Chapter 62 – Friends, Allies, and Enemies (8)

Friends, Allies, and Enemies (8)

An untold ancient tale.

The conference room.
A massive round table is set in place. This is the heart of enemy territory, established with the help of the local resistance, deep beneath the largest metropolis occupied by the Demon King’s army.
Dust and the smell of blood fill the air as all members gather here to hear the words of the savior who will liberate Myluman.

Then, in that hushed space where even the earth seemed to hold its breath, a boy spoke up.

“The Plaguebringer, Luto, must be dealt with now, while it’s opportune. While they’re busy contaminating The Great Forest and can’t focus on the capital, we won’t get another chance like this. We should mobilize all our forces and start the reclamation operation immediately.”

The city that was taken must be reclaimed now.
The target is the Plague Disaster, Luto.
A key figure in the Demon King’s army and the main player in the siege of Myluman. To liberate Myluman, he must be eliminated.

To kill him and take back the city.
That was the declaration.

When the boy first headed to Myluman, the city was already under siege.
During the battle of Myluman, the elves had made commendable headway, even taking the head of one of the officers, but the outcome was grim.
Many formidable opponents, including the Demon Archer, engaged in fierce combat, and the city fell, ultimately, in vain.

Having witnessed that scene, the boy regrouped and headed back to the empire, then made his way to Myluman once more.

And now, the situation continues.

The reason for the fall of this natural fortress was simple.
One of the forest keepers, who should have cut off the Demon King’s army’s supply lines, betrayed them and opened the main gate.

The traitor had not yet been identified, but it didn’t matter.
The savior, the boy, had arrived.

Of course, the boy’s help wasn’t free.

He wanted one companion to join him in killing the Demon King once everything was settled.

The elders of Myluman offered the most outstanding archer, the Demon Archer, as the price, and the negotiation was successful.
The elders didn’t care for propriety as long as they had the chance to dispose of the Demon Archer. It didn’t matter if she returned severely injured. It would be fine if she came back crippled. Better if she came back dead.

Right after the negotiation was settled, the boy returned with an expert on the Demon King’s army.
The argument was that betrayal should be met with betrayal.

The man who arrived underground through a fellow mage’s teleportation magic looked around the place for a while before speaking.

The traitor is among us.

He asserted so confidently. Having been part of the Demon King’s army, he knew their strategies all too well.

And it didn’t take long to identify the exact identity of the traitor who had brought down Myluman. Within less than an hour of arriving here, the traitor was discovered.

The identity of the traitor was the Demon Archer, her closest friend.
It was Rapi.
Having found the culprit who set the capital ablaze, an immediate and appropriate punishment was expected by everyone except for her kin, Rahi.

But she couldn’t be dealt with carelessly.
The Demon Archer cherished her friends deeply. Collaborating with the Demon King’s army would have been of little consequence to her.
Among those friends, Rapi was the closest. To act against her would surely lead to bloodshed.

Yet, if no immediate action was taken, this place could be put in jeopardy.
According to the man, it wouldn’t be long before a new subordinate would emerge through the traitor’s body and appear here. They couldn’t risk the last stronghold falling.
What then was to be done?

There were no exceptions. The traitor had to be dealt with.
It was a rule of war that a traitor in league with the enemy must not be spared.

But whose hands would be dirtied?

No one wanted to antagonize the Demon Archer. Disliking her and risking death at her hands were two different matters.
Everyone discussed Rapi’s fate.

And soon, everything was decided.

The boy would kill the traitor.
The Demon Archer had to ‘cooperate’ with the boy until the Demon King was killed, so she could not be the one to do it. She herself had agreed to this, sworn by the World Tree. That promise could not be broken.
It was a suggestion directly from the boy.

You have no reason to do this.
Why would you sacrifice yourself for these bastards?

Despite the man’s dissuasion, everything proceeded swiftly.

Fortunately, the Demon Archer was in the forest, so there was no one to stop the execution.
Rahi screamed in protest, but in the end, the holy sword sliced through Rapi’s neck, and with his sword dripping warm blood, the boy strongly insisted.

Let’s strike down the Plaguebringer, Luto.

No one opposed his command.

Thus, the operation to reclaim Myluman began under the boy’s lead.
After piling up countless corpses, they finally killed the Plaguebringer, Luto, and reclaimed Myluman.

After everything was over, for some reason, the Demon Archer believed that the boy had killed Rapi out of his own selfish desires. Someone had cunningly hidden the truth and informed her of Rapi’s death.
She seemed unaware that Rapi was the traitor.
Perhaps she knew but pretended not to.
The Demon Archer was certainly a woman capable of that.

Well, that’s how the Demon Archer ended up accompanying the boy in the worst of relationships.

Rahi harbored resentment towards the boy who had mercilessly killed her sister. Her anger stemmed from the fact that, despite the betrayal, the elders who had ignored and ostracized her sister faced no consequences for their actions. They were clueless about the gravity of their own situation.

The Demon Archer hated the boy for killing her closest friend. She was unaware that her friend had opened the sturdy gates, leading to the brutal slaughter of Myluman’s citizens. She believed the boy had killed her friend to consolidate his own power. That was her sincere conviction.

Thanks to this twisted truth, the boy faced numerous assassination threats from her throughout their journey.

He was often the victim of violence.

But the boy stopped the man from revealing the truth. He cited promises as his reason for silence. Thus, the truth remained untold.
What could have been so important for the boy to insist on such silence?

Perhaps now, there was a slight understanding.

Anyway, time passed.

In the end, the boy committed suicide.

The man holding the boy’s will headed towards Myluman.

* * *

On a night with a bright full moon, in a lodging within Myluman city.

A sense of fatigue overwhelmed me after finishing a long story in the dead of night. It was because I had to dredge up old tales without proper rest, even after escaping through the forest keeper’s path.

“It’s certainly different from what I heard from Chloe.”

“Well, it would be.”

“…I see.”

I didn’t particularly want to talk. I hated stories of the past. Speaking of them, recalling them, and even listening to them. Because looking back doesn’t solve anything.

“Just let it go in one ear and out the other.”

Yet, for some reason, I wanted to speak.
I couldn’t refuse Cecilia’s request for the story.
They say people change before they die; perhaps that’s true.

Maybe it’s because I feel at ease. Even though we talked without keeping watch, no uninvited guests appeared, which suggests our escape was a success.
With just the two of us, we couldn’t lift a boulder, so it was natural. But I couldn’t relax, knowing there might be pursuers, especially since the forest keeper was skilled in tracking.

“And from now on… until we leave Myluman, you stay here with Valkvogel.”

“…If that’s more convenient for you, sure, but make sure you come for your morning treatment.”

It’s easier to move alone, even if it’s just for the sake of secrecy.
Cecilia seemed to agree, more or less.

“Alright, let’s rest for today. It’ll be hard for them to find this place… probably.”

After all, I wear a mask.
Cecilia has her robe pulled over her head.
And Valkvogel, being small, won’t be noticed if she keeps her wings and tail well hidden.

Chloe would never imagine that we, mere fugitives, could be resting comfortably in an inn.

Well, if she does come barging in, that’s a problem for tomorrow’s me to deal with. For now, let’s rest.

During the escape, I couldn’t turn off my Mind’s Eye for even a moment, worried that pursuers might be on our tail. That’s probably why, even though the escape was successful, the situation was far from good.
Deep in the mountains—a proverb that fits my situation perfectly.

My breathing is uncomfortable. Each exhale carries a strong, metallic scent. It seems the wound that had healed has reopened because I couldn’t bear it.
Maintaining the Mind’s Eye is now too much of a strain. My vision is flickering, blurred as if covered in static.

Despite sitting for a long while, my condition hasn’t changed.
There’s no sign of recovery. Yes, my body’s ability to heal itself has noticeably slowed down. It’s fair to say I’ve lost the function of self-recovery.

“…You know, your body is in much worse shape. Even more than when we first met.”

I was about to take off my clothes and lie down on the bed when Cecilia suddenly spoke up.
My body is more damaged.
I was already on borrowed time back then. Now, what’s it? Like the final stages of cancer?

“I’m aware.”

“After delivering this letter, you need to take a long rest. If not, your life span will…”

“It doesn’t matter. I still have enough time to make it to the Dragon Kingdom, right?”

She was suggesting an abrupt rest.

But I had a year left. Time has passed, and I’ve used the holy sword, so maybe about 10 months left.
That should be just enough to make it to the Dragon Kingdom, or comfortably so if I take a carriage.
There’s no need for rest.

“…Actually, I lied.”

“What?”

“Based on your current condition, your remaining life span is probably… barely a month…”

Oh, that’s not good.
Not a year.
Just a precarious month left.
So, about 28 days, perhaps.

I’ll need to adjust my plans to deliver all the letters.

“If you focus on resting, you could live for two more months, so wouldn’t it be better to rest after this letter is delivered? If something unfortunate happens, I’ll deliver the letters, so please…”

Well, my body is in terrible shape. It’s a wonder I’ve lasted a year. Plus, having used the holy sword twice in a row, I figured it would have reduced my time somewhat…
But now that I’m practically blind, death might even be a relief.
Should I be grateful that I don’t have much time left?

“It doesn’t matter. If I die, I die. I’ll set out for the next letter. Whether I’ll make it there, I can’t say.”

I didn’t want to die.

But now that it’s approaching, it doesn’t seem to matter.

It’s not losing if it’s not suicide.
As long as I don’t commit suicide, it’s fine.
I can’t bring myself to commit suicide.
Because this is dying from my life being chipped away.
As long as it’s not suicide, I’m okay with dying.
So, this isn’t suicide.

It doesn’t particularly matter.

Finally,

I can rest.

Peacefully.

Haha.
No, that’s not it.
I’m going to die working.
I never intended to die.
I don’t want to die.

“No, what are you… Ha… Let’s talk about this later…”

She stepped back at my firm attitude. Maybe my expression was a bit odd. I felt my facial muscles move, so I must have made a strange face.

She slowly stepped backward and then lay down on the bed by the window, turning her back to me.

What exactly does Cecilia want to gain from this journey? Her reasons for following me, her ultimate goal… I don’t know anymore. It’s too bothersome to think about.

Well, I just need to deliver the letters.
Now that I don’t have much life left.

Let’s not think too deeply about it.

Myluman is rich in good materials because of its mountainous terrain, so even the inns are quite well-equipped.
Thanks to that, it seemed I could sleep comfortably.

The bed here is better than in the empire.

With that thought, I drifted off to sleep.