From the previous fight, I realized two things.
First, I had to remember, even roughly, how long I had stopped time.
That way, I could calculate the cooldown.
The cooldown was an important issue.
What if the time stop earlier had been on cooldown?
Then I would have been a cold corpse rolling on the ground by now.
And from there, the second fact followed.
There was a problem with my capabilities.
To put it simply, my current situation was one where the hardware couldn’t keep up with the amazing software.
Fortunately, the software was so ridiculously excellent that it covered for that.
But naturally, there would come a limit someday. What if the demon I faced earlier had been immune to swords?
Or what if she had amazing regenerative powers and could easily reattach her severed head?
“Phew, is it still far?”
“You’re being too humble, Captain Hans.”
“…”
Startled by the sudden voice from behind, I hurriedly turned around.
Clarence, who had approached at some point, was looking at me.
Goodness, when did this guy show up?
“The cleanup is all done. It was a much more brutal scene than I imagined.”
“Huh?”
“What are you talking about, Clarence?”
“Look at the cut surface here. Isn’t it very roughly cut, as if it was sawed?”
Clarence showed the demon’s head he was holding in his hand.
Damn, I was so startled that I almost fell down.
Thanks to that, I missed the timing to explain.
Clarence continued his explanation.
“In that short moment, Captain Hans deliberately made his movements rough. From the victim’s perspective, it must have been immense pain.”
“I see, Captain Hans took revenge on behalf of Setia…”
“That’s right.”
Woohoo?
They were just sitting there, beating their own drums and gongs? This had to be corrected right now.
Because later, it would grow to an uncontrollable extent.
“It’s not such a great feat. That creature was a low-level demon.”
“A low-level demon?”
“To put it simply, it can be said to be the commander of the monsters.”
Margaret tilted her head, seemingly unfamiliar with demons.
That was understandable.
Originally, most demons couldn’t cause havoc inside due to the barrier.
“Why can’t the demons come all the way here?”
“It’s because of the barrier created by the Holy Emperor of the Holy Empire.”
“The Holy Empire’s barrier…?”
“Yeah, if it weren’t for that, we would have been annihilated long ago.”
That day, the time called the End.
At first, only the demons descended upon this land. Even so, they were sufficiently strong.
In fact, they easily swallowed half of the continent.
However, people gritted their teeth and somehow bought time.
Thanks to that, the Holy Emperor of the Holy Empire succeeded in creating a barrier.
It protected half of the continent with the barrier.
Thanks to that, the demons couldn’t act within the barrier.
So they created monsters instead. They were incomparably weaker than demons.
But in return, they could be active within the barrier.
And those monsters were still devouring countless living beings within the barrier.
What was important here was the fact that the demon Gourmet Anieta was here, despite being a demon.
“Originally, demons can’t enter the barrier. But occasionally, among low-level demons, there are cases where they can be fine even when active within the barrier.”
“Then…?”
“In other words, it means that creature was trash.”
“There’s no need to belittle your achievement.”
Just when I thought I had finished explaining everything, Clarence suddenly intervened.
This guy, he kept his mouth shut on the way here. But he actually had a lot to say?
“Certainly, it’s the lowest class of demons. But even taking that into account, it’s a being that can easily kill any ordinary monster. Moreover, this one was a named one.”
“Named?”
“It refers to a demon or monster with a separate name because of its extreme brutality and danger level. Even if it’s inferior to regular monsters, it can be said to be at least 10 times stronger.”
“To have defeated such an opponent with just one strike…!! As expected of Captain Hans!”
“It’s undeniable that it’s a great achievement. Just this Gourmet Anieta alone had destroyed 6… no, now 7 villages.”
“…”
I tried to somehow brush it off.
But thanks to Clarence’s unnecessary additional explanation, Margaret’s already excessive respect became even more excessive.
No, if this were my true ability, fine.
I’m telling you, I barely won using the time stop ability?
It even took me an hour just to cut off the head.
This wasn’t downplaying. In this place, you had to be good at self-objectification in order to survive.
Otherwise, you would end up receiving positions that were way beyond your capability, like now.
In the first place, I didn’t have the capacity to be a captain!
Damn it, let’s quickly finish and go back.
I immediately started walking.
Growl.
“…”
And we could see a huge wolf rummaging through the interior of Setia.
It looked similar to a Blade Wolf. But the problem was its size.
It was over 5 times larger.
“A mutated Blade Wolf, huh? Indeed, if we leave it alone, it could attack the refugee camp.”
“…”
“So that’s why we came to deal with that Blade Wolf! As expected of the captain!”
No, I can’t catch it because the time stop is on cooldown.
No, even with the time stop ability, it would be impossible. When would I be done cutting something that big?
Then Clarence stepped forward.
“You two rest. I’ll take care of that one.”
His words and actions came out almost simultaneously.
Quickly approaching the Blade Wolf, Clarence drew his sword.
At the same time, surging blue sword energy soon split the wolf in half.
“As expected, Clarence is strong!”
“…Come to think of it, you said he was from the capital?”
“Yes! I heard he was a candidate for the Royal Knights!”
“…”
So he was that amazing, huh?
Then why didn’t you deal with that guy earlier?
You damn bastard.
* * *
Today was truly dangerous.
Clarence checked several times to see if his head was properly attached.
If it wasn’t attached, he wouldn’t have been able to return here.
That was how dangerous the situation was today.
Although he was a candidate for the Royal Knights, that didn’t mean he was on par with the Royal Knights.
Rather, the gap was so wide that it was insurmountable. They could easily kill demons.
But Clarence struggled to even face monsters with slightly higher ranks, let alone demons.
In fact, the term ‘candidate’ was just a nice way of putting it. No matter how much he tried in this lifetime, he could never catch up to them.
“But that doesn’t mean I can’t do anything.”
He clearly understood the gap between the Royal Knights and himself to the point of tears.
But Clarence didn’t stumble or give up.
Instead, he chose to do what he could, accepting that as his mission.
Returning to his residence, Clarence took out a crystal ball hidden under the floor.
This crystal ball was a magical tool that could connect with other crystal balls and have conversations when filled with mana.
It was a very convenient tool. But its price was so expensive that it could purchase an entire territory.
The reason Clarence had it was for one reason, his mission.
[You contacted me faster than I thought. What’s the matter?]
“I’d like to correct my previous report.”
[Don’t tell me…]
“Yes, that’s right.”
Previously, he had reported too hastily. Maybe he was unknowingly jealous.
He didn’t want to acknowledge that he was different from himself.
But public and private matters had to be strictly distinguished.
“I found someone to recommend to the Royal Knights.”
[…To think such words would come from you, Clarence.]
“His skills are definitely impressive. He took care of Gourmet Anieta with just one strike.”
[Gourmet Anieta? That’s amazing.]
Gourmet Anieta.
Although she was a low-level demon, her notoriety was so great that everyone in the capital knew her.
Because she was the worst monster who single-handedly destroyed 7 villages.
[A recommendation from Clarence. My trust is growing by leaps and bounds.]
At the very least, the man connected to the crystal ball was sincere.
Other Royal Knights candidates had already been assigned to refugee camps and were carrying out missions.
And among them, many had reported.
But the talents they had recommended all failed to be selected as Royal Knights.
In the midst of that, a report finally came in from Clarence. And it was the first time.
[Clarence is surprisingly strict. That’s why I have even higher expectations.]
“But there’s a problem.”
[Huh? What problem?]
“He doesn’t want to make himself known to the world.”
At first, he thought it was humility. But he was overly focused on hiding himself.
Wondering about the reason, Clarence soon found a clue in his words.
[Monsters that surpass our imagination are already widespread throughout the world.]
He was well-versed in demons.
Moreover, he said that monsters surpassing imagination were widespread.
In other words, he had come this far experiencing countless bloody battles in the past.
So it was only natural that he knew so much about demons. But for some reason, he chose to stop fighting and went into seclusion.
That was Clarence’s assessment of Hans’ situation.
“It seems he has some circumstances from the past.”
[I’m sorry, but now’s not the time to worry about that.]
“Yes, I know.”
[Other races, except for humans, are occupying one seat each in the Royal Knights. At this rate, our position will only diminish further.]
“…”
The Royal Knights, the strongest knights selected solely based on ability, regardless of nation or race.
Strictly speaking, it was more like giving the title of knight to those who weren’t originally knights.
But… each and every one of them was a ridiculous monster.
However, unfortunately, there were no humans currently in the Royal Knights.
The man in the crystal ball spoke coldly.
[We need a hero.]
A hero of humanity, to save humanity.
From the previous fight, I realized two things.
First, I had to remember, even roughly, how long I had stopped time.
That way, I could calculate the cooldown.
The cooldown was an important issue.
What if the time stop earlier had been on cooldown?
Then I would have been a cold corpse rolling on the ground by now.
And from there, the second fact followed.
There was a problem with my capabilities.
To put it simply, my current situation was one where the hardware couldn’t keep up with the amazing software.
Fortunately, the software was so ridiculously excellent that it covered for that.
But naturally, there would come a limit someday. What if the demon I faced earlier had been immune to swords?
Or what if she had amazing regenerative powers and could easily reattach her severed head?
“Phew, is it still far?”
“You’re being too humble, Captain Hans.”
“…”
Startled by the sudden voice from behind, I hurriedly turned around.
Clarence, who had approached at some point, was looking at me.
Goodness, when did this guy show up?
“The cleanup is all done. It was a much more brutal scene than I imagined.”
“Huh?”
“What are you talking about, Clarence?”
“Look at the cut surface here. Isn’t it very roughly cut, as if it was sawed?”
Clarence showed the demon’s head he was holding in his hand.
Damn, I was so startled that I almost fell down.
Thanks to that, I missed the timing to explain.
Clarence continued his explanation.
“In that short moment, Captain Hans deliberately made his movements rough. From the victim’s perspective, it must have been immense pain.”
“I see, Captain Hans took revenge on behalf of Setia…”
“That’s right.”
Woohoo?
They were just sitting there, beating their own drums and gongs? This had to be corrected right now.
Because later, it would grow to an uncontrollable extent.
“It’s not such a great feat. That creature was a low-level demon.”
“A low-level demon?”
“To put it simply, it can be said to be the commander of the monsters.”
Margaret tilted her head, seemingly unfamiliar with demons.
That was understandable.
Originally, most demons couldn’t cause havoc inside due to the barrier.
“Why can’t the demons come all the way here?”
“It’s because of the barrier created by the Holy Emperor of the Holy Empire.”
“The Holy Empire’s barrier…?”
“Yeah, if it weren’t for that, we would have been annihilated long ago.”
That day, the time called the End.
At first, only the demons descended upon this land. Even so, they were sufficiently strong.
In fact, they easily swallowed half of the continent.
However, people gritted their teeth and somehow bought time.
Thanks to that, the Holy Emperor of the Holy Empire succeeded in creating a barrier.
It protected half of the continent with the barrier.
Thanks to that, the demons couldn’t act within the barrier.
So they created monsters instead. They were incomparably weaker than demons.
But in return, they could be active within the barrier.
And those monsters were still devouring countless living beings within the barrier.
What was important here was the fact that the demon Gourmet Anieta was here, despite being a demon.
“Originally, demons can’t enter the barrier. But occasionally, among low-level demons, there are cases where they can be fine even when active within the barrier.”
“Then…?”
“In other words, it means that creature was trash.”
“There’s no need to belittle your achievement.”
Just when I thought I had finished explaining everything, Clarence suddenly intervened.
This guy, he kept his mouth shut on the way here. But he actually had a lot to say?
“Certainly, it’s the lowest class of demons. But even taking that into account, it’s a being that can easily kill any ordinary monster. Moreover, this one was a named one.”
“Named?”
“It refers to a demon or monster with a separate name because of its extreme brutality and danger level. Even if it’s inferior to regular monsters, it can be said to be at least 10 times stronger.”
“To have defeated such an opponent with just one strike…!! As expected of Captain Hans!”
“It’s undeniable that it’s a great achievement. Just this Gourmet Anieta alone had destroyed 6… no, now 7 villages.”
“…”
I tried to somehow brush it off.
But thanks to Clarence’s unnecessary additional explanation, Margaret’s already excessive respect became even more excessive.
No, if this were my true ability, fine.
I’m telling you, I barely won using the time stop ability?
It even took me an hour just to cut off the head.
This wasn’t downplaying. In this place, you had to be good at self-objectification in order to survive.
Otherwise, you would end up receiving positions that were way beyond your capability, like now.
In the first place, I didn’t have the capacity to be a captain!
Damn it, let’s quickly finish and go back.
I immediately started walking.
Growl.
“…”
And we could see a huge wolf rummaging through the interior of Setia.
It looked similar to a Blade Wolf. But the problem was its size.
It was over 5 times larger.
“A mutated Blade Wolf, huh? Indeed, if we leave it alone, it could attack the refugee camp.”
“…”
“So that’s why we came to deal with that Blade Wolf! As expected of the captain!”
No, I can’t catch it because the time stop is on cooldown.
No, even with the time stop ability, it would be impossible. When would I be done cutting something that big?
Then Clarence stepped forward.
“You two rest. I’ll take care of that one.”
His words and actions came out almost simultaneously.
Quickly approaching the Blade Wolf, Clarence drew his sword.
At the same time, surging blue sword energy soon split the wolf in half.
“As expected, Clarence is strong!”
“…Come to think of it, you said he was from the capital?”
“Yes! I heard he was a candidate for the Royal Knights!”
“…”
So he was that amazing, huh?
Then why didn’t you deal with that guy earlier?
You damn bastard.
* * *
Today was truly dangerous.
Clarence checked several times to see if his head was properly attached.
If it wasn’t attached, he wouldn’t have been able to return here.
That was how dangerous the situation was today.
Although he was a candidate for the Royal Knights, that didn’t mean he was on par with the Royal Knights.
Rather, the gap was so wide that it was insurmountable. They could easily kill demons.
But Clarence struggled to even face monsters with slightly higher ranks, let alone demons.
In fact, the term ‘candidate’ was just a nice way of putting it. No matter how much he tried in this lifetime, he could never catch up to them.
“But that doesn’t mean I can’t do anything.”
He clearly understood the gap between the Royal Knights and himself to the point of tears.
But Clarence didn’t stumble or give up.
Instead, he chose to do what he could, accepting that as his mission.
Returning to his residence, Clarence took out a crystal ball hidden under the floor.
This crystal ball was a magical tool that could connect with other crystal balls and have conversations when filled with mana.
It was a very convenient tool. But its price was so expensive that it could purchase an entire territory.
The reason Clarence had it was for one reason, his mission.
[You contacted me faster than I thought. What’s the matter?]
“I’d like to correct my previous report.”
[Don’t tell me…]
“Yes, that’s right.”
Previously, he had reported too hastily. Maybe he was unknowingly jealous.
He didn’t want to acknowledge that he was different from himself.
But public and private matters had to be strictly distinguished.
“I found someone to recommend to the Royal Knights.”
[…To think such words would come from you, Clarence.]
“His skills are definitely impressive. He took care of Gourmet Anieta with just one strike.”
[Gourmet Anieta? That’s amazing.]
Gourmet Anieta.
Although she was a low-level demon, her notoriety was so great that everyone in the capital knew her.
Because she was the worst monster who single-handedly destroyed 7 villages.
[A recommendation from Clarence. My trust is growing by leaps and bounds.]
At the very least, the man connected to the crystal ball was sincere.
Other Royal Knights candidates had already been assigned to refugee camps and were carrying out missions.
And among them, many had reported.
But the talents they had recommended all failed to be selected as Royal Knights.
In the midst of that, a report finally came in from Clarence. And it was the first time.
[Clarence is surprisingly strict. That’s why I have even higher expectations.]
“But there’s a problem.”
[Huh? What problem?]
“He doesn’t want to make himself known to the world.”
At first, he thought it was humility. But he was overly focused on hiding himself.
Wondering about the reason, Clarence soon found a clue in his words.
[Monsters that surpass our imagination are already widespread throughout the world.]
He was well-versed in demons.
Moreover, he said that monsters surpassing imagination were widespread.
In other words, he had come this far experiencing countless bloody battles in the past.
So it was only natural that he knew so much about demons. But for some reason, he chose to stop fighting and went into seclusion.
That was Clarence’s assessment of Hans’ situation.
“It seems he has some circumstances from the past.”
[I’m sorry, but now’s not the time to worry about that.]
“Yes, I know.”
[Other races, except for humans, are occupying one seat each in the Royal Knights. At this rate, our position will only diminish further.]
“…”
The Royal Knights, the strongest knights selected solely based on ability, regardless of nation or race.
Strictly speaking, it was more like giving the title of knight to those who weren’t originally knights.
But… each and every one of them was a ridiculous monster.
However, unfortunately, there were no humans currently in the Royal Knights.
The man in the crystal ball spoke coldly.
[We need a hero.]
A hero of humanity, to save humanity.
