The Hero’s Party Members Treat Me Well for Some Reason - Chapter 70



Imperial Expedition (4)

Red eyes and red hair.

The girl Belita, who would turn 12 this year, realized that the world operated according to the logic of power.

People bow their heads to those stronger than themselves and to those who possess more.

There was no involvement of human character in this. The notions of good and evil that she had once believed in as a child became meaningless in the face of the brutal logic of power.

This dry realization did not stem from her being particularly intelligent or clever.

It was simply because, at the age of 10, her parents were murdered by a band of robbers while they were walking down the road. It took less than five minutes for her kind and gentle parents to turn into cold corpses.

After that, she was captured by the robbers and sold into slavery. Here, she witnessed a curious scene.

The robbers, who had seemed like monsters to her, grovelled submissively before the slave trader.

The reason was that the trader had a lot of money. Additionally, he had a multitude of mercenaries he had hired with that money surrounding him.

After all, robbers are still human. If they don’t eat, they die, and if they don’t get proper rest, fatigue accumulates.

Thus, the robbers bent their backs as low as they could to earn even a single penny more.

In this way, Belita’s limbs were handed over to the slave trader. But that was not the end.

One day, a noble named Vicklon visited the slave trader, who also bowed and sold her off for a pittance.

The reason was that the noble held power. The trader had money, but he lacked power.

Thanks to this, Belita learned that power is not merely brute strength. ‘Power’ could be money, it could be authority, or it could be something else entirely.

And Belita had none of that.

Perhaps that was the reason she was being tormented.

When she closed her eyes, nostalgic scenes briefly flickered at the corners of her vision.

Her mother, joyfully exclaiming about the perfectly ripe potatoes.

Her father, describing the surrounding scenery every time they went to the neighboring territory to sell goods. And the cozy wooden house.

The family she knew was warm and harmonious.

But when she opened her eyes…

From noble mtl dot com

– aaah…!

– I’m sorry…! Please stop hitting me…!

The damp, musty air, the occasional screams echoing, the tattered clothes, and the gnawing hunger welcomed her.

It had been two years since she arrived in the underground of Vicklon. Many children had died and left during that time, but she was still alive.

She, powerless, understood that she would never find such a family again. That her fate was no different from the children who had died and left.

She knew this very, very well.

*

“Let’s just fabricate it.”

“Are you really in your right mind, Hero?”

“No, it’s not like anyone knows anyway.”

It felt like it had been a long time since I had seen the Saintess about to curse. That was just how absurd the situation was.

But I was serious.

If you don’t get caught, it’s not a crime. This rule I learned back in the military fortunately applied to society as well.

It worked in modern times, so would it be any different in the medieval era?

But it seemed the Saintess had a slightly different perspective.

“What if you get caught? It would be a huge problem. People would start to suspect you, especially if you create a puppet that no longer exists. And in the first place, I can break the brainwashing with my divine power, so if you go as far as killing, it would be obvious something is off.”

“There are limits to how deep you can brainwash someone. If it goes too deep, even if the Saintess comes, it would be tough to break it.”

The most efficient way for the Puppet Masters to cause confusion is indeed to brainwash the leader of that place.

If the leader makes strange decisions, that territory will collapse quickly.

“There’s more than enough justification for brainwashing.”

In short, my plan was like this.

No, to be honest, it wasn’t even much of a plan.

I would subtly spread rumors about the lord’s strange behavior and we would secretly infiltrate to check on him.

Then, after subduing him before he could say a word, I would spread the information that he had been brainwashed by the Puppet Masters for all to see.

If I added that the brainwashing had gone so deep that it was already beyond saving, it would be the icing on the cake.

Truth? What does that matter?

As long as people believe it, that’s enough.

“Wouldn’t it be better to leave it to Camilla?”

“Well, her rank is indeed high, so punishment would be possible. The problem is that there’s the First Prince behind that guy.”

Thus, the Saintess and I discussed this plan for a while.

The Saintess was of the opinion that this was impossible and that we would get caught, while I insisted on executing the plan as quickly as possible.

“… Fine, I understand.”

After a lengthy discussion, I ultimately won.

Now was the time to commit an illegal act.

If a small number of people set the plan, the tiring aspects must be conveyed to others.

And if friction arises in the meantime, it becomes even more exhausting.

After establishing a simple plan, we promptly conveyed the details to the party members.

There had been certain events, so we would undertake certain actions.

Of course, there were some intense objections in the meantime—mostly from Camilla—but still, thanks to the saint’s fervent persuasion, we managed to gain their agreement.

After all, being the virtuous individuals they are, they believe that slavery and abuse must be rectified.

I do agree with that sentiment, but my perspective was slightly different.

If left as is, resentment and grudges would accumulate among the children. And that power would seep into the Demon Lord, weakening the seal.

Just a few days ago, I had seen the [Warning!] sign, and I couldn’t afford to add more here.

In any case, for those reasons, their consent was indispensable.

‘I cannot incite them.’

My body is riddled with curses related to trust. That means people wouldn’t believe me even if I stood before them.

So, it should be they who claim the brainwashing of the Vyclon, not me. Especially those with high credibility, like the saint or the sorceress.

*

The plan was executed the following day.

Adel bribed a few people in the alley to spread strange rumors about the lord. Although rumors don’t have legs, they spread rapidly through people’s memories.

“Did you hear that? They say the lord has changed!”

“What? Come on. Has he ever not collected taxes harshly…?”

“No, not that. They say the lord has really changed lately. It’s not about liking expensive things; it’s genuinely strange!”

“Hmm? What do you mean…?”

“I heard he’s been gathering children in the basement. Like he’s performing some kind of ritual… What if the lord has become a lackey for the Demon Lord’s army…?”

“Hey! Be quiet! What if you get caught!!”

Talking about such things could get you arrested for nobility defamation. However, such tales tend to circulate regardless.

And so, a few days later, when enough people had heard the rumors… Camilla took action.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Open the door!”

“Who is it? Identify yourself!”

“I am Camilla de Duke Bright, daughter of the commander of the Empire’s knight order.”

“W-what?”

She is one of the most prominent nobles in the Empire.

She is also a well-known figure who joined the hero party.

As such, her face is well-known, and naturally, the guards recognized her.

“Hi, hiik!”

“I’m sorry for not recognizing you! I will open it right away!!”

It was just enough to use the ‘status of nobility’ to open the door. A sight so different from when she had faced the hero.

In this era, a noble could behead a person with just a word, so in a way, it was a natural occurrence.

As she stepped inside, the lord, Viklon, rushed out in a flurry.

“Lady Camilla…?! What brings such a distinguished person here?”

“I came to visit because I’ve heard rumors that you have recently joined the Demon King’s army.”

“Y-yes? What do you mean! That’s an absurd accusation!!”

“…Be quiet. Let’s discuss the details outside.”

With that, she immediately began to bind the lord.

“Wait a moment… Lady Camilla, can we talk for a second…!!”

“Don’t move.”

The lord resisted, but he could not overcome Camilla’s strength. Thus, he had no choice but to be taken away, bound…

*

Bang!

“Ugh…! Ugh…!”

The door opened, and a bound person was brought in.

Naturally, it was Viklon. The lord of this place whom I had commanded to bring here.

The place I was in now was a small detention cell used temporarily by the guards. Dark, stuffy, and dirty, it was a perfect space to confine a filthy scoundrel.

In times like this, the power of the hero’s party was truly beneficial.

Since most were from somewhat respectable households, they would naturally open a path when pressured or coaxed.

Thanks to that, there was no one else in this building except for me and him.

I stood up and lightly thanked Camilla for bringing him.

“Wow, thank you! I asked you to help because it would look strange if I dragged him myself. Truly a great noble!”

“…… Hey.”

Strangely, she seemed to be in a very bad mood.

“Yes?”

“This matter was merely trash that the lord of this place could handle adequately. I only agreed that we should quickly rescue the children shown in the video you presented.”

“Yes? Ah, yes.”

As I tilted my head, wondering what she meant, she frowned. Her expression was filled with undeniable disgust and contempt.

“Never… don’t drag me into this kind of thing again. This is the first and last time.”

“Uh, um… yes.”

It seemed our Lady Camilla was quite angry. Given her nature, it was only natural for her to feel repulsed by such lies and illegal dealings.

I had only reluctantly helped with the aid of the saint and the sorcerer.

If it hadn’t involved a child, I would have quit long ago.

Bang!!

Finally, after she slammed the door shut, it was just me and the lord left alone.

As our eyes met, I could see him struggling even more. I removed his gag with a gentle expression.

“Ugh…! Cough cough…!”

“Wow! It’s been a while since we last met. How many days has it been? How does it feel to be dragged around like this, tied up in front of the townsfolk?”

“Damn it! What the hell is this!! No matter how much of a hero you are, isn’t this a bit too much?!”

“What do you mean? I’m just capturing a poor lord brainwashed by the puppet organization.”

“…What?”

He tilts his head, seemingly unable to comprehend.

I continued to explain to satisfy his curiosity.

“You are now a lord brainwashed by the puppet organization. Deeply, in fact. So deeply that even the saint’s healing shows no improvement.”

“Wait, just a moment…”

“And so, I had no choice but to kill you. Even if I wanted to imprison you, your resistance was too fierce to hold you down.”

“I am not brainwashed! You crazy hero, I’m perfectly fine!!”

“Of course, I know that. But the people of the world will remember it that way.”

“You madman…”

For a moment, his face stiffens. From indignation to surprise. From surprise to horror.

Finally, with his eyes wide open, he looked at me and said,

“The First Prince stands behind me. Aren’t you afraid of that?”

“What does it matter? They won’t know anyway.”

“Do you think everyone in the world is stupid? It will surely be revealed someday.”

“That’s fine. It will take time until it is revealed.”

And since the justification is here, I can’t be touched anyway.

Having concluded that exchange, I immediately raised my sword.

“Our conversation has gone on too long. Well then, this is it.”

“Now, sleep…!”

Swoosh─!

The chilling sound of a cut echoed as the creature’s head fell away.

That was the end. I felt the sensation of having severed a neck, but guilt was nowhere to be found. It was now too precious to waste emotions on such trash.

“Hmm… No need to put it in the blood pouch.”

Having finished my task, I calmly left the scene.

It was now time to rescue the children.