The Betrayers' Meeting #1
The dragon that had once turned an entire kingdom to ash was receiving them with generous tolerance, yet he had come here seeking revenge. He wanted a report on their recent movements.
The World Tree felt anew the scent of a human—yes, he was human. It saddened him deeply.
"Because of the betrayers who drove that legendary hero to despair, his scent had become thick with human stench."
"Now will you go straight to the human lands?"
The World Tree called the region where humans gathered to form nations the human realm.
Unlike the demon realm, the borders differed and rulers were arbitrary, but if they gathered around the humans, calling it the human realm was not entirely wrong.
At least Adonis thought so.
"Yes. Thank you very much for treating me so well."
Those bastards, where in the hell were they hiding?
What was the situation in the Empire and the kingdoms?
He had already heard everything he needed to know. There was no reason to linger any longer.
He might impose on them.
For that reason, Adonis wanted to leave the elf forest, and Semiramis showed clear signs of agreement.
However, the World Tree was reluctant to see him go and tried to prolong the conversation a little.
"May I ask what your plan is once you arrive in the human realm? I'm just curious, that's all."
"First, based on the information you provided, I will formulate a specific plan. Your words have been of great help, but I believe I must personally ferret out even the smallest details. So I was thinking of becoming a mercenary, for example..."
"Really? It doesn't look like a very good idea for a mercenary..."
It was reckless.
Semiramis furrowed her brows at the World Tree questioning Adonis's plan, then clenched her hands into fists until the anger subsided.
"I thought it was a good idea... Does it not seem that way to you? With your appearance so completely changed, I'm sure your face would be forgiven."
"That's what the hero said. But I don't think mercenary work is right. Mercenary work means becoming famous through power alone, without regard for the hero's will. Wouldn't that make things quite noisy?"
"True, there would be plenty of noisy incidents if I became a mercenary."
That wasn't what he meant.
The World Tree looked at Adonis, who clearly didn't understand his words, and started stomping his feet in frustration.
It was because he had been desperately trying to convey his exact meaning.
But soon the accumulated wisdom took over, and the anxious expression vanished.
"That wasn't it at all. Rather, it would be better to quietly forge connections. The hero wants revenge, not fame. Isn't that right?"
The World Tree casually bringing up revenge wasn't a big deal.
He had only asked about their recent movements out of goodwill, and anyway, the response had been quite extreme.
It was simply that the words "quietly forge connections" had stuck in his mind.
That was why Adonis was lost in thought.
Adonis was racking his brain to find something that matched what the World Tree had said.
How long he thought for, he didn't even realize he was groaning aloud.
Semiramis, who had been guarding his side, gazed at him with eyes filled with concern.
The World Tree sparkled with hope that some answer would come.
"Ah."
It meant that resting quietly was not an active pursuit, and to forge connections, meetings and conversations were necessary.
Adonis, thinking under that premise, reached an odd conclusion.
The "ah" he had muttered was because of it.
"Have you thought of something good?"
The World Tree, who sensed that Adonis had hit upon a good idea like a ghost, quickly urged him to answer.
He wanted to hear the hero's final answer after long deliberation, regardless of whether it was possible or efficient.
Semiramis also shook her folded arms and showed a curiosity-filled expression.
"I think it might not be a bad idea to do massage work. As you said, it is quiet, easy to form connections if people like it, and..."
Moreover, by targeting people through massage rather than force, they might naturally gather others around them.
Instead of going around digging up information, make it so that the information rolled into their arms by itself.
"Massage? The hero is so unique!"
Adonis answered while imagining a massage that would appear in some drama or hentai.
He had thought that since the people here probably didn't know about massage, it might go down well.
However, looking at the World Tree's and Semiramis's reactions as if they naturally understood the concept, he realized his own thoughts were wrong.
If he had known the history of massage was very deep and that wealthy people in this continent received it, he would not have needed to reflect.
"Um... your words do have some logic, but I don't feel like it."
"Huh? Why?"
Semiramis tightened her arms around Adonis's waist with a displeased look, and Adonis tilted his head and asked.
He had not expected the reason for the opposition.
"Thinking about you touching other women's hands... I just don't feel like it."
But because the reason that came out of Semiramis's mouth was a little strange, Adonis felt his tension ease unconsciously.
If only he could muster the momentary courage, it was a problem that could be solved in any way.
"Then shouldn't Semiramis take the female customers? I like touching only men because it's more comfortable."
Semiramis looked at Adonis, who was asking cautiously, and concluded that he must have been planning this from the beginning.
Cute.
Semiramis had decided to do anything the child wanted, even if it was not just her hands, but she smiled faintly upon seeing Adonis speak indirectly.
She thought it was cute to see the shyness hidden in the child's expression, which revealed itself like a wild beast at night.
If she could, she wanted to create a closed space with magic right now and pounce on him.
"If you wish, I will do so."
While doing massage, something like that would happen, and there would be stimulation.
Semiramis finished her suitably lecherous calculation, nodded, and Adonis bowed repeatedly, saying he was grateful.
Above Adonis's head, Semiramis's wicked eyes, filled with dark thoughts, flashed.
The World Tree glanced at Semiramis's wicked gaze and smiled silently at Adonis.
Even though his appearance and thoughts and heart had changed greatly, it seemed he had gained something big, and that was fortunate.
To the World Tree, Adonis had also become the benefactor who helped the elves.
"Ah! If you're going to do massage, can you wait a week?"
It might help a little, even if only a little.
The World Tree clapped his hands with that in mind and gathered the gazes of Adonis and Semiramis.
Fortunately, Adonis also matched the World Tree's hands and immediately asked a question.
If he had just waited quietly, it might have been a little awkward.
"A week?"
"Yeah. The merchant who comes to buy leaves in a week will bring a carriage. If we get to know each other while riding in the carriage, it might not be a bad idea. It's not an Empire person, but a merchant from some kingdom. Where was it again..."
"A small to medium-sized merchant from the kingdom of Rutnel."
Up until now, Titania, who had been standing silently behind the World Tree like a statue, answered in a flat voice.
Because the person who had no presence suddenly spoke, Adonis showed a fair amount of inner surprise.
"Ah, yes! Rutnel Kingdom! With so many countries that have fallen, I can't remember everything! Sorry!"
"No, you don't have to apologize..."
Adonis nodded with a wry expression, newly feeling how immeasurable the World Tree's age was.
Then he nodded, thinking that the World Tree's suggestion would help.
He regretted that he was not an Empire merchant, but since the kingdom bordered the Empire, it seemed helpful.
He was thirsty for revenge, but it wasn't urgent enough to demand a whole kingdom, and if he built connections and dug up information, a method would probably come to mind.
Because quietly sneaking in and stealing lives wasn't enough.
"Thank you for your consideration. Please take care."
"You've thought well, Titania."
"Yes. World Tree."
Titania, who had been standing behind, came trotting up to the World Tree and stood beside him. The World Tree turned his head and shouted in a bright voice.
"Prepare a house for the hero and his wife to stay in for a week! If there's no house, rent even an elf's room to live alone. I know it will be troublesome, but please do it anyway!"
"Yes. I will immediately search for an appropriate place and come back. Please wait here for a moment, honored guests."
Titania bowed deeply and politely, then left the place in a blink of an eye.
She had vanished so suddenly that it was as if she had used teleportation.
"Was that teleportation?"
"No, it was using purified wind through elemental magic. Feel it well. You'll be able to tell the difference in the wind."
Semiramis whispered in a gentle tone as if soothing a child, and Adonis's gaze swept around.
He remained tense as instructed. Then he realized that faint, lingering wind stretched like a thread somewhere.
"I might be mistaken, but the wind really seems to be connected..."
"Well done. I'm impressed."
When Adonis answered correctly, Semiramis's lips curved into a smile.
How happy she felt, she loosened her arm that had been hugging his and pulled his head to her chest.
Because her soft, deep flesh blocked his nose, he fluttered his hands as if in pain.
Adonis barely coaxed with his whole body and barely escaped death, taking a deep breath.
It was clearly not a real suffocation, just a bit of drama.
Semiramis knew it and smiled leisurely while teasing.
" Hoo, hoo...! "
At the rear of the training ground.
Vivian was drenched in sweat and panting as she kept her promise.
After Castro had come to her domain, brought her a sweet night, and left, she had stopped drinking and started exercising.
It had only been a few days since it started, yet she shouldn't have seen any noticeable change. But Vivian's body was recovering the appearance she had had before the expedition.
Perhaps even if it was ruined, the body remembered.
Or perhaps it was because she had pushed herself from morning to night.
Vivian didn't know the answer, but she felt a sense of pride just looking at her body improving day by day.
Little by little, the gazes that had often been seen when she first took office in the domain started to appear.
The gazes that looked at Vivian with envious eyes.
"It has only been ten days..."
Vivian grabbed the hem of her black training outfit that clung tightly to her body and looked at her abdomen with a resentful gaze.
Even though her abdomen was smooth, snow-white, and attractive, with almost no fat, and her straight abs were so defined that they stimulated the viewer's lust, she only felt that it was lacking.
At the time when she was still firm and muscular, there was no fat at all, and the sharp abs had stimulated the viewer's lust.
Because of that, Castro had enjoyed her very much.
Vivian recalled the good old memories, hurriedly shook her head, and turned her eyes to reality.
Because in ten days, she had to board the carriage that Castro would send and head to the capital.
There was nothing special about going to the capital, but because of her demeanor, she received a lot of attention from nobles and royalty.
It was only natural, since they were gathering the expedition that was organized to defeat the Demon King.
Vivian. Castro. Aria. Isabel. Olivier.
Everyone except Adonis, and all the betrayers.