Chapter 28
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 28
The Country with No More Hero (2)
The underground sewer of the Kingdom where not a single ray of light entered. Among the squirming shadows, the girl smiled with satisfaction looking at the monsters picking up and drinking her blood.
"By the way, shouldn't we slowly make a move now?"
Even just before she first came, these monsters were at a level that ordinary soldiers could handle.
However, it was different now. The squirming slimes had turned dark red, and the Rot Rabbits at her feet also had their mouths full of poison.
Even that common Drain Walker had grown so immensely that one had to look up now. She smiled weirdly imagining the humans being eaten by them.
"Ahat. Really looking forward to it."
What kind of screams will the sacrifices here let us hear? By the time this wide city is submerged in blood water, that great cause will finally raise its curtain too.
It was about when she was immersed in happy imagination like that.
Step. Step.
Wet footsteps echoed not far away. The moment the monsters were about to rush in all at once as she nodded her head.
"Calm down. It's me."
"Zerak...? Why are you here?"
He was definitely supposed to be in charge of the western underground sewer.
But the appearance of monsters wasn't seen around him. Whenever it was that he made a big fuss telling her to look forward to the Poison Rat King or whatever, now he was standing like a wet mouse.
The first word heard from his mouth like that was truly shocking.
"There is a setback in the plan. We must leave this place right now."
"Ha? What bullshit are you saying visiting suddenly. Can't you see my monsters here?"
She got angry and pointed at her monsters. How much blood did I feed them until now, to fold all this and go back now.
Certainly, at this level, ordinary soldiers wouldn't even be able to touch them, but seeing that, Zerak sighed instead of admiring.
"...Phew. The War Hero appeared in the underground sewer where I was."
"What?"
"That's not all. That guy already swept away all the other underground sewers too. Now the only place left is here."
Originally, starting with here and the west, we intended to control all the monsters in other sewers too. But let alone the Poison Rat King Zerak cherished, all monsters except here were already annihilated by Carmil.
At that fact, the girl laughed dejectedly as if she couldn't believe it.
"Hehe. Th-There's no way. How did that human bastard know and attack?"
"Who knows. It could be a simple coincidence. Or he might have noticed some signs. I also barely hid and ran away to get here."
"True. Seeing that beggar-like state, it seems so."
She mocked him and took out her anger. But her mood didn't get any better.
Come to think of it, infiltrating up to this capital was also because of that War Hero bastard.
The only place where a setback occurred in the last plan was exactly here, the Kingdom, and at the center of it was the War Hero.
He swept away not only the bandits we were colluding with but even all our kin. Because of that, we couldn't even retrieve the sacrifices, and the demons were also inwardly anxious. Wondering if the human bastards noticed our great cause.
The reason we, the executives of the Demon King's army, came all the way here ourselves was also because of that, and that anxious premonition was gradually hitting the mark.
"Somehow I don't have a good feeling. Above all, the Grand Duchess of the North was also together next to that War Hero bastard."
"Ha. That crazy massacring bitch is also here?"
"Right. Surely they will barge in here soon."
At those words, unable to bear it, she trampled and burst the slime that was receiving and eating her blood. Nevertheless, her anger still didn't subside.
"Haa. Haa... How much I prepared up to here!"
She looked at the ceiling as if resentful. Even though right above here is swarming with sacrifices.
Zerak also understood her like that, but this time the opponent was not good.
"Come to your senses. If they noticed, they will surely lead knights and come. Even the Grand Duchess alone is burdensome, but with the War Hero's power being unknown, this is nothing but a dog's death."
"Kuk...!"
Demons do not fear death. But that's also the case when fulfilling one's calling, even they declined such a dog's death without even any meaning like this.
Eventually, as Zerak prepared to leave, she had no choice but to give up too.
Just as they were about to leave this place leaving the monsters behind.
"Huh? Where are both of you going?"
Bubbles rose from the sewer side, and soon someone revealed themselves. He was a subordinate of the two and was on his way back from scouting the capital streets until just now.
"We are withdrawing right now. It seems the Kingdom side noticed."
"I-Is that really true!?"
"Then fuck. Does it look like we are joking? I'm already annoyed to death."
The subordinate bowed his head at her wrath. Zerak cast a teleportation magic with a sigh and said.
"Other underground sewers are already annihilated. Soon the Hero of this country will invade here too."
"Yes?"
At that time, the subordinate continued speaking making an expression of not knowing the reason.
"What are you saying right now? That War Hero person already left the capital."
"What...?"
Both she and Zerak paused. He looked at the subordinate instead of entering the unfolded teleportation magic.
"What does that mean? That guy isn't here."
"Did you not know? That human called Carmil. He quit being a War Hero and a knight and left the capital altogether a while ago."
"..."
"I heard he went together with the Grand Duchess of the North."
At those words, silence visited once. While only the dreary sound of water was heard, soon she covered her mouth and trembled.
"...Kuk. Kukuk. Puhuhuhup."
"This is really. It seems the Demon God is also looking after us."
Zerak erased the teleportation magic again with a smile. At the same time, she also leaned her back and giggled.
"Ahahahahahaha! Did you hear? You heard too, right!? The annoying obstacles disappeared all at once, so there is no need to hesitate anywhere now!"
"Hut. It seems so."
Zerak looked around. The number of monsters roughly estimated is thirty. He chuckled and moved his steps.
"Where are you going?"
"Since the monsters in the underground sewer are annihilated except here, I will be raising the monsters in the forest. It won't take long."
"How about attacking now rather? I heard just in time, dozens of knights defeated by the War Hero are currently injured anyway."
"Couldn't the War Hero hear the news and return again. It's better to deal with those dozens of knights rather."
At those words, both she and the subordinate agreed and nodded. At least they just have to wait until the War Hero gets out of this country.
"I will contact you when the time comes."
With that promise, Zerak disappeared. She also couldn't hide her excitement and the corners of her mouth drew up.
"Fufu, look forward to it. Because I will offer all of you as sacrifices without leaving a single one."
Along with an ecstatic imagination, she was endlessly dropping blood water on the floor.
The city-state of Ervonia. That place is the country at the southernmost part of the continent, furthest away from the demons' land.
Although its national power lagged behind compared to other countries, as much as it was irrelevant to the ravages of war, it was also a place more peaceful and safe than anywhere else.
Thanks to that, citizens' alertness against demons had dulled long ago, and the only mission knights bothered doing was subjugating monsters in front of the city.
Like that, the people of Ervonia all were convinced that peace would continue forever.
"Kyaaaaaaaaaak!!"
However, as a terrible scream spread throughout the city like a flame, it sounded an alarm to that peace as well.
Demons who crossed the forest and sea invaded the city, and people's corpses covered that land.
Ambushed soldiers and knights belatedly took up weapons, but that also didn't last long. Lacking actual combat experience usually, there was no way they could be a match for the elite soldiers of the Demon King's army.
"Kukuk. Kill them all. No need to let a single one live!"
"Kuaaaaaaaak! S-Save, save me!"
"Wh-Why!? Why are demons invading. Just why!!"
"Retreat! Everyone retreat- Keoheok!?"
Eventually, only the weak screams of humans were heard on the battlefield.
Looking at that scene, the Hero of Speed, Sela, knelt down and stared vainly.
"Wh-Why this..."
She looked down at the sword stuck in her chest as if she couldn't believe it. As the Hero of Ervonia, she was the youngest Hero on the continent, and had pride in her skills that much.
Therefore, even when the Kingdom's War Hero sent a letter, she snorted. Once 5 years ago. Once 3 years ago. And once again this year.
It was an absurd letter saying that in the Holy Year 733, a large-scale invasion by demons through the forest and sea is expected, so we must build defense facilities and request support from each country against this.
At first, both the King and she mocked him like that.
Because there was no reason anywhere for demons to skip all other countries and bother invading up to here. Besides, the Demon King's army showed neither justification nor signs of invading this country.
Eventually, instead of replying to Carmil's letter suggesting installing military teleportation magic in both countries, they decided to enjoy their peaceful daily life. Being indebted to the Kingdom was uncomfortable, and they didn't like a Hero from another country interfering either.
Anyway, since demons are the North's matter, they would handle it well themselves. Above all, since there is also a Hero [Yongsa - Brave/Chosen Hero], there was nothing to be a problem anywhere.
"Kuhahaha. Don't leave a single one! Offer them all as sacrifices!!"
However, the Holy Year 733, that peace was also the last today.
She muttered looking at the subordinates dying in front of her eyes.
"J-Just once..."
If only I had listened just once.
"..."
But that regret couldn't come out of her mouth in the end. She breathed her last without even seeing the moment her country perished.
A country with no more Hero collapsed in an instant.
"Kukuk. The things called Heroes of this generation are nothing much, huh?"
And that wasn't just Ervonia. Because demons were already reaching out their hands towards each country at the same time.
With this day as the starting point, the hands of the clock of the original work started moving.