The Hero Menace Read online

  Furthermore, Baltze was maneuvering his forces to drive the cavalry into the lake. The horses were tall enough that the soldiers could fight even in the water, but if any of them fell, they were sure to drown. The last thing the cavalry wanted was to be forced to fight in the lake. However their horses were panicking, and the unit’s chain of command had long since crumbled.

  Without any orders, a few of the soldiers drove their horses into the water in the hopes of putting some distance between them and Baltze’s knights. Others, however, stood and fought. Yet others tried to break through the dragonkin and flee toward Shardier. And some turned back north and fled outright. Those who fought suffered a tragic fate.

  “My name is Baltze, of the Azure Knights! Face me and die, you cowards!”

  With a spirited war cry, Baltze drew his scimitars. He was a master of dual wielding, and his twin blades flashed in the afternoon sun as he cut down soldiers one after another. Though his swings appeared light, there was immense weight behind each of them. His scimitars bit deep into the thick plate armor of the mounted soldiers, and more often than not hit, with enough force to knock them off their horse. In seconds, Baltze was surrounded by a knot of riderless horses. He’d already gained control of the battle. It was hard to believe the ferocious warrior was the same quiet guy who rarely raised his voice.

  However, the Meraldian army wasn’t routed yet. The infantry drew their short spears and attempted to surround Baltze and his men. If they managed to complete their encirclement, it would be Baltze and his men who would be pushed into the water next. Fortunately, Baltze’s greatest strength as a commander was knowing when to retreat.

  “Pull back!”

  The Azure Knights wheeled their wyverns around in a tight circle and retreated toward Shardier. Had they waited even a moment longer, they would have been completely surrounded. But even in retreat, Baltze made sure to do some damage. He and his men rode down the cavalry that had tried to flee in the direction of the city, annihilating them. The remaining soldiers watched on in horror as their comrades were ripped apart. Unable to watch their allies suffer any longer, the remaining soldiers reformed and charged Baltze’s rear. The action moved from the lakeside to Shardier’s western gates. We need to follow them without getting spotted or I’ll lose track of the situation.

  “Let’s go.”

  “Right behind you.”

  From what I could tell, there were only 100 heavy cavalry left. The rest had either been injured, killed, or had retreated. 66% losses were pretty catastrophic. On the other hand, Meraldia’s infantry were still intact. It seemed they’d been intended as the army’s main force from the start. Furthermore, spears were anathema to cavalry. But as Meraldia’s forces bore down on Baltze, they were interrupted by the drumming of hooves.

  “Proud warriors of the kentauros race, fight bravely so as to not dishonor your ancestors!”

  “UWOOOOH!”

  The 500 kentauros I’d dispatched to the east had swung around from the south. They loosed a wave of arrows as they charged Meraldia’s infantry. The moment they showed up, Baltze turned his forces around and counterattacked. Unlike horses, kentauros didn’t fear wyverns and could fight alongside them. A combined force of 1,000 cavalry pincered Meraldia’s infantry.

  Seeing the overwhelming difference in numbers, the soldiers panicked. There was no way they could take twice their number of cavalry. Maybe if they’d had the longspears and larger shields of their heavy infantry counterparts they could have gotten into a box formation, but as they were, they’d be torn apart. To make matters worse, there were arrows raining down on them. But even if they wanted to retreat, they had no hope of outrunning cavalry. Resigned, the soldiers steeled themselves for a fight to the death.

  But just then, Shardier’s west gate opened. Trumpets blared, and a fully armed regiment of infantry marched out. Their standard bearer was holding aloft the flag of Shardier’s garrison. They carried large round shields and longspears and walked in a tight formation, reminiscent of the spartan phalanx. Though they numbered only 300, they still posed quite a threat to cavalry. Especially since they were coming from the demon army’s rear.

  “Save our allies, men!”

  My exceptional werewolf hearing picked up Aram’s words. He sounded a little nervous to me. His garrison was meant to be only 120, so the fact that he’d brought all 300 troops meant he was showing his hand to Meraldia. Are you sure that’s a good idea?

  I watched as Aram deployed his forces opposite Baltze’s, flanking him between his own men and Meraldia’s. Now it was the demon army that was at a disadvantage.

  “Alright, this is probably good timing.”

  I ordered Jerrick to launch the next signal flare. Our flares were far faster and far more reliable than runners. Honestly, now that I’d gotten used to them, I didn’t think I could live without them.

  The moment they saw the signal flare, both Baltze and Seishess ordered their men to retreat. The enemy was now comprised mostly of infantry, and their few remaining cavalry were too heavily armored to be fast. I doubted they’d give chase. The demon army retreated toward Ryunheit, kicking up dust as it went. Perfect, everything’s going according to plan. The rest was in Aram’s hands.

  As I waited for my werewolves to return, I observed the city gates using Kurtz’s telescope. Soldiers that had been separated trickled back to Meraldia’s main force in twos and threes. Many had lost their horses and came back on foot. Their standard bearer had been pushed into the lake, and the squad’s flag was a sopping, tattered mess. This group of heavy cavalry were meant to be Meraldia’s elite, but right now they just looked pathetic. The infantry were mostly intact, but they still slumped to the ground, exhausted. Moments ago they’d been prepared to fight for the death, and the aftershock of that hadn’t faded yet. As Aram approached the soldiers, a single horseman rode out to meet him. He was likely their commander. From this distance, I couldn’t make out what was being said, but the cavalry commander bowed his head over and over to Aram. Aram said something in response, and the commander grasped Aram’s hands in gratitude.

  “Looks like everything went well.”

  My returning squad of werewolves pumped their fists into the air.

  “Easiest victory ever!”

  “Not like we did anything, though!”

  “Man, I really wanted to go on a rampage!”

  Though they sounded happy, I could tell they were dissatisfied.

  “Don’t blame me, alright!? You would have had your chance if Aram had actually betrayed us!”

  Personally, I trusted Aram completely. But as a commander responsible for the lives of thousands, I couldn’t just trust my gut. The reason I’d sent my werewolves into Shardier was to set the city on fire in the event Aram betrayed us. He wouldn’t be able to assist Meraldia if he was busy putting out fires. I was confident that he would have prioritized saving his people over helping soldiers from the north. Thankfully, it had turned out to be a needless precaution. The best battles were ones that ended without me having to reveal my trump card.

  After a brief conversation with my men, we returned to observing the events at the gate. It appeared Aram was getting along quite well with the commander of Meraldia’s forces. I’d planned on rescuing him with my werewolf squad if things went south, but it appeared I wouldn’t have to.

  “Alright, let’s go back home. Diplomacy is all we’ll need to handle the rest. As thanks for a job well done, I’ll treat you all to some meat back in Ryunheit.”

  “Now we’re talking!”

  “Meat!”

  “But we still didn’t get to do anything!”

  They’re never going to let that go, are they? In truth, I purposely created an opportunity for Aram to betray us. If he’d wanted to turn on us, there were plenty of options during that fight. But he hadn’t, and he’d played along with my plan. It was still possible he was just waiting for the right moment, but considering his personality, I believed that to be unlikely. He ac
ted like a strategist, but deep down he was a hot-blooded, straightforward guy.

  A few days later, after confirming Meraldia’s army had retreated, I went to visit Shardier.

  “Thank you so much for your assistance, Sir Veight,” Aram greeted me and my escort with a smile. “It appeared that army had been sent to arrest me and bring me before the Senate for an inquest. But because that commander vouched for me, they’ve decided to let the matter rest.”

  I knew it. There’s no way he’d arrest the guy who saved his life. Furthermore, the fact that he’d ridden out against us had ostensibly proved to Meraldia that he had no intention of betraying them.

  “But you know, I didn’t think you’d bring out your private troops as well. I thought you’d want to keep those hidden and sortie with just the garrison.”

  “There weren’t enough of them to have any meaningful impact on the battle. It would look strange if the demon army retreated because of a mere hundred and twenty men.” Aram guided me to the audience chamber as he talked. “And thanks to my contributions, it appears the commander is willing to stay quiet about my army. He understands that I need more men to protect my city.”

  “That’s good to hear.”

  I didn’t know what kind of conversation Aram had had with Meraldia’s commander, but it appeared he’d done a good job of convincing him. Considering how hot-blooded the commander had seemed, it wasn’t much of a surprise that the two had gotten along. Apparently, Aram had done such a good job of negotiating that he’d even convinced Meraldia’s commander to petition the Senate to increase Shardier’s garrison. As I expected, he was much more suited to straightforward negotiations than clever scheming. Once we were inside the audience hall, Aram straightened his back and turned to me.

  “You have my deepest gratitude for rescuing Shardier from its crisis. Especially since this whole mess only happened because of my ineptitude when it comes to negotiating.”

  “Well, you do have a pretty straightforward personality...”

  I knew Aram had tried his best to be a politician, but he really wasn’t suited for it. He was just too honest. Fortunately, he had the kind of charisma that made it possible to move people with his honesty. I straightened my posture as well and said, “I wanted to show you that the demon army has plenty of troops, fulfills its promises, and more than anything, does its best to avoid needless bloodshed.”

  Their heavy cavalry had posed quite a threat so I’d been forced to rout them, but even then I’d kept the total death toll under 100. Baltze’s men had ended up disarming and unhorsing more people than they’d actually killed. Aram nodded solemnly in response.

  “Of course. From here on out I will be providing my full support to the demon army, and attempt to convince the other southern cities to do the same.”

  I wonder if things will really go that smoothly?

  “Us southerners are descendants of pioneers who crossed over to this continent by sea. To this day, that pioneering spirit lives on within us. I’m certain we’ll be able to make this new, uncharted venture with the demon race a success.”

  Aram puffed out his chest proudly. He really was a passionate guy.

  After finishing up my meeting with Aram, we returned to Ryunheit. The city was now protected by Bernheinen and Thuvan to the north, and Shardier to the east. I had yet to set up any buffers to the south, but I doubted the remaining southern cities could mount any large-scale offensives. It looked like I’d finally be able to focus on domestic affairs for a bit.

  That night, I was awoken by one of my guards, “Commander, the leader of the Mondstrahl Church is requesting a meeting...”

  He walked into my bedroom and shook me awake.

  “At this time of night?”

  I’d really rather do this in the morning.

  “She claims that she’s received a divination that concerns the demon army’s survival,” my guard replied.

  “Hm?”

  The leader of Ryunheit’s Mondstrahl Church was Mitty, a renowned astrologer. I hadn’t talked much with her since the religious council I’d called soon after occupying Ryunheit. I had no idea what kind of divination she’d seen, but considering her reputation, I decided it was best to meet her immediately.

  I rubbed the drowsiness out of my eyes as she entered my office.

  “My apologies for visiting so late, but the stars foretold the arrival of a human Hero. I felt it prudent to inform you as soon as possible.”

  Oh, so that’s all it was.

  “Thank you for going to the trouble of bringing me this information, but I already defeated the Hero. It turns out he was actually a fake, though...”

  “I am not referring to Ranhart. I mean a true Hero.” Mitty leaned forward, her expression grim. “Moments ago, one of the northern stars of fate flashed with a blinding radiance. I highly recommend dispatching scouts to the north immediately.”

  This was all rather sudden, but I knew Mitty’s skills were held in high regard. She was the most famous astrologer in the south. In this world, astrologers were proper seers who used magic to peer into the future. The more skilled an astrologer was, the more accurate their predictions. As a fellow mage, I knew how foolish it was to ignore an expert’s prediction.

  “If you believe the situation is that dire, Lady Mitty, then it likely is. Very well, I’ll send someone to investigate immediately.”

  If I recall correctly, Master was staying in Bernheinen tonight. It would be fastest if I sent one of the kentauros over to ask her to see what was going on at the northern front. Still, that would take some time. But in a world without cell phones or internet, all communications took time. That aside, it was surprising that a respected priestess was helping us demons out.

  “Pardon my brusqueness, Lady Mitty, but why tell me this? Isn’t the Hero your ally?”

  Mitty smiled and shook her head.

  “I owe you a debt for your assistance during the religious council, Sir Veight. Moreover...”

  “Moreover?”

  Her smile transformed into a roughish grin.

  “My disciples much prefer Ryunheit as it is now. We would rather support the werewolves of the south, than the Hero of the north.”

  It made me happy to hear that.

  “Thank you, Lady Mitty. I’ll definitely repay this debt one day.”

  I bowed to Mitty and sent a runner to Bernheinen.

  Though I stayed up the rest of the night, the kentauros I’d sent didn’t return. It wasn’t until the next afternoon that he finally came back.

  “That took a lot more time than I expected. Did something happen?”

  Face haggard, the kentauros messenger wheezed, “It’s horrible... Commander Tiverit has...”

  “What happened to him?”

  “He... died in battle.”

  No way. That guy’s taller than a castle and a veteran of countless battles.

  “Are you absolutely certain?”

  “Lady Gomoviroa said so herself, so I believe the information is accurate...”

  Did Master watch him die?

  “Wait, is the commander of the third regiment safe!?”

  “Y-Yes, sir. She returned to Bernheinen this morning. She was utterly exhausted, and Vice-Commander Melaine is looking after her now.”

  The situation in the north seemed even worse than I’d anticipated.

  According to Master’s report, the Meraldian army had attacked the agricultural city of Bahen where the second regiment was stationed. In response, Tiverit had taken to the field personally. However, he was attacked by a lone militia soldier, and after a fierce duel, slain. The slaughter that followed had been horrific.

  Without their leader, the remaining demons had fallen into panic. Only another demon could understand how terrifying it was to have your leader, the strongest out of all of you, defeated in combat. That was just how much faith most demons placed in their commanders. It was for that reason that the Demon Lord never took to the field personally, and why all my subordina
tes got mad at me when I did. With the second regiment demoralized and disorganized, the Meraldian soldiers had easily been able to cut right through them. Witnessing the death of their almighty commander had robbed the remaining demons of the will to fight.

  The Meraldian army had started killing men left and right, and had only stopped when Master had run in and cast a mist over the entire battlefield. It was the same spell she used to keep Grenschtat Castle hidden. She’d then ordered a full-scale retreat, which was the only thing that had saved the entire second regiment from being annihilated. As they’d fled, Master had spotted a single soldier who was unaffected by her disorienting mist. Or rather, the mist parted around him. No one but a Hero had the strength to repel Master’s magic.

  “Has anyone informed the Demon Lord of these events?”

  “The second regiment is retreating toward Grenschtat. However, Lady Gomoviroa sent a messenger from Bernheinen as well, just in case.”

  “Understood. Thank you for bringing me your report. Take some time to rest.”

  I called all of Ryunheit’s important personnel to my office. Namely Airia and all of my squad captains. The situation was graver than ever. The second regiment’s commander had perished, while the third regiment’s commander had expended so much mana she was out of commission. Right now, the highest-ranking officers in the field were the vice-commanders.

  “Sir Veight, we need to return to Grenschtat immediately.” Baltze’s voice was even, but I could tell he was tense. “At the very least, please grant permission for my Azure Knights to return to His Highness’ side. We must be there to protect him.”

  Unfortunately, that was something I couldn’t allow. If we were up against a Hero, no mere squad of elites could handle him. Even if Baltze challenged him with all 500 of his men, the Hero would hardly break a sweat cutting them all down. He was on the same level as the Demon Lord, meaning he was practically a demigod. The fact that he’d been able to slay Tiverit was proof that normal demons like us stood no chance. After all, Tiverit’s strength rivaled that of all the Azure Knights combined.