The Beast Legion Reborn
…….
One of Ryban’s clones, a black shadow, swiftly absorbed the blood and corpse of the Ringater Lizard. It was less like consumption and more like outright absorption. Chunks of flesh, bones, and even the blood spilled across the ground were all sucked into the black shadow and vanished, as though their very existence was being erased.
At last, when no trace remained upon the earth, the shadow’s form seemed to dissolve before reappearing in front of the branch where Hilde sat.
Hilde felt the clone’s will transmitted through the magic stones embedded in his body, and it seemed as though his flesh and consciousness would harden into stone. Among all of Ryban’s clones, this one filled him with the greatest dread. It possessed no clear consciousness or intent—only an overwhelming, absolute desire for domination that demanded obedience, and an insatiable hunger. Every time he stood before this hazy shadow, Hilde felt as though he might be pulled into it at any moment.
…Understood.
The vague will commanded him to seek out the other clones. There was nothing in particular he needed to do, yet the clones preferred to keep him close. Even Hilde himself did not fully understand why, but whenever they were apart, they ordered him to remain beside certain clones.
He suspected it might have something to do with the magic stones embedded in his body, though he always carried the uneasy fear that they were simply keeping him nearby for the sake of absorbing him in the worst-case scenario.
Hilde launched himself forward, racing past trees and undergrowth. With every kick against the earth, the landscape blurred past. Monsters startled at his approach, fleeing or issuing meaningless threats, but none dared to attack.
Countless monsters inhabited the region, some renowned for their speed, yet none could match his pace.
Almost finished.
The Beast Legion was already being rebuilt at an astonishing rate. The wild monsters sensed their masters’ return and gathered, while those that resisted were either cowering in their new lairs or meeting the same fate as the Ringater Lizard moments earlier at the hands of the clones.
Winged savage monkeys, horned gorillas, eagles with serpentine tails, winged lions—Hilde caught glimpses of countless beasts kneeling before different clones, and long processions of monsters marching toward a single destination.
They were all heading toward what had once been the Beast Legion’s stronghold and Ryban’s castle. Minasid, where the Beast Legion had been based, lay farther back than the Demon King’s castle or the Tower of Destruction among the former occupied territories of the Demon King’s army.
Thanks to that, the allied forces had never directly attacked Minasid, and with no people living in the area, there had been no rebel forces either. The heroes had likewise seen no reason or need to strike at Minasid, which was merely a monster stronghold. Thus, even years after the great war, Ryban’s castle remained exactly as it had been, covered only in a layer of dust.
Before long, every monster scattered across Minasid would gather before that castle. Hilde thought about what was to come. The Beast Legion would soon be restored. And under the name of the Beast Legion Commander, they would declare war upon the hero and the world.
If that happened, what would become of him? He had abandoned his domain and betrayed his kin. There was no place left for him to return to, and until death claimed him, true freedom would never be his.
Damn it.
Anger and humiliation mingled, and regret washed over him. Whether the Rybans rebuilt the Beast Legion, whether they defeated the hero or lost to him—it made no difference to Hilde. He had already lost nearly everything. The only thing he had left was his own life.
“Thank you for your kindness.”
“Thank you.”
“Thank you.”
The middle-aged woman accepted the simple provisions offered by the villagers with a bright smile and bowed her head. The two children behind her followed her example, offering innocent smiles and their thanks.
“It’s nothing at all. But it must be difficult for you, traveling alone with children and an elderly father to care for.”
Behind her stood a rather large wagon, with an aged man sitting wearily on the driver’s seat. Families traveling by wagon were relatively common, but a woman journeying alone without a husband was an especially arduous sight.
“Why not stay a little longer? Some traveling merchants will be passing through in a few days. You could travel with them for safety.”
“That’s right. Let the children rest a bit more before you go.”
At the villagers’ words, the woman smiled awkwardly before shaking her head.
“No, we need to hurry. Still, I’m truly grateful just for the offer.”
The villagers looked on with pity, but they could not press her further. The woman helped the children into the wagon first, bowed once more to the villagers, then climbed onto the driver’s seat beside the old man.
The wagon departed, soon disappearing from sight. The villagers gradually dispersed, and with them went their concern, pity, and sympathy for the children and the elderly widow’s journey.
It was only natural. No matter how much kindness one felt toward strangers, life had to go on. Regardless, the wagon picked up speed without regard for such things.
…….
Yet something felt off. The lively children from moments ago had fallen silent the instant they left the village, sitting motionless in a corner of the wagon. The woman who had faced everyone with a smile now sat expressionless, holding the reins in a purely mechanical fashion without uttering a single word.
“They were kind people. I didn’t want to deceive them.”
The first to speak was the old man, who had remained silent until now. His words, however, were not directed at anyone in particular. He merely muttered as though he were alone.
Neither the woman nor the children in the back reacted to the old man’s behavior. The unnatural scene was almost eerie, like puppets whose strings had been cut.
The old man pulled something from his robes—a communication crystal orb. As it emitted a faint glow, Elena’s figure appeared within the sphere.
—Lord Kainaknus, I was worried since I hadn’t heard from you.
“Something came up. I had to deal with the villagers using doppelgangers for the past few days.”
Kainaknus, the Dragon’s Ally. The only living summoner contracted with a dragon, he was currently tracking traces of the Dark Temple. The woman beside him and the two children in the back were doppelgangers he had summoned.
Doppelgangers, capable of assuming any form, possessed no real emotions or will of their own. They were relatively rare monsters that approached prey by mimicking appearances before swallowing their bewildered targets whole. Kainaknus was now making full use of their traits through soul synchronization.
A lone traveling old man would invite suspicion, but no one questioned a pitiful widow journeying with an elderly father and children. It was the method he had devised to track the Dark Temple without drawing unnecessary attention or suspicion.
Of course, he had to layer several spells to prevent other summoners from detecting the doppelgangers, and maintaining maximum soul synchronization with them was somewhat exhausting, but at least it had been effective so far.
—Have you found any new information?
“A few days ago, I learned that several summoners left this area and never returned. The villagers also mentioned seeing a group of travelers. We should be able to confirm it soon.”
The wagon and horses shimmered before rising slightly into the air. The ordinary horses transformed into eight-legged Sleipnirs galloping through the sky, while the wagon’s surface became covered in runes signifying levitation magic.
Kainaknus summoned spirits of light to conceal the wagon and horses from view, then the wagon ascended into the sky.
“Has anything happened on your end?”
—I met Lord Anak.
“Finally!”
For Kainaknus, who had always felt uneasy about contacting Anak without prior permission, it was welcome news indeed.
“Did Hajins explain things properly?”
Hajins had been the messenger they sent to the hero’s village.
—No, well……
Elena explained everything that had happened in as much detail as possible. Kainaknus burst into laughter at her account.
“Puhaha! So you mistook Lord Anak for a member of the Dark Temple? And not just anyone—you, Lady Elena?”
At Kainaknus’s question, Elena’s face flushed slightly.
—…Lord Anak was hiding his identity.
Kainaknus gazed for a while at the rare sight of the half-elf looking flustered.
“At any rate, Irshagas… Lord Anak truly is an extraordinary summoner. We nearly faced real danger.”
—You’re right. I was also…
Just as the conversation was about to continue, black flames suddenly streaked past the wagon from below.
—Lord Kainaknus!
“I’ll contact you later.”
Kainaknus severed the connection and quickly dismissed the doppelgangers while dodging the incoming flames. He leapt onto one of the Sleipnirs, abandoning the wagon. The spirits of light surrounding them prevented direct hits, but it was difficult to keep evading the flames while dragging the heavy wagon along.
Though levitation magic had been cast, once the mana connection maintaining the spell was severed, the wagon plummeted to the ground. Kainaknus, now mounted on a Sleipnir, descended rapidly toward the direction the flames were coming from.
Runes materialized around him, and gargoyles appeared. The black flames continued to target him, their accuracy increasing the closer he drew. At his command, the gargoyles flew swiftly toward the source of the flames. Kainaknus soon saw the flames change targets.
Through soul synchronization, Kainaknus identified those firing the flames.
A gaunt man with a skull-like face, two men in robes, and two lower demons they had apparently summoned were conjuring and launching the black flames.
Three of the eight gargoyles he had summoned had already fallen to the flames, and the remaining five lacked the strength to contend with the two lower demons. Their bodies, harder than stone, would shatter like rotten wood beneath the mana-wrapped fists of the lower demons, and even their weight-driven dive attacks would fail to breach the demons’ barriers.
Even so, Kainaknus did not care. He had summoned the gargoyles not because they were true living summons, but because they could identify the enemies and buy him enough time to descend with their durable bodies.