Chapter 31《What the Birds Hear in Broad Daylight》- (1)
(I)
“Summon.”
Having left the palace, I unfold a pitch-black magic circle. The dark energy radiating from the six-pointed star spreads outward from my feet.
The magic circle shows no sign of stopping, soon covering the square outside the palace. What follows is a release of black aura.
The once-clear sky darkens. From within the magic circle, the sound of war horns echoes loudly.
Before long, from the deep abyss, an army of the dead begins to rise.
Clashing shields and spearheads, burning with furious red eyes, creatures that should not exist in this world slowly emerge.
…An army of undead that will be responsible for every battle from now on.
There were more than 100,000 of these various specters, and I looked at them with satisfaction.
“…Good.”
Unlike a human army, the undead neither die nor tire. Lacking any concept of stamina, they can fight day and night like machines, and since they do not need sustenance, they are not bound by food supplies.
They feel no emotions, so there’s no fear of them cowering before the enemy, which means their morale cannot drop. There is also no risk of them botching things due to indulgent sympathy or compassion.
But above all, the most important point is that they pledge unconditional loyalty to me.
They will not betray, nor will they surrender to the enemy.
There will be no one to stab me in the back like Lillianel.
This army of the dead will willingly burn everything they have for me, until the last bone crumbles into ash.
“….”
Surveying the entire summoned army, I selected the largest and sturdiest ghostly horse, mounting it.
The ghost horse, which boasted a speed incomparable to any ordinary horse, snorted while burning its blue eyes.
“….”
I slowly led the ghost horse to the front of the army.
Vampires, skeletons, zombies, dark worms, banshees, and various other undead parted to make way for me. At the same time, they all knelt on one knee and bowed their heads.
It was a display of loyalty and respect to the necromancer lord who had summoned them.
“…Not bad.”
I smiled, satisfied.
This was an army that could more than twice sweep through not only the Kingdom of Avillia but the entire continent. Even if Lillianel gathered all of the kingdom’s soldiers, she wouldn’t stand a chance.
“….”
By the time I reached the front of the army, Tina was standing guard by my side.
“Lavahart….”
Our first destination was the mining city of Lavahart, one of the places where Lillianel was thought to be hiding. With an undead army that doesn’t sleep, we’d likely arrive in two days—three at most.
First, I’d overturn Lavahart to find Lillianel, and if she wasn’t there, I’d head to the next destination, the fortress city of Nevirthol.
If she wasn’t there either, I would scour and destroy every city in the kingdom until she emerged.
“Advance.”
…I stretched my hand forward,
And at last, the army of the undying began to move.
The sound of hooves trampling the human continent resounded.
(II)
‘…This isn’t what a hero should be.’
Judith Evergrit, who was eating with the hero’s party as usual, repeated that thought in her mind. She had lost count of how many times that thought had crossed her mind over the past few days.
Whether while eating, walking through the streets, checking her weapons, or even trying to sleep, she was constantly plagued by doubts.
…The image of the hero, Vellius Grandius, who had slaughtered every single resident of Nesril Village to answer the Prime minister’s call, lingered before her eyes.
Although they had the option of splitting the party to protect the village until reinforcements arrived, he had instead chosen to obliterate everything rather than leave anything behind to protect.
As a result, just as he intended, the hero’s party remained intact without division, and they had been able to reach this fortress city of Nevirthol, where the Prime minister awaited them.
‘Just what is the Prime minister to the hero…?’
Yes, Judith knew the dire situation. The legendary progenitor vampire had escaped from his seal, attacked the capital, and the Prime minister had barely managed to flee.
But even knowing that, Judith couldn’t understand how burning an entire village to the ground was justified.
Vellius Grandius, usually calm and serene, transformed completely the moment the Prime minister was mentioned.
‘There’s something going on….’
A hero obsessed with the Prime minister.
Companions who nonchalantly accepted the hero’s strange behavior.
There was definitely something going on between them, something Judith wasn’t privy to.
What had transpired among them when the 21st hero’s party was formed, before Judith, a newcomer, had joined to fill the empty spot left by Maiden Alice?
Sadly, Judith had no way of knowing.
“….”
Continuing to eat her breakfast, Judith glanced at the hero’s companions seated in a circle around the table.
They all pretended to be casually chewing their food, but in reality, they were keeping a close eye on Judith, watching her every move.
It seemed they were on edge, afraid that she might reveal what had happened at Nesril Village, and they were keeping her in check to ensure she didn’t step out of line.
After all, Judith had been the only one to oppose the hero’s decision.
She had even drawn her sword against them, so naturally, in their eyes, the defiant Judith couldn’t be seen as anything other than a threat.
‘…This is uncomfortable.’
The dining table felt like a bed of thorns.
“Hey Daniel, what’s the vampire’s weakness?”
“Weakness? It would be holy magic, of course. To the undead, the goddess’ power is like poison.”
“….”
To an outsider, this might seem like an ordinary, peaceful conversation, but in truth, the air around them was heavy and suffocating.
Judith sighed inwardly, realizing her life in the hero’s party was becoming more and more meaningless and joyless.
…And it was then that an unfamiliar soldier burst into the dining hall.
“S-Sir! Urgent news!”
The soldier, drenched in sweat, seemed to have run a long way to deliver the urgent news.
“…Come closer.”
Before asking what the news was, the hero gestured, calling the soldier to his side.
“…Here, drink this.”
The hero poured a glass of iced water and handed it to the soldier.
“Th-Thank you, Sir!”
The soldier, not one to refuse, gulped down the water to soothe his parched throat.
Seeing this, one might think the hero was a merciful friend of the people, but Judith, having seen his true nature, couldn’t help but remain suspicious.
“Thank you, Sir!”
The soldier, having emptied the glass in no time, once again expressed his gratitude. Only then did the hero cross his legs and ask about the “urgent news.”
“…So, what’s the news?”
“Ah, w-well….”
Wiping his moist lips, the soldier stood at attention and began his report.
“The progenitor vampire who has occupied the capital has begun to move.”
“Movement…?”
“Yes, they say she sent her minions to destroy the nearby territory of Rieli and has kidnapped its lord, Chris Evergrit.”
“…!!”
At the news that yet another territory had fallen to the vampires, everyone in the hero’s party shuddered slightly.
While the others were only mildly startled, Judith’s heart sank as soon as she heard the soldier’s words.
“W-what did you say…?”
A familiar name of a territory, a familiar name of a lord.
Judith stood up blankly, doubting her own ears.
“Say it again, what… What territory, and who has been kidnapped?”
“I-It’s the lord of the Rieli territory, Chris Evergrit…”
The soldier answered Judith’s trembling question awkwardly.
“No, that… that can’t be…”
Judith Evergrit froze upon hearing that her homeland had fallen, and that her father had been kidnapped.
Slowly, she approached the soldier, grabbing both his shoulders and asked again.
“Where… where did you hear that information? Are you sure it’s accurate?”
“Yes, it’s from the testimony of survivors, and confirmed by the scouts from a nearby territory. It should be accurate. The news came in about an hour ago, and it’s estimated that the territory fell two days ago.”
“A-Ah…”
Judith’s legs gave out.
The distant threat of the ‘Ancestor Vampire’ suddenly crawled under her skin, making her feel like her bones were being chilled. She could feel her face growing pale.
“I… I have to go.”
She instinctively rose from her seat and headed toward the exit of the dining hall.
There was no time to waste.
She had to hurry to Rieli, check on the townspeople, and rescue her father, Chris Evergrit, the lord.
Nothing mattered more than family—not the hero’s party, nor the world. For Judith, who had grown up loved and protected by the people of the territory, this was especially true.
“…Stop, rookie.”
“…!!”
But the other members of the hero’s party seemed to think differently.
The one who spoke was the archmage, ‘Milan,’ who appeared as a young girl. She used her magic to shut the door of the dining hall. A blue magic circle appeared on the door, sealing it completely.
“M-Milan…”
Judith stiffly turned her head to the archmage who had blocked her path. Still chewing on her sausage, Milan spoke calmly to Judith.
“Rookie, you can’t go anywhere. Now that you’re part of the hero’s party, you have a duty to stay here and assist the hero and the Prime minister.”
“What…?”
Time was of the essence. She needed to return to the territory quickly, assess the situation, and protect the injured from any further vampire attacks. Yet here was Milan, blocking her with such casual indifference, and Judith’s face hardened at her words.
Then, Daniel and Yuna added their voices.
“That’s right, Judith. We know Rieli is your homeland, and that your father has been kidnapped, but it can’t be helped. You need to stay here by the hero’s side.”
“Indeed. While I understand your feelings, serving the hero and helping him is ultimately the path to vengeance and achieving your greater goals. For now, you must suppress this personal anger.”
“P-Personal anger…?”
Judith’s fists trembled at Daniel and Yuna’s words.
‘My homeland has fallen, my father has been kidnapped, and yet they call it personal anger? Suppress it?’
She was on the verge of losing everything but herself, yet these people dismissed it as mere “personal” concerns, and their words infuriated her.
‘Stay by the hero’s side? That’s a lie.’
Besides, they weren’t asking her to stay to help the hero. They were clearly trying to keep her from exposing the truth about Nesril Village.
After all, even if someone as weak as Judith left the party, it wouldn’t cause any significant harm to them.
They were simply trying to stop her from revealing their mistakes.
“My homeland has been destroyed. I’ll just go check on the situation and come back. Please, just give me one day.”
However, their words weren’t completely wrong. As a member of the hero’s party, she had a duty to listen to the hero, assist him, and act for the greater good.
“If I take the air carriage, I can be back quickly.”
That’s why Judith begged for just one day. Even though teleportation hubs were forbidden, if she used the newly developed ‘air carriage,’ she could get to Rieli and back in just a day.
“No. If you’re tracked by the vampires, they could discover the location of this place, and the Prime minister.”
“…Calm down, and endure for now, Judith.”
Yet, they didn’t allow even that.
Judith’s insides were burning, and her legs were shaking.
She was going crazy with worry for her family, for her homeland.
Even if she couldn’t save them, she at least wanted to see it with her own eyes.
But why—why were they stopping her from even doing that?
“Please allow me to go. I’ll be careful and return.”
“…Stop being stubborn, rookie. You’re starting to make me angry.”
“….”
Milan narrowed her eyes and glared at Judith. At that moment, something inside Judith snapped.
She reached for the badge on her chest—the badge symbolizing her membership in the hero’s party—and threw it to the floor, speaking firmly.
“Then, from this moment on, I’m quitting the party. So please, stop blocking my way.”
If she quit the party, they would no longer have an excuse, nor a reason to stop her.
It had been hard to climb this far, but nothing was more important than her family’s safety.
“…You still can’t go.”
“Judith Evergrit. Sit down.”
“W-What…?”
Yet, even after declaring her resignation from the party, they continued to stop her.
“If you’re kidnapped, it could reveal the location of this place.”
“Now that you’ve seen the Prime minister’s location, you can’t leave Nevirthol.”
“….”
Ah.
The Prime minister.
Was that woman really so important that they would prioritize her safety over the lives of the people?
Ridiculous excuses.
They were afraid.
Afraid that the truth about the hero’s party would come out—that the party was nothing like the image the people had of them.
“….”
Without a word, Judith unsheathed the sword at her waist.
Shling.
The sharp sound echoed through the dining hall.
The hero’s party watched her with interest.
“Oh ho…”
“What’s this attitude?”
“Are you really going to use force….”
“….”
They were the hero’s party.
Reputed as the strongest in the continent.
Of course, Judith stood no chance against them.
But if they still wouldn’t open the way, there was only one thing left for her to do.
“…Judith Evergrit.”
The hero, who had been sitting at the head of the table, stood up.
With a faint smile, he too drew his sword. His voice, laced with ridicule, echoed in the room.
“…Are you confident?”
“No.”
She wasn’t.
But having made up her mind, for her homeland, for her family, for her beliefs,
“…I can only do my best in the situation I’ve been given.”
She had no choice but to strike.
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