Death March — Fixed

“Tek here, things come in seasons: be it a time for planting, or a time for growing, even love--but here--Demon Lords have their own season!”

“Demon Lord you say, the kind that wants to rule the world?”

“Well, sort of--the kind who wants to destroy the world.” Arisa grins.

“Where does it come from?”

“I don’t know, maybe hell?”

Hell, huh.

“Don’t look at me with those eyes--From what was written in a book I read, it seems that they’re invaders from a foreign world.”

“Is a ‘foreign world’ different from ‘another world’?”

“I, don’t know--I’m not a scholar.”

“Is that 66 years cycle thing true?”

“Yep, though there are records where the Demon Lord appears a bit sooner, or a bit later; but in general, they seem to appear 66 years after their last defeat.”

“So, has it almost been 66 years now?”

“It was 62 years since the last Demon Lord, but it seems that is has been stealthily gaining power while hiding. Since the Demon Lord before the last was 132 years ago, it wouldn’t be strange if the current Demon Lord appears any day now.” Arisa frowns, a look of worry crossing her face.

“I see, is there any sign for its coming?”

“If the world is in crisis, the god will tell the oracle.”

As expected of fantasy.

“However, if we wait for the oracle, then there wouldn’t be enough time to raise the hero--so around three to five years before the 66 year cycle, they summon a hero.”

With that much forewarning, it’s no wonder that countries have a lot of time in their hands to prepare.

“Do we know the location where the Demon Lord will spawn?”

“It seems that they mostly appear in labyrinths, or the outskirts of one.”

Labyrinth again--

“According to the book I read, it may be because it’s easy for the Demon Lord to raise armies there since there are Earth Veins deep inside labyrinths.”

“Couldn’t it just attack head-on without raising armies?”

“Who knows? Maybe the cost to cross between worlds is great. This is based on circumstantial evidence--but it seems that only high-level Demons and the Demon Lord are able to cross worlds.”

So, the weak can’t cross between worlds?

Or rather, if they can appear in the vicinity of any labyrinths, then.

“Then--Seryuu City is in danger too?”

“Absolutely not.” Arisa replies with a serious look.

“You’re very sure.”

“Because, this place is close to the Dragon Valley, right? If they appear in a place like this, they will be exterminated by hordes of Dragons--there is a legend that says there’s a Dragon God there.”

Oh dear--

“Are Dragons and the Demon Lord on bad terms with each other?”

“They’re natural enemies. Normal Dragons wouldn’t be a match for the Demon Lord; but if it’s a Heavenly Dragon, which can wield powers of the Divine Attribute, the Dragon is much stronger.”

Dragons seem to be amazing.

“If the Dragons are that strong, why would the Humans even bother summoning a hero from another world?”

“That’s because the battle between Dragons and the Demon Lord is too incredible--from songs sung by a minstrel, about a hero from long ago, there’s a story where the hero is defeated by the Demon Lord. After that, the Demon Lord destroyed several small countries before meeting a Dragon--While the Demon Lord was defeated in the end, the battle resulted in two great countries sunk into a sea of flames. Even the large empire that proceeded the Saga Empire perished because because it got mixed up in that fight.”

I see, it’s like eliminating a robber with a ballistic missile, huh?

According to Arisa, there was once a labyrinth which a Dragon was waiting at. However, from the Human’s viewpoint, both the Dragon and Demon Lord were threats, so they made the hero of that time fight it. It’s not known which one won, but it’s known that Dragons no longer camp at labyrinths.

***

The Demon which appeared in Seryuu City might have come to check on the situation of the Dragons.

“So, if the Dragons of Dragon Valley are all dead--will this city become a target of the Demon Lord?”

When I asked this, Arisa looked at me with a shocked expression for a second before nodding as though she was accepting something. Then she spoke, “Even if the Dragons weren’t nearby, wouldn’t it be at least two cycles before this city becomes a target?”

“Why?”

“The labyrinth is still growing. It gives birth to Monsters and devours the life of the Adventurers who come exploring, so as to make the Dungeon Core grow. As the labyrinth grows deeper, the Monsters also become stronger.”

“I see--a young labyrinth isn’t good enough for the Demon Lord.”

Hmm?

Wait--

“Hey, by any chance--are the labyrinths tools for helping the Demon Lord’s raid?”

“Well, yes, there are some people who think that.”

“Then, isn’t it better to destroy the labyrinths?”

If we destroy the labyrinths, the spawn points, then the Demon Lord will have access to fewer forces, and the hero’s job will get way easier, isn’t that so?

“That may be so, but there are six labyrinths in this continent, beside the one here. Suppose the probability of the Demon Lord appearing in each labyrinth is equal, in four hundred years it was recognized as a calamity whether or not it appeared in any specific labyrinth--furthermore, since labyrinths produce usable materials like Magic Cores, so people treat them like mines.”

“I see, so if we destroy them, people will hold grudges, huh?”

“Yes--Kubooku Kingdom was the leader of the small countries in the neighbourhood during the time when its labyrinth was alive, but when they destroyed the Dungeon Core, they rapidly declined.” Arisa paused, pain obvious in her expression, “Even then, the destroyed Dungeon Core can be revived.”

The saying that ‘Human Greed knows no bounds’ is really true.

***

“You sure know a lot, Arisa.”

“Now you’re saying that, after thoroughly questioning me?” Arisa sounds both amused and amazed, “There were a lot of documents pertaining to the labyrinth in the Royal Library. A lot of my explanations contain a fair amount of deduction and hypotheses, so be careful, okay. I also got a lot of the things about the Demon Lord and hero from books, documents, minstrel’s songs, and traveling storyteller’s tales--that’s why fiction and non-fiction may be mixed together. I did carefully examine it all though.”

It seems that those kinds of tales and songs were popular entertainment.

“As for the details about skills and levels, they’re from my own experiences and observations.”

“Is that all you want to know?”, she cutely tilts her head with a small finger on her full lips.

I pause and look at her, studying her.

She straightens, noticing my seriousness.

“I didn’t only kill the Lizardmen--There were Dragons too--” I began, and told her everything other than the fact I killed the Dragon God. I told her of the Demon here and how I killed it, and how I had gone back in to kill it again.

“I, I’m not sure what to say--other than thank you, for trusting me.” Arisa spoke with a tone of awe, and of joy.

“You’re welcome, now don’t betray that trust,” I may have smiled when I said that--but I was hoping I could trust her.

“I would never do that.”

“Alright, well--that’s everything,”

She seemed a little disappointed at my words, but she got up and put the blanket back on the bed, exposing herself once more, for a few seconds before she bent over and grabbed her shirt; quickly putting it back on.

When I left the room, she followed after me.

***

Since there are still two hours before sunset, I ask Arisa and the girls to buy the necessities for our journey.

“Well, I’m counting on you to shop for rock salt and preserved foods--also but two barrels for water.”

“Yes.” Liza replied as succinctly as usual.

“Shopping?”, “Supply!”, Tama and Pochi gave their lively replies.

“How many days of supplies should we buy?”

“Buy enough for ten days, considering the season right now, normal food should be fine for the first three days. The preserved shouldn’t expire for twenty four or so days--it seems that we will need quite a lot.”

“I’ll ask Martha if there is any wholesale shops around. Also, since we probably won’t be able to carry it, so I’ll ask for delivery.” Arisa said, she seems to be quite reliable for shopping as well.

“Yeah, please do.”

I would want to accompany them, but I decided to go back to the room because there’s something I want to confirm.

***

Dragons are the natural enemies of the Demon Lord, and so the Demons wish to eliminate the Dragons--so, who summoned me to this world?

For what reason was I summoned to this world?

Why are my powers so different from those of normal heroes?

“The one who summoned me might be a powerful Demon, or the Demon Lord--” These words weren’t a question, but a suspicion that began to eat at my mind.

Could I have been summoned to destroy Humanity?