Gathering Allies VI
“Six months ago, our village was suddenly attacked by a horde of monsters. Everyone picked up their weapons and fought valiantly, but in the end, we were overwhelmed by a giant monster the size of a mountain and a multitude of demons. Exhausted, everyone was slaughtered. I was saved by my brother and sister, who said I was the hope of our village, but with nowhere to go and no one to trust, I was desperately trying to find food and water to survive… Then, two weeks ago, a human adorned with jewels surrounded me along with the demons that attacked our village and captured me. After that, I was restrained and priced, and while I struggled to escape, one of the demons showed me your face and told me to kill the Hero. If I couldn’t, they said we would suffer worse than death.”
This was the story I gathered from Rio, a 24-year-old Black Lion Beastman woman. I was surprised to learn that this petite, youthful-looking woman was actually four years older than me, which made it hard to focus on the details of her plight. However, I understood that she had been caught up in the same events I often encountered during my time as a Hero.
I could sympathize, but I wouldn’t. In this day and age, there are countless others suffering similar fates, perhaps even more than I could imagine. In places where no one can fight back, a single monster can attack, and everyone could be devoured without a trace.
Thus, I do not deny the feelings of sorrow, hatred, or the desire for revenge that arise, but similarly, whether it is misfortune or fortune, I do not feel pity for those who have survived.
As for the whereabouts of Rio’s brother and sister… they were reportedly restrained in a dim underground area at the edge of the castle town, bound by chains and collars. Based on her description, it seemed to be the black market that Stella was supposed to guide me to soon.
I had thought the black market was a place where special items that couldn’t be sold publicly were traded, and while the royal family didn’t openly endorse it, they tacitly allowed it. However, it seemed something had gone awry somewhere along the line.
If I had the privileges of a Hero, I could have launched a bold attack anywhere, but unfortunately, I was merely a Hero, and thus, I found myself at a standstill. Well, that was until I remembered the connections I could quickly reach out to.
“…We can’t move yet.”
“Ah, I fully understand that. Given the fact that the King has authorized this, we can’t launch an attack either, and we might inadvertently involve innocent nobles or merchants who are merely participating.”
“Indeed. So what do we do? Even if the demons are involved, they might escape while we’re busy uncovering the truth.”
“Yes, I understand that as well.”
With that, I was discussing matters with Ryuud Fariatia, the current Knight Commander and Fana’s father. I believed we should hold a meticulous strategy meeting, but since I was unsure of the deadline for Rio’s task to kill me, time was of the essence.
Thus, without much time to think, I decided to cut one of the quicker options and inform them of how we could intervene openly. The moment the public starts to stir about what happened, we could have the Knight Order step in to handle the finer details, while we would use the trust we had built up for the larger reasons, which felt somewhat heart-wrenching to make public.
“We have a method to intervene openly with our swift cards.”
“What do you mean?”
“Rio, I’ll have the Beastman who was tasked with killing me carry me. Of course, to make it look like a real corpse, I’ll need to cut my side and neck to simulate bleeding and stop my breathing. If I can get transported to their base like that, it would be perfect. If not, I’ll have Fana and Stella, who will be waiting at a distance, intervene and cause chaos to find and destroy their base.”
“…That’s rational, but can it be done?”
“I have plenty of experience playing dead. As long as the one behind me isn’t a Demon King’s Army Executive, there shouldn’t be any issues. If it is one of them, I’ll use the Potion I’ll have on hand, which I’ll pretend was taken from me, to heal myself and then kill them.”
“Hmm… That way, if you’re attacked, both Stella and Fana can intervene. Moreover, since you, who owe us a great debt, were nearly killed, we can officially declare that and capture those involved.”
“Exactly. If I had a record of winning battles without being injured, I wouldn’t be able to pull this off, but unfortunately, I’ve been wounded plenty… Anyone who knows me would understand.”
“That point is not an issue. In fact, if they think you were gravely injured, it might tighten the resolve of the knights who might have been getting lax, thinking victory was near.”
“Is that so? Well, that’s good to hear.”
So, my corpse would be the quickest means.
Among them, they still didn’t know that I wasn’t a Hero, which was why they likely believed I was. And right now, I was the one killing the most demons in this world, making me a thorn in the side for those greedy bastards.
That’s why, if I could create wounds that wouldn’t kill me and forge my corpse, they would believe it and reveal their true nature and base. Once that happened, I could resurrect, kill them all, retrieve Rio’s siblings, and deliver their heads to the Knight Order to resolve the situation.
If they refused to expose their base, I could just rampage around that area. There was no sign of habitation, and even if there were, it would likely be those with a guilty conscience who couldn’t live in slums or impoverished areas. If I ended up involving them, it couldn’t be helped; I would bury them respectfully and pray for their peace.
Even if I managed to accomplish that, there were still concerns—points that couldn’t be said to be completely resolved. The giant monster that dealt the final blow to Rio’s village should be nearby, but since I couldn’t see it, it was either hiding or still lurking in the Beastman village.
Well, I could deal with that later. If I asked Rio what she wanted to do and she said she wanted it dead, I would send her out. If she wanted me to kill it, I would demand a reward before hunting it down and slaying it.
“Then, could you relay that message?”
“Ah, leave it to me. Are we moving right away?”
“First, I’ll talk to Fana and Stella, and then I’ll inform Hermes, who made a reservation for us. We’ll likely move just before or right after evening.”
“Hmm… Hermes, is that the merchant favored by His Majesty?”
“Yes, it seems so.”
“Then I’ll handle the communication from my side. Could you write a letter?”
“…Is that alright?”
“Yes. We’re not sure what will happen to the victims, right? We have the time, so it’s better to act quickly.”
“I’m sorry, I’ll rely on you. Which one should I write on?”
“Use this one.”
This is Ferno Desire. I apologize for the brevity, but due to various circumstances, we will have to destroy the black market that you reserved for us. I’m truly sorry.
Alright, that should do it. I’ll explain the details after everything is over and arrange for a proper apology in a formal setting. If necessary, I could swipe a few items and secretly hand them over, promising to grant one request.
…Making such a promise or contract with a merchant is quite frightening, though.
“Is this good?”
“Yes, it’s fine. No problem.”
“Alright. Then I’ll start moving.”
“Ah, leave that to me.”
I asked Fana and Stella to help, handed a knife to Rio, and instructed her to cut my side and neck while getting blood on me. After that, we would move to the designated meeting point and I would play dead. If everyone came, that would be perfect; if not, I’m sorry, but I would have to let the area with the black market be destroyed.
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
“Are you ready? Fana and Stella, you’ll start moving once I begin to make a scene. Until then, just pretend to shop on the main street.”
“Got it.”
“Leave it to me.”
“Alright. Rio, try to look as desperate as possible, clinging to my body as if you’re throwing yourself at me. Also, hand me the knife.”
“Okay, understood. Here.”
“Alright.”
After explaining everything, I restrained Fana, who was about to rush in with excitement, and gave her instructions on how to act. There were questions about whether it was okay to injure myself, or if fake blood or transfusion blood would suffice, but I rejected those ideas as they lacked authenticity.
Right now, I needed to deceive the demons who attacked Rio, their allies, and the unsuspecting knights who would have to intervene amidst the chaos of the crowd. If there were any sharp-witted individuals among them, the plan could fall apart, so I had to ensure the authenticity of my act.
With that, I completed the final checks in a sparsely populated alley, borrowed the knife from Rio, and plunged it into my side, slicing it open. Ignoring the spurting blood, I pressed the knife against my neck and cut deeper. I might have overdone it; the pain was excruciating.
“I’m sorry, hand me a Potion. I cut too deep.”
“I figured as much; that’s a lot of blood for dying. Here.”
“Thanks… Alright, the neck is sealed. Is there any blood on the ground?”
“None, but it’s flowing too much for the wound to be visible.”
“Then it’s fine. Let’s go, Rio.”
“…Are you sure you’re okay?”
“No problem, I can keep fighting like this for another ten days.”
“?!”
As I felt my blood levels dropping, I swallowed a Blood Booster while leading Rio forward. The place where the demons demanded the corpse was said to be a square near the great wall surrounding the castle town, so we headed there.
In terms of positioning, there was a main road with several narrow alleys branching off. After passing through those, we would reach the entrance to the black market, which was about a three-minute walk from there. Originally, there was supposed to be a fountain, but due to a lack of materials, time, and waterways, it was abandoned, leaving remnants of its intended design. This was a story from twenty-three kings ago, so its truth was uncertain, but it was indeed a tale that Stella had shared.
“…We’re almost there.”
“Alright, I’ll collapse as planned, so drag me along.”
“…Okay. Is this much blood alright?”
“If you’re worried, should I add a bit more?”
“It doesn’t feel like I’m resisting at all.”
“Then it’s fine. Those demons won’t pay attention to such details; as long as there’s blood on me and I’m not breathing, they’ll assume I’m dead.”
“…Got it.”
“Then, I’m counting on you.”
“…I’m counting on you too.”
As Rio indicated we were close, I leaned against the wall of the alley, closed my eyes, and relaxed my entire body. In that state, she grabbed the back of my collar and dragged me toward the designated location.
After being dragged for about ten minutes, she finally tossed me onto the ground, and I heard her take a deep breath.
“I killed them, I came…!”
Her voice sounded as if she was squeezing out every ounce of strength. She might have been genuinely exhausted, but her rough, short breaths conveyed the truth that she had fought desperately.
As I listened, I noticed several figures emerging, exuding the same scent and presence as those I had killed. There were no sounds of wings flapping, so they weren’t of the winged variety, and since I couldn’t hear footsteps, they likely teleported here. Given that, it seemed I wouldn’t be taken to their base.
“Well done, beast. So even the great Hero couldn’t react to the trusted blades of his own people, huh? Ha ha, how delightful!”
“I killed them, I came! So hurry!!”
“Ah, right… then die for me.”
See?
“…Wha—what? This isn’t what we discussed!”
“Shut up, you worthless beast! You’re nothing but filth beneath livestock!”
“!!”
“What do you mean it’s different? Of course it is! You’re all going to die now!!! Once the Hero is gone, exterminating you will be a piece of cake!!!!”
“…”
“What’s wrong? Are you too despairing to even speak? Ah, how amusing!!! You worthless scum are always entertaining!!! Just dangle some bait, and you’ll move without hesitation!!!!”
“…”
“Well then, beast. I shall personally kill you for the achievement of slaying the Hero.”
It’s time to act; let’s kill them.
“Then, I’ll—”
“Shut up!”
“「「「「！？！？？？」」」」”
“Can you track their base?”
“Leave it to me.”
“Then track it; I’ll take care of these fools.”
“Understood.”
I crushed the long-winded demon and instructed Rio, who was pretending to crumble in despair, to find the location where her brother and sister were being held captive.
Then, I locked eyes with the demons who had recognized my survival and began to flee, stepping forward and shaking the ground as I clenched my fists and swung with all my might.
A thunderous roar and the sound of destruction.
I obliterated the bodies of the fleeing demons, along with the walls that surrounded the castle town.
This was the signal for Fana and Stella to join the battle.