Volume 8 Chapter 41 Fortress City Conro
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Fortress City Conro.
Built right against the mountains, this city was entirely enclosed by towering walls, like a fortress in itself.
Its design made it clear—it had once been a battlefield, constructed with war in mind.
Blocking access to the Wall Corridor beyond, it rose like a bastion.
”This city used to belong to Cyrus, didn’t it?”
”Yeah. Fortress Sairas. From here north, it was all Cyrus back then.”
Cyrus—an empire of the past. Not just a few decades ago, but a full century back, in the time of the Second Human–Demon Great War.
In those days, the Federation didn’t even exist, and Dusselhelm was still a small regional kingdom.
At its height, Cyrus ruled a landmass as vast as the current Empire.
And yet, that massive state collapsed in an instant.
The cause of its downfall was the Second Human–Demon Great War.
Every nation that took part in that war was devastated.
Villages burned. Heavy war taxes. Famines caused by the lack of workers.
Cyrus, being such a large power, bore the brunt of it.
Invaded directly, it had to conscript masses of soldiers for defense, and afterward, food shortages grew dire.
Of course, without farmers, no food could be produced.
The longer a war dragged on with more people conscripted, the worse the shortage became.
Cyrus had defended itself with huge numbers of troops—only to be struck by famine.
When the war ended, the people, crushed by hunger and taxation, rose up.
Civil wars erupted across the land.
After the war, Cyrus couldn’t even suppress rebellions.
Noble houses broke away, declaring independence, and the state lacked the strength to crush them.
Finally, when Dusselhelm—hailed as a nation of heroes—marched to claim territory, Cyrus crumbled without resistance.
”Hard to believe they built walls like these a hundred years ago.”
”The ancients were insane, right? Even with a fortress this impressive, Cyrus lost its cities and ended up a shadow of itself.”
Thus the city that had once been a frontline stronghold broke free.
Conro, successful in its independence, later joined the Federation, folding into that wider system.
Even now, though the Federation is gone, Cyrus hasn’t completely vanished.
West of Jeil, in the northern Resairas region beyond this fortress, Cyrus still clings to some land.
For some reason, the old Dusselhelm Empire let it survive as a vassal state rather than erasing it.
”So this fortress has been in use for at least a century, then.”
”Yeah, though when you put it that way it sounds like it should be falling apart. Still, they’ve surely done repairs. Maybe not expecting another war, but… they’ve kept it ready.”
The city’s walls loomed impossibly high.
Impressive for sightseeing, sure—but how useful would they be in practice?
After all, Klock had already seen what happened when enemies attacked from inside.
Majin with their horns hidden—there had to be plenty slipping in.
If the gates were ever forced open, nothing could stop it.
”Well, whatever. Let’s just head in already.”
They had reached their goal: the fortress city.
There were plenty of things to take care of—resupply, rest, information gathering.
Klock urged the group forward.
But behind him, a pout met his eyes.
Cianie, keeping some distance, glared silently.
She was clearly sulking.
”Don’t sulk like that.”
”I’m not sulking. I was worried.”
”…Sorry.”
She had been like this ever since they came back from the forest.
It was obvious—she was furious that he had gone with Isabella despite her protests.
Fix this, Klock thought.
Suzette, who he had expected to be the angriest, had let it go with only a few words.
But when she saw Cianie sulking like this, she must have found it too ridiculous to waste her temper.
”There was payoff, though. We found out how to get into the Moon Court.”
”That’s not the point. Klock, you don’t understand anything.”
He had tried to shut down her complaint by stressing the information gain.
Of course, he knew that wasn’t what she really meant.
But handling her bad mood required care—better to deflect.
Not because she was a “troublesome woman.”
Well, maybe she was troublesome.
But the real problem was the secret he couldn’t let slip.
He had to keep the conversation away from the Forestkin negotiations.
He glanced past Cianie to the hooded figure walking behind her.
The woman noticed his gaze and smiled faintly.
”Sir Klock.”
”Oh? What’s up?”
”That Forestkin princess… Lady Flavia, was it? She really is only reinforcement, isn’t she? Nothing more?”
Klock nearly froze.
Her intuition was terrifying.
You could line up every legendary spear in the world, and not one would be sharper.
”…Of course. The Forestkin king just wanted an alliance with the Hero. They sent her as military support. I explained that already, right?”
”…If that’s true… then good.”
Cold sweat prickled down his back.
He couldn’t let her suspect anything.
He forced a calm smile, pretending to admire the fortress gates.
His heart pounded harder than when monsters had surrounded them.
When they had returned from the Forestkin town, he had told the group about Isabella’s alliance—but only partially.
He had said they simply wanted friendship. He left out the marriage condition entirely.
He mentioned the proposal to mediate peace with the Earth Humans, but not the detail about sending a daughter as a token.
”Don’t you find it strange, Sir Klock?”
”…Strange? How?”
”If they only wanted to send forces, why send a princess? The Forestkin revere their royal family. Even those who left the Void to live in the Demon Continent’s forests still show respect for their monarchy. Why would such a people send not warriors, but a princess, as their offering?”
Suzette turned her eyes toward Flavia.
The Forestkin princess tilted her head slightly, noticing the suspicion in Suzette’s gaze.
”…Well, maybe that princess is strong. Probably. Maybe.
Besides, if you start questioning that, then what about Paradise? They sent something even more ridiculous.”
”…That’s… true, but…”
”Exactly. That one makes no sense at all. What the hell am I supposed to do with that thing tagging along?”
He pointed at the giant figure walking beside the lead carriage, using it as a way to deflect.
Messenger of Paradise—Arankaku.
The massive stag. Suzette’s expression faltered when she saw it, unable to find words.
Seriously, things were getting more complicated.
Why had this deer even come here in the first place?
Meeting with the Forestkin had ended with one extra companion—well, one person and one beast.
After his audience with Isabella, Klock had left the forest without so much as a farewell.
His excuse was “I got lost.”
In truth, he simply wanted to avoid meeting the queen again, to delay the matter of the marriage alliance indefinitely.
When they left the forest, Arankaku had followed.
Klock asked why, but the stag only snorted.
It couldn’t speak, its purpose was unknown, and its breath was loud and foul.
Still, it trailed after him.
There was nothing to be done, so Klock simply let it follow.
And when he glanced back—Flavia was there too.
He almost dropped dead from shock.
The surprise was as strong as when he’d first seen a ghost in his life.
She explained that she had been waiting nearby, and when he departed, she followed.
From the beginning, she had been ordered by Isabella to accompany the Chain Binder’s journey.
So Isabella had predicted his move.
Klock had panicked, trying to convince Flavia to return, but she refused.
Polite in manner and gentle in tone, she was stubborn to the core.
”I am prepared to risk my life to support you. Please allow this unworthy one to walk behind you on your glorious journey.”
”…There’s no glory in this, seriously…”
Since returning to the Human Continent, his burdens had multiplied at meteoric speed.
He had concealed the marriage condition, telling the others only that she had been sent as military support.
As long as Flavia kept quiet, maybe things would hold together. Maybe.
What a mess he had gotten himself into.
Still… Isabella had given him valuable information.
The conditions for entering another world.
The method of reaching the Moon Court. That alone was huge. He owed her for it.
Isabella had laid out four conditions.
Beyond alliances and mediation, she demanded two things:
support in invasions of certain seats, and preferential treatment for the Forestkin.
The preferential treatment was simple: if the Forestkin clashed with other races, their allies should back the Forestkin.
In other words, if trouble came, side with us.
This was surely foresight into factional struggles within the United Kingdoms.
To request such terms in advance meant they were already entangled in conflict—or preparing for one.
The second was invasion support.
If they attacked a hostile race, Klock’s side should cooperate within reason.
For Klock, this was critical.
His enemies were Kispe and Viola—two races of the otherworlds.
When Isabella heard Kispe’s name, she frowned, but still shared every detail she knew.
Thanks to her, he now had a lead on Viola’s stronghold—the Moon Court.
The condition to enter the Moon Court:
an invitation.
Only by being invited by its mirror-dwelling residents could one pass through.
As if they became residents themselves, able to step through the glass.
Absurd. But it worked.
A bothersome condition, but in practice, simple.
Just catch a Vampire and force an invitation out of them.
If they refused, Cianie could knock them around until they agreed.
The problem was Crimson Spire.
He had asked about it too.
But Isabella didn’t know.
Crimson Spire was a dream world.
A place reached only while asleep.
She said: ‘No one can enter by will. As long as you live, the dream summons you. To reach Crimson Spire, you simply sleep. The dream itself is the Spire.’
Nonsense.
Not even Succubi could traverse that boundary.
Yet Alice had said that Kispe controlled entry to Crimson Spire.
Meaning, they used methods even a Forestkin queen didn’t know.
If so, Alice would need to be persuaded, one way or another.
Before Kispe made the first move.
…But where was she, anyway?
Klock glanced around. No sign of long rabbit ears.
Maybe inside a carriage.
She had been with them when they left the forest, even with Arankaku present.
Yet no clash had broken out.
Perhaps she had noticed the stag and chosen to hide.
He left it at that.
But in truth—Alice was already gone.
He would only learn this after entering the city.
After some trouble at the gates, they were given a communal room—bare walls and a dirt or stone floor, hardly comfortable.
There, Rachel and Kaitney came to him, looking uneasy.
They had clearly searched for him on purpose.
Their nerves were obvious, and they waited until Cianie and Suzette were absent.
”…The Hero, and that woman with dark blue hair… they killed the rabbit Beastkin girl.”
”…What?”
”They did it right in front of us. Then told us to keep quiet. But… I think you should know.”
Rachel’s face was twisted in anguish like he had never seen.
For a moment, Klock didn’t understand.
”…Sorry. I couldn’t stop them.”
”…Wait—are you serious?”
The shock was overwhelming.
He had no time to mask it, and Rachel’s pained expression grew even worse.
”…When the unit was on standby, it was me, Kaitney, and that girl sitting together in the carriage. We figured we’d depart again soon. She was humming, looking bored. I was zoning out. Then suddenly—the Hero and the other one barged in—”
Rachel’s face twisted.
Klock turned his eyes away.
”The Hero just grabbed her. Covered her mouth so she couldn’t scream. Then—stabbed her in the stomach with a sword.”
Her voice broke.
”…And then cut her head off.”
Klock’s hands went to his temples. The scene played in his mind far too vividly.
”We froze. Couldn’t even react, let alone stop them. Then the Hero stomped her head. That’s when I almost screamed, but… that blue-black-haired woman covered my mouth. Told me to stay quiet.”
”…Ah. So Suzette and her both…”
”…Y-yeah. Sorry.”
Klock forced himself to steady his voice. He had to.
The girls didn’t need to see the Hero as anything but worthy of admiration. They didn’t need fear.
”…Did the body vanish?”
”Y-yeah. Freaked me out. The corpse… it just crumbled, like dust.”
Succubi leave no corpse behind. They return to Crimson Spire upon death.
So she should still exist there. Alive in a sense. He wanted to believe that.
”…Rachel. She was a spy. Demon Lord’s Army.”
”…I thought so.”
”You noticed?”
”You said there was one spy. After seeing that, after she vanished like that—it couldn’t be normal.”
So they already understood.
He had meant to reassure them, but the way Alice had died had made it obvious.
”…I see. I should’ve warned them. Letting it play out was a mistake. Thanks for telling me.”
He patted Rachel’s head with forced calm.
This time, she didn’t brush him off with her usual prickly attitude. Kaitney stayed silent beside her, equally uneasy.
Alice was dead.
By Cianie’s hand.
When the sisters left, Klock dropped his head into his hands.
It’s over.
There was only one reason Cianie would kill: she had seen through Alice.
And if Suzette was involved, it had been deliberate. Planned.
How long had they known?
He remembered Suzette watching him closely, often.
Had they suspected from the start?
Had Cianie kept her distance from Alice on purpose, waiting for the right time to strike?
If so—they had been shadowing the rabbit girl all along, ready to kill at any moment.
Any chance of persuading Alice was gone.
Boston’s words had been lies—or just dreams. She’d been dead from the start.
”Damn it…”
He knew this was inevitable.
From their perspective, seeing a Succubus clinging to their lover, it was intolerable.
Reverse the roles, and he’d have drawn his knife without hesitation.
Their judgment had been right.
Still—his chest ached.
That small, lovable figure rose in his memory.
Thinking of her slain so brutally, he felt a hollow grief.
She had been an enemy, a threat. Yet he couldn’t help feeling pity.
They’d even begun to get along, just a little. He thought maybe—maybe reconciliation had been possible.
* * *
”Eehhhhnn, Lady Kispeeee~~!”
Small feet pounded across the field.
Tall grass gave way, turning into smooth dirt roads, then into what looked like a noble’s estate.
The landscape shifted unnaturally, yet she didn’t seem surprised.
”Alice. You’ve returned.”
”Yeah. The Hero cut off my head~~.”
”My, my. How pitiful.”
A conversation grotesque to any human ear.
The rabbit girl, smiling innocently, spoke of her death.
The woman who greeted her spread abhorrent wings, then drew the child close.
”You did well. Athena told me—you’ve taken a liking to Sir Klock, haven’t you? You’ll see him again soon. Be patient a little longer.”
”…Wait. You mean, I get Lady Kispe’s approval? Then I’ll wait, I’ll wait forever! Alice didn’t even do anything, and that woman killed me without mercy. Totally unforgivable! …But I thought Lady Kispe would come right away.”
”I had planned to. But things changed. Mr. Bandanzine has abandoned his northern advance. He’s pushing east. They’ve taken Basselow and begun a full assault on Sanrid, the Federation’s capital.”
”Mhm mhm… I don’t get it at all!!”
”It seems Mr. Roldi, who struck first, was defeated in Sanrid by a human counterattack. Now their plan is to attack both Sanrid and Orrid at once. Orrid lies south of Conro, an old capital. The Heroes there will inevitably be drawn into the battle.”
”Oooh. So they might slip up!”
Alice nodded vigorously. Kispe smiled gently in return.
Her face alone could pass for an angel’s.
”Also, Mr. Nobdovef, who’s been stationed quietly, has begun to move east as well. His troop’s destination is uncertain, but almost certainly through the Wall Corridor toward Conro. The Beast Demon Tribe excels at field warfare. That too will force the Heroes into action.”
”Whoa. The horse-men are coming. If monsters aren’t the only ones, then yeah… humans are really finished.”
”If Sanrid and Orrid fall, then from Sunwheel Road, Moonfall Corridor, and Wall Corridor, our armies will pour down on Conro. Once Sanrid collapses, the Federation is finished. And the Heroes trapped in Conro will have no way out. The eastern front will be decided. Unless…”
Her voice lowered.
”…Unless they strike first.”
Notes:
• 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.
• Suzette – The older maid from Viscount Fennec. The head maid at the Viscount Fennec’s villa. She is confident, clear-spoken, and professional.
• Alice – Rabbitkin adventurer; appears at the same Barreith gathering, playful and mischievous, interacts with Klock, part of recruited volunteers
• 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.
• Athena – Harpies adventurer; appears alongside Alice at Barreith gathering, flirtatious, joins Klock and volunteers for upcoming battles
• Bandanzine – They are one of the Four Heavenly Kings, appeared as a warrior with a dignified gaze, known for their frontline combat prowess.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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