Chapter 86
Squeak—!
A snow-covered mountain range.
At the clearing near its peak, countless rats gathered together.
Thump— Thump—
“They’re coming.”
In one corner stood a grotesque throne built from the carcasses of beasts the rats had dragged in.
And upon it sat a small, wiry old man.
The Rat Demon King narrowed his eyes as the earth rumbled beneath the approach of a massive army marching up from below the mountain.
“Haaah. Why do I have to move together with such a foul-smelling old man?”
A tide of snow-white beasts appeared — so white they almost blended into the landscape.
At the very rear of that endless, glimmering army, a woman of breathtaking beauty reclined within a palanquin lavishly adorned with gold and jewels.
It was the Goat Demon King.
After ordering her monsters to halt, she rode forward slowly to face the Rat Demon King, heaving a long sigh as her gaze swept over the clearing, now teeming with squeaking rats.
“Honestly. It’s the old men who caused this mess — why do I have to clean it up?”
When the Serpent Demon King’s scheme drew Gregory away from the Church’s center, the Rat Demon King had struck — launching an assault on the Castrum Fortress in the North.
And while the Church’s eyes were fixed on that northern disaster, the Toad Demon King ambushed the East, capturing a fortress and taking a cardinal hostage.
Though the Church’s new “hero” had rescued that hostage, the fortress itself still remained under the Toad Demon King’s control.
The invasion had stalled — failing to sweep across the East as planned — yet it had still succeeded in tying down the Empire’s central and eastern forces.
That left the North vulnerable again.
“Since the plan already went awry,” she recalled, “they decided to use that corrupt bishop within the Church to summon the northern cardinal back to the capital. They wanted to replace him with one of their own… shame about the Serpent, though.”
Pity for the Serpent Demon King aside, it was all in service of the greater cause.
If this invasion could push back the border — if they could capture even a few of the North’s heroes — it would greatly strengthen their position for the coming Great War.
‘Still… that new hero of the Church…’
Sitting at the edge of the clearing, the Goat Demon King thought of the humans beyond the mountains, waiting for sunset to fall.
‘I heard he was supposedly talentless. And yet he killed that giant rat who always followed this stinking old man around.’
The Church’s “new hero,” surrounded by rumor and awe.
His name was Eric Ater, wasn’t it?
With the body of a so-called incompetent, he not only slew one of the Demon King’s named lieutenants but even rescued the cardinal captured by the Toad Demon King.
‘Hmph. I wonder if he’ll come again this time.’
Her eyes gleamed with hungry anticipation as she gazed beyond the mountain peaks.
Meanwhile…
“So, you’ve come.”
After canceling the trial of Gregory — who had been recalled to the Holy See from the capital — and riding north toward the tense borderlands for over ten days, Eric finally arrived.
Without rest, changing horses at every town along the way, he had managed to reach the northern fortress before the Demon King’s army descended.
And the moment he arrived, he was summoned by none other than Grand Duke Austin.
“I’ve heard of your deeds in the East. And that you even rescued Sir Gregory from the Holy See?”
Austin, seated in his office surrounded by papers concerning the gathered troops, set down his pen as Eric took a seat opposite him.
After driving the Rat Demon King’s army out of Castrum Fortress, Eric had barely returned home before rushing east upon hearing of the fortress there falling to the Toad Demon King.
Not only had he succeeded in rescuing the captured cardinal, but he’d also returned just in time to face yet another battle — bringing the famed healer Gregory with him.
“Well done. Thanks to you, the coming battle will be far easier.”
Of course, Gregory wasn’t the only one in the Church capable of purifying the plague and miasma that followed the Rat Demon King’s army — but only Gregory could maintain such magic for days on end while protecting thousands of troops at once.
Without him, any prolonged battle would turn against them.
Eric’s arrival with Gregory before the enemy’s assault was nothing short of salvation.
“…It was thanks to Lady Leona and everyone’s efforts.”
Eric replied humbly, but Austin’s rare smile nearly made him blink in disbelief.
The Grand Duke — always stern and cold — was smiling?
Not even when Eric had once played as Allen Ater in the game had that man ever shown warmth like this.
“May I ask, how is the situation now?”
Recovering from the surprise, Eric turned his gaze to the thousands of soldiers visible through the window.
“Several days ago, scouts spotted the Rat Demon King’s army gathering beyond the mountains. By timing alone, they should’ve attacked already. The fact that they haven’t… suggests they’re preparing something. I’ve sent out more scouts to confirm.”
Austin’s brow furrowed.
Since the battle at Castrum, the Rat Demon King’s forces had not disbanded — merely moved elsewhere. They were indeed camped beyond the mountains. Yet despite having gathered their strength, they’d made no move.
It was as if they were waiting — or scheming.
‘Already assembled, yet motionless?’
Eric tilted his head thoughtfully.
‘They used Impietas to lure Gregory away from the center… so what are they planning now?’
Even if they didn’t know Gregory had returned, it made no sense for the enemy to sit idle this long unless they were preparing a trap worth the delay.
“Who did you send as the scout?”
After a moment’s thought, Eric asked quietly.
“Allen.”
“…My brother?”
At that, Eric couldn’t help but let out a soft whistle.
For a noble like Allen Ater — the Grand Duke’s eldest son — to personally act as a scout, even this close to the fortress, was incredibly dangerous.
‘No wonder. I hadn’t seen my brother, the overprotective fool, since I arrived.’
Still, if Allen was in charge of scouting, there was comfort in that.
With the stats of a man who’d seemingly stolen all of the Goddess’s blessings for himself — and the heroes under his command — even a Demon King’s trap might not stop him.
Crash—!
“Father! It’s terrible! Something’s happened!”
Just as Eric’s thoughts began to settle, the door slammed open. Allen burst in, face pale and urgent.
“What’s happened? Why all this noise?”
Catching his breath, Allen pointed toward the mountains beyond the window.
“Beyond the range — at what appears to be the Demon King’s encampment — we’ve spotted a suspicious new force.”
“A suspicious force?”
Austin frowned, puzzled.
“Yes. It was hard to make out through the snow, but there’s no mistaking it — black curled horns, bodies covered in fluffy white fur.”
He nodded grimly as the scene replayed in his mind.
From the opposite side of the mountains, beyond the fortress’s sightline, he had seen it — a clearing swarming with an immense herd of… goats.
“The mountain goats have joined forces with the rats.”
“…The Goat Demon King!”
At that revelation, Eric swallowed hard.
The Goat Demon King — one of the Twelve, alongside the Rat and the Toad.
She spread sleep like a sweet, deadly fog — a being who, in many ways, was even more dangerous than the Rat Demon King in open war.
‘The Great War hasn’t even begun yet… and the Demon Kings are already banding together?’
Even in the game, such cooperation only occurred much later — when several Demon Kings had already been slain.
The Rat’s plague, the Toad’s siege — and now the Goat joining in?
Something was very wrong.
“Grand Duke!”
Before they could think further, Ulfric burst into the office, breathless.
“The Demon King’s army is descending the mountains! It’s not just the rats — the goat horde is marching with them!”
Eric turned toward the window — and froze.
In the red light of the setting sun, countless black dots swarmed down the slopes like a living tide.
“…Sound the alarms. Prepare for battle.”
Austin rose, gripping the sword resting by his desk.
The Rat (子) and the Goat (未).
The war between the North and the twin Demon Kings had begun.
