Chapter 236: Dragon Slaying Heroine
The rebel army surrounding the state capital of Presidio grew larger by the day.
Though the demon army was slowly being pushed back, Governor Sardival Gomez of the Linmon State was in surprisingly good spirits.
Normally, Sardival remained deep within his stronghold, directing from afar, but today, he had personally come to the front lines to oversee the final preparations for his hostage plan.
「Good work, everyone.」
「Governor, sir!」
「There’s no need for formalities. Continue as you were.」
Sardival greeted his soldiers as they busily prepared for the impending battle.
Sardival knew that loyal soldiers were his greatest defense, as reliable as any stone wall.
He made sure to acknowledge even the guards standing watch, offering his appreciation. Suddenly, a young knight clad in a billowing black cloak appeared, swiftly kneeling before the governor.
「Ah, Delisio.」 Sardival muttered with mild disdain.
Delisio Ilman, the knight commander of the newly-formed Presidio Knights, had arrived.
Sardival’s face hardened—he had never been fond of the young warrior.
Delisio was a bat-like vampiric demon.
What appeared to be a black cloak was, in reality, his bat-like wings, which allowed him to fly short distances despite the weight of his heavy armor.
「Why, Governor, did you appoint someone like Bihan to take the lead?」
「I see where you’re going with this. You’re suggesting that a commoner like Bihan is unworthy of the position and that, as the heir of the Ilman family, you should have been given command, correct?」
Delisio faltered, caught off guard by Sardival’s bluntness.
「I would never presume so much. But I have achieved far more in battle than Bihan ever could. The rabble of the enemy would be no match for the knights I’ve trained!」
Sardival frowned inwardly.
Delisio was clearly blind to the reality of the situation.
Had he been able to scatter the enemy as easily as he claimed, the first skirmishes would not have ended in a stalemate. But Sardival knew the self-assured knight would only blame his lack of command for their failure.
Delisio might be young, but he hailed from the illustrious Ilman family, one of the three houses that served the first Demon King.
He was second in rank only to Sardival himself among the demon nobles.
After the death of the previous commander, Gibbon, Delisio believed that his lineage and record made him the natural successor.
Sardival, however, had deliberately chosen the unassuming but diligent vice-captain, Bihan, for the role instead.
Delisio’s arrogance showed even in how he dismissed the senior knight, Bihan, by name alone.
It was typical of a young noble from the demon noble, too proud to hide his disdain.
Despite his lineage and battlefield prowess, Delisio’s haughtiness meant his subordinates lacked loyalty, and even Sardival, the highest-ranking official, could sense that the young knight secretly looked down on him as nothing more than a bureaucrat.
Sardival could see that Delisio had potential, but he needed more experience.
For now, his noble pride and inexperience made him unsuitable for leadership. Sardival regarded the knight with measured patience.
「Is that all you wished to say, Knight Delisio?」
「There is more, Governor. I’ve heard that you plan to personally take command in this battle!」
「And what of it?」
「There is no need for someone of your stature to be exposed to the dangers of the front line. Allow me to lead the charge, and I will ensure victory!」
Sardival’s eyes gleamed as Delisio beat his chest, insisting he be entrusted with command.
The sharp gaze of the governor saw right through the young knight’s flowery words—he could sense Delisio’s underlying arrogance, his belief that Sardival, despite his politeness, was beneath him.
「Delisio!」
「Yes, sir!」
「You will remain in the city to oversee its defense.」
「But, Governor!」
Delisio protested immediately. Sardival could feel the frustration rising in the young knight.
Even now, Delisio was more concerned with his personal glory than the overall strategy.
In peacetime, perhaps Sardival might have humored the noble youth, but in war, there was no room for such recklessness.
Entrusting Delisio with a leadership position now would only ruin their carefully crafted plans.
Sardival had no intention of letting a selfish noble disrupt his strategy.
「Enough! Defending the city is a crucial task.」
「…Understood.」
Delisio finally relented, though his voice was thick with disappointment.
Sardival sighed as the knight finally withdrew. Just then, two of his most reliable subordinates arrived—Vice-Commander Bihan and Hydra, the beastmaster.
「The preparations are complete.」
「The dragon’s wounds have been treated as well, and we are ready to proceed according to your plan, Governor.」
「Good.」
Sardival nodded approvingly, finding comfort in the loyalty of these two.
It was soldiers like Bihan and Hydra who truly understood the value of obedience.
In war, strategy was everything; letting the pieces on the board move of their own accord would only lead to chaos.
「How is the prisoner?」
「She’s awake. We tried offering her food, but she refused to eat.」
「Hmm. I’ll go check on her.」
Sardival made his way to the hill where the prisoner was held in a cage.
Inside was a blonde knight with elaborately curled hair, twisting it meticulously with a strange round-handled comb. Sardival had never seen such a device before, and he couldn’t help but let out an amused ‘Oh?’ as he watched the woman at work.
「Who’s there?」
「Apologies. I am Sardival, governor of Linmon State. I must say, it’s quite impressive that even in captivity, you find time to groom yourself.」
「I’m to be executed, aren’t I? I would face my final moments with the dignity of a knight, at least.」
Sardival found her behavior curious.
Was this truly what the humans called knightly dignity?
The idea of tidying one’s hair on the battlefield seemed strange to him, but humans often behaved in incomprehensible ways.
「You won’t be executed. I have other plans for you—you’ll serve as bait to lure the dragon-slaying heroine.」
「I am of the proud Mancine family! I will not be anyone’s bait! If you mean to kill me, do it now!」
Sardival chuckled.
He had no intention of allowing her to die just yet, but the knight’s resolve reminded him of the volatile pride of Delisio.
Noble knights—whether they were humans or demon nobles—always seemed to cling to their honor, even when it served no practical purpose.
He had to be careful not to push her too far; her death would ruin his plans.
「There’s no need for such haste. If the dragon-slaying heroine comes to retrieve you, I’ll release you, just as I promised. Survive this, and you can continue serving your house with pride.」
「You’re planning to use me as a hostage.」
「Hostage, prisoner—call it what you will. But I’m no liar. I won’t stoop to ambushing your allies. If the heroine arrives, I will hand you over without condition.」
「You expect me to trust you, a demon?」
「I am a noble, appointed governor of this state. I swear on my honor as a noble that I will keep my word. If this heroine is truly as formidable as they say, she’ll rescue you without issue. Think of this as a little game.」
Sardival smirked confidently, but in truth, this was far from a mere game.
He had come in person with one clear objective: to eliminate the enemy once and for all.
Yet, he wasn’t foolish enough to demand that Louise surrender her weapons just because they had Clementine captive.
She was merely bait.
Sardival understood that if he pushed too hard, the trap would fail before it even had a chance.
「You seem confident, Governor Sardival. You must be unaware of Louise-sama’s strength.」
「Of course I’m confident. I’ve gathered thirty thousand soldiers specifically to take down the so-called heroine.」
The word ‘heroine’ caught Clementine off guard. Her golden eyebrows furrowed.
「Heroine? What are you talking about?」
「Don’t play dumb.」
Clementine’s mind raced.
Could it be that the king, who was also the Hero, was coming to rescue her?
But no, Sardival was clearly mistaken.
「The power to slay dragons, the Orichalcum sword… Even demons know of these things. That woman, Louise, must be the legendary Hero, isn’t she?」
「You’re mistaken.」
「Ahahaha! Your reaction gives you away. No need to hide it anymore. We’ve done our research. Louise, the rebel knight, wields the Orichalcum sword, doesn’t she? That’s proof enough that she’s the Hero of legend.」
「No, I said you’re wrong!」
Clementine insisted, her tone serious. But Sardival was too engrossed in his own fantasy of defeating the Heroine to listen.
「It all makes sense now. A mere general like myself could never struggle so much against anyone but the Hero. The fact that the Hero is a woman is surprising, but if I defeat this female Hero Louise, I can make up for all our previous setbacks. I’ll be able to show my face to the Great Demon King again.」
Clementine sighed internally.
This man was hopelessly deluded. There was no point in explaining that Louise wasn’t the Hero but rather married to the actual Hero, Sawatari Takeru.
Revealing that secret would only complicate things further.
For now, she decided silence was her best option.
※※※
As both armies continued their tense standoff, Louise approached the cage on the hill.
She was fully armored, her large Orichalcum sword strapped to her back. Inside the iron cage was Clementine, and standing beside it were the gorilla-faced Sardival and Hydra, the beastmaster.
「Heroine Louise. It seems you’ve come alone, as promised.」 Sardival said with a satisfied smirk.
「Heroine?」
Louise muttered, raising an eyebrow. It was clear from her expression that she had no idea what he was talking about.
Clementine glanced at Louise and subtly shook her head—this was all a misunderstanding.
「Don’t bother pretending. That Orichalcum greatsword on your back is all the proof I need.」
「Whatever. Let’s cut to the chase. I’m here to get the hostage back.」
Louise had no patience for drawn-out negotiations. Without hesitation, she unsheathed her Orichalcum sword and swung it a few times with practiced ease.
The mere force of her swings sliced through the iron bars of the cage and shattered the chains binding Clementine’s hands and feet. Despite Louise’s rough demeanor, her swordsmanship was precise and deliberate.
「Impressive. But I won’t let you leave that easily. Hydra, now!」
「At once, Governor!」
Hydra responded promptly, commanding seven dragons to rise from the mist, encircling Louise and Clementine.
Hidden in the clouds, these beasts had been waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Clementine, now freed from her cage, spoke in a quiet voice, filled with guilt,
「I’m so sorry, Louise-sama.」
Louise glanced at her with a sharp look.
「Clementine, when we get back, you’re getting punished. Now drink this.」
She tossed a small vial to her.
Despite the looming danger, Louise’s tone was as no-nonsense as ever.
Louise handed Clementine a vial of Elixir, a potent healing potion. Though she was impressed that Clementine had survived this long, she didn’t offer any praise. Simply forgiving her wouldn’t help Clementine save face in the long run.
This situation hardly felt like a crisis to Louise.
As the famed Dragon Slayer, she saw these beasts as nothing more than prey—breaking through them would be easy. But perhaps this confidence led to a moment of carelessness.
A chill suddenly ran down her spine, emanating from the gorilla-faced commander she had dismissed earlier.
「Behold, the dark blade that severs legends—Holy Breaking Slash!」
He formed a complex hand seal, summoning a dark energy that coalesced into a menacing vacuum blade.
Louise instinctively raised her Orichalcum sword to block the attack, but—
「What…?」
The unthinkable happened.
The Orichalcum blade, famed for its unmatched hardness, chipped.
Louise, usually unflappable, was visibly shocked. Orichalcum wasn’t supposed to break from mere magic, no matter how powerful.
「Holy Breaking Slash! Holy Breaking Slash! 」
Sardival unleashed more of the dark vacuum blades, each one shaving away at the Orichalcum sword. The blade, once thought unbreakable, was steadily worn down until it snapped cleanly in two.
「Ah…」
「Haha! It’s done! The legendary Holy Sword is shattered! Now, finish her, Hydra!」
Sardival roared with triumph.
The usually cautious Sardival had chosen to confront Louise himself for one reason: this secret technique, Holy Breaking Slash.
The Gomez family, one of the foremost among the 66 demon clans, had been studying this forbidden art for over a thousand years.
It was designed specifically to counteract the legendary Orichalcum swords that appeared in every iteration of the battle between demons and heroes throughout history.
To Sardival, this moment felt like destiny—his family’s ancient goal was finally realized.
As one of the highest-ranking noble demons, Sardival had brought forth the full extent of his magic to achieve what many thought impossible: he shattered the legendary sword and fulfilled his family’s long-held ambition.
But to Louise, the famed ‘Ten Thousand Swords’, the Orichalcum sword was just another tool. She didn’t need it. If a weapon no longer worked, she simply discarded it.
「Hmph.」
Without hesitation, Louise tossed the broken sword. It flew straight and true, and in a twist of fate—or perhaps karma—it pierced Sardival’s chest, just as he was reveling in his victory.
「What… Guh…! Cough!」
「S-Sardival-sama!」
No one had expected Louise to throw the ‘holy sword’ like that.
On the battlefield, speed and decisiveness often trumped hesitation, and Sardival had faltered at a critical moment.
The broken Orichalcum blade lodged in his chest, Sardival stumbled backward, his victory turned into a bitter defeat.
Louise spared no more thought for him. She had more pressing concerns.
「Clementine, we’re breaking through.」
「Yes!」
There was no time to waste.
Sardival was no longer their concern—escaping from this death trap was. Louise drew her Dragon Slayer sword from her back and charged headlong into the swarm of seven massive dragons, her blade gleaming as she leaped toward the monstrous foes.