The Devil Wears Fine Clothes (4)

“So what’s the next operation?”

“Assassination.”

Lena shrugged at the familiar operation name. The hero was calmly flipping through documents even in the shaking carriage.

“I hear Commander Staufen is pushing the front line forward this time and setting up camp in the forward area. It’s not quite the front line, but that actually creates a weak point that’s good for us to attack from behind.”

The hero’s hand pointed at the map. Following the hero’s finger, if you went diagonally upward from this forward area where Kerberos was, there was Commander Staufen’s tent. Lena rubbed her chin and said:

“The risk seems pretty high this time. We’re surrounded by enemy territory. And because the surrounding terrain is distorted by demonic energy, it’s tricky to advance while taking cover.”

As they moved towards the center of the Empire, the terrain affected by demonic energy was twisted, showing a different appearance from the map. The land revealed bizarre lumps that would confuse even those familiar with the Empire’s geography, and with sparse demonic plants dominating instead of lush trees, it was difficult to take advantage of a small elite force.

Moreover, although he had moved “relatively” forward, Staufen’s position was still tricky. They had to infiltrate between at least two demon camps without being detected.

The hero was aware of this problem too, but said with a resigned expression:

“That’s how difficult an opponent he is. He keeps engaging in behind-the-scenes operations and using persuasion tactics on our commanders, and he keeps attempting assassinations, so the situation is getting pretty bad. The royal palace thinks we need to deal with him decisively when a commander has come this far forward.”

“…Well, it’s not like it’s the first or second time we’ve done dangerous missions.”

Lena had a worried face but eventually nodded.

Ashuria said:

“If we hear about weaknesses from Kerberos, the story might become easier. Even the strongest beings have weaknesses. If we can deal with it quickly and escape, it might not be such a dangerous mission.”

“Should I shoot him?”

Mille asked. The hero shook her head and said:

“It’s not that I don’t trust Mille’s archery skills, but all the surrounding high ground has enemy watchtowers or tents, and Staufen’s position is also quite high up. Since the tent will be covered by a fence, it won’t be easy to snipe. We don’t know how the trees have grown either.”

Mille nodded, pursing her lips slightly as if disappointed.

The hero grabbed her sword hilt again and said:

“For now, I think we should meet with Kerberos and talk, then decide on the details after that.”

Lena nodded at those words too.

“Right. That sounds good. It would be troublesome if this Staufen or whatever had like 5 hearts, or if he revived even after dying. We don’t have time to pour oil and burn him.”

I nodded and looked outside the carriage. In the distance, I could see the forward military base that Kerberos was guarding. This place was larger than others because it had both a village and a military base together, and it was more comfortable in terms of supplies and facilities.

In terms of location, it was right in the middle of an important route into the kingdom, so this position itself was also a testament to the trust in Kerberos. As I rested my chin on my hand and watched the soldiers moving along the walls, Ashuria asked:

“What are you looking at so intently?”

“I was looking at the village. I think I’ve seen it a few times when passing by before, but it’s a really unique village.”

The city walls and wooden fences were intricately connected, and the sight of old women and housewives passing by soldiers was impressive. Right next to them, training continued with sharp shouts, and there was a woman feeding porridge to animals.

Lena, looking at that scene, said:

“It seems like there’s a clear divide.”

The hero tilted her head at her words. I looked at Lena too, and she stretched out both hands, drawing a line in the air.

“I mean, doesn’t it seem like the battlefield and civilian village are divided from here? It’s like the village is declaring that from the city wall on, it’s a battlefield.”

The hero nodded.

“It wasn’t like this before, but now it’s a real war, and since this place is kind of at the front, it makes sense. If the bases at the very front line fall, enemy troops will rush right here.”

“So Kerberos is in a really important place.”

As Lena nodded and said this, Mille chimed in:

“She got promoted for betraying! Should I congratulate Kerberos when we meet her?”

Ashuria patted Mille’s head and said:

“Let’s celebrate together after the war ends, Mille.”

“Okay!”

I smiled bitterly when Kerberos’s name came up. I wanted to avoid meeting a woman I had met once before, but it was coming back to me in a strange form where I couldn’t avoid the meeting. A soldier guarding the watchtower recognized us and waved. The hero, tidying her armor, said:

“They say there will be a simple banquet, so don’t drink too much, okay?”

Hearing those words, Lena instead grinned and looked at the hero. The hero pretended not to notice Lena’s gaze, cleared her throat, and then strapped her sword to her waist.

Mille, still looking outside, said:

“Ah! The gate is opening!”

We all raised our heads and looked outside the carriage. A huge wooden gate opened, and through it, we could see soldiers standing in a line.

In the middle of the soldiers stood a woman in a splendid uniform, saluting with such a sharp and formal angle that it automatically made one whistle.

“That angle is a work of art.”

Hearing my words, Lena laughed and said:

“Old man. You were looking like death just a moment ago, but now you’re happy about the razor-sharp salute angle?”

“I guess you can’t change your nature. I couldn’t learn chivalry when I joined the knight order, but I learned to be obsessed with angles from my trainee days. It’s like an occupational disease.”

The hero nodded and said:

“The Imperial army’s ceremonies were famous for being strict. I’ve heard about it too. They say during new recruit training, the instructors walk around with rulers to correct postures.”

I shook my head and said:

“That’s a distorted version of the ceremonial guard training. The knight order doesn’t go that far.”

Lena, seemingly shocked that there were units that actually did this, frowned and said:

“What? So that ceremonial unit or whatever really did such things?”

“It’s the charm that soldiers can show, isn’t it?”

Lena was disgusted.

“Ugh, I couldn’t do something so stifling.”

Ashuria, feeling the carriage slow down, gathered her Bible. Then, lowering her voice, she continued:

“Kerberos must be from a military background too. She’s certainly doing well. It must have been hard to practice, being used to demon ceremonies.”

And the carriage stopped. Instead of verbally responding to Ashuria’s words, we nodded. Since Kerberos was facing the hero with proper etiquette, we had to maintain at least minimal formality too.

The hero got out of the stopped carriage.

Kerberos stood at attention, facing the hero.

Looking like this, I could see that Kerberos was wearing a unique outfit.

Rather than being elaborately decorated, it gave a strong impression of the kingdom’s military uniform arranged to suit Kerberos. The black and white color scheme emphasized a neat and solemn feeling, while subtly revealing the lines of her legs, waist, and chest, showing off a mature charm.

The hero took a deep breath, looked around, and then returned Kerberos’s salute in the same manner.

Kerberos relaxed her salute posture at the hero’s greeting, then turned around stylishly and said to the soldiers:

“De…”

I felt like my breath stopped for a moment. The hero’s eyes widened in tension, and Ashuria tilted her head. Just as the corners of Lena’s mouth subtly raised, Kerberos started coughing, covering her mouth.

“Ahem…! Hm…! Cough…! Hm…!”

Lena whispered to Ashuria:

“Was it going to be ‘Demon King’? Or ‘demons’?”

Ashuria also started pondering upon hearing those words. Meanwhile, the hero relaxed and returned to a calm expression, and the soldiers were staring blankly at Kerberos. Kerberos stopped coughing and said with an embarrassed expression:

“…I apologize. I coughed due to nervousness.”

When Kerberos apologized, the atmosphere relaxed again. She shouted again in a stern voice:

“Attention!”

The soldiers standing in a line readjusted their grip on their spears. Even Lena let out an exclamation at how impressive they looked moving in unison. The hero was scanning the soldiers with a familiar expression, and Kerberos turned to face the hero again.

As if the ceremony was over, she offered a handshake with a gentle expression.

“It’s been a while, Hero. It’s good to see you like this. You worked really hard in the last operation. I’ve already received contact about the mission, so let’s discuss the details after we go up.”

She was someone who could also speak in a businesslike and gentle tone. It was a moment that made it feel real that she was now completely a soldier of the kingdom. The hero blinked at her tone and belatedly replied:

“I’m glad to see you too, Kerberos. I have a lot I want to ask about how you’ve been doing.”

“We’ll talk about that after we go up too. First, you should unpack. You can hand over your luggage to these soldiers here. A soldier here will guide you to the room where you’ll stay for today.”

Kerberos said that and opened the way. The soldiers were moving with tense faces, stiff in front of the hero, and the hero slowly followed behind them. The soldiers took the backpack from me too, and Ashuria, Lena, and Mille followed behind.

Kerberos blocked my path and stared at me.

I avoided her gaze and said:

“I should… now…”

“I have something to ask.”

I answered with my eyes. I felt like if I opened my mouth, something stupid would come out. Kerberos lightly touched her skirt and blushed. Then, tilting her head to the side, she asked in a small voice:

“D-does this outfit suit me well?”