The NTR Hero Knelt Before the Demon King – Chapter 94

Imperial Capital Olympius.

A place that can undoubtedly be called the political, cultural, and military heart of the Empire, where an enormous population of 500,000 resides.

And at this very moment,

Within this colossal city, there was a group of people cautiously moving about, cloaked in robes.

“We’ve arrived. As long as we’re here, we can breathe easy.”

“Phew…”

At the Great Bridge located in the city’s center.

Right after arriving there, Hector, who led the group, seated himself while the others—more accurately, the other demon races—began to take a moment to rest.

Among them, some started dozing off, overcome by fatigue from their relentless march under significant tension for a long time. Others, however, remained on high alert, not letting their guard down even in this situation.

And,

Amid the demon races taking a breather, their leader, Samuel, asked Hector a question in his typically dry tone.

“It’s interesting; I’ve felt it all the way here, but how did you know about a place like this?”

Since it was located beneath the massive bridge, it wasn’t easily visible to people, and given that countless individuals walked above them, it was inevitably a poorly guarded spot.

Looking around, Samuel asked, and in response, Hector quietly tore into the jerky he had brought along and spoke softly.

“I know these kinds of places well, having spent my childhood in back alleys. After stealing some bread, hiding here meant no one could find me.”

“Hmmm… I see. If I had known a place like this, I would have found it quite useful too. It’d be perfect for hiding after stealing an apple from a fruit shop…”

Samuel spoke with a hint of empathy at Hector’s words.

Hector, slightly surprised, asked her.

“Could it be… are you saying you were originally from the lower class?”

“To be precise, I’m a fallen noble, but considering my life, I lived no differently from commoners.”

“I see… Well, if you lack the power to support you, there’s not much difference between commoners and nobles.”

“In the end, when you’re hungry, you have to eat, and when you’re tired, you need to sleep—it’s all the same.”

Thus, finding a strange sense of kinship in their peculiar exchange, the two quietly continued their conversation.

“If you go a bit further up from here, there’s a massive harbor. Wandering around that area, I could surprisingly easily find decent fish to eat.”

“Fish, huh… It sounds like you were living quite luxuriously. In the village I lived in, there weren’t any harbors, so getting seafood was like trying to catch stars in the sky.”

“Don’t say that. It was a matter of days, but eating half-rotten sardines daily is still a horrid memory, even now.”

While Hector recalled his unpleasant past, on the other hand, Samuel was surprisingly intrigued by the stories.

For a moment, they found a mental respite before the enormous mission ahead.

“Surprisingly, I seem to communicate well with you. If the chance arises, let’s talk again.”

“Let’s do that. If there’s an opportunity… definitely.”

As Samuel finished her words and began to stand up, brushing off the dust, Hector managed to show a faint smile.

Then, having momentarily indulged in nostalgic sentiments, the two returned to serious expressions.

The demon races had successfully infiltrated the imperial capital.

Now, as the sun began to set, they had to commence their mission that had been assigned to them.

*

At the imperial palace located in the center of Olympius.

There, a group of retainers was bowing respectfully before someone.

An individual exuding a unique dignity and authority while seated on the throne.

With red scars on his face and an overtly belligerent appearance, he was none other than—

Emperor Kratos III of the Falcon Empire.

The ruler governing this land, a symbol of absolute power and authority over this vast and formidable empire, was—

At that moment, he furrowed his brow slightly while observing the retainers shouting noisily before him.

“The elves’ resistance is tougher than expected.”

“The Third Legion attempted to push forward recklessly but suffered considerable losses.”

“Though we win every battle in the plains, we always fall short in the forests. At this rate, further advances are impossible.”

“Hmm…”

The war with the elves had proven to be more challenging than imagined.

Consequently, the Empire’s retainers raised their voices filled with deep concern.

The war against the elves that followed the Racial Alliance War had burdened even the national power of the Falcon Empire, which was at the peak of its glory.

Though they too were running low on resources, the difference in burdens brought by invasion and defense was bound to be considerable.

Currently, there were 70,000 Empire troops deployed in the Elf Church Country.

Maintaining supply lines to support them and sending reinforcements was no easy task, especially given the terrain that heavily favored the enemy.

While the Empire’s powerful national strength and abundant talented individuals were somehow pushing through these hardships, it was merely a matter of maintaining the status quo for now.

As the overall situation began to turn unfavorable, the Emperor…

Kratos III, known as the Iron Monarch, spoke in a voice laced with coldness.

“So, what exactly do you wish to convey? Do you mean to suggest we sit idle and negotiate with those elf bastards?”

“Ah… no, that’s not it, but…”

“We merely intended to discuss strategies, given the situation is not favorable…”

“Strategies? Have you offered any useful strategies so far? All you’ve done is complain about how hard the situation is and how formidable the enemies are!”

“T-that is…”

The retainers could no longer utter a word in the face of the Emperor’s icy reprimand.

At that moment…

“Your Majesty.”

Suddenly, amidst the silence, a voice broke through.

However, it wasn’t among the many retainers before the Emperor.

The voice came from right beside the Emperor.

One of the Three Knights, Achilles, belonging to the Emperor’s guard.

“If you don’t mind, Your Majesty… may I speak about the strategy held by the commander?”

“Oh… Do you have a means? Speak, then.”

The Emperor, who had felt some frustration amidst the incompetent attitudes of the retainers, began to feel a bit refreshed.

Seeing this, Achilles began to calmly outline the ‘strategy’ he had prepared.

“The current difficult situation arises due to the geography of the Elf Church Country. If we can resolve this, achieving victory shouldn’t be too hard.”

“That’s true, but do you have any means to alter the geography?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I’ve actually had preparations in place for such a situation for a long time…”

As he began to discuss the strategy he had prepared, a cruel smile began to form on Achilles’ lips.

At that moment…

–KABOOM!!!!!!

“Huh?”

“What… what was that?”

In the next moment, a sudden, loud explosion echoed.

The occupants within the palace were thrown into confusion.

“What’s going on? Where did that explosion come from?”

“Your… Your Majesty! Look over there!”

Responding to a soldier’s words, the Emperor and the retainers turned to gaze out of the window.

Black smoke was rising not far from the center of the Imperial Capital.

And amidst it swirled the bright red flames.

“Isn’t that near the Magic Workshop?”

“It seems so. Could it be another failed magic experiment?”

“Somehow, it doesn’t seem like that. Judging by the scale, something major must have occurred.”

There were often explosions at the Magic Workshop in the past.

Yet at that moment, what they witnessed felt entirely different.

It was not a mere accident but—

From their appearance, it looked as if someone had intentionally caused the explosion.

In response, the Emperor promptly ordered for the situation to be investigated, and the soldiers dispatched to the main hall rushed out.

At that moment…

“Your Majesty!”

“Hmm? Who are you…?”

“It’s Vice Minister Eileen. What brings you here…”

Eileen entered the hall just as soldiers were rushing out.

Although people were puzzled as to why she, who should have been in Thebe, appeared here, disregarding their curious gazes, Eileen boldly crossed the center of the main hall and stepped up to the Emperor.

And then…

“Your Majesty, I, Vice Minister Eileen, have come to urgently inform you of something.”

“What on earth is it?”

Just as an unexpected situation arose, an unforeseen person appeared.

With a bowed head, expressing her inquiry, Eileen began to speak in a calm voice.

The tale of the evil conspiracy from the Magic Kingdom she had experienced before arriving here.