I Became the Burden of a Conscienceless Party

52 – Dragons and Demons (5)

Dragons and Demons (5)

Esmeralda turned around at Jim’s single word.

Jim is a spy of the Demon Tribe.

Even now, the information of the warrior party is being sold to the Demon King’s army.

Even though we know the intentions and even the information being sold is manipulated.

Jim is clearly an enemy.

“Ugh!”

However, there was no choice but to not ask Esmeralda.

I didn’t understand it with my head, I just moved according to my heart.

The moment Esmeralda heard Jim’s voice, the only thought that came to her mind was that she had to save her companion.

Whether it’s a spy for the Demon Tribe or something else.

Right now, they are just objects that need to be saved.

“Huhh …

Esmeralda was pushed back, still hanging on to the holy sword that was thrust into the rock.

Fortunately, the rock was not rolling but rather being pushed, so if you held on with your sword planted, it wouldn’t have much of an impact.

Of course, that’s only for rocks.

Esmeralda hugged him tighter to protect him from the trap that was triggered in real time.

Traps from the relics began to fly behind her.

“Ugh!”

Although she tried her best to deal with it with her magical equipment and the little magic she had learned, Esmeralda knew that she could not stop it all.

That’s why I told you to bend down as much as possible while carrying your luggage.

She can hold on, but her fragile body won’t be able to support the load.

Esmeralda opened her eyes wide, feeling the pain of her back being pounded and the numbness in her wrists from not being able to break the rock.

‘You never know what’s at the end.’

If there was someone who designed this ruin, they wouldn’t have set up any meaningless traps. The force of the rocks rushing in is strong, but there’s no need to worry about getting crushed to death.

Of course, just getting hit would be a life-threatening situation for an ordinary person.

However, Esmeralda was able to hold on to the rock instead, as she was able to lessen the impact with the Holy Sword.

If the only goal was to push away the opponent and trigger a trap, there would have been better methods in the first place.

If so, there is a high probability that there will be a dead end at the end of this path.

While responding to the trap, he gets pushed back against the rock and gets stuck there and dies.

Since such a future was naturally being drawn, Esmeralda had to come up with a plan, no matter what.

“Haaap… … .”

Esmeralda took a deep breath and gripped her sword despite the pain.

A sword deeply embedded in the rock.

It is impossible to swing it. Then, you have no choice but to smash the rock without swinging it.

My wrist still felt numb and sore from the strain I had put into stabbing the sword into the rock.

‘It’s better to be sick than to die.’

Esmeralda held the holy sword with both hands and breathed strength into it.

She concentrates as much mana as she can into the tip of her sword.

Kwaaang!

Normally a choice for stabbing.

But this time, he exploded the power he had gathered in one point.

Shards of rock fly in all directions, and Esmeralda and Jim roll on the ground from the impact.

Even in that brief moment, Esmeralda used her superhuman mental strength to dodge and defeat the traps that had been set in motion.

Esmeralda was about to roll around on the floor when she finally managed to stop.

“haha…….”

Only then did I catch my breath. The burning pain in my back was gone.

The body had reached its limit and was secreting endorphins to survive.

So there was no pain,

But instead, a clear sensation was felt belatedly.

“Huh?!”

When I looked back, I saw that Jim was hugging her tightly. Esmeralda felt a heat rising in her head as she looked at Jim, who was hugging her tightly just as she had said.

Not only was he burying his face in her chest, but he was also holding her tightly with one hand and kneading her hard.

Esmeralda was so shocked that she couldn’t say anything.

It was almost as if he had done it unconsciously, so I couldn’t help but get angry.

She wasn’t the only one who was running wild. Jim also didn’t spare any secret support using his magic while Esmeralda was using her dragon.

Even if it was a mess, he must have thought that it was meaningful to survive. Esmeralda looked down at the luggage still hanging in her arms in a much calmer state.

And then at some point.

“Huh?!”

Esmeralda jumped up in surprise at the unexpected sensation.

Instead of feeling pain, I felt a strange pleasure.

She was terrified, unfortunately not knowing that it was the result of excessive endorphins.

‘No way, no way. That’s ridiculous.’

Esmeralda cursed herself for feeling Jim’s touch.

The important thing is not that Jim is still s*xually harassing her.

‘No, what are you talking about?! It’s important!’

Esmeralda immediately knocked on the luggage hanging from her.

“… … Now that it’s all over, are you going to fall?”

I could have forcibly taken it off, but I didn’t want to.

Because it seemed like an acknowledgment of the pleasure she had just felt.

“Ah, ahem. Thank you. Warrior, for saving me like this!”

Fortunately, Jim, who knew that life was precious, immediately fell off and landed his head in front of Esmeralda.

It was true that she had saved him, and the slight feeling of guilt that he had been so absorbed in her embrace completely erased his hesitation in taking that action.

Whether it was the Demon King’s Army or Nabal, at this moment, Jim was truly thinking of the warrior as his benefactor.

“… … .”

Esmeralda looked at Jim, who was breathing heavily for some reason, and fiddled with the fabric of her own clothes.

The dampness between her breasts felt uncomfortable. Of course, she tried to think of it as sweat.

“uh?”

Is that why I thought that way?

Esmeralda was only able to discover herself sweating profusely.

Now that I think about it, just because she didn’t feel pain didn’t mean she wasn’t hurt.

The body blocked out the pain in order to survive, even in pain so severe that it would not be surprising if it had already reached a fatal level.

And now that the tension has been relieved.

‘ah…….’

Esmeralda fell down.

The moment she thought her vision was blurry, her vision went black.

***

For Esmeralda, injuries of this magnitude were a constant companion.

Of course, he is a warrior.

She must confront head-on challenges that others avoid as dangerous.

She believes that a warrior is someone who is willing to do what others cannot do and take the path they do not want to take.

In the process, Esmeralda came close to death several times.

It’s not like losing consciousness like this happens every day or two.

It is commonplace for her to risk her life on the battlefield, defeat the enemy, and then fall in that state.

For some people, losing consciousness like that might be scary… … .

‘Oh my, warrior, you’ve overdone it again?’

‘Esmeralda won’t move. Should I take her to the village?’

‘Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Esmeralda! Wake up! If you sleep here, you’ll die!’

She was always able to do her best because she had companions she could rely on, even though one of them was thinking of turning her into a relic and the other thought of her as nothing more than material for magical research.

Still, Esmeralda could trust them.

To be exact, I believed in a situation where two people who couldn’t stand seeing one side benefit would collapse…

In addition to that, there are many cases where people trusted each other because they were colleagues.

‘Hmph! Don’t worry. Esmeralda, I know a shortcut. Just get some rest and you’ll wake up in the hospital room.’

Yeah, Tina.

At least her friends.

Because I’ve always been sincere to Esmeralda. She was someone I could truly trust and rely on.

That’s why Esmeralda was able to cross the line so many times.

Because she had friends who cared deeply for her and colleagues who would choose to save her even if it meant a thoroughly calculated move. But there was something she just couldn’t understand.

“Phew… … I think this is enough first aid.”

Jim is a spy from the Demon Tribe who has absolutely no reason to help her.

Of course, you need to keep an eye on them. If you don’t want to be caught as a demon, you should act like a comrade.

But, in a situation like now where no one is watching, she doesn’t even have the will to resist. Even if she dies, it will end in a regrettable accident.

Despite all these conditions, Jim saved Esmeralda’s life.

Rather, it would not be strange if they killed him when they had the chance.

The ruins may be dangerous, but it’s better to move alone than to carry an injured woman.

“Haha, preparation is important. The warrior party doesn’t know that.”

Since Milia was able to use spatial magic, he no longer had to carry around luggage, but he stubbornly carried a small backpack. Whether it was the pride of a porter or something else, Esmeralda didn’t really care.

But what about now?

Inside that backpack were all kinds of herbs and potions.

Yes, it is literally an emergency kit.

And they are emptying out all the emergency supplies and using them to treat Esmeralda.

Even though it was originally intended for him as someone who cannot receive divine power, he uses it without hesitation.

‘What the hell are you?’

I don’t understand that burden.

Sometimes leading her into a trap, and other times selling her information that could be harmful to her.

But there are also times when he throws himself into protecting her. There are also times when he runs to save her.

I couldn’t understand such a contradictory attitude. What on earth do you want?

Am I just floating around like a buoy, following the sway of my heart?

Esmeralda had a hard time carrying her luggage.

I could never understand that stupid yet pure attitude.

‘I’m scared of you.’

I also felt fear at the thought of him making different decisions in the same situation.

‘however…….’

He was necessary for this party, but he was also the one Esmeralda had to be most wary of. But still. Even though she knew all that.

‘I feel like I’ll be empty without you.’

Esmeralda gradually found herself trusting him.