The Hero’s Mentor is a Demon (King) Witch

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Leaving behind the meeting with Guild Leader Francis Di Emery, we stealthily escaped from the Adventurer Guild and barely returned to our lodging while avoiding the prying eyes of the public.

“There were too many people recognizing us, it was dangerous. Phew. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Are you okay, Master?”

“I’m used to being the center of people’s attention.”

After closing the door to our lodging, I kept a watchful eye on the situation outside.

“Please, just let us see you once!”

“Whoa, whoa. Calm down. You’re disrupting business here.”

“I just want to thank you for saving my life…!”

“Ha, seriously…!”

The innkeeper was flustered, and a crowd of people was insistently wanting to meet us.

“Do you think it’s fine to act like this, or is there an actual reason you have to meet us even knowing it’s rude? Rosmas, what do you think?”

“Huh? Are you asking me…?”

“Yeah. I’m more curious about the elf’s perspective than the human’s.”

If I told Lucius about this, it was clear that people would be coming to express their gratitude.

But that’s not the answer I want.

Unlike Lucius, who primarily sees the good side of humanity, Rosmas…

“Seven out of ten have malicious intent. Ah, let me correct that. By ‘malicious,’ I mean…”

“Only three out of ten are genuinely coming with intentions of thanks?”

“Yes.”

Depending on Rosmas’ intuition, most of those who wanted to meet us had some ulterior motives.

“Most are people trying to use our strength for something. They want to form a party as adventurers, draw us into their guilds or noble factions, or seek to gain something significant from our rescue efforts.”

“Is that possible…?”

“Of course. The bakery that sells the bread that Lucius loves to eat after taking down a Sand Worm with one strike—just publicizing that makes people drop by to buy bread.”

Some were out of gratitude for being saved.

Some out of admiration for a hero.

And others out of fondness for Lucius.

“Lucius, there are really more crazy beings in this world than you’d think. I can’t specifically say how their behavior patterns work, but humans should always be met with suspicion.”

“What if they turn out to be good people?”

“It’s better to apologize and seek forgiveness from a good person than to be blindsided by a bad one. Good people can understand even when they are doubted.”

That’s why I’m using Lucius.

Even if I later reveal my true identity, Lucius will surely defend me, shouting things like, “Master would never do that!” or “There must be a story behind this!” or “The Demon King stole my Master’s body!”

Even if Lucius were to turn completely against me, he would still hesitate to swing his sword in a decisive moment.

I’ll seize that chance to either steal Lucius’s body or switch to another one.

“When someone shows kindness, first suspect them… understood. I’ve learned something very important again today, Master.”

“Yeah, yeah. Always be suspicious. Especially of the women who come close to you.”

“…Pardon?”

“Men will quickly fall head over heels if a woman does even the slightest kindness towards them—they’d give away their guts and liver without thinking.”

Wanting to look good to female counterparts is something ingrained in the instincts of all reproductive species.

“Out of the women approaching you, eight out of ten are like foxes trying to manipulate you into becoming a well-behaved slave. Got it?”

“…Understood, Master.”

Just like females want to seem appealing to males, males also need to be aware of and deal with female cunning.

“Rosmas, you keep a close eye on him, okay?”

“……Yes.”

“Why does your expression look like that?”

“It’s nothing. I will…watch closely.”

Now Rosmas had a somewhat enlightened look in her eyes.

Still, every time Lucius and Rosmas exchanged glances, it seemed they were connecting in some way. If their relationship improves, it’s good for me, so I didn’t really mind.

“Take a short break. We’ll need to move vigorously tonight as well.”

“Y-yes?!”

“Lower your voice. What if someone hears?”

I gestured toward Rosmas’s mouth.

“From now on, it’s just the three of us. Got it?”

“What, what are you talking about?”

“Strategy meeting.”

“…Are we really going to call it a strategy meeting and make it sound grand?”

“Of course.”

Rosmas was fidgeting.

I guess elves need to go to the bathroom too.

Right, with that many people outside, going to the bathroom could lead to run-ins with strange folks.

“Hm… next time, we need to secure a room with a bathroom inside.”

“A bath, a bathroom too…!!”

“What are you so surprised about? Come closer, both of you.”

It was too bothersome to walk far since I was already sitting on the bed.

I beckoned them to come closer, and they awkwardly approached me.

“Listen carefully. Starting now….”

I pointed out the moon hanging in the night sky through the window.

“We’re starting an urgent strategy meeting in preparation for the Demon King’s second raid.”

“…The Demon King’s army?”

“Second raid?”

“Yeah. The Demon King’s army won’t just sit there idle, even if there is a Hero out there.”

The Flame Hero.

And the swordsman who split a Sand Worm in one blow.

These were things that would surely be taken into account when launching an attack on a city like Normans.

A powerhouse like Lucius would be considered, and a Hero would be like a natural disaster that suddenly appears.

“I think they still believe they can conduct a successful campaign against Normans. It makes sense….”

I shared the information I heard from Guild Leader Francis.

“The forces from Normans will pull back to close the portal at the northern lake. What should we do then?”

“Are we going to protect Normans?”

“Yes. We must defeat the Demon King’s army attacking Normans.”

Phew.

I almost unconsciously spoke from the perspective of the Demon King’s army.

‘Does it even matter?’

Let’s sort this out for now.

“If I were an adviser to the Demon King’s army, I would stage a surprise attack on Normans while their forces are busy closing the portal. During the time they relish in our favorite raid timing.”

“That kind of thing exists?”

“Yeah. It’s truly a miserable time for humans.”

Three-fifty-eight in the morning.

The average time when humans are deep in sleep, and those who’ve been awake all night start to feel drowsy.

If an attack is timed for that moment, then humans would collapse easily.

How do I know, you ask?

It’s statistics.

*

“Should we just attack tomorrow?”

Malphas pondered while looking down at Normans.

“The Demon King said, ‘If you raid a human city twice on the same day for seven days, take one relaxing day off for about three days.'”

The tactics of the Demon Lord, Bel Phegor, were legendary.

– Demon Lord! Are we attacking the human city again?!

– No. They learn, too. They will be prepared for our attacks.

– Then, what should we do? Should we just crush them boldly?

– No. Open up the stores. Let’s feast on food and drink while celebrating.

– Huh?

– As long as the enemy doesn’t catch on, we can roast meat while they run around. Got it?

– Very well…! It’s a plan to restore our morale while sapping the enemy’s energy!

– Right. And when the humans start to wonder if we’ve retreated, we’ll launch a full-scale attack.

– Huh…! Understood! We’ll feast and revel just as you say!

– Yeah, yeah. Oh, and don’t come to my tent today. Heh heh, follow me then.

– Putting a leash on the queen of the Beastfolk…! Heh, that’s the Demon King for you!!

“Humans couldn’t even pull off a surprise attack.”

During the three days, humans who were paranoid about enemy attacks had an overly easy defeat.

If I used that tactic again, I could surely deal a significant blow to the humans.

“If we hide while abandoning the portal and then strike….”

“What are you worrying about so much, Malphas?”

“You…!!”

A hooded old man appeared before Malphas, cackling as he fiddled with the scythe in his hands.

“I heard the Flame Hero dealt a heavy blow, and rear ambushes didn’t work out, so what are you hesitating for?”

“Shut up. You don’t know what it’s like to experience a ‘mass catastrophe’ like I have.”

“Hehehe. Crow-like chatter is quite the specialty. I don’t know how long you’ll keep dwelling in the past, but old folks should quietly stay in the back.”

“You bastard….”

Malphas couldn’t muster a retort.

It wasn’t that he was taking shots at Asydia’s tactics; it was because the opponent was a demon race that had once supported him with Sand Worms.

“I lost one of my pet Sand Worms, so I must take revenge on the humans. I plan to ambush them at dawn when they are deepest in slumber. Care to join?”

“…Fine. Let’s do it. I will bat at the north gate once more. What will you do?”

“I will…slay as I please. Hehehe.”

The old man licked his sharp scythe with a smirk.

“I, Purcas, will slay the Hero.”

“How will you get inside?”

“You distract them from the outside. In the meantime….”

Purcas stomped the ground.

“I’ll rise up into the city from underground.”

“…A ‘tunnel network,’ I see. Understood.”

“However, I will prioritize the Hero.”

“What about the Sand Worm?”

“I’ll leave that to you.”

“Got it.”

The two demons began to seriously review their plan.

*

“Master, how did they fight back 500 years ago?”

“We divided into three shifts when sleeping at night.”

“Three shifts?”

“Yes.”

First, a shift that tried to get the deepest sleep possible and, though waking up in a daze, would quickly bounce back to full condition for combat.

Second, a shift that would sleep in turns while keeping watch.

And third.

“The night watch. By dividing like this, we could prepare against enemy attacks.”

“That… Witch.”

Rosmas raised her hand.

“Then wouldn’t it be better to discuss it with the Adventurer Guild rather than form teams among ourselves?”

“I thought of that too. But there was a problem.”

Common sense suggests that it’s right to inform about concerns over a surprise attack.

“I’ve already spoken to them. But they didn’t take my words seriously at all.”

Francis Di Emery.

“Because Bearnes has dealt with a lot of crows, they are confident that the remaining forces won’t be able to breach Normans’ Mage Grand Cannon.”

“…That might be true.”

“If only the remaining enemies are just crows.”

If I were in the Demon King’s army, I wouldn’t end the battle just based on that.

“There will surely be another wave. For sure. We must prepare for it. So, Lucius, Rosmas. You two….”

I pointed to the bed.

“You two should sleep first.”

I’ll pull the night watch while the two of them sleep in full condition.

I don’t need sleep anyway.