“It’s nothing. Is something the matter? If nothing is bothering you, then I want to go back.”

“Don’t be like that. Why don’t you come to my tent tonight? I miss you.”

“Hmph, you aren’t satisfied with that new girl?”

Frieden let out a deep breath.

“You are annoyed about that? She just wanted to hear some stories about my exploits. As the Hero it is my duty to reassure the citizens of this country.”

“You didn’t bed her?”

“Kaori, don’t be so difficult. Well…I did sleep with her.”

“Oh.”

“Wait, don’t walk away, let me explain!”

For once I was glad that Kaori listened to Frieden. Had she taken just one step further, she would’ve seen me and Anju crouching next to the cart.

“Kaori, you’re my favorite. You’re the only woman I want to sleep with every night. But you know…I have my duties as the Hero. If a civilian woman wants to sleep with me, I have to do it for the sake of the country. What if I die one day? The country will need a new Hero. I need to produce as many children as I can.”

There was the sound of movements. Kaori gasped. What were they doing? I wanted to see, but I wasn’t sure if Frieden was using night vision. I couldn’t poke my head around the corner to have a look.

“Please understand. My duty as the Hero forbids me from sleeping with only one woman. But you are the only woman I want to touch. Please understand, Kaori.”

She said nothing for a moment.

“Geez…I get it…if you hold me so tight, someone might see us.”

“You mean Kenta?”

“Hnghh, don’t talk about him.”

“Do you like me more than him?”

“That’s a secret.”

She let out a gasp. I couldn’t see what Frieden did, but he must’ve either squeezed a part of her body or kissed her.

“Come on, tell me.”

“I…I like you more.”

“Heh-heh.”

“Geez, you meanie.”

“Kaori.”

I heard her gasp again, followed by wet sounds.

Ah, they must be kissing right now. That went on for a while.

“Kaori, I know you are loyal to Kenta, and I cannot settle down with one woman, at least until the Demon Lord is defeated. But…as proof of our bond, will you promise me one thing?”

“What is it?”

“You can sleep with him, but never kiss him. Your lips are only for me.”

“Geez, Frieden, you are so possessive…fine…I promise.”

Afterward, those two spent a long time making out behind the supply cart. When the wet sounds of their making reached their most passionate point, Anju pulled at my sleeve, indicating that this was the best opportunity for us to sneak away.

We avoided the campfire where the rest of the party sat and went straight into the forest.

Suddenly all of my strength disappeared; I sat down on the ground, leaning against a tree.

Her voice, her words…

Even though I had seen her do it with Frieden before, hearing her make that promise hurt even more. Deep down inside, I had hoped that it was just a physical betrayal. Maybe Kaori just wanted to try sleeping with a man like Frieden. Maybe she was just curious. But the words she uttered proved that she loved him more. She was his woman.

Anju placed a hand on my arm, a standard textbook gesture.

I ignored her, pulling my knees to my chest and burying my face. For the first time in a long while, I cried in front of someone else.

I felt her put her arms around my shoulders.

“Volume IV said I should give a crying human a hug. That creates an emotional bond which can be exploited.”

I dried my tears with my sleeve.

“That’s good to know.”

“But I would’ve hugged you even if I didn’t read that book.”

“Did the book tell you to say that?”

She slapped my arm. “That’s rude.”

“Sorry.” I took a deep breath to calm myself. “So, do you believe me now?”

Anju folded her arms.

“I want to believe you…emotional betrayal is harsh. But I really want to see them going at it.”

“…do you want evidence, or are you just a pervert.”

“Perv, how dare you! I am the Demon Lord, I  – “

“I think even among demons, wanting to secretly watch two other people going at it makes you a pervert.”

“You can’t call the Demon Lord a pervert. That’s illegal!”

“You just made it a law?”

“That’s right!”

“…”

After we had calmed down a bit, we returned to the discussion at hand.

“For now, I will trust you,” Anju said. “I still want to see hard evidence of physical mating, but verbal evidence will suffice for now.”

“Thanks…”

“I don’t know if it helps, but Frieden said something similar to my clone.”

“Ah…in that case, he probably uses those lines on every girl.”

I had heard that some good-looking senpais at university had a certain set of lines they’d use on the younger female students to get them to a hotel.

“This is my last year as a student; I want to make precious memories with you.”

“I want you to be my last memory of my student life.”

“You’re the only girl who makes me feel this way.”

Usually, they broke up with their university girlfriend as soon as they started working.

Why didn’t I use those lines to get girls into love hotels?

Frankly, it’s because I wasn’t good-looking enough. Those kinds of lines only work if you’re S-Tier handsome. Would I be a scumbag like Frieden if I was as good-looking as he was? I don’t know. But I’d like to think that I’m a better person than that.

“By the way, what happened to that clone of yours?”

“She disappeared. After everything was done, I dispelled her.”

Afterward, we waited behind a tree, in a spot where we could see the entrance to Frieden’s tent. If we were lucky, we could see them enter and do it, and we’d get the supplementary evidence Anju needed.

After an hour or so, Frieden finally arrived. He had his arm around Kaori, hanging over her shoulder, his hand squeezing her chest.

Anju stared intently at the couple. This was the moment she had been waiting for.

Frieden put his arm around Kaori’s waist and gave her a little squeeze. Then they went inside together. Moments later, we could hear them do it.

Anju returned to her tent. I opted to sleep in the supply cart.

Lying in my cart, I was unable to find any rest. Kaori’s words kept circling in my head.

“I…I like you more.”

“I promise.”

She told him that she loved him more than she loved me.

She promised him that she would never let me kiss her again.

After all those years together, she easily gave her heart to him. Was he really so much better than me?

Part of me wanted to quit the Hero’s Party. Every time I saw Kaori and Frieden, I’d be reminded that she had promised her lips to him. That her bond with him supersedes whatever she had with me. Kaori wasn’t always like this. Did the circumstances of this world change her? Maybe she recognized that I was useless in this world and, therefore, felt attracted to Frieden.

Just thinking about it is unbearable.

Chapter 3

The next day, Kaori announced that she felt a little dizzy and would ride with Frieden on his horse.

Frieden and Kaori led our party at the front, then Schlacht and Tier formed the middle while Erika rode on her horse behind them. Anju tied her horse to the supply cart and rode with me.

“Wouldn’t you rather be at the front? You could spy on Frieden.”

Anju frowned.

“I don’t want to be the third wheel while they are making out.”

Hearing those words felt like a punch in the gut for me.

“They are making out?”

“They were engaged in a passionate kiss. I think Kaori was making out with him on purpose to show me that he is her man. What a fool. I have half a mind to tell her Frieden said those sweet words to every girl he sleeps with, but that wouldn’t help me fit in with this party.”

I said nothing.

If Kaori and Frieden are bold enough to make out in public, it’s just a matter of time before she breaks up with me. I craned my neck to see the front of our little caravan, but Schlacht, Tier, and Erika blocked my view.

We continued to ride on like this, without much happening. Occasionally, one of the party members dropped back to get some food from the supply cart and gave me some curt insults, but that was all. One time, Frieden and Kaori lined up next to the supply cart to get some food. He had a hand on her bare leg, almost as if he wanted to show me how close he was to stealing her away.

“Oi, useless healer, give us some food,” he said.

I did my best to summon a smile.

“Right away, sir.”

I handed the reins over to Anju and went to the back to get some bread and boiled sausages. I handed them over to Frieden.

The entire time Kaori looked in the other direction, pretending not to see me.

Frieden’s hand traveled from her leg, up her waist, and he was about to squeeze her chest when Kaori pushed his hand away. He grinned like a maniac, took the food, and rode back to the front.

“The Hero of humanity sure is twisted,” Anju commented.

“Yeah.”

We traveled on like this until the sun was resting just above the horizon, and the rays turned tawny. Frieden announced that we would continue onward until we reached the next village. With a bit of luck, we’d arrive in just under an hour.

I went into the back of the cart and got out a map. At this point we had wiped out most of the demonic troops that had entered human territory. In a few days, we will reach the border that divides the human and demonic realms. The plan was to cross this border and take the fight to the Demon Lord, defeat her, and claim victory over the demons. The surviving demons would be executed and the obedient ones would be sold off as slaves to the general population.

I understood that humans and demons were at war, but this plan only made me feel disgusted.

I glanced at Anju. No wonder she was willing to risk her life to find out any weakness she could exploit.

She caught me looking at her.

“What is it, Kenta?”

“In a few days, we’ll be at the border.”

“Mh, yeah.”

“Will you be okay with that?”

She said nothing for a while, her gaze fixed on Erika, who had her back turned to us and was just outside of earshot. Underneath the late afternoon sunlight, her blonde hair glowed, moving gently with the wind that touched this land.

“I will do my best to delay Frieden’s journey to the border,” Anju said. “I will do everything I can to delay him by even a minute. For every extra minute, he is stuck somewhere, one of my kind gets to live a minute longer. My armies get one more minute to prepare. My soldiers get to write one more letter to their families.”

I looked at Anju, the Demon Lord.

I only felt vague disgust when I saw the fat king with his grotesque stomach, his greasy hands, and his foul breath filling the room.

But looking at Anju, I felt enormous respect for her. Here was a leader who wanted the best for her people, even when no one was watching, even when her own people did not know of her covert mission behind enemy lines.

Suddenly, I understood why demons bowed to her and why humanity needed help from the gods to stop the demons.

“How will you delay his journey?” I asked.

Does she trust me enough to share her plans?

“Hmm…I wanna try something. I’m going into the supply cart and make a clone of myself. It will be a quick spell, so my clone can only do basic conversation. If Erika or the others try to talk to it, help her out by distracting them.”

“What will you do after you make the clone?”

She smiled slightly. “Just wait and see.”

She went into the back of the cart. For a moment there was a brief red flash. When I looked back, Anju had vanished and was replaced by a clone with a vacant look on her face.

“Anju?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“Where is the real Anju?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“Are you the Demon Lord?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

…this was going to be tough.

We continued to travel down the road. At the horizon we could see smoke rising in the air, a sign that the village was near and had a working oven. I breathed out a sigh of relief. This meant I could restock on fresh bread. Erika and Schlacht’s mood tends to sour if I can only offer hard bread, and they usually take it out on me.

We were closing in on the village when a little girl emerged from the forest. She wore a red hooded cape. Her face was covered with dirt and blood, and her blue dress was torn and dirty.

“Hero! Oh, Mister Hero!”

We came to a stop.

“How glad I am to see you, Mister Hero! I am in desperate need of help! Oh, great Hero!”

…

That is Anju, isn’t it? Her disguise was perfect, but she clearly had no idea how a human child speaks.

We stopped.

“What is it?” Frieden asked without getting off his horse.

“Oh, Hero!” Baby Anju pointed to the forest. “My village is being attacked by monsters! I just barely made it out alive. Please! You have to help us! We can’t hold them back much longer.”

“Oh, that is terrible!” Kaori cried out. “We must help them.”

Schlacht, Tier, and Erika gathered around Baby Anju and asked her questions. I stayed in the back, watching everything unfold. For once I was glad that my role was to stay in the background and shut up.

“We cannot help you,” Frieden said.

Baby Anju stared at him, unable to believe what she had just heard. It was deadly silent. The other party members didn’t dare to breathe.

“M-Mister Hero?” Baby Anju stammered. “W-What did you say?”

“We cannot help you. I am tired from our journey today. The Party needs to rest. Our mission is to defeat the Demon Lord.” He looked in the direction she pointed. “Your village is in the wrong direction. It will cost us half a day; once we’re there, our Priestess will have to heal the survivors. That will deplete her mana, which will cost us even more time.”

“Frieden, I feel fine. My mana reserves are stable,” Kaori said.

Erika spoke up, too. “Kaori and I can help her. We will catch up with you once we’re done. I promise it won’t take too long. You can go ahead – “

Frieden cut her off.

“No.”

“But – “

Frieden took a deep breath.

“No. And don’t ever question my decisions ever again, understood?”

The temperature around Frieden dropped several degrees, or that’s what it felt like.

“You are under my leadership. My decisions are absolute. I will not tolerate any subversion of my authority.”

Frieden looked at Erika as if she was dirt. Even Kaori inched away from Frieden. I’ve been subject to this kind of treatment for a while, so I was used to it, but it was the first time he had directed his cold glare at her.

Heh, how do you like it, Erika? I thought those words even though I knew taking joy in her suffering was wrong.

Erika got down on her knees.

“Frieden, I apologize for offending you. Your decisions are absolute. I am simply begging you to let me help this child.”

“Ho?” Frieden raised an eyebrow. Yellow mana gathered in his fist, a sign that the Goddess truly blessed him, as most people had blue mana or no mana at all. He opened his hand and pointed at Erika. A lightning bolt shot out of his finger, hitting her in the chest. Erika cried out in pain and collapsed, smoke rising from her body.

“It seems you have forgotten your place,” he sneered. “You are more powerful than the average mage, but I am the most powerful person in the world. You are here not because I need you but because you make my job easier. Do you understand?”

“Y-Yes…” she croaked.

Frieden glanced at Kaori and jutted his chin at Erika.

“Heal her.”

“Understood.”

Kaori knelt down next to Erika and cast a healing spell.

I looked at Schlacht and Tier. Throughout the entire ordeal, they stood on the sidelines, pretending not to see what was happening. They knew better than to question Frieden, opting for the smart course of action. Yet, that only deepened my sense of disgust toward them.

Their party member was struck down by their leader because she pleaded for permission to help a child. Typically, this kind of behavior would be enough to spark a mutiny. However, everyone was too afraid of Frieden. Being chosen by the Gods and backed by the king gave him an intimidating authority – the culmination of both military and political power in one person. If they rebelled against Frieden, they would likely be killed by him. Even if they somehow survived, they would be hunted down like dogs by the King’s elite fighters.

Baby Anju clung to Erika.

“Please help us! My father is going to die! I’m begging you. Is there – “

“How annoying.” Frieden dismounted his horse and kicked her. Baby Anju flew through the air, hitting a tree with a sickening thud.

“H-Hero?” she croaked with her eyes half open.

“I am the Hero. My decisions are absolute. My time is more valuable than anyone else’s. My duty isn’t to save your village. My duty is to eliminate the Demon Lord and her armies. Saving your village will only slow me down.”

He got back on his horse.

“Let’s move forward. I want to sleep in the village tonight. I’m tired of eating that useless healer’s shitty stew.”

Kaori finished healing Erika and got back on Frieden’s horse. He might have done something horrible just now, but her loyalty lay firmly with him. A sense of bitterness rose in my throat.

I helped Erika get back on her horse. She didn’t thank me but didn’t insult me either. Her expression was blank, as if she couldn’t believe what had just happened.

While Frieden had his back turned to us, I also gave Baby Anju a handkerchief. Then, I got back on the supply cart.

When the caravan moved on, I purposefully let the horse go a little slower so there was some distance between me and the others. Since I was the least important member of the party, no one turned around to see where I was.

“Thanks…for waiting.”

Baby Anju crawled into the cart and lay down on her back. Blood still oozed from her forehead. The handkerchief in her hand was red.

“Are you okay?”

She groaned.

Her human child disguise had turned back into her original demonic form. Two curved horns came out of the top of her head, and a star-tipped tail grew out from behind.

“H-Hey, you can’t show your true form here!”

I had gained some distance from Erika, but if she turned around, she still might see who was inside the cart.

Anju spat blood on the cart floor.

“I can’t maintain that form right now,” she wheezed. “All of my rib bones are broken…one of them has stabbed my lung. Damn…that bastard…he didn’t hold back at all.”

My heart sank.

“He kicked you with the intent to kill?”

“Yeah.”

“Does he know that you are the Demon Lord?”

She shook her head.

“If he knew my true identity, I’d be dead already.”

“He didn’t hold back when kicking a child…a human child,” I breathed.

“Ouch, ouch, ouch.” Anju grimaced as she healed her wounds. “I don’t usually get injured like this…it’s been a while since I’ve had to cast healing on myself.”

“Here, let me.”

I let go of the reins and went into the back. I used what little mana to heal her.

“Hmm…this is my first time feeling human mana flow into my body. It feels quite nice. Hnghh~”

She shuddered with pleasure.

“W-What are you even saying,” I stuttered. “That’s all I can do. I’m out of mana.”

Anju patted her chest.

“Hrm…it seems that I am fully healed. Maybe your limited mana has a greater effect on demons than humans.”

Anju changed into her regular human disguise. We sat together at the front of the cart, our shoulders touching.

“I can’t believe Frieden would kick a human child like that…and not even hold back,” I said.

“Mh…I disguised myself as a little girl because I thought that would produce the highest chance of getting the Hero to make a detour. At worst, it will prevent any injury. There were no downsides to my plan.” She felt her chest. “If I was a real human child, that kick would’ve killed me.”

For a while neither of us said anything.

“My plan to delay the Hero has failed, but I did learn something valuable.”

“What is that?”

“There are three weaknesses that have been confirmed. First, the Hero has a weakness for women. Second, he doesn’t like it when his authority is challenged, even by a child.”

Anju paused for a moment. She smiled.

“And third?”

“The Hero has anger management issues. We might be able to use these three weaknesses to create a gap on the battlefield and land a fatal blow.”

“But how will that get around his invincible strength?”

Anju grinned. For a moment, a spark of deep red mana appeared in her eyes, sending a chill down my spine. The respect I had for her turned into a vague sense of fear.

“Heh-heh~ Don’t worry, I have my ways.” After a moment she added, “I might need your help.”

“Okay.”

I didn’t ask what those ways were.

Chapter 4

By sunset, we had arrived at the next village. The people there didn’t expect us, so there was no welcoming committee to greet us. I could tell that the rest of the party was afraid that this might sour Frieden’s already shitty mood. Fortunately, this was a larger village located at a crossroad that specialized in the production of beer and cured hams – two of Frieden’s favorite things (other than stealing other people’s girlfriends, ruining maidens and kicking children).

Frieden’s mood brightened as soon as the village chief presented the village storehouse to us. He declared that today, everyone would celebrate.

The village chief didn’t seem too happy about that.

“Oh, Great Hero, we are honored by your presence. The country owes you a debt that can never be repaid. The harvest this year has been poor, and not many merchants have traveled down this road due to a rise in the number of monsters and demons in our parts. Please understand that a large festival might be a little difficult right now.”

“Nonsense! The people need hope and joy! Tonight, we shall celebrate. We will also need to resupply, so please give us plenty of food for our journey.”

The village chief bowed.

Unlike a modern country like Japan, this world didn’t have industrialized food production. A bad harvest could be devastating, and crop failure could be fatal. Maybe in large towns and port cities, this wasn’t a problem, but inland villages needed to ration properly to get through the winter. They could ill afford a sudden all-you-can-eat buffet just because Frieden asked for it – but the King made it clear that the Hero had the unconditional support of the crown.

One of the villagers showed me to their storage houses. They had a collection of large cheese wheels, wooden containers filled with flour, several barrels of beer, and tall shelves stacked with cured hams. It was an impressive amount of food. But it was late summer already. The harvest was done for the most part. This is all they had for the entire village to get through the winter.

“Please take whatever you need,” the villager said and left.

I walked deeper into the storage house. Frieden was forcing them to throw a party tonight, which would already impact their stock. If I took too much, this village might starve in the coming winter. On the other hand, if I took too little, I might become the target of Frieden’s wrath later.

“The Hero is a glutton, huh.”

Anju appeared next to me.

“Ah!” My heart jumped.

“What is it?” she asked innocuously.

“Don’t appear out of nowhere like that. You scared me.”

“Heh-heh, what I do isn’t even considered stealth among demons. You humans have lost your senses by holing up in towns and cities.”

“In that case, can’t the demonic armies use stealth to gain victories over Frieden?”

“Guerrilla warfare doesn’t work in the face of overwhelming power. What use is sneaking around when Erika can set a whole forest on fire.”

“Right.”

We continued to walk around the storehouse. This village really did have high-grade cured hams. The fertile lands in these parts must be great for raising livestock. I think the villager just now mentioned that they let their pigs roam freely within a fenced-off part of the forest. In other words, it’s ham from free-range pigs.

I chuckled.

“What’s so funny?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Please explain it to me. Perhaps it will be useful.”

I told her about the free-range pigs joke I thought of. As predicted, Anju didn’t understand it. Industrial farming hasn’t been invented in this world yet, so everything was free-range.

“Ahh-ah…” She sighed deeply as she gazed at the shelves filled with ham and cheese. “I wish demonic villages had this much food.”

“Isn’t this normal? This isn’t that much compared to the world where I came from.”

Anju smiled ruefully. “This isn’t impressive to you, huh?”

I waited for her to continue.

“About a hundred years ago, during the last Great War, demons lost a lot of fertile land to the humans. Since then our farmers haven’t been able to supply enough food for everyone. That is why I started the war against humans, so that we demons may regain enough land so that no one has to starve to death.”

“Why not trade with the humans?”

“The king refuses to have diplomatic relations with us. Human merchants are banned from trading with us.”

“Ah…”

“A lack of food security is a national security issue; therefore, this war is justified. I am simply taking the land back that the humans stole from us during the last Great War.”

“I see.”

It was a little odd to hear words like “food security” and “national security” come out of her mouth when her face was childlike. Come to think of it, I had no idea how old she was. She looked quite young, maybe around sixteen or seventeen years old in human terms, but maybe demons didn’t age the same way humans did.

“By the way, how old are you?” I asked.

She jabbed me in the side with her elbow.

“Ouch!”

“It’s rude to ask a girl that.”

“Sorry.”

I wrote up a list of the hams, cheese wheels and beer I wanted to take with us and handed it over to an attendant the village chief had assigned us. I wanted to apologize for taking so much. But we were getting close to the border. After this, getting access to high-quality food will become increasingly difficult.

By the time I had finished resupplying, the party in the village was in full swing. Frieden was having a drinking contest in the middle of the village next to a tall wooden pole.

After I had arrived in this world, I learned that most villages, towns, and cities in this part of the country had tall wooden poles in the middle of the settlement. It looked a lot like the German-Austrian Maypole I saw on a trip during my first year in university. Sometimes, they were painted in blue, yellow or, white, depending on how wealthy the village was. In this case, the pole was painted blue and white; however, the colors were faded.

For most villages, the wooden pole was an important part of their village, symbolizing the fact that they had made this land their home.

Anju and I observed Frieden from a distance. He was really letting loose tonight. He must’ve had an entire barrel of beer on his own.

“With a bit of luck, he will die from alcohol poisoning,” Anju remarked dryly.

“I’m pretty sure he has a god-like liver.”

Frieden’s face was completely flushed, his gaze unfocused. He downed one more cup of beer and punched the maypole next to him, causing it to break. The people cried out as it fell to the ground, the upper end falling onto a house and collapsing the roof.

Frieden didn’t seem to notice what he had done because he loudly demanded that someone pour him a refill.

That thing must’ve cost a fortune. Some villagers stared at him in disbelief, while others simply ignored it and continued with the party.

A bonfire was lit, and everyone began to dance around it. Despite the summer season, the nighttime temperatures cooled rapidly. It probably had something to do with the absence of asphalt roads, concrete buildings, and cars to generate heat. A professor at the university had taught us a bit about European history. All of those things would have to be invented during the Industrial Revolution.

I gazed at the people dancing around the fire. In terms of material wealth, this entire village was poorer than the average Japanese family. They barely had enough food to get through the winter. They might die from disease, exposure to the elements, and even contact with wild animals.

And yet…

When I watched them throw their heads back with laughter, why did I feel a sense of envy?

“Would you like to dance?” Anju asked, offering her hand.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?”

“It’s probably better to stay in the shadows.”

Anju nodded. “In that case, I’m going to use this chance to set up a few things to delay Frieden.”

“Oh, like what?”

“That’s a secret.”

She winked.

“If I succeed, I will tell you about it tomorrow.”

She snapped her fingers, and her outfit transformed into that of a typical village girl – a brown dress with a cloth tied over her head. Her disguise was so perfect that I was left speechless for a moment. For someone who only studied humanity in textbooks, she had an accurate grasp of human fashion. The only problem was her expression.

“So? What do you think?” she asked with a cheeky grin.

“Your disguise is great. You even remembered to tie a cloth around your waist.”

“Mh, I noticed that this is an important custom for girls in these parts.”

“Oh, what does it do?”

Her grin widened. A spark of red demonic mana shone in her eyes, then quickly vanished like the dying embers of a fire.

“Haven’t you noticed?” She jutted her chin at the collection of people dancing around the bonfire. “In this part of the country, girls wear a colorful cloth around their waist to signify that they are unmarried. Once they are married, they take that thing off and put it away until it is time to pass it on to their firstborn daughter. The men put a ring on their finger once they are off the mating market. The material of the ring signifies the status of their family.”

“I see.”

Anju was amazing. She was able to learn all of this about the locals just by observing them. Meanwhile all the villages looked the same to me. I was too busy being the punching bag of the Hero’s Party to learn anything about local culture.

“But there is one problem,” I said.

“Which is what? My disguise is perfect. Look, the cloth around my waist is purple, which is considered fashionable in these parts. And the way I’ve tied it emphasizes my slim waist and bountiful chest.”

I wanted to say that she was flat like a board and had no curves. But I was smart enough to know that these might be my last words if I said them out loud.

“It’s your expression,” I said.

“Huh?”

“Most humans aren’t so open with their emotions. You tend to wear your heart on your sleeve.”

“But this is just my regular smile?”

“It’s more of a mad grin.”

“Then how am I supposed to smile?”

“Maybe in a less genocidal way and more demure?”

“But I do want to genocide everyone here – ah…”

“Exactly. Your deception tactics might work among demons, but it still lacks finesse among humans. You have gotten better at it though.”

That said, it’s amazing that she was able to come this far on her own.

“Like…this?”

She looked at me with upturned eyes, her knees pressed together, and her shoulders slightly hunched. She had tried this move on me before, and it was still just as effective.

Hngh…

She really was a genius.

A moment later her demure expression was gone and replaced by her usual mad grin.

“Heeee~ Don’t tell me you got turned on by that. So this is your type. You really are simple. Do you feel like doing it now? Sorry, you are so not my type. Maybe in a million years.”

She said all of that while sticking her tongue out. I  suddenly realized if she were in Japan, she’d totally be a gyaru.

Anju tilted her head slightly.

“You aren’t angry? You might be harder to manipulate than the rest.”

“Ah, no…you really are annoying, but your act made me think of something from my home world.”

She raised an eyebrow.

“I see…tell me about it later okay? I’m going to go find some good sacrificial meat.”

“What?”

Before I could say anything else, she left the supply cart to join the party. I watched her delve into the reverie as if she had been living among humans all her life.

“I wonder what she is planning…” I wondered out loud.

Sacrificial meat? What did she mean by that? Don’t tell me she was going to kidnap some virgins and sacrifice them?

“Who is planning what?”

A jolt ran down my spine. I turned around and saw Erika standing at the back of the supply cart. I sat frozen in my seat, taking shallow breaths. Did she hear everything Anju said? Did she catch the red sparks of demonic mana? Did she see Anju transform her outfit into that of a village girl?

“Hey, answer me. I know you were talking to Schlacht’s temporary replacement.”

I gulped.

Calm down. If Erika is asking these questions instead of attacking, it means she only came after Anju had disappeared.

“Err…uhm…yeah, I was talking to Anju. She says she wanted to…erm…she wanted to promote Frieden among the people of this village…erm…convert some of them to the Word of Light, you know, the new religion the king has created with Frieden at the center. I was just wondering how she was planning on doing that.”

“…I see.”

I let out a silent sigh of relief. She seemed to believe me.

But something was strange.

Erika said nothing beyond that. No insults, no snide remarks. She climbed into the cart and sat down behind me. Neither of us said anything for a while.

…

This is so awkward! How do people usually defuse this kind of situation? Actually in the first place, Erika hated me, so why would she come to find me like this? Usually, she hung out with the other party members.

“You’re not going to join the party?” I finally asked.

“…”

Come on, say something! I did the socially responsible thing of trying to make conversation. The least you can do is play along.

I was almost hoping she’d just use me as a verbal punching bag as usual. At least the awkward silence would be gone.

“How much gold do we have?” she asked.

Huh? Why was she asking about the gold the king gave us? The Golden Charter guaranteed that we would get everything we needed for free.

“Almost everything the king gave us, about five hundred gold Taler and a thousand silver Taler.”

She said nothing for a moment as if she was hesitating. The bonfire was too far away for me to see her expression within the darkness of the supply cart.

“I need you to do me a favor, and don’t you dare tell Frieden about it.”

I wouldn’t mind letting Anju’s armies kill her. I was especially bitter because both of us were transported from another world, and just because she had more mana, she behaved as if she were superior. But somehow, tonight, her attitude has changed markedly.

“What do you need?”

Within the darkness of the back of the cart, I could feel her glare on me. She used her staff to poke me in the back.

“Swear on your life that you won’t tell anyone. Especially not Frieden and Kaori.”

“I promise. Nothing you say will leave this cart.”

That seemed to satisfy her. She pulled her staff back.

“I want to compensate the people of this village for the food and maypole Frieden destroyed.”

“I was actually thinking the same thing. It feels unfair for us to take so much of their winter stock just because we have the Golden Charter.”

Erika said nothing. So I continued.

“I am responsible for the supplies of the Hero’s Party. My original plan was to take as little as possible since everyone here needs to stock up for the winter. These people don’t have industrial farming or access to overseas supply chains, so…a food shortage is likely to happen if we take too much.”

“Heh.” Erika scoffed. Did I say something funny? “You were attending university before you got transported here, right?”

“Yes…”

“I can tell. I hate your kind.”

“Ah…”

I thought I could use this shared secret to mend my relationship with Erika, but it looks like she will forever hate me.

She pointed her staff at me.

“You elite university kids always talk in condescending ways. It makes me sick.”

I wanted to say that I got into university with a scholarship. However, I doubted that’d make a big difference in her eyes.

“In that case, please hand over the payment to the village chief. I’ll leave the total amount to you. No one can know about this.”

She was entrusting this task to me. I was the manager of the supply cart, so it made sense for me to decide on the final amount.

“I will gladly do this for you. But in return, can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“What happened to the previous priestess?”

Anju’s clone found out that Frieden had killed the previous priestess. But what actually happened that led to such a thing happening?

Erika said nothing. She did not leave, nor did she curse me out. She was already a long-time member of the Hero’s Party before Kaori and I were transported here. She must know something about the priestess Kaori replaced.

“Her name was Heili.” She paused. “She was our original priestess. I think she was a native of this world, just like Tier. Back then…Frieden wasn’t like how he is now. He was kind and merciful. He would help anyone who asked. He even spared the lives of some demons. But all of that ended when he became infatuated with Heili.”

I gulped. I was finally going to hear what happened to the previous priestess.

“Frieden confessed his feelings to her, even though Heili had given no indication that she saw him as anything other than a party member. We all thought Frieden was mature enough to handle the rejection, but he became bitter. He stopped showing mercy, rushing into battle without waiting for Tier and Schlacht, and sometimes torturing demons before killing them.

“He was taking it out on demons, so we didn’t mind it that much. It was awkward for Heili because he was like that, and she turned him down, but a girl can’t agree to go out with a guy just because he confessed to her. She told me he wasn’t her type and saw him only as the Hero, so there was nothing to be done about it.

“Later on…when we reached a large city, Heili found someone who was her type. I think he was a merchant from a different continent. They spoke the same foreign language and got along well. I’m not sure but they probably slept together.”

Erika paused again. She took several deep breaths through the nose.

“Frieden became jealous when he saw them together. He’d destroy entire taverns on his own. We became scared of talking to him. Then, one night, he goes into Heili’s room. We heard her scream, but were too scared to confront Frieden. The next day Heili was gone. Frieden only told us that Heili was no longer with the party and he’d ask the king for a replacement priestess.”

“What did Frieden do to Heili?”

Erika shook her head.

“I don’t know. Schlacht thinks Frieden had his way with her, and afterward, she killed herself. Tier thinks Frieden strangled her and then got rid of the body.”

My heart was beating so hard I could hear it.

To think Frieden was this kind of monster. He didn’t qualify as a human.

Unforgivable.

Normally, I’d think that the Gods would punish him for such a sin, but Frieden was chosen by the gods, and all the gods cared about was exterminating the demons.

No one could hold Frieden accountable – except Anju perhaps.

“There is one more thing,” Erika added.

“Yeah?”

“Frieden asked the king to give him a new priestess who looks exactly like Heili.”

My heart dropped.

“Kaori looks just like Heili?”

Erika nodded.

So that was why the rotten Goddess chose Kaori as the replacement priestess. There were probably plenty of souls with high mana potential out there, but finding someone who looked exactly like the previous priestess was harder.

In that case, it was likely that Frieden did not see Kaori for who she was but rather as a Heili lookalike.

Politically, the king could never let the truth come to light. If the public knew about Frieden’s true nature, support for the Hero’s Party could collapse. No one will want to supply us, Golden Charter be damned. Depending on the depravity of his crimes, it might even lead to revolution.

Wait a minute.

Isn’t that the solution?

“Hey! Stop spacing out.” Erika jabbed me in the side with her staff.

“Sorry.”

“Not a word of what I said leaves this cart, got it?”

“Understood. Heili, Kaori – all of it stays a secret.”

“That’s right. And don’t forget to give the money to the village elder.”

“Okay.”

Erika left the cart.

I also got off the cart and walked in the opposite direction, along the edge of the village. I could see Frieden continuing to drink and Schlacht and Tier enjoying the food. Erika and Kaori were nowhere to be seen. I wonder where they went off to.

There were a lot of things I needed to think about.

Kaori was Heili’s lookalike, and that was why Frieden treated her differently from the other women he bedded. He didn’t see her for who she was but rather as a clone of the woman he was infatuated with.

The king and the rest of the party were covering up a monstrous crime, which led me to an idea.

It didn’t matter if Anju could defeat Frieden and the others. If the revelation of these crimes could spark a popular uprising, the resulting political instability would be enough to grind Frieden’s advance to a halt. He might be the most powerful being in this world, but he still needed food and drink like a normal person.

Finally, it might be possible for Anju to overthrow the current king amidst the political turmoil.

There was just one problem.

In a world without the internet and smartphones, how do you spread a message without the power of the king? Even if I told everyone in this village about Frieden’s crimes, it might take months, even years, for the information to spread organically across the country. By then, Anju will have been defeated.

Another possibility is that the people of this country simply might not care about what Frieden has done. After all, Frieden is the one saving them from an invasion of demons. They might secretly think, “So what if the Hero has ruined countless girls, sowed his seed in every village and killed one of his party members. He has saved us from the demons. I am safe, so I don’t care about what happens to his victims.”

The ugly truth about human nature is that self-preservation comes first.

I knew that better than anyone. Even though Frieden and the others treated me like dirt, I still clung to them because otherwise, I’d have no way of surviving in this world.

“Kenta!”

A voice interrupted my thoughts.

I turned around and saw Kaori standing a few steps behind me.

“K-Kaori?”

“Geez, I was following you, and you didn’t notice me. What were you thinking about?”

I couldn’t exactly tell her I was thinking about starting a revolution against her secret lover.

“I was just thinking about everything that has happened since we arrived in this world.”

Kaori closed the distance between us, putting her arms around me.

“Kaori?”

“Hnghh,” she pouted. “You haven’t given me any attention lately. I’ve been feeling lonely…”

I gritted my teeth. Did she have no shame? How can she say this when she has been avoiding me because she was secretly sleeping with Frieden? What she is saying makes it sound like I was neglecting her. How dare she say those things after letting Frieden do her raw without pulling out, promising his lips to him and staying by his side even after he almost killed a little girl.

“Kenta?”

I took a deep breath to calm myself down.

“It’s nothing. I missed you too. It’s just that you’ve been spending so much with Frieden, so things have been a little difficult.”

She poked my chest.

“Geez, you know that I’m busy healing everyone in the party. Kenta, you’re so narrow-minded.”

I gritted my teeth so hard that I thought my jaw would break.

I looked down at her and lifted her chin up with a finger. Kaori looked up at me with wide eyes, just like the first time I kissed her all those years ago. I leaned down to kiss her. Just as our lips were about to touch, Kaori turned away.

“Uhm…not tonight,” she said. “I had some garlic bread; it’s really embarrassing…”

Bitterness coursed through my veins.

“You can sleep with him, but never kiss him. Your lips are only for me.”

“Geez, Frieden, you are so possessive…fine…I promise.”

So she was intent on keeping her promise to him, even though we were at the edge of the village, away from prying eyes. She still prioritized him, even though he almost killed a little girl, denied her permission to help her, and slept with Anju’s clone.

“Uhm, if you want, we can do it here.”

I said nothing.

“Do you not want to?”

I wanted to sink to the ground and scream. She really was sticking to the promise she made. I wanted to run away, to abandon her. But if I refused her offer, she might suspect I knew about her and Frieden.

Chapter 5

I woke up alone in the supply cart. After we finished, Kaori said she needed to go check on Frieden to cure any hangovers.

When I asked her to spend the night with me in the supply cart, she said, “He is the leader of our party; it’s my job to make sure that he is always ready to move out.”

Of course, I knew that she was going to Frieden to report to him what she did with me, to prove her loyalty to him. I wouldn’t be surprised if she went to his room and let him do things that were off-limits for me.

Why did she not break up with me if that was the case? I didn’t know. But the status quo was useful to me, albeit painful.

I lay in the cart, filled with self-loathing and bitterness, while listening to the quiet morning air of the local village. Frieden and the others got to sleep in rooms with soft beds while I had to stay in the cart like a dog. By now, I had gotten used to this treatment. Actually, I was glad that I got some distance between myself and the others; it gave me more room to think.

“Yah-hoooh~”

An overly cheerful voice interrupted the perfect silence of the morning. The owner of that voice was clearly someone who was used to having it her way without question.

“What is it?” I grumbled.

“Heee~ Someone is in a bad mood. Didn’t you get to do it with Kaori last night?”

“…how do you know?”

She stuck out her tongue and winked.

“I am the Demon Lord. My senses are superior.”

“…I see.”

“Don’t worry, I didn’t stay to watch the whole thing.”

“…”

“Sorry, I lied. I watched the whole thing.”

She sat cross-legged on the cart floor, snickering to herself.

“What do you want? Make it quick. I’m really tired. I still need to move the supplies to the cart.”

“Aren’t you curious about where the others are? The sun is already up and no one is making any noise.”

She was right. We usually moved out at first light. In a world without electricity and light bulbs, light was extremely precious. By now, Erika should already be reprimanding me for not being ready.

“So, where are the others?”

“I, Anju, the Demon Lord, know everything.” She made the peace sign and proceeded to give me a rundown of what the other party members did last night and where they were now.

Schlacht and Tier ate their fill and each found a local girl who was eager to jump into bed with them.

Erika was alone in her room.

As for Kaori, she was peacefully sleeping in Frieden’s bed.

“Let me guess. She went to Frieden’s room, told him everything, and let him have his way with her.”

Anju’s jaw dropped a little.

“That’s right! How did you know?!”

“I figured that is what she would do.”

“And somehow, Frieden was even more energetic than usual.”

I let out a deep breath.

“Those two are made for each other,” I said.

Anju tilted her head quizzically. “What makes you say that?”

I smiled slightly. For the first time ever, I could surprise her.

“Your superior senses did not catch it when Erika gave me new information?”

Anju balled her hands into fists and leaned in close.

“Not fair! I am the Demon Lord! You have to tell me everything you know!”

I told her everything that happened with Erika. Anju listened the entire time without saying a single word. She didn’t even nod to signal that she understood what I said. She sat completely frozen.

“I see,” she said after I finished. “The spies inside the castle told me that something happened to the previous priestess, but the king kept such a tight lid on information that my intelligence service couldn’t even find out what her name was. The king erased Heili from all records. It’s as if she never existed. And now Frieden is using your Kaori as a replacement.”

She looked at me with narrowed eyes.

“What is it?” I asked.

“This is just a theory, but your life might be in danger.”

“My life has been in danger ever since I came to this world.”

“I don’t mean it like that,” Anju said. “Among beasts, it is normal for males to fight each other when they both want to mate with the same female. It’s not uncommon for one of the males to die during those fights.”

“W-Wait, are you saying…”

She nodded. “Frieden might be planning on killing you. If he can do it to the previous priestess for rejecting him, then he won’t think twice about killing you. I suspect the only reason why he hasn’t done it yet is because Kaori is refusing to let you go, or she is threatening to leave the party if he gets rid of you.”

“But…she kept her promise to only let him kiss her…”

Anju shrugged. “A woman’s heart can be complicated. At least that’s what it said in Introduction to Humanity Volume X. What’s that saying again? Something about getting everything you want?”

“Having your cake and eating it too?”

“Yes!” She snickered. “It’s a clever saying. Let’s have some cake when we get to the next port city. Small towns and villages don’t have access to cream and sugar.”

“Demons don’t make cakes?”

“Demons lost access to all port cities during the last Great War. We can’t import sugar, so…”

“So, one more reason to win this war.”

“Exactly.”

I cradled my head. While I had always entertained the thought that Frieden might ask me to leave the party, I never suspected he was capable of actually harming fellow members. If Frieden is genuinely set on harming me, my options seem limited, and my only recourse may be to depend on Kaori for protection.

How pathetic.

Anju placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. It was soft and warm.

“Don’t worry. You are a valuable undercover spy. I’ve already taken steps to ensure your safety.”

“What did you do?”

“I need to ensure your safety and delay the Hero. I believe the moves I executed last night will achieve both aims.”

“What did you do?” I asked again.

Anju grinned and put a finger on my lips.

“Why don’t you see for yourself.”

Chapter 6

I readied the supply cart for the day’s journey, ensuring I had loaded up all the food and beer we could carry. Afterward, I found the village chief and handed him some gold coins for the food and the broken maypole.

“Oh, thank you, thank you.” He bowed deeply as I handed him the money. He handed me back a few coins. “But there is no need to give us that much.”

“But Frieden took your supplies. Please take this money so you can survive the winter.”

The village chief peered at me, scrutinizing me as if I were a book. I averted my gaze, feeling uncomfortable with this much eye contact.

“Out of all the party members, you seem like the only one who hasn’t let his status go to his head.”

“Ahahaha…” I scratched the back of my head. I wasn’t sure if I should tell him I was useless. “I only manage the supply cart; it’s nothing much.”

“No, no, I can tell…which is why I will tell you the truth.”

“The truth?”

The village chief nodded.

“Please don’t tell the other party members. It is common for villages like ours to have food supplies hidden in the forest. Dried meat, nuts, cheese – we hide them in caves and tree houses and cover them with cedar wood so that monsters can’t trace the scent.

“We always prepare like this. We are far away from the capital; bandits could raid our stores anytime, and the king won’t send troops to help us. It’s a waste of their time. It doesn’t matter if a village or two disappears over the winter. We are far from port cities, so merchants don’t come here all too often. We can’t rely on the outside world for help. It’s also a safety net in case we have a bad harvest, the locust or…”

“…or a Hero’s Party who eats up everything,” I said with a rueful smile.

The village chief nodded.

“I thank you for the money. It will be useful when merchants come to our village again.”

The hours passed, and eventually, it was time for us to go – except Frieden gave no order for us to move out. He stayed in his room, with Erika being the only one allowed to go in and out of his quarters to bring food and drink.

“What’s wrong? Frieden doesn’t want to leave?” I asked.

“Erm…well…”

She avoided looking at me. Her face was completely red as she struggled to find the words. She rushed past me without saying anything else.

While no one was looking, I snuck up to the second floor of the tavern and pressed my ear against the door.

…it was just as I suspected.

I hadn’t seen Kaori all day. There was only one place she could be.

“Frieden…ah…nghhh~ more~”

Of course, she was doing it with him. Based on Erika’s reaction, she probably brought in food and drink while those two were still in the middle of it.

Up until now, Kaori always made sure no one could see them when they were having a tryst. Even though it was an open secret among party members, she wanted to at least maintain the illusion of secrecy.

My heart sank. Did Frieden persuade Kaori to dump me, so now they were officially doing it as a couple? Is that why they are going wild? To the point where they don’t even stop when Erika is in the room.

“Heeee~ It’s working~”

Anju appeared out of nowhere with her ear pressed against the door.

“Where did you come from?” I hissed.

“I am the Demon Lord. I go wherever I please, anytime I want.”

“No! I mean, how did you sneak up like that? I didn’t even notice you until you were next to me.”

“Ah, I merely walked up the stairs with great care.”

…I was so transfixed by listening to how my girlfriend was doing it with another man that I didn’t even notice Anju coming up the stairs.

“Don’t worry, Frieden didn’t do Kaori into submission with that monster between his legs,” Anju said as if she was able to read my mind.

“Then what’s going on? This isn’t normal.”

No matter how much of a lust-filled beast Frieden was, no matter how many girls he slept with the other night, he always insisted that we get ready to move out at first light. In that aspect, he was annoyingly disciplined.

“Ke-ke-ke~”

She took my hand.

“Let’s move before someone sees us. I’ll explain somewhere where there aren’t so many walls.”

Right, we don’t know who might be listening in this type of place.

Anju and I left the tavern and returned to the supply cart. It was parked at the edge of the village, so it was unlikely that someone would disturb us there.

Anju sat cross-legged on the floor, appearing as if she was ready to impart some great wisdom.

“The Hero’s weakness is women, or rather, his bottomless hunger for young flesh. I simply made use of that to delay our journey as much as possible.”

She reached into her skirt pocket and took out a glass vial filled with purple liquid.

“This is a potion demons use whenever they need a little support in bed.”

“Oh! You mixed that into his drink?”

Anju shook her head.

“No, I sent back a messenger and asked the potion maker to increase the dosage a hundredfold.”

My eyes widened. This small bottle contained the equivalent of a hundred bottles worth of ‘performance-enhancing drugs.’

“I was worried that this might not be enough because the Hero has high alcohol tolerance. I’m glad it’s working as intended.” Her shoulders shook with silent laughter. Her eyes contained a mad sparkle. “With a bit of luck, this potion will cause the Hero to do it until he dies. After the hundredth time, his body will give out. He will shoot out his soul.”

Anju laughed like a maniac, rolling on the floor like a child who had just heard an unbelievably funny joke.

“There’s a flaw in your plan,” I said.

Anju stopped rolling around. She narrowed her eyes.

“And what is that?”

“What if Kaori gives up? Frieden might have the stamina, but she will not.”

“That’s why I spent last night preparing…replacements.”

“Replacements?”

“Let me show you.”

We went back to the tavern and sat down at a table near the entrance with a clear view of the stairs that led to Frieden’s room. Anju told me to wait here while she went outside to prepare her ‘sacrifice.’

A few hours later, Kaori came down the stairs, holding onto the handrail for support. She was covered in sweat, her legs shaking. Shiny beads of liquid ran down her legs. Her hair was disheveled. There was a strange smell coming off her.

When she came down the stairs, our eyes met and she froze. She must be wondering if I had caught her red-handed, or if she should pretend that nothing had happened.

“K-Kenta, when did you get here?” she asked with an uneasy smile.

“I just got here a moment ago. I was hoping to find someone to tell me when we’ll leave.” I looked at the liquid running down her legs. Was it sweat or something else? It took everything I had to keep my emotions from showing on my face.

“Ah, I see…just a moment ago.” She looked relieved.

I pulled out a chair for her. She sat down.

“Are you okay? You look exhausted.”

“Mh…erm…Frieden was teaching me new spells. It’s hard to keep up with his mana capacity…I might’ve overdone it.”

“I see.”

What a clever excuse. This one lie justified her spending time in Frieden’s room and the amount of sweat she worked up. Better yet, there is no way for me to further question her.

“In that case, are we ready to move out? Frieden never likes to stay in one place for too long.”

“Uhm…” Kaori’s face turned red. “We might not be able to leave today.”
“Oh, why not? It’s hard to imagine anything slowing down Frieden. He even kicked the little girl who asked us to make a detour.”

Kaori’s shoulders twitched when I mentioned that unpleasant encounter.

“Well…Frieden is very dedicated. Kicking that girl wasn’t good, but…Frieden is very passionate about our mission.”

I smiled stiffly. “Yeah.”

I already knew that Kaori would justify Frieden’s indefensible action. But it still surprised me how she worded it.

“So why can’t he leave his room?”

Kaori’s face turned even redder.

I knew precisely why Frieden couldn’t leave. Kaori couldn’t satisfy him, and Anju’s potion had made it impossible for him to calm down. He must be so agitated that he can barely think straight. Just like before, I was curious about how Kaori would navigate this situation with her words.

“Frieden ate a lot last night, and, as a result, he has more energy than usual. He is bursting with mana…and well, that’s causing problems. He is practicing with me so that he can get rid of some of his…mana.”

How could she lie like this after doing it with Frieden all night long just moments after she did it with me?

Of course, I knew why. Frieden was more important to her; therefore, any lie she told me did not cause feelings of guilt. In fact, she probably thought that she was doing the right thing.

“In that case, don’t you need to go back upstairs to help Frieden with his mana problem?”

“Yes…in a moment.”

“Maybe you should rest.” Anju appeared behind Kaori.

“Huh?” Kaori turned around, but Anju put a hand on her shoulder before she could say anything. Kaori collapsed onto the table.

“Anju?!” I stood up.

“Calm down, I just put her to sleep.”

I wanted to ask her why she did this, but then I noticed there was a girl I didn’t recognize standing behind Anju.

“Who is that?” I asked.

“This is Anita, and she wants to spend some time with the Hero~”

Anita bowed deeply. A striking village girl, she might have been the most beautiful I had seen so far. Her flowing golden hair, shining brown eyes, and smooth skin all indicated she was a flower in full bloom. A beautiful, fleeting, moment in time. The purple cloth around her waist signaled her single status, hinting at a desire for romance.

“I am honored to make your acquaintance,” she said.

I gave Anju a look that said, “What the hell are you doing?”

She winked in response.

“Come on, you wanted to meet the Hero, right?”

“Mh!”

She led Anita upstairs, and I followed a few steps behind them. Anju opened the door to Frieden’s room, nudged Anita inside, and closed the door.

Anju pressed her ear against the door. I did the same.

There were a few moments of muffled chatter, giggling, the sound of undressing, and then those sounds became less…coherent.

“Why did you send her into his room?” I asked.

“The longer the Hero is busy sowing his wild oats, the longer we will stay in this village. Normally, the Priestess or any girl is enough to sate his needs after a night, and then we are back on the road. The potion I’ve put into his drink will turn him into a wild beast with bottomless hunger.”

Anju put her hands on her hips, seemingly proud of what she has achieved.

“The longer he is busy in bed, the longer our journey is delayed.”

A few hours later, Anita stumbled out of the room, and Anju led a new girl into Frieden’s chambers. Throughout the day, I observed a revolving door of girls being ushered toward Frieden, all of them eager to experience the Hero’s touch, and each emerging a few hours later, barely able to stand.

“When did you persuade all of these girls into doing this?” I asked while Anju and I were sitting at a table, waiting for the latest girl she had taken into Frieden’s chambers to come out.

“Last night during the party,” she said. “Oh, it wasn’t all that difficult. The King did most of the work for me. His propaganda campaign promoting the Hero among the general populace was very effective. All of the girls in this village have heard of the Hero, and most of them are enamored with him. All it took was a little push, a casual offer, and they were eating out of my hand, begging me to introduce them to the Hero.”

“Just how many did you recruit?”

“Hmm…about three-quarters of all unwed maidens in this village.”

My heart sank. That was almost all of the girls in this village. In this world, women were expected to remain pure until marriage. While there were instances where a girl might not be a virgin on her wedding night, society often overlooked those cases. However, if the girl became pregnant, it was a different matter. She would be deemed ruined, undesirable  to men, and would face the prospect of becoming an outcast. Without the material excess of a post-industrial revolution world, becoming an outcast without the support system of a village, was almost like a death sentence. In this aspect,  the world reflected a truly medieval mindset.

“T-This will ruin the village,” I stammered. “If you let Frieden sleep with three-quarters of all the unmarried girls in this village, it will rip apart the social fabric.”

Anju tilted her head.

“Is that a problem? All of these girls gave consent, you know? They are going in there willingly. I didn’t use magic on any of them.”

“But Frieden…you know what kind of guy he is. He will definitely always do it inside…”

“So?”

“That’s a huge problem!”

Anju shrugged. She looked at me with wide, unblinking eyes.

“I don’t really care what happens to this village. I will send this whole village to hell if it will buy me even just one extra minute. Every minute I gain here is one extra minute my soldiers get to live. One extra minute they get to spend with their families.”

“That kind of thing…”

She blinked. She put a fist in the palm of her hand. “Ah! Are you worried that we will run out of girls for the Hero? Don’t worry! I’ve talked to some pretty mothers who want to have an affair with him.”

Anju…this girl…this demon. She was even willing to rip apart families.

She went into battle against her own kind just to maintain her cover. Sacrificing the future of countless human girls and families was nothing in comparison.

I was intimidated by her resolve.

It made me realize how pathetic I was. Even though I wanted to have my revenge against Frieden, I disagreed with what Anju was doing, even though she was correctly exploiting one of Frieden’s weaknesses to her advantage. That was the limit of my resolve.

“At the current rate, assuming the Hero doesn’t slow down, we will be able to stay here for another two days,” Anju said. “Although I’m hoping he will die from overexertion. That would be the ideal outcome, although I doubt something so convenient will happen.”

She pointed at Kaori, who was still sleeping on the table.

“Ah, please take this one back to her room. It will be troublesome if other people see her.”

“Right…”

I carried Kaori back to her room. The sticky juices on her legs got onto my hands, but I didn’t really care anymore. I put her on the bed and sat on a chair next to the bed.

Could I really go through with this? I thought I could do whatever it took to get my revenge. I thought I could destroy this entire country for the sake of my vengeance. But now that I’m seeing innocent girls being led to Frieden, watching their futures being thrown away to buy just a bit of time…every fiber in my body told me that this was wrong.

“Kuh…” I gritted my teeth.

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts.

“Yes? Come in.”

I quickly covered Kaori so that whoever came in wouldn’t see the shiny, sticky juices running down her legs.

The door opened, and Erika entered. She closed the door behind her.

“Is the Priestess alright?” she asked.

“She is exhausted, but she will be fine,” I said with the most pleasant smile I could muster. “Frieden’s training must’ve been quite hard on her.”

“I see…”

Erika looked like she wanted to say something, but she had a reluctant look on her face.

“Is something the matter?” I asked.

She hesitated before speaking.

“Uhm…do you know what kind of training Frieden has been doing with your girlfriend?”

I raised an eyebrow. What was she trying to say?

“What do you mean?”

“I mean…you know what’s really going on right?”

Ah…I see…

“Yeah, I know,” I said with a weak smile. “It can’t be helped.”

Erika frowned. “How can you smile while saying that? Doesn’t it make you want to scream? Don’t you feel anything at all? Is it because you are from Japan? Are all the people there like that? Do you always hide behind a robot-like smile?”

Some of my seniors at university who have been abroad mentioned before that foreigners often misunderstand Japanese manners.

“It can’t be helped,” I said.

Erika clicked her tongue.

“That’s why I can’t stand you. You are utterly helpless and you simply accept it.”

I gritted my teeth. This wasn’t something I could simply accept.

“No, that isn’t true. Unlike you, I wasn’t teleported to this world with high mana capacity.”

Erika opened her mouth to reply, but I cut her off.

“Did you do anything to achieve your natural mana capacity? Did you do any training? Did you suffer? No, you didn’t. You have high mana capacity because something about your soul composition gives you that ability.” I pointed at Kaori. “Only she was supposed to be transferred to this world. I’m here because I tried to save Kaori and died in the process. I was never supposed to come to this world. I came to this world because I wanted to protect her with everything that I had, even if it isn’t much.”

I took several deep breaths. Finally, I managed to say everything I had been holding back. It felt good to release it all.

She looked vaguely impressed.

“I see…you did it all for her.”

I glanced at Kaori.

“I didn’t expect that she’d betray me like this…but it can’t be helped.”
I couldn’t reveal to Erika that I had already partnered up with the Demon Lord to exact my revenge on Frieden. It was better to pretend to be the useless healer.

“Heh…” Erika smiled gently. “‘It can’t be helped.’ I see…there is a strange resolve behind those words.”

“Where are you from anyway?” I asked, trying to change the topic. It was a question I had asked her before, but she did not deem me worthy of an answer.

“Sweden.”

“I see.”

Erika scratched her chin. “It’s interesting that we can have a conversation even though we come from different countries. Do you speak Swedish?”

I shook my head. “I can speak Japanese and a tiny bit of English. When you and everyone else speak, it’s all in Japanese for me.”

“Ah…to me, you and everyone else in this world is speaking Swedish.”

“I can’t be sure, but I think the Goddess put some kind of translation spell on us. Frieden and Tier probably speak the local language since Japanese and Swedish don’t exist in this world.”

“That makes sense. Do you know where Schlacht is from?”

“No, he hasn’t told you either?”

She shook her head. “I asked him, but he’d always avoid the question.”

I was surprised to hear that. I thought Erika and Schlacht would know each other better since they were the other proper non-native members of the Hero’s Party.

“Uhm…so…is there anything I can help with?”

“Oh right.” She planted a fist in the palm of her hand. “There is something I need to talk to you about. It’s…it’s not an easy thing to talk about.”

She opened the door and peered outside to see if anyone was eavesdropping. After she had confirmed there was indeed no one there, she closed the door.

I swallowed. This was a major development. I had finally taken a step to making new (non-demonic) friends in this damned world.

Erika took a deep breath.

“I think that Anju girl is the Demon Lord.”

I forgot to breathe for a moment. How did Erika figure it out? Anju’s human disguise was perfect. There was no way Erika could’ve seen through it.

Then another thing occurred to me: if Erika knew Anju’s true identity, then does she know I’m working with her?

…

No…that couldn’t be. If Erika knew that I sided with the demons, then we wouldn’t be having this conversation to begin with. She’d have killed me by now.

“Why do you think that?” I asked.

“I felt a hint of demonic mana as soon as she joined. The mana presence was too weak to be of any real concern. I thought it might just be some faraway demons.”

I gulped.

Anju was a monster in the way she did things, but Erika was a different kind of monster. Anju was one hundred percent confident that her human disguise was perfect, that not a single spark of her red demonic mana would leak, yet Erika could vaguely sense it.

Erika continued, “After we left town, this nagging feeling grew stronger. I thought it might be small insect-like airborne demons following us somewhere. But no demons showed up within my mana detection range.”

Hmm…if Erika couldn’t pinpoint the source of demonic mana, then it meant Anju’s disguise was good after all. The problem was that Erika was so sensitive that she could subconsciously feel the presence of demonic mana even when it didn’t show up in her detection range. Perhaps it was a sixth sense of some sort, like how ancient people could feel that a storm was incoming while the sky was clear and blue.

“Then how are you sure that Anju is the Demon Lord?”

Erika frowned.

“You remember the little girl Frieden kicked before we arrived at this village?”

I nodded.

“Right before that, I felt a spike of demonic mana. It came from somewhere in the forest, and that child showed up right after that.”

“If you thought that the child might’ve been a demon in disguise, then why did you ask Frieden to allow us to help her?”

“I thought the spike in demonic mana came from her village…but later I thought about it, and…Anju and that child have the same look in her eyes.”

“What do you mean?”

Erika shifted her weight from one foot to the other while trying to think of the right words.

“I never liked her, that Anju. From the moment I saw her I felt…unnerved. She smiles, but there’s no feeling in her eyes. It’s as if she is looking at us but doesn’t see us. Like we’re insects. And after Frieden kicked that girl, I saw the same look in her eyes.” Erika took a breath. “That girl was probably Anju in disguise.”

“But how are you so sure that she is the Demon Lord?”

“Years ago…before you and Kaori came, we fought the Demon Lord before. She led the First Army. It was a tough battle, but we managed to win in the end. Unfortunately, the Demon Lord got away. This Anju girl looks completely different, but she has the same look in her eyes as the Demon Lord did at that time.”

Erika didn’t have undeniable proof that Anju was a demon, but her sixth sense was too strong to be ignored.

Shit…

What should I do?

“Kenta, will you work with me to get rid of Anju?”

I blinked. What she just asked didn’t make sense.

“If you think she is a demon, then why not ask Frieden to kill her?”

Erika frowned. She glanced left and right, opened the door, and checked again to ensure no one was eavesdropping. She closed the distance between us and whispered in my ear.

“I don’t think Frieden wants to kill the Demon Lord.”

…what?

That was news to me. I was under the impression that Frieden was in a hurry to kill the Demon Lord, which was why he refused to help the little girl Anju disguised herself as and never stayed in one place for more than three nights.

“Why would you say that? Frieden is the Hero.”

“Back then, when we fought the First Army, Frieden had a chance to kill the Demon Lord. He could’ve cut her head off, but he didn’t do it. He let her go.”

“W-What?”

Erika’s breath became shaky.

“At that time, Frieden was the only one on the battlefield. Schlacht and Tier were badly wounded and had been taken away by Tier’s beasts. Frieden doesn’t know this, but I can use magic to magnify my vision, which helps me cast long-distance spells with greater accuracy. I rarely use that spell because it leaves me vulnerable. During that battle, I used that spell to zoom in because I thought Frieden might need my help to land the finishing blow on the Demon Lord. That’s when I saw Frieden let her go.”

My heart was beating fast. Different possibilities were racing through my head.

“Why would Frieden do that?” I asked. “He could’ve ended the war right then.”

Erika said nothing for a moment.

“Frieden doesn’t want this war to end. He wants to maintain the status quo.”

Erika’s words stunned me; I forgot to breathe for a moment. Frieden doesn’t want to defeat the Demon Lord?

Erika looked deeply uncomfortable standing there. She kept glancing left and right as if she was afraid that someone might appear out of thin air.

“Why do you think Frieden wants things to stay as they are?” I asked.

“I thought about it for a long time. I think it’s because the status quo benefits him. As long as the war against the demons goes on, he is the Hero of humanity. Even the king has to lower his head in his presence. His every wish is a command. The king is even pushing a new religion with Frieden as the centerpiece. He is a hero, a prophet, maybe even a God.” Erika paused for a moment, pursing her lips. “Once the war is over, there will be no need for a hero like Frieden. Without an enemy, someone like him won’t be of much use. In fact the king and the other nobles will probably see him as a liability, someone who threatens their power. Frieden isn’t stupid. He knows his current popularity depends on the existence of the Demon Lord, so he will do everything he can to prolong the war.”

I thought about it for a moment.

“There is one thing that doesn’t make sense,” I said. “If he wants to keep the war going for as long as possible, why does he insist on leaving every city and town after just a few days? Shouldn’t he be coming up with excuses to extend every stay?”

“I thought about that too. I think Frieden simply loves the high of being welcomed when we arrive at a new place. Everyone is throwing flowers at his feet…and…all the maidens of the village want to sleep with him.”

“I see…so he is like a child in a candy store. Staying in the same place is boring.”

Erika smiled slightly. It might be the first time she has smiled and not sneered at something I said.

“Only us non-natives might understand what a candy store is,” she said.

I laughed. “Sugar is a precious commodity in a non-industrialized world.”

The air grew lighter, but Erika turned deadly serious again.

“So, what do you want to do?” she asked me.

“Have you told anyone else?”

She shook her head.

“I thought about confiding in Schlacht, but there never was a good time for it…and I suspect that he might think the same way Frieden does. Maintaining the status quo benefits him too. You have nothing to lose in this world, so I thought you might be trustworthy.”

Sudden anger surged through me. If she thought that I was someone she could trust, then why did she treat me like dirt the entire time? I stared at her. Just like Frieden, she was probably comfortable with the status quo. She didn’t care if the Demon Lord was defeated as long as she could maintain her position within the Hero’s Party and continue a steady life. She was never on the battlefield, always offering long-distance support, and she could count on Frieden, Schlacht, and Tier to be her meat shields. If Schlacht and Tier died, then the king could summon replacements just like he did with the previous Priestess. She only changed her mind when she saw Frieden turn against her. Now that she is sure that the Demon Lord is disguised as a new party member, she sees an opportunity to end the status quo. However, she is too much of a coward to act alone, so she comes to me, the one person she thinks won’t be a threat. If I give any indication that I might betray her, then she could simply kill me.

I took a breath. Calm down. The chances of her killing me right away are quite low. If she thinks I am the only person she can trust, then she won’t kill me so easily.

At this moment, I held a lot of power. I was the only person in the world who knew everything. I knew that Erika knew the truth. But I also knew that Anju didn’t know Erika had seen through her disguise. Right now, I could choose whether to betray Anju and side with Erika, or I could side with Anju, tell her that Erika knew about her true identity, and use her to eliminate Erika.

“So, what do you think?” Erika asked.

Erika was demanding an answer right now. Honestly, I wasn’t sure of what to say. Could I really side with Anju and see this through to the end? Seeing innocents lose their future just to delay Frieden wrecked me with guilt. But at the same time, Frieden had stolen Kaori from me. Kaori upheld the promise she made to him by refusing to kiss me. The king and the Hero’s Party treated me like dirt. Just imagining Anju destroying them all brought me pleasure.

“For now, we should carefully observe the situation,” I said. “We haven’t confirmed anything yet. What we decide to do could change the future of this country.”

“Hmm…you’re right.”

I let out a silent sigh of relief. My answer was just an attempt to buy time, but it seemed to satisfy her regardless.

“Let’s observe closely until we can be sure that Anju is the Demon Lord. Because if we’re wrong, we’ll be killing an innocent person.”

“I don’t really…well, okay.”

Behind me, Kaori stirred.

“Hrmmmm…” She let out a sigh.

Erika and I looked at each other. A jolt traveled up our spines. Had Kaori heard everything we just said? She was more loyal to Frieden than anyone else.

“K-Kaori, are you okay?” I asked shakily.

She didn’t answer and continued sleeping.

We let out a sigh of relief.

“I completely forgot Kaori was here,” Erika said.

“We need to be more careful.”

“Yeah.”

I made sure that Kaori was properly tucked in, then left the room with Erika.

Chapter 7

After Kenta and Erika left the room, a shimmering outline of a person appeared in the corner of the room. At first, this outline formed what looked like a large soap bubble, its colors glittering in the sunlight. The image became clearer until it revealed who was hiding there the entire time.

“Heh…that annoying mage isn’t half bad,” Anju said with annoyance, but there was a smile on her face. “To think that her sixth sense is good enough to sense my mana…although she wasn’t good enough to sense that I was hiding in the room.”

She put her hands on her hips, pleased that she could fool Erika like this, but immediately felt pathetic when she remembered that she was over a century older than her. Erika was a baby in comparison, yet this very baby could see through disguise spells that took decades to master. Simply put, considering how young she was (relative to demonic magic users) and how little experience she had with controlling mana (since she came from a different world), it was remarkable how refined Erika’s senses were. She might’ve surpassed Anju already if she had been born in this world.

A thought occurred to her: “If Erika would become my apprentice, I could raise her into humanity’s greatest mage. And her apprentices will become the greatest mages in history.”

She sat down next to Kaori’s bed. She gently prodded her cheek.

“Look at you, sleeping so soundly, unaware of all the problems you have caused. Your boyfriend died trying to protect you, you betrayed him as soon as you arrived in this world, your new lover is trying to destroy my race, and now…your boyfriend is thinking about betraying me.”

Anju was an excellent student. She had read Introduction to Basic Human Behaviors, Volume I - X, and memorized everything. She might not be able to understand why humanity did some things the way they did, but she knew how they thought and operated. And she could tell when someone’s resolve was wavering.

“So after Erika tells him that she knows my true identity, he is thinking about betraying me.” She said those words without any deep concern. It was the same tone someone might use when they say ‘Oh dear, look, it might rain tonight.’

“But why would he do that just because of Erika? He could betray me at any time. What difference does Erika make?”

She prodded Kaori’s cheek again. Kaori had a baby face, just like Anju herself. Anju enjoyed the feeling of her smooth skin.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. I already anticipated that he might betray me.” There was a hint of disappointment in her voice. Like discovering that her new shoes got dirty in the rain. “I already have a way of getting him to stay loyal.”

She couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear. Somehow the idea of executing her plan made her feel more excited than infiltrating the Hero’s Party.

“With a little luck, I can get Erika too, heh-heh~”

Besides Anju, Kaori opened her eyes. She had been drifting on the edge of consciousness for a while now, vaguely hearing some voices, unsure of whether it was a dream or reality.

By the time her eyes were fully open, Anju had transformed into Kenta. She had watched him for long enough to be able to copy his likeness faster than a regular human being could blink. All Kaori saw was a brief flash, which she took to be the sunlight.

“Kenta?” she murmured.

“I’m right here.”

Anju put her hand on top of Kaori’s since that is what she saw when observing the interactions between human males and females.

Kaori rubbed her eyes and sat up. After taking a few breaths, she was fully awake – and Anju immediately knew that she had a problem on hand.

“This is the face described in volume X, chapter 12,” she thought. She didn’t let her frown show on her face, but deep down inside she was cursing Kaori. This damned Priestess had already caused enough trouble. Now, she was going to make things even harder.

The expression on Kaori’s face was something every man feared. Her face had no particular emotion, her gaze steady, her breathing even. She had made up her mind, and nothing was going to change it. This calm, resolute decision usually meant only one thing within the context of lovers.

“Kenta, I think we should break up.”

Anju said nothing. She was disguised as Kenta right now and didn’t know how he would react in such a situation. If Kaori broke up with Kenta here,  he’d have to leave the Hero’s Party, and Anju would lose her spy. She had already figured out a way to keep him eternally loyal to her, and she wanted to try it out. This Priestess was messing things up.

Anju’s first instinct was to kill her. But then she remembered that Kenta’s party membership came as part and parcel with Kaori. This meant that she had to do everything in her power to prevent Kaori from breaking up with him.

The problem was that Erika was still nearby. Anju couldn’t just use high mana cost mind control spells on Kaori because that damned mage would detect such obvious use of demonic mana.

“Heh…” Anju smirked. Looks like this one isn’t going to be so easy.

“Kenta?”

“Sorry…I was just thinking about all the things we did together in our old world, in Japan, all the time we spent together, only for things to end up like this.”

“That…”

Kaori averted her gaze.

Manipulating humans isn’t difficult, Anju thought. In fact, it was quite easy if one knew what buttons to push and what kind of topics to raise. Most demons don’t bother reading the Introduction to Basic Human Behaviors series and the sequel series, which goes into greater depth. But Anju has read all of them. Unbeknownst to the other demons and the spies of the king, Anju wasn’t a demon meant for battle. She wasn’t strong for a demon. Her strength put her above the likes of Schlacht and Erika but far below Frieden. More than anything, she was a politician.

She specialized in disguises. She specialized in appearing to be strong. That was how she managed to claw her way to the Demon Lord throne.

However, persuading a human woman not to break up with her boyfriend while disguised as said boyfriend was truly a formidable challenge.

“We’ve been through so much,” Anju said with a rueful smile. “All the good times and bad times, the sweet and the bitter. We watched the seasons change, the leaves fall from trees, the snowfall, and the sakura bloom. Back then, I never thought things would turn out like this.”

“Kenta…”

Kaori’s resolute gaze wavered.

Heh, Anju thought. Too easy.

She had been carefully observing Kenta and Kaori for the past few weeks. She detected that there was a strong cultural difference not just between Kenta and the natives of this world but also a vast difference between them and Erika. They might come from the same world, but their home countries were probably far apart.

She noticed that Kenta and Kaori had a tendency to be more sentimental, perhaps wistful, than Erika and Schlacht. Kenta had mentioned before that his home country is called “Zhapan” or “Japan.” Anju had no idea how it was spelled, where it was, or what it looked like, and she didn’t really care either. For her, the main thing was that she found an aspect of their culture she could exploit. By appealing to their sentimental sensibilities, she hoped to make a breakthrough with Kaori – and seeing her expression waver confirmed that her theory was partially correct.

Anju closed her eyes and took a breath.

“I know you have been sleeping with Frieden,” she said, using Kenta’s voice and mannerisms. “I know…I understand that you like him more…he’s more mature than me, more powerful, he treats you better than I do.”

Kaori was momentarily rendered speechless. She hesitated before opening her mouth to speak. “N-No, that’s not true. You are kinder. Frieden…wait, you knew that Frieden and I…”

Anju put on the saddest smile she could manage.

“Mh, yeah…I knew. I knew all along. It broke my heart, but I didn’t want to break up with you because…despite everything, I still love you. I swore to the Goddess that if she allowed me to come to this world with you, I would protect you, no matter what.”

Anju stopped. She knew that Kenta had asked the Goddess to put him into this world because he wanted to protect Kaori, but she didn’t know if he had explicitly made a promise to do so.  However, she decided to simply say that because she predicted that it would generate a greater emotional reaction from the Priestess.

And as predicted, Kaori put her hands to her mouth while tears flowed freely.

“Maybe I wasn’t the best boyfriend,” Anju continued. “I wish I was better. There are so many regrets. So I understand if you want to break up.”

It was a completely unrealistic situation. Normally, Kenta should get angry because it was Kaori who cheated on him. But to lower the chance of Kaori going through with the breakup, she had to turn Kenta into the apologizing party.

“No…I don’t know what to do,” Kaori sobbed. “Kenta, I love you, but…Frieden, he also…he also loves me. He is so nice to me. I don’t know what to do.”

Anju sighed internally. She felt sorry for Kenta. Even though she was a demon and fundamentally regarded Kenta as a tool she could use to advance her military and political goals, she felt something for him, just like the owner of a watch might treat an object made out of lifeless steel with affection.

“Shh…don’t cry. Everything will be okay,” Anju said while stroking Kaori’s hair, a move which she had learned from her textbooks. For now, her goal was to calm Kaori down, avert a total breakdown of the relationship so that his party membership wasn’t in danger, and finally get some more information out of Kaori.

“For now…don’t think too much about it,” Anju said. “We’re in this strange world full of magic. I…of course I don’t like how you fell in love with Frieden…I hate it, but I understand.”

Anju knew it was important to never accuse her of ‘cheating.’ It was best to use euphemisms like ‘a passing fancy’, ‘a flight of heart,’ or simply ‘falling in love.’ An accusation that she was the cheating party would cause her to feel guilt and, therefore, generate a violent emotional backlash as a defense mechanism to protect her conscience.

What an unreasonable woman, Anju thought. But of course, she knew that in situations like this, reason did not apply. It was a battle of emotions. Which she, as the top politician of the demonic realm, was an expert at.

“I’m sorry, Kenta. I’m sorry…” Kaori apologized while sobbing.

Let her apologize and get rid of her guilt without accusing her of cheating.

Heh…How selfish of her.

An idea occurred to Anju. If Kaori had the capacity to do something like this, then was it possible that she was already cheating on Kenta before the Goddess chose her? She recalled that Kenta mentioned that he and Kaori both attended a place for higher learning. Perhaps the equivalent in this world was the Arcane Towers, where the best human mages of the land gather to learn from their seniors. It was a place where the old passed their knowledge on to the young so that the secrets of magic would never be forgotten.

Eons ago, demons and humans used to gather at the Arcane Towers to work together. Demons had a naturally higher mana capacity and longer lifespan and were further ahead with their magic. As a result, most of the old masters came from the demonic realm, and the human students learned from them. This led to the foundation of humanity’s magic being built on demonic spells.

Of course, everyone has forgotten about that by now. Any remaining records documenting that part of history were destroyed, as it was an inconvenient truth in the current era.

Considering Kaori’s character and the fact that they were at a place where young people gather, Kaori highly likely cheated on Kenta even before they came to this world.

Anju decided to find out.

“Kaori…my beloved, I want to ask you something.”

“Kenta, you sound weird. You never call me ‘my beloved.’”

“Ah…” Anju tried to hide her annoyance. She had no reference for what affectionate names men from Kenta’s home country use to call out to their lover because Kenta hadn’t used any. She tried using some of the words she learned in her textbook, but that was clearly out of character for Kenta.

“I just wanted to try calling you something I heard in this world.” She tried to laugh it off.

“Oh, mh…” Kaori smiled slightly. Anju guessed that Frieden must’ve called her ‘my beloved’ when they were alone, and that memory was making her smile.

“Kaori, I want to ask you something.”

“Yes?”

“Were you…before we came to this world, did you allow other men to bed you while you were together with me?”

She watched the blood drain from Kaori’s face. It was as if she had uncovered a shameful secret.

“Kenta…”

“It’s okay…it’s okay…” She quickly pulled Kaori into a tight embrace. Anju knew she was taking an unnecessary risk by asking that kind of question, but this was a unique situation to gather some new information that might become useful later.

“How did you know?” Kaori asked with her face pressed against Anju’s chest.

“I just had a feeling. There were times when you were distant and I thought maybe you were in the arms of another man. It was…a strange feeling. Could you tell me about it?”

Kaori said nothing for a while. Anju worried she might have been too greedy. Perhaps she’d reject any attempt to get her to give, even something like information. She may run away from any feelings of guilt and reject any and all responsibility. It was difficult to predict how selfish someone like Kaori might be. After all, she was someone who had no problem cheating on her boyfriend even after he sacrificed his life trying to protect her.

“It happened half a year after we started going out,” Kaori finally said. “You went on that trip to Europe with friends, and I was all alone the entire summer. An upperclassman asked if I wanted to go to karaoke with a few other people, and…well…we didn’t do anything back then. A week later he asked me if I wanted to hang out, just the two of us. And…various things happened, and we slept together. I was so lonely. Kenta, you were away for so long.”

“I see…I see…” Anju kept stroking her head. She was sure that if the real Kenta had heard this, he wouldn’t be able to take it. Depending on his reaction, he might literally die from sorrow. Dying from a broken heart wasn’t unheard of, and Anju would rather keep her spy alive.

“Was that the only time?” Anju asked.

Kaori shook her head. She continued to tell the stories of the different times she cheated on Kenta, how it happened, and why. It was always during a period of time when she felt lonely or if the other guy managed to temporarily sway her heart. The latter, in particular, seemed to happen a lot. The man in question (always an older man) would approach her and send her messages on LINE (Anju didn’t fully understand what LINE was but reasoned it must be a high speed version of the messenger pigeons that were used in her world), treat her to a nice meal, cook for her and eventually make a heartfelt declaration of love. That man would always have what Kenta might be lacking: greater height, more money, and an apartment.

She met those working adult men through two possible avenues: dating apps and mixers.

She had friends who attended mixers; sometimes, she went with them to make up the numbers. Every now and then, she would end up together with an older man who was more mature and financially secure – which was something Kenta lacked.

Kaori also mentioned that she never stopped using dating apps even after she and Kenta started dating.

“I simply forgot to delete them…and then I remembered that I had them on my phone. I got curious, checked them, and there were so many new matches…”

Kaori then recounted how she replied to a few messages before a particular guy caught her eye. She chatted with him for a while, emphasizing her initial intention of “only chatting.” Eventually, they met in person and ended up at a love hotel.

Somehow, it was all Kenta’s fault. She felt attracted to those older men whenever Kenta said or did something immature. She didn’t feel like Kenta could take care of her, so she ended up in the arms of someone older.

“I don’t understand,” Anju said. “Then why didn’t you break up with me?”

Kaori bit her lower lip.

“Because every time I wanted to, I…never had the courage to do it. Every time I tried breaking up with you, I realized that I loved you, and I couldn’t bear the idea of not having you in my life.”

Anju did her best to avoid letting out a long, tired sigh.

So this Priestess is dissatisfied with Kenta and at the same time doesn’t want to lose him.

For a while, Anju kept embracing Kaori while thinking about her next move. Eventually, she arrived at a solution that was acceptable for herself and Kaori’s desires.

“Kaori…I’m sorry for making you feel lonely. Maybe I’m not good enough for you, and maybe you are better off with someone better like Frieden. But…I want to be part of your life. We’re in this strange world, and you’re the only person I can trust. Without the Goddess’s translation magic, we wouldn’t even be able to understand the people here. Even if we can’t be lovers, I want to stay by your side.”

Those carefully crafted words were the best she could do. It gave Kaori plenty of exit options without making her feel guilty or cornered. It created the option for Kenta to stay with the Hero’s Party even if Kaori was adamant about breaking up. However, given her selfish nature, Anju foresaw that Kaori would be unwilling to end her relationship with Kenta. This realization led her to comment on the peculiar nature of the world they inhabited. Kenta held a distinct advantage over Frieden in this context – being from the same country as Kaori, whereas Frieden was a native of their current world.

“Uhm…are you okay with me also staying with Frieden? I love both of you…and…well…Frieden makes me feel safe.”

“Of course, my beloved.”

She pulled Kaori into an even tighter embrace.

“Kenta, do you wanna do it?”

Anju let out a long sigh.

Forgive me, Kenta.

Chapter 8

The next day, Kaori was strangely affectionate toward me. She sat down at my table instead of having her meals in Frieden’s room and even fed me like we did when we were lovey-dovey university students. She took the initiative to hold my hand under the table.

I asked Anju if she had anything to do with this, but she only winked in response. I wonder if she used some kind of mind magic to brainwash Kaori.

Whenever Kaori wasn’t with me, she went upstairs into Frieden’s room to satisfy his desires. It’s as if she didn’t care anymore about being found out.

We couldn’t leave the village as long as Anju’s potion was working on Frieden. Anju led a string of local village girls into his room, tearing apart the social fabric of this village but buying valuable time. She made it clear that she did not value the lives of these girls and simply saw them as sacrifices. Her methods were wrong, in my opinion but there was nothing I could do about it for now.

The party members spent their spare time in different ways.

Schlacht traveled to a neighboring city to perform maintenance on his blades. The town was on our planned travel route anyway, so we would meet him there if we set off before he came back.

Tier cared for his beasts, applying medicine to their wounds, brushing their fur, cleaning their teeth, and sharpening their claws. I never got close to the beasts because I was worried they would tear me apart. But from what I could see from a safe distance, they enjoyed their downtime.

For my part, I tried to make the most of this rare break. I had separate secret meetings with Erika and Anju to discuss what to do, trying my best to keep the status quo so that I could have more time to consider my options.

If I sided with Erika, we could theoretically get Frieden to kill Anju right away, paving the way for an era of peace. However, according to Erika, Frieden had no intention of killing Anju because the current status quo benefited him.

If I side with Anju, I will remain part of the Hero’s Party as her spy after she leaves. My job would be to find ways to defeat Frieden without any guarantee that Frieden could actually be defeated.

Seeing how Anju was willing to sacrifice anything and everyone for her goal of defeating Frieden made me doubt my loyalty to her. But at the same time, watching Kaori enter Frieden’s room and exit with shaky legs reminded me of why I sided with Anju in the first place.

Sigh…

What to do…

After three more days, Frieden finally left his room. At this point, he had bedded every maiden in the village and even some of the married ones.

“Damn it, I thought the potion might last another week,” Anju mumbled while waiting for me to finish loading up the supply cart. She sat inside the cart, chewing on her thumb.

“Do you regret not feeding him more?” I asked.

“No, there was only time to feed him one potion. I should’ve increased the concentration. But I didn’t think the Hero’s body could process that so quickly.”

“You can try it again in the next town.”

She shook her head.

“If I try the same thing, it won’t appear to be a special case anymore. The other party members might suspect that someone is drugging the Hero. They will naturally suspect me.”

“Then how will you delay Frieden?”

“I don’t know.”

We left the village. As the last one in the caravan, I was able to look back and the villagers who waved us off had a look of relief on their faces. They were probably glad that the Hero’s Party wouldn’t further deplete their resources.

Even if they had secret supplies hidden in the forest, relying on food hidden away for emergencies was a bad idea. Once that was gone, then the village would truly starve to death. I made a mental note to ask some merchants in the next city to send some supplies to that village.

Two days later, we arrived at the town where we were supposed to meet up with Schlacht. It was a place called Englestor, the largest city near the front lines. It was one of the first cities the king’s troops reclaimed before Frieden was chosen by the Goddess. Since then, it has become a thriving hub for trade (although rumor had it that it was a lawless city, as it was so far away from the rest of the country)

Once there, Frieden made a discovery that did not please him at all.

It turns out that while we were still in the previous village, Schlacht was welcomed by the people of this town and celebrated as if he were the Hero himself. Since there were no other party members, Schlacht became the center of attention. As a result, when we arrived, there was no welcome, no flowers on the road, and no banquet was organized by the mayor. All of that was already done when Schlacht arrived in this town alone.

This made Frieden furious.

He called all of us into his room and screamed at Schlacht, “I AM THE HERO!”

He seized Schlacht by the collar and delivered a powerful punch to his gut. Erika winced, recognizing the intensity of the blow could be lethal. Fortunately, Schlacht had a strong set of abs. Instead of getting his organs crushed, he fell to his knees and vomited.

Frieden looked down at him in disgust.

“Clean that up.”

“Y-Yes,” Schlacht breathed.

Frieden sat down while the rest of us watched Schlacht clean up his own puke. None of us dared to help him.

“I am the Hero,” Frieden repeated, a little calmer this time. “I am the centerpiece of his party. When we arrive, the people celebrate me. Do you understand? How dare you act like you are the most important member of the Hero’s Party.”

“Frieden, I am so sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. But the people started celebrating when they saw me, and I didn’t know – “

Frieden rose to his feet and delivered a swift kick to Schlacht’s side. A distinct cracking sound followed. His ribs were probably broken now.

“I didn’t give you permission to speak.”

Schlacht collapsed to the ground, heaving, clutching his chest.

“You will go around town and tell everyone you have made a mistake. You will apologize to everyone for fooling them, for making them think you are worthy of such a welcome. You will explain exactly how unimportant you are and that it is, in fact, I, Frieden the Hero, who is leading the charge. Do you understand?”

Schlacht nodded, visibly struggling to breathe. It seemed that one of his broken ribs had possibly punctured his lungs, making each breath painful. If Frieden kept on ranting, then Schlacht might actually die.

“What are you waiting for? Go do it.”

Schlacht struggled to get a single word out. He wheezed like someone who couldn’t get enough air.

“Ah…” Frieden sighed. “Kaori, heal him.”

“Yes, understood.”

Upon receiving his order, Kaori swiftly cast a healing spell, causing Schlacht’s body to be bathed in a soothing golden light. He immediately took a deep breath.

Frieden put a hand on Kaori’s shoulder.

“Stop.”

Kaori looked confused as she dispelled the healing. Schlacht’s expression immediately changed for the worse. The worst injuries were healed, but he was probably still damaged from the punch.

“Frieden?” Kaori asked quizzically.

“Don’t heal all of his wounds.” He looked down at Schlacht with unfeeling eyes. “Just make sure his lungs are okay. He needs to feel pain so he will remember the consequences of making mistakes like this.”

“O-Okay.”

She removed her hands from Schlacht.

Frieden pointed at Schlacht. “You’re not allowed to ask anyone to heal you. You cannot visit a doctor. You will carry this pain until it heals naturally.”

“U-Understood.” Schlacht looked utterly distraught.

I surreptitiously glanced at Kaori. How could she remain loyal to a monster like that? She had witnessed him kicking a little girl who was pleading for help, display utter disregard for the villagers’ needs, engaged with all sorts of other girls in front of her, and now, he has stopped her from healing a party member he himself had injured, all because his ego suffered a little.

Wasn’t it reasonable for Kaori to at least reconsider her relationship with Frieden, at least? Such unwavering devotion to a scumbag like that couldn’t be normal in any world. Even Erika questioned her loyalty to Frieden after being punished for wanting to help.

Frieden got up and left the room. Kaori closely followed him. No doubt they were going to go somewhere else and do it. Tier quickly left the room. Only Anju, Erika, and I stayed.

“Wow, that was so awkward,” Anju said with her hands behind her head. “Schlacht, you better start making your apologies, I guess.”

“Y-Yeah…” He managed to lean against a wall.

“Do you want me to heal you?” Anju asked. I shot her a look. If she were to cast healing now, Schlacht and Erika would undoubtedly witness her crimson demonic mana. What on earth was she thinking?

Erika and I made eye contact. Erika, aware of Anju’s true identity, must also be wondering what Anju’s intentions were.

“N-No, Frieden will notice,” Schlacht said.

“I doubt Frieden will actually follow you,” Anju said. “He is too busy with various things.”

Everyone knew what she meant.

“But still…it’s too risky. If he finds out that I defied him again, he will actually kill me…”

“Don’t worry,” Anju said. “I will only numb the pain so that you can walk around without suffering. I will leave the actual injuries in place. Just remember to look like you’re in agony when Frieden can see you.”

“O-Okay, that might work.”

“In that case, I will cast a light healing spell.”

I raised an eyebrow. Even if we all closed our eyes, Erika would surely sense her red demonic mana.

Anju clapped her hands together, closed her eyes, and mumbled something under her breath. Blue human mana gathered in her hands. She placed her hands on Schlacht’s body, and he became enveloped in the same golden light Kaori’s spell had produced moments earlier.

Anju removed her hands.

“How is it?” she asked.

Schlacht stood up and moved his limbs.

“Are you sure you didn’t heal me? I feel completely fine.”

“I’ve only numbed the pain. Make sure not to strain yourself.”

“Understood…and thank you.”

All four of us left the room. I followed Anju out of the tavern and pulled her into an alleyway as soon as Schlacht and Erika were out of sight.

“What did you do?” I asked.

Anju smiled knowingly and tilted her head slightly.

“I helped a dear party member?”

“You know what I mean.”

“You mean how I performed the same healing spell your precious Priestess did? That’s easy. The foundation of humanity’s magic is ancient demonic magic. I had to study ancient demonic spells when I was young. Since human magic is built on the same foundation,  it was pretty easy to analyze what the Priestess was doing and replicate it.”

“But how did you use blue mana?”

“Ah, that.” She grinned and pulled a blue crystal out of her pocket.

“When we entered this town, I noticed there were several merchants who sell mana crystals. They store human mana and can be released anytime.”

“Mana crystals? How come I’ve never seen this before? I could’ve used these to make up for my pathetic lack of mana.”

Anju held the blue crystal between her thumb and her index finger. She raised it above her head and gazed pensively at it.

“These only exist in this part of the country; they become more common as you get closer to the front lines.”

“I don’t understand. Why is that?”

“Mages will usually never give up their mana. Because the amount of mana they have is directly related to their survival in a battle. But when a mage is deeply in debt…well…then the creditor might forgive the debt if the mage agrees to store some of their mana in these crystals.”

Anju paused for a moment. Her expression grew somber.

“But that’s under the best circumstances. Usually these mana crystals are filled with mana from slaves who have no choice. The mana crystal merchants milk those slaves dry, then throw them away once they are dead. Usually, the revenue gained from the crystals is higher than the cost of a slave, so it’s a profitable business. This practice has been outlawed by demons and the human king, but…the further you are from the capital, the harder it becomes to enforce laws like this. That’s why mana crystals only begin to appear in this part of the country.”

I observed the mana crystal in her hand. What a dreadful thing.

“This kind of thing only exists in the north on the human side of the border.”

“Are you sure there isn’t a black market for these on the demonic side?”

Anju nodded. “We’ve already executed all the merchants who deal in this sort of thing and burned all the books containing the production methods. Of course, there might be humans who are willing to sell the production method to demon partners, but I doubt many demons will take it since the law I passed also punishes the possession of the production method with death.”

“I see…”

She played with the crystal in her hand. “This is rather convenient in situations like this. I place the crystal in my sleeve, and with a bit of trickery, I can make it look like I’m casting spells using human mana.

Afterwards, Anju said that she had something to do and left. I walked around town, looking for Erika. Did she notice that Anju was using illegal mana crystals? There was no way that she could’ve been fooled by Anju’s trick, right? But then again, Erika wasn’t a native of this world. She didn’t grow up with magic. And I seriously doubt that they have magic in Sweden. There was a chance that she had fallen for her trick due to her lack of experience.

I spent several hours looking for Erika but to no avail.

“Damn it…” I muttered. I arrived at the center of the town – a plaza with a white stone fountain in the middle. The fountain had several angel sculptures playing trumpets and other instruments. I wasn’t familiar with the local religion. However, they would likely have to give it up in favor of the Word of Light that the king wanted to make their new common faith.

Town merchants occupied their permanent shops while traveling merchants had erected temporary stalls around the plaza to showcase their goods. This whole area was more chaotic than any location in the capital, the city where Kaori and I were initially summoned to. A palpable sense of wild energy permeated the air.

I sat down at the edge of a fountain to rest. What should I do now? I needed to find Erika to tell her what happened.

Anju might be disgusted by the existence of these illegal mana crystals. But she wasn’t above using them to achieve her goals, which made her a hypocrite.

Heh…

She really was a politician in the end. She had a goal in mind and certain values she abided by. But she could also ignore everything that prevented her from getting what she wanted. Did I really want someone like that ruling this world?

My revenge versus the future of this world. I was so sure that I wanted to side with Anju for the sake of my revenge. I was disgusted by how weak my resolve was.

While I took a deep breath, the gentle scent of winter mixed together a delicious smell. My eyes followed the source until I saw a bakery on the other end of the plaza.

My stomach rumbled.

Come to think of it, I haven’t eaten anything all day. I walked across the plaza and into the bakery. A young woman greeted me and asked me what I wanted. Behind her, I could see an older man pouring water into a bowl of flour with a deep frown on his face.

“What’s this town’s specialty?” I asked her.

“The Province Bread.”

I didn’t really understand what that was, so I asked for a serving of that. The girl went into the back and came back with a wooden tray with two pieces of bread cut open and filled with molten cheese, small pieces of ham and green herbs.

I reached into my pocket to pull out the Golden Charter but at the last moment decided against it. It felt unfair to take something for free from this baker simply because I had the Golden Charter on me. It’s not like the king was going to compensate them for it.

“That will be one silver Taler,” the girl said.

I paid her and sat down at the edge of the fountain to enjoy my meal. I bit into the steaming hot bread. It was delicious.

The bread was crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Unlike the bread I bought at convenience stores, this was probably made just a few hours ago. The real highlight was the cheese. It was thick and creamy, filling my mouth with a distinct taste I had never experienced before. The green herbs add a bit of variety to the flavor, preventing the cheese from becoming overwhelming. The ham was juicy; the small pieces were just enough to add a bit of extra saltiness to the meal.

Before I knew it, I had finished both pieces.

“Ah…”

Come to think of it, this was the first meal I’ve had alone in a long time. I was always either cooking stew for the rest of the party (and only getting to eat leftovers while everyone else ate the meat and potatoes) or being surrounded by others while eating at a tavern. Lately Anju was always by my side, so this was the first moment I’d had to myself in a while.

I bought myself a cup of local ale from a stand along with a second serving of the Province Bread.

What a strange name.

The Province Bread. It was such a vague name. What province was this even referring to?

I bit into it, and the flavor spread in my mouth. The cheese was just a little too hot, making it perfect.

“Hey, what are you eating?” Anju’s voice sounded next to my ear, accompanied by a gentle warmth against my cheek. She was so close that the side of her face was pressed against mine.

“A-Anju? What are you doing here?”

“I finished taking care of my business.” She pressed her cheek even closer to mine. She was like a child who didn’t know the concept of personal space. “Heeee~ You’re cheating on me?”

The people around us gave us curious glances.

My heart jumped.

“W-What are you talking about?! There is no way – “

“How can you eat something delicious without telling me?”

She leaned down and took a bite out of the bread.

“Hnghh~ This is delicious!”

She grabbed the whole piece and shoved it into her mouth.

Oh, she meant the food. I let out a silent sigh of relief.

“Seriously, what is this? The cheese melts in my mouth. And the texture of the bread is perfect? Humans had access to this delicious food like this the whole time?!”

She took the second piece out of my hand and swallowed it whole.

Ah, I wanted to eat that…I guess I can always buy some more.

“What’s this glorious thing called?” Anju asked.

“It’s called the Province Bread or something like that.”

“The Province…”

Anju closed her eyes and furrowed her brows as she sunk into deep thought. After several moments, she ripped her eyes open.

“Ah, I remember reading about this legendary recipe in one of the history textbooks.”

“They have this in history textbooks?”

“Mh, certain recipes are of historical significance since they can represent political movements, specific eras, and so on.”

“Oh, what makes this one important?”

Anju licked her fingers, sucking on the flavor left behind by the bread.

“The Province Bread…it’s an old recipe from the Unified Era when humans still went to the Arcane Towers to study magic with the Demonic Masters. Back then, neither humanity nor demons were as developed as they are now. The coastal cities were the most prosperous and the landlocked interiors were poor in comparison, only able to taste what they could grow themselves. The interior was simply referred to as ‘the Provinces’ since they were all more or less the same. Even though they didn’t have access to many ingredients like the people living in port cities, the people of the interior came up with one single recipe that took the country by storm.”

“And that was this bread?”

Anju nodded.

“Different villages had different recipes, but it was all more or less the same. The people in the port cities loved it, too. It was a recipe that both humanity and demons fell in love with. Nobody really had a name for it, so eventually, people just ended up calling it ‘the bread from the provinces.’ I guess now they call it the Province Bread without knowing why they call it that.”

She let out a long sigh.

“It’s my first time tasting this mythical bread. So this is what humanity has been enjoying this whole time. Say, do they have something like this in your home world?”

“They do have similar things,” I said. “In my country, there are lots of bakeries selling all sorts of bread. Some say Japan even has the best bread in the world, even though bread is a foreign invention.”

“Does everyone have access to this bread?”

“As long as you have money, you can buy it.”

“I see…and what if you don’t have money?”

“Well…then you won’t be able to buy food.”

“Huh. I suppose an abundance of food didn’t solve all of your problems.”

“I don’t know how to answer that…”

I learned about different economic theories, monetary policies and such in university. However, explaining Japan’s economic policies and the history of money to Anju was beyond me.

She clapped her hands together.

“Alright, I want more of this Province Bread. Where can we get more?”

I pointed at the bakery.

“Let’s go!”

She jumped off the edge of the fountain and strutted forward with a spring in her step. Everything about how she said those last words and her gait indicated that she expected me to follow her.

I obeyed.

Once inside the bakery, she immediately began chatting with the girl who worked at the counter.

“What charming little bakery you have here,” Anju said with a beguiling smile.

The girl bowed. “Thank you for your kind words.”

I stood behind Anju, observing her as she chatted with the girl. She had a certain charm about her, a manner of speaking that made the girl open up almost immediately.

It made sense that Anju had the ability to charm other people. She was the leader of the demons, and such a role demanded a certain level of charisma. The way the girl smiled at Anju was completely different from how she regarded me when I was the customer. Right now, her expression was warm, unlike the business-like smile I received when I came in alone.

Ah…I wish I had the natural charisma Anju has. Then maybe I wouldn’t have had such a hard time finding a girlfriend. It took me a long time to win over Kaori…only to have her cheat on me like this.

“My father is the baker,” the girl told Anju. The old man in the back let out a grunt, indicating that he was listening. “My mother passed away a few years ago, so it’s just us running this place.”

“I see…your bread is delicious. It’s the best I’ve ever had.”

“Thank you very much.”

“Why is it so delicious? What’s your secret?”

“Anju, you can’t ask something like that,” I said. “The recipe is a trade secret for a business.”

The girl let out a gentle laugh.

“It’s okay. There is no great secret. All of the bakeries in this region make the Province bread. It’s the only thing this part of the country is famous for, other than frequent attacks by demonic armies from beyond the border.”

Anju’s expression didn’t change.

“The secret is the quality of the ingredients we use,” she said. “We use freshly ground flour, soft cheese, and herbs gathered from the local forest. The wood we use also contributes to the flavor. The smoke from the fire gives it a certain smell, and that makes the ham a little saltier. It’s impossible to replicate this taste in the port cities because the milk, flour and soft cheese will spoil quickly.”

“I see.” Anju nodded. “Big port cities might enjoy delicacies from around the world, but this Province Bread can only be had here.”

“That’s right,” the girl said with a sense of pride.

The old man in the back came with four servings of Province Bread on a wooden plate.

“Here,” he said without looking at us and then returned to the back.

“Ah, thank you,” I said.

“Geez, father, how many times do you have to tell you that you cannot treat customers like this. That’s why no one comes here.”

“Hrmm,” he grunted.

The girl bowed. “I apologize for my father’s behavior. You can have these for free.”

The old man’s shoulders twitched.

Anju was about to reach out for the bread, but I pulled her back by putting a hand on her shoulder.

“No, no, we will pay for this. It wouldn’t be right for a master to give his work away for free.”

“You are too kind, sir.”

I put the full sum on the counter. We left the bakery.

We sat down at the edge of the fountain once more. Anju devoured the bread as if it were her last meal.

“You were awfully interested in them,” I commented.

“Mh.”

“Any particular reason?”

“Hmm…” She swallowed before she spoke. “I’m envious that humanity gets to enjoy food like this every day. This town will be one of the first places I conquer once we get rid of the Hero. The cheese, milk and flour produced by the fertile lands of this region will help us achieve food security.”

She looked around.

“It’s too bad that all of this, all of these people will die once the city falls. My soldiers will want to do unspeakable things once I let them loose and I won’t stop them because they survived the battlefield. They will see it as their right to do whatever they want. But I’ll personally intervene to ensure the safety of that girl and her father. If they die, then the recipe of this specific Province Bread will die with them. I can’t allow that.”

A chill ran down my spine as Anju spoke about war crimes in the same casual tone one might use to say ‘I should buy more eggs today.’

What horrified me even more was that she was considering her invasion plans even as she was admiring this town. She was able to think about killing the people she was speaking to. She had even decided to capture the girl and her father alive simply because the recipe for her favorite bread existed in their heads. She would probably kill them too once they gave her the recipe.

Kuh…

As much as I hated Frieden and everyone else in this party, I don’t think I could support Anju anymore.

I stood up.

“Sorry, I just remembered that there’s something I need to do.”

“Oh, is that so? Well, see you later.”

Anju tilted her head slightly, wearing a gentle smile on her lips.

I walked away from the fountain with my back open to her. Did she know what I was intending to do right now? Was she able to read my mind?

I focused on keeping my gait neutral as I walked away from Anju. As soon as I turned a corner, I let out a deep breath. I’m going to find Erika now and tell her that we should tell Frieden that Anju is the Demon Lord. If Erika thinks that Frieden will be reluctant to kill Anju, then we can tell him that she is a mere spy, and therefore, he will kill her without a second thought since he will think it doesn’t affect the status quo.

By the time I was back at the tavern, my heart was pounding and my stomach hurt. I felt like a child going to the dentist. Dread churned my stomach. I wanted to run away and hide, but this was something I had to do.

I opened the door and found Frieden sitting at a table with Schlacht, Tier, Erika, and Kaori standing next to him. Was this a party meeting? If that was the case, why didn’t they call Anju here?

I glanced at Erika.

“Erika, if it’s not too much trouble, could I speak to you in private?” I asked.

Frieden grinned.

“The useless healer is finally here,” he said. “I was waiting for you.”

I froze. Why would Frieden be waiting specifically for me?

“I’m here,” I said hesitantly. “Can I help you?”

“Come here.”

He said those words with a smile, but it was clearly a command. Everyone in the tavern looked at me. The tension was so thick that I could feel it on my skin. What the hell was going on here? Normally I, the useless sixth member of the Hero’s Party, was never someone worth waiting for. Most of the party meetings happened without me nor was I informed when and where those meetings occurred. I only follow the decisions made by Frieden.

I stepped closer.

“Don’t be shy. Come closer.”

His words and expression were kind, but his eyes reflected a sense of malice. Every fiber in my body told me to run away. But I knew that even if I did that, Frieden would catch up to me before I even reached the door.

I stopped in front of the table he sat at.

“Erika just told me something interesting,” Frieden said. “Can you guess what it is?”

“Uhm…”

I glanced at Erika, but she kept her gaze fixed to the floor.

Frieden kicked away the table that separated us. The wooden table crashed against the wall, shattering into pieces. Several people in the tavern cried out in shock, but nobody dared to intervene.

“F-Frieden, what is it?”

“Useless healer…you…”

I’d never felt so afraid in my entire life. I wanted to die just to get it over with.

“Erika told me you compensated the village elder.”

In the previous village, Erika asked me to compensate the villagers for all the damage Frieden did and the food we ate. Frieden’s rampage could impact the village’s ability to survive the winter, so the least we could do was compensate them with some gold.

“Erm…I recall giving some money to the village elder to compensate for our long stay. Is that a problem?”

Frieden closed the distance between us. I could feel the power of his gaze as he looked down on me.

“You compensated the village elder without my permission.”

“I’m terribly sorry to have done something without your permission. The village looked like they needed it and – “

I glanced at Erika. What’s going on here? Should I reveal to Frieden that it was actually Erika’s idea? But if I did that, then it would destroy the only real relationship I’ve managed to build in this world.

Frieden grabbed my throat and raised me into the air.

“You…what you’ve done is unforgivable.”

I couldn’t breathe. I put my hands on his fingers, trying to pry myself loose, but his grip was like iron. The edges of my vision grew fuzzy.

Frieden’s grip loosened, and I was able to breathe. He dropped me to the ground. There was no strength in my legs; I collapsed like a house of cards, gasping for air.

“I don’t understand,” I said. “What did I do wrong?”

Frieden’s face grew red with rage.

“You compensated the villagers,” he growled.

Now I was getting annoyed. Was he so self-important that he expected me to understand what he meant based on only that?

“I am very sorry if I offended you in some way, but…I don’t understand what you mean.”

Frieden stamped his foot on the ground, the sound echoing like thunder in my ears.

“By compensating the villagers, you are saying that I, Frieden the Hero, was a burden on them.” He looked like his head would burst from all that rage. “How dare you insult me like that?! How dare you, the most useless person in the party, imply that I am the burden? Do you have no shame? You are only part of this party because I allow it. You’d be dead without my mercy. And you dare betray me like that?!”

Ah…I understood. Frieden has no self-awareness at all. He doesn’t realize that his endless consumption puts the village’s winter stock in danger (not to mention all the village girls he ruined). And now he thinks I have insulted him by doing something that implies that he was a burden.

This guy…

I really wanted to tell him off. I wanted to tell him that just because he was the Hero didn’t mean that he could do whatever he wanted. A true Hero has respect for those less powerful than him. What he did that night was no different from a parasite.

But I didn’t say any of that. For now, I had to avoid being killed.

I recalled what Anju said. Frieden will be looking for any excuse to get rid of me, to do to me what he did to the previous Priestess so that he can finally monopolize Kaori.

I got down on my knees and pressed my forehead on the ground.

“My deepest apologies, Great Hero. It was not my intention to insult you. I will accept any punishment.”

“Heh,” Frieden scoffed. Without even looking, I could tell what kind of nasty grin he had on his face.

To be honest, I was filled with so much bitterness that I wanted to set the whole world on fire. To prostrate myself before the guy who was screwing my girlfriend, the guy who made my girlfriend promise to never kiss me…it made me want to die.

But no matter what, I could not die here. No matter how painful it was, I had to swallow my pride.

However…there was one thing I could not take lying down.

“If I may add one thing…” I said, “It was not my idea to compensate the villagers. It was Erika who told me to do it.”

For a moment, there was silence.

“You’re really like a cockroach,” Frieden said. “Even in the face of death, you try to squirm your way out of it. Erika is the one who told me that you wanted to compensate the villagers.”

I raised my head. My jaw dropped in disbelief. I looked at Erika, but she refused to meet my gaze.

So she was the reason why Frieden was waiting for me. Why would she betray me like that after swearing me to secrecy? After what we’ve been through…this didn’t make any sense.

And despite that, the reality was that she had betrayed me.

I raised my head. “I’m not lying. This really was Erika’s idea.”

Frieden looked down on me with a sneer.

“You disgust me from the bottom of my heart.”

That was the last thing he said to me before he kicked me in the face. I wish I would’ve lost consciousness from that, but Frieden was holding back. He was using just enough force to cause maximum pain but not enough to knock me out. He kept kicking my head, crushing one of my eyes, breaking all of my teeth. Once my face was disfigured, he kicked the rest of my body. My arms and legs were all broken. One of my ribs poked my lungs, making it difficult to breathe.

I don’t know how much time has passed, but eventually, I heard Kaori’s voice.

“Frieden, stop! He’s going to die.”

Suddenly the blows stopped. I felt him put his boot on the side of my head. It was dripping with blood – my blood.

“You will be punished for insulting me, for leeching off this party. Do you understand?”

I said nothing. In response he kicked my head.

“Do you understand?”

“Y-Yes.”

He took off his shoes and dropped them on my head.

“And you will clean these shoes. It’s your fault they got dirty.”

“Understood.”

“Kaori, heal his wounds. But not all of them. Just enough so that he won’t die.”

“Frieden…” Kaori sounded worried.

“Do you understand?”

“Yes…”

The rest of the party left. Neither Kaori nor I said anything while she healed me.

Frieden didn’t kill me on the spot, and he didn’t expel me from the party. This suggested that he likely intended to execute me during the punishment he had in mind.

I felt Kaori’s warm hands on my shoulder. My body became enveloped in the same golden light that had healed Schlacht.

Frieden wanted to kill me. But he couldn’t do so in front of Kaori. Even though Kaori had proven that she was loyal to him, she still refused to completely break up with me; he couldn’t kill me in front of her without impacting their relationship. So, the best way to do it was to find an excuse to punish me and make sure I died during that punishment. That way, he could keep his hands clean.

Kaori’s healing spell mended my bones and restored the eyeball Frieden had crushed. However she stopped short of fully healing me. I still had bruises all over.

“Kaori…what’s wrong?”

“Kenta, I’m sorry,” she said with a shaky voice. “Frieden told me I can’t fully heal you.”

“Kaori, kiss me.”

She removed her hand.

“I can’t do it. I’m sorry, Kenta.”

She got up and left the tavern.

A cold hand reached into my gut. An emotion I had never felt before emerged in me. I breathed slowly, deeply, deliberately.

Kaori stopped Frieden from beating me to death. But she still obeyed his order even when he wasn’t there. She kept her promise to him to never kiss me.

She was going to stand by and do nothing while Frieden arranged for me to die during the ‘punishment.’

Erika had betrayed me. After seeing that Anju could use human mana, she fully sided with Frieden and intended to get rid of me, the only person who knew about her wavering loyalty, by leaking a half-truth to him. By making the first move, she made sure that no one would believe my side of the story.

I continued to breathe deeply even though it hurt my lungs.

“It must hurt to breathe like that, right? The Priestess didn’t fully heal you, after all.”

Anju’s voice sounded beside me. She knelt down next to me.

“Anju?”

“Shhh…”

She put her hands on my shoulder and used the same healing spell as Kaori. Somehow, it felt warmer than Kaori’s magic. It felt like I was being embraced by loving arms.

Moments later, all the pain in my body vanished.

“Thanks. Your spell felt different from Kaori’s?”

“Heh-heh~” Anju put her hand on her chest with a self-satisfied smile. “Like I said before, humanity’s magic is based on the principles taught by demonic masters eons ago. It’s a simple task for me to study her spell and improve on it. You probably feel better than even before you got beaten up by the Hero.”

I got up and moved my limbs.

“You’re right. My body feels lighter somehow.”

Anju put her hand on my shoulder again.

“That’s good,” she smiled.

Why was it that this smile moved me so much? I put my arms around Anju and pulled her into a tight hug.

“K-Kenta?!” She struggled to get out of my embrace.

“Thank you,” I murmured.

Anju stopped struggling. She put her little hands on my back. She touched the back of my head.

“Mhh…everything is fine.”

I held back my tears. So many emotions were crashing down on me.

Erika had betrayed me. She had also concocted a plan for me to carry her secret to the grave.

Kaori had chosen to listen to Frieden, even after he almost beat me to death, only stepping in when he was about to strangle me.

Schlacht and Tier stood idly by.

None of the people in this tavern spoke up on my behalf when they saw me almost getting killed – even after they had heard everything, and it was obvious that Frieden was in the wrong.

Screw this country and everyone in it. If Anju wanted to massacre everyone, so be it.

“Anju, I promise that I will find a way to help you kill Frieden, even if it’s the last thing I do.”

She let out a breath. “Kenta, you…get down on your knees.”

Confused, I followed her order. Was she going to scold me for something?

She bowed down and kissed me on the forehead.

“You stupid little healer,” she said with the voice of a mother. “Don’t overdo it, okay?”

“Anju?”

She had never looked at me with so much affection before.

“You’re too tall, so you need to get down on your knees if I want to give you some encouragement.”

“Ah…”

“Besides…helping me isn’t important right now.”

“Huh?” I tilted my head in confusion. What could be more important than finding a way to kill Frieden?

She pointed at me.

“Frieden clearly wants to kill you with whatever punishment he has in mind. We need to make sure you survive that.”

I gulped. She was right; I had almost forgotten about that.

She patted my head.

“Don’t worry. I won’t let the Hero kill you. I swear on the honor of the Demon Lord throne that I won’t let you die.”

Chapter 9

Two days later, we left Englestor. During that time, Frieden made no mention of my punishment. It was as if he had completely forgotten about it.

Erika avoided me, unable to meet my gaze. That was fine with me. I vowed to ensure she faced a painful demise when Anju defeats the Hero’s Party. Schlacht didn’t talk to me either. Part of me was hoping that since we both got beaten up by Frieden in the same town, he and I might become friends. Instead, he avoided me just like Erika. In fact, he was colder toward me than before, pretending that I didn’t exist even when I directly spoke to him.

Maybe he didn’t want to be associated with me out of fear that it might stroke Frieden’s ire.

Surprisingly, it was Tier who showed me a little kindness. When no one was watching, he slowed down the beast he was riding on to run parallel to the supply cart and asked me how I was feeling.

“I’m fine…erm…Kaori’s healing has taken care of the worst of it.”

“I see…”

He didn’t say anything for a while, while riding next to the supply cart.

A few moments later, the road through the forest narrowed, causing the front of the caravan to vanish behind some trees.

Tier reached into his knapsack and handed me two small bottles.

“Here take this.”

“This is…”

“The first is medicine to numb the pain. The second is a potion to heighten your senses and increase your reaction time.”

I understood why he gave me the first one. But why would I need the second bottle? It’s basically an energy drink, isn’t it?

“Thank you, but what is the second one for?”

“You will need it soon…for Frieden’s punishment.”

“Ah…uhm…what does he have in mind?”

The front of the caravan came back into sight.

Tier didn’t answer. He spurred his beast and rode to the front.

I looked at the two small bottles in my hand. What the hell did Frieden have in mind?

A feeling of dread sloshed around in my stomach for the rest of the day. Tier must’ve heard Frieden talking about my punishment at the front. And it must be something so horrible that even he felt that it was too much.

In the evening, after I had set up camp on the road, I talked to Anju about what Tier gave me. She examined the bottles and dipped a finger in both bottles to taste the liquid.

“He’s telling the truth,” she said. “Heee~ This concoction isn’t something that can be bought at stores. Tier must have a talent for mixing potions.”

“How do you know this isn’t store-bought?”

Anju smacked her lips, savoring the aftertaste.

“The construction of both of these potions is too complex for them to store-bought. Human potion makers who set up shops won’t bother making such complicated potions. The more complicated a potion is, the more expensive it will be, which makes it less likely for people to buy them. Simpler, cheaper potions are the steady sellers, especially for simple effects like numbing pain and heightening your senses.”

“I see.” Simply put, it didn’t make sense business-wise to invest so much time into a high-quality potion for a simple effect when there were cheaper alternatives. It would be like investing a ton of money into researching a new drug that does the same thing as generic painkillers, just better, at ten times the price. It just doesn’t make economic sense.

“That being said, why do you look so annoyed?” I asked Anju.

She looked at the bottles with a frown on her face.

“Humanity learned potion-making together with magic at the Arcane Towers during the Unified Era. Human and demonic potion arts share the same foundation, just like our magic.” She fell into silence for a while. “Demonic magic always had the upper hand until the Hero showed up. I was confident that at least our potion arts are still centuries ahead, but…”

Her frown deepened.

“Don’t tell me that humanity’s potion arts have also surpassed ours. And this happened even without divine intervention.”

“I’m sorry.”

Anju shook her head.

“It’s not your fault. I’ll give my potions masters an earful when I return to the capital.”

This was the first time Anju had mentioned anything about returning to the Demonic Realm. She’s been here for so long that this never occurred to me. It only made sense. The longer she stayed here, the higher the chances of her identity being uncovered.

After dinner, everyone went to sleep. Messenger ravens from the king’s advanced scouts told us that several groups of demons were near us, so tomorrow would likely be full of battles. Everyone decided to go to sleep early (of course, Kaori went into Frieden’s tent).

I was unable to fall asleep. The thought of Frieden’s punishment being designed to kill me terrified me. Even though Anju swore to protect me, I was not guaranteed to survive. After all, if Anju was powerful enough to stand up to Frieden, then she wouldn’t need someone like me in the first place.

Unable to sleep, I decided to sit by the fire. I saw that Tier was outside of his tent. He was sitting in front of the campfire.

“You can’t sleep?” he asked me.

“Mh, yeah.”

Without saying a word, he invited me to sit down.

I sat down on a log next to him. The flames flickered in the gentle breeze. It was the time of the year when it was warm during the day and temperatures dropped drastically at night. The edges of the leaves had begun to turn golden. Soon, I will be experiencing my first winter in this country – or maybe by then, this country will be gone.

We sat in silence. The atmosphere grew increasingly awkward. I tried to think of a topic to break the silence.

“Thanks again for the potions,” I said.

“Did they help?”

“Yeah, the first one eased the pain,” I lied. There was no need to drink his potions since Anju had healed me. “I haven’t tried the second one yet.”

“Save the second one for Frieden’s punishment game.”

“Punishment game?”

Tier said nothing for a while. The smell of beasts lingered on him since he was always riding them. I remember when Kaori and I were first transported to this world, the other party members used to make fun of Tier for his smell, even though it wasn’t his fault. It simply came part and parcel with being a Beast Tamer. He was like the fat kid in a class who got teased for his appearance. But after I arrived, everyone found a new target and left him alone.

“Yes, a punishment game,” Tier said. “I didn’t hear all of the details, but it seems that he has decided on what your punishment will be. From what Erika told me, this punishment could potentially be fatal.”

I swallowed.

Fatal.

Frieden really intended to kill me.

Tier reduced his voice to a whisper. I had to lean in close to hear him.

“I don’t think what Frieden is doing is right. That’s why I’m giving you the potions. I don’t have the power to save you. But I hope the second potion will make it easier for you. Ah, one moment.”

He got up and went into his tent, returning a moment later.

“Here. I forgot about this one. ” He handed me another bottle. This one was entirely black. “Drink this to end it if the punishment becomes too painful. I mixed it so that it will be instantaneous and painless.”

I examined the bottle in my hands. In other words…

“This is poison?”

He nodded.

“This is a poison that will instantly and painlessly end your life…in case you get fatally injured and Frieden wants you to bleed out.”

“I see…thank you.”

I put the bottle away.

“Tier, can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Why are you helping me? If Frieden hears of this, you will be punished too.”

“I might suffer the same punishment as you. But like I said, I don’t think what Frieden is doing is right. The village we stayed in has limited resources. It just isn’t right for us to take advantage of their kindness.”

“The village elder told me they have enough hidden supplies to survive the winter.”

“No, I didn’t mean that. It’s common knowledge that villages keep hidden stores of food in case they get raided by bandits.” He let out a long breath. “I was thinking of all the girls Frieden slept with. They will give birth to bastards. They are all ruined. It doesn’t matter if they are the children of the Hero if they have no official father. The young men of the village will likely leave the village to find wives. Frieden has destroyed the social fabric of that community.”

“Yeah…”

I wanted to say that Anju used her silver tongue to persuade all of these village girls into doing something stupid. But I decided to stay quiet about that.

“How did you get so good at potion making?” I asked in an attempt to change the topic.

“My father was a potion master. We had a little shop in a town on the eastern border. Business was good. He taught me everything he knew, and I was happy to take over the business once he retired.”

“These potions are highly complex. You’re really talented at this.”

Tier smiled slightly.

“Thanks. My father also said that I am naturally gifted.”

“In that case, how did you become the Beast Tamer for the Hero’s Party?”

Tier gazed into the fire. His face didn’t show much emotion, but I could tell he was thinking about the past.

“Before I discovered my talent in potion making, I was good at taming all kinds of animals, beasts, and even some monsters. There were even a few demons I managed to befriend…although that is something that is better forgotten about. One day, the king asked the Goddess to put together a Hero’s Party to defeat the demons once and for all, and the Goddess chose me to be the Beast Tamer for Frieden’s party. The king’s word is law, and the Goddess’s choice is divine will, so I had no choice but to abandon the potion shop I inherited.”

“So you’re here against your will?”

“I don’t know. Beast taming is something I’ve always been good at, so it all comes quite naturally to me. Of course, there are many customers who depend on the potions I was making. I did my best to teach the most important recipes to other potion makers in the area. But I’m worried that none of them have the ability to replicate my products. I wonder if my customers are alright…there was that one girl who traveled across the eastern border once a month to pick up a potion for her grandmother. I didn’t get to say goodbye to her before I was drafted into the Hero’s Party.”

He silently gazed into the fire. I wonder if he was in love with that girl. Or perhaps he could never admit that he had fallen for a customer.

Tier continued.

“One day, when the Demon Lord is finally defeated, I will return to my village and reopen my shop.”

“Do you think the girl from the other side of the border will still be there?”

“I don’t know. I hope so.”

“Will you ask for her hand in marriage?”

“If she will have me – wait, I never said anything about that.”

“It’s written all over your face.”

I grinned. Her visits must’ve been something he was looking forward to.

Tier scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. It’s one of the rare times I have seen him show any kind of emotion.

Tier said he was feeling tired and retreated to his tent. I put out the fire, then returned to the supply cart. When I hopped on, there was a certain Demon Lord waiting for me there.

“Who knew Tier is such a romantic,” she said.

“You were listening?”

“Mh. I always pay extra attention to humans who have skills superior to demons. I’m thinking about capturing him alive after we’ve defeated the Hero. It would be a shame to lose his advanced potion-making skills. Ah – right, can you show me the poison he gave you?”

I wanted to ask where she was hiding the whole time, but she reached into my pocket and pulled out the bottle.

“Interesting,” she murmured. “Even though I’m the Demon Lord, I still can’t safely try out this poison without risking death.”

“Can you figure out how to make this? Maybe this can be used to kill Frieden?”

“Frieden is immune to all poisons…at least all poisons that are recorded in our books.” Anju shook the vial, gazing at the black liquid. “This isn’t demonic poison. It’s a new creation. Something the Goddess may have overlooked when creating Frieden. So…perhaps…”

She took out an empty vial and carefully poured about a quarter of the poison into her bottle.

“Let me study this. Perhaps we can use this.”

“Anju…”

“Yeah?”

“You said you want to capture Tier alive, just like the girl and the baker in the previous town.”

“That’s right.”

“What are you going to do with them?”

Anju tilted her head with a quizzical expression.

“If they are willing to cooperate, they will become naturalized citizens.”

“And if they refuse?”

“I will torture them until they tell me everything I want to know. Then I will dispose of them.”

“You won’t let them go?”

“Once I have tortured them, I can’t let them go. They could spread horrible stories about how they were mistreated. Those stories could be used as propaganda to inspire a rebellion. As soon as they refuse to willingly cooperate, they must be killed.”

“I see.”

I was still horrified by how nonchalantly Anju could speak about hurting others. I didn’t want Tier or anyone else to die. But I also realized that this kind of wavering resolve wouldn’t get me anywhere.

If this is Anju’s way of doing things, then so be it. There was no tenderness left in me.

Chapter 10

The next day, Frieden announced a special side quest despite reported sightings of demons in the area. There was a dungeon from the Late Unified Era located nearby. Adventurers left it unexplored as dungeons from that era tended to be riddled with all sorts of traps. According to Anju, large political rifts began forming between humans and demons during that time, causing both sides to construct dungeons to keep their supplies and treasures safe. Later on, after the Late Unified Era, at the beginning of the Great War, these dungeons were used to keep prisoners. Since they were riddled with traps, those prisoners didn’t even need to be guarded, as any attempt to escape would result in death.

I glanced at Erika. She was right that Frieden would look for any excuse to slow down our journey without appearing to be doing so. If we continued to travel on the main road, we’d reach the border within a month. After entering demonic territory, we’ll only be a few weeks from reaching the Demon Lord’s castle.

On our way to the dungeon, Anju and I chatted in hushed tones.

“Humans were behind with their magical theories, so they got really creative with their traps in order to keep us demons at bay. There is no record of what kind of traps are used there.”

“Then how do you know that those traps are creative?”

“No demon has ever come back to tell the tale. And it’s a fact that humanity’s magic during that time was primitive. The only explanation is that their dungeon traps must’ve been innovative.”

“I see. But I still don’t understand why no adventurers have explored these dungeons if they are filled with treasure.”

Anju pursed her lips. “My guess is that one of the human kings ordered all maps and blueprints to be burned out of fear that they might end up in the hands of demons, thereby destroying one of the few advantages humanity had during the Great War. No adventurer in their right mind would explore a Late Unified era dungeon without a map. We demons don’t want to touch them either. So most of these dungeons are still filled with treasures.”

“Have you never thought of using modern magic to explore these dungeons? The untouched treasures could aid your war effort.”

Anju crossed her arms. She looked conflicted.

“Of course it is tempting. I have sent some of my best dungeon explorers to survey the site. But none of them ever returned. My best spies haven’t been able to find any surviving maps, so I won’t send more of my best to their death.”

The dungeon lay in the middle of the forest, far from any roads we could use to reach it. We had to leave behind our carts and horses. Frieden assigned Tier to guard our supplies while the rest of the party went to find the dungeon.

Schlacht used his dual blades to carve the path through the untamed undergrowth, and eventually, we reached the side of a mountain. We turned right and walked along the rocky side until we reached what looked like an abandoned cave leading into the mountain. Two weather-worn pillars marked the entrance of the dungeon.

Anju put a hand on one of the pillars.

“It’s from the Late Unified Era,” she declared.

“You can tell?” Frieden asked.

“Mh, yeah. The weathering on these pillars is appropriate for that era; the carving style is also from that time period.” She narrowed her eyes. “Although I can’t read the inscriptions. The language is too old.”

“I see, thank you.”

Anju stepped back.

She beckoned for me to lean down. She whispered in my ear, “It says, ‘Screw you demons, you will die here. Seriously, just die already.’”

“So you can read ancient writing?”

“Of course. Demons kept the old writing system, while humanity reformed their written language.”

“Somehow, I imagined the people from back then to be more…elegant with their language.”

Anju shrugged. “They are only human, after all.”

Frieden clapped his hands together.

“Okay, everyone, listen up.” He pointed at the dungeon entrance behind him. “This is a dungeon from the Late Unified Era.”

Anju raised her hand.

“Excuse me, why are we stopping here? Shouldn’t we be fighting the hordes of demons crossing the border right now?”

I took a sharp breath. No one in the party openly questioned Frieden’s decisions like that – at least not anymore. His authority was absolute. The last time Erika and Schlacht slighted him, they both got beaten up.

Surprisingly, Frieden didn’t raise his hand against her. I wonder if that was because she allowed him to touch one of her clones.

“Good question,” he said with a pleasant smile. “Fighting the demonic hordes is very important. However, the useless healer in our party thinks I was a burden on the last village we visited and compensated them for their troubles.”

He pointed at me and then at the dungeon entrance behind him.

“Since our useless healer has depleted our gold store, it is only right that I give him the chance to make up for his mistakes.”

Wait a minute…does he mean…

“Kenta will enter the dungeon and come back with the treasures that have eluded both humanity and demons. If he can do that, he will be forgiven for his mistakes.” He looked at me with the same pleasant smile. “Kenta, aren’t you grateful for receiving the chance to finally stop being useless?”

The cold hand of fear reached deep into my stomach. So, this is the punishment Frieden had in mind.

“Wait a minute,” I said. “There are no maps for this type of dungeon. It’s also full of traps. I’ll die if I go in alone.”

“Hrmm? Everyone, did you hear that? The useless healer is turning down my mercy. He doesn’t want to make up for his sins. Would you rather go back to the capital and be executed for insulting me?”

Kuh…it was true that the king passed a law making it illegal to insult the Hero. No one was ever executed under that law because no one insulted him. In reality, this law just gave Frieden the power to legally kill anyone he pleases.

I glanced at Kaori. She swiftly averted her gaze, avoiding eye contact.

Wait a minute…it was for just a moment, but I was sure that I saw relief flicker across her face.

At that moment my heart was filled with bitter hate. It was clear that Frieden intended to kill me by sending me into this dungeon. And Kaori had decided to do nothing. In fact, she was glad that I was finally out of her life – and in a way that wouldn’t cause her to take any responsibility. After all, Frieden’s word was law.

“So what will you do? If you don’t enter the dungeon, I will take you back to the capital for breaking the law.”

I stared at the entrance. Between the two pillars was nothing but a pitch-black space. It was almost as if light itself didn’t want to enter. My heart pounded so hard that I could hear it.

“Before I go in…can I write a letter to my parents? In case I die.”

Frieden regarded me with silence.

“Sure,” he eventually said.

I went to the supply cart to retrieve some parchment and ink. Anju came with me. All color had drained from her face.

“I didn’t think he’d choose a Late Unified Era dungeon to be your punishment,” Anju said with a shaky voice.

“At least this proves that even Frieden is afraid of these ancient dungeons,” I said. “Maybe this knowledge will be useful in the future. You could try throwing him into one of these while he’s sleeping.”

I got out ink and parchment and used a crate as a temporary desk. Even though my parents weren’t in this world, I wanted to write a letter as if they were here. There were many things I wanted to apologize for. But above all, I regretted not spending more time with them after I left to attend university.

Anju kicked the crate away, spilling all of the ink.

“Hey!” For the first time, I felt genuinely angry at her.

“This is not the end,” she said. “Do you hear me? This is not the end!”

She took a bunch of potions out of her pocket.

“Drink the potion that Tier gave you. The one that heightens your senses. If my analysis is correct, it should also increase your speed and strength. Drink the healing potion immediately after you get injured. Here’s a few more.” She emptied her pockets and shoved a bunch of vials into my hands.

“And one more thing.” She put a crystal in my hands. “Break this crystal by smashing it into the ground. It will create a temporary clone of me that will last a day or two. It only has about a quarter of my power, but it should be enough to get you out of a pinch. Erika will feel a massive surge of demonic mana from inside the dungeon, but at this point, it can’t be helped.”

For the first time, I saw real panic in her eyes. Usually she’d be calm and composed, always in control of the situation, confident in her power as the Demon Lord.

She held my hand.

“Don’t die, okay? I need you.”

“How can I survive a dungeon even Frieden is afraid of? It’s hopeless.”

“I don’t know…I don’t know. Use my clone and drink all the potions. Do whatever you need to survive. Live on, even if you have to struggle like a cockroach.”

I stepped out of the cart and walked toward the entrance. I didn’t have the divine strength Schlacht and Frieden possessed. I didn’t have the mana capacity Kaori and Erika had been blessed with. I was an ordinary person.

“We’ll wait until daybreak,” Frieden said. “If you can’t find the treasure, don’t bother coming back.”

I stood in front of the pitch-black entrance, staring down into the abyss. Even with Anju’s clone, there was a good chance that I would die here. Kaori would finally be able to fully commit to Frieden without feeling guilty.

Come to think of it, Kaori has always had an aversion to feeling guilt.

Why are you saying it like that? You’re making me feel guilty!

Kenta! It’s not my fault. You’re making me feel guilty!

Come to think of it, she said that a lot didn’t she?

You’re making me feel guilty!

I wonder if she felt guilty about cheating on me the entire time, and now she was secretly glad to have a guilt-free way of getting away with everything.

“What are you waiting for? Go in already,” Frieden said behind me.

I expected him to give me a forceful shove, but he stayed where he was.

Huh…he might not be showing it, but he must be really afraid of this dungeon.

Since I will probably die anyway, let’s try something out. At least, Anju might get some useful information from this.

I turned my head and said, “Hey Frieden, you wanna come with me?”

Everyone was stunned. For the first time ever, I stopped using keigo and addressed Frieden using casual language. It was like a student speaking to a teacher the same way he might talk to his friends. It was a clear breach of social protocol.

Frieden scowled.

“How dare you speak to me like that! I should have you executed right now.”

“Then why don’t you do it?”

Frieden hesitated.

“Your punishment has already been decided. You have to go into this dungeon and find the treasures from the Late Unified Era.”

Hmm…maybe I should push him further.

“Frieden, are you afraid?”

He opened his mouth, then closed it.

“Could it be that the Hero is afraid of a little dungeon?”

Frieden unsheathed his sword, assuming a combat stance. This might actually be bad…

Before he could launch his charge, I took a step into the darkness, causing Frieden to halt.

“What’s wrong?” I asked. “Aren’t you going to come with me?”

He looked at me with unexpected calm. It’s as if all that anger from a moment ago had vanished.

“Don’t bother coming back,” he said, turning his back on me.

Huh…he must be really afraid. I wonder why…Frieden is so arrogant, so confident in his God-given powers that he will charge into a battlefield without waiting for support. If this dungeon was especially dangerous for demons, then it shouldn’t be a problem for him since he could defeat an entire demonic army on his own.

What is he so afraid of?

“Erika, shoot him if he doesn’t step inside.”

“Understood.”

She pointed her staff at me, ready to fire.

“Okay, okay. I’m going in.”

I looked Erika in the eye. I wanted to tell her that this was her fault – that she had betrayed me and condemned me to death. If I died, my blood was on her hands.

God will judge you.

I stepped into the darkness.

Immediately, I felt a chill on my arm. Something about this entrance made it impossible for sunlight to penetrate, causing the temperature to drastically drop within a few steps. I lit a torch, but even the light from the flame couldn’t illuminate much. The dark, narrow corridor continued onward, going deeper and deeper underground, below the mountain. My teeth began to chatter as the temperatures continued to drop.

Damn it…this is colder than that one single time I went to Hokkaido with Kaori and some other university friends. I got a cold back then because my body couldn’t take the sudden change in climate. I was left behind in the hotel while everyone else went skiing. Kaori, too, left me behind. It was truly a miserable weekend. After we came back to Tokyo, I confronted her about this because I couldn’t take it anymore. Then, Kaori said, “You’re making me feel guilty,” for the first time. Afterward I spent several hours apologizing for making her feel guilty.

My friends thought what Kaori said was messed up, but I ignored them. I should’ve known back then what kind of person Kaori would turn into.

The corridor stretched on endlessly, and as time passed, I began to comprehend the layout of this dungeon. This lengthy, narrow corridor probably served as the sole entrance and exit. Consequently, any prisoners seeking to escape this dungeon would have to traverse through this corridor. Similarly, any invading demons would also need to pass through here. Following this logic, the entire corridor should be a kill box filled with an assortment of traps. Every step I took had the potential to trigger something.

Along the way, I discovered signs of traps that had already been triggered – arrows embedded in the stone walls, spikes that came out of the stone floor, and scorched floors indicating the use of fire traps.

But I never triggered a single trap.

It was as if someone had done all of the work for me.

“How strange, what happened here?”

It wasn’t me who said those words. Instead, they came out of my pocket.

“What the…”

I pulled out the crystal containing Anju’s clone. She had instructed me to only activate it only in dire situations. I didn’t expect it to be conscious even when in a bottle.

Inside the bottle was a tiny version of the Demon Lord.

“Anju? I mean, Anju’s clone?”

“Yes, I can hear you loud and clear.”

“Uhm…so…”

“Don’t take me out of the bottle yet. That will cause the mana to fade. Just let me out when you really need me.”

“Right.”

“You can treat me as if I were the real Demon Lord. My memories are synced with the main body. In case you die here, I want to keep the memories of this expedition.”

“Of course…”

I was a little disappointed to hear that Anju didn’t give me her clone out of a pure desire to help me.

“But don’t worry! Everything I see is automatically transmitted anyway. My first priority is to keep you alive!”

“Thanks…”

She raised her hand in the air.

“I’m not getting a strong signal from here. Can you move a bit to the right? Yes, that’s good. I can connect like this…mh, very good.”

She is like a smartphone trying to get a 5G connection…

I told Anju’s clone about my theory about the design of this dungeon. She listened intently, nodding with her tiny head.

“Hrmm…hmmm…this design is a clever solution to kill as many demons as possible. Demon-designed dungeons from the Great War era usually start off with a labyrinth.”

“Why a labyrinth?”

“We thought the reason our fellow demons never returned from human dungeons is because they got lost. So our dungeon designers theorized that human-designed dungeons must be labyrinths that make you lose all sense of direction. That’s why we drafted a law codifying labyrinths to be parts of all dungeons.”

“Ah…”

Anju smiled cynically.

“To think that humans came up with a much, much, much simpler solution. A simple corridor serving as the only entrance and exit, crammed with as many traps as possible, with guaranteed trigger rates because there is nowhere else to walk on. It’s such a simple yet elegant solution.”

Her tiny fist hit the glass wall.

“How many demons did we lose to this?” She cursed and cried inside her bottle. I could only silently watch on. After a while she calmed down.

“Let’s go,” she mumbled.

I stepped forward while holding the bottle containing her in my hand.

“How strange,” Anju commented. “All of these traps have been activated and used up, but where are the bodies? This corridor should be filled with corpses.”

“Huh, you’re right.”

I didn’t think of that. Considering how narrow this corridor was and how all of the traps have been used up, this place should be covered with skeletons.

“We should be getting to the end soon,” I said.

“Huh? What makes you say that?”

“Based on the level of technological development, the people in this world shouldn’t be able to carve an entire dungeon into a mountain like this. It’s just a guess, but the traps in this tunnel are man-made. We will eventually exit into a large natural cavern inside the mountain.”

“Huh…”

“Anju, is it possible to use magic to free up space inside a mountain like this?”

“It is theoretically possible. However doing so would use up an unimaginably vast amount of mana. It’d be much easier to use hired labor.”

“Based on what you told me earlier, the humans of this world built the Late Unified Era dungeons relatively quickly, did they not?”

“Yes, they popped up within a time period of about fifteen years or so.”

“In that case, they must’ve made use of natural caves. With the level of magic and technology humans have achieved in this world, it would take several decades to carve out an entire dungeon like they have done with this corridor.”

“Huh…you’re right. I just used prisoners of war to build the labyrinth dungeons.”

I’m pretty sure that is a war crime, but I wasn’t about to explain the Geneva Convention to the Demon Lord.

We pressed on, and as I predicted, the narrow corridor led to a large natural cave.

“Stop!’ Anju hissed.

I froze.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Shhh…”

I looked around. Piles of glowing crystals of various colors were spread out all over, illuminating the vast cave. A staircase had been carved into the walls, leading to a path outlined by crystals the laborers must’ve marked out. Nothing seemed out of place.

But…

Anju was right. Something felt wrong. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was though.

…or rather, nothing was out of place.

Everything appeared oddly tidy. The crystals forming the path were arranged in a perfect row, with some sections even sorted by color. The floor was free of small rocks as if someone had meticulously cleaned it. On the other side of the cave was a natural hot spring. Smooth wooden planks had been placed on the side, allowing people to sit down at the edge. Even a wooden bucket was provided, though any wooden objects should’ve decayed by now.

…it’s as if someone is living here.

“Kenta, let me out.”

“Are you sure? We aren’t in any danger. Won’t your mana run out?”

“There is something I want to check. Just smash the crystal on the ground.”

I did as I was told. Anju’s body emitted a red mana glow, and moments later, a life-sized Anju stood in front of me.

“How long do you have before your mana runs out?” I asked.

“Hrmm, it depends on the environment. But here…I do have a little while.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out some mana crystals. “These can extend my presence a little longer.”

“I see.”

I couldn’t help but wonder if this Anju had an independent sense of self. How did she feel about returning to the main body? Was she afraid of her consciousness disappearing?

I shook my head. Now wasn’t the time to think about the intrigues of a split consciousness.

Anju put her hand in the air.

“The signal to my main body is a bit weak down here…Kenta, what is that you like to say? Right. It can’t be helped.”

“I see. So what’s wrong?”

I looked around. Other than this place feeling too tidy, there was nothing wrong.

“This is supposed to be a dungeon where hundreds of demons should’ve been imprisoned, plus many more who tried to raid the dungeons. Where are their skeletons?” Anju knelt down and swiped a finger across the ground. “There’s no dust on the ground. Even if this cave was once used by humans, humans themselves create a lot of dirt with their constant shedding of skin.”

“In other words, someone or something is cleaning up down here.”

“Mh…”

Anju closed her eyes and sniffed the air.

“Also, there’s a strange smell in the air.”

“A strange smell?” I sniffed the air but couldn’t detect anything out of the ordinary.

“Demons have more sensitive noses. To me, there’s the scent of cooked food…and the odor of human beings.”

“So you mean there is someone living down here?”

“That might be the case.”

Cooked food, human beings. Plus it was strangely clean. It would all make sense if someone was living down here. But who would live in a dungeon like this? They even built a proper hot spring bath.

We descended the stairs while making sure not to trigger any traps. Fortunately, much like in the narrow corridor, it seemed that everything had already been triggered.

“Kenta, wait.”

“What?”

Anju was staring at the natural hot spring.

“I want to take a bath.”

“…”

“I want to take a bath.”

She repeated herself with a stubborn look on her face.

“Uhm…” Normally, Anju was a mature, straightforward leader who would do anything, even commit war crimes, to protect her people. Her expressions ranged from thoughtful to a mad sparkle in her eyes. This was the first time I’d seen her being so childishly obstinate about something.

“It might be better to do that later,” I said. “We’re in the middle of investigating a dungeon, so…”

“I’m taking a bath.”

She began taking her clothes off in front of me.

“A-Anju?!”

“What? One has to take their clothes off for a bath.”

“Uhm…I can see everything.”

“Ah…” She shrugged. “This isn’t my real body, so I don’t really care.”

“…”

Come to think of it, she didn’t mind sending a clone to sleep with Frieden to gain his favor. There must be a huge mental disconnect between her and her clone.

I turned away with embarrassment. Moments later, I heard a splash followed by a deep groan.

“This feel so good~”

I turned around and saw the back of Anju’s head. She was sitting neck deep in the hot spring.

“Why are you so eager to jump in a bath?”

I looked around. Anju’s clone could be here for only a limited time. We had barely explored the dungeon, yet here we were, wasting time with a bath.

Anju answered without turning her head.

“Hot springs like this are rare in the demonic realm. The northern part of this continent is bleak and dry, with few sources of hot water and even less fertile land.” She took a long, contemplative breath. “Toward the end of the Great War, when humans were retreating, the king at that time passed a scorched earth policy. Farmlands were charred and ruined. Fresh water sources and hot springs were poisoned.” She raised her hand to her chin and gazed at the small amount of water in the palm of her hand. “It took us demons a long time before we were able to come up with an antidote for the poison humans used. But the hot springs in our territory were blown up and forever lost. This is my first time experiencing one.”

“This isn’t your real body, though. Can you still feel…uhm…everything?”

“Yes, but my main body can also choose to turn off all sensory transmissions.”

“I see.”

She probably did that when she sent her clone into Frieden’s tent.

Anju let out another contemplative sigh.

“Heh…these humans…they knew that our magic is centuries ahead, so they focused on things like poison, dungeon traps, and military strategies. And now, even their magic has caught up.”

“Weren’t you able to replicate Kaori’s healing magic though?”

“Mh, yes. But I was surprised by how advanced humanity’s magic has become. It’s still behind demonic magic, but the gap has shrunk from centuries to decades.” Anju hesitated for a moment before she continued, “That Erika is troublesome. She will surely become a great mage in this era. I wouldn’t mind if she became my apprentice.”

I took several deep breaths. I hadn’t told her how Erika could sense Anju’s true identity.

“Actually…”

I informed her about what Erika had confided in me. Anju remained silent for a while after that.

“I didn’t tell you until now because I persuaded her to do nothing for now. And then she sold me out to Frieden, so…I didn’t have the right opportunity to tell you.”

I thought Anju would be furious, but instead, she simply said, “I see.”

A little while later, Anju stepped out of the bath without caring for the fact that I had a full view of her front. She snapped her fingers, and a bottle of milk and a towel appeared out of thin air.

“Isn’t that a waste of precious mana?” I asked.

“A proper bath always ends with milk and a soft towel.”

“I agree with you on that one…it just seems like the wrong time and place for this kind of thing.”

Anju dried herself off, then put on her clothes again.

“It’s a shame that my real body couldn’t enjoy this bath. But at least the experience was transmitted.”

“What’s your real body doing now?”

Anju closed her eyes and opened them again.

“My real body is hanging out with the Hero’s Party right now. They are battling a group of demons. Oh, and Frieden is openly treating Kaori as his girlfriend, and she doesn’t mind.”

“Of course…”

Kaori probably couldn’t wait to finally forget about me without needing to feel any guilt.

We spent a bit of time exploring the vast cave; however, we didn’t find any gold.

“Could it be that adventurers have cleaned up this dungeon?”

Anju shook her head.

“Those traps are designed to wipe out entire parties, and even if you do somehow survive, you won’t have the energy to make it back. Also…”

Anju fell into silent contemplation.

“What is it?”

“There is one kind of trap I haven’t seen yet.”

“Which is?”

“Hmm…let’s leave this place. There’s another tunnel over there.”

On the far side of the cave was a second tunnel leading deeper into the dungeon, helpfully marked out by a line of glowing crystals leading right to it. I walked in front of Anju, who was casting sidelong glances at the hot spring.

I stepped into the tunnel, but Anju suddenly stopped.

“What is it?” I asked.

“I have a bad feeling about this.”

That mad grin on her face was gone, instead replaced by apprehension.

“My instincts are telling me I shouldn’t go in there.”

“I’ve already stepped in and nothing has happened. It’s fine.”

I offered her my hand. After hesitating, she reached out to take it. But just before she was about to touch my hand, her entire arm disappeared.

“Fuewhhh?!” Anju let out a panicked sound and jumped back.

Since she was a clone, no blood came out of the arm that had disappeared. We both peered at the bloodless stump.

I wanted to go to Anju’s side, but I wasn’t able to move.

Behind me, I could hear the sound of steady footsteps. Out of the darkness, a figure emerged, their face hidden behind a veil.

“Who are you?!” Anju yelled while covering her stump with her hand. Suddenly, her face was gaunt, her skin color pale and sickly. She must’ve lost a lot of mana.

“A human and a demon exploring this dungeon together…that kind of thing should’ve stopped in the Late Unified Era,” the person said. The figure emerged from the darkness of the tunnel, revealing a human woman. She had flowing black hair down to her back and was dressed in a priestess uniform with a veil concealing her face.

A member of the church protecting this dungeon? No, that didn’t make any sense.

The girl pointed at Anju.

“You’re the Demon Lord, are you not?”

Anju snorted. “The Great Demon Lord.”

“Why would the Demon Lord send a clone to explore the dungeon? And why hire a human bodyguard? Is the supreme leader of the demons such a coward that she has to hide behind someone. Explain yourself, demon.”

“I will if you free my human servant.”

The priestess pondered for a moment, then snapped her fingers twice. The first snap caused Anju to freeze, and the second snap freed me. I hurriedly returned to Anju’s side. I tried to move her, but she remained rooted to the ground, frozen like a stone, only able to move her head.

“Hmph, you’re a careful one, aren’t you,” Anju said.

“I have fulfilled your request. Explain yourself,” the priestess repeated.

Anju jutted her chin at the entrance of the next tunnel.

“The entrance to that tunnel over there has a hidden mana nullification trap, doesn’t it? If I had to guess, I’d say it only reacts to demonic mana.”

The priestess said nothing. Anju continued.

“This body is a clone, which really just means it’s a complex concentration of mana. That’s why my arm vanished as soon as I reached out. Had I stepped through, I would’ve disappeared completely.”

“I’ve never seen this kind of spell before,” the priestess said.

“Heh,” Anju snickered. “This kind of spell will forever be beyond humanity’s magic. It takes centuries to master, but human mages don’t have that kind of lifespan. Too bad, isn’t it?”

What was Anju trying to achieve by provoking the priestess like this when she was clearly backed into a corner? The fact that she still stood frozen meant she couldn’t break through the priestess’s magic.

The priestess, however, didn’t take the bait. She stood at the entrance of the tunnel, safely behind the mana nullification trap. Perhaps Anju was trying to goad her into stepping out of the tunnel, then breaking the spell so she could attack her.

“It really is too bad, huh? Pathetic little human worms trying to reach the heights of demonic magic, but all of your efforts are in vain~ It’s so sad to see someone try so hard to achieve something impossible.”

The priestess let out a long breath.

“I won’t fall for your words, demon. Now explain yourself.”

Anju looked surprised for a moment, and then her expression turned somber.

“Fine. No more games. I will give you the information you want. The secrets of human-designed Late Unified Era dungeons have always been a mystery to us demons. Ever since I claimed the throne, I’ve been wondering why none of our explorers have returned from these dungeons.”

Anju smiled slightly. “When I stepped into this place with my human assistant, all I saw were the remains of ordinary traps. It was all perfectly in line with what we knew about human designs. But I couldn’t have guessed that that corridor was meant to make demons drop their guard. A truly insidious design. Who knew that human designers are capable of mind games when designing their dungeons.

“This natural cave is also meant to make me drop my guard, right? There’s even a hot spring bath here. All of this is designed to make me forget about the danger and walk into the real trap that’s over there.”

Anju jutted her chin at the entrance, where the priestess stood.

“The real trap is the entrance to that tunnel over there. That’s why the crystals have been arranged in a way that naturally leads unsuspecting demons down that path. There’s some kind of mana nullification trap hidden in there, designed to only react to demonic mana. I’m guessing that the whole tunnel is a kill box.”

“Uhm…is mana nullification really such a big deal?” I asked. “If your mana gets zapped away, can’t demons use their natural physical abilities to keep walking? Look, that priestess is standing inside that place without a problem.”

“Heh.” Anju grinned sardonically. “There are fundamental biological differences between how demonic and human bodies are built. We demons have far more mana in our veins. A mana nullification trap that suddenly cancels out all mana will cause a demon to enter cardiac arrest or instant brain death. It would be like sucking all the air out of the human body.

“It is interesting, though. There are no records of humans possessing the means to build this kind of trap. Whoever built this must know more about demons than even demons themselves. To think that they used our greatest strength, our mana capacity, against us. It truly is ironic.”

“You don’t have any countermeasures against mana nullification traps?” I asked.

Mana nullification seemed like such an obvious thing in a world with magic.

Anju shook her head.

“We demons are beings of mana. Mana, to us, is like air to humans. It is so fundamental to our way of life that we have never considered something like a mana nullification technology. Once invented, such a thing could destroy magic across all the continents in this world. Of course some demons have played around with this idea, but we’re wise enough to never go down that path. However, humans managed to come up with this. I wonder who among us is the bigger monster, hm?”

The priestess did not react to Anju’s renewed attempt at goading her. Instead, she coolly responded by asking, “And why are you traveling with a human?”

“Would you believe me if I said the war was over and humans and demons are living in harmony again?”

“No.”

“I figured as much.”

“Answer the question, demon. Or I will crush your bones.”

Anju raised an eyebrow. “Crush my bones with this binding spell? Child, you are three centuries too young to even think about fighting me.”

Anju moved her arms, causing the binding spell around her to crack like glass. Shards of blue mana fell to the ground, melting away like snowflakes as soon as they touched the rock.

“You – !” The priestess pointed her hand at Anju and fired off a pillar of fire.

“A priestess who knows offensive spells? What would your god think if they saw that,” Anju said with a mocking laugh while she swatted away the fire with the back of her hand as if it were a minor nuisance. She used a hand gesture signaling the priestess to come closer. “Come, show me the best of humanity’s magic.”

The priestess fired off one spell after another. But Anju didn’t bother dodging them or putting up a defensive barrier. She swatted all of them away with her hand, even offering instant analysis of what the priestess had just fired off.

At this moment, I realized how advanced Anju’s magic was. The priestess’s best spells were elementary to her. Her best attacks are akin to a baby using their fists to punch an adult.

Anju’s eyes widened.

“Ah~ Finally~” She jumped forward, coming face to face with the priestess.

To fire off all of those offensive spells, the priestess had stepped out of the tunnel into the open cave. Sweat was trickling down her forehead. All of these spells must’ve placed a great burden on her.

The priestess had already stepped back into the tunnel, but Anju was too quick. A single finger from the outstretched hand she used to fire off spells was still outside. Anju grabbed that finger and dragged her out into the open.

“Let go! Let go!” the priestess shrieked, but of course, Anju ignored her. She threw the priestess to the ground.

“Eternum frigus, Mana freeze,” Anju uttered, her words sounding like they contained multiple voices. Suddenly the priestess stopped moving.

“W-What did you do?” she asked.

Anju grinned.

“We demons have never considered a mana nullification device, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t explored similar ideas. Mana freeze doesn’t nullify the mana in your body; it just causes it to stop moving. You won’t be able to cast spells…and huh…you can’t move either? That’s interesting.”

“Please stop…don’t hurt me,” the priestess sobbed.

“Heh~ You know when to start begging for your life. I like that. Humans who are ready to throw away their pride are so rare these days. Don’t worry, I’ll make it quick.”

“Anju.” I put a hand on her shoulder.

“What?”

“Let’s get some information out of her first.”

“Huh? Why? She’s just an ordinary human.”

“Please, let’s just talk to her first.”

Anju gave me a long, thoughtful gaze, then sighed.

“Kenta, you’re too soft.”

“Anju, aren’t you curious why there’s a priestess all the way down here?”

“Huh…”

Something has been bugging me the entire time. Why was a priestess in this dungeon? Why was she wearing the same uniform Kaori donned? Why was Frieden afraid of stepping into this cave when he normally looked down on everything and everyone?

I knelt down next to the priestess and took off her veil.

“I knew it…”

The person who looked back at me with fear looked exactly like Kaori.

“You used to be part of the Hero’s Party, right?” I asked.

The girl’s fear turned into astonishment.

“H-How do you know?”

“It’s a long story, but we are also part of the Hero’s Party.”

“I don’t understand. A human and a demon…how?”

“If the Demon Lord unfreezes you, will you hear us out?”

The priestess nodded slightly.

I looked at Anju. She looked back at me with an expression that said, “Since when are you giving the orders?” but relented with a sigh. She released the spell. The priestess sat up, rubbing her elbows, and glanced up at us with a mixture of hesitation and fear.

Anju and I sat down facing her.

“Right…I guess I’ll explain everything.”

I told her how Kaori was selected to be the replacement priestess for the Hero’s Party because she looked exactly like the previous priestess, how we were transported to this world, and how I ended up here by accident. The priestess was shocked when I recalled how badly the party members treated me, finding out that Kaori cheated on me with Frieden the Hero and how I met Anju the Demon Lord that night. However that sympathy vanished when I told her I had decided to betray the Hero’s Party and side with the demons.

“I could be wrong…but are you the previous priestess? The priestess Kaori was summoned to replace?”

“Y-Yes…my name is Heili. I used to be the priestess of the Hero’s Party.”

“Erika already told me about how…erm…Frieden desired you, and you turned him down. Then, one night, you disappeared. Frieden says he killed you because you betrayed him. He asked the king to use his authority to ask the Goddess to provide him with a new priestess who looks exactly like the previous one. This just so happened to be my girlfriend.”

Heili buried her face in her hands, crying out with shame, her shoulders shaking with emotion.

“You’re right. Frieden did desire me. He didn’t see me as a priestess but as a woman…a woman he wanted to bed, no matter what. He courted me for a long time, and I always turned him down.”

“Why did you turn him down?” Anju asked. “All the other human girls couldn’t wait to jump into bed with him.”

“I…” Her ears were red with embarrassment and shame. “I only want to do that kind of thing with the person I love…and I can’t love Frieden. He is…he isn’t someone I see in that way.”

“Uhm..how did you end up in this dungeon?” I asked.

“After I turned him down again and again, Frieden invited me to his room…he said he wanted to talk to me. I thought he had finally stopped courting me, but once he locked the door, he asked me to be his lover and wouldn’t take no for an answer. He pushed me down and…ruined me.”

“In other words, he took you against your will?”

“…yes.”

Her voice was barely a whisper.

“And what happened after that?” Anju asked brusquely, indifferent to the heavy emotions Heili must be feeling now.

“Anju…”

“What? I want to find out what happens next.”

Evidently, emotional sensitivity wasn’t in her Introduction to Humanity textbooks.

“After he ruined me…he asked me to marry him, and I turned him down. I said I would tell the whole country what kind of person he really is, what he has done to me…the fact that he is a criminal.

“He flew into a rage. He said that he is the Hero of this country. He can’t be charged with a crime. He said his reputation among the people was needed to keep humanity united behind the king, the church and the army. The integrity of his reputation was a matter of national security. Me threatening to besmirch his reputation was the same as undermining the whole country.

“He dragged me out of the tavern in the middle of the night. He said he was going to execute me for treason. I was so scared. I tried any excuse I could think of. I told him that people would find my body. He said there wouldn’t be a body for anyone to find; the beasts would eat my flesh and bones. I then said that the party needed a healer, a priestess. I was famous all over the country; people would notice that I was missing. Frieden said that since we were all summoned by the Goddess, he was sure that the heavens would grant him another miracle.

“When we were far enough from town, Frieden made me go down on my knees. He said if I tried to run away, he’d stab me in the back. If I stayed still, he’d give me a quick and painless death. He raised his blade but was unable to bring it down. He couldn’t kill me. I wondered what was going on, so I turned around and saw agony on his face.”

“Agony?” Anju and I exclaimed at the same time.

Heili nodded. “He held his blade above his head, his face filled with agony. He wanted to kill me, but he couldn’t. His ego demanded that I, the person who denied him his desires and threatened him, be executed. But at the same time, he couldn’t bring himself to actually kill me.

“In the end, he thought of a different solution. He dragged me out here, then threw me into this dungeon. Since then, I’ve been living here.”

Neither Anju nor I said anything. We were left speechless. The realization that Frieden was capable of forcing himself on a woman was shocking. He prioritized the satisfaction of his desires over everything else, even the woman he professed to care for.

Beyond that, he revealed himself to be a coward. He didn’t have the courage to go through with the execution, so he threw Heili into the abyss, expecting someone or something else to deliver the fatal blow.

My body trembled with anger. I vowed to kill Frieden, even if it meant it would be the last thing I did in this world.

“You are still alive,” Anju said. “How did you survive all this time?”

“My healing abilities are the most powerful in the world. As long as I or someone else are not instantly killed, I can heal any injuries.”

“So every time one of these traps brought you to the brink of death, you healed yourself…and then kept going?”

“Mh, that’s right. I couldn’t go back because Frieden would find another way of killing me if he found out that I was still alive.”

Anju raised her hand.

“There’s something I don’t understand. If you relied on your healing spells to survive in this place, how did you survive in that tunnel with a mana nullification trap?”

Heili made a rueful expression.

“I almost died the first time I walked in there. A poisoned arrow trap pierced my lung, only narrowly missing my heart. My healing spells wouldn’t fully activate because of the mana nullification trap. It is tuned to kill demons but affects humans to a degree, too. It was a stroke of luck that I liked the color of one of these crystals and took it with me. It turns out that these are all illegal mana crystals. When the mana was drained from my body, the crystal provided just enough mana for me to extract the poison and stop the bleeding. That’s how I was able to attack you while standing in that tunnel.” She reached into her pockets to show us the crystals she had in there.

“You triggered all of the traps in there too?” I asked.

“Yes. I healed myself using these crystals every time I was injured.”

“I have a question,” Anju said. “When you walked down that tunnel, did you find any gold? Or treasures? Anything of value?”

Heili shook her head. “No.”

Anju said nothing. Her whole body was shaking.

“Anju? Are you okay?”

“These humans…I will never forgive them. I will kill them all.” She was frothing at her mouth with blind range. Heili and I instinctively inched away from her.

“Anju? What’s wrong?”

She took several deep breaths. She pointed at the tunnel.

“This place isn’t just a dungeon. It’s a factory. The whole time, we demons assumed that Late Unified Era dungeons were designed to hide treasure. We always assumed that because relations began to break down during that time, humans built these places to hide their treasures…but we were wrong. You were preparing for war and extermination. We assumed it was for hiding gold because that is what humans value, but to think that this is what they meant by treasure…”

“I don’t understand. How is this place a factory? What does it produce?”

“You can see the product all around us.” Anju spread her arms. “Humans used this place as a factory for illegal mana crystal production. I thought it was just some sort of storage at first. They deactivated the traps to bring in captured demons, then reactivated them to prevent any from escaping. They brought the demons down here into the mana nullification corridor, sucking out all of their mana and then bottling it.”

A chill ran down my spine. I took several deep breaths.

“I think that’s true,” Heili said. “The mana crystals I used to heal myself all contained red demonic mana.”

I put up a hand.

“Wait, there is one thing that doesn’t make sense.”

“Haaa?” Anju shot me a glare.

“If this was a factory, why put it in the middle of a mountain? Wouldn’t it be easier to build it on the surface?”

Anju spat on the ground.

“My guess is that the humans of that era built this place in secret because they anticipated war. But demons and humans were still officially living in harmony; that’s why they went through the effort of hiding it in a mountain.”

She looked around the cave.

“They quietly captured the demons who lived on this side of the border, extracted all of their mana, then fed their bodies to monsters.”

“Maybe humans even made up tales of hidden treasure to lure more demons to come here,” I said.

“Heh…I wouldn’t put it past them.”

We continued to exchange information. I briefed Heili on the recent developments within the Hero’s Party – how Erika and Schlacht had faced punishment from Frieden, Erika’s betrayal that led to my current predicament, and details regarding the ongoing war. I updated her on the king’s propaganda and how Kaori’s healing abilities couldn’t match hers (which seemed to make her happy).

Heili, in turn, shared her experiences in the cave. She utilized her time to enhance her magical skills, and with an abundance of mana crystals, practiced combat magic, a domain previously unfamiliar to her.

“I’m not used to magic that is meant to kill; I’m still very inefficient at casting these kinds of spells.”

She held a mana crystal in her left hand and summoned a flame in her right. I could see the color in the crystal quickly fading until the whole crystal shattered moments later.

“Why did you practice combat magic even though you are a priestess?” I asked.

Heili looked down at her feet with a frown on her face.

“I can’t stay here forever. Frieden will kill me if he knows that I have survived, so I’ve been trying to master combat magic so I could somehow survive if he attacks.”

“Your mana control is terrible,” Anju commented with a cool tone. “Never mind the Hero. Even Erika could easily defeat you.”

“I’m very sorry,” Heili said sheepishly. “Uhm…I also used magic to create food.”

“How does it taste?” Anju asked.

“Terrible…it always turns out bland.”

Anju nodded solemnly. “Not even demons have figured out how to make tasty food using only mana.”

Heili summoned a meal for us, which was incredibly bland, just like she said. The stew lacked flavor, as if there was no salt in it. The meat was so tough that my jaw hurt after chewing it. The vegetables had a slightly rotten smell to them. But it filled our empty stomachs.

Anju clapped her hands together once we had finished the food.

“Okay, I’d like to make a proposal.”

Heili and I were both surprised to hear her say that.

“I am Anju the Demon Lord. My aim is to kill the Hero, decimate the Hero’s Party, and conquer about two-fifths of humanity’s current lands, specifically the areas with fertile farmland and hot springs.” She pointed at Heili. “You are Heili, the former priestess of the Hero’s Party. Your aim is to escape this dungeon and kill the Hero for what he has done to you. Therefore, how about we work together?”

Heili looked at Anju with suspicion.

“How do you know my aim is to kill Frieden?”

“Heh-heh~ I am the Demon Lord, little priestess. Reading a child’s true intentions is like reading a book. Your real wishes are plain to see when you said you wanted to escape this dungeon. You don’t want to just live. You want to ruin Frieden, destroy him, watch him suffer, and end his life with a smile on your face.” Anju licked her lips. “What an unfitting desire for a priestess.”

Anju’s shoulders shook with quiet laughter.

“I cannot accept that offer,” Heili said. “My aim is to simply kill Frieden. I bear no grudge against the rest of humanity and the other party members.”

I raised my hand slightly.

“The other party members knew that Frieden dragged you into his room against your will,” I said. “After you disappeared, none of them questioned Frieden’s explanation. They all turned a blind eye.”

Heili appeared stunned, taking a shaky breath.

“Maybe…punishing the other party members is also okay…but I don’t want innocent people to die.”

She was sitting in front of the Demon Lord, someone who could easily kill her if she didn’t accept this offer. Despite that, she stuck to what she believed in.

Anju grinned and extended her hand, offering it to Heili.

“In that case, I can wholeheartedly trust you,” she said. “Someone with the integrity to turn me, the Demon Lord, down when their life is at stake is worthy of respect. How about this? I will help you kill the Hero, punish the other party members, and I will instruct my soldiers to avoid killing civilians.”

Heili looked at Anju with doubt.

“And why should I trust you?”

“Because I haven’t killed you yet.”

The priestess and the Demon Lord silently studied each other. I sat between them, feeling a deep sense of respect for Heili.

It felt strange to look at someone who looked exactly like Kaori but was completely different. After coming to this world, I found out that Kaori was selfish to the extreme; she’d do whatever she wanted and would somehow justify it to avoid feeling guilty. Heili was the opposite of that in every way, even hesitating to punish the party members who more or less knew what Frieden did but did nothing to stop him.

“Fine.” Heili shook Anju’s hand. Just like that, the deal was sealed. The three of us were now officially conspiring to kill Frieden the Hero. Technically, Heili and I are committing treason against humanity.

Afterward, she and I shook hands too and made formal introductions. However, she didn’t let go of my hand.

“You said your girlfriend, or ex-girlfriend, was summoned because she looks exactly like me.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Do you think she and I look alike?”

I swallowed. Her face, body, hair, even her voice – everything about her was just like Kaori. That rotten Goddess had done a perfect job.

“Yes, you two are like twins. The only difference is your personality.”

“How is her personality different?”

“Uhm…she is more…arrogant? She can be whiny sometimes? But sometimes, she’s also very affectionate.”

“…I don’t really get it, but thank you for the information.”

“You aren’t a native of this country, right?” I asked.

“You can tell?”

“Yeah. You look like a foreigner like me.”

“Mh…It was around five years ago when I received the Goddess’s summoning.”

I wanted to ask her if she missed home or if her motherland was like Japan, but something in her expression told me that she didn’t want to discuss it.

“So…Anju, do you have a plan?” I asked.

Anju had the palms of her hand pressed together and rested the tip of her nose on her fingers. She looked like someone who was praying.

“Heh-heh-heh~” She grinned sardonically. Her eyes sparkled with wild emotion. “Now that we have the former priestess on our side, there’s no end to the possibilities~”

“Please take this more seriously,” Heili said. “Kenta and I are committing high treason. We can’t look at all the possibilities. We must prioritize Plan A.”

“Kenta the old priestess is so meannnnn~”

Anju threw herself into my arms, expecting to be coddled.

“There, there.” I patted her on the head.

“You are almost a thousand years old. Please do not behave like a child,” Heili said.

“Ekk…” Anju froze. She removed herself from me.

“Fine…” She pouted.

When it was just me and Anju, Frieden was always around, limiting how much Anju could act out.

So this is what the Demon Lord is like in private…

“Miss Demon Lord, what is your plan?” Heili asked.

Anju pointed at Heili with her thumb and looked at me.

“Hey, Kenta, you’ve never addressed me with honorifics like that. You always use casual language. Why is that?”

“Well…it’s because you look like a child, so I thought it’s okay to use casual language…”

Actually, I never thought about addressing her with honorifics. From the start, there was a sense of familiarity, so using casual language was natural.

“Hmph,” Anju pouted.

“I can call you Miss Demon Lord from now on if you want?”

“Eh…never mind. Hearing you say that is kind of gross…”

“…”

“Miss Demon Lord, please explain your plan,” Heili said.

“Before that, Heili, the mana nullification trap was built using stones that specifically react to demonic mana, yes?”

“That’s right.”

“Go in there and get some for me please.”

“What do you intend on doing with them?”

Anju revealed her plan to us, and it was truly diabolical.

Chapter 11

After Anju and Heili took a bath (Heili tied a towel around my eyes and made me sit in a corner), we had one more tasteless meal and then left the dungeon.

When we exited the tunnel, the natural sunlight hurt Heili’s eyes so much that we had to stop under a large tree for the rest of the day. Soon after that, Heili developed a headache and a fever. She hadn’t seen natural sunlight for so long and consumed so much demonic mana that her body wasn’t used to the natural environment anymore.

At the same time, her healing magic was of no use.

“I don’t understand. If you can heal yourself as long as you’re not dead, why can’t you heal your current condition?” I asked.

“When I’m hurt by a trap, I just need to heal the damage. But the source of my sickness is the sun. I can heal the symptoms, but I can’t heal the cause. The only way is to slowly get used to the sun.”

“Are you a vampire or something?”

“What’s a vampire?”

“Folklore creatures from my native world.”

“Hmm…that is interesting. Please tell me more when we have time.”

“Are you interested in that sort of thing?”

Heili nodded weakly.

“Before I was chosen to become the priestess, I was a librarian in my hometown. I spent most of my time reading books about legends from all over the world. I thought that is how I would spend the rest of my life.”

“Until you received the summoning?”

“Mh…”

“As a citizen of a different country, there was no need for you to answer the summoning call from a foreign country,” Anju said. “You could’ve stayed on your continent, away from these wretched people.”

“I had no choice. When I received the summoning letter, I ignored it. I didn’t want to go somewhere so far away and fight for a country I have never heard of. The second time the Goddess appeared in my dreams and told me to go, I ignored that too. The third time, the Goddess forcefully teleported me.” She let out a breath. “I never got to say goodbye to my family…”

“That is horrible,” I said.

“Mh…”

Two days later, Heili recovered. It was time to initiate the first part of our plan: a glorious return.

We had to find the Hero’s Party. Then, I had to rejoin them. Fortunately, Frieden had given us a clear requirement for returning: treasure.

He demanded that I find the gold I used to compensate the village.

(Of course, he gave me those conditions, assuming that I would die in the process, but if I came back with the gold, then he had no choice but to let me back in).

Once I was back in the party, we could initiate phases two and three of our revenge plan.

If he decided to move the goalpost for my readmission, we would have to deal with that then.

“It’s important that we do phase one of the plan now before I run out of mana,” Anju said.

Her fingertips were already transparent. She had taken some mana crystals with her, but none of those contained enough mana to fully sustain her form. She was a being of mana wrapped around a piece of consciousness the main body had separated from itself. To perfectly maintain this temporary clone would require mana crystals with the same mana density Anju herself had.

“There is a wealthy village north of here,” Heili said. “They got rich from the slave trade after humanity scored a key victory during the Great War.”

We wandered through the forest until we found it. It was a little village with around thirty or so houses. However unlike a regular village, the houses were mansions built out of stone and marble. No one here lived in a wooden shack.

“I don’t understand…why didn’t this place turn into a city if there is so much money?” I asked.

“It takes humans about a hundred years to build a city; this village only became wealthy about twenty years ago,” Anju said. “Also this place is only wealthy because of the demons they captured and sold as slaves. No major trade routes go through this area, so there isn’t the continuous flow of people and money needed for the development of a city.”

Anju sat down against a tree.

“Okay, Heili. You know the plan. I’ll wait until you’re done.”

Heili nodded. “You remember our promise?”

“Yes, yes…” Anju waved dismissively.

Our plan was extremely simple.

Heili and I would run down to the village and tell everyone that the Demon Lord would attack. Anju would give the people a few hours to escape before she actually attacked. Anyone who remained would be at risk of getting killed.

Once it was all over, we’d collect the village’s gold.

“You promised you will only kill the ones who don’t leave,” Heili said.

“Yes, yes…I will try my best to keep that promise.”

Heili gave her a doubtful look.

“Let’s go; otherwise, we’ll lose daylight,” I said.

“Mh.”

Heili and I rushed down to the village. We did our best to appear panicked. We told the people that the Demon Lord would attack this village at any moment.

“We saw her! The Demon Lord is coming this way! She wants to avenge all of the demons who had been captured and sold here during the Great War. You have to flee!”

Unexpectedly, most of the people stayed calm. A few even seemed to welcome the idea of an attack from the Demon Lord.

“I’m serious!” Heili cried. “The Demon Lord is going to attack! Why are you not afraid?”

“Don’t worry, Miss,” one of the villagers said. “We used the money to hire the best mercenaries and mages. They will hold off the Demon Lord.”

“Please, sir. The Demon Lord will destroy this village.”

“Don’t worry! We will defeat her! Artbach is the greatest village in the world! All other villages look at Artbach as a shining example of what is possible with hard work and determination. In fact, I will bet that the Demon Lord won’t last five minutes against our troops.”

He said those words with supreme confidence.

Heili and I were speechless.

We spoke to anyone who would stop and listen to us. We begged mothers to take their children and flee, but no one listened. In the end, word spread that we were disturbing people and some guards threw us out.

“Why won’t anyone listen to us?!” Heili punched the dirt.

I frowned. The man’s confident expression wouldn’t leave my mind.

“Humanity has become arrogant. With the backing of Frieden, they think they can do anything.”

“But Frieden isn’t here!”

“People often look at their country’s past glory and forget exactly what brought them that glory; they begin to believe that they are innately great, that they are somehow different.”

Heili gazed at me with disbelief, crying until her throat grew hoarse.

I stood next to her, unable to do anything. I wanted to tell her that these people deserved what was coming. They deserved to get hurt. They deserved to die.

But…

Heili genuinely cared for these people, even though they did not deserve her heartfelt concern. Saying those words to her would be a grave insult.

I offered her my hand.

“Let’s go back.”

She took my hand without saying a word. We returned to where Anju was waiting for us.

“Artbach is still full of people,” Anju commented with a sense of disinterest as if it didn’t make any difference to her – because it didn’t.

“We couldn’t persuade them to leave.”

“That’s a shame,” Anju said in a monotone.

Heili got down to her knees.

“Please spare as many as you can.”

Anju cocked her head. “That wasn’t part of our agreement though.”

“That kind of thing…” Heili’s voice faded.

Anju got up.

“Okay, it’s time to get Kenta’s gold.”

We watched Anju rise into the air before flying toward Artbach.

What followed was a massacre. The hired mercenaries and mages attempted to defend against Anju’s onslaught of spells. But even someone like me could discern a clear gap in ability between them. The human mages set up barriers, and Anju’s spells simply smashed through them. She didn’t bother with advanced spells; instead, she obliterated them using highly concentrated mana. According to Heili, this was an inefficient and careless way of fighting. Most mages used incantations because it allows them to layer their mana properly, constructing more complicated spells that were both more effective and consumed less mana. Anju’s choice to use inefficient spells, especially when she needed mana to maintain her form, suggested that these people were so weak that the mana cost made no difference to her, so she opted for the easier option of simply blasting mana.

“The difference in strength is huge,” I commented while watching the village’s defensive walls being blown up. Bits and pieces of bodies were flying everywhere. The dust from the explosion had a pink hue.

“So this is the apex of magic,” Heili said. “Human mages will never reach this level unless Anju teaches us.”

It was as if humanity had just invented the bow and arrow, but Anju had moved on to gunpowder.

“I don’t understand. If the magic of demons is so powerful, then how did humanity even survive the Great War? Never mind winning it.”

Heili didn’t immediately answer. “I’m not from this country…so I don’t know that much. From what I heard, not all demons are created equal. The demonic armies are certainly powerful. They have superior magic. In the beginning, they did have an advantage on the battlefield. Humanity would have perished had the heavens not decided to side against the demons.”

“I see, so it is the Hero who turned the tide in the Great War.”

“Mh, that’s right. Frieden isn’t the first Hero.”

I let out a laugh.

“What is it?” Heili asked.

“The rotten Goddess has given the Hero powers that break this crappy game, but they can’t give the Hero immortality. The Hero dies from old age just like the rest of us. In the end, he is only human.”

“This crappy game?”

“Ah…I just mean that powers given to the Hero defy anything that can exist in this world. Imagine if you are playing chess, you have all the regular pieces, but your opponent’s entire board is full of Queens.”

Heili blinked, her mouth forming the letter ‘O’.

“I see…that is an interesting way of thinking about it.”

We could still hear Anju launching her offensive spells, blowing the village’s defenses to pieces. Come to think of it, this was the first time I had seen Anju show her powers. Before that, she was always disguised as a human, replacing Schlacht in physical combat or creating clones of herself.

So this is what Anju is capable of when she is fighting with the intent to kill.

Suddenly, the sounds of battle stopped. Heili and I looked at each other.

Anju continued to float above the village. Parts of the defensive wall were ablaze, and pillars of smoke and dust rose in the air. A torrent of panicked screams was the only thing we could hear.

“Is the battle already over?” I asked.

“Hmm…wait…”

Heili closed her eyes and mumbled something under her breath. When she opened her eyes again, they glowed with a blue light.

“I’ve magnified my vision. Let’s see…”

The pupils in her eyes had vanished. Instead they were clear like lakes. A chill traveled down my spine.

“The mercenaries and mages have fled,” Heili said.

“Ah…they probably realized they can’t win against Anju.”

“These bastards.” Heili was shaking with rage. “How dare they abandon their posts! How can they leave the villagers to fend for themselves? Don’t they have any sense of duty?”

“They are mercenaries. If the odds are against them, they will take their money and leave.”

“But – “

Heili was at a loss for words.

After the mercenaries and mages had given up the fight, Anju began to assault the village without anyone standing in her way. She increased the strength of her simple mana blast spells, blowing up entire houses. Women and children were out in the streets, getting crushed by the collapsing buildings.

“She isn’t sparing anyone.” Heili was utterly distraught.

I could sympathize with Heili’s despair, but my mind was already made up. I would stay loyal to Anju no matter what. I owed the Goddess, the people of this country, and the Hero’s Party nothing. If taking a bit of revenge gets me sent to hell, then so be it.

I took the horror in my stomach and crushed it.

“Our agreement was that she would spare anyone who fled after our warning. Anyone within the village boundaries is fair game.”

“I know that…but still…”

I was amazed that Heili could still care so much for the people of a country that had summoned her against her will, then forgotten about her when Frieden decided to get rid of her.

After a while, the destruction of the village was complete. Most of the buildings had been blown up, and the rest were beyond repair. Anju could’ve stopped there, but instead, she focused her spells on the fleeing people. She aimed her mana blast spells at where most of the people were, ripping apart their bodies.

It was indiscriminate slaughter.

An hour later, Anju returned to our side.

“Why did you attack the villagers?!” Heili demanded.

Anju tilted her head quizzically as if she didn’t understand the question.

“Our agreement was that I could kill anyone who hasn’t heeded your warning. Did I do something wrong?”

“There were women and children on the streets!”

“So?”

Heili took a long and shaky breath.

“At least let the children live. They didn’t have a choice.”

Anju shrugged.

“This is war. If you’re unable to accept this, then I suggest you quit right away.”

Her eyes glowed with red mana. She didn’t say it out loud, but the underlying message is clear.

Heili said nothing.

We entered the ruined village. Debris and lifeless bodies were scattered everywhere. A repugnant scent permeated in the air – the amalgamation of death, fire, and dust filled every breath I took.

Heili began to look for survivors.

“Let’s get all of the gold,” Anju said.

She clapped her hands together and murmured something under her breath, and a sigil with inscriptions appeared underneath her feet. The collapsed houses around us began to shake as if there was an earthquake. Moments later, golden objects squeezed themselves out of the rubble, floating toward Anju and landing at her feet.

“So these are treasures they’ve been hiding.” Anju examined the golden objects. She held a golden cup close to her eyes, then carelessly dropped it.

“I can’t take all of this to Frieden, though. Sooner or later, someone will find out that these are treasures from the village you destroyed. Frieden will brand me as a looter and get rid of me again.”

Before Anju could answer, Heili returned. She was covered in dirt and dust. The white cloth of her priestess uniform was ruined.

“There are no survivors,” she said.

“Oh, I see. I did a good job then.”

Heili gritted her teeth, unable to say anything else. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“So, this is the gold Kenta needs?”

“Yeah, but I won’t be able to use it. Frieden will accuse me of being a looter when he sees this stuff. Look.” I picked up the cup Anju had just dropped. “The symbol of the village is engraved on it. News of the destruction of this village will spread, and Frieden can just brand me as a looter to kick me out or execute me.”

“I see; that is certainly a problem.”

“Children, you forget that you are in the presence of the Great Demon Lord. This is just a minor inconvenience for me. I won’t even need an incantation for that.”

Anju touched the gold. Moments later, it transformed into a pile of gold coins.

Heili gasped.

“This sort of magic is illegal among humans,” she said.

“Huh? Why is that?” I asked.

“If everyone is able to create money using magic, then the economy will collapse. Mages will control the money supply; the power structure of this country will be turned inside out, likely resulting in social instability that the demons can exploit.”

“Heh-heh~ She’s right. If this country’s economy becomes unstable, I will exploit it~“

Heili continued to explain. “That’s why this kind of magic was banned at the end of the Late Unified Era. Books and scrolls containing this kind of magic were destroyed. Only the king and his royal mages are allowed to learn this spell.”

“But this was never banned among us demons,” Anju said. “Our economy isn’t that dependent on gold, so currency transformation magic isn’t anything special for us.”

I picked up one of the coins.

“Huh? These aren’t Taler coins? Wait…what the – “

All of the coins had Anju’s face on them. Some of them had a portrait of her, while others had her face in profile.

“Why is your face on all of them?”

“Eh? That is the official currency of the Demonic Realm. As the Demon Lord, it’s only natural for my face to be on there, right? If you hand over demon currency to the Hero, he can’t accuse you of looting this village. Everyone will assume you got the gold from the dungeon.”

“Huh…”

I dug through the coins and found that all of them were different. Some of them had Anju winking, sticking out her tongue, or making the peace sign. Others contained images of her making gravure model-like poses. One of the coins had her posing in a bikini.

Wait, there’s something odd with this picture….

“Anju, your chest isn’t this large – “

The Demon Lord punched me in the stomach. For a second I seriously thought I was going to die.

“Die!” Anju glowered and walked away.

“Heili, I think I might have some internal bleeding. Can you heal me?”

“Disgusting.” She looked at me as if I was dirt, then followed Anju.

“H-Hey, wait. Don’t leave me.”

Thankfully, Anju’s punch didn’t actually break anything. I collected all of the coins on the ground and put them in a cotton sack.

When I rejoined Anju and Heili at the edge of the village, I was worried that they might still be mad at me. Instead, I found Anju sitting cross-legged on a rock, her eyes closed, her expression pensive.

“What’s she doing?” I asked.

“Shh,” Heili hissed.

It was the first time I had seen Anju meditating. I didn’t even know meditation existed in this world.

Moments later, Anju opened her eyes.

“I just performed a final memory sync with my real body,” she said. “I will vanish in a few moments, but worry not. My main consciousness has received all of the memories I made with you two, as well as the plan we’ve come up with. My main body has told Frieden that she senses demonic mana coming from this village. They will arrive in about three days since it helps him delay his journey to the front lines.”

Anju’s body began to glow with a red hue.

“It has been fun,” she said with a rueful smile. “I wish we could’ve adventured a little longer,” she paused to look at Heili, “even if one of you two hates me a little.”

Heili wiped away a tear. It was amazing how she was capable of feeling empathy for almost everyone – even her enemies.

“Will you be okay?” she asked.

“I’m just a clone. My consciousness will merge with the mind of the main body. Such is my fate.”

A gust of wind blew past us, carrying away the last remaining bits of the clone that was before us. Even though she was just a clone, it felt sad to see her go.

Heili clenched her hands into fists.

“To create a separate consciousness, only to wipe it out…it’s just too cruel.”

Heili sat down on the rock. Suddenly, she began to cry bitter tears of frustration. She howled into her hands. At first, I was shocked by her emotional reaction. But as I listened to her, I began to understand her feelings.

She was forcefully taken away from her family.

Frieden had taken her against her will.

Her Party members had abandoned her.

And now she was forced to partner up with a cruel Demon Lord she despised so she could survive and, most importantly, get her revenge.

I sat down next to her, and somehow, she ended up crying in my arms.

Her tears soaked my shirt. Her small shoulders quivered. Her breaths were heavy as she released everything she had kept bottled up.

“Is this what you do with her?” Heili said after she had calmed down a bit.

“What do you mean?”

“You said the king asked the Goddess to summon a new priestess who looks exactly like me. This new priestess is your girlfriend, no?”

“Yes…well…we used to be close. But after she cheated on me with Frieden, we haven’t really…”

“Oh.”

She looked up at me with wet eyes, studying me with a contemplative expression. Her face was so close that I could have kissed her.

It was so odd to look at someone who looked exactly like Kaori, and at the same time, we were strangers.

Heili looked away.

“You wolf,” she muttered.

“Huh? Sorry, I don’t understand…”

“Never mind. Let’s discuss the plan one more time.”

Heili and I reviewed everything we had to do. With Anju gone, we were on our own until I rejoined the Hero’s Party. For the next step we had to wait until Frieden and the others arrived at Artbach. I will then ‘coincidentally’ come across the Party and present the gold to Frieden, along with words that will appeal to his ego (and probably sicken me to my stomach).

Once I rejoined the Party, Heili will trail us until there is an opportunity for Anju and me to kidnap the real Kaori and replace her with Heili. At that point it will be crucial for Heili to learn the personality differences and act accordingly.

Heili and I camped out on the road using things we salvaged from the ruins. Being a native of this world, Heili was much better at outdoor survival than I was, even though I had learned a lot since coming to this world. I told her that there was no need to hunt for food in my home country. Instead, there was a supermarket where one could buy everything all year round – even seasonal fruits.

I tried to explain modern factory farms to her, but that only caused her to grimace.

“That sounds horrible.”

For the next two days, we worked together. I was in charge of keeping the fire going while Heili set up traps to catch small game. We transported water from a nearby stream, boiled it over the campfire, and drank herbal tea that Heili made from some suitable leaves she found nearby.

Even though it wasn’t a comfortable life, during those two days I felt quiet happiness – a feeling I had never experienced before. I found myself gazing at Heili while she was asleep and wondering if this feeling was close to true happiness.

…if the Goddess hadn’t chosen Kaori, would we have gotten married and lived a quiet life like this?

I would’ve said yes a few months ago, but now, I wasn’t so sure. I had the feeling that Kaori would’ve cheated on me sooner or later. She probably would’ve started dating someone else behind my back as soon as we graduated. Kaori was probably the kind who thought she deserved the best and was willing to attach herself to the highest quality man she could get her hands on.

Heili opened her eyes. We made eye contact.

Crap, she caught me staring at her.

“Can’t sleep?” she asked.

“Y-Yeah.” I felt my face growing hot.

She sat up.

“Me too.”

According to Anju, the Hero’s Party would arrive tomorrow.

Tomorrow I will have to present these gold coins to Frieden, grovel before his feet and beg for forgiveness.

“Do you think the Demon Lord’s plan will work?” she asked.

I hesitated before answering.

“I think so…if I can appeal to Frieden’s vanity, that is.”

Heili took a shaky breath, and horror briefly flashed across her face.

I noticed that this happened every time I mentioned Frieden’s name. The scars he had inflicted upon her must run very deep. What he had done was unforgivable. However, being the Hero, he could seemingly get away with anything. Even if he got caught, people might look away because they wanted to believe in the unassailable Hero.

He was a national symbol around which the entire nation rallies. He was their savior, their sword and shield against the demons. No matter what Frieden did, no matter how many maidens he ruined, the entire country seemed to have silently agreed to ignore his crimes.

“I’m sorry,” I said.

“What are you sorry for?”

“Every time I mention the Hero’s name, your whole body quivers.”

Heili looked down at her shaking hands.

“Ah…I didn’t notice.” She tried to put on a brave smile but ultimately faltered. “Sometimes…that moment is all I can think about. I can still feel his touch…and the pain.”

She put her arms around her waist, her eyes blank with horror.

What was I supposed to do in this kind of situation? Saying things like ‘Don’t worry’ or ‘Time heals all wounds’ would sound like an insult.

In the end, I did nothing.

Chapter 12

The next day, Frieden and the others arrived. As planned, I intercepted the Party alone while Heili hid herself.

Frieden was speechless when he saw me. Just as I had rehearsed in my head, I put the sack of coins at Frieden’s feet, kowtowed, and begged for forgiveness. I told him everything that could stroke his ego. I told him I realized how great he was while stuck in that dungeon. I was eternally grateful for the tough lesson he taught me. I fully understood how important his reputation is for the country. He wasn’t just a person fighting demons on behalf of humanity; he was a symbol for the nation to rally around. It wouldn’t be wrong to say he was as important as the heavens.

Then, to put the cherry on top, I said, “Someone like me is unworthy of Kaori. If Kaori is okay with it, I’d like to offer her to you. As someone whose existence is tantamount, it’s only right for you to have a beautiful woman by your side.”

Of course, openly announcing that I was okay with giving up Kaori created the risk that I would get kicked out of the Party. Kaori’s relationship with me was the only reason I was allowed to stay on this whole time.

It was Anju who told me to say that last line. When I told her about my concerns, she said, “Don’t worry. The Hero won’t kick you out of the Party because he’ll wonder how you managed to survive that dungeon. He will want to know if you saw Heili’s body. He is also fundamentally greedy. He will want to go back and get more gold. And to do that, he will need your experience.”

Frieden looked down at me in silence. My heart pounded so hard I could hear it. Whatever he said next would decide if our plan to kill him would work.

Finally, he spoke.

“It seems you have finally come to your senses.”

I held my breath.

“Handing over Kaori is an acceptable tribute. I’ll acknowledge it. From now on, Kaori will cease to have any relations with you. She will be my woman.”

Even without looking up, I could hear the smile in his voice.

“However I cannot allow you to stay in the Party.”

My heart sank. So he was going to kick me out after all?

“We will travel to the next major city. We will part ways there. Even someone as useless as you should be able to find work there.”

“You are too gracious.”

“In return for my mercy, you will write down what you encountered in that dungeon and the other treasures you couldn’t carry due to your weak form.”

“Yes, sir. Understood.”

That was the end of it.

I boarded the supply cart. This humble little cart has been my home ever since I arrived in this world. The hard wooden floor gave me so much pain because my body was accustomed to sleeping on a futon. I was always made to travel in the very back of the caravan, with no defenses. Bandits could have quickly burned down this wooden cart with me inside. Now that I knew what he did to Heili, I suspected Frieden hoped that this precarious position would eventually prove fatal for me. Frieden didn’t like to get his hands dirty.

Despite all of this, I felt glad to finally be back on this creaky little cart.

The closest city was called Friedensheim. It was a major city that had fallen to the demons during the last Great War and the first city Frieden liberated right after he was chosen to become the Hero. It was the first major victory humanity had scored since the previous Hero died of old age. In honor of that historic achievement, the city was renamed Friedensheim.

I wondered if Frieden wanted to drop me off in a place named after him just to rub salt into the wound.

While we traveled to Friedensheim, Kaori and Frieden no longer had to hide their relationship. She rode with him on his horse, resting her hands on his chest. Frieden openly felt her up, feeling her up under the sunny sky, making out with her whenever he felt like it.

Erika and Schlacht wouldn’t look me in the eye. Whenever I tried to talk to either one, they’d quickly turn away. It was almost as if they were afraid of speaking with me.

The only person who spoke to me was Tier. He slowed down the beast he was riding, so we were side by side.

“You actually survived.”

“Yeah…”

I wanted to tell Tier the truth. He was the only one in the Party who showed me any kind of kindness after Frieden had beaten me up. He even gave me potions that would help me survive or kill me if I was fatally wounded. He put so much effort into those potions that even Anju was impressed.

But…

Tier was still a member of the Hero’s Party. He might not approve of everything Frieden does, but there had been no indication that he was ready to betray him. I had to treat him like the enemy. I had to lie.

“It was tough…your potions really helped.”

I waxed a tale of how I barely managed to dodge a series of traps, found piles of skeletons belonging to demons, and finally reached the treasure room.

“There’s tons of it left. I just carried what I could.”

“I see…”

Tier didn’t seem excited by nebulous mountains of gold.

“You’re not interested in gold?” I asked.

Tier shrugged.

“I have enough gold. I just want to go back to my village.”

“And marry that girl from the other side of the border?”

“Yes.” He smiled sheepishly.

Once night had fallen, Anju (the real one) and I had an emergency meeting behind the supply cart.

“Heili is following us,” she said. “I can sense her mana. It’s pulsing quite violently. She probably wants to kill Frieden right now, or kill me, heh-heh~”

“Do you think we should do it now? I’ll be kicked out of the Hero’s Party once we arrive in the next city.”

Anju’s expression grew sober.

“We’ll have to rush our plan,” she said. “Originally I wanted to lure Frieden to a place where we would have the advantage so that I could reduce casualties. But since it has come to this, we have no choice but to execute our plan the day after tomorrow.”

“We’re due to arrive in Friedensheim in three days. Isn’t that cutting it a little close? If we arrive sooner, we won’t be able to kill him. The defenses of the city are said to be the strongest outside of the capital.”

“I know. But my generals need every additional minute to put together the required fighting force. Right now, we barely have the minimum.”

“If that’s the case, we need to kidnap Kaori tomorrow,” I said.

Anju nodded somberly.

The plan Anju had come up with was a wild gamble. Everything needed to fall into place at exactly the right time. None of us had the experience for a scheme this elaborate with this many variables. And considering that the heavens wanted to eliminate the demons, we couldn’t rely on luck.

“Wait here,” Anju said. “I will follow Heili’s mana and tell her about the change in plans.”

Anju vanished into the dark forest.

I waited for her. A little while later, she returned, but she didn’t look pleased.

“We need to do this now,” she said.

My head snapped in her direction. What did she just say?

“Heili came across Erika.”

“W-What?!”

“Heili didn’t realize that we had made camp and kept following us. Then she came across Erika while she was inspecting the area.”

“Shit…”

“That careless little priestess,” Anju sighed. “Heili said she referred to herself as Kaori, but she had never met the real Kaori, so she didn’t know how to adjust her personality. She says she managed to fool Erika before that mage began making her way back to the camp…”

“But there is no guarantee.”

Anju nodded. “If Erika tells Frieden that Heili is still alive, our entire plan will fail.”

For once, the ever-confident Anju looked shaken.

“So you’re going to kill Erika?”

She shook her head.

“Erika is too strong for me to quietly kill her. Any battle between us will be impossible to hide.”

“Then…”

“We’ll have to kidnap Kaori and replace her with Heili. Tonight. Now. Before news can reach Frieden. After Heili has taken Kaori’s place, she can tell Frieden that she did run into Erika and that it was all a big misunderstanding.”

“Now?! But…”

Kaori and Frieden were going to be doing it for a while. Considering that this was their first night as official lovers, they were no doubt going to be doing it without restraint, making as much noise as they wanted.

“No, that’s a good thing. As long as the Hero is busy plowing your ex-girlfriend, it means Erika won’t be able to tell him her suspicions if she suspects Heili, that is.”

Anju chewed on her thumb, red sparks glowing in her eyes as she contemplated intensively.

“I got it,” she finally said. “You will wait outside of the tent. Wait for them to finish doing it so that you are the first person Kaori sees when she leaves. Take her somewhere where the Hero can’t hear her. Meanwhile, I will go into the forest and release just enough demonic mana for Erika to notice. She will have no choice but to investigate.”

She added one more thing. “It doesn’t matter if Kaori is alive or dead. Just make sure that she is gone.”

Anju vanished.

Right. While Anju played cat and mouse with Erika, I will speak to Kaori and find an opportunity to kidnap her.

But…

There was one problem.

“Hnghhh~ Frieden you’re so big~ Anghh~”

I had to sit outside of the tent and hear every single sound, movement, and passionate contact of flesh.

“Say it.”

“You’re so much better than Kenta. Yours is bigger, so much bigger. I was never satisfied with him~”

“That’s right.”

Tier and Schlacht were in their tents, although they no doubt could hear all of it.

Fortunately, Erika was nowhere to be seen. She must be chasing Anju’s mana signature.

After listening to Kaori’s passionate moans for another hour or so, she finally stepped out. Her hair was disheveled, her priestess robes covered with dark spots, and her legs shaky.

“Kenta?” She sounded surprised to see me.

“Kaori…uhm…I want to talk to you. I know we’re not together anymore, but…uhm…once we arrive at Friedensheim we will probably never see each other again. You’re the only person I know from Japan, so…I wanted to speak to you alone one last time. Don’t worry; I’m not trying to win you back. I just want to talk.”

“Kenta…” Her gaze wavered. “Uhm, let me ask Frieden.”

She went back into the tent.

Does she really need Frieden’s permission for something like this? I guess now that I am officially her ex-boyfriend, maybe she wanted to let her current lover know.

Kaori came back out.

“Sure, let’s have a chat.”

I led her to the campfire I had set up near the supply cart. We sat down on separate logs by the fire.

Kaori was the first to speak.

“Kenta, are you really okay?” she asked.

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

“We all thought we would never see you again. You know…that dungeon is supposed to be really dangerous.”

Ah…so Kaori was suspicious. Was she dismayed that I had survived? Did she think that she had finally gotten rid of me, only for me to cling to life like a cockroach? Did I make her feel guilty by refusing to die?

“Mh, yeah. I somehow survived.” Then I tried changing the topic by asking, “Have you gotten used to this world?”

Kaori nodded. Her expression was filled with warmth. “At first it was difficult. This place is so different from Japan. But as the days pass, I find pieces of happiness here and there. I think I’m happier in this world than I was in Japan.”

“I see…”

Kaori continued, “I was so bored with my life, you know? I hated the idea of going to university, graduating and getting a normal job. My dream was to drive from Los Angeles all the way to New York and then fly to London. But I didn’t have time or money for something like that. Everything was guiding me toward a normal job, a normal life. Everything was so boring.”

I was stunned. This was the first time I had heard this. I always thought that she and I were happy with our previous lives. Of course, it wasn’t perfect, but I didn’t know she wanted out so badly.

“Frieden is everything I ever wanted. He is so…cool. Every day with him is a new adventure. Everyone in the Hero’s Party is so friendly. I wish I could live this life forever. And I don’t even have to work all that hard. I just have to utter the right incantation, and everything happens naturally. I feel so much relief when I think that I never have to write my graduation thesis. I’ll never have to put on a job seeker suit and do job interviews. I don’t have to wake up early and squeeze onto a train. In this world I wake up because the morning is so beautiful.”

I see. This world was an escape for her. For her, every day here is a blessing. It’s everything she ever wanted. To her, peaceful everyday life in Japan was a pain. She didn’t want to go through the steps of adulthood. This world is what her heart called out for.

Kaori looked at me surreptitiously.

“Kenta…can I tell you something?”

“Sure.”

“Now that we’re going to go our separate ways, I want to tell you everything so there are no regrets.”

I said nothing. Before, I would’ve thought, ‘Wow, what an honest person she is’. But now I knew that she was just being selfish. She wanted to empty her heart so she wouldn’t feel any guilt later. I took a breath and steeled myself for the terrible words that would come.

“Kenta, when the Goddess told me that you died while trying to save me, I was happy. It proved to me that you loved me. But then when I found out that we were both transported to this world and that you had no mana, I was disappointed.” She lowered her head. “I wanted to start a new life in a new world, but here you were with me, making me think about the friends and family we left behind. I really just wanted to forget everything. I wanted to leave behind the Kaori that would graduate and find a job. I wanted to live as Kaori the Priestess.”

I felt my heart breaking. The pain was so great that I could barely breathe.

Kaori felt annoyed that I was by her side.

She wanted to forget everything.

Is that why she slept with Frieden? She wanted to find a new lover in a new world. A man who was strong, famous and handsome.

I sacrificed my life for someone like this.

If I hadn’t jumped in front of that truck, I could’ve mourned Kaori, moved on with life, graduated, and found new happiness. Maybe I could’ve had a wife and children, thinking about Kaori every now and then while taking care of my loved ones.

I could’ve been happy.

“Kenta, are you okay? Don’t be mad at me, okay? Uhm…everyone is entitled to their feelings.”

I wanted to laugh. She wanted to empty out her heart and demand that I don’t feel bad. How insanely selfish can someone be?

“Don’t you miss them though? Our parents and friends. Sometimes, I even think about the people I disliked and wonder how they are doing. I wish I got to say a proper goodbye to everyone.”

“Geez, Kenta!” Kaori stomped her foot on the ground. “This is why I didn’t want to be transported into a new world with you! You’re too sentimental! Stop thinking about the past! Move forward! Our previous lives are over. What’s the use of thinking about the people we left behind? I don’t want to think about them, okay? All I want is to live my new life! God, you’re so annoying, Kenta.”

I felt a lump in my throat. Was it really so wrong to think about the people I loved?

“Are you really able to cut off your feelings just like that?” I asked. “Don’t you feel anything? Isn’t it a bit unfair to your parents for you to forget about them when they did their best to raise you?”

There was anger in my voice.

Kaori appeared slightly shocked. This might be the first time I’ve gotten genuinely angry at her.

“Kenta! Why are you angry at me! You’re so childish! It’s only right for me to move on with my life! We’d have forgotten about everyone anyway if the Goddess erased our memories. What’s the point in thinking about the past and feeling bad about it?!”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Calm down. There is no point in fighting with Kaori over this. I fully understood what kind of person she was.

The mission right now was to replace her with Heili.

“Sorry, I’m really sorry.” I bowed my head. “I’m in the wrong, Kaori. Please forgive me.”

“It’s okay…” Kaori said with a sulky expression.

“I’m going to get us something to drink. Is tea okay with you?”

“…sure,’ Kaori said reluctantly. She looked like she already wanted to leave. She probably had enough of this conversation. No doubt she wanted to go back into Frieden’s tent. But I couldn’t let her leave.

I got up and went to the back of the cart. Instead of tea, I picked up a large stone. I wanted to use a more elegant method, but this was the best I could do right now.

I snuck behind Kaori, raising the stone above my head.

“It doesn’t matter if Kaori is alive or dead. Just make sure that she is gone.”

Those are the words Anju told me before she went off into the forest to lure Erika away.

I looked down at Kaori’s head. If I used this stone to knock her out, there was a chance I would kill her. Obviously, I’ve never done anything like this before. How much force should I use to knock her unconscious? What if I used too much force and accidentally killed her? Even now, I didn’t want her to die.

I could hear Anju’s voice in my head.

“Kenta, you’re too soft.”

She was right. I wasn’t able to make the difficult choices when needed.

Frankly, I despised Kaori. Maybe I even hated her. Every breath was filled with a dark feeling I had never experienced before. Part of me wanted to kill her. I was disgusted at myself for feeling this way, and yet these were my true feelings.

At the same time, I also knew that I was unable to bring this stone down on her. I couldn’t do it because I still loved her. No matter how much I hated her, a part of me still loved her and would always love her, no matter what, until the end of my days.

Was this a weakness or a strength? I couldn’t tell.

“Kenta?”

Kaori turned around and saw me holding the rock above my head. She opened her mouth to scream –

“What a pain in the ass,” Anju’s voice sounded. A flash of color came between Kaori and me. A moment later, Kaori lay on the ground.

“Anju? Is that you?”

“I was worried that something might go wrong, so I sent back a clone. My real body is busy with Erika.”

She looked down on Kaori’s body.

“Kenta, you’re too soft. This girl was happy when the Hero sent you into the dungeon, remember? She was glad that you would probably die. And yet you still can’t knock her out?”

She sounded disappointed. I was so ashamed of myself that I couldn’t look her clone in the eyes. Anju was fighting for the survival of her people. Heili had survived all alone down in the mana crystal factory. I had the easiest job: just knock Kaori out.

“I was worried that I might kill her.”

Anju looked at me oddly.

“So what?”

I smiled wryly. Of course she would say that.

“Like you said, I’m too soft. I’m sorry.”

She let out a long breath through her nose.

“No, it’s okay. You have too much mercy in your heart, but that isn’t always a bad thing. Don’t worry. I won’t dump you because of that.”

My chest filled with gratitude. At least there was one person out there who could see some good in me.

“Did you kill her?” I asked.

“No. She’s worth more alive to us than dead. Worst comes to worst and our plan completely fails; we can use her as a hostage.”

“Do you think Frieden will care enough for her to negotiate? Can’t he always ask for a new priestess who looks exactly like Kaori and Heili?”

I looked up at the moon and stars. No doubt that rotten Goddess can find another lookalike with high mana capacity.

“I don’t know. I’d rather it not come to that – one moment.”

Anju’s clone closed her eyes. Her eyeballs moved under her eyelids. She frowned deeply, then grinned like a madwoman. Moments later she opened her eyes.

“My main body has successfully subdued Erika~”

Her eyes sparkled with red mana.

“Y-You killed her?”

“Even better~”

Anju’s clone then explained what had happened. Her main body was leading Erika on a cat-and-mouse chase through the forest. However, Erika turned out to be faster than Anju could have ever anticipated. Erika’s speed matched that of one of Anju’s top generals, even surpassing them, thanks to her unexpected agility. Although Anju was technically stronger than Erika, she refrained from launching major spells to avoid attracting Frieden’s attention.

Eventually, Anju made a mistake, allowing Erika to corner her. Erika was about to bring down a killing blow, using a powerful spell that should have taken a few minutes to gather mana for. However, Erika executed it in the blink of an eye. According to Anju, Erika’s mana control was beyond something a human should have been able to achieve; in other words, she was a genius.

“I seriously thought I was going to die,” Anju’s clone said.

“Then how did you…”

Anju grinned from ear to ear.

“I transformed into the child that begged the Hero to save her village. Remember the little girl Erika wanted to help? I guessed Erika has a soft spot for children. I exploited that weakness. She hesitated when she saw a child rather than the Demon Lord. That opening was all I needed to cast a binding spell.”

I took a sharp breath. Transforming into a human child to stop Erika from attacking. It was an underhanded move, and yet, at the same time, I couldn’t blame her. In a life-or-death fight, anything goes.

“You captured her alive?!”

“Of course! If I wanted to kill her, I would’ve never let her corner me like that.”

“Why do you want her alive so badly?”

“Erika came from your world. She obviously has no formal instruction in magic. No master who taught her the arts of mana. Right now she operates purely on instinct and talent. And yet her natural skill surpasses some of the greatest demons alive today. With a bit of formal training, she can become a mage worthy of her own chapter in the history books.” Anju’s grin widened. She pointed a thumb at herself. “I intend to make her my apprentice.”

I blinked. My first thought was: “Have you lost your mind?”

“I have not lost my mind,” Anju said while puffing up her cheeks, seemingly able to read my thoughts. “How can I resist capturing the most talented human mage of this era? It would be criminal of me to leave her with the Hero’s Party, where her talents will go to waste. No, no, no. Her gift must be nurtured. With a bit of hard work, Erika can advance the state of magic itself.

“I have to train her up quickly. Humans have such short lifespans after all. She has to quickly polish her skills so that she can pass on her knowledge to a demon apprentice who can live longer.”

“Right…I understand what you are saying. There is one big problem though.”

“Which is what?”

“Erika is loyal to Frieden the Hero.”

Anju tilted her head slightly.

“I don’t understand.”

“Okay – “

“Loyalty is a matter of persuasion, no? I have captured Erika alive, so I’ll have plenty of time to persuade her.”

It’s difficult to imagine Erika agreeing to be Anju’s apprentice.

“I really don’t think…”

“Demon mages took on plenty of human apprentices during the Unified Era. Why do you think humanity’s magic is where it is today?”

“Right.”

Anju closed her eyes, then opened them again.

“Erika is trying her hardest to escape the binding spell I put on her.” She took my hand. “Come on, let’s go. I need you to calm her down.”

“M-Me?!”

Anju tied Kaori to a tree using the same binding spell. Then she dragged me into the forest, disappearing when her main body came into sight.

“You lying bastard!”

Those were the first words Erika said when she saw me.

“I knew it! I knew it! You were siding with the demons all along! I should’ve killed you when I had the chance.”

On one hand, it was a relief to no longer have to hide the truth. On the other hand, being the target of Erika’s anger wasn’t pleasant.

Anju had tied Erika to a tree with ropes made out of demonic mana. As long as Anju was alive, Erika wouldn’t be able to escape.

I waited until Erika had hurled at me every insult she could think of until she had kicked and screamed and exhausted herself breathless with rage.

“Can you blame me?” I said when she was finally done. “You know better than anyone how badly I was treated by Frieden, by all of you. It was an open secret that Frieden was sleeping with Kaori the whole time.”

I pointed at Erika.

“And you betrayed me. I trusted you, Erika. I trusted you when you told me that we should compensate the villagers. I believed you when you said we would keep it a secret from Frieden.” I took a shaky breath. I could finally say everything I kept bottled inside. “You told Frieden. You condemned me to death. If it wasn’t for the Demon Lord, I would be long dead.”

Erika shook her head.

“No, you’re wrong! I didn’t want to betray you! Schlacht caught wind of what we did. He told Frieden, and he was going to kill me for it. I had to sell you out to save my own life.”

“You – “

I choked up with anger.

She sold me out to save her own life.

I was so disgusted with her that words wouldn’t leave my mouth. At the same time, I knew that if I was in her shoes, I’d do the same thing. With Frieden in front of me, I would say anything and betray anyone to stay alive.

“Schlacht?” I managed to utter.

“He must’ve found out somehow. Maybe Tier heard and told him.”

“That’s impossible…Tier would never do that.”

Anju clapped her hands together.

“Okay! That’s water under the bridge. My darling Erika, I have a proposal for you. Will you listen?”

“Do I have a choice?”

Anju looked at me, then looked at her. What was she thinking?

She snapped her fingers and the ropes around Erika disappeared. She fell to her knees.

“Now you have a choice.”

Ah…I understood what Anju was doing. By undoing the ropes, Anju wanted to portray herself as someone Erika could trust. A down payment in good faith. This way, it would feel like Erika would have a choice, but in reality, Anju could simply kill Erika if she turned down her offer.

Erika didn’t run. She picked up her staff, stood up and pointed it at Anju.

“I’m listening.”

Anju offered her hand.

“How would you like to become my apprentice?”

Erika appeared dumbfounded.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean exactly what I said. I am offering you an apprenticeship.”

Erika said nothing.

“I hate to admit, but your talent for magic surpasses anything I have seen before.” She raised her hand. “No, no. Don’t even think about attacking me. You might be more talented than me, but I have centuries worth of experience. Your gift is rough and unpolished. Even right now your mana is fluctuating a lot. I want to raise you into the greatest human mage this world has ever seen. So…will you join me?”

Erika raised an eyebrow.

“How do you know I won’t betray you the moment my magic is powerful enough?”

“I said you are the greatest talent I have ever seen. Under my watch you will become the greatest human mage in history. You won’t be able to surpass me. Your lifespan is too short for that. Your apprentice might be able to do it if he or she is talented enough, that is.” Anju grinned. “You’re welcome to try killing me. But you will fail.”

Erika looked at her with a studious gaze.

“I am honored to receive your instruction. Even though I am lacking in skill, please take good care of me.”

Anju nodded.

“Let’s hope you last longer than my other apprentices.”

I couldn’t believe it. Erika had agreed to be Anju’s apprentice. Why would she do that when it was obvious Frieden could easily kill Anju and her armies?

“I assume you will ask me to help you kill Frieden the Hero?”

“Heh-heh-heh~”

I raised my hand.

“Wait just a moment.”

Anju and Erika looked at me.

“There is something I need to confirm since this involves my life as well.” The truth was, the moment Anju was out of sight, Erika could point her staff at me.

“How can I trust you that you aren’t just agreeing to be her apprentice for now, only to betray us later?”

Erika frowned. “More than anything, I want this war to be over with. Frieden has no intention of ending the war; he wants to drag on this war for as long as possible so that he can enjoy his status. While he’s doing that, more innocents will die.”

“You’re not concerned about Anju killing innocents?”

Erika looked at Anju. The Demon Lord put a fist to the side of her head and stuck out her tongue.

“Well…my hands are covered in blood. I did slaughter entire villages. Women and children too.”

Erika winced.

“I understand that a lot of people will die as a result of my decision, but even more will die if Frieden keeps this war going for several decades. At least if the demons win this war, we can negotiate a peace treaty.”

“Aren’t you worried that I might slaughter the entire human race?” Anju tilted her head slightly.

Erika grimaced. “Will you do that?”

“No.”

Anju’s expression was calm and serious. She meant that.

“I’m not capable of genocide. Although I can’t say the same for you humans.”

I said nothing. Because what Anju said was true. A glance at the history books reveals the extent of what people are capable of. Even the worst atrocities can be twisted into righteous acts by the right politicians.

“Let’s move on to the next thing.” Anju clapped her hands together, and Kaori fell out of the sky, like a girl from a certain movie about a city in the sky. I caught her in my arms; she was still unconscious.

“Kaori?!” Erika exclaimed, glaring at me. “You killed her?!”

“She’s unconscious,” I said.

“The Priestess is the most important part of the plan.” She cleared her throat. “Heili, you can come out now.”

Heili emerged from behind a tree.

Erika stared at her with her mouth wide open.

“H-Heili? I thought you were dead.”

Heili looked at Erika as if she were dirt.

“Okay, stop, stop.” Anju got in between them. “By my authority as the Demon Lord, I order you two to stop hostilities. We all know that Erika more or less knew what the Hero did to Heili and turned a blind eye because she’s a coward.”

“Huh? What did Frieden exactly do?” Erika asked.

I quickly explained things to Erika. When she heard the truth, she looked like her stomach had turned.

“Heili will replace Kaori in the Hero’s Party. Since the Goddess has made sure they look identical, hopefully, no one will notice. Erika will also be part of the plan. The four of us will work together to kill Frieden the Hero.”

Heili interjected.

“I don’t care what Erika says; I just can’t trust her.”

Erika looked down at the ground, utterly ashamed. Deep down inside she must’ve known what Frieden did to Heili behind closed doors this entire time. She simply stayed quiet because that was the easier thing to do.

Anju nodded.

“That’s fine. You don’t need to trust her. I will make sure that she stays in line.” Heili didn’t look convinced. “Or do you doubt my powers as the Demon Lord?”

Heili said nothing.

Chapter 13

Anju put a time freeze spell on Kaori, essentially putting her to sleep for an infinite amount of time while freezing her internal time so she wouldn’t go hungry or thirsty. Then we stuffed her away in a tree. When she saw this spell, Erika lost all sparks of potential rebellion in her eyes. Humanity’s magic mainly concerned itself with offensive and defensive spells, manipulating objects and the weather, as well as simple creations such as fire and water spells. However the realm of time was beyond us. Seeing Anju cast a time manipulation spell without even blinking was like seeing a real-life god.

“Ah…there is one thing I need to mention before we return to camp,” I said.

The Demon Lord and the two girls turned to me.

“Before I kidnapped Kaori…well, she was taking a break from doing it with Frieden. So, uhm…Frieden might expect you to continue when you get back…he tends to have a lot of stamina.”

Heili looked like she wanted to run away, and I couldn’t blame her. Her whole body began to shake.

“Shhh…calm down, it’s okay.” Anju put her arms around Heili. “I will create a clone using some of your mana. That way, Frieden won’t even notice the difference. Rest assured, I will make sure that the clone doesn’t include anything from your consciousness. You will never share memories with it.”

“But will it be me?” Heili asked.

“Hmm, that depends on what you define as ‘you’. Are you your mana, your consciousness or both? Technically I will be using your mana to create an artificial body that looks exactly like you. But your mind won’t have any link with it.”

Heili nodded weakly. “In that case, it should be okay.”

“I will need some of your mana.”

Anju pressed her lips against Heili’s and inserted her tongue into her mouth. Anju intently sucked mana out of Heili while the rest of us watched with flushed faces. Finally, she pulled away, leaving a glistening string connecting their lips.

“Did you have to kiss her?” Erika asked, her whole face red.

Anju tilted her head.

“Isn’t it common knowledge that kissing is the best way to transfer mana?”

“Is it…?”

“Of course! There’s a lot of mana concentrated in the tongue, so it makes sense to kiss if you want to share mana, no?”

The three of us were rendered silent.

“T-That was my first kiss,” Heili said with steam coming out of her ears.

“Oh.” Anju pursed her lips. “Uhm…you’re welcome?”

“I was saving my first kiss for my husband!”

“Ehhh…a pretty human girl like you has never had a lover before? That’s surprising. I thought you had a string of lovers.”

“T-That’s not the case!”

Huh, I see. This might be why Frieden made Kaori promise to never kiss me.

“Well…uhm…” Anju shifted her weight. “In that case, it’s a great thing to lose your first kiss to the Great Demon Lord. I enjoy kissing pretty girls.”

“But I don’t!” Heili cried.

“Shhhh…it’s okay.” She put her arms around Heili. “If you want to, I can just erase your memory. You can have your first kiss all over again.”

Heili separated herself from Anju.

“No…if you change my memory, the me who exists now will cease to be. It will be the same as dying.”

Anju’s eyes widened. Then she appeared ruefully.

“I see…you and Kenta must’ve had a hard time seeing my clone disappear.”

Erika spoke. “I don’t understand.”

I explained to her everything that happened between us and Anju’s clone. The more I told her, the whiter her face turned.

“Her clone was enough to defeat all the mercenaries, mages and barriers?” Erika took a shaky breath.

“Follow me, and I’ll teach you how to do it too. Anyway, for now, we should go back to camp.”

Anju clapped her hands together and a mana sigil formed underneath her feet. A second Heili emerged from the sigil.

This second, Heili moved her arms, sniffed herself, and played with her hair.

“So this is what your body feels like,” Clone Heili said.

“Wait, if that isn’t Heili in her head, then who…” I said.

“I planted a part of my consciousness into this body. How does Heili’s body feel?” She asked…well, herself.

“It’s very interesting. She is quite young. And…she has some shoulder pain, probably due to her chest.”

“Don’t describe my body like that!” Heili looked like she was about to sink into the ground with shame.

We returned to camp. Anju transformed into her human disguise and sent Heili’s clone into Frieden’s tent. Anju had ample time to observe Kaori, so her clone should be able to replicate her personality accurately enough. I doubted Frieden would notice any major differences; he saw Kaori as a replacement and not as a unique individual.

Erika returned to her tent, while the real Heili hid in the back of the supply cart. I sat in front of the campfire, unable to sleep. We had kidnapped Kaori and somehow made Erika switch sides. All the pieces were in place; all we had to do was execute the plan.

Heili poked her head out of the supply cart.

“You can’t sleep?” I asked.

“Yeah.” She glanced over at Frieden’s tent in the distance. “It’s difficult to relax knowing that he is nearby.”

I nodded somberly. What Frieden did to Heili was unforgivable. People like him need to be put into the ground like a wild beast.

He has lost the right to live.

And yet here he was, enjoying all the privileges that came with being the Hero.

“Do you think the plan will work?” Heili said.

I gazed into the fire. The flames flickered gently in the wind.

“I don’t know. I hope so.”

The next morning, Anju gave us the secret signal.

She hugged me from behind and said, “I wanna eat bread for breakfast!”

“We have bread in the supply cart.”

“I want soft bread! Three pieces! With butter! Soft butter”

“We don’t have that.”

Last night, we agreed that the signal for the commencement of our plan would be if Anju asked for bread in the morning. It meant that our plans were solid like bread. If she asked for porridge, then it meant that the plans had flown away…like porridge. Anju had come up with that simile, and I didn’t want to argue with her.

Three pieces with soft butter meant that her amassed armies would attack at around 3pm in the afternoon, just after the sun had reached its highest point in the sky.

Our plan was simple.

Anju’s generals had amassed the largest fighting force in history. Together, they would attack Frieden before we reached Friedensheim. The goal was to kill Schlacht and Tier while weakening Frieden (we assumed that even the largest army couldn’t kill a monster like him). Once Frieden was sufficiently weakened, Anju would keep him busy for a while. During that time, Heili and I will rush through the battlefield to place two mana nullification stones on him.

These are the mana nullification stones Anju has asked Heidi to extract from the underground factory. With a bit of tinkering, she could reconfigure the stones to react only to Frieden’s mana. Thanks to all the various activities her clone had done with Frieden in his tent, she had plenty of DNA and mana samples at hand.

However, even then…

“Frieden is a monster created by the gods. There is no guarantee that any of these measures will work on him as intended. We should assume that even with all of that, Frieden will only be immobile for a few moments at most. During that small window, I will pierce his heart.”

Anju appeared grim when she said those words during our planning session. She will have to sacrifice tens of thousands of her best troops to create this tiny window of opportunity.

“I have sent drawings of you and Heili to my generals. My troops will let you through. Frieden won’t expect you two to appear on the battlefield. The element of surprise will allow you two to place the mana nullification stones on him.”

Tens of thousands of lives needed to be sacrificed for a plan full of ‘maybes’ and ‘hopefullies’. It was a reckless gamble. But it was the only realistic card we had to play.

Frieden raised his hand.

“Stop.”

The ground beneath us shook, gentle and rhythmic. Tier put his ear to the ground.

“There’s an army coming our way. There must be at least two thousand demons. Probably more.”

“Heh, so they want to fight us here?” Frieden cracked his neck. “Very well. I was just thinking that I needed some exercise. It’s been a while since we’ve had a good battle.”

Anju tried not to let the frustration show on her face. She had thrown her best and brightest at this man, only for him to refer to them as ‘exercise.’

“Schlacht, Tier, Anju, you’re coming with me. Erika, Kaori – do what you always do.”

“Understood,” Erika said.

I looked at Heili, who was now pretending to be Kaori. She didn’t know how to behave like Kaori, so she stayed quiet, trying to say as little as possible.

Anju’s Heili clone had dissolved after a wild night with Frieden. The real Heili did her best to stay away from him without raising suspicions. Fortunately, Anju’s army arrived rather early, making it impossible for Frieden to do anything to her.

Erika and I made eye contact. We nodded at each other.

The plan was simple.

Frieden would charge into the battle like he usually does while Anju, Tier and Schlacht covered his flanks.

The first step was to get rid of Tier and Schlacht since they were the only members of the party who weren’t on our side.

The method for that was simple. Tier and Schlacht were powerful but not in the same realm as Frieden.

“I think I can kill them,” Erika said during our planning session. “I know what they are weak against. Please leave it to me.”

We approached a meadow where Anju’s army waited for us.

“Heh, they are waiting out in the open for us,” Frieden smirked. “Normally, these demons will at least try to fight us on grounds advantageous to them. I guess I won’t get much out of this battle.”

“Schlacht, Tier,” Anju said. “Based on the open terrain, I think it’s a good idea to separate ourselves from Frieden a little. There’s a lot of flat land; we should give Frieden the necessary space to unleash his attacks.”

Frieden grinned. “Why, thank you, Anju.” He put his arms around her shoulder and used his hanging hand to squeeze her chest. “If it’s like that, then this might be more interesting for me.”

I breathed a silent sigh of relief. This was going to work. Anju wanted to separate Tier and Schlacht from Frieden so that he couldn’t protect them on the battlefield if he realized that Erika was aiming to kill those two.

Once they charged into battle, Anju would stay behind them. That way, she wouldn’t get caught up in the blast.

“Okay, let’s go!”

Schlacht drew his dual blades. Tier mounted his most powerful beast. Anju wielded a simple, short sword.

I looked at Tier. He was going to die today. He will never return to his hometown. He will never see the girl from the other side of the border again.

I’m sorry.

I’m sorry that you have to meet such a fate. It wasn’t his fault that he was drafted into the Hero’s Party. The Goddess had chosen him with total disregard for what he truly wanted.

I wanted to ask Tier if he wanted to betray Frieden and join us. But we already had to bring Erika into the fold without fully knowing if we could trust her yet. Maybe she was lying when she said she just wanted to bring the war to an end. Maybe she just wanted to buy herself some time.

Whatever her true intentions, we had no choice but to trust her now.

Frieden charged forward with Anju, Tier, and Schlacht following him. As they charged toward the battlefield, Tier and Schlacht built up more and more distance, sliding to the side to cover the flanks.

The group made contact with Anju’s army. The battle began.

Heili, Erika, and I watched from a distance.

“Is there anything we need to do?” Heili asked.

The clashes were horrible. Already, we could see the bodies of Anju’s soldiers piling up. For some reason, Frieden was fighting with more energy than usual. Maybe it was the thrill of knowing he had finally stolen Kaori away from me. Maybe he was on a high from making out with her in front of me.

“We should let them fight first,” I said. “Once Frieden has lost track of his surroundings, Erika can kill the other two.”

“Don’t give me orders,” Erika snapped. She frowned. “Sorry…”

I was now Erika’s senior since I had been allied with Anju for a longer time. Technically, she didn’t have to watch her tone when speaking to me, but I decided to say nothing.

The slaughter continued.

“Ah,” I sounded. There was finally a large gap between Tier, Schlacht and Frieden.

“Erika, now.”

Erika raised her staff. Her whole body glowed with blue mana. Her spell was ready, but she didn’t launch it.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

Erika took a shaky breath.

“I’ve never killed human beings before. I usually don’t even hurt bugs.”

“Not even cockroaches?”

“I try to let them crawl out of the window.”

Considering her acid tongue, I was surprised to hear that she had such a gentle side to her.

Heili tilted her head slightly. For a moment, her expression looked like what Anju might have had on her face. Without a single utterance, I felt there was something fundamentally amiss, a divide that may never be fully bridged.

“You’ve never killed anyone before? Not even an animal?”

Her expression told me she found that notion inconceivable.

“Then what do you do if someone dangerous approaches you? You don’t try to kill them?”

“We usually call the police,” I said.

“What’s the police?”

“They are kind of like city guards who catch thieves at the market.”

“But city guards aren’t everywhere.”

“Uhm…well, it’s a bit complicated…”

It would be too difficult to explain to her how a world in the Information Age works.

Erika closed her eyes. When she opened them, her expression had hardened with resolve.

“I’m sorry,” she said and launched her spell.

Two beams of light shot out of her staff. They flew toward the battlefield, homing in on Schlacht and Tier.

Three…

Two…

Two large explosions rocked the battlefield. Bits and pieces of demons flew everywhere. Everyone stopped moving.

Erika fell to her knees, breathing heavily.

“I used all of my mana for that.”

“Did you kill them?” I asked.

She nodded weakly. “I got a good look right before my spell hit. It was a direct hit. Tier is dead. Schlacht narrowly dodged my attack, but the spell has fatally injured him.”

I looked at Heili.

“Let’s go.”

She nodded.

With the mana nullification stones in hand, we rushed onto the battlefield. For the first time ever, I was running straight toward demons. For the first time ever, I saw them up close. They more or less looked like people. Some of the…females looked just like humans. However, many of them had horns coming out of their heads, long ears, or tails.

In the past, these physical features were probably a sign of high mana capacity. Now, they were a target of persecution.

Every fiber in my body told me to run away. Dashing toward an army of demons was suicide.

Anju said she informed her generals about me and Heili. But did every general pass that information on to the soldiers? Would Anju’s soldiers recognize us in the heat of battle? What if some of them had bad memories? What if some skipped the briefing session? Could all of these demons remember our faces?

We were a short distance from the very edge of the battle. A few demons noticed us.

They stepped away.

The demons in front of us didn’t create a clear path to avoid making it look too obvious; instead, they stepped aside, making it possible for Heili and me to close in on Frieden at jogging speed.

Finally, we could see Frieden. He was swinging his sword around at incredible speed, cutting apart any demon that tried to attack him. He didn’t seem to be fazed by the death of his companions or Erika’s betrayal.

“Frieden! My darling Frieden!” Heili shouted. “Erika has betrayed us! Schlacht and Tier are dead!”

He looked in our direction, his face was covered in blood, his lips forming a mad grin. However, when he saw us, his expression dropped.

“What?! Who is dead?”

“Schlacht and Tier were killed by Erika!” I shouted. “Erika has betrayed us!”

We were closing in on him.

“We need you to protect us!” Heili cried.

We ran toward Frieden and into his arms. At that moment, we slammed the mana nullification stones into his stomach.

Frieden gasped, and the color drained from his face. The spells that strengthened his armor and sharpened his blade – they all fell away.

“You two – “

“Hello Frieden. It’s been a long time,” Heili said.

He looked down at her with confusion on his face.

“Kaori–? “ Then realization appeared on his face. “No, that’s impossible.”

“I’ve come back to get you.” She pressed the stone harder against him.

“Heili,” I said.

“Yes, I know.”

She probably wanted to tell Frieden a whole bunch of things. We couldn’t stay here for long. We had no idea how long these stones would last against Frieden’s monstrous strength. There was also the chance that the rotten Goddess would intervene.

We turned around and ran. The demons surrounding Frieden made way for us. At the same time, Anju rushed by us in her demonic form. There was no longer any need to wear her human disguise. We made eye contact for a split second. She nodded solemnly. Now, it was up to her to finish the job.

While we ran, we heard a gut-wrenching cry. I hesitated for a moment but summoned the courage to look back. The army of demons had descended upon Frieden, bringing their weapons down on him, ready to hack him to pieces.

“Don’t stop,” Heili said. She pulled my hand.

These were Frieden the Hero’s last moments. I wanted to witness his death. But I understood what Heili meant. She and I were defenseless on the battlefield. We had done our part; there was no reason to be here any longer.

Erika was waiting for us at the edge of the forest, overlooking the meadow that had turned into a sea of corpses.

“Did it work?” she asked.

I nodded.

“The mana nullification stones did their job. Anju has launched the final attack. Can you confirm the kill?”

Erika shook her head. “I’ve used up all of my mana. All we can do is wait.”

Anju and her army continued to attack the spot where Frieden stood. Even from a distance we could hear his battle cries. He refused to go down.

After what felt like an eternity, Anju returned to our side. Her entire body was covered in blood, and she was breathing heavily. Her left arm was missing.

“Is he – ?” Heili stepped forward with a hand to her chest. Her eyes glimmered with hope.

Anju spat.

“He was a coward until the end.”

My heart sank. “Does that mean – ?”

Anju grimaced.

“At first I thought I got him. My generals had him pinned down. I aimed for his heart and landed a blow. Even though there was no way he could move, he somehow fought back against the strength of my generals and moved his upper body. I pierced his right lung and missed his heart. When my generals saw that I missed, they cut off his limbs.”

She let out a long, shaky breath.

“Even after that, he refused to die. Even with his mana circuits temporarily sealed, he still breathed. He lost enough blood to kill a regular human being, but he still refuses to die. He was always looking up at the sky with a smile, sunlight hitting his face. It was then that I realized that the ray of sunlight came from that damned Goddess. She was giving him more life as he was dying!”

That rotten Goddess. Even after we had won, she still interfered.

“The heavens refused to let me kill him. For every killing blow I landed, they would give him extra strength. Even if he lost every drop of blood, the Goddess will somehow keep him alive.”

“So what did you do?” Heili asked.

“I did the next best thing. Instead of killing him, I used all of my mana to cast a sealing spell on him. It’s based on the most advanced demonic magical theories, far beyond human understanding.”

She glanced at Erika. The message was clear: Don’t even think about betraying me.

Anju sat down on the grass, soaking the ground underneath her with blood.

She breathed deeply with her eyes closed.

Suddenly, she appeared so small, her shoulders slim and fragile. When she opened her eyes, her expression had become calm.

“I’ve decided what we will do next.”

The demonic armies retreated with their leader. Only Erika, Heili and I remained with what was left of Frieden’s body. He was encapsulated by a thick crystal, totally inanimate.

As of this moment, no one besides Frieden knew we had betrayed him. The only others, Schlacht and Tier, were dead. Erika, Heili, and I would wait for the troops from Friedensheim to arrive. Such a large battle will surely have caught their attention. Once they are here, we will inform them that Frieden the Hero has been defeated and sealed away by the Demon Lord. We will simply pretend to have never betrayed him.

We could’ve just run away with Anju, but she assigned us to stay with Frieden.

Why?

“I’m confident about my sealing spell, but I want someone to watch over Frieden, just in case. There’s no telling if that damned Goddess will send down some mage who is a genius at deciphering demonic barriers. Erika, as soon as you guys meet the troops from the city, tell them that only you are allowed to work on deciphering the barrier. You are a mage of the Hero’s Party; they will obey you. Of course, don’t try to decipher the barrier. Just pretend that you’re working on it.”

Anju was as clever as ever. She was trying to prevent a Goddess from performing a miracle.

“Heili, you and Erika should take turns watching over Frieden.”

I felt a little useless just standing there. As an unwanted member of the Hero’s Party, I had little credibility or authority. There was nothing for me to do.

Then she pulled me aside.

“Kenta, you have the most important job.”

I was confused. What could she possibly have in mind for me? A person without skills or mana.

“I need you to watch over Heili and Erika. There’s a chance that at least one of them might try to betray me.”

She pressed a small crystal into my hand.

“If you think any of them is trying to decipher the seal, release the clone in this crystal and tell her everything. It will sync its memories with me. Only release my clone if you think one of them has betrayed me – betrayed us.”

“Understood.”

I finally understood what my purpose here was. I might be useless, but I was the only person she could fully trust. I could’ve sold her out to Frieden at any moment throughout our journey; I could’ve killed her at any moment.

I walked around the battlefield and found Tier’s corpse. He had been decimated. The lower half of his body had been torn to shreds by Erika’s spell. I kneeled down beside his head, which was covered in dirt.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I’m sorry…I wanted to ask you if you wanted to…but the risk was too high. I’m sorry.”

I knew how despicable it was of me to apologize to the corpse of the man I betrayed. Doing so after the fact served no purpose but to give me emotional release, confess my sins, and ease my conscience.

What I was doing now was no different from what Kaori did to me. She selfishly let me know all of her true thoughts just to ease the burden on her conscience.

“Heh…I guess we’re not so different after all.”

I put a hand on his forehead; it was still warm.

My family went to the Shinto shrine every year. Every time we went, I closed my eyes and only pretended to pray. I didn’t understand what the point of it was, nor did I know what to pray for.

Right now, for the first time, I prayed.

I prayed that Tier’s death was painless. I prayed that he found peace. I prayed that he’d get to meet the girl from the other side of the border in the afterlife.

With Tier’s death confirmed, I went to find Schlacht’s body. He was some distance away, on the other flank. His guts were all over the place; an arm and an eye were missing, but he still breathed.

“I’m surprised you’re still alive.”

This was the man who told Frieden that Erika and I compensated the village. In turn, Erika sold me out to save her own hide. Frieden almost killed me because of this man.

I kneeled down next to him.

“You betrayed us?” he whispered.

He didn’t have much time left. There was no need for anything besides the plain truth.

“Yes,” I said, “Can you blame me?”

He said nothing. I thought he had died. But then he said, “No, not really.”

I didn’t expect that answer from him. I thought he’d use his last breath to curse me. To tell me that justice would prevail. That God would judge me.

Perhaps death provides ultimate clarity. Because nothing really mattered anymore.

“Erika betrayed you guys too. Kaori has been captured and replaced with the previous priestess, Heili.”

He only smiled slightly in response.

“I’m sorry that Erika couldn’t give you an instant death.”

“I shouldn’t have tried to dodge.”

“Yeah.”

“Kenta, listen.” He breathed slowly. “Erika betrayed you because I told her that I would tell Frieden the truth. But…there is something else.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I wasn’t the one…it was Anju who told me. She said I should use that information to get Frieden to forgive me.”

I blinked. It took me a moment to understand what he just said.

Schlacht never intended to force Erika to throw me under the bus. He didn’t even know that Erika told me to compensate the villagers at first.

Anju told him.

Anju pushed him to tell Erika and Frieden.

She wanted me to get beaten up by Frieden. It was her intention to have me punished, humiliated, and beaten into the ground.

Why would she do something like that?

Ah…

So I can fulfill my purpose – my only purpose. Which was to be the inside man she could fully trust.

Having Frieden beat me up like that, then using her clone to help me overcome that punishment, ensured that any doubts about betraying humanity disappeared. She’d have my undying loyalty. And that was exactly what she needed right now.

She prepared me for this role in case she couldn’t defeat Frieden but was able to take him out of action. Now, she was free to go plan the full-scale invasion while having me watch over the other party members she couldn’t fully trust.

It was all part of her plan. She tricked me into feeling genuine loyalty for her.

…just how many contingencies did she plan?

“Schlacht, are you sure?” I asked.

He didn’t answer. He had already taken his last breath.

I returned to Erika and Heili’s side. They were sitting against a tree, waiting for the troops from Friedensheim to arrive.

“Are they dead?” Erika asked.

“Yeah.”

Heili looked at me curiously.

“Is something wrong?” she asked.

I said nothing.

Afterword

Hello everyone, this is Oniisanbomber.

After my last [Salaryman x JK] light novel, I wanted to write something different. So far, my fantasy isekai light novels were never as popular as my other stories, which made me a little sad. So, I decided to write another isekai light novel, but this time, based with NTR as the core concept! Did you enjoy it? Don't you love the feeling of wanting to die, and yet having to stay alive? Isn't it wonderful to experience what it is like to be betrayed by the one you love most? Suffering is proof that we are alive – for better or worse.

I'm very sorry, I think I might've gone overboard there. Please give this book a five star rating.

As always, please follow me on Twitter/X @oniisanbomber.

Until next time,

Oniisanbomber

Copyright

Cheating in Another World! The Hero Stole My Girlfriend! So I’ll Help the Demon Lord Destroy the World

Copyright © Oniisanbomber 2024

All rights reserved.

This book is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and situations within its pages and places or persons, living or dead, is unintentional and co-incidental.

Terms and Conditions:

The purchaser of this book is subject to the condition that he/she shall in no way resell it, nor any part of it, nor make copies of it to distribute freely.

Cover and illustrations by Gamadonburi

Cover design by Gamadonburi

Contact information: oniisanbomber@gmail.com

[Prologue]

Two girls sat underneath a tall cedar tree. It was a clear and sunny day. The bright light caused one of the girls to appear translucent.

The first girl had reddish-brown hair, the same color as red autumn leaves, which contrasted with her meadow green eyes. She wore a simple blue dress and had long pointy ears. She was an elf, a member of one of the races that populated this world.

The second girl hovered slightly above the ground. Her body was ethereal, allowing rays of sunlight to shine through. Were it not for the shadows of the cedar tree branches, she would’ve been completely invisible underneath the sunlight. She had long blonde hair that bordered on snow and wore elegant white robes adorned with golden embroidery. She had a mischievous smile on her lips. It was a smile she wore when she was preparing to do something a little out of line, morally dubious, possibly breaking the laws of the universe.

“Are you sure about this?” the elf girl asked.

“Why not? It’s going to be fun~”

“But wouldn’t it be a great inconvenience for the other person? I mean, summoning someone like that…it seems a little irresponsible.”

“Don’t worry~ If anything, it will be a great experience for them.”

“R-Right…I just thought it might be better if they have a choice. I don’t want to force anyone to be here with me.”

“They will have choices,” she said and then added with a grin, “I will make it so that only the best candidate chooses you.”

The elf girl blushed. “Geez, you’re always like this…”

For a moment, neither of them spoke. A gentle breeze rustled the grass surrounding them, causing the branches of the cedar tree to sway leisurely.

“I wish you wouldn’t have to kill them.”

The snow blonde girl averted her gaze. “I’m not going to kill anyone. I will physically neutralize them, okay?”

“…”

“Anyway, it will be a blessing for the candidates. No matter what they choose, this will be the best thing that has ever happened to them.”

“Is that other world really so bad that anything will be a blessing in comparison?”

The snow blonde girl scratched her chin. “It wasn’t always that bad. In fact, their world used to be a lot like this one, maybe even better. But somewhere down the long road of time they have lost their way.”

She came down from where she was floating, and her somewhat transparent feet touched the grass. It was soft and cool to the touch. She shuddered slightly.

“It’s a shame that this is the most physical contact I can have with the lower worlds,” she lamented. “Being a Goddess isn’t easy, you know. I am eternal, but I also have a boss.”

“If you want, I could help you — “

“No way! You’ve already done more than enough for me. I mean, it’s my fault that we have to do this summoning in the first place…”

“No, please don’t say that.”

The elf girl tried to grab her hands, but she grasped nothing but air.

The snow blonde girl grinned.

“I don’t have a physical presence, remember? I’m just a mirage, an image created by light, an imitation of the essence of the real Goddess up above. The real me is in the divine realm.”

“I forgot…”

“Awww, you’re pouting! You’re adorable when you’re like that~”

“S-Stop it, that’s embarrassing.”

“I shall preserve this memory in my divine memory, and play it again, and again, for all of eternity.”

“Geez…”

The Goddess put a hand on the grass. A golden circle of light appeared.

“I’ll have someone appear before you in just a moment,” she said and vanished.

~ Frühling ~

[Spring]

Chapter 1

My life has always been a smooth progression of peaceful events, like the Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Tokyo. One stop at a time, mundane and routine — like going to school, graduating, and finding a job. It was as if God decided to half-ass my story by writing, “He was born, he worked hard, he died” — now off to lunch.

It was Monday morning. After spending the entire weekend meeting company clients in Osaka, I was now on a train back to Tokyo.

The Shinkansen slowly came to a stop.

“This is Ueno Station. Passengers who are getting off at Ueno Station, please…”

I got off the train and went down the escalator that led to the lower level of Ueno Station. The machine took my ticket; I left the paid area.

I let out a deep sigh. I was so tired; all I wanted to do was to go home, crawl into the futon and never emerge again. But since it was Monday, naturally, I had to go to the office, even though I spent the entire weekend working.

Where’s the taxi queue? At least I can have the company expense a taxi…probably.

I looked left and right, but all I saw was a sea of people — everyone going in different directions, walking with a vague sense of purpose, like worker ants ceaselessly toiling in the giant nest that was Tokyo.

I heaved another sigh.

What is the point of all this? What am I even living for? I wish I could just get away from this grey city, away from all these people, and maybe go to the countryside and live a simple life. Grow my own food and watch the seasons change with a cute wife by my side.

…

I should stop daydreaming. Fantasies like this will only make me feel even more tired. Let’s at least get something to drink before going back to the office.

I walked into a nearby convenience store.

I looked at the magazine stand. The newspapers all had similar headlines.

“Another toilet victim! 200 mysterious deaths in two weeks!”

“The 200th toilet victim has been found! Police are looking for any possible leads.”

“Critics are calling for the resignation of the police chief.”

This particular news story has taken over the whole country. Two hundred people have been killed over the past two weeks. The murders always happened in the exact same manner.

The victims are usually young men in their 20s and 30s. The bodies are always found in a public bathroom somewhere in the Tokyo metropolitan area. There are never any external wounds or internal injuries. It was as if the heart just suddenly stopped beating. Nobody ever sees how the killing takes place. Despite being the biggest city in Japan, no security camera has ever caught the killer.

The police didn’t have a single lead. It was public humiliation on a national scale. There were already some people calling for the police chief to resign. Some people online joked that the police should start cleaning toilets if they wanted to catch the killer.

I grabbed a copy of Josei Seven, paid for it and left the convenience store. Before going back to the office, I wanted to sit down in a cafe and read this. Even if I hurried back now, I knew that I’ll be working until the last train regardless, so what’s the point of hurrying back?

Someone tugged at my sleeve.

“Uhm…excuse me.”

I looked to my side and saw a girl. She wore a high school uniform, with her skirt on the short side. She looked to be around sixteen or seventeen years-old. Her head just barely reached my shoulder.

“Yes?”

She looked at me with upturned eyes. Wow, she was cute! Almond shaped eyes, long black hair, porcelain skin. This was the kind of girl all the guys idolized.

“Mister, if it’s not too much trouble, could you please help me with something?”

“Uhm…sure, what can I help you with?”

“I need to talk to you alone…somewhere quiet.”

This was the first time something like this happened to me. Was it a trend these days for high school girls to approach office workers? No way, right? It’s just some fantasy that only exists in manga and light novels.

She led me to a quiet corner of the station and opened the door to a wheelchair accessible bathroom.

“In here.”

“Uhm…”

What kind of business could she possibly have in a public bathroom? Don’t tell me she is one of those JKs who sells her body to middle aged men around the Ueno area? I read about that kind of thing online but figured it was more of an urban legend.

I suppose all legends have to come from somewhere.

I gulped. Was this really going to be okay? I should leave right now. It’s better not to get involved in this kind of thing.

But…she’s really cute. I’ll be fine as long as I reject her advances.

I followed her into the bathroom.

She closed the door and locked it.

Click!

I looked around; it was a regular wheelchair accessible bathroom. What did she need help with?

“Hey, you, JK. What do you need from me?”

I turned around. There was a mischievous smile on her face. She snapped her fingers, and her school uniform began to glow. There was a flash of light so bright it forced me to close my eyes.

“Hey! What the hell! Stop messing around. I don’t have time for this.”

The light subsided, and I was able to open my eyes again.

Before me stood a girl with long blonde hair that bordered on snow. She wore white robes with golden embroidery.

The blonde girl folded her hands together and bowed.

“I sincerely apologize for summoning you like this. It must’ve been a great inconvenience for you to suddenly die like that.”

…what?

“W-Wait…what is going on?”

“Hmm? Is something wrong? Ah, I see!” She formed a fist with her right hand and put it in the palm of her left hand. “Of course, you’d be a little confused. I’m sorry for not explaining things clearly. I am Kaguya of the Lower Shrine, and I have summoned you to take on a quest in another world.”

I blinked.

“Is this one of those things where a Goddess summons me to another world, usually a fantasy world, to fight a great evil, like waves of monsters or a Demon Lord?”

She clapped her hands together.

“So you already know about this kind of thing! That makes things so much easier. I don’t have to explain all of it to you — it’s unbelievable how many dumbasses just don’t get the situation. It’s such a pain, you know? I had to summon so many people over the past couple of weeks and explain the same thing over and over again. It’s sooo annoying.”

“Wait a moment…” I thought of the headlines I saw at the convenience store just now. The bodies are always found in a bathroom in the Tokyo metropolitan area…

My mouth hung open.

“A-Are you — wait, the 200 people who died in a toilet — was that your doing?”

“Heh-heh~” She stuck out her tongue and put a fist to the side of her head. “I prefer not to use the word ‘death’ or that they ‘died’. Let’s say that they were physically neutralized.”

“So you really did kill 200 people?”

“I physically neutralized them.” She put up a hand before I could say more. “Allow me to explain. You see, your soul can only exist in one place at a time, so that is why, in order to initiate the summoning spell, I had to remove your soul from your body.”

She gave a self-satisfied nod.

“Also, it isn’t two hundred people. It’s three hundred people whose souls have been transported. I work very hard, you know? Like, I work super hard. Usually, people praise me for having such good work ethic, you know?”

“Why is there a difference of one hundred bodies? What happened to them?”

“The yakuza found those bodies before the police could. They took those bodies apart and sold the organs on the black market.”

“…”

“Why are you looking at me like that? You should praise me for my hard work! Thanks to me, people who are in need of new eyeballs and livers and hearts suddenly don’t have to wait for a donor anymore!”

She must really want someone to praise her. I did the numbers in my head. Three hundred people over two weeks meant that she has been luring people into bathrooms at a rate of over twenty people a day.

“Twenty people per day…wow, you really did work hard.”

“Fu~fu~ Of course~ I am Kaguya of the Lower Shrine, after all.”

She put her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest. Since she had a rather modest chest, this didn’t really change things much.

“If you really need to summon someone to defeat the Demon Lord, then why kill three hundred people? Don’t you just need to summon one hero? Also…why do you have to lure me into the bathroom while disguised as a JK? You could’ve just summoned me like they always do in light novels. Make a circle appear beneath my feet and — poof! — gone.”

“Well…you see…there’s a lot of bureaucracy and paperwork involved if I used the standard summoning method. Argh, it’s such a pain to explain all of it. Pathetic mortal, just choose a quest and — hnghhh! “

I grabbed her cheeks and squeezed.

“Explain properly,” I said. “You took three hundred souls away; the least you can do is give a proper explanation.”

I let go of her.

“Pffah! Fine! There were some political reforms in Heaven, and the New Gods ruled that we have to ask for consent every time we summon someone from your world. Gaining consent is such a pain, so I made it so that by stepping into this public bathroom, you automatically give consent for me to physically neutralize you. Think of it as automatically agreeing to the terms and conditions every time you download a new app to your phone.”

“Wait, so that means you tricked me!”

She shrugged. “No one forced you to step into this bathroom. I didn’t push you, right? You chose to walk in here. “

“You little…”

“I disguised myself as a JK because people were getting weary of being asked to step into a bathroom by a stranger. My rate seriously dropped after the news reports came out. So I decided to put on a high school uniform and men forget to be suspicious. Honestly, I didn’t think it would work this well — even when I wasn’t approaching potential candidates, guys kept coming up to me and invited me to have tea with them. Being a cute JK in this world is pretty scary, but it made my job so much easier, so whatever.”

She shrugged carelessly.

“Anyway, the reason for summoning so many people is because there is one particular quest I need someone to sign up for, and no one has chosen it yet. I have to keep summoning people until someone takes it.” She breathed out a tired sigh. “In the past, I could just summon anyone I wanted. I could even teleport an entire classroom of kids without asking for their consent and force them to go on whatever quest I had on hand. But after the heavenly reforms, I have to ask for consent, and I need to give every person a range of quests to choose from. Seriously, that is so troublesome."

I listened to this useless Toilet Goddess until she finished explaining. It was a lot to process, but I more or less got the general gist of it. Basically, there was one particular quest she was obligated to assign someone to, but no one has chosen it so far.

“So, what is this quest you need someone for?”

“Ah, so you understood everything right away. That’s an office slave, alright. You really are good at listening to other people’s instructions.”

“…”

“According to heavenly regulations, I need to present to you all of the choices, and I cannot influence your decision.”

She reached into her long sleeves and pulled out a scroll. She handed it to me. The scroll was still warm.

I unrolled the parchment and read the options.

Option 1: Reincarnate as the powerful Hero (magic, combat abilities and cheat skills included as part of the summoning), find cute companions and defeat the Demon Lord.

Option 2: Reincarnate into a world where men do not exist and the female inhabitants desperately need to find a man in order to prevent the extinction of their species. Your duty will be to impregnate every woman in this world.

Option 3: Reincarnate into a fantasy world and run a pharmacy (potion making cheat skills and cute heroine are included).

Option 4: Reincarnate into a fantasy world; live a life of blood, sweat and tears. Toil as a farmer with your partner from morning till night, season after season, watch your crops grow and live off the land.

“You really need someone to take up option four, don’t you?”

The Toilet Goddess averted her gaze.

“According to heavenly regulations, I can neither confirm nor deny that — but, yes, you are right.”

Looking at this list, it was obvious why no one has picked option 4. Who would want to work as a farmer when they could be reincarnated as the only man in a fantasy world full of cute girls who all want to be impregnated by you.

The first option sounded pretty good, too; travel all over the world to defeat the Demon Lord and make friends along the way.

The third option probably has its takers too.

“Actually, why do you need to keep summoning people until someone takes the fourth option? Is that one special?”

“I cannot answer that.”

“I see…”

“You don’t need to consider anything other than your own desires when making your choice. Please choose freely — actually you should choose freely, otherwise I might get in trouble with the heavenly regulators.”

“Can I choose to stay in Japan?”

“Sorry, you’ve already been physically neutralized — actually…”

The Toilet Goddess opened a portal and stuck her head through. Then she pulled her head back.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“The bathroom we are currently standing in is a temporary dimension I have created. Your soul has already been extracted from your body, but the soul cannot maintain its form without a body, so I created this temporary storage dimension for you. I have modeled the temporary dimension to look identical to the Ueno Station bathroom to prevent your mind from collapsing. The first time I did this, I forgot to base the temporary dimension on something in reality, and my first candidate lost his mind. His consciousness just couldn’t process the divine realm and I had to get rid of him.”

“…”

“Right now I’m looking into the Ueno Station bathroom to see if anything has happened to your old body.”

“Is my body okay?”

“The yakuza have already picked up your body and are in the process of harvesting your organs.”

“Wow! That is fast…and scary. What if I insisted on wanting to go back?”

“Then I’d spirit your soul back into your body, and you’d wake up to the yakuza cutting you open.”

“…and there is nothing you can do about that?”

“It’s against heavenly regulations to interfere in human business.”

“But summoning me against my will isn’t interference?”

“Allow me to repeat: you stepped into this toilet on your volition. You chose to step into this toilet. I bear no responsibility. There was no interference from me.”

This trash goddess…I know that technically she is right, but it still kind of infuriated me.

“Anyway, you’ll choose option two, right? Everyone always chooses option two. Like how horny are you? Let me tell you, after doing it for three days in a row it doesn’t even feel good anymore. Doing it will become a job; you’ll be reduced to a human dildo; random girls will jump you even if you try to escape.”

I took a sharp breath. I’ve made up my mind.

“I’ll take option four.”

“Okayyyy…so you choose to become a human dildo. I expected nothing more from a small mind — wait, what?!”

“You heard me. I choose option four.”

Her mouth hung open. She blinked several times.

“A-Are you sure? I mean, thanks for taking option four off my hands, but are you sure you don’t want to become a human dildo? Isn’t it every man’s dream to sleep with tons of cute girls?”

“Yeah, becoming a harem master or a legendary Hero with cheat skills sounds nice, but I’ve always wanted to leave the city and live a simple life. Plus, if choosing option four prevents you from tricking more people with your toilet scam and allows me to fulfill this dream of mine, then I am willing to forgo the other options.”

The Goddess looked at me with wide and unblinking eyes.

“Are you alright in the head?” she asked. “Did I somehow mess up your brain when I pulled your soul out?”

“Shouldn’t you be grateful? I’m doing you a favor by taking option four.”

“I suppose so…ugh…usually your kind would be thanking me and kissing my feet at this point…it’s just too humiliating to offer my sincere gratitude to a mere human.”

She heaved out a deep sigh.

She bowed deeply.

“Thank you, uhm…what’s your name?”

“Hideki. Tanaka Hideki.”

“Thank you, Tanaka-san.”

There was just one other thing I needed to know.

“All the other options come with some kind of special cheat skill. Am I going to get anything like that?”

“Mh-hmm! As soon as you are reincarnated in the new world, you will be endowed with the Eternal Night cheat skill.”

“Eternal Night, that sounds really cool. What does it do?”

The Goddess made the peace sign and winked.

“That’s a secret~”

“…what? Then how am I supposed to use it? Is the skill useful for growing crops at least?”

“Hmm, I suppose this Eternal Night cheat skill will be useful when the right conditions are met — but no, it won’t help you grow crops.”

“At least tell me what conditions need to be met or what this skill does in the first place.”

She stuck out her tongue. “Blegh! You’ll find out when the time is right.”

“…”

Oi, oi…isn’t she being a bit too irresponsible? This would be the same as being trapped in an online game where dying in the game means dying in the real world, except the game creator didn’t even give you a basic game tutorial and just said, “Lol, figure it out yourself, loser.” What’s the point of this whole thing if no one knows how to do anything?

“Before I forget, there is one thing I definitely need to tell you.”

“What’s that?”

“Your partner, the girl you’re going to meet…you might not understand everything about her right away. There are many things she is hiding from the world. Give her time and she will tell you more about her secrets.”

Right, option four mentioned that I will be farming together with a partner.

“What kind of secrets?” I asked.

“That’s not for me to tell.”

She snapped her fingers, and the toilet bowl began to glow with a golden light.

“Step through the portal, and you can begin your farming quest.”

“Wait…I have to step into the toilet bowl?”

“Is there a problem?”

“What kind of summoning method is that? It’s totally disgusting! In the first place, why are you camping out in a public bathroom? Shouldn’t a goddess be at a more dignified place like a shrine or a temple? You Toilet Goddess!”

“T-Toilet Goddess?! How dare you! The only reason why I’m here is because all the shrines in Tokyo have been taken up by other goddesses, so there’s no room for me.”

“So you call yourself Kaguya of the Lower Shrine, but you don’t even have your own shrine?”

“S-Shut up! Don’t give me that disgusted look mixed with pity! I will get my own shrine — eventually. It just takes a bit of time, okay?!”

“Then set up in an office in the meantime!”

“Office rents are too high in Tokyo, like seriously, why is rent so expensive in Tokyo? That is way outside of my budget. Using this bathroom is my only option, okay? Stop looking at me like I’m some pitiful creature! I hope you get eaten by a monster!”

“You don’t rank very high in heaven, do you? A Goddess without her own shrine is a little pitiful…”

“S-Shut up! If you don’t step into the toilet right now, I’ll send your soul back to your body. Your eyeballs have just been taken out.”

“Fine, I’m going now. Goodbye.”

I inserted one foot and my shoe became instantly soaked. I could feel the cold water — gross!

“Hurry up!”

The Toilet Goddess pushed me and my whole body fell into the glowing toilet bowl.

[Spring]

Chapter 2

“H-Hello? Mister Hero, are you awake?”

I opened my eyes, and the first thing I saw was a vast blue sky. Thin layers of white clouds stretched across the endless blue. I looked left and right. I was lying in the middle of a meadow. A gust of wind swept across the green grass, creating a cascade of rustling sounds. To my left was a single cedar tree. It reached high up into the sky, its dark green needles giving off a pleasant scent.

“Mister Hero…uhm…”

It was then that I noticed that my head was resting on something warm and soft. The pillow underneath my head shifted slightly. A girl leaned over. Her face filled my vision.

I was on a girl’s lap pillow. But more than that…whoa, she is pretty, and she smells good too.

A pair of green eyes gazed down at me. Her reddish brown hair glowed underneath the sunlight. She had several braids in her hair and wore a white flower on the back of her head.

For a moment, I thought the Toilet Goddess sent me to Europe. Cold sweat immediately broke out. I didn’t have my passport with me and I didn’t speak a word of English.

Hmm?

Wait a minute.

This girl didn’t have regular human ears. Instead, she had long pointy ears — like an elf.

“Where am I?” I asked.

The girl looked surprised when I spoke. She quickly collected herself and bowed, causing her hair to tickle my nose.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Mister Hero. I am the one who submitted the summoning request to Kaguya of the Lower Shrine. I’m sorry to trouble you like this — uhm, I mean, thank you for answering my summoning request. We are currently in the Kingdom of the East. It’s a small country…well, umm…”

It felt awkward having a conversation while resting on her thighs, so I sat up. I looked around. The meadow lay on a small hill. Patches of cedars, pine trees and grassland were spread out across the landscape of rolling hills, with snow capped mountains forming part of the horizon in the far distance. Wildflowers grew everywhere; the air was filled with a sweet fragrance.

A buzzing sound went past my ear. I instinctively ducked my head. Did bees exist in this world? I looked around and noticed that there were bees buzzing all over the field, landing on a wildflower and then moving on to the next.

Crap, I’ve never been good with bees. Just the sound of their buzzing was enough to make me imagine the consequences of getting stung.

“Mister Hero, is something wrong?”

“Ah, sorry…I’m just a little scared of bees.”

It was a shameful admission, but I figured it was better not to hide it.

“Oh…I’m very sorry, please don’t be afraid. They won’t hurt you. Here, look.”

The elf girl held out her hand, and a bee landed in her palm. The puffy little insect moved around a little and then took off again.

She smiled.

“See? They are totally harmless. As long as you don’t hurt them, they won’t hurt you.”

It was strange to see someone act so relaxed around bees, even letting one land on her hand. It was almost as if she was in harmony with these buzzing creatures that instilled terror in everyone else.

Anyway, it was time to make proper introductions.

“The Toilet Goddess told me that I’ve been summoned here to help someone out with farming? She said it’s going to be a life filled with hard labor.”

“The T-Toilet Goddess?”

“It’s a long story, but that is what I call Kaguya of the Lower Shrine.”

“I see…” she said. “My name is Saint Ain — uhm, you can just call me Yuna.”

“My name is Tanaka Hideki. Pleased to meet you.”

“In that case, I will call you Mister Tanaka.”

“There is no need to be so formal; you can just call me Hideki.”

“O-Okay, H-Hideki.”

“I’ve only been told that I will work as a farmer in this world. Could you tell me more about this job? Is there anything specific that I might need to know?”

“Ah…, you see, uhm…I’ve recently lost my job. I’ve decided to give farming a try. I inherited some land and a house from my grandfather, but I have no idea how to grow anything, so that’s why I put in a summoning request to find someone who could help me.”

“Wait a minute; you don’t know how to farm?”

“Yes, that is the case.”

“I don’t know how to farm either.”

“…”

“…”

We looked at each other.

It looks like Yuna assumed that the person Kaguya summoned for her would know everything about farming. Little did she know that all Kaguya did was approach random guys at train stations in Tokyo, and lure them into a bathroom where she proceeded to extract their soul.

So neither of us knew anything about growing crops. How are two newbies who didn’t know anything about farming supposed to grow something?

Suddenly, a small golden portal opened up next to me. A hand holding a book stretched out of it.

“I forgot to give you this.”

It was Kaguya’s voice. She dropped the book on the grass.

“Wait! Neither of us knows how to farm! You have to give us some cheat skills!” I shouted.

“I already gave you the Eternal Night cheat skill, remember?”

“Can I have a different one? Like a farming cheat skill.”

“Sorry, no returns, no exchanges. All purchases are final — I mean, all cheat skills are final. Goodbye.”

The portal closed.

This damned Toilet Goddess! She is a divine being! Shouldn’t blessing someone with a few more cheat skills be easy for her?! Why does she have to be such a cheapskate? It’s not like giving out some cheat skills will cost her anything. She is a divine being with divine powers. If I ever get the chance, I will seriously file a formal complaint.

Yuna tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and leaned down.

“Is this…”

I picked up the book. The title on the cover wasn’t written in Japanese, but somehow I intuitively knew what it said.

“An Introduction to Farming by Yours Truly,” I read out loud.

It took all of my willpower not to throw the book onto the ground.

Yuna led me away from the meadow. I thought she would take me to the village where she lives, but instead, she took me to a solitary house that sat on top of a gentle hill with a storage barn behind it. The house was built using stone and wood. It was two stories tall with a veranda and balcony. It looked like one of those countryside houses I saw during a trip to Europe with my parents when I was still a student.

In the distance I could see other similar farm houses spread out across the green landscape, each separated by several fields. They were too far apart from each other to call this place a village.

I could see a couple of people working in the fields. The air was filled with the scent of grass. With no tall buildings blocking the view, I could see how vast the landscape was. The rolling green hills stretched as far as the eye could see, like a sea of grass washing over everything in its path.

“Please make yourself at home.”

Yuna turned on the lights by snapping her fingers. Instead of light bulbs, blue and green crystals floated close to the ceiling, illuminating the space. There were no televisions or computers or anything that would be considered standard in the modern world.

I glanced into the kitchen and saw a hearth made out of stone.

On top of that, Yuna had long pointy ears like an elf — actually exactly like an elf. Her deep green eyes were like a vast meadow, her reddish-brown hair unlike any hair I had ever seen before. It didn’t look like she dyed it either. This was her natural hair color.

We sat down at a table next to the fireplace.

“Do you live alone?” I asked.

She nodded.

“Actually, I spent part of my childhood growing up in this house. My grandfather was the last generation of our family to work this farm for a living.”

She looked out of the window.

“The farm used to be a lot larger than this. My parents decided to take me and my younger sister to the city and only my grandfather remained here. He sold bits and pieces of this farm every year because he wasn’t able to maintain all of it on his own. Now only this house and a single field remain.”

“Hmm…do you really not know anything about farming? Hasn’t your grandfather taught you anything?”

“I’m afraid not. I’m very sorry…”

She didn’t elaborate. There was something she wasn’t telling me. She grew up on a farm. It simply didn’t make sense that she knew nothing about farming. Usually, kids who grow up in an environment like this would naturally learn how to help out. Even by just observing her grandfather she should’ve picked up something. So why didn’t she know anything?

I glanced at her hands. They were white and unblemished. In other words, she has never done a day of hard labor in her life.

“You might not understand everything about her right away. Give her time and she will tell you more about her secrets.”

That was the only piece of real advice Kaguya gave me before pushing me into the toilet bowl.

I looked at Yuna. She was clearly hiding something.

I let out a breath. Kaguya gave me only this one piece of advice (and a book). Since she is divinity (even if she doesn’t seem like it), it’s probably better to follow her advice.

I decided to change the topic.

“Uhm…neither of us knows how to farm and starting with just a book is a little…”

“I’m very sorry…”

Yuna bowed her head.

“If you don’t mind, could you tell me why you want to start farming?”

“There are some circumstances, and like I said before, I lost my job in the city, and well…I’ve always wanted to try it.”

Such a vague answer. Let’s try approaching this from a different angle.

“If it’s to solve money problems, wouldn’t it be easier to just sell the house and remaining land? You could start a new life in the city even without a job.”

Upon hearing that, Yuna sprang out of her chair.

“No! I want to grow food! I want to work as a farmer! I don’t want to go back to the city, no matter how hard it is! I want to revive my grandfather’s farm! Ah…sorry…”

She realized that she was shouting and sat back down. She hung her head as she apologized.

“I’m so sorry…I’ve selfishly summoned you from another world, and there is nothing I can do to help you. I’m just asking you to help me without offering anything in return. You must think of me as an incredibly selfish person. I am deeply sorry…”

“Please don’t apologize. Out of all the quests on offer, I voluntarily picked this one. I’ve actually been wanting to give farming a try.”

“Hmm? What were the other options?” She tilted her head slightly, her face filled with innocence.

I told her about the other options Kaguya was offered

“I-Impregnate e-every woman in t-the world?!”

Yuna’s face was beet red; steam rose from the top of her head.

“Kaguya said most candidates chose this option.”

“I s-see…men have needs after all…especially at night, that’s what I hear…”

The sun was setting outside. The four pane square windows cast long shadows over the wooden floor.

She looked at me, and we made eye contact. Suddenly I felt my face grow hot. She quickly looked away.

“Goodness, where are my manners? It’s already so late. A-Anyway, I should prepare dinner! Hideki, what would you like to have for dinner?”

“Anything is fine. I don’t want to trouble you.”

“It’s alright. Is stew okay?”

“Yeah, that sounds great. But isn’t that really troublesome to make?”

“It’s no trouble at all.”

Yuna got up and went to the kitchen.

“Haaaaa…” I let out a long and deep breath.

So, in summary, neither Yuna nor I had any experience with farming. Plowing, planting, watering, fertilizing, harvesting, preparing for the winter…all of that was hard work, and it needed to be done throughout the year.

Most people learn how to do this from their parents. Yuna and I were two complete newbies who have never even raised a shovel before.

Were we really going to be okay?

I looked around the house. This place didn’t have the inventions a home in Japan had, but somehow it felt more comfortable and welcoming. Crystals were used for cooking in the kitchen and lighting around the house. The fireplace used real wood. Ignoring the crystals, this was a pre-industrial revolution world — a world without phones, computers, and email.

I took a deep breath and smiled slightly.

A little while later, dinner was served. Yuna served stew, mashed potatoes, and a variety of steamed vegetables. It tasted a lot better than I thought it would. In fact, it was the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten.

After dinner, we chatted a little more about how we might want to approach farming the sole remaining field her grandfather left her and then decided to go to sleep.

There was just one major problem.

There was only one bed in this ridiculously large European-style house.

“How is that even possible?” I asked.

There were several empty rooms, and only one room on the second floor had a bed in it.

“I’m so sorry!” Yuna apologized for the umpteenth time today. “Ever since my arrival, I’ve always lived in this house alone, and I never noticed that there’s only one bed. My grandfather must’ve sold off most of the furniture after my parents  took me and my sister to the city.”

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it. I’ll just sleep on one of the sofa chairs downstairs.”

“No, no, I’ll sleep in the chair, you sleep in the bed. It’s the least I can do after summoning you like this.”

“There’s no way I can allow a lady to sleep in a chair while I’m in the bed.”

“And there is no way I can allow you, someone whom I’ve already asked far too much of, to sleep in a chair.”

We stared at each other, neither of us willing to back down. We had reached an impasse.

In the end, we slept in the same bed since it was large enough for two. I was on the far right side, while she was on the left.

“You can sleep easy, I won’t try anything,” I said.

“R-Right, I wasn’t thinking that at all. G-Good night!”

I thought that neither of us would be able to get any sleep like this, but a little while later, I heard Yuna’s soft breathing. I turned around and saw her with her eyes closed and her hands drawn to her chest. Her long reddish brown hair covered her cheek.

This girl…this elf…

There was so much I didn’t know about her. She didn’t even tell me what she did before deciding to give farming a try.

But…

Looking at her sleeping face like this, there was no way she could be a bad person.

I reached into my pocket to pull out my smartphone. Maybe I could look up some beginner’s advice on how to start farming.

…my pockets were empty.

Kaguya said my soul was extracted from my body, which meant that my old body, and therefore the phone in my pocket, was not with me.

I sighed.

As an adult, I kind of resented my phone for always distracting me. Now that it was gone, I miss its functions.

The next day, we opened the farming guidebook Kaguya gave us.

As much as I wanted to throw the book into the fire, I had to admit that it was quite useful. It was easy to read and the information was relevant, even if Kaguya added some of her own, somewhat irrelevant, thoughts into the text.

“It’s mid-spring right now, so it’s a good time to plant the seeds,” Yuna said, her eyes focused intently on the book.

According to the guidebook, the area Yuna and I lived in was called the Kreutz Riverlands ruled by Lord Kreutz, current head of the Kreutz family, the most powerful noble family in this part of the kingdom. It was a region blessed with ancient forests and fertile soil.

“The Kreutz Riverlands are known for their excellent wheat,” I read the text out loud. “Every year, Kreutz region wheat fetches a high price. As the beautiful and graceful Goddess authoring this book, I recommend that you focus on farming wheat this year. It is easy for newbies to grow and it will sell well.”

Huh, that’s some very down-to-earth advice from a divine being.

“Also, mortals always need to eat, so, no matter what happens, they’ll always need wheat flour to make bread. Such weak creatures — “

I stopped reading.

“Kaguya certainly has a strong personality,” I said.

“Ahahaha…”

Plowing, planting…all of that was intense physical work. Suddenly I envied Japan’s farmers who had access to the latest motorized tractors and sprinkle systems.

“We’ll need equipment for plowing, not to mention seeds that we can plant,” I said.

“Ah, actually, about that…”

Yuna took me to a barn that was attached to the back of the house. Inside was a medieval wooden heavy plow on wheels. It was the kind of plow that needed an ox or horse to pull it. There were also a number of shovels, axes, nets, and other equipment.

“The animals were sold off before he passed away, but no one wanted the old equipment, so my grandfather must’ve stored it in here,” she said.

The equipment was covered with dust. It clearly hadn’t been used in a long time. But none of it was broken. It should still be usable.

“Do we have any money we could use to buy seeds and an ox?” I asked.

“Uhm…I don’t have much experience with handling money, but…I have this much. I think this should be a lot of money…probably…”

She pulled a pouch out of her skirt pocket and handed it to me. It contained a dozen gold coins. I looked at her. She was a native of this world but didn’t know how much the currency was worth? Just how sheltered was she? She probably has never done hard labor before, but at the same time, she didn’t seem like a spoiled member of the aristocracy either.

“Gold coins should be worth a lot, right?” I said. “I’m not sure how much an ox would cost, but at the very least, we should be able to buy some seeds with this.”

She beamed.

“Great! Someone I know works at a trading company in a nearby city called Kreutzberg. I heard they sell anything a farmer might need. You can go buy seeds there.”

“Sure — wait, just me?”

“Hmm?”

“You aren’t going to come with me?”

She pressed her knees together and averted her gaze.

“Uhm…it’s just that…I’m not good with cities…”

“It’s my first day in this world…so…”

“Right…”

An awkward silence hung in the air.

She clapped her hands together.

“In that case, let’s go to town together! It will be okay! I just need to make sure no one recognizes me.”

“Why are you worried that someone might recognize you? Are you some kind of royal princess? A queen from another country?”

“Ahahaha…it’s nothing like that.”

Yuna didn’t elaborate and I didn’t pursue the matter. I’ll find out sooner or later. Right now, the priority was to get the seeds so that we could get started.

[For more, please check out Holy Harvest on Amazon]