"Nyau, can you tell me what happened?"
"I don't mind, but…"
Mage Nyau hesitated to speak, as if there were something difficult to say.
Well, I can make a good guess about what happened.
"Was the hero killed?"
"Yes, he was killed. I'm truly sorry. It's all because of Nyau's lack of power…"
Even with Nyau's help, it seemed impossible to avoid the death of Hero Eligion.
"So, did the Demon Lord Zoga resurrect?"
"H-How did you know…!?"
Nyau was astonished when I guessed the resurrection of the Demon Lord.
"I'm good at making predictions about the future."
"I see… By the way, you already knew that Canaria and Gorgano were traitors, right?"
It seemed that Nyau was already aware that they had allied with the Demon Lord.
"Do you, by any chance, also know what will happen after this?"
Even if you ask me that…
Honestly, I'm not very familiar with what will happen after the Demon Lord's resurrection. But there's one thing I can say.
"If we leave the Demon Lord unchecked, the world will be destroyed."
"Is that so…"
Nyau nodded and then stood up, saying:
"I've decided! Even if the hero is gone, I will use my power to defeat the Demon Lord!"
With a determined expression, Nyau made this declaration. Upon seeing her, I couldn't help but admire her. Despite the seemingly hopeless situation, she hadn't given up. With Hero Eligion killed and Demon Lord Zoga resurrected, the thought of giving up and returning to my previous state crossed my mind. But perhaps she could be the one to overcome this situation.
"Can I help too?"
Unconsciously, I blurted out.
"Of course! The more forces we have, the better!"
And so, it was decided that Nyau and I would take action together to defeat the Demon Lord.
◆
"This is terrible…"
For now, Nyau and I returned to Katarov Village. However, the situation in the village was dire. Many houses had collapsed, and injured or deceased individuals were scattered throughout.
"After the Demon Lord's resurrection, a horde of dragons attacked the village."
"A horde of dragons…?"
"To be honest, I don't understand. Dragons have never obeyed the Demon Lord before, so it's strange that they suddenly follow his commands… It's perplexing."
"I see…"
It was indeed mysterious. Dragons were known as proud creatures, and it was generally believed they wouldn't submit to anyone's command.
"So, Nyau, why did you bother returning to the village?"
"I wanted to acquire horses and, if possible, I thought it would be nice to meet up with Noct-san."
"Noct…? Oh, that man with the hood?"
"Is he a trustworthy person?"
"I think he should be, but… In any case, he's a formidable individual, so I'd be very happy if he decided to join us."
With that said, we split up to search for Noct, the hooded man. However, we couldn't find any eyewitness accounts of Noct despite asking around. In the end, we gave up on finding him. Instead, we managed to purchase two horses. With these horses, our mobility improved significantly.
"So, Nyau, what's the plan from here?"
"Well, I'm thinking of looking for allies who will fight alongside us. Even without the Hero, there are many strong individuals out there. Especially those known as the Masters."
"The Masters, huh. I remember it's a rank only the top 10 can achieve."
"Yes, that's right!"
"I recall Hero Eligion was also a Master."
"Hero Eligion was ranked 7th. The Demon Lord Zoga is ranked 5th."
If the Demon Lord is ranked 5th, that means there are four individuals in this world stronger than the Demon Lord.
"In that case, couldn't the person in the 1st rank easily defeat the Demon Lord?"
"It's not that simple. We don't even have confirmation of the existence of anyone ranked 1st to 3rd. And as for the 4th rank, they're certainly not our allies."
"I see…"
"However, at least the 9th and 10th ranks are on our side!"
So there are 9th and 10th rank individuals. They seem to be very reliable.
"What are the 9th and 10th rank individuals like?"
"The 9th rank is known as the Grand Sage, a remarkable magic user. The 10th rank is the Supreme Swordmaster, the strongest sword wielder."
Both of them sound extremely reliable. With allies like that, maybe we don't need to rely on the Hero's power to defeat the Demon Lord.
"Where are these individuals located?"
"The Supreme Swordmaster should be in the capital city. So, I'm planning to head to the capital right now!"
The capital city, huh. Maybe it's too late to go there now… No, I shouldn't bring that up for now.
◆
During our journey, I asked Nyau for more details about the Supreme Swordmaster. His name is Nidorg, and he is known for his significant role in the 'Battle of Arianne,' which inflicted a severe defeat on the Demon Lord's forces. However, due to a severe injury during the battle, he did not accompany the party pursuing the retreating Demon Lord and returned to the capital for treatment.
Seeking him, we arrived in the capital, only to be met with a shocking sight. Well, at least I knew this future.
Yes, the capital had already been devastated by the attack of the Demon Lord and the dragon horde. It appeared to be after the raid, and there was no sign of the Demon Lord or the dragons.
"What's… What is this…?"
Nyau was in shock, as anyone would lose their composure when faced with such a scene.
"I think we should look for survivors and help them, but what do you think, Nyau?"
"Y-Yes… I guess we should look for survivors."
After that, we diligently searched for any surviving individuals. However, we couldn't find a single person. Yes, a whole city had fallen, unceremoniously.
"It's Nyau's fault…"
Out of nowhere, she uttered those words.
"If only I had been able to protect the Hero at that time… If I had been able to stop those two… This wouldn't have happened… That's why it's my fault…"
Nyau began to self-reflect, her expression filled with deep regret.
"Hey, are you okay?"
I became concerned and spoke to her.
"It's Nyau's fault, it's Nyau's fault, it's Nyau's fault…"
Afterward, Nyau started muttering the same words as if she had broken down.
"Hey, snap out of it!"
Realizing the urgency of the situation, I grabbed Nyau's shoulder firmly. When she lifted her face toward me, she suddenly retched.
I flinched and shuddered at the sight. I felt sorry for thinking it was disgusting. I knew it was highly disrespectful to have such thoughts about a young girl, but I couldn't help my true feelings. So, feeling dirty, I released my grip on Nyau.
She collapsed to the ground instantly, and for a moment, I thought she might have died. However, it turned out she had merely passed out due to the overwhelming shock.
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