Reinforcement Training ⑥ Day 3 (Behind the Scenes)
After telling Zem the details of the training, instructing Fana to assist him, and warning Jero not to do anything stupid, I was walking outside the Royal Capital.
Originally, I had planned to participate in today’s training, demonstrating techniques while also being on the attacking side. However, I received a message from someone I couldn’t ignore, so I reluctantly skipped the training and was now walking towards the designated location.
The destination was a copse a little ways away, and deep within it, a dilapidated shack stood abandoned. It was a place used as a temporary base for adventurers, a hideout for thieves, or for meetings with people who didn’t want to be seen openly, like the person who had summoned me.
Even so, there were surprisingly few monsters today. A few years ago, if you went outside the Royal Capital without preparation, you’d be attacked within a minute. But I’ve been walking for over ten minutes now and haven’t encountered a single one. I haven’t even seen a shadow of one. Even though there are supposedly more nocturnal monsters, not encountering any at all is… abnormal. Come to think of it, during the last subjugation, I only had four engagements before reaching the site… What’s going on?
…Well, I’ve arrived while thinking about useless things. It’s as dilapidated as ever, and I feel like it should be torn down, but it’s still used by many, and there’s no reason to build a shack in a place like this in the first place. The person waiting for me… is already here.
“I’m coming in.”
If I were to knock, the door would probably fall off, so I announced my presence while pushing open the rickety door. As the door creaked open with a heavy sound, I turned my gaze to the person inside the shack.
“You’ve come.”
Leaning against the back wall with her arms and legs crossed, stood a woman in a red-black outfit, stained with blood that she hadn’t bothered to clean off. Her short hair, with glimpses of blonde, had been carelessly chopped off with a knife, and her eyes were like bottomless pits, as if she had given up on seeing the light and only stared into the darkness. She had axes, hatchets, and stakes hanging from her waist, dripping with blood, and exuded a cold, cruel aura like the abyss of a winter night.
She was an Avenger, consumed by revenge after losing her fiancé, family, relatives, and friends. She had fallen into despair, gone mad, clung to death, and was now dyed in the color of vengeance.
“Let’s make this quick.”
“Then, should I finish my story first?”
“No, mine will be faster.”
There were no greetings, as that time was considered a waste.
Neither of us offered anything, as there was no need.
I stood by the door, while the Avenger stood against the opposite wall, keeping our distance. She was an Avenger who had abandoned everything except killing and basic survival to never forget her burning desire for revenge. Knowing this, I would keep our interaction to the bare minimum.
“I have three reports.”
“I have two.”
“I see.”
“First, the Demon Race’s movements are abnormal. There are more coordinated movements, excluding the higher-ranking demons. Conversely, the higher-ranking demons are rarely seen. Until half a year ago, they were popping up everywhere like trash.”
“Second, the number of monsters has decreased. From small slimes to dragons, the numbers of all kinds of monsters have decreased, as if they were being taken somewhere the moment they appeared.”
“Third, our information is spreading among the Demon Race. It’s understandable for you, who don’t hide, but even I, who have been killing every demon and monster I encounter, am being targeted. It’s not a misunderstanding. They called out the name I abandoned and mimicked my dead family.”
I mentally reviewed the information, nodding and storing it in my memory. This direct information from someone who knows the situation is reliable, and I need to think carefully about countermeasures… but I can’t do that here, so I’ll store it for later.
“Alright, first, I met a strange woman named Ronaria, who claims to be your sister. She was on the top floor of the biggest building in the red-light district. I confirmed that she has succubus marks on her tongue, limbs, and nape, but she probably has more.”
“Second, I have a feeling that a serious battle is about to happen in the Royal Capital. We need as much readily available fighting force as possible. Spend a year killing demons in the vicinity of the Royal Capital.”
I conveyed my information and nothing more. What she does with it is up to her, and she can decide on her own. There’s no need to think about a response.
“…Understood. I’ll hear the second one.”
“What about the woman named Ronaria?”
“That’s my sister’s name, or rather, it’s probably my sister herself. Those bastards said they scattered eyes and ears everywhere and implanted tools to make her obey their orders at any time.
I can’t get involved. I’ll leave my sister to you.”
“…Are you sure?”
“I swore that day to dedicate my life to revenge. I haven’t forgotten that. More importantly, they are the enemy and the cancer of this world, aren’t they?”
“They are. Then, I’ll leave it to you.”
“Yes, please take care of my sister.”
“Got it.”
We ended our relatively long conversation, and I left the shack without saying goodbye. I had another place to go.
“I see… I see…”
I pretended not to hear the voice coming from behind and tried to forget it. Well, it’s a good time to be sentimental about good news regarding family, and it wouldn’t hurt for her to return to being just a girl, at least for this moment.
For now… I should probably buy Ronaria out. If she really is her sister, I want to keep her close so I can deal with her before her body is completely taken over by the succubus.
I’ll think about that later.
For now, I’ll go meet the next person.
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“Ahhh!!! My God!!! My God, it has been too long!!! Two hundred seventy-three days, twenty-one hours, forty-two minutes, sixteen seconds, and seven thousand seven hundred eighty-three milliseconds since our reunion!!! This humble Alays Villa Lou Facti Nostura Ron Bastianu Dinatirios!!! Has rushed to answer my God’s summons!!! Now!!! Give me your orders!!!”
This guy is as noisy as ever.
“Ah!! That scornful gaze!!! My God is alive and well today!!! No!! No!! No!!! Of course!!! I believed that my God was alive!!! But!! To be able to see your noble figure once again!!! It is a supreme happiness that transcends heaven!!! That surpasses all things!!!”
…Ah, I’m getting a headache.
If he weren’t strong and competent, I would have discarded him, but… he’s strong and competent, so I can’t let him go. If I were to let him go, it would be nothing but trouble…
“Ah!! That worried look!!! Please rest assured!!! The holy scriptures praising my God have exceeded ten thousand seven thousand pages!!! The words of prayer dedicated to my God have exceeded three hundred seventy verses!!! The number of believers has recently reached seven hundred forty-nine thousand two hundred and eleven!!! Steadily, my God’s glory continues to spread throughout this hopeless world!!!”
…That’s strange. I thought I heard it was around 120,000 last time… Why has it increased more than six times in less than a year? It’s not just a new religion, it’s an abnormal, obsessive faith of a fanatic.
Why are the number of believers increasing? And what are these words of prayer dedicated to me? I’ve never heard of such a thing. I don’t want to be offered anything.
…Let’s get this over with quickly, I’m getting tired.
“My God!!! This is—”
“Hey.”
“Hah!!!”
“Just say what you wrote in the letter. I don’t have unlimited time.”
“Hah!!!!!!”
“Noisy, lower your voice.”
“A split has occurred within the Church and the Magic Association!!! Apparently, in order to push through a demand that my God should be eliminated, they have…
They ambushed and dragged information out of more than a dozen people that they couldn’t expel!! It seems that those below trash are literally below trash!!!”
“…I had an idea, but I’ll hear it. What did they do?”
“They were colluding with the Demon Race!!! They were leaking information such as the defense line, supply line, secret passages, confidential information, forbidden techniques, and many other things to the Demon Race!!! Moreover!! They were offering kidnapped children as sacrifices to the Demon Race!!! And lining their own pockets!!!”
“…Ah, I see.”
…I thought I had eradicated them all…
What are they thinking, colluding with the Demon Race when they’re just going to die anyway? They’re just small fry, they can’t even kill a mid-level demon.
“What shall we do!!!”
“Eradicate them.”
“Hah!! Then!!!”
“Wait.”
“Hah!!!”
“Let them run. They’ll eventually lure the Demon Race to the Royal Castle or somewhere nearby. They’ll likely launch a large-scale invasion at that point, so kill them then.”
“Yes, sir!!!”
“Ah, and bring anyone who can fight to this area. Increase our forces even a little, and kill every last one of those who’ve associated with the Demon Race.”
“Yes, sir!!!”
“Then go. Finish the preparations quickly.”
“Understood, sir!!!! Then, I’ll be going!!!!”
…That was more productive than I expected.
Well, I knew that if someone who usually stays out of my sight and doesn’t contact me unless I call them out, summoned me, it must be something serious.
…Maybe I should speed up the subjugation of the Disaster Classifications.
I was planning to return for supplies and reports each time, but maybe I should just keep killing them all and then send the knights who are providing support back.
I have a feeling the next battlefield will be here, and I should take all possible precautions beforehand. If they invade with the Disaster Classifications leading them, the Royal Capital could be destroyed at worst.
The order is Elf, Harpy, then Dwarf. It would be a pain if the two distant ones were brought along, but if the invasion starts while I’m out killing them, I won’t be able to stop it.