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[OHHH…!]
—let out cheers.
The magical war pigeon delivered a report of the Eastern Army’s battle results.
The contents were as follows:
The White Wolf Knights launched their attack from Fort Ira, the foremost line in Easter Magnar.
It was apparently led by Knight Leader Sigurd Sigmus himself.
The Heroes, Takao Sisters appear to have accompanied them with their attack.
And in what became the first battle of the Eastern Army——
It ended in a complete great victory.
It is estimated that at least 2000 monsters have been killed.
Now, the enemy has stopped their advance.
“The Black Wolf” Sigurd Sigmus especially mentioned…
[“The Takao Sisters… I was particularly astonished by the results of the S-Rank Hero, Hijiri Takao’s battle… According to the people who were able to witness their battle, they even went so far as to say that their performance was comparable to that of Sigurd Sigmus.”]
A light of hope shone in the eyes of the reading messenger.
“The Heroes from Another World really are our saviors.”
It was as if the voice in his heart could be felt by the people around us.
————We can win.
There was a mixture of nervousness and boredom in the atmosphere of these soldiers marching with us.
However, there were other dark emotions looming within this army.
It’s fear.
That recent news of the Western Magnar being completely trampled down had shaken a few soldiers.
However, the news of this victory pushed the fear that had been lingering within their army.
And as if it was being replaced, their morale was filled to the brim.
[We can do it… We will do it! Isn’t it true that even in the west, the Holy Extermination Force led by the Saint is pushing back the Great Demon Emperor’s Army!?]
Their feeling of euphoria from that victory quickly spread out.
[I’ve heard about the sheer amount of enemies we were going to have to fight… To be honest, I was a little freaked out…]
[I was also worried about the burden from the Tyrant’s Miasma…]
[However, I think we could fight against them just fine… I mean, the Western Army is putting up a good fight against them without any heroes within their ranks, right? That means… We can also do this!]
[Moreover, our Southern Army have the Goddess herself leading us, and there’s also the Four Revered Saints and the Dragonslayer here! Comparing the greatness of their reputation, the people we have wouldn’t lose against the White Wolf Knights or the Holy Extermination Force!]
[The Heroes from Another World were also amazing people themselves! It’s only been less than six months since they’ve been summoned, right? And yet, they weren’t that inferior even compared to that Black Wolf… As we thought, the Heroes from Another World really are our saviors!]
Naturally, the soldiers’ gazes gathered towards the Heroes.
They were particularly directed towards Kirihara and me, the same S-Rank Heroes as Hijiri.
The eyes of the soldiers are filled in expectations.
I could only look down towards my horse.
(I hope I can live up to these expectations…)
[Fufufu, that’s what I have expected from the Black Wolf. One of the most important factors in wars is the morale of the soldiers. The Saint was also aware of this, that’s why she launched their attack a bit later than him.]
Watching the soldiers becoming uplifted, the Goddess said.
[It seems that the Argyle and Sinbapa’s tragedy has caused no small amount of disturbance and fear among the soldiers of each country.]
I feel impressed.
(I see… By quickly reporting their victory results to the rest of the army, he restored the morale of the soldiers who had been becoming anxious…)
That’s why he said they launched their attacks.
It’s not that they clashed against them.
He just said they assaulted… and killed them.
The difference between those few words may be bigger than I thought.
Moreover, it’s the sortie of some with a value on his name.
“We’ve got people on our side who will bring us to victory.”
A symbol of victory.
Its very existence gives people courage.
With just these two victories, they have dispelled the losing mood around us.
(Perhaps, this is what the word “Hero” means… They’re people who give bravery to others.) (T/N: Heroes could also be read as Braves)
When I think about it like that, that word “Hero” doesn’t seem to sound bad at all.
[…Vysis.]
[Ara, what is it?]
Kirihara lined up his horse next to the Goddess and called out to her.
[In this battle, have you diligently prepared the stage most appropriate for me? Failing to think ahead is unforgivable, you know…]
[Kirihara-san is our hidden gem, after all. I thought that it would be a waste to just show you off that easily.]
[I know that’s indeed the case, but you’re a goddess who excels in deception. If the battle was to be decided by just the east and the west… It’s a stigma of your uselessness, showing how incapable you are for a goddess…]
[Eh? What did you just say?]
[Turning your eyes away and covering your ears, that certainly is something that weaklings do. Don’t you dare run away from reality, you hear me…?]
[Fufufu, you’re too bitter, Kirihara-san. In short… You must be feeling like Hijiri-san is one step ahead of you, right?]
[I can’t help but think that it should have been a given…]
Looking forward, Kirihara lazily swayed on his horse.
[It’s just that there’s nothing more unfortunate for this world than to be mistakenly recognizing Hijiri as the strongest of the Heroes… To put it in another way, it’s like mistaking the identity of the King.]
Kirihara slightly tilted his head.
Clack
[I have to use this battle to show the whole nation who is the true owner of the King’s Vessel. That is fate…]
[Kirihara-san, do you want to be a King?]
[It’s not that I don’t want to be one, but I’d become one whether I like it or not. If I have the environment to show my power, I’ll definitely become a king. In short…]
Kirihara exhales.
[The King in me will not allow me to run away from my throne.]
[Are you interested in the throne of one of the countries?]
[…I’m not uninterested. Well, it’s not a bad idea for me to leave a seed to someone worthy of me and to leave some excellent offspring in this world… However, it’s just that I don’t know how many people in this world are worthy of me…]
[Couldn’t it just be one of your classmates?]
[It might be better if it were Hijiri or Ayaka, though that might have been too limiting for me… I can’t help but think they would become a hindrance once we return back to our previous world… That Princess Knight of Neia that you’ve mentioned before had already died, right?]
[That’s right.]
[Tsk… I guess that leaves me with Jonato’s Queen and the Saint. The only one that seems a bit better than the others would be that Nyantan… However, that one has a questionable lineage. If she has a poor lineage, she could possibly muddy the kingliness of this Kirihara…]
[Then, how about the White Wolf Knights’ Artlight Sisters, they’re both beautiful and famous for their talent. They’re also a noble’s daughter.]
[If I feel like it, I’ll be happy to eventually meet them. But first, I have to show them what a king is all about… I’m not some kind of small-fry that’s all bark and no bite.]
Kirihara brushes his hair behind his back.
[Of all the
Heroes summoned, none of them have been able to keep up with my level. I’m now level 279… Even the runner up, Hijiri is more than 50 levels behind me. You know what this means, right? Even though our growth has slowed down, there’s still 50 levels of difference between us… This proves that there’s still a hierarchy even among the S-Ranks as well. In short—–]
Letting his right hand go of the reins, he thrust it forward.
It’s as if he’s trying to show off something.
[It means that no one is capable of surpassing this Kirihara.]
Then, Oyamada leaned his upper body out of the carriage.
It seems that he’s listening to the conversation.
[To be honest, can’t Takuto already kill that Great Demon Emperor all alone!? To be honestly honest, whether it’s that Sham Value Yasu, or the S-Rank Fraud President or those crazy twin sisters, don’t you think they’re not needed in this Another World Heroes story!? You over there! Goddess-sama! Listen! Listen! Listen!]
Holding unto the reins again, Kirihara turns around.
[Shougo, they’re also part of this story. It’s just a story about how they finally became aware of their place… Moreover, so that you could tell the difference between me and those small fries… You would need to summon “everyone” from class. When we go back to our previous world, the hierarchy within our class would be definite. And that hierarchy won’t be changed as anyone pleases…]
[Frankly speaking though, I think the Takaos and that Asagi were really annoying~! They’re already crumbling down the balance of our class just by being here~! Honestly, I’m really annoyed with those people who can’t understand the hierarchy~! If you just leave them as is, they would end up dying as a sh*tty trash just like that misunderstanding mob Mimori-chan~! They’re just crumbling down the whole ecosystem~!]
Then…
[That Mimori’s death is too unsightly, dying just as we came into another world. He’s really acting like the typical mob he is… Well, that’s the role of a mob. It’s like it’s in their fate already…]
Yasu, who had been silent until now, said with a distorted grin on his face.
[Mimori was a fake and I am the real deal. I mean, we were supposed to have just landed on the main story itself… My nature is that of a hero, while Mimori’s nature is that of a mob.]
[Ahh!? What the hell are you suddenly saying, you bastard Yasu!? You’ve changed your character too much in a seriously lame direction!]
[So, this is the jealousy for the real ones huh… It’s quite comfortable. Well, Oyamada would be quite suited to his role of being Kirihara’s flunky, the flunky who barks at every single thing he sees. You can’t even ride a horse after all.]
[I’ll kill you, bastard!]
[Kuhaha. That eldest sister of the Four Revered Saints were always talking down on you, but you can’t even do anything but bark… Kuhahaha! You’re too unsightly! Really, really unsightly!]
[…… Ah, I’ll seriously kill you.]
[I told you not to get involved with Yasu, Shougo.]
Kirihara stops him.
[But Takuto~? We seriously need to make them understand their place. Too bad that we don’t have any internet nor social media here, so I can’t expose his unsightly video around the world.]
[That’s what happens when midgets like him suddenly acquire power that’s more than he could hold… It’s the same way those nouveau riche ruins themselves. However, he’s a pierrot after all… He’s going to die away and disappear before you knew it. That’s why, you just need to wait until that time that Yasu gets forgotten in time…]
[…Fuunnn, hear that? Sham Value-kun?]
[Kuhaha, so even Kirihara started barking huh. Kukuku… As expected, you would find this Black Flames Hero very frightening… How comfortable, your fear is…]
[You can’t be saved from your stupidity anymore, Yasu Tomohiro…]
Watching such a scene, the Goddess brought her hands together and smiled.
[It’s great that everyone strongly wants to reach the top, isn’t it?]
* * *
The army heading for Magnar’s royal capital along with me were supposed to take some rest along the way.
It seems the place we would be resting in is a fortress called the Anti-Demon White Castle.
It happened a few days before we reached that castle——
A magical war pigeon that regularly comes, bringing a message.
A message that was directly handed over to the Goddess.
The Goddess looked through it as she always did.
However, her complexion suddenly changed.
[Did something happen?]
The one who spoke to her was the Four Revered Saint’s Agito Angoon.
[…I’ve heard that the monsters in the Eastern Invasion Force suddenly increased.]
[Suddenly? Does that mean they were lying in ambush?]
[No… This amount of monsters isn’t something that they would be able to hide for a long time. If there were many of those monsters moving around, our side would have noticed it sooner…]
[You mean… They just showed up out of nowhere?]
[That might be so.]
The Goddess has an unusually grim expression on her face.
[It seems that the foremost line in the Eastern Army, led by the White Wolf Knights abandoned Fort Ira and is currently retreating towards Fort Horun. Since they’ve decided to quickly withdraw, they didn’t lose that many people but…]
The Goddess’ voice became softer.
It’s just loud enough that I could barely hear her from where I am.
Unlike that time when the magical war pigeon brought news of victory, I don’t think this is the kind of news that she would want to let everyone know.
[Are you saying that there’s some kind of large-scale teleportation that happened over there? But I’ve never heard of something like that, so could you please stop fooling around…]
[No… If they have something like that, they would definitely use it for surprise attacks. Using that method doesn’t allow the opponents any time to retreat.]
[Ah, I see. Now that you mention it, that might be the case.]
[Like I said, I don’t think it is some kind of teleportation ability. If that were really the case, this kind of increase in the amount of monsters should have—-]
Furrowing her eyebrows, the Goddess quietly stared at the letter she received.
[I can only think that place may have turned into a new spawn point.]
[Eh? That would mean…]
[Yes… It’s only natural to this so because of “its” characteristics that had been described through the past information. I don’t know what it’s intentions are… but as expected, we can’t ignore this. However—– I see, so that’s how it is.]
As if she’s being enveloped with the dry, cold air from the midwinter cliffs, I couldn’t feel any hint of warmth on the smile that appeared on the Goddess’ face.
[So you’ve finally decided to come out, Great Demon Emperor?]
Chapter 169
CHANGE
I open up my eyes.
[———————–]
I can tell by the brightness of the room that it’s already morning.
We’re in a mysterious underground space controlled by the Witch of Taboos.
If this space possesses an environmental function that emulates the night, then it should be obvious that it also has one that emulates the day huh.
[Good morning.]
Turning my head to the side, I saw Seras sitting there.
She had already changed into her normal, plain clothes.
She was currently sitting on the edge of the bed with her body a bit twisted to the side.
One of her hands was propped on the bed while her upper body was facing towards me.
It looks like she have been in that posture for quite some time now but—–
[Are you waiting for me to wake
up?]
[It’s because I never get tired of looking at you as you sleep.]
[…That’s an inexpensive way to pass time.]
Lightly bantering with her, I gently touched my left shoulder.
Throb
[………]
There was still some pain left behind.
I was slightly hoping that my status correction would improve my recovery…
As expected it isn’t that omnipotent huh.
With the speed of my recovery, I don’t think it would be possible for me to recover in just a day or two.
If this pain lingers, it’s going to be a pain in the neck fighting against the Human-Faced.
Besides, I still haven’t fulfilled my purpose of getting information about the Forbidden Curses…
There’s no need for me to rush.
Making sure to protect my left shoulder, I raise up my body.
[Did you sleep well, Seras?]
“Yes.” Seras gently nodded.
[It looks like you’re sound asleep, Touka-dono.]
[I haven’t had such a deep sleep ever since we entered the Demon Zone… How should I say this… I feel like it’s been a long time since I’ve felt so refreshed.]
Seras brushed her hand around the area where I was sleeping.
I don’t know if I should ask what she could be doing or not.
…Ah, I see.
[With this, I think it would be alright for us to sleep together even in the future.]
Seras’ hand stopped.
I apparently hit the bingo huh.
Brushing her hair dropping down on her cheek, Seras turned away.
[Y—– Yes. I also think that wouldn’t be a problem. I may have woken up about an hour earlier than Touka-dono, but I’ve also had a good night’s sleep too. I’m now in my tip-top shape.]
[………]
You didn’t just spend nearly an hour just looking at me as I sleep, did you?
Checking the time on my pocket watch I placed beside my pillow, I asked.
[How am I when I slept? Did I sleeptalk or snore?]
[I don’t think there’s any problem? On the other hand though… after you invoked
I place down my pocket watch.
[You know, I’ve always been amazed at the way you sleep. I feel like you didn’t even turn over when you slept.]
