My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero's

We relaxed in the largest room Mr. Crow had lent us, each taking whatever place we liked.

I leaned against the wall near the entrance with my arms crossed.

As Princess Amelia had requested, we were supposed to unify everyone's opinions, but though we tried to talk it over, no one spoke up.

When we operated as a party before, Sato had been the one to take charge of plans and schedules.

But since leaving that room, Sato hadn’t said a single word.

Usually loud Yamato and Ueno were silent too.

Nanase and Tsuda fidgeted anxiously, while Hosoyama remained calm as always.

I closed my eyes to clear my head.

First: our and Akira's ultimate goal is to return to Japan.

That much was the same.

Akira probably wanted to go back quickly for his mother Murasaki and his sister.

So what differed between us?

It must be the process.

I don't read novels like Akira does, but from things he'd told me, in many isekai stories you often find a way back after defeating the demon king.

…Wait.

I snapped my eyes open.

Tsuda, sitting directly in front of me, flinched.

I fixed my gaze on Sato, who wore a troubled expression.

“Sato, do you intend to defeat the demon king?”

At my sudden question everyone looked at me, then at Sato.

Sato frowned and shook his head. He had a pretty face that was popular with girls.

Back when we were in the Kingdom of Reytis, the knight who trained us kept repeating one thing.

The demon king could never be defeated without the Holy Sword that only the hero can wield and the extra skill Holy Sword Technique that Sato possessed.

Conversely, if those two were present, perhaps the demon king could be beaten.

So it was our job to protect Sato at all costs and bring him before the demon king.

Therefore, the hero Sato’s will was indispensable to defeating the demon king.

“I'm sorry to everyone, but right now I don't feel any need to defeat the demon king.”

At present the demon king hasn’t shown himself; only Akira’s group claims to have seen demonic beasts.

There was still a possibility that the overflow of monsters from Uru's labyrinth was merely an accident.

My skill “Instinct” denies that, but it only sharpens with level. It doesn't reveal absolute truth.

In other words, I can't fully trust it.

“W-What do you mean you don't feel the need? We believed if we beat the demon king we'd return to Japan!”

Yamato shouted, eyes wide.

A natural reaction. Up until now we had fought believing defeating the demon king would let us go home.

“What do you mean by 'don't feel the need'? You said we'd beat the demon king and save these people, Tsuji—wasn't that what you said, Tsukasa?”

Indeed, Sato had said that—back when he still trusted Reytis’ king and princess.

He was told the demon king tormented this world's people, and that we had the power to save them.

“I don’t know. It was King Reytis who said these people were suffering under the demon king, and that same king used Princess Amelia to curse us. Also, from watching the townspeople, I didn't get the impression they were living in misery.”

Ueno and Yamato widened their eyes as if remembering.

The towns were full of life and people. Even Yamato, nearest to the Demon Clan territory, didn't seem constantly terrified of monster invasions.

Nanase and Tsuda looked down, perhaps worried about the friends we’d left in the castle.

“What about Oda, who was injured by the demonic beasts?” Hosoyama raised her hand and asked.

I narrowed my eyes.

Sometimes Hosoyama acts like she trusts Akira. I don't know if that's because she believes him as a classmate or if she intuited what kind of person he is, but her motives were unclear.

Hosoyama is hard to read. It'd be easier if she were as straightforward as Yamato or Ueno.

“Let me be clear: Akira is stronger than me. Probably since the moment he was summoned. Even if all of us teamed up, we couldn't beat him. If there are demonic beasts strong enough to severely injure him, we wouldn't be able to win no matter how desperately we fought. And the one at the top of those demons—the demon king—we could never beat in our lifetimes. In short, our current ability is only marginally stronger than normal people.”