Chapter 34

The woman was smiling. The stench of death hung so thick it choked the air, and all around her, the cries of the grieving echoed. In the middle of that hellish scene, she stood there, her smile unbroken.

She was the worst the national army had to offer. The one Rex, Clarise, and Emma regarded with the utmost caution. Mino—the weakest of the Three Generals—approached us cheerfully amid the carnage.

“…Rex.”

“Don’t talk. I’ll handle everything.”

“Aww, don’t be like that. You're making this harder than it needs to be. Let’s just talk casually, yeah? Real friendly-like.”

Her voice was so light and carefree it almost sapped the tension from the air. Mino covered her mouth with a small notebook, looking up at Rex with round, innocent eyes.

And yet, a chill crept up my spine. The very air seemed to crackle. This wasn’t the woman we’d seen back at the castle. Something different—something indescribable and terrifying—was emanating from her now.

“What do you want? If you’ve got nothing to say, don’t ever speak to me again.”

“Unfortunately for you, I do have business.”

“Then spit it out.”

Rex’s voice was laced with irritation. As if enjoying the moment right before a lion snaps, Mino crouched in front of him, peering up with a playful smile.

“Rex the Sword Saint. As of this moment, your chain of command has been reassigned. You now operate under my direct authority.”

“…What?”

Her pink curls danced lightly in the breeze.

“This change was approved by your employer, by the way. I asked nicely, and little Emma here agreed right away.”

“Don’t screw with me! No one told me a damn thing!”

“Of course not. I only just got it cleared.”

Mino gestured calmly behind her.

Following the motion, we saw Emma—surrounded by soldiers, sitting on the ground—her face pale as death. She looked haunted, utterly drained.

“Hey!! Emma, what the hell’s going on?!”

“…”

“You… you sold me out? To her? The hell were you thinking!? I’m not working under some demon like that!”

Rex, furious, stormed over to Emma and grabbed the small girl by the arms, lifting her up in a rage.

“I took this job because I trusted you—and Penny!! If I’d known it’d come to this, I never would’ve come to the damn capital!”

“…I’m sorry.”

“You’ve been working with Mino this whole time, haven’t you?!”

“I’m sorry. I… I’m sorry…”

Tears welled up in Emma’s eyes. Her voice cracked as she apologized, unable to meet Rex’s gaze.

Her eyes were red and swollen. Her voice trembled with frustration and grief. She wept as she apologized to Rex.

“…Emma, you…”

“I’m Penny’s strategist. I’m sorry. If I had to choose between you all and Penny… I’d choose Penny.”

“…”

“You can call me a traitor. I’ll take the scorn. But… Penny’s the one person I can’t betray…”

“…Did she threaten you, Emma?”

Rex slowly lowered her back to the ground.

…She hadn’t wanted to sell us out. That much was obvious. Something—someone—had forced her hand. Mino had coerced her into this.

“Sorry. I lost my cool.”

Rex gave a brief apology to Emma, then turned to face General Mino. His face was twisted with fury, one hand gripping the hilt of his enormous greatsword.

“You think I’m gonna follow your orders? Screw that. I’m heading back to the hideout. I’m a free adventurer. If the job’s not from Emma, I don’t owe you a damn thing.”

“Hmm… Cold, aren’t we? But then the capital will be overrun by the Demon King’s army. Without you, a lot of people are going to die.”

“Isn’t that the army’s problem? I’m just an adventurer. I’ve got no obligation to care what happens to this country.”

“I’m just stating facts. Not shifting blame.”

Rex closed the distance in an instant—close enough to lop off Mino’s head with a single swing. But she just stared back at him calmly, unflinching.

“This is pure, unadulterated truth, Rex. If you leave the capital, hundreds of thousands of people will die.”

“Not my problem.”

“Well, that’s unfortunate. So many lives could be saved… if only the great Sword Saint didn’t let his petty emotions get the better of him and run away. Poor, poor citizens of the capital.”

With a metallic click, Rex drew his sword. He was already within range. If he made a move, Mino’s head would be gone in the blink of an eye.

“Say another word and I’ll kill you.”

“…Scary. You know, Rex, do you want to know why I’d risk your wrath just to put you under my command?”

“No.”

“Truth is, the army might not be enough to defend the capital. Not on its own. No matter what brilliant tactics we pull off, my projections say we’ll suffer catastrophic losses—decades of recovery at best. Even if we manage to repel the invasion, the neighboring countries will jump on our weakened state. It’ll be the end of us.”

“…”

“But if you—a single piece on the board—were in my hand… I could protect this capital from the Demon King’s army. Not just fight them—completely defend it.”

With that, Mino took a step forward, standing just before Rex and his drawn blade.

“…My payment for your services is this: my head.”

“!!”

“You hate me, don’t you? You want to kill me. You’ve been dying to, haven’t you? If you agree to work under me… I’ll declare it in front of the king: ‘I offered my head to Rex as payment.’”

“You’ve lost your damn mind.”

“If you follow my orders… and once the Demon King is defeated… I won’t complain if you kill me. Parade my head through the streets, impale my body outside the gates, burn me at the stake—whatever you like.”

“…What the hell are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking about this country’s future. About the lives of innocent people. And to protect them… I need your strength, Rex. So how about it? Isn’t this the perfect chance to get your revenge?”

“…Tch.”

Hearing that insane offer, Rex gave a disgusted scoff and sheathed his sword before turning his back on her.

“You think I’d work under you? Keep your filthy head. I don’t want it. …I’ll stay at that inn for a while. If the capital’s in real danger, come and request my help. If the job stinks, I’m not doing it. …But if I think it’s needed, I’ll take it.”

“Hmm… well, I suppose that works. Looking forward to it, Rex.”

“Shut up and die.”

With a growl, Rex barked the words at Mino, then casually picked up the still-crying Emma and began walking off.

“Let’s go, you lot. …I’m in a foul mood.”

“Y-Yes, Lord Rex!”

Mino watched us go with an amused smile, as if thoroughly entertained by the entire spectacle.

---

“Haaah!? Rex, are you seriously taking on Mino’s request!?”

“...I’ve got people I know in the capital. Turning my back on them would go against my principles.”

“I’m so sorry, Sword Saint. It’s… all my fault, really.”

After parting ways with Mino, we met up with Karin, who had been at the church, and returned to our room at the inn.

There, we exchanged everything we’d learned so far.

“Can’t we just keep cooperating with General Penny like we’ve been doing?”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

“You don’t have to keep apologizing. Just tell me—what are they using to threaten you, Emma-chan?”

“General Penny is an upright person, so he’s not well-versed in politics. That’s why, to keep things running smoothly in the military, I handled some of the… dirtier maneuvering on the side. But… it seems Mino found out about all of it. She’s threatening to expose everything and have General Penny executed unless we hand over the Sword Saint…”

“…Figures. That’s just the kind of underhanded tactic she’d go for. Makes me sick.”

Emma-chan… she’s already involved in shady dealings at her age? She’s, what, ● years old?

“Hey, Emma-chan. Don’t you have anything on Mino? Any weaknesses?”

“There are plenty of rumors, but no solid proof. And honestly, political tricks like this are her specialty. If I try to outmaneuver her, she might’ve already laid a trap. I’m sorry… there’s no way I could win a political battle against Mino.”

“No, seriously, the fact you’re even able to move the political scene at your age is insane. But yeah… when it comes to underhanded games, that woman’s in a league of her own.”

This is what they mean by “terrifying potential,” huh? Emma, the child strategist who supports Penny behind the scenes, really is the brains of the operation.

…Honestly, Mino might just be what Emma-chan evolves into one day.

“Karin, did you learn anything at the church?”

“...Hmm, well, kinda. Lemme ask you two something—Mei, Flache, you girls good at keeping a poker face?”

Karin suddenly tossed us a strange question. What’s with that outta nowhere?

“Uh, I think I’m pretty easy to read, actually.”

“What’s a poker face? Is it that blank look?”

“So Mei’s no good, and Flache’s a total nonstarter… Sorry, you two need to leave the room. What I’m about to say isn’t something I want getting out by accident.”

…Huh? Who even accidentally blurts out something important like that?

“Ah… understood. Let’s go, Flache-san.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Well, I’m going to go study magic. You should do some practice at the training hall, Flache-san. After all, today’s attack confirmed the Demon King’s Army is on the move.”

“...Yeah. Makes sense.”

It’s true—I’ve still got a long way to go. I can’t afford to skip training. Not if I want to wipe that smug look off Rex’s face someday.

Then, Mei gently took my hand. And just like that, I slipped out of the room with the black mage, heading off to train.

“…Mei’s getting better at handling Flache, huh.”

“I mean, that girl’s ridiculously easy to manage to begin with.”

“Maybe nominating her as a general was a bit too ambitious…”

“She gets duped like she’s breathing. Nothing good’s gonna come of giving someone like that power. Folks like her are better off swinging a sword and living free as adventurers.”

…Huh? Why do I get the feeling I was just insulted somewhere?

---

“Don’t mess up this time, okay? Go straight from here.”

“Yeah, I got it.”

“Alright, I’ll head this way. I’ll excuse myself here.”

“Right.”

After walking with Mei for a while, I turned toward the training grounds. Apparently, most of the castle guards had been dispatched into town today, meaning I could have the whole place to myself.

…Maybe I should be helping the soldiers, but I’m not good at identifying corpses. The only thing I can do is swing my sword and cut down enemies. Which means the best way I can help is to hone my blade for the battles to come.

Don’t overthink it. When the time comes, I just have to cut down as many enemies as I can. Resolving myself, I parted ways with Mei, who was heading to the library, and walked on alone, hand on my sword’s hilt.

The desperate cry of that boy who lost his brother still echoes in my ears. I can’t let a tragedy like that go unpunished. The Demon King’s Army, the demons—they’re undeniably humanity’s enemies.

They didn’t just kill me once. They took the lives of people who had been living peacefully, right beside me. …No matter what kind of enemy shows up, I’ll cut them down in a single strike.

…I won’t let myself look pathetic like I did before. I’ve incorporated anti-group combat into my training, and my swordsmanship’s sharper after facing off against Rex. I might not match him in strength, but skill-wise, I’ve definitely improved.

That’s why I swing my sword. With a clear mind, straight and true, I refine a blade that cuts like glass.

That is my job.

—

“…Because this is my job.”

My body flinched at the voice and came to a halt.

Just as I approached the entrance to the training grounds, I heard it—a woman’s voice, worn down and exhausted, coming from somewhere nearby.

“If I don’t do it, no one will. …I can’t leave this to someone else.”

I calmed myself, scanned the surroundings with caution—and then I saw her.

Far down the corridor I was walking, a woman was stumbling toward me, unsteady on her feet.

Her face caught the moonlight, revealing her features.

It was the woman I’d just parted ways with not long ago—

“I… I…”

—General Mino, the worst the national army had to offer.

“…Tch.”

I immediately raised my guard to the highest level and froze in place. This was the same Mino who’d threatened Emma into submission and secured direct influence over Rex. What was she doing, wandering around here of all places?

I couldn’t begin to imagine. But whatever her motive was, it couldn’t be good.

“……”

“……”

Eventually, Mino seemed to notice me as well. She stopped in the middle of the corridor and stood still.

Swaying slightly, she faced me down in a stubborn, defiant stance. What is this? What’s she trying to pull?

Mino wasn’t strong. I sensed no hint of martial training in her movements, and I hadn’t heard anything about her using offensive magic. At this distance, I could easily decapitate her before she even finished a spell chant.

Still fully on alert, I stayed in a position where I could lunge at any moment, waiting to see what she would do—

plop

With a loud thud, she collapsed.

The worst the army had to offer swayed on her feet… then lost consciousness and toppled over.

“…Huh?”

kyuu…

Now, only I remained in the corridor.

Alongside the unconscious Mino—the infamous general of the national army—who lay sprawled face-down amidst a mountain of paperwork in the royal capital’s hallway.

Faced with the surreal sight before me, all I could do was stand there, stunned.