I brought an injured demon named Gref to a nearby house, and after checking to see if there were any people inside, I decided to put him to bed nearby.

 

"I wonder if it's been a long time since there were no people in the house......?"

 

After lightly brushing off the dust on the bed, I put Mr./Ms. Gref to bed.

He was a man of about forty years of age, with brown and slightly large horns, giving the impression that he was a little weak for a demon race.

As he wondered why he was surrounded by monsters with his children, he saw two children—a boy of about eight years old, called Rose and Lamb, running up to him.

 

"Uncle Gref......"

「……」

 

Is it Mr./Ms.'s child?

…… No, it's different because he says uncle?

 

"Gref's injury...... Are you okay?"

"I've given you first aid, so don't worry."

"But...... There was a lot of blood...... It's healing magic......

 

Kira, who was watching Gref Mr./Ms. at a distance away from Rose and Ram, muttered anxiously.

He seems to understand how deep his wound was.

Perhaps because I couldn't see it, Nea spoke to Kira in a calm tone.

 

"Don't worry, this guy is very good at healing magic. So he's going to be fine now."

「…… Really?"

"yes, I'm not lying, are you? Isn't that right?"

"Oh, yes."

 

I don't know what to say, but I'm glad Nea is here.

Or rather, I'm too bad at deceiving you.

Keira patted her chest in relief, looked up at me with a determined look on her face, and let out an "ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry! I called him Mr./Ms. uncle...... Older brother...... Isn't it?"

"Didn't this guy just notice?"

 

With his horns and brown skin, he wasn't recognized as a demon or something?

Come to think of it, except for the first time, I've only shown this kid my back, so it's not surprising that I'm misunderstood.

But.......

 

"Isn't it because it's astringent and cool......

"Where's that?"

"What, lie, are you normally depressed?"

 

He smiles at Keira, who is normally depressed and has an anxious look on his face.

 

"I'm not angry, so it's okay, and I don't care at all about calling you uncle Mr./Ms.."

"Oh, yes......

"But why don't you tell me more about you? I don't mind as much as I can teach."

 

Glancing at Mr./Ms., Kira looked at him and then opened her mouth.

 

「…… We were all heading to the center of the Demon Lord's Domain...... On the way, I was attacked by a monster and got lost ......."

"Everyone? Were they traveling in groups?"

"Yes, about twenty people...... The monsters are active right now and it's dangerous, so let's move ...... place of residence."

 

Was he moving towards the center of the Demon Lord's Territory to escape from the demons?

Mr./Ms. Gref, who was attacked by a monster in the middle of it and got separated with Kira and the others, came here to find a safe place -- but at that time, he was attacked by a group of Hung Wolves.

 

"Do you have any prospects of joining the group?"

"Gref told me that there was another 'abandoned settlement' beyond the ruins, and that we were going to meet up there."

 

Ruins......?

No, more than that, we already have a way to join in case of emergency.

So, should we not get involved anymore? …… No, I think I should hear directly from Mr./Ms. Gref.

 

"That brother Mr./Ms....... Usato, why are you here, Mr./Ms.? Are you trying to get to the center like we are?"

"Hmm? Well, it's the same thing. I was passing by when I heard your screams and rushed over."

 

I can't even talk about my true purpose of defeating the Demon Lord.

However, if you deceive them strangely, they will become suspicious, so let's say that we are here for the same purpose as them.

…… It's about time Kazuki and the others arrived.

 

"Nea, look at these kids and Mr./Ms. Gref, I'll explain to everyone."

"yes, I'll keep an eye on it, so don't worry."

 

He asks Nea for a moment and leaves the room.

Shortly after, Keira called out to me from behind.

 

"Oh, that! Are you a dark magic user like me!?"

「……」

 

With his back to Keira, he involuntarily stops in his tracks.

What was contained in his voice was the anxiety that he had called himself a dark wizard and the joy of meeting a dark wizard like himself.

 

"Nod, I'm going to be suspicious."

 

Ferm's voice brought me back to myself, and I turned to Keira with a twitching cheek and a smile on my face.

 

「…… yes, you're right. I'm a dark wizard. We'll talk about that later."

"Ha, yes!"

 

I turned my back on her who seemed happy and went outside.

 

"You've done something wrong......

"You're not wrong, now that you've assimilated with me, you're a dark wizard."

"That being said, I ......."

 

Even if it's because we don't want to find out who we are, it doesn't feel good to fool a kid like Keira.

 

『…… Maybe he's a child who was abandoned by his parents.'

"How do you know? Maybe it's Mr./Ms.'s daughter?"

"It's a hunch, I intuitively thought so."

 

It's more of a hunch than that.

…… There is a person who has an almost definite intuition called Rose, and there is no denying it.

 

"Don't go too far, you'll be dependent. You're easy to be liked by a weird guy like Koga.'

"Why is it Koga......?"

"Because he's the worst guy."

 

I should have denied it, but I was unknowingly convinced.

I ...... imagined Koga hitting me with a smile on my face!

While thinking about this, I find Senpai and Kazuki on the outskirts of the village where we are now.

Perhaps the seniors had told them properly, but everyone except Bulllin hid their heads with hoods.

 

"First of all, I have to explain the situation."

『…… That's right.'

 

Worried about Ferm, who was a little unwell, I ran to them to join the seniors.

 

●

 

First of all, he was surprised that I had the appearance of a demon tribe.

The senpai seemed to have explained it to me for the time being, but Kazuki and Leona Mr./Ms. were surprised by the change in my appearance, and Amako frowned and said, "I couldn't prevent it......!" I was muttering in frustration.

Well, as for my appearance, it will return to normal once I disassimilate with Ferm, but first I decided to visit a nearby vacant house and report on the situation so far.

By the way, Bulllyn is waiting at the entrance of the house.

 

「…… A demon man and three children?"

 

In what appears to be a living room, Leona Mr./Ms. puts her hand to her chin after hearing my report.

There was a wooden table in the living room.

 

"They were adorable."

「……」

"Usato-kun, you have no other intentions, do you? So you don't have to keep your distance, do you?"

 

A senior grabs my arm as I try to keep my distance.

Did you anticipate my actions? Two, strong ......!?

With a wicked smile on her face, she calls out to Mr./Ms., who is pondering.

 

"Leona, I want to hear your thoughts."

"Well, there is a risk that the Demon Clan will find out who we are, ......but if you think about it, it won't hurt us that much."

"What, why?"

 

Mr./Ms. answers Kazuki's question.

 

"At worst, you can use Nea's help."

"Is it Nea's power as a vampire......

 

Nea can manipulate a target by sucking blood from its neck.

It is an unparalleled power that can be manipulated in a wide range from action to memory.

 

"But I don't want to use it too much, it should only be considered as a last resort."

"That's right, even if you manipulate it on the spot, there is a possibility that you will be suspicious later."

 

Besides, Nea wouldn't want to manipulate such a young child.

Based on Hinomoto's time in Hideout and his reaction to the child earlier, I know that he likes children.

This should only be considered as a last resort.

 

"So, what are we going to do now?" Should we leave right away?"

「…… In a way, it's a good opportunity."

 

I tilt my head at Mr./Ms.'s words that I returned to my senior.

 

"We're more than a little tired from the many battles we've fought on our journey to this day, and even though it's an empty house, we have a place to rest and we should take a short rest."

"Sure, everybody was fighting......

 

Amako, who had been watching the attack of the demons, nodded in agreement.

Physically, I can heal as much as I want with my healing magic, but when it comes to the mind, the healing magic is not as effective.

As Mr./Ms. Leona said, we need to get some proper rest to rest our minds.

 

"There was a well nearby that wasn't dry, so I didn't have to worry about moisture...... You'll also want to gather some food. We still have plenty of food, but let's stock it up on the way in anticipation of future trips."

"If it's just the first minute, it's not enough."

 

After all, it's enough food for eight people, including Bullin.

If you have to procure it somewhere, no matter how much you cut it down, there will be a limit.

As she was convinced by her words, Amako raised her hand.

 

"Then when I came here, I heard the sound of a river running nearby, I don't know if there are any fish, but I think it's worth it."

 

When I hear the word fish, I think of my seniors who were catching fish in the darkness of Ringle.

 

"Then it's the turn of the seniors."

"Usato-kun, I don't mind being relied on by you, but I have mixed feelings about your role as a fish catcher, right?"

"It's because I trust them."

"Is it okay to have a quota of 100 animals?"

 

Isn't it too much?

As he smiled wryly at his senpai, who was full of unusual motivation, Kazuki spoke to Mr./Ms. next.

 

"But isn't it a little relaxed?"

"Our ultimate goal is to defeat the Demon King, so it is meaningless if we are killed by a demon on the way. …… Usato's healing magic isn't perfect either. You better be more cautious on this journey than you need to be."

「…… Certainly."

 

Kazuki seemed to be convinced by his words.

Deciding that she had gained understanding from the others, Mr./Ms. looked around at us once more and opened her mouth.

 

"While we are resting in this empty house, Usato, Ferm, and Nea will be dealing with and keeping an eye on the demon tribes here, while Kazuki, Suzune, Amako, and I will be mainly responsible for sourcing food. When procuring food, try to act in groups of two or more as much as possible."

 

When you say surveillance, is it surveillance in the sense of preventing our identities from being discovered?

It's hard for me to disguise myself as a demon, but I can't say I'm selfish.

 

"Oh, Mr./Ms. Leona."

"Hmm? What's up, Amako?"

"I don't think it's a problem if you find out that you're a beastman, because it seems that beastmen are closer to the demon tribe than humans."

"If that's the case, I'll let you support Usato."

 

Will Amako come too?

Somehow, they reminded me of the time when I was traveling to deliver letters.

It would be perfect if you had an alc Mr./Ms....... He is also doing his best in the Ringle Kingdom.

 

"I'......m going to do my best, Ferm, Amako, let's go to Kira and the others. I have to introduce you to them."

「…… That's right."

"Yes, I understand."

 

Ferm's body sinks into the shadows and assimilates with me.

On top of that, her assimilation powers change her skin and hair color, and she grows horns made of black magic on her head.

 

"Okay, I'm okay with this."

"It's really strange when you transform right in front of ......."

"The ogre has become a demon tribe...... Demonization?"

 

Kazuki looks at me with admiration, and I smile wryly.

Amako's muttering never reached my ears, but I'll get a little revenge later, yes.

As I was checking to see if there were horns on my head, the senior next to me put his hand on my shoulder.

 

"Usato-kun, be careful not to reveal your identity."

"Yes, senior, watch out for demons."

"I know, but you have a tendency to unconsciously accumulate a lot of troubles. …… That's why I thought I'd let you know that you have a group of us."

"Senpai......"

 

He nods to his senior, who said that it was a little sobriety.

After all, I can respect my seniors for some reason.

 

"Tell them afterwards that it will make a good impression of me."

「……」

"It's ruined."

 

With a sharp expression, I was told such a ruined thing.

Mindlessly, Ferm, who is assimilated with me, is also sullen.

Ah, yes, yes. This is also a senior...... Yeah.

He responds with a shrug of his shoulders.

 

"No, I don't."

"Then let me touch the horn later."

"I don't like it."

"Then, next time I'll grow cat ears with that magic."

"You don't like it, don't you?"

 

So, what's that? I didn't make a single concession, and one request was added.

When I forgot even the honorific I always used and pulled it over, my senior, who looked imposing, was smiling fearlessly.

 

"You're so tough...... But Usato has to be like that......!"

"You're more complicated than ever today, aren't you?!"

 

Or rather, it's not a line to say to a man that he's hard, right?

Why are you in a position to capture me? Relatively speaking, today's seniors are strong and a little pushed.

 

"If you can't push it, pull it, and if it doesn't work, push it through, Usato-kun!"

"Senior, I don't understand ...... meaning at all."

 

As usual, I am a little embarrassed by my seniors who are three steps ahead of ordinary people, but on the other hand, I find myself enjoying this kind of casual exchange.

I'm worried about the future, but with this person, I may be able to remain me.

_____________________________________________

He was a senior who had acquired strength.