On the way to the forest: During transit
・Observation by Fon
“(Three merchant carriages, five passenger carriages, and seventeen adventurer carriages. There’s not much difference from the average number of carriages I heard about beforehand, and there’s nothing unusual about the people riding in them.
There are no abnormalities in the movements of the animals either. It feels like there are slightly more herbivores, but there aren’t significantly fewer carnivores, so it’s safe to say there’s no problem.
There aren’t many monsters around here either. So, it’s true that the number of monsters is decreasing worldwide. It’s good that there aren’t any particularly powerful individuals, but considering how extreme it is, it might be considered an anomaly.)”
On the carriage bed of the wagon Ferno and the others are riding. Fon, sitting there, holds a bow and arrow he can’t even use, looking around as if he’s ready to use them at any moment.
He’s investigating the carriages moving along the road he researched and heard about beforehand, as well as any elements that could indicate abnormalities in the number and movements of animals and monsters living around the road.
He wasn’t specifically instructed to do so, but Fon decided on his own that it would be better to investigate, and he’s doing it in place of Ferno, who can’t go outside.
The reason he’s holding a bow and arrow he can’t use is to avoid looking out of place.
If he were just sitting on the carriage bed with a notepad in hand, it would look strange, but if he’s looking around with a bow and arrow, it would seem like he’s on guard.
However, he doesn’t intend to investigate randomly and throw all the information at Ferno. He intends to focus on points that are clearly abnormal and the Other Races, which are the main subject of this change of plans. Well, he can’t peek inside the carriages, so he hasn’t obtained any information about the Other Races at this stage.
“(It wasn’t pointless, huh? An obvious anomaly… It was worth watching.)”
Just as Fon was about to stop his impulsive actions, thinking that there was little point in continuing to watch, he saw it.
A monster disappearance phenomenon occurred in the distance, near the horizon. A black vortex appeared in the sky, and from it, nearly ten arms stretched out, grabbed the monsters in front of them, and dragged them into the black vortex. It was an impossible phenomenon.
From the unique blueish-black skin color, Fon understood that the perpetrator was a member of the Demon Race. He nodded, thinking it was worth observing, and stood up.
He wasn’t going to go and interfere with the Demon Race’s actions, but rather, he was going to tell Ferno, who was sitting quietly at the back of the carriage bed, about this.
He understood that he couldn’t win against a group of demons alone, so Fon decided to inform his master, Ferno, and ask for instructions.
The black vortex, the demon’s arms, and the monsters disappeared in about a few dozen seconds. If he were told to interfere, he could barely manage to kill the monsters in that time. It’s unclear if there will be another one, but if he’s observed it once, he can just wait for the second or third time, so it’s possible to continue observing.
“(…Is it related to what’s happening to the Other Races, or is it completely unrelated?
Either way is fine. It’s not my job to think about it. I just need to tell the leader what I’ve investigated, receive instructions afterward, and act accordingly.)”
Although it was only about half a month of training, Fon is aware that he has become much stronger and can do more than before, which is why he decided to ask Ferno for instructions.
In order to exert his maximum strength and perform his maximum work, he is establishing his position as a scout for the hero’s group led by the hero, Ferno.
・Stella’s contemplation
“(Now then, what’s the right thing to do?)”
Stella, having switched places with Lulu as the coachman, and Rio having gone to Ferno, was alone in the carriage bed, closing her eyes and pondering.
In less than half a year, numerous strange events have occurred, even when looking back at long history.
The phenomenon occurring in the Other Races, including the Elves. The unprecedented number of monsters designated as Disaster Classifications. The strange fate that arises around Ferno. The mysterious activities of the Demon Race, which can be called abnormal.
Stella ruminates on all the information she has gathered, the information she has investigated, and Ferno’s views on them, trying to figure out what is happening in the world and what the big picture of this situation is.
“(The beginning of the matter was when Ferno-dono was no longer the Hero, or rather, when he defeated the ninth Demon Lord’s Army Executive. If the Demon Race’s statement and his own statement are correct, the ninth one had the strength to easily surpass the eighth one who was killed earlier, and had the title of the strongest.
Yet, he was unable to kill even one of the Hero’s companions, and his life was taken by the Hero’s power. There are four remaining Demon Lord’s Army Executives, and two of them are fatally incompatible with the Hero’s power, so they have little chance of winning in a head-on fight with Ferno-dono.)”
The beginning of her contemplation, the timing when it became clear that something was happening and became a problem, was when Ferno, who was called the Demon Race’s Slayer, was no longer the Hero. To be more precise, it was around the time when it was reported that the strongest Demon Lord’s Army Executive had died. Since then, the number of overt invasion attempts by the Demon Race has decreased, and monsters estimated to be Disaster Classifications have appeared.
Considering that and looking back at the names of the remaining Demon Lord’s Army Executives’ known degraded individuals, half of them are incompatible with Ferno’s own mentality, strength, and the power of the Hero.
In particular, the compatibility with Ferno is the worst. The Succubus’s ability is charm, and the Lich’s ability is to control the Undead. Each of their directions is certainly a threat to humans, but with his amazing mentality, he can twist charm, and with his overwhelming attack power, he can obliterate the Undead with normal attacks.
Even with the premise that they are external enemies that should be eradicated, they have such a slim chance of winning that one might even feel sympathy for the Demon Race. The difference in strength is so great that it would not waver unless they were to hinder themselves and distract Ferno’s attention from fighting.
“(So… is it a diversion?)”
What she came up with was a diversion by the Demon Race.
A large-scale invasion like the one when the Demon Lord appeared five years ago, and to hide that, a chaotic invasion by mid-to-lower-ranking demons and suppression by Disaster-designated monsters. The abnormalities of the Other Races are either a byproduct or the main purpose of the invasion as a diversion.
It can’t be ignored, but she wonders if it’s a good idea to overreact. Stella, having organized her thoughts, considers what she should do if this idea is correct.
“(If it’s a diversion, the first confirmed objective would be to exhaust Ferno-dono. In order to succeed in the large-scale invasion they will cause from now on, they need to exhaust Ferno-dono, who is the biggest obstacle, even if it’s just a little, and defeat him as a result of the invasion.
If that were to happen, the Demon Race’s morale would increase at an unprecedented rate. At the same time, the human side’s morale would plummet, and they would be pushed back without being able to retreat. If that happens, I don’t know how strong the new Hero is, but this country would be finished, and the world itself would be able to barely stop at the brink of destruction…)”
Stella shudders as she imagines the worst-case scenario. She considers what the right thing to do is to prevent that from happening.
She thinks, thinks, thinks, thinks… and finally reaches a very simple conclusion.
“(I have no choice but to get stronger. Although it’s a short amount of time, I’ve become stronger, and if I can use that power of mine on top of that, I can reduce the possibility of causing the worst. I can’t think of a shortcut… I guess I’ll practice to get better at using it.)”
・Rio’s surprise
A carriage pulled by two warhorses rushes down the road. Ferno and Fana are sitting at the very back of the carriage bed, suppressing their presence. A small shadow jumps into the carriage from outside and rushes to Ferno’s side, then sits down quietly.
“Hm, I’m back.”
“Oh. How was it?”
“Hm, my body moves more freely than I thought.”
“It seems you’ve become quite strong… Do you feel any discomfort like this?”
“…My joints hurt a little.”
“Hmm… It might be that your body hasn’t caught up with the abilities you’ve gained. Considering the results, should we try some muscle training that has a clear effect?”
“Results?”
“Fana’s toughness and my destructive power. Those are the results of creating both, right?”
“Huh? Ah, that’s right. If you’ve become so strong that your body can’t handle the physical load, then it’s better to focus on the muscle training I did.”
“We should adjust it a bit though. When you started, your body was already somewhat built up, but Rio isn’t there yet.”
“…Is that so?”
“Ah. Try touching Fana’s shoulders and stomach.”
“……? …!? ……!?”
Rio, touching Fana’s body, widens her eyes in surprise at the hardness that is unimaginable from her appearance. She touches her own body, then touches Fana’s again, understanding the difference. She shakes her head, looking at Fana and Ferno, who both smile faintly at her reaction.
She’s having a cute reaction, they think, not saying it aloud, but showing it in their expressions. Rio, looking a little embarrassed, slithers back to Ferno’s side.
“There’s a training method to build muscle without it getting in the way, like that.”
“Hmm. Is that necessary?”
“Yeah, you changed your fighting style, right? That means you’ll be using different muscles than you were training before. You need to train to avoid hurting your body.”
“I see. When do we start?”
“From today, at a pace that’s not too hard. Lightly before bed, and lightly after waking up tomorrow, twice a day.”
“Okay.”
“Fana, I’ll leave the supervision to you. Make sure it’s not too hard, but enough to be effective.”
“Leave it to me.”
“Then, do your best. If the pain you’re feeling now goes away, it’s proof that you’re getting stronger.”
“Okay.”
Rio nods powerfully, full of energy.
Ferno gently strokes the back of her head as he watches her with a kind expression.
A quiet moment passes, and then, as if suddenly realizing something, Rio turns to Ferno and asks to touch his body.
Ferno, taken aback for a moment by the sudden request, understands that she’s curious and gives his permission.
“……? It’s not as hard as I thought.”
“That’s because I’m not flexing. Fana trains to be hard even without flexing, so she can react to surprise attacks, but I haven’t trained to that extent.”
“I see.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“By the way, if he flexes, he’s harder than me. He was hit with a chunk of orichalcum and mithril alloy, and the alloy broke.”
“Hmph………!?”
“It’s true. I was hit during a fight, so I took it, then took the broken tip and hit back. You could say I was being lazy because dodging was too much trouble.”