17 – The Best Leader (12)
“hahahaha, quite aggressive from the first greeting.”
“I’m… I’m sorry…”
Nico apologized, bowing his head to the middle-aged man.
But in response to Nico’s apology, the middle-aged man spoke in a resolute voice.
“Ah, don’t worry about it. It was actually quite a splendid response for this situation. With dirty devils all around, it was unavoidable to check for confirmation.”
After saying this, he wiped the blood off his ax.
He then continued speaking with the same resolute voice.
“My name is Carlo Bonaparte. A retired devil hunter from the North… But, as you can see, the situation has led me to start hunting again.”
“I’m Jeanne Bernadotte, and this is Nico Oudir. We are devil hunters dispatched from the Central this time.”
“I see, are you the ones we’ve heard about? Seems like you have some skills compared to those guys who died miserably without achieving anything.”
“Those guys… Are you talking about the Northern devil hunters who came here?”
“Yes, despite their skills, they arrogantly ignored my warning and ended up perishing in vain.”
“I see… It’s really regrettable.”
“It’s all self-inflicted, after all… I’d heard that the discipline among the young folks these days has significantly deteriorated, but I never realized it was to this extent. On the other hand, you folks from the central region seem far superior compared to those ruffians, which is a relief.”
That man named Carlo blatantly criticized the Devil Hunters from the North.
Related to this, Jeanne’s mind began to drift towards a story related to the Northern incidents, once shared by her associate Ely.
The performance of the Northern Devil Hunters had been on a continual decline since the disappearance of Geld three years ago.
This decline naturally served as a catalyst for distrust among the Northern citizens towards the Devil Hunters.
In fact, Emily, the local bishop here, was considering handling matters independently, given the plummeting confidence in Devil Hunters—a level of mistrust that Jeanne could feel viscerally.
‘And if we, the central Devil Hunters, continue to excel in this situation, we could naturally sway the Northern public sentiment in our favor.’
Though ostensibly aimed at saving more lives, the current affairs carried the heavy scent of political maneuvering beneath their surface.
Jeanne carefully stored this realization in her mind once more.
For now, she began to gather more accurate information through Carlo, who was engaged in combat right at the forefront of the conflict.
*
Carlo, who had settled in Corsitha after retiring from Devil Hunting, was forced to take up arms again due to the sudden emergence of demons.
Demons that either attacked ordinary citizens or disguised themselves as residents to launch their assaults.
Against such foes,
Carlo had decisively wielded his axe countless times to date.
Innately gifted with the ability to easily detect demons without the need for special magic,
he could effortlessly distinguish even those masquerading as fish demons.
Many demons that had attempted to take his life had instead lost their own by his hand.
However,
Despite his special powers and above-average exceptional skills as a Devil Hunter, Carlo had his limits.
No matter how many he killed, the demon attacks were relentless and never-ending.
Worse still, their numbers didn’t seem to be decreasing; rather, they were multiplying, and the methods of their assaults were becoming increasingly cunning.
All Carlo could do was to protect the region where his family lived—to his utmost, this was his limit.
As a result, isolated from easy contact with the church, he was just managing to handle the demons that approached nearby, enduring each day as it came.
Carlo, fighting for his family, wielded his axe even as hordes of demons advanced.
Covered in the blue blood of demons, he was engaged in life-or-death battles almost daily, yet he could not afford to give up.
For he knew that if he fell, his family would be the next to meet death.
Even if he were to fall today, he had to protect his family at all costs.
“Fortunately, for now, the place where my wife and children reside remains safe, but these blasted demons seem to be multiplying by the day.”
“That must be tough,” Jeanne said in a somber voice.
Carlo responded to her with a hearty laugh and a hint of irony in his reply, “Ha, tell me about it. Being a father is harder than I thought, but it’s manageable enough. When I see my beloved daughter’s face, it feels like the day’s exhaustion washes away.”
Despite the dire circumstances, Carlo willingly struggled for those dear to him.
As Jeanne watched him fulfill his role as a father with dedication,
She felt an unusual connection to him, one that reminded her of her own father, prompting her to ask in a more somber tone, “Have you thought about evacuating your family?”
“Of course, I’ve thought about it. But you’ve seen it, haven’t you? The very moment we step out of the house, it’ll be like ants—demons swarming us from everywhere. In such a situation, even I can’t be confident of protecting my family.”
“If that’s the case, then we will help you. It just so happens that one of our current tasks is to rescue people and bring them to the church.”
“I’d be truly grateful if you could do that, but before you go, there is something I’d like to ask of you.”
“What is it?”
“I can’t be certain, but there may be a way to put an end to this situation. It is…”
Right then.
-KWOOOOOOOO…!!!
The next moment, that same feral howling began to sound again.
The noise that they had occasionally heard on their way here had grown markedly louder compared to when they first heard it.
“Did you hear that? That sound just now?”
“Ugh… Yes. I… I heard it.”
“I’ve been hearing it ever since we arrived in this city… but what in the world is that sound?”
Even Emily, who was usually unflappable, did not know the origin of the sound.
In contrast to his previous lightness, Carlo spoke with a voice heavy with gravity.
“That is… the howl of the creature that took down the northern Devil Hunters.”
“!”
“Does that mean… is that really the cry of a demon?”
“Indeed, we’ve been hearing it shortly after the demons appeared in this city. And from what I’ve actually seen, it’s a monster that’s a full 6 meters tall.”
“Ugh…”
At Carlo’s words, fear laced Nico’s voice as she started to speak.
However, unlike her, Jeanne’s face held a trace of anticipation as she addressed Carlo.
-TRANSLATION-
“I knew it… He’s not an ordinary guy.”
“That’s right. I didn’t get a close look, but just swinging his arm was enough to destroy a whole carriage. Judging by that strength and size, I think he’s the one leading these devils.”
With that statement, Carlo gazed at Jeanne with a more serious and earnest expression.
Following that, the words that Jeanne had accurately predicted jumped out of his mouth.
“What do you say? Won’t you cooperate with me in that sense? Hunting down those devils together, even if I’m lacking in ability alone, if we join forces, we stand a good chance. If all goes well, we might be able to end this hellish situation.”
Carlo’s request was filled with expectation and urgency.
In fact, when the Northern Devil Hunters dispatched under Lamotte’s command were sent out before, he had quite a bit of hope.
But the result was nothing but a failure and complete loss without doing anything.
That was a big disappointment to him, unlike his juniors.
The central Devil Hunters, who did not show any flaws when facing the demons, were making a lot of expectations in various ways for him.
And for this request.
Jeanne and Nico responded with a bright smile on their lips and a lively voice, not out of a sense of duty, but out of a sincere desire to help him.
“Of course, as we said, we came here body and soul for the commission. We’ll gladly join in the task of exterminating the demons.”
“I… I’ll help too. My master just gave me orders. Let’s catch that guy together.”
“hahahaha, thank you. I won’t forget this favor. First, let me guide you to our house. We’re out of ammunition, so we’ll resupply there and then head out… Oh!!”
At that moment,
Carlo suddenly stopped mid-sentence, his face freezing.
Seeing this, Nico and Jeanne asked with a worried tone, “Are you alright?”
“What’s the matter? Are you hurt somewhere…?”
“Oh… no, it’s nothing to worry about… Let’s go.”
Carlo moved along with a noticeably poor complexion that suddenly drew attention.
Worried that perhaps he had sustained some injury, Jeanne began to follow behind him.