Volume 8 Chapter 51 The Battle Resumes
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Caaaptaain?”
Fit stood with her hands on her hips and a crooked grin. Klock looked up from tightening his gear.
”Yo, Fit. How’s it going?”
”‘Yo’? You don’t get to say that after grabbing my ass.”
”Sorry, sorry—my hand moved on its own.”
She pinched the back of his hand, not hard enough to hurt. He winced anyway.
Boal, the young swordsman, spun his sheathed blade like a flag. “Mr. Klock! We’re finally fighting the Demon Lord’s Army, huh? I used to be scared out of my mind, but now I can’t wait!”
Klock grinned. “You’ve got guts, kid.”
A bearded man leaned in. “Captain, this idiot told the innkeeper you were grooming him for greatness. Guess what he said?”
”What?”
”That you had your eyes set on him as your successor!”
”Hey! It was a joke!” Boal yelped.
The men roared with laughter. Klock’s booming laugh joined theirs, echoing through the night camp.
”Boal,” he said, still chuckling, “bring back a monster fang bigger than your head. Show off with trophies, not talk. Women believe what they see.”
”Got it?”
”Oh, and if you actually manage to sleep with one, then I’ll call you an ace.”
”Ha! Yes, sir!”
”You’re disgusting, Captain,” Fit said flatly.
That only made them laugh harder. Nearby, a group of female adventurers shot the men dirty looks over their campfire.
”Men always think one night means something,” one of them said.
”Yeah, they’re so proud after one roll in bed,” another added.
”They’re still virgins at heart,” a third finished, smirking.
”Hey, watch your mouth, sweetheart,” an older axeman growled, shifting on his seat. “I’ll take you up on that offer if you’re lonely.”
”Try it, old man,” she snapped back. “Your armpits could knock a bear unconscious.”
That set off another round of laughter. The camp rang with crude voices and stupid jokes. Klock sighed, stepping away before someone dragged him into another shouting match.
Idiots, he thought. But at least they’re not scared.
Across the fires, Brigante troops ate stew and laughed. Despite tomorrow’s battle, the mood was light. For now, that was enough.
”Captain! Where you going? No booze yet!” someone shouted.
”Like hell there’s any,” Klock muttered, flipping him off with a grin.
That earned cheers and jeers alike. Even the women joined in.
”Can’t eat with us, Captain? Or are you still nursing on mama’s milk?”
”Sure,” Klock shot back, “why don’t you be my mama and pour it out?”
The women shrieked with laughter, and one—riding the wave—stood up, yanking her shirt to her chin. Her breasts bounced as she twirled her top over her head, shouting, “Come get it then!”
The camp exploded with laughter so loud it rattled the tents.
And they’re not even drunk, Klock thought. He laughed along, then slipped away before it went further.
* * *
”Checking on the soldiers, Captain? Admirable,” Primlena said as he ducked into his tent. “Though they sound more like bandits than soldiers.”
Klock shrugged. “Same as always. The adventurers aren’t scared, so morale’s decent. We’ll see how they hold up once the real fight starts.”
Flavia looked up from cleaning her blade. “Their energy is impressive, at least.”
”Yeah. Beats shaking in fear,” Klock said. “As long as they stay loud, we’re fine.”
He looked at the little cat girl sleeping near the back, tail twitching as she dreamed. Her soft snore made him smile. Primlena and Flavia, however, watched with blank expressions, clearly unimpressed by feline charm.
Klock lifted the tent flap and glanced at the sky.
The moon floated behind thin clouds—its pale surface marked with that strange familiar pattern.
”Viola still hasn’t moved,” he said quietly. “If she’s just lost our trail, fine. But waiting her out isn’t doing my nerves any favors.”
He let the flap fall shut and sighed.
Conro lay quiet for now—but that silence wouldn’t last.
If the vampire incident in town was real, then Viola might attack Conro.
The Demon Lord’s Army wouldn’t focus only on the Hero. Even with its defenses, Conro couldn’t withstand Viola’s full assault. Klock’s group now had to watch both the front and their rear.
Still, if the army aimed to deal with the Hero, they’d target Klock directly. As long as Cianie remained in play, the Demon Lord’s Army couldn’t make a decisive move.
”Primlena,” Klock asked. “What’s your read? Can you guess their next move?”
Primlena crossed her arms. “Normally I’d say Viola’s mind is impossible to read. But if she’s launching a campaign, we can speculate. I’ve said before—I don’t know their army’s internal command. If it were me, though, I’d plan simultaneous assaults. When facing a stronger opponent, dividing forces and striking each one separately is basic warfare.”
”Simultaneous attacks, huh.”
Klock’s jaw tightened. If Viola did that, it’d be bad. There was only one Hero. If multiple fronts demanded her strength at once, they’d be overwhelmed.
”Yeah,” he muttered. “If that happens, our strongest card won’t even be used effectively.”
Primlena nodded. “True. But remember—land and sea follow different instincts. Soldiers on land compete for glory.”
”Meaning?”
”Merit. Rewards. Those systems raise morale, but they also fuel rivalry. Commanders of the past tried to prevent infighting by assigning clear roles—who takes the vanguard, who claims the first strike.”
She looked toward the tent wall, thoughtful. “They can’t attack Conro without reporting it. If they do, Bandanzine will hear. And Bandanzine won’t let the vampires claim all the glory. If they send vampires against the Hero, they’ll have another unit handle the city assault. Even Viola wouldn’t dare ignore her command chain.”
Klock grunted. “So they won’t always choose the best fight even if it’s smarter.”
”Exactly. The Demon Lord’s Army still holds the advantage, but giving too much credit to an outsider race like vampires? Risky. Bandanzine won’t want Viola’s kind gaining influence after the war. He’ll likely keep her on a short leash.”
Klock smirked faintly. “But that doesn’t mean she won’t come anyway. Women can act dumb when it suits them. She could ‘forget’ to report the Hero’s location, announce a city siege, then ‘accidentally’ kill the Hero in the process.”
Primlena gave a dry chuckle. “You’re not wrong. Bandanzine would have to swallow that. Whether she wins or not, it’d still corner him politically.”
As reckless as Viola was, she wasn’t a fool. A commander in her own right—clever, vicious, and unpredictable.
”Still,” Klock said, “the rumors about Conro might be off. Maybe it wasn’t vampires at all. Could’ve been monsters—or nothing. But I’d rather assume it’s the prelude to an attack. If they strike both Conro and us at once, we need to be ready.”
”That’s the safest course,” Primlena agreed. “If Viola joins the fray, she’ll likely come here. Let us focus on her.”
”Why here?”
”Because Bandanzine will want to weaken the vampires. He’ll push Viola toward the Hero instead of a city. Even if she disobeys, she’ll have no choice. Only Viola could hope to outmaneuver the Hero.”
Klock exhaled. “You really have thought this through.”
Primlena shrugged slightly. Her time as a Merfolk commander showed. Her logic was cold and clean.
Viola had already outwitted Cianie once. She’d struck fast—so fast Klock hadn’t even realized what happened before he was bitten. If Viola learned from that, she’d be twice as dangerous.
”If Viola comes this way,” Klock said, “Cianie can handle her. But if Cianie fights here, who protects Conro?”
”She’s the only one who can teleport,” Primlena said. “Brigante needs to move on to Orrid. That leaves only her to monitor Conro.”
Cianie was already teleporting there daily to check for movement. Even for her, such long-distance jumps were taxing. Not even Primlena could replicate them.
”The only real threats are the ones the Hero must face herself,” Primlena continued. “If Viola targets you, don’t worry about the city.”
”So… even if Conro’s attacked, we just ignore it?”
”Not ignore,” she corrected. “Delay. The Hero must take priority. If Conro can’t hold even for a day or half a day, then it’s not worth saving. Once Viola’s dead, the rest will fall.”
Klock scratched his cheek, unable to argue. Flavia stood silently behind, listening without interrupting.
She was right. They couldn’t protect both fronts. If Cianie was stretched too thin, something had to give. That meant they might have to face Viola alone—a terrifying thought. The vampire’s raw power was enough to make even the Hero sweat.
A voice broke the tension.
”Sir Klock. May I come in?”
The tent flap lifted, and Suzette stepped inside—followed by another figure. The lamplight revealed brown hair that shouldn’t have been there.
”…Lady Rosalie? What are you doing here?”
”Uh… h-hello…”
Her eyes darted like a guilty child’s. Klock raised a brow.
”She said,” Suzette explained, “that she couldn’t bear to stay behind while we faced the Demon Lord’s Army. She rode out on her own to join us.”
Rosalie nodded, trembling. “Y-yes… something like that…”
Klock sighed. Perfect. Just what we needed.
”…Can you even fight, Lady Rosalie?”
”I—I’ll do my best!”
Suzette shook her head beside her, confirming Klock’s suspicion. A noble’s sickly daughter wasn’t made for battle. He rubbed his temple.
Great. A liability with a horse.
Rosalie was the daughter of a viscount—and currently a guest of Baron Kreis. Whatever her relationship to him, Klock knew one thing for certain: if something happened to her, Kreis’s trust would shatter instantly.
”Suzette,” Klock said, lowering his voice. “Can I leave Lady Rosalie with you?”
There was no one else who could handle a noblewoman properly. Suzette stepped closer, her expression cautious. She leaned in near his ear.
”You intend to take her along? She’s lived her whole life far from battle. Even if she accompanies us, she—”
”I know,” Klock cut her off. “But it’s too late to send her back tonight. Get her a place to sleep and talk her into returning in the morning.”
Suzette bowed slightly. “Understood. I’ll try my best.”
She left the tent with Rosalie in tow. Just before stepping out, Rosalie glanced back at him—but Klock looked away, pretending not to notice.
‘I’ll try my best,’ huh?
That was her polite way of saying don’t count on it.
Maybe Rosalie was more stubborn than she looked.
Primlena gave him a knowing glance. “You seem troubled. Could she be a watcher, perhaps?”
Klock groaned. “Wouldn’t surprise me. Either way, it’s a pain. I’d love to know who thought sending her here was a good idea.”
”Are you dissatisfied with her?” Primlena asked, half amused.
”She’s nobility. That means I have to guard her. We’re already short-handed, and now I’ve got another mouth to babysit.”
Primlena said nothing, but her faint smile told him she’d caught the unspoken implication—she and Flavia were exceptions. He waved a hand. “Not talking about you two. You can handle yourselves.”
Still, he couldn’t shake his unease. If Suzette wasn’t glued to Rosalie’s side, things could get ugly fast. With that shy, timid nature, she wouldn’t even be able to push a man away.
This troop wasn’t exactly a model army. Leave her alone for an hour and some idiot would corner her. Maybe more than one. She had no idea what kind of world she’d followed them into. On a battlefield, a delicate noble’s daughter was nothing more than—he exhaled—a pretty trinket for hungry men.
”Those who departed have been gone about an hour,” Primlena noted. “They should return soon.”
”Yeah. Cianie said she’d be quick. Once she’s back, I’m crashing.”
”How admirable. Staying up for her return.”
Outside, the camp still hummed with noise. The watch rotations were set, and most of the soldiers were already settling down. Cianie’s teleportation was precautionary tonight. No one expected anything to happen yet.
If I were the enemy, Klock thought, I wouldn’t attack today either. I’d wait until reinforcements were too far to help. Tomorrow or the day after—that’s when I’d strike.
He stared toward the tent flap. “She said ‘just in case,’ didn’t she?”
* * *
High atop Conro’s city walls, Cianie stood, silver-gray hair drifting in the wind.
She looked like a statue built to honor the moon, her very presence beautifying the skyline.
”Klock’s got good instincts,” she murmured. “And luck on his side.”
Her crystal-blue eyes turned toward the western district—Valture, the town she’d slept in just yesterday. Something about the air there felt wrong.
A provocation. Someone was calling to her.
Inviting her.
A sharp crack rang out. The stone beneath her feet split, spiderweb lines spreading from her step. She launched upward in a blur, landing on a nearby rooftop.
”…Ah. So it’s you.”
Cutting through the night wind, she descended lightly onto a house’s peak. Before her stood a woman with golden hair and a mischievous smile—and the sharp gleam of fangs.
”Yo-ho! Long time no see, Lady Hero!”
”Viola.”
”Missed me, huh? You look good—whoa!”
Cianie moved first. A blade appeared in her hand between one heartbeat and the next. She closed the distance instantly, her strike a blur of silver.
The black sword met her halfway, sparks flying. Viola twisted, dodging with inhuman grace.
”Whoa there, that’s harsh! Didn’t even say hi before trying to kill me?”
Cianie’s eyes narrowed. “…So this is your true form?”
”Oh? What makes you think that?”
”You’re faster than last time.”
Cianie flicked her sword to the side, like shaking blood off the edge—though it hadn’t yet drawn any. A habit, maybe.
But it wasn’t meaningless. The motion made Viola flinch—just enough.
Cianie leaped again. The roof beneath her feet shattered. She slipped inside Viola’s guard.
”Playtime’s over.”
Her sword swung.
A blackened, cursed blade meant to drink noble blood.
The arc would’ve cleaved Viola cleanly—but it stopped short.
Someone else had interrupted.
Cianie’s blade whistled through empty air. Viola had dodged—but not alone.
Two new figures now stood on the neighboring roof.
One was a delicate girl, small and disarmingly lovely—so beautiful that even Cianie, another woman, felt an urge to protect her. The other… was part of an enormous flower. A nude woman’s torso grew from its center, framed by petals large enough to swallow a man whole.
A Flowerfolk. Cianie recognized the rare species from travelers’ tales.
”Succubus energy…” she muttered. Her eyes narrowed. “You must be Kispe Shisa.”
Ignoring the floating Viola, she addressed the small girl directly.
The girl smiled softly. “It’s an honor to finally meet you, Hero.
Working late, I see. My name is Kispe Shisa.”
Cianie’s grip tightened on her sword.
Something in her chest went cold.
Notes:
• Fit – Solo archer adventurer; first appears at Barreith volunteer gathering, introduces herself to Klock and group, joining Brave Knight against Demon Lord’s Army
• Boal – Young swordsman and Klock’s eager follower, often loud and naive. Dreams of glory against the Demon Lord’s Army and jokes about being Klock’s successor. Brave but green. Alias: “Fang Chaser.”
• 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
• 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.
• 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.
• Bandanzine – They are one of the Four Heavenly Kings, appeared as a warrior with a dignified gaze, known for their frontline combat prowess.
• 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.
• Suzette – The older maid from Viscount Fennec. The head maid at the Viscount Fennec’s villa. She is confident, clear-spoken, and professional.
• 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.
• Valture – A district within the Conro Federation, administered by Baron Kreis Borges. Outwardly it appears stable and prosperous, but its politics run on favors and hidden bargains, making it a place where strangers like Klock can be measured as assets or prey the moment they arrive.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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