0.0000001% Demon King - 0DK Chapter 34: The Choice (3) (Part 1)
“We’re the ones who trusted you, who accepted the task without any complaints for twenty gold coins. Since you wouldn’t abandon us, we’ll likely end up being chased to our deaths.”
The slender man sighed deeply.
“Let’s follow her for now. Maybe the hero will take pity on us.”
“R-right? Since she’s a hero, she’ll take care of us, won’t she?”
“Of course.”
However, the face of the slender man comforting the rough-looking man was gloomy.
He knew, albeit clumsily, about the darkness of the Sun God. He understood that their chances of survival were slim, but he chose not to voice it. There was no need to instill despair.
“Ah, what have we done.”
The rough man’s lament made the slender man grimace.
“I told you not to take it.”
“Who could have known it would turn out like this? I thought we could definitely escape.”
“Ay (Aigoo) Brother, if we survive, you better give me that position. You’re perfectly suited to be the assault captain.”
“Ha, rebellion, is it!”
“What rebellion? In a situation where surviving is hard enough without worrying about hierarchy.”
Their voices grew louder, catching the attention of Sinclair and Karos. Karos let out a chuckle. It felt like watching a comedy.
And Sinclair bit her lip in silence. Realizing that their conversation was overheard, the slender man awkwardly scratched his head.
“Uh, aren’t we taking a break?”
“Is it already time?”
“It’s not exactly ‘already’. Haven’t we been walking without a break for about four hours?”
It was customary to rest and recover adequately every two hours. After all, humans aren’t machines, and rest is necessary.
“…Is that so.”
Sinclair forced a smile.
She and Karos had been walking non-stop for twelve hours.
“It’s about time for a meal, so let’s rest.”
“Thank you. Then…”
“I’ll cook.”
“Ah.”
Karos’s face stiffened slightly. Seeing his look, the slender man thought with a bitter face.
‘Can’t he cook?’
It was already challenging with their mental and physical state, and if the food was also bad, it would be quite tiresome.
“Uh…”
“Yes?”
The slender man who was about to dissuade Sinclair closed his mouth. Sinclair was pulling out various cooking tools and ingredients from thin air.
“What’s that…?”
“These are cooking tools. Cooking is somewhat my hobby.”
“Is, is that so?”
Unable to hide his astonishment, the slender man’s expression made Sinclair chuckle again.
“Just watch. I won’t disappoint you.”
“Yes…”
*** ***
Sinclair started cooking, and the mercenaries watched with awe as the hero herself cooked using obviously expensive ingredients, making the scene quite a spectacle.
Karos laughed, feeling as if he was visiting a zoo.
“Don’t push me from behind.”
“I was too scared to ask. Since you speak well, it’s okay, right?”
While they were blankly watching the cooking, whispers could be heard from behind Karos.
“Ah. Really, I’m not some kind of servant. Since you’re the captain, you speak up.”
The rough man and the slender man were arguing, having forgotten even to keep their voices down.
“Then do you want to be the captain?”
“…Are you serious?”
As they argued, they felt a gaze and silenced themselves. Seeing Karos looking at them without a word, they awkwardly greeted him.
“Ah, hello.”
“Hey.”
“……”
Unable to endure the silence, the rough man nudged the slender man, who frowned and was about to say something when Karos asked them.
“You two.”
“Ah. Ah. Yes.”
The slender man swallowed nervously, gathering his thoughts.
“You can speak.”
‘…I didn’t want to come to this man.’
For the slender man, the most challenging person was none other than Karos.
Karos was an enigma to him. Sinclair was the hero of the Sun God. The people of the region were affiliates of the Sun God. In this way, it was clear what kind of beings they were. Knowing meant being able to predict to some extent, which, though scary, wasn’t daunting.
However, Karos’s identity was a mystery. His actions suggested he wasn’t involved with the Sun God, nor did he seem to have a personal connection with Sinclair.
An unknown entity. Even though he had helped them, he was more daunting than Sinclair to the slender man.
Karos asked them, within earshot of Sinclair.
“Why were you there? Even if it was a task, you knew it was clearly suspicious, didn’t you?”
“…Because the payment was good.”
“About twenty gold coins?”
The slender man’s pupils dilated. Karos had no way of knowing about the payment.
“How did you…”
“That’s the most reasonable amount. For a clearly suspicious job, cautious individuals wouldn’t come in the first place.”
Mercenaries live day-to-day. Therefore, they prefer stable tasks and are selective about their assignments.
“But those who dream of quick riches or those without a solid foundation rush to such offers. Those types are easy to handle since the payment will be reclaimed anyway, so there’s no problem in dealing with them.”
“…You know quite well.”
“I’ve done similar jobs quite a bit.”
Sinclair, who had been listening, looked somber. Karos continued looking at the slender man.
“But you two don’t seem like fools?”
“Ah. That’s…”
The slender man glanced at the rough man. Understanding the look, Karos nodded.
“It must have been tough.”
“Ha ha…”
Only the rough man, who didn’t grasp the conversation, blankly watched their exchange. The slender man swallowed.
“That…”
“Vain.”
“Lord Vain, what… what will happen to us?”