Chapter 3 – Demon King Pursuit Squad (1)

Not the Demon King’s castle, but the Demon King’s dungeon.

The dungeon where the Demon King was said to be was located in a ravine beyond the plains where we had fought fierce battles with the undead.

Perhaps because it was where the Demon King had resided for a long time, the ravine containing the dungeon presented a hellish sight.

The ravine, filled with the energy of death and evil spirits, had nothing living remaining.

The trees were withered and twisted, and only dried bushes remained of the grass, rolling across the ground.

Even the dead had all returned to dust, so after the Demon King’s disappearance, there should have been nothing moving visible inside the ravine.

However, now, half a month after the Demon King’s disappearance, the ravine was extremely noisy.

Numerous tents were pitched at the dungeon entrance, and not only countless soldiers, but also the allied forces’ leadership and nobles from various countries had set up camp at the dungeon entrance.

As soon as it was confirmed that the Demon King had fled to another world, the entire command stationed in the rear had settled down at the dungeon entrance.

It could have been to further emphasize the achievement of driving out the Demon King, even if they couldn’t kill him,

Or it could have been to target the treasures and relics left in the dungeon where the Demon King had lived.

Or perhaps it was to show the command’s determination to pursue the escaped Demon King.

However, as a mere free knight, I couldn’t know the exact reason.

“More likely, the higher-ups are full of thoughts about using the gate that remains intact even after the Demon King fled.”

The sound of mercenaries chattering reached my ears as I sat in front of a tent, drinking pale wine.

Where I was sitting was one of the free knights’ tents, quite far from the dungeon entrance.

Because other knights had pitched their tents grouped by kingdom, there weren’t many knights who had set up camp so far away.

Well, there weren’t many surviving knights either.

Anyway, thanks to being positioned on the outskirts, I could hear the mercenaries talking.

In fact, although they were talking from a fair distance away, I was a knight who had been through the thick of it, so there was no way I couldn’t hear such sounds, and the mercenaries knew I could hear them too.

But neither the mercenaries nor I minded.

These would have been words to be wary of before the war, but anyway, they and I were comrades who had been through the battlefield together for years now.

We weren’t nobles commanding from the rear, and there was no need for such formalities among comrades who had died spectacularly together.

Moreover, both the mercenaries and I had our return home delayed thanks to the Demon King’s escape, so this level of gossip was just a drinking snack.

I looked around, letting the mercenaries’ cursing fade into the background.

There were many tents and people visible, but compared to before the final battle, not many people were in sight.

Many had died, but even more people had left.

First, the wounded who couldn’t be treated immediately and the disabled,

And the regular troops of each country were already on their way home.

Those remaining here were nobles and knights full of greed.

Plus, priests purifying the corpses and land contaminated by evil spirits, and mercenaries waiting for their pay.

Lastly, a few free knights who had unfortunately had their discharge delayed for surviving too long.

I was included among them.

And now, half a month later, new people were entering the dead ravine.

“Look, even the long-ears have come. Told you I was right…”

The chatter that had started with the mercenary’s words earlier died down.

Everyone closed their mouths, watching the people entering the ravine.

At the ravine entrance, people on horseback could be seen between the withered and twisted trees.

Dozens of people.

Knights and nobles wearing new armor covered only in dust, perhaps having rushed from their home countries, were visible,

And among them were people who didn’t fit this desolate ravine at all.

People with long ears.

Those called the long-eared race by the people of this world, and “long-ears” by the mercenaries, humans from a strange world.

I called these beings who called themselves children of the divine tree “elves”.

“Hard to believe… But it seems there really is a gate to another world.”

A knight muttered as he sat down beside me.

Free knight Frodo.

He was an older knight in his mid-thirties.

The knight was shaking a bottle of alcohol with three fingers.

The remaining fingers had been cut off by undead swords like others.

Of course, if you had the severed parts, you could ask a priest to reattach them after the battle, but it was impossible to find fingers lost during combat.

So there weren’t many knights with all their fingers intact.

I deserved plenty of praise for desperately keeping all my fingers in such a battlefield.

A strong smell of alcohol wafted from the body of the knight sitting on the ground.

Unlike the drink I was holding, the alcohol in his hand was proper high-proof liquor.

I wondered where he kept getting such drinks from.

His face had turned bright red, unlike a proper knight, from how much he had been drinking.

He was always like this except when fighting, but I had no intention of saying anything to him.

Because he was a knight worthy of recognition just for enduring through this hellish battle with alcohol alone.

I nodded at his words.

“I suppose so. Otherwise, there’d be no reason to call them, and no reason for them to come running if called.”

Anyway, now that they had arrived, it seemed the half-month vacation was over.

* * *

My prediction was not wrong.

The day after the long-ears, the elves, arrived, the command summoned the knights.

Of course, I was included among them.

The place they called us to was the tent closest to the dungeon entrance.

Many people were already gathered there.

Knights and mercenaries, priests and the ‘elves’ I saw yesterday.

And in front of those gathered were the nobles from the command post we had seen so tiresomely until now, and that gloriously named hero’s party.

There were famous generals and high nobles and royalty from each country in front of the tent, but thanks to the hero’s party, their presence wasn’t even noticeable.

They were handsome and beautiful people, but more than that, it was because of their mana.

In any case, knights were beings who could sense mana.

Moreover, I could detect mana better than others. It was my own specialty gained from rolling around the battlefield for years.

Anyway, the appearance and intense mana of the hero’s party couldn’t help but draw everyone’s attention.

After I arrived, and some time passed, everyone had arrived.

After confirming that everyone had come, the hero stepped forward first.

A handsome young man with black hair.

He looked like a hero from a story had come to life.

He bowed his head to everyone with a stern expression.

“First, I apologize to everyone. I’m sorry. Because of us, no, because of me letting the Demon King escape, you all have been unable to return home.”

A humble apology unfitting his status.

Everyone looked at the hero with surprised expressions.

The hero hadn’t killed the Demon King, but he had driven him into another world.

With this level of achievement, no one could say anything even if he established his own country.

For such a hero to bow his head to everyone, they couldn’t help but be surprised.

I also shook my head seeing the hero bowing.

“So he was a disgustingly kind hero.”

I wanted to gossip excitedly, but like this, it was difficult even for me to criticize the hero.

‘Was the real-life hero not a chuunibyou hero from web novels, but a hero from fairy tales?’

Not a fake hero summoned from another world, but a real hero called by the gods simply to fight the Demon King.

As I had heard, he was an excellent crusader who fought the Demon King and helped people with sincere faith in the gods and blessings bestowed by the gods.

There had been many complaints about the hero because he let the Demon King escape this time, but starting with an apology like that made it difficult to say anything.

Moreover, after the hero’s apology, rebuttals from his companions, the hero’s party, were heard.

“That’s not the hero’s fault.”

The priest of the hero’s party, the saint, raised her voice holding her staff.

“That’s right. The gate was prepared in advance by the Demon King. It was natural that the Demon King’s escape couldn’t be prevented!”

The chief royal magician of the empire, who had taken on the role of the hero party’s magician, continued her words.

Words that jumped out before the hero’s apology was finished. Words that prevented responsibility from being placed on the hero’s apology.

Political companions assisting the sincere and righteous hero.

The hero tried to stop his companions’ words, but they didn’t listen.

With high-ranking people watering down the hero’s apology, it would be difficult for anyone to pick a fight with the hero.

As someone who had suffered damage, it looked unpleasant to me, but there would be no better party to assist the hero.

That’s why it was more regrettable.

They were acknowledged as the greatest hero of all time and his party, but to let the Demon King escape.

Indeed, the ways of the world were truly unpredictable.

After the hero’s apology ended like that, the commander of the expeditionary force, Viscount Bate, stepped forward.

The pride of our kingdom and the king’s brother, the Margrave of the Frontier.

He had been recognized by everyone as the leader of this expeditionary force, beating out the imperial nobles.

Of course, political considerations from each country played a part, but anyway, now that the Demon King had been driven back, no one doubted his command.

“As you all know, two weeks ago, the Demon King fled to another world through a gate after being defeated in battle with the heroes.”

This was something everyone knew, and

“Fortunately, the gate through which the Demon King passed is still maintained, and we have confirmed that people can survive on the other side of the gate. We have decided to use that gate to pursue the Demon King.”

This was also something that could be sufficiently predicted.

Still, it was fortunate. It seemed someone had checked beyond the gate first.

It didn’t seem like we would die immediately by falling into water or space.

And then, the hero took over the viscount’s words again.

“When the Demon King fled through the gate, we also followed through the gate. However, after crossing the gate, we couldn’t find the Demon King. There was no way to pursue, and it was too unfamiliar a world to adapt. Unfortunately, we had no choice but to return.”

It seemed I would have to apologize for cursing inwardly.

It wasn’t someone else who had checked the world beyond the gate, but the heroes themselves who had directly confirmed it.

To immediately follow through a gate that could lead anywhere when the Demon King escaped.

Truly, he was a hero who didn’t know how precious his life was.

“As the hero said, the world beyond the gate was also a place where people could live. However, perhaps because the Demon King had crossed over, that world was also contaminated by the Demon King’s evil spirits. Naturally, the dead would rise again to stop us.”

I don’t know what kind of world it is, but if it’s a place where we can live, there should be living creatures,

And if there are living creatures, there will be dead ones, so the Demon King’s evil spirits would take hold.

I could only hope that the creatures living there were weak life forms.

“First, we plan to create advance parties to scout the surroundings. At the same time, we will build a base on the opposite side of the gate. And when the base is completed, the main force will cross the gate to track the Demon King.”

There was nothing particularly objectionable about this directive.

Only one thing, I just hoped not to be included in that advance party.

But as always, my wish was not granted.

The roster for the advance party was called out.

“…In the last party, Knight Jansen.”

In the end, I was to participate in the advance party.

Damn, I guess I’ll have to curse the hero a bit after all.