Chapter 25 - Yesterdays Enemy 4 (1/2)

Chapter 25 - Yesterday's Enemy (4)

The fire made by Artpe was very warm.The two of them caught fishes from the ravine, and they cooked it over the fire.They used 3 silver worth of salt.Maetel hadn’t had any fish for over a year, so she was surprised by the sudden and unexpected taste.

“Heeng.This is so tasty…..”

“If you eat when you are hungry, everything tastes great .”

There were still traces of tear left near Maetel’s eyes.Still, she was briskly eating the fishes. She was even eating the bones.He couldn’t help but smile.He started to eat his own portion of fishes as he spoke.

“You have worked hard, Maetel.It is true that the Dungeon was very hard, but as a result, we were able to significantly decrease our growth period.We’ll be able to move with a little bit more time to spare.No, even if you don’t like it, we’ll move at a more leisurely pace.I’m really tired and exhausted.”

“Artpe…..”

“Say it.”

Maetel was still unable to calm her heart.She sniffed as she asked him a question.

“Are you really sure that you don’t like older women?”

“..........”

Was she still worried about that!?

He was dumbfounded.He smirked as he shook his head from side to side.

“Didn’t I tell you earlier?I gave her a little bit of a warning as recompense for the gem we received.”

“Are you really sure?”

“I’m really sure.”

“......yes, I’ll believe you.”

It seemed her worry about Artpe looking at other women overshadowed her psychological uneasiness at killing humans.It seemed Artpe wouldn’t have to worry too much about her.

Artpe let out a sigh of relief, and he was about to clear away the trash. However, at that moment, Maetel spoke as if she just had an idea.

“I want to sleep next to Artpe.”

“You aren’t a child anymore.”

“I want to sleep with you.You said you’ll grant me any wish I want.”

Maetel’s voice was shaking slightly.When he heard it, Artpe realized he was under a misconception.

She wasn’t being unnecessarily clingy towards Artpe.Her mental state was uneasy.Moreover, she was still worried about the thought of Artpe leaving her.

“....all right.I did say that I’ll grant you a wish, so it can’t be helped.”

“Ya-ho!”

He took out a bedroll(5 silvers).It was a bit cramped for two people, but he was prepared to go through with it tonight.

He gathered some leaves on the ground, and he placed a cloth over it.Then he placed the bedroll on top before he lie within it.As if she was worried about Artpe going back on his words, she quickly got in.She had a satisfied expression on her face as she closed her eyes.

“Good night, Artpe.”

“It’s cramped and uncomfortable in here, so how can we sleep well….She is already asleep.”

“Ssss······.”

When Maetel was held by Artpe, it seemed all her worries were let go.She was breathing easily as she quickly fell into sleep.Artpe was dumbfounded by the sight, but in the end, he let out a bitter laugh as he moved to put her in a more comfortable position.

‘It feels like I’m raising a kid.’

In truth, it may not be too far from the truth.Maetel didn’t remember her past life, so she was just a young 13 year old girl.If Artpe added in his past life, he had lived for couple hundred years.He was a demon that was turned into a hero.Sometimes, he felt the disparity between the two lives keenly, and in those moments, he had a hard time breathing.

Still, Artpe liked being with Maetel.It was strange, but at times, he felt pleased and full.

It wasn’t just because she was a talent, who could free Artpe by defeating the Demon King.At this point, Artpe had no choice but to accept the fact.Maetel was fairly….She was quite dear to him.

It was unfortunate that the innocent child was changing.She was being stained by his presence.However, he was thankful that this small child cherished him, and she wanted him around.

It was as if he had committed a sin.It felt as if he was slowly being buried under a soft marsh.It was as if he was melting away.He was afraid to struggle…It was that sweet.

‘Still, I shouldn’t pay too much attention to it.I can be complacent after we kill the Demon King..’

Yes, he had things to do right now.

Artpe was careful not to wake Maetel.He carefully snuck his hand out of the bedroll, and he activated his magic.The Hero’s Unique Spell called Mana String was activated in no time.

“Kook!?”

“We were found…..!”

The five strands of Mana Strings extended out into the surrounding.The Mana Strings let out a black light as they danced in the air.Red lines of blood bloomed underneath the dark night sky like flowers.Accompanying dull thudding sounds, human body parts started to fall to the ground.

“How!”

They had been sure that they had succeeded in their stealth mission.They paid for this belief with their lives.Of course, there were still a lot of them left.Artpe would extract a price from all of them.

Artpe looked at them with cool eyes, and he spoke with a voice that was colder than a block of ice.

“She’s sleeping.Be quiet, so she doesn’t wake up.”

“Are you to playing games with...kahk!”

Artpe clicked his tongue as he watched the men emerge from the darkness.He moved his fingers.The Mana Strings moved according to his will.They moved like whips with sentience, and they split through the air.The lives of two to three people were killed in a flash.

“He is stronger than the girl….!”

“It seems you guys are incapable of learning.Don’t you guys realize that you guys are dying in the order of who opened their mouth first?”

Artpe’s purple eyes let out a radiant light within the darkness.It was as if his eyes could pierce through all lies.His eyes only contained the truth.The party of men had tried a surprise attack relying on the darkness.His eyes was like the deliverer of death for these men.

“W...we can’t win.”

“The one that is terrifying is actually him….Kahk!”

‘Mana String.The experience I picked up struggling as a weakling was mixed with the Hero’s power to become a Unique spell….’

It wasn’t a proper spell.The Mana Threads was something he developed during the rough patches of his life as a demon.In the beginning , the Mana String was an unwelcome development for him.

However, he was able to quietly take care of this problem thanks to this spell.He was able to let Maetel sleep peacefully.This single reason was good enough for him to value this magic.

“We erred in assessing their capability…..”

“Where are you running away?”

Mana String was able to impart overwhelming force using Mana, but it consumed a lot of Mana. This was why it wasn’t a weapon that could be used freely in a battle situation.

This was why Artpe used all the information coming in through his eyes to find the most efficient trajectories.He moved his fingers according to the calculations he had made.

The men tried everything to stop it, but their weapons and feet were slower than the Mana String, which had no weight.

“Wait a moment.If you cooperate with us, you will have a place in the newly created kingdom…..”

“Good bye.”

The five strands of Mana Strings gathered at a single location.The last remaining man was still struggling to live.He died as he was cut into several slabs of meat.His face was full of resentment.Artpe let out a bitter laugh when he saw it.

‘From your perspective, your side was probably in the absolute right.In your next life, I hope you will be able to live a life as a farmer where you won’t have to kill or be killed.I will pray for you all.’

Artpe retracted the Mana Strings, and he checked Maetel, who was snuggled up against him.Her breathing was even.She was still asleep.

‘That wasn’t too bad.’

However, it seemed the disturbance wasn’t at an end.From not too far away, the main guests were coming towards them.

“We were discovered, captain!If you are done retrieving the gem, you should help….What!?”

From the beginning, Artpe hadn’t bothered hiding his location.He didn’t have any particular difficulty in dispatching the first group that had ambushed him, and it would be the same for those that had followed behind them.

“What the hell is…..”

“Impossible…..!?”