Chapter 69
──A few hours earlier, deep in the forest northeast──
"There should be a sleeping demon beast deep inside this cave."
Adjutant Mariela told the soldiers under her command.
Deep in the forest stood a rocky mountain range leading into the mountains, with a cave at its foot.
It was just as stated in the letter from Minister Zagran.
If so, the sleeping demon beast should be inside as well.
After failing to seize the 'Mysterious Sword,' Mariela returned to the 'Town of Noza.'
Afterward, she prepared what they would need for the investigation and came here with her personal troops.
"As expected of Minister Zagran. Even when he is not present, he can see through the situation at the border. Let us begin the investigation at once."
"We have located the cave. Shouldn't we at least report it to Unit Commander Isaac Mueller...?"
"That is unnecessary."
Mariela cut him off.
"We conducted military training to demonstrate the Empire's strength. However, Princess Sofia and Isaac Mueller have decided to hold talks with the Demon Lord's Territory. It can already be said that the purpose of the military training has failed. Consider us an independent unit, separate from the failed army."
"Y-yes..."
"Besides, the creature inside is a 'Great Dark Bear.' Minister Zagran says it is a weak monster that repeatedly goes dormant. If we have awakened it, then we need only defeat it."
Led by Mariela, the soldiers began walking toward the cave.
Their horses were tied to a nearby tree.
As soon as they found the demon beast, they would return to the 'Town of Noza.' Then they would bring Princess Sofia here and carry out the demon beast subjugation.
That would fulfill the order given to Zagran.
What happened to Princess Sofia and Isaac Mueller was for Zagran to decide.
Mariela only needed to achieve the results Zagran wanted and return to the Imperial capital as quickly as possible.
"I do not know how the council of high officials in the Imperial capital will evaluate Her Highness's talks with the Demon Lord. In that case, it would be better to make it appear that I was not involved. This investigation will serve as an excuse to──"
"Mariela-sama. I hear a strange sound."
One of the soldiers suddenly stopped.
"It is not the sound of a bear. It sounds like some large insect crawling around. Could it be that the demon beast has noticed our approach...?"
"Oh? Have you been overcome by cowardice?"
"That is not it! But──"
The soldier hesitated, then voiced his thoughts.
"It was the same with the 'Gargalossa demon beast,' but I have heard that new species of demon beasts sometimes appear in places where other demon beasts originally lived. They defeat the original demon beast and take its territory. They do not forgive anything that invades their territory──"
The soldier paused for a moment, then continued,
"I am not taking Isaac Mueller's side. However, perhaps we should return to town once and investigate with a larger force..."
"Very well. Cowards, stay here."
"Mariela-sama?!"
"If there is a new species of demon beast, we should confirm its existence. To simply cower without even finding out is... Know your shame as soldiers of the Empire!"
Crack!
As if responding to Mariela's shout, a sound like something breaking came from deep within the cave.
The soldiers instinctively readied their weapons.
Something was trying to emerge from the cave.
It was not the 'Great Dark Bear'—the bear-type demon beast.
The sound they heard was a rustling noise, like an insect crawling.
There was also a sound like something being chewed to pieces.
Slowly, something approached, as though awakening from a long sleep.
"──Prepare to intercept!"
Mariela issued her orders.
She had brought ten elite soldiers.
They should be able to defeat most demon beasts. Even if their opponent was a new species of demon beast──
'────Guga, aa'
With a wet crunch, a pitch-black bear appeared at the cave entrance.
However, there was nothing inside it but fur. Its flesh had already been devoured.
The one holding the black pelt in its mouth was──an insect-type demon beast.
And it was huge. Its head alone was probably half the height of a human.
Then a body covered in countless legs emerged from the cave.
It was several meters long. No, perhaps more than ten meters.
Perhaps its movements were sluggish because it had been asleep.
However, when the demon beast saw Mariela and the others, it quickly raised its head.
Just like a beast awakening from hibernation and finding prey for the first time in a long while.
"A new species of──demon beast?! A centipede type?!"
'GUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!'
Perhaps Mariela's voice had irritated it. The giant centipede shook its head and roared.
That told them the demon beast was sensitive to sound.
Mariela──could not move.
Nothing like this had been written in Zagran's instructions.
If there had been only one──if it had not yet emerged from the cave──such thoughts raced through her mind.
However, her body was completely rigid. She could not even speak.
She did not know what to do.
Fight or flee—which would benefit her and Zagran more──
'GIGIGIGIGIIIIII!'
A second centipede appeared.
The glare of its red eyes broke Mariela's paralysis.
"R-run! Right now!! Contact the Imperial capital──no, the 'Town of Noza'──!!"
Mariela cut the rope holding the horses and hurriedly mounted one.
She immediately drove the horse toward the forest exit.
Her companions──were following her. She could tell from the sounds alone. She hoped all of them were there, but she had no time to check.
'GUOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAA!'
'GUGRAAAAAAAAA!'
The demon beasts were pursuing them.
Of course. There was no way a demon beast whose territory had been invaded would let its prey escape.
"Why... why did this happen?!"
In her heart, Mariela cursed Princess Sofia and Isaac Mueller.
If those two had not interfered, she would never have needed to come investigate demon beasts.
She could have taken her time examining that sword. If it really was a holy sword, she could have defeated centipedes like these with a single swing.
"You keep getting in Minister Zagran's way! That Isaac Mueller!"
"Mariela-sama! Look ahead──!"
"──What?"
Because she had been lost in thought, she had not been watching the path ahead carefully.
A moment later, an impact struck her, and Mariela was thrown into the air. Come to think of it, they were in a forest. There were tree roots on the ground, and──a river flowing through the forest.
She had been distracted by the demon beasts behind her──and forgotten.
"...Minister Zagran... may you grant Mariela your protection──"
Another impact struck, and Mariela lost consciousness.
The last thing she thought about was that she was wearing light armor.
Because of that, she would probably be able to avoid sinking in the river.
(As expected of Minister Zagran... your judgment was correct.)
With that thought, Adjutant Mariela closed her eyes.
──Several hours later (while Thor and Sofia were talking)──
"Someone's coming!"
The Pixies, who had gone scouting in the form of owls, noticed a soldier approaching.
The four of them pressed their faces together and whispered among themselves.
"That is an Imperial cavalryman, is it not?"
"...He is in terrible shape."
"What should we do?"
"This is difficult. Let's ask Soleil and Rune!"
"Soleil! Rune! Come over here!"
After a while, the Pixies Soleil and Rune arrived.
After confirming that there was no one around, the two approached the cavalryman on horseback.
The cavalryman had his eyes closed and was clinging to the horse.
He had neither weapon nor shield. He must have dropped them somewhere. His armor was coming loose as well.
Blood flowed from his hands and feet as he repeatedly drew ragged breaths.
"What happened to you?"
"You are injured."
"...U-ugh."
The soldier turned his vacant eyes toward Soleil and Rune.
Without even noticing that the owls were speaking, he said,
"I am... a subordinate of Adjutant Mariela-dono..."
He spoke in a hoarse voice.
"We were investigating the dormant demon beast with Mariela-dono... but something unexpected... happened..."
"Something unexpected?"
"What happened?"
"We were told that the creature in the border region was only a bear—the 'Great Dark Bear'... but that was wrong. It was already dead... What was there was... a gigantic worm... Ah, aaaah!"
Still clinging to the horse, the cavalryman began to tremble.
"I don't know what that thing was...! I didn't know a demon beast like that existed... That thing... that thing!!"
"Horsey, I want you to take this man in that direction."
"There are Imperial soldiers over there, so please rejoin them."
Soleil and Rune approached the horse's ears and spoke to it.
Hearing their voices, the horse began running toward the Imperial soldiers.
"The demon beast is dangerous, Rune."
"For our benefactor's sake, let us confirm that it is safe, Soleil."
The white and black owls climbed higher.
They stared toward the direction from which the cavalryman had come──and found it.
A gigantic shadow visible beyond the rocky mountain.
It was heading straight toward them, kicking up clouds of dust.
"It's a really, really big centipede, Rune."
"I do not know of any demon beast like that, Soleil."
What they knew was that it was dangerous.
At this rate, the demon beast would either attack the town or burst into the talks between the Empire and the Demon Lord's Territory.
"Let's contact our liege and our benefactor──!"
The two wheeled around in midair.
Then they flew straight toward where Thor and the others were.
──Thor's POV──
"As you heard, Thor, two giant centipede-type demon beasts are approaching us."
Lukie told me this after I left the tent.
Chancellor Kelv-san and General Raizenga were there as well.
It seemed the two of them had been holding a strategy meeting here.
"However, the demon beast in this area should be the dormant 'Great Dark Bear.' I have never heard of a giant centipede demon beast..."
At Lukie's words, Chancellor Kelv-san nodded and said,
"It is most likely a new species, Your Majesty."
"Let us prepare to intercept them at once. Leave it to me, Your Majesty!"
"Yes. I will begin making the arrangements immediately."
Lukie, Kelv-san, and General Raizenga began walking toward the soldiers.
The Demon Lord's Territory had Lukie's 'Dark-Attribute Magic.' We also had the 'Laser Pointer.'
Those should be enough to deal with most demon beasts, but... this was a new species. I was worried.
"Impossible! You mean Mariela's subordinates lured the demon beast here?!"
A short distance away, Isaac Mueller was shouting.
"They went to investigate the dormant demon beast... and angered it by entering its territory... How foolish! What happened to Mariela herself?!"
"We heard that she fell into a river while fleeing and was swept away."
"...So we cannot even question her?"
"We do not know the whereabouts of Mariela-dono or several of her subordinates. What should we do?"
"We have no time to send out a search party. We will intercept the demon beasts first!"
Isaac Mueller gripped the hilt of his sword and looked at the soldiers.
The soldiers who received his gaze straightened and took hold of their swords.
Impressive. The Imperial soldiers were well trained.
"We cannot allow the demon beasts to approach the town."
Isaac Mueller shouted.
"Form a line with the heavy cavalry in front! Infantry, form a wall behind them and protect the magic soldiers. We will defeat the demon beasts here! We cannot let them approach the town or enter the Demon Lord's Territory. If anyone is harmed by the demon beast Mariela summoned, the Empire's pride will be ruined. Treat this as an emergency situation!!"
"Understood!!"
"Mariela will answer for this later. And Zagran-dono too──no, there is no need for honorifics anymore! That Minister Zagran will answer for his subordinate's actions as well!!"
With that, Isaac Mueller turned toward us.
"This is an emergency. We will continue our discussion with Thor Kanan later. That is acceptable, Princess Sofia?"
"Understood."
Sofia nodded with a serious expression.
"Thanks to the rest, I have recovered. Please allow me to use my strength to protect the people."
"...We will discuss that later. Let us go, Your Highness."
"Yes, Isaac Mueller."
Then Princess Sofia looked at me and said,
"Thank you for everything, Thor Kanan-sama. Let us meet again."
"Yes, Princess Sofia. Also, could you take this with you?"
I took something resembling a small coin from my pocket.
I tried to hold it out to Princess Sofia, but──
"I said our discussion was over! Your Highness, you must hurry as well."
"...I am sorry, Thor Kanan-sama."
Urged on by Isaac Mueller, Sofia left my side.
...I was too slow in taking the item out.
I should have given it to her while we were inside the 'Simple Storage.'
"Thor, are you finished talking?"
"May I speak with you, Thor-sama?"
Lukie and Mabel arrived in their place.
"Is everything ready for the interception, Lukie-sama?"
"Kelv and Raizenga are handling it. Before the battle, I wish to speak with you."
"That is perfect timing. In that case, please accept this."
I held out a disk-shaped item toward Lukie.
Seeing it, Mabel seemed to realize something.
"That is the 'Self-Defense Item' you gave me, isn't it?"
"A self-defense item?"
Lukie looked with interest at the disk in my palm.
"It activates when you place a finger on it and infuse it with magic power. It makes a somewhat loud sound, though."
"Yes... No, forgive me, but I think we should refrain from using it this time."
With that, Lukie shook her head.
"We are about to lead our soldiers against the demon beasts. If we use an item that makes a loud noise, the soldiers will be startled. Besides... if it is something that protects you, I want you to keep it."
"Understood, Your Majesty."
It was disappointing, but there was nothing we could do.
A group battle was about to begin.
We could not surprise everyone with an item whose effects I had not properly explained.
"I will lead the soldiers east from here. I intend to negotiate with the Imperial soldiers and see whether we can fight together."
"I think Princess Sofia will fight alongside us."
"I hope so as well."
Then Lukie took my hand and said,
"Stay behind the formation, Thor. Mabel, guard Thor. If Princess Sofia uses 'Light Attack Magic,' do not let go of his hand under any circumstances. Do not charge in holding the 'UV-Cut Parasol.'"
"Understood, Your Majesty!"
"I am not going to experiment with the 'UV-Cut Parasol' during the battle."
"Is that so? Then swear it while looking into my eyes!"
"..."
"No, I said to look me in the eyes and swear it."
"............"
"Mabel. Do not let go of Thor's hand under any circumstances, understood?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Laughing, Mabel grabbed the sleeve of my shirt.
No, I was not going to jump into 'Light Attack Magic.' Probably.
"More importantly, Your Majesty, I have a proposal. It is a plan that will not surprise everyone."
Apparently, our enemy was a fast-moving giant centipede.
So I had thought of a plan to restrain its movements.
We would use familiar items, so I did not think it would surprise anyone.
"I see. If it works, we should be able to defeat the demon beasts easily."
"The problem is that we will be showing the Empire my items..."
"I will cover for you somehow. There is no need to worry."
"We will need the Pixies' help. I will discuss the plan with Soleil and the others."
"Yes. There is something else I wish to discuss──"
Lukie nodded while still wearing her mask.
"With Princess Sofia here, the relationship between the Demon Lord's Territory and the Empire will change from now on, I think."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Once we begin interacting with the 'Town of Noza,' our world will expand as well. We cannot let demon beasts get in our way here. Besides, I have the 'Special Good-Luck Ring' with me."
Lukie removed her glove and showed me the ring.
Mabel did the same beside her.
"As long as we wear these rings, we will not suffer misfortune, will we, Thor-sama?"
"If misfortune were to befall us, Thor would become a liar."
"Then the demon beasts will be dealt with quickly, won't they, Your Majesty?"
"Yes. Mabel, I entrust Thor to you!"
With that, Lukie headed toward the place where Chancellor Kelv-san and General Raizenga were waiting.
Mabel and I followed behind the soldiers.
If we stayed still by ourselves, other demon beasts might attack us.
"Let us go as well, Thor-sama."
"Yes. Soleil and the others have just returned, too."
Looking up, I saw several owls flying toward us.
The owls all removed their hoods──and, with a pop, became Pixies.
"We went scouting."
"I hear you have a request for us."
"Yes. There is something I want all the Pixies to help with."
I explained everything to them.
The goal was to make it easier for Lukie, Princess Sofia, and the others to fight the demon beasts.
That way, their magic would hit its targets properly.
"Well, it would be best if we could defeat the demon beast without this plan, but..."
"Indeed. I would like to try using this disk-shaped item, the 'Buzzer' that you made, Thor-sama... but it would truly be better if we never had an opportunity to use it."
Mabel stared at the disk-shaped item resting on her palm.
At present, only Mabel and I possessed this item.
Its range was short, so I did not think it had many uses, but...
"In any case, let's prepare our support. Mabel, be ready to use magic at any time, just in case."
"Yes, Thor-sama."
And so we began walking behind the soldiers.
──At the Imperial Army's front line──
"The demon beasts are here──!"
An Imperial soldier shouted.
A pitch-black shadow approached from the east.
Fast.
The first thing we saw was a gigantic face.
Its jaws, which looked capable of crushing rocks, repeatedly opened and closed with a clatter.
Four eyes were set in its head. Its body was covered in a black shell, while countless legs extended from its abdomen and scraped rapidly across the ground. The clouds of dust it raised proved how quickly it was advancing.
"There is no record of a demon beast like that in the Empire. It truly is a new species..."
Isaac Mueller muttered from horseback.
"It is fortunate that Mariela is not here. If we said we would fight alongside the Demon Lord and the others, she would certainly have objected..."
Isaac looked toward the left wing of the formation.
There, a Minotaur unit led by the Demon Lord stood in formation.
At present, the Demon Lord's army was lined up on the side of the border belonging to the Demon Lord's Territory, while Isaac's army stood on the Imperial side.
The units had been positioned a distance apart, with the intention of defeating one demon beast each.
This was the first time they had fought alongside Minotaurs, but the Imperial soldiers were not afraid.
That was because Princess Sofia treated the people of the Demon Lord's Territory with respect.
Even so, armed soldiers could not afford to be frightened.
Especially when that princess was among the magic soldiers, preparing to face the enemy.
"Proud soldiers of the Empire! Show the Demon Lord's Territory our strength!!"
Isaac Mueller shouted.
"The demon beasts will soon enter our range! Magic soldiers, fire at my signal! Heavy cavalry, charge afterward! Infantry, protect Her Highness!"
They watched the approaching giant centipedes and gauged the distance.
They slowly counted down until their magic would reach the enemy──but then.
"Take this! 'Void Flame'!"
'GIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!'
(Why has magic from the Demon Lord's Territory already hit the enemy...?)
Red light shot out from the Demon Lord's Territory's formation and reached the demon beast.
The light itself did not seem to possess any offensive power.
However, black flames released by the Demon Lord traveled along that light.
Then the black flames flew an impossible distance and damaged the demon beast.
(...The Demon Lord is truly terrifying. But right now, he is also a reassuring ally!)
At least one of the enemies could be left to them.
Thinking this, Isaac raised his hand to give the signal.
"Now! Magic soldiers, fire on the enemy! After that, we will charge!!"
"──Fire! 'Fire Blast'!!"
"Oooooooooooooooh!"
A large number of fireballs flew from the magic soldiers' hands.
Immediately afterward, the cavalry began charging.
Isaac, at the head of the formation, cast enhancement magic on his spear. A high-ranking military officer could not fulfill his duties without at least that much skill. After confirming that the spear had turned red, Isaac drove his horse forward even faster.
The fireballs struck the giant centipede's body and burst.
'GISHASHASHASHA!!'
Perhaps it disliked that. The giant centipede kicked off the ground.
Its long body bent like a whip and sprang into the air.
It slipped through the barrage of fire magic and came straight toward the cavalry formation.
"──Gah!"
"Th-this thing... It's fast!!"
The cavalrymen caught in its wake tumbled across the ground.
It was a giant centipede more than ten meters long.
The ground shook merely from it passing nearby, and the horses panicked.
Even so, the Imperial cavalrymen attacked the giant centipede with spears and halberds.
"Aim for its legs!! If we take away its mobility, it will become a sluggish worm!!"
"Understood!!"
"Infantry, advance, leaving a guard behind for Princess Sofia! Line up your large shields and form a wall. Restrain the demon beast's movements!!"
"Wooooooooooooooooah!!"
The infantry's shouts echoed from behind.
Even though the giant centipede was already surrounded, it did not stop moving.
At this rate, the soldiers would not be able to maintain their stamina.
Just as Isaac thought this──
"We will help!"
Whoosh.
Clang.
Black chains descended from the sky.
The long, long chain, as though made by linking several chains together, wrapped around the demon beast's body.
Isaac looked up instinctively──and saw several owls flying above the monster.
"Here we go! 'Earth Lock'!!"
Clang!
When the owls shouted, countless thin chains shot out from the black chain.
They pierced into the ground and restrained the giant centipede's movements.
'GUOOOOOOOOOOOO!'
The giant centipede writhed, but the chains did not come loose.
Despite being thin, the chains neither snapped nor loosened. They held the demon beast completely in place.
"Could those chains be the ones that restrained the Holy Sword (provisional)?!"
Could the Demon Lord's side have possessed an identical sword as well?
And had the Demon Lord and his minions already made the sword and chains their own—or perhaps the chains themselves were the real body──
"It does not matter! This is our chance! Defeat the demon beast!!"
"Uoooooooooooooooooh!"
The soldiers raised a battle cry and swarmed the demon beast.
Once its movements were stopped, victory was ours. Spears and halberds pierced the demon beast's abdomen.
When Isaac caught his breath and looked to the side, the demon beast fighting the Demon Lord's Territory was also wrapped in identical chains.
The Demon Lord's and the chancellor's magic struck it, inflicting damage on the demon beast.
That demon beast was already on the verge of death.
The Demon Lord's army would defeat its enemy soon.
Then they had to hurry as well.
'GUGA! GIGIA! GUOOOOOOOAAAAAAAA!'
The demon beast surrounded by Imperial soldiers cried out and writhed.
Crack!
Perhaps they could no longer withstand the strain. Several of the thin chains came loose.
However, that did not free the demon beast. Instead, the main chain tightened around it with all its strength. It was just like what had happened with the sword in the rocky mountain.
Those chains truly seemed unwilling to tolerate evil or unqualified people.
"I am not a Hero, but I am a Hero's support role. I will not permit evil!"
Isaac spurred his horse forward with his spear in hand.
He would deliver the finishing blow himself. Just as he thought this, he noticed something strange beneath his feet.
The ground around the place where the chains had come loose was rising in a strange way.
It looked as though something enormous had passed beneath it.
For an instant, Isaac remembered the report he had received.
Mariela's subordinate had said that multiple giant centipede-type demon beasts had attacked them.
He had not said there were only two demon beasts.
And some centipedes possessed the ability to burrow underground.
Just as Isaac Mueller realized this──
"Another one is moving beneath the ground! Take care!!"
A shout came from the air.
"Infantry, fall back! Return to Princess Sofia!!"
Isaac instinctively turned his horse around.
A third centipede was moving underground, attempting to circle around behind them.
Only Princess Sofia, the magic soldiers, and a small number of infantry were behind them.
"People of the Demon Lord's Territory! The demon beast has circled around behind us. Princess Sofia is in danger. Please──we need your support──!"
The ground split open in front of Isaac──and the third centipede emerged.
Chunks of earth flew everywhere, knocking Isaac's horse down.
Isaac leaped from the horse and rolled across the ground, then saw the third centipede that had appeared.
It was huge.
It was probably twice the size of the other two. It was likely the leader of the swarm.
Then the giant centipede slowly turned toward Princess Sofia.