Ghosts of the Past (6)
Heroes scattered throughout the continent launched their assault.
It was enough to plunge the continent into chaos, but the heroes didn't perform as overwhelmingly as expected.
While some of them possessed overwhelming skills, not all of them captured castles or became fierce enough to cause disasters.
In some cases, more manageable defensive battles unfolded than expected, giving rise to hope.
Unpleasantly, the former greats found themselves being reevaluated in these circumstances.
At Grancia Castle, they confronted the seated hero on the throne about the matter.
"We cannot endure this any longer! Did we make a contract with you to receive such treatment?"
The masked hero looked down at them and spoke.
Calm amidst the tense atmosphere.
"I have never broken the contract from the beginning to the end. Didn't you all agree when I asked you to fight once more for the continent?"
At the end of death, tears and regrets always accompany.
When they awoke with such memories, the joy of being alive was usually at the forefront.
Having regained their physical prime, they didn't refuse to save the continent.
A contract not thought out rationally inevitably leads to conflict.
"Do you know what people call us? Demons! They say demons have taken over the bodies of heroes!"
"If you were once a hero, you should know how to respect us!"
The heroes of the past appeared as demons.
That's what people believed.
Even without red eyes like demons, all their actions were no different from those of demons, and it was the most fitting nickname for them to antagonize the former heroes.
Of course, many of them were reluctant to follow orders that involved meddling with civilians.
However, the situation was such that the honor of the majority was tainted by the shameless acts of a minority.
The hero listened to their opinions and asked in a bland tone.
"So, what do you want? Do you want your false achievements to remain intact?"
"What nonsense are you talking about! We just want..."
"You had the nickname of Dragon Slayer. But in reality, you killed just one drake and boasted about it. You enjoyed being praised by the villagers without explaining yourself."
The man's eyes widened.
He seemed to wonder how the hero knew, and after looking around, he coughed awkwardly.
But it didn't end there.
The hero stared at the archer standing next to him and spoke.
"You had the nickname One-Shot Killer because you claimed to have pierced the hearts of five gargoyles with a single arrow, right? You were skilled with a bow, but you didn't have the accurate eyes to shoot five simultaneously. It was just a coincidence. There were so many flying gargoyles around."
The second person singled out closed his mouth as well.
It was the truth.
Everyone avoided the hero's eyes, fearing that their hearts would be pierced by his knowledge of their shortcomings.
They were heroes who had gained their fame through similar paths as the Dragon Slayer and One-Shot Killer.
"I know you're all just mediocre. That's what scares you. That the names written in the pages of history will be erased."
Some couldn't stand to see their past glory tarnished and wanted to give up halfway.
"You have no choice. Once it's known, you have to follow my orders no matter what you do."
"Ridiculous. I'd rather die."
"Fine. If you want to die, I'll return you to your original state. You're not helpful anyway."
There wasn't much substantial power to speak of.
While they couldn't even capture a single castle, there was a specter who had captured three.
The dark magician with the nickname Immortal Ruler.
The paladin who was called the Holy Monster.
The martial artist known as the God-Eyed Emperor.
And not to mention the nine half-dragons who once shook the continent, although they were not currently moving.
Compared to that force, they were nothing but a drop in the bucket.
But it didn't stop there.
"Are you okay with that?"
"What do you mean?"
"The entire continent has already seen your true colors."
"True colors?"
"The weak image of you guys who can't even capture a single castle will be imprinted in the eyes and ears of the people. Do you still believe that your achievements will remain intact?"
"We don't want to be like that..."
"That's just your excuse. Are you trying to justify your failure by admitting your own weakness?"
They couldn't argue.
When they saw the fate the continent would face and were given the mission, they all agreed.
But when they actually confronted what they were doing, fear came first.
The guilt of having to hurt innocent people.
Even greater was the defiling of their own achievements.
"If you value honor and work for the continent, become cruel. Make people believe that demons have entered your bodies and are controlling you. Then you can avoid having your accomplishments denied. If your conscience doesn't allow it, I'll return you to your original state."
It was a polite threat.
Those who had lived with pure honor and integrity still refused to live as villains.
Those who remained decided to become demons, as the hero said.
They continued to carry out ruthless surprise attacks and dishonorable actions that differed from the rumors.
At first, they were plagued by guilt and remorse, but their humanity soon disappeared.
The first time is difficult, but the second time is easier.
They were all experts.
They began the slaughter mercilessly, befitting the demons of the Demon King's Castle.
Some followed their own pleasures and each diligently played their roles.
The hero watched it all.
He saw the chaos and devastation of the continent.
He watched as the continent he loved fell apart.
He wasn't in a good mood, but he didn't turn away.
He had vowed that since the moment he decided to destroy it.
He watched the continent clearly with his own eyes.
***
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***
There was a man who was called an Ogre Slayer, having defeated a giant ogre with a single greatsword.
He had built his reputation while serving as a knight in a now-vanished kingdom, but he had retired after injuring his ankle against a mountain giant.
He loved fighting strong opponents more than his own fame.
Money and honor were merely byproducts.
Fighting led to accidental fame, accidental encounters with women, and he had never felt any sense of responsibility for it.
Living a demonic life was easy for him.
Though there might have been a little guilt at first, it gradually became easier as he became accustomed to it.
He killed 20 soldiers yesterday.
It was very easy.
He swung his sword to break their formation and killed them one by one.
If he only instilled fear through overwhelming power, they would shrink back, and their trained tactics and strategies would fall apart, leading to defeat.
The man casually slung the greatsword over his shoulder, contemplating advancing towards the lord's castle again.
That's when he noticed it.
"Huh?"
A flag fluttered in the distance, heading towards him.
It had the same mark as the armor worn by the soldiers he had killed earlier.
"A revenge match, huh?"
He muttered and counted the approaching soldiers.
Initially, there were 40, and he had wiped out half of them.
They had managed to reinforce about 10 more, now totaling 30.
It was strange that fewer soldiers were coming than the 60 he had expected.
'Maybe they deployed archers or something?'
With a cautious mind, he expanded his senses and scanned the surroundings.
It didn't seem like archers were secretly deployed.
The army continued to move.
He quickly devised a plan in his head and drew his sword.
'Disrupt the dense formation, then defeat them one by one.'
The man assumed that the knight leading the charge would shout about seeking revenge.
But contrary to his expectations, the knight raised his right hand and kept his distance from the man.
"Ready!"
At his command, the soldiers in the last row stepped forward.
They picked up the poles they had been carrying on their sides.
"...What on earth is that?"
The man expressed his doubts.
Wasn't it a hollow iron bar that they were holding with one hand, aimed at him?
"Fire!"
The knight lowered his hand and simultaneously pulled the trigger with his index finger.
At the same time, a blue light began to gather inside.
There was no more room for doubt when he saw what was being fired.
It was the spell "Mana Bolt", used by low-level Mages.
The man quickly raised his greatsword to protect himself.
Though the blade was wide, it was insufficient to block all the "Mana Bolts".
The power of the magic itself wasn't great, but he couldn't help but groan in pain when hit by the energy bolts fired simultaneously by 10 people.
The man glared at the soldiers with an incredulous expression.
It was very strange.
It couldn't be possible.
They didn't have the aura of people who could handle mana.
They were low-ranking soldiers who had simply been doing guard duty.
'Guards using magic?'
It was odd.
It was extremely odd.
The man stopped thinking.
The guards in the front line were touching their staves and adjusting something.
Retreating was the priority at the moment.
The experienced swordsman who always prepared thoroughly fled.
Although they didn't get their revenge, the sight of the swordsman running away without looking back boosted the soldiers' morale.
***
Before the incident broke out, Reed shared ideas about military supplies with Morgan II of the Hupper domain.
Morgan II provided the supplies in a cooperative relationship, and Reed implemented the ideas based on those supplies.
The biggest concern for the soldiers was not the knights charging at them in heavy armor.
It was the Mages.
Mages who could fire magic from unknown places and cause at least a few people to be blown away were the object of fear for the infantry.
They needed artifacts for anti-Mage warfare or for armies without Mages.
Anti-magic shields that could block piercing magic that normal shields couldn't.
Aura swords that could be attached to spears or swords, granting magical properties for a certain period of time.
Bolt guns, magic launchers created using mana circuits and magic circles.
Although they were items despised by Mages as they replaced and opposed them, there was no problem in the current situation.
The voices of Mages were insignificant compared to the military and the king, like the chirping of sparrows.
The results were successful.
They initially sold a few units at a low price to places lacking in magical power, and every place that received them praised the items.
In the midst of the chaos, the word without any basis had already spread throughout the region.
-They made a new item in the Silence Tower.
-Is it an item that allows you to use magic even if you can't use it?
-An item that can counter Mages when they attack?
Mages are high-level personnel.
It would have been a welcome development to have more magical power with just a few items when they were already lacking in defense.
In the current situation, where the castle was at risk of being captured, it was an urgent matter to check the authenticity of the rumors.
Those who had always maintained their positions by observing now flocked in without hesitation.
Reed insisted that he couldn't provide gifts or drastic promises right now.
"It's impossible at the moment. There are people watching our tower, and if we act this way, our tower could be in danger."
Items were not automatically created and had to go through human hands somehow.
If they met all their demands, their defensive power would weaken, and Reed expressed concern about such a situation.
Hearing that, the military and the king gave up on their gift offensive.
Instead, they attempted to approach Reed with a strategy to ensure the safety of the Silence Tower by setting up outposts around it.
As a result, outposts were set up in each region, regardless of east, west, south, or north, and guards were on alert.
Looking down from the tower view, the surveillance soldiers dispatched from each region were lined up in a perfect circle at a distance of 1 kilometer.
Without a doubt, the Silence Tower had become one of the most secure areas in any region.
