Chapter 40: Resolve
"W-wouldn't you rather ask me a-about the undead b-behind me?"
"Why? I assume you are a 𝘿𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨𝙩 with the [𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧] ability right? Don't worry, I am half Succubus, I will not condemn you for having that job. Now, will you answer me?"
My attempt of deflecting seemed to have failed. I also learned something new, it seems there is a job called 𝘿𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨𝙩 that has a similar skill to [𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞] called [𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧], I wonder what the differences are....nevermind I can worry about that later. For now I need to answer her, hopefully without lowering my standing too much.
"U-uhhh it is a video about these two g-girls."
"Vid-e-o?"
"O-oh... uhhh.... sort o-of like a p-play?"
"I see....."
"And there i-is this c-cup.....t-that they use.....t-to do.....u-uhhhh...dirty t-things."
"So it is a sex play you saw in the past? That's all?"
Again she was staring directly at me, I'm guessing she was trying to discern if I was lying about this or not. Several moments went by.
"Hmmm... it seems like you aren't lying, but why did I feel you were so desperate for me not to know about something so....insignificant."
"Ha.....ha.....well I w-wanted to make a g-good impression I g-guess."
"I see."
"....."
"I'm relieved, while it is hard to believe, but it seems that you were actually just helping me out of kindness. This might be a bit late, but it is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Taleena. Thank you for saving me."
"H-hi I'm Deminas."
**********
"So, will you help me with this? I beg of you, I would not ask this, but I am desperate and have no one else to ask. Please!"
After a bit of back and forth, I was able to get the full story out of Taleena. It seems a group of Demonic Worshippers had abducted her daughter Fiona. They seemed to want to use her daughter for some ritual sacrifice, but she did not know what it was.
The Demonic Worshippers had paid some bandits to kidnap her daughter, and when she found out she rushed to rescue her by herself. She couldn't ask anyone from the human town for help since she and her daughter had Demonic blood. They had been living outside of the town and she was afraid that more contact with humans would expose them. She also assumed she could handle a few bandits.
When she arrived she was able to overpower the bandits as planned, but there was a strong individual amongst the Demonic Worshippers that subdued her. The caved in injury on her chest was apparently due to a punch from said Demonic Worshipper, seemingly from across the entire span of the room. It was quite shocking to learn there was a job that allowed someone to seemingly punch you without even needing to touch you.
After that, most of the bandits and Demonic Worshippers left with her daughter, leaving 2 bandits to "guard" her as their reward. She had only learned about the sacrifice due to the bandits that raped her, as they told her the harsh truth about her daughter's fate to try and break her will on top of physically abusing her.
Unfortunately for them they were not smart enough to know not to fuck a half Succubus that wasn't willing. She had slowly drained their life force overtime, and had planned to escape and try to rescue her daughter again. She was able to kill one, which was the one we found outside, but the other seemed to realize what was happening in time.
He had been able to stab her in the ensuing struggle and then ran off. He sealed the door as he ran out, sealing her inside, leaving her to die from her injuries.
"I will go even if you choose not to help me, but I know I cannot fight them alone. I beg you, please help me!"
"I-I....."
She was now groveling on the ground. I didn't know what to do, the Demonic Worshippers seemed pretty frightening, and I really didn't know how well I could fight them. She lifted her face, her eyes were streaming with tears, she really was at the end of her rope wasn't she? She would go and face them regardless of my answer, even if death was guaranteed.
"W-why do they need y-your daughter specifically?"
I tried to deflect using another question instead of answering.
"That....I don't know for certain, but I can only guess it is due to her blood."
"Her b-blood?"
"Yes... her father.... was special. Hmmm.....I guess I have no choice, I am asking you to risk your life, you should at least know as much as I do. Please don't ever reveal this to anyone else."
"O-ok."
"Her father was a 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙤."
"Hero? L-like he did heroic deeds and w-was deemed a-a hero?"
"Yes and no. He did do heroic deeds, but he was also one of the very few who had the 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙤 job. It is blasphemous and illegal for anyone with the 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙤 job to mix with a Demon. The offspring of such a union would be hunted down and killed if their existence became known. I have not told a soul about this.... until now. Even she doesn't know her father had the 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙤 job."
I had just learned two new shocking things. First was that her husband was someone with the 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙤 job. Second.... people of this world knew and understood the existence of jobs. I had missed it before due to panic, but she had referred to the 𝘿𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨𝙩 job and [𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧] skill. It wasn't just me who knew about this. How much more do they know? Does everyone have the same interface as me? Those few words had created so many more questions for me, but now didn't seem like the time to get the answers. Plus, I doubt she would answer them based on the current environment. I needed to stay on topic for now.
"W-where is her f-father? A 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙤 s-should be able to help a-a lot right?"
"He is no longer with us, he died when she was still quite young. He left for a joint defensive with the Victus Imperium to stop a massive Demon incursion....he never returned."
"O-oh....I'm sorry."
What do I do? All of this seemed well above my measly pay grade of a level 3 𝙉𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙧 and level 3 𝙉𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙙. I didn't even know this person and I was not a hero like her husband, not in job, not in title, not even in spirit. I had only been mistaken for a hero by Yema and Reen because they were blinded by gratitude.
I was not courageous, nor was I some sort of selfless savior to the masses, I was no hero. I was just thrown into crazy situations and reacted accordingly. This time I was being asked to intentionally throw myself into the frying pan.
"P-please get up."
"No! I won't! Please! HELP ME!"
"Get up."
I was surprised by the deep and stable words that came out of my mouth. I walked over and forced her to her feet. She was quite soft and on any other occasion I would probably be quite excited, but now was different. She seemed almost lifeless as I got her to her feet and was staring at the ground. I could hear her whispering ever so slightly.
"I guess that's it, I will die trying to save her alone then....forgive me Tarnish."
"Taleena."
I called her name, but she wouldn't look up. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘶𝘺𝘴 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘴? 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴? I lightly grabbed her chin and pushed her face up, so I could look her in the eyes. If it weren't for the gloves I was wearing, she would have felt how sweaty my hands were.
I spoke slowly and gave my everything not to stutter.
"Taleena...I am no hero."
More tears started to accumulate on her beautiful face.
"But...silence is acceptance and inaction is complicity. I do not accept the fate that befell you and I will not be complicit in your daughter's death."
Her tears stopped and her eyes were wide as she spoke.
"Y-you will help me save her?"
That's right, I had made my resolve, I would help her. If you ask me why I would do something so stupidly dangerous for someone I didn't know.... I honestly wouldn't be able to answer you. I wasn't a hero, but for some reason I couldn't just let this go and feign ignorance.
"I will help you save her or die trying."
Before I could react I felt myself wrapped up in a warm embrace. I then heard a soft whisper in my ear.
"Thank you...hero.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone