As expected, Stella Nightsworth was skeptical of my revelation. I didn't blame her. It wasn't everyday that someone showed up and told you that he was someone who was known to have died half a year ago as a hero, nobly sacrificing himself to save soldiers from the enemy and acting as the rearguard.
"Honestly, I wouldn't mind being the rearguard and stalling the enemy so that I can buy the soldiers time to retreat. But…"
I clenched my fists.
"The Hero party tried to kill me. They chopped off my legs to ensure that I couldn't escape, and then sealed the breach with boulders."
"Really?" Stella's voice was filled with doubt. I sighed, already regretting my decision to tell her everything.
"It's the truth. I don't care whether you believe me or not. But think about it." I pointed in the direction of Bravia City. "Duke Bradley, one of the members of the strongest Hero party, is abusing his authority, levying heavy taxes on a suffering populace, and is raping women. He murdered your sister after raping her. Is it so hard to believe that he is capable of betraying a comrade and leaving him to die at the hands of the demons?"
"I guess, if you put it that way, it makes sense," Stella admitted. "But I'm still having some trouble believing it. Sorry."
"That's fine. Like I said, I don't care whether you believe me or not." I waved her apology away. "All you need to know is that my goal is the same as yours."
Stella swallowed and fidgeted.
"You are right. It doesn't matter if you're telling the truth or not. At the very least, you have proven that you're not one of Bradley's men by killing his knights. If you can really help me with my revenge, then please…please lend me your strength."
She bowed her head humbly.
"I will definitely find a way to repay you. Even if it takes me years, or even a lifetime of servitude, I will definitely repay this debt to you, if you help me avenge my sister and kill the duke."
"No need for that. Like I said, I always intended to take my revenge on him in the first place. Even if I hadn't stumbled upon you, I would still target him for assassination."
"And how do you plan to achieve that?" Now it was Stella's turn to ask me that same question. "The duke's mansion is guarded by an entire regiment of knights. I know you have powerful magic, but even you can't fight a whole army by yourself. And then there's Bradley himself. Even though he has been indulging himself, he's still an elite knight and a former member of the strongest Hero party."
"First, I'll need to gather information, my dear," I replied and held up a finger. "The key to winning a war is ensuring you collect as much intelligence as possible. Know your enemy, and half the battle is won. Know both yourself and your enemy, and you'll win a hundred out of a hundred battles."
Stella raised an eyebrow skeptically, but she couldn't refute that logic.
"On that point, I'll need you to provide me with whatever information you have on Bravia City," I continued. "Geographical information, strategic points, the enemy's strength, everything."
"I understand." Stella took a deep breath. "I'll tell you everything I know."
*
"Hey! Where's the booze?! I'm out of booze! Hurry up and bring more!"
Bradley was bellowing at a nearby servant. The poor man flinched at the rage of his master and bowed apologetically.
"U…understood! I'll bring a fresh crate right away!"
The poor servant gulped and began to move.
"How useless." Bradley was both impatient and furious. He spat, and then raised a sword. "You will be executed for your incompetence!"
The servant was already gone, but Bradley continued to lash out.
"Guards! When he returns, execute him immediately!"
"Sir." The two knights saluted. Having witnessed all this nonsense, the head butler stepped forward, flustered.
"My lord, Duke, I must object. You shouldn't take his life over such a trivial matter. Also, please think of his family. He has only just recently gotten married, and his wife is pregnant."
"So what?" Bradley snarled. "He deserves to die because he caused me to lose my temper! Me! Duke Bradley, a former member of the strongest Hero party that have ever existed! His incompetence deserves death!"
The butler wanted to protest that this wasn't incompetence. It was the duke who was being unreasonable here – after all, how were the servants supposed to know that he was running out of booze? Were they supposed to be telepaths or something?
However, Bradley merely grinned arrogantly before laughing vilely.
"Since you like poking your nose into other people's affairs, how about this? Why don't you die in his place? After all, I can easily replace you."
"N…no. Please forgive me!"
"Then bring that servant back so that he can be beheaded."
"…I understand."
The butler swallowed and shuffled away. Seeing his posture, Bradley flared up.
"What's with your attitude? Are you displaying your unhappiness?"
Grabbing his empty glass, he hurled it at the butler, which struck the poor man in the forehead and shattered. Glass shards cut through his wrinkled skin, causing blood to stream down his face like a river tributary.
"I am very sorry!"
Despite the injury, the butler got down on his hands and knees and prostrated himself before Bradley, asking for forgiveness. He bowed, pressing his bleeding forehead against the floor.
"Please, I humbly apologize for my rudeness."
Swallowing his pride, the butler pleaded. He remembered how his predecessor had earned the ire of Bradley just a couple of weeks before, by "messing up" at a feast, and the duke had ruthlessly killed him with one swing of his sword.
"How dare you dirty my floor with your filthy blood?!"
With a roar, Bradley swung his sword and cleaved the poor butler apart…only to splatter the marble floor with even more blood. By now, his anger had found an outlet, and the duke inclined back in his seat, feeling overjoyed after the needless murder.
"You there, clean up the mess. Make sure the floor is spotless, or you'll join this pathetic loser in hell."
The servant he had singled out stiffened and nodded frantically, fearing for his life.
Feeling bored, Bradley then turned toward a maid, who was hurrying over with a pail and a cloth, presumably to help clean the mess. His eyes narrowed and he licked his lips.
"You there."
"E…eh?"
"You don't have to help with the cleaning."
The maid looked a little shocked, but at Bradley's gesture, she put down the pail and cloth. She was dressed in a maid uniform that had been tailored to expose her long legs and cleavage – a design that fitted Bradley's licentious tastes, and something he ordered for all of his maids.
Predictably enough, she was also beautiful. Bradley had mandated that only beautiful women were allowed to serve as maids in his household, after all.
Bradley didn't care if the women he laid his eyes upon was married or not, or if they already had lovers. He was only interested in expanding his harem. All the beautiful women in Bravia belonged to him. He would never allow them to reject him.
Of course, those who were audacious enough to refuse his advances would learn the errors of their ways soon enough. All he needed was a bit of time, and then he would own their bodies. After which, he would discard them like broken playthings.
The same applied to that knight's little sister who confronted him earlier that day. What was her name? Right…Stella. The same name that he heard while raping and tormenting the female knight he had his eyes on for a very long time. She was begging Bradley to spare her sister.
Obviously Bradley had no intention of doing that. This province was his, and all the beautiful women here belonged to him. Nobody told him what to do. Everyone had to submit to him.
"Your job is to entertain me. Let's go to the bedroom."
Bradley stared intently at the maid's pretty face, a lecherous leer on his.
"Um…"
The maid turned extremely pale, but Bradley surged out of his seat to seize her hand.
"Wow, just look at you. Your body is so gorgeous. I can no longer wait!"
"No, please, my lord…please don't…"
Bradley embraced the weakly protesting maid. He ignored her objections. Nobody could oppose him. He was a king in this isolated province. Their lives were his to toy with. Anyone who went against him would die horribly.
This was his little kingdom.
"No! My lord, please…!"
Bradley crushed her in his embrace, his breath reeking of alcohol. Half-carrying her, he forced the maid into his room. She looked around desperately, but the other servants averted their gazes, concentrating on cleaning up the mess and taking care of the late butler's body.
The duke shoved the maid into his room, and then slammed the door shut. While the servants worked outside, they could hear the anguished screams of the maid echoing inside the bedroom.
No matter how hard they scrubbed the floor, they couldn't shut out the agonized shrieks.
*
"The mountains serve as a natural barrier to both the demonic legions from the north, but it also makes it difficult for reinforcements to arrive from the rest of the kingdom. There is that narrow mountain path through which convoys travel on, but it's far too small for massed troops or cavalry. The uneven terrain also slows the military troops down."
Stella was explaining the geographical terrain to me. I nodded, having already known that. Even if I had not done my research prior to arriving in Bravia, I had been part of the convoy that traveled through that route. As if sensing that I was unimpressed by the information she was revealing, the red-haired knight hurriedly continued.
"But…there's a network of caves hidden under the mountains."
"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow at that. Stella smiled, looking pleased with herself.
"When I was a child, I used to play in the mountains here. I told you my family was a clan of knights, right? My parents would often be involved in fighting off the demonic legions in the north, before they were killed in combat."
Sorrow filled her expression and she turned away for a moment. I allowed her some time to recollect herself. Then she straightened up.
"I used to have these crazy ideas as a child…becoming a Hero and driving back the demonic legions. I would run to the mountains in hopes of finding my parents. I thought I could save them, you know? That I was the chosen one, and when my parents were in danger, I would swoop in and rescue them. Become a Hero. It would drive my sister crazy."
Stella laughed, nostalgia overcoming her eyes. Her laughter then turned hollow and bitter, and she clenched her trembling fists. Biting her lip, she stared off into the distance.
"The caves…they are filled with monsters. I was so stupid…if my sister didn't come to save me, to drive the swarm of cross bats away with her sword, I might have died." She closed her eyes. "After that, my sister made me promise to never go to the mountains again."
"…cross bats?" I repeated incredulously. Stella nodded. An idea began forming in my head. "If I'm not mistaken, cross bats should only be found in the lands of the Demonic Empire. How did they get into the caves here…?"
"I don't know." Stella frowned, wondering why I was so transfixed on that. I didn't bother to elaborate. Instead, I made my decision.
"After we return to the city and get some rest and supplies, I want you to lead me to the cave with cross bats in them."
"Huh? Why?" Stella stared at me in disbelief. I grinned.
"Because they might just be able to provide us some assistance in achieving our goal."