To the Outpost
By the time Gardan’s unit and the Hero’s party, who had departed while it was still dark, reached the middle of Darmes Mountain, it was already noon. The scouts who had gone ahead returned to the unit that was making its final preparations before battle.
“They’re up there. Twelve monsters, and one that’s turned to stone.”
“Good. We’ll clear the monsters first, quickly.”
At Gardan’s command, the unit began to move again. The monsters were not difficult opponents. With their numbers reduced, the fact that they had already dealt with the groups that had chased the refugees the day before proved helpful in the end. After finishing off the last monster, they surrounded the grotesque stone statue standing atop the ruined outpost on the mountain. Horns sprouting from its head, twisted muscles, and eyes turned to stone—it looked as though it might burst forth at any moment.
When Gardan glanced back, a soldier carrying a massive hammer stepped forward.
“Hup!”
With a resounding crash, the hammer struck the statue, sending a thunderous crack echoing through the mountain. Through the rising dust, the soldier could be seen dropping the hammer from his trembling hands. His face twisted in pain from absorbing the full force of the impact.
“Agh, ugh…”
“…Move aside. I’ll try.”
The soldiers gathered and struck the statue with their weapons, but not even a scratch appeared. Dain, a seasoned warrior, could tell from the sound of the impacts just how unyielding it was. No matter how strong the blow, breaking the statue with ordinary weapons would be nearly impossible.
When the last soldier to try dropped his hammer, every gaze turned to Zarco. He stepped forward, no longer carrying the impression of the scrawny village boy. Looking tense, he took a deep breath and drew the Hero’s Sword.
Even Zarco wouldn’t touch Ceres with so many people around.
And indeed, he didn’t. Zarco glanced at Ceres for a moment before focusing on his sword again, and Dain let out a quiet sigh of relief. Light gathered in the Hero’s hand, forming a massive blade of radiance over the sword. With a somewhat stiff expression, Zarco glared at the statue and swung, cleaving through it.
“U-uh…?”
Once the light faded, the statue remained intact. Just as everyone began to wonder if even the Hero was powerless here, a faint scraping sound echoed. A small fragment slid along the cut, and the statue split cleanly in two.
“W-whoa! As expected of the Hero!”
The nameless demon died just like that, still in its petrified form. The soldiers, now fully grasping the Hero’s power, erupted in cheers. Yujin was among them. Though the battle had ended rather anticlimactically, the lingering tension from their previous defeat made the descent lively and noisy. Soldiers crowded around Zarco, eyes sparkling as they bombarded him with questions. Watching Zarco respond with his usual friendly smile left a bitter taste in Dain’s mouth.
Thanks to the gathering soldiers, Dain’s eyes were drawn to Ceres, who stood apart at the front of the line. He tried to look away at once, but the faint shadow on her face made him gather his courage and move to her side.
“Ceres.”
“Oh… Dain. Hello.”
“I-is something… wrong?”
Even a simple greeting made his voice tremble. Ceres smiled softly and shook her head as if it were nothing.
“No, it’s nothing. I’m just glad it ended without any trouble, right?”
“Yeah.”
“I hope we can go back to the village soon.”
“…Me too.”
If they could return to the village like this and live together, how happy would that be? Even now, even after Ceres had lain with Zarco, Dain was certain he could love her for the rest of his life. The Saintess lightly tapped Dain’s shoulder, which had grown tense without him realizing.
“You’re the one who looks down, not me.”
“Ow, haha.”
“Let’s just finish this quickly.”
Ceres’s profile, gazing at the distant sky, still carried a shadow even as she wore a bright smile.
“Hah, hah… Ah, Saintess! Dain!”
On the way down, a group was struggling up the slope, clutching their knees. The man at the front was familiar.
“Uncle Dolan?”
It was Dolan from Siko Village.
“Yes. The demon Graut who was in the east has been pushed back by the knight order into demon territory. That means there are no more demons infiltrated within the Kingdom Army.”
It was good news brought by Dolan. Dain leaned in, eyes wide.
“Then are we heading straight to capture the Demon King?”
“No, that’s not it. According to the new orders—”
Dolan gestured to the soldiers accompanying him, and they pulled a large map from their packs and spread it out.
“This is the Demon King’s Castle, and here, along the border, is the Kingdom Army’s outpost. Most of the forces on both sides are watching this area. So the Hero’s party should establish a new base here, north of the Demon King’s Castle, and prepare to strike the Demon King directly when the time comes.”
“So the Kingdom Army will draw their attention,” Gardan said. Dolan nodded.
“What about information on the Demon King’s forces?”
“Almost none. A powerful magic barrier is in place, making even scouting difficult. All we’ve confirmed from a distance with the naked eye is that something is gathered along the border.”
“We still have a long way to go,” Gardan muttered, and a sigh escaped Dain’s lips without him realizing.
“For now, move with Gardan’s unit around the mountain to the outpost. Personnel have already been dispatched, so by the time you arrive, the base should be mostly complete.”
“Haa…”
On the first night after departing for the Hero’s outpost, Ceres stood in the forest a short distance from the others pitching tents, gazing at the night sky.
“My role is…”
Zarco’s changed appearance and the sword qi that had shone in his hand kept coming back to her. It was hard to accept that a Saintess’s duty was to mingle with the Hero every day to grant him such power. If this Authority existed, then perhaps… perhaps…
If only it had been Dain.
If Dain had been the Hero, everything would have been resolved. She had wanted to give her first everything to the one she loved. Thinking of her lost virginity brought back not only that night, but also yesterday—losing herself before the soldiers and entwining with Zarco. It was shameful and embarrassing. Yet at the same time, a sense of liberation and excitement stronger than the shame she had felt when Zarco’s member entered and left her in full view of two soldiers rose through her body once more. Her face flushed red, Ceres touched her nipples, which had hardened enough to push against her clothes, then startled at the sight of her own hands and hurried back to the completed campsite.
The night at the camp had grown deep. The Hero’s party’s tent had been pitched a little apart at Zarco’s strong insistence, but it was still in the same space as Dain’s. Perhaps because he had collapsed from exhaustion the night before, rough snoring could be heard from outside Dain’s tent. Still, Ceres felt relieved at the thought that nothing like yesterday would happen again and closed her eyes.
“Um…”
Just as she was drifting off, Ceres opened her eyes at the sound of a voice. A stranger’s shadow stood before her. Startled into silence, she froze, and the man poked his head into the tent.
“I-it’s me, Saintess.”
It was one of the soldiers from yesterday. The older one, with the roughly trimmed beard.
“Why… what… Get out, quickly! Before I scream!”
“N-no, no! It’s just, the Hero right now…”
“…What?”
“The Hero told me to bring the Saintess… to the back over there.”
The soldier’s face said he had no choice but to follow the Hero’s orders, but the way he looked at Ceres was like a starving wolf.
“Haaam~”
Yawning and stretching, Dain looked around. It was still before dawn; the sun had not yet risen. He must have fallen asleep the moment he lay down yesterday. Just as he was checking his weapons and heading toward the sentries, his eyes stopped on Ceres’s slightly open tent. He peeked inside without thinking and saw her curled up, wrapped in her blanket, breathing softly. A smile formed on his lips. The moment a dark image of the two of them in a room flashed through his mind, Dain quickly stepped outside—only to overhear two people passing by the tent.
“Damn, yesterday was killer, huh?”
“It was good, but I haven’t gotten a proper night’s sleep lately. What if a monster shows up and we can’t fight?”
“Is that the problem, you idiot? Ah, anyway, it’s driving me crazy. They won’t even let us touch her.”
“Exactly. Haa, just watching those things bounce in front of us is gonna make me lose it.”
“If I ever get to pound her, I’d die without regrets. Damn!”
What were they talking about? Dain had been listening quietly when the soldiers noticed him and immediately shut their mouths.
“Ah, good morning, sir!”
“Yeah. Where are you two headed?”
“We woke up early but couldn’t fall back asleep, so we thought we’d wash our faces… Haha! Well then, we’ll be off!”
The two hurried toward the water’s edge as Dain watched them with a puzzled expression.
“I’m Rillen! Nice to meet you!”
While the unit stopped at a village on the way to the outpost, volunteers poured in once they heard it was the Hero’s party, but most were sent back for lack of ability. Among the few who remained, this woman in full armor stood out with her booming voice.
“I’m an adventurer! I was heading home for a break when I decided to join up like this! I’ll do my best!”
“Right, got it. Nice to have you.”
Gardan spoke with a slight frown at the loud voice. Rillen nodded in satisfaction, gathered her gear, and entered the unit. She had a toned physique and hair tied back. A cheerful face. Female adventurers were common, but to the soldiers of Gardan’s unit—who had seen none for a long time—she was something else entirely.
“Bro, a woman joined.”
“Yeah. Damn, think we can have a go? Tsk, if only I were five years younger.”
The younger soldier smacked the veteran’s arm.
“Ah, what’s with you?”
“No, that’s not it, bro!”
He slung an arm around the veteran’s shoulder and spoke in a low voice so no one else could hear.
“We just have to ask the Hero, right?”
The veteran swallowed hard at the young soldier’s words.