Apotheosis of a Demon - A Monster Evolution Story

70 - THE WOUNDED HERO Part 1

The western region of the Central Continent held a large country, Seize Kingdom. To the west of the country was a vast forest. Hidden in the greens was a village of demihumans, its people mainly composed of former citizens of the elven country that had been eradicated by the humans.

"Heeey, Gold, ya mind lendin' me a hand?" said a middle-aged elf who, despite his age, only still looked in his late thirties.

"Yeah, I'm coming," replied a large man working on the fields. He laid down his hoe, taking the hand-sewn handkerchief on his shoulder to wipe off his sweat.

"Sorry for botherin' ya. Howsit? Ya used to field work yet?"

"...it's not bad," Gold hesitantly replied. The elven man broke into a gentle smile.

"Right, that one. Can ya do something?"

"Leave it to me."

The elf was pointing to a large boulder on a field that was half-way sunken in the ground. With their mastery of elemental magic, the elves would normally simply ask the earth elementals to bury, dismantle, or deal with it however they saw fit, but apparently there was quite a bit of iron in this boulder. Iron had a binding effect upon the elementals, so they were loathe to get close to it.

With a grunt of effort, magic coursing through Gold's bulging muscles, he lifted the boulder that must have been at least 500 kilograms onto his shoulders.

"Where should I put this?"

"Whoa-umm," the elf stumbled over his words in astonishment — he'd asked Gold to deal with it, he just didn't think the man would actually pick it up, "the old dwarf said he wanted some iron, so just put it near the village. He'll probably come by to break it up later."

"Got it."

Gold nodded and started walking. The ground heaved with his every step. The children playing nearby timidly approached him.

"...watch out, it's dangerous."

The kids stayed silent.

Gold put down the large boulder at the edge of the village, sending a thud reverberating through the earth. From the group of children taking nervous peeks of him from afar, a young elven boy jumped out toward him with a beaming smile.

"Mister!"

"Yol..."

Gold put on a clumsy smile and gently patted his head.

Two months earlier, Gold had fought as a Hero to protect his motherland, the Caliphate of Torrann, against the invasion of a Dark General, the Troll King, and his army. But just as he was heading for the battle, the country's protective barrier was suddenly broken by a plot of Whitehare, the Dark Lady who had been wreaking havoc all over the world. With the barrier gone, only ruin awaited the Torrann Caliphate.

Gold had been locked in single combat with the Dark General at the time. He had lost, overwhelmed by the Troll King, and just as death stared him in the face, he was saved by a whim of the Dark Lady Whitehare.

The Dark Lady had said that it was a reward for his self-sacrificing attempt to save a kid and let him go.

Gold had asked her why. She said she didn't see any difference between the life of a human and the life of a goblin as if in mockery of him, the man who'd left a demihuman slave to die.

He had felt that her words were those of a Dark Lady who only thought of human lives as nothing more than so much dust. But Gold also felt the cold gaze of disdain she had for him, and he began to doubt. Who was he fighting for?