I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit

Host escaped.

It was absurd. Despite being relentlessly pursued by two goddesses, the demon somehow managed to flee with his life.

Yes, the silver-haired girl who had suddenly appeared and launched an attack on Host without hesitation was also a goddess. Her name was Chris—the mortal guise of Eris, the Goddess of Luck, and Aqua's junior in the divine hierarchy.

Before Host fled, he had initially planned to deal with both Chris and Aqua in one fell swoop, unleashing the advanced magic spell Hellfire.

However, just as the fiery magic was about to strike Aqua, Chris, and Kazuma, a heroic blonde knight suddenly appeared. With nothing but her mortal body, she shielded them from the spell, muttering things like, "Come on! Hit me harder! Let me feel even more pain!"

Even Host was dumbfounded. Why do so many bizarre people keep showing up here?

Determining that the town's "feng shui" must be cursed, Host made a hasty retreat.

"Mark my words—I'll be back!" he declared.

Aqua and Chris: "You dare come back?!"

Host truly was impressive. He had endured two blasts of Aqua's Ultimate Sacred Exorcism, multiple stab wounds from Chris's enchanted dagger, and even lost a wing. Yet somehow, he remained alive.

While Chris, as Eris's incarnation, possessed no divine powers, Aqua retained a fraction of hers as the Goddess of Water—even after being dragged down to the mortal realm by Kazuma. Her abilities included passive skills like purifying any liquid she touched into clean water, as well as her well-documented power to resurrect Kazuma.

When Host quoted a certain infamous cartoon wolf's line about returning, Aqua and Chris gave chase immediately.

Predictably, Aqua got eaten by a giant frog. Again.

Chris and Kazuma worked to rescue her, but by the time they succeeded, Host had vanished without a trace.

To be honest, Nero was still trying to figure out how the whole fight had started in the first place. Watching Chris and Aqua lamenting over their failure to finish off the demon, Nero quietly approached the blonde knight who had blocked Host's magic earlier.

"Are you unharmed?" Nero asked, a note of concern in her voice. Though she already knew the answer—this knight was tougher than she looked.

"I'm fine. Actually, I feel better than ever… ahem! I mean, protecting everyone is my duty. Don't let my appearance fool you—I'm quite resilient," the knight said, her face briefly flushed before she regained her usual stoic demeanor.

This peculiar knight was Darkness, the masochistic crusader and a member of Kazuma's party. Nero hadn't expected to meet her so soon.

Darkness's attacks rarely landed, but her defense was practically unparalleled. Few could endure being struck by Megumin's explosion magic and walk away unscathed. Even the demon duke Vanir, who had once possessed Darkness's body, had marveled at her inhuman physical durability. Later, during the party's journey to Crimson Demon Village, she even managed to fight the chimera Sylvia—a fusion of two Demon King generals—on equal footing in close combat.

As Nero recalled the details about Darkness, she noticed the knight staring intently at her.

"Is something the matter?" Nero tilted her head in curiosity.

Why was she staring so intensely? As far as Nero knew, they had never met before.

Darkness's sharp gaze was puzzling. Nero hadn't been in Axel long and hadn't had the chance to meet many people. Before arriving, she had spent most of her time in the royal capital… The royal capital?

"You're Nero Claudius, aren't you?" Darkness's tone turned serious, her words striking like a blade.

"Why are you here? And where is Princess Alice?"

"What a shame… letting that demon escape," Chris muttered dejectedly as she approached. "Sorry, Darkness. It must have been exhausting rushing over here when you heard about the demon. Wait, what are you two doing? Why are you standing so close?"

Earlier, when Darkness had confirmed Nero's identity, she had instinctively begun drawing her sword. But Nero stopped her, holding the blade firmly in its scabbard.

Darkness's astonishment was clear, but Nero was even more surprised. What does this woman eat? Her strength is ridiculous! Nero had almost failed to keep the sword sheathed, only succeeding by using her Imperial Privilege EX to boost her physical strength.

Fighting her is like wrestling a dragon, Nero thought. It was a slight exaggeration, but with her strength still growing, Darkness's future potential might indeed rival a dragon's. For now, though, she was more like a "baby dragon."

"Alice is doing well," Nero said in a low voice, ensuring only Darkness could hear. "She's been adventuring with me, taking on quests, and even made a new friend. I'll take you to see her soon—but for now, please keep this quiet. Don't contact the capital yet."

Darkness, despite her eccentricities, was a noblewoman of high standing. She was well-informed about the situation involving Alice. Nero had momentarily forgotten this detail but quickly adjusted.

"It's nothing important," Nero said aloud, smiling at Chris. "Just a small matter between Darkness and me."

Chris still seemed curious, but before she could press further, Nero turned her attention to the silver-haired goddess.

"More importantly… Oh, brave and valiant young maiden who drove away the demon! May I know your name?"

"Eh… me? A brave maiden?" Chris's face turned bright red. "T-That must be a joke, right? There's no way someone like me—uh, thank you, though…"

"Have some confidence," Nero said, her brow furrowing slightly as she stepped closer and took Chris's hand. Locking eyes with her, Nero declared firmly, "My compliments are never idle flattery. Every word I speak is deliberate and true. To dismiss my praise is to insult me. Now, accept it with pride!"

"Y-Yes, of course!" Chris stammered, instinctively straightening under Nero's commanding presence.

"Excellent! Such spirit!" Nero said with a satisfied smile, crossing her arms as she nodded approvingly.