In Search of the Demon King Slayer (1)
Leticia always passed through Valencia Castle on her way to Bria Academy. It was to see Yushin.
She had started frequenting the castle ever since she began calling Yushin "Teacher."
"How's your body holding up?"
"I'm fine. Just a bit uncomfortable walking, that's all."
"Tell me if it hurts. I'll carry you."
"Yeah, got it."
In the span of a single night, Yushin and Alonne had grown remarkably close. It was only natural for Leticia to feel suspicious about it. What on earth had happened? No way had Alonne confessed first, right?
Leticia, who had secretly started harboring feelings for Yushin, began to doubt their relationship.
"What happened yesterday, Teacher?"
Leticia asked, and Yushin answered.
"Nothing much. Except the training grounds at Valencia Castle got totally wrecked."
"That's a big deal…."
"Tell me about it. I wish she'd act a little more grown-up."
Yushin let out a deep sigh as he spoke.
The training grounds had been completely demolished. The reason was unknown, but Ardena and Allen had clashed there. The aftermath was devastating. The wooden swords set up in the grounds were all shattered, a testament to how brutal and intense the fight between the two female knights had been. Having battled from last night until dawn without rest, they had exhausted all their strength and collapsed into deep sleep.
"The Valencia family must be in a tough spot."
Leticia didn't know the identity of the human woman who had suddenly appeared. The woman who had hidden her identity even while using magical artifacts. But she didn't ask. Because her teacher had asked her to keep it secret. It would be a lie to say she wasn't curious.
The fact that she had fought fiercely against Ardena all night in the training grounds meant she was a warrior of equal caliber. Leticia felt curiosity about this human woman with such immense power who had popped up out of nowhere, but she decided to keep quiet.
"Ugh."
Alonne let out a groan and staggered. Yushin immediately supported her.
"Sorry…."
"I told you not to push yourself."
A tender atmosphere flowed between Yushin and Alonne. Seeing it, Leticia felt an uncomfortable emotion stir within her. What the hell had happened? Anxiety crept in as she watched Alonne pull ahead. I'm at a huge disadvantage. Her teacher had been the Valencia family's slave. Alonne, always in the same space as him, had no choice but to take the lead.
I need to figure out how to bring Teacher to our Santander family…. Maybe I can use his subordinates.
Yushin's subordinates called Leticia "Young Miss." They had become excellent soldiers. With the Santander family's full support, they seemed to have forgotten all about their homeland. Incompetent slaves would have been sent to the mines or deep-sea fishing boats, but Yushin's men were capable. Bilen Santander, the family head, lived by the motto, "Treat capable slaves accordingly," so they were thriving without issue.
"Teacher, why don't you visit the Santander family sometime? You could see your subordinates, and let me train under you."
"Can't Teacher's subordinates just come to our castle? Problem solved."
No sooner had Leticia finished speaking than Alonne, supported by Yushin, chimed in. The smile on her lips wavered. At Alonne's words, cracks began to form on Leticia's face. Cheeky little bitch. Leticia muttered inwardly at Alonne's brazen attempt to monopolize Yushin. It rubbed her the wrong way. Every time she saw Yushin and Alonne's bond deepen day by day, impatience gnawed at her.
"Human, you were amazing yesterday. You're seriously strong. Here's a gift."
Yushin, Alonne, and Leticia arrived at Bria Academy via warp gate. The moment they arrived, Yushin received a gift from an unnamed elf. It was wrapped in red paper, not too large, and light—probably some kind of simple dessert.
They later learned that the elf woman who had suddenly appeared and given him the gift was the attendant of a high elf student.
"…Looks like candy."
"You know her?"
"No clue."
Yushin muttered while staring at the gift he'd absentmindedly accepted, answering Alonne's question.
The gift offensive continued afterward. Many elf women expressed their feelings through presents. Until now, Yushin had been the academy's "troublemaker"—practically a dangerous figure. From his first day, after taking down 17 elves, he had been treated with wary caution.
Yet the elves, who had always watched him sharply, now approached with flushed faces, handing over gifts.
"You're too impressive to keep as a slave."
"Who would've thought you'd beat Warrior Captain Bariteon, the third seat. I knew you were strong, but not that strong."
Yushin realized that the elf women showering him with gifts were all spectators who had witnessed his duel with Bariteon. He didn't mind. The women who gave them directly were, as expected of elves, stunning beauties with dazzling looks. Holding gifts in both hands, Yushin hummed a cheerful tune. Alonne and Leticia shot him uncomfortable glances.
Watching Yushin revel in the elf women's attention made jealousy surge from the depths of their hearts.
"You've got a grin from ear to ear."
"Don't get all smug."
Stung by the two high elf girls' barbs, Yushin couldn't openly rejoice and had to swallow his glee.
In his previous life, before coming to this world, he'd had zero luck with women. But perhaps his fortunes had turned—ever since arriving in the elf kingdom, his popularity had been skyrocketing day by day. A popular guy. It was no longer just a dream.
"Hello, Miss Alonne. Miss Leticia."
They ran into Liana in the hallway leading to the lecture hall. The silver-haired beauty was still dressed to flaunt her voluptuous figure. Yushin's gaze, as always, locked onto her breasts. What does she eat to grow tits like that? Alonne, born to a wealthy noble family, had a flat chest, while Liana boasted a bust that even Leticia had to concede to. It was only natural for men's eyes to gravitate there.
"Ahem."
Noticing Yushin's blatant stare, Liana cleared her throat. Then she spoke.
"I heard you fought Senior Warrior Captain Bariteon. Like the other elves, I watched. You fought well, as expected. Fitting for the knight who beat Senior Ardena."
The elf warrior captain, who had always sneered "arrogant human" or "know your place as a fourth-class" whenever they crossed paths, now showed a shy reaction. Alonne and Leticia's faces soured rapidly.
Warrior Captain eleventh seat. Leticia had thought she would never act giddy like the other elves, but the instinct to crave strong genes from superior males was the same—she glanced at Yushin and blushed.
"Ahem, well… I don't really care, but if you have time after class, wanna grab coffee? My treat. Specially."
After his duel with Bariteon, Yushin was bewildered by the elves' 180-degree attitude shift. The wild elf warrior captains who used to shriek and charge at him whenever they met had become so demure.
"How should we handle this?"
"Don't worry. I'll tell my sister."
"Good idea. I'll ask Father to transfer Instructor Liana somewhere else too. Send her to the front lines fighting the Demon King Army."
"How dare she…!"
The oblivious elf warrior captain failed to notice the increasingly dangerous glares from the high elf students.
* * *
The power in the Liberia Elf Kingdom was firmly gripped by the Yetzirah Council. At the kingdom's founding, it had been managed by the High Priestess, the Warrior Captains, and fifty prophets. But over time, after the founding mother High Priestess passed away and the twelve Warrior Captains declared, "We are soldiers, not politicians," relinquishing power, the descendants of those fifty prophets—the high elf nobles—formed the Yetzirah Council of fifty and seized control.
"Another One. That name again."
One noble muttered. The noble beside him spoke up.
"They always show up in every major incident shaking the continent."
The nobles had been urgently summoned by news brought by the delegation dispatched to the Holy Empire. The Holy Empire's Demon King Slayer. Thanks to clues from the imperial chamberlain, Tanya Mainz, the Yetzirah Council was in chaos, like a kicked beehive.
Originally, they were supposed to receive the Demon King Slayer from the Holy Empire in exchange for sending Yushin Gilliard back to Valua Kingdom. But the person known as the Demon King Slayer wasn't a Holy Empire knight, so the empire couldn't accept the elf kingdom's request to deploy them.
"Speaking of Yushin Gilliard… Have you heard? That human is an Another One. Who would've thought Lord Valencia was hiding one in the forest. Impressive."
Kadaz Biscaya, a great noble from the elf kingdom's northern region, spoke to Wallace Valencia in a mocking tone. Wallace swallowed hard.
He hadn't realized the human slave Ardena bought in Pamplona was an Another One. He knew he was one of Valua's Kingdom's Seven Swords. But an Another One? It was shocking enough that a Seven Sword had been captured as a POW and enslaved, but to be an Another One on top of that. This was no coincidence.
"Another Ones are known to hide their identities thoroughly. Only about a hundred are publicly known, but everyone knows there are far more undisclosed. That human must have been hiding his too."
As Kadaz Biscaya seemed to threaten Wallace Valencia, nobles supportive of Wallace stepped forward to defend him. The meeting hall grew rowdy.
Debate erupted among the nobles over the Another One revealed at Bria Academy. Meetings of the fifty nobles representing Liberia Elf Kingdom often devolved into chaos. In worse cases, violence broke out among them. Like human nations, the elves' realm was no different.
"Quiet! Silence, everyone!!"
The white-haired chairman banged the gavel. The nobles, glaring and posturing against each other, calmed somewhat. But the sparks of conflict lingered. Any small ember could reignite the fight.
"Ugh…! Anyway, the important thing now is the Holy Empire's Demon King Slayer, right? The southern front is in turmoil. To eliminate Sabnack, the Raging Flames Demon King leading the Demon King Army, we must find the Holy Empire's Demon King Slayer at all costs."
The chairman took over moderating, speaking for the nobles. Normally, the chairman only addressed agenda items, but in this chaotic atmosphere, only he could steer the meeting.
"Lord Valencia."
"Yes, Chairman."
"By the chairman's authority, I hereby summon all Another Ones in the Liberia Elf Kingdom. Yours is no exception."
"Understood. I shall comply."
All Another Ones summoned. The chairman invoked his authority, submitting the motion to the Yetzirah Council. It passed immediately. The southern front, locked in fierce battle with the Demon King Army, was on a knife's edge. They needed to find the Demon King Slayer as quickly as possible.
"But the odds of the Holy Empire's Demon King Slayer being in the elf kingdom are slim. It's like finding a needle in a haystack."
"We can't just sit on our hands. If needed, we'll mobilize even the shadow kin—dark elves—to find the Demon King Slayer among the Another Ones."
"I heard the Valencia family's Another One defeated Warrior Captain Bariteon in a duel at the academy. Honestly, he's the prime suspect right now."
"Let's summon the human slave Yushin Gilliard to the palace first!"
The nobles accelerated the search for the Demon King Slayer, naming Yushin Gilliard as the top candidate. Wallace nodded. An Another One with the power to slay a Demon King. Yushin, known for defeating Bariteon in a duel, was currently the closest match. Of course, it wasn't certain. The possibility he wasn't was high. Another Ones were always enigmatic figures shrouded in mystery. Even if the Holy Empire's Demon King Slayer was on the opposite side of the continent, it wouldn't be surprising.