by Kasugamaru
His spirit is so bright I can hardly look at him. My cheeks are warm, yet he doesn’t stop there:
“Moreover, we are Willow men—descendants of a famous military family; we have to be stronger than all others. Plus, you have your position as commander of our army, Agias. You have to be stronger than anyone... a hero of humanity.”
Marius nods as well. Is this the conclusion you two have come to? A hero... A hero of humanity. You wish me, one who only knows how to fight, to sit at the head of humanity despite all of my flaws and imperfections?
“Lady Kuroi is strong. She exists in a realm no one can reach.” Marius flashes a smile, like a faint and beautiful flower, just as our mother used to. “However, strength isn’t her true nature, in my opinion. None of us wants to be like her. We pray to her. Through her, we hope to speak to God, asking for His blessing, in order to grant this world a miracle.” He puts a hand to his chest, as if praying. “Lady Kuroi is hope in human form... the first and last miracle gifted to humanity. Of that, I’m sure.”
Ah, now I see exactly what they’re getting at. They want me to become the core around which humanity’s fighting spirit gathers... The first person to fight with hope in their heart. To be the one to raise the “banner” of Lady Kuroi.
“Lady Kuroi seems to be doing well, I might add. I saw her down five bowls of soup not too long ago,” casually comments Marius.
“Fool! Why didn’t you tell me that earlier?!” I scold him.
“Why? She seemed fine, even while asleep.”
“She said some funny things in her sleep, like ‘pizza’ and ‘DDR,’” I counter.
“But...”
“Agias, you get pretty creepy when it comes to Lady Kuroi’s health,” says Origis.
“Huh?”
“Like you’re caring for a daughter or something... You’ve become a doting grandfather.”
“Aha ha, totally!”
“What?!”
I don’t understand. They extol me as humanity’s hero one minute, then call me a grandfather the next.
That indescribable chill in my chest is gone, now replaced by hardened resolve. I can feel how hot my spirit burns.
I turn my gaze to the south, taking in the fields that were a battlefield not too long ago. We march... for the palace. With hope’s army at my back, I shall lead.
61 The Sorcerer Dines and Makes Up His Mind, Eyes Focused on the Aftermath of the Great War
No power is limitless. No power is without cost.
God’s assistance requires support, and not just in the form of prayers...
-Sorcerer Odysson I-
This may very well be my last meal. It’s not some lavish banquet, but the assortment of wine, meat, and soup set up in the meeting room is impressive considering we’re on the eve of battle.
“Hark, all those who gather in the lone fortress under the wavering banner of flame!”
Damn black-hearted priest. His meaty cheeks are twisted in a grin.
“Tomorrow, we march! Some of you might not make it back! Perhaps none of us will! But I see no sorrowful shadows upon the faces surrounding this table tonight! No traces of fear at all! We are the executors of heaven’s will for revolution! Despair is our true enemy!”
His eyes are burning; his fists are balled so tightly that they’re shaking. What’s gotten into him? This is weird, even for him. He’s like a child having a tantrum.
“Dissenters! They call us dissenters! How dare they? Yesterday, our protective mountain range was breached, our heroic soldiers killed, and our innocent citizens slaughtered and eaten! On this eve of destruction, humanity’s future is uncertain! Filth! Filth! Such sentiment, deserving of scorn, has finally become a poisonous curse!”
Damn it, son Peine, don’t offer me food right now. Your best friend is screaming at the top of his lungs. Ooh, are those thinly sliced fried potatoes? I’ll have some of that.
A-Ahem. Right. Eat, rest, fight. There’s no longer any need for reason; no time to hesitate. In order to survive, we must win.
“Upon examination of the letter’s imperial seal, I discovered it has only the mark of the king’s younger sister, Inkja! It’s true! For you see, the king and the prince are missing!” declares the priest.
I suppose the king would have a sister or two. His family is huge, after all. Not that I care. All these hoity-toity letters make our rebellion seem more official.
“The king’s sister is inhuman,” says Ange. Whoa, lady. What a thing to call someone. The disgust in her eyes is palpable. “Even among those rotten nobles, she’s something else. You’ve heard the rumors, haven’t you? That they mass-sacrificed virgins to the Demon God. They even stole children from various towns in order to satisfy their crazed cult... like my daughter.”
Whoa, whoa! What the hell? Even son Peine’s stopped eating. Although not everyone has. Impressive. Well, one of them’s a rabbit; the black and white one. It’s sitting on Sira’s lap and munching on veggies, its horn adorned in a leather decoration like the sheath for a sword. The other one... Yeah, I’ll pretend I didn’t see that; she’s special. Trying to stop her would bring about divine punishment, I’d bet. Her slurping is so loud, though.
Sira seems concerned; she reaches out a hand to the Crimson lady. She’s a nice girl.
“I think we’ve all heard similar stories. The king’s sister I know is a beast and a drug addict.”
Wow, Father. Did something finally snap? Talking badly about the royal family makes us seem a lot like a rebellion group, but that’s not it. The ‘revolution’ you’re talking about isn’t some petty human-on-human squabble. What you’re planning is an inferno that will engulf the continent, it’s species... and even the gods.
“Lady Ange, I have no words to describe the atrocities that my family has committed. If it is a blood grudge you carry, then I invite you to kill me when everything is over,” confesses the priest.
Wait... Whoa, whoa, whoa! Does that mean he’s...?
“Who the hell are you?” Ange asks.
“I am this country’s seventh prince. My official name is Felipo Valkie Millennium. My father is the king, the crown prince my brother, and the king’s sister my aunt.”
He’s a damn prince?! Did son Peine know this? Judging from the way he continues to eat, he must have. The knight and his brothers are surprised; you can really see the family resemblance in their similar expressions. I wonder if the king also has a black heart he wears on his sleeve. It’s not the time for it, but I can’t help smiling a bit. Oh, someone smiled before me... the Crimson lady. She’s holding Sira’s hand.
“You’re a prince? Don’t make me laugh, you muddy, sweaty pig.” Stop it, son Peine! This isn’t the time to be laughing your ass off... probably. “Don’t get the wrong idea. You’re a priest—one who’s gotten down in the dirt of the Frontier, bloodied his hands in battle against monsters, and yet still talks of grand aspirations like ‘revolution.’ We might get a little emotional about our families, you and I, but we’re kindred.”
Ah, I see. The fall of the palace, the nation’s fate, the king’s sister’s rise to power... They all seem fictitious to me, but for the black-hearted priest, they’re very real. I can’t let my emotions show; this isn’t someone else’s problem anymore.
“And? What do you plan to do, Felipo?” son Peine pipes up. Of course, only after all the fried potatoes are gone. The bastard. “Surely you don’t intend to blather on about succession, do you? Your right to the throne does exist, but it is still extremely small; no one cares about that. Now, tell us the rest. What have you analyzed, and how do you propose we proceed?”
He sure seems like he’s having fun. His fingers and lips are shining with oil, but he almost seems like he’s wielding a sword or a spear; it’s like he’s begging for the order to charge. Right, he was always the one who craved battle the most out of all of us. Funny, considering he’s such a schemer.
“Frankly speaking, my aunt is the vampire’s puppet,” the priest acknowledg
es. Figures. Like, what else could be going on? “The letter was likely produced by a key member of the Starlight Band and a vampire vassal as a means to provoke and lure us in. Perhaps they wish to limit our battlefields now that we no longer have to worry about the fort falling.”
“Seems plausible, but there’s not much point to that. Wouldn’t we logically go to the palace upon hearing it’s been taken?”
“Then maybe it’s a demonstration?” the youngest Willow presents his take. He’s got a cute face, but he’s crazy, too. “A way to dampen our morale, or obstruct the populace’s faith in us. Perhaps they wish to draw us into the fort.”
“Well, our soldiers’ morale aside, the citizens are certainly worried. If we were to deal with all of them, it would severely hamper our marching speed,” argues son Peine.
“Oh-hoh! I assume your suggestions stem from your experiences in the Hell Expanse?”
Uh, what’s he talking about? I can’t keep up.
“That’s so... human.” Human? Who is? The yellow-eyes? “Think about their actions since the declaration of war: testing the waters in the west, the extended battle in the Hell Expanse, the massive trap they laid by executing a pincer strike on the Frontier, the extreme offensive they led on the palace... they were all highly polished operations.”
And not at all like the vampires, son Peine concludes, and pops a boiled bean into his mouth. Then, he continues:
“If Lady Kuroi was their only objective, then a threat, not a letter demanding answers, would be a better option. They could torture the citizens of the palace to summon her out. Or, even better for them, destroy the palace like they did the mountain and assault the fort with brute force. That would be much more vampire-like.”
He has a point. The yellow-eyes are monsters that delight in violence. Even Golden’s assault was sloppy and without strategy—forced and purely for fun.
“I see. So you’re saying that their use of the royal family’s authority is itself unnatural?” asks Marius.
“Unless I’m missing something and the king’s sister is some great figure to them, then yes.”
“Therefore, it is unnatural. This letter... Considering the timing and method employed... Yes, yes. Cunning and malice alone wouldn’t explain this.”
“Maybe they’re just having fun pitting us humans against each other?” Ange suggests.
“If that were the case, they would not grant us a chance to explain or withdraw.” The youngest brother sure has a disturbingly cold smile; even Origis is taken aback. “They’d send the royal knights without a second thought; my family’s army, too. A Willow-on-Willow battle would be the most likely outcome.”
“Marius, what are you saying?” Origis questions, surprised.
“Haven’t you considered the possibility, Origis? We haven’t heard a peep about their movements, yet Father and Nazarus aren’t the types to just sit idly by in this sort of situation.”
Family issues, huh? I guess famous families have their own share of problems. Agias’s arms are crossed, and he hasn’t budged, though.
“Whoa, now, Marius! That’s important information. Isn’t it, Felipo?”
“Yes, it is. The full scope of the vampires’ half-baked plans is coming into view.”
“And what do you surmise from this unrefined strategy?”
“That some sort of problem must have occurred.”
The black-hearted priest attacks some smoked fish with renewed appetite. As for son Peine, he changes his target to the omelet. They both look delicious.
“If they were trying to use human authority to their advantage, then they wouldn’t miss the fact that most of our main force is made up of Willow soldiers. But if they can’t discern that, then what does that mean? Son Peine?”
“That the army of House Willow is on the move, away from the palace.”
“And speaking of authority, religion would be the greatest form of this. Don’t you find it strange that they don’t make any reference to the existence of our God?”
“Felipo, I’d say that the fact that the Church was burned to the ground is the stranger bit. Fire is the human element. If they wished to extol their own god, then surely there was a better way to destroy it. Perhaps one that involved lightning or earth.”
“Truly, truly. And this doesn’t even touch on the fact that the cunning Archbishop would never just roll over and die.”
“I suppose some people truly don’t die when they are killed. They have a... lust for life.”
“Do you speak of yourself now, Undead son Peine?”
Uh, what? Why are they so chipper? Even I am reaching for some meat now. Oh, that’s some good stuff. Some wine would go well with this.
“So the vampires’ plan is to make themselves appear greater than they are, then?” Agias, our army’s commander, asks for clarification. The black-hearted priest, son Peine, and Marius all nod. Ange follows, and I bring up the rear. Origis agrees with his eyes. Sira is petting her rabbit... and the raven-haired girl is too focused on feasting to have heard anything, I bet.
“Excuse me. I have an urgent message.”
Oh, Captain Zakkow! So he was on guard duty, huh?
“The vampires at the palace have split their forces. A thousand are headed northeast.”
There are currently five thousand vampires in the capital, and they just sent out a thousand? That’s a large force. What’s in the northeast, anyway?
“House Willow’s estate lies to the northeast of the palace,” adds Agias. Wait, what? “Our family must have inspired this march. It is also the ultimate proof that this letter was a bluff. In other words, a crack has appeared in their state of affairs. Swiftness is of utmost importance now. Tomorrow morning, our entire army shall march on the capital.”
“Wait, wait, wait!” I stopped them. Er, put a pin in it, anyway. “What about reinforcements? Aren’t you going to send some? That’s a thousand vampires, you know? Sure, we can use fire magic, but God’s blessing has yet to propagate south of the fort.”
“If they required reinforcements, they would say so. From our location, the road to the Willow Estate is also a treacherous one. If we send troops that way, it will be difficult for them to meet up with us at the palace.”
“But that doesn’t mean...”
“House Willow has a duty to execute and dignity to maintain. I also...”
His blazing eyes land on Kuroi. She’s holding a bowl of soup. Man, she just doesn’t stop eating. How many bowls is that? I heard she made a crazy dash from the Hell Expanse, and that once the battle was over she collapsed. I guess this is for the best, then. Eat while you can, you know? But, like... at least look at us a bit. And drink some water!
“...would like to bring the Apostle to the palace,” Agias continues. “The purpose of this move is to instill some hope into humanity.”
God damn natural-born military men. So manly, always ready to go into battle. Such majestic guts... unlike me.
“We must go straight down the path of righteousness, so that any and all may follow after us,” he declares.
He’s marching for something big... perhaps even marching to his death. I can see it on his face, the bastard. But I won’t let that happen. I doubt everyone here will survive; war is not that kind. However... there are some of us who absolutely must survive. And I will do all I can to make sure they do, so that we can taste true victory. I won’t let them die.
62 DDR Nutrition and Reality
I feel a connection with God—a strong, deep connection.
May our prayers reach Him. May the Devil God descend upon this war-torn world.
-DDR Stream/VOD Part 10-
Rice crackers, bread, ham, apples, peanuts, fish cake, chocolate, beef jerky... plus some vegetable juice and canned coffee. I’m all set! Good to go! Even while gaming at home, sometimes I forget my nutrition. Hey guys, it’s PotatoStarch!
Man, I thought I was gonna die. Passing out isn’t like going to sleep—the chills and unpleasantness aren’t t
o be underestimated. Now, this pizza is freaking delicious, even if it’s dry as hell. Is it healthy or unhealthy that I collapse from a little bit of starvation but bounce right back up after a bite of pizza?
And then there’s Kuroi’s feast for the ages going on over here.
“Kuroi, are you gonna keep eating forever? I haven’t seen you stop yet,” Ange wants to know. She was eating at the fort. She’s eating on the move. She eats during training. She even eats while setting up camp. “You really like potatoes, huh? Wait, that’s not even cooked! Does that taste good?”
“Mm.”
What an appetite. She’s like a saiyan, or a certain third generation of master thief. No, girl monster hunter would make more sense. That’s a different game, though.
“Make sure to chew, at least. And drink some water.”
“Mm.”
I’m surprised she can even chew on horseback. Aha ha, now Sira’s trying to copy her! Man, I feel full just watching her. It gives me a little energy, too. To live is to eat! Man, I love fishcake.
That reminds me, when I went to the convenience store earlier, I thought: “Ha! What was I worried about at home? I’m such a scaredy-cat!” Sure, my phone and email are dead. Someone is probably monitoring me, too. But outside my room, the town is peaceful. The infrastructure is sound, order is secure, and the days are calm; there’s no room for horror or suspense themes. This is Japan, after all, home of prosperity, peace, and happiness. We even managed to remain unharmed during the America-China War, which most consider to be World War III, despite being positioned directly between both countries. We had a front-row view of America’s overwhelming victory, and we didn’t even flinch.