Chapter 235 - Fear

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༺ Fear ༻

 "Cough …Ugh…"

 "He, Hero!?"

 Ruby unsteadily gasped for breath, bending forward.

 "What's wrong!? Hero!"

 "That… cough…"

 "…Hero!"

 Vener rushed to support her with a distressed expression as she lost her balance and fell.

 "Get a hold of yourself! If the Hero dies now, the empire has no chance!"

 "Uh…"

 Vener shouted desperately, looking down at the dazed Ruby.

 'I'm losing my mind.'

 Feeling her body contort, she closed her eyes tightly.

 "She must be in shock from losing so much blood."

 "Even without that, she was injured enough to lose consciousness at any moment."

 "Even though the Hero's Armament hasn't fully awakened… she pushed herself to fight…"

 Witnesses pitied her condition, but the reality was a bit different.

 'What is this sensation…?'

 Ruby, typically resistant to most attacks, had pretended to be injured to gain trust. Her plan was to feign weakness and then make a decisive move.

 'What's this… nauseating feeling in my stomach…?'

 Unexpected side effects had come from the 'healing' potion Roswyn gave her. Since the potion granted extraordinary healing to the 'Hero,' it was evident what would happen when consumed by the Demon King.

 "Groan…"

 As a result, Ruby experienced a gut-wrenching pain for the first time, retching on the ground.

 "Gag…"

 Similar to how Frey had felt moments ago because of her, tears welled up in Ruby's eyes.

 "Escort the Hero! If she dies, it's over for all of us!"

 Vener shouted, unsure how to help Ruby. Her shout made others gather around them.

 "Hero, was this another scheme by that Frey? Did he curse you irreversibly when he attacked earlier?"

 "...…"

 "I'll definitely break that guy's neck. For justice!"

 Vener was a knight who escorted the Hero and revered justice.

 "…I've summoned shields nearby. They should hold for a few minutes."

 "I, I also… summoned a barrier…"

 "…Hmm."

 The still spiritless Paladin, the flustered Arianne, and the stoic Alice spoke as such.

 "...…."

 For some reason, Roswyn stood apart, looking lost and dazed.

 "I'll heal you!!! So, please bear with it!!"

 "Cough…!"

 Finally, the pure-white Saintess, Ferloche joined.

 The Hero Party, humanity's last hope, had finally made their presence known to the world.

 'Frey… that deceiver… resorting to such schemes…'

 However, the crux of the issue was that the main hero was, in fact, a hypocrite.

 'Then… I cannot simply go along with it.'

 ''Cough, cough.''

 Under Ferloche's divine healing, Ruby rose with a cough tinged with blood.

 "Ugh…"

 "Ruby!"

 Vener, steadfastly at Ruby's side, offered unwavering support.

 "You're correct… Vener."

 Ruby whispered to the assembled Hero Party members.

 "Actually, this is… Frey's doing."

 "...!!!"

 Silence fell over the surroundings.

 "I had sensed it beforehand and tried to persuade Frey… But he attacked me instead."

 "…Is that true!?"

 "Still, I tried to convince him till the end… I never anticipated it would come to this. I truly… feel ashamed before all of you."

 As Ruby trailed off, Vener gritted her teeth.

 "I will find Frey and kill him."

 "No, you mustn't. Frey's still…"

 Gripping her sword firmly, she spoke with a trembling voice.

 "The responsibility is mine."

 "..."

 But when Vener uttered those words, Ruby fell silent.

 'In this situation, I didn't order the assassination… The System can't intervene.'

 Evaluating her cunning plan with a smile, Ruby continued.

 "Do we simply need to eliminate Frey?"

 "You mean, kill him? Can we… But I only know defensive magic…"

 "…Provide support from the rear. I'll take care of his throat."

 Around her, the Paladin and Arianne spoke in hushed tones. Alice was also present.

 'Frey, the true battle begins now.'

 Ruby gazed at them with a solemn expression.

 'This is merely the start. The current members of the Hero Party are weak. However, many out there hate Frey, so I can always replace them whenever.'

 Smirking to herself, she murmured.

 'So… your torment is only just beginning.'

 "Hero! Please wait here for a moment! I will capture the culprit, Frey, and resolve this situation!"

 Surrounded by shields and escorts, Vener and the Hero party members departed.

 "You're holding up quite well. Losing an arm aside, it doesn't seem like you've lost much."

 "Even if that weren't the case, dealing with someone like him would be a walk in the park."

 Meanwhile, the Demon Army Combat Executives were being pushed out of the main hall due to the fierce battle, observing the Imperial Family and Church soldiers.

 'Well, it would only be possible if I survived this.'

 Ruby then directed her gaze toward the Church Bishops, quietly observing from a distance.

 'Those guys, it seemed they were scheming to betray the Hero Party and the Imperial Family simultaneously.'

 The Hero's Inauguration Ceremony was nothing short of chaotic.

 Ruby had devised a plan to bring down Frey. Frey's group plotted against the Imperial Family, and the Imperial Family aimed to assassinate Frey.

 Deception and intrigue were rampant, and the Church played the final card.

 "Are you ready…?"

 "…Not yet, please wait a little longer."

 Their scheme involved taking control of the world by eliminating the Imperial Family, Frey's group, and even the Hero Party.

 "Now is not the time."

 Their plan was straightforward.

 "We haven't gathered enough energy for the explosion yet."

 They intended to evacuate the cooperating nobles and then blow up the entire building.

 'I won't die from an explosion… but what about you, Frey?'

 Aware of this, Ruby, feeling drowsy from Roswyn's potion, reclined on the floor with a pleased smile.

 "Miss Ruby!!"

 "…Ugh."

 As Ferloche, who had been lurking near the Bishops, approached her with an enthusiastic smile, she frowned slightly.

 "You're so pretentious again today!! It's the best!!"

 "....."

 "So, do we have to kill Frey!!"

 "Ugh…"

 Ferloche injected divine power into her once more.

 "Alright, I will definitely kill the wicked and bad Frey for you!"

 "..."

 Because of the potion and divine powers, Ruby bled from her mouth after taking a direct hit to the gut.

 "…Look forward to it."

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 "Bad Frey~! Get ready! I'm coming now….."

 Roswyn stared blankly as Ferloche left through the broken door, shouting about Frey. She soon shifted her gaze toward Ruby.

 "Ugh… Uh…"

 Ruby continued to writhe in agony on the floor.

 "...…"

 Roswyn, who watched Ruby blankly, silently observed the system window floating in front of her.

[Assessment Result: Unqualified]

[Solution: Transfer control to the one most helpful to the Hero]

 No matter how often she looked, the information before her remained unchanged. 

 She had just forfeited the role of the Helper she so desperately coveted.

 Roswyn's mind had stopped working momentarily, so she now tried to gather her thoughts. 

 'I gave her a potion… the potion…'

 The moment the system window appeared before her eyes, reason deserted her.

 Believing that her long-awaited latent ability had finally emerged at a crucial moment, she was ecstatic at being acknowledged.

 Upon learning of Ruby's crisis, she hurried with the potion, hoping to assist the Hero. Additionally, she wished to earn Ruby's approval, who had seemed cold toward her recently.

 However, when Ruby drank the potion and grimaced, she received an assessment that she was unqualified.

 "Cough, cough…"

 Furthermore, Ruby, who had consumed the 'healing' potion, was now writhing in pain.

 'Could it be…'

 Roswyn was finally slowly piecing the puzzle together and approached Ruby with a pale face.

 '…Uh.'

 Then, as always, her heart began to ache.

 – Thump.

 She had always attributed it to excitement.

 Believing that, as the sole heir of the family meant to be the Hero's esteemed Helper, she considered this response a confirmation of her role as the Helper.

 – Thump, thump.

 "Uhh…"

 But why?

 What was the significance of Ruby's photos being cut into pieces in the nightmare she had? She had just dismissed it as mere anxiety and stress, but could there be something more? What about the flowers she received and the overwhelming fear and dread that accompanied them?

 It felt like she had committed an irreversible act, as if her soul was being torn to shreds.

 "Haah… Haah…"

 "....."

 With these thoughts in mind, Roswyn had arrived right before Ruby.

 Ruby was still in pain.

 As per the shop's description, she had ingested the potion that was meant to offer 'the Hero' perfect healing.

※Caution: Serious side effects may occur if someone other than the Hero drinks it.

 "…Ru, Ruby."

 Continuing to gaze down at her, Roswyn, whose eyes had been fixed on the potion's cautionary note, spoke.

 "Um, so…"

 She attempted to inquire with a trembling voice.

 "Are you…"

 "Th, thank you… Roswyn."

 Ruby, suddenly grabbing her hand, began speaking with a smile.

 "Thanks to you, I survived…"

 "…What?"

 "Actually, I had contracted a fatal disease, just as the rumor suggested…"

 Upon hearing this, Roswyn's eyes started to waver.

 "I couldn't mention it casually… but after consuming your potion, it seems the disease has fully healed."

 "...…"

 "This is part of the healing process. It was such a serious illness… haha."

 Ruby made such a reveal.

 "…Once this incident is over, I will acknowledge you as the one who has contributed the most among the Hero Party members."

 "Ah, um…"

 "So, for now, leave. You're useful… no, I value you."

 Saying this, she pushed Roswyn toward the exit.

 "Join the Hero Party pursuing Frey. You'll be safe with them."

 "Ah…"

 With a dazed expression, Roswyn began making her way toward the exit.

 "…Miss Ruby."

 She halted in her tracks.

 "Um, I have… I have a question…"

 With her face turning pale, she asked.

 "Er, the name… Ruby…"

 "Yes?"

 "Is it, um, an alias…?"

 "Hmm?"

 Ruby, taken aback by the unexpected question, tilted her head.

 "My name has always been Ruby."

 She answered with a clear and innocent voice.

 "Ah, oh, I see…"

 Hearing her response, Roswyn started shaking uncontrollably.

 "....."

 Ruby narrowed her eyes and fixed her gaze on Roswyn.

 "…Roswyn?"

 "Yes, yes?"

 "What are you looking at?"

 Ruby inquired of Roswyn, who had been staring into space with her eyes trembling since earlier.

 "Ah, it's nothing…"

 Responding softly to Ruby, Roswyn started to walk away slowly.

 "Sigh… sigh…"

 She looked up into space with a face full of fear.

 System Notification!

[ Achievement Unlocked: First Step ]

– Decides to help the Hero.

Intelligence +1 Courage +1

 Floating in the air was a system notification that had somehow appeared while she was talking to Ruby, but Roswyn focused on something other than that.

 Helper System

> Identity of the Hero

– The identity of the Hero, as you know, is… [F ]

[….Restoration: 5% Completed]

 The slightly fixed system error revealed a tiny part of the broken characters.

 Helper System

[F ]

 "......."

 Seeing this, an indescribable, immense fear began to engulf Roswyn.

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 Meanwhile…

 "We've arrived!"

 "Why did you leave me behind… I was only thinking of biting off the neck of the Hero Party for my master…"

 With a displeased face, Lulu murmured in a low voice as she disembarked from the carriage.

 "…Huh?"

 Then, she froze upon seeing an unusual sight.

 – Whooshhh…

 The building where the Hero's Inauguration Ceremony was supposed to be held emitted intense demonic energy.

 "…Grrr."

 Lulu snarled, baring her teeth.

You can read 505 episodes for $10. p.*atreon.com/Astrid02