Chapter 1 – Hero’s Awakening
The pointed ears twitched along with his regained consciousness.
Suddenly, his eardrums rang loudly, and Sheto swayed as his mind began to work. At first, he kept his eyes closed and felt with his ears.
He had been laid out on a wooden plank. Judging by the vibrations, he was probably being carried in the back of a wagon.
It was likely about ten steps wide. And there was a sharp smell of rusted iron.
He slowly opened his eyes then. As expected, he was trapped inside a cage with iron bars.
It must be nearing dawn. Monsters and shadows surrounded him. Goblins, orcs, ogres. Also, the smell of that Minotaur general.
He took a deep breath and pretended to be asleep as he focused on the rest of his body.
There were heavy shackles around his legs and wrists. However, there were no chains connected to them. And while he felt quite tired, there was no pain in his body.
While wary of his surroundings, he curled up his body slowly. And then he whispered.
“Salia.”
‘So…you have awakened.’
The goddess sighed with relief.
‘For a moment…I thought you might die like this.’
“The power to heal, worked. Don’t worry.”
‘I’m sorry.’
She apologized with a bitter voice.
‘I made a mistake… You became stronger… And so…I thought with some strategy…we could overcome anything… I was a fool…’
As she said it, the scene appeared before him.
The Demon King who was speaking through the Minotaur. The overwhelming power that had defeated him.
“The Demon King…is strong.”
‘Aye…’
The wagon swayed.
Apparently, the monsters were traveling down a paved road. The two were silent for a moment.
“Where…am I now?”
‘…Right now, you are going up a road to the north. The Demon General’s castle is in northern Morania. They joined reinforcements at a dungeon on the way, and are quite a large number now.’
“I…will I be made, to join the Demon King?”
He thought of the promise he had made in order to save Keita. It had not been a complete rejection. He had just wanted to buy some time.
‘If that is your will, and you destroy the contract you have with me, yes.’
“Salia. Do you think, I will?”
After a pause, she answered simply.
‘I leave the choice to you.’
The kobold closed his eyes and put the thought aside for the time being.
“…What happened, to Keita?”
‘Lindle…is gone. I could not keep my eye on him. I can only watch the area around you. And I cannot contact Canila. However, I haven’t heard of her being turned into a statue yet, so she must be fine.’
“And Fi? Guto? The pack?”
‘I do not know either. The dragon god says he is alive, but he cannot contact him.’
The situation was worse than it had ever been.
He didn’t know what happened to the others. He was with the enemy.
And he had no weapons.
“What should I do?”
There was silence. And then the goddess’s voice rained down.
‘What should you do about what?’
“Huh?”
‘You said it. What is it, that you are going to do something about?’
Sheto thought about it for a moment and smiled.
“Heh…hehe…haha…”
‘What is so funny?’
“Yes. I am…strange.”
There was no humor in the situation. Still, he had thought about it.
What he should do now.
“Do you remember. I, have been caught, by them before.”
‘I could never forget…that was really…a hopeless situation.’
He had been chained and pulled around like a slave. He had been prepared to die.
Back then, all he could do was curse his luck and cry about being weak.
Compared to that time, this was much better.
“So, Salia?”
‘Indeed. You must be freed of the shackles so you can escape. I have a good idea of the enemy now. Your things are with the Demon General.’
“Will take these off. Leave cage. Get weapons back. Escape. Think of another way…to win.”
‘Hehe… Indeed. That is what we’ll do.’