Chapter 28: New Hero

Ben only checked what was in my glass, and the moment he confirmed there was poison, a commotion broke out, so he didn’t get around to checking the bottle. There’s still a glimmer of hope.

Personally, I don’t think it was poisoned.

Ed was drinking alcohol when I first came into this barracks.

That means his glass wasn’t poisoned back then, which implies the intruder poisoned both of our glasses while Ed and I were talking.

To be able to sneak around without Ed noticing… Thinking about it now, that was really dangerous, wasn’t it?

…Anyway.

‘If I remember correctly, there was only one time when the table was out of both Ed’s and my sight at the same time.’

When that ‘clink’ sound happened.

We instinctively looked towards the sound at the same time.

However, it was a very brief moment, far too short for an assassin to approach and poison our drinks directly.

So, how did they poison it?

‘They must have thrown it.’

The assassin was skilled enough to evade Ed’s senses. In other words, they were skilled enough to ‘throw’ the poison.

But even so, it would be both too risky and too short on time to throw it into a bottle with a narrow opening.

Assassins tend to avoid taking risks, so they probably wouldn’t have tried to poison the bottle.

…That’s what I think, anyway.

‘Well, let’s check it out.’

I subtly picked up the alcohol bottle.

It feels a bit guilty to drink alone when the owner isn’t here, but wasn’t he going to offer it to me anyway?

With that brazen thought, I resolutely took a sniff.

Yep, nothing.

A smile crept onto my face.

‘Looks like they prepared a supposedly odorless and colorless drug.’

Whether a portable solid drug is made by refining a liquid or clumping powder, certain ingredients are needed to maintain its form.

Usually, these are also odorless and colorless, but well…

‘Someone who’s handled a lot of drugs or has an incredibly sharp sense of smell would notice it.’

That’s what you could call the unique scent of drugs.

Anyway, there’s absolutely no trace of that subtle drug smell in this alcohol. Which means…

I grinned.

‘This alcohol is mine now.’

There aren’t any glasses, but that’s not a problem.

Worried that someone might come and interrupt, I slightly lowered the cloth covering my lower face and tilted the bottle without hesitation.

***

“He is dangerous.”

“Hmm….”

The assassin spoke fervently.

Cruel listened to the assassin’s words without any particular expression.

Unlike his expressionless face, his fingers tapped on the desk, revealing his complicated thoughts.

After a long silence, having heard the full explanation, he slowly opened his mouth.

“Understood. You may leave.”

“Yes.”

As the assassin left, the expression on Cruel’s face wasn’t good. And for good reason.

Ultimately, the Commander of the 0th Legion’s skill was at least superior to this assassin’s.

The assassin he sent was by no means an easy opponent.

Due to the nature of their profession, they might be weak in direct combat, but their stealth and assassination skills were something even Cruel had to be wary of.

‘This is troublesome.’

The Commander of the 0th Legion exists, and their skills are genuine. What could be more annoying than this?

He slowly closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.

‘The decision is…’

Already made. It’s just a little regrettable.

With a slight frown, he tilted his head back, then opened his eyes and slowly straightened up.

Sensing the change in the atmosphere, his subordinate cautiously asked about his decision.

“What are your orders?”

“…My orders are to ‘protect the Empire’s territory.'”

With that, Cruel joined the faltering front lines, and as a result, they pushed beyond defending the territory and advanced into the Demon Realm.

The higher-ups seem pleased, but unless the order was something like ‘expand our territory to the Demon Realm,’ there was no need to push this hard.

“I was going to expand our territory as much as possible while we could in preparation for the demons attacking again later, but it can’t be helped.”

That ‘while we could’ is over.

Greed brings disaster. Cruel was too calm and rational to be swayed by greed.

If our morale was high, we might be able to put up a fight, but unfortunately, their morale is at its peak while ours is rock bottom.

“What is it about the Commander of the 0th Legion…”

If only their combat ability was the only problem, it would be less of a headache.

Whether it’s our bad luck or not, the Commander of the 0th Legion was a being whose very existence could sway morale.

Engaging them in this state, with this atmosphere, would result in a complete and utter defeat.

It’s not that the Empire doesn’t have someone who could turn this situation around, but they aren’t here right now, so Cruel’s options were extremely limited.

“To defeat the Demon King’s army with the Commander of the 0th Legion, we need ‘that guy.'”

“Ah…”

“But he’s not here right now. And support requests will take too long.”

Likewise, another hero of the Empire.

Thinking of someone who became a hero before him, Cruel paused, then slowly spoke.

“In the current situation, stopping the battle is the best option. That’s the only way to prevent the Commander of the 0th Legion from intervening. However, we can’t openly make an agreement with the demons, and those who barely got a chance to counterattack won’t just stand by and watch…”

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

His index finger tapped on the desk.

This too, was hesitation brought on by the title of ‘hero’.

It was a title earned to protect, yet it often felt like it was holding him back. He frowned slightly, but ultimately voiced the plan in his head.

“We will withdraw on our own initiative.”

“Excuse me?”

“However, any who pursue us will be killed without exception. We have to kill them decisively, unlike anything we’ve done so far. We absolutely mustn’t appear to be retreating.”

Withdraw slowly without showing any weakness.

Withdraw all the way back to our original territory, the Human Realm, and show our intention not to fight as long as they don’t invade the Human Realm first.

“Wouldn’t it look too obvious if we retreat now? The demons will notice.”

“That’s why I said to kill those who pursue us ‘decisively.'”

“…

“If they recklessly attack us as we withdraw and get crushed, they’ll understand.”

They’ll realize we aren’t retreating because of the news about the Commander of the 0th Legion.

It’s not a retreat, nor is it a hasty withdrawal due to some problem.

“It’s just a useless piece of land that doesn’t see a sliver of sunlight, a land for which we no longer have a reason to raise our swords.”

“…

“We need to convey that meaning.”

While an official agreement is impossible, a tacit agreement is entirely possible.

It’s something an Empire’s hero shouldn’t do, but Cruel didn’t dwell on such things.

More importantly, he couldn’t afford to mess up his debut battle as a hero.

“Of course, this is only possible if the Commander of the 0th Legion doesn’t go on a rampage, but they are reinforcements sent because the Demon King’s army was being pushed back, so they should be fine. If they can return to their positions without intervening, there’s no reason for them to get involved.”

“Indeed… I’ve heard that it’s very rare for the Commander of the 0th Legion to personally engage in battle.”

“Yes.”

The higher-ups only look at the results. They don’t care about the process, just the outcome.

In that sense, if the forces under Cruel’s command are pushed back by the Demon King’s army, allowing them to invade the Human Realm again, the higher-ups will surely begin to question his qualifications as a hero.

‘That won’t do.’

Why did I come all this way?

Cruel quietly bit his lip and opened his mouth to issue new orders.

But the words never came out.

“C-Commander!”

Because of an unwelcome guest who hastily entered, pushing aside the tent flap.

Seeing the soldier’s pale face, ragged breathing, and mud-covered clothes, Cruel wordlessly stood up.

He waited for the soldier to catch his breath and report, putting on the gauntlets he had briefly taken off and strapping his sword to his waist.

There was no reprimand for the abrupt entry.

It was none other than himself who had ordered that anyone could enter immediately if it was urgent or important, for the sake of effective and fast communication.

Therefore, instead of scolding him, Cruel silently prepared for battle, waiting for the next words—

“The Demon King’s army is advancing! The vanguard is the Commander of the 0th Legion…”

Thud.

Before the soldier could even finish his report, Cruel grabbed his helmet and rushed outside.

The plan went awry.

The situation was dire.

Even before surveying the entire battlefield, Cruel, having already grasped the situation, felt his eyes grow cold within his helmet.

There was no need to look closely.

The pungent smell of blood that stung his nostrils even though the battle had just begun. The front lines being pushed back helplessly. And the sounds of desperate screams—

—and laughter.

Whose screams, and whose laughter?

“…Ha.”

A laugh of disbelief escaped his lips.

Cruel gripped his sword, glaring at the battlefield.

At least none of the soldiers under his command were insane enough to laugh while killing the enemy.

Right, it was the demons. As if venting their pent-up frustration, they were gleefully laughing while carrying out the slaughter.

‘They’ve completely taken over the momentum.’

The atmosphere had shifted to their side.

Morale greatly affects war.

Even in an unfavorable war, high morale can make soldiers fight like madmen, as if they’d taken some kind of drug. Conversely, even in an advantageous war, low morale often leads to struggling.

Therefore, the Empire is at a disadvantage in this battle.

‘This won’t do.’

The hand gripping his fist tightened.

This can’t continue. How did we come all this way, only to be pushed back so helplessly?

He had to do something.

—But what?

‘To resolve this situation…’

With all his senses heightened, Cruel stared at a certain spot.

In the noisy battlefield, there was a place that was eerily silent, as if it were isolated.

There, stood a demon.

***

“Hahat, ahahahaha!”

The dagger spun freely in his hand.

Sometimes held straight, sometimes in reverse grip, sometimes even rolling across the back of his hand as if performing a trick, the dagger lured in those who were momentarily captivated, turning them into another victim.

How many had been sacrificed like that?

Blood gushed from where the dagger was pulled out. The faint groans of a comrade who couldn’t even scream anymore reached the surrounding soldiers.

The black demon before their eyes never killed his opponents easily.

Whether it was severing tendons, cutting off hands, or even piercing eyes, he completely eliminated any chance of resistance, then laughed gleefully as he butchered his helpless victims.

Even if he accidentally killed them instantly, he would tear the corpse into pieces, revealing his cruelty without reservation.

“A, a demon…”

A trembling voice leaked out like a moan from somewhere.

Perhaps it was a word uttered unknowingly.

Weak words on the battlefield are bad for morale. Nevertheless, no one could blame him.

Even the soldier currently in this place felt the same.

The emotions he had barely suppressed thrashed and vehemently agreed with those words.

‘Yes, a demon.’

If you can’t call this guy a demon, then who can you call a demon?

His hands trembled. His legs felt rooted to the ground, difficult to move.

The sight of his back as he butchered his opponent was completely defenseless, yet the soldier couldn’t bring himself to aim his weapon recklessly.

The act of aiming was easy enough.

Just raise the weapon and point it at that defenseless back.

However, if he did.

‘I’ll end up like that.’

No. I’m scared.

The soldier wasn’t confident he could handle the consequences of his actions.

He wanted to run, but he couldn’t.

His instincts told him that the demon in front of him would chase him down the moment he turned his back.

Unable to charge forward and unable to escape, the soldier finally squeezed his eyes shut. His pale lips trembled.

‘Someone, please.’

—Save me.

The short cry surged from his lungs but was suppressed in his throat.

The anomaly occurred at that moment.

Clang!!

“…Huh?”

A cracking sound echoed, followed by a strong gust of wind.

He closed his eyes as dirt and dust blew in, and when he opened them, he saw familiar armor filling his vision, armor he had seen from afar before.

At the same time, the soldier let his weapon-wielding arm drop.

“Ah, ahh…”

I’m alive.

Relief gently patted his frozen body.

Barely managing to put strength back into his legs, which felt like they would give way at any moment, the soldier clearly took in the figure before him.

The Empire’s new hero. The star of the battlefield. A rational commander.

Cruel.

He had arrived.