MTLNOVEL Ch. 98
Chapter 98
Rifiris and the others arrived at their destination two days after the kidnapping.
It was a fortress city flying the flag of the Nogia Empire, with an estimated population of around fifty thousand.
Judging from the giant bird's speed and travel time, it was a city near the border between the Rivalt Kingdom and the Nogia Empire. From the empire's perspective, it might be considered a frontier town.
Rifiris and the others landed in the garden of the castle within the city. As they made their way toward the castle, Rifiris asked Neil a question.
"Are you saying the empire kidnapped me because they wanted a Hero?"
"......His Highness will explain the details."
"His Highness! Whoa... They've sent someone seriously important..."
"You are a Hero. You are someone the royalty and nobility of every nation pay attention to. There's nothing strange about this."
"That's true. Until now, the Church protected me in a way, but now I'm in a position where all sorts of people are after me..."
Rifiris and the others entered the solidly built castle. Perhaps because it was located near the border, the castle prioritized practicality over appearance.
When they were guided to the audience chamber, a young man sat alone on a luxurious chair. He looked to be around twenty years old, with silver hair and ruby-like red eyes that were stunning. With his handsome features and dignified aura, one could clearly sense he was of royal blood.
"I have returned, Your Highness."
Neil knelt and bowed her head. Rifiris, sensing the importance of the person before her, followed suit and knelt as well.
"Well done. Thank you for bringing her. ......Hero, I am Lilshen, Second Prince of the Nogia Empire. I apologize for inviting you here in such a forceful manner."
"......My name is Rifiris. I believe Your Highness had a deep reason for bringing me here by such drastic means. What do you intend to do with me?"
At Rifiris's question, Lilshen slightly widened his eyes.
"Though you are still young, you carry a very mature atmosphere. Is this what it means to be a Hero...?"
"That might be the case."
"I heard you are only five years old. It's unlikely you could live in step with other children your age."
"I have had almost no interaction with others my age, so I wouldn't know."
"I see. Well then. The reason I invited you here is to help you grow as a Hero."
"......Grow? What exactly do you mean by that?"
"You are a Hero. You must defeat the Demon King. However, with your current strength, you cannot defeat that powerful Demon King. Therefore, you must become stronger."
"......Are you saying I should train in swordsmanship and magic under Your Highness?"
"No. That alone won't be enough to defeat the Demon King. You need to become stronger in a more dramatic way."
Rifiris had a very bad feeling about this.
"Um... What exactly do you mean by that...?"
"In our country's ancient texts, there are methods written to dramatically strengthen a Hero. One of them involves offering human lives to the gods within a special magic circle."
"......What?"
Offering lives. Just like what happened in the Holy Capital the other day, would many people have to die?
"From what I've heard, the Demon King possesses immense power. I don't know how many lives it would take to obtain power equal to that. But regardless, as long as the Hero surpasses the Demon King, it's enough."
"What are you... even saying...?"
"This town has about fifty thousand people. We'll release powerful Monsters that we've already captured and have them kill the townspeople. We'll offer the lives of the dead to the gods."
"What are you saying!? Killing your own citizens—how can you say that so casually!?"
"The people of this town, Ramten, are citizens and yet not. It's a town we recently occupied, and the people still feel allegiance to the Rivalt Kingdom. So, they can't truly be called citizens of the Nogia Empire. If they're gone, it won't be a big problem. Diplomatically, we can just say it was a Monster attack."
"I can't understand anything you're saying..."
In this world, life is far too cheap. Coming from a mindset where every human life should be treated as precious, even those of other nations, such thinking was utterly incomprehensible.
"You don't need to understand. As long as you become stronger, everything will be justified."
"Nothing will be justified! No one thinks it's okay to sacrifice lives just to make the Hero stronger! That's way too selfish!"
No matter what Rifiris said, Lilshen remained completely unfazed. He seemed utterly devoid of normal sensibilities.
"......Even if I become stronger, whether I fight the Demon King is my decision. If I don't fight, then all those deaths will be meaningless."
"You will fight. Apparently, the more power a Hero gains, the stronger their urge to defeat the Demon King becomes."
"I'll suppress that urge with my will."
"Let's see what actually happens."
"There's no way I'm going to follow your ridiculous plan."
"How long can you hold out, I wonder? Oh, by the way, this ritual has another meaning besides offering lives to the gods."
"Another... meaning...?"
"It's said that when a Hero continues to witness merciless and cruel things, they awaken to the power of darkness. The strongest Hero in history supposedly wielded not only holy and light powers but also the power of darkness."
"......So you're saying—"
"You will witness the fall of this town from the best seat in the house. Neil, take her."
"Understood."
"W-Wait! I don't want to become stronger this way, and I don't want to see the townspeople suffer! Stop this!"
Rifiris resisted, but Neil forcibly pulled her by the arm.
"Stop it! Stop it, Neil! Do we really have to do this!? Why are you obeying that tyrant!? This is insane!"
Neil didn't answer.
And then, Rifiris was brought to the top of the wall surrounding the Lord's Castle.
A soldier on the wall blew an instrument like a trumpet.
With that shrill sound, some kind of magic activated, dyeing the town red. Screams began erupting everywhere. It seemed the Monsters had been unleashed.
Ogres, trolls, giant wolves, and many other Monsters rampaged through the town.
The residents desperately fled, but unable to fight back properly, they were slaughtered mercilessly.
"This is horrible...!"
Rifiris wished to save the townspeople, but bound by the Magic-Sealing Shackles, she couldn't use magic properly.
"You people are insane! How can you do something like this!? This isn't something humans should do!"
No matter how much Rifiris cried or screamed, no one stopped the brutal massacre.
There were many soldiers within the castle walls, and none of them tried to stop the atrocity. Rifiris found that incomprehensible.
(......Everyone seems like they're being controlled by something. Maybe it's that prince's power... Even so, this is just wrong!)
In Rifiris's line of sight, a child and their mother were devoured by a wolf.
Rifiris fell to her knees and tried to avert her eyes from the carnage.
"Look closely. Otherwise, the deaths of the townspeople will be in vain. And if you don't gain the power of darkness from this, another town will become the next sacrifice."
Neil grabbed Rifiris's face and forced her to look at the scene.
"You will become stronger from this. And you will defeat the Demon King. That is how the deaths of this town's people will be repaid."
Don't be ridiculous.
Rifiris clenched her fists so tightly they bled as she bore witness to the town's destruction.