Chapter 191: Since You’ve Delivered Yourself, There’s No Way I’ll Let the Hero Escape!

Yes! This is it! This is the adoration I deserve!

Oshu’s entire body trembled with exhilaration as he caught the starstruck gleam in the young woman’s eyes.

Once, he’d been trampled beneath the Saintess’s heel, humiliated before Lin Wei, his confidence draining away little by little. But now, in this fleeting moment, he could almost feel it all returning.

This—this was how people were supposed to look at the Hero.

Those who dared mock him, who doubted him, who even dared to turn their backs—that was the anomaly. This—this was the respect a Hero was meant to command.

“I’m just an adventurer striving to subjugate the Demon Lord. The title ‘Hero’ doesn’t make me special,” he declared, voice solemn and grand. “But rest assured—as long as I’m here, I’ll never abandon anyone. That is my promise as a Hero.”

He spoke as if it were only natural, especially with such a lovely Demi-Human girl before him—her fluffy ears and twitching tail drew his gaze again and again.

Oshu, the Hero, performed his role as a gentleman to perfection. If his past failures with Lin Wei and the Saintess had left him needing Eileen’s gentle reassurance, then this Catkin woman—her admiration was sincere. The confidence he’d thought lost now surged within him anew.

“That’s wonderful!”

Krulu’s voice quivered with heartfelt awe, brimming with trust and dependence. “Then… then, may I follow you and help rescue my mother and the others?”

As if afraid he’d dismiss her as too weak, Krulu quickly added, “I’m only around Level fifty, but Catkin have strong Attributes—I won’t be a burden, truly! And… I want to learn from you, Hero. I want to see your fighting style up close.”

If Oshu had harbored any reservations about her safety before—perhaps even considering sending her back to the surface to showcase the Hero’s Party’s noble spirit, or to win her gratitude—now that she had spoken from the heart, there was no room for hesitation.

“Of course you can.”

He didn’t let Rein’s dumbfounded protests slow him for a moment.

Oshu planted his sword in the earth, the labyrinth looming behind him, embodying the very image of a Hero.

“I understand how you feel. At this stage, the labyrinth isn’t too dangerous, so even at Level fifty, you should be safe with us. And Catkin are known for their agility—natural scouts, really. Since you’ll be joining us, you should help out. How about… guarding the rear line?”

How did “natural scout” suddenly become “rear guard duty”? Iresha’s mind drew a blank at his words, but she didn’t even have time to object.

“Thank you so much, Hero!” Krulu’s face practically glowed with worship.

It was like running into a superstar beauty on the street, only to have her become your number one fan. For Oshu, who had suffered setback after setback of late, this was pure bliss.

“I may not be as strong as the rest of you, but I’ll do my best! Leave the rear guard to me!”

“Leave it to you…” Iresha thought sourly, If I actually trusted random strangers, I’d be a fool.

She was utterly floored. What the hell is wrong with Oshu?

The others might not be geniuses, but at least they had the sense to protest. But Oshu? He looked as if trusting a stranger was the most natural thing in the world—even handing her the rear guard.

“Is this guy just incapable of walking past a pretty girl?”

How did the Holy See ever pick someone like this to be the Hero?

And how did I ever end up playing with him as a child?

I used to think he was just bewitched by that cow-girl, but seeing him now—this is just who Oshu is.

So it’s his own damn fault.

“Hmm? Iresha, you really don’t like the new girl, do you?” A gentle, teasing—yet barbed—voice chimed in at her side.

Iresha turned, annoyed. Of course the cow-girl had to jump in at a time like this, slyly fanning the flames as always. Does she just need to pick a fight to feel alive?

“That’s right. I’d never trust a random outsider.” She jabbed her staff at Krulu with a flourish.

There was no hint of Mana, but the tension in the air was palpable.

She glared at the Catkin who’d been let in on a whim, even entrusted with the rear guard. Her proud, exquisite features sharpened with severity—her unique Princessly charisma making it seem only natural to ignore decorum and vent her feelings, consequences be damned.

“Playing the victim won’t move me, and acting cute won’t help either. If Oshu wants you to join, I won’t argue, but let me be clear: I don’t trust demons, and I don’t trust Demi-Humans.

If you’re guarding the rear, stick close to Eileen and Kokoxi. And keep your distance from me—otherwise, I can’t guarantee my magic won’t ‘accidentally’ strike you in the head.”

Her hostility was dialed to the maximum. The suspicion in her gaze made it clear—Iresha was already doubting Krulu’s identity.

The tension was so thick that Krulu, who’d been about to play the helpless act, froze. She glanced at Oshu for help, but also studied the others closely.

She hadn’t forgotten the Demon Lord’s warning. Compared to the mage Iresha, it was the rest of the party—the Hero, the frontliners, and the cloaked support in the back—who seemed even more naïve. Was it really this easy to convince them to take her in?

With this kind of gullibility, they’d be swindled out of the starter village if they set foot in demon lands.

The greatest danger wasn’t outside, but right here among these fools. The only one the Demon Lord had warned her to be wary of was the archer, Eileen.

Her warm, smiling face seemed harmless, but the instant Krulu met her eyes, something felt… off.

“Don’t worry, little sister.” Eileen’s voice was soft and soothing. “Iresha’s always like this. Kokoxi and I will look after you.”

She didn’t seem like an idiot—she was sharp, in fact. Yet she hadn’t objected to Krulu joining either. Was she deceived, or was she playing her own game?

The Demon Lord’s warning was clearly not for nothing. If he’d told her to watch the elf, perhaps Eileen was even more dangerous than the Hero.

“Thank you, both of you.”

“Haha! With Eileen watching over me and Oshu, I feel much better!” Rein, ever the hot-blooded fool, jumped in to lighten the mood.

He slung his shield back onto his arm, energy restored.

“Anyway, if we enter the sixth floor from here, we’ll be near the Adventurers’ Guild’s permanent station. Most of the monsters ahead have already been cleared, so why not push on to the sixth floor and rest there? We can exchange information with the other teams—after all, this is uncharted territory, and we haven’t found a thing yet!”

In a Super Labyrinth, there were always countless unknown routes down to the next floor. Besides the mapped safe paths, endless branching tunnels tempted adventurers into its infamous depths.

“That makes sense. We’ve searched five floors and found nothing—we need to compare notes with the other teams.”

“Scout ahead, Rein. We’ll regroup at the station and get our bearings. Maybe someone’s seen clues about Krulu’s family—maybe they’ve already escaped and are waiting for you at the station!”

Though, Oshu secretly hoped for bad news.

If Krulu truly had no family left, she’d have nowhere else to turn but him. She’d have to depend on him—the Hero—and stay with the party.

Wait, why am I thinking something so twisted?

The thought flashed through Oshu’s mind and sent a shiver down his spine.

How could a Hero wish for something so cruel?

But then he glanced at Krulu—the Catkin girl’s charms could bring even human nobles to their knees.

He hadn’t done anything wrong, just imagined a possibility. Even if her family was gone, it wasn’t his fault—just a passing thought, right?

Yes, that’s all!

Krulu nodded eagerly, her eyes bright with hope, and obediently followed the group.

As she drifted from the Hero’s side to Eileen’s, the elf’s sultry gaze swept over her.

No one else would ever recognize her—she was like the rumored former Demon Lord, always hiding her face behind a mask.

But Eileen, who had just received a secret message, saw through her at a glance.

“…A traitor to the new Demon Lord, are you?”

So we meet at last, in a place like this.

Eileen licked her lips, a strange glint flickering in her eyes that no one else noticed.

What a delightful surprise.

◇

“So this is the famous City-State of Brook…”

“It’s enormous! Not at all what I imagined.”

Towering walls, as imposing as mountains, stood sentinel over the wild plains.

The air thrummed with shouts and the ceaseless bustle of crowds, every urgent call weaving into a symphony of chaos.

Swept along by the tide of people, the architecture all around bore the unmistakable stamp of the Northern Countries.

The Saintess from the Empire couldn’t hide her awe. She’d never expected to find such a vibrant city here.

“I always thought the Northern Countries were poor. But this is nearly as prosperous as the Imperial Capital! There are more adventurers and caravans than I ever imagined… Mr. Lin Wei, is this what a true Northern city looks like?”

Lin Wei smiled, half-lidding his eyes as he took in the familiar cityscape. “To be precise, Brook is one of the two core cities of the Northern Countries. There used to be an even larger one in the Silver Harbor Kingdom, but it was destroyed. Now, Brook is the only metropolis left.

As for all these adventurers? That’s to be expected—the demons have been kidnapping hostages here, so the Adventurers’ Guild is recruiting anyone they can. Everyone’s here for the same Mission.”

Walking through streets he knew so well, Lin Wei felt a strange nostalgia. He’d visited more than a dozen times over the past two years, usually chasing after those troublesome subjugation squads.

He’d never expected to enter the city openly as a Knight of the Holy See.

“So, what’s our next step in rescuing the hostages?”

The Saintess’s eyes sharpened at his words. There was nothing more thrilling than a grand rescue Mission.

“Getting involved won’t be hard—the labyrinth’s right there, and I know it inside and out. The trouble is, the Holy See doesn’t wield much influence in Brook. There’s an office, but it’s useless. So, how about we go undercover?”

Lin Wei’s eyes sparkled. “Let’s pose as ordinary adventurers and take a Mission to search for hostages. What do you think, Miss Yalis—the great adventurer?”

!!!

The Saintess’s eyes lit up even more.

“Mr. Lin Wei, you mean we’ll hide our identities, join the action, and then—when our teammates start bickering over whose fault it is for holding us back—we’ll reveal our true status in front of the boss, shock everyone, and save the world in style?”

Just reading about such stories was enough to set her heart racing. Now, she’d get to live one herself!

“It’s settled, then, Mr. Lin Wei—the great adventurer. Today, we’re just two ordinary adventurers from the Empire!”

“Going undercover to save the world… Ahem, it’s not that I want to show off or anything, I just think it’ll be fun, that’s all!”

Yalis was practically rubbing her hands in excitement, but still felt the need to explain herself. She couldn’t just blurt out, “I want to be the hero everyone admires!”—how embarrassing would that be?

“I get it. That’s exactly how I feel too.” Lin Wei grinned.

Honestly, he wasn’t thinking about any of that—he simply didn’t want to draw attention by revealing his Holy See identity. Stealth was the priority.

After all, rescuing the hostages was just a side job. His real goal was to keep anyone from breaking into the [Sleeping Grounds] and releasing those Heroes.

“I buried them all on the twelfth floor. Unless someone finds a Portal I missed, those adventurers will never reach the [Sleeping Grounds].”

Still, just to be safe, he’d better check it himself. If worst came to worst, he could always add a few more stone beds.

“Besides, I’ve been itching to deal with that Hero Oshu for a long time!”

Now that Oshu had delivered himself right into the labyrinth, Lin Wei had no intention of letting this opportunity slip by. Of course, he’d have to be wary of Iresha.

After all, as the Demon Lord, he’d never claimed to be a good person—especially when it came to dealing with Heroes. Mercy was never part of the job description.