The Hero Menace Page 4

  “Boy, do you not realize that you are currently the most important person in the demon army?”

  “I really don’t think I am...”

  It was true governing Ryunheit was a heavy responsibility, but even if I died, Airia and Kurtz would be able to carry on without me.

  “Oh, for goodness... Never mind. So long as I’m with you, I suppose we should at least be able to escape, if it comes down to it.” Master heaved a long sigh and jumped off her chair. “Schverm is occupied by the enemy now, so I’ll open a teleportation gate in Bahen. It will take some time, though.”

  While Master worked on opening the gate, I powered through all the paperwork I needed to finish for the day. Since I was in a hurry, I left some of the smaller tasks for Airia. With our respective preparations thus complete, Master sent the two of us to the agricultural city of Bahen.

  “Whew...”

  The first thing caught my eye upon arriving was the extent to which the city had been razed. There were two main factors to the city looking like a wreck. First was, of course, the physical destruction. The second regiment had thoroughly destroyed the infrastructure of Bahen during their invasion, rendering it uninhabitable. The agricultural city’s prized canals had been smashed to bits, and the water fountains were filled with stagnant, fetid water. Many of the lion-head-shaped spigots had been smashed as well.

  The second reason was the state of the second regiment itself. The squads still in fighting condition were camped outside the city, but the streets were filled with rows of wounded giants and ogres. I spotted a small, human-sized hobgoblin lying on the floor with a blanket covering his torso. He was missing one of his arms. Next to him, a five-meter tall giant leaned against the ruined wall of a house, breathing softly. It looked like his eyes had been gouged out by spears, judging by the horrific scars on his face.

  “They barely made it out alive... It must have been a fierce battle.”

  Master tried to act calm, but I could tell she was pretty shaken up. There were hundreds of soldiers lining the main street alone. Among them, quite a few were already dead. Houses that were still standing had been converted into field hospitals, and I could hear screams coming from some of them. Chances were, a good number of demons had been hurt so bad they needed arms or legs amputated. Master turned back to me and said, “There’s nothing more pitiful than surviving a battle only to die of injury afterwards. I will stay here and tend to the soldiers.”

  “That’s all well and good, but what about the Hero?”

  “I leave that in your capable hands. If something unexpected happens, return here.”

  Master didn’t even wait for my reply before running off and casting healing magic on the nearest soldier. She was more worried about them than she let on. “Pull yourself together. It’s not the end for you yet.”

  Knowing Master’s personality, there was no changing her mind now.

  “Alright, Master. I’ll go by myself, then. I’ll try and return as soon as I can.”

  “Mmmm, be careful. I’ll head over myself later.”

  Master was already on her third patient. The two hobgoblins she’d healed were blinking in surprise and patting down their healed injuries.

  That’s just how she is, I guess... Master couldn’t stand to let any of her allies die.

  “You be careful too, Master. I know you’re worried about these guys, but don’t use so much mana or you’ll end up collapsing again.”

  “Fear not, Tiverit’s guarding this city. I plan to announce my presence to him later.”

  I transformed and slipped out of Bahen’s main gate. I dashed past the city’s bountiful wheat fields and headed towards Schverm. As Bahen’s main purpose was to provision Schverm, the two cities were situated close to each other. With a werewolf’s speed, I’d arrive by nightfall.

  As predicted, I reached Schverm’s walls shortly after sunset. Bahen had been ravaged pretty badly by the second regiment, and Schverm was in no better condition. The walls the city prided itself on had been smashed in, and would be no obstacle in the event of a siege. I see, it’s because the city’s hard to defend now that the Meraldian army can’t commit to an all-out attack.

  According to Mao, his people had already infiltrated the city. He’d shown me how to contact them, so it’d probably be best if I heard the city’s current situation from them first. However, I still didn’t trust Mao. If the city was in this poor shape, it might be wiser to return to my human form and scout it out myself.

  Yeah, I think that’s what I’ll do after all. I’d contact Mao’s agents only after I’d done some reconnaissance of my own. That way, even if I’d been betrayed, I’d still be able to leave with some concrete information. And if Mao’s men tried to feed me false intel, I’d be able to tell right away. I returned to my human form, and changed into the local costume I’d prepared. I clambered over one of the destroyed sections of the wall and slipped into the city.

  Unlike Bahen, Schverm was in the middle of being restored. While the walls were still in disrepair, most of the buildings had either been rebuilt, or been replaced by tents to house soldiers temporarily. Places had also been cleared out to hold large stockpiles of building materials. From the looks of it, they were preparing to rebuild Schverm in earnest. Were I the Meraldian commander, I’d be prioritizing recapturing Bahen over rebuilding Schverm. That way I could leave my main force in Bahen as a buffer, and focus on Schverm’s rebuilding without any fear of enemy attack.

  However, a significant portion of the federation’s army was militia. The citizens of Schverm probably cared a lot more about fixing up their own home than recapturing someone else’s. This was all just speculation of course, but it seemed to me like Meraldia’s army was being forced to make strategically unoptimal decisions because of outside pressure. Obviously, the demon army had its own internal politics to deal with too.

  What I did find surprising, though, was just how many soldiers Meraldia had stationed in Schverm. There were so few civilians that I stood out in my plain clothes. Furthermore, the loose garments favored by people in the south were nothing like the tight-fitting outfits people here preferred. I’d tried to pick something as inconspicuous as possible, but thanks to the design of my clothes, I stood out like a sore thumb. Maybe I should pull back for now. I decided not to go to the city square and left through the same gap in the wall I’d arrived. Well, that scouting mission was a failure. After collecting my thoughts, I considered contacting Mao’s agents.

  A second later, I transformed and leapt backwards. At the same time, I heard something whoosh through the air. I kicked off a nearby piece of rubble and leapt further away. Something sharp passed by and ripped through my sleeve.

  “A werewolf, huh?”

  Three armed soldiers stood behind me. They were supported by a single mage, standing a short distance away. They’re skilled. Even my superior hearing and sense of smell couldn’t tell they were here. The only way that was possible was if they’d used magic to conceal themselves. I put some more distance between myself and the soldiers and observed them from afar.

  The three in front had an unbelievable amount of mana. Far more than most humans. And while the mage didn’t have as much mana as the others, they were far more skilled at manipulating it. If I let my guard down, I’d be killed.

  “Wait, are you the Hero?”

  One of the soldiers stepped forward and said, “I am the Hero Ranhart. Thanks to this city’s divine protection, we knew what you were the moment you entered its walls.”

  So they’ve already set up alarm barriers around the city. Even though these spells tended to be crude and easy to spot, I hadn’t noticed it at all. They must have camouflaged it very well. The man who’d called himself Ranhart brandished his sword.

  “Die, you abomination.”

  “Whaddaya mean, abomination...” I muttered under my breath.

  The Hero and his two comrades spread out and surrounded me on three sides. Not good. I cast all the strengthening spel
ls I had ready. My movements became lighter, and I was able to better perceive my surroundings. I also boosted my natural healing in case I got injured, and hardened my fur with mana.

  “HAAAAH!”

  The Hero and his friends simultaneously, targeting my head, shoulder, and legs. Their coordination was impeccable, and I was only able to dodge by a paper-thin margin. I doubted I’d be able to stand a chance against the Hero alone, so I knew there was no way I’d be able to fight him and his party. I wanted to flee, but I’d be cut down the moment I tried. Their team tactics were keeping me pinned down here.

  Even with my magic boosting every one of my abilities, defending was taking everything I had. To make matters worse, I could tell the mage at the rear was chanting a spell. I had no clue what that spell was, but if I was put at even slightly more of a disadvantage, I’d die for sure. Even if I had to take a few hits, I needed to stop that mage.

  I stopped dodging for just a second, and cast Soul Shaker. The effects were immediate. The surrounding mana was converted into the variety demons used, and began gathering around me. Thanks to that, the mage’s spell sputtered out before it was completed.

  Now I just needed to survive the Hero’s onslaught. Due to all the high-speed healing spells I’d cast, so long as I didn’t die, I’d be able to make it out of this somehow.

  However, the attacks I was expecting never came. I surveyed my surroundings, and noticed the Hero and his comrades had stopped in their tracks, their expressions twisted in fear. As unbelievable as it seemed, my Soul Shaker’s fear effect worked on even the Hero.

  Isn’t the Hero supposed to be as strong as the Demon Lord!? Despite my shock, my body still reflexively launched an attack while they were disabled. A dark gale surrounded my claws as I swung my arm down. My claws raked through all three men, breaking the neck of one, ripping off half the face of another, and crushing the windpipe of the third. They slumped to the ground, dead. You’ve gotta be kidding me!? That’s the most anticlimactic Hero fight ever! There’s no way a single werewolf just took down the Hero’s party!

  “Impossible...” I muttered.

  Just then, I realized something was off. The flow of mana was all wrong. The Demon Lord’s mana welled up from inside him, but these guys’ mana was coming from their weapons and armor. Plus, even though the people using that equipment had died, the equipment itself was still releasing as much mana as before.

  “So that’s what it was.”

  I walked over to one of the dead men and picked up his sword. I could feel a large quantity of mana being emitted from it. It had likely been crafted by a powerful sorcerer in ancient times.

  “So these guys are just fake Heroes you powered up with weapons, huh?”

  I turned to the trembling mage and grinned. Since I was in wolf form it probably looked like a snarl, just like all my other expressions.

  “Eek...” From under the mage’s mysterious hood, I heard the scream of a young woman. A gust of wind blew her hood off, and I got a glimpse of her face. She had long hair and otherwise plain features, but overall I guess she would still be considered a beauty. However, right now, a yellow stain was spreading across the lower part of her pure white robes. She’d wet herself in terror. I took a single step forward, and she fell backwards, weeping.

  “P-Please... don’t kill me...”

  There was nothing more pitiful than a mage bereft of their magic. Especially a human mage. After watching me kill three of her comrades in an instant, the woman knew she had no hope of defeating me.

  “Please, I-I’ll do anything...”

  I guess that means she’s surrendered. While it was never a good idea to let one’s guard down around a mage, thanks to my earlier Soul Shaker, she wouldn’t be able to cast any spells for some time. Besides, at this distance, I’d be able to kill her if she tried anything. After confirming I was in no danger, I gave the woman her options.

  “If you refuse an honorable death in battle, you’ll live the rest of your life in disgrace. Are you fine with that?”

  “I am! Really! I’ll do anything, so please just don’t kill me!”

  There was even snot coming out of her nose now. I didn’t have the heart to kill someone who was begging for their life like that. Besides, she would be more useful to me alive. First things first, though. I needed to interrogate her.

  “Who do you work for?”

  The armor and weapons the three men had been using were all valuable equipment. Not only was it difficult to create magicked armor or weapons, it was extremely expensive. And if someone used them in combat, it was a given that they would get damaged. Magic items like these weren’t the kinds of things regular people could get their hands on.

  “Someone went through all the trouble of giving you these powerful weapons so that guy could pretend to be a Hero. Who was it?”

  Quivering, the mage answered, “Th-The Senate...”

  “I see.”

  It all made sense now. The Meraldian Senate would certainly have the resources to buy up this much magic equipment. And they had a good reason for propping up someone as the Hero.

  “So this was all propaganda.”

  “Propa... ganda?”

  “A way to raise the Meraldian Federation’s morale.”

  I rephrased it in a way she might understand, and the mage nodded furiously. Dang, I shouldn’t have come here at all, then... If Commander Tiverit or someone had blown away these guys in one hit, the second regiment’s morale would have gone up.

  “Finished with your interrogation?”

  I heard a voice behind me, and spun around.

  “You came faster than I expected, Master.”

  My master floated leisurely in the dark night sky.

  “Healing so many people took its toll on my mana, but... Oh, how kind of you to prepare nourishment for me.”

  Master touched one of the nearby fallen swords. Like a dry cloth sucking up moisture, she absorbed the mana stored within it. The faint light surrounding it vanished.

  “Master, what are you doing!?”

  “Replenishing my mana. You sure are a thoughtful disciple, finding all this for me.”

  “Master, I’m pretty sure you just sucked the mana out of the famed dragon killer sword, Lionheit.”

  According to legend, it was extremely effective against dragons and dragonkin—even against normal enemies. It was meant to have enough power to split a shield in two.

  “Isn’t that perfect, then? It would be to our benefit to remove such dangerous things from enemy hands. Oh, this shield has a wonderful stockpile as well.”

  “That shield bears the crest of the old kingdom, you realize that, right? ...From the looks of it, it’s probably at least a hundred and fifty years old.”

  “That’s hardly old at all.”

  Once she finished with the shield, Master moved on to a suit of armor. If I remember my history right... that’s a true antique set of armor worn by a previous Hero.

  “Master, stop! It’s a waste to drain them all like this! Surely you can leave some of these relics intact!”

  “Alright, alright, I will craft some demon relics just for you. Surely now you have no complaints about me using these to restore my mana? There are still people back in Bahen who need my healing.”

  “Liar, we both know you won’t make anything.”

  If the amount of total mana I possessed was measured at one Veight, then the amount Master had siphoned out of the swords and armor would be equal to roughly 27 Veights. The warriors of the second regiment would have loved to have these weapons in their possession. Master finished draining all of the fake Heroes’ equipment, then stretched leisurely. I’d been keeping track the whole time, and by my count, she’d just sucked up 127 Veights of mana. Her total mana capacity was insane.

  “Now now, no need to sulk. Regardless, who’s that apprentice mage over there?”

  “One of the Hero’s companions, apparently.”

  Master nodded in understanding. “So
they used these worthless toys to play pretend Hero, did they? If you try to fill shoes too big for you, you’ll find yourself in an early grave, girl.”

  Uhh, Master, I already killed her comrades, so that warning’s a bit pointless now. Master then turned away from the pale mage and started drawing glyphs in the air.

  “As thanks for such a sumptuous feast, I suppose I can at least deliver these corpses to their comrades. Arise, O fallen. I grant thee artificial life.”

  Master waved her fingers, and the three dead soldiers staggered to their feet. She’d turned them into zombies. She gently patted the still-bleeding zombies, and murmured, “Walk back to your comrades. They’ll grant you a proper burial.”

  She then saw them off with a jovial smile and a wave. You know, this is why everyone thinks necromancers are psychopaths... The woman watched with a horrified expression as her former comrades shambled back into the city, leaving a trail of blood in their wake. Master then turned back to the girl, the same jovial smile still on her face, “Oh, are you unable to walk? In that case, fallen warriors, take your surviving comrade with you.”

  The zombies turned back to the mage and stared at her with glassy eyes.

  “Eeek...”

  They shambled back over, bent down, and carried the mage between the three of them.

  “Eeeeek! N-NOOOOOOOO!”

  “You’re surprisingly lively for one who cannot walk. No matter, my precious undead shall see you home safe and sound.”

  Master waved her hands once more, and the zombies carried the mage through the gap in the walls.

  “You do some really crazy things sometimes, Master.”

  “Did I do something wrong?”

  “No... never mind. I’ll go see what the inside of the city’s like.”

  I had almost forgotten centuries had passed since Master had lost her humanity. Sighing, I headed back into Schverm. I didn’t have to worry as much this time, since I knew Master would be able to save me if anything happened. As expected, the city was in an uproar now.