Me, the Weakest Member of the Hero’s Party? I’m the Villain Though? - Chapter 30
The cart left through a side gate of the inner castle, passed through the town, and exited the northern gate of the towering outer walls that encircled the capital. I couldn’t see it, as my face was covered with a rag, but I could roughly guess based on the sounds.
“Farther than I thought.”
From the soldiers’ chatter, I estimated there were about four of them. It stung my pride a little that only four soldiers had been sent to get rid of someone who had once been called the Great Sage—even if I was powerless now.
“Whew, rough forest path. We’ll have to drag him from here.”
They didn’t make it far into the forest before stopping the wagon and pulling me off. After walking for quite a while longer, we finally came to a stop.
Only once the filthy cloth was pulled from my face could I breathe properly. I had no idea when they’d last washed that thing—it stank so bad it was almost unbearable.
“Wait a sec. This guy…”
Soldier 3 suddenly raised the lantern to my face and muttered.
“Isn’t he a little too good-looking to just kill?”
“What the hell are you saying?”
Soldier 1 asked the exact question I wanted to.
“Look—he’s kinda pretty.”
The disgusting comment made my skin crawl.
“Pretty? Are your eyes on the bottom of your feet? He looks creepy as hell.”
“No, seriously, look. He’s got long hair, and his face is nice. The eyes are a bit intense, but you can just cover those.”
The two soldiers started having an actual debate about whether I was attractive or scary. And they were doing it right in front of me, like I wasn’t even there.
“The order was to kill him. If we let him live, it’s our heads on the line.”
“I’m not saying we should let him live. Just have a little fun first.”
Soldier 3 handed his lantern to Soldier 1 as he said that.
I wasn’t so naïve that I didn’t know exactly what he meant. A chill ran down my spine with the ominous sense of what was about to happen.
“Then make it quick. We have to be back before sunrise.”
Soldier 1 took the lantern and said in an annoyed tone, but the way he leered at me made my skin crawl.
“I’m taking the gag out. Stay still. If you stay quiet, this’ll be over fast. And it’s not like anyone’s around to hear you scream anyway.”
Sure, this was the kind of scene that popped up in trash-tier webnovels all the time—but I always found it unnecessary and disgusting. And now I was about to be the victim in one? Absolutely not.
“Gkh! Khff!”
The moment Soldier 3 removed the gag, I sneezed. My jaw, which had been forced open, ached, so I rolled my neck to stretch it out.
“Hey, hold his head.”
“I… I don’t think we should…”
Soldier 4 hesitated and stepped back. Then Soldier 2 grabbed my hair.
“Coward. I’ll do it.”
Ugh, this is why long hair’s such a pain. Even in a moment like this, I found myself thinking that I should cut it—proof I wasn’t feeling any real fear.
If I were facing monsters, I’d just release miasma to drive them off. But these guys were humans.
Which meant… I’d have to really snap them back to reality—with fire.
According to Lysian’s book in the cave, the flame that came from my mouth was a dragon ability known as ‘Dragon Breath’. While its destructive power was a bit weaker in human form, it was still usable. And best of all? I didn’t have to use my mouth.
“Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for guys like you?”
Honestly, I’d been itching to test my power. I just hadn’t had the right time. Or rather, target.
But now, these pathetic bottom-feeder creeps showed up like a practice dummy set. I was almost glad.
“What the hell’s he babbling about? Still mouthing off when he’s about to die. Hey! Pull his head back so he shuts up properly.”
At Soldier 3’s bark, Soldier 2 yanked my head back harder.
As my chin tilted skyward, Soldier 3, who was fumbling with his pants, vanished from view, and the dark night sky came into sight.
Without a shred of hesitation, I stretched my arm forward. Flame ignited in my chest, raced through my veins, and erupted from my palm.
“W-What the hell!”
Soldier 3, who was standing right in front of me with his pants halfway down, was instantly engulfed in flame.
I swept my arm sideways. Flames burst toward Soldier 1 and the one holding my hair—Soldier 2—and they too caught fire.
“Aaaaaagh! It burns, it burns!”
“Please! Help me! Aaaaagh!”
