Chapter 294 – Only Natural
“””The Seven Heroes’ Espiiiiiiiiie!?”””
“Yes.”
The astonished voices of everyone, after finally learning Espie’s identity, echoed across the deck.
“A, amazing, but if she’s that strong, I’m convinced…”
“I’ve never seen a real Seven Heroes.”
“No way, a hero, the pride of humanity, is in a place like this…”
“Such a small child…”
“But, why? Is she incognito?”
Her name was so famous that it was known all over the world.
Well, the fact that one of the Seven Heroes, who you would normally never meet, was actually on the same ship, would freak them out, wouldn’t it?
“That child… was one of the Seven Heroes…”
And even Slayer, who had looked down on Espie until now, was stunned.
“Right? You must be freaked out, right?”
“I, I’m not freaked out at all…”
“But now you know that I’m stronger than you, right? Big brother thinks I’m stronger.”
“M, mumu…”
Slayer looked a little annoyed at Espie, who was provoking him with a smug face.
These guys, seriously…
“Well, that aside…”
Yes, the problem is that port city that is under attack… and…..
“Tch… Human… I can’t believe it, Espie of the Seven Heroes was here…”
The harpies were trapped in nets like caught live fish and their hands and feet were bound.
After being knocked unconscious by Espie, they were all captured so that they could not go on a rampage for the time being.
“What are you going to do… with us?”
“If you’re going to kill us, kill us!”
“We love to ravish men, but we won’t stand to be violated!”
“What if you try to touch me? I’ll bite your stuff off and chew it to pieces!”
And the other harpies never lost their bullish attitude even after being caught.
I guess the soldiers around here are basically the quintessential military.
“Noisy, I’ll beat you up again, won’t I?”
“Oh, huh? Ugh… this brat…”
“So, what are you going to do, Big brother?”
The harpies were still howling, but when Espie approached and pointed her hand at them, their faces turned pale.
I see. Even though they showed a bullish attitude, the difference in power was etched into their bodies and hearts.
“Hmm? Hmm~, that’s right…”
And I, on the other hand, didn’t give it much thought.
I mean, really, what should I do from now on…
『Child… For the time being, if you want to avoid a fight, you should leave the port…』
「That’s… wha…」
Going to help the people who are being attacked in that port town. That would mean fighting the Demon King Army.
The current skirmish was unfortunate.
Dealing with an army attacking the whole city… me…. Fighting Tre’ainar’s Demon King Army…
“Big brother? Unh~…… for now, I’ll ask these guys what I need to know, okay?”
“Huh? Espie?”
“Hey, how many are attacking that town? What number? Like a thousand?”
While I was at a loss for words, Espie asked the harpies without waiting for my response.
“Oh, ooh? What… you, what are you asking me?”
“The number of the Demon King’s troops attacking that town. I thought I’d ask you before I help the people of the town.”
“S, screw you! I don’t care if you kill us! We won’t sell our companions to humans!”
Espie tried to get information from the Harpy captain normally.
Getting information from prisoners of war. That’s certainly necessary.
Around here, Espie is also a soldier, so it is a normal thing to do.
But that’s not the problem.
“Espie… you…”
“Big brother should come up with a plan. I’ll think about it with you.”
“Huh!?”
“People in the town, if there’s anyone alive, we have to save them.”
Yes, I was currently torn between whether I should go to that town and face the Demon King Army, or whether I should avoid them.
But Espie was different.
From the beginning, Espie seemed to think that I would help the people of the port town.
“Hey, hey, you… mis… Lady Espie…”
“Un~? What?”
“Um… you’re going to help that town… um…”
“Yes. But I don’t want the people on this ship to be in danger, so I’ll think about what kind of plan to do with Big brother.”
It’s only natural, going to that town would mean potentially putting the people on this ship in danger as well.
That’s why Espie thought that I would move in the direction of going to help that city, taking that into account…
“Espie… you okay with this?”
“Huh? What?”
“So… um, if you go to that town to help the people there… you’ll be fighting the Demon King Army too, you know?”
“I don’t like it, but I won’t let only Big brother fight. I’m strong and I’m going to be useful to Big brother! That’s why I’m going with you!”
No, that’s not true… so…… why do you think it’s only natural that I would go and fight the Demon Lord’s army to save the people of the town?
“Big brother, you’re going to help, right? People of the town? I know.”
Wrong. I was also considering abandoning them.
Far from meddling too much with the past, fighting the Demon King Army of this era meant indirectly fighting the Tre’ainar of this era.
I didn’t like that.
So I was at a loss.
But why did Espie not hesitate that much, believing that I would help… like it’s only natural…
“Big brother is my hero! And you will become a Hero that surpasses Hiro!”
“Huh!? …… ah…”
“…… Big brother?”
The moment she said that with a smile, I was so embarrassed that I wanted to bash my head into the ground with all my might.
That’s right…… the pledge that I swore to myself… even though I said it just the other day, I forgot about it in this situation.
“Yeah, you’re right.”
“Un!”
In a situation like this, a guy, who just keeps making excuses and tries to do nothing, surpassing Hero Hiro makes me laugh.
“Hey, you guys, listen. Looking at the situation in that town, I can’t just abandon it and run away. But that doesn’t mean that I’m going to ask you to fight or put you in harm’s way. So, give me a little time. I’ll definitely think of something, just a bit longer!”
“B, but…”
“Please. Just a little more time!”
I ask the crew and passengers, but they all look reluctant.
Well, I guess they would.
But for now, they have to put up with it somehow.
And there is no time.
I need a plan that can do something about all of this, right away, under the circumstances…
『Child.』
「Eh!?」
『Just one thing… tis a bit of a power move, and it will require Espie doing a lot of work… to not engage the Demon King Army, not put everyone in much peril, and should there still be people alive on top of that, how do you save them? Impossible? Well, depending on the situation, some exposure may be inevitable…』
「Really!?」
『Indeed. On the contrary, it was fortunate that the harpy unit was annihilated first.』
Tah, it’s just like Tre’ainar to come forward and say that under these circumstances. How reliable.
What the hell was that…
“Heh… Hehehe, you wretches don’t know anything~”
And that’s when it happened.
The captain of the harpies mocked us.
“What?”
“Espie of the Seven Heroes is a challenge, but… in that town… she’s still young and her name isn’t as well known as General Norja… but someday, a genius who might be able to cut into the same corner of the Six Supremacy…”
What? Really? She’s saying something amazing so casually, but a genius who could become one of the Six Supremacy?
No, but the Six Supremacy were all fixed during my parents’ time…
“That fellow has a deep hatred for humans… a mass of vengeance… who will show no mercy. You bastards will all be killed? No, not just killed. You’re going to suffer hell, you know?”
The captain of the harpies laughed out loud, even though he had been captured.
The crew and passengers looked even more frightened, and Espie looked a little curious.
And I glanced at Tre’ainar next to me…
“Seizee, suffer! At the hands of the supernova of the Norja Army…the ‘Ebony Witch, Larou’iph’!”
『Hmm, I have heard of that one, if only by name… though only in passing… said to be a promising rookie, but was defeated by Espie and tis unknown if she is alive or dead… well, naturally she was treated as Killed in Action… a ‘Dark Elf’, I believe.』
Espie, aren’t you being too active? Well, it’s only natural since she’s one of the Seven Heroes.
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