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

Chapter 227

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Chapter 227 – Unwritten Rule

A crowd of onlookers slowly approached belatedly.

I sat on the ground, barely noticing the scene.

Clap, clap, clap…

The sound of one person clapping spread and spread until, before I knew it, half-hearted applause was ringing out all around me.

“That was amazing! I never expected you to take it down by yourself in the end.”

“It wasn’t just me; it was everyone.”

“Haha, of course. But you did the most. We were waiting for the right moment to join in, but your attack was so fierce that we couldn’t get in.”

“I thought you could have joined in at any time. By the way, why did you try to let the melee group die? Can you tell me why?”

“I didn’t let them die! Like I said, everyone was waiting for the right moment. I was surprised when you defeated it.”

“Why did you skip the third stage of the break, which was already poorly managed?”

“…It was because I judged that with a small elite force, there was no need for a break. I told you beforehand that I would decide the timing of the break, didn’t I?”

“You felt it wasn’t necessary in that situation. That’s an astonishing judgment. But if that’s the reason, why weren’t any attack spells being used? Because you didn’t call for a break, the mages couldn’t do their jobs, and their already poor efficiency dropped even further.”

“…Th-That’s because your movements were poor! You didn’t move swiftly. You didn’t watch your back, and you bunched up in one direction. In such a high-risk situation for friendly fire, how could I possibly order the mages to cast spells?”

“I never expected someone who stood motionless on the stage from the start to the end of the battle to use the word ‘swift.’ By the way, we couldn’t move quickly because no one cast healing or cooling spells from the third stage onwards. What excuse do you have for that?”

“It’s not an excuse! I moved them back because the front line was too risky. That’s the only reason. I prioritized the rear guard’s lives over the frontline’s! I’m sure I made that clear to you!”

“But the unreliable frontline defeated the boss this time, so now you’re in a real bind, aren’t you?”

“Ugh… I’ll make sure you get your fair share of the spoils, so don’t nitpick the details. Don’t ruin the mood of victory. Let’s stay positive for next time, okay?”

That’s impressive. If he had at least pretended to hesitate about the reward, there might have been a glimmer of hope. But the fact that he’s considering giving a reward at all is astonishing.

The fact that no one else is calling him out on it is terrifying.

However, he’s holding up pretty well.

He’s desperately trying to cover up his flaws.

The short-tempered beastman next to him is also holding back. His face is red, even for a beastman. Maybe they’re both wary because I’m from another world.

In that case…

“The reward isn’t just for me, is it? What about him over there?”

“Of course! He was out of the fight halfway through, but that can’t be helped. We agreed on this rule beforehand, so we’ll divide the reward properly. That’s the rule.”

“And him too, right?”

When I look at the man with no right arm, he immediately denies it.

“He’s dead, so it’s impossible.”

“Why is he dead? He fought until the very end. Even then, he withdrew from the front lines because it was too dangerous.”

“If he’s dead, then Varakan must have killed him. The rule of defending the front lines is an absolute priority for melee classes. I don’t care about the fate of those who couldn’t follow that rule.”

“But the body is still here. Unfortunately, the bodies here are all gone. That’s because the dragon living in that pillar consumes the bodies, leaving nothing behind. It never lets out its breath. Yet you determined that Grom-san, lying there in the same way, is alive and that the man who lost his right arm is dead. You don’t care about the outcome? That’s strange.”

“What are you trying to say?”

He took the bait—or so I thought—but his mind remained calm.

“You are… ah, one of the rear guards who was running behind the man who lost his right arm. The one who uses wind magic. Moreover, after entering the third stage, you leaned against the wall and chatted with the person with pink hair next to you.”

“Eh…?”

“What… why…!”

“Well, I thought everyone was slacking off, but you were the worst. As a Wind Magic user, you kept your distance from the boss more than anyone else. Even when the battle situation changed, you didn’t try to adjust your position. Your laziness was so extreme that I was shocked. What kind of life did you live to become like that?”

“Y-You brat!”

“Merin.”

“But because of this brat, everything’s a mess! Because there are still melee fighters left, our share will be reduced. We should have killed them all quickly.”

“Merin, stop it!”

Ah.

I must be pulling a really ugly face because I quickly rub my cheeks and try to fix my expression.

“Oh dear, I’m sorry for interfering with your plan. Use the melee fighters as disposable units to reach the third stage. Then, let them take as much damage as possible before starting the ‘real battle.’ Have the Break Guy and the Pet act as the vanguard with a few people, and use the magic you’ve been saving to attack from angles where you won’t hit your allies. As the lazy Queen Merin kindly pointed out, you can increase the reward per person with the remaining number of people after letting the melee classes die. Low effort, high reward—that’s the secret strategy for melee classes, right? I learned that on the day of the member selection that the ‘real battle’ starts in the third stage.”

At this remark, all eyes turn to one woman.

I didn’t say it was anyone in particular.

“N-no… I don’t know anything about that! I never said anything about ‘unwritten rules’! I kept quiet after that, too!”

Hearing those words, I felt a pang of regret.

My heart grew colder and colder.

She was the only person I wondered about—how much did she know?—but in the end, she was involved too.

“Hey, there’s nothing we can do now.”

“…”

“If we let him go knowing what he knows, we won’t be able to continue as hunters, let alone participate in the next one.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

“We have no choice but to kill him. Him and that other guy, too.”

…Not just me, but Grom-san too, even though he’s asleep.

This is hopeless.

They don’t seem to have the slightest intention of atoning for their crimes. I should at least try, though.

I don’t know if everyone wants to kill me. I can’t tell who’s good and who’s bad, so I need to find out.

“Just to be clear, If you are unaware of the ‘unwritten rules,’ or if you have committed any previous crimes and wish to turn yourself in and atone for your sins, please drop your weapons here and proceed to the exit.”

“…”

“In ten seconds, if you remain here, I will consider you an ‘enemy’ who refuses to admit your crimes and intends to kill me.”

“What happens if I’m judged to be an enemy?”

“If you are an enemy, I will kill you all.”

“Then there’s no need to wait ten seconds!”

Bang!

That was fast.

I had expected him to charge at me like a rocket, building up momentum, but I still couldn’t react in time.

Even without weapons, his firepower is much higher than I expected.

He’s completely different from Eino-san, the dagger user I fought in the B-rank promotion battle; his only strength is his speed.

So, this is an estimated A-rank beastman.

Beastmen have higher physical abilities than humans, which is why there aren’t many mercenary organizations in human-populated countries.

They can’t match beastmen in terms of growth.

When I heard the explanation, I thought, “Is that all there is to it?” But now, I can’t help but nod in agreement.

This is definitely the fastest speed I’ve ever seen, except for the gods.

Then why is he doing this?

If he fought bosses properly or focused on hunting, he could earn a decent amount of money, so it feels wasteful.

“Exploding Strike!”

“Ugh…”

“Flying Wild Kick!”

“Guh…”

What a strange skill.

Is it unique to him, or does it have something to do with his occupation?

I’ll find out once I take down this beastman, but I have to hold on a little longer.

Probably just a little longer.

“Uraaaah! Fang Palm Strike! I’ve got him pinned down! Everyone who’s ready, fire!”

My body pounds against the hard ground as I roll toward the rock wall.

Damn it!

The last claw scratch left my face throbbing in pain.

I’m covered in blood, dripping so much that it’s more than just a few drops.

But I’ve recovered enough to fire two more shots, and my position is perfect.

Finally—

“Aaah… How was it?”

“Everyone’s pitch black.”

“Got it. Thanks, Ria.”

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