Kidnapped the Saintess of the Hero Party

41 – Déjà vu

Sekara descended from the mansion.

Most of it fell towards the warehouse, while some parts dropped to the sea below the cliff behind the mansion.

Thunk!

Sekara’s lifeless body, fallen towards the sea, soon became the feast for the sea crocodiles, disappearing without a trace.

Lucion, who had been observing the commotion in the normally calm sea, descended towards the mansion. Falling into the sea meant encountering the crocodiles with wide-open mouths.

“Fortunately.”

In contrast to the composed Lucion, Lucia, feeling the tension release, hesitated to sit down. Even if Lucion were to be trapped in the sphere, she had prepared to use Explosion.

At least by damaging a part of the sphere, they could confirm Lucion’s condition.

“Are you okay?”

Ironically, it was Lucion asking Lucia. She couldn’t get up from her seat.

Lucion, not wanting to embarrass Lucia by infusing sacred power, knew she might have to sit for a while if he didn’t.

“You were surprised.”

“I was surprised too.”

Lucia sighed as she watched Lucion smiling like a fool. It was fascinating how Lucion, surrounded by demons who killed people, remained relatively unafraid.

Thinking back, even when his arm was caught by the dragon, he was excessively calm.

As if he suspected something was damaged somewhere.

Still.

“Fortunately.”

Lucion is formidable.

Even when blocking Tritan’s attacks, Lucion seemed to handle a power beyond easy description.

The radiating sacred power from Lucion would be evidence of this.

After unleashing the hidden power, such remnants remained.

For Lucion, it would be a moment to criticize, “Insufficient training.”

“How did you do it?”

Lucion answered with a grin. Black and white rabbits on either side of Lucia awaited Lucion’s words. Lucion spoke calmly.

“I suddenly wanted to see Lucia again, and it ended up like this.”

The rabbits wore surprised expressions. Well, divine power is such an element that happens to produce transcendent power.

If there were a sandbag in front of them, they’d want to hit it a few times.

Anyway, for the next few days, it would be noisy with stories about the sudden rise of the Sekeras from Panahtia.

Preparing a quick remedy for that is more important.

And the black rabbit was experienced.

“I did assign a mission.”

The black rabbit immediately started assessing the situation.

“What on earth happened?”

Not even a day passed before they gathered and exterminated the demons hidden in Panahtia. This story will make a fuss for a while.

And someone may still struggle to accept reality.

After all, there were Sekeras who had hidden pretending to be people’s families.

Their disappearance leaves an indelible scar on those left behind.

The one I lived with,

was a demon—.

He said.

“I let it slide last time, but this time, you’ll have to explain everything you know.”

In the hands of the Black Rabbit, a staff had appeared unnoticed.

It seems the Archmage candidate is genuinely intent on subduing Lucion at least for now.

“So, you’re the guild leader.”

When the Black Rabbit moves, the Black Claw moves.

It’s based on a deep bond of trust.

“In reality, the Black Rabbit simply represents the movements of the Black Claw.”

The Black Claw moves fluidly as one entity.

Each member acts solely with their own will and judgment, pursuing the sole purpose of ‘regional defense.’

Suddenly, demons gather in the sky over Panathia, even in the night, Black Claw members are not comfortably sleeping.

In fact, this time is the main working hours for the Black Claw.

Although the Black Claw guild members hiding in the darkness around the mansion were not visibly marked, they were all known to Lucion. They had a wide presence around the mansion.

If someone approaches, they will naturally pretend to be villagers, ensuring no one sets foot in the mansion.

At the slightest hint of an incident, like ghosts, they come swiftly, essentially maintaining the balance of power in the Panathia region.

Traffic management can be entrusted to them.

Right now,

“Surrender.”

Lucion raised both arms.

It meant there was no intention to fight.

The Black Rabbit chuckled.

“You’re a funny one.”

Lucion’s face didn’t display a smirk.

#

What Lucion had done was simply defined in a single line: ‘Lure and annihilate the Secaera.’

In the process, he showcased a magical spectacle that an ordinary person would never witness. However, the Black Rabbit and the White Rabbit somewhat expected Lucion’s exceptional skills.

“Impressive.”

The White Rabbit openly admired. Despite having his shin kicked by the Black Rabbit, anyway, in the midst of the noisy mansion, he became the only lively spot in the otherwise silent place.

Lucion pondered.

What justification could convince them all?

Countless wands, bows, sniper rifles, and numerous weapons aimed at him.

‘Humans after demons.’

He wondered if Lucia felt this way in the past.

If it weren’t for Lucion, the situation wouldn’t have lasted even a second. Despite the Secaeras, skilled knights capable of beheading even seasoned warriors in a single stroke, surrounding Lucion, he neutralized them all and turned them into piles of meat.

However, the outcome is merely the concentration of people.

Thoughts of an execution ground crossed his mind.

The structure wasn’t much different.

Eyes filled with fearful anticipation, directed towards oneself.

Despite what they had done for them, they couldn’t bring themselves to accept it.

“This might be the irrationality that comes with being a hero.”

Do you know the ending of the story of the hero who saved people?

Living happily ever after for a long, long time?

It’s a laughable notion.

Lucion doesn’t believe in such fairy tale stories.

People no longer consider powerful beings as the same “species.” They categorize them as completely different races.

Just like how demons distinguish between different types of demons.

They differentiate between priests chosen by the goddess and call them saints.

They label those who are exceptionally intelligent, even more so than ordinary people, as geniuses and keep them under surveillance.

It all stems from the fact that they can’t accept being “different” from them.

They may say it’s possible with words, but the reality is different.

“It must never stand out.”

Lucion added one more goal to his life this time. After killing the Demon King, he didn’t want to be known as a hero or a warrior.

He wanted something like a “vengeance seeker.”

He wanted to create a background of being an orphan who lost their family to demons.

He grew stronger to seek revenge against them, and after achieving his goal, he disappeared.

He was convinced that having such a clear objective would provide a more comfortable life than living as a hero in the kingdom.

“Living as a vagabond.” That rumor alone should be sufficient.

#

Lucion lowered the sword from his hand.

And expressed his willingness to surrender.

Even though it was Lucion who protected them.

Lucion, for their sake, discarded his weapons and raised his hands.

The village was peaceful.

Suddenly, a young man with an unusual hair color appeared. Since approaching the village, he had been unleashing large-scale magic every day. Tasked by the Black Rabbit. Within a day of receiving the mission, he uprooted the demons lurking throughout the village.

Not only in the Panaechia region but worldwide, people had yet to define the existence, let alone the nature, of these creatures.

An inexplicable event was unfolding.

Fear becomes the target of terror.

It seemed the same for the Black Rabbit, as the hand directed at Lucion was trembling.

“…Lucion. Reveal your true identity.”

Lucion nodded slowly.

“If you trust me, that is.”

#

The situation took a drastic turn.

The White Rabbit tied Lucion and Lucia’s wrists.

The White Rabbit whispered, ‘You might as well just run away. If you can, that is.’

Lucion responded, ‘Stop the nonsense and think of some excuses together, shall we?’

It is a strange alliance.

For the White Rabbit, it was also a business. They didn’t want another backworld temple to be added.

Lucia tried to rebel without putting down her staff. Howard was barking at the people approaching Lucia.

Lucion shot a bundle of divine power at Howard and fed it into his mouth, causing him to stop barking and close his mouth.

“It’s okay.”

Lucia’s breath caught in her throat at Lucion’s words.

Again.

Again.

It’s okay—.

What does Lucion know how to say other than “it’s okay”?

Meanwhile, the Black Rabbit came behind Lucion and thrust the staff into the middle of his back.

When the Black Rabbit made a circular gesture with the free hand, restraints appeared on Lucia’s wrists. Lucia looked away and stared at the binding on her own wrist.

“It’s been a while.”

There was a time when she was bound like this when she angered King Osland. She must have been a childish heart. Lucia was angry because she was put in the Hero Party but he wasn’t taken. The priest said they were unnecessary.

This is the third time she’s been bound.

The second time was at the scene of death.

Her stomach churned, but she remained calm.

If she were to show signs of resistance now,

it would continue to have a negative impact on her relationship with others.

Lucion didn’t care what happened to himself.

On one side, Lucia could be seen looking worried.

Could they not take away Lucia’s rights as well?

Thus, simply lowering his head, the now lengthy golden bangs inevitably covered his eyes.

Perhaps he was staring with eyes filled with the possibility of taking someone’s life.

The anger towards the kingdom, the one that killed Sia, was welling up again.

Meanwhile, the Black Claws moved busily, like the kingdom’s army that moved at the command of the king.

Most of them entered the mansion. Afterward, the Black Rabbit spoke decisively.

“Let’s move.”

Lucia objected.

“This is too much! We only carried out the mission!!!”

“But we did set the warehouse in the mansion on fire. Isn’t that right?”

The Black Rabbit pointed at the warehouse with his finger.

The surface, neatly slashed as if with a sword, was charred by the unquenchable fire. Although water continued to be generated, the flames ignited by sacred power didn’t easily extinguish with ordinary magic.

Lucia couldn’t continue her words.

Where could this be?

No, it’s true that the warehouse was set on fire.

True.

Why do they treat me so coldly?

Why does everyone look at Lucian with fearful eyes?

Lucia did not hope for things to turn out like this.