Volume 8 Chapter 34 Restart
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”The one who had the most fire in their heart… ended up being the first to die, huh.”
The crackling of wood splintering echoed, and the towering flames scorched the night with their heat.
”There’s nowhere to run on this continent. Sooner or later, we’ll all end up joining that guy. When we meet him in the afterlife, let’s brag that we crushed the Demon Lord’s Army and give him a good shock.”
”…”
”Well, if we really do take them down, then… that wouldn’t be such a bad ending either.”
Boit drew on his cigarette, eyes fixed on the flames. Beside him, Klock stood in silence, gaze hardened as he stared at the remains of homes glowing orange in the firelight.
”The preparations are complete. We’ve gathered as much supply as possible. The villagers are ready to depart at any moment.”
”…Ah.”
The man’s expression was still weighed down, but Suzette faced him with calm dignity. Perhaps she acted that way deliberately, knowing her composure would anchor him.
Even so, Klock couldn’t bring himself to meet her eyes.
”Sir Klock.”
”What is it?”
”Tomorrow, it might be me.”
Klock stiffened at Suzette’s quiet words.
”And the day after, it could be you. That’s war, isn’t it? No one truly prepares themselves for death… but everyone knows it could come at any moment.”
”…Yeah.”
A battlefield is littered with bodies. To survive, one steps over the fallen.
With those words, she tugged his hand and pulled him forward. Normally, she was the one walking behind him. That she would lead was unusual—but perhaps she thought he wouldn’t move otherwise.
Klock issued the order for departure. Suzette took the lead alongside the elder who offered to guide them—filling the position Boston had held just the day before.
Behind them followed the survivors of Polet Village, their arms burdened with heavy loads, their faces dim. Even the adventurers, who had been cheerful until yesterday, marched in silence today.
”Sir Klock, are you alright?”
”Yeah. What about Cianie?”
”She said she’d check on everyone again.”
As the wagon jolted along, Meina pressed closer, almost clinging. She sniffed him curiously, then fixed her catlike eyes on him with quiet worry.
Sorry, Boston.
The enemy clearly aimed for the commander.
You died because I dumped everything on you.
Klock felt the guilt burn in his chest. Boston had stepped up, adjusting the command chain on his own initiative. Klock had leaned too heavily on that experience and drive. And Boston had been the one struck down for it.
It was his failure, and he knew it.
Everyone had, in truth, treated Boston as a vice-captain. That should have been enough reason to assign him protection. But Klock never imagined the enemy would target Boston over Cianie, Primlena, or himself.
If even one guard had been by his side, the succubus might not have been able to strike. Had Klock judged better, Boston would still be leading their vanguard. Brigante would not have lost its very first comrade so soon.
”Haa…”
Klock let out yet another sigh, the number of which he had lost count today.
Meina leaned even harder into him. She seized his hand, pressing it between her thighs as she clung to his arm with all her strength, trying to assert her presence.
”…You’re being unusually clingy today.”
”Elna-sama said that when humans are comforted by cute cat beastkin they feel healed. So, if Sir Klock is hurting, Mī should stay by your side.”
”…I see. That sounds like her.”
The image of the White Cat Princess and the Black Cat Princess laughing brightly came to his mind. Elna’s arrogance was typical of her. Still, perhaps a night in the Cat Tower really could wash away some of his bitterness.
”Meina… you can’t sense a succubus’s scent, can you?”
”…Hmm. I don’t think that Kispe girl is one. Cianie-sama also said she didn’t feel a succubus’s presence.”
It was a confirmation of what he already knew.
Boston’s death bore the marks of a succubus. If one had infiltrated Brigante, then Cianie should have been able to detect it before they departed. She had examined everyone, searching for traces of disguise or demonic aura.
But all came up clean.
Which meant, if a succubus was among them, it was someone able to slip past Cianie’s eyes and senses alike.
Or maybe there wasn’t one at all. After all, a few others had also disappeared. If the succubus struck Boston and then left, there would be no way to find it now.
Brigante’s numbers now stood at 206. Sixty-nine from before, joined by 137 survivors of Polet Village.
At the start of their journey from Barreith, Brigante had numbered seventy-two. Which meant, Boston aside, two had vanished along the way.
Most likely, they had deserted. Klock had always known that once battle came, some would flee. Many villagers had only just learned the true terror of monsters yesterday. For them to bolt after seeing a battlefield was hardly shocking.
But the timing was too poor.
If they were deserters, that was fine. Better they ran early than later. But if spies slipped away, or if someone was quietly killed in the chaos… that left an ugly doubt.
”Is the killer really among us?”
”Best to assume so. If we don’t, we’ll just get caught off guard again.”
No—Klock was certain of it.
Boston had been deliberately targeted.
And only someone who understood the troop’s inner workings could have chosen him.
Maybe it was just bad luck.
Maybe Boston only died because a succubus happened to be hiding among the villagers and chose him at random.
But chasing every possible scenario would never end. If he had to narrow it down, the most natural conclusion was that the culprit came from among the original seventy-two.
Damn that Kispe.
She was the most cunning woman he had ever met, always scheming, always luring others into her traps. If he had thought about it, he should have known she wouldn’t retreat without leaving a dagger in his back.
That woman had once staged being attacked by monsters just to get closer to him. Anyone would have fallen for that act.
If there really was a spy, they must have joined while the unit was in Barreith—either slipping in while everyone was relaxed from victory, or simply hiding in plain sight all along. Someone who managed to dodge Cianie’s detection, quietly biding their time.
Which meant, Kispe’s eyes were probably on him even now.
The moon no longer bore that ominous eye, and Viola’s threat had faded. Surveillance of the Hero had simply shifted from vampire hands to those of the succubi.
”Hey, hey… Sir Klock. Isn’t there anyone you think might actually be an incubus or succubus?”
Meina tilted her face up, peering into his.
Klock waved it off. “Not that easy.”
But someone did come to mind.
Athena and Alice. From the very banquet of welcome, those two had often teased and provoked him.
Still, there was no chance with them. They were clearly beastkin. Transformation wouldn’t fool Cianie’s eyes—her sight pierced disguises. Even hidden horns, like Suzette’s, or suddenly sprouted beast ears or wings, she would see them for what they were.
So just being flirty wasn’t enough to mark someone as a succubus. If anything, a spy would wear a mask of innocence. The least suspicious might actually be the most dangerous.
Yet beyond that, no one stood out. At this point, every woman was a potential suspect.
He needed to decide what to do.
Two hundred people now, mostly civilians.
First, the command chain had to be rebuilt.
Boston’s loss was a devastating blow. There was no one who could replace him. No one else had the experience of leading troops directly, so as captain, Klock himself had to take the reins.
But he couldn’t just hand someone else a position, not when he didn’t know if the succubus was still hidden among them. He couldn’t risk putting another man forward as commander.
For now, Suzette was at the front with the village elders, but that left Cianie less able to move freely, and Meina was the only one covering Klock.
Primlena might have been an option, but she would surely refuse to command human soldiers.
Barely formed, Brigante already needed to rethink its entire structure.
What the hell is she doing?
The troop had halted for rest at the foot of the mountain, where the view was clear. Klock, tired of sitting in the carriage, stretched his legs with a short walk.
When he returned, warmth in his muscles, he found someone suspicious prowling around his wagon.
Rachel.
She kept glancing over her shoulder, then tried to peer into the carriage, moving like a thief. It wasn’t just suspicious—it was outright criminal.
”There’s nothing valuable in there, idiot.”
”Hyahn?!”
He grabbed her rear from behind. Rachel yelped, leaping like a startled rabbit. As she tried to bolt, he caught her by the waist.
”After all this, what the hell are you up to? Or did you just come here for me to play with you, huh?”
”W-wait, no! Quit it, you moron!!”
He knew her body well, and didn’t hesitate. One hand squeezed her chest, the other slid lower as he pulled her in close.
Rachel thrashed, snarling like an untrained dog.
”I said that’s not it! I only came because of last night—!”
”Oh? What was that?”
”Forget it!! Drop dead, you jerk!!”
She shoved him away and bolted. Klock didn’t bother to chase.
She did glance back once, though, face twisted in a sulk.
”Stuuuupid!!” she screamed again before running off.
”What are you doing? A troop commander, harassing young women?”
”No, no, you’ve got it wrong! I swear it’s not what it looked like.”
Rachel vanished just as two others arrived—Suzette, frowning, and Cianie, face as unreadable as ever. A faint breeze stirred her long silver hair.
”The reorganization is finally complete. Each unit has about nine people. Most are battle squads, with additional scout and supply groups. Maintenance has been cut for now, so communication duties are doubled. Is this acceptable?”
”Yeah. Good work.”
Klock nodded, pleased. Their speed and precision were unmatched. Truly, the women around him were all exceptional in their own ways.
What he had asked them for was troop organization.
A force of two hundred couldn’t move as a single lump. Without roles, half would just stand uselessly.
The new divisions were only temporary. Many were civilians, and weapons were in short supply. So those who had arms were pushed forward, while the unarmed—women and elders—were left to run messages, scout, or haul supplies.
”With this, members should get to know their squadmates. If anyone disappears, it’ll be easier to identify. And since half of Brigante is female, each battle squad will have multiple women. That should serve as some defense against succubi.”
Normally, such a ratio would be unthinkable. But Polet Village had lost most of its young men to the Arbirgo Campaign, and yesterday’s monster attack had cut even deeper.
Now, women made up the majority.
Because of this, identifying a succubus would be difficult—but countering one was easy. With so many women among them, anyone behaving strangely could be singled out quickly.
”Still, the lack of weapons is a real problem. The rear troop is completely unarmed, and the scout squad has only short blades. If they’re caught in a sudden battle, the casualties could be severe.”
”Yeah. We’re short on arms all around. If a sword breaks, that’s it. We’ll need to make contact with city merchants as soon as possible.”
The structure of a proper army was starting to take shape, yet problems piled high. They were still a band of amateurs. If they clashed against monsters of equal number, without Cianie and the others, the outcome would be grim. Every enemy slain meant nothing to the Demon Lord’s Army, but the loss of even one of their own was a wound too heavy.
”So, unless we fall under some nation’s protection, we’re in trouble.”
”Indeed. We knew supplies would be difficult without belonging to a state. Not only weapons—food will soon run short as well.”
”The headcount’s almost tripled. Most of the wagons are filled with water and rations now.”
At this rate, the day they’d be forced to eat hornets was drawing near. Without reaching a city quickly, survival would come down to bugs and grass.
Faced with such a dark outlook, Klock looked up at the sky.
It was on one of his wandering walks that she approached, orange hair swaying.
”So, I hear Kispe played you for a fool.”
”Primlena, huh.”
”…Stop calling me that.”
The merfolk girl always seemed to appear as if passing by. Where she went otherwise, Klock could never tell. But when he was alone, she surfaced. If Meina was nearby, she kept her distance. Why, he couldn’t say.
”Kispe’s goal is still the Hero. You’re just a means to that end. She’d have no interest in a mere human troop. If she revealed herself, it was only to provoke or to warn. Make the wrong move, and you’ll step straight into her trap.”
”Yeah… I guess so. I heard the body was found in plain sight, not hidden away. That feels like their way of saying, ‘We’ve got a spy inside.’”
As if Kispe herself whispered, Don’t forget me, even for a moment♡.
It sounded absurd, but he wouldn’t put it past her.
”Just knowing one of them might be here creeps me out. If they want to mess with us, they should just show themselves. Then I could cut them down. Not that it’d matter—succubi don’t really die. Or so I’ve heard.”
”No. Killing them does matter. It’s only a matter of which world they die in.”
Primlena’s sharp correction made him frown.
”We merfolk are beings of another realm. Our nature is unique—if we die on land but are returned to the sea, the Sanctum’s power restores us. Succubi are similar. They are tied to the Crimson Spire. Kill them here, and they wake there, like from a dream. But kill them in the Crimson Spire itself, and the story changes.”
The world itself decided whether a being lived or died. The notion left Klock gaping.
”So… even if you were killed here, if your body were returned to the sea, you’d come back?”
”If it’s in time. Once a soul is carried into the Abyss, nothing can be done. The Sanctum only favors us as its children.”
Favored by the world itself…
Maybe every otherworldly race bore such traits, like blessings woven into their nature. Humans, by comparison, had nothing. No wonder they were called a lesser race.
”So what about apostles, then? Don’t they sound like people who are also favored by another world?”
”Exactly. Apostles are those loved by their worlds. They sit in the VIP seats of existence, wielding privileges none others can claim.”
He didn’t know much of apostles, but one thing was clear: they all possessed power beyond the natural order. Primjune and Viola, the Heavenly Kings, were obvious examples. Kispe too, though her power was a different sort—proof that strength wasn’t only measured in battle.
”What’s that even mean? You’re saying apostles are just the strong ones?”
”No. Our racial traits are skills by nature. Apostles are different—they’re chosen. And the choice isn’t bound by race. In theory, even a human could become the Sanctum’s apostle. And in rare cases, a single person may be loved by multiple worlds.”
”Hah? You’re kidding. That’s possible?”
”There’s even an old saying: those touched by many worlds bear hair of mixed colors. True or not, it suggests such people did exist.”
So somewhere, there might be a being with Kispe’s cunning and Viola’s might. If such a monster appeared, the world would end—unless Cianie stepped on it first. Then again, maybe it wasn’t so simple as powers stacking together.
”Loved by the world, huh. Then what about us chosen ones? Is that like being loved by the gods? They say I’m one, but I’ve got nothing close to Cianie’s power. Guess the world doesn’t love me much.”
Not that he cared. Swinging swords for glory wasn’t his style.
”Confirmed. They’re an armed group.”
The words came low in the dark.
Hidden in the thicket, only faint moonlight outlined their forms.
”Bandits?”
”Can’t say for sure. But judging from the campfires, there are two, maybe three hundred of them. Quite the numbers.”
”Then maybe an army. Too many for mere raiders.”
From their place in the mountain, the shadows watched. Below, the valley was dotted with distant lights.
Notes:
• Boit – A merchant involved in human trafficking, with a villainous face and a loud, obnoxious voice. He is pragmatic and willing to help Klock escape the country in exchange for something. His relationship with Klock is business-like, though both are aware of each other’s illicit activities.
• Suzette – The older maid from Viscount Fennec. The head maid at the Viscount Fennec’s villa. She is confident, clear-spoken, and professional.
• Boston – Adelina’s father, who holds a position of power within the church hierarchy. He has a dark secret regarding the death of his wife, Adelina’s mother.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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
• Elna – Female. A young apprentice mage. Her appearance is that of a child with white hair reaching her shoulders. She wears a black hooded mantle with strange patterns. Her relationship is as an apprentice to Hermine, the Great Mage. Her power involves advanced magic, including spatial teleportation. Her combat style is magical, and she is described as childish and easily provoked.
• Athena – Harpies adventurer; appears alongside Alice at Barreith gathering, flirtatious, joins Klock and volunteers for upcoming battles
• Alice – Rabbitkin adventurer; appears at the same Barreith gathering, playful and mischievous, interacts with Klock, part of recruited volunteers
• Primjune – She is one of the Four Heavenly Kings, appeared as a scaled and finned figure, known for executing the saint’s kidnapping plan.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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