The Situation at Hargon
The tent fabric fluttered lightly in the wind, letting the pale light of dawn seep inside. Ceres couldn’t even remember when she had fallen asleep. She lifted the blanket just enough to see she was still in her underclothes. Then the memories of yesterday flooded back in.
Those hands. That expression. The burning heat of his cock brushing against her skin, pushing inside her. She had to wash up quickly and pull herself together. Ceres slapped her own cheeks hard before stepping out of the tent.
The cool morning air helped settle her heart a little. And right in front of her stood the man she cherished more than anyone, smiling brightly as he greeted her.
“Did you sleep well, Ceres? You’re up early.”
“…Yeah, Dain. Good morning.”
“According to the map, we should reach Hargon before noon.”
Dain nodded as he gazed at the large mountain range marked on the eastern side of the map. Then, as if it had become second nature, he took the lead and began scanning their surroundings.
“Dain, you really don’t have to stay on guard like that.”
“Hargon being close also means we’re inside that demon’s sphere of influence. We should stay alert today.”
“Right…”
Ceres watched Dain’s back with worried eyes. Zarco’s hand brushed against hers. She tried hard not to look at him. The moment she remembered the power that had flowed into her body through Zarco’s touch, she unconsciously gripped the hem of her clothes.
Seeing her body tremble slightly, Zarco shifted behind her. Then his hand reached out and touched her ass—the same ass that still remembered last night’s caresses.
“…Hey…!”
Ceres whipped her head around, but Zarco was simply staring off into the distant scenery. Even so, his hand didn’t stop. As if savoring yesterday all over again, he began kneading her buttocks.
“Stop—mmph!”
In an instant his hand slipped under her skirt, parting her flesh. A powerful surge of energy poured into her. Along with a shiver that raced up her spine, the force twisted through her body and settled deep inside her.
“This is the result of our training. How does it feel?”
“Wh-what…”
“If you use your prayers in this state, the output will be incredible, won’t it?”
The power she felt now was far stronger than anything Zarco had poured into her before. At this rate, it was obvious the effect would surpass what she had produced in the Underground Cemetery.
“We don’t know what will happen once we reach the village, right? Let’s make the most of the journey there. Yeah?”
“That’s… no…”
She hated it. She didn’t want Zarco touching her body anymore. But every time that thought rose, the heavy weight of her duty as the Saint pressed down on her heart.
Even as she wrestled with those feelings, Zarco’s hand never stopped moving.
“I’m starting to get the hang of it now. If we keep practicing, I’ll be able to channel even more power. At the very least, let’s make sure I can kill the demon in Hargon in a single strike. Sound good?”
Ceres didn’t answer. She simply walked a little faster, making sure she stayed out of Dain’s sight whenever he glanced back. She kept telling herself it was training, desperately trying to ignore the way Zarco’s fingers kept groping her.
“Halt! Stop right there!”
At the entrance to Hargon, armed soldiers who had been warily scanning the area spotted the party and shouted. Seeing the soldiers moving busily inside the village even from a distance, a heavy tension wrapped around the group before they even stepped through the gate.
A lone soldier wearing a cloak approached and looked them over carefully.
“…Three people, and those outfits… Are you by any chance Hero Zarco?”
Zarco nodded. The soldier gave a short, heavy nod in return and continued immediately.
“I heard from Dolan. Come, I’ll escort you to Commander Gardan. Please follow me.”
The interior of Hargon they entered behind the soldier looked less like a village and more like a military outpost. Busy soldiers hurried about, blacksmiths hammered iron, and the few villagers they saw all wore faces heavy with worry.
Soon they arrived at a large tent under the soldier’s guidance. Inside sat Gardan, commander of the Hargon Kingdom Army.
“Ah, you’ve arrived. I am Gardan.”
“Yes. I am Saint Ceres, this is Warrior Dain, and this is Hero Zarco.”
When Ceres briefly introduced the party, Gardan let out a deep sigh that seemed to make his desk tremble.
“Ah, forgive me. The current situation is… quite severe.”
“We heard a little from Dolan. You said a demon has taken up position nearby?”
Dain stepped forward. Gardan frowned, shook his head, and rubbed his throbbing temples.
“That’s correct. The demon’s name is Marus. He settled in the Abandoned Cathedral not long ago, and quite a few monsters have already gathered under him. However, that is not the biggest problem.”
“It’s not?”
Instead of answering right away, Gardan sighed again and looked outside the tent.
“You probably saw it on your way in—the empty village. A few days ago, Marus suddenly attacked with his monsters.”
Only now did Dain understand the soldiers’ grim expressions.
“The Kingdom Army fought desperately, so none of the residents died. But when… when Marus himself appeared, the original villagers suddenly acted as if they were possessed by him. They followed him.”
“Hypnosis?”
“It’s more like… they suddenly became fanatical worshippers who see Marus as a god. They shout strange slogans, chant his name… The soldiers tried to stop them, but while they were busy fighting the monsters, most of the villagers followed Marus to the Abandoned Cathedral.”
“W-we have to save them!”
When Ceres cried out, Gardan bit his lip and lowered his head.
“You’re right. We must save them. But right now those villagers are surrounding the cathedral. For days they’ve gone without eating or sleeping, their eyes glazed over as they chant only Marus’s name, blocking any attempt to storm the building.”
“He’s using the villagers as human shields?”
“Exactly. If we charge in now, the villagers will be sacrificed. Yet if we wait too long to find another way, the already enthralled villagers are reaching their physical limit.”
Gardan suddenly grabbed Zarco’s hand.
“I beg you, Hero. Please subjugate Marus before the villagers collapse.”
Dain looked at Zarco. The Zarco he had seen until now would have stayed silent or simply nodded. But right before his eyes, Zarco slowly moved his hand and took Gardan’s.
“…Yes. We will do our best.”
His voice was too dark for a hero, and there was no confidence in his eyes. Yet from that single sentence, Dain could feel that Zarco had finally accepted his role as the Hero. His chest ached.
“Th-thank you! There is one passage that leads directly into the Abandoned Cathedral. I’ll prepare a guide right away. But before that…”
Gardan looked the party up and down.
“Please go see the blacksmith Grahn first.”
Caught up in the village’s grim atmosphere, they had forgotten—but Hargon was a village of blacksmiths. With the plan to depart today, they couldn’t keep relying on the spare weapons Dolan had given them.
When they reached the spot Gardan had indicated, they found a blacksmith sweating profusely over his forge.
“Oh, who might you be? I don’t recognize your faces.”
“Hello. This is Hero Zarco, and this is Saint Ceres. I’m the warrior. Commander Gardan told us to ask you for equipment.”
“You’ve finally come! Are you heading out to rescue the villagers now?”
“Yes. After we get our gear first.”
When the blacksmith stood up, his enormous frame was revealed. He was about the same height as Dain or slightly shorter, but his width looked like it could fit two Zarcos side by side.
“Dwarf…? Ah, I’m sorry!”
When the blacksmith looked at Ceres, she gasped and covered her mouth, but he only laughed heartily.
“Haha! That’s right. My father was a dwarf. Thanks to him I ended up this big both vertically and horizontally. Haha!”
“I see.”
“Alright then, shall we take a look at your equipment?”
The blacksmith immediately approached Dain, inspecting not only his gear but every scar on his body as well.
“Looks like I only need to take care of you.”
“Ah, but Zarco’s equipment also…”
“The Hero’s gear is already high-quality. It would be better to give you new armor and weapons rather than repairing what you have.”
Someone patted Dain on the back from behind. It was Zarco.
“Then go get your equipment. We’ll head back to Gardan and gather information first.”
“M-me too?”
“Is there any need for all of us to stay here?”
“Uh…”
Without waiting for Dain’s answer, Zarco turned and walked away. Was it just his imagination, or did Ceres look like she was being dragged along beside him?
Perhaps his complicated feelings showed on his face, because the blacksmith spoke.
“You’ve been the only one taking hits the whole way, huh? I can tell just by looking at your wounds.”
“Ah.”
Although he had received healing, some injuries had left permanent marks. Dain gave an awkward smile.
“This is a secret, but honestly, the Hero’s body doesn’t suit my armor. But with you, I actually feel like making something good. You’re a fine warrior.”
“Haha.”
“I’m Grahn, the blacksmith of Hargon. Mind telling me your name again?”
“I’m Dain Lucanel.”
“Good. Dain. What weapons do you usually use? A shield as well?”
“A longsword and a heater shield about this big.”
“A longsword and heater shield?”
Grahn stroked his beard.
“An awkward combination. They won’t be able to show their full potential. Did you originally use a greatsword?”
“Ah… yes.”
Dain felt as if his inner thoughts had been laid bare. His original weapon had been a two-handed sword. He had lowered it a rank to a longsword when he decided to join the journey while carrying a shield. Only now did Dain himself realize that the desire to be the Hero—even though he wasn’t—had never truly disappeared.
The ambiguous position of being neither a proper warrior nor the Hero was who Dain was right now.
Unexpectedly, Grahn gave a small nod and gestured.
“I understand. I have a slightly lighter longsword. Try holding it.”
Accompanied by the three scouts Gardan had assigned them, they reached the area near the Abandoned Cathedral by evening. It was closer to Hargon than they had expected, but the closer they got, the more a chilling aura brushed against their skin.
They quietly left the path, hid in the grass, and approached with caution.
“Th-there it is.”
The scout pointed. Even from a distance, the massive yet neglected spire of the Abandoned Cathedral came into view. And beneath it, the horrifying scene made everyone’s faces turn deathly pale.
“Marus-nim, Marus-nim, Marus-nim, Marus-nim.”
Hundreds of people surrounded the cathedral, chanting his name in monotone voices. Their eyes were unfocused, their faces lifeless. Their lips, dry and cracked from days without water, were crusted with blood. The faint purple glow flickering in their pupils proved this was the demon’s power.
“H-how horrible…!”
“Oh my god…”
Ceres nearly collapsed. Her shoulders shrank as she struggled to believe the sight before her was real. The staff she gripped trembled slightly. Gardan’s words about having no time sank deep into her bones. With the situation this urgent, the scout immediately pointed to a large rock slightly to the side of the cathedral.
“There’s an underground passage beneath that rock that connects to the inside of the cathedral. We’re counting on you, Hero.”
Zarco swallowed hard and nodded. They circled through the forest to avoid being seen, reached the rock, and cleared the ground. An old wooden board was revealed. When they carefully lifted it, stairs came into view. The party began to descend slowly into the darkness.