Klaus narrowed his eyes, looking in certain directions of the Kingdom of Veritas.
What is there is just wilderness, and there is no shadow, no shape, etc., of the enemy.
There was only a peaceful sight there, where once the daily routine went far.
"Oh, I was there. I knew you were still here today."
And, looking back at the voice I heard, it was the man I was used to seeing there.
Commander... No, he was now the man who became the defensive captain of this fort.
"Totally...... how long are you going to keep going when you say you don't need it anymore?
"For once, I understand, too. It was like a routine, you know."
"No, it's not. It's been almost a year since the truce was officially established, hasn't it? In the first place, you wouldn't even have to stay here."
"I know, but I can't help it."
Zenfurt is basically a territory that exists solely for the purpose of intercepting soldiers from the Kingdom of Veritas.
Even though it is the Duke's land, the people do not live there.
With the exception of this fortress, which houses Klaus and the others, the wilderness and meadows are only spreading later.
For that reason, now that an agreement for a truce has been reached with the Kingdom of Veritas, there is not much point in Klaus remaining here.
Though it is necessary to leave the soldiers in the fort because even though an agreement has been reached, it does not necessarily mean that the Kingdom of Veritas has yet to do something, it should rather go somewhere else, given the power of Klaus.
But for more than a decade now, we've been watching and fighting here.
The repetition of the past routine has stained the body like a habit, and even now, a year is about to pass, we still have to do surveillance once a day to calm down.
Of course, I do not believe that the Kingdom of Veritas can be made an adult to the extent that an agreement has been reached.
But.
"Come on, get used to it. Or is it okay to say it's until today?
Whatever that word means, stay put.
Though it has remained here until now for this reason, it is also the end at last.
As Klaus, I honestly don't mean it, but I couldn't keep being selfish any longer because of the reason.
"... well, if you leave here, you'll get used to it even if you don't like it. Honestly, I'm still anxious..."
"This is all there is to it, so isn't it true the rumor that it's been on the inside?
"You don't have to point a spear at us to keep that bump down."
"That's... certainly going to be done in that country..."
This man is also originally from the Kingdom of Veritas.
I guess you understand perfectly well how rotten it is over that country.
"But, well, we'll figure it out then. I'll at least let you keep it until you get here, so don't worry. Wang Du, isn't it bad?
"... right. Still, it's possible, but..."
I had heard stories about the imminent danger to the King's capital than the former.
At that point, Sophia was summoned to the king's capital, but Klaus stayed here because it was possible that Veritas might be involved in the danger again.
And it was confirmed that the residents had actually disappeared from the villages around the Wang capital, and the information proved highly credible.
Furthermore, because there was no movement on the part of Veritas, it seemed irrelevant this time, and Klaus was also called to the King's Capital because of the seriousness of the situation.
Nevertheless, so far, I'm still talking about a situation where, just in case because of that possibility... Klaus doesn't believe in it.
In the unlikely event that the phase, for example, is going too far, because I think so.
Perhaps, so will Sofia, the King, etc.
Anyway, it was that Hildegard who went into the investigation this time.
A shadow meritor who has been, and continues to be, looked after, not only once, but also now, as a cause of this country's survival.
It was an investigation report from such an opponent, where, along with the surrounding conditions, a warning had been issued that the possibility was possible in case.
But in case of ambiguity, there's no way I'm sending a warning.
So I'm sure that's just something outward.
It's a suppressed report as if it's okay to leak somewhere, and I guess it's actually closer to a crisis situation.
That is also clear from what Hildegard said about continuing the investigation.
In case, indeed, Hildegard should have left it to someone else.
Hildegard's continuation of the investigation is likely to be a bad thing if it is not Hildegard.
With that in mind, Klaus leaked a bitter smile.
"What's wrong?
"No... I miss you."
"I miss...?
"... well, it was a long time ago. Never mind."
There's Sophia, there's them who became the king and his wife, and there's Hildegard.
According to the story, there's also Camilla, and if I were to go there myself, I remember when I was supposed to build this country naturally.
And just like back then, everyone is doing the best they can for each of us.
That's why you can't stay here any longer and do nothing for yourself.
"Well... So suppose it's time to go"
"Is that enough?
"Nothing more, didn't you come to get me in the first place?
"Well, yes, but we can afford a little more until the time we're due to leave, right?
"... no, fine. And then... I'll leave you to it."
"... Ha! Leave it to me!
Nodding back at the powerful reply, he walks out.
I never look back.
I've already left this place to you.
Then all you have to do is believe... most importantly, if you think about what's to come, I'm sure you can't afford to think about anything else anymore.
I remember when I once confronted Evil Dragon, remembering something like a vague, unpleasant hunch, but Klaus walked on without getting lost.
Hildegard exhaled, looking at the place where people once lived, now abandoned villages.
I also feel technically different from the abandoned village, but it would turn out to be the same thing.
Whatever it is, it is impossible, given that it is not so far from the King's capital.
Besides, this isn't the only place this has happened.
Hildegard visited the villages in the vicinity of the king's capital, and this was the last of them.
And all of it was as deserted as it was here.
Needless to say, it was an anomaly.
If anyone asks me if there was anything surprising about it, it's not true.
"Shit... I was ready because they said so, but you really didn't even see one..."
"Ugh, yeah... this is, after all, ri...?
"Well, I think they've probably eaten me. I also think it's odd..."
"Am I weird, what is it?
"It's decided. I mean, there's no sign of the bad guy who caused this."
"... Huh? So, but... here, on the way, demons, knocked them down, right?
"Sure, it's probably one of the culprits. But even though it's a small village, shadow eaters shouldn't be able to eat that many people. Probably the best in one village."
"That said, the village in the first place, this is close to the king's capital. Considering the size of the village, is it natural that there are quite a few people who lived there?
Although Shadow Eater captures and copies the abilities of the injured and devoured opponent, his abilities cannot be avenged and eaten in large quantities.
It's not just the ability, it's the memory, so the capacity limit comes.
Whether you are a villager with little skills or hundreds of people to eat, that would be the limit there.
"Then you normally killed him, didn't you?
"Did I tell you on the road? Shadow Eaters can capture their abilities just by hurting them."
"And that's something that's automatically activated. Most importantly, they say it's due to instinct, and even when the limits come, they won't stop it, so even if they leave it alone, they will eventually destroy themselves..."
"That's not one of the reasons Shadow Eaters are relatively light-handed in the same category. Well, that doesn't make any difference to disaster class damage. Depending on the location and the circumstances, it can be a real pain in the ass."
"So... a lot, I was there, but the others, they all self-destructed, you mean?... Oh, yeah? But then..."
"Well, there's only one thing that makes sense... and if it does, there's a problem."
"The self-destructing shadow eater leaves the body properly."
"... hmm? But the one that knocked him out, didn't he disappear?
Between now and here, the Hildegards have defeated the Shadow Eaters in one piece.
That's what we've been talking about.
"I don't know much about that area, but I'm told that if you take it in enough to destroy yourself, some kind of change will happen, etc."
"Well, to study it in detail in the first place, it's not that many confirmed."
By the way, it seems Lina is defeating about two more shadow eaters before she meets Hildegard... either way, they still don't fit the numbers.
"Something else, demons, something, work, or something?
"If that's the case, the situation in all the villages is too similar..."
"There was no damage to the village buildings, livestock, etc., and only the villagers were there. At least the demons that can do this are, as far as I know, shadow eaters."
"Uh... I mean, what's going on in the end?
"I don't know, but it's crazy."
"Bye. Whatever the situation is, it doesn't change that you can't be alarmed."
- As a matter of fact, only one thing, Hildegard had ever been on his mind.
That means that because many shadow eaters appeared, they never destroyed themselves.
However, in that case, the situation itself would be unnatural.
In the first place, we've defeated as many as four shadow eaters so far, but that can't have happened.
Even the very rare occurrence of such a massive occurrence cannot be.
By and large, they should have entered the king's capital in no time.
It is only unnatural, such as eating only the villagers of the surrounding villages and leaving somewhere.
Most importantly, if I said it, it would only be unnatural at a time when only the villagers around Wang Capital disappeared.
By the way, it can't be that the demon is doing that with something in mind.
Because even if demons ever gain wisdom, they have no intelligence.
Whatever shadow eaters who get people's memories behave like people, all of them only to eat their prey.
And that's why Shadow Eaters are bound to destroy themselves.
If I had any intelligence at all, I wouldn't imitate that.
… or.
If it's possible, there is a demon manipulation... but that's impossible.
Basically, a thing called a demon doesn't listen to anyone.
Although it is possible with power, it is still impossible.
It was a story, as I said before, that power over demons is sealed, and even if it is found, it is not so, such as something that can handle it that is directly related to the operation of the world.
To the extent that even if you can, you can change the demons that appear, and that's all you can do.
Far from manipulating demons, etc.
That's the thing, so that concern would just be too much to think about.
"By the way, what are you going to do? After going around all the villages, what I found out was that it was strange..."
"Of course, we're still investigating. Now I'm going to check the area around the village. I made it a priority to check on all the villages, so I didn't go over the area thoroughly. That's how you've already reported it."
"No, you were reporting something along the way. I was about halfway around."
"At that point, I guess I was pretty predictable."
"Sure, that's what they said, Ra, that's right,"
"Well, so what are you guys going to do?
"I don't care what they say... what does that mean?
"As you can see from what I've seen, the situation seems worse than expected. It's not that Lina is here, and I don't mind if she wants to go back... No, I think she should."
"... is it fair to admit it? Me. Well, if Shadow Eater and I get out when we're alone, we'll be able to do it light. But..."
I said that and I looked at this one. The eyes were straight and powerful.
He seems to be saying that he is not willing to go back... Hildegard exhales his sigh.
"It seems useless to say. What are you gonna do about it?"
"… I, too, am. Nothing, I can't, and... if I can, I want to help more."
"... for God's sake. Whatever you should say no to as the Dean of the Academy... you didn't bring me here. You got it. I'm responsible for continuing to take care of you."
"That's okay, but why am I being treated like a decision maker?
"Why don't we hang out anyway?
"That's right..."
I'm not convinced, I shrug my shoulders and distract myself from Lina, who just swells her cheeks.
And I narrowed my eyes.
There's a lot to do, and there's probably not much time.
Now, when he turned his gaze back just for a moment, thinking about what to prioritize from, Hildegard exhaled heavily.
Klaus narrowed his eyes, looking in certain directions of the Kingdom of Veritas.
What is there is just wilderness, and there is no shadow, no shape, etc., of the enemy.
There was only a peaceful sight there, where once the daily routine went far.
"Oh, I was there. I knew you were still here today."
And, looking back at the voice I heard, it was the man I was used to seeing there.
Commander... No, he was now the man who became the defensive captain of this fort.
"Totally...... how long are you going to keep going when you say you don't need it anymore?
"For once, I understand, too. It was like a routine, you know."
"No, it's not. It's been almost a year since the truce was officially established, hasn't it? In the first place, you wouldn't even have to stay here."
"I know, but I can't help it."
Zenfurt is basically a territory that exists solely for the purpose of intercepting soldiers from the Kingdom of Veritas.
Even though it is the Duke's land, the people do not live there.
With the exception of this fortress, which houses Klaus and the others, the wilderness and meadows are only spreading later.
For that reason, now that an agreement for a truce has been reached with the Kingdom of Veritas, there is not much point in Klaus remaining here.
Though it is necessary to leave the soldiers in the fort because even though an agreement has been reached, it does not necessarily mean that the Kingdom of Veritas has yet to do something, it should rather go somewhere else, given the power of Klaus.
But for more than a decade now, we've been watching and fighting here.
The repetition of the past routine has stained the body like a habit, and even now, a year is about to pass, we still have to do surveillance once a day to calm down.
Of course, I do not believe that the Kingdom of Veritas can be made an adult to the extent that an agreement has been reached.
But.
"Come on, get used to it. Or is it okay to say it's until today?
Whatever that word means, stay put.
Though it has remained here until now for this reason, it is also the end at last.
As Klaus, I honestly don't mean it, but I couldn't keep being selfish any longer because of the reason.
"... well, if you leave here, you'll get used to it even if you don't like it. Honestly, I'm still anxious..."
"This is all there is to it, so isn't it true the rumor that it's been on the inside?
"You don't have to point a spear at us to keep that bump down."
"That's... certainly going to be done in that country..."
This man is also originally from the Kingdom of Veritas.
I guess you understand perfectly well how rotten it is over that country.
"But, well, we'll figure it out then. I'll at least let you keep it until you get here, so don't worry. Wang Du, isn't it bad?
"... right. Still, it's possible, but..."
I had heard stories about the imminent danger to the King's capital than the former.
At that point, Sophia was summoned to the king's capital, but Klaus stayed here because it was possible that Veritas might be involved in the danger again.
And it was confirmed that the residents had actually disappeared from the villages around the Wang capital, and the information proved highly credible.
Furthermore, because there was no movement on the part of Veritas, it seemed irrelevant this time, and Klaus was also called to the King's Capital because of the seriousness of the situation.
Nevertheless, so far, I'm still talking about a situation where, just in case because of that possibility... Klaus doesn't believe in it.
In the unlikely event that the phase, for example, is going too far, because I think so.
Perhaps, so will Sofia, the King, etc.
Anyway, it was that Hildegard who went into the investigation this time.
A shadow meritor who has been, and continues to be, looked after, not only once, but also now, as a cause of this country's survival.
It was an investigation report from such an opponent, where, along with the surrounding conditions, a warning had been issued that the possibility was possible in case.
But in case of ambiguity, there's no way I'm sending a warning.
So I'm sure that's just something outward.
It's a suppressed report as if it's okay to leak somewhere, and I guess it's actually closer to a crisis situation.
That is also clear from what Hildegard said about continuing the investigation.
In case, indeed, Hildegard should have left it to someone else.
Hildegard's continuation of the investigation is likely to be a bad thing if it is not Hildegard.
With that in mind, Klaus leaked a bitter smile.
"What's wrong?
"No... I miss you."
"I miss...?
"... well, it was a long time ago. Never mind."
There's Sophia, there's them who became the king and his wife, and there's Hildegard.
According to the story, there's also Camilla, and if I were to go there myself, I remember when I was supposed to build this country naturally.
And just like back then, everyone is doing the best they can for each of us.
That's why you can't stay here any longer and do nothing for yourself.
"Well... So suppose it's time to go"
"Is that enough?
"Nothing more, didn't you come to get me in the first place?
"Well, yes, but we can afford a little more until the time we're due to leave, right?
"... no, fine. And then... I'll leave you to it."
"... Ha! Leave it to me!
Nodding back at the powerful reply, he walks out.
I never look back.
I've already left this place to you.
Then all you have to do is believe... most importantly, if you think about what's to come, I'm sure you can't afford to think about anything else anymore.
I remember when I once confronted Evil Dragon, remembering something like a vague, unpleasant hunch, but Klaus walked on without getting lost.
Hildegard exhaled, looking at the place where people once lived, now abandoned villages.
I also feel technically different from the abandoned village, but it would turn out to be the same thing.
Whatever it is, it is impossible, given that it is not so far from the King's capital.
Besides, this isn't the only place this has happened.
Hildegard visited the villages in the vicinity of the king's capital, and this was the last of them.
And all of it was as deserted as it was here.
Needless to say, it was an anomaly.
If anyone asks me if there was anything surprising about it, it's not true.
"Shit... I was ready because they said so, but you really didn't even see one..."
"Ugh, yeah... this is, after all, ri...?
"Well, I think they've probably eaten me. I also think it's odd..."
"Am I weird, what is it?
"It's decided. I mean, there's no sign of the bad guy who caused this."
"... Huh? So, but... here, on the way, demons, knocked them down, right?
"Sure, it's probably one of the culprits. But even though it's a small village, shadow eaters shouldn't be able to eat that many people. Probably the best in one village."
"That said, the village in the first place, this is close to the king's capital. Considering the size of the village, is it natural that there are quite a few people who lived there?
Although Shadow Eater captures and copies the abilities of the injured and devoured opponent, his abilities cannot be avenged and eaten in large quantities.
It's not just the ability, it's the memory, so the capacity limit comes.
Whether you are a villager with little skills or hundreds of people to eat, that would be the limit there.
"Then you normally killed him, didn't you?
"Did I tell you on the road? Shadow Eaters can capture their abilities just by hurting them."
"And that's something that's automatically activated. Most importantly, they say it's due to instinct, and even when the limits come, they won't stop it, so even if they leave it alone, they will eventually destroy themselves..."
"That's not one of the reasons Shadow Eaters are relatively light-handed in the same category. Well, that doesn't make any difference to disaster class damage. Depending on the location and the circumstances, it can be a real pain in the ass."
"So... a lot, I was there, but the others, they all self-destructed, you mean?... Oh, yeah? But then..."
"Well, there's only one thing that makes sense... and if it does, there's a problem."
"The self-destructing shadow eater leaves the body properly."
"... hmm? But the one that knocked him out, didn't he disappear?
Between now and here, the Hildegards have defeated the Shadow Eaters in one piece.
That's what we've been talking about.
"I don't know much about that area, but I'm told that if you take it in enough to destroy yourself, some kind of change will happen, etc."
"Well, to study it in detail in the first place, it's not that many confirmed."
By the way, it seems Lina is defeating about two more shadow eaters before she meets Hildegard... either way, they still don't fit the numbers.
"Something else, demons, something, work, or something?
"If that's the case, the situation in all the villages is too similar..."
"There was no damage to the village buildings, livestock, etc., and only the villagers were there. At least the demons that can do this are, as far as I know, shadow eaters."
"Uh... I mean, what's going on in the end?
"I don't know, but it's crazy."
"Bye. Whatever the situation is, it doesn't change that you can't be alarmed."
- As a matter of fact, only one thing, Hildegard had ever been on his mind.
That means that because many shadow eaters appeared, they never destroyed themselves.
However, in that case, the situation itself would be unnatural.
In the first place, we've defeated as many as four shadow eaters so far, but that can't have happened.
Even the very rare occurrence of such a massive occurrence cannot be.
By and large, they should have entered the king's capital in no time.
It is only unnatural, such as eating only the villagers of the surrounding villages and leaving somewhere.
Most importantly, if I said it, it would only be unnatural at a time when only the villagers around Wang Capital disappeared.
By the way, it can't be that the demon is doing that with something in mind.
Because even if demons ever gain wisdom, they have no intelligence.
Whatever shadow eaters who get people's memories behave like people, all of them only to eat their prey.
And that's why Shadow Eaters are bound to destroy themselves.
If I had any intelligence at all, I wouldn't imitate that.
… or.
If it's possible, there is a demon manipulation... but that's impossible.
Basically, a thing called a demon doesn't listen to anyone.
Although it is possible with power, it is still impossible.
It was a story, as I said before, that power over demons is sealed, and even if it is found, it is not so, such as something that can handle it that is directly related to the operation of the world.
To the extent that even if you can, you can change the demons that appear, and that's all you can do.
Far from manipulating demons, etc.
That's the thing, so that concern would just be too much to think about.
"By the way, what are you going to do? After going around all the villages, what I found out was that it was strange..."
"Of course, we're still investigating. Now I'm going to check the area around the village. I made it a priority to check on all the villages, so I didn't go over the area thoroughly. That's how you've already reported it."
"No, you were reporting something along the way. I was about halfway around."
"At that point, I guess I was pretty predictable."
"Sure, that's what they said, Ra, that's right,"
"Well, so what are you guys going to do?
"I don't care what they say... what does that mean?
"As you can see from what I've seen, the situation seems worse than expected. It's not that Lina is here, and I don't mind if she wants to go back... No, I think she should."
"... is it fair to admit it? Me. Well, if Shadow Eater and I get out when we're alone, we'll be able to do it light. But..."
I said that and I looked at this one. The eyes were straight and powerful.
He seems to be saying that he is not willing to go back... Hildegard exhales his sigh.
"It seems useless to say. What are you gonna do about it?"
"… I, too, am. Nothing, I can't, and... if I can, I want to help more."
"... for God's sake. Whatever you should say no to as the Dean of the Academy... you didn't bring me here. You got it. I'm responsible for continuing to take care of you."
"That's okay, but why am I being treated like a decision maker?
"Why don't we hang out anyway?
"That's right..."
I'm not convinced, I shrug my shoulders and distract myself from Lina, who just swells her cheeks.
And I narrowed my eyes.
There's a lot to do, and there's probably not much time.
Now, when he turned his gaze back just for a moment, thinking about what to prioritize from, Hildegard exhaled heavily.
