The Hero’s Party Members Treat Me Well for Some Reason - Chapter 42

42 – Princess Maker (4)

Princess Daela doesn’t understand the current situation.

Her head is filled with questions, and her mind is in complete chaos.

She mutters to herself.

“…What is this?”

What on earth happened?

Why are the members of the pretend-assassins lying dead on the ground in such a miserable state?

Why is the warrior who was drunk at the banquet standing here perfectly fine?

And what exactly is that creature? What is its identity that emits such an ominous energy?

Is it really a warrior?

She couldn’t understand a single thing.

“I… I’m sure I was pierced through the heart…”

She witnessed the final scene. She saw Deputy Commander Kyle delivering a fatal blow with the tip of his sword. The sword definitely pierced deep into the warrior’s chest.

It was so deep that if it had gone a little further, it could have pierced through to the other side.

Yet, how is that creature perfectly fine?

“So, now it’s just the two of us?”

“Huuk?!”

The hero spoke at that moment.

His voice, though gentle, sent shivers down Daela’s spine.

Behind him lay the bodies of Kyle, with wounds big and small scattered across his back, and the grotesque sight only intensified as the hero chuckled. While the situation suggested that he had rescued the princess, Daela couldn’t find comfort in it.

Thud.

The hero took a step forward.

For nothing but a conversation. Yet, cursed and trembling, Daela couldn’t do anything but quiver.

There was no one to stop him now. Only two people remained here.

At least, that’s what the hero, Luke, thought.

That was until someone stood up in the middle.

“Halt… you shall not take a single step closer to the princess…”

“Oh?”

Her escort knight.

Still a young recruit who hadn’t even shed the title of apprentice.

Luke assessed the young man before him.

A mere Level 29.

Far weaker than the lowest-ranked member of the Annihilation Corps, even weaker than the weakest average knight.

And yet, this was the one blocking Luke’s path.

It intrigued him.

Had he not seen him annihilate the members of the Annihilation Corps alone?

No, he must have seen it.

The pile of bodies behind him was a testament to Luke’s powerlessness.

Yet, he still drew his sword…

Luke briefly recalled a memory from the past.

‘Come to think of it, there was a guy like this.’

The knight who always died first before the Bad Ending of the princess.

He didn’t know his name. He was scarcely mentioned to begin with, merely a character designed to die first for the sake of tragedy. He was nothing more and nothing less.

But how did he look in reality?

“You are better than the sub-leader rolling over there.”

I couldn’t be so brave.

If it was the usual Luke, he might have sent praise and respect.

But unfortunately, today’s purpose was not him.

“Move aside.”

“I can’t even touch the princess…”

“Don’t worry. I have no intention of doing anything foolish.”

“…No talking!”

It meant to shut up.

As if he didn’t want to hear any more answers, he swung his sword.

Well, if you can’t trust the other person, violence is usually the answer.

Luke lightly surrounded his hand with magic and blocked the sword.

There was no need to even raise the sword.

“Having courage is good, but distinguish between courage and recklessness. You might get hurt.”

While saying that, Luke used a skill.

[Using ‘Pain Perception’!]

Immediately after, a sword composed only of black pierced the guy’s body.

A sword made only of black magic, with no substance.

A skill he was using for the first time.

Contrary to what you can see, it was a skill that didn’t cause direct damage.

However, as it is a black magic skill, its effectiveness is unmatched.

A curse-based skill that inflicts ‘Phantom Pain’ to the opponent. And this time, the pain he inflicted was stabbing.

“Urgh…!”

Suddenly, the guy let out a painful groan.

In his current position, his whole body would feel like being cut by a sword. However, the level of ‘Pain Perception’ is still low, so it would only cause pain at the level of a biological reaction…

It was enough to intimidate someone.

“Stay right there. Otherwise, you will experience even more terrible pain next time.”

Luke said so and tried to walk away, thinking that the guy would be scared. However, the guy’s mental strength was stronger than he thought.

Quietly, the silver sword drew lines toward Luke.

Luke inserted another black sword.

“Ugh…!”

The pain inflicted this time was excruciating.

A deeply ingrained pain surged through the knight’s entire body.

It would feel like being pierced by dozens of thorns.

But he didn’t fall.

Even though he struggled against the chilling pain, he didn’t step back from Luke.

Luke found that admirable.

Look.

No matter how chaotic the world may become, can’t determined individuals like this be found anywhere?

And it wasn’t just the royal knight.

“Stop, enough!”

Deyla stepped forward after enduring around two or three inflicted pains.

She pushed her own royal knight behind her and glared at Luke.

Her eyes were clearly tinged with fear, but there was a determination beyond that.

Princess Deyla, the third princess.

In a situation where the first prince had monopolized all power, she, a foolish princess, had chosen to participate in the power struggle.

The reason Luke chose her wasn’t simply because she seemed easy to manipulate.

“Princess, please escape…”

“Quiet, Riley. What good does it do to escape in this situation?”

Firstly, she had no power.

No authority.

She had no connections, no supporters.

It had been a long time since the nobles turned their backs on her, and all that remained were those who wanted to eliminate her as soon as possible.

Yet there was a reason why he placed a bet on her.

“…so what is it that you want from me?”

She had charisma.

Not the kind that stems from money or power, but the ability to genuinely lead people. He believed she had a sincere personality that could win favor.

The reason the nobles distanced themselves from her was not just because of the tyrannical rule of the first prince, but also because she herself was lacking.

It was a talent that she, who was plagued by countless curses, did not possess.

Luke decided to bet on that talent.

Then how would he place that bet?

Naturally, a simple trust relationship would be impossible.

To Luke, who carried curses with him, “trust” was an impossible word.

But in this world, there were not only such relationships.

“A contract, then.”

There were relationships under the name of business as well.

Trust was unnecessary. Trustworthiness (信義) was an illusion.

“I will help you become the emperor. If you need strength, I will provide it. If you need connections, I will assist from behind. If you want subordinates, I will get them for you, even from the back alleys.”

He wanted a relationship firmly bound by mutual benefit, one that could not be betrayed.

“What I want is only one thing.”

He extended his hand.

“No matter what happens, do not betray me. Support me as much as I support you. If you do, then you can obtain everything.”

How about it? Isn’t this a deal that you find very appealing?

He said with a sly smile.

For a while, Princess Dela just stared at him.

“…”

It was as if she was hearing the whisper of a devil.

It was a whisper so sweet that she simply couldn’t refuse. In reality, there was nothing constraining her.

She was merely gaining the support of a hero, worth more than a thousand troops. The only thing bothering her was the suspicion festering in her heart.

What did he want that he was making such an offer?

The depths of his motives were completely unpredictable.

Princess Dela felt a chill run down her spine for a moment.

‘What kind of fool…’

They had been thoroughly deceived.

No, it wasn’t just her; everyone within the kingdom had fallen victim to the performance of one person.

The appearance of the masked hero, now without his disguise, was akin to an unfathomable demon.

His heart was so shrouded in darkness that no one could discern what he carried within.

The instincts of the princess rang warning bells.

Clearly, there had to be a trap of some kind. The feeling of taking his hand was almost like selling her soul.

Dread crept up to the edge of her jaw, but…

“··· I like it.”

The princess finally took the hero’s hand.

She had no other choices left anyway.

Becoming an emperor seemed impossible at this point.

Not to mention, there were situations where even her life couldn’t be guaranteed without any hesitation to harm herself.

If this was the fate to wither away under the control of the first prince, then there was no other choice.

“There’s no reason for me to refuse it···.”

She had to sell her soul if anything.

Her determined gaze was directed towards the hero.

While the princess’s hand trembled, her eyes fully contained the hero.

Luke smiled and shook the hand that was offered.

“Please take care of me.”

In the back alley filled with corpses.

The cursed princess and the rogue hero.

From Noble mtl dot com

They made a secretive contract.