Path of villains 1, p.10
Path Of Villains 1, page 10
I stared at Pico through the cage. Initially, she was frightened, but now she looked at me with her clear, transparent eyes.
"...Pico. I believe in your sincere eyes and trust you won’t escape... I promise."
"Well then, if I trust you, I’ll let you out of the cage. Let’s see how things go."
"You said your name was Alfred? I’m not trusting you yet. Whether I become a companion or not will depend on your future actions."
It seems she’s testing me.
That’s fine. I’ll take the time to earn Pico’s trust and become the kind of person she can rely on.
Chapter 21: The Left Behind – Sucks to Be the Others
A few days had passed since Alfred was expelled from the [Sword of Heroes].
It goes without saying that I, Shannon, was deeply confused by the sudden and unexpected turn of events.
Apparently, a petition for Alfred's expulsion was presented by the guild members, excluding the executives and Kanade. At the time, we had just finished a quest and were each engaged in separate tasks requested by other members, leaving the guild house temporarily unattended.
Looking back, it was clearly a trap and a scheme.
By the time we returned, Alfred was already gone from the mansion. His departure without a word was cold, but it seemed there were various underlying motives at play.
One such motive was the appointment of my childhood friend, Rogue, as the new guild leader.
Apparently, he had been using his unique skill, “Ability Grant,” to enhance the entire party. I was unaware that Rogue had such a skill. Previously, when asked about it, he would brush it off as a mere "insignificant skill that slightly enhances allies' abilities."
The only person who knew about this skill was Alfred, who had been quietly instructing Rogue and applying enhancement buffs without anyone else’s knowledge.
Including us, it was clear that such unilateral enhancements were against common sense.
However, I don’t believe Alfred remained silent without a reason. After all, a year ago, he had said this:
"You can’t keep relying on Rogue’s enhancement buffs forever, can you?"
He had also advised us to train individually, as if he had anticipated such a situation.
"—And that’s how it is. Everyone, Rogue here will be the new guild leader."
Immediately after Alfred’s expulsion, we received this announcement in the executive room from the sorcerer Daniel. Rogue, as well as the second-string members Forgas and Larisa, were present.
"Hey, you! Don’t just make-up stuff! Why does Alfred have to be expelled? Damn it!"
"This is an obvious case of usurpation! We’re going to report this to the guild!"
Gaizen and Pearl expressed their outrage with vigorous protests.
"The guild has already been informed and accepted the petition. After all, it was accompanied by petitions from 24 members. No wrongdoing has occurred."
"But the reasons for the expulsion are all about past events! Alfred is currently engaged in charitable work and always thought of the guild members!"
"Shannon, the public loves to dig into the past. They’re more interested in past misdeeds than current virtues. The previous guild leader, oh yes, Alfred, was particularly prone to such scrutiny."
"Keeping someone like him as the guild leader would reflect badly on all of us in [Sword of Heroes]. Most members agreed that expulsion was the right course."
"Indeed. Alfred was the one who instigated the harassment against Rogue. It’s remarkable how Rogue endured it. He must have a different kind of strength."
Daniel’s philosophy was supported by Forgas and Larisa. Larisa, in particular, seemed excessively attached to Rogue. I wasn’t particularly concerned, but it was noticeable.
"But the method is dirty! Moving behind the scenes without informing us executives!"
"Oh, by the way, you’re no longer executives."
Rogue said this nonchalantly.
"What!?"
"From now on, the executives are Daniel, Forgas, and Larisa. Gaizen and Pearl are being demoted to second-string. As for you, Shannon, it’s up to you."
"What do you mean, Rogue?"
"Healers are crucial in any party. Also..."
Rogue approached me, his face close.
"—Become my woman. Along with Larisa... If you do, I’ll treat you kindly."
"No. Are you out of your mind?"
"Still as harsh as ever, Shannon... But you did give your virginity to Alfred, didn’t you? As a childhood friend, I’m offering to keep you by my side, even if you were used by that guy."
What is this despicable creature...?
Is this really my childhood friend, the once gentle and timid Rogue?
"It seems there’s a misunderstanding. Alfred and I were not in that kind of relationship."
Indeed, I am attracted to Alfred now, but whether it’s as a romantic interest or as a superior, I’m still sorting out my feelings. Or rather, I might already have sorted them out... but admitting it is frightening.
Rogue scoffed and turned away with a huff.
"Hey, Rogue! Shannon has been your childhood friend who defended you all this time! How can you forget that debt and say such things—ugh?"
As Gaizen tried to confront Rogue, his figure vanished.
"Did you say something, Gaizen? Even though you’re a sturdy tank, your back is wide open."
Before we knew it, Rogue was standing behind Gaizen.
"I-Is that... Alfred’s 'God’s Acceleration' skill!?"
"Rogue is using Alfred’s unique skill... Why?"
Pearl and I were astonished by the sight. Rogue explained with a smug expression.
"My 'Ability Grant' doesn’t just enhance and absorb the abilities and skill points of those I’ve granted buffs to. It allows me to copy and use their unique skills as well. Quite versatile, isn’t it?"
"Exactly! That’s Rogue’s skill! It’s clear to everyone that he is the rightful leader of [Sword of Heroes]!"
"Moreover, he will provide ongoing enhancements to all guild members! With Rogue at the center, we’ll have the strongest party! It’s incredible—almost godlike!"
"I can’t live without Rogue now!"
Daniel, Forgas, and Larisa praised and flattered him.
Their behavior was unsettling. Their eyes were bloodshot, as if possessed by Rogue’s skill.
Perhaps they were enchanted...
It seemed to me that they had become addicted to the enhancement buffs, blindly worshiping them.
Alfred had likely realized the dangers of Rogue’s skill a year ago and tried to distance himself. He must have continuously warned us as well.
—To prevent such a situation.
If Alfred had tried to explain, Rogue would have deactivated the ‘Ability Grant,’ and [Sword of Heroes] would have ended. Fearing that, Alfred chose to step back without a word.
All for our sake...
But Alfred, you’re wrong. You had us.
Why did you have to be the only one to suffer?
"Geez, everyone, don’t praise me so much. I didn’t do anything special—really."
Rogue, too, was thoroughly immersed in power.
Yet, his repeated "Geez" was oddly irksome, making it feel quite annoying.
Chapter 22: The Changed Childhood Friend
"Wh-what do you mean, 'confiscated'!? Rogue, did you take away Alfred's abilities and stats? Then what about Alfred now?"
"Exactly. Right now, Alfred is just an incompetent fool who can't use any skills, Gaizen."
"That's terrible… Poor Alfred!"
"Poor? Pearl, that's not quite right. Alfred has been enjoying the benefits thanks to me. Besides, I only got back the enhancement buff I lent him. What's wrong with that?"
"As Gaizen said earlier, it's unfair! The [Hero's Sacred Sword] was a party that you and Alfred created together, wasn’t it!? Alfred also reflected on his actions and had been treating you better over the past year!"
"Shannon… I didn't want to do this either. I was fine with just supporting the party from behind the scenes and being praised as 'Wow, Rogue is amazing'... But Alfred, of all people, started making moves on my precious childhood friend! It's all his fault!"
"I've told you repeatedly that this is not true! In fact, Alfred was kind to me! Even when I accidentally pushed him down, he gently advised me like a true gentleman."
"…What? Shannon, you pushed Alfred down? I thought you were a priestess... a saint."
"Even if it's someone I love dearly, that's crossing a line."
Huh? Huh? Huh!?
Why are Gaizen and Pearl, who should be allies, so taken aback?
It was an accident (purely innocent)!
"See? Alfred was clearly being cuckolded... Well, I’m a grown man now. I’m not a virgin forever, so let’s move on from the details... So, you former executives are demoted to the second string. Shannon, if you become my woman, I’ll welcome you back as an executive."
Rogue's proposal. Behind him, former second-string members Daniel, Forgas, and Larisa smirked, now completely sycophantic.
"No way! I’d rather leave than serve under you! Rogue, if I have to follow you, I’ll pursue Alfred instead! I’m leaving [Hero's Sacred Sword]!"
"Gaizen… Indeed, your unique skill, Iron Wall, will still be usable even if I cancel my Ability Grant. However, your other stats and abilities will significantly decrease. You’ll end up as a stationary, useless skill. Are you sure about this?"
"I don’t care! I won’t sell my soul to the devil!"
"I’m leaving too! I’ll follow Gaizen and pursue Alfred! I hate Rogue, you idiot!"
Pearl hid behind the shield bearer Gaizen and stuck out her tongue, making a rude gesture.
Rogue scoffed at the sight.
"Good grief, this is why children are so predictable... Well, Pearl, you’ve always been infatuated with Alfred, so this was expected. And Shannon, what about you?"
"I’ll stay… Rogue, as a childhood friend, I must awaken you."
"I see, that’s very much like you. Fine, I’ll accept your decision to stay."
"Thank you. However, I will no longer receive any enhancement buffs from you. Please cancel the ability grant right now!"
"What? Are you sure? Without it, you won’t be able to use your unique skill, Saint’s Breath. You’ll be treated as a low-ranking newbie, alongside Kanade."
"I’m fine with that. My goal is to reform my foolish childhood friend who has succumbed to power.
"Do as you please."
Thus, we divided into those who stayed and those who left.
Ideally, I would have liked to join Gaizen and Pearl.
I want to see Alfred.
But Rogue is also a precious childhood friend with whom I spent time in the orphanage.
Though he was unreliable, I looked up to him like a brother.
There is still some affection, and it's not easy for me to cut ties...
Soon after, as requested, the Ability Grant that had been given to me was canceled.
As expected, my stats and abilities had decreased, and I was unable to use my skills.
But it didn’t matter. It was just a false power given to me.
I’m sure Gaizen and Pearl felt the same way.
However, a year ago, Alfred had advised me to increase my magical power, so I had always been training diligently.
Thanks to that, I could use a full range of healing magic and serve as a healer.
Alfred is truly amazing. I can only be grateful.
"Lady Shannon, even someone like you doesn’t need to do such things."
In the kitchen.
While preparing vegetables together, Kanade, the swordmaster, spoke to me.
She, like me, had been burdened with miscellaneous tasks by the new leader, Rogue, and had started working alongside me frequently.
"It’s fine. This is a trial given by the gods. Besides, I am not a saint."
"No, a woman as beautiful in both body and spirit as you is something I have never seen in my homeland. If only Alfred was here.
Kanade also admired Alfred, and thus, she faced strong opposition within the party.
Despite her capabilities, she was relegated to tasks like cooking, cleaning, and shopping instead of participating in quests.
"Kanade, you don’t have to stay here if you don’t want to. Didn’t you come all the way from the Far East for something more than this?"
I had heard that Gaizen and Pearl had also invited Kanade to leave before they left.
"Yes, but... [Hero's Sacred Sword] is the group that Captain Alfred left behind. I want to try a little longer. I also want to awaken everyone’s eyes."
"I see… then let’s work hard together!"
Somehow, Kanade and I grew closer as we got to know each other.
That was one good thing that came from this situation.
A month passed.
With Rogue’s skill effects, [Hero's Sacred Sword] continued to achieve major quests and advance.
The members were intoxicated by their temporary power and worshipped him like a god.
Rogue continued to provide enhancement buffs with the Ability Grant, repeating his recently favored phrase, "Good grief. I didn’t intend to do this, but here we are."
His womanizing became more extravagant, with frequent visits from unknown women.
He seemed especially enamored with Larisa, and her sultry voice could be heard from the leader’s office even during the day.
Despite this, I still struggled to maintain contact with Rogue as his childhood friend.
"Rogue, I need to talk."
"What is it, Shannon? You’re persistent. I’m about to have some adult fun with Larisa, so please go away."
His response was harsh. He now dismissed me whenever I tried to talk to him.
It seemed my words no longer reached him.
"…Perhaps it’s time."
As I began to think this way, a blue, plump, round object appeared from the corner of the room.
It was a slime. I recognized it as…
"Is that Saku-Kichi, the slime Rogue keeps?"
When I mentioned the name, Saku-Kichi happily bounced and snuggled up to me.
It seemed Rogue had neglected it, and it had gathered quite a bit of dust.
Despite being a monster, it was surprisingly affectionate and cute.
"Would you like to come with me? To Alfred and the others—"
When I spoke, Saku-Kichi nodded eagerly, swaying its body up and down.
Chapter 23: The Hero's Miscalculation
“Shannon left!?”
After the encounter with Larisa, Rogue lay in bed as he received a report from Daniel, the newly appointed vice leader.
“Yes. She left this note.”
Daniel handed Rogue a letter, which he read aloud:
―To Rogue,
I am resigning from the [Hero’s Sacred Sword].
Over the past month, I realized that my dear childhood friend, Rogue Sirius, is no longer the person I once knew.
It’s disappointing. Please take care, and farewell.
From Shannon Flem
“Damn it! She could have at least let me have one last night before leaving. Alfred’s woman, acting like she’s some saint...”
Rogue’s priority was clearly his own desires rather than the loss of a valuable healer. Ironically, this self-centered thinking mirrored Alfred’s behavior before his reformation.
“Oh, come on, Rogue! You’re better off than that naive girl, right?”
“Sure, there are plenty of easy options to satisfy my needs. Shannon’s just used goods compared to what’s out there.”
“But, leader, it seems Shannon didn’t leave alone,” Daniel added.
“Huh? Daniel, what do you mean? Did Kanade leave too!?”
“No, Kanade is still with the party. According to members who saw her leave, she was accompanied by a blue slime the size of a ball.”
“A blue slime? Wait… could it be Saku-Kichi!?”
Rogue sprang up in a panic, suddenly recalling something important.
“Oh no! I completely forgot about that slime! After Alfred banned the use of [Ability Grant], I had been using Saku-Kichi to vent my frustrations by giving him enhancement buffs! I had completely neglected him since then!”
“Leader Rogue, is something wrong?”
“…No, Daniel. It’s nothing. But leaving a single slime like that won’t affect the [Hero’s Sacred Sword] much. Still…”
“Still?”
“I had secretly kept Saku-Kichi, who had an exceptional skill for a slime,” Rogue revealed.
“An exceptional skill!? For a monster!?”
It was no surprise that Daniel, known for his extensive knowledge as a Sorcerer, was astonished. It was extremely rare, almost unheard of in this world, for a lowly slime to have such a unique skill.
“So, Leader… What kind of skill does it have?”
“—[Ability Drain]. It’s a skill that allows it to absorb the physical and ability attributes of its prey. This means it even reflects the enhancement buffs from [Ability Grant].”
“Are you saying that even a slime could have the same presence as you, Leader Rogue!?”
“No, no… It only converts what it absorbs into its own experience and abilities. But since Alfred banned the [Ability Grant] for the guild members, I vented my frustration by constantly buffing Saku-Kichi. That’s something I regret.”
“Then why not just undo it?”
“That’s not possible... due to Saku-Kichi’s [Ability Drain] effect. In other words, the buffs I gave him have already been digested and converted into experience and abilities within him.”
“I see… So, essentially, he’s a top-tier slime now?”
“That’s right. The thought of Saku-Kichi falling into Alfred’s hands if Shannon were to come across him is a bit irritating.”
“But, Rogue, what if Alfred uses that slime for revenge? His obsession is as intense as a demon lord’s.”
Larisa, covering her ample chest with a towel, asked anxiously.
