The Guidebook for Villainesses

The mountains wept, an ominous sign.

Looking at the distant ridge ahead, Domino murmured and rubbed his eyebrows with the back of his sword.

“It’s the cry of the demonic beasts.”

Despite leaving the ruins before Lara, the Barbarians arrived at the entrance of the Gorgon mountains range a little later than she did.

“Oscar! Something’s going on in the mountain. We’ll have to speed up.

“What? But the Emperor has sent his troops. If they can’t push the demonic beasts out, they can at least stop them.”

“Look at that.”

Domino pointed to the middle of the murky mountain. When Oscar narrowed his eyes and stared at that place, he saw dust rising from the empty mountains with the sound of an earthquake.

“That’s crazy!”

“They’re coming down, run!”

As many as 2,000 Barbarians began to run at full speed with Domino at the forefront.

Their families were in Gorgon. Their wives, children, and their elderly parents hated the Empire. And so, they stayed behind in Gorgon, the rough mountain. They had heard that the number of demonic beasts had increased abnormally and became more aggressive. But they never heard that the demonic beasts were crazy enough to charge so recklessly.

The Imperial Army probably did its best. Although they were not on good terms with the Barbarians, they were not lazy enough to idle in defending the Empire’s border.

“Hurry, run faster!”

“Where is the Imperial Army? Which is the defense line?”

The last defense lines were built deep inside the mountains range when the Barbarians defended this place. But now, it had retreated to the entrance of the mountain range where the people’s homes were visible.

“Light the beacon fire! Tell the city to evacuate the people!”

“The demon lord has appeared!”

“Shoot the oiled arrow! Demonic beasts are vulnerable to fire! Don’t worry about forest fires, just shoot them first! Set fire to the woodblocks!”

“The demon lord has appeared!”

“Where is the man in charge? Let him know that the Barbarians are back! Tell all the men who still have intact limbs and know how to handle weapons to come out here!”

“The end is near! The demon lord will come and kill us all! God has abandoned us! Help me!”

It was a mess. Oscar’s voice in search of the person in charge and the cries of panic-stricken people running away kept on overlapping. As more people were panicking. The fear of death and destruction paralyzed the people’s rationality, and soon, there were even signs of a group escape.

Oscar was the first to reach the border with the defense line. The Imperial Army was in a mess, but they managed to hold the line without running away. The knights who had been accustomed to hunting demonic beasts encouraged the soldiers and dressed up as hunters, doing away with heavy metal armors.

Oiled arrows poured down. There were fires everywhere at the entrance of the mountain ranges. It was a dry autumn, so even a small spark could cause a strong fire. The demonic beasts ran down, erratically faltering and revealing their teeth.

A sense of relief flashed across the faces of the Imperial Knights, thinking that they had succeeded. And just in time, Oscar appeared before them. But as he jumped onto the fence of the defense line, the knights began shouting at him.

“Who’s that? What are you doing? Don’t provoke them!”

“Don't give me that bull! If you don't capture the leader, then even more demonic beasts will come back down here! Why do you still not know that?”

After hearing Oscar say those words, the soldiers looked at the knights. They had been keenly aware that Barbarians were right a hundred times when it came to the war against demonic beasts in the Gorgon Mountain Range. At a time when the soldiers could not sleep and had suffered from a winged demonic beast’s attacks, the Barbarians’ old women made warning tools with high-hanging clotheslines.

As the knights followed him up on the wooden barricade fence, Oscar called a good-sighted archer to his side and asked.

“Which way is the leader? Find where it is!”

“Wait a minute… There, there it is! Over there and also over there!”

There were three leaders. Oscar took a spear from an Imperial knight next to him, while Domino belatedly fixed a heavy iron arrow to a huge bow by Oscar’s side.

Fwoosh!

The arrow and spear flew. More demonic beasts charged all the way to the fence and aimed at Oscar and Domino, but the Imperial army rushed to defense at the risk of their lives.

Whack!

The sound of the demonic beast’s head exploding could be heard. One was pierced at its head and the other was pierced at its neck. When the two leaders fell, the entire pack of demonic beasts was thrown into confusion.

Howl

Their howling covered the mountains range.

“There’s still one more…”

“Everyone, lift your spears and shields! Bring more wooden barricade fence! We have to stop them from going down to the residences!”

With its followers behind, the last remaining leader began to charge with drool flowing out of its mouth. Compared to the beginning, the number of demonic beasts had decreased significantly.

“Hah!”

What a mess this is, and as soon as I got back too.

Oscar swept up his sweaty hair. Behind the first two people, 2,000 Barbarians joined to defend with the Imperial Army.

Oscar thought about the victory they had against the demonic beasts. Now that the Barbarians were back, the beast's attacks could still be stopped again even if it was on a scale as large as it was then. Though it bothered Oscar that there were three leaders, once Lampion came back, Oscar, Lampion, and Domino could take charge of one leader each.

And yet, Oscar still had a bad hunch. His chest was cold and he felt a tingling sensation at the back of his head.

“The demon lord has appeared!”

The culprit was the cries heard among the fleeing people.

“God has abandoned this world! The end is coming! We’re all going to die! Hell is rising to our lands!”

It did not sound like a cry of fear. Domino ran away while muttering cuss words and grabbed the nearest shouting person. The man Domino grabbed had been shouting that the end was coming, like someone being possessed.

“What are you doing? What’s wrong with you?”

The man was a young soldier. After taking a good look at him, Domino noticed the man’s eyes being out of focus. And he did not seem to know what he was talking about. Even while looking at Domino, he kept murmuring over and over again that the demon lord had appeared and that they were all going to die.

“Get a grip!”

The soldier only came to his senses after Domino eventually slapped him thrice. He flopped down and mumbled.

“What… What’s going on?”

“Oscar!”

Domino called Oscar to show him the soldier and said.

“Someone’s in there causing confusion. This guy has been brainwashed, it’s likely to be the act of a sorcerer.”

“Is it a black sorcerer?”

“We have to find them right now.”

Demonic beasts came from the top of the mountain. People were being brainwashed by black sorcerers and screamed, causing mass hysteria. The wooden barricade fence would soon break. With just a single attack, the Imperial Army would have to step back again. They had to make a decision.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

“Hehehe.”

A proud smile grew on Vassago’s face as he watched the scene from afar.

Does it make sense for there to be dirty wooden barricade fences in the land where my Master will ascend to?

Of course, his Master would become the demon lord and side with the humans, but it did not matter to Vassago. For his enemy was not human.

After completing his mission, Vassago moved slowly, as if taking a walk and having a leisurely hike through the mountain. It just so happened that he met Valac, who had come back out of breath. Valac had just been hurrying through the mountains, gathering three packs of demonic beasts.

“What about Paimon?”

“Huff! T-there…”

Valac lifted his finger with a pale face. In the distance, deep inside the valley, there was the cry of a wild beast. It sounded like a bird of prey.

A demonic beast appeared. It was so huge that calling it ‘king' was not unfitting.

The arrogant king of beasts.

It showed off his violent presence enough to make even Valac and Vassago pay close attention.

Vassago grew a contented smile on his face.

“As expected of my Master.”

Lara came by the demonic beast. It had four tall horns and long canine teeth that protruded out of its snout and stretched down to its neck. At first glance, it looked to be a wolf, but it was as big as an elephant. Its leather was red and its fur was black. The ground echoed every time it stomped on the ground with its heavy feet.

“Isn’t…this too big to be her mount?”

Valac whispered to himself. Paimon, who caught the demonic beast, shrugged his shoulders and greeted Vassago.

“It looks good.”

“Right?”

“It suits the Master.”

Lara wore a narrow-brimmed hat, a long and translucent veil like a scarf, and a fancy jacket that was no different than a dress.

She climbed the back of the demonic beast like a jockey and looked down from the high position she was in. She then muttered with a bitter face.

“Should I wear a mask?”

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

The momentum of the demonic beasts had subsided. It was thanks to the Barbarians arriving at the right time. Lara looked at the half-collapsed wooden barricade fence, black smoke, and the fire-covered defense line from the top of the mountain.

When the demon lord appeared, people would move the defense line farther away and would carefully prepare for war. That was Lara’s purpose. To drive demon worshippers in Gorgon Mountain Range, and for the Barbarians and the Imperial army to not get close.

“May you gain notoriety!”

Vassago raised his hands, revealing the whites of his eyes.

It could not be helped. Lara lowered her black veil and covered half her face. In order to become the public enemy of the continent, she must endure this all. To gather those cruel demon worshippers and rule them with fear, she must be someone worse than a demon.

“It’s the ascension of the demon lord.”

If this is my destiny, go shove it in a hole. I have decided to go against my destiny now.