The viscounty of Gardner.
Located in the northern part of the Babylonian Isles, the area was cold and dry due to its position.
Naturally, the land was barren.
They scoured the surrounding area hoping to find some valuable minerals, but there was nothing of worth to be found.
So the question came: how did this desolate land become one of the top ten wealthiest fiefs in the empire?
Was it the efficiency of the current lord?
The heroism of a son?
The brilliance of a daughter?
Though these weren’t wrong, the primary reason for their wealth was singular:
-Prepare for battle against the demon race!
-Exterminate the monsters!
-For the honor of <Gardner>!
The side products of centuries of frontline defense and monster extermination were the source of their wealth.
Now, due to the appearance of a <Hero>, the invasion of demons has ceased, but the monsters are still rampant, and periodic exterminations continue.
The by-products of these monsters sell for high prices, and the money thus obtained was invested in securing supplies and training warriors for battle.
Only the most capable knights and mages were deployed to the northern front, and their efforts ensured that capital continued to accumulate, creating a virtuous cycle.
Thus, it was said that the combat personnel under the jurisdiction of Gardner Viscounty were among the strongest in the empire.
And this was also true for those facing off against <Black Wolf> now.
“Here they come, right now!!”
“Rescue the lady!!”
“Kill Black Wolf!!”
“Excuse me.”
“E-ek?!”
“H-Hey, be careful!! They’re using the lady as a shield!!”
“Right.”
Warriors who advanced despite the pervasive sense of death surrounding them.
Warriors who, having survived countless battlefields, continued to return to the frontlines.
Warriors who, for the sake of victory, were willing to sacrifice their own lives without hesitation.
And now, these valiant warriors…
【Targets’ fear has been detected.】
【<Black Curtain(Ex)> has been activated.】
For the first time in their lives, they halted their steps.
This was true even for Rohan, the right-hand man of the Gardner viscount who commanded these warriors.
Rohan, who had always stood in the vanguard alongside the viscount, who had not taken a single step back.
Rohan, who faced death every day and was no longer afraid of it, now felt differently when faced with the <Black Wolf> standing before him.
The darkly undulating black robe,
The lethal aura seeping from beneath the mask,
The quiet encroachment of death.
If there were a god who governed death, could this be what he looked like?
‘What kind of monster is this?!’
What could even the bravest warriors do against a god?
“D-Destroy that man immediately…!”
Even as he barely managed to open his mouth, the trembling voice that emerged was not the proud one he was used to, but a frightened whisper of a small human being.
Step, step, step…
In response to this whisper, Black Wolf stepped forward and asked him.
“Me?”
Even the cold breath felt like something beyond human.
Finally, as everyone froze, waiting for the mercy of the man, Hestia Gardner appeared, fluttering her pure white nightgown as she shouted.
“No, no!! Uncle Rohan!! Pull yourself together and run!! Please, Black Wolf!! I’ll die in your place, but spare their lives!!”
A desperate voice that pierced the stillness.
The warriors understood.
That Hestia, too, had sensed a fear that surpassed even death.
“…I won’t kill you, I said.”
“Someone like that can radiate this much killing intent?!? Throw away the lies and just kill me already!!”
Even so, on behalf of the group that wasn’t strong enough, she cried out.
Among the warriors who had frozen solid, forgotten memories surfaced.
<--Uncle! Are you going to play with me today? You promised to smile today!
- I have an important battle tomorrow. I’ll play next time.
- A... Alright! Sorry! I didn’t know. Please be careful and come back, uncle!
Within the Gardner household, weakness was treated as almost a sin.
<–But we have them, doesn't Lady neglect us too much?
– She’s not a warrior.
– But she works incredibly hard!
– She may work hard, but she cannot become a warrior.
– Ah, is that her sword?
Under the excuse of following the will of the strong, we had always placed her on the back burner.
<–Uncle! Ack, you're scary again today. This time, I'll definitely make you smile!
– I’m busy.
– A... Again? Alright...!
Under the guise of fighting for peace, we swung our swords.
<–Geez, Uncle?
– Will you be okay later?
– …Yeah. ...Could you smile a little?
– Yes, I will try.
Someday, if there were no more battles, we had agreed to take care of the lady then.
However, we were aware.
<–...Good luck, uncle. Don't get hurt.
– Yes, Lady.
– ...Could you smile a little?
– I will try.
We were fully aware that eternal peace would never come, and under the excuse of striving for a better future, we had merely turned our backs on the incapable Lady.
But it wasn’t entirely wrong.
For only the strong should lead people, and those who followed should also be strong.
Shouldn’t the weak simply live happily within the peace created by the strong?
Therefore, when…
<–What do you mean, an accident?! What happened?!
– While trying to rescue Prince Balkin who was dueling with a captured monster...
…you were injured while saving the heir, deep down, we were relieved.
We genuinely felt at ease when the incompetent you had saved the capable heir.
Because you were weak.
Because weakness was a sin.
Because protecting someone as weak as you required many warriors to work hard day and night.
That’s why…
“…Why did we neglect the Lady so much?”
Why are you…
“Run, Uncles!! Don’t just stand there like statues and run immediately!!”
…going to stake your precious life for us fools?
The dark corridor was heavy with Black Wolf’s ominous killing intent and Hestia’s desperate cries.
“Listen.”
Rohan finally spoke, turning his sword around backward and slashing his thigh.
The pain spread like a burn, slightly dispelling the overwhelming fear that had paralyzed him.
Sizzle!
Tearing his collar to tighten the upper part of his body tightly, he once again gripped his sword, facing Black Wolf.
“Use the new life Lady just gave us for her sake.”
Crack!
Numerous warriors followed Rohan, cutting into their bodies to regain their senses.
“Don’t do this!! Just run away!!”
Hestia was the strategist of the 1st Legion.
The combat analysis was done a long time ago.
If the power of the killing intent they felt from Black Wolf now were proportional, the claim that he could take down an entire legion wasn’t an exaggeration.
“Please run!! We can’t stop him!! You can feel it too, right?!!”
Of course, they felt it.
If the man before them unleashed his full strength, they would all be dead within seconds.
But…
“We still have to quickly finish and go play.”
…For the Lady who has done so much…
We must protect her at all costs.
“Eh…? Did Uncle Rohan smile?”
“I will definitely smile many times for you in the future, but please wait just a little longer…”
Just as Rohan, with determination, approached Hestia…
Booooom!
Puuuhh!
Dark blood splashed, covering the field of vision.
“Hu…?”
…It… It burst?
…What?
…A person?
…Lady?
Before all the warriors could recover from the sudden situation,
Chap, chap, chap…
Black Wolf, smeared in blood, handed the crimson-soaked nightgown to Rohan.
“Why didn’t you just behave?”
Smirking, Black Wolf turned around and walked back toward Hestia’s room.
“Please deliver this to His Majesty the Emperor. If <Black Wolf> is interfered with again, next time, I’ll kill everyone in the Empire.”
As the glass fragments of the broken window crunched beneath his feet, his threat accompanied by a chill faded into the air.
<Quuaaaak!>
A grotesque bird, seemingly made of humans, flew and hovered behind Black Wolf.
“That… son of a bitch!!!”
Finally snapping out of the shock, Rohan, with tears of blood streaming down his face, rushed forward, but…
KOOOOM!
He was blocked and thrown to the floor by a humanoid formation that had crashed through the ceiling.
“…Insulting the captain?”
“Enough. We’re leaving.”
“…Yes, Captain.”
And that was it.
Less than 30 minutes after their attack, the <Black Wolves> left the scene, marking the <Hestia Assassination> with a cruel smile.
Chap.
The horrifying aftermath of the explosion touched the kneeled Rohan’s hands as it flowed with blood.
“Ah…!!! Those bastards!!!”
Rohan cursed and shouted at the <Black Wolves>, who were riding atop the grotesque bird and leaving.
“I’ll remember this!! The warriors of Gardner will tear you to pieces!!!”
No matter what happens,
Absolutely.
—
Elsewhere, on the back of the grotesque flesh bird that had soared into the clouds, cloaked in Black Wolf’s robe, Hestia sighed.
“Ashame this is my favorite nightgown. Do you think they’ll throw it away?”
“Of course. It’s a relic now.”
“…But I’m not dead!”
“Over there, they’ll believe you’re dead.”
Black Wolf had been correct.
Just before meeting Uncle Rohan and the other men, he had calmly presented her with a choice.
-One, pretend to die and follow him quietly.
-Two, resist.
He also added, “<If you choose the second, I will kill everyone in the mansion.>”
She had found it hard to believe at first. All rumors are exaggerated, and the same could apply to stories about <Black Wolf>.
So, she chose Option 1, intending to escape at an opportune moment… but…
“Monsters.”
Every single member of <Black Wolf> was unimaginably monstrous.
So, she changed her strategy.
‘Judging by Black Wolf’s behavior, he clearly has no intention of killing me.’
What he wanted was for the rumor of her death to spread.
‘Why?’
According to Black Wolf:
“To cancel the <Black Wolf> attack plan using a legion.”
“So why?”
“Because I don’t want to die.”
She had trouble believing that explanation.
‘If my assumptions are correct, not even an entire legion could scratch <Black Wolf>.’
Still, while the exact reason was unclear, one thing was certain: the Hero’s party would return due to today’s events.
With the Emperor’s apparent incompetence.
The growing rumors.
The increasingly unstable morale of the people.
If news of my death reached my brother’s ears…
‘100% chance he’ll retreat.’
So another question arises:
If <Black Wolf> and the Empire can only oppose <Black Wolf> with the top ten powers or the <Hero Party>, why risk becoming enemies by faking my death?
‘…Could it be…’
To avoid unnecessary conflict and bloodshed with the 1st Legion?
‘…Are they not entirely evil after all?’
Carrying this thought, Hestia looked up at <Black Wolf>.
“Err, Captain, can we let you kill something before we go? My hands are itching, you know.”
“Be quiet and focus on driving.”
“Pfft! Bloody ghost! Stop shaking so much, you’re spilling my drink! Damn, how frustrating. Just let go and step aside! I’ve got something to try!”
“Don’t drink and drive.”
…Yeah.
They’re bad guys, alright.
<Quuaaaak!>
It was a night when something that had been rich was transformed into a grotesque bird that mournfully cried.
—
One week later.
The human convoy, having crossed the initial territory of the Demon Race and reaching the borders of the noble lands, halted their march.
This was due to the urgent document delivered by the messenger bird, which was no ordinary document but an emergency report.
A woman standing at the forefront of the group unfurled and read the document before turning her head.
“Don’t get excited and just listen, Balkin.”
“Hmm? Suddenly? But I’m hungry. Can we have dinner first and talk afterward?”
“I’ll relay it first.”
The woman with silver hair maintained her impassive expression as she spoke.
“The mysterious group <Black Wolf> attacked Gardner Viscounty. Casualties are being tallied. One death has been confirmed. The name of the deceased…”
Hestia Gardner.
“…What the hell is this?”
…
【Suspension period has ended.】
【<Prologue> is ending.】
【Bad Ending – <6. The Hero's Return (A)> will now be set as the main scenario.】
…
“Let go of me, you bastards!!! I’ll kill you first!!!”
“Hold on tight, Marin.”
“Yeah, don’t worry~.”
Immediately after the brief commotion…
The bluish-haired woman who had been contemplating turned to face the direction they had come from.
“We’re returning to the Empire.”
Fortunately, this decision was unanimous.
“We’ll return and exterminate <Black Wolf>.”
No one disagreed.
