25. Birth of a True Hero

Today, just like everyday, I was headed towards the guild.
Heading to work like this daily isn’t too bad.
While in the demon army, I was eating canned food in the same room every single day.

Compared to when I was barely working, both day and night, my way of life was way healthier now.
The work of an adventurer is much warmer than the work of a heavenly king.

When I decided to go to the city of humans, I was full of anxiety, but my decision at the time was not wrong after all.

“…Oh.”

While thinking so, I bump into a little girl who came running into my side.
I almost fell but managed to keep balance.

“That was close. Are you okay, miss?”
“Aa…”

The girl seemed fine, but she had released the balloon she was holding.
The balloon went up to the sky as if it was running from the girl’s hands.
Seeing that, tears come to her eyes.

“Wa wa wa wa… Wait, wait. Big brother will get it back, so don’t cry.”
“Uncle, will you really?”

I though I said “big brother”…
I wonder why she changed that?

Careful now…
I can’t be seen threatening small children.

“Y, yeah. I’ll get it.”

Hup!

I jump high in the sky.
As I’ve said before, demi-lich posess superhuman strength.
Our physical ability is high overall, so we also have high jumping power.
I jumped over the roofs of the surrounding buildings and chased the balloon ascending into the sky.

Finally, my fingers hang on the balloon and catch it.

It was at that moment.

『KAA…!!』

I saw a crow.
It flew in front of my eyes, and headed towards the east of the city.
Finally, it went inside a building just like that.

I descend and land onto the ground.
I then present the balloon to the girl waiting for me.

“Here… ‘Big brother’ got it for you.”
“Thank you, ‘uncle’.”

This girl’s a tough nut to crack.

The girl then disappears into the city with her mother who arrived late.
On the other hand, I kept staring into the eastern sky.
My feet begin moving towards the eastern part of the city.
I saw the crow from earlier now standing on top of a roadside tree.

Guided by the crow, I enter an unpopular back alley.

There were three dubious people standing in the back alley.
Their hoods were worn under their eyes and their faces could not be seen.
No, there was an atmosphere to them resembling the dark abyss.

The crow lands on the shoulder of the person standing in the middle.
The crow, which was conjured from magic, dissipates like fog.

“As I thought, it was you lot…”

I sigh and stare at the three.

　◆◇◆◇◆

“Ha—!!”

Sharon opens her eyes wide.
Simultaneously, she stretches her back like a knight whose back was cut.
Within a moment, sweat starts to appear on her white skin.

“What’s wrong, Sharon?”

At Sharon’s sudden eccentricity, Pafimia begins panicking.
Carla, whom they had just consulted about the next quest, looked on anxiously.
Hearing her howling scream, the adventurers on the sides also moved their sight towards her.

Sharon puts her hands on her chest, and crouches down.
While breathing roughly, she spits out these words:

“Malice… A great amount of malice is headed towards here.”

“Eh, could that be–“
“Could that be a prophecy?”

Pafimia and Carla were staring at each other’s faces.

Sharon is called the “Priestess of Prophecy”.
Both Pafimia and Carla, have heard of the high accuracy in her prophecies, which have saved others from crises many times.
However, they never thought they would witness a prophecy themselves and froze standing where they were.

“Malice…”

Mackenzie, who had descended from the second floor, had a keen face.
Carla who seemed to be panicking, rushes towards him.

“Mackenzie-sama… Just what sort of malice…”
“We have no choice but to ask the lady priestess. But, it’s probably—“
“Demons…”

Pafimia swallows her breath.
The other adventurers did the same.

“That can’t be! This is a simple rural town. Even for a major city, it’s not a military strategic key-point! Why would, the demons—“
“I do not understand either.”

Sharon who had crouched down, slowly begins to get up.
With the support of Pafimia, she continues her words.

“This feeling though… I remember it well. This is most likely demons.”
“Lady priestess, could you not tell us any more details?”

Mackenzie questions her.

“Prophecies are often fragmented and uncertain, but from what I saw it was–“


–A giant army of demons which fills up the earth.


“That can’t be…”

Carla covers her mouth with her hands.
Tears were about to spill from her wide open eyes.

“I think it is accurate.”

Another voice fills the Neuville city guild.
Everyone’s eyes pour onto the man with a dashing face, standing at the entrance.
It was the silver rank adventurer, Mysteltam.

However, the man called “Mysteltam the Absolute Flash” in the royal capital, was for some reason wearing an apron and holding a loaf of bread under his arm.

“Mysteltam-san, what is the basis for your claim?”
“My magic sense caught on a huge cluster of magic, so I sent my familiar to check it out, and it seems that a large number of flame-lizards* are headed towards the western wall of the city. Judging from the place they appeared at, it seems to be transfer magic.”

“No way, a large-scale, ritual-class transfer magic… But why is an army like that headed–“
“Even I don’t know, but it’s the demons’ thoughts. There may be a reason which we humans can’t even think of.”
“Yes– and the scale?”

Mackenzie asks. a little excitedly.

“Roughly speaking, about ten thousand strong.”

T-ten thousand!!??

The insides of the guild froze over for a moment.
Even Mackenzie, a former silver rank adventurer, leaves his mouth open and freezes.
A demon army ten thousand strong…
It was still small scale compared to a regular human army, but to a countryside town, it could be considered colossal.

“What a difficult situation… If we’re careless, this town could get completely swallowed by them.”

Mackenzie squeezes out those words.

“What are your orders, Mackenzie-sama?”
“Muu… We have no choice but to abandon the city and evacuate everyone.”

Abandon the city– no one could refute that statement.
Neuville city, does not have the forces to counter the demon army.
The guards are few, and the adventurers are just enough to exterminate monsters on its outskirts.
As the battle between humans and demons intensifies, troops become too precious to spare for countryside towns.

“Mysteltam, estimated time of arrival for the army…”
“A day… No, half a day would be more accurate.”
“I understand… I will go and meet with the mayor. You lot should start leaving. No matter what happens survive and rebuild–“

“I won’t leave!”

Pafimia makes this brave statement in the middle of the guild.
Hearing it, one would begin to question her sanity, but the brilliance in her eyes wasn’t flickering.

“Hero Pafimia-sama…”

Sharon mutters to herself while seeing her majestic appearance.

Then, Pafimia raises the corner of her mouth.
In this despairing situation like this, she was laughing.

“Yeah, I’m the hero! Sharon… The “Priestess of Prophecy” chose me. The demons are in front of us. Helpless people are in front of us. Destroying demons, and saving people is why I was given– no, why Sharon has chosen me.”

Oh…..

That godly figure.
Those reliable words.
They drew people’s vision towards them.
Everyone was moved, and trembled, at the birth of the true savior.

Then, a heavy sound could be heard.
Looking back, Mackenzie could be seen swinging up his club.

“Regardless of being a hero, if I’m told that much by a youngster, I couldn’t possibly withdraw here.”
“M, Mackenzie-sama! Do you intend to fight here?”
“Carla, I’m sorry. But please report this to the mayor instead of me.”

Mackenzie’s eyes were already set.
Was he inspired by Pafimia’s words?
Or was he always going to fight?
The face of the old adventurer had already returned to an active one.

“I shall also fight.”

The next one to say that, was Mysteltam.

“I was thinking of spending time in this rural town while working as a baker with my partner, but if this city disappeared, the damage won’t just be limited to the bakery…… Also if I let a young girl fight alone, my title of “Absolute Flash” will be obsolete.”

Mysteltam throws away his apron.

The guild master, Mackenzie.
The man possessing the title of “Absolute Flash”, Mysteltam.
Finally, the hero chosen by the “Priestess of prophecy”, Sharon.

“It’s amazing now that I think about it.”
“To think Neuville had such a fighting force.”
“Could it be that we might win here?”
“Yeah… I’ve finally started seeing hope.”

Oooooooooohhhh!!

Although the battle hadn’t started yet, a battle cry was still raised.
Some people held their weapons over their heads, saying “I will fight”.

Sharon then takes Pafimia’s hand.

“That was excellent, Pafimia-sama.”
“I’m just saying what I’m supposed to as a hero, besides I don’t think master would ever run away…”
“Hm? That reminds me, where’s Capua?”

Mackenzie moves around his vision.

“He wasn’t at the inn, but didn’t he come here?”

Carla shakes her head at the question.
Sighing deeply, Mysteltam crosses his arms.

“We’d be spared if he were here though…”
“But we can’t just rely on my master forever. I feel like I’ll never catch up to him for the rest of my life unless I overcome this crisis myself.”

Isn’t that right, master–.

Pafimia stares into the eastern sky, visible from the guild.