The False Hero, Volume 12, Chapter 9

Chapter 9

----- Lutz -----

“...don’t see the need to have so many units dedicated to scouting if we and the enemy can both detect presences from so far away.” A decorated general makes his point.

“Scouts aren’t combat units. If you put them on the front lines, it’ll just give the enemies a weak point to attack.” The scout division’s highest officer rebuttals the argument.

“Reserves, then. Send them in when there’s an emergency. Better to have them to relieve the front than have them running around without reason.”

Many such discussions have taken place here in this command room. This war is vital to the very future of this world, and at the same time, none of them have ever engaged in battle where the enemy has near perfect knowledge of our strategies and tactics.

The decorated general understands that and is attempting to turn what he sees as a useless piece, the scouts, into something more valuable, a fighting force that can relieve pressure on the front line in an emergency.

While we still need some dedicated scouts to watch for enemy movement, we certainly don’t need as many as a traditional army that relies only on what their eyes can see. Even though both of them have a point, I’ve heard enough of these arguments that I can sense the outcome well before a decision is made.

“Two out of every three scout units will be placed in the reserve,” King Edgar says. “The rest will continue their duties as normal.”

Unless I have specific information on a topic, I typically stay out of the way and let them run the military the way they want. Though I have to say, the king made the right call with the scouts.

Because this is the final major strategic meeting, there are even more officers and nobles here than usual. That gives us a chance to iron out any wrinkles amongst the various divisions and ensure that all the people with authority know exactly what to expect.

That said, the meeting hasn’t technically started yet, with the scout issue being addressed simply because that decorated general wouldn’t let it go for whatever reason.

Although the meeting is supposed to start two hours before sunrise, everyone is already here, even if some of them still look a bit drowsy from waking up at such an early time. Still, most of them are military men, so they’re used to dealing with rough schedules. The enemy doesn’t always attack when you want them to, after all.

“Thanks for showing up so early, everyone.” I speak up during the lull after the scout discussion. “I think we’ve all got places to be, so let’s get started. First, I want to catch a few of the newcomers up on some hidden information so we don’t have to stop and explain it later. Everyone knows the Lord of Chaos is our main opponent in the battle, but most have no idea who he actually is.”

I point to the Western Great Cathedral, the one that the Lord of Chaos has used as his main base for the past five years. “When the fiends first arrived, a few expeditions were put together to retake the peninsula where the Great Cathedral sits. During those early days of the war, a few people managed to catch a glimpse of who would later become known as the Lord of Chaos. From those eyewitness accounts, it became clear that the one who leads the fiends isn’t an unknown outsider or an intelligent monster. Rather, it’s a person. Or maybe, it was a person before the fiends arrived.”

I look around the room at the faces of those who don’t yet know the truth. “You ever wonder what happened to the High Priest who oversaw the Great Cathedral?”

My question causes many eyebrows to rise, as the implication is obvious.

“You’re saying he’s…” one of the newer members can’t help but voice his surprise.

“That's right, High Priest Eldorin of the Western Great Cathedral is now known as the Lord of Chaos.”

“That betrayer…!”

“It’s not quite that simple. All of you know that the fiends were once normal humans that were twisted into monstrosities by Chaos. The normal fiends lose most of their humanity, but the Archfiends are still largely human, in terms of their appearance. It’s really their mind that’s been twisted more than their bodies. The Lord of Chaos is no different from the rest of the fiends. Once, he was human. But now, he’s been captured by Chaos.”

“Wait a minute,” another commander says. “Doesn’t that mean someone is controlling the Lord of Chaos?”

“Exactly. No mortal man can oppose the Goddess, so that leaves only one explanation, doesn’t it?”

“Another god has appeared…?”

I nod. “Our true foe isn’t the Lord of Chaos. It’s the god who controls him and all the other fiends. That said, the only way to win this war against the god is to defeat his champion, High Priest Eldorin. And I am the one the Goddess chose for the task.”

“Why now, of all times? The war has been raging for five years, well before any heroes were summoned.”

“Because until recently, the Goddess had more control over this world. With her power, she was able to interfere with the other god’s control over the fiends if they went too far from the source of the new god’s influence, the Western Great Cathedral. To prevent his fiends from being taken, the god was forced to limit their strength when too far from the cathedral, making it easier to maintain control over them, despite the long distance.”

I trace the boundary lines for the lands of Chaos, which circle the Western Great Cathedral. “The territory they control roughly marks the range at which most fiends can travel before being drained of their strength. That’s why they stopped attacking once they drove you out of their lands, and it’s why the Lord of Chaos hasn’t been seen since the early expeditions five years ago. The stronger the fiend, the harder it is to control them. When it comes to High Priest Eldorin, he’s so powerful that he couldn’t even leave the area immediately surrounding the Great Cathedral. If he were free before, then the war would have been over long ago.”

I bring my hand back. “But times have changed. That restriction is gone, and even the Lord of Chaos can go wherever he wants. That’s why the final battle is taking place now, simply because the chains that bound him have been removed.”

To be precise, it’s actually the day after tomorrow. Scouts consistently track the army of Chaos, a job that would normally be very dangerous. But right now, the fiends don’t even care that they’re being watched.

That may be surprising to a lot of the war veterans here, but it makes complete sense to me.

Why would a god care about a few pairs of eyes tracking his army as he marches to destroy the last bastion of resistance in this world?

No, if anything, he wants them to see. He wants everyone to see–and to fear.

I’m no psychologist, so I can’t pry open the mind of a man who’s gone mad from his own experiments, but if he wanted to stop the scouts, he could. The fact that he isn’t means he either doesn’t care, or he’s glad to have more witnesses to tell the tale of the battle that changed the world forever.

The strategy meeting continues as usual. There’s always new information that needs to be checked to see if any plans need to be changed, but none of it is significant to me. Better tactics makes our army stronger, so it’s good that they’re refining the details over time, it’s just that the soldiers, generals, and kings who will be fighting at the final battle won’t truly be the ones who determine the outcome.

That task belongs to me.

Since not much has changed, the meeting is over even earlier than I expected. I doubt anything we discussed will have any real impact on our plans, but I see it as a good thing, since that means we can continue without worry.

The final battle is still taking place on a large plain, right in front of where it turns into hills. That gives both sides a clear view of the armies, leaving little room for trickery. It works out in our favor far more than the enemy, since they have almost perfect knowledge of what we’re doing.

Already, the armies of Orakio, Belfast, and Vastela have gathered at the designated location. Three national militaries at one spot, ready to face the fiends.

But the battle is still two days away, and we have a few more things to do before it arrives.

“All of you know what needs to be done,” King Edgar says. “And I expect each of you to fulfill your duties in two days’ time.”

With that, everyone is released to make their final preparations, though many of the officers and nobles here at the meeting will be joining back up with us soon enough. Most of the powerful people will be doing the same, from all over the city.

Even the citizenry is invited, though how many can actually fit in the plaza is yet to be seen. It’s a big space, but it’s an even bigger city.

Regardless, I’m not the star of this upcoming show. At least, I’m not the main star. I’ve certainly got my role to play, unlike during Laya’s coronation as Prime Elder, where I was just a decoration.

The sun still hasn’t even broken the horizon, but the person who’s going to be thrust into the center of everyone’s attention is already wide awake. Can’t blame her, considering she’s particularly bad at being stared at by a lot of people.

She really got a bad deal in all of this, didn’t she?

Just means I’ll have to give her an extra special reward after the war. Not sure what that would even be, though…

I step into my home, trailed by Laya, Alisha, Belle, and Tylith. Lumina and Elise have their own preparations to make, so they decided to stay at the castle.

Unlike usual, the estate is buzzing with activity. Wulf is sitting at the dining room table, drinking. It’s coffee though, so there’s nothing wrong with that.

Malene is standing in the middle of the waiting room for some reason. There are plenty of places for her to relax, but she’s choosing to ignore the plush couch and simply stand beside it as if she were afraid to dirty it.

Galan chooses this moment to appear from the stairway. His room is on the second floor, so he likely just left it after sensing our mana.

“All is well, I hope.” The large elf gives us a greeting as he speaks.

“Yeah, it went about as expected. Better actually, since we got out a little early.”

“Surely the rest of the day will be just as generous.”

“It’s just unfortunate that I have to spend so much of it as a puppet on a string.” I sigh as I think about the upcoming ceremony followed by tonight’s royal party.

Galan’s large hand smacks me on the back. “You are a beacon for your people. That’s more than enough reason to be proud.”

“Yeah, I’m proud. I just wish I could be a beacon somewhere more … isolated.”

“What use is a beacon, if nobody can see it? We elves strive to follow the brightest light among us, as a leader who is supported by his people helps us keep harmony within the community. Your king knows this and has brought his brightest light to all of the important events.”

“I can’t argue with your logic.” I shrug. “But I still don’t have to like it.”

Galan laughs. “You are right at that.”

A lot of other people are out and about, with some even taking an early morning walk outside. The two true dragons are amongst that group, having left their rooms in the guest house to enjoy some fresh air.

But of all the ones who stayed at my estate after yesterday’s dungeon run, the one who’s soon going to be the center of everyone’s attention is still hiding in her room.

“She’s got to be ready by now,” Belle says. “So I’ll just go get her.”

“Thanks. I’m looking forward to seeing her in the new outfit.”

Belle disappears up the same flight of stairs that Galan came down. She goes past the second floor and directly to the third, as that’s where the girls’ rooms are located.

Although I’m not with her, I can feel her mana presence stop at the door. I can even hear a slight knock, my increased senses coming as a perk from my high level.

The conversation must not take long because soon, both girls begin heading this way. We’re all at the bottom of the stairs waiting for her, so it’s no surprise to see a shy smile appear on her face. She’s almost always anxious when being stared at, after all.

But it’s something she’ll have to deal with today, being the star of the show.

“Good morning, Miri.” I return her smile, though mine doesn’t carry a hint of shyness.

“Good morning, Sir Locke.” When she looks at me, I can see her anxiety fade.

“That outfit really does suit you. I’m glad they listened to reason when we recommended you for the position of High Priest.”

“I’m still not sure I deserve such a position. I only began my church a few months ago…”

“Don’t sweat the small stuff. Your church may be new, but it’s the most important one in the kingdom. No, the world. I’ve gained so much faith from it, thanks to your efforts. If anything, they should make a whole new position above High Priest and give it just to you.”

“Please, don’t request that.”

Miri, the leader of my church. A church I didn’t even know existed until well after she started it.

You never know what might happen in another world. Though I guess among the list of strange things that have happened, it would still lose to a lot of other stuff.

“Your coronation as High Priest starts soon, but don’t worry, we’re going back to the dungeon afterwards. So you at least have that to look forward to.”

“Dungeons sure are scary, but I’ll gladly join you again.”

Miri has neither the demeanor of a leader nor the strength of a warrior. She’s just a regular girl who happened to get thrust into the center of this war.

Despite that, she chose this path herself, despite knowing that she’s completely out of her element. Perhaps that makes her more courageous than the rest of us, who are here because we’re good at fighting or leading others.

Yeah, I definitely need to find some kind of special reward for Miri after the war.

But what kind of stuff does she even like…?

She still looks at me with a gaze of admiration, something which used to make me uncomfortable. But if this village girl has the courage to step onto such a deadly and decisive battlefield, then it’d be embarrassing if I couldn’t at least get over my feelings about being worshipped.

Guess I should just get to know her better. And I’m sure a few of her closer friends might have some tips for me.

Edwin and Karina come to mind, the two who’ve been helping her run the church.

“Well.” I step aside, opening a path to the front door for Miri. “It’s a little early, but we have a lot of preparations before the ceremony can begin. So, how about we get going?”

“Alright. I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.” Miri visibly builds her courage.

With Miri at the center, dressed in her High Priest garb, I gather the rest of the people at the manor, including my two maids. All of them are getting special seats at the ceremony, along with many of my other companions.