“Nathan, why don’t you gather some firewood? It’ll give you a chance to stretch your legs and get a feel for the area.”
I nodded, pretending to be oblivious to his true intentions. “Sure, Lord Oscar. I’ll be right back.”
“But it’s dangerous for Nathan to go alone…I will go..”
“Don’t worry Amelia. This place is a safe place. I have already verified and killed the monsters around,” Oscar said.
“Yes, don’t worry teacher,” I also added before leaving.
I ventured into the forest, keeping my senses sharp. I knew Oscar would follow me soon, probably under the pretense of helping or checking on me. As I moved deeper into the woods, I made sure to leave a clear trail behind.
After a few minutes, I heard the soft crunch of footsteps behind me. I continued gathering firewood, waiting for him to make his move.
“Nathan,” Oscar called out, his voice echoing in the quiet forest.
I turned to face him, keeping my expression neutral. “Yes, Lord Oscar?”
He stepped closer, his eyes glinting with malice. “You’ve improved quite a bit, but I’m afraid this is as far as you go.”
I dropped the firewood, turning my head. “What do you mean?”
Oscar sighed in disappointment. “You chose to change too late, unfortunately, Hero Nathan. It’s a royal order. We can’t let a weak Hero fall into the hands of the enemy.”
“Enemy? Well, demons have done nothing to me though?” I said, raising a brow. “I never wanted to fight them in the first place.”
“What?” Oscar narrowed his eyes coldly.
I shrugged my shoulders. “That idiot you’re revering as the greatest Hero, Jason, might be killing demons for you because he’s stupid and wants to impress women, but that only applies to idiots like him and Aiden.”
Oscar’s expression hardened.
Two weeks ago, my class finally met demons face-to-face during a forest trip. They were clearly spies sent to the Empire since demons in a human empire would be killed on sight. When they came back from that trip, a lot of them had pale faces, while others were neutral. People like Aiden were grinning with blood on their clothes. Clearly not beasts’ blood.
I remembered that day vividly. Jason and Aiden didn’t hesitate to take the life of humanoid beings. They were eager to show their strength, and others followed their lead, killing the demons without hesitation.
The weak-minded ones or those with strong morals didn’t kill. People like Sienna or Aisha spared the demons without dealing the killing blow, but the knights swiftly executed the demons right after.
This didn’t mean they were weak-minded or incapable of killing. I was sure that in a true battlefield situation, they would kill; otherwise, they would be killed. They likely shared a similar mindset to mine.
We knew nothing about demons except what we were told by a clearly biased party—the Empire of Light.
While I didn’t care about justice or any lofty ideals, I preferred not to kill demons in particular. More precisely, I had never been in any situation where I absolutely had to kill them. I met a few demons during my night training sessions, but I would swiftly change locations to avoid a ruckus. Khione would often send them away or, perhaps, kill them—though I didn’t know for certain.
Oscar’s grip on his sword tightened, his face a mask of barely controlled anger. “You dare speak ill of your fellow Heroes? You’re a disgrace, Nathan.”
“I speak the truth,” I replied calmly. “Jason and his fanclub, they are nothing but puppets. They don’t think, they just follow orders. I’m different. I think for myself. Honestly I trust more Demons than you guys, that’s for sure.”
I never really cared about demons—whether they lived or died meant little to me. After all, they had done nothing to harm me since I was summoned to this world. I wasn’t about to attack them for no reason, especially not out of some misguided sense of superiority.
Oscar glared at me with cold, unforgiving eyes. “Betraying your own kind? You deserve to die for that,” he spat.
I couldn’t help but laugh at the irony. “Betrayal? Coming from you?” I said, shaking my head. Oscar was the last person who should be talking about betrayal. He was here to kill me, after all.
“Shut up! I’m doing this for the Empire and for the other righteous Heroes!” he shouted.
“If you kill me, my scream will be loud enough to wake the teacher,” I warned.
Oscar sneered. “I’ve already put her to sleep. You’ll die here. Don’t worry about Amelia, though. I’ll take good care of her tonight,” he added with a disgusting lick of his lips.
Ah, this guy. Just moments ago, he was preaching about righteousness.
I am clearly not a paragon of virtue, but at least I wasn’t a hypocrite like him.
“Then do it quickly,” I said, letting my hands fall to my sides in resignation.
Oscar laughed, a cold and mirthless sound. “No, I won’t do anything, Nathan. After all, it will look like you died at the hands of monstrous beasts.”
He threw several bottles to the ground, their contents splattering everywhere. The liquid reeked of blood and something else foul, staining my pants and clothes.
“Even though I warned you, you didn’t listen and went off on your own,” Oscar said, shaking his head with a smirk.
As the sound of heavy, threatening footsteps grew closer, Oscar lowered his sword and turned away from me.
“Goodbye, then,” he said and left.
°°°°°
Oscar was an extraordinarily talented man. Raised as a simple noble, he was born with a natural aptitude that set him apart from others. His father, recognizing this talent, provided him with everything he needed to progress rapidly. Thanks to this support, Oscar quickly grew strong.
His exceptional abilities soon caught the attention of the Empire’s high nobles, who decided to assist him further, helping him become even more powerful.
Within a few years, Oscar was accepted into the ranks of the Knights of the royal castle. His prowess was so remarkable that even the Goddess, who had been supporting the Empire for centuries, acknowledged him.
Then, the Heroes were summoned. They were brought forth to answer the threats from other countries and to ultimately destroy the Demon King.
Initially, Oscar was pleased to be chosen as their instructor. But as he observed their incredible progress, he began to worry. Jason, in particular, was advancing at an astonishing pace, nearly matching Oscar’s level of strength. Though Oscar was still stronger for now, he couldn’t help but wonder how long it would last.
What if, once the Heroes surpassed him, they decided he was no longer needed? What if he lost all his privileges?
This was a fate Oscar could not accept. To secure his position, he needed to climb even higher, and the only way to do that was to forge a close relationship with one of the Heroes.
From the very first day, Oscar had his eye on Gwen, but Amelia, their teacher, seemed the easiest. He didn’t know why but Gwen hated him and it was like she could see right through his intentions so he chose Amelia. Moreover, Amelia was a subtle thorn in the Emperor’s side, and Oscar was well aware of it.
Amelia was untouchable. She had the respect of all her class, the Heroes, and wasn’t shy about voicing her opinions or defending her students. She often showed an overprotectiveness, particularly towards Nathan.
But what if he managed to control Amelia?
She was the one Hero that everyone else revered and rarely contradicted. The most liked among them all. If Oscar could gain influence over her, the Emperor and perhaps even the Goddess would reward him greatly. With Amelia under his control, he would wield significant power.
Oscar didn’t care how he achieved it, whether through patience or force. He just needed to bind her to him.
Oscar was more determined than ever today. He had slipped a potent sleeping pill into Amelia’s drink, laced with a special ingredient that he had procured at great expense, almost exhausting his entire savings. But to him, it was worth it. This pill was designed to excite a woman’s hormones, making her more susceptible to his advances.
Amelia lay on a makeshift bed of sheets spread on the ground, the campfire casting a warm glow on her beautiful, sweat-dappled face. Her expression was flushed, and she seemed to be struggling in her sleep, her legs rubbing together as if seeking some relief.
“Mnn~” she moaned softly, lost in the haze of the drug-induced slumber.
Oscar felt a surge of excitement as he knelt beside her. Reaching out with trembling hands, he slowly lowered her pants, revealing her panties, which were damp with her arousal. The pill was working perfectly.
Seeing this, Oscar couldn’t contain himself any longer. He quickly unclasped his belt, his mind racing with anticipation. Even though she was unconscious, he felt no remorse. In fact, it was her helpless state that emboldened him, knowing she would never consent to this while awake.
As for the aftermath, he had already concocted a story. He would claim that she had thrown herself at him in a moment of passion. And in the best-case scenario, he would impregnate her tonight. Knowing Amelia, he was confident that she would keep the child, and then she would have no choice but to accept him in her life.
“What are you doing Oscar?”
Oscar’s whole body froze when he heard a voice from behind.