Me, the Weakest Member of the Hero’s Party? I’m the Villain Though?

“Lysian. This must be fate. Nice to meet you.”

The wary expression Kyle had at first melted away like snow, leaving only a bright smile as warm as sunlight.

“You must be hungry. Why don’t you eat something first? I’ll introduce you to my companions.”

With a casual grin, Kyle pulled me forward by the hand he had grabbed. For now, I decided to play along, pretending to be just an ordinary person—at least until I left the forest.

“You probably haven’t eaten for a while. Come over here, warm yourself by the fire, and have some food.”

The man in white robes gestured kindly. Honestly, I was starving. Without protest, I sat down beside him.

“It’s a stew made with mushrooms and various vegetables. There’s no meat in it, but it should taste fine.”

He scooped a generous portion of stew into a wooden bowl and handed it to me.

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much in terms of flavor. But the moment I took a bite, a rich umami taste spread across my tongue, and my eyes widened in surprise.

“…It’s good.”

Hearing my impressed remark, the man beamed.

“Eat as much as you like. I can get you more if you need it. Oh, by the way, my name is Elonen.”

Receiving Elonen’s genuine hospitality made me feel a slight pang of guilt. It didn’t sit well with me that I was deceiving these people.

“Well then, since we’re traveling together now, how about we introduce ourselves? Just briefly.”

“Is that really necessary?”

At Kyle’s suggestion, a man sitting further away, leaning against a tree trunk with a tattered gray hood pulled over his head, responded in a displeased tone.

“We met like this on the day before our important mission to slay the Black Flame Dragon. I’d say that’s fate.”

That’s not fate. That’s what you call a cursed encounter.

Of course, I kept that thought to myself.

Under Kyle’s not-so-subtle insistence, the others reluctantly introduced themselves one by one. I already knew who they were, having read the original novel, but I pretended to listen attentively.

The mysterious man in the worn-out gray hood was Gerard, known as the ‘Blue Mage’. He dabbled in alchemy and dark magic.

The man dressed in blindingly white robes—which made his identity obvious—was Elonen, the ‘Silver Saint’. He was the party’s healer.

Lastly, the one sitting quietly next to Elonen was Kakaros, the ‘Forest Sprite’ who guarded the World Tree. He was skilled in archery and possessed mysterious supernatural abilities.

“That’s enough about us. Now, it’s your turn. What do you do?”

As soon as they finished their introductions, Kyle turned the question to me. Not knowing how to answer, I bit my lip.

“I’m…”

My mind spun rapidly, trying to come up with something as far removed from the Black Flame Dragon as possible—something that sounded utterly normal.

“…a woodcutter.”

The words slipped out before I could stop them. After spending the whole day surrounded by trees, that was the first thing that popped into my head.

“I came into the forest to chop wood.”

I quickly added a logical follow-up, but somehow, it made me sound even more suspicious. After all… what kind of idiot enters a monster-infested forest to chop wood?

“Hmm… I had a feeling you weren’t just an ordinary person.”

Kyle nodded as if he had expected this answer, then suddenly strode over to me. Without warning, he began feeling up my upper body and let out a fascinated hum.

“Tsk, tsk, just as I thought. These are the muscles of a real, battle-hardened woodcutter.”

Kyle’s hands roamed my arms and shoulders, and while it wasn’t exactly pleasant, I let out a silent sigh of relief. At least he seemed convinced.

“But if you’re a woodcutter, where’s your axe?”

Gerard, who had been silently watching, tilted his chin and spoke. What an unnecessarily sharp chump. As expected, he really was the brains of the hero’s party.

As I mentally noted that I needed to be extra careful around him, I answered.

“I ran into monsters while cutting wood and lost it while escaping.”

“I see… Well, don’t worry now. You’ll be safe with us.”

Kyle, either naive or just plain gullible, patted my shoulder reassuringly. And then, ever so casually, he started squeezing my deltoid muscle.

“But we’re heading straight for the Black Flame Dragon’s lair. Wouldn’t that actually put him in more danger?”

Gerard again raised a reasonable concern. I was about to take the opportunity to say, Exactly! That’s why I should leave!

“I can protect one person just fine. Don’t worry about it,” Kyle declared confidently.

No one in the party seemed inclined to argue with him. I had been hoping at least one person would suggest that I go my own way. If even one of them had told me to leave, I would have gladly walked away.

But instead, just like that, I ended up joining their party.