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A fog that repels humans blankets the area around Grünstadt Castle. I walk cautiously through it, slowly making my way toward the castle.
Fortunately, the castle itself still seems safe. The guards recognize me and immediately open the gate.

But the moment I step inside, I’m confronted anew with the reality that the Second Division has been annihilated.
The giants and ogres of the Second Division, resting their bodies in the courtyard, are mostly uninjured.
At first glance, it looks like their losses were minimal, but that’s probably not the case.
Those who were wounded and unable to move likely never made it back.
Their grim expressions and their drastically reduced numbers tell the story.

Since I’m here, I decide to gather a bit of information.
The ones I find easiest to talk to in the Second Division are the youki, a race treated as low-ranking soldiers. Small-bodied, possessing some magic and moderate intelligence, but weak in strength.
In other words, goblins.

“I heard Division Commander Tiberit was killed in action and rushed over. Could you tell me the details?”

When I say this, they exchange glances before answering.

“Boss, dead… A human killed him alone. Then lots of humans came, killed lots of comrades.”
“What kind of guy killed the commander?”
“Ordinary human. Sword and shield. Clothes normal. A man.”

That tells me nothing.
But at least I know he wasn’t flashy like the false Heroes.

“Is this everyone left from the Second Division?”

The goblin soldier shakes his head.

“Don’t know. Holy Mother made fog. Everyone scattered. Thanks to Holy Mother’s helmet, we came back.”

Looking closely, I see he’s wearing one of the helmets made by Master. I’ve heard the Second Division calls them “Helms of Warring Souls.”

“Zuq, Gyobel, Gubuf… and many others. Heard voices of dead comrades. Ran that way, found red-scaled dragonkin. They helped us.”

That would be the First Division’s Crimson Scale Knights. Looks like they successfully supported the retreat as planned.
From the look of things, every group in the courtyard has someone wearing a “Helm of Warring Souls.”
It seems Master’s helmets guided them to safety through the fog.

But if everyone here is all that’s left, the Second Division is finished.
Even the goblin corps, the most numerous unit, only numbers in the hundreds. I heard they had two or three thousand at the start of the battle.
The giants and large ogres, who consider retreat the greatest shame, are even worse off. There are only a handful of giants left; their unit is no longer viable.

And I don’t see the Beast-Ogre Corps anywhere.

“Hey, where’s the Beast-Ogre Corps? You know, the one with Dog as captain—the self-proclaimed genius.”

At this, the goblin soldier lowers his head sorrowfully and shakes it.

“Lord Dog, not here.”
“What?”
“He said, ‘It’s the duty of the strong to protect the weak.’ He fought the humans. Fog came, couldn’t see. It got quiet.”

It’s clear they know what that means.
All of them bow their heads, and some are quietly sobbing.
I see, so he had that side to him after all…

Asking them any more would just be cruel.

“I see. That’s enough. The First Division is guarding this place. Rest easy.”
“Thank you, Lord Veit.”

They’re completely demoralized. They won’t be able to carry out any more missions.
We’ll need to treat the entire Second Division as wounded and plan accordingly.

As I hurry into the castle, a red-scaled dragonkin rushes up to me: the First Division’s sole female officer, Vice-Commander Schula.

“Lord Veit, you’ve come.”
“I’m glad to see you safe, Lady Schula.”

Good, I’ll let Vice-Commander Baltze know later. He’s been worried about her.
Walking alongside her, I ask for details.

After Commander Tiberit was struck down by a human who seemed to be the Hero, the Miraldian army stormed through Bachen’s gates.
Although Bachen’s walls had been repaired, the Second Division had no expertise in siege warfare, so they were full of flaws.
Besides, they couldn’t hold a siege when the Hero was already inside Bachen.
The Second Division attempted individual escapes through the fog, guided by the spirits of their comrades. But any squad unlucky enough to encounter the Hero or enemy forces was wiped out.

“The fog covered Bachen and its surroundings, but enemy units pursued the Second Division as they fled. Our forces destroyed those pursuers and escorted the Second Division back to Grünstadt .”
“Well done. Without you, Lady Schula, the Second Division might have been wiped out.”

When I praise her, she shakes her head, her voice bitter.

“No… All I could do was flee alongside them. The army led by the Hero fought with such terrifying morale that we couldn’t possibly hold our ground. If they come here next, we’ll be hard-pressed to stop them.”

I understand her concern, but they won’t find this castle so easily.
Grünstadt Castle lies deep within the forest. Unlike when it was in human hands, no roads leading here remain.
And then there’s the dense fog—not just blinding but corrosive to humans. It wasn’t fully effective at Bachen, but a human walking through this for half a day would collapse without fail.
The real problem is the Hero.
If he’s the genuine article, even Master’s magic may not affect him.

“I’m a mage, so I understand. Ordinary humans can’t operate in this fog for long. The Hero alone is the true threat.”

Vice-Commander Schula falls silent in thought, then nods.

“Understood. I’ll assign patrol missions to our squads. I’ll strictly order them to avoid engagement.”

Perhaps because she’s seen the Second Division’s devastation, Schula is being cautious.

Relieved, I bow my head to her.

“Very well. I’ll assist as well.”

After parting with her, I go to see His Majesty the Demon King.
As always, he seems deep in thought in his study.

“Veit, you came all this way?”
“It’s a matter concerning Your Majesty.”
“You should have stayed in Lüenheit to focus on governance, instead of worrying over me. But very well, thank you for coming.”

He gives a faint smile and gestures for me to sit.

I was worried he’d be deeply shaken by Commander Tiberit’s death, but he seems all right.

“So Tiberit has finally passed on… He was once an outlaw who plundered the dragonkin’s lands.”

The Demon King stares at a point on his desk, reminiscing.

“But when I came to punish him, he surrendered without a fight the moment he saw me. He seemed reckless, yet he had the insight to see the truth of things.”

Ah. No, he’s hurt after all.
Quietly.

“Now, of all the companions from the founding of our army, only Gomoviroa remains. I must live on for the sake of the rest.”
“Yes. For those who have fallen, and for those who remain, please continue to lead us.”

I encourage him and add:

“The Hero won’t find Grünstadt Castle right away. Please use this time to prepare.”

The Demon King studies my face and murmurs:

“You don’t tell the troops to ‘stand firm and defend’… How like you.”
“It’d be useless no matter how many we have.”

A being called the Demon King is like the sun itself appearing on the surface of the world. No ordinary human could hope to prevail.
Likewise, the Hero is no mere human. If he’s grown strong and vigilant, no ordinary demon could defeat him.

Of course, I have no intention of fighting him head-on either. I might delay him for a bit, but I’d certainly be killed.
It would be better to buy time by other means, so His Majesty can prepare.
My role will likely come after the battle is over.
Once they clash, neither side will emerge unscathed.