The NTR Hero Knelt Before the Demon King – Chapter 71

A figure clad in golden armor stood out prominently.

Seeing Nyadan, one of the Elite Guard Four Kings, Eliza’s subordinates began to show slight interest.

“Who would have thought we’d meet Nyadan here?”

“Hey… since we’ve come this far, should we invite her to a meal?”

The demons appeared to be attempting to strike up a conversation, as if they were trying to approach a colleague they had long admired at the workplace.

It was only natural, but among ordinary demons, the Elite Guard and Demon Generals were considered celebrities, as it were.

As the heroes representing the country, they were symbols of power.

For that reason, Eliza’s subordinates cautiously approached Nyadan, showing deep interest in the moment before them.

“Uh… over here!”

“Greetings, Lady Nyadan!”

“You are… Eliza’s subordinates?”

Nyadan responded to their words in a blunt tone.

Though her entire body was enveloped in golden armor, through her clear voice, I could tell she was female.

Meanwhile, one of Eliza’s more proactive subordinates spoke up with a slightly nervous voice after getting a response from Nyadan.

“Yes, that’s correct, Lady Nyadan. As you can see, we were just patrolling with Eliza.”

“I see. Eliza. There you are.”

As she said this, Nyadan glanced over at Eliza, who was standing nearby.

In response, Eliza smiled lightly with a hint of joy at meeting a friend, to which Nyadan replied with a slow nod.

Then, the demons who had spoken to Nyadan began to speak with voices tinged with expectation.

“It is truly an honor to meet you, Lady Nyadan.”

“To be honest, we were just about to have a meal now.”

“If it’s not too much trouble, would you care to join us?”

Eliza’s subordinates were quite actively suggesting that she join them.

However, in response to their suggestion, Nyadan replied in a calm voice.

“I’m sorry, but I must head to the Royal Castle right away. Let’s arrange to meet another time if the opportunity arises.”

“Ah… yes.”

“What a pity… then we’ll see you next time.”

After politely declining their invitation with a neat voice, Nyadan briefly looked at Eliza before disappearing.

At that moment, as her consistently aloof demeanor left Eliza’s subordinates feeling a bit bitter.

“The attempt was good, but the response wasn’t great.”

“Eliza?”

“What do you mean…?”

Eliza spoke with a hint of reassurance.

Her subordinates wore puzzled expressions at her words, and Eliza, with a light smile on her lips, continued.

“That girl tends to be quite reserved during the day; she isn’t like that with me as a friend, but she generally finds it burdensome to socialize with others.”

“Ah… I see.”

The demons expressed regret at Eliza’s remarks.

Continuing, Eliza added with a slightly teasing tone.

“Nyadan Yoshia. 330 years old, single. She’s the most diligent among the Elite Guard, but she doesn’t show any particular enthusiasm. She’s not a bad person, but her shy nature makes her reluctant to mix with others, and she tends to lack interest in things—essentially, she has a rather dim presence.”

“I see.”

Eliza demonstrated that her words about friendship weren’t just embellishment, as she listed Nyadan’s profile, and the other demons nodded as if they finally understood the situation.

“Well… I guess I can understand why someone so dazzling in golden armor doesn’t stand out.”

“But it’s unfortunate. She was someone I admired personally as a member of the Elite Guard Four Kings.”

“Thanks to me, we at least got to say hello; otherwise, she would have just vanished without a trace. Anyway… she’s a troublesome friend in many ways.”

With a bitter smile, Eliza remarked.

After their discussion about Nyadan concluded, the demons began to disperse for their meal.

Meanwhile, I cautiously turned to Eliza and said,

“By the way… I think I’ve seen that person before. Didn’t she fight Shude at the Demon King’s Castle?”

“Shude? You mean the witch from the Magic Kingdom? That sounds about right. I was busy dealing with Amelda, so I didn’t get a good look.”

“As far as I know, there are hardly three wizards of Shude’s caliber even in the Magic Kingdom, so if she fought one of them, she must be quite formidable herself.”

“Definitely not ordinary; among the Elite Guard Four Kings, if we’re talking pure combat strength, she’s probably the strongest. Plus, I heard… surprisingly, she might also be in the upcoming Narcil Selection.”

“I see… depending on the circumstances, she could very well end up being our opponent.”

“Exactly. It seems likely that will happen.”

With these words, Eliza displayed a resolute demeanor.

Meanwhile, despite her attitude, I began to recall the presence of that Nyadan figure I had felt just moments earlier.

“How should I put it… it seemed quite clear she didn’t harbor any fondness for me…”

A momentary sense akin to hostility pulsed through me.

Though I couldn’t make out her expression due to the helmet, I recognized that it definitely wasn’t a good feeling.

“Not that I have any special connection with her… but for now, I should stay cautious. It might just be her general disdain towards humans as a demon.”

*

“Haah….”

Nyadan stepped into a secluded alleyway, away from Eliza and her group.

Almost immediately, a heavy sigh escaped her lips.

Wrapped in golden armor, the exact state of her body was ambiguous.

However…

At that moment, Nyadan trembled as if suppressing some emotions.

Her breath was ragged, and the aura emanating from her revealed she was in a state of great agitation.

And within this clearly visible instability, two intense emotions were stirring within Nyadan’s heart.

To suppress one of them, Nyadan pulled out a pendant she always carried with her.

Inside was…

A small portrait of the person she had just seen.

Eliza’s portrait was contained within.

‘That was close… Eliza… you’re just as stunningly beautiful today…’

Remembering her tiny silvery-white friend, whom she had just fortuitously encountered, Nyadan was desperately trying to calm her pounding heart.

‘Ahh… Eliza… it’s something I feel every time, but you are truly the best… that shining red gaze and your porcelain-like skin. How can someone be so beautiful? The moment you looked at me, my heart almost stopped…’

To put it simply, it was merely the relationship between ordinary friends, but for Nyadan, Eliza was not someone she could regard as just a regular friend.

In the past, when she was just an ordinary officer, she had fortuitously encountered Eliza.

At that moment, having already been a member of the Elite Guard Four Kings, Nyadan fell madly in love with her at first sight.

It was as if a single blossom had bloomed in her previously barren life devoid of interest.

Such feelings gave Nyadan a goal in her otherwise dry and mundane life.

By any means necessary, she would…

Claim the beauty known as Eliza for herself.

As part of that commitment, Nyadan dedicated herself fervently to combat training and the path to promotion, in the process uncovering her own hidden talents she hadn’t been aware of.

At some point, she naturally found herself in a position to become a ‘comrade’ of Eliza, whom she had long admired.

Thus, Nyadan successfully became Eliza’s friend as desired.

Although due to her timid nature, she hadn’t yet actively pursued her feelings, she believed that by now, the bridge was half complete.

In reality, they shared meals together often and hung out just the two of them, building a relationship that could hardly be described as anything less than friends.

However.

In the last few days,

A truly unexpected variable began to disrupt Nyadan’s smoothly flowing plans.

‘The Hero… a bothersome stone that randomly rolled in is daring to obstruct me…’

The one who appeared near Eliza at some point was the Hero.

The moment Nyadan saw Eliza alongside him, she instantly recognized something.

That Eliza’s heart was now occupied by feelings of love for the Hero.

This was an entirely unacceptable situation for Nyadan, who had been aiming to conquer Eliza’s body and soul all along.

Indeed, just earlier, seeing that filthy Hero flirting with Eliza had twisted Nyadan’s insides with rage, and she had to muster all her strength to escape that place.

However, suppressing these feelings was merely a stopgap measure.

At that moment, Nyadan was sharpening the blade of her anger at that filthy Hero, waiting for a chance to strike.

And that opportunity…

Was set to emerge soon on the grand stage of the upcoming Narcil Selection.

‘I don’t particularly enjoy stressful fights, but once I fight seriously, I won’t lose to anyone. Hero… I will definitely crush your filthy nose.’