Me, the Weakest Member of the Hero’s Party? I’m the Villain Though? - Chapter 90
Derek, who was still standing close beside me, spoke with a disappointed expression. He must have been waiting a long time for the Black Flame Dragon to return, so it was understandable that he felt regretful about my departure.
“Won’t you consider staying a little longer?”
But that didn’t mean I had even the slightest intention of staying here.
“We decided to leave just before noon.”
“Before that, we’re going to have a brief meeting. Just among the members of the hero’s party.”
Kyle said this while pointing only at the members of the hero’s party with his finger.
In a way, the way he said it sounded a bit childish. He was probably aware of that himself and saying it that way on purpose.
Narrowing his eyes at that, Derek suddenly said something strange.
“Can I come along too?”
“What?”
It seemed I wasn’t the only one startled by Derek’s unexpected remark. The Grand Duke also cried out in shock.
“What did you just say, Derek?”
Why would he bring up such an important decision like this, without even discussing it with his father, and say it when everyone was gathered? I was extremely flustered.
“That’s out of the question. You are the only heir to our family.”
The Grand Duke, who always seemed generous except when he was under the curse, raised his voice in anger. Gerard’s face also clearly showed that he was against it.
Of course, I had no intention of taking Derek along when he knew my true identity.
But if I rejected him too coldly, he might reveal who I really was, so I decided to calm him down and refuse as gently as possible.
“Derek, you definitely have the qualities to become a great hero. But right now, you need to help your father and assist in rebuilding the Grand Duchy.”
Derek looked dissatisfied, but he couldn’t refute my words. He nodded and let his shoulders slump.
“…I understand. Honestly, I knew you’d say no, but I wanted to ask anyway. Still, promise me you’ll stop by on your way back.”
Even though Derek knew Kyle was the leader of this group, he held out his pinky to me. In many ways, it made things uncomfortable.
I had no choice but to reluctantly hook my finger with his and make the promise.
“Alright. I’ll definitely stop by on the way back.”
Gerard, who had been watching, snorted.
“Now that that’s settled, shall we hold the strategy meeting? We need to decide our next destination.”
At Gerard’s suggestion, the members of the hero’s party began to get up one by one.
“I will prepare a space where you can talk without any interruptions.”
The Grand Duke showed us kindness to the very end. He didn’t give any hint that he knew I was the Black Flame Dragon.
When everything was truly over, I felt like I should come back here and personally thank him.
*
The Grand Duke provided us with a spacious reception room. Thanks to that, the hero’s party sat around a large table, spread out a map, and fell into serious discussion.
“Is this the place the lich mentioned? The Ruins of the Fallen Kingdom,” Kyle said as he pointed at the map with the tip of his index finger.
That place was far to the east from where we were. But here, right next to the Grand Duchy of Serendal, a massive mountain range was drawn.
“First, we cross this snow mountain, then the best method is to obtain horses and ride from there.”
“Yes, that’s the best option,” Gerard nodded at Kakaros’s clean summary.
“But why is this map drawn so vaguely?”
Kyle asked as he examined the map closely. Now that I looked at it, the place called the Ruins of the Fallen Kingdom was only roughly outlined.
Judging by how uncertain it looked, even what was shown on this map didn’t seem reliable.
“After the ancient kingdom fell and the Blood Demon settled there, no one has visited this place. It is, quite literally, no different from unexplored territory.”
Even Kakaros, who seemed to have memorized all geography, didn’t sound certain. Hearing that all of a sudden made the trip there feel very unsettling.
“And since we have to pass through the snow mountains, we’ll need thick fur clothing. We should also change into shoes that won’t slip.”
“The mountain looks quite high. Is it even possible to cross it?”
Elonen looked at the map with concern. As he said, even at a glance, the terrain of the snow mountains looked harsh.
“If we cut straight through the snow mountains, it will take less than a week. If we go around, we would have to travel for a month. There is no other choice.”
It was similar to when we had crossed the sea to come to Serendal. If there were airplanes, it would be convenient. But in a world without even trains, hoping for something like that was unrealistic.
“If you say so, Kakaros, then it must be right.”
“Yeah, it’s not like this is our first time crossing snow mountains.”
Kyle said something fairly interesting.
“You’ve crossed snow mountains before?”
“Of course! How long do you think I’ve been traveling as an adventurer?”
Kyle even clapped his hands, as if he was pleased by my question. Watching him, Gerard widened his eyes in exasperation and shook his head.
“It wasn’t a snow mountain exactly like this one, and where was it again…?”
