Me, the Weakest Member of the Hero’s Party? I’m the Villain Though? - Chapter 126
“Why did you take Lysian?”
Before Kyle could press the issue, Kakaros asked calmly. The Fairy King looked back and forth between Kakaros and me.
“It’s been a very long time since a human was found near this place. Caesar thought he was an intruder and brought him in. We were actually on our way back after clearing up the misunderstanding.”
Kyle looked at me as if asking whether that was true, so I gave him a small nod. Only then did he relax the sharp tension he had been holding and slide his sword back into its sheath.
“Then the misunderstanding is cleared up? Can we go now?”
Kyle said this as he naturally pulled me into a side embrace. But I stopped his arm.
“We’re not completely finished talking yet.”
I wanted to leave as soon as possible too, but I still hadn’t finished my conversation with the Fairy King.
“Then it can’t be helped. Let’s finish quickly and leave.”
Kyle looked reluctant, but he readily went along with my decision.
“Since this is a reunion of sorts, I’ll invite you all to dinner. Follow me.”
The Fairy King gestured for the group to come along.
Kakaros was the first to walk after him. Seeing the two of them walking side by side gave off a father and son kind of feeling.
“I told you to leave the World Tree and escape, so why did you stay until the end? The World Tree wouldn’t die anyway, I said we had to survive first so we could find a way.”
“I apologize for disobeying your command, Your Majesty. But my mother’s soul was there, so I couldn’t leave.”
I quietly followed behind them, listening in on their conversation. Kakaros’s respectful tone felt unfamiliar, but it was interesting.
When I first met him near the lair, Kakaros had been the first to suspect me. So I had been curious about what purpose led him to join the hero’s party, and why he hadn’t driven me away.
“Lysian, your clothes are dirty. Are you really not hurt?”
But Kyle cut in front of me and spoke. I was sure I had already told him I was fine, so why did he keep asking?
“I told you, I’m fine.”
I tried to push Kyle aside so I could keep listening to the Fairy King and Kakaros, but this time he didn’t move so easily.
Kyle stubbornly brushed off my clothes and felt around here and there as if checking whether I was injured.
“If you’re hurt anywhere, you should have Elonen treat you.”
“I said I don’t need it.”
Because Kyle kept fussing over me, my reply came out with a slight edge of irritation.
“There’s a scratch on your neck. Gerard can clean your clothes later with magic, but I’ll treat the wound.”
But I couldn’t bring myself to refuse Elonen’s gentle concern.
“See, this is why you shouldn’t wander around dangerous places alone. Maybe you’ll come to your senses after you get seriously hurt.”
Even Gerard, who had come up behind Elonen, muttered as if complaining. It sounded like he was scolding me, but underneath it I could feel a quiet concern.
“…Sorry for making you worry.”
I forced out a short apology. Gerard immediately frowned and replied.
“Worry, what worry! Kyle was making such a fuss about having to find you, it was annoying, that’s all.”
After having that honest conversation with Gerard before, even when he spoke sharply like that, it didn’t sound unpleasant. Once I accepted that it was just the kind of person he was, I could feel the sincerity hidden beneath the thorns.
“If you understand, then don’t make us worry again. If something had really happened to you, I was planning to blow this entire forest away.”
Kyle made a shocking remark that was hard to believe had come from a hero.
“That’s right. If anyone tried to hurt you, Lysian, I wouldn’t let them get away with it. I’d keep them alive, but make them suffer so much they’d wish they were dead.”
Even Elonen added something chilling with a gentle expression, as if it were nothing.
Listening to their worried words, a thought suddenly came to me. At some point, this party had truly accepted me as one of their own. That was why they cared this much.
I was grateful, but at the same time my chest ached with guilt. I was deceiving them, and the fact that they trusted me completely was unbearably uncomfortable.
