Chapter 438: Coming from the East

「Saleino, I see. So he’s dead. I can’t believe he really died. 」

On the outer wall of the city of Philos. I held the chewing tobacco in my mouth while looking at the horizon. The sun that illuminated the sky looked reddish and it melted into the mountains. Immediately, the freezing dusk appeared and touched my cheeks generously.

In response to my words, Bruder spoke with a lower tone.

「…What’s wrong, employer? He’s the political enemy who brought soldiers in order to kill us. Why aren’t you a little pleased with his death? It’s not a bad outcome, but rather a good one, isn’t it? 」

Bruder’s tone felt like she was in an unusual bad mood. I didn’t do anything to upset her.

I moved my cheeks and bounced my shoulders. The edge of Bruder’s hat was moving.

「Yeah, that’s right. It’s not a bad outcome. But the old man did all of those tactics on his own. How many people did he bring with him in the first place? I’m curious about it. 」

I could see many footprints in the death snow by looking down from the outer wall. When I narrowed my eyes, I could see traces of the camp, which had not yet been withdrawn. I realized that Saleino was leading more than a thousand soldiers.

He didn’t just lead the soldiers. He also rebelled against Saint Matia. He must had been a bastard old man.

Perhaps, he was like Richard? That thought made me quiver.

I sat down while throwing the chewing tobacco to Bruder that had not yet been used. It was strange, but I felt like I was sitting for the first time in a long time.

After the fall of the royal capital, I fought against a magical devilish being, and tangled myself with the rebellion in the Heraldic Order. God was giving me many adversities nowadays.

I wondered if I should give importance to it, or just go with the flow. When I told Bruder about this, a raw voice echoed from the opposite side.

「It can’t be helped. Excellent players are bound to have excellent scores, Commander. 」

Unlike me and Bruder, who were in a relaxed position, Vestaline came walking with a beautiful straight back. How could we compete with all that gracefulness? The Steel Princess was as usually someone above our stations.

Well, it would be weird if she emulated Bruder’s rough attitude.

Vestaline continued her words after clearing her throat.

「…Anyways. I want to keep both you company if you allow me to. 」

「Of course. There’s always space for one more person. 」

I was really thankful. There were too many troubles around me lately. And it was actually easy to be with them.

Bruder was the only good friend I had in the past, and Vestaline’s unique atmosphere by being with mercenaries felt nostalgic.

A sigh leaked from my mouth unexpectedly. I leaned on the outer wall while exhaling white smoke. The treasure sword rang on my waist.

「So, Bruder. About the matter I asked for, have you found information on the Great Holy Church’s movements? Well, I won’t be upset if you couldn’t find any information since we were embroiled under this rebellion uproar. 」

Bruder gritted her teeth and moved her brown hair as if she were dissatisfied with my remarks. Then, like me, she rolled the chewing tobacco on her teeth and said the following words.

「I spoke to many people who were with the Great Holy Church. After all, there are many people who fled from the north to this region. 」

In fact, Bruder added that some of those people had decayed limbs and had a rotten smell.

I see. There was no mistake.

The royal capital Arche was destroyed by demonic beings, and the northernmost Fort Suzif fell at the hands of the Great Demon Zebrililith. The northern villages were scared by the destruction that Zebrililith inflicted on their region.

In such a dire situation, they threw everything they had and escaped to the south.

I lightly blinked my eyelids. Be it demons or vile humans, a deadly menace was a sufficient threat to civilians. They could resist and fight by wielding spears and shields. However, not everyone could fight. So the only option was to flee.

In the past, how many times did I look in the eyes of monsters while fighting for my life? No matter what I did, monsters were always more powerful than humans.

「…Anyways, speaking of which. Valerie Brightness. I know that you and Vess have met her. 」

When I nodded, I saw Vestaline’s expression get serious. She probably reminded herself of what happened in Prison Beulah.

I didn’t want to remember it either since there was a terrible result at the end of that duel. It caused pain in my bones.

「I’m acquainted with that monster, sister. But why did you mention her? 」

「She’s now a guardian in the north. The army she leads is the only one who can stop the demonic menace in the north…you know, employer. The demon Zebrililith is big enough to move a mountain or a castle. 」

How is she able to do it? Bruder sighed while raising her hands.

I shrugged my shoulders and replied, saying I didn’t know.

But, in fact, I knew that Valerie Brightness was once a monster slayer, and an undeniable hero who didn’t let Fort Suzif fall until the Gharast Kingdom arrived to aid that place.

No matter what happened, I knew that formidable heroes like her were able to accomplish many great things.

But yes. At some point, I heard from my former party that she died at the end of a bloody battle with a demon. Would she follow the same path, or would she change it vividly? I didn’t know.

The flow had changed too much in this era. All of the former party members went down different paths. Of course, there were some things that I could understand or foresee.

And there was one thing I could affirm. I distorted my lips and sighed. I didn’t want to indulge too much in thinking, but it had been on my mind.

A movable disaster that trampled the earth to its fullest in the past, the Bastion Beast Zebrililith. The forests, the buildings, the beasts, and the people were equally devoured by that demon.

…The current Heraldic Order wouldn’t be able to stop that demon. He would definitely annihilate us once they saw us as an enemy.

How could we kill that giant menace? I didn’t know if Caria’s battle skill, Filaret’s Battlefield Magic, or even Eldith’s curse, could even inflict damage on that thing.

Still, we had to kill that thing. We had to stop that disaster.

I knew that I wasn’t sane. Valerie Brightness didn’t even see me as a hero.

Still, I didn’t like giving up. How could I face “him” like this? Bruder looked into my face right when I thought of the golden hero.

She moved her eyes and said the following words.

「Such frightening eyes. Employer, you’re looking like a villain. 」

After hearing that, Vestaline coughed as if those words took her by surprise. Perhaps the serious-looking Vestaline wasn’t used to this kind of joke. It was funny somehow.

Bruder sighed when she leaned her shoulders at the outer wall as well.

「Don’t force yourself. There’s no need to tell me what you’re thinking. Sometimes I forget, but Vess and I, including you, are all human beings. There’s a limit of what we can do. 」

Or did a hero like you stop in being human? Bruder asked while loosening her cheeks. It was a Bruder-like way of worrying about me.

「Yes. My sister and I will follow your orders, Commander. 」

「I’m grateful. Oh, how I wished to withdraw to the countryside. 」

Bruder opened her eyes upon hearing my words. There were several exchanges after that.

In that way, it was a slight intermission that could be described as a leisure time. After that, of course, a new curtain would open. Everyone knew every single day, sleep, and breath, that…

…That humans were about to be destroyed.

Then, news came from the east. The east Bolvat Dynasty had begun to invade the autonomous cities’ territory.

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Okay, it’s time for a new war…

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