The Fox Has Appeared
The hood I gave Iris wasn’t just any hood. I’d woven a subtle perception-distorting spell into it, so anyone who looked at her would see a completely different face. It was meant to protect her now that her identity as a Hero had been exposed. Still, if the person in question didn’t trust it, what else was there to do?
“If you can’t trust it, then take it off.”
“I’ll wear it with all my heart, Master! Thank you!”
She was going to end up wearing it anyway, so why the fuss? I clicked my tongue and stepped into the city with Iris at my side.
Screams echoed from every direction. The acrid stench of smoke and blood stung my nose. At least Iris had arrived in time and minimized the damage. If she hadn’t been there, more than eighty percent of this city would have been reduced to rubble.
“Looks like the outer districts took the worst of it. The interior held up fairly well.”
“The city guards fought like cornered rats, from what I saw.”
“Of course they did. If this place falls, the entire region’s society collapses.”
This wasn’t exactly a prosperous area to begin with. The climate was warm enough that sleeping on the ground for a few nights wouldn’t kill you, but once your house was gone, the weather would freeze your mouth shut by the next morning. Not to mention the perfect conditions for wild animals or monsters to ambush you while you slept. Even if you fled from the demonic beasts, the future looked just as bleak. So whether they liked it or not, the people had no choice but to use the walls as shields and hold out.
“Normally they’d be strict about letting outsiders in.”
“Everyone’s too distracted right now. A lot of people got hurt, even if the death toll isn’t that high yet.”
“Well, at least no one’s paying attention to you wearing that hood. Let’s head inside.”
Once we entered the city proper, the situation became clear at a glance. A few demonic beasts must have slipped through the outer defenses—collapsed houses stood everywhere. Wounded guards were being tended to by others. Thankfully, the buildings here were packed so tightly that the monsters couldn’t rampage freely. It looked like the guards had managed to eliminate the ones that broke through with desperate resistance.
“The inside held up pretty well. That’s impressive.”
“Impressive, sure. If you ignore the fact that these were the weakest monsters out there.”
“…They do say it’s hard for ordinary people to fight demonic beasts.”
“The real problem is the stronger ones that’ll come flooding in like a tidal wave.”
And it wasn’t just the monsters. Inside the city, Demon God Worshippers would be looking for an opening to strike from behind. Soon after, the ones acting as the beasts’ leaders would arrive. And finally, when the Fragments of the Demon God revealed themselves, the true apocalypse would begin.
“Master, how can you be so certain?”
“Certain of what?”
“That even stronger monsters than the ones appearing now will show up.”
“The frequency of monster appearances keeps increasing. On top of that, the movements of the Demon God Worshippers are becoming more suspicious. There’s only one thing that can mean—something big is about to happen.”
“…You barely leave the house, yet you know so much. It’s impressive.”
For a split second, Iris’s sharp observation nearly caught me off guard. She was right. I had never traveled far from home while raising my disciples. At most, I visited my own master or came into the city to buy supplies. Those were the only times I ever left.
Considering this was a remote border region where news and rumors arrived slowly, knowing too much would definitely seem suspicious.
But I have the perfect excuse that works no matter where I use it.
I never intended to use it this way, but given my position, it came naturally.
“Iris. Whose master am I?”
“Um… the master of the Heroes, right?”
“Exactly. I’m the master of Heroes scattered across the entire continent. So tell me, would it be difficult or easy for me to receive news from every corner of the land through my disciples?”
“…It would be easy.”
“There’s your answer, you silly disciple.”
“Hey…! I’m not silly! I’m a proper Hero now too!”
Not even close, kid. You still have a long way to go before you can truly call yourself a Hero. You don’t even know what your strengths are or what makes you special. You don’t even realize it yourself, so you can’t use your own power properly.
“Anyway, you might not know this, but I’ve been receiving reports constantly.”
“So that’s how you could speak with such certainty.”
“Did you really think I was just spouting nonsense based on some ridiculous logic?”
“Of course not. Who do you think you are, Master?”
“Cut the weird flattery. I really hate that kind of thing.”
“It’s not flattery! I really mean it!”
The more she said it, the more it sounded like flattery, my dear disciple. Maybe it was because Iris’s character setting was so lighthearted. Whenever she said something serious, it automatically came across as a joke. She might feel wronged, but what could she do? Her usual behavior was what caused the misunderstanding.
“Shopkeeper. You still alive in there?”
“…What the—? The herbalist is here. You actually made it into the city in the middle of all this chaos.”
By the way, the people in this city knew me as a herbalist who lived in the mountains. Since I told them I lived deep in the forest, they even made up an occupation for me. Thanks to that, I never drew much suspicion when I came into town. As a bonus, Iris ended up with one more chore—gathering herbs.
Of course, if my other disciples ever found out I was being treated like a mere herbalist, they would throw a fit. They’d insist they didn’t go through all that hardship just so I could be treated so poorly. They’d probably try to drag me away, or even kidnap me, claiming they would serve me with all their heart and soul.
“Did you run into any monsters on the way? The outskirts turned into a complete hellscape.”
“No, I didn’t see any. I just saw some smoke while I was coming, so I thought maybe there was a fire in the city. When I got here, I heard monsters had attacked.”
“You got lucky. If you’d arrived just a little earlier, you’d have been knocking on death’s door—or already crossed it.”
Honestly, the ones who would have gotten a direct ticket to the afterlife were the monsters, not me. While I might not be on the same level as my master, I could still be considered a hidden expert. Iris might struggle against those beasts, but to me they were no more threatening than swatting flies.
“I don’t understand what’s going on. Monsters showing up in a remote place like this? There aren’t even that many people here.”
“Still, the damage doesn’t seem that bad.”
“Watch your mouth. If other people hear you, you might get beaten up.”
What could I do? It was the truth. From what I could see, only a few dozen people in the city had died or been injured. But that was nothing—less than a stroke of good fortune. It was simply fortunate, plain and simple.
Before long, an entire major city would be completely destroyed by monsters. The casualties would easily reach tens of thousands.
The shop owner and the people of this city didn’t know it yet, but they were incredibly lucky to live on the frontier. That was the only reason they were still alive.
“Sorry about that. So the guards really risked everything to hold the line?”
“Inside the walls, yes. The guards did their part. But outside? No.”
“Then did some mercenaries happen to show up at just the right time?”
“No. A Hero appeared. And she slaughtered every last monster.”
Oh, they’re talking about you, my disciple. So why are you flinching and trying to hide behind me? Weren’t you supposed to be incredibly proud of being called a Hero?
“A Hero, you say? One of those Heroes I know about?”
“Yes. Beings chosen by the gods who spread light and justice across this land.”
“I see. But was there a Hero active around here? This is the first I’ve heard of it.”
“It’s the first we’ve heard of it too. We’ve never heard any rumors about a Hero coming to this area.”
“Which means…”
“A new Hero must have been born. In the moment when fear and malice filled this city, the gods sent down a ray of salvation. It truly is a moving event.”
Well. I wasn’t so sure it was something to be moved by. Some people might rejoice that the increase in evil had brought forth more Heroes, opening a path for their own survival. But when I thought about it the other way, it felt different.
If the gods, if the world itself, felt the need to send not just one but several Heroes, then something truly ominous was about to happen. Wouldn’t it be better to stay tense and prepare for what was coming next?
“Looks like you came to sell herbs even in the middle of all this chaos.”
“I live deep in the mountains, after all. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get the supplies I need, but if I don’t sell these herbs quickly they’ll spoil. I don’t have much choice.”
“That’s true. Perfect timing—I needed some herbs myself.”
With so many injured, they would need plenty of medicinal herbs for treatment. Normally, herbs sold for a decent price, but in times like these, supply couldn’t keep up with demand. It wouldn’t be strange to charge even more.
It was unfortunate for the people of the city, but when opportunities like this arose, one had to seize the profit. Even small earnings added up to a considerable amount.
“You seem to have given me a bit extra today?”
“I’m a merchant, but I still have a minimum of conscience. With so many people hurt, it’s only natural that the price of medicinal herbs would rise. This is just accounting for that, so take them.”
Oh… A merchant who doesn’t sell his conscience. From a moral standpoint, that was a perfect score. From a professional standpoint, it was a zero. Still, since I wasn’t losing anything, I took the money and headed to the next place.
The first thing I needed to buy was, of course, the ring for my master. I’d been worried the accessory shop might have been destroyed. Fortunately, the building was intact. It looked like things were going smoothly—until I got into an argument with the owner.
“Don’t talk nonsense. Don’t you know that in times of war, accessories like these become worthless? The price should be going down, not up. This is ridiculous.”
“Ah, I don’t care! My whole house got blown away, so if you don’t want to pay this price, don’t buy it!”
What a son of a bitch. Since when did the customer serve the merchant? Normally I would have just said, “Fine, I won’t buy it, you bastard,” and walked away.
But the ring he was selling was the one that suited my master the best. I couldn’t stop staring at it, but the price was almost double what it should be. It was incredibly irritating. Since I wasn’t short on money, the dilemma only grew worse.
Maybe I should just buy the ring, then come back at night, beat the crap out of him like a dog, and take the money back. It wouldn’t really matter if I did that, right? Should I really go through with it?
Thud!
“Here. The exact amount you wanted. I paid what you asked, so the ring is mine now, correct?”
“Huh?”
“What?”
A pouch landed in front of the accessory shop owner, and someone snatched the ring from his hand. While the owner was busy counting the coins inside the pouch, I stared at the woman who had suddenly appeared in front of me.
She had changed her appearance a lot and hidden her presence perfectly, but if you looked closely, it was obvious.
“…How did you know I was here?”
“Who knows? How could I have known? Ufufu.”
“…”
“I just happened to find out. Let’s move somewhere else first.”
The woman turned around as she spoke. As I followed her, Iris let out a confused “Eh?” and hurriedly stuck close behind me.
When we reached a quiet, deserted spot, the woman glanced around before slowly lowering her hood.
Twitch!
The first thing that caught my eye were the fluffy fox ears covered in soft fur. A shining golden waterfall of hair cascaded down her back, revealing a very welcome face.
“It’s been a while.”
“…Yeah. It has been a while.”
My first six-star disciple, the one I had poured the most affection into. The one bearing the title of Sword Hero, possessing extreme close-range dealing ability. My first disciple opened her mouth with a rather seductive smile.
“Your disciple, Garam, greets you, Master.”