NOVEL NEXT chapter 4
4 – Why We Need Him (2)
Why he is needed (2)
Right after the warrior Esmeralda declared that she would come to find me.
Quad Deuk Deuk!
From far away, I could see the figure of a warrior approaching, breaking every tree in sight with his sword.
It makes my shins tingle when you commit such a heinous act with a bright face.
“I-I’m fine.”
“Hey…… Really?”
Esmeralda, the warrior who has approached me before I knew it, looked up at me with her green eyes.
Wait a moment to flinch at the eyes that seem to see through the essence of something.
“Then shall we go eat?”
“Ah, yes… ….”
Does this stupid warrior have nothing but food in his head?
To think that this kind of thing is strong makes me feel like life is really bitter.
“…… So today I decided to eat luxuriously. It’s not Jim’s favorite soup, but Irina’s table stew with lots of spices!”
“Ohhh, that sounds delicious.”
“Isn’t it? I secretly ate the first bite, but this again…….”
Basically, the food of the human world feels a little boring in my mouth.
That’s why I like soup that’s close to purgative soup.
Of course, just because it is spicy is not enough. How strong the taste is and how rich the fragrance is is a factor that determines the taste.
Moreover, when Irina, who is good at cooking, told me that she worked hard for me today, it brought tears to my eyes.
If she hadn’t been a saint, she might have proposed to her even if she was human.
“Come on! Song. Mr. Jim.”
“Yes.”
As I respond, Esmeralda smiles broadly and pulls my arm.
Her reckless behavior with a bright smile as usual.
…… But is it because I feel like I’m being dragged out because I’m not proud? Maybe, right?
***
Esmeralda, the hero, glared at Jim, who had been communicating with her demons a while ago, and ate her stew.
‘Even after doing this, you didn’t give up on letting Jim escape, right? Amazing Did the demon lord have that much camaraderie?’
It’s been a long time since I overheard Jim’s conversation. I couldn’t hear the voice on the other side, but I could infer the flow from Jim’s words alone.
That’s why I was surprised.
To think that the Demon King’s Army, which is rumored to be atrocious, continues its operation to save only lieutenant-level troops.
Even a platoon, including the lieutenant colonel, was wiped out in the process.
It is natural to feel strange in such an unusual situation.
“Oh! Is it really good?”
If it’s funny that the person in question didn’t notice it, it’s funny.
The demon named Jim that Esmeralda saw was quite lax.
Because I couldn’t even act, and there were many things I did as I wanted to.
“Hey, how does it taste like this? Can I have another bowl?”
“Well, even if I don’t praise you that much, I will give you more.”
At Jim’s praise, the saintess, Irina, blushes and puts more stew on her plate. Esmeralda stared at it and put her stew into her mouth.
The taste was there. It was only natural for her that the stew, which was richly flavored with various spices, was delicious.
But if you ask me if I’m making a fuss like that, it’s not.
Esmeralda looked at her stew again. She
She stared at her, ascertaining why Jim was praising him so much.
[Stew cooked by Irina]
[Irina’s delicious stew with lots of spices. It was made with divine power for everyone’s health.]
[Effect: Purifies demonic energy.]
“Wow, is this really tongue-in-cheek stew?”
“… ….”
Esmeralda clicked her tongue at the sight of Jim, unaware that her tongue was melting for real.
As expected, if Jim has a secret, I think he should hear it from someone else.
‘I don’t want to cut my luggage.’
A demon who infiltrated the hero’s party.
It is no different that Esmeralda is keeping such a burden alive.
‘It has to be you.’
Esmeralda looked back and forth between Stew and Jim, then turned her attention to Irina. Her green eyes began to sparkle.
The power to see through opponents, one of Esmeralda’s powers.
[Emerald Tablet]
The reason why I want to keep my luggage in the party even while taking risks.
The first.
[Name: Irina Saintis]
[Race: Human] [Title: Saint]
[List of talents]
Divine Magic Lv. 71
Recovery Lv. 57
Blocking Lv. 49
Blunt skill Lv. 30
A property specialized in protection and purification.
With that alone, it goes without saying how helpful Irina is to this party.
Just…….
Brainwashing Lv. 32
Incitement Lv. 31
Advisor Lv. 40
Intimidation Lv. 47
[Comprehensive estimate Lv. 364]
“… ….”
What she hid behind her neat and kind mask, Esmeralda could not overlook.
That’s why I need luggage.
[Note: I am interested in Jim. The gaze toward you decreases.]
Because only he could bear the risk of this party.
***
Irina Saintis followed Jim to the point of overdoing it.
It would look like they were in love, but it felt like a completely different feeling to the person in question and the person watching it.
‘The grim reaper is behind me. Am I being dragged to hell like this?’
As Jim, her demon, wherever she went, I was horrified by the appearance of Irina appearing behind her on her back.
Irina’s smiling face every time her eyes met was supposed to be very beautiful, but to Jim, she felt as if she had received a death notice.
[Remark: I’m worried about the fragile Jim. Afraid of an accident out of reach of her own eyes.]
“… ….”
And, in Esmeralda’s eyes, her Irina’s behavior was more like a dog owner looking at a puppy than a girl she loved. She secretly says that her opponent is weak and puts her down.
Esmeralda was often appalled, although for her part this would not have been an act of malice on her part.
That’s true, isn’t it that the characteristics that Irina is hiding are insidious in nature.
‘Still, in a way, it’s fortunate that it acts as a deterrent.’
When she first joined her warrior’s party, considering that she kept talking in front of Irina as she wanted her luggage to melt into the party, it was a great improvement for her.
At that time, she was Irina who didn’t like to talk to Jim, but before she knew it, she started talking to Jim first.
However, she is suffering from the burden because it has become too much.
‘What happened…… Wouldn’t it be better not to ask?’
Irina originally came to spy on her Esmeralda.
She bore her title of saint of the church, and she couldn’t refuse to join her on her journey, so she took Esmeralda with her because of her circumstances.
Esmeralda could use both her hands and feet because of Irina’s acting ability, which never reveals her true nature even though the reflection in her eyes makes her feel dizzy. But didn’t her interests get farther away from her?
She didn’t want to form a consensus because she just asked what happened on this side first.
[Remark: Jim’s every move, mind, thoughts, habits, I’m checking the line between how far I can go.]
Esmeralda closed her eyes tightly and prayed for Jim’s rest.
That is preliminary work.
It’s still unclear what exactly she’s plotting, but she’s sure it won’t be good for Jim.
‘Well, let’s just leave it alone.’
When she thought that Jim would suffer, she felt better about Esmeralda.
***
The hero, the saint, and the porter, Jim, were walking through the forest.
It is already a conflict zone between demons and humans. That’s why he often encountered demons. And unfortunately, there were many demons who couldn’t recognize Jim, perhaps because it was a space halfway between the human world and the demon world.
“Keep keep keep.”
“Human…… Human!”
“If you give everything you have, I will save you!”
To be honest, it would have been rather surprising if these guys had approached me knowing Jim.
The remnants of the Demon King’s army who say they will guarantee their lives while spitting out the lines of a typical third-class villain.
No, should I just say that I became a bandit by escaping?
‘Those low-ranking soldiers are escaping the place they belong to, so what am I?’
Jim felt a sense of shame.
He enlisted as an officer for no reason, and he is doing his best. Why should he, as an officer, feel the threat to his life more often than a common soldier?
Jim let out a deep sigh and waited for Esmeralda’s choice.
Are you going to kill me because you’re a demon? Or, it could just be a surprise.
Because a hero is not necessarily a murderer who slaughter demons unconditionally.
Of course, if Jim turned out to be a spy, he would most likely be killed.
“Ummm… ….”
Esmeralda was troubled.
There was no reason for her worry.
[Note: I made the last choice due to extreme hunger.]
[Remarks: I got tired of killing people and escaped, but lost all supplies and became devastated while running away.]
[Note: Please leave something that could be food and return quietly. I hate fighting.]
The scene of the desperate life of demons.
As much as Esmeralda can see through her opponent’s sincerity, she is often relatively merciful and persuasive.
Maybe it will be similar this time? Esmeralda intended to continue her conversation by appeasing her demons first.
But there were people who didn’t think so.
“Oh, there are bugs.”
Puff!
It was Irina, a saint of the church who could not tolerate the existence of demons.
[Blunt Skill Lv. 30]
Irina, with a soft smile, immediately swung the morning star and blew off the head of one of her three demons.
“Uh…… ?”
The demons are in a state of bewilderment as they do not understand what has happened at the behavior that does not match the smile.
Irina Saintis frowned as she watched her own hand wet with her blood dripping from the tip of her bloody morning star.
“…… Messy.”
Seeing that, Jim shivered and hid behind Esmeralda’s back.
Esmeralda was aware of Jim’s attitude, but she stood by.
Esmeralda glanced at her luggage, then at Irina.
No matter how you look at it, it’s excessive.
She knew she hated her demons, but not to this extent.
[Remark: I am enjoying seeing Jim terrified.]
“Ah… ….”
Esmeralda nodded her head.
It is common for an adolescent girl to bully the boy she likes.
Yes, then there is nothing you can do about it.
‘I don’t know~’
Esmeralda chose to stand by her side.