The Hero Menace Read online

  Chapter 2

  And so, Ryunheit broke off from the Meraldia Commonwealth and joined the demon army’s side. For all intents and purposes, this meant Ryunheit was now the demon capital. This meant we needed to improve the city’s defenses as much as we could. It was a lot like those city simulation games I’d played in the past, except here, failure meant death.

  “Where should we start?”

  It was the day after Ryunheit’s independence celebration, and there were still some people celebrating in the streets. Airia and I, however, had already gotten back to work. Now that Ryunheit had betrayed Meraldia, there was no doubt we’d be targeted. The longer we dallied, the harder it would be to fend them off. It’s time to put that other plan into action.

  “Let’s kick out all the citizens who oppose us.”

  “Huh?”

  Airia’s eyes opened wide in surprise. Naturally, I wasn’t referring to everyone here.

  “There’s a number of citizens who opposed Ryunheit’s independence and still hate the demon army, isn’t there?”

  “I believe there’s only a few, but yes, such people do exist.”

  Considering how different people were, it was hardly surprising that they didn’t all share the same opinion. After that conversation, I made an announcement that all citizens were free to leave Ryunheit if they so wished. It was just a nice way of saying “If you don’t like it here, you can go somewhere else.”

  About 100 people left immediately after the proclamation. As Ryunheit’s human population was around 3,000, that meant the malcontents had been about 3% of the city. There were some others who considered it, but decided to stay in the end. Airia sadly watched her former citizens filter out of the main gate.

  “I hope they manage to find a new place to live...”

  “Don’t worry, I told them they can come back any time. If things don’t work out, they can always live here.”

  After the incident with Yuhit, I’d been forced to reassess my opinion of people in this world. From what I could tell, they didn’t trust anyone who’d spent time with demons, regardless of the nature of that relationship. Of course, not all humans were like that, but I had no doubt a good percentage of the people who’d left now wouldn’t be able to find homes elsewhere and would come back.

  I’d ordered my subordinates to maintain their houses and fields so that they could restart their life here anytime. Furthermore, I’d bought out all of their houses for a fair price, and if they ever felt like returning, I would sell it back to them for the same amount. Since there would likely be a few who’d return penniless, I’d also told them they could pay off their house in installments as well, without interest. Thanks to all that, I’d know right away if any of them came back. And if they did, I’d be able to ask them about the current state of the surrounding regions.

  Personally, though, I was hoping they’d find nice places to emigrate to. None of them had any love for the demon army, which meant they’d likely spread unsavory rumors about us; such as how we’re extremely violent and arrogant, and all that. In doing so, the citizens of other cities would begin to fear us. As we’d need to conquer all of Meraldia’s territories eventually, it would be more convenient if our enemies were terrified of us. We’d be able to use their misconceptions about us to our advantage. We’re starting to become like the mafia...

  “You’re making that face you always do when you have something sinister planned, Sir Veight.”

  “I won’t deny that I do, Lady Airia.”

  Now then. I’d gotten rid of unstable elements within the city and made a few preliminary preparations for our future invasions, so it was time to tackle the next issue. How to make Ryunheit bigger and stronger.

  “If we rebuild Ryunheit’s current wall, we’ll be defenseless during the construction. I’d rather we leave the wall as-is, and build a new outer wall.”

  Sitting in front of me was a mixed team of human and canine engineers. Most of the humans in the group were the craftsmen and engineers Yuhit had brought with him when he’d fled Thuvan. They were assisting me under his orders. A middle-aged man who was serving as the leader of Thuvan’s refugee engineers nodded. His name was Azul, and he was Yuhit’s son-in-law.

  All of the men Yuhit had brought with him were all exceptionally skilled in their field, and were capable of crafting accurate blueprints and high-quality products with ease. To be honest, I was kind of amazed at how quickly they’d restored the Sonnenlicht temples in the city. And it wasn’t just religious buildings they’d repaired. They’d fixed or improved on almost every public facility in the city, so I knew their skills and work ethic could be trusted.

  Azul ran a few calculations in his head, then nodded again. “Considering the amount of time it would take to construct a new wall, I think your plan is the most sound one. Besides, Ryunheit’s walls have historical and cultural value. It would be unwise to destroy them.”

  I didn’t know that. I had no clue what kind of cultural value a wall might have, but I’d rather not destroy it if that really was the case. Before I could reply, Azul added, “We’ll need to survey the earth around the city before we can even start construction, and if you want this wall to circle the whole city it’s going to take some time to construct. Even if we get started right away, it’ll take a few years at least. Will that be alright with you?”

  “A half-built wall will just give our foes cover...”

  Maybe I should have told Airia to hold off on declaring independence until after we’d gotten new walls... I weighed my options, but in the end, I knew we needed a wall.

  “If we delay the construction, we’ll come to regret it someday. Go ahead and move forward with the project, but start from the east side.”

  “As you wish, sir.”

  I guess I’ll have to keep enemies at bay with espionage and negotiation for now.

  With this, Ryunheit’s renovations would be able to proceed smoothly, but my work wasn’t done yet. I still needed to deliver my report. As usual, I had Master teleport me to Grenschtat, and as usual, Baltze came out to greet me.

  “Sir Veight, I can’t find our lord anywhere.”

  “Again?”

  The Demon Lord Friedensrichter was a very busy leader. Not only was he in charge of military affairs, he also had to handle all domestic issues. Thanks to the knowledge he’d retained from his previous life, he was seen as wise by all, and many demons came to him for guidance. Sometimes he was so flooded with requests for help and advice that he wasn’t able to handle them all. Even Baltze, who was a renowned warrior, had been reduced to carrying paperwork around in the castle.

  “This is a serious matter, Sir Veight. There are a number of important documents my lord must see to right away.”

  “Ah, well, in that case...”

  My mind thought back to the conversation I had with the Demon Lord last night. We’d been having tea together, and I was pretty sure he’d said, “It’s been ages since I last fought at the front lines. I can feel my skills deteriorating.”

  “It’s not like there’s anyone who could match you in a fight, though.”

  “Still, I must maintain my edge, or I will be setting a bad example for my soldiers.”

  Yeah. No doubt about it, he’s probably there.

  “Baltze, he’s probably at the parade grounds.”

  “Thank you so much for your help!”

  As expected, I found the Demon Lord at the parade grounds, giving the newest dragonkin recruits a thorough thrashing.

  “Feel free to come at me all at once!”

  “Y-Yes, sir!”

  There were 30 odd soldiers facing off against the Demon Lord, and they all had practice staves. They all rushed him at once, but the Demon Lord easily leapt over their encirclem
ent. He landed deftly behind the group, and three soldiers staggered to their knees. He’d struck them on the helmet and shoulder pads with his own practice staff as he’d leapt past. Each strike had been so fast even I hadn’t been able to see it. How on earth did he do that? After that, the Demon Lord made quick work of the remaining soldiers.

  “This won’t do.”

  The Demon Lord sighed as he looked at the carnage he’d left in his wake. Considering it was you they were up against, I thought they did a pretty good job. If anything, you should be praising them. Human soldiers would have just run away screaming; at least the dragonkin had tried.

  “I can’t jump nearly as high as I used to... I truly have been neglecting my training.”

  Seriously?

  “My lord, you must see to these reports immediately!”

  The Demon Lord took the documents from Baltze and skimmed through them.

  “Hmm... Understood. Baltze, call the other commanders. We’ll be holding an emergency meeting tonight.”

  “Yes, sir!”

  Baltze saluted and ran off. Once that had been seen to, the Demon Lord went to each of the soldiers he’d defeated and gave them personal pointers on what they needed to do to improve. I was a complete amateur in spear fighting, so I didn’t really grasp the technical details, but it was obvious the Demon Lord was being very thorough with his advice.

  “You did well, men. Train hard, so that you can maintain this level of discipline even in a real battle.”

  “Yes, sir!”

  The Demon Lord finished rallying the men and turned to me. I felt an ominous shiver run down my spine.

  “Veight, what say you to a sparring bout? I’m certain someone of your level will give me far more of a challenge.”

  “With all due respect, sir, I must decline.”

  No way in hell I’m sparring with you. Not only was he far faster than me, a werewolf, he had twice the strength of a giant. No matter what I did, I wouldn’t stand a chance.

  “I believe someone like Sir Baltze, who is proficient with weapons, would be a more fitting opponent for you. After all, I fight barehanded while humans use arms. If you wish to gain combat practice against the enemies you’ll be facing, he would be a better choice.”

  “You make a good point.”

  Sorry, Baltze. But still, what could have happened to make the Demon Lord call an emergency council?

  Since I was now technically a first regiment vice-commander, I was invited to the emergency council as well. But seeing as I was still serving on the southern front, I was for all intents and purposes part of the third regiment. Anyway, why are we having this meeting in the courtyard? Just as I thought that, the sky grew dark.

  “Oh, so everyone’s already here?” came a rumbling voice said above me.

  There was only one person that voice could belong to. The commander of the second regiment. The giant, Tiverit the Thundering Mountain, had returned from the front lines.

  He was the largest giant in existence, and the strongest soldier the demon army had. He was bald, with a long white beard, and a ridiculously toned body. Most giants were only a few meters tall, but Tivert was well over 15 meters. Even among giants, he was an anomaly. Typically, any humanoid body multiplied its weight by eight if it doubled its height. Generally, because it also doubled in width and thickness.

  At any rate, what that meant was that Tiverit, who was 10 times taller than an average human, weighed 1,000 times as much. Which meant his blows had that much more weight behind them, too. His head rested at around the same height as a six-story building, and he was a walking fortress unto himself. However, despite being a regiment commander, he was a very kind soul. He grinned jovially at us and sat down in an open corner of the courtyard.

  “My apologies for making you wait, everyone. The humans were more tenacious in their pursuit than I anticipated.”

  Upon closer inspection, I realized that his simple leather breastplate and wooden cudgel were splattered with blood. Correction: he was kind, but only to demons. Tiverit spotted me standing amidst the dragonkin, and leaned in close. I know he’s our ally, but it’s still scary being this close to him.

  “You’re a werewolf, are you not? Why are you with the dragonkin?”

  Despite his smile, I still felt intimidated. I straightened my back and replied, “I was transferred here from the third regiment.”

  “Oho, I see, I see.”

  He was nodding, but my guess was he had no idea what that really meant. While he might have been a ferocious warrior and a regiment commander, he also didn’t think much. He wasn’t really one for difficult concepts or strategy. The Demon Lord arrived then, and the meeting began.

  Tiverit wasn’t very specific with his report, and his vague statements probably drove the dragonkin scribes recording the meeting up the wall. Since I didn’t have much to do with the northern front, I was able to sit back and listen.

  In short, the second regiment had been forced to retreat from Schverm, and had been pushed back to their final city of Bahen. They’d regrouped in the fields outside of Bahen and had engaged their Meraldian pursuers. Even when the Demon Lord asked for more specific details, no one could make heads or tails of Tiverit’s explanations. All we were able to figure out was that Tiverit had single-handedly destroyed the pursuing army. Considering his size, I wasn’t surprised. You’d need siege weapons to do any significant damage to a titan like Tiverit. Besides, someone of Tiverit’s skill could easily reflect ballista shots or catapult stones with his massive cudgel. He may not have been a genius, but he could still be surprisingly crafty.

  “Basically, we showed them the mettle of the second regiment. The point is, we can do it as long as we apply ourselves.”

  Tiverit finished his report, and the first regiment vice-commanders all exchanged glances. I know what you guys wanna say. But don’t say it. Before any of them could comment, the Demon Lord interjected, “Tiverit, how are the demons under your command faring?”

  The giant scratched his head.

  “Well... we all got separated during the battle. My captains are still gathering their squads. I’ll report to you again once they’ve all been found.”

  It was a pretty sloppy report, but it seemed the Demon Lord was used to that. He nodded to himself and dismissed Tiverit.

  “Understood. You must be tired, feel free to rest in the castle.”

  “Oh no, I can’t do that. My men are waiting for me.” Tiverit slowly got to his feet, taking care not to crush any of the vice-commanders underfoot. “I’ll be returning to the battlefield. If I’m not there, the humans might try to attack us again. I only came back here to get more food for the youngsters in my army.”

  The Demon Lord smiled faintly and gave Tiverit a salute.

  “Very well, but make sure not to overexert yourself. May the fortunes of war be with you.”

  “Thank you, my lord.”

  Tiverit smiled back and walked out through the massive gate made especially for him. On the way, he grabbed six wagons packed to the brim with food; three in each hand. He really isn’t a bad guy... After Tiverit’s departure, we were finally able to get to the war council’s main topic. Most of the Demon Lord’s vice-commanders were both powerful warriors and skilled strategists. They all debated hotly over how to get the situation on the northern front under control. As I had nothing to do with the northern front, I stayed quiet and listened.

  “Sir Veight.”

  Oh, do they need me for something?

  “As a veteran of the southern theatre, what is your opinion on the current state of the north?”

  The one who posed that question was vice-commander Shure the Crimson Knight, the leader of the Crimson Scales unit. Despite her muscular appearance, she was actually a girl. According to Baltze, she was the most beautiful of all dragonkin, but to be honest that really had nothing to do with me.

  “What do I think, huh?”

  The problem was, the second regiment’s way of doing thing
s was the polar opposite of mine. With the way the situation was, I didn’t even know where to start. There was only one thing I knew for sure.

  “The tactics I used in the south won’t work there. The second regiment’s caused too much damage to the country. There’s no room left for negotiation.”

  Shure’s face fell. Oi, don’t tell me you seriously thought we could talk our way out of this? Dragonkin were good at suppressing their feelings and acting rationally, but because of that, they were seen as emotionless by the other races. That was by no means true, but their subdued reactions often made it seem that way.

  “I had hoped that we would be able to employ your style of diplomacy and reduce our casualties, but...”

  “You’ve ravaged their cities and slaughtered their brethren. Convincing them you want to negotiate now will be next to impossible.”

  “I see...”

  Baltze’s expression darkened too. Seriously, guys, it’s impossible. If I could fix things, I would. But if I had the charisma to talk our way out of a mess this big, then I’d have made it to president in my old life or something.

  “In that case, we have no choice but to force a decisive battle. Let’s send reinforcements from the first division. I’ll go and put an end to this,” Shure urged.

  Baltze hurriedly tried to stop Shure.

  “Y-You can’t, Lady Shure. If something were to happen to you...”

  I’d never seen Baltze so flustered before. While I didn’t know just how strong Shure was, she was the captain of one of the Demon Lord’s best units. She was likely quite capable. Oh... I get it now.

  Baltze just didn’t want to lose the girl he loved. I thought he was a pretty straight-laced guy, but I guess even he has times he prioritizes personal feelings over his duty. Once it was decided that the first regiment would be sending reinforcements, the next question was whether they should just send a small force to help the second regiment retreat, or commit the entire first regiment and push forward into Meraldian territory.