I Became the Burden of a Conscienceless Party

112 – Twelve Heavens (7)

Twelve Heavens (7)

Garnet has trauma from betrayal. After all, it was the person who died because of it. Trauma is understandable.

Yeah, she’s the kind of person who hates being betrayed or doing anything.

Even when she infiltrated the Demon King’s army and went right up to the Demon King’s neck as the commander of the army, she was trying to prepare for a fair battle of ranks rather than assassination.

So honestly, I was thinking of rejecting Jim’s offer. Even if the Demon King’s army forgot about her, I still wanted to at least maintain some level of trust.

Although Jim originally wanted to talk to the Demon King, couldn’t that action really be called a betrayal?

In such unclear situations, it is not for nothing that you reach out.

Still, I listened to Jim so I could decide what to do with him.

It was to decide whether to remove him or not.

In conclusion, Garnet decided to leave Jim alone rather than kill him.

“Huh! I don’t even need to do anything.”

It was a conclusion mixed with selfishness.

Anyway, the situation she encountered caused her to change her mind. The Demon King’s army attacked her first.

Since you have been betrayed first, there is no need to keep your faith, right?

Of course, that was Third’s arbitrary decision.

It was just a chance meeting in a really chance place, and the Demon King’s army didn’t even care about Garnet’s existence.

Of course, Third didn’t explain it, and even if it was Garnet’s guess, it’s true that he was attacked.

So she was thinking of getting revenge even if it meant cooperating with the warrior party.

“Don’t leave me alone… … . Don’t leave me alone!”

Third literally played with Garnet.

Once Garnet got caught up in Third’s attacks, she thought she couldn’t defeat him.

As if strangling herself, Garnet ended up making all of Third’s illusions true.

With Garnet’s original strength, she should have been able to easily defeat the Third.

If only the surrounding area had been engulfed in flames, Third would have had to run away in panic.

However, Garnet assumed that Third would block such a wide-ranging attack as if it were a given, and that imagination turned out to be reality.

So Garnet was completely played with by Third’s hands and then collapsed.

When I opened my eyes after that.

“… … .”

Garnet felt an indescribable sense of humiliation.

I thought he felt insulted by Third, who not only took the beating unilaterally, but also didn’t even do a kill check.

Of course, Third had no intention of killing Garnet from the beginning, and was just playing around with her, just as she thought he was playing around with her.

“Jim, your suggestion… … .”

bang!

Garnet, unaware of this, tried to accept Jim’s offer with a nervous distaste for humiliation.

but…….

“……doesn’t exist?”

The problem was that when we returned to the cabin, Jim was nowhere to be seen.

For a moment, a feeling of uneasiness ran down my spine.

Fortunately, there were no signs of combat in the cabin, so Garnet decided to explore the area.

And what he found was Jim with the warrior Esmeralda.

“Well, as long as he’s safe, that’s fine… … No, what happened? Who cares? Whatever happens to that guy.”

Garnet decided to wait for Jim quietly, her lips pursed.

Because I didn’t think it would be a good idea to approach the warrior party now.

***

It was several days after the journey began that Garnet, who had been waiting for Jim to come out alone, was able to seize the opportunity.

To be honest, I was skeptical.

Because she started her journey with the warrior party as if she had forgotten about her existence.

However, since Esmeralda’s momentum has been unusual, I decided to leave it as an assumption.

I was reluctant to approach it because I felt like I was in a quandary in many ways.

And somehow, Garnet was able to meet Jim in the end.

Jim had gone off alone to find a campsite, as if he had been waiting for him.

And then he called her out as if he knew that she was actually watching him. The distrust that had been building up inside Garnet’s heart melted away like snow.

It was the moment when Jim’s life was saved.

At that moment, Jim, without even knowing it, invited Garnet to join the party in a very natural manner.

As if he had really been waiting for Garnet from the beginning.

“Then, I will try to explain it to you first.”

“No, well… it’s okay.”

It may be better to watch from a distance rather than join in.

Right now, she doesn’t have any good memories with the members of the warrior party.

“But wouldn’t it be better if we were together? In the unlikely event that we do, wouldn’t it be better if we were together?”

“… … Do you trust me?”

“Yes, I believe it.”

Garnet and the warrior party have already fought with their lives at stake.

But now, if she said she wanted to be your colleague, would you believe her?

Although the words contained such a meaning, there was no hesitation in Jim’s answer.

It was a boldness that left Garnet speechless.

“… … Okay, I understand. Since you said you trust me, it would be polite to trust you at least once.”

Honestly, I had a hard time thinking that things would work out smoothly with the warrior party.

But I felt like if it was Jim, he would do something about it.

Yeah, Jim… … .

‘It feels similar to the Demon King and that guy… … He must have the ability and confidence to match.’

The Demon King and the First. Because they gave off a similar vibe to the two beings she had seen and assumed were out of the norm.

***

Esmeralda knows.

That you are walking a dangerous tightrope right now.

Right now, they are putting pressure on Irina and Milia, but if either one of them fails to maintain balance, the group will rise.

Yes, if the balance becomes too strong on one side, the group will immediately intervene and try to take the burden by force.

And of course, the other side will also use their group to maintain the status quo.

So the important thing is balance.

As our contact with luggage increases, the line we have to walk becomes more and more precarious.

Jim’s actions to look good in front of her parents made Esmeralda’s heart sink for a moment.

Of course, it didn’t turn into a big deal because Esmeralda repeatedly emphasized that she didn’t like Jim.

however…….

“Huh, what do you see?”

The moment Jim brought the woman who now identified herself as Legion Commander Five, Garnet, Esmeralda had a gut feeling.

[Note: I have a slight crush on Jim.]

The balance she was trying to maintain.

“Well, it’s not like I’m helping you just because my old subordinate asked me to. I have something to do with the Demon King… … That’s right, we decided to join since we’re going in the same direction.”

That it was crooked.

***

To be honest, Esmeralda didn’t think it was all that surprising that Jim had brought a woman with him.

Just looking at his usual behavior, doesn’t it seem like he’s been flirting here and there?

Esmeralda immediately remembers Jim flirting with her too.

A man with a brain attached to his lower body. That was Esmeralda’s objective and certain assessment of Jim.

Of course, it was a little surprising that Jim, who was looking for a campsite, brought a woman with him.

And it was a bit surprising that the woman was the former Legion Commander Five, who had risked her life fighting.

Moreover, the fact that Five, who had that cruel and ruthless aura, had now become Garnet, a girl who couldn’t even control her expressions… … Honestly, this was quite surprising.

But Esmeralda had no time to be surprised.

“… … So you don’t have any feelings for Mr. Jim?”

Because she wasn’t the only one who read that mood.

Irina noticed that Garnet had a strange crush on Jim, so she started to look at Garnet with her usual gentle smile.

“Me? What kind of feelings would I have for him? I don’t have any particular thoughts about him.”

Can not be done.

Esmeralda was screaming inside as she watched the scene.

“Hey, what’s he saying? Why would I like such a pervert and incompetent guy? Ha! It’s not even funny.”

Those statements are not acceptable.

Even if he seduces other women and brings them home, that one… … !

“I’m not interested in him. I just followed him because I thought he’d help me defeat the Demon King.”

“Heh… … .”

Hesitantly.

Garnet’s appearance is quite different from her first impression. Her cold, icy appearance is nowhere to be found, and now it seems like she has completely melted and turned into warm water.

And because he can’t even control his facial expressions properly, his true feelings are revealed to his group.

“okay.”

Irina nodded.

She probably knew too.

The fact that Jim can go anywhere and continue to seduce women.

Honestly, isn’t the probability of that happening higher than not?

She’s pretty realistic. No, she’s not the only one.

It is highly likely that everyone is aware of Jim’s tendencies.

And of course, there are reasons why this situation was not addressed.

‘Anyway, a woman who joined late can be easily buried.’

‘Because if I kill him, that’ll be the end of it.’

Power, status, and looks.

Because I was confident that I wouldn’t be disappointed in any of them.

Even if a woman who meets all of those criteria gets entangled, I thought I could just deal with it before my feelings deepen.

The same goes for Garnet.

He hasn’t even noticed the affection that has sprouted in his heart yet.

At that level, you can easily distract him and get him off the ground.

“Even though it happened in the past, I can’t deny that it helps.”

“… … Do you know how to use magic?”

So Irina and Milia didn’t see Garnet as competition.

To the point where they seemed to be friendly at first glance. Of course, there was a vicious and cruel intention hidden inside.

So what’s the danger?

Why Esmeralda finds this situation dangerous.

that…….

“But there’s someone like that. There’s one in our party too.”

Because Garnet’s answer was strangely similar to Esmeralda’s excuse.

Esmeralda felt breathless as the gaze focused on her grew.