Chapter 283: Rotten Salmon
Rotten Salmon
F-Frey.
With a flustered and pale face, Clana looked at Frey and whispered.
L-Lets go back. Lets take a breather for a while
But you said its urgent.
Well, now that I think about it, I dont think its that urgent. L-Lets have some snacks over there
Im fine, lets keep going.
As Freys eyes brimmed with a lot of malice, Clana tried to move in the opposite direction. However, Frey remained calm and continued to move forward.
Try this~! Its a salmon sandwich!
However, Frey soon stopped in his tracks.
Its delicious.
Right? Isnt it tasty?
He saw his sister, who quickly turned away after looking at him, sharing sandwiches on a bench with Ruby.
Everyone, come and try it, too! I prepared enough for everyone to share!
Ruby started handing out sandwiches to passing students, while Frey watched the scene in a daze.
Wow! Its really good!
Did you make it yourself, Hero?
The freshmen accepted the sandwiches with bright expressions.
Yes, I made them myself!
Ruby smiled at each of them as she handed out sandwiches, then she crept toward Aria and asked.
By the way, youre eating really well, arent you? Do you really like salmon that much?
Ah, yes. I really love salmon.
Wow, what a coincidence! My favorite food is also salmon!
Ruby looked surprised and clapped her hands, then tapped her fingers on the bench as if she was in a very good mood and began to talk.
Did you know salmon symbolizes healthy life and happiness?
Really?
The way they struggle against the current of the stream, trying to make their way up the waterfall, is wonderful and beautiful You can just picture it, right?
The surrounding people nodded in agreement.
To capture such a beautiful creature struggling for its goal and eating it is
Rubys eyes twinkled as she rambled on about salmon, but then the corner of her mouth twitched up as she suddenly glanced at Frey holding hands with Clana from a distance, and she muttered.
thrilling.
Pardon?
I find it ironic. Thats why I always resolve not to stop midway whenever I eat salmon.
Ruby quickly changed the subject when the students were looking puzzled, but she soon covered her mouth and smiled when the students nodded in realization.
Frey, lets go. Dont pay them any mind.
Okay.
Frey was oblivious to Rubys actions and was focused only on Aria quietly eating her salmon sandwich, and he only began moving after Clana had urged him to.
Ah, Professor Frey!
However, Ruby called out to Frey with a sandwich in her hand.
A cold silence settled on the side of the street.
Would you like to come over and have a salmon sandwich?
Amidst the silence, Ruby asked with a bright look on her face. Frey sighed and replied softly.
I dont like salmon.
Oh? I didnt know that.
Ruby looked disappointed after hearing his response, then she got up with her sandwich bag.
Everyone, shall we sit there and eat?
With that, she pulled out the mat she had prepared.
Hero! Let me help you!
Please give me the basket, Ill carry it.
Should we prepare the food next time? It doesnt seem right for the Hero to do this
The students quickly gathered around her.
The Horizon sisters divided the task of carrying the basket and mat.
The aide adjusted her glasses and asked a question.
The Counts daughter and a group of freshmen followed behind them.
Then, Vener and Alice approached from a distance and joined them, and even Aishi, who looked reluctant, quietly joined the group.
Freys expression hardened slightly as the peaceful, harmonious group gave him a cold look as they walked past him.
At that moment Frey slightly tightened his grip on Clanas hand as Aria passed by him with a blank face.
I dont like salmon.
But then, Glare, who was watching the whole scene, leaned against Freys side and spoke.
I dont like people who eat salmon either!
Hearing this, Ruby and Aria momentarily stopped.
Is that so~? Thats a shame.
Ruby responded in a soft voice. And for some reason, Aria glanced at Glare leaning against Frey with bitter eyes.
But
Kugugugu
At that moment, as Ruby was about to speak again, Clana whispered to Ruby with a menacing look on her face.
Shut your mouth before I shove salmon down your throat.
Oh my, how scary.
Even though Clanas Aura of Domination was directed only at Ruby, the whole street trembled.
Ack!?
Ahhhh
As Aria and Glare were taken aback and staggered from the sudden tremor, Ruby and Clana exchanged fierce glares.
Not bad for someone meant to be a sacrifice. Even compared to that fallen womans eyes
Sizzle, sizzle
Alright, I got it.
Ruby sent a telepathic message with an approving look, but as Clana began to gather solar mana in her right hand, Ruby chuckled and retreated.
I cant even attack back anyway.
What?
You look especially beautiful today, Aria!
Ruby then cheekily continued her conversation with Aria.
What else do you like besides salmon? Im curious!
Well, that is
Speak slowly. I need to memorize everything if Im going to make it myself.
The two walked away as they talked.
No matter how much I think about it, its too cruel to catch and eat salmon.
Glare carefully dusted off her hands and stood up as she looked at them, and then she clung close to Frey and continued talking.
After all the effort the salmon make to reach their goal, only to be caught before they can lay their eggs its so pitiful.
Yeah.
So, I wish the salmon could reach upstream without getting caught!
Frey frowned and asked.
Then, is it okay to catch and eat them after they reach their goal?
Hmm Once they reach it
Glare pondered about it for a moment, then replied with a cute smile.
Ill raise them!
Ha.
Frey chuckled at her absurd answer and instinctively patted her head.
Hehe.
Glare was surprised at first, but then she smiled proudly, welcoming his touch.
Y-You. H-Hands off my friend!
?
Clana flinched at the sight and belatedly pretended to be hostile, and the two tilted their heads in confusion.
Well, anyway, lets hurry.
Oh, okay!
After a short while, Frey, who had been patting Glares head while blankly watching the joyful picnic, quickly let go of his hand.
Hey, where are you going now
Dont follow me.
Eek.
As Glare attempted to follow him again, Frey issued a command in a low voice.
So this is the slaves seal! Fascinating!
Glare, forced to change her direction, looked down at her body with curious eyes and said.
So now, I belong to the Professor?
Im saying this because I know. Im sure. A hundred percent. Uhh
At the same time, Clana mumbled as she stuck close to Frey, while he looked regretfully at Glare walking away, gently caressing the hand that had been stroking her head.
Hey, there!
Then Rubys voice echoed again.
Enough
Frey gritted his teeth and turned around, but Ruby was looking elsewhere.
Do you want some salmon sandwiches?
Ruby offered a salmon sandwich to Miho, who had been observing the situation on a bench while talking to someone through a communication crystal, with a kind smile.
What H-human? Are you a human?
Miho was about to respond bluntly, but soon frowned and asked.
P-Pardon?
Youre not a human. You smell strange. Ive smelled this foul stench before.
Ruby was puzzled, then froze at what followed Mihos words.
M-Maybe youre mistaking it for the smell of salmon?
Do you like it? Rotten salmon sandwiches?
N-No
Miho questioned her with a dull expression and scratched her head as she walked past them.
Oh no my sandwiches have gone bad
Ill swap with you, Hero!
No, take mine
Weird humans. Why do you like rotten food?
Hearing the comments behind her, Miho frowned and mumbled about food.
Fermented foods are better for you. Like cabbage kimchi, or radish peppers Anyway, Eastern continental fermented foods are the best Eek!
She made eye contact with Frey, who had been watching her quietly, and she quickly covered her face with her tail.
G-Go away, human!
After freezing for a moment, she shrieked and left in a hurry.
Whats with her Where did she come from Now Im even being pushed around by someone Ive barely met
That girl, her tail seems longer
While Clana mumbled with a soulless gaze, Frey observed Miho walking away with a sharp look.
Shes an interesting person
Huh?
Its nothing, lets go.
Frey, who had been muttering to himself as he stared into the empty space, quietly resumed walking.
Step
After walking uneventfully for a while, Frey stopped for a moment.
Hmm.
In his line of sight came Roswyns pale face, her head down.
Shes too thin. Didnt she get the flowers?
What is she holding in her hand?
Huh?
Frey, momentarily puzzled, then quietly stared at the flower in Roswyns hand.
Aha.
Frey spoke with a bitter smile.
It was red.
Red?
Hearing his words, Clana tilted her head, and Frey murmured with a wry smile.
The color of Roswyns favorite flower was red.
Oh, I see.
Clana quietly responded with lowered eyes, and they began to walk slowly.
I finally figured it out.
Frey mumbled in a dry voice as he crossed the empty street across from Roswyn, holding Clanas hand.
He had already noticed Rubys eyes watching him carefully and had no choice but to make this decision.
Swish
Roswyn had been watching Frey through the helper system without even looking up, she quietly buried her face in her knees upon seeing his choice.
If its a flower from you
Though she wanted to run to Frey and hold him, she couldnt approach him due to the restrictions placed on her, and Rubys piercing gaze from afar prevented her from saying anything. So, she just mumbled with her head buried in her knees.
anything would be fine.
Clana, whom she had always looked down upon and often talked to impolitely, was now confidently walking beside Frey. She looked exceptionally radiant to her
Anything even grass would be fine
The rose in her hand drooped lifelessly as she spoke.
Screech
Shortly after, a carriage sped away from the orientation site.
.
.
.
.
.
Right after Freys carriage left the orientation site.
Ugh, sob
Sitting on the bench, Roswyn buried her head in her knees and cried.
Memo fox-eared beastkin is a potential ally consider recruiting her as an ally Hmm?
Noticing her while diligently noting down her observations, Glare tilted her head and cautiously approached her.
Hey, are you crying?
Huuu
Dont cry, please.
Glare gently patted her back.
Hmm.
Soon, her eyes narrowed as another system window appeared in front of her.
Ahhh!
As Glare was about to reach for the system window.
N-No!!
Eek?
As Roswyn exclaimed and leaped from her seat, Glare stepped back in shock.
D-Dont look at it now No Ill show you later
Okay?
A-Anyway, go away. Just go
Knowing that Glare didnt have her immunity from the penalty, Roswyn started to step back hastily.
S-Stop!
What followed was an unexpected chase.
Pant, pant D-Dont follow me
Why are you hiding it? Whats in there
After some time, the two girls were getting exhausted.
Hey there.
!
Ruby appeared with a basket of sandwiches in front of them.
Do you want to have a sandwich with us?
As Ruby offered sandwiches from the basket, a brief silence fell.
Alright.
Then, follow me.
Glare answered softly and began to follow Ruby as she held Roswyn, whose face had turned pale.
I-Ill kill her, definitely Ill definitely kill her No matter what, Ill make her pay for what shes done
Hmm
As Roswyn glared at Rubys back with hatred, resentment, and despair, Glare stopped for a moment.
Are you coming?
Yes, Ill be right there
Roswyn eagerly turned back to the system window and fiddled with it, then she muttered in a low voice.
Rotten salmon.
And so, the casual outing of the Hero-less Hero Party began.
Chapter 284: Burning Hatred
༺ Burning Hatred ༻
"Well, I mean…"
"Really? Wow…"
Despite the sun having already set, a small picnic was being held near the orientation site on the roadside.
"…"
Brought along with Glare to the picnic, Roswyn sat idly on the mat, observing the people there.
"Hahaha…"
"Phfft, pff…"
The students sitting on the mat were laughing and chatting merrily.
'This is… wrong…'
Roswyn muttered to herself, watching the scene unfold.
'It's not just wrong… It's terribly wrong…'
The scene of freshmen students and members of the Hero Party chatting was deceptively peaceful, but Roswyn knew how wrong it was.
Because the person eating sandwiches among the students was none other than the Demon King.
"I should have made more sandwiches if I knew I'd be sharing with so many people…"
She tried to assault the Hero, and tried to kill him.
The Demon King, who would set the world on fire, was now leisurely sharing sandwiches with the students pretending to be the Hero.
Looking stunned by the disparity of the situation, Roswyn turned her gaze slowly to the students.
"No, it's enough for me!"
"It's really delicious, this is the best."
Faces she knows very well come into her vision.
The Horizon sisters, the Count's daughter who had visited her guild a few times, the woman's distant relatives, and so on.
There was also the coy-looking girl who was supposed to be the representative of the commoners, and the recently demoted Vener.
Significant figures in the empire, all gathered in one place.
"By the way, Frey is still the same."
Roswyn flinched when someone brought up Frey in their conversation.
"He hasn't changed since he was a child."
Count Justiano's daughter said indifferently, heating up the atmosphere.
"That bastard… I'm going to kill him. Definitely…"
The Horizon family's second daughter, who was eating a sandwich, muttered while tightly clenching her fists.
"…"
The eldest daughter bowed her head deeply at the same time.
The black slave's seal on her arm created a jarring contrast with her beautiful elven features.
"Branding an elf with a slave's seal… While knowing full well what it means…"
Seeing her always confident sister bow her head with a disgraced expression as she bore the mark of her race's shame on her arm, the second daughter muttered in anger.
"Stop it, Lenya."
"But sister…"
The older sister raised her head and cut her off.
"I'm already branded… We just have to try again, as many times as needed."
"Sister…"
"We'll make him regret his words. Just watch."
Her beautiful face was trembling with extreme hatred under the moonlight.
"Hey, excuse me…"
Roswyn, who had been watching in silence, interrupted their conversation with a pale face.
"Uhm, y-you… can't kill him."
Everyone momentarily fell silent as she said this.
"I-I mean…"
As Roswyn began to stammer, everyone's faces started to frown slightly.
'Frey is… the Hero!!'
Looking at them, Roswyn shouted inwardly.
'He's the Hero who will save this world!!!'
Now, she knew the whole truth.
'So stop…'
The 'Truth of the World' section had revealed the secrets of this world and all the horrendous tribulations Frey had endured.
And why he had shouldered those hardships.
'Stop it… Before it's too late…!'
And recently, she was beginning to vaguely understand what her recurring 'nightmares' meant.
'Please…'
The image of herself dyed in silver and going mad flickered before her eyes.
"Excuse me, Miss Roswyn?"
"Ugh, ugh…"
However, Roswyn's cries merely echoed in her own mind.
The helper system, which had once severely burned her, was now preventing her from revealing the truth about Frey.
"F-Frey is monopolizing the knowledge, right? S-So… we can't kill him. We need to figure out how to defeat the Demon King, right?"
Thus, she resorted to mentioning the knowledge Frey possessed as the next best option.
"Indeed, we can't touch Frey because of that information…"
"Is there no way to decipher the prophecy? Or how to deceive Frey and steal that information…"
'You're missing the point…!"
But as the conversation took a strange turn, Roswyn shrieked.
"I know a way, would you like to hear it?"
"…What?"
As Roswyn repeated her futile pleas, she clenched her lips tightly when Alice quietly approached the Horizon sisters.
'No, stop it…'
Alice, the girl who had visited her guild a few times.
"Give me all the information you have about Frey."
"Hmm… That's easy."
"Give me information that has already been verified, especially information about his crimes and weaknesses."
"That's even easier."
Roswyn recalled the conversation from a few months ago, and she was slowly engulfed in fear.
"It's me again… I did it again…"
She realized she had handed over incriminating information about Frey, giving the verification they needed under the assumption that Frey himself was at fault.
"Excuse me, Miss Alice?"
"Yes?"
"I-I think… I might have given you the wrong information that time…"
In a panic, Roswyn grabbed Alice's arm and tried to talk to her.
"Ah, thank you, Miss Roswyn. The information you gave was really useful."
It was already too late.
"T-That… I found out later that there might be false information. So…"
"No worries, everyone makes mistakes. It's not like Frey's sins are just one or two."
Alice's hostility towards Frey was already fixated, and Roswyn's inability to reveal the truth about Frey meant there was no turning back.
"M-Most of it could be false… So…"
"From the article that was released recently, almost all of it seems to be true."
"B-But… ugh."
To make matters worse, Ruby's gaze was fixed on her, forcing Roswyn to stop talking.
"That's right, Miss Roswyn. You don't have to worry too much."
Vener quietly approached her side.
"The information you provided is accurate enough for cross-validation. So, you can rest assured."
Vener, who had also visited Roswyn's guild a few times, reassured her.
"…"
But naturally, there was no way Roswyn could be reassured by these words.
"Don't worry, even though things have turned out this way… Frey will surely pay the price for his wrongdoings."
'He shouldn't pay the price…!'
"Miss Roswyn?"
Feeling frustrated and frightened, Roswyn grabbed her head.
'Alice, it was Frey who saved you… The Hero of Money you love is Frey…'
Her voiceless murmurs echoed silently in the air.
'Vener, the incident that happened when you were a guard for Frey's family…'
"Miss Roswyn, are you okay?"
"…Ah, yes."
Roswyn regained her senses and replied in a hushed tone.
'I have to persuade these people… I have to persuade them somehow…'
But her mind was filled with such thoughts.
"I don't like you, but… you're right."
However, her thoughts were interrupted by a voice nearby, and Roswyn turned to look.
"Frey needs to pay for what he's done."
Aria, who had become busier since becoming the acting family head picked up another salmon sandwich and murmured in a low voice.
"I thought he would be shocked if I severed our connection, but…"
Hesitating to bite into the sandwich, Aria murmured with a troubled expression.
"I wonder if he would even blink an eye if something happened to me and I died?"
Aria no longer calls Frey her brother and slowly gives up on him. Roswyn saw a reflection of herself from a few months ago in her, and she quietly approached Aria.
"M-Maybe he has a reason?"
"…What?"
With a face filled with desperation, Roswyn whispered.
"M-Maybe there's an unavoidable reason…"
"What kind of reason would that be?"
However, Aria's response was firm.
"I used to think there was… but that's reached its limit too."
"Ah…"
Staring blankly as Aria bit into her sandwich, Roswyn thought.
"It's time to admit that my brother has completely changed."
She realized that no matter what she said, with all of her restrictions, it wouldn't help Frey.
And the possibility that this girl, Frey's own blood, might walk the same path as her.
"But still…"
"…?"
Roswyn was at a loss, and her eyes widened as Aria mumbled in a low voice with a lonesome look on her face.
"…If he's completely changed, maybe the opposite is also possible?"
Aria looked down at her salmon sandwich, murmuring to herself.
"Besides, I just found out today that my brother hates salmon…"
"…"
Roswyn's expression cracked upon hearing this.
"Then why did my brother eat salmon with me with a smile back then…"
She realized a very simple fact.
"Why did he… change like that…"
The simple fact that she was not in a position to say anything to her.
Aria, who she thought was walking on an irreversible path, was still longing for or at least acknowledging the changed Frey.
"…"
She realized that she, who used to toy with him, was in a completely different position.
"Listen, I have a plan for the 'entrance ceremony.' A big one… Hero, would you like to hear it?"
"A good strategy is worth participating in, right? But first, I need to talk to that person…"
"Yes, then… Oh, why Aria…?"
"I'll participate too. But I'll review the strategy…"
And so she watched, dumbfounded, as the students huddled together and began to plot their attack on Frey, and she held up a hand in silence.
'I have to stop them… No, I have to at least obstruct them… If not, then I have to get some information out of them…'
She mumbled to herself, chewing on her lips.
Alice, who was trying to kill her benefactor, Vener with her misguided sense of justice, the freshmen Frey was desperately trying to save with a 99% mortality rate, and Frey's sister, Aria.
The inevitable fate that awaited them at the end was too clear in her mind.
"Excuse me, Miss Roswyn?"
"Yes!"
Thus, gathering her courage, Roswyn approached them.
"Would you like a sandwich?"
"…"
When Ruby, who had briefly stepped away from the group, offered her a sandwich with a smile, Roswyn felt something snap inside her and she accepted the sandwich.
"Thank… you."
Then, Roswyn picked up the sandwich and started to eat it.
'I'll kill you, I'll kill you, die… die die die…'
Her hatred blinder her eyes.
'I'll definitely kill you…!!!'
She was a germaphobe and hated the unhygienic sandwiches, and she disliked salmon more than anyone else.
'Definitely…!!!'
Consumed by her newfound hatred for Ruby, she forced herself to eat the sandwich while suppressing her urge to throw up.
'I-If I can get rid of this bitch, I can secretly poison her in her sleep or stab her… as long as I succeed…'
Suddenly, such thoughts crossed Roswyn's mind, and a glimmer of hope started to grow within her.
'Maybe… they'll even treat me as a helper…? Wouldn't they…?'
– Beep! Beep beep!
But then, there was a sound next to her.
Helper System
[The Hero is in danger!]
"…!"
Roswyn's eyes widened upon seeing the system window.
Helper System
[Navigation activated!]
[Helper, protect the Hero!]
Seeing that message, Roswyn's heart started to race.
– Spring…
But then, she quickly returned to her blank expression.
"The Hero is… in danger…!"
The message was not in front of her, but in front of Glare who suddenly stood up.
– Tadadada…
With the navigation window in front of her, Glare started to run through the darkness.
"…"
Seeing that, Roswyn completely grasped the situation.
"That's now… her role… not mine…"
She realized that she, with no abilities, information, or anything else, was nothing but a burden.
And knowing fully well that it was too late to turn everything around, she couldn't help but feel a surge of jealousy and self-loathing that made her eyes tear up.
'That was… supposed to be my role…'
"Miss Roswyn? I have something to say…"
"…Crunch."
She channeled all those emotions into hatred towards Ruby as she made her way to the group.