This is from the perspective of a magic swordsman, a former member of the Hero’s party.

***

My name is Wolfgang.

I’m a magic swordsman who used to be part of the Hero’s party.


After the party disbanded, I became known as a lone wolf among the court mages and set out on a wandering journey. But for certain reasons, I’ve returned to the royal capital of my homeland, the Kingdom of Gardenia, for the first time in several years.
I have yet to achieve the goal of my journey, but it can’t be helped.


The truth is, I have a secret I don’t want anyone to know.

Until today, the only ones who knew about it were a few of my former companions who traveled with me to defeat the Demon King, the Hero and the saint among them.


But then, out of nowhere, a mysterious girl came crashing down on top of me and saw the secret hidden inside my hat.



“Ah! You’ve got dog ears!”


The mysterious girl pointed at the beast ears growing from my head, grinning mischievously.


“They’re cute, mister. Are you a demi-human?”

“No. I’m human. And these aren’t dog ears. I was cursed by someone, and now I’ve got wolf ears.”


Five years ago, I set out as a member of the Hero’s party to defeat the Demon King.

During that journey, I was cursed by a certain individual, leaving me with the ears of a wolfman.
Since the party disbanded, I’ve been traveling alone, searching for a way to lift the curse. But this time, I was summoned back to the royal capital by the king himself, who insisted that I return.

And then, out of nowhere, this mysterious girl came falling straight down onto me.


“How old are you, mister?”

“Twenty-three.”

“Then you’re eight years older than me. Hey, you’re pretty strong, aren’t you?”

“Do I look it?”

“I can tell. After all, I’m a genius, beautiful swordswoman.”


The girl answered with complete confidence.
Sure, she’s certainly got a striking face, but saying that about yourself is a bit much.


Between that and the fact she’d just fallen off a rooftop, she was clearly a rather unusual girl.
But even more unusual than her were the two swords at her waist.
They’re not normal. I can feel it. Those are magic swords.


“The ones at your waist… both of those are magic swords. Just how did you get your hands on monsters like those?”

“These? My grandpa gave them to me as a birthday present.”

“What the hell? What kind of old man is he?”

“My grandpa is the Great Sage Otfried. Got a problem with that?”


That caught me off guard.
To think this girl is the granddaughter of the Great Sage I respect…

The world really is smaller than you’d think.


“So, why were you falling from the sky?”

“I thought this was a shortcut, but I must’ve slipped and fell off the roof.”

“And that’s how you landed on me, huh? Where were you in such a hurry to get to?”

“The royal palace. Apparently the king summoned me.”


Good grief…
So there were others who’d been summoned as well.
It looks like the Great Sage’s granddaughter is headed to the same place as me.


After firmly reminding her to keep quiet about my wolf ears, we made our way to the royal palace’s guest lounge.

When we entered the room, three people were already waiting inside.
Seems we were the last to arrive.

As if to confirm my thoughts, the guards outside closed the door behind us.


“Now that everyone is here…”


A girl dressed as a saint, seated at the end of the table, stood up.
Seeing her, I felt a slight pang of nostalgia as I was reminded of a certain saint who had once been both my companion and cousin.


“Without further delay, this is an order from His Majesty the King. The five of us present here are to form a party and set out to defeat the Demon King’s army.”


I let out a sigh, and my shoulders sagged.
So it really is that kind of job.

After what happened five years ago, I swore I’d never travel with companions again.

Still, I might as well ask the saint who seems to be leading things about something that’s been on my mind.


“Miss, judging by that yellow feather hairpin, you must be the Saint of the Yellow Wings I’ve been hearing about. Are you joining us too?”

“That’s correct. Our destination is the western frontier. Our objective is to defeat a certain member of the Four Heavenly Kings who’s been wreaking havoc there.”


The Saint of the Yellow Wings is a well-known figure who was recognized as a saint just a few months ago due to a particular achievement.

First was Iris, my cousin and former companion five years ago. Then came her disciple, an apprentice saint who is now the Hero’s wife. Following those two, the Saint of the Yellow Wings was newly recognized as a saint. Though still a newcomer, I’ve heard she possesses considerable skill.


I glanced at the Great Sage’s granddaughter standing beside me, then shifted my gaze across the room.
Everyone here is among the kingdom’s strongest.
If they’ve assembled this many elites, then this Heavenly King must be a serious threat.


“Sir Wolfgang. Five years ago, you were said to possess the strength to rival the Hero himself. We need your strength. Please, we want you to lead this subjugation party in defeating this Heavenly King.”

“Then where’s the Hero? Call him and the saint who became his wife. Those two are more than enough.”

“The Hero and his wife, the saint, are both reportedly unwell and unable to participate.”

“Hard to believe. Sounds like an excuse to me.”


The Hero is my cousin and former companion. I know him well.
What happened five years ago must have been a heavy blow, but even so, it’s my sincere wish that he’d stand back up and devote his strength to the kingdom once more.
Though… coming from a wandering noble like me, I’m in no position to say that.


For now, I wanted at least to hear about the current state of the kingdom, so I told them I’d listen and took a seat.
The Saint of the Yellow Wings lets out a small breath of relief before continuing.


“Regarding the Heavenly King we are tasked with defeating, it’s said they possess the ability to control others using the power of plants.”

“That sounds like quite a troublesome opponent.”

“Exactly. Because of this Heavenly King, more than ten frontier towns have already been destroyed. If we don’t act quickly, their influence will soon reach the royal capital.”


So that’s why they gathered an elite force like this to form a party.
Apparently, no matter how many ordinary soldiers they sent, they stood no chance. The damage has already been quite severe.


I don’t want to see any more of my companions die.
That’s exactly why I started calling myself a lone wolf and chose to walk alone.



“Give me some time to think,” I said, standing up.
I stepped out onto the palace balcony, letting my thoughts drift.


The enemy… they said it was a member of the Demon King’s army who controls plants.
That reminds me of Tower City, a place I once stopped by during my travels.
On a wall of the Adventurer’s Guild there, a single wanted poster was displayed prominently in a frame.

If I remember right… it said:

“Fallen Spirit Princess.”


In that city, there was a well-known story from about fifty years ago. A Dryad killed the Hero of that time and joined the Demon King’s army. The place this party is heading to is also the western frontier, so it’s probably that same Dryad who has now become one of the Four Heavenly Kings.


We’ve defeated one of the Four Heavenly Kings before.
I miss those days from five years ago, back when we were all traveling together.
The Hero’s party… we got along so well.
We drove back a Heavenly King, and everything was going smoothly.



That is… until Saint Iris died.



Even now, I can’t accept it.
That Iris, who was supposed to be the saint, betrayed us and joined the Demon King’s army.

If I hadn’t heard it from the Hero, her own fiancé, I wouldn’t have believed it.


I can still picture her back when we were children, calling me “Big Brother Wolf” as she toddled behind me.


After becoming a saint, Iris devoted herself to the kingdom. She also loved her fiancé, the Hero, deeply. That’s why I can’t believe she would betray the country.
There has to be some deeper reason.

But the Hero and the apprentice saint reported that they were unable to learn the full truth behind Iris’s betrayal.
Cornered, Iris used light magic to self-destruct, leaving not even a body behind.


After that, her betrayal was concealed by the kingdom’s upper echelons.

If the truth about Iris ever came to light, it would surely cause a shock great enough to shake the entire kingdom.


The unsuspecting people mourned the saint’s death. But those in the upper echelons of the kingdom despised her betrayal, branding her as an unforgivable traitor.



Despite everything, I can’t bring myself to believe that Iris sold her soul to the Demon King’s army and defected.

Back when I first heard about her betrayal, something about the Hero felt off.
There must have been something he didn’t want us to know.
The world can throw things at you that defy imagination. I should know that better than anyone, considering I ended up cursed with wolf ears.


One cousin, a hopeless shut-in, and the other, a saint branded a traitor to the kingdom.
As their elder… maybe it’s time I step up.



“Dog-eared mister?”


Before I realized it, the self-proclaimed genius, beautiful swordswoman was standing beside me.


“They’re not dog ears. They’re wolf ears.”

“Wolf-eared mister?”

“I told you, that’s a secret. Don’t say it again.”

“So it’s a secret just between the two of us, huh? Then what should I call you?”

“Well…”


I looked straight at the Great Sage’s granddaughter.

I’m not yet the kind of man the Great Sage, the kingdom’s hero, is.
But if I’m going to live up to that ideal and clear the name of those two bearing this disgrace…

Then I have to do what I can.

Now that I’ve made up my mind, there’s no turning back.


“From today on… call me ‘Leader.’”


If it’s come to this, I’ll lead this Heavenly King subjugation party, no matter what it takes.

And if we do come into contact with the Demon King’s army, there’s a chance I’ll meet the one who cursed me.
Maybe I’ll even learn the truth behind Iris’s betrayal.

For that sake, whether it’s one of the Four Heavenly Kings or the Demon King himself, I’ll take them down with my companions.


And so, I set out on a journey with a new party.


But at the time, I had no idea that the battle against the Heavenly King would surpass anything I could imagine.
And that I would uncover a shocking truth about Saint Iris.

***

Author’s Note:

This chapter was told from the perspective of a magic swordsman and a former member of the Hero’s party.
It offers a glimpse into the royal capital, something the protagonist cannot see.
Incidentally, in the side-story autobiography, when the Great Sage referred to a “rising court mage,” he was talking about this wolf-eared magic swordsman.

Next Time: An Unexpected Visitor