I Became the Burden of a Conscienceless Party

92 – The Ascetic of Kapilavastu (5)

The Ascetic of Kapilavastu (5)

Esmeralda was still having an uncomfortable time.

First of all, when I open my eyes in the morning, I see Tina’s face hanging from the ceiling, watching me.

“Umm… … .”

Esmeralda stretched and got out of bed.

“I need to change my clothes… … .”

Esmeralda opened the wardrobe, defenseless and helpless, in an environment where she didn’t have to keep watch for the first time in a while.

“… … .”

When I opened the closet, there was Milia crouching down, reading a book.

Milia, who had been looking up at Esmeralda, turned her gaze back to the book.

Esmeralda packed a change of clothes and closed the closet door again.

“Phew.”

When Esmeralda, who had even changed her clothes, opened the window for ventilation.

“Good morning, warrior.”

“Yeah, Irina.”

There was Irina smiling, standing right in front of her window, holding a watering can.

It’s really strange.

There aren’t any flower beds nearby.

Well, if you become a saint, you can make flowers bloom even where there are none.

Esmeralda said, thinking it was nothing special, as she drank water from the jug and glass on the table.

“Whew, the weather is nice.”

I am being watched.

Another morning started like that.

Esmeralda thought.

‘What’s for lunch today?’

Now even Esmeralda has become accustomed to this situation of being watched.

So I decided not to worry about it.

She was innocent, whether she was being watched or not, so they left her to do as she pleased.

Because she had her own problems to worry about.

‘Didn’t you say that there are times when I have to use only myself as a light?’

I understood what you meant.

Doesn’t that mean that it’s an answer you have to come up with yourself, not based on someone else’s advice?

And Esmeralda also had some sympathy for those words.

It can be said that Esmeralda was quite busy at that time.

I screamed and despaired in front of the overwhelming power of the Demon King. So I tried to make a way to escape.

I guess you could say Jim did a good job of blocking that.

“Are you thinking about Jim now?”

“no.”

Denies Irina’s question.

“I think it’s the right thing to do.”

“No.”

He denies even Milia’s assurances.

“Can’t you just give me a little hint?”

“… … I really don’t know.”

Tina’s cowardice also conveys a sense of denial.

Esmeralda kicked Irina, Milia, and Tina out of the room, who were adjusting to her psychology like ghosts.

Why are we all gathered together in this small room and trying to sleep?

Of course, there weren’t many spare rooms in Esmeralda’s house. Inevitably, there was someone she had to sleep with.

There is still one guest room.

So, it would be more comfortable to sleep in pairs, but somehow, all of her party members are busy suspecting each other.

Yes. Even if there was only one person, they could have kept watch over Esmeralda. The reason they kept coming into Esmeralda’s room was because they didn’t trust each other.

Well, that’s to be expected.

Because originally, they were people who only thought about themselves.

“… … .”

Esmeralda glared at the three people and then quietly tidied up the bedding.

At this point, you might be able to stop being suspicious, but they are really persistent.

By the way, it is surprising that Jim’s whereabouts are still unknown, even though she is probably using the information power of the group to which each individual belongs. All she wants is for Jim to be caught as soon as possible.

Esmeralda thought as she completed her top secret mission of making the bed under everyone’s watch.

‘Isn’t this already a problem of defeating the Demon King?’

Now that I think about it, it was a truly extravagant worry.

I’m worried that I might get buried alive by my own party members right away, so I’m worried about defeating the Demon King whose face I don’t even know yet.

Isn’t that so foolish?

Humans have a tendency to worry about things in the distant future while being unable to solve problems right in front of them.

“Ah, is that so… … !”

That’s right.

“Humans were originally such small beings! I was worrying about things beyond my capabilities.”

Esmeralda has come to an epiphany.

It may not have been the kind of enlightenment Jim had hoped for, but she was simpler than he had thought.

The conclusion is that regardless of whether the Demon King is strong or not, we should just solve the problems right in front of us.

That seemed to blow away Esmeralda’s despairing worries.

“What are you thinking?”

“… … Are you thinking about Jim?”

“You seem worried. Esmeralda. Just tell me.”

“… … .”

Wouldn’t a despair that is more desperate and immediate be more valuable than such unrealistic despair?

Esmeralda looked at the three idiots waiting at the door even though she had kicked them out, and then smiled back.

“Let’s go eat. Mom must have prepared the table by now. And after eating, it would be a good idea to start our journey again.”

Yes, the purpose of this journey is… … .

“Shall we start tracking down Mr. Jim, whom you all love so much?”

Capturing the fugitive.

***

Esmeralda’s compromise.

The idea was to find the luggage first before defeating the Demon King.

Only after that clear condition was set did the members of the warrior party stop doubting Esmeralda.

This is as if Esmeralda had set a condition.

If they don’t find her luggage, they will chase Esmeralda for the rest of her life.

If Esmeralda doesn’t like that, she has no choice but to cooperate in finding the luggage.

So, this is Esmeralda’s gambit. I have no choice but to accept it.

“Hey, Esmeralda. After you finish eating that, please give this to Mr. Embolado, who just moved in.”

“Mr. Embolado? What a surprise. You moved to a rural area like this.”

“What’s wrong with this place?”

Esmeralda’s hometown is shrouded in secrecy.

This is because several groups, including the Celestial Spirit Church, Magic Tower, and the Eye of Truth, made such a promise in advance to prevent any unnecessary incidents from occurring in the warrior’s environment.

If her hometown is attacked because she is a warrior, the warrior’s activities will be restricted.

It was something that absolutely had to be hidden.

That is why Esmeralda had to hold off on returning to her hometown as much as possible, and even if she did return, she could only do so after information control had been completely completed.

As a result, her hometown remains the same, as it was then.

If it were a completely rural area, people who fantasized about the countryside would have come here, but since it is a rural area of ​​moderate size, moving in from outside is rare.

“He’s a gentleman whose face is already hard to see, and he doesn’t eat properly on a regular basis. He looks so haggard today as I walk down the street. I think he stopped by the village today and only bought meat, so I think there might be a problem with his eating habits. Now, vegetables.”

“Hmm… … ?”

Esmeralda stuffed the breakfast sandwich into her mouth and accepted the basket her mother had given her.

It’s a bit suspicious, but I guess it’s something you can check for yourself.

Anyway, I can’t hide anything from her.

If she had discovered her true identity and came looking for her, it would be a good idea to check on the middle-aged man who had just moved in, at least in order to respond.

“Then I’ll just finish this and then I’ll be back.”

“Oh, you should eat three. You’re at a growing age. Plus, you’re very active, so you should eat this much. Oh, and on the way, maybe it would be a good idea to stop by Haetsal Restaurant and buy some salad dressing for the salad? You might not like vegetables, so I’d like a delicious sauce… … .”

“… … .”

Esmeralda smiled wearily, looking at the two huge sandwiches in front of her plate.

The vegetables you give to new residents and the amount of food you put on your own table are all the same.

It seemed like the country people’s hearts were still the same.

***

What is needed for the purpose of the luggage.

A problem that needs to be addressed immediately.

Five allows the presence of extras to be tolerated.

Jim’s answer to that was simpler than he thought.

‘Neither of them are inherently evil.’

Although the extras were running around like bats, there was a cause that the Abaddon natives held.

Five treats his subordinates harshly and has a foul personality, but he hates lying and has strong opinions.

Looking at them listed like this, they seem like villains, but… … .

Jim still thought the two hadn’t crossed the line yet.

That line is a selfish attitude that harms others solely for personal pleasure or greed.

Extras have a cause.

Five has beliefs.

And for that, they are people who may harm others, but at the same time, they are also capable of saving others.

Yes, if we assume that the sword is the most representative weapon that harms people, then is the problem really with the sword?

It is the law of the sword to be wielded by the one who wields it. That is why Jim should wield the two swords properly. Not to harm others, but to save them.

And Jim thought it would be easy to reconcile the two.

‘There’s really no way I can’t tolerate it.’

All that’s needed is for two people to know each other in detail.

Fortunately, the extra didn’t seem to have any feelings for Five, so it seemed like it would be enough to just teach Five a good lesson about what kind of man the extra was.

Yes.

“Let’s go into town first and have a drink.”

It is a place for conversation.

First of all, in order to have a sincere conversation, alcohol is needed.

This was Jim’s theory though.

“I don’t drink.”

“I don’t drink either.”

“… … .”

Unfortunately, there was a fatal problem in that even the extras who looked like heavy drinkers and Five, who seemed like they would go well with wine and other things in the background, did not drink alcohol.

“… … Then let’s have a drink.”

It’s still okay.

Isn’t the important thing to get to know each other through conversation?

Jim trusted his speaking skills, which he had learned over thousands of years.

Of course, Jim was alone more often than he was with others.

Asceticism is inherently lonely.

However, Jim seemed not to have thought about that and confidently led everyone.

“Do you know the way?”

“Please guide me, Lieutenant Colonel. Please guide me to a good restaurant here.”

“Oh, you idiot… … . Follow me. There’s only one restaurant here.”

The extras eventually led Jim and Five away, sighing.

It may seem like a small town with no need for a restaurant, but that is precisely why a restaurant in a place like this is so special.

It is said that even country people who are mostly self-sufficient visit here often because the food is so delicious.

The extra has also toured the town once under his second false identity, the name Embolado.

“This restaurant is called Sunshine Restaurant and their special sauce is superb.”

It was to evaluate whether it was suitable for hiding Five, but I couldn’t help but feel bad about discovering the existence of a delicious restaurant by chance.

Extra and his new group, who had been leading everyone while anticipating their colleagues’ reactions when they secretly introduced their own delicious restaurants…

“… Mr. Jim?”

“… … Warrior?”

Encountered a party of warriors.