The Story of an Arrogant Succubus Princess Who Always Looked Down on Humans as Mere Food, Until She Fell in Love With an Ordinary Man - Chapter 13

“So? How much longer are we going to walk? My feet hurt! I can’t walk anymore!”

Warm sunlight spills through the trees along the mountain path. If they were on a picnic, the pleasant breeze would feel nice. However, Liliana exhales in frustration.

Liliana has been out of jail for several hours now. They have taken breaks a few times, but they have been walking continuously. Asbel, who trains regularly, is fine, but Liliana, who does not exercise much, has reached her limit.

“Stop whining…I want to say that, but it can’t be helped. Let’s take a short break.”

“Yay! Break time! I want to eat snacks!”

“You’re like a child.”

Despite this, Asbel takes out a small bag from his large backpack and hands it to Liliana.

“Oh, it’s rusks! I love rusks; they’re so crispy!”

“Is that so? Then eat as much as you like. I have prepared enough food.”

Liliana sits in the shade of a tree and starts eating the rusk. Asbel stands a little away from her, keeping an eye on the surroundings.

“You know, if you stay so tense, you’ll collapse, right? Come over here and eat rusks with me.”

“I don’t need to. More importantly, you should rest as much as possible. It will still take a few hours to reach the inn where we will stay tonight.”

“Ugh, we still have to walk? And by the way, is it really necessary to be so sneaky? You brought me out, so it’s not like anyone would notice that I escaped right away, right? I’m good at disguises, so I could just take a train normally.”

“It’s not that simple. Besides, my superior must already know that I brought you out.”

“…! Why? It can’t be that easy to find out!”

As Liliana is surprised, Asbel continues calmly.

“My superior, Gran Kamuret, is an excellent man. We’ve known each other for a long time, and he can see right through what I’m thinking.”

“Then that’s bad. If that’s the case, why don’t you stop me?”

“Because I know it would be useless. I will do the best I can, and he will do the best he can…If we go towards the border through the usual route, we’ll probably be caught right away.”

“So that’s why we’re taking this hidden mountain path.”

“That’s right. I’ve already decided on the route. I’ve been in the knight’s order for a long time. Therefore, I know places where security is weak and where there are not enough personnel. So just follow me without thinking about unnecessary things.”

“…I understand.”

Liliana nods slightly and takes another bite of the rusk. She had thought he was just a grumpy guy, but in a situation like this, he turns out to be surprisingly reliable. In fact, if she looks closely, his face isn’t bad at all. His eyes might look dead, but his skin is nice, and he’s tall.

If this guy were a little friendlier, he could probably be quite popular, Liliana thinks about these trivial matters.

“Alright, shall we go soon?”

“Aw, can’t we take a little more time?”

“Were you not listening? Even Gran wouldn’t know this route, but if we take too long, there’s a chance the border with the demon country could be blocked.”

“…I got it. But if you keep acting like that, you won’t be popular, you know?”

“I told you I don’t care about that.”

“…Hmm? What’s wrong? Why are you suddenly quiet? Are you mesmerized by my beauty?”

Liliana jokes and laughs, but Asbel slowly approaches her without changing his expression.

“Wait, what? Are you trying to do something to me here—”

“Sorry, but we are in a hurry. I don’t have time to deal with people like you.”

Asbel’s words are delivered with a firm attitude. Liliana, unable to grasp the situation, tilts her head. Asbel reaches for Liliana’s hand and tries to walk away, but a voice interrupts them.

“Hey, looks like you noticed.”

From behind the trees, men with a rough demeanor appear. They certainly do not look like travelers. With long swords at their sides and well-built bodies, the men approach, surrounding Liliana and Asbel.

“Could they be…thieves?”

Liliana asks, and the leader among them responds.

“Correct! We are the Bashuda Thieves! Leave your valuables and that beautiful girl behind, and we might let you go!”

The men approach with crude grins. Liliana is used to being harassed by such people and receiving lewd looks. Of course, she has countermeasures ready, but before she can use them, Asbel speaks.

“…It can’t be helped. We can’t waste any more time here.”

Asbel steps forward to protect Liliana.

“Hey, what’s this? You think you can take us all on by yourself? Being brave is nice and all, but I don’t like being looked down upon.”

“But, leader, isn’t it fun to violate a woman in front of a foolish man like this?”

“Haha, you’re the worst! But I’m in. Today’s dinner will be on you—”

Before the man finishes his sentence, Asbel’s fist drives into the man’s stomach. It happens at a speed that no one in the area can react to. The men, not understanding what just occurred, go silent for a moment, then scream.

“You bastard!! You did it!!”

From there, it was truly a split-second occurrence. Asbel moves with such speed, it seems like he is teleporting, punching the men away.

The men bravely try to attack Asbel with swords and axes. Some even consider taking Liliana hostage, but Asbel overwhelms them all with sheer strength.

He doesn’t even draw his sword. The difference in power is that significant.

“Could this guy be…the Iron Face Iron Demon?”

One of the fallen men mutters something but loses consciousness before finishing.

“…Wow.”

The men are quickly defeated, and Asbel binds their hands and feet with ropes with practiced ease.

“With this, someone will eventually contact the knight’s order. We wasted time, so let’s hurry.”

Asbel starts walking as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. Liliana also somewhat understands that Asbel is skilled in combat. However, even so, this was beyond her imagination.

“You’re strong, aren’t you?”

“Hmm? Oh, that’s just normal for someone in the knight’s order.”

“I see. Now I understand a bit why the demon race can’t defeat humans.”

When she was in the demon country, Liliana had seen many powerful orcs and lizardmen. Their strength was considerable, but now, Asbel seemed to stand out even more.

“By the way, I think the fallen man said something, right? Iron Face, Iron Demon or something…”

“Yeah, that’s my nickname. Anyone who has been on the battlefield for a long time ends up with strange nicknames.”

“What does it mean?”

“…It means I’m like a monster made of iron who continues to fight without changing my expression, no matter the situation.”

“Interesting.”

As she walks next to Asbel, Liliana glances at his profile. His eyes, lacking color, are unchanged from usual. Indeed, if there were a man fighting with that face on the battlefield, it would make sense to give him such a nickname.

“Huh? But weren’t you called Impotent Asbel?”

“…There are some who call me that.”

“Haha, that might suit you better.”

“Shut up. …And hey, don’t cling to me. It’s annoying.”

“What’s wrong with this much?”

Liliana forcibly hugs Asbel’s arm and laughs.

“…Anyway, thanks for saving me.”

“I don’t mind. I just did what I could do.”

“What? Are you embarrassed or something?”

“Why would I be embarrassed? It’s annoying. Just stop clinging to me already.”

“Haha! It’s fine! You’re impotent anyway, so it should be okay to cling a little, right?”

The two continue to walk while playfully chatting. The journey has just begun.