Chapter 18 TSH Vol. 1 Chapter 4 Part 1

Chapter 4 – The Demon Attack

After two days in the carriage, Sieg arrived at a village in the northern territory of Ecclesia.

It was a lively place, conveniently located as a rest stop for travelers and merchants, and was large enough to be considered a small town rather than a village. As Sieg watched the families walking down the street, an old man tending his shop, and children running about, his eyes softened.

It looks so much like my old home…

Sieg scanned the village and gave a single, resolute nod.

This time, I will save them.

This village had been the site of the very first demon attack. Attacks by the demon tribe were foretold by oracles in the various temples, but last time, the prophecy warning of this village’s destruction hadn’t come until the day of the attack. There was no way to make it in time. By the time Sieg had arrived, every last villager had been slaughtered, and the village was nothing but a field of ash.

The village had been targeted for a reason. In some abandoned ruins on the outskirts, a [Teleportation Gate] was hidden underground. A [Teleportation Gate] was a large-scale magic device used for inter-city travel. Such gates were supposed to exist only in major cities, but one was here because this village had been a city long ago.

The current villagers knew nothing of this; hundreds of years had passed since the city’s fall. Though the city was gone, the gate, for some reason, had been left intact. The demons had somehow learned of its existence. If they could capture and use the gate, it would give them a massive strategic advantage. That was why this village had been chosen as their first target.

Last time, to defeat the demons occupying it, he’d had to destroy the ruins, taking the [Teleportation Gate] with it. If he could defend the gate this time, his journey ahead would become exponentially easier. His main objective was to stop the demons, but securing the gate was a close second.

He checked into a decent inn, then headed for the church. He decided to offer a prayer to Valgrath, the God of War, just to settle his nerves.

The magic circle on the floor glowed as his mana was drawn out. Noticing the offering, the church’s priest emerged. He was a slender, tall man, and he bowed his head to Sieg.

“Thank you for your mana offering. It seems you have given a considerable amount. I presume you are of noble birth? Might I ask your name?”

“No, I’m just a commoner who happens to have mana. I’m not anyone worth naming.”

The priest raised his eyebrows in surprise; Sieg’s speech and demeanor were clearly not those of a commoner. “Is that so… Well, the god must be very pleased with your devotion.”

Sieg smiled and nodded at the priest. This man was likely one of the village leaders. It would be good if he could warn him about the demon attack, but he knew from the incident at the holy city that he was forbidden from doing so. Besides, even if he did, they wouldn’t believe him. The Hero’s birth was still being kept secret from the public, which meant the people had no idea the Demon King was even reviving.

“It’s a wonderful, lively village.”

The priest smiled. “Yes. It’s a modest village in every way, but I am very fond of it. Many people come to worship, you know? Though almost none of them possess mana… Oh, and I don’t know if it’s true, but they say the Hero visited this land long ago. The stalls sell Hero dolls and masks. They might make a good souvenir.”

“I see. I’ll check them out later.”

Sieg replied, then handed the priest a donation.

“My! This is so much! Are you sure?” the priest exclaimed, shocked by the weight of the pouch.

“Yes. Please use it.”

Sieg nodded to the priest, who was bowing repeatedly, and left the church.

He looked around the village once more, his resolve hardening.

I’ll end this before these people even notice. I just have to take care of the demons the instant they appear.

Demons had various ways of appearing. The typical methods were teleportation and summoning. Teleportation was a demon appearing here, while summoning was someone here calling a demon. Human teleportation magic required enormous amounts of mana, but that was to ensure the person’s safety. Demons, on the other hand, compressed and crystallized their own bodies, completely disregarding safety to drastically reduce the required mana. It was a method unique to them, impossible for humans or demi-humans.

Sieg knew this attack would be a teleportation. These teleports generally followed the leylines—the pathways of mana circulation that crisscrossed the world. By following these routes, demons could emerge in human lands.

The demons appearing this time were a scout-type, excelling in concealment and presence detection, and boasting incredible speed. He’d had trouble with them last time, but now that he was stronger, he should be able to defeat them without issue.

Sieg calmed his racing heart, bracing for his first battle against demons in this new life. The last attack had occurred near evening, but he couldn’t assume it would happen at the same time.

Don’t let your guard down. People’s lives are on the line.

He would defeat the demons and stop this attack, no matter what. Sieg began to patrol the village, searching for any sign of a teleportation, any premonition of their arrival.

＊　＊　＊

A short time earlier, in the Grand Temple of Ecclesia—

“Y-Your Eminence! This is terrible!”

When the Vice-Minister burst into the office, High Grand-Priest Roderick was already in his full vestments, his eyes closed in meditation. He let out a long breath and stood, his expression grim.

“The oracle has received a divine message, I presume? …So the demons are coming already.”

The Vice-Minister stared at him in surprise. Roderick raised an eyebrow. “I am the High Grand-Priest. Of course I can tell when an oracle has been delivered.”

“My apologies! I have already summoned the heads of the other temples.”

“Good. Then let us go.”

The two left the office and proceeded to the grand assembly hall. The high priests of the various temples, the Oracle Matriarch, the commander of the Holy Knights, and the Chief Mage were already gathered. With the viceroy currently in the royal capital, the High Grand-Priest was the acting authority.

Everyone present was pale, but no one was panicking; they were all seated in silence. The major territories had already been informed of the Hero’s birth. They had all known that a demon attack was inevitable in the near future.

When the High Grand-Priest appeared, everyone stood, crossed their arms, and knelt. He waved his hand. “Formalities are unnecessary. Which god delivered the oracle?”

One of the high priests answered, his face grave. “It came to the oracle of Shadis, the God of Death and the Underworld.”

“Shadis…” A murmur ran through the room. It was rare for the God of Death to grant an oracle; it hadn’t happened in at least a hundred years. Roderick nodded thoughtfully. “And where will the demons attack?”

“There are some minor differences in interpretation… but all agree it will be the northern frontier of the Ecclesia territory.”

The room buzzed. Even Roderick was taken aback. “What, they’re attacking this territory? And the date! When!?”

The high priest’s expression soured. “There are several potential dates, but the most immediate one is… this evening.”

After a heavy silence, Roderick roared. “Today!? Damn it, the oracle came too late!”

A panicked murmur spread through the room as everyone exchanged anxious looks. “Bring me a map!” At Roderick’s command, the commander of the Ecclesia Holy Knights immediately unrolled one.

He pointed to the northern frontier. “This area is dotted with small villages. The first priority is to send familiar birds to warn them. They should be able to arrive in about two hours.”

Roderick nodded and gave the order. “Send the birds at once! Choose a suitable evacuation point and tell them to head there!” The commander relayed the order to one of his knights, who ran off to prepare the familiars.

Next, Roderick turned to the high priest of Shadis. “Do we know which village will be attacked!?”

The high priest shook his head. “No… We are re-interpreting the message now, but we have not been able to pinpoint the exact location.”

As everyone looked grim, one of the Oracle Matriarchs spoke up. “Your Eminence, I have something to report.”

“Speak.”

“Forgive me. One of our oracles reported receiving something… different from a divine message, more like a warning. The words were confused: ‘Caution, warning, time, law, disturbance.’”

Roderick grunted deep in his throat. “I see… Your temple is…”

“Yes. The temple of Fortuna, the Goddess of Time and Fate. As you know, Shadis and Fortuna are brother and sister. For both deities to make a move at the same time is highly unusual.”

It was true. Something about this was wrong. The more sensitive people in the room could feel it in their bones.

High Grand-Priest Roderick closed his eyes for a moment, his mind racing. The warning that boy tried to give me… it must have been about this attack. The Hero was heading north… I have no choice but to entrust that area to him… But what about this other message? I have a very bad feeling about this. We must proceed with extreme caution.

Roderick opened his eyes and gave his orders. “Send a scout unit to the north! If they change horses at the villages along the way, they should arrive in a day. We will dispatch a larger squadron after them!”

The commander of the Holy Knights immediately protested. “Your Eminence, with respect! It would be better to send a small, elite unit. We are facing demons. Scouts may be overwhelmed. In fact, I shall go myself!”

The High Grand-Priest shook his head. “No, I need you to remain in the capital. Something is wrong with this attack… We must respond with caution. I know you object, but I want to keep our elite forces here. Can I count on you?”

The commander looked bitter for a moment but quickly composed himself and nodded. “If that is Your Eminence’s command, it will be done. I will hand-pick our best scouts and send them north at once!”

“Thank you. …And my apologies.”

Roderick then turned to the priests. “You will all go and pour mana into the Sacred Barrier device. Just enough to warm it up.”

A new shock ran through the room. The Sacred Barrier was a magic device from the Age of the Gods, located in the Grand Temple’s catacombs. Seeing their alarm, Roderick quickly added, “Of course, I am not suggesting the capital itself will be attacked. But it never hurts to be prepared.”

His words calmed the room. Everyone regained their composure and moved out at once to fulfill their duties.

Roderick sank heavily into his chair and stroked his magnificent beard.

“Now, then… how will the demons make their move?”