The Villains I Taught Became Heroes

The atmosphere of the tavern wasn’t exactly pleasant.

When I came here before, there were quite a few people happily drinking, but now a gloomy vibe was overflowing.

In such an atmosphere, drinking a lot wouldn’t even get me tipsy.

“What do you want to drink?”

“Wine.”

“Give me a glass of milk and a shot of whiskey.”

What kind of wine are you talking about?

Sowol twitched her eyebrows at my order, but she didn’t whine about wanting to drink.

She simply took a sip of the milk with a disgruntled expression.

While spending some time with her, I caught the owner passing by me.

Maybe it was because I had seen him quite often? He sat down with a bitter smile upon seeing me.

“Owner, what’s with the depressing atmosphere? Is it because of the disappearance incident?”

“Yes. That’s right. And on top of that, there are rumors of ghosts being seen a few days ago, making it even worse. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but there’s talk of a ghost appearing at night and attacking people.”

Ghost incidents? This seems related to heretics too, huh?

“Tell me more.”

“That guy over there knows well. He claims he saw a ghost.”

The owner pointed to a guy with a pale face, drinking.

I left Sowol at the table and headed over there.

He jumped in surprise when I sat down, but knowing my face, he just let out a heavy sigh.

“Is it you, Master?”

“You know me?”

“How could I not know the hero of Wola Mountain…”

“Oh really? Then let’s cut to the chase. You saw a ghost, right?”

“Yes… It happened a few days ago. I was drunk and on my way home… and there was something misty on the dark roadside.”

Misty thing, huh?

Is it a ghost-type monster?

Ghost-type monsters usually show up in deep dungeons or ruins, so common folk might mistake them for ghosts…

But wait a minute. It seems like no mistake? If it’s ghost-type, it’s a ghost after all, right?

“The misty thing pulled something out of a fallen person and stared straight at me. Those empty eyes were terrifying…”

“Empty eyes, huh? Did it look like this? A skull shape?”

I sketched a monster I knew among ghost types, a ‘Wraith.’

He stared at it for a while, freaked out, then hurriedly nodded.

“That’s it! That’s the one!”

“I see. This is a Wraith, a ghost type monster. Not something you see easily.”

“Monsters have appeared in the territory? So… is that true?”

“What do you mean?”

“Um, well, there’s a rumor that this missing persons case is the Lord’s doing…”

Huh? The Lord?

Why would the Lord be interested in making his own subjects disappear?

“The rumor says that the Lord is using them as sacrifices to summon a demon…”

No way. That’s too far-fetched.

It’s not impossible to summon a demon in this game, of course.

But demons are ridiculously expensive. Do you really think you can summon one with just a few people as sacrifices?

But if the rumor of the Lord using his people as sacrifices has spread…

That’s definitely a rumor from the heretics.

Are they trying to destabilize the security here to take root with their influence?

After buying him a drink, I returned to my seat.

While I was gone, Sowol had ordered another glass of milk and was silently staring at me.

“What did you talk about with that guy?”

I summarized what I had just heard, and Sowol tilted her head.

She seemed puzzled, too.

“I’ve heard of ghost-type monsters before, but they usually don’t appear in crowded places.”

Sowol was right.

Ghost-type enemies in the game typically only show up in remote ruins or areas less populated.

Their base stats are already good, plus they have skills that grant immunity to physical attacks, making them a nuisance that requires at least one magic user in the party from mid-game onward.

For such a monster to appear in the city, before the game even started, with so many people around?

There’s no explanation except that someone is messing around.

“And the Lord goes to church every week. Someone like that summoning a demon…”

“The important part is causing chaos. They’re likely trying to worsen the public order with absurd rumors, spreading fear among the citizens to establish their base of power from within. Classic manipulation.”

“Is that so? So what do we do now?”

“First, we should solve the ghost commotion. This seems related to the heretics as well. Ghost-type monsters tend to be active at night, so let’s kill some time here until then.”

I slammed down my whiskey and raised my hand.

“Another round, please!”

We drank until night fall at the tavern.

Feeling good since I’d earned some money after a long time, I left the tavern with Sowol as the bright moon illuminated the dark sky.

“Master, are you okay?”

“I’m not drunk.”

Right, I’m perfectly fine. A few bottles of whiskey couldn’t make me tipsy.

However, Sowol seemed worried and refused to let go of my clothing.

Oh dear. My disciple really is worried about her Master.

“Could you let go a bit? It’s hard to walk.”

“But Master, you’re swaying!”

“Ahem. This is just a preparation for using intoxicated swordsmanship.”

“…Then why are you using formal speech?”

Come on, don’t nitpick about my jokes.

I started ruffling her hair. The silky feel was pleasant.

“Oh, pretty one. Since you’re taking care of me so well, I’ll give you another praise sticker.”

I pulled off a praise sticker and stuck it on her cheek.

She looked dumbfounded but didn’t refuse, so it seems praise stickers are quite the reward.

“Master!”

That was when I heard a voice I had heard earlier.

Turning around, it was Ann.

Unlike earlier when she was with the soldiers, she was alone this time.

But since she was still in her armor, it seemed she was patrolling alone.

“I didn’t expect to see you again!”

“Yeah, same here.”

I hadn’t expected to see her here again.

“But… have you been drinking too much? Why don’t you rest a bit at the guard’s office?”

“No, no. I’m fine…”

Just as I was about to decline her suggestion, I felt an uncomfortable aura rising from the alley.

“…What’s that?”

Ann drew her sword from her waist.

Just as she seemed tense, I heard something squelching as it shuffled out.

“A ghoul?!”

An undead type monster.

A monster created when a magically endowed being dies and becomes undead—far stronger than a zombie.

Naturally, this is not the kind of monster you see in a village.

“Oh no… Master! Get back!”

Ann sprinted forward, unsheathing her sword.

She blocked the ghoul’s attack with her shield on her left arm, spun around, and slashed its body.

But a ghoul is a dead body. It’s not easy to inflict proper damage with standard slashing attacks.

“Haah!”

Knowing this, Ann kept attacking the monster with her shield while keeping it at bay with her sword.

Yes, it’s tough to damage a ghoul with slashes or stabs.

So the standard method is to use blunt attacks with a shield or weapon to restrict its movements.

“You’re fighting well.”

“You must have quite a bit of experience.”

Just as I was about to respond to Sowol’s mutterings, Ann dodged a sharp claw attack and thrust the tip of her shield into the ghoul’s head.

Puhh!

That was a powerful hit.

As the ghoul staggered from the blow, she rushed in, shoulder-checking it down, then mounted it to keep hammering down with her shield.

Once the ghoul, struggling under Ann, could no longer move from its head being completely crushed, she stood up and looked at me.

Pride was written all over her face.

If a local knight could catch a ghoul alone, she certainly deserved some praise.

“Master! How was that?!”

“Impressive, but it’s not over yet.”

“Huh? Eek!!”

As Ann expressed confusion, something misty appeared behind her.

A powerful attack followed.

She tried to block it with her shield, but the strike passed right through her shield and hit her body.

“This… this is…!”

Her quavering voice sounded completely different from before.

And understandably so.

The monster in front of her wasn’t just any ghoul, but a powerful monster—a Wraith.

“Ah… ah…”

Did she realize she couldn’t win?

Fear clouded Ann’s expression.

Completely demoralized, she sat there trembling.

If I leave this be, it’ll be a big deal.

AAAHHHH!

With a grotesque scream, the Wraith seemed ready to finish the job, so I fired a magic projectile at it.

As it hit the Wraith and its empty gaze locked onto me, I smiled and said,

“Sowol, want to give it a shot?”

Without hesitation, she stepped forward.

Oh yes, I like this combative spirit.

If she finishes this well, I’ll definitely have to give her a praise sticker.

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