Chapter 208 Divided We Stand, United We... Hold On!

I gathered my courage and decided to act as quickly as possible—which meant, of course, that I had to utilize the plan I just came up with.

Never mind the plan I spent a whole day preparing for, no. Now, our team had to improvise. Needless to say, that didn't give me the best of securities. However… nothing ventured… nothing gained!

Yeah, I saw that in an anime once. It was pretty funny!

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"W-we're splitting up?"

Yeah, I expected a bit of surprise, but not like… repeating what I just said!

Asa's eyes were ringing if both surprise and worry after I went over the plan with the whole team.

Our stray visitor—Dustinel—was currently unconscious. Just as I ordered Heshu, the Elf's condition seemed quite stable. He still had a somewhat pale face, but the excessive sweating had reduced considerably.

He was in a well-insulated tent, while everyone else was outside with me as I revealed the new strategy we would be implementing.

While many of them seemed receptive to it, it seemed Asa had her concerns.

"B-but what could we possibly do without you…?" Her voice quivered as her countenance fell.

It pricked my heart to see such a pretty girl smile, but a man had to do what a man had to do. The reason for her nervousness was that I decided to go search for the Dragon Egg, alongside one of them. The rest would take on the Elf Chief and secure the Sanctuary.

The rationale behind this was that I would be absolutely useless in combat based on my current condition. It was better to ride the Dragon Golem to obtain the Dragon Egg and make myself useful.

'I have a good idea which would be more dangerous, and I know I have the short end of the stick… however, piloting Nero to search for a nearby Dragon Nest while utilizing my SHOP for certain useful items that can aid in the heist will be useful in the long run.'

I was doing this for everyone's good.

"Based on your reports and the other observations made, the workers of the Mine are in worse conditions. We need to get the cure as soon as possible, or else there might not be Elves alive to be saved."

Once I told her of this grim fact, it seemed Asa was finally at terms with the grim fate that awaited her people if she didn't want us to split up.

'I also don't want us to split, but there's no other way here.'

"Just to be certain, I tried to contact Kiko. Unfortunately, she's not picking… and neither is Pierrus."

Normally, this would trigger my 'Hero Sense' and I would think something was up, but after cross-checking using my Demon Contractor Title, it seemed they were perfectly alright. My Golems were also fine, and it didn't seem like the city of Dulum was in any danger.

In other words, were they ghosting me?!

'That's not possible. They can't ghost their master. It's probably that they're too busy to see the Magic Communicator tool I left in their care.'

My Observation Magic showed Dulum was fine. My Demon Subordinates were fine. My Golems were also fine.

Thus… I didn't think the Adventurer's City was in any trouble.

"The Elf Sanctuary is in dire need of assistance. We need to act quickly, which means we need to move fast."

Asa's face was still clouded with worry, but I could tell that she understood the situation.

"For the plan, I'll be leaving for the Dragon Nest with Lucy. The rest of you will stay here and work together with Asa to liberate the Elves and take care of the Elf Chief. I can count on you, right?"

Heshu and Hogun nodded, while Adu shrugged indifferently.

Well, it didn't matter what they actually desired. All I had to do was give them specific commands for them to obey. It wasn't too difficult when I thought of it that way.

"Asa, you are required for this plan as both the Demons' guide, as well as the face of this revolution."

Since she was the rightful heir to the throne and all of that cliche stuff, this entire movement could only make complete sense if she was leading it. Besides, how could I deny the cool aesthetic?

"Your people will follow you as the true heir, and you will hold the position of a savior—a deliverer." I smiled at Asa, causing her to look away and blush.

"Try bringing Dustinel to your side, and make sure he cooperates. I doubt he'd be able to resist your force, and he seems like the kind of person who would do anything to survive."

Hopefully, the Elf joined sides with us. He seemed really important, so I was certain he would make our job so much easier.

"I'll probably be gone for a day or two. If the enemy is too strong for you, retreat. You have Adu, who can teleport. Also, Heshu you have a teleportation Magic Item. You must all preserve your lives if it seems like you can't win. Understood?"

"Yes…" Their voices trailed, though I could sense stubbornness in Asa's eyes.

She was probably going to die fighting if it came down to it. In that case, I would have to command one of my subordinates to make sure she retreated as well. I cared about the Elves—as well as my duties as the Hero—I would rather keep those I cared about safe.

"You must all survive. Failure is unacceptable… understood?"

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"Are you ready?"

Lucy and I were on the Dragon Golem, Nero. The cushiony seats greeted us well, but… something didn't feel quite right. It was awkward, to say the least.

My current position was not what I wanted, but what did I expect when I chose Lucy as my escort?

"Yes, I am." The young girl's stern voice rang in my ears, and I found myself wondering if indeed this was the right route to take.

'It's not too late, Sam. You can still renegotiate.'

However, one look at Lucy's satisfied, child-like face as she sat in front of me and rested her back on my stomach… I realized I couldn't say anything.

"Alright, then. Let's go!"