Chapter 78
In the dark night, in the middle of a desolate forest.
In a place where moonlight could not penetrate due to the densely packed lush trees, the demon tribe member Pelles was standing tall.
Around him, black silhouettes were lined up, and some were bowing their heads while kneeling on one knee.
Pelles asked.
“Have you found it?”
The one who was furthest forward among those kneeling answered.
“I’m sorry. But it seems we will be able to find it soon….”
“Soon?”
Black haze rose from Pelles’s entire body. Those kneeling began to visibly tremble due to the ominous energy he emitted.
Pelles did not hide his displeased feelings.
“It seems like you’ve been saying ‘soon’ for several years, do I have to wait a few more years? Tell me.”
“W-well, it really is soon. We have searched deeper into the forest. Within a week….”
“Pelles.”
At that moment, other black silhouettes slyly appeared from somewhere. There were quite a few of them, yet not a single sound of stepping on bushes was made.
But Pelles knew they were approaching. He sneered at the leading demon with black ash-colored hair.
“Buer. What business does a cowardly outsider have here?”
The demon called Buer replied with an expressionless face.
“Pelles. You are currently engaging in misguided actions.”
Pelles let out a hollow laugh.
“Is that something you, who was holed up in the forest ignoring everything, should say?”
“The Demon King will return. So if we wait….”
“Nonsense!”
Pelles shouted in an angry voice. He spoke in an agitated tone.
“We have been abandoned. The Demon King, the origin of demons and demon tribe members, and our parent! He abandoned his children. Just because of a mere human woman!”
At that, the surrounding demon tribe members murmured. Those who were with Pelles agreed with his words, while the group that arrived later were wary.
Buer watched the scene for a moment and then warned.
“Do not go any deeper into the forest. You will regret it.”
Pelles smirked.
“The ones who will regret it are you.”
“…The Demon King is a much greater being than you think.”
“We don’t need cowards. Get lost.”
“I have warned you.”
With those words, Buer’s group left. Pelles looked at them seeping into the darkness with pitiful eyes.
The Demon King that the demon tribe originally knew no longer existed. They had forcibly descended the Demon King by offering sacred relics, but he was completely insane, obsessed with a human woman.
They were acting so foolishly because they didn’t know how pathetic the Demon King had become.
They probably still thought of him as the old ‘Demon King’.
“How are the demons?”
When Pelles asked, the kneeling demon tribe member answered.
“Please do not worry about the demons. We have repeatedly brainwashed and trained them to understand commands. They are in a state of readiness.”
“Good…. Only the last one remains.”
Pelles murmured, his yellow eyes gleaming.
“If we can just find his origin….”
* * *
It had already been a week since staying at the grand duke’s residence.
As each day passed, the continuous anxious days were filled with thoughts wondering if Kaiden’s condition was getting worse, or if the Demon King would invade because he was too late.
Due to too much anxiety, I considered contacting Marquis Fernandi via magic communication orb just to check on Kaiden’s condition, but the grand duke stopped me.
“Merien, that guy Kaiden will be holding on well. Contacting him now when we’re not prepared would only signal that we’re desperate. Don’t you know that momentum is important in battle?”
“Yes… but….”
“Kaiden will be well taken care of by Marquis Fernandi, so don’t worry too much. What’s important now is thorough preparation. That will save us all.”
Though anxious, I had no choice but to agree with those words. To rescue Kaiden from the Demon King, and to save the empire, much preparation was needed.
I had many conversations with Durante. I explained the current situation to him fully and asked him to become close friends, as we had been acquainted since the slum days.
He gladly accepted. Moreover, I heard unexpected words.
“Actually, I have seen Lady Merien before.”
“Really?”
“Yes. However, since my appearance is like this… I always hid my face and never revealed my appearance.”
Durante, a mixed-blood of demon tribe and human, had blotchy patterns covering various parts of his face. His ears were pointed, so he did not look like an ordinary human.
“…People are truly narrow-minded.”
“Haha, actually, I’m used to such treatment. The grand duke’s family treated me so well that it felt strange. I’m just grateful.”
Suddenly, the doubt arose that I might also be of demon tribe mixed-blood.
It might sound crazy, but the thought came that I might really be the Demon King’s daughter? Our hair color is the same, and since I might be demon tribe mixed-blood, it’s not completely impossible.
If that were the case, we wouldn’t have to go through all this hardship, and we could save the world peacefully….
But pinning hopes on that slim possibility was nonsense. It was a hundred times better to face reality and find a solution in that time. Time was continuing to flow.
I focused on Durante.
“When did you see me?”
“It was from a very young age. When Lady Merien was 3 or 4 years old, I was already around 15, so I was out working. Due to the age difference, you probably didn’t know me.”
“Ah….”
Upon hearing, he could already use magic at that age and earned wages with it to buy food.
Though he couldn’t receive proper pay due to discrimination over his appearance, seeing the children eat bread made him so happy….
My feelings were indescribable.
“I… grew up eating the bread that Sir Durante brought. Thank you so much. How can I express this gratitude.”
“No. The children couldn’t even eat enough to be full. The earnings were too poor….”
“Please don’t say that. Thanks to you, I’m alive and well like this.”
“That is all because Lady Merien is outstanding. There are still many hungry children in the slums.”
There was an angel in front of me. Even now, he was using a significant portion of the salary received from the grand duke’s residence to help the slum children.
With such a person existing, it didn’t seem like the world would perish because of the Demon King’s anger.
I gathered my resolve and made full preparations with Durante.
Actually, I wanted to test Durante’s holy power, but since Stella or the high priest who could use holy power were devoted to treating the injured, I couldn’t call them.
It wasn’t that important, and things were so busy that it was naturally forgotten.
In the meantime, Lucas gathered troops. It wasn’t easy.
Soldiers were essential personnel for rebuilding the devastated empire. To mobilize them into the army, some incitement and fabrication were needed.
Lucas went around shouting like this.
“Soon, demons will pour out from the eastern flood! The previous demon terror and the lava rocks that fell from the sky were precursors to the demons’ invasion! If things continue like this, our Gratie Empire will perish! Let us protect the empire together with me, Prince Lucas of Gratie, brave warriors!”
It wasn’t completely wrong.
However, some nobles who wanted to protect only their own territories did not send soldiers, so he had to sweat quite a bit, and scared people ran away, resulting in fewer numbers than expected.
“Only 10,000….”
Lucas groaned, but since the goal was to depart in 4 days, there was no choice. There was too little time.
The reason Lucas and the army decided to depart first was because such a large number could not be sent via magic teleportation circle.
Thus, they departed on foot, and I, the grand duke, Stella, Durante, and a few escort knights crossed over to the Fernandi territory at once via the magic teleportation circle.
Because we used the magic teleportation circle, our arrival was faster. As expected, Lucas’s army would arrive about 3 hours later.
Upon exiting the magic teleportation circle, the marquis’s castle was visible in the distance. There was still a bit of distance left, but thinking that Kaiden and the Demon King were close by made my heart flutter.
Bled asked.
[Merien, are you okay?]
‘Yes, I’m okay.’
During the week, my left arm had healed a lot. It wasn’t completely recovered, but it was enough to swing a sword.
“Merien. Have you prepared your mind?”
At the grand duke’s question, I took a deep breath and answered.
“Yes. Let’s go.”
☆▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎☆
