Chapter 243
- In a villainous world full of cunning, the clumsy cannot survive (9)
#10 Their circumstances: The circumstances of a certain apostle of evil.
I could feel the Fragment of Evil fading into the distance.
“They’re fast.”
I had been waiting since they stopped moving for a while, so why did they start moving now?
Since my opponent is that instructor, there were many things I could think of.
Even though he knew I was chasing him, the fact that he stopped meant,
“He knows my location, or he thinks he can beat me.”
It was possible after failing once on the Demon continent.
Knowing the combat power of those who fought me, the greatest Demon King on the continent, he would know the level of power needed to fight me.
Knowing or not knowing the enemy’s power makes a big difference.
If you don’t know the enemy’s power accurately, you may send a large army against an enemy with just numbers, or a small elite force may be annihilated by the enemy.
The instructor often said.
‘You must scout properly to avoid being ambushed.’
He sometimes said incomprehensible things, but…
Still, he was an instructor who always talked about the importance of information, and I was his disciple, so I didn’t rush at the instructor and gathered an army here.
If he is preparing to take me down, I can just break his plan with even greater power.
And what if he has a way to notice my location?
Well, it was simple in that case too.
When dealing with someone good at running away, you just have to get rid of everywhere they can run to.
With overwhelming power to conquer the entire continent, even if it’s the instructor, he won’t be able to escape.
“Then I should get moving too.”
I had gathered enough troops. I corrupted animals, monsters, and even parts of nature itself to create an army.
With this much military power, I could sweep away a small kingdom like that in an instant and chase after the instructor.
I laughed loudly as I watched a kingdom’s borders get smashed in an instant.
I did my best for everyone, but this world took everything from me horribly.
For revenge on that world.
“I hope you keep running until the very last moment, Instructor.”
After all, there will be no one left to stop me.
And some time later.
“Huh?”
I was once again made to realize that the world is not so easy.
#11 Their circumstances: The circumstances of the diligently working pursuers today
It’s hard. I’m tired. I want to rest.
“Is this the right place?”
“Yep~”
I shot him a suspicious look, but the leader was relaxed.
“It’s not wrong again, is it?”
“It’s accurate this time. Don’t tell me you don’t trust me?”
No. To be honest, I can’t trust you.
How many times have we hit dead ends already! I’m dying here!
“Of course not.”
But I was just a member, while he was the leader of this group.
Not only our ranks but also our abilities were far apart.
Especially against the leader, I couldn’t say it bluntly.
“Is that so? I thought you were thinking ‘How many times have we hit dead ends already! I’m dying here!'”
“Hahaha! No way~”
“Is that right?”
I stared at the back of the grinning leader walking ahead of us.
Scary, so scary!
What was that just now? How did he know what I was thinking?
That expression says he knew but pretended not to!
Just what is our leader doing!
My body shaking, I hurriedly followed the leader, unable to even wipe the cold sweat running down my back.
“Alright, we’re nearing the destination now.”
At the leader’s words, the comrades around cheered.
We were all people who had been through aerial battles, underground battles, and all kinds of battles.
Of course, including me, we were all people who could survive chewing on tree roots or bark if we were dropped in the middle of a forest with nothing.
At the same time,
“Since you’ve all worked hard, drinks are on me today!”
“Leader is the best!”
“Long live Leader!”
“Our Leader is the best!”
As the leader’s followers, we were exploring all the best restaurants across the continent.
No matter how well we could survive chewing on tree bark, we were nobles at heart.
Naturally, we would prefer a soft, comfy bed over the cold, hard ground, and the fine steaks of a top-class restaurant over the simple soup we always ate.
No, even a commoner would choose the latter if comparing the two.
Didn’t the leader say the greatest survival skill is avoiding getting in a survival situation in the first place?
“Alright, onward to the destination!”
“Ohhhhh!”
We all marched forward vigorously. Soon, the city walls came into view.
“We’ve reached the border. Shall we get ready?”
At the leader’s words, we, the official army of the Karan Empire, the strongest nation in the world, began to form ranks.
“Done.”
“Good.”
Seeming satisfied with our quick movements, the leader nodded and pointed at the city walls.
“Let’s go over.”
“Yes!”
As if flowing like water, we each breached the walls in our own methods.
Some jumped over the walls, some flew over them through the air.
A few showed how they could dig tunnels and go under.
That’s right. We were the official army of the Karan Empire, the strongest nation in the world. In other words, we were the kind of people other nations absolutely did not want entering their borders.
Well, they may open the way if we say we’re moving to fight the Demon King, since times are what they are. But then they would start massively publicizing it.
They would tell their uneasy citizens who did nothing themselves that they were working hard!
Alright, the strongest nation, the Karan Empire, has started moving!
Now, to bring down death on the Demon King following the wicked evil god’s will and trying to bring the world to ruin, the citizens will cheer, and Professor Naran hearing the news will hurriedly escape.
But we can’t keep chasing after the Professor forever. We have to capture him.
We have to take him all the way to Princess, her majesty.
If we can’t do it….
I closed my eyes for a moment.
It’s dark. I can’t see anything.
And this will be… my future.
“What are you doing?”
My senior patted my back and spoke.
“Senior.”
“It’s the leader right now.”
He was the leader of my squad and my senior at the academy I attended.
“Can’t focus?”
“No, of course not.”
That’s impossible.
Who am I? I was one of those from the worst generation.
One of the very few from the worst generation that belonged to the Ast Kidnapping Group.
“There’s no way I can’t focus learning from Professor Naran, right?”
“That’s true.”
The leader nodding also got hit a lot by Professor Naran. No, he definitely got hit the most compared to others.
So he would know.
“If you can’t focus….”
For summoners and mages, if they can’t focus, they may not be able to use summoning or magic. And if that happens….
“You get hit more.”
The leader shuddered.
He probably recalled the past memories of getting hit by the Silver Demon.
“Then why were you closing your eyes earlier?”
“Ah, that’s….”
How should I explain this?
Right. There was that.
“Try closing your eyes.”
“Huh?”
The leader tilted his head but purely followed my words.
“Closed them.”
“What do you see?”
“I don’t see anything?”
You see nothing. That’s normal if you can’t see anything!.
Unless you’re Professor Naran, Her Majesty, the Princess, or Leader Mirea, you won’t see anything.
And,
“That’s our future if we can’t catch Professor Naran.”
“Gah!”
The leader collapsed on the floor and started trembling violently.
“Hey, why are you thinking like that!”
The leader who got up was shaking as he grabbed my collar.
“We can do it! We can catch him!”
“Didn’t you think that last year too?”
“That’s….”
“The year before?”
“That’s….”
“Before that?”
“Ugh….”
The strength gripping my collar weakened.
The pitiful looking leader started shedding tears.
“No, we can do it… we can….”
“Leader….”
He looked very pitiful. I should comfort him right?
“Want to spar a bit?”
“No! That’s not it!”
My heart ached seeing my senior run away crying.
“Senior Aris….”
The empire’s youngest Swordmaster.
The heroine who led Yugrasia for 3 years in his prime.
Hearing about the Sword Princess, the successor to Lord Reia, and more.
Especially the talk of being Lord Reia’s successor was most prevalent.
Not only her talent of becoming a Swordmaster at a young age, but her looks and grace that would captivate any woman.
And,
“I wonder if Senior Aris can get married?”
She was evaluated to be a perfect match, down to her disastrous love life.
“Thank you, Arel.”
Seeing Senior Aris leap over the city walls in three jumps, the face of the fiancee I was betrothed to as a child came to mind.
Thank you, Arel. I will definitely return to you after catching Professor Naran!
“Let’s do our best.”
Thinking of my fiancee with whom I had a partially political marriage but loved each other, I decided to try a bit harder.
I wonder if even the great gods have blessed our love?
“Gyaaaah!”
“It’s the Demon King’s army!”
“You’re wrong. We’re all dead….”
Some time later, the Demon King’s army started invading the city we were in, and seeing the terrified and chaotic townspeople, Leader Mirea shouted joyfully.
“I’m thrilled!”
“Um… Leader?”
Worried that she ate some poisonous mushrooms or something, one member carefully approached the leader.
“Why are you acting like this?”
Unable to ask ‘Have you gone mad?’, the member was answered with a grin from the leader.
“The Demon King’s army is coming right?”
“Yes.”
“The Demon King’s army and the Instructor are connected.”
Instructor = Professor Naran.
Applying that formula,
“Ah, I see.”
It means Professor Naran is connected to the Demon King’s army.
Hmm… Right. That makes sense for Professor Naran.
It seemed everyone thought the same, not just me.
Honestly, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Silver Demon was leading the vanguard of the Demon King’s army. Of course we wouldn’t fight him.
If the Silver Demon was leading the vanguard, we would run away, forget the world.
“So the Demon King’s army coming here means….”
“Oh!”
The moment I understood, my body started shaking.
“It means the Instructor is nearby. So first… let’s clear out some annoyances.”
At Leader Mirea’s words, we all nodded.
#12 Their circumstances: The circumstances of a certain apostle of evil.
I close both eyes. I can feel the quickly moving forces of evil.
I can feel the instructor riding something faster than a horse but slower than a wyvern or griffin.
The gap is closing.
At this rate, I’ll be able to catch the instructor in not too long.
“Huh?”
I thought that, but soon after, some of the army was annihilated.
“Heroes?”
It seems the heroes finally started moving. Then I just need to crush them with greater force.
So I sent more troops. They were annihilated again.
I sent even stronger troops. They were annihilated again.
I decided to focus all my power and attack the enemy.
“Oh?”
They were annihilated again, and half my army was destroyed.
“…What?”
I don’t know what happened, but it seems I’ve failed.
