I Picked Up the Abandoned Hero

3 – 3. Traitors are welcome

I tried to evade the chase by taking advantage of the torrential rain.

However, the pursuer continued the pursuit without hesitation even in the rainy season of the notorious Devil’s Forest, the elite soldiers of the demon lord’s subjugation army who had gone through all the battles.

As a result, he was caught up shortly after leaving the castle.

“…Please. Please pretend that you did not see me. I still have work to do.”

Still, they were once sang of victory together.

Although he was chased and chased now, Arcel did not want to bleed with his former comrades.

She confronts her knights, aiming a rusty sword.

Has her sincerity been conveyed even a little bit?

Some of the knights always fought to protect themselves on the battlefield, and the strength of the hand holding the sword did not go into the figure of Arcel, the warrior who subdued the demon king.

“Have no sympathy, that girl is no longer a warrior or a hero, but an evil witch.”

However, the knight in the front did his duty.

I took the lead in fronting her to win the hearts of her hesitant men and allow them to be with her non-human sword.

“Your Majesty has commanded us not to be seduced by the witch’s words, and has also forbidden her conversation with the witch. Our mission is to return with that witch’s head.”

“Sir Karcal…”

A knight like that also praised the brave in the past.

A brave and loyal sword that faced demons on the battlefield without any fear.

The sword is now pointed at him.

Chaeeng!

Arsel and the knight’s sword collided, and the result appeared immediately.

Clang!

In terms of swordsmanship, Arcel was at the top, but since the condition of the sword was not good from the beginning, it was destroyed with just one piece.

“…”

“It’s over.”

I saw the tip of a knife in front of my eyes.

To think that the sword that cut down the enemy together was pointed at you again.

Arcel deeply lamented how he had come to be in this situation.

If you continue to fight here, even if you win, you will take the lives of those knights.

If I had been in good health, I would have been able to subdue him without taking his life, but I can’t afford that right now.

On the contrary, standing still like this continues to excruciating pain as if burning my chest.

I’d rather give up this worthless life.

But he couldn’t even die.

Arcel bit his lip, suppressing the pain in his body and mind.

I don’t want them to get hurt or die.

However, victory requires sacrifice.

It was time for Arcel to close his eyes and make up his mind.

“That’s amazing, why are you wearing such heavy armor in the rain like this? Aren’t you embarrassed? It must be difficult to walk around because of the mud.”

“This voice is…”

There was someone who looked down from the sky and admired it.

In a tense situation where blood may spill, his voice clearly erased the tension that filled the surroundings.

“Everything, Captain…! Look at the sky!”

“You are-“

The knights were shocked by the unexpected appearance.

I know very well that the Devil’s Castle is in the Devil’s Forest.

I also know that even if the demon king is subdued, it is still dangerous because there are many terrible monsters around.

But originally, demons should no longer be here.

The demons who remained after the war scattered all over the country after the demon king fell, and even the demons who were still in power did not show any interest in the territory of the defeated anymore.

But why does the author remain?

He was calmly looking down at the ground with an umbrella on.

The knights are physically and mentally exhausted after continuing the chase for several days.

“Satan Alfred…!”

Therefore, his intervention, which was nicknamed Satan due to his notoriety among the demons, was like lightning in the dry sky.

I wonder if the church insisted that the overthrow of the devil should take precedence over the devil.

Only five national leaders were killed by his hand, and even the Pope was killed by his hand.

In terms of direct damage, it was more than the demon king.

Of course, since I was a subordinate of the Demon King, there must be a Demon King behind everything.

That doesn’t mean you can take it lightly.

“What is Satan to a person who has lived an honest life? You guys definitely like giving them strange nicknames.”

Alfred came down to the ground with a puzzled look on his face.

Then, even though there are knights with swords drawn in front of them, they are not wary of them at all and shake off the rainwater from their clothes.

That act was incomprehensible even to the knights in the confrontation.

How can you be so open-minded even with an enemy right in front of you?

“First of all, let’s make a claim to each other, the trees you cut down here or the protected monsters you killed. How are you going to compensate for these-“

“What are you doing! Look ahead!”

“Why is the front all of a sudden?”

Suddenly!

“Alfred…!”

A skilled knight will never miss that opportunity.

Alfred was decapitated in an instant, and Arcel belatedly ran to it, but it was already too late.

A gap seen on the battlefield would lead to death, and capturing such an opponent’s gap was also the same as a knight’s basic knowledge.

“f*ck off the defeated and surrendered fiends, I can’t afford to spend time with you guys right now.”

Since the knights also dealt with the demons that were in the way, they wanted to carry out their purpose of coming here.

Leaving behind Alfred whose head had disappeared, he aimed his sword at Arcel again.

That was the knight’s big mistake.

Chin!

“What?!”

A hand stretched from behind landed on his shoulder.

The knight turned to look behind him, greatly embarrassed.

“Speech, nonsense…”

Only then does he realize his mistake.

“… Plus the fact that he cut off his head after all. Are you still a knight? That guy also fought 6-1 in a mean way, but he didn’t surprise you?”

To turn your back on the enemy on the battlefield.

This was a bigger gap than anything else.

Alfred holds the knight’s shoulder with one hand and puts the severed head back on his neck with the other.

No one was surprised by the sight.

†††

This is so strange.

Why do humans always attack me when they see me, even though I always try to resolve it through dialogue?

What have I done?

Just now, I didn’t threaten anything, but I cut my throat out of nowhere.

Those who claim to fight for peace are actually trying to resolve things in the most unpeaceful way.

Why?

I think there is no more peaceful means than meeting mutual interests and reaching an agreement through dialogue.

But why are they attacking all the time?

Or do the humans just like to fight?

It’s a reasonable enough idea when you think of your mother.

“Does it seem very easy when people say it nicely?”

“Kuh…! A sword with bare hands?!”

Kwajik!

Then you have to make it impossible to fight.

If you want to go to war, just take away the weapons you need for war.

The only weapon they have is a sword.

Then if you take the sword, you won’t be able to fight.

I approached slowly so as not to feel threatened and smashed all the other knights’ swords.

“What are you doing! Why don’t you attack that demon?!”

“Mo, my body doesn’t move…!”

Still, everyone didn’t attack me anymore, probably knowing that I had no intention of fighting.

As expected, the upper part is usually the problem in this case.

“Let’s get rid of the thing that just cut my head with this. Didn’t I say swords are pretty expensive these days because of the rise in steel prices? If it was a knight, it would be a low salary, but if you want to buy a new one, you will have to work hard.”

I smiled kindly and patted the youngest-looking knight on the shoulder.

“…Be careful when you go back? In the rainy season, beasts that were asleep during the dry season start to open their eyes.”

“Ugh…”

Oh, I was just paying attention, so why is my complexion turning so blue?

Did you knock too hard?

I have some confidence in controlling my power…

“Anyway, if you don’t want to see each other’s blood, let’s end it here. Normally, I wouldn’t do such a thing, but I feel great today! That’s why I’ll let you go alive without asking any more responsibility!”

“What are you talking about, you devil! You dare to show mercy on your own right now!”

“Yeah, I had a guest I could talk to after a long time. Usually, when they see me, they attack first, but this time it wasn’t like that.”

“?!”

I’ll disarm you. I approached Arcel.

Let’s see, there doesn’t seem to be any particular injuries.

I was worried that I didn’t get a cut, but I’m glad I did.

Women were very reluctant to have scars on their bodies.

“You are amazing too. Aren’t you cold? It rains like this.”

“No, now let them go first-“

Ah, that’s right.

Although Arcel is also Arcel, we must slowly return the alien species that invaded other people’s houses.

“…The rumors seem to be true, that you, once a glorious hero, joined hands with the demons.”

But it seems that the knight who cut my throat earlier has something to say.

Not to me, but to Arcel.

Looks like he’s an acquaintance of Arcel.

“That’s not it! I just wanted to stop the indiscriminate slaughtering of demons-!”

“Shut up! You disgusting traitor! Fighting on the same battlefield as a witch like you is just shameful enough that I’d rather die! Killing colleagues who have been together for decades in such a brutal way…! How could you do something like that even wearing a human mask…”

But aren’t they really close?

That article wasn’t like that at first, but now it’s very dark, not only very hostile, but even murderous.

A hatred so thick that I could see it with my own eyes was directed at Arcel.

“Oh no…! That’s not what i did! By the time I open my eyes…”

“Busssing! Then what was the blood on the sword I was holding in my hand!”

“The one who killed them… I…”

On the contrary, Arcel was about to get worse than before.

My eyes were trembling with anxiety, my lips were biting to the point of bleeding, and I only stared at the floor.

It is similar to how I was scolded by my mother when I did something wrong.

Is that why?

I was just trying to make myself feel bad.

“The conversation ends here.”

In the first place, this isn’t even a conversation.

One side only pushes forward.

“What…! Put it down right now!”

I flew into the sky holding Arcel in my arms.

Arcel’s body, felt by her hands, was very cold.

It seems that the reason why the body trembles is not just a psychological reason.

“It’s okay, don’t drop it. I dropped it a few times at first, but now I’m used to carrying people and flying. How can I cast flight magic on you?”

“Oh, no… It’s not like that…”

Even when he kidnapped a princess by order of the demon king, he always ran away like this.

I fly so high in the sky that people look like ants, and the princesses, who were initially rebellious, quietly hug me tightly.

Even if you say you don’t like it, do you think your body is honest?

Humans don’t seem to be very honest.

“Anyway, what are those humans looking for you for? During the rainy season here, even the demon king hid himself in the corner of the room and didn’t think of coming out.”

“…”

Arcel didn’t answer.

I don’t think there’s a specific reason I want to say.

When I climbed quite high, I looked down and saw that the knight was still glaring at Arcel.

Have you ever taken money away?

“Anyway, after hearing the story, I heard that you are a traitor.

“…Yes, I betrayed them. There will be no place left that will allow me.”

Arcel lowered his head with a bitter expression.

“Then how about staying at my house for a while? If you look at the hand, humans won’t be able to find it easily. I will also welcome you.”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden? Why are you nice to me I killed your king But why-“

You say that again.

“I also killed many human kings, right? 4 People? Also, I said I didn’t like the Demon King. I mean, I wanted to take him off the throne and throw him into the mud.”

I am rather grateful for killing the demon king.

I killed their respective kings as well.

And above all.

“Besides, you saved my life, my mother told me not to forget it if I am indebted. You can think of this as repaying the favor that saved me.”

I learned that grace is to repay.

I think there has never been a better time to repay the favor than now.

“Is that so… can you consider that kind of grace as well?”

Arsel’s expression seemed to improve a little as he answered.

It was still dark, but at least not to the point where you couldn’t see under your feet.

“And I am a traitor like you. The demons call me a traitor to the demons. Even humans call you a traitor. Is this the first time you feel this kind of kinship?”

“That’s right, you betrayed the demon lord, and I…”

Huh? Suddenly, Arcel’s expression turned bad again.

It’s probably best to hold back until we arrive.

“…Is it really okay for you to stay with me?”

“It’s okay, being alone in that big castle is lonely and lonely. Wouldn’t it be great if you had someone to talk to?”

I tried to keep my mouth shut, but he answered that question.

To be honest, I was pretty lonely too.

I hate it terribly, but the castle was quite noisy when the Demon King was alive.

But now, if I don’t speak, there will be only silent silence, and even if I do, there is no answer.

That’s as disgusting as dying.

But with Arcel, the story is different.

The eyes to see, the ears to hear, and the mouth to speak will not be bored.

“Okay. Then I will take care of you for the time being.”

At last, Arcel’s expression brightened again.

I don’t know what you’re thinking, but if it gets better, it’ll be fine.

“At this point, it’s okay to be indebted to you for the rest of your life.”

I don’t think I’ll have to talk to mirrors or corpses anymore, so it was great.