Isekai Mahou wa Okureteru! Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20: THE WHEREABOUTS OF REIJI’S PARTY

—Just when had this battle begun?

Having been far too focused to care about the pa.s.sage of time, he’d already lost all sense of what time it currently was.

The light reflecting off his sword’s edge flickered from tip to base, and the man – Shana Reiji – dashed ahead in the same direction.

The drawn blade was, of course, aimed at his enemy, who stood before him.

Its gaze was drawn to his fierce attack, and it roared strangely.

Reiji, on the other hand, slashed as if to part it in two.

It was a vertical slash from high to low, a lightning-infused strike using the power bestowed upon him by the G.o.ddess.

His opponent met his attack with a swipe of its claws.

That blow came from a hand many times larger than a human’s, one which was seemingly dyed the deepest, darkest pitch.

As their swings collided, the claws interrupted the progress of Reiji’s attack.

Claw and sword struggled, locked in stalemate as the sound of hard object colliding with hard object filled the air.

A nervewracking sound that seemed to cry out for victory.

Reiji poured everything he had into his sword, as if to literally suppress his foe beneath his blade.

Locked in stalemate as they were, simply throwing his full power into his attack wouldn’t directly defeat his target, but it would exhaust its strength. Thus, as far as Reiji was concerned, this action was currently needed. As long as he was able to continuously acc.u.mulate damage on his enemy in this manner, then sooner or later its defense would break, and he would claim victory.

――□□□□□□□！ (TN: No, that’s not a font failure; that’s intentional.)

That strange howl sounded again, filling his ears.

Despite being capable of human speech, once battle began, it’d reverted to a beast-like state, thus making it apparent just what sort of creature this was.

Concurrent with the roar, sharp, clawed fingers rushed in from his left side, forcing Reiji to duck to avoid the incoming blow.

This attack seemed more like swatting at a hated thing than a targeted strike, and so it lacked the ability to endanger his life.

It was intended only to halt his movements, a futile attempt to force him to show an opening.

Reiji swung again, an attack fully utilizing the traits of this double-edged blade. A vertical swing which defied the pull of gravity, from down low to up high.

It was a marvelous technique further empowered by wind magic, but his target’s beast-like reactions allowed it to avoid the attack at the last moment.

“—O F-flame! Sting Scarlet!”

Suddenly, an incantation, whose stammered words revealed its master’s continued unfamiliarity with the situation, was spoken. The voice belonged to Mizuki, offering him protection. The released magic was an intermediate Fire spell, a veritable crimson baptism.

The magic, its invocation keyword and two-verse incantation having been spoken, activated, and curling bands of flame appeared in the air, casting a dense scarlet against the backdrop of the blue sky.

The air exploded.

Everything in his sight was dyed in orange.

The shockwave created by the small explosion rushed toward him.

Without hesitating, he leapt backward. In the next instant, as if to mock its target, the flame changed form, flowing downward as if to swallow the enemy whole.

The moment it touched the enemy, the flame’s power exploded. The flame, having found a fuel source – even if that fuel source was a living being – burst, simultaneously igniting the creature contained within its depths.

“I did it!”

Behind him, Mizuki shouted in joy. Her joy, however, was premature. She seemed to have thought her magic had been a fatal strike, but there was yet life still in her target.

Peering into the flame, he observed that their foe was still moving.

Just as he gripped his sword and shifted into a combat stance, the flame magic was blown away.

It looked like it had blown the flame away with a swing of its arm. Standing within the fiery embers left behind, their enemy stood with one arm held outstretched.

Standing there within a heat so intense that it warped the air itself, it emitted an overwhelming pressure.

Having attacked him, regardless of his status as the Hero, this, the sole survivor – its comrades’ corpses littering the floor – was his true enemy.

In this scenery filled with the dead, it took a step forward. Reiji eyed his opponent, awaiting an opportunity.

This was no human. No, this was a monster. Even though it was humanoid, this was something other than human – a Mazoku.

Bat-like wings stretched out from its back and twin horns sprouted forth from its head, its entire body the color of rust. Aside from the nose, eyes, and mouth on its face, it bore not the least resemblance to humans. In its entirety, it reminded one of nothing so much as the devils of myth and legend.

The pitch black claws that came flying at him gave off a dull gleam.

The fearsome might of those claws was clearly evidenced by the shattered remnants of the boulders that lay around them.

Coupled with terrific, inhuman arm strength, the claws tipping the five fingers of each hand were like the scythe of the Reaper himself.

The Mazoku cracked a smile, a mocking, condescending grin. Having withstood everything they’d thrown at it so far this battle, it seemed to have developed an unshakable confidence.

In their confrontation so far, Reiji’s all had been unable to match his opponent’s, whether it be with respect to speed or strength. Accordingly, an expression appeared on Reiji’s face, demonstrating his resolve to conclude everything with the next strike.

—The Mazoku took action. A storm of sand was thrown up behind it as it accelerated in his direction. That lightning speed was on an altogether different level from what it had shown previously.

A vision of his body being torn to shreds pa.s.sed before his eyes: the sheer strength and speed of the attack sending his sword flying, his body powerless in the face of those ferocious claws.

However, that was only presuming that Reiji were to allow the “current situation” to continue, of course—

“Burn Boost…”

Mana began to circulate within his body as fire element reacted to his call.

Power is in my grasp.

That unfeeling invocation filled his body with power. Reinforcement magic.

As the flame enveloped his body, power sprang forth in abundance. That overflowing, omnipotent feeling turned into a brilliant, light that shot toward his enemy.

The expression on the face of the Mazoku, charging toward him, changed.

It had been certain of its victory. That judgment, however, had been incorrect. This was Reiji’s first time invoking this reinforcement magic during this confrontation.

“Oooooooohhhhh!”

Despite Reiji’s power having shot up, the Mazoku remained confident of its victory. Demanding a price for its arrogance, Reiji ignored the Mazoku’s strange cry, and roaring himself, raised his strength another level, and gripping his sword, slashed directly at the head of the incoming enemy.

…Within the dying embers of flame, the tiny particles of dust that had been cast into the air turned to nothingness. Confirming that their enemies were now thoroughly eradicated, Reiji panted for breath.

“Fuu… Looks like today’s another victory.”

—Before Suimei had left Mehter.

Reiji’s party, having left the palace, had not headed directly for their final destination – the Maou – but were instead headed for the United Sadias Autonomous Territories.

It might have seemed to an outsider that they were fleeing from the Maou, but they had a reason for deviating from the purpose for which they had been brought to this world.

Mizuki and Reiji had been summoned from peaceful j.a.pan, and thus could be said to gravely lacking in combat experience. The closest thing they’d ever experienced to real combat had been the training sessions they’d had in the palace.

Subsequently, were they to rely solely on the training they’d received, the power they’d been given through the summoning process, and the magic they had learned, then defeat was essentially an inevitability.

To remedy this deficiency, they were taking a more circuitous route that would enable them to gain the experience they so sorely needed.

This would simultaneously allow them to thin out the Maou’s forces, another positive. To both obtain a weapon as well as enhance their skills yet further, they had decided to head first to Sadias and meet one of the Seven Swords who had been stationed there.

They had been ambushed along the way, resulting in the battle that had just concluded.

…His orichalc.u.m blade, drenched in Mazoku blood, glittered brilliantly.

With a flick of his weapon, a first-rate holy sword from Sadias, he dispatched the final Mazoku. Confirming that it had drawn its last breath, he rushed to Mizuki’s side.

“Mizuki, are you okay?”

Noticing that her shoulders trembled as she gasped for air with an ashen face, Reiji voiced his concern.

The aftertaste of the battle seemed to linger with her still.

“Oh, yeah. Somehow. It’s just that…”

“Just that…?”

“So this… is a battle with the enemy…” Mizuki struggled out, her face still pale.

“…Ah.”

Reiji nodded firmly.

To reach this point, they had fought monsters numerous times already. This was a fantasy world with countless undeveloped regions. Along those lines, they had been seen and been attacked by many predators that did not exist in their original world.

Eliminating the threat as you progressed forward seemed to be a matter-of-fact aspect of life in this world. And indeed, they had done just this as they had progressed to this point.

However, never before had Mizuki actually taken part in battle. It had been the judgment of the knights who accompanied them that it was best for her to first familiarize herself with the rigors of battle, and so she had been a pa.s.sive student until now.

Her proficiency in magic had already reached the point where it rivaled both t.i.tania and himself, and she had even learned advanced-cla.s.s spells.

But none of that changed the fact that she was still just a young girl from j.a.pan.

In their own world, this could be said to be the demographic with the least to do with battle. Before the issue of combat ability even entered the equation, her resolve to partic.i.p.ate in battle was of far greater import.

And so she had needed some time to adjust. This had thus become her first true experience taking part in battle at his side.

“Mizuki. I still think it best that you don’t push yourself…”

Once more Reiji expressed the sincere feelings of his heart: he really didn’t think it necessary that she fight as well.

Mizuki, however, shook her head, rejecting his concern.

“No. To simply stand by and watch isn’t something I can do. It’s true that this is my first time, and it’s true that the Mazoku are incredibly scary, but the entire reason I came was to help you.”

“Mizuki…”

“…Though even if I say that, I have to say… you’re amazing. Reiji-kun, it’s like you were used to this from the very beginning.”

“There’s no way that’s true. When I first started, I, too, felt that battle is a truly terrible thing. Even now that I’m more used to it, my heart is still pounding in my chest.”

Those weren’t hollow words meant for Mizuki’s comfort – they were true. Just like Mizuki, he hadn’t been able to rid himself of the fear that came with battle.

Even though he had come for the express purpose of defeating the Maou, but after encountering the terrifying, inhuman might of “his” soldiers, in his heart, he felt that the task had already exceeded the bounds of his ability. Recently, he hadn’t been able to avoid the uncertainty that had gripped his heart and the second-guessing that had filled his thoughts.

…Suimei.

Suddenly, the face of his friend appeared in his mind.

His friend, back at the palace – Yakagi Suimei – had seen the reality of the situation. “Talk is cheap, actually doing it is pretty much impossible,” he’d reb.u.t.ted. Now it looked like that had indeed been a most accurate a.s.sessment of the situation.

When compared with himself, who having attained a modic.u.m of power had thought himself invincible— Actually, it was probably precisely because Suimei had not received the gift of power that he had been able to maintain a clear head and accurately discern just what it was that lay ahead of him on the path that he had chosen.

At the time, he’d allowed his ideals to blind him. Placed in an extraordinary circ.u.mstance, using his views developed from the modern world to judge this fantasy world, he’d deceived himself.

The desperate pleas of the people of this world, crying out for a savior, and their flattering words a.s.suring him that he had what it took had given him the feeling that he could do anything. A deceptive, inaccurate feeling.

He’d underestimated the terror that plagued this world.

Though he didn’t want to describe his actions as “foolish”, that was the only word that seemed appropriate to describe what he had done.

If he continued down this path, then perhaps the situation could change. Fear continued to hold him in its grasp – he lacked both experience and technique. He acted now to strengthen himself, to compensate for his flaws as much as possible before the time came when he would challenge the Maou.

His thoughts, though superficial, were accompanied by a plan.

—That notwithstanding, the fact that he had not thought things through would not disappear, nor would the sin of having gotten that female friend of his wrapped up in all of this.

Sorry…

To Mizuki, her head bowed as she continued to gasp for air, Reiji apologized again. He’d already apologized so many times that it begun to wear on her, and so this time, he apologized only within his heart.

That said, he knew his apology was only to salve his feelings of guilt. Fully aware of his own weakness, Reiji nevertheless continued to do so.

“…Should we go somewhere else?”

“…Sure.”

Taking Mizuki, who had raised the idea, with him, Reiji left the corpse-littered battlefield.

“—Mizuki! Are you alright?!” a young girl cried out from nearby, none other than their companion, t.i.tania.

She and the knights with her had dispatched the Mazoku that had appeared elsewhere. They saw her leave the side of a middle-aged knight, and race toward them.

“Mm. I’m okay,” Mizuki replied.

“Thank goodness… You don’t look to have been injured, right?”

“Because Reiji-kun was with me.”

They held each one another tightly as they talked. Relieved smile met courageous smile, finally bringing a sense of calm to the air.

“Good work, Tia.”

Standing by their side, Reiji offered words of praise.

“Thank you for your concern, Reiji-sama,” she said in reply, bowing.

“It’s nothing. Good work on your end too, Gregory-san.”

The middle-aged knight who was her constant companion – Gregory – met Reiji’s words with his typical solemn demeanor.

“Not at all. I’m simply fulfilling my duties to support Her Highness. You flatter me.”

“Oh, don’t say that,” Reiji said, refuting his modesty.

“You flatter me,” was again Gregory’s reply, his head bowed.

“—Anyway, Tia. How were things on your end?”

“Right. We finished up just fine. There is not a single Mazoku left over there.”

“That’s Tia for you. You’re so reliable.”

“I’m nothing compared with Reiji-sama. That said—”

“What’s up?”

“…Our horses were all killed. My sincerest apologies.”

“…Oh. Although I feel for the horses that have done their best to carry us until now, as long as you and the others are safe, Tia, that’s what matters.”

“Reiji-sama…”

t.i.tania was moved by his words of encouragement. Losing their horses would greatly affect their movement from this point on, but Reiji had chosen instead to delight in the fact that no human life had been lost.

Suddenly, a troubled voice spoke.

“…So t.i.tania’s already accustomed to battle.”

“Yes. While I can’t say that my experience is by any means plentiful, I do have some measure of actual combat experience.”

t.i.tania’s words evoked a strange expression from Mizuki.

“You’re an honest-to-goodness princess. Why would you have battle experience?”

“At the time we decided we were going to summon a Hero, I resolved to stay by their side. Thus, I made sure to prepare myself accordingly for this eventuality.”

“I get it now…”

Mizuki expressed understanding.

t.i.tania was, after all, the princess of a country. Even though their circ.u.mstances were decidedly different, she had expected that t.i.tania would be someone uninvolved with combat, like herself. At the same time, though, she understood that in a world as cruel as this, sooner or later, battle would find you.

t.i.tania had continually taken part in monster hunting parties, fighting at their side as a magician. Her n.o.ble air and dignified bearing notwithstanding, the strength and determination of one who had experienced real combat had always adorned this young woman from the first.

The reason for this she now understood.

Hence her voice had tapered off at the end, a manifestation of her lack of confidence. It was as though she had tripped and fallen behind those walking by her side, although given Mizuki’s background, such a thing was only to be expected. Recognizing Mizuki’s disappointment, t.i.tania offered words of rea.s.surance.

“Mizuki. Please don’t feel so down. When I first started, I was just like you. Or rather, worse by far.”

“…Really?”

“Absolutely. When I first tried to acclimatize myself to battle, I went through just what you’re going through now. At the end of my first battle, I fell right on my rear, collapsing on the ground.”

“Really? But you’re so familiar with fighting?”

“That’s because I’ve already acc.u.mulated a fair amount of combat experience. Because I knew that if I was going to accompany the Hero on his travels, I couldn’t just continue being like that.”

“And that’s why you’re like this now?”

“Exactly. That’s pretty much it.”

“Okay,” Mizuki nodded strongly, her unease more or less dispelled.

Watching the two support one another, Reiji couldn’t help but feel his spirits lift.

Perhaps things really would work out.

Mizuki, who had until just previously somewhat held herself in contempt, seemed to be alright now. Her sense of self-awareness hadn’t fully ripened yet, but she had nonetheless managed to once again muster up her courage.

It was then, with the mood as it was…

Who knew why, but Mizuki frowned again, something bothering her once more. Just when her mood was finally improving. What just happened?

“I wonder if Suimei-kun is doing okay…”

With that, Reiji understood what was worrying her.

And so.

“Suimei, huh. He definitely said that he was planning to leave the palace in just a bit…”

“Hmm. Outside the city… The districts immediately out of the city should be just fine, but there are many dangerous areas along the road or in the wilderness. Even if he leaves the city, as long as he doesn’t stray too far, he shouldn’t have to worry about monsters.”

“Is that so? Even though he rejected the invitation to join us, I don’t think he’ll travel alone. That said, without the blessing of the G.o.ddess that you have, Reiji-sama, or the instruction in magic that you have, Mizuki, I worry just as you do. If he leaves the city and runs into a monster, I don’t imagine he’ll be able to defend himself,” t.i.tania said with a strained look.

It was just as she’d said. He didn’t think it likely that Suimei would travel alone, but as he thought of his material needs – food and water, the distance he’d have to travel, and the danger he’d have to face, he understood why the girls were worried.

That notwithstanding, there was still a slight difference between the way he and the girls saw things.

“No, Suimei will be fine.”

“…? Why do you say that, Reiji-sama?”

“Suimei knows kenjutsu. Even if he wanders outside, I’m certain he’ll overcome any obstacles with ease.”

t.i.tania was shocked by this unexpected answer.

“Suimei knows how to use a sword?”

“Yep.”

Reiji reaffirmed this fact as he watched the pair. He was surprised to see that Mizuki seemed taken aback as well, her gaze sweeping over to meet him as she shook her head as if to say that that this was the first she’d ever heard of it.

Yes, Suimei knew kenjutsu, though due to the legal restrictions placed on the practice back home, he’d likely never wielded an actual sword. Either way, Suimei was undoubtedly a swordsman.

“But Reiji-kun, Suimei-kun isn’t a member of the kendo club?” Mizuki asked.

As she’d said, Suimei was not a member of the kendo club, but rather of the so-called “go-home club”. From what Suimei had told him, he often had to travel abroad for family reasons, and thus was unable to partic.i.p.ate normally in club activities.

t.i.tania, who was obviously unaware of what it meant that he was a member of the go-home club, was visibly puzzled, so Mizuki explained.

Reiji spoke next.

“From what I understand, he doesn’t take part in club activities, but rather trains at a dojo near his house.”

“Hmm? There was a dojo near there…?”

“Yeah. A dojo that teaches self-defense,” he answered succinctly, the map of their city pa.s.sing through his mind as he spoke.

With that, Mizuki seemed to suddenly recall a certain location.

“Oh, that place? Isn’t that a self-defense cla.s.s intended for women? It’s really well-known, but from what I’ve heard, it’s not a kendo dojo?”

“Yep. The sign says that they teach self-defense, but originally they’re a dojo that practices anancient martial art. Various volunteers will pa.s.s down different kinds of teachings.”

“Really?! It’s that kind of place?!”

“That’s what Suimei said, anyway.”

“No way… There’s a few girls in our cla.s.s who go there… Ancient martial arts…”

His thorough explanation notwithstanding, Mizuki seemed nevertheless thoroughly surprised. She’d known they taught self-defense, but she hadn’t realized the extent of it.

To be fair, that such a place existed nearby was beyond expectation. When he’d first learned of it, he’d shouted in surprise.

“Does that mean that Suimei-kun is a successor of an ancient martial art, like a character from a manga?”

“That seems to be the case, yeah.”

This time, t.i.tania was the one to speak.

“From what you’ve said, Suimei seems to be a martial artist.”

“Mm. That said, our world is a peaceful place, and you can’t compare him with someone who’s learned combat over here. Either way, though, Suimei’s a swordsman. That’s for sure.”

“I see. My impression of him was that he was thoroughly unacquainted with violence. This certainly comes as quite a surprise.”

“Definitely. Just looking at him, you can’t tell at all, but from what I know, his skills should be at quite an amazing level.”

The truth was, when it came to the precise details, Reiji wasn’t all that clear himself either.

He’d never visited the aforementioned dojo, and although they’d fought thugs side by side, Suimei had naturally never used his swordsmanship at those times. Thus Reiji had never actually seen Suimei’s skills.

t.i.tania, however, seemed certain that Reiji was being overly optimistic.

“Even still, I don’t think that’s enough to determine that he’ll be just fine,” she reb.u.t.ted.

Her voice held a noticeable trace of unease, perhaps because she’d imagined what kind of troubles he might find himself facing. Plus, he had to admit, swordsmanship alone would not be enough to guarantee his safety.

In truth, Suimei had never before fought a monster, and whether or not techniques developed for use on humans would be of any use against monsters remained to be seen.

Subsequently, it seemed impossible to guarantee that Suimei would be fine.

However.

“You’re still not getting the whole picture. Suimei is the kind of guy who almost never shows any openings… While his behavior can be pretty unorthodox at times, he’s fundamentally a very cautious person.”

“You mean to say that he should be able to escape even if he runs into monsters? From what I’ve heard, though, the vast majority of people simply freeze on the spot when they run into and are stared down by a monster.”

“That, huh. If it’s Suimei we’re talking about, that kind of oppressive atmosphere might as well be the caress of a gentle breeze.”

“Really…”

Mizuki frowned, unable to believe his words. It was because she now thoroughly understood just how dangerous this world truly was that she now wore such an expression.

Nevertheless, it was true that Suimei was the kind of person who didn’t seem to know what the meaning of the word fear was. Once before, he’d been surrounded by a group of hoodlums. His response? Without the least hint of anxiety, he’d simply said, “What? That’s it?” When faced with violence, from start to finish, he’d never lost the least bit of calm. —But enough on that for now.

Moreover, as far as Reiji knew, he never took his enemies on directly, either. To be frank, he was the kind of person who enjoyed exploiting your weaknesses. On that note, when it came to wheeling and dealing, Suimei was many times his superior.

“Anyway, that’s why I’m not really all that worried.”

“If you say so, Reiji-sama…”

Declaring that she wouldn’t mind the issue any longer, t.i.tania dropped the topic.

Mizuki, however, suddenly turned, seemingly having thought of something else.

“…So, Reiji-kun. Has Suimei-kun ever said anything like ‘I’m Yakagi Suimei, a swordsman of the such-and-such school!’ Or has he ever shown off some amazing sword skills?”

“Huh? No, that’s a bit…”

“We’re talking about ancient martial arts here! Ancient martial arts! Skills that completely overpower the kind taught today, supreme techniques developed solely for the purpose of taking lives!”

Judging by her insane fervor, just what kind of delusions did Mizuki have about ancient martial arts? Although when it came to the nature of these techniques, it couldn’t be denied that they were meant to kill, that didn’t guarantee that they were completely a level above current martial arts.

Anyway, from what he’d heard from Suimei, there weren’t really any major differences between what he’d learned and what was currently taught as kendo.

However, Tia looked to believe Mizuki completely.

“K-killing techniques…?”

“Yep! Exactly, Tia! Ancient j.a.panese martial arts were designed with the a.s.sumption that a fight could break out at any moment. Also! Both sides strike at the same time and victory and defeat are determined with a single strike! We’re talking about swordsmanship that has reached the level of G.o.ds!”

“…!”

Overwhelmed by Mizuki’s words and intense expression, t.i.tania gulped.

Anyway, putting all these ridiculous things together… What kind of demonic, Asura-like martial art was this supposed to be?

“…Granted, I don’t think Suimei-kun is likely to have attained such a level.”

“O-oh…”

That was indeed the truth.

Some moments after Mizuki’s tirade had ended, for G.o.d only knows what reason, she suddenly puffed up her cheeks, pouting.

“Hmph! Suimei-kun is definitely a chuunibyou! Hiding his true colors like that— How do I put this? It’s so sneaky!”

So that’s what had made her mad. It wasn’t so much that she was angry at the fact that he’d hidden his abilities, as that she was jealous of how he’d secretly gone and learned techniques of this nature.

However.

“E-even if you say that, Suimei doesn’t say any chuuni things like you, Mizuki, so you can’t just a.s.sume that he’s a chuunibyou… Oh.”

It was only after he’d spoken the forbidden word that he realized what he’d said.

Looking at Mizuki, he saw her smile take on a sinister undertone.

“Re~i~ji~kun~”

“S-s-sorry! It just slipped out!”

“You promised! Forgetting is absolutely not allowed!”

“R-right.”

Indeed, he’d previously sworn never to mention that again. Mizuki’s past which she wanted desperately to remain in the past. Using her words, it was a girl’s “secret garden.”

t.i.tania, on the other hand—

“Mizuki. What does ‘chuunibyou’ mean?”

“Uwa?! …That, um, well…”

“What kind of thing is it? Don’t tell me it’s some sort of terrible illness?” (TN: The last character (病) in chuunibyou (中二病), means illness or sickness.)

“Y-y-yeah! YEAH! That’s exactly it! It’s something that the vast majority of preteens in our world suffer from! A vicious illness that leaves terrifying aftereffects!”

t.i.tania’s question threw Mizuki into a panic, and her frantic answer was accompanied by wild gestures as she attempted to lie the issue away.

Even though Mizuki seemed determined to prevent discussion of this topic at all costs, but to be quite honest, this was really just reaping the consequences of her own actions.

Nevertheless, she succeeded in her attempt to deceive t.i.tania, and that line of discussion came to an end.

Instead, t.i.tania’s expression suddenly turned serious.

“There’s another thing we need to worry about, actually. It concerns the Mazoku.”

“Yeah, now that you mention it, that’s right. What were the Mazoku doing in a place like this anyway?”

“Mazoku, huh…”

“Yes.”

t.i.tania nodded.

Just as Mizuki had pointed out, this had been troubling her from the very moment that the Mazoku had first appeared and attacked them. Now that the Mazoku had been taken care of and things had calmed down, they finally had the luxury of time to consider the issue.

This was likely the first time this topic had been raised.

Thinking back to the Mazoku they had just fought against, Mizuki looked uneasy. Reiji proceeded to speak again, answering the question that he himself had posed.

“The Mazoku have already invaded Nelferia, haven’t they?”

“I-is that really it?”

“Mm. If you think about it, that seems to be the eventuality with the highest likelihood, no? The presence of the Mazoku here would seem to suggest this.”

As Reiji voiced his conjecture, Mizuki’s face froze.

That was only natural. She still wasn’t used to battle yet, and was now confronted with the possibility that battle with the Mazoku would again occur in the near future. The Mazoku were on an entirely different level from monsters and magical beasts after all.

Mizuki’s magic had already shown itself capable of destroying monsters. When it came to the Mazoku however, it was possible that she wouldn’t even be able to burn them. That last Mazoku had been just such an example.

So of course she felt uneasy.

However, t.i.tania rejected that hypothesis.

“—No. At least for now, I can’t say that the likelihood of that having happened is all that high.”

“What makes you say that, Tia?”

“Well, as you’ve said, Reiji-sama, we are now within the borders of the Empire. Running into the Mazoku here would certainly give rise to the thoughts you have just expressed. However, in reality, the Mazoku haven’t done much after attacking Noshias. In order to get here, they would have had to first pa.s.s through two other countries and a mountain range. A reckless march like that is completely unprecedented.”

Mizuki agreed with t.i.tania.

“That’s right. Even if they forced their army to march all the way here, it’d just mean they were cut off from the others, anyway.”

“Considering that they didn’t attack the other two countries while coming in this far, if they wanted to attacked Mehter… Well, that should be impossible, right?”

“Correct.”

t.i.tania nodded. Just as she’d said, a large-scale troop movement of this nature which completely isolated itself was simply inviting disaster. Typically, when mobilizing a large number of troops, care would first be taken to ensure the existence of supply lines and an open path for reinforcements, and only then would action be taken.

Taking action without ensuring that these logistical requirements had been met would only result in your army being stranded. Being cut off from all a.s.sistance in this manner would eventually result in being surrounded by your enemies. This style of battle was extremely hazardous but not advantageous.

And yet.

“And yet, it is undeniable that the Mazoku are here. Even if the Mazoku army itself hasn’t been able to penetrate this far, it is nevertheless an indisputable fact that the Mazoku are here.”

“That’s true. That’s a real problem, isn’t it…”

“Spies… Any possibility they’re spies?”

“Spies…?”

“They’re, um, what we call secret agents in our world.”

“Oh, I see. But—”

“Yeah, I don’t think that’s it either.”

Reiji’s answer, given before Tia could finish, left Mizuki confused.

“Why?”

“If they were involved in that sort of task, they wouldn’t have ambushed us. If they were spies, they would likely be charged with covert ops around the periphery. Abandoning their mission just to ambush us doesn’t make any sense.”

“Right. Especially since they were isolated here in small numbers, there was no guarantee they’d actually be able to kill us.”

“Yeah. It’s conceivable that they would have attacked us if they had known that this was the Hero’s party, but it didn’t look like they knew.”

Indeed, the battle just now had been perfectly timed. That it had been a trap was undeniable. If the plan had truly been intended to take down the Hero, then their numbers had been far too few. For that reason, it was highly unlikely they were aware of his ident.i.ty as the Hero.

“But if that’s true, then I don’t get it,” t.i.tania mumbled to herself, her brow furrowed as she tried to puzzle out the conundrum before them.

Reiji turned to the middle-aged knight, “What do you think, Gregory-san?”

In response to his question, these seasoned veteran bowed his head in apology.

“…I’m very sorry, but try as I might, I can’t understand how the Mazoku think.”

“Is there anything that stands out to you? Any detail, large or small, would help.”

“…Yuusha-dono. Rather, I think it more important that we first leave this place.”

Gregory, who had not offered a concrete opinion until this point, suddenly seriously suggested they retreat.

Did something prompt that thought?

“—Is that because there are other Mazoku in the area?”

“N-no. I don’t think so…”

“…?”

Looks like that wasn’t it.

Reiji frowned.

Something seems off.

Gregory, having just denied that there were Mazoku in the area, nevertheless seemed pressed for some reason. Reiji had originally thought that he’d made the suggestion after having sensed danger. Seeing as that wasn’t the case, however, just what had prompted that reaction from him? If there were no Mazoku here, then why was it so important that they leave with such haste?

t.i.tania spoke next.

“Gregory. Even though I agree with the need to move somewhere safe, but our priority is still to thoroughly understand what the Mazoku were trying to do here. Acting without careful consideration is even more likely to create dangerous circ.u.mstances.”

“…As you say, Your Highness.”

Gregory straightforwardly bowed his head in acknowledgment.

It looked like he’d accepted the matter. Nevertheless, Reiji couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d heard something in the man’s words, a trace of impatience and anxiety there. Just what was causing it…

“…Tia. Is it possible that there are Mazoku outside of those from the north?” Reiji asked, again exploring other avenues of consideration.

If there were other Mazoku, separate from those in the north, then it wouldn’t be impossible to imagine that they’d found their way here.

“No. I don’t think that likely. With the power of the heroes previously summoned, the Mazoku of this world were forced into the north. There shouldn’t be any anywhere else… If the legends that have been pa.s.sed down are correct, that is.”

“Legends?”

“The record describing the past efforts of heroes mentions it. After the Hero defeated the Maou, the forces of each nation seized the opportunity to annihilate the Mazoku. The remaining Mazoku were forced deep into the harsh environment of the far north… That very last piece of land proved resistant to human attack, and at long last, humanity gave up on the goal of hunting the Mazoku to extinction.”

“I see…”

If that was true, then it was indeed impossible for the Mazoku to exist elsewhere.

But in that case.

“There are so many things that don’t make sense.”

“Yeah.”

Reiji echoed Mizuki’s exasperated murmur. Their discussion had proved fruitless, and they were left without so much as a clue.

At that moment, they heard the sound of someone running toward them from far off.

And then.

“Y-Yuusha-sama!”

In order to make their group aware of his presence, a voice called out. The voice’s owner was a young knight a.s.signed with the same task as Gregory: providing support for Reiji who had yet to accustom himself to the ways of their world.

In order to maintain contact with the palace, members of the party would at times leave the group, undertaking the responsibility of playing messenger. This time, it seemed to have been his turn, subst.i.tuting Gregory who had done it before…

The young knight dismounted from his horse before bowing.

“Rofrey-san.”

“I have returned.”

“Rofrey, you’re not hurt, are you?”

t.i.tania’s casual question took Rofrey by surprise, and he stammered, “A-a-a knight like me made the Princess worry—”

“Rofrey.”

“Y-yes! Sorry, but before that, over there was…”

Gregory cleared his throat, sending the younger knight into a panic, after which he finally managed to recover from his state of incoherent rambling.

Reiji answered the young man’s frantic gaze.

“Oh, you saw it. The Mazoku attacked just a while ago, so we eliminated them.”

“That was all of them?!”

“That” was referencing the corpses of the Mazoku who had fallen in the battle, which it seemed Rofrey had seen, judging by his startled outburst.

Even though he’d already seen it, he was still making a big fuss about it. Definitely a truly expressive person.

“Y-yeah.”

“As expected of Reiji-sama! …Oh, sorry. My apologies.”

…He’d practically been shouting. Would it be better to describe him as a lively person or someone who wore his emotions on his sleeve?

Either way, looking at him, it was clear there was something he wanted to say.

“What’s the matter? You’ve been making a huge fuss ever since you got here. And where’s Luke? You two left together to meet up with the communications personnel. Why hasn’t he returned?” Gregory inquired.

“Sir. I’ll now make my report, which includes the aforementioned item.”

Rofrey took a deep breath and then continued.

“Although this is a bit sudden, but we need to leave this area immediately.”

“And why is that?”

“The Mazoku general seems to have already broken through the countries of Thoria and Shardock and is even now at the northern border of Aster.”

His face stiff, Rofrey gave this stunning report. Thoria and Shardock were countries to the north of Nelferia and Sadias…

“What!? Are you serious, Rofrey?!”

“Y-yes. That is what I was told by the communications officer anyway…”

Rofrey shrank, intimidated by the pressure he felt from t.i.tania as the young lady pressed him for information.

However, Reiji heard something in his words that bothered him.

“Rofrey-san. Just now you said, ‘seems to have’. What do you mean by that?”

Reiji pursued the matter further. From the very beginning, Rofrey’s words had been permeated by a certain air of vagueness.

Had the Mazoku made their way into Aster or not? From his words, you couldn’t be sure.

“Well, that’s because this is according to intel provided by the troops patrolling the border. They chanced upon traces of something and came to this conclusion. That’s why I can’t be sure…”

“Traces of what?”

“Footprints and remnants of magical power that don’t belong to any monster.”

t.i.tania stepped in next.

“So no one’s actually seen the Mazoku general, correct?”

“That’s correct. The enemy seems to be taking care to hide its movements. There have not been any witnesses or reports of anything having come under attack.”

Hesitantly, Mizuki expressed her thoughts on the issue.

“…From what we know of them, shouldn’t they be rampaging?”

Everyone nodded. It was just as Mizuki had said. As enemies of humanity, if they had truly mobilized their troops to the point of having broken through national boundaries to reach this point, then the purpose of this sneak attack had likely been to create chaos.

Although it wasn’t for certain that there weren’t any other ulterior motives to the attack, but if even the enemy general had been called to arms, then other possibilities seemed unlikely. The most effective use of large numbers of troops was to fight a war, after all.

And yet.

“The Mazoku have not as of yet made an actual large-scale offensive against this country, nor has the existence of their army actually even been confirmed yet. The reliability of this intel is quite questionable…”

“Perhaps the Mazoku who attacked us were the ones in question?”

When Rofrey had become aware of the attack by the Mazoku just earlier, he had combined this knowledge with the intel he’d been carrying to reach this hypothesis. To be more specific, the Mazoku who had just attacked were a part of the enemy general’s forces.

That being the case, his shock when running across the Mazoku corpses just earlier was entirely understandable.

“Yes, that’s what I think as well,” Rofrey replied, somewhat unhappily.

“So where’s Luke?” Gregory interrupted.

“He’s escorting the communication officer to the rendezvous point, and then back to Mehter. If all goes according to plan, he will meet back up with us in Empire territory two days from now.”

“I understand.”

“Things have taken a turn for the worst,” t.i.tania said, looking thoroughly stressed.

“If that’s the case, then our actions should already have been exposed to the Mazoku. Anyway, according to what just happened…”

Indeed, their question from earlier had now been answered. The ambush just now was not a coincidence, but something that had been planned in advance.

In that case, how to explain the current situation?

“Is it perhaps that the Mazoku are aware of the Hero summoning but are not familiar with the details? That would make sense if we interpret the earlier attack as a sort of forced reconnaissance.”

“Ah…”

“That makes sense. In other words, they’re trying to locate the Hero’s party.”

“Right.”

That’s right.

If the Mazoku general’s presence had become known, then it was possible that the Hero would retreat. In order to avoid this, he had acted in secret and split his troops into small, exploratory raiding bands. This perfectly explained the grasp of the situation that Mizuki, t.i.tania, and the others had.

…But still…

If that was the case, then each unit would undoubtedly have a person in charge of relaying information to the others. However, the raiding party just now clearly did not.

Looks like it’s still too early to make a final conclusion…

In any event, what was of greatest importance now was determining whether or not their current whereabouts had already been revealed.

In contrast to his own concerns, Mizuki raised another.

“If the Mazoku are in the area, then we’re in trouble. Rofrey-san’s horse aside, the others were all killed by the Mazoku…”

“Yes. The worst possible situation may have just occurred, and it might not be one we can escape. We might just have to face it head-on.”

“Rofrey. How many Mazoku are there estimated to be?”

“Over a thousand, I’m afraid…”

“One thousand…”

“…That’s…”

Mizuki was left speechless, as was Reiji. That was undoubtedly a number which they had not the slightest hope of defeating in a direct confrontation.

Even the Mazoku from earlier had taken a good deal of time to finish off. Were they to be surrounded by an army of a thousand, they wouldn’t be able to last long at all.

Just then, Suimei’s words once again echoed in his mind.

Mizuki, too, showed a pained expression.

“T-then shouldn’t we leave right now?”

“No. Wandering around aimlessly is not a good idea. Other than my horse, we have none others. If we don’t decide our destination in advance, and carefully plan out food and water rations, then…”

Rejecting Mizuki’s panicked words, Rofrey’s a.s.sertion was correct.

They all nodded. Suddenly, t.i.tania turned to the seasoned knight at their side, who for some reason, had not offered one word of advice during this entire discussion.

“Gregory. What do you think we should do?”

“No…”

His face grim, his answer vague, Gregory’s manner had been strange ever since the topic of the Mazoku had come up.

…No, wait just a moment. What was it Gregory said before all this?

While everyone had been discussing the Mazoku, he’d looked strangely anxious the entire time—

Everyone turned to Gregory, whose attempts to hide the strange atmosphere had failed.

“Perhaps… it’s time…” he muttered weakly.

“Gregory?”

“…When it comes to what we were discussing, there’s no need to worry.”

What in the world was this?

…His face taut as he spoke, the words he uttered next became the catalyst for the first uproar that would shake their party since their journey began.