Episode 2: Nightmare at the Training Grounds

The day after the two who called themselves the Hero and the Demon King awoke,
Christopher reported to the palace as usual.

Twenty-five days in a row, huh…

At this point, I wouldn’t mind a little time off—but now isn’t the time for that.

Despite the existence of our knight orders, the king had prayed for the appearance of a savior to rescue this world.

I can’t afford to complain about being tired.

I need to earn back His Majesty’s trust as quickly as possible… and put his mind at ease.

That said, my body was honest—my fatigue had already reached its limit.

The two had regained consciousness yesterday. Considering they had been trying to kill each other before arriving here, I expected another fight to break out on the spot.

Thankfully, they agreed to a temporary truce, saying they didn’t want to cause trouble in an unfamiliar kingdom.

…Wait.

If they had started fighting, I could have stepped in, defeated them both, and proven beyond doubt that my strength surpassed theirs.

Wouldn’t that have restored the king’s faith in me?

What a missed opportunity…

Lost in thought, I realized I had already arrived at the palace.

The two guards standing at the entrance greeted me energetically.

Their armor bore the crest of ice.

So today’s security detail is my unit.

“Good work. Anything unusual to report?”

“So far, nothing out of the ordinary regarding security. However…”

“What is it? Something outside of security?”

“The two individuals who appeared at the palace the other day… Commander Levin of the Order of Earth said he wanted to test their strength. About thirty minutes ago, he took them to the training grounds. He mentioned there were still three hours before their audience with the king…”

“What?!”

That damn Levin—acting on his own again.

“Understood. Thank you for the report. Continue your watch.”

After acknowledging the guard, I immediately headed for the training grounds.

Levin was always reckless.

Even on the battlefield, he lacked the awareness expected of a commander—charging to the front lines to claim the enemy general’s head himself.

Yes, he produced results—but in doing so, he neglected giving proper orders. His troops would lose coordination, and many had paid the price with their lives.

A man like that shouldn’t be a commander.

Someday… I’ll take the Order of Earth as well.

Still… I couldn’t deny my curiosity about their strength.

If they weren’t worthy of being called saviors, I’d throw them out of this kingdom myself—no need to wait for the king’s audience.

I arrived at the training grounds.

The moment I opened the door—

I was met with an unbelievable sight.

Levin—and more than twenty knights of the Order of Earth—were sprawled across the ground.

At the center of it all stood Zeke, holding a wooden sword.

“Wh… what happened here…?”

Zeke noticed me and turned.

“Good morning, Commander Christopher.”

He greeted me with a refreshing smile, as if nothing had happened.

“Did… you do this, Zeke?”

“Ah… yes. Commander Levin said he wanted to see my strength, so I sparred with the knights one by one using wooden swords.”

“Tch…”

Levin groaned as he pushed himself up, clutching his stomach.

“Hahaha! Christopher! This guy’s incredible!! Even the elite of the Order of Earth couldn’t beat him! He’s the real deal—a true Hero!”

Levin burst into laughter.

That’s impossible…

I may not like him, but Levin is undeniably strong.

And this man defeated him—along with the Order of Earth’s finest?

Looking closer, Zeke’s injuries were the same ones from yesterday—none of them fully healed yet.

And yet… I couldn’t see a single new wound.

Was the difference in strength really that overwhelming?

“Commander Levin,” Zeke said with a gentle smile, “your swordsmanship was impressive.”

“Hah! Save it. I couldn’t land a single hit on you—even with you already injured.”

Despite his complete defeat, Levin looked oddly satisfied.

“Hey, Chris. You wanna give it a try?”

Levin grinned as he threw the offer at me.

Not a chance.

If even Levin couldn’t land a blow, there’s no way I could win.

“No… I’ll pass. I’d rather not waste my strength before the audience with the king.”

I gave a convenient excuse and stepped back.

To think the Hero was this strong…

Then that woman—the Demon King who fought him evenly—

Does she possess the same level of power?

I glanced toward the corner of the training grounds.

There she was.

The Demon King sat watching the exchange with a bored expression.

…Unbelievable.

These two… are far beyond me.

The weight in Christopher’s chest grew heavier and heavier.