Chapter 19 | The Assassin Shares His Plan
According to Mina’s intel, the next demon was going to appear near a city called Jombull in northern Alvan. Given its location on the border, it was a hub for international trade, with much commerce conducted with Dia’s homeland, the Soigelian Kingdom. It wasn’t the economic powerhouse the harbor town of Milteu was, but it was relatively prosperous.
The demon was expected to show up very soon—in a mere three days.
Jombull was only about eight kilometers from Tuatha Dé, so a disaster there would undoubtedly affect my home as well. After researching Jombull’s population, I discovered it was just short of the number of lives required to form a Fruit of Life, even if the demon sacrificed every person in the city. That meant it would probably attack Tuatha Dé next.
“So the demon’s going to strike Jombull? I’ve been there before. It’s a nice city,” said Dia.
“It is. And as a Tuatha Dé, I can’t afford to let it fall,” I replied.
Jombull was an important trading partner for our domain. It was always our first option when we needed to purchase any goods, and it was a place to sell the things we produced.
There were plenty of other towns that could fill that role, but they were all too far.
“Did you find this using your usual information network?” Dia asked as a bump on the road jostled us in our seats in the carriage.
“That’s right,” I answered.
I was hiding Mina’s true identity, so I told Dia that I had procured the data on the demon.
Two other people were accompanying Dia and me. One of them was Tarte. She was carefully reading the files I had put together on the demon. I’d added knowledge obtained from the Alam Karla to what Mina initially gave me, performed analysis, and written out a strategy.
“I can’t believe you really came,” I admitted to the last person traveling with me.
“Of course I did,” answered a purple-haired girl possessed of unrivaled beauty. People always claimed that purple was the color of nobility, and seeing Nevan convinced me that they were right.
I’d promised to take her along when we fought demons.
“You’re placing an awful lot of trust in my words,” I remarked.
House Romalung had its own information network, yet they had not been aware of the impending appearance of a new demon.
I’d only obtained the information because I had a demonic informant of sorts.
“I am truly amazed you found something that House Romalung hasn’t even gotten a whiff of,” Nevan said with a giggle.
“Aren’t you curious how I discovered it?”
“From your usual intelligence network, surely?”
“That’s right.”
Nevan’s friendly grin never left her face. She wasn’t asking me where I got the information because she knew doing so would be pointless. That didn’t mean she had given up. She had made a clear declaration of intent to find out for herself.
Tarte’s head looked about ready to steam as the carriage trundled along. “Urgh, this demon is too strong. It’s not fair!” she complained as her eyes scanned over the documents repeatedly in evident frustration.
It was funny how she made even that kind of behavior look adorable.
“You’re right about that. The next demon is the Beast King Liogel. As you might expect from his name, he shares several qualities with large cats,” I explained.
“Lions are so strong,” commented Tarte.
“Yeah. Their feline muscles give them flexibility, leaping ability, and explosive athleticism. Their reflexes are also impressive, and like all carnivores, they are capable of tremendous concentration. We can use that last characteristic to our advantage, however,” I expounded.
If Liogel indeed was a solo-type demon, I believed he would be easy to assassinate.
“Why would strong concentration make the demon easier to kill?” inquired Tarte.
“A carnivore’s focus becomes very narrow when hunting prey. I become the same way when sniping—I shut off all else except for me and my target. That depth of concentration is why I don’t miss,” I responded.
“Oh, I understand. Its focus means more blind spots, and it will be slow to respond to any attacks that come from them,” Dia reasoned.
“That’s exactly right. It’s why I always need an assistant when sniping. With Tarte present as my attendant, I can give a target my undivided attention.”
You make yourself more vulnerable when stalking prey. That was an unavoidable fact.
Herbivores possessed a wide field of vision and never dropped their guard, which gave them a better chance of escape.
Hunters, however, were different. They only needed to concentrate when they intended to kill. They devoted everything to that one moment and easily surpassed their opponent’s level of concentration. As a trade-off, their attention didn’t last long, and their vision was significantly narrowed.
“But you still think the fight will be difficult, right, Lugh?” questioned Dia.
“That predator nature would be a weakness if Liogel were alone, but he has a harem, as is typical of lions.”
Lions formed groups of females centered around one male. The Beast King Liogel was not the kind of demon that could produce monsters, but a pack always accompanied him.
“Um, what do you mean by ‘harem’?” asked Tarte.
It was Dia who replied. “I’ll answer that one. Let’s see… Take Lugh, me, and though I haven’t met her, Maha. You can call our relationship a harem.”
“Hold on a moment. Would you mind adding me to that?” Nevan requested, staring at Dia coldly.
“The duke wouldn’t like you associating with me. If you get too close to Lugh, Tarte and I will want nothing more than to drive you away,” Dia threatened.
“That is not the case. We have a high opinion of you, Claudia. I’m sure any children you bear would be worthy of joining House Romalung. We have firm plans to obtain you. If Lugh ever falls out of love with you, please come to us. We’ll prepare seed befitting your brilliance,” Nevan stated matter-of-factly.
She was spouting her usual nonsense. Even in matters of possessiveness and love, she was a Romalung above all else.
“Geez, I guess you really are a Romalung daughter. I have no desire to give my children to your house, and what I decide to do if ever Lugh happens to dump me is none of your business. Why do you only want me? What about Tarte?” asked Dia.
“We have no need of her. She’s nothing more than an average person who works hard,” Nevan said dismissively.
“…Ah-ha-ha,” Tarte laughed nervously.
Dia’s face twisted in a scowl. “That was a rude thing to say.”
“I simply spoke the truth,” Nevan shot back.
“U-um, please don’t fight over me,” Tarte pleaded.
Tarte didn’t try to deny Nevan’s words…and neither did I. I knew that Nevan’s claim was correct, to an extent.
Tarte was not a genius—her intelligence was as average as they came. She was just endlessly sincere and gave everything her best effort. Her sincerity allowed her to digest what she was taught without any prejudice, and her work ethic meant she practiced longer and more intensely than others.
She was a different variety of person compared to me, Dia, and Nevan. However, in my opinion, her genuineness and tireless perseverance were real talents.
“Let’s get back on topic. Perhaps I shouldn’t have used the word harem. It’s essentially a pack under the demon’s command. The females are pretty close in strength to the male. They possess their own will and are smart and precise. A small, organized group can achieve far more than their numbers would first suggest,” I explained.
Liogel’s group coordinated, amplified their strengths, and eliminated their weaknesses. A good pack increased the power of each individual many times over.
“Lugh, I’m a little scared of the answer to this question, but are the females monsters? We’ll be able to kill them normally, right?” Dia inquired, looking for confirmation.
“Yeah, they’re monsters. But apparently, they gain the same properties as demons if the male touches them. Once he dies, they’ll resurrect unless slain directly by the hero or within the Demonkiller field.”
Dia and Tarte went silent. It was clear they understood how difficult our opponent was.
Finally, Tarte spoke up. “Um, how do you plan on stopping them, my lord?”
“Well, we can’t do anything until we separate Liogel from the females. That will be our first goal.”
“Do you have a specific method in mind?” questioned Dia.
I nodded. “Yes. You know the weapon I use for Cannon Strike?”
“Yeah, that giant death machine.”
“I tinkered with it a bit and made it into a kind of catapult, er, launchpad. With it, I can blast Liogel kilometers away. We’ll then take out as many females as we can, making sure to incinerate them so that the demon has nothing of their bodies left to revive. Then we’ll just repeat that process.”
It sounded like an excessive strategy, but I trusted its efficacy. Plus, I had a backup plan in case the catapult didn’t work out.
“You make it sound simple, but I think this is going to be really hard,” said Tarte doubtfully.
“I’ll make it work. Trust me.”
That wasn’t a boast. I had a clear vision for this fight. Suddenly, I felt someone’s eyes on me. Nevan had been looking at me silently for a while.
“Do you have something to say?” I prompted.
“I just thought it odd that you have a simpler method, yet you’re electing not to use it,” she answered.
Nevan’s words came as no surprise. I did have a method that could end the battle much easier and with less risk, as long as I was willing to make a certain concession.
“Mind if I ask what you’re talking about?” I questioned.
“At the academy, you used wide-range and incredibly strong magic to blow up an entire force of orcs in one go. You could just use that again. The females can’t revive unless the male touches them, right? That magic of yours wouldn’t leave so much as a scrap behind. Even if some part remained, it’d be blasted too far away. Liogel would revive, but you could take his pack out of the picture in one strike.” Nevan was referencing Gungnir and Cannon Volley.
Tarte and Dia looked at Nevan in wonder at her claim that there was such a method.
“I had considered that. The problem is the demon and his monsters could appear near Jombull at any time. The settlement’s walls are considerably weaker than those at the academy or the royal capital. If I use spells like that too close to the walls, I’ll end up leveling Jombull,” I responded.
That was our biggest obstacle. In the battle with the orc demon, the monsters I’d wiped out were far from our forces, and a sturdy barricade protected the academy. When we encountered the beetle demon, the local populace had already been massacred. Things were different this time, however.
“Why is that a problem? It’s a battle to save the world. You are the Holy Knight, and the world needs your continued protection. I don’t think the people of Jombull are worth putting yourself at risk,” argued Nevan.
“We disagree there. If I have to put myself at risk for the chance of saving a thousand lives, I’ll do it every time. Don’t get the wrong idea, though. If pressed to the point where there is no other choice, I am prepared to sacrifice Jombull. I just don’t think that’s worth it yet. I believe we can handle a different tactic.”
I wasn’t going to refute what Nevan was trying to say. I didn’t intend to claim that human life was more precious than anything else.
If I died, the world was doomed. Even so, this was a risk I was willing to take.
“Well, as long as you understand the implications.” Nevan paused and turned to Dia and Tarte. “What do you two ladies think?”
“I agree with Lugh. He never decides on a route he can’t complete,” Dia replied.
“Yes, I also believe in Lord Lugh!” added Tarte.
“My, what wonderful trust they have in you,” Nevan remarked, her smile slightly different than before. She then clapped her hands as if coming to a sudden realization. “Ah, what made me ask such a foolish question? You had already made up your mind on the number of necessary sacrifices and built your strategy with that in mind, yes? You would never have been so naive. Hee-hee, I’m falling for you all over again. I’ll do whatever you need of me. My light magic will give us a better chance of success, but I expect you’ve been counting on that from the beginning.”
Nodding, I praised her. “You understand my tactics well. I took all of that into account when assessing the risk.”
“I’ve never met a man able to see things the way I can. I knew you were the one for me.”
The carriage raced toward the site of the decisive battle.
She saw through the part I wasn’t intending on mentioning until the end.
I was hiding something from Tarte and Dia. My plan for this battle already assumed a certain amount of damage to the city.
If I truly wanted to minimize lives lost, we would have had to evacuate Jombull. However, doing so would have required exposing my informant to the kingdom, and if people fled from Jombull, there was a high chance the demon would abandon his target. Not knowing where Liogel might strike would result in exponentially greater damage.
My new life may have taught me compassion, but I was still an assassin. I was willing to play the numbers game with human lives.
I couldn’t risk the demon altering his course, so I accepted that some people would die due to our fight in Jombull. By my estimation, however, we would save most of the denizens.
Now that I had made that decision, I resolved only to allow a certain number of casualties, and I was determined not to let that integer climb any higher.
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