◆ Mizkal Castle – King’s Chamber ◆
“I can’t believe you can keep up with me! As expected of the Hero!”
“It’s not that I’m fast; you’re just slow.”
【Pansard’s attack! Aleid deftly dodged!】
No, he’s actually pretty fast. Honestly, I didn’t expect this much. My initial plan was to easily twist him up, free those who were captured somewhere, and flaunt this sword, the proof of a Hero. That would be perfect. The women would be all over me, swooning and begging for my attention.
Yet here I am, facing this old man who is seriously strong. And he’s laughing, enjoying the battle against a formidable foe. Is he out of his mind?
“That guy is as fast as Aleid! So this is the rumored Beast Master…!”
“Is the Hero going to be okay?!”
Ah, don’t say that. It’s getting me all fired up. How cute of them to worry about me. Still, just like Kude said, he truly is a Beast Master. He looks like just a tall old man, but his reflexes, reaction speed, and strength are all beast-like.
“If it weren’t for me, I would have been dead by now.”
“Nice! Bring it on, bring it on more!”
【Pansard’s attack!】
Wait, did he just get faster? It doesn’t look like he was holding back, and I can’t make sense of it. I guess I have no choice but to finish this quickly.
“Your left side is wide open, big guy!”
I was waiting for that. A guy like him would definitely try to exploit that opening. That moment was a fatal mistake.
【Aleid deftly dodged!】
“You’re going for the right.”
In his eagerness to win, he swung wide, aiming for my left side. Naturally, that left his right wide open.
【Aleid’s attack! Pansard took 29,310 damage! HP 14,190/43,500】
“Ugh…! U-woah…!”
“Hit! You were pretty quick, but not quick enough to avoid me.”
That’s how it is. With a wide swing, he can’t hit me at all. His speed is such that one moment he disappears from my sight, and the next, a pillar in the castle is sliced in half. No wonder I’m panicking. But once you get used to it, it’s not a big deal.
No matter how he jumps around the room, he always comes back to this one point. In other words, me. I feel bad for Roin and Kude, but against him, it’s just too much for them. I can handle this on my own.
“Ugh… this is bad…”
“Hey, hey, you were so confident just a moment ago! What was that line about me not being able to beat you? Care to explain?”
“As expected of the Hero…”
“Impressive indeed.”
The envious gazes of the two beautiful girls feel great. Well, I do spend the night with them, but sometimes this kind of admiration isn’t so bad. Pure admiration, or is it love? It’s nice to return to those pure feelings every once in a while.
“This is… my blood…”
Has he finally lost it? Pansard scooped up the blood flowing from his chest with his fingers and licked it with his long tongue. He swallowed it, making a sound as if savoring it, and repeated the action over and over, eventually starting to lick his blood-soaked hands mindlessly.
“This is, this is, this is, this is my blood!”
Oh man, he really has gone off the deep end. I didn’t expect him to be this fragile. It’s only natural; someone who has never lost before doesn’t know what defeat feels like. But when faced with that situation, they can’t maintain their composure and fall apart. They lack the capacity to accept their loss. That’s why those elites are so weak.
“I’ve been losing all this time.”
Before I became a recluse, I did my fair share of trying. But I could never last anywhere, and I was pointed at by those around me, including younger folks. At that age, I couldn’t even do something so simple. I eventually got used to such harsh words.
Let those who want to fight do so; I’ll spend my remaining days until I run out of savings. If someone like me steps out into the world, it would only be a nuisance to everyone. I had ingrained in me the loser mentality of shifting the blame for my failures onto those around me. Until that day.
“I thank you, oh Divine Being, for giving me this power.”
After losing so much, a little enjoyment shouldn’t be too much to ask. After all, the world is unfair. Some are born strong or smart, clearly divided between ordinary people and geniuses. Even among ordinary folks, there are further divisions. The lowest tier is what you call the underachievers. No matter how hard they try, there are many things they can never overcome, and in the end, they can only be ridiculed.
“Right, after I become a hero in this country, I’ll kick out the Adventurers.”
Damn Adventurers. They walk around town like they own the place, half like vagrants. Well, I was lower than even those vagrants. The reason I played at being an Adventurer in Avangarde was that it allowed me to look down on them from the bottom of my heart. You fools, serves you right. Just thinking about the jealous faces of those who have been Adventurers longer than I have makes me want to laugh.
“I’ll finish you off, Pansard.”
Hero Aleid has won the battle! He has gained fame, wealth, and beautiful girls! Yes!
“Hehehe…”
“Not good!”
Who was that? Was it Kude?
“Aleid! Get away!”
“Huh? …Whoa!”
【Pansard’s attack! Aleid took 633 damage! HP 72,097/72,730】
He slashed at my side as if gouging me, yet he moved without a hint of injury. No, rather, he’s gotten significantly faster than before. Even though it was almost a surprise attack, he managed to graze me, who had taken no damage until now. I instinctively created some distance, but I couldn’t dodge completely. This means I might have lost in speed.
“Aleid, don’t let your guard down… I grew up in a village deep in the mountains, so I know well. There’s nothing more terrifying than a wounded beast.”
“But Kude, can one’s physical abilities really increase so suddenly?”
Looking closely, I noticed that his bleeding had stopped. He’s already a monster, so I’m not too surprised by that, but the problem is how much stronger he has become. Before I knew it, my palm holding the sword was starting to sweat. I’m not scared; I’m the strongest and invincible. Against someone like him, with my ultimate skill, it should be a one-hit kill. I will definitely hit him.
【Pansard’s attack!】
Here it comes! He’s charging straight at me!
【Roin took 72,653 damage!】
It was a moment of hesitation. He didn’t even notice me trying to intercept him. I should have questioned why he didn’t do this sooner.
【Roin has fallen! HP 0/343】
“Hero…!”
“Roinnnnnnnnn!”
No matter how much I scream in regret, it’s too late. That’s exactly what he aimed for, to disturb my composure. This is what being wide open looks like. His claws pierced me deeply from behind. Was it his plan to make me panic by taking down Roin?
“You’re really going to do this to me…”
Aleid took 54,922 damage! HP 17,175/72,730!
He wouldn’t let me go, not even as I knelt. His high laughter echoed in the King’s Chamber, slicing through me as if he were toying with me. Kude’s scream.
“You were quite the worthy prey, Hero! Hyah-hyah-hyah-hyah-hyah-hyah!”
“Get away from Aleid, Pansard!”
This tragedy, I don’t know what to do. Kude, Roin. What should I do?
◆ Garden of Beasts – Mizkal Royal Capital – Basement of a House ◆
“Wow, I never expected you to come charging into this Garden of Beasts that is the Ballad Continent all alone. With this, we might have some hope.”
I thought there would be a massive number of monsters in the Royal Capital, but it turned out to be less than I expected. The castle town had become a desolate ruin, merely existing. It was strange that I couldn’t see any monsters, but I understood after hearing these people’s explanations.
“According to our investigations, most of the monsters seem to be planning to invade other continents. If that’s the case, it makes things easier for us rebels.”
I met these people in the empty town. The residents of this town, Adventurers, and even the survivors of the Gunpowder Corps had gathered together. Since the day the Garden of Beasts attacked, they had been hiding in this seemingly ordinary house. The hidden staircase leads to the basement, which serves as their hideout.
“Normally, the taverns and everything else are under the control of the monsters, and it’s a terrible situation. But that ends today, as long as you two cooperate with us, our plan will be even more perfect.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I thought the Ballad Continent had completely fallen to the beasts…”
“The Ballad Continent is vast, so even the beasts haven’t managed to conquer it all. However, the King of Mizkal has been killed… and the royal family has been wiped out…”
The shoulders of the rebel soldiers drooped, casting a dark shadow over the gathered crowd. There were about thirty or forty of them, but among them were civilians unaccustomed to battle, making their fighting strength feel precarious.
“Large monsters like the Great King Elephant are beyond our capabilities, so we’re just waiting for the right opportunity…” one of the men lamented.
“Where are the hostages you mentioned earlier? Some of our acquaintances have been taken as hostages, and we can’t act. If we can just free them, we can handle the rest,” I urged.
“Handle the rest, huh? That’s reassuring…”
Despite the words, his expression remained grim. Although they had gathered, there was a sense of resignation in the air. They had mentioned that their supplies of weapons and food were insufficient, and it was only a matter of time before they would be trapped here. Their plans were uncertain at best.
“The hostages are scattered throughout Mizkal Castle. They’ve likely done this to reduce risk. It’s clever for a beast.”
“How do we rescue them?”
“Well, hold on. The operation isn’t happening just yet. It’s time for a meal first. Let’s eat.”
“R-Right…”
It was a bit of a letdown, but I was indeed hungry. The storeroom seemed to have plenty of food, but when divided among us, it would only last about a month. A month felt both long and short, as we had to resolve everything within that time.
“Here you go, eat up. The water is only lukewarm, though…”
“No, it’s fine. Thank you…”
The meal consisted only of bread and smoked meat, along with water. I could almost hear Kurinka’s stomach growling, but she wasn’t the type to let it show. Still, a bit of drool escaped the corner of her mouth. It was quite pitiful.
“Mm, mm—!”
Kurinka and I groaned in unison. Taking a bite of the bread, the intense sensation as it slid down my throat was overwhelming. It felt like a volcano erupting from my throat, smoke billowing through my nostrils. In short, it was incredibly spicy. It was nothing like the Chicken Spice Rice from the Nation of Kashiram; I never imagined I would cry from eating food.
“Whoa! Drink some water!”
“Y-Yes…”
After something spicy, water should help calm things down, or so I thought, but something felt off. A strange heat surged through my nose again, as if my body temperature had suddenly risen. My head felt fuzzy, and my vision blurred.
“W-What is this… water…?”
“Y-You idiot! That’s alcohol! Bring water!”
“Ah! I’m sorry!”
While one man tended to us, another rushed back from the storeroom with water. My head was spinning; I needed to drink water quickly.
“Here’s the water. Sorry about that…”
“N-No…”
Desperate to escape this discomfort, I gulped down the water in one go. However, it tasted just like before, with that distinct smell of alcohol that I hadn’t noticed until now. This was alcohol. Alcohol.
“Ugh… ah…”
My vision spun. Hundreds of worried faces stared back at us. I lost my balance and fell to the ground, ultimately lying flat. I couldn’t move an inch. Why did I make such a mistake again?
“H-Hey… this is… alcohol…”
“Well, looks like it worked out.”
Someone descended the stairs from the basement. People rushed to him, leaving us behind. Something felt off. This was definitely wrong.
“I did as you instructed, Pansard-sama!”
“You all make good pets. I’ll feed you later.”
“Thank you so much!”
“Pansard…?”
Amidst my hazy consciousness, one thing was clear: Pansard had appeared, and the rebels were welcoming him. This meant…
“Rua and Kurinka, you’ve come quite a long way. I never thought you’d scare even the First and Second Divisions. Your growth since then is unimaginable.”
“Since then…?”
“Do you remember this?”
【The Gluttonous Great Cobra has appeared! HP 212】
A sphere of yellow light emerged from Pansard’s palm, hatching like a chick from an egg. I recognized it; it was the monster we fought in the dungeon during my first adventure with Kurinka.
“I was scouting to see what the world was like, and I was bored out of my mind. But that’s beside the point. The real issue is this situation, right? You all, say it.”
“Y-Yes! We pledge our allegiance to Pansard-sama and are prepared to sacrifice ourselves at any time!”
“That’s what they say.”
“Cooperating with Pansard…?”
Why were these humans doing this? My mind couldn’t piece it together as my consciousness wavered.
“Don’t hold too much resentment. Pets are meant to obey their masters. And it’s not a lie that they’re the rebel army. Just… former rebels.”
“Why… why is that…?”
“Say it. Why?”
“W-We… foolishly formed this rebel army to take down Pansard-sama. But our plans quickly reached his ears… and we were nearly killed. Yet now, he uses us! What a generous heart…! Yes, he’s taking care of us! We have no one left but Pansard-sama!”
“Pansard-sama! Pansard-sama!”
This was madness. Perhaps these people had been unhinged from the start. They had been suddenly overpowered by Pansard and had no choice but to submit. The evidence was in their hollow cheers, which felt insincere. This was unforgivable.
What Shin had said was true. Pansard would do anything to win. Deceiving us by making these people act was child’s play for him.
“Still, I never expected you to be this weak to alcohol. Just as he said.”
“What’s the point of winning like this…? If you’re going to do it, do it fairly.”
“Hah! You seem to be misunderstanding something.”
Pansard removed his hat and ran his fingers through his hair before looking down at us again. His filthy foot pressed against my head.
“This was never a fight; it’s a hunt.”
I see now. Pansard never intended to fight us head-on. A beast wouldn’t hunt directly. Like a predator lurking in the grass, he had meticulously studied our weaknesses and planned to corner us thoroughly.
As Shin had said, I had been alone in the Abyss Cave. I had never considered hostages, nor had I thought about the innocent people involved. Pansard wasn’t the type to be found in the Abyss Cave; he was maximizing the use of what wasn’t there.
I felt anger and humiliation. This was all my fault. What should I do, really?
“Finally, I can remove the thorn in the Demon Lord Army’s side. The Demon Generals who have fallen until now will finally be avenged… End.”
Even in our current state, he showed no signs of holding back. I had heard that any beast would hunt Cave Rabbits with full force, and he was no different.
“Don’t worry; I’ll devour you completely, leaving no bones behind. I won’t waste a thing.”
【The Merciless Beast Emperor Pansard has appeared! HP 109900】
A fierce figure that could be described as a werewolf or a tiger-man. Wrapped in brown fur, with a mane that resembled a lion’s. Black lines marked the joints of his limbs. Sharp claws grew from his five fingers, capable of grasping the earth itself. This was the Beast Emperor.
“Pansard-sama! C-Can we escape?”
“No.”
“Please! Have mercy!”
“There’s none. I’m merciless by nature.”
What should I do? My anger was boiling over.
How should I kill him? Something awakened within me.
◆ Shin Report ◆
Thus, I continue the Shin Report in this storeroom.
It seems I’ve been trapped by Pansard.
I told you so.
Pansard has no interest in fighting.
He’s only interested in tormenting his prey.
He’ll do anything to hunt.
It’s not just about raw power; it’s an obsessive fixation on domination.
That is the true Pansard.
Finally, I can say goodbye to those brats. Hehe.
But somehow, it doesn’t feel satisfying.
Shin must have been looking forward to this moment.
Ah! That’s right. If it’s Rua, she might just turn the tables!
I have a feeling about that!
No, no way Shin would have any feelings for those two!
That’s impossible!
If that’s the case, I need to tell Pansard right away—
Wait, Pansard? Why is he coming this way?
Oh no, the jar! The jar is about to be kicked over!