Volume 10 Chapter 2 Brigante Executive Council
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Then, I’ll begin the damage report.”
Beneath a tent sealed by magical wards, several figures sat across a simple wooden table, their faces lit by a dull lantern glow.
A Merfolk woman with bright orange hair spoke with a serious look. Beside her sat an elf with a calm, forestlike gaze. A golden-furred catfolk twitched her ears and sniffed now and then. One man leaned back, half-asleep, his posture lazy.
Meetings always began with the most capable person taking the lead.
Standing confidently before them, her deep-blue hair swaying, was Suzette—the demon maid.
”The Vampire assault seems to have focused on the battle troops encamped near Orrid,” Suzette began. “Several units suffered heavy losses, but we still have little detail from the surrounding troops. Our own Brigante forces were barely attacked at all.”
”They went out of their way to avoid us,” said Primlena, adding to Suzette’s report.
”Cianie stayed here, right?” said Klock. “If they didn’t come for us, then yeah—they were scared to face her.”
Flavia and the others nodded. Viola had been working with Kispe. They must have known Cianie was unable to move freely—and acted accordingly.
Or perhaps their real target had been Klock’s sleeping body.
”We couldn’t just sit around, of course,” Klock continued. “While striking at the enemy lines, we tried to locate Viola, but…”
”The rain and wind made it impossible to follow her scent,” Meina said quietly.
Apparently, Primlena and Meina had gone out to fight beyond the camp—but never found Viola. That meant no one had seen her at all. She had to be somewhere out there, but unseen.
”The Vampires struck in the dead of night,” Suzette went on. “The Humans were caught completely off guard. They could do nothing but defend.”
She paused briefly.
”The storm outside looks terrible, but most of that was caused by Stormhorn. The winds were already strong when the battle began, but near dawn they became almost violent. It was Lady Cianie who realized Stormhorn was behind it. Once the gale grew stronger, the Vampires could barely fly, and the Humans were too battered by the wind to fight properly.”
At first, no one had realized Stormhorn was responsible. Cianie had noticed because she’d been observing carefully. She had protected Klock, spotted Stormhorn’s storm early, and now was using her flight to scout the area.
As expected of humanity’s strongest warrior—always sharp, always timely.
”So, when we returned, the enemy retreated,” Klock said with a nod. “Makes sense.”
They had vanished soon after returning from the Crimson Spire. Their retreat was surely because the Hero had come back. If only they’d managed to catch Viola too—it would have been perfect.
”What about Stormhorn?”
”Last I saw, it was slipping into the shadows. Haven’t seen it since.”
So it was somewhere within the camp—free to move, beyond anyone’s control.
Having a Phantasmal Beast so close was unsettling; no one could predict what it might do next.
For Stormhorn to intervene in battle at all had been completely unexpected.
It wasn’t a creature you could reason with—no pet, no ally, just a wild force. Still, its storm had crippled the Vampires. Maybe, in its own strange way, it had helped them. At least it hadn’t turned against them.
”What’s your take on the enemy’s tactics?” Primlena asked.
”My honest thought?” Klock said. “It was bad. Real bad.”
All eyes turned toward him.
”Their double strike—Succubus and Vampire together—was deadly. My own capture was successful, after all. If Cianie hadn’t set up her safeguard, we’d have lost. It was a narrow win.”
He had already told them he’d gone to the Crimson Spire. When they heard Kispe had surrendered, Suzette and the others were visibly shocked.
”Her Stellar Skill could drag victims into another world by touch,” he said. “We didn’t know that, so we let her conditions trigger.”
”Yes,” Suzette said softly. “Without knowing the nature of a Unique or Stellar Skill, countermeasures are nearly impossible. This one went far beyond what anyone could prepare for.”
Klock agreed. How could anyone imagine a power that sent you into another world by touch?
He’d met Kispe at Barreith—not as an enemy, not expecting a fight. She’d touched him then. From that moment, she could have pulled him into her realm anytime she wished.
”Welcome to our Crimson Spire,” she had said.
Her first Stellar Skill—Dream-Ferry of Illusions—allowed her to locate the position of a person’s dream. Once she found it, she could take them into a dream of her own design.
She had tried to trap Klock in a dream of false happiness, cutting him off from Cianie forever.
But it failed—Cianie found him. Kispe never dreamed that Cianie could detect Klock’s very existence inside the illusion.
Touch her, and it was over. That was how her skill worked.
Only Cianie’s intervention saved him. Without her, Klock would now be living in endless pleasure with the rabbit and sparrow demons—until he died.
From Klock’s view, the danger hadn’t even felt real until it was too late.
”As for the Vampires’ conduct,” he added, “that’s harder to judge.”
”They weren’t after us,” Suzette said. “But I heard from other troops—they say the Vampires went on a rampage. They attacked even the unarmed, killed and violated countless people, tortured others without mercy. They tore through the camps around Orrid like wild beasts.”
”Rape and torture… during battle?” Flavia frowned. “They had time for that?”
”They fought like rioters, not trained soldiers,” Suzette said grimly. “They burst into tents, violated anyone inside, beat their fallen foes again and again. It was senseless violence—like bandits, not an army.”
”I see,” Klock muttered. “So that’s what kind of creatures they are.”
Rape and plunder had always followed war, but to indulge in such acts during battle—that took a special kind of madness. Normally, such cruelty came after conquest, not in the middle of the fight.
They didn’t care about victory or defeat. Personal gain mattered more than the army’s success.
Anyone who did such things in the middle of a battle clearly lacked discipline—and motivation.
No wonder people called them bandits. It was hard to argue otherwise.
Klock frowned deeply.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Primlena crossing her arms in silent disbelief.
”The Vampire army,” Klock said, “is probably made up almost entirely of dhampirs. They’re humans bitten by Vampires, changed into something similar but not quite the same. Most of them used to be ordinary people—civilians. So it’s likely that the dhampirs fighting in this war are hot-blooded savages.”
”Civilians, huh,” Primlena muttered. “Yeah… recruited crowds always turn to looting fast.”
Maybe they weren’t so different from the Brigante.
People risked their lives because they were poor.
Because they couldn’t even afford food.
No money meant joining the army. And soldiers without pay turned to plunder.
”I’d like to talk about our next steps,” Suzette said. “But I suppose that depends on Orrid’s response.”
”Pretty much,” Klock replied. “We were summoned here, but they still won’t let us enter the city.”
At the moment, Brigante was camping right outside Orrid’s gates. The officials claimed there were too many people and not enough housing, so not only Brigante but every gathered troop had been denied entry.
They were allowed inside only for shopping, and even then, had to leave by sunset—or pay a fine.
Many who had looked forward to finally stepping into the city were furious.
”They won’t let us in, and the governor hasn’t given orders yet,” Klock said. “So, for now, Brigante’s battle plans are on hold.”
”That’s best,” Suzette agreed. “We’re not acting alone anyway.”
No one really understood why they were being kept out, but for now, they had no choice but to accept it.
They’d rest here for a while.
Not disbanded—just on pause. Management and discipline would take priority.
”Anyone got other reports to share?” Klock asked.
”There is one thing,” Suzette said. “It concerns recent incidents within our troop.”
”Incidents?” Klock frowned.
”Yes. Before the Vampire attack. Over the past few days, there have been reports of theft—and rape—inside Brigante.”
Klock sighed inwardly. Men really are hopeless.
Enemy or ally, it was always the same—someone was committing rape.
”In conclusion,” Suzette continued, “we have no suspects for the thefts. They happen too often to be the work of one or two people, so I’ve ordered everyone to guard their own belongings. As for the rape—its perpetrator is already dead.”
”Dead? What happened?”
”I executed him,” Suzette said quietly.
Her tone was calm, almost emotionless. For a moment, the tent fell completely silent.
”R… right. Good work,” Klock managed.
You killed him? The words nearly escaped his mouth, but he stopped himself.
Suzette was his woman. If anyone should trust her judgment, it was him.
She was intelligent and composed—never one to take a life lightly.
If she had done it, then there must have been no other way.
”What led to that?” he asked.
”This troop has many women,” Suzette explained. “When one of them was attacked, she spoke about it. By the time the story reached us, it had already spread through the camp. The female adventurers had gathered together—angry and ready to riot.”
Given the situation, she had decided that leniency was impossible.
It wasn’t personal vengeance. It was necessity.
If they’d gone easy on the rapist, the rumor would’ve spread fast, and the women would’ve turned on their leaders.
They’d see it as betrayal—a failure to protect them.
Then some would quit, others would rebel. It could have torn Brigante apart.
”Also,” Suzette added, “the Hero showed interest in handling the matter personally. I decided it would be better if we settled it ourselves. Forgive me for saying this, but… a Hero shouldn’t get involved in something like rape.”
”Yeah,” Klock said. “That’s true.”
It wasn’t that they took the crime lightly—but Cianie’s role was to save the world, not mediate every human sin. Suzette had simply kept her from being dragged into it.
”Besides,” Suzette continued softly, “this may not be the place to say it, but…”
”Hm?”
”We are women too. We’re always aware of the eyes on us. We can’t risk letting even a hint of that kind of crime seem tolerated—especially when Lady Primlena, Lady Flavia, and the Hero herself are among us. I acted as a warning.”
”…I see.”
Flavia and Primlena didn’t reply. Their silence said more than words.
They were real princesses.
If something happened to them, it couldn’t be brushed aside as an ‘incident.’
Primlena always kept to herself, while Flavia rarely went anywhere without Klock or someone else nearby. They were careful—even among allies.
Suzette, too, was cautious. She never showed herself alone, always blending into groups.
A former spy, she knew how to avoid risk. The only reason Klock had once gotten the better of her was because she’d been wounded at the time.
”That’s my reasoning,” she concluded. “Do you approve?”
”Yeah. Honestly, Suzette—you handled it perfectly. Couldn’t have done better myself.”
Right and wrong depended on where one drew the line.
Sometimes, putting your woman’s safety above all else was the right call.
Klock might not have gone so far as to kill—but he respected her decision.
She had done what he couldn’t.
”That said,” Suzette went on, “Brigante’s security has begun to worsen. I can feel it.”
”Yeah,” Klock nodded. “Seems that way.”
”People are spreading rumors, too,” she said. “We should think about cracking down soon. If we don’t, those words will stir discontent and tear the group apart.”
”Hold up,” Klock said, raising a hand. “That’s too soon. We’re not at that stage yet.”
He stopped her before she could continue.
”Sure, rumors can spread doubt,” he said. “They can make people angry, even cause betrayal or desertion. But talk like that starts because people are unhappy. If you just shut their mouths, the anger doesn’t go away—it builds. One day it’ll explode. You can’t put a lid on discontent. You have to control where it flows.”
”Control… it?” Suzette asked.
”Yeah. People don’t suddenly hate something they love just because someone gossips about it,” Klock said. “If a man hears others badmouthing his wife, he only believes it if he’s already unhappy with her. If he isn’t, he’ll hate the gossiper instead—and stay away from them.”
”If there are people grumbling inside Brigante right now,” Klock said, “it just means they’ve got their reasons. We’re still a new outfit. A few bad rumors aren’t gonna shake us.”
Sure, there could be spies mixed in—but if all they did was spread a little gossip, he wasn’t worried.
”I understand what you’re saying,” Suzette replied. “But how do you plan to deal with it? The troop is getting restless. Whether we’ve managed things well or not, we need to act before it worsens.”
”We’ll deal with their complaints one by one,” Klock said. “Right now, people are upset because they’ve got nowhere to live and no idea what’s coming next. We need to tell them the plan—how long they have to hold on, what’s ahead. And yeah, seeing that city right in front of them but not being allowed in—that’s part of it too.”
”True,” Suzette said. “It’s frustrating. People want to wash up, but they have to walk all the way to the river. Everyone’s sighing from stress.”
It was like being stuck doing endless overtime without knowing when you could go home.
That’s why it was vital to tell them how long this would last.
If leadership said nothing, people would start resenting the silence itself—believing they’d been forgotten.
”Adventurers aren’t soldiers,” Klock continued. “They fight because it’s freedom. When they reach a city, they want to hit the taverns, drink till dawn, maybe find a woman and blow off steam. The rape cases we’ve seen—it’s partly because we didn’t manage that side of things. With so many women here, frustration’s building up.”
”For the past few nights,” Suzette said, “it’s become normal to hear women moaning in the dark. It feels like the number of men seeking them grows by the day.”
Klock hadn’t been conscious for ten days, but if even Suzette had noticed, then it must be true.
”It goes both ways,” Klock said. “The women gather together, keeping their distance from men—but plenty of them are approaching men they like, too.”
”Yes,” Suzette said quietly. “Sex is how they’re fighting boredom. There’s only so much talk you can make before conversation runs dry.”
For soldiers, the enemy wasn’t just the opposing army—it was idleness.
When they had nothing to do, they sought any distraction they could find.
Sex was one of those. The members of Brigante simply had too much time on their hands.
”I don’t care what people do behind closed tents,” Primlena said sharply, “but that kind of thing ruins discipline.”
Klock noticed her tone—sharper than usual, probably because he and Suzette sounded too accepting of it.
”You’re right,” Klock said. “Once it becomes normal for men to get women anytime they want, frustration builds when they can’t. Bring women onto a battlefield, and men grow weak—or sick.”
Honestly, he agreed. It was better not to let things go that far.
But Brigante wasn’t a national army.
Most of their members were adventurers.
”This group’s made up of rough, half-wild adventurers,” he said. “Freedom is what makes that job worth doing. If we start chaining them down, they’ll just run.”
”Freedom,” Suzette repeated. “So we keep them by tolerating their behavior? Then isn’t this troop sustained only because there are so many women in it?”
He gave a small shrug. “Maybe that’s part of it.”
At first, Brigante had gathered around the Hero’s fame.
But fame alone couldn’t hold people together forever. They needed reasons to stay.
From beyond the tent came the loud laughter of women—likely the female warriors.
They were joking crudely, laughing without care. Normally Klock might have teased them, called them filthy and earned himself a kick for it.
But tonight, he simply thought: Thanks to those rowdy women, the men are staying sane.
He supposed he ought to be grateful.
”All right,” Klock said. “From now on, rape or theft against fellow members will mean expulsion. We’ll say it’s a ‘transfer to the front lines.’ Depending on who hears it, that can sound like execution—or mercy.”
”Isn’t that too light?” Suzette asked. “If punishment isn’t severe, women will feel unsafe. They’ll think they could be attacked at any time.”
”No,” Klock said. “Make punishment too harsh, and criminals become unstoppable.”
”Unstoppable?” Primlena frowned.
Klock nodded. “Plenty of countries give the death penalty for theft. But bandits never disappear. You know why? Because once death’s on the line, they start killing witnesses. Call theft a capital crime, and murder follows it. Heavy laws just make worse criminals.”
Punishment alone didn’t make people behave.
Human beings weren’t that wise.
”On a battlefield, killing’s easy,” Klock said. “Make rape a death sentence, and you’ll just get more rape-murders. When someone’s cornered, they’ll go wild to avoid execution. That’s why criminals need an escape route.”
”So—sending them to the front?” Suzette asked.
”Right. If they think they can still run, they’ll surrender peacefully. Let them believe they’ll get a chance to escape later. Whether we actually allow that or not, well… we’ll decide then.”
Brigante wasn’t a country.
Their numbers were small, so any punishment would be handled case by case.
It was just a formal rule to keep order.
”And another thing,” Klock added. “Execution’s just legalized killing. If we set that as precedent, people might start using it to get rid of rivals.”
In other words, it could become a weapon—false accusations to eliminate threats.
They didn’t need that kind of witch-hunt inside the troop.
As for theft—there was probably far more than anyone reported.
Most fighters were in this war to earn money. They were broke and hungry.
Put a shiny sword or good armor in front of them, and of course someone’s going to grab it.
If they started executing every thief, the camp would be filled with corpses.
”Understood,” Suzette said finally. “We’ll handle it that way.”
”Good,” Klock said. “And next, let’s get everyone training again. When soldiers have too much time, they turn to sex and gambling—just like idle villagers or refugees. I don’t care if they fool around, but too much play rots the air. Gambling’s fine, but no betting weapons or armor. Last thing we need is some idiot marching into battle in his underwear.”
He didn’t want to ban gambling completely—it would kill what little spirit the troop had left.
There were too few ways to pass time, and dice games were one of the only forms of fun left.
Still, leave it unchecked, and soon someone would be staking their armor, losing it, and fighting naked.
”Next thing you know,” Klock said dryly, “they’ll be betting stolen loot—and paying later.”
”Paying later?” Suzette tilted her head. “As in, ‘I’ll pay after my next raid’?”
”Exactly,” Klock said. “Soldiers are a bunch of hopeless idiots like that.”
Their real enemy was the invading army—not some town to plunder.
Still, if they stayed in any town or village along the way, some of their men would surely turn to theft.
And the poorer they were, the more eager they’d be.
In a normal army, that was almost expected—just how things went.
But for a troop flying the Hero’s banner, that kind of stain had to be avoided.
A bit of petty crime could easily spiral into scandal—and if that led to Cianie’s name being dragged through the mud, it would be disastrous.
”What about that training you mentioned?” Suzette asked. “It would be a good way to use this waiting period.”
”Yeah,” Klock said. “We’ll drill formations and commands. Those are essential—and urgent. I don’t want anyone forgetting we’re still on a battlefield, even while waiting.”
What the adventurers needed wasn’t combat lessons—it was coordination.
They were experts at fighting monsters, seasoned and confident.
They’d spent years honing their own ways of battle, and if Klock tried to lecture them on fighting, they’d just roll their eyes.
But if he let everyone act however they pleased, group tactics would fall apart.
They also had to work smoothly with the former guards and soldiers who’d joined them.
”By the way, Suzette,” Klock said, leaning forward. “I’m looking for a new vice-captain. Anyone among the troops stand out to you?”
”I’m sorry,” she said after a pause. “No one comes to mind.”
No one had yet filled the place of the one who’d met his daughter again at the Crimson Spire.
It was an important position—too important to fill with just anyone.
”Well, asking you two probably doesn’t make sense,” he said, glancing at Primlena and Flavia.
”I’m afraid I don’t pay much attention to Humans,” Primlena admitted.
”My apologies, Lord Klock,” Suzette said. “I’ll start watching the others more carefully.”
”No need,” he said. “Just checking.”
Primlena and Flavia were outsiders—guests, not commanders.
They couldn’t be expected to know the inner workings of the troop.
”Still,” Primlena said, “there are a few who caught my eye. Whether they’d make good leaders, I’m not sure—but their skill is remarkable.”
”Oh yeah?” Klock perked up. “If you’re saying that, they must be pretty impressive.”
”There’s an archer named Fit,” Primlena said. “Her precision is exceptional. You can tell she’s spent years perfecting her craft.”
”Fit, huh.”
Klock remembered her from the formation party—a calm woman with sharp eyes.
He hadn’t seen her fight, but if Primlena knew her by name, she must have stood out.
”She led her squad well,” Primlena continued. “Gave clear orders, earned her team’s trust. But she seems to dislike attention.”
”She does?”
”Yes. The way she suppresses her presence—it’s as if she avoids contact with others. Still, if she’s willing, you could ask her.”
Klock had spoken with Fit a few times, and she hadn’t struck him that way at all.
He’d thought she was rather sociable.
He rubbed his chin, thinking.
Even in a troop of barely a hundred, for Primlena to notice her meant Fit was exceptional.
But if she truly disliked standing out, promoting her might be difficult.
Well, I am the captain, Klock thought. Guess people act differently around me.
For now, he decided to make a full round of the camp when he had time—to see things firsthand.
Then Primlena asked, “What of that woman, Rosalie?”
Klock stretched, half rising from his seat, ready for a break.
But the question pulled him back.
”She’s a Human noble, isn’t she?” Primlena said. “Is it all right to just leave her be?”
”Oh, right,” Klock muttered. “How’s Lady Rosalie doing?”
”She’s sharing my tent,” Suzette replied. “During the Vampire attack, I kept her hidden. She’s safe. I spoke with her before this meeting and asked her to wait.”
Klock sighed, picturing her timid, fidgety face—and immediately felt irritated.
He could almost feel the urge to grab her shoulders and ask why she’d even come.
They’d be stuck here for a while, so sending her home might’ve been easier.
But before he could say it, Suzette spoke.
”If she’s here as Kreis Baron’s observer, sending her back without permission would be unwise.”
Klock raised his hands in surrender. “All right, all right. You read my mind.”
A capable woman really did seem to read thoughts before they were spoken.
Rosalie had said she “couldn’t sit still and had to come.”
But what noble lady said such a thing?
A baron’s daughter without combat skill joining a frontline troop—it didn’t add up.
There had to be some plan behind it. Maybe Kreis had sent her for his own reasons.
Or maybe not—and the baron was frantically searching for her right now.
”For now,” Klock said, “we’ll wait for orders from Orrid’s governor. In the meantime, we’ll contact Kreis under the pretense of sending an update—and mention that Rosalie’s with us.”
That was the safest course.
If Kreis demanded her return, she’d come on her own.
If he approved, then it was his scheme all along.
Either way, the delay worked in their favor.
”Good. Now then—”
”Understood,” Suzette said. “We’ll call if anything comes up.”
Primlena stood, thinking the meeting was over. Flavia and Meina began to rise as well.
”Whoa, hold on,” Klock said, waving them back down. “We’re not done yet.”
”Hm? I thought we were.”
”That was the Brigante business,” he said. “Next, we talk as the Hero’s party—and those tied to it.”
”Oh?” Primlena’s brows rose.
It made sense they’d be confused—after so long talking, this sounded like the real meeting was only just beginning.
Klock gestured for them to sit again. The real discussion was about to start.
And then—
”…You… you’re—!”
Everyone froze.
Primlena shot to her feet.
Flavia, usually quiet, went pale.
Suzette frowned sharply but didn’t stand.
Even cheerful Meina bristled, her tail shooting upright with a hiss. Her claws extended, pupils narrowing into slits.
”Good afternoon, everyone♡”
The newcomer lifted her skirt slightly and curtsied with perfect grace.
Even here—amid tension and suspicion—she moved like a lady born to elegance.
Her smile was dazzling, almost divine.
”Allow me to reintroduce myself,” she said sweetly. “Kispe Shisa… at your service♡”
Suzette’s eyes narrowed dangerously as their gazes met. Kispe only smiled, unbothered, and let her eyes sweep calmly across the room.
”She’s here,” Klock said at last, “as an important witness—for the Moon Court campaign.”
Notes:
• Suzette – The older maid from Viscount Fennec. The head maid at the Viscount Fennec’s villa. She is confident, clear-spoken, and professional.
• Orrid – Southern pleasure town near Conro, known for its chaos and vice. Serves as Brigante’s next destination and Count Grasso’s sphere of influence. Rumored den of spies and mercenaries.
• Primlena – Orange-haired merfolk priestess, fierce yet elegant | First v8c3 | Sister of Sea General Primjune, subordinate to Primrity | Once captured and violated by Klock, now obsessed with reclaiming honor | Commands Obsidian Riders on giant fish, fights with trident | Seeks to drag Klock to Seabed Temple for marriage trial or execution | Unique note: revenge-driven siren bride who masks fury under ritual grace
• Cianie – A noble girl with a fluffy white and light blue dress, indicating her high status. She has a hesitant and flustered personality but is kind and courteous. Her relationship with Klock begins as an accidental encounter and develops into a romantic interest. She has a fiancé but expresses feelings for Klock, complicating their relationship.
• Flavia – Younger Forestkin princess (132). Gentle yet resolute. Sent by Queen Isabella as marriage pledge to Klock, the Chain Binder, symbolizing the Void’s loyalty to the Goddess Teekua.
• Meina – She is a golden-haired catgirl employee of the beastman (Larana the cat woman) Inn, appeared performing fellatio, desperate and tear-streaked, with an inexperienced yet earnest approach to her work.
• Fit – Solo archer adventurer; first appears at Barreith volunteer gathering, introduces herself to Klock and group, joining Brave Knight against Demon Lord’s Army
• Rosalie – Daughter of Viscount Albert Fennec, district chief of Basselow. Formerly weak and bedridden under Suzette’s care, she recovered after escaping Basselow’s fall to the Demon Lord’s Army. Now sheltered by House Borges, she stands as the surviving heir to the Fennec title.
• Kreis – Baron of Valture and district chief. A middle-aged noble weighed down with gold chains and jeweled rings, yet it’s his hawk-like eyes and sly smile that mark him as dangerous. He meets Klock at the Borges family’s social gathering, greeting him by name as Maria’s son before Klock can even introduce himself—like a predator that already knows its prey.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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