Chapter 244
- In a villainous world full of cunning, the clumsy cannot survive (10)
Thanks to the shuttle, I was able to safely escape from Sia.
“The Demon KIng has disappeared?”
“Yes.”
The capable shuttle began observing the situation, now acting as an observer.
“Why?”
“Hmm… Please wait a moment. I will check right away.”
I waited for Shuttle, who started murmuring prayers.
There is an old saying to go slowly when in a hurry.
I know how to wait.
“Is it done yet?”
“Just… just a little more…”
I watch Hil murmuring prayers to the gods.
It’s not done yet? You’re too slow!
– It’s been 1 minute already!
– Isn’t 1 minute enough time to pray?
– Or is it not?
As expected of a self-proclaimed goddess.
Not praying to others, she doesn’t know how simple prayer can be.
Prayer is simple.
- First decide who to pray to,
- Say what you want,
- And ask them to listen.
That’s all there is to prayer.
One minute is plenty.
– Even if the master was born an ordinary person, the gods would not listen to his prayers.
– You’re probably right.
I nodded too.
Even if I were ordinary, the gods would not have listened to me.
“Because I have no money.”
“That’s not it…”
Having returned to her girl form without permission, the metal bat starts kicking me. Annoying.
“They say you have to make big donations for gods to listen to prayers!”
“What did… what did the gods do to you? Nothing happened, right?”
Well, there’s the issue of my former disciple becoming the Demon King and clinging to me now.
“That has nothing to do with the gods, right?”
“I need someone to blame.”
“What kind of reason is that?”
“I don’t know.”
I don’t know. I hate how they look.
I don’t know. It’s because I got stuck with the Demon King.
“I should watch my words.”
As I hum a song, the metal bat heaves a deep sigh.
“Ow.”
With the sigh, her speed kicking me increases.
“You kick where it hurts.”
I can’t just take the kicks as they really hurt.
This kid… Getting stronger from hitting others!
“Kicking is an art.”
“Of course!”
A little praise and she stops kicking, starting to brag instead.
“Did you find anything?”
“Just a little more…”
Damn nature goddess. What’s there to talk about so much?
“I found it.”
“Were you listening?”
“Huh?”
She seemed a little surprised by my timing at the end of the prayer, but it seems it was just a coincidence based on Shuttlei’s expression.
“Tell me what you heard.”
“Yes. The God of Nature said the Demon KIng quickly took over the border of the Lolal Kingdom in half a day, and was advancing quickly, but coincidentally encountered the Karan Empire’s troops and was annihilated. After that, they sent troops several more times but could not defeat the Karan Empire’s forces.”
“Is that so?”
It seems the effects of sending Mirea are finally appearing.
“How much was the Demon King’s army reduced by?”
“About half were taken down.”
“Really?”
More of the army was reduced than I expected.
The empire’s forces must have taken heavy losses as well.
“What were the empire’s casualties?”
The Demon King’s army could replenish their numbers endlessly with nearby beasts and monsters.
There’s even records that ordinary trees and rocks can be turned into monsters after long exposure to the evil energy.
In contrast, it takes the Karan Empire years, even decades, to replenish their troop numbers.
As the Demon King, even taking down 10 monsters for 1 imperial soldier would be good cost-performance.
So if the empire’s losses are higher than expected, I’ll need to revise my plans.
“None.”
“Huh?”
“The imperial forces didn’t have a single heavy injury or dead person, I heard.”
“Uh?”
“There were some minor injuries treatable, but nothing serious.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I was confused too, but I confirmed multiple times with the God of Nature and she insists it’s true.”
No way.
I heard the Demon King’s army exceeded 100,000.
Half of that is at least 100,000.
The Demon King’s army is many times stronger and more destructive than regular monsters.
Why else would the gods say the world could be destroyed because of the Demon King?
They were dangerous, powerful beings!
“Did the entire imperial army come?”
“No. Only 1,000 fought in the first battle against 30,000 of the Demon King’s army. After that, against the even stronger evil forces, there were reinforcements but still no more than 3,000, I heard.”
What?
1,000 vs 30,000?
That means each took down 30?
“Oh, that could be possible, right?”
“You think so?”
“30 each… could be doable, right?”
Numbers are important in war. But quality over quantity happens plenty of times.
A knight able to use magic could easily defeat 30 ordinary peasants.
A swordmaster could easily take down 30 knights.
So the group raised by the princess, especially the Yugrasia group led by Mirea called the Ast Kidnapping Group, could definitely do it.
The problem is,
“They’ve gotten stronger.”
“Who?”
“The pursuers.”
It wouldn’t be an issue if I had just fought 30 people alone, but I fought an army of 1,000 men and 30,000 soulless monsters.
Individual fights and battlefield fights are different.
There’s a chance your allies in front could also get swept away if you use powerful techniques, and you could end up fighting 50 or 100 enemies instead of just 30. That’s what a battlefield is.
With the many variables that could occur on a battlefield, not having any deaths or even serious injuries is no different from saying it was an overwhelming victory.
While they may seem like a ray of salvation in this situation where they could destroy the world, I can’t be happy about this.
“I guess you’re right.”
“Yeah.”
The name of those with such overwhelming force is the ‘Ast Kidnapping Group’.
To think a group made to kidnap me has more power than I imagined. It was definitely not good news for me to be chased by them.
“What are the other heroes doing?”
“Well…”
We decided to adjust our plans a bit due to their unexpectedly strong force. We can’t afford to misuse the Karan Empire’s manpower or it could end up strangling me.
So we decided to use those so-called hero fools instead.
“Many are fighting the Demon King’s army but…”
“The results aren’t good?”
“Yes. Many heroes parties have been annihilated.”
“Ugh…”
Hey, what are the gods doing? While the bastards trying to kidnap me are sweeping away the Demon King’s army.
Aren’t heroes the light of the world and exist to bring salvation?
Give them plenty of blessings for those who are like your apostles!
“Who’s the most useful hero?”
“It’s Mr. Swin.”
“Swin?”
I nodded my head.
That name sounds familiar…
“Our hero.”
“Ah right.”
I called him hero for so long that I forgot his name a bit.
“He’s the most useful?”
“He’s not just useful, he’s the strongest of the currently existing heroes.”
I thought that punk wasn’t human after seeing him beat a dragon, but my evaluation dropped a lot after that. I need to raise it again.
“Hero, I mean Swin, where is he now?”
“Uh…well…”
Seeing Shuttle falter for a moment, I nodded my head.
“Wait for me.”
“Yes…”
I decided to wait as Shuttle let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes solemnly again.
After more clanks and clunks and waiting,
“The hero is currently moving to find Mr. Naran with a small number of people.”
“Is Sia among that small number?”
“Sia? Do you mean that woman?”
“Yes. That kid I saw not long ago.”
“She’s not there.”
“There weren’t others using the hero as bait or anything?”
“No. There are people moving with the hero, but they seem to be moving to contact Sia.”
“Is that so? How about my daughter?”
“It seems the hero and Ms. Alice are separated.”
As expected, my daughter must be with Sia…
“Unfortunately, I’ll have to meet my daughter later.”
If it were the past I wouldn’t know, but after the recent incident, she’s shown she can become independent splendidly.
Yes, she’s my daughter even if we don’t share blood.
The DNA of escapees flows in my daughter’s blood!
No matter how capable Sia is, if my daughter sets her mind to it, she can escape!
I just need to quickly get rid of the Demon King and wait for her at the Demon King’s Castle on the continent.
So for now, what I need to do is,
“Hero…where are you now?”
To make plans to defeat the Demon King and return to the continent.
#13 Their Circumstances: A Certain Hero’s Circumstances
“That’s it for today.”
“Understood.”
At my words, the people in black around me nodded their heads.
“Is there a village nearby?”
“No.”
“Homeless again…”
“Yes.”
“I see. Then get ready before the sun sets.”
“Understood.”
As I watched them disappear the moment I finished speaking, I let out a deep sigh.
“Should I run away…”
I was threatened by my seniors not to run away.
But who am I? No one other than that instructor’s disciple.
My body, no, my soul, is screaming to get out of here.
If I run away now and hide in a remote mountain village,
“Instructor will come find me.”
Tears start clouding my vision.
That’s right. The only reason I’m listening to my senior is the instructor’s command.
The instructor said,
‘Protect Alice. If you can’t, I’ll find you no matter what it takes and…keep you alive forever.’
Keep alive forever. It’d be delightful news for some nobles dreaming of immortality.
But for the instructor’s disciples?
We’d rather condemn ourselves to the fires of hell.
If he said he’d kill me instead, I’d take the risk and run away already. But at the words, keep alive forever, I can neither do this nor that.
“Damn that blonde!”
I have to make the instructor run away instead of pointlessly dragging Hil along.
Hil is a sage of the Nature Religion. And I’m a hero of the Nature Religion.
The moment Hil prays, he can figure out my location like an Evil god’s apostle.
What if the instructor showed up and I escaped alone?
Alive. Forever alive.
Even if I said I did my best to stop the fight between Senior and Alice, that’s not the kind of instructor who would believe me verbatim.
First a whack,
“Screeeeech!”
“What’s with that shriek…”
Oh no.
Cold sweat instantly started flowing down my spine.
“What’s going ooooon!”
“What are you sayiiiing!”
“Ahh…”
Groans or screams I can’t understand start being heard.
The sounds are getting closer and closer. But I couldn’t move.
My mind is telling my trembling body to move, but my body stiff with fear couldn’t act on my mind’s words.
And after a moment,
“Luckily it was close by.”
“Hero…”
With rustling sounds, two familiar men appeared.
“Hil…”
“I’m sorry.”
Hil looks away from my resentful gaze.
I know better than anyone that he had no choice, but I still felt betrayed.
“Why…did you come?”
I expected it at some point but didn’t think it’d be this soon.
“There’s something to do.”
“What is it?”
At my question, the instructor fell silent in thought for a moment.
And after a brief silence,
“Let become Heroes”
He told a hero to become a hero.
