I Escaped the Exile Story Only To Find It Was a Regret Trope

60 – 12# Beginning (3)

“Now, have a seat. We have plenty of time.”

Mephisto smiled and invited Yushin to take a seat. Of course, Yushin had no intention of accepting Mephisto’s offer. It was obvious at a glance.

Anyone could see it was a stalling tactic.

Yushin immediately charged at Mephisto. In an instant, he closed the distance and drew the sword from his waist. His target was Mephisto’s neck.

“Don’t you want to return to your original world?”

If those words hadn’t come out of Mephisto’s mouth, Yushin’s sword wouldn’t have hesitated. For the first time, Yushin showed a surprised expression.

“What did you say?”

“Just as I said. You are a stranger from another world, aren’t you?”

“…How did you know that?”

“There’s nothing a demon doesn’t know. To be precise, there are ways to find out anything.”

Yushin gritted his teeth. He knew better than anyone that a demon’s words were nonsense, but his desire to return to his original world burned like a flame.

Watching Yushin, who was at a loss.

Mephisto was convinced. That this man was also human. Of course, he didn’t deny that Yushin had achieved feats unfit for a human as a hero.

But.

In the end, a human is a human.

And to the devil, humans are nothing more than easy ingredients to cook. Just as there is no human without desire. Mephisto smiled and said,

“We can still be friends. Depending on your choices.”

In the grand scheme of things, there is no reason for them to be hostile. At least not yet. What Mephisto wants is to rule this world, and what he wants is to return to his homeland.

In other words, if they cooperate, it can be beneficial for both.

Usually, Mephisto would backstab through a deal. But this time, he was full of genuine intent to make a deal. Because it was beneficial for Mephisto too.

“What are you aiming for?”

“From my standpoint, I want you to return to your original world. That way, I can comfortably do what I want.”

Mephisto revealed his desires straightforwardly. So that the other would believe him. Without Yu-shin, there was no one here to stop him.

At most, Ban Se-rin?

But Ban Se-rin was just a nuisance. If he set his mind to it, he could handle it somehow. Hadn’t he already cooked the Hero Association through long work and deals?

However, the human in front of him.

The hero is different. A man who defeated the ruler of the world, the Demon King, with a human body, and went on to defeat the sage. Even Mephisto had to acknowledge that feat.

‘No matter how I think about it, it doesn’t add up.’

He couldn’t even gauge the outcome. Of course, he didn’t think he would lose, but if asked if he could handle it without any damage, he could only shake his head.

Let’s say he barely won.

But the next problem arises. Mephisto has many enemies. Even though he had cooked the Hero Association, there were still many heroes and resistance forces following Ban Se-rin.

If he fought them after a bloody battle with the hero, even Mephisto would be under tremendous burden. But, if he could get rid of the hero without doing anything?

That would be the best and optimal strategy for Mephisto. Didn’t a famous tactician say that the best strategy is to win without fighting?

“Aren’t you doing this to return eventually? Isn’t that right?”

“…….”

“I’ll take your silence as a yes. Then I can help you. I assure you, I won’t play any tricks. I’ll stake everything on it.”

Humans too, but especially demons, must be careful with their words. Sometimes, a careless word can become a binding contract. Mephisto knew that.

Nevertheless, he conveyed his will to Yu-shin without a hint of falsehood.

This was proof that Mephisto was genuinely concerned about this matter. Yu-shin, who noticed this, sighed deeply and said,

“Indeed, it’s an incredibly tempting offer.”

It would be a lie to say it wasn’t tempting as a human. Especially when he could comfortably get what he wanted without this fight.

It would be strange if it wasn’t tempting.

But, the more it was, the more Yu-shin kept his mind clear. Such temptations were never absent during his hero days. If anything, they were much worse.

And each time, Yu-shin always refused.

Because he knew it would all come back as karma later. Yu-shin raised his sword and pointed it at Mephisto. Watching this, Mephisto clicked his tongue.

“Think again. We can make a deal that benefits both of us.”

“Stop with the clever wordplay.”

He had already seen through Mephisto’s intentions. That guy hid his true feelings of ‘not yet’ behind sweet words. Why did he hide such true feelings?

It’s obvious.

From the beginning, Mephisto had no intention of being satisfied with just one world. That’s why he was interested in the story of the sage from another world.

“You will eventually extend your claws to another world, won’t you?”

“…….”

“Then let me ask you this. If I return to my original world, did you plan to use that to find out where my world is?”

“…….”

“I’ll take your silence as a yes.”

A demon cannot speak carelessly. Every word they utter can become a contract and return as shackles. Seeing such a demon, Yushin smirked.

“You must be having a hard time, Demon Lord.”

“In the end, you are bringing about your own destruction.”

When the deal fell through, Mephisto visibly showed his displeasure. To think a mere mortal would refuse such a good deal. At least for now, he could have lived.

“If what you desire is destruction, I will gladly grant it.”

* * *

Meanwhile.

As soon as they noticed Yushin’s disappearance, countless monsters swarmed towards the party. Watching this, Athena clicked her tongue. To think it was such a trap.

“We must rescue Yushin as soon as possible!”

“Yes! Brother is in danger!”

“I, I’ll find him quickly!”

“There’s no need for that.”

However, unlike the three who panicked at Yushin’s disappearance, Veris was very calm. Athena frowned at such an unusual behavior.

“No need? Yushin is in danger right now.”

“It is a trap, but not the kind you think.”

Veris calmly began to explain the current situation. If it were a trap, it would be common to choose the weakest opponent to trap.

Why?

Because it’s easy to reduce their strength. Of course, it would be best to exclude the strongest opponent if possible. But most of the time, trying to forcefully exclude them ends in failure.

Just as the opponent has a trump card.

It is also common for this side to have a trump card. Moreover, the opponent is a hero. A hero who has faced countless schemes and conspiracies head-on.

‘Mephisto, who retrieved the sage’s fragment, couldn’t possibly be unaware of such a thing.’

The opponent is still a fool who mistakenly believes he has some intelligence. But at least he knows how to use his brain to the extent that he can deceive himself into thinking he is intelligent.

Who would be the most threatening enemy in his eyes?

It is none other than the Hero. Even the arrogant and prideful Veris had to admit this. After all, it was the Hero who defeated the Demon King and the Sage.

“Athena, you had a rough idea, didn’t you?”

“About the Hero’s identity?”

“Yes.”

“There’s no way I couldn’t know.”

With an exotic appearance and black hair so rare it was the first time they’d ever seen it. The Hero’s appearance was literally on a different level from the continent’s people they knew.

Perhaps that’s why he faced even more severe discrimination.

Discrimination based on appearance is common. Anyway, looking at the Hero’s appearance, he actually looks very similar to the people here. Although the Hero’s appearance has changed now.

Veris doesn’t judge the Hero by his appearance. He can already feel it with his soul. And Athena was the same. Athena sighed and said,

“What’s your point?”

“It seems the place the Hero wants to return to is not here.”

“What? What do you mean? Brother is from here.”

“Yes, right! Yushin is definitely our Yushin!”

Oh no, I didn’t expect this fact to trip me up here.

Fortunately, there was no time to explain in detail. Mephisto’s monsters attacked, and Ha-Young and Yuri defended against them. In that gap, Veris continued speaking.

“The reason Mephisto summoned the Hero is likely for some kind of deal.”

“And that deal is what the Hero wants?”

“Yes. You understand what I mean, right?”

“Then there’s no need to worry.”

No one else, but that Hero would never accept a deal with an evil person.

That was the belief that filled them.