Chapter 3: The Shadow of the Dark One

“Impawssible...” Uliminas the hellcat, confederate of the Dark One, stared at the forest before her, troubled.

She had come to the Delaveza Forest on an inspection. The forest lay south of the Citadel of the Dark One, right on the border of the Magical Kingdom of Klyrode. For that reason, the Dark One had entrusted it to the strongest of his Infernal Four, Fengaryl the Wild Wolf. Fengaryl and his minions were meant both to defend against any attacks from the Klyrode army and the new “Hero” that rumors said had been summoned, and also to conduct espionage against the kingdom. It had been some time, however, since Uliminas had received a scheduled report from Fengaryl’s forces.

It was Uliminas’s duty (and great honor) to coordinate the activities of the Infernal Four. At first, when she hadn’t received word from Fengaryl, she had assumed that the wolf was busy with espionage work, perhaps having gone to Klyrode Castle himself. However, nearly two months passed with no word, and she began to think that there was no avoiding the conclusion: something was wrong. And so, Uliminas set out for the Delaveza Forest to see for herself what had taken place.

Areas where the Dark Army were stationed would inevitably become polluted with the malicium emitted from demons—even more so for demons as powerful as Fengaryl and his fearsome underlings. However, nowhere in the Delaveza Forest could Uliminas sense a single mote of malicium. The only noise she could hear was the occasional birdsong. It looked for all the world like a completely normal forest.

Uliminas could sense the presence of the psychobears and cyclopes they had been sending south to stymie the Klyrode army, but as for Fengaryl himself, or the lupines that made up his core fighters, there was no trace.

“Come mew think of it,” Uliminas mused, “the monsters we’ve sent this way have been dying off fast... Purrhaps there’s a connection there?” Thinking it warranted investigation, the hellcat made her way south with all haste.

◇Flio’s House◇

It had been almost a month since Balirossa and her party had begun to lodge with Flio. Each of them had spent the time making progress in her own way.

◇Blossom’s Case◇

Flio whistled in astonishment as he looked out at the back garden. “Incredible...” Thanks to Blossom’s hard work, the tattered remains of a field had turned into a splendid garden.

“Nah, it’s no big deal. It’s just that the earth here is pretty good,” said Blossom, laughing heartily. “I think I got a bit carried away.”

But as Flio looked over her handiwork, he couldn’t help but think that her time working the fields also meant that she was neglecting her sword training. He gave a thin, strained smile.

◇Belano’s Case◇

Flio created an enchanted ring to increase the magic reserves of its wearer to help Belano with her core issue. “What do you think?” he asked.

“Oh, wow... Yeah, this is a whole lot more magic.” Belano was happy at first, but before long things took a turn for the worse. “I... I don’t feel so good...” she said, and then she heaved violently, expelling the contents of her stomach all over the floor.

It seemed that her body couldn’t quite handle the amount of magic power granted upon her. Flio adjusted the ring to lower the amount of magic so that Belano’s body could gradually acclimate to her increased reserves.

Belano was admiring her new ring when a voice came from behind her, dark as if it was seething up from the very bowels of the earth. “Heed my warning, girl,” it said. It was Rys, who had silently crept up from behind. “That’s a splendid ring you have there...but if you should ever wear my husband’s gift on your left hand’s ring finger...”

Belano went white and obediently put the ring on her right middle finger.

◇Byleri’s Case◇

Flio also made an enchanted ring for Byleri to supplement her poor arm strength enough to use a crossbow that could penetrate a psychobear’s hide. For several days after, she went into the forest to find animals to practice marksmanship on, but there was a problem.

Byleri stared at the horned rabbit at the end of her bow, her arms shaking. “Umm, Miss Rys?” she started. “Do I really have to, like, shoot the bunny?”

“What’s the matter?” asked Rys. “Is something wrong?”

“It’s just...the bunny’s way too cute? I feel, like, sorry for it, y’know? I just... I just can’t...”

Rys was dumbfounded. “Excuse me?”

Since small animals didn’t seem to be an option, Byleri fixed a target to a tree growing outside Flio’s house, and practiced exclusively on that. She was in the middle of training when she happened to glance happily at the ring of strength on her finger.

“Heed my warning, girl,” came Rys’s voice from behind her. “That’s a splendid ring you have there...”

◇Balirossa’s Case◇

Of the four, Balirossa showed by far the most improvement. Under Flio’s tutelage, she learned to reduce her unnecessary flourishes, and became considerably better at delivering solid cuts. A-Rank monsters were still beyond her, but as she stood, it would not be out of the question for her to take on a B-Rank.

No sooner had Flio begun to take notice of her improvement, however, than Balirossa started acting strangely. She seemed to be playing the part of a helpless damsel, although Flio could tell that she was attending closely to his line of sight. Flio, for his part, had no idea what was on her mind and could only incline his head in confusion at her behavior. Rys, on the other hand, thought she had some idea. This had all started the day after Flio had given Belano and Byleri their rings, after all... That conniving... She’s trying to get a ring from my husband!

Rys took over Balirossa’s training from Flio, and she quickly gave up the damsel act.

◇ ◇ ◇

What a purrculiar group they are.

Uliminas had come south through the Delaveza Forest, and was now spying on the activities in Flio’s house from the forest. Those four meowver there training aren’t anything special... she thought, her eyes fixed on Flio. But that man...

One of Uliminas’s abilities enabled her to see a person’s status and abilities at a glance. But no matter how hard she tried, Flio remained completely opaque. Even the Dark Meown can’t block me like that... Uliminas hid behind a tree. She could sense a powerful barrier around Flio’s house. I could disguise meowself as a human... she thought, considering ways to draw close to Flio. Or maybe...

Uliminas was startled out of her thoughts by a voice coming from the direction of the house. “I was wondering who was watching us... Uliminas, is that you? What are you doing here?”

Uliminas looked in the direction of the voice. Suddenly, her troubled expression gave way to pure shock. There before her stood the younger sister of the Infernal Fengaryl. “Fenrys?!”

◇ ◇ ◇

Uliminas was still uneasy.

“I’m afraid it’s meager hospitality,” said Flio, “but please enjoy.” Rys had introduced Uliminas to her husband as “my colleague in the Dark Army,” and Flio had insisted on inviting her inside where he then treated her with goodies.

Uliminas eyed the tea and pastries in front of her with suspicion. Did he poison these...?

“Uliminas,” said Rys, smiling dangerously as she regarded her former comrade, “is something the matter with the tea my lord husband has so kindly prepared for you? You suspect poison, perhaps...”

“No!” Uliminas shouted, scrambling to drink it up. “Never! Not even a little bit! Thank you so meowch!”

Meanwhile, Balirossa’s party was watching from the shadows, hidden behind a pillar.

“Is that...” said Balirossa, “one of the Dark One’s...”

“Gods above...” said Blossom. “What do we do?”

“Ha...” laughed Byleri. “Aha ha ha...”

Belano said nothing. She had fainted.

The four of them were huddled together in their hiding spot, shaking violently. Uliminas, who was quite aware of their presence, lowered her head. Yeah... she thought, that’s what mewsually happens when a normal human sees a demeown up close... She returned her gaze to Flio and Rys, who were sitting in front of her, smiling. Fenrys is a demeown...although I guess she’s calling herself Rys now. But why is this Flio so relaxed? He’s a human, isn’t he?

What troubled her even more, though, was Rys. The Fenrys that Uliminas knew had nothing but contempt for humans. She delighted in their slaughter, calling them “inferior lifeforms.” But the woman in front of her calling herself Rys seemed not to have a speck of killing intent as she sat by Flio, gazing at him with an adoring smile on her face. But if Uliminas even so much as thought of making any kind of suspicious movement, Rys would fix her with a look of such murderous intensity that it froze her blood. I can’t afford to meowss around here... she thought, clicking her tongue as she turned her attention to Flio.

“Mew know,” she began, “there have been some big changes around here lately, especially in the Delaveza Forest.”

“Oh, that.” said Flio. “That’s my fault. I didn’t really know what I was doing, and I carelessly cast the spell Purification... It seems like Rys’s brother got caught up in it...”

“Don’t blame yourself, my beloved,” said Rys. “It’s his own fault for falling so easily, even though he was one of the Infernal Four.”

Uliminas was stunned silent by what she was hearing. Hold on... He “carelessly” destroyed Fengaryl’s army? A-And with Purification! Isn’t that meowne of the strongest spells in existence?!

“Wait!” said Balirossa, still hiding behind the pillar. “Sir Flio did what to an Infernal?!”

“I can’t,” said Blossom, “I seriously just can’t...”

“Aha?!” cackled Byleri. “Aha ha ha ha ha ha...”

Belano said nothing. She was still unconscious.

Those four are really starting to get on my nerves, thought Uliminas, failing to hide her irritation.

Flio and Uliminas continued for a while to chat idly about nothing important, until Uliminas made to leave. “Well,” she said, “I should probably be going. I’m in the middle of a mission, mew know? But first, I’d like to ask mew a favor...”

“You do?” asked Flio. “What is it?”

“Would mew mind sparring with me? I’m very interested in seeing how I purrform against someone even Rys couldn’t handle.” Uliminas smiled amicably. She had an ulterior motive, however: a sparring match might give her the chance to eliminate a potential threat to the Dark Army.

Rys cut into the conversation. “My husband, you mustn’t!” she exclaimed.

Meow?! Of course Rys could see right through me... Uliminas clicked her tongue, and shifted her weight onto her legs so that she could run away at any time.

“This woman is after your body!” said Rys, pointing an accusatory finger at Uliminas. “She means to use a sparring match as a pretext to grapple with you!”

“What?! Why would I—!” Taken off guard by Rys’s skewed perspective, Uliminas lost her balance and fell.

Flio smiled wryly at their exchange. “Sure,” he said. “I’m fine with a sparring match.”

Uliminas flashed a devilish grin, cracking her knuckles as she schemed. She had already devised a strategy for their match. Flio, her opponent, was too strong to face head-on... But with my spell, Toxic, I can send poison through the ground beneath his feet!

The two faced off outside the house. “Whenever you’re ready,” said Flio. He didn’t draw his sword, nor did he begin casting defensive magic—he simply stood nonchalantly, as if nothing special was happening. Uliminas would have preferred it if he were on guard. His lack of defense only made him seem more threatening.

“All right,” she said. “Purrpare yourself!” Uliminas launched herself off the ground, flying high into the air. But this was a feint. The instant before she took flight, Uliminas had sent the spell Toxic through the ground itself. As her magic moved underground to attack Flio, she took to the sky to draw his attention away in an attempt to eliminate any chance of him noticing.

“Poison magic from underground, huh?” Flio was completely unfazed. As he spoke, the Toxic spell coursing fast through the earth shattered with a hollow “clink!”

“Wha—?!”

It took Uliminas a moment to realize what had happened. She wasn’t the Dark One’s confederate for nothing, though. Realizing that her attack from beneath had failed, she began the incantation for another spell. Countless poisonous snakes appeared out of both her outstretched hands, one after another, attacking Flio from all directions. But Flio simply raised his hand, and Uliminas’s magic snakes scattered and vanished with the same “clink.”

“Let’s not use poison, okay?” said Flio. As he spoke, Uliminas’s body was frozen in midair, held in place by some unseen force. She couldn’t move. Thanks to the pressure binding her, even breathing was difficult. Uliminas couldn’t even make out what had happened to her. “I’d have no trouble avoiding them,” Flio continued, “but if one of those things happened to fall on Rys or Balirossa’s gang, we might have a bit of a problem.”

“I am capable of defending myself, my lord,” said Rys.

“Yes, but it’s the principle of the matter,” Flio said, firmly. “I wouldn’t want to send poison your way if I can help it.”

“H-Honestly...” Rys blushed bright red, too flustered to meet Flio’s eyes.

As Flio and Rys were speaking, Uliminas, held fast in midair, succumbed to asphyxiation and passed out.

“Sorry about that. I really overdid it,” Flio said, apologizing to Uliminas for both losing his temper over the poison attacks, and for continuing to press his own spell until she lost consciousness.

“N-No need,” said Uliminas, her voice shrill. “It was my fault! Don’t worry ameowt it!” She took off with some hurried goodbyes to Flio and Rys, looking for all the world like she was running away. Meowly hell... she thought as she ran. That man was something else! The Dark Meown needs to hear about this... She set off in the direction of the Citadel of the Dark One as fast as her feet could take her.

“Thank you for taking such good care of me, my dear husband,” said Rys, clinging gently to Flio. She was moved that Flio thought of her when Uliminas had attacked him with poison.

“Of course!” Flio smiled. “You’re precious to me, Rys.” He held her gently, his arms around her shoulders.

“My love...” said Rys, pressing closer.

That night when they went to bed, things were quite a bit more energetic than usual.

◇The Citadel of the Dark One◇

“And you, Uliminas, were unable to harm this man?”

Gholl, the Dark One, sat upon his throne as Uliminas made her report, his demonic aura welling up behind him. Gholl was an enormous and powerfully muscular demon, his skin a bluish black. Atop his head were two large horns—the mark of his station.

Uliminas knelt before him, sweating nervously. She had come, after all, to report her failure to eliminate a man who might be a threat to the Dark Army. It was far from unheard of for the Dark One to reduce underlings who fail in their missions to ash on the spot. There was the option of not telling the Dark One about this particular incident, but Uliminas reasoned that news of Flio’s existence would eventually reach the Dark One’s ears one way or another. Therefore, it would be best to report the full details of what had happened at Flio’s house without concealing anything.

The Dark One stared at Uliminas, deep in thought. To her, the time she spent on her knees, waiting for the Dark One to speak felt like nothing short of eternity. Finally, he spoke. “I agree that this man may prove a threat to my army,” he said, slowly and deliberately. “Uliminas. I give you command of the dragons. Bring this man to me. Alive, if possible. Dead, if not.”

“As you command!” said Uliminas. “I will capture him, I purromise you!”

I thought he was meownna kill me... she thought as she sped out of the throne room. I thought I was dead for sure... Relief radiated from the depths of her heart. She rushed down the hallway, simply savoring being alive.

◇Flio’s House—The Following Day◇

“Human Flio, I must thank you for your hospurrtality the other day.” Uliminas was perched on the head of an enormous dragon. Ten more dragons followed behind, each at least ten meters long. This was the proud legion of dragons, the main strike team of the Dark Army, the finest of dragon-kind. They had destroyed countless human armies. Even forces led by Heroes past had collapsed before them. From her lofty vantage point, Uliminas towered over Flio, who was standing in the entryway to his house.

Flio’s eyes lit up when he saw Uliminas and her army of dragons. “Wow,” he said. “So that’s a dragon... I’ve never seen one before!”

“Are there no dragons in the world you came from, my beloved?” asked Rys.

“There are,” said Flio, conversing without any evident fear of the dragons before him, much to Uliminas’s chagrin, “but they’re rare. They’re the kind of thing you hear about in legends like... Oh, there was one about a prince who made a pact with a dragon and became a dragon rider.”

That Flio! Uliminas clicked her tongue in frustration. How is he so calm in front of an army of dragons?! Inside the house, past Flio, Uliminas could see Balirossa’s party peeking through a crack in the door.

“Dragons!” said Balirossa. “Dragons! Lots of them!”

“Th-This is bad,” said Blossom. “My legs won’t stop shaking...”

“Ha,” said Byleri. “Ha ha haaaaaa?!”

Belano said nothing. She had collapsed and was unconscious yet again.

That’s how I’d expect a human to react to seeing this many dragons. But Flio seems purrfectly calm! Nervous, Uliminas cleared her throat. “Flio, look. Surrender and swear allegiance to the Dark Meown and we’ll let you live. Refuse, and these dragons will burn mew alive.” Even Flio, she thought, would have to surrender, surrounded by this many dragons.

But Flio only grinned wide at Uliminas’s words. “Yeah? So it’s okay if I fight them? I can help myself to their scales when I win, right? Ah, I’ve been wanting to try my hand at making dragon scale armor...”

Uliminas was even more unnerved than before at Flio’s high spirits. This man... Don’t tell me he’s even stronger than dragons... But there was no turning back now. She looked him straight in the eyes. “Then we have nothing more to say. Purrpare to die!” She lowered her arm, signaling for the dragons to attack.

◇Some Time Later◇

I-Impawssible...

Uliminas’s face was screwed in a look of desperation as she fled with the surviving dragons back towards the Citadel of the Dark One, in too much of a hurry to attend to the burnt fur on her back. Both she and her dragon had been grievously injured by a direct hit from Flio’s lightning and barely managed to make it out alive. All that was left of her army were two dragons, both heavily injured.

The battle was over in a second. As the dragons descended on him from all sides, Flio raised his right hand aloft, calling down a lightning bolt of cataclysmic power: the holy spell Heavenly Hammer. Ordinarily, it took ten high-level mages several hours of chanting to cast this spell—the most destructive of all holy magic.

Flio had cast it as if it were nothing. “Let’s try this one!” he’d said.

With that single bolt, seven of the eleven dragons fell from the sky, instantly burned to death. The rest fled before the overwhelming magic power of Flio. “Mreow?! W-Wait!” Uliminas ordered. “Stop! Come back!” But the dragons were absolutely terrified. Not a single one of them obeyed her commands.

Blossom stepped out of the house, her eyes wide in awe at the sight of the dragons driven away by Flio’s power. “Incredible, sir!” she said. “Maybe I should take advantage of the confusion and get some kills in myself. If I threw this spear and got lucky, I could earn the title ‘Dragonslayer’!” She jokingly tossed the spear in her hand lightly forward.

Flio, however, glanced at Blossom and said, “Wanna give it a try, then?” He faced her spear, chanting as it flew through the air, imbuing it with enchantment spells. Haste, Sanctify, Heavy Blow, and more and more and more. The spear began to glow brilliantly as it flew with incredible speed, straight towards the neck of the fleeing dragon lagging furthest behind its fellows. Blossom watched in amazement as the spear she had thrown as a joke severed the dragon’s head.

“Seriously?” she gasped. “For real?” Behind her, the rest of Balirossa’s party crowded around, no less awed as they watched the dragon fall to the earth. “Oh!” Blossom shouted. “Did I get the title?!” She checked her status, and cried out in joy.

Dragonslayer was a title that was appended automatically to the status of those who slew a dragon or a related monster. Those who bore this title were not only especially sought for employment by nobility, but had the special right to claim noble stations for themselves as well. Flio, of course, had also received this title.

When she heard Blossom’s cries of joy, Balirossa rushed over to Flio. “Sir Flio!” she shouted. “M-Me too! Do me too! Please! Please, I beg you!” She tossed her sword in the direction of the fleeing dragons, but they were already out of sight. Flio tried out a few spells, but in the end he hadn’t been able to hit them.

“I’m sorry, Balirossa,” he said. “I don’t think I can do it if they’re too far away to see.”

“I-I see...” Balirossa collapsed, crying and laughing in turns. “I see...”

If only I had that title... If only I could restore my family name.

◇Several Days Later◇

Gholl, the Dark One, walked alone through the forest. Disguising his form with magic to appear as a human and wearing an adventurer’s garb, he traveled south along the road from the Delaveza Forest to Klyrode Castle.

To think that anyone could wreck my legion of dragons so thoroughly with a single spell...

He had watched Flio’s battle against the dragons through his scrying crystal, and had witnessed Flio’s overwhelming power with his own eyes. To say he was confused and dismayed would be an understatement.

To think a common adventurer—an adventurer, not a Hero—could use magic like that...

After what he had seen, Gholl had deemed Flio to be a critical threat. He had set out towards Flio’s territory on his own, hoping to further investigate this man who could lay waste to an army of dragons.

◇The Citadel of the Dark One—Several Hours Earlier◇

“L-Lord Gholl, surely you don’t need to go yourself... You could send the Demeown Generals, or your favorite servant, Uliminas...” Lord Gholl was on his way out of the castle when the leaders of his army came in front of him, Uliminas at their head. With her were the three surviving Infernals: a doppeladler, a giant lamia, and a grizzled lich steed. Even the lower commanders of his army were there.

Gholl simply glanced at the crowd. “Fengaryl was the strongest of you, and this man defeated him easily. You’re no match for him.” Everyone went silent. They couldn’t deny the truth of the Dark One’s words. Gholl faced his commanders and raised his right hand. “Don’t worry. All I’m after this time is information.” With that, he took his leave.

He followed the road south, all the way out of the forest, where he saw a building that looked like it might be Flio’s house. He stopped in his tracks. “Hrm?” In front of him, almost impossible to detect if not for the tremendous caution he was taking, was a barrier and a trap. Hrm... His traps are skillful too. One more step and he would have been caught in them. Gholl felt beads of nervous sweat on his brow. He had disguised his form and hidden his demonic nature with magic, but this trap would without a doubt see through his sorcery and judge him to be a demon and an enemy. He folded his arms. What now...? I need to get past this barrier...

“And who might you be?” As he stood in thought, a woman walked up to him from the inside of the barrier. She bore a sword. “Are you, perhaps, an acquaintance of the master or the lady of the house?” She was smiling, but her hand never left her sword’s hilt, ready to strike any time.

“Well...” he started, “actually, I’m an old acquaintance of the lady of the house, you see. I heard she was living around here, so I thought I’d come calling...”

At his words, the woman drew her sword and suddenly pressed the tip against the base of Gholl’s throat. “Which would make you someone with the Dark Army, no? You should know that she cut ties with you to become my lord’s wife. What business do you have with her? Answer poorly, and you will face me, Balirossa!” Her smile had vanished completely. She was glaring daggers at him.

Hmpf! She tricked me with that question! I can’t believe I exposed myself like that! Gholl couldn’t help but admire Balirossa’s wit and judgment. She had disarmed him by approaching with a smile, yet brought her sword to threaten him without hesitation as soon as she deemed him suspicious. Gholl focused his eyes, examining her status. Hrm... An ordinary human. It would be easy to just kill her... But she’s interesting, this girl.

Gholl’s lips curled up in a smile as he held out his hands in a display of peaceful intent. “Yes,” he said, “you are correct. I am a demon. But my only purpose here is to see if what I’ve heard is true. I’ll leave straightaway.”

Balirossa sheathed her sword, making sure of his lack of hostility. “Then I suppose there is no need for this,” she said, although she did not stop watching Gholl’s movements carefully. “Is there any message you would have me give my lady?”

Gholl nodded repeatedly, paying close attention to Balirossa. Hrm, hrm... She’s a very diligent guard...and she knew when to back down, as well... “Indeed,” he said. “Tell her... Tell her I said, ‘Next time let’s have tea together and talk about old times.’”

“Understood. My name is Balirossa. May I have yours?”

“Gho-” he said, but caught himself at the last moment, stumbling over his words. I shouldn’t give her my real name... he thought. “Ghozal,” he said. “Tell her that.” With that, Gholl turned on his heels and walked away.

◇The Citadel of the Dark One—Several Hours Later◇

“Well, my Lord Dark Meown? What did mew think of that Flio? Learn anything mewseful?” Back in his castle, Gholl was sitting silently on his throne, his arms folded and eyes shut tight. He didn’t respond to the hellcat Uliminas’s question nor show any sign of moving. “Lord Gholl?” she tried again, but he still gave no response.

Purrhaps he’s thinking of a plan, she thought. I guess I shouldn’t bother him... She bowed once, and left Gholl to his thoughts.

That woman, Balirossa... For a human, she had elegant movements, a dignified bearing, the courage to sacrifice herself for her master...

For some time now, Gholl had been somehow unable to stop thinking about his standoff with Balirossa. It was like her image was burned into his brain.

◇Flio’s House◇

“No... Truly?!” Balirossa couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Her whole body felt like a waterfall of nervous sweat at Flio’s words.

“There’s no doubt about it,” Flio said. “He was in disguise, but that was the Dark One.” Rys, who was standing beside him, nodded. Both of them had sensed Gholl’s presence and hurried outside, but when they saw that Balirossa had beaten them to it, they decided to simply watch from the shadows.

“However, ‘Ghozal’?” said Rys, chuckling in amusement. “If he’s going to give a fake name, he should put more thought into it.”

“Regardless, it sounds like he wants to have tea together. What do you say, Rys?”

“Hm...” she pondered. “He has power worthy of a Dark One, but I’m afraid he’s a bit of a stick-in-the-mud. His conversation skills might leave you terribly bored, my lord.”

The two of them laughed as they spoke, but Balirossa was shaking. “Th-That was...th-the Dark One... I-I pointed my sword at...th-the Dark One... This is bad... He’ll kill me... He’ll kill me for sure...” There was no sign of her gallantry from when she had confronted Gholl. She couldn’t stop sweating, and there were tears in her eyes. Her face was a mess, with mucus dripping out her nose and slobber from her mouth.

“Hey, don’t get the floor dirty!” said Blossom. “It’s a pain to clean.”

“Ew, ew!” said Byleri. “Balirossa! That’s, like, really gross?”

Belano said nothing. She was busy scrubbing the floor.

“Grawr?” said Sybe.

The four of them—three humans and one bear—gathered around Balirossa, but she still would not stop trembling.

◇Flio’s House—Days Later◇

“Hey, Ghozal!” said Flio. “Come on in!” It was the fourth time that week the Dark One Gholl had come to visit in the guise of Ghozal. Flio greeted him with a smile.

“Hrm. Thank you for having me.” Ghozal held open his palm in a casual greeting.

Flio had set the barrier to not affect Gholl so that he could come visit whenever he liked. Since that day, Gholl had been paying frequent visits to Flio’s household. His objective was, of course, Flio... No, actually, the truth was he had been hoping to see Balirossa. Still mysteriously unable to forget the dignity with which she bore herself when she had confronted him, Gholl had started coming over whenever he had a spare moment.

However, Balirossa, aware that Ghozal was in fact the Dark One Gholl, would flee whenever he came, making excuses like, “I-I-I need to go to the river to do laundry!” or “I-I-I need to go to the mountains for firewood!” Gholl could only ever see glimpses of her before she left. However, this only heightened his estimation of the knight. Hrm... She’s quite the hard worker! I’ve never seen her so much as take a break!

Throughout all this, and after many conversations, Gholl found that he had begun at some point to look forward to his chats with Flio. That Flio... Even though he must have noticed I am the Dark One, he doesn’t give me any special treatment. Talking with Flio was never boring, and the tea was good as well. He had become very comfortable spending time at Flio’s house, and very much enjoyed his visits.

◇The Citadel’s Throne Room—Later Still◇

Gholl was preparing to head out to Flio’s house when Uliminas approached him, wearing a concerned expression. “My Lord Dark Meown... Aren’t mew putting yourself in danger, going to that man’s territory so meowften?” But Gholl grinned slyly.

“But think—wouldn’t winning him to our side be the best outcome? He is more prepared to listen than I had assumed.”

“Purr-Purrhaps, but...”

“Anyway, I’m off. Look after the castle while I’m gone.”

Gholl hurried off, leaving Uliminas alone in the throne room watching him go. If Lord Gholl keeps spending all his time at that man’s place, people are gonna start spreading nasty rumors about him. I can hear them now... “Is the Dark Meown submitting to that man?!” or, “When did the Dark Meown become a bootlicker for a mere human!”

Uliminas gazed up at the ceiling and sighed.

◇Klyrode Castle—Throne Room◇

“What’s that you say?” asked King Klyrode, scowling at the aide in front of him. “He’s visiting that adventurer? And you think he’s a demon.”

The aide nodded once, emphatically, and took a second look at the report in his hands. “There’s no doubt about it, Your Majesty. We had spies assigned to monitor that adventurer—Flio is his name—just in case. After all, he has refused many times to answer our summons. They report that a suspicious man has been seen making frequent visits to his house. They tailed the man and confirmed that he was headed in the direction of the Citadel of the Dark One.”

“Ngh!” the king exclaimed in dismay. “That man... Could he be conspiring with the Dark One? We must send soldiers at—”

“Father, wait!” The princess, who had been standing in the back, raised her voice when she heard the king’s words. She trotted in front of her father and spread her arms wide, facing him. “Father, I beg you to rethink this. We do not yet know for certain if this Mister Flio is working with the Dark Army. If we handle this poorly, we will surely anger him and ruin what positive feelings he has for our kingdom. We may even drive him to join forces with the Dark One! Before sending soldiers, would it not behoove us to simply speak with him? We should not just send summons after summons, but listen to what he—”

“You be quiet!” the king interrupted, enraged by his daughter’s words. “Princess, do you think you can govern a kingdom by ideals alone? Don’t confuse your dreams for reality!”

“But!”

“Enough! Someone remove this insolent daughter of mine from my sight!” Under the king’s orders, the guards went to surround the princess. She lowered her head, and left the room on her own.

King Klyrode clicked his tongue as he watched her leave.

◇The Southern Stronghold◇

The Golden-Haired Hero raised his voice when he heard the news. “Is that true?! That Flio guy has been consorting with demons?!”

“That seems to be the case,” said the woman pouring his drink. “I happened to hear about it from the soldiers’ gossip in the castle.”

As before, the Hero was hiding away in the fortress to the south of Klyrode Castle. He had been plying the maids assigned to tend to his needs with treasure, calling on them to investigate the state of affairs in the castle proper. Through them, he had heard rumors about Flio. He had started scheming as soon as news of the adventurer’s existence came to his attention. “If I were to use such a strong man to do my bidding, it might not be so impossible to defeat the Dark One...” Seeking any way to bring Flio under his control, he had been sending regular messengers to the castle begging the king to summon Flio for him, and also making his maids search for any information related to the man. When he heard this latest bit of news, he grinned arrogantly.

Tsuya, who had been sitting beside him, looked up from her work portioning out dishes for the Hero with a worried expression on her face. “Ummm, my Lord Hero, what exactly are you planning?”

“Isn’t it obvious?! I’m gonna use this information to bring that man to heel!” he said before laughing loudly, “ha ha ha ha ha!”

◇Flio’s House—The Following Day◇

Taking his knights who had been stationed at the fortress, the Golden-Haired Hero set out for the house he had heard was Flio’s. When Balirossa and her party caught sight of them through the window, they were bewildered and perplexed. “Wh-Why are knights from the castle surrounding our house?” Balirossa asked.

“Hey wait,” said Blossom, pointing out a figure, “isn’t that our shut-in Hero?”

“Wait, what?!” said Byleri. “The Hero doesn’t, like, have a problem with us, does he?”

“Of all the luck...” said Belano.

Standing next to the four, Rys regarded the knights with a dubious expression. “Well, my lord? If they’re unwanted, I could certainly send them running.” Sybe beat his chest, like he was saying, “Leave it to me!”

“W-Well, I’m gonna go see what they want first,” said Flio. “Would you all mind waiting here?” He went outside the house alone, forcing himself to smile. As he stepped out the door, the Golden-Haired Hero rode up to him upon a white horse.

“You! Commoner!” he said. “Listen here! Your dealings with demons are known to us!” He drew his sword and pointed it at Flio. “By all rights, no one would have cause to complain if I cut you down where you stand. However... I will give you a chance to redeem yourself. Become my servant and assist me in my quest to slay the Dark One! If you do, I myself will petition the king to pardon your crimes. I’ll even offer you any reward you please. Well? Not a bad exchange, is it? Answer me! Should you refuse, know that your life is forfeit!” Still on horseback, he spread his arms wide, looking smugly down at Flio.

This is it... he thought, riding high on his words. This has to be one of the top three moments of my life! Now Flio will become my servant, and I will lead him to slay the Dark One! Making me a true Hero, a legend in this kingdom!

“Sir Hero!” cried Balirossa, sticking her face out the window. “This is coercion!”

“Show some regard for other people!” shouted Blossom, following suit.

“Yeah! Um, totally!” said Byleri. “Aha ha ha...”

Belano just scoffed and gave the Hero a defiant glare.

Beside them, Rys and Sybe looked like they could hurl themselves at the Hero at any moment for daring to threaten Flio. Flio, meanwhile, simply smiled. “I see,” he said. “I have no desire to work for the castle, nor do I wish to fight you. Needless to say, I also do not wish to be cut down where I stand. Therefore, I believe you give me no choice but to leave this land.” He turned back to look at his house where the rest of his company stood. “That’s my preference, at least... Are you okay with this, Rys?”

“Yes,” she said, nodding her head slowly. “I will go anywhere as long as it is with my husband.” Sybe also nodded his fervent assent.

“S-Sir Flio!” said Balirossa. “Please, allow me to come with you!”

“Take me too!” said Blossom. “I’ll handle any farmwork you need doing!”

“What?” said Byleri. “Um, can I come too?”

“...And me!” said Belano.

“Hey, wait!” Flio interjected. “Don’t you need to go back to the castle?” Balirossa emphatically shook her head. “I cannot give my allegiance to a kingdom that allows its Hero to engage in coercion. From today on, I am no longer a knight of Klyrode!” Balirossa and the rest of her party nodded along with her.

Flio was hesitant. “Just like that? You don’t want to give it more thought?” he said. “Well...I suppose we can talk about this more later.” Grinning wryly, Flio raised his right hand in the air and began casting a spell. First, he himself began to glow, but soon the light spread to his house and his garden.

“All right,” he said. “Let’s head off.” He focused his consciousness on one part of the map he saw displayed in his mind. “Hmm... This spot looks good,” he said, and cast Transference. In an instant, the house, the garden, Flio, and his party were all gone, vanished into thin air.

The knights were in disarray. “What?!” said one, uncomprehending.

“They’re gone?!” said another. “Their house too?!”

“That’s impossible!” said a third. “Was that Transference? He really used it over such a wide area?!”

The Golden-Haired Hero, however, was still off in his own little world, and had yet to notice that Flio was gone. It took almost a full minute before he came to the realization that Flio had refused to become his servant and had disappeared along with his house. Utterly dismayed, he turned on the spot and once more secluded himself in the Southern Stronghold. Naturally, he did not neglect to send a demanding message to the king that said, “Find Flio and make him my servant!”

The Dark One Gholl burst with rage when he heard what had happened. “I am going to teach those louts a lesson they won’t forget!” he declared, and, arming himself, set out alone.

When Uliminas noticed what was happening, she rallied the army, leading them herself to follow after Gholl. “Th-The Dark Meown is going to battle! Don’t fall behind!” And so, an army tens-of-thousands strong passed through the Delaveza Forest, taking Klyrode completely by surprise. They tore through the Magical Kingdom’s defenses, and before long they were just to the north of Klyrode Castle itself, where they set up camp.

They continued to camp there, not advancing further, simply projecting an air of intimidation by their very presence and throwing the townsfolk into disarray. At the very front, the Dark One Gholl stood, glaring down the castle.

I’ll teach them a lesson for spoiling my fun!

◇One Month Later◇

It had been a month since Flio and his household had vanished. King Klyrode and the knights in the castle had been terrified when the Dark Army attacked without warning, setting camp right outside the castle. The castle was protected by powerful wards that even the Dark One could not easily breach, but with the army camped outside its walls, the situation had never been more precarious.

Finally, the King left the castle through a secret passage, and went himself to the Southern Stronghold. Hoping that he could coax the Golden-Haired Hero to lead the army to drive off the Dark One, he supplicated himself personally before the fortress gates. However, the Hero refused to allow the gates to open, even for the King. No matter how loudly he shouted, there was no response.

He returned to the castle in despair. “We have no other choice,” he said, gathering every mage and witch in the castle. “Our only hope is to use that spell.” And so it was decided that they would invoke the secret arts of the Magical Kingdom of Klyrode, and use the spell that was the utmost pinnacle of divine magic: Purification.

The skies began to glow, and a brilliant light enveloped the earth. Even the Dark Army could only retreat before the combined magical power of all of Klyrode. They had succeeded in driving the demons away, but the victory came at a great price.

Every mage and witch had their magic completely depleted. It would take months for them to fully recover, even years for some. They fell unconscious, and were taken to the infirmary to sleep. The King too fell into a deep sleep, having used his own magic power to cast the spell. In accordance with the legal code of Klyrode, the Princess was appointed to rule the country as regent until her father awakened.

You may recall that Purification is the same spell Flio cast in the Delaveza Forest. The spell that took all the magic power of all the magic users in the castle to invoke had cost Flio one-third of his total magic. Although, in his case, it only took two minutes to recover.

◇The Dark Army◇

Although they had been forced to retreat by the Magical Kingdom’s Purification, Gholl had sensed what they were doing before they could finish casting the spell, and directed his army to fall back. Because of his quick action, they were able to keep their casualties to a minimum. The undead and ghost-type demons who made up the bulk of the Dark One’s fighting force were unable to approach the land that had been affected by Purification, so they resolved to withdraw until the effects of the spell had faded.

◇The Golden-Haired Hero◇

The Hero had been in his fortress when the Dark Army had closed in, and for the past month had stayed shut indoors, not even sending out messengers. It was only when he heard word that the demons had been driven off that he began to once more send forth messages. He didn’t waste a single moment before resuming his habits. He demanded again that they search for Flio, he demanded alcohol and food, and he demanded gold and silver. The Princess had, however, had quite enough, and resolved to cut him off. She delivered one final notice to the Hero:

“If you set out immediately to face the Dark One, we of Klyrode will provide a minimum amount of support. If you refuse, however, you are to leave the fortress at once and never again don the title of ‘Hero.’” The Golden-Haired Hero shook violently when he received this message.

Next, the Princess convened a council with all the essential staff of the castle to discuss new strategies for opposing the Dark One. The minister was the first to offer his opinion: “Why don’t we summon another candidate to be the Hero?” Most of the members in attendance seemed to take his view.

The Princess, however, could not assent to this. “We have summoned so many, and sent anyone with any potential against the Dark One with no success. I cannot approve of continuing this practice.” She was obstinate on this point, and the meeting fell into disorder. When it was clear that they were making no progress towards their goal, the Princess at last called for the Oracle.

The Oracle was a woman who could see into the future to a certain degree. This was not magic, but a rare skill she possessed: Prophecy. Her predictions were often vague, however, and once she had made one it took a fairly long time before she could make another. “Tell me,” said the princess. “Can you see any way to save our kingdom?”

The Oracle peered into her crystal and activated her skill. Before long, she looked up, turning to face the Princess. “Seek the True Hero,” she said. “The True Hero has already been summoned.” She bowed deeply. When they heard these words, everyone thought of the same person: Flio. The True Hero the Oracle spoke of must be the man the Golden-Haired Hero had foolishly driven off.

Once more the order went out to find Flio, but the Princess had no interest in making him the Golden-Haired Hero’s subordinate. Her objective was to invite Flio back to the kingdom as the True Hero.

“That Princess...” scoffed the Golden-Haired Hero when he heard what had happened from Tsuya. “Why, she just does whatever she likes!” He bit his lip in irritation. Since the Princess had sent him her final notice, all of the women in the fortress had left. After all, they had only obeyed the Hero because of the promise of gold and silver, and because they could indulge in all the delicious food and drink they wanted in his company. When they heard that no more would be coming, they all left.

All of them except for Tsuya.

At first, Tsuya had been ordered to accompany the Hero, but she elected to stay behind by her own free will. Tsuya was born in the slums. She had been working in a sleazy bar when she chanced to catch the eye of someone from the castle, and ended up employed there to entertain guests. Her job was to stay with guests, pour liquor for them, and even keep them company until morning if it was asked of her. None of the other residents in the castle had any occasion to speak with her.

The Golden-Haired Hero, however, had always treated her kindly. He would make her pour him liquor, and sometimes he would take her to bed, but unlike the others he always spoke to her like they were friends. And so, Tsuya found that she had no desire to leave the Hero’s side.

“My Lord Hero,” she said. “What are you gonna do now?” She was anxious for the future.

“Hm, well...” he said. “What was it you were telling me about the other day? Let me hear more about it.” A sly grin slowly spread over his face.