chapter 12
12 – Hero Party (2)
Erin and her group, leaving Allen and the Nameless behind, entered the village hall and soon encountered a person of high status who had come from the palace. The person who personally descended to this shabby village was none other than General Salicius, one of the key figures in the military government.
In addition to the Emperor, who held absolute power over the military government, the Vice-General, and the Grand General who practically commanded the military government, General Salicius was a giant figure who could be considered the fourth in rank within the military government hierarchy. He looked slightly imposing as he met the four individuals.
“Please have a seat, everyone.”
It wouldn’t be easy for them to act composed in front of a dinner that looked delicious without exception, yet he exuded an enormous presence. Looking at such a General Salicius, Erin laughed and said, “hehehe, look at you,” with a smile.
“Uncle♡ Why are you creating such an atmosphere~? It doesn’t suit you at all~♡”
“…Erin, as a warrior, isn’t it natural for me to create a serious atmosphere when discussing serious matters?”
“Oh, really? But it doesn’t suit you, Uncle.”
“As the Chief General of the military, are you saying that a serious atmosphere doesn’t suit me?”
“Well, whenever I see you, I can only think of your face laughing like a cute kitten. What should I do about that~♡”
“S-Silence!!! You came into the office without permission and saw something…!”
Sallishius shouted loudly, then released a sigh, finally relaxing his expression. Erwin, who was laughing softly at Sallishius, asked.
“So, what was the reason behind you trying to adopt such an unfitting demeanor, Uncle?”
“…Firstly, let’s talk about what we saw. Everyone must be hungry, so it’s fine to discuss it while eating.”
“Hmm, I see. Let’s eat, then~”
“Oh, thank you! By the way, is there any alcohol?”
“…Tell that to the servant over there.”
When it comes to the left chieftain, he is a figure in a position where even a hero party cannot be arrogant, and it was even more impossible to allow alcohol to report to such a person.
Still, the reason why the left chieftain overlooked and allowed this situation. It was because these girls in front of him were like the hope of the Deurn Empire.
The warriors chosen by the Saint Mugo, sent by the star to eliminate the error of the world, are special beings determined by unknown conditions regardless of origin, status, or even personality.
Their Mugo alone was known to be able to cut off the breath of the Demon King, and could actually exert a power that was hard to understand with human common sense.
A warrior who skillfully uses such power is directly linked to the military power of the country. Even if they are not soldiers of the country, they are still citizens of that country.
So a country with a large number of warriors, and the presence of outstanding warriors, can exert powerful influence in the world. Conversely, a country without warriors can only see its influence decline.
The Deurn Empire, which was originally a powerful nation, had not produced a warrior for a long time, and the party that appeared during that time was Erin’s party.
Especially as the warrior himself brought the party members, they were composed of extremely talented people, so a special order was issued from the emperor from the beginning. In fact, because it was a party gathered by Warrior Erin, it could be dispersed at any time according to her ability.
So even if Cer-Aria drank and reported, Salicius, the commander-chief, accepted everything even when Erin spoke arrogantly.
“…This is the end!”
“After the Lizard Road Subjugation, the Golem of the Magic Corps Knights appeared.”
“Even if it was made by the Magic Corps Commander, it was still just a golem. Of course, he attacked powerfully, but he seemed weak against slow and sudden changes in situations.”
Upon hearing Leticia’s opinion, Salicius said.
“The Golem of the Magic Corps Knights seems to have exceeded its own limits. Fortunately, that’s good information. However…”
Salicius mentioned something he was really curious about.
“Why did the Magic Corps Commander leave his golem in such a dungeon? The role of the golem is generally to protect something.”
Sallitius asked.
“Was there something in the dungeon?”
“Uh…”
Erin thought for a moment if there was something, but there was nothing different from Sallitius’s report and what she knew. So she smiled slightly and shook her head.
“Nothing special~? Oh, there were no cats~♡”
“…That’s not what I’m asking about. It’s strange that there was nothing. Why did you leave the golem in the dungeon then?”
“We don’t know~ Do you want to find out, sir?”
Erin said, swallowing a piece of well-cooked pork.
“… If you don’t know, then it’s fine. But tell me the story instead.”
“What’s the matter?”
“You guys, head to the Estelle Kingdom tomorrow.”
“Huh?”
Erin grinned and chuckled while Letitia showed a puzzled reaction.
“The Estelle Kingdom? Why should we suddenly go there?”
“hehehehe, did you have some trouble with a knight from the Estelle Kingdom?”
Erin giggled mischievously as she spoke.
“That ‘reproductive organ’ knight~♡”
“It’s not the reproductive organ (성기), it’s the holy flag (성기)’s knight! It would be a big problem if you make such insulting remarks to another country’s knight!”
The prefix attached to a knight represents the form of martial arts they have mastered. In Erin’s case, since she was chosen by the sacred sword, she was considered a knight of the sacred sword (성검).
Therefore, the warrior of the holy flag, and this warrior’s military banner was a flag. It was also a pretty huge standard that the Estelle Kingdom warrior possessed.
“Anyway, it’s still a holy flag ♡”
“…Please don’t say that in front of the owner. If you tarnish the honor of a foreign warrior, it can turn into an international diplomatic problem.”
“So what’s the problem then~?”
Salicius sighed lightly as he spoke.
“There is no problem with that warrior, but a monster wave occurred there.”
“…Hmm.”
Erin reacted a little sulky, but Leticia and Frey accepted it somewhat seriously.
“A monster wave, which means the Demon King Army appeared directly?”
“The place where the kernel occurred?”
The kernel was a massive gateway device of the Demon King’s army that could instantly transport a large number of demons. It was named after the word ‘channel’, as it poured out demons in abundance, much like water pouring out.
Salyssius responded to Frey’s question.
“It is northeastern Estiere Kingdom.”
“What? There…”
“Yeah, it’s the location of Estiere Kingdom’s largest wheat production site. Thanks to that, we can’t leave it as it is now. Even though it might be fine for the moment, if a few months pass, the people of the kingdom will suffer from a shortage of food and starve to death.”
“I see…”
Frey looked at her fish grill with a sympathetic expression. Salyssius spoke again.
“That’s why you all have to go to Estiere Kingdom and help.”
“Oh, that’s a big task. But, won’t assistance come from other countries too?”
At Erin’s question, Salicius closed his mouth.
“Heehee♡ Looks like he’s not coming after all~? I knew it~.”
“As you know, other countries see Estelle Kingdom weakening as a good position with this matter.”
“On the other hand, we import a lot of wheat from Estelle Kingdom, and we are also a great customer exporting many commercial goods, right~?”
Erin grabbed a piece of meat and swallowed it. Salicius swallowed his anger while watching her, like a cheeky kid but always sharp at pointing out hidden facts.
“We must definitely provide customer support~♡”
“Don’t think too badly. Protecting that place is like saving many citizens of Estelle Kingdom, and potentially thinking about it, it could also become a way to save citizens of the Empire.”
“Heehee, why are you worrying so much, old man~? I didn’t say I wouldn’t do it♡”
Erin said.
“Just calculating the profits and losses of old people who will soon die, as usual~♡”
“…Then please.”
Sallisius said that, taking out a purse filled with money.
“This is the funding Your Majesty provided for this support.”
“Hmm, surprisingly hefty, isn’t it?”
Erin handed the purse to Ser-Aria. In response, Ser-Aria lightly opened it, glanced inside, and said:
“What’s this? Is this all you’re giving?”
“How much is it?”
“The regular support fund arrived not long ago, right? Considering that, we determined the optimal amount…”
“50 silver and 80 cooper.”
Sery-Aria’s quick response made Salicius close his mouth for the second time. The bulging wallet held no paper currency at all, and was instead filled with silver and copper coins. Erin chuckled upon hearing the amount.
“It’s the perfect amount, isn’t it? If six of us get a suitable room and eat three meals a day, it should cost around 7 or 8 silver per person…”
“Huh, nothing leftover? It could even be insufficient depending on the situation. We might not even be able to ride a carriage♡”
“That’s not how it works.”
“Would it be better to just brush off the likes of warriors without any proper rewards?”
“If we succeed in subjugation, we will of course receive a reward! Not just from our empire, but also from the Estelle Kingdom!”
Erin glanced at Salicius and her usual mischievous smile disappeared, replaced by a slightly bitter smile as she asked, “Is that woman restraining me again?”
“Understand.”
Erin got up from her seat, giving a slight nod to Cer-Aria as if telling her to pocket the money. She had eaten enough and had no desire to listen further, indicating her unwillingness to hear more.
In response to Erin’s movement, Cer-Aria, Leticia, and even Frey stood up from their seats.
“What a messed up country~♡ I wonder why they made that bastard their military leader~?”
Salicius couldn’t say anything in response to Erin’s sarcasm. As Erin left the room, the other party members also headed outside. Just as Frey, who was the last to leave, bowed his head slightly to Salicius and departed, Salicius let out a deep sigh.
“…I have nothing to say.”
“Erin.”
As Ser-Aria was leaving the village community center, she quietly called out to Erin.
“Can we talk for a moment?”
“Hmm?”
“I’ll go to the restroom quickly. Can you give me some time?”
“…Okay.”
Erin glanced at Frey and Leticia.
“I’ll go to the restroom with Aria~ She says she’s about to burst♡”
“Sure.”
“We’ll be waiting.”
Erin, responding to Ser-Aria’s call, headed to the bathroom with her.
“Leticia and Frey are waiting, so let’s keep it short.”
“It’s not a long story.”
“So what is it?”
“…It’s about Allen.”
“Huh?”
Erin thought it was unexpected. For Allen’s story to suddenly come out of Ser-Aria’s mouth, and for there to be something worthy of Allen being mentioned in a story told in secret, was surprising.
Erin nodded with interest.
“Why would he leave the party?”
“……What?”
Erin was a little bewildered as she spoke.
“Why do you think that way?”
“Well, the Commander asked earlier, right? He asked if Galliard was guarding something…”
“Is that so~?”
“That’s true. Allen had found it.”
“…Huh?”
Erin nodded her head as if telling her to continue the story. Ser-Aria recalled the bead that Allen had possessed at that time and said,
“When you guys were cutting off Lizard Road’s airway, Allen went somewhere so I followed him. But it was strange because Allen, who usually didn’t care about such things, was secretly carrying it.”
Ser-Aria said.
“Allen asked me to keep it a secret. I was going to turn a blind eye because everyone has their personal reasons… But what the General mentioned earlier seems to be about that item.”
Ser-Aria wasn’t talking to Erin because of the promise with Allen. But something even more important than that promise was that she needed to know information about the Demon Army, at least as much as a warrior should.
“Erin, I think you should know this. A warrior shouldn’t be unaware of any information related to the Demon Army.”
“I see…”
Erin looked at Ser-Aria with her usual curious eyes.
“So, can you explain what that has to do with Allen leaving the party?”
“The Commander of the Mage Corps tried to protect it by deploying a Golem. It must have been a highly useful item. Something with great efficacy, right? Why would Allen suddenly want to secretly investigate something like that?”
Ser-Aria cautiously put forward her speculation.
“I guess you want to cultivate the ability to be independent and leave the party, right? Honestly, I didn’t have any other assumptions about it.”
“…It doesn’t seem like a story with very little possibility.”
“Yeah, I wish you, as the party leader, knew.”
“Yeah, I understand what you’re talking about.”
Erin thought she should talk to Allen separately at first. But then Sera-Aria said,
“Is it possible…that I want to leave because I drank too much alcohol?”
“….”
Erin was usually lenient towards the party members, but she couldn’t deny that statement. To Erin’s eyes, Sera-Aria’s drinking was excessive.
“As expected… Argh, but I can’t do without alcohol!”
“Yeah, I’m okay, Aria.”
“Indeed, Erin is on my side! But if she leaves because she hates Allen….”
“Well, for now….”
Erin spoke, thinking of Allen.
“I’ll give it a try~.”
“Why bother?”
“I’ll think about it from now on~♡”
Erin said that and quickly turned around, moving away from the bathroom. Ser-Aria followed her with a slightly bewildered face.
“Are you done?”
“It took a little longer.”
“Aria
Erin came out of the town hall laughing. As soon as she left the hall, she saw Alan and Moomy waiting.
“Really?”
When Erin saw Alan, she felt intrigued. By listening to the story of Serra-Aria and watching carefully, she felt that something had changed. Although she didn’t know how to handle or wield it clearly… it was clearly magic.
At this point, Serra-Aria’s speculation gains strength. Erin, who is Alan’s childhood friend, knows him better. Alan was never interested in such things.
He never liked to fight in the first place, and that’s why he was a man with a somewhat foolish and innocent side.
On the day Erin was selected as a warrior…
“…I should look into it.”
So, she sent all of her party members back to their lodging. She wanted to speak with Allen separately.
Allen, who Erin knew, was someone who eventually told the truth if she talked to him slowly. As soon as the two were alone, Erin began telling him what she had seen.
“Mediocre, you~♡”
“…Why?”
“Where did that magic come from~?”
“……?”
He was bewildered. Erin saw Allen’s expression becoming perplexed. Though he tried to hide his expression, she had lived and watched him for many years…She could tell even the slightest change.
” You have to answer straight ~♡”
“…Wait, what do you mean by magical power?”
“It feels certain to me. Other kids might not know, but at least I do~?”
Erin smiled and said.
“I hate men who lie ~♡”
Allen was now sweating and looking for excuses. Seeing his reaction, Erin was slightly surprised and spoke.
“Really…?”
If it was just something he accidentally picked up or simply a desire to become stronger, there was no reason for Erin to hide it so much. It should have been an insignificant matter that ended with some scolding or teasing.
But he hesitates. He becomes nervous as if he were someone who should never have been caught. Why?”
“Ah, really? Why would I go out?”
However, it seemed like Allen didn’t notice Erin’s expression, and instead shook his head vigorously, denying it even more urgently.
“No way, I never had any intention of really going out??”
Erin’s pupils widened slightly. In response, Allen started speaking almost in a hurried rant.
“What would I do if I left here? Go back to the countryside and live by tilling fields? Even if it might be okay for a while, that kind of life gets boring and can’t be sustained for long. Even though I might not know how to fight and might be a useless baggage handler, it’s more fulfilling for me to assist and support you in your battles…”
After talking for a while, Allen looked at Erin with a slightly apprehensive gaze and asked,
“…Are you trying to drive me away?”
“…Puh-hoo♡”
Erin burst into a light laughter. She felt relieved. At least it didn’t seem like Allen was leaving the party.
Regaining her despairing smile, Erin casually baited Allen and gave him a reassuring answer.
“Don’t drive him away. Who knows if he’ll wither and die somewhere else? Allen is pathetic, after all♡”
“Um…”
Erin chuckled softly.
“Let’s go fill up on supplies, you loser♡”