Raid released the soldier’s collar and quietly rose to his feet. “I’m done with you. Go on, flee with the others. I’m not gonna kill you.” He watched the pale-faced soldier nod and stagger away on shaky legs, then shifted his gaze to the man beside him. “Status report,” he demanded curtly.
“As planned, our squadrons moved out from their designated positions and successfully subdued the soldiers,” Ryatt reported. “After the soldiers surrendered, they were evacuated along with the citizens and are currently under surveillance. The scouting unit we sent in ahead has also subdued and confined the soldiers in the palace.”
“Good. So, how’s our second mana-guzzling gal holding up?” Raid turned around and found his answer right away.
“Woo-hoo! Chug, chug, chug! Come on, keep up the pace!” Tiana cheered while clapping her hands in beat.
“L-Lady Tiana, wait... I can’t... I can’t drink any more...!” Alma groaned as she downed bottle after bottle of mana recovery drink.
Tiana watched the sight with a pleasant giggle. “I’m so moved... You truly are my descendant!”
“Urp... I-I’m gonna hurl...”
“Aw, don’t be such a killjoy—these drinks are all on me! You’re not going to waste them, are you?”
“Why’s this princess talking like some pushy barhopper?!”
“Huh? Lady Eluria always encouraged me this way.”
“Oh... I just imagined her clapping and chanting ‘chug, chug, chug’ with her impassive face...”
“Wonderful! Doesn’t that make you just want to chug, chug, and chug some more?” Tiana plopped another row of bottles in front of Alma. She’d probably gone through this exact same thing herself while honing her magic.
Normally, Raid wouldn’t have had Alma summon so many soldiers, but their operation called for speed above all—in disengaging the capital’s defense mechanisms and alarms, as well as in subduing and disarming the soldiers there. Vitally, they needed to avoid causing any deaths in the process, as it would give room for backlash and retaliation later on down the line—another obstacle they didn’t need along the path to saving this world.
Eluria’s solo mission to the outpost was a vital prerequisite for this plan to work. With all the insider information from the Hero now at their disposal, Hope’s Brigade—an army of well-trained and highly experienced soldiers—could take care of the rest. Moreover, once faced with such a sudden and large-scale invasion, even the Altanian soldiers, equipped with advanced arms and technology, were swiftly thrown into chaos. Not to mention that the mysterious invaders appeared to be unkillable, leading to an instant drop in their morale.
The only downside to this plan was that Alma was burdened with maintaining this large number of forces, effectively transforming her into their second-generation mana-guzzling gal...but alas, desperate times called for desperate measures.
“Tiana,” Raid called. “You can stop right there.”
“Oh my, are you sure? From the number of troops and the mana cost...” Tiana hummed. “I would say she can only maintain this spell for twenty more minutes.”
“Why? You think I need more time?”
“Oh, not at all. Not for the Hero of Altane that I know.”
“And there you have it. I’m just here to wrap up some of my unfinished business.” Lips curling into a bitter smile, Raid turned his attention to the giant rampaging and guffawing up ahead. “Hey, Blofeld—need to let out some more steam? Then punch me with all you’ve got.”
“What?! You mean I can hit ya like I’m tryna kill ya?!”
“Sure. Not like you’ve ever managed to, anyway.”
“Bah ha ha ha! It’s ’cause you’re so strong for such a puny man!” Blofeld burst into laughter as he swung his club with all his might.
The force of the impact launched Raid high into the air, where he got a bird’s-eye view of the entire capital. It was no carbon copy of the capital he remembered, of course, but the buildings and architecture were thoroughly familiar.
But instead of nostalgia, he was assaulted by a bitter sense of revulsion.
This eastern continent had originally been home to the nation-state of Legnare, yet not a speck of the country’s unique culture and customs could be seen in this city. After fleeing from the central continent, Altane had rooted out an entire country from its home and taken this land for themselves. Not a single sign of coexistence, not a shred of respect for their culture—all that remained was crazed obsession and the desperation to cling to past glory.
It wasn’t difficult to imagine how such a wretched outcome had come to be—by the hands of none other than the imperial family and their unending obsession with Altane. Long ago, Raid had borne the brunt of their foolishness time and time again, and that was why he found himself sympathizing with the Demon Lord sometimes.
Humans didn’t change that easily. Time may pass, but the mistakes of today will be repeated someday in the future. So long as the fools at the top refused to listen to reason, desperately clinging to things that didn’t matter, nothing was bound to change.
So it was time to take matters into his own hands.
“If my homeland has strayed from its path...then I need to be the one to set it straight,” Raid muttered solemnly to himself.
At the end of his narrowed gaze was the imperial castle—and once he’d gotten close enough, he whipped out a kick at the sturdy walls, smashing it to pieces. Amid the crumbling rubble, Raid landed quietly inside a large room, standing imposingly as if he’d always been there.
“I never thought I’d see you again...Viteos Altane.”
Before him, thrown to the ground from the blast, was an elderly man. His trembling limbs pinned him in place, his eyes wide and bloodshot—but the emotion raging behind them was far too complex to simply name as either fear or anger. “Raid Freeden...!”
“Yeah, that’s me,” he muttered as he took a quiet step forward. “The Hero of your nation, Your Imperial Majesty.”
Suddenly, a large-bodied man burst from the rubble and charged at Raid. “How dare you oppose our great empire, wicked fiend! Raaaaah!”