The Porter Has No Interest in the Hero’s Party

Thwack!

Thud!

Boom!

Using the snap of my wrist, I apply force rhythmically to cut through. The water-soaked scabbard sticks to the demon’s flesh, and the metal decoration tears off the swollen flesh, causing blood to seep out. The demon, collapsed on the floor, sniffles while begging for his life.

“P-please spare me…! I’ll do anything…!”

“Finally, we can communicate.”

I smiled happily seeing Bloody Belles actively engaging in conversation. I tapped the scabbard once on the ground and immersed it in the valley water to wash off the blood. The scent of rotten moss permeated the scabbard, but it was better than the smell of blood.

“Listen carefully, demon. From now on, you’re coming with me to the village. You’ll challenge the hero at the village entrance. Understand?”

“B-but then I’ll die…”

Bloody Belles. A demon infamous for thinly slicing captured humans bit by bit and turning them into jerky. I was dumbfounded that such a creature would fear death. I picked up a sword from the ground and struck it against a rock. The blade collapsed at an odd angle, becoming serrated like a saw.

In that state, I grabbed Belles’ hand and started rubbing the broken blade against his flesh, as if playing a violin. The flesh, swollen with water and without any durability, crumbled as I rubbed.

“Graaaah! Aaaaargh! I-I’ll go! Please spare me! Aaaaargh!”

“I know very well that you won’t die from excessive bleeding. If you don’t do as I say, I’ll torture you all night long.”

“I said I’ll go! I’ll go! Aaaaaaah!”

Only after hearing his active request for cooperation did I throw the sword away again. Besides Bloody Belles, there were about three more still alive here. These were demons whose limbs I had only partially crushed, sparing their lives for necessity. They had blue skin and were as skinny as if they only ate one meal a day.

I pointed at them with my scabbard and said:

“You will follow me. Understand?”

“Y-yes!”

The demons, having clearly witnessed with their own eyes what happened to Bloody Belles, answered in obedient and loyal voices. Satisfied with their response, I got up. Though the sun hadn’t risen yet, we needed to move quickly.

I grabbed Belles by the hair, forcibly made him stand up, then kicked his behind and said:

“Go now! There’s no time! If you don’t go, I’ll beat you up all over again!”

“Sob sob…! Sniff…! O-okay…!”

The demon went down the mountain, tears streaming down his face. I led the three trembling with fear down another path.

“A demon! A demon has appeared!”

From early morning, the village was in a state of emergency. The hero, who had been sleeping in a lodge near the village entrance, scratched his head and got up. Lena, who had been wandering around the village early in the morning, grabbed a shouting soldier who was running around and asked about the situation.

“What? What’s happening?”

“A demon has come down! That one! Bloody Belles! That terrifying one has come down himself!”

“What?”

Lena scratched her head and walked toward the village entrance. The hero, who had immediately geared up at the news of a demon appearing, couldn’t understand why the demon had come down from the mountain path. Hadn’t they said he received orders to cut off the supply route? Then shouldn’t he be continuing to block the mountain path?

Ashuria, seemingly having the same doubts as the hero, said:

“He’s suspicious, Hero. Let’s be careful as he might be plotting something strange.”

“I understand, Ashuria. What about Mille and the mister?”

“Mille is up and preparing now, and can’t we wake the porter later? If a fight breaks out at the village entrance now, civilians are better off staying in the lodging. Since the situation is urgent, let’s deal with the demon first and tell him later.”

“That makes sense.”

“Hero! I’m ready too!”

With Mille coming out with her bow, the hero’s party prepared their battle formation. Mille climbed up to the watchtower, Lena jumped over the fence and took a position to the rear by going around the village entrance area. Then the hero and Ashuria blocked the village entrance, waiting for his approach.

“Hehehe…! Hehe…”

The demon’s laughter sounded like sobbing, and the scent of blood spread as he approached. The hero frowned and said:

“How many people must he have killed for the smell of blood to be this strong already? He’s truly a terrible creature.”

“Since opportunities like this don’t come often, let’s try to capture him alive and hand him over to the unit.”

“I’m nervous. After all, this is the first time I’m fighting a named subordinate of the Demon King’s army. I wonder what kind of skilled fighter he’ll be…”

Ashuria gently caressed the hero’s shoulder and smiled.

“It’s alright. I’ve heard that commanders who come to such remote areas are at most mid-tier monsters. Think of him as a smart ogre.”

“Thanks, Ashuria. For the encouragement.”

The hero said, holding Ashuria’s hand. Ashuria looked at the hero’s hand gripping hers tightly with intense eyes and smiled ecstatically.

“You can rely on me more.”

“Oh, he’s coming!”

Breaking the heated atmosphere, Mille’s voice was heard. Both the hero and Ashuria regained their focus and took their stances.

“Hehehic…! Sniff…!”

Sobbing sounds were heard, and his silhouette became clearly visible from the shadows. The hero shouted before he could speak:

“Are you Bloody Belles?”

“Yes…! Urgh…! Sob sob…!”

When his form was revealed, everyone who had been tense was left speechless. His face was swollen like a beehive from being beaten, and one arm was in tatters from being cut. Blood was dripping all over his body, and he was so severely injured that flies were already swarming around him.

“…He’s truly covered in blood as his name suggests. Is he an undead?”

“P-please save me…! It hurts so much…!”

Belles shook his head, reached out to the hero, and pleaded. Seeing no sign of fighting spirit, the hero was so confused he could only look at Ashuria. Ashuria spoke in a cold tone:

“Hero. Such demons specialize in deceiving others by disguising their true form. We must not fall for his trickery.”

“I-it’s true…! Please heal me…! I’m s-so cold and in pain…! I won’t do bad things anymore…! Sob sob…!”

Belles began to kneel on the ground and beg. The hero looked at him with a perplexed expression, and Ashuria, signaling to Lena who was behind the forest, knelt down. Then, with a benevolent smile, she beckoned to Belles.

“If you insist that much, I have no choice. I’ll bandage you. You must have been in a lot of pain, right?”

Belles, as if he couldn’t believe what he had just heard, asked Ashuria with round eyes:

“B-but I’m…! a demon…! Are you r-really…! going to heal me?”

“Of course. Come, let’s get you treated.”

Belles shed tears. The moment he took a step forward with a bright smile, Mille shouted to the hero:

“Hero! There are suspicious people on the left!”

“On the left?”

As the hero turned his head to the left, Ashuria’s eyes sharpened, and she nodded. Lena, appearing like lightning behind Belles, plunged a dagger into his side.

“Ugh…! Urgh!”

Belles twisted his body, unable to regain his senses from the shock of the dagger, and Mille’s arrow accurately hit his hand that was flailing in the air. With a boom, his hand shattered like a rubber balloon, and Belles wailed in pain.

“Waaaaaah! W-why…! Why…!”

“Shut up, you insolent creature! Trying to ambush the hero while he was distracted! As expected, demons cannot be trusted! Take this! Light of Judgment!”

Ashuria extended her hands forward, forming a V-shape. As holy power gathered at her fingertips, she stabbed Belles’s eyes.

“Groooooooo!”

As Belles collapsed to the ground with his eyes charred black, Lena tied his limbs tightly. The hero could only look around with a bewildered face, and Ashuria whispered as she fell into his arms:

“Hero. Just now, that evil demon tried to attack you. Trying to exploit our goodwill, he’s such a cunning demon.”

The hero looked at Ashuria in shock, then embraced her tightly and said:

“T-that…! If it weren’t for Ashuria, it could have been disastrous.”

“Hero! Hero! I helped too!”

Mille, who had rushed over, squeezed between the hero and Ashuria and embraced him as well. The hero also hugged Mille, expressing his gratitude.

“Thank you, Ashuria.”

Ashuria, grinning, whispered to the hero:

“Yes, Hero. You shouldn’t trust such demons. You should only trust us. Rely on me, Hero.”

Mille also hugged the hero with a bright smile.

“That’s right, Hero. Rely on us. Everything is good when you’re with us.”

Lena silently tied Belles with rope. Belles could only mutter, shedding tears of blood:

“Aah…! Cruel ones…! Y-you deceived me…!”

“What nonsense from a pervert who tortures and kills people.”

Lena ignored Belles’s cries and rolled him with her foot. The guards who received the demon, who had rolled over, could only look at him with half-believing eyes as he rolled up to the front of the fortification. Lena scratched her head and muttered:

“The mister will be happy. Looks like we can stay for another day.”

And she walked back to the lodging, humming a tune.