Side: Demon Lord Castle
A biting Frost Aura enveloped the land, and icy projectiles raged through the desolate expanse. In the depths of an environment that allowed no ordinary creature to survive, a castle loomed, and a single monster returned.
The small creature, reminiscent of a clown, spotted the approaching Demon Garuda from afar and hurried to report to its master.
“Ma-Master! Master! The Demon Garuda has returned!”
“What are you shouting about? Is the Master here?”
“Gah! Pansard! When did you come back?!”
“Right now,” Pansard replied dismissively, adjusting the brim of his cap before continuing on his way. Although he had returned to the Demon Lord Castle after receiving the order, he was still in shock over the fact that three Demon Generals had been defeated. Even considering the presence of the Master Knight, he had believed they could conquer the Kingdom of Avangarde. He had no intention of being arrogant, but they had accumulated enough power for that.
All the Servants he had unleashed upon the town had been defeated by the Five Elites, and the greatest miscalculation had been that girl he had seen in Avangarde Cave. He had sent monsters after her under the pretense of eliminating a dangerous factor, but at that time, it had been more of a game than anything else. He had never imagined she would be such a formidable creature. If only he had taken her seriously back then—
“No, I would have met the same fate as those three.”
“Pansard, you’ve always been a bit unsettling, but your muttering is making it worse.”
“Shut up, you fluffy nuisance.”
“Pfft, you’re just in a bad mood because you’re about to be scolded by the Master! Hehe!”
I waved my hand dismissively at the small jester flitting in front of me. Ignoring her completely, I walked down the cold, long corridor until I reached a wooden door.
With a creak, the door opened, revealing that everyone was already gathered. Well, not everyone. Seated were eight Demon Generals, two aides, and the Demon Lord.
One was missing, I noted, but it quickly became clear. “That guy” was probably wandering off somewhere again. It was pointless to get worked up over his lack of cooperation. I cast a brief glance at the empty seat but kept my mouth shut. The remaining members, missing the three who had fallen in battle, were already aware of the situation.
Candles were scattered across the long table, illuminating the spacious room. The monster that had been teasing me earlier darted toward the Demon Lord.
“…I’ll apologize in advance. I’m sorry.”
Pansard took his seat while offering his apology. Despite the heavy atmosphere, no one blamed him. I glanced at the two aides standing beside the Demon Lord. One was the armored figure who had delivered the retreat order, and the other was an elderly man dressed in a tuxedo with white hair. Only these two could converse with the Demon Lord from a distance.
The more I compared myself to the Twelve Demon Generals, the more miserable I felt. I was a bit envious of the two aides, even though there had never been a hierarchy among us.
“Now that everyone is here, shall we begin? Though I believe you are all already aware of the situation.”
“I don’t intend to blame those who participated in the Avangarde invasion. However, there are still many questions left unanswered.”
The aide in the tuxedo, Bathram, was interrupted by a man whose face was half-covered in scales. He sat with his eyes closed, lounging with his feet on the table.
“Why didn’t you completely eliminate the Master Knight?”
“…Are you doubting me?”
Juo glared at the scaled man with displeasure. The man ignored him, surveying the room before continuing.
“If it were me, I would have aimed for the Master Knight with all my strength and killed him. That would have created an overwhelming sense of despair, right? If we could take his head right at the start of the battle, it would be perfect.”
“I see… Doridon has the makings of a demon.”
The man who agreed with Doridon had eyes that were slanted like a devil’s, and fangs protruded from his mouth. He scratched the table with his long claws, avoiding eye contact with anyone.
“Don’t joke around, Ganoas. There are indeed many points for reflection, and we lost three Demon Generals. While Doridon’s point is valid, there’s a more significant factor at play, isn’t there?”
Pansard spoke calmly, despite his irritation toward Ganoas. Even after his words, the devil-faced man continued to scratch the table.
The significant factor—everyone was already aware of it.
“It must be that girl named Rua.”
An elderly man with a hunched back muttered. No one offered a response, but that was the answer. The wrinkled face of the old man lifted as he began to twirl his fingers upward.
“Even if we had executed Doridon’s plan, the outcome wouldn’t have changed much, would it? To eliminate a Demon General in one blow…? Ha! I doubt I would believe it even if I saw it with my own eyes.”
“Considering future developments, that girl will be an obstacle.”
The armored figure finally spoke. Everyone thought that if he had gone to the battlefield, he could have fought, but no one dared to argue with him.
“Hmm, then shall we all go after her together?”
The old man chuckled, his laughter echoing through the room.
“Nentro, then you shall take the lead.”
The armored figure did not allow for any jokes. It was serious; all the Demon Generals were convinced of that.
“I was joking. If we all attack together, there might be a chance, but the cost would be too great. Let’s proceed as originally planned, shall we?”
“Hmm, does anyone have any other opinions?”
When Bathram asked the group, silence was the only response. A glance at the Demon Lord, who hadn’t moved a single eyebrow, revealed nothing of his thoughts. Bathram understood that he knew what the Demon Lord was thinking, but he wouldn’t press the issue here.
“Very well, then I propose… Shin.”
“Y-Yes?!”
The small jester fairy named Shin was startled by the sudden call and jumped up, saluting uselessly in mid-air.
“If you’re so bored that you can nap on the Demon Lord’s lap, then I shall give you a task.”
“M-Me? To monitor that Rua?! No way, no way, absolutely not! Besides, that Chiruchiru was defeated, right? She was a creepy one, but she was among the strongest of the Demon Generals! And yet, you want me to do it? What are you even saying?!”
“Be quiet; no one expects anything from your abilities. Listen carefully. You are to monitor that girl named Rua. Find out what kind of person she is, what foods she likes, what she dislikes. When does she laugh, cry, or get angry? What type of man does she like, or what type does she dislike? Any small information will do; just gather all of it.”
“Ehh? Is there even any point in doing that?”
“What we need right now is information. Whether it will be useful or not, I cannot say. It might not help at all. However, there could be unexpected gaps. This is crucial, and only you can do it.”
“Waaah… M-Master…”
“…I have high hopes for you.”
With just one low voice of encouragement from the Demon Lord, Shin’s expression brightened. In the blink of an eye, she vanished from sight.
“Such a simpleton…”
Doridon muttered in disbelief. Bathram’s judgment was likely correct, but Doridon had already begun to faintly discern a strategy for dealing with Rua from the unfolding events. However, he knew that if he spoke up here, he would be stopped without a doubt. Doridon decided to wait for an opportunity to test it in secret.
“Though the mood suggests we should wrap up, I would like to propose one last event… here.”
With a clap of his hands, Nentro summoned forth a monster from a different entrance than the one Pansard had entered through. Following behind were Davitz and three soldiers from the Kingdom of Avangarde, all of whom were met with puzzled expressions.
“Thanks to you, Davitz, we’ve gathered some valuable information. I appreciate it.”
“We’re grateful for the chance to escape amidst the chaos. From now on, we’ll cooperate fully with you.”
The three “former” soldiers of the Kingdom of Avangarde wore lewd grins, making gestures with their thumbs and index fingers to indicate money.
“That’s a promise. You’ll make it worth our while, right?”
“Nentro, old man, just get on with it. That’s why we brought you here.”
Juo lazily gestured for Nentro to hurry up. Nentro nodded and stood up from his seat.
“Well, well, selling out your comrades for personal gain—what a despicable bunch. You haven’t changed at all… you truly have no value in living.”
“Huh…?”
Davitz pouted mockingly.
Nentro flicked his fingers, and a soldier beheaded another soldier. The severed head soared through the air, blood spilling from the neck as it rolled onto the floor. Just a moment later, blood gushed from the torso, and the headless corpse collapsed lifelessly.
“W-what…?! A-ah…”
I compared my hand gripping the sword with the body of my fallen comrade. As the reality of the situation sank in, my body trembled uncontrollably. Nentro watched me without a hint of amusement, his gaze as cold as ice.
“W-what are you doing?!”
“No, my body is moving on its own…”
“I told you, there’s no reason to keep trash alive.”
“Nentro! This isn’t what we agreed on! We were supposed to cooperate with you…”
“Cooperate? Ha!”
After spitting out the phlegm that had lodged in his throat, Nentro manipulated the arm of another soldier. With no means to resist, the soldier drew his sword against his own will.
“Did you really think we would seriously bring you in? You knew what kind of people we are, didn’t you? We desire no coexistence with anyone. Especially not with scum like these, who deserve nothing less than death!”
With a flick of Nentro’s finger, yet another soldier sank into a sea of blood. The desperate pleas for mercy echoed throughout the castle, but there was no one here willing to listen. Some remained calm, others grinned wickedly, while some simply closed their eyes. The remaining soldier halted the blade he held right next to his neck.
“Please, stop… I’ll do anything… just spare my life… please!”
Thus, a vast ocean of blood was created from the corpses of three soldiers. The remaining Davitz didn’t even attempt to flee. No, he couldn’t move; his legs felt like stone. He too was deprived of his body’s freedom.
“Please, spare me… Mom…”
Those were the final words of a grown man, unbefitting of his stature. Davitz plunged his own sword into his abdomen, ending his life. As the brief tragedy concluded, Juo stepped into the blood-soaked scene without hesitation.
“Make them suffer more, come on.”
As Juo touched Davitz’s corpse, the freshly dead skin rapidly turned a sickly purple, eventually rotting away.
“Gross.”
The girl with brown skin, more tanned than wheat, feigned disgust. Then, she plucked a mushroom that was parasitizing her arm and approached the soldier, gently placing it on him. The soldier’s body withered as the mushroom absorbed his moisture.
“Now then, let’s exterminate even one of these unforgivable beings. Ho ho ho…”
While watching Juo and the brown-skinned girl play with the corpses, Nentro finally broke into a pleased laugh.
“…Now, let’s proceed as originally planned. Zeech, how is the strategy operation going?”
“Yeah, they can’t lay a finger on my kids. The rumors about the magical kingdom are laughable. It’s seriously insane.”
“Then return to your post. If we can bring that place down, the rewards will be plentiful.”
“Sure thing.”
After a lazy reply, the young man with a stone-like arm walked away. The remaining Demon Generals also began to rise one by one, each heading off to fulfill their roles. Bathram and the armored figure watched them depart.
“Let us show the world, my Demon Lord. The power of our unity that the rabble could never achieve…”
A single tear fell from the Demon Lord’s eye as he finally lifted his gaze. He stared blankly into the void, lost in thought.
Side: Kingdom of Avangarde
“Rua and Roel shall be promoted to B-Rank for their recent achievements. I will report this to the Guild later.”
“Thank you very much!”
A few days after the attack by the Neo Demon Lord Army, we had been promoted to B-Rank. The King mentioned that we could have easily been A-Rank, but there’s a promotion exam for that, and everyone must pass it. Since exceptions couldn’t be made, we were given B-Rank instead. It seems we need to accumulate more achievements to qualify for the A-Rank Promotion Exam, but I had already repelled the Demon Lord Army, and Roel’s evaluation from Yuyu was incredibly high, so we were told we were already sufficient. However, the exam was still a ways off, and it seemed the date was undecided for now. Once we became A-Rank, we could enter Ikana Village, but I had another question that was nagging at me.
“Your Majesty, what exactly is the Neo Demon Lord Army?”
“I do not know the details. Now, I have given you all the rewards, so you have no further business here.”
Kirkton, who was nearby serving as the King’s guard, began issuing orders to his subordinates. We were half-forced out of the castle, pushed along by the soldiers. Something felt off; I had been told yesterday that they would explain, yet today I was being brushed off again.
“Is it really okay to receive this much?”
Roel shook the bag filled with money that she had never held before. With this much, I thought we wouldn’t have to worry for a while. But something felt off. Was this really alright?
“Hey, Rua-chan, about this money… do you think we should give it to those in need?”
“Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing.”
Looking at the town, where collapsed buildings were prominent, I felt that deeply. From the lines of people waiting for food supplies, it was clear that many couldn’t return to their normal lives. I didn’t know how much this money would help, but it should be used to genuinely assist others.
“That’s right, then it’s settled.”
I decided to return the money to the King. Just as I turned to retrace my steps, Gantetsu, who was clearing away rubble, called out to us.
“Hey there, you two. What a disaster during such a festive occasion.”
“Gantetsu! About this money… I thought you would use it properly, so…”
As I explained, Gantetsu repeatedly asked if I was sure about this. After patiently conveying my intentions, he seemed to understand and crossed his arms, pondering for a moment.
“I’m glad you trust me, but unfortunately, I can’t accept it. You two should properly explain it to His Majesty.”
“Right… I’m sorry for pushing you.”
“You can’t take money lightly. Before you know it, it can lead to a matter of life and death. That’s what money is.”
I bowed my head in agreement, following Roel’s lead.
“By the way, what are you two planning to do now?”
“Um, well…”
As we glanced around, Gantetsu seemed to read our thoughts and raised a hand to stop us.
“Don’t worry about the reconstruction. You two are adventurers first and foremost; focus on that.”
“But I…”
“You have a goal, right?”
That’s right, my goal. There were countless things I wanted to know, but among them, one was particularly important. Yet, I had no clues at all, leaving me at a loss.
“That demon, what was it called again? I don’t know where it is, but the Sage of the Wizard Kingdom might know something.”
“Sage?”
“I don’t know the details, but Sage Hast is quite famous. They say he’s a living tome of knowledge, over a hundred years old.”
“One hundred years?! Does that mean he knows everything?!”
“Y-yeah, but I said I don’t know the details… let go, it’s suffocating…”
I was so excited that I instinctively grabbed Gantetsu’s collar. Roel tried to stop me.
“By the way, Yuyu mentioned something too. She said she’s still a mere child compared to Lord Hast of the Wizard Kingdom…”
The Wizard Kingdom. I recalled that it was Truppo’s homeland. But how would we get there?
“Ah, but I wonder if the regular ships are running… especially in this emergency.”
Gantetsu scratched his head awkwardly. Regular ships meant we would have to cross the sea. The blue expanse I had seen when leaving Kizel Valley must be the sea. I had only known about the sea and ships through stories. I wanted to ride on one; I couldn’t contain my excitement.
“Hey, wait, Rua-chan! What’s gotten into you?”
I grabbed Roel’s hand and headed toward the port, ignoring Gantetsu’s voice trying to stop us, even though I didn’t know which direction to go. For some reason, I felt a surge of excitement.
“Rua-chan, we need to return the money to the King first!”
With that one sentence, I finally snapped back to reality.
King’s Chamber
“Your Majesty, is it alright to let those two go?”
Belmund quietly asked the King. The King, seated on his throne, squinted as if still gazing at Rua and Roel.
“They will eventually rise to A-Rank. We can wait for that. For that, Belmund, hasten the reconstruction and the schedule for the promotion exam.”
“Y-yes… but the current situation is already tight… there’s hardly enough leeway to manage everything…”
“Hasten it.”
“Y-yes, Your Majesty!”
Only the low, dignified command that allowed no answer but “yes” echoed in the room. As Belmund hurriedly left, the King quietly closed his eyes.
“Rua, huh? Very well, very well. A true gem.”
“That girl will undoubtedly become a force for Avangarde.”
For a fleeting moment, Tiferia crossed my mind, but the thought was quickly brushed aside. I couldn’t afford to dwell on the idea of a little girl who had no hope of recovery. Just for an instant, I could think that way because Rua shone so brightly in the king’s eyes.
【Dark Steel Black Dragon Chiruchiru HP 28,200】
One of the Twelve Demon Generals of the Neo Demon Lord Army.
In terms of size and power, she ranks among the top of the Demon Generals.
Her combat style relies on sheer brute force without any tricks, yet that alone is enough to overwhelm her opponents.
Her obsidian scales can withstand even the most specialized dragon-slaying weapons.
The breath she unleashes boasts a power capable of threatening an entire nation.