Fallen Leaves
Amid a wave of relief and thunderous cheers, Austin stepped forward to greet the party of heroes.
"I’m Austin Silurian, commander of the front line in Makyeong. Thanks to your arrival, we’ve barely managed to keep our lives. I think I should start by thanking you."
"It’s a pleasure. I’m Yu-seong Lee, the Hero. We’ve heard plenty about your hardships from afar."
Austin’s accomplishments in defending humanity’s territory on the front line were recorded in the textbooks used by academies across the entire continent. At the Hero’s praise, Austin’s shoulders lifted just a little.
The conversation between the Hero and Austin made everyone keenly aware that they had survived the terror of death, and they could not hide their joy.
"This can’t be a dream, right? That’s Edan, the future Tower Lord of Skotic Magic Tower!"
"To purify all that foul miasma in one go—you really are the Saint! And the Holy Knight is so young, but I could barely even see her movements!"
"The pinnacle of all swordsmen! It’s the Hero!"
When Yu-seong raised his sword and gave it a shake overhead, the swordsmen’s reaction only grew louder. Austin let out an awkward laugh at the commotion spreading around them.
"You must be tired after fighting monsters the moment you arrived, but I’ll escort you to our barracks."
As the area grew noisy, Austin led the Hero’s party toward the commander’s exclusive barracks. Naturally, his adjutant and operations staff came over to stand nearby.
Following Austin, they walked a short distance and arrived at a tent slightly larger than the others they had passed. Inside, a large table held a map spread open across its surface, depicting the continent.
The map was marked with the names of the branches guarding Makyeong’s front lines, along with their strength, casualties, and even supplies such as bedding and provisions.
After Austin and the Hero’s party took their seats in the chairs arranged around the table, the adjutant soon brought out tea and distributed it according to the number of people present.
Once the brief introductions were over and the adjutant had taken a seat, the real conversation began.
"It must have been hard coming all the way to such a dangerous place. Thanks to you, many people have been saved. I was impressed by your ability to wipe out that enormous monster in an instant. As expected of the Hero’s party."
At Austin’s words, the Saint smiled faintly and said, "Thank you. Even for us, it wouldn’t have been so easy to take down an upper-tier monster. It’s fortunate that we’d encountered it before."
Her tone was gentle and warm, but for some reason, guilt pricked at Yu-seong’s conscience. He stole a glance at Irene, but she was all kindness and grace. There was no trace of reproach in her expression.
"Hahaha. I know basilisks very well myself. Even if you understand their traits, they’re terribly difficult opponents to subdue. I can only marvel at the feat of dispatching one so easily. I made a name for myself in my younger days, but compared to the Hero’s party, it means nothing."
"It’s simply what the Hero’s party is here to do."
Irene got to the point.
"The reason our party was formed was to come here and eliminate a high-ranking demon called the Apostle of Silence, who has caused so much damage."
"If the Hero’s party can defeat the Apostle of Silence, then many people will be able to live without fear."
Just then, the operations advisor sitting quietly to the side frowned in displeasure. Viscount Rom, a man in his early forties, had spent many years under Austin’s command defending Makyeong.
"Saint, it’s been three weeks since the Hero’s party was announced across the continent. I’d like to ask why you only arrived now."
At the sudden rebuke, the Saint fell silent for a moment.
"During the first two weeks, countless people died. If the Hero’s party had teleported as quickly as possible, could you not have arrived in Marinella in just three days?"
"Advisor. Enough. Isn’t that a bit too harsh toward people who’ve been suffering for humanity’s sake?"
Austin tried to stop him, but that only seemed to egg the man on further.
"We, too, have dedicated our lives to humanity for many years. Haven’t you, Commander, spent every moment thinking for humanity without wasting time? I believe the least you could do is offer a proper apology."
"That’s ridiculous."
Seeing the slightly heated advisor, Edan snorted in derision.
"Sounds like you’ve been waiting for us and only us all this time. Biting the hand that saved you today, are you?"
At Edan’s pressure, Viscount Rom’s face turned slightly pale. But he had seen countless people lose their lives in vain. Though he might lack their skill, their sense of duty and self-sacrificing courage meant that if the Hero’s party had come even a little sooner, those people might have lived.
"Do you not feel even a shred of guilt toward the dead? You’re a cold-blooded bunch."
Yu-seong, feeling the insult, rested his hand on his sword hilt. Now that all four of his companions were gathered, and they had rushed here without a moment’s rest, it was infuriating to be treated with such contempt.
What is wrong with this crappy NPC? Should I just cut him down right here?
The Hero’s party held life and death in their hands in Makyeong. Bearing such a weighty mission for humanity, the authority granted to them was vast as well. As the atmosphere turned grim, Hilde looked at Viscount Rom and said,
"I do think the many people who sacrificed their lives are tragic."
As soon as Hilde spoke, the atmosphere around the Hero’s party suddenly calmed. Viscount Rom, who had been condemning them, was momentarily taken aback.
She looks the youngest, but she’s breathtakingly beautiful. Is this girl the real power behind the Hero’s party?
Hilde continued, "But we’re not pieces of equipment meant only to protect people. Can’t you understand that each of us has our own circumstances? And we needed time to drive the Apostle of Silence out of the northern region and regroup. If the Apostle of Silence hasn’t appeared in the last few days, isn’t that thanks to us as well?"
There was a pressure in Hilde’s gentle voice that somehow made it impossible to resist. Viscount Rom barely managed to collect himself. It was embarrassing to be shaken by a little girl who hadn’t even lived half as long as he had. In fact, word had spread quickly that the Apostle of Silence had fled from the Hero’s party in the north not long ago. Since then, the Apostle of Silence had not appeared in Makyeong.
Thinking he couldn’t let this stop here, Viscount Rom swallowed hard and forced himself to speak.
"If you’re the Hero’s party, aren’t you beings with a great responsibility? You should set aside personal circumstances and carry out your mission first. Is it too much to ask that you apologize for those who died along the way?"
"I think those who devoted their all to protecting humanity are admirable. But do we have any reason to apologize?"
Hilde rose from her chair and glared at Viscount Rom. The crushing force in her gaze made his heart lurch.
"They did what they had to do. Don’t use the nobility of their will—something they achieved in and of itself—just to try to break our spirit. Your words and actions now feel like an insult to them all over again."
Hilde sat back down. Viscount Rom, having seen through his attempt to use them for his own purposes, looked dazed.
"Viscount Rom. These people aren’t the sort to delay on purpose, are they? You were in the wrong this time, so apologize."
"I’m sorry... I misspoke."
Edan let out a derisive huff at the apology, but Viscount Rom only bowed his head. Austin understood the advisor’s feelings as well. If the Hero’s party became arrogant and failed to do what they were supposed to, even greater damage would follow, so the man had likely spoken up in order to knock them down a peg. Still, from Austin’s perspective, though he did not know them well yet, the Saint and the Holy Knight especially seemed trustworthy.
Yu-seong let go of the murderous intent he’d been ready to unleash at any moment. If Hilde hadn’t stopped him, he would not have held back.
The Saint gave her escort knight a thumbs-up. Hilde had simply ended up taking on the role of mediator, and it was a nuisance more than anything else.
"We’ve wasted enough time on nonsense. Now, let’s discuss the plan to subjugate the Apostle of Silence."
Seeing that no blood had been spilled, Austin was inwardly relieved.
---
"You sure dragged your heavy ass out here for once."
"To fail a mission because of one tiny lapse in vigilance. I’m deeply disappointed. It certainly shouldn’t have been difficult for you."
The miserable screams of monsters were raging all around them. In front of the seated Apostle of Silence, a man in a hood stood with his arms crossed.
"Hmph. Then why don’t you go take care of them yourself? If you want to get your ass kicked and die, that is."
The Apostle of Silence glared at the man before her. If that young Holy Knight had been just one second later, she would have completed the mission. But that also meant the mission was difficult enough that being one second late had made it impossible.
She possessed an innate utterance that sealed a mage’s spatial movement skill, making her highly effective against mages, yet the mage in the Hero’s party had managed to endure quite well on his own.
If the mage had been just a little weaker, his heart would have been ripped out before the Hero’s party ever arrived.
The man lowered his head and looked down at the Apostle of Silence. The eyes shadowed beneath his hood glowed with a red light.
"If you keep that attitude, your wish will never come true."
At his words, the Apostle of Silence bristled and sprang to her feet. Seemingly furious, she drew a dagger and released her aura, looking ready to throw down with him on the spot.
"Who the hell do you think you are, threatening me? That was a promise with the Demon King, not you. Don’t get full of yourself, Black Snake."
Even with the dagger raised close to his throat, Black Snake remained perfectly calm.
"This isn’t a threat. I came to help you, actually."
The Apostle of Silence, uncertain, sheathed the dagger and slipped it into the holder at her thigh. Black Snake continued, "You seem to be having trouble handling this Hero’s party by yourself. You’re going to help me wipe them out."
"Why should I? I can just keep avoiding them and go slaughter humans instead."
The front line in Makyeong stretched far to the west, and if they resorted to guerrilla warfare, humanity would suffer enormous losses. The Hero’s party was infuriating, but they were frighteningly strong. If she happened to die in battle, she would never fulfill the wish she had pursued since ancient times.
Even fighting alongside Black Snake, she could not be certain they would defeat the Hero’s party. Black Snake was not a demon whose battle prowess had drawn the Demon King’s attention.
"For you, it’s a proposal that’s hard to refuse. If you eliminate the Hero’s party, the Demon King will grant your wish immediately."
At Black Snake’s words, the Apostle of Silence felt her insides churn. It truly was a proposal she could not refuse.