“..!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
One of Kyle's arms flew off as the sword slashed. The remaining of the pair was also blown away in the rigidity of the pain.
“Kyle!!!”
Graveliya came, jabbing her spear.
The speed was fast, but the target was not slow either.
In the motion of flow, I avoided the spear, and skillfully grabbed the spear. Graveliya opened her eyes wide in surprised.
In response, I naturally kicked on her stomach and made her roll on the floor.
“..!!!!”
Kyle howled, with his facial muscles becoming bestial.
I just slapped him on the neck.
We don't need this dumb cub for now.
“Damn this sh!t!”
Graveliya, who was sent rolling on the floor, injected her strength into her legs as soon as she stood up and swung her fist.
Commendable. The courage to wield her bare fist at an opponent with a sword.
In admiration to her courage, I chopped off her swinging arm in return without courtesy.
As a bonus, her opposite leg was also included right after.
She wobblingly hopped a few steps back with her remaining leg and then feebly collapsed on the floor.
“I still don’t understand. Why did you betray me?”
I approached her as she collapsed on the floor and asked. She laughed softly.
“By chance, are you sick in your head? I did it. Of course—because you're a dick."
“Hm, that's not new, I guess. Was it because of what happened when we entered the dungeon? I didn't know, you had such a kiddish mentality?”
“It’s a joke, you idiot. Would someone like me risk her life just because of something like that?”
“I’m glad you still have the energy to joke around. I still do have some questions.”
I stably slumped down right next to Graveliya.
“Why?”
“Why do you think I will answer your doubts?”
I took out a potion and showed it to her.
“If you don’t answer me…maybe, I will make you a goblin sex slave?”
“Heh. This is what a Hero is. The world is ruined.”
“Don’t turn around with your words. Answer, why?”
“Of course, because I wanted to live.”
I frowned. It was still an incomprehensible answer.
Seeing my expression, she giggled and spoke to me.
“Didn't you said? This dungeon has 30 floors.”
"I did."
“We are on the 15th floor right now.”
"Right."
"Just look at this. We are only halfway here, but we almost dead, didn't we?"
“Nope, no one died.”
“It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter, because we almost died. I don't want to die. But you, stronger than the three of us, insists on going downwards to those more dangerous floors. You got your sh*tty answer? In order to survive, I had no f**kng choice but to kill you by surprise, got it?”
“You say you wanted to kill a Hero because you wanted to survive… Isn’t that a bit contradictory? If it's found out, even if it's not Prona, in the Empire, or in the other countries… Oh, I don't need to say this."
No matter how heinous a crime someone commits, even a treason against humanity of killing a Hero, it doesn't matter half a penny if one doesn't get caught.
And dungeon is the perfect place to hide murder, arson, and thefts.
“If you wanted to kill me, weren't there better ways? Killing me while I'm asleep, or poisoning my food?”
“We all know how to sleep shallowly, right? Even if someone gets a little close, you wake up. Besides, you didn't eat the meat grilled by us, did you? You first have to give us a chance to do anything!”
…well, I still haven't broken my old habits.
“..you didn't felt any guilt? The suffering that the people of a country who have lost their Hero will suffer.”
“Is that really what the Incompetent Hero should be saying? Rumors have spread that the Hero of Prona is not trustworthy at all, some say that the people of the Kingdom of Prona have already given up on their Hero. The king is also said to be attaching a string with another Hero… you don't know?"
“I have no interest in politics.”
"…I see. Anyways, that's the reason I tried to kill you, the Hero. I wanted to live.”
I sighed at her defiant attitude.
“I didn't had any intention to let any one of you die. You know I'm strong, right? You also found out that I was a Hero. Then didn't you had the option to trust me and follow me? If you did, the fame and fortune would be incomparable to what it is now…”
“Trust the Incompetent Hero? Yo, Mr. Hero, aren't you too overconfident in yourself?"
“…”
"Tut… Don't give me that long face. Because I know that even the Incompetent Hero is much more powerful and respectful than the likes of us. Still, wasn't that just another new road where I would have to still risk my life? So, I was thinking of handing over this dungeon's location to another Hero. It's a dungeon that the likes of us can't raid anyway. Moreover, it's a dungeon that the Hero Cloud covets, isn't it? If I hand it over, wouldn't I at least get the title of a baron?"
“The more I hear, the more I think you are a f**king b!tch. From the moment I saw the pink hair, I shouldn't have given my trust. Ain't gonna believe in pink hair weirdos from now on, or I'll go crazy. What about Garuda?”
“At first, I was thinking of getting him into our plan. But nutheads like him don't listen. He thought that he can become some great warrior bullsh!t if he follows the Hero. So, I stabbed him with a dagger that was heavily poisoned with Cockatrice poison. He died in less than five minutes, with no dead body left.”
"…I'm not sure on how to face Garuda's family."
“He is a bastard that will readily have an affair even though he has a decent wife, what do you think? Arr… with such a brain, he was gonna die soon anyways. There, there, Hero-kun, no need to be distressed. Now, why muddle up in past sorrows, can't you just save me? For the rest of my life, I will only look at Hero-kun.”
“A goblin slave?”
“F**k… just kill me.”
Her face was pale, with a lot of blood drained from her smiling face.
Looking at her blood that covers the floor, it seems that there is not much time left for her.
“Ah, before I die, I have something to say to our Incompetent Hero.”
She turned her head to look at the ceiling. Then, she made eye contact with me, she said.
“It seems to me that there is a virgin flower garden on the head of the Hero. When people become teammates, it is natural to risk our lives for each other and bla bla, eh?”
“…”
“Calm down, dude. Don't you know you will just be suffering like that? Teammates are just pieces of interests. When you no longer need them, you throw them away. Especially the bastards of adventurers like me.”
“…”
“…But, well, if you want to have a teammate who risks his life for you, there is a way.”
"?"
“Take away their weakness. Either physical or emotional. And use it. Let's think. Why did Kyle risk his life to fight for me?”
“You two are a couple, he loves you, pink weirdo.”
“Then did I love Kyle? Love someone who is dumb, unable to speak?”
“You… damn, I really have nothing to say.”
"Hick… haha, our innocent Hero doesn't know, that's what the world is all about. Use whatever that's available. A tool, is just a tool… don't give up on using them… that’s… the secret to surviving to the end…”
Graveliya's voice got weaker.
Soon her eyes darkened.
I sighed and covered her eyelids.
I laid down on the floor and looked up at the ceiling.
There was only the coverage of the expanse of stone ceiling, but my eyes saw something else.
“Why do I miss you today so much…”
The words that Graveliya had said replayed in my head.
– Take away their weakness. Either physical or emotional. And use it.
– Use whatever that's available.
– A tool, is just a tool… don't give up on using them…
“I just wanted to experience that feeling again…even if it's just a little bit… I don’t think that’s possible here.”
If that's the case, there's no reason to cling on what's unachievable.
A bitter laugh escaped my lips.
Just when I closed my eyes to the ensuing darkness.
– Cloud, the Imperial Social Banquet will be held soon. Don’t forget to attend.
Frillite.
It felt as if her voice was being played right in my ears.