Return to the Royal Castle III
After we had thoroughly eliminated the undead horde, we checked the map to confirm the location of the village in the direction the undead had been advancing. We set off toward that village, cutting down the bandits that had been attacking carriages along the way and crushing the remnants of the demon race that had been lurking in the shadows. Upon arriving at the village, we reunited with the carriage that had been under attack by the bandits. They requested our protection to the next village, which was close to the city where the Royal Castle was located. In exchange for this service, we were offered four swords that had been loaded onto the carriage as a reward. Thus, we managed to shorten the journey that would have taken about three weeks to the vicinity of the Royal Castle to just ten days.
Since we had no business in the village itself, we disembarked from the carriage as soon as we reached the entrance. We accepted two mithril swords, two iron swords, and several portions of preserved food as our reward before resuming our journey to the Royal Castle.
And now…
“There are quite a few of them… Didn’t we wipe out every last one of the remnants last year?”
“I thought we did… Hmmm, it seems they might be trying to stir up some trouble. And it looks like they have someone with strength greater than a high-rank demon among them.”
“…This is troublesome.”
“Indeed, it truly is.”
In a forest not far from the city where the Royal Castle stood, we were systematically exterminating a gathering of demons that seemed to be congregating as if for a meeting.
It was a literal massacre; not a single living demon was left. We scoured the underbrush, leaving no stone unturned, and eliminated them all. While the approximate number was around fifty, it was reasonable to assume that there was a commander somewhere since a typical gathering of demons averages about six without any notable leader.
However, among those we had just slain, there was no sign of such a figure, so it was certain that a demon commanding them was hiding somewhere else… This was exceedingly troublesome. The reason being that demons who engage in such plotting likely do not remain in one specific location; they might even be disguising themselves as humans.
Moreover, if there were multiple commanders instead of just one, there could be similar groups forming in a dozen different locations. Killing one commander wouldn’t scatter the rest, making it time-consuming to deal with the situation entirely.
“Should we search for them?”
“Just the two of us? That’s impossible; these cunning types will easily slip away. It would be better to report this… Contact the Knights Order. We found a larger-than-usual gathering of demons, and while we exterminated them, there was no commander present. If we mention that it could correspond to the emergence of a Demon Lord’s Army executive, they’ll have no choice but to act. While I report to the Royal Castle, it would take too long to deal with them individually.”
“Ah, so it’s a strategy of overwhelming numbers. Understood. Where should we place command?”
“Place it with the Knights Order. Not everyone will follow my or your orders, so it should be delegated to the Knight Commander or their aide, or perhaps the captains of the Second and Third Knight Squadrons.”
“Got it. What about the scope of the search?”
“Discuss it among yourselves. You don’t know how many from the Knights Order can be mobilized, and your priorities might differ from mine. You can either consult or delegate; once the report is done, we’ll have to move anyway.”
“I see… Is there anywhere else we should contact?”
“No need.”
Thus, we decided to leave the search for the demons to the Knights Order. It would be more efficient to have them mobilize rather than the two of us combing through the underbrush. Unlike us, they wouldn’t be easily recognized, so the chances of them escaping would be minimal. If they manage to find and kill them, that would be ideal. If no reports come back and no one returns, it would be certain that a commander is present at that location, and we could head there.
We could also move separately to hunt them down. Assuming the Knights Order would be limited in how far they could go as a group, we could encircle and eliminate them from a distance, which would be quicker and less troublesome.
Well, if someone were to ask why I’m still doing this even though I’m no longer a Hero, it’s because I’ve already gotten involved, and I should see it through to the end. Besides, the members of the Demon Lord’s Army are so vile that I need to eliminate them for my own mental stability as well.
And I would only contact the Knights Order.
From a purely strategic standpoint, I should also contact the Magic Association, the Church, and the Adventurers’ Guild. However, they are all strong-willed individuals, so cooperation would be unlikely. If a group were to move under those circumstances, it would only lead to confusion and result in an attack on them. Therefore, I would only reach out to the Knights Order, who are currently the most trustworthy and easiest to mobilize. If the Knights Order decides to coordinate with the Adventurers’ Guild to increase their numbers, I won’t stop them; that’s their choice, and if someone who understands the situation believes that’s the best course of action, then it must be the right decision.
“Hmm. Understood… But it’s surprising.”
“What’s surprising?”
“I thought that since you’re no longer a Hero, you wouldn’t take action on your own. I didn’t expect you to consider moving people and even include yourself in the plan.”
“Well, I got involved. Besides, I can’t stand demons or the Demon Lord’s Army. If they come into my sight or my area of activity, I will kill them.”
“I see… By the way, what would you do if you were told not to get involved?”
“Well… In that case, I’d choose a spot where they might be hiding and then move in that direction, killing any I encounter along the way. Since I was told not to get involved, there’s no need to report back, so it’s just a precaution.”
“Hmmm… I hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“Just hope for it.”
This was merely a discussion based on the worst-case scenario. If it doesn’t happen, then there’s no problem at all. Besides, I doubt it will come to that since Fana has already gone to report.
Well, let’s set aside those hypothetical discussions. More importantly, the possibility of high-rank demons forming groups and leaving them unchecked in multiple locations needs to be reported quickly. Whether they accept it or not, if we delay our response, the potential for damage will only increase.
“We’ve run out of time to move slowly. Let’s go.”
“Understood. I know the way from here, so if we get separated, just leave me behind. If it seems difficult to regroup, I’ll report to the Knights Order.”
“Ah… If it seems necessary to regroup, I’ll wait at the training grounds. If not, I’ll slip through the Royal Castle and hide somewhere out of sight… in an alley. I’ll be in a secluded alley, so if you finish your business during the day, we can meet there. I’ll be outside at night, so don’t bother looking for me.”
“Got it, I’ll leave it to you.”
“Please do.”
I conveyed various instructions and my course of action to Fana, then began to move, crushing the remnants of the demons beneath my feet. Unlike before, when we had moved slowly, I now ran, carefully controlling my strength to avoid disturbing the surroundings. For now, I matched my speed with Fana until we exited the forest… Once we were out, I pointed in the direction we needed to go and ran with all my might. If I exerted too much force, the ground would crack or shatter, so I made sure to gauge my strength as I ran.
“Alright, I’m heading out first.”
“Understood, see you later.”
“Yeah, see you later.”
Having grasped the rhythm, I called out to Fana before sprinting ahead. Once I got the hang of controlling my strength, I could run without affecting the ground around me. If I wanted to, I could even soar through the sky, but that wasn’t necessary for this distance, so I continued to run along the ground.
As I passed by monsters along the way, I sliced them apart like a butcher, leaving their remains scattered. For the bandits, I maintained my speed, using kicks and lariats to scatter them without slowing down.
With just two hours left, I should be able to arrive soon. If all goes well, I might finish my report before sunset.
It seemed I would arrive slightly earlier than initially planned, but given the detours I took, the Duke’s carriage would likely arrive first, allowing for a smooth reporting process.
Notes: Timeline of Events Surrounding the Protagonist
- Extermination of the Demon Lord’s Army executive & revocation of Hero status → One month passes for recovery and other matters → Departure from the Duke’s city toward the Royal Castle (Duke’s carriage departs simultaneously) → One day later, encounter with an undead horde & rescue of a carriage → Reunion with the rescued carriage & acceptance of escort request → Ten days of escorting the carriage while traveling, arriving near the Royal Castle → One day later, discovery & annihilation of a demon gathering.
The distance from the Duke’s city to the Royal Castle is approximately 150 kilometers.
The Duke’s carriage arrives around the midpoint of the escort period.
The prologue outside occurs shortly after, around the end of the escort period.