Chapter 173: Chapter 171: Fallen Sanctuary

Although the expedition itself was led by the heroes, it was impossible for them to clear such a vast area with their strength alone.

Naturally, the army to support them was an essential part of the conquest, and the troops under my command were more than qualified to be called veterans.

After all, they had honed their skills in all areas under the guidance of Legion Commander Marcus, to assist the heroes.

“This concludes the organization.”

“…Indeed, you are excellent.”

“We are still lacking compared to the hero.”

“There’s no need for humility. I mean it sincerely.”

I felt this way because I had worked as a porter before becoming a hero.

Even though my abilities were considered subpar, I had potential, such as communicating with spirits and awakening the ego of an Ego Weapon.

Isn’t dealing with such monsters without those abilities remarkable by human standards?

“By the way, what are these things?”

Having fended off the attack, the next step was to assess the situation.

Soon, the expedition members began to examine the chunks of flesh on the ground, which were convulsing violently.

“They’re neither beasts nor undead… They look dead, but there’s still some trace of life in them.”

“Come to think of it, I’ve seen them a few times during the conquest. Didn’t the hero say they were turning into vampires?”

“Could the beastmen have allied with the vampires?”

“Considering they lost their reason and went berserk… Look here. They’re still alive and writhing even after being dismembered.”

The beastmen who had begun to transform into vampires.

As some members of the expedition finally grasped the creatures’ identities, their gazes shifted toward the shadows beyond the mist.

“But why did these monsters appear near the sanctuary?”

“Surely the Holy Knights guarding the sanctuary wouldn’t have let these monsters roam freely. Something must be wrong with the sanctuary.”

“Could it be that the beastmen and vampires have joined forces to launch a large-scale invasion?”

“That’s absurd. Those arrogant creatures would never ally with mere beasts.”

There might be a problem at our destination.

The expedition members, imagining such an unsettling speculation, gazed at the city beyond the mist, but one person was looking down at the dismembered monsters on the ground.

“Flang.”

Francheska.

Did she realize something as she gazed at the monsters?

“Do you know something… Flang?”

No, she remained silent, even at my call.

Perhaps what she had learned was so shocking that it left her in a daze.

“…Please guard the surroundings for a moment.”

“Oh, yes!”

After instructing Sanson, I approached Flang and examined her complexion.

Her empty eyes, pale face, and slumped shoulders.

Anyone could see she was in despair and out of her mind.

“…People.”

Her sobs began to leak softly from her slightly parted lips.

“These… these are all people.”

“What do you mean?”

“All these people here, they were all human. Until fairly recently, too.”

Flang, with trembling hands, reached out to the dismembered body parts.

But she couldn’t grasp it, perhaps out of guilt for witnessing a being she recognized as human dying.

“…Now that I think about it, both vampires and beastmen were once derived from humans, weren’t they?”

Although I was slow to realize it, it wasn’t something beyond comprehension.

It was widely known that vampires create thralls by injecting their blood, and it was said that beastmen were created by altering human bodies through a witch’s research.

So, it wasn’t entirely impossible that a human could become both a vampire and a beastman…

“Who could have done such a thing?”

At my thought, Flang trembled, vehemently rejecting the idea.

“Both vampires and the furry tribe are already broken forms of humanity. They both are created by breaking the human mold, and breaking it twice would drive a person’s mind insane.”

“Flang, wait. You’re too agitated right now.”

“Yet someone attempted to merge those two beings. Who did this? For what purpose…? How many people were used?”

“Calm down, Flang. Flang!”

I grabbed Flang’s shoulders, shaking them to make her focus on me.

Flang, who was pale with worry, looked at me.

She looked pitiful and sorrowful, but the situation was too dire for mere consolation.

“Flang. You exist for the sake of humans, right?”

No matter how these beings on the ground were once human, twisted maliciously by someone.

They had already abandoned their humanity and attacked us.

“Since you’re for humans, you can’t overlook the fact that these people attacked us, right?”

“Master.”

“But Flang, do you think there’s a way to turn these people back right now?”

There might be a way…

But she knew best that such thoughts were futile.

The reason humanity had forsaken those who had become beastmen was because there was no way to turn them back into humans.

Now, with vampirism added to that? It was impossible by any reasonable standard.

“If these people were truly human, should we leave those who attacked other humans alone? Or…”

“Give them peace.”

Flang answered with a trembling voice, preempting what I was about to say.

“Giving them peace is the best we can do. If they’ve strayed too far from the human form, and it’s impossible to turn them back… at least we can reduce their suffering…”

“…Flang.”

“I’m sorry. I… I

She couldn’t bring herself to do it, even though she understood. I gently patted her back, sympathizing with her grief.

If these were truly humans, forcing someone born for the sake of humanity to deal with them would be too cruel.

“Hero, what will you do now?”

Yet we couldn’t just stand here doing nothing.

As Sanson approached, still giving orders to the men, I had already made up my mind.

“What else can we do?”

Gradually, my gaze turned towards the city shrouded in mist.

The sanctuary, Frigarach. Our original destination, and the place where we believed these monsters had come from.

There was no way the priests there would have allowed such creatures to roam freely near the sanctuary.

I’m a hero. I can’t just retreat from here.

Something had gone terribly wrong.

Something unimaginable had happened to those entrusted with humanity’s hope.

Of course, if we detected danger, we could temporarily inform others and retreat, but there were many reasons why we couldn’t do that.

First, the expedition itself was formed to solve such problems.

Even though we had the ability to solve the problem, leaving it to others without even scouting would greatly damage our credibility.

The gap created by retreating would also be problematic.

If the sanctuary was in danger and there were survivors in that crisis, abandoning them would also be our responsibility.

Besides, we had planned to visit the sanctuary, so supplies were limited. There were personal reasons to return to the empire quickly, and so on…

Overall, entering the sanctuary and at least understanding and solving the situation was the best decision I could make.

Even if I couldn’t tell the soldiers that the beings we defeated were once humans, at least understanding why and preparing for the future was necessary.

“…It’s horrific.”

“What on earth happened?”

At the entrance to the sanctuary, we were met with the sight of the same monstrous corpses we had defeated before, strewn everywhere.

The soldiers froze in their tracks, and I, too, got off the carriage and took time to survey the surroundings.

Every creature was a grotesque blend of beast and human, some with bodies split open or crushed, still twitching slightly.

Such hideous sights were before the city walls…

And scattered all over the only path to the sanctuary, the ‘drawbridge’.

“Was there a war with the beastmen?”

“They’re not ordinary beastmen. They must have been transformed into vampires…”

“Let’s just call them ‘monsters’ to make it easier.”

“Anyway, there was an attack, but the drawbridge is down.”

“Does that mean the sanctuary has already been overrun?”

It wasn’t hard to deduce that a battle had taken place here, and that the sanctuary had either been overrun or severely damaged.

The eerie silence and the fact that the corpses hadn’t been cleared away indicated that the sanctuary was no longer functioning normally.

“Should we go in?”

Faced with this dangerous city, the soldiers looked to me for guidance. I exhaled slowly, then gave them my quiet answer.

“…We’re running low on supplies. If we turn back, we’ll have to starve for over two days. Can you handle that?”

An army without provisions would be severely weakened if attacked by monsters.

Even if it was just a light reconnaissance mission, we needed to enter the sanctuary, even at the risk of danger, to resupply.

“…Keep formation and move in.”

With my decision made, Sanson relayed my orders, and the expedition formed ranks, ready to advance.

The moment our front line stepped onto the drawbridge, a stench of blood hit us, and the expedition members tensed, casting nervous glances at the horrific scene around them.

“The sanctuary, Frigarach… This is my first time stepping inside, but it’s certainly built like a fortress.”

“It’s called sacred ground for a reason.”

Thick walls surrounded the city, with the drawbridge being the only point of entry. On either side were sheer cliffs, with a massive river surging below, creating waves.

It was practically impossible to invade from any direction other than the drawbridge.

The only other logical methods of infiltration would be an aerial assault or someone from inside opening the drawbridge.

“Whatever the case, if the interior was breached, it must be in chaos.”

“That’s the drawback of an iron fortress. Once breached, there’s no escape route.”

Having witnessed the fortress’s sturdiness, I realized the massive damage inflicted when it was breached by monsters.

As I steeled myself and prepared to lead the way, I noticed Flang trembling as she clung to my arm.

“It’s…

Unlike the other members of the expedition, she must have realized the grim reality.

If both vampires and beastmen were derived from humans, then the beings we were about to encounter had originated from this land.

“Could it be that all the people in this city…?”

Such an ominous speculation seemed to become a reality as we glanced beyond the gate.

Standing at the center of the drawbridge, my body stiffened, and mana naturally began to gather.

Before my mind understood, my body sensed it first.

Something huge was approaching this place.

“Everyone, step back!”

I sprang to the rear of the formation as I noticed the signs.

At that moment, a shadow leaped from the wall and landed with a thud! The chains of the bridge shook violently, reverberating through the area.

“Wh-what the…?!”

“An attack?”

An attack? I wish it were that simple.

Though it was still foggy, the shadow alone showed it was many times larger than a human.

A being more suited to the name monster than beast…

-Grrr, growl, ugh…

As that monster approached with a strange cry, stepping forward, I felt my throat dry up in real time.

Of course, there would be variations in size, even among monsters.

Thinking that all monsters were the same was clearly a mistake.

“Everyone, fall back.”

“Are you sure you’ll be alright alone?”

“Even if I’m not, I have to be. This is what a hero is for.”

Fighting together might have been better, but with the unknown still lying ahead, we had to conserve our strength.

As I prepared to face the approaching shadow alone, I heard an expedition member behind me sobbing.

“P…”

Francheska.

The guardian of humanity, who existed to love humans from birth.

“Phobia, sir…?”

The name that came out of her mouth was something I hadn’t expected.

Phobia, where?

-Kwaa, karrk…!

I didn’t have to wonder for long.

The moment the creature’s growl ripped through the air and its paw slashed through the mist, its form was revealed—a twisted body covered in white fur.

Its face resembled that of a bear, but from its torn mouth protruded tendrils like tongues, bearing no resemblance to its former self.

-Karr, ya, aaah…!

Yes, it was such a disparity that, at this moment, the one blocking us was someone I couldn’t ignore.

That realization turned the threat before me into a true crisis.

-Kiaaoo, aaah!!!

Phobia Homer, the Assault Leader of the Anti-Human Alliance.

Why did he, who knew how to show respect and gratitude even to his enemies, appear in the sanctuary as such a twisted monster?

,

Although the expedition itself was led by the heroes, it was impossible for them to clear such a vast area with their strength alone.

Naturally, the army to support them was an essential part of the conquest, and the troops under my command were more than qualified to be called veterans.

After all, they had honed their skills in all areas under the guidance of Legion Commander Marcus, to assist the heroes.

“This concludes the organization.”

“…Indeed, you are excellent.”

“We are still lacking compared to the hero.”

“There’s no need for humility. I mean it sincerely.”

I felt this way because I had worked as a porter before becoming a hero.

Even though my abilities were considered subpar, I had potential, such as communicating with spirits and awakening the ego of an Ego Weapon.

Isn’t dealing with such monsters without those abilities remarkable by human standards?

“By the way, what are these things?”

Having fended off the attack, the next step was to assess the situation.

Soon, the expedition members began to examine the chunks of flesh on the ground, which were convulsing violently.

“They’re neither beasts nor undead… They look dead, but there’s still some trace of life in them.”

“Come to think of it, I’ve seen them a few times during the conquest. Didn’t the hero say they were turning into vampires?”

“Could the beastmen have allied with the vampires?”

“Considering they lost their reason and went berserk… Look here. They’re still alive and writhing even after being dismembered.”

The beastmen who had begun to transform into vampires.

As some members of the expedition finally grasped the creatures’ identities, their gazes shifted toward the shadows beyond the mist.

“But why did these monsters appear near the sanctuary?”

“Surely the Holy Knights guarding the sanctuary wouldn’t have let these monsters roam freely. Something must be wrong with the sanctuary.”

“Could it be that the beastmen and vampires have joined forces to launch a large-scale invasion?”

“That’s absurd. Those arrogant creatures would never ally with mere beasts.”

There might be a problem at our destination.

The expedition members, imagining such an unsettling speculation, gazed at the city beyond the mist, but one person was looking down at the dismembered monsters on the ground.

“Flang.”

Francheska.

Did she realize something as she gazed at the monsters?

“Do you know something… Flang?”

No, she remained silent, even at my call.

Perhaps what she had learned was so shocking that it left her in a daze.

“…Please guard the surroundings for a moment.”

“Oh, yes!”

After instructing Sanson, I approached Flang and examined her complexion.

Her empty eyes, pale face, and slumped shoulders.

Anyone could see she was in despair and out of her mind.

“…People.”

Her sobs began to leak softly from her slightly parted lips.

“These… these are all people.”

“What do you mean?”

“All these people here, they were all human. Until fairly recently, too.”

Flang, with trembling hands, reached out to the dismembered body parts.

But she couldn’t grasp it, perhaps out of guilt for witnessing a being she recognized as human dying.

“…Now that I think about it, both vampires and beastmen were once derived from humans, weren’t they?”

Although I was slow to realize it, it wasn’t something beyond comprehension.

It was widely known that vampires create thralls by injecting their blood, and it was said that beastmen were created by altering human bodies through a witch’s research.

So, it wasn’t entirely impossible that a human could become both a vampire and a beastman…

“Who could have done such a thing?”

At my thought, Flang trembled, vehemently rejecting the idea.

“Both vampires and the furry tribe are already broken forms of humanity. They both are created by breaking the human mold, and breaking it twice would drive a person’s mind insane.”

“Flang, wait. You’re too agitated right now.”

“Yet someone attempted to merge those two beings. Who did this? For what purpose…? How many people were used?”

“Calm down, Flang. Flang!”

I grabbed Flang’s shoulders, shaking them to make her focus on me.

Flang, who was pale with worry, looked at me.

She looked pitiful and sorrowful, but the situation was too dire for mere consolation.

“Flang. You exist for the sake of humans, right?”

No matter how these beings on the ground were once human, twisted maliciously by someone.

They had already abandoned their humanity and attacked us.

“Since you’re for humans, you can’t overlook the fact that these people attacked us, right?”

“Master.”

“But Flang, do you think there’s a way to turn these people back right now?”

There might be a way…

But she knew best that such thoughts were futile.

The reason humanity had forsaken those who had become beastmen was because there was no way to turn them back into humans.

Now, with vampirism added to that? It was impossible by any reasonable standard.

“If these people were truly human, should we leave those who attacked other humans alone? Or…”

“Give them peace.”

Flang answered with a trembling voice, preempting what I was about to say.

“Giving them peace is the best we can do. If they’ve strayed too far from the human form, and it’s impossible to turn them back… at least we can reduce their suffering…”

“…Flang.”

“I’m sorry. I… I

She couldn’t bring herself to do it, even though she understood. I gently patted her back, sympathizing with her grief.

If these were truly humans, forcing someone born for the sake of humanity to deal with them would be too cruel.

“Hero, what will you do now?”

Yet we couldn’t just stand here doing nothing.

As Sanson approached, still giving orders to the men, I had already made up my mind.

“What else can we do?”

Gradually, my gaze turned towards the city shrouded in mist.

The sanctuary, Frigarach. Our original destination, and the place where we believed these monsters had come from.

There was no way the priests there would have allowed such creatures to roam freely near the sanctuary.

I’m a hero. I can’t just retreat from here.

Something had gone terribly wrong.

Something unimaginable had happened to those entrusted with humanity’s hope.

Of course, if we detected danger, we could temporarily inform others and retreat, but there were many reasons why we couldn’t do that.

First, the expedition itself was formed to solve such problems.

Even though we had the ability to solve the problem, leaving it to others without even scouting would greatly damage our credibility.

The gap created by retreating would also be problematic.

If the sanctuary was in danger and there were survivors in that crisis, abandoning them would also be our responsibility.

Besides, we had planned to visit the sanctuary, so supplies were limited. There were personal reasons to return to the empire quickly, and so on…

Overall, entering the sanctuary and at least understanding and solving the situation was the best decision I could make.

Even if I couldn’t tell the soldiers that the beings we defeated were once humans, at least understanding why and preparing for the future was necessary.

“…It’s horrific.”

“What on earth happened?”

At the entrance to the sanctuary, we were met with the sight of the same monstrous corpses we had defeated before, strewn everywhere.

The soldiers froze in their tracks, and I, too, got off the carriage and took time to survey the surroundings.

Every creature was a grotesque blend of beast and human, some with bodies split open or crushed, still twitching slightly.

Such hideous sights were before the city walls…

And scattered all over the only path to the sanctuary, the ‘drawbridge’.

“Was there a war with the beastmen?”

“They’re not ordinary beastmen. They must have been transformed into vampires…”

“Let’s just call them ‘monsters’ to make it easier.”

“Anyway, there was an attack, but the drawbridge is down.”

“Does that mean the sanctuary has already been overrun?”

It wasn’t hard to deduce that a battle had taken place here, and that the sanctuary had either been overrun or severely damaged.

The eerie silence and the fact that the corpses hadn’t been cleared away indicated that the sanctuary was no longer functioning normally.

“Should we go in?”

Faced with this dangerous city, the soldiers looked to me for guidance. I exhaled slowly, then gave them my quiet answer.

“…We’re running low on supplies. If we turn back, we’ll have to starve for over two days. Can you handle that?”

An army without provisions would be severely weakened if attacked by monsters.

Even if it was just a light reconnaissance mission, we needed to enter the sanctuary, even at the risk of danger, to resupply.

“…Keep formation and move in.”

With my decision made, Sanson relayed my orders, and the expedition formed ranks, ready to advance.

The moment our front line stepped onto the drawbridge, a stench of blood hit us, and the expedition members tensed, casting nervous glances at the horrific scene around them.

“The sanctuary, Frigarach… This is my first time stepping inside, but it’s certainly built like a fortress.”

“It’s called sacred ground for a reason.”

Thick walls surrounded the city, with the drawbridge being the only point of entry. On either side were sheer cliffs, with a massive river surging below, creating waves.

It was practically impossible to invade from any direction other than the drawbridge.

The only other logical methods of infiltration would be an aerial assault or someone from inside opening the drawbridge.

“Whatever the case, if the interior was breached, it must be in chaos.”

“That’s the drawback of an iron fortress. Once breached, there’s no escape route.”

Having witnessed the fortress’s sturdiness, I realized the massive damage inflicted when it was breached by monsters.

As I steeled myself and prepared to lead the way, I noticed Flang trembling as she clung to my arm.

“It’s…

Unlike the other members of the expedition, she must have realized the grim reality.

If both vampires and beastmen were derived from humans, then the beings we were about to encounter had originated from this land.

“Could it be that all the people in this city…?”

Such an ominous speculation seemed to become a reality as we glanced beyond the gate.

Standing at the center of the drawbridge, my body stiffened, and mana naturally began to gather.

Before my mind understood, my body sensed it first.

Something huge was approaching this place.

“Everyone, step back!”

I sprang to the rear of the formation as I noticed the signs.

At that moment, a shadow leaped from the wall and landed with a thud! The chains of the bridge shook violently, reverberating through the area.

“Wh-what the…?!”

“An attack?”

An attack? I wish it were that simple.

Though it was still foggy, the shadow alone showed it was many times larger than a human.

A being more suited to the name monster than beast…

-Grrr, growl, ugh…

As that monster approached with a strange cry, stepping forward, I felt my throat dry up in real time.

Of course, there would be variations in size, even among monsters.

Thinking that all monsters were the same was clearly a mistake.

“Everyone, fall back.”

“Are you sure you’ll be alright alone?”

“Even if I’m not, I have to be. This is what a hero is for.”

Fighting together might have been better, but with the unknown still lying ahead, we had to conserve our strength.

As I prepared to face the approaching shadow alone, I heard an expedition member behind me sobbing.

“P…”

Francheska.

The guardian of humanity, who existed to love humans from birth.

“Phobia, sir…?”

The name that came out of her mouth was something I hadn’t expected.

Phobia, where?

-Kwaa, karrk…!

I didn’t have to wonder for long.

The moment the creature’s growl ripped through the air and its paw slashed through the mist, its form was revealed—a twisted body covered in white fur.

Its face resembled that of a bear, but from its torn mouth protruded tendrils like tongues, bearing no resemblance to its former self.

-Karr, ya, aaah…!

Yes, it was such a disparity that, at this moment, the one blocking us was someone I couldn’t ignore.

That realization turned the threat before me into a true crisis.

-Kiaaoo, aaah!!!

Phobia Homer, the Assault Leader of the Anti-Human Alliance.

Why did he, who knew how to show respect and gratitude even to his enemies, appear in the sanctuary as such a twisted monster?