Chapter 4:
The Demon Lord's Army
LEARNING THAT ERLE KINGDOM was the continent's most powerful
country piqued my interest, but their castle proved a dingy little mansion
from my perspective.
I looked out a window to see a fortress city protected by high walls.
The castle had been constructed on a hill in the middle of town, but its
halls were narrow and dim. I had no idea whether they were in such dire
straits that they couldn't adequately light the place, or if it had always been
like that, but I could tell how pathetic the castle was just from wandering
around.
As I strolled the halls with my hands in my pockets, I spotted that
girl who looked like a high schooler—the one who'd been summoned as a
hero alongside me. She was up ahead, talking with the queen.
"Er... Your Majesty, is it?" I heard her say.
"Enola is just fine, my lady hero."
"Well, drop the 'my lady hero' thing, then. It's kinda embarrassing,
and it doesn't feel real."
"I shall call you Lady Kanami, then."
"The 'lady' part really isn't necessary."
"Nevertheless, I must show you some respect, considering what will
soon happen."
I quietly observed their friendly conversation until I heard the high
schooler's name. To my surprise, it was the name of my daughter in my
previous life.
"Kanami, huh?"
I stood frozen as I muttered her name, astonished. Anger and
sadness welled up, along with a bit of... No, that wasn't important. For a
split second, I wondered if the girl could actually be my daughter from my
past life, but I quickly rejected the idea. That was impossible.
Because I'd stopped and spoken her name, Kanami and Enola
turned, giving me suspicious looks.
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Kanami didn't seem happy about me repeating her name. "What do
you want? You better not tell me it's a weird name or something."
Since she seemed proud of her name, she couldn't be my daughter,
who had openly told me she hated the name I gave her.
When Kanami's attitude turned hostile, I noticed my shadow twitch.
I glanced down at it, then shrugged at her. "I was just surprised. I used to
know someone with the same name. How do you write it?"
I intended this as nothing more than a casual question, but Kanami's
reaction was unexpected.
"I don't like the characters, so I'm not telling you."
"What? So you don't like your name?" Even though she'd warned
me not to make fun of it?
"I like my name. I just don't like the characters."
"Um, okay."
After that exchange, Kanami turned and strode off down the hall.
Once she'd left, I reviewed all the reasons she couldn't possibly be my
daughter. First of all, it had already been more than eighty years since I
was reincarnated. Even supposing that some sort of time anomaly occurred
when we were summoned, the likelihood of the two of us reuniting like
this was astronomically low, as close to zero as could be. I simply didn't
believe it would happen.
While I mulled it over, Enola's guards threw suspicious looks my
way. Not that I blamed them, considering how rude I'd been to their
mistress. I sensed the entity lurking within my shadow observing them
with similar wariness.
"We've prepared a banquet for our heroes," Enola told me. "I only
hope our food suits your palate, my lord."
A banquet, eh?
***
The little dinner Enola called a "banquet" was as bad as I expected.
Not because Erle Kingdom's cuisine was lacking, but because the food
made it obvious how badly the country was suffering. They were so
impoverished, they couldn't even put together a half-decent meal for
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heroes they'd summoned from other worlds.
After dinner, Kanami and I were taken to a reception room and told
to wait until our chambers were prepared. Kanami watched me lie down
on a couch, looking as if she wanted to tell me it was bad manners. Guess
she was raised properly.
"Are you really a noble, Mr. Liam?"
"Why would you doubt it?" I rolled over to look at Kanami, who'd
been criticizing my attitude since our summoning.
"Well, you've been so rude the whole time we've been here. You
even complained about the food at dinner and put Enola on the spot."
"I didn't say the food was bad. I just said it didn't suit my tastes. I
wasn't insulting this planet's cuisine." It really did have a flavor I was
unfamiliar with.
Kanami didn't seem to understand. "I'm saying your attitude is
unacceptable when Enola is showing us so much hospitality."
"Goody two-shoes, much?"
"What? I'm just talking about normal gratitude."
I gave her an astounded look, admiring Enola's ability to manipulate
people. She'd completely won Kanami over after a single dinner. I'd taken
Enola for a sheltered noble girl, but she had real potential as a ruler.
"Are you stupid? These people abducted us, and you're gonna suck
up to them?"
"Th-they only did that because they're in trouble..."
I realized something about Kanami then—she didn't know much
about magic, and had likely been summoned from a world where it didn't
exist.
"The trouble they're in is their responsibility. It's got nothing to do
with us. Plus, they used a one-way summoning technique. They have no
intention of returning us to where we came from."
That spell was entirely too sloppy. It just summoned a "hero" from
anywhere at all; it didn't specify a particular world. They'd probably
summoned Kanami and me from the same universe, but different planets.
Of course, that wouldn't necessarily be true if there'd been some mishap...
which seemed awfully likely, given the technique they'd employed.
Instability in their summoning circle had probably allowed them to
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summon me from my mansion, although it had layers of security meant to
prevent that. In fact, an accident was just about the only way to explain
how that had occurred. It was ridiculous that Citasan's family had passed
the crude technique down for three hundred years.
"That can't be." Kanami's eyes widened with surprise.
I yawned, then explained the situation. "Remember what Enola said
at dinner? They want us to kill some demon lord. They can't do anything
about it themselves, so they're relying on us—hence the hospitality. That's
why I'm saying it's stupid to be on your best behavior with them."
I'd patiently explained that we were being used, but Kanami just
puffed up her cheeks angrily. Couldn't she accept the truth? Did she just
want to disagree because she didn't like me?
As it turned out, Kanami had an interesting set of circumstances.
"I don't really care if I can't go home," she snapped.
"Huh? What, do you not have parents?"
I'd figured she was a high school student because of her uniform, so
I'd also assumed she still lived with her parents. When I told her the
summoning was one-way, I'd expected her to sob and protest that she
wanted to go home. In fact, I'd kind of prepared for that annoying
possibility.
On her own couch, Kanami wrapped her arms around her legs. "I
just don't want to go back. Even if I did, there'd be no place for me there. I
don't want to see my mother, and my papa abandoned us."
Her mother was "mother," but her father was "papa"? Sounded
complicated...not that I gave a crap about that. I wanted to avoid subjects
that reminded me of my own past family. I shouldn't have to remember
those unpleasant times while dealing with being hijacked to this backwater
planet.
"Hunh," I said. "Well, you can stay, then."
"You make it sound like you can go back."
"Let me tell you, they're mistaken about one thing. I wasn't
summoned from another universe. I'm sure this is the same one I came
from."
"What? Well, there wasn't any magic on my planet." Kanami tilted
her head in wonder.
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Before I could figure out how to explain things further, someone
came and informed us that our rooms were ready.
***
I followed the attendant to my room, where I sat on a large bed.
Won't be able to sleep great on this, I realized right away. I understood
that this planet's beds couldn't compare to the sort I usually slept on; still,
the evil lord in me demanded better treatment.
"Look at this crappy bed. They're gonna hear about this tomorrow.
Anyway, we're finally alone. Why not come out and show me your face?"
I had been the only one in the room, but once I spoke, my shadow
wriggled and a figure appeared from within it. A woman in a mask—one
of Kukuri's operatives—slowly emerged from the darkness. She rested on
one knee, her head bowed.
Sitting casually on the bed with my legs crossed, I looked down at
the masked woman. "You were guarding me, and got caught in the
summoning?"
I was sure she could have escaped the magic circle easily, but had
chosen to come along instead. She even seemed to feel responsible for the
incident.
"Upon your safe return to your domain, I shall atone for this failure
with my life," she replied. "I can only offer my deepest apologies for now.
Please, at least allow me to continue protecting you until you get home—I
beg of you!"
I was Kukuri's operatives' employer, and they were all so
impressively loyal that they frequently offered to pay for failures with their
lives. In this case, however, I could easily have escaped the magic circle if
I wanted to. I'd only allowed myself to be summoned because it was an
easy way to escape being ganged up on by Amagi and Brian.
In short, I'd been transported here of my own free will, so it would
bother me to have this woman atone with her life. Besides, that
punishment would be a waste—reducing Kukuri's organization by even
one member would be a great loss. Sparing her didn't contradict my
morals as an evil lord, of course, since I was only concerned about
maintaining resources.
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"It would be wasteful to execute you for something so trivial. There
aren't many of you operatives, after all. For the time being, don't worry
about atoning for this."
Despite my vagueness, Kukuri's operative responded with surprise.
"Yes, sir."
I remembered another thing I needed to take care of. "Right now,
the only issue is your name."
"My name? Master Liam, we—"
"I know."
It was a pain to keep thinking of her as "the masked woman" or
"Kukuri's operative," but her organization didn't use names. Maybe they
referred to one another by name privately, but they never did so in their
work. Only their leader, Kukuri, went by a name, and it wasn't his true
name. They wouldn't even give their names to me, their employer. It was
their clan's rule, but it proved too inconvenient in situations like this.
The masked woman would probably resist if I asked that she tell me
her real name, so I decided to give her a temporary one myself.
"We'll be together for a little while, so it'll be more convenient if
there's something I can call you. What would be good for someone in your
line of work? Hmm... How about Kunai?"
In my old life's terms, these guys were reminiscent of ninjas.
Naming her after one of the concealed blades a ninja carried seemed
perfect. I'd thought of "shuriken" first, but that didn't work as well as a
name. Kunai it was.
The masked woman—Kunai—bowed her head and thanked me
effusively. "Receiving a name from you is an honor I do not deserve,
Master Liam! I swear that I will protect you!"
I'd come up with the name on the fly, so it was kind of weird that
she was so thrilled. Well, better that she likes it, I guess.
I supposed she felt pretty lucky to receive a name from me. After
all, I hadn't given many out. I'd named my dog in my previous life,
Amagi, and...my daughter. But I remembered her saying her name was
weird, and that she'd always hated it, when we parted.
I still couldn't believe a girl with my daughter's name had been
summoned as a hero with me. What a crazy coincidence.
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Kunai still knelt, awaiting orders. "Well, things'll be rough for a
while, but I'll be counting on you," I told her.
"Of course!" she responded, even more enthusiastic than before.
"Your first task will be information gathering. I want you to see
whether the people here are telling the truth about everything. Gather as
much info as you can."
"Certainly." Kunai sank back into the floor.
After she left, I lay on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. My
thoughts turned to my coworker from my old life, Nitta.
"If this really is another planet, then I've transmigrated. Since I
already reincarnated into another universe, I could tell Nitta I got to do
both."
Would he be jealous? He'd probably gripe that my summoning was
just teleportation, since I hadn't actually gone to another universe. Nitta
was always picky about details.
As I lay there grinning to myself, reminiscing about Nitta, I realized
the room had been far too poorly cleaned; the bed was also made sloppily.
This kingdom may have been in trouble, with a demon lord coming for
them, but that didn't mean I had to appreciate my treatment. Kanami
seemed to sympathize with Enola, but from my point of view, they'd
summoned me—me—to wipe their asses for them. I didn't expect the kind
of hospitality I'd get in an intergalactic nation, but couldn't they put in a
little more effort? I had no intention of settling for modest lodgings out of
sympathy for my hosts' impoverishment! I was a villain, after all. I
expected luxury, no matter how Enola's country or subjects suffered for it.
That was only fitting of an evil lord like me.
"Now then..."
I sat up in bed and touched my bracelet. A magic circle appeared
above it, floating in the air, and several objects materialized from within it.
I'd stored some convenient items in this bracelet, which utilized spatial
magic, for just such an emergency.
Lifting one of the objects—a drone—I headed for the window.
When I tossed the drone outside, it deployed a small propeller and floated
into the air.
"All right, I've sent a distress signal. My ride will be here
eventually. Until then, I'll just enjoy myself on this planet."
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I planned to have some fun with this "transmigration to another
world." For Nitta's sake.
***
Kunai left Liam's room and headed out on her mission, her steps
lighter than usual. She noted her newfound, uncharacteristic excitement
with some surprise.
I wasn't expecting Master Liam to give me a name! He likely
thought nothing of it, but I must repay him for this honor somehow.
As a member of Kukuri's organization, Kunai had been born into a
dark world of secrecy. When she died, she would leave behind no trace—
no evidence that she had ever existed—just like her parents and siblings,
who'd lost their lives in battle two thousand years earlier. Nothing of her
family remained. Nothing was allowed to remain, not even their names.
Their organization only used names when interacting with people for their
work. Their leader had a name he went by, but no one else was allowed
one for personal use. Still, if there was a loophole, it would be their
employer giving them a name.
As stealth operatives, they weren't allowed to leave proof of their
existence behind—not even in people's memories. As a result of this rule,
more than a few members of their organization experienced profound
loneliness, including Kunai. Liam giving her a name, though, was a sign
that she would now exist inside someone's memory.
I'm sure the boss will punish me for failing, once this incident is
done with, but I don't care. Some part of me, however small, will remain in
Master Liam's memory even after I'm gone.
Kunai still felt that Liam's summoning was her fault. Kukuri had
assigned her to guard Liam, since she was one of the most skilled members
of their organization. Yet she'd failed to protect her master from the
summoning magic that teleported him away.
In the minds of Kukuri and his people, Liam wasn't simply someone
to whom they owed gratitude. He was the master they had always wished
to serve. He didn't fear them, and he made good use of their abilities,
respectfully treating them as valuable tools. Most people feared them, and
in the past, they'd been treated with disgust and betrayed more than once.
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They'd been turned to stone after one such betrayal, and remained that
way for two thousand years. The emperor who'd inflicted that on them no
doubt did so because he greatly feared them. He'd made use of them when
it was convenient, but put them through hell once he no longer wanted
anything to do with them.
The emperor had ultimately made that decision out of weakness.
He'd feared them, kept them at arm's length, and then tried to get rid of
them. Liam had no such weakness. As a master of the Way of the Flash, he
was possibly the strongest person in the Empire, and always acted with
complete confidence. Liam would never fear Kukuri's organization, and
he made use of them as a proper master should.
How many other nobles in the Empire were so competent? Kunai
might believe there were a couple, but would just as readily accept that
there weren't any. She and the other operatives happily devoted their lives
to Liam thanks to the strength of his character.
Arriving at a break room within the castle, Kunai spotted a number
of knights. These knights were either very old or very young, and none
looked like they could put up anything like a decent fight. She hid in the
shadows to eavesdrop on their conversation. Their security is a joke. I
doubt they'd notice my presence even if they took every precaution they
were capable of. This is pathetic.
"I don't care if he's a hero from another universe. How could he say
a feast like that 'didn't suit his tastes'?" one young knight complained,
angry about Liam's attitude at the banquet. "I wanted to deck the guy."
Kunai felt her hand move toward her weapon, but managed to resist
the urge to open his carotid then and there.
An old man laughed. "Now, now. He's the hero who will defeat the
demon lord. A little arrogance is hardly something to get upset about," he
admonished.
"I know, but Her Majesty is bending over backward for these
people, and neither of them understand the situation!"
The young man was upset that Liam and Kanami didn't appear to
appreciate the hospitality Enola was showing them. Kunai understood his
frustration, but her loyalty to Liam caused her to feel hostile toward the
boy. You abducted our master, and now have the nerve to speak of him like
this? You may only be an ignorant boy, but this is beyond insolent.
If she weren't on a mission, Kunai might have killed the boy for his
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words. She had orders, however, so she left the break room to seek
information on Erle Kingdom.
This country's doing even worse than I imagined.
Having heard enough of one conversation, Kunai switched to a
different room, gathering information as she went.
***
Early the next morning, Kanami and I were led to the armory. The
queen herself was taking time out of her busy schedule to show us our
heroes' armaments. When we got to the armory, however, there was barely
anything in there. They had so few spears, bows, and arrows left, their
country was obviously on its last legs.
Enola had her knights bring out some items stored in a safe.
"These armaments represent the very best of Erle Kingdom's
capabilities."
They showed me a sword and a full suit of armor, both silvery with
gold ornamentation.
Kanami looked down at the items blithely. "How pretty. They're so
shiny."
Enola smiled awkwardly at Kanami's innocent observation.
"They're more than just their appearance. These are national treasures,
imbued by runes with protection magic."
I was actually surprised to realize what the armor was made of.
"Mithril, eh?"
Enola seemed pleased that I recognized it. "Yes, the armor is
precious mithril. There were only ever three sets on the entire continent,
and now only this one remains."
From her bitter expression, I surmised that the other two had been
lost in this war with the demon lord.
I reached out and brazenly touched the armor, ignoring the sour
looks the attending knights gave me. Even Enola looked nervous, but I
shrugged that off. After all, there was no point in armor that wasn't going
to be handled. Picking up the helmet and observing it, I sighed when I
found what I'd expected.
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"Sure, there's magic in this armor, but barely. The mithril's purity
and craftsmanship are commendable, but the runes are beyond crude."
The mithril's quality was better than what I'd expected of Erle
Kingdom, given their technological capabilities, but the rune work was just
as haphazard as the magic circle they'd used to summon me.
Kanami frowned after hearing my assessment, no doubt thinking
that I'd made things awkward again. As if to prevent me from saying
anything more, she turned to Enola and asked, "Is it really okay for us to
use national treasures like these?"
Enola gripped the staff that served as proof of her royal office
tighter. "Legend has it that no normal weapon can even scratch the demon
lord. You'll likely need these to defeat him."
"So who's going to use them?" Having been reminded about the
demon lord, Kanami looked nervous. "I assume you, Mr. Liam?"
When she said my name, all eyes turned to me. I tossed the mithril
helmet to a knight, who scrambled to catch the national treasure, sighing
with relief when he managed it. He glared at me, but if the armor was
intended for war, no one should care if it simply fell to the floor.
At any rate, I had no intention of using their gear. "I don't need it."
Enola wasn't sure how to respond. "Er, umm..."
Noticing that the queen was lost for words, Kanami complained on
her behalf. "Weren't you listening? You can't beat the demon lord without
these."
I sighed at her naïveté. She was such a goody two-shoes; it made me
sick. It felt like I was looking at my old self.
"Regardless, what's the plan here?" I asked. "Are we charging
straight for the demon lord, or do we have to collect some kind of trinket
we'll need to beat him?" A journey of trials and tribulations was a staple in
fictional stories of this type. In any case, since I was stuck on this
undeveloped planet for now, it might be fun to at least go on a little
sightseeing tour.
Enola still looked uncertain of what she should say. "Trinkets? Like
armaments? These mithril treasures should be all you need. You shouldn't
have to go find more," she told me. "Right now, one of the demon lord's
Elite Four, the Lion General, is marching on our capital with an army of
barbaric demihumans."
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Nitta would have been excited to hear about an "Elite Four," but I
was more curious about the vitriol with which Enola spoke of this army.
"Barbaric demihumans, eh?" I turned away from her and scoffed.
"Sounds like you sure hate them."
"O-of course I do!" Enola's voice rose. "They invaded our territory,
tormented our people, and engaged in all manner of savagery, even before
the demon lord's resurrection! I assure you, 'barbaric' is exactly how to
describe them!"
Kanami seemed surprised at Enola's passionate response.
Enola was still going. "They've taken the lives of so many of my
people. They attack innocent towns and villages to steal their food, leaving
the people there to starve. I will never forgive what they've done!"
"How terrible." Kanami grimaced, no doubt angered. She took
everything Enola said at face value. It was completely ridiculous.
"I'm sorry." Enola was clearly ashamed of how heated she'd gotten.
"I shouldn't have shouted like that. I must get back to my work. Please feel
free to use anything you find in this room."
She left with her retinue of maids and guards.
Kanami turned to me, irritated. "There you go again, Mr. Liam. Are
you trying to make these people angry?"
She honestly pitied Enola and Erle Kingdom's citizens for their
plight? How comical. What a pure-hearted child.
"You're the perfect hero," I told her. "An easily influenced fool."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
I leaned in, giving her a little smile. "You seriously believe they're
telling the truth about all this?"
Kanami took a step back, flustered. She seemed unable to
understand what I was telling her. "W-well, they summoned us 'cause
they're in trouble, right?"
"You really are an easy mark. Do you think everyone in existence is
a good person?" I was becoming exasperated.
Kanami hung her head. "There are good people. Isn't it just as
stupid to suspect everyone of being bad? I don't want to live like that."
Hearing that, I was sure of one thing. "We two will never get along.
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I'm going to do what I want. Why don't you just suit up and get ready to
fight that demon lord?"
"You're not going to fight, Mr. Liam?" Her apparent shock seemed
to ask, Women and children are fighting, but you're just going to run
away?
I decided to give her some guidance, though I wasn't sure why.
Normally, I wouldn't want anything to do with a good-natured fool like
her, but I couldn't leave it alone for some reason. Maybe because she had
the same name as her...
"I said I'm going to do what I want. But if you're gonna fight, you
need to hurry up and get ready. Like Enola said, the demon lord's army is
getting close."
"Huh?"
My advice given, I left Kanami behind in the armory.
***
With Liam gone, Kanami seethed with irritation. "What's his
deal?!" She had resolved to fight for the people of Erle Kingdom, but Liam
hardly seemed motivated to help.
Watching the irritated Kanami were some maids who'd been told to
help the girl don the armor, and some knights to serve as her guards.
Sensing their gazes, Kanami smiled awkwardly.
"Umm..." A knight even younger than Kanami spoke up hesitantly.
"I think your behavior is very admirable, Lady Kanami! I really appreciate
what you just said."
"R-really?"
"Yes! You don't want to always suspect people of being bad. I don't
want to live that way, either."
"I... Thanks," Kanami said, happy to hear his words.
"I'll tell the other knights what you said!" the boy continued,
inspired.
"W-wait," Kanami said. "I can't take credit for it! My father taught
me that."
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"Your father?"
"Yeah. Once, a long time ago, he said he found it exhausting to be
too wary of people all the time. He wanted to believe in them instead. I
want to live like my father did."
The words had come from someone important to her, and
remembering that made Kanami's chest tighten with both pride and shame.
After all, it was her betrayal that had ultimately caused such a wonderful
person agony.
***
I returned to my room after leaving the armory and lounged on my
bed until Kunai soundlessly returned. I looked over to see her already on
one knee, bowing her head.
"I have a report, Master Liam."
Instead of responding, I merely yawned.
Taking that as an acknowledgment, Kunai spoke. "The demon lord's
army should arrive at the capital in three days."
"Faster than I thought. No wonder the queen's desperate. What else
have you got?"
"It's true that this country is in trouble. They're gathering women,
children, and the elderly from both the capital and nearby regions to fight
in the war."
"It's too late for us to help them. Enola should have summoned her
heroes earlier."
Erle Kingdom was on borrowed time. The situation was clear: they
simply didn't have enough adult men. Even if they beat the demon lord's
army, I couldn't imagine the country had any sort of future. It would
depend on the other countries around here, of course, but I could envision
opportunistic humans conquering Erle Kingdom after the demon lord went
down. On the other hand, if all the other countries were already gone and
Erle Kingdom was the only one remaining, they'd have a very hard time
getting back on their feet. As I'd told Kunai, if they had planned on
summoning heroes for help, they really should have done it before things
got this bad. I didn't judge Enola for hesitating, of course. If I were in her
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position, I doubt I'd have gambled on the slight chance of victory a hero
might provide.
This was a bad situation to be in, however you looked at it. From
Enola's helplessness, I guessed that whoever was actually supposed to be
on the throne had died in the war, and now she was stuck doing a job she
wasn't prepared for. As I thought about it, I remembered that, during the
banquet, she'd mentioned not having been raised as the heir.
If I blamed anyone for Erle Kingdom's situation, it was the previous
king, who'd sent his heir into battle without foreseeing the consequences.
If that king had summoned a hero, things might not have gotten this bad. I
knew from experience how much it sucked to have an incompetent
predecessor, so I sympathized with Enola, but that didn't mean I forgave
her for summoning me to this dump.
***
Erle Kingdom's capital was protected by high walls, so the demon
lord's army had camped around the fortress city. That army was composed
of a great variety of races, none human. The vast majority were
demihumans who had been driven from their homes by prejudiced humans
at some point.
Inside an army tent, a wolfman stood before the Lion General, one
of the demon lord's Elite Four. Other representatives of the races making
up the army were grouped around them.
The wolfman looked almost human, his only nonhuman features
being his pointed ears and bushy tail. The general, Nogo, was much more
beastlike, like a lion walking on two legs. He was furry and stood two and
a half meters tall. Behind him in the spacious tent was a harem of lion
women.
As one of those women filled his cup with alcohol, Nogo addressed
the wolfman. "So, when can we move in to take the capital?"
The wolfman, Glass, was a warrior, but also served as a tactician.
Despite being the brains of Nogo's operation, he wasn't particularly
blessed with ingenuity. Beastfolk were simple fighters who crushed human
opponents with superior strength. If they walked into a trap, they dealt
with it after the fact. Yet despite these crude tactics, they'd driven Erle
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Kingdom into a corner, and were now about to attack their capital.
"Our warriors can take the city in three days. Those walls will prove
meaningless before our might."
Plenty of demihumans would have no trouble climbing the walls. If
they snuck into the capital at night and opened the gates from the inside,
their army would be able to invade the city easily.
Demihumans were bigger and stronger than humans, so they were
unlikely to lose in a one-on-one fight. Each was a powerful warrior, yet
humans had prevailed against them until recently. That was because the
various demihuman races had been unable to join forces against the
humans. The arrival of the demon lord and Lion General Nogo finally
brought the demihumans together, and now they were on the verge of
conquering Erle Kingdom.
Nogo opened his large mouth and laughed, prompting everyone
around him to laugh as well. They were all convinced they'd take the city.
"We've got a good report to send the demon lord, then! Now, drinks
all around, to celebrate our coming victory!"
Those gathered in the tent roared.
***
His comrades were still making merry in the tent, but Glass had left
the party early. His daughter, who had been waiting for him outside, ran
over when she noticed him.
"Chino!" Spotting her, Glass called out as he made his way to her.
"Let's return to our camp."
"Yes, Father!"
The girl, Chino, was small and slim, her face retaining its
youthfulness. Her wolf's ears and tail were silver, her eyes yellow. She
was a cute girl who didn't look a bit like a warrior, but she had been
blessed with extraordinary strength since childhood and could defeat most
average warriors with ease.
Chino wagged her tail eagerly. "Father, when will the attack begin?
I can't wait for my first battle! With this fight, we'll finally take back our
territory from the humans, won't we?"
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Glass chided Chino for her restlessness. "Don't wag your tail like
that. It shows how immature you are for a warrior."
"I-I apologize!" Chino's tail stilled, her ears drooping sadly.
Warriors couldn't afford to let their emotions be easily read.
Controlling their ear and tail movements was one of the basics for wolffolk
warriors. Seeing his daughter's inability to do so, Glass laid his hand on
her head and tousled her hair fondly.
"Now your ears are drooping."
"Augh!"
Glass could see Chino become even more despondent, which made
him nervous. "I'm worried about sending you into battle like this. Perhaps
I should have left you at home for this fight."
Chino looked up at him with sudden petulance. "I'm a warrior of
our village like anyone else, Father! I'm the priestess of our tribe, too. It
would shame our tribe if I never fought in a battle."
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Glass frowned. "I suppose you're right about that. You're my
daughter, but you're also the precious priestess of our tribe."
Chino put her hands on her hips and puffed out her small chest with
pride. "I'm a silver wolf, after all."
Glass laughed as they approached their camp together. "I never
thought I would have a silver wolf child. There hasn't been one in decades,
not even in other villages."
The wolffolk had a legend that said children born with silver fur
held spiritual abilities, so they had to be carefully raised as priestesses.
Having that silver fur herself, Chino was indeed spiritually gifted
compared to other wolffolk. Even the chiefs of villages and leaders like
Glass—who'd brought multiple villages together—had no choice but to
bow before their tribe's priestess. As members of a warrior race, however,
even priestesses had to experience war to be considered adults. Glass had
brought their precious priestess to battle so she could gain the experience
needed to call herself an adult of their tribe.
"Once I've seen my first battle," Chino said, "our clan will finally
have a priestess again. Then you'll be able to take it easy, Father."
Glass's standing in the wolffolk tribe would be set in stone, even
more so than it already was for the father of their priestess.
He chuckled, looking down at Chino. "Maybe the silver-wolf
legends are just myths. Besides your fur, I haven't seen many signs that
you're spiritually gifted."
Chino looked away, as if bothered by that fact. "I'll display my
priestess abilities as soon as I'm in my first battle."
"I'm looking forward to that."
They arrived at the wolffolk camp. Glass entered his tent, inviting
Chino inside to continue their conversation. Taking a seat on the ground,
Glass grumbled about the meeting he'd just attended. "General Nogo's
still acting foolish. He'll go through the food we plundered in no time."
The general took every opportunity to celebrate, wasting their
precious food supply. It concerned Glass.
Chino didn't seem to understand what he was so worried about.
"Erle Kingdom has plenty of food stores. We'll just replenish our supply
as soon as we defeat them." The capital was a large city; she assumed it
must have a lot of food.
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Glass couldn't be so optimistic. "The humans aren't exactly thriving
right now. They don't necessarily have much food in the capital. If worst
comes to worst, we might end up fighting among ourselves for what's left.
Don't forget that, Chino."
"Y-yes, sir," she answered, though it was clear she still hadn't fully
grasped the situation.
Glass was uneasy. The beastfolk had ravaged the humans' territory,
devouring their food stores like locusts as they went. He was disgusted by
how much of their sustenance General Nogo had squandered. More than
once, Glass had made his opinions clear to the general. However, the
demihumans valued strength above any other quality, and no one among
them was stronger than Nogo. All Glass's warnings were in vain if Nogo
refused to listen.
"Since receiving power from the demon lord, General Nogo is too
strong. We could all go at him together, and we still wouldn't win. We
have no choice but to obey him, but it's dangerous to waste our food
supply like he does."
Chino's expression said she didn't understand such complicated
matters. Still, she'd heard that there was food to be plundered when they
won, so she remained optimistic, trying to put her father at ease. "It'll be
all right, Father! Everywhere else had ample food stores. I'm sure the
capital will have even more!"
All Glass could do was give her an exasperated look. "I hope you're
right."
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