NOVEL NEXT Chapter 28 - Episode 28: Taking No Chances
Episode 28: Taking No Chances
~~Zaus’ Perspective~~
I have a bad feeling about this.
It’s been a week since the hero’s intrusion.
Since then, the Duke’s territory has been unusually quiet.
“Hey, Goblin Taro. Have you seen any sign of the hero since then?”
“Yes, sir, Gob. We’ve been on guard at the plaza in front of the Great Tree Spring with many monsters. But we haven’t spotted them at all, Gob.”
“Hmm…”
“He might not have fully recovered from the beating I gave him, Gob.”
“That’s unlikely. The hero’s party has a cleric named Mishiri who uses healing magic.”
“Maybe they’re infiltrating other areas of the Duke’s territory, Gob. Shouldn’t we spread our monitoring beyond just the plaza?”
“That won’t work. We must defend the spring. That’s our priority.”
The Great Tree Spring.
It’s the best leveling spot in Breque.
Water gushes endlessly from the large tree trunk. Drinking it heals wounds instantly.
The plaza where Goblin Taro and the others are stationed is right in front of the spring. They must pass through there to reach the spring.
In other words, if we can hold that plaza, they can’t access the healing spot.
“In that case, Zaus-sama, how about reinforcing with more monsters and expanding our surveillance beyond the plaza?”
“That would only result in deploying lower-level monsters than you guys.”
“But it might help us spot the hero faster.”
“It won’t make much difference. They must pass through the Great Tree Spring to reach the Duke’s castle. Let’s avoid unnecessary actions. Besides, deploying lower-level monsters might only end up getting defeated by the hero.”
“Oh… Zaus-sama, you’re so kind, Gobu.”
“Don’t misunderstand. I just don’t want to lose any of my subordinates.”
“Heh, sorry. Gobu.”
“What’s with that grin? What do you mean?”
“Zaus-sama, you always worry about us, Gob.”
“Don’t be ridiculous! I’m just doing what any ruler should do! I’m an evil demon, after all!”
Sheesh.
I couldn’t care less about my subordinate monsters.
They’re just pawns to protect me. If I get attached to every game character, there’ll be no end to it.
Whether these guys live or die doesn’t matter to me. What matters is my own survival.
“I won’t go easy on you! My orders are absolute! Don’t slack off, or you’ll regret it!”
“Yes! We’ll give it our all, Gob!”
“Good.”
“Then, back to your posts, Gob!”
Ah…
“Goblin Taro, how are the breaks at the scene?”
“Oh, yes. As instructed by Zaus-sama, we take breaks every two hours with rotating shifts, Gob.”
“Good. Don’t overextend yourselves. How about days off?”
“We get one day off every three days, Gob. Meel-san has set up a shift for monster surveillance, Gob.”
“Alright, that’s good.”
“Hehehe.”
“You’re grinning again! I’m not doing this because I care about you guys! If you strain yourselves and get sick, it’ll cause a shortage in shifts!”
“We apologize, Gob!”
“Anyway… If you do feel unwell, let us know in advance. It’s best to rest and recover on those days. Meel can rearrange the shifts for you.”
“Ahaha! Zaus-sama is kind after all, Gob!”
“Idiots! It’s to avoid inconveniencing everyone! If you’re not in good shape, you’ll lower the team’s overall effectiveness!”
“Yes! We’re sorry, Gob!”
“You’re getting complacent!”
“We’ll tighten up, Gob! Back to our posts, Gob!”
And with that, I turned back after jogging a little.
“Zaus-sama, I love you, Gob.”
“You idiot! Get moving!”
“I’ll protect Zaus-sama even if it costs me my life, Gob!”
“You moron! If you’re about to get done in, retreat early! If you guys die, it’ll decrease my pawns, you know!”
“Zaus-samaaa! I’ll do my best, Gobbuu!”
*Sigh*.
Troublesome subordinates, I tell you.
As I sighed, Arjena was looking at me with a smirk.
It seems like she overheard our conversation.
“Hey. What are you grinning about?”
“Oh, nothing~~”
“That’s a lewd expression. Were you thinking dirty thoughts?”
“I wasn’t thinking about anything like that!”
Well, it’s not time for joking around.
I’m worried about the hero’s movements.
Should I make the first move?
“Meel, spread out the map for me.”
“Understood.”
I crossed my arms while looking at the map of the continent.
For the hero to reach the Duke’s castle, they need to gather two companions.
One is Mishiri, the childhood friend who’s also a cleric, and the other is Namba, the merchant.
After defeating the Duke, the hero recruits more companions.
That’s where the magician Meel and the swordsman Arjena here come in.
Well, they probably won’t join the hero’s party, so my concern lies with the last one.
The Great Sage Caphrodyte.
Breque is ultimately a game where the hero teams up with five beautiful girls.
The main chapter until defeating the Demon King progresses with this party.
Come to think of it…
“Meel, have we been able to contact Namba?”
“Yes. It seems there was an invitation from the hero at the guild.”
As expected.
The hero recruiting the merchant is part of the main story.
“But it seems she declined. She said she’s doing business with the weapons merchant, Chin-san.”
Good.
It’s good that I took action beforehand.
With that, the hero’s companions are only Mishiri, the childhood friend.
In that case, the only one left to recruit in the future will be the Great Sage Caphrodyte.
She joins the party after defeating the Duke… but just to be sure.
I pointed to a small island floating in the Eastern Sea.
“Alright. Let’s go to Solitude Island.”
“Huh? What are we going to do on such a remote island?”
“I’m going to meet the Great Sage.”
“…Understood. Shall we set sail with the Wyvern airship?”
We’ll thoroughly cut down the hero’s forces.
Definitely. We’ll proceed cautiously.
No matter what the hero’s status is, I won’t underestimate them.