I Became the Burden of a Conscienceless Party

1 – Prologue

Prologue.

Tzzzt.

I lightly strike the match then light the demon realm tobacco.

How long has it been since I last smoked this?

I nod at the feeling permeating my five viscera and six bowels.

“Phew… Ah, yes. This is it.”

After a long drag I exhale slowly, wanting to savor this feeling as long as possible.

“Tch… What are you doing.”

“No, Lieutenant-nim. You shouldn’t say that. When you know just how much I’ve suffered…”

My name is Jim.

A soldier of the great Demon King.

An officer of the 5th Legion.

Yet here I am, not in the demon realm but the human realm, smoking away.

“What suffering, you just enjoyed yourself with women.”

“I… didn’t enjoy myself. Far from enjoying, do you know how dangerous of a tightrope walk I did just to protect myself among those women?”

Among the Demon King’s army, I have a relatively human-like appearance.

Because I’m a mixed-blood of human and demon.

Is that why? As I’m a rare mixed-blood soldier in the legion, our Legion Commander seemed to ponder how to best utilize me and made a harsh decision.

To infiltrate the hero’s party.

“Wasn’t it still good? I heard they were all pretty.”

“I used to think so too.”

I deeply inhaled the tobacco then answered with a scrunched expression.

“But a hero’s party… there wasn’t a single normal person there.”

Yet when I actually did it, it was not so.

As time passed I even wondered if the army was trying to kick me out, the mixed-blood. It was possible as even within the legion I was a despised existence.

“But I did try my best, didn’t I? You know that right?”

To infiltrate the hero’s party, some sob story was probably necessary I figured. So I acted a little.

My demands wouldn’t be rejected since it was an important mission.

First I made a village in the direction the hero moved. The aim was to make it seem like there was a village there before.

And as expected as I sat in the makeshift village of hastily assembled wood, the hero came searching.

-Wah… The forest monsters destroyed the village like this! I want revenge but I don’t have the strength! Please, hero-nim…! Please…!

Thanks to the information department’s work I already knew the hero had an upright personality.

The hero readily accepted my request and came back after defeating the hydra I had left in the forest along with his companions.

Seeing the hero and his comrades return covered in blood, I tried my luck with a frustrated expression and a stream of crocodile tears.

-Thank you, hero-nim. The villagers can rest in peace now.

-Ah, no. It was just the right thing to do.

-I see. To you it was just the right thing to do.

-Ah, I didn’t mean it like that…

-I’ve lost everything already. Hero-nim, please allow me to repay your kindness.

The kind hero couldn’t refuse the pitiful fully-grown man sobbing his eyes out.

And so I became the carrier in the hero’s party. Of course, I was stronger than the hero and his companions at that time.

I was Lieutenant Jim of the esteemed 5th Legion of the Demon King’s army.

Those worthless mobs struggling with a mere hydra were no issue.

With those thoughts, I infiltrated the hero’s party but soon saw hell.

-Bless! Get away!

-Kyaah!

The hero wasn’t our only enemy. No, the real enemy was actually someone else.

-Vile mortals dare!

The dragons.

Due to their unique arrogance and ferocity, the dragons were seen as a threat not just by demons but humans, elves, and dwarves too.

His Majesty probably left those worthless mobs alone to keep the dragons in check.

Normally with a common enemy you’re supposed to band together and fight, yet what’s with this?

The insane human bastards started inciting that demons couldn’t cooperate with them. More shocking was the dwarves and elves siding with the humans after falling perfectly for that incitement.

-Uwaaah!

Dragons are threatening beings.

At least for a demon soldier, you’d have to be a Captain-class officer to be able to 1v1 one and win.

And I realized something was terribly wrong when I saw the hero defeat such a monster.

-Argh!

It was fine against demons. They don’t truly attack me. Because of my assigned mission I just kept acting there too.

Even if they attacked me it wouldn’t be fatal.

Of course…

-Where do you think you’re going!

-Cough! A mere human…

-Jim-ssi! Are you okay?

They were all slaughtered by the hero. He had grown far too strong.

Not just the hero, but his companions too.

And I alone remained the same. In other words, a shrimp’s back breaking in a fight between whales.

The demons were acting but the dragons were lunatics trying to indiscriminately turn everyone into ashes.

Surviving while hiding I was a demon in that situation was difficult.

-Hero-nim.

-Yes, Jim-ssi! What’s the matter?

-I’m afraid this is the end of the line for me.

-Huh? What do you…

– I’m too weak to continue on this journey with you. I’ll surely only be a burden.

– But Jim-ssi is Jim-ssi. What more could you be?

– This isn’t about names.

– Oh dear.

– Anyway, I no longer have the confidence to travel together. Will you accept my resignation?

– What? I don’t want to.

Tzzzt!

The hero ripped up the resignation letter in front of me and grinned brightly.

Seeing that, I finally realized.

I thought the hero was a bit lacking, since he didn’t know how to doubt or suspect.

But I was wrong. That wasn’t naivety, it was madness.

– Jim-ssi will continue traveling with us from now on too.

– ……

– So don’t worry about anything, Jim-ssi. We’ll protect you no matter what happens.

She thought I wanted to quit out of inferiority.

The idea that I seemed physically inferior didn’t even occur to her as a reason.

Why? Because I’m a proud member of the glorious hero party.

Even if I said I wanted to quit out of fear, to her it would only sound like the porter’s lie to ultimately sacrifice himself for the party.

Seeing that bright smile, I decided to escape from here.

The hero may have a human shape but wasn’t a creature you could reason with.

“Even after that it took 3 months before I could escape somehow….”

I explained the situation and declared the mission a failure through secret communication with the Demon King’s army. Perhaps because I had accomplished some things, the Legion Commander also permitted the mission failure.

It was a decent haul for sacrificing a single lieutenant after all.

Anyway, that’s the situation until now where I successfully escaped by coordinating the timing to avoid the hero’s notice.

Of course the demon realm tobacco tastes sweet after going through all that suffering.

“Jim packed up everything right?”

“Yes. Now Lieutenant-nim just has to take me in as baggage.”

“Boring.”

“Ah, yes.”

“There’s nothing you forgot right?”

Since the escape succeeded without issues, as the soldiers packed my stuff the Lieutenant subtly asked.

I took all my personal belongings and anything that could serve as evidence.

And the continental situation I learned about through the hero party as well.

“By the way this is well made. Who knows, it might be enough to completely destroy the hero?”

“Well, if your assessment is factual then it certainly seems possible.”

I examined the corpse of the doppelganger made to replace me. The pained expression and blood-covered body were impressive.

What expression would the hero make when finding this, after refusing my resignation saying she would protect me no matter what happened?

“…….”

Just imagining it didn’t make me feel that good for some reason. Looks like I’ve been somewhat tainted after journeying together for almost 2 years. But it’s over now.

Now I can live my life.

“Oh right, Lieutenant-nim.”

It was when I raised my head after inspecting the doppelganger corpse made as my double.

“Hm?”

Slice!

The neck of one of the demon soldiers erasing traces around us flew off.

Frozen in shock for a moment at the sudden situation. Faster to grasp it than me, the Lieutenant drew his sword.

“Ambush!”

“Ah, found you. Jim-ssi, are you okay?”

Brilliant golden hair and green eyes sparkling like jewels.

In one hand she held a holy sword emanating a faint golden light.

The hero, Esmeralda.

She appeared with the same silly smile as always.

“…….”

The hero’s abilities had already vastly exceeded our expectations.

Even the Lieutenant would have trouble against the hero. The 5th Legion was more of an intelligence unit than combat to begin with. Aside from the Legion Commander there weren’t any particularly strong beings.

Shhk!

The demons encircling the hero were annihilated despite the encirclement, by the hero’s playful sword swings.

“This far huh.”

The Lieutenant clicked his tongue then immediately grabbed me by the collar.

“Come any closer and I’ll kill this guy! Hero, Esmeralda. You cherish your comrades right?”

“Lieutenant….”

“Shut up!”

Seeing me raise my head to look at the Lieutenant in this unexpected situation, he immediately shut my mouth forcefully and yelled.

‘You’re not one of us.’

‘….!’

There was no chance of victory. It was a covert unit just to get me out so expecting any combat ability was hopeless.

Seeing me caught by the Lieutenant, the hero Esmeralda furrowed her brow but then halted there.

“hehehe, well done. Drop your holy sword immediately. Or else this guy’s neck and body will bid farewell to the heavens and earth?”

“…….”

The hero let the holy sword fall to the floor. The intel that she cherished her comrades was factual. Perhaps using this the Lieutenant could defeat the hero.

“Now kick it over here.”

“Mmmph!”

“I told you to shut up!”

No, the sword can’t be sent over here.

Does the Lieutenant not know? The traits of the holy sword? That can’t be.

Perhaps to not reveal my relationship, the Lieutenant didn’t let me speak.

Thump.

The hero kicked the holy sword and it rolled right in front of the Lieutenant.

And then I could finally understand the Lieutenant’s intention.

“…….”

A grim expression, steeled for death.

Seeing the holy sword, the Lieutenant seemed to grit his teeth and spoke in a voice only I could hear.

“Survive. That’s how you win on the battlefield.”

Stab!

The moment those words ended, the holy sword on the floor moved as if possessing a will of its own and pierced the Lieutenant’s heart in one strike.

“Ah….”

The Lieutenant who had been grabbing me lost strength and collapsed just like that.

He died to hide me.

In case I was left behind and suspected of colluding with the demons.

He made me an utter victim unable to even consider that.

Damn it.

To die for a mere subordinate… No, he was a lifelong soldier.

Since we would all die anyway, he just chose the path to save even one person.

“Phew, that was close.”

The hero, Esmeralda, approaches me with the same smile as always.

Yes, the silly looking grin.

I shudder seeing the hero smiling covered in blood.

“But don’t worry. The demons have all been defeated. Let’s return to the tent now, shall we? Jim-ssi.”

The blood-covered hand reaching for me.

I could only grab it.