I Was in Charge of Scouting for the Hero’s Party

19. Human relationships, milestones in life

“So, is that all?”

“…As far as I know… This is the best…”

Defal, who dutifully answered my question, nodded with tears in his eyes.

Summarize what Defal said.

First, it was the demon king and his staff, not Argyle, who ordered the raid of the supply unit.

With this, it can be seen that the communication line between Argyle and the Demon King’s main force has not yet been cut off.

Second, there are still some left in the 7th Legion in Argyle with the Lompalia Raiders. A speed-oriented unit composed of hobgoblins riding lycanthropes and hellhounds.

Perhaps the four lycanthropes that Royman dealt with at the beginning of the forest were also members of Depal’s raiding party.

The reason why I brought the Living Armor this time is that monsters that are a bit tougher seem more suitable for attacking the hero party.

Third, and most important, is Argyle making another cyborg? It was a question.

“So, don’t you know that?”

“I… I really don’t know! Even I do not know everything the Creator does!”

Royman’s flail and barbed whip were pointed at him again and again, but the words that came out of Depal’s mouth were the same.

…He says he doesn’t know, what can he do?

After I heard the answer, while I was quietly thinking, Defal looked at me and asked me.

“By the way… You bastard- No, didn’t you come out of the warrior party? Why would you ask something like that…”

“Ah… That?”

Come to think of it, Depal was right.

It’s not really my business whether or not Argyle made another synthetic human after leaving the warrior’s party.

Nevertheless, the question is just…

“I was just asking out of curiosity?”

Depal, who heard my answer, put on a dumbfounded expression for a moment, then asked back in a puzzled tone.

“……What?”

“No, why… Can’t I just ask out of curiosity? Honestly, the cyborg that Argyle made herself is either damn handsome or damn pretty, so how can you resist wondering if he’ll be making another one.”

“Until now…for just that reason, such threats and humiliation…”

To be honest, I really didn’t just ask out of curiosity.

First of all, neither Argyle nor the Demon King has a friendly relationship with me, and even Argyle was originally the one I wanted to kill.

Isn’t it foolish to stay still in a situation where information about the enemy can be extracted?

In the first place, it’s something that Argyle might do to us at the point of capturing Depal.

However, I didn’t bother to explain this reason to Depal.

Apparently, Depal knew what to do with Argyle with the information I heard from her and persevered.

“No… Why did I not answer this far? What about pride? I wanted to.”

“…Whoops… God damn it…”

“Okay… Then. Let’s stop talking about this.”

“Who is saying to stop at will! Because of you How much ugliness…”

Leaving behind the whining of the depal, I turned my attention to the campfire.

“Now all that’s left is you, Depal.”

“…What are you talking about again?”

“What are you talking about? It means that the punishment against you is still pending.”

With his eyes still on the bonfire, he took out the dagger he was wearing on his thigh and held it in his right hand.

“Hey… Hey… I did as I was told…”

“Uhm… But, it wasn’t particularly important information to me.”

“That kind of forced…!”

To be honest, even at the time of the capture, after extracting the information from Depal, it was intended to be taken to Cologne and handed over to the lord.

That was the original purpose in the first place, and leaving it alone would only endanger my life, and it was unlikely that Deval would change his mind from Argyle and join our party.

But… Well.

Is that so?

From an objective point of view, Depal, who Argyle is said to have made with all her might, was quite a beauty.

Let’s imagine if I tied this depal tightly and handed it over to the lord.

You’ll be in a better position if you get your neck cut cleanly.

If you don’t kill him, but let him live, what will happen to the depal?

I haven’t heard rumors that the lord is horny, but at least I don’t think he’ll leave such a pretty prisoner alone.

…No matter how much I think about it, I can only see a future where I will die miserably after being eaten as a concubine or a s*x slave.

Even if you think on the positive side, wouldn’t it be like a maid cleaning up sh*t in the stable?

Even though it’s not my business whether Depal becomes rice cake or rice cake, that’s a bit…

“…Senior.”

At that time, Robin, who was lying side by side with Princess Alexis in the tent watching us, sneaked up next to me.

“Uh, why?”

“Do I have to… Kill him?”

“…Well. You know what will happen if you capture them alive and hand them over?”

Wouldn’t it be better to be killed than to be handed over as a prisoner?

Even though he knew what I meant, Robin’s eyes looked sad for some reason.

Is it because seeing Depal’s situation abandoned by Argyle reminded him of memories from the past?

“…Now it’s not like when I was in the Ranger, Robin.”

“I know, senior. But…”

“Stop. Because I know.”

I looked away from Robin and met Depal’s eyes.

“Whoa… Depal.”

“Are you going to… Kill me?”

“I will give you a choice.”

I sat down in front of Depal, who was making an expression that he did not understand even after hearing my words.

“If I hand you over to the lord like this, you probably won’t see anything good. Even if you’re lucky enough to survive… I honestly don’t know what will happen. It probably won’t end well.”

“…”

“…I want to respect your opinion. I don’t have a personal grudge, I just received a request to kill or capture you and bring you back alive.”

After hearing my words, Depal mumbled his mouth at me for a moment, then shook his head.

“I hope you understood what I meant.”

– Piercing

The cries of grass insects that resounded quietly in the night air broke through the heavy atmosphere.

“Has the creator… abandoned me?”

“…Well. Seeing as how much time has passed and you can’t even poke your nose… I don’t think Argyle is trying to save you.”

“…Emotions are definitely something you shouldn’t have.”

Saying that, Depal lifted his head and met my gaze.

“It’s because I… was a failure…”

The wet eyes and trembling voice.

“…Defal.”

“Because I was a failure… I couldn’t fill his bowl…!”

It’s a failure.

– You’re a failure, Austin. Get off very Don’t even think about setting foot in the ranger again.

“…A failure, I mean.”

I laugh out loud.

“I gave my all to him… I did my job with his life…!!”

– I want to live as a human being, Captain. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life just killing things like a machine, without any emotion whatsoever.

– …I don’t know who cheated on you. Is it Ranbert? Robin? No, all the bastards you were with had useless thoughts, so you must have been the cause.

Because wanting to look around the world was a lie.

A failure. A word that once referred to me.

And this time… The words this sinful woman is carrying.

Because I know how heavy the weight of that word is.

“…I don’t think so, Depal.”

I held out my hand to her.

“…I’m not even human, but… I’m a human-like, ugly being.”

“What, how is that?”

What is this emotion?

This feeling… I’ve felt it before.

I think it was when Robin said he would leave Ranger.

“Depal. Do you think you are not human? You’re welcome.”

Depal told me that ‘you shouldn’t have feelings’.

In that case, I’ll break that idea.

“Emotions and intellect are the exclusive property of humans, Depal. If you don’t know that yet…”

Depal just kept her mouth wide open, looking up at me with her eyes wide open.

“Just accept it. No one thinks of you as an outsider. You are a human being too, and you deserve to accept your emotions.”

The one who creates humans and orders them to behave as non-human monsters is not a creator.

It was Argyle who planted the emotion in the first place.

Perhaps by now, for a failure, they’d be happy to say that it’s been used and thrown away.

Perhaps, from the time I confirmed the emotional fragment from Depal, I was already thinking about making the next doll.

He’s the one to rip and kill.

Depal must have kept those feelings locked deep in his heart and quietly did what he had to do.

Because she told her, she had nothing but Argyle.

But, if that place has already disappeared. If the home to return to is gone.

“You’ve worked hard for a while, Depal.”

I will gladly give you a new home.

The sight of the rope touching the sharp blade of the dagger falling powerlessly, as if the cores in Depal’s heart were falling one by one.

“…I meant to kill him. You were a human too.”

When the rope was untied, Depal, who was accidentally freed, looked at me with a bewildered face.

“This… What is this…”

“I screamed loudly to be freed earlier, but now that I let it go, I can’t do anything.”

A word was enough for such a Depal.

“From now on, live on your own terms, Depal.”

As if to show off Argyle, while giving a f*ck.

“That’s it.”

Defal, who heard me, hugged me tightly and started to cry.