Ch.134Pelheim Senova (7)

Fellheim Senova (7)

Millia had known from the beginning that Legion Commander Nine and Six were the same person. Of course she would know—that was her master.

But when her master attacked, Millia could tell.

This wasn’t just a check. It wasn’t a test. Her master had come with genuine intent to destroy the hero’s party and the fortress city.

The moment she realized this, Millia began to agonize.

‘Who should I help?’

Esmeralda is a friend.

Despair Undertaker is her master.

Both are precious to her.

She never expected things to turn out this way.

She never imagined her master would attack her party.

“…Lug.”

“Yes, Lady Millia.”

Clutching her staff while gazing down from the wall, Millia softly called out to the presence she sensed.

Her conversation with the deputy commander, who had taken command on the wall in place of Fellheim Senova, had just ended.

“What should I do?”

“…”

“I don’t know…”

Millia muttered without even explaining the situation.

That’s how great her bewilderment was right now.

And what frightened her most was that she was hesitating over her master’s orders.

Esmeralda was a friend. But originally, if her master wished it, she would have killed Esmeralda and brought her back.

Despair Undertaker knew this, which is why he infiltrated Millia into the hero’s party and brought matters to this point without any explanation.

An emotionless doll.

A puppet that does as it’s told.

But Millia had changed. It had been quite a while since that happened.

Despair Undertaker—and Millia herself—simply hadn’t realized it.

That’s why she was now paralyzed with fear, unable to act in a situation everyone had taken for granted.

“I understand. It’s difficult to know whose side to take when two close acquaintances are fighting.”

“Yes…”

Lug’s eye-level education.

Though Millia’s current dilemma was infinitely heavy, Lug decided to approach it as lightly as possible.

Whatever the outcome, it would only hurt her.

“In such cases, taking neither side might be the right answer.”

The battle was already decided.

Even if Millia intervened, she couldn’t overturn the result.

Of course, she could help someone escape. But the cost would be Millia being branded a traitor by the hero’s party.

“Or perhaps adding another option might be the answer.”

With those words, Lug pulled Millia’s waist from behind and embraced her.

Then, covering her eyes with one hand, he whispered in her ear.

“Spending this intimate time alone with me.”

“Yes, I’ll do that.”

An immediate answer.

Faced with a difficult problem, Millia chose to focus on something far more valuable than thinking.

The downside of a Mage’s way of thinking.

Millia felt Lug’s warmth with her master’s screams as background music.

***

The 6th and 9th Legions, half composed of undead troops, instantly lost their will to fight.

Considering their total numbers, they still had forces comparable to other legions of the Demon King’s army, but they couldn’t help feeling terror at the sight of the enormous undead army collapsing in an instant.

And the fortress city’s soldiers didn’t pursue the fleeing remnants.

“…”

Because there had been the death of a hero who had devoted a long time to humanity.

And to honor that intention, there was something that had to be done.

“…What are you trying to do now?”

Esmeralda widened her eyes in disbelief at the deputy commander approaching with his sword drawn.

Fellheim Senova had died befitting her duty as humanity’s commander. He was saying they shouldn’t dishonor a hero’s death.

But the deputy commander stared at Esmeralda and shook his head.

His sword was positioned right in front of Fellheim Senova’s self-pierced heart, and he was gripping it as if about to thrust it in.

“This is right.”

“What do you mean…!”

“Fellheim Senova was a rebel who turned against the Empire. Even if she defeated Legion Commanders Six and Nine, could that really wash away her crime?”

“Don’t be ridiculous! You know she didn’t betray—!”

“That’s why I’m doing this.”

Thud!

The deputy commander thrust his sword into Fellheim Senova’s heart.

He created a new wound, overlapping the self-inflicted one she had left.

“The war isn’t over. The fortress city will still be needed. Skilled soldiers are needed, and that’s us who have crossed countless battlefields.”

“You don’t mean…”

Esmeralda couldn’t say anything more at the sight of the deputy commander crying with a solemn expression.

Because she could understand why he had thrust his sword into Fellheim Senova’s body.

“We respect Lord Fellheim’s will. We’ve shared her dream and decided to move forward together to achieve it.”

So this is why.

Because Fellheim Senova valued the world more than her own honor.

They decided to respect Fellheim Senova’s will.

Not a hero betrayed and killed by the Empire, but establishing a hero who dealt with a traitor who rebelled against the Empire.

That’s what this work was for.

It was the path for the fortress city to continue existing intact.

“This is Lord Fellheim’s will. For this, I communicated with the Imperial army beforehand and willingly became a traitor.”

Becoming a traitor to the fortress city to deal with a manufactured traitor.

In return, rising as the new commander of the fortress city.

To carry on the will.

Because humanity’s frontline must be protected at all costs.

“We will continue to maintain the path. Even if you, Hero, fail, we will protect it so that someone else can walk that path again.”

Even if foolish people create traitors that don’t exist.

Isn’t it the soldiers and heroes who protect them?

“Hero. Move forward. We will take care of this place. We will maintain a solid fortress so you can return whenever you’re tired.”

“…”

“If you understand Lord Fellheim’s will, please accept this.”

The deputy commander handed Fellheim Senova’s rapier to Esmeralda. The symbol of the fortress city, a token they all pooled money to gift her.

A will gathered as one for a dream.

“Please guide this sword, our dream, to the end of that path.”

“…May I ask your name?”

Esmeralda asked the name of the middle-aged man who intended to walk Fellheim Senova’s path.

Though she could already see his name, she wanted to hear it directly from him.

“Cursus.”

“Yes, Lord Cursus. I swear. I will surely guide the sword you’ve entrusted to me to the end of this path.”

“Then depart. Before people’s fear and greed hold you back.”

***

After finishing her conversation with Cursus, Esmeralda immediately began gathering her party members.

She collected the two exhausted people nearby and Garnet, who was particularly confident in her leg line, and called Millia down from the wall.

“From now on, we’ll gather our belongings and supplies as quickly as possible and depart for the demon realm.”

Everyone except Eirene nodded at her words.

Eirene, having burned herself out supporting both the legion and the hero’s party, had no energy left to check Millia or complain to Esmeralda.

Still, everyone should understand the current situation.

The political machination between the Empire and the fortress city. Getting involved would only lead to trouble and waste of time.

Moreover, their presence could cause suspicion to fall on the people of the fortress city.

It would be better not to reveal that she was here.

“Now, before we go to gather our belongings, let me ask one thing. Where is Lug?”

“Didn’t you just say we’re going to gather him now?”

Millia tilted her head in response to Esmeralda’s question.

Esmeralda nodded.

She had just said something that could be misunderstood. Talking about luggage while looking for Lug would naturally be confusing.

Esmeralda expressed herself more precisely.

“Not that luggage. The porter… no, what exactly is this guy anyway?”

What exactly does he do?

Esmeralda thought that for a moment before realizing another fact.

“And where is Mr. Extra?”

The real porter had truly disappeared.

“Lug said he had something to do and disappeared. And I haven’t seen Uncle Extra all day.”

“…”

Could he have deserted?

After insisting he wouldn’t desert, was it all bluffing?

Esmeralda felt a chill down her spine. Yes, it’s possible. Maybe not before, but the current Lug’s mind works reasonably well.

“…Let’s split up and search.”

The hero party’s daily routine began.

To be honest, it was a common occurrence.

***

While Esmeralda was complaining of fatigue and searching for Lug,

Lug encountered Extra, who had left the fortress city ahead of them.

“Oh, you came.”

“As expected, Lieutenant Colonel. Your work is clean.”

“Don’t give me jobs like this anymore.”

“You need to do your part too, Lieutenant Colonel.”

“Tsk.”

Extra clicked his tongue at Lug’s banter and moved slightly to the side.

Then, a new person appeared behind him.

Ebony-like fine hair.

Yellow eyes.

A person who had been covering herself with black membrane wings spread them to reveal her face.

“It’s been a while.”

“Yes, Captain Lug…”

Operations Staff Department of the Demon King’s Army.

It was the moment when Lieutenant General Lilith and Lug met again.