Chapter 253
Chapter 253
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 253
Chapter Title: Joining the Hero Party
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"Herka... you mean that Herka Philioite?"
The hero party's members stirred.
"The kingdom's top mage, right?"
"But she still looks like a kid."
"You can't judge by appearances alone."
Herka puffed out her chest and spoke confidently.
"That's me, Herka Philioite.
Nice to meet you, seniors."
"So cute~!"
The women shouted and chattered.
Even among the women, there were only two I didn't know.
And those two had ordinary looks. Everyone was younger than I'd expected—about the same age as the candidates.
"No need for my introduction, I suppose.
I've been coming here often since my candidate days to help out."
"Neris is the same as ever."
The men focused on Neris.
I'd vaguely heard that Neris had been fighting monsters on the front lines before.
It was my first time meeting Herka, but Neris seemed right at home in this atmosphere.
Next, all eyes turned to me.
"Who's that?"
"Decal, I think that's the name."
"From which family?"
Lisa looked my way and said calmly.
"Decal.
Introduce yourself to everyone."
"No family. Name's Decal.
I was an adventurer—Dragon rank in Melbritt—and a student council special investigator."
As soon as I said that, everyone burst out laughing.
Huh...?
What did I do wrong?
A man with severely sparse hair—no, more like no hair at all—chuckled as he looked at me.
"That's not how you introduce yourself, Decal.
Everyone here was beyond Dragon rank back in their candidate days.
We've even got three Diamond-rank adventurers."
Diamond rank. Here?
My adventurer credentials were pointless, then.
One of the women chimed in.
"Make it something we can understand.
Herka Philioite is famous enough to recognize even on the front lines, and Neris's skills are well-known.
But we know nothing about you."
"Specialties are fire magic and wind spirit arts."
"Fire..."
...
Everyone's expressions soured.
"Hmm..."
"Fire magic, huh..."
Why the reaction?
Did I mess up?
"Neris. Any issues?"
I whispered to Neris.
"There's a stereotype that fire mages are eccentric and hard to deal with.
They've got this image of accidentally burning allies too."
"..."
Abado had mentioned something like that.
He handled fire magic himself, so he knew the perception well.
I'd burned people before, but never allies.
With my unique skill, I had confidence in my magic control.
Still, it was inevitable they'd doubt if I was a reliable fire mage right away.
"I don't know Decal's magic skills,
but he's someone you can rely on."
Lisa's single statement shifted the mood.
Everyone was looking at me with friendly eyes now.
The hero's words carried weight. Who'd doubt me if she said she trusted me?
Hypnosis was the best.
"Is Blam here yet?"
"No, not yet."
"Then introduce your team too. So we can remember names and faces."
"Hi!"
A woman with lion's-mane-like voluminous hair greeted brightly.
"Including me, the four of us here are the rear support team CA2.
We're specialists in healing, scouting, and vigilance. I'm the team leader, Oia. Remember me as Medic Oia and so on."
"And so on...?"
Two of the women were medics.
I could tell from their outfits if I looked closely.
Countless pockets and small bags on their clothes, potion belts dangling from their waists.
There were even sheaths for short knives near their thighs.
"I'm Angel."
The sturdy man opposite Oia spoke up.
He had a military buzz cut and a stoic face—this was his first time speaking here.
"That's all? You need to explain more nicely, Angel."
When Oia scolded him, Angel sighed and added,
"Adventurer."
"He's a Diamond-rank adventurer like Mr. Blam.
They call him the Daytoon Chariot—he's a walking weapon!"
Oia jumped in with the explanation, and Angel recoiled.
"No need for that talk."
"You should boast about it."
So Blam-senpai was Diamond rank too?
Someone who'd passed by so casually was the same rank as Esty.
Fighting the Demon King's army on the front lines, his skills might even surpass hers.
Damn.
Introducing myself as an adventurer felt embarrassing now.
The skinny man next to Angel spoke up.
"I'm Tonius.
I handle summoning. Wasn't originally on this team, though... The hero can explain that."
Unlike his prickly appearance, he spoke mildly.
"I'm Maker. This is Apbet. My little brother."
Maker. Apbet.
The two were twin brothers.
Their heads were shaved bald, making them hard to tell apart.
"Oh, and just so you know, the Diamond rank is the older one.
I've never been an adventurer."
...
So Apbet was the younger?
Apbet smiled and said,
"It's hard to tell now, but
you'll spot the difference at a glance later."
It felt meaningful.
Like he'd torment me until I could tell them apart?
No, that wasn't the vibe.
As expected, mostly men.
Without Neris and Herka, the only woman in direct combat besides the medic would be Bellisa.
The party's sole flower.
I'd thought this otherworld with magic might have more women.
Bummer that my expectations fell short.
Or maybe this was better.
Mediocre women would just pale next to Bellisa.
Oia and one medic already did.
Neris and Herka had their appeal locked down, but
it wouldn't be weird for a guerrilla squad to lack such women.
"Lisa. I'm here."
Then someone entered, calling the hero casually like I did.
It was the long-haired young man, Blam.
Diamond rank...
"Blam. We were waiting.
Can't start without you."
"Business dragged on."
Hmm.
The two seemed pretty close.
"We'll need time for introductions.
We've already done ours. Right, Decal?"
Blam met my eyes.
"Yeah."
Lisa nodded and continued.
"Everyone's here now.
I handpicked everyone in this room.
I want you all to stake your lives on this operation."
"Operation details?"
Blam asked back.
Lisa looked down at the map on the table and said,
"Demon King subjugation."
Tonius said worriedly,
"Is this group enough?
If we're taking on the Demon King, a few names come to mind I'd want to bring."
"Holding the defensive line is a crucial mission too.
Even if we take down the Demon King, if the line collapses or Melbritt gets hit, it's all for nothing."
"But you must have odds of victory to plan this, right Lisa?"
Lisa again.
What was Lisa's deal with Bloom or whatever?
Just colleagues, probably. Obviously.
My gut boiled, but I tried not to show it.
This was important talk.
I decided to listen quietly.
Nothing was more vital for judging our next moves than grasping the current situation.
"Yeah.
As you know, the Demon King's army defenses have slackened.
They pushed a feint assault on Melbritt.
Used large-scale ritual magic, even deployed an apocalypse harbinger that absorbed red soulstones."
"On Melbritt?"
"Such a thing happened...!"
"Didn't know the details. An apocalypse harbinger too? Must've been chaos."
Everyone stirred.
Those tofu-blocked things from Seoyeon must've been that strong.
"Quite a few casualties, I bet."
Blam muttered.
"No. Not really.
Decal can fill you in on that."
Huh?
Lisa suddenly tossed the floor to me.
"Decal was a student council special investigator.
He spotted the Demon King's army raid signs early and responded.
That's the role I'm counting on him for.
Insight we lack. Wise judgment..."
...
Ugh. Uwaaa.
Lisa started pouring on the praise.
Glad she trusted me, but in this situation... wasn't it backfiring...?
Even the active Diamond-rank adventurers were eyeing me eagerly.
"Oh my!
A brilliant mind joining the hero party.
How many years has it been?"
Oia cheered loudly.
"Bro. What's the point of being smart?
Don't we need strong fists?"
The older brother Maker looked at Apbet pitifully.
"I get that you're dragging down our party's average IQ."
Blam's eyes widened in surprise.
"I heard from Neris,
but Lisa praising someone else like this? Rare sight.
Makes me expect things, Decal."
This pressure!
Before my rep skyrocketed to the clouds, I had to dial back the mood.
"I just got lucky spotting it.
No deaths because of Herka's quick response."
"Huh?"
Herka looked up and said,
"But Decal was the one who came to me first, asking for help to resolve it?"
"..."
That was on student council president orders...
Argh. Even Sia's judgment got credited to me?
Neris. Help!
"Decal's the one who bought time holding off the demigod until the hero arrived."
Oia exclaimed in shock.
"Wait. What did you say? Liege?!"
Maker and Apbet reacted with wide eyes too.
"Neris, you're serving that man?"
"What about all those nobles who piled up fortunes to take Neris?"
Neris declared calmly.
"Yes. I'm my liege's... ahem. Knight."
...
If she'd said the full thing, it'd be chaos.
Looks like the situation was out of my hands now.
I decided to just enjoy it.
Maker let out a long sigh.
"Turns out the no-name newbie's the biggest deal.
Skilled, well-liked... Neris knighting herself for him. Impressive."
"..."
Yeah...
Agreed.
It was normal now, but Neris Rikke serving as my knight was huge.
Any normal guy would be bone-deep satisfied with her alone.
But I'd come here for something greater.
I stared at Lisa.
"...?"
To corrupt the beautiful hero's body.
Yeah...
The hero bearing the mission to save the world—I'd turn her into my cumdump.
Sia's premium tribute.
Lisa, oblivious, hypnotized and relying on me.
Far harder to escape than physical bonds.
A trap on the heart.
"Decal. Continue?"
"Yeah. We repelled the Demon King's raid successfully,
but the demigod born then... that Park Seoyeon will be the biggest obstacle before we get the Demon King."
"Park Seoyeon?"
Angel, who'd been silent and stone-faced, spoke up.
No reaction to anything else, just reconfirming Seoyeon's name.
It was like a machine verifying an
「enemy's name」—gave me chills.
Might be the scariest one here.
"Park Seoyeon was originally human,
but absorbed tons of red soulstones and turned into a monster."
Tonius stroked his chin intrigued.
"Demigod...
Monsterized without losing reason, fully amplifying power?
If that's real. Amazing."
I recalled Seoyeon crawling on the floor after Noah beat her down.
Yeah. Not just anyone's awakening.
Her abnormal obsession with me dyed her mad.
"Where is she now?"
Angel asked.
"Dunno.
But she'll show soon."
"How are you sure?"
"Seoyeon's target is me.
She'll appear where I am. And prioritize me."
"..."
Everyone went silent.
They got what that meant—had to shut up.
A woman turned monster by red soulstones targeting a man.
Oia hesitated, then said,
"Sounds like a story there.
Hero, you okay with this?
Facing that demigod."
"I agreed. I'm helping Decal.
The demigod's his to handle."
Blam, who'd been listening, looked at me and said,
"You.
Not planning some lover's suicide pact, are you?
We're not here to enable that."
"No worries. It's not that."
"How not to worry?"
Angel cut in sharply.
"At least swear here.
If things don't go as you think,
it's okay if we kill that woman, Park Seoyeon."
"..."
Seniors don't hold back.
Angel's point was fair. No stubbornness to save her if things went south.
"Kill her if you must.
Just let me try first. No complaints then."
"...Mm."
Angel nodded and clammed up again.
Refreshing guy.
"I assume you've grasped the outline."
Lisa placed her hand on a marker on the map.
"This operation has two main goals.
First, lure and eliminate the demigod. Then subjugate the Demon King."
We focused on the marker.
It was northwest of our current position, adjacent to a monster-infested area.