The Fooled, The Fooling, and the Foolish 6
The border city of Sagunto, located in the frontier region of the Empire. Havel, standing guard there, was once again collecting tolls as usual.
“Three silver per person. Don’t even think about shorting me.”
“My lord, please show some mercy! The toll was only one silver until recently, and now it’s tripled. How can this be?”
“It’s the lord’s decree. There are no exceptions, so pay up without complaint.”
Ever since the Demon Kingdom’s fall, traffic across the border had surged, and the tolls had become a lucrative source of income. The lord had boldly raised the price to seize this opportunity. Complaints erupted as a result, but those holding the sword made the rules. In the end, people grumbled yet still paid to enter.
“Honestly… if you’re told to pay, just pay. Why so much talk…”
With a frown at the endless stream of grievances, Havel turned to the next person in line.
“!...Hmm…”
The man had an unmistakably unusual presence. His clothing was clearly expensive, and he was accompanied by knights who appeared to be bodyguards. Havel immediately recognized him as someone of high status.
The problem was the foul stench emanating from their bodies. This was a border region, and travelers on long journeys often carried similar odors, but it was rare to smell it on people who looked so well-groomed.
‘He looks refined, yet the body odor is terrible… Did he roll around in a dung heap somewhere?’
Reminded once again that one should never judge people by appearances alone, Havel spoke in a cautious tone.
“Th-the toll is three silver… per person.”
-“Here.”
The man paid with a slightly hoarse voice and an arrogant air. Unlike the others, he handed over the coins without a word of protest, as though the amount meant nothing. Havel concluded that, stench aside, the man was indeed someone of considerable standing, then returned to his duties.
*
-“We’re in… As expected, security here isn’t particularly tight. That’s fortunate.”
Plutos Crassus moved cautiously while surveying his surroundings. At his words, Plutos Zik, disguised as a knight escort, replied in a measured voice.
-“Still, remain vigilant. Even though we’re protected by the illusion imbued with our master’s power, some high-ranking priests may be able to see through it.”
-“I know. That’s why we must finish our business here as quickly as possible… Hm?”
At that moment, Crassus’s eyes fell upon a group of people. Their attire varied, but every one of them was heavily armed and radiated an ominous atmosphere. They were moving busily toward the city gate’s exit.
-“Crassus, those are…”
-“Adventurers… And the ones following behind them are Kerks hunters.”
-“The scale is too large for a simple extermination request. Their supplies are also considerable…”
-“Hmm…”
Seeing adventurers in the border city of Sagunto was common. However, what they were witnessing now was on an entirely different level. Even a small number of Kerks hunters had been mobilized. Their appearance suggested they were marching off to war. A single realization surfaced in Crassus’s mind.
-“That Master bastard… He really moves fast.”
-“Pardon? What do you mean…”
-“They’re not ordinary adventurers. They’re acting on a formal commission from Kerks. Their target is clearly our master… or more precisely, Lord Fenrir and the demon forces under him.”
Honestly, mobilizing such a force in such a short time was no easy feat. Yet for Kerks, with branches in every region and the ability to relay messages instantly through high-level teleportation magic, acting the moment orders arrived was entirely possible. Especially when it came to moving adventurers, who were always on standby.
Having grasped the situation, Crassus turned to another Plutos behind him.
-“You, return at once and report this to our lord. Zik and I will handle matters here.”
-“Understood.”
The other side was likely making preparations of their own, but accurate information still needed to be delivered. After issuing the order, Crassus and Zik moved to carry out their own task. Despite preparing for any contingency, Crassus felt not a shred of worry.
-‘Foolish humans… They’re struggling in vain. Tremble and die beneath our master’s majesty.’
Having been reborn through the great one’s power, Crassus knew exactly how vast that power was. A mere rabble of adventurers could be erased with a single gesture. From the moment they incurred their master’s wrath, humans had never stood a chance. Trusting completely in the victory report that would soon arrive, Crassus and Zik hurried to fulfill their lord’s command—unaware that someone was watching them from afar.
‘N-no way…’
*
A large group of adventurers and hunters moved along a mountain path. Composed of numerous adventurer parties, the force numbered a full two thousand—essentially an army. Leading this massive host was Antonis, a senior Kerks hunter entrusted with the operation. At this very moment, he was gripped by intense excitement.
‘To think such luck would come my way… I’m glad I’ve been greasing the right palms upstairs all this time.’
It was the first time in his life he had been given command of a force the size of an army. Antonis saw this mission as the opportunity of a lifetime. The objective itself was simple: raid the demon bandits’ base and annihilate them. Along the way, he was also to retrieve the bodies—or at least the belongings—of the two high-ranking executives, Crassus and Pompey, who had been sacrificed.
Thanks to information from above, the location of the demon base was already known. Roughly four thousand demons were said to be there, but most were either injured or children. The actual fighting force numbered only a few hundred at most. Even if a powerful high-ranking demon known as the Dancer was among them, numbers would overwhelm her. There would be little she could do.
‘We know their position and their strength! All that remains is to attack those filthy creatures and slaughter them!’
Convinced there was no possibility of defeat, Antonis’s heart swelled with visions of the brilliant future that awaited him.
‘Two high-ranking executives were taken down… If I distinguish myself even a little here, I’ll rise to the top in no time!’
The fact that this was a mission of vengeance for those two made success all the more appealing. The one who avenged them would inherit their will. It was a natural, perfect narrative.
‘Executive! I’m finally going to become an executive! This Antonis will stand as the new leader who guides Kerks!’
The dream he had long pursued now seemed within reach. Just as Antonis was lost in elation, the sky suddenly darkened.
-Rumble…
“Huh?”
“What? It was clear just a moment ago…”
His adjutants spoke with concern.
“Captain Antonis, it looks like rain is coming. We should set up camp here.”
“The men are exhausted from the march. Since we’re already stopping, why not rest here before continuing?”
“Tch… We’re almost there…”
Though he wanted nothing more than to fight and claim victory immediately, the situation left him no choice. Antonis reluctantly agreed.
“You’re right… Better than rushing and ruining everything. Set up camp. We’ll rest well today and finish everything in one go tomorrow.”
“Understood.”
“Captain’s orders. We’ll camp here tonight. Everyone, prepare accordingly.”
The adventurers began pitching tents. Unlike a regular army, they moved in small groups of party members, giving the scene more the feel of a picnic than a military campaign—lighthearted and disorganized. With so many parties gathered, such disorder was inevitable. Paying it little mind, Antonis entered the tent his subordinates had prepared for him, unaware of the gaze watching them from a distant, unseen place.