Chapter 73
Thud—
Eastern Diocese.
A man had found Eric amidst the chaos and brought him to his room.
Eric, sitting on the sofa, calmed the man kneeling before him with a desperate expression. Soon, he sipped the tea brought by an apprentice-looking priest and asked:
“Save the Cardinal? What on earth are you talking about?”
Even as a hero of the Church, he was still the son of the Duke of the Northern Territories. He had deliberately passed through the diocese rather than heading straight to the front lines, to avoid misunderstandings.
Yet, the first words he heard upon arrival were completely unexpected.
“W-well… it’s like this…”
The man, Bishop Fides, recalled that nightmarish day with trembling eyes.
“Arghhhh!”
“There are too many wounded! When will the priests of the diocese… ah!”
He had rushed to the Eastern Fortress upon hearing that the forces of the Demon Lord Mahu were advancing. Leading hundreds of knights and priests, the scene that greeted him was nothing short of hell.
Screams echoed outside the main gates. Even before the Demon Lord’s army arrived, the scouts’ reports and the wounded arriving from nearby villages had already overwhelmed the reserve beds set up outside the cathedral.
“Snap out of it! As soon as we arrived, we should’ve treated the wounded first! What do you think you’re doing, Bishop?”
“Y-yes! Your Eminence!”
Momentarily stunned by the horrifying scene, Fides quickly regained his senses at the Cardinal’s rebuke. Despite exhaustion from sleepless nights and depleted divine power causing dizziness, he persevered in treating the wounded.
After several days, the situation seemed to stabilize a little… but then:
“Eek! R-run!”
“This can’t be… how are we supposed to stop these monsters!”
The army of the Demon Lord Mahu finally reached the fortress.
The ensuing battle ended in utter devastation.
Thousands of monstrous apes, led by several named elites, overwhelmed the Eastern forces. The East, prosperous through trade and bordering the kingdom, could not withstand monsters hardened by survival in the harsh Northern lands. Even the seasoned heroes and veterans who had endured past wars were powerless against Mahu.
“Fides! Don’t worry about me! Go, get support from the central forces… ugh!”
“Hohoho… try struggling if you dare.”
Ultimately, the fortress fell in less than a day. During the chaos, the Cardinal was captured.
Seeing him in the hands of the Demon Lord, suffering, Fides and the other priests had no choice but to flee in terror.
He took comfort in the thought that at least he was the one tasked with informing the central command.
“…That’s how it happened.”
“Hmm.”
Eric, having heard the full story, exhaled quietly, his expression grave.
The Cardinal had been taken hostage by the Demon Lord. This was not just capturing an important enemy—it was unprecedented. Normally, the Demon Lord’s army didn’t take hostages. And even more so, it involved someone tied to the Church, the very group they hated.
Mahu… though different from other Demon Lords like Sama, he’s never taken hostages like this. What is he scheming?
The circumstances now, a localized conflict, differed from the full-scale war of the past. Eric frowned, perplexed. That old ape hadn’t killed the Cardinal but instead held him hostage meant he wanted something from him.
“Please… save the Cardinal from the clutches of that cunning Demon Lord Mahu!”
Perhaps misunderstanding Eric’s pensive expression as hesitation, Fides knelt once more.
“…Could you give me a moment to consider?”
“Please… I beg you!”
“This isn’t just a Named, it’s the Demon Lord himself. You understand, Bishop, that this is not something to decide lightly, right?”
Seeing Fides clinging to his leg as if desperate, Eric sighed.
The situation was dire, but unavoidable. Rescuing a Cardinal held hostage by a Demon Lord—if possible—was a task he would willingly take. Success would bring achievements far surpassing recovering relics from the old diocese or defeating a Named in battle.
Damn… I only planned to scout the area, not get involved in such a headache.
Originally, he hoped to gain merit on the side, but not like this. After excusing himself to Fides, Eric went to relay the situation to his companions.
“Whaaaat? The Cardinal… huh! He’s a hostage of the Demon Lord?”
Lilian, shocked, covered her mouth, barely able to speak. The others were similarly stunned, too shocked to react.
“What will you do?”
“…I’ll have to refuse. It’s the Demon Lord, not just a Named. Too dangerous to confront directly.”
“Exactly! A Demon Lord… there’s no way we could handle him ourselves!”
If it had been just a Named, he might have accepted. After all, Fides’ request was for a rescue, not a conquest, and with proper planning, a Named could be handled.
But the Demon Lord was another level entirely—a foe only challengable by someone who had amassed power over many heroes and armies. Even against the lesser Zama Lord, Eric had been unable to act. Facing Mahu alone, escape seemed impossible.
“…Perhaps…”
“Hmm?”
As Eric prepared to refuse Fides, Malefica approached with a troubled expression.
“Would it help if the Demon Lord himself isn’t there?”
Eric tilted his head, puzzled. How could removing the Demon Lord alone make the rescue possible?
“No, it’s still impossible. He didn’t bring just the Named—he brought his entire army, didn’t he?”
Eric, clearly confused, shook his head. Even without Mahu, the remaining Named and monsters were too many. Rescuing the Cardinal under those conditions was impossible.
“Before leaving the North, I heard the Church’s Shadow Knights moved east.”
“Shadow Knights?”
Malefica finally shared information she had kept hidden during the fortnight of their journey. She believed Eric wouldn’t recklessly approach a fallen fortress, but now the information could aid his decision.
The Church’s Shadow Knights moving east… if she’s telling me now, they’re probably going after Mahu.
Eric released the door handle and contemplated.
The Shadow Knights, operating covertly under the Church, had once been encountered under the Nibosus Mountains. He knew their strength well, having glimpsed their prowess on the battlefield.
“…Are you sure?”
“They should be near the fallen fortress by now. It takes time for intelligence to travel from the center to the north.”
Malefica’s eyes did not lie. Her information made sense—she had worked under Inquisitor Isabella and had knowledge of the Shadow Knights’ movements.
If only half of them are sent… and if there’s even one Inquisitor among them, this might be manageable.
Mahu would likely send most of his forces if the Shadow Knights arrived. He would leave a few Named and dozens of monsters to guard the hostage.
Thud—
Eric made up his mind and left to find Fides.
“Hero! What—”
“I’ll do it.”
The bishop, anxiously waiting, brightened at Eric’s words.
“Thank you! Truly, thank you! I will never forget this!”
Eric, aware of the gravity of Fides’ request, spoke in a low voice:
“There is one condition.”
“Condition?”
He wasn’t asking for a reward, but if he could secure an advantage, why not?
“Give me one person.”
A scout-hero from the East, who survived this attack and knew the fortress inside out.
“Someone quick and familiar with the fortress layout.”
He had once worked as a hunter there, so he would know the terrain well.
