I Was Kicked Out of the Hero’s Party Even Though I’m His Girlfriend

‘Why is it so cold? Am I outside?’

It seemed he had fallen asleep on the street after drinking during the day.

Maru painfully raised his upper body and rubbed his eyes.

It was still pitch-dark night.

The meowing of stray cats could be heard around, and he was sitting in a secluded alley.

“Ah… my head hurts. Should have drunk moderately.”

While slowly getting up, his mind suddenly became clear.

‘My wallet!’

He hurriedly searched his pockets.

Fortunately, the wallet was there.

The backpack was also safe nearby since he had slept while hugging it.

“Phew… that could have been bad.”

He got up from his spot, removed the straws stuck in his hair, and dusted off his body.

“I need to leave this city quickly. But where should I go now?”

It was just as he was taking steps while contemplating his future.

Three men who looked like thugs at first glance suddenly approached him.

“A face we haven’t seen before?”

“Too shabby to be an adventurer, and not quite right to be a merchant either, a new beggar who drifted in?”

“Looks different from us too. Definitely a foreigner.”

“I came from far away. I’m about to leave now.”

Maru tried to leave while wearing the kindest smile possible to avoid trouble.

But one of the men suddenly grabbed his collar.

“Where do you think you’re going, bastard.”

It was an unexpected misfortune.

The men dragged Maru deep into the alley.

His backpack was already being carried by one of them.

“Hand over all the money you have.”

“I don’t have money. Please give me my bag back.”

“This fucker’s asking for it.”

“Ugh!”

The men threw Maru to the ground and beat him thoroughly.

When fists and feet came flying and stopped, Maru desperately held onto his wallet and never let go.

Then the men would stomp on him again.

“Oh look how strong this bastard is. Just let it go, you fucking bastard.”

“Hand that over, I said. Do you really want us to search you?”

“Brother, let’s just cut off this bastard’s wrist.”

A silver light flashed in the darkness.

One of the men pulled out a dagger and approached.

“If you don’t let go of this, I’m going to stab you.”

“This is all I have cough…! Pl-please… just not this… I need to return home.”

“Hey, stab him.”

Two men held down Maru who was lying on the ground while another stood facing him, holding the dagger reversed.

“Ha, fuck, I wanted to avoid using knives since I just got out of the slammer the other day, but this is your fault. You little shit.”

Suddenly, the sound of a knife stabbing came from behind the guy.

“Ugh!”

He flinched and his body stiffened.

Soon after, as the sound of the knife being pulled out was heard, he collapsed and fell.

Someone was standing in the darkness.

Though not clearly visible, it was a feminine figure.

The two men stared blankly with surprised eyes.

“Who are you!”

“Damn it!”

They immediately charged with scowling faces.

But their opponent subdued them in an instant with very flexible and quick movements.

Three corpses were created in the corner of the dark alley.

“Huff, huff…”

Maru hurriedly put on his backpack and stood up.

His wallet was still firmly gripped in his hand.

The unknown person walked slowly towards him while holding a blood-stained dagger.

Then lowered the hood they were wearing.

Purple hair swayed and spread a pleasant fragrance.

“Are you alright?”

She smiled.

It was too dark to see her face clearly.

Maru gave a quick thank you while barely making eye contact and hurriedly walked past her.

A deer gets torn apart by wild dogs, and wild dogs get torn apart by lions.

He was suspicious of her.

Rather than good intentions, he wondered if she was after money too.

The predator had merely changed, and Maru didn’t want to get tangled up in any more bad situations.

He limped quickly out of the alley.

He walked for quite a while after that.

When he arrived at the south gate, guards blocked the way.

“No one can leave until dawn.”

Maru had no choice but to go to a nearby corner and wait until daybreak.

However, even if he left the city, he didn’t know where to go right away.

He just wanted to quickly get away from this city where his former companions remained.

“It’s just like back then. Or not…? I see. You’ve changed. How did you end up alone?”

The woman he met in the alley earlier approached with a smile.

Maru, who was crouched in the corner, stared at her with puzzled eyes.

The bonfire set up on the street illuminated her more clearly.

Long, abundant purple hair.

A beautiful woman who appeared to be in her late 30s.

Her face was familiar.

He slightly furrowed his brow and recalled old memories.

“Succubus… Luciella…?”

“Yes. You haven’t forgotten.”

“You’ve grown your hair long.”

At the same time, he remembered a monk kidnapping incident that occurred at a monastery about two years ago.

The culprits were succubi at the time, and Luciella, whom he got to know while investigating the case, had been somewhat cooperative with Maru.

As a result, the hero Kiera stormed the succubi’s stronghold and destroyed them all.

Only Luciella was able to survive, uniquely thanks to Maru’s request.

To be more precise, it would be correct to say he diverted her away from the stubborn hero who would not forgive any demon.

Anyway, Luciella helping Maru at that time was merely to eliminate her political rivals, not at all purely out of goodwill.

“Is it okay for you to be in a human city? It must be dangerous.”

“You seem to be in more danger than me, sir? There’s a succubus standing right in front of you.”

A snicker escaped from Maru’s mouth.

Luciella came to Maru’s side and sat down so close their bodies were touching.

It was somewhat uncomfortable body language.

“Seeing your gloomy expression, it seems you’ve broken up with the hero.”

“We haven’t broken up. I’m on a solo mission.”

“I know well that you’re not talented at physical work, sir. Would such a person be wandering alone in these scary night streets with a backpack containing a sleeping bag?”

At her words, Maru unconsciously let out a sigh.

“Thanks for earlier. I didn’t know it was you and just left after saying thanks.”

“You were very tense.”

Luciella reached out and gently caressed Maru’s cheek.

“Poor thing, to be abandoned by the hero…”

“I told you that’s not it.”

“Don’t try to deceive me. I know everything.”

She stared at him with sympathetic eyes before bringing her face close.

Speaking face to face at an uncomfortable distance where their breaths could touch.

“Tonight, sir needs comfort. Without it, you won’t be able to endure the sadness of betrayal.”

Luciella opened the top of her robe, blatantly revealing her tempting cleavage as if telling him to look.

Maru’s gaze instinctively went down, wandered for a while, then met her eyes again.

“What are you doing, get away.”

“Don’t be afraid. I’m not a bad monster, at least not to you, sir.”

“I’ll count to three. If you don’t move away, I’ll push you away.”

“You don’t need to worry about having your energy drained.”

Luciella moved away with a faint smile.

Maru let out a sigh of relief then frowned and said.

“Is it your species trait to tempt people when they’re struggling? You weren’t like this before, but suddenly you’re acting this way.”

“It’s goodwill. Because I feel sorry for you, sir.”

“Were you not trying to control me by casting an enchantment spell?”

“I’m trying to protect you. In case something bad happens due to deep sorrow.”

“This is ridiculous.”

Since demons think differently from humans, one can’t let their guard down for even a moment.

Maru sighed again and closed his eyes.

“If you’re done with your business, leave so I can get some sleep before sunrise. It was nice seeing you.”

“I just felt it in your eyes. The desire to become stronger than anyone else.”

“If you’re trying to pull something again, drop it.”

“Do you want to become stronger and stronger to take revenge on the companions who abandoned you?”

Luciella’s voice was softer than ever before.

Like a young noble lady speaking gently.

“I can help you. I can gift you with great power. I’m not deceiving you at all. I just want to fulfill the desires of the sir who once saved me.”

“……”

Maru hesitated before shaking his head.

“Don’t say strange things.”

“Powerful strength is very sweet.”

For the first time, a demon’s aura briefly showed through Luciella’s perfect human disguise.

Her eyes glowed red as she licked her lips with her tongue.

“Don’t hesitate. I simply want to help.”

“You’re telling me to betray humanity, aren’t you? Am I crazy?”

“You’ve already been betrayed by humanity, haven’t you?”

“It was just a few people out of many. Only enough to count on one hand.”

“Can you find a new lover after today? Can you trust companions again?”

“That’s…”

“See? You’ve come to hate humans themselves. We demons who live without hypocrisy might even be warmer than humans. Because we act honestly according to our innate nature until death, pure in itself.”

Maru touched his lips thoughtfully before speaking.

“…How exactly will you give me power?”

“Actually, in the Demon Lord’s army, there exists a unit composed of humans like you who were betrayed by heroes. Each has their own sad story. And they’re filled with resentment. There, they obtain the power they want and achieve satisfying revenge.”

“You’re telling me to join the Demon Lord’s army?”

“Yes.”

“So you’re not the one giving me power?”

“I’m just a powerless succubus.”

“Oh come on.”

Maru picked up a stone from the ground and threw it far away.

Then he laughed dejectedly.

“Forget it then, I don’t need it.”

“You don’t want to become part of the Demon Lord’s army?”

“Of course not. I have my mother.”

Suddenly, a rooster’s crow was heard from far away.

Dawn was already breaking.

“Oh my, it’s this late already.”

Luciella put her hood back on and stood up.

And made a regretful expression.

“I need to hurry and leave before I burn to death. I didn’t cast protection magic on my body today since I didn’t expect to be out until this hour.”

“Right, hurry and go. If fate allows, let’s meet again.”

She looked down at Maru who was giving an indifferent farewell and smiled kindly.

“Forgive my rudeness.”

She quickly reached out and caressed Maru’s right ear.

She pricked the back with her sharp nail.

“Ouch!”

Blood flowed and it stung.

“What are you doing?”

She moved far away and licked the drop of blood on her nail.

“Don’t misunderstand. I just left a mark so I can find you easily in the future.”

“Who asked you to do something like that? Are you crazy?”

“Why don’t you run to that hero you used to travel with and ask them to remove it?”

Luciella threw off her robe.

Suddenly a strong wind blew and dozens of crows burst out from inside the robe, flew up like a whirlwind and scattered in the sky.

In the blink of an eye, Luciella had transformed into a succubus wearing revealing leather clothes.

Two thick horns resembling mountain goat horns curved up from her forehead, large black wings sprouted from her back, and a thin long tail grew from her bottom.

“If you can’t do that, just leave it as is.”

She grinned before flapping her wings and taking flight.

After briefly stopping by the guards’ post at the city gate to startle them, she disappeared into the distance with an unpleasant echoing cackle.

The blood flowing from his ear quickly dried up.

Maru rubbed his blood-stained finger and gave a bitter smile.

“Now I’m even being violated by a succubus…”

After feeling dejected for a moment, he dusted off his pants, got up and shouldered his backpack.

As day broke, the city gates were opening.