It Seems That the Demon King Is Among the Members of the Hero’s Party

4. Sarsia’s Insight

“I’ve won again!”

“………….”

The 15th challenger had reached their limit and collapsed onto the table. The men around them were accustomed to this scene, clearing the way with ease. As usual, she was unbeatable in drinking contests.

I thought I’d wait until the drinking contest was over, but seeing the endless stream of challengers, I decided to talk to Sasha.

“Sasha!”

“Hey, it’s Kyle! What’s up?”

She finally noticed my presence and waved at me with a smile, her cheeks flushed from drinking. Her tone was lighthearted and carefree, which wasn’t unusual for her, even when she wasn’t drinking.

“Do you have a minute to talk?”

“Hmm? You sound serious. Should we find a different spot?”

“That would be helpful.”

“Got it. Barkeep! We’ll take the room on the second floor!”

Sasha called out to the bartender, who responded with a casual “okay.”

I hurriedly followed her as she stood up and headed towards the stairs.

“You’re quite used to this, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, sometimes customers get drunk and rowdy here. That’s why I like to drink alone in a room.”

“I see.”

She seemed to sense my skepticism and smiled wryly.

“I think you’ve heard rumors about me. That’s why I have them reserve a room on the second floor, so I don’t cause any trouble.”

“I see.”

What kind of notorious reputation did she have? As a brave party member, was it good or bad? No, it was definitely bad.

The bartender knew about her terrible drinking habits, after all.

As I watched her climb the stairs, I wondered how she could fit so much liquor into her petite body.

I’d seen her drinking contests multiple times, but I’d never seen her lose.

“This room, okay?”

We reached the room at the end of the second floor. The furniture consisted of a bed, desk, and chair.

She entered the room with an air of familiarity, sat down, and leaned her cheek on the desk, smiling.

“So, what’s on your mind?”

“I wanted to discuss something with you, Sasha.”

“Oh, Kyle rarely seeks my advice. This is unusual.”

Sasha laughed cheerfully.

I didn’t mean to discuss party matters, like the demon king joining us.

I wanted to ask her about magic, since she was knowledgeable about it.

“It’s about Dal’s magic.”

Sasha’s face, which had been smiling just moments ago, suddenly tensed up.

She stopped leaning on the desk and tapped her forehead several times with her right index finger, a gesture that seemed slow and deliberate.

I felt a pang of anxiety in my stomach, more than I had expected.

“Do you think Darl isn’t a demon, Kyle?”

Sasha’s gaze pierced through me, and my body stiffened.

As expected, she’s clever. She seemed to understand what I wanted to say with just a few words.

When Mirabel told me that the demon king was among us, I was the first to suspect Darl, the thief.

We had been summoned by the country and formed a brave party, but I didn’t know anything about Darl.

The other members had heard of her name, but Darl was a complete unknown. None of us knew anything about her.

Even so, we didn’t pay much attention to it and continued our adventure. But after Mirabel’s words, Darl’s past started to look suspicious.

And the biggest problem was Darl’s magic.

We only recently discovered that she could use magic. She’s not as skilled as Sasha, but she can use multiple types of magic. The problem is the attribute she uses.

Darl’s magic attributes are ‘fire’ and ‘darkness’.

There are seven magic attributes in total, but humans can only use up to six. The remaining one has never been used by anyone in the past or present.

───Only demons can use ‘darkness’ attribute magic.

That’s the common sense among magic users.

This alone is enough to make me suspect that she’s not a demon. The possibility that she’s the demon king is high, I thought.

I consulted Sasha to confirm that my knowledge about the darkness attribute wasn’t wrong.

Her reaction told me that I wasn’t mistaken.

“Yes, only demons can use darkness attribute magic.

It’s understandable that you’re worried, Kyle. Even I was surprised when a demon disguised as a guide attacked us recently.”

“I trust Darl.

I don’t want to investigate, but her past and suspicious parts are starting to show.

I don’t want to doubt her, but…”

I couldn’t continue speaking. Sasha laughed at me, her eyes fixed on my face.

Taken aback by her unexpected reaction, she leaned back and said, “Don’t worry, I understand.”

“Darl does use darkness attribute magic.

As for why, I think you should ask her directly.”

“What do you mean?”

“Why don’t you ask her yourself? I think she’ll tell you.”

“………….”

“Don’t worry, Darl is trustworthy. There’s just a little something going on. She loves you and your friends dearly.”

Sasha smiled softly.

It seems she has no intention of telling me. She’s saying I should ask Darl directly.

If the wise Sasha says so, it can’t be wrong.

At least, after talking to her, the anxiety in my heart has disappeared. I should talk to Darl directly…

───Darl is probably a demon, or maybe a half-demon. Even so, Sasha has judged that she’s not a threat.

I can believe her.

If Sasha were the demon king, she would completely deceive me, but I want to believe in her kind smile.

Even if the demon king were to peek into Sasha’s heart, all they would see is my concern that Darl might not be a demon due to her use of darkness attribute magic.

The fact that only demons can use darkness attribute magic is common knowledge among those with magical knowledge, and it’s enough to warrant caution.

I don’t think anyone would suspect that there’s a demon king among our party.

Looking back, I thought it was unlikely that Daru was the Demon King.

It’s hard to believe that a cunning Demon King would use magic that would make them suspected by the demon tribe, even if they could read minds and blend in with their companions.

I felt a bit relieved.

“Ah, someone’s to blame for sobering me up.”

I said this, but I didn’t look like I was blaming anyone. Instead, I had an expectant gaze.

“Sorry about that. If you’re fine with it, I’ll join you for a cup.”

“I’ve been waiting!”

As soon as I replied, they pulled out a large wine bottle from under the table and slammed it down.

I thought I only said I’d have one cup…

They had already prepared wine glasses, and they poured wine into my cup with a flourish.

Sasha, who seemed to be enjoying herself, poured me a drink, and I ended up downing it in one go.

“Wow, you’re a great drinker! I can’t lose to you!”

“What’s the competition about?”

After finishing my drink, I saw them pour wine into my cup again, and I let out a sigh, thinking this was going to be a long night.