Flillian, I want to live.

It was also the first time for Gutel to participate in such a grand triumphal ceremony. In the past, she could never have imagined that she would be worshipped as a hero by so many humans. She was a little dazed for a moment when she heard the sound of the ceremonial band.

If, I mean if...

Guter slowly placed his hand on the brim of his sunhat.

If I take off the sun hat now and expose myself as a demon with two horns, will these people still treat me as a hero?

"Hey……"

Frillian's voice suddenly rang in Guter's ears. Although the reminder was not obvious amid the cheers, it made Guter shudder and wake up.

"It's time to turn."

Fulilian narrowed her eyes, looked at Gutel, whose breathing became inexplicably rapid, and said meaningfully.

"Oh."

Guter nodded, then pressed the sun hat on his head tightly with his hands.

How is that possible...

If the identity of the demons were really exposed here, I'm afraid this festive and lively triumphal ceremony would immediately turn into a scene from a horror movie.

Gutel could probably already see the crowd screaming and running away, the guards surrounding them nervously, and Lord Olden drawing his sword to question Flillian - by then, let alone being treated as a hero, he was afraid that including Frenxutalk would be wanted as criminals along with him, right?

"Which side are you on?" - The words that the white-haired demon who was killed by Gutel before said to her once again appeared in Gutel's mind.

"I do not know either……"

Guter lowered his head and muttered.

"Lord Guter?"

Feeling the noise around him, Philen turned his head and looked at Guteldao, who was inexplicably depressed, with some concern.

"Ah, it's nothing. I was just a little disturbed."

Gutel raised his head and immediately put on a nonchalant expression, saying perfunctorily to Philen.

"We're already here. This is the city square. Lord Olden will be rewarding us in the name of the lord. Please be alert."

Philen placed her hand on Gutel's shoulder and spoke gently, like a mother comforting a wronged child.

"is it?"

Gutel looked up and found that he had unknowingly walked to the center of the town, surrounded by the crowd. In front of the towering castle was a spacious and huge square. Like the squares in other towns he had visited along the way, there was a bronze statue standing in the center of the square here.

Perhaps it was because the Olden family, one of the three great knights of the northern countries, was wealthy and powerful. The old Earl of Olden, who was particularly arrogant and had a very bad impression in Fulilian's words, cast a bronze statue for Xinmeier that was several sizes larger than those in other towns. Under his huge body, people could only look up at Xinmeier's tall figure.

"so big……"

Hugh Tark raised his head and looked at the giant bronze statue of Sinmel, and couldn't help but sigh.

"It's truly the work of the old Earl. Standing at the foot of this statue makes one feel insignificant."

Zain couldn’t help but agree.

"We originally agreed to build a normal-sized bronze statue, but Xinmeier got angry with old Lord Olden, saying he couldn't kill Maya, the great demon behind the scenes, and shouldn't accept such a grand triumphal ceremony. As a result, Lord Olden hired someone to create this thing..."

Fulilian looked at the huge bronze statue with a nostalgic tone, and complained about the past in silence.

"Now, let me introduce these heroes to you."

While a few people were still chatting about the super-sized bronze statue of Sinmel, Lord Olden, who was giving a victory speech on the stage, began to introduce a few people to the people gathered in the square.

"Warrior, Shuttark. Magician, Flillian..."

As Lord Alden read out the names, his eyes swept across the faces of the people in the audience.

Chapter 170: Domineering Elf

Lord Olden read out the names of several people one by one to the crowd, and at the end, his eyes fell on Guter:

"Magician, Gutel."

Lord Olden's gaze lingered on Guter for a moment, a complex look flashing across his eyes, but he soon shifted his gaze back to the people in the audience.

"These adventurers have successfully conquered the demon general. This fortress city, built for war, can finally enjoy peace, eighty years late."

When he said this, Lord Alden closed his eyes. Although he was always calm, he had to pause to suppress his inner excitement.

Ever since the ancestors of the Olden family left the warrior village where Shuttark was located and came to the front lines of the northern countries to fight against the demons, after more than a dozen generations of sacrifice and inheritance, the unfinished work of the predecessors was finally completed in the hands of Lord Olden.

Even though he was a tough guy over fifty years old, hot tears could not help but fall from Lord Alden's eyes.

"We won!"

He raised his hands and shouted at the people who had been tortured by the demons.

"Long live!"

"we won!"

For a moment, the entire square was boiling with cheers, and the cheers were so loud that even Gutel and Fulilian had to cover their ears.

"You are our heroes, Fulilian. As the lord of this city, I will reward you and your companions on behalf of the people here. Tell me, as long as it is within my power to ask for something, I can satisfy you."

After the deafening cheers had passed, Lord Alden stretched out his hand, signaling the restless crowd to quiet down. Then, he lowered his head, looked at Fulilian, the leader of the group, and made a promise to her.

"Reward?"

Fulilian looked at Lord Alden who was expressing his expectations of her and blinked in confusion.

"As for travel expenses, the compensation I gave you before is more than enough. If possible, please give me a few more magic books..."

Perhaps ordinary people would desire huge wealth or great power, but these things did not interest Fulilian. Perhaps it was because he saw through this that Lord Alden was so generous in making such a promise to her.

"Really? Then feel free to choose from the castle's library..."

As if he had known that Fulilian would answer like this, Lord Alden said this with a look of regret.

"Please wait a moment."

Perhaps in the past, Lord Alden's little plan would have succeeded, but this time, a voice suddenly sounded and interrupted Lord Alden's words.

"Eh?"

Philen turned around and looked at Gutel with some surprise, who looked a little nervous.

Not only her, but everyone else in the team was surprised that Guter would stand up at this time.

"Is there anything you want to say?"

Although Lord Olden was also surprised by Guter's sudden appearance, under the gaze of countless eyes of the people in the square, he could only grin and show a kind smile and ask Guter.

"I have a request..."

Gutel raised his head, looked into the eyes of Lord Olden, whose expression was a little stiff, opened his mouth, and slowly answered.

"Go ahead. As I said, it's all within my ability."

Lord Olden stroked the stubble on his chin that had grown due to lack of care during the march and spoke in a pretentiously generous manner.

"I……"

Guter swallowed his saliva. Perhaps the people in the square could not notice it, but Guter, who was looking at Lord Alden, could feel the warning sent to him through his eyes.

"Lord Gutel..."

Philen, who was standing by, also showed an anxious look on her face. She had just discovered that Gutel was not in a good state and was afraid that he would do something big here.

"The bronze statue..."

However, Guter, determined, clenched his fists and spoke his request to Lord Olden.

"Bronze statue?"

Lord Alden raised his eyebrows.

"Could you cast a bronze statue for us and place it in the square, just like Sinmel did? Even if it's not as big as this, that's fine."

Gutel raised his head and looked at the huge statue of Sinmel behind the podium, and made his request to Lord Olden.

"Well..."

Lord Alden stared at Guter and pondered for a moment.

Casting a few bronze statues is certainly nothing to the wealthy Earl of Olden, but apart from that, Lord Olden has other concerns.

"Of course you can. You are the heroes of this city, just like Xin Meier was back then. We never skimp on heroes."

However, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the only thing Lord Olden could do was to agree to Gutel's request.

As a leader who controls a region, it is certainly impossible for him to go back on his word in front of his people.

In a joyful atmosphere, the triumphal ceremony ended smoothly with a few "small incidents".

As the night fell over the city and the night wind blew a little cold, Gutel sat alone on the battlements of the city wall, overlooking the lights of thousands of homes below from the commanding heights of the entire city.

The bustling scene of the streets being deserted during the day is still vivid in my mind, but now the square that was once crowded with people is now deserted, with only the huge statue of Sinmel standing there alone.

"hiss--"

Gutel exhaled a breath of hot air. She used to not understand why Haita and those humans liked to drink so much, but facing this situation, she suddenly understood why Haita got himself drunk.

"So you are here."

Just when Gutel was feeling a little melancholy, Fulilian's voice sounded behind her at a somewhat inopportune time.

"Huh? What's the matter?"

Gutel adjusted his mood, turned his head and gave Fulilian his usual fake smile, responding to her.

"Lord Alden said he wants to talk to you about something."

Frielin brushed away the hair that was blown into her face by the wind with her hands and conveyed this to Gutel in a nonchalant tone.

"Really? Yeah, it's about time."

Guter's eyes rolled around, then he looked up at the crescent moon that had risen above his head and replied in a tone that sounded as if he had known this would happen.

"Lord Alden is in his study. You should know where it is."

Fulilian looked at Gutel who jumped down from the parapet and walked towards her.

"I know~"

Gutel shook his head nonchalantly and walked towards the door leading to the stairs next to Fulilian.

The moment Gutel passed by Fulilian, Fulilian, who had been keeping a calm expression, suddenly reached out and grabbed the unsuspecting Gutel's shoulders, turned around and pressed her against the stone wall next to the gate.

Chapter 171 I'm Sorry for Being Born a Demon

thump~

With the sound of his back hitting the wall, Gutel looked at Fulilian who suddenly attacked him in some surprise.

"What exactly is your plot, demon?"

What followed was Fulilian's cold questioning voice.

"Conspiracy? Oh, what conspiracy could I have?"

Guter raised his eyebrows and asked with a self-deprecating smile.

"Why would you ask Lord Alden to cast a statue for you during the triumphal ceremony?"

Fulilian stared at Gutel's eyes, as if trying to find out the trick brewing in the demon's mind.

"Why? Just like Lord Alden said, as a hero who saved this city, this is the reward I deserve."

Gutel looked at Fulilian without showing any timidity.

"...Then why didn't you tell us in advance?"

Fulilian paused. Logically speaking, there was nothing wrong with Gutel's answer, but Fulilian still couldn't understand why the other party did this on his own initiative.

"Even if I told you... do you think you would agree?"

Gutel shook his head helplessly and asked Fulilian.

"..."

Gutel's words made Fulilian fall into silence. Although she didn't answer directly, both of them knew the answer to the question very well. Of course, they would not agree. After all...