The next morning was bright and sunny, with not a single cloud in sight. It could have just been coincidence that the rain had stopped… but considering a lilim was in Lescatie now, perhaps it was more than that.

And under the light of this warm sun, many people set out from the Fullmoon Church. All of them had their roles to play to bring Lescatie towards a better future.

-ooo-

Of course, they did not do so in isolation. There were many other players in Lescatie, each with their own goals, their own plans.

And as a result of their plans, a certain order was sent out across the capital. Groups of soldiers began marching out from their barracks, causing both admiration and anxiety from the watching citizens.

-ooo-

A couple of hours after dawn, thousands upon thousands of soldiers gathered outside the north gate of Lescatie's capital. Outsiders hearing of this might imagine a grand army who were ready to face down the monster horde, who would not flinch even if faced with the Demon Lord herself.

The reality was very different.

"Ugh, I've got mud in my boots already," groused one soldier.

"Did we really have to get up so early?" said another.

"I don't like this any more than you do, but orders are orders! IS THAT UNDERSTOOD!?"

All of the soldiers snapped to attention. "YES, MA'AM! WE UNDERSTAND!"

Mersé Dascaros stood on top of a tree stump to be seen by the entire army at once. "Alright, listen up! Since many of you probably have no idea what's going on, I'll tell you! We're about to head out as part of a plan to defeat the monsters!"

That was met with confused muttering and whispering.

"Of course, we're not the only ones involved!" Mersé continued. "I've been told that a large force of mercenaries is entering Lescatie as well! The plan is to catch the monsters between us and those mercs in a pincer attack!"

There was more confusion. Eventually, a soldier worked up the courage to ask, "But, what about Lescatie's heroes? How many of them are helping us?"

"You have me, and Primera Concerto!" Mersé replied. Many pairs of eyes briefly turned towards the half-elf watching from a nearby tree. "Also, two more heroes should be joining us soon!"

Now there were cries of dismay from the soldiers. It was common knowledge that heroes were essential to take on any major force of monsters. Sending in a force of mostly regular humans was a recipe for disaster…

...yet that was the exact order that had been issued from above this morning. Which spoke volumes about how terrible Lescatie's situation was.

Damn those idiots up in the Senate, Mersé thought privately. They think soldiers can just be ordered around like pieces on a game board. Without time to prepare properly, these guys couldn't even beat half their number in human enemies.

The corrupt side of Lescatie was aware that the monsters had to be dealt with. However, their actions—especially the most recent ones—had alienated not just the Order of the Holy Ice Flower, but a considerable number of other heroes as well. If these heroes were sent out against the monsters, it would improve their reputations and allow them to better fight back against the corruption. This meant the only options were the regular soldiers—whose political power was always limited—a small number of loyalist heroes, and as many mercenaries as ill-gotten money could buy.

But even the number of soldiers is too small. There's about five thousand here, but Lescatie should be deploying several times that if it's taking the monsters seriously. Yet it's so rushed that this is all they can gather up.

...Still, this helps Druella's plans...

For now, Mersé needed to keep her troops' morale up. It wouldn't do if there were deserters.

Mersé walked around the gathered army to check their equipment and cheer them up with personal banter. She spotted Elt in the ranks at one point, but said nothing—she couldn't afford to give the appearance of favouritism.

Some of the soldiers were former trainees of Mersé, while others were her current trainees. But even the ones she'd never trained at all seemed happier to know she paid attention to them.

After about fifteen minutes of this, there was a small commotion from the direction of the capital. Mersé walked over to encounter two heroes.

There was one man and one woman, and they both looked like the stereotypical image of a mighty hero, with their gleaming plate armour and fancy swords… and their perfectly arranged hair. They were clearly siblings, with similar facial shapes and identical blue eyes. It took a few seconds for Mersé to remember their names.

"You're Zachariah and Joanna Gardner, right?" Mersé said, putting on a more formal tone. "Of the Order of the Ever-Keen Blade? It's a pleasure to be working with you."

"Likewise," Zachariah said, similarly formal. He looked around at the army. "Is… Is this all of our force? Aside from those foreign mercenaries."

"It's all I've heard about," Mersé replied.

"...Oh," Joanna said, her perfect face betraying a flicker of worry. "In that case… we should start by establishing a clear chain of command. My brother and I will have the overall command, followed by—"

"What did you just say?"

Mersé was capable of playing nice when required, but she didn't have as much experience in it as, say, Wilmarina Noscrim. So when she heard some absolute bullshit right to her face, there was no way she could stay quiet.

"H-Hero Mersé!" Joanna said. "I simply meant, since my brother and I are the highest-ranking individuals present, we should have the overall command."

"Monsters don't give a fuck about how old your family name is," Mersé said bluntly.

The two younger heroes bristled, though they didn't yet draw their swords. "How dare you!?" Zachariah growled.

"They care about how well you can actually fight," Mersé continued. "So, how much experience do you actually have fighting monsters?"

"We do have genuine experience!" Zachariah shot back… only to visibly deflate. "Th-That is…"

"Two battles…" Joanna said quietly.

The soldiers nearby were keeping their eyes down. However, Mersé still noticed the closest ones looking shocked by this revelation.

"I've been fighting monsters for seven years," Mersé said. "If I had to count the actual number of battles, it'd be fifty or sixty. But, hey, words don't mean much."

Mersé lifted her halberd. This weapon was as battle-scarred as its wielder, with chips and scratches visible along the shaft, but it had served her well in her career as a hero.

"How about we prove who's better for leading this army against the monsters? In a way anyone can understand."

-ooo-

Less than a minute later, two heroes were lying on the ground, their swords knocked out of their hands.

"I-Impossible…" Zachariah groaned.

"We were trained…" Joanna groaned, "by the finest… tutors… in Lescatie."

"I'm pretty sure the finest tutors would be for people actually important to Lescatie," Mersé said acidly. "Like the blue-haired girl who everybody talks about."

The Gardner siblings lost their temper and started cursing Mersé loudly. However, that just confirmed something she'd been suspecting.

So, heroes of a low-ranking knight order for a low-ranking noble family… I'm guessing these two went along with Lescatie's dark side to improve their family's status. Still, if this is the best the Senate could scrounge up to be their pawns…

I suppose it doesn't change much. We could never beat Druella even if we had every hero in Lescatie. Maybe if we had every hero in the world, but there's no point imagining what'll never happen...

Mersé glanced at the army. What little morale they had before was now gone. With only two heroes who were of any actual use, they'd be utterly helpless before the monsters.

Better do something about that… For the plan to work, they actually need to get near the monsters.

Mersé jumped on the stump again and addressed the army.

"LISTEN UP! None of us can choose to stay back home! But, as I'm in command now—"

"Wait!" Zachariah shouted, forcing himself into a sitting position. "We haven't given up yet—"

Two arrows thudded into the earth near the Gardner siblings, causing them to cry out in fear.

"...Those weren't even fast arrows," Primera said coldly. "Any proper hero could have dodged or blocked them easily."

The two annoyances said nothing from that point on. Mersé thus continued her speech.

"I'm in command now, so I decide what we do out on campaign! I decide how we work with those foreign mercs, how we attack the monsters, and if we attack at all instead of waiting for reinforcements!"

There was more confused muttering… but there was an undercurrent of hope there as well.

"Now, there's just too many of you to keep track!" Mersé continued. "So if a few of you decide to desert, there's nothing I could do to stop you! But! I'm prepared to fight those monsters even if I'm the only one doing it! So who's prepared to go with me!?"

Elt raised his spear into the air. "I am, Captain Mersé!"

And, through basic human psychology, more and more soldiers raised their spears and shouted. Eventually, five thousand soldiers were all ready—in one way, at least—for war.

-ooo-

Mimil was in a large room of Magitec, Lescatie's most prestigious magical institution. She was standing behind a podium—with a footstool to actually see over the podium—and in front of her were hundreds of seated people. Most were mages from Magitec, but there were a few from other institutions and also some priests and nobles.

Some were here to draw Mimil into their faction. Others hoped to steal her ideas to improve their own status. An unknown number might be genuinely interested in the advancement of magic. And these three categories weren't mutually exclusive. But regardless, Mimil couldn't act like she had back at the Fullmoon Church.

So for now, she put on the mask of the genius magician again.

"Thank you all for listening to my request," Mimil said. "It was very short notice, but I'm glad that so many of you agreed to come."

"Think nothing of it, Magician Mimil," said Terrence Taeslin, the Archmage who was at the top of Magitec. He was a white-bearded man in a deep blue robe. "What is this new spell of yours?"

"It's still in the prototype stage, but…"

Mimil raised her staff, shining a complex pattern of light on the wall behind her. This depicted a magic circle.

"Is that…?"

"It looks like a scrying spell… but this structure…"

"Could it be for precognition…? No, that's not it…?"

Mimil hid a smile of triumph. So far things were going well.

"This is a long-range scrying spell," Mimil explained. "That is to say, its range is at least five or six leagues, whereas current scrying spells can't manage a single league."

Can't believe I'm now calling someone else's idea my own… But this is for the best. If monsters have access to spells like this, then humanity already stands no chance against them.

The scrying spell wasn't Mimil's invention, it had instead been described in detail in Druella's suggestions to Mimil. That said, Mimil had secretly practised it in her own room to confirm it would work.

Returning to the present, the audience was very obviously excited. Scrying was by no means omnipotent, with numerous spells being invented specifically to block it out, but it still had its uses. With such a big extension in range, it would have many more uses.

"And I wouldn't call all you busy people here to simply introduce it," Mimil continued. "Rather, I hope to demonstrate it in front of you all. Hasn't Lescatie's army just left the capital to confront the monsters? If this spell works, we might be able to send word to them of the monsters' numbers, composition and activities."

"Remarkable…" Terrence said. "This is another remarkable feat of magic, Magician Mimil…"

Mimil let the praise slide over her like water on a smooth pebble. The archmage was involved in Lescatie's political squabbles, as was the case for almost everyone with a notable title. He simply gave Mimil freedom to research as she pleased, which was why she didn't find him too annoying. Of course, he only treated that way since no matter what she did, her achievements would benefit his faction.

"Then, I shall begin casting the spell…"

Mimil pressed the bottom of her staff to the floor and began sliding it, drawing out a complex pattern of pink light. The magic circle was so complex that a normal magician might have made a mistake doing it, even if they were in a completely empty and quiet room.

Mimil was doing this under the scrutiny of hundreds of people. If she made a mistake, many would use this to smear her reputation, hoping to lift up their own in the process. Archmage Terrence would defend her, probably resorting to unscrupulous methods, and Lescatie would be torn apart even more from within.

She did not make a mistake.

When the magic circle was complete, Mimil breathed in and spoke the incantation.

"Reveal lands and peoples unknown to me, surpassing the obstacle of distance… Supreme Vision."

The magic circle shone even more brightly than before. The image of a sprawling war camp appeared above it. It was the same camp that the army was now heading towards…

...and its location was only known because the monsters had deliberately leaked it to certain people in Lescatie the previous night. That was why the main factions in control of the Senate had sent an army there. Mimil knew all this from Druella's list of suggestions.

"Oh…"

"It's the monsters..."

"This is a revolution in magic!"

Mimil kept the scrying spell as it was for a few moments. She then announced, "I have quite a fine degree of control over this. Would you like a closer perspective of the monsters?"

There were many positive responses, so Mimil held out her staff above the magical circle and angled it slightly downwards. The scrying image moved down towards the monster camp.

And, thanks to that, a lot of ignorant humans suddenly had a rude dose of reality.

"Wait… there's so many of them! Hundreds—no, it looks more like thousands!"

"Is that what monsters really look like? But they're so…"

Only a small number of people in this room had actually seen monsters in person, let alone fought them. Until now, they'd only known of monsters from second-hand information, and that was often distorted from the truth.

But now the scrying spell showed people. Most of whom had horns, feathered wings, scaly tails, slimy bodies or other inhuman features, but people nonetheless.

Along with everyone else in this room, Mimil watched the bustling monster camp for the first time.

She watched amazonesses and lizardmen sparring with various weapons. She watched slimes trickling through small gaps to surprise their friends. She watched harpies and succubi flit through the air to deliver messages, carry small parcels or simply for fun. She watched a herd of centaurs galloping around the camp's perimeter in what seemed to be a training drill. She watched a scylla prepare meals for a long line of people, holding a cooking utensil or a pot in each hand and tentacle.

There were incubi as well. They were basically indistinguishable from human men, only being notable because they were usually near a monster whose eye colour they matched. And, unlike in many stories and folk tales, they were doing perfectly ordinary activities, much like the surroundings monsters.

Well, if I tried sending this spell inside some of those tents, we might see monsters and incubi acting like in the stories. It might be funny to see how the idiots here would react, but that's not important right now. And what's so interesting about that sort of thing? Wouldn't it just be sticky and messy and disgusting?

Mimil continued moving around the perspective of the scrying spell. She spotted a few women who appeared entirely human. It was possible that they were monsters in disguise—there was no way to be sure from just scrying—but it was also possible that they were still human. By extension, it was possible that some of the men she'd been seeing were still human as well.

Up until now, I still wondered if Druella was telling a lie… And I guess that's still possible, if my spell is being hijacked to show an illusion, or those people are acting…

But… seeing this… it's hard to think of monsters as the ultimate evil…

And Mimil was far from the only one affected by the scrying. The room was now in an uproar.

"Are the monsters… really trying to invade?"

"You're right, they didn't seem to have many soldiers, or weapons…"

"And were those humans among them? How…?"

"What the hell are you saying!? Are you traitors to humanity!?"

"Shut up! If anyone's the traitor, it would be you, for stealing money from the army funds!"

"That's—! That's a lie, how dare you accuse me of—"

Tempers were high and uncomfortable secrets were being revealed. Mimil calmly remained behind the podium and watched the proceedings.

Eventually, someone stood up and jabbed a finger at Mimil. It was Serica, one of the lower-ranking magicians who'd always been envious of her.

"This is no long-range scrying, it's just an illusion! You—You must be colluding with the monsters, Mimil Miltie!"

That brought quiet to the room. However, that didn't mean the atmosphere had improved at all.

Off in his corner, Archmage Terrence looked like he was about to verbally flay Serica for her accusation. However, Mimil beat him to it.

"Oh? You think this is just an illusion? Even though telling the difference between illusions and scrying should be easy… for a magician worthy of the name?"

Serica faltered. "But… But there's no way monsters are truly like that!"

"How would you know?" Mimil retorted. "You've never seen actual monsters before, whereas I've made my reputation out of killing them."

This wasn't something she could say in front of the human orphans Sasha cared for. It would be even worse in front of the monster orphans. And even saying it here reminded Mimil of how much had been stolen from her.

But just this once, she had to be strong again. She had to do her part so that Big Brother and Sasha and everyone else would be able to live happily, instead of being caught in this pointless war against monsters.

"Trust me when I say this," Mimil said. "This is the true face of monsters. They look similar to human females, they can work together, they can build tools, they can invent their own magic spells. Fighting them is like fighting other humans… oh, except they're stronger on average."

Many of the people in the crowd had horrified expressions. Mimil wasn't sure of the exact reason behind their horror, nor did she care right now.

"But I understand your doubts perfectly well," Mimil said. "Fortunately, there's a simple way to prove it. I've just shown you all the magic circle and incantation for this long-range scrying, and there are many skilled magicians here. I offer the stage for anyone else who'd like to give it a try."

The silence continued for a while. Eventually, a magician in a blue robe stood up stiffly.

"Allow me, Magician Mimil…" Terrence said, walking over to the podium.

Still keeping her genius' mask on, Mimil ended her spell, got off her footstool and brought it away from the podium.

Terrence held out his own staff, a magnificent rod of gnarled oak wood with a large diamond set into the head. He used it to trace out a copy of Mimil's magic circle, slowly and carefully. Finally, he repeated the incantation.

Terrence's magic circle shone and produced an aerial image of a large city, with a magnificent centre and run-down outskirts. It was the capital of Lescatie, the very city they were all currently in.

Then, without saying a word, Terrence tilted his staff. The perspective of the scrying spell shifted northward, passing over forests and plains and rivers, until it arrived at the monster camp. Naturally, it appeared identical to in Mimil's spell.

The room was filled with whispers again. It was clear that the seeds of doubt had been sown.

Now, how are the others doing?

-ooo-

The slums had been hit hard by the recent downpour of rain. Normally, many people would either be sick due to hypothermia or exposure to mould, or starving due to floods damaging their property. But now...

"Okay, now your lungs should be fine again!" said Falas, a red-haired witch with gentle-looking eyes.

"Th-Thanks!" said Derrick, a man from the slums

"Hey, wait, there's enough for all of you!" said Orson, a bald incubus who was handing out boxes of dried foodstuffs. "Just wait your turn!"

In the main room of her church, Sasha watched a small group of monsters and incubi help the people of the slums recover from the rain's effects. "Watched" being the correct word to use, as they'd refused to let Sasha help, saying she was clearly in need of rest.

It's clear Druella wasn't lying about most of her "army" actually being here for peaceful purposes, Sasha thought. They've helped the slums more in the past few hours than Lescatie's authorities have in the past few decades…

It was ironic in other ways as well. Many in Lescatie worried about the approaching monsters, unaware that most of the country had been taken already, and even the capital city had been infiltrated multiple times. In the case of this aid group for the slums, Sasha had led them past the city walls using the same tunnel that let her access her secret orphanage. All of Lescatie's fortifications and guards had been bypassed with ease.

On that note, I hope the children are getting along together.

For the first time in over a decade, the voices of children could no longer be heard in the Fullmoon Church. For their safety, Sasha had moved her human orphans through the tunnel to her secret monster orphanage, which was now being overseen by more monster aid workers.

But there's still one left, besides myself…

Sasha glanced at a crack in a nearby wall, some damage from the recent battle that had yet to be fixed. The eye peering through the crack quickly vanished.

Since everything seemed to be in order here, Sasha walked through a door into an adjacent room. Here, next to the crack in the wall, was a certain cursed sword who was covering her face.

"Is there anything you need, Kirsch?" Sasha asked.

"...You should just kill me…" Kirsch said miserably. "There's no future for a failed assassin… and I can't bear to see… to see…"

Sasha walked over and crouched down next to Kirsch. The former assassin was no longer restrained, since she'd thoroughly lost the will to do anything at all.

"To see others receive the kindness denied to you?"

Kirsch shook her head rapidly. "No, I… I mean, this will mean the end of Lescatie…"

Sasha mulled over these words for a moment. "That's certainly true. It will mean the end of Lescatie, a mass of corruption that's failed most of its people, and can't even achieve its stated goal of exterminating monsters. Hopefully, something better will sprout in its place."

Kirsch was silent. Sasha decided to try another tactic.

"Kirsch… do you feel you don't deserve to be in that better Lescatie? If so, then I share that feeling."

"How could you understand me!?" Kirsch shouted. "You're nothing like me!" Tears began welling up in her eyes. "You actually had loving parents, and even when they were gone, you still had family! What do you have to worry about!?"

There was a knock on the door. "Miss Sasha, is everything okay in there!?" Orson asked.

"We're alright, apologies for any disturbance," Sasha replied.

"A-Alright. Please call us if you need any help."

The sounds of footsteps could then be heard going away from the door.

"That wasn't what I meant," Sasha said, turning back to Kirsch. "I meant that I also know what it's like to have killed innocents."

Kirsch gasped. Even if she and Sasha had previously moved in different circles, Sasha was still well-known for her exploits as a hero, with all that entailed.

"I…" Sasha said. "My parents raised me to be good, to be faithful to the Chief God, to help the downtrodden. When they perished in a landslide, I did my best to follow that, by running this church they left behind. And when I was chosen by the Chief God as a hero… I was overjoyed. I thought this would let me truly get rid of the slums, to let everyone in Lescatie live without wondering about their next meal."

Sasha gestured around at the ramshackle church and, through the crack in the wall, at the slums outside.

"Of course, that was never to be. No one cared about suggestions to rebuild the slums. Becoming a hero meant being sent out to fight monsters. And I did that faithfully at first, seeing monsters as abominations who threatened humanity, including the orphans under my care."

Sasha laughed. The bitter sound echoed throughout the empty church.

"But then I came to realise that they weren't just soulless abominations, they had their own lives, their own families. Through my work as a hero, I was creating more orphans, no different from the ones in my care… or from you."

Kirsch looked down on the floor. According to Druella, a cursed sword like her would normally be full of aggression. Of course, every individual was different… with Kirsch's recent experiences, it was a wonder that she was even talking.

"By that time, I had enough influence that I could essentially retire from the front lines," Sasha continued. "But that does not undo all of the lives I have taken."

"From what I was hearing…" Kirsch said. "you've been helping the monsters in many ways, including caring for… monster orphans…"

"That also doesn't undo my past actions," Sasha said. "Which is the whole point of my short tale. Even after, in essence, becoming a mass murderer… there is still the chance of redemption. But you have to be willing to accept it."

Kirsch shook her head slowly. "Why… Why would you, or anyone else, give me that chance? I almost killed you, and others in this church, and I did kill—"

"Because… when I look at you now, I only see another victim of Lescatie."