With hair as clear and blue as the sky, a gaze that was lucid and determined, and a tear mole embellishing the corner of his eye, his face was handsome yet possessed a certain aesthetic beauty. The Hero Himmel, draped in a white cloak, walked along the street.
Guiding him was a green-haired girl with twin braids. Yuna was somewhat nervous at this moment; meeting the legendary Hero was a good thing, but Lady Nanoda was still here. If human and Demon met, it would be dangerous.
Yuna prayed in her heart that Baron Aaron would hurry up and hide Lady Nanoda well.
"It's a bit strange."
Himmel stroked his chin. Although he didn't have strong mana perception abilities like Frieren, the Hero's intuition was telling him that traces of the Demon Race seemed to exist in this place.
"W-What is it? Lord Hero?"
Yuna turned back, revealing a somewhat forced smile, her heart beginning to beat like a drum.
"Just call me Himmel. By the way, has this city been harassed by the Demon Race recently?"
"Ah, there were a few great battles with the Demon Race here in the past, but they are all over now."
Sweat broke out on Yuna's forehead. As expected of the Hero, he was truly quite sharp. Seeing Himmel looking around, Yuna gritted her teeth.
"Um, Lord Himmel, what are you looking at?"
"Ah, I was just wondering if there are people here who need help. I plan to stay here for a while. If you have any troublesome requests, you can hand them over to me to handle. As for the reward, you can decide that yourselves."
Himmel revealed a handsome and refreshing smile.
"Truly worthy of being Lord Hero. The Lord will definitely be very happy to see you."
"This is my duty."
Many subjects gathered by the roadside, warmly greeting this Hero they had never met before.
"It really is a nice city. It's a pity I couldn't come here with everyone back when we were subjugating the Demon King."
In truth, due to the dragon disaster, most of the houses here had been rebuilt within the last year, giving the place a brand-new feeling. The subjects of Gaderia, being a former bandit group, were also clever fellows; they all held great reverence for this Hero who had slain countless Demons.
In the corner of an alley, a subject quietly took a detour and ran toward the Lord's Manor.
————
"I know you are panic-stricken, but calm down first, Aura."
Nanoda spoke to comfort her, refusing to let Aura forcibly drag her away.
"That is the Hero! He will kill us!"
Aura was so afraid her entire face was distorted. It was the first time Nanoda had seen Aura show such a vivid expression.
"Do you think I can beat the Hero?"
Hearing this question, Aura blinked blankly twice, then immediately shook her head.
"I feel the Hero has the greater odds of winning. We should run quickly."
Saying this, she tried to drag Nanoda away again.
Snap.
Nanoda shook off Aura's hand.
"You run first. I will cover your rear. I want to stay here."
"Why not hide in my basement first?" Baron Aaron offered his suggestion.
"It's useless. I might be fine, but that body of mana on Aura cannot be hidden. The Hero is no fool; the moment he steps into the manor, he will definitely sense it."
"Hmph! If you want to stay, then stay by yourself! I'm running! Don't blame me if you get killed by the Hero."
Aura's face was ferocious. At this point, she didn't care about her attitude toward Nanoda anymore. Fear and the instinct for survival overrode everything.
Having said that, she ran without looking back, and Nanoda made no move to stop her.
"You're just letting her go like that? Doesn't she listen to you very well?"
Rubbing the center of his brow, Baron Aaron felt a bit of a headache coming on.
"Forcing her against her will serves no purpose. Besides, I don't expect her to be a combat asset against the Hero in a conflict anyway."
"Sometimes I really can't tell if you are kind-hearted or just foolish."
"To be honest, it really feels a bit unaccustomed without that noisy fellow around."
Having lived with Aura for two years, she had developed some affection for her, much like an untamable stray kitten. Upon her departure, as a human soul, she still felt a bit sentimental.
Although Aura's attitude toward humans had changed slightly under her influence, that was merely a disguise forced by the situation. She was a pure Demon; she could not understand humans.
"Aaron, I'm going to the back mountain. If the Hero comes looking for Demons, don't try to be brave. Just tell him I am waiting for him there."
Nanoda left instructions and turned to leave. Just as she reached the door, Aaron's somewhat low voice drifted over.
"Nanoda, don't you go dying before a short-lived guy like me."
"Rest assured, I will live until the day I help nail your coffin shut."
Nanoda's figure was already gone from the doorway. Aaron leaned back in his chair, staring straight at the ceiling, and let out a long breath.
————
"Um, Lord Hero, how about we go eat a simple meal nearby first? I know a pretty good restaurant."
Yuna was still trying to stall for time, but the straightforward Himmel did not give her the chance.
"No need. After greeting the Lord, I will book a hotel myself."
Helpless, Yuna had no choice but to continue guiding Himmel, though she deliberately slowed her pace.
The closer they got to the Lord's Manor, the more certain Himmel became that a Demon was lurking there. He already planned to inform the Lord of the situation and lend a helping hand.
As for the reward for exterminating the Demon, he would just have the subjects erect a bronze statue for him.
Himmel, who was still pondering what handsome pose to use for the statue, suddenly froze.
Standing in the square before him was an unknown bronze statue. From the broken horn on the statue's head, it could be confirmed that this was a statue of a Demon.
"What is this bronze statue?"
Himmel's confused voice came from behind her. The stone hanging in Yuna's heart shattered directly upon the ground.
It was over. She had forgotten about this. Of all times to erect this statue, why did it have to be today, and just happen to be seen by the Hero?
Yuna did not answer Himmel's question.
"Lord Hero, do you believe there are good Demons in this world?"
"I really want to try to believe, but I know very well that the so-called goodwill of the Demon Race is nothing but lies. On my journey to subjugate the Demon King, I have simply seen too much of it."
"Is... is that so..."
Yuna, clutching her staff, suddenly turned around. Originally Himmel's guide, she now decided to become his obstacle.
"I am sorry, Lord Hero. I cannot let you go to the Lord's Manor."
It was hard to imagine seeing such determined eyes and courage on the face of such a frail, young girl.
"You will definitely grow into an excellent mage in the future."
The sound of wind and Himmel's gentle voice reached her ears. Feeling a strike against her neck, Yuna lost consciousness. In the fleeting moments before her awareness faded, she still released a spell.
Himmel supported Yuna as she was about to faint to the ground, leaning her gently against the bronze statue.
"Truly impressive."
Glancing at his cloak, which had been sliced with a small cut, Himmel strode toward the Lord's Manor.
___
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