Chapter 127: The Demon King’s Army (1)
The flood was caused by a landslide.
The heavy rain had loosened the ground, sending massive rocks and soil tumbling down the mountain.
The torrent of debris and water surged through the valley, gaining momentum as it went.
Centuries-old trees were uprooted, and house-sized boulders were swept along like mere pebbles.
This raging flood struck the Hero Party with full force.
An unexpected disaster.
Before they could even react, the flood swept them away, scattering them in every direction.
This calamity occurred just a day after they had set out to confront the Demon King’s army.
“Ugh…”
Levena stirred and opened her eyes.
The rain had stopped, and sunlight now streamed through the canopy above.
She was in a forest.
While the rain had ceased, the leaves and rocks were still soaked, and the ground was littered with muddy puddles.
“Where is everyone…?”
There was no sign of Hero Zion, Mage Sena, or Elf Warrior Liana.
Levena tried to piece together what had happened when the flood struck.
At the moment of impact, Liana had rushed to her and grabbed her hand.
The elf had leapt onto a large tree nearby, pulling Levena with her.
But even that tree had been uprooted and carried away by the current.
Despite the chaos, Liana had refused to let go of her hand, holding on as long as she could.
“Don’t ever let go of my…”
Thud.
A boulder had struck Liana on the head, and she had slipped silently beneath the raging waters.
“L-Liana!”
Levena had tried to hold on to her, but Liana was swept away too quickly, vanishing from sight.
“Aaah!!”
A scream had echoed nearby.
It was Sena’s voice.
“S-Sil…”
Sena had seemed to be casting a spell, but her words were drowned out by the water.
Levena had felt an odd sense of solidarity with her at that moment.
She herself had been utterly incapable of using holy magic in such chaos.
Casting magic in a situation like that would take…
Ariel.
The thought of Ariel suddenly crossed her mind.
The situation was dire—should she call for Ariel’s help?
But Ariel was on an adventure in the southern regions.
Would summoning her into such a mess be too much to ask?
But she’s my guardian knight. If I’m in danger, she’ll understand…
Levena made her decision.
She would summon Ariel.
Ariel, please help…
Thud.
Before she could finish her call, something struck her head.
A boulder had hit her.
Levena lost consciousness, and when she woke up, she was in her current situation.
“……”
It seemed her attempt to summon Ariel had failed.
Still, the fact that she had survived felt like divine protection.
For someone who had been struck on the head, she felt surprisingly fine—no pain or visible injuries.
Levena stood, determined to figure out where she was and find the scattered members of the Hero Party.
Rustle.
Someone stepped out of the bushes.
“!”
Levena tensed, turning to face the figure.
It was a towering man, nearly 2 meters tall, with rippling muscles.
His upper body was bare, and his lower half was barely covered by a straw skirt.
Despite his primitive appearance, he wore a smug grin.
A dark club hung at his waist, and a round shield was strapped to his back.
For a moment, Levena wondered if she had somehow traveled back in time.
His appearance was so primitive that it seemed plausible.
“H-Hello?”
Levena cautiously stepped back and greeted him.
The man did not reply.
He kept his confident smile as he slowly approached her.
His broad muscles glistened in the sunlight, and the ground seemed to sink under his heavy steps.
There was something unnatural about his movements.
It was clear he wasn’t normal.
“Do you… live around here?”
Levena asked, all the while preparing a holy spell in her mind.
What would be the best spell to use?
Holy magic wasn’t very effective against the living.
If he blocked her attack with his shield, it would be useless.
Perhaps she should prepare a defensive spell instead?
Or should she try summoning Ariel again?
As she deliberated, the man approached until he was directly in front of her. Levena fell back in fright.
“D-Don’t come any closer!”
The man, still smiling, loomed over her, his figure backlit by the sunlight.
That smile—what could it mean?
It could have a variety of interpretations.
Right now, it seemed to say: Scream if you want. No one will hear you. You’re alone in this deep forest.
At that moment.
“Grrk!”
A goblin burst out of the bushes, stabbing a dagger into the man’s stomach.
Clang!
The blade didn’t penetrate.
It was as if the man’s skin was made of steel, effortlessly deflecting the goblin’s weapon.
“?”
Levena, and even the goblin, tilted their heads in confusion.
Whoosh.
The man pulled his club from his waist and swung it at the goblin.
Thud!
Blood splattered everywhere.
The goblin was flattened, reduced to an unrecognizable mess.
“Ugh…”
The sight made Levena squeeze her eyes shut.
“Hmm?”
When she reopened them, she realized none of the blood had touched her.
A blue barrier had formed in front of her, shielding her from the splatter.
“This is…?”
As Levena examined the barrier in surprise, she felt a gentle poke on her cheek.
“Hey there.”
A soft, familiar voice whispered.
It was Ariel’s voice—the one voice Levena trusted most in the world, the one that always brought her peace.
“……!”
Levena turned, overwhelmed with emotion.
There stood Ariel, just as she had hoped.
“A-Ariel!”
Levena jumped up and hugged her tightly.
“You really came!”
She hadn’t failed to summon Ariel after all.
If she had, Ariel wouldn’t be here now.
And as she embraced Ariel, she noticed her hair was damp.
That meant Ariel had flown directly into the flood to reach her.
“I-I’m sorry! The flood swept me away, and I couldn’t… I must’ve startled you.”
“It’s okay.”
Ariel gently stroked Levena’s head.
Though the flood had been sudden, had she not come, Levena would have been in grave danger.
Ariel had been leaving the imperial capital, Delight, after purchasing a batch of desserts when she heard Levena’s call.
Levena’s plea had been brief but urgent.
Ariel, please help…
The distress in her voice was unmistakable.
Ariel had immediately flown to Levena’s location, only to be met with a massive flood.
The waters were sweeping away everything in their path.
Assessing the situation, Ariel had teleported to Levena, embraced her, and transported them both to safety.
The destination she chose was a familiar forest clearing—where she had once saved a merchant couple and a child trapped in a wagon.
It was also the first place she had encountered a corrupted ent.
Though rain still fell here, the area was safe from the flood.
Ariel had tended to Levena’s injuries, healing the wound on her head while she lay unconscious.
While waiting for her to wake, Ariel had passed the time by playing with Urkanos, the giant figure Brom had given her.
And now, here they were.
“……”
After listening to Ariel’s account, Levena stared at Urkanos.
“So… this is a figure? I even greeted it…”
It looked so real.
If not for its perpetually frozen smile, it could have been mistaken for a person.
“So, when the goblin’s dagger hit earlier and it went clang, it wasn’t because he was super muscular? I thought he’d just trained his body to the extreme…”
Levena cautiously touched Urkanos’s body.
“It’s cold and hard, yet it feels like real muscle. How did they make it so lifelike? The craftsmanship is incredible…”
Her hand brushed against Urkanos’s straw skirt.
Levena froze and glanced at Ariel.
Does this mean the inside is detailed too?
Her eyes asked the question, and Ariel nodded.
“They said they put the most effort into the inside.”
“Oh…”
Levena quickly withdrew her hand, her face turning bright red.
“A-Anyway, it’s a remarkable thing… It even dealt with that goblin so easily…”
She avoided looking at the goblin’s remains, which had been reduced to a grotesque smear.
Ariel nodded with satisfaction.
“It’s really strong.”
She patted Urkanos’s sturdy leg.
“I even tested it against a troll earlier. It won easily.”
“R-Really? That’s… amazing.”
Levena smiled awkwardly.
Technically, it wasn’t Urkanos that was strong—it was Ariel. But she didn’t feel like pointing that out.
“By the way, I was heading to the north. The Hero Party was formed, but we got caught in the flood…”
Levena felt embarrassed recalling the moment they departed.
Crowds of citizens had lined the streets, cheering for the Hero Party.
“Good luck! Defeat the Demon King’s army!”
Though the attention was overwhelming, it had felt good to be part of something meaningful.
Yet now, barely a day later, the party had been scattered by a flood.
What would the citizens say if they knew?
What would the emperor, who had encouraged them with a pat on the shoulder, think?
The thought made her cheeks burn with shame.
Levena spoke urgently.
“W-We need to find the Hero Party. Once we regroup, we have to take down the Demon King’s army gathering in the north.”
Ariel nodded without hesitation.
“I’ll help you.”