Chapter 11 - He Decided So
The Holy State Alliance.
Kratia was at the center of the continent, and several allied nations were arrayed around it, encircling it.
Among them, the southernmost one was Marpein, a sister nation to Kratia. Marpein's territory was long enough to extend from the west of Kratia, so the relationship between them was particularly close, to the extent that all goods entering Kratia passed through this Marpein first.
"The sun is setting."
Marpein's southern border.
As if to announce that this was the boundary of the Holy State Alliance, a tall, long city wall was constructed there.
And atop it was the Margrave, Gorvan, who had recently been appointed to govern this southern frontier.
He stroked his white beard, watching the sun slowly sink below the horizon.
"Prepare to close the city gates."
This was the first entry point for goods coming from the south of the continent.
Inspections were stricter as many items were bound for Kratia.
When night fell, goods could no longer pass through here.
Merchants had to wait in the village outside the city walls and resume movement in the morning.
"Hurry!"
"The sun will set soon!"
"We have to get through before then…!"
Merchants urged their companions, moving quickly.
But their haste didn't make passing through the city gates any faster.
Soldiers inspected the merchants' goods according to established procedures.
"Can't you do it a bit faster?!"
"These goods absolutely have to get in today!"
"I said no!"
The gatekeeper shouted at them.
"If you were in such a hurry, you should have come earlier! Stop pestering, and if you can't pass, come back tomorrow morning!"
At his shout, the merchants merely looked anxious.
And so, eventually the sun set, and those who couldn't pass the city gates were pushed back by the soldiers.
"Alright, alright, come back tomorrow."
"Stop it and go back."
"Can't you hear?"
At their threatening demeanor, the merchants soon retreated with their goods.
"Damn it, they're just guarding a gate, but they act like..."
"The dogs of Kratia bark even more, I tell you."
"Damn it all."
They had no means of resistance and were merely grumbling, venting their frustration at not having entered the gate in time, when.
"Hmm?"
One of the guards standing on the city gate noticed something and spoke to his comrade beside him.
"What's coming?"
"Merchants?"
"No, something else."
Then, the other guards nearby also turned their heads.
What they saw was,
"What, what is that."
A flash of light approaching them.
It was just after sunset.
It roared, captivating the gaze of everyone gathered at the city gate.
"What, what are you doing!"
The flash was only a few hundred meters from the city gate, the gatekeeper realized, and shouted.
"Close the city gates!"
Creak, creak, creak!
The soldiers hastily closed the city gates.
Soldiers at the front of the gate and on top of the wall raised their spears and bows respectively, taking attack positions.
"Hmm!"
Gorvan, their commander, clenched his fist, seeing the soldiers move as trained.
'What on earth is that....'
Marpein had sent him here at Kratia's request to further strengthen the southern guard, but he had honestly been half-hearted about it.
The talk of a prophecy from the Saintess of Kratia that something might go wrong in the south.
Flash.
The flash of light stopped right in front of the city gate, exploding with friction.
BOOOOOM!
The explosive sound spread belatedly, blowing up the merchants' wagons standing nearby.
"Aargh!"
Merchants were flung in various directions by the shockwave.
The destructive power was so immense that even the soldiers had to hide behind their shields.
"...."
Gorvan, who had briefly hunched over, slowly raised his head again and looked down at the area outside the city wall.
Hiss, hiss, hiss.
A woman panting, as if cooling down from intense heat.
Seeing her standing there with blue hair fluttering, Gorvan couldn't help but widen his eyes.
"The Tower Master of the Blue Magic Tower...?"
At the Hero's party's departure ceremony, Gorvan had seen her.
She was said to be an unparalleled genius in magic, having been granted the position of Tower Master of the Blue Magic Tower at the youngest age ever.
She was a woman of great accomplishments, but he had heard she had secluded herself in the Magic Tower after Hero Clay was executed on charges of treason.
'But why here....'
While Gorvan was bewildered, the soldiers moved first.
"Wh-Who are you!"
"Identify yourself!"
Startled by the sudden situation, they couldn't even grasp her identity.
They had seen many paintings depicting the Hero's party, but they never imagined the person before their eyes would be her.
"...A bit late."
Words that came from her mouth.
"What?"
"What do you mean!"
The soldiers didn't understand the meaning.
Gorvan, who overheard the conversation, swallowed dryly.
'Could it be that she intended to pass through the city gates?'
Wondering if she had intended to enter Marpein before sunset, Gorvan shouted.
"Wait! Everyone stop!"
He calmed the soldiers and turned his gaze to Yuru.
"Are you not Lady Yuru, the mage of the Blue Magic Tower?!"
"...."
Then Yuru silently looked up.
Gorvan subtly gasped when he saw her eyes.
'Ferocious.'
There should have been no reason, but she seemed hostile towards them.
Still, she was a hero even to the Holy State Alliance.
Gorvan quickly said,
"It's late now! How about you spend some time at the accommodation outside the city gates and come back tomorrow?!"
Strengthening the city gate guard was something he, as the Margrave, had to uphold.
After sunset, the gates must be locked, and no one should be allowed to pass.
That was what the King of Marpein had specifically instructed him when he was assigned here.
He had also vowed to uphold it.
"I wish you would open the gate."
Yuru said in a cold voice.
Gorvan replied with a flustered expression.
"That is, it's a directive from the King, so I cannot help it! I will come down now and escort Lady Yuru myself!"
With that, Gorvan descended the city wall steps.
And slightly opened the city gate to step outside.
"My apologies, Lady Yuru. Instead, I will take care to escort you..."
It was then.
Through the slightly opened gate, Yuru walked.
"Ju-Just a moment, please wait! You cannot enter now!"
Gorvan ran and hastily blocked her way.
"We are not trying to treat Lady Yuru, a hero, poorly. These are our directives, so please show a little respect..."
"Respect?"
Yuru turned back to Gorvan.
"If you truly respect me, move aside. Is it right that I can't even enter here?"
"Th-That..."
Gulp.
Gorvan swallowed dryly.
'Fuck....'
Gorvan subtly glanced at the sword at his hip.
'What am I supposed to do?'
He didn't know why Yuru was so angry, but the situation was definitely serious.
If he just let such a Yuru in, he didn't know what kind of trouble would erupt.
"Lady Yuru, please, I beg you, step back. I have orders, so I cannot retreat."
"I'll tell you just one thing."
A magic circle began to be drawn at Yuru's feet.
"Show respect when you can show respect. I'm giving you only one chance."
Gorvan looked down at the magic circle.
Glowing purple, it vibrated, emitting a strange noise.
"Urgh...!"
Instantly, Gorvan clenched his teeth and drew the sword from his waist.
"Stop now..."
Thunk.
An ominous sound echoed in the air.
The expressions of the soldiers and merchants stiffened instantly.
"Count, sir?"
Gorvan's face was on the ground.
Outside the gaze of the dazed onlookers, Gorvan's body slowly crumbled.
Swish.
Yuru, who had distracted with the magic circle and then launched an ice blade, slowly withdrew her hand.
"You, you!"
The gatekeeper belatedly regained his senses and shouted.
"What are you all doing! Attack at once..."
However, his words did not continue.
Because the magic circle that formed beneath Yuru's feet was not a fake.
"I told you to show respect."
The moment Yuru turned her gaze with a soul-less expression,
KABOOOOM!
The ground cracked, and the city wall began to collapse entirely.
"I won't leave any witnesses."
She murmured softly, drawing dozens more magic circles on the already crumbling ground.
♧
"She'll probably try to find you."
Barungenia.
The Demon King's office.
Beatrice was telling Clay, who was sitting in a chair, what would happen next.
"She'll try to find me? You mean Lilien will tell everything?"
"Yes."
Beatrice nodded at Clay's question.
"She must have had an imperial order, so she would have blabbed despite my warning."
"Then why did you know that would happen, and yet..."
"For a counterattack, Clay."
Beatrice smiled slightly.
"Anyway, from the moment your corpse disappeared, someone was bound to come looking for you. News of your disappearance would spread in an instant."
But that was merely an incident of a stolen corpse.
"However, rumors of you walking around are a different matter."
Whether he was turned into an undead or something else, it would be something that would greatly displease the Holy State Alliance.
"The Holy State Alliance will point out Iser's negligence in handling a criminal. They might even dispatch a certain number of personnel again for oversight."
"A certain number of personnel, you mean..."
"The Guardian Knights will move."
Beatrice said softly.
"Anyway, your execution is over, and the justification is complete. Now they'll immediately dispatch personnel just to clear up any lingering unpleasantness. At that time, keep a close eye on the forces of the Guardian Knights who show immediate movement."
That would help him gauge where the roots of those targeting him extended.
"While we're at it, let's also take out a few Guardian Knights who are separated from their main force."
Beatrice, who spoke so casually, was indeed one of the Demon King's Four Heavenly Kings.
Clay lowered his gaze slightly, then replied.
"Let's do that."
Because he had decided so.