Aris approached the slaves hurriedly. The moment her walking stick was directed to the slaves, they got startled and shrunk back. This woman clearly wanted to treat them harshly too! But it was just a brief thought as their eyes grew big after witnessing how their scars got healed by the light coming out from her walking stick.
Aris smiled bitterly as she looked at the slaves and talked to the soldiers, "I have a request. Give them something to eat and drink, please."
"Yes? But…" The soldiers frowned. For them, all they had to give to the slaves were leftovers. They believed handing any more than that to be inappropriate and a waste of food. Yet, they couldn't help but grant her request since the hero party's order had been dropped.
"They also need to eat in the middle of a battle. After all, they wouldn't be able to fight well if they don't do so."
The slaves held both of Aris's hands while looking at her with appreciation.
"Tha-thanks!"
"Don't mention it… Please don't hate Ludin too much because he's also working hard. Who he's angry with now most is himself, that he couldn't do anything about your sacrifices. So I hope…"
"Aaah! Sor-sorry. And thank you!" The slaves looked at Aris and bowed.
At that moment, a soldier approached Aris and whispered in her ear, "The Hero's speech has ended."
"Ah, really?" Aris smiled and walked away. She kept staring at her hands that the slaves held even as she was going to the tent where the hero was in. The blood due to abuses mixed with filthy dirt was smeared on her hands. She frowned while staring at her hands.
"…It feels terrible. Dirty and stinky. Ludin wouldn't say I'm smelly or something, right? Well, they said thank you, so I guess it's not an unpleasant feeling! I've done something nice again today! I should go and brag to Ludin!"
Aris hurriedly made the soldiers fetch some water and washed her hands. Then she finally stepped into the hero's tent. In the middle of the military tent, a table that was used in operational meetings, a map, and wooden figures of Orc and Holy Knight were projected.
"Ah, Aris! Welcome," Hero Ludin smiled and said. Aris also smiled back at him.
"Your speech, I could hear even from afar, though?"
"Ah, rea-really?" Hero Ludin scratched his head shyly.
The sun set as the night came, and the torches everywhere around the tent were soon lit. In the evening, the soldiers hustled about. They were busy preparing for the last battle of the border war this time around.
Aris approached Ludin, who stayed at the camp alone and kept staring at the map sharply with his arms folded.
"…So a frontal breakthrough it is, as expected? Oh, my goodness… How can I not drill through it even when I know the enemy well? Was it that the opponent's equipment was too good? Or did they cast some weird magic? Why can't I make a hole in their defense? I'm sure they used some low methods!" Hero Ludin shook his legs while gritting his teeth.
It had been dozens of days, but he hadn't been able to break through the Demon Kingdom's line of defense. A mountain range was barring his path forward, and the only entrance was the Twilight City, which was also the region of Demon Kingdom's frontline border.
He had to conquer this city and punish all the demons for him to receive support and supplies from the surrounding kingdoms and empires. Also, if he couldn't finish the job this time around, as an 'incompetent hero', his position might be forfeited. If that really happened, he wouldn't be able to avoid the responsibilities that came with it.
Ludin gritted his teeth while cementing his determination. 'Of course, it can't happen! In this situation where I should raise my family's name… how could I ruin it instead?! I'll rather die before that!'
Aris held Ludin's shoulder as his face darkened. "Calm down, Ludin."
"Uh? Ah, sorry." Ludin held Aris's hand after he snapped back from his thoughts.
"…It seems like you're in a difficult situation. Haha! This kind of appearance of you is so entertaining!"
"He does seem so, Big Brother. You look nervous, unfitting for a hero's duty, right?"
Ludin got startled by the sudden sound and looked behind.
A man in his early 30s with disheveled white hair and fair skin and a sexy woman in her late 20s were standing there. The man named Bludifer was in a luxurious royal outfit, while the woman called Karina was in a full dress. Both of them were demons with the highest position, 'Vampires'.
Aris was surprised and hurriedly aimed her walking stick. She was shivering in fear, not knowing how demons appeared here. Ludin, however, stopped Aris from doing anything rash.
"What are you doing here? Wicked vampires!"
"…Ha, your way of speaking is so strict. I don't think that's the right way of speaking to a benefactor, though? I already gave you all the detailed information about the Orcs' troops and the map to go there. Tsk tsk, this is why humans are…!"
"Oh my, you can't even defeat the Orcs even though he gave you all that help? I can't believe you keep getting overpowered by those stupid green lump of muscles. You're really incompetent, huh?"
Aris looked at Ludin with a shocked face. In fact, Ludin had gained intel from these vampire siblings, including geographical information about how to get near the Demon Kingdom without troubles, the number of troops and militarization status of the Orcs, and other related particulars.
But though he had all those details, Ludin couldn't win against the Orcs' corps even with an overwhelming number of troops. And the reason was simple, too: lack of experience. After becoming a hero, he got support from many kingdoms, but he was merely someone with a strong military force. He lacked the mind to lead such large numbers, showing a tendency of falling behind in terms of experience and strategy as a commander and managing the troops.
Ludin made excuses at the vampires' remarks while gritting his teeth. "Who would believe a wicked vampire?! It was your information that was weird! The map might be accurate, but the number of orc bastards was too big! The quality of their equipment was also much better!
"Moreover, I'm sure they used strange magic! Or else, it would be impossible for the strong Holy Knights to experience that! Don't you think so?! They must've used some cowardly moves!"
"…Oh my, are you using such a lame excuse? Did you hear that? Big Brother! This hero's eyes must've been rotten. Oh my goodness… On top of that, coward? He's not thinking that he used tactics after confidently making the Holy Knights charge frontally, right? Huhu!"
At Karina's ridiculing voice, Bludifer also licked his lips and said, "I know, right… Though he does smell like delicious blood, is it just the smell, I wonder? Will an empty-headed dude really taste any good?"
Both of them burst into loud laughter. The moment Ludin pulled out his holy sword, the two vampires got surprised and grinned. "Are you thinking of going against us? Hero, you truly mustn't be that wise, huh. Even if you fight against me… you won't be able to cut the Demon Lord's throat, though?"
Ludin's eyes grew bigger at Bludifer's mocking way of speaking, his heart clenching in fear. 'The Demon Lord?! The Demon Lord is here?!'
Bludifer slanted his eyes at Ludin's reaction. "Yes. The Demon Lord has arrived in that city. I came to tell you that."
"…Is that true?"
"Would I dare to give you fake information?"
Bludifer glanced at Hero Ludin, his eyes displaying his inner thoughts.
Ludin gripped his hands tighter at the obvious look in the demon's eyes that were filled with mockery.
"…Why are you helping us? You're a demon, after all?"
"Just for fun… If I say that, you wouldn't believe me, right? It's simple! I want the Demon Lord to die! Because she's such an eyesore female…!"
"…"
Ludin immediately understood what the siblings in front of him were trying to do: Coup d'état!
The two vampires were thinking of taking over the Demon Kingdom. But that wasn't a problem for Ludin. His goal was to kill the present Demon Lord, and he never had any thought about killing whoever would be the next Demon Lord. He already had his hands tied with taking care of himself now.
If what the two vampires in front of him said was the truth, he would be hailed as a hero that took over the Demon Kingdom's frontline border city and even killed the Demon Lord. If that really happened, he would gloriously revive his family's name. But then if he failed, the family's name would be destroyed, and he would get punished as well. He couldn't even fathom what his outcome would be.
Ludin swallowed drily as his thoughts galloped. "It's not a trap, right? Because even if it is, as long as I throw myself into it, your frontline will collapse!" he said confidently.
Karina laughed at his remark, and Bludifer also smiled contentedly as he said, "I believe that. I hope you can sweep the Orcs away… and kill the Demon Lord for sure as a bonus!"
Their bodies gradually turned into a bat-shaped black fog and disappeared out of the tent.
Aris looked at Ludin and asked, "…Ludin. What just happened?"
"I struck a deal with them."
"Oh my goodness…! You believe the demons?"
"No, I don't! I don't believe such wicked beings. But…"
But he was already pushed into a corner; if he returned empty-handed, the Holy Kingdom would scalp him. Ludin gritted his teeth. He was planning on leading the Holy Knights as the spearhead to charge headlong into the Twilight City a few hours later.
***