The Fox Recovers
Press, press—. Lily’s slender fingers dug firmly into Garam’s neck. At a glance, it looked as though no amount of pressure could possibly hurt, yet these were the same hands that had swung a mace and shattered the skull of the first Fragment of the Demon God. Naturally, outward fragility did not mean inner weakness.
“…How does it feel?”
“Could you maybe not press so hard? Even something that doesn’t hurt starts hurting when you do that.”
“It is because Senior Disciple Garam has a history of trying to endure pain.”
“Sorry, sorry. I already apologized for that. I won’t do it again.”
“…Are you certain it truly does not hurt?”
“Really. I can even breathe properly now. No matter how much of a fox I am, I have no intention of disobeying Master’s words. If something goes wrong because of that, Master will be terribly disappointed in me.”
“It is a relief to hear you say that.”
Lily withdrew her hands along with her divine power at those words. In response, Garam gave her a look that seemed to ask, “Is it over now?”
“You are perfectly healed. You may move freely.”
“…Phew. Finally, finally! I’m free from that damned Jenia’s nagging!”
“Free, you say?”
“Of course!”
“How strange. It felt as though you were secretly enjoying it.”
“…Are you crazy? Why would I enjoy Jenia’s nagging?”
“You may not realize it yourself, but Daisy and I could tell.”
“What a horrifying thing to say! No, that’s not true! Why would I enjoy that nagging?!”
Garam shouted in genuine disbelief. Her ears stood straight up, her fur bristled, and her tail stretched out in a rigid line. It was as if she were shouting with her entire body, “I’m in a bad mood!” Lily merely shrugged, as if to say they should move on.
“You should be careful. It took over two weeks just to heal the wound completely.”
“Honestly, you were the one who forced me to stay put for the past week.”
“A perfect physical condition draws out the greatest combat strength. The enemy we faced was already weakened, yet it still inflicted a fatal wound on you, Senior Disciple. If you had been held any longer—if Master had not drawn the full moon—who knows what might have happened.”
“…Of course. At best I would have been seriously injured. In the worst case, I wouldn’t even be here.”
As she spoke, Garam gently stroked her own neck. The pain and discomfort had vanished completely, but the moment the Fragment had seized her throat remained a truly horrific memory. At first there had been a burning sensation, as if scorched by flames, followed immediately by the agony of lightning striking. The pain was not limited to the wound itself. A strange energy had seeped inside, clashing with her inner energy and causing an explosion. At the same time, her airway had been blocked, making it difficult even to breathe.
As Lily had said, if she had been held any longer, she would have needed months of recovery—or, worse, she would already be buried in the ground, slowly rotting away.
“To think another one of those vicious creatures has appeared. And this one will only grow stronger.”
“It would be fortunate if it ended with just one. If another Fragment reveals itself, that would be the worst of the worst.”
“Hmm. I don’t think it’s necessarily that bad.”
“What do you mean?”
“The second Enemy’s Will was born from the blood and lives spilled in the Royal Capital. In other words, creating one Enemy’s Will requires an enormous sacrifice. Yet Master said the Enemy’s Will grows stronger by feeding on the fear, despair, blood, and lives of the world.”
“…Does that mean to obtain one, the other must be abandoned?”
“Exactly. If it wants to create a new Enemy’s Will, it must temporarily slow the second one’s growth. Conversely, if it wants the second one to grow stronger, it must delay creating a new one.”
“…That is certainly a highly plausible prediction.”
“Master already agreed. I mentioned it to him the day before we left.”
Lily replied that if their master had reacted that way, the possibility became even higher. After all, even the Grandmaster admired the insight their master possessed.
“Well, whatever the case, we need to move quickly. Whether the Enemy’s Will grows stronger or multiplies, neither outcome is good for us.”
Clack—. Garam spoke as she fastened the sword at her waist. The weapon, adorned with golden thread on a crimson scabbard, had been bestowed upon her by Namgung Hyeon. It was something she cherished as much as her own life.
“I heard the news. They say the enemy is already on the move.”
“Yes. I thought they would stay quiet for at least a month, but it seems not.”
“They’ve chosen their direction well. Since they can no longer gather cultists, they’re just going to bite whatever they can. Whether they shake us with words or with force, the result is the same—we’ll be shaken.”
“The first report came from the north.”
“Of all places, that’s where Gerard and Iris went.”
“Could the Enemy’s Will be there?”
At Lily’s question, Garam appeared to sink into thought. After the Enemy’s Will had disappeared, full-scale attacks had resumed in the north. Monsters had raided the outer villages, slaughtering every last survivor and reducing the area to ruins. At first, she had thought the Enemy’s Will might be there. But upon further reflection, that did not seem entirely correct.
“I don’t think that’s the case.”
“Why not?”
“If the Enemy’s Will were really there, it would be strange. The moment the attacks began, the Heroes would head straight there. Exposing its own location makes no sense.”
“It could be trying to lure and eliminate the Heroes.”
“That’s possible. But already? When the second Enemy’s Will appeared, it abandoned the fight and fled—even though it had two Demonic Humans following it.”
“…Does that mean it is not yet complete?”
“It wasn’t then, and it probably isn’t now.”
“Then luring the Heroes would be absurd. It might end up being the one caught instead.”
Garam nodded in agreement. Rather than drawing the Heroes toward itself, it was far more likely trying to keep them as far away as possible. After all, the Enemy’s Will could still slowly devour the blood and lives spilled elsewhere. It did not need to be present in person.
“Now that my wounds are healed, Jenia and I should move out soon.”
“We should also prepare to depart as soon as we are ready.”
“Right. By the way, are there any other reports besides that?”
Lily had been practically living in the Royal Palace because of King Carlos II and Princess Catherine. Thanks to that, she could easily and naturally obtain news that reached the royal family.
“Actually, it seems there are some problems in the south as well.”
“…The south?”
“Yes. Several villages have vanished without a trace, and monsters are being sighted every night.”
“Hold on. You said the south just now? Are you sure?”
“Yes. It is certain. Though it is at the very edge, in a very remote area.”
“…Master is there.”
“That is correct.”
“The Grandmaster is there too. And Esther and Iris.”
Lily slowly nodded at Garam’s words. The Sword Hero blinked a few times before letting out a sigh.
“Let’s just hope there isn’t an Enemy’s Will there.”
Because they would have to face the strongest enemies in history—two of them.
While the other Heroes were still staying in the Royal Capital, Gerard and Iris had already arrived in the north following Namgung Hyeon’s orders. Neither of them had suffered serious injuries like Garam, nor did they have duties keeping them in the capital like Lily or Daisy. They had therefore suggested that leaving the capital quickly would be best. Thanks to that, the two of them had arrived in the north at just the right time—when the sudden and brutal attacks had begun.
“Senior Brother, what should we do? Are we going to start clearing the outer regions right away?”
“…According to the scouts, the monsters have already scattered.”
“They’ll probably gather somewhere else, go ‘kak! kyak!’ and attack another village. Wouldn’t it be better to find and deal with them before that happens? If another village falls, security will hit rock bottom.”
Despite Iris’s opinion, Gerard remained silent. Normally, Gerard would have been the first to insist on taking a defensive stance. The fact that the Guardian Hero was hesitating left Iris dumbfounded.
“Senior Brother? Are you listening to me? Gerard, Senior Brother!”
“It’s just a stalling tactic.”
“…Huh?”
“This is nothing more than a simple stalling tactic. They’re trying to keep us tied down here as long as possible with nothing but small fry. Their main force is obviously somewhere else.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“It’s too scattered. It’s too crude to be their usual method. Most of all, even though they must have heard we were coming, they still went ahead with this? They’re just mixing low-grade and mid-grade monsters to stir up trouble in the area. It’s as if they’re trying to make it look like there’s a large force here.”
“…Then what do we do? Are we just going to watch?”
Gerard shook his head, clearly indicating that was not an option. He then looked at the knights waiting quietly behind him for their next orders.
“I have already explained it to you. Even without me, you can handle this, correct?”
“Of course.”
“What is there is nothing more than their scraps. You are more than capable of subduing them. Do not be swayed. Stand firm and show them what you can do. Even without calling for a Hero, we can do this.”
“…Senior Brother?”
It was Iris who was surprised by the sudden situation—both by Gerard speaking that way to the knights who followed him, and by how readily those knights accepted it.
“Wait a second, Senior Brother. Those people are your followers. If you step back, they’ll lose their center. Can this really hold?”
“We cannot keep relying on the physical presence of a Hero forever. We need to rely on something more important.”
“What’s that?”
“The resolve to protect our world with our own hands.”
As Gerard spoke, he looked toward the city.
“You should start teaching that to your own followers from now on as well. It is no longer enough to simply charge in and fight at the front. We must teach people how to protect and fight for themselves.”
“You mean training ordinary people? Teaching them how to hold weapons?”
“Yes.”
“Will that even work? It’s not like we can train them for a year or two. At most, it’ll be a month. What can people like that possibly fight? Low-grade monsters at best? Even at their best, mid-grade monsters.”
“That is enough. That level will suffice.”
“Senior Brother? Are you joking with me right now?”
Gerard shook his head at Iris’s words. His face was filled with nothing but solemnity. Because of that, Iris could only let out a stunned sigh.
“It is not simply combat strength that matters. Resolve must accompany it as well. The belief that it is not the Heroes who fight, but everyone. Only with that resolve will the world stop crumbling further. And that resolve, naturally, comes from faith in oneself—from the confidence that one can fight against those vile creatures.”