Chapter 107. Polar Opposite Treatment
Chapter 107. Polar Opposite Treatment
Arrogance. Hubris.......
There was likely no one in the Human Alliance further removed from such words than Berdia.
She had always examined her own shortcomings and devoted herself to improvement, and that effort had continued even after she rose to the position of one of the 10 Strongest.
There were times she publicly called herself one of the 10 Strongest, but that was only ever in an official capacity.
It was simply a matter of adopting a firm stance out of the unavoidable responsibility she bore, because the masses needed an idol.
And yet, to call her, who had fought so hard to maintain that position, incompetent—
Was that not the same as denying every effort she had ever made?
"I-Incompetent? Me?"
When she asked again on reflex, certain she had misheard, Ymir's eyes narrowed and she fixed her with a glare.
"Are you not? All this time, you just told us to handle things and then ran off to do your own work. Honestly, has there been a single thing you've done for this party since we started operating in earnest?"
"......I merely lacked direct contributions. That is not the same as having done nothing."
"Yeah, yeah, you must've worked so hard wiping the king's ass. So why's a report about wiping our esteemed hero's ass getting you so bent out of shape all of a sudden?"
"Th-That and this are completely different matters, are they not? In the first place, Dave is a man......."
"So you know how to change his shitty diaper?"
"Guh—!"
In the end, Berdia was left speechless by Ymir's words.
It was certainly true that while she had been occupied over the past several months, it had been to carry out the king's orders, not to make direct contributions to the party.
Because she believed the hero, no matter who she was, needed to foster a sense of independence for the future.
That was why she wished for Serika to manage the party on her own without her help, and to grow from the resulting experiences.
'Yes... had I assessed things a bit more carefully... perhaps Serika would never have fallen into Garbonia's trap and ended up in this state.'
Was it not her own neglect that had allowed Garbonia, pressed for time in that situation, to act so recklessly? Had Serika been reduced to this because of her own failure to foresee such an outcome?
'Am I... truly incompetent?'
Even such thoughts entered her mind, and Berdia hung her head, dejected.
Seeing that, Ymir spoke.
"Good. Hindrance removed."
"Ugh!"
Realizing too late that she had been played by twisted logic, a groan escaped Berdia as she hurriedly shouted.
"A hindrance, you say! Do not spout such nonsense!"
"Tch, too bad. I wish you'd just stayed mentally broken like that."
"Ymir, you......!"
"Whatever. Dave, don't mind the old hag and just finish your job."
Thuk!
Berdia reeled from the impact, as if a dagger hurled from afar had pierced her heart.
Had the remarks targeting her age been made just a few days ago when she spoke with the king, she would have brushed them off without a second thought. So why was it so difficult to overlook the words this woman spoke now?
"Is... is that really all right?"
"Would you rather we just leave her like that? Don't you realize it's more miserable for her to be left unable to control her own piss and shit?"
"Uwaaang, uwahaaaang!"
Serika, lying on the bed, wailed again.
The sight was so pitiful it was hard to keep one's eyes open, yet Dave could not simply reach out his hand as he had until now.
"No, that's......"
It was only natural.
Was one of the 10 Strongest of the continent not standing right behind him?
It was a situation where it would not be strange if she lunged forward and cut him down the moment he so much as laid a finger on Serika. When he faltered in confusion, Ymir grabbed her own disheveled hair and shouted frantically.
"Hey, why the hell are you such a cowardly little man-boy? You've already seen her naked, does it make any sense that you're hesitating over this? Just get on with it already! The shit-stench is rising!"
"Ah, y-you saw her naked!?"
"Dammit!! Ymir, please shut up!! Lady Berdia is already confused enough as it is!"
"Who cares about some old maid who's long past her marriageable prime!"
A flustered Dave, a Berdia who had lost her composure, and Ymir acting as she always did.
While the smell and crying spread, plunging the room into a crucible of chaos, another member of the group who had been observing the scene quietly raised her hand.
"Um......."
At that, everyone fell silent and fixed their attention on her.
There sat the green-haired girl, who soon met their eyes and cautiously voiced her own suggestion.
"I... can change the diaper too......."
"......."
***
Caw, caw.
The cries of crows rang out in the twilight hours of the fading sunset.
After finally calming Serika and putting her to bed in the bedroom, Berdia had sat down with the other three members of the party in the kitchen to have tea.
To hear about the events that had transpired in her absence, and to discuss their future plans.
"Heira, was it?"
After hearing the circumstances, the first person to draw Berdia's interest was Heira. Heira, holding her teacup, nodded and answered Berdia. "...Yeah. I'm Heira. You can speak casually."
"Right, Heira. According to the letter I received before coming here, I heard you are an elf......."
Her eyes narrowed.
At that, Heira stiffened and directed an uneasy gaze toward Ymir, who sat across from her. As if asking her opinion on how she should answer.
"Well, I wrote that with her agreement anyway, and now that we've already been attacked, there's no real secret left between us, is there?"
Ymir was slouched in her seat and flicked her finger with a -tak. In response to her will, the mana emitted by the artifact Heira wore was instantly deactivated.
The item that concealed her identity as an elf.
The moment its function was paralyzed, the pointed ears characteristic of elves were revealed, and Berdia fixed her gaze there, resting her chin on her hand.
"...So you really were an elf."
"And not just any ordinary elf. I've been checking while traveling together, and her skills are solid. If anything, she might even shoot better than that elf who's still missing."
Though the fine details would need a direct comparison to know for certain, at least in Ymir's estimation, Heira's skill with the bow alone was among the best even for elves.
Unlike ordinary elves, who spent most of their long lifespans in meditation and service to their communal society, she had lived her whole life in the mountains, honing her senses in the wild.
Having polished her archery in real combat over a period exceeding a human lifetime, would it not be stranger if her skill were hopeless?
"That remains to be seen, I suppose... I don't believe I mentioned that Melia has gone missing?"
"Keeping secrets for public morale is one thing, but the people involved should know. How long has it been since she went to the Great Forest with no word? Shouldn't we start preparing ourselves for the worst?"
"......I suppose. You're right."
Her attitude was sharp-edged, but her current point was irrefutable.
The elf originally scheduled to join the hero party was now treated as entirely missing.
Since there was no other news from the Great Forest either, the talk had gone to extremes — that she might even be dead, or had fallen to become a plaything of the Demon King's army.
They had simply not publicly announced the news for fear that people who could not trust the hero party would emerge.
"Heira."
But now that the situation had come to this, she could not remain idle. Berdia soon voiced the decision she had kept in mind since she read the letter.
"If what Ymir says is true, then you are qualified enough to form the backbone of this party on the arduous journey ahead. What's more, you are an elf, making you the optimal talent to resolve one of the pressing issues facing this party: our lack of personnel."
They could not let the opportunity to gain support from so many non-human races slip away like this. An elf joining the hero party signified more than just having exceptional skill.
Beyond the transcendent abilities conferred by their lifespan, it was a grand public declaration that the human alliance included not just humans, but also non-human races friendly to humanity.
They could not let the opportunity to gain support from so many non-human races slip away like this.
It was not yet a finalized matter, but if the judgment was made by her own eyes, even the king, Arhen, would trust it, so there would be no problem reporting it after deciding here and now.
"Would you, please... lend your strength for the hero, for humanity....... And furthermore, for all those who suffer under the Demon King's army?"
A resolute yet respectful voice.
From the way she bowed her head along with those words, Heira could feel that she was someone capable of lowering herself.
That this request being made of her was not out of personal self-interest, but truly for something worthy of being called a righteous cause.
"...Okay. I will."
At that attitude, Heira let go of her wariness toward their first meeting and spoke with a light air. "I want to be with this party going forward too. If someone like me is needed... I'll lend you my strength as much as you need."
Was it because she was an elf who had lived for eons?
Despite her youthful appearance, she seemed to exude benevolence and years of experience in the way she faced her.
In truth, she had lived more than three times as long as Berdia had, so it was not a strange attitude to hold.
"Does this mean the elf vacancy is resolved? That's great, oh broad-shouldered lord~ Now there's no need to get into pointless quarrels with those Great Forest old-timers."
Though she wished this young sage could resemble even half of that bearing, she knew it would do no good to weary her own mouth arguing, so she decided not to point that part out.
"It is not a completely settled matter yet. Now that we have her acceptance, she must undergo a test to confirm the truth of your words, and we must report to the royal castle and go through the necessary procedures."
"Then as long as she passes that test or whatever, there's practically no problem with her traveling with us right away."
Ymir smiled, seemingly satisfied with Berdia's answer.
Even if she was not the originally intended person, the issue of Heira accompanying the party right away could be considered resolved.
"So what are you going to do about Dave?"
Right. Heira was not the one she needed to worry about. It was Dave.
It was only after hearing that question that Berdia's gaze turned toward Dave.
"......Dave."
Berdia was always earnest, but her current demeanor carried substantial weight.
After all, she too felt grateful to Dave in many ways, and there were quite a few things about him she personally took an interest in.
"You've already heard and know, yes? Who Serika is, and why figures like myself and Ymir, whose names are widely known, are assisting her."
But public and private matters had to be clearly distinguished.
Unlike Heira, who had met the qualifications needed to join the party, Dave's assigned role in this party was nothing more than a porter and errand boy.
A position anyone could fill, one with a surplus of applicants.
"I had a guess from the beginning. That Serika wasn't an ordinary person."
"I heard that you have lain with that Serika."
"......Yes. That's true."
Dave spoke honestly, without denial.
Seeing him unable to meet her gaze, he seemed to feel the weight of his words here and was anxious about the answer to come.
About the fact that a mere porter had taken the chastity of none other than the hero.
If that news became known to the public, it would surely cause an uproar among her supporters.
"That you and Serika hold special feelings for one another....... I will not say anything about that."
But Berdia ultimately decided not to dwell on that point.
The confusion she felt was only momentary. Thinking about it coldly, at the very least, she, who cared deeply for Serika, had no reason to be angry at Dave.
"Serika must become an idol for all people, but before that, she is only a single person. When the majority of those going out to the battlefield have families to protect and lovers waiting for them, telling her not to pursue her own humanity simply because she is the hero would be preposterous."
Rather, if she, who was meant to represent humanity, were devoid of that very humanity, she would be no different from a mere symbolic savior shining brightly.
So, perhaps, Serika forming a bond with Dave, whom she had personally brought along, was something those who wished for her growth as a hero should actually welcome.
Strictly considering only her 'human' side.
"But what lies ahead is a perilous journey. Now that even an officer of the Demon King's army has launched an attack, if you were to get caught up in one, Serika would be burdened by guilt."
If such a thing truly happened again, and Dave got swept up in it, what would become of Serika's heart?
Keeping that in mind, no one could afford to take these words lightly.
"Dave, though it pains me to say this to you......."
Despite the polite tone, it was the polar opposite of what she had done for Heira.
"Would you make preparations to leave this party?"
A request that could truly be called nothing less than expulsion.