Departure and Target
“Are you ready?”
“I’m all set.”
“Have you shared the direction we’re heading?”
“Yes, I’ve shared it.”
“Have you replenished your energy and stamina?”
“Yes, more than enough.”
“Have you checked your gear?”
“Yes, I have.”
“Did you confirm that you haven’t forgotten anything?”
“I checked, of course!”
“Good. Now, head outside, climb the wall, and start moving. I’ll lock up and report to the knights before catching up. Now, go!”
Two days after receiving the subjugation request, the morning arrived. Last night, through the Knight Commander, I accepted the King’s request. He mentioned that I could use the materials as I saw fit, but any financial matters should be reported through the Knight Commander. With the sun rising and people beginning their daily activities, we decided to set off. It would be troublesome for the knights if we started moving in the evening, and more importantly, nocturnal monsters become active at night, making it a hassle to deal with them. Thus, we chose to move out in the morning.
By the way, the earlier checks were part of our usual routine. Before traveling from town to town, I would first check alone, then with Fana, to ensure we hadn’t forgotten anything or left something behind. I thought we could skip it this time, but Fana insisted that she wouldn’t feel ready for a long journey without it. The others also expressed a desire to participate, so we went through the motions.
“Well then, I’m off.”
“Yes! May fortune favor you!”
“Yeah. You all do your best too.”
“Yes, sir!”
With that, I sent Fana and the others ahead toward our destination while I locked up the house and greeted the knights stationed in the watchtower atop the wall before following them. It felt accepted to exit and enter through the wall like this. During my time as a Hero, I would often bypass the gates and head directly to the Royal Castle by scaling the walls, so it seemed a bit nostalgic.
Apparently, we were among the few humans who traversed the walls like this. Normally, even in a hurry, people wouldn’t cross the walls, and only a handful of superhumans could leap from the top without injury, making them memorable.
For some reason, the knights held me in high regard. I suspected it was due to our shared experiences on the battlefield, but I heard from the Knight Commander that I was seen as a figure of admiration, a goal, or even a mentor in their hearts. When I casually shook hands with a knight who happened to pass by, he declared he would never wash his hand again, which made me think there was some truth to it… but why?
Well, putting that aside, I decided to catch up. From my vantage point atop the wall, it seemed they had already moved to a location where they wouldn’t be easily spotted. However, I knew the destination and had already plotted the course, so I ran, confident I would catch up.
The target, a Disaster Classification monster, was located in a beast-folk settlement approximately seven hundred kilometers from the Royal Castle in a straight line. Normally, it would take about ten days to walk there, but with our speed, we could reach it in just under five days, even while taking our time.
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“By the way, I realize I don’t know anything about that guy.”
“…Oh, I didn’t tell you?”
“No, you didn’t.”
“I thought I had. My bad.”
“No problem, just tell me now.”
“Alright.”
Thus, we successfully regrouped, and as we walked, Fon, who remembered the path, led the way, followed by Stella, with Lulu and Fana behind her. Fana was ready to assist Lulu if she grew tired, and Rio trailed a bit further back. It was during this light stroll that Rio spoke up, prompting me to respond, even though I didn’t have much combat experience and only knew about the target from reports.
“Our target is a Dead Eater, a type of undead monster. Broadly speaking, it’s a kind of undead, similar to a Lich or Necrosis. However, the original body wasn’t resurrected from a corpse.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yeah. It’s still very much alive; it just has the ability to manipulate corpses.”
“…But there weren’t any undead when they attacked the settlement?”
“…Is that so?”
“Yeah. The monsters that came were mostly the usual ones. I did see some demons, but no undead.”
“Hmm… that’s strange. It should be living off the remains of the creatures it devours, using them as undead servants. Did you not see any Skeletons or Wraiths?”
“Only until they fled, but I didn’t see any.”
“Hmm…”
…Did the observers mistake what they saw, or was it a different type that merely resembled them? Or perhaps it had evolved with some special ability? At the very least, it was good to know. I had been preparing for a typical Dead Eater, but if it wasn’t using undead or wasn’t trying to, it meant its individual strength was abnormal. If it was using undead but they didn’t appear as such, it could be a spirit-type undead or a shapeshifter-type undead.
If it were a spirit, I could deal with it easily—just strike it, and it would vanish. However, if it were a shapeshifter, fighting in a group could become troublesome. I could identify the real from the fake at a glance, but in the heat of battle, I would need time to reassess my perception, which could lead to friendly fire or worse.
“…As for the strategy, we’ll decide once we arrive, but if it’s using undead, depending on their type, it might be better for me to handle it alone.”
“…Is it that troublesome?”
“If it’s a shapeshifter-type undead. If it were a normal type, I wouldn’t worry, but considering it’s reached Disaster Classification, it could be capable of controlling various undead.”
“I see… Is there a chance it might not reveal its undead?”
“Yes. I’ve killed a few that stored them in their bodies and then released them. I’ve even seen undead crawl out from a swollen belly right after killing the creature.”
“Hmm… Have you fought them before?”
“I have. A few times. I remember burning a horde of them to ashes and dragging them down to the depths.”
“Wow.”
They weren’t easy foes. Some would consume only children and flaunt their undead, while others would turn one half of a couple into undead, forcing the other to carry the severed head. Usually, when we encountered such creatures, Fana would charge in and crush them, so I never had the chance to observe their ecology or combat methods. I never felt inclined to do so, either.
…Well, that’s not something worth discussing.
“By the way, does it have a name?”
“The target?”
“Yeah. I’ve heard that creatures that become abnormally strong, like those with Disaster Classification, often have names that surface.”
“Ah, that’s true.”
“So, what is it called?”
“It should be ‘Gugi, the Desecrated Mausoleum.’ That’s what was written on the paper that summarized its location… Ah, here it is.”
“Wow, you’re right… Alright, I’ve memorized it.”
“You don’t need to remember it.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s just an enemy we’ll kill soon. Knowing its actions and fighting style is useful, but the effort to remember is wasted. It would be far more meaningful to recall enjoyable or interesting memories instead.”
“…I see.”
“Yeah. In reality, I only remember enough to recall if prompted, and for the lesser ones, I just think, ‘Oh, there was such a creature,’ and nothing more.”
“Then I won’t remember it.”
“That would make life easier.”
Remembering what I killed and how many times I killed them is something only a saint, who leaves a mark in history, should do. Only those who are compassionate enough to respect all life beyond their own can manage to remember such things. And even if they do, they will eventually crumble under the weight of it all.
…At least, I can’t do that. No matter what, I fight for my own reasons, so I can’t become that noble. If I could, I would still be a Hero, continuing to battle the Demon Lord’s Army executives.
“By the way, that is a rather ominous name.”
“Is it?”
“Yeah. Leaving aside ‘Desecration’ and ‘Mausoleum,’ ‘Gugi’ is a disturbing name. It’s the name of a monster from a story or fairy tale my mother told me, one that nearly drove the beast-folk to extinction before they learned to use weapons.”
“…Really?”
“And at the brink of death, a beast-folk found a fallen sword and stood against it, seizing the glory of victory and the future of their kind. That’s how the story ended. That’s why beast-folk in this era use weapons and armor, as my mother explained.”
“…I see. By the way, how did that story get passed down?”
“My mother said it was taught through generations. It’s been so long that she’s the only one who remembers it.”
“…I see.”
…I can’t help but think this is more than coincidence. Why is there a name for a being that could destroy the world? How could they have the luxury to assign such a name? And why did they accept this fact without question? If it was a name created by a few humans, how could they accept it as a unique name so easily?
…I don’t understand. But it seems to be influenced by something. I suspect it’s not the Angels but rather the God behind it… Ouch. Ah, thinking too deeply about it gives me a headache. At the very least, it seems I’ve been influenced into accepting this as normal, and when I try to ponder it deeply, it leads to pain…
For now, I should focus on finishing everything first. There’s no point in overthinking and ending up in a situation where I might fail and nearly die. I’ll think about it after everything is over. It’s bothersome and unsettling, but I lack the power to dispel this likely divine influence.
“Hmm… That fairy tale, do you remember it?”
“Yeah, I remember. I asked my mother to read it to me many times before bed.”
“I see… It might be useful. Can you tell me?”
“Sure.”
“Then, please.”
“Okay. I think it starts with…”
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To understand this is to interfere with the unfolding events.