Chapter 23

"Go ahead, please, dryad,"

We quickly assembled into battle gear and said our goodbyes to the giants. At some point, Satou made a deal with the dryad to teleport us closer to Muno City. He must have already given her some magic because she never asked for any.

"Alrighty, here we go!"

The dryad cheered as soon as everyone was inside her fairy circle. The journey that would have taken us ten days was done instantly. The horses were startled by the sudden teleportation, but the city's walls were in sight. A large field recently harvested field stands between us and the city.

"Where… where are we?"

"In a forest near Muno City," Satou answers as miss Karina looks around. "Look, you can just make out the walls in the distance. Let's head straight for the city."

"Very well, come along, everyone,"

Miss Karina quickly moves forward enthusiastically. But her actions unexpectedly cause Pochi and Tama to panic.

"Karina, wait!"

"You mustn't act on you own, ma'am,"

Pochi and Tama look back at Satou after calling out to miss Karina.

"Yes, let's go,"

With Satou's go-ahead, we all start to follow after miss Karina. I'm starting to get a little nervous. I have defeated demons before, and I am a lot stronger now, but my hands are still shaking. I hope it doesn't have that hallucination skill. If Satou hadn't stopped me before, I might have killed Pearl.

I take a deep breath and try to calm down. This demon is weaker than the one from before. As long as we take it out quickly, it should be okay. Looking around, I make a silent prayer for everyone's safety. But with Satou here, I'm sure everyone will make it out alive. But before we even begin the fight, there is something I need to say to miss Karina.

"Miss Karina," I move up closer to her. "When we get to the city, don't tell anyone I am a hero until the demon is dealt with."

I don't want the demon to know what I am until it is too late. I have already hidden my holy sword in storage and practised taking it out a few times to ensure I can do it quickly.

"But why? If the people know a real hero has arrived, then it will raise everyone's spirits,"

"Because the demon might try to escape or hurt your family if it learns about me,"

"She's right. It is best to keep quiet for now," Raka backs me up as miss Karina's face pales.

"Okay, I will keep silent on the matter,"

The gates to Muno city were sealed shut when we made our approach. I'm not sure if it is because of the goblins or the fact their army was dispatched, but the gates are closed. Only a few guards were keeping watch, and they were surprised to see us approaching. Maybe they just keep this gate closed because people rarely use it.

"Open the gate! Baron Muno's daughter, Lady Katarina Muno, has arrived! Open the gate at once!"

Raka called out as soon as we were close enough. Since miss Karina is quite shy and has trouble dealing with men, it is probably for the best that Raka calls out for her. After hearing that, the guards looked even more surprised and were slow to respond. It took a whole ten minutes for them to open up the gate. Even then, it wasn't the main gate that opened up. A side gate next to the main gate slides open, allowing several soldiers to exit. They were heavily armed and not looking happy to see miss Karina's return. Pearl, Nana, and Liza looked ready to draw their weapons at a moment's notice when a few more guards with bows took aim from the city's wall.

"The baron's daughter, you say," A giant of a man steps forward armed with a massive mace. "Let's see something to prove it then."

"Proof, you say?"

"That's right. We underling soldiers don't know the faces of the baron's family. Do you have a ring or dagger with the family crest on it?"

"How rude," Miss Karina huffed before hiding behind me.

"Miss Karina, do you have something like that?" I ask, looking over my shoulder.

"Well, perhaps the clasp of my overcoat will do,"

Miss Karina handed me the fastening, but her coat fell open without it. Everyone can see what is underneath, from her dress to her oversized chest. In an instant, all the guard eyes fall onto her breasts, causing miss Karina to hold her coat closed. I better get this over with quickly before any of the shady-looking guards try anything.

"Will this do, sir?"

I hand the guard the clasp, and his face loses all its colour. In the blink of an eye, the guard is on his knees, begging for forgiveness.

"Please pardon my terrible rudeness,"

"You are forgiven,"

I hand miss Karina her clasp back so she can cover up. It was hard to miss the disappointed look on the guard's faces. But at least the gate is swiftly thrown open, and we get an escort straight to Muno Castle.

The gate plaza is surprisingly large but also empty. From what I can tell, Muno city is at least twice the size of Seiryuu City, but there are hardly any people in the streets. There was a dried-up fountain in the centre of the square and a statue of an armoured knight riding a dragon. The only people in the square other than the guards are a small group of people listening to someone make a speech. The people look so hungry that I wish I could stop and feed them, but we must take care of this demon and the army heading our way first.

"The revival of the demon lord is nigh!" But I stopped when I heard the speech being given. "If you wish to survive the destruction and rejoice in the new world, join us in knocking down the door to freedom! This is the only way to survive the season of the demon lord is to join the Wings of Freedom!"

Those guys again. It is tempting to cut them down, but we have more important things to do right now. Pearl and Mia look like they are ready to attack, but I hold them back. Even Nana looked angry. I was shocked when I saw Nana's famously blank expression change. It was a good thing I held her back too. If she was mad enough to make such an expression, I would hate to see what she would do to them. Even if they deserve it.

"Are you sure we should let them go?" Pearl asks, riding up beside me. "They tried to kill you and could be aiding the demon."

"I know, but we can deal with them after taking care of the demon," I reply.

It looks like we will have plenty of help when the time comes. The soldiers glare at them. Even people hiding in the nearby building don't look too happy.

"That gathering there…."

Satou points to the people asking the guard about them.

"Yeah, those guys over there are a group of demon worshipers called the Wings of Freedom,"

"Are they troublemakers?"

"They don't really do anything bad," The guard replies glaring at the man giving a speech. "They may be harmless, but nobody likes them. They would be long gone if it were up to me, but the magistrate ordered us to leave them alone."

So the demon is allowing them to promote themselves. I can see why it would do that but isn't this going to draw more attention to the territory. If word gets out, I'm sure someone will come here and do something. Surely priests would gather people or send holy knights if they existed in this world to deal with the demon worshipers.

"He told us it is because the ancestral king's law grants freedom of religion, but…." The guard shakes his head. "But the real reason is probably that the one giving the speech is the no-good son of some big-shot merchant. Few people will do business with us, so the magistrate doesn't want to cause any trouble with the ones that do."

That makes sense too. It's probably how he got miss Karina's father to agree to tolerate the demon worshipers. The magistrate most likely used the lack of trade and resources to force the baron into doing whatever the magistrate wanted.

We start moving towards the castle again, only seeing one or two people at a time in the long twisty streets. A few soldiers act as guards, four in front of us and six behind. The city is in a sorry state. Most shops are boarded shut, while the open ones barely have anything on their shelves. I can see people watching us from the window and behind corners, but no one dares approach. This place feels more like a ghost town than the capital of a territory.

"Is everything on top of that hill part of the castle?"

"That's right, Arisa. In terms of size, our Muno Castle is second only to the royal palace and the castle of the old capital,"

As miss Karina and Arisa talked amongst themselves, I looked up at the castle. Hight thick looking walls with towering towers loom above us. We had an easier time passing through the castle gate than the city one, but we still had more travelling ahead. We traverse a twisting path up the hill until we reach a second gate. The drunk soldiers here gave us some trouble, but nothing much happened, thanks to the troops escorting us.

We enter a maze as soon as we pass through the second gate. Hundred-foot walls divide the area robbing us of our sense of direction. Everything looks the same. We would have gotten lost if it wasn't for Miss Karina and the soldiers. We couldn't even see the castle's main building from here or anything to indicate where to go. The gate we finally exited through wasn't even easy to see. I'm sure plenty of people have gotten lost here.

We pass by a large barracks that could house thousands of soldiers with a vast parade ground in front of a raised stage. There are empty stables, locked storehouses, and even blacksmiths and workshops, but those look like they haven't been used in a long time. After passing through the parade grounds, we cross a dry moat and pass through a third gate, but we can finally see the castle now.

It's at least twice the size of the castle in Seiryuu City but in much worse shape. Plants grow from the cracks in the wall, and the bottom is covered in dirt. I can even see some bird nests in the larger holes in the wall. But the number of guards feels too low. If someone wanted to, entering the castle undetected wouldn't even be a challenge. But alarmingly, there are signs of battle. Scorched walls and parts of the castle looks like it has been hit by an explosive. The damage looks old, so I'm guessing it is from Zen's attack, but I was surprised they didn't repair any of the damage yet.

"Master, take a look at this if you would,"

Liza was talking to Satou, but I still looked at what she was pointing to. It looked like a magical cannon, but I didn't feel any magic coming from it. But I thought the cannon here was meant to be destroyed. The people we met by the river said Zen destroyed the cannon during his attack on the castle. This cannon doesn't look damaged, just lacking in magic. I still make a mental note to be careful of it. It looks identical to the one Satou and Liza found in the underground treasury of the wraith's fortress.

"Are you familiar with magic cannons, Liza?" Miss Karina asks, noticing her pointing too. "My father removed the original cannon when he came into power, but the magistrate had a dummy reinstalled to maintain public order."

"A dummy…? Is it broken, then?"

"Indeed. We looked at it to see if the cannon could be used against the demon, but the control device had been destroyed. It had to have been either dark or space magic that destroyed it." Raka answers in miss Karina's stead.

"Do you think it is possible to fix?" Miss Karina asked Satou looking hopeful.

"I'm afraid that's impossible,"

But Satou quickly dashed her hope. She looks at me, but I shake my head. I could repair it if I needed to, but I would rather not repair a weapon of mass destruction.

Arriving at the castle's main gate, we were met by maids rather than soldiers. Dressed in simple navy blue dresses, they smile and bow when we approach. But once we were within a few steps, one of the maids suddenly leapt forward and wrapped her arms around miss Karina.

"Lady Karina! Thank goodness you're safe!"

"Yes, I'm home, Pina,"

A slender maid wraps her arms around miss Karina smiling and looking like she might cry. I wasn't expecting this. The maids and butlers I have seen so far would never embrace their masters before. I would think it would have been frowned upon, but no one here seems to mind this display of affection. But despite the happy reunion, I notice Tama looking distressed. I spot her nervously looking around, well tugging on Satou's coat.

"What is it?"

"Mmm, the ground is weird," Tama mutters, looking down at her feet. "Let's leave."

"Tama, you mustn't bother master so much,"

While Liza scolds Tama, I look down. I can't see anything out of the ordinary, just a cracked stone-paved floor with some weeds growing between the gaps. My Danger Sense skill isn't activating either. Just to be safe, I used my Trap Detection skill but still got no response. Maybe Tama is just getting nervous because we are close to our fight with the demon. But before I can figure out what is wrong, one of the maids prods Pina. Pina quickly bows and apologises before greeting us and showing us inside.

We were shown into a hall with a ceiling so high I thought it might have been a ballroom. It was quiet, and the room showed signs of disrepair. Peeling paint, missing statues and paintings and even a few windows are cracked and broken. It's also very quiet. We could hear a pin drop heading towards a small corner that had been partitioned off with a few sofas huddled together.

As we get closer soon, miss Karina's family comes into view. A plump middle-aged man with black hair and a moustache, a beautiful ravened-haired woman with blue eyes that look a lot like miss Karina, and an unnecessarily handsome young man. All sat peacefully on the sofas, drinking tea and quietly chatting.

"Father! Sister!" Miss Karina suddenly runs ahead. "I've come home!"

"Karina!"

The baron must be a really caring father. Tears leave his eyes as he jumps up and rushes to hug his daughter. I don't think anyone told him that miss Karina had returned. The baron hugs his daughter tightly and doesn't look like he will let her go anytime soon.

"Karina…."

The young woman, miss Karina's sister, could barely stand. Miss Karina didn't mention she was ill, but she needed the help of the handsome guy to walk closer to her sister. I wonder if I could help her. I can try later after we deal with the demon. The young man with her must be the fake hero. He has a fake version of my holy sword Gjallarhorn only his is emitting some kind of dark power that puts me on edge. Whatever that sword is, it is far eviler than any magical object I have seen.

"Y… you're alright… you're alright…." The baron cries as he continues to hug miss Karina.

"Welcome back, Karina,"

"Soluna, my dear sister,"

Miss Soluna hugged the pair while gently patting miss Karina's hair.

"Father hasn't slept a wink since you left and has been worried sick,"

"I'm sorry, father,"

"Satou X Fake Hero OTP,"

Arisa quietly mutters behind me before Lulu shushes her. I don't think no one overheard her, but she shouldn't be saying things like that in public. When I look at Satou, I see the fake hero has approached him with an amused smile.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Hauto, a hero,"

He grins as he shakes Satou's hand. He doesn't look strong enough to be a hero. My Analysis skill isn't as good as Satou's. I can only tell his name, he is human, and that Hauto is only level seven. Satou is probably getting so much more information than me.

"Ah, so you're a hero, sir," Satou feigns amazement. "I'm Satou, a peddler."

"There's no need to call me sir, just Hauto. An apostle gave me the holy sword Gjallarhorn and appointed me a hero, but before that, I was just a humble farmer,"

So the sword is just a fake imitating my own weapon. It's good I asked Pearl to keep an eye on Nana. She nearly blurted out that I had the real Gjallarhorn, but Pearl managed to stop her in time. But now I know why I felt evil emitting from the fake holy sword. My Analysis skill tells me the fake hero's weapon is the Demon Blade Gjallarhorn. I can't tell if it has any adverse effects, but since Satou doesn't look worried, there can't be anything dangerous attached to the sword.

"I'm Kura Suou," I introduce myself when the fake hero turns to me. "A knight in service of Earl Seiryuu."

We talk for a few minutes while miss Karina reunites with her family. We learned that Hauto came from a poor village inhabited only by elderly people. The apostle who came to him arrived bathed in light and told him he was a hero before gifting him with his fake holy sword. The magistrate arrived the next day and took Hauto to the castle. Since then, he has been training with the soldiers at the castle while growing closer to miss Soluna.

Hauto seems like a good guy. He is humble and friendly, and he has a good personality. I don't know why the demon would make someone like him a fake hero. While I can think of three reasons after thinking about it. My first theory is that the demon wants to kill the hero right before the coming battle starts and demoralises the troops defending the city. The second is that he wants to ruin the reputation of heroes, but I don't believe that is the case. If the demon wanted to do that, he should have picked someone more corrupt. My last theory is that the demon wants to build trust in the hero and then disguises himself as Hauto. While it doesn't matter what the demon was planning to do with Hauto. Once I defeat the demon, those plans will fall apart.

I get a bad feeling all of a sudden. I don't know why but I feel like something horrible is coming. I'm not the only one to sense this. Satou glances at the door while Tama and Pochi start to look nervous. I have a feeling this is it. Hearing footsteps approaching, I see the magistrate had arrived with a knight. I get a bad feeling about this knight, and I don't need Satou to tell me he is possessed by a demon. This is it.

"Lulu, Arisa, step back against the wall," Satou orders. Thanks to the room size, we have time to prepare before the magistrate arrives. Keeping his voice low, he continues to organise his group. "Liza, Pochi, Tama. Get ready to draw your weapons on my signal."

"Mia, go with Arisa and Lulu," I start giving my own orders. "Nana, keep them safe. Pearl, we'll attack too on Satou's signal."

"What's going on, Satou?"

The fake hero was close enough to overhear us. We didn't have time to explain things to him before the demon arrived, but Satou is between him and the demon, so he should be safe. Just then, the magistrate and possessed knight arrived.

"Lady Karina! That's him!"

"Father, please take a step back," Miss Karina says, freeing herself from her father's arms. "Mr Raka, strengthing, please."

"Karina… what was that voice just now?"

The baron stares at his daughter as miss Karina pulls out the demon sealing bell. I hope she doesn't do anything foolish.

"Lady Karina, it's good to see you safe. Who might these… you're…."

The magistrate stares at me in shock before jumping back. It looks like he is about to flee when miss Karina rings the demon sealing bell. Hearing the bells ring, the magistrate and possessed knight fall to their knees in pain.

"MYUWEEEEN!"

The demon cried out as its true form was revealed. A dark shadow half rose out of the knight's body before quickly retreating back inside. Miss Karina wasted no time in rushing the knight. It is only level one, so she shouldn't have any problems with Raka helping her out.

"Miss Karina, have you gone mad?!"

The possessed knight asked, unaware of the demonic form behind him. Horns, red eyes and a whip-like tail. Most of the demon's body was hidden behind the knight, but I could see enough to know it was getting ready to attack.

"Out of my way, good sir!"

Miss Karina launched a flying kick at the knight, but her attack is skillfully blocked by the knight's shield. Looking at the knight again, I realise the trouble miss Karina is in. The demon may be only level one, but the knight is level twenty. The knight pushes miss Karina away, causing her to roll across the floor.

"Karina!"

Karina lies unmoving, and her father quickly rushes to her. He holds her in his arms, but she doesn't open her eyes. It didn't think a blow like that could take her down. This demon must be able to use psychic magic.

"Lady Karina is unharmed, sir," Raka reports as the baron starts to cry again. "She was just knocked unconscious, baron Muno."

"How dare you!"

The demon roars, jumping out from behind the knight. I wish it stayed hidden. This thing is uglier than anything I have ever seen. A puck green colour coats its skin, and long wiggling tentacles arrear to have grown out all over its body.

"I won't let a hero ruin my plans!"

"Hauto!"

Miss Soluna cries out in fear, but the demon isn't aiming for Hauto. It's diving right at me. Without hesitation, I draw the real Gjallarhorn out of my storage. The demon looks shocked, but it is too late to dodge my blade. I cast my Body Strengthing spell on myself, and with one smooth swing, I cut deeply into the demon's belly and sent it crashing into the opposite wall.

"Nana, Mia, intercept the demon if it gets past us," I order as I watch the demon stagger to its feet. "Pearl, let's take it down."

"On it,"

"Orders have been registered, hero Kura, I report,"

Nana and Mia nod and ready their weapons while Pearl smiles as we both charge towards the demon. The baron, Hauto and miss Soluna all look at me in shock after hearing Nana call me a hero and see my holy sword. I feel bad for doing this in front of Hauto. He is a nice guy, and I wish I could have told him he was tricked by the demon more gently. But Hauto is a fighter. He looked shocked, but he joined Satou and his girls in fighting the knight.

The demon tries to flee but uses my Ice Storm spell to nail its feet to the floor. Mia fires a few arrows in support, hitting the demon in the eyes, while Nana's magical arrows strike the demon's chest. The demon stagers and Pearl and I don't miss a beat. Pearl reaches the demon, first leaping behind it and then up. She strikes the demon's back, sending it falling forward right towards me. Everything went so smoothly you would think we rehearsed this attack beforehand. The demon lands in the perfect position. With one clean swing, I cut off its head-turning the demon to dust.

Satou and his girls seem to be doing okay. When I turn to see them, I see they have everything under control. Arisa casts spells, and Liza, Pochi, Tama and Hauto attack up close while Satou supports them from the rear. The only problem is Lulu, who guards Arisa armed only with a frying pan. I'm sure Satou is keeping a close eye on her, so I try not to worry.

The knight must have been too far gone to save. When they finally bring it down, there is nobody. The knight's armour falls to the ground, filled with ash. No one looks injured, but the demon turns itself into a rat in an attempt to escape, only to be stabbed by Liza's spear. A few moments pass in silence as we wait to see if another enemy appears.

"Good job, everyone. You can stop being in battle mode now,"

At Satou's words, we all relax. I wish I could use my map like his and search for enemies as quickly as he can.

"Core!"

"There's a core here, master,"

Pochi and Tama find a core where the demon rat died, while Pearl finds one in the place where we slew the demon. I don't remember the demon back in Seiryuu leaving a core behind. Is it because I used a holy sword this time? I will talk to Satou about it later, but I find the baron and Hauto staring at me right now. Miss Karina is now in the care of Arisa, who dispels the psychic magic affecting her, but she doesn't wake up.

"The magistrate and sir Eral and the knight became demons…." The baron shakes as he watches the black mist of the demon slowly fade. Y… you… do you know what's going on here?"

"Nice to meet you, baron Muno," I don't know where to start, so I introduce myself. "My name is Kura Suou. I'm a knight in the service of Earl Seiryuu and a… hero…."

I don't like the look of disappointment on Hauto's face. He just learned everything the apostle said to him may be a lie and saw a sword he thought he owned. I don't know what will happen to him now, but I hope he can still be with miss Soluna after seeing how much the two genuinely love each other. Miss Soluna is by his side, holding Hauto's hand, looking fearful she might lose him.

"I don't know everything that is going on here apart from what miss Karina, Raka and the dragon god have told me,"

I take a deep breath before I begin. I start with miss Karina telling me about the possessed magistrate and our trip to the giant's village. I mention how the demon has split itself into multiple forms and is still out there. Finally, I end with the dragon god telling me about the chaos jar. Unfourtantly, the baron hasn't seen it, so it must be in the possession of one of the demons. Satou still can't locate it either, making me worried.

"So there have been demons… I think I understand what is happening," The baron looks a little shaken by the news but takes it surprisingly well. I'll hold back telling him about the army for a few minutes and let the demon news sink in. "But who is this, Raka? I don't recall anyone having that name when I watched you fight."

"Lord baron, I am the one known as Raka,"

Baron Muno jumped, hearing Raka's voice coming from the pendent on miss Karina's chest. I would have thought he knew about Raka, but he looked just as shocked by the talking pendant as I was. Raka gives a brief explanation about how miss Karina found him. The short version is that miss Karina found him by accident while exploring the ruins of marquis Muno's villa.

Some maids arrived and told us a room had been prepared for us. But I mention to the baron that there is more we need to discuss, so we send everyone else ahead of us. Satou and I follow the baron to his office. I hope he is good at handling rapidly approaching threats.

"Baron Muno, the city will soon be attacked by the other demons," Baron Muno nearly falls out of his chair when I break the news. "An army of roughly twenty thousand goblins are approaching from the forest."

"Twenty thousand!" The baron is frozen, looking at me with his eyes wide with fear.

"I think you should evacuate the nearby villages," I suggest and the baron nods.

"Yes… I'll call the mag… I'll send some soldiers right away to notify the people,"

"Unfortunately, there's more bad news,"

"More?!"

I better get this over with. I don't think Baron Muno can handle much more of this.

"The soldiers you dispatched recently have all been killed and turned into zombies along with the thieves they were fighting. They will arrive about an hour after the goblins and number roughly twenty-five thousand,"

"How… my soldiers are…."

The baron must really care for his people. According to Satou, the soldiers were worse than bandits, but baron Muno still sheds a tear for them. He's not even worried about his own life right now. As he mutters to himself, all he seems to be thinking about is saving his people.

"Lord baron, there is one more thing," Satou speaks up. I'm unsure what he noticed, but I will back him up. We were warned by a spirit to "Beware of the basement," do you have any idea what that might mean?"

"When the previous marquis ruled, the Undead King Zen placed a curse on the city core in the basement," Baron Muno replied. "Perhaps it is referring to that."

"There is a curse then?"

"Yes," The baron nods. "Whenever a noble or ambitious person tries to enter the basement, they fall victim to the curse. Their strength and energy will be sapped until they turn back or die."

"Wouldn't it be best to have a priest with no ambition remove the curse, then?"

"When I first became the lord of this land, I asked the holy woman and head priestess of the Tenion Temple to try and remove the curse. She was only able to make it halfway down the stairs before it became too much to bear,"

I guess I should try. With Zen dead and the intended targets of that curse most likely dead now, I see no purpose not to at least try. I'm sure Zen wouldn't mind if someone like baron Muno gains control over the city core. Looking at my stats, I have plenty of points to spend. Somehow I gained six levels from defeating that demon despite how easy the fight turned out. I max out the last of my resistance skill and a few combat skills, and even then, I have enough points to spare. If I do this, I will probably get a curse resistance skill, so I kept enough points to max that out.

"In that case, have you thought about letting a commoner or civil official try?" Satou continues to question the baron when I leave my menu.

"Impossible. I had the bravest commoner in my territory, sir Zotol, a knight who had fought in multiple battles try. He only made it halfway down before being overcome with panic and fleeing. The other civil officials couldn't even approach the stairs," Baron Muno shakes as his face turns pale. "I even attempted it myself. I had never felt such terror before and fled before making more than a few steps."

"I might be able to do it," I speak up, but the baron doesn't look sure it is a good idea.

"I can't ask you to do that," Baron Muno quickly replies, but I think I should try at least. "I can't let someone else feel the same fear I did."

"I'll be fine," I assure him. "I am immune to the effects of the curse you have told me about."

"I really don't want to do this… but with the goblin and undead, I have no choice," Baron Muno sighs. "If it becomes too much, don't risk it and come back imminently."

"Understood,"

The baron has one of the maids guilds me to the stairs leading to the city core. It must have a bad reputation because the maid kept her distance. When I left the baron, he was talking to Satou about the whereabouts of the real magistrate. As I begin the descent down the stairs, I hope they find them.

I have no idea how I got that title, but when I check my skills, I find I have gained two new resistances. Curse Resistance and Drain Resistance. I waste no time maxing them out, leaving me only three points left. I'll save those for when I need them. I continue my descent, passing a few skeletons, but I try to ignore them.

Each step sends a chill down my spine, and it feels like the temperature has dropped considerably since I began this journey. No wonder everyone else fled this place if I felt this bad with my resistance skills maxed out. It felt even worse when I entered the city core room. It feels like an enormous weight is pressing down on my chest.

There's nothing in sight. No people, demons or object that looks like they could be the source of the curse. The room was surprisingly large, considering there was only a giant blue crystal floating in the room. It glows, and when I use my Analyse skill on the crystal, I confirm it is indeed the city core. Right, let's get this over with.

I walk towards the core, eyeing for anything that could cause this curse, but I still fail to find anything. But when I got halfway towards the core, a black shadow floated up from the ground, blocking my way. But I don't feel threatened by the shadow even as my Analyse skill tells me it is the source of the curse.

"Intruder. I am a shadow of he who is known as the Undead King Zen. If you truly are pure and noble of heart, then show me proof that you are worthy of being a lord,"

I take out my sword, but I make no move to attack. Instead, I let the Cursed Soul see the weapon that once belonged to its master.

"Zen has passed on to the next world," I tell the shadow. "The enemies he once faced have been defeated. You no longer have to remain here." I take a step forward, and the shadow doesn't move to stop me. "I will relieve you of your duty."

We a gentle thrust, I piece the heart of the shadow. The Cursed Soul instantly vanished as soon as my sword touched the shadow. This probably doesn't prove I am pure and noble of heart, but the curse should be lifted now. I was about to turn to leave, but something called out to me.

"Welcome, O lord," The crystal starts talking, sounding a lot like Raka. Could they have been made by the same people? Registration of your land has been completed."

Oh, I shouldn't be stealing this land. I have no desire to stay bound to this place when I have planned a trip to see the elves and a fantasy world to explore. I need to fix this fast.

"Oh, I'm not registering to become the lord of this land," I quickly correct the core. "The lord of this land is baron Muno."

"Search complete. There are three people with the name Muno. Please verify which Muno is the lord of this land,"

What is his name? I should have asked when I had the chance. Oh, wait, the core would know. If it could tell, there are three people with the family name Muno. They should be able to tell me their first names.

"Can you please list the names of the people called Muno?"

"There are three people with the name Muno. Leon Muno, Soluna Muno, and Karina Muno,"

That was easy.

"Baron Leon Muno is the lord of this land,"

"Registration complete. Henceforth I shall serve lord Leon Muno. Please be advised I have been cut off from the mana source for the last twenty years. I will now be entering my recharge mode. Many functions will be offline in the meantime,"

<0>

"Are you the hero?"

As soon as I returned from the core room, the maid that guided me here took me straight to another room. Apparently, baron Muno managed to find the real magistrate, and they are requesting to see me. Unfortunately, she doesn't look like she is in good health as the magistrate struggles to sit up when she greets me. She must have been beautiful once, but now she is worn out. Her hair is messy, her cheeks sunken, and her voice strained. But her eyes still shine brightly with resolve.

"Sorry you have to see me like this," She weakly smiles. "I'm Nina, the magistrate."

"I'm Kura Suou," I politely bow. "A knight in the service of Earl Seiryuu and a hero."

"I heard you and your vassals defeated the demon nesting in our castle. Thank you," Nina ducked her head. "Is it true that there are more demons still about?"

"Unfortunately, yes, there are,"

Before we can continue our conversation, the door to the room is thrown open, and a soldier runs in. covered in sweat and out of breath as if he ran a marathon. All eyes fall on this lone soldier.

"I have a report, sir! A large horde of goblins has been sighted at the edge of the forest,"

"Is it just goblins?"

"No, some of them are riding wolfs and mantis monsters. There is also an unidentified monster amongst them. Whatever it is, it's large with a long cylindrical body,"

They got here sooner than I thought they would. We barely had enough time to deal with the demon and explain the situation, and they were already here. It took us nearly fifteen minutes to cross the distance between the forest and the city on horseback, so we had at least twenty minutes tops before they reach the walls. At least we have miss Nina. She quickly took control of the situation and ordered the soldiers to the walls.

"I'm going to the observation room," Miss Nina declared before pointing to me. "You there, give me a hand."

I end up carrying miss Nina up to the top of the castle. Everyone else must have noticed two because they are gathered there. Miss Karina uses some kind of telescope to observe the horde while Pochi climbs to the top of the fence surrounding the room. I get the Far Sight skill when I try to look myself but even when I put my last three points into that skill, I can barely make them out. Miss Nani ended up snatching the telescope from Miss Karina when we arrived.

"There are so many…."

When miss Nina hands the telescope to baron Muno, he looks like he will faint. He nearly drops the telescope and falls over before turning towards me.

"Please tell me you lifted the curse in the city core room,"

"I did," I nod at the panicking baron. "But the core said it was cut off from the mana source and needs to recharge."

"Lady Nina, I'm putting you in charge of the situation," The baron declares. "I'm going to register as the lord and see if there is anything I can do from there."

Baron Muno quickly runs off towards the basement, but as soon as he is gone, Satou approaches us.

"Excuse me, lady Nina," Satou says as he rushes over to us. "Did you order an evacuation of the city?"

"What are you talking about?"

Miss Nina looked towards the main gate. I can't tell who they are, but many people are leaving the city, and the gate is left wide open with no one defending it. I would later learn from Satou that those people were high-ranking officials evacuating with their families and stealing loot. They bribed most of the city's soldiers to escort them, leaving the city defenceless against the goblin horde.

"The main gate to the city is wide open,"

Satou says, pointing towards the fleeing people.

"This simply won't do," Miss Karina says, rushing to climb the fence. "We must go and close the gate."

"Karina!"

"It's dangerous to go alone, sir!"

Pochi and Tama tried to stop her, but miss Karina was too fast. Thanks to Raka, she leaps down from the castle and starts hopping from rooftop to rooftop. Satou nods, and they quickly run after her with Liza in tow. Nana and Pearl look like they want to go, too, but we will join them in a minute.

"Can you do anything about this horde?" Miss Nina asks me, but I have to shake my head.

"I could put a dent in their numbers, but most of them will be simply able to walk around me,"

"I was afraid you would say that," Miss Nina mutters. "Can you help hold the gate? I'll try to round up as many people as possible into a militia to reinforce you."

I nod and take off running with Mia, Nana and Pearl close behind me. Satou and his girls come too and quickly reach our horses. It was hard to avoid the townspeople running through the streets as they fled towards the castle, but thanks to Arisa's psychic magic, they moved out of our way. By the time we reached the gate, the goblins had already entered.

Miss Karina, along with Pochi and Tama, were doing their best to protect the townspeople but the goblins had them surrounded. With Raka's strengthening power, miss Karina can send the goblins flying one after the other, but there are just so many. For every goblin she takes down, four more are there to take its place. Pochi and Tama do their best to help, using their speed and petite sizes to weave between the goblin, cutting them down. A few townsfolk also try to fight, but the goblins have pined most of them to the floor.

Liza, meanwhile, has created a pile of bodies. Countless goblins lay dead at her feet and with every swing of her spear. A faint red glow comes from the tip of her spear, leaving a trail behind her strikes as the goblins fall.

"Lulu, take the reins,"

Satou orders, and when I glance at him, I see he has his bow out. Quickly firing off a few arrows, multiple goblins soon lay dead. Nana does the same, using her magical arrows to kill a pair of goblins attacking a group of children. She looks at me, and I nod, knowing what she wants to do. Nana breaks off to defeat the rest of the goblins, attacking those children as I jump from my horse. I land in front of a group of goblins and cut down six with a single swing. Pearl lands next to me, taking down two more while Mia starts firing arrows at a group of goblins charging us.

"Everyone flee to the castle!" Arisa shouts. "The great hero is there! He will protect you!"

Hauto, he may be a fake hero, but he still gives hope to the people. I can see the people's spirits rise just knowing he is here to protect them. They quickly hurried towards the castle, looking far less panicked than before.

"Karina!" Satou calls out. "We're here to help!"

"You came…."

Miss Karina looked emotional at our arrival, but her lack of judgment was almost fatal. A long goblin swings a metal club at her head. She would have been killed if it wasn't for Raka's barrier.

"Pay attention,"

"Don't lose focus, sir,"

Pochi and Tama swiftly cut the goblin down while giving advice. Miss Karina nods before rushing over to the next group of enemies. Her recklessness will get her killed one of these days.

"We need to push the goblins back and close the gate,"

Pearl and I jump from our horses and start cutting the goblins down one after the other. These guys aren't so tough, but there sure are a lot of them. Most of them are only armed with simple wooden clubs, but a few use farming tools, while others are armed with crudely made bows. Most of their arrows miss but the ones that hit either break against our armour or bounce off of it. Our armour, an outfit made from hydra leather and iron fruit shells, is better than I expected. Satou mentioned it was sturdier than plate armour, but I didn't believe him until now.

The goblins began to flee our unsought, but Mia, Arisa and Lulu cut any down that managed to escape. After Nana rejoined us, the battle for the gate was as good as won. Soldiers from other parts of the city came flooding in and working together. We drove the goblins from the city and sealed the gates. It took us nearly twenty minutes, but we did it without any major incidents. Some soldiers were injured, but I quickly treated their wounds.

We took a moment to catch our breaths among the bodies. There have to be at least over a hundred of them. It was a miracle no one on our side was killed. After taking a moment, Satou and I climb to the top of the wall. A group of soldiers are already firing arrows at the goblin horde, but there isn't enough of them to put a dent in the goblin's numbers. Arisa and Pearl, following after us, couldn't help but stare at the sea of the monster beneath the city's walls. Miss Karina is already there by the time we arrive, but even she seems taken aback by the size of the goblin army.

"There are quite a lot of them, aren't there?" Arisa comments.

"Yeah," Pearl nervously nods her head. I think this is the first time I have seen her looking scared.

"Geh, I feel like I will be seeing this in my nightmares,"

Arisa might not be the only one having bad dreams after today. It's like something out of a horror movie. Goblins are packed so close together that you can't see the ground, and they are stretched out so far I can't even see both ends of the horde without turning my head. Behind the goblins, I can see the larger monsters, such as mantis monsters, but something bigger is coming. Behind the goblins still pouring out of the forest, I see something pushing the trees aside.

"Given how crowded they are, wouldn't that catapult take out tons at once?"

Satou asks, pointing to the unused wooden siege engine on the wall. It looks old and likes it hasn't been used in a long time. Still, it looks like it will still be able to fire if needed.

"No can do," Unfortunately, one of the soldiers shakes his head at Satou's idea. "We ran out of stones for it a few weeks ago."

"You didn't replenish the stores?" Miss Karina asks while turning around. "Whyever not?"

"The magistrate said there wasn't a budget for it… we also ran out of the heavy quarrels for the ballista last month after a swarm of spider bears attacked the city,"

Even the soldiers sound angry about this situation. They all look frustrated being reminded of their lack of supplies. The demon has been planning this attack for a while. I wouldn't be surprised if he caused the spider bears to attack the city. While there is no point being angry about it now. Satou is already searching for the missing supplies on his map. If they are here, he will find them.

"Liza, can you see that building with the red roof?" Satou asks, pointing to a building that is just visible in the distance.

"Yes, master," Liza nods.

"That's a weapons company. They should have quarrels for the ballista there," Satou says, handing Liza a bag of coins. "Buy as many arrows and quarrels as possible and have them delivered here."

"Understood, master," Liza says before hurrying off.

"Arisa, there's a stone wholesaler near the outer wall over there,"

"Where?" Arisa asks. "I can't see it."

"I see it, sir," Tama reports.

"Okay. Arisa go with Tama and buy stones for the catapult," Satou instructs, handing Arisa another bag of coins. "Lulu, can you go to that inn over there. It's been abandoned for a while, so can you set up a place to treat any wounded there."

"Certainly, sir,"

"The rest of us will make sure the goblins don't come any closer,"

Mia and Satou start shooting arrows as soon as they are in position. I had a crossbow in my storage that I think I got from the labyrinth in Seiryuu City, but I honestly can't remember if that is the case. I only had a single poisonous bolt for the crossbow, so it must have been used in a trap I disarmed at some point. At least the soldiers had plenty of bolts they were willing to share. Pearl might now be a good shot, but at least with the number of goblins down there, she never misses.

Nana and I meanwhile fire off spells into the goblin horde. Nana fires magical arrow after magical arrow taking off the heads of any goblin she hits. At the same time, I switch between firing my Fire Shot spell, which causes large explosions in the goblins' rear ranks, and my Ice Storm at the goblins in the front. I have no idea which spell is more deadly. My Fire shot sends goblins flying as they burn while my Ice Storm spell is like a claymore mine exploding. It isn't long before my kill count is in the hundreds.

"Wow, the guy and kid with the bow never miss,"

"Mrrr…"

Some soldiers exclaim, making Mia frown when they call her a kid.

"What about the spell casters? They aren't slacking either,"

"But I don't hear any chants,"

I guess we are putting on an impressive display. When I look at the archers and magical soldiers around us, their attacks aren't nearly as effective as ours. Part of me wants to hold back and not stand out so much, but I don't have the luxury with the goblin horde out there.

"Excuse me... what erm… what might I do be of use?"

Miss Karina is a little lost. If I had another crossbow, I would lend it to her. Still, I have a feeling with Raka's strength-enhancing ability, miss Karina would probably break it. But right now, there is nothing she can do. If we had stones, she could probably throw them along, but Arisa and Tama have yet to return.

"Oh, right. Lady Karina, you should go back to the castle…."

"No, I shan't!" Miss Karina cuts Satou up. "I shall fight here as well!"

"Please let me finish," Satou tells her. "I'd like you to go back to the castle and gather Sir Hauto and anybody else who might be able to fight and bring them here."

"Me?"

"Satou's right," I decide to back him up, seeing miss Karina's hesitation. She might have jumped straight into the goblin horde below if I didn't say anything. "This is something only you can do, miss Karina."

"Only I can… then I shall be off then!"

Miss Karina moved faster than I was expecting. Hopping from rooftop to rooftop and running so fast she leaves a blue trail in her wake. Miss Karina should reach the castle in just a few minutes. I hope she doesn't hit anybody. If she did, it would probably be like getting hit by a truck.

An hour passed, and the goblins still showed no signs of stopping their assault. The ground is littered with their bodies, but the monster just tramples over them. Nana and I had to hold back our spell casting after we started running low on MP recovery potions, but overall are situation has improved. Liza brought back plenty of arrows and quarrels, while Arisa and Tama returned with a carriage filled with stones.

Miss Karina had returned with plenty of reinforcements. Most of them are civilians and miss Karina herself is surrounded by maids armed with the equipment of former soldiers. Hunters with longbows are a great addition to our defence, but the presence of Hauto proved to be our biggest asset. He rallies our forces and inspires everyone to fight harder despite his hands shaking like crazy. In addition to Aria's psychic magic boosting our morale, not a single person attempts to flee.

The goblins aren't as dumb as I hoped they would be. Time and time again, they rush the gates with battering rams and try to put up ladders. Most of them don't even get close, but the goblins that do manage to get up on the wall are quickly cut down by Liza and Pearl. Miss Karina tries to help along with Pochi and Tama, but Pearl and Liza are just too quick for them.

But just as the goblins start to flee and I feel that victory will be ours, my Sense Danger skill activates. I looked around, but I didn't see the army of zombies approaching, and I was confused as to what was happening until I heard the trees break and felt the ground tremble. Looking at the forest, I see a massive monster emerge. A four-legged creature as tall as the city's walls with a long cylindrical body. I can't use my Appraisal skill at this range, but Satou somehow can. He calls the monster a rock shooter. To make things worse, Satou also says it is possed by a demon.

"What's that?"

"A tube, sir,"

Pochi and Tama quickly spot the monster just as a white light shines on the horizon. The wall suddenly shook as the howling wind reached my ears.

"Satou!"

"Geh!"

Mia and Arisa lost their balance, and I barely caught Mia in time before she fell from the wall. But I see it. Lodged into the wall is a rock the size of a basketball just below where I stand. Was that from the rock shooter? Looking at the creature again, I see the answer as I watch the goblins reload it. The attack may not have been enough to breach the wall, but if we don't do something, the rock shooter will punch multiple holes in the wall.

Looking around, I can't see anything we could use to engage it at this range. The ballista quarrels fall a hundred meters short, and the catapult can only fire a little further. None of my spells has the range, and when I asked Mia and Nana, they shook their heads. Damit, the rock shooter, is nearly ready to fire. I can't think of any safe way to deal with it, but there is one way, but it will probably be a one-way trip.

"I'm going to take out the rock shooter,"

As soon as I say that, everyone looks at me as if I were crazy. I probably was since I was suggesting a suicide mission. But I did think things through. I can carve a path through the goblins with my magic and take out the demon-possessed rock shooter with my holy sword. The problem is getting back. I doubt I would have enough MP to cave a second path.

"That's too…."

Satou tried to talk me out of it, but the wall shook again. Another attack from the rock shooter, but this one hit the main gate. The gate was still mostly intact, but the shoot dented the gate enough to allow the goblins to pour in. Miss Karina wastes no time leaping into the fight alongside her maids and Hauto. Pochi, Tama and Liza swiftly follow after them, along with a handful of soldiers.

"Do you have any MP potions I could use?" I ask Satou, now more determined than ever, to go. Luckily he has plenty and hands them over.

"I'm going with you, master,"

"Hero Kura, please allow me to accompany you, I request,"

"Going,"

Pearl, Nana and Mia all want to come too, but it is too dangerous. Despite telling them the risks, they still insist on coming with me. While Pearl and Nana will be helpful, but Mia can't come.

"Mmm, going," She insists.

"Mia, you need to stay here," I tell her. "Your skill with the bow is needed here on the wall."

"Comeback,"

"I promise I will,"

Mia makes me pinky promise to return safely, but she agrees to stay behind and let us go. Another attack from the rock shoot hits the wall knocking stone bricks from a nearby tower. There is no easy place to start our counter-attack, so I just jump from the wall closet to the rock shooter.

I use my Ice Strom spell to clear the ground and cast Air Cushion to break our fall. The goblins must think we are crazy too. They just stare at us, giving me the time I need to cast another Ice Storm spell. I spam that spell repeatedly, drinking potions when I need to and clearing us a path. I'm glad Pearl and Nana came with me. Several goblins rushed in from the side, but they were always there to cut them down.

The rock shooter tries to fire at us, but we divert our course, causing the shot to hit a group of goblins pursuing us. The goblins panic, some fleeing while others try to stop us with eyes wide with fear. Even the demon must be scared because it attempts to flee, but the rock shooter's body is too slow to get away from us.

Pearl reaches the rock shooter first, slicing off one of its rear legs. The rook shooter howls in pain, but we don't let up. I cut a significant cut in its stomach while Nana stabs its back, and Pearl slices off a second leg. The rock shooter comes crashing to the ground, and its fate is sealed. With multiple slashes and stabs, the demon possed rock shooter dies. A few goblins were brave enough to try and stop us, but they were swiftly slain alongside the demon.

The goblin horde started to flee in every direction with the demon's defeat. But before we could celebrate, the undead army arrived, led by a possessed knight. To make things worse, the goblins seem to have rallied and come charging out of the forest. My eyes meet those of the demonic knight, and with a wave of its hand, the zombie horde begins to rush towards us. They move surprisingly well for zombies and in formation instead of a typical zombie horde attack.

"We'll take out the knight, then head back to the wall," I instruct as the zombie horde grows closer.

"Orders registered master, I report," Nana replies as Pearl nervously nods her head.

I don't blame Pearl for being nervous. Part of me wants to flee and abandon the people of Muno City, but I just can't do that. I prepare to attack and step forward, but the zombie horde suddenly explodes. Arrows of fire rain down on the horde burning everything alive and wiping out the horde in seconds.

"Master above us!"

I look to where Pearl is pointing and see a masked figure floating in the sky. Satou. He's wearing the blonde wig and mask from Seiryuu City, but he feels more powerful. If he was like this back in Seiryuu City, I might not have attacked that demon and become a hero. Satou quickly decimates the zombie horde and slays the demonic knight, so I turn my attention to the returning goblins… but they aren't attacking us. Instead, the goblins run around us and don't even attempt to enter the city. What are they….

"TALLY-HO!"

Rushing out of the forest, brushing trees aside, and crushing goblins underfoot, I realise I see what the goblins are up to. They are fleeing. Fleeing from the giants as Lord Braidbeard charges armed with a massive axe he uses to swipe aside goblins. Behind him, several more goblins emerge, crushing any goblin they see.

"THANK YOU FOR COMING, LORD BRAIDBEARD!" I call out as soon as he reaches us.

"I AM MERELY REPLAYING THE DEBT MY PEOPLE OWE YOU!"

The giants charge forward, exterminating the goblins and surviving zombies with ease. With Satou and the giants now unleashing their full might upon the battlefield, it won't be long before we are victorious. Pearl Nana and I engage with the goblins around us, cutting them down by the dozen as we slowly make our way back to the gate. But before we even make it halfway there, a deafening roar ballows across the battlefield.

A shadow descends from the clouds turning into a hydra as it crashes through. But I don't think the demon is in complete control of the hydra. Two of its heads fight against three riddled with tentacles and emitting a black mist. They bite and smack against each other as the hydra comes crashing down between us and the city. I think I am its target. The way one of the demon-possessed heads glares at me tells me I am who it is after.

With a loud roar, it sprays poison from its mouth. I don't have anything to block it. I can do nothing as Pearl, Nana and I are engulfed by the warm spray of poison, but I can treat it. I continuously use my Healing Aura spell to keep the hydra poison effects at bay. We don't have time to wipe it off, so I have to keep the girls close to me and keep that spell activated. With my MPs dropping, I figure I have ten minutes until it runs out. I could use MP potions, but I don't think this demon will give me a chance.

"Nana, aim for its eyes with your magic arrows,"

"Target acquired, I confirm,"

"Pearl, as soon as my next spell hits it, we charge,"

"Right,"

Pearl grits her teeth and nods. I took down a hydra before, but this one is possessed by a demon, so I doubt it will be easy. Nana's magical arrows hit their targets with only one missing, but she follows up with another arrow. I fire off my Lightning Strike spell burning off the hydra's wings and causing its body to convulse in pain.

"Now!"

Pearl and I rush forward, cutting off both the demon-possessed hydra heads as we jump over the monster. I don't like leaving Nana out of range of my Healing Aura spell, but she should be strong enough to withstand the poison for a little while. I cast Ice Storm as I fly over the monster riddling its body fall of holes, but it isn't enough. The demonic heads merge, forming a hydra-headed snake with more tentacles than I can count sticking out of his body. The hydra, meanwhile, is slowly getting back to its feet.

I shoot another Lightning Strike at the hydra knocking it back down as Pearl and I attack the demon. Pearl and I cut deploying into the demon, but it won't die. We attack, again and again, dodging the tentacles that try to smack us away. We cut and hack away, but it doesn't die. Pearl is forced to back away as the demon throws a goblin body at her, and soon one of the tentacles is wrapped around her ankle.

"You will pay for running my plan!"

The demon roars, lifting me high into the air, but luckily, I manage to keep hold of my sword. I cut away at the tentacle holding me, but another tentacle pieces my stomach before I can react. Blood sprays from my mouth, and the pain nearly knocks me out. I can't believe how much it hurts, even with my Pain Resistance skill maxed out. I hit the ground hard, knocking the breath from my lung as the demon moves towards me.

"I will take my time with you and your friends," The demon hiss as I struggle to catch my breath. "I will use the despair of you and your friend to fill the Chaos Jar."

"Master!"

"Hero Kura!"

Pearl and Nana try to reach me, but they are too far away. They shouldn't worry about me, though. My Self-Healing skill has begun healing my injuries. I'm still bleeding, but I can feel the pain slowly fade, and my wound is starting to close up. But it doesn't matter if I do die. I'll just wake up in Lank's home and run back here.

The demon is closing in on me, but I don't move. I finally see it. The reason why we couldn't hurt the demon. Inside the demonic body is a shadow moving around. That must be the real demon. I just need the demon to move closer, and I can… perfect. Just as the demon rises its body to attack, I thrust my sword upwards. It cuts deep into the demon's stomach. It roars in pain as I twist my blade, but I don't stop there. I cast my Lightning Strike spell, channelling it through my weapon and directing it into the demon's body.

It tries to pull away, but I force more energy into my spell, causing the demon's eyes to glow blue and lightning to shoot out from its body. Pearl and Nana are forced to take cover, but I can't stop now. The demon drops the chaos jar, and I quickly put it into my storage before anyone notices. The demon finally vaporises, and my spell shoots straight up into the sky, obliterating clouds and creating a bright, powerful light.

That was close. I drained my MP down to the last point and only just managed to defeat that demon. I need to get much stronger if I want to defeat the demon lord. That was just a lesser demon, and I could feel myself passing out from exhaustion. Pearl and Nana appear in my fading vision. They are saying something, but I can't make it….

<0>

When I open my eyes, I feel surprisingly warm and comfortable. My body feels heavy, but apart from that, I feel fine. I try to sit up, but I feel something heavy on top of me. Looking down, I see Mia lying on top of me. She must have been crying recently because her eyes are red. Looking around, I can see Nana asleep with her head resting on my bed and Pearl napping in a nearby chair.

Where am I, anyway? I must be in the castle or some noble's home. The bed is large and spaces with a warm blanket that is slightly worn out and torn in places. A fancy painting of a castle surrounded by flowers hangs on the wall, and I can see only the sky from the window. I'm still unsure where I am, but hearing the birds sing makes it feel peaceful. It's hard to believe a battle took place.

"Oh! You're awake!"

A maid slipped into the room so quietly I didn't even notice, but her cry was enough to wake everyone up. She nearly dropped the tray she was carrying but caught it in time. It must be time for breakfast because she brought enough for Pearl, Nana and Mia to eat. She probably wasn't expecting me to be awake because there was nothing for me.

"Master!"

"Hero Kura!"

"Mrrr,"

Pearl and Nana were fast to hug me. Unfortunately for Mia, she ended up being crushed in the middle. I feel sorry for her as she tries to push the others away, but I'm just as trapped as she is. Pearl and Nana must have gained some levels because they are a lot stronger now than before the battle.

"Hey, can you let go before Mia suffocates?" I spoke up after giving them a few moments.

"You're awake," I think this is the first time I have seen Pearl with tears in her eyes. "You have been asleep for five days, master."

Five days? Was it really that long? I can't believe it was, but I don't distrust Pearl's statement.

"Hero Kura," Nana speaks next. "Satou said you had server mana deficiency and blood loss. He suggested you get plenty of rest. I believe you should follow his advice, I advise."

I must have over did it in the battle. I cast my spells then I could count, and even used up all my MP at the very end. I probably pushed my body passed its limits.

"I'll inform the others and fetch you some breakfast,"

The maid speaks up before running out of the room. Wait, isn't her outfit different? The simple clothing the maids wore when I arrived here was gone. In its place was a victorian style maid uniform. I have a feeling Satou has something to do with this.

I passed the time by catching up on what had happened. Pearl and Nana tell me how the giants and Satou in disguise whipped out the enemies while Nana carried me back to the city. I was taken back to the castle and have been here ever since then. There were still groups of goblins roaming around, but Satou had been flying around, wiping them out. Unfortunately, during one of those trips, he reportedly found the remains of the people that fled the city before the battle. According to what was reported, a group of bandits attacked them. Satou did all this in his hero disguise, and I kept quiet about him, but Pearl and Nana were suspicious I knew who the masked hero really was.

As their story continues, I am starting to realise just how much of the battle I missed. One of the Wings of Freedom members had tried to kill miss Karina, only for Satou to be stabbed while protecting her. I doubt he was really stabbed. Knowing him, I bet he faked his injuries to disappear and transform into the masked hero.

Arisa and Lulu are my next visitors. They arrive with a tray of food for me and tell me with smiles that Satou is becoming a noble. I didn't think Satou would have accepted the title. Still, apparently, he did after getting it lowered to the title of Hereditary Knight. Satou must be as bad at naming as I am. Arisa told me it took him nearly an entire day to come up with the family name Pendragon that miss Karina apparently gave him.

Arisa and Lulu continued to tell me about yesterday's naming ceremony until they reached the point when miss Nina tried to get Satou to marry miss Karina. This is one of the rare occasions I have seen Lulu looking angry when she talks about how much miss Nina was trying to push Satou into the marriage.

"It's good to see you're awake,"

Satou entered the room, followed by the rest of his girls and miss Karina. It looks like miss Karina is upset with Satou. She keeps glaring at the back of his head. I feel sorry for her, having her heart broken, but it wouldn't be fair on Satou to push him into marriage.

"I'm sorry I worried everyone," I reply. "I just overdid it back then."

"I'll say you lit up the sky," Arisa says. "It caused quite the panic in the city. Some people ran, saying the demon lord is descending."

"Sorry,"

"Don't be. Most of them were members of the Wings of Freedom trying to create chaos," Satou tells me. "The guards managed to round them all up after the battle, so they aren't a threat anymore."

"Unfortunately, my father has deemed their punishment is for them to be criminal slaves and put them to work repairing the fields. Even after those brutes tried to kill me…." Miss Karina adds. "They should have been locked away."

"I think it is better this way," Satou says. "There is less bloodshed and plenty of labour to rebuild the territory this way."

I really missed a lot. Satou tells me that not only has he become a hereditary knight, but that fortress we took from the wraith has become his villa. The kid bandits and elderly group we left there have also become his servants. Several fields have been prepared for when I wake up intending to plant the seeds I was gifted by the Witch of the Forest of Illusion. Miss Karina told me they were going to plant Gabo fruit until Satou mentioned I had seeds and fertilise, which he claimed we grow twice as much food as Gabo fruit fields.

The army and government have also been purged when I was out. The demon locked up many good people who helped round up the corrupt officials and criminal soldiers. Some former soldiers also returned to service after hearing about the military cleanup. According to Liza, some of those returnees are pretty strong.

Everyone had been really busy. Lulu was studying cooking in the kitchen. Liza, Pearl, Nana, Pochi, and Tama had been helping fight bandits and monsters while Mia and Arisa studied magic. Satou was the busiest of them all. He exterminated monsters that dammed the river running by the city, thanked the giants for their help and helped organise several reconstruction projects. He found time to study under miss Nina about how to act as a noble. From what Satou described of his lessons, he was lucky as miss Nina sounded a far less strict teacher than Henrietta was to me.

"I'm glad to see you are okay,"

Baron Muno and miss Nina enter next, followed by miss Soruna and Hauto. But since the room was getting crowded, we relocated to a lounge area. Nana had to help me walk there. I may have been fully healed, but my legs refused to cooperate after I had spent so long in that bed. It is a lovely room. Soft chairs that are a little worn out but still very comfortable. A warm burning fire and a great view of the city out of the large window.

Maids soon bring tea and some snacks. Satou must have made the victorian style maid uniform the standard for the maids because everyone is wearing it. We settle down and exchange some small talk before discussing the territory's reconstruction. We got onto the subject of the seed and fertiliser I had in my storage and arranged for me to deliver it to one of the warehouses later.

It wasn't all business. The baron was very interested in me, wanting to know all about how I became a hero. Miss Nina had to keep him in line multiple times. I feel sorry for Hauto. Baron Muno reminded me of some ideas superfans getting to meet them for the first time. At least I have miss Nina here to keep him in line.

He was interested in my made-up back story of being a former mon hunter. Was shocked when I told him I had earned my hero title by defeating a greater hell demon. Miss Nina was very interested in that story. She asked me all about my fight and how I managed to beat it. But when I tell her about the masked heroes' part in the fight, she interrogates me about who he is. I managed to divert the suspicions off Satou, but I don't think I have heard the last of this when I move on to my fight with Zen.

They were terrified to realise that Zen was still alive. Everyone seemed to be under the impression that he was defeated by a hero decades ago. I don't change many details about our conflict. I simply told them that he had kidnapped Mia and challenged me to come and rescue her. I left out the silvered hero this time and mentioned that Pearl and Henry were with me. But they were more surprised when I told them he wanted to die and let me kill him at the end. When I explained, they seemed to understand that Zen wanted to move on and be with his family. He only made me conquer the maze so that I would be accepted by the holy sword.

As usual, everyone wanted a closer look at my holy sword Gjallarhorn. I should be used to it by now but seeing everyone's reaction is still surprising. It is easy to think that this sword is the greatest treasure to ever exist. Miss Nina has a tear in her eyes as she delicately strokes my sword. I felt bad for Hauto since I was showing off a sword he thought he owned, but he was taking it well.

Hauto tells me that now that he isn't a hero, he will be a knight. I hope he makes it and marries gets miss Soruna. They are sat close together, acting all lovey-dovey. It makes me a little jealous that I never had that experience in this life or my last. Back in Japan, I was too shy in school to talk to any boys, and once I started working, I never had time to date, anyone. My best friend was the opposite of me. She always seemed to have a different man each week and tried to set me up with the guy she dumped. It weren't have been a problem if it wasn't for the fact most of the guys she dates are complete jerks.

Once I finally got my sword from baron Muno proceeded to present me with medals. I wasn't expecting to be given any, but I couldn't turn the baron down when he looked so happy to be able to present a hero with a medal. After we were done, I ended up allowing the baron to see my stats on a Yamato Stone. I didn't have a problem with it, and besides, I haven't had a chance to check my stats since the end of the battle, and I am sure I gained some more levels.

<Name: Kura Suou>

<Age: 15>

<Gender: Female>

<Level: 57>

<Affiliation: Shiga Kingdom, Seiryuu City>

<Job: Hero, Knight>

<Class: Noble (Knight)>

<Title: Monster Slayer, Labyrinth Explorer, Labyrinth Conqueror, Dances with Demons, Demon Slayer [Greater], Hero, Undead King Slayer, Cradle Explorer, Saviour, Pyromancer, Master of Hellfire, Conqueror of Despair, Friend of the Elves, Knight, Instrumentalist of Nature, Friend of the Witches, Grave Robber, Treasure Hunter, Friend of the Giants, Saint, Lord, Master of Lightning>

<Skills: Throwing Level 1, One-Handed Sword Level 10, Bow Level 4, Aiming Level 5, Surprise Attack Level 5, Evasion Level 10, Reckless Courage Level 7, Sharp Edge Level 10, Parry Level 10, Thrusting Level 10, Faint Attack Level 10, Spell Blade Level 10, Pierce Level 10, Consecutive Attack Level 10, Cooperation Level 4, Formation Level 4, Strategy Level 6, Provocation Level 4, Leadership Level 4, Inspiration Level 3, Sprint Level 10, Jump Level 8, 3 Dimensional Maneuverer Level 4, Off-Road Level 8, Water Striding Level 1, Magic Manipulation Level 10, Self-Healing Level 10, Magical Recovery Level 10, Magic Transfer Level 10, Magic Sense Level 6, Magic Overload Level 1, Fire Magic Level 10, Lightning Magic Level 5, Ice Magic Level 10, Shadow Magic Level 1, Forest Magic Level 1, Air Magic Level 5, Nature Magic Level 2, Life Magic Level 10, Hunger Resistance Level 10, Thirst Resistance Level 10, Fear Resistance Level 10, Evil-Eye Resistance Level 10, Petrification Resistance Level 10, Shadow Resistance Level 10, Pain Tolerance Level 10, Psychic Magic Resistance Level 10, Poison Resistance Level 10, Curse Resistance Level 10, Drain Resistance Level 10, Leather Craft Level 2, Sewing Level 5, Instrument Crafting Level 1, Formulation Level 7, Transmutation Level 7, Pottery Level 5, Clay Working Level 5, Appraisal Level 10, Dissection Level 4, Shiga Language Level 10, Etiquette Level 10, Elf Language Level 10, Gray-Ratman Language Level 10, Giant Language Level 10, Birdfolk Level 2, Pantherfolk Level 2, Weaslefolk Level 3, Musicianship Level 7, Dance Level 5, Sing Level 1, Amplification Level 1, Excuse Level 6, Estimation Level 10, Poker Face Level 10, Haggling Level 10, Negotiation Level 3, Persuasion Level 4, Fabrication Level 4, Mediation Level 1, Cooking Level 10, Fire Starting Level 2, Transport Level 1, Driving Level 6, Harvest Level 10, Mixologist Level 3, Horse-riding Level 5, Animal Training Level 1, Trap Release Level 5, Trap Discovery Level 5, Hiding Level 6, Deception Level 5, Attentive Ears Level 6, Keen Hearing Level 6, Danger Sensing Level 10, Night Vision Level 10, Copycat Level 10, Coercion Level 4, and Far Sight Level 4>

<Spells: Fire Shot (Fire), Lightning Strike (Lightning), Ice Storm (Ice), Air Hammer (Wind), Air Cushion (Wind), Air Needle (Wind), Body Strengthen (Nature Magic), and Healing Aura (Life Magic)>

<Bounty: None>

<Rewards: Muno City People Medal of Honor>

Wow, I am a lot stronger than I thought. I checked my other stats while everyone looked at the results in shock. I didn't think I could have gotten this strong so fast.

<Stamina: 570/570>

<Strength: 99/99>

<Dexterity: 99/99>

<Intelligence: 99/99>

Most of my stats are maxed out. I had no idea when that happened, but it explains a lot. I could throw a demon across the room with a single swing and cut the head off a hydra. I think I also figured out why I blacked out after defeating the hydra-possessed demon. Magic Overload. When I look more into the skill details, I learn it drains both my stamina and MP, but the skill massively boosts the strength of any spell I cast in exchange.

"Impossible… no one should be able to have so many skills at such a young age…."

"I wonder if Earl Seiryuu would be willing to part with you,"

Baron Muno stares with his jaw dropped at the result, but how Miss Nina looks at me has me worried. Her stare reminds me of a kid looking through a shop window wanting the newest toy.

"Cheat,"

Arisa mutters as Lulu looks overwhelmed beside her.

"So many…."

"Too many, sir,"

"One day I could be…."

Pochi and Tama give up on reading halfway through, looking tired, and Liza looks at me with admiration.

"Hero Kura is a powerful master, I declare,"

"I have a long way to go to catch up,"

"Strong,"

Nana looks at me with pride while Pearl mutters about possible training ideas. Mia meanwhile grabs hold of my hand and smiles. Satou is the only one that doesn't say anything, but he pretends to be impressed and surprised. With how detailed his Appraisal skill is, he probably knows more about my stats and skills than I do.

"Mr Raka, I think you underestimated her when you called Hero Kura, Mighty One,"

"Indeed, she is far stronger than I imagined,"

Miss Karina's surprise is understandable, but I thought Raka had a good gauge of my strength. Miss Soruna and Hauto can only stare at the results with their jaws hitting the floor.

"I really have nothing on a true hero," Hauto finally mutters, but Miss Soruna is quick to comfort him.

But despite all my strength, I need to get stronger. If I don't want any of my friends to get hurt when we face the demon lord, I need to gain more power.

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