Chapter 50

A crimson flower blooming by the roadside swayed gently in the breeze.

The Nameless Grave. A place for those who had no surviving kin to mourn them, who were burned and cast aside by the national army—those who had once been human.

“…Forgive me. For my lack of strength.”

A pile of bones lay heaped together, charred flesh still clinging in places. From that chaotic mountain of corpses, it felt as if the mournful resentment of the dead swirled thick in the air.

Even the surviving locals had grown too afraid of the vengeful energy to come near. In that forsaken place, a girl stood alone in prayer.

“May your soul find salvation. May your hatred come to an end.”

Her golden hair shimmered in the light as it swayed. The girl, youthful in appearance, offered her prayers with unwavering devotion, mourning the dead with all her heart.

“Fear not. I shall carry your regrets forward. Rest in peace…”

—Not even the greatest sorcerer can bring the dead back to life.

---

The conferral ceremony—shocking in every way—had ended. I stood there, dazed and stunned, unable to do anything else.

The feathered ornament Mino had pinned to my chest seemed to writhe with a sickening, black miasma—I almost believed it.

…Rex was right. Just as he’d said, Mino had long since crossed the point of no return.

“…

I see. Mello truly is a worthless bastard, but that man is just immature. He’s like a child who never grew up—brutal and arrogant in the most childish ways, trapped in an adult body. No doubt, his unnatural talents had led others to praise and coddle him, inflating his ego beyond repair.

Looking at it another way, if someone had been there to discipline him early on, he might’ve grown into a decent person. No—maybe even now, with proper guidance, he could still change.

But Mino… she’s different.

That woman sees farther and thinks deeper than anyone. Her cruelty isn’t born of immaturity—her psyche is already fully formed.

That woman is a monster by birth. A broken political machine in human skin, who doesn’t hesitate to turn lives into currency.

“…Karin. Why the hell didn’t you tell me?”

Having left the ceremony hall, Rex confronted Karin in the waiting room, his voice trembling.

“You dug up everything about Mino’s crimes—why didn’t you tell me?”

“…I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking clearly either. I figured if you heard, you’d lose it completely. I thought the safest route was to have her judged in front of the King.”

“I see.”

“In the end, I poked the hornet’s nest. It was a total miscalculation. I’m sorry.”

“She’s that kind of woman. Just… talk to me next time.”

“…Yeah. I will.”

Karin looked crushed, clutching the hem of her clothes in frustration. Seeing that, Rex didn’t press the matter further—he seemed to understand her reasoning.

It’s true—if Rex had heard what Mino did, he would’ve gone into a blind rage. He probably would’ve gone straight for her head, evidence or no.

He’s always been that kind of guy. And Rex, for his part, seems well aware of it.

“Lord Rex. Should we return to the hideout? We need to gather intel on Natal.”

Mei offered the suggestion quietly.

She was right—gathering information near the hideout was essential. Just because Natal’s clothes were found here doesn’t mean she was taken to the capital. We need clues—like which direction she was taken—to narrow it down.

“…Then I’ll go alone. You all stay here and remain mobile. Since her maid outfit ended up in his hands, there’s a good chance Natal was taken to the capital.”

“Got it.”

“If I go alone, I can make it back by running—half a day, tops.”

“…

Right… Rex isn’t human. It took us days to get here, but he can sprint back in half a day like it’s nothing.

“While I’m gone, Flatche, protect Karin and Mei. I’m counting on your skills.”

“Yeah.”

“Karin, you’re acting leader. Keep the party together until I return.”

“Understood. Leave it to me. You be careful too, Rex.”

Mei and Karin both seemed to agree with Rex’s plan.

I’m a little uneasy leaving the investigation to someone like Rex—he’s a muscle-head—but given the time constraints, this might be the best move.

I’ll see if I can dig up anything on my end too. Maybe… maybe I’ll write to my master for the first time in a while?

I don’t know anyone in the capital, but maybe my master can introduce me to someone. Letters are better anyway—we don’t have to meet face-to-face.

Knowing my lazy master, they probably haven’t even checked the adventurers’ casualty list.

“I’ll keep looking into Natal’s whereabouts in the capital. Rex, come back soon, okay?”

“…Take care, Lord Rex.”

“Yeah. I’ll probably be back in a few days. Whatever happens, don’t obey Mino.”

I’ll do everything I can.

I have to confirm Natal’s safety as soon as possible. She’s a lonely, timid girl—I’m sure she’s crying even now.

She’s the most important person in the world to me. My blood-related little sister—

“…That’s a problem, Rex-kun. You leaving the capital would not be in the nation’s best interest.”

Blocking Rex’s path stood a quietly smiling strategist of the national army.

---

“It’s time for work, Rex, Flatche. I’d like you to prepare for deployment.”

“I refuse.”

Rex flatly rejected Mino’s command. Yet the woman’s expression remained calm. Her eyes were hidden beneath a black square cap, but her lips wore a gentle smile.

It was the kind of smile one might give to a subordinate who could never disobey them. The face of a superior confident in complete obedience.

“Did you know? You only need one hostage to make your point.”

“…”

“I’m a healer, you see. No matter how much I hurt a hostage, I won’t kill them.”

“You… Mino!!”

“If you go against me, then the next day you’ll receive a lock of someone’s hair. The day after that, a hand. Then an arm. Then a leg.”

She spoke of horrors that bordered on nightmares—calmly, like idle conversation.

No, it wasn’t a threat. She would actually do it. This woman had no concept of remorse. In her mind, only one thing mattered: whether something served the nation’s interests.

“If you do that, I’ll kill you.”

“Hehe… The choice is yours. Obey me, and she’ll stay peacefully asleep, feeling no pain. So—what will it be?”

“────”

Vile. Malicious. Cold-blooded. Heinous.

What words could possibly capture the essence of this woman? Just imagining Natal having her limbs severed at Mino’s convenience made my chest tighten.

My blood was boiling. Every organ in my body was screaming for me to cut her down. Before I even realized it, my hand had gripped my sword tightly.

Maybe I really should kill her. Kill her, threaten the soldiers, and force them to give up Natal’s location. That feels like the most reliable option────

“Oh, Flatche. You’re thinking of killing me, aren’t you?”

Sensing my murderous intent, Mino furrowed her brow ever so slightly—still smiling.

“I wouldn’t recommend that. Not if you care about Natal.”

“…What do you mean?”

“The moment I die, the hostages—her included—will be executed. There are many others with loved ones taken. If you kill me, they’ll curse your name for the rest of their lives.”

“No sane person would ever obey an order as rotten as yours!”

“The hostages aren’t being held by the national army. They’re in the hands of trustworthy third parties. There’s a contract: if I die, they’ll be executed, and the killers will be paid from my personal assets.”

“You planned for your own death?”

“I mean, I am doing stuff that could get me assassinated at any moment. Right now, the nation needs me, so I can’t afford to die… but honestly? Sometimes I kinda wish someone would kill me and end it. Maybe after we drive back the Demon Lord’s army, you can give it a try?”

“Yeah. You’re absolutely insane.”

…Mino, Supreme Commander, suggesting her own assassination like it was a joke. Her voice was light, but her eyes were deadly serious.

No. She’s not afraid of dying. What she fears is the loss the nation would suffer if she dies.

She views even her own life as just another resource, something to be calculated and spent for gain.

“Starting today, we’ll begin fortifying the capital’s outer perimeter. Up until now, we’ve only been focused on defending the borders, so we haven’t done much in the way of fortifying the capital itself.”

“…And?”

“If the engineering corps gets ambushed, we’ll be in trouble. Rex, Flatche—I want you to guard the workers and soldiers doing the construction. Flatche, take the western sector. Rex, you’ll handle the center. Mello will cover the east.”

“Guard duty, huh.”

“You two love protecting people, don’t you? So I’m sure you won’t complain.”

With a mocking tone, Mino handed us the mission documents. I didn’t catch all the details, but apparently the job would last a few days and pay quite a bit.

“If you ditch the job, the carpenters and engineers hired by the state—who know nothing of this mess—might be slaughtered. That would be a waste. So do your jobs properly.”

“…In the end, we don’t really have a choice, do we?”

“That’s right. The nation is in crisis. I don’t have time to humor your childish tantrums, Rex. You’ll follow orders.”

“Goddamn it.”

Grumbling bitterly, Rex snatched the request sheet. It bore the crest of the national military—just like the one I’d seen before.

Back then, I was jealous that Rex got such special assignments. But now… I feel nothing like that.

“Mark my words, Mino. Someday, I will see you brought to justice.”

“Justice, hmm. Do you hate me that much?”

Mino looked down at us with a thin smile—like she found us pathetic.

“You’re looking through the eyes of a commoner. Not from the viewpoint of someone who governs a nation.”

“What’s your point?”

“I’ll be blunt. If I hadn’t acted, by today the capital would’ve fallen to the monsters. It would’ve become part of demon territory. We humans would be living as their slaves.”

“…I’m here. There’s no way I’d let that happen.”

“But you lost, didn’t you? Once, at least. And I’m the one who contacted Emma and had her summon you to the capital in the first place.”

So it was her. I thought the timing was too convenient. She’s the one who whispered into Emma’s ear about the Demon Lord’s army moving.

“You say you want to bring me to justice. But have I truly committed evil? I’ve ignited the will to fight in this nation. Strengthened our military. Repelled the demons. Even if sacrifices were made—does that make me evil?”

“…You still killed innocent people.”

“You’re so fixated on the act of killing itself. Just that one fact, and you shut down all further thought. You rebel against me and label me evil.”

So saying, Mino locked eyes with both me and Rex. And in those eyes—I thought I saw something close to pleading.

“Right now, I need you to cooperate with me. I have to protect this country. If I don’t, I won’t be able to face those who’ve already sacrificed their lives.”

“You…”

“I meant what I said before, Rex. If you want, once the Demon Lord’s army has been repelled and peace has returned to the kingdom… I don’t mind offering you my head.”

“…”

“Follow me, Rex.”

...There was reason in Mino’s words. I could admit that much.

If what she said was true, then she had indeed protected the capital.

But still—

“…Hey, Mino. When you see someone drowning in misfortune, how do you feel?”

I asked her that. Just one question.

“Ms. Flatche? That was sudden. What brought that on?”

“If someone was right in front of you, consumed by grief and despair… what would you feel?”

Maybe it was because, deep down, I wanted to believe in her.

Maybe I wanted to think this ruthless persona of hers was just an act.

“…I think they’re foolish. All misfortune can be avoided through effort. Those who neglect that effort deserve only contempt.”

“Then… have you never experienced anything like that yourself?”

“I have. And each time, I loathed my own incompetence, reflected on it, and grew stronger.”

“I see. You can do that. …But there are plenty of people out there too weak to bear it.”

Even so, what she said didn’t sound like a lie. She truly held contempt for the weak.

That’s why she worked hard. Just like I did, she couldn’t accept her own weakness. And she kept pushing forward, growing stronger, until she reached her current position. That effort was no doubt something few could match.

“Mino, let me say this. As a politician, you’re probably right. But—”

She was right. Her philosophy wasn’t necessarily misguided.

In fact, in leading a country, placing value on competence and discarding the incapable might very well be necessary.

But even if that’s true—

“—you’re wrong as a human being.”

Someone like that can’t be called human. I refuse to see them that way.

“…That hurts, you know.”

“I won’t accept your way of doing things. Isn’t there a better way? A path that leaves fewer people grieving? I’ll search for it. I’ll make it real. My sword exists for that purpose.”

This was a parting of ways.

I refused to accept Mino’s path. To the bureaucrats, my stance probably sounded like childish idealism.

But the reason I first picked up a sword… was so I could save someone right in front of me.

“If your so-called best move is built on someone else’s sacrifice, then it’s wrong.”

“You’re dreaming. Nothing great is ever achieved without sacrifice. Do you think you can get meat without slaughtering the beast?”

“Have you ever made the effort to chase that dream?”

—I swing my sword to chase that ideal.

“My sword is for the one crying in front of me. You and I will never see eye to eye.”

“…Well, I never expected you to understand. I’ll protect the capital my way. If you’ll just follow orders and serve as a pawn, that’s all I ask.”

“Fine. But the moment Natal is found, I’ll take your head and return to the base.”

“I see. Then I’ll have to make sure Natal is kept under heavy guard.”

“This isn’t a joke. You’ll be dead before you even realize you’ve been cut.”

Clink. The sound of my blade warned her. I turned my back on her and started walking toward my assigned battlefield.

Was Mino wrong? Or was I?

The answer would be revealed by the outcome of this battle.

“…Wait, Ms. Flatche.”

“I won’t. I’ve no intention of hearing anything more you have to say.”

“No, hold on a—”

Just for now, Mino. Just while you’ve got Natal, I’ll play your pawn.

I’ll protect those engineers or whatever they are. It’s your plan, so I’m sure it’s a sound one.

But even so—I'll never acknowledge you. You're wrong—

“That way’s east. Mello's already set up formation there. Your area is the west, Ms. Flatche.”

“…You could’ve said something.”

“Huh?”

Looks like I had gone the wrong way.

Well, Rex explained it to me afterward. I think the sun rises in the west? Or maybe that was east. Whatever—since the sun wasn’t moving, anyone could make that mistake.

Trying to score a cheap point off something so trivial… Mino really is the worst.

“…You're always quick to pounce on someone’s misstep, aren't you, Mino?”

“Uh, s-sorry…”

I shot a jab at her and stomped off in a huff.

Seriously. She pisses me off.