Me, the Weakest Member of the Hero’s Party? I’m the Villain Though? - Chapter 6
When I opened my eyes again, I was lying on the cold dirt ground. At some point, dawn had arrived, cloaking the world in a deep, bluish darkness.
For a fleeting moment, I had hoped—what if all of this was just a dream? What if I would wake up in my warm, comfortable bed?
Of course, that was nothing more than wishful thinking.
Still, at least I hadn’t reverted to that scale-covered lizard body. That alone was a small relief, and I let out a short sigh.
I stared blankly at the faintly dying campfire before realizing something—someone was missing. I cautiously sat up and looked around.
‘One, two, three…’
There should have been four members in the hero’s party, but one was nowhere to be seen.
Gerard sat leaning against the base of a tree. Elonen was still lying down beside me, and in the distance, Kakaros was curled up on top of a massive boulder.
That left one person missing—Kyle, the hero.
I scanned my surroundings.
“…Kyle?”
Only a faint impression on the dirt remained where he had been lying earlier.
As I turned my gaze around, I noticed footprints on the ground. Following them, I began to walk.
“Where did he go so early in the morning?”
For a moment, I wondered if he had gone into the dragon’s lair alone, but the footprints led in a different direction. After a short walk, I arrived at a misty lake. The footprints ended at the water’s edge, and next to them were Kyle’s clothes, boots, and sword, neatly placed.
“Kyle, are you here?”
I raised my voice slightly as I called out his name. Leaving behind his belongings and disappearing—had he jumped into the lake? Or worse. Had a monster dragged him away?
Just as unease began to creep over me, something suddenly burst out of the water.
“Pwah!”
Kyle surfaced with a sharp breath, brushing back his wet hair. Through the dense mist, I caught a glimpse of his bare, shining figure.
The muscles, which had been hidden beneath thick clothes, were now fully visible. A perfectly sculpted, balanced physique, like a marble statue in a museum.
His elegant, noble face was in stark contrast to his scar-ridden body, which told a different story—a life hardened by battle.
I found myself staring blankly at his back, until suddenly, our eyes met when he turned around.
“Lysian? What are you doing here?”
Kyle seemed more surprised than I was as he waded toward the shore. Flustered, I quickly turned my head and answered.
“I woke up and didn’t see you.”
“You were looking for me?”
I heard the sound of him picking up his clothes, so I turned back slightly. He was now wearing a loosely draped muslin shirt, but it was soaked and clung tightly to his skin.
“I only meant to wash my face with cold water, but I ended up taking a full bath. You couldn’t sleep either?”
“…Yeah.”
His half-dressed appearance was distracting, so I kept my gaze wandering awkwardly.
“Try washing your face. The water is so cold it’ll wake you right up.”
Now that he mentioned it, I did feel a little grimy, so I knelt by the lake and splashed water on my face. The ice-cold water shocked my senses awake.
Then, as I glanced at my reflection in the water, I flinched.
Even in human form, I looked terrifying—like a villain straight out of a story.
“It’s a beautiful forest, don’t you think?”
Kyle murmured as he gazed around the forest. Following his lead, I looked around the lake, occasionally glancing at him as he stood motionless.
The best-case scenario was for them to give up the hunt and go home. The Black Flame Dragon was already gone, and there was no longer any threat to worry about.
“…Isn’t it possible that the Black Flame Dragon didn’t do it by choice?”
I casually approached Kyle and dropped the question, subtly attempting to persuade the hero’s party to retreat peacefully.
“What do you mean? Didn’t do it by choice?”
Kyle turned to face me, repeating my words. He was smiling, but his eyes had turned ice-cold.
“The Black Flame Dragon burned down dozens of villages. It slaughtered thousands of people. It stole their land, pillaged their wealth, and left nothing but destruction. And it did all of that—for no reason.”
…Damn it, Black Flame Dragon! How the hell did you manage to live such a vile, irredeemable life?!
