The end of the Great War, which began decades ago with a demonic invasion, also changed the hierarchy and structure of the demon realm.
Chaos and disorder ensued due to the absence of the Demon King, who was the focal point of all demons.
Only one demon took it upon themselves to restore order and establish a new hierarchy in Altelore.
Ranked first among the demons, Azekel.
Azekel, the Demon King’s closest confidante, seized the opportunity to sow chaos and crush any rebellious demons.
He created a new hierarchy and united the demons once again with the goal of reviving the Demon King.
Of course, not all demons followed Azekel.
Among the surviving demons from the war, there were also powerful individuals who were not inferior to the current archdemons.
Most of those who opposed Azekel perished in the end, but there were also those who survived.
Some of them still wander the desolate outskirts or have ventured beyond Altelore into the outside world.
“Hehehe. Hahaha. Is this it?”
The Off Fortress, a major stronghold in the Third Lord’s domain, located in the north.
The ground was dyed red with the shattered and torn bodies, as the laughing demon, clad in a formidable armor-like carapace, reveled in the carnage he had caused.
“Nothing but insects everywhere. It’s getting boring. How many more do I have to kill until the big one shows up?”
The demon had been a force to be reckoned with in the past war, when there had been no more than a dozen stronger than him in the demon faction.
Even if he had been a defeated fighter who had fled Altelore with his life after the war against Azekel.
It had been years of painful endurance. Scurrying from place to place like a mouse in a foreign land.
Now that he had regained some of his former strength, he was slowly breaking out of his long hiding to take action.
He had no intention of returning to Altelore anytime soon.
Azekel, even though he had regained his strength to surpass that monster, it was an impossible task for the immediate moment.
Therefore, he changed his goal.
The world was too peaceful now. It had already forgotten the horrors of the past, forgotten their existence.
Stupid, weak scums that would have been exterminated long ago if it weren’t for the abominable hero.
By hunting moderately strong insects, he could accumulate more power and become stronger than now.
Graaaaah...
The wails of dreadful souls. The demon smiled as he looked at the blood-red gem in his hand.
“Wait for it, the day I return to Altelore...”
He mumbled, and then turned his gaze. Someone was approaching from that direction.
A man approached with a casual stride, as if he was on a stroll, and looked around before opening his mouth.
“You’ve really done a terrible job, demon.”
“Just this much? They were nothing but trash with no skill or taste for ripping and tearing.”
The demon sensed the energy emanating from him and smirked.
“Now, what I’ve been waiting for has finally come. Are you the Third Lord of Calderic?”
The Third Lord, the Heavenly Archer, fixed his gaze on a corpse and spoke.
“You must have been too afraid of the Overlord to go on a rampage in the middle of Calderic, so you’re doing something despicable here instead.”
“Hehehe, speak as much as you like before you die.”
The demon wiped off the blood on his hand and stood up.
“They call you the Heavenly Archer, right? I heard your specialty is shooting arrows from a distance like a rat. Now that you’ve revealed yourself right in front of me, what will you do?”
They were within a few steps of each other, close enough to reach out and touch.
With a still expression on his face, the Heavenly Archer reached out his hand towards the empty air.
“No need to worry.”
His wrist bracelet dangled and instantly transformed into the shape of a bow.
“From now on, until your body is scattered into pieces on the ground, you won’t be able to narrow this distance even a bit.”
***
The Academy’s vacation season had begun, and most students were preparing to return to their hometowns and families.
Lea sat on the edge of her bed, reading the letter that had arrived in front of her.
[How was life at the academy? If you haven’t made a single friend by now, this brother will be very disappointed.
Yuz will be there soon, so come home quickly. Bring as many friends as you can.]
Reading the playful content of the letter, Lea furrowed her brow and folded it back together.
“What about friends...”
She remained lying on the bed, glaring aimlessly at the ceiling.
It was because she couldn’t help but think of someone as soon as she finished reading the letter.
Even after the exams were over, Lea had occasional, or rather, quite frequent interactions with Rigon.
It could be said that it happened naturally.
Now, meeting side by side and having casual conversations was no longer a strange thing at all.
Rather, she found herself subtly looking for places where Rigon might be during her free time.
At first, she was confused and denied her own change, but now she simply accepted it.
She wanted to get closer to Rigon.
Once she admitted it, her pride was slightly hurt, but she convinced herself that it wasn’t strange at all.
Rigon was a genius comparable to herself. He was an outstanding talent.
Perhaps the reason she hadn’t tried to be close to anyone before was that there was no one suitable for her level.
So, there was no change in her attitude. There was no reason not to be close if such a person appeared.
'True. It’s just like that.'
Besides, it’s not easy to build a close relationship with a promising individual from Calderic, right? It’s excellent networking.
Lea, who had never cared about connections in her life, rationalized it that way.
'Anyway, he’ll be at the academy even during vacation.'
Rigon had said that he wouldn’t return to his hometown.
Not only was it a long distance, but it was also not feasible to freely travel between Calderic and Santea.
“You want me to come to your house for vacation?”
When Lea encountered Rigon during dinner time, she seized the opportunity and casually brought up the topic.
In response to Rigon’s wide-eyed reaction, she avoided his gaze and hastily spoke the prepared words.
“The nobles of Santea are sensitive to favors, you know? So, I’m just trying to repay my debts on the test for the sake of my honor. You’ve helped me, and I’ve lost because of my own shortcomings.”
“No, that was unexpected of Ran, and it was more of my fault...”
“Anyway, are you coming or not? I’ll make sure you’re treated like a guest. You don’t have anywhere to go during vacation anyway, do you?”
Rigon scratched his head. Lea folded her arms and casually glanced at him.
“Well, if you invite me, of course, I’d be happy to go. But can’t the others come too? Ran and Kaen are also staying at the academy like me. Vaion and Esca said they’re going home, though.”
“Huh?”
...Those guys were also staying at the academy?
Honestly, she didn’t want to invite them, but if I refused, Rigon would definitely not go.
Adding a couple more people was within the acceptable range. After all, the important thing was that Rigon was going.
Lea nodded, concealing her excitement.
“There’s no reason to refuse. Do as you please.”
***
I lay on the bed, idly resting, when Rigon returned and said something strange.
“Lea invited us to her house? The Herwyn family?”
“Yes.”
I wondered what this was all about and quickly guessed the situation. Rigon and Lea had been getting close lately.
“She only asked if you wanted to go with her. She didn’t say we should all go together, did she?”
“Haha, got caught.”
Rigon chuckled awkwardly.
“She’s not a bad person either. It’ll be nice if you and Kaen also get along during this opportunity.”
“Well, I don’t really mind, but...”
Until just now, I was recalling the conversation I had with the Holy Sword yesterday.
Although I didn’t understand what they meant by “fate’s change” and all that, the Holy Sword had assured me that at least I didn’t need to doubt if I was going in the right direction.
What exactly did that mean?
Was it really okay to just keep going like this? Without worrying about the succession of the Holy Sword?
'That’s too complacent of a thought...'
Anyway, it would be better to go outside during vacation rather than being stuck in the academy. Besides, who knew if something would happen?
In that sense, Rigon’s suggestion to go to the Herwyn family was not a bad idea.
“Yeah, let’s go. Ask Kaen too.”
“I already asked her when we ran into each other on the way here, and she said yes and was excited.”
The next day at lunch, we packed our things and prepared to leave.
The destination was the city of Barontor, where the Herwyn family’s ancestral home was located. I heard it’s quite a long journey.
As we gathered at the main gate of the academy and headed out, there was already a carriage waiting.
“It’s been a while, Miss Lea. Have you been well?”
An elderly man in the attire of a butler greeted Lea. Besides him, there were only two or three knights visible.
I thought it was a rather frugal greeting for someone of Lea’s status, but the butler was certainly out of the ordinary.
I stared at the top of his head.
[Level 71]
A level that could be considered far from an ordinary servant.
I couldn’t understand why someone who could be the commander of a knight order or hold a similar position would be working as a butler, but I had no interest in other people’s household affairs.
The butler’s gaze shifted towards us, standing behind Lea.
“And who are these people...?”
“They are my friends. I invited them as guests during vacation. Is that alright?”
At those words, he widened his eyes in surprise and then quickly formed a bright smile, nodding his head.
“Of course, Miss. I will accommodate your friends without any inconvenience.”
“Don’t overdo it. Just load the luggage quickly.”
“Yes, heh heh heh. There’s plenty of room in the carriage. I’m so glad I brought this big one, hehehehe.”
Lea, with a slightly flushed face, got into the inner seat of the carriage first.
The butler respectfully bowed his head to us and said,
“I am Yuz, the butler of the Herwyn family. Thank you very much for being kind to our young lady.”
“Oh, yes.”
“Then please take good care of her on the long journey.”
We loaded the luggage and got into the carriage one by one.
The carriage, which departed immediately, quickly sped along the road after passing through the city gate.
“Ah, it’s so comfortable.”
Kaen exclaimed with excitement. Lea spoke up right away.
“Calm down and stay still.”
“Alright, but it’s really surprising.”
“What is?”
“You said you don’t need friends, that we don’t match your standards, and yet you invited us to your house and everything.”
Lea looked at Kaen with a bewildered and embarrassed expression.
Although it sounded rude, I knew she didn’t mean anything by it. It was just her personality.
“Don’t misunderstand. I wanted to invite Rigon, not you guys.”
“What’s the difference?”
“R-Rigon doesn’t lack compatibility with me. Unlike you!”
Rigon shook his head next to them.
Kaen sighed and leaned against the seat, making a disgruntled noise.
“Well, whatever. Your family is supposed to be a great family. I guess I’ll eat a lot of delicious food when I arrive.”
Leaving the muttering pair behind, I rested my chin on the windowsill.
A cool breeze blew and gently shook my bangs.
***
During the journey, surprisingly, Lea was the most talkative person after Kaen.
This was because Kaen would get bored and spit out random words, and Rhea was the one who would respond the most.
“But why a carriage? Wouldn’t it be much faster to tame other monsters and ride them?”
“Please stop saying things that make even me feel dumb.”
...Generally, it went like this.
Since Rigon and I were already accustomed to Kaen being like this, we didn’t really have much reaction to her questions.
“In Calderic, monster carriages aren’t uncommon. I’ve heard that taming them requires a lot of money and skill, though.”
“See? You heard, right? Rigon said so.”
After a while, Lea seemed tired of dealing with Kaen and listened with one ear and let it go with the other.
Lea seemed interested in how Rigon had lived in Calderic, but Kaen persistently intervened and disrupted their conversation. It was a somewhat awkward atmosphere.
The carriage, occasionally taking breaks, stopped and settled around sunset.
Yuz, the butler, quickly prepared the camp alone, lighting a bonfire and preparing dinner.
I watched the scene and thought to myself that this was indeed a high-quality workforce, but then I smiled.
After all, I had been traveling with Asher and had been pampered to no end.
“This is delicious! Besides salt, what else did you sprinkle on the meat?”
“Shall we call it my secret seasoning? Haha. It’s a secret.”
Yuz’s cooking was excellent. We ate warm soup and grilled meat while engaging in various conversations.
Since Yuz had a very affable personality, Kaen and Rigon quickly felt comfortable talking with him.
“Ah, really.”
Lea waved her hand as if annoyed by the bugs buzzing around due to the firelight.
Yuz looked at that and said to us, “But the three of you seem familiar with camping. Unlike our young lady.”
“Oh, well, I used to live in the mountains.”
Kaen replied.
I was used to camping because of all the travels I did, not to mention Rigon, whose life hadn’t been easy.
“And what about you, Rigon?”
Suddenly, Lea nudged Rigon and asked.
Considering that she had been asking since the carriage, she seemed quite curious about Rigon’s life in Calderic.
Rigon wanted to just brush it off, but he had no choice but to answer.
“I...spent a lot of time outdoors during training and such.”
“If it’s training, what kind of training?”
“Let’s call it knight training. Something like that.”
“What? Knight training? That sounds impressive.”
Kaen interjected, slurping at her meat.
“But what kind of knight? Are they part of the Seventh Lord’s knight order?”
“...Seventh Lord?”
Yuz had a bewildered expression. It was because Yuz didn’t know yet that Rigon was from Calderic.
Lea glanced at Rigon and quickly explained to Yuz.
“Don’t misunderstand, Yuz. Rigon is a good person, regardless of his origin.”
Yuz showed a slightly surprised expression upon hearing the explanation, but he didn’t display any hostility or discomfort.
“Oh, Miss, you’ve made quite an amazing friend, huh, hehe.”
Kaen said.
“Hey, Rigon. Since we’re on the topic, can’t you tell us a bit more?”
Rigon usually evaded talking about himself when asked. I knew the reason roughly, but Kaen and the others had no way of knowing.
“Well, I can’t refuse if you insist...”
Rigon chuckled and began his story.
Of course, he excluded the terrible stories from his time at the Fourth Lord’s territory.
Rigon vaguely mentioned how I managed to save his life, and he talked about life in my territory.
“The Seventh Lord of Calderic seems like a really good person. Ah, that’s what I gather from your words.”
Lea, who had been listening to Rigon’s story with an interested expression, also chimed in.
“It’s unexpected. When you hear ‘Calderic Lords,’ you’d think they’re people without blood or tears.”
“Such Lords exist. However, it’s different for the Seventh Lord. That person is truly remarkable.”
I ate my meal in silence, feeling wonderful and alone.
After finishing the meal, I gradually prepared for bed.
Although the carriage was spacious, it couldn’t comfortably accommodate four people lying down, so Yuz prepared the bedding outside.
As the sound of crackling firewood filled the air, I gazed at the night sky when Kaen suddenly approached me.
“Hey, Ran.”
I considered pretending to be asleep, but decided to respond.
“Why?”
“Didn’t you say something similar to this before, about what I would do if I have to sacrifice everything to save the world?”
...Was that the discussion from before? Why did that suddenly come up?
“Yeah, I did.”
“Listen. I know someone who probably possesses an extraordinary magic sword or something like that.”
“...And?”
“But that person wants to pass down the sword to me. To wield the sword, I have to protect others, even if it means sacrificing myself.”
I was momentarily taken aback and couldn’t find the words to respond.
What’s going on? Did the hero talk to her about the Holy Sword? No, she wouldn’t tell Kaen something like that without even telling me.
From the way Kaen was talking, it sounded like she’d said something like that, minus the fact that it was about the Holy Sword.
“It’s an intriguing sword.”
“Isn’t it? Thinking about it made me remember the question you asked. It’s a bit similar, right?”
“...”
“So I asked her what should I do, and she said that I have to find the answer to that myself. What do you think? What does that mean?”
I remained silent for a moment and then spoke.
“I think it means you have to figure out for yourself what your beliefs are that you’re acting on, because that’s not something someone else can tell you.”
“Hmm, beliefs... is that so?”
After that, Kaen didn’t initiate any further conversation.
I thought she might be lost in thought, and soon her even breathing filled the air. She fell asleep.
***
The journey continued uneventfully. No bandits or monsters were encountered.
However, while traveling along a forest path, a group of monsters suddenly emerged, but the knights quickly stepped forward and dealt with them in an instant.
“No need to worry. This forest is known to have quite a few monsters, but they’ll soon retreat back to their lairs.”
Yuz reassured us, probably sensing our unease, but nobody seemed bothered by encountering a few monsters here.
Since the monsters’ corpses were blocking the path, we temporarily got off the carriage and took a rest.
Kaen seemed bored and instead watched with excitement as the knights cleared the corpses.
“If more monsters appear, leave it to me. Hunting monsters in the mountains used to be part of my daily routine, too.”
“Heh, is that so? Nevertheless, I can’t burden our guest, so I’ll leave it to the knights...”
Yuz, who laughed warmly, suddenly turned his head sharply.
Lea looked at him with a curious gaze.
“What’s wrong?”
“...”
Yuz’s expression gradually hardened.
I knew the reason. I’d been aware of it for a while.
'What the hell are these guys?'
They didn’t seem like a simple group of thieves.
Yuz pulled out a sword from inside the carriage and spoke.
“Everyone, please get inside the carriage.”
“What’s going on? What’s happening?”
“It’s nothing serious, miss. The knights and I will handle it soon.”
As Yuz pushed us, we entered the carriage for the time being.
He and the three knights surrounded the carriage, and for a moment, a strange stillness fell over the forest.
Rustle, rustle.
As the sensation of their presence grew closer, they revealed themselves from the bushes.
A group of sinister figures dressed in black robes encircled the carriage.
