Chapter 3

The time rewinds to four days before Cress's return.

"Hey, is it true that he went on a quest with some woman?"

"What's that? I don't know."

At the words of Rondo Dandaine, the member of the S-rank party Einherjar and the "Hero," I, Hinoka Entor, frowned.

Originally, Einherjar was a party of two, Cress and myself. Later, Rondo joined, making us a party of three.

Even though we are a party, there's no need to meet during our breaks, but Rondo called me, saying he had something to talk about regarding Cress.

Incidentally, I hated this guy. He was annoying. I wished he would die.

He was a bastard who always hit on me, with a wild and brutal nature, and a brain that seemed to be in his lower body. Yet, he was tolerated by society because he was the "Hero." God is unfair.

However, if it was about Cress, I couldn't ignore it.

Cress had told me he would be out for a while.

There was still some time before we would set out on the next quest.

I wasn't worried, thinking he would return soon, but hearing that he went on a quest with a woman made me uneasy. It also felt strange that he hadn't told me anything.

Hey, what is Cress doing?

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(Well, if this guy doesn't know, maybe it's a chance?)

Rondo's inner joy showed.

Perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity had come.

To Rondo, Hinoka was the perfect woman.

Her long, wet-feather-colored hair reached her waist, and her appearance was strikingly beautiful. Her ample chest, muscular thighs, and squeezable buttocks all stimulated Rondo's desires without end.

Rondo had been targeting Hinoka.

He had joined this party at the behest of the guild master, Lawrence, because he was drawn to Hinoka, and he had been planning to steal her from the bothersome Cress.

After all, he was the "Hero." Cress was unworthy of Hinoka.

Cress and Hinoka seemed to trust each other, leaving no room for him to intervene, but for some reason, Cress had never touched Hinoka. She was definitely still a virgin. If he could take her virginity before Cress, she would be his. Rondo had always thought this and was looking for a chance to act.

However, Hinoka was the "Sword Saint."

It was impossible to force her with brute strength. There was a catch.

So, Rondo had been thinking about driving a wedge between Cress and Hinoka.

And just as he was planning this, the news came.

"Maybe he's had enough of us?"

"......It doesn't matter who Cress is with."

Rondo keenly noticed the slight irritation in Hinoka's words.

"Going on a quest with a woman means something, you know."

"Who is this woman, anyway? And where is he going?"

Despite trying to keep it out, some irritation crept into her voice.

"Well, I don't know that much, but it's the lowest scum to cheat on you when you're right here."

"Stop saying things like that."

Rondo guided the conversation to plant seeds of suspicion.

He had only been in the party for about half a year.

There was no trust, but Cress, who had been with them for a long time, was likely trusted to some extent.

While the "Hero" and the "Sword Saint" overshadowed Cress, S-rank parties weren't so lenient that an incompetent person could join. Cress definitely had the minimum required skills.

He could use most melee weapons and was skilled in vigilance and exploration. He filled in the gaps where the two of them were lacking. However, it was only to the extent that he wasn't a hindrance, and he wasn't essential.

Parties with both a "Hero" and a "Sword Saint" were rare, and with both of them, they could handle most tasks as hunters. What the party needed was not Cress, but rather, a "Holy Maiden," and Rondo thought there was room to push Cress out.

However, Hinoka, though she had a sharp tongue, trusted Cress, not the "Hero" himself.

This was a humiliation and fueled Rondo's passion.

He would try to instill as much doubt as possible before Cress returned.

He would plant seeds of discord and distrust to eliminate the bothersome Cress from the party.

"Whatever. The next quest is in the Andra Great Forest, right?"

"Right, the preparations are almost ready, so let's set out in ten days."

The next quest was a guild-commissioned request. For S-rank parties, such quests were common.

"A request to investigate the ecosystem. Well, it's not that difficult."

"Hmm, I'm not sure. There have been more reports of unusual monster appearances, so maybe something bad is about to happen."

"Damn, that's a hassle."

"Well, it'll work out."

While chatting with Hinoka, Rondo was thinking about how to use this situation to his advantage.