The Devil You Know (Inside an Adult Game As A Former Hero - Chainsaw Man SI Chapter 4)

Leaving Lorraine after our talk was thankfully easy as she had to write a letter. I may have empowered the hawk delivering the message so it would be a bit faster and more able to deliver the message without any trouble. Efficient communication should be swift after all.

Which kinda made the next part ironically a bit funny.

I needed an 'official' way in order to casually enter Cloud's party. Sure I could just enter casually by Cloud introducing me as an adventurer he met.

Buuuut, I wanted to enter his party as another Healer.

Why? To fuck with Ophelia of course.

Try and be an anal slut with another 'Iris' clergyman standing over your shoulders.

I'm gonna repress the shit outta that girl, that Cloud will literally be her only source of intimacy.

Oh and just try and leave for another party. Hahahahahahahaha!

It's also how I finally discovered how I could teleport. I can reach almost any place, as long as it's relevant to my goals, and no one is looking at the place I appear from. So appearing from shadows works best.

So then, I had to spend the day forging letters and making it seem like nobles, people in the kingdom's administration and the Prona church branch were writing to each other about aiding their country's Hero with stepping on anyone's toes.

Enter Father Murphy. A no-name Priest from some small nameless village but seen as one with a lot of potential.

Of course 'Father Murphy' was the compromise offered by the 'Church' and the 'King' after a lot of 'arguing' from the nobles on who 'they' want to assign.

Honestly I'm just in awe that by the end, this shit was still working.

And that's how I was introduced to Cloud's party.

"This is...Father Murphy, he's been helping me with stuff the past few days." Cloud said, while giving me a side eye. For fuck's sake Cloud, try and actually sell this. "He's going to be joining us in our travels from now on." He said with a firm tone, but an encouraging smile.

"Eh? I've never heard anything about this. When did you two even meet?" Neria asked, surprised.

"It had been two days ago." I replied. "I had luckily met Hero Cloud, and we spoke of my joining the party and he agreed."

"Hero Cloud, you...agreed without telling us?" Ophelia said in a worried tone.

"Well..." Cloud started to look guilty but I quickly interjected.

"Technically 'join' is too strong of a word. After some discussion between the King of Prona and the church, along with the aristocrats, I was sent as an aid more than anything." I began to explain. "Simply put, while Cloud maybe the 'Weakest Hero', it's no longer acceptable for him to be seen as the 'Incompetent Hero'."

"He isn't!" Neria immediately stood up to me.

"How dare you say that about Cloud!" Eri joined in.

"Please do not conflate my opinion, with those that disparage Hero Cloud." I said in a harsh tone, that made the girls step back. "Simple fact of the matter, that is what people who dislike or look down upon him call him." Cloud looked down, till I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. He smiled and nodded at me. The interaction made the girls blinked at how close we already were. Also, was Neria's eye twitching? "My opinion? I think Prona didn't give you the same resources, the other kingdoms gave their Heroes. Either due to lack of manpower, or those in power not reaching a consensus until recently."

"...It took the Royal Court three years to give us more help?" Neria blinked in shock.

"I suppose we should be glad it only took them three years." Eri frowned as she began to envision how things ended up happening.

"Three years is a good thing?" Ophelia asked in surprise.

"When it comes to nobles agreeing on something, and not trying to snub one another...yes, it would take time to get them agree on something. I guess our party being seen so badly 'worked' in our favor." Cloud flinched at that. Eri looked away. "Sorry," huh. She actually apologized. "So the question is, why are you the one sent to us?" She turned attention on me again.

"The Hero's party and their accomplishment are too low." I began.

"I completed the Goblin Road!" Neria protested.

"With the help of the other Heroes." I said pointedly, making them look away for a moment. "My role here is simply to add to this party's support, in order for all of you to focus on increasing your level, which in turn will aid in your gaining more accolades."

"Even so, we already have a Healer." Neria said proudly, pushing Ophelia up who smiled in gratitude.

"Yes, and now her duties in healing and support spell duties are halved, and she can focus more on offensive side of Holy Magic." I argued. "Besides having an extra pair of hands is always helpful." Neria looked like she was going to argue another point, so I just put a stop to it. "And regardless, I was sent here by the King. You wouldn't deny him would you? Ultimately the decision lies with Hero Cloud, not with you, Sir Neria. He is the Party's Leader after all." I said pointedly, as Neria frowned in annoyance at first, before looking away in a bit of shame.

Eri hide a snort behind a cough as she looked away. Ophelia tried to look elsewhere.

I fucking swear, why does he care about these whores.

"Cloud?" Neria turned to Cloud, thinking she can lean on him to change his mind on the matter.

"Isn't it great?" Cloud said with a wide smile. "The more the merrier, right? That's what you girls say when we team up with the other Heroes. Now that Father Murphy is with us, you don't have to focus on protecting me, so you can fight more easily and level up more. Eri can have more time to cast spells, and Ophelia won't have to worry too much on us getting injured." He ended up saying before she could argue.

"Y...Yeah." Neria look down in shame and guilt.

Aww, Cloud, I am so proud. I mean sure it wasn't intentional, but good job sticking the knife even if you didn't notice.

"Please, no need to stand on ceremony with me. Just call me, Murphy." I ended up saying.

"Then call me Cloud. Being called 'Hero Cloud' all the time would feel weird, and probably make things awkward in the party." Cloud rubbed the back of his head.

"Then it's good to be with you, Cloud." I extended a hand, making Cloud blink, before smiled genuinely and shook it.

Neria's eye was twitching while looking at us again. I guess we do have a good atmosphere going on.

"Do...do I really have to do this?" Cloud asked.

"Yes. And you need to do it now before the reply letter gets here." I said back. "Otherwise, trust me, it's not gonna be good. Rather than feel grateful, she's gonna feel betrayed."

"It's just...it feels wrong." Cloud said, putting a lot more weigh in his words than he usually would. He was really serious about this.

"Hey, think of it as part of the payment. You already did one cruel thing, earlier today. This is the other one, and you're done for the week." I tried to ease him into it.

"Wait. I did? When?"

"I'll tell you later." He'll ended up focusing on Neria if I told him. "For now, you know what to do. If you feel nervous? Words get caught in your throat? Just let my power run its course, doing its thing. Okay?"

"Yeah...yeah, alright." With a deep breath, Cloud rose up and went to take to his party's Mage.

"Eri, do you have a moment?" Cloud asked as he went to her room.

"Hmm, I was doing a bit of reading on old texts to see if something from them sparks some inspiration." Eri said with a sigh, as she pulled a hair behind her ear. Cloud's first instinct was to say he will come back later, only for the Devil power to tell him to shut the fuck up and wait. "But I really could use the distraction. Maybe that would help in thinking something up later, if I stop thinking about it." She looked toward Cloud with a smile. "Either way, I did to relax, so what do you need, Cloud?"

Even with Murphy's powers, Cloud knew that, that was Eri's roundabout way of saying she liked talking with him, and he couldn't help but smile in response. He had to hide a sad frown right then, as he remembered what he was about to do.

Cloud entered the room and closed the door behind him. Then he locked it.

Eri raised an eyebrow at that. A part of her was worried, another was...unsure on how to feel if Cloud propositioned her. Then she shook that silly thought away, as she knew Neria was the one Cloud liked. He probably had some secret he needed to talk with her with, and it would turn out to be something silly.

Cloud grabbed the free chair in the room, and went in front of Eri. He was sitting in front of her, close enough for their knees to touch.

Th-That is...bold? Eri thought. Likely, Cloud just didn't realize.

"Eri," Cloud took a breath and slowly began. "I know about you and Lorian." Eri's face paled, and she began to sputter, trying to say something. "Hey, hey, it's okay." Cloud immediately felt panicked, and when Murphy's power, sorta of, asked him if he should take over, he let it worked, guided by his intention.

"Cloud, you don't understand-!" Eri tried to say.

"Eri, it's fine." Cloud said gently. "I'm...a little bit hurt that you didn't think I was trustworthy enough to confide in me. I thought we were close as friends." Guilt immediately hit Eri hard. Enough that Cloud didn't need Murphy's power to see it. Still he pushed on. "However, I understand how things might have been awkward. What with Lorian being the Hero of another kingdom and a prince at that."

"I...yeah." Eri, unlike the usual interaction with Cloud, was the one tongue-tied this time. "You're not...mad?"

"Of course not," Cloud said, Murphy's power stamping down on his urge to look hurt, or cry. "I'm happy that you found love. Lorian makes you happy and treats you right, correct?"

"Y-Yeah," Eri started to smile, gaining more confidence at seeing Cloud was taking this so well. "I...do you also know about...?" She wanted to asked about the girls, but didn't know if Cloud knew about them. She surely did not want to be the one to bring it up, or inform him. Cloud taking Lorian courting her this well, is one thing. But the others? ...It's better to see how much he knows.

"About you leaving the party for his? Yeah." Cloud gave a sad smile, and nodded. "But I wouldn't want you to be somewhere, where you would be miserable."

"I'm not! ...Miserable here." Eri started off strong, before petering out. She crossed her arms, and looked away.

Cloud smiled in his usual gentle way, letting out an amused huff.

"Yeah, but you would be happier in Lorian's party?" Cloud asked, Eri paused then slowly nodded. Cloud let out a breath. "Good, I didn't mess up then."

"Huh?"

"I sent a letter to your father telling him about the party change ahead of time." Cloud said.

"What?!" Eri stood up, wide-eyed and pale once more.

"I didn't want him to get angry thinking you were being forced to do this, or that I was against it, thus putting both Kingdoms of Prona and Carta at odds." Cloud hastily said.

"I, I..." Eri said down, now eyes wide, as she never thought of those implications before. "Oh."

"I basically told him that you will be changing parties, that I fully support it and I'm happy for you." Cloud said with a 'happy' smile, that had Eri reciprocate it in gratitude. "That if he can tell the King of Prona that this is something you did on your own, not representing Prona, and thus there's no political fallout. That way, you don't end up in trouble with the kingdom or your family. It all works out see."

"Cloud, you..." Eri leaned back into her chair, the guilt she had returned higher, before settling down a little, as things worked out. She stood up and leaned forward hugging him. "Thank you. I'm sorry for hiding it. Thank you for understanding."

"Of course," Cloud said, his expression breaking, now that Eri can't see it. "What are friends for?"

Five days later Eri received an important letter from Duke Oller. Exactly a week since I was summoned into this world.

The inn Cloud's party was staying in was welcomed with a horrified wailing cry.

Eri was told she was disowned by the Oller Family. They completely cut off all connection to her, and told her to never return.

The next day, Cloud and his party received a letter from the King of Carta, apologizing for his son's mishaps, and that such a thing won't happen again. That Lorian was instructed to not interact with Cloud's party members again, and not so subtly was told to not take Eri into his party or the Carta King would have more words with him.

Of course throughout all of this, Cloud was there to comfort Eri, and apologies for causing this mess. Eri didn't blame him, but kept apologizing, blaming herself and leaning on Cloud for comfort.

Hilariously, almost around the same day Eri got her letter from Duke Oller, Lorian was given an emergency summons by his father, as well as a reprimand about courting Duke Oller's bastard child, with a lot of chastising for going after the half-blood of all people, rather than any of her sisters.

Lorian had to travel back quickly to Carta, where he tried to fix things and reassure his father he was only putting the commoner Hero in his place.

Only his father was having none of it, admonishing him in front of the whole court, telling him how stupid it was to try and reprimand a fellow Hero, and more importantly, putting so much effort on something as stupid as seduce a half-blood to do it. That it was costing him more than he should ever have to expend, to give a commoner Hero such lesson. That if he cared so much about showing the superiority of royalty, he should have focused his efforts on the more disgraceful Hero Gis.

I may have used a bit of my powers of perception to ensure that Lorraine isn't discovered as the one who sent the King of Carta the letter, telling him about what Lorain was doing.

Later on, this whole event would ended up making Lorian the last Hero to arrived to the Imperial Social Banquet.

One down. Two to go.

And I still have three weeks left. I'm making good time.