Chapter 83 – Safe Return

“……And so, only you came back escaping from them.”

“Um, one person and one animal.”

Ai was standing in front of commander Norz and his aide Sylvia in a room within the headquarters.

“You Fool! It doesn’t change anything!!”

Norz became enraged at her coming back with her cat only alive and not showing even a bit of timidness in her replies.

“Please calm down”

Just before 5 seconds Norz would have hit her, Sylvia whisper in her ears in a cold voice.

“She is most probably one that Cardinal likes, if you raise hand on her do you think you’ll be forgiven?”

“Gu……But still this”

“We don’t have any time to deal with her, shouldn’t we make plans for interception.”

“Tsk, Got no choice”

Norz somehow calms down his rage and closes his eyes while folding his arms, as if he doesn’t care whatever the adventurer says now.

“Adventurer Ai, Thank you for your hard work, you can go now.”

“Ye~s”

After giving an idiotic reply, Ai along with Tsumiki left the room. [ET: Tsumiki is her cat.]

“……However, finally we can fight a battle which doesn’t feel like massacre.”

Inside Norz words there were some hidden expectations.

He wasn’t as good as Kievan but he was also a genuine believer of Cross, and hated the demons from the very bottom of his heart. In spite of that, the reason he went to occupy villages without more soldier was because his aide, Sylvia was holding his reins due to which he couldn’t go on a rampage and Sylvia also negotiated like an expert with the villages to surrender.

Though the ability of Sylvia capturing villages without any resistance is something of very much value, but to Norz who was enthusiastic ‘I will kill all the demons. It will be a bloodbath.’, the ‘peaceful’ actions were somewhat unsatisfying for him.

“The overdoing of Priest Kievan, must have put in the seeds of rebellion in the demons.”

They have already heard from the soldiers that escaped about the crucifixion as an example of the Cross.

If they had easily occupied Irz Village like that, it might have served as a purpose for fear, but his actions in turn aroused the hate and seeds of rebellion in the other villages.

“Fun, the enemies are just some lousy adventurers, whether they are demons or something else, we can send out hundred thousand soldiers if we want. But naturally, it won’t be needed as our squad already has a lot of soldiers to complete this job.”

Judging from the scale of village, even if all the villagers were to arm up and come at them, they won’t be a match for Norz Squad.

Naturally, it is not like even women and children would come in fight, if they join hands with those who can properly file like vigilante corps or adventurers, they still won’t make more than 300.

Unless a dragon or something appears, Norz squad will not be defeated.

Therefore, Sylvia was also not worried about this, but rather she was worried about the other matter.

“There is nowhere they can now run to inside Daedalus territory. I will slowly drive them in corner while they feel regret along with the demons who opposed the god.”

“……No, there is a place to escape.”

“What did you say?”

Sylvia’s long and slender finger runs over the western part of Daedalus’s map that was spread on the table.

“There is no problem for us if they move along the south-west highway using from Kuar Village.

But if they, ran towards the west using the north-west, then they would…”

Beyond the line named as Galahad Mountain Range, there was a country name ‘Spada’ written.

“Impossible, I have heard that they are an enemy nation.”

“If they had somehow known that Daedalus has been defeated, the villagers will perceive the end of their country. I think it would be the most logical answer that they would run to Spada as refugees.”

“Fumu, there is a possibility of this information somehow being leaked……”

Norz frowned his eyebrows and groaned.

“When we conquer the village they will just become newcomer of the new village. There will be no problem in leaving some combatants demons on their own.”

Even if it will be a little, if demons will start a rebellion, crusaders side will have to suffer some casualties.

Judging from the whole war potential of Crusaders those casualties might not be much, but there is no harm in avoiding it.

“No, it is not good.”

But Norz rejects Sylvia’s suggestion of no fighting.

“I can not accept this even if this is you proposal Sister Sylvia.”

“……I see, well the commander are you do as you like, I don’t want to meddle with you.”

Sylvia refrained herself from speaking anymore useless talk to Norz who seemed to be determined.

“I’m really happy that you understand Sister Sylvia. Now let me give out my orders, don’t let a single running demon live, just massacre them all, you got it?”

Norz eyes while speaking that were the same as the Kievan who was also a religious fanatic.

。

。

。

After completing her reporting job, Ai returned to the campsite where her party, no, mercenary group friends were sleeping.

The occupation forces, take the tallest buildings like that of head of village or adventurer guild and turn them into headquarters, and confiscated all the buildings in it’s surroundings.

However the adventurers and mercenaries who were not a part of army, have been given the permission to reside anywhere which won’t become a hindrance to the forces.

It is normal for adventurers who were temporarily hired and soldiers to be on bad terms with each other. If things went down wrong, it will make troubles such as battles, and so it was not unusual for them both to camp at different places.

The group Ai belonged to is ‘Cyprus Mercenary Group’, the prime example of those aforementioned circumstances.

Their campsite was a little away from the village, with a building of a farmer as their centre.

Ai heads towards her tent, while giving greetings to fellow mercenaries.

Just when she put down Tsumiki and was about to enter the enter to sleep.

“Yoo, If you have returned, come to my place at least once.”

Upon the voice of a man from behind, Ai turned backwards with a frankly irritated expression on her face.

His age is somewhat older than Ai, and is a good looking man with a good body stature. But his indecent grin and the clothes worn by him in a shabby manner could be said as the figure of a nasty brat who got a growth spurt.

“Can you not talk to me? And don’t you dare come any more close than that.”

Without caring about Ai’s cold reply, he closes his distance more while fluttering his long hair.

“OiOi, I doubt that is a way to talk to a captain, isn’t it? Aren’t we buddies, we should be more happy with being with each other.”

Just like the man said, he is the leader of the 87 mercenaries present here.

His name is Cyprus. The mercenary name was after all set after his name.

“Don’t speak disgusting things, and if you move just one more step, the name will change from Cyprus Mercenary Group to Ai Mercenary Group.”

Ai took out knife before anyone knew and, thrust the blunt side in Cyprus’s stomach.

“I am really tired today, after all I escaped by barely saving my life today. If it wasn’t for the me being of great class, I would’ve died, you know?”

More than halfway may sound like joke, but Ai’s eyes were serious when saying that.

“oho, you saying the truth?”

He replies a joke with a joke, but Ai inferred it through his atmosphere that he was more interested in knowing if there really was a battle or not.

“Un, and from now on it will get busy, so get ready fast for departure too.”

Saying that, Ai put knife back and entered her tent.

Cyprus stood there, and did not chase after Ai as if he didn’t care about her for the time being and suddenly he laughed.

“I will be finally able to do some ‘decent’ job. I have already got bored of playing with the demon sluts, this is a good timing, no, if said in his words, this might be the so-called ‘fate’—pfft, I really am loved by God!”