Found You
Right after the soldiers who had escorted the Demon Army officer and me this far departed to summon a priest, I—who had successfully infiltrated the enemy's rear by disguising myself as a wounded soldier claiming, “I am the one who once even scammed the hero”—immediately removed the human armor I was wearing along with the officer and we changed into our original equipment.
From the magical pouch the officer wore came my armor and greatsword that had been stored inside. Yet as I went through the process of fully arming myself once more, my gaze refused to leave the Demon Army officer standing before me.
“What are you staring at like that? Don’t tell me you’re feeling lust for this frail little body?”
“N-no, it’s not like that…”
At her cold words—I mean, her words—I had no choice but to turn my eyes away. Even so, the shock lodged in my chest showed no sign of fading.
To be honest, it’s surprising. I never imagined one of the Demon King’s executives would look like this…
The officer was somewhat awkwardly shedding the human armor and donning her own. Her appearance matched her petite frame: that of a young girl. A demon girl with short silver hair tied neatly, a single black horn on her forehead, and crimson eyes. While her features were undeniably cute, her face in this moment carried a chill and coldness that didn’t suit a girl at all.
Well… demons have lifespans on an entirely different scale from humans. She might actually be several decades—or even hundreds of years—old despite that appearance.
With those thoughts in mind, I finished my final preparations, greatsword in hand. A little later, the demon girl—no, the officer—completed her own, now clad in violet armor and armed with a pair of red blades.
“Then we proceed as planned.”
“Understood. You take the eastern sector. I’ll handle the west. Should I finish early, I’ll come assist you.”
“That won’t be necessary. Just make sure you do your part properly.”
After replying in that icy tone, she melted into the shadows and vanished. Seeing her bristle at what I’d said partly out of consideration, I couldn’t help but smile bitterly before stepping outside with my sword.
All right, then… Time to begin. And while I’m at it, I’ll chop that bastard’s head clean off.
Supply Manager Glenn of Port Town Rob felt he had spent yet another highly “profitable” day. He was currently sharing drinks with his subordinates.
“Haha! Another huge success today, sir. The profits from this alone come to over two thousand gold.”
“You really are a genius, Manager Glenn. How do you divert military supplies so flawlessly?”
Watching his men jingle the fresh pouches of gold coins with genuine admiration, Glenn stroked his beard with a greedy smile and spoke in high spirits.
“It’s not that difficult. The very structure of military logistics is built for easy embezzlement. With so many goods moving through, simply using a rigged scale during weighing is enough to siphon off items without anyone noticing. Of course that’s only the basics, but it’s one of the most reliable and consistently profitable tricks.”
“Ooh… I see. Learning another one from you, sir.”
“Remember it well. Show me a little more dedication in your work and I’ll teach you my special techniques one by one. In these turbulent times, they’re essential knowledge for survival.”
“Thank you, sir. Here, have another cup. Just as we’ve done until now, we’ll keep working hard for you, Manager.”
And so Glenn bragged about his accomplishments while little by little passing on the tricks that gnawed away at the kingdom to his followers. At that moment, one of the men drinking with him asked with open curiosity.
“Now that I think about it, sir, what was the biggest score you’ve ever made?”
“Ah, I’m curious too. A man of your caliber must have one or two incidents that would go down in history, right?”
“Hmm… well, it’s nothing that grand… but yes, there are a few big jobs that still stand out in my memory.”
Glenn began to feel rather pleased with himself at his subordinates’ words. Then a recent rumor sparked a memory of one particularly lucrative exploit.
“Come to think of it, you all must have heard the news. About how the Hero Party that marched out this time ultimately failed.”
“Ah… you mean the legendary hero who received an oracle saying he would end the war?”
“That’s the one. Truth is, when they passed through here before, I made a killing off them.”
“Ooh… really?”
“Yes. It was definitely the elf paladin and the mage from the party. I saw their faces at the departure ceremony, so there’s no mistake.”
“Incredible. Even though they failed to defeat the Demon King, you still managed to fleece the legendary Hero Party.”
“What exactly happened, sir?”
The subordinates’ eyes sparkled with interest at the tale of swindling such a prominent figure. Glenn smiled with thick superiority and continued.
“Hehe, honestly the method itself wasn’t that complicated. Those people might be decent in a fight, but they were hopeless when it came to law and market prices. I gave all kinds of excuses to the ones trying to restock food and supplies and jacked up the prices. On top of that, I undervalued the goods and currency they offered as much as possible, letting me walk away with a massive profit in a single transaction.”
“Wow… a simple trick like that actually worked?”
“It worked because it was simple. After all, to obtain food and weapons here they had no choice but to go through me. They were also in a hurry, so even if they suspected something, they were in no position to push back.”
In truth, because the Hero Party received state support, Glenn had been obligated to provide them with a reasonable level of aid. Instead, he had cleverly concealed that fact and forced unfavorable deals. The party, unaware of the details and desperate to secure supplies and depart as quickly as possible, had no choice but to pay through the nose.
“That really is something… They say the pen and the tongue are sharper than the sword, and this proves it.”
“That’s how it always is with people who think they’re better than everyone else. Still, to commit outright fraud in a situation where one slip could cost you your head—Manager Glenn, you truly are bold.”
“Haha! In this business of swindling people, you always need guts. There’s an old saying, isn’t there? The bravest man isn’t the hero charging the Demon King, but the merchant who dares to scam the king himself.”
“Exactly! That’s the truth!”
“You’re far braver than those Hero Party cowards who ran from the Demon King, Manager!”
“A toast to our brave manager!”
Glenn and his subordinates drank merrily, basking in the glow of his “glorious achievements” while the lackeys showered him with flattery. In their thoroughly elated state, they kept pouring drink after drink; at that moment, nothing in the world frightened them. They were seasoned embezzlers who lived with their livers permanently on the outside, and today’s tale of how their boss had ripped off the Hero Party only heightened the excitement, pushing them past their usual limits.
As time went on they grew drunker, half losing their minds in the alcohol and atmosphere. Then—
KWAAANG!!!
A sudden, earsplitting explosion tore through the air. The men, thoroughly sloshed, blinked their bleary eyes and slowly staggered to their feet.
“Wh-what the… ugh… what’s all this racket?”
Even though the sound alone made it obvious that something catastrophic had occurred, they still carried an oddly leisurely air. The earlier conversation had pumped them full of excessive intoxication and groundless confidence; as a result they failed to recognize the enormous crisis bearing down on them and shouted in muddled voices.
“H-hey! Who’s out there?!”
“H-how dare you… hic!… when your elders are in the middle of drinking… what the hell is—”
The subordinates stumbled toward the door like crawling drunks while Glenn shook his head, trying to clear his foggy mind. At that moment—
“Kuhuk!”
“Kkeuheoeok!”
The sudden screams of his men rang out. Glenn felt as if cold water had been dumped over his head; his eyes flew wide open. And then, clearly visible before him… a figure clad in black armor, gripping a massive bloodstained greatsword. It glared with piercing eyes and spoke in a voice as cold as ice.
“Found you…”