Chapter 48: Betrayal, Retribution, and Bounty Hunters

Asada_translation

To start, I need to deal with the problem known as the fake Saint Miradine.

"Actually… that's not my real name…"

The plain-looking Saint quietly mumbles.

"My real name is Rashie, I'm a magician who belongs to the Senate…"

So Miradine was just her stage name.

"I come from a poor household, and the Senate granted me a scholarship to study magic. In order to be exempt from repaying them, I had to go work for them. That's all there is to it…"

I understand, so don't cry about it.

It seems that she was having a hard time.

"I know you didn't have a choice, but do you know what could've happened to you if the people found out the truth behind the fake Hero party?"

"Yes…"

Miradine, no, Rashie nodded.

"That's why the Senate had a plan to get rid of Lanhard. They wanted to kill him off in the right place before he was caught."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes, since it would be too troublesome if the Hero's influence exceeded their own. The Senate's authority would be questioned if he gains too much popularity."

I'm afraid to tell her that her death was most likely planned after that.

"Of course, I wouldn't die in battle. We'll act as if we died fighting the Demon King, and then we'll retire. Following that, there will be numerous ceremonies and speeches to boost the morale of the people."

I see, so the Hero must be killed.

Rashie looked up at me meekly as I nodded with mixed feelings.

"That…"

"What is it?"

"Were those people strong?"

I think she's asking about the three people I killed.

I could have used them to my advantage instead of killing them if I had known they were fake Heroes. However, I was also in danger in that situation.

Even though they relied on magic equipment, they definitely had the skills and techniques to use them. Even if they're wielded by a common soldier, I won't be able to hit them.

Despite the fact that they were the enemy, they were unquestionably brave warriors who deserved to be spared.

So I'm going to be honest about it.

"With one wrong move, I could have been the one who died. Of course, that was due to the magical armor's power, but even without it, those guys were top-tier warriors. I wish I could have them as my subordinate."

"I'm glad to hear that." With a sigh of relief, Rashi patted her chest.

"We were all prepared to be killed from the start. But we always said that we wanted to die as true heroes."

Stop it, my guilt is about to explode.

"By the way, their real name wasn't Lanhard either, was it? I don't remember which one of them is Lanhard."

"Yes. The role of Lanhard was rotational, and all of them were shadow warriors. It was a measure against accidental death in battle."

He really was a made-up hero.

That's how impatient the Senate was.

Rashie murmured solemnly.

"All three of them were kind and nice people. It was fun to spend time with them, even if it was only for a short period of time."

Even if you call them nice people, they're still enemies to us. Most of our friends were killed during that fun period…

I didn't say anything, but it appears to have shown on my face.

Rashie suddenly changed her complexion and hurriedly bowed to me.

"Sorry, I'm sorry. We're enemies aren't we."

"No, it's fine. As a small demon, I'm insignificant, but to you, I'm a fellow enemy."

Then Rashie looked at him curiously and tilted her head.

"Small, is it?"

"I am a small demon. I'm one of many generals in the Demon King's army."

With a curious look on her face, Rashi fumbled in her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper.

"This is a wanted poster issued by the Senate."

"Hmm?"

[Werewolf King Vaito] 70,000 silver coins.

The highest-ranking member of the Demon King's army that rules Ryun Height.

The one responsible for the destruction of Thuban

He is a powerful sorcerer (deadly magic, strengthening magic, destructive magic, etc.)

He can transform from a black-haired youth into a black werewolf.

Disables arrows

Attack power that can destroy castle gates

Beware of the howl that kills humans instantly.

Bites turn you into a werewolf.

No one has ever survived a battle with one.

"What the hell is this ...?"

There are a lot of things to be puzzled about.

Isn't it odd that it says anyone who is bitten will turn into a werewolf, but it also says that no one ever survived a battle against me? Is it possible for me to bite without engaging?

As I was reading the wanted poster with a complicated expression, Rashie quickly came up with an excuse.

"It's the reason we believe Vaito-sama is the supreme general of the Demon King's army. No offense intended."

"That's fine, I guess, but I'd really like to meet the guy who wrote this nonsense."

There were too many strange impressions and rumors of me.

I'm sure they'll tolerate an additional line that says "refreshingly handsome".

Rashie seems to have taken my words in a different way and is quite frightened.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry… I've always been bad at reading the air…"

I certainly feel that way. That's most likely why I got such a bad lottery result.

Still, I'm a wanted target with a bounty worth 70,000 silver coins…

In a world where you can live on one or two silver coins a day, spending 700 coins a year on a bit of wealth is enough to last a hundred years.

I'm tempted to fake my death and send someone else to collect my prize.

If you look even further, our demon, Airia, is also wanted.

[Treacherous Grand Duke Airia Rutte Eindorf] 100,000 silver coins

A beautiful woman dressed as a man.

2nd Lordship (deprivation)

Second-class court master of the Maiehara School (deprivation)

Bachelor of Military Science in Infantry (deprivation)

License to trade in a wide area of Mirarudia (revoked)

She's only a nobleman because she's so talented.... Then there's the procession of disqualifications. Now that all of her qualifications have been stripped away, I'm sure she's just a "beautiful woman dressed as a man."

It seems that she has a lot of enemies. There are more targets than me, a small demon.

Maybe she already knew about this, but I'll tell her later.

That leaves us with the question of what to do with Rashie.

"Do you want to go back to the Senate?"

"I want to go back, but if I do, they'll most likely execute me or burn me alive…"

That sounded fairly likely to happen, I guess. In that case, I'll take care of her until the end.

"If so, do you want to live in Ryun Height? If you're good enough, I can hire you for the Demon Lord's army."

"Then, then… Please do that for me."

Rashie, aka Miradine, the former fake Saint, bowed to me.

When the Northern Front began to show signs of prolongation, the citizens of Ryun Height began to return from all over the place. The people who had left in search of a place to settle failed to do so, and they came back one by one.

"Please listen to me, Vaito-sama!"

On the first floor of the Grand Keeper's Hall, which served as a contact point for citizens, I was called by someone dressed in travel clothes.

"They treated me like I was one of the Demon King's army just because I'm from Ryun Height! Look at that cart outside!"

I look over to the cart he points me to, and can easily spot two arrows sticking out of it.

"They shot me from the city walls, and told me to get the hell out of there!"

"Well, this is a disaster…"

Bribes and connections were used by the merchants of Ryun Height, and normal citizens can utilize them as well. But the warning arrows were going a bit far.

"Please attack and destroy those people right now!"

"Whose side are you on?"

It seems that the immigrants from Ryun Height were not very welcomed. Over a hundred left, and more than half came back.

Many of them were most likely still looking for a place to settle, but it doesn't seem that most of them were able to do so safely. Some of them may have even been unlucky enough to die.

The citizens who came back brought back information from various places. Well, there was a lot of prejudice mixed in.

When the Demon Lord's army returned their homes and fields to them, some of them shed tears and held their hands.

"Thank you, thank you…! If it weren't for this place, we would have wandered in the wilderness forever! Thank you so much."

"Ryun Height will never abandon the citizens of Ryun Height. Don't worry, you're safe now."

As I responded, he nodded again and again through his tears.

"Thank you, Vaito-sama! So please hurry up and destroy them!"

Because of that personality, that's why they refuse to let you immigrate, you know.