Heroes and Machine Girls Looking at Profiles

77 – A country built on betrayal

“Haa…Haa…”

“Ariel…Are you okay?”

“I…I’m fine, Adjutant. The injured are…”

Injured people brought from the village where they defeated and rescued a group of monsters.

We had to quickly move them to a place where they could receive appropriate treatment.

“Everyone is safe. This was possible thanks to Ariel’s hard work.”

“Is that so…? I’m really glad…But…”

However, there are a strangely large group of monsters.

Furthermore, the power condition was strange.

A large army of monsters randomly attacking the surrounding area as if they were afraid of something or possessed by something.

No matter how I looked at the state of the monsters, they were more vicious and more ferocious than when the Demon King was still alive.

Due to the attacks of the monsters that were so ferocious, many of the soldiers were injured.

Although emergency measures were taken, it is difficult to continue suppressing monsters.

“Are you requesting reinforcements from the home country?”

“I’ve already sent it. I think reinforcements will arrive within a few days.”

“…That’s good, then let’s treat the injured first.”

Several days passed while we treated the injured with the supplies we brought and were on guard against monsters.

There were several more attacks by monsters, but the condition of the injured was improving and the situation itself was bearable.

Now, if reinforcements arrive from your home country, you can switch to a counterattack and wipe out the horde of monsters.

I was thinking so.

Until I woke up to the sound of screaming.

“What…What’s going on?!”

“Ariel!! It’s a surprise attack!! We’ve been attacked!!”

“Attack?! But there is no sign of the monster…”

The adjutant shouted with a pale face.

“No! No!! The enemy is not a monster!! The enemy is…!!”

Before the adjutant could finish speaking, his body was already running toward the battlefield with his sword drawn.

To a place where the sound of spear knives clashing and desperate screams can be heard.

And, when I got there, I couldn’t stop my mouth from opening.

I ended up witnessing soldiers from my home country wearing the same armor killing and killing each other.

“This…What is this…”

“Ariel!!”

The adjutant who followed took a breath and said.

“The enemy…The enemy is the soldiers of the home country!! They disguised themselves as reinforcements and made a surprise attack on us!!”

“That…What on earth do you mean!?”

“It’s a betrayal!! Ronil’s betrayal!!”

Ronil, Ronil van Cloeti.

It is the name of a younger brother who is a few years younger than oneself.

In order to subdue monsters, he left the country to his younger brother and came all the way here.

Also, a request for reinforcements would have been sent to his younger brother.

“Well…What is that…”

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“Over there!! The hero Ariel is over there!!”

“Attack!!”

When they appear on the battlefield, the soldiers of their home country attack.

…It was my first time raising a sword against humans, especially my own country’s soldiers.

“Ugh…!!”

Unable to attack, and busy trying to block the attack, the adjutant eventually intervened and cut them down.

When I saw the soldiers falling down and bleeding, I felt my face turn white.

“Ariel!! Ariel!!”

“Heo-eok…Heo-eok…”

“Ariel!!”

If it weren’t for the adjutant’s shout, I might have already fainted on the spot.

The so-called hero is so weak-hearted.

As he scolded himself, he tightened his grip on his sword again.

“Escape… We need to escape… Quickly from this place…”

“Yes…I understand!!”

“aaah!!”

Sudden scream.

I turn my head and see the villagers I rescued in the distance.

Where there were young children, there were soldiers from the home country running towards them with swords.

The defense has been breached.

“No…”

We have to stop it.

“No way!!”

“Ariel, are you awake?”

“…Adjutant?”

When I came to my senses, I heard the adjutant’s voice.

I tried to raise my head in the direction where I could hear the adjutant’s voice.

But I couldn’t see her face.

No, I couldn’t hear my head properly in the first place.

A subordinate, colleague, and precious friend.

I wanted to see her face, but I couldn’t see anything.

“…What happened to the children?”

“Thanks to Ariel, I’m safe.”

Thank goodness.

I don’t know what I did at the time, but I remember running away while feeling as if something was breaking inside me.

And block the soldiers’ swords…And…

I’m not sure, but I felt like something was falling out of me.

“Where is…?”

“We all succeeded in escaping. It’s all thanks to Ariel.”

“I see…”

Along with the feeling of relief, I felt like my senses were gradually becoming distant.

A feeling of loss of strength in the body and blurring of the mind.

I realized it instinctively.

I am done.

“Adjutant…No, Anita.”

“Ariel…”

“…Just call me Ariel, like in the old days. Anita.”

It gives me time to say goodbye to my precious friend one last time.

Thanking the goddess for her mercy, she raised her right hand with difficulty.

I felt a warm hand holding her right hand tightly.

It is the hand of an adjutant, a friend, Anita.

“Ariel…”

“Anita, thank you so much for following along so far.”

“Don’t say that!! Not yet…”

“…I know, it’s not over yet. Maybe that’s why…”

I felt tears flowing down my face.

Even the sensation of those tears is gradually fading…

“Decomposed… Very decomposed…”

“Ariel…”

“I haven’t been able to help people enough as a hero…And I was betrayed by that girl…”

“No, you’ve saved enough people!!”

Is that so?

If that’s the case, I’m relieved, but I’m not sure if it’s really enough.

Still, I wonder if Anita’s comfort has softened my heart a little.

I felt a little laughter coming out, and my five senses gradually became distant.

Goddess.

Goddess Erdiya.

One.

If I had just one wish.

For the following heroes, strength that will not be defeated by any adversity.

And.

If possible…

I hope I can be of strength to them.

‘Hey, Reinforce!! Reinforce!!’

「……」

‘Hey! Are you okay?!’

「Yes!? Ah yes!! What happened?”

‘What’s going on? I was worried because you suddenly became so quiet.’

A young woman… While listening to the story about the hero Ariel from the village chief, I was surprised when the Reinforcer suddenly became quiet.

No, this guy is quiet. It happened often, but… It was the first time he was so quiet that he didn’t answer even when I called him.

「…No, it’s nothing.」

‘Strange guy…’

Reinforce answers vaguely and keeps his mouth shut.

Well, this guy has been strange more than once, so should I just leave him alone?

… Anyway, the hero Ariel, who was betrayed and attacked by his younger brother, lost his life while saving people.

At that time, Ariel’s adjutant, subordinates, and villagers who survived went into hiding and created a village here…

The younger brother who betrayed Ariel and caused her death took over the country.

He became the founder of the Kingdom of Cloeti.

This is a story that gets worse the more you listen to it.

You were a rotten b*tch from the beginning, Anies della Cloeti.

To think that such a b*tch was born with an appearance that exactly resembles the hero Ariel.

This is why genes are scary.

And then, this young village chief before my eyes.

This woman, whose name is Annie Glynes, is said to be the lieutenant of the warrior Ariel and her descendant.

It is said that she lived in hiding in this town for a really long time…

“I didn’t know that this sword… Would return to this land again.”

And, the Holy Sword Reinforce.

It is said that this sword used by the hero Ariel escaped from Ariel’s hand when he was attacked and ended up in the hands of his younger brother Ronil.

And Ronil is said to have used this sword to take over the country by striking a large scale, claiming that he had inherited the country from the dead hero Ariel, so it is a sword with deep causality.

“Our ancestors went through great hardships to find the sword of the hero Ariel… But I didn’t expect it to come back so easily.”

She looked at Reinforce as if she was moved.

Well, in a way, the story is that those who betrayed and rejected their ancestors and took away all their glory even took their belongings with them.

Of course you want to get it back.

Annie took her eyes off the reinforcement and looked straight at me.

“Hero Hans. I will not ask how you are alive. In fact, I expected it to some extent.”

“You expected it?”

“Yes, the Holy Sword Reinforce that Princess Anies brought back, I knew right away that it was a bright red fake.”

…I know all about it.

I am proud that I made it as identical as possible.

…Even the Cloeti royal family, who have maintained the holy sword for a long time, could not recognize the fake, but this one recognizes it.

“Of course, I also know that it was you who acted as a black knight in the Demon King’s army.”

“…Did you recognize him by the sword he used?”

“Yes.”

…Because of the armor effect, it looked like a demonic sword rather than a holy sword, but he recognized it.

Their obsession with the holy sword was terrifying.

“…The fact that you are cooperating with the Demon King’s army means that you are hostile to the Kingdom of Cloeti, right?”

“I am the one who made it that way, but I have no intention of destroying it with my own hands. I have no intention of even saving it.”

“That’s enough.”

The residents of this hidden village, Arielleji, are former subordinates of the warrior Ariel and descendants of those who were saved by her.

Of course, they will be full of hostility toward the Kingdom of Cloeti, which betrayed and rejected them.

But, I can’t think that they will also accept the Demon Lord’s army.

As she thought so, she answered as if she had read my thoughts.

“You have your own ideas, and we have no intention of stopping you from doing what you want to do.”

“…Is it okay for me to continue to leave the Holy Sword Reinforce in my hands?”

“You are the rightful owner of the Holy Sword Reinforce. There is no reason or justification for us to take it by force.”

Surprisingly, he retreats obediently.

Considering their obsession with the Holy Sword, I thought they would want it handed over.

“Chief!!”

“What’s going on?”

The man who suddenly ran in called the village chief.

And he answered while taking a deep breath.

“There is another intruder within the barrier!!”

“Again? The barrier was adjusted properly…”

“No, I think I jumped in by accident! I suffered serious injuries and am currently receiving treatment…”

“Is that so?”

Now that I think about it, you said that the adjustment of the barrier was made hastily because something happened.

I asked the village chief what was going on, and surprisingly, she answered meekly.

“…Actually, there was a large-scale battle near here.”

“Large-scale battle?”

“Even if it was large-scale… It was a fight between an army of one unit and just one person… But it literally ended with the one-sided destruction of that one person.”

…That’s kind of amazing.

Did some powerful demon appear and slaughter the bandits?

“…The problem is that one of them survived the opposing forces and is randomly destroying the surrounding area while chasing those who escaped.”

Indeed.

So, a mistake was made while hastily readjusting the barrier to prevent it.

“Then, I will leave for a while. I hope you rest well…”

“No, I’ll go too. I’m kind of worried.”

“…Is that so?”

I followed Annie with Ortrinde and Zikrune.

How long did we walk? Annie heading to the outskirts of the village we entered.

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There, some of the guards we saw were surrounding and treating someone.

When I arrived there, I was a little surprised and had to suppress my eyebrows from twitching.

A woman lying unconscious due to injury.

She was a fanatic woman named Iola who fought alongside the warrior Kenji.