In a far away kingdom called Altheim, lived a general famed for his strategic mind. The general's name is Hector.
Hector was a famous general greatly respected by the citizens of Altheim due to his role in defending their kingdom from a more powerful but militaristic neighbor. Despite being a smaller and less powerful kingdom, Altheim was able to to maintain its sovereignty thanks to effort of this famous general and his soldiers.
With countless successful campaign in his belt, the citizens of Altheim began to believe that as long as they have the great general around, their kingdom will never be conquered. However, after a certain campaign that ended in the death of many innocent civilians, the renown general unexpected resigned from his post out embarrassment and guilt.
According to the official story released to the public, a village near the outskirt of the kingdom was being terrorized by a small monster horde. In response to the plea for help from the villagers, the then 43 years old general sent a small detachment of soldiers to defend the village against the monsters despite the fact that he was already hard-pressed stopping an invading army sent by their militaristic neighbor.
However, something went horribly wrong. After reaching the aforementioned village, the soldiers found themselves outnumbered. The number of monsters attacking the village was twice as large as the detachment that the general had sent. Realizing what had happened, the general quickly sent a bigger detachment to the village to back up the small detachment he had sent previously; unfortunately, it was all but too late, and the end result was that the monsters massacred the entire population of the village along with the soldiers he sent to defend it.
It was said that the guilt-ridden general took full responsibility for the destruction of the village and resigned from his post as general after the war. After that, he left the capital in order to personally hunt the horde that had destroyed the village, and massacred inhabitants and the soldiers he had sent to defend it – pledging that he would not rest until he had tracked down and killed every monster guilty for their deaths.
For many years, the former general would search untiringly, following what little clue he could find that could point him to the location of the monsters. Every time he hears rumors of monster inhabiting certain area or region, he would travel there with little regard to his well-being. Unfortunately, the rumors would usually just be that, rumors, thus wasting the former general’s time.
But despite the setbacks, the former general still refuses to give up and continued his search. After more than a decade of searching, Hector’s efforts finally bore fruit. He finally found a monster after following another rumor that lead him to an unnamed forest constantly shrouded in fog.
“I finally found you, monster!” An aged Hector shouted while pointing his blade at the monster shrouded in fog.
Hearing the shout, the monstrous figure turned to confront Hector. But due to the dense fog covering its body, its visage cannot be clearly seen.
“Ah, you’re finally here,” replied the monster. “I’ve been expecting you.” The monster’s voice was gruff and deep but otherwise sounded very human.
“You’ve been expecting me? I see, you must’ve heard of me then.”
Hector was slightly taken aback after hearing the monster’s reply. He’s aware that his endeavor to hunt down the monsters must have spread far and wide but to hear it directly from a monster’s mouth was a surprise even to him, moreover, it made him somewhat uncomfortable.
"It makes no difference whether you've heard of me or not," Hector said, pushing down the uneasy feeling that was developing in his heart. What matters is that it's time for you to pay for your misdeeds, so prepare yourself! ”
“Oh? Prepare for what? Pray tell, general?” The monster asked, seemingly amused.
“Isn’t it obvious?! Prepare yourself for death!” The former general growled
Hector lowered his posture and clutched his blade tightly as he stared carefully at the monster hidden in the fog. He'll sever the monster's head from its body the moment it moves. However, the monster spoke again before he could even act.
“Death was it? What did I do to deserve death, general?” It asked.
"Are you still acting?! Have you forgotten the atrocities you and your horde had committed?!" Hector asked, red-faced, “What about the innocent lives you've taken?! Did you forget those too?! ”
“Such hatred… Do you hate me that much, general?”
“You still dare ask?! I hate you! I will never forgive you and your horde for killing my people!”
“You will not forgive? Us? Ha ha ha ha ha!!!”
“Bastard!”
That was the last straw. Unable to hold his temper any longer, the aging general kicked the ground and dashes towards the monster and did a downward slash. The slash was so fast that one would be hard-pressed to believe that it came from a man of Hector’s age. However, despite the speed of the slash, the sword hit nothing but air.
“My, that certainly caught me by surprise. Too bad it didn’t hit” the monster taunted.
Hmph!
Hector ignored the monster’s taunt with a snort and pressed on with his attacks. He slashed, stabbed and slashed again but no matter what he did, nothing connects.
“Coward, stop running away! Face me!”
“As you wish.”
Much to Hector’s surprise, the monster did stopped moving after his outburst.
“…What are you planning?” Hector asked warily after seeing the monster’s action.
“What a silly question. You asked me to stop, so I did,” the monster answered nonchalantly. “What are you hesitating for? Come! Sever my head from my body! I promise, I won’t move from this spot.”
Although wary of a scheme, Hector cannot let such an opportunity go. So without a word, Hector dashes towards the monster and behead it with swift slash… or so he thought.
“Hmm… such quick sword,” the monster spoke despite the fact that it should have been beheaded.
‘W-what?! But, how?!”
Hector was aghast. He was certain that his last attack connected, and yet, the monster still lives.
“Do you want to know? Then let me show you!” The monster stepped out of the fog and revealed itself to Hector.
“No, i-impossible…”
Hectored dropped his sword and fall to his knees after seeing the monster’s visage. The monster was more than two meters tall, much bigger and taller than the average man. Its skin was grayish blue and has long sharp claws on its hands and feet that could disembowel a man with little effort. It has two horns on the side of its head, and big glowing yellow eyes and a huge mouth filled with sharp teeth.
It was grotesque-looking monster and could terrify anyone with who looks at it. And yet, that wasn’t the most terrifying thing to Hector. No, it was the monster’s face.
Those face, he knew them very well. It was a face the he was most familiar with. After all that face was his!
“Do remember now, general? This is the face of the monster you’re looking for!”
“No, ah, ah, it can’t be…”
Hector grasped his head with both hands as if in pain as the memories that he had hidden in the deepest recesses of his soul began to re-emerge.
“General, please reconsider! They are our people!”
“Silence! If we want to stop the invaders, we need to make some sacrifices!”
“But those villagers, they’re just civilians! We can’t just leave them to die!”
“Their death will serve a greater purpose and will save countless lives so their sacrifice won’t be in vain!”
“Please, general… we beg of you. There must be other another way to win this war!”
“General!”
“General Hector!”
“Enough! Archers, get ready… shot!”
General Hector ignored his officers' appeals and ordered his archers to rain fire arrows at the village that was currently being looted by the invading army.
In order to impede the invading army that was twice the size of theirs, General Hector decided to sacrifice a village at the outskirt of the kingdom. His plan was simple. He will allow the village to be looted and plundered by the enemy troops.
He used his spies to propagate false rumors that the Altheim soldiers were utilizing an inconspicuous village in the outskirt as a supply depot, ensuring that the enemy would attack the settlement. To disguise the trap, he did not alert the locals or tell them to escape; knowing full well what would happen to them once the invading forces arrived. His plan worked and the general was able to mount a surprise attack at the invading forces, routing them in the process.
General Hector was fully aware how cruel his plan was, but only considered it a necessary sacrifice at the time. Unbeknownst to him, retribution would be swift.
Many of his officers and soldiers committed suicide not long after, unable to cope with the guilt tormenting their thoughts and the never-ending horrors that visited them in their sleep.
Hector too, fell victim to the nightmares and resigned from his post thereafter. He returned to his state to retire and yet the nightmares follow as if reminding him of his sins. In the years to follow, Hector would be plagued by the same horrific dream night after night, until one day, he would finally snap.
In his madness, the former general would often ramble going to a monster hunt. He would don his gear and will try to leave the state to seek the monsters in his imagination. Of course his attempt would always fail as his family and servants would never allow him to leave his state in his current condition. Hector on the other hand was not aware of this. In his mind, he was currently traveling the land in search of the “monsters” responsible for ending the lives of all the inhabitants of a certain inconspicuous village...
