Chapter 99: Existence (1)

Is It Bad That the Main Character's a Roleplayer

Chapter 99 Existence (1)

The man wearing a bearskin was trudging through the streets on a donkey. Despite being quite an unusual sight in the desert, no one was paying attention to his existence.

> [Humans sure are incredibly foolish, thinking they could gain power without having to pay any price.]

A thin, black hand pulled back the bearskin. As the bear head covering his face fell back, his curly hair fell out. It was shiny and completely free of tangles, seemingly having been well taken care of.

> [Thinking there is no price is also a price in and of itself.]

The being seemed to like his hair quite a bit and slowly twisted some around his index finger.

> [But it's still a little disappointing. I don't want to go beyond this city yet.]

And once the long hair was wrapped completely around his finger, the being just cut it off.

> [Sigh, just what are Pandemonium and Moby Dick doing? I haven't even killed a single Hero so far, so why me...? Ah, I don't want to do it.]

The cut hair slowly loosened around his finger before he gathered it in his palm. Hee-haw! The donkey then cried out loudly.

> [Stop being like that. I know already. Helel will nag me to no end if I fail. But what can I even do? I'm the least compatible with the Hero's power. I don't even know if an all-out war like Gretchen used to do is even possible for me. All I can do is dream...]

Hee-haw!

> [Actually, that guy is the one most compatible with the Hero. How annoying. Anyway, I've never liked that Gretchen guy anyway... Arbitrarily going around, claiming to be the strongest after the King, but now when we need him most...]

Crackle. The hair resting in his palm spontaneously caught fire. After it burned up in an instant, he spread its ashes into the air in a single motion.

> [Let's stop worrying.]

The ashes flew around and landed on someone on the other side of the street. His hair, neatly divided between gray and black, billowed in the wind.

* * *

"...?"

The Inquisitor suddenly turned around, so I also glanced behind her. It was merely a reflexive action, but it didn't really yield any results.

Now that the beacon had been lit, the streets were filled with citizens evacuating according to the manual and troops running to the castle walls.

"What's the matter? Did you get that uncomfortable feeling again from someone?"

"...No. I just felt like something was behind me. I think I was just too paranoid."

"If you feel something, don't just ignore it. Now that the Demons have invaded, we can't rule out the possibility that something has snuck into the city."

"Yes, understood."

Although she said that, she didn't pursue the feeling she just had. Seeing that she didn't react any further, it seemed it really was just a feeling.

"Rather than that, let's hurry."

Loitering on a narrow street would only prevent other people from passing us, so we hurriedly went on our way. Our destination was the wall on the other side of the city, where the Demons had started attacking.

"They let us through?"

Deb's thoughts were mine exactly.

Right now wasn't exactly a state of emergency—well, it technically wasn't unmanageable to the extent of what had happened in Jacrati—so besides the military forces, I didn't expect them to let anyone up on the castle walls. That was really surprising.

Or did they let us through because we had the Temple and the Magic Tower backing us? Ah, was that it?

"I've never seen something like this happen, either, but... It could be because the beacon only indicated Danger Level 1."

Right then, Kankan, who had come with us, muttered something quietly.

From what I'd heard, rather than attacking the wall right away, the Demons of the desert would stop somewhere around its vicinity, gather their forces, and wait about half a day to two days before starting their assault.

So, they would call upon wizards and priests to gauge the extent of the Demons' forces and strategize. This was very likely to be why they let us through.

"Both the Archmage and the agent sent by the Main Temple are sure to take on the central role of each faction. It's only natural that they were allowed entry."

The priest who'd accompanied us even confirmed my guess.

...But what about the rest of us? Were we just brought along as extras? It wasn't all that bad since we got an opportunity to assess the situation properly, but it still felt kind of strange.

"...Do you think the Demons use this time to prepare?"

"Rather than that, it's presumed that this is a characteristic of the Great Demon leading the army. The Great Demon making the desert their home is known as the Duke of 'Sloth', so I'm guessing that's why they take their time."

Oh... I was wondering who the Great Demon living in the desert was. Sloth, huh?

Thinking back on the seven deadly sins, if it was Sloth, the one in charge might be either Astaroth or Belphegor.

I wasn't sure whether that would be their real name, but while I didn't know much about the former's appearance, thinking about the latter conjured the image of a Demon sitting on a toilet, which didn't feel that threatening.

"...But if a Great Demon is present, won't this be really dangerous?"

"There has never been a single instance of the Great Demon of Sloth taking the lead in the past, even when the Demons' forces were vast."

"Still..."

"Of course, there's no telling whether things will be the same now as in the past. You're right. But we're already in this city, aren't we? There's no way for us to avoid this. The only thing we can do is be careful."

"That's also true."

Deb had whined a bit and asked for more information on the Great Demons. It seemed he wanted to cram any information he got about it into his head as fast as possible.

"There isn't much information on the Great Demons, especially Sloth."

"Why?"

"Didn't the Archmage tell you earlier? It's never showed up on the frontlines. We sometimes get a bit of information after some torture, but that stuff is mostly on the level of rumors. It's nothing to the extent you're hoping for."

Was it because the topic was Demons? The Inquisitor, who rarely spoke up on her own, answered his question.

As if to prove said information was indeed just on the level of word of mouth, the following explanation she provided really was equivalent to some tall tales.

"There's nothing that could be helpful among these."

"It's also proof of the Great Demons' persistence in destroying all records of them. That is also why their true names are unknown."

"...You don't even know their true names?"

"That's right."

"Indeed."

So Deb and I stood on top of the wall, having been unable to gain anything from their words.

"You can't stand there. This is a supply passage."

Thanks to Kankan, who'd often witnessed things like these, I avoided making any mistakes.

"It has a ceiling?"

Curiosity burst from me as if to replace any other thought.

Hmm. The city walls of Far Enoch were unique in that they consisted of two separate walls and even had a ceiling built over the two.

I was a little surprised by it because I had never seen this type of structure in this place before. However, why did they build a ceiling just to put holes in it? Wasn't that quite frustrating?

"The Demons also come by air, so they built this ceiling to prevent them from killing us. Through these holes, they kill the Demons that decided to land on the roof with spears... Sometimes, people still die if a fire-breathing Demon fights back."

"Ah."

Deb, who lacked such military knowledge, nodded along to Kankan's explanation. I inadvertently also gained new knowledge.

Places that were used to dealing with Demons sure were very different. Their preparation was quite thorough compared to other cities.

"If the Yabad region had these kinds of things, it would be much easier for them to deal with the Demons."

"But don't they only rarely encounter flying Demons there?"

"Don't the Demons break down the walls?"

"If their forces are strong, they do sometimes break. However, having something is better than nothing, as that would spell death."

"The ceiling is quite low here... Isn't that quite uncomfortable for soldiers of the Shaggi tribe?"

"Were it any higher, the soldiers' spears wouldn't reach the Demons on top, so it can't be helped. Besides, those that are too tall and would be inconvenienced by this place are sent elsewhere to begin with."

I was so glad I had the Inquisitor and Deb with me to ask questions.

I roughly saved the information from this conversation in my brain. It was essential to fill in the gaps in my knowledge about this world, even if the information might seem unnecessary. After all, one could never know what knowledge might be useful in the future.

"This way."

Then, someone who seemed like the commander called for a few people from atop a watchtower. Of course, neither Deb nor I could go there... It didn't really matter, anyway.

Even without standing on top of the watchtower, one could easily see the desert through the window-like gaps in the castle wall.

"Are all of those beings Demons...?"

"Most likely."

"Yes. We've gathered many Shaggi and Curety with good eyesight to confirm this multiple times, so it's certain."

I now understood why they tried to hold on to all these talented individuals, even if it necessitated creating an arena. Even if the Demons only attacked once every few years, if they brought forces this massive with them, the city couldn't afford to lose even a single person.

I clenched my fists, barely suppressing the urge to click my tongue.

On the desert's horizon, visible through the gaps, I could see faint black lines wiggling about. They were all Demons.

"This is serious. When was the last invasion?"

"...It was two months ago."

Meanwhile, the Archmage and the priests who'd climbed the watchtower spoke with the commander.

Was it because I'd heard that the maximum interval between invasions was seven years? Two months didn't feel all that long.

"Is that the usual interval between invasions?"

"No. The shortest recorded interval was one month, but... that was during the era when the Demons' forces were at their strongest. After their peak, even the shortest interval was half a year... Usually, they only attack once every year. That's how it's been for the past 20 years."

Deb, who was standing beside me, blinked. After being given such clear numbers, anyone would realize this situation was highly unusual.

Especially considering our circumstances. Weren't we the Hero's party whose ultimate goal was to defeat Satan?

"...You're quite popular, aren't you, iron wall? Wherever you go, Demons pop out."

Honestly, this probably wasn't the kimchi dumpling's fault, but rather the plot taking a bad turn.

"More importantly, now that this has happened, the matter about the Martial King..."

"...We'll have to postpone it. Or at the very least, um, dealing with it simultaneously... probably isn't possible, right?"

"That's quite reasonable, but..."

Kankan held out both his hands in the direction of the Demons. He seemed to be suggesting that, if not for him needing to deal with those things, his situation would be fine.

From my perspective, well, I couldn't exactly make any vehement statements because it was just a gut feeling, but it still felt like this would stab us in the back.

"Well, we have no other choice. Nothing in this world should take precedence over getting rid of Demons."

"...True."

"Even if he wants to kill us, he wouldn't do it while all these Demons were invading us, right?"

"That seems to be a matter we'll have to think more about."

Even if he wasn't directly related to Demons, he might still attempt to assassinate us during this chaos to silence us.

Hmm. But everyone here was capable enough to deal with that, though. The Archmage, who was the most vulnerable, would stay in the safest place, anyway.

Hmmm... It wouldn't be wise of me to speak up in this situation, so I thought it would be best to focus on just myself for now.

If someone tried sneaking up on me to stab me in the back, I would just have to deal with them.

"It's unlikely a coincidence that the Demons decided to attack again after just two months. We should strengthen our surveying efforts in case they try something."

Fortunately, the Archmage had gone up to convey this issue to the commander.

Unfortunately, he couldn't mention something like traitors within our ranks. We still weren't sure whether they were in leagues with the Demons or just corrupt.

With no evidence to prove their involvement and little time to gather it, catching them would be quite difficult.

"Maybe they did something to the castle walls or the city center. Bombs are one thing, but in the case of the Yabad region..."

Instead, the Archmage mentioned the cursed jars we had to deal with in the Yabad religion.

Thanks to that, the search and reinforcement of the walls and residents' shelters would become more thorough. Their vigilance would also be heightened.

At this level, even if the corrupt fighters had actually joined hands with actual Demons, they wouldn't be able to move freely. At most, they might get some freedom of movement once the fight started...

From an objective standpoint, this outcome was quite tolerable. At least they wouldn't use bombs within the city.

"Ah, you're back."

Ten minutes passed before the Archmage and the other commanders came down, sooner than I expected.

Of course, the brevity of the conversation was likely due to the lack of room for significant changes in strategy, given the nature of this battle.

The priests were to focus on reinforcing the walls and treating the wounded as usual, while the wizards were to use AOE spells to kill as many Demons as possible. The soldiers and fighters were stationed on the walls and throughout the city to defend against any Demons that slipped in. That was all.

Unless new technology or weapons were introduced, their battle tactics were unlikely to change.

"You."

However, I was the first person the Archmage called out to among those waiting below. His subtly stiff face glanced alternately between me and the Inquisitor.

Since he didn't really say anything, though, it was probably something unconfirmed or that we didn't need to know.

"I already mentioned it when we entered the city, but I'll say it again: never move alone from this moment on. Don't even think about going outside the city walls."

Instead, he continued to add to those words.

"Even though there is no clear evidence, with both you and the Hero here, there is a certain chance the Great Demon is also here if they're aware of your existence. In that case, you two could become targets, as well."

That was a valid concern coupled with a sincere request. But to my ears, it somehow sounded like a summoning spell for that Great Demon.

Either way, with the stage set as it was, it would be even stranger if the Great Demon actually didn't appear.

* * *

* * *

"If they chose to come here, they should just hurry up and attack already..."

Regardless of that ominous Demon-summoning spell by the Archmage, preparations for our imminent defensive battle continued.

Troops were deployed to the city walls, ammunition-like arrows were checked over once more and redistributed to areas lacking them, additional non-regular forces—like fighters or adventurers—were deployed, and so on.

It felt like I was watching a hopeful group rearranging their priorities while doing a group project. Although, the difficulty of their assignment was no joke.

"Damn it, I can't even get some sleep because those bastards are just standing still over there..."

Yet, more Demons were gathering over there than we could prepare for. The black waves gathering on the horizon were even visible to those with ordinary eyesight.

And none of them moved to attack us. Thanks to that, it was the soldiers who were suffering the most.

If they relaxed, they might miss the enemies' arrival, but remaining tense like that consumed a lot of energy, so they were stuck in a dilemma.

"Don't worry too much."

However, not everyone was tense to the point of suffering from stomachaches.

The veterans who'd survived in this city for a long time just leisurely strolled around as if they didn't notice the Demons lurking outside. It was a form of familiarity that had become ingrained in their bodies.

"Don't just stand there like a statue, you newcomers!"

Even the citizens who stayed behind to handle rear support didn't seem particularly concerned.

Even if they didn't climb atop the city walls personally, those who'd endured living here for decades seemed not to take this situation too seriously. To them, this was akin to an annual event, so their reaction might be understandable.

"More importantly, why isn't Sir Martial King here? It seems like all the other fighters are here, though."

"I don't know. I saw the commander swearing earlier, calling him a bastard and all that."

"Huh. What's that guy up to? Hey, Red Mane! Heard anything?!"

"...No idea. How am I supposed to know what's happening in other people's minds?"

However, the Martial King not showing up was suspicious. Extremely suspicious.

"Oh, now that you mention it, wasn't there a newcomer who arrived a few days ago?"

Just then, someone approached me. Archmage was stationed elsewhere and Deb had left to relieve himself, leaving me in a bit of a predicament.

Kankan seemed to think I was just a pretty taciturn person who wouldn't be of much help. So, in the end, I had no choice but to speak up, huh?

This person was supposed to be someone I'd have to fight alongside, but it looked like I would have to piss him off before the fight even started.

"You came from the Yabad region, right? How about telling us what went down over there? Heard they were having some trouble there."

Uhm, hmm... This was pretty awkward, after all.

I opened my mouth while nibbling on a piece of bread and dried dates handed out by the residents.

"Finding joy in others' misfortune, are you? Your personality is quite something."

"..."

Couldn't we just keep our mouths shut?

"Miiister, did you get your meal... What's with this atmosphere?"

Fortunately, just before the mood became even more miserable, Deb came running over.

His eagerness to share some of the delicious food he'd received from the residents with me was quite touching. I had no intention of taking it, though, because it felt like accepting a bribe.

"Would you like some, too?"

"They're all dried vegetables."

"If you're dissatisfied, feel free to complain, then."

"No, I'm not complaining. How did you manage to get those expensive vegetables?"

"I'm quite skilled, you know?"

Just then, someone approached us with quick steps. Since I didn't bother to look in their direction, all I could see was their shadow cast on the ground, which was quite large.

"Who... Huuuh?!"

"Y-You?!"

Rather, that voice seemed kind of familiar... Uwaah! A wild Berserk had appeared!

"Nice to see you. I wanted to greet you earlier, but I only got to now. Oh, hello, Kankan. Long time no see."

More surprising than realizing that the approaching shadow belonged to Berserk and that Kankan actually knew Berserk was the fact that...

"Uhm, are you surprised? Sorry. I came here to apologize, so please don't avoid me, okay?"

Berserk, she... She could actually speak so calmly?!