Chapter 69 – Bear-san, In The Middle Of An Incident
TL note: The POV changed a lot in this chapter, I tried to do something more linear, but well...
This is the story of a magician.
Ten years ago, this magician had been banished from the capital.
As a result, he swore that he would get his vengeance.
‘I only used a prisoner as a sacrifice, but they banished me from the capital after cutting off one of my arms.’
He couldn’t forgive the king.
Just killing him wouldn’t do.
‘I’ll destroy the country that he loves.’
‘I’ll destroy it!’
‘I’ll kill all of his citizens.’
‘I’ll grant him despair.’
‘I’ll present the scene of his country’s destruction to him without killing him.’
10 years have passed since he swore that.
5000 goblins.
5000 wolves.
500 orcs.
50 wyverns.
One Worm.
‘I have assembled them. I have assembled them.’
‘Now is the time for my vengeance.’
The man was delighted.
‘I am finally at this point.’
His body was worn out, and his life force was fading from him.
However, his mind was focused only on revenge. He was living for the sole purpose of driving the king to despair.
The magic that controlled the monsters was one that drained his life force.
‘But, I will offer this life for revenge.’
‘First, I will see the king’s face in despair.’
The man went to the capital and snuck into the castle.
Since the man had worked there before, he knew one or two ways to infiltrate the castle.
Thus, he entered the office of the king without being noticed.
「Bastard, who are you?」
「Did you forget? It’s me, Gruzam, the man you banished.」
「...Gruzam.」
The king couldn’t recognize the face of this withered man.
He couldn’t remember because of how different the face was compared to a decade ago, and the simple fact that this man was now in the castle.
「Long time no see.」
「Why and how did you come here?」
「Of course, I came here by infiltrating the castle. Ah, don’t bother calling the guards. I just came here to talk.」
「Talk?」
「By now, a monster horde has been found near here, right? It must be so terrible.」
「Why would someone like you know of this?」
「That’s because I was the one who assembled them to take my revenge against you.」
「Revenge, you say?」
「Yes. Revenge, grudge, spite, you can call it what you want. I just want to see your face full of despair.」
「Then you’ve seen plenty already.」
The king knew about the number of monsters, but he was worried nonetheless.
There would be some damage, after all.
「No, not enough. I want to see you despair at the sight of your country being destroyed by wyverns, your citizens killed by orcs, goblins and wolves wandering on your territories, and seeing the children being slaughtered.」
Gruzam was delighted just imagining it.
「Bastard...」
「It’s useless even if you kill me, you know. It’s not like I came here without any means to break out.」
The king lowered the sword in his hands.
「If I invoke my magic now, the monsters will come to the capital. Then in a few days, the capital will be attacked by monsters, I assume. The magic will also be activated if I’m killed. In any case, you will just have to watch it in silence.」
「There are adventurers, knights, and soldiers in this country. I don’t think that it will be that easy to finish off the capital.」
「Of course, I don’t think it will be entirely destroyed. Just half of it is okay. I will be really happy by just having the wyverns destroying the gates and have the monsters invade after that. Just with that, how many citizens will be killed, I wonder.」
A smile floated on Gruzam’s face.
「The adventurers have already left to eradicate the monsters. The soldiers are also preparing themselves. The adventurers and the soldiers may sacrifice themselves, but they will protect the citizens.」
「The adventurers won’t vanquish the monsters.」
「What?」
「I have prepared a giant Worm. The adventurers will surely become good snacks, and the Worm will then come to the capital looking for more.」
「Bastard!」
「If they can’t kill the Worm, there will be no one to kill the goblins and the wolves. This country will be destroyed. That’s why I will be able to see your despairing face.」
「Don’t screw with me!」
「I am not joking. It’s the monsters I assembled with my life. Urgh.」
Blood sprayed from Gruzam’s mouth.
「The magic to control the monsters, as you can see, isn’t really convenient. It burns my magic power and my life. It’s sad that I won’t be able to see your bitter face to the end, but until then, I will help myself and enjoy.」
Gruzam invoked his magic.
All of his magic power was eaten.
Even Gruzam’s last sliver of life was taken away from him.
「Gruzam!」
「With that, the Worm shall wake up, and the wyverns and other monsters will come to the capital. I will be looking at your desperate face from somewhere, and watch the destruction of the capital too.」
Smiling painfully, Gruzam disappeared.
「Gruzam!!!」
The scream didn’t reach Gruzam.
「What happened, Your Highness?」
Having heard the scream of the king, an imperial soldier rushed inside.
「Call Zhang right now!」
「Yes!」
The imperial soldier ran off after saluting.
Not long after that, Zhang, an elder with a moustache, entered the room.
He was the prime minister of this country.
「Your Highness, you called me?」
「Send the knights, the soldiers, and the magicians to the monster extermination.」
「Eleonora is doing the preparation now.」
「Inform them that, among the monsters, there is a Worm. Ask them to prepare a counter plan, too.」
「A Worm?」
「That’s right. If we don’t do something, the adventurers will be all killed for no reason.」
「Your Highness, where did you hear this information?」
「There is no time. I will explain it later, so for now, hurry.」
「Yes.」
Zhang left the room while rushing.
「Make it in time!」
He thought that, but how many deaths would be necessary to bring down a Worm?
It wasn’t difficult to figure out that Gruzam had prepared everything for the birthday party, when a lot of people had assembled in the capital.
If it was not defeated, the damage would be astronomical!
「Dammit, are there no other countermeasures?」
The adventurers had already departed from the capital, and the knights, soldiers, and magicians departed the next day.
Three days later, incredible news arrived.
An A-rank adventurer had killed all of the monsters.
The king’s mouth was agape.
It was a letter from the guild master that brought the news.
It was trustworthy.
It brought him relief, but really, who was this A-rank?
Was it a coincidence that he was there?
There were some questions remaining, but for now, the danger had been avoided.
The only thing left to do was find Gruzam, who was somewhere in the capital.
However, when the king was alone in his room, Gruzam reappeared.
「What is the meaning of this? The adventurers and soldiers came back.」
「It seems that all the monsters that you had prepared have been killed by an A-rank adventurer.」
「An A-rank adventurer? That’s impossible! All the high ranking adventurers should be away. I sent them away, after all.」
「I don’t understand it either, but this was all written in a letter from the guild master.」
「That’s a lie! Urgh.」
Gruzam vomited blood.
「Will I die before my revenge is fulfilled? All because of an unknown adventurer? My plan should have been perfect...」
Gruzam looked at the king with a face full of despair.
「Why? Why are you laughing?」
「With that, it’s over.」
The king took his sword and slew Gruzam.
Gruzam had neither the strength nor the will to dodge now.
He couldn’t enact his revenge. It had been the sole thing that permitted him to stay alive.
The king called the imperial guards to deal with Gruzam’s corpse.
「I will have to thank this adventurer.」
He protected the country, the citizens, and the lives of the adventurers and the soldiers, after all.