Will I End Up As a Hero or a Demon King (WN)

Chapter 168

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Chapter 168 – Take and Be Taken

I wonder how much time has passed since then.

Before I knew it, I was lying on the floor with my eyes looking up at the ceiling of the rocky surface.

Shaking my head slightly, I saw that the path was divided into three parts, and I knew that this was the room where the men who had entered first had slept.

Next to me was a large brown cloth that I believe was used as a bed sheet.

A woman with a large brown cloth wrapped around her body was looking at me anxiously. At some distance across from her was Ria, leaning against the wall with her knees in a strangely bent position.

But I couldn’t see any of the girls.

“Where are the children…”

I muttered to myself, but I was able to stand up immediately.

I was surprised that I could speak, albeit hoarsely, and the hunter next to me―Amalie-san―opened her mouth in surprise.

“Don’t push yourself yet. Although we’ve treated the poison and you’ve recovered, it seems the poison was quite strong, and with my and Estelle-san’s skills, we can only provide first aid.”

“Thank you. And the children―are they all safe?”

“Yes. There wasn’t much clothing here to give them, so Estelle-san and they are resting in the back room.”

“I see.”

I’m so glad… really…

If I had gotten myself into trouble through my own clumsiness, that would have been one thing, but if I had gotten others involved as well, there would be nothing I could do to make it up to them.

I’m afraid I’ll have to live with the consequences for the rest of my life, but when I heard that all the girls were safe, I felt a weight lifted from my heart.

Perhaps because she saw me breathing deeply and looking relieved, Amalie-san also smiled slightly and straightened her posture, and then she came to thank me.

“Thank you very much. If it had stayed like this, we-no, we would probably have been sold as slaves to another country along with those children. I will never forget your kindness.”

After saying this and looking at Ria for a moment, she bowed deeply, but I couldn’t really accept her words because I felt guilty that my naivety had almost killed them.

I couldn’t help but want to change the subject, scratching my cheeks and wondering why things had turned out this way.

When I asked Amalie-san about the whereabouts of the husband of the receptionist, Reimi-san, who I wanted to know about most this time, she told me the story, sometimes tearfully.

As a result, I learned that the two men from the party, Sefo-san, and Rozzo-san, had already passed away.

Unfortunately, I had already expected and prepared for this, as Ria’s Wide-Are Investigation hadn’t turned up any names.

If this were a hero, I suppose there would be a hero bonus, but I don’t have anything like that.

This is reality… I guess I’ll just have to accept it and report it honestly to the wife, Reimi-san.

“So you’re saying you were set up by the kidnappers here?”

“Yes. On the way to the hunt, we saw a carriage with many children overturned on the road… When we went to help, we felt a slight pain in our bodies, and soon after we were deprived of our freedom.”

“So you were stabbed by the slave children, just like me?”

“Yes. Sefo and my husband Rozzo. They were dragged into the woods a little off the road, and even though they were still conscious, they were…”

Is it because she is a hunter that her frustration is stronger than her sadness, or is it because she was surrounded by men who could be called her enemies?

I lose my words when I see Amalie-san clenching her teeth and trembling as she looks down.

I’m sure Amalie-san was watching the scene, unable to move, just like I was a moment ago.

She must have spent a considerable amount of time with her party companion and leader, Sefo-san, and her husband, Rozzo-san, who lost his life.

I remember the words of the false boss, Palm, who said that men are unnecessary.

If that’s the case, then the other party member, Wanze-san, must be hopeless as well…

“Are there any weapons here, like axes?”

“I think there are still some. They took everything that could be sold for money.”

“I understand. Can I talk to her alone?”

Saying this, I looked at Ria.

Just listening to her talk made my insides boil, but what am I supposed to do about the situation now?

If I don’t talk to Ria, who seems to be depressed, I won’t be able to move at all from now on.

After she nodded and watched Amalie-san go into the room where the children and Estelle-san were, I sat down next to Ria.

I sat in the same way because I had a lot to think about.

“Ria, I’m sorry. I said that I didn’t want to see you in that terrible state, but in the end, I wasn’t prepared enough… I’m really sorry for the trouble I caused you.”

“I’m sorry too. Even though I was careful not to touch them.”

“That’s because you tried to commit a crime so serious that even if you died 50,000 times it wouldn’t be enough, like trying to take off Ria’s clothes.”

“It’s the same with Rigal. I lost myself for a moment. I even went so far as to hurt someone who had lost his enmity.”

I wonder about that.

Feeril and Ril had an attitude of showing no mercy to anyone, monster or human if they had hostility or bad intentions.

I think that’s something they all share, but if they go so far as to take the lives of those who try to escape, I can’t help but feel that it’s against the rules of the gods to interfere with the lower world.

Or rather, I think she’s feeling down because she’s done something wrong.

But I think I must have lost my senses when I heard that angry voice.

Before Palm approached Ria, I think.

When I was stabbed and fell down…

“…Hey, was that because you were angry?”

“…Yes.”

“I see… then I want to thank Ria. Thank you.”

“…..Yeah.”

Although she was already looking down, she buried her face in her knees as she replied.

Well, it seems like we can have a conversation, so I guess it’s okay.

“…So, did you kill all the men?”

“I think there are a few left. I stopped when I heard the walls crumbling.”

“Understood. So, what do we do from here?”

There are a number of problems.

As Amalie-san said earlier, if there aren’t enough clothes, many of the girls will have to march into town naked.

Then there’s Ria.

The girls and the two hunters have all seen Ria slaughter the men with a power that humans would find incomprehensible.

Some of the men who survived may have been so horrified that it has become a trauma for them.

Well, aside from the men, how do I explain this to the girls and the two hunters?

“It’s pretty bad, isn’t it, keeping the women here in the dark about Ria’s existence?”

Then, as if she had already made up her mind, I heard a muffled voice from between her knees.

“Yes. That’s why I’m going to erase myself from everyone’s memory.”

“Huh?”

“Tamper with memories.”

“E-eeeehhhhh…”

Riste also looked into my memories.

It’s something that God would do, so I can only think that it comes naturally to them.

…I’m not sure if it’s safe according to the rules of the divine realm.

I can only pray that Felza-sama will let it pass.

And so, each of us decided to take action.

Ria returned to the divine realm once and then descended again with a skill called Soul Ring Magic, which looked quite terrifying.

As she descended, her bright red dress turned pure white without a single stain.

With an air as if she had turned over a new leaf, she walked to the room where the girls and the two hunters were.

I suppose Ria will perform the ‘treatment’ on their memories there.

On the other hand, after using Investigation to check the current situation, I went to the room where only the men were.

The closer I got, the worse the smell became, like a mixture of blood and ammonia.

My nose almost closed up, but when I returned to the room I came from, it was a scene of carnage that would make even a horror movie wince.

Needless to say, more than half of the room was painted red.

There were also a number of headless corpses lying on the floor, and I could hear some of them groaning.

I should have gotten used to seeing the insides of monsters after dismantling them, but still, this place is a little too much for me.

If it was me when I first came to this world, I’m sure I would have passed out in a second.

“(Phew~ I’ll have to look for a body with a head…)”

Using Presence Detection along with Investigation, I found that there were only four survivors in this room.

Two of them were buried in the middle of the pile of corpses and kept making small vibrations.

Do these men like to hide among the ‘people’?

I’m sure they’re desperately hiding and trembling, thinking that the footsteps coming towards this room are Ria.

And the other two who are not reacting much―ah, are they the first two who went too far?

The man with no jaw and the man with his eyes in the wrong place groaned as they were only treated for their bleeding wounds, which I guess Amalie-san and Estelle-san’s healing magic couldn’t fix.

Looks like we can leave them alone for now.

Well then…

I move the bodies that have piled up at the tip of the sword and call out to the two men who are crouching down, visibly frightened.

“I have a question for you two.”

“Hyieee! P-please stop! Please forgive me!”

“M-man…? Is that the mask you wear? W-woman! Is the woman from earlier not here?!”

It’s no wonder they’re confused, but they’re still annoying.

The girls, whether there are other companions, where the slaves are sold, and slave magic.

There are things the two hunters would not know, but these men might.

“She’s not here. And please be quiet, you’re annoying.”

“No, that’s not it! I was just following orders, it was Palm and Fonder who set this up! I wouldn’t touch those kids, and I only did the hunters three times!”

“H-hey mister! If you know that woman, please help me! I’ll do anything for you! As long as you can provide me with food, drink, and women, I’ll follow you for the rest of my life!”

“…..”

I instinctively picked up my sword in both hands and shoved it into each of the men’s mouths.

“Hahhh!!!

“Aagh… Aaaahh!!”

“If you don’t shut up, I’m going to shove this sword all the way down your throat. Or would you rather be flattened like that skinny guy and have your insides come out?”

“”…..””

I won’t hesitate anymore.

I’ve made up my mind, and most importantly, I’ve realized that by hesitating, I may lose more than necessary.

Just like Ria said.

This is the way of the world.

It’s not fair to always cling to the feelings of the earth.

But it’s not an excuse either, and there’s still the possibility that these men were slaves of the skinny man.

If that’s the case, their position would be the same as that of the girls and the two hunters.

From their words and actions, this possibility seems quite small, but even so, it’s not good to go ahead and do things on my own based on false accusations.

If I’m wrong, I’ll be nothing but a murderer.

So, let’s check first.

“It’s finally quiet.”

“”…..””

“Now, Slave Magic―I will make a slave contract with you.”

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