Chapter 1234: Potima the Fiendslayer

The adventurers who had asked to enter the village fell silent under Eiworth’s scrutiny. They started looking really suspicious now.

「Um… we’ll just head back. I feel bad bothering you any further.」

「Hmph. Then get out of my sight.」

It appeared they had no intention of forcing their way into the village. Well, fighting here could potentially harm the villagers. It might be best to let them go for now and follow them in secret.

However, one woman stepped forward from among the adventurers that were about to leave. The robe draped over her head was obscuring her face, but her figure revealed that she was a woman. What’s more, her true strength was difficult to discern. She didn’t seem overly powerful, but there was something off about her. She was probably hiding her true abilities.

Upon looking into her eyes, I realized that this woman had been the one observing me. Even now, I could faintly feel her gaze on me. It’s quite unusual for someone to stare at me instead of Fran.

「I’ve just confirmed it directly. We can no longer afford to back down.」

The woman began speaking at the forefront, and the other adventurers didn’t seem to object. In fact, they had all paused to wait for her instructions.

「Change of plans. We shall fulfill our goal.」

Immediately after the woman announced this, the atmosphere among the adventurers changed.

Clearly, they had gotten ready for a fight.

It seems this woman was their leader. Her remaining silent on the sidelines was apparently a trick so that we would lower our guards against her.

Eiworth, in his usual provocative manner, continued to question them despite sensing the change in the atmosphere.

「Goal? And what is that? You tried to sneak into our village under false pretenses. Whatever you’re after can’t be anything decent.」

In response, the mysterious woman answered in a tone devoid of emotion.

「Hand over the dragon that’s said to be in this village.」

「Oh? Are you simply thieves after dragon materials?」

「Thieves? You are accusing us of being thieves?」

The woman tilted her head. It appeared she genuinely didn’t understand why.

「You just voiced your goal of stealing another person’s familiar. What else can I call you but thieves? Surely you realize this after trying to sneak into our village?」

「What we are doing is for the good of the world, you see. I do not recommend striking away the hand of mercy. I had originally planned to secretly eliminate the evil dragon… But if you insist on foolishly interfering, then things may end differently.」

The woman sighed and continued her rant.

「Protecting something as dangerous as an evil dragon is completely unacceptable. Perhaps you were only blinded by greed, but all kin of the Evil God are mankind’s enemies. Your best course of action is to hand it to me before it causes a disaster. I’ll make sure to eradicate it for you, okay?」

The woman spoke as if she was scolding us, like we were unruly children. As if what they were doing was justified.

And her eyes backed this up. She seemed dead serious, genuinely believing that their one-sided righteousness was law.

『Fran, we can’t settle this through negotiation.』

（Nn.）

Honestly, we didn’t have much at stake in this dispute. Our friends from Raydoss were the main parties involved, and we were just kinda helping them out.

But the moment I heard the woman’s next words, Fran unleashed an intense killing intent.

「And you, Black Lightning Princess. I see there is much evil lurking within your sword. You can’t deceive these eyes of mine. Hand over the sword along with the dragon, and I’ll dispose of them for you.」

「What?」

Oh boy, this woman certainly went straight for the landmine. It’s almost as if she had a death wish.

Fran glared at the woman with such a murderous stare that she could probably kill with her gaze alone.

The surrounding adventurers took a few steps back, and their faces drained of color. Everyone was getting goosebumps and sweating profusely. Some even lost their nerve and had to take a seat on the ground.

But the woman’s expression remained unchanged.

「…What did you just say?」

「Hand over the sword hiding evil within it. It must not be allowed to exist.」

This woman possessed a skill called “Principle of Evil Sight”. It seems that’s what allowed her to detect the Evil God’s presence within me.

「…This sword only has the power to absorb and manipulate evil energy. It’s not evil in nature.」

Wow, Fran! You’re doing great! Despite your uncontained killing intent, you show a firm willingness to engage in dialogue!

That said, there are some people in this world that can’t be reasoned with. This woman was one of them.

「Anything cloaked in evil energy is an existence that cannot be allowed to exist. The Evil God and anything connected to it are the enemies of all living creatures. They will be eradicated at my hands.」

「…Not happening.」

「If you refuse, then I’m afraid I must declare you a follower of the Evil God.」

「So what?」

「I, Potima the Fiendslayer, hereby sentence you to death.」

Despite Fran’s murderous aura, she wasn’t the one who acted first.

The girl calling herself Potima swiftly removed her robe and unsheathed her sword. She showed no fear in the face of Fran’s intense aura.

The area around her eyes and temple was covered in green scales, a characteristic of serpentine beastkin.

「I shall deliver divine punishment to followers of the Evil God. Perish!」

「I won’t lose to some crazy thief.」

Fran and Potima faced each other with mutual hostility. Meanwhile, the flustered White intervened in the intense standoff.

「Please wait! This village is a territory under the direct jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Kranzel!」