Demon Lord, Does Even a Crap Game Have an Ending? - Chapter 5

“Ku, Kuaaack!”

Braga’s face contorted grotesquely, and the hand pressing on my neck loosened its grip.

As soon as I landed on the floor, without a moment to catch my breath, I put some distance between us and looked up at Braga. The silver blade piercing the center of his chest was striking. He coughed up blood from his mouth and then collapsed forward with a loud thud.

Liheros stood behind him.

‘I was just about to use my skill, thank goodness. If their attention was only focused one way, I could have dealt with them, but I almost got caught.’

Fortunately, the skill didn’t activate because the target died just before it was cast. I thought my identity would be revealed so easily, but I guess there’s no such thing as being destined to die. It felt like this world was unfolding just as I wished, and I let out a laugh. Though I wore a satisfied smile, Liheros was as pale as if he had witnessed my death.

“Acris…!”

“The hero appears at the moment of dire peril. How cool.”

Seeing his serious expression, I made a clumsy joke. But he didn’t even crack a smile; he ran towards me without even bothering to retrieve the sword stuck in Braga’s torso.

“Are you okay? Let me see if you’re hurt.”

“Uh, I’m fine. I’m not hurt anywhere. See? I’m perfectly fine.”

He was so worried that I gave him a suitable reassurance. Despite my words, Liheros kept looking me over, trying to visually confirm my condition. He repeatedly stroked my neck, where the handprints had turned blue, and only after checking for other injuries did he let out a sigh of relief and say, “You’re okay.” This kind of person, who is merciless to the immoral, yet so gentle.  The strange novelty that comes from that contrast.

‘This is truly dramatic.’

Even after checking me multiple times, he kept asking if I was okay, like a computer running a loop. I got tired of answering and gently nudged him with my elbow, moving past him to pick up the weapon I had dropped.

‘Long-range weapons are good, but I should carry something like a dagger. I’m vulnerable in close combat.’

─Screech

Instantly, I drew my bowstring towards the direction where I felt a presence.

─Thwack

The arrow, embedded in the lower part of a wooden shelf, vibrated slightly from the recoil. Next to it, a man with shaggy hair was frozen in an awkward, quadrupedal stance. I slowly approached and checked his appearance. Judging by the apron he wore, he seemed to be someone who worked in the kitchen. The man, trembling with fear, managed to move his creaking neck to look up at us.

“P-please, spare me…!”

“A person’s life is precious, but an animal’s is insignificant, I suppose?”

“N-no, that’s not it. I’m just… just a mere assistant. I only did as I was told!”

The shaggy-haired man, tears and snot streaming down his face, begged profusely. Who, at the scene where their companions were annihilated, would readily admit to their involvement? It was too bothersome to listen to any further, so as I was about to pull out the arrow and aim it at him, Liheros stepped in front of me. Instead of asking what I was doing, I raised an eyebrow, and he slowly patted my shoulder.

“Just a moment, Acris.”

“Why?”

“It seems he has a justifiable reason. Let’s hear it.”

“People who work in places like this are all the same. Is there a need to listen?”

The sniveling man clung to Liheros’s leg. And without taking a breath, he blurted out his story.

“Hooook! M-my lord Hero! I was trafficked and subjected to labor exploitation here, without any pay. I didn’t want to do this. I can’t die unjustly like this…!”

“….”

“…Sigh.”

Is today a day for unfortunate stories? I was surprised because I hadn’t noticed this part when I played the game in reality. Perhaps it’s a hidden quest. I had no way to verify his words immediately, but if they were true, I had almost killed an unfortunate person who was being exploited. I didn’t want to admit it, but I needed Liheros’s empathetic side sometimes when I was getting worked up.

“…Hoo. If you want to prove your innocence, don’t run away and stay put. If you’re caught trying to escape, I’ll decorate your head with an arrow. …Liheros, let’s talk for a bit.”

I put the arrow back and grabbed Liheros’s arm, dragging him along. The man, who had been clinging to his pant leg, slid down and stared at us with a bewildered expression.

“So, what’s the plan this time?”

“….”

“Hmm?”

As I pressed for an answer, he fell into thought. His clear, blue eyes, still bright despite having rolled around in a sea of blood, regained focus as if he had made a decision, and he gently took my fingertip.

“There was a small village nearby.”

“There was.”

“Let’s hand him over to the local guards. We don’t know for sure if he was actually kidnapped or if he committed illegal acts, and we can’t judge the severity of the crime ourselves.”

I was surprised. I thought he would let the man go out of pity after hearing his story, or pretend not to know. But then again, our goal was to take down the organization, and it was common sense for the state to investigate and punish secondary victims who arose from within it, regardless of their innocence. I slowly nodded. It was more of a gesture of admiration than a simple agreement.

“Oh, a surprise.”

“Why?”

“Why? I thought you’d take him in like you did that puppy earlier and want to raise him.”

“…What?! Absolutely not!”

I let out a small laugh, seeing Liheros’s startled expression. However, because his initial impression was so strong, I had thought of him as a simple-minded but kind friend, and I hadn’t expected such an objective and clear answer. The villains in this world should be grateful to meet the hero, Liheros. If it were me, it would have been a massacre ending by now. As I laughed, finding it truly amusing, Liheros shifted from just holding my fingertip to wrapping his hand around mine, and he smiled too.

“Then, that’s what we’ll do?”

“Take him in and raise him?”

“As if! Hand him over to the guards.”

“Hahaha.”

His flustered expression and raised voice made me wonder if he was really the hero who had just sliced up a ferocious dungeon boss. What else could I do? This world’s protagonist is the hero, so I have to do as he asks. After laughing as much as I wanted, I pulled my hand out of his grasp and approached the shaggy-haired man, still covered in tear stains.

“Hand.”

“…Y-yes?”

Even as I said it, I didn’t wait for the man to offer his hand; I snatched it. I pulled out a rope from the bag on my waist and tied it firmly around his wrist.

“Acris?”

“One way or another, he’s still a suspect who hasn’t cleared his name. I’ll tie him up. He says he won’t run, but you never know what might happen.”

“I-if this is how you trust me, I gladly will!”

Liheros let out a sigh of relief, or perhaps it was a quiet breath of displeasure at my continued distrust. If he is the kind and forgiving type, I am the calculating type. It might be safe for now, but I need to anticipate future events and reduce risk factors.

‘In this regard, my planner’s occupational hazard seems to be acting up. Prediction, prevention, and response are essential.’

Recalling a ‘how to tie a rope so it doesn’t come undone’ video I had unconsciously watched after it popped up on my YouTube algorithm, I secured the man’s hands so he couldn’t move them, and then attached a long rope, making it into a hobble form for easy carrying. Furthermore, the kind Liheros would lead the way while the wicked me dragged him. Despite looking like we were escorting a criminal, the shaggy-haired man didn’t complain much, and his face looked much brighter than when we first met.

“Alright, get up.”

“Y-yes.”

As the man slowly stood up when I pulled the rope, a crudely shaped box appeared on the shelf behind where he had been standing. As if signaling the complete end of the dungeon quest, a clanging sound echoed, and the box sprang open. The gold and treasures, dazzlingly displayed in the dim interior, were so brilliant they made my vision swim.

‘Reward box!’

“Acris, there’s a box.”

“Yeah, I see it.”

“I’ve never seen so much gold before. Is this stolen property too?”

“Eek, no way!”

“That’s the profit from this kitchen. If it’s not going to be returned to criminals, it would be best for you, the hero, to have it.”

“Really?”

The man, who had been terrified, was gone, replaced by someone who responded mechanically and clearly. It was a definite reward box, confirmed by an NPC.

“Then it’s best we use it for a good cause. Right, Liheros?”

“Is that really okay?”

“It’s fine. They earned that money dirty, so it’s even more satisfying for me to see it go to good people!”

“I told you. If you work for free, other adventurers will end up working for free. Think of this as a reward for your achievements. You just can’t take it by force.”

“Okay. I understand.”

He seemed quite bothered by the idea of acquiring ownerless money. So, I stepped forward and transferred the rewards into my bag. Does this make you feel a little better? I looked at him with a slight pout, and he smiled, his eyebrows furrowed as if apologetic. Honestly, he makes such a guilty-puppy face. When will this moral man learn the game’s reward system?

“Let’s go now. I wonder if Lupusnis is holding up well.”

“Right. Let’s hurry.”

“Hii, is there a scary Lupusnis? Won’t it bite?”

“Ah, it’s still a cub. Very cute.”

“A c-cub, you say. Still, I heard it’s quite fierce.”

In any case, since no animals were left behind and all the black-market dealers were eliminated, the rewards were very substantial. The fact that I could afford to stay at a cozy inn, rather than having to pick up and sell slime chunks, made me chuckle uncontrollably. At that moment, my eyes met Liheros’s, and he was finally looking at me with a relaxed expression.

Although our mouths to feed had increased by two; this was a lucky day.

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