Chapter 351
Chapter 351. Tavern and Traveler
――In the eastern part of the continent.
In a city-state facing a gigantic lake.
Far removed from the Demon Lord Army frontline, this land was free of the shadows of war, and people continued their peaceful lives as usual.
As night fell, lights began to flicker on in the closely packed houses within the castle walls, and everyone was spending their evening as they pleased—families sharing joyful moments, lovers whispering sweet nothings, and the lively clamor of the tavern—
“Cheers!”
“Good work!”
Today, like any other day, fishermen and sailors gathered in a rundown tavern, tipping their mugs of ale while shaking off the fatigue of work. Some boasted about their catches, some tried to predict the weather, and others spread gossip about celebrities. Various topics filled the air, but there were also the unique pleasures that a bustling water city could offer—
“—So, tell me. You came from the west, right?”
A drunken sailor leaned forward, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.
“Yes. I flowed in from the front lines,” replied a weary traveler dressed in a tattered cloak with dark skin.
“What’s going on with the fight against the Demon Lord Army now?”
“Well, it’s terrible,” the traveler sighed as he answered.
“The Defteros Kingdom fell in no time at all. The Arena Kingdom is on its last legs. The allied forces keep losing, and while the Holy Church is talking big, it’s really a pathetic mess.”
“Is it that bad…?”
“Unfortunately. The capital of the Defteros Kingdom, Evaroti, fell within three days.”
“Ah, I’ve heard that. But I also heard the invading Demon Lord Army suffered injuries too?”
“Who knows…” The traveler wore a sardonic smile at the sailor’s words.
“In reality, the morale of the capital’s defense forces was already on the brink of collapse before the Demon Lord Army attacked. King Osshimaier XIV fled barefoot with his men, and more than half of the defending soldiers abandoned the royal castle.”
“How horrible! They can’t even be called royalty!”
“Those folks surged into the neighboring Tritus Principality along with the refugees, so it’s a pity for them, too.”
Sighing, the traveler took a deep swig of ale.
“So, was it true that they inflicted damage on the Demon Lord Army during the defense of Evaroti…?”
“Nine times out of ten, it’s just the Holy Church putting on a brave face…”
“…Well, if the king ran away like that, it’s just pathetic.”
The sailor grimaced as he sipped his ale.
“Hey, you said the Arena Kingdom is on its last legs, but is that true? I heard a certain Forest Elf lady say that the Holy Great Tree Alliance sent a huge reinforcement over there.”
Another sailor, who had been listening nearby, chimed in.
“Hah, reinforcements. Is that really what you call them?”
The traveler let out a dry laugh.
“Just between us… the Holy Great Tree Alliance’s reinforcements were supposedly just for show.”
“What?!”
The sailors leaned in closer as the traveler lowered his voice.
“While they might have looked impressive in number, they were mostly young elves who didn’t know left from right, hiding in the forest and shooting arrows at the Demon Lord Army just to run away again. They hardly fought at all…”
“Do they even have any fighting spirit…?”
“Rumor has it, it’s quite questionable whether they have any spirit to fight at all.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
The sailors tilted their heads, puzzled by the traveler’s vague tone.
“Honestly, just between us… it’s said that the Holy Great Tree Alliance is trying to form an alliance with the Demon Lord Army…”
“No way! The Forest Elves and Night Elves can’t stand each other!”
One of the sailors shouted in disbelief. The others looked equally skeptical, but the traveler continued with a serious face.
“Indeed, their relationship with the Night Elves is tense, but still, the Demon Lord is supposedly reaching out for peace talks… They are allegedly urging the Holy Great Tree Alliance to withdraw from the alliance. The Forest Elves are trying to betray us while pretending to maintain a gracious facade by sending out mere symbolic reinforcements…”
“If that’s true, that’s major trouble…”
“But… you know?”
The sailors, who had some contacts with the Forest Elves, exchanged skeptical glances.
“Currently, the Arena Kingdom, which received reinforcements from the Holy Great Tree Alliance, is nearly on the brink of extinction. If the Holy Great Tree Alliance—if the Forest Elves had any fighting spirit, wouldn’t they be putting up a better fight?”
“That… is true.”
“Rumor has it, when the Demon Lord Army set fire to the forest, the Forest Elves quickly fled. Their camp was left deserted, and only ashes remained, revealing they hardly engaged in battle at all.”
“That’s just awful… Acting so high and mighty, but when the time came, they were like that…?”
One of the sailors irritably downed his ale and ordered a refill.
“Seriously. Prices for ale have been increasing lately. They keep saying it’s for support funds and disaster relief, and then they hike up the alcohol tax…”
“As a result, we can’t drink as freely as we used to.”
“It’s just the one thing we look forward to…”
As they tipped their mugs, the sailors voiced their grievances—
“Yeah, yeah, I get it. It’s really pathetic how all these folks in the alliance and the Holy Church are…”
The traveler nodded in agreement and dramatically sighed again.
“Their talk claims it’s for humanity’s sake, or because of the threats posed by the Demon Lord Army, but we common folks have our daily lives too.”
“Absolutely.”
“Apparently, even countries far from the front lines are raising taxes for support, but I’ve heard… much of the support money ends up lining the pockets of the Holy Church and the higher-ups of the alliance…”
“What?!”
“Isn’t it strange? Despite the generous support from allied nations, the capital of Defteros, Evaroti, reportedly didn’t even have enough winter food, causing many citizens to starve to death. Where did all that plentiful support money and resources disappear to?”
“That… damned it, someone must be embezzling that money…!”
“Honestly, I can’t say it’s all true, but the allied forces seem to be corrupt.”
The traveler slammed the table in frustration.
“But you know, embezzlement happens everywhere, and just because of that, we can’t just do nothing. The Demon Lord Army is coming, and the human race will face dire consequences, says the Priestess…”
“Who knows… The priestesses love to stir up fear about the Demon Lord Army, but the demon race supposedly treats honorable enemies with kindness. It’s said that just because you’re captured doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily get killed.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. A number of cities in the Defteros Kingdom reportedly have been allowed autonomy.”
“That’s quite different from what I heard from the priestess…”
“They might be right that if the Demon Lord Army arrives, it would be dire, at least for that priestess.”
The traveler spoke in a somewhat playful tone, prompting the sailors to chuckle and nod in agreement.
“Well, the Holy Church might be doing this to hype up the crisis and beg for money…”
“Damn it, what do they think people’s goodwill is worth…?”
“Unforgivable…!”
“The priestess only spouts pretty words…”
“Though it is true that the Demon Lord Army is indeed frightening…”
The sailors had varied reactions—some were angry, some skeptical, and others worried yet not dismissive of the looming threats.
With a slight smirk on his lips, the traveler moistened his mouth with ale and continued.
“For the sake of humanity and the alliance, you’re all enduring taxes while living difficult lives, but it seems nearly all your goodwill and effort have gone to waste. Isn’t that just unforgivable? I traveled all this way because I wanted you to know the reality at the front lines…!”
The traveler spoke passionately, but—
“You’re sharing quite the interesting story.”
Suddenly, a light tap landed on his shoulder.
“—!?”
When he turned around, a cheerful-looking young man greeted him with a bright smile. He had a well-formed face, healthily sun-kissed skin, a well-built physique, and neatly trimmed brown hair. Beside him stood a fair-skinned, silver-haired girl with delicate features—her slightly stiff face stared intently at the traveler with golden eyes.
Both were dressed in simple travel attire, yet the girl wore an impressive-looking stabbing sword, while the young man sported a long sword that exuded an eerie aura—
The traveler felt a chill run down his spine.
He hadn’t noticed their approach until they tapped him on the shoulder.
And there were too many unnatural points about this young man—his magical power was so strong he couldn’t be mistaken for a human!
“Your ears… quite short, aren’t they?”
The young man maintained his sunny smile while narrowing his eyes slightly.
“!!”
Pushing away the hand, the traveler, with a quick motion, expelled a needle from his mouth aimed at the young man’s face. However, it seemed to hit an invisible wall mid-air, deflecting off of a protective spell—
“【Holy Radiance, come to my hand】”
Suddenly, the young man ignited in silver flames, and horrifying magical power enveloped the traveler.
A sound like red-hot iron being thrust into water echoed.
“Gaahhhh!”
The traveler shrieked as his entire body was set ablaze—
†††
It seems I, Hero Alexander, have visited the city-states.
Today, like any other day, I’m cheerfully hunting Night Elves.
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