I Became a Burden to the Conscienceless Party

In the end, the departure was delayed by a day.
It was because Esmeralda had sent Jim close to the gates of hell.
Regarding this incident, Jim’s only fault was being excessively bold towards her. To add, it was that he didn’t even doubt the seduction.
In fact, even that can’t really be called a fault.
Wasn’t the root cause of the incident Irina’s foolishness in the first place?

“You really are… something else.”

Esmeralda thought that this must have been a painful lesson for Irina, who had been flustered to the point of crying.
So wouldn’t she give up on her plan to run away with Jim?
That’s what she thought.
But how is she now?

[What is sex?]
[Recommended for ages 10-12]

She’s not discouraged by failure and is even studying for her next attempt.
Is she starting from there? Esmeralda, who thought Irina’s purity was all an act to deceive people, realized that wasn’t the whole story.
Despite her bright red face, she’s seriously reading the book.
She was… pure after all.

‘Well, that’s why last time…’

Esmeralda started to recall the book she had read with Irina in the carriage, but soon shook her head. It was the trigger that made both of them go wild with all their might.
It was ignorance (無知) about sex.
Ignorance is this frightening.
It’s terribly frightening.

“Pfft.”

Esmeralda laughed at the brilliant wordplay that suddenly came to her mind.
Even such wordplay was enjoyable for her, who had lived her whole life working like a beast of burden.
As Esmeralda was secretly smiling and Irina was anxiously looking at the sex education book.

“Ugh?!”

Jim, who had been unconscious, woke up with a sound like a dying gasp.

“Huff… Huff…”
“Mr. Jim, are you alright?”

But the awakened Jim’s condition was worse than expected.
Esmeralda anxiously held Jim’s hand and asked, wondering if she had hit him in the wrong place when knocking him out.
Normally, this would be Irina’s role, but she was still hesitating, probably still bothered by the previous incident.
Esmeralda didn’t say much, as she felt responsible too.
At that moment, a tear rolled down Jim’s eye.

“Why are you suddenly crying again?”
“I… I had a dream.”
“It must have been a nightmare.”

Come to think of it, isn’t Jim living quite a tragic life?
From the start, there must have been a reason he couldn’t back out when he accepted the mission to infiltrate the hero party.

“It wasn’t a nightmare. No, rather, it was a happy dream…”
“Then why are you crying as if you’re so sad?”
“Because it was a dream.”

Jim grasped at the air as if he had lost something precious. Seeing this, Irina flinched and distanced herself a bit more.

“Ah, I see…”

Esmeralda could understand now. It seems he thinks he had a dream because he fainted while eagerly groping Irina’s chest.

“Well, it must be a dream. There’s no way such a happy thing would suddenly happen… I feel like the sensation is still in my hand. It’s so sad and regrettable that it was fake.”
“…”

Fortunately, there was no need to prepare an excuse. It was because Jim thought it would be impossible if it wasn’t a dream.

“Ah, the utopia flowing with milk and honey. Why…”
“Hiyak?!”

Irina trembled at the sight of Jim grasping at the air.
But even so, she seemed to be contemplating whether she should offer her body.
It must be extraordinary affection.

“Irina, calm down. It’s just a metaphor.”

Esmeralda responded maturely. She was already accustomed to Jim’s sexual harassment.
Esmeralda, who had to deal with Jim’s lust alone through the aftermath of her ability, [Emerald Tablet], was already able to not show any reaction to this level.
On the other hand, Irina, who had only been doing politics at the center of power, had no resistance to such direct and specific sexual harassment.
Well, who would dare to speak of sexual harassment in front of the Saint of the Celestial Order?
It’s impossible, whether politically or privately.
Even if there were, they would no longer be alive now.

“I wonder if we can catch the Demon King…”

Esmeralda felt discouraged as she watched Jim reminiscing about touching Irina’s chest with a distant expression, and Irina half-deranged by Jim’s behavior.
She thought that maybe it would have been better to set out on the journey alone.

A day after Jim’s fit of madness subsided.
The hero party was about to set out on their journey again…

“Hmm, fortunately, the timing is right. It’s an honor to meet you like this. Hero, Miss Esmeralda.”
“…Yes, it’s an honor to meet you too, Lady Glacies Magic Tower.”

They couldn’t depart. Rather, someone had come to greet them first.
She was the master of the Glacies Magic Tower, one of the continent’s seven great magic towers.

Glisha Lentissimo

The moment she encountered her, Esmeralda stiffened, unable to even put on her usual act of foolishness.
It was because she had only heard about magic towers, but didn’t know to what extent they were.

[Comprehensive Estimate: Lv. 841]

Yes, the power of the opponent reflected in her eyes far exceeded the figure she had expected.
She’s even stronger compared to the Corps Commander, Eleven, whom she had met.
For a moment, Esmeralda wondered why such a person hadn’t participated in the battlefield, but soon had to shake her head.
She’s a person with such ability and power. It would be more valuable for her to be in the rear rather than on the battlefield.
Moreover, even with her ability, Esmeralda couldn’t penetrate Glisha Lentissimo’s surface thoughts. Or rather, it would be correct to say she couldn’t read them.

[Note: **$%&%@ㅛ@%#%]

It’s different from human thinking.
Esmeralda understood this in an instant. Countless contents overlapped and became unreadable.
Perhaps what she sees are dozens, hundreds of worlds. That’s why even looking at one thing recalls dozens or hundreds.
Yes, it must be called realizing the truth because she can see the world in a different way from others.
Esmeralda was horrified by the fact that she was seeing in normal times what she could only see very rarely in Milia’s psychology during intense battles.

“I’ve heard a lot from Milia. I was worried because she didn’t have friends, but to hear that she’s become close enough for you to come greet her directly like this, it’s truly grateful.”

Glisha Lentissimo smiled kindly, as if welcoming her granddaughter’s guest.
Esmeralda couldn’t distinguish whether it was an act or not.
Wasn’t the Magic Tower a group that tried to research using Esmeralda’s corpse in the first place?
Just looking at Milia’s twisted mental state, it’s clear that it’s not normal.

‘Huh, I need to pull myself together.’

Fortunately, the Saint, Irina, is here with her in this place.
She’s not behind in terms of power and backing, so even if they enter the Magic Tower like this, there shouldn’t be any problems for Esmeralda.
Even if the Celestial Order has fallen, if a crisis comes to their Saint, they would declare a holy war even if the opponent is the Magic Tower.

“I’ll use spatial transfer magic. It’s faster and more convenient that way.”
“I feel sorry for troubling you. Thank you.”

Irina, who had been observing the situation from behind, pushed Esmeralda back and stepped forward to express her gratitude.
It means she’ll continue the conversation from now on.
It’s partly because Esmeralda lacks political insight, but…

“But shouldn’t you tell us the destination first?”
“Hohohoho.”

It was because Irina had already experienced to the point of being sick of it in the political world that the Glacies Magic Tower master had a quite sinister personality.

“The Saint is still as sharp as ever.”
“Thank you for saying so, Tower Master. So where are we heading? I haven’t heard an answer yet.”
“Well, where would you like to go?”
“Wouldn’t in front of the main gate of the Glacies Magic Tower be good? It would be convenient for both of us to let everyone around know that we’ve arrived.”

Two people with kind smiles and pure smiles like flowers. And the conversation content that didn’t match at all made Esmeralda want to vomit.

She knows Milia has changed.
The Tower Master, Glisha, didn’t like it. Of course, that was just her thought, other Tower Masters were rather pleased with that fact.
Because it broadened Milia’s thinking even more.
But Glisha is different.
Her magic symbolized water, freezing, and stopping.
So she doesn’t like change.
Freezing a moment and preserving it is the ideal she pursues.
In that sense, she didn’t like the fact that Milia’s state, which seemed to have frozen even her emotions since childhood, had started to change recently.
Of course, she doesn’t intend to make Milia like a doll because of her selfishness.
Although it’s not welcome…

‘That’s probably the right path.’

Glisha didn’t insist.
Even if Milia goes in a different direction from her, she’ll surely be able to complete the great magic that will elevate humanity to the next level.
Her interference would be the same as hindering her evolution.
But…

‘Yes, who could it be? Who taught our Milia strange things?’

She wanted to at least check the face of the person who made her like that.
Well, it would be even better if she could vent a little.
Glisha smiled kindly while examining the members of the hero party.
And her gaze scans Esmeralda, Irina, and Jim.

‘Yes, it was you.’

And where her gaze fixed was on the Saint, Irina.
An excellent deduction made by someone who has understood the world and reached the truth over many years.
It was completely off the mark.
It was a point where you could see that Tower Masters are still human.

[Understanding Sex]
[Recommended for ages 13-14]

Glisha, recalling the book Milia had been carrying around recently, was convinced that Irina was the culprit.

‘As expected of the Order’s bitch. How dare she taint our pure Milia.’

Inner thoughts that would have made Irina, who was dozens of times purer than Milia, faint if she had heard them.
Glisha nodded as if she understood by herself, then glanced at Jim and thought.

‘Hmm, they’re keeping a demon around.’

A slave?
Glisha worried if that wouldn’t have a bad influence on Milia.
And her worry was not wrong in a sense.