We headed back to the Supard village with two soldiers in tow.
Because having soldiers present meant we couldn't use the Teleportation Magic Circle, we traveled by horse carriage instead.
It took a full day to reach the second city of Irel.
We took lodging there, and I had thought about picking up Shandor as well, but it seemed the information broker still hadn't been caught, and it ended with just a progress report.
Disappointed that Geese couldn't be found, we nonetheless pressed on.
Another full day of travel brought us to the village of Earth Dragon Valley.
The village was as crowded as ever, and Grandma was still energetically shouting orders at the mercenaries.
It had been less than ten days since then, so that was to be expected.
I wanted to tell Grandma that it was safe now, that the forest people were in no danger, but it was still too early.
It wouldn't be too late even after the extermination squad was disbanded.
Thinking this, we stayed overnight in the village and entered the forest come morning.
"In terms of distance, if we enter in the morning, we should arrive before sunset. Please bear with us a little longer."
"Yeah. Just hurry up and take us there."
"...My legs are getting tired."
The two soldiers.
They were somewhat prone to complaining.
Garrison.
He sported an impressive Kaiser mustache and bore a strong resemblance to the soldier at the reception desk. They might have been brothers.
Their voices and manner of speaking were completely different, however.
Compared to the mustachioed soldier, Garrison was considerably more brusque and rough in demeanor.
He also seemed impatient by nature, despising any form of waiting above all else.
At the inn, when I was about to offer to pay for their share, he'd already paid for everything — my portion included — before I could even open my mouth. And the moment it became clear we'd need a campfire along the way, he immediately started gathering firewood.
Moreover, when monsters attacked, he was the first to step forward and fight.
Of course, I took care of all the monsters myself. It would've been trouble if any of them got hurt.
Sandor.
He had an elongated face. To put it unkindly, a horse's face.
His temperament was much more relaxed compared to Garrison.
He always wore a gentle smile and wouldn't even draw his sword when monsters appeared.
That said, he wasn't particularly talkative either.
When there was no need to speak, he wouldn't say a single word, sitting silent as a clam.
His curiosity did seem quite旺盛, however, as he peppered me with questions whenever I used magic without an incantation.
Despite his appearance as a soldier, he might well have been a magician.
"..."
Sandor would occasionally cast meaningful glances in my direction.
The kind of looks one gives when sizing someone up.
It left me feeling watched, but there was nothing to be done about it.
After all, I was the man who had suddenly appeared and recommended halting the extermination squad.
They'd surely received orders to remain on guard at all times and to report any suspicious behavior.
Their wariness was only natural, and I was well aware that they were watching me.
And yet, for some reason...
I felt a strange, nagging unease.
The odd thing was that I rarely saw Doga.
Doga struck me as honest and plain-looking, and I couldn't imagine him having the cunning to deceive anyone.
Perhaps they'd determined he wasn't a threat upon seeing him and had dropped their guard.
"The Supard Race are decent people.
They can be a bit brusque at times,
but if you approach them with reason and sincerity, they'll respond in kind.
And they're quite fond of children, too."
Along the way, I did my best to run a positive campaign for the Supard Race.
"...We're not kids, you know."
"Of course I understand that. But don't worry, they'll give us a proper welcome."
Still, they remained skeptical of the Supard Race.
At this rate, even if the Supards welcomed us, they might hesitate to touch the food that was served.
After all, this had been a village plagued by disease until very recently — they might not even dare to move their hands.
Fortunately, we now had the food supplies brought by the medical team.
If it was produce from the Asura Kingdom, there shouldn't be any issue with the taste.
In any case, my plan for this visit was to give the soldiers a proper tour of the Supard village and send them home in good spirits.
---
We arrived at the Earth Dragon's Valley.
Before us, two bridges stood side by side.
"Why are there two bridges side by side?"
One was the original, and one was the bridge I had created.
"In case someone fell while crossing, I built an additional one using Earth Magic."
"Huh... So which one do we cross?"
"This one."
The moment I pointed to the one I'd built, Garrison immediately leaped forward and started walking across.
Despite having no handrails and considerable height, he advanced without a moment's hesitation.
Wasn't he afraid?
Probably not.
I followed behind him, with Sandor next and Doga bringing up the rear.
"Be careful not to fall."
If I crossed first, I could catch anyone who slipped — but Garrison was really something else.
He was just like Eris.
Perhaps Garrison practiced the Sword God Style.
"So earth dragons live below us..."
When I glanced back, Sandor was peering down into the abyss, gulping nervously.
"Sandor, you're from this kingdom — didn't you know?"
"I knew of it, but this is my first time visiting."
Fair enough.
Not many people had seen every landmark in their own country.
And this certainly wasn't a tourist destination.
As soldiers, they would never have been permitted to enter this forest.
The Asura Kingdom had the Red Dragon Mountain Range to its east, but almost no one had ever climbed it — it was the same principle.
"Lord Rudeus, you claimed to serve under Urpen, the Dragon God... Have you ever fought earth dragons?"
"I haven't."
"Your magic along the way has been extraordinary, but do you think you could win in a fight?"
Sandor's voice was trembling.
Perhaps he was afraid.
Of what might happen if an earth dragon climbed up from the valley and attacked.
The valley floor was invisible. What lurked down there, what might come flying out — his imagination was surely running wild with unpleasant thoughts.
"Don't worry.
If I were thrown into a pack, I can't say what would happen,
but one or two should be no problem."
"Is that so..."
"Hey, hurry it up!"
While we'd been talking, Garrison had finished crossing the bridge and was waiting.
I quickened my pace to catch up with the impatient man.
"Once we cross the bridge, the Supard village is just ahead."
And from here on, the real thing would begin.
---
Supard Village Tour.
Guide: Rudeus Greyrat.
Support: Doga.
Participants: Two.
"The Supard village has only one entrance.
The entrance is guarded by two sentries to keep monsters out.
Thanks to their unique sensory organs, the Supards never miss an intruder.
They're already aware of our approach, of course.
But there's no need for worry. They're an extremely friendly race."
"...What's with the sudden change?"
"I'm giving them the tour."
Garrison looked skeptical, but there were things you simply couldn't understand just by looking.
And things they wouldn't understand had to be explained.
That was what a guide was for.
That was what a presentation was for.
"I can see the entrance now.
Can you see? Those are the Supards.
Even though we're in the forest, you can see their faces are turned toward us, can't you?"
I pointed toward the village, and both men tensed up.
They really, truly were Supards.
"...The hair really is green."
"That's right. But there's nothing to fear.
You get along perfectly well with the demon race — red-skinned, horn-bearing ogres, don't you?
Their hair is just a slightly different color.
Inside, they're just like you and me. Of course, there are differences — they are people, after all.
Treat them kindly and you'll feel at ease; treat them roughly and you'll feel uncomfortable.
It's the same for them as for anyone.
Watch."
As I spoke, I approached one of the sentries.
First, I had to make them understand that the Supard Race were not a demonic race.
I offered a bright greeting and received one in kind.
The first step in human relations.
I raised a hand and called out to the sentry.
"Jumbo!"
"...?"
The sentry started to raise his hand, then wore a puzzled expression and exchanged a look with the other.
My apologies.
I seemed to have gotten a bit too carried away.
"I'm sorry. I've brought emissaries from the Biherrill Kingdom.
I'd like to show them around the village, so I'd appreciate it if you could let us through."
"...No problem. Ruijerd told us about you."
"Thank you. Also, if it's possible, I'd like to speak with the Chief."
"Understood. I'll pass along the word."
The younger of the two ran off toward the back of the village.
"Please, come in."
After seeing him off, we entered the village.
Garrison and Sandor entered slowly behind me, their faces still stiff with tension.
They were still nervous, as expected.
I began walking through the village at a leisurely pace, trying not to worry them.
"A disease had been spreading here until recently, but it doesn't transmit to humans."
Whether it truly couldn't be transmitted was, in fact, still unknown.
Drinking Sawkas tea seemed to cure it, but whether it was Bita or the plague that caused it remained unclear.
For all I knew, I might already be infected, and in a month the Biherrill Kingdom could face a pandemic...
But I would choose the Supards over strangers any day.
"That over there is the food preparation area. At this hour, it's dinner.
Over there are the fields, and that over there is where they're butchering their catch.
It's visible now, but that's what the invisible monsters actually look like.
We weren't attacked along the way, but the Transparent Wolves reveal themselves like that some time after death.
After all, they're invisible wolves. Without the Supard Race, you couldn't hunt them properly."
Since the chiefs would also need time to prepare, I walked them through the village while explaining various things.
The Supards didn't approach us on their own.
Neither did we approach them carelessly — but would watching from a distance give the soldiers a bad impression?
No, what they were seeing was just the scene of any ordinary, peaceful village.
It was fine. No problem.
"...There are followers of the Milis faith here, too."
"And Long Ear Race as well."
I glanced over and saw Cliff talking with Elinalise about something.
Judging by how they were walking while pointing at a stack of papers, they were probably investigating the cause of the disease.
"Ah, he's the one who saved the Supard Race from the plague."
"So the Milis faith accepts the Supard Race?"
"I wouldn't say all of Milis, but certain factions do accept the Demon Race.
At the very least, no army from the Milis Church has been dispatched to the Biherrill Kingdom in response to the Supards' presence."
"..."
"Would you like me to introduce you?"
"No, that's fine."
I raised a hand to Cliff in greeting, and he made the sign of the cross before clasping his hands together.
His comfortable presence in this village would serve as confirmation of the Supards' safety, wouldn't it?
"..."
Looking at Garrison and Sandor, their expressions were still grim.
I needed to play one more card...
"...Oh, look. Here come the children of the Supard Race."
Children carrying balls came running past us, chattering happily.
"Those tails are adorable, aren't they?
Each of those tails is a white spear that every Supard possesses.
Children are lovable in any world, aren't they?
Don't you think?"
I watched the children run by as I said this, but neither soldier turned to look at their retreating figures.
Did they dislike children?
No, that wasn't it.
They were looking in the direction the children had come from.
Standing there was a sinister figure clad in a white coat and wearing a black helmet.
His silhouette in the setting sun was like that of a ghost — no, a demon.
"...!"
I saw Garrison's hand move toward the sword at his waist as he held his breath, and I quickly stepped in front of him.
"Whoa, whoa... That's not one of the Supard Race. Please don't worry."
"...If he's not Supard, then who is he?"
"That is my superior, Urpen, the Dragon God.
I admit he does look a bit ominous like this,
but don't worry — once this whole affair is over, he'll leave the country. He's harmless."
"...I see."
Urpen had been watching them for a few seconds before turning on his heel and walking away.
At the same time, I felt the tension leave both soldiers.
As expected, Urpen's curse worked in a negative direction in situations like this.
Or rather — by seeing Urpen, they could clearly tell that the Supards were just ordinary villagers.
"The Supard Race has many warriors,
but as you can see, half of them are women and children without any combat ability.
Please set aside your preconceptions and look at them with fresh eyes.
Do they look like demons to you?"
I posed this question right after they'd seen Urpen.
It almost came across as, "Compared to Urpen, the Supards look way less demonic, right?"
I'd have to apologize for that later.
"...They don't."
Sandor murmured.
"The Dragon God aside, the village itself looks like any ordinary village."
"Yeah. It reminds me of my hometown."
Sandor's words drew agreement from Garrison.
I wasn't sure if Urpen had been effective,
but their impression didn't seem bad.
Just then, I noticed the young sentry who had run off earlier approaching us.
"The Chief will see you now."
"Very well. Gentlemen, this way, please. I'll introduce you to the chiefs."
It seemed the Chief was ready.
Feeling good about how things were going, I led them to the building where the chiefs awaited.
---
The Chief received us in a slightly larger house.
The hall was still being used as a clinic, so this was presumably a temporary arrangement.
Three people were waiting.
Two of the four from the chief's council, plus Ruijerd.
The remaining two were apparently still recovering.
Norn was beside Ruijerd, and when we entered, she brought out the tea she'd apparently prepared in advance.
My little sister was a thoughtful one.
No, she certainly couldn't have done things like that in the old days.
Was this the product of a formal education?
"So, Lord Rudeus — what would you like us to discuss?"
"The history of the Supard Race up to this point, the current situation, and their wish for the kingdom."
"Very well."
Whether it was the modest welcome or simply the atmosphere, the meeting proceeded relatively calmly.
The past.
The present.
And the future.
They wanted to live in peace, unharmed by anyone.
This simple wish of the Supard Race was conveyed from the Chief's own lips to the soldiers.
Before long, a gentle atmosphere had settled between them.
The peace of the village, the Chief's soft-spoken manner.
Even Ruijerd seemed to be making a conscious effort to let his guard down.
"Understood. I'll relay everything to Her Majesty as it is. Rest assured, I won't let anything go wrong."
In the end, it was Sandor who said this, and the meeting concluded.
The soldiers would stay for the day and be sent back the next morning.
I spent the night in the house borrowed for Shandor and Doga.
For the time being, Doga and I stayed in the same house as well.
Incidentally, Norn had apparently been staying at Ruijerd's place the whole time.
She had grown quite attached to him.
Was she perhaps trying to find traces of Paul in him?
"So? What did you think of the Supard village?"
Before going to sleep, I asked the two of them.
"It was more worthwhile than I expected."
"Yes."
The two soldiers nodded happily at each other.
"I'd heard the Supards were a demonic race, but... seeing them with your own eyes really is different."
"It's just a normal village. And the food was good."
"The Transparent Wolves? Invisible monsters are hard to fully trust..."
"But the forest was unusually quiet. Quieter than the forests near the capital where they regularly hunt."
"So maybe they really do hunt invisible monsters."
Before turning in, the two of them went on and on praising the village.
The Supard Village Tour had been a great success.
---
The next day, the plan was to escort the two back to the capital.
I'd explained that if they stayed two or three days, I could even show them the Transparent Wolves in person,
but they insisted: "No, we need to report to Her Majesty immediately and have the extermination squad disbanded."
And so they departed right away.
It was a whirlwind return trip.
I really wished I could let them use the Teleportation Magic Circle, but I held myself back.
Haste makes waste, as they say.
I didn't want to make a misstep and ruin everything.
With that thought, I told Ruijerd and the others that I would escort them back and left the village.
That should take care of the Supard side of things.
Next up was Geese.
I was also curious about the whereabouts of the North God and the demon.
They might have already left the country and gone somewhere else by now...
If that was the case, I'd be worried about Sylphiette.
There was also a chance they'd gone to wherever the Sword God was.
What had happened with Sylphiette?
I hoped she'd been able to contact the Sword God safely.
I hoped Eris was all right.
I hoped she hadn't caused any trouble.
Roxy was with her, so it should be fine — but Roxy herself had her clumsy moments, so I was a little worried.
Aisha and the others... for some reason, they felt like they'd be okay.
"...You're heading back alone?"
Lost in thought as we walked, Garrison, who was a step ahead of me, turned around and spoke.
"Huh?"
I looked around.
Garrison, Sandor, and me.
"That knight was sound asleep and snoring loudly when we left, you know."
Sandor's words reminded me that Doga wasn't here.
I hadn't even noticed.
For such a big guy, he really didn't have much presence.
And to think he'd overslept...
"W-well... Don't worry. I should be more than capable of serving as an escort on my own."
"..."
"..."
At my words, the two exchanged a glance.
Well, there probably wouldn't be any problems.
Unless we happened to run into Geese and the demon on the way back...
Though honestly, even if that happened, Doga's presence or absence wouldn't make much difference.
Still, I'd been told not to be alone.
Should I have the two wait inside an Earth Fortress while I went back to fetch Doga or someone?
We might even run into Shandor on the way to Irel...
"Oh."
I looked up and realized the path ahead had opened up.
We'd returned to the Earth Dragon's Valley.
Before us stood two bridges.
Perfect.
On the far side of the bridge, there would be fewer Transparent Wolves — it would be relatively safe.
If I could get them that far, I'd have them wait there.
"I'm going first."
Garrison strode ahead as if it were the most natural thing in the world, followed by me and then Sandor.
Maybe I should have walked behind them to make sure they didn't fall.
Thinking that, I kept watch as we crossed.
"..."
Suddenly, Garrison stopped.
"What's wrong?"
Garrison turned around.
His magnificent mustache paired with an expressionless face.
"So — you wanna do it?"
That question was directed not at me, but at Sandor behind me.
I turned around. Sandor shrugged.
"No, please — go ahead."
What?
What were they talking about?
"Um, shall we cross the bridge first before we talk?"
"Hm? Oh..."
Garrison let out what sounded like a sigh, then moved his right hand to his left wrist.
Wondering what he was doing, I saw him hook his fingers under his gauntlet.
And then, slowly, he drew his hand out of the glove.
"Huh, it's surprising how hard these are to notice."
My heart hammered.
On Garrison's finger was a ring.
One I recognized.
"I actually felt a thrill when I saw Cliff Grimoire, the one with the Identification Eye. If I'd been wearing gloves, he probably would have seen through me."
I turned around.
Sandor had removed his gloves too.
On his finger was the same ring.
A ring.
A ring I recognized.
The same ring that was on my finger.
A magical tool passed down in the Asura Kingdom.
One that changed your face.
"Haah... What a tiresome charade. My shoulders are killing me."
Garrison said this as he removed the ring.
Before my eyes, his face transformed.
The mustache vanished, replaced by the face of a middle-aged man in his forties.
A fierce, wolf-like face that suited his rough manner of speaking.
A complete transformation into another person.
"...A message from Geese: 'Magic tools aren't limited to just one.'"
I turned toward the voice.
Sandor's face had changed too.
No longer a horse's face.
A young man with black hair, still bearing a hint of youth.
An entirely different face.
"And yet, how disappointing. I had high hopes when I heard you defeated Auber..."
Words failed me.
My mouth was bone dry.
I could feel tremendous killing intent emanating from both Garrison and Sandor.
"'In tight, treacherous terrain, Senpai can't use his trump card' — that was Geese's words, you know.
And yet you walked right into such a place, between us, no less, of your own volition —"
"Who... are you?"
The words came out like a strangled whisper.
I'd had a feeling, somewhere deep down.
And yet I hadn't.
"I'm Gal Farion of the Sword God Style."
"I'm Karlmann III, the North God — Alexander Ryback."
They spoke simultaneously.
Gal Farion, the Sword God.
Karlmann III, the North God.
The two who had invoked Geese's name.
Enemies.
These two were enemies.
The instant I was certain of this, my hand shot toward my waist.
I pressed the summoning scroll button for Magic Armor "Type One."
My arm didn't move.
Before my eyes, my right arm fell away from the base with a dull thud.
It hit the bridge and then tumbled into the valley below.
I looked up. Garrison — no, Gal Farion had drawn his sword in a flash.
He'd cut it off, I realized, but by then it was too late.
"AAAGH!"
The pain hit a moment later, and I clutched the wound with my left hand.
No.
My left hand wouldn't move.
No — it wasn't that it wouldn't move.
It wasn't there.
In the corner of my vision, I watched my left hand also fall into the valley below.
"Oh? So that's what you really look like. Not bad at all. Hmm, better than that last face."
With both arms gone, had the ring's effect been broken?
Gal was looking at my face and laughing.
"'Since Senpai's magic comes from his hands, if you sever them at the root, you might be able to stop the magic' — that was my idea."
Sandor added helpfully.
Blood was gushing from both stumps.
Magic wouldn't come.
I couldn't cast magic.
It was as if the channels for releasing magic had been located somewhere around my upper arms.
"But there was no need to go this far, was there? You could have won without it."
"No way. I wasn't about to find out what would happen head-on. Geese was that cautious about him."
"I wouldn't be so sure. With North Emperor Doga on the front line, maybe — but otherwise, I didn't feel like I'd lose."
No magic from my arms.
Realizing this, I instinctively poured mana into the Magic Armor.
"Oh?"
I boosted the leg output and spun around.
I charged toward Sandor.
I wasn't aiming to attack.
My target was the gap — slip through, and head to the Supard village —
"— Not so fast."
An impact struck my back.
I knew immediately that a slash had been unleashed.
A blow that cut through Magic Armor "Type Two Modified" like butter — a blade of light.
I'd been cut clean in half at the torso... or so I thought, but then the impact should have been on my front, not my back.
As this thought crossed my mind, a sensation of weightlessness overtook me.
I was falling.
My vision spinning, I could see Gal and Alexander peering down from the ruined bridge above.
Oh — in my desperate charge using the Type Two Modified's full power, I'd stomped right through the bridge.
That thought flickered through my mind.
I was falling.
Both arms gone, unable to do anything, I was falling.
All I felt was helplessness.
And what surged up was terror.
I'm going to die.
The moment that word seized my mind, a tremendous impact struck my body, and consciousness faded to black.
---
"Aaand... he fell."
Gal Farion sighed as he peered down into the valley where Rudeus had fallen.
Alexander also looked down, furrowing his brow with puzzlement.
"Gal, did you hold back at the end? It didn't look like you cut through."
"Don't be stupid... Look at this."
The sword Gal held up was snapped clean at the base.
Anyone with eyes could see it was a mass-produced blade — the standard issue distributed to regular soldiers of the Biherrill Kingdom.
Not terrible, but not something anyone with even a little swordsmanship experience would bother with.
"That armor of his was tougher than I expected..."
Of course, Gal Farion was the greatest swordsman alive.
As the saying goes — a master's brush doesn't choose its paper. You didn't need a legendary sword to cut a man in the flesh.
He'd thought this blade would suffice, but Rudeus's armor exceeded all expectations in hardness.
Especially when he'd struck the back — he'd felt an unprecedented resistance.
"If only I'd brought my personal sword..."
Gal said this as he tossed the broken blade into the valley below.
"Can't be helped. If we'd brought our personal swords, our identities would've been exposed."
Alexander shrugged as he looked down at it as well.
At his waist was also a standard-issue Biherrill Kingdom military sword.
Certainly not something worthy of a North God.
"So what now? Go down to the bottom and finish him off?"
"Hmm. If his inability to use magic after losing both arms wasn't an act, he should be fine."
"There's a pack of earth dragons down there, too."
"And he himself said that one or two would be manageable, but a whole pack would be impossible."
Remembering Rudeus's words, Alexander reached this conclusion.
Of course, part of it was simply the inconvenience of going all the way down to check.
After all, their objective wasn't to defeat Rudeus.
"Well then, let's call it removing the biggest obstacle... and head back?"
"The fight with Urpen. I'm looking forward to it. Oh — since Rudeus was generous, you should be generous with Urpen too, right?"
The two finished crossing the collapsed bridge and headed back.
Chatting idly as if nothing had happened, they retraced their path toward the capital of the Biherrill Kingdom.
"Hah? You just want to climb the rankings among the Great Powers, so it doesn't matter if I go first."
"That's not it at all. I don't want to rank higher among the Great Powers — I want to become a hero. A hero who surpasses my father. A North God Karlmann who surpasses my father."
"Tch."
There was no one to follow them.
Even among the Supard Race with their Third Eyes, no one had been watching.
After the plague incident, they had stayed close to the village for some time, carrying out hunts nearby.
Even if someone had been there, these two wouldn't have launched their ambush on the bridge.
"No cutting in line, alright? We follow the plan exactly as agreed. That was the condition."
"Tch... So tedious."
With those parting words, Gal Farion and Alexander Ryback vanished into the forest.
Silence settled over the valley.
Only the ruined bridge remained.
Quietly, it remained.