Hero Punishment - Chapter 14

As for why these miners were left behind here, there was only one reason.

They were notified too late.

As mandated by the Union Executive Office, there’s an order of priority to how residents should be evacuated.

First children, the sick, women, and elderly.

Followed by Sacred Seal tuners, merchants with equipment, Military personnel — continuing on with workers as the last in line.

This was probably settled upon after a conflict between the Church and the Military.

The result of compromising between the Church, with its doctrine of salvation for the vulnerable, and the Military, emphasising practicality.

Such conflicts between the Church and the Military has been a major problem since the formation of the United Kingdom.

I’m not saying one is better.

It’s just that the areas they are in-charge of are too different.

Moreover, with the involvement of funds from aristocrats, it’s already too late to cleanly deal with this issue.

Advocating reform and about to carry it out was the Prime Minister, who then suddenly died five years ago, causing the beginning of great chaos.

“At first… there were fifty.”

Said the foreman of the miners while running, or rather, while stumbling forward.

Among the fifty, it seemed that some of them had gradually become strange.

“…At night, there was a guy who started saying ‘I can hear a voice’. While we slept, that guy… disappeared somewhere… and when he came back, he became a monster.”

(A voice huh.)

I turned my attention to that point.

It might be a clue about the core of the Demon King Phenomenon in this mine.

There are also Demon King Phenomena that have abnormal effects on human minds.

In such cases–

“Zyro! They arrive!”

His Majesty Norgayu yelled.

The miners screamed.

Fleeing in a long line, the dirt wall right next to them resonated with an unnatural sound. Centipede-shaped Boggarts moving through the ground.

When this happens, I have no choice but to handle it.

Tatsuya’s taking the front, crushing the Boggarts in the way, and His Majesty Nolgayu can neither fight nor command.

“Ready shovels.”

I ordered the miners.

As calmly as possible, as if it’s not a big deal, in a commanding way.

About five people in the middle of the line have been given fairly decent shovels.

Lighter than a pickaxe, tipped with an iron blade, making it powerful enough.

“After it sticks its head out, bash it. It’s coming. Back down about half a step, now– go!”

Only that last “go!” was said in a bark.

That was to raise their spirits.

The nose of a protruding Boggart is struck by shovels of the miners. The Sacred Seals certainly work. A sound of impact. The Boggart’s jaw cracks.

When this happens, it’s the Boggart that screams.

It tries to pull its head back, it can’t be allowed to escape. I quickly throw a knife. Imbuing the lowest power of the Sacred Seal is good enough.

The knife pierces the head, bursts light, and its insides splash out.

“Don’t stop your feet. They’re still coming.”

I warn them to be vigilant and see if I can’t retrieve my knife from the ruptured head of the Boggart.

The iron blade looks burnt, and tapping it with my fingers, it easily breaks,

This is the problem of using lightning attacks with “Zatte Finde”. Objects used as projectiles easily become unusable.

When I was still working as a Holy Knight, I was issued with knives that were forged in a dedicated workshop and reinforced through a Sacred Seal.

Now I have to make do with anything.

“Are we proceeding on the right path, Zyro?”

His Majesty Norgayu questioned me in a low voice, looking dissatisfied.

“This is not the way we arrived from.”

“Even so, we’re moving on the shortest route.”

There was no time to stop. I patted His Majesty Norgayu on the back and urged him to go ahead.

“Tatsuya won’t make a wrong turn.”

The destination had already been decided.

Tatsuya was informed in advance.

What’s left was to pray that they Fae herd won’t catch up and surround us — but that will be a miracle.

And miracles shouldn’t come for sinners like us.

“Again!”

Someone cried.

“This time there are more. From the ceiling… and from below!”

–That’s right.

It feels like the walls, the ceiling, and the ground are shaking. The sound of gurgling and crumbling soil. From all sides.

Until now, they’ve simply been scouts.

Scouts to slow our escape — and it worked.

Now, the main unit of Boggarts will be biting into us.

“Everyone, freeze! Tatsuya, stop.”

Yelling, I decided that we should at least try to resist.

I’d thought that we’d be caught up to somewhere along the way. We might have even bought more time than I imagined. However, the destination is still too far away.

What I’d been purposely aiming for was a different direction from the withdrawal route of the Holy Knights.

A different path away from the forward base and the shortcut passage connected to it that we’d made.

If the Holy Knights managed to succeed in setting up Scorched Earth Seals in the deepest layer, there’s no way their movements and work would go unnoticed by the Demon King Phenomenon.

Rather than us, they will probably become priority targets — let those guys attract the main force.

I’d seen such a scheme, but it’s hard to say if it worked well.

The lord of this mine, the core of the Demon King Phenomenon, looked like it could still afford to send this amount of Boggarts here.

“They’re coming, get ready.”

I said calmly, but I knew this time would be difficult.

For a moment, I doubted whether we would actually be facing them directly, but in the next moment, the walls on all four sides crumble. The ceiling collapses, and the ground erupts.

Boggarts attack from all directions.

“Gah, agh……”

One of the miners screamed as his leg was bitten and severed.

I see somebody else’s body get chomped, splattering blood — we can only do what we can.

Stab a knife into one near my hands and blow it up.

Push a miner to help him evade, kick and crush a Boggart’s head off with the Sacred Seal of Flight.

Leap and again kick.

Tatsuya, of course, creates two or three Boggart corpses with a single swing of his battle axe, and even His Majesty Norgayu is swinging around his lantern.

(Fuck.)

I want to swear about a hundred times.

(What can I do about this?)

There’s a limit.

No matter what Tatsuya or I do, we won’t be able to save everyone.

By the time the attack is over, there are four bodies and two seriously wounded.

“…Stop the bleeding.”

I wiped the body fluids of the Boggarts off my forehead and focused my attention on what I had to do next.

Move my hands and feet.

There’s nothing I can do now other than that, so there’s no time to spare for thinking about the meaninglessness of what I’m doing and what I’m trying to do.

“We’re not moving anymore. We’ll form a front here. Meet and stop their pursuit, even if only for a short while.”

I looked around everyone.

“My bad, but can we do it?”

I asked, but surely they all have the same desire to survive. The miners faced each other, and I could tell that they still clung onto a faint hope — no, wait.

Clinging on to faint hope?

“If that’s what you lot say, we’ll do it.”

The foreman nodded.

“You people… you aren’t Holy Knights, right? I’ve heard of it before. That… the Sacred Seal on your necks…”

“What’s that, so you knew huh.”

If it turned out like this, there’s no point in still lying.

“We’re really like celebrities, man. That’s how it is. Did you hear that we’re the worst villains in the world?”

“Even if you’re a villain, you lot came to help.”

The foreman laughed a little at my joke. It’s great that you can still do that.

“So, no matter what happens to us, I think… it’d be good if we can die in a way that’s a bit dignified.”

“Don’t say something so unpleasant. You think you can bear to die?”

“Indeed. Live and support our Kingdom.”

I waved a hand and Norgayu solemnly nodded.

It’s disgusting that we’re in agreement, but can’t be helped. Even if I want to try to complain, the next guests are coming.

Again, the sound of soil being churned and crushed can be heard from all directions.

Somehow, I feel like there’s more than before.

I give the ground a slightly hard kick with one foot.

(Probably actually more than before)

I can tell by the amount of vibrations. Regarding this ability to search for enemies through sound, I used to have a better and more accurate one.

Sacred Seal of Detection, “Roward”.

That Sacred Seal had already been blocked, and I was only left with my rough intuitions.

Surprisingly, the reactions I learnt from being in life-threatening situations have remained part of my body.

I can still make some estimation

“They’re coming again. Protect the injured.”

Did those instructions reach?

Soil crumbles. Using the paths in the ceiling, walls and floors that the earlier Boggarts had dug, newcomers appear.

(Too many.)

I end up taking on two Boggarts near me at the same time.

Tatsuya, four.

The miners Norgayu tries to rally, five, six, seven… even more.

(Damn, aren’t they clever.)

They seemed to know which ones among us are threats.

Were all the attacks up to now to check this?

Neither I nor Tatsuya can get rid of these numbers in an instant.

(Is it no good?)

Avoid a charge, kick and send flying, throw a knife — explode a Boggart.

Another one keeps its distance and blocks the way between me and the miners.

(What… this bastard. Is this how the joke ends?)

I was insanely pissed off.

The Boggarts, the pathetic miners who’ve resolutely prepared themselves to strike back, and the naive me who won’t be able to make it in time.

Feeling every single possible negative emotion, I want to howl.

In these moments, the miners are attacked by the swarm of Boggarts.

Neither I nor Tatsuya can make it.

A number of Boggarts open their jaws, baring their bizzare rugged fangs.

――At that instant, steel swords grow from their heads.

I wondered if this was an unknown trait of Boggarts.

That’s what I wanted to think

But reality was ruthless, the Boggarts’ innards gushed out and they wailed in pain.

I saw sparks scattering — from the back of the passageway.

From beyond Tatsuya, who was wielding his battle axe, fiery eyes were looking at me.

“I beg your pardon for making you wait.”

The [Goddess] Teolita anounced in a slightly raised voice.

Cheeks flushed. Breathing a little rough.

Weariness that even this vain [Goddess] couldn’t hide showed that she had come here in that much of a hurry.

Or in other words, to go through that much trouble — to escape the Holy Knights and come here.

“The [Goddess] of the Sword, Teolita, has descended. Everyone, you shall surely extol me to your heart’s content! Come, my Knight Zyro. Let me hear your voice of delight.”

“Stupid bastard.”

I shouted.

“Don’t be ridiculous, damn it.”

That ridiculous declaration — it kinda had some nice flair to it.

Because of that, for some reason, I was all the more irritated.