Chapter Seven Garnahazza 2 “So you’re Leonard.” Berzera’s voice was low, though it still boomed across their surroundings. “Got it in one. I take it you’re Berzera?” “Indeed. I have heard of your circumstances. I, Berzera, will guarantee the four of you will live. In return, you will kill Ares the Hero. Your methods are up to your discretion.” Berzera spoke crisply, vocalizing no more than what was necessary. “That’s nice of you, guaranteeing our lives directly. By the way, are those three your only guards? Aren’t you being a bit lax?” “This will suffice. You might have refused to show yourself if I had brought too many guards. The best-case scenario is that you betray humanity. The next best case is that you scheme against us and we kill you. Both are positive outcomes. So which will it be?” A light bead of sweat ran down Leonard’s face. “What? You thought we’d break our promise?” “It is the human way to play at sophistry. You are an incorrigible fool. However, you are strong enough to have defeated multiple demons. There is meaning in killing you. Whether you betray humanity or renege your promise is fine with me.” “Aww, geez. You demons are much too thorough. I was hoping to give you a bit of a surprise.” Leonard drew his sword. Evsei readied his spear. Sophia and Nina began chanting spells. “So you choose to fight, human. You are aware you have no chance of victory, yes?” Berzera drew his sword, too. A malevolent black aura exuded from the blade. The demons waiting behind him sprang forward. Evsei squared off against the blue demon. One could call it a spear duel…but compared with his opponent’s gigantic weapon, Evsei was practically wielding a piece of straw. Evsei’s plan was not to win, however, but to draw the blue demon’s attention. In truth, he wanted to fight Berzera himself. But he’d ceded that role when he lost in a one-on-one fight to Leonard. At that moment, he fully intended to make sacrifices if it meant defeating Berzera. Luring his opponents away had been a mainstay tactic in many of his previous battles. The fact that he was only up against one demon actually made this easier. The idea was to use his attacks to divert the blue demon’s attention to him. When their spears clashed, the sheer size difference between their weapons left Evsei’s arms numb. Then Evsei would jump back, goading the enemy to come closer, before he came in from a crouching stance and thrust his spear swiftly at his opponent’s neck. The demon jerked aside to avoid the attack, but Evsei had anticipated that, using the opportunity to launch another flurry of thrusts. This time, however, the demon deliberately took a stab to the shoulder and then swung his spear like a pole, sending Evsei flying into the remains of a wall. Evsei promptly got to his feet again and leaped backward. The demon drove his spear into the spot where Evsei had fallen just a moment prior. Blood spouted from the demon’s shoulder, but he paid it no heed as he swung his spear around. “Why don’t you take better care of yourself?” said Evsei as he coughed up blood. “This hardly qualifies as a wound.” The demon thrust his spear with pure brute force. Evsei dodged the blow by jumping to the side, but when the demon launched yet another thrust, he only just barely managed to avoid the sharp end by using his own spear to block it. This is rough. Evsei was the superior spearman purely in terms of skill, but the fundamental power gap between them was too vast to overcome. Yet if Evsei tried to back away, the demon might return to Berzera’s side, and if he tried to block, the demon might hit him with a breath or magic attack. His opponent had too many options. Which meant Evsei had no choice but to go on the offensive to some extent. But hey, this is easier compared with back then. Despite his overwhelming disadvantage, Evsei cracked a smile. He had been in a far worse place fifteen years ago, when he hadn’t been able to so much as scratch Berzera. Evsei swung his spear. The demon easily deflected the strike with his monstrous strength, but Evsei kept pressing on the assault anyway. He forced his spear through, trying to create whatever slight openings he could, and used the full extent of his concentration to avoid the demon’s spear. The demon wouldn’t take a fatal wound from Evsei’s spear, but one proper hit from the demon’s would snuff out Evsei’s life. Evsei’s precarious dance with death could not last forever. Although he successfully lured the blue demon away from Berzera, the end came swiftly and anticlimactically. The demon’s spear sank into Evsei’s thigh. Even a shallow scratch from a giant spear penetrated deep. Evsei’s knees buckled. This is it, huh? Evsei figured he had done his job well enough. He’d bought enough time for Leonard. If the swordsman failed to bring Berzera down here, that was all on him. Evsei chuckled to himself as he broke out into a cold sweat. The demon drew near, his spear swinging like a whirlwind. Evsei’s feet refused to stand, nor could he lift his arms. I fought to the end. About damn time. Strangely enough, Evsei had never felt better. But then… All of a sudden, the demon’s spearhead disappeared, leaving him to strike nothing but air. “What?!” It was the blue demon who shouted in surprise. “Your spearmanship is sorely lacking.” In an abrupt turn of events, a knight now stood near Evsei. He looked to be about twenty years old, and he had short blond hair and a sturdy physique. Clasped in both his hands was a broadsword brimming with magical light. There was a harsh clang, which told Evsei that the tip of the demon’s spear had landed somewhere in the distance. Judging by the context, the knight must have sent it flying. But neither Evsei nor the demon comprehended that in the moment. “Who are you?” The blue demon backed away. “Leon. Sword Saint. Now draw your blade. You won’t win bare-handed.” The man named Leon urged the demon to draw the sword at his hip. It was hard to say whether it was because Leon felt assured in his victory or because his sense of chivalry was deeply ingrained in him. Clenching the pole that had once been his spear in his left hand, the demon drew his sword with his right hand. “Are you ready?” said Leon. “Then let’s not waste any more time, shall we?” Before Leon moved a muscle, the demon flung his tipless spear—only for his left hand to fly off at his wrist. Leon had darted forward and severed the demon’s arm within the blink of an eye. Leon did not possess superhuman speed. He did, however, move with extreme precision—right down to his legs, arms, and even the tips of his fingers. He kept his center of gravity perfectly, and there wasn’t a single wasted movement in his sword swing. Everything about his technique was the result of obsessive refinement. The demon roared his bloodlust, drowning out his pain, and cleaved with the sword in his right hand. Leon anticipated exactly where the sword would fall and countered with a slash that extended all the way from the left side of the demon’s stomach to his back. Then, as the pain drove the demon to his knee, Leon sliced off his opponent’s head in one smooth, flowing movement. The demon likely perished without even knowing what had happened. “…How did you get so good? What drove you to that technique?” Evsei muttered, panting. “I kept drilling the basics, that’s all,” Leon answered nonchalantly. “A friend taught me the importance of that.” The basics? Come to think of it, Leon had not used any special techniques—besides honing his movements to the absolute ideal. But no human being could have possibly reached that pinnacle. “Just who are you? Are you even human?” Evsei asked. “Yeah, I’m human, but I’m the Sword Saint first.” There was a dauntless smile on Leon’s face. Sophia blasted her magic at the red demon’s eyes. She cast a wind spell, prioritizing a quick incantation over raw might. The demon used one of his hands to deflect the blade of wind. The spell was weak enough for a demon to ignore, but since it was clearly aimed for his eyes, he was compelled to avoid it. Sophia continued shooting off spells with immaculate precision. They were all on the weaker end, but the demon had to deal with everything aimed for his weak spots. He swung his ax around, swatting the spells as if they were flies, but he never quite managed to close the distance between himself and Sophia. For a mage, she was good on her feet—and she continuously chanted spells while on the move without getting out of breath. This was something she had trained to do after joining Leonard’s party. “Your magic’s not gonna get any better at your age. But your body still has a lot of untapped potential since you’ve never worked out. If you can cast spells while running, you’ll have more options in battle,” Leonard had told her, so she’d gone ahead and worked on her stamina. Rei had done the same training, he’d said. Every single day, Sophia applied herself to running and chanting spells when she was out of breath. Although she’d struggled with it at first, half a year later, she was able to cast spells on the move. This had come in handy when she’d run away from the hobgoblins at Arkand. “Now work on the accuracy of your spells. Your mana might be fixed at birth, but accuracy is all about the effort you put in. Even a weak spell is effective if it hits the right spot. That’ll help when you’re up against a demon.” According to Leonard, Rei had also trained to use her magic this way. At any rate, Leonard had spared nothing when it came to teaching Sophia how to fight demons. He was serious about taking down Berzera with just their party of four. They had planned for all kinds of situations: if Berzera had a lot of guards, if he had handpicked elites with him, or if they were lucky and he was alone. The fact that he had only three bodyguards was one of the better scenarios. But that certainly didn’t mean this was easy. Under ordinary circumstances, a mage would never even think of fighting a demon one-on-one. It was thanks to her improved stamina and accuracy that she was managing to get by. …Except she wasn’t. She had no prospects of actually winning. Her weak spells were doing barely any damage to the demon. Leonard’s strategy was for his three party members to lure Berzera’s guards away while he took down Berzera himself. Then, if he succeeded, he would come around and help the other three. They had practiced this tactic in all their other fights against demons in preparation for this day. Looking at it another way, if Leonard failed to defeat Berzera, the entire party would die. I wish he’d come help out soon, but… To be honest, Sophia was not really expecting to be rescued. She doubted she would be able to hold out long enough even if Leonard did manage to win. But that’s fine. Even after Rei had saved her, she’d spent her life doing nothing. Leonard had dragged her out of her slump, and now she was an adventurer again. She had no regrets. Although Sophia had been using low-cost spells so she could fight for a protracted period, her limit was approaching. As much as she’d built up her stamina, she was still a mage at the end of the day. She could not hope to match up to a demon. The berth she’d been able to maintain through her magic was steadily shortening. Yeah, I don’t think Leonard’s gonna make it in time. She funneled the last of her stamina into retreating. Her idea was to pelt the demon with the strongest spell she could use when it came after her. The spell in question was a forbidden one that converted one’s own life force into magical energy. The user was guaranteed to die, though it was possible for her to take the demon out with her. She tried to create as much distance from her fellow party members as she could to avoid getting them caught up in the blast. As she sprinted with one last burst of energy, she spotted a man standing in her way. Who’s he? He was a thin, rather harried-looking person, dressed in purple mage robes and carrying a large staff. By all appearances, he couldn’t be anything but a mage. “Were you trying to draw the demon away and use a self-destruct spell?” the man asked. “Not a bad idea for a mage of your caliber. I’d say it’s your only shot at winning. But I don’t think the demon would go down either way.” Sophia wanted to shout, “Don’t spell out what I’m trying to do!” but the words died in her throat when the man began to chant. “Red beacon, O spirit of fire, I call upon the roaring flames and the secret wisdom of the ancients…” The incantation was abridged, but it appeared to be a flame spell that was already in Sophia’s arsenal. His chanting was so quick, too—would this actually cast it? While Sophia was still processing her surprise, the man completed the spell with consummate ease. She whipped her head over her shoulder to see the demon being shredded by dense, crimson flames. Demons had strong magic resistance, which meant it was hard to inflict significant damage even with a top-tier fire spell. Yet despite that… “Graaaaaaah!” If Sophia’s version of the spell had a range of one hundred on a scale, this man’s range was just one. In exchange, however, his flame turned into a tiny red light that pierced through the demon’s body. Sophia could tell its potency was on a whole other level. “Only fools use magic exactly the way they’re taught. But when you completely understand a spell, control it, and make it your own, then you can make things like this happen. The research I did with my friend paid off.” The man appeared to be sneering at both the demon and Sophia. It ticked Sophia off to be condescended by someone who looked barely out of his teens, but there was no questioning his abilities. People had called her a genius in her youth, and yet she couldn’t begin to compare with this young man. “Who are you?” she asked. “You still don’t know after seeing my spell? You’re not very observant for a mage.” The man shook his head in exasperation. “I’m Solon. People call me the Great Sage.” The inferno unleashed by Solon made its way into the demon’s heart with pinpoint accuracy. It was a quick, fiery death. Generally, priests served as healers. They did not fight on the front lines, though it was not necessarily impossible. God’s might was great, making possible all manner of miracles. It came at a cost, of course. At that moment, Nina’s body brimmed with divine power, a technique known as “invocation.” She channeled God into her body and attained His power. Naturally, God did not literally descend onto the earthly plane—it was just a means of bolstering a person’s power by sensing the divine to their utmost capacity, strictly speaking. Though it was considered an extremely effective ability, humans were not gods, which obviously meant there was a hard limit on the amount of power they could intake. It also placed a heavy burden on one’s body. If it was just a matter of strengthening the body, then using it on soldiers would be more efficient. Furthermore, hardly any priests could use the ability, even among the top practitioners. Nina was one of the rare few. Her body pulsated with so much heat, it felt as if it were on fire. If someone had told her that her blood was boiling over and her organs were melting, she would not have been surprised. She had experimented with the technique against monsters on many occasions so she could acclimatize to the sensation, but it was completely different now that she was up against a demon. A slight buff would have been meaningless. Only by pushing herself to the furthest end of her limits was she able to contend with the green demon. Her foe was armed with a club. When Nina nimbly dodged his downward swing, the weapon collided against the ground with enough fierce momentum to rend it apart. Then Nina darted forward and bludgeoned the demon’s arm with her rod. Although she had bolstered her body, she was still a priest, which meant her damage output was meager. But she was fine with that. Like Evsei and Sophia, Nina’s role was to draw the demon’s attention away from Leonard. As long as she could make her opponent think, What an annoying pest, that was good enough. She was also banking on wounding the demon’s ego by whacking him, something no mere priest could normally accomplish. “Those demons are a prideful bunch, same as knights. If you manage to hurt them just a little, you’ll really raise their hackles,” Leonard had told her. He was a terrible man. He’d always declared that money was the most important thing of all and that human lives could be measured in coin. It was rare to find anyone who would say that so frankly. Not even a merchant would say it, at least not in polite company. But Leonard was right—money was important. They had used it to buy the lives of the refugees, just as he’d said. By exchanging money for food and a roof over their heads, the lives of the displaced were saved. And right now, Nina was fighting to protect those lives. Part of it was a way of avenging what had happened fifteen years ago, but there were a lot of things riding on this battle. I can’t let Leonard fail. She whacked the demon with her rod again, prompting his face to contort in annoyance. Then when the demon made a swift retaliation by swinging his pole horizontally, she jumped backward to avoid it. This is taxing… She could move more nimbly than the average warrior, but she paid the price for it through the sheer strain on her body. This was on a whole different level from when she’d fought the goblins or run away from the hobgoblins. It was impossible for her to keep this up for long. But Nina was satisfied—because she could fight on par with a demon, however briefly. She was no longer the person who shrank at the sight of battle. The thought cheered her heart. The demon’s club came swinging her way again. She was just a moment too slow to dodge. When she blocked the attack with her rod, her whole body was sent flying with it. For an instant, she was completely airborne, and then she hurtled to the ground. She hardly felt the pain. The invocation caused such a tremendous strain that it dulled her senses. But the fact that she had been too slow was a sign that her body was no longer able to keep up. She tried to stand right away, only to sink to her knees. I suppose this is it for me. Nina was prepared for death. She did not fear it. To her, it was as if she’d died fifteen years ago. It was a miracle she had physically survived. …No. She felt no wonderment at surviving, only a bitter taste in her mouth at her own continued existence. She had been too afraid to venture toward Luke, and so he had died while she had not. The only way she’d been able to stave off that guilt ever since was by helping people. Only now did she finally feel absolved. Her regrets no longer chained her. Nina closed her eyes in the face of the incoming club. “My oh my, are you using invocation?” Instead of the blunt force trauma she had been expecting, Nina heard a woman’s voice. There was a beautiful lilt to it. Thinking it was an angel that had come to greet her in the afterlife, Nina opened her eyes—and was greeted with the sight of a black-haired woman blocking the demon’s pole with a slender staff. Unlike Sophia’s purple-tinted hair, this woman’s was as dark as the night sky. There was a golden, radiant aura exuding from her entire body. “Who…are you?” Nina asked haltingly. “I’m Maria. Just your ordinary, everyday priest. Oh, but I think you should stop that invocation of yours right away. It’s rather a sham.” Hovering so close to the brink of exhaustion, Nina did not have to be told twice to stop. That same moment, an overwhelming sense of nausea, fatigue, and pain wracked her body. “Ugh…” Nina collapsed to the ground, unable to hold out a moment longer. Maria watched her and smiled. “You were pushing yourself too hard.” As she blocked the demon’s attack with the staff in her left hand, she reached her right hand toward Nina and chanted a prayer. “Huh?” Nina’s exhaustion and pain vanished in an instant—the very definition of a miracle. Yet Nina felt neither gratitude nor joy. She was too confused. I’ve got to be dreaming. No divine miracle can be this powerful. She must be using a completely different technique from what every other priest knows. She could tell how distinct this miracle was because of their common background as priests. “Who are you, may I ask?” Nina demanded. “Just your ordinary, everyday priest, as I said. Although some people call me by the ill-fitting title of Holy Maiden.” Meanwhile, the demon retracted his club, readjusted his stance, and then took another swing—this time with all the strength in his body. “How irritating…” Maria held her staff up and pointed it at the demon, causing a golden light to wrap around his body. The next moment, his once-green body turned white, as if he were being purged. “Aaaa—” The demon tried to scream, but he could not even manage that before he became as immobile as a statue. “What…what are you doing?” Nina was aghast. Maria’s power was definitely of the divine sort, but that only made her display all the more menacing. The power of the divine had always felt like a distant, hazy warmth to Nina, but now it came across like a scorching hot flame at point-blank range. Fear was the natural response. “What, you ask?” Maria looked back at Nina with a wan smile. Her eyes were the color of gold. There was nothing human about them. “I’m purifying the demon, as you can see. Until he turns to salt.” Nina had never heard of a single occasion in which a priest had wielded that kind of miracle. It was recorded in the scriptures as an act of God. “Have you…have you invoked God within you right now?” “Yes, this is a proper invocation. I am using divine power.” Maria’s eyes turned back to black. The golden light around her disappeared as well. The demon who had turned to salt crumbled into pieces. “Um…Holy Maiden?” Upon a second look, Nina could see that Maria was a stunningly beautiful woman, with long, pretty black hair and glossy white skin. “Why are you completely fine after using an invocation?” Nina could not help but speak politely to this woman who was ten years her junior. There was no doubt in her mind that she was the genuine Holy Maiden—except that she was very different from what Nina had imagined. Rather than a strong sense of piousness or purity, Nina glimpsed a darkness like the depths of hell. “Because of love.” Maria smiled, her pale cheeks blushing ever so slightly in bashfulness. “Love? Toward God?” “Tee-hee, what a funny thing to say.” Maria giggled. “God doesn’t need love. Nothing so silly as that. My love for the Hero is what gives me strength, you know?” Her eyes were completely glazed over. “Had I never met him, I would never have sought anything like power. So it must be love. Our meeting was fated by God…” “Er…love?” Nina was trembling. If Maria’s “love” could invoke God into her body, then it had to be way too obsessive. Nina felt sorry for the Hero on the receiving end of this affection. “Indeed—love. Oh, but do keep it a secret that I invoked God, yes? I normally stay by the sidelines as a meek and purehearted maiden, so I wouldn’t want anyone thinking I’m capable of impropriety. My hand was forced today in order to save you. He told me, ‘I want you to go rescue that priest.’” Maria’s eyes shone golden again as she spoke. “Yes… I understand…” Nina wouldn’t dream of contradicting Maria. At some point unawares, her body had started trembling in fear. “…But, um, if you have that power, Holy Maiden, why didn’t you save Leonard?” she asked, swallowing her trepidation. “He’s our fellow party member, and right now he’s fighting the demon Berzera.” Nina’s goal was to defeat Berzera, nothing more or less. However much Maria frightened her, she had to get that message across. “Not to worry.” Maria beamed. “Ares the Hero has gone to save Leonard.” “Ares the Hero… Do you consider him dependable?” “But of course. Even if he were to die, I would revive him. Then our bond would be ironclad. How wonderful that would be…” Maria’s expression transformed into one of ecstasy. Is this a distortion of God? No, wait, maybe she’s become like God… Nina felt as if she had caught a glimpse of God’s depravity through Maria. As he dodged Berzera’s giant black-aura-exuding sword, Leonard tried to get in close over and over again. He was walking on a tightrope. One wrong move, and he would fall to his doom. And he repeated it many times. Just when he thought he had closed the distance, Berzera forced him to retreat without breaking a sweat. It was madness to attempt something with such high risk and no return, but Leonard kept at it anyway, demonstrating an unbelievable strength of will. Throughout these repetitions, Berzera showed some very slight gaps in his defense, which Leonard exploited to inflict cuts on the demon’s hands and legs. Over and over again. At length, Berzera’s movements began to show some sloppiness, either because of the wounds or because Leonard’s dogged persistence wore him down. Regardless, Leonard was now only one step away from Berzera. Leonard swung his blade to inflict the decisive blow… …only for Berzera’s weapon to cleave Leonard’s sword arm at the elbow, sending both the limb and the sword flying. “It’s over for you.” Berzera’s lips curled upward. “Don’t underestimate humans, demon!” With his remaining left hand, Leonard drew a shortsword from his hip. Then he threw his entire body at Berzera in an attempt to stab the demon’s neck. Sadly, however, his blade only hit the base of Berzera’s neck, failing to penetrate deeply through the black scales. Berzera flung Leonard away with his arm, sending him hurtling to the ground. Leonard promptly hoisted himself back up with his left hand, but it took all of his effort to lift his upper body. Meanwhile, Berzera plucked out the shortsword from his neck, showing no hint of damage whatsoever. “Damn, and that shortsword looked so pricey…” Leonard’s face was deathly pale from the blood loss in his right arm, and now it contorted in frustration. If only the shortsword had a magical enchantment, it could have slain Berzera. Then again, it was rare to find shortswords with that level of quality. “You did well, human. If not for Ares, I might have acknowledged you as the Hero.” Berzera commended the man he had brought to death’s door. Leonard cracked a self-deprecating joke. “Praise? Hey, I’ll take it. People have been calling me a piece of crap for ages.” “You humans are so foolish.” Berzera brought his greatsword down without mercy. Sorry, Luke. I wasn’t cut out for it… Leonard watched his impending death quietly. He had no regrets. All he thought about was how glad he was that he’d come this far and that he hadn’t run away this time. But then… …a harsh metallic clang rang out as somebody—a young man with chestnut-colored hair, wielding a sword and shield—blocked the attack. Leonard had no recollection of him, but there was something about how he looked from behind that evoked a sense of déjà vu. The young man’s feet sank into the ground under the weight of Berzera’s savage strike. The fact that his body did not waver in spite of that was a testament to his many long years of training. “…Who are you?” Berzera demanded. “Ares. The Hero.” The young man’s voice was clear and dauntless. So this is the Hero, huh…? For some reason, it clicked for Leonard right away that Ares was the Hero—even though Luke was the Hero in his mind and nobody else could ever fill those shoes. “Ares? You’re supposed to be in Arkand right now…” Berzera was surprised at Ares’s presence, given he had been receiving detailed reports on the Hero’s movements. Ares grinned. “I’ve got a scheming buddy who’s good at manipulating information.” “…Hmph, no matter.” Berzera retracted his sword and launched another furious blow. Ares blocked it again with his shield. “I have heard that you owe a great deal of your strength to your companions. This is the perfect opportunity to destroy you.” With that coolheaded decision, Berzera switched gears. Just as he pulled his sword back to deliver yet another strike, his face suddenly caught aflame. “What?!” Ares had cast a spell with his left hand. The shield had concealed his hand movements, and he had muttered the incantation quietly enough for Berzera not to hear. The spell did hardly any damage to the demon, but it did obscure his vision, causing him to reflexively step back and adopt a stance to cover his vitals. Ares saw his chance. He made a slash—not at Berzera’s head or heart, but at the right hand holding his greatsword. “Ngggh?!” The sudden pain forced Berzera to drop his sword. Having waited for the perfect moment, Ares swung his own sword. His swordplay was nasty, always chipping away at his opponent’s strength without his ever overextending himself. There was no flourish or natural talent in his form—just plain, dirty, desperate fighting. “Are you really the Hero? Can you really call yourself the Hero of the people with the way you fight?” Berzera groaned in the face of Ares’s underhanded technique. Having lost his greatsword, Berzera was now attacking with the sharp claws on his hands, but Ares showed no surprise or consternation. He went on swinging his sword without comment. Slowly but surely, Ares backed Berzera into a corner. Flustered, Berzera tried to chant a spell, but Ares forcefully interrupted the incantation by shooting a magic wind blade into his mouth. Nothing the demon tried seemed to work. “My strength is superior! Why is this happening?!” Berzera howled. “I pity you.” The voice came from behind Berzera. That same moment, a blade ran through the demon’s chest. Leonard, whom Berzera had completely forgotten about, had retrieved his scattered sword with his left hand and stabbed his foe from behind. “Gah!” Berzera stopped in his tracks, coughing up blood. Without missing a beat, Ares delivered the decapitating strike. “Thanks, Leonard. You were a big help in beating Berzera.” Ares smiled as he chanted a healing spell. The makeshift treatment was enough to stop the bleeding in Leonard’s right arm. Leonard stared hard at Ares. There was something strangely familiar about him. The way he looked when he fought, and those eyes—he was just like the warrior Leonard had admired all those years ago. “Is your name really Ares? It’s not Zack, is it?” he said finally as he pressed down on the wound on his right arm. Ares’s eyes fluttered wide in surprise, but a moment later, his face was back to its serene expression. “Zack is my cousin. People often say we look alike. Do you know Zack?” “You’re his cousin? Really?” For a moment, Leonard was lost for words. “Anyway, I’ve met Zack before. It must’ve been over fifteen years ago. I was in the same party as his parents, Luke and Rei, way back when.” “I…see…” Ares’s eyes brimmed with sadness. Assuming he was Zack’s cousin, Luke and Rei would have been his uncle and aunt. He probably had memories of them. Feeling that he’d touched a sore spot, Leonard changed the subject. “So, uh… How did you know we were here?” Leonard’s party had come to Garnahazza under the pretext of fulfilling a job. Ralph, their client, had kept their destination a secret, and they hadn’t informed anyone themselves. “The Prophet told me about you.” “The Prophet?” Leonard didn’t like the Prophet, the dubious individual who existed to identify the Hero. All they did was give orders from the shadows, not lifting a finger themself. “They wanted me to save you,” said Ares. “Because it would mean saving the people.” “Me?” Leonard had no clue why the Prophet would tell Ares to save him, though it did make sense that slaying Berzera would save many people. It wasn’t completely out of the question when he thought of it that way. He was still pondering the matter when he noticed a robed figure standing behind Ares. It was only for a brief instant. Leonard wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him. “…Hey, Ares. You’re not possessed by some weird ghost or something, are you?” “Uh, no, I don’t think so?” “Right…” That marked the end of their one-on-one conversation. After that, the others arrived. Maria cast a spell that reattached Leonard’s severed arm. Having given up on being a two-armed man, Leonard gazed at Maria in wonderment and gratitude, only for the other priest in the entourage to chime in. “Excuse me? How were you able to restore his lost arm?” said Nina. “No human being can cause a miracle like tha—” She did not finish her sentence, because Maria silenced her with a smile. Nina stayed far away from Maria after that. Then Solon told Leonard and his party about their future plans. The mage knew about the organization Ralph and his ilk belonged to, and Solon’s idea was to use Berzera’s death to take down the whole conspiracy. Solon predicted the organization’s moves so far in advance that it made Sophia grimace. “Can you see the future or something? It’s kind of creepy.” Solon looked slightly hurt at that reaction. Meanwhile, Evsei and Leon got swept up in a conversation about spearmanship and swordplay. It was when they started actually sparring that everyone else rolled their eyes. “You guys aren’t heading back to town?” Leonard asked Ares at length. “Well, I’m the Hero, so I have to keep going until I beat the Demon Lord. Besides, now that the army’s commander is out of commission, we might be able to infiltrate deep into the Demon Lord’s territory,” Ares replied as if this was the obvious thing to do. Although Berzera had been a powerful demon, he’d been assigned commander simply because of his leadership skills. Instead of just valuing strength, the demons delegated their roles logically according to their individual talents. There were plenty of opponents even stronger than Berzera waiting in the wings. “Being the Hero sounds like a tough gig.” Leonard shrugged. “You’re fine with that being your lot in life, Ares?” He was back to his usual wisecracking. Leon, Solon, and Maria pulled slightly sour faces at that, but Ares smiled. “Am I fine with it? Hard to say,” he remarked. “To be honest, I still don’t know whether I’m the Hero. Sometimes, I think, Maybe the real Hero’s out there somewhere. But I don’t think it matters whether I’m real or a fake as long as I beat the Demon Lord. Yeah, I know it’s hard, but that’s the role I’ve embraced.” “Your role?” Leonard was somewhat bemused by Ares’s word choice, but he soon shrugged it off. “Well, okay. With your lineup, I’m sure you guys can win. I mean, if you can’t beat him, I’d say it’s time for the rest of us to pack it up. So what I’m saying is…take it easy, all right?” Leonard gave Ares a little poke in the chest. With the defeat of Berzera, the Demon Lord’s army fell into disarray, giving the human side the opportunity to reassemble its forces. This had a strong impact on the war effort, and in time, the incident was credited to the Hero as “the miracle of Garnahazza.” Leonard and his party were the ones who spread the praise, concealing the fact that they themselves had participated in the battle. It was all to uplift the Hero’s name and give the people hope. Meanwhile, Solon’s stratagems succeeded in destroying the organization that aided the demons. Leonard’s party played a key role in making this happen, although they certainly never wished to kill Ralph and many other humans.
Chapter 44
32 min read