Chapter 3

EP.3 What? Give it back to me (2)

To me, the succubus queen, Reph.

There was a reason I had to hunt this bat woman. Was it because she killed people? Because she was a demon? No. If we were to nitpick, there are so many bastards in the world who deserve to be torn apart.

-Hmm, is that you? The pity mage who is rumored to only follow the hero's every move?

It's not because she toyed with me...

-This is pretty.

-Can I take it?

It's because she touched my belongings.

While Sarah and Remia were causing a ruckus, this bat woman had stolen something from me. Although it's a pity, since I won't meet the succubus queen again, it's something I had almost forgotten about...

‘If the bat brat had come to me of her own accord, things would have been different.’

I extended my hand toward the kneeling Reph.

"Give it back."

"W-Who are you?"

Ah, you were wearing a robe.

I pulled back the robe. Seeing my revealed face, Reph gasped.

"Ah, that pity mage...!"

"Hmm."

I raised my left hand demonstratively.

Although I had used up the spells stocked in my right hand, I still had many spells left. Seeing the mana flickering at my fingertips, Reph tightly pursed her lips.

"…But, isn't it Raniel?"

"You figured it out. I was going to beat you until you did."

"Beat a woman? Is that okay for the hero's party?"

"If I hadn't almost died from the hero's party, I wouldn't be surprised now."

I didn't mention that I had left the hero's party. I didn't feel the need to.

"I'll say it again. Give it back."

"W-What?"

I snapped my fingers.

"Remember that banner you stole from me? I want it back."

"Oh, that old banner?"

"It's not old; it's aged."

The banner of the Ashen Tower's mage.

The thing this bat woman had stolen from me amidst the chaos.

To be honest, the banner wasn't very useful. It didn't grant access to the Ashen Tower just by having it.

However, if I were to say that it had no meaning just because it wasn't useful, that wouldn't be true.

That banner, the one my master had given me.

He had attached it to me, saying, "Don't let anyone look down on you."

-Shoulder up, Raniel.

-What if you have a humble background? A mage only needs to be skilled. Live proudly, Raniel.

It was a precious item to me.

"…Do you really think I still have it?"

"It would be better if you did."

Thud, thud.

As I roughly untied her wrists, Reph's face turned pale.

"I'll look for it. So, please... untie the chains a bit..."

I flicked my fingers lightly.

I didn't completely release her restraints; I only freed one of her hands.

"If you do anything foolish, you'll die."

"I can only be killed by holy magic, you know? And you can't use holy magic."

"I can do it if I pour in enough mana."

"..."

Reph closed her mouth and began rummaging through the air. After a while, she finally pulled out an old banner.

"Is this it?"

"Yes."

I examined the banner on my palm. It was just as it was back then. I had never worn it.

"But, why did you steal this?"

"…You knew, didn't you?"

"What?"

"I thought having that banner would let me enter the tower."

What would you do in the tower?

Looking at her with that expression, Reph answered in a barely audible voice.

"I heard there are many pity mages in the tower."

"..."

"What?"

"...You're crazy."

"Is that what a succubus would say? Calling me crazy is a bit harsh, isn't it?"

Just for that reason, you stole this banner.

Sighing, I asked her.

"Hey, Reph. How long have you been in this city?"

"…About two months."

"What? But why isn't there a wanted poster?"

Thinking about it, there were some strange points.

-This is a well-known lady in the area.

The tavern owner had said that. A well-known woman in the area. If that was the case, she must have been walking around in the same form for a long time...

There's no way the rumors wouldn't spread.

If Reph had been sucking life force, there would be mummies with drained life force rolling around the streets. And the guards wouldn't fail to think of a succubus queen when they saw that.

Moreover, Cardine was a city that had experienced the bat woman's attacks before. If they saw mummies rolling around, the lord would immediately issue a wanted poster.

‘But, there was no recent wanted poster.’

The wanted posters regularly sent to the hero's party.

I remember Reph's face wasn't on any of them.

As I tilted my head, Reph answered.

"Because I restrained myself."

"What?"

"I didn't drain anyone to death. I brought several people and shared the draining. I realized it was a waste to kill them. And I didn't want to be chased by monsters like you..."

Indeed.

"You do use your head...?"

"You know, that's really rude?"

Anyway.

I sighed and stood up.

"Then, what should I do with you now...?"

"G-Give it back! I gave you the banner! I've been restraining myself! Just let me go!"

"Why should I?"

Thud, thud. I untied her wrists and approached her.

Actually, I didn't intend to kill her. More accurately, I couldn't kill her. The succubus queen, regardless of her strength, had a high existence level.

‘I might be able to do it with Sarah, but alone, it’s impossible.’

Of course, I could capture her if I used all my mana. But if I did, I would have to rest until my mana recovered.

‘I want to return to the main road as soon as possible, but why should I?’

I had no intention of joining the hero's party again, and I wouldn't do something with such poor returns. It would be enough to drain some of her mana and hand her over to the guards.

Thinking this, I reached out to Reph.

"Ugh!"

Mana Drain is not a light spell.

It's a two-layered spell, so the spell I had stocked was on my finger joints, not my fingertips. I grabbed her head, making sure my finger joints touched her forehead.

"Let go of this!"

"Stay still, or I'll add another Smite."

Just as I was about to drain her mana...

-Reph! Are you there!

A loud voice echoed from outside the building.

Then, after a moment, the door was knocked down with a loud thud, and the broken door flew into the room.

"Reph!"

"D-Dyke!"

Reph, whose hair I was holding, looked at the man who had broken the door with a pained expression.

A black armor covering the entire body.

A pitch-black greatsword in one hand.

At first glance, one might think it's a heavily armored knight, but I could see the demonic aura rising from his body. Proof that he was a demon, just like Reph.

A Dark Knight.

He was probably called that.

"Are you safe, Reph! I clearly heard a signal for help..."

The dark knight stopped speaking and looked around the room.

I followed his gaze and looked around the room as well.

A stick of unknown purpose.

Ropes that could be used to tie someone.

And a leather whip.

Hmm.

‘This crazy woman…?’

The tools scattered around the room were clearly for her enjoyment with men.

Items that could only be used for ‘that purpose.’

And me, holding the succubus queen's hair.

‘Anyone would think...’

I turned my stiff neck to look at the dark knight.

"..."

The dark knight's face was twisted in anger.

"No, hey. Just a moment. I know what you're thinking, but it's a misunderstanding..."

"You despicable human!"

Oh, damn it.

2.

Succubus Queen, Reph.

She thinks about the mage.

Isn't a mage supposed to be a support from behind the warriors? Using spells built up while the warriors buy time, to eliminate the enemy.

At least, that's what Reph knew about mages.

Beings who are more of a nuisance when alone, rather than strong. Reph had always thought of mages as such.

Then.

"What is that...?"

What is that?

Reph blinked her eyes blankly. The chains that had restrained her were long gone, but Reph couldn't move a single step.

-Thud!

The floor shook.

-Crash!

The sound of something being crushed was heard.

"Ugh!"

After a moment, the dark knight rolled on the floor with a loud noise. The black armor he boasted was already cracked.

"Hey, stop it. You're making dust."

After a moment, someone walked out from the half-destroyed building. He lightly brushed off the dust on his robe with the back of his hand.

"Hic."

Reph gasped as she looked at him. The man who emerged from the dust. Raniel.

Reph remembered that he was a mage known to be part of the hero's party. Not a martial artist or a swordsman, but a mage.

‘That? What part of him...?’

A mage, beating up a dark knight with bare hands?

Reph couldn't believe it.

However, whether she believed it or not, Raniel moved. He took a step, another step, approaching Reph.

"..."

And he stopped in front of her.

"Hey."

"Y-Yes?"

"You're hiding something, aren't you?"

His blue eyes looked at Reph. Under that gaze, which seemed to look down at her, Reph's shoulders trembled.

"Why is a dark knight like that waiting nearby while you're draining life force? He looks like a commander-level demon..."

He stroked his chin.

"Even if the Demon King's army is large, they wouldn't let a commander-level demon just hang around, right?"

"He, he likes me! That's why he's following me..."

Reph tried to make an excuse.

But before she could finish, a red symbol appeared above her head.

Intermediate Magic, Truth Detection.

A spell that shows a blue symbol if the target's words are true, and a red symbol if they are false.

Reph's face turned pale.

A smirk appeared on Raniel's lips.

"Shit."

He reached out his hand.

He grabbed Reph's head.

Spell Reinforce.

Smite.

Thud! The impact made Reph's head ring, and she fell to the floor. Her nose stung, and her mouth tasted bitter. Blood trickled from her face onto the floor.

"I'll finish dealing with that guy and come back, so wait here."

"Do as I please."

The dark knight, struggling to stand up amidst the broken bed and table, looked at Raniel. Raniel spat out a word.

"Do as I please, not as you please."

He rolled up his sleeves.

Reph, who was next to Raniel, suddenly lifted her head. With her blurry vision, she looked at his exposed forearm.

It wasn't a muscular arm like a trained warrior's.

But something more filled his forearm.

Stocked spells.

Dozens of spells waiting to be released from his forearm.

Reph looked at where those spells were aimed.

Half-destroyed armor, limping legs.

The dark knight Dyke, barely standing.

"Ah..."

There was no chance of winning.

Author's Note (Author's Afterword)

It's scary how much popularity this has gained.

Thank you for all the views.

You might wonder why Raniel was beaten up by Reph and why he lost the banner...

Well, the reason Raniel lost the banner to Reph in the past was more due to the chaos caused by Remia and Sarah than Raniel's fault.

I'll describe it in detail later.