Chapter 272: Desperate Measures

I knew something felt off.

Yeah, I thought our advance was slower than usual. So the Heroes were hidden on Rweche’s side. I was too focused on the chaotic retreat, a common sight, and my vision was clouded, so it took me a while to notice.

It seems troop replacements were made seamlessly during that time; common soldiers had disappeared at some point.

The Heroes who were blocking our path moved behind Lindel Riner and joined him. The faces of the Lofty Knights, who had realized it was a trap, hardened, but Deon, ignoring them, fixed his gaze on Lindel Riner and forced out words with difficulty.

“Riner…”

“Ah, I suppose you’re familiar. I am the brother of Lien Riner, the knight who was once under your command. I’m the older brother.”

Blood surged violently.

A nightmare buried in memory rears its head. It feels like it’s asking why I had to die, shedding tears of blood, choking me, and screaming at me to die. Deon fell silent for a moment.

In the brief silence, a voice feigning composure slowly flowed out.

“…I heard you were frail.”

“I was.”

“Did you come for revenge?”

“That’s one of the reasons.”

“What’s the other reason?”

“Well, obviously.”

Lindel Riner smiled.

“Isn’t it to protect the Human Realm?”

Only then did Deon, his tension easing, laugh as if dumbfounded.

“So… you’re going to kill me to protect the Human Realm?”

“Yes.”

“Interesting.”

Not just containing, but outright killing the Hero, a very intriguing idea.

The Heroes surrounding them took a step closer as if to apply pressure. Sensing the Heroes who specialized in ranged attacks aiming daggers and bows from afar, Deon restrained the mad dogs who were about to step forward defensively.

“All the guys here are Heroes, so stay put.”

“But…”

“Don’t even dream of trying to run away with me. You probably won’t even take a few steps before your legs are cut off or something flies into your back.”

“Still…”

Someone wore a weeping expression.

There are too many of them, Captain.

The words swallowed back, unable to show weakness in front of the enemies, were clearly conveyed to Deon. He smirked and reached behind his back.

‘Yeah, I didn’t expect there to be this many Heroes in the Human Realm either.’

It feels like most of the Hero’s fragments remaining on the ground are gathered here. If you combine the fragments they have, it seems like it would be at least one Hero, maybe even two…

He drew the most familiar weapon from his back.

“Looks like you scraped together every Hero you could find, huh?”

Seeing many unfamiliar faces, it seems they gathered not only the ‘Nameless Knights’ but also newly born Heroes and Heroes from other countries.

Well, otherwise, there’s no way they could gather this many. Judging by the looks of it, each country seems to have formed an alliance, probably gathering Heroes under the pretext of ‘killing the Hero’.

Predictably, Lindel responded to the light sarcasm.

“Killing a Hero requires at least this much.”

“Yeah, looks like you’ve really set your mind to it. But you know what?”

Deon grinned.

“If you interpret this in reverse, doesn’t it mean that if I survive here unscathed, the collapse of the Human Realm is confirmed?”

“…I won’t deny it, but that’s why things won’t go according to your plan. We are that desperate.”

“A last stand, huh.”

There was no further conversation.

Lindel retreated behind some Hero escorts, and the other Heroes aimed their weapons at Deon. Deon also tried to detach the carnivorous plant still clinging tightly to him and entrust it to Kleter…

“Kkyiaaeeek!!”

“Ugh-.”

…but because it wrapped its vines around him even more tightly and desperately clung on, he hastily let go of the flowerpot he had grabbed. Only then did the vines, which had tightened to avoid falling, loosen back to normal.

“…I have to fight properly from now on.”

“Kkyiaek.”

“Their weapons are not something you can deflect.”

“Kkyiaaeeek!”

“…Alright.”

He tells me to fight as if it doesn’t exist, so I guess I have to.

I don’t want to argue even here, and there’s no time for that. Dangling the carnivorous plant on his side and pushing the mad dogs behind him, he raised his dagger and gestured.

“Let’s see if this last stand really works.”

Come at me.

***

[Go to Ben. As the physician, he must have at least one emergency communication stone. His location… go to the place with the most commotion, excluding this place, where the demons are rampaging, and you’ll find him without difficulty. Ah, there will be a berserker there, that guy is Ben, so don’t dismiss it as mistaken identity.]

Dan, though not as much as Deon Hart, had also stayed in the Demon King’s castle for quite a long time and understood that the physician’s personality was no joke.

However, even considering that, he doubted that he would become the most riotous demon on the battlefield, surpassing even the generals…

“Die!!!”

“Oh.”

It was true.

Dan, discovering a demon rampaging in the middle of the battlefield, let out a short exclamation. Certainly, if he had seen it without the advice, it was a scene he would have passed by without realizing it was the physician.

Who would think of a physician seeing someone smashing enemies’ heads with a medical bag? The sight of him killing enemies with crazed eyes was quite novel, and Dan watched for a moment before reluctantly moving his feet.

‘It feels like I’m walking to my death.’

As expected, as soon as he got a little closer, the medical bag swung. He hastily raised his sword to block it… but what kind of brute force is this?

He frowned reflexively at the tingling hand.

“Ben, it’s me.”

“…”

“It’s, it’s Dan.”

At this rate, I’m going to get hit properly. Terrified by Ben’s attitude of preparing to swing his bag again without a word, he added his name.

Only then did the other’s movements stop.

“…Dan?”

“Yes.”

“Ah…”

Ben’s eyes seemed to regain focus as if he belatedly came to his senses. His gaze met Dan’s, and then, understanding the situation, he hurriedly withdrew his medical bag and stepped back. Dan, who was still tense, finally let out a sigh of relief and sheathed his sword after about 10 seconds of silence.

“I came under Master’s orders.”

“Sir Deon’s…?”

“Yes. Master’s communication stone is broken. Could you lend me your communication stone?”

“Ah, here.”

Ben took out a communication stone from the blood-stained medical bag and handed it over. Dan looked down at it with a slightly reluctant gaze before reaching out and taking it.

After a few manipulations, he skillfully contacted Ed and opened his mouth without hesitation.

“This is Dan. I’m calling to convey Master’s orders.”

***

Take the 0th Legion and cross the border of the Taehon Kingdom to attack Rweche….

Ed repeated the order he had received with a stiff expression.

‘Has something happened to Sir Deon?’

The call wasn’t from Sir Deon’s communication stone, but from the physician’s. Moreover, it wasn’t Sir Deon himself but Dan who made the call, so something bad must have happened to Sir Deon.

‘It’s a sudden order, but there must be a reason.’

So Ed moved immediately after hearing the order.

He issued a sortie order to the 0th Legion and finished his own preparations, then hurried down the stairs. Idelia, the 4th Corps Commander, who usually showed interest in him, naturally revealed interest and curiosity at his rather urgent demeanor.

“Ed? Where are you going?”

“…Ah, Lady Idelia. I’m preparing for sortie under Sir Deon’s command. We’re going to Rweche.”

He was busy, but he couldn’t ignore the Corps Commander’s words. He paused briefly and answered dutifully.

“Hmm… suddenly?”

“Yes.”

“It seems Rweche has stabbed us in the back. That’s why he must have given such a sudden order.”

It’s a country that the Demon Realm has left untouched. Originally, it was lowest in the conquest priority. The fact that he suddenly overturned that means that Rweche’s side broke the tacit promise first.

Idelia, who deduced the situation with just a few clues, as befitting a Corps Commander in charge of information processing and combination, smiled at Ed, who had question marks floating above his head.

“Are you leaving right now?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Then let me come with you.”

“Yes…?”

Ed flinched at the unexpected words.

“Lady Idelia… are you saying?”

“Yeah. Since we’re moving anyway, it would be good to clearly show how the Demon Realm treats those who stab us in the back, wouldn’t it?”

“That’s true, but…”

He hesitated, seeming confused, and carefully asked.

“Then is the 4th Corps also moving with us?”

“No. That would complicate the procedure, so I’m just going by myself. Isn’t that enough?”

We have good compatibility after all.

Ed fell silent for a moment at the words added as if it were natural.

…The 4th Corps Commander’s words about setting an example weren’t wrong. He pondered for a moment whether this was okay, and then nodded.

“Do you need preparation time?”

“No, let’s go as we are.”

“Understood. Then.”

***

The communication ended.

“Thank you for your service.”

“Yeah.”

Ben, who had been keeping his ears wide open while continuing to fight throughout the communication, took back the communication stone as if he had been waiting for it and put it back in his bag, then looked at Dan again.

“You’ve delivered the orders, so what are you going to do now?”

“I have to return to Master.”

“Can you go?”

“Hmm…”

Dan looked around the chaotic battlefield and wore a dumbfounded expression.

“If I wander around, I might be able to find him like I found Ben… wouldn’t I…?”

“Why are you asking me that…? Never mind. I’ll go with you.”

“Yes?”

“It’s a problem for us if Sir Deon’s subordinate dies while coming and going because of me.”

Ben, hitting the head of an enemy rushing in with his bag, looked back as if asking why Dan wasn’t coming. Dan, after looking at him for a moment, asked suspiciously.

“Do you perhaps know where Master is?”

“…”

“…?”

“It’s been a while, but a signal did come in… a signal so faint that I wondered if it was my imagination, and the situation here was urgent, so I couldn’t go…”

“That’s probably… around the time I separated from Master… the scratch…”

“…”

An awkward silence flowed.

The silence was maintained while occasionally fending off enemies that rushed in, but just as Dan, thinking they needed to find another way, opened his mouth.

“Over there—”

“…! Sir Deon!!”

“!?!”

Suddenly, Ben started running somewhere.

Dan, wearing a bewildered expression for a moment, soon grasped the situation and distorted his face.

“How can you abandon me and leave!”

You said you’d go together!

He was about to be left behind in the lurch. Overwhelmed by a sense of crisis, he hurriedly chased after Ben before he disappeared from sight. Fortunately, Ben seemed to have slowed down after hearing his shout, and he was able to catch up before long.

“…”

“…”

It seemed like they ran in silence for quite a while after that.

Dan, running half a step behind Ben with a sullen expression, sighed deeply.

‘…Yeah, he’s a physician with a strong sense of duty, I should understand.’

At this rate, we’re going to arrive at the destination without saying a word.

He relaxed his expression and asked a question.

“Did a signal come?”

“Yeah.”

“Did a serious injury signal come?”

“Not serious, but not shallow either. More than anything, the signal is coming continuously.”

In other words, the wound is repeatedly opening and closing.

It’s not serious in the first place, but the fact that the Hero sustained a not-shallow wound is a problem in itself. Minor scratches that occur occasionally can be overlooked as mistakes, but this is….

“…Something definitely went wrong.”

“That’s right. So we need to get to Sir Deon quickly…”

The guys blocking our way are too persistent.

Ben swings his bag filled with irritation. Dan, following his movements and scanning the Rweche soldiers, suddenly tilted his head.

‘Come to think of it…’

They don’t seem to be ‘Heroes’ either.

‘Was Rweche originally this strong?'”