6-27. Battle of Muno City (5)
Satou's here. Fake and Real, there's this TV program about recognizing the real one, but in a parallel world, since there are skills and magic, it's difficult for the impostor and the identifier.
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"Gjallarhorn he said? Don't tell me, it's the real thing?"
Arisa is astonished.
Is that twisting holy sword famous. I'll ask what kind of anecdote it has next time.
The fake hero's sword is also named Gjallarhorn when I see it with AR, however the type is not of holy sword, but magic sword. The explanation is the same as the one I have even though it's just a magic tool. Needless to say, it's a counterfeit. It's only as strong as a normal iron sword, and the appearance is also just a normal straight sword.
"Hero, you dare to strike me with the fake sword I've given to you! Foolish."
"Shut up, demon! Where did you put the real consul!"
I see, so they interpret it like that.
I'd like to stop doing this farce and deal with it as soon as possible, since there's a high possibility that the split body (splitter) is connected with the real body. If I eliminate it with overwhelming force, the real body could be cautious and conceal itself somewhere. It'd be annoying if that happens.
Looks like Pochi is impatient with the fake hero's fighting, she's pulling the hem of my robe.
"Can Pochi fight too?"
Even though the opponent is a demon, it's just level 1. From the look of thing, it's stronger than a normal level 1, but Pochi should be able to neutralize it while unhurt.
"Alright. Be careful since the enemy can use magic."
The demon screams even though it shouldn't have heard my word. However, the effect of the magic doesn't materialize.
"Tou! Nano desu."
Pochi who shouts out her fighting spirit slash through the split body with her dagger. She aimed at the shoulder like she's always doing with thieves.
And then, right after the split body (splitter) HP becomes zero, it turns into black dust and disappears.
Pochi sure is strong.
Or rather, the splitter's HP is even less than thieves' so it's over in one hit.
"Amazing desuwa. Pochi-chan."
"To think she's this strong even though she's so cute! The beastkin who has saved Toruma is Pochi-dono right!"
The baron family are praising Pochi.
However, Pochi's ears are fallen. She's coming toward me with heavy step as if she's a remnant of a defeated army. And then, she looks at me with upturned eyes. Little tears are coming out of the corner of her eyes.
"I'm sorry, nano desu. I've killed the dark person."
Wasn't it similar with the gargoyle we had defeated back then?
Perhaps, she might have thought that she's also not allowed to kill strange-looking things.
Though I guess it's also ambiguous for me. I don't want to kill people or demi-humans, but I'm fine with obliterating demons. I guess it's because how they look after all?
I should have dealt with it using Remote Arrow than having Pochi shows such face.
"It's alright, Pochi. Thank you for protecting everyone."
I hug Pochi close and comfort her.
After this disturbance is over, I'll make her eat extraordinarily delicious steak until she gives up eating it, "I can't eat anymore nodesu~."
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"Right, we have to save the real consul!"
"That's right desuwa, I wonder where is the consul being held."
Even though it transformed in front of their eyes, the interpretation still became like this. How should I persuade them.
I whispered to Arisa to give her permission. Many records of mind magic that have been successfully used are appearing on the log. It's the same magic used by the demon for making people believe easily. They say to fight fire with fire.
"The demon earlier is the real consul you know."
"What stupid things are you saying?"
"There's no way it's true."
"That's right desuwa."
No one believes the facts spoken by Arisa. Did they resist it?
I should follow up.
"Everyone has been manipulated by the demon's magic. As a proof, no one remembers even the name of the consul right?"
"That is so, but."
"But, if consul-sama isn't here."
"To think that consul-sama was really a demon. Even though he was the first person who recognized me as a hero..."
Oh? They're accepting my opinion now even though they readily denied Arisa's words? Even though the contents of what I said weren't much different. I wonder if this is the effect of negotiation or persuasion skills?
"Then, do you remember since when was the consul appointed?"
"I don't remember. Was it 10 years ago? No, there was gramp at that time. When did gramp disappear?"
"He was there when Karina came into age."
"Rondol-sama wasn't the only butler. Since when I wonder, the people who were attending here have mostly gone."
Butler-san is also going along with the baron's confusion. Looks like their manipulated memory has been slightly ripped apart from the information and it's starting to come back to them.
I find an underling of the duke in the gaol, and confirm the name to the baron.
"Baron-sama, are you familiar with a honor-viscount called Nina Rottol?"
"Umu, I do. She's a consul candidate which was sent to our territory along with the letter from the lord duke 5 years ago."
He answered smoothly. And then, baron's expression harden after he finished answering.
"Why was it candidate. Our territory already had a consul. But, viscount Nina died of accidental death and I asked the consul from previous generation to take her place..."
"Perhaps, the demon utilized the time when Nina-sama was going to be inaugurated as the consul and used mind magic for manipulation."
However, no one questions why do I have those informations. Unexpectedly, they might be thinking that I'm a subordinate of the duke. Maybe it's the effect of deception skill.
"To tell you the truth, I've got information from the intelligence shop inside the city back then, it's said that Nina-sama and priest-sama have been thrown into the dungeon by the demon."
"How terrible! Viscount Nina! We have to save her immediately."
Baron-sama instructs butler-san to save them each.
Now then, the domestic affairs of this territory should manage somehow with this. I pray that the person called Nina-san is an able person.
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Then next, I have to deal with the flood of people who rush out to the gate now. The best way to do it is by asking Arisa with her mind magic, but there should be agitators planted by the demon inside the people. It doesn't seem like they have some strange assassination skills, but I'm afraid that they would cause panic to the crowd and make them stampede her to death.
It won't be a problem if I go with her, but it's certain that the demon would quickly try to go back here from the forest after the split body died. I don't want to leave this place for the sake of thoroughly deal with it. I could aim it from anywhere with Remote Arrow, but if by any chance it could defense against it, it'd be hard to shoot again, so I don't want to leave this place for the sake of ensuring the next attack.
Of course, I have no plan of sending only Arisa and/or Pochi to the crowd alone. I'm sorry for the citizens, but I put the safety of Arisa and Pochi more than the citizen's.
Let's ask the fake hero to take the full brunt here.
It's originally his role anyway, let's make the people from baron's side to work hard for this part.
"Hauto-dono, if you want yourself to be called hero from now on, I'll have you show the proof. Give courage to the people who have been chased by the undead and gathered in front of the castle's gate."
"I understand. I have no intention of being used by the demon to the end. I will become a hero with my own power. I'll become a man befitting of this Gjallarhorn."
The fake hero replied my high-handed words with passionate speech.
"It's wonderful, my hero-sama."
"Ah, my love. You're still calling me hero."
"Yes, ever since you save me from the mob, you've always been my hero desuwa."
"Then, let's go together! To calm the citizens!"
And then, the two leave the room together, is that fine? To take the ojou-sama before the wild citizens.
"Satou-dono, the citizens in front of the castle gate is being taken care of, but what should we do about the monsters outside the wall."
You're asking that to an outsider, baron.
"Cousin-dono, there's no way we could win against such army. Let's get away with the high-speed carriage that the consul earlier, no, was it demon, has said."
"I can't do that Toruma, even though I'm called useless, I'm still the lord of this territory. There's no way I would escape and throw away the citizens."
Even Hayuna-san doesn't know what to do, she's holding Mayuna-san while looking very anxious.
What Ossan has said is normal view, but that carriage has been used by the hero's companions to escape. It looks like there's a hidden passage for escaping. There are a lot of zombies at the exit of that passage, but I let them to do something about it themselves.
"Shouldn't there be weapons or magic tools for defense in a castle this big?"
"They existed during the time of Marquis, but they were destroyed during the incident 20 years ago. When the territory became of Baron, there were many plans for revitalizing, but they were postponed because we're not fighting against other country."
"Then do you have tactical scrolls?"
"We had been given them from Toruma's house, but by the suggestion of the consul, they were sold to buy food that were to be distributed to the citizens."
Darn you demon, so thoroughly prepared.
Still there's a person who would buy tactical scrolls which should be for war. I wonder if it was other noble?
"Then, please signal the army that have came out for thieves subjugation to come back somehow. Let's keep the citizens inside the castle until the army come back."
The army has been annihilated, but the baron doesn't know such thing and I don't intend to tell him. For the time being, the citizens should become less anxious if they're withdrawn inside the castle.
The baron tells the maid about the matter to signal the army to come back.
"I understand, the inside of the castle fortress is the safest. Let's evacuate the citizens there. The hero should have calmed down the citizens before the castle gate. I will go there and tell the people that I'm accepting them to the castle. People should feel relieved to see a coward like me remain right?"
"Alright then cousin-dono. I'll go with my family and the servants to the fortress first and make preparations there."
"Thank you, Toruma. Please persuade people who have been freed from the gaol to remain in the fortress."
"I understand. Satou-dono, you lot are coming too."
Baron and co leave the room while saying so. I tell Ossan who's late that we will remain here.
The maids bring manservants to carry the fainted knight Eral away on their shoulders.
"Then, what would you do? It'd be impossible even with your magic since the opponents are too many right? I'm not able to use ranged light magic, so putting aside an opponent that's simply strong, I don't have enough power to fight against so many enemies you know?"
"It's fine, reinforcements are coming."
I tell Arisa who has wondering face that the giants from the forest depth are coming here.
"Something like giants, where are they appearing from."
"They have a village deep inside the forest."
"That's not it, aren't they the demon's forces?"
"They're probably different, it seems that the second daughter that knight Eral was looking for, requested for the reinforcement. She's together with them."
I point at the forest while saying so. If you see it closely, the trees are shaking.
Looks like the zombies have reached the main gate, and the crowds are rushing from the main gate to the castle gate. Fortunately the zombies are slow, so there's no citizen who get caught up and killed. Please pardon me real zombie movie. I'm weak against gross thing.
I stealthily deal with fast zombies of beast or birds mixed in the zombies flock with remote arrows.
Since the forest trees are shaking awfully, I check on the giants' conditions which have became [Confusion]. Please no fighting against each other happening to even the giants.
However, there's a more pressing matter than that.
"Arisa, something bad has happened."
"What is it now, did the demon lord attack too?"
That one might be emotionally better for me.
"Liza and the others are closing in the zombies on the main gate."