Chapter 55

### How to Steal a Woman from an Extra (3)

I shouted through the communicator.

"Temper!!!!!!!!!!!!"

[...I'll leave it at that.]

---

**Name: Lena de Feron**

- **Temper** -

[Martial Arts], [Leadership LV 38], [Self-Sacrifice], [Courage], [Daring]...

---

Even at a glance, it was clear that this was not the temperament of an ordinary maid. Armonia quickly scanned her temperament and explained.

Lena de Feron was about 170 cm tall, which was quite tall for a woman, and she had rare pink eyes. Even the way she bowed exuded grace and dignity. However, despite her apology, the heavy atmosphere did not dissipate. Someone at the table stood up.

Thud... Thud...

Approaching Lena de Feron with heavy steps was...

"...I was in a very good mood today. ...Until I saw your faces."

The Demon King, Gardia, whose demeanor had completely changed from before, was now radiating a murderous aura with red eyes. Although he usually had a goat-like face, he had been jovial and cheerful when we met, but now he was spreading a killing intent.

The little kid, who had been so confident a moment ago, started trembling and wet his pants. Even the nobles sitting at the table began to shiver.

Just because someone is as big as the Demon King doesn't mean they are as strong. Among us, only I and Viola remained calm.

Viola seemed to be considering whether she should intervene, treating the killing intent as nothing.

'...How did you raise this hero, Viola?'

[Even I find it challenging.]

'I can handle it because I have a firm belief that I can survive.'

If things get tough, I can just warp away.

Apart from me and Viola, the only one who could withstand the killing intent relatively well was Lena de Feron. She bowed gracefully and said again,

"I apologize, Your Majesty. I will ensure proper education. Please, have mercy..."

But even she couldn't completely control her trembling lips.

In the face of death, all are equal.

Suddenly, the space to Gardia's right distorted, and a massive scythe appeared in the air. The scythe was so large that a single swing could slice through the enormous table like paper.

Clap, clap, clap, clap.

Suddenly, the sound of applause made the nobles at the table look in that direction.

It was Viola.

After clapping, she seemed a bit embarrassed when everyone looked at her and whispered to me,

"Amazing. How did he do that?"

"I don't know..."

Viola was looking at the scythe with the same wonder as if she were watching a magic show.

However, the three people standing in front of Gardia had a funeral-like atmosphere. The little kid had fainted after wetting his pants, the lower-ranking demon was on the verge of passing out with a resigned expression, and Lena de Feron had her eyes tightly shut, as if she had given up.

"I usually have patience, but I can't tolerate this today! At the very least, I'll send your heads back to your hometowns!!!"

Just as the Demon King raised his massive scythe to behead the three,

"Wait a moment!"

My voice made not only the nobles at the table but also the Demon King and Lena de Feron look at me.

Gardia, still seething with anger, glared at me with red eyes.

Because the chair was too high to stand up, I climbed onto it and said,

"It's nothing much, but my friend and I were invited here. It's a bit hard to watch such a cruel scene. Could you forgive them just this once for our sake?"

"..."

After hearing my words, Gardia exhaled a few times, made the scythe disappear, and looked at me.

"I'm sorry... I got carried away with excitement because of our valuable guests. I apologize for my behavior."

"Not at all. I'm the one who should be grateful."

Gardia glanced at the three and said,

"Get rid of that kid quickly!"

"Yes!"

The lower-ranking demon quickly carried the little kid away, and some people started cleaning up the mess.

They were all humans, ranging from younger than the kid who was dragged away to those around the same age as the princess.

After a hurried cleanup, the servants started leaving.

Lena de Feron glanced at me as she left.

After they were gone, the demons started setting up the food, which was different from before.

While a few creatures set up the food for Viola and me, several creatures struggled to place the food for the nobles at the table. The plates were so large that Viola and I could have played on them.

After all the food was set up, the meal began.

Despite the start of the meal, it didn't feel like we were eating together.

I could understand what it felt like to be an ant trying to get sugar among giants.

Unlike me, Viola was completely absorbed in the delicious food and paid no attention to her surroundings.

I started asking questions.

"Can you tell me what happened after I left?"

"Hahaha! Of course. I'll tell you everything from the beginning."

The Demon King's army was in a similar position to the empire, encompassing a vast territory and many races.

Gardia started explaining from before the war.

"We were trying to maintain peace through diplomacy as much as possible."

"..."

While he said they were maintaining peace through diplomacy, it was hard to be sure without hearing both sides.

After all, people tend to forget those they have beaten.

"...But why did the war start suddenly?"

"The humans launched a preemptive attack."

"Suddenly?"

"Yes... Everything started to change when that damn guy appeared."

I had a good idea who the "damn guy" was.

The hero.

When the real monster suddenly appeared and started wiping out other monsters, his fame grew, and the goal shifted to eliminating the Demon King's army.

While all human nations had been in a standoff with the Demon King's army, they hadn't gone to war. However, the humans found a pretext to start the war.

The two nations that led the charge were the Duchy of Feron and the Kingdom of Betel.

When I arrived, the Demon King's army was on the verge of annihilation, with only one person causing the destruction of entire legions and the decapitation of officers.

Gardia had also faced him directly but had to flee after sustaining severe injuries.

Just as they were about to lose their final stronghold, the Demon King's castle, they received a revelation from the God of Demons.

"Suddenly, we were told to advance."

"..."

The God of Demons?

'Armonia, what is the God of Demons...?'

[The Zodiac. They don't reveal their true identities but manipulate people by giving revelations and deifying themselves.]

It's like a game of gods.

After receiving the revelation, Gardia led the charge and started wiping out the opposing army.

Gardia wasn't weak just because he had lost to the hero. He could destroy entire legions and decapitate hundreds of humans with a single swing of his scythe.

However, the humans didn't back down easily.

With their survival at stake, two nations took the lead, boosting the morale of the other nations.

At the forefront of the battle was a woman.

"You might not know, but that woman was stubborn and made things difficult until the end."

"Oh..."

Lena de Feron.

While Gardia outwardly belittled her, the details revealed that her martial and leadership skills were highly regarded, even compared to other officers.

Moreover, although it wasn't a one-on-one duel, she had managed to corner Gardia.

'Oh wow! She's beautiful and capable!'

[Such a person is indeed rare.]

Even the Demon King, Gardia, had grown to this level because of the support of the Zodiac.

Lena de Feron, on the other hand, had reached the pinnacle of human achievement through her own efforts.

I excitedly communicated,

'I want her...'

[...]

It was the heart of a child wanting a toy.

However, from the story, it didn't seem like they had an overwhelmingly advantageous situation.

Even if the hero had disappeared, they had already lost too many troops, and Lena de Feron's presence made it possible for them to lose.

But the war didn't end because of the number of soldiers or the confrontation between the two.

It was because of a rumor.

"Suddenly, the hero's crazy actions were exposed in the human nations, and the alliance started to fall apart."

"Wow..."

Honestly, I never expected that.

For the old woman to spread such information during the war...

'Wow, she really exposed it during the war.'

[The old woman had little time left and harbored deep resentment towards the hero.]

'And spreading such a rumor during the war would be unbearable.'

As trust in the hero, who was already gone, plummeted, the alliance's cohesion weakened.

Lena de Feron tried to quell the situation, but it was a difficult task.

"I took advantage of the situation and declared that I would promise a human life to those who surrendered first. However, the later they surrendered, the more likely they would live as livestock! Hahaha!"

The quick-witted minor nations surrendered quickly, and Feron and Betel fought until the end but were defeated.

It's the butterfly effect.

I had one more question.

But I didn't use the word "hero" in case Viola heard.

"Then... what is he doing now?"

"During the war, I heard he suddenly crossed the continent's desert. And I just received new information."

Gardia's expression didn't show any particular worry about the new information.

"What is it?"

"He apparently crossed the continent by boat."

"..."

According to the information Gardia had, the hero had crossed the desert and caused chaos in a country while looking for someone.

It was particularly chaotic because it was a place with active slave trading...

After almost destroying a country, he left for another continent by boat.

"It seems he overturned a country to find a woman, and the people there lied, saying she was sold as a slave across the continent to survive."

Gardia chuckled and continued,

"But he believed it completely. If he managed to cross the continent alive, it would be nothing short of a miracle."

"Are you not worried? He might come back..."

Gardia didn't seem worried at all.

His answer cleared my doubts.

"Think about it. Even if he appears now, which country would help him? Besides, this castle has the children that the nations cherish."

No one would welcome a hero who abandoned them, and they had hostages.

The Demon King could make all humans rise up to capture the hero with a single command.

This world was now the Zodiac's world, with no turning back.

"I don't know what you did, but I'm truly grateful. Thanks to you, we can laugh like this! Hahaha!"

The other nobles clapped along with his laughter.

"..."

Viola, who was eating, suddenly started clapping, wondering what was happening.

'...Just because I seduced a woman, I caused such a backlash. I must be pretty amazing.'

[...]

'...A little praise would be nice.'

[You are amazing.]

Damn, I shouldn't have said that.

After hearing the praise, I looked around.

Viola and most others had finished eating.

Viola was so focused on eating that she didn't participate in the conversation.

Suddenly, Gardia said something unexpected.

"Wasn't that guy's name Rian?"

"?? Who are you talking about?"

I asked Armonia.

'Who is Rian?'

[Rian is the hero's real name.]

'Ah!'

I'm finally hearing my brother-in-law's name.

"!"

Suddenly, Viola, who had heard Gardia, looked at him in surprise.

"Do you know my brother?"

Viola looked at Gardia with a slightly uneasy expression.

'...Wait a minute. This...'

I planned to explain the situation later, but if Viola said it here...

"Wait a minute..."

Before I could stop her, the conversation continued.

Gardia, not hearing me, laughed heartily and said to Viola,

"Hahaha, must be a coincidence! I was talking about the hero, Rian."

"Wait a minute..."

"Ahaahaha!"

Damn, listen to me...

Viola answered with a sullen face.

"Yes, the hero, Rian... that's my brother."