Published: September 10, 2025
Satou here. Once, I read a mystery novel written in the first person where the protagonist was actually the culprit, but I remember throwing the book down because the ending felt forced. After all, readers want foreshadowing that makes sense.
◇
“Huh? Looks like someone searched the place.”
As I stepped out from the doghouse with only a frame for unit deployment, the reception hall we’d been assigned was ransacked like a burglary had taken place.
A dummy suitcase was torn open, its contents scattered all over the floor.
The doghouse I came out of was crushed in one corner of the room.
Apparently, whoever searched here was rough.
For some reason, the sacred seal of God Zaikuon was hastily spray-painted on one wall, then crossed out.
I don't quite get the meaning, but it’s clear they hated God Zaikuon.
“Anyway, let’s go check the remaining stone tablets—”
Muttering to myself, I opened the map and suddenly realized something far more urgent.
On the map, there was an “UNKNOWN” light point. It didn’t trigger any danger sense, so it was probably not a god, but an apostle of god.
It seemed the situation had changed while I was back at the Isolated Island Palace.
Just to be sure, I checked and found no appearances in the Makiwa Kingdom or surrounding countries.
Of course, the Shiga Kingdom, where my allies are, was clear too.
No signs in the Saga Empire either, so I can safely ignore countries I have little connection to.
“Looks like they’re evenly matched in battle for now.”
I closed the map and used the spatial magic with telescopic function, Remote Viewing, to check the situation.
Some soldiers had died, but I’m not going to overprotect professional soldiers.
Still, I wasn’t expecting apostles to look like silver cones.
The stone tablets didn’t even describe what apostles looked like.
Also, the Troll Demon King’s past life wasn’t a writer, so there were many inconsistencies and missing descriptions.
‘—Steel Slash!’
Through Remote Viewing, a familiar knight appeared on the screen.
Apparently, the Demon Eater effect was active. There were no magical attacks exchanged—just cannonballs and hand-to-hand combat.
The apostle was healing wounds as if the video were playing in reverse from cuts inflicted by cannonballs or the palace knights’ white swords.
It seems the Demon Eater of the Weasel Empire couldn’t interfere with the internal magic power of apostles.
‘This ends it! Blazing Star Split Slash!’
‘Stop, Lady Ritdilt! You can’t use magic power-consuming techniques!’
Lady Ritdilt tried to use her finishing move but was slapped by the apostle’s tentacle and rolled on the ground.
Apparently, the apostle was tougher than expected. Despite staggering, she got up and dodged a second tentacle.
Lady Ritdilt still seemed hopeless.
I silently cheered her on.
“Oh, but that doesn’t matter right now.”
I muttered to myself, correcting my wandering thoughts.
I opened the map again and checked nearby cities, finding apostles had appeared near other cities as well.
Most residents in the Imperial Capital had taken refuge in underground shelters, so I thought it was safe to leave them be—but these are apostles of god after all.
They might have absurd combat power like the “demon god’s offspring” I saw in the Royal Capital of the Shiga Kingdom.
I took out the Holy Sword from storage, used “Another World” to abduct people along with the terrain into the otherworld.
Sorry for the lack of consent, but please consider this an emergency evacuation.
Once this ordeal is over, I’ll return everyone to their original places.
“Evacuating all the cities in the Weasel Empire—do I have just enough magic power for that?”
I recalled the Magic Crystal Pillar I obtained from the Demon King Shin incident.
“Looks like I won’t have to touch the magic power stored in the Magic Crystal Pillar as insurance.”
Alright, onto the next city.
◇
“The number of apostles has increased.”
After finishing the evacuation of Weasel Empire citizens, I returned to find the apostles had grown from one to thirteen.