Ex-Hero, Now Freeloader - Chapter 5 – You Mean the Demon King Army will Treat Me Way Better than Humanity? 2

Eleanor did her best to explain all sorts of things.

「Isn’t the concept of forcing a five-year-old child to fight in and of itself evil in the first place?」

「…Well, I have the Crest of the Hero.」

「I heard that the other five Saviors put you through harsh, nay, inhumane training!」

「They said it was all to make me stronger. In fact, I’m pretty strong now, so I guess it wasn’t all pointless, right?」

「Even the most disciplined family household doesn’t control someone’s personal relationships.」

「But there’s a chance that evil demons will target those I got close to…」

「Not being able to take a day off even when you want to is just wrong!」

「Jobs keep coming one after another, so that would cause problems.」

「And…well, I suppose it’s like that.」

Eleanor had a sad face like she’s staring at a chained-up animal.

「Are you sure, Sir Rain? Whatever the circumstances, it is impossible to justify using a child as an armed force.」

「Well, if there was a guy who was taking normal kids, giving them weapons, and making them do suicide runs against demons, I’d put a stop to him. But I’m…well, a Hero.」

「Exactly.」

Eleanor points a finger right at the back of my hand.

「That excuse has been driven into you, hasn’t it?『I’m the Hero, after all.』is what you say to yourself to justify any pain or dissatisfaction you have.」

Eleanor is saying weird things.

If all the things I did because I’m a Hero weren’t necessary in the first place, then…

Then everything I’ve put up with for the past ten years was…

「Of course, that isn’t to say that all of Sir Rain’s achievements are meaningless.」

Eleanor took my right hand, the one with the crest on it, into hers.

「After all, I was saved by a ten-year-old Sir Rain, despite how much I cannot forgive humanity. I am overjoyed to be alive and to be reunited with you. There is no way that this is meaningless.」

「A-ah…right.」

It felt like the heat from her hands would spread from the spot she’s touching to the whole of my body.

「The way you were treated was unfair, but what you did under the circumstances was noble. Let’s keep that separate.」

Her gentle voice hits my eardrums, almost like it’s seeping in.

「…Demons are…」

「Yes?」

「Demons are hostile towards humans, right? They kill people, pillage, and plunder. I have seen them do that countless times, and I’ve seen many Majins like you doing them.」

Eleanor doesn’t seem like a bad person, but it may be because our goals align right now and we met before when I saved her.

She may be a good person, but to side with someone on the faction that opposes humanity…

「Is there only one human nation?」

「Huh? No, not at all. There are tons.」

The Six Saviors do not belong to any particular country. The War God decides which region to go to and which job to undertake.

「Is every single human a good person?」

「…No, there are bad guys too.」

She smiles triumphantly to confidently say…

「The same applies to demons.」

「I…suppose that’s true…」

The demon invasion did not feel like a united front by one nation and their hierarchy of strong units is kinda varied.

The guys that invaded the Human Territory border are a group or part of a nation that is hostile towards us, and it’s not strange to think that there are peaceful demon nations that humans just haven’t had any contact with yet.

So far, every demon we’ve captured either didn’t know any solid information, kept talking about spreading fear among humans, or shouted threats, so we don’t know any details.

Even if they slipped up, they wouldn’t say something like「We have nations who wish for peace too!」.

The War God might know something, but knowing him, he’d just say「That’s on a need-to-know basis.」and conceal the information.

「To be honest, we are in a spot of trouble. Not just the Human Territory, but the region that humanity calls Demon Territory is also at war. However, you need not worry.」

「Hm?」

「I will never force Sir Rain to fight. On the contrary, let us ensure your freedom.」

Eleanor reluctantly lets go of my hand and opens her arms wide.

「Freedom…?」

「First of all, Sir Rain, Have you been sleeping well?」

「No, I haven’t slept in about a week.」

Eleanor said「A week…?!」and quivered.

「C-curse you, humanity…to restrict one of Sir Rain’s three great desires… Does your cruelty know no bounds…?!」

After mumbling all that as if she were incanting a curse, she turns back to me with a smile.

「If you come to the Demon King Army, you can sleep at any time you desire! Health considerations will be suggested, but you are free to fall asleep again or even take naps!」

「…?!」

My whole body shook.

I don’t understand.

Is such a thing possible?

I can sleep as much as I like whenever I want?!

This shock was equivalent to that time we staked our lives to defeat an evil dragon only to find out that it was the child of the true evil dragon who arrives just as you defeated said child and you have to fight that next without rest.

If it weren’t for the Saint’s healing magic, we would have been in trouble.

「Furthermore…are you satisfied with your meals, Sir Rain?」

「Huh? Uh, it’s edible, I guess.」

They’re fine when we’re in a town, but they are the worst when out on a mission in Demon Territory.

Many of the missions required covert operations, so we couldn’t make a fire to heat up food.

「About those Saviors, do they control your meals?」

「Ah, yeah, anything sweet is forbidden.」

「Wha-?! Sweetness is nourishment for the mind and soul! Banning it as if it were a symbol of depravity could be called an act of oppression with no exaggeration. Rather than sweetness itself, it is overeating that one should abstain from.」

「R-right.」

「So in the Demon King Army, we prepare all sorts of sweets. If Sir Rain requests as such, they can be served as an after-dinner dessert, or as an afternoon snack.」

「N-no way! That can’t be!」

I can eat sweets?!

Even the baked ones that kids eat leaving bits and crumbs all over their face? Even that delicious-looking cake that people eat in some cafes? Even that brown, fluffy, flat, and round thing that I don’t know the name of?!

I was shocked.

Equivalent to the shock we got when we beat a group of twelve fairly tough guys only to find out the next day that there were twelve more even stronger guys.

Why didn’t they just come out as a twenty-four-man group…

「R-regarding the final desire…free love…that is, you are free to love…」

Final?

The desire to sleep, desire to eat…and lust, huh?

Is that when my eyes get drawn to a woman’s chest when she has big boobs?

The Saint scolded me saying「Cast not a lustful gaze towards women, for it is rude.」and I’ve been careful of that ever since.

I know at least that living creatures have children, but the Saint was so strict that I don’t know anything about how my fellow humans do it.

「I don’t really know much about that…」

「…! I-is that so? I see… Fufufu.」

For a split second, I thought I caught a glint in Eleanor’s eye, like a carnivore eyeing its prey, but it was gone when I blinked. Was it my imagination?

『…Is that your plan? Get him to turn with favorable work conditions?』

The holy sword, that’s been silent for a long time, finally speaks.

Eleanor looks at the sword as she answers.

「As I said, freedom. The Demon King Army will treat him as a house guest. To be precise, he will be treated as my personal guest, but do not sweat the details.」

『In other words, a freeloader?』

Said the holy sword.