Chapter 160
Chapter 160
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 160
Chapter Title: Assault (5)
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Back when I was clashing with Barroc, Luciel looked ready to leap out at any moment. It was a wonder she'd managed to hold herself back until now.
With her joining the fray, looking gleeful... no, definitely excited, Barroc was finally brought down. This brought the eventful battle to a close, but it was merely the prelude to another beginning, not the end.
“Don't let your guard down! This bastard is one of the infamous Four Heavenly Kings!”
“Hmm, we should break all his limbs.”
“Don't touch his legs. They're my share, and my share alone.”
“...”
This was dizzying. Are the Hero's companions supposed to act like this? There was no excusing the sight of blood and flesh splattering everywhere. A gruesome scene I certainly wouldn't recommend for children, the elderly, or pregnant women.
Well, as long as the outcome was good, that's all that mattered. We'd achieved the remarkable feat of capturing one of the Four Heavenly Kings with minimal losses. There was just one problem.
Now that we had him, I was at a loss. Should we finish Barroc off right here? Killing him wouldn't be difficult, but the repercussions were hard to predict.
All sorts of variables could arise. The worst-case scenario would be the Demon King getting pissed off. If he descended early, we'd be annihilated, right? A swift and certain path to a bad ending. Of course, that was highly unlikely, but an unforeseen crisis of a similar magnitude could still occur...
I considered the opposite. Would letting him live and go free make things any better? He'd just report everything to the Demon King anyway.
He'd tattle that this generation of Heroes was very different from the last. Then they'd be more wary of us, which would make things that much harder.
“You've captured one of the Four Heavenly Kings. That's truly incredible!”
“Uh, but are you... planning to kill him right now?”
The knights had arrived. They were marveling at our success in capturing Barroc, yet they looked bewildered by the sight of us beating the incapacitated fiend.
“Not exactly. We're still deliberating...”
The Four Heavenly Kings were key figures in the Demon King's Army. I felt uneasy making a decision on my own. There was likely no room for negotiation, but he was at least valuable enough to be used as a bargaining chip. Or we could use a public execution to boost humanity's morale.
“Hmm, how about we report this to His Majesty first?”
Ah, there was that option. I could just pass the problem on to the Emperor, right? He'd figure out a solution. And if something went wrong? Well, the Emperor would have to take responsibility, not me.
“That sounds like a good idea.”
“I'll send a report immediately. But before that, I think we need to stop them...”
“...”
Barroc was taking a beating without being able to put up any decent resistance. He seemed to have already lost consciousness. He may be one of the Four Heavenly Kings, a sworn enemy of humanity, but did they really need to beat a defenseless opponent that badly?
Luciel finally broke one of his legs. The wide smile that followed was utterly lethal. She must have been proud of herself for carrying out the goddess's will.
I'd better stop them quickly. If I left them to it, we wouldn't even recover a corpse. A short while later, we had acquired a tremendous prisoner: one of the Four Heavenly Kings. The plot had taken a sharp turn. All I could do was hope nothing went wrong.
***
We'd barely finished the grueling battle, yet there was no time to rest. The academy had been half-reduced to ruins by the Demon King's Army's assault. It would take a long time to restore all the buildings that had turned to ash.
The restoration work would require professionals later, but the cleanup had to be done immediately. We couldn't just leave the corpses of demons and monsters lying around.
“Ugh, I'm dead tired. When are we going to finish cleaning this up?”
“What can we do? We're the ones who eat and sleep here, so we have to clean it.”
Most of the students were killing time with idle chatter. The cleanup was a secondary concern. It was understandable.
They'd received intensive combat training, but they were still just kids. No different from new recruits who had just finished their first battle. In fact, it was a relief they were even keeping their wits about them.
Nightmares might visit them tonight, but from their outward appearance, they seemed to be handling the aftereffects of battle well.
In any case, the cleanup was easily handled by the swift arrival of reinforcements. Knights, mages, and even troops that appeared to be from the Capital Defense Force. It seemed they had been on standby in case a request for reinforcements was made.
“Hmm, what an absolute mess...”
“Hey. If it was this bad, you should have called us sooner.”
“W-well... it was the Hero's request...”
The higher-ups were chiding the knights who had arrived first. Soon, they approached me and started asking questions. I gave them a suitably abridged version of the battle.
“And so, it all ended well...”
“Are you saying you delayed the request for reinforcements to handle it yourselves?”
“Yes. I judged that we could manage on our own, and as you can see, we won a great victory.”
“Your spirit is commendable, but I hope such a thing never happens again.”
He glared at me with a stern face. What's this now? Is he sulking because I didn't call for him? Reading more into it, perhaps he was trying to keep my unilateral decisions in check. Wary of the Hero's authority growing...
“You are the one and only Hero... No, in any case, you are a precious asset. We are prepared to fight for the Heroes. To be left out like this is... disappointing.”
Only the Hero can stand against the Demon King. He was saying they would throw their own bodies on the line to protect humanity's hope if it came to it. It was simply a matter of wanting to protect the Hero's party.
Whoops, I misunderstood. He was a good person, wasn't he? I almost made a big mistake. If the misunderstanding had grown, I might have grabbed him by the collar.
“I heard you captured one of the Four Heavenly Kings...”
“He's over there.”
Barroc was tied up in the center of the plaza. Baken and Crow were standing guard beside him, just in case. He clicked his tongue at the fiend's wretched state.
“To think you actually captured him... I'm at a loss for words.”
“Well, we were lucky.”
“So many of my comrades died at the hands of that son of a bitch.”
“...”
“I look forward to your continued great deeds.”
The middle-aged knight had a complicated expression. It seemed to be an equal mix of gratitude for avenging his comrades and regret at having the chance for revenge taken from him.
“Oh, and His Majesty the Emperor may pay a visit, so be prepared.”
“—??”
Huh? Why would the Emperor come all the way out here? At most, he would summon me. This wasn't an incident that required his personal attendance. Well, given that we'd caught a big fish like one of the Four Heavenly Kings, maybe he wanted to see for himself...
The reinforced troops finished the cleanup and confirmed there were no further threats. A short time later, the Emperor arrived with his Royal Guard.
“How did you catch that son of a... I mean, that Heavenly King?”
He's flustered, really flustered. Knowing Barroc's strength from the last war, he seemed to find the report unbelievable. To be fair, it was an absurd situation. I hadn't exactly planned on catching him either.
“We were lucky. We combined our strength with our comrades and...”
...and most importantly, courage. Before I could finish my speech about defeating him with the power of friendship and love, the Emperor cut me off, looking fed up.
“Enough with the clichés. Give me the details later.”
“...”
Hmm, that didn't work. He should at least pretend to be moved... An emperor is truly on a different level, it seems.
“In any case, you've achieved something remarkable and unexpected.”
He wore a satisfied smile. Having brought down a major pillar supporting the Demon King's Army, how could he feel otherwise? He probably wanted to declare a festival across the entire nation.
“I don't know how I can possibly reward this.”
I could feel his trust in me had grown even stronger. He was clearly planning to back me to the hilt. He'd probably be willing to grant any request I made.
“That aside... what should we do with this one?”
Now that we had captured a Heavenly King, we had to decide his fate. Normally, you don't immediately execute a general from an enemy nation you've captured. Usually, you'd use them to gain a diplomatic advantage or secure significant benefits through negotiation.
However, the relationship between humanity and the Demon King's Army was as bad as it gets. Mortal enemies who wouldn't rest until one side was annihilated. Avoiding war by releasing Barroc would be difficult, but it was something to consider...
“Releasing him is out of the question.”
He stated it flatly, as if it were an absurd idea. A shocking statement followed.
“Because the war has already begun.”
“...”
The Demon King's Army had already breached the borders. Now that it had come to this, there was no turning back. The timing was a bit earlier than expected, but it was a development I had anticipated, so I remained unfazed.
“A public execution seems to be the most sensible option.”
So it comes to that. Keeping him alive would just be a waste of food; there was no use for him. In that case, hanging him in front of everyone was the best course of action. It would boost morale and have a unifying effect.
Barroc's fate was decided as execution, but the discussion continued. It was about who would carry out the execution.
“How about you carry it out yourself?”
“...I'll take that as a joke.”
“Right. It doesn't quite fit the Hero's image.”
I could have finished him off right here and now. There were relatively few witnesses, and it would have seemed natural, coming right after a battle.
On the other hand, carrying out a public execution in the capital's plaza was a completely different story. People would flock there in droves. He wanted me to put on a show in front of all of them?
As a man of delicate and elegant sensibilities, I couldn't possibly handle that. Putting myself on display in front of people is just too much pressure...
Personal reasons aside, as the Emperor said, it was better for the Hero to refrain from such acts. I was known for having a just and gentle image. Even if the target was one of the Four Heavenly Kings, how would people react if I lopped off his head?
They might cheer for a moment, but it could easily lead to them perceiving the Hero as a fearsome figure. There were pros and cons, but the risks seemed greater.
“Then I suppose I'll have to take care of it.”
Done. I'd successfully passed off the troublesome task. Like a true emperor, he would make it worth my while. When he executed Barroc, he would surely mention the achievements of the Hero's party. It was a rare opportunity, so he'd use it to praise me to the heavens while also elevating the Empire's prestige.
I could forget about Barroc now. It was time to move on to the next stage. Time to make plans to counter the Demon King's Army's invasion.
The Emperor seemed to want the Heroes to join the Imperial Army immediately, but I still had much to do. I hadn't finished clearing all the dungeons yet, you know? To defeat the Demon King, I need to raise my level more!
“We need more time.”
“Even after capturing one of the Four Heavenly Kings?”
“He was a fool who underestimated us because we'd just become Heroes. We only managed to fight from an advantageous position because he walked into his own grave. Our actual strength is still far from sufficient.”
“Hmm...”
He stroked his chin, looking solemn. As if respecting my opinion, he didn't press the matter further.
“Very well. If I can't trust you, who can I trust?”
The Imperial Family's favorability shot up. It was because we had not just repelled but captured one of the Four Heavenly Kings. Should I be thanking Ilensia?
“As you may know, the Crodain family has also marched out to take charge of one of the fronts.”
“...”
Hearing that made me feel a little anxious. The family head would surely lead them well, but the later I was, the greater the casualties would be.
The family's forces were precious assets that would one day be mine. I needed to finish my business as quickly as possible and join the war.
“A father and son, both striving for the greater good. It is most reassuring. I swear on my name as Emperor that I will repay your devotion.”
He was offering to take care of things without me even having to ask. He probably wouldn't have the means to do so after the war, but I was grateful for the sentiment.
“If you trust and wait for us, we will be sure to live up to your expectations.”
As long as the Demon King existed, all of humanity shared a common destiny. It was only right to trust and rely on one another. Having built this level of trust, there was nothing to worry about. The Emperor would surely punish severely any malicious individuals who were jealous of the Hero.
The Emperor was a busy man, so he returned to the Imperial Palace as soon as our conversation ended. I, too, had much to do. It was time to throw myself into a new journey.
There would be hardships and suffering ahead, but by making good use of... no, by relying on my comrades, I was sure I could achieve my goal.