Susanoo and I walk towards the town we saw to know what’s happening and why are they evacuating, although, Susanoo and I already have the general idea with the weak and slight rumble of the earth.

As we got closer to the town, we saw the townspeople with their own luggage loaded on carriages and wagons. Together with them are seemingly mercenaries, merchants and some soldiers dressed in matching armor which we can assume that they are from the demon military or something.

Well…instead of asking people who look informative… I was looking at the demon kin merchant who looks like an orc with big urns and containers loaded at his carriage…

Susanoo and I walk towards him.

People are throwing glances at us as we don’t seem that worried about what’s about to happen.

“Good day there uncle.”

“Aye, fresh blood. You two seems not informed yet as both of you leisurely walks around, yeah?”

“Yes, we’ve just arrived today. Why are all of you folks leaving the town?”

“Well… not quite all. Actually, there are adventurers that stayed behind.”

“Why is that uncle?”

“They will try to intercept the incoming army of devils. We don’t much have details about it but they said the devils marching here is roughly around hundred thousand.”

“That much? Then how many adventurers were left behind?”

“…There’s only a small group of them…around six or seven…they said they will do their best to delay those damn devils. They are strong and high-class adventurers composed of S-ranks so I think they know what they are doing.”

“Where are they?”

“At the south of this gate. If you go straight from this direction, you’ll be able to see them. Come with us fresh blood if you wish safety too. The demon lord will be sending armies here sooner or later.”

“Thank you for that uncle. May I ask what’s inside those jars? It’s been giving off a strong smell for a while now.”

I ask the important question.

Susanoo isn’t reacting or anything, he is just listening and looking around as we talk outside the gate of the town.

“Oh? You’ve got  a good nose, fresh blood.”

“Thank you.”

“This is this town’s specialty. A fine wine my friend.”

“Oh? Friend?”

“Yes, anyone who notices its smell easily like that even though, the jar is completely shut, impresses me. I’ll tell you what, friend, I will let you taste it as a sign of our new found friendship.”

“You will?! Then I won’t hold back!!”

“Ahahaha! That face tells how you crave something delicious. It amuses me. Just give me a moment.”

The orcish guy undid the bindings of the jar and unwraps the cloth covering it. As he unfurls the covering of the jar, the lid has more cloth covering it and ropes binding it.

He carefully and accurately undid everything as he got to the lid.

As he opens it, the scent got stronger. My body warms up as the sweet alcoholic aroma penetrates my nostrils. I unintentionally made a huge gulp.

The orcish uncle fetches something to scoop from it and a small gourd. With one quick scoop, he transfers it to a gourd bottle and handed it over to me.

I gratefully take it and stare at it for a moment.

“Wait… is it really okay?”

“I already gave it to you. I just want to know your opinion about it.”

As I got the ok call, I drink it heartily.

…

Ohh…

Ohh…!

Ohh!!

As it passes down my throat, it’s sweet and it left a feeling of craving for more. After the alcohol passes down, it begins to hot and my throat protests for more even though, the alcohol itself is sweet.

I like it, but it seems it won’t go well with cheese as Dylan requested. A drink that will go together with cheese…huh. That’s a really peculiar taste.

If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

“This is so good uncle! What is it made of?”

“That’s a trade secret, friend. If you want to procure more, please visit my shop in the demon capital, alright?”

“That’s a shame. I wanted to buy.”

“I really am sorry friend. We may need it too in our travel. It’s a long warm road for us. By the way friend, what are you going to do here?”

“Ummm…”

“Oh, I am sorry. It should be none of my business. Anyway, I am Bagruuf. May I know yours?”

“Ah, yes. I am Ichirou and this guy behind me is Susanoo. We are travelers.”

“Weird names. Do humans always have that sort of name? Well, it doesn’t matter.”

“Bagruuf, thank you for your generosity.”

“Do not fret as alcohol is the only thing I can offer. Demon continent is not abundant of food after all. I shall go now, it was nice talking to you, friend.”

“Yes, thank you again!”

Bagruuf covers and binds the jar again and set it on the carriage. As he made a farewell gesture, he left. It was honestly a shame I weren’t able to get hold some of that tasty alcohol, although, I made an acquaintance who makes them.

As Bagruuf left, Susanoo taps me in the should and asks.

“So…what are we going to do…hero?”

“Isn’t that obvious?!”

“…You lead the way.”

Susanoo already knows what I want to do.

I want to save this town. And for that to happen, we have to grind some sweat and move some muscles vigorously. Susanoo is already well aware of this attitude of mine so we head towards the south gate of the town.

.

.

.

As we arrive, we saw a group of people which we assume, are the adventurers because of their clothes and armors. Some wear light armor and heavy armor which looks like their vanguards, some wears vestments and robes which lead us to think they are magicians. They are composed of various races.

They saw us approaching as they talk.

The steel door behind them is close or should I say, firmly shut because it is being held with magic.

A large man in heavy armor with presumably, a dwarf, halted me and Susanoo from approaching the door.

“Halt there, citizens. You should evacuate now too before the devils arrive.”

“Umm… what’s wrong here… that door…”

“Urrggh… our leader sealed it.”

“Eh?”

“She told us to run away. She said that she will just hold them back herself and we should save ourselves and join the demon army to fight off the devils too.”

“Then, shouldn’t you guys wait or meet up with them? The demon army I mean.”

“We’ve already sent a letter of request to the demon capital weeks ago but they only sent a handful of soldiers to us since our description of the devils quantity is far off from what we initially counted.”

“That’s a real trouble. Then what are you guys still doing here? As an adventurer, you really won’t gain anything from this.”

“True, we’ve been following our leader for a year now. We really don’t make much of a living but it’s fun and our leader is kind of a rich lady so she sometimes treats us or lend us money.”

“So--!”

“But! Our leader is staying here, and so we are!”

“…”

“Damn… this door is hard.”

Should I break open the steel door for them?

As I was thinking of that, Susanoo approaches the wall next to the door and uses his power to breach it making a passage.

He casually passes through it and I nonchalantly follows. As the adventurers behind me try to sneak in too, the passaged closes before anyone of them enters.

It’s better for them to stay behind that wall after all.

Susanoo and I walk walks further towards the uphill with an abundance of trees.

.

.

.

As we arrive, we saw a girl standing at the top of the small hill with trees on it. She’s overlooking at the plains where the devils are marching.

The girl is…oh…

She is slim and tall but beautifully proportioned. She wears steel breastplate, gauntlets, and greaves. She is wearing a pleated skirt together with a leather belt where a cutlass hangs.

Her face is lovely and pretty. Even though it’s already a face of a dignified lady, it also has some childish features to it. Her eyelashes are long and her eyes are sharp but alluring. The color of her left eye is green and her right eye is red. Her hair which is blond is neatly combed up showing her unblemished forehead. It also has some braids to the side.

It was breathtaking.

 It’s a beauty on par with Lily and Hydrangea.

When she noticed us, her eyes opens wide as if she is shocked and rushes to us.

“You two! How did--! No, you two should turn around! An army of devils is on our nose now!”

“Oh… you can see the whole army from here?”

Susanoo interjected ignoring the lady.

I also look at the vast wasteland where the devils are marching.

“Hey! Civilians! Listen to me! This is not the time to idly look at there!”

“How many do you think you are fighting against with?”

“H-how?! About a hundred thousand or so… I really don’t think I can even defeat ten thousands of them… but I will do my best to hold them back.”

“Wrong…”

“?”

“Their numbers are… barely million now.”

“What?!”

Yeah… Susanoo’s estimate is far more accurate, as I believe that the rumbling of the earth got even far stronger.

The wasteland is covered with tons of devils approaching.”

“How do you think it can be handled anyway? The demon army?”

“Y-yes! But the situation has changed. It is better of the demon lord herself to come out and participate in this subjugation…”

“I heard you already sent the request for men…”

“Yes… but they only sent a handful…”

“Why do you think that is, even though you gave an estimation wrongly, it shouldn’t be that few.”

“Eh…I don’t know… I don’t know what’s wrong with Cattleya’s head.”

“Cattleya huh… is that the name of the demon lord?”

“Y-Yes…”

“Well then, there are two options. First, they don’t really want to send a lot of their troops for this city or because it is a request from adventurers. Second, they are also fighting the same quantity of enemy on their side as well.”

“If that’s the case then…”

“No way… Cattleya does?!”

“It’s a speculation.”

“I see. But that doesn’t change anything from what I need to do. Protect the land. That’s the very least I can do to… lighten the burdens to her shoulder…Cattleya…”

She starts monologuing to herself now.

I really don’t know what to say now to her so ignore her for a moment and look at the vast army of the devils. Susanoo also did the same thing and asks me.

“Ichirou, what do you think?”

“Hmmm… I don’t think we can’t do it after all…”

“Of course! You two can’t! That’s roughly a million right?!”

The girl then butts in in our conversation with a rebuttal.

But it seems she had the wrong idea.

“So, what do you think Ichirou?”

“Susanoo? Hmm… I don’t think we can’t do it inside half an hour.”

“What are you saying? If we don’t cut corners, it would be over in twenty minutes.”

“Susanoo… there are still various things I want to experiment with my new power. Don’t you think this is the best opportunity for you too?”

“Hmm… point taken. I do want to learn something more about my newfound power.”

“Alright. Let’s go.”

“What kind of crap are you guys talking about?!”

As the lady over there shouts her protest, we readied ourselves to charge and…

BOOM!

With a dash, we quickly landed in the middle of the whole devil army.

“Alright! First, let’s try various kinds of weapon!”

“[Conjure Weapon!]”

First is a BattleAxe! I swing the axe sideways with enough strength to blow away and mince the hell out of everything in its path creating a large whirlwind.

I then conjure a spear and throws it in a straight line. With enough force behind it, it skewered everything in its way and blows away everything around it.

Next is a Bow! I jump up high and draws the string and points it at the foes. As I release the bow with enough power packed into it, it made a strong gust and at some point where it landed, it explodes strongly like a bulk of bomb!

…

I am going to try as many weapons of any form and designs as I like.

But the other guy in my far right is also incredible.

“[Mortem]”

As he spoke of that word, thousands of devils instantly vanish as if they were not there in the first place. Effortlessly and a really lazy skill just for Susanoo…

He is reaping them with nothing moving from where he is.  This is truly a work of a genius and a man who is expert in killing.

There’s still a huge difference between us but…

“Susanoo! I won’t lag behind!”

“Do more, less work for me. That’s better for me actually.”

I already know that cliché line of his, so I ignored it.

And now, I will do one of the things I wanted to conjure…

Gathering more power than usual in my right hand, I conjure “that”

“[Mountain Cleaver!]”

A hundred meter sword.

From my right hand that I pointed at the sky, the hundred meters sword, Mountain Cleaver appeared out of nowhere and pierces the clouds with its gigantic size.

I caught a glimpse of the lady from earlier…

A lady shouldn’t really open her mouth like that.

Those fangs are cute, though.