Ex-Hero, Now Freeloader - Chapter 3 – Feels like I’ve Met this High-Ranking Demon Before…

「You sure took care of him with style. Ah well, he deserved it.」

Humanity has grasped that the demon organization is not monolithic in nature.

However, having only entered the shallow parts of the Demon Realm, details of their power structure and the like are unknown to humanity.

Pushing back the enemy assault is all humanity can do.

Whichever battlefield the Six Saviors rush to will assuredly end in victory, but the range that they can cover is limited despite their strength.

Apparently, the Orc and this beauty were in a hostile relationship.

「By the way, all I wish is to return the demon children to their homes. I don’t believe fighting with you is necessary.」

I did sense the presence of those who were trapped in the cave.

They were much smaller and weaker than the Orcs, and I had planned to save them later but…

It seems that some demons were involved.

「…Well, that’s all fine and dandy but I wanted to know where the sold human slaves went. You just killed the guy who’d probably know the answer to that, though.」

More than just following my mission as a Hero, this is something I wanted to do personally.

「What a coincidence. I, too, wished to know where my fellow countrymen who were sold by these people are.」

「…Ah.」

In secret business dealings between humans and demons, they use things of value rather than using each of their own currency.

I can’t believe there are those who would trade people and demons, but they exist.

I don’t even want to know what for.

「How about this? He had information on who he sold the humans to. I’ll protect them and hand them over. …If those children are still alive, that is.」

A very rational Majin. And yet she still thinks of her countrymen.

Our eyes met, but she grimaced.

Oh right, that’s because my whole body was bright red from the blood of the Orcs.

She can’t see my facial features like this.

「Don’t worry, I’m already working on protecting them. To be honest, dealing with demons is tricky, even if they are victims, so you offering to return them to their homes saves me some trouble.」

「Fufu, to worry about whether demons can make it home, what a strange boy. Even so… While this is unfortunate to say, for a human to lend an ear to us demons… Only someone like him…would…」

She’s mumbling to herself.

『Doing whatever you please…』

The holy sword was dissatisfied.

「It’s fine. We both get back who we want to rescue, right? And we both get to pass our own judgments on the perverts who made this deal.」

It’s not realistic to go door to door rescuing the illegal human slaves scattered across the Demon Realm.

On the other hand, saving demon slaves trapped in the houses of rich humans won’t be as hard.

We already have information on the buyers thanks to the War God’s interrogations.

It’s the same on the demon side.

Exchanging them once again, both sides being able to go home will cause the least trouble.

『Don’t believe her lies. Let’s take her down.』

「I don’t wanna attack someone who has no will to fight. I’ll just beat her if we find out she was lying.」

「My my, you have a lot of confidence in yourself, boy. Is that talking sword a cursed sword? You certainly do appear to have ability.」

Cursed swords are very powerful, but they are weapons that curse its owner.

The curse seems to range from shortening one’s lifespan to taking the eyesight of one eye to making one unable to touch the opposite sex and so on.

Also, once the owner has used it to take a life, the owner can never relinquish ownership until their dying days.

『What? I’m a holy sword, duh.』

Apparently, there was more than just one holy sword a long time ago, but they all unfortunately turned into cursed swords.

With only one holy sword that only the Hero can wield, it became common sense that「Only the Hero may wield the holy sword.」in the modern times.

「Don’t even joke about that. The only one who can wield a holy sword is the Hero, Sir Rain, yes? I may be a demon, but I owe that man. Impersonating him is truly unpleasant.」

She sounds truly displeased as she says that.

I was surprised to suddenly hear my name.

「Huh? Have we met before?」

「Eh?」

The woman, who had been keeping up a prim and proper attitude this whole time, sounded surprised.

「Hmm… I’m sure I would never forget someone with beautiful hair like yours.」

「Huh? Wha-?」

I search my memory. Going back several years, I feel like I’m remembering something.

「Ah… Was your hair dirty when we met, by any chance? Like maybe it was covered in soot or something…」

「?!」

Her shoulders jumped.

「That’s right… About five years go, there was a ritual to gain power by sacrificing women high in mana, and one of the girls I rescued looked similar to you…」

The princess of some country was kidnapped, and when I went to rescue her, that ritual was underway.

I guess they were randomly nabbing any girl with a high amount of mana because there were demon children among the kidnapped too.

I couldn’t provide them protection, but neither could I kill these victims, so I just gave them food and water and let them go free.

I thought she was about my age at the time, but looking at her now, I guess she was older.

She looks about twenty.

Like pouring a bucket of water, I form a sphere of water and wash my face with it.

This will wash some of the blood off.

「That Rain you mentioned, did he happen to look like this?」

「……No way.」

The woman took a few steps back and burst into tears with disbelief written all over her face. She stared at me for a while and eventually…she fell to her knees as if she were praying.

Any trace of that capable demon from moments ago disappeared, leaving only a woman smiling like an ordinary girl.

Smiling very, very happily.

「Since the day you saved me, I have been living, dreaming of the day I could meet you again.」

Even her attitude has changed.

「R-really…? Uhm… You’re welcome?」

You don’t have to be that thankful about it…

「Developing my ample mana, I continued to work hard and I am now a part of the Demon King Army’s Big Four of the country of Jarsti.」

I don’t know much about them, but I think you wouldn’t be counted among the Big Four unless you were a high-ranking demon.

From the time she was almost sacrificed, then saved by being given some food and water to being one of the Big Four in five years must have taken an unthinkable amount of effort and hardships.

「All of it… All of it was so that I could one day repay you.」

She said as she wiped away her tears, leaving behind a look of strong determination in her eyes.

「All for the sake of one day rescuing you from the humans.」

「…Hm?」

『What the heck is she talking about?』

For once, the sword and I are in agreement.

This is all a little hard to follow.

Let’s see, I came to beat up the Orcs who were kidnapping and selling humans as slaves.

Then, when I thought that only the boss remained, there was also a beautiful Majin.

Just as I thought she was easy to talk to, I realise that I met her before.

Now she says she’s going to help me.

「Please, come with me. I swear I will make you happy…!」

A teary-eyed Majin is saying that to me.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t taught how to deal with a situation like this.

And at this time, little did I think that I would be persuaded to change over to the Demon King Army side.