I Became a Burden to the Conscienceless Party

That day was probably a snowy day. Well, it might not have been.
The moment my journey began.
Has it been about 7 years? Or maybe even longer.
It started with the sound of a rattling carriage. My body was tied up and my head was burning hot.
My vision was blurry and I felt dizzy.
And in that moment.
When I was curled up, suffering from a fever as I changed.

“What should we do with this?”

The first voice I heard.
And someone’s startled presence.

“What? Why did you bring that?”
“It seemed a bit wrong to just leave it behind.”
“Wrong my ass. Throw it away!”

With that roar, my body was thrown onto a cold stone floor.
It hurt so much.
I wanted to get up but couldn’t, wanted to cry for help but no voice came out.
My mind and memories were hazy.
So only those last words remained in my head.

“Even if we take it, it’ll just be a ‘burden’.”

I took that as my name.

To reach nirvana, one must cut off worldly attachments. Escaping from the five desires and seven emotions, not being trapped by greed, anger, and ignorance.
Yes, only when one escapes from all bonds can they enter nirvana.
There was such a moment.
The length of that journey would come to mind.
A path already traveled. But a path returned to.
Things I decided to let go of.
Things I decided to pick up again.
The self completed that way.
Trying to understand people from a perspective similar to people.
“Haah…”

I look up at the snowing sky.
Was it snowing like this back then too?

“I thought I might at least be able to see her face if I joined the army.”

One who has overcome asceticism. One who remembers all journeys. The blue blood, blue flame engraved on that soul and body.
Yes, that flame that burns like sacred fire yet clings like hellfire was once one.
Something abandoned but picked up again and completed.
That’s me before being split.
Even now, the forcibly drawn line is trying to disappear.

“The Demon King, it’s hard to see her face.”

But not yet.
I must remain pure for now. I must remain foolish.
So as not to be suspected. So as not to be recognized.
I must push everything I’ve done beyond the line and act as if nothing happened.
I must hide my true feelings while keeping myself split.
The view of a sage who has reached nirvana and attained enlightenment, the view of a fool tainted by the three poisons and five desires and seven emotions.
Embracing all that and walking the middle path, I divide a line in my original self and hide one side.
Yes, like a stubborn child immersed in the five desires and seven emotions.
Yes, if not in a state of understanding and accepting the three poisons.

“I guess I’ll observe the situation a bit more.”

Because it’ll probably be hard to deceive your ‘eyes’.

Lilith was feeling anxious. Understandably so, as all communication had been cut off since Jim entered the Papal State of the Celestial Order.

‘No-nothing bad will happen, right?’

It felt like watching a madman enter a volcano.
Lilith shuddered at Jim calmly stating such a fact.
Of course, Jim had contacted her after already accepting despair and death, becoming indifferent to death and letting go of his desire for life.
Lilith doesn’t know Jim’s abilities.
She doesn’t know how fragile his mental state actually is.
Nevertheless, she was overestimating Jim, and yet she couldn’t help but worry about him voluntarily entering the Celestial Order.
Common sense for demons.
The reason Jim could let go of his attachment to life early on.

“Yes, I can only believe in him now. But still…”

Regular contact has been cut off and there’s no response to emergency communications either.
But she can’t just sit still. Although Lilith was a parachute appointment, she was a demon who worked hard and produced results.
Yes, she can’t just put on airs anymore. To get what you want, you have to move yourself.

‘I’ll visit the 5th Corps.’

The unit Jim belonged to.
Since it was probably the 5th Corps that gave the infiltration mission for the hero party, she’ll have to meet Commander Five to find out the details of the situation back then.
Fortunately, Commander Five, who had been too busy to even breathe, is now in a relatively leisurely situation.

“Nice to meet you, Major General Five.”
“…I was trying not to say this, but isn’t this too much?”

That’s right.
Five is currently on medical leave due to her battle with the Ancient Red Dragon, Agni, on the previous Eastern front.
Unlike Eleven who was forcibly ordered to rest due to insubordination, she had received sick leave due to her battle with Agni, so Lilith wasn’t welcome.
After all, isn’t it a situation where a colleague visits with a formal attitude while she’s resting?
Moreover, since she’s the one who purged one of her colleagues, it was bound to be awkward to meet.

“Well, don’t dislike it so much. I just came to ask about the operational situation within the 5th Corps.”

It essentially means that the Operations Staff Office will audit the internal affairs of the 5th Corps.
Five felt a chill down her spine at Lilith’s cold appearance.

‘Indeed, is this because she’s of the Demon King’s bloodline? If I’m not careful, I might end up purged like Eleven…’

A cruel and ruthless empress.
By now, Lilith’s reputation had reached sky-high levels.

“Alright. I’ll answer honestly. I don’t know what Lilith Major General wants to hear, but…”
“The hero party.”
“Pardon?”
“I want to ask about the ‘Hero Party Infiltration Operation’ that Major General Five planned and executed.”
“Wait a moment.”
“Of course, you might not like explaining the details to an outsider like me, but…”
“No! That’s not it…”

Five frowned.
It’s a situation she hadn’t expected.
Yes, she…

“I’ve never carried out such an operation?”

Because she had never planned such an operation.

“…”
“…?”
“…”
“Um…?”
“…I see.”

Lilith nodded as if she had realized something, then immediately kicked open the hospital room door and left.
For Five, who didn’t understand the situation, it was completely incomprehensible.

“Did that child grow up so pampered that she doesn’t even know how to close a door?”

Perhaps because she’s of the Demon King’s bloodline, her actions are surprisingly half-hearted.
Although she follows the Demon King according to the rules of power, she doesn’t particularly respect the Demon King.
That’s because her naming sense has gone off the rails.
Even now, Five wasn’t used to the almost insulting name the Demon King had given her.

“Haah, well, what can I do. That monster who defeated Leviathan alone.”

There’s a reason why the Demon King is the Demon King.
Five sighed and closed the door, but recalled Lilith’s frowning face as she left.
It seems some kind of incident is happening within the Demon King’s army.

“I should check a bit.”

The 5th Corps Commander, Five, muttered secretly as if it might be a good way to kill time.

Lilith moved straight towards the camp where the 5th Corps was located.
Once she started to have confidence, there was no hesitation in her steps.
Long gone was the feeling of being intimidated or cautious in front of the Corps Commander, she started to rummage through the 5th Corps’ operation files relentlessly as if to uncover this suspicion.
Originally, even if it’s an internal corps matter, it’s supposed to be shared with the Operations Staff Office, but they don’t report every minor operation.
Due to the characteristic indifference of demons.
Can beings who don’t even name things properly run a corps properly?
It’s admirable that they can maintain the form of an army to this extent.

“…Found it.”

[Hero Party Infiltration Plan]
Overview: A plan to infiltrate a party composed of promising individuals from each group to extract information.
Decided to infiltrate a human who has betrayed humanity or a demon close to humans to gather information about the Celestial Order, Magic Tower, and Eye of Truth through relatively inexperienced promising individuals.
Operation Personnel: Lieutenant Jim, affiliated with the 3rd Battalion, 12th Regiment, 5th Corps.
Characteristic: Half-blood demon

‘Lieutenant Jim was a half-blood? No, they deployed such a legendary being for this kind of operation?’

Half-blood demons theoretically cannot exist. That’s why demons treat the existence of half-bloods as legends or rumors.
Then what’s written here?
Did they write down a rumor?

‘No, that can’t be. Even if he’s not a half-blood, there must have been characteristics that could claim so.’

Lilith didn’t know until now that Jim was a half-blood.
Half-bloods are literally close to rumors or false stories. It was strange to even think about it in the first place.
Then why was Jim, who was in such an important position, drafted for an operation like infiltrating the hero party?
Probably due to the indifference of demons who don’t care about others in nine out of ten cases.

“Operation proposer, Colonel Extra. Thinking about it again, it’s too much of a name. I wonder who gave it.”

It’s likely Commander Five.
Especially since she grumbled as if disliking the name ‘Five’ given by the Demon King.
It’s highly likely that it was given out of spite, like saying you’re just an extra.
Of course, it doesn’t matter now.

‘Where’s the operation progress…’

Lilith found the operation report. According to the operation overview, there should be reports on the information Jim provided by sweet-talking the hero party members.

“Recipient, Colonel Extra…”

The name written on the report she found was the colonel’s name she saw earlier.
Lilith frowned.

‘Colonel Extra is dead.’

This means it’s impossible to obtain more information.
He was wiped out along with the operation team while being deployed for the operation to rescue Jim.
It was also the occasion when the hero party’s notoriety skyrocketed enough to be brought up in the Demon King’s army meeting because they lost a field-grade talent so futilely.

“Strange.”

The reports handled in the Demon King’s army record the time when the report was written. This is to prevent manipulation by demons who often do useless things.
It wasn’t particularly strange, as even Five often caused trouble due to her fiery temper.

“The time progression is too consistent. Moreover, at this time…”

It was when the 5th Corps Commander, Five, was deployed to the front line and fighting with Agni.
It coincides with the time when the operation team led by Colonel Extra was established and the plan to rescue Jim began.
Would Five, who was fighting a dragon on the battlefield, have agreed to such an operation?
Did she have time for that?

‘Major General Five said she didn’t carry out any hero party infiltration plan. Then this is…’

Colonel Extra’s independent action?
Lilith’s gaze, which had been only looking at reports related to the operation, moved.
The 3rd Battalion being reorganized due to the death of Battalion Commander, Colonel Extra.
The personnel lists belonging there.

Weapons manager: Kal
Cook: Bob
Communications soldier: Call
Personnel clerk: Hi
.
.
.
Supply and Operations Section Chief: Jim

“…Found it.”

Lilith was finally able to find Jim’s name after examining the personnel list.
It took a little time because there were so many casually given single-character names, and Jim was one of them.

“Hmm.”

Lilith smiled slightly after confirming Jim’s position.
It was the seductive smile that had unconsciously charmed countless soldiers.
Yes, things are going well.
Everything was as she expected.

“As expected, the one who set up the core of the hero party infiltration plan was…”

None other than Jim himself, the Operations Section Chief.
And Colonel Extra was likely his collaborator.
He’s an internal collaborator.
Then for what purpose? And why is he trying to get out now?
And why did he act as if all of this was under the orders of Corps Commander Five?
Lilith’s eyes narrowed as she connected the puzzles in her head.

“Fufu, as expected.”

The big picture that Lilith deduced Jim might have drawn.

“So Lieutenant Jim was indeed the Demon King’s illegitimate child.”

An abstract painting.