The Hero's Ruthless Proposal
The demonkin attack would come soon. Watching the hero slaughter his own kin without the slightest hesitation, the officer sent to monitor him felt a genuine chill run down his spine.
‘I never thought… he would actually cut down his fellow humans so casually…’
Though the hero had always boasted loudly, the officer had never truly believed him. No… he couldn’t believe it. Even with the Demon King’s guarantee, as a former commander of the Demon King’s army, he knew the hero’s past all too well. This was the same man who had overcome countless brushes with death and impossible odds, swinging his sword only for humanity. He had poured everything into the war for the sake of the human race and the allied races. Because of that, the officer had watched him like a hawk at every moment, expecting the hero to waver or betray them during this operation.
But after witnessing the brief battle moments ago, the officer had no choice but to accept the truth. The hero standing before them was no longer the man they once knew.
‘It seems Her Majesty was right… Indeed. The hero now is completely different from before. In that sense, he doesn’t seem likely to betray us immediately, but…’
The officer felt a complicated mix of emotions toward the hero—a man so thoroughly twisted that he had become someone they could now trust. Yet in the next moment, the hero turned to him and proposed they do more than simply end things here. Hearing this, the officer felt another wave of dread, but ultimately accepted the suggestion. Regardless of his feelings, the proposal itself was simply too tempting to refuse.
*
“Haaam…”
“I’m exhausted…”
At the checkpoint guarding the entrance to the village of Lop, a group of soldiers stood watch while complaining of fatigue. They had just finished the troublesome task of sending out a supply transport unit, and their tension had eased slightly. Even so, with dawn still far off and their shift far from over, the soldiers stretched and tried to shake off their weariness.
Then—
“Hm?”
“W-what’s that?”
Suddenly, two figures emerged from the darkness. Wearing the same armor as the soldiers who had departed earlier with the supplies, they staggered toward the checkpoint, their bodies drenched in blood.
“H-hey! Are you all right?”
“What the hell happened? Where did you get hurt like that?”
“Ugh…”
The moment the soldiers approached, the wounded men collapsed to the ground. The checkpoint guards rushed forward to support them. One of the fallen soldiers spoke in a pained voice.
“E-enemy… The d-demonkin… attacked… They took all the supplies… They’ll be here… soon…! *Cough! Cough!*”
Blood bubbled from his lips as he forced the words out. The soldiers immediately sprang into action.
“Damn it!”
“We need to move him inside! You two, report to the higher-ups right away!”
“Demonkin invasion! Everyone, battle stations!”
*
“This way! Please hurry!”
“R-right.”
A soldier rushed toward the medical tent with a priest who had just been roused from sleep. They were hurrying to treat the soldiers who had been drenched in blood during the demonkin ambush. The medical station was located near the harbor. Upon arriving, the soldier quickly guided the priest inside the tent.
But—
“H-here! Treat the patients right away… Huh?”
“…?”
In the next instant, confusion replaced urgency on both their faces. Just moments ago, two soldiers had been dying here, begging for a priest to be brought as quickly as possible. Now, however, the only things visible were an empty cot and a set of discarded armor lying on the floor.
“W-what in the world happened? The patients—where did the patients go?”
“T-that’s… They were definitely here just a moment ago…”
As the two stood bewildered, a thunderous explosion suddenly rang out.
-Kwa-kwa-kwang!!-
“!”
“W-what was that…?”
The priest and soldier dashed out of the tent in alarm. What they saw outside was a scene of utter shock.
*
Word of the wounded soldiers spread like wildfire, throwing the village of Lop into chaos. Soldiers who had been resting or guarding the grain stores rushed to the outer walls, while General Cassandra, who oversaw the defense, immediately took action upon receiving the report.
“Is it true that the transport unit was attacked?”
“Yes, General. We sent scouts to confirm. The wagons were destroyed and all supplies have been looted. We’ve also confirmed the soldiers’ bodies.”
“I see… Have we identified the enemy’s numbers?”
“It appears they’re hiding in the forest, but we haven’t confirmed exact numbers. Given how quickly the attack occurred, we estimate at least several hundred.”
“Hmm…”
The garrison at Lop numbered just under a thousand. While the defensive force wasn’t large relative to the village’s importance, that was unavoidable given its position in the rear lines. At the very least, the enemy numbers were likely equal to or slightly below their own.
“You said the surviving wounded were sent to the medical unit?”
“Yes. Their injuries seemed severe, so we dispatched priests immediately.”
“Report to me once they’ve recovered. I’ll need to question them personally about the details.”
“Understood, General.”
“And one more thing…”
Cassandra suddenly gave additional orders. The soldiers nodded and prepared to carry them out.
“We’ve placed the Shackle of Control on him, so there shouldn’t be any issues, but stay alert regardless. Even if he looks harmless now, he was once part of the strongest hero party in history. If he goes on a rampage, it could become extremely troublesome.”
“Yes, we’ll remain vigilant, General Cassandra.”
After issuing her orders, Cassandra began preparing to head to the front lines herself. Though she held the critical position of overall commander, her combat prowess was second only to the beastkin swordswoman whose strength had yet to be fully assessed. As both commander and the strongest fighter present, she checked her weapons, ready to join the battle directly.
At that moment—
-Kwa-kwa-kwang!!!-
“Huh?”
A sudden, violent explosion echoed through the air. Given that combat was expected, the sound of magic or siege weapons wasn’t unusual in itself. Yet General Cassandra’s face filled with deep confusion.
“G-General! Over there!”
Following her subordinate’s panicked cry, she saw the flames of the explosion. But the fire wasn’t coming from the defensive wall where the battle was supposed to take place. Instead, the blaze was rising from the warehouse district near the harbor—far from the walls. The very place where supplies and food stores were piled high.