Chapter 12

It's a reconnaissance mission.

After leaving these words with Jiron, the orc strategist, I set out from the city of Ivalice with Sati by my side.

Jiron suggested, "Won't you stand out in that attire?"

But I dismissed his concern, saying, "We'll use magic to change our appearance as we get closer to the city."

Jiron still insisted that such a mission should be entrusted to subordinates, but I had something I wanted to confirm with my own eyes.

That was the official reason, but one of my true intentions was to take Sati, who had rarely left the city, out into the world.

Additionally, I was looking forward to being able to take off this confining robe and mask for a while.

After all, wearing the same robe and mask for days on end can be suffocating, both physically and mentally.

Occasionally shedding the mask and letting my hair down for a day wasn't a bad idea.

Once we confirmed that Jiron was out of sight, Sati and I entered the depths of the forest and used magic to dig a large hole.

We buried the "Robe and Skull Mask of the Undying King" and the "Staff of the Ouroboros" in it.

We made sure to use magic to check the surroundings and confirm that there were no humans or demons nearby.

It would be troublesome if our true identities were discovered, but it would be even more troublesome if this equipment were taken by someone else.

This equipment, left to me by my grandfather, is also my lifeline.

After burying the equipment with the "Earth Creation" magic, we left the forest.

Our destination was the capital of the Kingdom of Rosaria, the royal city of Reias.

The Kingdom of Rosaria, located almost in the center of the continent, is known as one of the continent's major powers, but it is now being invaded by the Demon Army, which has occupied half of its territory.

Despite being the capital of such a country, the city lacked the bustling atmosphere of its heyday, but there were still many people.

Or perhaps, because it was wartime, there were even more people than usual.

I saw mercenaries who had fled from other countries, knights bearing the crests of other countries, and various other characters.

"Indeed, it seems the Alliance of Kings has been formed."

"An Alliance of Kings?"

Sati asked modestly.

"It's an ancient pact that is formed to set aside national interests in times of crisis."

"Sati doesn't understand such complicated matters."

"In short, it means that when the Demon Army attacks, we'll stop fighting each other and form an alliance."

"I see, so it means to unite and resist the Demon Army."

"Exactly. In the past, this pact has been activated three times. Each time, the Demon Army was repelled and driven back to the eastern end of the continent, Dovolberg."

"Will it be the same this time?"

"Why do you look so worried? You're not human, are you? If the Demon Army retreats, you'll be free."

I said this as a joke, but Sati shook her head sadly.

"Slaves are slaves for life. If Master Ike were to abandon me, I would end up like those children over there."

Looking around, I saw a horse-drawn carriage with iron bars, and the cargo inside was not goods but people.

"…If I have to be a slave, I would rather be by Master Ike's side."

"……"

I fell silent for a moment, then chose my words carefully.

"…Don't worry. We won't make the same mistake. The current Demon King is said to have the greatest power and wisdom among all the Demon Kings. This time, he will surely defeat the humans."

I said this to reassure the girl, but I was surprised by my own words.

What? What was my purpose, anyway?

And—

Originally, I was human.

In my previous life and in this world, I was a complete human.

Emotionally, I should be on the side of humans, but in reality, I worked as a brigade commander in the Demon Army.

Why?

I asked myself.

Was it for my grandfather?

My grandfather, the Undying King Romburg, raised me despite my human nature and even taught me how to fight. He was my benefactor.

I naturally wanted to repay his kindness.

I didn't have a deep connection with the demons, but I owed them something.

That's how I felt.

I had fought until now to repay that debt, but what lay beyond that?

My heart and body were human.

On the other hand, my foster parents were demons.

I didn't want them to fight each other.

However, the reality was that humans and demons, as well as humans and humans, and demons and demons, were always in conflict.

It was impossible to suddenly tell them to get along.

Therefore, the common belief among both demons and humans was that one side had to be annihilated.

The idea of coexistence was nonexistent.

But now, things were different.

The current Demon King, Dairokuten, is a human with memories from his past life.

And I am here too.

If the Demon Army were to conquer the world, coexistence with humans might be possible.

That's what I felt.

I fell silent for a moment.

"……"

The girl by my side, Sati.

She was a girl I picked up on a whim, but since I picked her up, she has reminded me that I am human.

"…Really, I picked up a troublesome girl."

Since I started spending time with this girl, I had to think about things I never had to think about before.

"……"

Perhaps because I had been silent for a while, Sati looked at me curiously.

"Master, is something wrong?"

Her eyes were filled with genuine concern.

I avoided her gaze and gave her an order.

"Our mission is to gather intelligence. Let's hurry up and go."

With that, we headed for the market.

†

"Wow, Master, what is this?"

Sati pointed at a fruit from the south and asked.

"That's an orange."

I think.

At least it's not a tangerine.

"Then what about that big one?"

"Um… it's probably a log?"

That can't be right.

I asked the merchant.

"This is cheese from the Kingdom of Fals. As it ages, the outside turns brown like a log."

"Interesting. Can I have a taste?"

The merchant bowed and said, "Sure."

I received a piece shaved from the large block of cheese and put it in my mouth.

"Hmm…"

"Um…"

It seemed that Sati and I had similar expressions on our faces.

The merchant, who had anticipated this, laughed and said, "Well, once you get used to it, it's a top-notch delicacy."

In both the modern world and this world, fermented foods can be tough to handle if you're not used to them.

Just as foreigners may not like natto, Japanese people often find blue cheese difficult to eat.

Once you start enjoying the local fermented foods, you're a true local, it seems, even in this world.

However, the sad nature of someone with memories from a past life is that they end up buying something after trying it. I handed a silver coin to the merchant, saying, "Maybe I'll give it to Jiron as a gift."

"Thank you very much."

The merchant smiled with a business-like smile.

Incidentally, I paid more than the market price to get information from this merchant. Merchants have always been better at gathering information than any other profession.

"This market seems to be thriving. Is there something going on?"

The merchant glanced at me for a moment but didn't seem to realize I was from the Demon Army. He started talking as if to a fellow merchant or a curious customer.

"Well, sir, you might know, but the Alliance of Kings has been formed, right?"

"I've heard that, but I don't know the specifics."

"Specifically, they are currently in the capital of the Empire, finalizing the pact and negotiating the terms. But before that, there's a plan to launch a counterattack against the Demon Army, led by the knights of Rosaria…"

"I see, so that's why the merchants are so lively?"

"What do you mean?"

Sati asked.

"In other words, they want to deal a painful blow to the Demon Army before the Alliance of Kings is formed, to declare that Rosaria is here. This will give them an advantage in the Alliance of Kings and increase their post-war influence."

"I see, the nobles think a lot before acting."

"It's all about strategy and self-preservation."

Or maybe it's a gamble, I thought.

"Launching a counterattack with only half the regular army, and with half the territory already occupied, is the worst of the worst strategies. If they fail, the capital might be occupied, and even if they don't, Rosaria's position in the Alliance of Kings will be the worst."

"I see, that makes sense."

The merchant said in a carefree tone.

"You're not very tense. The last counterattack plan you mentioned might fail."

"Well, we'll see. Even if it fails, if the Alliance of Kings is formed before Reias is occupied, it will become the base of the Alliance of Kings. That would be good for business."

"What if the Demon Army takes control before that?"

"That would be fine too. The current Demon King is said to be ruthless but not cruel. Besides, demons eat pork and put cheese on bread, just like humans. Honestly, the fall of the kingdom and the war don't really affect us much."

I see, the Demon King's reputation has reached even the common people.

The minimal resistance and rebellion from the humans are largely due to the Demon King's governance policies.

After confirming this again, I bought the necessary supplies and returned to Ivalice.

The knights of Rosaria are planning a final counterattack.

Ivalice will undoubtedly be one of the front lines.

It was best to prepare for the battle from now.