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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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As expected, the True Demons appeared again. Fortunately, they only appeared in two locations.
Were they wary of the Vatican’s expanding barrier?
They appeared in territories recently reclaimed by the Alliance. The barrier hadn’t expanded to those areas yet, so the True Demons could easily invade and attack.
Hans immediately dispatched his unit members. He felt uneasy sending them out alone, so he sent them in teams of three.
This meant Hans would be alone, but he insisted he was fine. He had been adamant about not sending them out individually. They reluctantly agreed.
Only Helia objected vehemently. She argued that the Commander’s safety should be their top priority. But Hans dismissed her concerns.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be commanding from the central point.”
They didn’t know when or where another True Demon might appear. So, Hans would command and wait in the middle, ready to provide support wherever needed.
That was the best strategy he could think of.
On the battlefield, the difference between life and death could be a matter of seconds. That’s why they needed backup.
The other races would also support the Royal Knights…
“But, Teacher…”
“I won’t hear any more objections.”
“…Ugh.”
“…I’m sorry for raising my voice.”
Helia was speechless, taken aback by Hans’s rare display of anger. She didn’t want to be disliked by her Teacher.
Realizing his mistake, Hans quickly said,
“But I can’t compromise on this. You’re all precious to me.”
“…”
“I don’t want to lose any of you.”
“Commander, is that perhaps…”
Cluna trailed off. She wondered if it was related to his past. She had been thinking about Commander Hans’s hidden past for a while.
Hans was almost obsessively protective of his unit members. He would even put himself in harm’s way to protect them.
At first, she had thought it was simply the behavior of a noble knight, but now she was certain. Hans had lost comrades in the past.
She had heard from Helia that Hans had been holed up alone in an unnamed refugee camp.
‘Did he lose his comrades and break down?’
Even the strongest minds could be shattered by the loss of comrades. Cluna had seen many such cases.
And in Cluna’s eyes, Hans was the same. Something must have happened in his past, causing him to lose his comrades and despair, but he had risen again.
‘That’s why I see a hero in him.’
Cluna shook her head. She didn’t want to project the image of the first hero onto the Commander any longer. The Commander was different.
‘If you die, the Royal Knights are finished!’
Hans, however, was thinking something completely different. He cared about his comrades, but he hadn’t lost anyone as Cluna assumed.
As the misunderstanding deepened, Helia had no choice but to back down. Because she loved and cherished her Teacher, she had to obey him.
But what was this unease?
She couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad would happen if she was separated from her Teacher. Hiding her anxiety, Helia chose to retreat.
The Royal Knights departed for their assigned locations.
Ruby, Yuren, and Helia were assigned to the Dwarf Kingdom, while Clara, Cluna, and Bayard were assigned to the Human Kingdom.
“Crystal balls. We’ve obtained a surprisingly convenient artifact.”
Crystal balls allowed for long-distance communication. Hans was reminded of cell phones.
Although they were less convenient and had fewer functions than cell phones, they were better than nothing.
“Can you hear me?”
[Yes, Teacher.]
[Loud and clear.]
[Ahh~ Can you hear me?!]
[Clara, don’t shout.]
“Good, it seems to be working.”
Hans nodded in relief. He was currently positioned between the Dwarf Kingdom and the Human Kingdom.
Even riding a wyvern, it would take time to reach either location, but fortunately, he had the teleport scrolls he had received from the Dragon Lord.
With these, he could go anywhere. Hans focused on commanding the operation.
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As Hans had predicted, True Demons appeared in both the Human Kingdom and the Dwarf Kingdom. Two in each location. Their mere presence was enough to demoralize the soldiers and knights.
But the True Demons didn’t attack the soldiers. They simply stood their ground. This gave the unit members their chance.
Clara’s arrow was the first to strike.
BOOM! BANG!
The moment it struck, it exploded, tearing through the True Demon’s body. The True Demon looked surprised.
Clara glared at her.
The face was familiar.
“Long time no see, bitch.”
“Ah, the little Elf from back then? My, you’ve grown.”
“Shut up. I’m here to collect the life you owe me.”
The True Demon before Clara was one of the demons who had attacked Lionheart Fortress.
Her name was Rebecca, a combat-oriented True Blood who wielded a spear.
She smiled and said,
“Haven’t you already collected? You took my arm.”
“Just that? Don’t flatter yourself.”
“Well, it wasn’t you who took my arm, was it?”
“You’re hopeless.”
Infuriated by Rebecca’s dismissive attitude, Clara reached for an arrow. If Cluna hadn’t stopped her, she would have charged in recklessly.
“Calm down, Clara. Your opponent is a True Demon.”
“I can handle her alone!”
“Yes, I’m sure you can. But she’s not alone.”
“As expected of the Guardian of the Forest. You read the situation well.”
A Blood Demon appeared next to the one-armed Rebecca. He still wore a smug grin.
This further enraged Clara, but perhaps because of Cluna’s words, she didn’t lose her composure and charge in. Clara knew that Blood Demons were among the strongest demons.
They already had to deal with True Demons. If she acted recklessly and was taken out of the fight, it would burden the other two. She didn’t want to give the enemy an advantage.
“By the way, how’s Commander Hans doing?”
“I don’t think that’s something you should be asking.”
“How cold. We were practically sworn enemies.”
“This conversation is over.”
Cluna drew her sword, dismissing the Blood Demon’s words. The Blood Demon looked disappointed. He wanted to hear more, especially about the Guardian of the Forest.
“Why don’t you spare me a moment? I’d like to hear about the Guardian of the Forest.”
“There’s nothing more to discuss.”
“Aren’t you interested in the story of the first hero?”
“…”
Cluna hesitated for a moment, but it didn’t last long. Her expression hardened. Roots erupted from the ground, striking them.
“A surprise attack…?”
“Can you block an attack with one arm?”
“?!”
Rebecca hurriedly swung her spear. But it was no match for Bayard’s ferocious punch. The blow, heavy as a rock, sent Rebecca flying.
Bayard pursued Rebecca relentlessly. Her eyes gleamed like a predator’s, as if she had found her prey. But Rebecca was a True Demon.
She wielded her spear with her remaining arm, desperately fighting back. But she was losing ground.
That’s why the mother and daughter had acted before the Blood Demon could intervene.
“Even if she’s injured, Rebecca is still a True Demon. Aren’t you underestimating her?”
“Bayard can handle a True Demon alone.”
“Now, it’s your turn.”
“Oh dear…this is troublesome…”
The Blood Demon clicked his tongue. He had intended to stall for time, but the unit members were much stronger than he had anticipated.
Moreover, the soldiers of the Human Kingdom were starting to join the fight.
The Blood Demon clicked his tongue again. He hadn’t fully recovered from the aftereffects of his clone’s destruction. He might actually die here. But it was fine.
They would exchange the lives of four True Demons for the life of Commander Hans.
That was the conclusion they had reached.
Well, if there was an afterlife, they could continue their conversation there.
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[Your Text Here]
As long as they are not YanDere harem members then the MC should only lose a couple limbs/organs … otherwise he might be cooked and “eaten”
I thought it was weird if them to want to fight true demons one on one, its taticaly unsound because there is no way True demons would attack without any support.