Chapter 147 – Small Changes (9)

Orlando and the vigilantes had to live in blood-curdling tension every day. In this white land where the horizon and the sky were indistinguishable, the eyes of the stars and the beastmen twinkled equally. The vigilantes erected a fence, praying that the myriad lights they encountered would not be the eyes of the monsters.

They fought against the cold and the fear of the unapproaching beastmen. Bows and torches were lined up, and I stood at the edge of the fence, feeling like I was dying, staring at the empty space. Incomprehensibly, the beastmen moved passively.

As if trying to figure out their location, only the light in the eyes of the sentry would flash like a mirage in the eyes and then disappear. The stiff movements that filled with tension and called the vigilantes were enveloped in confusion and anger as time went on.

It was around that time that the subjugation party that had descended from the capital arrived in this village. Seeing the torches and majestic troops seen from afar, people let out a sigh of relief and finally burst into laughter. The commander of the army was someone Orland knew well.

The vigilante captain greeted the commander with formality.

“Thank you for coming. Now this place…”

“Orlando!”

And the commander approached Orland, ignoring the leader of the vigilantes. Orlando was quite close with the commander. The person in command of the army now was a fairly well-known knight from the Hero family. Orland had heard rumors about him too, and Orland’s parents had even said this to him.

‘I don’t even want to be like a warrior. At least, try as much as the person who was featured this time.’

As Orland shook hands with the “Knighted guy,” He was seized with a mysterious feeling. The label of the family that once made him proud and rationalized his corrupt behavior was spreading a strange feeling right here.

“Hey Orlando. What kind of country boy is acting as the captain here without you conducting?”

The commander crushed the people who tried to protect the village from the front. The vigilante captain, who had been laughing, hardened his face, and sighs were heard here and there. Even though they trembled with anxiety, they were relieved once again when they saw the high priest’s crest behind the commander and the luxurious priestly clothes.

In the past, Orlando would have laughed at the bad jokes thrown by the commander. His goal was to rise to a high position, and he had a hobby of bullying the weak.

“…He’s a good person. Don’t say that.”

But Orlando didn’t want to do that as much as he did now. The poor wooden fences and unsightly weapons that the commander looked down upon were a struggle to survive in the North. The remarks ridiculing the home of ‘us’, which was created by gathering the strength of scarce resources and few people, never planted a pleasant feeling in Orland.

The commander raised the corner of his mouth and patted Orlando on the shoulder.

“Baby, you seem to have heard a lot. Anyway, it was hard. Don’t worry, we’ll wipe it all out now. If you reinforce this fence a little, it will be useful.”

The wooden fence, which was simply built in the name of protecting the villagers, had become the forefront of the northern front before anyone knew it. Starting from this old fence, the land between humans and beasts was divided. Orland wondered why the beastmen didn’t try to climb over this clumsy fence.

“Ruler! You worked hard today, so take a break! Let’s prepare for the operation in earnest from tomorrow!”

With the commander’s shout, the soldiers spread the tent. The commander pointed to the luxurious and thick barracks and said to Orland.

“Oland! I thought you were dead After he went to the North because he was crazy about women, the news was cut off. Come in. Let’s have a drink together after a long time. Those Imp cubs aren’t even fucking? “

Orlando moved his body at the word alcohol. But he didn’t take a step. Beside the commander’s beckoning, there were already men who were casting dark glances as if they were making fun of women. Orland knew who they were.

There were also unreasonable servants who lay down on the floor with the priest’s name on them and had other priests run errands in the barracks.

Orland knew who they were too.

“Oland! Won’t you come in?”

Then, instead of comforting the vigilantes for their hard work, an incompetent commander who came to the forefront and only emphasized his own status by undermining their authority was in front of him. Orland knew who the author was. There was a time when I acted the same as that commander.

Orlando felt that those aspects he knew were unfamiliar to him.

So he shook his head and said.

“It’s okay. I want to rest at home.”

“House?”

The commander raised an eyebrow, and Orlando turned toward the house.

Old cabin. The commander looked at Orlando’s back and clicked his tongue. Having lived in the North for a long time, he moved for a drink, thinking he must have gone mad.

*****

Next day. The commander was hungover and scratched his messy hair. Every time the cold wind blew, my temples rang, and every time I shook my head, I felt nauseous. The vigilante captain and Orland, who were obliged to provide information to the punitive forces, were watching the meeting from a corner of the barracks.

Rather than worrying about how to catch an imp, the commander wanted a way to get rid of a hangover. He tapped on the map and asked Orlando.

“Yes, Orlando. We heard that the imp is the captain, but has he seen the imp?”

“I’ve seen it.”

Among the people here, Orlando was the only one who survived from the home of the beasts. When he explained what he had seen in the Valley of the Beasts, the high-ranking priest only made a puzzled expression.

“Aren’t you mistaken about something? Imps can’t be that strong. Up until now, the imps that appeared in our scriptures and history books were as large as humans at most. A building-sized imprani, I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“But he said the imp was his kind, and he said he would avenge it. He was a very nasty guy. His skin must have been red, and his whole body was like an animated armor. Besides, his horn is like a siege pendulum…”

The commander who had been listening to the story turned around and cut off Orlando’s words. Seeing the complexion of his lieutenants turn white, the decision he made was to turn a blind eye to reality. Imp can’t do that. He came with a light heart, but there is no way that such a monster is roaming the human world and not the demon world.

“Now! Let’s end the story here. Orlando. Is there any chance that you have been possessed by some kind of magic? Imps are good at using magic. Even the little ones learn magic to some extent and come to the human world.”

The commander’s words were surprisingly plausible. Although his actual abilities are less than that, isn’t it possible that he created illusions with magic to inflate his powers? Orlando couldn’t argue with that. He wasn’t a wizard, and he didn’t have eyes that saw through magic.

When Orland didn’t answer, his lieutenants chimed in and dismissed Orland’s sightings as fantasies. The high-ranking priest also nodded and said.

“In addition to dragging an imp unit, the appearance Mr. Orland mentioned is a common appearance among imps who have built up some strength, although there is a difference in size. In reality, it is possible that the smaller imp used illusion magic to increase its power.”

The commander said with a serious expression.

“To be able to use fantasy magic, you are really scary, but we are not fools either. In the Mobius Mage Tower, I received a lot of Dispel Scrolls and Magic Shield Scrolls in preparation for the magic fire of demons. In addition to this, I have prepared three magic cannons developed by the Mage Tower.”

The commander was incompetent, but not an idiot. He had at least some common sense that he shouldn’t be properly prepared when dealing with demons. This was also what Alexander and Mobius had repeatedly asked him to do, fearing that he, the commander, would make a mistake.

Even if the opponent was an imp, you shouldn’t be careless, so the commander had prepared a level of defense that would not be destroyed unless a branch leader-level demon popped out of nowhere. Said the high priest.

“Our priests also brought a lot of holy water. If he’s confident in his fantasy magic, he’ll definitely show up first and attack. Then the commander will mobilize magic scrolls and wizards to dispel its magic, and we will pour holy water on it.”

“Excellent! Perfect! If everything goes according to plan! He’s already dead!”

“You just have to search the area and find out where it is! Good!”

The vigilante and Orland faced each other. When the eyes of the two met, a sense of uneasiness and anxiety flowed like a torrent in their eyes. But there was nothing to refute. Seriously, the commander might be right.

But somehow Orlando could feel the uneasiness tightening in his chest again and again.

*****

And days passed.

The subjugation team, which was searching the surroundings to find out the base of the demons, succeeded in capturing the savage guards.

Orland was stunned to see the face of the guard captain who had been tied up and dragged away, but the prison guard captain did not seem to recognize Orland. The commander looked up at the sky with a satisfied face and said.

“Heaven help us! Also! God looks up to and watches over our big brother Wolf! May the warrior’s family be blessed forever!”

“Kuaaa!”

The beastman gnashed his teeth and glared at the commander. The commander frowned at the beast’s white fur and fierce eyes.

“I know guys like you well. Snow leopard beast. I can tell by looking into your eyes you see pride I can sense a very strong spirit that does not give in to torture. But don’t worry! We will go beyond the torture you’ve been through… !”

“I will say anything as long as it guarantees my safety!”

Orlando laughed. Laughter came from all directions. The commander was dumbfounded and asked while facing his snow leopard.

“Aren’t you proud?”

“Surviving is my pride! Save me! I can tell you anything!”