Monster no Goshujin-sama - Volume 11 - Chapter 18

Chapter 18: The Skanda and the Mysterious Man ~Iino Yuna’s POV~

“They tried to conquer the Dark Woods, just the three of them...?” I muttered in disbelief.

I was in one of the village’s houses. Nearly an hour had passed since I’d reunited with Kouzu. I sat at a table across from Eleanor, who looked at me with tranquil eyes. She was in the middle of telling me everything she’d gotten out of Kouzu.

“Th-That can’t be...”

The truth was so unpredictable that it left my head in a daze. This uproar, where an entire village was nearly destroyed, was all caused by Kouzu and his two friends. There was no actual fake savior. If we had to sum it up, the fake savior was actually multiple real saviors who’d left the exploration team.

“You don’t believe me?” Eleanor asked.

“It’s honestly hard to believe,” I said, closing my eyes and letting out a heavy breath. “But...it’s probably true.”

“You’re rather calm. I’m glad you believe me.”

“No, I should be the one thanking you for telling me.”

Now that everything had come to light, it was obvious the fake savior had been a vague existence all this time. What standard was used to decide they were fake in the first place? It wasn’t like the person in question had announced that they were a fake everywhere they went.

The only reason the person who claimed to be a savior was then deemed a fake was because of the tremendous damage that was suffered afterward. The people believed that nothing like that would ever have happened with a real savior. In other words, even if they were a real savior, as long as people died, everyone would believe they were a fake.

I’d thought that Kudou Riku had made the visitors who’d gone to villages out to be fakes, but that was only half-right. He wasn’t the one who’d made Kouzu and his friends out to be fakes—they’d done it to themselves. It was just as Kudou said; he had nothing to do with the fake savior incidents.

“But why would they do something so...?” I started to ask, but I suddenly came to a realization. “Never mind. I get it. They didn’t even realize it was reckless to begin with. They’ve never lost before this, after all.”

Among all the members of the exploration team, I boasted the strongest class of power when it came to combat, but in truth, ever since coming to this world, I’d tasted defeat on three separate occasions. This incident was one of them. Before that was my scuffle with Majima. And the first was just after we arrived in this world.

That first occasion in particular was very close to the situation Kouzu’s group had created here. We had scattered to find out what kind of place we’d been teleported to, but we came across monsters. The battle had drawn even more monsters toward us in an endless loop. The entire student body had nearly been annihilated.

During that event, our leader had stood at the front and gathered everyone together, and as a result, the exploration team was formed. None of the members who were there during that initial period would’ve ever caused this kind of incident. We all knew that things could swell beyond our strength. Unfortunately, Kouzu’s group didn’t fall into this category.

Well, that wasn’t quite right either. The initial members who’d overcome that first crisis tended to strongly identify with the exploration team, likely because of what had happened. To put it another way, many of the people who left the exploration team were those who’d joined after that incident, so they had never experienced a truly dangerous situation.

This was even true for the journey that the first expeditionary force took. We somehow traversed the Woodlands that was rampant with monsters, making our way to Fort Ebenus. We’d had our fair share of hardships, but none of them had required us to resolve ourselves for death. That wasn’t a bad thing, of course. How could it be? There was nothing better than being safe with no threat to one’s life.

Kouzu’s group had always gone forward without issue. Nothing had ever blocked them. They had never failed, and they had never even considered stopping what they were doing. They’d simply sped up and continued forward, so when they tumbled, it ended up being fatal.

“But that’s way too cruel. You can’t save anyone like that...”

Kouzu, his friends, the villagers... None of them had had any ill intent. Reality was just unkind. It was enough for me to want to plug my ears and pretend the world didn’t exist. I couldn’t do anything of the sort, though, because I had to confirm something.

“Lady Eleanor. Is this the first—”

“It isn’t,” she answered without waiting for me to finish. I felt a sudden tightening in my chest. “We’ve already confirmed four separate cases. Not all of them were a result of saviors trying to conquer a Dark Woods, though.”

“Four other cases...”

I felt overwhelmed. If they’d only confirmed four, then it was possible there were many more. Few had tried to recklessly challenge the Dark Woods, but just carelessly trying to suppress monsters could bring about the same results. I put my hand to my temple, holding back the headache that had been bothering me all this time.

“So you’ve been taking everyone into protective custody?” I asked.

“We haven’t done anything so grandiose. The ones who saved Mister Kouzu were Mister Hebiiwa’s group. All we can do is provide the saviors with assistance.” Eleanor paused, then quietly shook her head. “Besides, we didn’t succeed in safeguarding all the saviors who visited the region.”

“Thought so...”

During this incident, Itsuki Yuta and Momii Yoshihiro had lost their lives. It seemed Kudou had been the one to kill them, but in other cases, some had surely been killed by monsters. In that sense, Kouzu was lucky. At the very least, he was still alive.

According to what I’d been told, Kouzu had escaped the Dark Woods and made it all the way to the vicinity of the village, fighting monsters the whole way. However, he’d used up all his strength and had been vastly outnumbered. That was when Hebiiwa and the Holy Order had noticed him.

Kouzu had run away. Not from monsters, but from the eyes of the people.

“I’m not a savior! I’m nothing like a savior!”

He wasn’t trying to claim he was a fake savior or anything. He just denied being a hero. He couldn’t take it anymore. It was clear from his current state that his heart had shattered to pieces.

“What do you intend to do with Kouzu?” I asked.

“We plan on escorting him to the imperial capital. Similar measures have been taken for the other saviors. They are currently receiving treatment for both mind and body. All of them are in pretty much the same shape as he is.”

“Healing the body is simple, but can you really heal their minds? If something can be done with magic, there are plenty of guys in the exploration team who specialize in it. Wouldn’t it be better to consult them?”

“There is no magic to fully heal an emotional scar. Well, strictly speaking, magic is used during treatment to calm the mind and induce sleep. Sadly, none of it heals the mind itself.”

“Magic is nothing more than a tool, then. If so...we really won’t be able to help.”

If magic was useless, we were nothing more than students. There was nothing we could do. It was better to leave these things to the specialists.

“I understand,” I said with a nod, then knitted my brow. “But allow me to ask one thing. Why have you been taking everyone into custody secretly? Sir Gordon’s group didn’t seem to be aware.”

I’d been racking my brain over this problem with the fake savior because Eleanor’s group had been keeping this information hidden. Gordon had been in the same predicament as me...in theory. I’d be a bit shocked if he knew and had kept quiet about it.

“He isn’t aware. Sir Gordon hasn’t been informed.”

It wasn’t exactly fortunate that this was the case, but Eleanor didn’t deny it.

“Mister Hebiiwa’s group and the knights accompanying them do not know the truth about the fake savior incidents. It has been decided that only a small portion of the Holy Order’s First Company is to deal with this. We need to keep as much of the truth concealed as we can.”

“Why’s that?”

“With all due respect, the upper brass has decided that these incidents are far too bad for your reputations.”

“You mean to say it’s for Kouzu and all the others?”

“That is the most important reason, but if pushed to say more, we cannot disregard the effect it will have on the populace. If it were well-known that saviors had not only been defeated by monsters, but had caused the annihilation of several settlements, public unrest could spread like wildfire.”

“H-Huh? Public unrest? Is it really that bad?”

“It is,” Eleanor declared immediately. “We have just barely managed to establish a livelihood in this world. Our forces on the front suffer from constant attrition, especially when there are no saviors present. Drops in morale lead directly to the front line receding.”

“Th-That bad...”

It all felt too exaggerated for me. Having said that, it did make sense. If we were the cause of a negative influence, it was better to take some countermeasures. The ones who’d lost their lives were the soldiers fighting on the front, after all.

“We cannot allow the saviors’ reputation to be clouded,” Eleanor continued. “Nonetheless, we cannot hide the truth that villages have been destroyed. That’s why we’ve made use of the already spreading rumors of a fake savior. This wasn’t the doing of a savior. It was all because of a fake.”

“So that’s what it all means...”

I let out a deep sigh. This was a full-on propaganda campaign to conceal the truth. Honestly, it made me grimace a little. Not that there was anything to gain by bringing the truth to light. It would only make things worse. This was also for the sake of the students who’d caused these incidents. I couldn’t object.

“I’m glad you’ve come to understand,” Eleanor said, bowing.

With that, I now knew the entire truth of the fake savior incidents.

◆ ◆ ◆

I ended up staying in the village for the night. Eleanor’s group had already taken Kouzu away. Gordon managed to make it, but I said I wasn’t feeling well as an excuse to stay cooped up in my room.

I was pretty exhausted from this afternoon’s battle, so it wasn’t a complete lie. Still, if pushed to say it, I just wanted to be alone. I wanted time to process the reality of the situation. My journey to investigate the fake savior rumors was over. I knew the truth. I had no more business in this region, so I planned to leave the village the following morning.

My next destination was the Margraviate of Maclaurin, where I’d meet back up with the exploration team and inform our leader of what I’d learned. But surely it was okay for me to get some rest tonight. I put out the light, placed a chair by the open window, and took a seat. I rested my chin on the windowsill and looked up at the sky.

As I did, unwanted thoughts invaded my mind. Why had the former members done all that? There had been no malice behind these incidents; they’d actually been tragedies born of goodwill. I had no idea how to accept the truth, and I squeezed my hand tight in front of my heart.

I was shaken for sure. I believed we could simply crush all evil. After all, that was the reason the power within me existed. But what was I supposed to do when that approach didn’t apply?

I felt incredibly insecure. I let out a sigh—then suddenly narrowed my eyes. I changed gears in an instant, steeling myself for danger.

“I’m being watched...?”

I felt eyes on me. I looked around, but I couldn’t spot anyone. All I could see was the village enveloped by night. There were no late-night businesses like in modern Japan, so nobody was walking around outside. To be more specific, it wasn’t a passerby’s gaze; someone was hiding and watching me. Someone suspicious was out there.

A normal girl would probably be seized with fear. I, on the other hand, immediately placed my foot on the windowsill, ready to drag them out and capture them.

“Over there.”

I sensed a presence in a thicket a small distance away. Seeing what I was doing, the person in question panicked and gave themselves away. They were about to run, but it was too late.

“Hah!”

I jumped out the window and closed the distance in a single stride. I was about to give the entire thicket a good kick, but it startled instead.

“Wha—?!”

Reflecting the moonlight, a spear tip lunged from the foliage, sharp and quick. I wasn’t going to get hit so easily, of course. On the spur of the moment, I adjusted my kick to hit the spear, which forced its wielder out of the thicket.

I grimaced. I’d kicked with quite a bit of strength, even though I’d been holding back, but there was no real feedback. They’d jumped back to soften the blow. The figure rolled out of the thicket and instantly stood upright. They were a little short, but judging by their stature, they looked to be a man. I couldn’t tell for sure because of the hood covering his face. What’s more, he had a cloth clinging to his mouth. Judging by his appearance and movements, he was no simple villager. In any case, if he planned on fighting, all I had to do was respond in kind.

I drew my sword. I was in pretty bad shape from pushing myself in the afternoon, but I wasn’t going to be outdone. However, just before I charged in...

“Wait,” the hooded man said, holding a palm out to me. “I’m not your enemy. I’m just here to talk.”

“You look awfully suspicious to be saying that.”

“Please, calm down.”

The man’s voice was strangely deep, making it obvious he was putting on a fake voice. He evidently didn’t want to be identified and had apparently put a lot of effort into hiding who he was. If so...it was possible he was someone I knew.

I didn’t have anything to base this on; I just felt like I’d heard his voice before. If he were someone close to me, I would’ve figured it out right away. That meant I’d only met him in passing somewhere. Or maybe this was all just my imagination. Well, I’d find out for sure once I unmasked him.

“I can’t trust someone who refuses to show me their face,” I declared.

“I’ve got my own reasons.”

“Do you think that’s enough to convince me?”

“I have no ill intent. If you’d like, I’ll cast aside my weapon.” The hooded man let go of his spear before he finished speaking, then held up both his hands. “I just want to tell you something.”

“Mrgh...”

I was reluctant to attack a man who’d discarded his weapon. If he’d done so knowing this, then he really was someone I knew. Using my moment of hesitation as a chance, the hooded man cut to the chase.

“It’s fine if you don’t wanna hear me out, but this has to do with your fellow visitor.”

“My fellow visitor...?”

Those words also made me more reluctant to attack.

“That’s right. If you’re interested, then don’t attack me.”

This man was very suspicious, but he was being rational. He’d said he had his own reasons too. Most of all, I remembered my quarrel with Majima. Back then, things had gotten way out of hand because I’d refused to listen and instead attacked. It was important to be able to talk things out. I kept myself on guard but withdrew my sword.

“Thanks,” the man said.

“I’ll only hear you out. It doesn’t mean I trust you,” I told him flatly.

“That’s enough.”

The man didn’t back down at all. He was the type that got on my nerves exceedingly.

“So? What do you want to tell me?” I asked.

“Before that, lemme confirm one thing. Do you know the fake savior’s identity?”

I felt my brow rise. Despite saying he was here to tell me something, he had the nerve to ask a question first. Things weren’t going to move forward if I argued about it, though.

“I do. Do you?” I asked.

“There is no fake savior. It’s just a rumor that spread naturally. The Holy Order is using it to hide the failures of real saviors.”

There had been no point in turning the question around on him, because he’d answered without pause. Who on earth could this be? He’d said a truth I’d only just discovered like it was perfectly obvious. Honestly speaking, he was extremely shady. I was sure my misgivings showed on my face, but the man paid that no mind.

“You know that much already, right?” he asked.

“Yes. What of it?”

“That makes things easy. Actually, one of your fellow visitors is in an awfully bad situation.”

“A bad situation?” That didn’t sound good. I couldn’t let it pass. “And a fellow visitor?”

What followed was a name I didn’t expect to hear.

“A man named Majima Takahiro. You know him?”

“Huh? Majima?” I blinked in confusion, and my mind caught up a beat later. “H-Hang on! What happened to him?!”

In that instant, I forgot all about the misgivings I had about the man. I pitched forward and pressed him for answers. This was the first time he looked to be thrown off his game.

“A-Aah. It’s really bad, but...” I still couldn’t see his face, but shock rang in his voice now. “Huh? You’re intimate with Majima Takahiro?”

“I-I’m not intimate with that kinda guy!”

“I see...” The man sank into thought for a short moment, then immediately continued. “Whatever. More importantly, there’s something I have to tell you.”

Something about the way he put it bothered me, but he had a point.

“What happened to Majima?” I asked again.

“I’m sure you’ve heard of Margrave Maclaurin. He’s the biggest noble in the southern Empire. That same margrave has sent an army Majima Takahiro’s way, publicly touting that they’re going to subjugate the fake savior. That was about a month ago.”

“Wha...” I was speechless for a moment. “What the heck?! Majima’s a visitor! He’s not a fake!”

“Yeah. That’s right. But I’m sure you have an idea as to why this is happening.”

“Well...” I knew what he was getting at instantly and gulped. “The fake savior was actually real saviors. So, considering that, it’s possible for Majima to be mistaken as a fake savior...?”

“That’s the gist of it.”

“No way. In that case, he got caught in the cross fire of these fake savior incidents.”

I knew that Majima’s circumstances were easy to misunderstand. Even if the Holy Order was proactively using the fake savior rumors, those same rumors could still have a negative effect.

“I came here to tell you this,” the man said.

“I understand,” I replied, clenching my fist. “I need to do something!”

It had been the right decision to hear this man out. Majima was a hateful guy, but he was still a comrade who’d come to this world with me. I couldn’t abandon him—I absolutely refused to.

“The margrave is currently in his own territory. If you wish to stop the provincial army, you should talk directly to the man who gave the order. You’ll be able to make it with those legs of yours.”

With that, the man picked up his spear and vanished into the night. In the end, I didn’t find out his identity. I had no idea what he was plotting either. Nevertheless, the truth he passed to me still remained.

Even if it came from a bona fide third party, even if there was some kind of scheme behind this, it didn’t change what I had to do. The only ones who could unravel this unfortunate misunderstanding were people who knew the truth. I was still in bad shape, but strength came back to my core.

The next day, first thing in the morning, I started running at full speed toward the Margraviate of Maclaurin.