The Mission Begins
The mission had begun. Olympus, the imperial capital. A city of half a million souls, the undisputed political, cultural, and military heart of the empire. And at this very moment, a group of figures cloaked in robes were moving cautiously through the heart of that vast metropolis.
“We’ve arrived. For now, this place should be safe.”
“Haa…”
They had reached the great bridge at the center of the city. The moment they arrived beneath it, Hector, who had led the group all the way here, sat down right where he stood. The others—more precisely, the other demons—followed suit and began to rest as well.
A few of them, exhausted from the relentless forced march they had endured under constant tension, began to nod off. Others remained alert, keeping a wary eye on their surroundings without letting their guard down for even a second.
And among those demons catching their breath, the one leading them—Shamyuel—spoke to Hector in her characteristically flat, emotionless voice.
“It is curious. I have felt this the entire way here, but how exactly do you know of such places?”
The spot beneath the massive bridge was hidden from casual view, yet directly overhead countless people were still passing by. It was a location where security was inevitably lax. In other words, it was perfectly optimized for concealment. Shamyuel looked around at their surroundings as she asked the question. Hector, tearing into a strip of jerky he had brought as rations, answered in a quiet voice.
“I spent my childhood in the back alleys. I know places like this well. After stealing bread, if I hid here, no one could ever find me.”
“Hmm… I see. If I had known of such a place, I would have made good use of it as well. It seems perfect for stealing an apple from a fruit stand and then hiding… it is what it is.”
There was a faint note of sympathy in Shamyuel’s tone. Hector looked slightly surprised and asked her,
“That sounds like… were you originally a commoner as well?”
“To be precise, I am from a fallen noble house. But since I lived no differently from a commoner, there is essentially no difference… it is what it is.”
“I see… Well, without any real power to back you up, there isn’t much difference between commoners and nobles anyway.”
“In the end, when you are hungry you must eat. When you are tired you must sleep. Those things are the same… it is what it is.”
In that strange way, the two of them discovered a sense of kinship and quietly continued their private conversation.
“If you go a little further upstream from here, there’s a huge harbor. If you wander around that area, you can surprisingly easily get fish that are decent enough to eat.”
“Fish… It sounds like you ate quite well. In the village where I lived, there was no harbor, so obtaining seafood was like plucking stars from the sky… it is what it is.”
“Don’t say that. Even so, it wasn’t just for a day or two. Living off half-rotten sardines every single day is still a horrible memory when I think about it now.”
While Hector recalled memories from his past that were still far from pleasant, Shamyuel listened with unexpected interest. For a brief moment, with a monumental mission looming before them, the two were able to find a small measure of peace in their hearts.
“Surprisingly, it seems I can actually talk with you. If the opportunity arises later, let us speak again… it is what it is.”
“Let’s do that. If the chance comes… definitely.”
With those words, Shamyuel slowly rose to her feet. Hector watched her with a faint, almost invisible smile. Having briefly indulged in nostalgia, the two of them once again put on serious expressions.
The demons had successfully infiltrated the imperial capital. Now, as the sun began to set, it was time for them to begin the mission they had been given.
At the imperial palace located in the center of Olympus, a group of ministers were kneeling respectfully before the figure seated on the throne.
The man radiated an aura of unique dignity and authority as he sat upon the throne. A vivid red scar marked his face, and his appearance instantly conveyed a fierce, warlike nature. He was Kratus III, Emperor of the Falcon Empire—the sovereign who ruled this land, the absolute symbol of power and authority that stood supreme over the vast and mighty empire.
At this moment, he was frowning slightly as he watched the ministers before him chatter noisily.
“The elves’ resistance is proving far stronger than anticipated.”
“The Third Legion suffered devastating losses after launching a reckless advance.”
“We continue to win every battle on the plains, but we cannot avoid defeat in the forests. At this rate, further advances will be impossible.”
“Hmm…”
The war against the elves was proceeding far more difficultly than imagined. The imperial ministers were raising voices heavy with concern. The conflict with the elves had broken out immediately after the Race Alliance War had already drained considerable strength. Even for the Falcon Empire, which had reached the peak of its power, the burden was no small matter.
While the enemy had also exhausted their national strength, the difference in burden between an invasion and a defensive war was inevitably vast. The imperial forces currently deployed in the Elf Theocracy numbered seventy thousand in total. Maintaining supply lines to support them and sending reinforcements was no easy task. Moreover, the terrain and geography were overwhelmingly favorable to the elves.
The empire’s overwhelming national power and abundance of talented individuals had somehow managed to overcome these difficulties, but even that was barely enough to maintain the current stalemate.
As the overall situation continued to look unfavorable, the Emperor—Kratus III, known by the title of Iron Monarch—spoke in a voice carrying a chill like frozen steel.
“So, what exactly are you all trying to say? That we should sit here doing nothing and negotiate with those damned elves?”
“N-no, Your Majesty, that is not what we meant…”
“We merely suggest that since the situation is unfavorable, we should take a moment to discuss strategies and—”
“Strategies? And have any of you ever presented a single useful strategy until now? All you ever say is that the situation is difficult, that the enemy’s resistance is formidable, and nothing more!”
“T-that is…”
Under the Emperor’s cold rebuke, the ministers could say nothing further. It was then that—
“Your Majesty.”
A single voice broke the momentary silence. However, it did not come from among the many ministers standing before the Emperor. The voice had come from right beside him—one of the Empire’s Three Knights, who served as his personal guard. It was Achilles.
“If it is not too presumptuous, Your Majesty… may this humble subject present a strategy he has in mind?”
“Oh…? You have a method? Speak, then.”
The Emperor, who had been growing frustrated with the ministers’ consistently incompetent attitudes, felt a faint sense of refreshment. Looking at him, Achilles began to calmly explain the ‘strategy’ he had prepared.
“The current difficulty stems from the terrain of the Elf Theocracy interfering with our operations. If we can resolve that issue, securing victory should not be particularly difficult.”
“That may be true, but are you saying you have a means to do something about the terrain?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. In fact, I have been preparing for such a situation for quite some time…”
As he explained the plan he had prepared, a cruel smile slowly formed on Achilles’ lips. It was then that—
-KWAANG!!!!!!
“Huh?”
“W-what is that?”
A sudden, thunderous explosion rang out. Everyone inside the palace was instantly seized by shock.
“What in the world is happening? Where did that explosion come from?”
“Y-Your Majesty! Look over there!”
At the soldier’s cry, both the Emperor and the ministers turned their gazes out the window. There, not far from the center of the capital, a column of black smoke was rising, flickering with bright red flames in its midst.
“Isn’t that the direction of the Magic Workshop?”
“It appears so. Could another magical experiment have failed?”
“This doesn’t seem like that kind of incident. An explosion of that scale… something major must have happened.”
Explosions at the Magic Workshop had occurred several times in the past. However, the scene before their eyes now felt distinctly different from those previous accidents. It did not look like a mere mishap… rather, it looked as if someone had deliberately caused the explosion.
The Emperor immediately ordered an investigation. The soldiers who received the command hurriedly moved to leave the audience chamber. It was then that—
“Your Majesty!”
“Hm? You are…”
“High Priestess Aileen. How did you…”
Aileen entered the chamber just as the soldiers were leaving. The fact that she, who should have been in Thebes, had appeared here left everyone puzzled. Ignoring their questioning gazes, Aileen strode boldly through the center of the audience chamber and stopped before the Emperor.
And then—
“Your Majesty. This servant, High Priestess Aileen, has come bearing urgent news that must be reported to Your Majesty at once.”
“What is the matter?”
An unexpected incident had occurred, followed by the appearance of an unexpected person. As the Emperor looked at her with suspicion, Aileen bowed her head and began to speak in a calm voice. She told him about the wicked conspiracy of the Demon Kingdom that she had witnessed before coming here.