episode_0049

After calming down Linai well, I walked Deshade back to the hotel, and when Enine returned from the meeting, he said something unwelcome.

“Something very bad has happened.”

“Compared to my current situation?”

Peria answers while lying down on the floor due to exhaustion of stamina.

I don’t know how he did it in the end, but after moving Noan’s shield, he came in and was lying face down on the floor.

“Much more. Perhaps the floor you are lying on will disappear.”

“What’s going on?”

His face looks quite serious, so I can’t help but ask.

“Wizards were investigating the demon’s castle every day, and when they went there today, they found mixtures wandering around.”

“Mixture? what is that? This is my first time hearing it.”

It was an unfamiliar word. I’ve dealt with quite a few different races, but I’ve never dealt with a different race with that name.

“It is said to be a temporary name for the enemy discovered by investigators. To be precise, the corpses of the demon warriors you killed that remained in the castle. It is said that strange monsters made from the corpses were wandering around the castle. So I quickly withdrew.”

“… What are you imitating?”

“I too am just imitating the gestures of the soldier who said he saw the mixture, but honestly, I don’t know.”

Enin stretched out his arms wide and tried to express it with hand gestures to explain it to us, but it seemed like we couldn’t quite understand it.

‘What is that? Should I have set fire to the body?’

Rather, I never thought that someone would make something by recycling corpses.

“Did a wandering necromancer come and go?”

“I don’t think so. The corpses were not inside the castle walls, but inside Mongma’s castle.”

“No matter what, if they come this way, it could cause quite a bit of damage.”

As the teacher said, with most of the soul soldiers gone, the damage to the soldiers may be considerable.

Although it mainly focuses on soul soldiers, the 3rd Legion is also an army that is engaged in propaganda against demons and elves with its own valuable troops. Now that the main force has escaped, it will be difficult to fortify with only the few remaining troops and security forces.

But that wasn’t the problem.

“Of course, if the enemy comes, it will be difficult because the number of security forces is small. Still, if that’s the case, there is a way to somehow prevent it by requesting the Adventurer’s Guild.”

“Then there’s no problem, right?”

“The problem is that they don’t attack. Those so-called amalgams are not moving from inside the castle walls. Rather, it is said that they are just wandering around the castle and making moves to exclude intruders.”

“Why is that a problem? If they don’t come out, it’s a good thing for us. Even though we lost an important geographical location.”

In response to what I said, which seemed a bit carefree, Enin said exactly what he had heard from the wizards at the meeting.

“The wizards say that they are guarding a room where evil energy is growing and flowing out.”

Enin put pressure on the paper in his hand. Paper soaked with sweat may have smudged the letters.

“Wizards who are well versed in the study of demons say that if the energy grows any larger, the descent of the Great Evil may occur. It is said that there is a ringing at exactly the same interval as the sign in the record.”

The descent of the great devil.

If it’s there, it’s definitely Asmodeus.

‘Could it be that Astesia failed?’

I wonder if the worst has happened.

The betrayal of the demons Astesia trusted.

As expected, the medicine Astesia was taking may not be killing her, but rather it might be a medicine that awakens her sleeping blood.

‘That’s what happens when the devil descends. After all, there is no way there is a trustworthy person among the demons.’

But something is strange.

Astesia said that if something like that were to happen, she would move the castle to a safe place, but the dream demon’s castle currently floating in the air shows no such signs. Rather, it is said that a sentinel was created to guard the castle.

So I have doubts.

‘The promise was not kept. Then, did Astesia betray?’

Have we already been so captivated by that succubus that we believe everything she says?

The last story he confessed to me while shedding tears may have all been lies.

“Not sure yet.”

The moment my doubts grew, Master held my shoulder and whispered softly.

“We won’t know until we see it with our own eyes. Considering that it was made from a corpse, I don’t think it was the child who did it. Although it was a short meeting, it was not suited to my personality. If so, it would mean that there was a helper, or someone who passed the child. We cannot rule out the possibility that it is not the child’s will.”

“Of course, there may be a possibility, but… I’m a bit confused.”

Thanks to the teacher’s words, I was able to briefly soak my accelerating thoughts in ice water.

‘Of course, it would be better to see the truth with your own eyes.’

As I proceeded with my own thoughts without any evidence, I think I continued to be connected in a negative direction.

“What do they say is done at the temporary command center?”

Enin urges, saying he is worried about Peria.

“…They say they are forming a raid team.”

“Raid? In this situation where there are no soul soldiers?”

“I don’t think it’s a very good idea.”

“I think so too, but the decision was made that way. What are you thinking…”

When there is a soul illness, the best defense is attack is always the right strategy.

Just as the term 1 cost is not used for nothing, it is always the best way to use a soul bottle that resurrects in a quasi-infinite manner.

But it’s different now. There are only three soul soldiers remaining in the unit.

Except for us, the rest are all soldiers with only one life to live. In this situation, I don’t think it would be a good decision to form an attack force and charge.

There is no way for an ordinary person to be resurrected, but it is a ritual that requires a lot of preparation.

‘I don’t know if there are many people left who can heal, but that’s not the case either.’

Moreover, most of the outstanding priests also followed the main army, so there are not many priests left.

Although the matter has already been decided by Master, I will convey my thoughts to Enin.

“Rather, wouldn’t it be better to evacuate people quickly now?”

“If the corps commander was not here, someone else, at least General Bulterion, would have made that decision… The commander with control over the entire army now is General Terraim. That person stayed behind with the main unit on the pretext of being injured, and thanks to that, he was put in charge of the temporary command center, at least formally.”

It seems that the nobleman who got hit on the shin was left behind at that time.

“The person who cried out to protect the capital did not follow and stayed behind? What are you thinking?”

“It’s just my opinion, but in reality, I was demoted not long ago, so if I show up again, no one will look at me very favorably, and if I move under the corps commander, the only one who will stand out is the corps commander, so I made a calculation in my head and purposely stayed behind. It may be that he was waiting for an unexpected opportunity. And just in time, something happened.”

“We fit together so well, but isn’t that person conniving?”

Peria’s reasoning may be correct.

The existence of a traitor.

I also think it might be better to think that that human was in cahoots with some demon that occupied that castle.

Really, all you have to do is cut off his head and evacuate the people.

However, Henin said that there is physical evidence that blocks the possibility that it could have ended more comfortably.

“Shh! Be careful, someone might hear you! Anyway, I don’t think I can know more than this with my authority. That person probably didn’t betray you. From what I saw, he had been drinking all day and came to the meeting dozing off, and as soon as he heard the wizards’ report, he said, ‘That’s it!’ I shouted and started hastily making a plan. I don’t think that’s the reaction of an honest human being.”

“I can’t believe you’re trying to use this as an opportunity. He is very crazy.”

Rather than saving the lives of even one more person who remains here, he would rather use the remaining people to make a contribution.

This is not a normal judgment unless you are a person crazy about success.

“If you look at it strictly from the general’s point of view, it would be a huge achievement if he was able to stop the demon’s resurrection with the small number of troops remaining here. That general also holds the position of honorary elder of the Gaia Church, so if successful, he will be an important major who will return to the center.”

“Can’t we just cut off his head and withdraw?”

What I had only been thinking about, Master said out loud.

“…I’m sorry. I kept insisting strongly, but he didn’t want to listen.”

Enin’s hand holding the paper can be seen shaking.

Normally, I would have said right away that I shouldn’t have done that, but seeing as he doesn’t deny it, I guess he’s holding back a lot.

Peria, seeing our serious appearance, hesitated before speaking.

“…I don’t want to go. If you were to honestly evaluate it from an outsider’s point of view, the possibility of failure seems incredibly high, right? I think it would be better to start evacuation now, right?”

Peria glances in my direction as she announces that she will be missing this time too.

I have taken Peria by force before, but I feel a bit uneasy about taking her to something truly dangerous like this.

Even though they are subordinate to me for now, it might be better to ask them to wait in the village this time.

Just as I was thinking about it, Master asked Enin something else.

“Still, I guess I said that because I thought there was a chance of winning. I wonder if the plan that person came up with makes sense.”

“It may seem like that, but General Terraim is a commanding officer. The plan is normal. In the raid, in addition to the remaining troops, adventurers with high skills were recruited as resources, and even the security forces vacated the castle to participate in the castle’s attack. Among them, it was decided to form a separate strike force. While other soldiers are blocking the hybrids, he will quickly enter the center and stop the demon’s resurrection.”

“It looks like they’re trying to get straight to the point while they’re wasting time outside. It might be possible since the castle’s defenses aren’t very good. Still, it looks like you have the brains to come up with a strategy.”

“Because he is a noble who entered the military as a tactician, not as a knight. You have to do that much.”

Enin does not deny Master’s sarcasm. Even if you are in such a high position, not being able to feed one person means that there is a real problem.

‘It looks like he’s not very popular, but Enin, who likes people and treats others with respect, would react like this.’

Enin then tells us about the strike team.

“The entire raid takes advantage of the opportunity to deal with the mixture and strikes the core with a strike force composed of elites. They said that a knight would be arriving soon, so they said they would form a strike force including him and a high-ranking adventurer who was staying at the Adventurer’s Guild for a request.”

Having said that, Enin unfolds the completely crumpled paper and shows it to us.

“This is the list of the strike force. This includes the three remaining soul soldiers, including Irim, Hwarim, and Noan, who works in the communications industry.”

“Really?”

I was thinking about going in anyway to see Astesia.

Still, I feel bad because we are just being notified openly without considering it is our opinion or anything else.

When I looked at the paper, I saw several people’s names.

Among them were Hygenics from the security forces, and of course our names were written down.

“Of course Feria doesn’t exist on paper, so it’s missing… Wait, what is this?”

For a moment, I thought there was something wrong with my eyes.

After looking at the list of military officials, I went down and found the names of familiar people and gods.

Thistle and Deshade.

Two people’s names were written on the strike squad.