Chapter 17: The Road to Empire (1)

“Catch her!”

“Tch…”

I rolled to the side as the spot where I had been standing exploded.

A golden blast of holy power lit up the surroundings, but I didn’t have time to admire it.

They should’ve tightened security!

There were two main ways to travel from the Demon Realm to the Academy:

One was to journey on foot or by carriage. The other was through a portal.

Traveling on foot from the Demon Realm meant crossing the front lines against the Empire, making it practically impossible.

I had chosen to travel through a portal to a nearby city, obtain identification, and then take a carriage to the Academy.

However, there was one problem.

Opening a portal required significant resources and magic power, so it was natural to have guards stationed there.

But what kind of guards could the Demon King muster besides demons and their followers?

The Holy Kingdom, sensing something amiss, had dispatched paladins to ambush the portal.

So, I stepped out of the portal and into a battlefield.

I was momentarily taken aback but tried to slip away unnoticed. My attempt was thwarted…

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Damn, the Hero!

…by a paladin who spotted me.

[TL Note: Paladin refers to a holy knight or warrior devoted to justice, often depicted as serving a divine cause. In fantasy settings, paladins typically use both weapons and holy magic, and are known for their strong sense of duty and righteousness.]

The others quickly joined the chase.

“There’s a suspicious individual over there!”

“Don’t let her escape!”

About twenty paladins were pursuing me.

Ordinary paladins weren’t a threat, but…

“You won’t escape!”

I didn’t expect this…

…I sensed a power unlike the others.

I hadn’t anticipated one of humanity’s strongest forces, a Hero, to be present.

Perhaps this was for the best.

It was unrealistic to expect the portal to hold out against a Hero.

If I had left any later, the portal would likely have been destroyed, forcing me to find another way.

In the worst-case scenario, I would have had to cross the front lines between the Empire and the Demon Realm unarmed.

That didn’t mean I was happy about the current situation.

If it weren’t for this…!

Normally, a single Hero wouldn’t be a problem.

Fighting two or three Heroes at once was commonplace on the front lines, where Heroes outnumbered Legion Commanders two to one.

But I had to conceal my identity.

My shadow abilities were sealed.

I could overpower them with Light and Shadow, the sword at my waist, but that would reveal my identity.

Why did he have to give me such a conspicuous sword?!

What good was its power if I couldn’t use it?!

I pulled my hooded robe tighter, channeling magic into my legs to accelerate, but the Hero, one of humanity’s strongest, kept pace.

His attacks sliced through trees, clearing a path for the other paladins to follow.

“…!”

A chill ran down my spine. My instincts screamed danger.

I turned to see a golden wave of holy power rushing towards me.

It pulverized everything in its path: earth, trees, rocks. Its range and power dwarfed the attacks of the other paladins.

So this was the power of a Hero.

This is troublesome…

I had no time to hesitate.

A jet-black shadow enveloped my hand, forming a gauntlet.

This much should be fine, hidden by the light.

My magic-infused fist collided with the wave of holy power.

Screech!

The two forces clashed like grinding gears, each trying to push the other back. But I had no intention of taking this force head-on.

I opened my right palm, pivoting on my right foot, redirecting the wave of energy towards the forest.

Boom!

The golden energy tore through the trees, disappearing into the forest depths.

A moment later, a bright flash erupted, and when I looked ahead…

“Tch…”

“Surrender. I’ll spare your life if you do.”

The Hero stood some distance away, sword pointed at me. The paladins had surrounded me.

There was no escaping without a fight.

Did I have to fight?

I scanned the surroundings. There were no other significant threats.

If I could break through the Hero, no one could stop me.

As I prepared for battle, they channeled their magic power.

Our eyes met, tension filling the air. I bent my knees.

We both prepared to spring forward.

Rumble, rumble, rumble…

The ground suddenly began to shake.

I thought it might be the Hero’s doing, but he seemed just as surprised as I was.

“What’s…!”

“Kiii!”

Before the paladin could finish his sentence, a wave of black surged from the forest, engulfing us.

Eight legs covered in hard carapace, four pairs of yellow eyes glowing ominously in the darkness.

Giant spider monsters.

Despite the sudden attack, the paladins held their ground, but the chaos created an opening.

And I wasn’t one to miss an opportunity.

I darted past the Hero, using the spider monsters as stepping stones.

My target was the source of the spiders.

“Stop…!”

“Deal with the monsters first! Regroup!”

A paladin tried to stop me, but the Hero’s voice rang out.

He was probably worried about civilian casualties.

Fortunately for me.

“Was this the cause?”

I continued to leap across the spiders’ backs, weaving through the trees until I saw a hole in the ground.

Smoke billowed from it, and the spiders, ignoring me, continued to pour out, enraged.

It seemed my redirected attack had struck their nest.

Not my problem. I continued moving away from the battle until the sounds faded.

I finally stopped when the sun rose.

They wouldn’t be able to follow me now.

“It’s already morning…”

I needed to reach a nearby town to establish a new identity.

The problem was that the broker who could help me only operated at night.

And more importantly…

“…I’m lost.”

I was supposed to receive a map and supplies after arriving through the portal, but that hadn’t been possible.

Without a map, I had no way to find my way.

The only clue was the smoke rising in the distance.

Smoke meant people. I started walking towards it.

Fortunately, it wasn’t far.

After about ten minutes, I saw tents.

I approached cautiously, eavesdropping on a conversation.

“We hit the jackpot this time.”

“Yeah, we got some high-quality goods.”

Jackpot? High-quality goods?

I couldn’t tell what they were talking about.

Judging by the weapons they carried, it wasn’t anything ordinary.

Well, it shouldn’t be a problem to ask for directions.

“Excuse me, could I ask you something?”

“W-What?!”

Two men turned towards me, startled by my sudden appearance. They reached for the swords at their waists.

“I’m just lost.”

I removed my hood, and their eyes widened before their expressions softened.

Their gazes lingered on me, their intentions clear.

“She’s quite pretty.”

“I’ll get the boss. Stay here and keep an eye on her.”

One of the men ran towards a tent.

After a brief commotion, he returned.

“Hey, the boss wants you inside.”

“You better cooperate, missy. You don’t want to see what happens if you don’t.”

They led me inside the tent, where a large man, presumably their leader, sat.

“Hah, a woman? I thought they were joking.”

“I told you, boss.”

The subordinate spoke, but the leader ignored him, his eyes on me.

“You look like a noble lady. Why are you traveling alone?”

He seemed to be mistaking me for a noble.

A beautiful woman traveling alone with a sword? It was an understandable assumption.

Narcissistic, but true.

“I got separated from my companions.”

“My, my. Why don’t you travel with us? We can offer you protection for a small fee.”

He sounded kind, but his gaze was anything but.

An ordinary person wouldn’t fare well in their company.

“Just tell me the way, and that will be enough.”

“No need to be so reserved.”

“That’s all I need.”

My repeated refusals made them drop the act.

“Sorry, missy, but this isn’t a request.”

“We’ll be gentle if you cooperate.”

“You’ll enjoy it.”

They drew their weapons, surrounding me.

I wasn’t in a good mood.

I was exhausted from being chased by a Hero all night, and now these thugs were causing trouble.

I had wanted to kill them the moment I saw their leering gazes, but I had held back twice.

They had wasted their chances.

“Then I’ll ask the survivor for directions.”

“Haha, do you really think you can beat us all…!”

“I’m sorry, but…”

I drew my sword, swinging it at the man who grabbed my shoulder.

“…this isn’t a request either.”

The tent was filled with…

“Gaaaaa!”

“H-Help me!!!”

…a whirlwind of blood.