《Police Officer》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1Makai Hongi ħ½ç±¾¼o ©` Ï„wÉϤΥ´©`¥é¥ó


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    Gekokujyo no Golan


    (Demon World History ¨C Giant-killing Golan)


    Magic came flying from the enemy formation, and the head of my comrade went flying.


    It was the guy who pushed his way forward during the charge.


    Blood and brain fluid splattered on my face.


    I wiped the warm stuff off with my left hand and flung it on the ground.


    (Ah, mother. Your son is now in the Demon World battlefield.)


    As the sounds of explosions rang in my ears, I could hear a cheerful voice shouting, ¡®Gahaha! Advance! Advance!¡¯


    To my left, someone was growling, ¡®Arrghhh!¡¯ as they raised a club.


    I stepped over the body of one whose legs had been blown off and continued forward, my legs moved back and forth as if a machine.


    This was a battlefield in the Demon World.


    If you didn¡¯t want to be blown apart by the magic that soared through the sky, then you had to advance.


    ¡°Advance! Advance!¡±


    All I could hear was that word. It was as if an idiot had learned a single word.


    The magic had been targeting us for a while now.


    And so he was right. We had to keep moving.


    If we stopped, our lives would end¡­  s?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Once you got past the magic, you would reach the enemy base, which was made of stone and wood.


    For us ogres, it might as well have been nothing.


    All we would have to do was swing our clubs as we marched, and then it would fall.


    ¡°¡­However¡­¡±


    The leading group that had started the charge was now in disarray. Again.


    I looked through the cracks between the giant bodies of the ogres and saw that wraiths had appeared.


    The enemy had positioned a gang of them in front of their base. They were waiting for us.


    As they were semi-transparent, it was hard to see them unless they were moving.


    And if they lay low on the ground and stayed still, well, you would hardly see them at all on the battlefield.


    ¡°Advance! Advaaance!¡±


    I listened to the order that had repeated so many times today. And I sighed quietly.


    (We¡¯re going to lose again today, regardless.)


    As expected, a band of orcs appeared from the enemy base in order to take down the confused ogres. That battle became chaotic.


    There was no formation now. ¡®Advance? What¡¯s that?¡¯


    There was no recovery once the chaos started.


    The fighting would stop when the sun came down, and we would retreat.


    Once again, we were unable to take the enemy base. In fact, we hadn¡¯t even reached it!


    My name is Golan. A demon. An ogre.


    Three days ago¡ªwe arrived at this hill.


    I was fighting as a common soldier under Commander Guden.


    In the Demon World, ogres were just meatheads who couldn¡¯t use magic. We were the expendables.


    It was because we had physical strength, that we were destined to be used and crushed in the charge.


    In fact, I was only participating in this fight because too many had died, and they needed more of us.


    Drafts were sent to my village again, and in spite of being a third son, it was my turn to go.


    After all, my two older brothers had already been turned into pieces of meat.


    I might have even stepped on their remains today.

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2Commander Guden was an evolved type of ogre.


    And so it would have been more accurate to call him a High Ogre. S?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, we were a gathering of meatheads. Proper names meant nothing to us.


    High Ogres were larger than ordinary ogres and had various enhanced abilities.


    ¡°Alright, come at me however you want. Gahahaha!¡±


    Guden spread out his arms wide, leaving his thick chest open.


    You were allowed to use weapons and magic during these fights. As long as you fought with your own power, anything was fine. Such were the rules.


    However, we currently faced each other with our bare fists.


    I wouldn¡¯t have a chance of winning if we fought normally.


    There was an unsurmountable difference between us¨Cthat of our type.


    ¡°Here I come.¡±


    I balled my hands into fists and pulled my elbows back. And with light steps, I closed the gap between us.


    ¡°Yes, come!¡±


    His hands shot forward to grab me, but I ducked under them and hooked him in the ribs.


    He was hard. His body was harder than a rock.


    I wanted to grimace, but held back the urge and targeted his nasal bone next. Then I unleashed multiple jabs.


    And while Guden¡¯s head fell back from the impact, he barely seemed to feel it.


    Now it was his turn to attack.


    A large swing and a punch. I dodge them with footwork and a sway.


    Once he was open again, I visited a storm of jabs before he could react.


    Of course, they were ineffective.


    (Dear mother, this looks like it¡¯s going to be a long fight.)


    ¡ð


    Excuse the abruptness, but I¡¯d like to talk about the memories I have of my past life.


    I died when I was just over 30.


    As I was single, there was only one family member who mourned my death. My mother.


    She raised me all by herself.


    My mother was usually very kind, but could be terrifying when she was angry. It was a pretty normal household, overall.


    For some reason, one of my first memories is of me watching children train in a dojo.


    I later found out that my mother left me there as a child when she needed to head off to work.


    As a small child, I spent a lot time there, learning kendo, judo, karate, and aikido. They taught something different every day.


    The dojo was my nursery.


    It wasn¡¯t until much later that I learned that the master of the dojo was a friend of my mother.


    It was a strange place. Aside from kendo and judo, they taught self-defense classes for women, boxercise, yoga, aerobics, and mixed martial arts for salarymen on their way home.


    I participated in all kinds of classes every day. And I am sure it was because of the dojo master that I actually learned them all, instead of just acquiring middling degrees of skills.


    Time went by, and I went from student to teacher. The master started to seriously suggest that I take over for him. However, the dojo at the time was trying too hard to keep up with popular trends, and I found it too chaotic. And so I would just chuckle vaguely, without making any commitment.


    ¡°Uhh, today¡­there will be two hours of patchwork classes from 10, and then we have ballroom dancing at 1. We¡¯ll have to clear away the desks by then. There is the children¡¯s kendo at 5¡­ah, that¡¯s right. We started teaching business English at 7. Damn it, I better prepare for that.¡±


    The dojo master often grumbled about not having a successor. But I wasn¡¯t sure there was anyone in the world who was able to keep up with this chaotic curriculum.


    I was only managing it because I was there every day. Most people would have probably quit in just three days.


    I remember checking my schedule and leaving the house as my mother waved at me.


    There was a child who was trying to cross the road during a red light. ¡®That¡¯s dangerous.¡¯ I remember calling out.


    However, I had been a little too late.


    The child froze as the car came racing down the street.


    ¡°Hey! Run!¡±


    I shouted. And then¡­and then¡­ For some reason, I was an ogre in the Demon World.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3I was eating under a canopy when a kobold approached me. He was a young one.


    He told me that Guden had awakened.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go when I¡¯m finished eating.¡±


    All that running on the battlefield and the Gekokujyo had made me hungry.


    He would have to wait until I was done.


    The kobolds always prepared the food.


    They were no good in combat, but were skilled when it came to more delicate work. They were quite useful.


    People tended to think that ogres just ate raw meat straight off of the bones, but that wasn¡¯t true.


    Our food was properly cooked, and we even ate vegetables. Well, some of us, anyway.


    When we ate, it wasn¡¯t really about absorbing the nutrients from the food. We thought of it as absorbing the mana that the food stored. Nutrients were necessary to live, but it was large quantities of mana that made you strong.


    Well, none of that was actually proven.


    I left the canopy and saw that the young kobold had been waiting for me.


    They had to take care of things after the Gekokujyo.


    As they were not sure what to do with Guden¡¯s unconscious body, I had told them to lay him out on a flat rock.


    They had said they would take care of him, and so I left it to them.


    I mean, they had started to lay down pebbles around his body at an equal distance. It resembled a sacrificial ritual, and so I just wanted to leave.


    When I returned, Guden was up and sitting cross-legged.


    He looked rather well for someone who had passed out after being strangled.


    ¡°Gahahahaha¡­I lost.¡±


    He looked at me and admitted his defeat.


    We demon folk did not dwell on the past after a defeat.


    If you had any complaints, you could just fight again¡ªanother Gekokyujo. So there was no need to make things difficult.


    ¡°You¡¯re a strong one.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that.¡±


    I had actually heard this many times since I was reincarnated.


    But I didn¡¯t believe it myself.


    It was just that I knew how to fight, and had used a little cheat to get stronger.


    ¡°I will become your subordinate. And so you are the new Commander.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. It is with great humility that I accept this position.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure what to say, so I just said something I had seen on tv once.


    Unsurprisingly, Guden tilted his head in puzzlement.


    ¡°I will pass on the authority to you. Accept it.¡±


    Guden removed a light red sphere that was near his heart, and then pressed it into my chest.


    (So this is the power of control¡­)


    I felt the red sphere becoming part of my body, and the power well up within me. S?a?ch* Th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    I could feel the power pouring in.


    And so I accepted it all without resisting. I felt like something had been added to me.


    (This is amazing¡­ My power must be doubled, if not tripled?)


    I was both awed by the power of the orb and also amazed that I had gone against someone with it and won. That was a close one.


    ¡°It¡¯s all yours, Commander. Gahahahahah¡­¡±


    As if he had now finished his duty, Guden walked away.


    At first, I thought that he had gone off to eat, but was told that his neck might be broken.


    I had used all of my strength when strangling him, and his neck had bent back, perhaps a little too far.


    His neck was the first thing he complained about when he first got up, and he had stayed still for a while after that. It was amazing that he was even alive. There was probably a crack in the bones.

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4There were times when memories of my past life were a hindrance.


    It had to do with the different values that existed in Japan and the Demon World.


    Think about it.


    Would the residents here think similarly?


    As someone who has experienced both, I can say that they are quite different.


    For instance, if I was walking down the road and my shoulder bumped into someone else¡¯s.


    It didn¡¯t matter if you knew them or not. In Japan, most people would react similarly.


    ¡°Ah, excuse me.¡±


    ¡°No, excuse me.¡±


    We would say and that would be it.


    It would not develop into a brawl or a fight to the death.


    But it was different in the Demon World.


    ¡°Ah, excuse me.¡±


    ¡°Who the hell are you, bastard? You seem to have a death wish.¡±


    And then you would be pummeled.


    If you were lucky, anyway. That was the basics of the Demon World.


    If you didn¡¯t react with violence, then you were admitting that they were superior to you.


    But even in Japan, very rough people might take out their aggression on you. But it would usually stop after one or two swings. They wouldn¡¯t chase after you or anything.


    Besides, the law would keep them in line. They could only go so far.


    Not in the Demon World.


    Strength was everything. If you were deemed inferior, you could be subservient for the rest of your life.


    And it wasn¡¯t easy stuff, like ¡®go and buy me a sandwich and some coffee.¡¯


    Your relationship with that person would always be dangerous and life-threatening.


    After all, you had to obey them completely.


    You had two options. Serve someone else who was even stronger or challenge them to Gekokujyo.


    All this over bumped shoulders!? One might wonder. But that was normal in the Demon World.


    Obedience to the strong was absolute. That was the only way to survive.


    It was hard for me at first.


    I had a tendency of backing off during a confrontation.


    Just a little. Half a step. But that was all it took for them to take two steps forward. And they would not stop. S?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    That¡¯s the way it was.


    ¨CIt was no use.


    I realized this when I was still very young. I was quick to catch on.


    And so, ever since then, I reacted strongly and put myself forward when dealing with others, regardless of how I truly felt.


    ¡°That hurt, you bastard!¡±


    ¡°Eh!? Do you want to fight?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I do! Graagh! Come at me!¡±


    That was how I acted. And then my opponent would think.


    Was this guy stronger than me?


    If they lost the fight, what kind of future awaited them?


    Unless there was an obvious difference in power, the argument would almost always erupt into an actual fight.


    But there were also many times when there was no clear winner. In the Demon World, the residents were very tough.


    There were times when the Japanese person in me would jump out and think, ¡®damn it, I might have just killed him,¡¯ but then I¡¯d hear a ¡®that hurt!¡¯ as the guy got up and slammed his fist into me.


    Both sides were tough. In a battle like this, where there was no clear difference in strength, it seemed stupid to continue fighting.


    After all, if there isn¡¯t a difference in strength, then the smallest mistake could determine the victor.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5The person under the canopy was a boy who appeared to be about fifteen.


    He was short and had chestnut-colored hair and hazel eyes.


    His features were pale and androgynous, with a bob that suited them.


    ¡°So, are you Commander Nehyor?¡±


    ¡°I am. And who are you?¡±


    ¡°I defeated Guden in a Gekokujyo and became the new commander. My name is Golan.¡±


    It had been a while since I had to talk formally in the Demon World.


    But it seemed right if he was the Corps Commander.


    ¡°You? ¡­Hmmm. Yes, I can feel the power of control coming from you. So you really did defeat Guden. Huh. You. Well, I look forward to working with you!¡±


    His large eyes moved a lot, but they settled on me as he smiled.


    ¡°Likewise.¡±


    Then I recalled my days as a salaryman and bowed deeply.


    I wasn¡¯t going to declare Gekokujyo towards him. I meant to stay quiet for a while.


    ¡°You seem polite, but very strange as well. At least, for an ogre.¡±


    He didn¡¯t seem to think much of me then.


    (I see. That was a mistake. I¡¯m an ogre and should act like one.)


    It went without saying, but this wasn¡¯t modern Japan.


    Modesty was not a virtue. And if you were delusional enough to think it was, you would be burned badly. S?a?ch* Th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    They would take advantage of you. If you took half a step back, they would take two forward.


    I should have understood it better. I had experienced so much of it during my 17 years of life here.


    If I wanted things to carry on smoothly, then I had to act strong.


    Or I would be targeted for the rest of my life.


    This was all hammered into me, and yet I had started off on the wrong foot.


    Even if he was a superior, it would have been normal to clash a little in order to really feel the difference in strength.


    We could develop a more friendly relationship some other time.


    Yes, I should have been more aggressive. Though, there was no point in regretting it now.


    In fact, Corps Commander Nehyor barely seemed to register my hesitation.


    ¡®Alright, the meeting will start now. So follow me.¡¯ He said without looking back.


    Of course, I followed him.


    ¡°Ta-da! If you can believe it, an ogre has deigned to participate in our council. Let¡¯s give him a round of applause.¡±


    Corps Commander Nehyor said merrily as we reached the back of the canopy.


    Of course, no one applauded.


    But there were a lot of exasperated looks.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s begin. Golan, take a seat.¡±


    Nehyor sat down in an especially extravagant chair.


    As for me¡­I was still standing.


    There wasn¡¯t a single chair that was empty.


    (Were they going to bully the new guy?)


    They called me here and didn¡¯t even prepare a seat. A child in my position would cry.


    Now, the Japanese person in me would have chuckled good-humoredly and remained standing. But if I did that now, they would underestimate me for the rest of my life.


    Perhaps I¡¯m repeating myself again, but no good thing would come from being underestimated in the Demon World.


    Besides, I was a commander now. If I was looked down upon, it would affect my subordinates as well.


    I looked at the four others who were seated.


    They were all commanders just like me. In other words, they were my equals.


    There were two from the goblin clans and one from the flying eagle clan and one from the wise wolf clan.


    (So that was five including me. And the strongest one¡­perhaps the wolf?)


    In the Demon World, you were able to get a feeling for how strong someone was.

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6It wasn¡¯t just Lobos, all the other Commanders present were now looking at me.


    ¡°Guden served under me for nearly 50 years. I think that his mana was just a little below yours, Lobos? Do you think you would have beaten him for sure if you fought him?¡±


    ¡°His hard skin would be troublesome for sure. But I would not lose.¡±


    ¡°You would overwhelm him with your speed, and damage him a little by little, perhaps? But he is a High Ogre. They¡¯re a tough breed. And you would lose if he was able to land a serious hit. In a one on one battle, I wonder if your energy and fortitude would have lasted long enough? ¡­Well, leaving that aside, what is certain is that Golan defeated him in Gekokujyo. The orb of control says so.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Then it must be so.¡±


    ¡°Look at Golan. He is nearly unhurt. I am interested to know how he fought, but that¡¯s not the problem here. As we can all tell, he has incredibly low mana. It¡¯s practically a joke.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I wonder how low it was before he became Commander. How was he able to beat Guden like that?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I think you understand what I mean. Golan can fight in a way that doesn¡¯t rely entirely on the amount of mana he has. And so I am not allowing you to fight with him. We have a battle to wage tomorrow, and we can¡¯t let anything get in the way of that, can we?¡±


    ¡°If that is your command, Nehyor. Yes.¡±


    ¡°So, now that we have settled the matter, let¡¯s have a new chair brought to us. Golan, you must not take chairs away from other people. We didn¡¯t have another one here, because Guden never bothered to show up.¡±


    Nehyor clapped his hands and another chair was brought out. S?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    I sat down, and the wise wolf sulkily got off of the table.


    ¡°Well, this is a good time to make introductions. To the left, we have Lobos and Bian. To the right, we have Iribo and Grobo. And this is Golan. You are all important comrades. Remember that.¡±


    Lobos the wise wolf and Bian the flying eagle, huh.


    And the goblins were Iribo and Grobo. Hmm, could I remember all that? I¡¯d probably forget.


    Iribo had a giant bow on is back, so he was likely an archer.


    I had heard that the archers in that army were especially strong. Turns out, they were led by a goblin. That was surprising.


    As the table was a rectangle, I sat down so that I was facing Corps Commander Nehyor.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s begin. I want you all to look at the map.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes fell to the map that was spread out on the table.


    ¡­I didn¡¯t get it. Now that I think about it, where were we?


    I had underestimated the war council of demons.


    Perhaps it was because I had spent so much time with meathead ogres. I had not even dreamed that such advanced strategies were being discussed day and night.


    Well, maybe that was an exaggeration.


    But I was impressed that they all took the whole thing very seriously. And what I meant by that¡­


    ¡°As we have a newcomer with us today, I will explain as I go.¡±


    And so Corps Commander Nehyor explained the plan in great detail to us.


    It was all nonsense to me in the beginning, but I slowly started to understand what he was saying.


    ¡°And so¨Chere. We have to protect the lookout hill over here.¡±


    The place that we were currently located was called the lookout hill. I didn¡¯t even know that.


    ¡°In short, yes. That¡¯s very good, Golan.¡±


    Was he mocking me? Or praising me? I couldn¡¯t tell.


    But this war wasn¡¯t too complicated.


    The enemy wanted to defeat us, and so soldiers invaded our country.


    In order to stop them, several corps were sent out to drive them back.


    We were defending the lookout hill.


    The main base where Corps Commander Nehyor resided was on the top of this hill. It was from here that we defended in three separate groups.

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7Well, the war council was finally finished. And so I thought back on what had been discussed.


    Yes, I was probably getting ahead of myself.


    Besides, was saying you would take the enemy stronghold tomorrow, really called a ¡®plan¡¯?


    Well, since it was decided at a war council, I suppose it was?


    No, I could understand if we decided to launch an attack on the stronghold, and lure them out for a follow-up attack. Something like that could be considered a plan.


    If this was baseball, it would be like telling the batter, ¡®just hit the ball a lot,¡¯ or ¡®ignore breaking balls and focus on the straight balls.¡¯


    As for my suggestion, ¡®I¡¯ll take the stronghold tomorrow,¡¯ that was like saying, ¡®get a hit the next time you¡¯re at bat.¡¯


    ¡°¡­If only it was as simple as signing.¡±


    If it was, we just needed to sign until we won.


    Thinking of it like that, I definitely felt like I was moving too fast.


    Even after I left the canopy, the thoughts plagued my mind. That was when someone grabbed my arm.


    ¡°I was calling you. Didn¡¯t you hear?¡±


    It was one of the Gob-gob brothers. This one didn¡¯t have a bow, so it must be Grobo.


    ¡°What?¡±


    He didn¡¯t look very friendly. What did he want?¡±


    ¡°I think your actions have been disgraceful. Even if Commander Nehyor overlooks them, I won¡¯t forgive you!¡±


    He sure was passionate. Everyone in my old village had been like this. I suppose goblins weren¡¯t so different from us.


    It was an amusing thought.


    Perhaps residents of the Demon World had to attack people they were meeting for the first time. They just couldn¡¯t seem to live without doing it.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny!¡±


    And they always got angry so quickly. S?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    When it came to ogres, there was no point in talking anymore. A fight was inevitable.


    It didn¡¯t happen as much recently, but before, I would fight like this almost once a day.


    After all, people were practically waiting in line to fight me.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s cut the formalities. That¡¯s what you want, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    We didn¡¯t need to go through the motions leading up to it.


    ¡°You sure are confident for someone with so little mana!¡±


    So he could tell.


    I suppose I was really dull, as I found it difficult to measure a person¡¯s mana.


    Regardless, mine was apparently quite a bit lower.


    That being said, I wasn¡¯t going to try and escape this fight.


    It wasn¡¯t just for me. I had to win this for the men I looked after.


    ¡°This is the perfect place. Now, let¡¯s do it.¡±


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    Grobo glared at me and then accepted a spear from his subordinate. So, he was a spear-wielder.


    Nehyor had said so when explaining the plan.


    The thing was, I wasn¡¯t scared of an opponent who used a spear.


    You could do a lot with a spear, such as thrusting and sweeping, but monsters rarely picked up a weapon and mastered them in the way a martial arts expert would.


    They just swung their weapons as hard as they could. And so they were manageable.


    ¡°A spear, huh? ¡­I¡¯ll go with this.¡±


    I said as I spread my arms provocatively.


    Baring your chest like this was a good way to make them lunge at you. I just needed to be prepared.


    As predicted, Grobo charged towards me and thrust his spear.


    I used ¡®aiki¡¯ to dodge it.


    It was like using your forearm to draw a circle by rotating it at the elbow. And then, the tip of the spear moved away from my body and shot past me.


    Grobo¡¯s feet skidded on the ground as the expected impact did not come. And so I greeted him with a slap on the jaw.

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8I was holding a wooden club and facing Iribo.


    Iribo was at a distance where his bow would give him an advantage, but I didn¡¯t really care.


    (Uhh. What were the special abilities of a bow?)


    I had learned a lot in preparation for times like these, but there weren¡¯t a lot of ogres with such knowledge in the first place.


    And so I recalled what I had once heard from a wandering hunter. S?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The common special abilities of a bow were the ¡®fast-shot,¡¯ ¡®curve-shot,¡¯ and ¡®rapid-shot.¡¯


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll find out as I go.¡±


    I slowly walked up to Iribo.


    An arrow came flying, but I hit it out of the air with my club. It wasn¡¯t hard, because there was still some distance between us.


    (He would have hidden behind something if he could do curve-shots. But he also seemed calm even though I was getting closer. So he could likely do rapid-shots.)


    There were rocks and boulders of various sizes here, so the fact he wasn¡¯t using them as a shield made it unthinkable that he could do curve-shots. It was a move that allowed you to shoot an arrow in an arc from behind a wall without showing yourself.


    As for rapid-shot, it was when you carried multiple arrows and unleashed them in rapid succession. However, once you were done shooting those, it took a while to prepare them again.


    And that could have grave consequences.


    Arrows came at me one after another, but it still didn¡¯t look like he was using rapid-shot. So for now, I would assume he just had fast-shot.


    With fast-shot, it was as if they had an arrow in their hand before you even realized what was happening. Kind of like a gunman¡¯s quickdraw.


    If that was indeed Iribo¡¯s ability, he would start to use it after I had come closer.


    Right when he was nearly within range of my club. When I raised it to show that I was going to hit him. That¡¯s when he would shoot.


    The fact that all of his arrows up until now seemed like they were just trying to check me was proof of that. I aimed my club at his face.


    (¡­Soon.)


    Three more steps until the wooden club would reach him. That meant he would likely shoot after I took two steps.


    And so I had to do something before he attacked. Before my club could even reach him.


    ¡°Haaaahhh!¡±


    I suddenly pushed back hard on my foot and lunged forward, unleashing a kendo thrust.


    The distance didn¡¯t matter. A thrust could be stretched.


    It was something I had practice a hundred thousand times. It was carved into my body.


    I could feel the impact at the tip.


    As I had thrust while still out of range, it didn¡¯t quite drill a hole in his throat. But it still had the power of an ogre behind it. He would not be okay.


    Iribo went flying into the air and landed on his back. He didn¡¯t move a muscle.


    There was no need to check up on him.


    ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡±

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9Corps Commander Nehyor had seemed quite casual from the moment I met him, but he now looked at me quite seriously.


    And so I thought to answer him seriously.


    ¡°Why¡­ I suppose my answer would be, that I don¡¯t want them to underestimate me. Also, it was to protect my men.¡±


    Grobo didn¡¯t like me, and so he attacked.


    If this were Japan, and Grobo was an employee, he would have probably not even let his feelings show on his face.


    He would have shut his emotions deep inside of his chest, and appeared in meetings as if nothing was bothering him. And we would have left without any trouble.


    However, things were different in the Demon World. If something annoyed you, you would lash out. If you didn¡¯t, it would show that the other person had the upper hand.


    It was important to show who was stronger if you wanted to survive. It was what we all did.


    After all, it was our purpose in life in the Demon World.


    Just thinking about it made me feel depressed.


    This world was so very decadent.


    ¡°Hey, Golan. So, you fought because you didn¡¯t want to be underestimated?¡±


    ¡°Yes. No one respected Guden. It¡¯s quite obvious to me when I look at the current formation.¡±


    ¡°Aha. Is it really?¡±


    ¡°It seems that too much of your fighting force is concentrated towards Lobos and the Gob-gob brothers. It doesn¡¯t make sense for you to send my corps out to attack, we are the smallest, and you currently have control of the hill.¡±


    Either they really wanted to get rid of Guden, or he had been dumb enough to insist upon it.


    However, Nehyor had still allowed the ogres to charge. That was the important point.


    It would be very difficult for us to take the enemy stronghold with our current power.


    The fact that it was even being attempted showed that they just saw us as expendable.


    That¡¯s why we¡¯d quickly run out of men, and they would just call for more.


    It was proof of how little they valued us. In other words, we were all being underestimated.


    ¡°But you¡¯re still going to take it tomorrow, aren¡¯t you, Golan?¡±


    Yes. In spite of knowing all of this, I had said that I would do it.


    ¡°As I said, it¡¯s to protect my men. If we can take that fort, then things will be much easier for us for a while.¡±


    Even if we were lucky and managed to take the enemy¡¯s camp, we would not be able to continue with a pincer attack at the center.


    Still, if we destroyed that base, and created a situation where the main base could be attacked at any time, it would mean that we didn¡¯t have to participate in the fighting starting tomorrow.


    We just needed to stay there and glare at the enemy, and we would be contributing to the effort.


    ¡°I see. So, you want to protect your friends, Golan.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I do. If I am treated like nothing, then they will be treated like nothing. And so I will make no compromises.¡± S~?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    If I was strong, the Gob-gob brother and Bian would not be able to disregard me or my subordinates.


    And so the fight just now would help in raising the position of us ogres.


    ¡°I see. Well, I won¡¯t say anything in regards to that.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    So¡­I had his approval?


    ¡°However, I would prefer it if you accepted them as comrades as well. We¡¯re all in the same army, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    Damn it. So there it was.


    ¡°I will try.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. That will be enough for now.¡±


    And with that said, Nehyor disappeared.


    I suppose this whole appearing and disappearing business was unique to vampires. I¡¯d have to ask about it later.


    ¡°¡­Phew. What a day.¡±


    Now that Nehyor was gone, I started to return to my camp, but adjutant Rig was standing in front of me.


    He was exasperated. Why in hell would I start a fight with the other commanders on my first day as a commander? That was what he wanted to know.

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10There was a reason why I told them to ignore the wraiths.


    Wraiths were mostly immune to physical attacks.


    However, wraiths were also unable to use physical attacks against us.


    On the other hand, their special ability, ¡®Hand of the Dead¡¯ was very dangerous.


    When they touched you with the ¡®Hand of the Dead,¡¯ your body would become slightly paralyzed.


    And if they touched you over and over again, you would eventually lose the ability to move completely.


    Up until yesterday, this had happened repeatedly, resulting in the immobile ogres being impaled by the orc spears.


    This was the reason why the orcs, who were supposed to be weaker, always seemed to get the upper hand.


    ¡°Go in! To the far back!¡±


    We climbed over the walls and killed the orcs that were hiding inside. Then we ran to the far back in search of more enemies.


    ¡°So, it was the Tattered Tribe that was firing the magic attacks.¡±


    They wore filthy, ash-colored robes that covered their entire body and head. They were raising both hands in the air and chanting curses.


    The Tattered Tribe¡¯s special ability was ¡®Blast Bullet.¡¯


    It was like a cannon for very long-distance attacks. But their defenses were as thin as paper, and they could not use close-quarters attacks, and so I left them to the mercy of the others.


    ¡°Let¡¯s kill the enemy boss! Anyone who is free, follow me!¡±


    Surely there was a Commander here. Someone just like me.


    And if I defeated him, then this battle would be over.


    No matter where you were in the Demon World, the orb of control was used by superiors.


    As soon as the superior officer died on the battlefield, then all of his subordinates would grow weaker. And then they would run away.


    In other words, those who were tough and powerful were chosen as superior officers. So, who was it now?


    ¡°Gaah!¡±


    One of my ogre comrades came flying through the air.


    But from what I could see, there were no enemies around us that looked like they would be strong with physical attacks. S~?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    But then again, there was so much chaotic fighting, and dust filled the air, making it difficult to see ahead.


    The person who had sent that ogre into the air had to be in that dust.


    And so I prepared to fight him.


    What soon appeared in front of me, was a giant four-legged beast.


    It had great, long fangs coming out of its jaw.


    Well, if I had to compare it to an animal that existed on earth, I would say it was close to the extinct sabertooth tiger.


    In fact, it was even called a ¡®Taiga.¡¯


    If the wise wolf Lobos was the size of a tiger, then this beast was closer to an elephant.


    He also had much more mana than Lobos. It was really closer to Nehyor.


    ¡°Is he a Corps Commander?¡±


    Then something hit me.


    Which country were we fighting?


    No matter where you were in the Demon World, there was a struggle of dominance occurring.


    It was like the Sengoku era of Japan. The constant rivalry between warlords.


    Within fiction, perhaps it was the closest to Fist of the North Star.


    Of course, there was no savior here. People fought year in and year out.


    About 20 years ago, far to the south, a hole opened up in the sky.


    Invaders from the Celestial World had opened this hole and come descended. This all happened before I was born.


    The Demon King was killed then, and the lands he controlled were thrown into chaos.


    Once the hole was closed again, the generals and commanders separated. And each created their own country. And they¡¯ve been fighting ever since.


    And now there were seven countries.

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11Taigas were categorized as monsters.


    They were not humanoid and only moved on four legs.


    Perhaps you could think of them as a stronger version of the wise wolves. But it was hard for me to imagine how I could beat it.


    The battle techniques that I¡¯ve been honing in the Demon World were based on martial arts I had learned in Japan.


    Of course, I had altered them so I could efficiently make use of the power of ogres.


    But these techniques were meant to be used against humans. They wouldn¡¯t work on a beast.


    ¡°I can¡¯t exactly lure it into a trap either.¡±


    Monsters weren¡¯t the same thing as an oversized beast.


    They were intelligent and could even talk.


    The enemy glared at its surrounding before targeting me.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t believe it at first. Are you really the captain here?¡±


    ¡°You better believe it. Did you come to serve the tea?¡±


    ¡°I thought it strange that they sent such a small group, and now I find out that they are led by someone¡¯s errand boy. How insulting.¡±


    Well, I couldn¡¯t argue with that. We had so few people that it made me wonder if they hated us.


    However, that didn¡¯t mean his words didn¡¯t annoy me.


    ¡°Our task is just to take this stronghold. I think we have enough for that. No, maybe we have too many?¡±


    I said with a laugh. The Taiga¡¯s face changed to an expression of rage.


    I didn¡¯t know why, but the residents of the Demon World had very low resistance to provocation.


    They wouldn¡¯t last a day on Japanse message boards.


    ¡°Save your boasts for when you actually defeat me!¡±


    He was ready to fight.


    Not that either of us had any choice in the matter.


    My grip on the iron club tightened.


    When humans battled monsters, the weapon was a major deciding factor in whether you lived or died.


    Well, I didn¡¯t expect it to make a huge difference here, but it was still important.


    As I was thinking this, three of my comrades charged towards the enemy.


    ¡°Hey, stop!¡±


    I shouted, but it was too late.


    With one swing of his claws, two of the ogres were chopped into three pieces. The six chunks tumbled to the ground. The other one was bitten into, and his head and body parts went flying in all different directions.


    ¡°¡­Having a weapon really might not make a difference.¡±


    I was mad that I couldn¡¯t accurately measure its mana level, but I felt that it was probably a little less than Corps Commander Nehyor.


    Still, when you reached that class, the difference in power was overwhelming.


    We hadn¡¯t even taken the stronghold yet, and my life was like a candle in the wind.


    However, I had to do it. I had to protect the others. S?a?ch* Th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°The rest of you, stand back!¡±


    I roared. And the others who had started to charge towards the monster stopped in their tracks.


    ¡°A good decision. But it won¡¯t make a difference. Not a hair on my body would get tired, even if all of you attacked me at once.¡±


    That may be. That was how wide the gap was.


    The reason that Gekokujyo was so popular in the Demon World¡­


    It was because the weak had no chance of beating the strong.


    There were no miracles when there was a difference in strength.


    ¡°¡­Well, that¡¯s what they say, but it¡¯s really because everyone¡¯s fighting style is so simple.¡±


    If you were just slamming your fists at each other head-on, then upsets would be rather rare.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡±


    The enemy lept.


    It reminded me of something I had seen on tv once. I tiger jumping towards its prey.


    He would try and grab me with his front legs and sink his claws into my body.

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12I was shocked when was I reincarnated as an ogre.


    An ogre face was suddenly right in front of me. I even punched it.


    But the person I punched just laughed.


    It took a while for me to realize it was my father.


    During that time, I also came to understand things about myself.


    As I was born as an ogre, I thought that I must have an amazingly powerful body. But I was wrong.


    From a young age, my body was weak and sickly.


    I found out the reason very quickly.


    For some reason, my body wasn¡¯t taking in enough mana.


    As I was so weak, it felt like my family gave up on me.


    I was ignored when in the house, and no one ever expected anything from me.


    I would die if I didn¡¯t do anything.


    I had thirty years of experience from my past life and knowledge from a few years in the Demon World. And that was enough to make me come to the decisions that my body wouldn¡¯t last long here.


    I was like a human who was malnourished.


    But I didn¡¯t want to die. So in order to survive, I had to do something.


    Taking in more mana would solve my problems, but it was there that I made a mistake.


    In the Demon World, there were places where the mana was denser.


    Upon hearing this, I stepped foot into a place that was full of miasma.


    These were places where the mana had hardened and changed. I had sunk to the ground like sediment.


    Even if we were residents of the Demon World, such highly concentrated mana was poison to the body.


    And so such places were usually avoided by everyone. However, that part seemed to have escaped me at the time.


    And so at four or five years old, I stepped foot into that dangerous place.


    The results were clear.


    Without having gone that far, I became ¡®miasma sick,¡¯ which caused me to become dizzy until I lost consciousness. I would have died had I stayed there for half a day.


    But coincidences were surprising things.


    Someone just happened to find me while I was unconscious, and they pulled me away.


    When I woke up, there was a face looking down at me. And I couldn¡¯t help but punch it.


    It would have been easy enough to dodge.


    I don¡¯t know why I said what I did after that.


    ¡°Why is a human here?¡±


    I had muttered.


    The person in front of me didn¡¯t have horns like an ogre or fangs like a vampire.


    It was just a normal human face.


    ¡°Why do you know about humans?¡±


    It was true.


    There were no humans in the Demon World. Not a single one.


    It was known that there was a place called the Human World, but no one had ever gone there. And no one had ever come from it either.


    Not even if you went back hundreds of years. No one had ever actually seen a human.


    ¡°Uhh¡­¡±


    As I tried to think of a reply, the human laughed a little and said, ¡®it¡¯s fine.¡¯


    The human appeared to be in his late thirties.


    He had the kind of handsome face that would have made him popular if he was an actor.


    ¡°You¡­really are strange. You have two?¡±


    ¡°What¡­? No, more importantly, are you the one who saved me?¡±


    I remember being in the miasma area and losing my sense of direction.


    I didn¡¯t know what happened after that. But we were now in a normal place. s?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Yes. You fainted. So I brought you here.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I probably would be dead if I had stayed there.¡±

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13I opened my eyes.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s been a while since I came out.¡±


    I looked down at my body and then looked around me.


    ¡°Hey, you. Lend me your iron staff.¡±


    The thing I accepted was thin and didn¡¯t look very reliable.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s better than nothing.¡±


    It had been two years since I last came out.


    Like an idiot, I continued to increase the size of the vessels. And yet the body would suffer when I came out.


    It could not last for long.


    ¡°¡­I have to hurry.¡± S?a?ch* Th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The enemy stayed still as if he was stunned.


    I rushed forward and slammed the iron staff into its nose.


    In just one hit, the iron staff bent, becoming totally useless.


    ¡°Ba-bastard¡­your mana!?¡±


    ¡°Hey, another one!¡±


    I threw the staff to the side and accepted another one.


    Hitting him again would probably result in the same thing.


    ¡°Bastard. I¡¯m asking you about your mana. Are you listening to me!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, idiot!¡±


    I and I could not talk to each other.


    But we could share some of our memories.


    I¡¯m the one that was originally a human. And so I only had the human vessel. I was the weak one that nearly died.


    And I am the ogre. If I stay out for too long, my body could not bear it. I¡¯m the strong one.


    When I increase the size of my vessel, my vessel increases in size as well.


    This is because there are two types. The other me seems to be satisfied with this explanation. I don¡¯t get it.


    But there is one thing that I do understand¡­


    ¡°Shut your damn mouth. I¡¯m so big, that I don¡¯t fit in this body. You don¡¯t know how angry it makes me!¡±


    And with that, I thrust the iron staff into its nose.


    Then I used the staff to stitch its upper jaw to its lower jaw.


    Now it would stop yapping away.


    ¡°¡­Well, seeing as I don¡¯t have much time. I might as well make the most of it.¡±


    As we were sharing a body, breaking it would inconvenience both of us.


    This guy in front of me. He has higher mana, but not by much.


    According to my memory, I trained in martial arts, swords, and staves every day.


    I didn¡¯t know the details, but the moves would probably be useful.


    So of course, I would use them.


    ¡°Hey. Give me my next iron staff¡­ No, give me all of them!¡±


    I carried all ten of the staves I was given.


    ¡°Now, let the hunt begin.¡±


    Oh, this was going to be fun.


    I laughed confidently.


    ¡ð


    My eyes opened.


    ¡°Damn¡­¡±


    The battlefield, once the dust had settled, was horrible to look at.


    There were corpses scattered everywhere.


    However, most of them were the enemy. Was it because we had won?


    ¡°No¡­it was because they were unable to maintain order.¡±


    After the boss was killed, the enemy arm was thrown into chaos.


    Soldiers that were fighting just a moment ago would lose their courage and become weak.

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14¡ò The Lookout Hill. Main Camp. Corps Commander Nehyor.


    As the sun started to come down, the sounds of fighting began to fade away.


    I could see that in the center, Lobos¡¯s men had sheathed their weapons.


    ¡°Good work today. Now, as always. Prepare for the meeting.¡±


    I gave the order. I could not stop the excitement from showing in my voice.


    After all, today¡¯s meeting would be a little different.


    Yesterday, Golan had done something very interesting.


    (Now, now. What will the final outcome be?)


    I could just ask him during the meeting, but I was feeling so anxious.


    Like all ogres, Golan was very warlike. But he also wasn¡¯t stupid.


    If anything, he had looked at the strategy map and understood the plan just by listening to my explanation.


    It was normal that he would beat the enemy commander with power, but his intelligence was rare.


    The meeting tent was already set up.


    My subordinates were used to doing it and didn¡¯t make any mistakes.


    Well, except for yesterday. But no one had expected an ogre to ever show up. So I did not blame them.


    That was very unusual. And it had been amusing to watch.


    ¡°Golan. How very promising.¡±


    The country that was currently attacking us was Lesser Demon King Leninoth¡¯s country.


    It had already absorbed two countries that had been ruled by Lesser Demon Kings, which greatly enhanced its strength.


    Currently, Lobos was struggling, and so there was no way that someone who had been a commander for one day could do anything.


    Still, I was looking forward to seeing things unfold.


    ¡°¡­Well, I suppose Golan showing up is fifty-fifty.¡±


    Lobos had already fought the enemy commander twice and retreated both times.


    It was impossible to win. And it was also impossible to stall.


    General Falneze had ordered them to hold the lookout hill for as long as possible.


    This place wasn¡¯t particularly important to their strategy, and so the enemy did not even put that much weight into their attacks.


    And so I believed that we could buy enough time, even if I didn¡¯t join the fight.


    However, it would be a different story if we were to go on the attack.


    There was always a central figure in the enemy formation. In other words, a boss.


    Considering the scale of the enemy¡¯s army here, there would surely be a commander.


    ¡°However, this is the commander of a country that swallowed up two countries ruled by Lesser Demon Kings.¡±


    So, that meant this country they were fighting against had three Lesser Demon Kings.


    Simply put, they were three times stronger.


    In fact, our country had a small population, to begin with, so the difference might be even bigger.


    Perhaps someone that would be a corps commander in our country would be a normal commander in theirs.


    ¡°And he said he would take it one day¡­ Hehehe. How ridiculous.¡±


    Golan really was a funny one.


    ¡°Everyone has arrived.¡±


    My subordinate called me.


    ¡°What about the ogre?¡±


    ¡°No, he did not come.¡±


    So he died after all.


    He talked a big game. He even managed to get my hopes up a little.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll have to decide on a new commander then. Who should I chose?¡±


    If a commander died in battle, I had the authority to chose the next one. It would be a hassle, but I suppose I would have to call the new candidates.


    ¡°Actually he¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s sleeping¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Had my ears stopped working?


    ¡°According to the report, Commander Golan has taken the enemy stronghold and defeated their commander. And then he started taking a nap on the commander¡¯s corpse.¡±


    ¡°What? What? ¡­Ahahahahaha! So he fell asleep.¡±


    Oh, this was very amusing indeed.


    He was sleeping on enemy soil? On top of their commander¡¯s corpse? And he really did it. He took it in just one day.


    ¡°Any information on the enemy commander?¡±


    ¡°It was a Taiga.¡±


    A Taiga¡­they were quite strong among monsters.


    Had it been Lobos who was fighting, he would have been kicked immediately and that would be the end of it.


    Even among monsters, that was how big the difference in strength was.


    And yet he had won? With that level of mana?


    Perhaps there really was some reason that he had been able to defeat Guden.


    Interesting. I would have to keep an eye on him.


    ¡°Well, tell them to let him rest then. After all, he achieved the most out of anyone today.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    I could not stop laughing as I saw the messenger walk away.


    Golan sure was entertaining.


    S?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15Now that I think about it, I did walk on a town road part of the way here.


    So it made sense that there would be a town up ahead.


    I had to leave the road in order to join the ogre army, but I would have seen the town if I continued onward.


    However, when I entered the town, everything was completely quiet. It was like no one was there.


    ¡°Surely, this isn¡¯t¡­a ghost town? Maybe they evacuated?¡±


    Maybe they had all of the residents move, as this place would be turning into a battlefield.


    It was easy to assume that the Demon World was constantly fighting all year long, but¡­no, that was actually right.


    But there were still people who didn¡¯t fight in the Demon World. In other words, civilians.


    As for why they didn¡¯t fight, it was simple as being much too weak.


    In this world, your species determined your size. And so there was not much point in certain races fighting if they weren¡¯t fit for it.


    Kobolds were a good example. They were loyal and perceptive.


    But they could not use magic, and their physical strength was weak. They could not fight with either style.


    More importantly, they were much more useful for doing office work or being aides.


    But even races that were not suited for the battlefield tended to be very tough. And they lived healthily wherever they escaped to.


    ¡°So, there really isn¡¯t anyone here¡­oh, there¡¯s one!¡±


    I had thought everyone had already escaped, but I was wrong.


    I had seen a giant moving tree.


    ¡°Are you¡­an ogre?¡± S?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Hey, old man. Why didn¡¯t you run away?¡±


    ¡°Because my roots lie deep in this ground. I cannot move even if I wanted to. Hohoho!¡±


    His body¡­no, trunk, shook as he laughed boisterously. It was an old Cherry Ent.


    I see. A ¡®tree fairy¡¯ type.


    Ogres were ¡®demon¡¯ types, vampires were ¡®night devil¡¯ types. There were also different names for larger versions of each type. Regardless, residents of the Demon World that were trees and plants were called tree fairy types.


    Aside from the Cherry Ent, there were Alraunes and Dryads.


    But the Cherry Ents were unable to move.


    Well, it wasn¡¯t like they couldn¡¯t move at all. It was possible for them to pull out their roots and walk at the same pace as a turtle.


    A younger tree would have smaller roots and be able to walk as fast as a human.


    But this old tree in front of me would likely have a very hard time uprooting himself.


    ¡°So, you couldn¡¯t run away, old man.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too much trouble.¡±


    ¡°There was no one to help you? Should I call some ogres?¡±


    ¡°No, I am very fond of this place. This place offers a great view and plenty of sun.¡±


    Yes, the land here was elevated, and so there was nothing to block the sunlight.


    That being said, I didn¡¯t see how that was a good excuse to not run away when the enemy army was invading.


    ¡°Well, if the enemy does come to this town, I hope you won¡¯t resist them. As long as you don¡¯t move, they might let you go.¡±


    If the town was taken over, there was no guarantee that the residents would be left safe.


    It didn¡¯t matter if you could fight or not. You might be sent to the next battlefield for forced labor. They might just kill if they felt that you were in the way.


    It was unlikely they would see an old man who could not work, let alone move, as being much of a threat. But I was still worried.


    And so I repeatedly told him to be careful.


    ¡°I know that. But it seems like I can become an advanced type very soon. And so I¡¯m living while looking forward to that. Hohohoho!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very enviable. In how much time will that happen?¡±


    Becoming an advanced type. In other words, it was evolution.


    Evolving into an advanced type had many benefits.

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16Aside from Elvan, there were five other Cherry Ents that had stayed in the town.


    ¡°This town is dangerous. I would prefer it if you fled. But if that¡¯s too difficult, just try and avoid drawing any attention. There are enemies who scout from the air as well. If they see you, they might start attacking.¡±


    ¡°We are staying here by our own choice. You need not worry.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help that I worry. Unless the enemy is incredibly stupid, they will search every nearby town. That being said, I doubt they¡¯ll move their base to this location.¡±


    ¡°Well, seeing as a Commander is strolling leisurely around right now, I would assume that the battle has been going well? Why are you so afraid?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. I just can¡¯t stand not being able to protect people. Anyway, I¡¯ll return if something happens. Just stay here and don¡¯t move.¡±


    ¡°You really are a strange one. Maybe you aren¡¯t suited for the military?¡±


    ¡°Drop it. Besides, yes, I would have quit if it were a damn option!¡±


    I searched the rest of the town, just in case. But I didn¡¯t find anyone else that hadn¡¯t escaped yet.


    While the residents of the Demon World usually lived and did whatever they pleased, they did obey the orders of their superiors.


    If they were told to flee, then that¡¯s what they would do.


    (It was all about the relationship of direct power. In Japan, people didn¡¯t always act like they were better than you if they were in a higher position.)


    Up until now, I had never seen a clear case of someone pretending to be obedient, but actually disobeying, or betraying someone.


    There were people who disobeyed superiors. But that always resulted in Gekokujyo. Which meant a battle of strength.


    It wasn¡¯t like in Japan, where relationships were complicated, and your position in society in relation to others could be affected by many factors.


    Things were simple in the Demon World.


    ¡°Now, I finished checking the area. I should return to my unit. But I really don¡¯t want the enemy to come here and turn it into one of their bases. So, maybe I¡¯ll station a few people here¡­ No, it won¡¯t matter if I just send a few people.¡±


    Ultimately, I decided it would just be more dangerous if I did that. And so I decided to forget this problem for now.


    On my way back, I pricked up my ears, but I couldn¡¯t hear any sounds of talking or people fighting. It was very quiet.


    Unsurprising, when I reached the campsite, everyone was still bored.


    ¡°Did anything happen while I was gone?¡±


    I asked adjutant Rig after I had found him.


    ¡°Nothing has happened since the enemy stronghold was destroyed yesterday. I stationed some men there to make sure. The reports say that nothing has changed.¡±


    ¡°So they haven¡¯t come to take it back then.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Perhaps they don¡¯t have anyone who is stronger than yesterday¡¯s Taiga.¡± S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    After all, if they just brought in another one, there would be a good chance that it would just be defeated and they would double their loss.


    ¡°Very well. But continue to monitor the area.¡±


    ¡°Yes, with pleasure!¡±


    Was I in a bar?


    Yesterday, we had thoroughly destroyed the stronghold.


    So if the enemy returned, they would not even be able to repair it. They would be forced to clear the area and rebuild it.


    They must have seen how we had destroyed it. And perhaps that¡¯s why they decided that there was no point in trying to take it back.


    (If they were smart, they would abandon it for good.)


    If there really weren¡¯t going to be any enemies here, it might be best for us to go and support Lobos in the center.


    But if the enemy army were still close by, they might find us while we were on the move and attack us from behind. However, it seemed like they had all retreated.


    (Well, I can¡¯t make such a decision in just one day. We¡¯ll do things slowly.)


    Ultimately, the whole day went by without the enemy making an appearance.

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17There was something nice about being on a battlefield with nothing to do for a whole day.


    Once the sun came down, we started to eat our dinner. Those who had too much energy to spare started quarreling with one another.


    I watched them silently. It was a familiar sight back in my village.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Rig?¡±


    ¡°Ah, over here.¡±


    The overly serious adjutant approached me.


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡±


    ¡°The staredown continued all day at the center.¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t fight?¡±


    ¡°Yes. There have been no signs of any fighting breaking out.¡±


    ¡°What about here?¡±


    ¡°I sent out some soldiers a short while ago, but they haven¡¯t spotted any enemies. Should I send them out again?¡±


    ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary. But keep your guard up.¡±


    ¡°Yes, certainly!¡±


    He was always so serious. I didn¡¯t see how relaxing a little would do him any harm.


    We had taken their stronghold in just a single day. So the enemy must have panicked. They were taking their time to respond.


    Well then, they were more than welcome to just retreat for good.


    I had no idea what would happen tomorrow, but we had the power to kill their commanders in a single battle.


    That was what they would be thinking. If things went well, the battle may end without further fighting.


    After everyone finished eating, I sent soldiers to patrol the area once more.


    As expected, they returned with reports that they hadn¡¯t seen any signs of the enemy.


    After a while, I received an order from the main camp. A meeting.


    I had slept through the last one, so I suppose I would have to attend this one.


    ¡°Rig. I¡¯m going to go to the meeting now, so I¡¯m leaving the men to you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going alone?¡±


    ¡°I know where it is now. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°No, what I am concerned about, is that you will antagonize the others.¡±


    That!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Trust me.¡±


    ¡°I am not convinced!¡±


    Why!


    I switched gears and headed to the tent where the meetings were held.


    This time, there was a chair prepared for me. Good.


    ¡°Ah, it seems that everyone is here now.¡±


    As always, Corps Commander Nehyor seemed to be in good spirits.


    ¡°First, Golan. I received the report yesterday. You defeated their commander. Congratulations. From what I was told, it was Corps Commander Koven, of the Taiga clan. Well, he was Corps Commander to Lesser Demon King Bagzley, but now he is a Commander under Lesser Demon King Leninoth. It is quite impressive that you beat him. Should I be worried, now that we know you can kill Corps Commanders?¡±


    ¡°That thing was barely a hassle. But if you¡¯re up for it, I¡¯ll fight you any day.¡±


    ¡°Ahahaha¡­ I¡¯ll consider that offer.¡±


    ¡°Commander Nehyor, please don¡¯t take his foolish boasts seriously. In fact, a good beating would be warranted now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get your turn, mongrel.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but say.


    But if I fought with Corps Commander Nehyor, I would lose without a doubt. I mean, I would die.


    ¡°Well, we are still fighting a war here. So how about we talk about that later. Of course, once this is all over, and Golan is still up for it, I will fight him whenever he wants.¡± s?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Of course, this was all just for show.


    In the Demon World, saying, ¡®I¡¯ll bash your head in the next time we meet!¡¯ was basically a signal for saying ¡®let¡¯s stop fighting.¡¯ I had no need to worry.

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18The next day.


    As for the war situation, Corps Commander Nehyor¡¯s prediction was accurate.


    Nothing happened near our camp or the center camp.


    Though, fighting did erupt around the Gob-gobs.


    If we got ahead of ourselves and Lobos left the center to help them, there would be danger of a pincer attack. And so we couldn¡¯t move.


    And so the rest of us just continued to stare at the enemy.


    ¡°¡­How boring.¡±


    It was a good thing that we didn¡¯t have to fight. But today, I could actually see the enemy in the corner of my vision.


    It seemed that they were there to prevent us from moving.


    And so things remained quite tense for the entire day. Now, it was sundown.


    Apparently, the Gob-gobs had stayed in formation and survived. S?a?ch* Th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The enemy must have decided that they couldn¡¯t keep pushing.


    ¡°And so I am quite sure that the enemy will retreat now. Thank you.¡±


    Corps Commander Nehyor said as he appeared at the meeting. It was as if the battle was already finished.


    ¡°Is it really that simple?¡±


    ¡°Yes. After all, there will be no more movement on the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°Is that true?¡±


    ¡°We are at a point where the death of just one Commander will tip the scale. And since they have already suffered one unexpected defeat, they are being very cautious. Isn¡¯t it great, Golan? You¡¯ve rendered us an invaluable service.¡±


    Apparently, the fact that I had defeated an enemy Commander played a big part in this. The enemy must be very shocked.


    Especially since he was a Corps Commander class. He would have been one of the strongest among them.


    Warfare in this world was not very organized. If a leader died, the subordinates often had no idea what to do.


    After all, there were times when only the leader new the plan. But what was more important, was the Orb of Control.


    Everyone in the Demon World was controlled by someone.


    If there was a battle, a superior officer was always using the Orb of Control to raise their power.


    And if that superior officer was dead¡­ Then there was no way that mere soldiers could win. And so they would panic.


    The reason that we were able to take their stronghold was because I had killed their Commander.


    If not, sixty ogres would not have been enough to destroy a single stronghold.


    Considering all of this, the number of Commanders that the enemy had would be important.


    If they had too many, they would be weak, as the power would be distributed too thinly.


    Four or five was optimal.


    And since they had to protect the main army, they may have only sent one Commander out¡­


    ¡°Indeed. Having two of their Commanders killed would tip the scale immediately.¡±


    From what I saw today, they weren¡¯t going to rebuild any strongholds. The soldiers who escaped were in a temporary camp in the far back.


    As it had been done in two days, it must have been a rush job.


    Let¡¯s just say that there was a Commander there, and we went in and I defeated that Commander.


    The enemy would fear such a possibility and would be forced to position someone who was even stronger than the Taiga.


    Of course, that meant fewer people protecting the other parts of the battlefield.


    Such a weakness could be exploited, resulting in the death of another Commander. And unless the Corps Commander immediately promoted someone else, there would be no Commander.


    What was important here, was as I just explained, there would be no point in doing this unless the new Commander was stronger than the last one.


    Promoting someone weaker on the same battlefield would just result in another defeat.


    Still, that would be difficult. It would be a gradual decline at best.


    In other words, losing just one more Commander would ensure that it would be impossible for the enemy to recover.


    That¡¯s why Corps Commander Nehyor said the tide would change in our favor at once.


    Ultimately, the fighting died down a little every day, and then the enemy finally retreated.


    But as they showed every sign of fighting back, we couldn¡¯t give chase.


    I watched as the enemy tore down their camps and marched away. And I was happy to know that the battle was over.


    ¡°Now I can return to my village.¡±


    I was happier about that than anything.

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19According to the loser siblings, I had a guest.


    But I had no idea who it could be.


    ¡°He wanted to see the Commander. And so I was going to tell them where Guden¡¯s village was¡­and, you know.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s when stories about you started coming into the village. They said that you traded places through Gekokujyo. I was so shocked to hear it.¡±


    ¡°The Gekokujyo¡­ Well, it just sort of happened. So?¡±


    ¡°Umm. I said he could wait in the village until you returned. But he said that he¡¯d leave once.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t want the other villagers to see him. What a weirdo¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait! Did you just say that he didn¡¯t want the other villagers to see him?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Why?¡±


    ¡°¡­Could it be, that he isn¡¯t from this country?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it. You sure are smart.¡±


    ¡°¡­Damn it.¡±


    Someone from a different country came to see me? This clearly meant trouble.


    ¡°What? Golan? You¡¯ve become silent all of a sudden.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you two losers. Listen carefully. I¡¯m going to need you to tell me everything. If there¡¯s anything you forgot, you better start remembering. And don¡¯t hide anything from me. You must tell me all that you heard.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­oh.¡±


    ¡°Golan. You¡¯re so scary!¡±


    ¡°Tell. Me!¡±


    I said with a glare. They stuttered and sputtered for a while and then began to talk.


    Saifo had met him by accident.


    His house was close to the edge of the village and he had been working outside. And since he had been making noise, that had likely attracted the stranger.


    And the important part.


    The stranger was alone. And apparently a completely free being that wasn¡¯t controlled by any country.


    The stranger served no one in this post-apocalyptic world. In other words, there was no one backing him.


    If such a person existed, you either had to be as strong as a king, or there would be some other very unique reason.


    ¡°So, is there something wrong with this person?¡±


    After all, the stranger didn¡¯t want to be seen by the villagers.


    That meant he wanted to avoid rumors.


    ¡°Well, you can say that, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Yes! After all, he was a Reaper.¡±


    Beka said nonchalantly. I wanted to hold my head.


    Why did it have to be a Reaper?


    I didn¡¯t know how it was in the other lands, but in this area, where there were many small countries clustered together, Reapers were hated like snakes and scorpions.


    There was a reason for it, and it could not be helped. However, the problem here was that an independent Reaper had appeared here.


    ¡°¡­So, what did he want?¡±


    ¡°He said that he would say once the Commander arrived.¡±


    ¡°So he¡¯s not in this village right now?¡±


    ¡°He said he¡¯ll be back by the time the Commander returns!¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Perhaps he came every now and then. Or maybe he monitored the place.


    As far as the strength of their race, they were above ogres. Hell, they were even above High Ogres.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if they were above or below vampires.


    Once you reached that level, it was less about your race and more about individual strength. And so there was no point in trying to rank them.


    In other words, the Reapers were incredibly strong.


    ¡°¡­Why must such a catastrophe befall me as soon as I get back.¡±


    Maybe I really shouldn¡¯t have declared Gekokujyo.


    ¡°But, doesn¡¯t this happen to you all of the time, Golan?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! You always say that you don¡¯t want to fight, but you fought every day, anyway. This is just a little more of the usual. You¡¯re weird.¡±


    Beka started snorting loudly.


    ¡°I see. Do you want me to beat you up?¡± S?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Oh, Golan is up for a fight today. That¡¯s unusual. I guess being a Commander really changes you.¡±


    ¡°Damn you for involving me in this mess. Also, it has nothing to do with being a Commander.¡±


    ¡°No, it totally does. Don¡¯t you realize how much stronger you now are compared to when you left? After all, your strength is what¡¯s most important¡­ Alright then. Let¡¯s fight!¡±


    ¡°Brother, you have to let me fight him when you¡¯re done.¡±


    ¡°¡­Look here, I¡¯m quite tired. You should let me rest. Besides, I want to go home and take care of this mess.¡±


    I had walked here all the way from the battlefield.


    But then again, I didn¡¯t expect them to understand it.

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20¡°¡­I¡¯m back.¡±


    I opened the door and stepped into the house. My parents, younger brother, and sister were waiting there.


    As ogres were very strong, they tended to have a lot of children.


    Of course, we also tended to die a lot.


    ¡°Welcome home. I heard about the Gekokujyo. So you¡¯re a Commander now?¡±


    ¡°It just sort of happened. I didn¡¯t have much choice.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re as lacking in energy as ever, my son. Still, I am glad that you are back safely.¡±


    My father said as he grabbed me by the shoulder and hit me happily.


    My father had lost one of his arms in a battle and hadn¡¯t fought since then.


    He currently earned a living by cutting down trees in the forest.


    Even though we were residents of the Demon World, we had to work in order to survive.


    ¡°And your mana seems to have increased a lot. It¡¯s hard to believe, considering where you started off.¡±


    My mother was quite impressed as she looked at me.


    ¡°I think you were only slightly above the average ogre before you left.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    It was clear they hadn¡¯t really been looking at me.


    I wasn¡¯t expected to live long as a child. And for a long time, they acted as if I wasn¡¯t even there.


    ¡°Everyone in the village is happy that you¡¯ve returned. You should go to visit them later.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    ¡°The festival is also approaching, so you should help with that.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    I had just come back and was already being used. Was I really a Commander?


    They treated me exactly like before¡­


    Under a king, the line of command went as follows. S?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    General, Corps Commander, and Commander.


    In my case, I was the Commander of the Ogres, which made me the most important person in all six of our villages.


    One might assume that the village chief was the most important, but strength was everything in the Demon World.


    So if I decided to leave the village in someone else¡¯s hands, it was because I appointed that person. And not because the Chief was powerful.


    A Japanese person might think of civil officers and military officers. But they didn¡¯t separate things like that in the Demon World.


    It was perhaps similar to the ancient theme system, where a Strategos had both military authority and jurisdiction over the land.


    ¡°Hey, Commander. Grab some of that wood for me.¡±


    ¡°This?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Bring 10 of them over here.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    In other words, the Commander was supposed to be important. The number one in all six villages¡­


    ¡°Hurry up. The festival will start soon. Stop dawdling around.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    ¡°Run faster.¡¯


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    And so I moved faster. Though, I was the Commander.


    While there was no distinction between military and civil officers, and the Commander exercised control overall, preparing for the festival was the work of the craftsmen.


    There was no point in me leaning back in some fancy office chair and doing nothing.


    If Guden were in my place, he would have probably laughed boisterously, ¡®Gahahahaha!¡¯ and worked the hardest.


    ¡°Come on now, Commander. Put your back into it.¡±


    ¡°F-fine.¡±


    But, it still didn¡¯t sit right with me.

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21¡ò Corps Commander Nehyor


    After seeing that the enemy had retreated completely, I disbanded the army.


    We had succeeded in protecting the hill and killing their Commander. The results were great.


    As for us. We hadn¡¯t lost anyone above a Commander.


    There was one who was replaced through Gekokujyo, but that wasn¡¯t a problem. Actually, it was a good thing.


    ¡°That¡¯s the end of my report. Excuse me.¡±


    ¡°Wait one moment.¡±


    I had just made my report to General Farneze.


    However, I was stopped just as I tried to leave.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Guden a High Ogre? And yet, the new Commander¡­is just an ogre?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t particularly strange for a General to keep tabs on all the Commanders¡­in fact, there was a reason for doing so.


    If I died on the battlefield, General Farneze would have to choose one of the Commanders to come and replace me.


    And he would not be able to come to such a decision on the battlefield swiftly if he didn¡¯t know their strengths and personalities.


    This was why General Farneze was curious about the new Commander. But I would have preferred to avoid any further prying.


    ¡°Guden was not exactly weak.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t weak¡­ In other words, he was average as far as High Ogres went.


    And a normal High Ogre should be too powerful for a mere ogre, no matter how hard they tried.


    Such was the gulf between the advanced types.


    ¡°Indeed¡­ Well, such things do happen, you know. Maybe he was wounded in battle. Or was having a bad day¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see how having a bad day can alter the results of a Gekokujyo. But I suppose it¡¯s possible that he was hurt.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any other questions?¡±


    ¡°No, that will be all. Good work.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Excuse me.¡±


    I bowed and left the room.


    General Farneze was a Vampire like me.


    But I would probably lose if I had to fight him. S~?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    While we were both Vampires, General Farneze was closer to an Elder type, just like Lesser Demon King Melvis.


    For us Vampires, the Elders were near-legendary beings who had lived thousands of years.


    In fact, I wasn¡¯t quite sure why General Falneze was a general of such a small country like ours.


    As his name wasn¡¯t on the Tablet of Control, he clearly wasn¡¯t a Lesser Demon King. However, I felt that if he had more subordinates to draw power from, he would be able to become a Lesser Demon King.


    (Perhaps he has some reason for wanting to stay in this position. Just like me.)


    It didn¡¯t seem like he had any fondness towards the Elder Vampire, King Melvis. And so his actions felt very mysterious.


    And it stimulated my curiosity greatly.


    (Both my superiors and subordinates are quite interesting. I¡¯m glad that I came to this country.)


    Golan must have some secret. There was no doubt about it.


    And so if he ever declared Gekokujyo to me, I would accept it in the hopes of finding out what it was.


    Just thinking about it filled me with anticipation.


    The reports said that the Taiga he had defeated was just as powerful as me.


    At least, it showed equal power to what I was showing now.


    Golan was sure to want my position eventually. And he would challenge me to fight.


    Yes, with that personality, he would definitely come. Ah, I cannot wait.

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22The festival had started.


    Everyone drink! Sing! They celebrated loudly, just as they pleased.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t even using the stage that I made.¡±


    I had worked so hard. But no one was even looking at it.


    ¡°It¡¯s always like this during the day. Things don¡¯t really get started until it¡¯s night.¡±


    The brother of the loser siblings, in other words, Saifo, said as he approached.


    ¡°But the night is when people test their strength. A stage made of logs would easily break!¡±


    ¡°Probably. Are you going to join this year, Golan?¡±


    ¡°Of course, not. I already have to fight all of the time. Why should I have to fight during a celebration as well!¡±


    Every year, people would test their strength on the stage at night.


    It was like an arm-wrestling tournament, and people competed to see who was the strongest.


    It didn¡¯t matter if you won or you lost. People would generally start fighting after it, and the stage would be destroyed. It was said that the stage was originally made to be used during the day, and people started fighting at night as a way of breaking it.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, I¡¯ve never seen any shows on stage during the day.¡± S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    That had been its original purpose.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen any either. I mean, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve been doing them for the past several decades?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be the main event?


    By the way, this festival¡¯s official name was ¡®Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s Foundation Festival.¡¯


    They used to put on a stage play about the foundation of this country. It was something that every town and village was supposed to do. But in our village, we just built the stage and called it a day.


    Is that really fine?


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a festival that has thousands of years of history?¡±


    ¡°I think so. After all, King Melvis is immortal.¡±


    Melvis was once the subordinate of Lesser High King Yamato. He was a Great Demon King back then.


    However, he was cursed during the battle against the Celestial World, and most of his power was taken away. Or such were the rumors.


    No one knew for sure.


    After all, Lesser Demon King Melvis was in the middle of a very long sleep.


    ¡°You know about the three who fought beside Lord Yamato, don¡¯t you?¡±


    I nodded. Of course, I did.


    If anything, it was a wonder that a meathead like Saifo remembered it.


    ¡°Zardan the Madman, Melvis the Immortal, Bargman the Dragon King. All of them had the power of a Great Demon King.¡±


    ¡°Yes. But Zardan died in battle, and King Bargman died of old age.¡±


    ¡°So Melvis is the only one who remains. And he is still asleep.¡±


    Nearly 4,000 years had passed since Lesser High King Yamato had fought against the Celestial World.


    As an Elder Vampire, it was unknown just how long Melvis could live, but his name remained on the Tablet of Control.


    Dragon King Bargman had been a unique being among the Turtle Dragon clan, and he had lived for thousands of years. Still, he wasn¡¯t immortal, and he had died a thousand years ago.


    No one knew what tribe Zardan belonged to. There were no records of that left.


    Some said he was a Giant. Most likely an advanced type of Hecatoncheir.


    As for Melvis, the curse had reduced his power. And now he had fallen to the lowly position of a Lesser Demon King.


    As the curse was still active, it was said that it must have been an attack that the Holy King unleashed in exchange for his life.


    After all, Melvis had continued to sleep ever since then.


    As many were already drinking during the day, the village returned to its peaceful state by the time that the sun went down.

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23The day after the festival.


    I was behind my house and doing my daily training.


    Last night¡¯s test of strength had ended with me throwing everyone off of the stage.


    As it was just a gathering of people who were proud of their strength, they all fought in a very simple style.


    And so I could easily dodge them, grab them by the joints, and stop them as we glared at each other. And then I would throw them down one by one.


    Every time this happened, the crowds cheered.


    In spite of their numbers, they didn¡¯t form teams or cooperate at all.


    Everyone moved as individuals and did nothing but push.


    Once I had dodged the first one, it was easy to deal with the others.


    The crowd loved it. And I had somehow upheld my reputation.


    (But it was thanks to my daily hard work.)


    I was currently exercising to maintain flexibility.


    There were times when the flexibility of your body could be the deciding factor between victory and defeat.


    In other words, life and death. And so I could not be negligent.


    Once that was finished, I went through all the basic martial arts, and then finished with meditation.


    This meditation was how I increased the size of the vessel. While it was just a little, continuing to do this slowly increased the amount of mana I was able to store.


    It was these small things that I did every day that pushed me to the heights.


    ¡°Otherwise, I would only disappoint those that I¡¯m supposed to protect.¡±


    Yesterday, I had felt something strange while doing a karate kick.


    My leg had moved slower than usual. I thought it was due to my center of gravity going up.


    And so I decided to practice until I was used to it again.


    I must have kicked obsessively several hundred times.


    ¡°Hey, Golan. I see you¡¯re doing your weird dance this morning as well.¡±


    Saifo said as he approached.


    This loser constantly challenged me with Gekokujyo.


    As I had slammed him to the ground on the first day of my return, he shouldn¡¯t be back to normal just yet. But perhaps I had let him off too easily?


    As he would usually challenge me after he was completely healed, that meant I had to hurt him without leaving any lasting damage, while also keeping him away for as long as possible.


    ¡°You¡¯ve healed already? Maybe becoming Commander and getting more powerful has messed up my control.¡±


    I should have snapped one of his bones.


    ¡°No, my body still hurts. Unfortunately, I won¡¯t be able to fight you just yet.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t unfortunate at all. So, why was he here?


    He hadn¡¯t come here to fight.


    ¡­Hmm, I could not think of a single reason for him to come if it wasn¡¯t to fight.


    ¡°The Reapers visited my place first thing this morning.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I had forgotten all about that.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re still there. Do you want me to bring them here?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll go. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s what they¡¯re expecting.¡±


    It was the day after the festival. And they had come in the early morning.


    That meant that most people were exhausted and still asleep.


    And they also wouldn¡¯t be too surprised to see strangers here.


    This was the one day that outsiders didn¡¯t really stick out. S?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The loser siblings lived in a house that was on the outskirts of the village. And as they were a big family, they lived in a big house.


    When I arrived, I saw a tall, old man who was standing outside of the house underneath the shadow of a tree.


    He seemed very thin. Like a skeleton. In fact, his face was also like a skull. So, this was a Reaper.


    I had never seen one before.


    ¡°My name is Ruma.¡±

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24I see. It was a deep-rooted problem.


    These Reapers were just like the Wraiths we fought recently, and they were categorized as Evil Spirits.


    Reapers were much higher in rank though, and unlike Wraiths, they had physical bodies.


    Of course, they could also turn into ghosts. So while this one was currently standing with its feet planted on the ground, he could also float in the air.


    The more advanced your tribe was, the more power you had in the Demon World.


    So in a way, Reapers were among the elite, and yet they were also the most persecuted in the Demon World.


    This was because they could use ¡®One-hit Kill,¡¯ which was a rather peaky special ability.


    ¡°I have heard that the success rate is very low. Not even one percent if it¡¯s used against a Demon King.¡±


    ¡°Yes. The chance would be less than one in one thousand.¡±


    ¡°I see. So it¡¯s nearly impossible.¡±


    But in the past, a group of Reapers took down a Demon King.


    And it wasn¡¯t through Gekokujyo. It was more through trickery.


    A large crowd of Reapers that could use ¡®One-hit Kill¡¯ had gathered together and used it on the Demon King.


    It wasn¡¯t known just how many there were.


    But they swarmed around him and unleashed ¡®One-hit Kill¡¯ again and again until someone succeeded.


    The Demon World was in constant chaos. Fights would break out and then settle down.


    It had been like this for as long as anyone could remember. Still, there were rules for fighting.


    It wasn¡¯t just about killing your opponent.


    ¡°Was it good luck or bad luck¡­ No, it must have been bad luck.¡±


    Ruma said with downcast eyes.


    They were high but not the highest of the races, and so the fact that they had beaten a Demon King turned out to be the beginning of their tragedy.


    ¡°Though, it was also rumored that the Demon King was a great bastard who oppressed his people beyond what was bearable.¡±


    ¡°You are very knowledgable. They had no will to lead the kingdom after him. They just wanted him dead. But perhaps, that was their mistake.¡±


    This had happened long before I was born. I believe it was forty or fifty years ago. S?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Then the country was split up by several Lesser Demon Kings, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Fara was one of the Generals at the time.¡±


    ¡°Ahh.¡±


    It was no wonder he didn¡¯t forgive them then.


    The Reapers had destroyed his country.


    Besides, while the success rate was very low, the ability to kill someone while ignoring how powerful they were¡­it was something to be feared.


    After hearing all of this, I was not surprised that no country wanted to take them in.


    ¡°So, where have you been these last three months?¡±


    ¡°We fled to the west first and entered Lesser Demon King Leninoth¡¯s country. However, they did not accept us, and so we continued down south and entered this country.¡±


    ¡°You really stick out when not under the influence of an Orb of Control. It must have been hard.¡±


    Ruma nodded.


    If your country is no more, then you would have to go to a different country and accept their control.


    However, you had a choice to be free as well.


    In other words, you could choose to be a rootless tree that was unconnected to any orb.


    Of course, with Ruma, it was more because no one would accept them.


    From my perspective, the Reapers may have made a mistake in the past, but I didn¡¯t see why it should affect Ruma and the others now.


    Of course, that wasn¡¯t going to change Lesser Demon King Fara¡¯s mind.


    ¡°¡­I understand now.¡±


    The Reapers had wandered from land to land and reached here after many hardships.


    That was enough to make me want to accept them. But there were a few problems.

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s country was very small.


    It was small in size. Like a cat¡¯s forehead.


    It was also lacking personnel. There were only three Generals and as for my direct superior, Corps Commander Nehyor, his subordinates were not very impressive.


    (It was amazing that there were goblins among the Commanders.)


    The Gob-gob brothers and Bian the Flying Eagle.


    None of them were fit for combat.


    As for Lobos the Wise Wolf, he was decent. But Wise Wolves ranked quite low among the monsters overall. They were not particularly strong.


    It made me wonder what the other Corps Commanders were like. Up until now, I hadn¡¯t had an opportunity to find out. But we would probably meet on some battlefield eventually. I hoped they wouldn¡¯t disappoint me.


    Now, as for this very weak country ruled by Lesser Demon King Melvis, compared to the rest of this ¡®post-apocalyptic¡¯ world, it was rather exceptionally quiet. S?a?ch* Th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The reason was our king.


    Lesser Demon King Melvis had once been a Great Demon King who fought alongside Lesser High King Yamato.


    Due to this past glory, other countries avoided antagonizing his country.


    And so my ancestors greatly benefited from this grace, and they lived peacefully for many generations.


    Perhaps they believed their lives were too boring, but that was beside the point.


    The problem was the current Demon World.


    I had not seen it myself, but apparently, there was an invasion from the Celestial World.


    It was in a country far to the north. Demon King Barododo¡¯s country. An angel had appeared.


    Demon King Barododo gladly attacked.


    After all, in order for the Celestial World to attack the Demon World, a hole had to be opened.


    They had to forcefully open a gate to a world that was normally closed off to them.


    That required immense power. This opened hole¡ªthe Celestial Hole¡­the laws of the world would try to close it.


    And so you only had a limited amount of time to launch an invasion.


    The Celestial Hole was said to open only once every hundred or three hundred years. And so it was not something that the residents of the Demon World wanted to miss.


    But things were different this time.


    Demon King Barododo was killed and his country was destroyed. And without a successor taking his place, his lands were divided into several smaller countries.


    Currently, a bloody war was being fought over the lands.


    Now, the important thing here was ¡®how long the Celestial Hole would be open.¡¯


    Going by past occurrences, once a hole had opened, it would be followed by a second, third and fourth.


    ¡ªSo, where would the next one appear?

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26¡°Ah, it¡¯s been a while. I hear that you want to talk to me. What is it?¡±


    I had gone straight to Corps Commander Nehyor.


    Thankfully, he wasn¡¯t too far from the village I lived in. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    This was a small country, and we were in the same army. So perhaps it was only normal.


    ¡°I stopped by because there¡¯s something I want to discuss.¡±


    I studied his expression.


    I couldn¡¯t read anything, but it seemed like his other subordinates were nervous.


    ¡°Discuss? Golan wants to discuss something. Hmm.¡±


    ¡°Is that so odd?¡±


    ¡°It is. I half assumed you were here to declare Gekokujyo.¡±


    He said this in a casual voice, but his eyes were serious.


    Is that what they all thought of me?


    ¡°Surely, you are joking¡­ I doubt I would have a chance of winning as I am now.¡±


    The moment that I changed, my defeat would be certain.


    I didn¡¯t know what would happen if I kept increasing the size of the vessel, but there was more to winning a battle tha§ä just mana.


    And I didn¡¯t know anything about the special abilities of the vampires.


    How much of it was magic? That would greatly alter my chances of winning.


    After all, we ogres were weak to magic.


    ¡°As you are now¡­indeed. Well then, what do you want to discuss?¡±


    ¡°Yesterday, I was approached by some wanderers who wish to serve under me. That¡¯s what I want to talk about.¡±


    ¡°Serve you. That could be complicated. ¡­But more importantly Golan, you should relax more when you talk. You¡¯re not like this when around the other commanders.¡±


    ¡°Well, uh, that has to do with my personality. Please don¡¯t allow it to bother you.¡±


    I was a salaryman once. Or was I already like this when I was a student? At my old school, you would suffer grave consequences if you weren¡¯t careful about the way that you talked to your teachers.


    ¡°Well, fine then. So, could you tell me more about them?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The people that approached me, they are Reapers¡­¡±


    And then I told him that they were being chased by Lesser Demon King Fara and that no other country would take them in. And that they wanted me to accept their whole tribe.


    ¡°But why did they go to you? You haven¡¯t been Commander for very long, Golan.¡±


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t ask them about that.¡±


    Why indeed? I hadn¡¯t thought about it too deeply.


    But judging by the timing, I think they had wanted to talk to the previous Commander, not me.


    ¡°Hey, Golan. Do you understand what is happening in the Demon World?¡±


    ¡°Well, I have heard stories. A Celestial Hole has opened up, and the balance of power is shifting all over the world. Something like that.¡±

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27¡°Yes¡­I do want to take them in.¡±


    The reason that Corps Commander Nehyor brought the power relationships up¡­


    It wasn¡¯t that he wanted me to understand, it was to get me to change my mind.


    Still, I had no intention of doing that.


    ¡°Were you listening to me? If my prediction is right, Fara will conquer the surrounding lands and become a Demon King. And Fara will never forgive those Reapers. And yet, you still want to take them in?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°Hehe. Interesting, Golan. You understand everything. And yet you want to continue?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s just a coincidence, but I don¡¯t really care. They came to me for help.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s enough to defy me? You said it yourself. You can¡¯t beat me.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Not as I am now.¡±


    I wondered how big the difference was between us.


    To put it simply, I thought he was about five times stronger.


    I couldn¡¯t win. Most couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Perhaps you have plans to evolve in the near future? Are you going to be a High Ogre?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I have never even thought of it.¡±


    Indeed. If I were to evolve, my mana would jump up several times over.


    In such a condition, perhaps I would have a chance.


    ¡°Hey, Golan. Let me ask you one more time. All of the surrounding Lesser Demon Kings are afraid of Fara and will not take in those Reapers. This country is the same. I am against it. In other words, if you continue on this road, you are choosing to make an enemy of me¡­¡±


    ¡°I have no intention of becoming your enemy.¡±


    ¡°Still. The result will be the same.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ In that case¡­¡±


    Let¡¯s be enemies then.


    That¡¯s what I said.


    ¡ð Corpse Commander Nehyor


    Golan¡¯s sudden visit was most surprising.


    As the battle was done, he should have been enjoying his new hero status in the village.


    After all, he had won his position through Gekokujyo. The people should be overjoyed by that.


    And yet, here he was.


    I think I know what it is.


    He was praised so much that it got to his head. s?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    That¡¯s too bad. I thought Golan was smarter than that.


    I had told my subordinates that a Gekokujyo might happen and that they should stand back.


    They were quite shocked by this. But what other reason could Golan have to visit me?


    Well, I suppose it was time to see the power that had defeated the Taiga.


    Of course, I would still be the winner.


    ¡­Or so I thought. But instead, he brought up some strange story about taking in the Reapers.


    Golan really was an odd one.


    ¡°Hey, do you know how the state of things are recently?¡±


    The Reapers should have been hiding in Lesser Demon King Rumaham¡¯s lands.


    Golan didn¡¯t know it, but when Fara and Rumaham¡¯s countries were fighting, it was the Reapers who launched the main attack.


    I had heard that it was very aggressive.


    After all, the Reapers had nowhere else to go. It was no wonder.


    The Reapers were strong when alone and strong in a group.


    So they would give you a great advantage if they joined you. They had that one-hit kill attack, which was well-known.


    Of course, most people thought of it as a dishonorable attack that killed a Demon King.


    It was said that if you had Reapers as your subordinates, you would never know when they would betray you and come for your head¡­

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28Corps Commander Nehyor wanted a fight. So, there was no avoiding it now.


    And I was reminded of the way he carried himself.


    (His experience was much different than that Taiga)


    It had just been a matter of strength with the enemy Commander.


    He was strong, but now that I thought back on it, he had probably reached that position with just the power that he was born with.


    His thoughts and way of moving were that of an amateur. On the other hand, Corps Commander Nehyor was completely different.


    Ever since he realized we would fight, he¡¯d been staring at me while hiding his own strength.


    (This is bad¡­I won¡¯t be able to handle him.)


    Even though my mana had gone up a little, I couldn¡¯t make up for the lack of experience.


    Apparently, he wanted to fight right here in this room.


    His face became expressionless. He was making sure I wouldn¡¯t be able to read his next move.


    (If this was going to happen, I should have just taken out my weapon.)


    I had thought that it would be rude, and so I had wrapped it up in a cloth.


    He wouldn¡¯t give me the time to unravel it.


    However, this could not be helped. I couldn¡¯t talk to him while holding a weapon.


    And so I tried to ignore it as it leaned against the wall. In the meantime, I went into a boxing stance.


    This was likely my best bet for this arena.


    ¡°Huh¡­very interesting. What are you doing?¡± S?a?ch* Th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Hmm. Figure it out yourself.¡±


    I was done being polite.


    Strength was all that mattered now.


    Of course, I didn¡¯t really have any chance of winning.


    I knew it once I saw the Corps Commander. Even if I changed into the other me, it wouldn¡¯t affect the results.


    If anything, it might make matters worse.


    Learn martial arts and improve as you reach for the heights.


    I had learned all of the basics in Japan. But the same could not be said for the other me.


    He could use the same moves, but he didn¡¯t understand them.


    If I were to make a comparison,  it was like if you knew how to move every shogi piece, but you didn¡¯t know why they moved as they did.


    And there was no helping that.


    And in a fight like this, such meager knowledge would be fatal.


    Even if we did switch, he would just be overwhelmed by the difference in mana and then it would be time up.


    ¡°Well, it seems like you¡¯re not coming. I guess I¡¯ll go first.¡±


    He said as he casually approached me. It was as if reach meant nothing to him.


    In the first place, no one in the Demon World really entered ¡®stances.¡¯


    And Corps Commander Nehyor was no different. He was the type to just use brute force.


    The Corps Commander only came up to my stomach in terms of height.


    He was still far¡­ Or that¡¯s what he would think.


    With quick footwork, I bridged the gap between us and unleashed a jab into his face.


    There was a loud, satisfying smack that echoed in the room as he fell back.


    I had got him right in the nose. And as his face moved up again, I followed with a second and third hit.


    But just like my fight against Guden, when there was this much of a difference in mana, I hardly did any damage.


    Still, I shook his brains with a hook. Once I felt that he was going to move into a counterattack, I used a backstep to retreat.


    ¡°!? Hmph. You have an odd fighting style. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been punched like that.¡±


    Just as I had thought, it was doing nothing. His pretty face was just the same.


    ¡°How much do you have left in you? You won¡¯t look too good when I¡¯m done with you.¡±


    This room was big. Maybe as big as a boxing ring.


    And just like the others, the Corps Commander was not used to these kinds of combat maneuvers.


    I moved back and slammed him with a jab, a straight, and a few hooks mixed in. It was still a one-sided fight.

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29His bones reconnected just after shaking his arm.


    ¡°Damn it. That¡¯s not right.¡±


    It was probably their unique healing ability.


    I knew that vampires could do something like that, but it was surprising when you saw it up close.


    I didn¡¯t know what this ability was called, but it was quite famous.


    ¡°My arm hasn¡¯t been broken like that in a very long time. You really are full of surprises, Golan.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, I guess.¡±


    There was no point in breaking bones if they could just heal.


    Of course, if I kept breaking them, he might reach a limit eventually.


    But it was more likely that I¡¯d run out of mana before that happened.


    Corps Commander Nehyor¡¯s physical abilities were much like my toughness.


    It all relied on mana. And so once that reserve dried up, you would not be able to do anything.


    But he had at least five times as much of it as me. So I didn¡¯t think there was any way for me to deplete his reserve first. S~?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°So, what will you do next?¡±


    He looked at me excitedly. But it wasn¡¯t like I was performing magic tricks or anything.


    These were serious techniques. I didn¡¯t have an endless supply of them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Perhaps I¡¯m all out.¡±


    I knew now that there was no point in breaking his bones.


    So, what could I do?


    Maybe I could choke him, but I wasn¡¯t convinced that that would work either.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re still hiding something?¡±


    ¡°Oh? What makes you think that?¡±


    Indeed, I could feel it inside of me right now. He was shouting for me to let him out.


    I thought I would be able to hide it. Was I wrong?


    ¡°This is not how you killed that Taiga. You would not have been able to kill it with such lukewarm attacks as these.¡±


    I still had my strength left. But there was a more violent strength sleeping within. But that was a double-edged sword.


    If we traded places, it would be a battle of power vs power. And if that happened, I would have no chance of winning.


    If only I could use a weapon. That¡¯s what I thought. I looked towards the wall, where it sat.


    The Corps Commander looked to be in a bad mood. Perhaps he was convinced that I was holding back?


    In that case, maybe there was still something I could do.


    ¡°Would you let me use my weapon over there? I brought it just in case.¡±


    Normally, no one would oblige me.


    Even an idiot would take it away.


    ¡°Huh. Well, now that is interesting. Go ahead.¡±


    But the very powerful were very confident.


    He didn¡¯t mind if I became a little stronger than I was now.


    And perhaps it was the right way to think. But I was hoping that it wouldn¡¯t go well for him.


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡±


    I picked it up and slowly removed the cloth.


    As I did this, the Corps Commander watched silently without moving. It was as if he were watching the transformation of a hero.


    I removed the wrappings without rushing. Then, I unraveled the string that was around it.


    What came out was a sword. I had acquired it through special order.


    I made the request a long time ago and only received it the day before the festival.


    At first, I had felt that it would not do to bring such a thing when I was just going to negotiate with the Corps Commander, but had ended up bringing it just in case.


    I held the handle and slowly unsheathed the blade.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but stare at it.

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30As I held my sword ready, the Corps Commander started to lick his lips. There was nothing to do against someone who became happy when you seriously pointed a weapon at them. But I¡¯d wipe that smile off his face.


    Even with a weapon in hand, he thought he could take me down and teach me a lesson.


    ¡°So, I don¡¯t have to wait anymore, right?¡±


    He smiled. Then his body blurred.


    He came at me with a speed that was too quick to react. And before I knew it, he was right in front of me.


    Moving while leaving an afterimage behind you. It was something straight out of a comic book.


    However, all he had done was move closer, and so I was able to deal with it.


    Attacks that relied on physical strength alone were simple.


    ¡°¡­Ha!¡±


    In my previous life, the master of the dojo had made me practice the art of predicting your opponent¡¯s next move.


    And so it had been hammered into my body.


    Before my senses had even realized that the Corps Commander had moved, my body had reacted.


    I guess a leopard can¡¯t change its spots. S~?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    What I did in reaction to his attacks was¡­


    ¡­The encounter gauntlet.


    It was a move in kendo where you attack a person¡¯s wrist the moment they make a move.


    It would be too late if you waited to see it, much less allow it to register.


    It was like a counter in boxing.


    ¡ªClang.


    There was a high-pitched ringing sound as Corps Commander Nehyor¡¯s nails went flying.


    I had meant to hit his wrist, but he blocked it.


    ¡°Amazing. Very amazing. You can keep up with my speed!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more impressive that you dodged me right before I hit you.¡±


    Seriously. How was he so fast?


    ¡°Aha. I could tell. If I didn¡¯t move, you would have cut off my hand. But if it¡¯s just my nails¡­see?¡±


    His nails grew back to their original length, which was about the same as his fingers.


    As they had been short before he grew them out, I suppose he was able to make them grow again even if they were cut.


    ¡°How dexterous. I suppose your hand would have grown back as well?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I wouldn¡¯t like that. It would take a while to come back.¡±


    I see. So, a hand would take longer. That meant he couldn¡¯t do it while he was fighting.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m greedy, so I think I¡¯ll take a whole arm.¡±


    ¡°As long as it¡¯s a clean cut. I can just reconnect it later.¡±


    So he could do that as well? With such ridiculous capabilities, I would have to hold the arm after severing it.


    But if I cut off both arms, I would have a chance of winning.


    ¡°You seem like you just came to a decision?¡±


    ¡°Aye¡­ I have to win soon. Or someone will get in the way.¡±


    ¡°Are you worried that my men will come in? Don¡¯t worry. I told them to stay away.¡±


    That explained everything. He met with me knowing that it would turn into a fight.


    I had assumed that he would be unprepared, but I was wrong.


    He seemed much more enthusiastic now, and he was even faster than before.


    The only reason that I was able to keep up with him, was because of my training.


    Also, his attacks were direct and simple.


    Even if he moved at a speed that I couldn¡¯t follow, I was able to predict his movements.


    And I used feints and pressed in.


    ¡°¡­?! Ah, I see.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What?¡±


    Oh, it was much easier than I thought.


    The art of combat was created so the weak could beat the strong. Hmm.


    ¡°I see a way to win.¡±


    ¡°Huh. How amusing.¡±


    He seemed to really enjoy a one on one battle¡­ Well, there wasn¡¯t much entertainment to be had in this post-apocalyptic world.

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31I lost.


    Using the feint and cutting off the arm¡­it was all going well up until that point.


    However, I had not expected him to be able to regenerate his arm so quickly. And what the hell was that thing at the end?


    I couldn¡¯t see him move at all.


    In other words, he had never really gone all out. He was just using a little of his power. That¡¯s all it was.


    It could not be helped. I was being strangled now. There was no chance for me to turn things around. I had to admit it.


    ¡°¡­You defeated me.¡±


    I said. And he released my neck.


    ¡°You were quite amazing, Golan. I am very surprised. I really mean it. No one has pushed me this far in hundreds of years.¡±


    ¡°And yet, it appears as if you were holding back.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why are you talking like that again?¡±


    ¡°I was defeated.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Oh, well. But you weren¡¯t going all out either. Were you Golan?¡±


    ¡°May I ask what gave you that impression?¡±


    I was going pretty hard.


    ¡°As I said, I saw the Taiga corpse. The metal rods that were in its forehead.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°The Taigas tear their enemies apart with claws and fangs. But they are quite strong in terms of defense as well. Their foreheads are known to be especially tough. I am quite sure that even I wouldn¡¯t have been able to stick a rod into it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Even though they mainly used magic, vampires were all physically strong.


    And yet he wouldn¡¯t have been able to pierce its head? I thought it quite strange. But perhaps it had to do with speed and the amount of pressure that was distributed. S?a?ch* Th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Also, the angle in which you thrust.


    The other me was able to copy my movements.


    Basically, it would have been difficult to accomplish it by strength alone.


    As I had gone silent, the Corps Commander said, ¡®So, we¡¯re even now.¡¯ He seemed rather pleased.


    I had not intended to hide some trump card. I just knew that going all out and relying on strength alone wouldn¡¯t serve me here.


    ¡°While I did win, I think the results suggest that it¡¯s a tie. After all, I took more damage.¡±


    An arm and hand were on the floor.


    ¡°Still, I was defeated.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I know. Let¡¯s talk terms then.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I will allow you to take in the Reapers. I¡¯ll tell the General about it for you as well. On the other hand, you must figure a way out of this. Because if things remain the same, Lesser Demon King Fara will swallow up this country.¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°This is not just about the Reapers. This country will not be conquered by anyone. In other words, Fara must be defeated. And you Golan, must find a way to do it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why me?¡±


    ¡°Because you think differently. What I was thinking of, was a way to swallow up the surrounding countries in order to face him. But this goes against the king¡¯s will. And so you must think of something else.¡±


    Alright? These are the terms, so you must honor them. He pressed.


    I could do nothing but nod. After all, I had lost.


    ¡°Now, I must have someone clean this up. Milhe, are you there?¡±


    The Corpse Commander shouted. And then a vampire youth entered.


    He was probably an aide.


    ¡°Clean up this room.¡±


    ¡°Certainly¡­!?¡±


    Milhe saw the arm and hand on the floor and froze.

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32¡ð Corps Commander Nehyor¡¯s Adjutant, Milhe.


    This country built by the great Lesser Demon King Melvis was a most comfortable place for us vampires.


    Many of its residents were demons and monsters of the night.


    Not only was my superior, Corps Commander Nehyor, a vampire, but the general above him was one as well.


    While we vampires were among the elite of the Demon World, we were few in number.


    And so by gathering together here in one place, we could protect our own and thrive.


    Melvis was an Elder Vampire. This was well known.


    ¡°Commander Nehyor. Someone called Golan is here to see you. What should I do?¡±


    ¡°Golan? What could he want?¡±


    His voice suddenly rose in pitch. He was happy.


    ¡°Perhaps I should send him away. It seems he has come without making an appointment.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that, Milhe. Let him in¡­ No, send him to the assembly hall.¡±


    ¡°The assembly hall?¡±


    Many people often came to see Corps Commander Nehyor.


    The room was used for such events.


    ¡°That room is the most durable. And do not come in until I call for you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Milhe. This is an order. I think something very amusing is about to happen and I do not want to be disturbed. If you do disturb me¡­ Well, who knows what will happen to you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes. I understand. I will do as you say.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. That¡¯s my adjutant. ¡­Now, go and call Golan.¡±


    And so it was no surprise when I started to hear the crashing and banging coming from the assembly hall.


    So, this Golan was fighting Corps Commander Nehyor.


    But why? I could not help but wonder.


    After all, from what I had seen, this Golan had mana levels that were not so different from your average soldier. And he was just an ogre as well.


    To fight against Commander Nehyor¡­it was folly. No, it was suicide.


    Ogres were quite low in the hierarchy.


    And the could not use magic. They relied completely on physical strength.


    Not being able to use magic meant you were weak to magic attacks.


    As the mana inside their bodies was only used to strengthen themselves, they had no magical resistance.


    ¡°¡­Still, it¡¯s going on for a long time.¡±


    They were still fighting.


    Even if Corps Commander Nehyor was mischievous enough to not use any magic, the fight still should have ended within seconds.


    That was how big and impenetrable the wall between a vampire and an ogre should have been.


    ¡°Milhe, come. I want you to clean up.¡±


    So, he was calling me now.


    I suppose he had made mincemeat of the ogre.


    It was not difficult to imagine.


    ¡°Here I am.¡± S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    But the first thing I saw upon entering the room, was the ogre¡¯s giant body.


    I had not expected him to be so intact.


    The state of the room proved that a fight had indeed occurred. So how was this possible?


    And then I looked at my master¡­and was stunned.


    He was missing an arm.


    I frantically looked at the ground and saw an arm¡­and a hand!?


    They were from Corps Commander Nehyor. I recognized them easily.


    There was a thin sword on the ground a short distance away. He must have been cut with that!


    Vampires weren¡¯t known as one of the strongest species in the Demon World for nothing.


    Our skin would repel most blades.


    But perhaps ogres, with their incredible strength, would be able to cut to the bone.

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33I returned to the village.


    And while I entered the house, there was no family to greet me.


    Apparently, they were all outside working.


    I pulled out a bottle of liquor I had hidden in my room and began to drink from it.


    ¡°This sure tastes good after a hard day¡¯s work. It thrills me to my heart¡¯s core.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t been able to drink during the festival. And I lost the opportunity to drink after that, thanks to the Reapers. But now, I finally had time.


    Unlike humans, alcohol did not stay in our systems for very long.


    It might be out before you even felt drunk, and so the others preferred their drinks very strong.


    It might as well have been straight alcohol. They didn¡¯t care about the taste.


    It was so thick that it looked like it would just evaporate.


    These were drinks that were exclusively for meatheads like us ogres.


    Of course, I was always one to enjoy the taste first. And so I drank the normal stuff you could get.


    ¡°Golan? Are you there?¡±


    And just like that. The noisy one had to come and disturb me.


    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    I answered as I got up.


    I went over to the front door and saw that the idiot brother was standing there.


    ¡°I just got back. What happened?¡±


    ¡°The Reaper¡­uh, what was its name? Runa? Ruli?¡±


    ¡°Ruma. He¡¯s here again?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He came to me because he wanted to know the result.¡±


    But I had only just returned to the village.


    The timing was too close. He must have been watching me.


    ¡°¡­Alright. I¡¯ll be right there.¡±


    I shook the bottle and heard that there was about half of it left.


    It would have to wait for my return.


    It was the same place and the same person. Ruma, the Reaper.


    ¡°Ah, Mister Golan. You¡¯ve returned so quickly.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I just went and came back. But I¡¯m a little tired.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ So, how did it go?¡±


    He sounded stiff. So, that meant he didn¡¯t know what had happened between me and the Corps Commander.


    So he hadn¡¯t followed me all of the way or anything.


    I suppose he was just watching the entrance to the village. Reapers were like wraiths. They could become translucent, which made them difficult to see.


    ¡°While there were some problems, your request was accepted.¡±


    ¡°Ohh, that is a great relief. As a representative of our tribe, I offer you my gratitude.¡±


    ¡°However, this will result in going against Lesser Demon King Fara. You understand what that means?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°There is a great possibility¡­that Fara will become a Demon King. As a condition for taking you in, I was told to find a way to stop him, or think of a way to prevent this country from being swallowed up.¡± S?a?ch* Th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°If you want us to fight, our tribe will gladly do so. However¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. Having some Reapers will not change much. If it were that simple, the other countries would not have fallen.¡±


    ¡°That is true.¡±


    ¡°This country is currently at war with Lesser Demon King Leninoth. And it is my superior¡¯s belief, that Leninoth will not be able to defeat Fara. And so we have to find a way out of this.¡±


    ¡°It sounds very difficult.¡±


    ¡°But it must be done. Please remember that. We will definitely need your help.¡±


    ¡°I understand. On our tribe¡¯s honor, I promise to help you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, let¡¯s make a contract and talk about the finer details later. Where are the others currently?¡±

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34Even though the Reapers would be building their own village, they were still under my control, which meant there would be a lot of work for me to do as well.


    However, Guden had appointed chiefs to every village and left it to them, so I decided to copy him.


    ¡°Ruma. I want you to become the chief and lead the others.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    Good.


    Ruma can do all of the work as the chief of the new village.


    He led them this far, so he was clearly the right man for the job.


    ¡°As I will have to lead the others during the building of the village, I shall leave someone here with you. Someone who is the most brilliant among us.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    A hostage? Perhaps not.


    Perhaps this person would be a messenger who was also useful during combat. He wanted to show me how useful they could be.


    ¡°Painy, over here.¡±


    The person who came forward was a young girl. She was wearing gray robes like everyone else. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Her age¡­well, it was hard to tell how old a Reaper was. My guess was that she would be considered a teenager to humans. Perhaps fourteen or fifteen.


    Her hair and eyebrows were gray. She had pale skin and was overall quite pretty, she had all the coldness of a highborn lady.


    Still, she was just a young girl¡­ Was she really strong?


    ¡°I¡¯m called Painy. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±


    She sounded young as well. However, Reapers had long lives.


    Corps Commander Nehyor looked like a boy, but he was hundreds of years old.


    ¡°Hello, Painy. I¡¯m sure you already know, but I¡¯m Golan.¡±


    She came up to my waist in height.


    And due to her petite appearance, she looked very odd standing next to me.


    Like she was a small hero who had come to slay the demon.


    Several peaceful days went by after we accepted the Reapers¡­ Well, it seemed like that to me. But my senses felt quite numb recently.


    As for Painy, I asked her about her age, and she said that she was seventeen.


    She also had a lot of mana. Three times as much as me.


    Considering I had gained a considerable upgrade recently, the idea that she could still have so much seemed a little ridiculous.


    While it wasn¡¯t as high as Corps Commander Nehyor, it exceeded that of the Taiga I had killed.


    Currently, she was living with me.


    As my older brothers had been turned into meat scraps on the battlefield, I was now the oldest of my siblings.


    I had meant to inherit the house and continue to live with my family, but instead, they kicked me out.


    They said that I was a Commander now and had subordinates. Therefore I had to become independent.


    Thankfully, there was an empty house in the village. Though I did not feel very lucky at all.


    Besides the house was empty because the owner had not returned from the battlefield.


    If one hundred ogres go to battle, and half of them return, people would think that was a lot. That was how high the death rate was.


    Many families had their lines end completely.


    ¡°Why is the job a Commander so troublesome¡­¡±


    Since I had left home and was on my own, I had to get a job and earn an income¡­ Well, that would have been the way things would go usually. But for some reason, I had become a Commander.


    And I was now receiving a pretty hefty salary from the Corps Commander.


    So I had no trouble living. But that didn¡¯t mean I could be lazy all day.


    There was a lot of work to do as a Commander.


    ¡°Now I know that Guden left all of the work to his adjutant.¡±


    Either Rig was very good, or Guden was the type who didn¡¯t care.

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35I led my army and we arrived at the lookout hill.


    ¡°I, Rig, have been assigned as your adjutant. It¡¯s an honor to be working with you.¡±


    But Rig was already my adjutant.


    I thought about it for a moment and then understood. The adjutants were reassigned every time we were deployed.


    Rig was currently living in my village and he often carried out my orders.


    And so they had decided that it would be best to assign him to me again.


    ¡°Aye, it¡¯s good to have you back.¡±


    I said calmly. But internally I was thinking, ¡®damn, that was close. A different adjutant might have been sent to me.¡¯


    It was a good thing I had Rig live in the village.


    Not only was he well aware of the kind of training my men had undergone, but he was easy to work with.


    Setting up the tents, securing the supplies for the camp and ordering the workers.


    Even cooking, cleaning and washing laundry. All of this was done by kobolds. We could not go to war without them.


    And Rig was very good at his job.


    As Commander, it may look like I had a grasp on everything, but there was a lot of behind the scenes work that I had no clue about.


    And so I left it all to Rig. However, I was aware that I should at least learn the procedures next time.


    Of course, all the other ogres never wondered for a second where their food was coming from every day.


    Someone somewhere was preparing it. That¡¯s all they knew or cared about.


    ¡°Huh. So this is the battlefield.¡± s?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°This is so exciting, brother.¡±


    ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you two nervous at all?¡±


    This time, the idiot siblings, Saifo and Beka were with me.


    Well, they followed me here.


    ¡°Nervous? What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Is it like, when you¡¯re so excited that you don¡¯t know what to do with yourself?¡±


    ¡°¡­No. Nevermind.¡±


    A long time ago, I remember someone saying that it was those who didn¡¯t know the horrors of war that died on the battlefield. But I suppose it was no use saying that to them.


    Besides, they were a lot stronger than the other ogres.


    And since I had fought with them almost every day, they had a decent amount of skill too.


    They always had a lot of mana, and when they fought together, they made a good pair and their strengths really shined.


    As long as nothing too unpredictable happened, I doubted they would fall behind.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get so excited that you end up charging in alone. Also, you must obey my orders.¡±


    ¡°I know. You¡¯re going to lead us, right? I have high expectations for you.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I wonder what kind of strong enemies will come out? Oh, this is going to be so much fun!¡±


    ¡°The enemy will be strong and come in great numbers. You¡¯ll have more than enough to fight. That is, if you don¡¯t cry and run away first.¡±


    In fact, having the idiot siblings here broadened the possibilities in terms of strategy.


    There was not much personnel in my army that I could depend on when it came to giving very important roles.


    We did have the Reapers, who were considered to be of the higher ranks, but they were still unknown to me in terms of reliability.


    Depending on how they worked, I might be able to give them important tasks in the future, but I was still in the early stages of just watching them.


    ¡°Painy. How much do you know about the twenty that Ruma selected for me?¡±


    ¡°They were chosen out of the group of those who volunteered. Half of them are experienced and the other half are not.¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s very good.¡¯


    He put rookies in there with the veterans so that they could learn.


    Next time, they would be experienced and could lead the next group of rookies.


    It was a good way of doing things.


    ¡°Sir Golan. A meeting will be held today.¡±


    Rig had come to call me. A meeting on the day of our arrival, eh?

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36¡°Can we start the meeting already?¡±


    I muttered as they all stared at me.


    Hurry up. This is painfully awkward.


    ¡°¡­Well, since Golan is getting impatient, let¡¯s begin. First, thank you all for coming here today. Once again, we must protect this hill until the end. I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be difficult, since you¡¯re all used to it now.¡±


    No one reacted.


    Well, they were still looking at me. Uh, was that alright? Shouldn¡¯t they be listening?


    ¡°We had people watching the rods, so we knew that the enemy was coming. Isn¡¯t that great? A Hanuman was seen in the main army. That must be their General. Or maybe the Corps Commander.¡±


    Now that was shocking. Hanuman. The great flying monkey.


    Residents of the Demon World were separated into tribes, like us ogres.


    But aside from us, there were unique beings.


    People who didn¡¯t belong to any race and had suddenly appeared in the Demon World all alone.


    They were usually quite strong.


    The Hanuman was one of them.


    He walked through the battlefield with a weapon in one hand. And apparently, he moved so lightly that it was as if he were walking on the clouds.


    And so they called him the sky walking great monkey.


    While the Hanuman was a unique being, he had children with other monkey races, and they had become established as a race of their own.


    It was the birth of a new race. And they were also called the Hanuman.


    The original Hanuman had supposedly climbed up to the position of Lesser Demon King, which showed you just how strong they were.


    This was a shocking way to start the meeting, and my mind could barely process it.


    ¡°And so, Golan, I¡¯m leaving you in charge of the Commander, the Gigant Centaur. Do not disappoint me.¡±


    ¡°Wh-what!?¡±


    Me?


    The Gigant Centaur. The highest ranking of the Centaurs.


    They gained the ¡®Gigant¡¯ part after evolving.


    Night demons turned into ¡®Elders¡¯ when they evolved, and serpents became ¡®Large.¡¯


    It was ¡®High¡¯ for ogres and ¡®Big¡¯ for small demons. Others were called ¡®Great.¡¯


    As for Centaurs, they were the same rank as Ogres, or maybe a little higher.


    Right above Centaurs, were Large Centaurs.


    Guden, the former Commander, was a High Ogre. A Large Centaur would be comparable to him in strength.


    But a Gigant Centaur was above even that.


    Had Guden continued to get stronger and evolve, then he would have become a ¡®Highest Ogre.¡¯ Which of course, was the strongest kind of Ogre.


    And a Gigant Centaur was the strongest of Centaurs. That showed you how dangerous they were.


    ¡°Is it really necessary for me to go against this guy?¡±


    Our races were about the same, but he was two levels above me. Could I even slow him down?


    I tried objecting, but the Corps Commander smiled brightly.


    ¡°And I asked Lobos to take on the Sirius. Isn¡¯t that right, Lobos?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If that is your order, I will do everything that I can.¡±


    There was a pretty big difference between wise wolves and the Sirius. The Sirius would be about two ranks above them.


    And that was especially big, because they were both beasts.


    In other words, Lobos was also being expected to fight a harsh battle.


    My task would be easy in comparison. ¡­No, it wasn¡¯t easy at all! I was nearly tricked right there.


    Lobos had nothing to do with me. An Ogre like me could not beat a Gigant Centaur.


    ¡°Now, since we have an idea of the enemy¡¯s battle array, let¡¯s talk about the bigger picture. We can see the enemy¡¯s strategy through their invasion route. It¡¯s the same as last time. Why do you think that is?¡± s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    How was I supposed to know. Also, was the matter of the Gigant Centaur settled then? I¡¯ll definitely be objecting to it when the meeting was finished.

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37I went back to our camp after the meeting was over.


    But I had a lot of complaints.


    ¡°I suppose I should consider myself lucky that we know what the enemy¡¯s plan is.¡±


    For instance, why the enemy wanted to take the lookout hill.


    If they ignored it and went forward, they would have a straight path to the capital.


    However, that would mean clashing into General Gorgodan¡¯s forces.


    And since we were on the hill, it would be easy for us to attack them from behind.


    Well, while we likely did not have the strength to do it, let¡¯s just say that General Gorgodan was able to defeat the enemy and they retreated.


    They would have to retreat towards the hill.


    So taking this hill now was their safest bet. And it would allow them to advance without worry.


    It was because we knew this that we had to protect the hill with our lives.


    As long as we could do that, the enemy would not advance.


    ¡°¡­If only there was a peaceful way to end the fighting.¡±


    However, that was practically impossible in this post-apocalyptic world.


    And so I had to do what I could.


    ¡°All of you. We¡¯ll attack as soon as the enemy starts to build their base. So you better eat and rest while you can.¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡±


    There was no need to allow them to build it and then attack us.


    We should make the first move and scatter them.


    ¡°No¡­perhaps it will be us who will be scattered?¡±


    I still hadn¡¯t thought of a way to deal with the Gigant Centaur.


    The next morning, as we went over orders and coordination, I saw that a cloud of dust was rising in the distance.


    Apparently, the enemy had arrived.


    According to our theory, they would not be able to ignore us on the hill.


    And so they will split up their army in order to deal with us.


    ¡°¡­Just as I expected.¡±


    Unsurprisingly, there was immediate movement among their ranks.


    The enemy halted their march in an area that was about two kilometers away from the hill.


    It seemed like they were going to make their base there.


    And while they seemed to still be looking towards us warily, they would soon have to go around and search for stone and wood to build their fort.


    From what I had seen of battles, armies often liked to take their time and chip away at the opposing side until they could find the right strategy.


    The reason for this, was that both sides were tough, and things would rarely end with a single battle.


    However, we would do something unpredictable. We would launch a surprise attack.


    I watched them for a long time, but they didn¡¯t move. They were very cautious of us.


    But from what I could see, they seemed to be stacking sandbags.


    For the whole day, they worked to build their temporary base.


    ¡°We¡¯re prepared here¡­but they haven¡¯t moved yet.¡±


    I had men watching them during the night as well. But it was quiet.


    And when I participated in the meeting, I learned that it was much the same with the others as well.


    ¡°They probably mean to launch a counterattack in full force if we attack.¡±


    Perhaps the previous defeat had made them paranoid. The other Commanders agreed that the nervousness of the enemy was palpable. S?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Such matters were discussed, and then the meeting ended.


    The next day, there was movement in the enemy camp. And there was a lot of noise coming from the back of ours.


    ¡°The enemy seems to be moving. Their kobolds and orcs have left the camp.¡±


    Rig reported.


    ¡°Where did they go?¡±

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38The enemy boss was a Gigant Centaur. I wondered how it would compare to the Taiga that I had fought last time.


    I was pretty sure that the Gigant Centaur would be stronger.


    In the first place, Centaurs had all the mobility of horses while also boasting monstrous strength.


    Sometimes, they would have a weapon in one hand and wear armor and use a shield.


    They were very difficult opponents when it came to battle.


    And since this one was of the highest rank, all of its abilities would be at their peak.


    That¡¯s what I was facing. I needed a plan.


    ¡°Left. You¡¯re lagging. Run faster.¡±


    ¡°Ayyee!¡±


    Compared to those who ran in the center, the ogres to the left and right were falling behind.


    It was no wonder. They were carrying some heavy equipment.


    ¡ªThat is, the anti-cavalry palisades.


    The reason that I thought of this method was that the ogres with ¡®increased arm strength¡¯ were walking while carrying these ¡®already made anti-cavalry palisades¡¯ in order to raise the defenses of the base.


    These palisades were partially buried in the ground and were supposed to stop the enemy while they charged.


    In most cases, rocks were used to keep them in place so that they didn¡¯t move.


    But for some reason, they were carrying the palisades as they walked.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s ogres. Perhaps that¡¯s not so strange after all.¡±


    It was a blindspot. Or perhaps I was too bound by ideas of what was normal in my past life.


    I had assumed that you put the parts together on location, but they were just cutting down trees and wrapping barbed wire around them. S?a?ch* Th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    And it was while I watched the ogres carrying them that I had an idea.


    It would be difficult to defeat a Gigant Centaur.


    Event if you somehow overwhelmed them with power, they would just run away when the tide turned against them.


    And if they decided to run, they would definitely get away.


    So, what could you do?


    I looked at the ogres to the right and left.


    ¡°They¡­are able to run while carrying those palisades made of logs.¡±


    The palisades were huge, and yet the ogres were carrying them as they ran.


    With these, we could block the escape route of the Gigant Centaur.


    ¡°We¡¯re in their camp now. The enemy is right in front of us.¡±


    The enemy must have been very surprised.


    It was unlikely that they had ever experienced something like this. We were charging into them while carrying anti-cavalry palisades. Hell, I had never seen anything like it either.


    Like the name suggested, the Gigant Centaur was huge. Enormous.


    I didn¡¯t even have to look for it.


    ¡°Surround him!¡±


    The anti-cavalry palisades were set into place on the right and left sides of the Gigant Centaur.


    In Shogi, I would be the silver general. I could only move around by one square.


    The enemy weren¡¯t bishops, but knights.


    Under normal conditions, I wouldn¡¯t think that we could win.


    And so we surrounded him. Surrounded it and got rid of its mobility.


    ¡°This is good.¡±


    I laughed with confidence.


    Painy and the other Reapers, who had followed me, went around the palisades and to the back of the Gigant Centaur.


    The idiot siblings were protecting my back.


    They also dealt with any enemies that came around.


    And like that, the encircling net was complete.


    The enemy was looking at us with a suspicious expression. He was very cautious.


    This was the only part of the battlefield that was quiet. The ogres were wreaking havoc on the rest of it.

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39I slowly opened my eyes.


    ¡°¡­Oh, this guy looks strong.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    The highest rank of Centaur. What worthy prey.


    ¡°Recently, I¡¯ve been getting more time. But I suppose it won¡¯t be enough time to tear it to shreds.¡±


    Still, what an amazing stage the other me has set.


    It was perfect for a one on one fight.


    He went through all of that trouble. I can¡¯t complain about there not being enough time.


    One of the men behind me handed me a spear.


    When I held it, I felt that it was solid and heavy.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this the anti-Vampire spear?¡±


    Nehyor had not been serious during that recent fight.


    He hadn¡¯t used magic and he did not fly.


    Well, maybe flying wouldn¡¯t have been much use in that room.


    Depending on how I did, there may be more opportunities to fight in the future.


    And so that was why the other me prepared this stone spear.


    The special ability, ¡®Rock throw,¡¯ enhanced your strength when throwing rocks and boulders, while also raising accuracy.


    Did the shape not matter as long as it was made of rock? Well, he had tried sharpening it as a test, and there was apparently no problem.


    He really did think of interesting things.


    ¡°This is a good distance to throw.¡±


    With my strength and ¡®Rock throw,¡¯ it won¡¯t be difficult to pierce the enemy in front of me.


    One. Two. Every time I threw one of them, more spears were prepared behind me.


    A lot of them had been made for the next fight with Nehyor. It was almost amusing how smoothly they seemed to get sucked into the enemy.


    Even as it hesitated over my sudden increase in mana, I continued to throw.


    I was clearly making things very difficult for it. Oh, I hit his hind leg again.


    Now there was one in his arm, shoulder and stomach each. And two in his hindlegs. So, what will he do now?


    Oh, he¡¯s leaning forward. Is he going to charge? Good. Bring it on.


    Yes, it¡¯s a charge after all. So, it¡¯s ¡®Ram¡¯ then¡­ Or so I thought, but right before we collided, he jumped up in the air.


    Hey, where are you going? Oh, he¡¯s running away.


    Before I could chase him, the Gigant Centaur began to run through the battlefield and return to the center of his camp.


    ¡°Ah¡­ He¡¯s out of sight now.¡±


    And right after that, the enemy forces began to withdraw. They were retreating.


    ¡°¡­So, he got away?¡±


    Asked Corps Commander Nehyor during that night¡¯s meeting. ¡®So, how do you feel?¡¯ he continued.


    ¡°I am sincerely sorry.¡±


    I had not expected him to abandon his men and run away. The boss. The Gigant Centaur had chosen to retreat.


    His men had frantically followed after him.


    After they had retreated for about a kilometer, they regrouped.


    Our losses were quite low, but letting him escape was still a big blow.


    After all, we could not use the same tactic again. S?a?ch* Th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Still, it was quite impressive. That throwing. A lot of them hit him, didn¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Were you watching?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Bian¡¯s subordinates were.¡±


    Bian was a flying eagle, and everyone in his tribe could fly.


    ¡°Yes, it was very impressive. Those were for me, weren¡¯t they? Last time that we fought, I told you that I could fly. And you were deep in thought.¡±

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40¡òWisewolf Lobos


    It will be thirty years now since I started working as a Commander under Nehyor.


    He was a very easy-going person, but also very watchful of his subordinates.


    He has helped me a lot in the past, and I could not be more grateful.


    Up until recently, I was the second oldest of those who served him. But now I am the oldest.


    This was because Golan the ogre had beaten the previous Commander through Gekokujyo.


    Guden had served Nehyor for over fifty years.


    I knew how strong and stubborn High Ogres could be, and the fight would not have been easy.


    Their only weakness was their resistance to magic.


    As for the new Commander that appeared. He was very proud.


    ¡°Beat it, mut.¡±


    What a thing to say to a proud wise wolf.


    And yet, he only had half as much mana as me.


    It was exasperating seeing someone with such a weak body going around and picking fights.


    ¡°No, Lobos. You are in charge of the main attack. You cannot get injured here.¡±


    Corps Commander Nehyor had said, and so I held back. But I was quite confident that I could crush him with one hand.


    However, Nehyor continued to explain.


    ¡°Golan defeated Guden through Gekokujyo. He doesn¡¯t seem to be injured right now. Can you really win, Lobos?¡±


    Once he said that, I wasn¡¯t sure how to answer.


    It was strange indeed.


    He clearly didn¡¯t have enough mana to beat the idiot Guden.


    That being said, Golan wouldn¡¯t have been able to become Commander unless it was confirmed.


    What did this mean?


    Golan had antagonized everyone as soon as he entered the tent. And once the meeting was finished, he fought us all.


    He was actually strong.


    He easily beat the other three Commanders.


    From what I could see, it would be a tough fight for me as well.


    For some reason, his fighting style was different from any ogre I had ever seen.


    Perhaps he had some horrible secret that he was keeping from us. Corps Commander Nehyor must have realized this.


    Such thoughts plagued me, and then on the following day, he defeated the Taiga Commander.


    The Taiga. Were they not amongst the high ranking monsters? I doubted my own big ears.


    And this ended up being a decisive battle, because the enemy then retreated.


    This country was protected by Lesser Demon King Melvis. It had not been invaded for hundreds of years.


    Even when the other countries were continually at war, this country stayed the same.


    But now we were being invaded. Perhaps this first time was just a way for them to see how we would react.


    Of course, they strengthened their forces within a few months, and attacked once again.


    And so once again, we were sent out under General Farneze.


    ¡°Golan cut off my arm.¡±


    Without any of us having known, Golan had gone out and challenged Corps Commander Nehyor. S?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Not only that, but he had even cut off an arm and a hand!?


    How the hell was he able to fight Nehyor with such low mana?


    It didn¡¯t make any sense.


    Nehyor said that neither were fighting seriously, so there may be a rematch.


    So they tied while holding back¡­ It defied my imagination.


    Maybe he really was stronger than me. I could no longer deny it.


    And then the defensive battle began.

 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41¡°¡­How boring.¡±


    Deja Vu? I felt like I had said the same thing last time.


    While the war continued today as well, our battlefield was quiet.


    We were both just watching and waiting. You could say that it was a stalemate.


    ¡°Waiting is so boring. It makes me want to go back to the village.¡±


    Yes. It would be better if there was no fighting. Things should be done peacefully.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just say that none of this happened and leave? Don¡¯t you agree, Painy?¡±


    ¡°Do you mean that we should annihilate them into oblivion?¡±


    Why was she so extreme?


    ¡°Not exactly that. I don¡¯t mean that one side should be erased. But that we could pretend that we hadn¡¯t been fighting at all. There is no fighting and no hatred.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound very realistic. The strong must rule the weak. That is something that will never change in the Demon World.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­yes, that¡¯s true.¡±


    ¨CThe strong will rule the weak.


    Painy the Reaper was right. After all, similar wars to this one were erupting all over the world. S?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    And yet, could they not resolve these conflicts by talking? Reset everything. Forget.


    ¡­No, it was impossible.


    The only reason that the Reapers were working as my subordinates, was so they could survive by serving someone more powerful.


    That wasn¡¯t me, of course. They worked for me because they entered the country, but they are really under the rule of Lesser Demon King Melvis.


    It was because of this law of the strong ruling the weak, that the Reapers came to us for protection.


    This law would not change.


    Speaking of which, as a Reaper, Painy was a higher rank of monster than me. And so I was quite sure that she would one day challenge me to Gekokujyo. However, there were no signs of it coming yet.


    ¡°What do you think, Rig?¡±


    ¡°For a hill like this, it should take at least forty or fifty days for the fighting to end. And yet it hasn¡¯t even been ten days yet. It¡¯s a little too early for you to be getting bored¡­¡±


    That wasn¡¯t what I meant¡­


    Well, I understood his point. I was the Commander. Saying that I was ¡®bored¡¯ was a good way to lower morale.


    ¡°Still, having nothing to do will lead to slacking off.¡±


    ¡°I can see why you would think so, Commander Golan. However, I advise you to be careful¡­if I may be so bold.¡±


    Rig sounded odd. Did he think I would start ordering reckless charges because I was bored?


    I would not do that. Quite the opposite. I wanted to go back to the village.


    Well, maybe he thought that I would order the charges in a desperate attempt to get it all over with as soon as possible.


    ¡°He was very clear about it during the meeting. And I intend to obey.¡±


    I said, and Rig bowed. It was because he trusted me¡­right?


    ¡°So, when are we charging?¡±


    Asked Saifo, his hands behind his head.


    ¡°We¡¯re not charging! Were you even listening?¡±


    ¡°What!? We¡¯re not going to charge, Golan?¡±


    ¡°You idiots! Why are you saying it as if it would be the normal thing for me to do!¡±


    How rude.


    ¡°Because it would be so much better to do it and end things quickly, than doing nothing at all and running away. That¡¯s what you always say.¡±


    ¡°I was talking about fights. Ogres are so obnoxious. Even if you run away, they will continue to chase you.¡±


    ¡°Well, being beaten by you is a kind of rite of passage, Golan.¡±

 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42I attended the night meeting.


    It had been on my mind recently, but Lobos looked worse every time I saw him.


    His fur had lost its shine. He was burnt, bloody, haggard.


    Maybe I shouldn¡¯t call him Lobos anymore, but Hobos.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s start the meeting¡­ Hmm¡­ What is it, Golan?¡±


    ¡°Hobos, over there¡­no, uh, Lobos. Is he alive?¡±


    He looked quite limp in his chair.


    ¡°Ahhh. I suppose the Sirius really was too much for you, Lobos.¡±


    ¡°Th-that¡¯s not the case, Commander Nehyor.¡±


    ¡°It clearly is the case.¡±


    He was definitely continuing his losing streak.


    ¡°Indeed. ¡­Maybe you should switch places, Golan?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but what about the enemy watching us?¡±


    I knew that they had watchers.


    If I switched with Lobos, who was repeatedly losing, they would think that someone stronger had been sent to the center.


    ¡°If Golan went to the center, the enemy may also move. However, my guess is that they won¡¯t. They¡¯ll come and test you first.¡±


    The person leading the center was a Sirius. And they were proud.


    Nehyor predicted that even if he was asked to change, he would not accept it.


    ¡°So, maybe we should then?¡±


    I wanted to get this over with and return to the village.


    ¡°Just a little more. Give me a little more time. Please, Nehyor.¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, that¡¯s what Lobos is saying. What do you think, Golan?¡±


    Corps Commander Nehyor was always like this. Listening to our opinions.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care either way.¡±


    ¡°Well, then¡­we¡¯ll keep everything the same and consider it tomorrow. Alright, I¡¯ll listen to your reports now. How are things fairing, Golan?¡±


    ¡°How are they fairing¡­? It¡¯s just the same as yesterday. We do nothing but watch.¡±


    ¡°So there is no movement, huh. This will be a long battle.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. There¡¯s nothing that we can do unless the enemy comes out.¡±


    ¡°Yes. What about you, Iribo and Grubo?¡±


    ¡°They came close to our camp, so we unleashed arrows over them. They retreated by midday.¡±


    ¡°I see. There is a sharp slope there, so it is hard to hold your ground and attack. Still, you must not let your guard down. When they do come, they¡¯ll come all at once.¡±


    ¡°Yes. We are taking every precaution.¡±


    ¡°There is no problem.¡±


    Things seemed pretty mild at the Gob-gobs as well. So, it was only the center where the enemy was really making a push.


    Maybe they didn¡¯t think much of Lobos?


    As the enemy hadn¡¯t changed their tactics since yesterday, it was decided that we would continue in the same way tomorrow.


    We discussed some less important matters for a while after that, and then the meeting ended.


    The next morning. I thought it would be another stare down, but the enemy moved.


    ¡°Oh? So they¡¯re coming to us. How unusual.¡±


    I was prepared to strike back. Well, there was nothing else we could do. So we were perfectly prepared.


    ¡°The enemy is climbing up the hill! Follow the plan and use ¡®Rock Throw¡¯!¡±


    ¡°Arrghh!¡±


    Those with ¡®Rock Throw¡¯ would use it. Those who didn¡¯t have it would use ¡®Muscle Strengthen¡¯ and attack the enemy.


    We had prepared a lot of rocks for today.


    ¡°Throw!¡± S~?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    All at once, rocks the size of children¡¯s heads began to fly in an arc.

 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43¡°Golems have appeared behind our camp.¡±


    I didn¡¯t believe my ears as the kobold made his report.


    ¡°Golems? How? No, from where?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Where are they now? How many are there?¡±


    I was confused. I had never considered that the enemy would come from behind.


    ¡°The news came from the town of Eg. They said that there were about fifty of them.¡±


    Eg was the town where the Cherry Ents had remained.


    ¡°Fifty¡­ This is bad.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t so different from the number of ogres that we had. And we didn¡¯t have any walls.


    If we were pincered here, our defenses would crumble easily.


    However, how did they manage to get behind us?


    Did the townspeople betray us? No, everyone had fled, except for the old trees who couldn¡¯t move.


    And I had kobolds keeping watch over the area. There was no way that they would have missed them.


    And surely the Cherry Ents would not have betrayed me.


    ¡°The Corps Commander¡¯s base is west of that town. And the east is covered in miasma¡­ No, wait.¡± S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Hey, Rig. How far does the miasma zone near Eg reach?¡±


    ¡°It extends very far, but I don¡¯t know how far exactly.¡±


    ¡°Do you know if it reaches the enemy camp?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I believe that it does.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t Golems have resistance to miasma?¡±


    ¡°To a degree. But they are also very slow. I do not think they would have been able to get through it.¡±


    But if the enemy didn¡¯t come from the direction of the capital, that meant they had to have come through the miasma zone.


    Even if they were slow, was it possible if they had resistance¡­? No, that would be difficult.


    ¡°It¡¯s a suicide mission. That Gigant Centaur lost in a one on one battle. And so he¡¯s resorting to such temporary measures.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°He ordered the Golems to charge into the miasma. And he doesn¡¯t care if some die or they become weak. You said that fifty of them appeared?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°He must have sent many more. Perhaps eighty or even a hundred.¡±


    ¡°Th-then they just left those who could not move and came here?¡±


    ¡°Aye. That¡¯s the only explanation for their appearance. ¡­Damn it. I don¡¯t like his methods. He doesn¡¯t protect his subordinates, but uses them as disposable pawns.¡±


    It made me ridiculously angry.


    ¡°Hey, Saifo.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving you in charge. Go wild.¡±


    ¡°Oh, finally. You¡¯re awfully generous today.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve been itching to destroy. I¡¯m giving you permission. Go crazy.¡±


    ¡°Alright! Then I¡¯ll do as I please.¡±


    ¡°But keep our own losses at a minimum at the same time. And Beka.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You come with me. We¡¯re going to hunt some Golems.¡±


    ¡°Yay! And I can do what I like, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Don¡¯t hold back. Crush ¡®em into pulp.¡±


    ¡°You bet I will!¡±


    ¡°Painy. I want you to lead the Reapers out of our base. Go around and smash the Evil Spirits and Corpse Demons in the third wave. They are a bad match for ogres.¡±


    ¡°I understand. We will annihilate them.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to annihilate them. They should be in great numbers, so be careful.¡±


    ¡°I am aware. But we are used to battling superior numbers.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, I have to go now. Saifo, Painy, and Rig. I leave the rest to you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡±

 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44Even among the tree fairies, the Cherry Ents were lacking in terms of attack power. They could not fight at all.


    And while they had special abilities suited for defense, they could not actually defeat enemies. So they would always lose.


    Why had they chosen to fight then?


    ¡°Was it because I talked to them?¡±


    ¡°Golan? Do you really know the way? I feel like we¡¯re just going around in circles.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because of Cherry Blossom Blizzard. It messes with your sense of direction. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ve been walking in a straight line.¡±


    You couldn¡¯t rely on your eyes and ears here.


    Currently, everywhere you looked, the air was filled with petals.


    And the raging wind echoed in my ears. However¡­


    I was moving while looking at a compass.


    It was nothing. This world also had an east, west, south, and north.


    It was a simple device where I stuck a thin magnetic plate on the needle. But it was quite useful.


    ¡°Really? But my senses are telling me that we are going the way we came.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and it must be right, since that¡¯s what you say.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re terrible!¡±


    ¡°With the special ability, ¡®Cherry Blossom Blizzard,¡¯ your senses are not reliable. Not only that, but this is the work of five Cherry Ents. And so it likely covers a very large area.¡±


    The old tree would not have gone against the enemy alone.


    He wouldn¡¯t have done this without the cooperation of all five of them.


    And so we continued while relying on the compass. And then I finally found the town¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°See. We arrived.¡±


    ¡°Huh!? We did? But how?¡±


    Beka was shocked, because she was still relying on her senses.


    Ogres were meat heads, which meant they were weaker to psychological attacks.


    I had to be careful too.


    ¡°Nevermind that. Let¡¯s go inside.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    ¨CBam.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Owwwww!¡±


    As we tried to step foot into the town, we were stopped by an invisible wall.


    ¡°Golan, that hurt. There¡¯s some kind of wall here. But I can¡¯t see anything.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ This is ¡®Spring Storm.¡¯ It¡¯s a wall made of thick air¡­ Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°This is a special ability of an Elder Cherry Ent.¡±


    Normal Cherry Ents should not be able to use it.


    It was only once you evolved into an Elder, that you could use physical defense abilities.


    ¡°This¡­ Even I cannot break it easily.¡±


    While it was considered a physical defense, it was a wall made of wind currents.


    You could not destroy it with stone or wood.


    Even if you managed to make a hole in it, it would close up in an instant.


    ¡°What do you mean? We can¡¯t get in?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Is that a relief?¡±


    This meant that the Golems were likely still wandering around the area surrounding the town in the blizzard. S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    And even if they reached it, they would not be able to get inside.


    ¡°¡­Damn it. That old tree. He really did evolve into an Elder.¡±


    He really had me worried back there.


    So that¡¯s why they decided to resist.


    Though, they still couldn¡¯t defeat the Golems, so it was up to me, regardless.

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45I ran up to the old tree.


    However, two Stone Golems stood in my path.


    ¡°Get out of my way!¡±


    I kicked the knee of one to make it lose its balance, and then I pushed the other one in the opposite direction.


    They both went rolling down the hill.


    And while they were still alive, I left them for now.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ The ogre¡­uh, what was your name?¡±


    ¡°Old Elvan. It¡¯s me, Golan.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If you are here, that means we succeeded in slowing them down.¡±


    ¡°Aye. I heard the news and came at once. Damn it, this was reckless of you.¡±


    ¡°Well, as I watched from this hill, those ruffians came to the town. And it occurred to me that you would be in trouble if they caught you from the back.¡±


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean you should put yourself in danger! Just look at you¡­¡±


    The trunk was bent partway.


    ¡°My children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and even great great grandchildren are here. It would be very bad if the enemy took over.¡±


    ¡°Still, old man. When the hell did you turn into an Elder?¡±


    ¡°It happened suddenly when the enemy attacked. ¡­I am glad that I was able to see your face in the end.¡±


    ¡°In the end¡­ Old man. Hey, old man¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, Golan. Can I ask you a favor?¡±


    ¡°What is it, old man? I¡¯ll do anything.¡±


    ¡°I want you to bury our bodies in the park.¡±


    ¡°Old man¡­¡±


    ¡°And pour plenty of water over us. Or we won¡¯t be able to take root.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    ¡°I likely won¡¯t be able to talk for the rest of the year, but I think my roots should be strong again next year.¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­old man?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± S?a?ch* Th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Um¡­are you fine? Your body is broken.¡±


    ¡°I would die if I was left like this for several days. But otherwise, it isn¡¯t too bad. After all, we are tree fairies.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you say ¡®end¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you going back when the war is ended?¡±


    ¡°¡­Uh, yeah.¡±


    I guess it was a different kind of end then.


    Tree Fairies were very resilient. It was often said that those with less attack power were more remarkable. And perhaps it was true in a way.


    ¡°Golan. I killed the two that came rolling down. But there were five others that got away.¡±


    ¡°Old man, you¡¯ll have to wait a while to be buried. I need to clean this up first.¡±


    ¡°Aye. Half a day¡¯s delay will not make a difference.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be that late!¡±


    ¡­Damn it. You shouldn¡¯t kill two to let five get away.


    However, taking down five was hard.


    But not impossible.


    I needed to make them pay for attacking Ervan and the other Cherry Ents.


    I reached the Golem whose joint I had broken.


    And since it tried to get up, I crushed its wrists as well.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be borrowing this.¡±


    I said as I picked up one of its arms.


    As it was made of stone, I could use it with ¡®Rock Throw.¡¯


    ¡°Catch!¡±


    I threw it as hard as I could.

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46And so I decided to take Saifo with me to tonight¡¯s strategy meeting.


    Rig would stay behind. We had meetings every day, so it was good to do something different for a change.


    Up until now, Saifo didn¡¯t really care about anything. All he wanted to know was if an enemy was strong or not.


    And I thought it was a good thing that he took an interest in something other than just fighting for once.


    ¡°You can¡¯t enter the tent, but you can wander around the area until we¡¯re done. But this is the main camp, so don¡¯t do anything foolish.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°And don¡¯t get into any fights.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t inconvenience you.¡±


    Saifo wasn¡¯t mild mannered like I was.


    I had told him many times during the walk, that he must not pick fights with anyone¡­ But I was still worried.


    When I entered the tent, the others had already gathered.


    Corps Commander Nehyor and Bian were based here, and Lobos was close by. However, it was odd that the Gob-gobs had arrived before me.


    ¡°Alright, everyone is here now. Let¡¯s start the meeting.¡±


    As always, things began in a very light-hearted way.


    ¡°First, let¡¯s confirm the current situation. Things were pretty dangerous with you, weren¡¯t they, Lobos?¡±


    ¡°I am very sorry. We were saved by the reinforcements that you sent.¡±


    There had been a wave of attacks at the center today.


    Up until now, Lobos¡¯s troops had been able to hold their ground, but things had changed.


    Nehyor had to send reinforcements immediately.


    And that was the only reason they had been able to survive until evening. And due to the time, it had ended in a draw.


    ¡°It was certainly a close one. ¡­Now, I think you should rest for a while, Lobos. Why don¡¯t you switch places with Golan?¡±


    There was blood on Lobos¡¯s forehead and arms.


    This time, acting tough would do him no good. He could only groan in reply. He looked bad.


    ¡°I do not mind. But first, I want you to listen to me.¡± S?a?ch* Th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°What? Golan. It¡¯s not your turn yet.¡±


    ¡°Well, since you brought it up. That we would trade places. It¡¯s about that.¡±


    ¡°In that case, go ahead. What is it?¡±


    ¡°I would rather you don¡¯t have us switch places.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Why?¡±


    ¡°This Gigant Centaur that we¡¯re fighting now. I¡¯m kind of mad at him. And I don¡¯t want anyone else to take my prey.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°He sent Golems through the miasma zone in order to attack us from behind. And a nearby town was invaded.¡±


    ¡°I heard about the defensive battle in the town. But didn¡¯t you succeed?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Still, this time I want to be the person who attacks.¡±


    If all we did was wait and defend, who knew what the enemy would do next?


    Besides, I didn¡¯t like that they attacked someone I had decided to protect.


    ¡°The General told me to defend this place. And we can¡¯t afford to lose soldiers, which means avoiding any overly bold moves. After all, if we fail and crumble here, it will ruin the General¡¯s plans. So it won¡¯t do. I can¡¯t let you go.¡±


    ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying, but you can¡¯t protect anything if we just stay here. You have to let me go. And I¡¯ll make the enemy pay.¡±


    ¡°I gave you my answer. Were you listening to me, Golan? If not, it will lead to trouble.¡±


    ¡°I am listening. However, I am saying that I¡¯m still going. I¡¯ll go with or without your permission.¡±


    ¡°Why do you have to be like this, Golan?¡±


    There was something different about Nehyor now. He was angry.


    However, I was not going to back down.


    To back down now would be to abandon my family mantra. If I am going to protect someone, I should do it, even if it meant risking my own life.

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47The table had been completely destroyed, and the three wise wolves lay on top of each other.


    Apparently, they were Lobos¡¯s son. I was surprised that he had children.


    Of course, he wasn¡¯t exactly young, so it shouldn¡¯t have been surprising. I don¡¯t know, he just seemed like a loner, I suppose.


    ¡°Your sons, eh? I do remember meeting them a few times. But why did you bring them here today?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They have nearly as much mana as me, and I intend for one of them to take my place one day. But I have not decided which yet, so I thought it was a good opportunity.¡±


    While they were currently unconscious with their tongues sticking out, they had as much mana as Lobos. That meant they had more than me. S?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Still, Saifo had beaten them easily. That was the idiot brother for you. Stupid, but strong.


    ¡°I see. So you are trying to find your successor. ¡­And who is this ogre?¡±


    ¡°Me? I¡¯m Saifo. I¡¯m from the same village as Golan.¡±


    He introduced himself proudly. He was always terrible at reading the room.


    They might just kill him for wrecking the meeting.


    ¡°Hmm. You¡¯re the same age as Golan and have a similar amount of mana. I suppose you are his rival then.¡±


    ¡°Me? Golan¡¯s rival? You must be joking. I¡¯ve fought Golan hundreds of times now. And I have never won. Right? Golan?¡±


    ¡°Shut your mouth!¡±


    He really needed to learn when to speak.


    ¡°So, Golan. What¡¯s happened here? It seems like a fight is about to start.¡±


    ¡°Just a little difference in opinion. With Corps Commander Nehyor.¡±


    ¡°Ohhh¡­. So you¡¯re going to kill him this time?¡±


    Came the shockingly grim words. What did he mean by that!?


    ¡°This guy! He just said he was going to kill Commander Nehyor! I won¡¯t forgive you!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, mut!¡±


    Why were these people making things more complicated?


    ¡°Hey, hey. Golan. You¡¯re going to fight the Corps Commander, right? Then can I have the rest?¡±


    ¡°The rest¡­you mean the other Commanders?¡±


    There were four of them. But then again, I had beaten them. So he could probably do it too.


    ¡°Leave it to me. I¡¯ll wipe them out.¡±


    ¡°Uh, Saifo, is it? Do you really think I will allow you to do that?¡±


    ¡°Golan is going to take care of you. You won¡¯t have time to pay attention to me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I think I can keep you occupied until Saifo cleans the place up.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t promise that I would beat Nehyor, but I could at least buy that much time.

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48As the morning mist covered the battlefield, the flying eagles set out towards the enemy camp.


    They had been sent from Corps Commander Nehyor¡¯s main camp, and they were here to monitor the situation.


    At first, I had been surprised by how many there were, but they said it was because the battlefield was large and difficult to cover. Besides, if one of them were to fall, it would break the chain of communication.


    ¡°And they also took shifts.¡±


    In any case, clearly these flying eagles were useful for scouting and transportation. But they had weaknesses as well.


    First, their combat ability was not very high, so I could not have them charge into the enemy camp.


    So they were much more useful as scouts.


    Furthermore, they didn¡¯t have especially good eyesight. It was the same as the other races for the most part.


    And so if they wanted to see finer details, they had to get close to their target.


    Either that, or they stayed far away but could not give you a detailed report.


    But the biggest one of all¡­


    It was that these wise eagles could not fly very high.


    Most normal birds could fly a little higher than them.


    In other words, they stuck out if they were too close.


    And if they were caught, they could be knocked out of the air.


    What I¡¯m trying to say was this. They weren¡¯t all that great as scouts.


    However, they could be very effective depending on how you used them.


    As I was thinking this, one of the flying eagles returned.


    ¡°I have seen the camp. They have two layers of defense¡­ Like so.¡±


    He drew what the camp looked like from above.


    They were enough for general reconnaissance missions like this, that just told us who had the higher ground and a simple layout of the camp.


    ¡°I see¡­ And so this hole is a tunnel.¡±


    I could see the camp in the distance from where I stood.


    There were walls of stone and hardened soil. And also fences made of logs.


    It seemed like it would be very difficult to get over them.


    This whole time, I had been watching the enemy make their camp. There had not been an order to attack since then.


    The enemy made wooden fences and put stone on top of it before hardening them with dirt.


    While I watched, I couldn¡¯t help but think about how difficult it would be to destroy them.


    ¡°Still, two layers of defenses and a tunnel to come in and out.¡±


    It was very well thought out.


    Because it was a tunnel, they could go in and out freely, but we would be easily targeted the moment we stuck our heads out.


    It would be difficult to use a tunnel if the enemy was guarding one of the entrances.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯ll work out.¡±


    Compared to defeating the Gigant Centaur, this was easy. S?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll move as planned. Are you all ready?¡±


    ¡°Arrgh!¡±


    ¡°¡­Looks like you are.¡±


    I was actually very worried, but this was business as usual for them.


    Surely they wouldn¡¯t disappoint me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Arrgh!¡±


    The important part of this plan was to move faster than the enemy.


    Thinking back on how we fought up until now, even when the enemy attacked our base, the Gigant Centaur boss had not come out. In other words, he had stayed in their base.


    The enemy boss was avoiding a fight¡­ That was one way to take it. But I felt that it was a strategy.


    As they had superiority in numbers, they were slowly trying to chip away at our fighting force.


    ¡°Continue on!¡±


    There was no point in waiting for the enemy to attack.


    And so I wanted to attack them before they could move.

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49There was only one person I could think of that was capable of shooting an arrow of that size.


    ¡°The Gigant Centaur?¡±


    A Centaur who had evolved twice.


    A mere ogre was an easy target.


    And  then from the crack in the destroyed wall, came armored Centaurs.


    Unlike the ones earlier who had been armed with bows, these were clearly meant for close quarters combat. They were wearing heavy armor and all had shields and one-handed swords.


    ¡°Take them down!¡±


    I shouted. And as I watched the Centaurs fight, I recalled an old story I had heard in Japan.


    It was long ago, before humankind was united.


    In an old legend, there was a faun called Pan, who was half mountain goat and half human.


    This faun made the lives of people richer. Cultivation, harvests, livestock. But unlike him, there were the Centaurs, who were half human and half horse.


    They were known as hunters. Barbarians from the outside. They fought with bows and had aggressive personalities.


    When I was reincarnated as an ogre in this Demon World, I immediately thought about a Japanese folktale.


    About the red ogre and the blue ogre.


    In that case, there were likely other races from legends and folktales.


    And so I had gathered information on all the different races. At the same time, I tried to recall all the stories that I had heard in my past life.


    After all¨Cthey existed here, just as they were known in my world.


    I still haven¡¯t figured out an explanation for this.


    However, I had one theory.


    Even when asking residents of the Demon World who had lived for hundreds of years, I heard no stories of people arriving from the Human World.


    And so no humans had ever been seen here.


    But there was also a Celestial World and Human World. And an invasion from the Celestial World was considered a very real threat.


    There had been a large scale invasion not long ago. There was no doubting the existence of that world. S?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    But what about the Human World?


    There was no going back and forth between the Demon and Human World. They just knew that humans existed¡­they had been told so. That was all.


    ¡°Could the Human World¡­be earth?¡±


    I often wondered about this.


    Long ago, a human must have come to the Demon World. Or a demon had gone to the human world and then returned.


    And people on earth must have seen residents of the Demon World, and the stories remained as legends.


    That¡¯s what I thought.


    In Japan, such old stories were talked about normally during the Heian period. That was a thousand years ago. But in other countries, some of these stories went back as far as two thousand years ago.


    Perhaps before then, residents from the Demon World had visited earth on occasion.


    ¡°It would be a disaster if that happened now. Any warfare would result in huge losses of life.¡±


    The population on earth kept increasing.


    But a few ogres going wild in the city could cause a lot of destruction.


    That being said, no matter how strong they were individually, the Demon World would likely fall if they had to face the threat of science.


    In any case, it was clearly a good thing that they could not go back and forth.


    ¡°Well, such are my shrewd thoughts. Or I¡¯m delusional.¡±


    I had died in Japan. And while I was meant to reincarnate into the Human World, I went off course and ended up in the Demon World¡­ No, that also seemed ridiculous.


    Oh, well. Right now, I had to deal with the enemy that was in front of me.


    When you looked at the Centaurs with their spears and heavy armor, they seemed impenetrable.


    However, I had knowledge. Knowledge that would make it easy to take down armed Centaurs.


    ¡°Target their legs!¡±

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50The third arrow came towards my forehead.


    And it was very precise.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can get close to him.¡±


    These things that flew towards me weren¡¯t so much arrows or spears. They were logs.


    However, judging by the fact that he was only targeting me, he must be very cautious.


    He somehow understood that I was the only one on the battlefield who could hurt him.


    ¡°I suppose that I should feel honored.¡±


    However, the current situation just made me hate him all the more.


    The fourth and fifth came flying.


    Had I not dodged them by rolling away, I would have been hit.


    Not only could I not get close to him, but it was difficult to dodge his attacks.


    ¡°Maybe I should just retreat.¡±


    I thought, but shook my head.


    No, I was not going to forgive this boss who sent his subordinates into the miasma zone.


    I would put an end to him, here and now.


    ¡°I do have a plan, but I can¡¯t do anything unless I can get closer.¡±


    And there was nowhere to hide in the open battlefield.


    I could see that he still had plenty of arrows left in the quiver on his back.


    I doubted my luck would outlast it. So, what could I do?


    I concentrated and dodged the arrows that flew towards me.


    The enemy maintained his distance. He wasn¡¯t coming any closer.


    ¡°He¡¯s really cautious of me, huh?¡±


    He would still be able to shoot quite a few at me, even if the distance was halved. And yet he was trying to kill me from as far away as possible.


    I had now already dodged ten arrows.


    Cold sweat ran down my back. We weren¡¯t even fighting, and yet I was out of breath.


    ¡°My concentration won¡¯t last¡­gahh!¡±


    I was too slow, and one of the arrows scraped my left thigh.


    A generous amount of skin peeled away, and even more blood sloshed down to my feet. My ankles felt slippery.


    ¡°Damn it¡­seriously.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off of the enemy, but I could tell that a lot of blood had run.


    Having my leg get hit was the worst. It meant that dodging his attacks would be even harder now.


    What should I do? Retreating seemed like a good idea, but I was sure he would just move forward if I moved back.


    And if I turned my back on him, he would kill me in one shot. But I¡¯d only grow weaker if I stay here.


    Maybe I had no choice but to slowly try and run away¡­ Hmm?


    It was as I was thinking this, that I saw a gray robe in the corner of my vision.


    There was no mistaking it. That was Painy the Reaper.


    She had come, leading the other Reapers.


    Had they gone around so that the Gigant Centaur wouldn¡¯t see them?


    The Reapers were among the top when it came to evil spirits, so they wouldn¡¯t have had any trouble getting through the low ranking monsters.


    Still, it would have been quite reckless to come around in so short a time.


    ¡°That¡­it¡¯s the idiot siblings.¡±


    Saifo and Beka were there too. Leading some ogres.


    The ones I left by the second wall.


    They must have finished annihilating the Centaurs. But it was so soon?


    And they had also followed the Reapers and gone around the battlefield?


    The Gigant Centaur had not noticed the Reapers, who were behind it.


    In fact, he seemed to be quite confident that there was nothing close by that could hurt him.


    ¡°I see¡­ So they remembered my plan after all.¡±


    It was a good thing I had told Painy and the others.


    When she raised her hand, the ogres ran forward all at once. Once they had gained speed, they began to throw iron balls.


    s?a??h th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51¡òThe lookout hill ¨C Saifo


    We crashed into the enemy camp.


    There was a tall defensive wall there. Golan used a pole to jump over it.


    And so I followed him and leapt into the enemy camp.


    Apparently, this was called pole vaulting. He had made us practice a lot back in the village.


    He said that you needed these to get over high walls or to cross rivers with fast currents.


    I had no idea how he thought of these crazy ideas. Really.


    ¡°Aarrrggh!¡±


    I punched a Centaur that entered my vision.


    It fell as soon as I hit it. I really was strong.


    He had been carrying a bow and some arrows, but they must have gone flying off somewhere.


    Shaking, he tried to get back to his feet, and so I slammed my foot into his stomach. He stopped moving after that.


    If it¡¯s against Centaurs, I could now win without using a weapon.


    That¡¯s how strong I was¡­ And yet, why wasn¡¯t I able to beat Golan?


    ¡°I¡¯m defeated a hundred times every year. It makes me think that something is wrong.¡±


    No matter how many times I fight him, I can¡¯t win.


    Well, I¡¯ve given up trying to beat him, recently.


    After all, now that Golan was our Commander, he was going up against enemies that were out of my reach.


    ¡°¡­Alright, let¡¯s use this thing.¡±


    The thing, no, things that the Leprechaun blacksmith in the village had made.


    I took off the weapons that were strapped to my back.


    They looked like the iron bars that we ogres fought with.


    They were about the same thickness. However, they got thicker as they went along.


    And they were also twice as heavy as other metal rods.


    I held one in each hand.


    ¡°Now, come and get me.¡±


    Once we were through the second defensive wall, armored Centaurs attacked us.


    But it hardly mattered that they were wearing armor. One swing of these would show that.


    With just one hit, they spat blood and fell to the ground.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    It was amusing how the Centaurs were blown into the air.


    I had yet to find one that needed more than one hit. I really am that strong¡­


    ¡°By the way, where¡¯s Golan?¡±


    He had been close by up until a moment ago¡­ It was as I thought this, that I sensed someone with incredible mana.


    The enemy boss. The Gigant Centaur. Thankfully, it was still far away.


    And before I knew it, Golan was facing it.


    ¡°Uh. Isn¡¯t this quite dangerous?¡±


    The difference in mana between them was overwhelming.


    It wasn¡¯t a matter of winning or not. It wouldn¡¯t even be a real fight.


    ¡°I heard that he killed a Taiga. Does Golan always get into hopeless fights like this?¡±


    But he always came out alive. That made me wonder.


    In any case, it seemed like it would be entertaining. So I decided to follow.


    The others around me were the same.


    And so we went around the battlefield and came out to the side of the Gigant Centaur.


    We were then told to throw the things at our waists.


    The thing that hung there¡ªit was a tool made of chains and weights. I think he said they were called bolas. This was also Golan¡¯s idea. And we had practiced.


    And so we targeted the Gigant Centaur and threw them with all of our might.


    And once the enemy boss¡¯s movements were stopped¡­it happened.


    Golan¡¯s mana rose to an impossible degree. S?a?ch* Th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 52

    Chapter 52Some people compare life to a road. A single road that keeps going.


    If you look back you can see the path you came, and if you look ahead, you can see that it continues far into the distance.


    If there are mountains then there are valleys. The road will wind as well.


    Sometimes it may seem long, but turn out to be easy in the end.


    After I reincarnated into an ogre, the road that I walked was not easy.


    You could say that it was full of hardships.


    I nearly died when I struggled to bring mana into my body. And as time went on, my rank in the village started to go up.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably because I accepted every challenge, even though I had low mana.¡±


    Because it was so low, all the kids that were the same age thought they could dominate me.


    And of course, if I let them, I would be at the bottom forever.


    And since I had lived in the modern world where equality was the norm, I could not tolerate a life where I had to obey everything that someone else said.


    And so I fought in order to maintain my own freedom. S?a??h the N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    As someone who had low mana, the only way for me to do this was through Gekokujyo.


    ¡°In the end, a stronger kid appeared. That¡¯s all.¡±


    In order to maintain my will, I had to fight those who were above me.


    In the end, the Gokokujyos continued until I had beaten all of the kids in the village. It was a good memory¡­ Or maybe it wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°And yet somehow, it didn¡¯t end there.¡±


    After all, Saifo and Beka kept challenging me, no matter how many times they lost.


    The siblings had very high mana compared to everyone else in our age group. And so it was hard to believe that I could win, since there was so little mana that they could detect.


    Still, both of them would not quit. And I fought them about a hundred times every year.


    ¡°And I won every one of those fights.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Golan. What was that?¡±


    The brother of the idiot siblings¡ªSaifo, came with a stern expression.


    It was rare to see him looking so serious.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t act stupid. I¡¯m talking about your mana. When you were fighting against the Gigant Centaur, you¡­ You had way more mana than me!¡±


    ¡°Exactly. The last time I thought it must be a mistake¡­ What is happening?¡±


    Beka joined us.


    The Gigant Centaur¡¯s corpse was behind us.


    As was evident, there had been a fight, and I had won.


    I had traded places with the other me, and then battled with the Gigant Centaur.


    And while the Gigant Centaur was bound up by the chains, it had used all its power to break them. It was not an easy thing to do.


    We both had advantages and weaknesses. I had a broken rib, injuries on my arm and leg. And there was a crack in my skull.


    On the other hand, the enemy had its front legs broken, an arm torn off, and then his neck was snapped.


    It had likely been a close call.


    I felt like I would collapse from sheer exhaustion.


    Which was no surprise, since it was much higher in rank than an ogre.


    If I ever see a Gigant Centaur again, I¡¯ll run.


    As for the other me, he must have been quite satisfied. He thanked me and went back inside.


    That meant I had to clean up this mess.


    ¡°It¡¯s my secret weapon.¡±


    It was going to be hard to trick them, but that¡¯s what I told them.


    ¡°I see. So you can suddenly increase your mana level. That¡¯s amazing, Golan.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I thought you were someone else.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t hard to trick them after all.


    That being said, did they really not think it was strange that a person could change their mana level like that?


    Your mana level was about the vessel that held your mana. Don¡¯t they know that it¡¯s not supposed to be able to just change?

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 53I was sleeping when someone suddenly woke me up. We were in a battlefield, so it couldn¡¯t be helped if it was an emergency.


    It wasn¡¯t the place to get a good sleep. And so I didn¡¯t complain.


    I had been asleep for just an hour or two.


    In other words, the fatigue was as strong as ever.


    My wounds weren¡¯t healed. The only difference was that I had stopped bleeding.


    Our guests were supposed to be the Corps Commander and his army. What did they want?


    I probably should have gone out to meet them. But my body wasn¡¯t obeying me at the moment.


    ¡°Hey, Golan. They say you did it again?¡± S?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Corps Commander¡­ Why are you here?¡±


    He had come to see me.


    Corps Commander Nehyor appeared with his men.


    ¡°So, you really do like sleeping on top of the corpses of your enemies, Golan.¡±


    He said with wide eyes.


    ¡°Well, they do a lot of damage and I haven¡¯t recovered yet.¡±


    ¡°I see. I suppose even the great Golan cannot take down a Gigant Centaur without getting hurt.¡±


    The great what¡­ Who did he think I was?


    Also, couldn¡¯t he just answer my first question?


    ¡°¡­So, where are you going?¡±


    His men were all armed as they marched. It was as if they were off to war.


    ¡°I just thought I¡¯d stop at the enemy¡¯s main camp.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Their main camp¡­ Was it such an easy thing to do?


    If Corps Commander Nehyor was defeated, we¡¯d have to retreat. This whole area would be taken by the enemy.


    ¡°Up until now, the enemy was still here. But look. There is a straight path to their camp now.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­yes.¡±


    ¡°So there is no worry of a pincer attack. A good opportunity for us, don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­I suppose.¡±


    Theoretically, it was as he said.


    The enemy had split up into three camps.


    If Nehyor¡¯s men tried to find a gap, and head towards the enemy main camp, one of the other armies could turn around and attack them.


    And that would result in them having to fight the enemy on both sides.


    If they went now, there would be no enemy to intercept them, as I had just taken this camp.


    And we could protect their rear.


    The enemy¡¯s other army might try and turn around, but it would be difficult for them to reach Nehyor, as I and the other armies would be there¡­no, it would be impossible.


    If anything, it would be very easy for us to stab the enemy in the back.


    That being said, going directly to the main camp now also felt a bit risky.


    If they lost, not only would our accomplishments today be for nothing, but it would affect all the other battlefields.


    Was he so confident that he wouldn¡¯t lose?


    The Commander I had defeated had been a Corps Commander class.


    Considering that, the enemy in the main camp would be in the General class.


    And this was just my own opinion, but I was quite sure that the gap between Corps Commander and General was much higher than the gap between Commander and Corps Commander.


    I had never heard of anyone beating a General through Gekokujyo.


    Why? Because it¡¯s just that hard to beat someone who is above you.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are you worried about me, Golan?¡±


    ¡°Uh, well¡­I guess.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m not really sure. But we have momentum. I think we should be able to make it.¡±


    Wasn¡¯t the bigger problem what you would do after arriving?


    Of course, there was no way that he didn¡¯t know that.


    And so I decided that I wouldn¡¯t ask any more questions.


    ¡°Do your best to avoid getting killed.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. ¡­Well, we must go now.¡±

 Chapter 54

    Chapter 54It was time to look back on the battle of Lookout Hill.


    First, why had Lesser Demon King Leninoth started this fight?


    He wanted to swallow up neighboring countries ruled by Lesser Demon Kings. And there were two reasons for this.


    The first was to go up against Lesser Demon King Fara, who had suddenly started to expand his domain.


    Leninoth and Fara were hardly on equal footing.


    According to everything that was said, Fara was supposed to have an advantage.


    And so Leninoth was becoming frantic.


    Then there was the other reason.


    Due to the invasion from the Celestial World, Gekokujyo was becoming incredibly popular in the Demon World.


    There was never a better time for it. And so all the Lesser Demon Kings and even Demons Kings were starting to target their neighbors.


    In other words, everyone wanted to strike while the iron was hot. It was the best time to take other lands for your own.


    In fact, it was happening all around us already. Lesser Demon King Kurulu was already invading his neighbor, Lesser Demon King Lubanga. And there had been recent reports of Lesser Demon King Nacti invading Lubanga as well.


    As Lesser Demon King Lubanga was being invaded by two countries, he formed an alliance with Lesser Demon King Rockus in order to beat them.


    While this was all happening in other countries, it would have a great effect on us as well.


    Currently, there were four countries that were crossing their blades to the south.


    Of course, that meant they had no time to bother with Lesser Demon King Leninoth.


    Leninoth needed to unite the south under his power in order to beat Fara. And so he decided to start with the smallest country¡ªthis one. The country of Lesser Demon King Melvis.


    ¡°¡­I see. So they all retreated.¡±


    I heard the report from Rig, and then looked up at the sky.


    The entire enemy army had retreated¡­ In other words, the war had ended.


    We had only been stationed at the Lookout Hill.


    General Farneze had three Corps Commanders under him.


    Obviously, Nehyor was one of them, and you could say that our victory here had ultimately led to the enemy¡¯s retreat.


    ¡°How did the other Corps Commanders fare?¡±


    ¡°Luven was at a disadvantage. I heard that Saneifa was equally matched.¡±


    ¡°And how did they survive until the enemy retreated?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, General Farneze took all of his soldiers in order to support Luven.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s reckless. The main camp isn¡¯t just some rear guard.¡±


    If the main army went to Luven¡¯s aid, they would be able to win the battlefield. However, what if the enemy¡¯s main army went toward Saneifo instead?


    They wouldn¡¯t survive such an attack.


    That would result in a clear open path to the castle.


    ¡°It is said that the enemy weren¡¯t sure if they should go and rescue them, or secure a different area. We have already won this battlefield. And so they decided to go and help. Of course, it was too late. As General Farneze had already taken it.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see. So he was able to do it very quickly. That means the enemy lost two of three battlefields.¡±


    ¡°Yes. They must have realized that even if they regrouped, it was only a matter of time before they lost the next one. And so the order to retreat was quickly sent out.¡±


    ¡°And thus the war ended. How quick.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    If they lost two, then they would have to gather what soldiers that remained.


    In any case, they had to quickly decide who would be the new Commander and Corps Commander.


    And they could not go on the attack before deciding this. Which would mean that there would be just the one army that was alone. S~?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    And it wouldn¡¯t do much good for that army to go on the attack while the others fled.


    So they had had no choice but to call a retreat.


    It was a good decision.

 Chapter 55

    Chapter 55As the battle was won, our army was disbanded. And so everyone returned home.


    In my case, the wounds were especially bad, and it didn¡¯t look like I would be able to return like the others.


    I let Painy lead the Reapers, and put Saifo in charge of the ogres as they returned to the village.


    ¡°Damn, this is bad.¡±


    My body was racked with pain. Part of it was probably a reaction from switching back from the other me.


    And sore muscles. S~?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It wasn¡¯t that I couldn¡¯t walk at all, but it would at least take a few days to reach the village. And I didn¡¯t want to walk while I was still injured.


    Because of this, I decided to stay with the other wounded.


    As the plan was to maintain the frontline as long as there was an enemy, there was plenty of food left.


    The kobolds took good care of us. If I was able to rest for four or five days, I should recover enough to be able to go home.


    That¡¯s what I thought as I lay in bed.


    ¡°¡­Hmm? What¡¯s all this noise?¡±


    This was a place of convalescence for the wounded.


    But there was no one here that was so commendable as to be quiet just because of that.


    However, everyone who was left was bed-ridden.


    It was unusual that anyone here had enough energy to cause a racket.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what was happening. But I decided to stay in bed and ignore it.


    However, the racket came towards me.


    We had nothing so luxurious as real beds. I was just sleeping on a board with a log under my head.


    The only thing around me that suggested civilization, was the tent over our heads.


    As this was the one thing that saved us from the wind and the rain, it was quite important.


    As for who came to visit me¡­


    ¡°Hey, Golan. How are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be in my village if I was doing well, Corps Commander Nehyor.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s true. But you sound pretty good to me?¡±


    ¡°I could force myself to return, but I¡¯ve decided to rest. That¡¯s all. ¡­So, are you also being treated?¡±


    In my case, I had bandages on my head, arms and legs. But it was different with him.


    He was missing a leg.


    Vampires always looked a little sickly, but he seemed more gaunt than usual.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already been treated. I¡¯m just waiting for my magic to recover. I think that just means eating and resting.¡±


    ¡°Your body is as mysterious as always, Corps Commander.¡±


    His hand could grow back, and he was able to reconnect a severed arm.


    Hell, that leg would likely grow back eventually.


    ¡°But it will take some time. It¡¯s not very convenient to be missing a leg.¡±


    ¡°I guess.¡±


    ¡°I could just fly, but that would slow down my recovery.¡±


    I see. So Vampires also used mana when flying.


    They had to use mana to regrow parts and reconnect limbs. So I understood what he meant.


    ¡°Still, everyone here are just ordinary soldiers. I¡¯m sure you have a tent made just for you.¡±


    ¡°Ah, no, no. I came here just to meet you, Golan.¡±

 Chapter 56

    Chapter 56After that, I lived in that tent for five days, just eating and sleeping. Then I recovered enough to walk to the village without any trouble, and so I decided to do just that.


    Currently, others who were more heavily wounded were resting here.


    Since we were in such a post-apocalyptic world, I hoped that they got better soon.


    I stopped by the town on my way back.


    During the war, it was just the old trees that were there, as everyone else had evacuated, but it was different today.


    ¡°So the residents have returned then.¡±


    That being said, I didn¡¯t see a lot of them as I walked through the town.


    The ones I did see were all fairy types. And they were always filled with curiosity.


    I suppose the other trees hadn¡¯t returned yet, because they were very slow on their feet.


    ¡°Old man¡­ah, there he is.¡±


    I headed to the park and saw the familiar tree.


    There were still no children in the park. While the war had ended, it would be a while before we saw families again.


    ¡°Hey, old man.¡±


    I said, but there was no reply. His branches did not stir, and his leaves did not rustle.


    ¡°I see. So you¡¯re just like me. Recovering.¡±


    He did say that he wouldn¡¯t be talking for the rest of the year. So it couldn¡¯t be helped.


    They had protected this town. They protected me as well.


    ¡°I¡¯m going home, old man. But I¡¯ll be back. And you can introduce your children, grandchildren, and¡­great grandchildren? ¡­to me.¡±


    I patted the trunk a few times and then left the park.


    Maybe I would come and visit him next year. Then I would be able to hear him laugh, ¡®hohoho¡¯ again.


    And so I walked for the next few days until I finally reached my village.


    ¡°Ah, if it isn¡¯t Golan. You came back?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that? This is my village.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right¡­ I just thought you would start living in the city.¡± S?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I won¡¯t. I¡­am I not welcome here anymore?¡±


    I was starting to feel anxious.


    Surely they hadn¡¯t forgotten about me just because I had returned a little late? Was my house still standing?


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Golan. Welcome.¡±


    ¡°I think you mean welcome back!¡±


    Why were they treating me like a customer?


    Isn¡¯t this supposed to be my village?


    As I felt like a chunk of my heart had been gouged out, I avoided bumping into villagers after that as I walked.


    Eventually, my house came into view.


    Many of us had died during the war. This meant that a lot of houses were left without owners.


    And so I had taken one of them for my own after I became a Commander.


    I was still allowed to live in it, right?


    ¡°¡­Hello?¡±


    I opened the door with some hesitation. Beka was standing there.


    Uh¡­isn¡¯t this my house? Why was she wandering inside?


    ¡°Huh? Oh, it¡¯s you, Golan. What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I want to ask! Why the hell are you here?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. Golan, there¡¯s something I wanted to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Answer my question first.¡±


    ¡°My brother¡­he left home.¡±


    ¡°Why are you in my house¡­what? Saifo? He left home?¡±


    The hell?


    ¡°He said that he wanted to become strong like you. And he went off to train.¡±


    ¡°Train¡­ So he really went then.¡±

 Chapter 57

    Chapter 57It would take five or six days to walk to the castle.


    And as this was much too long, General Farneze had sent all the Commanders a beast to ride.


    I was to ride something called a Flave, which was like a cross between a giraffe and a spider.


    Eight legs for maximum safety and stability. Plus a very long neck.


    The roads were not always paved, and they were often narrow with large differences in elevation.


    But such obstacles were nothing to the Flave.


    Up until now, the mounted beasts I had seen all looked like tigers, rabbits or birds.


    There were also horses and llamas, but they were too small for ogres to ride.


    These Flaves were apparently quite rare. Even Rig said he had only seen them once when he had gone to the capital.


    Regardless, I rocked back and forth on its back for two days.


    And then I finally arrived at the castle in the capital, where Melvis slept.


    ¡°Ah, you came, Golan. And just in time.¡±


    Corps Commander Nehyor was dressed in his usual attire, which was that of a nobleman.


    But as he looked like a young boy, it always seemed strange to me.


    ¡°Hmph. It would have been better if he hadn¡¯t come at all.¡±


    Said the wise wolf Lobos with a snort.


    ¡°You¡¯re dressed rather finely for a mounted beast. Do you want a bone as a reward, dog?¡±


    In fact, it was I who was after a bone, but this kind of greeting had become normal between me and Lobos.


    ¡°Sir, requesting permission to cut his throat. He always treats me like a dog!¡±


    ¡°You say that, but your tail is wagging. You like it, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°You insolent brat! Today, I shall finally silence you forever!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? I won¡¯t hold back then. Grraaggh!¡±


    ¡°Lobos, stop it¡­ And Golan. Stop provoking him.¡±


    ¡°But Commander Nehyor¡­¡±


    ¡°Lobos¡­ You cannot beat him. Do you understand?¡±


    Nehyor glared at him and Lobos fell silent.


    ¡°¡­Now, let¡¯s go. General Farneze is waiting for us. There is a waiting room where you can put your things.¡±


    ¡°Can I bring my weapon?¡±


    I had brought my sword with me just in case something happened on the road.


    ¡°Hmm. Why not?¡±


    ¡°I can?¡±


    Really?


    Well, even if I did try and do something, that kind of incident was a daily occurrence.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Nehyor walked in the lead, followed by Bian, Lobos, the Gob-gobs, and me. s?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The interior of the castle was very plain.


    After all, the master was asleep, so there were no extravagant decorations. It was incredibly minimalist.


    ¡°Where are the other Corps Commanders?¡±


    We came out into a great hall, but all I saw were people who looked like they were General Farneze¡¯s subordinates.


    And unsurprisingly, they had a lot of mana.


    ¡°You mean Luven and Saneifa? They probably already finished their business here. People take no interest in other armies.¡±


    Everyone here was wearing the same uniform, so he was probably right.


    So, they just leave when they¡¯re done?


    The vampire Luven and the demon Saneia had served General Farneze for a very long time.


    Perhaps they had little to talk about at this point? ¡­No.


    I looked at Corps Commander Nehyor who walked in the lead.


    ¡°Do you not get along with them? Do they hate you?¡±

 Chapter 58

    Chapter 58I suddenly realized that everyone was kneeling except for me.


    Well, I was just late.


    It was my fault for just staring as General Farneze appeared.


    I hadn¡¯t been looking at what the others were doing at all.


    What should I do? It would look weird if I frantically dropped to my knee now¡­ It was as I was thinking this that the General herself gave me permission.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t expect perfect manners from an ogre.¡±


    I see. It was true that ogres were not the most sensitive when it came to manners.


    However, I was a little more capable than most ogres.


    I could do something as simple as kneeling if I wanted to¡­ Of course, I wouldn¡¯t do it now. It was too late.


    General Farneze stood on an elevated platform in the center and looked down at us.


    ¡°I have seen all of the reports of the battle.¡±


    Her cool voice echoed through the hall. It was a good, clear voice.


    General Farneze had what could be described as a very western, beautiful face.


    Her skin was sickly in how pale it was, which was common in vampires.


    On the other hand, her lips were a vibrant red.


    This was a good contrast. She had all the charisma of a Hollywood star.


    ¡°Your defense during the last battle¡­¡±


    General Farneze continued.


    Apparently, she wasn¡¯t lying about having read the report.


    She had all of the information about the battle on the lookout hill.


    She even knew about the movements of the other Commanders, which I didn¡¯t.


    And while I had heard some of it during our strategy meetings, there was a lot that was news to me, though it made total sense.


    This General was impressive.


    ¡°Furthermore, you attacked the Gigant Centaur¡¯s camp¡­¡±


    She moved onto my army.


    There wasn¡¯t any exaggeration or even brushing over of details.


    She just relayed the truth as it happened.


    As far as I was aware, it was the kobolds that made the reports. They were completely void of emotion. I didn¡¯t really expect that from them.


    ¡°¡­With all of this considered, I award Corps Commander Nehyor with the Silver Wing Emblem. Furthermore, each of the Commanders will be given the Bronze Saber Tooth Emblem.¡±


    They all bowed deeply.


    ¡­Should I do that too?


    I was still standing.


    Maybe I could bend forward like a shrimp. It might be humorous.


    ¡­Of course, I would never do that. And so I did a proper bow.


    General Farneze seemed to have finished her speech. And a subordinate came out holding a tray. The emblems were on top of it.


    That¡¯s when everyone stood up. Now we were all lined up perfectly. I didn¡¯t stick out anymore. S~?a??h the ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    And then General Farneze went down the line and stuck the emblems onto us.


    I suppose it was like the military decorations they had in my previous life. The only difference was that these didn¡¯t come with any letters of appreciation.


    ¡°¡­Corps Commander Nehyor. For your considerable contribution¡­¡±


    I saw him straighten his back. Even he was not his usual self here.


    He looked very serious.


    ¡°I am thinking of giving you a reward for destroying the enemy Corps Commander. What do you want? Of course, it will have to be within my authority.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I think I¡¯d like permission to see that underground library.¡±


    He was back to his normal self.


    Apparently, he had already considered what he wanted in advance.


    Still, permission to see some books? He was lacking in ambition for someone who had killed the enemy chief.


    ¡°That is Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s library. I don¡¯t know what the other two Generals will say to that¡­¡±


    Or not? The General seemed a little troubled.

 Chapter 59

    Chapter 59Apparently, General Farneze knew about the previous Commander, Guden.


    They had talked on several occasions in the past.


    ¡°High Ogres are rare in this country. And so I remember him.¡±


    ¡°I see. I heard that his wounds healed and he is doing very well now.¡±


    His broken neck bones had healed and he was back to normal. I was glad of it.


    Though it was me who broke it.


    ¡°However, I have never even heard your name before, Golan. What a surprise it was.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still quite young, even within my village.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Now that I think of it, your mana level is very¡­¡±


    Very¡­ The General stopped there.


    She was probably going to say ¡®low,¡¯ but had opted to be polite.


    And since I could read a room, I didn¡¯t ask her about it.


    ¡°I suppose I was lucky.¡±


    I offered.


    In fact, it was not really possible to become a Commander with this mana level. Same with defeating a Taiga or Gigant Centaur. S?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    General Farneze stared at me hard.


    Then she gave Corps Commander Nehyor a meaningful look.


    ¡°You do like to gather together the oddest sorts.¡±


    She then said that she was curious to know when he had discovered me.


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t do anything. He just turned into a Commander on his own.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ So you didn¡¯t know about him at all before that?¡±


    ¡°Of course, not.¡±


    I had challenged Commander Guden during my first war. So of course the Corps Commander wouldn¡¯t know about me.


    Hell, I didn¡¯t know which village a lot of my men were from.


    ¡°So, you must be very strong, Golan.¡±


    ¡°You are kind to say so.¡±


    General Farneze looked a little surprised.


    ¡°You¡¯re a strange ogre.¡±


    She said.


    Yes, polite ogres were practically non-existent.


    However, that¡¯s when I realized something.


    If I wasn¡¯t careful here, my actions could cause all ogres to be underestimated. And so I couldn¡¯t go too far.


    This was a General. Someone who was so far ahead in rank. But enthusiastically agreeing to every command could just result in absurd demands being made later on.


    So it might be best to show that I was still quite ogre-ish.


    But, no. This was a General. Perhaps I should just keep my head low, even if she did mock me.


    ¡°You really care about your men, don¡¯t you, Golan? That¡¯s why you became a Commander.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­that¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡±


    General Farneze didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°The ogres were dying due to senseless charges at the enemy base. ¡­I wanted to end that.¡±


    Even now, I could hear Guden laughing as he shouted, ¡®Gahahaha!¡­ Go! Go!¡¯


    We would have all died eventually if that continued.


    I believed that my actions had been correct.


    However, General Farneze thought differently.


    ¡°Well, why shouldn¡¯t ogres be used to charge?¡±


    She believed that meat heads were of no use aside from that.


    ¡°I must say¡­I feel that is very callous of you.¡±


    Charging into magic attacks. It was pointless death.


    We were gifted with these strong bodies. They should be used in a different way that played to our strengths.


    ¡°But they are just ogres? Not High Ogres or Excellent Ogres. Surely they do not understand anything remotely difficult?¡±


    Huh? Was she antagonizing me?


    Was it because I drew too much attention to myself?

 Chapter 60

    Chapter 60Vampires really were monsters.


    That¡¯s what I thought.


    In the Demon World, your mana and race decided everything. And in it, Vampires were near the top of the ladder. And there were many of them.


    And there was strength in numbers.


    The more of you there were, the higher the chances of one being born very powerful.


    I had thought this when fighting Corps Commander Nehyor as well. Vampires were at their best when using magic, but even in a fist fight, I could not win.


    It made me so angry.


    I had become stronger since the time I had cut off Nehyor¡¯s hand and arm.


    And yet it meant nothing when fighting the General.


    Silence had fallen over the hall. Only my heavy breathing could be heard.


    It was just one swing. A swing I had put all of my strength into.


    And as I had used so much energy, I was out of breath.


    When I tried to pull my sword back, it got caught in the nails and wouldn¡¯t move.


    ¡ªCrack.


    When I pulled hard, the blade broke.


    The ring of the metal echoed in the room.


    ¡°¡­Phew.¡±


    Nehyor sighed. And then he smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s finished¡­¡±


    My strongest attack had been blocked and my sword broken.


    This was the result of fighting someone I should never have fought.


    General Farneze just had to resist a little and my life would be snuffed out.


    It was already decided.


    ¡°I see¡­ So that¡¯s why you want a new sword. It was an amazing blow.¡±


    The General said as she saw the cracked blade that was still in her nails.


    ¡°But it wasn¡¯t strong enough to reach you.¡±


    I said, rather unwisely.


    Vampire nails would grow back immediately.


    In other words, I hadn¡¯t even really hurt her.


    ¡°Indeed. Perhaps I should reconsider my perception of ogres. You can take this with you. It¡¯s your work.¡± S?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    She picked up the nail I had cut off and handed it to me.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I accepted it silently, and she whispered something to one of her men. And then she left the hall.


    Apparently, I had survived.


    Also¡­what was I supposed to do with this nail?


    ¡°Ah, Golan. You really do like to pick fights out of nowhere. I was so surprised.¡±


    Nehyor said with a grin and multiple slaps on the shoulder.


    ¡°Of course, you lost without being able to do anything. So how do you feel?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He was looking at me with a smile. Was he that happy that I lost?


    ¡°Well, I think you can still be proud. You cut off the General¡¯s nail, after all.¡±


    Apparently, General Farneze¡¯s nails were able to cut through demon iron¡ªwhich was a metal that gnomes made with the use of magic.


    And so it was quite a feat that I had cut through it with just an iron sword.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you can¡¯t kill the person.¡±


    While I had been forgiven this time, I would have died had she attacked back.


    So I didn¡¯t see why I should be proud over cutting someone¡¯s nails.


    ¡°Y¡­you¡­you¡­¡±


    Lobos was shaking with rage.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    I thought he was going to have a heart attack.

 Chapter 61

    Chapter 61I looked up at the sky.


    It was dark and gloomy, as if it was a reflection of my heart.


    When my eyes returned to the ground, there were three vampire men in front of me. I could sense their rage.


    This place really was like the end of the world.


    And once again, people wanted to pick a fight with me.


    I guess I was pretty popular.


    This was General Farneze¡¯s town, Estarbia.


    I had only just arrived a moment ago. And now look at what¡¯s happened.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    As for the men who wanted to murder me, they were some ruffian Vampires.


    Their deadly claws were extended, and they silently closed in.


    As they were already poised to fight, there was no point in trying to talk to them.


    In the first place, ¡®talking¡¯ had never really been an effective way of getting out of trouble in the Demon World.


    Obviously, Vampires were one of the advanced races.


    Even the average one was much stronger than me.


    And these were a little above average.


    ¡°I have no choice.¡±


    I had only approached them in order to ask where General Farneze¡¯s mansion was. And they immediately saw me as a suspicious figure. And before I knew it, they were trying to kill me. S?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Well¡­it was possible that I had been a little rude in the way that I asked them.


    Still, if that led to attempted murder, then surely they were in the wrong. Maybe.


    Now, if I wanted them to listen to me, there was no way to do it other than making them completely powerless.


    Thankfully, there were three of them. In other words, I would be able to ¡®fail¡¯ twice.


    One of them rushed forward, ready to strike with his claws. I immediately countered with my leg.


    ¡°¡­Gaaagh!¡±


    While I had a club on my back, there was no time to reach for it.


    And so this was the right way to intercept him.


    And since I aimed for his center, my foot went right into the pit of his stomach.


    His forward momentum and my much heavier weight meant that he went flying beautifully into the air.


    But there was no time to be relieved. The other two came forward from both sides.


    They were more coordinated than I had been expecting. Surprising, given they were just ruffians.


    If this is what they were like now, they would be pretty strong if they became soldiers.


    I almost wanted to show them to the meathead ogres.


    (One is coming with claws, the other with fangs.)


    Perhaps they didn¡¯t carry weapons when in town. Either that or they were very confident in their natural weapons.


    Their mana level greatly exceeded mine. But it was obvious that they were resting on their laurels, and hadn¡¯t put any effort into training.


    I hit the back of its knee with a low kick, and swiped my foot from the other side when it lost its balance.


    The result? He sat on his knees very neatly.


    The other was charging at me, and so I grabbed his thumb and broke it.


    Then I took him by the ear so he faced me, making it easier for me to crush his eyes.


    ¡°Gaah!¡±


    It was just some fingers into his eyes. He wouldn¡¯t be permanently blind, anyway.


    As he was blindly thrashing around now, I dodged his arms and rammed my elbow into his head.


    And while most of my weight was behind the blow, he remained quite conscious.


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re a sturdy one.¡±


    There was a big difference in size between them and us ogres.


    But even my elbow drop was not enough to knock him out.


    ¡°Bodies that have been strengthened with that much mana are difficult to deal with.¡±

 Chapter 62

    Chapter 62¡°¡­That is a warning bell. It is usually rung when enemies are attacking the town.¡±


    General Farneze explained with a wry smile.


    Apparently, she was not angry about it.


    ¡°I see. I had no idea about that.¡±


    Ignorance was scary. Yes.


    ¡°They don¡¯t have them in your ogre villages? What about Nehyor¡¯s town?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve only been there once, but I didn¡¯t notice any.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not connected to the border. And perhaps it wasn¡¯t in an obvious place¡­ Well, and you¡¯ve only been there once.¡±


    The town that General Farneze ruled was connected to Demon King Tralzard¡¯s country.


    Perhaps it was because she was next to a superior country, that they were more cautious of danger.


    After all, my accidental ringing of the bell had caused all of the residents to prepare for battle.


    Several Vampires had come out of the mansion. And when I asked them to take me to General Farneze, they were furious.


    As for how you were really supposed to make your presence known¡­


    There was a knocker on the gate. But it was difficult to see, because of the patterns on it.


    Ogres were large, and not good at spotting such details¡­ Well, that¡¯s what I told them, anyway.


    Ultimately, General Farneze herself came out, and so I explained the situation to her. She looked at me with exasperation before turning around.


    I had a feeling that she was laughing. Her shoulders were shaking, after all.


    While the bell had been rung, it was then explained to the townsfolk that it was an accident. I saw the vampires leave frantically in order to spread the news.


    Yes, while I had not meant to do it, I had caused quite a lot of trouble.


    ¡°Well, such are the times. It was good practice for the people.¡±


    Said the General. I saw that she was gritting her teeth in order to avoid laughing. Was this really so funny?


    ¡°But why is this bell in front of your mansion, General? Shouldn¡¯t it be by the main gate or the watchtower?¡±


    Yes, if you hung it in a place like this, people were going to want to ring it.


    ¡°Oh, there are bells in those places as well. However, I sometimes get messages directly from the sky while in my mansion.¡±


    I see. Vampires could fly.


    If they saw enemies outside of the town, they would rush straight to the General¡¯s mansion.


    While they could just put the bell inside of the mansion, it was incredibly loud when rung.


    And so they put it outside, just over the gate.


    This way, riders who came would also be able to ring it.


    Without knowing any of this, I had hit the bell¡­it was very embarrassing.


    I had walked for five days straight in order to reach this town.


    Damn it. That was a lot of work just to get one sword.


    However, it was because of this that I was starting to learn more about the size of this country.


    As the castle was apparently in the center, it meant I could walk from the north corner to the south in ten days.


    And since the country was close to a circle in shape, it would be the same, east to west.


    Ten days to walk from one side to the other. It was my opinion that this country was rather large.


    On the other hand, the General had returned with her subordinates through the air, and it had taken them two days to arrive.


    Yes, that was the difference between Vampires and Ogres.


    ¡°So, I suppose I should prepare your reward, Golan.¡±


    The General¡¯s adjutant, Atarascia had taken the key to the underground library, and along with Igis, another subordinate, they were monitoring Corps Commander Nehyor as he entered the library. S?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Was such caution really necessary?


    They said that there were a lot of books that must never leave. So perhaps it was unavoidable.


    ¡°Most of my men are still at the castle.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bother you.¡±

 Chapter 63

    Chapter 63There were five watch towers built in the town, and the one that was currently ringing was apparently in the direction of Demon King Tralzard¡¯s country.


    And so the sword would have to wait. We returned to the first floor.


    Even without General Farneze giving out any orders, her subordinates moved swiftly.


    As for the bell, it was still ringing.


    ¡°The report will come soon¡­ah, there it is.¡±


    A vampire flew through the air and landed in the courtyard.


    Judging by the uniform, it was a soldier.


    ¡°I have a report. Enemies have been sighted near the Forest of Thorns.¡±


    ¡°How many, and how long will it take them to get here?¡±


    ¡°Their number is unknown. As I saw the Dragon Palace, it should take them a while to reach us.¡±


    ¡°Dragon Palace¡­ I see. Good work. You may go.¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­what¡¯s a Dragon Palace?¡±


    ¡°How much do you know about the Golden Dragon, Tralzard?¡±


    ¡°Just the general stuff. At least, I think I do.¡±


    While Vampires were among the high ranking races, there were many that were above them.


    And one of those races was dragons.


    Starting with Fire and Water Dragons, there were many powerful types.


    However, the real reason that dragons were feared, was because they often gave birth to ¡®Origin¡¯ types.


    Origin types¡ªthe birth of a unique being due a sudden mutation.


    And if they left their own descendants and started a new type, it meant the birth of a new and powerful clan. But even if that didn¡¯t happen, they were powerful on their own.


    In Demon King Tralzard¡¯s case, he was an Origin type called a Golden Dragon. And he had many dragon subordinates.


    ¡°The Dragon Palace is a moving palace that Demon King Tralzard gives to powerful dragons. In other words, whoever is attacking us now, they are powerful and trusted enough to be given a Dragon Palace.¡±


    I felt a chill go down my spine.


    Such a thing¡­seemed like it was more than enough to take this town.


    ¡°Ah, you know what? I think I should be leaving now.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay a little longer? I haven¡¯t even given you your reward yet.¡±


    I don¡¯t need it. Just let me go. Can¡¯t you read the room for once?


    Damn it. I came to the worst possible place.


    General Farneze herself had lots of men. Well, half of them were still at the castle.


    And none of her Corps Commanders were here. They were all back in their own towns. And they wouldn¡¯t make it in time if she called them.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Well, there is only one thing that I can do, if the enemy wants to fight.¡±


    One thing. And one result too. We lose.


    In the first place, you could not even compare Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s country to Demon King Tralzard¡¯s country.


    We had been fighting Lesser Demon King Leninoth until recently.


    And while both sides had the same title, there had been a big discrepancy in terms of the quality of Commanders and Corps Commanders.


    What about Demon King Tralzard?


    Look at the size of the countries. It was dozens of times larger. S?a?ch* Th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    His Generals and Corps Commanders would have received lands as well. Perhaps each had land that exceeded this country.


    That¡¯s how big the difference between us was.


    What about fighting force? It would not be surprising if their Commanders were as strong as our Generals.


    They would have so many Commanders and Corps Commanders that were superior to General Farneze, that you couldn¡¯t count all of them using both of your hands.


    To be frank, I would be a foot soldier to them. That¡¯s how advanced they were.


    ¡°If they are coming with a Dragon Palace¡­shouldn¡¯t you just surrender?¡±

 Chapter 64

    Chapter 64Dragons who could ride a Dragon Palace were strong.


    A little bit of knowledge I learned today.


    ¡°So, I¡¯ll see you around.¡±


    As General Farneze said that she was going to go and look at the enemy, I attempted to take my leave, but was grabbed by the neck.


    Not only was I taller than the General, but I was more than twice as wide. And yet, my arms were weaker.


    And like that, I was dragged on the ground. But before I knew it, I was up in the air.


    General Farneze. She had started flying while still grabbing me by the neck.


    ¡°Um¡­do you have to carry me like this?¡±


    I felt like laundry¡­


    ¡°We are almost there.¡±


    She said evasively. And so I kept quiet.


    It would be worse if I flailed around and she just dropped me. S?a??h th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    I sighed with great relief when we finally arrived on the castle walls safely.


    ¡°How is the situation with the Dragon Palace?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s slowly approaching.¡±


    There was something I realized while standing on the wall.


    ¡°The forest¡­there is no road.¡±


    ¡°Of course, not. It¡¯s not as if we want to have any kind of interaction with the Demon King and his country.¡±


    I had assumed they would be coming down a road, but I was wrong. There was only a forest that stretched on.


    ¡°Hmm? So, how are they going to come?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±


    After I waited for a while, a giant turtle came walking through the forest while avoiding the trees. Well, it certainly looked like a turtle, but it had the most vicious looking face I had ever seen.


    And the shell on its back was in the shape of a castle.


    ¡°So that¡¯s the Dragon Palace.¡±


    Apparently, Demon King Tralzard was the only person who could give these giant turtles.


    And they were very rare.


    What kind of person did you have to be to get such a thing?


    Just then, one of the Vampires started to fly towards the Dragon Palace.


    I looked to the General and asked her what it was doing.


    ¡°He went to ask them their purpose.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    So it¡¯s not like they had already decided to go to war.


    As I watched to see what would happen, the Vampire returned.


    ¡°Their representative is Flying Dragon Miralda. She wishes to speak to you. What is your answer?¡±


    I had never heard of Flying Dragons.


    People like me rarely got any information about races that were too high in rank.


    ¡°Tell her to keep the Dragon Palace where it is, and to come out alone. We will discuss matters outside of the town. I will be accompanied by Golan, here.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    Me?


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you have nothing better to do.¡±


    That¡¯s not the problem.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you go with one of your trusted subordinates instead of me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any personnel that I wouldn¡¯t miss if it came to a fight.¡±


    She said it. She really said it, this General.


    In other words, my death would be no problem at all.


    ¡°¡­No problem at all, huh?¡±


    Indeed, the death of a single ogre would not have any impact.


    ¡°So you understand? Then let¡¯s talk in advance.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    We had to do that too?


    Did she think I was going to do something during the meeting?

 Chapter 65

    Chapter 65The messenger that the Gold Dragon, Tralzard had sent was General Miralda, the Flying Dragon.


    She had so much mana that I couldn¡¯t even begin to measure it.


    And now, she was talking in a stern voice.


    ¡°I shall relay to you the words of our king.¡±


    I could tell that General Farneze was nervous.


    She was thinking about the worst case scenario, and how she should respond.


    ¡°I want you to put an end to Lesser Demon King Leninoth and Lesser Demon King Fara¡¯s ambitions. I do not care about what methods you use.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    General Farneze remained silent. So did I.


    What had she just said? End Leninoth and Fara¡¯s ambitions?


    Why? What was happening?


    ¡°What is your answer?¡±


    ¡°Wa-wait a minute¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm, Golan. Do you have a question?¡±


    ¡°The reason¡­will you tell us?¡±


    I expected her to say that no reason was necessary. We just had to obey. However, Miralda muttered, ¡®indeed, you are right,¡¯ and she began to explain.


    ¡°We know that a number of Lesser Demon Kings around here are warring. But they are all small. Even if one manages to become a Demon King, they can be easily crushed¡­ Wouldn¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Is-is that wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not wrong. However, this is not an ideal place.¡±


    Miralda then said that her country was currently fighting with other Demon Kings.


    ¡°We are pincered by Demons Kings on the north and the south.¡±


    Apparently, they were in the middle of a war with two countries at the same time.


    Demon King Janius to the north, and Demon King Legard to the south.


    And so the last thing that Demon King Tralzard wanted now, was for a new Demon King to be born in the east.


    ¡°Then he should just attack all the Lesser Demon Kings first.¡±


    ¡°You, I¡¯m surprised you can say such a thing, given this is your country.¡±


    To be honest, I didn¡¯t have much of a sense of belonging, when it came to this country.


    Even when I participated in the war, it was just because of the conscription.


    Well, I was a Commander now, but up until recently, I was just an ordinary youth who lived in his village.


    It wasn¡¯t easy to suddenly feel any patriotism.


    But while I didn¡¯t care about doing things for my country, the safety of my people was a different matter.


    They were people that I wanted to protect if I could.


    ¡°So, what is likely to happen? Does he intend on invading us?¡±


    ¡°He very well could, but that would cause the Great Demon Kings to become cautious.¡±


    I brought up a map in my head. S~?a??h the N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Indeed, there were countries ruled by Great Demon Kings near the smaller countries.


    Tralzard was gathering power in order to try and become a Great Demon King.


    If they had reason to assume this, Great Demon King Dalm and Great Demon King Bihashini might start to interfere.


    He was already fighting two Demon Kings on both sides. He would not want to increase the burden.


    ¡°So, why did he choose our country?¡±


    General Farneze was finally back. She had been frozen for quite some time.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s quite simple. Your master is asleep. There is only so much that a few Generals can do, regardless of their ambitions.¡±


    She was certainly blunt.


    ¡°¡­That is true. In any case, we will not take any actions that are against the will of our lord, King Melvis.¡±


    General Farneze said. She sounded relieved.

 Chapter 66

    Chapter 66Let¡¯s take stock of the situation.


    What Miralda wanted was for us to prevent Leninoth and Fara from dominating.


    And she didn¡¯t care how we did it.


    And if this could not be done, Demon King Tralzard would just have to swallow up all of the surrounding countries.


    And I didn¡¯t think she was bluffing.


    So, was it possible for our country to accomplish this?


    This was one of the rare countries in the Demon World that was relatively peaceful.


    And so we hadn¡¯t lost too many brilliant people in war, like other countries had.


    But even with that considered¡­


    ¡°We don¡¯t have a sufficient fighting force.¡±


    It was one thing to defend, but we definitely weren¡¯t strong enough to invade another country.


    But what was General Farneze¡¯s thoughts on this?


    ¡°Well, we could send a special suicide squad.¡±


    This General. She was quite evil. S?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    That could either be a single blow to get out of a desperate situation.


    Or it was the last struggle of someone who was on the brink.


    When it came to battle between races, the amount of mana affected the outcome.


    That allowed the high-ranking monsters to go uncontested in enemy territory.


    They could invade the enemy country alone or in a small unit. And there, they could assassinate the strongest in the country. It was easy to say, but difficult to do.


    After all, if they came at you with much greater numbers, it would be incredibly tiring.


    Furthermore, there were some races who had especially dangerous special abilities.


    While Wraiths were weak when they were alone, if many of them used ¡®The Hand of Death¡¯ over and over again, they could paralyze your body.


    That¡¯s how many of my own comrades had been killed by inferior orcs.


    In the past, a Demon King had even been killed by the Reapers and their ¡®One-hit Death.¡¯


    And so you would have to be very careful about races with special abilities.


    ¡°That kind of attack¡­ I can¡¯t agree with it.¡±


    It didn¡¯t matter if you succeeded or failed. You generally would not come back. You were disposable.


    I could not trust a superior officer that did not value their comrades. That was my stance. If that¡¯s where this was going, then I would just have to do to her what I did to the Gigant Centaur. And that punishment would be meted out soon.


    ¡°The best results with the smallest sacrifice¡­ What is that if not ideal?¡±


    ¡°I see. Well then, you should go yourself, General. I promise to wave and cheer you on.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ You have a lot of nerve for a mere Commander. I suppose Nehyor is not very good at discipling his men.¡±


    ¡°Yes, discipline¡­ He isn¡¯t very good with that. Perhaps he takes after you?¡±


    ¡°Do you two always fight like this? I¡¯d appreciate it if you did this somewhere else.¡±


    Miralda said with an exasperated voice.

 Chapter 67

    Chapter 67After that, General Farneze and I quickly returned to the mansion.


    By the way, it had been her idea to put on that ridiculous charade in front of the Demon King¡¯s messenger.


    I had just been roped in. Well, it was pretty fun, though.


    Residents of the Demon World had little to do with interactions that had any degree of wit involved. And I had gotten a little carried away. I¡¯ll admit that. I was having fun.


    ¡°Gather the others. We must hold a meeting.¡±


    She said, and one of her servants ran out.


    Now that was a refreshing sight. S~?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    When I gave orders to my subordinates, they would say, ¡®aarrrgh!¡¯ or ¡®baah!¡¯ and would show no enthusiasm to speak of.


    ¡°We were able to contact Felicia.¡±


    ¡°Good. Still, it hurts that Atrasushia is in the castle. If Imalis is in the castle, tell her to come here.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The General continued to give out orders.


    ¡°A notice must be sent out to the town in my name. Is anyone here!¡±


    ¡°Ye-yes.¡±


    A few people who were likely civil servants stepped out.


    ¡°Write down what I am about to say, so the people may know that a dragon with a Dragon Palace is outside of the town.¡±


    ¡°Right away.¡±


    Both she and her subordinates worked hard. It was satisfying to watch.


    She needed to warn those in the town, to ensure that no idiots decided to go out and see it for themselves.


    It would be a terrible thing if someone went out there for the sake of curiosity, and managed to anger them.


    You never knew when some idiot would attack, thinking that they were strong enough to take on an enemy.


    Of course, there was no way they could win. Even if they challenged the dragons, they would be obliterated in a second.


    That in itself wouldn¡¯t mean much, only the enemy¡¯s anger could turn to the town next.


    And so it was best to hammer the nail in.


    ¡°Any who try to go outside of the walls will be attacked without question¡­¡±


    I listened to her speak, and it turned out to be very severe.


    As Vampires could fly, a wall didn¡¯t do much to keep them in.


    But if they tried to fly out, they would be killed.


    It seemed very extreme, but this was the Demon World. And so I doubted anyone would agree with my opinion.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure¡­a few will try anyway.¡±


    In spite of such harsh measures, some would still try to do it?


    And more than one?


    ¡°Who would want to escape the walls after hearing that?¡±


    But this was the Demon World.


    ¡°Some are incapable of recognizing their true power.¡±


    Now that I thought about it, there had been such ruffians in the town.


    In Ogre towns, there were no such people like that. People who were just ¡®playing.¡¯


    Everyone had a job to do¡­they were forced to.


    Perhaps it was something only seen in the stronger races.


    ¡°General Farneze. Imalis has arrived.¡±


    ¡°Good. Tell her to come to the meeting. I¡¯ll be there in a moment.¡±


    Apparently, they were going to discuss the matter.


    As her adjutant, Atrasushia was not here, and there wasn¡¯t anyone else who had as much insight on military matters. But for now, this Imalis was to take her place.


    She was apparently in charge of the town¡¯s defenses.


    It was because of this Imalis, that the General was able to leave the town without worrying.


    As for this Felicia that had been brought up earlier, she was apparently in charge of suggesting strategies. A sort of advisor and tactician.


    Her appearance was that of a half human and half bird, but not exactly a harpy, as she had the head of a bird.

 Chapter 68

    Chapter 68There were more than ten people attending the meeting.


    And they weren¡¯t just Vampires.


    All of them likely held important positions within the town.


    While it might seem like they had a lot of meetings in the Demon World, this was mainly because of limitations when it came to communication. And so they had little choice.


    If you only talked to people you happened to meet, you would lose track of who was aware of what.


    And that could be fatal when it came to important matters.


    Furthermore, as everyone would have to move based on their own decisions, it would not be good to relay information piece by piece.


    As you never knew when you would no longer be able to contact them, no matter how important.


    And the people that General Farneze had gathered here were personnel who needed to know all of the details. They were the strongest and most trustworthy.


    Except for me.


    ¡°All of you, thank you for coming. I¡¯m sure you all know of the reason. We must talk about this messenger that was sent by Demon King Tralzard. First, I will tell you what we know. And then I would like to hear your unreserved opinions.¡±


    And so General Farneze spoke of what led to the encounter, what we talked about and why we were gathered here.


    I had thought about it before, but she really was good at explaining things. It was easy to understand everything she said.


    And I always felt that it was a great skill. Those who stood at the top should be able to relate information in a way that would not result in misunderstandings.


    ¡°¡­And so, we were able to buy some time. However, we will have to reach a decision before we meet with her in the same place tomorrow. ¡­And now, I will like to hear your opinions.¡±


    Once she was finished, the others brooded on her words for a while.


    Unlike Ogres who immediately said what was on their minds, these people were very thoughtful.


    It was evident that they were her valued subordinates.


    So it was no wonder that she didn¡¯t want any of them to die if she could avoid it.


    Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that it was fine for me to die while accompanying her.


    And I intended on making that very clear.


    ¡°This Miralda. What was she like? ¡­Aside from the facts that you told us, what do you personally think?¡±


    Asked an old Vampires.


    As there had been no introductions before we started, I didn¡¯t know who was who.


    But judging by his clothes, he was likely an administrative officer. He looked like a politician.


    ¡°My impression is that she was here purely for the purpose of carrying the Demon King¡¯s words. What about you, Golan?¡±


    Oh, now she wants me to talk.


    Well, I suppose I could give them my first impression.


    ¡°In my case, there was one thing that bothered me as we talked.¡±


    ¡°Oh? And what was that?¡±


    s?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 69

    Chapter 69¡°Felicia. Is there something that you noticed?¡±


    Felicia was the person that General Farneze trusted the most when it came to strategy.


    When it came to who she trusted most in strength, that was Atrasushia, who was left at Melvis¡¯s castle. I suppose it was these two who were closest advisors.


    ¡°About this movement. If you look at the root of it, this is a Gekokujyo resulting from the invasion by the Celestial World.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Since the Demon King was defeated, not only Lesser Demon Kings and Demon Kings are afraid, but even Great Demon Kings are wary of the Celestial World.¡±


    And that¡¯s why battles were being waged with more ferocity than before.


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s Leninoth or Fara. Such squabbles should not be enough to prompt someone like Demon King Tralzard into action. However, it would be a different matter if the Celestial World was involved.¡±


    ¡°So what you¡¯re saying, Felicia, is that Demon King Tralzards actions are related to the Celestial World?¡±


    ¡°It is still within the realm of  speculation, but the hole in the sky opened above the Barodoto territories, which is directly south of Tralzard. Furthermore, the Pillars of Salt are located in Tralzard¡¯s lands. It would not be odd if his actions are related to the Celestial World.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡±


    General Farneze was deep in thought.


    This hole they were talking about, was the hole that opened up in the sky when the Celestial World invaded us decades ago.


    They had wreaked havoc on the Demon World and then left.


    Their purpose had been to take the ¡®Orbs of Control¡¯ that existed in the bodies of all of us.


    In the Celestial World, they were just referred to as ¡®Magic Stones.¡¯


    Demon King Baradoto was defeated by the Celestial beings, and his country was currently split into seven pieces. S?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    There were no traces of its former glory now.


    As for the ¡®Pillars of Salt¡¯¡ªIt was also known as the ¡®Six Pillars of Salt,¡¯ and was said to have been used as a base by the Celestial beings when they invaded.


    They had attempted to cover the Demon World with some kind of ¡®Holy Power.¡¯ However, in spite of their best efforts, this part of their plan ended in failure.


    And the pathetic remnants of the Holy Power were left in the Demon World as pillars of salt.


    The only reason why they were still there, was because no one wanted to go close to them. I had never seen them myself.


    ¡°I understand what you mean, Felicia. We should assume that there is likely another motive as we discuss the matter. Now, about their request, do any of you have any thoughts?¡±


    The General asked, and many of the others spoke up.


    But most of it was what I had been thinking.


    We simply did not have a sufficient fighting force if we were going to stop Leninoth and Fara. So, what could be done? There were many opinions about this as well, and it didn¡¯t seem likely that everyone would agree on one thing.


    ¡°¡­Perhaps we should take a short break.¡±


    While the deadline was tomorrow, they had to reach a decision as soon as possible.


    And so the General must have thought it would be a good idea to let our minds rest.


    She turned to me.


    ¡°By the way, Golan. You were against agreeing to their proposal. Why is that?¡±


    I hated when she interrogated me.


    However, I had to answer.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I was against it. I told you that it wasn¡¯t realistic.¡±


    ¡°Is it really? I think that we can acquire a lot of power if we target the weaker countries first.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Lesser Demon King Lubanga is currently being attacked by two countries at the same time. Because of this, he is forming an alliance with Lesser Demon King Rous¡­or attempting to. Fortunately, we share a border with Rous, so it will be possible for us to invade them as soon as they send their army to support Lubanga.¡±


    A big problem in the Demon World was that when Country A and Country B started fighting, Country C would suddenly intervene.


    Every country was just itching for a fight.


    And while Countries A, B, and C fought, Country D would then join the fray.


    Once that happened, there was no end to the chaos.


    And a great war between many countries would ensue.

 Chapter 70

    Chapter 70¡ò Farneze¡¯s Mansion ¨C Felicia


    Due to this visit from a messenger of Demon King Tralzard, the town was put in a state of high alert.


    The messenger that had come was Miralda, the Flying Dragon.


    Among the Demon King¡¯s subordinates, she was a relatively understanding person.


    She had been a General for about a hundred years now, but there had never been any stories about her getting emotional and causing a genocide.


    Perhaps that was why she had been chosen to be a messenger.


    And so a meeting was held. And just as the fatigue started to become visible on the faces of those who participated, it was announced that we would take a short break.


    General Farneze was perceptive when it came to such things.


    Even though everyone that was present was strong, there were some who did not like to think.


    And so tea was brought in from the next room, and the atmosphere lightened considerably.


    As there were some who looked like their heads were about to burst, this would be a good way to let off steam.


    A few even got up and left the room.


    Secret conversations¡­perhaps it wasn¡¯t quite that, but they would have things to discuss in private, and they would want to share information.


    Besides, there were bound to be a few who were muttering ¡®hmm¡¯ and ¡®I see¡¯ during the meeting, who didn¡¯t understand at all.


    This was evident when you saw that those who spoke during the meeting and those who didn¡¯t seemed to split up into two groups.


    In the meantime, I couldn¡¯t help but stare at this Ogre, Golan.


    Perhaps he was hungry, as he ordered some food to go with his tea. And then he took it and left the room.


    Was he going to eat outside?


    ¡°¡­Are you curious about him?¡±


    Asked General Farneze. That¡¯s when I noticed that I was still staring at the door after he had disappeared.


    ¡°Yes. He is not like other Ogres¡­ That¡¯s what I was thinking.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s unlike you to muddle your words like that, Felicia.¡±


    ¡°I heard that he came here today to collect a reward. I was not present at the time, as I was escorting another Corps Commander outside of the castle, but I¡¯ve read the reports.¡±


    According to the reports, Golan was much like any other Ogre. S?a?ch* Th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    He had led a charge and taken the enemy camp. He was just like the previous Commander.


    It was surprising that he beat a High Ogre through Gekokujyo, but this was in the middle of a war.


    Such things sometimes happened.


    Our country had not been invaded for hundreds of years.


    And so we had gathered a lot of information for the future.


    I had information about Nehyor¡¯s subordinates as well.


    This was why I had not expected Golan to be able to speak so well during the meeting.


    If I was asked whether or not I was curious about him¡­I would have to say that I was very curious.

 Chapter 71

    Chapter 71Tea was brought out during the break.


    I asked if there wasn¡¯t anything to eat as well, and was given some bread.


    It was the typical preserved food type.


    But everyone stared at me when I was about to eat it, and so I took it and went outside.


    It was just as I was finished eating and returned to the room, that the second half of the meeting started.


    ¡°I think we heard the general opinions earlier. As for how we can stop their ambitions, that is a different matter. However, I just wanted to know what you all thought. Regardless of how we do it, I¡¯m thinking about accepting the Demon King¡¯s request. Leninoth and Fara. We won¡¯t let either of these Lesser Demon Kings gain dominance.¡±


    Everyone nodded at General Farneze¡¯s words.


    She was good at bringing things together.


    ¡°Now, I am quite sure the other two Generals would agree with this. We cannot just obey timidly when someone makes a demand. And so let us return to the previous subject. Instead of merely listening to Demon King Tralzard, we must make him compromise. Think about it. And tell me if you have any ideas.¡±


    After that, everyone gave their opinion as they wished.


    However, most were unrealistic. Very, very unrealistic.


    For instance¡­


    ¡°They are a great country. And so we should borrow some of their soldiers. We can win if we make them do most of the work.¡±


    This was ridiculous.


    In fact, if they did just send some of their strongest troops to us, we¡¯d be wise to consider it the first step of an invasion. S~?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    What kind of fool would want to accept soldiers from a strong country that we weren¡¯t even in an alliance with?


    ¡°How about sending our own men to them, and have them train? They have been warring for years, and our soldiers will be able to learn a lot from them as they grow stronger.¡±


    What kind of idiot¡­


    Why the hell would they pass over their military secrets to us?


    Strategy and combat arts were only worth anything once you had experience. Things you didn¡¯t want the enemy to know¡­there was no way that they would tell us.


    And so I mostly just sat there in stunned silence. Waiting to see where things would go¡­


    ¡°We can have them strengthen our troops and then we can work together as friends. Then no matter what enemy we face, we will be able to trample over them easily.¡±


    They went on.


    ¡°Idiots.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but mutter. However, it was in a quiet voice, and so no one heard me.


    ¡°It looks like Golan has an opinion.¡±


    The General suddenly said. Wait, did she hear that?


    ¡°Uh¡­not really.¡±


    ¡°I would like to hear it. As I told you before the meeting started, I want everyone to speak frankly.¡±


    Well, if she was going to say that much, I couldn¡¯t just say that I had nothing.


    Besides, from the looks of it, at least half of the others were against the last speaker¡¯s opinion.


    But then again, I didn¡¯t have an alternative plan¡­ What could I say?


    ¡°There are three countries ruled by Lesser Demon Kings that are connected with our country. First is Leninoth, who is currently continuing his war. Then there is Rous. And then there is Kurulu, who is at war with Lubanga.¡±


    Most of those seated looked at me as if they couldn¡¯t understand why I was telling them this.


    ¡°To continue, even if we attacked Kurulu or Rous, Leninoth would use the opportunity to attack us. The only thing that is keeping Leninoth in check, is our three Generals, who each have their role in protecting this country. ¡­In other words, why not have one General remain and protect the castle, and have the other two armies cooperate in order to invade Leninoth?¡±


    Have Tralzard send an army to the east.


    Of course, there will be no need to cross the border.


    What was important was that troops were gathered and spread out in the east.


    As long as the threat of invasion was there, Rous and Lubanga would not be able to move.


    Kurulu and Nacti might then use the opportunity to send their armies to Lubanga.


    After all, both countries would have their eyes temporarily directed to the west side.

 Chapter 72

    Chapter 72I was now with General Farneze in the same tent we were in yesterday.


    As we knew that Miralda would likely teleport again, we kept our guard up as we waited.


    However, just waiting with excitement and anticipation was bound to be tiring. And so I spent the time thinking.


    For instance, about General Farneze.


    In terms of mana, the General was said to have an amount that made her the closest to being a Lesser Demon King in the whole country.


    Close to a Lesser Demon King¡­ In other words, her name was not on the Tablet of Control yet.


    ¡°Where can one find the closest Tablet of Control from here?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m bored. And I was just thinking about where it might be.¡±


    ¡°While they are scattered all over the Demon World, there is unfortunately none in our country.¡±


    ¡°So where are they?¡±


    ¡°Usually in the countries of Demon Kings and Great Demon Kings. I don¡¯t really know about the others. I have no interest in that.¡±


    ¡°I see. But I wonder how many there are in all.¡±


    ¡°Who knows? They can be found all over the Demon World. Perhaps over forty? I doubt anyone has counted all of them.¡±


    The residents of the Demon World weren¡¯t completionists, and no one had bothered to investigate, apparently.


    ¡°Have you ever seen one, General?¡±


    ¡°A couple of times. It was so large that it just looked like a shiny black wall.¡±


    It was said that it was impossible to move or destroy a Tablet of Control.


    Of course, that would just make people want to prove their power. However, judging by the fact that there were never any stories about people successfully doing so, it was likely true.


    The tablet was aware of the mana level of all residents of the Demon World. I thought that it must be some kind of receiver device.


    In that case, perhaps the Orb of Control was the transmitter.


    Perhaps the residents of the Celestial World wanted the ¡®magic stones¡¯ because that feature was necessary, and not just the stored mana.


    Well, it was all just my own imagination.


    ¡°I heard that you have enough mana to have your name written on the Tablet of Control.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what they say.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°I just hear people say that I am not much different compared to some whose names are written, and so I¡¯m inclined to believe it.¡±


    I see. That¡¯s what she was going on.


    ¡°So, you will be able to declare yourself a Lesser Demon King soon.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. This country is small, and there are not enough people. And since there are no plans for that to change, I have very low expectations.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about the receiving of mana through the Orb of Control?¡± S?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Yes. Unlike other countries, the roof cannot be raised, so it will be difficult to increase it by much.¡±


    We residents of the Demon World had mana storing stones in our bodies.


    As for why they were called Orbs of Control¡­


    It was because subordinates used these stones to give some of their mana to their superiors. That¡¯s where the ¡®control¡¯ part came from.


    And while it was just a small amount, if it was from hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, it would become an immense amount.


    Unfortunately, such a boost could not be expected in Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s country.


    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting.¡±


    Miralda said as she popped out of a cardboard box¡­ I mean, teleported in front of us.


    I suppose it was a special ability that dragons had. I was jealous.


    ¡°Let¡¯s continue where we left off.¡±


    Miralda would have things move at her own pace this time.


    ¡°¡­It won¡¯t do.¡±


    That is what Miralda said when we suggested she could listen to our requirements instead of just accepting the demand as it was.


    ¡°I know it will be difficult to move your armies. We are not even asking you to cross the borders. We just want a diversion.¡±


    ¡°And I am saying that it won¡¯t do. If we send troops to the west, the north and south will become more aggressive. The battles will heat up even more.¡±


    Hmm. And so we were rejected.


    It had seemed like a reasonable enough request to me.


    ¡°Say these battles with the other Demon Kings do heat up. What kind of losses are we talking about?


    Perhaps we could compensate. It was worth considering.


    ¡°Indeed. It would probably result in each side losing about ten ¡®Lesser Demon King¡¯ class officers.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Well, that sounded very heated indeed.


    This country only had Melvis, but in other countries, people of that rank could easily die in battle.


    Clearly, there would be no way to compensate them for that.


    That was a problem.


    Without any other solution, the whole business would have to be forgotten.


    That being said, I couldn¡¯t think of anything else¡­


    ¡ªClank!


    Suddenly, General Farneze got to her feet.


    ¡°!? What is it?¡±


    She looked pale. Something unusual must have happened. But what?


    ¡°Nehyor¡­¡±


    ¡°The Corps Commander?¡±


    Why was she talking about Corps Commander Nehyor now?


    ¡°He has escaped control.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    Escaped? He¡¯s fled?


    Did he revolt?


    Oh, I could sense it too¡­


    ¡°There is no place¡­to take the gathered mana.¡±


    I¡­and all of my subordinates¡­were no longer under Melvis¡¯s control due to Nehyor¡¯s disappearance.


    ¡­Everyone in the village must be very shocked right now.


    It was a catastrophe I suppose, but that was the first thing that came to my mind.

 Chapter 73

    Chapter 73I didn¡¯t understand the reason, but my connection to Corps Commander Nehyor had been cut off.


    Well, I suppose that he wasn¡¯t the Corps Commander anymore.


    The Orb of Control connected those who were above to those who were below. And they spread out like the branch of a tree. One might say it was like a tree diagram.


    And I had been cut off from that flow.


    Yes¡­that was the best way to describe it. Cut off.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize it would make me feel so anxious.¡±


    I muttered in surprise.


    Everyone could tell if there was a connection through mana.


    This was why even meat heads were able to tell their allies apart from enemies during war.


    And now that was gone.


    For instance, the death of a Corps Commander or Commander would not have caused as much of a stir.


    After all, the flow of mana would be maintained¨Cit was like how even if one branching point in a tree diagram disappeared, the overall shape would remain the same.


    You just needed someone else to fill in the spot and all would be well.


    However, things were different now. Nehyor had been cut off.


    He had used a great deal of power and cut the flow.


    In order to escape the bond of control, you had to want to do it.


    It was like cutting a thick wire with a jigsaw. It was not something that could just happen by accident.


    ¡°You two¡­has something happened? It sounds like someone has broken away?¡±


    Broken away. I suppose it was true. I would never have thought that Nehyor would leave Melvis¡¯s control.


    That¡¯s when I realized it.


    We were still negotiating. General Farneze was so shocked, that she had blurted out the internal affairs of this country.


    ¡°A little problem has occurred¡­¡±


    The General also noticed that she had misspoken. I could see her grimace.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°No, it is not something to tell outsiders¡­ It is our concern alone.¡±


    ¡°We are currently talking about something that is very important for both countries. Perhaps it does concern us.¡±


    ¡°It does not concern you. It¡¯s about my subordinate.¡±


    ¡°You do not get to decide that. Hiding it will do you no good.¡±


    I could understand her view.


    Miralda most likely wanted to know if we could be trusted.


    If we lied or misled her here, it would leave a very bad impression, even if we went through with the negotiations.


    ¡°¡­I see. Well then, I will tell you. Just a moment ago, a Corps Commander was freed from the bonds of control. He was my subordinate¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­ The one you called Nehyor.¡±


    Now that I thought about it, she had shouted the name in the beginning.


    ¡°Yes. That is correct.¡±


    ¡°Did this Corps Commander hear what was being discussed, and run out of fear?¡±


    ¡°¡­No. Nehyor would have been in King Melvis¡¯s castle, and would have had no way of knowing.¡±


    I thought so too. It was just yesterday. He could not have known.


    Hell, I had expected him to still be reading books in that underground library of his.


    ¡°And from what I gather, this person left without leaving someone else in his place as Corps Commander?¡±


    ¡°Yes. And so his former subordinates are no longer under anyone¡¯s control. That is the situation.¡±


    There wouldn¡¯t be nearly as much alarm had Nehyor passed on his role as Corps Commander to someone else.


    The fact that he hadn¡¯t was close to a declaration of war.


    He purposely wanted to cause chaos and turn our eyes towards him.


    He wanted us to know that he would not be coming back.


    And this confusion would continue unless the next Corps Commander was chosen. I myself was confused.


    ¡°So he left by force. He must know that he will be chased. You would do well to assume that he has prepared a way to escape then. Perhaps he is moving now in order to cross the border?¡±


    ¡°I would think so¡­ I see. He made me come here so that I couldn¡¯t chase after him.¡±


    I had to agree with the General there. There were so many things that were suspicious.


    It had been Nehyor who pressed me to ask for the Deep Sea Dragon Sword.


    He had insisted on it, even. And in order to receive a private possession of the General, it was necessary to go to her town.


    On the other hand, Nehyor would be at the castle.


    Aside from the General, the only others who would know that he was gone were Nehyor¡¯s subordinates.


    The Gob-gob brothers, Bian, Lobos, and me.


    We couldn¡¯t contact the others, and even if the General tried to go after him, the castle was much too far away.


    ¡°¡­So he had been thinking about this moment even during the war.¡±


    I was¡­used as a pawn to get the General away from the castle.


    How very sly of him. I would kill him the next time we met.


    ¡°It seems like your country is not a monolith then. I don¡¯t know what this Nehyor intends to do now, but¡­ Hmm?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Miralda suddenly looked strange. Like she was trying to remember something.


    Was there something that we didn¡¯t know?


    ¡°Nehyor¡­ Now that I think about it, that name does sound familiar.¡±


    The General of such a great country knew the Corps Commander of a small and weak country like ours?


    ¡°Nehyor is a Vampire who came to our country three hundred years ago. Was he from your country before that?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. Three hundred years¡­ I see. Now I remember.¡±


    Miralda¡¯s beautiful face scowled.


    Apparently, it was a memory she would have rather forgotten.


    ¡°As he never talked about what he did before coming here, no one knows much about him.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ While I cannot confirm anything, I will tell you what I do know. After all, it concerns my country as well.¡±


    So saying, Miralda searched through her sleeve and pulled out a rolled up map. S?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°As you know, our country has been in a state of war with Demon King Ledard for a very long time.¡±


    Miralda began.

 Chapter 74

    Chapter 74Demon King Tralzard¡¯s messenger was the General, Flying Dragon Miralda.


    A woman who was every bit as beautiful as the flashy kimono she wore.


    I assumed that she was a lot older than she looked, but as I was an ogre that could read the room, I didn¡¯t ask her about it.


    And as someone who still had those old Japanese sensibilities, she was exceptionally good-looking to me


    Were we not in this situation, I might have wanted to hit on her.


    In any case, she slowly began to talk of the past.


    ¡°To the east of Demon King Legard¡¯s country, there is a small country ruled by Lesser Demon King Legras. I suppose you might recognize it as the country where one of the Six Pillars of Salt is located.¡±


    The Six Pillars of Salt¡­ The places where the Celestial World invaded from.


    A terrible war had been waged, and countless residents of the Demon World had died.


    ¡°It used to be ruled by Lesser Demon King Sola, but that changed with a Gekokujyo. And now Lesser Demon King Legras sits on the throne.¡±


    I looked at the map.


    Legras¡¯s country shared borders with Great Demon King Bihashini and Demon King Legard¡¯s countries.


    This would be a very nervous place to be for a Lesser Demon King.


    ¡°It was only much later that I heard stories about a certain person playing a big role in that take over. However, that person did not stay in the country. He took his subordinates and wreaked havoc on the surrounding lands. It was Legard¡¯s country that suffered the most.¡±


    So he provoked a Demon King. He had a lot of nerve.


    ¡°He did all that, and it didn¡¯t start a war with Legras¡¯s country?¡±


    General Farneze was right to question this.


    You had to retaliate when someone ravaged your lands. It was the way things were done in the Demon World.


    ¡°Well, the people wreaking havoc weren¡¯t under Legras¡¯s control.¡±


    In other words, they were like us now. Free.


    There were people who weren¡¯t under anyone¡¯s control.


    However, they were usually shunned wherever they went.


    ¡°And they eventually came to our country. Several towns and villages were destroyed. The group was composed of Obliteration Hunters, Black Knights, and Dullahan. All of them were very powerful. We had a difficult time dealing with them. Most of them escaped, but we captured some. That¡¯s how we found out. The name of the person who led them.¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°They called him Nehyor. A short Vampire. And the group that he led was called the ¡®Wild Hunt.¡¯ What do you think? Sound familiar?¡±


    I had never heard it before. As for General Farneze¡­ S~?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°The Wild Hunt. The gang of ghosts that come out of the shadows to work as much savagery as they can, before vanishing into the night¡­¡±


    ¡°So you do know them. It was around that time when all rumors of their attacks suddenly stopped. I had assumed that they had been defeated¡­¡±


    ¡°What time was this?¡±


    ¡°About three hundred years ago.¡±


    It was the same time that Nehyor had come to this country.


    So the guy who used to pick fights with Demon Kings was our Corps Commander? A good, lowly citizen like me¡­was working for a gangster?


    However, I still didn¡¯t understand what Nehor wanted.


    Did he want to bring back the Wild Hunt?


    Well, then he could have done that. He could have just left.


    He didn¡¯t need to plot so carefully like this and escape.


    Yes, his mind was still a mystery to me.


    It wasn¡¯t just his purpose. I never knew what he was thinking during normal times.


    ¡ªBut he was not someone you could trust.


    Somewhere in my heart, I had always believed this.


    And so while I was angry when I heard that he had fled, I also felt like it was something he would do. However, I would not forgive him if we met again.


    ¡°I understand your situation now. And I will accept your earlier proposal.¡±


    Miralda¡¯s words caused my open jaw to freeze.


    She had suddenly changed her mind? Because of what just happened?


    ¡°Are you certain?¡±


    General Farneze looked doubtful.


    ¡°If Nehyor is the head of the Wild Hunt, this disaster might affect our country as well. I do not know what he has been thinking or waiting for during the last three hundred years, but I feel like it would be unwise to cut you off now. No, it would be best for you to be indebted to us.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The General and I both bowed our heads.


    While we would be indebted to them, it was not really a problem.


    After all, we were always in a weaker position.


    The day might come when they asked us to do something in return. But it would have been just the same as if they had ordered us to do it.


    Anyway, it was more important to get out of the current predicament.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s discuss the details¡­is what I would like to say¡­but it seems like you have important matters to attend to?¡±


    Yes. Now that Nehyor was gone, it felt like I was suspended in the air.


    ¡°I will remain here. You can go and deal with it.¡±


    ¡°Uh, thank you.¡±


    ¡°So, how about the same time, tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°That is fine. Half a day will probably be enough¡­ No, I will make sure that it is.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. That is good. I will be expecting good results.¡±


    Miralda nodded with satisfaction, and then she vanished.


    This time, I had been staring hard at her, but had not been able to observe any special abilities being activated.


    It meant that if I ever had to fight her, I would have no way of dealing with that skill.


    ¡°Miralda. What a terrifying girl¡­gah!¡±


    ¡°Golan. We must go at once!¡±


    The General grabbed me by the collar and shot up into the air.


    ¡°Gggghhheee¡­¡±


    C-can¡¯t¡­breathe¡­

 Chapter 75

    Chapter 75Miralda had given us a day.


    The secret agreement would be finalized tomorrow. And so I looked back on everything that had been discussed.


    Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s country was to stop Leninoth or Fara¡¯s ambitions.


    Of course, this ambition meant the swallowing up of the surrounding countries and rising to rank of Demon King.


    In exchange for doing this, Demon King Tralzard would send out their soldiers to the borders in order to keep surrounding countries in check.


    That¡¯s how it was.


    They had accepted our demand. You could say that it was a great success.


    And judging by Miralda¡¯s attitude, she did not seem particularly resentful about it.


    It also didn¡¯t seem like she intended to trick us. And I felt that as long as we kept our side of the bargain, they would do the same.


    Besides, this demand¡ªof crushing the possibility of Leninoth or Fara dominance¡­


    It matched what we wanted as well.


    In other words, we had always been going in that direction. So it would be easy for the other Generals to agree to it.


    And we even got a little help in the process.


    Normally, this would be a matter for great congratulations.


    However, I was in a dark mood. I felt depressed.


    This was all because of the former Corps Commander.


    As there was no way to hide it, it must be made public. And worse, we had found out about his past, and how much of a threat he was.


    If people were sent after him, they would likely be annihilated.


    It would just be a double humiliation.


    ¡°This problem gives me a headache, but it can¡¯t be pushed aside.¡±


    As for me, I kind of wanted the General to take responsibility and go deal with it.


    However, it might be too dangerous for her to go alone.


    Still, she couldn¡¯t take an army either. If he really had crossed the border, it could result in a war with that country.


    ¡°I heard that you were calling for me, and so I came.¡±


    Said Felicia.


    Felicia was in charge of strategic planning. A person of great mystery. I didn¡¯t even know what race she was.


    ¡°Felicia. This is a matter of great urgency. Corps Commander Nehyor has betrayed us.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ahh.¡±


    Even she was surprised by this.


    ¡°And so everyone who served under him is now cut off from control.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can see that Golan does not belong to any army now.¡±


    Yes, I was currently free.


    Unfortunately, people like me, who were not under anyone¡¯s control, stuck out like a sore thumb in the Demon World.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to like this, Felicia. But I need you to take Nehyor¡¯s place.¡±


    ¡°You want me to be a Corps Commander¡­ Are you certain?¡±


    ¡°You are strong enough. I don¡¯t see why not.¡±


    ¡°No, that is not what I am worried about.¡±


    ¡°You mean going public? It¡¯s an emergency. Considering the future, it would be best to do it now.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hmm?¡±


    What were they talking about? I was confused.


    It was like Felicia and General Farneze were synced together when they talked.


    There was no room for me to enter. I could not interrupt them.


    ¡°Well then, I will accept the position. ¡­And the first thing I¡¯ll do is put Golan under my control. Prepare yourself, Golan.¡±


    And so I urged the orb within me as I turned towards Felicia.


    A beam of light shot out of and swirled around Felicia before disappearing into her body.


    Now we were connected.


    ¡°It seems to be alright.¡±


    ¡°Your mana has increased greatly¡­Golan. What does this mean?¡±


    ¡°Huh? I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°It seems different compared to when it was Guden¡­ I didn¡¯t expect it to increase this much.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because I took in the Reapers.¡±


    ¡°So that was you. I heard the reports. And when Lobos and the others are included¡­will it overflow?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. I think it is possible.¡±


    ¡°It would be best to have a few units under my command.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that would be safer.¡±


    ¡°As I will need you to go towards the castle and deal with Nehyor, I¡¯ll be keeping Golan with me here.¡±


    It seemed that my future was being decided, even though I was still not sure what they were talking about.


    Keep me¡­did she mean¡­


    ¡°Well, then¡­¡±


    After exchanging some words, General Farneze and Corps Commander Felicia made the transaction. And like that, I was sending energy to a different person. S~?a??h the ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Apparently, I was directly connected to the General now. I guess this meant that my men were also now under her control?


    ¡°Felicia. I need you to go immediately. There are four Commanders left. You¡¯ll be able to find them if you go to the castle. If you can, continue to gather information when you are there.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    Felicia bowed gracefully and then left the room.


    ¡°So, there it is. You are no longer under Felicia. Understand?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m rather confused.¡±


    It seemed like I was listening to a private conversation.


    ¡°Now, we must find Nehyor¡¯s location. As for who we can send¡­there are not many who could run away if it turned into a battle¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh, do you mind if I ask you something first?¡±


    ¡°Nehyor would be trying to get as far away as possible¡­ But more importantly, we have to find out how many men he took with him. There may even be others who are waiting for him, given how long he seems to have been preparing. If we are not careful, the Wild Hunt might start within the country¡­¡±


    ¡°General! I have a question!¡±


    ¡°What? Why are you shouting all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s possible¡­uh, I¡¯d like you to explain.¡±


    ¡°Explain what?¡±


    About Felicia, and uh, Felica. Yes, about her.

 Chapter 76

    Chapter 76Ultimately, it seemed like General Farneze had little intention of telling me more about Corps Commander Felicia.


    Of course, I wasn¡¯t going to push the issue. But it was clear from their earlier conversation that they were hiding something.


    And as someone who had just been used and manipulated by Nehyor, this was not very amusing to me.


    The dissatisfaction must have shown on my face, because the General thought about it for a moment and then asked,


    ¡°Why did you take in the Reapers, Golan?¡±


    ¡°Why? Because they were relying on me. That¡¯s when I made the decision to take them in. At that point, I didn¡¯t care if I had permission to do so or not.¡±


    She had changed the subject so suddenly, that I blurted out the truth without really thinking.


    Protect your friends with your life. s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It was the promise I had made with my mother.


    And I wasn¡¯t going to break it in this world as well.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The General was silent for what seemed like a long time.


    And then she muttered, ¡®well, you¡¯re under my direct control now¡­¡¯


    It was as if she were arguing with herself.


    ¡°About Felicia. She is a derivative of a Garuda. Would you understand if I said that one of her parents was an ¡®Origin¡¯ type?¡±


    ¡°Someone born as a unique type, and not an advanced type?¡±


    That¡¯s what derivatives were.


    A branching path in an evolution.


    ¡°If Felicia has descendants of her own one day, and they take the same form, they will become established as their own type.¡±


    Well, it was a bigger deal than I had expected.


    ¡°And uh, you¡¯re allowed to tell me this?¡±


    I had been the one to ask. But this talk was about whether or not a new type would be born in the Demon World.


    ¡°You must not talk about it elsewhere. Felicia can have children with other Garudas. And so their enemies, the Naga, are threatened by her.¡±


    Garudas and Nagas were mortal enemies.


    In the Demon World, there were species specific predispositions that went beyond personal grievances.


    Sometimes, they were of similar species, or as in this case, it was a matter of both being predators. Snake and bird.


    As for these Naga. They weren¡¯t the serpent or humanoid monsters people thought of in Japan. These looked more like cobras.


    They also had four heads coming out of their neck, making them quite interesting to look at.


    ¡°The Naga, huh? Aren¡¯t they very vicious and aggressive?¡±


    The type who will charge right at you. Most people considered them to be meatheads, just like us ogres.


    ¡°They are not happy with the idea of a new special type of Garuda. And so they launched an attack. After all, there are not many Garudas. However, Felicia used a certain strategy, and annihilated them.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    No wonder she got her position.


    ¡°Of course, that just made them hate her even more. She was targeted specifically after that, and so she fled the country. And after being a wanderer for a while, she came to work for me.¡±


    I had wondered why she was the only one of her kind here. So that was the reason.


    ¡°Is she still being targeted?¡±


    ¡°She is. Rumors spread when your name becomes known. And so I kept her out of the spotlight. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t take her to negotiate with Miralda. I would have preferred to leave such matters to her, but considering the possibility of her enemies finding her, it could not be helped.¡±


    Well, I guess that explained why she took me.


    So she really had meant it when she said that I was ¡®personnel that she didn¡¯t mind losing.¡¯


    Felicia was that valuable to her.


    ¡°And the reason that I was taken out from Corps Commander Felicia¡¯s command¡­¡±


    ¡°Felicia has an incredibly high amount of mana. It is not impossible that she might become a Lesser Demon King one day. That would result in her name being put on the Tablet of Control. Not exactly something she would want. That¡¯s why I had you removed.¡±


    The General then noted with an amused laugh, that it was a good thing that all of Nehyor¡¯s subordinates were of the weaker species.


    In other words, Felicia was not likely to become a Lesser Demon King.


    While she was supposed to be the brains, she apparently had even more mana than General Farneze.


    What a frightful person the General had been hiding.


    ¡°While I don¡¯t want you to repeat this to anyone, I do want you to remember it. After all, I may have to ask you to do things in the future, to insure that her name does not leave this place.¡±


    ¡°I am just a humble ogre. Use me as you will.¡±


    At least I had learned that General Farneze also took care of her own.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She laughed.


    ¡°So it worked out for the better after all. That Nehyor¡¯s subordinates were weak.¡±


    The Gob-gobs, Bian¡­ Most of them were not really suited for combat.


    They were the perfect personnel if Corps Commander Felicia didn¡¯t want to become a Lesser Demon King.


    It was almost impressive the Nehyor had found all these¡­found?


    ¡°He found them!?¡±


    ¡°What is it, Golan?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but think about it.


    We Commanders had been gathered together by Nehyor.


    Why had he gathered all of these people who weren¡¯t experts in battle?


    It was as if he didn¡¯t want to become a Lesser Demon King either¡­ Was it something like that?


    ¡°Could Nehyor have been purposely avoiding raising his mana so that he wouldn¡¯t become a Lesser Demon King?¡±


    What if he was really so strong, that it was actually odd that his name wasn¡¯t on the Tablet of Control already?


    ¡°I doubt that¡­no, perhaps it¡¯s possible? But¡­why?¡±


    Yes. Why?


    That was the question. Why did Nehyor want to avoid having his name on the Tablet of Control?


    Now that I thought about it, having two Goblin units during a war was absurd.


    And he had done the same with the Flying Eagles, which were only good for carrying supplies.


    It was as if he was playing.


    ¡°Could it be because if his name was there, people would remember what he did three hundred years ago?¡±


    The Wild Hunt that had ravaged the countries of two Demon Kings.


    And of course, there were smaller countries that suffered as well.


    If his name appeared on the tablet, people would start to search for the old vampire.


    And they would likely have more than harsh words for him.


    And what if a Great Demon King or Demon King started to search for him as well?


    ¡°That¡¯s why he was avoiding it!¡±


    The General seemed to have come to the same conclusion.


    ¡°General. This might be a much deeper problem than we thought.¡±


    Why had Nehyor been hiding like this?


    And why had he decided to move now?


    This was a problem that we were very much involved in.


    ¡°Damn it. And we are so close to finalizing this deal with Demon King Tralzard!¡±


    I understood her frustration.


    An invasion from Lesser Demon King Leninoth, negotiations with Demon King Tralzard, Nehyor¡¯s betrayal and secret¡­too many things were happening at the same time.


    Hope you¡¯re all enjoying the series. New chapters are posted daily on Patreon!

 Chapter 77

    Chapter 77Here¡¯s a riddle.


    What¡¯s something you have too much of when you¡¯re young, but have too little of when you get old?


    ¡ªIt¡¯s time.


    Or not.


    I¡¯m still young, but I don¡¯t have enough time at all.


    Apparently, even Vampires felt the same, in spite of living much longer than humans.


    They too were bound by time.


    ¡°We have no time. We must hold a council at once!¡±


    General Farneze was still quite young(at least in appearance), but she knew the importance of time.


    She conjured up the same members as yesterday, like some magic trick. And then we began.


    There were two matters to discuss. The messenger and Nehyor.


    And so time was more important than anything now.


    I had only intended on being a bystander¡­but I suppose I forgot myself a little. I went too far.


    It was too late now, though. And I had to go all out.


    ¡ªIf we want to defeat Lesser Demon King Leninoth, it has to be a brief, decisive battle! S?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    I declared this in a loud voice.


    I might regret it later, but I would deal with the consequences.


    Of course, they talked about the lack of soldiers and made other such arguments. But I refuted each and every one of them.


    Yes, I went too far. Much too far.


    I had humiliated the powerful residents of the town, including the vampires.


    And since Corps Commander Felicia had already left, there was no one to keep them in check.


    And so they stormed off, red-faced at having lost an argument to a meathead ogre.


    After all, I had obliterated them so thoroughly, that every time they opened their mouths, the situation became more unfavorable to them.


    I would have to be careful when I slept tonight.


    ¡°Golan. Even I think you went too far.¡±


    Said General Farneze.


    I know. I know it. But it was as if I had suddenly been possessed.


    But it wasn¡¯t the god of comedy, that¡¯s for sure.


    It was like being drunk.


    In any case, my passion for dealing with the Nehyor situation had made me lose any sense of caution.


    However, it was in the past now. Not that that made things better.


    Besides, it was all Nehyor¡¯s fault.


    And so we met with Miralda on the following day, in order to discuss what we had agreed upon(I had forced everyone to agree on).


    And without any further trouble, the agreement was settled.


    But while I had been the one to suggest it, I was starting to have doubts.


    ¡°Are you really an Ogre?¡±


    Miralda asked me before she left.


    But I wasn¡¯t sure how to answer something like that.


    ¡°I know that I¡¯m an Ogre. That¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    In other words, my stance was that the opinions of others did not matter. ¡®How very philosophical¡¯ she muttered. And then she left.


    Now I would be able to return to the village¡­is what I thought. However, I still hadn¡¯t received the sword yet.


    ¡°You really are amusing, Golan. If you leave now, what was the point in even coming here?¡±


    She was right.


    ¡°I¡¯m going after you give me the sword.¡±


    In any case, I needed to return to the village once and tell the others about Nehyor.


    I hoped that Rig didn¡¯t get a heart attack. But even if he did, it wouldn¡¯t be my fault.


    He would have to complain to Nehyor. Though, he would have trouble doing that.


    That¡¯s when it came to me. I wasn¡¯t a Commander anymore. Had I been demoted?


    It wasn¡¯t that I wanted to go up in the world, but it didn¡¯t really seem right. I had worked so hard.


    ¡°The Deep Sea Dragon sword was your reward, wasn¡¯t it? ¡­Wait here. I will go and fetch it.¡±


    So, she was not going to let me enter the treasure room.


    And so I waited patiently outside.


    After a while, General Farneze returned with a bundle in her arms.


    ¡°This is the Deep Sea Dragon sword. The strongest monsters lurk at the bottom of the sea. Especially in these ¡®deep sea¡¯ places. They say that the most unbelievable monsters can be found there. And this sword was made with their bones.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I will take good care of it.¡±


    ¡°It was rather expensive.¡±


    She said with a little annoyance as I grabbed it casually.


    I guess she was rather skeptical.


    ¡°But how did they manage to kill a dragon that lived deep in the sea?¡±


    This world did not have submarines. And I very much doubted anyone could have dove that deep.


    ¡°Because it attacked them, of course. Yes, it¡¯s true that they are usually in the waters that are so deep the light doesn¡¯t reach them, but sometimes they will suddenly rise to the surface if they detect a ship.¡±


    Wait a minute!


    I thought these dragons would be like deep sea fish.


    But if they could easily move back and forth like that¡­ They would have to have features that were equivalent to submarines.


    Their skin would have to be very tough.


    It was amazing that people were able to kill such a creature. But this was the Demon World.


    Yes. In the future, I would be more careful about antagonizing people that looked strong.


    As for the bundle, I unwrapped it to reveal a long, Japanese sword.


    Compared to my old one¡­the one that had broken during my fight with General Farneze¡­it was longer and thicker.


    But it was still a katana.


    ¡°The blade is¡­white.¡±


    Was it because it was made of bone? It was nice.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­very much.


    There is something called ¡®Bone China¡¯ that is made by mixing cow bones with porcelain. It had a similar, white luster to it.


    I liked it a lot. But there was no sheath.


    As for performance¡­well, I would have to test it out next time.


    By the way, there were several things in the Demon World that were stronger than steel.


    Bones like these from powerful monsters was one of them.


    They tended to be hard and tough. They could probably cut through steel.


    ¡°Thank you for such a great gift.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your reward.¡±


    Now that I thought about it, Nehyor¡¯s reward had been a look into the underground library.


    I didn¡¯t know what he had been trying to do there, but I now had something to cut him in half with the next time we met.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be going now.¡±


    ¡°You really don¡¯t compromise, Golan.¡±


    I wanted to return to the village as soon as possible.


    ¡°I will continue to search for Nehyor. Depending on what I find, I may need to speak with you again.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Please tell me if you do find him. I intend to give him a taste of this blade.¡±


    ¡°Very well. I will let you know.¡±


    And like that, I left the town of Elstabia behind me.


    It took me five days of walking to return to the village.


    Regardless, I had finally been able to return.

 Chapter 78

    Chapter 78Unsurprisingly, the village was in an uproar when I returned.


    As everyone had been cut off from Nehyor¡¯s mana flow, they were also removed from Melvis¡¯s control.


    And while I knew the reason for this, those in the village had no idea what was going on.


    ¡°Did Melvis die?¡±


    It was either that or rumors of my death. These rumors eventually resulted in people claiming that I had started a rebellion.


    ¡°I always thought Golan would do it.¡±


    Said the idiot brother.


    I made sure to jab him and dislocate his arm after that.


    And since I was the only one who could put it back, I decided to leave him until he came crying to me.


    ¡°¡­So, former Corps Commander Nehyor has defected. Anyone who is seen to help him will be treated as a traitor from now on. Furthermore, if anyone has any information, you would do well to speak up quickly.¡±


    While it had not been that much time since it happened, Rig had gone to Nehyor¡¯s town and acquired information.


    He was a very capable adjutant.


    And so the village had regained a little of its composure by the time I returned. However, because Saifo just had to start spreading rumors, the others had begun to suspect that I was part of Nehyor¡¯s rebellion.


    After carefully explaining things to them, I sent Kobolds out to the other villages.


    That should bring this chaos to an end. Maybe¡­


    The part that was the hardest to explain was how this affected us all.


    I told them that Felicia was the new Corps Commander.


    They seemed to understand when I told them that she originally worked under General Farneze.


    However, I told them that we would not be under her command. ¡®Oh, so you are rebelling after all?¡¯ someone asked. And so I punched him.


    Did they really think that I was such an anarchist?


    I didn¡¯t feel like telling them every little detail, so I just said that we would be working for the General directly.


    There were two different reactions when I said this.


    Rig and Painy were very shocked.


    An army that was directly under the General¡¯s command would have to be outstanding.


    Of course, we weren¡¯t. But I couldn¡¯t tell them that this was just a move to protect Felicia.


    ¡°We will likely participate as a reserve corps from now on.¡±


    The General had said as much.


    It was too late to integrate us with her other armies. So we would only be used when necessary.


    ¡°That is such a wonderful thing.¡±


    Painy said with much emotion. s?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°If you are the chief of a reserve army, that means you are just as powerful as a Corps Commander.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    The General hadn¡¯t said anything about that.


    ¡°Usually the General¡¯s main army only moves during a final, decisive battle. In such times, units directly under her command will have the most important roles. In other words, you will be part of the army that attacks the enemy leader. As the Chief commanding a part of that army, you will be expected to do much more than before.¡±


    ¡°Uh, I think you¡¯re exaggerating a little¡­¡±


    Painy was clearly thinking about it very seriously. However, I knew that the General did not put me in this position because she had high expectations for me.


    She just didn¡¯t want Felicia to attract too much attention. That was all.


    ¡°Still¡­ Does this mean that if something were to happen to the village, the General would protect us?¡±


    ¡°Is that true?¡±


    ¡°Of course, not.¡±


    This was the other reaction.


    Up until now, I could go directly to the Corps Commander and make an appeal if there was a problem.


    Like how the village would make a request to me, and I would go out in order to solve it.


    It was similar to that, but on a larger scale.


    But how would things work now that I was directly under the General?


    What if there were problems where I couldn¡¯t make a decision, or it was too much for me to handle?


    I was sure that there would be all kinds of problems in the future.


    Previously, I just had to go to the Corps Commander. Did that mean I had to go to the General now?


    Would the General even help with the village¡¯s problems? ¡­It was hard to imagine.


    ¡°I think that some other Corps Commander will deal with it. Either that or one of the General¡¯s subordinates will take pity on us.¡±


    But I really didn¡¯t know.


    I suppose we¡¯d find out when the time came.


    Well¡­surely she wouldn¡¯t just ignore us¡­ I¡¯d like to think so.


    And so I finished explaining everything, and things returned to normal in the village.


    But it wasn¡¯t long before my hopes for some peace and quiet were dashed.


    Saifo came up to me.


    ¡°Hey, Golan. What happened anyway? About that tribe that doesn¡¯t belong to anyone?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I forgot about that.¡±


    Yes, it really had escaped my mind.


    Now that I thought about it, Saifo had brought that matter to me.


    However, I had pushed it aside after being summoned to the castle.


    My assumption had been that I would return immediately, but then I was forced to go to the General¡¯s town in order to pick up my reward. Then I became involved in strange meetings and negotiations. And I had forgotten the whole thing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go and investigate it tomorrow.¡±


    It was a hassle, but that couldn¡¯t be helped.


    This was my job as the Commander¡­ No, I wasn¡¯t even the Commander anymore.


    What would I be called now?

 Chapter 79

    Chapter 79This was the matter that Saifo had brought up to me.


    It was the village that was the third closest to ours.


    This place was rich with water, and they had a number of sources nearby.


    As there were wells, the residents rarely went out to any of these lakes. However, a hunter who had been chasing prey, had spotted it. A creature that hid in the shadows of the water grass.


    The hunter was wise enough to stay away from it.


    He did not know what it was, but it was clear that it was not under Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s control. And that was something to be wary of.


    As for this connection that had recently been severed by Nehyor, it had functions other than efficiently gathering mana for those above. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It allowed people to differentiate between people from your country and those who were not.


    And so people who were free could be discovered immediately.


    They stuck out.


    That was why the hunter stared fixedly at it.


    The creature he saw then disappeared into the water grass. The hunter did not follow any farther.


    It was the right thing to do.


    ¡°And so now they want me to investigate these mysterious people.¡±


    Unless it was incredibly strong, it was hard to believe someone would be out there alone.


    And so it was likely part of a large tribe, just like the Reapers.


    ¡°That might make things very dangerous.¡±


    Of course, it didn¡¯t mean they were necessarily aggressive. If anything, perhaps they had been persecuted in another country, and had to flee to this one. It was certainly possible.


    And so I would have to go and negotiate with them.


    After all, I was the only one here who had the power to make decisions.


    That was the reason that I took the two day journey to the place they had been sighted.


    ¡°¡­A cave?¡±


    I was able to find the place with the water grass fairly easily.


    However, as it was a swampland, it was difficult to move once you stepped inside.


    And so I went around it and came out near a lake.


    After some searching in the area, I found this cave.


    ¡°The cave¡¯s entrance is narrow but tall. Quite large overall. And since it¡¯s close to the water, this is the most likely place¡­¡±


    But I didn¡¯t like the idea at all.


    The cave was dark and cramped.


    And there would be many places to hide. I would have to move carefully.


    If the people inside were especially cautious, they might let fear get the best of them, and attack me all at once.


    ¡°But none of the nearby villages have been attacked. So perhaps they are not hostile¡­¡±


    They hadn¡¯t made any villages in the mountains or any other visible base. So this cave would have been perfect for them. If they were indeed here, they had to be inside of this cave.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just go with the flow!¡±


    There was no point in standing here and hesitating. I had to move.


    I took out a lamp from my rucksack and lit it before stepping foot into the cave.


    ¡°Is anyone here?¡±


    Sneaking in might lead to being attacked.


    And so I raised my voice and listened for a reaction.


    My shadow swayed on the cave walls.


    I perked up my ears for a moment.


    ¡°Is anyone there?¡±


    My voice echoed in the silent cave. There was no response.


    There was no one nearby, at least.


    Natural caves were not a single, straight path.


    And most of the ground wasn¡¯t flat. I had to climb up and down many times.


    After I felt that I had descended a great deal, I suddenly heard the sounds of water.


    ¨CSplash.


    ¡°There¡¯s water¡­perhaps it¡¯s a puddle?¡±


    But it was rather loud for just drops of water.


    I listened carefully again. This time there was a much louder splash.


    ¡°Is someone there?¡±


    I raised my voice. And then¡­


    ¨CSplash, splash, slosh.


    The sounds continued.


    ¡°Did someone jump? Is there an underground lake?¡±


    I raised my lamp and moved slowly. Eventually, I felt water around my feet that reached my ankles.


    I ignored it and kept walking.


    ¡°So it is a lake. ¡­And¡­¡±


    I saw faces half raised from the surface of the water. There were about forty or fifty of them.


    Perhaps there were many more where my light didn¡¯t reach.


    I could see the light reflecting off their eyes as they stared back at me.


    ¡°Damn, this is creepy.¡±


    I had once heard that the eyes of nocturnal animals glowed because the light that is diffusely reflected in their eyes.


    As the light hits the retina multiple times, they are able to see in the dark.


    ¡°I take care of these lands. My name is Golan. I am not here to fight.¡±


    There was no reaction. They must be very cautious.


    ¡°I will say it again. I am not here to fight. I need to speak to your representative.¡±


    As all of them had half of their faces in the water, I could not read their expressions.


    Still, it seemed like they were looking at each other and discussing the matter.


    ¡°I have come here alone. There is no one else. I just want to talk.¡±


    Finally, one of them moved forward.


    The creature moved through the water. They must be a species that live in the water. As I thought about this, its upper half became visible.


    And what appeared in front of me¡­ No, what towered over me¡­


    ¡°¡­So you¡¯re Lamias.¡±


    Half snake and half human. Their upper body was that of a human, and their lower half was a scaled snake.


    And not just any snake. They were thick and long, like a great serpent.


    ¡°I would like to talk. Are you willing?¡±


    The Lamia nodded silently.


    When they were this close, they were quite scary.

 Chapter 80

    Chapter 80The half human and half snake Lamias were not hostile towards Garuda.


    While they were both snakes, that was one area they were quite different, compared to the Naga.


    Instead, they were often enemies with a tribe who made their settlements in wastelands, known as the Donestre.


    Donestre looked like humans but had the heads of lions.


    In other words, they were the exact opposite of Lamias. Perhaps that was why they didn¡¯t get along.


    ¡°I¡¯m Golan, an Ogre. I¡¯m in charge of the surrounding lands.¡±


    I was allowed to say that, right? Somehow, I felt as if my position wasn¡¯t quite set in stone these days. It was rather uncomfortable.


    ¡°I¡¯m Dalmia, a Lamia.¡±


    ¡°I-I see.¡±


    There was something very overpowering about Dalmia.


    She was a young woman and wore clothes that stuck tightly to her body.


    Kind of like a bathing suit.


    The other Lamias were likely wearing something similar. However, I couldn¡¯t tell, as they did not come out of the water.


    ¡°I got a report from the nearby Ogre village, and came here to investigate.¡±


    Dalmia¡¯s eyes suddenly shone sharply.


    She had elongated pupils, just like a snake.


    It was intimidating to be glared at by such eyes.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not coming here to make any demands. I just want to know what is happening. Where did you come from? Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Silence. I had suspected that this would happen, given the vibe I got from them. We would not be able to talk.


    ¡°Very well. That¡¯s fine. I won¡¯t force you if you don¡¯t want to talk.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you mean it?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to tell me.¡±


    I doubted the Lamia had come here because they wanted to.


    There must have been a reason. Something had forced them.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°However, you will have to answer some other questions for me. For instance, food. What do you eat, and how do you acquire it?¡±


    They were in an area where there was plenty of water grass.


    Serpent-type monsters rarely lived in cities, and so not many people knew about how they lived.


    ¡°The insects and fish in the lakes. Also the water grass. And we sometimes eat the animals that come to drink.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    It was the answer I had expected. However, there was something that didn¡¯t feel right.


    ¡°There is a lake right outside of this cave. Is that the one?¡±


    Dalmia nodded.


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t see any tracks that suggested Lamia have been in and out of this cave.¡±


    There had been no traces of movement on the ground.


    Even someone like me would have noticed a fallen scale.


    ¡°¡­This place is connected to the bottom of the lake.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    I see. So that¡¯s why.


    This underground lake was connected to the lake outside.


    ¡°I have one other question. Would you attack Ogres¡­or any other species?¡±


    Dalmia shook her head.


    ¡°And it¡¯s the same with the others who are behind you?¡±


    ¡°They will not attack. We just want to live here.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright. Then it¡¯s fine. I will go and talk to the Ogre village. As long as both sides do not bother each other, you might as well live here.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you certain?¡±


    ¡°This place is still my territory. So you have my permission until someone takes my place.¡±


    Normally, I probably should just drive them out. But if they were just going to live inside the cave and occasionally hunt by the lake, I didn¡¯t see the problem. No one else lived in the area to begin with.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. However, if you start running wild and attacking other tribes, I will have to make you leave.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    I noticed something just as I was about to leave.


    The number of faces sticking out of the water had doubled. There really were quite a lot of them, huh.


    I hid the fact that I was losing courage, and quickly left the cave.


    In fact, the Lamias were not a pure combat race. But they did have higher mana than Ogres.


    If the average warrior was pitted against each other, one on one, the Ogre would likely lose. S?a?ch* Th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    That¡¯s how much of a threat they were.


    So I was very relieved that nothing had come of this.


    And so I went to the nearby village and explained the situation to them.


    While they would not be able to use one of the sources of water, it was not much trouble for them. And so they did not mind that some unknown tribe had started to live there.


    ¡°I would avoid going near it unless you have to.¡±


    They were not under Melvis¡¯s control, and it was unlikely that they would ever consider each other allies.


    It was even possible that they could bump into each other and start fighting.


    And so I was very clear about that possibility before returning to my village.


    ¡°Still, Lamias, eh? I suppose I should tell General Farneze about this.¡±


    She would not like the idea of a tribe that wasn¡¯t under anyone¡¯s control living here. But I didn¡¯t think there was any reason to drive them out, as long as they kept to themselves.


    And so I intended to persuade her if she disagreed. But I had a feeling that she would trust me.


    When I arrived at the village, I was told that I had a guest.


    ¡°What? Don¡¯t I get to rest even a little?¡±


    I asked who it was, and was told that it was a Vampire.


    Surely it wasn¡¯t Nehyor? Perhaps one of his men?


    I grabbed the Deep Sea Dragon sword, which I had set up as decoration, and then went to meet this guest.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am adjutant Atrasushia¡¯s assistant. My name is Myone.¡±


    She was a young Vampire. A young girl, really.


    ¡°And I¡¯m Golan the Ogre.¡±


    I remembered the name ¡®Atrasushia.¡¯


    She was one of the General¡¯s adjutants who had been sent to the castle in order to monitor Nehyor.


    Myone had an impressive mana level.


    ¡°Now, Golan, Commander of the flying corps. My superior has discovered the purpose of Nehyor, the rebel. And I was sent to inform you of it.¡±


    ¡°Rebel¡­eh?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Myone nodded heavily.


    So, Nehyor really had gone out and done it.


    Also, had they settled on a title for me?

 Chapter 81

    Chapter 81Myone looked like a young girl, so I had assumed she was in training. But apparently, she was a full-fledged soldier. It was hard to judge a Vampire¡¯s age by their appearance.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been instructed to tell you the details. And if you have any questions, I will answer them.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡®Well, then¡­¡¯ Myone said as she began to tell me of the events in the order that they occurred.


    In brief, it was something like this.


    The castle¡¯s underground library had an impressive amount of books that Melvis had collected.


    As these were Melvis¡¯s personal belongings, no one who was under a General was permitted to read them.


    However, as books can get eaten by bugs if they are left on shelves for many years, it was necessary for them to be dried and aired out once in a while.


    And it was during such times that the contents could be seen by others.


    In other words, there were actually quite a few people who knew what kind of books were in the underground library, even people who were not Generals.


    ¡°We do not know how Nehyor discovered it, but he somehow came to understand that Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s diaries were kept there.¡±


    ¡°Diaries, eh?¡±


    I don¡¯t know. Something about a Lesser Demon King having a diary¡­felt strange.


    I had always thought of Melvis as being an intimidating, old Vampire.


    And so it was hard to imagine him keeping a diary.


    Did he record all of his meals?


    Or was it like a traveling journal¡­ Hmm, I couldn¡¯t imagine it.


    ¡°We first assumed that he must be interested in the books there. However, one of these diaries was the only thing that was taken.¡±


    They apparently had a proper list of all the books there.


    And so they knew the position of every book on the shelves.


    It was no wonder, as they would have to place them back exactly the same after cleaning.


    ¡°He only took one of them?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    What the hell was Nehyor trying to do?


    ¡°By the way, didn¡¯t someone else go in there with him? I think the name was I¡­Igis.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Igis had been making reports of the books that Nehyor picked up. Judging by that information, we know that he viewed all of the diaries, cover to cover.¡±


    ¡°So it really was his goal from the beginning. Whatever Nehyor wanted, it was in the diaries. Is that right?¡±


    ¡°Nothing is certain yet. Igis was killed within the library. He was a very skilled fighter, and yet he was killed without anyone above noticing it.¡± s?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    So he read through Melvis¡¯s diaries, and then took one volume and ran.


    And while doing so, he had killed the Vampire who was watching him.


    It was rather brutal, wasn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Still, we think we know what it was that Nehyor wanted. Judging by the remaining volumes.¡±


    They knew?


    ¡°And what is that?¡±


    ¡°King Melvis undergoes a certain change between the volumes that is before and the one after the diary that was taken.¡±


    ¡°A change¡­what change?¡±


    ¡°In one volume King Melvis is not an Elder Vampire. And in the next, he is.¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    There were certain requirements you had to fulfill in order to evolve into the higher species.


    For the tree fairies, they had to live for a very long time. And the Dullahan had to reunite their heads with their bodies.


    For Ogres, they would get there eventually as long as they continued to eat, sleep, and kill their enemies.


    It was generally easier for the weaker races to evolve.


    The higher ones often required items or unique experiences in order to do it.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t Elder Vampires¡­¡±


    ¡°King Melvis is the only Elder Vampire that currently exists.¡±


    ¡°So¡­you think that Nehyor is searching for a way to evolve?¡±


    ¡°That seems like the most logical explanation.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Nehyor had always seemed so easygoing and aloof. But had such ambitions been hidden behind his expression and words?


    Had using me to keep General Farneze away from the castle, killing Igis, leaving Melvis¡¯s control¡­had all of that been a part of his plan to evolve into an Elder?


    ¡°After escaping the castle, Nehyor joined his subordinates, who all wore black. And they fled to the east. We have chased him and were able to confirm that he entered the territories of a Great Demon King.¡±


    So he escaped the country.


    ¡°A bounty will be put on Nehyor¡¯s head. Though, we have little faith in anything coming out of that.¡±


    Everyone would say we were fools for allowing him to escape the country in the first place.


    But Melvis was asleep. And it would have little effect.


    ¡°Furthermore, everyone who was under Nehyor is now under Corps Commander Felicia¡¯s control. And we are continuing to ask people for information about Nehyor.¡±


    And so Myone ended her report.


    There was only one Elder Vampire in the whole Demon World.


    Nehyor had wanted to become one, and had been waiting for his chance.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if he was very patient, or if he was being hasty.


    Regardless, I would not forgive him.

 Chapter 82

    Chapter 82¡ò Wild Hunt ¨C Nehyor


    Lesser Demon King Legras¡¯s country was located to the east of Demon King Legard¡¯s country.


    This country had destroyed three countries ruled by Lesser Demon Kings within the last few hundred years.


    And so Legras came to be known as a very ambitious Lesser Demon King.


    Due to the fact that there were currently four Lesser Demon Kings living in the country, and that the lands were relatively big, the surrounding countries were very cautious of them.


    This was an ambitious country that would bite back with a vengeance if you crossed them. That¡¯s what they said to each other.


    One night.


    A certain company came to this country after crossing the border from Great Demon King Bihashini¡¯s country.


    There was something strange about them indeed.


    They were all dressed in black. And while they were few in number, it was clear that they were well organized.


    If that was the only thing that was odd, one might just assume that they were soldiers who were hiding their identity.


    However, there was something else that separated them from others. This company brought death wherever they went.


    ¡°¡­Phew. We finally crossed the border. What a trial that was.¡±


    Nehyor laughed as he talked about how he hadn¡¯t traveled so much in a long time.


    It was with a company of Ghost Knights, Skull Mages, and Dullahans.


    Together, they had raided multiple villages as they made their way to this country.


    But what was especially heinous, was the fact they took trophies of their victims.


    Some were impaled on their blades, while others had just parts of their bodies strapped to the sides of the horses.


    And like this, with Nehyor in the lead, the gang in black headed straight to the castle where Legras lived.


    Once the eerie company entered the castle, they continued on to the throne room.


    Of course, Nehyor walked in the front.


    No one tried to stop him.


    Their eyes just widened in surprise, and they could not move.


    Legras, who sat on the throne, was the first person to look Nehyor in the eye.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s been a while.¡±


    It was a very casual greeting.


    Was this the proper way to treat a Lesser Demon King?


    And then Nehyor approached the throne.


    Legras¡¯s guards were so taken aback by this, that their hands went to their weapons.


    As for Legras himself, he calmly got up to his feet and walked straight to Nehyor¡­and went down on one knee, like a subject.


    ¡°Welcome back, Lord Nehyor.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. You¡¯ve done well, Legras.¡±


    ¡°I am unworthy of such praise.¡±


    Nehyor and Legras. What had happened between these two?


    These days, very few knew the answer to that question.


    After all, three hundred years had passed.


    And while many of the higher races could live longer than that, most would have retired.


    Nehyor and Legras had a close friendship that no one could come between.


    ¡°Allow me to return it then.¡±


    A streak of light shot out of Legras¡¯s chest. It swirled around Nehyor before entering his body.


    It was proof of the connection to the Orb of Control.


    ¡°It seems to be working fine.¡±


    ¡°I, Legras, have been waiting most impatiently for what seemed like an eternity for your return, Lord Nehyor. And now that wish has come true.¡±


    Suspicion and puzzlement filled the room.


    What did he mean?


    ¡°Indeed. That is fine. ¡­Still, he just wouldn¡¯t wake up. And so it took so long.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is true. But then how did you ask him?¡±


    ¡°At first, I intended on waiting until he woke up. But then I wondered if there might be some record he kept, and I started to search. That¡¯s when I learned of his old diaries. And I couldn¡¯t help but hope.¡±


    ¡°I see. And you ended up being quite right about it.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Had I been wrong, I would have pretended like nothing had happened and returned.¡±


    ¡°Then I am glad it was not the case. A great load has been lifted from my shoulders.¡±


    ¡°Mmm. Thank you for everything. However, there are two things I will require now, and you will have to help me.¡±


    ¡°I see. So your greatest wish will take a little longer to be realized?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But things should speed up if the Demon World is thrown into chaos. And so we shall be very busy.¡±


    ¡°I am looking forward to it. Of course, I will follow you, Lord Nehyor.¡±


    ¡°I knew I could count on you, Legras.¡±


    Nehyor said with a laugh as he sat down on his throne.


    He ignored Legras, who bowed his head. What was currently on Nehyor¡¯s mind was the contents of the diary that he had been reading while on the road.


    Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s diary contained the history of how he came to be an Elder Vampire.


    However, it was not written with exact details.


    Nehyor had read the diary over and over again. And after considering the situation before and after the evolutions, he was able to set up a hypothesis. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It was something too reckless to even consider.


    The Magic Stone of a Demon King and the Life Stone of a resident of the Celestial World.


    By taking both of these into your body at the same time, a Vampire may rise to the next step in their evolution.


    (Taking in just one of them will result in the eating away of your flesh. Furthermore, these two stones must be the same size. These requirements are rather severe.)


    When a resident of the Demon World is killed, the power within the Magic Stone becomes a part of that person.


    That was why a resident of the Demon world could expand their vessel for the Orb of Control when they killed an enemy.


    But that was no good. A powerless Magic Stone would be pointless.


    In other words, for Nehyor to get the Magic Stone that he needed, he would have to extract the stone right before the Demon King died.


    It was hard to imagine how difficult such a task would be.


    ¡°Well, I think I¡¯ll manage. The real problem is the Celestial World. I won¡¯t be able to acquire a Life Stone unless there is another great invasion.¡±


    Besides, would a resident of the Celestial World who was just as powerful as a Demon King really come down? It would be almost too convenient.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not likely to happen as things are now. The Demon World needs more chaos. Wars must erupt on all corners of the world. Yes, I must create a situation where the lands are crawling with Demon Kings, or I won¡¯t be able to defeat one.¡±


    Nehyor had no intention of waiting for the right time.


    The more chaos there was, the more ¡®new¡¯ Demon Kings there would be.


    And the newer ones would be easier to defeat.


    If a hole would open in the heavens at the same time, he would be able to take advantage of the chaos and easily cross borders and reach it.


    In other words, the only thing on Nehyor¡¯s mind now was how he could throw the Demon World into a vortex of chaos.


    ¡°How should I do it¡­ It¡¯s going to be so fun.¡±


    Nehyor could not stop smiling as he imagined the world bathed in blood.


    On that day, the name ¡®Lesser Demon King Nehyor¡¯ quietly appeared on the Tablet of Control.

 Chapter 83

    Chapter 83I just wanted to be able to relax in the village. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Drink during the day and live like a degenerate.


    If only someone else would do all of the hard work for me. That would be amazing.


    ¡°Sir Golan. I¡¯ve brought you the petitions for the day.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­who caaaares¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Sir?¡±


    Rig looked at me with a puzzled expression.


    Alright, it was time to end my little escape from reality.


    ¡°Petitions, eh? What are they about?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, more monsters are appearing on the road that leads to the next town. They want you to do something about it.¡±


    One might wonder why they didn¡¯t just hunt them down on sight. But I suppose it was difficult for the non-combat races.


    ¡°What did they do up until now?¡±


    ¡°They say that the monsters come down from the mountains. So that would have put them in the former Corps Commander¡¯s jurisdiction. Apparently, he sent out his close subordinates.¡±


    ¡°Ah. So that group in black was hunting them down.¡±


    ¡°It is quite likely.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see. I¡¯ll gather some men together and send them out when I can.¡±


    ¡°Not today?¡±


    ¡°I have to go and check the bridge. I won¡¯t be able to gather people until I return.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Then I will tell them that they must wait a few days.¡±


    Rig bowed and then left.


    ¡­So, now I was busy processing confusing petitions in the village.


    It had all been under Nehyor¡¯s jurisdiction, but due to his abandonment of his post, they now had nowhere else to go.


    Corps Commander Felicia was very busy with restructuring her army.


    I understood that.


    Nehyor had taken his own little pets, which left her just the four Commanders.


    And they were hardly what I¡¯d call reliable.


    But there was one thing I understood now, and that was how good Nehyor had been with managing the town.


    There was a proper office for petitions to be brought to, and he had his men take care of everything related to battle and hunting.


    As this was the countryside, residents were few, while monsters were many.


    Killing monsters meant the expanding of your vessel. So it was no wonder they were so active there.


    ¡°Still, I heard that the amount it expanded was very small.¡±


    Most people agreed that you wouldn¡¯t get that much stronger if you killed monsters.


    Of course, if you continued to do it for hundreds of years, it would be a different matter.


    Regardless, since Felicia was working desperately to rebuild the army, these jobs had come down to me.


    As for the men that worked for me¡­


    ¡°Hey, Golan. Here we are again. You better be ready!¡±


    ¡°Exactly. We¡¯re not the same today!¡±


    And it wasn¡¯t just the idiot siblings. Most of the Ogres were meatheads.


    ¡°Shut up. I¡¯ll fight you all together, so go and wait outside!¡±


    As it could not be helped, I went back to this old routine.


    Beating up the siblings, that is.


    It would have helped me greatly if their heads had been screwed on tighter, however, all Ogres were just like this.


    And so I couldn¡¯t really use anyone.


    I would have to go out and deal with these annoying petitions myself.


    ¡°We¡¯re going hunting tomorrow. That¡¯ll mean fighting all sorts of monsters, so be ready.¡±


    ¡°So soon¡­¡±


    Beka groaned¡­but it would probably be alright.


    ¡°Rig. I¡¯m going to go and see the bridge now. Get ready.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    There was a road that connected the Ogre village to the town that Nehyor used to live in.


    And in the middle, was a large bridge.


    It was very sturdy, but sometimes the residents of the Demon World did things that exceeded my expectations.


    Of course, this time it wasn¡¯t anything ridiculous. Apparently, a giant had been running and tripped on the bridge.


    The bridge shook, and a crack appeared down the middle.


    Also, the handrails were partially destroyed.


    I would have to go and look at the damage and give out orders.


    It was so troublesome.


    There was a hole in the center of the bridge, and cracks spread out in all directions.


    ¡°Will repairing it be enough?¡±


    There was something similar to concrete in the Demon World.


    It was a mixture of soil, ash, sand and water.


    I was able to notice this thanks to the hole, but it had been made to be very thin in order to keep it light. So it was no wonder that a hole was made. But there was something else that bothered me.


    ¡°Hey, get over here.¡±


    ¡°Right away, sir.¡±


    A Kobold and a Leprechaun rushed to me frantically.


    I hadn¡¯t really been mad, but my face was stiff.


    ¡°Was there no bracing to strengthen the bridge?¡±


    ¡°Bracing, sir?¡±


    ¡°Bars of iron, like this¡­ I thought they are usually placed inside.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I have never seen anything like that.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Well, I wasn¡¯t a professional either. But I had seen it quite often in Japan.


    However, they seemed to have trouble imagining such a thing. And as I tried to explain it to them, I suddenly remembered.


    It was called reinforced concrete.


    Buildings and bridges always used them.


    The Dojo¡¯s garden had been filled with concrete during some landscaping work once.


    If I remembered correctly, it had also used it.


    I think they had small, square cubes of concrete they laid out on the bottom. Then iron bars were placed over it like a net.


    If they used such a thing for an ordinary garden, then surely it should be in a bridge.


    ¡°Having that will make the bridge stronger.¡±


    I said knowingly, ending the explanation.


    ¡°We will try it at once.¡±


    They said.


    They were able to make wires, so there should be no problem.


    ¡°This bridge is very old. You will make a new one right next to it, and destroy the old bridge when you are finished. It¡¯s too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    An old bridge that wasn¡¯t reinforced¡­and it was so thin.


    It was better to do something before it collapsed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll expect the new bridge to be able to withstand a falling giant.¡±


    ¡°Leave it to us.¡±


    After that, every new structure they made used reinforced concrete.


    I hoped they would last long.

 Chapter 84

    Chapter 84Even General Farneze¡¯s investigation was unable to uncover the whereabouts of Nehyor.


    Instead, they heard news from a merchant traveling across borders that Nehyor¡¯s name had appeared on the Tablet of Control. He was now a Lesser Demon King.


    Normally, there wasn¡¯t much in the way of distribution of goods between countries.


    In a way, it was similar to Japan when the country was closed off.


    Occasionally, a few merchants were allowed to enter. That was all.


    As the mana connection allowed people to easily tell if someone was from the outside, you could not do business with the general population.


    If anything, you were likely to be attacked while traveling.


    And so it was mainly Generals and Corps Commanders that bought things on the way, as they gathered information.


    In any case, if Nehyor had become a Lesser Demon King, that must mean he was working for some country out there.


    His goal was to evolve into an Elder.


    And so he would likely start moving again. We had to be careful.


    ¡°¡­The problem is, can we survive?¡±


    The fact was that Nehyor wasn¡¯t the only problem we were facing.


    We still weren¡¯t sure if we could defeat Lesser Demon King Leninoth.


    And that¡¯s why the General called me in today.


    As for the place, it was the town that used to be ruled by Nehyor.


    It was currently run by Corps Commander Felicia.


    And General Farneze had paid it a visit.


    As for why the General had come all of the way here, it was because, had I walked all the way to her town, it would take me a full five days.


    Besides, the effects of what I did during the last meeting had not died away.


    I really shouldn¡¯t have forced things to go in that direction. It was divine punishment, I suppose.


    On the other hand, the secret agreement with Demon King Tralzard was accepted without complications.


    The other Generals also agreed to it, and Miralda had sent word that there was no trouble.


    However, it would take some time before they could send out their army.


    Currently, Demon King Legard¡¯s forces were gaining momentum, and Tralzard¡¯s army was in the middle of replacing and reshuffling their soldiers.


    And so the plan was to send those soldiers east instead of returning them home.


    There they could train and recuperate.


    If the Demon King¡¯s forces headed east, the countries ruled by Lesser Demon Kings would become very alarmed.


    They would have to send their own men to guard their borders, just in case something happened. However, all of these countries were in the middle of fighting their own wars.


    And so it would be very difficult to send out men.


    ¡°We will have to prepare while the small southern countries are distracted.¡±


    It would do no good if we started attracting their attention. And so it would be best to move once the tension in the south had reached its peak.


    In other words, it was time to lie low.


    ¡°We have to finish forming our strategy in the meantime. Now, I would like to hear your opinion, Golan.¡±


    Recently, Felicia would often ask for my opinion on different matters.


    She had left the town early, but later heard about what happened at the meeting.


    That being said, I was still an amateur.


    I didn¡¯t think it was right to talk too much about strategy.


    Still, if I was asked, then I had to answer.


    ¡°We never had a very great chance of winning, but we should still try to raise that chance as much as possible as we make plans.¡±


    ¡°Any suggestions?¡±


    ¡°Lesser Demon King Leninoth has swallowed up two smaller countries now. If I¡¯m not wrong, that means there are now three Lesser Demon Kings in his country.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°Then we must spread out his forces as much as possible.¡±


    We did not have enough soldiers.


    If we went to war like this, we would lose.


    ¡°I understand what you are trying to say. But don¡¯t you know that it¡¯s not so easy? That is why we are here, still debating the matter.¡±


    General Farneze had obviously given it much thought.


    At most, this country could only send out two Generals and their armies.


    It was necessary to leave one army to protect the castle where Melvis slept. This meant that it would be very difficult to go out and invade another country.


    Still, it was something that had to be done.


    ¡°Thankfully, we have a secret agreement with Demon King Tralzard. We can send out two Generals. And so one army will be sent out to invade Leninoth¡¯s country.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. That will just be an ordinary war of aggression then. They will, of course, fight back. It will hardly be the quick and decisive battle we need.¡±


    The General did not look pleased.


    ¡°In other words, that army is a decoy.¡±


    Said Corps Commander Felicia. I nodded.


    ¡°If we send out a General, they will have to send out a General as well. In other words, one of their armies will leave the castle.¡±


    As Corps Commander Felicia said, the first army would be a decoy.


    They could just move slowly and buy us time.


    There was no need to be victorious.


    ¡°So the main army will be elsewhere¡­ But the enemy still has other armies.¡±


    ¡°Yes. And so we will need help.¡±


    ¡°From Demon King Tralzard? But he already said that he wouldn¡¯t help us with reinforcements.¡±


    ¡°Not him. Lesser Demon King Fara.¡±


    General Farneze looked at me with surprise. But Corps Commander Felicia muttered and seemed to be considering it.


    Lesser Demon King Fara¡¯s lands were connected to Leninoth¡¯s.


    And while they were bitter enemies, they apparently wanted to avoid clashing at this early stage. Fara¡¯s fingers stretched to the north, while Leninoth went to the south.


    We just needed to make them clash now.


    ¡°How would we do that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it ever since Miralda told us about the Wild Hunt. What would happen if we pretended to be Leninoth¡¯s army and created some chaos on Fara¡¯s lands?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? He will send an army to annihilate us.¡±


    Right¡­


    ¡°But what if we escaped to Leninoth¡¯s country before they could catch us?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. They probably wouldn¡¯t chase us?¡±


    Yes, that was likely, since they wanted to avoid all out war.


    ¡°Then we should repeat the attacks until they do cross the border.¡±


    After enough times, they would not be able to hold back.


    Besides, if their armies repeatedly got close to the border, then Leninoth would have to react.


    And this was Fara¡¯s country. It would not be taken lightly. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    If we wanted to settle the matter, he would have to send a General.


    Like that, the Lesser Demon Kings besides Leninoth will be split north and south.


    What remained would be Leninoth¡¯s castle.


    ¡°We will try to stay hidden as much as possible as we advance to Leninoth¡¯s castle. And then we take his head¡­ What do you think?¡±

 Chapter 85

    Chapter 85It was a simple plan.


    We would lure out the other armies so that the castle¡¯s defenses would be weakened.


    Of course, they would have countermeasures if they discovered us, but as there was no possibility of us cooperating with Fara, it should be an effective strategy as long as they didn¡¯t catch the concealed soldiers.


    As for Fara, he would have no choice but to act when faced by a group that entered from Leninoth¡¯s country.


    But let¡¯s say Fara became suspicious. He would still not be able to ignore us if there was actual damage.


    And all we needed was for him to send an army to the border.


    After all, Leninoth wouldn¡¯t be able to ignore him either.


    ¡°Well, I have a feeling it might work. But what do you think, Felicia?¡±


    I guess it was usually Felicia who suggested plans like this.


    But she was currently preoccupied with her duties as the Corps Commander.


    ¡°Indeed. While I am not sure if it will succeed, I think it is a good idea.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°There are a number of factors that rely on chance. Can we reach Fara¡¯s lands without being caught? When Fara and Leninoth¡¯s men chase us, will we be able to escape without them catching up? And most important of all, is one army enough to defeat Lesser Demon King Leninoth¡­ Those are my main concerns.¡±


    ¡°Leninoth will be a challenge¡­¡±


    ¡°With two Generals, I think we will have a forty percent chance of victory. But with just one, I think it will drop twenty percent.¡±


    ¡°I see. And what do you think about that, Golan?¡±


    ¡°Yes, some of it relies on luck. If you want a perfect victory, you have to have stronger soldiers in greater numbers than your enemy.¡±


    ¡°The discrepancy is too large. Perhaps it is impossible.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s why I think we have no choice but to rely on luck.¡±


    ¡°You say that, but something tells me you have another idea.¡±


    Apparently, Felicia had sensed something in my words.


    ¡°No, I really cannot think of anything else in terms of strategy.¡±


    ¡°What if we were talking tactics, and not strategy?¡±


    Felicia pressed further.


    ¡°There are ways to avoid being too strongly influenced by elements of chance.¡±


    ¡°I see. And will you tell us?¡±


    ¡°Certainly.¡±


    I felt like I was being toyed with on the palm of her hand. But it hardly mattered. I¡¯ll be dead if the plan fails.


    I didn¡¯t know much about the other Generals. That was why I couldn¡¯t feel too confident.


    ¡°General Gorgodan leads an army composed of many giants. They aren¡¯t the most suited for a defensive battle. I think that most of them specialize in destroying.¡±


    I looked at them and they were nodding. So far so good.


    ¡°Attack instead of defend. Allowing them to let loose on the enemy camp will allow the General and his subordinates to play to their greatest strengths. And so I think that General Gorgodan will be perfect for the decoy army that will be sent to Leninoth¡¯s country.¡±


    ¡°I see. That seems like a good idea. And?¡±


    ¡°And since you have a lot of Night Demon subordinates, I think you should be the one to attack Leninoth. This is because you will have to move by night when heading to the castle.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just Vampires, there were other monsters like Lobos as well. Like Werewolves, they showed their true worth during the night.


    Taking them and acting during the night would raise our chances of success.


    And if possible, I felt that the actual attack on the castle should be during the night as well.


    This, of course, left General Dardaroth to protect the castle.


    General Dardaroth was a Feitian.


    Apparently, most of his subordinates were active during the day, so they were not suited for covert operations.


    ¡°So I will be fighting Leninoth.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s very fitting.¡±


    If General Farneze couldn¡¯t do it, then no one in this country could.


    Leninoth was a Hecatoncheir, and so he was a bad fit for Gorgodan, who was the same race.


    My hope was that General Farneze would just blow him up with magic.


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s very interesting. ¡­I suppose my question then, concerns the army that will go to Lesser Demon King Fara¡¯s lands. Eventually, one of Leninoth¡¯s armies will come. Won¡¯t this result in them being attacked on both sides?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle it, as the person who suggested this plan. Besides, one must have a grasp on the entire operation in order to know the right timing when it comes to advancing and retreating.¡±


    Ultimately, I thought Felicia was pushing me into saying this.


    Of course, I myself was more than willing. I would take responsibility for this plan that I put forth.


    ¡°Well, there it is. Do you agree that the elements left to chance have been reduced?¡± S~?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    I said jokingly.


    ¡°Quite. There are other uncertainties, but ignoring those, I think it¡¯s a rather good plan.¡±


    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s not possible to cover all uncertainties.¡±


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s true.¡±


    For instance, something like the enemy suddenly having two new Lesser Demon Kings.


    We weren¡¯t in a position to be able to consider possibilities like that.


    ¡°Very well. We can hammer out the details before bringing it up with the other Generals.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to have been of service.¡±


    They likely didn¡¯t need me anymore. And so I left the room.


    I could go home now, right?


    ¡ò Farneze and Felicia


    ¡°¡­What do you think? About all that?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Though, I could hardly believe it at first.¡±


    And their secret talks continued.

 Chapter 86

    Chapter 86¡ò Farneze and Felicia.


    The meeting was over and Golan had left.


    Farneze and Felicia stayed in the room and talked about their impression of him.


    ¡°¡­What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I was very surprised when I first heard about him, but he is indeed very different.¡±


    Both of them only had what would be considered a general understanding of Ogres, as there were no Ogres that were close to them.


    The Demon World had a very diverse population. But while some races were very well known, there were others where people only knew their names and features.


    To a Vampire like Farneze, Ogres were just walls of meat. If she were feeling kind, she might call them shields.


    That was her impression of them. She had never given them more thought than that. At least, until now.


    But what she felt when talking to Golan directly was intelligence and deep insight.


    As Golan was Nehyor¡¯s subordinate, she had initially assumed that it was Nehyor speaking through him.


    ¡°Even I can see that he is no ordinary Ogre. It¡¯s obvious.¡±


    ¡°Still, you used to suspect that someone else was pulling the strings, General.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but not anymore. If he can speak and debate so freely, he will not allow himself to be someone¡¯s puppet.¡±


    ¡°I agree with that. But it is so strange¡­is he really an Ogre?¡±


    Farneze chuckled at Felicia¡¯s question.


    How could Golan be anything but an Ogre, given his appearance?


    He even moved like one.


    When he was angry, he would swing his fists in the blink of an eye.


    And since he couldn¡¯t use magic, it was all about physical strength with him.


    Really, it was all classic Ogre behaviour.


    ¡°If you ignore his intelligence, he is actually very much an ordinary Ogre¡­ No¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Now that I think about it, he defeated the Taiga and Gigant Centaur Commanders.¡±


    ¡°I have seen those reports. But I don¡¯t see how it can be true. His chances of winning¡­would be five percent at most. In fact, it should be zero.¡±


    There was no end to people who would exaggerate about their wartime achievements.


    And so Felicia did not put much weight in such reports.


    Because reports and facts were not always the same.


    Besides, she had seen Golan in person.


    And her conclusion was that it was impossible for him to have done it with such low mana.


    ¡°And yet you would be wrong. It was witnessed by the Flying Eagle scouts as well.¡±


    ¡°He might be an Ogre with rare intelligence, but that doesn¡¯t mean he can turn the rules of our world upside down. If an Ogre defeats a Gigant Centaur, that Ogre is now something else.¡±


    Felicia would not back down.


    This was because his intelligence could be explained if he just happened to have been gifted with great understanding and a good teacher while he was young. Then he could have grown into the Ogre that he was now.


    However, was there an explanation for how he could defeat an enemy with more than double his mana level? No.


    That¡¯s not how things worked in the Demon World.


    ¡°¡­Well, enough about him. Let¡¯s discuss the plan.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. The plan that he suggested is more practical than the one I had prepared.¡±


    As they had purposely tried to get Golan to talk, Felicia had not even spoken of any plan.


    This whole idea started when Farneze told Felicia about what Golan had done during the meeting.


    Well, if he was going to insist on such things, he should be the one to come up with a plan. That was their reasoning for bringing him out here.


    Ultimately, it had ended without Felicia even talking about her plan.


    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It would have been very dangerous. And I was personally, not very enthusiastic about the idea.¡±


    Felicia¡¯s plan would have started with using traveling merchants to spread news to Leninoth about the chaos in Melvis¡¯s country.


    Leninoth had already tried to invade twice, and failed.


    If he heard about what was happening, he would want to use the opportunity to get his revenge.


    And so they would engage him in front of Melvis¡¯s castle.


    And in the meantime, the two other Generals would go out and strike Leninoth.


    Judging by Leninoth¡¯s personality, when sending out an army to invade, he would want to have his defenses tight around his borders. The other countries must be kept in check. Especially Fara.


    This would mean that only one army would remain at Leninoth¡¯s castle.


    It would be the perfect time to attack it. S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    However, they would certainly detect two armies entering their country.


    The enemy might wait at the castle, or they could launch an ambush.


    If it took too long, the likelihood of losing the defensive battle at Melvis¡¯s castle would also increase.


    It would mean the end of the country.


    The risks were just too high.


    ¡°If I fought with Leninoth, my chances of winning would be two in ten, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Currently, yes. If you prepared very carefully, you could raise your chances to fifty percent. It¡¯s those kinds of details that we must discuss now. We still have time.¡±


    ¡°Yes. The plan won¡¯t go into motion for another month. Maybe two months. We just need to get everything ready by then.¡±


    ¡°I still haven¡¯t finished restructuring my army. And so I may not be useful to you for a while.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Nehyor¡¯s little pets have all gone. And so many of those who are left are not fit for fighting. Especially now that Golan is out.¡±


    ¡°I am very sorry. But I should be able to finish everything within a month.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m counting on you.¡±


    And like that, the plan slowly started to take shape.


    ¡ò Wild Hunt ¨C Nehyor


    ¡°Hey, Legras. Would you mind if I left for a while?¡±


    ¡°You can do anything you wish, Lord Nehyor.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Legras. I¡¯m thinking about going west.¡±


    ¡°West¡­ Do you mean to push Legard into the storm of chaos then?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m going farther west.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so it¡¯s Tralzard. You mean to tear those horrible reptiles into pieces.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, no. It¡¯s a place called Chiril, which is even farther west.¡±


    ¡°Chiril? I see.¡±


    Legras brought up a map inside of his head.


    Yes, Chiril was a small country that was right next to Tralzard.


    However, he had no more information about it.


    This was because he felt that it had no value at all.


    He had no idea why Nehyor planned to go there. However, he did not want to pry.


    Nehyor would tell him if he wanted to. And if it was a secret, then there was nothing Legras could do to persuade him.


    ¡°Please be careful.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Goodbye.¡±


    Neyhor¡¯s departure would create a wind, a wind that would bring a new chaos to the Demon World. However, there was still some time before that would happen.

 Chapter 87

    Chapter 87I understood why the General would call a Corps Commander and hold a meeting. The opinions of your subordinates were important.


    However, why was I included in such things?


    Surely my opinion was unnecessary.


    Those were the thoughts in my head as I walked down the road to return to my village.


    ¡°Still, I also don¡¯t like the idea of them planning without me.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want any of my men to die. No matter how honorable a death it was, it was still death. Nothing changed.


    Death was foolish. Everyone should forget about fighting and live more entertaining lives. That¡¯s what I thought.


    ¡°Of course, reality won¡¯t allow that at all.¡±


    Look at the Reapers, for example.


    What if we didn¡¯t fight, and were absorbed by Leninoth?


    Painy and all of the others would either have to flee and become wanderers again, or they would be killed by Leninoth¡¯s army.


    In this ¡®post-apocalyptic¡¯ world, saying ¡®life is important¡¯ was a good way to get laughed at.


    The Reapers were hated and seen as dangerous. The chances of them surviving were low.


    If you wanted freedom, you had to win it for yourself.


    I could refuse to fight if I wanted.


    ¡®Fight in the war.¡¯ ¡®No.¡¯ While I might be exiled or imprisoned, I could probably do it at least once.


    ¡°However, what would happen after that?¡±


    People who refused to fight had no right to live in the Demon World.


    Who would befriend someone who was considered weak?


    And so ultimately, I could not refuse to fight. I just had to come to terms with this. S~?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    That¡¯s why I decided to desperately protect those who were close to me. That was my limit.


    ¡°I can¡¯t take on a larger burden than that.¡±


    In this world, it was impossible to be a hero that could save the entire world.


    Well, maybe it was possible if Lesser High King Yamato returned?


    If he and his subordinates were alive and well, it might have been possible. But I wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t the Reaper village in this direction?¡±


    Now that I thought about it, I had never visited it after it was made.


    There was no need to, as Painy would always visit me.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll pay them a visit.¡±


    I didn¡¯t have any reason in particular, but I doubted they would be angry to see me.


    And so I headed towards the Reaper village.


    ¡°Ah, Sir Golan. Welcome to our village.¡±


    I was greeted by the elderly Reaper, Ruma.


    He acted as a kind of leader in the village.


    Several Reapers had come out to greet me. Either they had sensed me as I approached the village, or they had watchers somewhere.


    Reapers tended to be feared by the other races, and so perhaps they were cautious of an attack.


    In any case, we Ogres did not even place guards by the entrances of our villages.


    ¡°Ah, Ruma. It just struck me today that I¡¯ve never paid this village a visit. And I stopped on my way back.¡±


    ¡°Is that so. This is a very comfortable place, as the sun does not reach us for very long. However, you might find it a little too damp for your liking, Sir Golan.¡±


    It was more of a valley than a space between two mountains.


    And so it was indeed damp, like the bottom of a mountain after the rain. It was baffling to me that this was apparently the ideal place for the Reapers.


    The sun only shone down during the day for an hour, so the village was dark nearly all of the time.


    The likes and dislikes of other races were always hard to understand.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that you like this place. By the way, I don¡¯t have any particular business here today¡­¡±


    No business, and nothing to say.


    I really just came here on a whim.


    ¡°In that case, I shall give you a tour of the village.¡±


    ¡°Yes. An inspection would be a good idea.¡±


    Yes, an inspection. That was a nice way to put it.


    And so Ruma guided me as we walked through the village.


    Reapers generally stayed indoors during the day.


    Apparently, it was during the evenings that they started shuffling out of their houses.


    Speaking of houses, they were simple structures made of large leaves that were layered many times.


    ¡°If you want sturdier houses, I could send some people to help you.¡±


    General Farneze had many Kobolds and Leprechauns working for her.


    They tended to be very skilled with their hands, and were valued as craftsmen.


    And Ogres could be used to carry logs and were very helpful when building houses.


    ¡°Thank you for your concern. But we¡¯ve always lived in houses like this, and are perfectly comfortable.¡±


    Residents of the Demon World were very tough. And so they were often completely fine in environments where humans would easily get sick.


    Even I slept on a bed that was really just a wooden board.


    Of course, it was also because fluffy beds didn¡¯t exist here. But I never had trouble sleeping on the board either.


    And while my lifestyle had become quite sloppy since I was reincarnated, I hardly cared about it at this point.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, I do have a request, Sir Golan.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hmm? What is it?¡±


    ¡°We Reapers participated in the battle.¡±


    ¡°Aye, and you were a great help.¡±


    They were part of the advanced races, after all.


    They could withstand attacks better than most. That alone made a huge difference.


    Furthermore, they contributed greatly at several key points.


    Reapers were strong as individuals, but were also good in a group. And so I found them to be incredibly valuable personnel.


    ¡°Now that it¡¯s known that we fought in the war, I think it¡¯s possible that Reapers who live in hiding in other countries might want to come here as well.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Is that right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult for Reapers to move across the border, but we were visited by a representative. Of course, they are still not united in this, and so nothing is decided yet.¡±


    Apparently, Lesser Demon King Leninoth¡¯s actions were causing many in the surrounding countries to be worried.


    However, rumors about his defeat were starting to spread, as was word about the Reapers who fought alongside us.


    ¡°As long as they follow the rules, I don¡¯t mind. The requirements will be the same. Tell them that if they can agree to that, I will accept them.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I will tell them the next time that they visit.¡±


    Several Reapers had died in the previous battle.


    It was impossible for me to protect everyone.


    But we couldn¡¯t run away either.


    In order to protect the peaceful life they had now, I had to send them off to war.


    It seemed like a contradiction, but it was the right answer.


    And in return, I would think of a plan that would ensure that there would be as many survivors as possible.


    ¡°¡­And so I wasn¡¯t wrong to attend that meeting.¡±


    My eyes gleamed in order to prevent Ogres from being used as disposable tools.


    That was how I got on in this world.


    After that, I continued my inspection of the Reaper village, and then left.

 Chapter 88

    Chapter 88After leaving the Reapers, I returned straight to my own village without any further detours.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s peaceful here.¡±


    I saw some Ogres swinging their fists at each other as soon as I stepped into the village, but that was a daily occurrence.


    If anything, it would be very abnormal if no one in the village was being punched.


    And so the occasional shouting I could hear was no more different than the cries of a cicada to me. It was part of the scenery.


    ¡°Welcome back!¡±


    As I walked down the path, Beka saw me and came running.


    She was carrying something on her back.


    ¡°Ah, hello.¡±


    It was surprising that in spite of knocking her into the ground nearly every day, she still kept coming.


    All the other Ogres of her age were too scared to even look me in the eye.


    ¡°Huh? Were you off somewhere, Golan?¡±


    What a terrible thing to say. She invaded my house all of the time in order to challenge me, but now she forgets when I happen to leave.


    ¡°I went to another town¡­ But more important, what is that thing on your back?¡±


    She was carrying something that looked like a Chimera.


    ¡°This? It¡¯s a boar, a great snake, and a monkey. I hunted them today.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Why don¡¯t you carry them separately?¡±


    She had shoved the snake into the boar¡¯s mouth.


    But as it was very large, only the snake¡¯s head fit inside. The rest was dangling out.


    The other end was wrapped around the monkey¡¯s neck¡­she was using the snake to tie everything together.


    In other words, she brought them back so that they looked like a single creature. It was quite surreal.


    Beka was somehow much more sloppy than the average Ogre.


    ¡°Did you pummel all of them to death?¡±


    ¡°Did I? I might have just snapped them.¡±


    When it came to pure arm strength, Beka was superior to her older brother, Saifo.


    She could probably crush my hand if she shook it.


    However, Beka moved without much skill to speak of, and so she had never succeeded in grabbing me.


    I left her and entered my house.


    ¡°Welcome back.¡±


    ¡°Welcome back, Sir.¡±


    Painy and Rig were in the house. Why?


    ¡°I thought that you¡¯d be back today, and so I took the liberty of waiting here. I also prepared some food for you.¡±


    That was my adjutant for you. He understood me well.


    ¡°Thanks, Rig.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I expected you to arrive a little earlier, and prepared it in advance. So it might be a little cold now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I stopped by the Reaper village. That¡¯s why I was late.¡±


    He was even thinking about the exact time I would arrive. I wasn¡¯t sure if I should be impressed or scared.


    ¡°My village?¡±


    ¡°I met Ruma. I didn¡¯t really have a reason for going. But I just thought that it would be good to see it.¡±


    ¡°I see. It is a very nice place.¡±


    We Ogres found it much too gloomy, but I didn¡¯t say that.


    ¡°By the way, I heard that there are Reapers from other countries that want to come here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was told about it the last time that I returned to the village. However, they said that this was not a tribe they had been in contact with before. And so there are many uncertainties about it.¡±


    ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be easy to move from one country to another. They should come when they feel like settling down. ¡­But more importantly, it looks like a war will be starting again.¡±


    ¡°Against who?¡±


    Rig asked with a serious expression.


    ¡°The same country. This time, we¡¯ll be invading.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Rig and Painy looked very surprised.


    ¡°Lesser Demon King Leninoth is very powerful. Surely he is too powerful, considering the size of his armies?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. And so we have to prepare so that we don¡¯t die, and so we don¡¯t lose.¡±


    While I said it was war, we wouldn¡¯t actually move until Tralzard sent out his army to the border. We were wholly dependent on someone else.


    If Tralzard didn¡¯t distract the other countries, we would not have the courage to launch the invasion. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    And if my plan was accepted, we had to lure Fara¡¯s army into Leninoth¡¯s country as well.


    ¡°There is a lot that we need to do.¡±


    I would do anything to help raise our chances of survival.


    ¡°I will do my best.¡±


    Painy said with determination.


    The Reapers had finally found a place to live. She did not want to lose that.


    And I didn¡¯t want them to lose it either.


    ¡°It will be a very severe fight. However, we have plenty of time. Don¡¯t stress yourself out. It¡¯s too early for that.¡±


    This was not a fight that we could escape.


    And so we had to train. I could already hear the Ogres groaning and saying ¡®again?¡¯


    I asked Rig to get me maps of Leninoth and Fara¡¯s countries.


    He said that they were at the castle, and so he went to fetch some copies.


    In the meantime, I made the Ogres and Reapers undergo the exact same training.


    To put it simply, it was training that did not use special abilities.


    For some reason, residents of the Demon World tended to rely on their race¡¯s unique abilities and skills.


    It was something that set them apart from other races, so I suppose I could understand why they would want to rely on them.


    But I wanted to change that.


    One problem was that in spite of them being so reliant on these special abilities, most of them had not really tested them to see just how effective they were.


    It was so bad that I wanted to yell at them.


    For the next two months, I beat them thoroughly into shape. There would be no coddling in this army. Backs would be broken.


    But then again, I might have been the one who really got stronger from it all.


    Perhaps it was because the Reapers were already at such a high level. In a way, they were beating me into shape.


    And like that, we finished our preparations. And then the order came for us to march. It was good timing.


    I also got a report that said they had decided to use my plan.


    And so began the plan to defeat Leninoth.

 Chapter 89

    Chapter 89For the most part, things were to be carried out just as I had suggested.


    There were three Lesser Demon Kings in Leninoth¡¯s country. Of course, one of them was Leninoth himself.


    The problem was the other two.


    There was Mujura the Great Hihi, and Totoir the Nosferatu.


    Both of them were known to be very dangerous.


    Mujura was an evolved Hihi, a baboon-like creature, but was several times stronger than the norm.


    And the Hihi were already strong and vicious enough to be known as the savage kings of the forest.


    They were said to have powerful arms and could attack with great speed. However, no one was sure about just how strong an evolved Hihi would be. But it was safe to say that they were incredibly powerful.


    They were also known to have great endurance, and if he was indeed better than the Hihi in every way, I had much reason to despair.


    As for Totoir, the Nosferatu were just as dangerous as the Vampires.


    Unlike Vampires, who specialized in magic but were also capable with hand to hand combat, the Nosferatu only used magic. This made them tricky enemies for meatheads, such Ogres.


    They were able to nullify most physical attacks. If we could only defeat them with magic, we would have to be careful when choosing soldiers to go against them.


    ¡°Of course, Leninoth is still the one we should really fear.¡±


    After all, Lesser Demon King Leninoth had defeated both of them. That showed he did not have trouble fighting with magic or with weapons.


    I myself had defeated a Taiga and Gigant Centaur. However, in such instances where someone challenged someone who was much stronger than them and won, a lot of it was because of luck.


    Besides, defeat usually meant death.


    When two who were of equal strength fought, someone would die at least half of the time.


    There had to be a great difference in strength for the winner to make the loser a subordinate.


    Making an enemy your servant was only possible if you could disable them both in body and spirit.


    Only the strong had real power over life and death.


    And so I could well imagine how overwhelmingly powerful Leninoth must be, as he had subjugated other Lesser Demon Kings.


    I was starting to get really worried. Could we defeat him?


    ¡°Now, we will depart quietly.¡±


    Currently, the whole country was preparing for war.


    Soldiers and supplies moved from town to town. There was a tenseness in the air and it felt like we would be launching the invasion any moment now.


    Of course, with preparations being made on such a scale, the other countries were likely to respond in some way.


    And so we would leave quietly, so as not contribute to the chaos.


    As this was a covert operation, I selected a smaller group to go with me.


    Thirty Ogres and thirty Reapers. There were also some non-combatant Kobolds, making us a party of eighty in all.


    Considering the battle ahead, this was the absolute limit.


    We would stick out too much if there were more, and it would affect our chances of winning if there were less.


    And so I had to accomplish the mission and return to the village safely with this lineup.


    ¡°Alright! I can¡¯t wait to break some heads!¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t be fighting for awhile!¡±


    I smashed Saifo in the head. He was getting way too ahead of himself.


    I had already explained the plan to him many times, and yet it seemed like he didn¡¯t remember it at all.


    He was pretty reliable when it came to fighting, but Ogres had trouble understanding anything that was complicated.


    I would have to be sure that he didn¡¯t go off on his own while we were in enemy territory.


    And so we marched down the town road until we were near the border of Demon King Janius¡¯s country.


    While Leninoth¡¯s country was our destination, we would not march straight into it like a group of idiots.


    We would go through our neighbor Janius¡¯s lands.


    Janius¡¯s country was vast, and there were great stretches of uninhabited land.


    My plan was to pass through Janius and Leninoth¡¯s borders.


    ¡°Alright, all of you. Disguise yourselves.¡±


    As we wanted to look like Totoir¡¯s men, we all donned hoods and cloaks in order to resemble Night Demons and Wraiths.


    Our faces would be hidden underneath tattered cloth. S?a?ch* Th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Apparently, residents of the Demon World did not really employ such strategies.


    And so from far away, we would be believable as a group of Wraiths¡­I think.


    Regardless, it was like this that we moved through Janius¡¯s lands.


    If Janius¡¯s soldiers happened to find us, we would have to quickly move into Leninoth¡¯s territories. And so we kept close to the borders.


    This meant that we had to travel on ground where there was no road.


    But this was not really a problem for Ogres, who were ridiculously strong. And the Reapers were able to hover in the air.


    ¡°¡­Time for a break.¡±


    But Kobolds tired very quickly.


    And leaving them was not an option. It would actually inconvenience us greatly.


    And so we ended up moving at their pace.


    ¡°I¡¯ve just received a report from the scouts.¡±


    Rig approached me as I was resting.


    For a few days now, I had sent Kobolds out on their own to scout ahead.


    ¡°Since Demon King Janius and Demon King Gidman are in the middle of a war, that would put us on the opposite side of the battlefield. I doubt we¡¯ll attract any attention as long as we keep our heads low, but they must still be careful with how they move.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I have made sure that they only confirm whether or not there are any villages or towns up ahead.¡±


    Like this, we gathered information during the day and moved at a gentle pace.


    And after making as much progress as we could, we would sleep from midnight to morning. That was how we marched.


    As of yet, none of the Ogres looked particularly disgruntled with how things were going.


    And I wasn¡¯t worried about the Reapers, as they put a lot of weight into being orderly and following rules.


    Perhaps it was because I had hammered it into the Ogres before leaving¡­ Well, it was more the use of force. But I was sure that they would remain quiet.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be able to let loose as soon as we arrive at our destination.¡±


    It was like dangling a carrot in front of a horse.


    They would move straight until they could go berserk.


    ¡°So, there is no problem if we keep marching in this direction?¡±


    ¡°They were unable to discover anything as far as their eyes could see.¡±


    According to the scouts, it was just more mountain ranges, and there was not a single village in sight.


    ¡°Well, we are near the border. No one would want to build a village in such a dangerous place.¡±


    It just wasn¡¯t convenient, even if they hadn¡¯t been enemies.


    And so the march continued to go smoother than expected.

 Chapter 90

    Chapter 90The march was going much smoother than expected.


    There was a time when I thought that. I wish I could punch my past self.


    ¡°Hide! Don¡¯t you dare move!¡±


    We were currently trying to stay concealed.


    Holding our breath and waiting for the enemy to pass.


    That being said, this enemy wasn¡¯t a soldier. It was a monster.


    The thing looked more like a kaiju as the sounds of its feet echoed through the forest.


    ¡°Rig. What is that thing?¡±


    ¡°I believe it¡¯s a type of Multiocular Beast. But I¡¯ve never seen one that was this big before.¡±


    ¡°Neither have I.¡± S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Any beast with eight to ten eyes on their faces were called ¡®Multiocular Beasts.¡¯


    And while they did not have an Orb of Control within their bodies, some of them were terribly strong.


    ¡°This one is about twice as tall as the forest trees.¡±


    It was no wonder that there were no villages around if something like that lived here.


    A Multiocular Beast that was the same size as me would be a strong enemy already.


    Instead of the ability to reason, they had highly developed aggressive instincts.


    And I did not want to go up against a creature that lived only to kill its next prey.


    Who would want to fight a beast that was so large you had to strain your neck to look at it? But then again, I was with Ogres.


    ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t know about this one. I bet half of our group will get eaten if it finds us.¡±


    Apparently, Saifo agreed with me.


    In this instance, half would be eaten, while the other half would make a run for it.


    It wasn¡¯t like we had a chance of winning if we were willing to sacrifice half of our men.


    Perhaps the Multiocular Beast was searching for something, as it took a few steps forward before looking around. It continued to do this while walking in a circle.


    It was only when the sun started to set, that the beast finally went away.


    ¡°¡­Phew. Good thing it didn¡¯t find us.¡±


    The last thing we needed was to take on a kaiju in a place like this.


    If we were going just by height, it was about three times as tall as the Gigant Centaur.


    ¡°Should we camp here for the night?¡±


    ¡°Aye. It would be no good if we fumbled in the dark and ended up getting caught.¡±


    Besides, we were all quite mentally drained now.


    And so it ended up being a very quiet night. Even the Ogres could not be heard talking, which was very rare.


    After that, we continued to slowly make our way through Janius¡¯s lands. All the while ready to escape into Leninoth¡¯s country if something happened.


    We noticed the change on the tenth day after crossing the border.


    We were only a few days away from entering Fara¡¯s country.


    ¡°There is movement on Leninoth¡¯s side.¡±


    Rig said. He looked rather nervous as he approached me.


    It was just as we had finished our break and were about to start marching again.


    ¡°Movement? Were we discovered?¡±


    ¡°No. While we were able to confirm the presence of soldiers, it does not seem like they know we are here. I believe they are on patrol.¡±


    ¡°But we haven¡¯t encountered any soldiers on patrol up until now.¡±


    While this was Janius¡¯s land, we were very close to Leninoth¡¯s.


    Well, it¡¯s not like there was a clearly visible line, so I didn¡¯t know for sure. But I believed that we were passing through an area that was just a few kilometers away from Leninoth¡¯s territory.


    ¡°It must be that our country has begun the invasion.¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­yes, it would be right about now, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    In order to make this plan work, there was a need for three groups to move at the right time.


    And ours was the first group.


    While the country prepared for war, we would quietly escape.


    Our goal was to avoid any fighting until we reached Fara¡¯s lands.


    Around that time, General Gorgodan would make a big show of appearing at Leninoth¡¯s borders.


    Of course, Leninoth would send out an army to drive them back. However, Gorgodan and most of his army were giants.


    So there would be nothing strange about them moving slowly.


    Gorgodan¡¯s purpose was to start a battle near the border.


    By luring the enemy in and fighting, we would be able to spread out the enemy forces.


    In the meantime, General Farneze would take her very best soldiers and move towards Leninoth¡¯s castle.


    Most of them would be Night Demons, so they would be able to blend in the shadows and avoid detection.


    As for us, we just had to wreak havoc on Fara¡¯s territories in order to attract soldiers into Leninoth¡¯s lands.


    My prediction was that Totoir¡¯s army would be deployed. And we would just disappear right before their arrival.


    ¡°If Leninoth is acting now, it must mean he is wary of the surrounding countries.¡±


    In order to focus on the war, he had to keep a sharp eye on his borders.


    Apparently, Leninoth was not the type who found such measures to be too troublesome.


    Well, it was a good thing for us. The more scattered his forces were, the better.


    ¡°Ah, but then it might be harder for General Farneze to sneak into the country.¡±


    If they were discovered too quickly, it was possible that the enemy would see through the entire plan.


    I could only hope that the stealth abilities of those creatures of the night would not disappoint us. Besides, there was nothing we could do to help them.


    ¡°What should we do?¡±


    ¡°I think it would be too dangerous to go deeper into Janius¡¯s territory. And we should only move under cover of night from now on.¡±


    There were many reasons to avoid being seen by the scouts Leninoth had unleashed. And though it might cause a delay for us, I preferred safety. Everything would be over if we were caught.


    And so I had everyone gather together and then explained to them the change in plan.


    ¡°Our country and Leninoth¡¯s country are likely in a state of war now. From here on, we will rest during the day and move during the night. If you are seen by anyone, report it immediately. We have to erase all witnesses. I¡¯ll be expecting you all to be extra vigilant.¡±


    And so it took us two days longer than planned.


    However, we were able to arrive in Fara¡¯s lands without being seen.

 Chapter 91

    Chapter 91¡ò Wild Hunt ¨C Lesser Demon King Chiril


    For the past few days, an ominous air has pervaded Lesser Demon King Chiril¡¯s country.


    The start of it all was the destruction of a single frontier village.


    No one knew the reason.


    It was clear that they had been attacked by someone, but there wasn¡¯t a single enemy corpse to be found.


    Only the villagers had died.


    Word of it reached the neighboring town, and while a team was sent to investigate, they too vanished without a trace.


    And so a second team was dispatched, and the incident was reported to the castle.


    The village had been in a place that was close to the border with Demon King Tralzard.


    Could it be that the Demon King had attacked?


    Lesser Demon King Chiril realized how serious the situation was, and he ordered for his scattered Generals to gather together.


    The next day, a town that was not too far from the castle was attacked, and a survivor came to them to tell the news.


    First a village, then the investigation team, and now a town.


    They didn¡¯t know who this enemy was, but they were getting closer.


    ¡°Close the gates. Have the soldiers prepare for a battle.¡±


    Chiril was quick to make the decision.


    There was no doubt that the enemy would come here. He was sure of it.


    As he watched his subordinates frantically move, he considered his current fighting force.


    (According to the report, a town was turned into ash in just one day. A half-hearted assault will not be enough to stop them.)


    The towns that were closer to the castle had strong defenses.


    There were some that were practically fortresses. Once their gates were closed, it would be very difficult to destroy them.


    So while these fortresses lured in the enemy, he called in his Generals and their armies.


    This was the best strategy. However, the enemy was already so close.


    (They just came out of nowhere. Who are they? And will the Generals make it back in time?)


    Even the closest General was still three days away.


    And it would take twice as long if you were with an entire army.


    It would be best to assume that it would take fifteen days for all of them to arrive.


    (¡­They won¡¯t make it in time if they take their men.)


    ¡°Hey, send out a second message. To all of the Generals. Tell them to come ahead¡­¡±


    It was just as Chiril had said this much. There was a deafening blast coming from the castle gates.


    ¡ªZzzzzoonnnn!


    It was so loud that the ground shook under his feet.


    Chiril immediately grabbed his favorite battleaxe.


    ¡°We¡¯re under attack! They¡¯re coming!¡±


    The iron gates were a meter thick. He had been very proud of them.


    They were not something that could be broken with physical strength.


    Still, Chiril was sure of one thing. The enemy had arrived¡­


    ¡°Ah, is this our first time meeting?¡±


    He had headed for the gate¡­but just as he entered the courtyard, a cheerful voice entered his ears.


    Chiril was very surprised. He had not expected someone to address him here.


    ¡°You. You¡¯re a Vampire!¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Are you surprised?¡±


    A Vampire boy was standing there.


    ¡°Fool. Coming in here all alone.¡±


    Vampires could fly.


    No matter how thick your gate was, they could fly over it and attack on their own.


    However, what of it?


    Invading an enemy castle by yourself. It was nothing short of suicide.


    Even if he was incredibly strong, there was no way that he could take on all of the castle soldiers.


    ¡°Kill him!¡±


    Before he finished giving the order, spears began to fly at a speed that the eye couldn¡¯t follow.


    A group of Minotaurs were using their special skill, ¡®Spear Throw¡¯ to the fullest as they launched the missiles one after another.


    ¡°Huh? Hey, woah¡­¡±


    The Vampire was not able to dodge every single spear as they shot down¡­and some of them tore through his body. He collapsed on the ground, head first.


    It was quite pathetic, really. And then the Minotaurs fell on him.


    ¡°What can one person do?¡±


    Just then, there was another deafening crash by the castle gate. And Chiril¡¯s attention moved towards it.


    That¡¯s when it happened. The Minotaurs that had swarmed around the Vampire began to crumble in rapid succession.


    ¡°What the¡­ you could have at least given me a warning.¡±


    The Vampire boy looked like he didn¡¯t even feel any pain.


    The warning system in Chiril¡¯s head was now raised to its limit.


    It was only then that he became calm and understood that this Vampire had enough mana to put him in the Lesser Demon King class.


    ¡°Are you the bastard who attacked Sajib village and Saltan town?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, never heard of those places. But I guess I did attack a village and town.¡±


    The Vampire was standing on the corpses of the Minotaurs now. His eyes were large and round as he laughed. There was no malice in his expression.


    But Chiril sensed unspeakable madness in those eyes.


    ¡°¡­What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Want? Nothing really. They were just in the way.¡±


    He had destroyed a village and town because they were in the way. That¡¯s what he was saying.


    Chiril gritted his teeth.


    ¡°Then you shall die here.¡±


    The special skill, ¡®Wrath,¡¯ allowed one to heighten their own power. And with ¡®Roar,¡¯ one could cause their enemy to lose heart and weaken them.


    Chiril was a Gigant Minotaur, and could use the skill that combined both of those skills, ¡®Wrathful Roar.¡¯


    His own power was greatly enhanced, and his enemy¡¯s power greatly reduced.


    ¡ªBBBBROOOGGHH!! S~?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Chiril¡¯s roar echoed through the castle.


    His skin turned to bronze, and his muscles bulged.


    ¡°See this! I¡­ggahh¡­what?¡±


    A fountain of blood was pouring from Lesser Demon King Chiril¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Oh? Your head didn¡¯t fall off? Hmm. I wonder why? I thought I was strong enough to do that.¡±


    Why can¡¯t I do it like Golan¡­ Chiril could hear him muttering to himself.


    It was as if he had very little interest in what was happening.


    It was the left side of Chiril¡¯s neck that had been cut. Even now, blood was flowing from it.


    ¡°Hhhmph!¡±


    He used his muscles to force the bleeding to stop, and then he looked at the Vampire again.


    The Vampire was holding a giant sword that seemed to have materialized out of nowhere.


    Even when compared to Chiril¡¯s axe, it was not inferior.


    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s an interesting trick.¡±


    He was likely talking about how he had stopped the bleeding.


    The enemy in front of him was stronger. Thinking this, Chiril decided to bet everything on landing a single hit.


    After all, the sounds coming from the gate were getting more and more distressing.


    And so he tightly gripped the axe and put all of his power into it.


    ¡ªZzzzooon! Bang.


    The ground shook more violently than ever.


    The gate had been destroyed. He understood that immediately.


    ¡°Oh, they finally did it. Why are they so slow?¡±


    Apparently, the enemy could tell as well.


    They would swarm into the castle now.


    He had to finish this fight before they could reach him.


    And so Chiril took a step forward. However, the enemy in front of him just smiled.


    ¡°Well, the time seems right. Will you die for me?¡±

 Chapter 92

    Chapter 92¡ò Wild Hunt ¨C Nehyor


    Minotaurs boasted impressive strength, but they could not use magic. S~?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    They liked to use battle axes, and they were skilled in close-quarters combat.


    That being said, they did have high resistance to magic.


    Perhaps it was because they were of the advanced races that they did not have any obvious weaknesses to physical or magical attacks.


    ¡°You really are a Gigant. I might have underestimated you a little.¡±


    Had his mana not recently increased greatly, this might have been a rather desperate battle.


    That¡¯s what Nehyor thought.


    Still, for Nehyor as he was now, this was only a slightly difficult opponent.


    And so the Gigant Minotaur¡¯s body crumbled to the ground.


    Immediately after, the surrounding Minotaurs fell into a state of panic, and they broke ranks and began to flee.


    However, they were hunted down by the company in black that had arrived.


    It was all very one-sided from that point on.


    But Nehyor didn¡¯t even glance towards them as he made his way to the highest point in the castle.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s Lesser Demon King Chiril¡¯s country down. Where should I go next?¡±


    Nehyor¡¯s expression was filled with curiosity as he gazed over the land from the top of the castle.


    What country lay beyond this one¡­?


    After the Wild Hunt annihilated their enemy in the castle, they regrouped and departed.


    When the Generals finally did arrive, they were much surprised at the horrible sight that awaited them. And they felt a deep outrage over the death of Lesser Demon King Chiril.


    If only they had been present.


    While such thoughts plagued them, it was such an impressive attack, that the results may have just been the same even if they were there.


    No, this was an enemy ambush. Had they been able to intercept them properly, the results would have surely been different.


    It was while considering such things that the Generals gathered together. And then one of them spoke up.


    ¨CSo, who will be the next king?


    Now that Lesser Demon King Chiril was dead, his Generals turned on one another, and the country was thrown into a state of civil war.


    Generals led their armies against other Generals. Then other Generals would take the opportunity to attack them from behind.


    And just when the chaos within the country had reached its peak, a neighboring country launched an attack.


    Like this, the civil war quickly turned into a defensive war.


    And so Lesser Demon King Chiril¡¯s death caused the country to fall into great turmoil.


    ¡ò Demon King Tralzard¡¯s country ¨C Miralda


    The battle between Tralzard and Legard was like a seesaw in terms of who had the advantage.


    It seemed like a conclusion to it all was very far away, but that was how wars between Demon Kings usually played out.


    If you used your entire force, you might win, but the damage would be great.


    And what use would a victory be, if others targeted you during that moment?


    And so it was convention to fight smaller battles and chip away at enemy forces.


    In the midst of all this, General Miralda¡¯s army was pulled away from the frontlines. But instead of allowing them to return to her lands, they were sent to the east.


    To the east, there was a cluster of countries ruled by Lesser Demon Kings.


    They would be easy enough to conquer, however, beyond them lay the country of a Great Demon King.


    Tralzard did not want to share a border with someone so dangerous.


    If he was ever going to swallow up the smaller countries and expand his lands so they would be next to a Great Demon King, then it was best to get rid of all his Demon King neighbors first.


    And so Demon King Tralzard had never sent his armies east.


    It was because of this, that the cluster of small countries were alarmed like never before. Indeed, their response was so dramatic, that one might wonder if they would start attacking immediately.


    ¡°¡­What? Lesser Demon King Chiril has fallen?¡±


    A messenger had been sent to Miralda from the castle.


    And the contents were most shocking.


    ¡°So, what happened to the country?¡±


    ¡°Without a king, the land is ruled by confusion. If this continues, the Generals will fight, and it will likely start to affect the surrounding countries.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. You must be tired. Go and rest.¡±


    Miralda scowled after hearing the full report.


    The war with Demon King Legard had been going on for many years.


    And she doubted anything would change soon.


    Demon King Janius was busy fighting Demon King Gidman, and they had no attention to spare for what happened here.


    That¡¯s why Tralzard was able to send soldiers to the east in order to keep the small countries in check.


    But if Chiril was really dead, and the west side was thrown into turmoil, then Demon King Tralzard would be forced to be watchful of them.


    Soldiers were limited in number, as were Generals. He didn¡¯t have enough of them to maintain so many lines of battle.


    He was rich in terms of personnel, but his lands were vast, and his enemies many.


    ¡°The west, huh? I hope that nothing happens¡­ No, something definitely will happen.¡±


    If Generals of nearly equal strength were fighting, then the battle could be very long.


    Especially if they knew each other well.


    And other countries would not just watch this silently.


    Neighboring Lesser Demon Kings would see this as a wonderful opportunity.


    ¡°The west will be consumed by chaos.¡±


    But how long would it take?


    Miralda felt that it would not take very long at all.


    ¡°¡­Still, who killed Lesser Demon King Chiril?¡±


    Apparently, this information had not been found yet. It was not in the report.


    However, it was known that he was killed by someone.


    Chiril was a Lesser Demon king.


    There were not many who would be able to kill someone like that so easily.


    A certain name came up in Miralda¡¯s mind. A name that had been discussed recently. But she shook the thought out of her mind.


    This was no time for such speculation.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to keep our eyes on the west now.¡±


    Miralda muttered to herself.

 Chapter 93

    Chapter 93¡ò Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s castle ¨C Farneze


    Drums beat loudly, and the shouts of the masses gathered around the castle resounded into the sky.


    It was the signal for departure.


    There had not been a departing ceremony that was this grand since Lesser Demon King Melvis fell into his deep sleep.


    General Farneze was watching from the castle balcony, along with a few of her subordinates.


    ¡°¡­They are filled with such unusual passion.¡±


    Farneze muttered as she wondered how many years it had been since she last saw something like this.


    The others listened to their superior officer politely and without comment.


    General Gorgodan¡¯s army would be leaving the castle now.


    But it wasn¡¯t just the residents that came to see them off.


    War was an opportunity. And merchants liked to gamble.


    And so many merchants had brought their wares and opened stores in the castle city.


    Farneze was sure that some of them would be spies who had been unleashed by Leninoth.


    However, if she enforced strict investigations, the merchants would all leave and never return.


    Leaving just meant they would be taking information about this country elsewhere.


    And residents of the Demon World never let a slight go unanswered.


    Payback was the law. And it was no different with merchants.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how many spies he sent, but they might as well take as much information as they can find.¡±


    Leninoth will know about Gorgodan¡¯s departure immediately.


    Currently, Leninoth sat waiting in the castle located in the center of his country. The south was guarded by Mujura, the Great Hihi.


    There was also a report that Totoir, the Nosferatu, was roaming the north, near Fara¡¯s lands.


    If Gorgodan crossed the border, then Mujura would surely come to meet him.


    They didn¡¯t know where Mujura was waiting now, but he would move as soon as the border was crossed.


    Gorgodan would make a big show of marching, just as had been planned. But he would not go too far past the border. The battlefield would be as close to it as possible.


    ¡°In the meantime, we¡¯ll take down Leninoth¡­ Are we fully prepared?¡±


    Farneze asked her adjutant, Atarasushia.


    ¡°Yes, General¡­ While it will be incredibly dangerous, we are ready.¡±


    ¡°I see. And the personnel for our suicide squad?¡±


    ¡°I have chosen ten, including backups.¡±


    ¡°Very well. As soon as Gorgodan crosses the border, all eyes will be on them. That¡¯s when we¡¯ll leave.¡±


    ¡°Yes. We will be ready at any moment.¡±


    Currently, Farneze was supposed to be in the south in order to deal with Demon King Tralzard.


    In fact, they were in the middle of sending soldiers there right now.


    But this was a feint.


    They wanted it to look like they were just as scared as the other Lesser Demon Kings.


    Farneze herself would lead the small group of her finest, and go and take Leninoth¡¯s head.


    And several preparations had been underway in order to raise their chances of survival.


    Five would enter the place for the decisive battle. But they would take five others as reserves.


    Lesser Demon King Leninoth was a giant known as a Hecatoncheir. S~?a??h the N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    He was huge. And strong. Ridiculously tough.


    Farneze did not expect her nails and fangs to be effective.


    She would be able to scratch him at best. That was all.


    But considering his mana level, that in itself was quite impressive.


    And so she and Felicia had talked for many days in order to think of a way to win.


    The thing they would use was ¡®poison.¡¯


    The Hecatoncheir were strong against physical and magical attacks. And so traditional combat tactics would be of no use.


    And so they thought of using poison attacks.


    They would spread a powerful poisonous liquid in the area and kill all of his guards.


    After that, it would evaporate and create a poisonous gas that would eat away at his flesh from the inside.


    Of course, this meant that Farneze herself would breathe it in, but she would drink an antidote in advance. Besides, Night Demons already had a strong resistance to poison.


    It wasn¡¯t as high as Wraiths, who didn¡¯t have physical bodies, but it was higher than Reapers.


    And so if they did spread poison, the only one who would take great damage was Leninoth.


    ¡°And then this¡­¡±


    When she had asked Golan if he had any good ideas, this is what he said.


    ¨CRestraining tools.


    Hecatoncheirs were very large, and perhaps it was because of this, that they could not move very quickly.


    But as each attack was usually enough to kill their opponent, there wasn¡¯t really a need for them to overwhelm an enemy with speed.


    Well, it was so slow to begin with, why not make it so that it couldn¡¯t move at all?


    Yes, that was what Golan had said.


    Indeed, it would be difficult to catch someone who was fast, but perhaps they could manage if the enemy was slow.


    And so Farneze accepted Golan¡¯s suggestion and tried to have chains made for this very purpose.


    However, Felicia stopped her.


    ¡°If you do make something, it will have to be something that won¡¯t come off easily.¡±


    Ultimately, what they came up with was something that would go over his entire head.


    Of course, it would not be easy to put something like this over his head.


    And so they would use a smokescreen.


    Even while obstructing people¡¯s vision, it would be difficult to hide the body of a giant Hecatoncheir.


    On the other hand, Vampires could easily hide in smoke.


    In order to defeat Leninoth, they had to attack his weak point and bind his movement.


    The last thing that Farneze needed was a weapon. Something with absolute destructive ability.


    ¡°¡­This. Yes, it¡¯s perfect.¡±


    A metal stake. It was something that you could only use if you had the strength of a Vampire.


    For a stake, it was rather¡­no, very thick.


    But the point was thin like a needle. If this was rammed into the head, even a Lesser Demon King would not be able to escape death.


    However, it was only after doing all of this preparation, that the odds became fifty-fifty.


    If even the slightest thing went wrong, the odds would change greatly.


    And so Farneze braced herself.


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s time for use to leave quietly.¡±


    As Vampires could fly in the sky, they did not require roads.


    They just needed to move in the shadows of the night.


    The die had already been cast.


    There was nothing left to do but act.

 Chapter 94

    Chapter 94We had entered Lesser Demon King Fara¡¯s country.


    It seemed like a miracle that we made it this far without getting caught.


    ¡°What the hell? Could our luck really be so good?¡±


    I expected that we would be discovered once or twice, and that we¡¯d have to fight.


    And while there were some dangerous moments, things had gone relatively smoothly.


    ¡°I know what it is. Gaia is whispering to me that I must succeed.¡±


    ¡°¡­But I can¡¯t hear anything.¡±


    My adjutant, Rig, said as he put his ear to the ground.


    I didn¡¯t know why he had to take everything so seriously.


    ¡°Uhhumm. Now, we must get to business. I¡¯ll give you a simple briefing.¡±


    I had several plans prepared.


    To be honest, I had no idea what would happen, and I was taking the worst case scenario into consideration as well.


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ll finally get to go wild.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait!¡±


    The idiot siblings were very enthusiastic. But I needed them to be patient.


    If things had gone so well up until now, perhaps it was fine if we got a little greedy?


    ¡°I had considered various scenarios in the event that we were discovered and even chased by the enemy. However, it seems that we¡¯ve slipped by unnoticed. This is a great opportunity.¡±


    I watched everyone¡¯s reaction. I was a little anxious about whether they followed. Regardless, they didn¡¯t seem to have any opinions in particular.


    ¡°And so we will pretend to be Leninoth¡¯s army. To be precise, we will pretend to be Totoir¡¯s soldiers.¡±


    Totoir was one of Leninoth¡¯s Generals. He was also one of the Lesser Demon Kings.


    In terms of strength, he was someone incredibly dangerous.


    Totoir led an army of Wraiths and Night Demons. I suppose you would have called them ¡®undead¡¯ back on earth.


    And it was surprisingly easy to disguise yourself as one of them. We were already doing it, with the cloth we were covered in.


    ¡°I¡¯ll speak plainly. We will be fighting while wearing these hoods.¡±


    ¡°What? But they¡¯ll get in the way!¡±


    Saifo was quick to object to this.


    Currently, the cloths they wore were covering their entire bodies, and there were some holes for the eyes.


    It was the same for both Ogres and Reapers.


    ¡°We will do it until the enemy sees through it. If we succeed, we could be the trigger that plunges Fara and Leninoth into all out war.¡±


    Of course, I was not really that optimistic.


    However, I wanted to be prepared in the event that Farneze failed. Or if Leninoth died and this country became divided.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really understand. But you¡¯re saying that something good will happen if we fight like this?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying. Will you do it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the chief, Golan. I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Me too!¡±


    It seemed like the other Ogres didn¡¯t have a problem either.


    In fact, there was something I had noticed while spending every day with them. The other Ogres were afraid of me.


    Whenever I tried talking to them casually, they would start shaking.


    I had selected Ogres that were young and energetic. And I was quite friendly while talking to them.


    Was it that? Was it because of the training?


    Perhaps I shouldn¡¯t have told them to come at me at the same time. I shouldn¡¯t have beaten them all at once.


    I didn¡¯t want any of them to die. That¡¯s why I had trained and looked after them until I could barely stand. And yet they treated me like a stranger.


    Damn it, they were a coldhearted lot.


    Leaving that aside, I turned to see how the Reapers were reacting. They too did not have any objections.


    But then again, it was always difficult to know what the Reapers were thinking.


    However, the Reapers would have nowhere to live if Leninoth took over our country, so I knew that they were desperate.


    They just didn¡¯t show their emotions on their faces very much, so it was hard to tell. In any case, their reaction was muted at best.


    If only we could overcome this barrier of species and become closer.


    ¡°Now, I will tell you my plan. While in these clothes, we will go and attack one of the fortresses in this area. Fara¡¯s soldiers should be stationed in them, so we will deal as much damage as possible before retreating.¡±


    Leninoth and Fara¡¯s borders were littered with fortresses.


    There was a fortress in any place that looked like it might be a good hiding place. And of course, that meant soldiers.


    However, these fortresses were not very big.


    There were about twenty fortresses in the area, and each could likely house about a hundred soldiers.


    But if we were counting all of the fortresses along the border, how many would there be?


    We had no reason to rush or to panic.


    The thing we needed to be wary about now was being caught before the attack. Also, we wanted to avoid a situation where our men were killed or captured, and the enemy realized what was really happening.


    ¡°Because of this, we will search for a fortress with fewer enemies. And once we find one, we will wait for night and then attack.¡±


    ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s crush them into the ground!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been itching for this moment.¡± S?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­Really, were we going to be okay with these guys?


    I looked at the idiot siblings skeptically as I felt the coldness of the blade that the General had given me.


    After that, I sent out the Kobolds to scout the area and find us a good candidate.


    ¡°¡­Alright, we¡¯ll choose this place.¡±


    It was a fortress that was surrounded by three cliffs.


    There was only one path that led to it.


    In other words, we would stick out as we moved towards it.


    ¡°Can you do it, Painy?¡±


    ¡°Yes. There will be no problem.¡±


    The plan was to have the Reapers lead the attack.


    I didn¡¯t know why, but these kinds of roundabout methods were unusual here.


    Well, they did surprise the enemy quite often. So I wasn¡¯t sure what the difference was.


    I guess they never really thought of secret infiltrations.


    Now, as for this fortress, it was the smallest out of the ones we found.


    It¡¯s walls were made of logs.


    The logs were heavy. And while they were quite durable, they also took up a lot of space.


    That meant the interior of the fortress was smaller.


    This suggested to me that there would be fewer soldiers inside.


    We just had to attack and leave a few survivors.


    That¡¯s all it took to give this attack some meaning.


    And once Fara¡¯s army came out, we would have succeeded.


    After all, Leninoth¡¯s army would then have to watch the border.


    ¡°Now, we wait for the night and then depart.¡±

 Chapter 95

    Chapter 95The forest at midnight.


    ¡°Painy, I¡¯m counting on you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir Golan. Leave it to me.¡±


    The ten Reapers quietly slipped out from the forest.


    They were headed to the fortress in Fara¡¯s territory.


    It was built on top of a mountain, and was surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs.


    There was only one way to enter¡ªa nearby forest. That was all.


    And it was this relatively small forest that we would attack.


    Under the moonlight, Painy and the others silently stealed up towards the fortress.


    Wraiths and specters were good at this kind of work. And so even though there were guards watching, they were not discovered.


    ¡°Alright. We charge in as soon as the gates open. They will have double our number inside of the fortress. But most of them will be asleep. Crush anyone you see.¡±


    Our strategy was about as simple as it could be.


    A few Reapers would enter the fortress and open the gate.


    Of course, they would be discovered at that point, and so Painy and her team would go in to defend the gate.


    And the rest of us would rush in before the enemy could call the others for support.


    I told Painy that she shouldn¡¯t push herself too hard.


    If there were too many guards, then they should retreat.


    ¡°¡­Come on¡­¡±


    Time continued to pass without any sign of movement.


    I could see the fortress from between the trees, but the gate was still closed.


    When I turned around, I saw that Saifo and the other Ogres were swaying impatiently under their hoods.


    As for this attack. I was quite confident that it would succeed.


    The fortress was quite small, after all.


    However, there was a possibility that someone very strong just happened to be there. The thought made me sweat.


    If we were defeated here, it would affect the entire plan.


    And so I fought the urge to rush forward, and just stared at the gate and waited.


    Just when the sweat from my foreheading was starting to stain the ground at my feet, I saw the gates slowly open from the inside. They had succeeded.


    ¡­Good!


    The time was ripe. Now we just had to charge in.


    ¡°All of you. It¡¯s time to go!¡±


    ¡°Arggh!¡±


    And so I ran.


    Behind me, the Ogres and Reapers raised their voices and followed.


    ¡°¡­Hey, they¡¯ll hear you!¡±


    Had we charged in silently, we would have been able to buy some extra time¡­but it was too late.


    The soldiers in the fortress would have definitely heard us now.


    ¡°Bah, just keep going!¡±


    I raised my club. There was no turning back. S?a??h th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°HYYAAAHHH!¡±


    As we rushed through the gates, the Ogres tore off the hoods that were getting in their way.


    ¡°Hey! You idiots!!¡±


    It was hopeless. They were hopeless. They had forgotten everything.


    Ultimately, the carefully planned deception that I had pushed for so hard¡­vanished in a flash.


    ¡°GOOOOO!!¡±


    There was no helping it.


    It was better to let them do what they wanted and stay motivated.


    The Ogres flowed into the building.


    The Reapers stood their ground in the courtyard, slowly but surely taking down the enemy.


    ¡°Golden Eye Orcs, eh?¡±


    I could also see shrieking Goblins, but it looked like they had no intention of joining the fight.


    The soldiers that came out of the building had pig faces and long fangs.


    And their eyes were all one solid color. It looked like they had poured gold into the sockets.


    They were called Golden Eye Orcs, and were somewhere between the bottom and center when it came to demihumans.


    They were high among Orcs, but lower than us Ogres.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think we have anything to worry about.¡±


    I had brought with me the best of my Ogres.


    And the Reapers were already near the top.


    Besides, this was an ambush. Surely we could not find ourselves at a disadvantage. It was just as I was thinking this¡­


    ¡ªBa-bang. Ba-ba-ba-bang.


    ¡°Shit! Thunder cannons.¡±


    There were no guns or traditional cannons in the Demon World. They had probably not been invented yet.


    However, they did have gunpowder.


    In war, it was only used to make sounds, like it was doing just now. Like firecrackers.


    No one had thought of using it to launch balls of metal.


    ¡ªBa-bang, ba-ba-bang¡­ba-bang¡­ba-ba-bang¡­


    And since the fortress was on the top of a mountain, the sounds of the thunder cannon traveled far.


    It would easily reach the other fortresses.


    Gunpowder was expensive.


    And so I had not expected it to be here in a secluded fortress.


    However, perhaps it had been necessary in order to guard Leninoth¡¯s border.


    ¡°Sir Golan. What should we do?¡±


    Painy asked as she moved towards me.


    ¡°They will send people to see what is happening. I don¡¯t want them to see us retreating. We¡¯ll have to leave this place soon.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    They would send their swiftest ahead.


    If we waited too long, we¡¯d be seen.


    ¡°The problem is¡­where do we run?¡±


    If we returned to the forest and continued on straight, we would be going into Leninoth¡¯s territory.


    But we wanted to lure in Fara¡¯s army, so crossing the border again would not be a good idea.


    ¡°We should go deeper then.¡±


    While it would be very dangerous, I decided that we would move deeper into Fara¡¯s lands.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to get out of here. All of you. Follow me!¡±


    ¡°Arrgh!¡±


    Fara¡¯s army would never think that we¡¯d move deeper into their lands. Well, I hoped that they wouldn¡¯t.


    And so we melted into the shadows and began our retreat.


    We headed towards the forest first, and once inside, moved as if tracing an arch.


    Once we were out, I saw that several lights had appeared in the fortress.


    They were probably burning torches now.


    ¡°We¡¯ll continue to move from here.¡±


    They would be looking towards the border for Leninoth¡¯s men.


    And so we moved quietly into Fara¡¯s territory, and found a safe area before the sun rose.


    There were lots of spots like this in the forests. Sudden clearings that were devoid of trees.


    They were perfect for resting.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be attacking at least one more fortress. So you better rest up.¡±


    I said before lying down.


    That night, we took a small fortress that was far away from the town road. We now found ourselves very deep into Fara¡¯s lands.


    And while they must have heard about the other attack, the soldiers did not seem like they were on their guard.


    Just like before, I sent the Reapers in first and had them open the gate.


    Both fortresses were overseen by goblins.


    While they were not suited for battle, there were many of them, and they lived all over the Demon World.


    And they were likely quite suited for these kinds of jobs.


    When the gates opened and we rushed inside and trampled over the enemy, I heard the sounds of large wings flapping.


    Someone who could fly had likely gone to call for reinforcements.


    It was difficult to do anything about these kinds of contact methods.


    If we waited too long, we¡¯d get ambushed from the sky.


    ¡°Alright, retreat!¡±


    Moderation was key.


    And so I gathered my men and we started to move out.

 Chapter 96

    Chapter 96¡ò Wild Hunt ¨C Neyhor


    ¡°Huh? It¡¯s finished already?¡±


    Nehyor held both hands behind his head and looked at his opponent calmly.


    As for his opponent, he had no energy to spare in the face of Nehyor¡¯s provocations.


    He just glared back with hatred. That was the most he could do to resist.


    They were in Lesser Demon King Listoris¡¯s castle.


    Nehyor had come all of the way here with the Wild Hunt in order to kill the Lesser Demon King


    They had passed the border and slowly made their way to the center, all the while crushing soldiers and their Commanders and Corps Commanders.


    And now he was facing one of the Generals in a one on one battle.


    That being said, the enemy was covered in blood as he glared at Nehyor. One might have thought that Nehyor had killed his parents.


    This enemy was called an Ophir. It had the head of a snake and was particularly suited for combat.


    And while they were weak to the cold, they were strong against statuses like poison. Their greatest assets were their speed and strength. They also liked to charge.


    And yet this one was now riddled with wounds.


    ¡°Hey, do you mind? You¡¯ve had enough, right?¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    Without giving him enough time to hold up his spear, Nehyor¡¯s arm thrust into the Ophir¡¯s chest and came out the other end. He had pierced through the heart.


    Nehyor pulled out his arm and smashed his enemy in the head.


    Blood poured from its chest and neck, and then it collapsed onto the ground.


    ¡°Ahhhh¡­¡±


    Now the battle was finished.


    The Ophir¡¯s subordinates began to move back as if to get away from Nehyor.


    ¡°Do it.¡±


    The members of the Wild Hunt closed in on them without making a sound. And like that, they unleashed their deadly attacks on the enemies in the area.


    ¡°Hmm. These enemies also failed to surprise me.¡±


    Nehyor seemed to be oblivious to the massacre happening around him. He just muttered to himself and then disappeared down the passage towards the back.


    The passage led to Lesser Demon King Listoris¡¯s throne room. There was no obstacle in his way now.


    And so Nehyor moved towards it without hesitation.


    ¡°Is there really no one who can surprise me now? Maybe Golan really was special. What a waste.¡±


    Nehyor had lived so long that he had become bored of living. The lives of Ogres went by in a flash for him. Usually, they would never have occupied any space in his mind.


    However, ever since that fight, Nehyor found himself thinking about Golan every once in a while.


    ¡°I want to meet him again. Maybe I¡¯ll go and do just that.¡±


    Several months had passed.


    Perhaps Golan had grown stronger again.


    In that case, why not put him to the test? s?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    After all, Nehyor had not even experienced Golan at his best.


    Yes, he wanted Golan to fight without holding back next time. If that happened, what kind of trump card would Golan pull out?


    Nehyor became restless just thinking about it.


    Now that Lesser Demon King Chiril was dead, his country was in disarray.


    The remaining Generals fought amongst each other. Every day there was another battle for dominance.


    After hearing this news, Lesser Demon King Listoris saw it as a great opportunity, and he had sent out his armies.


    He thought that he could make off with the profits under the cover of chaos.


    He had never dreamed that his castle would be attacked in the meantime.


    Lesser Demon King Listoris had sent many men to invade his neighbor, just as Nehyor closed in on him.


    ¡ò Lesser Demon King Leninoth¡¯s Country ¨C Farneze


    After General Gorgodan left the castle under the eyes of many people, General Farneze secretly crossed the border.


    They moved during the night and rested in the day.


    And after repeating this many times, they were finally able to reach Leninoth¡¯s castle.


    ¡°We¡¯re fully prepared to take on Lesser Demon King Leninoth. The only problem left is the timing.¡±


    As they were Vampires, fighting during the night would not be a problem.


    And since they could fly in the sky, they could invade the castle directly.


    However, their enemy was Lesser Demon King Leninoth. He would have his finest men defending the castle.


    There were many soldiers stationed here, and they were strong.


    If they ended up taking too long, they would quickly be surrounded.


    ¡°We¡¯ll aim for the darkest time, before sunrise. The castle is big. We¡¯ll have to stay close together as we advance.¡±


    There was not enough time, and so they had not been able to acquire any information about the castle.


    Farneze looked at the people she had brought.


    There were ten in all.


    She had planned heavily for this moment.


    For the battle against Leninoth, five would be selected to fight alongside her.


    But in spite of the many preparations, their chances of winning were still just fifty percent.


    On top of that, they had to finish things before the reinforcements arrived.


    ¡°It will be a battle against time.¡±


    Everyone nodded at Farneze¡¯s words.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Farneze and the others jumped off of the cliff that overlooked the castle.


    They flew as high as they could so that the guards would not see them.


    Their destination was the top of the castle. That was where they would enter.


    As they flew in the sky, they inspected the castle below.


    There were about twenty soldiers patrolling the courtyard and around the building.


    There would likely be many more inside.


    ¡°¡­It looks like it will be impossible to make it through without a fight.¡±


    Even if they tried to avoid fighting as much as possible, how long would it take?


    Farneze was a General in Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s country.


    She was confident in her own strength. However, this was Leninoth¡¯s castle.


    It was possible that there were people here that were the same class as Generals in her country.


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t make a sound.¡±


    After descending on the castle roof, they erased their presence and moved slowly.


    ¡ªGragh!


    They bumped into an enemy immediately, but she dispatched him quickly with her claws.


    Even the soldiers on patrol were strong enough to be Corps Commanders here.


    Farneze focused even harder.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡±


    As they moved down a long and dark hallway, they heard a voice come from the other end.


    ¡°¡­Tsk!¡±


    Farneze dashed forward.


    ¡°We¡¯re under attack!¡±


    And while she killed the enemy immediately, he had been able to shout.


    Now more soldiers would come.


    ¡°We have to run. Follow me.¡±


    This was no time for stealth. Farneze flew through the castle.


    The castle itself had a structure similar to every other castle.


    And so she relied on her intuition as she rushed to the place she thought Leninoth would be.


    They killed any enemy they met on the way, passed several rooms, and finally arrived in the hall where the king was in.


    There she saw¡­


    ¡°The Great Hihi!?¡±


    Somehow, the Great Hihi who was supposed to be fighting General Gorgodan was present.

 Chapter 97

    Chapter 97We made it through the night and it was now midday.


    But we were at a loss.


    I had a general idea of where we were, and knew which direction we should head.


    However, we could not go in the direction that we wanted to. Enemy scouts were crawling all over the place.


    ¡°They sure are quick to react. And they¡¯re well trained.¡±


    In any case, we had to go even deeper into Fara¡¯s territories in order to avoid being discovered by the enemy.


    But I was getting worried about how far we were going.


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s stop here and rest.¡±


    We gathered under the shadow of a large boulder and rested.


    Once we had caught our breath, we¡¯d think about what to do next.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I want to ask you. Why do you think they sent soldiers from the nearby town, and not just the fortresses?¡±


    We only attacked two fortresses.


    And so I had assumed the other fortresses in the area would send scouts to find out what happened.


    But things turned out quite different.


    Reinforcements had immediately been sent from the town.


    Sensing the danger, we tried to escape into Leninoth¡¯s territory, but there were too many eyes near the fortress now, and more soldiers were appearing in the area.


    ¡°You said that you heard the beating of wings during the attack. I would assume that they went and told the town.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s obvious. But would they really react so quickly? They wouldn¡¯t have been able to move in the morning unless they were preparing in the middle of the night.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure¡­¡±


    Even Rig was uncertain.


    As the battalion was now looking for us, we had nowhere to run.


    They were being so thorough that one might wonder if they had been ordered to search through every blade of grass in order to find us.


    Of course, we were forced to move away from the town and fortresses, and move in deeper.


    ¡°Well, Leninoth¡¯s lands are vast. Perhaps we can just go around and return¡­¡±


    Our goal was to bring the enemy close to the border.


    ¡°If this was going to happen, wouldn¡¯t it have been better to just attack some random Leninoth town or fortress?¡±


    Saifo started to say.


    The idea had flashed in my mind. However, there was a fatal flaw to that idea.


    ¡°My men are Ogres and Reapers. People will know that it was us immediately if we attacked one of Leninoth¡¯s towns.¡±


    We had already destroyed two fortresses. And killed a Commander as well.


    The enemy would not mistake us for someone else.


    After the war, they would have a good idea of how many soldiers we have. In that case, they would not bother to send someone who has the rank of Lesser Demon King.


    Our plan would not work unless it had an impact. Something on the level of an invasion from Fara.


    ¡°It will all be over if they see us as so weak that some local battalion can take care of us.¡±


    After saying this, Saifo muttered understandingly, ¡®being weak is pretty sad.¡¯


    Recently, Saifo seemed more philosophical than usual. Was he getting tired of life?


    ¡°Now, that¡¯s enough hypothesizing. What do you think we should do?¡±


    It was good that we had lured out Fara¡¯s men, but now we had nowhere to run.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we have any choice but to wait for night and escape under cover of darkness.¡±


    ¡°Rig is right. However, can we even stay hidden until night?¡±


    That was the problem.


    ¡°Why? Why can¡¯t we just go inside the forest?¡±


    Beka asked with a puzzled expression.


    ¡°Call it farsight. A lot of Tree Spirits and Fairies came out of the towns. I don¡¯t think we could fool them if we entered the forests.¡±


    In the first place, we had never intended on going this deep inside.


    ¡°And if we go deeper?¡±


    ¡°Our goal was for Fara¡¯s men to be seen by Leninoth¡¯s men. If we move too far from the border, there will be no point in us even being here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right¡­ Then we should just stomp all over the enemy here and go home.¡±


    ¡°You idiot!¡±


    I wasn¡¯t surprised that he would say that in the end.


    It¡¯s the conclusion that most Ogres would reach.


    ¡°I want to choose the safest option that is possible. It only has to be until General Farneze defeats Leninoth. We would have succeeded as long as they know about what is happening here, and Leninoth sends out his army.¡±


    It was General Farneze that we were talking about. Even after escaping, she would be able to shake off pursuers.


    ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t we hurry to Leninoth¡¯s territories?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. But it¡¯s dangerous¡­¡±


    If we moved now, we would be discovered in less than an hour. S~?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    But I was starting to think the results would be the same if we waited.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine because we have you, Golan. I¡¯m telling you, we have no choice but to go!¡±


    ¡°Exactly. We¡¯re in a war. You can¡¯t be so focused on safety. You¡¯re being delusional.¡±


    Saifo and Beka said.


    The other Ogres were nodding.


    ¡°You two¡­you just want to fight!¡±


    ¡°Is it that obvious?¡±


    ¡°You sure are sharp, Golan.¡±


    I knew it!¡±


    Fighting was all they ever wanted to do.


    Still, we were just prolonging our fate by staying here.


    It was not as if I could think of something that would turn the tide.


    ¡°We have no choice. We¡¯ll pass the forest and fortress and go to Leninoth¡¯s territory.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    ¡°Hurray!¡±


    Part of me felt like I had been coaxed by Saifo and Beka, but I wanted to believe that it was the right decision.


    And so we pulled the hoods over our heads and entered the forest.


    We were headed towards the border.


    ¡°¡­Of course, this would happen!¡±


    But we were seen almost immediately, and ended up having to make a run for it.

 Chapter 98

    Chapter 98Even if we continued to hide in the shadows under boulders, we wouldn¡¯t be able to escape the flying monsters.


    And if we escaped into the forest, the Tree Monsters and Fairies would see us.


    ¡°They often have dangerous abilities that can only be used in the forest.¡±


    There was ¡®Forest Neighbor,¡¯ which allowed them to read the memories of trees, and ¡®Leaf Friction,¡¯ which allowed them to pick up man-made noises in the forest.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to run to Leninoth¡¯s territory.¡±


    The best thing to do was to cross the border as quickly as possible.


    According to the plan, we were to make sure that Fara¡¯s army had been dispatched before returning to Leninoth¡¯s territory.


    And considering that scouts and other personnel had been sent out from the town, it should not take long for the army to appear.


    However, we needed more time.


    We had to escape Leninoth¡¯s territory before Fara¡¯s army arrived.


    ¡°Run! Run!¡±


    The Ogres and Kobolds kept their white hoods over their heads as they dashed through the forest.


    Somehow, I felt like it probably wasn¡¯t very effective. But it had to be better than nothing.


    The Reapers remained the same. They should blend in with us if seen from far away.


    ¡°We¡¯ll run between the two fortresses!¡±


    The most important thing was to get away from the scouting team that was sent from the town.


    That meant we were forced to go through the forest. But the Fairies would find us immediately.


    We just needed to get closer to the border and¡­


    ¡ªPiiiiii!!


    ¡°Hey, Golan. They spotted us.¡±


    ¡°I know!¡±


    The sound of the whistle echoed around us.


    ¡°Hey, Golan. What should we do?¡±


    ¡°Run! Just keep running!¡±


    Even I thought that I sounded a lot like Guden, our former Commander. But it couldn¡¯t be helped.


    They would catch us if we stopped running now.


    ¡°They¡¯re getting closer.¡±


    Painy said as she approached me. It was like she was sliding on the ground.


    I mean, her feet weren¡¯t even touching it. Reapers had it easy.


    ¡°What direction?¡±


    Reapers were supposed to have superior sensory organs compared to Ogres.


    I couldn¡¯t even tell that the enemy was gaining on us.


    ¡°¡­Uhhh, from both the right and left.¡±


    ¡°RUN!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that I had a poor vocabulary. There was just nothing else that I should say.


    A few moments later, an arrow hit the ground near me.


    Judging by the direction it had flown, there was someone behind us.


    We had somehow managed to avoid letting them block our escape route. s?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Don¡¯t slow down. We can make it.¡±


    I brought up the map in my head.


    We would have surely passed between the two fortresses by now.


    And this forest would continue until it took us near the border.


    At this rate, we would surely make it.


    ¡°Painy.¡±


    ¡°Yes. What is it?¡±


    ¡°Are there any enemies in front of us?¡±


    ¡°¡­No, I do not sense anyone.¡±


    ¡°Good!¡±


    The town¡¯s scouts would have found us already.


    We were making so much noise while we moved. If it was their job to protect the border, surely they wouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to miss us.


    ¡°However, it looks like it¡¯ll be us who succeeds in our mission.¡±


    When Fara¡¯s army moves, so will Leninoth¡¯s.


    Once we entered Leninoth¡¯s lands, we just needed to hide and slowly make our way back to our country.


    We continued to run for some time after that. And then the forest finally ended.


    ¡°Alright. From here on there is just a field of grass that stretches towards the border. We will likely have arrows shot at our backs, so don¡¯t get too relaxed just yet!¡±


    ¡°Arrghh!¡±


    I ran in the lead as we formed a triangle.


    It was the kind of formation we might use to break through something. But that was fine. We just needed to cross the border and¡­


    ¡°Hey! Hey! What is that!?¡±


    ¨CA huge army appeared in front of us.


    ¡°It is most certainly Leninoth¡¯s army.¡±


    ¡°I know that!¡±


    I shouted at Rig.


    They were lined up as if they were about to launch an attack.


    But when had they arrived?


    ¡°It¡¯s the line-abreast formation.¡±


    ¡°I bloody well know that too! But why so sudden¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t understand. We were still at the step where Fara¡¯s army might have finally started to move.


    It was at this point that we were going to lure out Leninoth¡¯s army. Why were they here?


    ¡°Hey, Golan. I don¡¯t think we should keep running.¡±


    Saifo said something sensible for once.


    We were like arrows flying towards a line of shields.


    I very much doubted that we could break through them.


    ¡°Ev¡­everyone. Turn ARRRROUUNNDDD!¡±


    We breaked desperately with both feet and ran at full speed in the direction that we had come.


    ¡°While I cannot be certain, perhaps they sent armies to their borders when our country attacked them.¡±


    ¡°I see. The soldiers that appeared when we passed Demon King Janius¡¯s border¡­maybe they were the same.¡±


    Apparently, Leninoth was more cautious than we thought.


    Once he knew that our country had attacked him, he became wary about all the other surrounding countries as well.


    ¡°Hey, the enemy is coming towards us. What are we going to do, Golan?¡±


    Beka had been in the far back, but she was now running in the lead.


    The soldiers in front of us now were likely from the fortresses.


    ¡°There¡¯s a great Leninoth army at our rear. So we have to keep going!¡±


    We¡¯ll smash through the enemy and go back into the forest.


    ¡°You sure are random.¡±


    ¡°I had no idea that Leninoth¡¯s army would be waiting there!¡±


    There was a limit to what I could anticipate.


    Thankfully, the soldiers that followed us from the fortresses were Goblins and Fire Foxes.


    We would stomp right over them.


    ¡°¡­Alright. I can see the forest now. We just charge into it at full spe¡­..eeeedd!?¡±


    A huge army emerged from the forest.


    Judging by the situation, was it Fara¡¯s army who had been chasing us?


    ¡°Golan, they¡¯re coming from this direction as well.¡±


    ¡°All of you! Turn around! TUUURRRN AARRROUND!!¡±


    This was bad. We would die if we charged into them.


    Beka suddenly stopped. And since she was in the lead, everyone crashed into each other.


    It was like a line of dominos, but this was no time for that.


    And so we turned around again.


    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t Leninoth¡¯s army in that direction.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°What are we going to do?¡±


    ¡°Like I know. But look behind you. Fara¡¯s army is coming after us.¡±


    Yes, they were chasing after us.


    And so we desperately¡­fled towards Leninoth¡¯s army.


    As you might have noticed, I¡¯ve been having trouble with ads again. It was already a really bad month for me and things have just gotten worse. If you can spare a few bucks, consider joining the Patreon where there are daily chapters, it¡¯s the only thing keeping the site up at the moment. Regardless, thanks for reading.

 Chapter 99

    Chapter 99Leninoth¡¯s army was up ahead, and Fara¡¯s army was behind us.


    There was an expression for this. Something about a tiger at the front gate and a wolf at the back.


    ¡°Golan. We¡¯re going to be pincered!¡±


    ¡°And both sides are moving towards us.¡±


    If my prediction was accurate, they would crash into each other right at the spot that we were now.


    And the lines of soldiers extended so far on both the right and left sides.


    We wouldn¡¯t be able to escape.


    ¡°What are we going to do, Golan?¡±


    Saifo sounded frantic.


    But I had never imagined that we would be in such a situation.


    ¡°This is no time for remorse!¡±


    The enemy would arrive within thirty seconds. What could we do now?


    Run? No. We¡¯d be crushed.


    Should we just charge in one direction? That was suicde. Even if we managed to delay things, the enemy would be at our heels in no time.


    So what should we do? Twenty seconds.


    ¡°Hey, Golan. This is bad.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking. Just shut up.¡±


    Fifteen seconds.


    If we can¡¯t run and we can¡¯t fight, then what was left?


    I know! There is one way! One way of getting out of this.


    Ten seconds.


    There¡¯s still time. Let¡¯s go! My secret move¡­


    ¡ªShirking.


    ¡°¡­Huh? What is this? Why¡¯re you suddenly given¡¯ me control¡­ Whaaat!?¡±


    Five seconds.


    ¡°Golan!¡±


    ¡°Hey, Golan. Do something!¡±


    ¡°Sir Golan!!¡±


    ¡°That bastard!!!! He ran away!!!¡±


    ¡ªThe clash.


    I pulled out the iron club and blocked the enemy¡¯s sword at the last moment.


    Then I smashed the enemy coming from behind me with the back of my fist, sending him flying into the air.


    This all happened in half a second.


    Then I kicked a nearby soldier, grabbed him by the neck and threw him as far as I could. That dealt with the fastest ones. But the main army would reach us soon.


    ¡°AAAAAARRGGGHHH!!!¡±


    I swung the iron club over my head, blowing away several enemy soldiers as I rushed into their formation.


    Swords and spears shot towards me, but I blocked them all with a few soldiers I grabbed and held up as a shield. And like that, I moved deeper and deeper through their ranks.


    ¡°Retreat! All of you! Duck and run through this opening!¡±


    I could barely tell what was happening now.


    But I could hear the sounds of bodies colliding.


    Things were clearly desperate.


    This was more dangerous than I expected.


    Thankfully, it seemed that Leninoth had sent Totoir, and so most of the soldiers were Wraiths.


    Many of them were wearing cowls and were creatures I had never seen before.


    And so we tried to blend in with them as we moved through the field.


    At some point, the soldiers started to spread out more, and so we stood up.


    And then we ran. At full speed.


    ¡°Hey, Golan. Slow down!¡±


    ¡°Shut up and run!¡±


    I ran. I ran faster than I ever ran in my life.


    After all, there were thousands of soldiers gathered here.


    It would be the end of us if they realized what was happening.


    ¡°Run! Run! Run!¡±


    How many times had I said that today? It was with such thoughts in my head that I ran in the lead and escaped the battlefield.


    Just like Zhao Yun, who rushed through Cao Cao¡¯s army while carrying the child of his master.


    ¡ò Lesser Demon King Leninoth¡¯s castle ¨C Farneze


    ¡°Why? Why is Mujura here!?¡±


    This was Lesser Demon King Leninoth¡¯s castle. The throne room.


    They had come here prepared to fight Leninoth. But here was the Great Hihi, Mujura.


    Farneze¡¯s mind was like a great storm then.


    The castle was made to be very large in order to accommodate Leninoth, who was a Hecatoncheir.


    And in this giant space, was Mujura, and a group of Hihi and Great Hihi.


    In any case, Leninoth was not here.


    So Mujura had not been sent to fight Gorgodan.


    Was Gorgodan being ignored?


    The thought occurred to her but was quickly dismissed. Leninoth was known for being cautious.


    He was not a fool who would look at enemies lightly.


    He would have had some kind of plan.


    But if both Leninoth and Mujura were here, then there would be no point in fighting.


    There was no possible way that they could win.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Farneze glared at Mujura.


    He was covered in long fur, but she could see the muscles bulging from underneath.


    She had heard that in spite of his size, he moved as if he weighed little.


    Perhaps she could still win if she used everything that was at her disposal. But it would be a long fight.


    ¡°¡­We will retreat.¡±


    Perhaps Totoir had been sent to deal with Gorgodan instead.


    That meant the plan to make Leninoth send men to the north had failed.


    She hadn¡¯t expected Golan to fail her, but perhaps something had happened on the way.


    And so Farneze took her subordinates and rose into the air. And like that, they escaped through the window.


    She couldn¡¯t help but look back towards the throne room one last time. It was eerily quiet.


    In fact, Farnze could have escaped by using ¡®Space Teleportation.¡¯ But the others were unable to use it.


    She wanted to get as far away from the castle as possible.


    It was only after she was sure that there were no pursuers, that she sighed in relief.


    ¡°¡­That was close. We might not have made it if we had to fight.¡±


    She had been so focused on fighting Leninoth, that Majurra¡¯s appearance was a complete surprise.


    ¡°And we can¡¯t take on two Lesser Demon Kings at once¡­ No, wait¡­¡±


    A certain thought came to Farneze¡¯s mind.


    Majura had been in the throne room. S~?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    She had assumed that Leninoth must then be somewhere close by. But was that really the case?


    If Totoir headed north, and Majura was in the castle, then who went south?


    ¡°Surely it wasn¡¯t Leninoth who went to deal with Gorgodan?¡±


    While they were both giants, Leninoth was on a different level.


    And when they were both the same race, it was hard to make up for the difference in power.


    They would have nearly the same strengths and weaknesses. And so of course, the more advanced person would win.


    ¡°We have to go back at once.¡±


    Farneze spread out her wings to the fullest and flew high into the air.


    https://www.patreon.com/tigertransations

 Chapter 100

    Chapter 100We escaped the battlefield.


    We ran and ran and ran.


    It wasn¡¯t until I was out of breath and my lungs were screaming in pain that I finally stopped.


    ¡°¡­Ha¡­ Ha¡­ Golan¡­ What is it?¡±


    ¡°That should be enough.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying? ¡­Also¡­since when did you have this much mana!¡±


    Since when? Since that damned idiot threw this whole mess onto my shoulders!


    He¡¯s always like that. Giving over his body when he knows it¡¯ll raise our chances of survival.


    ¡°But he ain¡¯t wrong.¡±


    This was the edge of the battlefield.


    And we had reached this place without any casualties.


    When I looked at the main army, I saw that Totoir was there.


    The plan had succeeded. If he was here, that meant there was no one dangerous left to guard the castle.


    And so we just needed Farneze to defeat Leninoth. Then victory would be ours.


    But if she lost¡­ Well, it was obvious. We¡¯d all die or become Leninoth¡¯s servants!


    As for the Reapers, they were a headache waiting to happen. And so he would probably wipe them out completely.


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s time for a counter-attack. Hey, Saifo. Beka.¡±


    ¡°Aye.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You two stand on my right and left. Painy, you stay behind me.¡±


    ¡°Yes. ¡­But Sir Golan, what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°You can take off your hoods now. They already know.¡±


    It was now as obvious as day that we had no connection through mana with Lesser Demon King Leninoth. s?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    While we had been momentarily overlooked amidst the chaos of the battlefield, we were still being targeted.


    ¡°Golan. Shouldn¡¯t we just run away?¡±


    ¡°From the battlefield? The fast ones will catch up to us.¡±


    Saifo wasn¡¯t being realistic.


    There were beasts who were faster than horses.


    If we moved away from the battlefield, we would stick out even more.


    ¡°Oh, so I guess we have to fight!¡±


    ¡°Of course. But this is Totoir¡¯s army¡­ But they will likely only send their weakest soldiers. While it might not be the most satisfying, it¡¯ll have to do for now!¡±


    I stood in the lead. Saifo was on my left, and Beka was on my right.


    Painy was behind with the Reapers. And they were preparing to fire off some magic.


    The Kobolds stayed in the center. As long as we didn¡¯t fall apart, they would survive.


    ¡°Here they come! Fight to the death!¡±


    The enemy were Loup-garou with spears.


    I was glad that it wasn¡¯t night time. They transformed under the moon.


    And behind them was a swarm of¡­spiders? I had never seen anything like it before.


    ¡°They¡¯re Uroctea Compactilis, Golan. They have no venom, but they spit webs.¡±


    ¡°You know them?¡±


    ¡°Saifo said that they make nests in the forest. They can change their color and blend in with the rocks and trees.¡±


    ¡°What the hell?¡±


    Indeed, on closer inspection, there were much more than I thought.


    I hadn¡¯t seen them at first. Was I getting too confident on the battlefield?


    Regardless, they blended in with the ground to a confusing degree.


    ¡°Alright, everything in front of you is an enemy! Don¡¯t hold back! Fight with everything you got!¡±


    ¡°ARGHH!¡±


    The Loup-garou reached us.


    They had the heads of wolves, but their fur didn¡¯t extend below their necks from what I could see.


    This is what they were like during the day.


    After all, they were clearly wielding spears because they couldn¡¯t use the claws they were so proud of.


    ¡°Come at me then!¡±


    I smashed their heads in with my iron club.


    The blood splattering the air was the signal. Saifo and Beka joined the attack.


    ¡°Ah, this is so fun! ARGHH!¡±


    Every time Saifo swung his club, Loup-garou bodies piled up.


    When I saw him swing that metal weapon in every direction, I had to wonder if he wasn¡¯t stronger than me.


    ¡°Wait your turn!¡±


    Beka was breaking their necks at an alarming speed.


    She seemed more vicious than usual.


    She was a kind of pervert, who enjoyed breaking people with her bare hands.


    In any case, I wouldn¡¯t want to fight her with my bare hands.


    ¡°Sir Golan. Permission for us to move forward.¡±


    Painy and the others were unleashing magic from behind.


    ¡°Not yet. Wait!¡±


    The magic of the Reapers was blasting giant holes into the bodies of the spiders.


    The Reapers had a quiet way of fighting. And so it was no surprise that their magic carved out holes in their enemies instead of exploding them.


    While they were also good with scythes, now was not the time.


    ¡°I understand. We will focus on magic.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    My instincts were telling me.


    Something big was about to come.


    We were on the outskirts of the battlefield. We weren¡¯t attracting too much attention yet.


    The soldiers coming at us were small fry. Though, there were a lot of them.


    Fara and Leninoth¡¯s armies were nearly equal in number.


    But these kinds of battles were often the most dangerous.


    It would be a difficult decision for them. How far they wanted to go.


    Regardless, they wouldn¡¯t be able to pay attention to us for long. That would be our chance to escape.


    ¡°Golan. Something crazy is coming.¡±


    Saifo sounded frantic.


    We weren¡¯t supposed to be here. Should we be ignored or crushed right away?


    Apparently, Totoir had decided to crush us.


    The thing that was coming was a Manticore.


    It had the head of a lion and the feet of a tiger. It¡¯s fur stuck out sharply like a hedgehog. Was its tail that of a scorpion? It looked poisonous.


    I didn¡¯t know if it was a Commander or Corps Commander. But it looked insane.


    This was the moment of truth.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill that thing. Saifo. Beka. I leave the rest to you.¡±


    ¡°I got you!¡±


    ¡°Do your best!¡±


    ¡°Painy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir Golan.¡±


    ¡°Move forward. Take my place.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir Golan.¡±


    Well, I didn¡¯t actually have much time left. What would happen?


    If I couldn¡¯t do it, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll manage. Besides, after what he did, he can hardly complain if I throw it right back at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m going!¡±


    I bared my teeth and dashed towards the Manticore.

 Chapter 101

    Chapter 101Manticores are beasts with intelligence.


    They are able to think and talk. That being said, they cannot control their instincts.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t so much a fight, as a hunt.¡±


    It was quite obvious to me, now that we had switched places again.


    He fought just like a hunter.


    Running towards his prey, chasing and then trapping.


    I hadn¡¯t realized that he was capable of such things¡­ Such rude thoughts had come to my mind.


    ¡°Damn it¡­he¡¯s changed.¡±


    Was he watching me every day and being influenced?


    As he had not been able to overwhelm the Manticore with his mana level, he was not able to deal the fatal blow, no matter how many attacks he got in. S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Continuing the fight any longer was bound to attract others. Either that, or the Manticore would escape.


    And so he purposely left an opening, allowing the Manticore to launch a counterattack.


    The Manticore got carried away then, and lunged forward. But that¡¯s when the other me ran.


    It was nicely done.


    The Manticore¡¯s instinct demanded that he chase any fleeing prey.


    And so it charged forward without thinking. That¡¯s when he suddenly turned around and attacked.


    The counter landed beautifully.


    After that, he did not slow down his attacks until it was dead.


    But even when the battle was over, the explosion of violent power had not settled.


    The scene that followed was so gruesome that even the surrounding Ogres looked disgusted.


    ¡°The thing no longer retained its original shape¡­ughhhh¡­¡±


    The memory flashed in my mind.


    Hopefully, he would do things a little more gracefully next time.


    And so we had killed an enemy boss. But what were the others doing¡­


    ¡°Golan. We finished over here as well.¡±


    Beka said as she waved a hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be lazy! Wave with your own hand!¡±


    Not with a hand you picked up off of the ground.


    ¡°They got a few of us. Others can¡¯t move. What should we do?¡±


    ¡°Do a roll call, Saifo. We¡¯ll carry the wounded. Judging by how the battle is going, I doubt they¡¯ll send a second wave. We can watch from here.¡±


    Both armies were already fighting at full force.


    Apparently, Fara¡¯s army had already been cautious, due to Leninoth¡¯s army appearing near the border first.


    And then we had just popped up out of nowhere. Something like that.


    But we had been moving through Demon King Janius¡¯s lands, so we had no idea what was happening in Leninoth¡¯s territory.


    Staying hidden had been the only thing on our minds, but I should have considered the possibility that the army was already moving.


    ¡°It¡¯s no wonder Fara sent an army out. A place they had been watching warily was attacked.¡±


    That was probably why Fara¡¯s army, that had been gathered at the town, had been able to appear so quickly.


    Without planning it, it seemed that we had guided the two armies together.


    In any case, I had not expected Leninoth and Fara to clash this quickly.


    And I wasn¡¯t sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing.


    If this fight didn¡¯t end in a draw, and one country was defeated, the surrounding countries ruled by Lesser Demon Kings would soon follow.


    If that happened, there was no stopping the birth of a new Demon King.


    It would mean that we had worked so hard only to create a powerful enemy. So, what would happen?


    The battle seemed to have entered its final phase.


    Both armies could not afford to spare any soldiers to deal with us. In fact, I was starting to wonder if the Manticore was a Commander.


    It certainly had the strength of one. Was killing it really a good idea? Maybe we had affected the balance too much.


    ¡°How long do we have to watch this?¡±


    ¡°We could just leave now, but since they are fighting on a flat field, the soldiers are scattered. We should wait a little longer.¡±


    We were about two kilometers away from Totoir¡¯s army.


    And since it was flat land, there were no obstacles between us.


    What would I have done had I more men?


    Would I launch an attack on Totoir¡¯s main army? Of course, not. We would die.


    ¡°Golan. They seem to be moving.¡±


    Totoir¡¯s army was moving. Well, half of them.


    I didn¡¯t know if they were Demi-humans or Giants, but they were moving away from the others. It seemed like they had been saved for this moment, so they were likely exceptionally strong.


    As we continued to watch, they started to dash towards the part of the battlefield that was the most vicious.


    ¡°Those soldiers won¡¯t survive that charge.¡±


    Reinforcements were arriving where both sides were exhausted. It wasn¡¯t something that could be stopped.


    Would he make it their base, so they would have the advantage? Or would that be a foothold?


    Regardless, it was clear that Totoir was moving in for the kill. They would not be looking towards us.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll pull out.¡±


    I wanted to cut through Leninoth¡¯s land and return home, but I felt that we might attract attention.


    We would just leave the country at a random point and find a safe route, no matter how long, and return.


    I was worried about General Farneze, and wanted to get back as soon as possible.


    ¡°Be careful that you don¡¯t draw attention. Keep your heads low and move slowly. Don¡¯t you dare run.¡±


    I had brought my best men with me, and there were casualties. Only about half of us got away with light wounds.


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s time to retreat. But as for our mission¡­the results seem to point to great success.¡±


    Now there was great tension at the border between Fara and Leninoth.


    There were never any peace treaties here, so they will always have to have an army protecting the borders.


    We did good work.


    After moving back for a few hundred meters, we turned on our heels and escaped from the battlefield.


    While I looked over my shoulder many times, no one came after us.


    Since we had been seen by both Fara and Leninoth¡¯s armies, we decided against going straight back to our country.


    And because we had stuck close to Leninoth and Janius¡¯s borders on the way there, we decided to go in the opposite direction on the way back. Through Great Demon King Darm¡¯s country.


    ¡°Maybe we can get a look at the other Lesser Demon Kings too.¡±


    We went through Darm¡¯s country and then passed through Lesser Demon King Kurulu and Lesser Demon King Rous¡¯s countries.


    In the end, it took us fifteen days to return home.


    A most unexpected situation awaited us there.

 Chapter 102

    Chapter 102¡ò Wild Hunt ¨C Lesser Demon King Listoris¡¯s Country ¨C Nehyor


    After entering Lesser Demon King Listoris¡¯s country, Nehyor moved across the country, destroying one village and town after the other.


    And once they had routed out the soldiers that came to subjugate them, they headed to the castle.


    As the damage around the country had been so immense, many soldiers had been sent out to defend and rebuild. And so the castle was not well guarded.


    It was then that Nehyor and the members of the Wild Hunter attacked.


    Neyhor easily smashed the General¡¯s army that guarded Listoris, and he advanced through the castle until he was standing in front of Listoris himself.


    ¡°Uh, I believe this is our first time meeting? ¡­Oh, why are you looking at me so angrily?¡± s?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Nehyor¡¯s calm demeanor caused Listoris¡¯s brows to narrow. There was murder in the air as he wordlessly unsheathed his sword.


    Listoris was a Fierce Lion.


    A Demi-human who had the head of a lion and a long mane.


    His hair was a burning orange, and he was dressed in silver. A very regal figure.


    He was just a little over two meters in height, which was a considerable difference next to Nehyor.


    His body was well-built, and had all the agility of a powerful spring.


    But he had the aura of a king.


    The Fierce Lions were known to be very proud and noble. They put a lot of weight in duties and promises.


    That made them a rare type in the Demon World, but it did win them the admiration of others.


    As for the type that he hated the most, it was people like the one in front of him. Nehyor.


    ¡°Hey, why are you so angry?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you leave here alive!¡±


    The sword that Listoris was holding was very thin. It was more for stabbing than cutting.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t like being glared at like that. Don¡¯t get so angry.¡±


    Nehyor walked slowly towards Listoris.


    ¡­However, he stopped suddenly.


    ¡°Oh? Your reach is this far?¡±


    As Nehyor¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, lines flashed and crossed in front of him.


    There had been no sounds of rushing feet.


    He had slid across the floor, stabbed, and retreated.


    The movement had been as smooth as running water. However, Nehyor¡¯s body was¡­untouched.


    ¡°!?¡±


    Listoris had been confident that he had struck him, and so his surprise was great.


    Nehyor was also surprised.


    ¡°That was amazing. You¡¯re just like Golan.¡±


    Listoris had unleashed this attack tens of thousands of times.


    And yet he had not been able to reach Nehyor.


    The moment that Listoris had moved into range, Nehyor had detected the attack and moved away.


    Had Nehyor not seen Golan do something similar before, he might have been hit by this first attack.


    And had he been hit, he would have been subject to a vicious chain of followup attacks. Nehyor¡¯s body would be full of holes by now.


    Listoris was the type who overwhelmed his enemies with the number of attacks.


    And while he had the head of a lion, he preferred weapons to fangs.


    That was why he was so confident in his thrusting attack.


    The fact that it had been dodged came as a terrible shock to him.


    As Listoris hesitated for just a second, Nehyor charged forward.


    And so Listoris prepared to fight back.


    The swords moved in a blur that spectators could not follow.


    ¡°Hmm. Even I would get hurt if stabbed by that.¡±


    It was a sword that could withstand the strength of a demon king.


    It wouldn¡¯t be hard for it to open holes in Nehyor¡¯s body.


    However, Nehyor dodged all of the attacks with ease.


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    The thrusts turned into slashes. But it made no difference to Neyhor.


    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t know. You don¡¯t disturb me the same way that Golan does.¡±


    Nehyor sighed dramatically as if he was terribly disappointed.


    Listoris did not ask about Golan.


    He was curious about him, to be sure. However, if Nehyor was toying with him, then this was a great opportunity.


    He could win as long as he got the first hit in. It was this hope that supported Listoris¡¯s will to fight.


    ¡°Golan is so interesting. You cannot predict what he will do next. As for you¡­I can see it all. Your foundation.¡±


    Nehyor took a step back and raised his right hand.


    ¡°I see that now. Well, I guess it¡¯s my turn.¡±


    In the next instant, a pale ball of fire materialized in front of his palm, and shot towards Listoris.


    Listoris cut it down with his sword. The ball of fire exploded, spreading fire all over the room.


    The blasts of wind hit them both.


    ¡°Do you mind being part of an experiment? I want to see how much you can take.¡±


    Before Nehyor even finished speaking, a fireball that was several times larger than the last was unleashed.


    Listoris blocked this one as well.


    However, the blast was so strong that it knocked him off his feet.


    His vision went black, and when finally opened his eyes, another fireball was coming.


    Once again, it dwarfed the previous one.


    ¡°Arrgghh!!¡±


    And though he tried to block it, both he and the sword were blown away.


    And then another ball of fire came.


    It hit Listoris just as he got back to his feet. And like that, the Lesser Demon King¡¯s body blew up into flames.


    ¡°AAGHHHHH!!!¡±


    He used all of the mana within him to blow away the fire.


    Not only were most of his clothes burned away, but so was half of his mane.


    ¡°Alright, next¡­¡±


    And then the biggest fireball yet.


    It was too big to dodge. Listoris crossed his arms in front himself and braced for impact.


    But it was not enough, and he fell to his knees. Then the next came.


    And the next.


    The last one was nearly large enough to fill the room. And it burned Listoris¡¯s body.


    ¡°How about that? It¡¯s a new ability of mine. What do you think?¡±


    Listoris was lying on the ground, unmoving.


    He had no strength to answer.


    ¡°Lord Nehyor. We¡¯ve finished cleaning out the castle.¡±


    ¡°Good work. Any survivors?¡±


    The person who had come was a knight who was all in black. He was Nehyor¡¯s Adjutant in the Wild Hunt.


    ¡°There are no survivors in the castle.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ So, this is the last one.¡±


    Nehyor¡¯s eyes turned to Listoris, who was already barely breathing.


    ¡°You used magic? That is very unusual.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It would have been difficult if I only used my claws.¡±


    Vampires were powerful when it came to using magic.


    However, Nehyor tended to avoid using it. He didn¡¯t have to use it, when his physical abilities were so advanced.


    ¡°Alright, this is good enough. ¡­I have no business with this country now. Let¡¯s go to the next one.¡±


    Nehyor said with a laugh as he dropped one last fireball on top of Listoris¡¯s body.


    On that day, Lesser Demon King Listoris¡¯s name disappeared from the Tablet of Control.

 Chapter 103

    Chapter 103¡ò Wild Hunt ¨C Lesser Demon King Yunus¡¯s country ¨C Nehyor


    After wreaking havoc in Lesser Demon King Listoris¡¯s country, Nehyor traveled up north and entered Lesser Demon King Yunus¡¯s country.


    ¡°Yunus is the strongest king in this area¡­and there is nothing here.¡±


    ¡°We only just crossed the border.¡±


    ¡°Right. That¡¯s true.¡±


    Nehyor jumped and then flew in the air.


    Once he was dozens of meters above ground, he brought his hand up to his forehead and scanned the land below him.


    ¡°Forests, forests, rocky mountains, forests¡­ Hmm. There are no villages or towns here.¡±


    He returned to the ground with an expression of great disappointment.


    ¡°I have heard that after expanding his lands, Yunus gathered most of his people around the castle.¡±


    ¡°Really? Why did he do that?¡±


    ¡°Because it was convenient, both for attacking and protecting.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    The more land you had, the more you had to protect.


    That was one way to think about it. But what about the people that had to leave their homes and travel so far?


    In the end, it would be quite meaningless if the residents ran away.


    Nehyor was the type who¡¯d rather ignore things than manage them. And so¡­


    ¡°What an odd one.¡±


    He said, leaving it at that.


    ¡°¡­ides, Lord Nehyor. This country is the strongest in the region.¡±


    ¡°I know. It absorbed four other countries, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Lesser Demon King Yunus is a Tempest Giant. An Origin type.¡±


    People who had suddenly mutated into powerful beings.


    Yunus was one of them.


    ¡°So he was originally a Frost Giant?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He is known to use ¡®Icewind Blizzard¡¯ on the battlefield, so it must be the case. This is an enemy that is a rank above the rest.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be enough to take him on with these members.¡±


    Yunus wasn¡¯t just strong, but also smart. At least, that¡¯s what people said.


    Usually, when a country went to war, others would interfere. Even if it didn¡¯t start that way, it would be like that in the end.


    But Yunus avoided it.


    He was good with diplomacy. He didn¡¯t attack until he knew who his allies were. Then he would attack neutral countries. Regardless, he had expanded his country with unconventional means.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll go near the castle this time.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡±


    ¡°After all, I need Yunis to become even stronger.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    The adjutant in black armor tilted his head to the side. He did not understand what Nehyor meant.


    ¡°The reason that I came here is because I want Lesser Demon King Yunus to become a Demon King.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see¡­¡±


    ¡°I looked around, wondering who here was the closest to becoming a Demon King. And it was this Yunus. And so I am going to help him. Of course, he¡¯ll be mine once he becomes a Demon King.¡±


    Nehyor needed two things in order to become an Elder Vampire.


    One was the Orb of Control inside of a Demon King. And he needed to remove it while the person was still alive. That would be quite difficult.


    It didn¡¯t matter how many Lesser Demon Kings he killed.


    That being said, Nehyor was not strong enough to take down a Demon King.


    In the Demon World, Demon Kings were close to invincible.


    Great Demon Kings were stronger than them, but there were only two Great Demon Kings in the whole world.


    Great Demon Kings were on a different plane. They were so powerful that to fight them was pure folly.


    Of course, that meant that to Great Demon Kings, Lesser Demon Kings weren¡¯t even worth looking at.


    ¡°You are going to defeat a Demon King, Lord Nehyor?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Demon Kings have ridiculously long lives, don¡¯t they? I can¡¯t take on ancient Demon Kings like that. And so I¡¯m going to target someone who has only just recently become one.¡±


    A strong Demon King and a weak Demon King still had the same orb.


    And so Nehyro had planned to go after a newborn Demon King.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that all the towns were close to the castle. Oh, well. It can¡¯t be helped. But I suppose we can attack a few so they feel threatened.¡±


    Suddenly, numerous streams of light shot down from the sky and pierced the members of the Wild Hunt.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    The bundles of light were imbued with immense power, that even after they pierced Nehyor¡¯s men, they continued to glow.


    ¡°We¡¯re under attack, Lord Nehyor.¡±


    ¡°I can see that. But this light¡­¡±


    Another wave of light rained down from above.


    And one of them was coming straight towards Nehyor.


    ¡°Woah!?¡±


    He quickly shot out a magic bullet in hopes of annihilating it. But it did not work, and a hole was burned through Nehyor¡¯s arm.


    ¡°That was dangerous. What the hell is this?¡±


    ¡°Lord Nehyor¡±! S?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    His adjutant came running.


    ¡°Is this a holy attack? But it doesn¡¯t seem to have been unleashed by residents of the Celestial World.¡±


    As Nehyor looked around, he saw that a group of knights had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere.


    ¡°Are you the bastard who leads the Wild Hunt?¡±


    ¡°I am. And who are you? From what I can see¡­you look like a Fallen Angel.¡±


    Fallen Angels¡­ They were former residents of the Celestial World who had been banished or left behind. Some even came by their own free will. Regardless, anyone from that world who lived here now was called that.


    ¡°How very perceptive of you. I am a Fallen Angel. My name is Fassani.¡±


    ¡°Huh. I didn¡¯t realize Yunus had something like this up his sleeve. What a surprise.¡±


    A resident of the Celestial World becoming a resident of the Demon World.


    This was an incredibly rare occurrence.


    And so news of such things tended to travel fast.


    However, this had been a secret. That showed how powerful Yunus was.


    At the same time, he had exposed this secret in order to deal with the Wild Hunt. Clearly Yunus was not one to hold back when matters were this important.


    ¡°I was planning on just moving through a few towns. But maybe I¡¯ll stick around and play.¡±


    Neyhor said with a joyous laugh.

 Chapter 104

    Chapter 104¡òWild Hunt ¨C Lesser Demon King Yunus¡¯s country ¨C Nehyor


    The reason that Nehyor became Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s subordinate, was because he wanted to find out how he could evolve into an Elder.


    At that time, all the surrounding countries had heard that Melvis had fallen into a deep and long sleep. S?a?ch* Th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Nehyor had been willing to wait until Melvis awoke, but no matter how long he waited, Melvis showed no signs of waking up.


    And so he decided to move on his own.


    He went to King Melvis¡¯s bed chamber.


    Before Melvis fell into this deep sleep, he was known to destroy towns that he happened to dislike in the blink of an eye.


    As for reasons¡­he would say that they were preparing to attack him¡­etcetera.


    ¡ªHe was merciless against those who opposed him. And he was quick to anger.


    Those words described Melvis perfectly.


    And so Nehyor¡¯s actions could be considered as reckless.


    Considering what he was attempting, he could hardly complain if Melvis turned him into ash in an instant.


    ¡°¡­Huh? I can¡¯t get inside.¡±


    Nehyor was stopped by a barrier that kept out any who tried to enter the bed chamber. And¡­


    ¡°On closer inspection¡­I¡¯ve never seen anything like this before.¡±


    What was this mysterious power that filled the room?


    At that time, Nehyor had not understood it at all.


    Melvis had once risen to the rank of Great Demon King.


    But the curse from the residents of the Celestial World had made him fall very low. People who knew of his power from those old days could hardly believe it.


    He barely had any mana left at all.


    It was likely that the only reason he remained a Lesser Demon King, was because he had once been so incredibly great.


    ¡°But a barrier that is this powerful¡­¡±


    Eventually, Nehyor would realize it.


    The barrier that surrounded Melvis¡¯s bed chamber¡­was using power with the holy attribute.


    ¡°So even when he falls, he uses it to his advantage. Only an Elder Vampire would be able to use the power of the curse that was cast on him.¡±


    But Nehyor wanted to enter Melvis¡¯s chamber no matter what. And after much research, he came upon the truth that it was holy magic.


    Well, it wasn¡¯t pure holy magic, as it was utilizing the curse that was inside of Melvis¡¯s body. So it had changed quite a lot.


    ¡°The curse is made of holy power, and it¡¯s weakened Melvis¡¯s own power¡­ Perhaps they offset each other.¡±


    That was Nehyor¡¯s conclusion based on the fact that the holy power was still inside of his body.


    In any case, Nehyor had no way of breaking through it.


    ¡°I will just have to give up.¡±


    And so Nehyor was forced to lie low until Melvis awoke.


    He was a Vampire, and had already lived for so long.


    Another decade or even hundreds of years was nothing to him.


    He moved towards his skewered comrades and tried touching the spear of light.


    He felt the texture of the power.


    ¡°The strength of this holy power¡­ Is decent enough.¡±


    It was much weaker than Melvis¡¯s, he thought to himself.


    ¡°Bastard. You have seen holy power before?¡±


    Fassani looked at him with surprise. However, Nehyor¡¯s mind had already gone elsewhere.


    What if he captured Fassani, questioned him, and forced him to tell him all about holy power? Such were his ominous thoughts.


    ¡°Why are you laughing?¡±


    A blue vein popped out on Fassani¡¯s forehead as he saw that Nehyor was chuckling to himself.


    ¡°The rest of you, kill the other knights. This one is mine.¡±


    He said, pointing straight at the enraged Fassani.


    ¡°My king said that you were dangerous. No amount of begging will tempt us to let you live.¡±


    Apparently, they knew all about Nehyor¡¯s recent deeds in the countries of Lesser Demon Kings.


    Of course, Nehyor had no intention of hiding them. If anything, he wanted to attract as much attention as possible, so it was no surprise that rumors were spreading.


    As Nehyor gave the order, the members of the Wild Hunt began to move.


    They immediately clashed with Fassani¡¯s men.


    ¡°Woah.¡±


    He was suddenly covered in holy power, and Nehyor felt his body weaken.


    Fassani had attacked him.


    This was followed by a chain of spear thrusts that he was also unable to dodge. Blood began to pour from the wound in his stomach.


    Fassani was targeting his torso, since it was easier to hit and guaranteed to deal damage.


    (So this is the power of someone from the Celestial World¡­it¡¯s worse than I was expecting.)


    Nehyor had to defeat someone from the Celestial World who was just as strong as a Demon King.


    That would not happen for a while. He did not have enough power.


    All of the attacks of a Celestial World resident were poison to a Demon World resident.


    (On the other hand, they are not supposed to be able to move when they come down here.)


    Because mana was poison to them.


    It was said that it ate away at their insides if they just breathed it in.


    And so residents of the Celestial World were only able to invade the Demon World by making barriers and using them as their base.


    However, people like Fassani were the exception. As they had rejected holy power and chosen to live by taking the mana into their bodies.


    But what made them so dangerous, was that when an Angel fell, they could still use attacks that contained a little holy power.


    (I thought it would be good practice for fighting against residents of the Celestial World, but this is going to be harder than I thought.)


    It was then that Nehyor was really hit by the reality that he would have to become much stronger in order to beat someone who was the same class as a Demon King.


    As for the fight, while he struggled due to his unfamiliarity with holy attacks, Nehyor had already destroyed several Lesser Demon Kings at this point, and he was victorious in the end.


    Although Lesser Demon King was said to be wise, even he would not have suspected that Nehyor¡¯s power outstripped those of a Lesser Demon King to this degree.


    ¡°¡­So, that¡¯s it.¡±


    Neyhor turned to Fassani with a smile, after taking away both his arms and his legs.


    ¡°Now, will you tell me everything I want to know about the Celestial World? Give me information about the strong ones.¡±


    When Fassani failed to return, Lesser Demon King Yunus greatly regretted how he had underestimated his enemy.


    At the same time, he branded the Wild Hunt as a threat of the highest level, and had the news spread far and wide.

 Chapter 105

    Chapter 105We had traveled past the borders of Demon King Janius and Lesser Demon King Leninoth¡¯s countries and then entered Lesser Demon King Fara¡¯s country. S~?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    There, we caused what destruction that we could as we planned to make Fara and Leninoth¡¯s armies clash. However, tensions had already risen to such a degree that both armies were already on the brink of war.


    We were like the spark in the gunpowder storage house as we attacked Fara¡¯s fortresses. That¡¯s when Fara¡¯s army was dispatched from a nearby town and we had to flee.


    I had assumed that we¡¯d make it if we headed towards Leninoth¡¯s lands. However, after a desperate escape, what awaited us there was General Totoir and his army.


    And so while the plan to make these armies fight had succeeded, we were in tatters as we returned to Melvis¡¯s country¡­


    ¡°General Gorgodan died in battle!?¡±


    I was shocked by General Farneze¡¯s words. What had happened on the battlefield?


    ¡°The plan that you created was very good. We did succeed in separating Leninoth¡¯s Generals. However, it was Leninoth himself that went out to face General Gorgodan¡¯s army.¡±


    ¡°But, that¡¯s¡­¡±


    The king himself had gone to the frontlines?


    ¡°I myself did not expect him to come out that far. It must have been something he did on a whim. Perhaps it was because he had already lost to us twice? And so he decided to drive us back himself this time.¡±


    On the other hand, it had not been known that I or General Farneze had secretly left the country.


    And so Farneze has succeeded in entering the castle without being caught. And it was there that she encountered the Great Hihi, Mujura.


    ¡°At first I assumed that both Leninoth and Mujura were at the castle. I couldn¡¯t believe that Leninoth would just go out to the frontlines.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have believed it either.¡±


    ¡°And I was not about to take on two Lesser Demon Kings at once. Besides, Mujura would not have been easy to defeat. And so I decided to retreat.¡±


    ¡°That was a good decision. If the fight became drawn out, the castle soldiers would have come to his aid. And of course, if Leninoth was really there, he would also join in.¡±


    ¡°After leaving the castle, we took a longer route home, just to be safe. And that¡¯s when we heard about Gorgodan¡¯s death. While I was surprised, it made sense. And then I was sure that Leninoth had not been in the castle.¡±


    General Farneze told me about Gogodan¡¯s final moment.


    Apparently, a great army had rushed towards them while they marched.


    The two armies faced each other and glared.


    Normally, they would spend time to take stock of the other, finding out what races had been gathered, etcetera.


    But this time, it was different.


    Leninoth¡¯s army moved into formation and then immediately began to march forward.


    ¡°According to soldiers who survived, there were quite a few enemies that were incredibly strong.¡±


    ¡°His trusted guards, most likely. They would be veterans on the battlefield.¡±


    The battle started in the morning and by midday, the balance had collapsed.


    Gorgodan decreased the size of the battle line, concentrating his men towards the center, with himself in the lead.


    ¡°And that is when Leninoth appeared. His presence alone was said to overwhelm others, and the battlefield seemed to become quiet for a moment.¡±


    ¡°And did they duel?¡±


    In the Demon World, throwing numerous weak soldiers at someone like that would be meaningless.


    If you wanted to kill someone strong, you had to use someone who was also strong.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s said that the fight between Gorgodan and Leninoth was long and brutal. However, things eventually became unfavorable towards Gorgodan. And Leninoth asked him to yield.¡±


    ¡°So, that¡¯s how big the difference in power was.¡±


    Fights with clear winners and losers were all too common in the Demon World.


    And if the loser was killed every time¡­well, all but the strongest would survive, and there wouldn¡¯t be many residents left.


    And so it was customary for losers to become the servants of the winner, especially when the difference in power was so great.


    Of course, those people might challenge them to Gekokujyo after they become stronger.


    However, things rarely went that way on the battlefield.


    It was either kill or be killed. But sometimes the leader of an army might ask the defeated to yield.


    ¨CCome and serve me.


    Something like that.


    And if they agreed, they would be comrades from that day on.


    Leninoth had done this repeatedly during his expansion.


    ¡°But, if Gorgodan died¡­¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t agree. He said that he wanted to fight and die as King Melvis¡¯s servant. And the fight continued.¡±


    And the result was his death.


    Gorgodan was firm in his convictions until the end.


    As for his men, they could either run or die.


    Apparently, most of them ran.


    They were now home, healing their wounds.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what happened.¡±


    ¡°The plan succeeded¡­ But we had bad luck.¡±


    That was her conclusion.


    ¡°What will happen now?¡±


    ¡°According to what you told us, Fara and Leninoth¡¯s army clashed? In that case, Leninoth will be quite preoccupied with the north, won¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very possible. And so¡­you might say it¡¯s a good opportunity to attack once again¡­¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have anyone who can fight.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    We were a small country with a small population.


    If we had just a few more Generals like Farneze, then we could kill Mujura and put an end to Leninoth¡¯s ambitions. But it was not to be.


    ¡°For now, we have to rebuild what remains of Gorgodan¡¯s army¡­¡±


    General Farneze¡¯s voice was much sadder than usual.

 Chapter 106

    Chapter 106Ten days had now passed since we returned.


    And within those ten days, many good and bad things had happened.


    First, the good.


    While Gorgodan¡¯s army had been smashed by Leninoth, the losses were not as great as we expected, and under the Commander¡¯s lead, many soldiers were able to return.


    Farneze and Dardaroth conferred with one another and chose a new General.


    A young former Corps Commander with a burning passion for revenge.


    And so the old Gorgodan army was on the brink of a rebirth.


    ¡ªThe new General¡¯s name was Tulart.


    He was a strapping Tall Troll.


    They were a subspecies of Trolls that were now established as their own tribe.


    Gorgodan¡¯s army already had quite a few Tall Trolls enlisted, and so he would not have trouble in terms of communication.


    I thought that it was a good idea for the successor of the seasoned Gorgodan to be someone on the younger side.


    I had not yet met General Dardaroth, but my impression was one of admiration, due to the fact that he was willing to take on less advantageous roles during war.


    And it was because of this, that Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s country would still be able to survive after Gorgodan¡¯s death.


    If only it ended there. But then came the bad.


    As for the wars among Lesser Demon King Lubanga and the other small countries, it seemed like they were starting to settle down.


    Some might think that this meant that things would become peaceful, but it was not the case.


    Four countries had been fighting on two sides, and they had begun to withdraw their troops.


    As for why these four countries were fighting, it started as an attempt to have their neighbors united under a single ruler in order to resist Leninoth.


    However, not only were none of the countries accomplishing this, but the attempt was costing them countless valuable soldiers.


    As the countries were weakening, if it turned to all-out war, even a victory would result in a country in ruins.


    It would be easy enough for Leninoth to swallow up such weakened countries.


    However, it was a little late for them to realize that this fighting was meaningless.


    So, what should be done?


    Find an enemy on the outside. And there just happened to be such a country left.


    Yes, Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s country.


    It was most regrettable, but the chances of this country being invaded had risen greatly.


    And there were rumors that the invasion from the Celestial World was not far away.


    Things were starting to become very uncertain.


    And then another ten days passed.


    I didn¡¯t know why, but once again, things were both good and bad.


    First, the good.


    Leninoth and Fara were still fighting.


    Neither were willing to back down¡­they couldn¡¯t.


    Everyone knew that they would clash one day. But it was supposed to be farther off.


    But one small-scale battle was gradually turning into something much larger.


    And while they still weren¡¯t using their entire fighting force, as long as one side did not pull back, this fight was expected to last for a long time.


    One side retreating and the other side remaining.


    It would mean there would be a clear victor on the battlefield.


    This was a time when both sides were trying to reign supreme. Would they take such an action that would clearly be interpreted as defeat?


    No, the fight would surely continue.


    And so Leninoth would not be able to spare any men in order to invade us again. We would have time to catch our breath.


    As for the bad¡­


    It was something that happened far away from here.


    Demon King Tralzard¡¯s general, Miralda, had sent us a messenger.


    To the west of Tralzard¡¯s country, Nehyor and his Wild Hunt were wreaking havoc. S~?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Apparently, there had been movement as early as when Miralda first came to visit us.


    Lesser Demon King Chiril and Lesser Demon King Listoris had been defeated by Nehyor.


    It seemed like quite the ridiculous upset for him to be able to kill two Lesser Demon Kings. And we became suspicious that Nehyor had been hiding his true power all along.


    The countries that lost their kings were thrown into great chaos. Generals moved to take their place. The fighting increased, and then other countries became involved. Things were in a terrible state.


    And Nehyor was behind it all. Fanning the flames. Every time the Wild Hunt appeared in a country, all hell would eventually break loose.


    From what we knew, Nehyor¡¯s rampage had reached four countries.


    Lesser Demon King Yunus and Lesser Demon King Monin¡¯s countries were also in utter chaos.


    However, no Lesser Demon Kings in those countries had been killed.


    I didn¡¯t know what Nehyor was trying to do.


    We knew he had taken Melvis¡¯s journal, so it must be related to that. However, I couldn¡¯t see any consistency in his actions.


    I just wished someone could fill us in.


    If we looked at his actions, it seemed like he just wanted to see the world fall into a vortex of confusion.


    Was it a feint? Or was that his purpose?


    In any case, the other countries were now strengthening their guard.


    It would be a disaster if the Wild Hunt came to them in the middle of a war.


    Having to consider such possibilities while creating strategies made things incredibly difficult.


    I wanted Nehyor to go far away, but somehow doubted that it would happen.


    In any case, I was grateful towards Miralda for sending us news of the Wild Hunt.


    ¡°¡­Miralda is coming to the castle?¡±


    As I was thinking about it, I heard news that she was visiting us in person.


    Not only that, but she would be coming directly to Melvis¡¯s castle.


    Rig seemed a little troubled as he told me this.


    ¡°General Farneze has also sent word that you are to once again be present during the meeting.¡±


    I had remained in the village for a while now.


    Rig was the one who was constantly traveling back and forth. He would bring back information so that I always knew what was happening. However, I felt that there would be no point in me attending.


    ¡°Still, Miralda is coming¡­ The last time she just sent a messenger.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It was information about the Wild Hunt.¡±


    ¡°So this time, it is an even more important matter¡­ Very well. I¡¯ll prepare to leave at once.¡±


    Miralda was Demon King Tralzard¡¯s General.


    Would her visit bring good news or bad news?


    ¡°¡­I have a bad feeling about this.¡±


    I looked up and sighed.


    ¡°The ceiling is filthy.¡±

 Chapter 107

    Chapter 107It took several days to walk to Melvis¡¯s castle from the Ogre village.


    But it was not a place where I would usually be invited.


    And that was much to my relief. However, I was now being asked to go and attend a meeting with Miralda of all people.


    And so my feet couldn¡¯t help but drag as I walked.


    Corps Commanders tended to have their own riding beasts, but not me.


    But as I was the General¡¯s direct subordinate, perhaps I should have one¡­


    ¡°Well, if there is no rush, I don¡¯t mind walking.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t like modern Japan, where people seemed to be constantly battling the clock.


    And so I would go slow and at my leisure.


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re late.¡±


    General Farneze said with disapproval as soon as I arrived. It wasn¡¯t fair.


    I was about to make my excuses, but thought that she might tell me to ride a beast next time. And so I just gave her the typical response. ¡®I was stuck in traffic.¡¯


    ¡®What the hell are you talking about?¡¯ was her response.


    However, she understood the nuance, and didn¡¯t rebuke me any further.


    ¡°I heard that General Miralda is coming.¡±


    ¡°Not coming. She is already here.¡±


    So she had arrived before me. But I had come on foot.


    Commenting on it too much might result in her telling me to get a riding beast, so I let it go.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised that you called her here.¡±


    If someone like that went wild in the castle, the damage would be great.


    ¡°Well, we are in an alliance now. Besides, they are cooperating with us, militarily speaking. I couldn¡¯t exactly refuse her when she asked to come.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but have dark thoughts. Forming an alliance and then entering the castle in order to kill the enemy.


    Perhaps we could use that one day.


    Of course, such a strategy was likely to meet a storm of protest from surrounding countries.


    ¡°It so happens that most people are so scared of General Miralda that they won¡¯t come near the castle. And I haven¡¯t called anyone here who I don¡¯t want present.¡±


    Not only did the strong have a lot of mana, but ordinary folks tended to avoid them.


    And maybe she wanted to keep it secret from some people¡­but not me.


    ¡°Do I really need to be here?¡±


    ¡°You¡­are you dull?¡±


    Another diss.


    ¡°Uh, I probably am. I find it hard to measure other people¡¯s mana.¡±


    It was quite true. Which was why I didn¡¯t feel as threatened when facing powerful people.


    ¡°That is¡­interesting.¡±


    General Farneze had a mixed expression.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s often better to live life without all that stress.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to constantly think about whether or not others were stronger than me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. Regardless, today¡¯s meeting will be starting soon. And so I want to share some information with you first.¡±


    Miralda had arrived two days ago, and they had had their first meeting yesterday.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it will come up later, but what was the purpose for this visit?¡±


    It couldn¡¯t be good, if she came all of the way here in person instead of sending a messenger.


    It had been on my mind the whole time I was walking.


    ¡°There has been a change in¡­direction, as far as the Demon King is concerned. Their war is heating up.¡±


    ¡°That¡­doesn¡¯t sound good.¡±


    ¡°Demon King Legard is strengthening his forces. There was a large scale battle the other day, and a total of five Lesser Demon Kings were killed between both sides.¡±


    Demon Kings would have quite a few Lesser Demon Kings working under them.


    Still, five of them in one battle? It was hard for me to comprehend the scale of such a battle.


    ¡°So, is Miralda going to be called back to the battlefield?¡±


    While we hadn¡¯t been given much information about it, it seemed that their armies moved in rotation.


    That was something you could do when you had men to spare.


    However, things would be different if the enemy was strengthening their fighting force.


    ¡°It is most likely. ¡­However, that wasn¡¯t Miralda¡¯s main concern.¡±


    ¡°There is something else?¡±


    What could be more concerning than an enemy Demon King reinforcing their military?


    ¡°The small countries that are being agitated by the Wild Hunt. Things are getting very bad. Some people are even fleeing and entering Tralzard¡¯s lands and causing trouble.¡±


    ¡°Nehyor. The curse continues.¡±


    I just hoped that someone would kill him already.


    ¡°As things have become uncertain in the west, they will want to put an army by the border. In other words, the army that¡¯s been watching the east will have to be withdrawn.¡±


    We had wanted to stop any other countries from interfering while we attacked Leninoth.


    Miralda¡¯s army had been very important in making that possible. And now they were leaving. S?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I heard that the wars in the south are settling down.¡±


    ¡°Do you think they will come?¡±


    In other words, would they attack us?


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they will. We¡¯re too tempting a prospect for smaller countries who want to expand their forces. So, what did you say?¡±


    ¡°I said that I could not make any decisions alone, and that I needed to discuss it with the others.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±


    What a headache.


    I wish that I hadn¡¯t come.


    So, Miralda had been ordered to withdraw her troops.


    But as we had formed an alliance, she came to us in order to explain the situation.


    However, it seemed likely that any refusal on our part would be meaningless.


    We had only been able to invade Leninoth¡¯s country because of the threat that Tralzard¡¯s army posed.


    ¡°The meeting will start soon. What do you think we should do?¡±


    ¡°I think we have to think of some other compromise. But it will be difficult.¡±


    We were a small country. And our leader was in a long and deep sleep.


    We had lost a general and our fighting force was weakened.


    The warring amongst our neighbors was settling down, which meant we might be targeted next.


    ¡°Miralda will not stay here long. Think of something if you can.¡±


    ¡°¡­How much time do I have?¡±


    ¡°Until today¡¯s meeting begins.¡±


    ¡°¡­Today.¡±


    I looked up and sighed.


    ¡°The ceiling here is clean.¡±

 Chapter 108

    Chapter 108¡°It¡¯s nice to see you again, General Miralda. It¡¯s me, Golan the Ogre.¡±


    I followed General Farneze into the meeting room and faced Miralda, much like I had last time.


    She was wearing the same clothes, which looked a lot like an old Japanese kimono.


    ¡°Ah, it has been a while. You might be the only Ogre whose name I remember.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Perhaps I should thank you.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re also just about the only Ogre I know.¡±


    ¡°Then of course I¡¯m the only one!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but shout.


    But Miralda just laughed. She wasn¡¯t angry.


    ¡°I talked with General Farneze yesterday. But things get so formal. That¡¯s why I¡¯m quite relieved to see you here.¡±


    General Farneze chuckled.


    ¡°You were full of threats yesterday. What¡¯s changed?¡±


    ¡°I get sore muscles when talking about such serious subjects for so long. Besides, I went through the trouble of coming all of the way here. I was very much expecting to be treated to a welcoming party that would last a few nights.¡±


    After hearing that, I was certain.


    ¡°I guess that means you don¡¯t really care if your presence here is known?¡±


    General Farneze looked at me with a questioning expression.


    On the other hand, Miralda now had a mischievous grin.


    ¡°Mmm. As for why I came here¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re to use you as a feint.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Realization finally appeared on General Farneze¡¯s face.


    Up until now, our alliance with Demon King Tralzard was a secret.


    As we had the same goal, we would both move to help achieve it within our means.


    Something like that.


    So, why had Miralda come here instead of sending a messenger?


    And we weren¡¯t in the General¡¯s town, but the royal castle.


    Not only was she here to tell us that her army could no longer be stationed by the border, but she was making a show of this alliance between our countries. She was helping us from behind the scenes, so that we could maintain the advantage even a little.


    ¡°You can¡¯t become a Demon King by just being strong. Greed is also important. You need to eat others. And so battles between Demon Kings are especially vicious.¡±


    Leninoth and Fara. If one of them became a Demon King, they would still have a Great Demon King neighbor to the east.


    Which meant they would have to go west in order to strengthen their forces.


    ¡°Demon King Janius and Demon King Tralzard are in the west. If someone were to attack one of those countries, which do you think they would choose?¡±


    I wanted to know what Miralda was thinking.


    ¡°The country that my master rules. It¡¯s our country that is exhausted from this war. And in spite of our lands being so vast, we don¡¯t have enough soldiers.¡±


    ¡°And there is also the war with Demon King Bardoto.¡±


    Said General Farneze. This time it was me who looked puzzled.


    Demon King Bardoto was no longer here. He lost during the invasion from the Celestial World.


    His country had been split up, and several Lesser Demon Kings were now fighting for prominence.


    ¡°That¡¯s how it is. The war with Legard is only getting worse each day, and we still have to have soldiers guarding the border with the old Bardoto lands. They were our enemy from long ago, after all.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that.¡±


    Being a Demon King seemed like a lot of work.


    ¡°And things have been particularly bad in the west recently¨Cin other words, those Wild Hunt fools have been making a mess of things. And so we¡¯ve had to send many soldiers to the border as well.¡±


    ¡°Seems like you have trouble on all sides.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. While Demon King Janius isn¡¯t hostile towards us now, if we were to attack Leninoth or Fara, it would make him feel threatened. After all, it would mean that our country would be surrounding half of his.¡±


    In other words, she was saying, ¡®look, things are really tough for us now. So could you just deal with this by yourself?¡¯


    ¡°I heard about what was discussed yesterday. You¡¯re going to withdraw your troops. ¡­However, that would hurt us greatly.¡±


    The Lesser Demon Kings who had stopped fighting would turn to us next.


    We were the only target left.


    ¡°And it¡¯s my wish that you¡¯ll crush them all, somehow.¡±


    Miralda said without a hint of concern.


    ¡°Can we do that?¡±


    I turned to General Farneze. She shook her head.


    ¡°Perhaps if it was just one country. But there are four countries who fought on two sides. If they come, it will be as part of an alliance.¡±


    They would likely quarrel over how to split the country after they conquered it, but they had apparently stopped the war because they feared that it would drag on for too long. And so if they were going to attack us, they would want the battle to be as short as possible.


    In other words, they would come in full force and hope to win a definitive battle.


    ¡°And so we really need those soldiers by the border so that doesn¡¯t happen.¡±


    ¡°Well, I do feel bad for you. Really, I do. But my hands are tied.¡±


    Miralda was the Demon King¡¯s General.


    She could not make any decisions about where to move her army.


    ¡°Are there any alternatives?¡±


    If this alliance was to be maintained, then cooperation was a necessity.


    Surely Miralda would understand that.


    ¡°An¡­alternative¡­¡±


    Miralda fell silent and seemed to ponder it.


    Currently, it felt that it would take a series of very fortunate events for our country to be able to survive.


    ¡°There is¡­one alternative.¡±


    Oh? My eyes widened.


    I had assumed she would say that there wasn¡¯t, and that¡¯s why we had to fend for ourselves.


    ¡°And what is it?¡±


    ¡°I cannot change what I already told you yesterday. I must obey the order of my lord. However, it might not necessarily be the case if we¡¯re talking about my own subordinates.¡±


    ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± S?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°The other Generals would object if I just allowed you to borrow my men. However, if it were to be a trade¡­ Well, it would be difficult, but not impossible.¡±

 Chapter 109

    Chapter 109So, the withdrawal of Miralda¡¯s army was already certain.


    She could not go against Demon King Tralzard¡¯s order. There was nothing that could be done about that.


    However, there would also be no point if we just said, ¡®Ah, I see¡¯ and let it end there.


    If only there was an alternative¡­ That had been my hope. And Miralda offered one. I was incredibly grateful.


    ¡°The trading of troops?¡±


    A trade between both countries¡­ I suppose she worded it like that, because they could not just help us without expecting something in return.


    My impression was that there were quite a few very powerful soldiers in Miralda¡¯s army. It seemed rather promising.


    ¡°That way, I can act while not overstepping my authority. And you can continue to prevent the birth of a Demon King.¡±


    Why was Demon King Tralzard withdrawing Miralda¡¯s army?


    It was because of Nehyor.


    The Wild Hunt was wreaking havoc in the west, which was causing chaos to erupt among some of the western countries.


    And Lesser Demon King Yunus¡¯s country was the only one standing strong.


    Apparently, this was a very bad thing.


    The west might just have a new Demon King before the east.


    And so Tralzard had ordered Miralda to guard the west.


    However, things weren¡¯t exactly peaceful here either.


    In fact, there was a possibility that both the east and west would give rise to Demon Kings at the same time.


    This would be a nightmare scenario for Tralzard. S?a?ch* Th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    As for the Wild Hunt, no one knew where they were now. But he wanted Miralda to guard to the west and keep them from stirring the pot even further.


    ¡°Too many Demon Kings will likely result in a ¡®great war¡¯ of Demon Kings. We want to avoid that no matter what.¡±


    ¡°As for this trade. What did you have in mind?¡±


    The problem was whether or not we could stop Leninoth after the trade.


    ¡°There are a few among my subordinates who have power that is close to a Lesser Demon King. I will lend to you one of them, along with their men. They are veterans on the battlefield and will work very hard.¡±


    It was just as I had thought.


    Now that we had lost Gorgodan, we needed someone strong more than ever before.


    And Miralda was going to lend us some men in order to stop Leninoth. Of course, they would be useful.


    However, General Farneze seemed to hesitate as she thought about it.


    ¡°It¡¯s not something that I can decide on my own. But if we do trade, it will have to be with my subordinates.¡±


    The General had not responded immediately because she had to discuss it with the other Generals. But also¡­what would happen if they allowed such strong troops into the country, and something happened?


    She was worried that people who we thought were allies could suddenly change as soon as they were in the heart of the country.


    As for me, I didn¡¯t think we had a choice in the matter. Our country could never win against them. It was almost humorous for us to be cautious. However, perhaps such considerations were just a part of being a leader.


    ¡°I will not withdraw my troops immediately. So you will have plenty of time to talk with the others and decide.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I will call the other Generals at once so we can give you an answer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m counting on it.¡±


    And like that, the second meeting came to an end.


    We left Miralda.


    General Farneze and I moved to another room and gave our opinions on what had just been discussed.


    First General Farneze let out a great sigh.


    ¡°Golan. What are your thoughts on what was said?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a good idea. It is not possible for us to defeat Leninoth without outside help.¡±


    Not only that, but the four countries to the south were likely to target us next. Things were dangerous.


    And since we had never been friendly with them to the point of forming an alliance, it would be much too late to attempt one now.


    That being said, we couldn¡¯t attack them either, as they had already formed alliances of their own.


    We would be at a great disadvantage.


    ¡°I understand that we are in a desperate situation. But what strings might be attached to this offer?¡±


    She was worried that we would be seen as a vassal state to Tralzard.


    ¡°Perhaps that would be a good thing? No one will attack us.¡±


    The strength of the tiger¡­so to speak.


    ¡°As if we could do something so pathetic.¡±


    I had assumed the General was capable of making political decisions, but it seemed she was a resident of Demon World after all.


    We hadn¡¯t lost a war to them, and so she did not want to appear to be subordinate.


    As for me, I couldn¡¯t care less about what other people thought.


    Miralda was currently staying in the castle as a special guest.


    I thought that we would now have to wait for the other Generals to arrive, but it turned out that they were already here. That was quick. But perhaps not really surprising.


    ¡°I will have to discuss it with Felicia and the other Generals first. I expect that we¡¯ll come to a decision by tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow? That¡¯s fast. Are you sure about that?¡±


    ¡°There will be many details to iron out if we do make a trade. And if we refuse them, we will have to think of an alternative. So we should decide quickly. Also, there will be a banquet tonight. Be sure to attend, Golan.¡±


    ¡°Uhhh, a banquet?¡±


    ¡°We want to make a show of General Miralda¡¯s arrival. And so we¡¯ve been preparing since yesterday.¡±


    She was taking advantage of the moment.


    ¡°I understand. I will attend then.¡±


    As long as I can go in my tattered shirt and trousers.

 Chapter 110

    Chapter 110The banquet began.


    A resplendent hall with ladies dressed in their finest as they giggled behind fans. That was what I had been expecting. But it was quite different.


    Not a single woman was wearing a dress. Everyone looked plain.


    However, there was food laid out on the tables and the lamps used here were filled with high-quality oil.


    The hall was almost as bright as it was during the day, and it was clear that this place was very luxurious.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that it doesn¡¯t smell like beast oils.¡±


    Back in my village, they made candles out of the fat of wild animals.


    I tried to avoid using them, as the room would start to smell like beasts.


    ¡°Golan. Those clothes suit you very well.¡±


    General Farneze patted me on the shoulder and laughed.


    I was wearing clothes that look like I put a sheet over my head with a hole in the center.


    Apparently, this was what they called formal attire.


    ¡°I was able to wear leather armor the last time I came to the castle.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, now that I think about it. It wasn¡¯t even that long ago¡­but things have been happening so quickly recently.¡±


    A Corps Commander had vanished and a General had died.


    Well, as for the Corps Commander¡­Nehyor. I would beat him to a pulp if I ever found him.


    ¡°So, when will General Miralda arrive?¡±


    She was supposed to be the guest of honor, but I couldn¡¯t see her anywhere.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s custom. We have to go and escort her once everyone is here. So she won¡¯t appear for a while.¡±


    This banquet. It was supposed to be hosted by General Farneze.


    And so she had to be here from the beginning and take command.


    The least important people were supposed to come first, which explained my early arrival.


    ¡°What about Felicia?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not calling her. She is more valuable when fewer people know of her existence.¡±


    Without a known strategist on her side, enemies will underestimate Farneze.


    And so it would be best to keep her head low and trick the enemy.


    She would be used as a trump card.


    After that, all the Corps Commanders arrived.


    I didn¡¯t really know any of them.


    Then there were the other castle officials. Some of them were races I had never seen before.


    Seventeen years had passed since I reincarnated into the Demon World. I had done my best to gain knowledge from merchants, hunters and travelers who came to the village, but there was a limit to how much you could learn that way.


    Especially when it came to races. The prejudices of the person would affect their words. And so it was best to meet people in person in order to understand them.


    And so I decided to make use of this banquet and talk to people¡­


    ¡°¡­¡±


    But I was mostly ignored.


    Apparently, my clothes showed that I was someone of the lowest rank. I suppose it would have been different had I worn something with color or patterns on it.


    ¡°It might also have to do with the fact that I¡¯m an Ogre.¡±


    To be frank, we Ogres were known to be meatheads.


    They were probably wondering why they should waste their time talking to the likes of me, when there hadn¡¯t been such a fine banquet in such a long time. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no point in becoming friends with such people.¡±


    I told myself with resignation.


    ¡°Golan. The Generals are here. I will introduce you.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡±


    General Farneze was the only person who talked to me.


    She was the host, and yet she had time to see how I was doing. How touching.


    ¡°Tulart. This is Golan. The warrior who made fools of both Fara and Leninoth¡¯s armies.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you. I am Golan. The General exaggerates greatly, as I am but a humble Ogre.¡±


    I said with a slight bow.


    ¡°I myself have heard of that plan. And of the battle on the hill before that.¡±


    General Tulart was a Cyclops.


    They were known for being very quiet.


    ¡°Tulart is just as strong as the late Gorgodan. Perhaps you can fight him one day, Golan? That¡¯s what you love doing, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Ah. Well, if there is ever an occasion¡­¡±


    I wasn¡¯t obsessed with fighting at all. The General sure liked to make jokes.


    After that, we talked for a little longer, but General Tulart only replied with a few words.


    ¡°I¡¯m not articulate.¡±


    ¡°No, not at all.¡±


    ¡°We should talk with fists next time.¡±


    ¡°¡­Of course.¡±


    Well, there was one person here who was obsessed with fighting.


    I sighed with relief after I finished talking with General Tulart. But then a kind of crow Tengu with black wings approached me.


    It was probably Dardaroth.


    ¡°Hey, Dardaroth. Are you enjoying yourself?¡±


    ¡°I would not have brought my men here if it were not a place that could be enjoyed.¡±


    From what I had heard, General Dardaroth was adored by his subordinates. And his sincere personality led him to be greatly trusted by the other Generals as well.


    Even when I just listened to General Farneze and him talking, I could tell that he cared about others.


    It made me think that strength alone was not enough to make people obey. He was a good example to follow.


    ¡°It¡¯s what you call¡­charisma.¡±


    I had been thinking about the right word to describe him, but ended up blurting it out.


    On the other hand, with Corps Commander Nehyor, the more I talked to him the more suspicious I became. In other words, my estimation of a person was quite reliable.


    Residents of the Demon World weren¡¯t the type to ¡®kiss the hand they wished to cut off.¡¯ In other words¡­their thoughts tended to be written too plainly on their faces.


    However, those who stood on the top were better at hiding and deceiving. Well, I had a feeling that it was the case.


    I continued to talk with General Dardaroth as if we were in the middle of a meeting, when Farneze finally came and jabbed me with her elbow.


    ¡°The guest of honor is about to arrive.¡±


    The Kobolds suddenly started rushing around the hall.


    ¡°I see. General Miralda is finally going to make an appearance.¡±


    The real banquet was about to begin.

 Chapter 111

    Chapter 111Of course, Miralda was the guest of honor.


    But she came with a pair, a man and woman, as part of her entourage.


    ¡°The man is Halm and the woman is Minishe. They are both Crystal Dragons. I must go and greet them now.¡±


    General Farneze approached them and addressed the trio gracefully.


    Miralda was wearing a simple kimono.


    It wasn¡¯t like her usual one, which was worn more loosely.


    ¡°So she dresses seriously at events like this.¡±


    I somehow found it amusing.


    Banquets like this were not held often, and I had thought that she might dress more extravagantly. But if anything, she was more eye-catching in her usual clothes.


    But there were many people here, and some might be more critical than others.


    Perhaps she had taken that into account when getting dressed.


    As for the other two¡­


    ¡°They look like nobles of the Heian period¡­or an old priest and shrine maiden.¡±


    They were both wearing clothes that looked like hakamas.


    The man¡¯s was a light green, and the woman¡¯s was white and red.


    I had a feeling that they were wearing this by Miralda¡¯s orders, and it had nothing to do with their personal taste.


    It was as I gazed at them talking that I noticed something odd.


    It was the way that the pair stood. The way they moved and carried their weight steadily. It reminded me of people I had seen a long time ago.


    ¡°¡­Were they well versed in martial arts?¡±


    In spite of appearances, I had attended a dojo since I was a small kid.


    And after many years, I was even put in a position to teach others.


    When attending tournaments, I would sometimes see veterans who had been on the path for many years. And these two were moving in the same way that the masters did.


    When your body became stronger, it would start to move differently.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen people move like that in a long time.¡±


    The concept of ¡®Tao¡¯ did not exist here.


    There was no judo or kendo, where people tried to improve their skills in fighting. The idea of a weaker person using skill and technique to win was something no one really thought of.


    People weren¡¯t known to arduously practice and train in order to get stronger.


    If you wanted to get stronger, you were supposed to eat a lot and sleep. Then your body would grow. So many people actually thought in this way.


    And so it was very rare to see people like those two. As I continued to watch them, General Farneze gestured for me to join them.


    ¡°I was just asking them about how they would attack Legard. What are your thoughts?¡±


    ¡°Legard, the Demon King of destruction? You¡¯re talking about him, and not his army?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Of course, I don¡¯t even know what race he is. So it¡¯s a difficult question for me.¡± S?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    General Farneze said with a laugh.


    Well, it was a bit of an awkward question. Asking Generals to talk of killing Demon Kings.


    Demon King Legard¡¯s race was unknown.


    Knowing a person¡¯s race meant knowing their method of attack, special abilities, and weaknesses. And so evolved types tended to keep it a secret.


    In Legard¡¯s case, he was an ¡®Origin type¡¯ and so no one knew what race he was.


    Normally, you might be able to guess based on their subordinates, but Demon Kings tended to rule over so many different races, that it became difficult to determine anything.


    ¡°I did hear that he has very big horns.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. And it¡¯s said that demon-types often spawn ¡®Origins.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Well, they are one of the weaker races, so it¡¯s easier for them to evolve. Even more so because there are so many of them.¡±


    But would someone like that become known as the Demon King of destruction¡­? I wasn¡¯t sure.


    The most common rumors about Legard were of him destroying armies all by himself, or laying towns to waste. They were terrible to listen to.


    And that was how he got his name.


    In any case, people started to mutter, ¡®was he not satisfied until he destroyed everything?¡¯


    ¡°Well, if he is a demon-type then he won¡¯t be able to use magic and will have weak resistance to it. So I suppose I would assemble a special unit to take advantage of that and annihilate him.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­but?¡±


    ¡°Someone who has been a Demon King for that long has probably faced plenty of enemies who fight with magic. And so he either has a way of dealing with magic, or he is not a demon-type.¡±


    ¡°I see. And?¡±


    ¡°If the rumors are true, this is not a Demon King who has a cautious personality. So I would lure him in and separate him from his men before fighting.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Golan. Where would you lure him?¡±


    ¡°A deep valley floor.¡±


    Especially if it was a place that was difficult to get out of.


    Besides, the more destructive you became in such a place, the greater danger you would be in.


    ¡°Well, I am not sure that luring Legard to a valley floor would be enough to defeat him.¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯ll be defeating his army. Legard will be stuck in the valley. And in full force, we will destroy the Demon King¡¯s army.¡±


    A powerful Demon King was only a threat when combined with a powerful army.


    If the Demon King was alone, then he could be defeated with an army of similar strength. At least, that¡¯s what I thought.


    ¡°I see. That is quite interesting. What do you think? Is it not as I said?¡±


    Miralda said as she patted her two friends on the shoulders.


    The two of them started whispering to Miralda.


    This conversation just now. Had they been testing me?


    ¡°I know an Ogre who speaks of strategies.¡±


    ¡°General, you¡¯re joking.¡±


    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s true. Shall we put it to the test then?¡±


    Something like that.


    As for General Farneze, she didn¡¯t care as long as people weren¡¯t talking about Felicia. And so she had probably agreed to that proposal.


    After that, Miralda and her entourage went to talk with the other Generals.


    And so I was left with Farneze for a short while.


    ¡°Her guards. I wouldn¡¯t underestimate them.¡±


    Perhaps I was being patronizing, but I decided to warn her.


    ¡°Them? They are Crystal Dragons. They are indeed very pleasing to look at, but they are also known to have little combat ability to speak of. They are practically decorations.¡±


    I was not expecting to hear that.


    ¡°I can tell by just looking at the way they move their feet. Besides, they should still have physical strength, as dragons. I am quite sure they¡¯ve been trained so that they can suppress us even without weapons.¡±


    ¡°¡­Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m good at sniffing out the strong.¡±


    ¡°How careless of me. Everyone says that Crystal Dragons are unable to fight, and so I believed it.¡±


    ¡°Who started that rumor?¡±


    ¡°Merchants from Tralzard¡¯s country.¡±


    ¡°They are either being paid or are purposely spreading false information.¡±


    Tralzard would have strategists of his own.


    He was a Demon King, after all.


    ¡°This won¡¯t be as simple as I thought.¡±


    The General¡¯s face seemed to darken.


    While they were our allies now, we could still not let our guard down.

 Chapter 112

    Chapter 112The night continued, and now that the guest of honor had arrived, things became very lively.


    Of course, since this was the Demon World, several fights broke out in different corners of the great hall.


    People were drunk and emboldened. And sometimes people from different tribes who rarely saw each other would clash.


    Well, it didn¡¯t take much for a fight to start. A simple ¡®Is that challenge?¡¯ and ¡®you bet¡¯ was all that was needed before the fists went flying. And then a Corps Commander would come out and tell them to go outside.


    While I hadn¡¯t checked, I was quite sure that there were several groups fighting in the courtyard right now.


    ¡°Ah, this has been an enjoyable night.¡±


    Miralda said, clearly in a good mood.


    And judging by her reaction, the banquet could be said to be a success.


    People¡¯s rating of General Farneze would rise.


    ¡°Now, I think it¡¯s time for us to leave. See you tomorrow.¡±


    She waved her hand with a smile, and then left.


    Since the guest of honor was gone, this would usually have meant that the banquet was over.


    However, there were so many who had not eaten or drunk enough.


    And so the banquet would continue until all of the tables were cleared.


    The people knew this, and no one seemed to be leaving.


    ¡°What will you do, Golan?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been doing nothing but talking. I think it¡¯s time I go and stuff myself.¡±


    I had been talking with Miralda and the other Generals for the whole time, and had barely eaten anything.


    Perhaps I should have eaten before the banquet started, but it had been such a good opportunity to talk with people of different races, and I had been busy moving around the hall.


    ¡°Though, many of them avoided talking to Ogres.¡±


    They didn¡¯t think I was worth their time.


    And so I grabbed a large plate and filled it with some of the remaining food, and began to eat a late dinner. It was then that I was approached by a few people.


    Apparently, they wanted to talk.


    Why now, when things were ending¡­? But then I recognized who they were.


    They were among the people I had approached that had given me the cold shoulder.


    They introduced themselves but had little to say otherwise.


    It turned out that they had seen me talking with General Farneze as if we were close. And then I had been called by the other Generals and was seen to even be acquainted with the guest of honor, a person who worked for a Demon King, no less.


    They were only frantically rushing to me now because they thought I was important.


    And while I had been enthusiastic about getting to know people, it was all too obvious that they just wanted me to introduce them to the General, which was a big turn off.


    This banquet had been a rather sudden event, and many of the lower servants had been brought in to help. They mistook me to be one of them.


    The sight of me talking casually with the General would have been very strange, and they were curious about how I had done it.


    But it was all very tiring, and so I dodged them and left the hall.


    And so in the end, I felt rather conflicted about the whole banquet in the end.


    The next day, I joined Miralda and the others at the meeting.


    General Farneze had already finished discussing the matter with the other Generals, and she looked quite pleased as the meeting began.


    ¡°As for the trading of troops, we have no objection to it. Indeed, we welcome it fully.¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    Things were settled rather quickly.


    Both sides knew what this would mean.


    While we would be lent some incredibly powerful soldiers, we now had a responsibility to stop Leninoth and Fara.


    This was the power of the Demon King¡¯s army.


    As long as we did not misuse it, we had a good chance of winning.


    ¡°We will now have to go over the details to ensure that we agree on everything. First, when were you expecting for this trade to occur?¡±


    That was important to decide.


    As we would have to prepare accordingly.


    ¡°The day of the trade, eh? How about thirty days from now?¡±


    ¡°Thirty days¡­ That is fine. I think we should be able to prepare in time.¡±


    Yes, it would be easy enough.


    After all, there had been several defensive battles recently, and so the soldiers were used to gathering and moving.


    ¡°What we need to discuss now is the number of troops and what they will bring. While we do have food, if the equipment is not right, then the trade will be useless.¡±


    ¡°I see. In fact, some races also eat completely different food as well. Those are also details that need to be considered.¡±


    ¡°And also how they are used. Keep them independent or incorporate them? We will have to know their preference in order to avoid chaos later on.¡±


    Apparently, this trade was a lot more complicated than it seemed.


    While the Kobolds would deal with the practical business, they wouldn¡¯t be able to move until certain things had been decided first. S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°We will ask them. As for equipment, we should be able to prepare most of it ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Mmm. My own men won¡¯t require anything, as we are currently still in action.¡±


    So they had everything that they needed.


    In that case, it was just us that needed thirty days to prepare.


    A few other things were decided after that, and the meeting with Miralda ended.


    In the future, she would send a representative to Farneze¡¯s town in order to stay in contact.


    Miralda¡¯s army was already close by, so it would not take too much time.


    ¡°Ahhh, finally that¡¯s over.¡±


    I said honestly.


    I had been called away from the village so suddenly. But now I would be able to return.


    I could take some time off and train my men.


    In any case, I had sat through enough meetings and talks of war.


    I slowly looked up at the sky.


    Pure white clouds were gently drifting by.


    ¡°What a beautiful day.¡±


    I really thought that.

 Chapter 113

    Chapter 113The castle where Lesser Demon King Melvis slept was in the center of the country.


    I suppose you would call it the capital.


    While it was just a town, it was the most developed part of the country.


    ¡°Well, it would be rather boring to just go straight back.¡±


    After all, there was no rush.


    During the meeting, several things had been decided in terms of the direction that the country would go in.


    First, Demon King Tralzard¡¯s troops would be coming after thirty days.


    And they would be our trump card in the battle against Lesser Demon King Leninoth.


    Given how much Miralda wanted to stop Leninoth and Fara from gaining prominence, we could expect them to be very different from your average soldiers.


    While nothing would be decided until they arrived, we would likely wait for the perfect moment when Leninoth and Fara were fighting, and then invade.


    ¡°As for that invasion¡­General Dardaroth would likely lead.¡±


    Now that Gorgodan was dead, the new General, Tulart, would have to train his reconstructed army.


    And I suspected that it would take some time for them to fully recover from that blow.


    As for General Farneze¡¯s army, which I was now a part of, we would probably protect the capital.


    She had fought battle after battle, and gone off to kill Leninoth with a small group, and lured out Fara¡¯s army¡­well, that part was me.


    And if things were to go in rotation, I doubted she would have much to do this time.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind staying here protecting the castle.¡±


    After so much fighting, the idea of taking it easy and resting was quite appealing.


    I could sightsee and kill time in the castle.


    Yes, I had high expectations for General Dardaroth and these powerful soldiers our neighbor was sending.


    ¡°Oh, what sweet-looking fruit.¡±


    And so I went shopping in the town.


    Now that I was working directly under the General, my pay had gone up a little.


    Where would I spend the money if not here?


    ¡°Mister. This fruit was brought in from General Dardaroth¡¯s town. You won¡¯t find them anywhere else in these parts!¡±


    He looked like a boy with green hair, but he was a fully grown adult.


    They were called Grassrunners. A race that lived in the prairies and were not suited to fighting.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen them before. They don¡¯t have these in my village.¡±


    ¡°Of course not! But these really are sweet! They grow on the sides of steep cliffs. So they can only be picked by people who can fly.¡±


    There were various things that were sweet in this world, and fruits were one of the most common.


    While this one looked like a rough pineapple, it did smell quite sweet when I picked it up and brought it to my nose.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take one then.¡±


    ¡°Ah, thank you!¡±


    My first time eating this fruit.


    Normally, you would wonder how you were supposed to eat it. But not us Ogres.


    I opened my mouth wide and bit it in half.


    ¡°¡­Hmm. I see. It really is sweet. The core is quite hard though, is that the seed?¡±


    The fruit was very juicy and delicious.


    I finished the rest in one bite and then looked at the shocked Grassrunner.


    ¡°How many do you have?¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­there are five in this sack.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take the lot. Just give me the bag.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ye-yes!¡±


    They were also about the same size as pineapples.


    And while the Grassrunner had carried them on his back, to me, it just felt like a small bag from a convenience store.


    ¡°This should make a good gift.¡±


    I would give them to Saifo and Beka. They would love it.


    ¡°¡­Now that I think about, I better grab something for Rig as well.¡±


    My adjutant was always helping me.


    Of course, he just saw it as his duty, but he also took care of things around the house.


    It would be good to return the favor in times like these.


    ¡°How about this?¡± S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    I saw that a pretty box was being sold. It was made of carved wood.


    My guess was that it was made by Leprechauns, since they were so good with their hands.


    And it was said that they liked to use wood.


    And while it wasn¡¯t exactly cheap, I decided to think of it as an investment.


    It would be worth it as long as he was happy.


    ¡°Oh, and I can¡¯t forget Painy.¡±


    It would look bad if Painy the Reaper was the only one who didn¡¯t get a gift.


    Well, she wasn¡¯t the kind to complain about such things, but that was even more worrying.


    ¡°So¡­Painy. What should I get¡­¡±


    I went around the different shops, but nothing caught my eye.


    In the first place, there wasn¡¯t any tradition of buying people souvenirs in the Demon World.


    And so there were no gift shops or the like.


    People didn¡¯t really ¡®dress up¡¯ here.


    No, they did, but it was very different from how things were in modern Japan.


    Most people just dressed so that they could be differentiated from others.


    ¡°¡­This is nice.¡±


    My eyes landed on an umbrella.


    Even here, people used umbrellas when it rained.


    Sometimes people just wore coats made of straw, and there were some races that didn¡¯t care about getting wet.


    However, most of them did use umbrellas like this to stay out of the rain.


    The one I had found happened to be light and a nice color. It was perhaps similar to a parasol.


    ¡°Now I have something for everyone.¡±


    Well, everyone who came to my house regularly.


    I could imagine their smiling faces now. And it was with such warm thoughts in my head that I rushed back to the village.


    ¡°I¡¯m back!¡±


    I opened the door to my house while carrying the bag of gifts.


    ¡°Sir Golan. Welcome back.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Rig. Did anything happen while I was gone?¡±


    I always asked this question.


    ¡°Hey, Golan.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re finally back.¡±


    ¡°Welcome home.¡±


    Saifo and Beka were there. So was Painy.


    ¡°Perfect timing. I got you all something¡­¡±


    ¡°Sir Golan. Speaking of things that happened in your absence, one of General Farneze¡¯s messengers was just here. They want you to lead the troops that are to be sent to the Demon King¡¯s land. And so you must organize your men and go to the General¡¯s town at once.¡±


    ¡°What¡­?!¡±


    ¡°You are to lead the unit that is being traded¡­¡±


    ¡°I heard you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I was to be part of the trade with Miralda? Surely not¡­


    Why me?


    My arms went limp and the gifts fell to the floor.


    One of the fruits rolled towards Beka, and she purred, ¡®ah, that smells good!¡¯


    ¡°¡­She can¡¯t be serious.¡±


    I looked upwards.


    The dirty ceiling looked back at me.

 Chapter 114

    Chapter 114I could hear objects falling loudly to the floor. I froze, my jaw still open.


    The next thing I knew, I was on my knees and looking at the floor? When did that happen?


    ¡°Golan. This is pretty good!¡±


    ¡°Hey, this fruit. We were allowed to eat it, right? I mean, it¡¯s too late now.¡±


    I could hear Beka and Saifo¡¯s cheerful voices.


    But I was too shocked to care about the fact that they had started eating it without permission.


    I had assumed that the troops would be selected from the General who was going out to fight.


    Surely it wouldn¡¯t be us who were supposed to wait here.


    ¡°What is it, Golan?¡±


    Beka asked as she peered into my face. Even she could tell that something was wrong.


    ¡°I¡­just received a report that fills me with anxiety. More importantly, how were the gifts? Was it good?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It was so delicious.¡±


    I had bought four of them. And there were zero left now.


    Both Beka and Saifo had eaten two each. S~?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    I didn¡¯t mind them eating it without permission, but did they have to eat all of them?


    I wanted to have some as well.


    As I watched them carelessly talk about the taste of the fruit, I swore to myself that I would take both of them with me.


    I then pulled myself together and gave Rig and Painy their gifts.


    A carved wooden box for Rig, and an umbrella for Painy.


    They were both very hesitant, but I said that it was a way of expressing my gratitude for everything they did for me, and forced them to accept them.


    It was a stark difference to the idiot siblings who stuffed themselves without saying anything.


    That night.


    When I was alone with Rig, I asked him about the details.


    ¡°I got the impression that it was something that was already decided.¡±


    They hadn¡¯t decided anything when I left the castle.


    However, I had taken a detour to buy gifts, and took my time on the road back.


    They must have decided during that time.


    ¡°And did they say anything about the troops that are to be sent?¡±


    ¡°Just that you should organize and bring them. However, they do want you to contact them once you decide who will go.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that means the General will prepare the supplies.¡±


    We didn¡¯t have much resources in the village.


    If we were going to war, we would be given equipment to use. But this was a little different.


    Had they asked us to prepare everything ourselves, we would have been in trouble.


    ¡°Did you notice anything else?¡±


    ¡°I had the impression that the messenger was aware that you wouldn¡¯t be here. He came directly to me, and there was no effort to find you.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    General Farneze knew that I traveled on foot.


    The messenger would have been on a riding beast, which meant he could reach the village before I did.


    However, the fact that he didn¡¯t search or ask after me or wait for my return suggested that they thought it would be better if I wasn¡¯t present.


    Something about it made me think Felicia might have had a hand in it.


    After all, the General preferred to do things by the book, even if it was less convenient.


    Felicia on the other hand, cared only about the results, not the method.


    She would want to avoid a situation where there was an argument and the messenger was sent back and forth.


    ¡°If it¡¯s an order, I will have to obey. ¡­Oh, well.¡±


    It was true that I would have complained had I been in the village. I might have even resisted a little.


    They had seen through me.


    I would launch my complaints the next time I met General.


    ¡°Now¡­as for what I need to do¡­¡±


    It was good that I could choose who would go with me.


    But there were a few things I was worried about.


    And in the end, I would have to be the one who dealt with them.


    ¡°Rig.¡±


    ¡°Yes. What is it?¡±


    ¡°I want you to bring me the soldiers. Tell them that this will be a long expedition, and that we will not return to this village for a while. Gather any who still want to come.¡±


    ¡°Very well. How many do you need?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll decide when I see them. In the end, I¡¯ll have to select them out of the lineup. Tell them that. I¡¯m going to leave the village for a short time, and you won¡¯t be able to contact me. Can you do it?¡±


    ¡°Certainly. There will be no problems.¡±


    Rig was a good subordinate who tirelessly did what he was told.


    And so I had faith that he wouldn¡¯t let me down.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    This country was being pulled into a war.


    It was said that until recently, every other country was too scared to attack us. We were just a small country, and it would not make sense to send massive armies and suffer great losses just to win.


    However, the world was starting to fall into chaos. And we were not unaffected.


    ¡°First, I have to go there and there and talk with them.¡±


    Miralda was giving us thrity days.


    It took me five days to return to the village. That was partially because I had taken time to buy those gifts.


    And considering that it would take me ten days to reach General Farneze¡¯s town, that meant I only had fifteen days left.


    But it could take us another five days to cross the border.


    ¡°So I suppose we would have to leave the village in ten days. I wish we had more time.¡±


    Ten days was harsh, when I had to gather soldiers and be ready to leave.


    If I were to leave the village tomorrow, I would have to return in at least seven days.


    That¡¯s how long it would take just traveling. This was an incredibly tight schedule.


    ¡°¡­Damn it. They could have just chosen people from the castle in the beginning.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but grumble.


    I had only just returned from the royal castle, but I had to leave immediately.


    Really, life didn¡¯t care at all about your plans.


    I left the village early the next morning while everyone was still asleep.


    ¡°I seem to be traveling alone a lot these days.¡±


    I was muttering to myself a lot as well.


    ¡°Ahh, how depressing.¡±


    But in spite of my mood, there wasn¡¯t a cloud in the blue sky that stretched above me.


    A map of the surrounding lands.

 Chapter 115

    Chapter 115I headed to the cave where the Lamias lived.


    Well, I almost wanted to say ¡®lurked¡¯ instead of ¡®lived,¡¯ but perhaps that would be rude.


    It was just that I didn¡¯t get the impression that their lifestyle involved anything cultural. Like the place was their nest.


    But the Lamias were half human and half snake, so it would be difficult for them to live like most others.


    So in a way, I wasn¡¯t wrong.


    That was fine. As for how I came to be acquainted with them, it all started when I had come down here to investigate this supposed tribe that was not under Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s control.


    The Lamia¡¯s territory was the cave, the lake near it, and the surrounding swamp.


    I said that as long as they stayed there, I would allow them to live in the cave.


    I had felt that if something were to happen, they would lend me their power in order to protect this new home of theirs.


    ¡°They are one of the more powerful races, after all.¡±


    I had done some research after meeting with them.


    And what I discovered was that their power was beyond what I had imagined.


    Surprisingly, they were able to use magic. They were especially adept with water magic.


    Now that I thought about it, the outside lake and the lake inside of the cave were connected underground. So they would have been able to move in and out with ease.


    Yes, they were also able to breath underwater.


    And much like us Ogres, the Lamias used mana to strengthen their bodies.


    The lower snake half was made almost entirely of muscle, and it was enhanced further with mana.


    Even an Ogre would be in trouble if they got caught and strangled by one of them.


    They were able to move very swiftly in the swamplands, and they were good at swimming. Apparently, they also had no trouble in deserts.


    It was rare for people to be so multi-talented.


    Of course, the biggest thing was their poison.


    The Lamias created poison within their bodies. Just like a snake.


    As this poison caused your blood to coagulate, it was incredibly dangerous.


    There were hardly any antidotes or serums in this world. At best, you might crush and apply or drink some leaves to help disinfect the wound. That was it.


    I highly doubted it would be enough to handle a poison that coagulated your blood.


    And so it was important to avoid getting bitten.


    ¡°Though, I think the higher races have a resistance to poison.¡±


    Once you reached that level, even poison wasn¡¯t a threat.


    When their bodies detect the substance, it can be nullified or discharged.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel like it was a cheat skill.


    It was like they could do anything.


    ¡°¡­So, here we are.¡±


    I was at the entrance to the cave.


    Now I just had to enter and talk to the Lamias.


    There must be a reason that they still haven¡¯t accepted Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s control.


    But I didn¡¯t ask. It wasn¡¯t as if I¡¯d be able to do anything about it, anyway.


    And so, while the Lamias were not our enemies, they continued to be in a neutral position.


    I didn¡¯t know when they might change their minds and attack me. And so I had to stay on my guard.


    As I slowly walked through the cave, I saw that the path ahead was blocked by a fence. It hadn¡¯t been there last time, which meant it was built recently.


    ¡°Was there some kind of trouble here?¡±


    I had stopped by the other Ogre village on the way, and they had told me that the Lamias never attacked them.


    Even if they couldn¡¯t live together, they could live in peace separately. That¡¯s what I believed.


    And so I had been quite relieved.


    ¡°This fence¡­I probably shouldn¡¯t break it.¡±


    Perhaps the Lamias had installed it to prevent any accidental contact that could result in something unfortunate.


    The fence went into the wall and was made of logs and planks of wood tied together.


    After thinking about it for a minute, I took down some of the planks and entered through the crack that was made.


    Then I walked farther down the passage until the sounds of water entered my ears.


    It was proof that the Lamia were here.


    ¡°I¡¯m Golan the Ogre. I came here to talk to you.¡±


    I stopped and shouted. I could hear my voice echo down the passage.


    After hearing hurried splashes, everything became quiet.


    ¡°Hmm¡­I guess I should go.¡±


    I waited a few minutes before I started to walk again. Up ahead, a Lamia was waiting for me in the water.


    I couldn¡¯t see the others. They were probably hiding below the surface.


    They were just as cautious as the last time I came here.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Dalmia.¡±


    The Lamia was the same one I had spoken to before.


    And like the last time, she was wearing something that stuck tightly to her skin, much like a bathing suit.


    Since I had done my research, I now knew that it had been weaved from seaweed.


    While these weeds grew in freshwater, I assumed it was something like kelp.


    Not only would it not interfere when they swam underwater, but it was also very durable.


    ¡°Has anything happened here? Have you attacked anyone or been attacked?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s good to hear. Anyway, there¡¯s something that I need to talk to you about. If you will listen.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    Dalmia¡¯s pupils narrowed.


    Perhaps it was because I was extra attentive, but those eyes were frightening when seen close up.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be leaving the village for awhile.¡±


    It would have been easier to just say that we were off to war. But I couldn¡¯t tell them, since they were not under Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s control.


    ¡°For how long?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It could be as long as a year.¡±


    As the Demon World had many races that lived long lives, there was a difference in how everyone felt the passage of time.


    I remember talking to someone once, and they had said, ¡®Oh, we were fighting the neighboring village recently.¡¯ But when I asked about what had happened, it turned out to be an event from a few hundred years ago.


    A year was a long time for me, but would it be the same for the Lamias? s?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°That is a long time.¡±


    Oh, so they felt the same. I was glad that they felt things in a similar way.


    ¡°In the meantime, someone else will be in charge of all the villages in this area. But I will tell them about this place, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    However, they would not be able to contact me.


    I just needed them to understand that.


    And I also wanted them to avoid clashing with any of the other races while I was gone.


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    The answer was short and honest. Well, I wasn¡¯t sure how much she really understood. I had had the same feeling the last time we talked.


    There was something overly brusque about the way that she talked that made me nervous.


    However, they had not fought with anyone all of this time, so it seemed safe to trust them.


    ¡°If you do happen to be troubled by anything, go to the Kobold in the village for help. He will know what to do.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Do you? Do you really?


    Why were the Lamias here?


    I knew that they had come searching for a safe place to live, but I didn¡¯t know why they had to abandon their previous home.


    Were they driven out? Or did they leave of their own accord?


    Was someone chasing them?


    As it seemed like they were hiding, I had felt that it was best not to bring it up. However, the time would likely come where the question would be unavoidable.


    Perhaps it would have been wise for me to force them to accept Melvis¡¯s control or make them leave. But I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to do that.


    ¡°That¡¯s all I have to say.¡±


    How long would it take for us to meet again?


    As I pondered on such things, Dalmia approached me without making a sound.

 Chapter 116

    Chapter 116I was about to leave, as I had said what I came to say, but Dalmia had other plans.


    She slithered up to me without making a sound, and started to sniff me.


    ¡°He-hey¡­Dalmia. What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I smell a red rat.¡±


    ¡°A red rat¡­?¡±


    I didn¡¯t understand what she meant.


    No, that did ring a bell.


    Before coming here, I had stopped at the nearby Ogre village.


    I had been greeted to a hearty welcome, but there something that would occasionally move in the corner of my vision.


    When I asked them about it, they told me that they¡¯d been having a rat problem recently. But they hadn¡¯t said anything about them being red.


    ¡°I smell¡­red rats.¡±


    ¡°I stopped by a village on the way here and stayed a while. And since they said they¡¯d been having trouble with rats, that¡¯s probably the reason. Does it bother you?¡±


    ¡°Red rats carry the plague.¡±


    ¡°The plague?¡±


    Dalmia nodded slowly.


    ¡°The bodies and the droppings of red rats are like clumps of disease. Any who touch them will then carry the plague.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me more about this plague!¡±


    The place that Dalmia and the other Lamias once lived was a pure and mystical place. A place with beautiful rivers and lakes.


    She talked about how there was a waterfall near her home.


    ¡°But one day, one of my friends died.¡±


    ¡°From the plague?¡±


    His skin had become dry, dark spots appeared all over. He had died saying that he felt a burning pain inside of his body.


    Before he had died, the Lamias asked him many questions in order to find out the cause of this disease.


    And the only hint they got was this, ¡®I ate a red rat. But it was disgusting and hardly edible.¡¯


    No one knew what that meant. They had never heard of such a thing before.


    However, after some time had passed since this friend¡¯s death, a few others showed similar symptoms.


    They were all people who were close to the deceased. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It was an infectious disease. Realizing this, they isolated them.


    Since there were no other aquatic races in the area, they moved those who were afflicted to a different water source.


    Those who remained were instructed to avoid eating any red rats, and to stay away from them.


    ¡°After that, no one else caught the disease.¡±


    A few dissected some of dead red rats.


    And as expected, their insides were rotten. It was clear that they had been the source of the disease.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you were able to learn all of that.¡±


    I would have just stayed away.


    ¡°It was necessary in order for us to survive.¡±


    The Lamias would occasionally eat rats. And so they had to be certain.


    After inspecting them, they found out that the red rats were normal before they started carrying the pathogenic bacteria.


    But once they are infected, all of their fur falls out and their skin starts to swell and become red.


    ¡°The red skin is evidence of the festering. So it was no wonder they did not taste good.¡±


    ¡°I-I see¡­¡±


    But it had taken them a long time to discover all of this.


    When the first person had fallen, they had explained the symptoms to a traveling merchant and asked if there wasn¡¯t any medicine for it.


    Apparently, the Lamia were able to make accessories out of rocks found at the bottom of lakes.


    They were actually quite skilled with their hands.


    Perhaps that wasn¡¯t surprising, judging by the clothes they wore.


    And so time passed.


    However, until the Lamias found out the reason, not a single traveling merchant paid them another visit. But the Lamias did not suspect anything.


    The relief they felt over their discovery was a brief one.


    ¡°Things were terrible in the town.¡±


    While the Lamias were trying to figure out the cause, people were dying one after another with the same symptoms in the nearby town.


    Of course, the Lamias had no idea, as they had no interactions with this town.


    But to their misfortune, the traveling merchant knew where the first person to be infected had come from.


    ¡°And so rumors were spread that you brought the disease?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We were living near the water source, after all.¡±


    Their home had been close to the town¡¯s water source.


    The Lamias had been the first to be affected, and then the town¡¯s people.


    That was all true. However, it wasn¡¯t as if the Lamias actually did anything to the town¡¯s people.


    But once hundreds, thousands of people had died, the residents had lost their calm.


    In the end, the Lamias were driven away from their home.


    By then, the entire town had been infected, and it was starting to spread to other towns, so that no one could enter or leave.


    Still, there were survivors.


    And they were sure to continue to spread the rumors about the Lamias.


    That was why they had to abandon their country and flee.


    ¡°¡­I see. Still, what does the ¡®smell of a red rat¡¯ mean?¡±


    ¡°Even if they look normal, it¡¯s possible that they still carry the disease. And so we learned to tell them apart by their smell and not their color.¡±


    The rats only became red towards the end.


    And so it was possible that they were infected much earlier.


    That being said, it wasn¡¯t possible to live while avoiding all rats all of the time.


    And so it had been necessary to learn to tell them apart by their smell.


    ¡°That was a good decision¡­ But, that means the rats in that village¡­¡±


    ¡°They probably have it.¡±


    Have it? They have the disease.


    What could be done? It was obvious. They had to be exterminated.


    Catch them¡­no, then the germs will get on your hands.


    We could use traps and then burn them.


    But there could be other carriers.


    ¡°Sorry. But what you told me is very helpful. I¡¯ll have to return to the village at once.¡±


    There was no time to lose. And so I ran back to the village.

 Chapter 117

    Chapter 117I left the cave and rushed to the village.


    On the way, I passed through rough groves and miry fields with no roads.


    And while I was out of breath, it was better than being too late.


    ¡°Commander Golan. What happened?¡±


    As soon as I arrived in the village, one of the youths that lived there, Jacob, looked at me with surprise.


    Jacob was about two or three years older than me.


    And since he had participated in the war, he still called me by my official position.


    ¡°Former Commander. But more importantly, have everyone gather together.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Right now?¡±


    ¡°Immediately! Run!¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡±


    Jacob started to run around the village as he shouted.


    In the meantime, I caught my breath and thought about what could be done about these red rats.


    ¡°¡­There would be no point in explaining the whole thing.¡±


    How much would they understand about infectious diseases?


    Besides, it had to do with why the Lamias had been driven from their old home.


    Giving them too much information at once could lead to them forgetting what was important. Ogres were like that.


    It was best to keep things simple.


    If you had people gather together without telling them the reason, you could expect to see a lot of angry and annoyed people gather together.


    However, when it came to Ogres, they tended to obey me faithfully.


    In fact, they were running as if to see who could get here first.


    Some of them looked a little afraid. Perhaps they had seen something terrible on the way.


    ¡°Is that everyone?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Everyone in the village.¡±


    Jacob said as a representative for the others.


    I had left a different Ogre in charge of this village, but I didn¡¯t really care about that right now.


    ¡°All of you. Listen carefully!¡±


    I shouted, and they all stood up straight.


    I paused for a few seconds and then began to talk.


    ¡°There is something that I want to ask all of you. However, don¡¯t talk unless I tell you to. Got that!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Can I get a reply?¡±


    ¡°YEEES!¡±


    ¡°¡­Good. Now, the first question. Raise your hand if you¡¯ve seen a rat in the village recently.


    About seven out of ten of them raised their hand.


    That was a lot. I didn¡¯t normally see many rats where I lived. And it should have been the same in this village.


    ¡°Keep your hand up if you¡¯ve seen a red rat. And lower your hand if you haven¡¯t.¡±


    And then most of them lowered their hands.


    Three of them didn¡¯t. They were all Ogre women.


    ¡°You on the far left. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Danie.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Danie. This is very important, so I want you to remember carefully. Where and when did you see this red rat?¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­ Oh, it was the day before yesterday. As for the place, I think it was near the ceiling of my house.¡±


    Ogre houses were built on top of a stone foundation, and the upper part was usually made of wood and mortar.


    If it was near the ceiling, it was likely running on the beams.


    ¡°Now you.¡±


    ¡°I-I am go Goe. Yesterday, I saw a rat jump out of the grass in my garden. I thought it was a lizard at first, because of the color. But when I got closer, I saw that it was a rat. But I didn¡¯t have anything with me at the time and¡­¡±


    ¡°Nevermind that.¡±


    ¡°Ye-yes!¡±


    ¡°And now you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Miradis. Today¡­I mean, just a moment ago. It was near the outskirts of the village. It was dead.¡±


    ¡°Dead? Miradis, right? Did you touch it?¡±


    ¡°N-no. I didn¡¯t touch it. I would never touch a dead rat.¡±


    ¡°Good. You can all put your hands down now.¡±


    I was acting so unusually around them, that everyone seemed afraid to even trade glances.


    It was as if they were focusing on my every move.


    ¡°Red rats are evil rats that spread a terrible disease. ¡­However, the other rats might carry the disease as well.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I looked at all of them.


    I wanted to be sure that they were all listening before continuing.


    ¡°Now listen to me carefully. We will have to catch all of the rats in this village. I will tell you how. But you must obey this one order. Do not touch the rats under any circumstances. It is the same with their droppings. Do not touch it. And if you happen to, wash your hands very well.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure if washing your hands would do much, but it had to be better than nothing.


    ¡°And you and you! What are your names?¡±


    I pointed to two large Ogres.


    ¡°I¡¯m Guen.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Billy.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Guen and Billy. I want you to dig a hole outside of the village. A big one. That¡¯s where we will bury the dead rats.¡±


    ¡°Aye.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°As for the rest of you. I¡¯ll teach you how to make the traps. So come over here.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know if my knowledge of catching rats would actually work in the Demon World, but it seemed like a better idea than running around and chasing them like an idiot.


    And so I dug a hole in the ground and filled it with a wooden bucket.


    I then filled it halfway with water and set up something like a bamboo seesaw near it.


    It would tilt towards the bucket once the rat moved through the bamboo.


    The other trap I made also involved a bucket of water. This one had a stick with a rat guard put inside of it.


    Then we just had to put some bait inside and both traps were complete.


    We used some steamed potato for bait.


    ¡°So now you know how to make them. I want you to place them all over the village. But don¡¯t touch any of the rats. Just dump all of the contents into the hole.¡±


    They would be limited by how many buckets they had, but this was as much as I could do.


    I looked over to the two who were digging the hole. They had already dug up to their waists.


    ¡°Good. That should be deep enough. When the villagers come with the rats, put them in here. But don¡¯t touch them.¡±


    ¡°Aye.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    That should do it.


    ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t just stay here.¡±


    There were still other places to go.


    I told them that I would return in a few days, and then I left the village.


    It was too bad that I couldn¡¯t see things to the end, but I had a tight schedule.


    S?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 118

    Chapter 118I kept running down the road.


    On foot, it would take me two days to reach the village that was my next destination. And I wanted to shorten that as much as possible.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that I¡¯ve felt this much reluctance in a long time.¡±


    I wanted to stay and help them with the rats. However, the deadline was closing in.


    It was unfortunate that the red rats had appeared, but it was also an amazing coincidence that the Lamias had information about them.


    I had heard stories from merchants in the past. About villages and towns that had been destroyed from spreading diseases.


    All of this time, it had seemed like something that happened in far away countries and had nothing to do with us, but I was wrong. It could really happen anywhere.


    ¡°I might be able to reach it tonight if I keep running.¡±


    I¡¯m sure the Ogres in the village would manage just fine without me.


    And so I tried to keep it out of my mind as I ran, but it was difficult.


    It was wrong to expect an Ogre village to be the most hygienic place.


    Because it was difficult for them to properly understand why things happened.


    That¡¯s why I was limited to just saying things like ¡®wash your hands,¡¯ ¡®gargle,¡¯ and ¡®don¡¯t touch anything dirty,¡¯ as if it was in the spur of the moment.


    In any case, I was quite sure that the bodies of Ogres were considerably more resistant to germs compared to humans.


    And so it wasn¡¯t as much of a problem if they weren¡¯t too hygienic.


    ¡°But it¡¯s these things that are the trouble.¡±


    When it came to stronger infectious diseases, being a little tougher than the norm would not mean much.


    Once you were infected, you were the same as any other patient.


    The panic I felt made me run faster, and arrived at my destination close to midnight.


    Even I could tell. The fatigue was starting to build up.


    And since I meant to rush back as soon as I had fulfilled my purpose, I wanted to rest here, if only for a short while.


    And so I lay down near a large tree.


    The result was no surprise. I quickly fell into a deep sleep.


    ¡°¡­Hmm?¡±


    I felt my body being shook as I opened my eyes.


    Someone was looking into my face¡­a short Ogre¡­it must be a child from the village.


    But it was still very early in the morning. Perhaps it was someone who helped on a farm, or maybe they were about to go to the mountains to hunt.


    In any case, I was glad to see someone from the village.


    ¡°I¡¯m Golan. I came to this village to meet Guden.¡±


    As I introduced myself, the child jumped up and then ran away frantically.


    I didn¡¯t understand why the kid was so frightened.


    I slowly got to my feet and stretched.


    Nothing really hurt. Had I slept in such a place while I was still human, I would have woken up with sores all over. Yes, Ogre bodies were nice and tough.


    Not only that, but I was significantly less tired now. Sleep really was important.


    ¡°Well, better get going then.¡± S?a?ch* Th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    And so I headed towards the center of the village.


    I approached several people as I walked through the village. It turned out that Guden was quite famous, and everyone knew where he lived.


    In fact, he soon came walking towards me. A child was leading him.


    It was the child that had woken me up.


    As there was a large tree and some chairs in the center of the village, we sat there and I faced the former Commander. I felt rather nostalgic.


    ¡°Gahahahaha¡­! It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    It hadn¡¯t quite been a full year since we last met. But he looked aged.


    Guden had seemed a lot more energetic the last time.


    ¡°I have something to discuss with you.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, I¡¯ll listen to whatever it is. After all, you beat me. Gahahaha!¡±


    ¡°That simplifies things. I¡¯m about to lead a unit and leave this country.¡±


    ¡°Is it war?¡±


    ¡°Something like that. We are going to fight. The problem is that it will keep us away from this country for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Guden looked troubled, which was a rare expression to see on his face.


    ¡°I want you to take care of the villages when I am gone. You¡¯ve done it before, so it shouldn¡¯t be too hard.¡±


    Guden had worked under Nehyor for fifty years as a Commander.


    I had only been alive for seventeen years. Our careers were completely different.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ It¡¯s true that I could do it, but I¡¯m getting old. And after you beat me¡­I can¡¯t say that I¡¯ve had the same optimism.¡±


    Guden was a mutated Ogre. His parents were ordinary Ogres, but they had already died.


    And since High Ogres lived almost three times as long as other Ogres, most of his old friends had already passed away.


    Guden had served as a Commander for so many years, perhaps it was no wonder that he was thinking of hiding away,


    But that was why I wanted to leave things to him.


    ¡°Then you can think of this as your last job. Everything will be fine if I return safely. And if I die, you can choose a new leader. You can continue to lead if you want as well. They will all obey you.¡±


    ¡°My last job, eh? I see. It doesn¡¯t sound so bad.¡±


    He seemed to be quite willing now.


    However, unlike before, there were some serious problems that we Ogres faced.


    I needed him to understand that as well.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t time. I have to leave the village at once, and we won¡¯t be able to meet again. And so I¡¯ll tell you everything that is important.¡±


    I doubted he would understand all of it.


    The Commander Guden that I knew liked to leave everything to his adjutant, Rig.


    And I doubted it would be any different this time.


    The details were best left to the Kobolds, and so I decided to tell Guden what was important.


    ¡°I will only be able to remember one or two things. Gahaha!¡±


    He said before I had even opened my mouth.


    ¡°¡­Fine. Just the important parts then.¡±


    I told him about the village with the red rats.


    Guden didn¡¯t know about disease spreading rats, however, he did understand how dangerous the situation was.


    ¡°I think it was about thirty years ago. The water from a well suddenly turned bad. And my friends started to drop like flies. Is it something like that?¡±


    ¡°If that well had not been used, then the disease wouldn¡¯t have spread, yes? It¡¯s the same here. I think we can stop it from spreading if no one touches the rats or their droppings. And if someone does get infected, they should be isolated.¡±


    I also told him about the traps and told him to warn the other villages about these red rats.


    We knew the reason now. And so as long as people took precautions, we should be able to stop it in advance.


    ¡°My head is so full now. Gahahaha¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you serious¡­¡±


    He would also need to put together a small army with those who were left. I had wanted to talk to him about that.


    And there was also the matter of the Reapers.


    Hell, the Lamias were not under Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s control, and had to be dealt with carefully. There was a lot I needed to tell him.


    But I knew he would just forget it all, and so I gave up.


    ¡°Fine, but there is just one last thing I need you to remember. The rest will be told to the Kobolds, so you will have to listen to them.¡±


    ¡°I see. That, I am good at. Gahahaha¡­¡±


    Right. I was getting a headache.


    Stil, it was better than acting while not knowing anything.


    As long as he was no longer ordering his men to charge into a battlefield filled with flying magic¡­ He wouldn¡¯t do that, would he? Please don¡¯t.

 Chapter 119

    Chapter 119There was a lot more that I wanted to say to Guden, but there wasn¡¯t any time. But more importantly, he himself assured me that he wouldn¡¯t remember it.


    And so it was better to leave that responsibility to the Kobolds.


    Besides, he had managed as Commander in the past.


    Surely I should be able to trust him to handle matters outside of combat. Yes, outside of combat.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be leaving now. But if you start seeing more rats around here, I want you to exterminate them without touching any.¡±


    ¡°Gahaha. I know. Leave it to me.¡±


    Now I had finished visiting everyone that I needed to.


    ¡°Though, I would have liked to go to the Lookout Hill as well.¡±


    But it was a little too far from here.


    It would take me a few days to reach it on foot.


    By now, the town would have been restored and the Tree Fairies returned.


    I wanted to know how the old Cherry Ent was doing, but I couldn¡¯t take such a long detour for a personal matter.


    ¡°I might have been able to go if I knew that about it earlier.¡± S~?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    But the old trees wouldn¡¯t wake up until the end of the year.


    It had been my intention to visit them during that time, but that would not be possible now.


    And so I left Guden and rushed back to the village with the red rats.


    On the way, I thought about what could have been the cause of their appearance.


    At first I wondered if they could have been brought with the Lamias, but it made no sense for them to bring infected rats with them.


    After all, they would be the ones in danger of getting the disease. Besides, the red rats had only appeared quite some time after the Lamias had settled.


    ¡°There was no reason for them to want a disease to spread so close to their home.¡±


    Besides, if it had been them, they would not have told me about the red rats.


    In that case, it could have been a coincidence that they came from the same place that the Lamias had. Either that, or they had always been here.


    ¡°But what has changed in these parts recently¡­¡±


    This country hadn¡¯t experienced war for many years.


    And it was only recently that we were invaded by another country.


    There had been two defensive battles at the Lookout Hill, which was about two days away from here on foot.


    Ogres from the surrounding villages had participated.


    ¡°I suppose it could be because of the war.¡±


    For instance, the disease-ridden rats could have been living in the mountains all of this time.


    But they were so deep in the mountains, that they had never come close to the villages.


    And so these rats would die from the disease without anyone ever knowing about it.


    But war caused a change in their environment.


    The animals that lived near the Lookout Hill would have ran away.


    Wild dogs, foxes and rabbits existed in the Demon World.


    Perhaps they fled from the battlefield and went to the mountains.


    Once they did, they would have to find food. Would the rats just sit there and be eaten?


    No. They would run.


    And in order to escape these predators that were so much stronger and bigger than them, they would have to go down the mountain.


    Like that, the number of rats in the village increased. But some of them were sick.


    That seemed like the most reasonable explanation.


    ¡°Wars are happening everywhere in the Demon World now.¡±


    And so just like here, there would be changes in the ecosystem, and other unknown diseases might begin to spread.


    ¡°Is this just another result of war?¡±


    War took people¡¯s lives both directly and indirectly.


    Perhaps it was no different in the Demon World.


    ¡°I just got back. How are things going with the rats?¡±


    I arrived in the village with the red rats, and so I asked the first youth that I saw.


    ¡°We caught a lot of them!¡±


    ¡°I see. How many were exterminated?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t count them, but there are a lot!¡±


    While they hadn¡¯t really thought about the rats all of this time, they ended up catching a lot more than they were expecting.


    I suppose it was just different when you were actively searching for them.


    Because there were so many, they said that they weren¡¯t sure that they could exterminate all of them.


    ¡°I see¡­ If only there were other good traps¡­¡±


    They had used all of their buckets.


    Which was more than sixty in all.


    And just like I had told them, they were dumping the contents into the pit without touching the rats.


    As there were so many of them, I wanted to increase the number of traps, but there weren¡¯t enough buckets.


    ¡°And we can¡¯t use any that leak¡­¡±


    The rats would escape if they survived after falling in.


    Eventually, they would start to learn, and the traps would no longer work.


    When I looked around, I saw an open space that was filled with objects that had been gathered to make traps, but turned out to be useless.


    Most were baskets. While they did have holes in, they weren¡¯t large enough for rats to get through.


    ¡°Can these really not be used?¡±


    They wouldn¡¯t be able to hold water. And the rats would be able to climb out if they were empty.


    It was as I thought of just using a lid, that a certain thought came to me.


    ¡°It¡¯s an old method, but it just might work.¡±


    I turned the basket over and lifted it with a stick. A string was attached to the stick and I held the other end.


    ¡°Then I just put some bait inside of the basket and hide until a rat comes¡­¡±


    Once the rat was inside, I just needed to pull the string.


    When I tried pulling it, the basket fell.


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s try it out then.¡±


    Most rats hide during the day, but would come out looking for food at night.


    And we Ogres could get by without much sleep. People could take turns pulling the string.


    And so I decided to have more of these traps installed. There were fifty baskets in all.


    I would have them put in places where rats were likely to appear, and then have the string pullers hide.


    After doing this for one night, we caught seven rats, and saw that it was effective.


    ¡°We should continue to use this method as well.¡±


    It was just as I thought this, that I heard news that someone had fallen ill.

 Chapter 120

    Chapter 120¡°Someone got sick!?¡±


    From what I heard, there were two people who had fallen ill. They were sisters who lived in the same house.


    While Ogres weren¡¯t the brightest, their bodies were very tough.


    If anything, I had a feeling that most germs ran away at the sight of an Ogre.


    Ogres actually believed that licking their wounds was enough to heal them. And they were right.


    ¡°And what¡¯s their current condition?¡±


    A middle-aged female Ogre had brought me the news. She seemed to be their mother.


    ¡°They started feeling ill last night. And this morning, they felt so weak that they couldn¡¯t get out of bed.¡±


    So a night¡¯s rest didn¡¯t help. I had a bad feeling about this.


    Most people would dismiss such a thing as a cold. But it was different with Ogres.


    If someone fell ill, there was a reason for it.


    ¡°They will have to be isolated immediately. And if they vomit do not touch it!¡±


    ¡°Yes!!¡±


    Perhaps she had been shocked by how serious I was, but she stood up and practically flew out of the room.


    I would have to check up on them later.


    More importantly, if people were falling ill, we would have to think of a way of dealing with it.


    However, I had no idea how to treat the disease. And I had no medical knowledge at all.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t something you thought about in Japan.¡±


    We just left everything to the doctors.


    While it troubled me, I had everyone in the village gather together.


    Unfortunately, I was not confident at all. Still, I had a responsibility to protect this town.


    And so I stood in front of the villagers and prepared for the worst.


    ¡°I think the bad disease is spreading.¡±


    I paused and looked around. No one said a word.


    Alright. They were all listening.


    ¡°Is anyone here feeling even slightly ill?¡±


    No one raised their hand.


    It was possible that they just didn¡¯t know yet. However, I would move things along on the assumption that they were all fine.


    ¡°This disease is very infectious. And so you will have to stay away from anyone who falls ill. At the same time, those who are ill must rest their bodies immediately. Eat and drink a lot and sleep. Take as much water as you can.¡±


    I had no idea if that would actually help. I didn¡¯t even know what kind of disease it was. Everything was unknown.


    So perhaps I was just doing it to ease my mind, but there was nothing else I could do.


    ¡°And you must continue to hunt the rats. And make new traps. This town must be rid of the rats as soon as possible. Understand?¡±


    ¡°AAAYYE!¡±


    More people would get infected if they didn¡¯t do something about the rats.


    But then again, was it even possible to get rid of all of them?


    And so I took the initiative, installing traps and taking care of the sick.


    The concept of hygiene was quite foreign to Ogres, and so I had to teach them as we went.


    I ordered them to boil any cloth used to wipe the bodies of the patients. S~?a??h the N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    And if their hands or clothes touched any of the droppings, they were to wash them in boiling water.


    Humans would get terrible burns if they washed their hands in boiling water, but the skin of Ogres was so thick, that they would be fine if it was just for a short while.


    And like that, we were slowly able to change the environment that the patients were in.


    They had the energy. And so I wanted them to beat the disease. I was desperate.


    At the same time, I was wary of anyone else falling ill.


    ¡°¡­Are you really alright?¡±


    Asked Guinida, the Ogre I had left in charge of the village.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You seemed to be in a hurry. I assume you have other business to attend to. Can you really afford to stay here for so long?¡±


    I did have something I needed to do. Get my army together and head towards Demon King Tralzard¡¯s lands.


    However, could this village survive without me?


    More people might get sick, and they might fail with the rat exterminations.


    ¡°I am quite busy¡­ However, I can¡¯t leave this village just yet.¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t this business very important?¡±


    Ogres did not live that long, but Guinida was one of the oldest.


    I had heard that he was close to seventy.


    And perhaps wisdom did come with age, as he was much more thoughtful than the others.


    It was true. I couldn¡¯t break a promise that my country had already made.


    At the same time¡­I didn¡¯t want to abandon this village to their fate.


    ¡°The rats and the patients. I can¡¯t leave this village until I¡¯m sure that things are under control.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t trying to be conceited, but there were things that I alone knew.


    And I was sure that I would regret it if I left them now.


    ¡°I see. In that case, I have nothing to say. Please save this village.¡±


    ¡°I mean to do just that. ¡­You¡¯ve lived a long time, haven¡¯t you, Guinida? Do you know anything about this disease?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ Besides, it has only been within the last twenty years that I¡¯ve become able to think about things calmly. Before that, I lived without really considering anything.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    If even the village elder did not know, it would be difficult to learn anything.


    ¡°Still, if you live long enough, you hear things from other villages, towns, and countries. And I¡¯ve heard many stories of villages being destroyed by similar plagues. They come suddenly, like a storm. I¡¯ve always seen them as a natural disaster.¡±


    A natural disaster¡­like typhoons and earthquakes?


    ¡°I see. ¡­But trying every possible means can also save villages that should have fallen, and extend lives that should have ended. That¡¯s what I believe.¡±


    ¡°I hope you are right.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    But what would really happen?


    I didn¡¯t have enough knowledge about such things. I was out of my depth.


    As I pondered such things, I heard the sounds of something moving through bushes. It was coming from the mountain.


    I wondered if it was a boar and waited. What appeared in front of me, were a few of the Lamias I had left in the cave.

 Chapter 121

    Chapter 121Three Lamias appeared in the village. One man and two women.


    Looking at them now, I was reminded of how big they were. And they were quite intimidating.


    As they were now, they were about the same height as me.


    This was in spite of their lower half being that of a snake, and most of their bodies were currently hidden in the grass.


    And they were so stealthy that I hadn¡¯t even noticed them until they were so close. Had they been wielding weapons and attacked us from the back, we would have likely been killed.


    I instinctively felt a sense of danger and went into a battle stance. But then I remembered.


    They had no reason to be hostile against us Ogres. Besides, there were only three of them.


    And they didn¡¯t seem like they wanted to fight.


    So, why had they come then?


    The Ogres now realized what was happening. But they just gulped and watched to see what I would do.


    ¡°Dalmia¡­¡±


    The woman in the center nodded.


    The representative of the Lamias.


    While she didn¡¯t talk a whole lot, she always answered my questions.


    ¡°Dalmia. I thought we had an understanding. You are not to come close to this village.¡±


    ¡°Because I smelled the red rats¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    According to Dalmia, they had all discussed the matter after I had left the cave.


    Previously, I had tried to suggest that they live in separate places, but the Lamias tended to be very united as a group. And once they decide something, they kept their word.


    I had only gone to tell them that I would be leaving for a while, which wasn¡¯t really a problem.


    But our conversation had gone on for longer, and then I had run out of the cave in a rush. This had apparently greatly alarmed the other Lamias.


    I was a little surprised to learn that they had all been watching us from below the surface of the water.


    Dalmia then told them that she told me about the red rats and the story of how they had lost their old home.


    Why had she done it? It was because she could smell the red rats on me.


    It was possible I had come in contact with them in some far away place.


    Maybe I had rested by some road and just happened to come upon a red rat.


    ¡ªBut what if that wasn¡¯t the case?


    And so the Lamias discussed the matter for a day and then decided to send representatives to go out of the cave.


    Of course, this was against the terms of our agreement.


    But what if the plague was to spread?


    And what if it happened close to them?


    It would mean that the Lamias would lose their home once again.


    That was enough to make them act, even if it meant a breach in the agreement.


    Dalmia was accompanied by a man and women who were the most knowledgeable about the red rats.


    It took a while for them to finish explaining all of this.


    And while Dalmia spoke very falteringly, I was able to understand her meaning.


    ¡°As you can see, this village has had an outbreak of red rats. Can you do anything?¡±


    Dalmia nodded.


    ¡°We will kill the red rats.¡±


    Lamias lived by catching small animals near lakes and rivers.


    They were skilled hunters. If they wanted to, they could hunt little critters to extinction, which was something they carefully avoided doing.


    Because of this, they sometimes strangled to death animals that came to drink water, and other times they would eat water plants.


    In any case, while catching rats was difficult for us, it was nothing for the Lamias.


    ¡°Still, if you go around catching rats, you might get infected.¡±


    ¡°It will be fine, since we know what to do.¡±


    They would wear thick gloves so that they could not be bitten. And they certainly would not try and bite the rats.


    The Lamias insisted that there would be no problem.


    After all, the only reason that the Lamias had been driven out was because things had settled down enough for people to concentrate on finding out why it had happened.


    In other words, the Lamias had found out the reason and finished exterminating all of the rats in the area.


    ¡°Can I count on you?¡±


    ¡°It will be possible with the help of the others.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    So many of the Lamias would have to be accepted into the village in order to exterminate the rats.


    I turned around and asked the others.


    ¡°This town is filled with disease carrying rats. We caught quite a lot in just one day. But there are still more in this village and the surrounding area. The Lamias say that they will catch them all. Do you agree to let them into the town?¡±


    I waited, and one by one, they nodded.


    Please kill the rats¡ªeveryone present felt the same way.


    ¡°Please help us.¡±


    Guinida said as a representative of the village.


    ¡°Dalmia. Do it. Bring the others¡­and save this village.¡±


    ¡°Very well. These two have brought water grass that will help the sick.¡±


    Back when they had been searching for the cause of the disease, they had also searched for medicinal plants that were effective.


    And since these had been growing near their cave, they had brought some with them.


    ¡°Thank you. Two have fallen ill so far. Sisters. Come this way.¡± S?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Things moved quickly after that.


    Dalmia returned to the cave, saying that she would call the others.


    The two that remained began to boil the water grass. They were going to make some medicine.


    After a while, the Lamias arrived. There were more than a hundred of them.


    They wore masks made of woven water grass, and leather gloves.


    Every part that might touch a rat was protected.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, how are they going to do it?¡±


    As I wondered this, I saw one slither silently towards a rat that was hiding.


    The rat darted away and tried to escape, but the Lamia caught it.


    In the battle between snake and rat, a rat could not win.


    They said that they found the rats through smell and heat. Not only that, but they moved stealthily the entire time.


    It was impossible to sense their presence when they were behind you.


    ¡°We might just have a chance now.¡±


    I had been quite worried, but the Lamias were exterminating the rats at a speed that exceeded my expectations.


    ¡°Sir Golan. There is nothing to worry about now. Please go and prioritize your work.¡±


    Guinida urged me.


    ¡°But I have to make sure of the results¡­¡±


    ¡°It will be fine. I can handle the rest. After all, now that the Lamias are here, the red rats in this area will be wiped out soon enough.¡±


    ¡°The Lamias really are brilliant hunters, eh? I¡¯m surprised.¡±


    ¡°As am I. Sir Golan, you must go and do what only you can do.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    The Lamias had spread their field of search to not just the village, but the area outside of it as well. And they were moving quite far out.


    Indeed, it was best to leave the rat hunting to them. There was no need for me to stay.


    They were even making medicine for the patients. But it would take a while before we saw any results from that.


    It would take days, really. And there was nothing I could do in the meantime.


    ¡°Very well, Guinida.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I will leave the rest to you then.¡±


    ¡°I will protect this village until your return, Sir Golan.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Then¡­I will go.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Be safe.¡±


    Guindia would protect the village as Dalmia and the Lamias hunted the rats.


    It was time for me to gather my men and head towards Demon King Tralzard¡¯s land.


    That was my duty, and I had to accomplish it.


    Still, it was with some feelings of regret that I left the village behind me.

 Chapter 122

    Chapter 122¡°Hey, I¡¯m home.¡±


    ¡°Welcome back, Sir Golan. You seem to be very tired.¡±


    Rig said as he greeted me.


    I had rushed back as quickly as I could, which meant that I was very much out of breath.


    As for Rig, he was as calm as always.


    I had been worried about leaving the village these past few days, but his attitude dispersed those feelings immediately.


    ¡°I was running all night. So I¡¯ll need to rest for a while. But first, about the soldiers. How have things gone?¡±


    ¡°I have already finished that. But there were additional requests from General Farneze, and they were reflected in the final selection.¡±


    So the General had other demands? I hoped they weren¡¯t too troublesome. But if Rig was able to deal with them, they couldn¡¯t have been too bad.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see her demands and the list of soldiers you recruited.¡±


    I accepted the documents from Rig and looked through them. And then I realized what the General was thinking.


    ¡°This¡­I suppose she wants me to train them.¡±


    It said that the General wanted me to bring in Flying Eagles.


    But they wouldn¡¯t be anything like Commander Bian. These were Flying Eagles who hadn¡¯t been in the army previously.


    In the first place, Flying Eagles weren¡¯t exactly known for their combat ability.


    And so amateurs would be practically useless if suddenly drafted.


    ¡°General Farneze had this confirmed with General Miralda. The soldiers we send will be focused on training.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to strengthen their soldiers?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps they thought it was preferable to sending them out on an actual fight.¡±


    ¡°¡­Perhaps¡­¡±


    This trading of soldiers had merit for us, but not for them.


    They were lending us valuable soldiers. Of course, that alone would not do, so we had to send troops in exchange.


    The thing was, our soldiers were overall, vastly inferior to theirs.


    It would be reckless to send us to fight against their enemies.


    But we couldn¡¯t just take a vacation either.


    ¡°¡­So they¡¯ll make us train with their new recruits¡­¡±


    ¡°I think that is likely.¡±


    It was as if they were saying we were useless. But I suppose they were right.


    There was too big a difference between choosing ten fighters out of ten thousand, and ten out of one hundred.


    While this might be humiliating for the soldiers, we would just have to accept it.


    ¡°As for the soldiers that were selected¡­hmm¡­I see.¡±


    Rig had chosen twenty Ogres, fifty Reapers, twenty Flying Eagles, and ten Kobolds for a total of one hundred.


    Together with the one hundred that General Farneze prepared, we would make a fighting force of two hundred.


    To be frank, our one hundred was weak.


    It was pretty miserable. The only thing impressive were the Reapers.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s really just up to management. But somehow, I doubt they will receive us kindly.¡±


    As far as they were concerned, Ogres were walls of meat, while Flying eagles and Kobolds were unfit for combat.


    Are you mocking us? They might ask. And we would only be able to apologize. Not that I would do any such thing.


    ¡°So, when can we leave?¡±


    Our first destination would be the town that was ruled by General Farneze.


    It was there that we would unite with the others and then cross the border.


    And since we would be traveling on foot, I wanted to get an early start.


    In fact, I was hoping to get some training done on the way.


    ¡°The Flying Eagles will arrive tomorrow. So you should be able to leave the day after that.¡±


    ¡°I see. We can still make it in time then.¡±


    I could leave such adjustments to Rig. He would figure things out.


    The next morning, the Flying Eagles arrived earlier than planned.


    I had been told that they would arrive in the evening, but they had come in a hurry.


    ¡°Well, this is a good sign.¡±


    I appreciated that they were quick to act.


    ¡°¡­Or so I thought¡­¡±


    But it turned out that there was a reason that they had come so early.


    ¡°This is bad.¡±


    Said Rig as he held his head. I felt the same.


    ¡°Hmm? What is it, Golan?¡±


    Saifo asked as he walked up to me. As always, he was so laid back.


    It annoyed me a little. s?a??h th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Rig looked at me frantically.


    ¡°We have news from the Flying Eagles. Tell him, Rig.¡±


    ¡°Are you certain?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll find out anyway.¡±


    ¡°Very well. ¡­Lesser Demon King Kurulu and Lesser Demon King Rous have invaded our country.¡±


    ¡°Oh? So is it war?¡±


    Saifo looked very pleased.


    ¡°Yes, it is war. Two countries have invaded us at once. And we have to defend against them.¡±


    This was terrible.


    We were planning on attacking Lesser Demon King Leninoth, and now other countries were getting involved.


    Not only that, but Kurulu and Rous were coming at us at the same time.


    ¡°Sir Golan. Are those two countries in a secret alliance?¡±


    ¡°It would seem to be the case.¡±


    I didn¡¯t see why they would invade at the same time if they weren¡¯t.


    It was only a short while ago that Kurulu was allied with Nacti as they fought against Rous and Lubanga.


    Why would these enemies suddenly invade us at the same time? It could only mean that the four countries had decided to join forces.


    Currently, we were at war with Lesser Demon King Leninoth.


    If we were attacked by those four countries at the same time, it would mean dealing with five countries at once.


    ¡°And yet we are to leave the country.¡±


    It was possible that our country would cease to exist while we were with Tralzard¡¯s army.


    ¡°This is very bad.¡±


    ¡°Aye. The only saving grace is the fact that Leninoth and Fara are still fighting.¡±


    The battle they were waging was fierce. And so they could not send any of their men to the south. But that would only allow us a short reprieve.


    Once things settled down, Leninoth¡¯s head would turn towards us again. And he would attempt to swallow us up.


    And we would not be able to win.


    ¡°¡­Damn it.¡±


    To be honest, the future of our country was completely uncertain to me now.

 Chapter 123

    Chapter 123What was our country doing in reaction to these invasions?


    As far as I could see, the only army that could do anything now, was General Dardaroth¡¯s.


    ¡°Rig. I¡¯ll need you to ask the Flying Eagles for more details.¡±


    ¡°Anything in particular?¡±


    ¡°Like the scale of the enemy armies, and what we¡¯ve done so far.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    In the meantime, I would gather the others together.


    There were a hundred in all. That really wasn¡¯t much.


    ¡°Well, in the Demon World, it¡¯s more efficient to surround yourself with powerful people, instead of just pushing with superior numbers.¡±


    How could I put this¡­


    Perhaps it was like a single carp who led a group of killifish fighting against a carp and group of crucian carps.


    The requirement for victory was simple. Kill the enemy General.


    The crucian carp would scatter the killifish. And the two carps would fight.


    Numbers were important, but they weren¡¯t everything.


    We had been planning on leaving as soon as the Flying Eagles arrived, so we were already prepared.


    ¡°We have our supplies, weapons and armor. And morale¡­seems to be high enough.¡±


    I could see an Ogre swinging around his weapon on the streets. Though, that was a problem that was unrelated to morale.


    And so I punched him just hard enough that he bounced on the ground several times.


    ¡°Sir Golan. I have heard all the details.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Rig. That was quick.¡±


    ¡°The enemy invasion occurred several days ago. Apparently, the situation is quite bad.¡±


    I had asked Rig to find out the enemy¡¯s scale and our reaction.


    Both countries had sent armies led by Generals.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised that they would do such a thing with Miralda¡¯s army so close to the border.¡±


    Her army was supposed to be close to the border with Rous.


    With the exception of Kurulu, who did not share any borders with Demon King Tralzard, all of the countries should be able to see Miralda¡¯s army lurking nearby.


    One would think that would put tremendous pressure on countries that were so small.


    ¡°Perhaps they became sure that Tralzard would not attack. And since we were not watching them closely, it took us some time to realize we were being invaded.¡±


    It had been completely unexpected. Even for me.


    And the enemy had also taken advantage of an area that had not been monitored so closely. By the time we noticed, they had already entered the country.


    It had taken time for word to reach the castle, and for the counter attack to begin.


    You could say we were finally being punished for concentrating on the north and Leninoth so much.


    ¡°And what of the attack?¡±


    ¡°General Dardaroth¡¯s army was split into two as they met the enemy.¡±


    He said that the battle had likely started by the time the Flying Eagles arrived.


    ¡°He spit his army in half?¡±


    How reckless.


    ¡°General Farneze cannot leave the royal castle, and the soldiers once led by Gorgodan are still stationed near Leninoth¡¯s country.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right¡­¡±


    The plan was for General Dardaroth to go north later on.


    When that happened, he would be trading places with General Tulart.


    If we were being realistic, General Dardaroth really was the only one who could move.


    So that was why he had no choice but to fight against two countries¡­


    ¡°It just doesn¡¯t seem right.¡±


    What if General Farneze left the castle and went to support him?


    No, she couldn¡¯t do that.


    ¡°Once the enemy finds out that the castle is not tightly guarded, they will send their men and take it.¡±


    We couldn¡¯t allow that to happen.


    ¡°Our country¡¯s future is in danger.¡±


    ¡°Aye¡­I don¡¯t see how things could get any more messed up.¡±


    Was there a way out of it?


    In the first place, we didn¡¯t have a fighting force to take on two countries at the same time.


    And while we were in an alliance with Demon King Tralzard, it only existed in order to benefit both of us. And our position was growing ever weaker.


    If we asked them for any more ¡®favours,¡¯ they would quickly decide that we weren¡¯t worth the effort. And then¡­


    ¡°Sir Golan. What is it?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll leave at once.¡±


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°The faster we head to Tralzard¡¯s country, the better chance our country has of surviving.¡± S?a?ch* Th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°And why do you say that?¡±


    ¡°We need to trade our troops as quickly as possible.¡±


    According to our agreement with Miralda, we could use her men as our fighting force.


    In other words, they could be powerful reinforcements. And we had full permission already.


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving now. And we¡¯ll be running on the road. We will be able to save two days that way!¡±


    There was no time to waste.


    I had Rig gather everyone together.


    ¡°While this might be sudden, we¡¯ll be moving a little faster than planned. You might have complaints, but I want you to obey me nonetheless. There will be a lot of running on the way, so be prepared.¡±


    ¡°Arrghh!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Replied the Ogres and the non-Ogres. It was always like this.


    And so we quickly set out for General Farneze¡¯s town.


    After two days of marching.


    It was midday, and we were having a short rest, when a Kobold scout hurried back to us.


    ¡°There is a battle near the road up ahead. In the field!¡±


    It was news of the clash between the enemy army and General Dardartoh.


    ¡°So they¡¯ve come in this far¡­¡±


    The enemy invasion had been much swifter than I expected.

 Chapter 124

    Chapter 124I had not expected to see the invading enemy army while we were on our way to General Farneze¡¯s town.


    To be honest, I was in shock.


    ¡°All of you. Wait. I have to think.¡±


    I needed to calm down and assess the situation.


    Judging by our position, it must be the army from Lesser Demon King Rous¡¯s country.


    And of course, it would be General Dardaroth¡¯s army that they were fighting.


    I could understand that much.


    ¡°¡­But, why was Rous¡¯s army here?¡±


    There were much better roads to take if they were advancing towards the royal castle.


    This area was filled with mountains and winding roads that could be hard to navigate.


    It was difficult to get a good view of the land, and the roads were narrow.


    That¡¯s why they were fighting in the field.


    And so I tried to think of the reason that the enemy had chosen a route that made it difficult to march.


    It would be the first time that they entered our country.


    Did they make a mistake?


    ¡°No, even if they had gotten a little lost, they wouldn¡¯t come this far to the south.¡±


    Besides, they had split up their army.


    According to the report the enemy was a corps in scale. That meant there should be several other armies of similar size within this area.


    This route was so far from the fastest one to reach the castle.


    If compared, the two routes were like the difference between a diameter and a half circle.


    Why would they go around like that?


    Was it to confuse us? To stay hidden?


    If they avoided the routes that we predicted, any battle positions we set up would be wasted. And with so many mountains, it would be difficult for them to be found.


    ¡°But it would also take them several extra days. Staying hidden wasn¡¯t a good enough reason¡­¡±


    After all, this wasn¡¯t a small group trying to infiltrate the country. It was an invasion by an army.


    We had men who could fly, which meant high scouting ability.


    It was not worth wasting a few days to go around.


    In that case, I couldn¡¯t think of a good reason for the enemy to appear here.


    As I thought hard about this, Rig looked at me worriedly.


    ¡°Hey, Rig.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re far from the town. And the roads are narrow. No good for an army on the march.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Not only that, but there are probably two or three other enemy armies on nearby roads.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think they are here?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t understand it. But what about Rig?


    ¡°There must be some reason for it.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­there must be.¡±


    That¡¯s what I wanted to know. But perhaps I was asking too much of Rig.


    Maybe I needed to think about it from a different angle.


    I had given it so much thought, but could think of no merits for taking this longer route. There were only demerits.


    So, why had they done it?


    Was there a reason that forced them to?


    ¡°A reason that they couldn¡¯t take the shortest route. ¡­Was there such a thing?¡±


    Of course not. There was no way¡­


    There were no paved roads anywhere near the village that I lived in.


    You could barely walk once it rained, and where there were rivers, you would find single logs used for bridges.


    As only we villagers would pass through, there was no point in putting in any effort.


    On the other hand, the roads between towns and to the castle were wide.


    Hell, carriages were able to travel between them with ease.


    If an army was going to march, they would normally make use of such roads.


    ¡­Hmm? Huh?


    Something suddenly came to me.


    When Leninoth¡¯s army had invaded, they also used the town roads.


    The road that connected to the town on the hill.


    A road that connected to a town would be ideal for an army on the march.


    There was no way that they wouldn¡¯t use it.


    ¡ªHowever, what if it was being used by someone else?


    When I heard that Kurulu and Rous had attacked, I immediately knew that the four countries had become our enemies.


    It was obvious. After all, Kurulu was in an alliance with Nacti, and Rous with Lubanga.


    ¡°Tsk!! We¡¯ve been had!¡±


    ¡°Sir Golan!? What is it?¡±


    ¡°A road that is perfect for marching¡­a different army is going to use it. Probably¡­Lubanga.¡±


    If Lubanga was going to come here while moving through Rous¡¯s territory, they would be delayed by a few days.


    Perhaps they were adjusting things so that they could unite at the castle during the same day.


    And if all four countries were our enemies, then there was no guarantee that we would only be attacked by two of them.


    ¡°Rig!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to join Dardaroth¡¯s army. Prepare the men for battle.¡±


    ¡°They are already prepared.¡±


    He had apparently done it while I was thinking.


    As we were just passing through our own country, all the heavy equipment had been put up in wagons.


    But everyone was prepared now.


    ¡°Good work. Then I will tell you our strategy.¡±


    Aside from the Kobolds, everyone was carrying weapons.


    The Kobolds were in charge of the luggage. s?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The rest¡­would have to fight, in spite having little experience.


    But they were all residents of the Demon World. From their early childhood, it was kill or be killed.


    For some, it would be their first real battle. But they knew what they had signed up for.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to take the enemy from behind and target their leader. I¡¯ll be in the front. All of you. Follow after me!¡±


    ¡°Arrghh!¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    They answered. No one disagreed.


    ¡°We have no time! Let¡¯s go!¡¯


    The enemy was the size of a corps. The leader was likely a Corps Commander.


    Still, it was better than going against any of Leninoth¡¯s men.


    Their Corps Commanders¡­were much too strong.


    And so as the two armies fought, we quietly made our way to the enemy¡¯s back.

 Chapter 125

    Chapter 125As we made our way forward so that the enemy wouldn¡¯t see us, we discovered that the enemy camp had its back to the mountains.


    It wasn¡¯t the whole army that was fighting. Just close to a third.


    Judging by the fact that they had set up a wall made of wooden logs, it was also evident that they knew about the battle.


    ¡°If the enemy is waiting here, I guess the main army is marching down a different path.¡±


    No matter what kind of mountain path it was, it would turn into a road if enough people walked through it.


    It was like that in the Demon World. And there were several private roads that only village residents used.


    Like that, there were numerous narrow roads other than the ones that connected towns.


    And the enemy had often used such roads.


    The reason for this was to prevent us from going around and taking the main army from behind.


    Either that, or because they wanted to go around and take us from behind.


    They must have decided that it was better to march down multiple roads at the same time, rather than have one long line down a single road.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing it wasn¡¯t the main army.¡±


    We really couldn¡¯t charge into a place where the enemy¡¯s strongest fighting force was. Or could we?


    As we had gone around so that the enemy wouldn¡¯t see us, we had to go halfway up the mountain.


    We could see the battle being waged below.


    And at the foot of the mountain, was the camp and the enemy leader.


    ¡°Now, all of you¡­¡±


    I lowered my voice and turned around.


    There were the ninety who followed me. The fools who would participate in the fight.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you already know, but we have to go to the town where General Farneze is. However, the enemy is blocking our path. And a battle is being waged.¡±


    I looked down and saw that both armies were continuing to fight. For now, it didn¡¯t look like either side was winning.


    General Dardaroth would not have wanted to split up his army, but leaving these other routes open was a good way to be attacked from behind.


    And so he likely had no choice but to send out a strike force.


    ¡°I repeat, our objective is to reach the General¡¯s town. However, someone is in our way. What will you all do?¡±


    ¡°Crush them.¡±


    ¡°Annihilate them!¡±


    ¡°Kill them!¡±


    It was exactly the reaction I had wanted.


    ¡°Yes. We just have to crush them. But don¡¯t get me wrong. We¡¯re only getting rid of a nuisance. On the way to the town. We¡¯re going to blow them out of our way as we march. There is no strategy to it. Don¡¯t hold back. There will be enemies in every direction you look. So do your worst!¡±


    ¡°AAAYYYEE!¡±


    ¡°Now, you bastards. Charge!!¡±


    ¡°Arrghhhh!!¡±


    They all raised their weapons as we dashed down the mountain.


    The enemy must have been very surprised.


    They would have assumed that no one was in the mountain, but then shouts would suddenly be heard. And with a mass of muscle taking the lead, a horde with raised weapons flowed down.


    ¡°GOOOOOOOO!¡±


    Of course, I was in the lead. If it was raining, it would be a lot like the Battle of Okehazama. It was with this thought that I swung my metal club.


    The first enemy that appeared before me was a bipedal, armored foxman.


    He must have been one of the soldiers guarding the camp.


    ¡ªCLLAAAANGG!!


    The bastard blocked my metal club.


    In spite of the fact that I had been running down a steep slope, and hit him with all that momentum.


    If we were going by raw power, I was clearly vastly superior.


    ¡°You¡¯re in my way!¡± S?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    However, my momentum had not been killed. It couldn¡¯t be killed.


    My foot rammed into his chest, pushing him back.


    It was the result of power, weight, and speed.


    I had been running my fastest, and that was not to be underestimated.


    And so he went flying into the air before landing on his head.


    ¡ªDododododo!


    And then me and the other Ogres trampled over him.


    ¡°All of you! It¡¯s an all-you-can-eat! But there¡¯s no time to relish the taste. Just tear apart everything you can reach!¡±


    ¡°Arrgh!!¡±


    However, this enemy army¡­


    They were stronger than I had expected.


    But if the people who had gone ahead and were fighting were the vanguard, then perhaps these were elites who protected the chief.


    Was this a mistake? I wondered what the others were thinking now.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    ¡°Where is the enemy!¡±


    ¡°DIE!¡±


    They seemed to be having fun.


    From what I could see, there were many beast types among the enemy.


    Especially lions and tigers. And they were all wearing very fancy looking armor.


    I guess they had been gathered here specifically.


    The ninety who had charged with me were all attacking any enemy that they came close to.


    As for the number of enemies, it seemed to be about two Commanders worth of men.


    Things would go south quickly if the battle stretched on for too long.


    The camp was not that large.


    The Corps Commander must be here somewhere.


    ¡°All of you! Put your backs into it!¡±


    ¡°Arrghh!¡±


    Their morale went up.


    The sounds of destruction grew louder.


    I could see soldiers who looked suspiciously strong, but no one who could be the leader.


    ¡°Anyone who doesn¡¯t have their hands full, follow me!¡±


    And so I plunged deeper into the camp in search of this Corps Commander.


    They would know that the camp was in chaos now. The sounds of fighting were so loud that you would be able to hear it from far away.


    I hoped that General Dardaroth¡¯s men were pushing the enemy back. It was with such thoughts that I swung my club right and left and looked for the strongest one here.


    ¡°¡­Is that it?¡±


    I saw a large man who was covered head to toe in thick armor.


    And he was holding a weapon that looked like a combination of a spear and a large hatchet. The kind of weapon you would expect to see a general wielding in the Records of the Three Kingdoms.


    ¡°That¡¯s where we¡¯re going!¡±


    I didn¡¯t know if he was a Corps Commander or Commander. But it was clear that he was someone close to the top.


    He too noticed us, and started to move in our direction.


    ¡°All of you! CHAAAARRRRGGGEE!¡±


    I said, raising their spirits.

 Chapter 126

    Chapter 126I found a powerful enemy.


    The one who was completely covered in black armor.


    He was about the same height if not a little taller than me. But he was definitely wider and thick with muscle.


    ¡°So, you must be the boss here!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t utter a word as he came towards me.


    His feet were heavy, perhaps due to the armor.


    I had never seen such thick, full plated armor in the Demon World before. However, I was sure that it would be effective.


    The combination of his innate power and the defense ability of the armor would turn him into something like an impenetrable fortress.


    ¡°Damn it. This isn¡¯t going to be easy.¡±


    Judging by the other soldiers, this enemy chief was likely of the beast races.


    A bear¡­an elephant¡­? Perhaps a rhinoceros.


    In any case, he was clearly a size bigger than the rest.


    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter what it is. The outcome will be the same!¡±


    My opponent would not be able to move with much agility. I could overwhelm him and win. S?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Though, he could also overwhelm me if I wasn¡¯t careful. Still, I liked that things were simple.


    The fact that I didn¡¯t have to think too deeply about it might just make this easier than previous fights.


    And so I raised my club and charged at the enemy.


    The distance between us closed, and just as we were about to enter striking distance¡­


    A mass of metal shot in from the side, and slammed into his helmet.


    There was a dull ring, and the enemy¡¯s head tilted to the side.


    It seemed like he was confused.


    Immediately after, another clump of metal came flying. This time, it hit a nearby enemy first and fell to the ground.


    This metal clump¡­I had seen it before. Quite recently, in fact.


    ¡°HAAAAA! Hoooo!!!¡±


    Saifo was jumping like a frog towards the enemy.


    There was no doubt about it. Saifo had thrown his beloved weapon.


    He now held the two blunt weapons in his hands and swung them wildly in every direction.


    These weapons were in an odd shape. They looked like maracas or chicken thighs.


    They were an ordinary width where you held them, but then they suddenly thickened after that.


    Furthermore, they were made entirely of iron.


    In spite of being several times heavier than the metal clubs, Saifo wielded it with ease. And at some point, he had started to use two at the same time.


    After being hit by something like that, even a heavily armored person would fall over.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s my prey¡­¡±


    As the enemy got back up, Saifo began to pound him with his weapons.


    The armor was likely several centimeters thick, and now dents were appearing in it as it bent and crumpled.


    ¡°YAAAAAAHHH!!¡±


    Saifo was drooling as he opened his mouth wide and continued to smash the armor.


    I was hit by a feeling of deja vu as I watched him.


    ¡°Ah, yes. It reminds me of my mother when she made hamburger steaks.¡±


    Yes, when she minced the meat.


    He held the weapons in both hands and struck down one at a time. Everyone who watched had an expression of disgust on their face.


    After all, the dull clangs were turning into wet splatters.


    ¡°Now that I think of it, he¡¯s the second strongest Ogre in the village after me.¡±


    Of course, he lost every single time that we fought, but within the village, he and Beka were in a class of their own compared to the others.


    To be honest, they almost seemed like a new type of Ogre. That was how strong they were.


    In my case, I was winning through knowledge and experience acquired in my past life. But these siblings were much better than me in terms of natural ability.


    Hell, I didn¡¯t even have as much mana as Saifo.


    And I was the one working under Farneze and had numerous subordinates. So you could see just how strong he was.


    Once I saw that the armor had turned into a cutting board, I told Saifo to stop.


    ¡°Huh? It¡¯s already finished?¡±


    He said to the remains, which could have only been a corpse. And predictably, there was no response.


    ¡°I¡¯m amazed that you can say such things here.¡±


    I wondered what to do, now that everything had gone quiet. It was then that I heard the voice of someone who did not know how to read the room.


    ¡°Heeey! What should I do with this, Golan?¡±


    It was Saifo¡¯s sister, Beka.


    She was carrying the fox-headed man that I had first attacked.


    And while she was holding him by the neck, his limbs were swaying in an unnatural way.


    ¡°Beka. You¡¯re no bet¡­ Nevermind. What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I think he was stronger than the others, because he was sleeping. Isn¡¯t it strange? But then he got up, so I went snap-snap-crack!¡±


    ¡°Uh, I see.¡±


    On closer inspection, bloody foam was coming out of his mouth. Perhaps his lungs had been punctured by his bones.


    Unlike Saifo, Beka didn¡¯t really like to use weapons.


    When I had first fought her, she tried to strangle me with her bare hands and also tried to crush my nuts. She was a very dangerous person.


    Well, she was a little calmer now. She only tried to crush my skull with her hands, that¡¯s all.


    It was due to these various threats that I always attacked her joints in order to restrain her. However, as the years passed, she started to imitate me.


    Having her joints dislocated every day probably taught her a thing or two.


    Recently, she would even come for mine, and so I counterattacked with reversal techniques.


    But no one else knew how to get out of such attacks, and so she was often successful with others.


    And like that, bones were mercilessly bent by her.


    Beka was used to it now, and could easily crush wrists, elbows and shoulders.


    From what I could see, it wasn¡¯t just the legs and arms that were broken, but also the ribs.


    Perhaps the spine was also broken in several places.


    I had not taught her to do any of that, but I couldn¡¯t help but think that dislocating her limbs three hundred times a year had turned her into the person she was today. Sometimes, I really did blame myself.


    Not that I would ever admit it out loud.


    ¡°Hey, Beka. Just throw that away and find some other prey to play with.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    She must have lost interest, as she tossed it to the side and began searching for some tasty prey¡ªin other words, an enemy with high mana. However, things had already settled around us.


    In fact, no one else was fighting.


    The enemy were all on their knees and signalling their surrender.


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    Apparently, the battle was over.

 Chapter 127

    Chapter 127Now that it was over, it felt very short indeed.


    The enemy had absolutely no will to fight.


    Just as I was going to fight the boss, it ended.


    That¡¯s how it felt. Like I had just gotten a small taste.


    ¡°Call Rig and the others.¡±


    I said to the closest Ogre. And then I headed in the direction of the other corps.


    They had also finished fighting, and seemed to be in the middle of getting control over the situation.


    ¡°I¡¯m Golan. I was put in charge of these men. Who¡¯s the commanding officer here?¡±


    I called out, and a man with a skull head and a black cape came out from the back.


    Only his face was a skull. The rest of his body was flesh and blood. He wasn¡¯t a Skeleton.


    They were called Skull Shamans, and were experts with magic.


    ¡°I¡¯m the Commander. Innihi.¡±


    The black cape and the twisted staff made me think of a cartoon character I had seen as a child.


    (Wasn¡¯t there an anti-here like this¡­the one who laughed a lot. What was his name?)


    As I thought about this, Innihi bowed his head.


    ¡°Golan. You have my thanks. We were struggling due to our inferior numbers, and I was really starting to worry.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Will you tell me what is going on? We were on our way to General Farneze¡¯s town.¡±


    ¡°How much do you know?¡±


    ¡°That the two countries invaded at the same time. And that General Dardaroth split his army in half in order to stop them.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Currently, this entire region has turned into a battlefield in order to stop Rous¡¯s invasion. It will be difficult to block all of the routes, but we can¡¯t give them a clear path to the royal castle.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°And so I was sent to block this route. But we are just one corps against three. With such a discrepancy, we were mostly just buying time.¡±


    There were no Corps Commanders on this route. However, there were three Commanders.


    The enemy had sent out one of its corps, which was the one that Innihi was fighting.


    ¡°Just one? They could have sent all of them and quickly wiped you out.¡±


    Why didn¡¯t they do that?


    ¡°Aye. But we built strong defenses first. I believe they wanted to avoid taking any heavy losses.¡±


    At first, Innihi and his men had stayed in their defensive position and refused to move.


    Even if all three corps attacked at onces, it would still be difficult to break their tight defenses. Besides, the path was narrow, meaning not all of them would be able to fight.


    And considering the battle ahead, they would want to save their fighting force.


    That had likely been their reasoning.


    And so the enemy had an idea. They merely needed to draw Innihi¡¯s men out.


    They would not come out of their defenses if three corps attacked them at once.


    But what if it was just one corps?


    If the two corps just stayed here, waiting and glaring at each other, the other two enemy corps would be able to pass through without taking any damage.


    Innihi would then have to come out in order to avoid this.


    ¡°I see. And then you could go back to defending when the enemy got reinforcements.¡±


    Both sides had different requirements for victory.


    And then we came in and joined the fight.


    We charged into the two corps in the back and killed two Commanders.


    While they were being attacked and pushed into a dangerous position, Innihi had stood firm, knowing that this was the critical moment. And in the end they had succeeded in defeating a Commander, even while taking losses.


    And now that the enemy had lost the will to fight, our victory had been decided.


    ¡°We would have only gotten weaker if you didn¡¯t come. You really saved us.¡±


    While they were only being attacked by one corps, the enemy could send their men in rotation. S?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    If Innihi had to defend against non-stop attacks without reinforcements, it would only be a matter of time before they were crushed.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad that we could be of use. We¡¯ll be moving on now. I hope you will be able to manage without us?¡±


    ¡°Aye. You¡¯re marching at a time like this. It must be very important, eh?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It might affect the fate of this country.¡±


    ¡°Then you should go. We¡¯ll handle things from here.¡±


    The enemy soldiers already had their weapons confiscated, so it was very unlikely that they would cause any trouble.


    ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll be going on ahead then.¡±


    We reunited with Rig and the others, and returned to our road.


    ¡°Hey, Golan? Is it really over?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! There are still more enemies left!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, you two. We accomplished our goal. That¡¯s enough.¡±


    ¡°What? Isn¡¯t it war until we defeat all of them?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s war until we return home!¡±


    ¡°Where the hell did you learn that?¡±


    What was wrong with these people?


    And he even stole my prey¡­


    This time, the enemy had split up their men, and there weren¡¯t any Corps Commanders. Otherwise, things might have ended very differently.


    ¡°Still¡­ They¡¯ve gotten in quite deep into this country.¡±


    We really needed to hurry now.


    It wasn¡¯t good for so much of the burden to be put on General Dardaroth¡¯s army.


    And so we rushed down the road.


    After that, we were able to reach General Farneze¡¯s town without further trouble.


    Because we had set out early, and ran on the way, we were able to arrive four days ahead of schedule.


    These four days would change the fate of this country.


    ¡°¡­Well, at least, that¡¯s what I hope.¡±

 Chapter 128

    Chapter 128While we had been drawn into a war along the way, we were met with no other problems after that.


    And so we arrived in the town of Elstabia four days ahead of schedule.


    I immediately headed for General Farneze¡¯s mansion.


    As it was my second time, I knew how to get there.


    The mansion was very big, and the garden alone could comfortably fit over a hundred people inside.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m glad to see you all here.¡±


    The General began by greeting us.


    Being perceptive enough to perform these small acts of consideration was one reason that she was able to lead people as a General.


    ¡°Good work, Golan. Did anything unusual happen on your way here?¡±


    ¡°Something did. We encountered General Dardaroth¡¯s army fighting against Rous¡¯s men.¡±


    ¡°Oh? On your route¡­ That must mean they are deep into the country. I didn¡¯t expect the invasion to have gone so far. I will have to return quickly now.¡±


    ¡°They appear to be invading through multiple routes. However, the one that we were on happened to only have Commanders, and so we were able to deal with them.¡±


    ¡°So you fought them? And yet, you and your men seem fine.¡±


    ¡°We attacked them from the back. And then one of my subordinates killed their Commander. The battle ended quickly after that.¡±


    Had the enemy been led by a Corps Commander, then we would have taken much worse damage.


    And who knows what Miralda would have said if I reached them with exhausted and wounded soldiers.


    We were incredibly lucky that a Corps Commander hadn¡¯t been there.


    ¡°Well, Rous was at war not very long ago. So it¡¯s likely that they didn¡¯t have an adequate fighting force. They were one of the smaller countries, after all. In fact, there is no way we would lose to them if they were alone.¡±


    ¡°Still, this is terrible timing. I suppose that¡¯s why they formed an alliance and attacked.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. However, thanks to your early arrival, I will be able to return to the royal capital earlier than planned.¡±


    If I took my men to Demon King Tralzard¡¯s lands, they would in turn send their men.


    General Farneze was to take them and head to the capital.


    ¡°Who¡¯s defending the city now?¡±


    ¡°My Adjutant, Atrasushia. She is more than capable of keeping the city safe while I am gone.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s relieving to hear.¡±


    It was high praise coming from the General, so it must be true.


    ¡°Now, I will introduce to you the members I¡¯ve gathered. Word was sent out when you all arrived, so they should be here soon.¡±


    Our country was to send out two hundred soldiers in all.


    One hundred were my own subordinates, and the other hundred were the General¡¯s.


    So¡­who would they be?


    Things became very loud outside of the mansion.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s starting.¡±


    I suppose the people that the General called had now arrived.


    And my own subordinates were in the garden.


    In other words¡­


    The door exploded as something crashed through and came rolling towards me.


    ¡°¡­Well, how predictable.¡±


    A new face. Angry glares. Punches.


    This was business as usual for Ogres.


    ¡°What? What¡¯s happening!?¡± S?a?ch* Th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The General came frantically out of her office.


    As she was holding documents in her hands, she was likely in the middle of reviewing them.


    Surprisingly, the person on the floor, who¡¯s eyes seemed to be spinning, was a Vampire.


    ¡°I think¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°My men are having a little fun.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She looked at me with angry skepticism.


    But I wasn¡¯t a pervert, and it was hardly exciting.


    We both then rushed outside. It was as the third person had been launched into the air.


    Saifo was swinging his fists with the broadest smile. That idiot brother.


    That being said, his sister wasn¡¯t exactly being quiet either.


    My eyes scanned the garden¡­and found her.


    She was dislocating someone¡¯s limbs in the corner.


    ¡°That actually hurts¡­¡±


    Her victim was on the ground as their back was being curved into an arch.


    It wasn¡¯t the shrimp bend. It was a much worse move, known as the scorpion lock.


    But since the other Ogres were also fighting, Beka didn¡¯t really stand out.


    ¡°What is going on here!!¡±


    General Farneze¡¯s shout caused everyone to freeze in position.


    She was too kind. I would have sunk those two in the ground at the very least.


    When I gathered together those who had brawled and heard their explanation, it was just as I had expected.


    This was all typical of Ogres.


    By the way, none of the Ogres were injured.


    I had trained them myself, after all. And the best had been selected from the village. And so they were much stronger than your average Ogre.


    As for the others who got mixed up in the brawl¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s quite a sight.¡±


    They were being bandaged and treated with medicine.


    ¡°Are you being snide with me, Golan?¡±


    ¡°No. Just realistic.¡±


    Yes, it was terrible indeed.


    ¡°¡­Nevermind then. While this wasn¡¯t the introduction I had in mind, here they are. The hundred you will be taking with you.¡±


    These were the hundred that the General had chosen.


    Ten Vampires.


    Fifty Day Walkers.


    Forty Loup-Garous.


    Vampires were just as high as Reapers in terms of rank, but these were very young.


    I suppose you might call them fledglings.


    While it sounded nice to be given charge of the next generation, they would not be that useful to me now.


    Day Walkers were weaker versions of Vampires.


    And while they would be somewhere in the middle, the tribes in the middle tended to be very diverse, and so I didn¡¯t want to rate them as a group.


    Apparently, Farneze had selected them out of volunteers.


    And then there were the Loup-Garous.


    It would be accurate to say that they were subservient to Vampires.


    They had the heads of wolves.


    Perhaps they would have been called ¡®wolfmen¡¯ in Japan.


    However, they didn¡¯t transform under the moonlight. They stayed in this single form.


    She said that they had been selected from her warriors.


    And that I should have high expectations for them.


    But on the other hand, the person that Beka had in a scorpion hold was the leader of the Loup-Garous, so I wasn¡¯t really convinced.


    In any case, all two hundred of us were now together.

 Chapter 129

    Chapter 129The enemy was advancing, and so I wanted to head towards Demon King Tralzard¡¯s lands immediately.


    ¡°¡­However¡­¡±


    I was currently being hit by some undesired pressure.


    Twenty Vampires had gathered in front of me.


    Not only that, but they were soldiers who protected this town.


    The town soldiers¡­aside from being Vampires who were high in rank, they were seen as guardians who had watched over the town for generations.


    As for why they were pestering me now¡­


    ¡°How can this savage Ogre be the leader!¡±


    That really was the gist of their complaints.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But they demanded to see you, Golan.¡±


    Even General Farneze could not make them settle down.


    Of course, the General was the most important person in this town.


    That being said, not everything happened the way that she wanted.


    For instance, ten of the Vampires that were to accompany me to Tralzard¡¯s lands¡­


    I was told that the General had used rather forceful means when selecting them.


    They were the sons and daughters of this town¡¯s soldiers.


    She wanted them to grow strong. That was the General¡¯s wish.


    And so this trial had been given to them.


    After all, just because their parents were good soldiers, it did not mean that they would be great fighters as well.


    But this wasn¡¯t because she was a very patient person either.


    To be frank, they were considered to be the leftovers out of the Vampires.


    Vagabonds, really.


    Vampires who were unemployed or just helped around the house.


    Shut-ins or Neets could work as well.


    But that¡¯s the kind of Vampires they were.


    Perhaps it was the result of being born as a ¡®high-rank¡¯ species, having great parents, and living in a safe town.


    In spite of giving up easily, they had a lot of pride.


    But the General wanted them to grow so that they could help protect the future of this town.


    It was because she felt this way that she had chosen them, even though it meant using a little force.


    However, it was their parents who were the first to object.


    ¡°Go to a different country? Outrageous!¡±


    ¡°My child is strong enough. There is no need for training.¡±


    ¡°In the first place, the very idea of being led by an Ogre is unheard of.¡±


    Etcetera.


    The General had made the decision without asking the people concerned, and so they had come here to complain.


    As for me, I couldn¡¯t see why these parents thought they had a right to come here, when we were talking about fully grown adults.


    I had stood and listened to them quietly, mostly for the General¡¯s sake, but I was reaching my limit.


    ¡°Besides, Ogres are just walls of meat.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. In fact, why don¡¯t we just bleed them all dry right now?¡±


    ¡°Those idiots aren¡¯t even worth turning into pig food.¡±


    ¡°It will be such a hassle dealing with the carcasses.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be merciful to you if you just hang yourself and die.¡±


    They weren¡¯t being very nice at all.


    At first, my smile had been purely for the General, but after a while, I found myself smiling and laughing by my own will.


    ¡°I see. So you all have complaints regarding me and my kind.¡±


    Big smile.


    ¡°Of course, we do. You foul Ogre!¡±


    ¡°Were you not listening to us? This is why I hate these idiot races.¡±


    Still smiling.


    These guys. They weren¡¯t just mocking me, but all of my men.


    ¡°Eeee¡­ Golan is laughing.¡±


    ¡°He-hey¡­ Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    The other Ogres began to tiptoe away as if thieves in the night.


    How rude. They didn¡¯t have to run away. I wasn¡¯t going to hurt them.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made my decision. Let¡¯s kill this Ogre and forget about this whole thing.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. In fact, let¡¯s kill all of these stinking Ogres!¡±


    ¡°Yes! Yes! Kill them all!¡±


    Shocking. Not only were they mocking me, but they were now going to try and hurt my men.


    These were supposed to be the guardians of the town. What a joke.


    There were two who were especially bad. They came right up to my face and cursed loudly.


    The General had been kind enough to tell me their names. The man was Eltar, and the woman was Finsally.


    They were apparently a married couple.


    They could not bear the idea of their beloved son being taken away. And they came at me as if I was their mortal enemy.


    As for me, I was now completely out of patience.


    ¡°If you feel so strongly about it, so be it. Let¡¯s settle this with strength.¡± S?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It was the Demon World way.


    Upon hearing these words, Eltar smiled wickedly. ¡®We got him.¡¯ It was written on his face.


    ¡°Are the rest of you in agreement?¡±


    I asked. And every one of them nodded.


    ¡°Well, that makes things easier. I will fight you all. And whoever loses will have to obey the winner.¡±


    They were all looking at me as if they couldn¡¯t believe how stupid I was.


    After all, they were real soldiers, confident in their ability.


    And so they all nodded.


    ¡°Then¡­a fight it is¡­ You two will be my weapons.¡±


    ¡°¡­What did you say?¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    Eltar and Finsally looked at me with suspicion.


    They did not know about Aikido. I lightly grabbed their arms and swiped their legs, moving their center of gravity so that they flew into the air and fell on their heads.


    Of course, they did not take any damage from this.


    Still, there was something very humorous about seeing their legs pointing up into the air.


    And so I grabbed their right leg and left leg respectively.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s start this, you idiots! Give it all you got!¡±


    I swung my newly acquired weapons as I charged into the group of Vampires.


    ¡°My special move, the ¡®Eltar Crumble!¡¯¡±


    I hit the enemy with Eltar over and over again. Of course, there was no need to hold back. I could hear exclamations of ¡®Stop!¡¯ and ¡®Aghh!¡¯ but I ignored them. Weapons did not talk.


    ¡°¡®Great Finsally Tornado!¡¯¡±


    I spun Finsally like a windmill¡­or the fins of a fan. Gon-gon-gon¡­ I heard the sounds of impact. And every time, an enemy went flying into the air. What a good fan.


    ¡°Eltar Block!¡±


    ¡®Give him back!¡¯ someone shouted as they charged towards me. And so I blocked them with my Eltar.


    I heard a ¡®Gaah!¡¯ from somewhere, which was strange. Shields didn¡¯t talk.


    ¡°And the ¡®Finsally Return!¡¯


    I slammed the Finsally into the enemy. He let out a satisfying ¡®Gblegh!¡¯ as he went flying away.


    ¡°And my most deadly move, ¡®Couple¡¯s Last Coaction¡¯!¡±


    I rotated both arms at the same time like wheels and trampled over the enemies in the area.


    Perhaps my weapons were especially good, or maybe it was my spinning, but by the time I was done, there was not a single person left standing.


    ¡°Now the finisher. ¡®Couple Master¡¯!¡±


    As if beating a drum, I slammed the enemies on the ground with my two weapons.


    Hit and hit. It was hard to think that I could hit something more than I was hitting them now.


    In fact, I was having so much fun doing this, that I probably shouted ¡®Hyaahh!¡¯ a few times.


    It was just as I had lost track of time¡­


    General Farneze was clawing at my waist and shouting, ¡®Please, just stop this already!¡¯


    As for the other Ogres¡­they were nowhere to be seen.

 Chapter 130

    Chapter 130¡ð Town of Elstabia ¨C Farneze


    Golan and the corps of two hundred men have just departed.


    As this town is right by the border, they should reach Demon King Tralzard¡¯s lands before long.


    It had been arranged so that once they arrive, the other corps in this exchange will be sent to us.


    The long awaited reinforcements.


    However, I currently have the worst headache.


    As they were just about to leave, I didn¡¯t ask Golan too many questions.


    It seemed that it would be better that way.


    However, after Golan took his men and casually left the town, I was assaulted by glares that were clearly demanding that I give an explanation.


    ¡°I guess it cannot be ignored.¡±


    The people that worked in the mansion, the people who guarded the town, my direct subordinates. Their looks were painful.


    You are going to give us a satisfying explanation, aren¡¯t you? They seemed to say.


    ¡ªBut it had all been so wrong to begin with.


    As soon as Goran arrived, his Adjutant, Rig, had handed me a list of the enlisted.


    I had to immediately add them to the document that was to be given to General Miralda.


    This was important, as we could not allow anyone who was not on the list to cross the border.


    However, it was as I was writing them down that I heard the sounds of destruction.


    I frantically dashed out of my study, only to find that my mansion¡¯s door had been smashed, and a young Vampire was lying on the ground with a stupid look on his face.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?!¡±


    I shouted. But the answer was obvious.


    There was an Ogre youth going mad outside.


    I didn¡¯t want to think about what he had done.


    However, was it really possible for an Ogre to beat a Vampire like that?


    We Vampires were among the high-ranking races. Though, to be precise, we were among the lowest of the high-rankers.


    That would put us on a similar level to Reapers. But most people thought of Vampires as being just a little higher than them.


    That was our classification. But this was just based on the mana levels of those who were considered to be the most ¡®average.¡¯


    Ogres were near the bottom of the ¡®mid-rankers.¡¯ Or perhaps near the top of those at the bottom.


    Many of the low-rankers were not fit for combat, and so it felt odd to put Ogres there. However, Ogres had a weakness that made you want to rate them lowly.


    Ogres could not use magic, and were weak against magic attacks.


    This handicap seemed like a good enough justification for their low placing.


    But there were others with similar weaknesses. For instance, the Sahuagin were only half as strong when they came up onto dry land. This placed them a rank lower than you might think, based off of their mana level.


    Well, nevermind those details. It just meant that there was an insurmountable wall between Ogres and Vampires.


    So, what had happened?


    ¡°Was it merely a battle between the weakest Vampire and the strongest Ogre¡­?¡±


    These two could have been so far from the average. And it was a chance encounter. It would explain the outcome¡­perhaps. However¡­


    ¡°Golan on the other hand. There is no explanation for that.¡±


    Could a young Ogre really overwhelm Vampire guards?


    This was an entirely different situation.


    These weren¡¯t young shut-ins.


    They weren¡¯t low-ranking, green, brats who had never fought. They were soldiers who had gone through proper training. There was no way that he could win¡­


    ¡°What if¡­they held back because Golan had two of their own in his hands?¡±


    It sounded so ridiculous when said out loud. But it was true that none had been able to unleash a serious attack.


    One Vampire had tried, but Golan blocked him.


    ¡°And that destructive power.¡±


    Eltar and Finsally weren¡¯t dead after being used as weapons.


    Yes, they were still alive.


    They weren¡¯t fine. They weren¡¯t merely badly wounded. There wasn¡¯t much to say other than that they were alive. And that was strange as well. After all, Golan had swung them around as weapons over a hundred times.


    However, there was one thing to consider. Vampires had immense mana, and they could use it to strengthen their bodies.


    What happened to their bodies. How was it possible?


    For instance, let¡¯s say that they ran at a speed that the eye couldn¡¯t follow, and they crashed into each other.


    The impact would be very great indeed.


    However, the Vampire would not be harmed at all.


    That¡¯s how tough they were.


    Golan had hit the fallen soldiers over and over and over again. S?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    And so I could understand that there may be dislocations or even some broken bones.


    ¡°But they were¡­more like jellyfish.¡±


    Golan had used them until they no longer functioned as weapons.


    They would not be able to return to being soldiers now.


    Perhaps this was because our country had known peace for too long.


    In spite of all that training, they had not actually gone to war.


    In other words, their arrogance had been their downfall¡­ I would have to make the others understand this.


    ¡°Either that, or the Ogres have a hidden power?¡±


    But Ogres were low in every country they lived in.


    After all, they could be taken down with one good shot of magic. No one was foolish enough to enter a fist fight with them.


    Perhaps that was why they often disappeared on the battlefield, before they were able to show their true power.


    ¡°General! A messenger has arrived from the royal castle!¡±


    I had been sitting in my office, lost in my own thoughts, not realizing how much time had passed.


    ¡°A messenger?¡±


    I called towards the door.


    ¡°They say it is an emergency.¡±


    ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll meet them at once.¡±


    If it was from the castle, then it must be Atrasushia.


    And so I shook my head and got up to my feet.

 Chapter 131

    Chapter 131¡ð Town of Elstabia ¨C Farneze


    ¡°A messenger from the royal castle?¡±


    ¡°They say that it¡¯s an emergency.¡±


    And so Farneze met with them immediately.


    The place was her office.


    There were no soldiers in the room. Just one civil official.


    ¡°What is it? What happened?¡±


    The messenger was clearly nervous, which gave her a feeling of dread.


    ¡°We were contacted by General Dardaroth at the castle. He says he cannot hold back both Rous and Kurulu.¡±


    Currently, a single General was being made to stop the advance of two invasions at the same time.


    ¡°That¡¯s probably true. What¡¯s the current situation?¡±


    ¡°As it¡¯s within our own country, defenses are still stable. He¡¯s set up a number of camps that are spread out in order to defend the area. But it¡¯s not enough to actually drive the enemy back. And if things continue for too long, he will have no choice but to retreat. That was the report.¡±


    So just standing their ground was the most they could do. And they would only get weaker from here.


    But given the circumstances, he couldn¡¯t be asked to do any more than that.


    ¡°And yet they have managed to stop the invasion for now.¡±


    ¡°Yes. However, there were apparently some corps that got through.¡±


    The enemy was using multiple routes in this invasion.


    Of course, not all of them would be guarded. And the enemy weren¡¯t going to be kind enough to tell them which routes they would be using.


    Still, this country was not that large. So there was a good possibility that the enemy would be able to reach the royal castle if they slipped through.


    ¡°And have any reached the castle yet?¡±


    ¡°There were two corps that did, but Adjutant Atrasushia went out and made quick work of them.¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s good to know. However, they won¡¯t be the last.¡±


    Now that the enemy knew there were routes left open, they might try poking through them.


    But it was doubtful that the castle would be in trouble, as long as Atrasushia was there. However, there was also Nehyor to consider.


    Perhaps it would be better to have the soldiers placed elsewhere, so they weren¡¯t striking back so near the castle.


    (¡­But perhaps it wouldn¡¯t make any difference. It might be better to just have General Tulart return from guarding the border with Leninoth.)


    This was a difficult decision she was facing. But Farneze knew that it would be a complete disaster if she didn¡¯t think carefully and ended up chosing the wrong option.


    ¡°Anything else to report?¡±


    ¡°General Dardartoh has marched out in order to stop the invasion from Kurulu.¡±


    ¡°So he¡¯s going to the frontlines himself. A fire was finally lit under his ass then.¡±


    Once he was on the frontlines, he would not be able to give out orders to the other corps.


    ¡°And he wants you, General Farneze, to attack Rous¡¯s army from behind.¡±


    ¡°Rous¡¯s army¡­¡±


    Golan had talked about it as well. Rous¡¯s army was not far from this town.


    Perhaps General Dardaroth was depending on this, as he went out to attack Kurulu¡¯s army.


    ¡°I had meant to move only when the reinforcements from Demon King Tralzard arrived. Will that be too late?¡±


    ¡°General Dardaroth¡¯s view is that they¡¯re nearing the limit.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Now that General Dardaroth was going to fight the Kurulu army, they would not be able to keep track of Rous¡¯s movements.


    Perhaps it would be best to leave everything and go immediately.


    If Farneze did not go, the enemy would no longer have to stay on the defensive.


    And a great host of them might reach the castle.


    ¡°¡­Very well.¡±


    It would take several more days at least for the soldiers to arrive from Tralzard¡¯s lands.


    It might be too late if she waited for them to arrive. S?a?ch* Th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Will you be able to attack?¡±


    ¡°Aye. I will leave someone here to greet our guests when they arrive. But more importantly, you want us to hurry, yes? Then tell me the route that the Rous army is using.¡±


    ¡°Ye-yes! The route that the enemy is advancing through is here.¡±


    The messenger offered a map.


    It had the estimated size of the enemy army and all the places that battles had taken place so far.


    As she deciphered the information on the map, a deep crease appeared on Farneze¡¯s face as her eyebrows narrowed.


    Incredibly vicious battles were happening in places that were only half a day away from this town.


    ¡°Are these numbers for our and the enemy¡¯s armies correct?¡±


    ¡°They were confirmed.¡±


    Their side was quite small. Only about a quarter of the size of the enemy.


    Farneze was not surprised at how frantic General Dardaroth seemed.


    One small event could tip the scale, and the enemy might push them away in one sweep.


    Just thinking about the hopeless battle Dardaroth¡¯s men were forced to continue to fight made it difficult for her to stay in one place.


    ¡°As this message was brought from the castle, and taking into account that the battlefield is moving¡­staying in formation in the back while abandoning the old camp and retreating¡­they must be around here.¡±


    In this battle, the enemy soldiers were trying to avoid heavy losses. That was why things hadn¡¯t fallen apart just yet.


    Perhaps they had decided that the real battle would be waged in full force at the castle.


    The civil official who was also in the room was writing down Farneze¡¯s words.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll organize my army and leave at once. ¡­Yes. At the same time, send word to General Tulart that he must leave half of his men to monitor the border while the others return to the castle. If this happens, then we will be able to send soldiers to help General Dardaroth as soon as General Tulart arrives.¡±


    Farneze said, and then left the office.


    Farneze was supposed to stay here in order to greet Tralzard¡¯s men, but that was no longer possible.


    ¡°All of you. We will be leaving at once. Take care of the rest while I¡¯m gone.¡±


    She said to those who would remain in the mansion. And then she went out into the garden in order to gather the soldiers.

 Chapter 132

    Chapter 132¡ð Dardaroth¡¯s Army ¨C Corps Commander Miaza


    On one of the roads leading to the royal capital.


    Currently, Rous¡¯s army was split up into multiple corps as they marched.


    Corps Commander Miaza was the one who braved the vicious advance of Rous¡¯s army. But now that the enemy¡¯s attacks had settled down, they were finally able to breath again.


    ¡°Non-combatants, go and repair the walls. Carry the wounded to the back! Where is the backup corps?¡±


    While the enemy had withdrawn for now, they were sure to reorganize and then attack again.


    ¡°I have confirmed the backup corps¡¯s approach. They will reach us soon.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then we will have to stay here.¡±


    He had planned to abandon this site and fall back to the town behind them. But there were too many wounded for that.


    Up until yesterday, most of them had been able to move by themselves.


    But today¡¯s attack had increased the number of wounded, and now the majority of them could not rise from their beds.


    And they could not be left behind.


    Miaza looked at the healers who were working.


    Three days ago, they had sent a request to the castle for reinforcements. They had arrived just a moment ago.


    That being said, they were just a few who had been sent ahead of the others. The main army would take longer to arrive.


    Still, it was better than nothing.


    While he thought this, according to what he heard from the advance party, the other battlefields were also in a terrible state.


    ¡°I had assumed that Ruiz would be doing better, since they¡¯re close to a town¡­¡±


    Corps Commander Ruiz was also stopping the enemy¡¯s advance near a different road.


    Apparently, the enemy were more numerous there, and so reinforcements had been swiftly sent from the castle.


    However, the castle had a limit on how many men it could send. They weren¡¯t being conjured out of thin air.


    And so they had to recruit soldiers from nearby towns and villages.


    While this allowed them to easily increase their fighting force, they risked having an army that was filled with amateurs.


    Soldiers who did not understand orders would not move in the way that you wanted them to.


    Sometimes, they would get in the way of others, and when they crumbled, they all crumbled at once.


    When it looked like you might lose, it was often better to not have any new soldiers around.


    However, being thoroughly outnumbered meant low morale.


    ¡°Still, I was sure that Ruiz of all people would manage.¡±


    Ultimately, the reinforcements had not been enough. They had abandoned their fortress and were in the middle of retreating.


    ¡°¡­I was hoping that Ruiz would come flying to us. But things don¡¯t happen the way that you want them to.¡±


    Miaza said with a dry laugh.


    Miaza was of the Limping Tengu clan. And while they were good with magic, flight was very difficult.


    In order to avoid being shot out of the sky, they generally stayed on the ground and fought with magic.


    On the other hand, Ruiz was a Fowl Tengu, and showed his true abilities once he took flight.


    If Miaza and Ruiz worked together, they could unleash unending chains of magic attacks from both the sky and ground. They would have made a deadly combination.


    ¡°They¡¯ll be coming soon. Prepare to fight!¡±


    The enemy had rested and were getting back in formation.


    Movement had been seen in their camp.


    After a while, part of their walls opened up, and something huge stepped out.


    ¡°¡­!? It¡¯s Golems. The enemy is serious now.¡±


    Golems were slow on their feet, and so they would be able to destroy them with magic before they reached them. They were disposable walls.


    However, some of them would reach this camp.


    And Miaza knew well how strong the Golems were.


    These repaired walls would be destroyed very easily.


    In front of him now, the Golems fell one after another as they were hit with magic. Still, they did not stop.


    It only needed to be ten. If ten reached them, the enemy could win.


    That¡¯s what they would be thinking. And so Miaza gave the order.


    ¡°Annihilate them with your greatest firepower!! It will be the end of us if they reach the walls!¡±


    They could not hold back here.


    A staggering amount of magic bullets were launched towards the Golems.


    The sounds of destruction echoed everywhere, and explosive winds sent clouds of dust high into the air.


    Their vision was robbed for a moment, and what appeared next, was something they had not expected¨Can Armor King Turtle.


    ¡°All of you, prepare for impact!¡±


    Miaza made the decision immediately.


    While Armor King Turtles were slower than Golems, they could break through nearly anything.


    If they got close enough to ram against the walls, there would be no stopping them until they reached the back of the camp.


    Immediately after, an Armor King Turtle smashed into the walls, and Miaza¡¯s body was thrown into the air amidst a hurricane of wooden shards.


    ¡ð Battle on the Road ¨C Farneze


    After getting her men together and running to the scene, she found that her comrades had already crumbled. The enemy was running right over them.


    ¡°All of you. We charge now!¡¯


    Farneze shouted. She stood in the front herself as she led her men towards the enemy army.


    The enemy must have been very surprised.


    They were on the brink of victory, and then an army appeared right behind them.


    They had been suppressing the road as they marched, but now someone had taken them from the rear.


    We have to turn around and fight them at once¡­that¡¯s what they seem to have thought, as several corps reacted to Farneze¡¯s charge. However¡­


    ¡°Too slow!¡±


    Farneze had not charged due to an overconfidence in her own strength.


    She had the ability to back it up.


    And so they scattered the enemy that got in their way, and continued to move in a straight line. S?a?ch* Th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Before they knew it, they had gone through the enemy army and reached their comrade¡¯s camp on the other side.


    Her subordinates were the same.


    They were desperate to keep up with the General, and they fought hard.


    ¡°I guess we should go back again.¡±


    If they could fight on their way here, they could fight on their way back.


    Thinking this, Farneze took her men and charged into the enemy camp once again.


    And during their second assault on the enemy, Farneze was lucky enough to run into the enemy Corps Commander.


    It was there that they fought one on one.


    Farneze¡¯s army was victorious.


    ¡°¡­Where am I?¡±


    When Corps Commander Miaza awoke, the sky had turned madder red.


    But he wasn¡¯t lying on the ground. He had been put on some kind of board.


    He sat up and looked at his surroundings.


    The battle was over, and people who were not his men were working around him.


    ¡°Are they¡­from General Farneze¡¯s army?¡±


    He understood this after seeing the Vampires.


    ¡°Are you awake now?¡±


    It was Miaza¡¯s Adjutant.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°General Farneze arrived as a reinforcement, and our side won the battle. They¡¯re cleaning things up now.¡±


    ¡°What!? The General came here herself? I must go and thank her. Where is the General?¡±


    ¡°She said that she had something important to do, and returned alone. Furthermore, all of the surrounding roads are now covered by the General¡¯s men. It is safe to say that we have won over there as well.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­we won. And the General already left¡­¡±


    It was obvious that she had come here in spite of being very busy.


    ¡°Have you contacted General Dardaroth?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°In that case, we must do our duty.¡±


    He had to ensure that the roads were safe. They would likely have to stay up for the entire night.


    Still, Miaza felt that this was preferable to fighting the enemy.

 Chapter -133

    Chapter -133¡ð Farneze


    Farneze had hurriedly sent out her men. S?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Not only that, she had led them herself in the rescue mission.


    So many had left the town. It was practically emptied.


    But thanks to this, they succeeded in stopping the advance of Rous¡¯s army.


    And while there were still some battlefields that were in a stalemate, they had won most of them. It seemed safe to assume that the enemy wouldn¡¯t be too bold for a while.


    ¡°I will return to the town.¡±


    Farneze said to her subordinates once things had settled, and then she flew back.


    She had to be ready to welcome the reinforcements from the Demon King.


    Matters could not be left to people who didn¡¯t know what was happening.


    The advance party arrived in the town just as she landed.


    ¡°I made it in time.¡±


    It had been close, but Farneze sighed with relief.


    She spoke with them briefly and accepted the list of soldiers that would be coming.


    The rest of the army arrived the next day, and she greeted them as planned.


    ¡°¡­This is a¡­¡±


    Several corps had arrived.


    When it came to having men fight in a war, combining different kinds of soldiers was considered to be the most ideal.


    If each corps was made up of a single race, and they had good teamwork, they would be able to demonstrate explosive power.


    However, they would also become weak the moment their weakness was exploited.


    Such corps could not be used in a large variety of situations.


    She had heard a story once.


    A country was going to fight a battle near a lake, and so they put together a corps of water monsters. However, they were eventually cut off from the water and forced to fight. Unsurprisingly, they died without being able to resist.


    If you fill your ranks with just a single type, the enemy will target your weaknesses.


    And so she could see the wisdom in having these reinforcements being composed of different corps.


    ¡°First, we have the Selm, eh?¡±


    The Selms were often called ¡®desert soldiers.¡¯ And they liked to hunt in large groups.


    These groups moved as if they were one single creature, allowing them to take down stronger enemies with ease. And so some even called them ¡®giant killers.¡¯


    And while they were also strong as individuals, this was multiplied many times over when they fought together.


    Yes, there would be very difficult to deal with if they were enemies.


    The Selms now marched towards the town in a perfect line.


    What came after them, were the Infervipers.


    ¡°Well¡­they too are too hot to approach.¡±


    They looked a lot like Lamias, meaning the top of their body was human and the lower part snake.


    However, their top part was constantly blowing out fire, which hid their faces.


    They were sometimes called lava snakes.


    Just getting too close to them would mean taking fire damage, which meant you would have to avoid close quarters combat when facing them.


    Most people fought them with water magic.


    That being said, it was very difficult to learn water magic that was effective enough against Infervipers.


    As Infervipers were among the advanced races, they had very high magic defense.


    Because of this, even though they were considered weak to water magic, you would have to be very skilled with it in order to inflict decent damage.


    And so they too were difficult to fight.


    As the Infervipers advanced, the air in the town began to rise in temperature.


    Farneze wiped away the sweat coming down her forehead and waited for the next corps.


    The ground started to shake, and she heard shouting from up ahead.


    What appeared in front of her now, were Sword Giants.


    They were one of the rarest of giants, and their entire bodies were covered in thick armor.


    But unlike the Living Mail, they were not hollow inside. Farneze could see the eyes in the depths of the helmets.


    As for the thing that was most striking about the Sword Giants, it was the blades that came out at different points on their armor.


    The shoulders, elbows, knees, of course. But also their heads and spines had blades coming out.


    One would wonder how they were able to sleep like that. That was how many blades protruded from their bodies.


    And each one of these blades were incredibly sharp. Just touching them would deal immense damage.


    ¡°I had heard stories about them, but they really are big.¡±


    She had been expecting them to be big, as they were Giants. But not this big.


    They were at least three times as tall as Farneze.


    But they were also very wide and thick. She couldn¡¯t imagine how much damage they would deal if they rammed into someone.


    And she had no intention of experiencing it for herself.


    ¡°So this is our trump card for defeating Leninoth.¡±


    Each one of them was worth a thousand men.


    They would have to be used to destroy Leninoth, and then Fara.


    The march ended at Farneze¡¯s mansion.


    ¡°All of you. Welcome to my town.¡±


    Her garden was considered to be quite large. But it now felt very small.


    ¡°And while I wish that I could allow you to rest, you must now head to the royal castle. It is there that we shall reveal our plans to defeat Leninoth.¡±


    In fact, Felicia was currently putting the plan together.


    This was a war that involved multiple countries. And a person who had enough knowledge and experience in order to create plans was someone she wanted to keep secret.


    If Felicia¡¯s identity was revealed, her life might be in danger.


    And so it would be Farneze who announced it to the others.


    ¡°I know that you are tired, but the situation is urgent. We will be leaving tomorrow morning, so be prepared.¡±


    Just as Farneze finished this address, a single Vampire flew towards her.


    There was a rule in this town. You were not to fly above it unless there was a good reason to.


    Even her messengers traveled through the streets.


    And this was such an important time. But this person was flying.


    ¡°¡­What is it?¡±


    Farneze felt a sense of dread.

 Chapter 134

    Chapter 134¡ð Town of Elstabia ¨C Farneze


    The message was from the royal castle.


    Adjutant Atrasushia had sent it to Farneze.


    But the mansion garden was filled with Demon King Tralzard¡¯s soldiers.


    Farneze felt that it was not the best place to listen to the report, and so she met the messenger in her study


    ¡°So, what is it?¡±


    The messenger must have been in a rush, as he was out of breath.


    After a few moments spent calming down, he began to speak.


    ¡°There are several reports. First, I will tell you about the situation in the neighboring countries.¡±


    That was enough to make Farneze feel a sense of foreboding.


    The messenger sucked in a deep breath and stood up straight.


    ¡°First, concerning Lesser Demon King Lubanga, who was in an alliance with Lesser Demon King Rous, they are now in a state of war. Lubanga seems to have invaded them. This signals the immediate end of their alliance. However, according to our most recent information, Lesser Demon King Rous has fallen. Essentially, the country has collapsed. Lesser Demon King Lubanga seems to have swallowed up Rous¡¯s country, making him a Lesser Demon King who rules two countries.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    But it seemed like just a moment ago that Lesser Demon Rous was attacking this country.


    He had split his army into multiple corps and they were marching towards the royal capital.


    General Dardaroth had fought back, and Farneze herself had supported them as a reinforcement.


    It was only after dealing with it, that she had returned to this town¡­ And now the enemy country itself had fallen?


    Not only that, but it was their ally, Lubanga, who was responsible.


    Farneze wanted to shout at the messenger and ask for more details.


    But this was her mansion.


    And she had visitors from abroad. It was best to avoid doing anything that would attract attention.


    And so she thought quietly.


    Rous¡¯s invasion of this country would mean that his own country would be poorly guarded.


    He had been in alliance with Lubanga, and until recently, they were at war with two other countries. So Rous¡¯s armies would have been shrinking already.


    And yet he had sent some of them out to invade this country.


    Then there was this dramatic betrayal.


    It was likely that Lubanga had been targeting Rous all along.


    Sweet words were whispered, and Rous was pushed into thinking invading this country was a good idea.


    It annoyed Farneze greatly. Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s country had been used as bait.


    ¡°So, Lesser Demon King Rous is dead, and Lubanga now rules those lands.¡±


    The messenger nodded.


    ¡°I will continue my report. This happened at the same time, and concerns Lesser Demon King Nacti, who was in an alliance with Lesser Demon King Kurulu. They too are in a state of war, and Lesser Demon King Kurulu¡¯s whereabouts are currently unknown. Even now, they are conducting a search for him in his lands. If he is not found soon, the country will either be split up or absorbed by Nacti completely.¡±


    Now, he was talking about Kurulu and Nacti.


    Both of them were also in an alliance. And while Kurulu¡¯s army was busy invading this country, Nacti had broken their alliance and attacked.


    The two situations were eerily similar.


    In other words, Lubanga and Nacti knew what the other was going to do.


    ¡°Lubanga and Nacti were supposed to be at war. When did they join forces?¡±


    In any case, Rous and Kurulu had not been able to discover it in time. And now they were gone. S?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    This country was the same.


    They were desperately trying to fight the invasion of Rous and Kurulu¡¯s armies.


    And so no one knew what was happening until the very end.


    Farneze suddenly remembered something.


    When Rous and Kurulu had attacked, she had assumed that their allies would soon follow. However, there had never been any news of that.


    Yes, it must have all been planned from the beginning.


    And now, this country was neighbor to two larger and more dangerous countries.


    ¡°Allow me to continue. It seems that Lesser Demon King Leninoth and Lesser Demon King Fara have signed an anti-war pact.¡±


    ¡°I had been considering that possibility. Both countries are dominant in this area. If they clashed now, even the victor would be weakened considerably. They will likely not fight again until it is impossible for them to expand.¡±


    ¡°Because of this, Lesser Demon King Leninoth has started to move his army to the south.¡±


    ¡°The south. That means either our country or Kurulu¡¯s¡­ No, what was formerly Nacti¡¯s country?¡±


    ¡°We do not know for sure yet. But judging by the scale of the army, we think he might be targeting us. And while it hasn¡¯t been confirmed yet, soldiers have been sighted near Rous and Kurulu¡¯s borders.¡±


    ¡°So the four countries have turned into two large countries. And they will both attack us now, along with Leninoth. That is not something that we can deal with.¡±


    If Leninoth attacked while they were still warring with the other two countries, there would be nothing they could do to resist.


    ¡°¡­This situation¡­ I¡¯m not sure what can be done.¡±


    She wished that she had not listened to the messenger at all. Farneze could not help but feel regret.


    General Tulart could no longer leave the northern border, and General Dardaroth was still dealing with the aftermath of the battle. Once that was done, he would have to return to his town and reorganize.


    And while the war with Rous and Kurulu was over, both countries had been destroyed by someone else, and the tension was much the same as before.


    Atrasushia was requesting Farneze¡¯s return to the castle as if they were at their limit.


    Even Farneze felt that she could not stay in her town any longer.


    And so she set out for the castle immediately.


    But there was much to think about, such as how to use Tralzard¡¯s soldiers and how they would move in the future.


    Farneze¡¯s brain was hardly able to process everything that was happening.


    When she arrived at the castle, Felicia was waiting for her, and they had a long, long discussion.


    And so the troubles surrounding Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s country showed no signs of ending any time soon.

 Chapter 135

    Chapter 135We went to Demon King Tralzard¡¯s country, and united with General Miralda¡¯s army.


    She informed me that the substitute corps would be sent immediately, and we were to continue to make our way to the other side of the Demon King¡¯s country.


    Currently, Miralda was no longer with us.


    Half of her army had already marched on ahead.


    We were to be combined with a different corps and go west.


    ¡°While we travel, you will all have to obey me.¡±


    Said a Crystal Dragon called Minish.


    She was one of the people who had accompanied General Miralda to our country.


    Minish was a tall woman who wore something like a ronin kimono.


    It had a feminine pattern on it that suited her. But as someone who had come from Japan, it reminded me of seeing westerners in yukatas.


    In any case, Miss Minish was General Miralda¡¯s Adjutant.


    But she was apparently focused on clerical work, which suggested there was someone else who handled the military business.


    However, her mana level was several times higher than mine. It was so high that I wasn¡¯t even sure how high. But according to Saifo, it was somewhere between three and four times as high as mine.


    In fact, he told me many times that I had no hope of winning and should avoid fighting her.


    Who the hell did he think I was?


    In any case, I decided to think of Miss Minish as more of a civil servant.


    Though, if she was this strong, it made me wonder how strong her military counterpart was.


    ¡°Bah. Why don¡¯t we just ask Miss Minish to defeat Leninoth?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but think.


    After a few days of travel, I started to get used to the new environment.


    When I asked Miss Minish about the army, she told me all kinds of things.


    Of course, none of them would qualify as classified information.


    She said that General Miralda would be arriving in the west side of the country soon.


    Things were in a bad state, thanks to what Nehyor had done.


    And there were signs of worse things to come.


    Worse¡­in other words, the possibility of an invasion from the Celestial World.


    There was something called a ¡®Test Hole,¡¯ which was a small hole that residents of the Celestial World opened up in order to search the Demon World. And one of these holes had been sighted.


    As these holes usually close up after a few hours, Miss Minish said that it was only through great luck that someone had seen it.


    Of course, having these holes open up was not a guarantee of an incoming invasion.


    It was just a possibility.


    And then there was us. The people who were currently on the move.


    Soldiers led by Miss Minish, the Crystal Dragon.


    We were considered the second army on the march.


    The weakest one. We were essentially baggage.


    And I couldn¡¯t help but think that among the high-ranking officers, Miss Minish looked like she would be the most capable babysitter.


    Lastly, there were the troops who were still waiting near the border to the east.


    They were also being led by a Crystal Dragon who was called Halm.


    She said that there were corps remaining that are strong enough to destroy a country if necessary.


    When I pestered her to tell me more about this, she said that General Miralda had five Corps Commanders, and only two were following her. One of them was with us, and the other two were in the east.


    She was saying that the two corps that they led were strong enough to take a Lesser Demon King¡¯s country. s?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    And she said this was great certainty. I didn¡¯t tell her how scared that made me.


    However, this was a Demon King¡¯s country.


    If they went around swallowing up too many smaller countries, they would end up antagonizing the surrounding Demon Kings. And so they avoided it as much as they could.


    Yes, the neighboring Demon Kings¡­ For instance, if Demon King Janius kept attacking one smaller country after another, another Demon King might feel that they have to ¡®crush him¡¯ before it¡¯s too late.


    Unless your own fighting force was getting bigger, the gap would only increase if you just sat back and watched. And so it was obvious that they would act.


    Because of this, it was necessary for the Demon King to be careful, and ensure that others didn¡¯t see them as too much of a threat.


    It was a different kind of hardship to what the smaller countries faced.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, I haven¡¯t introduced you to the Corps Commander yet.¡±


    Miss Minish said. Yes, she was right.


    I wasn¡¯t actually that interested, and our corps had just stuck together as we moved. So even though a few days had passed, I hadn¡¯t really gotten to know the other soldiers.


    In any case, Miss Minish thought that we should at least meet, and so we walked into the camp.


    Tomorrow, we would rest here for a whole day in order to recover from the brutal march of the last few days.


    ¡°Allow me to introduce you. This is Corps Commander Dyle. He¡¯s a Rock Lion.¡±


    This Dyle was even taller than I was.


    Not only that, but his body was covered in armor-like rock.


    And he had the head of a lion. His eyes were so sharp that I felt that I would start punching him if he glared at me. That¡¯s how scary he was.


    One might wonder why I would punch someone if I was scared. But in the Demon World, you killed before you were killed.


    And so if you were scared of something, punching them was a reasonable way to react.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±


    Of course, I was sure that I would lose in a fight.


    He was probably stronger than General Farneze.


    At least in terms of physical strength, he would overwhelm her.


    And yet he was just a Corps Commander. How powerful could Demon King Tralzard be?


    ¡°This is Golan. He¡¯s the leader of a corps of two hundred. I¡¯m sure the General has already filled you in, but you should think of them as guests from Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s country.¡±


    ¡­Guests. Well, she might as well have called us useless.


    But I suppose it was better than sending us to the frontlines. So I just nodded with a smile.


    On the other hand, Corps Commander Dyle looked at Miss Minish and then me, and then tilted his head as if to ask, ¡®the leader?¡¯


    He was probably noting that I was a low-ranking Ogre, and also had an incredibly low mana level.


    It was true, so I wasn¡¯t annoyed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll be seeing a lot of each other. And I hope you can get along.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I answered obediently.


    ¡°Very well. ¡­If they are guests, I suppose that means they were not specially selected.¡±


    ¡°Of course, not. They aren¡¯t from here.¡±


    ¡°What about basic training?¡±


    Corps Commander Dyle said something most ominous. Basic training?


    ¡°General Miralda said that they should all be trained. Without exception.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ And I suppose that I¡¯m going to have to oversee it.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Can you handle it?¡±


    ¡°It will have to wait until we arrive at our destination¡­yes. I see.¡±


    Corps Commander Dyle¡¯s eyes now looked like they were full of pity.


    I felt that I better ask now.


    And so I wiped away the sweat from my forehead and opened my mouth.


    ¡°Uh, this basic training. What exactly will it involve?¡±

 Chapter 136

    Chapter 136What was this basic training that they were talking about?


    There was something ominous about it, and I wanted to know.


    And so I asked him.


    ¡°Indeed. I will have to explain to you a few things about soldiers in this country, first. Is that alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡±


    Demon King Tralzard¡¯s country.


    It and Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s country were so different in size and strength, that it would be ridiculous to even compare them.


    So to be honest, I was very curious to know how things were managed.


    ¡°In this country, you cannot become a soldier just because you want to.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡±


    ¡°How is it in your country?¡±


    ¡°In general, they are drafted. Each village is required to send a certain number, and they just obey.¡±


    ¡°In that case, there must be times that you receive people who are completely useless.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. But what can you do? That¡¯s just how it works.¡±


    Yes, there were people who wanted to be soldiers and people who didn¡¯t.


    Still, there would be trouble if a household didn¡¯t send at least one person, and so the oldest son was usually sent out to be a soldier.


    And if the oldest son died, they would say, ¡®now it¡¯s your turn,¡¯ and send the next son to the battlefield.


    It happened in every house.


    Mine was the same.


    My parents told me that my older brother had been blown up by magic, and that I had to take his place.


    It wasn¡¯t the nicest way to put it, but they never did find his body.


    Someone claimed to have seen his body get blown up by magic, and since he never returned to the camp, it was assumed that he had died.


    And I had not questioned it once as I went off to the battlefield.


    However, things were apparently different in Demon King Tralzard¡¯s country.


    ¡°In this country, those who do well in the battlefield will make a name for themselves. The greater the fame, the greater the possibility of being promoted. And even if you are not, you are rewarded based on your accomplishments. And that is considered to be a great honor.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Rewards. I knew nothing of such things. ¡­No, wait. I did get a sword. That was a reward.


    Speaking of promotions, I had become a Commander as well¡­ Though, it had been through Gekokujyo.


    And yet people would still treat me like a servant back in the village.


    ¡°Being a soldier is a shortcut to going up in the world. Because of this, there is no end to the number of people who want to join. However, accepting them all would lead to trouble.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t have enough food.¡±


    ¡°¡­You understand?¡±


    He was surprised.


    It has always been the case. The military and food were tightly related.


    There was even a story of oppressed people raising a rebel army. And once they decided to attack the capital, what was once ten thousand men had bloated up to a hundred thousand by the time they surrounded the city.


    At that point, just feeding them was a colossal task.


    It could not be done without stealing from surrounding towns and villages.


    This had happened so many times throughout history.


    And not only during war.


    For instance, when there was a great earthquake in Kansai, Japan. Many volunteers came from all over the country.


    And while the location was in chaos from the disaster, the volunteers had just come with the clothes on their back. And it was very difficult to prepare places for them to sleep and food to eat.


    But thanks to this lesson, when there were earthquakes later on in Tohoku and Kyushu, the volunteers were smart enough to bring their own food with them.


    People went home during the night, and those who couldn¡¯t prepare a place to sleep had the good sense not to participate at all.


    In other words, there were many instances when participating in something without any preparation only led to trouble.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, you did say something about a special selection.¡±


    ¡°¡­Aye, that is correct. We have strict limits when it comes to accepting people. And so we have to test them before deciding. It¡¯s really a matter of their will and ability.¡±


    So it had nothing to do with wealth, intelligence, temperament or nature.


    Well, I guess that wasn¡¯t as important when it came to soldiers.


    ¡°And those who pass will be accepted as soldiers¡­ No, I suppose you have to train them first.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯d think that only a small number of them would actually be sent to the battlefield. I suppose you keep the others as reinforcements when your soldiers die? And if they are trained in the meantime, they will be able to work decently with the old soldiers when the time comes.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Well, I¡¯m glad that we understand each other. Those who are selected will undergo basic training. It is there that they will learn what it means to be a soldier, as well as how to move and act.¡±


    ¡°So, that¡¯s what we will be doing.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Once the basic training is finished, there is something called battle training, which will be on the actual field. But as this relates to this country¡¯s strategy, I cannot talk about it here.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    We would probably be taught how to move strategically.


    ¡®Form a close formation¡¯ they might say, and we¡¯d have to do it quickly. And if they said, ¡®halt¡¯ we would all have to stop at the same time.


    The time it took, and the formations, and how they guarded.


    Those were likely military secrets.


    This was different from Ogres, where the one order was just, ¡®forward.¡¯


    It was no wonder they wanted to keep it a secret.


    If this was a sport, then it could be compared to a tryout and the team practice. They would be separated into a first team and a farm team, and the people in the farm team would train and hope to be promoted to the first team.


    And obviously, practicing formations was something you didn¡¯t show to other teams.


    ¡°About this basic training, I intend to make adjustments while considering every race¡¯s aptitude.¡±


    ¡°In that case, why not have a hearing?¡±


    ¡°Hearing? What should I ask them?¡± s?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Well¡­aside from the obvious questions about what they can and cannot do, you might also want to know their strengths and weaknesses. I think talking to them will help you understand them better.¡±


    ¡°¡­Perhaps you are right.¡±


    Dyle was deep in thought.


    It seemed that he was at least capable of listening to the opinions of people who were much lower in rank than him.


    ¡°Very well. We will still be traveling for some time. I will observe them and uh, do this hearing that you requested.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m grateful for the consideration.¡±


    Now they were unlikely to give out impossible orders.


    I sighed in relief, but made sure that Minish and Dyle did not notice it, even though they were now looking at me with deep interest.

 Chapter 137

    Chapter 137The army rested for the entire day.


    After that, it was a long, ten day journey to the west.


    I learned about it later, but that day of rest was spent buying food and supplies.


    And so it was just us who had the entire day off.


    I suppose it was because we were still seen as guests.


    Even if we asked to help, we didn¡¯t know how things were done, and would only get in their way and slow them down.


    ¡°If you¡¯re told to rest, then you should do that. It¡¯s an important job, in a way.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Did you say something, Golan?¡±


    It was the Rock Lion, Dyle.


    ¡°So, are we to go to the main camp?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Three large armies are going to stick towards the east border. Then there will be another right behind, and then the main camp will be in the far back.¡±


    In this country, the east side was in a dangerous situation. No one knew what would happen next.


    Not only that, but Nehyor and his Wild Hunt were nowhere to be seen.


    There were rumors that they were still in the area, but they always disappeared without a trace.


    These soldiers on the frontlines were really there for Nehyor, and not the Lesser Demon Kings. And they wanted several layers of protection so that the main camp wouldn¡¯t be in danger.


    This all seemed to be ridiculously cautious to me. But then again, perhaps someone who was strong enough to antagonize Demon Kings was someone who had a decent fighting force. So maybe it was quite reasonable.


    ¡°So, you had the hearings, didn¡¯t you? How was it?¡±


    ¡°Ah, it wasn¡¯t bad. I rather enjoyed doing it.¡±


    Corps Commander Dyle had heard my request and every day, he would call out a few people and talk to them.


    The last time I had seen him, he had said, ¡®the Ogres in Melvis¡¯s country are very unusual.¡¯


    Apparently, listening to them speak had been quite a revelation to him.


    And if this helped change his opinions of Ogres in general, it meant that all our training in the village had been worth it.


    Aside from that, he had only ever heard rumors about Reapers, and so he was happy to learn more about them.


    Dyle said that his image of Reapers had been of merciless, murderous fiends.


    It was quite surprising to see how off base many of the rumors were.


    Like this, he learned about the abilities of the different races and his perceptions of them changed. But not for all of them.


    There were the Vampires.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± said Dyle.


    While they had been quite confident during the first hearing, there was really nothing remarkable about them and their abilities at all.


    He became quite worried about whether they had ever had any training at all.


    When asked, he discovered that they had never actually experienced a battle. However, they insisted that they would ¡®be amazing¡¯ when they got the chance.


    As there was such a discrepancy in what came out of their mouths and their ability, he decided to put it to the test.


    The results were predictable.


    He decided that they were completely useless.


    As for the test fight, Corps Commander Dyle had taken them on himself.


    Not only were Rock Lions very big, but they also had a lot of mana.


    And Dyle was remarkable even among them. He stuck out quite a lot in his own army.


    He loved to fight, but rarely met anyone who could put up a good fight.


    It was as he thought this, that one after another, the Ogres began to challenge him.


    I sighed with exasperation, but Dyle insisted that he ¡®rather enjoyed it,¡¯ which suggested that at least someone had done well.


    In fact, Dyle became rather fond of Beka.


    ¡®She dislocated my shoulder!¡¯ he said with a boisterous laugh.


    Beka had been so annoying to me that I had dislocated her joints hundreds of times.


    And so she had learned how to do it herself.


    With such tricks, you had to know how to get out of the lock, or even the high-ranking races would be susceptible.


    And it was difficult to get out of it when it was your first time. And so Dyle had fallen victim to it.


    He seemed to really take to us Ogres after that, and asked if I wouldn¡¯t like to fight him as well.


    But I wasn¡¯t like Saifo and the others.


    In the first place, Dyle wasn¡¯t someone like Saifo and Beka, who I could casually beat into the ground. He wasn¡¯t someone to fight during short breaks on the road. S?a?ch* Th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    And so I declined with a ¡®I don¡¯t hold back in fights,¡¯ and he had a good laugh.


    You¡¯ll be big one day, Dyle declared. I had no idea what he was talking about.


    That was how we spent our days, and then we finally arrived at the main camp where General Miralda was.


    Almost immediately, I was told that the General had called for me.


    As she had already headed east when we crossed the border, I had seen very little of her recently.


    ¡°Tell her that I¡¯ll go at once.¡±


    I told the messenger, and then I gathered my subordinates together.


    ¡°Alright, listen to me. This is not a place to casually challenge people to fights! Understand? Those who don¡¯t understand will be taught nice and slow when I have time. Got that!?¡±


    I grinned evilly, and they all nodded their heads rapidly.


    It had been necessary to teach them a lesson several times on the road, as so they understood what I meant.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be gone for a moment. Don¡¯t do anything foolish.¡±


    I said one last time, and then headed towards the tent where General Miralda was waiting.

 Chapter 138

    Chapter 138I saw a few unfamiliar faces after entering the tent that Miralda was waiting in.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again, Golan.¡±


    ¡°Likewise, General Miralda.¡±


    This meeting inside a tent.


    It reminded me of the first time I was called to Nehyor¡¯s tent.


    There had been no chair for me to sit in, which caused some trouble.


    Of course, this time, I did have a chair. Or at least, there was an empty chair left.


    ¡°Allow me to introduce you. This is Golan the Ogre. He¡¯s come all of the way from Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s country.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Golan.¡±


    I did a slight bow. Let them see an Ogre with proper manners.


    Yes, I could do it if I wanted.


    ¡°And these are our members. Sit down, Golan.¡±


    ¡°Yes, General.¡±


    I sat down in one of the empty seats.


    ¡°You already know Dyle.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been very good to us on our way here.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯m glad to hear it. And that is Oake, sitting next to Dyle.¡±


    ¡°A Crystal Eye?¡±


    ¡°Very good. Yes, Oake is a Crystal Eye. They are often called the great sorcerers of the forest.¡±


    Oake¡¯s entire body was translucent. He was probably male.


    He nodded at me and so I quietly said, ¡®good to meet you.¡¯


    There wasn¡¯t a single Crystal Eye living in Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s country.


    They were beings that some called crystal spirits, and they generally never left the forest.


    I had never seen one before, and had never expected to in my lifetime.


    I only knew of them because they had such unique appearances.


    ¡°And next we have Baltasar. A Gurangatch. He and Oake are Corps Commanders.¡±


    ¡°Good to meet you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hmph.¡±


    Well, this crocodile man clearly didn¡¯t like me.


    The Gurangatch was a high-ranking Lizard Man.


    Lizardmen evolved into High Lizardmen, and then from there they turned into Exlizardmen etcetera. Lizardmen evolved many times.


    The Gurangatch were supposed to be a race that branched off at some point and became more crocodile-like.


    They were about two or three evolutions away from the average Lizardman.


    I had heard that they were like Ogres, and could not use magic, and relied on physical strength.


    However, unlike Ogres, they had resistance against magic attacks, on top of being able to do great damage with their fists alone.


    ¡°And then we have my Adjutant, Minish.¡±


    ¡°Miss Minish has also been an incredible help while we traveled.¡±


    ¡°And then we have Lacte and Borg, but they aren¡¯t here right now. Just know that they are both strong and brilliant Dragons.¡±


    Strong Dragons¡­ In other words, they were likely the military officers.


    It made sense, since Minish and Halm were the civil officers.


    Of course, they all had so much mana that I couldn¡¯t tell who would be stronger.


    ¡°As for absent Corps Commanders, there is Ralf and Sven. But they are headed here right now, along with Halm and Borg.¡±


    I suppose she was talking about the third army.


    Miralda had now introduced nine important people. There were ten including her.


    The civil officers, Minish and Halm. The military officers, Lacte and Borg. They were all Dragons, but generally took the forms of humans. They would likely transform into dragons if they had to fight. All four were Miralda¡¯s Adjutants.


    And then there were the five Corps Commanders.


    Aside from Dyle, who I knew well, there was Oake and Baltasar. Ralf and Sven were supposedly on their way here.


    So, this was the fighting force of a single General. It was incredible.


    They could easily defeat a smaller country.


    ¡°And then the corps that was sent to my country.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know who had been sent, but I now had very high expectations.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get down to business then. Golan. I want to change the position of your corps.¡±


    ¡°I see. ¡­I don¡¯t mind, of course. But what is happening?¡±


    ¡°Mmm. Originally, I was planning on having you all stay in the main camp. However, after thinking it over, I think it would be better to have you all over here.¡±


    Miralda said as she pointed ahead of the main camp.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine with me.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Dyle will be stationed there as well, so that¡¯s where you will train. Ralf and Sven will be sent to the frontlines when they arrive, and with that, the formation will be complete.


    Miralda¡¯s strategy map showed the different armies positioned like the points of a trident.


    There were three armies on the frontlines. Oake, Ralf, and Svens names were written there.


    They were the tips.


    As for me and Dyle, we were at the spot where the three prongs united.


    And I suppose the main camp was the grip of the trident.


    Miralda and Baltasar¡¯s names were written there. These were the positions of the five Corps Commanders.


    We were supposed to undergo basic training with Dyle, so I guess that¡¯s why we were positioned there. S~?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It really didn¡¯t matter to me, if we were at the main camp or not.


    ¡°Oake has already finished preparations for going to the frontlines, and Ralf and Sven will soon follow after they¡¯ve trained their men. And it was after much consideration that I decided that you and your men should be placed here.¡±


    I don¡¯t care about these explanations. Just tell us where to go and we¡¯ll go.


    Were they being so nice to us because we were ¡®guests¡¯?


    Such courtesies were wasted on a corps like us. It was a lot of pointless effort.


    I wondered if Miralda¡¯s subordinates were not annoyed by all of this.


    ¡°Really, they take everything literally and go and do it. And then it¡¯s we who have to clean up the mess.¡±


    Baltasar suddenly muttered angrily.


    ¡°¡­Hmm?¡±

 Chapter 139

    Chapter 139Apparently, Corps Commander Baltasar had a bone to pick with me.


    ¡°Did I do something to offend you?¡±


    Of course, I had a skill that allowed me to lightly brush off such remarks.


    And so I replied calmly.


    I was capable of considering the thoughts of others, and handling them gently.


    It was a good skill for a man to have, if I do say so myself.


    ¡°Hmph. My words would be wasted on you muscle-headed Ogres.¡±


    He was quite angry.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    He thought that I could barely understand what he was saying.


    And so I recalled what Baltasar had said.


    Something about ¡®taking everything literally.¡¯


    It was about this trade that General Miralda had suggested¨Cthe trading of troops. ¡®They are fools for actually coming here. They¡¯ll only get in the way, and so they should have stayed home.¡¯ That¡¯s what he wanted to say.


    The reason for this trade.


    It was because General Miralda couldn¡¯t just offer her men to another country without permission.


    And perhaps she didn¡¯t feel comfortable discussing it with the Demon King or even the other Generals.


    After all, these were all men that Demon King Tralzard had entrusted her with.


    This was why General Miralda had opted for a temporary trade instead.


    At least on paper, the conditions were the same, and no one had the advantage. She would not have to justify anything.


    Both General Farneze and General Miralda wanted to put an end to Lesser Demon King Leninoth¡¯s dominance.


    And since their interests matched, this exchange was the perfect way to settle things.


    However, the men that my country were offering¡­were honestly quite weak.


    If we were strong, then we would have been sent to fight Leninoth instead.


    It was because we couldn¡¯t do that, that General Miralda had to help us.


    On the other hand, Corps Commander Baltasar was feeling both disappointment and rage at the idea of ¡®useless¡¯ troops coming to them. I understood that feeling. I really did.


    If we were just going to get in their way, we shouldn¡¯t have come at all. So, why were we here? That¡¯s what he wanted to say.


    And so I answered him with a feeling of kindness.


    ¡°I obey the orders that come from above. Objecting to that order would not only be a slight against my superiors, but the decision of both our countries. And so I¡¯m asking you to¡­¡±


    ¡°You talk too much, fool.¡±


    Yes, I wasn¡¯t getting through.


    It could not be helped. And so I continued to smile.


    If the papers said that we were going to trade troops, well, we had no choice but to send troops.


    Miralda was well aware that we wouldn¡¯t be of much use.


    Besides, there was a reason that General Miralda hadn¡¯t said, ¡®they will be no use to me, so you don¡¯t actually have to send them.¡¯ Indeed, there was.


    The Ogres and Reapers worked directly under General Farneze.


    The young Flying Eagles had no experience in battle, but they were representatives of the next generation.


    As for the most useless, the Vampires. Well, they were spoiled, but they came from good stock.


    In a way, they were those she didn¡¯t want to lose. At least, for political purposes.


    In other words, we were almost like hostages to ensure that Miralda¡¯s men were not crushed from ill-use or involved in any hidden schemes.


    And while we still weren¡¯t a particularly strong deterrent, it was better than nothing. And that had a big effect on the way we were seen by General Miralda¡¯s men.


    Baltasar, who objected as if he understood everything, was the one who really didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°In the first place, what are you so angry about? If you hate us, why not leave us alone?¡±


    We weren¡¯t in the same corps. And so it shouldn¡¯t be too hard for him to avoid us if he wanted to.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t believe my ears when I first heard that your joke of a corps was going to come here. Why should we be on the frontlines when you¡¯re in the main camp!¡±


    Baltasar said as he slammed his fist onto the table. I didn¡¯t bother to stop myself from sighing audibly.


    ¡°¡­You really don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Judging by what he had just said, Dyle and Baltasar¡¯s positions had been changed.


    So now Dyle would be here, training us. There was nothing wrong with that.


    Being ahead of the main camp¡ªprotecting the frontlines. That was proof that Miralda trusted them.


    It was a place where you had to make very severe decisions, like when and where to move to support the others.


    This was Nehyor they were up against. He appeared and disappeared without a trace, and no one knew where he would go next. He may very well target the main camp directly.


    In Baltasar¡¯s position, he would have to make decisions by himself. He was very important.


    And yet he was angry about that¡­ He didn¡¯t understand anything.


    ¡°While guarding the main camp is an important role, and we are honored, we will not be moved anywhere. We cannot be moved. Because it¡¯s our job to stay here.¡± S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Why should I care?¡±


    ¡°Corps Commander Dyle will have to train us. So it only makes sense that he should stay here.¡±


    In terms of trust, Baltasar was above him.


    However, he had complained and had his position changed.


    And they couldn¡¯t have all three of them on the frontlines, and so Corps Commander Dyle had to be moved to a place that was both important and stressful.


    Not only that, but he had to train us as well. That made it quite a black working environment.


    Perhaps Miralda had allowed it because she knew that Baltasar was unable to see the bigger picture.


    If he didn¡¯t understand the meaning of that difficult position, then there was no point in sending him there.


    ¡®Ahhh, shit¡¯ was what I was thinking when I sighed.


    ¡°You damned Ogre!¡±


    Baltasar said as he got to his feet.

 Chapter 140

    Chapter 140Baltasar stood up. He really did have a short temper.


    And when I was being so calm and generous towards him.


    ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t I toughen these Ogres up, eh?¡±


    Baltasar was a Gurangatch.


    He wouldn¡¯t be a bad fit for Ogres, as we were all about physical strength.


    Of course, he was much higher than us in terms of rank, but that just meant there would be a lot to learn during training.


    I thought about it. ¡®It¡¯s actually not a terrible idea, is it?¡¯ I thought.


    ¡°In that case¡­¡±


    I seriously considered accepting the offer.


    ¡°That being said, there will be fewer Ogres by the time I¡¯m finished training them!¡±


    ¡°¡­Hmm?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll grab two or three at once. And with these hands, I¡¯ll crush them to death.¡±


    ¡­Huh?


    Was he trying to pick a fight with me?


    In spite of all my efforts to avoid one?


    And what was he going on about now?


    He was going to strangle my Ogres to death every day?


    This guy?


    I see. Very interesting¡­


    Baltasar must have seen me narrow my eyes, as he suddenly shouted, ¡®Let¡¯s fight then!¡¯ He was very angry.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit down for now? I¡¯ll listen to what you have to say¡­¡±


    I said. ¡®Coward,¡¯ he spat, but returned to his seat nonetheless.


    There were times when I thought back on it. About the dojo in my past life. They really just did anything they wanted there.


    I was taught how to kill an opponent¡¯s momentum so that if a fight did start, it would be on my own terms. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    And so the moment that Baltasar sat heavily in his chair, I kicked the table off of the floor.


    ¡°¡­Did you really think I would mean that!¡±


    The table spun in the air and caught Baltasar right in the face.


    ¡°Aaah!?¡±


    He fell onto the floor, but was clearly not hurt at all.


    I quickly put together a plan for what I would do next.


    ¡°Strangle them to death, eh!? You¡¯ve got a lot of nerve!¡±


    In spite of the way I sounded, I was quite calm.


    Even if I got ahead of myself and started punching him here, I would do zero damage.


    My mana level was too low to do any visible injury to him.


    It sucked, but that was the reality of the Demon World.


    And so I used what power I did have¡ªthe power of an Ogre, and broke one of Baltasar¡¯s finger.


    ¡ªSnap.


    The sound echoed in the tent.


    This was very effective.


    ¡°Owww!¡±


    Baltasar howled in a voice that was quite pathetic.


    With all my power, I went to work on his other finger. Perhaps I was the one who was pathetic.


    However, against a Gurangatch who was at least three ranks higher than an Ogre, this was the best that I could do.


    I had only succeeded because it was an ambush, and because the Gurangatch had very long fingers.


    If I stopped now, my fate would be sealed.


    But I was lucky, and managed to break the finger on his right hand. But it was still too early to back off.


    As Baltasar tried to get off the ground, I smashed him in the face with a water jug.


    It shattered and the water splashed across his face.


    ¡°¡­Tsk!¡±


    In the meantime, I put all of my weight on him and broke another finger.


    ¨CSnap!


    This time the sound was a little muffled.


    Probably because it was under my knee.


    In any case, now two fingers on his right hand were unusable.


    ¡°So, now we get to the main part. You better be ready.¡±


    ¡°¡­Bastard. I¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    ¡°Always the same line.¡±


    Baltasar stood up and moved to grab me.


    I had made him do it.


    To be fair, if he did manage to grab any part of me normally, I¡¯d lose.


    And he knew it. And so I purposely baited him into trying.


    ¡°Oomph!¡±


    Baltasar had grabbed my arm, but was completely uncomprehending of what happened immediately after that.


    I had used an aikido technique.


    It was a technique that I used to teach a lot of women at the dojo.


    A way to deal with an attacker.


    The arm that was grabbed would stay fixed, and you would rotate your body with that as the axis. And then the arm would automatically get twisted upwards.


    ¡°What!?¡±


    This is what happened when you never experienced this aikido technique.


    Baltasar fell flat on his face. His arm was twisted upwards and he could not move.


    And his defenseless face was close to mine.


    They say that your legs are three times as strong as your arms.


    Ever since I was reincarnated, I¡¯ve been training for when I have to fight stronger enemies.


    I used all my knowledge from my earlier combat training in order to know what to target, and how to take on different races.


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    With one hand I grabbed the hair above Baltasar¡¯s forehead and held it down to the dirt.


    And then I bashed my knee into his face.


    I knew that no matter how many times I did this, I wouldn¡¯t be doing any real damage.


    But there was still a reason for it.


    ¡°Ha! Ha!¡±


    After hitting him again and again, I finally felt that satisfying sensation under my knee.


    One of his fangs had broken.


    ¨CThe fang breaker.


    There was no meaning other than his humiliation. But I had dropped my knee into him over and over in order to accomplish this.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    I picked up the trophy and smirked.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Yes, that was the expression I wanted to see.


    The broken fang was a few centimeters long. It was a bit longer than most teeth.


    Still, I could think of a use for it. I dropped it in my pocket and raised my hand provocative.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time you gave up? Why don¡¯t you kneel and beg for forgiveness?¡±


    This was all just a provocation.


    Basically, I was doing it on the assumption that the others would stop us any second now.


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    No one showed any signs of interfering. I guess they didn¡¯t know that I would die if this continued.


    ¡°AAAARRGHHHH!¡±


    Baltasar charged at me.


    I was just about out of ideas, but he was as enthusiastic as ever.


    He clearly meant to grab me and punch me to death. His eyes were filled with madness.


    ¡°Oh, damn it.¡±


    I held my hands up and waited.


    ¡°I suppose we¡¯ll have to make a compromise.¡±


    I was annoyed that no one came in to stop this.


    In that case, let¡¯s have them take responsibility.

 Chapter 141

    Chapter 141I didn¡¯t have another method of attack. I had nothing. S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    In the first place, it was wrong to go against someone like this with your bare fists.


    This was the Corps Commander of a great country. He was a tiger and I was a cat.


    That¡¯s why they had to let me cheat a little.


    Well, it¡¯s not like there were any rules to fighting, so it wasn¡¯t cheating.


    And so I held my hands up and waited to see how he would come.


    Baltasar made the most of his physical strength as he charged towards me. It was like a gust of wind. It was the correct thing to do.


    It wasn¡¯t as if any of my attacks could damage him.


    And so he had realized that he should just attack me head on.


    ¡°But I knew that from the very beginning.¡±


    I kicked forward, right into one of his legs.


    As Baltasar¡¯s leg came down, it seemed to swim in the air for a second, and then went in a direction that he had not intended it to go.


    And when one lost their balance, it didn¡¯t matter how strong your body was.


    It was like slipping when walking down stairs.


    For a second, Baltasar¡¯s body moved oddly.


    He righted his foot, but could not help but lean forward when he did so. Yes. It could not be helped at all.


    I grabbed Baltasar and then threw myself to the floor, back first.


    He was clearly confused by what had happened.


    Then I rammed my foot into his stomach and pushed him into the air.


    This was an overhead throw.


    Once it started, there was nothing you could do about it.


    I knew, because I had experienced it many times myself.


    Few things were more embarrassing than being spun in the air and thrown on your back.


    ¡°Oomph.¡±


    And we Ogres were called muscle heads for a reason.


    The moment that the overhead throw was complete, I did a backflip and landed on top of him.


    It was called the mount position.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the finishing touch.¡±


    In fact, I had thought about this part from the beginning.


    I took out the broken fang from my pocket.


    And while holding it like a dagger, I stabbed it into Baltasar¡¯s right eye.


    ¡­Stabbed.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t able to stab him. I was stopped when it was just a few centimeters away.


    General Miralda had suddenly swept in and grabbed me by the wrist.


    ¡°You have the worst timing, General Miralda.¡±


    ¡°I was being lenient in letting it go this far.¡±


    In other words, she would have stopped it if it was me who was about to be killed.


    Still, this was bad.


    If it ended here, things would differ greatly from what I had planned.


    But even when I tried to move my wrist, it would not budge at all.


    No, there was no point in trying to take her by surprise. It was finished.


    The General must have felt my arm relax, as she let go of my wrist.


    As there was no point in sitting on him anymore, I got back up to my feet.


    This fight. I had fought with a certain outcome in mind, but its course was changed by force.


    So¡­now what?


    ¡°Are you satisfied, Golan?¡±


    Miralda asked with a sidelong glance.


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Have you had enough? You seemed to be thinking about something. That¡¯s why I let you continue.¡±


    So that¡¯s why she hadn¡¯t stopped me earlier.


    And she was keeping the others from interfering.


    ¡°How about¡­you ask him, and not me?¡±


    You can do it, Golan. This was the crucial moment.


    Baltasar. Put an end to this.


    ¡°Indeed. So, Baltasar. What about you?¡±


    Baltasar was still on the ground.


    Perhaps he was shocked by what had happened. He looked stunned.


    ¡°¡­I let my guard down. I will win next time.¡±


    So even a muscle head like him became timid when dealing with General Miralda.


    And so I praised him in my mind. ¡®Well done, Baltasar.¡¯ It was done.


    I grabbed the center pillar of the tent and with all my strength, pulled it out from the ground and threw it into the sky.


    The tent was made of beast skin that had been stitched together, and it was very durable.


    And so the entire thing went flying away without ripping.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    As the tent disappeared, the gathered soldiers watched us in stunned silence.


    This was what I had been expecting.


    ¡°Hey, Rig!¡±


    ¡°Yes! Welcome back.¡±


    Adjutant Rig made his way through the silent soldiers.


    ¡°Go fetch it from my belongings. Also, bring me a spare club as well.¡±


    ¡°Ye-yes, sir.¡±


    Rig dashed off.


    I didn¡¯t want to say the name of the weapon in front of the others.


    But they could read the room. They knew what I meant.


    ¡°Golan. About the tent¡­¡±


    Apparently, the General understood why I had gotten rid of it.


    People must have heard us fighting from outside.


    And so soldiers of different races had gathered around us.


    All of them had more mana than me. It was incredible.


    That was a Demon King¡¯s army for you.


    I kneeled next to Baltasar.


    ¡°So, how does it feel to lose to me in a fight?¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    His eyes widened and the spectators began to buzz with excitement.


    ¡°I¡¯m asking you. How does it feel to be thrown to the ground and have your bones broken?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ If the General didn¡¯t interfere, I would have¡­¡±


    ¡°Broken bones¡­¡±


    ¡°Thrown to the ground¡­is that why he is there?¡±


    ¡°He lost? Sir Baltasar?¡±


    The soldiers murmured to each other.


    ¡°Tell me! How does it feel to be both the instigator and the loser?¡±


    ¡°You bastard¡­say what you will.¡±


    I opened my clenched fist.


    There was the fang I had meant to put into Baltasar¡¯s eye.


    ¡°Then allow me to change the question. How did it feel to have your fang knocked out? They are the pride of every Gurangatch, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    I waved it in front of him and then dropped it on the ground.


    The reason I had meant to use it as a weapon, was because it contained lots of mana.


    It would be more effective than my fist.


    And so I had made breaking and acquiring it my first priority.


    It landed by my feet, and so I stepped on it.


    As it contained so much mana, it would not break, but the goal was to hurt Baltasar¡¯s pride.


    ¡ªCreeeaaak.


    Oh?


    When I lifted my foot, it had been crushed into powder.


    (¡­Ah, I suppose the mana had escaped.)


    Once it was gone, it was like any other fang.


    And the strength of an Ogre would be enough to crush it.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Baltasar, General Miralda, the soldiers, everyone including me was looking at my foot.


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    Baltasar got to his feet.


    ¡°Sir Golan! I brought it.¡±


    Rig appeared. Good timing.


    ¡°Hey, Golan. Rig came to get your weapon. Is this a Gekokujyo?¡±


    ¡°Again? You¡¯re doing it again, Golan?¡±


    ¡°Well, Golan does like to kill his comrades.¡±


    ¡°Comrade killer! Comrade killer!¡±


    My subordinates had followed Rig here.


    Since when did they give me such an ominous nickname¡­


    I worked so hard to protect my people. How am I a comrade killer?


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Baltasar¡¯s enthusiasm seemed to wane. His fists were raised, but he remained still.


    It was fine. This fight was still fully under my control.

 Chapter 142

    Chapter 142I held the weapon in my hands.


    It was wrapped up in a cloth, which I pulled away, revealing the Deepsea Dragon Sword.


    The other thing Rig had brought was the club that I was used to wielding. This was also an important weapon for me.


    Clubs suited Ogres. That¡¯s what I thought.


    However, it wouldn¡¯t be my main weapon this time.


    I held the Deepsea Dragon Sword in my right hand, and shoved the club into the dirt.


    If things went according to plan, I wouldn¡¯t need it.


    In fact, this was the first time I would be using this sword in a real fight.


    However, I had practiced with it so much that I got blisters on my hands.


    And so it felt good when I held it.


    Not only could it cut through vines, but it could even split logs.


    In terms of durability and sharpness, it was the best weapon I ever owned.


    Once I held it in front of me with both hands, Baltasar got to his feet.


    Miralda looked at me cautiously.


    ¡°Golan. What are you trying to do?¡±


    There was something severe in her expression. Perhaps she was surprised that I was doing this after the fight had ended.


    ¡°He provoked me. And he lost. Hey, that¡¯s what happened, right?¡±


    I said as I turned to look at Baltasar.


    He looked like he wanted to object, but he couldn¡¯t change the fact of the matter.


    After all, the other Corps Commanders had been watching. And it was the General who stopped it.


    ¡°And what of it?¡±


    Asked General Miralda.


    ¡°I had assumed that was the end of it. But now he¡¯s saying he ¡®won¡¯t lose next time.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Hmm. He did say something like that.¡±


    The other Corps Commanders nodded to this.


    It was because he had said that, that I tore down the tent.


    ¡°Well, why wait any longer? He wanted another fight. He challenged me. And I accept!¡±


    What Baltasar had wanted to say was this. ¡®If we do fight again, I won¡¯t lose.¡¯


    It was no wonder. I was the weaker one, so there should be no way that I could win.


    However, it was different if the fight happened ¡®now.¡¯


    After all, I had had things carry out in a way so that I could win.


    ¡°Alright! Get him, Golan!¡±


    ¡°Crush him!¡±


    ¡°I think you mean cut him down! Look at his sword!¡±


    ¡°Chop him up!¡±


    Thankfully, my men were causing a ruckus. Now it would be harder for him to refuse.


    ¡°Do you need a weapon? Or should we go like this?¡±


    I said confidently.


    Before entering the tent, I had gotten a good look at what Gurangatch equipment looked like.


    They used a short spear and shield.


    These iron spears were just a little longer than they were tall.


    In the Demon World, long spears would be difficult to use. They were most effective when the wielders marched in a line.


    If individuals fought while using them, they would just end up hitting their comrades.


    I doubted Baltasar was an exception. He would likely also use a short spear and shield.


    It was because I understood this, that I had broken his fingers early on.


    His thumb and little finger to be exact.


    If you tried to hold a spear without the use of those two fingers, your grip would be very loose.


    And just like us Ogres, the Gurangatch could not use healing magic.


    Of course, they had tremendous recovery ability, and even bones would reconnect after a few days.


    However, he did not have enough time right now.


    One of his more perceptive subordinates brought Baltasar his spear and shield.


    He looked hesitant. A few broken fingers wouldn¡¯t be seen as more than a light injury.


    However, what about when you needed to fight?


    Not being able to use those two fingers would put him at a great disadvantage.


    He was likely feeling that right now.


    Perhaps he had never trained to use the other hand.


    Would he be able to fight properly with just the three fingers?


    Such questions had been on my mind since we first started fighting.


    And now, I felt like I had him in the palm of my hand.


    Besides, I also had a trump card. This sword.


    I didn¡¯t know how deep the sea went in the Demon World.


    However, this Deepsea Dragon that moved freely down there must be very powerful indeed.


    This was a strong material that could not be replicated even in modern Japan.


    And it was made into a sword. And I would now get a good idea of just how strong it was.


    Baltasar reluctantly gripped his spear. I narrowed my eyes. S?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    I intended to charge at him the moment he grabbed the shield. And I would finish the fight in a flash.


    The mana coursed through my body, and my brain was filled with adrenaline. That¡¯s when his eyes moved away from me for a second.


    ¡ªNow!


    The moment I was about to take a step forward, Baltasar was blown off of his feet.


    ¡°What!?¡±


    Before I knew it, Baltasar had landed in the middle of the crowd of spectators.


    Without understanding what had happened, I pulled my arms back and held the sword in front of me in a defensive stance¡­


    My head felt dizzy. I knew that I had been hit, but my vision was spinning.


    No, I couldn¡¯t do it. I couldn¡¯t stay conscious¡­ But would I be killed if I gave in?


    My consciousness¡­I would be gone in a few seconds.


    And so I left the rest to the other ¡®me¡¯¡­me¡­


    ¡ð


    ¡ð General Miralda


    When Golan held the white sword, I understood everything.


    At the same time, it felt like someone had shoved a block of ice into my back.


    The reason that Golan had gotten rid of the tent. It was obvious to me now.


    He hadn¡¯t been so focused on breaking Baltasar¡¯s fingers because they were the only weak spots.


    No, that was just his opening move.


    The real reason was that when the fight was brought to the stage where they used weapons, he would have an advantage. He had been calculating this whole time.


    When I stopped the fight, Golan had looked at me as if I had spoiled something .


    I had assumed that it was because I had taken his chance for a follow up attack, but the fang in his hand was from Baltasar.


    He had been aiming to get his eye. That¡¯s why he broke the tooth.


    How far into the future had he predicted? It was chilling just to think about it.


    After I had stopped the fight, Golan continued to provoke Baltasar as if he hadn¡¯t already won.


    It seemed like it was because his excitement was still at its peak, but this too was also part of his strategy.


    But I hadn¡¯t realized it then, and made the mistake of asking him.


    Baltasar also made a mistake, and claimed he would ¡®win next time.¡¯


    And with that, Golan got rid of the tent. When I thought about it, the fight really should have ended there. Golan had won.


    There was just the matter of there being another fight later, and judging by Baltasar¡¯s personality, it was very likely.


    And so Golan had provoked him in order that the fight should continue while he had the upper hand.


    ¡®I will win next time¡¯ was a challenge, and Golan accepted it.


    If Baltasar tried to take it back now, it would injure his prestige.


    Others would think he was scared. He was in a difficult position.


    When there were so many spectators, Baltasar could not pull out even if he wanted to.


    If Golan had asked for his sword to be brought, I would have tried to stop him.


    I wouldn¡¯t have allowed his subordinate to leave.


    That was my mistake. I didn¡¯t realize it until I saw the white sword.


    And Baltasar didn¡¯t realize it either.


    That the moment he accepted the spear and shield, Golan would strike him all at once.


    He had set up everything for this moment.


    He must be confident in his victory.


    If Golan was as strong as I thought he was, he could easily cut off Baltasar¡¯s fingers and hands.


    No, he might even stab him in the heart.


    That¡¯s what Golan wanted.


    In order to prevent any future attacks, he needed to hurt Baltasar so he wouldn¡¯t recover.


    And so I immediately used my special ability, ¡®Sever Body.¡¯


    It allowed you to choose an action and unleash it in a separate place.


    Vampires had ¡®Instant Movement,¡¯ which allowed you to speedily move between two points as if teleporting.


    But mine was just the beginning and end. There was no inbetween.


    And so there was not much freedom. I had to choose an action, teleport, and do it.


    I used it to knock down Baltasar in one hit, and then unleashed it on Golan as well.


    With the same amount of force.


    To be honest, I was just a little worried that Golan¡¯s torso would be blown off.


    Even if that didn¡¯t happen, it was possible that he would never be able to move his body again.


    If that happened, I would have to offer them warriors in exchange, and we would take care of Golan here.


    ¡®Sever Body¡¯ was a move that could not be changed or adjusted.


    However, I felt something strange meet my fist.


    I had been blocked by a blade. But how?


    There was no wind-up movement when using ¡®Sever Body.¡¯


    You just decided how to punch someone and then it activated automatically.


    If you wanted to defend yourself from such an attack, you had to be defending before I moved.


    Golan had been holding his sword, but he hadn¡¯t been in a defensive stance.


    That meant that by the time I had finished punching Baltasar, he had realized he would be attacked, and defended himself.


    He had great battle instincts. Such sharp intuition in combat.


    I was surprised.


    This attack had never been blocked before, not even when used against Lesser Demon Kings.


    It should have been enough to blow off the torso of an Ogre.


    Even if he was able to block it, he would be knocked out for at least ten days. Perhaps he would be bed-ridden for months.


    Well, I would apologize for that.


    It¡¯s true that I had been reckless this time. My hope was to see Baltasar mature a little.


    And some of the burden had fallen on Golan.


    It was as I was thinking this, that Golan got up.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    My mouth opened and would not close. He could stand after that?


    Baltasar wasn¡¯t moving a muscle. And I had hit Golan with the same force. But he wasn¡¯t even unconscious.


    Not only that, but there was something different about him now.


    What¡­what was this? What was going on?


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being overprotective?¡±


    Golan said in a low voice.

 Chapter 143

    Chapter 143My legs shook as I stood there.


    I had changed just in time. But, what now?


    I can¡¯t even move my body.


    ¡°Golan¡­ Your mana has doubled¡­ No, it seems to have tripled?¡±


    That was Miralda for you. She could measure my mana quite precisely.


    ¡°Only third-rate people care about and allow mana to dictate their actions.¡±


    I said.


    It was true in that mana levels were usually only directly linked to strength for the lower and middle rank races.


    The higher you went, the more likely it was for someone to make up for any deficiencies with species specific abilities and fighting experience.


    But when I pointed this out, Miralda scowled.


    I suppose calling a Demon King¡¯s General ¡®third-rate¡¯ was going too far.


    ¡°It¡¯s as you say. I hit Baltasar with the same force, and look what happened to him.¡±


    ¡°In other words, you stopped the fight not just once, but twice? Do you get involved every time your men start a fight?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am sorry about that. But I felt there was no other way to make things settle down.¡±


    ¡°Nothing was settled down.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°I said nothing was settled. Just look at me. I¡¯m alive. And so the fight is still on.¡±


    ¡°What are you going on about? Baltasar is unconscious. He will not wake up for at least a few days.¡±


    Miralda said a little frantically. It was quite funny to watch.


    She had not sounded like this when the other ¡®me¡¯ was talking to her.


    And so I tilted my head back and looked down at her.


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Good. I was recovering just a little now. This was an Ogre body, after all.


    And so I left the shocked Miralda and started to walk towards Baltasar. S?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Wa-wait! Wait! He¡¯s unconscious.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and that¡¯s something you did. It hasn¡¯t changed anything between me and him.¡±


    The other me hadn¡¯t let go of the sword after being hit. It was quite impressive.


    And so I held it in both hands. But my grip was still weak.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Do you really not know? You can¡¯t be that daft, General.¡±


    Raising the blade and swinging down. I wasn¡¯t even sure if I could do that much.


    What if I ended up dropping it?


    ¡°Stop. Stop it, Golan!¡±


    ¡°Three times.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the third time you¡¯ve interfered when victory should have been mine. A General should not do something so ignoble. Besides, he¡¯s a Corps Commander. It¡¯s only right he should take responsibility for losing.¡±


    Alright, my grip was returning. I might be able to do this.


    And so I slowly raised the sword.


    I was aiming for his neck. If I couldn¡¯t do it in one swing, I would keep going until his head came off.


    ¡°Baltasar lost. You have won, Golan. I accept that.¡±


    ¡°¡­That won¡¯t do.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because our fight will not end unless he admits it himself.¡±


    ¡°But he is unconscious.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m saying that that doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°He started the fight. And I accepted. I won¡¯t stop until things have been settled.¡±


    ¡°And I am using my authority to declare that you are the winner. I won¡¯t allow him to challenge you again. How is that?¡±


    ¡°I doubt he would accept that. And he¡¯ll attack me the moment he sees me.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t let that happen. In fact, I am thinking about relieving him of his duty as Corps Commander. Yes, Baltasar will be sent back to his town. There will be no more fighting, and you will not see each other.¡±


    ¡°That may be. But what about my men? And who knows what he will do to lure me out. He will want his revenge. And it would be easier for me to deal with him now.¡±


    ¡°Very well. You are a guest here. Anyone who attacks you or your men will be demoted or discharged. There will be no exceptions. It will apply to both soldiers and Corps Commanders. What I declared now will be put into action the moment it is known, regardless of the reason. Is that enough?¡±


    ¡°¡­Hmm. You want him alive that much?¡±


    ¡°Farneze told me something. ¡®Golan antagonizes everyone, and always wins. He would likely even do the same to a Demon King, so be careful in how you handle him.¡¯ I did not realize how truthful those words were.¡±


    Fight a Demon King?


    This was pure slander.


    Miralda saw me lower the sword, and she sighed.


    Then she looked at me with spiteful eyes.


    ¡°Besides, if I let you do as you pleased, Baltasar wouldn¡¯t be the last. You¡¯d fight all of my Corps Commanders.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just fighting those who challenge me.¡±


    Why was she acting like I was the instigator?


    ¡°If I don¡¯t stop it now, it will be too late when it happens a second or third time. And so let¡¯s make this the end. Listen to me, my soldiers. If any one of you should antagonize Golan or any of his men, regardless of the reason, you will be discharged. Remember that, if you do choose to fight. I will make sure of it myself. Alright?¡±


    Everyone was quiet.


    Miralda turned to me.


    ¡°Aye, that¡¯s fine. But if I could say one thing, you should add that it doesn¡¯t include situations where my men challenge them. Some of them are rather quick to start fights as well. And I wouldn¡¯t ask anyone to refuse them.¡±


    ¡°Very well. It¡¯s as you just heard. Now, you can all go.¡±


    Miralda said as she clapped her hands. Her men scattered like spiders.


    They must have been very afraid of her.


    ¡°¡­Rig.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. But I think that I¡¯m about to faint. I leave the rest to you.¡±


    Apparently, I had a limited amount of time left.


    This really hadn¡¯t been much time at all.


    Maybe it was because of all the damage to my body. Well, it couldn¡¯t be helped.


    However, giving the body back now wouldn¡¯t change anything.


    Still, this was probably the outcome that the other me wanted, right?


    As I thought this, my consciousness sank into the shadows.

 Chapter 144

    Chapter 144¡°¡­I don¡¯t recognize this tent.¡±


    I sat up. Nothing seemed to be wrong with me.


    My memories were hazy, but I remembered getting into a fight with one of General Miralda¡¯s Corps Commanders.


    ¡°Sir Golan. Are you awake?¡±


    ¡°Rig?¡±


    As I answered, Adjutant Rig entered the tent.


    ¡°You were asleep for a full day.¡±


    He said before I could ask. He knew me well.


    ¡°I feel confused. Where am I?¡±


    ¡°In our camp, sir. It¡¯s a short distance away from General Miralda¡¯s camp. I was told to contact them when you awoke. Should I do so?¡±


    ¡°Yes, let them know. Also, can you tell me what happened? I can¡¯t rely on what I remember.¡±


    Well, I didn¡¯t really remember anything at all.


    Some of it did come back to me as I talked to Rig. I had fought Corps Commander Baltasar after being provoked, and then I had blown away the tent.


    And since it seemed like a good opportunity, I decided to put into action something I had been considering.


    But the General interfered¡­and both Baltasar and I were hit. That¡¯s where the memories stopped.


    Had I succeeded in switching to the other me?


    Usually when I changed, I was able to remember things that were seen and heard. However, it appeared that I had lost consciousness.


    ¡°Well then, I will tell you happened after I brought you the sword and club.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    After Rig explained it to me, fragments of those memories returned.


    It appeared that the other me had dealt with matters quite well after the General hit us.


    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh as I listened. The other me did a really good job.


    It had been a tie between me and Baltasar.


    It didn¡¯t matter if the General came between us. The rules still applied.


    That was why the other me had attempted to defeat him. And judging by the fact that the General had stopped it, Baltasar was either somehow very valuable, had influential parents, or there was something else behind the scenes.


    But I was happy to see that both I and the other me were in agreement.


    In any case, there had been a need to make Baltasar powerless.


    There could be no revenge match. In my mind, it was either an arm or leg that had to go, if not straight up killing him.


    Besides, it had become necessary to prove that our army was actually worth something. And so in a way, Baltasar¡¯s challenge had been a good thing.


    But it was also a fight that I could not lose under any circumstances.


    I panicked a little when the General stopped us. However, in the end I had been able to keep things moving until the weapons arrived.


    I had meant to beat him with my sword and make him admit his defeat. And then we would never meet again.


    It was rather surprising that the General had promised that any fighting would be forbidden from now on.


    ¡°So, the other me did quite well.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°No, nevermind. So, they will not attack me or any of my men. That¡¯s what General Miralda said?¡±


    ¡°Yes. There is no doubt about it.¡±


    While it was to save the life of a Corps Commander, it seemed like a lot for the General to do.


    However, had I lost and my men continued to be underestimated, our fate would have been to be used until we were crushed to death. We would have no other purpose.


    We were burdens. Scum. I had to prove that this wasn¡¯t true. And the other me had wrapped things up quite nicely.


    Perhaps it was because I have been such a good example up until now.


    ¡°Alright, Rig. Thank you. I remember it all now.¡±


    Thanks to my actions, we were on the right track.


    But it was too early to be relieved.


    Nehyor was somewhere in these lands.


    And I had no idea what he was thinking.


    While I could only speculate, I felt that we would be in danger no matter which camp we were in.


    He could attack a corps and then target us while we are moving to the rear guard. Or maybe he¡¯ll focus on attacking the leader of the corps.


    ¡°Unless Nehyor was just targeting one person.¡± s?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Nehyor was frightening because you didn¡¯t know what he was thinking.


    So even if you strengthened your defenses and had the best formation, he would just attack you from a different direction.


    ¡°I doubt the other Corps Commanders will let their guard down, but that won¡¯t be enough.¡±


    This fight will get rough. That¡¯s what I thought.


    In order for us to survive, I had to raise the importance of my men. In other words¡­


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s basic training.¡±


    Damn it¡­


    General Miralda heard that I had awoken, and I was sent a gift as well as a written oath.


    The names of the other Corps Commanders were included.


    As for its contents, it said that I was a guest, and not to be touched. They all agreed to ensure that their men would be controlled.


    It was just a formality, but likely necessary.


    I told Rig to let them know that I understood, and then I lay down under the tent again.


    I still felt sluggish.


    As the other me had not gone wild, I didn¡¯t have any sore muscles. But surely no one would complain if I rested for another day.


    I didn¡¯t ever want to fight a Demon King¡¯s Corps Commander again.


    It was with such thoughts that I fell asleep.


    Hello. Hope you¡¯re enjoying the series. If you can¡¯t wait, you can read up to Chapter 337 on Patreon where new chapters are posted daily. We¡¯re almost at the end, so it¡¯s a good time to join if you want to binge through it.

 Chapter 145

    Chapter 145We arrived at the highly situated fortress that the entire corps was being moved to.


    It was Corps Commander Dyle who led us. s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    As we¡¯d been traveling with him for some time now, he was quite comfortable around us.


    ¡°¡­Well, at least that¡¯s what I had thought.¡±


    When I went to greet him after hearing the news, he said, ¡®I hope you can hold back¡­in various ways.¡¯


    Hold back what?


    The fortress was on top of a moderate hill, which gave you a great view of the surrounding area.


    There was a river immediately below, and from there it was a steep cliff.


    This made it a difficult fortress to attack, which made me think it was a very strategically important position.


    ¡°So, Baltasar really was positioned in a good place?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but think.


    It was easy to go to someone¡¯s aid while also being easy to defend.


    You might say that it was the best kind of place to position soldiers that you wanted to save for later.


    We would sleep here, watch the other three corps on the frontlines, and train all day.


    It was suggested that this would last for half a year.


    However, this could also stretch to as long as two and half years, which was tiresome to think about.


    I felt that the situation with the surrounding countries would change greatly before those two and a half years were up.


    ¡°And now, your basic training will begin. However, that just means that you will be running.¡±


    When we arrived, the training grounds had already been complete.


    As I had never participated in real military training, I was curious to see what it was like. Apparently, it was done with different groups depending on race.


    And so all of the Ogres participated.


    Even those who dealt with clerical work received basic training, so I couldn¡¯t skip it either.


    Up until now, I had been the one to train my men, but now I was on the opposite side.


    ¡°Have you memorized the route? Good. Now do ten laps. Run!¡±


    No one knew why, but we were made to run.


    ¡°Ugaaaa!¡±


    ¡°Hyaaahoo!¡±


    All the other Ogres began to dash.


    Did they forget that they have to do ten laps?


    This was the kind of training they did in the world I was from. That included Japan¡¯s self defense force.


    I remembered doing it when I was in highschool. They called it the ¡®circuit.¡¯


    There were obstacles in front of you that you had to overcome.


    There were twenty Ogres in all.


    But as they dashed forward, they began to separate at the first mud hill.


    Your feet would slip, and the incline grew steeper the higher you were. And then you would roll back down.


    That usually meant taking the people behind with you as well.


    ¡°Bastard! What are you doing!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your fault for not getting out of the way!¡±


    They started to fight at the bottom.


    Once you got past that, there was a high wall.


    And since everyone¡¯s hands and feet were covered in mud, they slid and slid.


    The wall was made of logs, so it would have been possible to put your fingers and toes in the gaps and climb carefully. But since it was so slippery, it was more difficult.


    ¡°Out of my way! I can do it!¡±


    ¡°What? You¡¯re the one who should move!¡±


    And like that, they started to fight at the bottom of the wall.


    After that, there were a bunch of logs that were tied together over a lake.


    If you lost your balance while moving over them, you would fall into the water. And if you fell into the water, you had to swim to the beginning and start again. However, the moment that a second person jumped on a log, the first person would both lose their balance and fall off.


    And then someone would jump on after that person, and the person in the front would fall off.


    ¡°Hey, you shook me off!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because you were too slow!¡±


    And then they started fighting.


    It wasn¡¯t until night time that everyone completed ten laps.


    That night.


    I felt that we were off to a bad start, and so I gathered everyone together.


    ¡°You all did terrible today. And I¡¯m sure tomorrow won¡¯t be any different. So, what are you all going to do about it?¡±


    ¡°But Golan, it was his fault for getting in my way.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who was hindering me!¡±


    ¡°Stop fighting!¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    In spite of always being so free, they became very quiet when I told them to.


    ¡°Was there anything that you learned during today¡¯s training?¡±


    I decided to ask them.


    ¡°It was hard.¡±


    ¡°It was annoying.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what I was even doing.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes. That¡¯s enough.¡±


    I had been optimistic about someone realizing it. However, these guys weren¡¯t exactly equipped to find the answer.


    ¡°What, Golan? You look funny.¡±


    ¡°Does your stomach hurt?¡±


    ¡°I was just thinking about my unending troubles¡­ But more importantly, listen to me carefully.¡±


    I said. They all became quiet. It felt good.


    ¡°Yes, today was a terrible day. But there is a reason for that. And so I want you to remember what I¡¯m about to say. This training is supposed to be about overcoming something through teamwork. And so it¡¯s outrageous for you to try and pass others, kick people down, and fight. It¡¯s not about reaching the goal first. You have to work together so that everyone can reach the goal.¡±


    ¡°But then we won¡¯t know who won.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Beka. This isn¡¯t a race. There are no winners or losers. Weren¡¯t you listening? It¡¯s ten laps and you¡¯re done. There are rankings.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Was that so?¡±


    ¡°And even if there was such a thing as winning and losing, winning would be when you all finished earlier than the instructor expected. Otherwise, you all lose. Remember that.¡±


    However, this idea of winning or losing as a group was hard for them to comprehend. Beka was tilting her head in puzzlement. But then I said, ¡®don¡¯t we all win if we defeat the enemy chief?¡¯ and then they were satisfied.


    Finishing the circuit in the least amount of time was like winning a war. That¡¯s how they understood it now.


    ¡°And so I will tell you how we¡¯ll do things from tomorrow on. You better remember it!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    And then I told the group of muscle heads what our strategy for the circuit would be.


    The next day.


    Several of the Ogres lay down at the bottom of the mud hill. The next Ogres would climb onto their shoulders and lie down as well.


    More came from behind as they went higher. And when they had reached the top, they pulled up those who were at the bottom.


    By repeating this, all of them were able to clear the hill in a single try.


    Next was the log wall.


    Once again, someone had to stay at the bottom so the others could climb up and over the wall.


    Then the ones on top would pull the person at the bottom up. And like that, they easily overcame the wall.


    When it came to the logs over the lake, the first Ogres would fall on purpose so that they could support the logs in the water.


    By doing this, the others were able to cross while the logs were stable.


    And then the ones holding the logs just needed to take turns crossing.


    Like this, all of them were able to work together to clear the obstacles.


    And unlike the previous day, they completed the ten laps before midday.


    According to Beka, this was quite the ¡®victory.¡¯

 Chapter 146

    Chapter 146¡ð General Miralda¡¯s Army ¨C Corps Commander Dyle


    They were in a fortress that was about a day¡¯s march away from the main camp.


    It was situated atop a hill, making it quite ideal for a military base.


    Corps Commander Dyle arrived with his own corps, and ordered them to carefully search the surrounding area.


    Dyle had been given several orders.


    But the most important was that if the troops on the frontlines were to encounter the enemy, he was to come to their aid at once.


    And so he had to know the area well in order to be aware of all the routes and avoid being attacked by the enemy while on the move.


    Dyle was experienced enough to know that his men would obey his commands without deficiency or excess.


    And so there was no problem.


    If there was a problem that he was facing, it was related to the training of the corps from the neighboring Lesser Demon King¡¯s country.


    It wouldn¡¯t be too hard to get them to the bare minimum level of being usable.


    He just needed to make them go through the usual training. However, once it started, he realized that things were different.


    Usually, the people who underwent basic training were new soldiers who didn¡¯t know anything.


    Of course, as they had been specially selected, they boasted impressive levels of strength.


    And so they were always halfway there in terms of combat ability, however they would be completely lacking when it came to feelings of camaraderie.


    ¡°They are a little special, so I¡¯m sure things will be different. You must take steps as the occasion demands.¡±


    That¡¯s what the General had said.


    Dyle¡¯s eyes dropped to the documents he was holding.


    ¡°Their corps consists of different races. Should they be considered a mixed force?¡±


    As the training program would differ depending on the size and structure of the corps, this was a good question.


    After all, it was just a corps of two hundred, and yet seven races were represented.


    ¡°As always, have them separated by race and train. And since they weren¡¯t specially selected, allow them to move onto the next step as soon as they make progress.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    While he had said that, they all looked quite weak to Dyle.


    In terms of mana levels, they weren¡¯t even close to the average new soldier.


    He felt that training these men would be back-breaking work.


    Dyle thought back on the day they had reunited with General Miralda¡¯s main army.


    He had arrived, and was in the middle of talking to the General about their basic training. That¡¯s when Corps Commander Baltasar butted in about his placement.


    Dyle hadn¡¯t felt the need to argue about it, and offered to switch duties with him. And the General allowed it.


    The result was that Dyle¡¯s corps was sent to the fortress near the frontlines.


    Of course, that was where the training would take place as well.


    And so Dyle immediately had his men head to the fortress and prepare the training grounds.


    As veteran soldiers built these training grounds every year, they would be able to finish it quickly.


    The Giants seemed quite excited to get started, and so it was expected to be complete in just a day or two.


    However, it was in the meeting after that, that Golan and Baltasar clashed.


    If he was being honest, Dyle had assumed that it wouldn¡¯t be much of a fight, as Golan¡¯s mana was so low.


    And so he had gone in to break it up, but the General stopped him with a look.


    She didn¡¯t want anyone to interfere.


    He thought that Golan would be a clump of meat within seconds, but it was to save Baltasar that the fight ended. And then something most shocking occurred after that.


    Yes, small bugs could defeat large animals, but that was only because they attacked in great numbers.


    So when Golan overwhelmed Baltasar in a one on one fight, Dyle¡¯s jaw nearly dropped to the floor.


    Ultimately, Golan continued to have the advantage, and Baltasar was relieved of his rank and ended his service in the military as a disgrace who was sent home.


    If Dyle remembered correctly, he was from a very important Gurangatch family.


    It was very unlikely that they would ever see his face again.


    As for who took Baltasar¡¯s place, it was another Gurangatch called Exsheel.


    Dyle thought she was very intelligent and had sharp eyes.


    In any case, he would not be able to concentrate on their training. That¡¯s what Dyle thought.


    As he rested on the second day, after training was done, he had a visitor.


    ¡°Corps Commander Dyle. Do you have a moment?¡±


    ¡°Ah, Halm. What is it?¡±


    The visitor was the General¡¯s Adjutant.


    Halm was a Crystal Dragon. Both he and Adjutant Minish supported the General from the shadows.


    Halm was currently with them, while Minish was with the General.


    ¡°I was able to watch the Ogres training today and¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, so it¡¯s about that. Yes, they cleared it quite impressively.¡±


    He was rather troubled about it himself.


    Normally, it took several days to understand what you were supposed to do.


    In war, an individual¡¯s strength was very important. However, it was not the case for many soldiers.


    Besides, there were some enemies that could not be defeated unless you fought them in a group.


    It was the same for traveling.


    People had to be assigned to carry things, and that included people who could not move.


    This kind of solidarity was something that grew little by little. You could not throw them into the battlefield and expect them to be able to do it.


    And so his aim had been to make them learn it through training.


    However, they had already cleared the first course on just the second day.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like they knew about it in advance.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. The first day was quite a disaster. Someone must have realized it right after that. Their leader would have then found a solution overnight and corrected them.¡±


    It was very strange indeed. These Ogres that did whatever they wanted were suddenly moving in perfect synchronization.


    No, it wasn¡¯t strange. It was a miracle.


    ¡°What will you do tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°The Ogres are the only ones who can move forward. And I have a mind to just sit back and see how far they can go.¡±


    ¡°So the second part of the training then. You¡¯re making them face the ultimate decision. Of course, they will fail anyway. But isn¡¯t it a little early?¡±


    ¡°The General assured me that since they weren¡¯t specially selected, I could push them forward once I was satisfied with where they were.¡± s?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I see. I actually have work to do tomorrow, but I¡¯m too curious to leave without seeing how this goes down.¡±


    ¡°Do as you like¡­ As you said, they are bound to fail.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I want to see it. I¡¯m interested in seeing how they mess it up.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I will let the others know. You can spectate from a place of your choice.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    ¡°Then I would like to watch from the inside.¡±


    ¡°The inside¡­ I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. See you tomorrow then.¡±


    ¡°Yes. In that case, tell me about it at night. What choice they made.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yes, tomorrow. I look forward to it.¡±


    Corps Commander Dyle and Halm the Crystal Dragon shook hands and parted ways.


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 Chapter 147

    Chapter 147¡°Hey, Golan. Is this really the right road?¡±


    ¡°It is.¡±


    ¡°Really? Are you sure we¡¯re not taking a longer route?¡±


    ¡°This way is fine. Just shut up and walk¡­ Actually, Beka. You should go on ahead and see if there are any enemies.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but¡­ How far should I go?¡±


    ¡°Up to the foot of that mountain.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Beka went running off.


    Even if there were enemies, she wouldn¡¯t have any trouble running through them and coming back.


    I could hear the sounds of unsynchronized feet moving behind me.


    Currently, there were more than just Ogres marching.


    There were thirty non-combat personnel.


    This is how it all happened.


    ¡°¡­The next training. Already?¡±


    Corps Commander Dyle handed me the map and ordered us to move.


    ¡°This training involves escorting non-combat personnel to your destination. You must avoid obstacles along the way and take them there safely.¡±


    That¡¯s what he told me in the morning when I was heading to the training grounds. We hadn¡¯t been given any advance warning.


    ¡°Escorting non-combat personnel, eh?¡±


    I looked down at the map.


    My instincts were telling me that this would be very bad.


    I didn¡¯t know the land at all. That was the biggest problem.


    He said that there would be obstacles, but we wouldn¡¯t know when and where they would appear.


    They were fully prepared, and we had to move through unfamiliar territory.


    It didn¡¯t seem fair at all.


    We just weren¡¯t prepared for this.


    Had I known a day earlier, I would have gathered my men together and thought of a plan.


    However, I was only told just now. And we had to head out immediately.


    After all, the non-combat personnel were already here.


    ¡°We have to leave right now?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If it was just you, you¡¯d be able to reach your destination in half a day, but it will take longer for them. So you should leave early.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true.¡±


    I looked at the non-combat personnel.


    All of them were from races that weren¡¯t suited for fighting.


    Not only that, but some of them were children.


    While this was training, was it really necessary?


    ¡°Corps Commander Dyle.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It seems to me that one of them is combat personnel.¡±


    ¡°He will monitor and guard. I actually planned to have a few people go with you, but this one should be enough.¡±


    ¡°A second layer of protection¡­huh.¡±


    Among the group of delicate and weak looking people, there was one that stuck out a lot.


    It was General Miralda¡¯s Adjutant, Halm the Crystal Dragon.


    Why was he here with the non-combat personnel?


    To be honest, he could single-handedly destroy everyone here. S?a?ch* Th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    So why did we have to escort him?


    But I suppose it was possible that the non-combat personnel could get caught up in a battle, and Halm might be the last line of defense.


    Dyle had said that he was also there to monitor us.


    This was training after all, so they did need someone to monitor the whole thing.


    ¡°¡­Very well. I¡¯ll gather my men and we will leave at once.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going on ahead so I can wait for you at your destination.¡±


    I watched Dyle leave and quietly let out a sigh.


    You couldn¡¯t set all of this up and expect me to not notice.


    There would be some kind of ¡®reception¡¯ waiting for us on the road.


    ¡°Traveling while protecting non-combat personnel, huh¡­¡±


    This would be a lot more difficult than protecting a base.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go over here.¡±


    Not long after we departed, I moved away from our course and into some grasslands.


    ¡°What!?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Golan? Did you eat something bad?¡±


    ¡°Shut up, you two idiots. Just follow me.¡±


    As it was too much trouble to explain it, I just forced them to change course.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind that. But couldn¡¯t you at least tell us the reason?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s discriminatory!¡±


    It was times like these that Beka liked to use words that I taught her.


    Even though she barely understood them.


    ¡°This way is fine. And more importantly, keep your eyes on our surroundings. We don¡¯t know when we might be attacked.¡±


    I had split the twenty Ogres into two and had the non-combat personnel in the middle.


    After all, it wasn¡¯t like the enemy would only attack from the front.


    According to the map I received from Corps Commander Dyle, there was one checkpoint before we reached our destination.


    This was probably put in place so we wouldn¡¯t go off course in order to avoid any attacks.


    However, we were currently moving away from the road towards the checkpoint going around it.


    So it was no wonder that Saifo and Beka were alarmed. But there was a reason for this.


    (¡­They¡¯re judging our ability to read maps as well.)


    I wasn¡¯t sure why, but the map I was given had contour lines.


    With a normal map, you couldn¡¯t tell how far the foot of a mountain spread out, the height, or if you could cross it.


    I did think that the foundation for such maps being made existed in the Demon World.


    But I hadn¡¯t expected to be given one here.


    And according to the map, if we went straight to our destination, we would hit both the cliffs and the mountain.


    If we tried to go around them, it would naturally mean moving along an ¡®S¡¯ route. Which would make it easier for the enemy to attack us.


    After all, the invasion route was all but decided.


    I troubled over this for a while, and ended up choosing a route that avoided the cliffs and the enemy ambush point.


    (Normally, we would be stopped by the cliffs while making our way to the checkpoint. But judging by the spacing of the contour lines on the map, there is another cliff on the right side, so that¡¯s where we¡¯ll go.)


    You could go to the right side and around the cliff.


    However, it was also a good place for the enemy to hide.


    They would have a good view of you, and yet you wouldn¡¯t be able to see them at all.


    If I were the enemy, I would definitely be waiting there.


    Not only that, but there was even a narrow escape route in the back.


    So they could ambush us and escape if things turned sour. It really was a perfect place.


    And so even if it meant taking a longer route, I would assume that there would be an ambush, and instead, attack them from their escape route in the back.


    Once I decided to change our course, Halm the Crystal Dragon looked at me silently, but I ignored him.


    ¡°From here, it will be just us Ogres. The non-combat personnel will wait here. Also, don¡¯t make any sounds from this point on. If you do, I¡¯ll punch so hard that your jaw will fly off!¡±


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    They could at least say ¡®Yes, sir.¡¯


    And so we breathed lightly and moved without making a sound.


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 Chapter 148

    Chapter 148We slowly went down the winding road through the gaps in the boulders.


    Not a sound was made. I would not let them make any.


    If I had guessed correctly, there would be soldiers up ahead.


    Judging from the map, there really was no other spot that you could hide soldiers.


    (Of course, this depended on the map actually being correct.)


    It would all be over if it turned out that the map was fake, and realizing it was part of the test.


    We might be the ones who ended up being ambushed from the back.


    In war, an advantageous position could change everything.


    We were twenty Ogres who were supposed to protect thirty non-combat personnel as part of our training.


    (But since all of them wouldn¡¯t be able to fight, there would likely be an equal number of soldiers waiting to ambush us.)


    If we were ambushed by the same number of enemies, we would probably lose.


    But I wanted to defy their expectations with an overwhelming victory.


    The soldiers should be visible after we turned the next corner.


    I stopped just before reaching it. The others all stopped as well.


    Then I slowly raised my right hand, which I used to hold my weapon. The others followed.


    We were currently holding clubs.


    We had been told that we could only use wooden weapons for this training, and so I chose something that was both heavy and easy to use.


    Wooden spears had more reach and looked advantageous at a glance, but when you weren¡¯t familiar with your surroundings, you couldn¡¯t count on the enemy attacking from the front.


    Spears were long and might end up hiding your comrades or the non-combat personnel. And so I had decided against using them. No one was wielding a spear.


    Wooden swords were also an option, but they weren¡¯t as durable.


    They would likely break after a few swings when wielded by an Ogre.


    And so I had decided to use the simple but most appropriate weapon.


    Out of our options, the clubs were the shortest.


    On the other hand, they were thick and heavy.


    It was like the trunk of a tree had been used to make them, and only the handle was thinner than the rest. It was very rough and almost looked like a hammer.


    However, it would be easy enough for the Ogres to swing with them.


    And so we raised the weapons above our heads and dashed forward.


    ¡ªAARRRRGHHHH!!


    I wasn¡¯t sure if it was my voice or someone behind me.


    However, everyone joined in the harmony, which echoed loudly around us.


    When we turned the corner, the enemy was there as expected.


    They were Mezukis. Taller and stronger than Ogres.


    And while horses were cowardly herbivores, these guys were different.


    They had the agility and toughness of horses, but they were a vicious race. They would be a very formidable enemy.


    ¡°¡­AARRGH!!¡±


    The reason that we had charged while raising our clubs, was so that we would be sure to get in the first hit.


    We wouldn¡¯t raise it and then swing down. We would just run towards them and then swing with all of the force of our momentum.


    My first hit landed, and a Mizuki¡¯s head caved in.


    Yes. It was almost too much power.


    Of course, it was already known that people would die and be injured during this training, so I didn¡¯t think about it.


    And I quickly moved on to my next prey.


    The reason why the enemy were slow to react was because they were all wielding bows.


    It seemed like they had intended on ambushing us with arrows and then charging with spears.


    And while their arrows didn¡¯t have metal heads, the power of a Mizuki would ensure that they were still deadly. S?a?ch* Th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    So I was glad that we had come in from behind.


    The Mizuki reacted to us by raising their wooden shields, but we were already too close.


    I had taken down three of them by this point.


    And my fellow Ogres were good at this kind of chaotic battle.


    They gladly swung their clubs into the enemy.


    After about half of their number had gone down, the person who appeared to be their leader shouted ¡®we surrender!¡¯


    This had been decided in advance. If one side shouted this, the battle would be over.


    Had we shouted it instead, it would have meant failing, even if the people being escorted all survived.


    ¡°Alright. All of you, stop fighting!¡±


    As they were used to it now, they all obeyed immediately.


    The Mizukis all threw their wooden spears onto the ground. I could see that they were well trained.


    ¡°Bring the others. It¡¯s now safe here.¡±


    Before the others arrived, I looked at the Mizukis.


    After fighting them, I saw that as individuals, they were indeed stronger than Ogres.


    But as the battle had been so chaotic, I didn¡¯t know how good they were as an organized group.


    Also, I now saw that there were a total of thirty of them.


    Why did they outnumber us? Why?


    ¡°This is your training. I cannot answer any questions.¡±


    Said the leader as I looked at them with disbelief.


    ¡°No questions, eh¡­?? Well, nevermind. How about a little chat?¡±


    ¡°¡­Aye.¡±


    ¡°I heard that Mizukis were brave in battle. I guess I was wrong.¡±


    It was a little provocation. I wanted to hear his answer.


    ¡°We had planned to attack you as you followed the cliffs. And so we were unable to react in time when you came from behind. No, perhaps it was because we had to change our weapons.¡±


    It was as they finished changing their bows for spears that we were already upon them.


    I see, so they were originally going to scatter and rely on each individual¡¯s strength.


    However, they ended up having to fight here, in a much narrower space with spears. And then he realized that there was no way to regain the advantage, and so he surrendered.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t the wrong decision.¡±


    Perhaps it was because he was brave, that he also knew when to withdraw.


    Still, it was strange.


    Preparing thirty of a race that were stronger than Ogres, and having them ambush us.


    It was ridiculous. There would be no way for us to stand against them.


    We¡¯d be annihilated and it would be over.


    That seemed a bit harsh for something that was only training.


    It was so astonishing that I thought about it for a while. And then the non-combat personnel arrived.


    I had to stop wondering and think about what to do from this point on.


    Surely this wasn¡¯t the only obstacle.


    Could we really reach our goal while protecting these people?


    Halm looked down at the Mizukis lying on the ground, and then he looked at me.


    It was clear that he wanted to say something.


    However, I was the one that wanted to grab him by the collar and ask him what was going on here.


    Of course, I knew that it would be pointless.


    ¡°Alright, get back in line. There shouldn¡¯t be any more ambushes until we reach the checkpoint. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Golan. How do you know that there won¡¯t be any more ambushes?¡±


    ¡°According to the map, there are only cliffs on the left side and mountains on the ride. There is nowhere for soldiers to hide.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t bother to explain it. Let¡¯s just go.¡±


    Saifo wouldn¡¯t understand if I talked to him about contour lines. And it would be a waste of time.


    And so we moved on both sides of the non-combat personnel and started to march.


    On the way, Beka said, ¡®There really are mountains and cliffs on the sides. And Golan was able to tell without seeing them.¡¯ She was very surprised.


    As expected, there were no more attacks, and we reached the checkpoint safely.


    Here, we did a head count of the non-combat personnel.


    Of course, they were all there. Not a single one was missing.


    We were told that we could leave our wounded there if there were any, but I refused, as there were only a few people who had scratches.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Now there was only a mountain between us and our goal.


    We would have to go around it.


    And as we walked around the left side of the mountain, I started to hear voices coming from the far back.


    ¡°Is it an attack?¡±


    I could hear the sounds of bending trees coming from the gentle slope to our left.


    Clearly, this time the enemy wasn¡¯t trying to hide.


    ¡°The enemy is waiting for us up ahead.¡±


    I had sent scouts up ahead, and it turned out there were soldiers there as well. Was it a pincer attack?


    ¡°How many? Which race?¡±


    ¡°Mizukis. About the same number as us.¡±


    ¡°¡­Damn it.¡±


    They really didn¡¯t want us to get through this training.


    The enemy in front would likely attack us the moment they heard us fighting.


    It was a good thing I had sent out scouts.


    However, the situation would only get worse if we stayed here.


    If it was only us, we could probably make a desperate charge and open a path through them. But we had people who couldn¡¯t fight with us.


    So that was not an option.


    ¡°All of you, listen to me!¡±


    And so I told them my plan.

 Chapter 149

    Chapter 149¡°I have a plan. I¡¯ll deal with the soldiers that are coming from down the slope. In the meantime, the rest of you will rout out the enemy in the front. And when you¡¯re done, take the non-combat personnel and head for the goal point. I¡¯ll follow you from behind.¡±


    As there was no time, I explained it to them quickly.


    The enemy was demanding that we fight a two-front war. And I had no intention of complying with them in the most honest way.


    ¡°That¡¯s it. Got it?¡±


    ¡°Not really, Golan. But I guess you want us to fight like we always do?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Don¡¯t look anywhere but up ahead, and rout out the enemy!¡±


    ¡°Argh! That¡¯s something I¡¯m good at.¡±


    ¡°That sounds easy.¡±


    ¡°When can we do it?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it now!¡±


    ¡°You guys¡­don¡¯t forget the non-combat¡­they¡¯re gone¡­¡±


    They all ran ahead while shouting at the top of their lungs.


    ¡°¡­Well, I guess the rest of you better go after them.¡±


    That was all I said to the non-combat personnel. Then I started dashing down the slope.


    If I had guessed correctly, the people coming up from behind us would be a race that specialized in defense.


    After all, they had purposely created noise and were trying to lure us towards them.


    Of course, between someone going up a hill and someone going down¡­ It was the person going down who would have more momentum.


    But the enemy would have defenses that were so high they could still stop us.


    So much that this wooden club I was holding might not do any damage at all. s?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The battle line would be a deadlock. I wouldn¡¯t know what to do from there.


    And then the reinforcements would come from behind for a pincer attack. Something like that.


    I quite disliked these kinds of methods.


    But it was the only possibility that I could think of, considering the positions of the enemy.


    ¡°I knew they wouldn¡¯t allow us to reach the goal without a fight. And this is what they prepared.¡±


    What then appeared from the bushes, were creatures with black shells.


    ¡°Specialized in defense was an understatement.¡±


    They were Black Running Turtles.


    There were only five, which was fewer than I had expected. However, they were practically on the same level as Reapers. They could beat Ogres with ease.


    Their shells were hard and durable. Even our usual weapons¡ªthe metal rods, would have a tough time getting through them.


    In that case, it seemed like it would be better to not fight them at all. However, these guys were fast.


    When it came to a siege, you could break through an enemy base by just having a few Black Running Turtles charge into them.


    Perhaps because they had to carry the heavy shells on their backs, they had very strong legs. And so while these legs looked like the most obvious place to attack, doing so was usually futile.


    ¡°But they¡¯ll catch up with the non-combat personnel if I don¡¯t do something. ¡­Well, better get going then. With these guys, the important thing to remember is that they have forefeet, not hands.¡±


    I said with a grin.


    ¡ð Goal Point ¨C Corps Commander Dyle


    Corps Commander Dyle was waiting for Golan and the others to arrive.


    Of course, there was a good possibility that they wouldn¡¯t arrive at all.


    In the first place, this training was¡­ His thoughts were interrupted. They had arrived. And far ahead of schedule.


    Dyle blinked.


    He had just seen that the non-combat personnel were with them as well.


    They had only just come into view, and so they had yet to be counted. However, he believed that they were all there.


    In other words, they had passed the second part of their training.


    But then again. This training wasn¡¯t supposed to allow you to pass¡­?


    Dyle held his head and muttered, ¡®It doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡¯


    ¡°Where¡¯s Golan?¡±


    He wanted to know what had happened, but Golan was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°Golan? Oh, I think he¡¯ll take a little longer to arrive?¡±


    ¡°Longer? What do you mean?¡±


    The leader was acting on his own? This too did not make any sense.


    ¡°Well, uh. The enemy was coming up from behind us. And so he went and faced them by himself.¡±


    One of the Ogres explained.


    So he challenged them without knowing that they were Black Running Turtles.


    More like ¡®running mountains.¡¯ They could break your bones by just stepping on you.


    ¡°In that case, Golan is already¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be here soon!¡±


    Dyle felt sorry for these simple-minded, optimistic Ogres.


    ¡°Unfortunately, he will not be joining us. If he is even alive now.¡±


    He had faced them alone. What recklessness.


    ¡°Hey, did you hear that? ¡®If he is alive!¡¯ That¡¯s so funny!¡±


    Said an Ogre woman. The others burst into laughter. What was so amusing?


    ¡°He is fighting the Black Running Turtles, is he not? There is no way that he could win. And he will not be able to run away from them either. After all, they are much faster than they appear¡­ And so¡­?¡±


    Dyle then realized something odd. Why were all the Ogres unhurt?


    And where were the Black Running Turtles now?


    Dyle had placed the Mizuki in front of them as the very last obstacle.


    A corps that lacked ability would easily end up a victim to a pincer attack no matter how hard they fought.


    And even if these Ogres were very capable, they would still have to split into two groups and fight. They had inferior numbers, and would lose.


    They should not have been able to overcome this final obstacle.


    The only way they could have gotten through the Mizukis was if they all attacked together.


    In other words, they would lose the moment that they split up.


    That being said, the Black Running Turtles were coming up from the back. So even if they all charged at the Mizukis and fought, the non-combat personnel would be attacked in the meantime.


    And if they tried to defeat the Black Running Turtles first, the Mizukis would hear them fighting and rush down to attack them.


    In other words, the purpose of this training was to make them experience a battle that could not be won.


    Breaking their spirits once was necessary in order to make them rise again. That was the real goal.


    And what was most odd now, was that after they fought with the Mizukis and escorted the non-combat personnel to the goal, the Black Running Turtles had not attacked them.


    ¡°What does this mean?¡±


    Dyle looked towards Halm the Crystal Dragon.


    Halm just shook his head. He didn¡¯t understand either.


    They had been sandwiched between two groups of enemies that they could not win against. And yet they were here. Safe and with the non-combat personnel.


    Was such a thing really possible?


    ¡°Ah, it looks like I¡¯m late.¡±


    ¡°Golan!?¡±


    Dyle raised his voice. ¡®Hey¡¯ Golan said with a wave of his hand.


    The Ogres had said that Golan went off to fight the Black Running Turtles by himself.


    ¡°Oh, I see you all reached the goal together. Well, I guess that¡¯s the end of this training then.¡±


    ¡°It is!¡±


    ¡°What do we do next, Golan?¡±


    ¡°Like I¡¯d know. Don¡¯t ask me.¡±


    Golan and the other Ogres were talking excitedly. And from the looks of him, he had not been injured at all.


    Dyle did not understand any of it.

 Chapter 150

    Chapter 150¡ð Corps Commander Dyle


    The night after the second training ended.


    Halm the Crystal Dragon visited Corps Commander Dyle in his tent.


    Dyle immediately invited him in.


    Of course, they had not planned to discuss anything.


    However, there was almost a need for both of them to talk about the events of the day.


    Dyle prepared a chair and put his favorite wine on the table. And then he began to talk.


    ¡°It just isn¡¯t right. It should not have been possible to beat it. I had adjusted it myself in order to ensure that it couldn¡¯t be beaten.¡±


    After all, Dyle had seen many new soldiers go through basic training.


    And while they weren¡¯t always the exact same difficulty, they were never so easy as to be beatable.


    And this time had been no different.


    Halm accepted a cup and drank it gratefully. And after a deep sigh, he nodded slowly.


    ¡°I could tell, just by watching. I don¡¯t think that you are at fault, Corps Commander. And it was clear to me that they hadn¡¯t had any information leaked to them. Though, I was quite surprised when he was able to decipher the map at a glance.¡±


    ¡°He did that!? But it¡¯s a state secret¡­ Someone from another country shouldn¡¯t know how¡­ Anyone over a Commander would have opportunities to see them, but this information should not have spread to any other countries.¡±


    Dyle reacted very strongly to Halm¡¯s last words.


    That map was special. And so he had kept it safe, without losing it even once.


    Yes, there were many who knew of maps that had contour lines.


    However, they didn¡¯t really know how to read a map. It just looked like a complicated mess, and they would give up.


    In the first place, these maps had been invented out of necessity. Leaders needed something like them in order to make plans. They were useless to those who just obeyed orders.


    ¡°I understand that you¡¯re surprised, but it¡¯s the truth. He understood it at a glance, and was able to read your intentions.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t as if Dyle thought that Halm was lying.


    However, he still had difficulty believing it all.


    For this training, there had been a checkpoint between the start and the goal.


    There was a gentle path that stretched onto the checkpoint. Most people would want to just walk straight along it.


    However, once you reached the cliffs, the path split into two.


    And judging by the way that the cliffs spread out, the right side would get narrower gradually, and so most people would go down that side.


    It was along the road, so it would seem safer.


    Of course, it was just as the cliff ended and you were relieved that you could go around to the other side, that the ambush would come from behind. That was the plan.


    That was the first attack.


    When Dyle had first heard that they all passed through the checkpoint safely, he assumed that they had taken the left path.


    However, if that was the case, they had arrived much too early.


    If you took the left path, the cliff would continue on the right sight for quite some time. You wouldn¡¯t be able to get onto the right path without taking a long route around.


    They wouldn¡¯t reach the checkpoint until late in the evening, if not night.


    So, what if they took the right turn?


    If they went along the road, then the rock walls would block their view ahead.


    This rock wall continued on and on. And there was one bypath along the way, which he could hide soldiers. But they would never know it.


    Besides, there was grass between the path and the rock walls, and it was unlikely that they would go out of their way to check to see if there were any gaps.


    An ambush was all but an established fact.


    ¡°When I heard about it later, I assumed that they just happened to come out behind the waiting soldiers by accident¡­¡±


    Perhaps they had gotten lost, and found themselves behind the soldiers.


    It wasn¡¯t very likely, but it was still possible.


    ¡°Not only did they move away from the road from the beginning, but they kept the non-combat personnel back before the attack, and they definitely knew that soldiers were waiting for them.¡±


    If you were able to read the map, it was obvious that there was a space there that was unnatural. There was a bypath in the back.


    ¡°So, he really did decipher the map at a glance¡­ How horrifying.¡±


    Dyle himself had only been taught how to read maps after he was promoted to Corps Commander. S?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    At first, those ¡®wiggly lines¡¯ had been so very aggravating to him.


    It just seemed to make things more difficult.


    Of course, he got used to it after five and then ten years passed. Though, it could also be said that it took him that long to finally get comfortable.


    For someone who had no knowledge of it beforehand to be able to understand it¡­ What kind of brain did he have?


    ¡°Even General Miralda said that she couldn¡¯t think of Golan as being an ordinary Ogre.¡±


    Halm muttered as he remembered a past conversation.


    It was during a meeting with Golan¡¯s country. Golan had accompanied their General.


    When Halm had heard this, he laughed at the idea of a country that was so weak they would allow an Ogre to attend a meeting. However, he now felt incredibly foolish for thinking that.


    ¡°I was only watching among the non-combat personnel. And was astonished by how exceptional he was.¡±


    He understood and controlled his wild Ogres perfectly. He made quick and precise decisions. Halm said that Golan reminded him of an old General.


    Indeed, the reason that they had been able to reach the goal so quickly, was because Golan had always made the right decision.


    ¡°But the last trial. I still don¡¯t understand how he was able to pass it.¡±


    There was one attack before reaching the checkpoint.


    Not only was it an ambush from behind, but these soldiers would still overwhelm them if they fought with their full force.


    It should have been a total defeat. At best, they would have had to run.


    Obviously, that would mean abandoning the non-combat personnel and failing their training.


    In fact, up until now, eighty percent of past trainees had failed at that point.


    And yet Golan and his men had cleared it by being the ones to ambush the soldiers.


    However, the second attack would not be so easy.


    After all, he had prepared something much worse.


    Dyle was incredibly curious as to how they had passed it.


    And so Halm told him what he had seen and heard.


    ¡°First, he sent out scouts. At that point, the ambush from the front had failed. And so Golan knew how many were waiting for them. And he understood that he would have to send all of his men in order to win.¡±


    Dyle nodded. Yes, he placed them there for that very purpose.


    You had to send out twenty Ogres to even hope to have a chance. And so it would still not mean a definite victory.


    That being said, there would still be a pincer attack, which would force him to split up his men.


    ¡°But Golan went to stop them by himself¡­is such a thing possible?¡±


    ¡°Well, it was, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°But how?¡±


    Dyle did not know any of the details.


    Besides, he had other trainees he needed to watch. And he had his own subordinates. He could not pay too much attention to Golan and the Ogres.


    ¡°To put it simply, he crushed their eyes. I didn¡¯t realize that was an option when stopping them.¡±


    Halm said darkly.


    Black Running Turtles were so large and had high defense ability.


    And while Golan had all the amazing physicality of the Ogres, he was still shorter, and he was wielding a wooden club.


    Regardless, it seemed that Golan had targeted their eyes in order to make up for his disadvantages.


    Compared to the other weapons that had been prepared, clubs were big and heavy.


    If Golan raised the club in the air, it would finally reach the faces of the Black Running Turtles.


    ¡°He only targeted the eyes?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If you attacked them with a wooden spear, and they closed their eyelids, you would do no damage. However, if an Ogre attacked them with a wooden club, it would do damage whether their eyes were closed or not.¡±


    Black Running Turtles fought by ramming or crushing with their feet.


    And so when their face was targeted¡ªit was hard for them to stop it.


    They were good at standing up on their hind legs and crushing the enemy with their feet. However, this time they would be on a slope. Standing on their hindlegs would be terrible for their balance.


    Not only that, but as Golan moved so swiftly, it was hard for them to target him, and they were ultimately led around by the nose.


    ¡°The Black Running Turtles could be stopped with such methods?¡±


    ¡°It was really only possible because of where they stood. After all, no one can stop them once they start running. However, they were on a slope¡­¡±


    Indeed, Dyle¡¯s positioning of the Black Running Turtles in an area where they wouldn¡¯t be able to fight at their best could be seen as a grave error. However, it also felt like too much to blame him for it.


    Regardless, Golan had won.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s how they got through the last obstacle.¡±


    The other Ogres had fought the Mezukis and won.


    ¡°The victory came quickly, because Golan wasn¡¯t the only Ogre there with unusual strength.¡±


    Said Halm who had been watching from a distance.


    ¡°A group of Ogres that are stronger than Mizukis, eh? What is going on¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Who knows? But more importantly, what will you prepare for their next training?¡±


    Dyle was only more mystified after hearing the details about what had happened. And upon hearing those words, he grew a little pale.


    ¡°Prepare for the next¡­ I haven¡¯t even started.¡±


    I didn¡¯t prepare anything because I didn¡¯t expect you to pass¡­ He might have to say that to Golan tomorrow.


    ¡°Well, I will be leaving now.¡±


    Halm said with a calm expression. As if Dyle¡¯s problems had nothing to do with him.


    Still, he didn¡¯t forget to say, ¡®that was very good wine,¡¯ before taking his leave.

 Chapter 151

    Chapter 151When it was night time, a servant was sent to me from Corps Commander Dyle.


    Now this was a surprise, and it turned out that he wrote me a letter.


    The servant left as soon as I accepted it.


    And so there was nothing for me to do but roll onto my bed and read.


    In the Demon World, people did not write formal greetings. Especially not military people. There were no literary flourishes.


    They just told you what you needed to know in brief sentences.


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s what I thought.¡±


    But this letter was rather long.


    There were words of appreciation and praise for the previous days of training, as well as today¡¯s results.


    In fact, it was almost off-putting how much he praised us.


    Of course, I immediately became suspicious about there being more to this letter. And so I called in Rig to help me decipher it.


    ¡°It does not seem particularly strange to me, sir.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. There is definitely some kind of trick to it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say¡­¡±


    Rig looked troubled, but I would not back down.


    I thought back on all of our training up until now.


    No matter how I looked at it, all of the trials the Corps Commander had prepared for us felt ¡®malicious.¡¯


    And so there must be something to this letter.


    That¡¯s what I thought¡­


    ¡°I really don¡¯t think there is anything. Besides¡­he is just telling you that there will be no training tomorrow. No, that he will let you know when the next training will start, and that you can rest until then.¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be it! There must be something! Hey, Rig. Think of a way to find out what he really means. I need the answer.¡±


    The answer.


    As I insisted he do something, Rig muttered, ¡®I have my own training tomorrow, so I must go now¡¯ and he left.


    ¡°It¡¯s not right. Perhaps he¡¯s letting us think we can rest, only we¡¯ll fail the test if we don¡¯t gather together in the morning. Maybe he¡¯ll rescind the day of rest¡­ No, wait. He said that we will be able to rest for a while starting tomorrow, but maybe there will be special training. Yes. I won¡¯t be fooled!¡±


    Then it wasn¡¯t just normal training that we were supposed to undergo.


    Well, I¡¯ll show him tomorrow.


    And then it was the next day.


    I waited and waited. But it seemed that it really was a day of rest, as Corps Commander Dyle had gone off somewhere.


    No matter how long I waited, we received no news of any special training. And so I decided to go and see them in person. This caused quite a stir in the Corps Commander¡¯s tent, as they thought this was an uprising.


    Well, it was because I had gone in full gear, with my sword and metal staff. So it was no wonder that they were surprised. But I still thought it was overblown.


    ¡°I accidentally attacked the Deputy Corps Commander.¡±


    The Corps Commander¡¯s soldiers had come running at me with spears, and so I had instinctively grabbed the Deputy Corps Commander who had been close by, and escaped.


    However, he made such a fuss about it, that I had to bash him over the head a few times and carry him over my shoulder. It was a close call. I was nearly arrested in spite of being innocent.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, where did he go?¡±


    I had tossed him to the side on the way, as he was no longer useful. But I hoped he was alright.


    Apparently, Corps Commander Dyle had returned to General Miralda¡¯s main camp during the night. And when he returned, he saw that his men were preparing to rescue the Deputy Corps Commander.


    But he understood that it was clearly a mistake, and so he calmed them down and came to talk to me.


    However, there were at least ten of his soldiers hiding behind him, and they were all wielding weapons. The other Ogres immediately reacted to this ominous atmosphere, and launched a preemptive attack.


    Of course, the soldiers expected to be ambushed, and so they reacted calmly and without panicking.


    Not only that, but the Corps Commander¡¯s men wielded actual swords, which was bad news for my comrades.


    That¡¯s when Saifo and Beka appeared. At first I thought they were going to stop the others, but instead, they joined them happily.


    And so I had no choice but to join them until everything became quiet.


    It was when I was finally able to talk to Dyle that he asked, ¡®Why did you start a rebellion? Was it General Farneze¡¯s doing?¡¯


    It was just as I was about to insist that it was all a misunderstanding. I noticed something.


    I was stepping on one of his soldiers who lay on the ground.


    But well¡­after giving him an honest account of what had happened, he finally understood.


    Though, he did unsheathe his sword at least twice while we talked.


    And while I felt that it had all started because of their mistake, it was clear that Dyle didn¡¯t agree. After all, I had been fully armed while shouting ¡®where¡¯s Dyle?¡¯ as I jumped into their camp. It was no wonder that they assumed I had come to attack him.


    But I had only been prepared because I suspected there would be some kind of special training.


    ¡°They told me that you came running towards them with blood-shot eyes.¡±


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t got much sleep because I stayed up trying to think about what you had planned.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Ultimately, they were also able to recover the Deputy Corps Commander I had tossed out. S?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°In the first place, why did you send a letter?¡±


    Ever since receiving it last night, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking that there was something behind it.


    ¡°Because I decided to return to the main camp in order to make a request regarding the next part of your training. I wrote the letter while my subordinates prepared for our departure. I could have gone to meet you directly, but I¡¯d be able to reach the main camp by morning if I left during the night.¡±


    So it really was nothing at all.


    He just didn¡¯t have enough time.


    ¡°Well, I understand that now. But saying we have to rest until¡­¡±


    ¡°You should rest when you can. That is something you¡¯ll have to learn in this army.¡±


    ¡°I know that, but¡­¡±


    The other Ogres were too excited for that right now. I was worried about what they would do if they couldn¡¯t let off some steam.


    ¡°Besides, the training with the other races isn¡¯t moving as smoothly. I would prefer it if you all advanced together.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, now that you mention it, there¡¯s something that¡¯s been bothering me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all training separately now. But shouldn¡¯t there be training that we all participate in together?¡±


    It was strange that the contents of the training was so different between races.


    ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re still in basic training. That is the rule. One of the goals of this training is ensuring that each race can move as a group.¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t coordinate with your own kind, then you have no hope of doing it with others?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. As for training that involves multiple races, that is a state secret. And I will not be able to tell you about it even after you finish your basic training.¡±


    As it would allow people to predict the movements of the army, it was a tightly kept secret.


    ¡°I understand. It¡¯s a good reason. So, when will our training continue?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in the middle of preparing a worthy opponent. They should arrive in two to three days. I¡¯ll let you know when they do. That¡¯s when your training will continue.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Also, don¡¯t walk around the camp fully armed like that. Even my men will be intimidated.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not someone that just bites in every direction.¡±


    ¡°They understand that. However, one must be careful around someone who bites in every other direction. Now, you must excuse me.¡±


    ¡°Good day, Corps Commander.¡±


    ¡°Aye¡­¡±


    After Dyle left, a certain thought hit me.


    ¡°¡­Do I really bite in every other direction?¡±


    This was malicious slander.

 Chapter 152

    Chapter 152¡°¡­I¡¯m bored.¡±


    Two days had now passed since the day I talked to Corps Commander Dyle. And I spent a lot of that time laying in my bed.


    Just rolling around and staring at the ceiling.


    I did go out once to take a walk, but those around me looked uncomfortable, so I came back.


    According to Rig, a note had been sent to everyone, marking me out as a person who attacked others all of the time for no reason.


    ¡°As if I would do that!¡±


    I protested. ¡®Yes, it¡¯s only half of the time, sir¡¯ Rig agreed.


    It just wasn¡¯t right.


    Still, even in my past life, I had always been a long-suffering person. And so I stayed here, wasting my time.


    ¡°¡­I really am bored. Damn it.¡±


    It almost made me want to go out and actually start a fight. But just then, a messenger from the Corps Commander arrived.


    ¡°I have a report.¡±


    I heard the voice coming from outside of the tent, and jumped out as if I had been waiting for it. The messenger was quite shocked by this.


    I thought this was strange, as he knew I was inside. But then I realized it was because of the way I was dressed.


    These were my room clothes. Which was really just something around the waist.


    So I was almost naked.


    Still¡­I think I was safe in terms of coverage.


    ¡°Ah¡­cough. Let¡¯s hear it then.¡±


    The messenger was in full uniform.


    And I was in my underwear.


    It must have made a rather surreal picture.


    ¡°This evening, your opponents in training will arrive from the main camp. This means your training will start on the day after tomorrow, in the morning. You are to read the details here.¡±


    Ah, so it was about our training after all.


    The time and place were written down for me.


    It was going to be a group battle between two races of equal numbers.


    Only wooden weapons were allowed.


    Metal armor was banned as well. So I guess we had to wear leather.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t say who the opponents will be. Who are they? Also, why is it the day after tomorrow? Why not tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°You will be fighting Makaras. There was a request to have it the day after tomorrow, as they want a day for their own training.¡±


    ¡°I see. Thank you. The day after tomorrow then.


    ¡°That is all.¡±


    The messenger left.


    I had never heard of the Makara before.


    There weren¡¯t any in our country, and none of the traveling merchants had talked about them.


    ¡°And I don¡¯t remember them from my past either. But I heard nearly all of the names and characteristics of the different races from merchants.¡±


    If you sell things, sell information. And so I had talked thoroughly with every traveling merchant I ever met, and asked them about the other races.


    And yet I had still never heard of the Makara.


    ¡°Markara, eh? Well, if they¡¯re going to be training tomorrow, I might as well have a look.¡±


    Of course, I¡¯ll do it quietly.


    After that, Saifo and Beka came and caught me grinning to myself.


    As it was perfect timing, I mocked them casually and told them that our training would start on the day after tomorrow, and so they should tell the others to prepare. S~?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Just as they were leaving, Saifo and Beka said something horrifying.


    ¡°Hey, Golan. I hope you¡¯re showing that intentionally.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The head is sticking out!¡±


    Their eyes were fixed towards my waist.


    So it was showing. Damn it.


    The next day, I searched for the Makara and found them with ease.


    They were strong-looking black mountain goats.


    Some had horns like a bull, while others had horns that curled in a circle.


    And since they had similar physiques, it would probably be easier to tell them apart by looking at their horns.


    And so I followed them quietly and watched them train.


    What they did was most strange.


    They moved as a group, stopped, held up their weapons, and then moved again.


    It seemed like some kind of performance at first. And then I realized it.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s¡­a battle simulation.¡±


    An air battle.


    The way they moved reminded me of mass games, but this was a group battle.


    So they were good at this kind of thing.


    Were they doing this air battle without weapons or armor as a part of their mental training?


    ¡°The left hand looks like it would hold a shield¡­a great shield. Are those archers?¡±


    They were fighting closely with spears and great shields.


    The great shield wielders protected the archers so they could shoot.


    Was someone giving them orders?


    What was immediately evident, was how precise their movements were.


    They could move perfectly in order to deal with attacks from the side and even ambushes from the back.


    ¡°I see. So everyone is in charge of attacking and defense. And they can attack at long, mid and close range as well. They are definitely a formidable enemy.¡±


    It seemed like a group that could quickly evolve to meet the demands of the battlefield. There were no weaknesses.


    They could attack and protect freely.


    ¡°This is bad.¡±


    I¡¯d have to figure out some way to deal with them, or it would easily turn into a one-sided battle.


    And so I left quietly.


    ¡ð Corps Commander Dyle


    ¡°It looks like they arrived.¡±


    Halm, the Crystal Dragon, had visited Dyle.


    ¡°Aye. I was worried that the Ogres would explode, and now I can finally sigh with relief.¡±


    This made it sound like Dyle feared the Ogres. But Dyle was a leader within the military.


    And so it was only natural for him to do his best to keep order.


    Whether planned or not, when the Ogres¡ªespecially Golan, moved, things tended to happen.


    ¡°And now their basic training can continue as usual.¡±


    Halm said soberly. Dyle shook his head.


    ¡°No, I intend for this to be the end of their training.¡±


    Halm¡¯s eyes widened at these unexpected words.


    There were supposed to be five parts to basic training.


    And they had all been put in place for proper reasons.


    And while a Corps Commander did have the authority to do as he pleased, such a thing was very rare.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to abandon their training?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. The fourth training is survival. Where you are put in harsh conditions all alone and must survive and return to the main camp.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Food and water must be acquired on site. And you¡¯re expected to walk over five hundred kilometers, I believe?¡±


    It was very severe.


    ¡°Previously, I had the opportunity to hold a hearing with the Ogres.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Golan told me that I should hear from as many of them as I could. It seemed like good advice, and so I did. Surprisingly, Ogres in their country make almost all of their own food.¡±


    They lived in undeveloped villages and formed independent societies.


    ¡°Yes, smaller countries tend to be like that. And?¡±


    ¡°And they have all experienced some sort of survival training. By their own choice.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, say they get hungry and so they go up to the mountains. There is prey. They follow it, only to move farther away from their house. And they say, ¡®oh, well¡¯ and just live there for awhile.¡±


    ¡°What savages!¡±


    ¡°You can say that. This survival training is effective on the elite who live in towns. But it won¡¯t mean anything to those who are used to that kind of life.¡±


    ¡°I see. There is no point in making them do it, if they will pass with ease.¡±


    If it¡¯s too easy, they¡¯ll just say, ¡®What? That¡¯s it?¡¯


    ¡°And so I decided that it would be pointless.¡±


    ¡°But what about the last part of their training? Isn¡¯t that supposed to be the culmination of everything before it?¡±


    ¡°Yes. However, the end is a one on one battle training¡­a duel, like Gekokujyo.¡±


    ¡°Ah, in order to show them who is still in charge.¡±


    These newcomers who survived all of this harsh training might feel like they¡¯re on a different level now.


    However, it was important to show them at the very end, that there was always someone above them.


    They would be beaten into a pulp in a place where there was no way to escape.


    Halm felt it was exactly the kind of thing that these Ogres needed.


    ¡°I can¡¯t find anyone who can do that to Golan. Perhaps I should just compromise, and look for someone who isn¡¯t guaranteed to beat him. However, I¡¯ve been feeling differently about things recently.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, there was that rebellion incident. These Ogres have surprisingly high combat ability. And Golan isn¡¯t the only one who you need to watch out for.¡±


    In other words, it was possible that he could bring out someone from the high-ranking races, and they would still lose.


    And Dyle felt that this would be very bad indeed.


    The very thought of multiple high-rankers losing in a row¡­


    He wanted to avoid this. But he wasn¡¯t confident that he could.


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Halm considered it as well. After traveling with them, his thoughts were ¡®Ogres really are ruthless,¡¯ and ¡®why were Ogres treated as one of the weaker races?¡¯


    Indeed, Halm was not sure how strong an enemy would need to be to win against them for sure.


    ¡°And so the next one will be the last part of their training.¡±


    ¡°Aye. That¡¯s why I had the Makaras come here. And while the General agreed to send out these secret soldiers, others were not so pleased about it. But it was only through doing this, that we will be able to save face tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, I will be sure to watch them tomorrow then.¡±


    ¡°I hope you do. I know you won¡¯t be disappointed.¡±


    Such was the conversation between Corps Commander Dyle and Adjutant Halm, before they parted ways.

 Chapter 153

    Chapter 153¡ð Training Grounds Gallery ¨C Corps Commander Dyle


    As he had declared the previous day, Halm the Crystal Dragon had come to watch.


    There were many soldiers in the gallery as well.


    In fact, it was if anyone who was free and had no other duties to attend to had gathered to watch.


    ¡°We have quite a crowd.¡±


    Halm said as he watched the curious soldiers.


    ¡°Well, they¡¯ve only ever heard rumors about them.¡±


    Dyle¡¯s eyes were directed at the Makaras, who were stretching on the training ground.


    It was the day for the group battle.


    Out of all the parts of basic training, this one was the most entertaining to watch.


    There was another reason that so many had gathered.


    All of the soldiers there had experienced and passed this training.


    Normally, watching this battle would be a way to relax and kill time.


    However, the opponent was very special for this particular battle.


    The Makaras had arrived early to the training ground, and were thorough in their preparation.


    They were a legendary race, who were even called the ¡®Heroes of Group Battles¡¯ by Demon King Tralzard.


    But only a few had ever seen them. And even fewer had seen them fight.


    ¡°The wooden shield and spears used today had to be specially ordered.¡±


    ¡°They were made for this very purpose, and arrived last night.¡±


    The Makaras held wooden shields that were taller than they were. They waved them and seemed to be testing their weight.


    The wooden spears were also thicker than the usual, more deadly iron spears that they wielded.


    ¡°Wooden bows? Arrows made of wood will not be enough to pierce an Ogre¡¯s hide.¡±


    ¡°While they cannot use arrowheads, they did not want to change the way that they fight either.¡±


    ¡°I see. It¡¯s better to fight in the way you are accustomed to.¡±


    The bows that the Makaras carried were small compared to their shields and spears. This was because they prioritized portability.


    They had the skill to aim with precision, but their training weapons could not use metal, and so the arrowheads had been removed.


    ¡°Still, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem if they can use their shields and spears like that. Alone, they are only a little stronger than an Ogre, but the Makaras have something else¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­You mean their special ability, ¡®Synergy.¡¯¡±


    Halm nodded.


    ¡°While there are only twenty of them, which is the same number as the Ogres, they can all use ¡®Synergy.¡¯ I heard that they can even block the charge of a Black Running Turtle.¡±


    Black Running Turtles could break buildings and castle gates with their charge. And yet just twenty Makaras could stop them with their close formation guard.


    ¡°And just when the attack is foiled, the spears come out.¡±


    The more people there were that made the same movement, the stronger the power of ¡®Synergy.¡¯


    If they all used shields, their defense ability went up.


    So how effective would they be if they all used spears?


    Ten, twenty, fifty, a hundred. The more people there were that did the same thing, the higher the effect would be raised.


    With ¡®Synergy,¡¯ they could become equal with beings that were stronger than them.


    The more Makaras there were, the greater the possibilities would be for this country. That was how much potential they had.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing the Ogres put up a good fight.¡±


    ¡°I do hope that they won¡¯t embarrass themselves entirely, but that¡¯s not realistic.¡±


    Dyle had gone through great lengths to bring them here.


    The Makaras should have been with the General. They were some of the best in the army.


    ¡°It looks like the Ogres have finally arrived.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s see how this goes.¡±


    The Ogres appeared on the other side of the training grounds. And they were all carrying something in their hands.


    ¡°What is¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Logs?¡±


    The Ogres were all carrying logs on their shoulders.


    ¡°What do they mean to do?¡±


    ¡°Are they going to make a defensive wall?¡±


    As Dyle and Halm watched with puzzled expressions, the announcement for the start of the battle echoed across the grounds. S?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡ð Training Grounds ¨C Golan


    ¡°¡­All of you. Do you have your logs!¡±


    ¡°ARRGHH!¡±


    They all answered. Everything seemed to be fine.


    We had gone to the forest yesterday in order to acquire them.


    They were about twice as thick as a telephone pole. As for their length¡­well, they were also longer.


    However, we Ogres had ¡®Muscle Strengthen,¡¯ and had no trouble carrying and fighting with them.


    Once the start of the training was announced, the enemy raised their shield and curled up like turtles.


    Perfect. So we¡¯d be allowed to attack first.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Surround them!¡±


    And so we ran while holding our logs, and formed a circle around the enemy.


    Arrows started to fly at us, but they could not even get through the leather armor we wore as a precaution.


    When I looked at the fallen arrows, I saw that the heads had been cut off. They wouldn¡¯t even get through our skin.


    Still, I had expected them to carry large shields after watching them train, but the ones they had now were even bigger than I thought.


    It was a good thing that we were fully prepared.


    ¡°Do you have the tree ready?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Almost there!¡±


    I had decided to prepare an attack that would allow us to ignore their great shields.


    The largest log that an Ogre can carry¡­in fact, something that would be carried by multiple Ogres.


    The idea had come to me yesterday, and I had gone searching for it.


    ¡°It¡¯s like a world wonder.¡±


    It was a log so big that it took six Ogres to carry.


    It had taken us three hours just to cut it down. And that was while we cut from all four sides at the same time.


    ¡°Lift it up!¡±


    ¡°Arrgh!¡±


    If the enemy were going to huddle together, we needed to crack them open with this.


    At first, I had wanted to ram it into them, but we decided to smash it over them from above instead.


    ¡°The rest of you, help!¡±


    Six was not enough to carry it, but twelve managed to lift it off of the ground.


    I suspected that the enemy would try and stop us, and so I faced them, along with Saifo and Beka. But the enemy didn¡¯t stir.


    Did they have some kind of sickness that caused them to die if they weren¡¯t lined up?


    Surely this was the time for them to sacrifice a few men in order to stop us.


    ¡°Now drop it!¡±


    Still, if they weren¡¯t going to move, all the better for us.


    And just like that, the giant tree that looked like a world wonder, dropped onto the enemy¡¯s heads.


    ¡ªZuzuzuuun.


    The weight added to the speed as it fell.


    The ground shook, and the enemy were thrown into the air.


    I could hear shrieks of ¡®Synergy!¡¯ from the gallery, but I had no idea what they were talking about.


    As for the enemy, half of them were crushed underneath the log, while the other half had gone flying into the air on both sides.


    ¡°The logs! Hit them with your logs!¡±


    ¡°Arrgrhh!¡±


    As the enemy tried to pick themselves up off of the ground, I swung my log and hit, hit, hit, hit as if my life depended on it.


    Like a character in a boxing comic. The same motion over and over again.


    Still, I could hear cries from the gallery. ¡®Synergy! The Synergy!¡¯


    With this training, the leader had to admit their defeat in order for it to end.


    But since that had not happened yet, the training must go on.


    ¡°All of you! It¡¯s too early to be worn out! Keep hitting! I¡¯ll personally make sure that you regret it if you don¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    They were an honest bunch.


    The sounds of swinging logs grew louder.


    ¡°This sound. Where have I heard it before¡­¡±


    After awhile, it came to me.


    The symphony of drums that I had heard in my past life.


    It sounded so fun, that I had to join in.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how much time had passed. But at some point, I noticed that Corps Commander Dyle was grabbing onto my wait and screaming for me to stop.


    I thought the rules dictated that it had to be their leader? Why was the Corps Commander here?

 Chapter 154

    Chapter 154¡ð Corps Commander Dyle


    Out of all of Demon King Tralzard¡¯s Generals, Miralda was the most good-tempered, and would listen to the opinions of her subordinates.


    She never made demands that exceeded their ability, and she treated them with fairness. A rare General indeed.


    That was what Corps Commander Dyle believed.


    He had sworn allegiance to her, and often spoke of how she was an ideal leader.


    And so Dyle had always taken his duty seriously, and obeyed her orders as best as he could in order to gain her trust.


    His current position was proof that he was loyal.


    Of course, Dyle had also been able to rise to Corps Commander because he was not only able to follow orders, but because he had power that allowed him to survive countless battles.


    And yet now, he was faced with a great problem.


    Had Golan seen him now, he would have seen someone who had fallen to the ground in defeat.


    That was how far he had gone.


    After all, they were the Demon King¡¯s secret weapon.


    Because they were kept secret, they were not well known. However, those who did know them knew that they were some of the best when it came to group battles.


    It was said that they would change the tide of war.


    Miralda had been raising them carefully for such a purpose¡­


    ¡°¡­Annihilated.¡±


    The twenty Makaras that Dyle had borrowed.


    The first strike from the giant tree. That alone had killed six of them. They had died immediately.


    This was in spite of their special ability, ¡®Synergy,¡¯ raising their defensive ability to a frightening degree.


    And what was most unfortunate about this, was that the group leader was one of them.


    As he had been in the center, there was nowhere to run.


    While Ogres were considered to be one of the lower ranking races, they were closer to the middle when it came to physical strength.


    And they had used ¡®Muscle Strengthen.¡¯


    Six of them had dragged the tree, and then twelve of them picked it up.


    Once the training was finished, even Halm the Crystal Dragon agreed that that attack had been ¡®unthinkable.¡¯


    When it had happened, Halm and Dyle debated the appropriateness of using a giant tree. And their conclusion was that it would not be fair to allow the Makaras to use shields and spears while saying the Ogres could not use logs.


    After all, one side was using weapons made by professional craftsmen, while the other side was using logs they had gone out and cut down themselves. People would likely complain if they ruled against it.


    But even then, Dyle found it difficult to accept.


    The giant tree had crushed the center and split the group into two sides.


    That was the problem.


    While they had already lost their leader, they would have had several plans in order to deal with this sort of misfortune.


    However, it was all pointless once they were split up and could not contact each other.


    At that point, the side on the right focused on defense, while the side on the left wielded their spears.


    Some were too wounded to stand. And so ¡®Synergy¡¯ wasn¡¯t so much as halved, but quartered.


    Out of the fourteen that had survived, four could not move.


    That left five on each side, and they chose attacking and defending respectively.


    That meant the effects of Synergy dropped even lower.


    Dyle wanted to scream from his seat.


    Ultimately, they were smashed with the logs.


    This battle was not supposed to end until the enemy was destroyed, or the leader declared their defeat. But because the scene was so comical, the referee¡¯s decision had been delayed.


    The referee must have assumed that a mere log would not be effective against the Makaras.


    Information control had been their downfall in a way.


    You could not expect much from the power of Synergy when there were only four or five of them.


    And once the Ogres used ¡®Muscle Strengthen¡¯ while wielding the logs, well, the results were quite clear.


    The Makaras that managed to survive still had wounds that would be impossible to heal completely.


    They wouldn¡¯t fight on the battlefield ever again.


    The referee did start shouting at one point, but his voice was erased by the sounds of the logs. Even Dyle hadn¡¯t heard it.


    The fear of losing such valuable weapons was what made Dyle leap out and clutch onto Golan. And then the training finally ended.


    All that was left were the Makaras, who had been beaten so badly with the logs.


    And there was one other thing that troubled Dyle.


    ¡°¡­How am I supposed to tell the General?¡±


    Only he could do it. But he didn¡¯t know how he should do it.


    The Makaras were the Demon King¡¯s secret weapon.


    The Ogres had exceeded his expectations. So much so that he was anxious about the next step in their training. That¡¯s why he had gone out of his way to borrow the Makaras.


    Both Dyle and Miralda thought that if there were only twenty of them, the secret of ¡®Synergy¡¯ would not get out.


    That¡¯s why she had allowed him to take this valuable fighting force.


    Dyle had promised to send them back as soon as the training was finished.


    ¡°I can¡¯t send a single one back, because they were annihilated.¡±


    That¡¯s what he would have to say.


    No. Could he even say that? Would it not mean the end of all the trust he had built up until now?


    What if he were to tell her that in a battle with wooden weapons, all of them had come out being completely useless.


    How would everyone react?


    They would think he had gone mad.


    It would be seen as a joke. Or they might get angry. S~?a??h the N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°However, I still have to go.¡±


    Rumors of their defeat had already spread. Everyone here already knew.


    It was no surprise, given how many spectators there were.


    It would not be good for these rumors to reach the General before he could make his report.


    And so Dyle bit his lip as he got to his feet.


    He hadn¡¯t even realized that he was on the ground.


    He was aghast at the idea that he could be so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn¡¯t notice.


    Dyle walked out of his tent and told his subordinates that there would be no training for the Ogres for a while.


    He instructed that they should rest quietly. And then he left the camp.


    He was headed to the General¡¯s main camp. It was half a day away on foot.


    However, his feet felt incredibly heavy as he moved.

 Chapter 155

    Chapter 155One of Corps Commander Dyle¡¯s messengers came to tell us that we would be resting for a while.


    Apparently, this was the end of our training. We would be absorbed into some other corps and taught to scout or guard.


    However, as we would all be going, we had to wait for the other races to finish their training before we could begin.


    ¡°He said that since you¡¯ve only just fought, you could consider this as recuperation as well as a break.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help thinking after hearing that.


    The battle had been yesterday. And it had only taken up half of the day.


    So it really hadn¡¯t been that much exercise at all.


    ¡®Oh, you must be tired, so go and get some rest.¡¯ That¡¯s what they were saying. But the truth was that we weren¡¯t tired at all.


    ¡°Tell him that I understand.¡±


    Of course, I was able to read the room. And so I didn¡¯t say anything that didn¡¯t need to be said.


    ¡°The Corps Commander has already left the camp in order to make a report. He should be back in a day or two, so I will tell him then.¡±


    Apparently, he wasn¡¯t here right now.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    People who stood near the top sure had it rough. They were constantly moving here and there.


    ¡°Also, he asked that you be prudent in the future.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Saying ¡®I¡¯m always prudent¡¯ would be pointless now.


    And so I offered a neutral smile and that was that.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m bored.¡±


    It seemed like I was muttering that a lot lately.


    It was only the second day after we had been told to rest.


    But Corps Commander Dyle had yet to return.


    I wished that we would be given some work to do. But our training had only just ended, and it hadn¡¯t been decided where we would be placed.


    Not only that, but I had nowhere to go. And so there was nothing to do but waste away near my tent.


    It had been like this during the war as well. You needed ¡®patience¡¯ in order to ¡®wait.¡¯ It was an important part of strategy.


    If you got impatient and attacked, you would lose greatly.


    Wait until the time is ripe, and move when you should.


    Do that, or meet an early death. And so I¡­


    ¡°All of you. Come at me!¡±


    I had to help them let off a little steam.


    Later that evening, I was reminded of something.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Rig?¡±


    I hadn¡¯t seen him for a few days.


    He would usually visit me in my tent at night, but I couldn¡¯t remember seeing him recently.


    ¡°Maybe he didn¡¯t come because there was nothing to report?¡±


    No, Rig wasn¡¯t like that.


    ¡°I guess I better go and find out.¡±


    When Corps Commander Dyle was absent, it was Halm the Crystal Dragon, who I talked to.


    Halm had a rather honest personality, and was always receptive when I went to see him.


    ¡°¡­that¡¯s what I¡¯ve been wondering. I haven¡¯t seen the others in a while.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just Rig. I hadn¡¯t seen Painy or anyone who wasn¡¯t an Ogre.


    ¡°They should be doing their survival training now.¡±


    ¡°Survival? You mean the training that we skipped?¡±


    ¡°Well, it was determined that you didn¡¯t need it, as it¡¯s the way you usually live.¡±


    ¡°What vicious slander.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, the training is only effective on people who usually live in towns. But practically worthless for races that are practically savages.¡±


    ¡°Well, you have a point.¡± s?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    And to be honest, I did have some issues with the way that Ogres lived.


    It was rather strange that Ogres could even be so self-sufficient. Everyone just thought, ¡®I¡¯ll make it if I don¡¯t have it,¡¯ or ¡®I don¡¯t need it then.¡¯ No one seemed to have any ambition towards improving their environment.


    ¡°They will be training in a place that is several days away, so I wouldn¡¯t expect to see them any time soon.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very far.¡±


    ¡°If they undergo survival training in a place that is too close, then some of them will run away and come back.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    I guess these city people really were soft.


    They had to be put in an environment where there was no escape.


    ¡°I see. I understand now.¡±


    They would not be able to return until they passed. In that case, we might be waiting a very long time for those Vampires. They were generally very spoiled.


    Or they might surprise me and return all toughened up. That would be a good surprise indeed.


    And so I stood up and was about to leave Halm.


    ¡°I have a report! A holy stake has been discovered!¡±


    Someone shouted as they burst into the tent. It appeared to be a messenger. But what was a holy stake?¡±


    Halm did not rebuke the man, but immediately said, ¡®Tell me the details!¡¯


    ¡°A corpse was out patrolling the area to the west. The stake was discovered in a grove that is an hour¡¯s walk from here. They are currently searching to see if there are any more.¡±


    ¡°And what was the condition of the stake!¡±


    ¡°It is still unleashing holy power. No one can touch it.¡±


    ¡°Then it hasn¡¯t been long since it fell. Tell the others to be on their guard. Where¡¯s the Deputy Corps Commander?¡±


    ¡°He gathered the Commanders together for a meeting.¡±


    ¡°That might be too late. Have a messenger sent to the main army¡­ And the frontlines as well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    The messenger left frantically.


    ¡°¡­Uhh. What¡¯s happening? A holy stake?¡±


    ¡°There may be an invasion from the Celestial World.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    ¡°The stakes can be hammered in without opening a hole into our world. And by using their holy power, they can spy on us.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡±


    ¡°We were told this by the fallen ones, so it must be true. And they can tell if the stakes land in the sea, desert, grasslands, or town.¡±


    ¡°He said they were searching to see if there were more.¡±


    ¡°They can acquire more accurate information if they use a lot of them. However, they use a tremendous amount of holy power. And holy power is the most important thing for residents of the Celestial World. Unlike our magic, it¡¯s the source of their very life.¡±


    And just like how we judged a person¡¯s ability on how much energy they had, they also judged people based on the amount of holy power they had in their bodies.


    However, holy power could not be increased easily. And when it decreased, your body would change.


    As your holy power declined, so would their ability to think. And their form would lose its beauty¡­ Well, that¡¯s what they thought, anyway.


    ¡°To us, the residents of the Celestial World all look the same. They have no facial expression. It¡¯s as if they¡¯re wearing masks. But they prefer it that way.¡±


    ¡°Different places have different customs.¡±


    ¡°Aye. Still, I would not want to ever live in such a place.¡±


    And yet they were using this valuable power to spy on us. It was only natural to assume that they were planning an invasion.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, you were talking about the condition of the stakes earlier. What did you mean?¡±


    ¡°Holy power changes when it comes in contact with mana. And in the end, they turn into pillars of salt. However, that hasn¡¯t happened yet to this one, according to the report. That means it¡¯s still sending information to the Celestial World.¡±


    If they seriously meant to invade, they would do it before the stake turned into salt.


    However, if there was just one stake, it was more likely that they were still investigating, and there would be no invasion.


    But it would be foolish to make assumptions and not prepare at all.


    And so they searched for more stakes while staying on the alert.


    An invasion from the Celestial World, eh? It was quite frightening.


    It seemed like it would be a good idea to return and equip my weapons.


    The final chapter(359) was just posted on Patreon, so consider joining if you want to binge through the rest. I¡¯ll be posting daily chapters for Shatei Kyokufuri next. Thanks for reading!

 Chapter 156

    Chapter 156It was night.


    As there was a possibility of an invasion, many fires were lit, and many soldiers were put on watch.


    I returned to my tent and put on my nearly worthless leather armor.


    ¡°If only Rig was here¡­¡±


    Yes, I could see now just how important an Adjutant was.


    Without Rig, I had to do everything myself.


    I chose the Deepsea Dragon Sword as my weapon.


    It was likely that mere fists would not be effective against such a strong enemy.


    ¡°I better gather everyone together then.¡±


    If Rig was here, he would have ran around and gathered them for me. But now I had to do it.


    And so I went around and shouted at all of the tents.


    ¡°¡­The ones that aren¡¯t here must have gone off somewhere.¡±


    Only fourteen of them had gathered.


    ¡°All of you, listen carefully. There may be an invasion from the Celestial World. It¡¯s not confirmed yet, but we must be prepared. I want you all to put on your armor and equip your weapons. Also, don¡¯t wander off on your own.¡±


    ¡°What? You mean we all have to stay together?¡±


    ¡°You can move in groups of five. But nothing under that. It¡¯s very possible that the enemy will come right now. You can¡¯t let your guard down.¡±


    I wanted to tell the others as well, but it was possible that they wouldn¡¯t return until morning.


    And if I asked these meat heads to tell them, they would likely forget.


    ¡°We¡¯ll join the others with Corps Commander Dyle, just in case.¡±


    We had considered the possibility that too much contact could have a negative effect, and so our tents were pitched far away from the others.


    However, considering the current situation, it seemed like a good idea to stay close to them.


    And so the Ogres armed themselves and we united with the others and only acted in a group.


    We were now in the camp, where security had been tightened greatly.


    From here, there would be a long wait.


    After some time, there was a report that the stake had turned into a pillar of salt.


    It had changed after being affected by mana.


    It should have meant that no more information would be sent to the Celestial World. However, they had actually found another stake of holy power.


    While they seemed to have sent it at the same time as the other one turned into a pillar of salt, Halm still felt that they were seriously attempting an invasion.


    The residents of the Celestial World put a lot of weight in rationality. They wouldn¡¯t hammer the stakes for no reason and waste their power.


    Still, time passed without any further developments. And then it was morning.


    I was with Halm, as we were on guard duty.


    ¡°Well, there was no invasion after all.¡±


    Several hours had now passed since the stake had turned into a pillar of salt.


    Perhaps there wouldn¡¯t be an attack today.


    It was just as I was thinking of going back and getting some sleep. The sky shook.


    ¡ªBiiiinnnn.


    It sounded like numerous stringed instruments. But it was the sound of the sky tearing apart.


    ¡°¡­So they are coming.¡±


    While I was prepared for it, our worst fear had come true.


    The sky was ripped open, and countless spears of light rained down onto the Demon World.


    ¡°Celestial Spears!? What are they thinking!¡±


    Halm groaned.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s their barrier magic. There is a time limit, and it¡¯s not that powerful. However, it uses a ridiculous amount of power.¡±


    So it was a barrier that was horribly inefficient.


    ¡°What could be their purpose?¡±


    ¡°To control this land. ¡­It will cover us!¡±


    Before Halm could finish his words, there was a sound, and the space was closed up. S?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡ªPikiiiinnn.


    It was a high-pitched, hard sound. I had never heard anything like it before, but I immediately knew just how hard this barrier was.


    We would not be able to break through it.


    ¡°My body suddenly feels sluggish.¡±


    ¡°Usually, their barriers are supposed to mimic the Celestial World. But the Celestial Spears are not enough to do that. All it can do is make it harder for us to move, and they will find it easier to breathe. However, I wonder how many bodies they crushed in order to make this.¡±


    According to him, residents of the Celestial World who had been drained of too much power had no way of recovering. And so they were discarded.


    Eight spears had fallen from the sky.


    Halm guessed that it would have taken the power of several people to create them.


    ¡°¡­Here they come.¡±


    A space in the air opened, and then the residents of the Celestial World appeared from inside.


    ¡°They are wearing white.¡±


    ¡°They always wear white. I heard that they throw away their clothes when they get dirty. But they also wear those clothes because they can tell if they are dirty. I don¡¯t understand them at all.¡±


    ¡°I see. So they are researchers.¡±


    Apparently, these people from the Celestial World were researching all year long.


    Nonstop experiments sounded rather boring to me, but they used magic stones to power them.


    Magic stones¡ªin our world, they were called the Orb of Control.


    As they could store mana, the Orb of Control gave us strength.


    Everyone in the Demon World had one.


    And the residents of the Celestial World wanted them.


    When they ran out of energy for their research, they would come here in order to hunt us down and gather more Orbs of Control.


    ¡°¡­So, that¡¯s a resident of the Celestial World?¡±


    Their faces were like a Noh mask.


    Or maybe like a buddha statue.


    And they were all wearing the kind of white robes you would expect researchers to wear.


    About ten of them arrived first.


    All of them were carrying some kind of device.


    ¡°What is that they are carrying?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Perhaps it¡¯s necessary in order to maintain the barrier.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    It looked like a small box at first, but the shape was different.


    It wasn¡¯t unlike a game controller.


    They were all carrying them, but there was also another characteristic that I noticed.


    They had bands on their left arms.


    And when I squinted, I could see that it was white with three lines across.


    The lines were at an angle and were bent like thunderbolts. They were red.


    ¡°Those arm bands¡­the white and red ones. What are they?¡±


    ¡°All of the residents of the Celestial World belong to research institutions. That¡¯s their mark.¡±


    ¡°They are all researchers?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like what we would call a country. People who are born there will inherit the research of their parents. After all these experiments take hundreds if not thousands of years. And so it¡¯s passed down from generation to generation. I heard that no one ever moves from one institution to the other. And judging from this mark¡­ What!?¡±


    Halm stopped with a look of shock.


    I didn¡¯t understand why.


    ¡°No¡­but, it is¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°That¡­is¡­they were supposed to have been annihilated¡­¡±


    ¡°What? That mark?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Eira¡­the research institution Eira¡­no¡­they were the ones who fought Lesser High King Yamato. He destroyed them completely. So how can they be here!?¡±


    As Halm stood there in shock, the crack in space began to widen with a terrible sound.


    This time, it was so much louder than the last.

 Chapter 157

    Chapter 157It wasn¡¯t about stakes of holy power anymore. This was an actual invasion from the Celestial World.


    Not only that, but they were apparently from the Eira Institution. An institution that was supposed to have been destroyed long ago.


    Halm the Crystal Dragon was likely the strongest one inside of this barrier, and yet he seemed to be in a trance.


    It must have been incredibly shocking for him. However, I needed him to return to himself quickly.


    After the barrier was created, the sky opened up again. But this time, it was bigger.


    The sounds caused a painful ringing in my ears. It somehow made me understand how difficult it was to create a hole through worlds.


    The tear in the heavens was gradually trying to repair itself.


    But from the other side, there was a power that was trying to force it open. It was the beginning of a battle beyond the sky.


    I wanted to escape before anything else happened. But due to the spears that had rained down, there was now a barrier around us.


    And there was nowhere to escape within the barrier.


    This was bad. I had gathered a lot of information up until now, but had learned very little about the Celestial World.


    This was because I hadn¡¯t thought it was necessary.


    I had gathered any information that I could about residents of the Demon World, even though I knew some of it wouldn¡¯t be of any use. However, I had not expected to ever need information about the Celestial World.


    ¡°Tsk. I should have learned more while I had the chance!¡±


    What kinds of methods of attack did they have? How could you measure their strength? What were their weaknesses?


    In the first place, how could you kill them? Do I have to cut off their heads? Pierce them through the heart? I didn¡¯t know anything.


    ¡°Surely they wouldn¡¯t grow new arms after cutting them¡­¡±


    ¡°They would. It costs them holy power, but some of them have modified their bodies to make it possible.¡±


    As I muttered to myself, Halm seemed to have snapped out of his stupor.


    Body modifications, eh? While he said ¡®modifications,¡¯ I doubt this suggested they were technologically advanced.


    Magic stones¡ªit must be something they made based off the research they did on the Orbs of Control and other special fields.


    However, clearly their curiosity included the insides of their own bodies. S?a?ch* Th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°So they made a barrier around us. But can we break it?¡±


    ¡°If we destroyed all eight of the Celestial Spears, yes. But do you think the enemy is so inept as to let us?¡±


    ¡°No. In fact, I¡¯m sure they are better than us.¡±


    ¡°Then you understand what will happen.¡±


    ¡°So their guard is perfect¡­ Well, it looks like something is going to come out of the sky soon.¡±


    Apparently, the Celestial World had won the battle of the sky.


    I heard something that sounded like the breaking of thousands of panels of glass. And then the sky was torn wide open.


    And from behind the tear, a flood of light rained down.


    ¡°Here they come. The researchers of Eira. The real¡­¡±


    The figures that appeared were dressed in white, but they had wings.


    Yes, like the wings of angels.


    These residents of the Celestial World. Didn¡¯t they come to earth over two thousand years ago as well?


    There was an old man called Job, and he was tested or something.


    It was as I was thinking about such things. The enemy directed their palms in our direction.


    Immediately after, arrows of light shot out in every direction.


    Then there was an explosion.


    That¡¯s what I thought.


    In no way were those normal arrows. Every one of them exploded like they were rocket bombs.


    With the sounds of destruction all around us, dust flew into the air along with pieces of flesh.


    ¡°How many were hit just now?!¡±


    Surely it was more than ten.


    Dozens of soldiers had probably been torn apart.


    My instincts were telling me how dangerous it was.


    It was too fast to dodge. And too strong to survive being hit. Once you were targeted, you would die immediately.


    I braced myself for the next attack. But for some reason, it didn¡¯t come.


    As silence fell over the place, the eyes of the enemy fixed upon us.


    They were still so far away, but they seemed to find us without a problem.


    Maybe they had recognized Halm as the biggest obstacle.


    They weren¡¯t wrong either. Had I not been so close to him, I would have run away.


    But I would be killed if I moved now.


    And so I stood there, like a frog that was being stared at by a snake. And then three of them came towards us.


    The people that Halm said were the real researchers.


    ¡°It seems that we made it in time.¡±


    ¡°Wormell. Where are your men?¡±


    ¡°I left them. After all, they will only be turned into dust if they join this fight.¡±


    ¡°I see. That is true.¡±


    ¡°Three against three. Well, that¡¯s quite perfect.¡±


    ¡°So Dyle has not returned yet?¡±


    ¡°Am I not enough?¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    It was Wormell who had come. Corps Commander Dyle¡¯s Adjutant.


    While he was huge, I had only seen him in the camp once.


    Wormell was a type of Giant that they called Grendel.


    He was over five meters tall, which made him stick out even when he was far away.


    There was something so overpowering about him that you wondered why he wasn¡¯t a Lesser Demon King. However, even though he was the strongest in his tribe, he was only an Adjutant in this country.


    Damn it. The officers in this country were insane.


    While they had been over three hundred meters away, the enemy was now right in front of us.


    Both Halm and Wormell looked ready to fight. I could feel the anger pouring off of them.


    There were three enemies. And so were¡­ Hey, wait a minute.


    Wait just one minute!


    Calm down. Count the enemy.


    One, two, three¡­ Yes, they were three.


    And here there was Halm¡­Wormell¡­and¡­me?!


    No, no, no, no, no¡­ It was ridiculous!


    Didn¡¯t Wormell just say it? I¡¯ll be turned into dust.


    Why don¡¯t you young people take care of it this time¡­well, I am seventeen, but¡­


    Shit. This was really bad.


    But since I had no choice, I decided to use my ¡®most powerful secret weapon.¡¯


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t want to have to do this.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see that you¡¯re eager.¡±


    Wormell said as he patted me on the head.


    I was still an Ogre. I was over two meters tall. But he treated me like a child.


    No, nevermind that. There was no time.


    I held my hands together. However, my index fingers were stretched out.


    The left hand was on the bottom, and the right hand held the extended index finger of my left hand.


    It was basically the pose that ninjas used.


    Now I was ready.


    ¡ªAnd now, I shall disa¡­!?


    I couldn¡¯t finish.


    My ultimate escape skill had failed.


    This was because the other me, the person who had never asserted himself before, had suddenly gone crazy inside of me. He was shouting, ¡®Let me out! Let me out!¡¯


    (What!? What the hell!?)


    But amidst my confusion, I was unable to escape. Instead, not having the power to resist the power, I was dragged inside.

 Chapter 158

    Chapter 158My consciousness surfaced.


    Struggling against the other me and coming out like this. I have never done this before. Not once.


    I don¡¯t really know why. But there was one thing I can say with certainty.


    ¡ªGet out! Get out!


    Yes. The soul deep within me was shouting.


    ¡°¡­That being said, there is a time limit.¡±


    Because the other me trained every day in order to increase the size of the soul vessel, my soul could only come out for a short time.


    ¡°You¡­ Your¡­mana level¡­¡±


    Halm was looking at me in shock.


    I had thought that he already saw me like this during the last fight. But perhaps it felt different when you were this close.


    ¡°It just jumped up to being several times higher than mine! But more importantly, here they come.¡±


    These residents of the Celestial World. They all had such uninteresting faces.


    On the other hand, they oozed a ridiculous, overwhelming power.


    However, unlike people of this world, it wasn¡¯t from mana. It was something alien.


    If this was the ¡®holy power¡¯ I heard about, then it¡¯s no wonder that the Demon World and the Celestial World could never be compatible with each other.


    I was no exception. I was overcome with an urge to destroy this ¡®holy power¡¯ immediately.


    As I unsheathed my sword and waited, the residents of the Celestial World landed right in front of us.


    ¡°We have finally found the fragment.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    That¡¯s what the one in front of me said.


    My desire to rip them apart could not have been any stronger, and yet they were calmly talking nonsense.


    Well, they wouldn¡¯t be able to act like this for long. I¡¯ll cut off their damn heads in a second.


    I bared my teeth at them. But their faces remained the same. Like masks.


    ¡°I will now retrieve the specimen.¡±


    An arm reached out towards me, but I slashed at it with my sword.


    I was so sure that it would cut through, but the blade bounced off what felt like a hard membrane.


    ¡°What the hell?!¡±


    An attack with my sword had not been enough to hurt them.


    It didn¡¯t even touch their body.


    It was like they were wearing invisible armor¡­ Just then, without even understanding what was happening to me, I began to scream.


    ¡°Uuuuu¡­aaahhhhhhhh¡­!¡±


    I could see Halm in the corner of my vision.


    He looked surprised, but there was nothing that he could do.


    ¡°I know¡­I know!¡±


    I knew the reason that I had come out.


    I could have left things to the other me. But I had to come out.


    ¡°I know!¡±


    I knew them.


    I remembered their presence. How had I ever forgotten?


    Why did it take so long for me to notice it?


    Yes, I knew them very, very well.


    ¡°DIIIIIIIIEEEEEEE!!¡±


    With all of the power within me, I attacked the residents of the Celestial World.


    ¡ð Crystal Dragon Halm


    During the five hundred years that I have lived, a decent number of people have fallen from the Celestial World.


    Apparently, while it was difficult to open a hole into the Demon World, it was relatively easy for people who have lost their holy power to fall into it.


    Perhaps it was because mana and holy power fought against each other.


    Even among those who fell, it was only a small few who were able to adapt to the mana. Many were unable to do it.


    However, it was said that those who were able to adapt quickly were able to become beings that were even more powerful than they were in the Celestial World.


    I had talked with one such fallen one, and learned many things.


    The Celestial World was divided up into many Research Institutions. And while there were some who conducted their research alone, most lived in large groups. And there, they worked day in and day out.


    Institutions that conducted research on the Demon World, Celestial World, Human World, and other worlds.


    Institutions that researched time.


    And even some who researched immortality. Every institution researched something different.


    When I heard of these things, the first thing that came to mind was Lesser High King Yamato.


    Even now, people in the Demon World believed that he was in a deadlock with someone from the Celestial World, and they were drifting somewhere between time and space.


    No one really knew where he had gone. And no one knew who it was that he was fighting.


    ¡°It¡¯s a terribly difficult question. After all, no one is told about what the other institutions are doing.¡±


    ¡°Why? It¡¯s research, isn¡¯t it? Shouldn¡¯t they publish the results?¡±


    ¡°Publish? No, they would not do that even if there is a breakthrough. They just move on to the next problem.¡±


    ¡°Then what is the research for?¡±


    The other day, the Leprechauns had developed a new type of fiber armor.


    It didn¡¯t have the highest defense ability, but it was easy to move in. And so it was likely to be used by people who had inferior muscle strength.


    Like this, whenever something new was discovered, it was publicised and shown off.


    ¡°They conducted their research. There were results. Isn¡¯t that enough? There is no reason to tell the others.¡±


    Ultimately, it seemed like the residents of the Celestial World just wanted to research something.


    ¡°So you don¡¯t know which institution fought against Lesser High King Yamato.¡±


    ¡°No, I do know. After all, they were the largest of the institutions at the time. In fact, their demise came as a great shock to us, as we usually care so little about the other institutions.¡±


    ¡°So, which one was it?¡±


    ¡°They were called Eira. Research Institution Eira¡­ Of course, it¡¯s all in the past now.¡±


    ¡°Eira¡­ So that¡¯s the name of Lesser High King Yamato¡¯s enemy.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know what reason they had for heading to the Demon World. But it was here that Eira fought and were destroyed. Their research in the Celestial World was retrieved by others. But it was all written in code, and no one was able to decipher it. The only thing that could be confirmed from the tools they used for their experiments, was that they were researching the ¡®soul.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Souls, huh? Like the Orb of Control?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The Orb of Control is a soul and also a vessel. A pure soul does not have weight. And without weight, it can move through time and space.¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t understand what you are saying.¡±


    ¡°Well, never mind. Eira was destroyed, and the research of the soul was lost. That is the result.¡± s?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°So, where did Lesser High King Yamato go?¡±


    The Stone Tablet of control still had the name ¡®Yamato¡¯ under Lesser High King.


    That was proof that he was not dead.


    ¡°Who knows? I have no way of knowing what kind of fight unfolded down here. However, if his current state is that of a soul, then he may be in a place that surpasses time and space. However, something that is only a soul will eventually wither away. So perhaps he will enter a vessel.¡±


    ¡°Or¡­¡±


    ¡°Be reborn¡­? To be reborn means to purify the soul. But then again, some research claims otherwise. In any case, I doubt there is anyone who knows the truth.¡±


    That¡¯s what he had said.


    I then asked him many questions about Research Institution Eira.


    The white band with the three bent, red lines. Their mark.


    The words of the fallen one always stayed with me.


    ¡ªEira, the greatest institution, vanished, and the Celestial World was thrown into chaos. But that would not compare to the chaos that would erupt if the remnants of Eira were to be restored.


    As the research institutions conducted many experiments, they always wanted land that would be advantageous. And so the residents of the Celestial World were often fighting each other.


    The land once occupied by the Eira Research Facility was now being used by a different research institution.


    If they wanted it back, it would mean war.


    However, that was the last fallen one that I was able to talk to.


    If these people in front of us now really were from Eira, that would mean they had battled in the Celestial World, and had won.


    It was as such thoughts flashed in my mind, that Golan let out a painful scream.

 Chapter 159

    Chapter 159¡ð Celestial World ¨C Eira Research Facility ¨C Chaos Dome


    Within the giant, dome-shaped building.


    In the center, there was a circular lid that was laid out so that it connected to the floor.


    ¡°I will now enter in order to secure the test subjects. Requesting entry into the chaos region.¡±


    Said a person who had come in from the outside. A researcher nodded and gave the order.


    ¡°Open the chaos region.¡±


    Upon hearing those words, slightly diminutive figures began to work hurriedly.


    After a brief moment, the circular lid in the center split in half.


    White and blue fog rose into the air.


    A giant, circular hole appeared where the lid had once been.


    ¡°The chaos region is now open. It will be maintained for the next forty seconds.¡±


    The man who had come in from outside held something like a casting net as he waited.


    ¡°Go to the chaos ea.¡±


    ¡°Moving the circle over to the chaos sea.¡±


    Then the man in white threw the net into the hole.


    After a moment, he began to work on the control panel in front of him. And then the net was retrieved automatically.


    ¡°Go to the chaos vortex.¡±


    ¡°Moving to the chaos vortex.¡±


    Here, the same action was repeated.


    ¡°Go to the chaos cloud.¡±


    ¡°Moving to the chaos cloud.¡±


    All three times were a success.


    ¡°Forty seconds have elapsed. The chaos region will now be closed.¡±


    Everyone then moved away from the hole.


    The lid came out and closed over the hole.


    ¡°The chaos region is now closed.¡±


    The researcher¡¯s voice echoed throughout the dome.


    ¡ð Celestial World ¨C Eira Research Facility ¨C Shell Research Facility


    ¡°To the souls removed from the chaos sea, numbers between 14750001 and 14751000 shall be bestowed.¡±


    ¡°The bestowing of numbers between 14750001 and 14751000 is complete.¡±


    ¡°To the souls removed from the chaos vortex, the numbers between 14751001 and 14752000 shall be bestowed.¡±


    ¡°The bestowing of numbers between 14751001 and 14752000 is complete.¡±


    ¡°To the souls removed from the chaos cloud, the numbers between 14752001 and 14753000 shall be bestowed.¡±


    ¡°The bestowing of numbers between 14752001 and 14753000 is complete.¡±


    ¡°The remaining souls shall be destroyed.¡±


    ¡°Destruction of remaining souls is complete.¡±


    The man in white looked at the information projected from his control panel, and checked the results.


    ¡°Put the souls into magic stones. And then begin embedding them into the shells. Out of the ones that are created, send 250 of each to the testing room. And keep them there.¡±


    ¡°The souls will be adhered to magic stones, and then we will start embedding them into the shells.¡±


    For a long time after, the numerous, diminutive works were kept very busy.


    ¡ð Celestial World ¨C Eira Research Facility ¨C Body Research Facility ¨C Testing Room


    ¡°100 test subjects of each type will be used. Prepare for use.¡±


    ¡°Preparing test subjects for use.¡±


    ¡°Begin the resuscitation of shells. Have experiments commence with those that are already storage bodies.¡±


    ¡°Resuscitation measures have commenced. Please check the levels.¡±


    ¡°Sentience level check complete.¡±


    ¡°Breathing level check complete.¡±


    ¡°Neural transmission level check complete.¡±


    ¡°All checks are complete.¡±


    One after another, the shells were awakened. And once they became storage bodies, they were taken to the back.


    ¡°Beginning the fusion of the souls of test subjects 14752801 and 14752850. Begin the unification of all souls between 14752851 and 14752900.¡±


    ¡°Beginning fusion of souls.¡±


    ¡°Beginning unification of souls.¡±


    The research facility was filled with muffled cries and painful screams.


    It was from the pain of souls being forced to change into something else.


    ¡°Test subject 14752813. Consciousness level is opaque.¡±


    ¡°Destroy it.¡±


    ¡°Destruction complete.¡±


    ¡°Test subject 14752822. Bodily damage.¡±


    ¡°Destroy it.¡±


    ¡°Destruction complete.¡±


    ¡°Test subject 14752836. Soul unable to synchronize. Fusion has failed.¡±


    ¡°Destroy it.¡±


    ¡°Destruction complete.¡±


    ¡°Test subject 14752849. Succeeded in fusing souls.¡±


    ¡°Close off it¡¯s conscious level and take it to experiment room 46.¡±


    ¡°Taking subject to experiment room 46.¡±


    ¡°Test subject 14752852 has gone mad.¡±


    ¡°Destroy it.¡±


    ¡°Destruction complete.¡±


    ¡°Test subject 14752864. Soul could not be unified. Both have been damaged.¡±


    ¡°Destroy them.¡±


    ¡°Destruction complete.¡±


    ¡°Test subject 14752884. Fusion of souls was partially successful.¡±


    ¡°Save it.¡±


    ¡°Saving complete.¡±


    ¡°Test subject 14752896. Cutting off of nerves confirmed.¡±


    ¡°Destroy it.¡±


    ¡°Destruction complete.¡±


    Like this, the experiments with the test subjects continued.


    ¡ð Celestial World ¨C Eira Research Facility ¨C ??????


    The body that was being carried on the stretcher was still conscious.


    In fact, it was deemed unworthy of being tested on, and so it was left alone for a while.


    The person on the stretcher was test subject 14752884.


    While they had succeeded in fusing a part of its soul, it was not fully complete. And so it was left here on the side as a backup for when they ran out of test subjects.


    The tests continued.


    In most cases, they resulted in the destruction or dissolution of the flesh. They were taken out after they had lost their shape, and then destroyed.


    Once all of the experiments had been complete, their eyes moved to the body in the corner.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s test subject 14752884.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s condition?¡±


    ¡°The soul fusion was partially successful.¡±


    ¡°Very well. We¡¯ll conduct an additional experiment. Prepare test subject 14752883.¡±


    ¡°Preparations will begin.¡±


    The stretcher was moved, and test subject 14752884 was moved to the laboratory table.


    ¡°Uhhh¡­gaaahhh¡­gagagaa¡­abababa¡­¡±


    Test subject 14752884¡¯s scream echoed throughout the chamber.


    ¡°¡­So it¡¯s flesh remained. Check the experiment data.¡±


    ¡°Data confirmed. These results differ from those of the unification and fusion experiments.¡±


    ¡°We will use this soul and experiment with different bodies. Now take out the magic stone.¡±


    ¡°Magic stone will be taken out.¡±


    ¡°¡­Uhhh¡­¡±


    The eyes of the man were no longer on the test subject, but on the data.


    That was when 14752884 slowly sat up.


    The test subject was in a transient state, in terms of its flesh and life.


    The only reason that it could move, was due to the power of the magic stone.


    And so test subject 14752884 got off of the stretcher and walked away on unstable feet.


    ¡°Test subject is moving.¡±


    ¡°Capture¡­no, quickly removed the magic stone.¡±


    ¡°Magic stone will be removed.¡±


    The small ones blocked its path.


    The people in white caught up to it from the back.


    ¡°¡­Uuuu¡­y-you¡­bastaaards¡­.sss¡­¡±


    ¡°Test subject is capable of speech.¡±


    ¡°The order remains the same.¡±


    ¡°Understood. The magic stone will be removed.¡±


    The man in white stretched out his hand towards the test subject.


    His hand reached its chest, and was about to enter its body¡­that¡¯s when the test subject¡¯s arm lashed out and struck the man.


    But its hand was blocked by something invisible.


    The man in white was unphased. It¡¯s hand pushed into the test subject¡¯s body and touched the magic stone within. S?a??h th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡ª-Crack.


    A crack appeared on the magic stone. And once it was completely removed from the body, a black mist rose from it.


    ¡°Destruction of the magic stone confirmed.¡±


    ¡°Prioritize the retrieval of the soul.¡±


    ¡°Prioritizing retrieval.¡±


    However, the mist continued to spread, and then it faded away.


    The only thing that remained in the man¡¯s hand, was the magic stone.


    ¡°We lost the test subject¡¯s soul.¡±


    ¡°Pursue the soul.¡±


    ¡°Pursuing.¡±


    Like this, the experiment lost it¡¯s only success.


    After that, they conducted experiments under the same conditions, but they were never able to repeat that success.


    And so they were forced to continue to search for the soul that had escaped from the cracked magic stone.

 Chapter 160

    Chapter 160¡°I remember. What they are. And what they did!¡±


    Retrieve me? What a joke.


    How had I forgotten?


    How had I forgotten my time there?


    Being placed on that table, and the pain they inflicted on me over and over again.


    How? How? How had I forgotten?


    It was the act of tormenting the soul billions of times a second.


    This unfathomable pain they called an experiment not only injured the soul, but destroyed the flesh.


    The soul affected the flesh.


    And yet it was done repeatedly just as an experiment.


    After so much suffering, some souls destroyed the flesh in order to escape the pain.


    Other souls caused necrosis in the body and rotted away in madness.


    Souls cried out as these countless pains were inflicted, and in the end, not one of the bodies maintained their original shape.


    The pain was more than anyone could ever imagine, and as it continued, the soul affected the flesh.


    However, what the men in white wanted was the opposite.


    A soul that could not be defeated no matter how much it suffered.


    But what they understood after hundreds of years of research was that this was impossible with a single soul.


    The soul could not survive.


    And so they came up with the idea of fusing souls.


    However, the results were poor.


    And so they tried uniting them instead.


    It was then that a soul that had only been partially united managed to keep its shape no matter how much pain it suffered.


    They got their data.


    However, they were unable to repeat it.


    The soul that escaped was their only success.


    ¡°I will retrieve the soul.¡±


    And so I tried to strike away the hand that stretched out towards me, but it was blocked by some kind of surface layer that covered the man.


    It had been like this the last time. I couldn¡¯t even touch them.


    And then he moved to take the Orb of Control inside of me.


    I doubted this man had ever fought in his life.


    He was just someone who spent his days studying and conducting experiments.


    However, it hardly mattered when your body was protected by so much holy power.


    I took a step back, and thrust the Deepsea Dragon Sword into the man¡¯s palm.


    I doubted anyone would have thought I would attack there.


    However, I was sure about one thing.


    Indeed, the blade sliced through and sunk into his arm down to the elbow and then reached his shoulder. And when I swept the blade to the side, the man¡¯s arm was torn off.


    ¡°It¡¯s just as I thought. He was protecting his hand with holy power when grabbing for the Orb of Control. But I guess that¡¯s what broke it.¡±


    That had been a failure. Holding the magic stone with a hand enveloped holy power had caused a crack to appear on it.


    Obviously, they would be more careful the next time.


    And so I knew that the hand alone would not be protected.


    And I was right. The Deepsea Dragon Sword was able to cut into him.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The man in white stared at his blood with a strange expression.


    He must not have expected to be cut by a test subject.


    I wasn¡¯t in a temporary body now. I wasn¡¯t an incomplete vessel with a soul in it.


    I was born in the Demon World and lived as Golan.


    ¡°Besides, I was able to get stronger by just watching.¡±


    I watched the other me train every day with martial arts, and so I knew how to use them.


    After all, this was the same body. It would be odd if I couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s time I return this old debt.¡±


    The man was holding the stump near his shoulder. It was probably to stop the blood.


    His expression also did not change, which suggested that he didn¡¯t feel any pain.


    And so I held up my sword and moved forward for a follow up attack.


    I was aiming for the wound. If it wasn¡¯t covered by holy power, then my blade would be able to go through.


    However, a shadow suddenly appeared beside me, and I jumped back in surprise.


    A different man was reaching out to me with his hand.


    When I looked to the side, a giant was on the ground.


    It was Wormell, the Grendel.


    ¡°Tsk!¡±


    I moved away from the newcomer.


    This one was completely enveloped in holy power, and my attacks were not effective. s?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Crystal Dragon Halm was still fighting, but it was clear that he was struggling.


    I was no different.


    No attack could get through their holy power.


    However, what these men did was worthy of ten thousand deaths.


    I would never forgive them.


    As I kept the two men in white in my sight and pondered over what to do next, the world began to shake.


    ¡°More of them?¡±


    Was the Celestial World sending support? The timing could not have been worse.


    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting! Is everyone alright?¡±


    ¡°Who the hell are you!¡±


    ¡°You hurt me, Golan. It¡¯s me, Miralda.¡±


    There was another great shake as the reinforcement arrived.


    While she looked different, she claimed to be Flying Dragon Miralda.


    Miralda was Demon King Tralzard¡¯s closest General and the leader of this army.


    However, the thing that descended from the sky was an unthinkably huge dragon.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a huge dragon before!¡±


    ¡°How rude. I¡¯ve always been told that I was on the petite and delicate side.¡±


    ¡°Who says that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s said in various corners of the Flying Dragon world.¡±


    ¡°Like I¡¯d know!¡±


    The shaking must have been from the barrier. It had been broken.


    That meant that either the Celestial Spears had been destroyed, or the barrier was somehow broken physically.


    And judging from Miralda¡¯s appearance, it was likely that she had come in by brute force.


    The men in front of us were already preparing to retreat.


    They were gathering together in the air. Their decision had been swift.


    A pillar of light had appeared, and then they rose up inside of it and into the sky until they vanished.


    It all happened so quickly.


    ¡°I guess they really were prepared to return.¡±


    ¡°Return? ¡­It looked like they disappeared into the sky.¡±


    ¡°They must have had a hole prepared above. One that we couldn¡¯t see. After all, you just need a hole the size of the tip of a needle. And then it can be widened.¡±


    While maintaining a hole used holy power, it was still more efficient than opening a new one.


    ¡°But more importantly, what a terrible sight this is.¡±


    Wormell was lying on the ground, and there were dead bodies scattered everywhere.


    And from what I could see, they were all residents of the Demon World.


    While we had been ambushed, we were still soldiers.


    And yet they had slaughtered them so easily.


    ¡°I saw everything from above as well. It really was a terrible sight.¡±


    Miralda muttered. And then she returned to her human form.


    I decided that it was also time for me to return.


    Hello. Hate to have to say this again, but as you may have noticed, the site has been having trouble with ads during the past week. It¡¯s had a terrible impact and I don¡¯t know how long it will last. If you would like to help keep the site running with regular releases, please consider donating or joining the Patreon. Thank you.

 Chapter 161

    Chapter 161The attackers from the Celestial World had gone, and General Miralda returned to her human form.


    In the meantime, I also went back to being the other me.


    ¡°¡­Phew.¡±


    Those things enveloped in holy power were pretty insane. Had I not changed, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do anything to stop them from taking the Orb of Control out of me.


    My attacks wouldn¡¯t have reached them, and it would be a one-sided fight.


    It was impressive how the other me attacked the palm. He couldn¡¯t have been sure about it.


    And so I was glad that he had forced his way out. S?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    After all, the memories that had returned were now shared between us.


    Now I had more information to speculate.


    Still, this meant that they were still uniting souls in the Celestial World.


    The memories were not mine. They hadn¡¯t been forgotten. I had never seen the place before.


    ¡°However¡­that means they were never able to succeed again.¡±


    Now that I thought back on it, I had never met anyone else who had two combined souls. And I had never heard of such a thing even happening.


    And not just in the Demon World, but the human world as well. All of their experiments had failed.


    The other me remembered the tremendous pain.


    I was thankful that it was only a memory for me. Had I actually experienced it, I would have likely gone mad.


    ¡°¡­Perhaps my soul was sticking out of the magic stone.¡±


    When I tried to think of an explanation for why I didn¡¯t remember it, that¡¯s what I landed on.


    It was very difficult for me to imagine a state where souls were haphazardly united.


    And so I thought of it as our souls being too big to properly fit into the magic stone.


    And the part that didn¡¯t fit inside, was me. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t remember the experiments.


    Could that also explain why it had cracked when the stone was removed?


    It was possible that it had become brittle after the experiments.


    In any case, it was touched directly with holy power, which caused some other phenomenon, and then the crack appeared.


    And once the crack appeared, the soul was able to escape.


    Well, this was all my imagination.


    Besides, it seemed like the other me didn¡¯t understand what happened at that moment either.


    ¡°The Orb of Control has been removed.¡±


    Miralda said as she leaned over Wormell.


    Residents of the Demon World could not survive once the Orb of Control had been removed.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t watching Wormell as he fought, but if they were the same as the one I was up against, then it¡¯s likely that his attacks were not effective.¡±


    ¡°And so they took him by surprise then.¡±


    Miralda muttered ominously.


    The other me had tried attacking them as well, but their holy power was able to block attacks that contained mana.


    On the other hand, their hands could just slide into our bodies.


    ¡°They created a barrier with holy spears, sent holy power into it, and also enveloped themselves with holy power? That seems rather excessive.¡±


    ¡°I suppose they had a good reason for doing so.¡±


    ¡°I am not sure. By the way, is it true that they were from Research Institution Eira?¡±


    ¡°They had the same mark, so they must be.¡±


    ¡°Eira. The ones who nearly defeated Lesser High King Yamato. In that case, did they come to gather souls? This amount of damage is not too surprising, given how many men they sent.¡±


    There was hardly anyone alive around us.


    Arrows made of light had seemed to shoot in every direction. And so I wasn¡¯t sure if the others were okay. Perhaps they were in just as hopeless a situation as we were in.


    ¡°It was a one-sided attack from the sky. There would not have been much that they could do. We were all on our guard in the main camp, due to the stakes. But they attacked this camp instead.¡±


    Not everyone was able to deal with an attack from the sky.


    And the people who were able were underrepresented in our camp.


    However, I was not sure it would have made much of a difference if there were more.


    We then searched for survivors, but things only continued to look worse.


    Apparently, the enemy had attacked almost every part of the area within the barrier with holy power.


    Miralda and the others questioned the survivors about what had happened.


    In the meantime, I went over the events in my head.


    I was sure that I really was their target.


    They had come here to retrieve the soul of their test subject.


    But why now? That question remained.


    ¡°Was it because I changed?¡±


    No, that wouldn¡¯t explain why it happened at this time.


    After all, the other me had come out a long time ago.


    Ten years had passed since I realized that there was another soul inside of me, and he had come out.


    And so the only explanation, was that they had detected me because the Orb of Control had grown.


    ¡°No, perhaps I¡¯m jumping to conclusions. But what other reason could there be?¡±


    When we were in the Celestial World, the consciousness of the other me must have been the main one.


    The men in white understood the other me.


    He was the one in their records.


    He was the one with the memories.


    In other words, the other me was the original soul. And my soul has been fixed to his¡­something like that.


    However, when we were born in the Demon World, I was the master.


    I don¡¯t know why, but the other me didn¡¯t surface. Perhaps that¡¯s why they didn¡¯t find us.


    ¡°That would mean we escaped death.¡±


    If the other me had been the master when we were born, they would have detected us from far away, and taken the soul along with the Orb of Control.


    ¡°No, wait. But how did they find us now?¡±


    That was the important part.


    I recalled what I had heard about the stakes of holy power.


    They hammered them into the Demon World as a way of sending information back to the Celestial World.


    In other words, they were not able to gain information without using them.


    ¡°So it¡¯s because of the stake of holy power.¡±


    Did they become certain because of that stake that was hammered in close to our camp?


    I saw Halm and Miralda talking, and so I decided to ask.


    ¡°Hey. How long do these stakes of holy power last?¡±


    ¡°Anywhere between half a day and a full day. However, I heard that they can sometimes last for several days, if they send in enough power.¡±


    I nodded at Halm¡¯s answer.


    Not long ago, the other me and Baltasar had fought.


    What if a stake of holy power had been sent during that time?


    However, it had only been for a very short while. And I immediately returned.


    This would have troubled the researchers. They would have thought they found the other me, only I changed right after.


    It would have been very confusing for them.


    However, they remembered that the souls had been united, and then they would realize why they hadn¡¯t been able to find us up until now.


    Things would have been much easier for them had they been prepared. But they had found us so suddenly, and they were not ready.


    And then the stake turned into a pillar of salt before they could locate us. And so we were lost to them once again.


    It was the start of another search.


    And recently, they happened to send another stake in this area, and finally found me.


    Yes, me, and not the other me. However, they knew it didn¡¯t matter this time, according to their data.


    That would explain everything.


    Thank you so much for the donations! It really helps.

 Chapter 162

    Chapter 162A day after the attack, the situation became clear.


    ¡°About eighty percent were affected.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because it was an indiscriminate attack, and we were not prepared.¡±


    Halm said with head in his hands.


    It was a disaster. A third of our men had been killed, and about half were wounded so badly that they wouldn¡¯t be able to return to battle.


    The attack hadn¡¯t even lasted that long, and yet the whole army had collapsed.


    ¡°Where¡¯s General Miralda?¡±


    ¡°She returned to the main camp. She intends to return tomorrow with her troops.¡±


    Many soldiers were wounded, and we didn¡¯t have enough medicine in the camp.


    We also needed more people to treat them.


    ¡°Should she really be splitting up her army now? Won¡¯t there be another attack from the Celestial World?¡±


    ¡°They would have used an immense amount of holy power for the last attack. It¡¯s unthinkable that they would attack again so soon.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Regardless, it¡¯s not like we aren¡¯t expecting them to attack again. And so we will abandon this place and set up a new camp elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°Abandon this place?¡±


    ¡°We weren¡¯t expecting them to attack from the sky. So we¡¯ll probably set up the new camp in an area that isn¡¯t as open.¡±


    That was another of the reasons that people were being sent from the main camp.


    As for my own corps, about half of them had died.


    The rest were fine. Uninjured. But that was only because everyone who had been hit had died.


    It turned out that Ogres were not only weak against magic attacks, but holy power attacks as well.


    I thought back on what had happened.


    It was two days ago that some soldiers on patrol found the stakes of holy power. It had been a complete coincidence.


    And when they searched farther, they found another one in the forest.


    When the soldiers on patrol had first found the stake, it had not turned into a pillar of salt yet.


    With this information, we knew that they were both sent during the same day.


    At that point, Halm strengthened the defenses, as there was a possibility of an attack from the Celestial World.


    He had sent a messenger to the main camp.


    According to General Miralda, who was at the main camp, they had found yet another stake of holy power near the main camp during this time.


    That¡¯s why the Generals expected the main camp to be attacked, and they had been on their guard, just like us.


    No one slept that night, as things remained tense. It wasn¡¯t until the sun came up that things started to relax a little.


    The stake had turned into a pillar of salt, and it had become less likely that the enemy would attack. Only, that¡¯s when they really did.


    As for the main camp where General Miralda was, it was around midnight, when we were still tightening security, that Halm¡¯s messenger arrived.


    It wasn¡¯t just the main camp, but stakes of holy power were sent around Corps Commander Dyle¡¯s camp as well.


    Miralda considered this new information.


    They were sending out stakes of holy power over a wide area. Perhaps there were even more that they hadn¡¯t found yet.


    They would have to be even more cautious now.


    Apparently, once the sun started to rise, she had suddenly felt a current of holy power from far away.


    And so Miralda came out alone and flew towards it in the sky.


    ¡°Alone¡­ The General sure is reckless.¡±


    ¡°She must have felt that she could handle it by herself.¡±


    ¡°Well, she is very strong. I¡¯ve sometimes run off and left my men behind, so I understand how she feels. ¡­Still, I¡¯m surprised that she was able to feel the current of holy power from that far away.¡±


    ¡°She probably wouldn¡¯t have noticed if it was only the stakes and the tear in the sky. But they made a barrier. Barriers made of holy power stretch high into the sky. And of course, she was on her guard more than usual. And so a barrier that removes mana would attract attention from someone so powerful.¡±


    ¡°Now that I think about it, I felt like I was weakened when the barrier went up. Is that what they do?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. From the size and numbers of the celestial spears, the General was able to calculate the effect. She said it likely affected about twenty percent of your mana.¡±


    When residents of the Celestial World came to the Demon World, their abilities were nearly halved.


    That¡¯s why they made bases and tried to fill them with holy power.


    In the most recent attack, they had made a barrier instead of a base. And so the effect was limited.


    For residents of the Celestial World, if their power was usually at a hundred percent, it dropped to fifty when they came down here.


    But creating a barrier like they did allowed them to raise it to about seventy percent.


    On the other hand, we people of the Demon World had our abilities lowered by twenty percent.


    So it was no wonder that it had been difficult to move.


    ¡°The damage was so great with this attack. Could anything have been done to reduce it?¡±


    That was what I was wondering.


    Ten Ogres had died. If there was anything we could have done, I wanted to know.


    ¡°It was a very different kind of invasion than normal. So I doubt it.¡±


    ¡°What are the invasions usually like?¡±


    ¡°They open a hole in the sky and a vanguard unit is sent. If this advance party succeeds in gaining control of the surface, the real invasion will begin. If not, then they will retreat.¡±


    Apparently, there were people in the Celestial World who had low holy power. And they were unleashed into the Demon World like disposable pawns.


    And since their holy power level was already low, they were not weakened that much even when they came down here.


    It was such people who would suppress the land below and create a ¡®point¡¯ to make their foothold. s?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    This point would slowly widen until it was big enough to make a barrier, and then eventually a base.


    It was only after this base was created, that the main residents of the Celestial World descended.


    ¡°So this was a very irregular incident.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. We weren¡¯t prepared for a full-on attack from the sky. And we hadn¡¯t expected to fight within a barrier.¡±


    So that¡¯s why they had no countermeasures.


    Now that I thought about it, it really was strange for the enemy to send ¡®boss level¡¯ soldiers from the beginning.


    ¡°The General must have been very surprised then.¡±


    ¡°She was flying towards us in the sky when she saw the powerful barrier. And so she understood the situation immediately. She was able to break the barrier by returning to her original form¡­but things would have been very bad if she was delayed even a little.¡±


    The surprise appearance of the barrier had made things difficult even for Halm.


    ¡°But they retreated as soon as the barrier was destroyed.¡±


    ¡°It was probably because they had grown weaker as we regained our power. And they must have realized that someone had come and destroyed the barrier. It was an impressive retreat.¡±


    General Miralda appearing here by herself had saved my life.


    And thanks to the survival training, the other races that came with me were also safe.


    I shuddered to think about what would have happened had they been with me.

 Chapter 163

    Chapter 163A report about the invasion from the Celestial World was going to be sent to Demon King Tralzard.


    Normally, this duty would be up to Corps Commander Dyle, who had been in charge here.


    However, Dyle had gone off to meet the General. And so he wasn¡¯t with us now.


    As for the deputy leader, he had died in the battle against the residents of the Celestial World.


    And so Halm had to write the report, as he had actually experienced it.


    Regardless, it had nothing to do with me, as I was just an outsider. However, I was still summoned by Halm.


    He said that he wanted to hear my opinions and for me to help him fill any blanks in his memory.


    That being said, there was a lot that I found difficult to talk about in my position.


    ¡°How did you manage to cut them? Both I and Wormell were unable to hit them with our attacks. We couldn¡¯t even scratch them.¡±


    Halm was very puzzled by this.


    There was a part of me that wanted to be honest with him, but I wasn¡¯t sure about certain things.


    For instance, had Research Institution Eira really come in order to recover my soul?


    It seemed like the most likely explanation to me. But I still had doubts.


    After all, Halm had assured me that creating a barrier of that scale was no easy feat.


    There is an old Japanese folktale about a nobleman who dropped a coin in a river and spent a lot of money just to retrieve it.


    Obviously, the coin was not worth much. Definitely not enough to hire people to retrieve it.


    So, why had he done such a thing? His reason was this. The coin that went unused was dead, but money used to hire people was alive.


    It circulated and went into the pockets of the people. So it was not a complete waste.


    That was the moral of the story, and what Eira were doing was similar.


    They were using a tremendous amount of holy power in order to chase after and pick up a soul that ran away.


    It was said that the residents of the Celestial World were rationals, so it was also possible that they had some other reason for coming to the Demon World, and then they just happened to find my soul.


    In the first place, I just didn¡¯t know what their purpose was.


    And so I decided that there was no need to offer predictions here. And I left all of that unsaid.


    Leaving that aside, there was the matter of why my sword had gone through them.


    ¡°They tried to reach inside your body with their bare hands, didn¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Wormell died because they took the Orb of Control out of him directly.¡±


    ¡°In my case, I just attacked in order to stop them. I knew that attacking any part of their body wouldn¡¯t matter. But I just wanted to keep its hand away.¡±


    I had attacked the hand that stretched towards me. So this would make sense to him.


    ¡°Hmm. So the holy power really does stop the attacks. However, their palms are an exception?¡±


    ¡°It might just be a coincidence. I think that maybe the holy power gets in the way when they remove the Orb of Control.¡±


    ¡°I see. So that means we should aim for their palms.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure. These are rational people. They¡¯ll probably have a way to prevent it next time.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s doubtful that they wouldn¡¯t do anything about their weakness. So I suppose they¡¯ll do something about it before attacking again. In that case¡­¡±


    Halm stopped to think.


    ¡°Personally, I think that my attack working was more or less an accident. I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m not able to be of much use to you.¡± S?a?ch* Th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m grateful for what you told me. In the first place, I hadn¡¯t even known that they envelope their bodies in holy power. Is that something only Eira can do? Or can all residents of the Celestial World do that now? Still, we know that they are still not completely invincible. It¡¯s valuable information, and I will add it to the report.¡±


    After that, we went over everything that had happened.


    Very few had survived, and the ones who did had not even seen the residents of the Celestial World.


    Everyone who was close by had been killed.


    Halm had apparently questioned those who were wounded, but most of them were still unable to talk. And those who were conscious didn¡¯t have any noteworthy information.


    Ultimately, Halm asked me the same questions over and over again.


    I tried to remember details as I answered him, and the report was eventually completed.


    ¡°Alright, this should do. Thank you, Golan.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯m glad to have been of assistance. What will happen to this army now?¡±


    I¡¯d been wondering about it. Corps Commander Dyle¡¯s army had been destroyed.


    This would affect the future of me and my men as well.


    ¡°Dyle seems to have lost his spirit after the death of his close comrades. He will likely be relieved of his position.¡±


    ¡°Is it because his army was destroyed? Or because he was absent when it happened?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because there is no one for him to lead. The Rock Lions are all dead. It would be better for someone from the largest or more powerful groups to be the leader instead of him.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    There were not that many Rock Lions.


    Dyle had likely only become Corps Commander because they were one of the high-ranking races.


    In General Farneze¡¯s case, she would choose a new Corps Commander first, and the rest would be decided around that person.


    Things would be easier if the person at the top was part of the majority race.


    ¡°The General is supposed to arrive tonight.¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s earlier than I expected.¡±


    Currently, there were three armies guarding the border to the west.


    This was on Demon King Tralzard¡¯s order, and it was to stabilize the west.


    But since this rear guard corps had been destroyed, it had become necessary for General Miralda to move the main camp forward. A lot of plans had been wrecked because of this attack.


    However, she was moving so swiftly that you almost wouldn¡¯t know it. That was how skilled she was with managing her army.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, we¡¯re being saved for a battle in the west, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Corps Commander Sven, Ralf and Oake were placed near the border because everyone was wary of any movement from the Lesser Demon King countries to the west.¡±


    ¡°With the east, all it took was General Miralda to draw close, and they became very meek. However, I don¡¯t know how things will go in the west.¡±


    ¡°The conditions are so different between the east and west, so I doubt it will go well. There is likely to be at least one big clash.¡±


    ¡°General Miralda once told me this, but it¡¯s better for the stability of this country if no Lesser Demon Kings rise to the position of Demon King.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true. The birth of a new Demon King would greatly alter the power balance of the Demon World. A new Demon King is likely to move ravenously, and swallow up neighboring Lesser Demon Kings. And once there are no more Lesser Demon Kings in the area, they will conspire with a distant Demon King in order to invade the country of a different Demon King. They often do not have the wisdom of a Demon King. They are just hungry to get to the top, and care little about stability. That¡¯s why the General wants to act before anything like that happens.¡±


    Yes, it was best to prevent the problem from occurring at all.


    However, Nehyor could be involved in the current situation. So it would be best to expect the worst.


    I was also unable to predict what Nehyor would do next.


    It was as I was thinking such things, that we heard loud voices coming from outside.


    Apparently, General Miralda¡¯s advance party had arrived.


    So the General¡¯s army would reach us shortly.


    ¡°A new camp will be built starting tomorrow. And then the soldiers will be moved little by little.¡±


    ¡°But my own men are still in survival training. When will they be back?¡±


    ¡°The training will continue for a few more days. So they won¡¯t return until four or five days from now.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Hahaha¡­ha¡­¡±


    As for me, things were really difficult without Rig, my Adjutant.


    When it was night, I received word that General Miralda and her men had arrived safely.

 Chapter 164

    Chapter 164Five days had now passed since General Miralda¡¯s arrival.


    I had assumed that she would immediately start reorganizing the troops, but that was pushed back.


    Apparently, there were other matters that had higher priority right now.


    First, the camp needed to be relocated.


    This place was too defenseless against an attack from the Celestial World.


    General Miralda was now incredibly cautious about another attack.


    Which was no surprise, after seeing how much damage they could cause in a short amount of time.


    Halm told me that they were unlikely to attack again so soon, but the General wasn¡¯t going to take any chances here. She was the leader of all these soldiers, and she would take every measure to insure our safety.


    I really looked up to her for that.


    We were currently on elevated terrain, which was an advantage against ambushes from other armies, but made us an easy target for the residents of the Celestial World.


    And so she chose a rocky area near the forest.


    One side of the rocky area was a steep cliff.


    So it was a dead end.


    In this case, while your escape routes were limited, it was easier to fight back when the sky was more narrow.


    The three armies on the frontlines were already informed about the move.


    In fact, General Miralda had taken her Adjutants and gone to see the frontlines herself.


    And she would not be back for quite a while.


    A few days later, Rig finally returned from his training.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to have you back, Rig.¡±


    He looked very haggard.


    The survival training must have been very punishing.


    ¡°Sir Golan, I have returned. I¡¯m sorry to have been away during such an important time.¡±


    He had clearly been told about the invasion from the Celestial World.


    I patted Rig on the shoulder.


    ¡°Half of us survived. I¡¯ll have no mercy on them next time. After all, they harmed my men. Rig, I hope that I can continue to count on you.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Now that I am back, just give me the order and I will do it.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then make sure that everyone rests. There will be plenty of work to do later.¡±


    ¡°Certainly.¡±


    After that brief exchange, I sent Rig away.


    They would all get to rest until tomorrow.


    Some of the other races had also returned.


    When we were all together again, there would have to be some restructuring.


    The residents of the Celestial World attacked with holy power. And since it was from the sky, it was very one-sided.


    In order to deal with them, we would either have to rise into the sky ourselves, or escape to somewhere where their attacks couldn¡¯t reach us. I wanted to train for such an event.


    ¡°Thankfully, there wasn¡¯t actually much damage to the terrain.¡±


    Holy power was deadly to residents of the Demon World, but the amount of damage they did to buildings and the ground was comparable to ordinary magic.


    So in spite of the attack covering such a wide area, it hadn¡¯t created any craters.


    And so I suspected that we could reduce the damage greatly if we hid under boulders.


    ¡°That must have been the reason that General Miralda chose this place.¡± S~?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Many of her own soldiers had died as well. And so she too would have noticed how little the ground was affected.


    A few days after Rig and the others returned, most of the other races finished their survival training and came back.


    The Vampires were the last. But it appeared to be less due to the fact that they were ¡®soft,¡¯ and more to do with their survival training being more severe.


    ¡°So the goal is different depending on the strength of each race.¡±


    Races that didn¡¯t fight just needed to survive. But Vampires had combat training as well.


    When they returned, the softness had been completely removed from their faces. So I had no complaints.


    And so they all rested and trained as we waited for General Miralda¡¯s return.


    As for Corps Commander Dyle, he stepped down on his own.


    I thought about going to check up on him, but I wasn¡¯t sure what to say, and had yet to go.


    They said that he was in shock. Most of the Rock Lions were dead or horribly wounded.


    They were a race that specialized in battle. And it was said that they fought and died bravely.


    It was just bad luck that Dyle hadn¡¯t been with them.


    ¡°I¡¯m back, Golan.¡±


    It was General Miralda.


    ¡°Welcome back, General. When did you arrive?¡±


    ¡°Just a moment ago. I heard that you helped Halm with his report. And I read every letter.¡±


    The General had checked the report before sending it off to Demon King Tralzard.


    Aside from the letter, she had also requested reinforcements to make up for our losses.


    Men were killed every time there was a battle. It was the most obvious thing.


    But they could not send more soldiers every time there was a battle. The process was too complicated.


    Because of this, they usually had extra soldiers stationed with them in advance. However, the losses had been too great in this last battle.


    And she had decided that it was better to ask for reinforcements now, rather than wait until the situation became desperate.


    ¡°But more importantly, Golan. We¡¯ll be removing you all from the army.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Are we getting in the way?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true that we can¡¯t afford to spend so much effort on you now. But things are starting to move in the west. And we must act before the reinforcements arrive.¡±


    Currently, we were not able to coordinate with the other corps. And so it was possible that we¡¯d be a detriment to them in battle.


    It would be fine if we were just guarding a base, but if the army had to move suddenly and react swifty depending on the situation, then we might not understand and be left behind. We might stand in their way, both literally and figuratively.


    ¡°Very well. Then what should we do?¡±


    ¡°His Majesty will receive the letter soon. In the meantime, I want you to all fall back so that others can come in and deal with the rest.¡±


    ¡°I understand. It¡¯s true that we¡¯d just slow you down, so I won¡¯t complain.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. His Majesty will likely send us information about the other countries as well. So we¡¯ll know how things are with the east countries.¡±


    ¡°I see. Actually, I¡¯m quite curious about what¡¯s happening with my own country.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think there is any trouble there. And if there was, His Majesty will do something about it.¡±


    I was relieved to hear that.


    From what I heard, the soldiers General Miralda sent were very powerful. So I had high expectations for them.


    ¡°By the way, was the situation so bad on the frontlines that you had to go?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­the chaos in the west. I have a feeling someone is pulling the strings from the shadows. It was quite one moment and chaotic the next. It came suddenly.¡±


    Not a small skirmish. She felt that they would move all at once, and with enough military force to take a country.


    If that happened, this country would not remain unaffected.


    She predicted war and chaos, and so she would act in order to bring about the most favorable outcome.


    ¡°And so we will be moving separately from now on. Still, the promise I made with Farneze¡­huh? What?¡±


    There was a lot of noise coming from outside.


    When General Miralda left the tent¡­


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I have a report! We¡¯re being invaded by a group of soldiers that we believe are from Demon King Janius!¡±


    ¡°Janius?!¡±


    It was the moment that Demon King Janius, who had never fought them before, suddenly directed his soldiers at this country.

 Chapter 165

    Chapter 165¡ð Wild Hunt ¨C Nehyor


    The Wild Hunt, led by Nehyor, were able to enter Demon King Tralzard¡¯s lands without being seen, thanks to ¡®Roadside Recognition¡¯ and ¡®Awareness Entirety.¡¯


    Nehyor had already brought chaos to many countries ruled by Lesser Demon Kings, and wars were erupting.


    And so he moved on into Tralzard in order to carry out the next part of his plan.


    However, there was one obstacle in his path. And that was General Miralda¡¯s army.


    ¡°She is the closest to the Demon King, and has the strongest soldiers.¡±


    Even someone like Nehyor would not challenge her recklessly.


    Demon King Tralzard had reacted swiftly once Nehyor had reduced those smaller countries.


    He respected his skill, sharpness and ability to make decisions. Of course, a wise Demon King would be a great nuisance to Nehyor.


    Currently, his ambition¡­his true purpose, was not known.


    But he wasn¡¯t sure how long this would be the case.


    And so that was why he wanted to create chaos among the countries of the Demon Kings, so that they couldn¡¯t interfere with what the Lesser Demon Kings were doing.


    ¡°Well, this will be difficult.¡±


    It was the Flying Dragon, Miralda, who was wary of the smaller countries as she set up her camps.


    Nehyor knew that he could not beat Mirlada in battle. Not even if it was an ambush.


    That¡¯s how big the difference in strength was between them.


    The difference in mana and combat experience.


    Nehyor could not think of a good plan. And so he was attempting to get close to her army without getting caught, in hopes of acquiring some information that would give them the advantage.


    That was when it happened.


    The sky had torn open.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a celestial hole, but it was still quite the sight.¡±


    These holes used up great amounts of holy power, and were used to connect to the Demon World.


    It was the best way to attack if it was an invasion on a big scale.


    However, this attack was much smaller. And it had lasted for just a brief moment.


    And so they had just created a tear in the sky in order to move in and out.


    This still used up a great amount of holy power. And even the residents of the Celestial World could not do it often.


    Nehyor had witnessed it by accident as he spied on Miralda¡¯s army.


    This of course, meant that he saw numerous residents of the Demon World being torn apart as if they were paper.


    ¡°Miralda¡¯s appearance was also impressive. I suppose that is her true form?¡±


    Had Miralda been more calm, and the situation less dangerous, she might have noticed their presence, even if they were using special abilities to hide.


    These tricks were effective on the lower ranking races, but it would not be the same with the higher ones.


    So in a way, Nehyor had been saved by a series of fortunate circumstances.


    ¡°I had been wondering how I could make Yunus a Demon King. And I now have a good idea. I will use this ambush.¡±


    As Miralda dealt with the aftermath of the battle, Nehyor moved away.


    After that, Nehyor moved up north and headed towards Demon King Janius¡¯s country.


    Demon King Janius was fighting a long war against Demon King Gidman. s?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    However, there were no signs of anyone winning.


    And so Nehyor traveled to one of Janius¡¯s towns and whispered.


    ¡°General Miralda has just taken heavy losses due to an invasion from the Celestial World. If you are going to attack them, now is the time.¡±


    Janius had not heard of the invasion yet.


    And while he was skeptical, he gathered information from merchants who traveled to Tralzard¡¯s lands. And he realized that it was the truth.


    Not only that, but the army was still in disarray and had yet to reorganize.


    Furthermore, ominous news arrived from the cluster of countries ruled by Lesser Demon Kings.


    It seemed that things were finally going to head towards a definitive battle.


    Lesser Demon King Yunus had the advantage now, but the others were uniting in order to stop him.


    If Lesser Demon King Yunus wanted to survive this battle, he had to strengthen his fighting force. And so he invaded Lesser Demon King Ulwa¡¯s lands.


    But there was undeveloped land along the border between Yunus and Ulwa¡¯s countries, which would make it difficult for an army to march.


    And so Yunus¡¯s army took the easier route, right through Demon King Tralzard¡¯s lands.


    And since Miralda¡¯s army was sticking close to the border, it was likely that she would end up fighting Yunus or even Ulwa¡¯s armies.


    Furthermore, there had been news that the former armies of Listoris and Chiril had left their countries and were chasing after Yunus¡¯s army.


    Many soldiers seemed to be gathering near Tralzard¡¯s border.


    Because of this, at least half of Miralda¡¯s army would be forced to stay there. And they hadn¡¯t even fully recovered from the invasion.


    ¨CIt was the perfect time to attack.


    That was his decision, and so Demon King Janius moved out in order to defeat Miralda.


    Of course, it was all Nehyor¡¯s doing. He had come to one of Janius¡¯s towns and started the fire.


    He had also been the one to stir the pot in the smaller countries to the west.


    Nehyor¡¯s aim was to lure out the soldiers Miralda stationed at the border, and destroy them.


    He needed to weaken her army.


    As the assassins that Demon King Janius unleashed targeted Miralda, he would lead Lesser Demon King Yunus and establish him as a new Demon King.


    ¡°Yes. It should work just fine. I suppose I¡¯ll just have to hide in the meantime.¡±


    Now that his plan was going well, Nehyor could not stop his laughter.


    While Demon King Legard and Demon King Tralzard continued to fight, Demon King Janius¡¯s fingers were stretching out towards Tralzard¡¯s lands.


    General Miralda was nothing but bait now.


    The western threat that was Demon King Tralzard was no more, and so Nehyor would be free to hunt a Demon King.


    Of course, he had plans for that as well.


    In other words, Nehyor had no vulnerabilities now.


    ¡°¡­Still, Golan was there¡­what a surprise.¡±


    When the barrier had broken and the residents of the Celestial World were retreating, he had seen Golan standing there.


    ¡°What should I do¡­¡±


    Nehyor had been planning on lying low until things played out. However, seeing Golan there had stimulated his curiosity.


    ¡°What to do¡­¡±


    He muttered to himself. And while it was only a light-hearted question, it sounded horribly diabolical.

 Chapter 166

    Chapter 166Apparently, Demon King Janius¡¯s army was advancing. This was insane.


    I was just someone from the countryside of Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s country.


    To be frank, I had never had anything to do with a Demon King¡¯s country up until now.


    And so when I was brought to this country by General Miralda, I was quite nervous.


    ¡°But I never thought we¡¯d be fighting against Demon King Janius.¡±


    There was no longer anything that I could do at my level.


    As for General Miralda¡­


    ¡°Hehe¡­hahaha¡­¡±


    She was laughing.


    I wondered if she had gone mad.


    It was an actual possibility, and so I would have to make sure.


    ¡°Uh, General. Are you alright?¡±


    General Miralda ignored my question. Instead, she asked the messenger about the leader of the enemy army.


    ¡°We do not know yet. But I believe the messenger after me will have a new report.¡±


    So it would take some time before we knew the name of their leader, their composition and number.


    This report was just to let us know of their arrival as soon as possible.


    ¡°Well, Fonval should be the closest. What a mistake that General has made.¡±


    ¡°Mi-mistake?¡±


    Miralda smiled. She had been smiling for a while.


    ¡°The lesser countries to the north are causing a ruckus, we can¡¯t move our troops from the frontlines, there was an invasion from the Celestial World, a whole army was destroyed¡­¡±


    ¡°Ge¡­General!?¡±


    Miralda¡¯s smile widened.


    ¡°It appears that they¡¯ve misunderstood, and actually think they can beat me. Oh, it¡¯s really too bad. I feel sorry for them.¡±


    I see. I think it was one of those times where I better run away.


    And so I quietly backed off and prepared to escape.


    ¡°Golan.¡±


    ¡°Ye-yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But I can no longer allow you to go far away.¡±


    I currently led a mixed army of about two hundred.


    If we left the main camp now, we might be seen as a detached force, and be attacked.


    Two hundred was too big a number to ignore.


    However, I didn¡¯t like the idea of separating either.


    We were all unfamiliar with this land, and it would be difficult to regroup again.


    In the first place, they were mostly meatheads, and could not be relied on in that way.


    I would not be surprised if they ended up just heading towards the enemy camp instead.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. You can¡¯t call back the three armies that you have stuck to the west.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Those Lesser Demon Kings are wriggling around. It cannot be done.¡±


    ¡°And so we¡¯ll have no choice but to stay here and fight then.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Why is that?¡±


    The General suddenly looked at me with interest.


    ¡°This is an attack from a Demon King that you weren¡¯t even cautious about yesterday. And the Lesser Demons Kings have approached the border at the same time. It¡¯s clear that someone is pulling the strings from behind.¡±


    ¡°I agree. They must be watching us from close by. And yet, they have a wide view.¡±


    ¡°And so it would be a bad idea for us to act on our own. We¡¯ll stay with you. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re going to split up your army anyway.¡±


    ¡°It really depends on how the enemy acts. But that is quite likely.¡±


    ¡°In that case, please put us somewhere that is less likely to be affected. But we¡¯ll fight if we have to.¡±


    It would at least be safer if we were with another army.


    And of course, I had no qualms with fighting the enemy in order to survive.


    ¡°I see¡­ Someone, call Dyle.¡±


    Said the General. And then Corps Commander Dyle¡­no, the former Corps Commander, appeared.


    ¡°You called for me?¡±


    ¡°Mmm. I have a new order for you. Lead Golan¡¯s corps and survive the upcoming battle.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯ve lost my own men¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel for the now haggard Rock Lion.


    He had always seemed so composed. I suppose it was because he had a strong sense of responsibility.


    And so recent events had taken a great toll on him.


    ¡°Listen to me, Dyle. Do you know why I chose you to be my Corps Commander?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s because I was the strongest of the Rock Lions.¡±


    The Rock Lions were the most numerous of the races in Demon King Tralzard¡¯s army.


    And Dyle had been especially strong.


    ¡°That played a part in the decision, but it wasn¡¯t the sole reason.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°It was because I saw the promise of evolution in you.¡±


    ¡°Evolution¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. When Rock Lions evolve, they turn into¡­¡±


    ¡°A Fierce Rock Lion.¡±


    ¡°Mmm. And a Fierce Rock Lion is about as powerful as your average Lesser Demon King. And so I built that army around you.¡± S?a?ch* Th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I-I see. I¡¯m sorry to have let you down.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t yet. It¡¯s too soon to come to any conclusions. I still believe that you should evolve. And so I want you to lead Golan and the others and make it out alive. It will make you stronger.¡±


    Dyle raised his face with a look of surprise. Then he immediately said, ¡®Certainly!¡¯


    ¡°Good!¡±


    Miralda looked very satisfied.


    In fact, us being incorporated into the army still had the possibility inconveniencing her. We didn¡¯t know her plans or how they would move.


    However, that could be avoided if Dyle was leading us.


    And so even if we happened to get separated, he would be able to guide us in a way that the General would expect.


    ¡°I look forward to working with you, Corps Co¡­uh, what should I call you now?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t a Corps Commander anymore. And while I could just call him Dyle, this was the army.


    It wasn¡¯t just me who needed to know how to refer to him, but my men as well.


    ¡°Very well, you shall be Dyle¡¯s independent unit. That should be good enough.¡±


    ¡°Dyle¡¯s independent unit. I understand.¡±


    ¡°So I should call you Commander Dyle then.¡±


    ¡°Aye, it will do.¡±


    In that case, my men could call me the Deputy Commander.


    Like that, a new unit was temporarily made.


    We would be independent, with Dyle the Rock Lion leading us.


    General Miralda had on a mischievous expression, and so I couldn¡¯t help but be cautious.


    However, Commander Dyle had not noticed it yet.


    ¡°Yes. Since you are an independent unit, the line of command will go to me. So you¡¯ll be working under me directly. Don¡¯t you feel lucky?¡±


    Dyle smiled then. If he had a tail, it would probably be wagging.


    As for me, I wanted to shout, ¡®Not at all!¡¯


    It was just like how it was with General Farneze. Of course, that¡¯s what had led to us coming to this country¡­


    And so I became the Deputy Commander of an independent unit before the battle with the Demon King.

 Chapter 167

    Chapter 167The march of Demon King Janius¡¯s army seemed to be going smoothly.


    They were only a few days away from us now.


    As per General Miralda¡¯s command, no one was to intercept or disturb them in any way.


    If anyone had time to spare, they were to use it to help construct the defenses around the camp.


    Besides, even without any interference, the march of Janius¡¯s army was slow.


    Apparently, they were building bases and defensive walls while they marched, so that they would not collapse if they had to retreat.


    An army that acted like this while marching would also be cautious when fighting. It would be just as difficult to make them collapse on the battlefield.


    As for what Miralda¡¯s men were doing in the meantime, it was reconnaissance work.


    She had scouts moving back and forth between the camp and the enemy. And so the enemy battle array was now known to us.


    Their chief was General Fonval, as had been predicted. A Rahab.


    A Demon King¡¯s General.


    And therefore guaranteed to be very strong.


    Rahabs were mortal enemies of dragons to the point of being called ¡®Dragon Eaters.¡¯ They had the appearance of four-legged sea serpents and had especially sharp fangs.


    And they were so large that it was easy to see them from far away.


    ¡°Yes, they have such grandiose names like ¡®Dragon Eater.¡¯ But it¡¯s all just appearances. It¡¯s his great misfortune that he was sent into these lands. I¡¯m sure the mask will be torn off very quickly.¡±


    General Miralda then chuckled to herself like some kind of villain.


    Up until now, Demon King Janius had been concentrating on his war with Demon King Gidman, and had been ignoring Tralzard¡¯s country and all its dragons.


    However, he had kept Fonval close to the border town, as a way of keeping Tralzard in check.


    But according to Miralda, they were not at all deserving of the name ¡®Dragon Eater.¡¯


    The scouts continued to come and go with their reports, and we received updates on how the enemy was moving.


    The purpose of Fonval¡¯s army was the destruction of General Miralda.


    And so they were marching in a straight line towards this camp.


    ¡°They clearly have no intention of attacking any town along the way. With this momentum, it¡¯s as if they would build roads if there were none.¡±


    ¡°Well, they are clearly not trying to waste any time then.¡±


    These were Tralzard¡¯s lands. If too much time passed, reinforcements might arrive.


    They would quickly lose the advantage then. That was what Fonval was likely thinking.


    We estimated Fonval¡¯s army to be about ten thousand.


    As for Miralda¡¯s army, it was nearly six thousand.


    This was because she couldn¡¯t call any soldiers away from the frontlines, and because one corps had been destroyed.


    ¡°This is where the decisive battle will be fought.¡±


    The General pointed at the riverbed.


    There wasn¡¯t much water, but plenty of sand and gravel stretched along the wide river.


    ¡°The enemy outnumber us. Are you really going to fight in such an open area?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they will divide their men before the battle, and find advantageous positions as well. This is not the time to fight with the camp at our backs. We should move out and strike.¡±


    There was no doubt that Fonval would separate his troops in order to break up our already inferior numbers.


    At worst, he might attack us from three different sides. And so perhaps having a river on one side would at least make it easier to defend ourselves.


    ¡°On the other hand, is there a possibility we can fight without splitting up?¡±


    ¡°If we take our time and focus too much on defense, they will just attack us from the side or the back.¡±


    Yes, things were not likely to play out the way that we wanted.


    Besides, if we didn¡¯t split up our soldiers, only those in the front would actually be fighting. s?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    They would be doing nothing while the enemy was free to move around.


    It would be easier to fight if we split up like they were, and faced them.


    In shogi, even when the main battle was happening to the right of the board, pieces were still being moved on the left side. If we moved together like a bunch of meat heads, we would not be able to react to the ever changing situation.


    ¡°I see that you¡¯re all here.¡±


    General Miralda stood on the platform.


    Everyone that would fight in the upcoming battle was lined up here.


    It reminded me of a morning assembly at school.


    Of course, Miralda was the principal.


    I stood behind Commander Dyle and watched.


    ¡°Fonval and his fools will be arriving shortly. What will you do?¡±


    ¡°Fight!¡±


    ¡°Crush ¡®em!¡±


    ¡°Kill them all!¡±


    The unsettling voices cried out.


    They really weren¡¯t that different from Ogres.


    ¡°I understand you well. So, how will you do it?¡±


    ¡°Easy! We will use all our strength to wipe them out!¡±


    Said an especially loud voice.


    ¡°No, Vovob. What is that large mouth of yours for?¡±


    She asked. The man with a mouth like a crocodile stumbled for an answer.


    Apparently, he was called Vovob. He looked really strong.


    Miralda continued.


    ¡°Wipe out? I have never taught you all to fight so elegantly!¡±


    The General continued.


    ¡°The enemy underestimates us. So what should we do? Should we take them on?¡±


    The General¡¯s eyes went over the soldiers.


    ¡°Vovob. Your mouth exists to tear the enemy apart. And that is what you must do!¡±


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll tear them apart with all the power within me!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same for the rest of you. Do what you do best. And¡­ Tear. The. Enemy. To. Shreds!¡±


    The General paused before unleashing every word.


    Devour whatever you can get your hands one. Don¡¯t look back.


    That¡¯s what she told all of them.


    ¡ªBe filthy and feed.


    It was terribly off-putting.


    Was this the army of a Demon King?


    Was this how they fought?


    As I stood there and scowled, the other soldiers shouted in excitement.


    It was more wild than an idol concert. The roaring would likely be heard from far away.


    ¡°Crazy¡­¡±


    I turned to look at Saifo, hoping that he would agree with me. However, he too was pumping his fist into the air as if this was the apocalypse.


    ¡°You¡¯re too easily affected.¡±


    But my protest was erased by the frenzy.


    After all, this place was now a crucible of passion.


    And so I gazed around and half-heartedly raised my own fist and said, ¡®aye¡¯ just so I wouldn¡¯t stick out.


    The time for the decisive battle was approaching.


    Thank you so much for the last few donations! It¡¯s a tremendous help!

 Chapter 168

    Chapter 168As I watched in slight disgust, the ceremony finally ended.


    Everyone was cheering loudly, so it must have been a success. I suppose.


    By the way, the place we were currently standing was the final defense base that had been made into a fortress.


    If it turned out that we had to fight here, it would mean that General Miralda was already dead. That was the kind of place that it was.


    Yes. In other words, the General was going to fight.


    The entirety of Miralda¡¯s army would be involved.


    ¡°Halm and Minish, take your soldiers and get in position.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    The Crystal Dragons Halm and Minish were not only General Miralda¡¯s Adjutants, but they were both, in fact, Lesser Demon Kings as well.


    Their names were written on the Tablet of Control. And it was these two, along with the General, who would lead the army.


    Being led by Lesser Demons Kings¡­what a luxury that was.


    ¡°They outnumber us. Just take down any who are in reach.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    Halm and Minish took their Corps Commanders and left the main camp.


    ¡°Golan. You will be staying with me. I want you to witness how a Demon King¡¯s country battles.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I will be sure to avoid getting in your way.¡±


    ¡°You should stay in the back of the camp. However, it¡¯s not guaranteed to be safe either. But if something happens, Dyle will know what to do. You will obey him.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Of course.¡±


    We were to stay behind General Miralda and her soldiers.


    Usually, that position was left to soldiers who were capable of communicating with and understanding the others.


    You had to be able to read the tide of battle. You didn¡¯t want to get in their way during a retreat, or to slow down reinforcements coming from the back.


    However, a retreat was not even being considered for this battle. And so the fighting force would be concentrated towards the front.


    Once Halm and Minish¡¯s armies were out of sight, it was our turn.


    ¡°There is a river to the left and a forest to the right. You must stay on your guard and watch the forest at all times.¡±


    Dyle explained the battle formations to me.


    First, there was a river that ran from the north to the south. A great river. It was very wide, and would be difficult to cross on foot.


    The battlefield would be on the riverside, and the closer you got to the water, the more gravel covered the ground.


    And it was on the left side of this river that Miralda¡¯s army was placed, in the echelon formation.


    Halm¡¯s army took the position that was the closest to the bank, and Minish¡¯s army settled behind him to the side.


    And likewise, Miralda¡¯s army was behind her and to the side.


    The enemy¡¯s goal was to destroy Miralda. That meant they would have to bring their great army to the far back.


    However, they could not ignore the two armies on the way, which meant splitting up.


    The good thing about this echelon formation was that if Minish¡¯s army won, they could immediately attack the rear of the enemy army.


    It would be the same if Halm¡¯s army won.


    He and Minish would be able to launch a pincer attack. So if the enemy wasn¡¯t careful about how they split up, it could easily turn into a disaster for them.


    In other words, Fonval would have to allocate a decent number of soldiers towards Halm and Minish.


    And even if both Halm and Minish were defeated, this echelon formation ensured that the enemy could not attack Miralda from behind.


    The only way the enemy could move their soldiers was to have them follow each other.


    ¡°The problem is the forest to the right.¡±


    I had sent Flying Eagles to search the forest from above.


    For the past few days, soldiers who could fly had been sent from both sides in order to scout out the area.


    There had already been some aerial battles, and some had died.


    Still, as both sides had flying soldiers, the sky above our heads was at least safe, and there was a wide perimeter where they could scout freely.


    On the other hand, there were many flying races circling the sky near the enemy camp.


    If our men went too close to them, they would quickly be surrounded and knocked out of the air.


    ¡°There are five groups of one hundred to two hundred soldiers hiding in the center and outer rim of the forest.¡±


    Came the report from one of the Flying Eagles.


    So, there were soldiers in the forest. One to two thousand in all.


    Well, it wasn¡¯t unexpected.


    However, we did not have extra soldiers that we could allocate towards such ¡®distractions.¡¯


    And so there was nothing we could do to stop the forest becoming the enemy¡¯s domain entirely.


    ¡°Here they come.¡±


    The enemy showed themselves at the area where the forest ended.


    They were split into three groups and outnumbered us. However¡­


    ¡°Where is the main army?¡±


    Dyle said in a suspicious voice.


    I too squinted my eyes. A Rahab was not someone you could miss, and yet he was nowhere to be seen.


    General Fonval, the Dragon Eater was not there.


    In other words, the main army was being held back. Saved for later.


    And so the battle between the enemy army and Halm began.


    We could hear shouts and clashing from our position, but could not tell how the tide of battle was moving.


    But at this point, the other army was likely moving towards us.


    ¡°The next battle has begun.¡±


    I nodded at Dyle¡¯s words.


    The sounds were a lot louder than the ones that had reached us earlier.


    So Minish¡¯s army was fighting.


    Now it was just the main army led by Miralda.


    Of course, this would be where the enemy would throw their greatest fighting force.


    ¡°Show me your power!¡±


    ¡°AAAAYYYEE!¡±


    The ground shook, and then the battle with the main army began.


    ¡°I doubt the front will crumble, but the enemy might still claw at us to try and disturb the rear. So stay on your guard.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    We were Dyle¡¯s independent corps.


    In this battle, Dyle was given the authority to act in any way that he saw fit.


    That meant we would be allowed to flee if necessary. However, I doubted any one of us would even consider it.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, Fonval has still not shown his face.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll appear when it matters most. So the leader of this army is¡­a Pain Serpent, huh?¡±


    A giant snake was going berserk, crushing both friend and foe alike.


    So that was the chief of the enemy army. S?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    I had never seen anything move so wildly. Soldiers on both sides were flying into the air.

 Chapter 169

    Chapter 169The way that the Pain Serpent was thrashing about was abnormal.


    Even now, it snatched a soldier off the ground and threw him into the air.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t even care who it¡¯s attacking. Is this how Demon Kings fight?¡±


    Apparently, a little friendly fire here and there was hardly noteworthy.


    When Demon Kings clashed, several people that were in the Lesser Demon King class were expected to die.


    While Lesser Demon Kings were usually good at defending themselves, it didn¡¯t mean as much when there were several other fierce warriors in the same class.


    It would be like if a Lesser Demon King were surrounded by multiple General Farnezes.


    In other words, the attackers were also incredibly strong, and even a Lesser Demon King would not get out unscathed.


    ¡°We go too! Follow me!¡±


    General Miralda charged into the thick of battle.


    It seemed like an act of suicide. Brave, but for nothing.


    However, both the General and her close guards were far from average.


    There was a crash that shook the earth, and then many of the enemy soldiers¡­no pieces of the enemy soldiers went flying into the air.


    ¡°Woah.¡±


    Saifo said in astonishment as he stood next to me. That was Saifo. He didn¡¯t really know how to describe that insane charge other than by saying, ¡®woah.¡¯


    After all, if we Ogres had been there, we would have been flattened in a second.


    ¡°Some people mistake the General for an intellectual. But this is her true nature.¡±


    Dyle said. Beka couldn¡¯t hide her surprise as she muttered, ¡®ahhh¡­¡¯ dumbly.


    The enemy was attacking with pure might. And so she met them with pure might and broke through.


    ¡°The General is already that deep in¡­¡±


    The Pain Serpent had been moving around so wildly, but we could no longer see it among the rabble.


    Perhaps it had fallen down and been crushed. I imagined it being covered in footprints.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s even more important that we protect the rear now. And stay alert of your surroundings.¡±


    I nodded at Dyle¡¯s words. We weren¡¯t here just to spectate.


    We were supposed to guard the rear.


    ¡°¡­But, uh, won¡¯t it be bad if we¡¯re this far from the main army?¡±


    We weren¡¯t even a thousand in total.


    And this independent corps was likely the weakest of all.


    ¡°The Meida are flying around in the area, so there shouldn¡¯t be any ambushes.¡±


    The Meida were snake-like creatures that had four wings.


    They were quite small and agile, which made them good for scouting and reconnaissance.


    ¡°I understand. We will stay on our guard. ¡­Speaking of which, what race are those large enemy soldiers to the back of the battlefield?¡±


    They looked very strong, but I didn¡¯t recognize them.


    Their bodies were enveloped in something that looked like sand.


    ¡°Those are Evil Djinn. They have more attributes than others of their kind. The main body is inside, and it¡¯s difficult for attacks to get through.¡±


    ¡°So those are Evil Djinns. I¡¯ve never seen one before.¡±


    As they were Djinns, their bodies were made of mana, and their main body was something like a stick.


    But even the body of mana was surrounded by something like a sandstorm, which made it clear that these would be very difficult to fight.


    ¡°You have to attack the main body directly in order to do any damage. So the problem is how you can get through their two layers of defenses. Of course, we don¡¯t really have a chance.¡±


    General Miralda¡¯s close guards, the B¨¬¡¯¨¤n, suddenly struck out all at once.


    They tore through the thick and deep enemy formation as if a dagger piercing through flesh.


    The B¨¬¡¯¨¤n were dragons with a single horn.


    Their bodies were not particularly large, but they were so wild, that I had heard that they often needed to be restrained with chains.


    In fact, I had seen a B¨¬¡¯¨¤n once who had been wrapped around with chains so tightly that it couldn¡¯t move.


    But these dragons loved to fight¡­perhaps a little too much.


    Their momentum was frightful as they continued to carve grooves through the enemy.


    ¡°If this continues, they might erase our disadvantage with numbers.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. But things are rarely so simple when fighting against a Demon King¡¯s army. They almost always have a few secret units. And they use them when they will be the most effective.¡±


    Thanks to the B¨¬¡¯¨¤n, there were now tears in the enemy formation.


    However, it also stretched our own battleline. And the enemy began to attack that opening.


    ¡°They are¡­fast!¡±


    I saw a group of soldiers dashing through the gaps of the chaotic battlefield.


    It was hard to believe it was even possible. That¡¯s how agile they looked as they advanced between the soldiers.


    With such skill, they could probably move freely through the busiest scramble crossings


    ¡°Twin Beasts. It¡¯ll be over if they bite you from the side.¡±


    Dyle looked worried. I saw one bite into one of our men, and he immediately stopped moving.


    It looked like a two-headed beastman.


    Like a werewolf that had both the head of a hyena and a wolf.


    Perhaps it was because it had two heads, but the Twin Beasts had a unique way of fighting.


    Even as one of the heads bit you, the other head was looking around.


    They were like a wild werewolf that could see in every direction at once.


    Once the Twin Beasts joined, the battleline fell into a deadlock for a while. But then General Miralda stepped forward and the tide began to shift again.


    ¡°It seems¡­they intend to run through.¡±


    They would break the enemy army in half before they could be surrounded.


    Following the B¨¬¡¯¨¤ns, Miralda¡¯s other soldiers invaded the depths of the enemy formation.


    It seemed like the enemy had no way to stop them.


    Gradually, they began to separate into two sides. The front of Miralda¡¯s charge, which was where the fighting had been the most fierce, was nearly at the exit.


    After a moment, I heard a shout. The General had broken through the enemy formation.


    In other words¡­


    ¡°We¡¯ve been left behind?¡±


    Our job was to protect the rear.


    But now we were left alone.


    We could either advance and launch a pincer attack or stay here. Or¡­


    ¡°It just gets worse.¡±


    Dyle received a report from a Meida.


    The enemy in the forest was now moving towards us.


    ¡°In other words, this place will become a battlefield too?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We might even be attacked from both sides.¡± S~?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Miralda¡¯s main army was now on the other side of the enemy formation.


    And since we had been left behind, we would have to deal with any attacks by ourselves.


    ¡°Uhh¡­I guess we¡¯re in a desperate situation with no escape?¡±


    ¡°Who knows.¡±


    That was all that Dyle would say.

 Chapter 170

    Chapter 170The enemy that appeared seemed to equal us in number.


    However, in the Demon World, the strength of an individual counted for a lot.


    With that considered, we were definitely at a disadvantage.


    ¡°Do you think that General Miralda will notice?¡±


    If she does, she might come to our aid.


    I asked Dyle with this last shred of hope.


    ¡°The General has Eagle Dragons with her, and they fight in the sky. They should be able to see us¡­¡±


    I looked towards the battlefield.


    I could see shadows plunging towards the ground over and over again. So those were the Eagle Dragons.


    Apparently, they had the bodies and faces of eagles, but their wings were those of bats. A Chimera-like race, but they were apparently still a type of Dragon.


    They were incredibly vicious, and it had taken a long time for the General to recruit them. That was how difficult they were to handle.


    Dragons were thought to be wise and mild-mannered, due to how long they lived. However, it was not true for all of them, as could be seen by the more ferocious Eagle Dragons and B¨¬¡¯¨¤ns.


    In fact, the General herself was not as composed as you might think.


    Dragons could be quick to anger. It was common knowledge.


    Personally, I felt like I had been deceived.


    Well, if these Eagle Dragons were even a little calm, then they should notice what was happening to us and tell the General.


    ¡°Is it likely?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    That was not promising.


    The enemy that appeared in front of us were those who had been hiding in the forest.


    I was just glad that there were no large races.


    So many in the Demon World were built like boulders of muscle. And the bigger they were, the more dangerous.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no turning back now. We have to fight.¡±


    I accepted my fate.


    Who knew if the General would really come. The enemy was both in front and behind us.


    Nothing would be resolved if we just stood here and hesitated.


    ¡°Alright, all of you! Let¡¯s charge!¡±


    ¡°Arrghhhh!¡±


    There were no fences or trenches here.


    And so the battle began on flat ground.


    There was no need for us to win. We just had to fight to the death.


    On the other hand, the enemy came at us with the intention of crushing us.


    ¡°Arrghhhh!!¡±


    They probably thought that we would fight defensively. However, we weren¡¯t made up of such passive soldiers.


    We would strike back just as hard.


    For a while after the battle started, it seemed like a stalemate, but things suddenly started to move.


    This was because the Reapers darted out and plunged into the enemy formation.


    While they were considered to be of the high-ranking races, this was still reckless.


    But it was as I was thinking this, that the enemy soldiers began to drop one after another.


    ¡°Could it be¡­ ¡®One-hit Kill¡¯?¡±


    Yes, it was definitely their special ability.


    However, while it was quite effective on those below you in rank, the success rate dropped dramatically against stronger opponents.


    But when I looked closely, I saw that they had more mana than before.


    Even their faces seemed tougher than before.


    Had something happened during their training that I had missed up until now?


    It wasn¡¯t just the Reapers.


    Even those spoiled Vampires. They were killing enemies at a surprising pace.


    They were also among the high-ranking races. The elite, even. They came from good families.


    However, they were practically shut-ins. How were they able to fight so well now?


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll have to ask them about their training later.¡±


    It was a pleasant surprise, but also hard to believe that someone could change so much.


    ¡°How fun!¡±


    Beka shouted as she snapped another enemy soldier¡¯s arm.


    However, the idiot siblings were at least consistent. She happily continued to neutralize the enemy.


    In a way, Beka was the only one who was following General Miralda¡¯s words by the letter.


    She was tearing them apart with her teeth.


    In most cases, the fate of the enemy after having their limbs broken, was being crushed by a nearby Ogre.


    ¡°Hahaaa!¡±


    The brother held his metal rod with both hands and swung it in circles.


    Saifo had already had enough mana to be a Commander, but he had grown even more.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, we are actually holding our own against a Demon King¡¯s army here.¡±


    Even though we were still fighting, I couldn¡¯t help but make this observation with a feeling of awe.


    On the other hand, you could say that this was the result of the ¡®hands-off policy¡¯ that their superior had back in our country¡­they really had been left to their own devices.


    It was true that education cost a lot of time and money.


    No one was fanciful enough to want to train the new recruits that kept appearing. No one had the time.


    And yet what I was seeing before me now was proof that just a little effort could bring forth great results.


    ¡°Alright, keep pushing them back!¡±


    The others were also putting up a good fight.


    Of course, that included Dyle. The Rock Lions were on a different level when it came to combat ability.


    Not only that, but it seemed like stealth had been prioritized when sending soldiers to hide in the forest, and most of them were on the small side.


    And so we were able to deal with them.


    ¡°Is there any sign of the General¡¯s army returning?¡±


    I asked Dyle. But his answer was simply, ¡®no.¡¯


    ¡°Surely¡­she hasn¡¯t gotten so carried away that she¡¯s forgotten all about us?¡±


    ¡°I doubt that. After all, she hasn¡¯t returned to her real form.¡± s?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    And by that, he meant the form she had taken when breaking through the barrier.


    A gigantic, beautiful dragon.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, why doesn¡¯t the General fight as a dragon?¡±


    You would think she would be much stronger.


    ¡°Because she would hurt her own men as well as the enemy.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°That was how my older brother was gravely wounded. He wasn¡¯t even that close to the battlefield, but the tip of a dragon¡¯s tail sent him into the air for a few hundred meters.¡±


    It was hard to imagine what kind of power was necessary to throw a Rock Lion that far.


    However, I now understood why transforming could be so dangerous.


    The enemy General had not shown himself yet.


    Perhaps there was a reason that he could not fight in the current situation.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t take long for the enemy to notice us.¡±


    As the General had split the enemy army into two, they were now very close to us.


    It was possible that they would be targeted soon.


    But that would mean turning their backs to the General.


    It made me wonder if she was purposely using us as bait.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother with all that. Keep pushing. They¡¯ll surround you if you stop.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Dyle shouted at me. I had stopped to think for a second.


    Yes, I needed to concentrate on what was in front of me.


    Things had been going well for us, but it was here that the tide shifted once again.

 Chapter 171

    Chapter 171A gust of wind tore through the battlefield. It was just like a downburst.


    The wind picked up all of the dust in the area and seemed to push it towards us.


    ¡°What? What¡¯s happening?¡±


    This sudden wind.


    I knew that something abnormal was happening.


    But I had to cover my face with my arms, and had no idea what was happening.


    ¡°The General has transformed.¡±


    That was Dyle¡¯s voice. The General¡ªin other words, Miralda, had transformed.


    ¡°She changed into her Dragon form?¡±


    Didn¡¯t he just tell me that she was avoiding it due to the damage it would cause?


    ¡°I think¡­the enemy General must have appeared.¡±


    ¡°Fonval¡­¡±


    The Rahab who they called ¡®Dragon Eater.¡¯


    The General that Demon King Janius had sent in order to keep Demon King Tralzard in check.


    He had finally come out.


    Now that Miralda had transformed, not only we, but both friends and foes were being pushed by the wind.


    When I was finally able to open my eyes, I saw¡­


    ¡°¡­Rising Dragon.¡±


    It was Miralda, rising into the heavens in a straight line.


    I see. They were called Flying Dragons because they could move like that.


    After rising very high into the air, Miralda did a U-turn in the sky and shot back down towards the ground.


    She was likely charging towards the Rahab.


    It was just where the forest ended.


    The place where the enemy had first appeared.


    ¡°¡­Huh? Have we been abandoned again?¡±


    We had originally been with Miralda¡¯s army.


    But now she had gone off to meet the enemy General.


    She was even farther away from us now, on the other side of the battlefield.


    Yes, there was no doubt about it. We had been forgotten.


    ¡°Commander Dyle. Don¡¯t you think it would be a terrible idea to stay here?¡±


    Even if we killed the enemy in front of us, the situation was still bad.


    The soldiers that had gathered here in order to defeat Miralda were all in the center.


    ¡°I was planning on getting married when this war is over.¡±


    Not that there was anyone to marry.


    There was nothing I could do now but raise death flags.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The enemy is confused.¡±


    Said Dyle. And so I looked back at the enemy. Yes, the battlefield was chaotic. But, why?


    Was the sight of Miralda that intimidating?


    ¡°Their leader must have been killed.¡±


    I see. That was the likely explanation, considering how much confusion there was.


    And it showed no signs of calming down.


    That would suggest that even the Adjutants were dead or confused. S?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°The leader was the Pain Serpent, wasn¡¯t it? When was it defeated?¡±


    ¡°It must have been close to the General. Perhaps it was crushed when she transformed.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I hadn¡¯t realized that the mere act of transforming would do so much damage.


    Apparently, the majority of people that were close to the General at the time had been crushed to death.


    We could currently hear the incredible sounds of clashing that echoed from far away.


    And while we couldn¡¯t see it, we assumed that the two Generals were battling.


    ¡°Who do you think will win?¡±


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense. We have to run.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°The shockwaves will kill us. There is no guarantee that the fight will keep them away. If they move over here, the army will be destroyed.¡±


    ¡°I see your point. We should escape.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I said. The others are already starting to run.¡±


    They were all running like baby spiders scattered across the field.


    ¡°All of you! Face the opposite direction and advance!¡±


    I had always wanted to say that.


    Immediately after, there was a thunderous crash, and a bipedal dinosaur fell from the sky.


    As it bounced and rolled, the enemy formation was smashed.


    ¡°RUUUNNNN!!¡±


    I was the first to follow the order.


    Well, from what I could tell, it seemed like everyone in our area had managed to separate into two sides and escape.


    It was one thing to die fighting, and quite another to be flattened by a wild superior. No one wanted to die like that.


    ¡°Who do you think will win?¡±


    ¡°Clearly it¡¯s General Miralda.¡±


    Dyle said without hesitation.


    ¡°But, that¡¯s also a Demon King¡¯s General she is fighting. Shouldn¡¯t they be equals?¡±


    ¡°Equals, huh? Well, it¡¯s true that this General is also a Lesser Demon King. But there are some walls that cannot be scaled. Now that General Miralda is going all out, nothing can change the result of this battle.¡±


    He was very confident.


    It wasn¡¯t out of some kind of loyalty to his army. He had faith in General Miralda¡¯s strength.


    ¡°Then we should stay somewhere where we won¡¯t draw attention.¡±


    If the outcome was already decided, there was no need to try too hard.


    The enemy that had been attacking us had run off somewhere. We would be able to rest.


    However, Dyle had a severe expression.


    ¡°What is it, Commander?¡±


    There were no enemies around us.


    And the rest of our soldiers would gather here soon.


    What could be the problem?


    ¡°Come out! I know you are hiding there.¡±


    ¡°Huh!?¡±


    Dyle started to shout at the grove ahead of us.


    The grove was so small that I could see through it. It did not look like a place where one could hide.


    What was he going on about? It was just as I was thinking this.


    ¡°Ohh? I thought I was doing a good job hiding. I wonder what gave it away.¡±


    A familiar voice rang.


    ¡°I¡¯ve trained in order to be able to discover hidden enemies.¡±


    Dyle revealed.


    ¡°Even so, I was sure that I would be safe from those lower in rank. Could it be, that you are stronger than you appear?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you come and find out, bastard! Where did you come from!¡±


    There was a wide clearing in front of the grove, and the air suddenly shimmered with heat.


    Immediately after, the eerie company appeared.


    ¡°Nehyor!¡±


    I shouted. And the person in the center of the group¡ªNehyor, looked at me with a great, cherubic smile. And then he said¡­


    ¡°Ah, Golan. We meet again! And now, it¡¯s time to say goodbye.¡±

 Chapter 172

    Chapter 172¡°Be careful! They aren¡¯t your average fighters.¡±


    I didn¡¯t need Dyle¡¯s warning. Nehyor and his entourage had all the aura of vicious killers.


    ¡°Now, Golan. How far will you go this time? I¡¯m looking forward to finding out. ¡­Just so you know, you won¡¯t be able to win.¡±


    Nehyor waved his hand, and three sets of black armor stepped forward.


    They were taller than me. And they had broad shoulders and chests.


    They looked like some kind of giant, monster armor. But were they really as strong as Nehyor said?


    I gripped the Deepsea Dragon Sword and shouted to those behind me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with them. I want all of you to run!¡±


    This chaos would die down soon.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how the enemy army would react, but I didn¡¯t see why we should all indulge Nehyor and fight these black armors.


    ¡°Golan, you¡¯re the one who should run. Even I would have¡­trouble against them.¡±


    While he had been demoted, Dyle had still been a Corps Commander. And these were either equal or above him in strength.


    That was not something I wanted to hear.


    ¡°Nehyor. He just had to prepare something like this.¡±


    There were three.


    Nehyor was surrounded by others, but it seemed like he had no intention of using them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you in advance. They are Ghost Generals. After all, I thought you might win if it were against Ghost Knights. So I¡¯m being extra careful.¡±


    Nehyor¡¯s carefree voice was incredibly irritating.


    ¡°They¡¯re evolved Ghost Knights.¡±


    Dyle explained.


    While there were only three, that was still more than me and Dyle.


    We were definitely at a disadvantage.


    ¡°Well, I guess that means we can have the one on the right.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. It¡¯s also the closest!¡±


    Saifo, Bekka and the other Ogres prepared to fight.


    Even the Reapers were there.


    ¡°Hey, I told you all to run! You can¡¯t beat them! Not even if you fought together!¡±


    I didn¡¯t want any pointless deaths, but they wouldn¡¯t listen.


    ¡°But it¡¯s going to be all of us against just one of them.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I think you ought to trust us a little more, Golan.¡±


    It was true that they might be able to manage if they went against the enemy in large numbers¡­but that was only if they took bold strategies that resulted in half of them being sacrificed in the process.


    In the end, they weren¡¯t strong enough even when together.


    They would be killed individually, and that would be the end of it.


    ¡°I could have returned as soon as the war started. And I just happened to get caught while I was looking¡­this really isn¡¯t my lucky day¡­ But then again, I get to see you fight, Golan. So maybe I am lucky?¡±


    ¡°Nehyor. You orchestrated this war, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    I understood it now. There really had been someone pulling the strings from behind.


    ¡°Ahaha¡­of course. After all, I didn¡¯t want this Flying Dragon General to come to the west. The west is currently in a great storm of chaos. And it took quite some effort to move Janius¡¯s General here.¡±


    It had all been Nehyor¡¯s plan.


    ¡°I had heard that the Wild Hunt were hiding in this area. What are you trying to do!¡±


    ¡°Me? Why would I tell you that? By the way, Golan¡­¡±


    ¡°What.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you evolve, Golan? The evolution of Ogres is something that¡¯s already been made clear. And it¡¯s quite strange that you haven¡¯t already.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°So you don¡¯t know. There is only one thing an Ogre needs to do in order to become a High Ogre. And you already did it, Golan. And yet you haven¡¯t evolved. I wonder why¡­ I wonder why¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    A battle was about to begin, and yet Nehyor talked in a light-hearted voice.


    ¡°Oh, I might as well tell you now, Golan. What an Ogre needs to do in order to evolve, is to defeat one of the high-ranking species. Giant-killing. And you¡¯ve done it more than once now. So I would have assumed that you would have evolved. Why haven¡¯t you?¡±


    Nehyor tilted his head as if he truly felt this to be a great mystery.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But more importantly, know this. As soon as I¡¯m done killing all of your men, you¡¯ll be next.¡±


    ¡°Oh, how frightening. I love it. ¡­Alright, Golan. I know you won¡¯t survive this, but do your very best.¡±


    Then the Ghost Generals started to move as if they had been waiting for those words. S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    They swung their swords, but they were still not within range.


    Their greatswords were thick and long.


    Of course, they would not reach us from that distance.


    However, the blades tore into the ground, causing a crack to appear that shot towards our feet.


    ¡°¡­Ah! I can¡¯t be hit by that.¡±


    I moved out of the way before it caught me. Still, these greatswords were more dangerous than I thought.


    Had it hit me, I would have likely been pushed down by its power and cleaved in half.


    And their black armor.


    Could I even cut through it with my sword?


    ¡°You can¡¯t destroy the armor of a Ghost General. It¡¯s like a block of mana. They are spirits, much like Wraiths, after all.¡±


    ¡°But¡­doesn¡¯t that mean they¡¯re immune to physical attacks?¡±


    Physical attacks were completely ineffective against Wraiths. They were mortal enemies of Ogres.


    ¡°No, they do work. But just a little.¡±


    Dyle muttered the hopeless words.


    If you wanted to kill a Wraith, the most effective way was to use direct attacks with mana.


    Which meant using magic.


    Magic that was pure mana.


    Another way was to envelope your body in mana and attack.


    It could be your claws or fangs. Just coat them so that you could carve away at the enemy¡¯s mana when you attacked.


    You could also do this with weapons, but they dealt less damage.


    It was still possible to unleash powerful attacks this way, but you had to be especially good at using mana.


    Obviously, it was just more efficient to use magic attacks.


    What was important here, was that Ogres used their incredible amount of mana to build stronger bodies.


    For instance, in the arms.


    That¡¯s why we couldn¡¯t use magic or add mana to our attacks.


    Anyway, my point being¡­


    ¡°¡­We¡¯re done for.¡±


    How the hell was I supposed to fight them?

 Chapter 173

    Chapter 173There were three Ghost Generals. Could we defeat them if we all fought together?


    If we couldn¡¯t run away, then we had no choice but to try.


    And so I held up the Deepsea Dragon Sword and looked at the Ghost General in the center.


    The air of intimidation was great, but since I wasn¡¯t able to accurately measure someone¡¯s mana, I wasn¡¯t sure what the discrepancy was between us.


    ¡°Oh, well. Let¡¯s go then.¡±


    I took a step forward and cut off the enemy¡¯s arm.


    Not only was it a move I had practiced for many years, it made use of knowledge from my past life.


    The movement had been adjusted to match the body of an Ogre, and I had all the smoothness of a first-rate swordsman.


    As for this Deepsea Dragon Sword that General Farneze had been keeping, it was made from the bones of a creature that could move between the deepsea and the surface.


    It would have been made by a master crafter as well, and I was sure that it would be able to cut through a Ghost General.


    ¡°¡­Or not. Why is its arm reconnecting?¡±


    I knew that I had cut it. I had felt it too. But reality suggested something else.


    The arm had returned to normal.


    ¡°So you did it after all, Golan. You cut off my wrist, so I thought you would do it again. But the armor of a Ghost General is made of mana. So all you did was cut through mana. You didn¡¯t hurt the main body at all.¡±


    Nehyor offered the grim explanation.


    Regardless, that was why it hadn¡¯t been severed, even though I had cut it.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll just keep cutting.¡±


    ¡°¡­I thought you would say something like that. But they aren¡¯t Ghost Knights. They are Ghost Generals. And so even if you cut them thousands of times, they will not run out of mana.¡±


    If that was true, I would not be able to defeat the enemy in front of me no matter how many times I swung with the sword.


    And if the armor was made of mana, they would always be able to replenish it.


    With that considered, there was no way that I would be able to cut it down.


    As Nehyor said, attacking them with a sword was meaningless.


    But if I was struggling like this, how about the others?


    I looked to the right and the left.


    Dyle was attacking with his claws and biting into its neck.


    He often fought with a sword or spear, but now he had chosen to use his own mana enveloped body instead of weapons.


    ¡°The attacks seem to be working.¡±


    They looked to be on equal footing.


    As for Saifo and the others.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Arrgh!¡±


    Bekka grabbed an arm while Saifo bashed it with his rod. But they weren¡¯t doing any damage.


    Well, that left me in an awkward position.


    I had been expecting to see them attacking the enemy in just as fruitless a way as me. But it was not the case.


    Besides, they had a purpose.


    ¡°Penny! Do it now!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Painy. Please remember my name.¡±


    As the Ghost General had both of its arms clamped down, the Reapers moved in.


    ¡°So they¡¯re going to use¡­One-hit Kill.¡±


    Out of the people that came to Tralzard¡¯s land, the Reapers were the most numerous. There were fifty of them.


    And they also happened to be the best.


    It was these Reapers that now swarmed around the Ghost General and started to hit it with ¡®One-hit Kill.¡¯ S~?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It was their much feared special ability. The one that could kill a Demon King.


    Though, being feared had been the cause of their exile. But they didn¡¯t look like they cared at all now.


    Their training had made them familiar with acting as a group, and their mana levels had increased.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what the cool down time was for ¡®One-hit Kill,¡¯ but since there were so many of them, I was sure it would be effective if they kept hitting it.


    ¡°Alright, I better focus on my own fight then.¡±


    A great sword was flying through the air, ready to take off my head.


    If they only knew how much time I had spent practicing with a sword in my past life. There was no way that they could hit me.


    ¡°¡­Oomph!¡±


    I had dodged the blade, but the wind pressure knocked me off of my feet.


    ¡°Shit, shit! There¡¯s no time to look at the others.¡±


    It was clear that my opponent was stronger. And so I couldn¡¯t let my guard down even a little.


    I would likely be gravely wounded if the sword even scratched me.


    ¡°And to think that I¡¯ve become stronger too.¡±


    There was always going to be someone above you.


    Nehyor¡¯s subordinate¡­ Not only that, but I was looking quite desperate in front of all these people.


    Neyhor must find this all very amusing.


    He had said that there was no way that I could win. And so I had to prove him wrong.


    The Ghost General tended to attack with feints whenever I left its range.


    However, even when I thought that I didn¡¯t have to dodge it, the shockwave would hit me. And if I got around it and charged forward, the enemy would still be out of striking distance and could easily react in time.


    ¡°I suppose I should pretend that it has me.¡±


    I dodged the swing of the sword, but before I could reach it, it came swinging again.


    That was the high-ranking species for you. Their physical abilities were incredible.


    They existed in some higher plane that I could never reach, no matter how much I trained.


    ¡°This is why residents of the Demon World rarely try to raise their skills through training.¡±


    After all, you could not expect much of a boost at all.


    And since they knew that, many felt that it was better to do nothing.


    ¡°Well, perhaps it¡¯s like how training a three year-old to do karate is not going to help it beat an adult who has never trained. In this world, the gap between races is hopeless. It might just be wasted effort¡­ Still, what about this?¡±


    ¨CTwo step thrust.


    It was a move that the old dojo master invented for his own amusement.


    You quickly thrust two times in the exact same spot.


    It managed to gouge out a hole in the armor. But that was all.


    ¡°I guess not¡­ In that case, what about a clean sweep?¡±


    I used the entire sword, from the tip of the blade to the handle, and slashed quickly in an attempt to hurt it.


    Black mist rose from the cut in the armor, and then it closed up without a trace of it ever being open.


    ¡°So it really is made of mana¡­ Does this mean¡­I¡¯m the weakest one here?¡±


    Attacking it thousands of times would probably do decent damage. But it wasn¡¯t physically possible. It wasn¡¯t an option.


    ¡°¡­Damn. I¡¯m starting to really feel like I won¡¯t be able to do this.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure if the armor was heavy, or if it was because it was being controlled from something on the inside, but the Ghost General¡¯s movements were slow enough for me to deal with it.


    It wasn¡¯t like fighting with Nehyor, who moved like lightning.


    ¡°That being said, this is still bad.¡±


    An enemy that was enveloped in mana did not have any weak spots.


    Even if you thought they did, it was also just mana. So, what could I do?


    It was as I was thinking this, that a shadow creeped up from behind me.

 Chapter 174

    Chapter 174I couldn¡¯t deal any damage to a Ghost General.


    Nehyor had been sure of this. That¡¯s why he set them on us.


    Out of all the members of the Wild Hunt, they were the worst match for me.


    And of course, he sent out the strongest ones, so that I would not have even have the slightest chance.


    ¡°Sir Golan. We¡¯ll join you.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    A group of Vampires came up behind me. There were ten in all.


    Until recently, I had rarely thought of them. They were too young and soft.


    Well, they were actually older than me.


    I was just seventeen, but these Vampires had been spoiled by their parents for fifty years, and spent at least thirty of them being shut-ins.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be any help here. Stand back.¡±


    Vampires were among the high-ranking races. And their potential abilities were incredible.


    General Farneze was the most obvious example, as she was on another level as an individual.


    Hell, even Nehyor, who was currently grinning at me, was a Vampire.


    That¡¯s why I knew.


    It was just potential. They were young and did not have enough experience. They would be no match for this enemy.


    ¡°Its exterior is made of hardened mana, sir. Ordinary attacks will not be effective.¡±


    ¡°I know that.¡±


    ¡°However, we are able to suck it out.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh? Like blood? You¡¯re able to do that?¡±


    I hadn¡¯t known that¡­


    There were other races that had the special ability ¡®Bloodsucker,¡¯ but it was difficult to use.


    You had to be able to pierce the enemy with your fangs first, and it took time to suck out enough.


    Not only that, but your opponent had to have blood to begin with.


    In the Demon World, there were races like Golems, who moved through mana. And Tree Spirits also absorbed mana along with water and nutrients.


    The Ghost General in front of me did not have any blood. So ¡®Bloodsucker¡¯ shouldn¡¯t work.


    ¡°No, no.¡±


    ¡°Our ability is not the same as that lowly thing.¡±


    ¡°We use ¡®Manasucker.¡¯¡±


    ¡°We can suck in the mana directly.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you serious?¡±


    Perhaps it was the advanced version of ¡®Bloodsucker.¡¯


    The high-ranking races like Vampires must have this special ability that allowed them to suck in mana directly.


    In the case of ¡®Bloodsucker,¡¯ you sucked the mana in the blood at the same time.


    I wondered if Vampire lore from my old world had come about when Vampires visited and started sucking from humans. They would have thought, ¡®What? There¡¯s no mana inside.¡¯ And then returned the blood.


    And when that happened, humans might have become drunk from the small traces of mana in the blood, and then become servants to the Vampires.


    Having too much mana enter your body would likely lead to death, but it would have just been a small dose.


    Perhaps their brains were tricked by this unknown feeling that mana caused¡­ Well, it was all just speculation. But I thought that it was possible.


    Leaving that aside, if they could really use ¡®Manasucker,¡¯ then it was worth a try.


    There were ten of them in all. If all of them did their worst, surely even a Ghost General would be weakened.


    ¡°Alright, do it. What should I do?¡±


    ¡°It would help if you could stop it from moving too much.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    If I had to seal its movements, there were several ways to do that.


    The same thing that Bekka and Saifo had done.


    ¨CGet the joints.


    If you could do it well, you could put them into a lock that they wouldn¡¯t be able to get out of with strength alone. S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    (It would have been almost impossible if it was a fast enemy. Thankfully, this is a power type.)


    And so I waited for the right moment and then moved in. After using Aiki to break its balance, I kicked its legs out from under it.


    This single smooth move was the product of years of training. It wasn¡¯t something I did and hoped for the best.


    Someone who fell victim to it for the first time would have trouble comprehending what was happening to them.


    It tried to push me away, and its flailing arms caused its body to move in the air even more. And like that, it rotated in the air before falling heavily on its back.


    All I did was accelerate it along the direction of power.


    Its own power caused it to lose balance and then fall.


    It tried to get up then, and so I grabbed one arm and pulled it to its neck.


    Then I hooked it to the other arm and flipped over the body.


    Now it was strangling its own neck while lying flat on the ground.


    I just needed to hold him down at the point that would move first if it wanted to get up, and then it was finished.


    ¡°Is that good enough?¡±


    ¡°¡­Ye-yes.¡±


    The Vampires all look very pale. Perhaps they were astonished at how swiftly and smoothly I had done it.


    ¡­And then I remembered that they were always pale, and probably hadn¡¯t changed much at all.


    Then the ten Vampires swarmed around the Ghost General and pressed it down as they started to use ¡®Manasucker.¡¯


    And while it took a while, they were still of the high-ranking races, and so it was very effective.


    It looked like the Ghost General¡¯s body had become smaller.


    ¡°Did it lose weight?¡±


    I had to adjust the position of the arms so that they would stay tightly in place.


    When I looked over to Dyle, the battle was still continuing.


    However, Dyle seemed to be pushing the enemy, little by little.


    As for Saifo, Bekka and the Reapers¡­


    ¡°¡­What the hell are they doing?¡±


    They were playing tag.


    Saifo and the others were the ones running away.


    Had they been on a beach, they¡¯d be shouting and laughing.


    And if they took a photo and posted it on the internet, people would call them riajuu.


    ¡°Riajuu who were too bloodthirsty.¡±


    Fifty Reapers had all unleashed ¡®One-shot Kill,¡¯ and they had clearly failed.


    There was nothing to say, other than that luck had not been on their side.


    As for the Vampires¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s getting thinner at a good pace.¡±


    It had been as big and strong-looking as the name ¡®Ghost General¡¯ implied, but it looked so different now.


    If I had to describe its body, I would say that it looked more like a skinny student.


    So this is what happened when ten Vampires attacked you with their special ability.


    I doubted it would have gone so well if there were only one or two of them.


    Would it straight up disappear if they kept sucking? I started to wonder about this, but it was not the case.


    ¡°I cannot suck any more.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m full.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting sick from the mana.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t need any more mana for a while.¡±


    They had either eaten enough or too much.


    They were lying on their side or on their backs and patting their stomachs. Did they forget that this was a battlefield?


    While they had been toughened through training, it seemed that they were still soft deep down.


    ¡°Well done. You can rest now.¡±


    I was sure that I could take care of the rest. This weak looking armor. Or whatever it was that was inside of it.

 Chapter 175

    Chapter 175A Vampire was lying on its side and patting his stomach, and so I kicked him in the ribs and held my Deepsea Dragon Sword ready.


    The armor was made of hardened mana, but now that it was shriveled up, it looked very poor indeed.


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s my turn.¡±


    Even though it had been draining of so much mana, the Ghost General was still moving around.


    It was not movement that came from training or swordsmanship, but the result of great physical ability.


    Once I was in range, it swung its great sword like a violent wind, which was not something that would be effective against someone like me, who had learned to fight while being aware of the principles.


    (Of course, I had not expected to be in deadly battles back then.)


    I had been placed in the dojo master¡¯s care at a young age. And unlike the students there, I was taught any strange trick that the master had come up with.


    For instance, there was the two-step thrust.


    In kendo, you only thrust once, not twice.


    So why had he come up with such a move?


    ¡ªBecause it was fun.


    That¡¯s what he had told me as he laughed. But was it really the case?


    ¡°¡­Well, perhaps it was.¡±


    After all, once I learned it, I started practicing other moves all by myself.


    For instance¡­


    ¡°Take this! Three-step thrust!


    Gouge with the first, plunge deep with the second, finish them off with the third.


    That¡¯s what the Three-step thrust did.


    And so in the brief moment that I could look into the depth of the armor, I slid my sword in. Three times.


    The Ghost General¡¯s body began to shake.


    Now there was a crack in the side of its stomach.


    Without hesitation, I stabbed again.


    I see. I thought with satisfaction.


    The more the mana was hardened, the thicker and stronger the armor.


    However, once that was taken away, the mana armor was hardly unbreakable.


    ¡°Oh? What did you do, Golan?¡±


    Nehyor asked in a puzzled voice.


    Was it really so strange that my attack had been effective?


    Thanks to Vampires sucking out so much of the mana, my attacks had started to do damage.


    This had all been thanks to Nehyor¡¯s suggestion.


    This Deepsea Dragon Sword suited me very well.


    After unleashing more and more thrusts, the amount of black mist that rose began to increase.


    The armor was no longer hard enough, and my sword carved away at it.


    And the more the mist rose, the easier it was to hit it. And the more I hit, the weaker it became.


    Mana drained by ten Vampires and my sword.


    And then there was my skill with the weapon. It was all these things combined that now gave me the advantage over the Ghost General.


    ¡°Hey, Golan. That¡¯s not right.¡±


    I ignored the noise.


    I focused on what was in front of me.


    The Ghost General¡¯s movements were slow.


    Perhaps it had really run out of mana now, as its attacks had also decreased.


    This was a good opportunity, and I waited for an opening.


    ¡ªThere!


    When I started to unleash a low level thrust, the Ghost General¡¯s attention moved downward.


    At the same time, I could detect the movement of mana.


    It had hardened its lower half in order to defend against my attack.


    In that case¡­I moved my sword up¡­


    ¨CThe headsplitter.


    I had practiced this tens of thousands of times.


    But then again, all it involved was swinging down with your sword.


    I did it while imagining splitting my enemy¡¯s brain in two.


    The moment that it hit the Ghost General¡¯s helmet, there was a metallic ring as it bounced off¡­but I preserved and struck again. Not just with the strength in my wrists or arms, but with my entire body weight.


    This time, I felt as if it tore deep into the helmet.


    It was just for a second. A hunch.


    And it was just as I had imagined. The sword dug deep into the helmet as it made its straight descent.


    Before I knew it, the Ghost General had been cleaved into two.


    The thing inside was a stick-like mass of ¡®something.¡¯


    Whatever it was, I had cut it in half.


    The armor fell to the ground. And after losing its power, the ¡®something¡¯ turned into black mist and faded away.


    ¡°That¡¯s not right. What was that move?¡±


    Nehyor¡¯s words reached my ears.


    ¡°Shut up! You¡¯re next.¡±


    I realized then that the battles to my right and left had also ended.


    Dyle looked quite injured. However, he had fought alone and was victorious.


    I hadn¡¯t watched the last moments of Saifo and the others, but since they had won, it must mean that one of the fifty Reapers had finally succeeded with ¡®One-hit Kill.¡¯


    Even if you were expecting it, it wasn¡¯t an attack that could be dodged. And unless you had some way to counter it, your death was only a matter of time.


    Nehyor¡¯s other subordinates were about to move forward, but he stopped them with a raise of his hand.


    ¡°Hey, Golan. What was that? What happened?¡±


    ¡°I told you that we¡¯re going to skip the tedious talk. You¡¯re next.¡±


    Nehyor was ten steps away from me.


    So even if I ran to him and swung my sword, he would be able to dodge me easily.


    However, that was still better than fighting with words.


    And so I dashed forward and swung my sword down in an attempt to cut him in half.


    I didn¡¯t know why, but Nehyor¡¯s movements had become sluggish.


    But judging from his wide eyes and expression of surprise, he was not on his guard.


    Still, it was almost too slow.


    My blade was about to reach him, and yet he wasn¡¯t guarding or attacking.


    Then all I had to do was split him right open.


    My arms felt the sensation of hitting something.


    Before I knew it, I had passed Nehyor¡­


    ¡°Woah! Golan! You really did it now.¡±


    Nehyor had been split in half.


    Well, he immediately reconnected his body, but I had seen it for a second. His body had been in two pieces.


    Had I cut him? I must have. I felt it.


    But how?


    When I turned around, I saw a streak of blood dripping down from Nehyor¡¯s forehead.


    Yes, I had cut him.


    ¡°Golan, Golan¡­uhhh¡­¡±


    ¡°Lord Nehyor, we should retreat for now.¡± S?a?ch* Th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It must have been his Adjutant. He picked up Nehyor and jumped away.


    And in the blink of an eye, they all vanished into the depths of the forest.


    It was so quick. The entire Wild Hunt was now gone.


    Even the ones who had been right in front of me.


    They were known to appear out of nowhere and then vanish without a trace.


    It was no wonder.


    I knew that after witnessing it with my own eyes.


    It would be impossible to detect people like them in advance.


    And once they escaped, you could not chase after them.


    As I thought about such things, my body suddenly stopped moving.


    And I could hear a horrible ringing in my ears.


    Damn it. I¡¯m going to faint.


    But by the time it occurred to me, my consciousness¡­was closed in darkness.

 Chapter 176

    Chapter 176¡ð Nehyor ¨C Wild Hunt


    ¡°Really. What was that? It wasn¡¯t Golan¡¯s movement. It shouldn¡¯t be!¡±


    ¡°Lord Nehyor, please calm down. The others will gather here soon.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange? That wasn¡¯t right.¡±


    ¡°Lord Nehyor, while we are away from the battlefield, this is still Demon King Tralzard¡¯s territory. It will be very dangerous if the enemy notices us. Do you want to fight the Demon King¡¯s army here?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡±


    Nehyor¡¯s voice became less high-pitched as he calmed down.


    They were currently within a forest that was quite far from the place they had fought Golan.


    His Adjutant had brought him here after he had been badly wounded by Golan¡¯s sword.


    ¡°I wonder when Golan started to change. It was at some point during the fight with the Ghost General¡­¡±


    His movements have improved visibly.


    And that was strange.


    Strength and speed of movement was affected by the amount of mana that flowed through your muscles.


    That was why Vampires, who appeared to be small on the outside, were able to have monstrous strength within.


    But those movements shouldn¡¯t have been possible with Golan¡¯s mana level.


    ¡°Golan sometimes does the most amusing things, but I don¡¯t like it when my predictions turn out to be wrong. In fact, I wanted to eliminate him this time, as he was an uncertainty¡­ What should I do if it ruins my plan¡­¡±


    ¡°About that, Lord Nehyor. If things continue like this, you will have to reconsider your plan.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why is that?¡±


    ¡°That wound, Lord Nehyor. You are currently using an immense amount of mana to heal that wound.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but I could have this healed by tomorrow if I try hard enough.¡±


    ¡°If you do, your mana will still be low. And if you fight, the wound will likely resurface. You will be exposing your weakness to the enemy. More importantly, it¡¯s possible that the ¡®secret¡¯ will get out.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, you might be right about that.¡±


    Aside from the healing ability that all Vampires had, Nehyor had the special ability, ¡®Transcend Recovery.¡¯


    If it was something like just reattaching a severed arm, the normal healing ability would be enough.


    But in Nehyor¡¯s case, he was able to use mana to heal what would have been a mortal wound.


    In fact, Nehyor had once used this ability to return after practically being turned into dust.


    However, as he had used too much mana in order to recover, he did not have enough to maintain his existence.


    And so he used his life force instead.


    He had used the life force of the long-living Vampires, and finally¨Che was able to return in the form of a child.


    Nehyor did not have much longer to live. Less than a hundred years.


    He had already lived for so long.


    There was only one way he could extend his life now.


    And that was to evolve into an Elder Vampire.


    That¡¯s why he became the subordinate of Lesser Demon King Melvis, the only person in this world who had succeeded in becoming an Elder Vampire. He was searching for a way, but it felt like his life might run out first.


    In a panic, Nehyor ignored the possibility of others becoming suspicious, and searched boldly until he found Melvis¡¯s journal.


    Melvis had started writing it when he was just a Vampire, and he had continued to write it after becoming an Elder Vampire.


    In that case, the secret must be inside of it.


    And so Nehyor had made a gamble.


    And he had won.


    What you needed in order to become an Elder Vampire, it was a magic stone from a Demon King¡ªthe Orb of Control, and a life stone from a resident of the Celestial World.


    But as of now, Nehyor was not confident that he could beat any of the eight Great Demon Kings.


    And so he had no choice but to target a newly made Demon King. Of course, things would not move that conveniently for him.


    And so he had to move things himself. Causing wars and destruction so that a new Demon King would be born.


    And now, that plan was being threatened.


    ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t have others know about my ¡®Transcend Recovery.¡¯¡±


    ¡°They will connect it to the previous incident. You are someone who is supposed to have died already. If they know, you will not be able to escape again.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ But, maybe if it¡¯s just a little?¡±


    ¡°Can you really beat a Demon King without going all out?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. No.¡±


    ¡°In that case, it might be best to postpone your plan. Even I can tell that your mana has been greatly reduced.


    He could not argue with that.


    ¡°Ugh. Damn you, Golan. I curse you.¡±


    ¡°Still, I cannot understand how he was able to cut a Vampire in half in one stroke.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. He was cheating.¡±


    ¡°Is he really an Ogre?¡±


    ¡°He definitely is. His mana has gone up a lot, but he¡¯s still an Ogre. I wouldn¡¯t get that wrong. But Golan¡­he uses some strange moves¡­ And yes, that sword!¡±


    ¡°What about the sword?¡±


    ¡°General Farneze tricked me! It really is a Deepsea Dragon Sword! But it¡¯s using the tailbone!¡±


    ¡°The tailbone of a Deepsea Dragon? Do you mean that dragon with multiple heads? Shouldn¡¯t it be the neck bone?¡±


    ¡°Yes. She didn¡¯t tell me that it was something that rare! Melvis must have killed it¡­ No, even he wouldn¡¯t have been able to do it. He must have just cut off its tail. But I don¡¯t know how.¡±


    ¡°Cut off its tail¡­ He must have been very powerful.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s an Elder Vampire. Damn it! I¡¯ve been had. Of course, Golan would become stronger if he has such a sword.¡±


    It was no wonder that Nehyor was so angry. S?a??h th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Deepsea Dragons usually lived at the very bottom of the Demon World sea.


    They would sometimes come out and attack if there was prey near the surface.


    It could be someone swimming or a ship.


    They had multiple heads which could attack simultaneously.


    No one knew just how big they were, but it was at least dozens of kilometers in length.


    In the first place, it could easily sink ships with just the head that stuck out of the water.


    However, there were a number of brave heroes who had cut off the heads of the Deepsea Dragon in the past.


    The heads did regrow after some time, but that was not particularly unusual in the Demon World.


    The important part was what they did with the severed head.


    The bones were incredibly strong, and were used as materials for weapons and armor.


    The only thing Nehyor had heard from Farneze, was that she had made a gift out of the ¡®Deepsea Dragon Sword.¡¯


    And so Nehyor had assumed that it was made from the neckbone.


    After all, no hero had succeeded in cutting off the tail up until now.


    ¡ªThe tail was much too hard.


    Nehyor had once fought against someone who used a weapon made of the bones of a Deepsea Dragon.


    And it had felt completely different compared to this time.


    With great weapons, the wielder had to draw out the power that slept within.


    But even with that considered, it was too different this time.


    He had been cleaved into two so easily.


    It would not have been possible with an ordinary Deepsea Dragon Sword. He knew that.


    And so Nehyor was angry.


    His plans¡­would have to be greatly delayed.

 Chapter 177

    Chapter 177¡ð Miralda¡¯s Army ¨C Independant Unit ¨C Dyle


    I am Dyle, the Rock Lion.


    The leader of this independent unit under General Miralda.


    We had participated in the battle against Demon King Janius by guarding the rear of the main army.


    I now looked at the battlefield, which had started to become quiet, and let out a sigh of relief.


    Apparently, it had ended in our victory.


    Demon King Janius¡¯s army had been quite impressive, as it had been led by Fonval, the Dragon Eater.


    They outnumbered us, and in spite of the fact that they would have rushed to attack us, they had proper equipment and well-trained soldiers.


    Clearly, they had been waiting for the right time to attack Tralzard¡¯s lands.


    As for this chief, Fonval, he was Janius¡¯s Corps Commander.


    A huge four-legged beast with a big mouth.


    The outside of his body was so hard that it might as well have been iron. The protection around his neck was especially tough, and could repel the fangs of a dragon.


    On the other hand, it was said that they would not let go once they bit you with their great jaw and sharp fangs.


    It was with this weapon that they tore out the throats of dragons.


    But even after the battle started, Fonval was nowhere to be seen.


    Perhaps it was because of this, that we were able to push the enemy back, even though we had fewer men.


    Things moved especially quickly once General Miralda joined in.


    If they continued that way, then victory was all but assured.


    But that sentiment didn¡¯t last long. Because the situation changed suddenly.


    Fonval¡¯s corps, which had been hidden up until now, had finally appeared.


    As we were behind Miralda¡¯s army, we couldn¡¯t tell what was going on.


    But we could hear the noise, and knew that something had happened.


    From what I heard later, General Miralda had left orders and then headed out alone.


    While it was to hunt down Fonval, it still seemed reckless.


    Dragons were strong. And they were big.


    Most other races would tremble when they saw a dragon in their original form.


    And when dragons fought, it didn¡¯t matter if the people around were friend or foe. The battlefield would be strewn with bodies of the dead, like moments after a disaster.


    This was why General Miralda avoided turning into a dragon.


    But this time was different.


    ¡°¡­So, that¡¯s a Flying Dragon.¡±


    I had heard someone mutter.


    The General had turned into a dragon and headed towards Fonval.


    She had risen suddenly into the sky and then shot back down.


    This was likely in consideration of her men.


    Had she flown right through them, the shockwaves alone would have caused so much destruction.


    Of course, we did more than just watch.


    We had to fight the enemy that came through the forest and attacked us from behind.


    However, the battle ended before we even finished fighting.


    This was because the battle between General Miralda and Fonval had become more intense.


    Even a Corps Commander could die easily if caught up in a battle between Lesser Demon Kings.


    That¡¯s how big the difference in power was.


    From what I heard, when it came to battles between Demon Kings, even Lesser Demon Kings could die in the aftershock. There was always someone stronger.


    I hoped that I would never have to witness a fight between two Great Demon Kings.


    In any case, getting too close to the General when she was fighting would mean your death.


    And so we had no choice but to run, but on the way, I sensed a suspicious presence.


    Now that I think about it, there were probably other groups that were spying on the battlefield as well.


    This one just happened to be close to us.


    It was bad luck. For both sides.


    And once I called them out, they gave up and revealed themselves.


    As for who appeared¡ªit was the leader of the Wild Hunt, Nehyor the Vampire and the rest of his company.


    Nehyor was Golan¡¯s former superior. He had recently been working in the dark to the west.


    According to the rumors, Nehyor¡¯s name was already on the Tablet of Control.


    In other words, he was a Lesser Demon King, just like General Miralda.


    Nehyor admitted to lighting the fire that led Demon King Janius¡¯s army here. And then he set his Ghost Generals on us.


    They were powerful enemies. Ghost Generals were not an enemy that you could defeat without magic.


    ¡­And yet, Golan seemed determined to do it.


    Even Nehyor had said that they had been chosen specifically for Golan.


    At first I wondered why he was so cautious over a mere Ogre¡­but then I remembered what Golan had done to the Makaras that were borrowed from the General.


    Perhaps Golan was the type of person who made the impossible possible.


    My own battle against the Ghost General was evenly matched.


    All things considered, perhaps my opponent was slightly above me.


    However, I was able to use my experience in battle to gain the upper hand and win.


    I hadn¡¯t served as General Miralda¡¯s Corps Commander for years without learning anything.


    When I looked to see how the others were doing, I saw that another of the Ghost Generals had been taken down by the Reapers, who used ¡®One-hit Kill.¡¯


    It was their special ability.


    I had been told that it was the reason that Reapers were persecuted, so it was odd to see them use it here.


    In fact, if I were their superior, I would not want subordinates who could kill others with a single ability.


    After all, it could be used for Gekokujyo. Only the thing that would await you was just a merciless death.


    Golan seemed to have them under complete control, and that was very odd.


    But he would surely die the moment that they went against him.


    Speaking of Golan, he was still fighting the Ghost General alone.


    Which was a surprise, as I had expected him to be a clump of meat at that point.


    Not only that, but he seemed to have the advantage.


    There were Vampires lying on the ground, so they must have helped him in some way, but the fact that he was still alive now showed that he was no ordinary Ogre.


    It made sense now that Nehyor had been so cautious towards Golan.


    Was he really an Ogre? It was when I thought this that his movements suddenly changed.


    His physical abilities were suddenly something that shouldn¡¯t have been possible with an Ogre¡¯s mana level. And the last hit¡­


    ¡ªI couldn¡¯t see it.


    Even with my eyes, I could not even see the after-image.


    ¡°So, you are saying that Golan cut Nehyor, the leader of the Wild Hunt, in half?¡±


    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s no doubt about it.¡±


    General Miralda returned after the battle. S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    After losing their leader, Fonval¡¯s army scattered and fled back to their own country.


    The Pain Serpent had been crushed under Miralda¡¯s weight. It lay dead on the battlefield, its guts hanging out.


    As for the Evil Djinn, it had been annihilated by Minish¡¯s magic.


    Similarly, Halm had carved up the Twin Beast with its hyena and wolf heads.


    The death of all these was what brought the enemy army to its knees.


    Minish was currently leading soldiers and chasing after the retreating enemy.


    Minish had magic that covered a wide area, which meant it was easy for her to accidentally hit her own men.


    But that wouldn¡¯t be a problem now, as she was at the head of a pursuit battle.


    At least, I told myself this.


    And then there was General Miralda, who crushed Fonval the Dragon Eater.


    And she had done it without taking much damage at all.


    Apparently, he had actually managed to tear off a bit of her elbow, but she had already healed by the time she returned.


    Dragons were filled with vitality and could do such things easily.


    And so I had to explain what had happened to the General. But I was having trouble when it came to Golan.


    After all, describing to her what I saw was just not good enough.


    It was something that was too fast for a Rock Lion to follow. So how could I explain it?


    ¡°And how is Golan now?¡±


    ¡°He has yet to awaken.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hmm. Your explanation does not tell me much.¡±


    ¡°I thought it would be the case.¡±


    I didn¡¯t expect her to understand.


    In the Demon World, a person¡¯s strength did not change that easily.


    ¡°There are reports of Nehyor killing a few other Lesser Demon Kings. And yet Golan cut him in half¡­ Is something happening that exceeds our imaginations? I have never heard of such a thing happening.¡±


    ¡°In any case, I will leave Golan like this until he wakes up.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that would probably be for the best. I am going to head west. You should stay here for a while.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Please be careful, General.¡±


    ¡°Mmm. I will be leaving many behind, so I¡¯m counting on you.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The wounded would be left here.


    General Miralda would not even be taking half of her men.


    I too would heal my wounds here and wait for Golan¡¯s recovery.


    Perhaps I¡¯ll be able to understand what happened if he regains consciousness.

 Chapter 178

    Chapter 178¡ð ?????? Golan Golan


    ¡°Where am I?¡±


    It was a world that was entirely white.


    There was some kind of white fog all the way up to my knees.


    Even when I walked, I couldn¡¯t see anything ahead of me.


    I didn¡¯t even know if there was an end to any of this.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that this is the afterlife.¡±


    Had I lost the fight?


    I tried to think back on it, but had no memories of my final moments.


    Yes, I was quite sure that I was fighting a powerful enemy.


    But that was it. It was as if there was a lock on the rest of it.


    As I continued to walk, a figure appeared in the distance.


    ¡°Hey! Wait. Tell me where I am!¡±


    I said as I ran towards it. It turned out to be an Ogre youth, just like me.


    And he was familiar as well. But I couldn¡¯t recall any names.


    I should know it. Who was this person?


    But the feeling was not mutual, and the Ogre stared at me suspiciously.


    ¡°What? Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Me? Golan. An Ogre.¡±


    It was probably someone from my village. I couldn¡¯t remember his name, but the face was familiar.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. I¡¯m Golan. In the first place, you¡¯re not even an Ogre. Just look at that sickly body of yours.¡±


    ¡°What? Do you want me to bash your head in?¡±


    It had been a while since an Ogre last picked a fight with me.


    Didn¡¯t he know this?


    ¡°How interesting. No one has challenged me for so long. You¡¯re an odd one, you are.¡±


    He was talking like me now¡­ No, wait. Something was strange.


    ¡°You¡­ I thought you looked familiar! Do you look like me?¡±


    ¡°What? What do you mean¡­ No, you do look like me. What the hell¡­¡±


    We looked at each other closely.


    I thought he looked like me, but there were slight differences. Apparently, he felt the same way.


    ¡°I¡¯m Golan.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m also Golan.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m me. ¡­So, you¡¯re me?¡±


    I finally understood it.


    That was why we looked alike.


    And apparently, my body was no longer that of an Ogre.


    I looked down as it hit me. This was the body I had as a human.


    ¡°Hey, you. Let¡¯s talk.¡±


    ¡°Aye. I¡¯ve always wanted to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°¡­In other words, I¡¯m the soul that was fished out from the pot, and you are the Ogre whose soul I was stuck to. ¡­And then we reincarnated as an Ogre. Do you understand?¡±


    After we talked, we tried to organize all of the information we had.


    ¡°Why is it you, and not me who is usually on the surface?¡±


    It was a good question.


    It was an Ogre body, so it was strange that the human soul should be the one with control.


    However, I was sure that there was a reason for it.


    ¡°I believe it¡¯s because the ¡®size of the soul¡¯ was too big for the body. That had nearly caused our death during childhood. After all, it was two souls when the body hadn¡¯t been fully formed yet. Back then, our body had been screaming. While we were saved by slowly increasing the capacity of the soul, we would have died otherwise.¡±


    ¡°I see. So the body would not have been able to stand it if I was out there first.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. It must have been some kind of defensive instinct in the body. I think that if you had come out while we were a child, our body would have exploded. It won¡¯t happen anymore, but even still, the body was not enough for two souls.¡±


    ¡°I see. I understand what you are saying. ¡­So, what is happening to us now?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I want to know¡­ But we¡¯re probably just souls? Considering where we are, perhaps this is inside of the body?¡±


    ¡°I see. It feels strange, but I¡¯m glad that I was able to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°Me too. We¡¯re two people using the same body. We¡¯re not strangers, but not family either¡­ What is our relationship, I wonder?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too complicated for me to understand.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Regardless, I just thought of the perfect name.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Soul brothers. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Soul brothers, huh? It¡¯s not bad. Alright, from today, you and I are soul brothers.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s shake on it, soul brother.¡±


    It was a firm handshake. s?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡ð Miralda


    Thanks to the efforts of my subordinates, we succeeded in defeating Demon King Janius¡¯s army.


    Minish was currently pursuing those that escaped. It would be open season for those hunters until the enemy reached the border.


    That damn Dragon Eater. Clearly they could not spare any soldiers outside of the invasion force.


    Regardless, Minish had been given orders to do her worst. It didn¡¯t matter how much the enemy would hate us later.


    The problem was the west.


    It was as chaotic as ever.


    We had received word that Lesser Demon King Yunus was going around and wreaking havoc.


    However, it had apparently started because the surrounding countries had been antagonizing Yunus.


    Still, this sounded strange to me.


    ¨CWhich countries had started it?


    Lesser Demon King Chiril and Lesser Demon King Listoris had already been defeated, and so both were very busy with rebuilding.


    It was the same with the other countries.


    So who had done it? And what reason could they have for attacking Yunus¡¯s country?


    ¡°¡­Well, there¡¯s no point in talking about that right now.¡±


    The battle was still being waged, and this country would feel the effects.


    Soldiers that had already been dispatched found it difficult to distinguish friend from foe in the current situation. All the countries were suspicious and hostile against one another now.


    If we tried to bring an end to the warring, we would only find ourselves the next target.


    It really was the end. At this point it was better to intervene with their own army so that they could control the direction that things would be headed in.


    ¡°Lesser Demon King Yunus¡¯s army is retreating.¡±


    That was unexpected news.


    ¡°Retreating? What¡¯s the situation?¡±


    ¡°We do not know. It was so sudden.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happening in the country?¡±


    ¡°It must be something big for them to call back their troops.¡±


    ¡°Indeed¡­¡±


    Halm was listening next to her and agreed.


    ¡°Well, nevermind. If Yunus¡¯s army is not around, then we should prioritize the stability of the surrounding area. Go and tell that to Oake.¡±


    Surely Oake would be able to deal with it.


    It had been the most vicious of battles, but the situation would be quite different with Yunus¡¯s retreat.


    ¡°Where will you be headed?¡±


    ¡°Ralf is the closest. I will go there.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    We would change directions and head to a different battlefield.


    Ahead of us¡­


    ¡°I bring news, General. Lesser Demon King Monin has started to retreat.¡±


    First Yunus, and now Monin¡¯s army!?


    ¡°What the hell is happening?¡±

 Chapter 179

    Chapter 179¡ð ???? Golan x 2


    ¡°So, what do we do now?¡±


    I didn¡¯t have any ideas.


    ¡°In the first place, what do we have to do to get out of here?¡±


    He didn¡¯t know either.


    I considered the situation.


    This was some unknown space that was covered in white mist.


    I didn¡¯t even know how we got here.


    And of course, I had no idea how we could get out.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just try moving?¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    And so we just started walking.


    Walking.


    And walking.


    ¡°¡­Hey, you. We¡¯ve walked quite a while now, haven¡¯t we? In fact, how much time do you think passed?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not hungry and I don¡¯t feel tired. And how can I tell how much time has passed if I don¡¯t even feel sleepy?¡±


    ¡°Still, it feels like it¡¯s been days, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    While it was difficult to tell the passage of time, it did feel like we had moved far enough for several days to have passed.


    ¡°Yeah. And we¡¯ve run out of things to talk about.¡±


    We had used the time to share information with each other.


    However, we were all out of subjects now.


    So we just walked silently.


    In the first place, our conversation didn¡¯t last very long.


    Even though our souls were different, it felt like I was just talking to myself. It started to feel unnecessary.


    Perhaps we had started to become similar. It was strange.


    ¡°¡­Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I noticed.¡±


    The mist was twisting up ahead.


    We had gotten bored of this world, which seemed to have no change.


    And so we started running towards it without saying anything.


    ¡°Is it¡­a hole?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a hole alright. But what¡¯s that? There is some kind of whirlpool near the bottom.¡±


    ¡°What do you think it is?¡±


    ¡°An exit¡­no, it can¡¯t be that.¡±


    It looked like some kind of gigantic washing machine.


    Only instead of clothes, the white mist was being sucked into it.


    The other me suddenly looked like he remembered something.


    ¡°This nostalgic feeling. I can feel it. It¡¯s the Demon World.¡±


    ¡°The Demon World? You mean the Demon World that we live in?¡±


    It was a place that was like a post apocalyptic world, where the fighting never ended.


    It was not inside of a washing machine.


    ¡°I can¡¯t explain it well, but we can reach the Demon World if we go through here. Perhaps it¡¯s something that only I can understand.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­there may be things that only an Ogre¡¯s soul would know. So, this hole is the exit then?¡±


    ¡°An exit, or a passage leading to the Demon World?¡±


    It was just a feeling, and he found it difficult to describe it to me.


    ¡°Well, nevermind. So we can jump into it to reach the Demon World, eh? But I don¡¯t really like the idea of jumping inside.¡±


    ¡°I think¡­ Would you trust me?¡±


    Now that was a difficult question.


    ¡°If you say that it is, then of course, I¡¯ll trust you.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s a whirlpool. Aren¡¯t you scared?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I am scared to jump down, but it¡¯s not because I don¡¯t believe you. I just don¡¯t like heights.¡±


    But there was no point in staying here.


    ¡°Alright. Then I¡¯ll jump in first. And if it looks dangerous, don¡¯t come in after me. Search for a different way. Also, if that does happen, please take care of our body.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. We¡¯re going to jump in together. It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s dangerous or not. We¡¯re the same mind and body¡­no, two minds and one body.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t afraid of dying if we were together.


    That¡¯s how much experience we shared.


    ¡°I see¡­ Then let¡¯s jump in together, soul brother.¡±


    ¡°Aye. We live and die together, soul brother.¡±


    And so shoulder to shoulder, we jumped into the hole.


    The white mist stuck and clung to our bodies like glue.


    My feet, torso¡­head and face.


    It covered my eyes, and all I saw was a dream of a faraway past.


    ¡°Hahahahaha¡­ You really are the son of that bastard. So reckless.¡±


    The dojo master was standing there. Still so young.


    He was thin, and his face and body were almost sickly, but his physique was really the result of intense training.


    All day long, the dojo master walked around in his uniform.


    Once I started teaching, he became lazy and wore normal clothes, so this was when he was still in his prime.


    And then a familiar scene appeared before me.


    Street stalls during a night festival. It was somewhere near a shrine.


    And on the ground were thugs or yakuza, I wasn¡¯t sure.


    Then I remembered the rest of the scene.


    Some kid was shouting about how this thug was a villain who stole allowance money from children.


    It seemed like anything could happen back then. It didn¡¯t matter how old you were. S~?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    One might have ignored the kid, but I suppose the thugs were in a bad mood.


    They were running around and chasing the kids, knocking them down with fists.


    I had just happened to be nearby, and got caught up in it¡­and was hit before I could react.


    ¡°Yes, yes. I was so angry that I challenged them again¡­¡±


    At the time, I hadn¡¯t even turned ten years old yet.


    I charged into the yakuzas and was beaten up.


    They would have continued to beat me even after I had lost consciousness, but that¡¯s when the dojo master found them.


    That¡¯s how they ended up on the ground. It was from that point that I really started to respect the dojo master.


    Up until then, he was just that dirty-looking guy who happened to be a friend of my mom.


    And now I saw him as incredibly strong.


    And so I took my lessons seriously after that¡­


    ¡°If you¡¯re really serious, why don¡¯t you become my apprentice? Given your parent, you might just prove to be useful.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what he meant by that, but I agreed.


    Though, there was one condition.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be teaching you things that you can¡¯t use during matches. And so you can¡¯t show them to anyone. Only use them if you have to kill.¡±


    It was under those ominous conditions, that I learned many things that were not taught in the dojo.


    But I had to wonder.


    Where the hell would I ever use any of these techniques?


    Why was he teaching me this? I could not help but think about it.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize it would come in handy here. Life really is unpredictable.¡±


    The dojo master had so many skills and had created many original techniques.


    But his true nature was that of a sloth.


    Still, thanks to him, I was able to survive in the Demon World.


    ¡°He taught me well. Especially with the sword.¡±


    We started with ancient Japanese techniques and then other styles involving great swords that I would surely never have the opportunity to use.


    And then, of course, how to stab someone¡¯s vitals in one hit with a short sword.


    Everything I learned back then continued to live within me.


    ¡°¡­Hm? I don¡¯t recognize this ceiling.¡±


    It was still a tent, but had a sophisticated beauty.


    ¡°Sir Golan. You¡¯re awake.¡±


    I heard a voice near my ear.


    ¡°Ah, Rig. You¡­shrunk.¡±


    He was smaller. Rig was smaller.


    ¡°You jest. It¡¯s you who have gotten bigger, Sir Golan.¡±


    ¡°What? Me?¡±


    I sat up. Indeed, my vision seemed to be set higher than usual.


    And though I had been sleeping all of this time, my body felt light.


    When I stood up, the ceiling felt very low.


    The entrance was also small.


    ¡°¡­Did I really? I really got bigger?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You suddenly started growing. And you also got thicker. I was very surprised.¡±


    I could tell by comparing myself to Rig.


    I was around 1.5 times taller now.


    ¡°I¡­what¡¯s happening to me?¡±


    ¡°I believe, sir¡­that you have evolved. However, I don¡¯t know what it is that you evolved into.¡±


    Evolved? Me?


    Now that I thought of it, I was told that I would evolve as I continued to defeat high-ranking monsters.


    However, an Ogre was supposed to evolve into a High Ogre.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    As soon as I said this, my stomach growled loudly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll prepare some food immediately.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. I¡¯m starving. I think I¡¯m going to die.¡±


    ¡°Right away, sir!¡±


    Rig dashed out of the tent.


    He really was a capable Adjutant.


    As for me¡­


    ¡°What have I evolved into?¡±


    It was just as I thought this, it appeared in my mind.


    ¡ªSusanoo-no-Mikoto.

 Chapter 180

    Chapter 180¡ð Near the border ¨C Miralda


    ¡°Why¡­are they retreating? And so suddenly? I just can¡¯t understand it.¡±


    Miralda listened to the reports that kept coming in, and tried to think of a reason for the retreat. But she could not think of a single logical explanation.


    ¡°Perhaps by coincidence, something happened in each country that made it necessary¡­ No, that cannot be it.¡±


    The more she knew about the situation, the more abnormal it all appeared.


    This large scale war.


    It had started when several countries had invaded Lesser Demon King Yunus¡¯s borders.


    Four countries had invaded at almost the same time.


    However, each invasion was on a small scale.


    And so Lesser Demon King Yunus had determined that he could fight back, and sent out his soldiers.


    But as soon as a battle was to begin, the enemy retreated¡­ Or so it seemed. And then each country suddenly became very active.


    Reinforcements would be sent, they would fight each other, or they would boldly invade Yunus¡¯s territory.


    Lesser Demon King Yunus had to move his great army in order to put a stop to it, and he had already won a few victories.


    But at that point, all five countries were in a chaotic war, and it was no longer just Yunus against the others.


    Chaos brought forth more chaos. Yunus¡¯s army could not retreat, but were forced to fight battle after battle, and were getting closer and closer to Tralzard¡¯s territory.


    Things were getting dangerous near the borders, and it was impossible to determine which country was fighting which country.


    In fact, it seemed like most countries were now ready to attack anyone that was not from their own army.


    They would chase you if you ran, and borders were easily crossed.


    At this point, Miralda knew that this war would not be settled peacefully.


    And so she decided to rank the countries by priority and try to control at least some of the chaotic battlefields.


    Miralda gave two orders to the army on the frontlines.


    The first was to destroy any army that came into their territories.


    There was no doubt that they would want to fight if left alone. And so their time within the country should be kept as brief as possible.


    The other order was about what they should do if a Demon King was about to be born.


    In other words, if any of the countries seemed like they were getting too powerful, they were to crush them.


    And if it was too much for them, they were to call for Miralda at once.


    If a Demon King were to be born now, it would greatly affect the stability of the west side.


    And so it didn¡¯t matter how much their neighbors might hate them for it. It must be stopped at all costs.


    As for the person who was currently the closest to becoming a Demon King¡ªLesser Demon King Yunus, they were to keep an eye on his army at all times.


    His successes just seemed to continue, and she was getting worried that an intervention would be necessary very soon.


    And that was when he suddenly withdrew his troops.


    It was no wonder that she became suspicious.


    ¡°Still, this means that it ends with all of the destruction on his own lands alone.¡±


    He had gone out because they attacked him. But now he was leaving without settling things.


    She doubted that it was his original plan, but he had still been the first to withdraw his soldiers.


    ¡°And it¡¯s not just him. The others are withdrawing like a wave¡­ I¡¯ll continue to have them watched, but it seems like I can return to the main camp now.¡±


    For now, the region around the border was stable again.


    Of course, things might light up again, but it would be difficult, now that they¡¯ve already retreated.


    But more importantly, Miralda was worried about Demon King Janius¡¯s army.


    Out of the soldiers she left on the battlefield, only a small portion of them could fight.


    And so she felt that it was necessary to reunite with them as soon as possible.


    ¡°Demon King Janius is still a bigger threat than these Lesser Demon Kings. I should return.¡±


    Miralda decided.


    ¡ð Golan


    Susanoo-no-Mikoto was what appeared in my mind.


    Apparently, it was what this new race was called. An Origin.


    As it was a special evolution, there was no ¡®Ogre¡¯ at the end.


    If I were to have children, grand children, great grandchildren, then we would be established as our own race.


    ¡°I had heard that it was easier for low-ranking races like Ogres to evolve. But wasn¡¯t it supposed to be more difficult to undergo a special evolution?¡±


    The high-rankers were usually fewer in number. That¡¯s why they had higher chances of evolving.


    Besides, the highest ranking monsters were practically Origins to begin with.


    ¡°Sir Golan. I¡¯ve brought you some food.¡±


    ¡°Ah, thank you, Rig.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, sir. I¡¯ve asked them to bring more as well, so you¡¯ll have plenty to eat.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°You have used a lot of mana in order to create this body. You must recover it quickly, or you will dry up. And so I¡¯ve prepared in case you need to eat all day!¡±


    ¡°Uh, right¡­.¡±


    I was a little stunned by his enthusiasm.


    I didn¡¯t remember him being quite this reliable before.


    I talked to Rig as I ate. Apparently, not only was my body creaking loudly as I grew in my sleep, but my mana had been decreasing visibly.


    And so Rig immediately understood that I was using my mana to recreate my body.


    Residents of the Demon World wouldn¡¯t understand if I told them about it, but there was something called the law of the conservation of energy.


    Perhaps this was the reason that you couldn¡¯t evolve until you stored a certain amount of mana.


    ¡°If that¡¯s true, it would explain why I didn¡¯t evolve sooner, even though it should have been possible.¡±


    I had already finished my fourth bowl by the time that I muttered this.


    ¡°That must be one of the reasons. Your mana will not increase unless you make it so that your body can withstand the increase. However, you need to store an incredible amount of mana in order to change your body.¡±


    ¡°Quite the contradiction there.¡±


    It was like saying that a cup needed two cups worth of water in order to evolve into a bucket.


    In that case, there was no way for the cup to ever evolve.


    ¡°Ahh, I see. So that¡¯s why it was immediately after the fight.¡±


    You acquired mana after defeating an enemy.


    You absorbed it, temporarily increasing the amount of water.


    Of course, since the water could not be contained in the vessel, it started to leak out slowly.


    However, perhaps evolution would be possible if you used the increased water to make the vessel larger.


    It seemed more like some kind of mysterious phenomenon than evolution. But I suppose it was close enough to the truth. S~?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Rig¡­ Sorry, but I need you to bring me more food. Twice as much as this. I¡¯m still starving.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, sir!¡±


    It felt like it was disappearing as soon as I ate it.


    Apparently, I would have to continue eating for a long while.


    ¡°Hey, Golan. So you really did wake up?¡±


    ¡°And I heard that you¡¯ve been eating your weight in food! You¡¯re like a bug!¡±


    It was the second day of constant eating. Saifo and Bekka came to visit me.


    I lightly hit Bekka for being rude, and she went flying out of the tent.


    ¡°Ouch. Golan¡¯s ridiculous strength has only gotten worse!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who is ridiculous. Both in personality and strength.¡±


    ¡°Yes, his mana level has increased. It must be three times as much as before?¡±


    ¡°Really? I can¡¯t even tell myself.¡±


    ¡°It is that much! And judging by the size of your arms, you must be five times stronger.¡±


    ¡°Can you really tell?¡±


    Well, Bekka was not trustworthy when it came to such things, so I remained skeptical.


    ¡°By the way, Golan. They said that there are too many wounded here, so they can¡¯t move the camp.¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s just been a war, and many would be in critical condition. And?¡±


    While residents of the Demon World were tough, the enemy¡¯s attacks were also incredibly powerful.


    People still died and were badly injured.


    ¡°Minish¡¯s army chased after the enemy that escaped, but there are still remnants of the scattered enemy in the area.¡±


    ¡°And what about Minish?¡±


    ¡°They chased the others all the way to the border and are staying there.¡±


    People were always watching the border. Perhaps they meant to intimidate the enemy with their stares.


    Plant fear in their hearts so they would not think to invade again.


    ¡°And so we received a message saying that we should be wary and expect sporadic attacks from the enemy.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, if they scattered, then they shouldn¡¯t be too much of a threat. Still, I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°Well, I told you now.¡±


    ¡°See you later, Golan. It¡¯s meal time! Be thankful for us and eat a lot!¡±


    ¡°As if you even made it!¡±


    Saifo shook his head sadly and Bekka cackled as they left the tent.


    I was a little concerned about these remnants of the enemy army, but right now, I had to eat in order to survive.


    And so I picked up my bowl and asked for more.

 Chapter 181

    Chapter 181Two more days passed after that.


    I was just as hungry as ever. But felt restless if I didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get some exercise.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir Golan. I¡¯ll have some food prepared for when you get back.¡±


    I could tell just by moving a little.


    My power had increased. Maybe more than I could make any use of.


    ¡°Oh? Golan. Are you finally finished eating then?¡±


    Saifo walked towards me with his weapons.


    He was surrounded in leaves and vines, so he must have been patrolling the forest.


    ¡°I feel like I have too much energy now.¡±


    ¡°First you had people bring food to you nonstop, and now it¡¯s fighting, eh? ¡­Well then, why not me?¡±


    With Saifo, the difference in size was similar to an adult and a child.


    But even then, Saifo was one of the toughest of Ogres.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do it. You can use that weapon and try your hardest. I¡¯ll fight you with my bare hands.¡± s?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°You sure sound confident. Alright, I won¡¯t hold back then.¡±


    ¡°As if you ever do.¡±


    Did he forget the last few hundred times he challenged me?


    ¡°Good! Then I¡¯ll give you a good beating!¡±


    Saifo said as he held up his two clubs.


    Apparently, he had been practicing dual wielding them.


    ¡°Arrgh!¡±


    With just the slightest delay between right and left, the metal clubs came flying towards me. It was a pretty thought out way to fight.


    The old me would have dodged them before rushing in and putting him in a lock. Or I would bash one of his weak spots.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just get hit.¡±


    ¡ªGiiin!


    It was hard to believe that the metallic ring had come from my own body. And like that, the metal club bounced off.


    I was not damaged at all.


    ¡°Damn, you¡¯re hard.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m surprised as well.¡±


    What happened to my muscles?


    When I moved my arms, they almost seemed to creak.


    It reminded me of those wire ropes.


    A long time ago, I had seen a hanging-type elevator. And my arms looked like the thick wires they had used.


    Apparently, my muscles had become ridiculously hard without me realizing it.


    ¡ªClang, clang, gong!


    Every time Saifo swung his metal clubs, they bounced right off of my muscles.


    There was a different sound depending on where he hit.


    I now knew that evolution meant that my body had been strengthened to a degree that I would never have imagined.


    ¡°Alright, now it¡¯s my turn.¡±


    I raised my fist, meaning only to punch him lightly, but¡­


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    Saifo was gone.


    No, I had gone right past him.


    ¡°Huh!? You shot right past me at an incredible speed.¡±


    ¡°I was just trying to bridge the gap, but went too far.¡±


    As I was only just within range of his clubs, I had to move a few steps closer.


    And since I was ready to fight in both mind and body, I had not been able to control my movement.


    It was quite shocking.


    Saifo¡¯s attacks continued, but this time I tried dodging.


    ¡°Wha! What are¡­you doing? Golan?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to move.¡±


    I had only meant to dodge Saifo¡¯s attack, but ended up running far away.


    So it wasn¡¯t just attacks. I couldn¡¯t control myself when dodging as well.


    ¡°Am I¡­weaker?¡±


    While I was faster now, it had become impossible to move with any precision. It was terribly difficult to fight.


    It was like playing a really old game on the latest computer.


    Moving the character and camera felt so quick that it was just harder to use. And¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    I was assaulted by unbearable hunger. And so I decided to return to the tent.


    It seemed less about being inefficient, and more about still not having the necessary amount of mana.


    I thought about it all as I ate.


    I would surely get used to moving eventually. And until then, I just had to keep forcing myself.


    ¡°Getting an upgrade is nice, but there¡¯s no point if you can¡¯t use it. I wonder what other people did when they evolved.¡±


    It was a very simple but important question.


    My guess was that the evolution was usually more mild, and so there was less to adjust to.


    However, this time I had evolved into an original species.


    Evolving while skipping steps was bound to be disorienting.


    ¡°But why me¡­?¡±


    Usually I would have turned into a High Ogre.


    I had been expecting it, if I were ever to evolve.


    ¡°Is it because of that world in the mist?¡±


    What was that, anyway?


    Let¡¯s think about it.


    As both me and the other me were there, it was likely inside of the soul.


    After all, we were two souls that had been stuck together.


    ¡°It is said that the soul is inside of the vessel, so perhaps we were inside of the vessel.¡±


    Yes, things were coming together nicely.


    My power of reasoning was not to be underestimated. I once read through a whole series of detective comics when I was in Japan.


    ¡°In that case, it¡¯s not like the vessel is filled with the soul, but that the world filled with mist was the vessel, and the soul is floating inside of it.¡±


    From the outside, we looked like a single soul inside of the vessel.


    But once inside, we existed as separate entities.


    ¡°¡­And so, maybe that¡¯s why the other me is able to come out, as if our personalities have switched.¡±


    Ah, I¡¯m on a roll with this reasoning thing.


    In that case, the problem is that hole. There was a whirlpool inside that was sucking in the mist.


    I knew it once I was inside. It was a whirlpool of mana. It was the source of my power.


    Because it was a hole, you would think it was the outside of the vessel, but it was actually still part of it.


    It was said that you absorbed mana when you ate, and that the soul vessel expanded when you defeated enemies, so perhaps that¡¯s where the mana is stored?


    The whirlpool seemed to move without end. And while the mana didn¡¯t go out of the hole, it stuck to us as soon as we got in.


    Perhaps it was a part of the mana I had been storing all along.


    And when I evolved, it became a part of me.


    ¡°It kind of reminds me of prize money in sumo wrestling.¡±


    If you win at sumo and receive the prize money, the Sumo Society takes half of it, and returns it to the wrestler upon retirement, after deducting a fee.


    When you take in mana, half of it becomes a part of you immediately, while the other is pooled away for future evolution.


    It must be something like that.


    The soul vessel must be something very complicated and mysterious. It wasn¡¯t just something that simply contained the soul.


    ¡°So that hole¡­ It must be the entrance to the mana that had been pooled.¡±


    When you evolve, a hole opens in the wall. Perhaps that hole appears once you fulfill the requirements for evolution.


    It would all make sense then.


    When I jumped into the hole and the mana started to stick to me, Rig was watching my real body undergo a change.


    The other me had said that the ¡®Demon World was beyond the hole.¡¯ Going through it had brought me back¡­in other other words, the place in the mist was like a drawing room.


    While it was still vague, I was able to come up with a satisfying explanation for it all.


    Not bad, if I do say so myself.


    What were you supposed to do when you solved a mystery? Say your signature phrase?


    There was one in the manga I had read¡­


    ¡°In the name of my uncle, I¡¯ve solved all the mysteries!¡±


    No, that¡¯s not right.


    It wasn¡¯t his uncle.


    My memory was sometimes foggy when it came to the past.


    It was some other relative I think¡­oh, that¡¯s right.


    ¡°The culprit is grandpa.¡±


    No, that¡¯s not right either.


    In fact, that wasn¡¯t the line at all.


    It was something else. A real catchy phrase.


    ¡°Grandpa¡¯s body and uncle¡¯s brain.¡±


    Yeah, something like that.


    (Translator: The manga being referenced in this chapter is ¡®The Kindaichi Case Files.¡¯)


    Thank you so much for the last donation. Last few months have been rough, so it really mean a lot!

 Chapter 182

    Chapter 182Early the next morning, things were rowdy right outside of the tent.


    When I went out, I saw that soldiers were running around. It was clearly something important.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The Meida scouts discovered the remnants of the enemy fighting force. Some of the soldiers on patrol are already fighting.¡± S?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Enemy soldiers? But I heard that they hadn¡¯t seen any up until yesterday.¡±


    ¡°We believe that they were moving during the night.¡±


    The soldier then said he had other reports to make, and left.


    So, the enemy was targeting us. This camp was filled with wounded.


    Our scout should have been keeping a tight watch, and yet the enemy seemed to have come out of nowhere.


    ¡°This is bad. How many of our soldiers can even fight¡­ If we can¡¯t move them, then we¡¯ll have to intercept the enemy.¡±


    General Miralda had taken her army to the west, saying that things were tense near the border.


    And so there were not many soldiers who could fight.


    Minish and her army would probably return when they found out, but who knew when that would be?


    There were many wounded, and the camp was large.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have enough men to protect everyone. So¡­what can we do?¡±


    I half expected the others to make a run for it, but this was clearly not acceptable for most of them.


    After all, quite a few of the casualties had come from my own corps.


    A number of the Reapers had been badly hurt after getting close to the Ghost General in order to attack it with ¡®One-hit Kill,¡¯ and their injuries were currently being treated.


    ¡°It was fortunate that Dyle remained. We can either prepare to fight back as we wait for reinforcements, or we can go in and finish this quickly.¡±


    While I had just evolved, I was in no state to fight.


    Currently, I could be active for about as long as the other me.


    This was mostly due to how quickly I became hungry.


    ¡°If I don¡¯t eat after moving, I feel like I¡¯m going to starve to death¡­ I wish they would have given us a little more time before attacking again.¡±


    I looked at our camp. They had rebuilt it to be stronger than before.


    Perhaps we could withstand a siege. But what would they do?


    ¡°Sir Golan. We¡¯re under attack.¡±


    ¡°So they¡¯re here.¡±


    We weren¡¯t even given enough time to think.


    ¡°Magic attacks are coming from far away.¡±


    ¡°Aye. Go find some cover. What are our friends doing?¡±


    ¡°They have yet to move.¡±


    ¡°I guess they are waiting with their shields raised. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll move as soon as the enemy gets close.¡±


    ¡°We might get surrounded then.¡±


    ¡°The remaining enemy soldiers would be after our wounded. They will not be attacking us in great numbers.¡±


    They had invaded a Demon King¡¯s country.


    They wouldn¡¯t want to retreat without accomplishing anything.


    This attack was likely being led by some ambitious Commander or Corps Commander, who wished to make a name for themselves.


    They had gathered the remaining soldiers under their command and launched an attack. It was rather impressive. However, their morale should not be very high.


    Everyone always wanted to go home after losing.


    I decided our strategy.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll make this a short fight. I¡¯m going to kill their leader. So Rig¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll lead the others.¡±


    ¡°No, they¡¯ll likely fight on their own. More importantly, I should be back in the blink of an eye, so have some food prepared for me.¡±


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°FOOD. It¡¯s very important, so don¡¯t forget it.¡±


    ¡°Ye-yes, sir.¡±


    It didn¡¯t matter how many of the enemy I took down, if I didn¡¯t eat anything, I would collapse.


    And so I left it all to Rig.


    In the meantime, I would go wild, at full power.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s go on a little test drive.¡±


    I jumped over the wall and headed towards the enemy.


    ¡°¡­So Dyle¡¯s already here.¡±


    I had seen someone fighting wildly at a distance, and it turned out to be Dyle.


    He used to be General Miralda¡¯s Corps Commander. He was currently my superior.


    And he was likely the strongest in our camp. It also seemed like we thought alike.


    Perhaps he too was hungry and wanted to eat as soon as possible.


    ¡°Did I even need to come?¡±


    I asked.


    ¡°No, they¡¯re actually quite difficult to fight, and I was starting to get worried. Look.¡±


    Dyle tore apart a Black Flame Wolf and pointed with his jaw.


    It was a beast that was covered in thorns.


    ¡°What? I¡¯ve never seen that before¡­ It¡¯s hairs are standing up.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a Cat Serpent. What looks like thorns is really fur. But they are sharp like needles, and each one carries a venom.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the worst. So you can¡¯t even touch them.¡±


    Ogres were tough against poison, but there was a limit to our resistance.


    If it was poison from the high-ranking races, the damage would not be light.


    ¡°That¡¯s the boss that is leading the group. The enemy will surely collapse if he¡¯s defeated.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s the boss? How can you tell?¡±


    ¡°Cat Serpents usually have their own kind as subordinates. But these are all Black Flame Wolves, aren¡¯t they? Not only that, but the other enemy soldiers all specialize in magic.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, there sure is a lot of magic flying around.¡±


    Which was bad news for someone with low magic resistance like me.


    ¡°The Cat Serpents use ¡®Flying Needle,¡¯ which is also called a ¡®magic type killer.¡¯ The soldiers are likely all magic types because the leader brought them here by force. However, ¡®Flying Needle¡¯ won¡¯t work on you, so it¡¯s quite convenient.¡±


    ¡°How do you know that it won¡¯t work on me?¡±


    It was poison from a high-ranker.


    ¡°The poison from ¡®Flying Needle¡¯ prevents the conversion of mana into magic. If you don¡¯t treat it, you¡¯ll be in that state for a while.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see. So it is perfect for me. Alright, then you take care of the small fry in the area.¡±


    At first I had thought that its fur was standing up just like a cat, but it was really doing that as a part of its attack.


    And I also learned that Dyle could use magic.


    He had been hiding it up until now. How shrewd of him.


    When I moved forward, the Cat Serpent looked cautious. However, it still didn¡¯t shoot its needles.


    Well, it was actually fur. And since it didn¡¯t grow back immediately, it would not be able to defend itself if it fired them off without thinking.


    ¡°Though, it¡¯s not like it will make a difference.¡±


    It was best to use a sword against these kinds of beasts. And so it was a good thing that I brought one.


    As for its mana level, it was several times higher than Lobos the Wise Wolf.


    If Lobos went against it, he would be crushed by the first attack of its front legs.


    ¡°¡­That being said, mine has also increased.¡±


    I had Rig check it, and he said that it was five times higher than what it used to be.


    Five times. I had never heard of someone¡¯s mana increasing that much before, and it was quite a shocker.


    That being said, it was likely still less than this Cat Serpent.


    The enemy looked confident that it could win. And moved towards me without balking.


    ¡°Woah!¡±


    It suddenly did a forward somersault and tried to ram into me.


    Not only that, but it shot out its needles at the same time.


    A few of them hit me in the shoulder. And just like Dyle said, they were not effective..


    In that case, the rest shouldn¡¯t be too much trouble.


    I held up the hilt of my sword in front of my eyes, so that the tip of the blade rested on the ground.


    Now I was ready.


    And while I could only attack by swinging upwards from the ground, it was actually the right choice in this instance.


    The Cat Serpent kicked the dirt and rotated in the air as it shot towards me.


    I would be knocked in the air unless I dodged it.


    Judging by its speed, it would be like getting hit by a bullet train.


    However, with how I was now¡­


    ¡ª-nnnnn.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    I must have swung too soon. I didn¡¯t feel the impact of my sword going through it.


    I frantically turned around, and saw that the Cat Serpent had split into two.


    It continued to rotate as the two pieces separated¡­and separated¡­and then after a while, they finally fell.


    ¡°I¡­got it?¡±


    But I hadn¡¯t felt anything at all. It was as if I had cut through air.


    ¡°I saw it¡­ Well, not exactly. But it seems like you cut through it very nicely.¡±


    Dyle said as he stared at the two pieces of the fallen Cat Serpent. He had already finished defeating the others.


    ¡°Their leader is dead! All of you! Kill the rest!¡±


    Dyle¡¯s roar echoed across the field. Immediately after, the enemy began to make a panicked retreat.

 Chapter 183

    Chapter 183Demon King Janius¡¯s army had invaded and was then defeated.


    After that, the soldiers that had remained grouped up and attacked us. Normally, such a thing was unthinkable.


    They had already lost once. There was no way that they could win if they came together and attacked again.


    Their morale would be low, and since they weren¡¯t from the same corps, they would not be able to act together.


    In other words, their defeat was all but certain. No one would think to do such a thing.


    So, why had they attacked¡­?


    ¡°The person leading them was very ambitious, and had a special ability that allowed them to force the others to obey. That and the fact that we were away.¡±


    Apparently, it had happened through a series of coincidences.


    ¡­Well, this was the explanation that I was given by the leader of this army and the direct subordinate of Demon King Tralzard, General Miralda.


    After defeating the enemy, I returned to my tent and immediately got to work eating.


    I was so hungry that I felt like I would starve to death.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what happened exactly after that, but I heard that Dyle managed to take care of the rest.


    They said that he chased the enemy so that they would run straight towards Minish¡¯s army. It was quite a feat.


    It was during the next day, while the post-battle cleanup was underway, that Miralda¡¯s army arrived.


    Things would have been quite different had they arrived two days earlier, but there was nothing that could be done about that now.


    ¡°Were things alright near the border?¡±


    After defeating Demon King Janius¡¯s army, Miralda had headed there with her men.


    And I hadn¡¯t expected them to be back so soon.


    In fact, I was assuming that the soldiers here would go and join her at the border once they had recovered.


    ¡°It was fine. After all, the enemy has withdrawn.¡±


    ¡°Withdrawn? So the fighting has ended?¡±


    ¡°Mmm. It¡¯s as if someone doesn¡¯t want a Demon King to be born right now. But only recently, it seemed like it would happen at any moment.¡±


    ¡°Haa¡­ So the situation has changed.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s just so abrupt. Nearly all of the countries withdrew their armies at once. This kind of movement makes you think that someone is controlling things from behind the scenes. I must send someone in order to investigate this.¡±


    She might have sounded paranoid to some, but I understood what she meant.


    While she didn¡¯t know how, she was certain that someone was behind all of it.


    And that person did not want a Demon King to be born. That¡¯s how it was.


    This had all started because Nehyor and his Wild Hunt had killed a Lesser Demon King.


    That¡¯s what caused all of the chaos in the west.


    And so Miralda must also suspect that this unnatural development was because of Neyhor as well.


    In other words, it wasn¡¯t about what each country was doing. What was important was what Nehyor was planning.


    ¡°Still, it¡¯s good that things have settled in the west.¡±


    I wouldn¡¯t be required to fight.


    This body needed more testing. I was too afraid to use it as is.


    And so if it was possible, I wanted to avoid fighting for a while.


    ¡°You. You would avoid battle after undergoing such a special evolution?¡±


    ¡°If the rights of me and my men are violated in any way, I¡¯ll have no mercy. However, I don¡¯t care to get involved in battles I have nothing to do with in strange lands.¡±


    Wasn¡¯t that normal?


    ¡°That¡¯s one way you are very similar to your master.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean General Farneze?¡±


    Really? I didn¡¯t think so at all.


    ¡°No, the one above her.¡±


    ¡°Uhhh¡­ Are you talking about Lesser Demon King Melvis?¡±


    I asked, and Miralda nodded with a ¡®Mm.¡¯


    But then she immediately narrowed her eyebrows. What did that mean?


    Melvis had been sleeping for hundreds of years.


    And so not many people were alive who knew him when he was awake.


    ¡°You¡­from what I can see, your mana level is seven times higher than what it used to be.¡±


    ¡°Haa¡­so it¡¯s gone up again.¡±


    Last time it was only five times. Now it was seven¡­it kept going up.


    That being said, it wasn¡¯t stable at all. It would go up a lot and then down a little. This repeated as it slowly climbed higher. S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    I still felt hungry all of the time. Would my mana level keep increasing until that feeling ended?


    Wait a minute. Did General Miralda just change the subject?


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen hundreds of evolutions of the lower ranking races before. Their mana might increase by three or four times if they¡¯re lucky. Seven times is unheard of.¡±


    ¡°In my case, I think it¡¯ll keep going.¡±


    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s because of what you evolved into. ¡­By the way, what did you evolve into? Well, you don¡¯t have to tell me if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    Knowing a person¡¯s race meant knowing the limits of their strength and their weaknesses. And of course, their special abilities.


    And so some would not want to share it with an outsider.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. It¡¯s something I¡¯ve never heard of before, and there is no information on it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. So you are a new type of Ogre. How interesting. And what is it called?¡±


    ¡°Susanoo-no-Mikoto.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­Susanoo-no-Mikoto. I¡¯ve never heard of that either.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would.¡±


    The only Susanoo-no-Mikoto that I knew of was from Japanese mythology.


    And since it was the name of a god, I didn¡¯t know if it was right for a resident of the Demon World to go by it.


    However, in ancient Japan, they worshipped gods who were destructive and violent, so maybe it didn¡¯t matter?


    ¡°Still, Susanoo-no-Mikoto¡­ Mikoto¡­ No, but could it be?¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    ¡°By the way, you said that you¡¯re still hungry, yes? How much do you eat in a day?¡±


    ¡°About ten times as much as before. But if I had to eat twenty times as much, I feel as if I could do it.¡±


    ¡°I see. And it¡¯s all being converted into mana. How frightening.¡±


    ¡°¡­Uh, General. Did you just try to change the subject again?¡±


    ¡°Did I?¡±


    ¡°You did. You seemed a little strange when we were talking about King Melvis.¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡±


    ¡°But you were. ¡­Is there something that you can¡¯t say? It sounded like it was about my race, and I¡¯d really like to know.¡±


    As I had grown, I was now looking down at her from quite a height.


    Of course, I was still much weaker than her. But visually, it might look as if I was threatening her now.


    ¡°Well¡­who knows? It¡¯s true that I changed the subject¡­but there is a reason that I hesitate to talk.¡±


    ¡°There is? But is it about my race?¡±


    ¡°That too¡­ Well, it¡¯s really about my master, Demon King Tralzard.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°I will tell you this, as Tralzard and Melvis¡¯s lands are connected, they are acquainted with one another.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they are. They have both lived long, I believe.¡±


    ¡°As for your race, I¡¯ve heard something from King Tralzard¡­ Well, not directly. But it was something about a similar race. And that memory just returned to me¡­as have others¡­ And since it connects to my master, I¡¯m not sure what to do.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see. So that¡¯s why. In that case, I suppose I shouldn¡¯t keep asking you about it.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve just had an idea. What if you were to meet with my master?¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    ¡°If you did, then there would be things that I could tell you. About my master¡¯s race and about Lesser Demon King Melvis. And¡­¡±


    ¡ªLesser High King Yamato.


    Said Miralda.

 Chapter 184

    Chapter 184Go and meet Demon King Tralzard?


    No, no, no. Someone like me would surely be killed.


    Or not?


    The difference between me and a Lesser Demon King was already so great. So to meet a Demon King¡­ What would I even say?


    I can¡¯t talk about my hobbies. Uh, favorite food?


    No, it was ridiculous. I couldn¡¯t go.


    However, I did want to know more about my race.


    And I also wanted to learn about other countries.


    ¡°So you¡¯ll tell me if I agree to go?¡±


    ¡°Mmm. As it is related to my master¡¯s shame, I would not normally be allowed to speak of it. However, if you were to actually meet him, then you would have to know what subjects you can bring up and which you cannot, yes?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. I wouldn¡¯t want to accidentally say something that hits a nerve.¡±


    This was a dragon, after all.


    ¡°And so that will be my reason for telling you things that I wouldn¡¯t normally be able to talk about. On the other hand, if you would like to know more, you will have to meet my master directly and ask him.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ I understand what you¡¯re saying. And I think that it makes sense.¡±


    Still, I have to meet a Demon King?


    In video games, Demon Kings were like the last boss.


    I really didn¡¯t want to meet one¡­


    ¡°¡­So, what will you do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet him. I don¡¯t want to meet him, but I will. If it has to do with my race, then I have no choice but to listen to it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s a good attitude to have. Now I can tell you. It¡¯s a story that happened a long time ago¡­¡±


    I gulped.


    ¡°But then again, where do you think I should start?¡±


    ¡°As if I¡¯d know!¡±


    She ruined it.


    However, there was a lot to talk about.


    She decided to start by talking about the relationship between Lesser Demon King Melvis and Demon King Tralzard.


    ¡°Thousands of years ago¡­ Well, around four thousand, I believe. During that time, it was Lesser High King Yamato who ruled the greater part of the Demon World. And King Yamato had three very powerful subordinates. Do you know them?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve only lived for seventeen years, but I know that much. There is Zardan the Madman, Melvis the Immortal, and Bargman the Dragon King. I heard that Zardan died in battle.¡±


    ¡°Mmm. Exactly. All three of them supported Yamato as Great Demon Kings. In fact, Bargman¡¯s lands were in this very area.¡±


    ¡°Really? Didn¡¯t he die of old age?¡±


    It was an unusual way for someone to die in the Demon World. Most people were killed before they lived their entire lifespan. S?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Mmm. He died over a thousand years ago. At the time, a young Tralzard served King Bargman.¡±


    What!? So that¡¯s where they were connected!


    ¡°I see. Both Dragons¡­¡±


    ¡°You noticed, eh? Yes, Demon King Tralzard and Bargman were the same race. So it would not be strange for him to have heard of the great war with the Celestial World, would it?¡±


    So he was connected with someone who had witnessed that history.


    This was the frightening thing about the races with long lives.


    ¡°I¡¯m so shocked that I don¡¯t know what to say.¡±


    ¡°Of course. And you can ask King Tralzard all about it when you meet. In any case, it is said that Lesser Demon King Melvis started his long sleep about three or four hundred years ago. I¡¯m not sure of the exact time. After all, everyone outside of his country was too scared to get close to it. It was really just as we started wondering why King Melvis wasn¡¯t attacking other countries anymore, that the truth came out.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know the details myself.


    None of that information came down to us.


    General Farneze likely knew, but she probably didn¡¯t want to tell me.


    ¡°And since King Tralzard knew Bargman, who died a thousand years ago, he would of course, know King Melvis before his long sleep?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. King Tralzard even fought King Melvis after he became a Demon King.¡±


    ¡°What!? I¡¯m surprised King Melvis came out alive.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Are you confused?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You are talking about someone who once rose to the position of Great Demon King. And though he lost much of his mana during the war against the Celestial World, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that he was one of the strongest.¡±


    ¡°But¡­it¡¯s a battle between a Lesser Demon King and Demon King, is it not? Surely that¡¯s not a fair fight?¡±


    I asked, and Miralda let out a deep sigh.


    ¡°¡­This is the part that involves my master¡¯s shame. King Tralzard was not able to beat King Melvis.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡±


    ¡°Not only that, but every time that King Tralzard talks about that battle, he shakes like a fawn.¡±


    So it was that scary. Miralda sighed again.


    ¡°A Demon King can shake?¡±


    ¡°Mmm. He could not lay a finger on King Melvis. This was someone who would invade other countries and destroy villages and towns just because he was in a bad mood. Resistance was meaningless. You could do nothing but just wait for your death.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°And our country was no exception. A few of our towns and villages vanished. It wasn¡¯t until several of King Tralzard¡¯s subordinates were attacked, that he finally acted. Though it was with much hesitation.¡±


    ¡°And then what happened?¡±


    ¡°He led his army and marched towards King Melvis¡¯s country. And then King Melvis intercepted them. Alone. And with just one special ability¡­¡±


    ¡°He did what?¡±


    ¡°Annihilated the army. The nearby town was destroyed as well. King Tralzard returned after losing half of his body. He was in tears.¡±


    ¡°In tears?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Great orbs of sorrow were in his eyes.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°It was something called ¡®Snow of the End.¡¯ It¡¯s a black snow that covers the entire area. Everything that you can see. Not only that, but everything that touches it disappears. You cannot run away, as it fills your entire vision. And so the world becomes black, and everything fades away.¡±


    ¡°Then how do you deal with it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible. They say that there wasn¡¯t a cloud in the sky on that day. But no matter how high you flew, the snow did not stop. If you wanted to escape, you had to get out of range. Of course, everyone disappeared before they could.¡±


    ¡°So you would have to defeat King Melvis?¡±


    ¡°It would have been so simple were that possible. As the snow fell, a drawn out battle meant defeat. Do you think fighting was even an option?¡±


    ¡°No¡­I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Strong scales and thick armor. All of it faded away. The only reason that King Tralzard was able to survive, was because he was towards the back of the army. And because he was much larger than the others. That is all.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you still call him King Melvis¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because my master still calls him that.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m uh, sorry.¡±


    There was no reason for me to apologize, but I suddenly felt very bad for them.


    ¡°And so that was why it was decided that King Melvis¡¯s country was never to be invaded. We did not want to experience that a second time.¡±


    More importantly, Miralda did not want to see her master cry.

 Chapter 185

    Chapter 185¡°Is it possible that Demon King Tralzard will just kill me due to this old grudge?¡±


    After all, Melvis had done something quite horrible to him.


    ¡°That¡­will not happen.¡±


    ¡°You just averted your eyes! Is there really a danger?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think there is. But it might depend on what we say. Who knows?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going home now, thank you very much.¡±


    I got up from my seat.


    ¡°Wait, Golan. Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s pretend that this conversation never happened.¡±


    ¡°Wait, it was only a jest. A jest¡­ You will not be killed that quickly. So calm down.¡±


    As I tried to leave, General Miralda grabbed my arm.


    She was a Lesser Demon King. And I could not shake her off.


    Well, it might be possible if I tried my hardest, but I didn¡¯t have any intention of doing that.


    ¡°¡­Very well. I won¡¯t run away, so please let go of me. Also, I will leave if I feel that I¡¯m being threatened. So, you have something dangerous that you want to tell me?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that it¡¯s dangerous¡­ I think. But now you know the relationship between Lesser Demon King Melvis and my master, yes? Now I want you to meet King Tralzard and ask him about the Lesser High King Yamato¡¯s war. After all, he has gone to your country a number of times before.¡±


    It was obvious if you paid attention to how things moved in the Demon World. Kings were rarely completely independent.


    They would team up with others who were of equal strength in order to defeat stronger enemies.


    Such things were normal.


    And so even now, alliances were being made and broken all over the Demon World.


    It was not strange then for Tralzard to have gone to see Melvis.


    If this was someone who had made him cry, then it was best to form an alliance as soon as possible.


    After all, they were direct neighbors. It would be bad to leave things unsettled.


    ¡°By the way, why is my country so small? If he used to be a Great Demon King, shouldn¡¯t his land be larger?¡±


    In terms of size, we were one of the smallest.


    ¡°It seems that King Melvis had no interest in conquest at all. And so his lands were very small, even when he was a Great Demon King.¡±


    ¡°That means the boost he got from the Orb of Control¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, there would have barely been a boost at all.¡±


    Apparently, Melvis was strong enough without it.


    It was no wonder he was able to drive back a Demon King.


    ¡°It¡¯s my own country, and yet there are so many shocking things that I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Well, even then, that country is abnormally small. He must have let go of his other lands at some point. However, no one seems to know anything about that. After all, it was a completely different age.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Well, even if he did have more lands, it would only be the cause of more fighting. So I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s a bad thing.¡±


    ¡°Mmm. As for King Tralzard, he was then able to hear stories from both Bargman the Dragon King and Melvis the Immortal.¡±


    ¡°I see! So that explains it.¡±


    Who else but him was able to hear stories from people who actually lived through that history?


    It was possible because they lived so long. I had not thought about it before.


    ¡°That being said, I have not heard much from King Tralzard. But there was one thing that came back to me after I heard the name of your race.¡±


    ¡°My race¡­ You mean Susanoo-no-Mikoto?¡±


    I knew that it was from ancient Japanese mythology.


    However, I never had any interest in that, and so I didn¡¯t know anything besides that story about drifting to some port.


    ¡°No one knows what Lesser High King Yamata¡¯s race was. Either it was meant to be hidden, or it was forgotten and lost in time. ¡­Not only that, but descriptions that were left of his appearance are not very unique. In a way, like the humans from the Human World.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s surprising.¡±


    I had expected him to be someone with more of an impact.


    Like having twenty horns on his head.


    Or having a mouth that went from ear to ear.


    Most of the residents of the Demon World looked like monsters from a video game.


    That was the standard, so people close to humans might stick out a little.


    ¡°Apparently, King Tralzard had heard the name of King Yamato¡¯s race. But as it¡¯s all hearsay, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true. And so don¡¯t take everything as fact.¡±


    ¡°I understand. ¡­So, what is it?¡±


    ¡°He said that it was Yamato Takeru-no-Mikoto.¡±


    Ah¡­I thought.


    So Yamato is his name, and his race was Yamato Takeru no Mikoto.


    It was the same, and also a bit on the nose for my liking.


    However, it sounded oddly credible when it came out of Miralda¡¯s mouth.


    Residents of the Demon World did not know of the Japan Chronicles or Records of Ancient Matters. s?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    And so it was hard to doubt it when the exact name appeared like this.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem very surprised. I suppose it¡¯s familiar to you?¡±


    ¡°No¡­uh¡­it does sound similar.¡±


    ¡®Susanoo-no-Mikoto and ¡®Yamato Takeru-no-Mikoto.¡¯


    It looked quite different in writing, but sounded similar when you pronounced it out aloud.


    That was what had likely jogged Miralda¡¯s memory.


    ¡°There are other reasons that I want you to meet King Tralzard and ask about the past. The battle against the celestial beings. King Tralzard once said that the Eira institution had targeted Lesser High King Yamato.¡±


    ¡°You mean it wasn¡¯t just an invasion from the Celestial World that caused the war?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know any of the details. Though I did learn later that even the name ¡®Eira¡¯ was incorrect. But it was too late to change it, as that¡¯s what they were known as in the Demon World.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°That name was heard while they were fighting. So it must have been misheard. That¡¯s what a fallen one told me many years later. The name of the one great research institution is ¡®Enra.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Enra and not Eira? Well, that is very similar.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they? They are similar, and this is an institution that doesn¡¯t exist anymore, so it has no importance to us. However, I just thought it would be best for you to know their real name.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll remember it then¡­Enra.¡±


    ¡°Also, according to that fallen one, the leader of the Enra institution was called Hera. A lot of women worked at Enra, and so I can assume that Hera was a woman. Regardless, both her and King Yamato fought and ended up somewhere outside of this world.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re somewhere between time and space, right?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? No one saw them disappear. Where they went¡­well, all we know is that he is alive, as his name is still on the Tablet of Control.¡±


    ¡°So¡­King Yamato fought Hera of the Enra institution.¡±


    ¡°King Tralzard should know about that time. And so you can ask him all about it. Furthermore, I¡¯m sure that King Tralzard also knows things about King Melvis. He wouldn¡¯t tell them to me, but he might tell them to someone from the same country.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that.¡±


    ¡°There is a possibility. Your race might be related to King Yamato. In that case, you might also be related to Eira. And if you are related to King Yamato and the Celestial World, then you are also related to King Melvis. And so I think you should go and meet King Tralzard.¡±


    ¡°Very well. I will meet him then.¡±


    ¡°Mmm. Good¡­ Ah, I forgot to tell you, but we received a report from King Tralzard. It¡¯s about the east.¡±


    ¡°The east. That¡¯s where my country is.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Things are getting a little out of hand.¡±


    Miralda¡¯s expression darkened.

 Chapter 186

    Chapter 186¡°The report from King Tralzard contained details about the east side. Things are not going well.¡±


    General Miralda¡¯s expression darkened.


    What did she mean? Was my country in danger?


    ¡°Is my country safe?¡±


    What happened to the towns and villages?


    ¡°King Melvis¡¯s country is fine. At least, for now.¡±


    What a relief.


    However, there seemed to be something else behind her words. And I started to feel anxious again.


    ¡°For now¡­ Please tell me everything. What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, you have a right to know. First, about the soldiers sent from our country. They succeeded in restraining the smaller countries like Rous and Kurulu. The enemy soldiers withdrew at once.¡±


    Four countries had attacked my country simultaneously, but things seemed to have settled nicely.


    After all, if King Tralzard was sending men, then all of their alliances would mean nothing.


    General Miralda had prepared these soldiers specifically for the job of defeating Leninoth.


    ¡°It might have been different if these Lesser Demon Kings came out in person, but mere Generals and Corps Commanders are not enough.¡±


    I let out a great sigh.


    ¡°Indeed. The enemy must regret their decision now. Regardless, all that is finished. The real problem is Lesser Demon King Leninoth.¡±


    Leninoth ruled a large country that was to our north.


    He had swallowed up three other smaller countries and was currently competing with Lesser Demon King Fara for dominance. S?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Leninoth and Fara are fighting, and the winner is likely to become a Demon King. Has anything changed?¡±


    ¡°Your country had put together a very great army, and they clashed with Leninoth¡¯s army. But the report said Leninoth was very cautious, and it was difficult to drag him out.¡±


    ¡°Difficult, but they still succeeded?¡±


    ¡°Yes, after several days. I won¡¯t bother you with the details, but they used our soldiers to surround Leninoth, and after a vicious battle, they destroyed him.¡±


    ¡°Woah¡­ They defeated Leninoth?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what it says.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s incredible news!¡±


    To be honest, I did not think that things would go so smoothly.


    Leninoth was the greatest threat, and now he was out of the picture.


    ¡°It says that while the remainders of Leninoth¡¯s army scattered, they were not able to pursue them. This was because of the heavy losses they took during the battle.¡±


    Apparently, they had clashed head on, and General Farneze had led this main attack.


    The reinforcements from Tralzard charged and broke into the enemy formation while General Farneze held them at bay. And like that, they were able to get close to Leninoth, who was near the back.


    However, their numbers had decreased greatly by this point, and they were pushing themselves too far in this desperate attempt to defeat Leninoth.


    Only about half the soldiers came out unharmed, so the damage had been great.


    ¡°So that just leaves Fara now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but that is where the problem arises.¡±


    General Miralda¡¯s face grew even more severe.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that Fara became a Demon King?¡±


    As we did not share any borders with Fara, we did not have the same fear of him up until now.


    However, seeing as how he too had been conquering other countries, it was clear that he was no ordinary person.


    ¡°Lesser Demon King Fara was¡­killed.¡±


    ¡°¡­What!?¡±


    ¡°He was killed by another Lesser Demon king from the far east. It seems like it happened during battle.¡±


    ¡°Fa-Fara¡­is dead? The one who was about to become a Demon King?¡±


    ¡°And yet he was defeated in a flash. That is how things happen in the Demon World. And it¡¯s said that he lost due to a pure difference in power.¡±


    ¡°Who was it?¡±


    ¡°The person who defeated Fara is someone called Lesser Demon King Kyuka, whose lands are connected to Demon King Trinidoto¡¯s country.¡±


    ¡°¡­Lesser Demon King Kyuka.¡±


    I didn¡¯t recognize the name.


    ¡°According to the report, Lesser Demon King Kyuka had evolved just recently. He was a Purple Fox before evolution, and so he should be Twin Purple Flame Fox now. But I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    ¡°Evolution, eh?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Perhaps his confidence grew after that. As he wasted no time in antagonizing all the small countries around him, and he won every time.¡±


    I knew, as someone who had just evolved as well.


    Your power increased explosively, and you felt like you could do anything.


    Of course, that sense of being all powerful was just an illusion.


    For instance, if I challenged General Miralda to a fight, I would easily lose.


    But Kyuka had won. He had continued to win until he defeated Fara, someone who had been so close to becoming a Demon King.


    Was that really possible for an evolved Purple Fox?


    ¡°And so we might see the birth of a new Demon King very soon.¡±


    ¡°And from the most surprising place.¡±


    ¡°Mmm. I did not expect a third party to appear¡­ But I suppose that¡¯s the way of the Demon World. When times change, people like you suddenly appear and show their true strength.¡±


    ¡°Like me?¡±


    ¡°Mmm. There really is so much disorder to the west and east of this country now. And of course, there is the invasion from the Celestial World. I will deal with the west side, but I want you to do something about the east. ¡­Well, that will be one of the things to discuss when you meet with King Tralzard.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve evolved into a very incompre¡­rare race. And King Tralzard is full of wisdom. You will surely learn something that will be advantageous for you.¡±


    Was she about to say incomprehensible?


    ¡°¡­Very well. I am worried about my country, but there would be nothing that I can do if I returned now. And so I will try to deal with my personal matters first.¡±


    ¡°Yes. That is good.¡±


    And like that, it was decided that I would meet with a Demon King.


    You really could not predict where life would take you.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been shocked enough and want to get off this prank show.¡±


    I very much missed that slow life I had in the Ogre village.

 Chapter 187

    Chapter 187¡ð Wild Hunt ¨C Nehyor


    Nehyor was currently in a small country that was next to both Tralzard and Janius¡¯s countries.


    It was called Ulwar.


    This country ruled by Lesser Demon King Ulwar was one of the smallest countries in the Demon World.


    In terms of mass, it was similar to Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s country.


    As for why Nehyor was in such an unremarkable place¡­


    ¡°Lord Nehyor. We¡¯ve finished investigating the Pillars of Salt.¡±


    ¡°I see. And how was it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how it is happening, but there is still holy power remaining.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I do wonder why. The holy power just stays there forever if left alone. Even if a hundred years or even a thousand years pass.¡±


    ¡°Our investigation took longer because of it, but we were unable to find anything that could be used to communicate with the Celestial World.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I see. So that means they have no way of seeing what is happening down here.¡±


    These Pillars of Salt, which were also called the ¡®Six Salt Pillars,¡¯ had been their base in the Demon World over four thousand years ago.


    Back then, holy power had been used on an unimaginable scale, and six holes had been opened up into the Demon World.


    The residents of the Celestial World invaded from there and made their base. And then they planned to build a barrier that they would fill with holy power.


    Of course, this plan was thwarted by Lesser High King Yamato.


    Still, they now remained as pillars of salt, and they continued to store holy power.


    ¡°I think there is still holy power there because the pillars themselves are made of holy power. They are materialized holy power.¡±


    ¡°But shouldn¡¯t they disperse when exposed to the miasma of the Demon World?¡±


    ¡°The pillar itself must be like a core or barrier? Besides, doesn¡¯t your hand burn if you touch it? No one wants to touch them or even get close.¡±


    There were Pillars of Salt in Nehyor¡¯s country as well. S?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    He had been curious enough to investigate them once, but he did not learn anything.


    And so he had forgotten all about them until now. But the other day, there was an invasion from the Celestial World.


    Nehyor had realized that the holy power he had felt was terribly similar to the time he had investigated the Pillars of Salt, and so he decided to have them investigated again.


    As for the Pillars of Salt in his own country, which Legras was currently managing in his absence, they were too far away to visit now.


    And since the pillars tended to be spread out evenly all over the Demon World, he had gone to the closest, which happened to be in Ulwar¡¯s country.


    ¡°After all, the birth of a Demon King has been postponed. It¡¯s surely not a mistake to do some research about the Celestial World.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Currently, your mana is being used to repair your body. I believe it will continue for a while, so prioritizing this research is the right decision.¡±


    ¡°But only if there are results¡­ Had I known that I would need a life stone in order to become an Elder, I would have done this research while I had time.¡±


    Why did he have to investigate in secret in a foreign country when there were Pillars of Salt in his own country?


    Nehyor could not help but feel conflicted about this.


    ¡°Regarding the plan to make Lesser Demon King Yunus a Demon King, one of your subordinates has returned to make a report. He says that each country has finished retreating. Tralzard¡¯s army has not pursued them. As long as nothing happens from here, things should settle down.¡±


    ¡°I see. Send him my thanks. I¡¯m sure the place must have been chaotic after making them fight, and then suddenly telling them to stop.¡±


    ¡°There did seem to be some confusion, but perhaps due to their daily training, they were able to quickly understand and react.¡±


    Miralda had been suspicious about the movement in the west.


    Nehyor had given the order for them to withdraw, after his plans had been ruined by his injury.


    His original plan had involved using Lesser Demon King Yunus to kill the other Lesser Demon Kings and Generals, and then have him turn into a Demon King.


    Nehyor had even been making preparations so that he would be able to kill Yunus as soon as he changed.


    However, Golan¡¯s Deepsea Dragon Sword had split Nehyor in half. And he was forced to spend a long time off in order to heal.


    Realizing that this was a bad time to fight, he had to go ahead with a different plan for now.


    ¡°But if I do that, I¡¯ll have soldiers left. I suppose I should gather them all together.¡±


    ¡°Lord Nehyor, I have something to tell you regarding that.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What is it?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, Demon King Janius has started seeing our army as enemies.¡±


    ¡°What? Did he realize that we set Tralzard on him?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he knows for certain. But perhaps he was able to guess it based on movement in the area.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Well, it cannot be helped. ¡­Alright, I know. The corps we had camped in Yunus¡¯s country. I¡¯ll have them continue on to Demon king Gidman¡¯s country.¡±


    ¡°Gidman?¡±


    ¡°Janius and Gidman are currently at war. There are always skirmishes, and so I think I¡¯ll have Gidman dance for me this time. We just need to feed them rumors about Janius¡¯s General dying and how the army is weakened.¡±


    ¡°However, if this fails, Gidman will start seeing you as an enemy as well.¡±


    ¡°We only have to get through this brief moment. Now do it.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    Nehyor¡¯s own lands were to the southeast of the Demon World.


    And so making an enemy out of Gidman, who was to the northwest, was not a big deal.


    If Gidman wanted to invade him, he would have to travel through Demon King Tralzard, Demon King Bibashini, and Demon King Legard¡¯s lands first.


    ¡°As long as it calms down Janius. And if not, I¡¯ll change the location. You can turn into a Demon King anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Are there really other places that are so convenient?¡±


    ¡°Of course, there is. Like the land once ruled by the late Demon King Bardodo.¡±


    There were currently eight great Demon Kings, but there used to be nine.


    It changed when the holes opened in the sky and the celestial beings invaded.


    Demon King Bardodo died in that battle, and his lands were divided into eight smaller countries.


    These lands were currently ruled by Lesser Demon Kings who continued to fight each other for dominance.


    ¡°Our current objective is to find a celestial being who is equal to a Demon King.¡±


    He would be able to acquire as much land as he wanted once he evolved.


    And so Nehyor was searching for the necessary ingredients for evolution¡ªthe magic stone from a Demon King and a life stone of equal power.


    ¡°Lord Nehyor. What will you do now?¡±


    ¡°I want information about these residents of the Celestial World. And our only clue is those people who invaded Tralzard¡¯s lands. What did they want¡­or who? I¡¯ll need to find out so I can keep an eye on them.¡±


    ¡°I see. Very well. Few have encountered residents of the Celestial World and survived. But I will send my men to watch the place.¡±


    ¡°Yes, good.¡±


    Nehyor muttered about how things would be very busy now, but his Adjutant replied that he was to first, ¡®heal his wounds.¡¯ And so Nehyor had no choice but to comply.

 Chapter 188

    Chapter 188¡°Ah, what fine weather.¡±


    I said while stretching my limbs. There wasn¡¯t a cloud in the sky. It was perfect.


    Behind me were people that General Miralda had accompany me.


    ¡°Seems like it will continue for a while.¡±


    One of them, a Vanet called Stomel, was standing next to me.


    ¡°You can tell?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Because these are dry.¡±


    Stomel said as he flapped his four wings.


    While Vanets looked like giant bees, they were highly intelligent and good with their hands and feet.


    But since they had low attack and defense ability, they were rarely seen on the battlefield.


    Stomel was smaller than the average Ogre, but that was still huge when you considered the fact that he was a bee.


    And since the low buzzing noise accompanied them, you always knew where they were, which was convenient.


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to get hungry again.¡±


    ¡°Then we should take a break.¡±


    Stomel always answered me like an echo.


    He was acting as my Adjutant on this journey.


    In other words, he was like a flying Rig.


    ¡°There is a cluster of trees over there. Will that suit you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, why not?¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡±


    We were currently walking down a town road in order to meet with the Demon King.


    There were carriages we could have used, but the General had advised that it would be good for me to use my new body, and so I walked.


    It was nearly midday, yet this would be my third meal already.


    ¡°I¡¯ll prepare it for you, so please wait.¡±


    ¡°Aye. Sorry to trouble you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It is my important job. You need not feel concerned.¡±


    ¡°Important job¡­huh?¡±


    I sat down and leaned against a tree and thought back on the moment before our departure.


    ¡ð


    ¡°Sorry, Rig. It¡¯s been decided that I¡¯m to head out and meet with Demon King Tralzard now.¡±


    It was such sudden news. Rig froze for a second.


    ¡°Sir Golan. Why must you go and antagonize the Demon King?¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait a minute!¡±


    Why was that his interpretation of what was happening?


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible for you to meet him without a fight erupting.¡±


    ¡°How rude.¡±


    But then again, my history did not help my case at all.


    That being said, I was quite sure it was them who usually picked fights with me.


    And yes, I always respond to a challenge.


    It didn¡¯t matter what was involved.


    I was just a serious person who obliged everyone, one by one. Perhaps he had misconstrued that.


    Well, nevermind.


    What I had to tell Rig involved my corps.


    ¡°We¡¯re currently a part of General Miralda¡¯s independent corps. Dyle will continue to be the Commander, so things should be fine while I¡¯m gone. That being said, I¡¯m thinking of making Saifo and Painy assistants for Dyle. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a good idea. We should have little trouble with their help.¡±


    ¡°On the other hand, there is no one who can do the desk work. So that¡¯s where you¡¯ll come in.¡±


    ¡°Certainly. If Sir Golan is going to go and antagonize a Demon King, we will have to work extra hard to keep things in order there.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to fight! We¡¯re just going to have a little talk.¡±


    ¡°I see. So it¡¯s important business then. Something more important to you than fighting¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡­guess¡­?¡±


    I was really just going to ask him a few questions about my race and the past.


    And what did he mean about it being more important than fighting?


    ¡°Then please go and do not worry about us. We will be fine, so you can beat him to your heart¡¯s content.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, we¡¯re not going to fight!¡±


    Oh, he was doing it on purpose now.


    That¡¯s how our conversation went, and then I said the same thing to Saifo and Painy.


    ¡°I understand that you evolved into something much stronger, but why do you have to go and fight Demon Kings now? That¡¯s not the right order.¡±


    ¡°What order! Besides, I¡¯m not fighting anyone.¡±


    Saifo was just as rude as Rig.


    ¡°There is one thing that I learned since coming here. Dragons love to fight. I don¡¯t see how you can return without getting into a fight.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Really?¡±


    Even Painy felt the same way.


    Dragons loved to fight.


    Dyle had told me the same thing, and I had felt it myself. Was the Demon King like that too?


    If he was some kind of combat freak, he might just kill me. S?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Saifo and Painy were certain that I would fight the Demon King.


    Well, then. I would show them. I wouldn¡¯t fight. Not even a little.


    ¡°Since Dyle will still be in charge, just continue as you are. You two will be taking my place. Rig will do all the desk work that you hate.¡±


    ¡°Your place, Golan? That will be tough.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Saifo. You can do it.¡±


    ¡°So, I just need to beat up anyone who looks at me the wrong way?¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait a minute!¡±


    When have I ever done that!? Never.


    ¡°Yes. I think it means you¡¯re supposed to look at every new acquaintance up and down and then fight them for being an outsider.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡±


    Now Painy was being ridiculous.


    Did I do that? When have I ever done that?


    ¡°And then I suppose I should start punching them without warning.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you must be very thorough with your follow-up attacks.¡±


    ¡°You two. Sir Golan has a very important job to attend to. And so you must make up for his absence and crush everyone in your path. Do not hesitate to defeat them all.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Rig had joined us.


    After that, I became hungry and had to leave them. But I knew they were just joking.


    However, I was too scared to ask them to confirm it.


    ¡ð


    ¡°Sir Golan. Your food is ready.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Ah¡­that¡¯s right. Thank you.¡±


    While I had recalled my conversation with them, I was sure they were handling things peacefully.


    Surely they were.


    ¡°Please, eat.¡±


    I reached for the food that was spread out before me, and began my third meal of the day.


    ¡°¡ªIt¡¯s delicious!¡±


    My hands wouldn¡¯t stop moving.


    I was still eating six meals a day.


    We were traveling in order to meet Demon King Tralzard, but we had to repeatedly take breaks so that I could eat.


    As for the others who accompanied us, they were all carrying the baggage, except for Stomel.


    They were carrying great quantities of food.


    General Miralda has sent them with me.


    And while they carried the heavy baggage as if it was nothing, I didn¡¯t know the name of their race.


    Miralda had said that the other Generals would mock her inability to feed me properly, should I collapse on the road from lack of food.


    ¡°What are our plans for today?¡±


    ¡°We will continue a little farther and then set up camp. And since we¡¯ll be running out of food tomorrow, we¡¯ll head to a nearby town. After leaving that town, there will be at least two more nights of camping outside before we reach the next town or village.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯m grateful to have you as my guide.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir. I will try and lead you through the easiest and shortest routes.¡±


    So I wouldn¡¯t be meeting this Demon King any time soon.


    Well, I didn¡¯t mind. We weren¡¯t in a hurry.

 Chapter 189

    Chapter 189We continued our journey as soon as I finished eating. But strangely, I got hungry after just walking a little.


    Now that I thought about it, when I had talked to General Miralda about constantly feeling like I was starving, she had asked me how much I ate in one day and then thought hard on it.


    ¡°Judging by how much you have eaten so far, I would have expected a greater increase in mana¡­ Perhaps it¡¯s because of your evolution, but your mana recovery is still only at fifty percent.¡±


    Races that used their special abilities often¨Cfor instance, races that were good with magic attacks, had to eat in order to make up for the mana that they lost.


    It was possible to absorb mana from the atmosphere while you rested, but it was much faster to bring it into your body through eating.


    And so it was easy for anyone to calculate the amount of mana you took in.


    According to the General, it was incredibly low, in my case.


    While some races were slower when it came to recovery, Ogres were not supposed to be one of them.


    And even for the races that took longer, this rate was supposed to be impossible. S?a??h the N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Just half of what should be expected¡­¡±


    I did have an idea about the reason.


    Where was mana stored? Of course, it was within the Orb of Control.


    However, being large didn¡¯t necessarily mean there was more mana to use.


    Your vessel needed to be large as well.


    But things were a little different in my case.


    It wasn¡¯t just me in the Orb of Control. There was another me as well. And the other me had a lot more mana.


    Was it possible then, that the mana from the food I ate was split between us as it was absorbed?


    If that was the case, it would make sense that it was taking twice as long for my mana to recover.


    It was because of that conversation, that I decided to stuff myself to the limit every time I ate.


    However, I would still get hungry after only a short time had passed. I hoped that I would be able to feel full soon.


    I couldn¡¯t wait.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    How many times had I said that already?


    ¡°Sir Golan. There is a Horned settlement up ahead. Should we stop by?¡±


    Since it was a settlement and not a town, it would not be very large.


    ¡°Won¡¯t they find our presence a disturbance?¡±


    While it was true that we didn¡¯t have much food, did that mean we could eat all of theirs?


    ¡°This is not part of General Miralda¡¯s land, but I think they will understand if we talk to them. Otherwise, I don¡¯t think we will make it to the next town.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a problem. ¡­I suppose we have no choice. We¡¯ll explain things to them and ask them to share their food.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Well then, I will send one of them ahead.¡±


    One of the people carrying the baggage ran on ahead towards the Horned settlement.


    General Miralda had already sent out a messenger to Demon King Tralzard in advance, explaining the matter to him.


    It was part of her regular reports, and since the timing had been right, she said that she was sending someone to meet him.


    ¡°There will be preparations to make, so take your time.¡±


    She had said. And so we did just that, and moved at a leisurely pace.


    ¡°Well, it will be a lot of trouble if things continue like this after we arrive.¡±


    And so I wanted to at least deal with this hunger first.


    And so we headed to the Horned settlement.


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s¡­amazing. How do they keep them from breaking?¡±


    The Horned had two giant horns coming out of their head.


    That being said, it wasn¡¯t like a rhinoceros. More like a reindeer, as they came out from the sides of the head and were intricate in shape as they spread out.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they do break sometimes. But they are a symbol of strength. And so they do not break easily.¡±


    ¡°Is that right? They do have very impressive builds. Even Ogres are not that muscular.¡±


    Perhaps they should have been called Macho instead of Horned.


    I didn¡¯t see a single one who wasn¡¯t in great shape.


    As for their faces, they resembled horses or reindeer.


    The best way to describe them were muscular, bipedal herbivores.


    ¡­I think?


    Once we arrived, we were led to a large room and food was served.


    The person who had gone ahead had explained everything to them.


    ¡°It¡¯s meat.¡±


    ¡°Indeed it is. Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°No¡­not at all.¡±


    As the Horned looked like herbivores, I had assumed that they wouldn¡¯t eat meat. But I suppose their faces had nothing to do with it.


    It wasn¡¯t important anyway, and I immediately started to bite into the food that was steaming on the table.


    The food on the plate started to disappear rapidly. Even the cook, who had at first had an expression that read, ¡®clearly we made too much?¡¯ was now looking on in disbelief.


    All Ogres were big eaters.


    However, my capacity to eat was now through the roof.


    It felt like the food was disappearing inside of my stomach.


    Really, I wished that someone could help me.


    ¡°So, I heard that this place isn¡¯t governed by General Miralda? Whose control are you under then?¡±


    ¡°This area is all General Krunya¡¯s land.¡±


    ¡°General Krunya¡­ The General that wreaked havoc in the south, yes? I heard about that a long time ago.¡±


    It was one of the stories I heard from a merchant that traveled to our country.


    These stories that were related to war tended to be more memorable to me.


    ¡°General Krunya is currently guarding the south side. The battle with Demon King Legard takes up all of the General¡¯s time these days.¡±


    So, we had another one who loved to fight.


    I did not want to get close to someone who spent all their time fighting a Demon Lord¡¯s army.


    These were the times when I needed information in advance.


    And it was only after I gathered information, that I would move in a way that was to my advantage.


    Which would mostly involve avoiding him.


    ¡°What kind of person is General Krunya?¡±


    ¡°Oh, dangerous. In more ways than one. After all, the General evolved from a Black Death¡­¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ I¡¯m surprised anyone could make someone like that obey them.¡±


    ¡°Only someone like King Tralzard could.¡±


    Black Death, eh? I could not think of a less desirable companion.


    They were of the high races, similar to Vampires and Reapers. However, many of them had terribly diabolical special abilities.


    ¡°Uh, ¡®Grave Marker,¡¯ was it?¡±


    ¡°So you know.¡±


    Souls of residents of the Demon World were managed by the Orb of Control, and their names were linked to it.


    The Black Deaths¡¯ special ability, ¡®Grave Marker,¡¯ involved creating a stone out of their own mana and carving a name into it. Then they would break the stone, killing the person whose name they wrote.


    It was called a curse stone, and it was said that if they succeeded in carving the name into it, then death could not be escaped.


    I had never seen any of them myself, but they were seen as a symbol of bad luck, and disliked by many.


    ¡°I make a point to know about all the dangerous races. I don¡¯t want to ever get hit by anything like ¡®Pain Nail¡¯ or ¡®Black Spot.¡¯¡±


    ¡°You really do know a lot. But General Krunya is an evolved type, so his special ability would have also evolved into something stronger.¡±


    ¡°I want to meet him even less now. I¡¯m glad that he isn¡¯t near King Tralzard.¡±


    If you were scratched, you would experience excruciating pain and then your flesh would start to rot. That was ¡®Pain Nail.¡¯ As for ¡®Black Spot,¡¯ it involved an infectious and deadly disease where black spots appeared on your skin.


    They had so many special abilities like this, that it was no wonder they were disliked.


    In fact, I had a secret suspicion that they were responsible for the plague in medieval Europe.


    I was once again reminded about how different Generals were when it came to the countries of Demon Kings.


    No one else would be able to make such people their subordinates.


    ¡°¡­Hmm? What¡¯s all this noise coming from outside?¡±


    It was just as I was finally starting to feel full that I heard someone shouting.


    ¡°I will go and look.¡±


    Said Stomel as he left the room.


    ¡°Sir Golan. It seems like they are going to decide who in this settlement will be sent to the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re being conscripted?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the step before that, but likely the same to them. They will fight and choose representatives for the settlement.¡±


    Settling it with a fight. How barbaric¡­ Well, not really.


    It was done everywhere in the Demon World. It was a normal thing.


    ¡°That sounds rather interesting. Do you think we could watch?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it is fine, but I will ask them.¡±


    The youth of the settlement were going to have a tournament in order to decide who was the strongest.


    These kinds of hot-blooded events needed to be seen up close.


    ¡°Sir Golan, I¡¯ve received their permission.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then let¡¯s not waste any time.¡±


    I wanted to see this for myself.


    The power of a Demon King¡¯s settlement.

 Chapter 190

    Chapter 190When we went outside, I saw that the place was already starting to get crowded.


    And everyone was quite young.


    ¡°It¡¯s happening here?¡±


    We had been led to what was the chief¡¯s house.


    Surely they weren¡¯t going to start fighting right in front of his house¡­ Or would they?


    ¡°I see that a lot of young people have gathered. It must be a great honor for them to be able to fight in front of the chief¡¯s house.¡±


    So that¡¯s what it meant.


    Perhaps it was like being able to show the results of your training in front of your General.


    ¡°We¡¯ve prepared a seat for you, please come this way. I will explain everything.¡±


    The chief invited me. I had met him before sitting down to eat.


    His name was Gardan.


    As it sounded a little similar to my own name, it was easy to remember.


    ¡°Thank you. I heard that I¡¯d be able to watch the youth of this settlement fight, and I just had to come.¡±


    Well, I was pretty young myself. But nevermind that.


    ¡°Oh, these are just fledglings. They have yet to earn their hexagonal staff. So I don¡¯t know if they will meet your expectations.¡±


    ¡°Hexagonal staff? What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°The weapons that the guards are holding. Only those who have proven themselves worthy are able to wield them. And that is what they are striving towards.¡±


    The young Horned were all covered in scars.


    Clearly they had undergone harsh training.


    Ogres also went to the mountains, but that was to survive. It wasn¡¯t really meant to be seen as training.


    However, it was true that people generally came back stronger after leaving.


    That being said, the common way of thinking was that eating and sleeping was enough if you wanted to become stronger, so not many people did more than that.


    And it was true that eating and sleeping helped build up your body. Especially when you¡¯re younger.


    I inspected the hexagonal staff.


    They were about three meters long and very thick.


    And since they were made entirely of iron, they would be very heavy.


    ¡°Do they swing those around when fighting?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. However, you will not be able to control it without sufficient power. And so we must strengthen our bodies first. That¡¯s why you are not even allowed to touch them until you have enough strength.¡±


    ¡°I see. And this is how you select them.¡±


    ¡°Yes. And when we get too old to wield them, they are returned. That also includes those who are injured and unable to fight. It is a symbol of power. And so those who are unworthy should not wield them.¡±


    They were very thorough. And a little harsh.


    However, after hearing all that, I wanted to hold it myself.


    We Ogres used metal clubs. But they were just weapons you acquired on your own. You did not need to be qualified.


    The metal club had a thin handle and became thicker towards the other end. So it took some skill to swing it around effectively.


    Because of this, Ogres all had strong wrists.


    In any case, I was currently here as a special guest of General Miralda.


    Yes, I had led my men here to aid this country, so we were special guests.


    Though, we weren¡¯t being very useful as soldiers.


    Regardless, I was being treated very well.


    Perhaps it also had to do with the fact that Stomel was taking me to meet the Demon King.


    And so I felt that I could afford to be a little self-centered.


    ¡°Uh, Gardan. What would you say if I asked to wield one of those hexagonal staffs?¡±


    Gardan laughed and said he found my enthusiasm commendable. And then said that it would not be a problem, that is, once I ¡®fought one of their own and proved myself worthy.¡¯


    In other words, I was to show my power. Good. Nice and simple.


    I turned to look at Stomel.


    ¡°No problem at all, Sir.¡±


    My reliable temporary Adjutant. He understood things perfectly.


    ¡°Well, there you have it. I suppose it¡¯s alright then?¡±


    ¡°Hohoho¡­ I would expect nothing less from a General¡¯s honored guest.¡±


    He was exaggerating now, but before I could correct him, Gardan started whispering to one of his subordinates.


    And then preparations were made immediately.


    Before I knew it, I was about to begin a demonstration match with one of the settlement¡¯s warriors.


    The youth would be tested after that.


    So I suppose it was like an opening act before the real show.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it will be fine.¡±


    And so I stepped out with confidence.


    Unsurprisingly, my opponent was an incredibly muscular man.


    The Horned were considered somewhere in the middle in terms of rank. So I should be able to win, now that I have evolved.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    I heard the chief¡¯s voice.


    The warrior and I both nodded silently.


    In this fight, neither of us would use weapons. It was like a conversation of physical strength.


    I didn¡¯t hate it.


    It would allow me to get a good idea of my opponent¡¯s skill.


    What more could I ask for?


    However¡­


    (Did he choose the strongest guy in the settlement?)


    His mana level was quite a bit higher than mine.


    He was like the kind of warrior you kept as a secret weapon.


    ¡°AAAARRGHHH!¡±


    My opponent howled.


    This wasn¡¯t a match. There was no referee.


    There was no greeting or signal to begin.


    The fight had begun the moment we faced each other.


    He flexed his muscles and then attacked me.


    It was as if his muscles, his body had swollen up.


    Perhaps it was one of his special abilities.


    (It¡¯s been a while since I last fought someone. Thank you for participating in this test drive.)


    First I hit with a counter and watched his reaction.


    ¡ªWhoosh.


    My arm hit the air.


    (H-how embarrassing¡­)


    Perhaps it had been too long. HI misjudged the distance?


    I knew this pattern. I would be hit next.


    There would be a wide opening after missing.


    When I went into a defensive stance¡­he suddenly stopped.


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I yield. That was enough¡­to make me understand.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    I had thought that I¡¯d made an embarrassing mistake, but he now surrendered.


    But why?


    My opponent walked away without a further explanation, and I was left there all alone.


    ¡°Hmm. Very impressive. Even Oklan was no match for you.¡±


    Chief Gardan was nodding with satisfaction. S?a??h the N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Uh¡­that¡¯s it?¡±


    I, however, was not satisfied. This situation¡­to say that it was anticlimactic would be an understatement.


    ¡°Well, there is no warrior who is stronger than Oklan in this settlement. Unless you count a few others who were sent off to the battlefield. But he is the strongest one here.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­right¡­¡±


    So it ended before it even began.


    ¡°While it¡¯s hardly a replacement, I will give you the hexagonal staff now. Will you use it in front of everyone?¡±


    ¡°I see. If it¡¯s just a little.¡±


    He had determined that I was worthy of wielding it.


    Oklan returned and handed me the staff.


    It was lighter than I expected.


    No, it was just because of my enhanced strength.


    ¡°Well, a short demonstration then.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure if it would be much of a demonstration, but I decided to show them what I had learned at the dojo.


    Even after I was reborn in the body of an Ogre, I had continued to practice what was a dance-like performance with swords and other weapons.


    It was good for efficiently moving your body and the weapon.


    The hexagonal staff was three meters long.


    Though, it didn¡¯t seem that long, now that I had grown larger.


    At first, I slowly went through the moves of bojutsu, and then my speed accelerated gradually.


    Once I felt warmed up, I moved to combos and the kind of complex and flashy tricks you might expect to see from an acrobatic troupe.


    The only reason I was able to move like an action star was because I was so much stronger now.


    It would not have been possible in my past life.


    After all that, I finished with a downward swing from over my head.


    The trick was to stop just before the staff hit the ground, however, it turned out that with my current ability, I could make a crack appear on the ground even though I hadn¡¯t touched it.


    After I had finished my demonstration, no one made a sound. They just stood there, frozen.

 Chapter 191

    Chapter 191Apparently, I was stronger now than I was at the start of the journey.


    That meant I had grown during the few days we were on the road.


    ¡°But, surely this is going too far?¡±


    That crack in the ground, for instance.


    It was clearly an attack that was ¡®aided by mana.¡¯


    ¡­That was weird. S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    We Ogres were supposed to be useless against Ghost type enemies.


    This was because mana was not attached to our attacks.


    And so we would struggle against enemies that would go down easily if you could use magic.


    It was possible to be slightly more effective if you tried hard enough, but I didn¡¯t want to bet on that while fighting one of them.


    ¡°The Deepsea Dragon Sword is made out of monster materials, so there is mana in the attacks¡­¡±


    There were two explanations that I could think of for why this happened.


    Either I was now able to control mana, or the hexagonal club was made of material that attracted mana.


    However, I needed to know more in order to find out the truth.


    ¡°This is a good weapon.¡±


    I tried to give it back to the chief, but he shook his head.


    ¡°You can keep it. I¡¯m sure that it¡¯s very satisfied, seeing as it was able to find a wonderful wielder. Please use it. It is the mark of a warrior.¡±


    In that case, I would accept it gladly.


    The club I used currently was a good weapon, but this was even better.


    ¡°Thank you. I will take good care of it.¡±


    The Chief looked content as he nodded.


    It was the symbol of a warrior in this settlement. And so I couldn¡¯t help but feel happy that I had been accepted.


    Now I would be able to test it to see if it used mana.


    ¡°Now please come over here. The selection is about to begin.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m looking forward to watching it.¡±


    I took the seat next to the chief. Then the muscular youth hurriedly lined up in front of us.


    ¡°They line up like that, and fight in the style of a tournament. Those who win three fights first can leave.¡±


    ¡°And what if you lose?¡±


    ¡°If you lose, then you have to go to the back of the line.¡±


    ¡°I see. That makes things very simple. ¡­And how many people need to get out before it ends?¡±


    ¡°This time, it will be twenty. As there will be another tournament after this, only this time it will be against representatives from the other settlements.¡±


    Apparently, there were other Horned settlements in the area.


    That was one thing they had in common with us Ogres.


    ¡°So they will also be fighting to protect the reputation of their settlement?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Aside from the twenty we choose today, we will also send thirty of our finest warriors.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of people.¡±


    ¡°The other settlements will be doing the same thing. However, I suppose only about half of them will remain in the end.¡±


    So even after sending them out, half of them would be returned. And yet the chief looked quite happy.


    I hadn¡¯t realized how tough it would be to stay until the end.


    But everyone in General Miralda¡¯s army looked very strong.


    I guess this was how this country raised the quality of their soldiers.


    As for the way these young Horned fought, some of them you couldn¡¯t take your eyes off of, while others I had to look away. They came in very different types.


    All of them focused on attacking instead of blocking or dodging, and so the fights ended quickly.


    They basically just kept their feet planted on the ground and punched each other without guarding.


    It reminded me of an old cartoon where the protagonist ate spinach to become strong, and he and his rival would take turns punching each other when fighting.


    As the Horned were like Ogres, and specialized for physical combat, they could not use magic.


    That was why they trained so hard, and came out looking like this.


    ¡°There is a lot here that we Ogres can learn from.¡±


    I decided to incorporate some of it the next time I had to train the others.


    ¡°Is that so? Then please spread it far and wide.¡±


    The chief said with a laugh.


    Unsurprisingly, the largest ones continued to win, and then came the twentieth and final Horned. It was quite a vicious fist fight.


    There was joy and sorrow in the air.


    If you won, you would be allowed to wield the hexagonal club, and be considered a full-fledged warrior within the settlement.


    But if you lost, you would have to wait until your next opportunity. So it was no wonder that they were desperate.


    Regardless, I was happy to have seen something so beneficial.


    ¡°Thank you so much for the food.¡±


    It was time for us to leave.


    ¡°Ah, it was nothing. A person who could eat that much must be very strong indeed. Please come again if you are nearby. Next time, you might be able to face our best warriors.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. I would very much like to fight them.¡±


    I shook his hand firmly and then left the settlement.


    Then we returned to the road and continued on our way.


    ¡°At this pace, we will arrive at the town tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s fine. We¡¯re not in a hurry.¡±


    I just wanted this hunger to subside before my meeting with Demon King Tralzard.


    ¡°We will have to camp outside tonight. Is that alright?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem for me. But I would prefer it if it¡¯s a place where wild animals live. I want to test the strength of this thing.¡±


    I said while raising the hexagonal club the chief had given me.


    At first I had assumed that it was iron, but it looked like there was some other metal mixed in as well.


    I had come to the conclusion that the ground had cracked because the hexagonal club had stored my mana and then unleashed it right when I swung down.


    And so I wondered, if this was possible, maybe I could use it to create shock waves.


    A kind of alternative magic attack.


    And I wanted to test it out on a wild animal.


    ¡°I see. Well, it will have to be in the mountains then, but we will find you a good place.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Were the baggage carriers going to run on ahead again?


    It made me feel a little bad for them.


    ¡°Still, that really is a fine weapon.¡±


    ¡°You agree? I was told that it was a symbol of a warrior.¡±


    ¡°It looks very heavy. I doubt that I¡¯d be able to carry it.¡±


    As Stomel looked like a bee, he couldn¡¯t use any weapons to begin with.


    On the other hand, he could fly and had a poison stinger, so it was not really a problem.


    ¡°It¡¯s swung around by very muscular people like the Horned. So it¡¯s very sturdy¡­see!¡±


    I tried bending the hexagonal club with both hands.


    And it bent.


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    It had bent like unhardened candy.


    ¡°¡­Sir Golan?¡±


    ¡°Th-that¡¯s strange¡­ It shouldn¡¯t bend so easily.¡±


    The hexagonal club now looked like some kind of disentanglement puzzle.


    ¡°I wonder why¡­¡±


    ¡°I have no idea¡­ Ah!¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I might have filled it with mana.¡±


    That was the only explanation I could think of.


    And so I stood there, mystified as I held the bent up weapon.

 Chapter 192

    Chapter 192¡°Sir Golan¡­surely you didn¡¯t have to¡­¡±


    Stomel looked at the bent weapon and muttered in an uncomfortable voice.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. It seems like you are supposed to fill it with mana¡­ But I might have put in too much?¡±


    Even taking my evolution into account, I shouldn¡¯t be strong enough to bend something like this without even trying.


    The reason that it bent so easily must be because of the mana. That¡¯s why it was like this.


    In other words, it wasn¡¯t my fault.


    ¡°In-in any case, I can fix it.¡±


    It was a weapon used by those muscular bastards. It should be durable enough.


    After all, in spite of being bent to this degree, it didn¡¯t look like it was going to break.


    And so I sent some more mana into it and slowly stretched it out.


    ¡°¡­Is this right?¡±


    It was at least more straight than a certain leaning tower.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t noticeable.¡±


    ¡°Right? Maybe you would be able to tell if you put it on a flat surface, but not if you are carrying it like this.¡±


    (Phew. That was a close one.)


    That was my honest feeling.


    ¡°But, Sir Golan. How did you bend it so easily?¡±


    That was what Stomel really wanted to know.


    ¡°Hmm. I don¡¯t know all of the answers myself. But I think this hexagonal club is made of a material that is good for storing mana.¡±


    There was something mixed in with the iron. I knew that for a fact.


    But I didn¡¯t know what it was. It was likely a top secret anyway.


    ¡°And that¡¯s why the weapon becomes soft?¡±


    ¡°I think that since I¡¯m carrying it while the mana is going in, the mana is connected.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    With the advanced races, not only did your body become stronger, but you could also use mana to strengthen your armor and weapons.


    Stomel knew about it.


    ¡°Mana is affected by your will, so if I want it to become softer, it should work to a certain degree. So this material got softer both because of my strength and my mana. That¡¯s why I was able to bend it.¡±


    But that was probably the extent of what I could do. Harden and soften.


    Races that could use magic would be able to do so much more.


    ¡°Indeed. I understand now. ¡­Does that mean that the Horned can do the same thing?¡±


    ¡°No, they can¡¯t. They seem to dislike such things.¡±


    Just like Ogres.


    In other words, they probably weren¡¯t even aware of these qualities.


    Other people might have earned one of these in the past, just like I did. But they would have all been the physical type.


    And if they were, they would not be able to handle mana enough in order to use magic.


    So it would just be used as a powerful blunt weapon.


    It was only by coincidence that I was able to use mana now, in spite of being a physical type. Because I had evolved.


    That was why I could bend it so easily.


    The morning after we camped outside, we started walking towards the town.


    If we keep walking like this, we will arrive before midday.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­looking forward to getting there.¡±


    Stomel didn¡¯t bother to ask why.


    He knew that I was looking forward to eating.


    ¡°Your mana must have decreased from using the hexagonal clube, so you should eat something that contains a lot of mana.¡±


    ¡°Aye. You know me well.¡±


    We residents of the Demon World felt hunger not just from a lack of nutrition, but mana as well.


    And so even after eating, using special abilities meant a decrease in mana.


    That made you hungry, and you would soon feel like you were starving.


    And you would have to eat in order to take in more mana.


    ¨CIn the first place, what was mana?


    It was a problem related to the origin of the people here. And it went very deep.


    This is what I knew.


    The Demon World was filled with mana.


    While the density varied from place to place, it was still everywhere.


    It was so normal that you tended to forget, but we were surrounded by it while going about our day.


    That made it sound a lot like the air you breathe, but it was different.


    At least, if asked whether or not it could be put in the same category as oxygen and carbon dioxide, my answer would be ¡®no.¡¯


    The reason for this was because we knew that mana could change and become miasma.


    In other words, it could ¡®rot.¡¯ That did not happen with the components of the atmosphere.


    And when mana rotted, it was dangerous to us.


    There were places that were thick with it¡­and it was said that you would die if you walked in them.


    I suppose it would be like oxygen turning into a toxic gas.


    Because of this, I thought that mana must have properties similar to organic substances.


    This was based on what was the biggest property of mana¡ªor the benefit of mana.


    It was the source of power for residents of the Demon World.


    The power to move. Energy.


    For plants, it would be like nitrogen, phosphate or potassium.


    And what about animals? Maybe it would be like carbohydrates.


    By breathing, we take in small doses of mana. And by eating, we absorb the mana stored in plants and animals.


    So just as humans absorbed nutrition, residents of the Demon World absorbed nutrition and mana.


    Perhaps it was this difference that affected our appearance, lifespan, and physical strength? I couldn¡¯t help but wonder about this.


    Everyone knew that you could only use special abilities because of mana.


    After all, your mana decreased if you used them a lot.


    With all that in mind, the best explanation might be that mana was a type of energy that didn¡¯t exist in the human world.


    Now, the problem was this thing that was the opposite of mana. ¡®Holy power.¡¯


    It was said that the Celestial World was filled with it.


    And when residents of the Celestial World came down to the Demon World, many of their abilities were restricted.


    Their overall power was halved.


    And so it was necessary for them to build bases and fill them with holy power when they invaded.


    They created barriers and pushed out all of the mana and replaced it with holy power.


    This was apparently tremendous work, and if you wanted to make a giant barrier, it would require great quantities of holy power.


    It was said that residents of the Celestial World would die from a lack of holy power, or become husks in the process. It was terrible to even imagine.


    In other words, mana was poison to them and holy power was the opposite.


    It was poison to us.


    Mana and holy power weren¡¯t just energy, but they were an important element that separated the worlds.


    ¡°So, what really is mana?¡±


    It was all very strange.


    The mana that we took into our bodies was not just energy to move, but it could also be transformed and used.


    For Ogres, we could use ¡®Rock Throw¡¯ in order to enhance our aim and speed.


    This was the power of mana.


    It was the same with the Reapers and ¡®One-hit Kill.¡¯ All special abilities were activated by using mana.


    So magic like ¡®long-range bullet¡¯ was when you turned mana into a ¡®mass that did not slow down when thrown.¡¯


    It was a mysterious phenomenon, but the residents of the Demon World just accepted that ¡®things were the way they were.¡¯


    General Miralda turning into a humanoid was much the same.


    In any case, the mana that was taken into the body was transformed based on the characteristics of that race.


    So, where was that mana stored once inside of the body?


    ¡ªThe Orb of Control.


    It was stored there.


    Everyone in the Demon World had an Orb of Control.


    The best way was to think of it as a bucket.


    You could only store as much mana as would fit inside of it.


    That amount determined how strong each race was.


    This bucket was called the ¡®vessel,¡¯ and it was my opinion that making this vessel larger was the secret to becoming stronger. Well, it was already confirmed.


    Speaking of which, the residents of the Celestial World called the Orb of Control a ¡®magic stone.¡¯


    And since they used them for their experiments, it would usually be a fight to the death if we ever encountered each other.


    And there was something else that I knew.


    It wasn¡¯t just mana that was in the Orb of Control. The soul was also inside.


    It had been known for a long time that the Orb of Control was connected to the Tablet of Control.


    Once you had stored a certain amount of mana, or the vessel grew larger, then your name would appear on the Tablets of Control that were scattered all over the Demon World.


    It would be the birth of a Lesser Demon King.


    And since your name appeared on it, this meant that the names we used were carved into our souls.


    This meant that the Tablets of Control were aware of the state of our soul and mana at all times.


    It made me wonder if there was a central processing unit somewhere in this world.


    That made me imagine some kind of shadowy figure talking to a machine called ¡®mother.¡¯


    In any case, the point was that while mana was something incredibly important to us residents of the Demon World, it could be used without thinking, and so not much research had been done about it.


    It was like the atmosphere and also like nutrition.


    It could be high energy like fuel, and change like electricity.


    In the end, the more you thought about it, the more confused you became.


    However, my lifespan had grown due to this evolution.


    And so I thought that I would like to use the extra time to study mana, holy power, and also the Orb of Control and Tablet of Control.


    Maybe I could learn things about not just the Demon World and Celestial World, but the Human World as well.


    ¡°Sir Golan. I can see the town now.¡± S?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Ah, finally.¡±


    While I was deep in thought, the next town came into view.


    It was time to set aside these musings related to mana.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m going to eat as soon as we reach the town. Where should we go in order to eat a lot quickly?¡±


    ¡°I will have them find a place in advance.¡±


    One of the baggage carriers went running.


    Sorry. But thank you.


    ¡°I hope it¡¯s meat. With a lot of mana inside.¡±


    ¡°It is a large town, so I¡¯m sure they will have it.¡±


    And so we walked towards the town, our feet feeling lighter than before.

 Chapter 193

    Chapter 193¡°Well, time to eat.¡±


    We reached the town and entered a tavern that looked to be thriving more than the others.


    Then I ordered food that wouldn¡¯t take long to prepare.


    And as soon as it was served, I began devouring it.


    ¡°Old man, get me everything from here to here.¡±


    I had always wanted to do that.


    Shop without looking at the price¡­well, eat without looking.


    The menu was written on wooden tags that were hung on the wall.


    And so I ordered everything on the top row.


    ¡°Sir Golan.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°People are staring at you.¡±


    ¡°¡­.Well, it can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    After evolving, my body had grown so large. Perhaps a little too large.


    And while some associated size with strength, it wasn¡¯t really true when it came to the advanced races, or those who could use magic.


    And so in a way, people like me were not that common in the Demon World.


    ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not the only reason that people are staring at me.¡±


    I was in Demon King Tralzard¡¯s country.


    However, I was from Lesser Demon King Mevlis¡¯s country.


    My Orb of Control connected me to King Melvis, not Tralzard. S?a?ch* Th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Residents of the Demon World could determine how strong someone is by how much mana they had, and they could also tell who you were connected to and if you were from the same country.


    And so they would have realized it when they looked at me.


    ¡°I very much doubt they will do anything, so perhaps you should ignore them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. No one else sticks out as much as I do. And clearly¡­I¡¯m no merchant¡­ I wonder who they think I am?¡±


    ¡°It would be natural to assume you are a messenger from another country.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Because people could immediately tell where you were from, it was difficult to infiltrate a country as a spy.


    As for how much you stuck out, it would be like taking someone from the Edo period and putting them on the busy streets of modern Tokyo.


    That¡¯s how big a difference there was.


    At the very least, you could tell that they were outsiders.


    Foreign merchants brought goods and information, and were valued. However, they were almost always of the non-combat races.


    I had never seen a merchant that looked like me.


    If you were this specialized for fighting, then you would definitely want to be a soldier instead of a merchant.


    In this case, I was with Stomel, so it was natural to assume that I was a soldier or messenger from another country.


    ¡°Ahh, I¡¯m stuffed.¡±


    Ultimately, I had to make two massive orders before I could finally feel satisfied.


    ¡°After this, I will send my subordinates to buy more food. Then we will leave this town.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯m sorry you can¡¯t take it easy after eating, but thank you.¡±


    Stomel was my Adjutant, so he stayed with me all of the time.


    As for the two servants who carried the baggage, they moved at times like this in order to make the journey as comfortable as possible.


    I felt like some kind of retired gentleman who traveled the world with his servants for pleasure.


    ¡°We planned to meet up at the town¡¯s exit, so we can take a short stroll until they arrive.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. But I¡¯d prefer a place that isn¡¯t crowded.¡±


    I didn¡¯t mind being stared at. However, it would be very troublesome if anyone tried to harass us.


    ¡°Then we should go towards the lakeside. It¡¯s very quiet there, and I think you will enjoy the relaxed atmosphere.¡±


    That was Stomel for you.


    He was Rig¡¯s replacement, after all, and quite capable.


    ¡°I could take a nap while looking at the lake. Yes, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Perhaps because this was the most inland area of Tralzard¡¯s country, there was no gate for entering the town.


    It was as if houses had been randomly built near each other and the place had eventually grown to the size of a town.


    I walked at a leisurely pace as we headed to the lake.


    It would be nice to rest my bones once in a while.


    Or so I thought¡­but then I became a witness to some bullying.


    ¡°Hey, Stomel. Are they playing? Or is this training? Is it some kind of exercise that I¡¯m not aware of?¡±


    Winged creatures were flying in the air above the lake.


    And they were being targeted with magic attacks from people on the shore.


    Typically, the flying races did not have very high combat ability.


    On the other hand, there was a lot of diversity when it came to races that could use magic.


    Every kind, from the highest to the lowest.


    But from what I could see, the people by the lake shore did not look very strong.


    Perhaps they were in the medium to lower range.


    ¡°The flying ones are Jewel Pigeons. They have a settlement in the nearby mountain where they live.¡±


    Jewel Pigeons? What an interesting name.


    When they flew, their wings glimmered brightly, and it looked like they were covered in jewels.


    ¡°And I suppose they are a non-combat race?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They are very weak. And it¡¯s because they have wings instead of hands, that they are not grouped in with races who can fight.¡±


    If you were considered to be a non-combat type, then you were exempt from conscription.


    Instead, you might do desk work or make food, carry baggage and do any other jobs there may be on the battlefield.


    Normally, these races would hunt for food, plow fields or fish.


    And among those that were producers, there were some who were overly trusting and honest. And so it was the job of us combat types to protect them.


    ¡°¡­Well, I¡¯m supposed to protect people like that. But what are they doing?¡±


    There were only three Jewel Pigeons left flying above the lake.


    The others had all been hit by magic and knocked out of the air.


    You could see water splashing high into the air as they swam.


    There seemed to be four or five.


    ¡°Perhaps it is due to the stress of the long war. Or maybe they weren¡¯t chosen as soldiers and this is how they deal with their frustration¡­ Regardless, it is not something that should be allowed.¡±


    Most residents of the Demon World were hot-blooded.


    And so if you wanted to fight, there were plenty of people who would oblige you.


    There was no reason to seek out and target people who could not defend themselves.


    ¡°As this town is under General Krunya¡¯s control, we should talk to whoever is in charge here and¡­ Sir Golan?¡±


    I snuck up behind the people that were cackling as they unleashed their magic attacks, and kicked one of them right in the back.


    ¡°Oh. Look at him go. This reminds me of when I used to skip stones over the water as a kid.¡±


    ¡°Eh?! ¡­!¡±


    ¡°You?! ¡­!¡±


    ¡°You bastard¡­!¡±


    I succeeded in making them skip over the water. Four times in a row.


    Apparently, I hadn¡¯t lost the knack for it.


    ¡°Sir Golan. What are you¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not fine at all¡­ This is General Krunya¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t die from that. They¡¯ll be back on dry land in no time.¡±


    ¡°And how will you explain this?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll break their spirits first. And then comes the lecture.¡±


    Of course, the lecture will be in the language of fists.


    And so I watched them splashing in the water, and thought about how I would lecture them.

 Chapter 194

    Chapter 194¡°Eheee¡­¡±


    ¡°Ughee¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop your whining.¡±


    I was in the middle of punishing the bastards who had tormented the Jewel Pigeons.


    That being said, I really hadn¡¯t done much.


    I just grabbed them as they came out of the water like a pack of wet rats, and then dunk them into the water.


    Pulled them out and dunked them in again. Rinse and repeat.


    At first they resisted wildly and cursed at me. But they grew quiet after a while.


    Though. it seemed like it would take more than that to make them understand their position, as they started insulting me most rudely again. And so I dunked them more thoroughly the next time. After that, they started crying.


    ¡°Um¡­Sir Golan.¡±


    ¡°Just give me another minute. With guys like these, you have to work them a little to make them cooperate. Or else they won¡¯t listen to you.¡±


    Yes. This was just the first step in their discipline.


    They were a combat type race who were using their non-combat neighbors for target practice.


    Such a thing was not to be forgiven.


    In my country, you would be beaten to a pulp for doing that. I¡¯d kill them myself if I saw someone doing the same to our comrades.


    ¡°You must feel really lucky that I¡¯m a kind person.¡±


    ¡°Gbbbb!¡±


    ¡°Gbgbgbg!¡±


    They were coughing and crying.


    That meant they would soon be open to listening to what I had to say. And then we could settle things with words.


    Sometimes the fist did come out during talks¡­well, the leg too. But that was just the grease that helped things move along smoothly.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s quite enough violence against the residents of my town.¡±


    I was in the lake, with the water up to my waist.


    A chill ran up my spine.


    ¡°¡­So you¡¯re in charge here?¡±


    I slowly turned around to see someone very big and tall. But not a Horned.


    But more importantly, the person¡¯s mana was so high that I couldn¡¯t tell how much there was.


    It was definitely higher than Dyle¡¯s.


    Perhaps not as high as General Miralda, but it was higher than Halm and Minish.


    In other words, the level of a Lesser Demon King.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the ruler here, but our lord is absent right now. And in the meantime, I am keeping the peace.¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh. So in others, your lack of supervision is the reason that they¡¯ve been acting this way.¡±


    ¡°What did they do?¡±


    ¡°You want to ask them?¡±


    I threw them forward, wet and limp.


    ¡°¡­I understand now. However, one mustn¡¯t take the law into their own hands. And in the first place¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m out of line because I¡¯m not from here?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. So why did you do it if you already knew? You should have just called someone from the town.¡±


    ¡°But these people are from the same town. How can I trust the others?¡±


    ¡°You just have to. You have no choice.¡±


    ¡°Trust them¡­ Regardless, you should thank me for rehabilitating these scum. After all, I¡¯ve been doing your job for you.¡±


    ¡°I thought I just told you that you can¡¯t take the law into your own hands?¡±


    ¡°Well, did you know? Know that it wasn¡¯t their first time? The Jewel Pigeons won¡¯t come down from the mountain because they are scared of being targeted by these guys. However, do you think it¡¯s possible to survive if you¡¯re forced to stay in the mountains?¡±


    ¡°It would be difficult.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it would be. You can¡¯t live like that. That¡¯s why they made a settlement near the town. ¡­They only come down from the mountain when they absolutely have to. And this is what happens when they are caught. Then these bastards get carried away because you refuse to do anything, and the damage continues. ¡­So let me ask you again. Will this really be dealt with properly if I leave it to someone in the town? Can you swear that it will never happen again?¡±


    ¡°I can.¡±


    ¡°Ha.¡±


    ¡°What is so amusing?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a liar. You know that it will continue. You just lied in order to settle things for now. Are all those eyes for decoration? Don¡¯t underestimate me!¡±


    The person that I was talking to had so many eyes that I didn¡¯t even want to try and count them.


    He was apparently called Dobroy.


    And as I had expected, he was a Lesser Demon King.


    My words were not well received by his entourage.


    The many-eyed races were unusual in that the number of eyes determined how strong they were.


    They had a wide variety of special abilities. And considering how many eyes Dobroy had, it was no wonder he was a Lesser Demon King.


    Of course, I didn¡¯t care about any of that.


    There were these bastards who injured their comrades for entertainment, and then these others who did nothing about it. That¡¯s what the residents of this town were like.


    (Now I know why mother was furious with me. Even if they were only watching someone being hurt, it still made me mad.)


    ¡°The proper measures will be taken.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ Like what? Don¡¯t tell me that you can¡¯t talk about it.¡±


    ¡°I will make them repent.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hmph. I see.¡±


    I stood up and grabbed the shaking bullies.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, in this town you just have to apologize after you hurt someone. And that makes things fine.¡±


    ¡°Eeee¡­¡±


    They realized what I was going to do, and they tried to run away. But I was holding them tightly. They didn¡¯t have a chance.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you that this is no place for a vigilante.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you talk to them instead of me? You¡¯re wrong, by the way. You¡¯re also a liar. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re fit to manage a town.¡±


    Make them repent? As if that would work. He should make them stop, even if it meant beating them half to death.


    Large towns always had scum like these.


    Once they knew that they were being watched, they would just continue their mischief in secret.


    That¡¯s what kind of people they were.


    They needed to feel the fear in their very core. If their spirit was not broken, then their victims would only increase.


    ¡°I will not allow people to act like this in front of me.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have your priorities straight. However, I never turn down a challenge. But be warned, I can be very scary. Argh!¡±


    ¡°Sir Golan. You do realize that you will have to go and meet the Demon King after this?¡± s?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Stomel interjected.


    ¡°Sorry. But there are some things that I can¡¯t back down on.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to ignore such a thing that had happened in front of my eyes. And I knew that it would continue to happen. I had to do something.


    ¡°Bring my equipment.¡±


    So Dobroy wasn¡¯t going to back down either.


    This would be quite a fight.


    ¡°I¡¯ll use my sword.¡±


    I was confident with it, but this was a Lesser Demon King.


    Who knew what would happen?


    We glared silently at each other.

 Chapter 195

    Chapter 195I inspected Dobroy carefully as he stood in front of me.


    He was the type of person who didn¡¯t listen to others.


    The type that hated being affected by the opinions of others.


    It didn¡¯t matter if you were right or wrong. He would not back down.


    ¡°You can¡¯t even manage the residents of your own town. How comical. It tells me a lot about who you are.¡±


    ¡°An outsider has no right to interfere here.¡±


    Exactly the response that I was expecting.


    We hadn¡¯t quite talked enough¡­for this to be considered a discussion, but it was already obvious that such attempts would go nowhere.


    In that case, there was only one thing to do.


    I put my hand on the Deepsea Dragon Sword.


    Not too long ago, I had used it to cut Nehyor in half.


    I still remembered how it felt.


    If someone asked me to do it again, I would say that it was impossible. However, my body did move faster now compared to before my evolution.


    Maybe even too fast. But with enough training, I would be able to move in a way that was similar to that time. And here, I had the perfect opponent to practice on. Right in front of me.


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re someone who is at least worthy of being cut down.¡±


    The amount of mana was similar to General Farneze.


    If this was before I had evolved, I wouldn¡¯t be able to scratch him, no matter how hard I tried.


    And even if I used the Deepsea Dragon Sword, a shallow wound would be all I could hope for.


    That¡¯s how strong he was.


    ¡°From this point on, none of you need to interfere.¡±


    Dobroy said to the others.


    He was really confident. Well, that was no surprise.


    ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t you dare get in the way until this is settled. If you do, I¡¯ll break your neck.¡±


    I added.


    It wouldn¡¯t matter if I lost. But I didn¡¯t want them to join once he was at a disadvantage.


    After all, I was practically in enemy territory.


    As both sides understood, they all backed away.


    ¡°Sir Dobroy. I have brought your equipment.¡±


    His subordinate had returned. He was out of breath.


    Had he run all the way back to the mansion? It couldn¡¯t have been that far. Why was he panting like that?


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Dobroy smirked.


    He took the long rod and heavy-looking shield.


    (¡­A shield? That¡¯s unusual.)


    Residents of the Demon World prioritized attacks.


    Hardly anyone liked fighting while guarding themselves with a shield.


    But Dobroy was equipped with one, which put him in a rare category.


    ¡­Wait¡­a minute.


    ¡°¡­Is that Mana Drain Iron?¡±


    ¡°Oh? So you recognize it.¡±


    How the hell did he get his hands on something like that?


    Mana Drain Iron was from one of the most mysterious kinds of ore in the Demon World.


    It was pitch black in color and did not glimmer. It was so dark you wouldn¡¯t even call it matte.


    It was so black that it looked like a spot that hadn¡¯t been painted in.


    (They say that most black in the world has a deep blue mixed in, but not this one. It was ore, but completely black.)


    When I had first seen it, I wondered if it was dark matter.


    And this Mana Drain Iron¡­


    It just continued to suck in mana and become hard without limit.


    It was so hard that it was said to be impossible to break. You could not even carve into it.


    (I doubt that even a high-speed diamond cutter would be able to do it.) S?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It was hard to believe that such a thing could be made into a shield.


    It would block even the attack of Demon King.


    ¡°¡­I see. So it just existed in that shape.¡±


    Dobroy¡¯s shield looked like a turtle¡¯s shell that had been roughly carved out.


    However, if you looked closely, it really did just seem like a mass of rock.


    In other words, they had not processed the Mana Drain Ore, but they had found something that was already in that shape.


    And while it would usually be too heavy to carry, someone like Dobroy could hold it with one hand without any trouble.


    ¡°This shield is unbeatable.¡±


    He smiled mischievously.


    (Shit. I¡¯m going to crush him no matter what.)


    I was so pissed off now.


    This shield was likely the reason that Dobroy had been able to climb up to this position.


    A shield that blocked a Demon King¡¯s attacks.


    He must have used it to take down one rival after another.


    And so he was confident in his victory.


    Of course, he was. My Deepsea Dragon Sword didn¡¯t have a chance of getting through it.


    And if I tried using magic or put mana into my attacks, it would just get drained.


    ¡°I see¡­ Well, I guess I won¡¯t be needing this then.¡±


    I gave the Deepsea Dragon Sword to Stomel.


    ¡°Sir Golan. You¡¯re going to fight without a weapon?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Stomel looked shocked. But I knew that it wouldn¡¯t be any use to me.


    ¡°Hey, foolish entourage. If you even lift a finger in his defense, I¡¯ll kill you all without saying a word.¡±


    I threatened them, just in case.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. This is a proper Demon World duel. One against one. There is no need to join in.¡±


    Dobroy agreed with a smirk.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m starting to really wonder who my dojo master was.¡±


    In my past life, he had taught me how to fight against someone who carried a shield.


    I would never have thought¡­it would come in handy here.


    And so I bared my teeth and laughed.


    In my past life, I had often trained fighting against enemies while I was unarmed and they had weapons.


    And the reverse as well.


    Usually, the dojo master was lazy and left everything to me. But when it came to specific, special training like that, he suddenly became very lively.


    Perhaps I was his test subject every time he wanted to experiment with a new idea.


    For instance, what to do when someone stops your blade with their bare hands.


    I had once seriously swung at the dojo master.


    Of course, with the intention to kill.


    However, he expertly caught the blades with his hands. And while I stood there in shock, he pushed the blade down and kicked me in the jaw.


    It had all happened so fast that I was unable to react. But it was also because I wasn¡¯t cautious enough.


    Apparently, what you were supposed to do was twist the handle as soon as they grab it, cutting their hands, and then pull the blade out.


    But if the enemy happens to be too strong for you to turn the blade, then you should let go and move away.


    However, the principle of leverage was on your side, so unless there was a ridiculous difference in strength, the person holding the sword should win.


    I had undergone such special training. So much that I had gotten sick of it.


    (In cases where the enemy has a weapon and shield while I¡¯m empty handed¡­)


    Of course, this was also a scenario I had trained in thoroughly.


    I raised both hands and grabbed Dobroy.


    Unsurprisingly, Dobroy tried to block me with his shield.


    And so I changed targets and grabbed the shield instead.


    Dobroy would not be able to see me. After all, he was raising the shield high into the air.


    (Move like the current¡­)


    As soon as I grabbed the shield with both hands, I rotated it clockwise.


    Not just all my strength, but even my weight was behind the movement.


    And since Dobroy was holding it with just one hand, he could not withstand it, and the shield began to turn.


    After it turned to a certain degree. What do you know?


    ¡°You let go of it.¡±


    If you knew how joints worked, it was the obvious result. Once your wrist turns, you are unable to use any force.


    I was holding the shield in my hands, while Dobroy¡­


    Was holding just his weapon in one hand and staring at me, mouth agape.


    It was the shield that even a Demon King couldn¡¯t get passed. It was so heavy. It was all I could do to hold it with both hands.


    I was truly impressed. It was no wonder that he was a Lesser Demon King.


    However, to bring out such a rare thing and wave it in front of me like this¡­it was like he was begging me to take it from him.


    ¡°Alright, now it¡¯s my turn.¡±


    I said with a grin.


    Well, it was always my turn.

 Chapter 196

    Chapter 196Mana Drain Iron was able to absorb mana endlessly. And as it did, it grew darker, harder, and heavier.


    And yet Dobroy had taken it and used it as a shield.


    It was shaped like a shell or almond, which was rather perfect.


    An impressive find, for sure.


    While the shield was quite flat over all, there was a protrusion on the backside that he was able to hold.


    You could attach metal pieces to it, but then your enemy would just target those areas.


    It was much more convenient to use it as it was.


    However, it was all pointless now that I had taken it.


    Our positions were reversed.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s my turn.¡±


    As Dobroy stood there in shock, I slammed the shield into his nose.


    There was a dull ring and the shield bounced off.


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    His nose was hard. The shield was hard too, but Dobroy himself was harder than I had expected.


    As if to return the favor, Dobroy started swinging at me with his weapon. Of course, I could easily block these with the shield.


    It didn¡¯t matter how ridiculously powerful he was. The shield was indestructible. Tha weapon would take damage first.


    ¡°This really is a strong shield.¡±


    I taunted.


    I saw it appear on Dobroy¡¯s face then. It was despair.


    He had used this shield to get where he was.


    It had helped him get stronger. He knew it.


    And so the despair he felt now would be unimaginable.


    He continued to attack with his weapon. It was reckless desperation.


    I blocked the attacks calmly. And then I countered.


    This continued a few times.


    Dobroy saw where this was headed, and he tried to get the shield back.


    However, I expected him to do this. S?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    As if he could get it back just by stretching one empty hand out while still holding his weapon.


    I was holding the shield with both of my hands.


    ¡°Haah!¡±


    I hit his outstretched hand as hard as I could.


    At the same time, I bashed the side of his face.


    I was reminded once again about how tough Dobroy was.


    I had hit him like this a number of times, but he didn¡¯t seem to take any damage.


    Was this the reality of fighting someone who was a Lesser Demon King?


    ¡°Well, I have no choice then. We¡¯ll keep going until you break.¡±


    Even if he was fine physically, his spirit would be a different matter.


    In the Demon World, your position was established from your birth, judged by your race.


    And so there were some who had only ever climbed over the heads of others.


    They didn¡¯t know the taste of dirt. And it was such people who broke easily.


    Just like those Vampires.


    And then there was the biggest weakness of the people of the Demon World.


    They were strong from the beginning, so they didn¡¯t train to learn and improve on their skills.


    After all, the higher your rank, the larger the difference in strength.


    Doing pushups and situps every day was not going to close the gap.


    Getting stronger through diligent training? No, they gave up before they started. That¡¯s how large the gap was.


    And so they never tried to improve on their skills.


    And so this Dobroy. He only attacked with what was called a ¡®telephone punch.¡¯


    ¡°That won¡¯t work on me.¡±


    My stamina¡­well, I couldn¡¯t push my luck, as I got hungry quickly. But I would be able to move as long as I had mana.


    And so I would fight for as long as my body would allow.


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s the beginning of the pummeling show.¡±


    Against this opponent with no skill, I¡­bashed, bashed, bashed, bashed, bashed, bashed, bashed, bashed, bashed and bashed with the shield.


    Sometimes I kicked.


    And then I bashed, bashed, bashed, bashed, bashed, bashed with the shield again.


    When he staggered, I knocked his feet out from under him and got on top.


    Then it was back to bashing, bashing, bashing, bashing, bashing, and bashing with the shield.


    ¡°Why does bashing someone with a shield feel so good?¡±


    The trick was to create a contrast in strength once you had mounted them.


    What you needed was to move your center of gravity. Pretend like you were on a wild horse, and continue to hit while being careful that you weren¡¯t shaken off.


    How long was I there, bashing him with the shield?


    Dobroy really was tough.


    Even if he was of the high ranking races, this should be enough to beat him to a pulp.


    However, in spite of my efforts, his face merely looked a little swollen.


    ¡°You¡¯re a worthy punching bag. ¡­Well, let¡¯s keep going then. Don¡¯t go out on me.¡±


    My turn hadn¡¯t ended yet.


    That being said, the shield was starting to feel very heavy.


    I didn¡¯t think that it was because I was getting so tired. But more because it had absorbed mana after being bashed into Dobroy¡¯s face so many times.


    Poor thing. He was being hit by something harder than a diamond, and it was also taking away his mana.


    I would have surrendered already.


    ¡°All of you¡­¡±


    Dobroy called to his men.


    ¡°I told you all to stay away, didn¡¯t I? You understand.¡±


    I threatened. And they all became quiet. Dobroy¡¯s mouth was opening and closing like a fish.


    I did not want them to interfere now.


    However, the warning earlier had had an effect, and no one did anything.


    After that, I continued to hit him.


    How long? An hour? Two?


    It absorbed quite a lot of mana from Dobroy.


    That was Mana Drain Iron for you. It absorbed the attacks of Demon Kings.


    It had already taken so much. It had become so much heavier.


    At this point, it was very difficult to carry even with two hands, but I pushed myself.


    While hitting Dobroy had sounded like hitting a gong at first, it gradually changed into something wetter.


    ¡ªGopuu¡­


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s different.¡±


    A good difference. Golan did not want to bore his audience.


    ¨CGuchu¡­


    Ah, I understood now.


    That was the sound of blood.


    ¡°Gpaa¡­ggah¡­¡±


    Dobroy looked like he was going to say something, but he just coughed up blood.


    But he was tough. I was hitting him with something like a truck with a drill attached to it, and he was still alive.


    ¡°Y¡­you¡­all¡­of¡­¡±


    He began again.


    ¡°We agreed that no one would interfere. Don¡¯t dishonor your superior now.¡±


    But could this absorb any more? It was so heavy now that I didn¡¯t even want to raise it.


    As for Dobroy, he had lost so much mana that he was unrecognizable.


    He had not only been robbed of mana and blood, but many of his eyes had been crushed.


    But then again, it was actually miraculous that it wasn¡¯t worse after all those attacks.


    His resilience was astounding.


    ¡°F-fine¡­ Ju-just stop¡­¡±


    Apparently, Dobroy had gotten bored of being hit.


    And now he was whining.


    ¡°You want me to stop?¡±


    ¡°Yes. St-stop.¡±


    ¡°Listen to me. When I break someone, their cries are just the beginning.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    Hey, I didn¡¯t want to do this.


    After all, this shield was heavy. Really, how much mana did he have?


    ¡°So if you don¡¯t mind, I have work to do.¡±


    Bash, bash, bash, bash. Rest. Bash, bash, bash, bash. Rest.


    This resting made the whole thing long and inefficient.


    Bash, bash, bash. Rest. Bash, bash, bash. Rest.


    ¡°Very well. I¡¯m sorry. Just stop this.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you are.¡±


    ¡°Huh!?¡±


    It was a delusion. And so I bashed him again. Rest. Bash, bash. Rest. Bash, bash. Rest.


    Ahh, this was horrible.


    Bash, bash. Rest. Bash, bash. Rest.


    It hurt me too. It did.


    Bash, bash. Rest. Bash, bash. Rest.


    Ah, it was hard. It really was.


    ¡°I was wrong. I apologize. So¡­just stop this.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Y-you understand?¡±


    ¡°When I¡¯m trying to break someone, their tearful pleas mean I¡¯m halfway. There. It¡¯s the part you have to be the most careful.¡±


    ¡°Huh!?¡±


    I realized then Dobroy had stopped fighting back. And when I looked closely, I saw that his arms were broken.


    It had likely happened while he tried to guard his face. I hadn¡¯t been very attentive.


    ¡°This shield is heavy. I have to be careful.¡±


    I was starting to feel that I would be the one who broke first.


    But I couldn¡¯t allow that to happen.


    And so I steeled myself and kept bashing.


    How much time passed after that?


    Dobroy had stopped reacting, and so I stopped bashing him.


    ¡°¡­Finally. My arms are so sore.¡±


    I had evolved into an origin type, grown larger, and my mana had increased.


    It was enough to make me delusional. Think I had unlimited power. But now my arms wouldn¡¯t move. All because I raised a shield up and down¡­ I was so weak.


    I was exhausted. My vision started to sway.


    I hadn¡¯t been this tired for a long time.


    ¡°¡­Uhh¡­¡±


    Dobroy groaned. Had he woken up?


    In that case, it meant I had hit him while he was unconscious. What a waste.


    ¡°So, now do you understand?¡±


    I forced myself to stand and pretended to be calm.


    ¡°I do. I do. I¡­¡±


    He repeated the words dumbly.


    ¡°Well, we can go to the next step then.¡±


    My body wouldn¡¯t move. I didn¡¯t want to move. But I had no choice.


    It was necessary.


    ¡°We¡¯re sorry! Please forgive him!¡±


    Dobroy¡¯s men rushed forward and bowed with their heads on the ground.


    It was a rare sight in the Demon World.


    ¡°If we lose Sir Dobroy now, the area would fall into chaos.¡±


    ¡°Sir Dobroy is the only one who can control the Dragons in the area!¡±


    They started to say.


    There was something I learned since coming here. Dragons loved to fight.


    They were the type that I would prefer to avoid.


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°¡­S-so¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an entirely different matter.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand?!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t ignore someone who torments the weak. Knowing what it feels to be on the receiving end will be good for his education.¡±


    ¡°Yo-you¡¯ve done enough. He understands now.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t let them attack the Jewel Pigeons again. We¡¯ll send word throughout the town as well. We promise. It won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Dobroy is broken yet.¡±


    ¡°He is. He¡¯s shattered. So please have mercy!!¡±


    His men cried out.


    ¡°Sir Golan¡­ I¡­I¡¯ll have nightmares if this continues.¡±


    Stomel said quietly.


    ¡°I see¡­ In that case, though I think the job is only half done, it will have to do for now.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    They said through their tears.


    ¡°¡­Alright. Now I can punish the others.¡±


    After all, I hadn¡¯t finished dunking them in the lake.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Dobroy¡¯s men and Stomel looked at each other.


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to end things here with Dobroy, but things have yet to be settled with them. Dobroy interrupted us, if you remember¡­ And well, I have this shield now. I¡¯d like to know how much mana it will absorb from those who are good with using magic.¡±


    But the moment that I walked towards them with the shield, their eyes rolled up into their heads and they fainted.

 Chapter 197

    Chapter 197I was currently lecturing Dobroy¡¯s subordinates as they sat on the ground.


    Dobroy wasn¡¯t here anymore. They had taken him away on a stretcher.


    ¡°Listen. It¡¯s absurd for the strong to torment the weak.¡±


    Dobroy¡¯s men listened to me seriously.


    My message was incredibly simple.


    It wasn¡¯t hard. It was something that the residents of the Demon World should have no trouble understanding.


    ¡ªThe strong were supposed to protect the weak.


    That was all.


    However, it might be difficult for people who believed for their whole lives, that the strong were allowed to do whatever they wanted. And so I had to repeat it to them firmly.


    After all, hadn¡¯t my mother done the same thing with me?


    And I was able to understand it. I believed that I was doing the right thing now.


    Some might say it was imprinting¡­and I couldn¡¯t really argue with that.


    However, this incident by the lake¡­ I wasn¡¯t such a mild tempered person to let it pass.


    ¡°Do you understand!¡±


    ¡°Y-yes!!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I wondered if they were being honest.


    But before I had started, Stomel advised that I ¡®show restraint.¡¯ And this wasn¡¯t my country.


    It was not good to stick out too much.


    ¡°As for how you deal with them, you better not cut any corners. If you do, I¡¯ll hit you twice as much as I did your leader!¡±


    ¡°¡­!!¡± S~?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    I threatened them quite a bit, which should suffice.


    If I said any more, it would just get annoying. I would have to leave the rest to the people of the town.


    ¡°I hope this can turn into a town that protects its own.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure if Stomel really felt that way, but the matter was now settled.


    ¡­However, I was now forced to go and eat once more before we could leave the town.


    Exercising just made me hungry.


    ¡°Sir Golan. I think you¡¯ve grown again.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Really? I can¡¯t really tell myself.¡±


    After we left and started walking to the next town, the conversation turned to how long I would have to keep eating like this.


    ¡°It¡¯s the mana, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s gone up a lot compared to when we first started the journey.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    Before we had left, Saifo had said that it was ¡®ten times higher.¡¯


    I thought he was exaggerating, but now it had gone up even more.


    ¡°Well, perhaps that is something else you can ask the Demon King about.¡±


    Demon King Tralzard had lived a long time, and so he knew about many things.


    He knew and understood the Demon World so well that he didn¡¯t need councilors. And his strength was just as impressive.


    He sounded like some kind of multi hero who could do anything. But he was a Demon King.


    ¡°Yes. There is a lot that I want to ask him¡­ However, surely the mana increase is going to stop soon?¡±


    I didn¡¯t get as hungry as I did before.


    Before, it was like I was hungry 24/7, but now I only needed about five meals a day.


    Uh, was that still a lot?


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Things seem to be slowing down.¡±


    ¡°Maybe my body is getting used to it. I also feel like it¡¯s much easier to move now. Like, I¡¯m finally getting back to how I used to be?¡±


    Up until now, it felt like I was wearing an extra skin.


    I might as well have been wrapped up in a raincoat. There was a feeling of discomfort, as if I didn¡¯t know how much of it was actually my own body. But it was gone now.


    ¡°So, Sir Golan¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    Stomel looked at me seriously.


    We had traveled together for quite a while now, and so I was able to read the changes in his face.


    ¡°That shield¡­are you sure it was the right decision?¡±


    I was still carrying the Mana Drain Shield.


    I didn¡¯t want Dobroy to keep it.


    The mana had seeped out after a few days, and it was now light enough to carry with one hand.


    And so I now held it in one hand and the hexagonal staff in the other as we traveled.


    They were both weapons I acquired on this journey.


    ¡°Well, why not? Spoils of war.¡±


    Perhaps you weren¡¯t supposed to do such things. But I doubt Dobroy was going to go crying to anyone after he lost it during a duel. Of course, I would be amused if he did.


    Speaking of amusing, this shield would absorb any mana I sent into it.


    Obviously, that made it heavier. It was probably harder as well, but I couldn¡¯t really tell since it was already so hard.


    But I was going to meet Demon King Tralzard. So I might need something to defend myself.


    And this would be useful if that time ever came.


    ¡­No, I had no intention of fighting the Demon King. Really. Do I look like someone who would do that?


    However, I¡¯ve always been taught to prepare for the unexpected.


    A prevention is better than a cure.


    And so we continued to travel like this until we went through the next three towns.


    By the time my hunger reached normal levels, we had arrived at the town where Demon King Tralzard lived.


    I doubted that General Miralda had foreseen this, but the increase of mana stopped just as we arrived. The timing couldn¡¯t have been better.


    ¡°I will send my subordinates to the castle. We can wait at the inn.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°It will likely take a few days for us to gain an audience with the Demon King. So we¡¯ll have to stay at an inn for awhile.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°I sincerely hope that you will stay out of trouble until then.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Stomel looked at me with suspicion.


    ¡°Sir Golan. Do you know what it is that you¡¯re wearing?¡±


    Was this a quiz? Well, it was certainly an easy one.


    ¡°Dragon scale armor.¡±


    I probably looked pretty smug. But I wasn¡¯t sure why Stomel was asking me such an easy question.


    ¡°¡­It suits you very well.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it? After all, it¡¯s the Delphyne¡¯s treasure.¡±


    ¡°The scale that shines on the chest was from the chief. I saw him crying as he sewed it on.¡±


    ¡°I was so grateful for his dedication.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Perhaps it was no surprise, as we were so close to the Demon King¡¯s castle.


    We had wandered into a Dragon settlement before coming here.


    And since the Delphynes attacked us, with the intention of turning us into their supper, I helped myself to this armor.


    In fact, it was apparently made of scales from the best warriors. But it was unfinished.


    Of course, I had them finish it in a rush before we left.


    When the chief came to see us off, I could see the mark on his chest where a scale had been removed. Yes, I was very, very grateful to him.


    ¡°So, don¡¯t worry about anything.¡±


    I said while giving him a thumbs up.


    ¡°A desire for recognition, is it?¡±


    ¡°Where did you learn to say something like that?¡±

 Chapter 198

    Chapter 198I¡¯m Golan. An ordinary Ogre you might see anywhere.


    Ah, that¡¯s not right. Not anymore. I recently evolved.


    After I evolved, the name Susanoo-no-Mikoto appeared in my head. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    As I was an Origin, I was all alone.


    But if I had descendants and we grew in number, then we would be established as our own race in the Demon World.


    Well, that wouldn¡¯t happen for a very long time. So, why was I introducing myself¡­


    ¡°Sir Golan, are you talking to yourself? Or do you need my help?¡±


    ¡°No¡­uh, you know. Um¡­¡±


    I was just escaping reality.


    ¡°What is it, Sir Golan?¡±


    Stomel¡¯s eyes turned to me.


    As Stomel looked like a giant bee, his expressions weren¡¯t always easy to read.


    Was he angry? Yes, he was angry.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t need me, I will go to the guard house.¡±


    He didn¡¯t sound angry. So maybe he wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°Ah¡­yes. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Good. I will be on my way.¡±


    Stomel said as he left the room.


    He really was a capable Adjutant. Or was it just that I was useless?


    ¡°Still¡­it was beyond my control.¡±


    The weapon in my right hand and the great shield in my left.


    I was covered in armor and had a sword strapped to my back. We had been stopped at the gate when I tried to go through like this.


    They said it was because I was an outsider who was fully armed.


    Clearly that wasn¡¯t right? You shouldn¡¯t judge someone by their appearance.


    And so Stomel frantically explained the situation to them.


    In the mean time, I stood there dumbly.


    Surely it was the best way to look harmless. I would have looked like some kind of wooden doll you would buy as a souvenir.


    And that¡¯s when one of the gatekeepers noticed the shield I was carrying.


    ¡®Hey, isn¡¯t that Sir Dobroy¡¯s shield?¡¯ he said.


    And then another joined, ¡®And that Dragon armor. Isn¡¯t it the treasure of that Dragon clan that General Krunya said was too much trouble, and refused to let them join the army?¡¯


    The gatekeepers traded looks. The atmosphere suddenly became, ¡®Uh, shouldn¡¯t we look into this?¡¯


    Stomel made a desperate attempt to persuade them that this weapon and armor were gifts, part of building a friendly relationship. Unfortunately, both the shield and armor were not exactly clean.


    About one third of the shield was caked in dried blood.


    ¡°Aye, this is Dobroy¡¯s blood.¡±


    I said, ever the honest man. And that caused a stir among the gatekeepers.


    By then, guards had gathered from all over the town, and we were surrounded.


    ¡°H-how did you acquire that armor? It¡¯s the treasure of the Delphynes!¡±


    ¡°They gave it to me.¡±


    ¡°Liar! As if the savage Delphynes would give you their prized possession! Did you attack their settlement and take it from them?¡±


    What a rude accusation to make. I was overcome with anger for a brief instant but decided to be mature about it, and say, ¡®They really did give it to me. Look. This one is Garzel¡¯s scale.¡¯


    ¡°Garzel!? The Garzel who recently became their chief, causing the tribe to become even more vicious than ever?¡±


    ¡°I see. I knew he was delusional, and that explains it. Well, he tried to eat me, so I just shattered his jaw and fangs.¡±


    Though, when it came to being ¡®eaten¡¯ by dragons, it was not literal.


    It just meant they would bite into you with their fangs until you died.


    ¡°He-he defeated the current chief and used his scales for the armor!¡±


    ¡°What villainy!!¡±


    It was no use, they had all drawn their swords now.


    And I always accepted a challenge.


    After that, we safely made it into the town.


    However, I felt as if Stomel¡¯s trust in me had dropped considerably.


    And now, Stomel had gone off to the guard house in order to explain the situation to them for me.


    He needed to tell them about my new equipment.


    ¡°¡­I hope he¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t carry the armor. There was no point unless I wore it.


    They were the ones who were wrong for stopping us. It would all be alright if he emphasized that point.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, didn¡¯t they say that they were extra cautious now? Maybe it was just bad luck.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know why they were on their guard, but surely they could do their jobs without taking it out on us.


    ¡°So, what should I do now?¡±


    Stomel was gone, and the two that had carried the baggage had also left.


    They had gone to the castle.


    It would take a few days before I was able to meet the Demon King. We didn¡¯t know when we would be summoned.


    And so the two subordinates had to wait at the castle.


    Everyone who had business with the king had to send a servant there to wait until they were called.


    It seemed like a horribly inefficient system to me.


    And since it wouldn¡¯t do if they were called while they were out eating or using the bathroom, you had to send two people to take turns.


    Well, I could only imagine how suffocating it might feel to have to stay in a single room the whole time. So perhaps it was much better to have two people take shifts.


    Regardless, I was now completely alone.


    As for this whole waiting business.


    Once you were a Demon King, you didn¡¯t care about such small details, and it was the subordinate of his subordinate that managed it.


    Well, then¡­ Perhaps a little bribe¡­ I thought, but remembered that I had no money.


    I joked about how it shouldn¡¯t be too hard to get in, seeing as I was fully armed now, and Stomel practically shouted that I would start a war.


    How could he not tell that I was joking?


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. And since I have spare time, maybe I¡¯ll do some maintenance.¡±


    There was blood on the shield, so I should wash it off. And there just happened to be a well in the back of the building.


    ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ll do something for the two baggage carriers along the way.¡±


    The shoulder bags they used to carry food were lying in a corner of the room.


    The whole time we had traveled, they were carrying food that I would be eating.


    And so it was filled with crumbs and dirt.


    ¡°It¡¯s more of a rucksack than a bag. The kinds mountain climbers use.¡±


    It was made of animal hide and was durable, yet heavy.


    And it could also carry a lot of food, which made it very useful to us. But it was dirtier than I expected.


    And so I took them along with my equipment and washed them at the well outside.


    ¡°Then I just need to hang them up in front¡­¡±


    We were on the second floor, so I didn¡¯t have to worry about them being stolen.


    Who would steal an old rucksack, anyway?


    I hung them upside down so that they would dry well.


    ¡°But like this, they will draw attention. Well, it should be fine. Now, to go and do something about this hunger.¡±


    And so I went back down to the first floor in order to get a bite to eat.

 Chapter 199

    Chapter 199While I was no longer subject to abnormal hunger pangs, eating was still very important for my body.


    I had to eat while I could, or I would regret it. Especially now, when I didn¡¯t know when I might be summoned.


    ¡°Old man. I need something to eat. Something heavy. What do you have?¡±


    ¡°Aye. You should have meat then. We have some wild boar. Should I cook it?¡±


    These wild boars were incredibly vicious, and were strong enough to skewer Goblins.


    Just imagine something that¡¯s several times larger and more dangerous than an American buffalo.


    Hunting them alone was a difficult task. And I happened to find them rather delicious.


    ¡°I like the sound of that. Three servings¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, get me the usual.¡±


    Someone cut in.


    Of course, I was not so short-tempered to get angry over that.


    When it came to personal matters that concerned me alone, I could be patient.


    However, I would not have minded a short apology.


    ¡°Sorry. I told you this morning, but we¡¯re all out.¡±


    ¡°But I told you to prepare some!¡±


    ¡°The market isn¡¯t open today. It won¡¯t be open until the day after tomorrow.¡±


    Apparently, this customer¡¯s favorite food was out of stock. It happened often.


    This customer who argued with the old man was a Shadow Ape.


    They were of the higher ranks and were known for being huge and having especially long fur on their arms.


    The Shadow Apes were evolved Heavy Apes.


    And Heavy Apes were a special type of Fierce Ape.


    I didn¡¯t like how he was picking on this poor innkeeper.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting in my room all of this time. I¡¯m starving. I don¡¯t care how much you have to run around the town to find it! If I don¡¯t get my meal, I¡¯m going to break your neck.¡±


    It would be easy enough to do, for a Shadow Ape.


    The old innkeeper was trembling.


    In the first place, it seemed like this Shadow Ape wasn¡¯t from this country.


    Perhaps he was here as some merchant¡¯s bodyguard.


    ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry. I will go right now¡­¡± S?a??h the ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    But I stopped the old man as he was about to leave.


    ¡°Why are you getting in the way!?¡±


    The Shadow Ape¡¯s attention turned to me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being a little too self-centered? I understand that you¡¯re annoyed, but it¡¯s not good to take it out on those who are weaker than you.¡±


    ¡°You. You think you can lecture me? If you¡¯re going to come at me, do it with fists!¡±


    Oh, are you sure?


    Well then. I grabbed the back of his neck with my left hand, fixing him so he couldn¡¯t move. Then I slammed my right hand into his stomach.


    Recently, I had gained an understanding of how to use my body. And so I unleashed a shock wave the moment before my fist made contact with him.


    Was it a sonic boom? Did I surpass the speed of light?


    Normally he would have broken through the walls and flown out of the inn like some kind of cartoon character. Thankfully, I was holding him by the neck.


    On the other hand, his neck did bend back. Might have even broken a little.


    ¡°Old man. This guest is tired and would like to rest. Which one is his room?¡±


    ¡°Y-y-yes. U-upstairs. The third room to the right!¡±


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯m going to put him in bed. In the meantime, I¡¯d like to order three plates of that wild boar.¡±


    ¡°Ce-certainly!!¡±


    The old man was shaking like a leaf, though the threat was now gone.


    He must have been really scared.


    And so I carried the Shadow Ape up the stairs.


    ¡°Uhh, third to the right¡­here it is.¡±


    The room was a lot cleaner than I expected.


    There were weapons strewn around the floor, but the laundry was all hung up neatly.


    Perhaps he had a surprisingly methodical side to him.


    ¡°Oh, look. He has the same kind of bag next to his laundry. Is he a baggage carrier in spite of being a high-ranker?¡±


    If that was true, his master must be incredibly powerful.


    I decided to push it out of my mind as I headed back down the stairs.


    The old man must have been cooking in a hurry, as my food was already on the table.


    ¡°This looks delicious.¡±


    As I started to eat, someone sat right in front of me.


    ¡°¡­You. Are you a merchant?¡±


    Came the sudden question.


    I didn¡¯t know what race the man was. It was hard to get information on the more rare types.


    Also, he was an outsider, just like me. Was this inn a place that attracted people like us?


    ¡°A merchant, eh? ¡­Well, sort of.¡±


    I accepted challenges, but I didn¡¯t antagonize others. And so I decided to give him a vague answer.


    Also, I didn¡¯t want him to pry if I told him that I wasn¡¯t a merchant.


    It did not look good if you were wandering around in a foreign country when you weren¡¯t a merchant.


    The man looked a little relieved when he heard this.


    ¡°So it is you. Well, thought it would be. How many outsiders can there be here¡­? No, more importantly, I¡¯m sorry. The roads have been temporarily closed.¡±


    ¡°The roads? Why?¡±


    ¡°Because the army will be passing through. And since there¡¯s no guarantee that there won¡¯t be spies around, they do not want people to see them marching.¡±


    There was a war happening somewhere, and they had clashed with enemy reinforcements.


    Because of this, they had to stop for a few days.


    However, I wasn¡¯t sure why he was telling me this.


    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Anyway, sorry that I¡¯m late¡­ That being said, I think you¡¯re drawing too much attention. If you¡¯re going to hang it, do it near your own laundry. Besides, normally you would hang it on the side of the back road.¡±


    Hang?


    ¡°You mean the bag?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We always walk down the road behind the inns when trying to find the place you¡¯re staying at. I was just going to start looking when I saw it hanging out in the front.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Could it be that he thought I was someone else?


    I continued to eat my meat silently. The man looked around and continued in a hushed voice.


    ¡°Hurry up and take me to the room. It¡¯s too dangerous to talk here.¡±


    ¡°My room?¡±


    I asked with an annoyed expression. He lowered his voice even further.


    ¡°Were you not also hired by Lord Nehyor? Now hurry up. Take me to your room.¡±


    He demanded.

 Chapter 200

    Chapter 200¡°Hey, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and take me to your room.¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­ Uh, it¡¯s not really clean.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. Just hurry up.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    The name of someone I was interested in had come out, and I couldn¡¯t exactly let this guy go now. s?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    (Still¡­there are some problems.)


    We went up the stairs and entered the room.


    ¡°What? It looks clean enough to me¡­ Huh?¡±


    As the man sat down on the floor noisily, he scanned the room until his eyes landed on the weapons and armor.


    He did a double take and then slowly turned to me.


    ¡°Ah¡­by the¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, that shield. I¡¯ve seen it before. One of General Krunya¡¯s men¡­ What was his name again?¡±


    ¡°Dobroy?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Him. That¡¯s his shield. Why is it in a place like this?¡±


    He recognized it immediately.


    Well, it couldn¡¯t be helped.


    ¡°¡­He gave it to me.¡±


    ¡°Why are you looking away? And as if I would believe something like that! Did you steal it? Did you steal something during such an important job?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to assume the worst. Maybe I did take it right in front of him. But he never asked for it back.¡±


    ¡°¡­What? What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I just punched him. And I suppose that was the beginning of a new friendship. I¡¯m not quite sure how it worked out.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He was looking at me with undisguised suspicion.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s true for the most part.¡±


    ¡°And how is Dobroy currently?¡±


    ¡°Sleeping soundly, with a puffed up face, I imagine.¡±


    ¡°Because you hit him!?¡±


    ¡°Damn, did I say that?¡±


    ¡°You fought? What the hell are you doing! What if there¡¯s a price on your head?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I took care of everything before leaving.¡±


    ¡°You. You¡¯re being much too reckless. Attacking the General¡¯s man¡­ And that armor! It¡¯s made of Dragon scales! Damn it. How did you even enter the town?¡±


    ¡°We were surrounded by guards, but it was alright.¡±


    ¡°So you were surrounded! It¡¯s not alright!¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. In fact, it was practically peaceful compared to my fight at the Dragon settlement.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing! You attacked a Dragon settlement and stole it? There is definitely a price on your head then. Damn it. And then you caused a scene when entering the town! Do you mean to crush our plans? Why the hell did they send a meathead like you!¡±


    The regret in his voice was overwhelming.


    As for me, I was rather hurt that he had called me a meathead. I was an intellectual.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just skip this talk of trophies. Tell me about what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°As if we can skip it! Stop trying to change the subject! At this point, I should just leave this town so I never have to get involved with the likes of you ever again!¡±


    He looked like he was about to stand up.


    I did not want him to end his relationship with Nehyor just yet.


    ¡°Quit your whining. If you don¡¯t start talking, you¡¯ll get a taste of what the others had.¡±


    ¡°F-fine¡­ Don¡¯t get angry. I¡¯m a non-combat type.¡±


    I just had to glare at him a little and he became calm. Yes, it was good to be honest.


    ¡°You have something to tell me, right? Spit it out.¡±


    ¡°Fine¡­I don¡¯t want to die either. I¡¯m going to return to my country after I tell you. ¡­So, what I was going to say¡­ Those of my race are light-footed and so we are good at looking for things and listening. That¡¯s why we are highly favored by Lord Nehyor.¡±


    Judging by what he was saying, he wasn¡¯t just someone who offered information.


    Since they investigated themselves, they were a little like detectives.


    ¡°This time, my job is to deliver information about Seitry the Nanakei.¡±


    ¡°Nanakei?¡±


    I¡¯ve never heard of that race before.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know who the Nanakei are?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°They are quite rare, but perhaps you know of Demon King Tralzard¡¯s tactician?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯ve heard rumors.¡±


    I bought my information from traveling merchants, but had heard about it as part of some idle gossip.


    The Demon King had a tactician that never appeared in front of others.


    ¡°If people knew about them, then they would be targeted first. So it¡¯s no surprise. Still, rumors will leak out. Lord Nehyor had been searching for Tralzard¡¯s tactician for a while now. And we finally found something. Well, there are rumors to be heard even in this town. But this is something much more substantial. Proper information.¡±


    ¡°This Seitry is the tactician?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But to explain about the Nanakei first, they are a race that are good with magic. Just think of someone who is capable of unleashing many powerful attacks at once. However, it¡¯s quite the opposite when it comes to physical combat. They rely completely on magic.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    A race that relies on magic. The opposite of us Ogres.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to tell you Seitry¡¯s location. The job will be complete once you assassinate Seitry. You understand the rest?¡±


    ¡°Leave the country without getting caught?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. I won¡¯t tell you my name or race just in case you get caught. That includes who I report to and what we are doing. And I too will not ask you anything about yourself.¡±


    ¡°Obviously.¡±


    ¡°As for whether or not you succeed, one of my comrades who is out of the country will come here in a few days to make sure. You don¡¯t need to worry about that. Once it is confirmed, Lord Nehyor will pay us. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Then I will tell you Seitry¡¯s location and how to get there¡­¡±


    I actually wanted to know how I could contact Nehyor, but it was too early to get ahead of myself.


    Just then, the door opened.


    ¡°Sir Golan, I have returned. Oh, do you have a guest?¡±


    It was Stomel. What terrible timing he had.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    As I wondered about how to handle it, the man looked at Stomel with surprise.


    ¡°You! Why are you with someone from Tralzard¡¯s country!¡±


    ¡°Huh? I was sent here in order to help Sir Golan gain an audience with His Majesty the Demon King¡­ Sir Golan, this man appears to be hostile towards His Majesty. Please explain.¡±


    Stomel looked at me with a puzzled expression.


    Oh, damn it.

 Chapter 201

    Chapter 201¡°Audience with the Demon King? You. What the hell is happening?¡±


    I had wanted to learn more from the man first, but that wasn¡¯t going to happen now.


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    I gave him a murderous look, and then his silhouette began to blur.


    He looked like he would melt and disappear, and so I slapped him.


    But instead of hitting something solid, my hand felt like it had been thrust into some kind of sticky fluid.


    ¡°What the¡­? It¡¯s sticky.¡±


    As for the man¡­he went flying into the wall, where he was now stuck. He was spread out like an amoeba. It was quite disgusting.


    ¡°Sir Golan. That is a Gelman.¡±


    ¡°Huh? I¡¯ve never heard of that. What kind of race are they?¡±


    It seemed like I was learning about a lot of rare races today.


    ¡°I heard that while they do have a proper shape, they can use their special ability to change into others.¡±


    ¡°they must be a relative to the Slimes. ¡­So that face he was using earlier was the result of his special ability.¡±


    If he had a special ability that allowed him to shapeshift, it was no wonder they were good at detective work.


    Long ago, I had read a comic book about a man with seven faces, but these guys were able to do it without using anything.


    ¡°They say that normal attacks don¡¯t do much damage to them.¡±


    ¡°It looks pretty effective to me.¡±


    Surely he was unconscious now?


    ¡°There must have been mana in that attack. Regardless, what was this man trying to do?¡±


    ¡°He told me that he was searching for a tactician called Seitry. A Nanakei of this country. And I was supposed to assassinate this person based on the information.¡±


    ¡°A tactician. I have also heard rumors¡­ Well, there are rumors in the army as well. But I¡¯ve never heard of anyone actually seeing this tactician.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re probably leaking rumors and half-truths on purpose. Anyway, I still want to question this guy. But how can I bind him?¡±


    ¡°There are all kinds of binding tools to restrain people at the guard house. In this case, perhaps you should put him in a basin and tie him up? Even though he can shapeshift, there must be a limit.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m only going to question him, so perhaps that will do. I¡¯ll go and ask the innkeeper for something.¡±


    The Gelman was still stuck on the wall, and hadn¡¯t even twitched.


    And so I went downstairs and asked for a basin.


    The old innkeeper practically flew out to the back and grabbed one of the basins that was used for washing.


    I took it up to the second floor and then peeled the thing off of the wall.


    ¡°It¡¯s so disgusting¡­ There was a rope among our belongings, wasn¡¯t there? Bring it to me.¡±


    I tied the rope over the basin so that it looked like the top area was divided into eight.


    ¡°Is this good enough?¡±


    ¡°I think it is. I doubt he¡¯ll be able to escape from the gaps. And if he tries to resist, you can just attack him while unleashing mana.¡±


    ¡°I see. ¡­Alright then.¡±


    I tried hitting him with just a little bit of mana and he started muttering, ¡®hmm. I¡¯ll have seconds.¡¯ How predictable.


    I hit him again. This time with a little more mana, and he woke up.


    ¡°There you are.¡±


    ¡°You! What is this! Hey! Why am I tied up!¡±


    ¡°Aye, and you¡¯ll stay that way for now. And be careful. You don¡¯t want to know what I¡¯ll do to you if you try and escape.¡±


    ¡°You! So you¡¯re a traitor then. Why? Don¡¯t you know that you¡¯ll be targeted for life? Traitors all meet a brutal death eventually.¡±


    He was finally up and now he wouldn¡¯t stop talking.


    ¡°I¡¯m no traitor. I never had anything to do with you all. It¡¯s you who just made a mistake.¡±


    ¡°Huh? A mistake¡­no, that¡¯s ridiculous! You had the bag hanging upside down!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not mine. Our baggage carriers used them to carry food. I just washed and dried them because they were dirty.¡±


    ¡°And what about you being an outsider?¡±


    ¡°I have my own reasons for being in this country. I¡¯m in this town to meet the Demon King. It has nothing to do with your assassinations.¡±


    ¡°Th-then¡­why did you say you were a merchant? How did you know the secret word? It doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡±


    ¡°Well, you should have thought of a better secret word then. It was just a coincidence. I don¡¯t start fights, but I don¡¯t shy away from a challenge.¡±


    ¡°You¡­!?¡±


    He groaned.


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s time for me to ask the questions. Such as your origins, your plans, and how you contact Nehyor.¡±


    ¡°As-as if I would tell you!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡±


    This would be good practice for controlling how much mana is included in my attacks.


    After about a hundred hits, he was more than willing to talk. Well, he seemed like the kind of person who loved to talk anyway.


    His name was Embrio. He made a living by accepting jobs involving information.


    Embrio even told me about the country and town he lived in, as well as information about his comrades. Of course, there was no way for me to tell if it was true.


    And then there was the current plan.


    Nehyor had given the order to search for the Nanakei, and once he was able to make a full report, he had been ordered to move ahead with the assassination plan.


    The new job was to contact a shadow mercenary, give him the information, and support him in the assassination.


    ¡°I had only been told the town and password, and didn¡¯t think that such a coincidence was possible.¡±


    So, who was the person that he was supposed to talk to? I had an idea.


    It was likely the Shadow Ape I had knocked out with a punch to the stomach.


    He was sleeping in his room now. So I would be able to ask him about it later.


    If he was here to contact a client, then he wouldn¡¯t run away just yet.


    Now, as for why they were doing this kind of shadow work¡­


    They were those who either as individuals or as a group, were seen as too violent, or incapable of obeying orders, and were therefore declared unfit to be soldiers.


    Combat races were specialized for fighting.


    Most of them didn¡¯t know how to live outside of the battlefield.


    Once the army said they didn¡¯t need them, they would eat through their savings very quickly.


    Of course, that meant they would have to take from others. But they couldn¡¯t be too open about it, or the military would notice them.


    To put it simply, they abducted, robbed and assassinated. They started making a living through accepting jobs that were against the law.


    As for the important part, which was Nehyor¡¯s location.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Honest. As if someone like me would be able to contact Lord Nehyor. He just appears out of nowhere, tells me what to do, and then disappears.¡±


    That¡¯s what he said.


    Apparently, even if I waited in the Gelman settlement, I was unlikely to be able to meet him.


    ¡°I see¡­ Well, I heard what I needed to hear. Stomel.¡±


    ¡°What is it, Sir Golan?¡±


    ¡°Would you mind running an errand for me?¡±


    ¡°To the guard house, sir?¡±


    ¡°Yes, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°¡­Very well. I will go again.¡± S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡®You heartless fiend!¡¯ echoed from the basin, so I punched him again.

 Chapter 202

    Chapter 202After a while, Stomel returned from the guardhouse.


    He had five others with him. Two guards and their subordinates.


    the subordinates picked up the basin¡­Embrio the Gelman, and left.


    One of the guards went with them.


    The guard who remained wanted to question me.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    I bent the hexagonal club with an angry glare.


    It bent easily when I imbued it with mana. I would have to straighten it out later.


    While the guard shuddered, he would not budge. He had to follow ¡®the rules.¡¯


    Still, there were times when I couldn¡¯t compromise either. I wanted him to leave as soon as possible.


    And so I stood up slowly and menacingly.


    The guard grimaced, but I didn¡¯t have time to waste talking here.


    ¡°Sir Golan?¡±


    ¡°Stomel. How many people in this town are stronger than Dobroy?¡±


    ¡°¡­Aside from the Demon King? Perhaps about ten.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fewer than I expected.¡±


    ¡°Yes. The Demon King¡¯s lands are vast, and so the others have spread out.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ So if I went all out, how many would die?¡±


    ¡°Among those ten?¡±


    ¡°Aye.¡±


    Stomel thought about it for a moment.


    I had the hexagonal club, and the shield made of Mana Drain Iron.


    He then glanced to the dragon scale armor in the corner.


    ¡°Among them, I think there will be a few who cannot beat you, Sir Golan.¡±


    My biggest weakness was magic attacks, but if I was able to block them with the shield or armor, then it was pure strength that would win the day.


    Perhaps he had decided that races that mainly fought with magic could not beat me.


    ¡°¡­So, guardsman. Your persistence here might result in the Demon King losing some of his Generals.¡±


    I said while moving my face close to his.


    ¡°Sir Golan. You should not threaten guards who protect His Majesty¡¯s town¡­¡±


    Stomel said in a troubled voice, but I ignored him.


    ¡°Stomel is my witness. This town will take heavy losses because of you. Now, think hard on that before you reply.¡±


    ¡°As I said¡­ No, nevermind. We will question the prisoner.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now please leave.¡±


    ¡°Ye-yes.¡±


    The last guard ran out of the room in a hurry.


    ¡°Sir Golan. This will definitely be reported to their superiors.¡±


    ¡°I have an important appointment. ¡­Sorry, but I¡¯ll need you to take care of things.¡±


    ¡°You want me to go to the guard house again?¡¯


    ¡°Yes, thank you. You can take your time. There¡¯s no need to rush back.¡±


    ¡°¡­Very well. I will go. I would have to do it eventually anyway.¡±


    ¡°I really am sorry, and appreciate your effort.¡±


    Then I pointed to the door so he would hurry. Stomel stared at me for a moment and then left.


    ¡°¡­Phew. Finally.¡±


    Now there was no one who could get in my way.


    I exited my room and went to the one that was two doors down the hallway.


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    The Shadow Ape held his stomach as he groaned. Then his eyes turned towards me.


    ¡°So you¡¯re awake after all. I should have hit you a little harder. However, it seems like some of the damage has stuck.¡±


    That was good.


    Apparently, he had not heard what was happening in my room, and wasn¡¯t aware that there had been guards here either.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what the laws were like around here, but I imagine it was a straight route to execution once you were arrested and taken to the guardhouse.


    But I didn¡¯t want that. And so I had to get rid of everyone. S?a?ch* Th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Now we could have some alone time.


    He had been bearing the pain until he was able to move.


    ¡°Now, there are some things I want to ask you. Serious questions.¡±


    About Nehyor. And Nehyor. I wanted to know about Nehyor.


    Seriously.


    ¡°Y-you bastard¡­ Don¡¯t think you¡¯ll get away with¡­gaah!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask the questions, and you just have to answer. Nice and easy, isn¡¯t it? Now, let¡¯s start with your name.¡±


    This Shadow Ape was a high-ranker.


    If I was still an Ogre, I would likely die even though I was in the best condition and fully prepared. If I was lucky, I would be able to damage him just a little. That¡¯s the kind of person he was.


    But now that I had evolved and my mana had skyrocketed, even a Shadow Ape no longer felt like a threat.


    Still, high-rankers were tough. A half-assed attack would not be enough to hurt them.


    And so I firmly held the back of his head in place while I repeatedly smashed him in the face with my mana-aided fist.


    ¡°You see, I want to finish this before Stomel gets back. So we have to get through this first part quickly.¡±


    If this wasn¡¯t enough, I was prepared to bash him with the shield, but it turned out to be unnecessary.


    The Shadow Ape¡¯s face began to get crushed out of shape, and I knew that my fists were effective.


    I learned that his name was Legis.


    He was part of a gang that accepted illegal jobs. So I had been right after all.


    These outlaws were led by someone called Lesser Demon King Betz. And Legis had been sent to this town as part of Nehyor¡¯s request.


    Lesser Demon King Betz had no country of his own, and so he spent his time moving from one base to the next.


    In fact, there were many other gangs like this, who did not have their own specific land. The Wild Hunt was one of them.


    They usually attacked villages, and when a price was put on their heads, they would flee to a different country. This would repeat many times.


    As for this Legis. Surprisingly, he specialised in assassinations.


    ¡°Can someone as short tempered as you really be an assassin?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m light on my feet and can enter most places¡­¡±


    Well, he was an ape.


    They were known to be the physical types, and were very strong.


    And they made less noise while attacking than magic types.


    While most of the flying races were weak, he was both fast and strong.


    So perhaps he really was suited for assassinations.


    ¡°¡­And so you came to this town in order to meet the informant.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I heard that it was an emergency so I came quickly. However, the person I was supposed to meet didn¡¯t show up.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why you were so annoyed. ¡­By the way, your friend has already been arrested.¡±


    ¡°What¡­ How do you know!? When?¡±


    ¡°Shut up. I¡¯m the one who¡¯s asking the questions.


    I punched Legis in the stomach. It was the second time today.


    As Legis groaned, I smiled and asked him what I really wanted to know.


    ¡°Now for the main subject. Where do I have to go in order to meet Nehyor?¡±


    Nehyor was going around and causing mischief. My subordinates and I were suffering terribly as a result. I would never forgive him for that.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He always disappears without a trace. I have no way of contacting him.¡±


    ¡°Then just tell me what you do know.¡±


    After a little pain, I finished getting all the information that I could out of him. And then Stomel returned from the guardhouse.


    Well, it had been time well spent. But sadly, I would not be able to act right away.


    ¡°Sir Golan¡­ Who is this?¡±


    ¡°Ah, him? This is the person that the Gelman was trying to contact. He was going to assassinate someone.¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh.¡±


    Stomel looked at me with a very troubled expression.


    ¡°Stomel. I¡¯m very sorry, but¡­¡±


    ¡°You need me to go to the guardhouse, yet again.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡±


    This time, Stomel left without saying a word.

 Chapter 203

    Chapter 203I questioned Legis thoroughly, and was able to acquire a lot of information. However, none of it would allow me to contact Nehyor.


    Still, it was quite beneficial overall.


    Apparently, Lesser Demon King Betz would occasionally accept jobs from Nehyor, which involved wreaking havoc in specific locations.


    Legis was a part of such operations, so there was no doubt about it.


    ¡°The Wild Hunt always vanishes without a trace¡­ So that¡¯s how they do it.¡±


    Up until now, the Wild Hunt had attacked many towns and villages, as well as castles inhabited by Lesser Demon Kings.


    Those who were attacked would gather their men together and search for the Wild Hunt.


    But they would always get away.


    I now knew the reason.They had set it up in advance.


    For instance, Nehyor would attack town after town.


    The enemy would quickly move into the area and lay out a net to surround the Wild Hunt.


    When that happened, the only way to escape would be through brute force.


    However, what if a different place was suddenly attacked by the Wild Hunt?


    ¡°So they already escaped our encirclement!¡±


    They would think this as they rushed to the town that had been attacked.


    There was no point in staying there if the enemy was already gone.


    And once security had weakened, Nehyor and his men would be able to escape with ease. Something like that. S?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    As always, Nehyor had a cunning mind.


    Once you knew how to make a decoy appear somewhere else, it would be easy enough to put into action.


    Had I not known, I would also assume that he had already escaped.


    But if you did know, you would be able to ignore the people who were wreaking havoc outside.


    This was valuable information that I would have to keep in mind.


    As I pondered on such things, Stomel returned with some guards.


    There were¡­five of them. As they were going to arrest a high-ranker, they probably wanted to be safe.


    ¡°Sir Golan. I¡¯ve returned.¡±


    ¡°Sorry for making you go so many times.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ More importantly, are there any others?¡±


    ¡°Ah, he¡¯s the only one. So you just need to take him away.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    I had heard what I wanted to hear, so I had no use for Legis now.


    One of the guards took off a coil of wire from his shoulder.


    ¡°¡­What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°A binding tool. High-rankers are able to break the normal ones.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    They tied him up tightly, from head to feet. While it looked like wires, it was probably much stronger.


    After the guards tied Legis up swiftly, they carried him out of the room. They didn¡¯t even glance in my direction.


    ¡°Hey, Stomel. Do the guards hate me?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand why?¡±


    Huh?


    ¡°Uhh¡­ Is it because I wasn¡¯t cooperating earlier?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I had to explain to them that you are an important person from another country. That¡¯s why they could not do anything by force. The senior officer there was almost in tears.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see how that¡¯s my fault.¡±


    I had to be alone in order to question Legis.


    ¡°It might also be related to how you were able to capture the Shadow Ape without getting hurt. What if they were to cause you, Sir Golan, to go on a rampage? It is no wonder they would not want to talk to you, let alone meet your eye.¡±


    Was my Adjutant dissing me?


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go on a rampage unless something major happened.¡±


    ¡°Is that so. Very well.¡±


    That was my Adjutant. He understood me well.


    ¡°So something major must have happened to you.¡±


    ¡°Uh, no.¡±


    ¡°Something terrible happened before arriving in this town.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    Was he angry at me?


    Things felt quite awkward after that, and so I did not leave the house much that day. I decided to keep a low profile.


    It wasn¡¯t a punishment or anything. I made the conscious decision on my own.


    And then three days past. My subordinates finally returned from the castle.


    ¡°Sir Golan. The date of your audience with His Majesty the Demon King has been decided. It will be tomorrow in the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Oh, finally. Is there anything I need to do in preparation?¡±


    ¡°No, just go as you are.¡±


    ¡°So I can take my weapons?¡±


    ¡°Sir Golan. Do you intend to put them to use?¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no meaning behind it. But I get anxious.¡±


    ¡°Why should you be anxious? ¡­In any case, there are no rules. However, in your case, Sir Golan. I would hope that you would not arm yourself when going.¡±


    ¡°Huh? So I¡¯m allowed to take my weapons?¡±


    ¡°There are races who have buffs and use magic. So leaving their weapons would not make them less dangerous. Besides, high-rankers would not be able to hurt the Demon King, even if they are armed.¡±


    I see. So it didn¡¯t matter, since I was still so weak.


    I would expect nothing less of the great Demon King Tralzard.


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll arm myself fully instead of wearing formal attire.¡±


    Really, I wasn¡¯t going to fight. I swear it.


    ¡°I will be staying in the waiting hall, so you don¡¯t need to worry about me when you fight.¡±


    ¡°No, I have no intention of fighting.¡±


    ¡°Though, it is my duty as your Adjutant, to pick up your bones. However, I am not sure there will be enough to pick up¡­¡±


    ¡°Why are you saying something so ominous!?¡±


    Not only was he fully accepting of the outcome being a fight, but he was also certain of my death.


    ¡°It is a jest.¡±


    ¡°I suppose it was also a wish?¡±


    ¡°Not at all, sir. ¡­But I am looking forward to tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°¡­Right.¡±


    I suppose Stomel really was angry with me.


    The next morning, I headed to the castle with Stomel.


    We took our time walking, so that we¡¯d arrive at the castle before midday.


    We had to show the permit we received when making the appointment, and then we entered.


    ¡°Are most castles this big?¡±


    It was considerably larger than Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s castle.


    The ceiling was also very high. It must have been as high as a three story building.


    ¡°It was built like that so the ceiling wouldn¡¯t break even if a Dragon transformed. But the ceilings on the second floor and above are normal.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    I had seen General Miralda transform into a Dragon, and she had been gigantic.


    And so the entire first floor of the castle had been built to accommodate someone of that size.


    There was also a lot of space between the pillars. I was surprised that the building was sufficiently supported.


    We then waited in the drawing room for a few hours.


    Then a servant of the castle called for me.


    ¡°Sir Golan. It¡¯s time.¡±


    ¡°Aye, I¡¯ll go and meet him then.¡±


    It was finally time for my audience with Demon King Tralzard.

 Chapter 204

    Chapter 204In the Demon World, there were two Great Demon Kings and eight Demon Kings who owned land.


    And it was said that these Demon Kings hated each other greatly.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s to keep them in check.¡±


    In order to become a Great Demon King, you had to rule over several Demon King countries.


    In other words, you had to be quite bold. However, that was also a good way to earn the wrath of the surrounding Demon Kings.


    So it was difficult to act boldly, even if you really wanted to.


    ¡°They must put a lot of thought into deciding who they will fight.¡±


    Let¡¯s say you just happen to be able to defeat an enemy Demon King. That alone won¡¯t cause the surrounding countries to act.


    In the meantime, you acquire one Demon King¡¯s country.


    It was a quieter way of extending your territory, compared to invading small country after small country, or antagonising multiple Demon Kings.


    Every Demon King had to keep the others in check and wait for the right opportunity.


    It was a rule they adhered to.


    I was currently in the audience hall and waiting for Demon King Tralzard¡¯s arrival.


    This meant that I was kneeling with my head lowered. Why was he taking so long?


    Apparently, I was to be the first person to gain an audience today, and so the Demon King was still resting.


    Lucky you. I thought with annoyance. Then there was suddenly a commotion towards the back.


    I braced myself for the long awaited moment, and then a presence suddenly appeared behind me.


    ¨CBa!!


    I jumped back and held up the Deepsea Dragon Sword. It was all instinct.


    The languid atmosphere disappeared in a flash.


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    I was confused.


    An old woman wearing a hood was walking towards me slowly.


    She slowly walked past me¡­and sat on the throne.


    Before I knew it, she was surrounded by guards.


    ¡°¡­At ease.¡±


    I felt something in the pit of my stomach. It was overpowering.


    And it had nothing to do with mana levels.


    A kind of overwhelming pressure that only came from the strongest.


    This was the real thing.


    Someone who could extinguish my life in an instant.


    I understood this immediately.


    People who are under such a spell usually have three options. Go mad, fall into despair, or run away.


    I quietly exhaled and then put away my sword.


    I had come here today with the hexagonal club and Mana Drain Shield on my back, and the Deepsea Dragon Sword at my waist.


    And after much consideration, I wore the Dragon scale armor.


    It did occur to me that this could be a bad idea, since I was going to meet a Dragon. But it was a risk worth taking.


    I had to protect myself if something happened.


    ¡°May I introduce myself.¡±


    ¡°¡­You may.¡±


    ¡°I am Golan. I have come from Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s country.¡±


    ¡°Tralzard. Welcome.¡±


    The overpowering aura from earlier was gone.


    Ultimately, it seemed like Demon King Tralzard just wanted to test me.


    It happened a lot in comics and cartoons, but I didn¡¯t think it would actually happen here.


    In fact, the reason that I was able to stand it, was because of my knowledge.


    There would be no reason to fear if you knew the gun that was pointed at you was a blank.


    It was because I quickly understood that I was being tested, that I was able to stay calm.


    That¡¯s all it was.


    ¡°I am grateful that you¡¯ve granted me this audience.¡±


    I said in as calm a voice that I could muster.


    ¡°Good. I heard that you evolved into an unusual race. Indeed, this is very interesting.¡±


    This old woman who appeared to be in her seventies was none other than Demon King Tralzard.


    I had assumed that she would be a man, but I was wrong.


    ¡°I used to be an Ogre. And after I evolved, the name ¡®Susanoo-no-Mikoto¡¯ came to me.¡±


    ¡°Every once in a while an Ogre will go through a rare evolution, but¡­ No, there is something more important to deal with first.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve received the reports. There were quite a few. I¡¯m sorry for all the trouble you encountered on the road.¡±


    ¡°¡­! You are too kind.¡±


    ¡°And not only are you forgiven, but you can use them.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I suppose she knew everything then.


    According to Stomel, most of the work was done by her subordinates, and Tralzard didn¡¯t keep track of what was happening. But I suppose she actually did receive detailed reports.


    In any case, I did not have to return the shield or armor. At least, I think that¡¯s what she meant.


    I felt pretty lucky to have that affirmation.


    ¡°¡­That being said, you will definitely have to pay for the trouble you caused in my town.¡±


    ¡°Huh!?¡±


    The old woman laughed mischievously.


    Damn it. This hag was going to kill me.


    I quickly took off my shield and put it in front of me.


    Just as expected, a wave of magic shot in my direction.


    ¡°¡­Wait. This isn¡¯t magic. A Dragon¡¯s roar?¡±


    My ears were ringing.


    I had only ever heard rumors about this roar.


    Among the Dragons, there were some who were able to make their roars have a physical power.


    The mana was so thick, that there was an actual, physical and destructive force behind it.


    It was said that it could destroy anything. So even this shield would not be enough. I would only be able to guard my front side.


    Iron melted at something like two thousand degrees.


    If this was ordinary iron, it would have melted already.


    I felt like I was in a giant furnace.


    Raising my shield like this was only delaying the inevitable.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± s?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Overwhelming power.


    Overwhelming mana.


    And the overwhelming destructive force.


    My body was being destroyed. Was it atomic resolution?


    No. My mana was being taken away.


    Just like how your body temperature lowered in the parts of the world that were freezing cold, I was submerged in mana that was too thick, and the mana inside of me was being drained out.


    ¡°If this continues, my body will die.¡±


    I was frantic. My very existence would come to an end.


    Shit. Shit. Shit!


    (Hey, you! We¡¯re in trouble. Can you do anything?)


    I called the other person inside of me.


    There was no answer. But I didn¡¯t care.


    I couldn¡¯t do anything while I was being robbed of mana.


    The other me had more mana. Perhaps we had a chance if we switched?


    That¡¯s the situation that I was in.


    And so I had intended on giving over my body, but my consciousness remained.


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    The mana around me just grew thicker and more vicious.


    And like that, while my consciousness remained, the consciousness of the other me suddenly started to surface.

 Chapter 205

    Chapter 205¡ð Demon King Tralzard


    An interesting report came in the other day.


    It was a letter of appeal from a town that was about seven days away on foot.


    A Mana Drain Iron shield had been stolen by bandits, and so they requested that it be returned as soon as it was found.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t understand. Why doesn¡¯t he get it back himself?¡±


    The letter claimed that the bandit was an outsider, and it included a detailed description. Not only that, but it said that the bandit was headed to this town.


    If he knew all of that, why was he hoping that we would do everything for him?


    ¡°What is Dobroy thinking?¡±


    Not all letters of appeal made their way up to me.


    My subordinates¡­they would usually deal with them.


    ¡°And please take a look at this. It arrived about ten days ago.¡±


    It was a report from Miralda, who was in charge of the west side.


    ¡°¡­Hmm. It would appear that they are the same person. An Ogre who has come from Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s country.¡±


    I didn¡¯t hear that name very often. Melvis¡­ And I did not want to hear it.


    Still, there were things that I wanted to ask him about Ogre evolution.


    ¡°Susanoo-no-Mikoto¡­ I¡¯ve never heard it before. But it does remind me of something.¡±


    It made sense once I read the rest. Indeed, I was reminded of Lesser High King Yamato, who Bargman the Dragon King had once told me about.


    These two letters were not of high priority, and they might have been processed without ever reaching me.


    But one of my Adjutants had noticed the relation and brought them to me.


    ¡°Dobroy does not have the best reputation. Someone should go and investigate.¡±


    ¡°Understood. We will investigate immediately and make a report.¡±


    ¡°And keep an eye on this one¡¯s movements. I¡¯m sure they will be stopping at other towns on the way. You don¡¯t have to monitor him at all times, but at least know where he is.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    If they sent someone who could fly, they would be able to reach Dobroy¡¯s town and return in just a few days.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know why an Ogre evolving is enough to make that Dobroy panic. However, with so much unease and instability with our neighbors, now is not the time to ignore something that is unknown.¡±


    I then forgot all about it.


    It all came back to me when the person who had been investigating the matter returned.


    ¡°So, Dobroy was defeated.¡±


    It was pathetic. He had challenged him and lost.


    Not only that, he lost the shield he was so proud of during the fight, and was beaten to a pulp¡­ Was this a joke?


    ¡°And people of the town were attacking a non-combat race?¡±


    The investigation also uncovered how foolish the others were.


    It was the non-combat races that supported our lives.


    Using them as targets just because they were weak. It was incomprehensible.


    Did they even stop to wonder how they were able to live?


    But leaving those fools aside, it was very thoughtless of Dobroy to have not remonstrated with them.


    A country that only had people who could fight would be forced to continue taking from others.


    There was nothing but certain destruction awaiting a country like that.


    In other words, Dobroy and the people of that town were heading towards their own destruction.


    How could they have not seen it?


    ¡°And what about this evolved Ogre?¡±


    ¡°I was able to follow him up to the next town. But after that¡­¡±


    ¡°You lost him?¡±


    ¡°The person who was searching said they believe he entered the Corola mountain.¡±


    ¡°Corola mountain¡­ So they didn¡¯t want to go around it. However, there is mist there, and it is easy to get lost. And once you reach the other side of the mountain, there is the Delphyne settlement.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps they are lost then. There were no signs of them having reached the next town.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. They might have been attacked.¡±


    The Delphynes looked down on everyone outside of their race, and they would fight any who got close.


    And no amount of talking would make them obey. They were dangerous, as they could not be drafted into the army.


    Still, the previous leader understood the importance of coexisting with the other races.


    But I had heard that the current leader thought of nothing but killing and stealing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it when he actually appears in the town.¡±


    If they really had encountered the Delphynes, then there was no point in thinking about them for another second.


    And so once again, I forgot about the matter entirely.


    ¡°¡­Hmm? This person who is scheduled for an audience today. Have I heard this name before?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the person who stole the Mana Drain shield from Dobroy.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ah, I remember him now. Hadn¡¯t he gone missing for a while? I had forgotten all about him. So he made it here in one piece.¡±


    ¡°Yes. They say he caused quite a scene in the Delphyne settlement. The chief nearly died, but was forgiven in exchange for the Dragon scale armor.¡±


    The investigation had recommenced as soon as he entered the town.


    And so I read the detailed report.


    The damages were too great for a mere evolved Ogre.


    ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll have to consider this very seriously.¡±


    Miralda¡¯s report was just a request. I thought it was an exaggeration.


    ¡°He will be the first to meet you in the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I am looking forward to it.¡±


    Yes, it should be very interesting.


    The moment was approaching. He would probably be prostrating himself as he waited.


    I never wait. I made others wait for me.


    And if I deem them unworthy, I will leave after just glancing at their face.


    Even if that doesn¡¯t happen, there will be little more than a greeting. It only took a word or two to satisfy them.


    They started to lead me to the audience hall, but then the spirit of mischief overtook me, and I brushed them off.


    My guards were worried, but this would happen occasionally, and they understood.


    Instead of the door used exclusively by me, I went through a door in the back.


    No one noticed me yet.


    And then I walked slowly.


    The figure that was kneeling, was a lot bigger than an Ogre.


    Indeed, I¡¯ve never seen anyone like that before.


    It was just as I was thinking about walking right past him, that he suddenly stood up and brandished his weapon.


    It was all I could do to hide my surprise.


    Did he have a special ability that made him immune to ambushes?


    It was with such thoughts that I continued my slow walk. s?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 206

    Chapter 206¡ð Demon King Tralzard


    Either he had sharp instincts or a special ability that allowed him to detect what was happening behind him. Regardless, this person who was bowing had an impressive reaction.


    And even after seeing him from the front, he looked like no race I had ever seen.


    I have been a Demon King for a long time, but I could not think of anyone that ¡®resembled¡¯ him.


    If his skin had been dark brown, and with a larger head and horns on his forehead, then he might look like the Shura.


    In any case, it seemed to me that he had lost most of his Ogre shape.


    However, there was something very exciting about meeting an evolved Origin type.


    His mana was also quite high. There was a good air about him.


    Once he had many descendants and they were established as their own race, I wouldn¡¯t mind making a place for them in my country.


    He inspired such thoughts in me.


    I then sat on the throne and introduced myself.


    At this point, I would tell most people to leave. My subordinates would listen to them for me.


    But not with this Golan. I had no intention of letting him leave here.


    After some light chatter, I unleashed the ¡®Dragon Roar.¡¯ It was an ambush.


    He had good instincts. And so he raised the Mana Drain shield before the roar reached him.


    However, that was not enough to stop the Dragon Roar.


    In the first place, the reports had talked about this shield. And so I would not have used a skill that could be blocked by it.


    The Dragon Roar used highly concentrated mana and ate whatever was in its path.


    If you used a shield, you could only defend your front side.


    However, you were exposed to the mana that came from every other direction.


    The Dragon Roar burst through the thick doors of the audience hall and shot out of the castle.


    From the corner of my eye, I could see my Adjutants covering their faces.


    A great hole would open in the earth, or a settlement would be destroyed.


    Such damage was possible with an attack like this.


    Well, that¡¯s probably enough. His mana would be gone. I doubt there would even be any bones left.


    And so I ended the roar.


    The Mana Drain shield clanged to the floor.


    ¡°¡­Hmm. I knew that it was likely, but not even a piece of him is left.¡±


    Disappointing, but there was nothing to be done.


    I hadn¡¯t expected him to survive, but had hoped that maybe he would at least maintain his shape.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°He is just like the others. Put that thing away.¡±


    I stood up and turned to leave. But there was a demon in front of me who was laughing with a wide mouth.


    ¡°Where are you going? It¡¯s my turn now.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going? It¡¯s my turn now.¡±


    ¡°You are alive? And¡­why can I hear two voices¡­¡±


    But before I could finish, a pure white blade came down on me.


    I quickly blocked it.


    ¡ªCling.


    I usually stayed in my human form, so it was easy to forget, but I had scales hidden underneath my skin.


    The blade hit it, and a scale went flying into the air.


    ¡°What!?¡±


    Demon Kings were Demon Kings because no one else could hurt them.


    It was this strength that allowed me to dominate over multiple Lesser Demon Kings.


    I had not expected his first blow to remove one of my scales.


    ¡°Tsk. This one is tough!¡±


    ¡°Tsk. This one is tough!¡±


    Once again, there were two voices.


    And there was something else that I noticed. Had his mana increased?


    There was no mistaking it.


    After all, it was two times as high as when I first met him.


    ¡ªClang!


    He stabbed me in the stomach.


    The scales stopped the blade, but I was still bleeding.


    The impossible had become reality.


    I quickly switched to a battle stance and blocked the oncoming blade with my scales.


    He may have evolved, but that merely meant he was now among the high-ranking races.


    And while his increased mana was a surprise, there was a wall between Golan and I that could not be crossed.


    If I went all out, no blade could¡­were we really fighting each other?!


    I thought I had blocked it, but it was apparently not enough.


    What a strange blade.


    In a way, it was even more sinister than Golan.


    ¡°In that case, there is only one thing to do.¡±


    We Dragons did not like to bother with intricacies. It was best to go wild. There was no point in wasting time.


    He would not be able to do much once he lost his weapon.


    It was when I thought about this. He must have realized my aim. And he let go of the weapon on his own.


    His instincts really were good after all.


    The sword clanged loudly as it rolled on the floor.


    While he was empty handed now, Golan was still smiling. Then he pulled out an iron club that he had on his back.


    ¡°This is what happens when I imbue it with mana and will it to become harder.¡±


    ¡°This is what happens when I imbue it with mana and will it to become harder.¡±


    He raised it into the air and swung down over my head.


    If my horns were to break, it would be a disaster.


    I covered my head with my left hand and blocked Golan¡¯s attack.


    At the same time, I discarded any sense of restraint and slammed Golan in the stomach with ¡®Dragon Fist Attack.¡¯


    This attack was effective against enemies that were immune to attacks involving claws.


    After that, Golan went flying back, breaking through several walls.


    My Adjutant went to see what had happened to him. He had gone through several rooms.


    ¡°He is still breathing.¡±


    I smiled when I heard those words.


    ¡°¡­I want to talk to him. Patch him up and let him rest.¡±


    My Adjutant looked surprised.


    ¡°But¡­ Your Majesty, he attacked you¡­¡±


    ¡°I attacked him first. And it wasn¡¯t because he did anything. I was just playing. More importantly, don¡¯t let him die. Now hurry.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    The Adjutant disappeared through the hole in the wall.


    ¡°The rest of you, clean this up. I will return to my room¡­you guards can stay here.¡± S?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    I left the rest to my subordinates and returned to my room.


    I had much to think about.


    And so I had all my appointments canceled for the day before leaving them.


    ¡°¡­Now, what does this mean?¡±


    My left wrist was still broken.


    Normally, it would start healing automatically. A mere fracture like this shouldn¡¯t take any time at all.


    And it wasn¡¯t as if I didn¡¯t have enough mana. So why wasn¡¯t it healing?


    I raised the broken wrist, but it just hung limply. There were no signs of it healing.


    ¡°What kind of attack¡­ I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    I suppose I could ask him when he woke up.


    It was with such thoughts that I searched for something I could use as a splint.

 Chapter 207

    Chapter 207I awoke in a plain, empty room.


    ¡°Saying that I ¡®don¡¯t recognize the ceiling¡¯ is becoming a tradition for me.¡±


    I had been laid out on a bed.


    So apparently I was still alive.


    I slowly tried to move my right arm. It moved fine.


    Then I tried my hands and legs. No problem.


    I took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled.


    There was a dull pain in my stomach.


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s where I was punched.¡±


    It hurt every time I breathed.


    That hag. She really tried to kill me.


    I hadn¡¯t been able to move after the roar.


    The only thing that had saved me was using the mana I had stored in my legs. Had I not been able to jump then, all of the mana would have been sucked out of my body and I would have died.


    With people like me who strengthened their bodies, losing mana meant losing your toughness.


    I would not have been able to survive the attack.


    After escaping it, I faced her with the Deepsea Dragon sword and hexagonal club. I never backed down after being attacked. However, it was no use.


    I knew that I couldn¡¯t beat her.


    And though I went with everything I had, I could tell that Tralzard was still holding back.


    Has she gone all out, there wouldn¡¯t have even been a piece of me left after I was annihilated.


    That being said, my attacks were not enough to deal a fatal blow.


    ¡°In other words, defeat was assured if I went up against a Demon King.¡±


    That was the power of a Demon King. I couldn¡¯t think of a way to beat her.


    I got up from the bed and stood on both feet.


    While I was glad to be alive, I was also angry at how much I had been beaten.


    My mana had also decreased quite a lot, but it was nothing a few meals couldn¡¯t fix.


    More importantly, I wanted to know where I was.


    ¡°¡­It must be inside of this castle.¡±


    I went out into the hallway, but didn¡¯t recognize anything. But it wasn¡¯t very big.


    I hadn¡¯t seen this hallway on my way to the drawing room or audience hall.


    After walking through the hallway, I came upon a staircase. Of course, I climbed it.


    There was another flight of steps on the upper floor.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll keep climbing then.¡±


    While I assumed that I was in the castle, I didn¡¯t see anyone while going up the stairs.


    I thought it was strange, but as I continued to walk, someone finally came into view.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    I called as I approached them. It was a Sand Armor.


    They looked a lot like Sand Golems.


    But while it was difficult to communicate with Golems, Sand Armors were a lot like us.


    ¡°Are you new here?¡±


    What a strange question.


    ¡°New? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Do you even know where you are?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I was nearly killed during an audience with the Demon King. I fought back, but ended up losing consciousness. And when I came to, I was here. So, where am I?¡±


    I gave a simple explanation, but something told me it was a situation where I could hardly complain if they arrested me on the spot.


    The Sand Armor crossed his arms and seemed to be thinking.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t really understand, but¡­it must be that. It is surely on the Demon King¡¯s order that you are here. I suppose that I can tell you then.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Is this place a secret?¡±


    ¡°You are within the castle grounds. This is the building on the farthest edge. Most call it the ¡®War Council Tower.¡¯¡±


    ¡°War Council Tower? That sounds very important.¡±


    That explains why there were so many stairs. This was a tower.


    ¡°Important? This place is a decoy. It¡¯s not important at all.¡±


    Now it was my turn to fold my arms and think.


    Was it really necessary to have a fake ¡®war council tower¡¯?


    And if there was a fake one, then there should be a real one too.


    The real war council¡­strategy?


    ¡°Is this to protect the tactician? I think it was something like Seitry the Nanakei.¡±


    ¡°Aye, that is right. So you do know. This tower is here to protect¡­well, that¡¯s what people think.¡±


    ¡°And so why am I here?¡±


    ¡°As if I¡¯d know. In any case, you will need Her Majesty¡¯s permission in order to leave.¡±


    ¡°¡­What the hell.¡±


    Now I knew why the Sand Armor man thought I was new here.


    You couldn¡¯t enter this place without permission.


    And once you were inside, you needed permission to leave¡­was I being imprisoned?


    ¡°It¡¯s a familiar ceiling now.¡±


    Three days had now passed since I was placed in the decoy ¡®War Council Tower.¡¯


    I found out that the Sand Armor¡¯s name was Yorba.


    There were also four others living in the tower.


    So I was the sixth person, but that didn¡¯t really matter.


    While the building was surrounded by walls, I would probably be able to escape. However¡­


    ¡°If you run, they will chase you.¡±


    That was enough to make me pause.


    I could fight if they chased me, but if the Demon King or someone close came, then there would be nothing that I could do.


    And so I decided to wait here quietly.


    There was someone who came to bring me food, and so I tried asking questions. But it was all in vain.


    They said they didn¡¯t know, or wouldn¡¯t say if they did.


    From what I heard from Yorba, the Demon King was supposed to come to this tower in order to receive strategies from the tactician.


    So if someone was trying to learn about the tactician, they would hear rumors of this place.


    And since the Demon King would occasionally visit it in secret, this rumor would seem very credible.


    In fact, Yorba did not know how the Demon King was actually receiving strategies from the tactician.


    ¡°Seitry is supposed to be living on the top floor. However, no one lives up there. We just go up there to drink sometimes.¡±


    Yorba and the others were supposed to be Seitry¡¯s bodyguards. And for some reason, they thought I was the new guy.


    ¡°Has anyone ever attacked this place?¡±


    ¡°They have. It¡¯s usually just one every few years. Demon King Legard¡¯s men never seem to get bored of targeting this place.¡±


    Yorba and the other guards were all very strong.


    And so they had no trouble crushing any would-be intruders.


    Apparently, Seitry¡¯s strategies had resulted in many bitter defeats for Demon King Legard, and so the assassination efforts were quite serious.


    But they had all failed.


    And the reason had to do with the structure of the building.


    Going down the proper route could take a long time, but those who knew the building well were able to take multiple shortcuts.


    Because of this, it was easy to ambush enemies and launch pincer attacks.


    ¡°This tower is very well made.¡±


    ¡°It was all the tactician¡¯s idea. Same with the army composition. The way they are chosen, trained, formations that fit each race, it¡¯s all prepared and adjusted by the tactician.¡±


    ¡°Even the selection and training, eh?¡±


    Now that I thought about it, there was something very organized about their army, which was unusual in the Demon World.


    It was no wonder this tactician was so valuable.


    Their contribution to the country could not be measured.


    ¡°Can you understand now why they have to hide?¡±


    ¡°Aye, I can.¡±


    Their existence greatly affected the strength of a country.


    Even more so because the Demon World was filled with meat heads.


    It made sense that they wanted to protect their own tactician while killing the enemy¡¯s.


    They were the key to winning a war.


    Like this, I spent another two days in the tower.


    The wounds I received from Tralzard healed, and I was starting to seriously wonder what I should do. That¡¯s when the change came.


    I heard that the Demon King would come here.


    ¡°Finally. I will be able to ask why I am here. And if it¡¯s a bad reason, I¡¯ll bash her in the face.¡± S~?a??h the N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    I was still holding a grudge for that near-death experience.


    Still, what excuse would she give me?


    And so it was with great impatience that I waited for the Demon King¡¯s arrival.

 Chapter 208

    Chapter 208The decoy War Council Tower.


    It was here that Demon King Tralzard and a number of guards had appeared.


    Sand Armor Yorba was nervous. S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    As they all greeted the Demon King, Tralzard turned to me and chuckled.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see that you¡¯re still alive.¡±


    I was annoyed.


    ¡°Of course, I am. You¡¯ll have to stop playing if you want to kill me.¡±


    But then I would die.


    ¡°Splendid, splendid¡­ The rest of you. Guard from outside.¡±


    She sent Yorba and the others to patrol the inside of the tower, and then told me to follow her to the highest floor.


    The guards that came with Tralzard would be waiting outside¡­ Or so I thought, but one of them entered.


    Perhaps it was a close bodyguard.


    ¡°¡­So, I hope you¡¯re going to give me an explanation as to why I¡¯m here?¡±


    And why I was nearly killed.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Well, you know. But more importantly¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    I followed Tralzard¡¯s eyes to the person standing next to her. The lone guard then removed their helmet, and the pale face of the aquatic races appeared. The eyes were blue.


    ¡°This person¡­ You would understand if I said they were a Nanakei?¡±


    ¡°The tactician?¡±


    Tralzard nodded.


    Why was the tactician here? What was this? What was happening?


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. I am Seitry.¡±


    It was a young voice, but it was often hard to tell how old someone was in the Demon World. And so I had no idea if they really were young.


    ¡°I¡­am Golan. The person that the Demon King over there tried to kill.¡±


    Surely I should be allowed that much.


    I didn¡¯t care about insolence after what happened in the audience hall.


    ¡°Now let me explain the reason. ¡­You captured a Shadow Ape by the name of Legis.¡±


    ¡°He said that he came to kill this tactician.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s a good thing you caught him. You have my gratitude.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very welcome¡­ So, why is the tactician here if they¡¯re supposed to remain hidden?¡±


    ¡°The first person you caught¡­¡±


    ¡°Embrio the informant.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. Him. We questioned him and were able to learn what he knows.¡±


    ¡°Yorba told me that this was a decoy tower.¡±


    What was this? I couldn¡¯t see where this was going.


    Had I become stupid?


    ¡°Hmm. If information about Seitry was to spread, it should have been about this place. However, he was not tricked by it.¡±


    ¡°So he was able to find information about the real hiding place.¡±


    If that was true, that meant he had incredible investigative ability.


    Being able to change your face was a great strength. You could appear and disappear and run away easily.


    I learned something very interesting while listening to Tralzard speak.


    I had captured those two and handed them in to the guards.


    Tralzard¡¯s men had not been aware of their presence at all.


    But after questioning them, they became certain that the tactician was being targeted, and even worse, they were shocked to learn that the information that was circulating was true.


    And through Embrio¡¯s comrades, this information had reached Nehyor. With enough time, it would reach the other countries as well.


    Because of this, they could no longer keep Seitry in the same place as before and have it be a secret.


    It was around that time that I had been carried in and placed in a different room.


    The original plan was to keep me there until I woke up.


    However, Seitry made a suggestion, and I was secretly moved to the tower I was in now.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really understand. Is this related to why I was attacked in the audience hall?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s completely different. We can talk about that later. Everyone in the castle knows that we fought. They also know that you went rolling away.¡±


    Rolling away. How rude.


    Well, it was true.


    ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is, the tactician saw me unconscious and decided I could be used. And so I was brought here?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. It¡¯s good that you are quick to understand. You suddenly became a necessity in order to secure Seitry¡¯s safety.¡±


    And it had all been Seitry¡¯s idea, huh?


    I didn¡¯t know how I felt about that. Using someone¡¯s body to secure your own safety.


    It sounded quite wrong to me.


    ¡°Yes, we did move you around without asking you. But I hope you will not be angry. After all, it was also for your own benefit, Sir Golan.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    There was something about the way that Seitry said this that was patronizing.


    Feeling rebellious, I gave the tactician a murderous glare.


    ¡°I¡¯d be careful of my words.¡±


    I threatened.


    ¡°It was I who allowed it. In exchange, I will answer what questions I can about your race. How is that? Also, as you are just what I imagined, I can teach you how to use your power. Furthermore, don¡¯t you want to ask me about Lesser High King Yamato? I can tell you about him. And about the residents of the Celestial World as well. I know about them as they are related to Yamato, but there are not many others who can talk about it now.¡±


    Tralzard laid out the conditions in quick succession.


    ¡°Well, I did come here in order to learn that¡­¡±


    ¡°I cannot lose Seitry. And your presence was just so convenient. If you cooperate with us, you will be treated well.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hmm. I don¡¯t see why not.¡±


    I already knew that I couldn¡¯t win if I fought her.


    I could just listen to her first¡­ I mean, there was so much that I really wanted to know.


    I had established a few theories about my race already, but Tralzard had lived for hundreds of years, and her stories would be valuable.


    Besides, there was this situation I was in.


    I didn¡¯t understand it at all.


    ¡°I could start in chronological order, but it would be better to start with the current matter.¡±


    The tactician explained in a smooth voice, why I was here.


    To put it simply, it was like this.


    Surprisingly, Seitry had been working in the castle all of this time without anyone noticing.


    No one noticed that the silent Nanakei was actually the tactician.


    But now that the secret was out, Seitry could not live the same way as before.


    After harshly questioning the two I had captured, they had learned that they were not being watched by any others.


    In that case, there was still time. Thinking this, Seitry had suggested a number of ways out of this predicament.


    That was when Tralzard and I had started fighting.


    Well, as far as I was concerned, it was a one-sided ambush.


    Regardless, it was now known that an outsider had come to the castle and fought with Tralzard, and that her roar had destroyed much of the castle.


    And so they decided to use it. Yes, it was not Golan who had an audience with the Demon King, but a foreign Shadow Ape called Legis.


    He escaped the audience hall during the confusion, and attacked Seitry.


    Angered, Tralzard attacked Legis and killed him.


    But Seitry had died first, and the person who had leaked the information to Legis was arrested immediately after.


    That was the official story.


    ¡°¡­Uh, what about me?¡±


    ¡°As an outsider really was fighting Her Majesty at the same time, we made use of that. We talked to your Adjutant, Stomel. He will keep his mouth shut.¡±


    ¡°I see. You wanted people to think the attacker was dead, and so I was hidden here. And you told everyone that the tactician died as well, so the attacks would stop.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. After all, I doubt Her Majesty will be fighting a high-ranking outsider anytime soon. Something as convenient as this rarely occurs.¡±


    That was a tactician for you.


    Make use of everything.

 Chapter 209

    Chapter 209Demon King Tralzard¡¯s tactician was apparently quite brilliant.


    And so my fight with Tralzard was used to their benefit.


    ¡°Nevermind what has already happened. There is no point in talking about it now.¡±


    In that case, I too would make use of this opportunity.


    ¡°I am sorry. Now, if you have any questions, I will answer if I can.¡±


    She sounded so admirable that it was hard to believe this was the same hag who attacked me without provocation on our first meeting.


    ¡°The first thing I want to know is why you attacked me. I seriously almost died.¡±


    I knew that Dragons were quick to start fights, but there were limits.


    Was this really how a Demon King should act?


    ¡°In Miralda¡¯s report, she said that ¡®Golan¡¯s race is similar to that of Lesser High King Yamato.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Yes. She said that to me as well.¡±


    Yamato Takeru no Mikoto and Susanno no Mikoto.


    As someone with knowledge of the Chronicles of Japan, the names sounded familiar.


    Of course, I would never have associated them with a type of race in the Demon World.


    ¡°While they are not the same, they may be related. And so I decided to try and confirm it. However, there is no easy way to do it.¡±


    ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Lesser High King Yamato absorbed the mana of his enemies. And since none of his comrades did anything similar, it¡¯s been speculated that it was a special ability.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t heard about that before.


    ¡°He exclusively absorbed the mana of enemies?¡±


    ¡°Yes. In general, that was how King Yamato fought. He always weakened his enemies like that before fighting them.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    A special ability that absorbed the enemy¡¯s mana¡­ While I had never heard of that before, it was too early to discard it as mere myth.


    But still, absorb the enemy¡¯s mana and weaken them?


    Was such a thing possible?


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    ¡°I guess not. It¡¯s hard to believe. Could such a thing really be done?¡±


    ¡°I thought so too. But according to Miralda, you have yet to fully understand your own special ability. And so I thought it might be interesting to fight you.¡±


    ¡°In that case, you could have given me a warning.¡±


    ¡°But then you wouldn¡¯t have seen me as an enemy. Besides, you would just use normal attacks. And so after considering it for some time, I decided that ¡®Roar¡¯ would be the best. After all, it¡¯s an attack that carves away the enemy¡¯s mana.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ So if I didn¡¯t want to die, I would be forced to use the ability in order to take back the mana that I lost.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it. But I didn¡¯t expect you to escape to the ceiling.


    After evolving, I was occasionally able to move at a ridiculous speed.


    It had been possible when I enveloped my legs in mana.


    ¡°Well, it seems like I haven¡¯t awakened to any such ability yet.¡±


    Even among the same race, such as Ogres, there were discrepancies in the kinds of special abilities that you could use.


    About thirty percent of Ogres couldn¡¯t use ¡®Rock Throw.¡¯ But about ninety percent could use ¡®Red Skin,¡¯ and so I assumed that it had something to do with difficulty.


    With enough experience, you might suddenly be able to use abilities that you weren¡¯t able to before.


    However, I didn¡¯t know how or when it would happen.


    It could happen all of a sudden one day. You realize that something feels different, and you understand why.


    However, I hadn¡¯t awakened to any new special abilities after evolving.


    There was something I thought might be it, but I wasn¡¯t sure.


    But judging by the way I felt, I didn¡¯t think I had anything that would allow me to absorb an enemy¡¯s mana.


    In the first place, mana was the source of power.


    You could roughly determine if someone was strong or weak judging by the level of mana they had.


    And yet he could not only absorb it, but make it his own. How overpowered was this Lesser High King Yamato?


    ¡°I tried pushing you to the brink, but you showed no signs of doing it. And so I thought I must have been wrong. In fact, I was very surprised that you survived.¡±


    ¡°I did survive! In spite of your best efforts, hag!¡±


    It was no wonder Dragons had such a reputation.


    ¡°And what about your mana? Perhaps you still do not understand how to control it well. I don¡¯t know how much you had before, but right now, your mana is about twenty times as high as an ordinary Ogre. Or is it thirty? If you have that much mana, it must be in preparation for a special ability.¡±


    Tralzard thought that I could become even stronger if I just learned how to use my power.


    I wasn¡¯t so sure about that.


    Just then, Tactician Seitry, who had been silent up until now, began to talk about the drop and recovery of mana.


    ¡°The Tree Fairies absorb mana through their roots in the ground, but sometimes that is not enough. And so they absorb mana from their branches and leaves. This mana does not belong to anyone. It is from the atmosphere.¡± S?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Like the food we eat then.¡±


    You take mana that doesn¡¯t belong to anyone and make it your own.


    ¡°Indeed. If our vessels do not contain enough mana, we feel ill. Mana strengthens our bodies and decreases when we use magic.¡±


    ¡°Obviously.¡±


    ¡°Yes, obviously. Because of this, we absorb mana through eating and sleeping.¡±


    ¡°I know. On my way here, I kept getting hungry and had to eat many more meals than I usually would.¡±


    ¡°In other words, regardless of what race we are, we absorb mana in a very similar way. Not only that, but we also store it in the same place.¡±


    ¡°The Orb of Control.¡±


    ¡°Yes. And so if we know the timing and method of mana absorption, it would be possible to steal it. If we knew how the Orb of Control stored mana, we may even be able to extract it.¡±


    ¡°In other words, what I lack is knowledge¡­that is a possibility.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a possibility, but, yes. I think that you should not give up so easily. And you should continue to try and gain knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s better than suddenly being hit by a lethal attack.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what kind of special ability I had, but there might be something there that was related to mana.


    A special ability related to mana. Hmm. What valuable information.


    It might be a good idea to do some testing while keeping that in mind.

 Chapter 210

    Chapter 210¡°¡­Now then.¡±


    Demon King Tralzard slowly turned her head to the left.


    There was a small window that allowed you to see the scenery outside.


    I followed her gaze to the right.


    Outside, far below, you could see the town.


    After gazing at the town for some time, Tralzard finally spoke.


    ¡°What is important, is how to use that power.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    What was she saying?


    ¡°Before you arrived, I had Seitry look into this matter of the special evolutions of Ogres.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    I was grateful for that.


    If the Demon King¡¯s tactician was looking into it, I could surely expect decent results.


    I turned to Seitry.


    ¡°While the Shura and Shuten are famous, there are several known accounts of Ogres having undergone special evolutions that did not result in a new race being established.¡±


    There was something about those words that bothered me.


    ¡°Ogres are somewhere between the middle and the bottom in rank. It is not easy for a special evolution to occur with them.¡±


    Usually it was just the high ranking races that evolved into Origins.


    They were already strong. And once they had become even stronger, they were almost untouchable.


    This allowed them to distance themselves from the others, and they were able to evolve in their own way.


    On the other hand, Ogres, Goblins, and Orcs were numerous. And while it was easy for them to evolve, they very rarely evolved into Origins.


    In the case of Ogres, one of the requirements was ¡®defeating superiors,¡¯ and if you accomplished that, you would become a High Ogre.


    If you wanted to undergo a special evolution, you would have to store a ridiculous amount of mana while not defeating any superiors. Either that, or you had to ¡®avoid¡¯ evolution for a long time while defeating them.


    Of course, both of those weren¡¯t really solutions, as they were near impossible.


    In the first place, it wasn¡¯t something you could just control by your own will.


    ¡°I too was surprised when I saw the list that Seitry gathered. Ogres had undergone all kinds of evolutions.¡±


    ¡°And why are there so many cases of Ogres undergoing special evolutions?¡±


    I had no idea what the reason could be.


    ¡°Seitry has a theory.¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡±


    She really did let her tactician do all of the thinking.


    ¡°My theory is that it depends on how you use your power.¡±


    ¡°How you¡­use your power?¡±


    So we were back to that.


    It was what Tralzard was saying.


    I looked at the Demon King and she nodded with satisfaction.


    ¡°According to Seitry, Ogres who have undergone special evolution were always of the violent sort, who had power that was beyond the others. They were as strong as adults when just a child, and no one in their settlement could stand against them. And they just loved to fight. They lived while constantly challenging those who were stronger than them. Well, does that sound familiar to you?¡±


    Tralzard¡¯s words made me think. And¡­


    ¡°Well, there are two Ogres like that among my subordinates.¡±


    The idiot siblings, Saifo and Beka.


    The description matched them perfectly.


    ¡°And what about you?¡±


    ¡°Me? Oh, I¡¯m pretty mild-mannered.¡±


    I only fought people who antagonized me.


    Well, I might start fights if someone I had decided to protect was being tormented, but I didn¡¯t count instances like that.


    I didn¡¯t go wild for my own gain. I was not a roughneck.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious¡­but never mind that. According to Seitry, those who underwent special evolution were always very good at fighting. Better than their mana level would suggest. That¡¯s why they were able to take down their superiors. While there were differences between individuals, they were able to evolve because in the end, they were good at using their power. That¡¯s how they became stronger. And those who become strong become famous, even in other countries.¡±


    And Ogres were meat heads.


    That¡¯s why gaining some knowledge about how to use your power could make you so much stronger.


    Still, we had almost no magic resistance, so we were still weak against magic-type enemies. I wonder if they found a way of dealing with that.


    ¡°I think I understand what you mean about the use of power.¡±


    ¡°Mmm. And so there was something that came back to me.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about Lesser High King Yamato. He was also quite the ruffian.¡±


    That was a surprise. A Lesser high King would be leading many men. I would have expected someone mature and well loved.


    ¡°A ruffian with that much power? Isn¡¯t that a little disastrous?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. From what Bargman told me, he once launched King Melvis into the place beyond the sky. And when King Melvis returned, he was shaking.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± S~?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    I saw Lesser Demon King Melvis as someone horrifying. He might as well have been a Great Demon King to me.


    And yet he shook with fear. How much power would it have taken?


    Wait a minute¡­beyond the sky? ¡­Surely she didn¡¯t mean outer space?


    ¡°According to King Bargman, he treated him as an enemy at that time.¡±


    An enemy¡­ That would mean taking his mana.


    And making it his own. How gruesome.


    ¡°What an¡­exciting story.¡±


    That was the only thing I could say.


    I didn¡¯t understand why he took his mana and tried to launch him into space.


    ¡°Apparently, King Yamato used his own mana and the newly acquired mana to gain a temporary and explosive boost in power.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s why.¡±


    ¡°You knew?¡±


    ¡°No¡­. But I think I can do something similar.¡±


    ¡°Like when you escaped my Roar.¡±


    When I had done that, I had charged up the mana in my legs.


    Tralzard wasn¡¯t even able to see it.


    Well, she was using Roar so perhaps that was the reason.


    ¡°I think that my special ability is partial strengthening of my body. But I haven¡¯t really awakened to it yet.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. What do you think, Seitry?¡±


    She left the thinking to her tactician.


    ¡°Indeed. If we are to continue to search for correlations with Lesser High King Yamato, then it is possible that it¡¯s not just partial strengthening, but a skill that combines that and the absorption of mana.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that the special ability is absorbing an opponent¡¯s mana and using it for partial strengthening?¡±


    ¡°It is possible. In that case, you will not be able to do it until you learn how to absorb mana.¡±


    It was true that some races had skills that they could only use if they learned certain other abilities first.


    So perhaps it was possible that if I learned to absorb mana, I would be able to do other things.


    This tactician was good. Observant.


    ¡°Regardless, you could start there?¡±


    Tralzard suggested, and Seitry nodded.


    ¡°And if you succeed, it would confirm several theories.¡±


    The tactician had even more theories already.


    ¡°Golan. Why don¡¯t you start thinking about absorbing mana?¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s what it all leads to, eh?¡±


    Absorbing mana from enemies¡­ In order to awaken, I would have to keep fighting.

 Chapter 211

    Chapter 211Tactician Seitry had done some research about the evolution of Ogres.


    And when I thought about it, it wasn¡¯t just me. Saifo and Beka had also been fighting powerful enemies.


    Would those idiot siblings also undergo a special evolution?


    ¡°¡­No, surely not.¡±


    It was too rare an occurrence.


    Regardless, I would have to work hard in order to be able to use the special ability.


    I didn¡¯t know if I would be able to absorb mana, but I would have to do some testing.


    ¡°In any case, I suppose that I should talk to you about Lesser Demon King Melvis. Of course, it¡¯s not something I really want to recall.¡±


    Yes, General Miralda had told me about it. He had made Tralzard cry.


    I found it difficult to imagine this old hag crying.


    Melvis must have been quite the monster back then.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s about my own country. So I would like to know more.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you would. How old are you, Golan?¡±


    ¡°My age? I¡¯m seventeen.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very young. Maybe too young. I¡¯m surprised that you were able to grow so much at that age. Normally, you would die if you gained that much experience so quickly.¡±


    I thought so too.


    Before the war, I was living peacefully¡­well, not really. But my life wasn¡¯t constantly in danger.


    But now it was. Every time I went out into the battlefield. S?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Was that the reason? Was it because I antagonized a High Ogre?


    It was something that I had to do in order to protect my friends¡­


    ¡°I was somehow able to survive this long. And I think that I¡¯ve had enough.¡±


    ¡°I see. Ogres do not live so long, and they trade places quickly. I suppose there are none of you who remember when Melvis was still awake?¡±


    ¡°Yes. An Ogre¡¯s lifespan is around forty years.¡±


    Ogres could actually live close to sixty years. But since so many of us died early, the average was brought down by quite a bit.


    On the other hand, High Ogres were said to live around two hundred years.


    In fact, there were some who lived for three hundred years, but most of them ended up dying before that in battle.


    Even when they evolved into High Ogres, they did not live very long.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t find out about King Melvis¡¯s slumber until many years after the attacks on other countries ceased. It was probably thirty to forty years after.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s rather extreme.¡±


    They didn¡¯t realize until they noticed that there hadn¡¯t been any attacks recently.


    How much damage had he been doing before that?


    ¡°While he may be sleeping, who knows when he will wake up again? And so the surrounding countries were very afraid. They must have been holding their breath.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡±


    It seemed to me that it would have been the perfect time to invade.


    ¡°That was how scared they were. If he had fallen asleep on his own free will, then perhaps he could also awake when he wished.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hmm? They think he fell asleep on purpose?¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯ve heard. People think that after he was hit by a holy attack, he decided to recreate his own body from the beginning.¡±


    I had heard that Melvis fell into this long sleep because of a curse. But Miralda said that it was due to a holy attack.


    I had a feeling that she was right.


    And here was some new information.


    That Melvis was sleeping by his own will.


    ¡°In that case, he wouldn¡¯t be able to wake up until his body was remade.¡±


    ¡°Well, I do not know the details. And since his bedroom is tightly sealed, I cannot go and ask him.¡±


    So even that was known far and wide.


    ¡°Indeed. By the way, I heard that he was capable of some vicious attacks. How bad were they?¡±


    ¡°Golan. Have you heard of the Snow of the End?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­that it came down all around you.¡±


    ¡°It eats away at your flesh. You start melting in it. It is like there are small creatures living inside of the snow. And they slowly eat you alive¡­ Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°It sounds terrible.¡±


    I wouldn¡¯t want to be eaten alive.


    ¡°My men died like that. I heard them scream in pain as their limbs disappeared. Their stomachs and chest faded, their faces were half gone. Pain. Pain. Thousands of my men died as if they were melting.¡±


    Tralzard must have been remembering the moment, as her eyes welled up with tears.


    I could have sworn that her body was also shaking. I would not have expected such emotion from the crone.


    ¡°I¡¯d be traumatized.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. There was nothing that I could do at that point. The surrounding countries had lost towns and villages just because of his anger. King Melvis¡¯s temper was like a natural disaster to us.¡±


    That¡¯s why we weren¡¯t invaded by any other country for so long.


    However, that was over three hundred years ago. Before he had fallen asleep.


    ¡°I think I know what is happening now. The new Lesser Demon Kings in the area don¡¯t know how he was back then. They don¡¯t fear him, and so they attack.¡±


    ¡°That is likely the case. But I prefer being quiet. Why wake up someone who is asleep? I do not want to make an enemy of him.¡±


    The age where Lesser High King Yamato fought the residents of the Celestial World was in the far past.


    Melvis was the only survivor, and he was practically a legend. But now that he had been asleep for hundreds of years, he was no longer seen as a threat.


    ¡°What will happen when he wakes up?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to think about that. ¡­Now that I think of it, Bargman once said something. About the battle with the Celestial World¡­ Do you want to hear it, Golan?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    ¡°You may regret it?¡±


    ¡°I will regret it more if I don¡¯t hear it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hmm. Well, what happened then¡­ I will tell you what King Bargman told me.¡±


    It was something that happened long ago¡­

 Chapter 212

    Chapter 212¡°King Bargman once talked to me about the battle with the Celestial World. Perhaps that was the beginning of everything.¡±


    Demon King Tralzard started to talk quietly.


    As they were both Dragons, Bargman and Tralzard were acquainted.


    This was long before Bargman¡¯s very long life came to a close.


    Tralzard closed her eyes as if remembering those days when she was still young.


    ¡°I remember it well even now. Bargman¡¯s words remained in my heart all of this time. He spoke so fondly of those times. Those deadly battles with the residents of the Celestial World.¡±


    Back then, there were many small scale invasions from the Celestial World, but the Demon World had very powerful people as well, including Lesser High King Yamato.


    The residents of the Demon World became stronger as they fought.


    However, many of them died along the way, and so the number of strong did not rise.


    Still, every country had the power to ward off the invasions. The Demon World had never been more powerful than in that age.


    ¡°These days it¡¯s just Demon Kings and Lesser Demon Kings fighting. And many more people die.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Sometimes someone exceptionally strong will appear, but they bring about their own downfall eventually. They are attacked by multiple enemies and are annihilated. It¡¯s harder to survive in an age with so many rivalries between warlords.¡±


    Perhaps the Celestial World were angry that the first invasion had ended in failure, and decided to put more effort into the next one.


    They had used holy pillars in order to create a barrier in the Demon World.


    They made a hole in the Demon World, created six bases, and spread the area of effect from there.


    In the meantime, they constructed holy pillars in order to fill the area with holy power.


    And it was the residents of the Demon World and Lesser High King Yamato who stood up to them.


    ¡°Research Institution Enra came from the Celestial World. They wanted this invasion to succeed regardless of the casualties. King Bargman said that he could feel their fervor.¡±


    ¡°But what was their reason for invading?¡±


    ¡°The magic stones within our bodies¡­the Orbs of Control. Just the same as now.¡±


    They needed energy from the magic stones in order to continue their research. S~?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    And so the residents of the Celestial World came down regularly.


    But if the Celestial World was going to come down without any intention of retreating, then the Demon World would meet them with equal fervor.


    And so it was all out war between the two words.


    ¡°King Yamato ended up in a duel with the enemy leader. According to King Bargman, it was a battle that no one could stop, and no would could interfere in.¡±


    The battle was between two people who were so far beyond anyone else. No one could even get close to them.


    ¡°The power of a Lesser High King.¡±


    What was the difference between a Lesser Demon King and a Demon King?


    And how strong was Lesser High King Yamato? The only person of his kind throughout all of history?


    Was there anyone left in the Demon World who could even imagine it?


    ¡°Now I will talk about King Melvis, who was a Great Demon King back then. King Melvis was acting as King Yamato¡¯s marauding captain, and was wreaking havoc from the start of the invasion.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    That was also quite amazing. My image of Melvis was being shattered. Was he a delinquent?


    ¡°It was King Melvis who killed the most enemies. However, he was also the one who took the most damage.¡±


    ¡°The holy power attack?¡±


    ¡°Yes. King Yamato had his hands full, and so King Melvis should have taken his place. But according to King Bargman, King Melvis was off on his own. ¡®Going too far.¡¯ He went against a resident of the Celestial World all by himself.¡±


    During that time, Bargman was organizing his men and giving out orders. He had to build and maintain an army that could resist the Celestial World.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, there was one other person.¡±


    Immortal Melvis, Turtle Dragon Bargman, and Mad Zaldan.


    The three Generals who supported Lesser High King Yamato were very famous.


    ¡°Mmm. It is said that King Zaldan died from a terrible wound in battle. Or that he went up against a powerful enemy. The battle line was widening, and no one really witnessed it. But there are stories of King Melvis¡¯s rage.¡±


    Zaldan had died, and Melvis went to the place where the Celestial World now had the advantage. And he caused destruction all over the area as he went around defeating his enemies.


    Just listening to her story made me think that Melvis was the kind of person that had to be kept on a tight leash.


    ¡°It¡¯s astonishing that the Demon World survived after King Yamato disappeared.¡±


    It would not have been surprising if Melvis himself destroyed the Demon World.


    ¡°Well, he was attacked by holy power. And I¡¯m sure that King Bargman would have stopped him. Now that I think about it, perhaps King Yamato and the enemy leader are still fighting.¡±


    ¡°The enemy leader¡­ I heard the name ¡®Hera¡¯ from General Miralda.¡±


    ¡°Mmm. Hera built the Enra organization. They say that it was power and ability that solidified Hera¡¯s position within the Demon World. The clash between Hera and Yamato was too intense to imagine. No one could get close. Their great power would cause shockwaves that blew away everything in the area. And then they vanished.¡±


    ¡°Vanished?¡±


    ¡°Vanished. They said that there was a space time distortion remaining in the spot where they fought. After that, the Celestial World immediately gave up on the invasion and retreated. And we never saw the enemy leader after that.¡±


    ¡°So either the leader was defeated by King Yamato, or disappeared with him.¡±


    ¡°Mmm. However, unless there is holy power there or they have fallen, a resident of the Celestial World would not be able to survive. They can only exist with holy power.¡±


    ¡°In other words, Hera is already dead?¡±


    ¡°Nothing else makes sense. Or perhaps Hera has changed so much that returning to the Celestial World is now impossible.¡±


    Lesser High King Yamato¡¯s name was still on the Tablet of Control.


    He was alive, just not in the Demon World now.


    And since residents of the Celestial World could not live without holy power, they either had to change or die.


    Regardless, the Enra institution continued into a new generation.


    We were sure of it now, as we had seen their unique mark during the last invasion.


    ¡°Do you know about what happened in the Celestial World after that?¡±


    ¡°No. The only thing I can say is what I heard from King Bargman about King Yamato¡¯s race. And about King Melvis.¡±


    So she had no information about the Celestial World after all.


    But I was interested in the Lesser High King.


    About Yamato Takeru no Mikoto, which General Miralda had talked about.


    ¡°Can you tell me?¡±


    ¡°Mmm. I will.¡±

 Chapter 213

    Chapter 213Not much was known about Lesser High King Yamato.


    But his name was known by everyone.


    He was famous enough that every resident of the Demon World would have heard about him at least once.


    He was a powerful being that had nearly united the Demon World thousands of years ago.


    You could look at every corner of this world, past and present, and would still not find anyone who could surpass him.


    ¡°I heard this from King Bargman. King Yamato appeared out of nowhere.¡±


    ¡°Out of nowhere?¡±


    Was he transferred from another world?


    ¡°Up until then, he was unknown. He had likely just evolved. And having undergone a special evolution, he wanted to test his power. He left his home and traveled from country to country and searched for strong opponents. That¡¯s what King Bargman said.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very bold¡­ So then, King Yamato didn¡¯t belong to any country in the beginning?¡±


    Like how General Farneze and I were Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s subordinates.


    And General Miralda worked under Demon King Tralzard.


    In order to live in the Demon World, you had to work under someone.


    If you didn¡¯t, then you would be treated like an outsider no matter where you went. And that was not a safe way to live.


    You either had to receive the protection of someone or take a country for your own. There was no other way to be accepted by your neighbors.


    ¡°It seems to be the case. At least, when King Bargman first met him. However, King Yamato was already very powerful at that point.¡±


    I suppose he was an independant force then. He gathered subordinates as he pleased and continued to move. His men would have known that their master would go on to do great things, and so they followed him.


    ¡°That¡¯s surprising. King Bargman was acquainted with King Yamato that far back.¡±


    Great Demon King Bargman and the wandering, independant army. Where did they meet?


    Surely Bargman would still be a Demon King back then, at the very least.


    ¡°King Yamato and King Melvis met even earlier. After all, I heard that their first encounter resulted in a great fight.¡± S?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­incredible that he survived. So I suppose they made up after that?¡±


    What were they doing anyway?


    ¡°No, no¡­ According to King Bargman, they remained enemies for quite some time. They were both the violent type, and so perhaps they didn¡¯t enjoy seeing someone so similar to themselves. Yes, they fought for a very long time.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    A great fight between Great Demon King Melvis and the future Lesser High King. I would have loved to see that.


    But perhaps spectators would die from the shockwaves that would erupt.


    It was said that Yamato went from country to country and people followed him. So he must have been terribly charismatic.


    Being prone to violence was just one side of his character.


    The more followers you had, the more power would flow from the Orb of Control.


    So perhaps he was already in the Lesser Demon King class by that point.


    However, he should have still been far from Bargman or Melvis.


    So how had Yamato and Melvis fought on equal footing?


    He would have had to make up for it in a way that was unrelated to mana.


    ¡°Apparently, he and King Melvis clashed many times. Eventually, King Bargman became King Yamato¡¯s subordinate, and the balance of power shifted greatly. It was around that time that there was a disturbance in the Demon World.


    The appearance of this new powerful leader was most disconcerting to the elders of the world.


    It was the beginning of the age of warring kings.


    It was my opinion that Yamato had intended for this to happen.


    Create chaos in the Demon World and become stronger.


    No matter how strong he became, it would all be over if they decided that he was a nail that needed to be hammered down.


    If several Demon Kings formed an alliance to take him down, he would be hard pressed.


    ¡°So it was King Yamato who created the chaos.¡±


    ¡°Ultimately, yes. And so King Melvis finally became King Yamato¡¯s subordinate, and the situation in the Demon World became concrete. No one had been able to defeat him.¡±


    Yamato continued to expand his forces with a lineup that includede Bargman, Melvis and other powerful people.


    Eventually, he rose to Lesser High King, and he began work on uniting the Demon World.


    However, it was not to be.


    This was because of the invasion from the Celestial World.


    ¡°The Demon World was peace itself while King Yamato ruled. It was said that there was no division, internal discord, or disaffection in the lands that he controlled. They had no notable enemies, and he was so close to unifying all the lands.¡±


    ¡°But it was thwarted by the invasion.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Well, I have already told you all I know about that. King Bargman didn¡¯t know much himself. ¡­Yes, yes. About what King Bargman told me. The name, Yamato Takeru no Mikoto.¡±


    ¡°That was the name of his race?¡±


    ¡°King Yamato¡¯s race has always been shrouded in mystery. We know that he underwent a special evolution, but we don¡¯t know the name of his original race. After all, he had no unique characteristics.¡±


    I had heard that before. There was nothing about him that stuck out.


    My guess was that he appeared similar to a human.


    ¡°It¡¯s impressive that King Bargman was able to find out about it.¡±


    ¡°He was thinking about his successor. If you want to establish your race, then you must have children. However, if you are an Origin, then you have to know what race you came from. Or you cannot have children.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    For instance, I was part of the Demon species. And since I was originally an Ogre, I would be able to have children with other Demons.


    If I wanted strong children, it would be better to choose High Ogres instead of Ogres.


    Leaving that aside, it was only natural for Yamato to determine what race he was when thinking about successors.


    And so Bargman must have made a suggestion.


    ¡°Apparently, King Yamato was not enthusiastic. He said that ¡®Yamato Takeru no Mikoto¡¯ would end with his generation. It was something that he muttered one day.¡±


    The name Yamato and the race Yamato Takeru no Mikoto.


    It was possible that Bargman had just misheard him.


    However, to me, it was a possible name.


    And so I was quite sure that he hadn¡¯t misheard.


    This was someone who had appeared suddenly, used his immense charisma to gain followers, and become powerful enough to fight enemies with more mana than him.


    And his race was Yamato Takeru no Mikoto.


    I desperately wanted to know who this person was.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, there is something else that I heard. King Melvis said that the research institution Enra were trying to get King Yamato¡¯s magic stone.¡±


    ¡°Just his? And how did King Melvis know that?¡±


    Magic stones were our Orbs of Control.


    When the celestial beings come for them, was it quantity that was important, or quality?


    Was there a reason that it had to be from Yamato?


    ¡°King Melvis would have fought many great enemies from the Celestial World. And so there would have surely been opportunities to learn such things.¡±


    ¡°The celestial beings that I fought were all silent.¡±


    They didn¡¯t say why they were there. They just attacked us with blank expressions.


    I could tell that they just saw our lives as sources of energy. As tools. And so I was angry.


    ¡°King Melvis seemed to know more about King Yamato, compared to King Bargman. And about the Celestial World as well.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°But you won¡¯t be able to ask, due to this long sleep¡­ Well, I wouldn¡¯t want him to wake up anyway.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so. He might be the king of my own country, but all the stories I hear make him sound terrible.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to be glared at by someone who easily destroyed towns. I would probably die.


    ¡°Then I will tell you about what happened after King Yamato disappeared. About King Melvis, who was left behind.¡±


    Tralzard said with a weak sigh.


    I could see how much she still feared Melvis.

 Chapter 214

    Chapter 214I didn¡¯t know much about Lesser Demon King Melvis.


    Some might wonder how I could be ignorant about the king of my own country, but I doubted anyone in the Ogre settlement knew much about him either.


    He had been sleeping for so long¡­ That¡¯s all I heard when growing up.


    No one had any more information.


    ¡°Lesser High King Yamato disappeared from the battlefield along with the enemy leader. And it is said that King Melvis was the first to reach the scene.¡±


    Yamato and Hera.


    The two giants had fought, and no one had been able to get close. And so only a few would have dared approach even after they were gone.


    ¡°When you say ¡®disappeared from the battlefield,¡¯ you mean when they fell into that place between time and space?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. King Melvis was the first to go and investigate, and apparently, there was still a great amount of power gathered there. Something different from mana or holy power. And in the center of it all, there was a space-time distortion that connected to some unknown place.¡±


    ¡°What kind of place?¡±


    ¡°Even I do not know that. I can only borrow King Bargman¡¯s words and say that King Melvis looked very stern when he spoke of it.¡±


    ¡°I suppose it was a dangerous place.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. After that, King Melvis slaughtered all of the residents of the Celestial World that gathered around. By the time King Bargman arrived, it had become an unnatural place where the mana had changed. All of the enemies in the area were annihilated. Such was the terrifying, destructive force.¡±


    ¡°Huh? But King Melvis¡¯s curse¡­ Wasn¡¯t it the result of being attacked by holy power?¡±


    ¡°Mmm. He had taken great damage but had enough strength left to fight. In fact, it is my opinion that King Melvis went from being a Great Demon King to a Lesser Demon King for an entirely different reason.¡±


    ¡°¡­? You don¡¯t think that the holy power took away so much of his mana that he was forced to go to sleep?¡±


    ¡°Well, there are a number of reasons that caused him to fall to Lesser Demon King. For instance, King Melvis never showed much interest in ruling. But when he became King Yamato¡¯s subordinate, he did his job. He had many people working under him. However, he lost all interest in being a leader once King Yamato disappeared.¡±


    Because he never had an interest in it to begin with, he had no incentive after that.


    ¡°So that¡¯s why his mana decreased.¡±


    ¡°Mmm. King Bargman ended up taking the majority of his men. As Zaldan had died in battle, they had to decide on a successor. It was a very difficult time.¡±


    ¡°Ahh. King Bargman sure had it rough.¡±


    Both his superior and his colleague were too free.


    ¡°King Melvis had only been working as King Yamato¡¯s subordinate, and had no interest in anything after that. He let go of most of his men and became isolated. And since he allowed it, many small countries were created around him.¡±


    ¡°Smaller countries¡­yes, that¡¯s how it is now.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Only those who were most loyal to King Melvis stayed with him, and they lived on his small patch of land. That being said, everyone was still afraid of him. It didn¡¯t matter if he was now a Lesser Demon King, he would destroy anyone if he became angry.¡±


    ¡°¡­A Lesser Demon King could do that?¡±


    Surely a Lesser Demon King couldn¡¯t destroy a Demon King¡­ Well, actually, Tralzard herself had been beaten badly by him.


    ¡°I believe King Melvis became a Lesser Demon King because he is using his mana for something. In the first place, his ability was so far beyond that of a Lesser Demon King. While that title is what is marked on the Tablet of Control, I think he¡¯s directly using the power from his Orb of Control for ¡®something.¡¯¡±


    Was it to treat wounds inflicted from the holy power? Was it to search for Yamato? Or was it something else? Tralzard did not believe Melvis was any ordinary Lesser Demon King.


    ¡°He must have been very committed to King Yamato.¡±


    ¡°I agree. And so was King Bargman. That¡¯s why he accepted such a difficult task, as it meant maintaining the Demon World that King Yamato had built.¡±


    ¡°A true man of the world.¡±


    ¡°He used to have a more wild personality, but that changed once he started working under King Yamato.¡±


    ¡°He has my sympathies.¡±


    Perhaps I had also been poisoned by the Demon World. I felt like my personality was becoming progressively more rough and careless.


    I was more likely to leave everything to my Adjutant. It was like I felt that people at the top didn¡¯t have to worry about the details. We just had to think about the state of the world.


    Well, not that I did much of that either.


    ¡°And there was something that King Bargman quietly told me about.¡±


    ¡°Quietly? What did he say?¡±


    ¡°One day, King Melvis said this to him. ¡®King Yamato will return in the end time.¡¯¡±


    ¡°¡­The end time.¡±


    Humans talked about the end time. Something about trumpets and a final war of good versus evil. Monsters appearing and the end of humanity? I don¡¯t really remember the details, but that was my impression.


    What was the end time in the Demon World? An invasion from the Celestial World?


    Was there a book of Revelations that recorded such things? But I had never heard of any books of prophecies.


    ¡°I did ask King Bargman what this ¡®end time¡¯ was, but he did not know. Do you?¡±


    ¡°¡­No. Perhaps it means the destruction of the Demon World. But I don¡¯t really know what that could be, specifically.¡±


    ¡°I see. ¡­But it sounds like King Melvis was sure about it. It must mean that something will come. Something that we can not fight against. And only then, will King Yamato return. In that case¡­¡± S~?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°We will all hope that such a time will not come.¡±


    ¡°Mmm. And yet the Demon World is currently like a pot that is about to reach boiling point. Who knows when it will spill over? And so it feels like anything can happen.¡±


    ¡°Anything can happen¡­¡±


    Those words echoed in my mind.


    Yes, I agreed with her. No matter what happened now, it would not be strange.


    ¡°Well, that is about all that I can tell you. I will let you know if I remember anything later. ¡­We¡¯ve talked for a long time already, and I¡¯ve had enough for today.¡±


    Said Tralzard, and then she took her tactician and left.


    After that, Yorba and the others hounded me with questions over why I was able to talk to Tralzard alone.


    As it was related to the military, I was able to convince them that it was a secret.


    I recently started translating some new series:


    My Beloved Dog is the Strongest in Another World


    Shinmai Boukensha

 Chapter 215

    Chapter 215I was currently lazing around in the tower.


    This was because Demon King Tralzard had asked me to stay here for a while longer.


    I had no reason to refuse, and had been told that my bill at the inn had already been paid.


    Seitry had been working behind the scenes in order to erase my existence.


    ¡°Are you well?¡±


    In fact, Seitry was right in front of me now.


    This was the third day after my meeting with Tralzard.


    The tactician had come while disguised as one of the guards who were on patrol.


    Apparently, disguising yourself and patrolling the castle was a good way to gather information.


    As for this rumor about the death of the tactician.


    It was something they hid from the general public. It was an interesting way to do things.


    ¡°I suppose I am¡­until I die of boredom, anyway. But I¡¯m glad to see that things are going well with you.¡±


    Seitry had used my battle with Tralzard in order to fake his own death.


    And since I was now involved, I wanted the plan to succeed.


    ¡°Thanks to you, it seems to be working. There are many people who are searching this country, and they believe that I am in the tower. Those who are perceptive will realize the truth soon enough. But they won¡¯t be able to learn my actual location. And those who have investigative capabilities are the ones who are more likely to be tricked.¡±


    Yes. In other words, because the death of the tactician was being hidden, they will take that information and leave. There were three levels to the deception.


    ¡°So when will I be allowed to leave this place?¡±


    ¡°You will have to wait a little longer. After that battle, the eyes of the surrounding countries have turned towards us.¡±


    There were no regulations, and merchants freely moved in and out from several countries. Such people gathered information from towns.


    If I came out of the castle now, it was possible that I would be seen as someone related to recent events. And going out in secret would make me look even more suspicious.


    So it would be better for me to stay until the place was no longer the center of attention.


    ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say¡­¡±


    In here, I didn¡¯t get any information from the outside.


    I was worried about my men and my country.


    ¡°I thought you would say that, and so I have brought you some news on Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s country.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s good to hear. I was just thinking about that.¡±


    I had complained a little, and this is what happened.


    It was as if I was right in the palm of the tactician¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Well, we too cannot ignore this issue that is the rise of Lesser Demon King Kyuka.¡±


    ¡°So, how are things now?¡±


    ¡°After Kyuka defeated Fara, the army stopped advancing. It¡¯s likely that they took great damage during the battle.¡±


    ¡°I see. Fara isn¡¯t someone who you can defeat without taking damage¡­ Ah, I see. It was meant to be a brief and decisive battle.¡±


    Lesser Demon King Fara had been climbing the ladder to become a Demon King.


    Normally, you would save and build up your power while carving away at the enemy forces until you had the advantage.


    But when I started hearing rumors about Kyuka, it was after Fara had already been defeated.


    Why had he been in such a hurry? Leninoth was right next to Fara.


    If Kyuka¡¯s rise had been seen as a threat, then the two might have formed a temporary alliance.


    After all, Kyuka had apparently decided that it was better to fight quickly and decisively, even though the losses would be great.


    But according to what I heard from General Miralda, the corps that was sent in our place was the one to defeat Leninoth.


    Would that really lead to a clash between my country and Kyuka¡¯s?


    ¡°It seems like continuing with the momentum of the victory over Fara was not possible. And so he left the taken lands to Fara¡¯s subordinates, and retreated.¡±


    ¡°So my country is safe?¡±


    If Fara was defeated, that would mean Kyuka now ruled five or six countries.


    It would not be surprising for Kyuka to become a Demon King soon.


    However, Kyuka had retreated. This was significant.


    Perhaps it was due to a grave wound. Or not. I didn¡¯t know.


    But Kyuka must have thought¡­


    ¡ªI don¡¯t want to immediately fight those who defeated Leninoth.


    It was the right decision. Anyone who wasn¡¯t a fool would have done the same.


    A defeat could undo everything.


    And this was the country that had defeated Leninoth.


    If there was a danger that you could lose, it made sense that you would heal your wounds and gather information first.


    So things would likely be stable for a while.


    ¡°Which countries do you think feel threatened now?¡±


    Came the question¡­ But I wasn¡¯t sure.


    I suppose all of the nearby smaller countries would feel threatened.


    ¡°If Kyuka¡¯s goal is to become a Demon King, then it will be war with the other small countries as soon as his wounds heal.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. This was supposed to be Leninoth and Fara¡¯s war, but they are both gone now. The only one left is Kyuka, and an unknown force. However, everyone would believe that they are a threat greater than Leninoth.¡±


    Well, they were General Miralda¡¯s men.


    She really had sent some powerful soldiers.


    ¡°If the smaller countries were to act¡­it would be war?¡±


    ¡°You are quite perceptive. The surrounding smaller countries do feel threatened. Kurulu, Rous, Lubanga, and Nacti have all formed an alliance. And they have attacked Melvis¡¯s country.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re at war with four countries at the same time?¡± s?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°That is how far they have been pushed. And if Melvis¡¯s country defeats even one of them, Kyuka will attack. It won¡¯t matter if he¡¯s completely recovered or not. He will not sit by while Melvis¡¯s country grows more powerful.¡±


    Not only were they dealing with those four countries, but they would have to be ready for Kyuka¡¯s army to attack their backs.


    And in spite of this attack, it would be too dangerous to send an army to another country.


    They could not take their time and beat each country one by one.


    Now was the time to act, since Kyuka had just retreated to his country.


    However, the people that had killed Leninoth were only borrowed men from General Miralda.


    They would eventually have to be returned.


    In fact, maybe they already thought that they had fulfilled their role by defeating Leninoth?


    I didn¡¯t know what kind of contract had been written.


    Regardless, my country would be at war with four countries while Kyuka was behind us.


    It was too much.


    ¡°¡­Is this checkmate?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If this continues.¡±


    Of course, it is.


    Whether we stayed and defended or went out, the results would be bad.


    How could we survive if our strongest fighting force aren¡¯t even ours¡­


    This was a disaster.

 Chapter 216

    Chapter 216Seitry left after giving me all of the bad news.


    The tactician was probably gathering information in the castle now.


    ¡°¡­Still, these wars around my country never seem to end.¡±


    Was there some kind of curse?


    The main problem was that Lesser Demon King Kyuka was very close to becoming a Demon King.


    He had defeated Lesser Demon King Fara, and the only thing left to do was to defeat Leninoth. And that would make him a Demon King. That would have been the plan.


    However, Leninoth was defeated by someone else, and so that door was closed to him.


    He now had to defeat whoever it was that defeated Leninoth. But there was no information about them.


    Of course, there wasn¡¯t.


    It was not known that Demon King Tralzard had sent us soldiers.


    The only thing that Kyuka knew was that they were stronger than Leninoth.


    And it wasn¡¯t as if Kyuka had crushed Fara without taking any damage. So it was only right for him to be cautious.


    He was right to prioritize healing his wounds.


    With this valuable time given to us, my country could now prepare¡­ Or so I thought, but now we were involved in a battle with the other small countries.


    In fact, all four had united to fight against us. I didn¡¯t know that such bad luck was even possible.


    They must have heard of Leninoth¡¯s defeat.


    If you wanted to defeat Kyuka, then you had to conquer the small southern countries.


    Are we going to be attacked? Then we should get them first!


    They would have thought such things.


    No matter where you were in the Demon World, people were always ready to fight.


    Five more days passed after Seitry¡¯s visit.


    But nothing had changed. I was still inside of the tower.


    As I had nothing to do, I started to train on my own. But I wasn¡¯t sure how effective it was.


    I tried to learn tricks to absorb enemy mana, sending mana throughout my body, and seeing if I could use magic.


    ¡°¡­Hey, what is it? Why are you here?¡±


    I was spending so much time on the top floor, that Yorba came up to see me.


    In spite of appearances, the Sand Armor was very friendly, and worried about my well-being.


    ¡°I was just wondering how long it will be until I can get out of here.¡±


    How many times had I said this to him already?


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask Her Majesty about that. There is nothing that we can do.¡±


    Everyone who was here were of the higher ranks. And yet there were things that they couldn¡¯t do.


    They had been posted here in the tower because they were strong.


    Misinformed invaders would attack, and so it was their job to deal with them.


    I had even helped them one time.


    And it had been rather fun.


    ¡°You worry too much. Hey, how about some kumite?¡±


    Recently, I had taught Yorba how to do it, and he started inviting me often.


    Kumite involved two people standing at a fixed distance apart, and then fighting without moving their feet.


    Of course, I had the advantage in terms of technique, but it was not easy to break down someone like Yorba, who was protected by natural armor.


    And so it was good practice for me.


    ¡°Why not? I¡¯ll give you a good beating then.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think it will be the same as last time.¡±


    The good thing about kumite was that you could do it anywhere.


    You didn¡¯t need a lot of space.


    And so I responded to Yorba¡¯s moves while ruminating over what I had talked about with Seitry.


    The tactician had come all the way here alone and talked about my country. S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Given who I was talking to, I knew there must be some hidden motive, and so I listened carefully.


    (Why was this told to me now?)


    It was something that bothered me for a long time after.


    Perhaps it was mere kindness. But what if it wasn¡¯t?


    (That would mean it¡¯s part of some plan¡­)


    For instance, what if I could stand it no longer and escaped?


    Would Tralzard happily send men after me?


    But it would be difficult to take me down if I went all out.


    It could mean causing great damage to our surroundings and the death of some valuable subordinates.


    Besides, there was no guarantee that I would try to leave. So that wasn¡¯t a good plan.


    (What else could it be?)


    Were they waiting for me to get frantic and act?


    This was Demon King Tralzard¡¯s tactician, and so he would be thinking about the country¡¯s interests, while following along with the Demon King¡¯s will.


    ¡°Hmm. I really don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Damn it. I surrender.¡±


    That brought me back. Yes, I had been fighting with Yorba.


    When I looked at him, his face was all puffed up.


    ¡°Huh? It¡¯s over?¡±


    ¡°Over? What¡¯s wrong with you? You beat me like mad!¡±


    ¡°Oh. I don¡¯t remember doing that.¡±


    I had been too deep in thought.


    ¡°Are you serious¡­ And here I was, trying my best¡­¡±


    Yorba walked unsteadily out of the room with a terribly disappointed expression on his face. He was probably going to go and cool off.


    I felt bad. I would have to apologize to him later.


    Still, I was sure that Seitry had approached me with intention.


    There must be a lot more information that I wasn¡¯t given.


    ¡°I need to find all of the pieces, or the picture won¡¯t be complete.¡±


    And then I will know how to act.


    And then two more days passed.


    Yorba had heard some information from the outside when a soldier came to bring us food.


    The tower was surrounded by a high wall, and there were people watching it.


    And while there were a number of people whose duty it was to bring the food, they were all acquaintances, and so they often talked with Yorba and the others.


    ¡°Apparently, a ¡®holy stake¡¯ was discovered near the town.¡±


    ¡°A holy stake? Ah, those things.¡±


    What the Celestial World used to gather information from the Demon World.


    After a few days, they would turn into salt.


    In the meantime, they would continue to deliver information.


    First it would be the surrounding geography. Was it in the sea? River? Forest? Desert?


    After that it was the mana density. And whether or not there were residents of the Demon World nearby. And if it was a miasma zone.


    And while it hadn¡¯t been confirmed, it was likely that these stakes were able to search for people with specific kinds of mana.


    People with immense mana, or a special type.


    It was also said that they could even determine their basic race category.


    This information was all from the fallen ones.


    So these holy stakes gave them a wide variety of information on the Demon World.


    And one had been sent here.


    Sending just one of them was supposed to be very costly.


    In other words, it could mean a serious invasion.


    ¡°Things are about to get busy.¡±


    Something was definitely going to happen. I was sure of it.

 Chapter 217

    Chapter 217There was something called ¡®Kodoku.¡¯


    It was when you gathered all kinds of poisonous insects and trapped them in one place until they ate each other.


    ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s happening with all these small countries.


    But who would survive?


    And what would happen to the country that rose to the top?


    Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s country was weakening.


    How long could it last if four countries were attacking it at once?


    ¡°It¡¯s possible that it¡¯s already over. ¡­And if so, what has happened to my village?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t something that I wanted to think about. But the whole country might be crawling with enemies now.


    It was indeed possible. And so I felt like I had to act.


    I should escape from here and meet up with the others. Then we could return to our country.


    I had thought about this many times recently.


    But if I didn¡¯t get permission from Demon King Tralzard, it would mean going against her.


    Would I be killed? Very likely. You became a Demon King because you didn¡¯t allow emotion to get in the way.


    ¡°¡­Alright, I¡¯ve decided.¡±


    ¡°What did you decide?¡±


    Yorba asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting out of here.¡±


    ¡°Here? Did you get Her Majesty¡¯s permission?¡±


    ¡°No. But I can¡¯t stay here any longer.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s not a good idea.¡±


    I had become quite close to Yorba recently.


    And so I didn¡¯t want to make things difficult, if possible.


    ¡°Sorry, but could you pretend that you didn¡¯t hear that just now?¡±


    ¡°Not hear it? What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to bring it to her directly. I¡¯m going to meet her. And if that doesn¡¯t work, I will use force.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll die if you do that.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure about that. In any case, you didn¡¯t hear anything. Got it?¡±


    I patted Yorba on the shoulder. He was a good guy.


    If my talk with the Demon King failed, then I would never return here. It would be goodbye.


    I returned to my room and put on my equipment.


    The Dragon scale armor, Mana Drain Shield, Deepsea Dragon Sword, and hexagonal club.


    The tower was surrounded by high walls, and there were always two guards standing at the entrance.


    According to Yorba, while there were only two there, there were others watching as well.


    It was the only entrance that connected the tower to the castle.


    I knocked on the heavy, locked door. It was locked from the other side.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    A small window opened and the face of one of the guards appeared.


    ¡°I want to see Demon King Tralzard. I¡¯m going to get permission to leave this place.¡±


    ¡°¡­I haven¡¯t heard anything about that. If you want permission, you¡¯ll get it when the time is right. Now go back.¡±


    Yes. This was just what I had expected.


    ¡°Sorry, but could you take a few steps back?¡±


    ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to destroy this door.¡± S?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°¡­Hey, wait! That is a serious¡­¡±


    ¡ªDogoooo!


    Both the guard and the door went flying. And since he showed no signs of getting up, he must have been knocked out.


    ¡°What happened? Gah!?¡±


    I punched the second guard in the stomach.


    But by the time he too was unconscious, I was already surrounded.


    It was just as Yorba had said. There really were others who were quietly monitoring us. And they were quick to act.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to hold back a little, but it still won¡¯t be easy for you.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure why I was even talking.


    When you were facing a large group all alone, it was best to target the people to the side or the back.


    There were the ones who usually had their guard down.


    ¡°Gubbbhegh!?¡±


    I kicked the one toward the edge and immediately started to run.


    ¡°Ch-chase him!¡±


    Mana surged through my legs as I dashed forward.


    As the Demon King¡¯s castle was separated into several blocks, it was likely that I would be stopped in one of them.


    And so I decided to move randomly in different directions, instead of going straight to my destination.


    ¡ªPiiii, piiii!


    I heard a whistle being blown behind me.


    The people who were chasing after me were getting closer.


    Running in a wide open area was not a good idea.


    ¡°¡­I wonder if I can get in here?¡±


    It was part of the castle, but I had never seen it before.


    It was a little seedy looking.


    ¡°I think I lost them for now.¡±


    I entered the building, but had no idea where I was now.


    However, my pursuers didn¡¯t know either.


    But staying out in the open would make me susceptible to magic attacks, so I had no choice. I would just have to rely on my instincts now.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s probably as simple as going up.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure, but it seemed like the right thing to do.


    And so I ran around a little until I found some stairs that I could climb.


    But there was still nothing in my surroundings that was familiar to me.


    ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ve entered the castle from the back.¡±


    My first visit was official, and so I had entered from the front.


    But I had a feeling that I was now in the back, where the servants would usually be.


    I went up several flights of stairs, and continued to move away from the whistle sounds, and then¡­


    ¡°A courtyard? No, a garden?¡±


    It was probably near the center of the castle. I came out into an open area.


    And for some reason¡­the person that I was looking for was standing right in front of me.


    ¡°Demon King¡­¡±


    It was Tralzard. The very person I had wanted to talk to.


    ¡°Did you finally realize that you were right in the palm of Seitry¡¯s hand?¡±


    ¡°I see. It was the timing and the words. I knew there was something.¡±


    ¡°We knew you would escape like this. Even the guards were told the order in how to react.¡±


    ¡°¡­So it was all planned. You lured me in here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you continue to be quick to understand.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t come here to have a drawn out conversation. I¡¯m leaving this castle. And I¡¯m going back to my country.¡±


    ¡°I knew you would say that. ¡­But what if I said that I wouldn¡¯t let you go without a fight?¡±


    ¡°I never back down from a challenge.¡±


    I had expected this to happen.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad that we understand each other.¡±


    Tralzard said with a laugh.


    The guards had chased me all of the way here.


    Where the strongest person in the country waited for me.


    Even a child would understand what would happen next.


    ¡°Hey, Demon King.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think the outcome will be according to your plan as well.¡±


    I said with a smirk.


    My against the Demon King. It was time for round two.

 Chapter 218

    Chapter 218Now, it was time for the second fight against the Demon King.


    I was defeated the last time. But that wouldn¡¯t happen again. After all, I¡¯m¡­


    ¡°Going to run away!!¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    While my body was charged with mana, I jumped.


    It was a good thing that this place was an open garden.


    I kicked the walls as I launched myself towards the top of the castle.


    ¡°Hey, Golan! What are you trying to do?¡±


    Tralzard was furious. That was no surprise.


    I had said that I would fight, and then ran away.


    ¡°Your tactician is very impressive. That was a good plan. But that¡¯s why I felt that something was wrong.¡±


    I stood at the top of the castle and looked down at the Demon King. It felt very good. Standing up here.


    ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°The reason that Seitry told me about my country. It was so that I would get fired up, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes. So you knew.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not so nice as to go along with your plan and fight. I don¡¯t like it when people make me a pawn.¡±


    ¡°Tsk. So you saw that far.¡±


    Tralzard gritted her teeth.


    That being said, I had truly found it unbearable after hearing of my homeland.


    Even now, as I lived here, the Ogre villages might be under attack.


    My comrades could be fighting desperately for their lives.


    And so I wanted to return to my country as soon as possible.


    And if making me feel like this was Seitry¡¯s aim, then what could be the reason?


    I thought hard.


    I had to guess what the tactician was thinking. I had to.


    ¡°I was made the attacker and I¡¯m supposed to be dead. That¡¯s why I was locked up in the tower. But Seitry would have thought that the enemy would think, ¡®our comrade died during the attack. That means no information has leaked. We are safe.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Indeed. And we planned to use that as a way of catching them all while they had their guard down.¡±


    They were connected to the Wild Hunt. They probably killed them after some questioning.


    It had been days already.


    If they sent their fastest and attacked, it would all be over now.


    If I was correct, then there would be no one left.


    All the threads that connected to Nehyor and his men would have been severed.


    And so perhaps Seitry would have decided to try the same tactic once again.


    Make it that the attacker was actually still alive, and see how Nehyor would react.


    Perhaps Seitry had expected me to fight Tralzard and then run away.


    It didn¡¯t have to be a member of the Wild Hunt. It could be anyone. Someone would try and contact me after I escaped. And they would arrest whoever that was. And so they had to make me fight and escape.


    ¡°You¡¯re trying to use me as bait, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    That was my conclusion.


    ¡°Golan, you talk as if you¡¯ve seen everything. It makes me doubt that you really evolved from an Ogre. ¡­Well, you¡¯re not wrong. Indeed, I surrender. I am defeated. I will not attack you now, so come back down. If I follow you up there, the castle will crumble.¡±


    While I had been ambushed the first time, this time I was able to get the upper hand.


    We hadn¡¯t actually fought, but I still managed to win this round. And since I would have lost if it was a proper fight, it was an overall good result.


    And so I descended back into the garden.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why Nehyor is so important to you, but I¡¯m glad that I was right.¡±


    ¡°You have a sharp eye, Golan. Maybe you should be my tactician.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps intelligent Ogres will be quite common soon.¡±


    ¡°¡­I doubt it.¡±


    Yeah. Me too.


    ¡°So, why do you care so much about Nehyor?¡±


    After all, he was just a Lesser Demon King. Surely he wasn¡¯t much of a threat to a Demon King?


    ¡°Mmm. While you were in the tower, we attacked a certain settlement that was connected to the Wild Hunt. And we questioned them. And while we did not learn much, we learned a few of Nehyor¡¯s aims.¡±


    ¡°Oh? When Nehyor was in my country, everything he did was confusing to me.¡±


    ¡°The basis of his actions are incredibly simple. His goal is to become an Elder Vampire.¡± S?a?ch* Th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I thought it might be that. Judging from what he stole from the castle.¡±


    ¡°Apparently, you need a Demon King¡¯s Orb of Control in order to evolve. There are other things too, but we now know that Nehyor is trying to take the life of a Demon King.¡±


    ¡°A Lesser Demon King trying to take a Demon King¡¯s Orb of Control?¡±


    It was too reckless.


    ¡°If I fought him a hundred times, I would win every time. But Nehyor¡¯s aim is just an Orb of Control, so he doesn¡¯t have to kill the strongest one.¡±


    ¡°I see. So he¡¯ll target a ¡®newborn.¡¯¡±


    Perhaps it took time to adjust to the changes in your body when you became a Demon King.


    It might be difficult to use your special abilities.


    And even if you could do everything, you would still be the weakest out of all the Demon Kings.


    That made you a good target for Gekokujyo.


    ¡°That is why he was wreaking havoc to the west of my country. He was trying to make a Demon King out of one of those Lessers.¡±


    ¡°I see. So that¡¯s why he was there.¡±


    I had gotten in his way, though I nearly died in the process.


    But I had no regrets about cutting Nehyor.


    And I would still kill him.


    ¡°If Nehyor defeated a Demon King and evolved into an Elder Vampire that would make him as strong as a Demon King. And so he would become one.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡±


    ¡°And I suppose he¡¯ll try and rise to a Great Demon King after that.¡±


    Nehyor? Rising to Great Demon King? Was that really possible?


    ¡°But, wouldn¡¯t that be very difficult?¡±


    Even Tralzard had stopped at Demon King.


    ¡°According to Seitry, he¡¯ll likely do the same thing as he is now. In other words, get as many Demon Kings involved as he can and start a war that he can take advantage of.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Yes, he would do that. He definitely would.


    ¡°And so we cannot ignore him. We will be drawn into this war amongst Demon Kings.¡±


    ¡°Well, there are four Demon Kings in the surrounding area. So it must be rather ideal for him.¡±


    ¡°It will be too late¡­if we wait for Nehyor to become an Elder Vampire. And so I meant to find him first, and kill him.¡±


    While using me as bait.


    Nehyor put a lot of importance in information.


    If he knew that I had escaped from Tralzard, he would want to know how much she knew.


    ¡°You wanted us to fight, and then you would purposely let me go.¡±


    ¡°Mmm. I had no choice. Currently, Nehyor is targeting that cluster of small countries, including your own. He is pulling the strings in order to create a Demon King that he can take down.¡±


    ¡°And so you want me to help?¡±


    I understood the reason, but I didn¡¯t want to be the tactician¡¯s stooge.


    ¡°If you stop Nehyor, I will help your country.¡±


    A Demon King¡¯s protection? Now that was tempting.


    ¡°I¡¯m just a soldier. You will have to talk with the General. However, I will chase after Nehyor on my own. But first, I must return to my country¡­¡±


    Just as I said this, the ground started to shake.


    ¡°What!?¡±


    Tralzard looked shocked. Even I could tell that there was a barrier around the castle.


    It would not be easy to make it shake like this.


    But this sensation was familiar.


    ¡°Is it¡­an invasion from the Celestial World?¡±


    Now that I thought about it, I had heard that a holy stake was found a few days ago.

 Chapter 219

    Chapter 219The Celestial World always investigated with their stakes before an invasion.


    This information came from a fallen one, so it must be true.


    And if they came down to the Demon World, their power would be halved.


    This environment that was full of mana was like poison to them.


    From what I understood, it would be the same if someone from the Demon World went to the Celestial World.


    Mana and holy power were not compatible.


    And so when invading, the celestial beings would want to choose a place that they could build their base.


    The Demon World was vast.


    There weren¡¯t that many densely populated areas, and so there was no way they would deliberately choose a town where a Demon King lived¡­ That¡¯s what I had thought.


    ¡°They came here!¡±


    I thought that the chances of it happening were almost non-existent, and yet here they were.


    ¡°Is this holy power!?¡±


    Tralzard was shocked.


    Perhaps her shock was even amplified from having lived for so long.


    The residents of the Celestial World were not stupid. They wouldn¡¯t come here if they had no chance of winning.


    Tralzard knew this. That¡¯s why she was so surprised.


    After all, they had made calculations and determined that they had the advantage.


    ¡°As for me, this is just what I was hoping for.¡±


    They had killed my men.


    And they nearly killed me.


    I needed to pay them back for that.


    I would show them how I was different from before my evolution.


    I had prepared, thinking that I would be fighting Tralzard.


    ¡°H-hey, Golan. Where are you going?¡±


    Tralzard¡¯s voice grew more distant. Well, it was because I was running away from her at full speed.


    Recently, I have been using all of my time learning how to use my mana.


    I was always very studious and had trained a lot in my past life, so I was used to doing it. This was all for the fight ahead.


    But in the end, no matter how many times that I tried, I couldn¡¯t use magic. And there weren¡¯t any signs suggesting this might change.


    It was likely that my race just couldn¡¯t use magic. That was fine.


    ¡°Instead, I can strengthen my body repeatedly.¡±


    I just needed to charge my legs up with mana, and I could easily jump over the castle walls.


    Normally, the soldiers would have chased after me. But this wasn¡¯t normal. In fact, it was a state of emergency.


    After all, the residents of the Celestial World were already appearing throughout the town.


    And so I headed to the spot that was most likely to be the center of chaos.


    In the meantime, I saw a number of magic attacks flying up towards the sky.


    ¡°They¡¯re quick.¡±


    While the main fighters had not arrived yet, the town¡¯s people were already working to drive the enemy back.


    Those bastard celestials. They shouldn¡¯t have started by appearing in the town like this.


    It meant they didn¡¯t have time to create a base, let alone a holy barrier.


    They had to fight as soon as they landed.


    They were just making things harder for themselves.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s good news for us.¡±


    I unsheathed the Deepsea Dragon Sword as I ran.


    ¡°Get out of my way!¡±


    The people in the town who were fighting were likely high-rankers.


    They moved strategically so that the non-combat races would not be harmed.


    I kicked one enemy into the air as I ran, and then cut down another who was close by.


    They were my enemies. I had no intention of letting a single one make it out of here alive.


    However, while I hadn¡¯t been holding back, the wound was not deep. Perhaps he had dodged the attack.


    ¡°I see that you¡¯re just as expressionless as before!¡±


    They looked like mannequins in white robes. Not much different than the ones I saw before.


    And since they used magic brimming with holy power, it would be very dangerous to get hit by them.


    I tried slashing again, but it also barely made a scratch.


    Apparently, this one had plenty of combat experience. Perhaps he was a shock trooper.


    I slammed him with a chain of attacks.


    One after another, and with those feints I had practiced so many times in my past life, mixed in as well.


    I wonder if he thought I was playing unfair.


    He was unable to deal with the attacks that included feints, and when he became slow to react, I moved around and slashed at his neck.


    This time, it cut cleanly through. The head went flying.


    ¡°First one down.¡±


    The celestial being fell to the ground as holy power spread out all around the body.


    ¡°While they aren¡¯t scrubs, they clearly aren¡¯t the main fighting force.¡±


    But if I had fought this one as an Ogre, I would have likely been the one to die.


    That¡¯s how much power I felt. But more would come, and they would be stronger.


    ¡°Still, they haven¡¯t seen half of what I can do.¡±


    There were twice as many magic attacks being unleashed from the town towards the sky now.


    A crack appeared in the heavens, and numerous celestial beings appeared.


    So the invasion had really begun.


    ¡ªHyuuuuuu.


    Immediately after, a massive magic attack was unleashed.


    It was incredible.


    There was a great explosion when it hit the town.


    ¨CDodooon. Dodoon.


    Several more explosions followed. S?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Anyone who was caught in them would be badly injured.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell them apart.¡±


    Were the ones in the sky the main fighting force? Or would others come after them? I didn¡¯t know.


    But there was one thing that I was certain of.


    ¡°I have to kill them. Or this invasion won¡¯t end.¡±


    They had taken me by surprise last time, but I wouldn¡¯t make the same mistake this time.


    I would avenge my dead comrades.

 Chapter 220

    Chapter 220In general, life was cheap in the Demon World.


    People died very easily.


    Did I think that it was unreasonable? Not really.


    Back in my old home, there was a phrase about how ¡®human life outweighs the earth.¡¯ But such sayings did not exist here.


    You died if you were weak. And often, you would die even if you were strong.


    You were responsible for yourself. You couldn¡¯t complain about what happened to you.


    The residents of the Celestial World were invading the town that Demon King Tralzard lived in.


    And the people were overcome by the chaos.


    In the meantime, the second enemy party had appeared from the crack in the sky.


    And while some were quick to notice and retaliate with magic attacks, the residents of the Celestial World were quicker.


    Currently, a storm of magic was being unleashed towards the sky.


    But this second wave was even stronger than the first.


    It was clear at a glance. After all, the holy power attacks that they launched towards the town were causing massive destruction.


    They weren¡¯t just streams of light.


    They were more like a curtain.


    That was how I would have to describe the scale of the attacks.


    It was hard to believe that they could do such a thing in the Demon World, where the air was filled with mana.


    However, the people here served a Demon King.


    And the magic that they launched into the air was also taking down the celestial beings, one by one.


    ¡°They are strong, but I doubt they¡¯re the main force.¡±


    Yes, the Demon World high-rankers were struggling a little, but not too much.


    No, the real enemy would come after this. I was sure of that.


    Or else they would never have targeted a Demon King¡¯s town.


    They must have a reason for doing this.


    ¡ªDooo!


    An especially large attack rose from the ground. It was similar to the ¡®Roar¡¯ that I had been hit by. In fact, it was Roar.


    And it turned multiple celestial beings into dust all at once.


    Judging by the angle of the attack and the feeling of the mana, it was likely from Demon King Tralzard.


    ¡°What¡¯s scary, is that it isn¡¯t even her most powerful attack.¡±


    Tralzard was still holding back.


    But if she didn¡¯t, she would end up killing her own men.


    And so she had no choice.


    Back during my past life, the dojo master had often told me to hold back. Of course, he meant during any fights that occurred outside of the dojo.


    And that was when I fought without any weapons. The more powerful your weapon, the harder it was to hold back.


    A wooden club, a beer bottle, an iron stick¡­ If you fought with a weapon, you had to be very careful, or the consequences could be severe.


    And it was only harder with lethal weapons. You couldn¡¯t really fight with knives and guns without hurting someone.


    As for the Demon World, the attack of a high-ranker was similar to a rifle.


    And if we were talking about Lesser Demon Kings, well, they were like tanks.


    In other words, you just had to think about the kind of damage a tank would do on the battlefield.


    But what about a Demon King?


    Were they like naval gunfire or ballistic missiles?


    In the end, if Tralzard transformed and fought, it would cause great damage to the town.


    Just like how if two warships fought, they would cause devastation to their surroundings.


    It was the result of how people kept pursuing power in the Demon World. S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Everyone wanted powerful weapons, but they were often unable to use them. I had seen this a lot.


    If only they knew that daily training and honing of their skills for years or even centuries would solve that problem¡­


    ¡°But it¡¯s no use telling a wild beast to train to hold back.¡±


    Even if it was logical, no one wanted to do it.


    It was too much trouble.


    ¡°On the other hand, I have it pretty easy.¡±


    I just had to strengthen my own body.


    Perhaps Lesser High King Yamato did something similar.


    While Tralzard was holding back with her roar, the celestial beings were still being vaporized in the air.


    That roar was very powerful.


    If I didn¡¯t have the Mana Drain shield, I wouldn¡¯t have gotten the chance to launch a counterattack and would have been turned to dust before I could escape.


    ¡°Yes, I would pay her back for that next time.¡±


    Though, I wasn¡¯t sure that I really could.


    By the time that the second party was reduced to less than half, the crack in the sky finally widened.


    ¡°So, they¡¯re here.¡±


    This invasion.


    They must be targeting the Demon King.


    I had heard that during the last great scale invasion, they had defeated Demon King Bardodo.


    And Bardodo¡¯s lands were right to the south of Tralzard¡¯s.


    Of course, the reason that they invaded the Demon World was because they wanted the Orbs of Control.


    In other words¡­


    They either needed two orbs from a Demon King, or they ran out during their experiments, or it was for something else.


    They were here to ¡®gather materials.¡¯


    And when I thought about how my men had died for this, it made me mad beyond belief.


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s also time for me to stop playing.¡±


    Even the roar, which blew away the celestial beings, was not enough to reach the main party.


    It was blocked by some kind of protective wall.


    ¡°There are three of them¡­ They were probably going to try and create a barrier.


    They were incomplete in their current state. The mana kept their strength at fifty percent.


    Since there were three of them, they should be able to manage to activate a barrier. Perhaps they thought it would make things even between us.


    And so as the enemy began to descend, I targeted the one that was closest to me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare die before I reach you.¡±


    I would crush anyone who tried to steal my prey.


    ¡°¡­Hahaha! So I arrived first.¡±


    It seemed that my prayer was answered, and there was no one else near the enemy.


    Perhaps they had landed here because it would be easier to make the barrier if there was no one around. All the better for me.


    ¡°You¡¯re unlucky to have encountered me in the Demon World. You should say as many prayers as the number of people you¡¯ve killed!¡¯


    Now, let¡¯s begin. Hold back? I would do no such thing.

 Chapter 221

    Chapter 221¡°Now, how shall I crush you?¡±


    I held up the Deepsea Dragon Sword.


    ¡°You¡¯re in my way.¡±


    The celestial being took one look at me and then turned away with disinterest.


    What an incredibly insolent attitude.


    And then a magic circle appeared below his feet.


    The magic circle was used to build barriers.


    When I looked closer, I saw that he was also carrying a small box.


    I suppose that was required when making the barrier¡­ Now that I thought about it, they had been carrying something similar the last time.


    I¡¯d be able to get the upper hand if I could take it from him, but that wouldn¡¯t be easy.


    I would just take it after I beat him.


    In the first place, I knew how they fought now.


    They had great defensive power, and attacks that seemed to ignore my own defenses.


    Yes, the residents of the Celestial World were very dangerous.


    If I didn¡¯t have mana coursing through my body, my attacks wouldn¡¯t reach them, while their attacks would go through my defenses and deal damage.


    And if that happened, the fight would end in a flash.


    However, I wasn¡¯t scared, now that I knew their secret.


    I imbued the sword with plenty of mana. My body was already enveloped in it.


    ¡°Can you block this?¡±


    The enemy was not carrying a weapon.


    In that case, I didn¡¯t need to swing too wide.


    As the enemy focused on the magic circle, I thrust forward at close range.


    ¡ªKiiiin.


    ¡°What!?¡±


    It bounced off. The attack had been blocked.


    This was the Deepsea Dragon Sword with mana.


    Now that I had evolved, I was able to imbue it with much more mana than before.


    And it was the thrust that my master taught me.


    That¡¯s what he blocked.


    As I stood there in shock, the magic circle started to glow brighter.


    It would be finished soon.


    I guess that his current strength was that of a Lesser Demon King.


    He was clearly very strong. However, since he was in the Demon World, his strength was only at fifty percent at most.


    I had been confident that I had a good chance. I had been so sure that I wasn¡¯t wrong.


    ¡°Tsk!


    I slashed down from above, and then returned with an upwards swing.


    But they all bounced off before hitting the enemy¡¯s body.


    There was an invisible layer that protected him.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on!?¡± S?a??h th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It was impossible. I felt as if I was dreaming.


    He had ignored me all of this time, but now he suddenly turned to face me.


    ¡°You¡¯re in my way.¡±


    The same expression. The same words.


    ¡°Eat shit.¡±


    I tightened my grip on the hilt and thrust at his neck.


    I put all of my power into the attack.


    I even had a vision of the blade sliding into his neck.


    But there was a dull ring, and the attack bounced off.


    ¡°Gah!?¡±


    Instead, his hand thrust out like a sword, and bore into my stomach.


    ¡°What the hell!? The mana should have guarded me.¡±


    When fighting against residents of the Celestial World, you had to strengthen your body with mana.


    I had been sure to do it.


    There was no way that his attack should be able to get through my defenses so easily.


    ¡°As I thought. I don¡¯t need it.¡±


    ¡°Need what?¡±


    ¡°Do you think yourself strong? A magic stone of that level is worthless to me.¡±


    The celestial being lost interest in me once again, and his eyes turned back to the magic circle.


    It was already completed now, and I could see an unfamiliar energy rising from it.


    It was likely holy power that had been converted into some kind of magic energy.


    He was going to create a zone that would repel mana and be filled with holy power.


    If I allowed him to do it, I¡¯ll have a severe disadvantage when fighting within the barrier.


    ¡°You¡¯re really pissing me off.¡±


    First they killed my men, and now they have no interest in me.


    How egoistic could you be?


    I wanted to kill him so bad.


    And so while it might have been a little early, I decided to use my special move.


    My stomach was still bleeding. But since I had evolved, I felt that it wouldn¡¯t be too bad.


    I could have it treated later. Killing him was top priority.


    No¡­wait a minute.


    ¡°You said that you¡¯re not interested in my magic stone¡­ So you¡¯re not part of the main party.¡±


    I see. Yes.


    I was starting to understand.


    Their target was Tralzard¡¯s magic stone. There was no doubt about it.


    I had been right about that.


    And I knew what their method would be.


    This holy barrier they were creating. This would be the key.


    There were three including him¡­ The group that I had assumed was the main party. But I was wrong.


    Their role was just to make the barrier.


    It wasn¡¯t to kill enemies or to gather magic stones.


    They were just supposed to create and maintain the barrier.


    So the real enemy would likely come once they filled it with holy power.


    Someone who could defeat even Demon King Tralzard.


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    I tensed my stomach. If that was the case, I had to heal as soon as possible.


    And so I used my mana towards healing my wounds.


    The effect was immediately evident, but Ogres were already tough when it came to injury.


    This was the first time that I¡¯ve been injured since evolving, but I could already tell that I was healing faster than before.


    The bleeding had already stopped.


    I was fully prepared.


    And so was the enemy, apparently.


    The light from the magic barrier rose high up into the sky, and the area around him became thick with holy power.


    In the Demon World, it took a lot more energy than usual to unleash holy power.


    And only those with holy power could create holy power.


    It was impossible to get holy power from magic stones. After all, the only thing that was inside of magic stones was mana.


    ¡°¡­Damn it. How many lives were lost just to make this?¡±


    But the residents of the Celestial World did not care about the cost of their experiments.


    How many had to offer their holy power in order to make this invasion possible?


    I doubted any of them were still alive.


    The pillar of holy power stretched high into the air until it looked like it would reach the clouds. And then it started to harden.


    The light now looked like a marble pillar. I had never seen anything like it. The holy power had materialized.


    ¡°¡­So this is a barrier of holy power.¡±


    It was my first time seeing it from the outside.


    It was like a wall of light had appeared in front of my eyes.


    Last time I had been trapped inside, and couldn¡¯t see.


    But now, I had no idea what was happening inside.


    After all, it was surrounded by a wall of light.


    By now, the main party had probably arrived from the Celestial World.


    The people that would kill the Demon King.


    As for the person who had made the barrier, he was completely hidden by the pillar of light.


    The pillar that had materialized.


    ¡°So he¡¯s going to use his own body in order to maintain it.¡±


    And as long as the pillar was there, the barrier would be maintained. Interesting.


    Regardless, the battle between them and the Demon King would start soon.


    I didn¡¯t know what was happening in there, but when it came to this struggle between mana and holy power, the odds were probably fifty-fifty.


    No, perhaps mana was at a disadvantage.


    ¡°Well then. I better break down this barrier.¡±


    I had allowed him to create it without attacking.


    So surely I should be allowed to do it now.


    For some reason, I had always found it enjoyable to break things.


    And so I laughed defiantly.

 Chapter 222

    Chapter 222I tried hitting the pillar of light.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s hard.¡±


    A long time ago, I had hit a block of concrete that had been used in a dam. It was a similar sensation.


    Hitting it normally would not be enough to make a single scratch.


    It would probably be the same if I used magic. Not that I could do that.


    The barrier of holy power was already up.


    If I wanted to break it from the outside, I would have to hit it with an equal amount of strength.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised that General Miralda was able to break it.¡±


    I doubted that Enra just happened to make a weak barrier.


    It broke because the General had transformed and used her entire body to ram into it.


    ¡°Still, it must have been a simpler version of this one.¡±


    This barrier had been made in order to defeat a Demon King.


    And so it would have been made to withstand a Demon King¡¯s attacks.


    In other words, it was the most powerful kind of barrier.


    They would be very confident that it was indestructible.


    ¡°Tsk¡­ Hehehehe.¡±


    It was a strange laugh.


    What I was about to do would be like a magic trick.


    Something that should be impossible for a resident of the Demon World. Even for the celestial beings, it would be unknown.


    ¡°But the guys that came down from the sky seem to be different from the ones that came last time.¡±


    I doubted that they were from Enra.


    They weren¡¯t wearing the matching arm bands. And I had never seen them before.


    Perhaps they were the ones who defeated Demon King Bardodo, or a rival organization.


    Apparently, there were struggles for power in the Celestial World as well, but the Demon World had no idea how things were moving.


    There was no way for us to keep tabs on each organization.


    ¡°¡­Well, none of that is important right now.¡±


    I just wanted them to know how unlucky they were, as they were now going to be the targets of my revenge.


    For a while now, I was staying perfectly still.


    In my past life, I would have called this ¡®schooling the mind.¡¯


    I had not done it since being reborn.


    I wasn¡¯t even sure if I could, but I could do something similar.


    And I would be using mana


    The idea had come to me as I was sending the mana throughout my body.


    ¡®¡­What if I could use this?¡¯


    I had nothing better to do when I was in the tower, and so I continued to try and manipulate the mana.


    Thanks to that, I was able to handle it quite well now.


    You could do more with mana than just make it course through your body.


    I was able to fire it directly as well.


    ¡°It was a shock the first time I did it.¡±


    I had tried shooting one of the pillars in the tower.


    I touched it and then fired.


    The result¡­the pillar crumbled without a sound.


    Not only that, but it had happened from the other side of the pillar.


    The mana had left my hand and been absorbed into the pillar. And when it reached the other side, it exploded.


    Of course, Yorba berated me terribly after that.


    Which was no surprise, as those pillars were important.


    ¡°¡­I think it¡¯s time now.¡±


    I put one hand on the pillar of light.


    As for why I just used one hand, it was because it was easier.


    Using two hands at once was still too difficult for me.


    After that, I imagined that I was firing off the mana in my body all at once, and then I unleashed it.


    ¡ªThere was no sound.


    And the pillar of light seemed to be the same. It was just standing there.


    ¡°But what about the people inside?¡±


    I had originally meant to use this trick during my fight with Tralzard.


    By touching something directly, I was able to fill it with explosive mana.


    So if I tried it on a low or mid-ranker, their bodies would likely explode.


    While mana was power to residents of the Demon World, your body would not be able to handle it if there was too much.


    I knew that well.


    After all, my body was practically screaming every time I traded places with the other me.


    The high-ranking races would likely be able to withstand one attack.


    A second would make them unconscious.


    And I was quite sure that a fourth or fifth would finally make them explode.


    It would be like a pressure cooker.


    Imagine putting that into someone¡¯s body and taking off the lid. It would be difficult to survive that.


    ¡°¡­So what will the second hit do?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    This time, I heard a faint creaking from within.


    ¡°So it¡¯s not enough. ¡­Alright, I won¡¯t hold back then.¡±


    Three. Four. I worked the mana through my body and then fired it.


    ¡°Looking good.¡±


    I could tell that it was taking damage.


    And perhaps it was because I was sending my own mana inside, but I could now tell what was happening within.


    I wondered if I would also be able to see inside a person¡¯s body with this. It would be quite the new discovery.


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep going.¡± S~?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    I fired into it three more times.


    The barrier twisted noticeably.


    It was feeling the pain.


    ¡°Hehehe¡­it seems to be working.¡±


    They came here on their own, and caused all of this destruction. And so it was time for them to get a taste of what we felt.


    Now it was just a matter of which hit its limit first, me or it.


    ¡­I braced myself. However, the barrier was undone in just two hits.


    As for the resident of the Celestial World¡­he was writhing on the ground and his skin had changed color.


    ¡°¡­Ah, the mana must have gone inside of him.¡±


    The fallen all had different color skin. Usually it was black or blue and sometimes green. But they were never white.


    Apparently, it had something to do with the mana.


    He must have been in tremendous pain, as he was flailing and rolling on the ground as if mad. It felt good to watch.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s happening inside of the barrier?¡±


    The barrier was being held up by three people.


    And so it was unlikely that it could be maintained now that there were just two of them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡±


    When I looked, I saw one of them in the center, staring back at me with an expression of shock.


    And in front of him¡­


    ¡°Old woman. That¡¯s a lot of blood.¡±


    Tralzard¡¯s body was covered in wounds.

 Chapter 223

    Chapter 223¡ð Demon King Tralzard


    The invasion from the Celestial World.


    Seitry had predicted this from very early on, but I did not take it too seriously.


    It would require a great host to take down a Demon King¡¯s country.


    In that case, they would try and target me directly, but it was still nearly impossible.


    After all, I had many subordinates around me.


    Haphazardly sending their fighting force at us would result in nothing but an embarrassing defeat for them.


    ¡°But they are more serious than I thought.¡±


    They were already all around the town, causing chaos.


    I left the small ones to my men so that I could target the ones that would come later.


    The enemy was after me.


    Now that I thought about it¡­when was it?


    ¡°Your Majesty, I do not know why Demon King Bardodo was defeated.¡±


    ¡°Why? Surely someone has survived that battle?¡±


    Such went the conversation with Seitry.


    Demon King Bardodo was somewhere in the middle among the nine Great Demon Kings.


    And so he should not have found himself on the losing side unless something very extreme had happened.


    However, right after I heard news of the invasion, I learned of his death.


    That meant he had died quite early in this battle with the Celestial World.


    Usually, as soon as an invasion was confirmed, you would send out as many men as you could and focus on acquiring information.


    But by the time I had sent out my own men, everything had been resolved.


    And so I had no way of finding out what had happened in that country.


    ¡°After the Demon King died, the country was split up. And since no one knows who is an enemy or an ally, they are all consumed by suspicion so that they jump at shadows.¡±


    ¡°I see. ¡­It cannot be helped then. I will withdraw.¡±


    If I used overly forceful methods, they might eventually unite and become hostile towards me.


    It was better to watch and not intervene.


    ¡°¡­That was what I thought, but now the enemy has come to me.¡±


    Nothing could be more annoying.


    The sky opened, and the newcomers arrived.


    I just continued to unleash Roar.


    It was nice getting to unleash it into the sky like this, as I didn¡¯t have to worry about how strong it was.


    On the other hand, if I transformed, the whole town would be destroyed by the shock waves alone.


    And so if it was possible, I wanted to fight in my current form.


    As I levitated into the sky, the enemy split up and landed in three separate spots.


    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±


    What should I do?


    I could chase after them, but my subordinates on the ground could also deal with them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that they would prefer to do it themselves.¡±


    After all, they were all like me, and enjoyed a good fight.


    ¡­But as I was thinking this, they put up a barrier.


    ¡°Hmm¡­so that¡¯s what they were trying to do. How very bold of them.¡±


    To create a barrier of holy power like this in the Demon World. How much power did it cost them?


    But it was true that their strength would be greatly reduced if they did not have it.


    In any case, it was still just a barrier.


    If I went all out, I could destroy it.


    In other words, they would be losing all that holy power for nothing. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Have they gone mad?¡±


    While it would cause great damage to the town, I started to consider transforming so that I could break it. That¡¯s when it happened.


    ¡ªThe heavens cracked open.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Has their boss finally arrived? I¡¯ve grown tired of waiting.¡±


    If they had to wait for a barrier before they could appear, then they were insignificant to me.


    I would crush them into the dirt after transforming.


    ¡°¡­Huh!?¡±


    But something unexpected happened.


    ¡°I¡­can¡¯t transform!?¡±


    I was unable to return to my original form¡­ Or more specifically, I was unable to take the mana from the air and bring it into my body.


    We Dragons not only had incredibly large bodies, but we had great effect over others, and so we lived in small bodies like these.


    Transforming required that we use mana from outside.


    ¡°It must be because of the barrier.¡±


    If I was not in my Dragon form, then my power would be restricted.


    Not only that, but the barrier was causing a second layer of power reduction as well.


    ¡°What a troublesome barrier.¡±


    Really. How much holy power had they used?


    Holy power was not something that appeared out of nothing.


    Many lives had to be sacrificed in order to accomplish this.


    ¡°Well, they did come here for me, after all.¡±


    This might be a little worse than I thought.


    With enough time, I could probably defeat all of them.


    But it would not do if the entire town was destroyed in the process.


    For instance, Seitry was in the castle.


    And there was also a barrier.


    But if Seitry were killed, I would no longer have a tactician.


    That was no good.


    The reason that I was able to fight like this without worrying, was because Seitry had thought of everything and given me directions.


    In the Demon World, it was not difficult to find people to charge into battle, but finding a tactician was a difficult task.


    And there were others in the castle who supported me in ways outside of combat.


    Without them, this country would not be able to operate.


    ¡°Tsk!¡±


    Even as I thought about this, the enemy launched an attack against the castle.


    In spite of being of the high-ranking races, Seitry had no combat ability at all.


    It would just take a moderate attack in order to vaporize the tactician.


    And so I moved in between the castle and the enemy, and blocked the attack.


    ¡°¡­Phew. I made it in time.¡±


    While I took some damage, it was better than losing a tactician.


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s my turn.¡±


    After that, we fired at each other from a distance, but while the enemy was able to dodge the attacks, I could not.


    ¡°¡­This is bad.¡±


    I wanted to fight at close range, but at this point, it was obvious to the enemy that I was trying to guard the castle.


    And so I did not want to charge forward and give them an opportunity to target it again.


    ¡°So, what should I do?¡±


    These holy power attacks moved like waves.


    If I continued to be hit by them, I would be injured badly.


    ¡°I see¡­ So Demon King Bardodo was killed because he was trapped inside of a barrier and forced to fight alone.¡±


    The enemy had really thought this through.


    Things would only get worse for me. However, moving too boldy now would also be bad.


    As I thought about this, the barrier suddenly disappeared.


    ¡°What!?¡±


    I was shocked, but so was the enemy.


    Apparently, they had not thought that this was possible.


    When I followed their gaze¡­I saw that the person who had created the barrier was lying on the ground, half dead.


    And nearby¡­was Golan.


    Did he do something?


    Golan¡¯s eyes met mine for a second, and then he stabbed the celestial being with his sword.


    ¡°!?¡±


    Again and again.


    There was so much hatred in his attacks.


    It was as if he didn¡¯t want to leave a single piece of his enemy left. He kept stabbing and stabbing.


    ¡°What is he doing?¡±


    Even I felt a little digusted.

 Chapter 224

    Chapter 224¡°Stab-stab, stab-stab-stab¡­ I could make a song.¡±


    Written and performed by me. ¡®The Celestial World Stabbing Theme.¡¯


    As the celestial being writhed in agony, the Deepsea Dragon Sword stabbed into him dozens of times.


    No, perhaps it was hundreds.


    In any case, he wasn¡¯t very solid anymore.


    I felt a little bit better after that.


    Maybe it was because I had been reincarnated in the Demon World, but I felt a lot of sympathy for the residents here.


    And towards the celestials, I had nothing but hatred.


    ¡°¡­Phew.¡±


    I wiped the sweat from my forehead with a satisfied expression. That¡¯s when Demon King Tralzard fixed me with a venomous stare.


    Uh, what was it? Treat living creatures with respect?


    I had no idea what it was, and so I gave her a thumbs up.


    ¡°There is an expression, ¡®even a worm will turn¡¯¡­ But I don¡¯t see why anyone would feel sympathy for people who would use our souls in their experiments.¡±


    However, I suppose everyone had different ways of thinking. It wasn¡¯t for me to judge or argue.


    ¡°So, I suppose that¡¯s there boss over there.¡±


    The one that Tralzard was fighting. Yes, he looked strong.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if I could win, even if I went all out. And so it would be better to¡­


    I showed Tralzard the palm of my hand, offering her the ¡®honor.¡¯


    I wasn¡¯t sure if she understood my meaning, but then she flew up high into the air.


    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t see her anymore.¡±


    If this were a comic book, a star would sparkle in the sky.


    ¡ªZaaaaa!


    ¡°Woah!?¡±


    There was a sudden violent gust of wind. It contained mana. Was it a tornado?


    ¡°Ahh, I see. Transformation.¡±


    A giant dragon then descended.


    While we were in the Demon World, there was something godlike about her.


    She was not like the evil dragons of the west, but closer to a mystical, eastern dragon.


    So this was what Tralzard looked like after transforming.


    And I also understood why she had risen high up into the sky.


    ¡°The town would have been destroyed by the wind.¡±


    Some of the weaker buildings had already been blown away by the shockwaves after the transformation.


    The castle was still intact, but the town was in quite a disastrous state.


    ¡°It does this much damage in spite of her being quite far away.¡±


    It was no wonder she couldn¡¯t just casually transform.


    And then the battle between Tralzard and the resident of the Celestial World began.


    ¡°¡­Oh, and now it¡¯s finished.¡±


    It had been very one-sided.


    The celestial being had launched some kind of beam at her, but Tralzard ignored it as she charged.


    After tearing off his left shoulder and pressing him into the ground with her hands, she tore in until only his torso remained. And that too she shredded with her claws. And then it was done.


    Overwhelming strength had earned her the victory.


    ¡°¡­Uh, I guess she can handle everything by herself now.¡±


    It made me wonder how she had ever gotten hurt in the first place. It was very impressive.


    Or were these celestials just too weak? No¡­Tralzard was too strong.


    Now that their boss had been killed, the remaining residents of the Celestial World began to leave.


    That being said, hardly any of them were able to safely return to their world.


    They were attacked from every side, and they were weakened and eventually killed.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    It was a rather anticlimactic end.


    Two days after the attack.


    What was I doing? I was still in Tralzard¡¯s town. S?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    I didn¡¯t feel like escaping while so many soldiers were running around. Besides, I had just seen Tralzard annihilate the enemy.


    You could gather together all of the Lesser Demon Kings that you wanted, and they would still not be a match for Tralzard.


    At least, she was so strong that you believed it to be the case.


    And once I realized just how strong Demon Kings were, the energy in me that allowed me to act began to dwindle.


    No matter what I did, I would be powerless against such strength.


    It was game over.


    I could plan and strategize, but it would be for nothing if Tralzard transformed. I was back to zero.


    ¡°And this is our neighbor¡­¡±


    Once I knew that, I could not feel calm.


    ¡°¡­Me?¡±


    As I didn¡¯t feel like returning to the castle, I stayed in a cheap inn. And then Stomel, who was acting as my Adjutant on this journey, came to see me.


    He said that the Demon King was calling.


    It was quite a surprise. I had expected Stomel to have gone home.


    ¡°Again? Why?¡±


    Was Tralzard angry? Well¡­she had plenty of reason to be.


    ¡°I do not know any of the details.¡±


    ¡°I see. Of course, you don¡¯t. ¡­Alright, I¡¯ll go and find out.¡±


    The outside walls of the castle were still being repaired.


    The races that were good with construction were currently working hard.


    I ducked and dodged as I threaded my way through them and entered the castle.


    What Stomel had given me was a permit to meet with Tralzard.


    I passed it over and then the route to the Demon King was opened to me.


    ¡°Good of you to come.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­you called.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t very imposing when in human form.


    And as someone who knew what her true form looked like, I was rather grateful.


    ¡°I received a report from one of my men¡­ And thought that I should tell you about it.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ I hope that it is good news.¡±


    ¡°It is not good news. That celestial being that I defeated. My men later went to look at the body.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, he was alive?¡±


    He had lost his head and limbs. And more than half his torso as well. How could he be alive?


    ¡°No, he was properly dead. The problem is the corpse. Apparently, someone has removed the life stone from it.¡±


    Life stones were the stones inside of every resident of the Celestial World. They were supposed to ¡®create holy power.¡¯


    So they were similar to our Orbs of Control.


    ¡°The life stone? Could someone even touch the body? I thought they would be emitting holy power.¡±


    If left alone, the corpses of the celestial beings would continue to release holy power.


    The weaker ones would turn into masses of salt after a few days, and crumble.


    But no one was foolish enough to touch them while they were still releasing holy power.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, as no one else got close to the body.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s to be expected. But you¡¯re sure that the life stone was removed?¡±


    ¡°There is no doubt about it. You could even see where the body was cut open. It must have been one of Nehyor¡¯s men who did it. He¡¯s plotting something.¡±


    ¡°This is bad.¡±


    ¡°While he is antagonizing the smaller countries to the east, we cannot let our guard down. And so I decided to tell you.¡±


    ¡°I see. Thank you for the information.¡±


    So it was related to Nehyor.


    Ah, I wanted to stop Nehyor¡¯s plans as soon as possible and beat him to death.


    ¡°Your Majesty! I have terrible news!¡±


    One of her messengers. He ran into the room, breathing heavily.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Just now, a scout sent to the east says that it¡¯s a state of emergency.¡±


    East? That¡¯s where my country is.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Tralzard¡¯s face became severe.


    She had such an aura now that I nearly shivered.


    ¡°According to the report, Lesser Demon King Melvis has awakened¡­¡±


    ¡°WHAT!?¡±


    Tralzard shouted. Her hands were shaking.


    Shaking.


    It was kind of cute.

 Chapter Realist Demon King 151

    Realist Demon King 151Attendant Meeting


    I wanted to visit Count Ismalia¡¯s lands with as few people as possible.


    There were two reasons for this. The first was that if we went with too many people, it could make our hosts anxious.


    At least on the surface, this was someone who we were trying to make peace with, and it would be bad to make him cautious. And so I wanted to go with a minimum amount of attendants.


    I gathered my officers together and asked them if they wanted to come, and everyone in the meeting room raised their hand.


    Even the slimes. They could shape their body freely, and they created a jiggly appendage that rose into the air.


    I realized that asking for volunteers would not do, and so I started by naming those who I could not take with me.


    ¡°First, you must stay here, Eve.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Eve protested immediately.


    ¡°And why must I stay here?¡±


    ¡°This journey will involve some danger. Well, there will be nothing but danger.¡±


    ¡°Is that because Count Ismalia has a black heart?¡±


    Asked Toshizou.


    I nodded.


    ¡°I think so. Yes. There is no doubt that I will be arrested if I go there.¡±


    ¡°And yet you¡¯re still going, master.¡±


    ¡°Aye, you might think it foolish, but I see it as an opportunity.¡±


    And then I told them what I was planning.


    ¡°Count Ismalia will arrest me. And he will demand that I forfeit some of my lands in exchange for my freedom. Yes. He will likely want Eligos¡¯s old castle.¡±


    ¡°In exchange for you, master, we might have to give up all of your lands.¡±


    ¡°You exaggerate my worth. But the army will crumble without me. And so these conditions will have to be met.¡±


    However, I said before continuing.


    ¡°On the other hand, tricking someone during a negotiation and arresting them is quite the vile act. It would give me more than enough reason to invade his lands.¡±


    ¡°Normally, invading the human territories would cause a great commotion among the human countries.¡±


    Gottlieb the dwarf explained.


    ¡°Yes. They fear demons. And it will bring them closer together. However, if Ismalia were to do something so immoral, then they would not be able to justify the sending of their troops in retaliation.¡±


    ¡°I see. That is a good plan.¡±


    Gottlieb said as he stroked his beard. And then he continued.


    ¡°If you have thought that far ahead, I suppose you also have a way of escaping after the count throws you into his dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I have thought of that. And that¡¯s why I must choose the right people to accompany me.¡±


    I declared, and we returned to the subject at hand.


    ¡°I cannot take Eve to Ismalia¡¯s lands because I will likely be thrown into prison. And so I don¡¯t want to take any women.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Eve was silent. She was a smart maid, and understood what I meant.


    However, Jeanne was not like Eve.


    And what she next did make sense.


    ¡°It¡¯s far too late to treat me like some weak lady. I am the shield and sword of the Demon King. I¡¯ve fought at the frontlines, every single time.¡±


    Indeed, she had fought in every battle, and so I gave her permission to accompany me.


    ¡°You¡¯re very right, Jeanne. And so you will come with me.¡±


    She smiled like a sunflower.


    Eve looked a little annoyed by this, but she quickly regained her calm and asked who else I was taking. I expected nothing less from my secretary.


    ¡°I think that I will have Toshizou come with me.¡±


    ¡°Ah, a wise decision, master.¡±


    He said while scratching his beard. That was very much like him.


    ¡°If we¡¯re going in small numbers, I want to take people who are worth a thousand men. After all, I¡¯ll need your help once we escape from the prison.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll need the help of a ninja in order to escape. Fuma Kotaro and Hanzo the Kobold. I¡¯ll be counting on you two.¡±


    When I looked to the seats where the two of them had been sitting, I saw that only Hanzo was there now.


    ¡°He has already gone on ahead in order to gather information.¡±


    ¡°A true model ninja. It¡¯s comforting to know that he¡¯ll be with us.¡±


    I said, and then Hanzo was the next to disappear. Yes, they were very reliable.


    ¡°We should have no trouble escaping if they are with us. The problem is what we do after that.¡±


    ¡°I could send soldiers to hide near the border with Ismalia.¡±


    Eve suggested. And I agreed with her.


    ¡°But we can¡¯t provoke him in any way. So only send humans and small monsters.¡±


    ¡°Certainly. Giants and trolls will be part of the corps.¡±


    ¡°Good. As for someone to lead them¡­¡±


    I looked at the remaining officers. All of them looked like meat heads to me.


    Bradenboro the Werewolf was brave, but he lacked manner when it came to dealing with other people. Slash was the captain of the slimes, but looked like some kind of evolved single cell organism. I didn¡¯t think he had what was necessary to lead an entire army.


    ¨CSo that meant that the only one that could lead my army, was the person I trusted the most, my maid.


    I remembered that she was also a tactician as well as a maid. And so I decided that she could take a break from her maid duties for a while.


    ¡°Eve, I want you to lead the soldiers near the border. Any objections?¡±


    Eve smiled upon hearing this.


    ¡°I was always a tactician as well. I have no objections.¡±


    But she continued.


    ¡°As a tactician, I will no longer be the gentle maid. Anyone who distrupts order when I am in control will be executed without mercy. The rest of you should keep that in mind.¡±


    She said with a diabolical smile that was quite fitting for a demon.


    I recalled the time when she was my sole subordinate. And the time we had attacked Sabnac.


    Indeed, she had executed the orcs who had been stealing supplies. She had shown that her appearance did not mean that she would be soft.


    Stories of that battle had spread, and so no one thought to take Eve lightly.


    ¡®As if I would take orders from a woman.¡¯


    That was something I would have imagined the werewolf to say, but instead, he was sweating profusely as he listened to her speak.


    Well, there would be no problem there then. Eve would keep the soldiers near the border and maintain high morale until I returned.


    Once I was sure of everything, I declared that we would be leaving at once. S?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    My officers all returned to themselves, but one of them raised their voice.


    ¡°Glory to Ashtaroth! The king of strategy! Maybe Ashtaroth Castle stand for a thousand years!!¡±


    The others began to chant this as well as they raised their goblets and drank.


    Jeanne alone was weak to alcohol, and so she drank orange juice.


    Like that, the strategy meeting ended. We had decided on our direction, and Eve immediately returned to being a maid.


    After all, she had to prepare for my journey. While I might have been feared on the battlefield, my ability to take care of myself was rather lacking. I didn¡¯t even know how to iron my clothes.


    I left everything to Eve. And while I knew that this was no good, seeing how happy she looked while filling my bag with shirts made it difficult to start doing things myself.


    It would be like taking away something that she enjoyed. Or maybe I was just misinterpreting things.


    Such were my thoughts as I waited for Eve to finish with the preparations. And then on the following day, we left Ashtaroth castle.


    The Legendary Rebuilding of a World by a Realist Demon King

 Chapter 225

    Chapter 225Lesser Demon King Melvis had awakened.


    Why? Why so suddenly?


    Shaking.


    The Demon King was shaking.


    And her eyes were filled with tears. They looked like they would fall at any second.


    ¡°Te-tell me the details¡­¡±


    The Demon King was acting bravely¡­trying to, anyway. But it was clear to all that she was shaken.


    To me, she looked like a child who was ready to burst into tears.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. It seems that it started when Lesser Demon King Kyuka¡¯s forces invaded Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s country. As the armies of both countries clashed near the border, Lesser Demon King Kyuka took a small group and attacked the castle. There are rumors that someone guided them. And so with this small group of subordinates, Kyuka went straight to Melvis.¡±


    That was a very bold attack.


    But the castle was in chaos at the time, and truth and rumor were blurred together.


    And so the messenger did not know any of the details.


    However, everyone who infiltrated the castle with Kyuka were slaughtered.


    Kyuka did manage to escape, but no one knew about his whereabouts.


    ¡°And what about King Melvis¡¯s awakening¡­?¡±


    ¡°Both the castle and the town are filled with rumors about it. The path leading to the sealed bed chamber was destroyed, and the room is now empty. And they say that the throne, which had remained unused for hundreds of years, is now occupied by King Melvis himself. However, there are very few people who have seen him in person, and so one cannot be sure that¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I see. Thank you. You may leave.¡±


    Came the menacing voice. The messenger bowed and then left.


    But I had seen it.


    Seen Tralzard¡¯s legs shaking.


    ¡°So he has finally awakened. What will happen?¡±


    There was no need for me to return now. After all, Kyuka had fled. It was amazing.


    ¡°Ah¡­yes. I am too old for this.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps I should consider going into hiding¡­¡±


    ¡°Why are you trying to run away, hag!¡±


    It was ridiculous.


    How traumatized was she?


    ¡°But this is King Melvis we¡¯re talking about! If he¡¯s awakened, he must have regained his power. I do not want to face him again!¡±


    Why was she acting so weak? Was she not a Demon King of the Demon World?


    Still, I only knew the rumors myself. Perhaps I would be no different if I knew the reality.


    ¡°Is he really that frightening?¡±


    ¡°Long ago, my strongest subordinate once challenged him alone.¡±


    ¡°How reckless.¡±


    ¡°There was a reason that it had to be done. And I could only watch from afar¡­ But the moment that King Melvis touched him, my subordinate fainted. Later, I learned that he used a special ability known as ¡®Mana Drain.¡¯ It sucks the mana out of anyone you touch. It happened in a second too. All the mana of a Lesser Demon King.¡±


    Apparently, all of this sucked in mana would become Melvis¡¯s power.


    It was practically a cheat ability.


    ¡°This is when he was a Lesser Demon King¡­when his mana was greatly reduced?¡±


    ¡°Of course. It was when King Melvis was a Lesser Demon King.¡±


    So the Tablet of Control really was ranking people based on the amount of mana they had inside of their bodies.


    To be precise, it was the amount of mana they could store in the Orb of control.


    It was only up to the mid-rank races where mana and strength were directly related.


    Once you went above them, things like special abilities made more of a difference in the outcome of battles.


    ¡°Still, Lesser Demon King Kyuka has been defeated¡­ I wonder what is happening over there.¡± S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It was only a short while ago that I heard that the four southern countries were attacking us.


    And now they were saying that Kyuka had led his forces from the north.


    Really, what was happening?


    Well, some time had passed. Perhaps Kyuka¡¯s wounds had been healed, and so he had decided to attack.


    And he had targeted Melvis, thinking the sleeping king would be easy to defeat.


    Well, if that was true, he had just kicked the hornet¡¯s nest.


    In any case there was no undoing it.


    Melvis had awakened.


    ¡°From what I heard, it sounds like he would mercilessly kill his own people¡­¡±


    It was scary not knowing what would anger him.


    I didn¡¯t have the skills to navigate through a minefield.


    And so to be honest, I had no idea what to do either.


    ¡ð Near the Border of Demon King Tralzard¡¯s Country


    A young Crew Eagle flew in the sky before losing his balance and crashing to the ground.


    ¡°¡­Ha¡­hah¡­¡±


    But the reason that he was out of breath¡­was not because he was in a hurry.


    ¡°Almost there.¡±


    The young Crew Eagle glared at the top of the mountain, and flapped his wings as he took flight once again.


    After several breaks in between, he crossed one mountain before losing his strength.


    ¡°Ha¡­ha¡­hahh¡­¡±


    With blurry eyes, he saw someone walking in his direction.


    He didn¡¯t know what race the person was.


    After all, the person was wearing a black robe.


    ¡°Are you from the Wild Hunt?¡±


    The youth asked. The stranger nodded.


    ¡°This¡­give it to Lord Nehyor¡­¡±


    As he said this, cracks appeared all over his body. He had solidified.


    ¡°Eaten by holy power.¡±


    Muttered the robed figure. And then he took the bag out of the man¡¯s hand.


    Immediately after, the body of the youth crumbled.


    ¡°The life stone.¡±


    It was the one that had been inside the body of the celestial being.


    One of Nehyor¡¯s men, who had been hiding in the town, had stolen it from the corpse. And through a relay of flying subordinates, they had brought it here.


    However, the life stone continued to release holy power. It would eat away at your body if you held it for too long.


    Aside from this young Crew Eagle, many had been eaten away from this holy power, and died.


    The figure in the dark robe clutched it, and then disappeared into the forest.

 Chapter 226

    Chapter 226¡ð Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s Country


    Lesser Demon King Melvis was sitting quietly on his throne.


    He leaned on his elbow, deep in thought.


    The people of the castle watched him from afar.


    No one wanted to speak to him.


    They were too scared to.


    And it wasn¡¯t because of anything that he was doing.


    In fact, he had not said a single word ever since he sat down.


    However, his people had noticed it.


    The person on the throne was a being with overwhelming power.


    But while no one else would approach that place, one single figure began to walk towards him.


    It was someone that they all knew very well.


    The person who had protected the castle all of this time after Melvis had fallen into a deep sleep.


    ¡°Forgive me for being late. I was leading the army in the north.¡±


    Farneze apologized as she knelt before the throne.


    Farneze was a General who answered directly to Melvis. She was one of the old guards, who had served him while he was still awake.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it is¡­justified. So, what happened?¡±


    Melvis wasn¡¯t uncommunicative. He could talk for a long time if it was necessary.


    ¡°A short while ago, the armies of four different countries were invading us from the south. Dardaros and Tulart, who recently succeeded Gorgodan, went to crush them.¡±


    ¡°The south¡­I see. And there¡¯s been some changes.¡±


    Melvis¡¯s memory did not include the last few hundred years.


    At that time, it would have been unthinkable for the southern countries to invade this country.


    ¡°And Lesser Demon King Kyuka came with his army from the north, and so I had to go and drive them back. But I should not have left the castle so unprotected.¡±


    Farneze bowed her head very low.


    There were three Generals in this country.


    If they wanted to resist this alliance of four countries, then they had to send out two of their Generals.


    And so Farneze was staying at the castle in case something happened.


    But then Kyuka¡¯s army attacked suddenly.


    Judging by the scale and momentum, Farneze decided that she had no choice but to go out. And so she had led her army in order to defeat Kyuka. S?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    And while the battle between the two armies was fierce, Kyuka was not to be seen on the battlefield.


    It was just as Farneze became suspicious that the report came from the castle.


    ¨CLesser Demon King Kyuka had taken his men and attacked the castle.


    Farneze left the battlefield after putting one of her men in charge, and she rushed back. However, the incident had already been concluded.


    Kyuka¡¯s men had all been killed.


    The castle interior, especially the entrance that connected to Melvis¡¯s room, was thoroughly destroyed. And Melvis himself had awakened.


    But Kyuka had fled. However, there was no one left at the castle who could chase after him.


    And now no one knew where he was.


    Farneze had then decided to go and meet Melvis at once.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I have waited so long for your return.¡±


    To these words, Melvis merely muttered, ¡®Mmm.¡¯


    Melvis was an Elder Vampire.


    A few hundred years of sleep was not going to affect his life span by much.


    She knew this, but Farneze had still been worried about what would happen should the king never awaken again.


    ¡°As for what happened while I was asleep, I will learn of it gradually¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Due to the severity of his actions, Melvis was seen by many to have a very impulsive personality, but he was actually quite level headed.


    He was capable of strategizing and coming up with optimal solutions on the spot.


    The reason that Melvis didn¡¯t immediately try and gather information after waking up, was because he had determined that it was ¡®not important.¡¯


    ¡°Farneze.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Can you see this?¡±


    Melvis showed her his empty hand.


    ¡°I am sorry. I cannot see anything¡­¡±


    Farneze thought that Melvis was holding something in his hand.


    However, no matter how hard she squinted, she could not see anything.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Then can you hear?¡±


    This time, he raised and then lowered his hand.


    Farneze perked up her ears, but of course, she could not hear anything, and apologized.


    Melvis touched his temple and considered this.


    Farneze waited quietly.


    ¡°Do you know about the Under World?¡±


    ¡°The Under World? I am afraid that I am ill-informed¡­as I have not heard of it.¡±


    ¡°Souls from the Celestial World, Human World, and Demon World are sent there when they die. It is there that these souls drift in a ¡®raw¡¯ state.¡±


    ¡°I never knew that there were more than three worlds.¡±


    ¡°Well, it is really only known by a few people in the Celestial World. These souls in the Under World. They exist with clouds above, the sea below, and the great vortex that connects them.¡±


    Melvis said slowly, with a nostalgic expression.


    The souls that float in the Under World¡¯s seas are pulled into the great vortex. They scrape against other souls as they rise up.


    And when they reach the clouds, they fall into the sea as rain.


    This just repeats.


    Over and over. Hundreds¡­.no, hundreds of millions of times they will rise and then fall.


    During this process, the personality that is stuck to the souls is scraped off and disappears.


    Just like a fading memory, every record of that soul from its past life is washed away.


    ¡°And once that soul has become pure again, it sinks deep into the sea, where it is reborn in some other world.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She had never heard any of this before.


    And she could not understand how Melvis knew about such things. However, there must be an important reason that he was telling it to her now.


    ¡°These loud, clanging chains will not disappear unless my soul is cleansed. It is quite the curse. No, a grudge.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Farneze did not know how to reply to these mutterings.


    However, she did know one thing now.


    Melvis could see something that she could not. And he was hearing things that she could not hear.


    ¡°So¡­who killed Hera?¡±


    He muttered quietly.

 Chapter 227

    Chapter 227Lesser Demon King Melvis asked Farneze if she could ¡®see the chains.¡¯


    But Farneze could not.


    However, she could see that Melvis¡¯s hands seemed to be holding something.


    But no matter how much she squinted, she could not see anything.


    Melvis had also said something about how he could not ¡®shed it unless the soul was cleansed.¡¯


    She didn¡¯t know if this was a ¡®curse¡¯ or ¡®grudge,¡¯ but there was something attached to him now.


    ¡°I am sorry¡­ I cannot see anything.¡±


    That was the only thing that she could say.


    ¡°Yes. Jikae and Manny cannot see it either.¡±


    Farneze remembered those names.


    Jikae and Manny were of a race known as Eternal Invisibles, and they had been Melvis¡¯s Adjutants.


    However, they had disappeared when Melvis went into his long sleep.


    Well, they had never been visible to begin with. But they had gone.


    Farneze had assumed that they were sealed in the room with Melvis, or they had went somewhere else.


    Judging from what he said, it seemed like they really had been with him.


    ¡°So she really can¡¯t see it.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    Farneze looked around.


    She had not heard those voices in a very long time.


    It must be Jikae and Manny.


    The Eternal Invisibles were completely transparent, and people of other races could not see them at all.


    ¡°She¡¯s searching for us.¡±


    ¡°For us.¡±


    ¡°But she won¡¯t find us.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t find us.¡±


    Farneze had not heard their voices for hundreds of years.


    She had almost forgotten about them completely.


    ¡°Hey, should we kill her?¡±


    ¡°Should we?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s kill her!¡±


    ¡°No, stop that.¡±


    Melvis said, looking behind Farneze, towards the right side.


    The voices were coming from the front, so she had thought they were standing there.


    In surprise, she turned around.


    But she could see nothing.


    ¡°We¡¯re not allowed to kill her.¡±


    ¡°Not allowed.¡±


    ¡°Then, what should we do?¡±


    ¡°What indeed.¡±


    ¡°Should we kill someone else?¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s kill someone else!¡±


    Apparently, Melvis was able to see the two.


    Perhaps it was obvious, as there was no point in hiring Adjutants that you couldn¡¯t even see. But Farneze had no idea how Melvis was able to see them.


    ¡°You two seem to have nothing to do.¡±


    Melvis said with a sigh.


    ¡°He said we have nothing to do.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he did.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°It is.¡±


    ¡°Then go south. Annihilate the people who tried to invade this country.¡±


    ¡°He said that we can kill.¡±


    ¡°He said that we can kill.¡±


    ¡°Should we?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°At once!¡±


    And then there was silence.


    ¡°¡­They have felt incredibly bored ever since they woke up.¡±


    Melvis said with exasperation. Farneze sighed in relief.


    She would have hated to die at a time like this.


    And she was also reminded of just how they were like.


    Jikae and Manny spread death wherever they went. They didn¡¯t differentiate between friend or foe.


    There was something excessively merciless and cruel about them.


    They were supposed to be twins, but she wasn¡¯t sure, as she had never seen them.


    In fact, she didn¡¯t want to pry, and had always avoided them.


    ¡°Will Lesser High King Yamato be returning any time soon?¡±


    She asked the question that was on her mind.


    According to what Melvis had told her, Lesser High King Yamato was still alive. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    And Melvis had said that Yamato would return when the time was right.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it is time yet. I doubt the situation has changed enough in just a few hundred years.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    To Melvis, a few hundred years was not much time at all.


    Farneze was reminded of how different an Elder really was.


    ¡ð Wild Hunt ¨C Nehyor.


    ¡°¡­So, what the hell is happening?¡±


    Apparently, residents of the Celestial World had come to Demon King Tralzard¡¯s town.


    But the invasion had already been repelled, and the boss defeated.


    Well, it was a Demon King, after all.


    A subordinate who had been hiding in the town had removed the life stone from the corpse and delivered it to Nehyor.


    And like that, he had acquired one of the things that he needed in order to become an Elder Vampire.


    Now, Nehyor was one step closer to evolution.


    He just needed an Orb of Control from a Demon King.


    And thanks to Lesser Demon King Kyuka¡¯s rise, he was very close to acquiring it.


    The plan to incite the southern countries and have them destroyed by Kyuka was going well.


    At this point, the count down to the birth of a Demon King was close to its end.


    Nehyor had been hiding as he thought on how he would lead the Lesser Demon Kings of the south.


    However¡­


    ¡°Huh? Who?¡±


    Nehyor had not been able to see it.


    And so the discovery was delayed.


    Before he knew it, the Lesser Demon Kings that he had been leading were defeated.


    And since he could not see the newcomers, he was unable to measure their mana level.


    However, they had easily sent Lesser Demon Kings to their graves, so they must be very powerful.


    They were either high-ranking Lesser Demon Kings, or perhaps even Demon Kings.


    But there was no point if he couldn¡¯t see them.


    And so two of the four Lesser Demon Kings were killed, and the other two retreated in fear for their lives.


    Nehyor felt like wailing, ¡®why.¡¯


    ¡°¡­Ah, I just remembered.¡±


    It was shortly after he had arrived in Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s country.


    He had heard about the invisible twins that served Melvis as Adjutants.


    No one knew where they went after Melvis fell into a long sleep. But it was said that they were in the sealed room, and had also fallen asleep as well.


    But since they were invisible, no one knew the truth.


    He only knew that the rumors had spread about it.


    ¡°¡­Could it be that he¡¯s returned?¡±


    There was no one there to answer him.

 Chapter 228

    Chapter 228¡°Lesser Demon King Melvis has awakened, and Lesser Demon King Kyuka has fled. Out of the four countries that invaded from the south, Rous and Lubanga were killed. And the other armies also took heavy losses.¡±


    ¡°¡­! That is very¡­¡±


    ¡°Not only that, but it¡¯s said that it was King Melvis¡¯s Adjutants who destroyed Rous and Lubanga.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Unbelievable.


    ¡°The Lesser Demon Kings who survived have already retreated to their own countries. Things have changed dramatically all at once in the east.¡±


    Demon King Tralzard said with a stiff expression.


    Between Melvis¡¯s return and now, messengers had come and gone many times.


    Sometimes, they came multiple times in one day. People from other countries would likely be surprised by this.


    But right now, Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s country was of the greatest interest to Tralzard.


    ¡°So, what am I supposed to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve communicated with your General, and it was decided that we would call back the soldiers that we exchanged, and agree to continue to cooperate in the future¡­ After all, if King Melvis attacked us, it would be a grievous blow for our country. And so I would like to maintain this cooperative relationship.¡±


    Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s return had sent shock waves all over the Demon World.


    It was the old-timers who were particularly stunned.


    You could say that it was those who were alive during his reign that felt it the most.


    He was a Great Demon King who fought under the legendary Lesser High King Yamato.


    And while he was only a lord of a small country now, he had once ruled over vast territories.


    He was someone who was so dangerous that he would destroy countries every time he was angry.


    ¡°Call back our soldiers. So that means me.¡±


    ¡°Indeed¡­ Now, haven¡¯t you had enough?¡±


    ¡°Uh, I suppose. It seems to have worked.¡±


    I pulled out my hand from the side of Tralzard¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°¡­I couldn¡¯t even see that last attack.¡±


    ¡°Well, it is my special move.¡±


    I was currently using Tralzard as my training partner.


    As I shook off the sticky blood from my hand, I saw Tralzard¡¯s body repair itself.


    The recovery ability of Dragons really was incredible.


    Due to recent events, Tralzard was thoroughly shaken. And so I asked her to be my partner in ¡®Kumite.¡¯


    ¡°And what is that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s combat training¡­I think.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Why do you need to train? Just crush your enemy when the time comes.¡±


    ¡°Well, I suppose you can.¡±


    She did not understand its purpose.


    In the Demon World, a person¡¯s race was already a good indication of their strength.


    It was difficult to understand when you thought of it in human terms. It was much simpler if you compared us to animals.


    Bears were strong and rabbits were weak. No matter how hard it might try, a rabbit will never be able to beat a bear.


    Similarly, no amount of training would allow a Goblin to defeat a Vampire.


    This discrepancy that existed from birth meant that training lost a lot of its purpose.


    Furthermore, like Tralzard said, one became stronger when they fought.


    By killing an opponent, you would take a portion of their strength.


    While it wasn¡¯t much, if you repeated it enough times, you could have an advantage over others of your own kind.


    And so it was much better to fight and defeat others than train.


    Everyone believed this. Training was a waste of time.


    Their very instincts told them that there was a wall that they could not overcome. And they knew what method they had to use if they wanted to become stronger.


    No one thought to train for long periods in order to raise their strength.


    After all, even intelligent animals like dolphins and apes do not train themselves.


    I had never seen an ape do push ups or sit ups. And I doubted they were doing it in secret.


    They didn¡¯t train and create new moves in order to become the boss of their pack.


    And so it took time for me to make Tralzard understand what I was trying to do. I just told her that it was ¡®like a game,¡¯ and asked her to indulge me.


    After all, Tralzard now owed me a debt or two


    I had uncovered the plot to assassinate Seitry, and stopped it in advance.


    And then I had lived in the tower in order to distract the enemy and insure the tactician¡¯s safety.


    And when the Celestial World had invaded, I destroyed one of the barrier pillars.


    That was the reason I was able to make the usually busy Demon King help me.


    ¡°Still, you¡¯ve become much stronger.¡±


    Tralzard said thoughtfully.


    I had been completely at her mercy at first, but now we seemed evenly matched when fighting.


    Well, she was still holding back.


    ¡°They do say, ¡®start with the first step.¡¯¡±


    ¡°What the hell is that?¡±


    ¡°¡­Uh, it¡¯s like casting a spell?¡±


    It was some fable where someone was asked, ¡®what should I do to hire a great person?¡¯ and the reply was, ¡®if you treat an average person like me warmly, then someone better will come and be your officer.¡¯


    I didn¡¯t think that things would go quite so well in real life, but I did feel that it was true that one must ¡®start with things that are in reach.¡¯


    In my case, I had been poisoned by the Demon World¡¯s way of thinking after evolving.


    I had thought, ¡®I¡¯m strong as I am, so what would be the point of training?¡¯


    It was shocking. Was this how all high-ranking races thought?


    Yes, it was no wonder that none of them trained.


    And so I started to train with Tralzard. And when not training, I used my time trying to search for other ways to become stronger.


    What I spent the most time on was trying to move the mana within my body.


    Apparently, it was possible to freely manipulate your internal mana. If you charged your legs with it, you could jump higher. If you did it with your arms, their strength would increase. S?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    And what was most convenient about this, is that it wasn¡¯t a ¡®special ability.¡¯


    The ¡®techniques¡¯ I had learned in my past life were very good when used in combination with these attacks and movements aided by mana.


    And so I decided to train so that I could do it without thinking.


    Rome wasn¡¯t built in a day, as they say.


    Furthermore, by fighting with Tralzard, I was able to learn how Dragons moved and thought. I learned the secrets of their strength.


    Surely things would have been different if she went all out, but I still had an understanding of their limits and what made them so amazing.


    Up until now, I had seen a transformed Dragon three times.


    Two of them were during an invasion from the Celestial World. And one was during the battle against Demon King Janius¡¯s army.


    The memories of Miralda and Tralzard were still fresh in my head.


    Their overwhelming power. It came from absorbing the mana around them, which they used to temporarily store inside their bodies as they transformed.


    It showed me the ¡®possibilities of mana.¡¯


    That¡¯s why I was practicing taking in the mana around me, and then unleashing it.


    I was not likely to be able to use it for anything for a while, but it was my opinion that this kind of steady effort would pay off one day.


    ¡°In that case, I will return to my country.¡±


    ¡°Mmmm¡­ You should do that. Send my regards to King Melvis. And do try and avoid invading my country.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ But if it does happen, you should run. I doubt there will be anything that I can do.¡±


    ¡ªShaking.


    All it took was a little teasing, and her eyes grew watery.


    I didn¡¯t know why, but I found it adorable. Though I would never say it.

 Chapter 229

    Chapter 229And so I decided to leave Demon King Tralzard and return to my country.


    There were things that I had to do first, but thankfully, I had a reliable friend in Adjutant Stomel.


    ¡°I want you to tell General Miralda that I¡¯ll be returning ahead of the others.¡±


    I just had to give the order.


    ¡°I understand. It seems that the soldiers in King Melvis¡¯s country were also called back, so I must tell the General about that as well.¡±


    I would have liked to see the General before leaving, but it would mean traveling in the opposite direction.


    And so I decided to just send a message through Stomel.


    As for my subordinates, they would return much more slowly.


    It took time and preparation to relocate soldiers. It was different then when I traveled alone.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the trouble, but thank you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir Golan. Leave everything to me.¡±


    Stomel really was the perfect Adjutant.


    But then again, all the non-combat personnel that rose within the army were brilliant in some way.


    It was easy to go up in the world when you could fight.


    And so those who could not fight had to be aware of much more, before that road was opened up to them.


    ¡°He¡¯s really helped me a lot.¡±


    Maybe we would meet again one day.


    It was with such a premonition that I left Tralzard¡¯s town.


    ¡°Now, time to run in earnest.¡±


    I charged my legs with mana so that I could run at full speed.


    I had never traveled like this before.


    But now, I was able to freely control the mana that had increased over a few dozen times.


    So it was time to put it to the test.


    In order to learn my own limits, I began to run.


    ¡°So, three days to the border.


    I slept during the night, and ran only in the day.


    And it still only took three days to reach the border from Tralzard¡¯s town.


    Yes, the difference in speed after the rise in my physical abilities was on a different level.


    I had now arrived in the town of Elstabia.


    This was the town governed by General Farneze.


    I headed to the mansion where the General lived, but she was not at home.


    Apparently, she had stayed at Melvis¡¯s castle.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, the other countries attacked us, didn¡¯t they?¡±


    Perhaps she couldn¡¯t leave the castle yet.


    I told the people in the mansion that those who were sent to Tralzard¡¯s lands would be returning soon.


    I had returned ahead of them, but no one had anything to say about that.


    They probably thought that I had returned alone after hearing about the invasion.


    ¡°¡­Or maybe they don¡¯t even realize that it¡¯s me?¡±


    I was still an Ogre when we departed. So perhaps they don¡¯t think that we¡¯re the same person.


    When I thought back on it, the people in the mansion treated me like I was their superior.


    But they worked directly under the General. There was no reason for them to be humble around me.


    ¡°Maybe they really don¡¯t know.¡±


    The day after I left Elstabia town, I arrived at the castle where Melvis lived.


    But I was stopped when I tried to enter.


    ¡°I¡¯m the Commander of an independent corps under General Farneze. My name is Golan. I need to speak to the General.¡±


    ¡°We will send word to her at once, so please wait here.¡±


    They were regular guards who protected the castle. A few of them were staring at me from a distance.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t draw this much attention the last time I was here.¡±


    There was something tense in the way that they looked at me.


    Perhaps it was because Melvis had awakened. Or because they had allowed the enemy to infiltrate the castle. They were more cautious than usual.


    ¡°The General says that she will meet you. Come this way.¡±


    Apparently, I would be able to meet her now.


    The soldier headed deep into the castle.


    I had never gone to the backside of the castle. But he kept going further and further.


    ¡°¡­Are you sure that it¡¯s this way?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That is what I was told.¡±


    That¡¯s strange. There was hardly anyone in this direction. Why would the General be in such a secluded spot?


    ¡°Oh, there she is.¡±


    In a wide open area, stood the General. All alone.


    Where were her subordinates?


    ¡°Golan¡­ Is that you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again, General. ¡­Why are you unsure?¡±


    ¡°Because you have changed so much¡­ Have you evolved?¡±


    ¡°I have. I suppose I forgot to make a report of it. I¡¯m Golan the Susanoo-no-Mikoto now.¡± S~?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°A special evolution¡­ Well, I can¡¯t say that it isn¡¯t like you¡­ Still, that is quite the transformation.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯ve changed quite that much. Do I really seem that different?¡±


    ¡°Well, the physical change and the spike in mana levels are all expected. However¡­ There is something about your aura that is completely different.¡±


    Aura, eh? I didn¡¯t really understand that, but if an older acquaintance thought so, it must be true.


    ¡°As for what happened there, I will write a report as soon as I can. I returned alone, ahead of the others. ¡­Uh, why are you here?¡±


    It was a great, empty hall.


    I doubted she had some kind of work here.


    And she never did anything without a purpose.


    ¡°About that, I assume you know that King Melvis has awakened?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I heard it from Tralzard.¡±


    ¡°You met Demon King Tralzard!?¡±


    ¡°We were uh, linked by something.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, that makes things simpler. When King Melvis awakened, he was accompanied by¡­¡±


    ¡°Found you.¡±


    ¡°We sure did.¡±


    ¡°Why are you hiding?¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Hey, should we kill her?¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s kill her.¡±


    ¡°And this time, we can¡¯t fail.¡±


    ¡°We have to be sure of it.¡±


    ¡°I guess they found us.¡±


    ¡°Uh, what is that? I can hear a very ominous conversation.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Jikae and Manny. Melvis¡¯s Adjutants.¡±


    ¡°Uh, I can¡¯t see anyone?¡±


    ¡°Who is that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°He knows we¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, he does.¡±


    ¡°Should we kill him too?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s kill him too.¡±


    I heard the voices.

 Chapter 230

    Chapter 230¡°I thought that I lost them, but they were following.¡±


    General Farneze said with annoyance.


    ¡°Uh, they¡¯re just voices?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t see anything. But there were voices saying ominous things.


    ¡°King Melvis¡¯s Adjutants, Jikae and Manny are close by. They awoke at the same time.¡±


    ¡°I see. How very loyal of them.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t something that anyone would do.


    However, why were they talking about killing?


    ¡°When I told them that I was awake while they slept, they called me a coward.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    So they were angry.


    ¡°The weak do not belong here. And they attacked me, saying that my death would make up for it.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    It was quite self-indulgent.


    ¡°Hey, they sure do talk a lot.¡±


    ¡°They do.¡±


    ¡°So let¡¯s just kill them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s kill them.¡±


    I understood what was happening now. While I couldn¡¯t see them, there were two people called Jikae and Manny here, and they were going to attack.


    Why was it that fights would always erupt wherever I went? Well, it was the Demon World, after all.


    ¡°So, are you alright, General Farneze? Can you win?¡±


    ¡°If it was just one, I would be able to manage. But two would make things dangerous.¡±


    General Farneze was a high-ranking Vampire.


    And she was one of the strongest.


    But she was still only equal to one of them. They must be really strong then.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take on the other one.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? It won¡¯t be an easy fight.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll just consider it part of my training then.¡±


    General Farneze chuckled at this, and then made up her mind.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s show them. In fact, you have my permission to kill. And don¡¯t even worry about collateral damage.¡±


    ¡°That will make things easier.¡±


    I was wearing my armor. And I had my shield and weapons. Yes, I should be able to do this.


    I looked around me.


    I could not see them, and had no idea where they were. I couldn¡¯t even sense their mana.


    It was just like how you couldn¡¯t see someone¡¯s mana when they were behind a wall.


    So, what about their presence? I tried searching for it, but could find nothing.


    There were apparently two of them, but I doubted they were standing right next to each other. Where could they be?


    ¡°He¡¯s looking for us.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he is.¡±


    I tried swinging the hexagonal club in the direction of the sounds. It cut through air. There was nothing.


    And I had struck without a second¡¯s delay when I heard the voices.


    (¡­Either they are not standing in the spot that the voices come from, or objects can move through their bodies?)


    But there was no way that it was possible.


    Besides, the club was charged with lots of mana, so would be strong enough to kill a Ghost in one hit.


    They must be using some kind of trick to make their voices heard in different places.


    Just then, General Farneze was hit with an attack. Blood splattered.


    But Vampires recovered quickly from small wounds.


    The General hit back, but there was nothing there.


    However, I had seen her hit something. So it wasn¡¯t as if our attacks couldn¡¯t reach them.


    ¡°General. What race are they?¡±


    ¡°They are called the Eternal Invisibles. No one has ever seen them.¡±


    So they are an eternally invisible race.


    Judging by their name, they weren¡¯t using a special ability in order to hide themselves. s?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    But what about the trick with their voices and hiding their presence? Were those special abilities?


    I somehow doubted it.


    As for why they were invisible, perhaps it was like active camouflage, where they were projecting the background in the front, or they were changing their colors like chameleons.


    ¡°¡­Woah!¡±


    I felt a shift in the air, and moved out of the way.


    ¡°He dodged.¡±


    ¡°He did.¡±


    I learned one thing. They could cut through the air, so they had bodies.


    And the voice I had immediately heard was quite far from the direction that I had been attacked.


    Clearly, their voice and position were not matching.


    Were they throwing their voices?


    (¡­No, refraction?)


    Appearance and voice were light and sound.


    Could they be refracting light and sound in order to hide what is there?


    After all, General Farneze was struggling.


    She was actively launching her attacks, but she didn¡¯t know where the enemy was standing.


    (If you can¡¯t see them with your eyes, then use¡­your Mind¡¯s Eye!)


    That being said, I had no such thing.


    And so I sent mana throughout my body and closed my eyes.


    General Farneze was fighting with the enemy.


    I could only sense her presence.


    As for sound¡­I could hear the sound of her being hit and blocking attacks.


    Footsteps?


    I couldn¡¯t hear any.


    No, I could. And it was getting close.


    ¡°Here!¡±


    I swung the hexagonal club and felt the impact.


    ¡°It hit me.¡±


    ¡°It did.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Luck.¡±


    ¡°Yes, luck.¡±


    I had been able to tell that someone was moving towards me from where the General stood.


    The reason that I wasn¡¯t being attacked as much, was because they had both been targeting her at first.


    However, they had been attacking me every now and then so that we wouldn¡¯t be able to tell.


    But I had it figured out now.


    They knew how strong General Farneze was.


    And so they had to fight her together.


    ¡°In that case, once again.¡±


    I searched for their presence again and perked up my ears.


    ¡ªWhoosh!


    Behind me, to the right. The sound of cutting air.


    I ducked and then swung the club where its feet should be.


    ¡ªGong.


    I felt it hit something hard.


    And there was the sound of something flying back.


    ¡°It hit me.¡±


    ¡°It did.¡±


    ¡°It looks like it wasn¡¯t luck.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t luck.¡±


    ¡°This is dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s kill this one first.¡±


    ¡°Yes, kill him first.¡±


    So they had decided to target me now.


    But unlike the General, I was not able to heal myself. If I got hit badly, it would all be over.


    Now, how could I get myself out of this one?


    I tried to think.

 Chapter 231

    Chapter 231The Eternal Invisibles.


    Little was known about them.


    Except for that they were invisible, and that their voices did not betray their current position.


    But judging from the way it felt when hitting them, they weren¡¯t specialized for defense.


    After all, one had gone flying off in just a single hit.


    And they had felt weak to the touch. Brittle.


    When hitting someone tough, it often felt like you were punching a boulder.


    (However, they are Melvis¡¯s Adjutants. They must be considerably stronger than your average high-ranker.)


    ¡°This one is arrogant.¡±


    ¡°He is so arrogant.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s kill him together.¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s kill him.¡±


    Jikae and Manny had made me their next target.


    Their attacks moved from General Farneze to me.


    And so I analyzed their combat style as much as I could.


    (They always attack from the back.)


    They did not stand in the front.


    If you wanted to hit someone, it was best to hit them from a direction where they couldn¡¯t launch a counter attack.


    (What was the point in attacking from the front when they couldn¡¯t even see you?)


    People who were invisible would always attack from the back.


    It was effective yes, but that was it.


    I concentrated on what was behind me and perked up my ears.


    But I couldn¡¯t hear any footsteps¡­no, I heard something.


    The sound of something cutting through the air. It was an attack from above!


    I swung upwards with the hexagonal club, blocking the attack, and then I slammed the assailant with a chain of attacks.


    Then I continued as if it were part of a combo.


    Still, I was only able to hit the enemy twice.


    They blocked the third and dodged the fourth.


    ¡°He has good instincts.¡±


    ¡°And he can¡¯t even see us.¡±


    I heard the cautious voices.


    Apparently, these two had woken up after hundreds of years of sleep. But I guess no one was using the same moves as me back then.


    Every time there was an attack, I detected it and counterattacked.


    Counters put me on edge, but it wasn¡¯t too hard if you knew the right timing.


    It didn¡¯t matter what martial arts it was, there were always techniques involving parrying and counter attacks.


    I was very much accustomed to all of this¡­if only I wasn¡¯t fighting against two enemies at once.


    ¡°He¡¯s tough.¡±


    ¡°Surprising.¡±


    When it was two against one, I couldn¡¯t help but be hit every now and then.


    If this continued, I wouldn¡¯t be able to concentrate, and it would be more difficult to counter.


    (Just a little bit more.)


    I was starting to be able to see¡­ Well, not really. But I now understood the timing for the attack. Finally.


    ¡°¡­Ha!¡±


    I managed to hit them. It was proof that my technique was working.


    And my suspicion proved to be accurate.


    They were not strong against attacks.


    I had the feeling that they were very slender. After all, they had gone flying after being hit.


    And they wouldn¡¯t be that tall either.


    That was why they were hard to hit.


    As I was starting to be able to read the timing, I could hit them at the same time that they hit me.


    My body was tougher than theirs, and so it was like a test of endurance.


    After repeating this over and over again, I got used to it.


    ¡°I hit first.¡±


    Finally, I was able to hit them before they hit me.


    Just as I thought the attack was about to come, I was able to react.


    In other words, I was able to attack before their attack hit me.


    ¡°Now, time for some payback.¡±


    Jikae and Manny continued to attack me from behind like idiots.


    They thought it was the best way, and seemed to have no intention of breaking the pattern.


    But it was easy to deal with someone if you know where they were coming from.


    I could detect the sounds and react. In other words¡­


    ¡°Huh? I can¡¯t hit him anymore.¡±


    ¡°Neither can I.¡±


    However, I could hit them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    While I had taken quite a bit of damage at this point, I could still fight.


    I didn¡¯t know which one was Jikae and which was Manny, but one of them was stabbing me with a drill-like, sharp arm. And the other was attacking me with arms like a clamp.


    One attack would make holes in me, and the other would crush.


    That is¡­if they reached me.


    ¡°Golan.¡±


    I heard General Farneze¡¯s voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. But¡­ Could you deal with this one?¡±


    I kicked the air where I thought one of them was standing.


    I felt something hit my foot. The enemy had probably rolled over to where the General was.


    ¡°You can see them!?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t. But I broke its arm. I had an idea of where it was.¡±


    ¡°I see. ¡­In that case, I gladly accept this offering.¡±


    The General¡¯s irises narrowed. Was she serious now?


    In fact, I hadn¡¯t even known that Vampire eyes could do that. They were like a crocodile.


    Her eyes were usually quite normal¡­


    There wasn¡¯t much to say after that.


    Both the General and I were able to fight the Eternal Invisibles on equal footing.


    That being said, it was only because General Farneze had ridiculous healing ability, and I was now able to read their movements.


    In the General¡¯s case, she was practically unharmed, and so it seemed like she was in a very one-sided battle.


    And while I felt that I should be able to do a decent amount of damage when I charged my attacks with mana, the enemy¡¯s durability exceeded my attacks.


    We fought for quite some time, but I was unable to gain the upper hand, and we remained in a deadlock.


    (If this continues, things will only get worse for me.)


    I couldn¡¯t see the enemy, so I had no idea how much damage I was doing.


    It felt like being lost in the desert. Not that that had ever happened to me.


    ¡°¡­Hmm?¡±


    My opponent showed no signs of attacking.


    I waited for a moment, but nothing changed.


    (Had he escaped?)


    ¡°They seem to have run away.¡±


    Apparently, it was the same with General Farneze.


    ¡°Do you think they will wait until our guard is down?¡±


    ¡°They probably realized that it would continue to be a stalemate. There is no point in fighting.¡±


    ¡°No point? ¡­Ah, do you mean that they lost their spirit?¡±


    ¡°Yes. After all, they had claimed that I wasn¡¯t worthy of serving King Melvis. But seeing as they¡¯ve run away, I take it to mean they believe I am worthy now.¡±


    The General said with a chuckle.


    I see. s?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    If General Farneze wasn¡¯t worthy, then no one was.


    And so they must have just given up.


    But that was rather spineless of them.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the most satisfying ending to a fight.¡±


    They just ran away and then it was over. What the hell were they trying to do?


    ¡°Well, we can¡¯t chase after them, much less find them. That¡¯s one way to fight.¡±


    ¡°I see. In that case, I¡¯ll make sure that they won¡¯t be able to fight next time.¡±


    I could target their legs and break them.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that¡­ By the way, you came here to see me?¡±


    ¡°I nearly forgot why I came here. But it really isn¡¯t that important.¡±


    I caught my breath before continuing.


    ¡°Demon King Tralzard gave me permission to return. And so I have. My men are still on their way, and I just thought that I should let you know.¡±


    Yes, I had wanted to tell the General of my return.


    ¡°I see. As soon as the others return, you may disband the corps.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Now my mission was complete.


    ¡°So, Golan. What will you do now?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet. But I want to return to my village and rest.¡±


    It was important to recuperate.


    ¡°Indeed. As before, you will be working under me. Of course, now that King Melvis is awake, things will likely change within the army. Who knows what will happen. But you can rest for now.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    I was officially allowed to rest.


    Alright, time to return to my life of eating and sleeping in the village.

 Chapter 232

    Chapter 232¡ð Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s Country


    Melvis was sitting on his throne with his eyes closed, deep in thought.


    There was no one nearby. His Adjutants would not allow anyone to get close.


    And so the throne room was very quiet.


    Suddenly, Melvis opened his eyes and asked in a suspicious voice.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    However, there was nothing. No one was there.


    ¡°We were beaten.¡±


    ¡°Beaten.¡±


    The voices were from his Adjutants, Jikae and Manny.


    They were Eternal Invisibles, and no one but Melvis was able to see them.


    ¡°By Farneze? She must have grown significantly in just a few hundred years.¡±


    In Melvis¡¯s memory, there had been a wide gap in strength between Farneze and his two Adjutants. S~?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°But she hasn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Yes, she hasn¡¯t.¡±


    The two frantically tried to make excuses as Melvis glared at them.


    ¡°You challenged her and lost. Now stop warbling like the weak.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The voices became quiet.


    Melvis knew that it was they who had antagonized Farneze.


    They had always been like this. They would challenge others and often kill them.


    ¡ªThey died because they were weak.


    That¡¯s what they would say, indifferent and without remorse.


    In that case, they should take their own defeat very seriously. That was what Melvis thought.


    ¡°She isn¡¯t stronger.¡±


    ¡°Yes, she isn¡¯t.¡±


    But they continued to try and explain, and so Melvis suddenly became interested, and asked, ¡®what do you mean?¡¯


    ¡°There was one other person.¡±


    ¡°Yes, someone else.¡±


    Apparently, one of her men was with her.


    Melvis could not remember any names in particular.


    ¡°He said his name was Golan.¡±


    ¡°He was called Golan.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­Golan. I¡¯ve never heard that name.¡±


    It must be someone who wasn¡¯t around when he was awake then.


    ¡°He could see us.¡±


    ¡°No, he couldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°He couldn¡¯t see us.¡±


    ¡°He did see.¡±


    ¡°Our attacks landed, but didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t, but did.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    It seemed like they wanted to say that they landed at first, but then they were unable to hit him later on.


    (Did he learn while he was fighting?)


    As Melvis pondered on this, another figure entered the throne room.


    It was Farneze.


    ¡°Silence, you two.¡±


    ¡°What? I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    But he glared at them, and they quickly closed their mouths.


    Farneze walked up to Melvis and knelt in front of him.


    ¡°The corps that was sent out to Demon King Tralzard¡¯s country will be returning soon. Their Commander returned ahead of them with a message from Demon King Tralzard.¡±


    ¡ªLet us continue to be friends.


    Farneze repeated the words she had heard from Golan.


    ¡°I see. ¡­And? What is the name of this Commander?¡±


    Melvis asked.


    ¡ð Golan


    I made a report about my return and relayed the message.


    And since I had no business at the castle, I headed back to my homeland.


    The Ogre village was about five days away on foot.


    ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll run then.¡±


    But due to my fight with Jikae and Manny, my body was covered in small wounds.


    ¡°They sure worked me over. I¡¯ve been pierced and crushed.¡±


    I had tried to return the favor, but I wasn¡¯t sure how effective it had been.


    After all, I couldn¡¯t see them.


    ¡°Well, better not run at full speed.¡±


    I was injured. And so I decided to hold back a little as I ran.


    ¡°Hah¡­ha¡­hah¡­ This is not a bad pace.¡±


    And so I jogged for the entire day.


    By night fall, I had covered more than half of the distance.


    But I would have to sleep outside. Which just meant rolling over under the shadow of a tree.


    And so I ate some of the food I had bought in town and then lay down.


    ¡°Still, that was a tough fight.¡±


    Recently, I seemed to have gotten used to fighting in the Demon World, and so I rarely thought outside of simple terms. Were they strong or weak? That was it.


    ¡°But that¡¯s no use.¡±


    In order to survive in the Demon World, I¡¯d need to acquire a more all-encompassing type of strength.


    So that no matter the situation, and no matter how much of a disadvantage I have, I could either win or run away.


    That was the secret to survival.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to train from square one again.¡±


    It was with such thoughts in my head that I closed my eyes.


    The next morning.


    The wounds on my body had mostly faded away.


    The larger ones were still there, but the bruises and gashes were hard to see.


    ¡°Alright, I can increase the pace so that I¡¯ll arrive within the day.¡±


    And so I ran down the road.


    My body felt lighter than it did yesterday. It was proof that I was recovering.


    As I skipped lunch and kept running, I was able to arrive at the village before sundown.


    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡±


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±


    Two Ogres glared at me near the village¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°Ah, Ben and Dadas. It¡¯s me. Golan.¡±


    ¡°Eh? How do you know the name of our chief¡­ Wait, are you really Golan?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Don¡¯t you sense the connection through our mana?¡±


    ¡°¡­Ah, yes. Maybe.¡±


    Everyone in this village was my subordinate.


    We were connected through the Orb of Control.


    If you were close by, you could follow the mana in your own body and see that it led to mine.


    ¡°As you can see, I¡¯ve come home.¡±


    ¡°I see. So all the others must have died then.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re alive! Well, not all of them. But I just came back ahead of the others.¡±


    I had forgotten how quickly Ogres accepted the deaths of their friends.


    ¡°Well, welcome back. So, why do you look like that?¡±


    ¡°Evolution.¡±


    ¡°I know that, you idiot.¡±


    They called me an idiot. An Ogre called me an idiot.


    ¡°Well, uh. It happened after numerous and dangerous battles.¡±


    But I had also fought many dangerous battles after it¡­ Was I cursed?


    It was too late to complain.


    ¡°Indeed. That must have been hard.¡±


    Ogres died easily.


    Experiencing numerous battles would lead to evolution, but they often died before it could happen.


    Yes, almost all of them died.


    Surviving all of that and evolving was like winning the lottery in a way.


    And so it was no wonder they felt that it ¡®must have been hard.¡¯


    ¡°In any case, I¡¯m going to my house in order to rest.¡±


    And by that, I meant sleep.


    I had been running ever since I left Tralzard. And then I fought some weirdos and ran all of the way here. I was tired.


    I would want to rest for at least two to three days before inspecting the village.

 Chapter 233

    Chapter 233¡ð Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s Country


    ¡°What is his name?¡±


    Asked Lesser Demon King Melvis. A cold sweat ran down Farneze¡¯s skin as she answered.


    ¡°He is called Golan. I put him in charge of the corps that was sent to Demon King Tralzard.¡±


    That might have sounded impressive, but they were really a disposable group of soldiers.


    The only reason they had been sent was that General Miralada did not want it to look like they were the only ones sending men.


    It was no surprise. While they were Miralda¡¯s men, they were the Demon King¡¯s fighting force.


    And so she couldn¡¯t lend them out so easily.


    The trading was just something they did as a disguise.


    And this was related to the fact that Demon King Tralzard did not want any of their neighbors to become Demon Kings.


    They wanted to invade other countries in order to stop it.


    But that could just be the cause of even more fighting. And it also looked bad.


    This had been the best way to deal with the problem without kicking the hornet¡¯s nest.


    Farneze too did not want this country to be swallowed up due to some king¡¯s ambition.


    And so she had accepted Miralda¡¯s offer. But this was a small country.


    She could not send out her best men.


    That being said, she couldn¡¯t just send her worst either.


    There needed to be a balance. And so Golan and the independant corps were sent.


    Well, that had been Miralda and Farneze¡¯s plan, anyway.


    And Farneze did not know what Melvis would think about all of this.


    And if he asked, she could not lie or twist the truth.


    She had to answer honestly.


    ¡°Golan¡­ I don¡¯t know him. Where is he from?¡±


    ¡°He is my subordinate and used to be a young Ogre. I suppose he must have fought well across the border. After all, he underwent a special evolution.¡±


    While Melvis was sleeping, Farneze and the other Generals had to make the important decisions.


    However, with this matter, she could not even begin to guess what Melvis would think, and what conclusion he would come to.


    If it turned out that she had hit a nerve, he might fly into a rage.


    Farneze looked at Melvis carefully.


    As for Melvis, he had been taken off guard.


    Judging by what his Adjutants had said, he had assumed that it was someone who was nearly as strong as Farneze. Someone from the stronger races who had evolved.


    But this person was merely a Commander. A former Ogre. They were known to be unreliable.


    He wasn¡¯t a General or even a Corps Commander. Just a Commander.


    How could someone like that defeat Jikae and Manny?


    Melvis was very interested now.


    ¡°Confirm this for me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±


    ¡°You are absolutely certain that this Golan is a former Ogre?¡±


    Melvis had lived much longer than Farneze.


    And he knew a lot about Ogres.


    He thought back. Had they ever been useful for anything outside of shields on the battlefield?


    No. From ancient times, Ogres were only good for being walls of meat.


    ¡°There is no mistake. He was an Ogre.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    Melvis pondered on this for a while.


    Had something happened to the Demon World while he was asleep?


    He didn¡¯t care if his lands grew smaller or his population shrank.


    If he wanted more, it was as simple as taking it.


    And so it didn¡¯t matter whatever the current situation was with his lands and people.


    However, this matter of the evolving Ogre.


    How could someone like that beat his own Adjutants?


    Surely something must have happened while he was asleep.


    ¡°And what is he doing now?¡±


    ¡°¡­He said that he would return to his village. He would have gone by now.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Farneze was anxious.


    Not only did she not know when or if he would be angry, but it was now evident that Melvis was interested in Golan. s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    (If Golan and Melvis entered a confrontation¡­)


    I doubt it would happen¡­fighting¡­no, it can¡¯t¡­but if instigated¡­


    Farneze wished that she could keep them apart. But life was cruel.


    ¡°I think that I shall meet him.¡±


    Melvis muttered.


    ¡°!?¡±


    Farneze was shocked.


    It wasn¡¯t just Melvis, but she could also never tell what Golan was thinking.


    He fought in such a strange way.


    Sometimes he seemed passionate, while other times he was terribly clever.


    Her impression was that he was a subordinate with no limits.


    ¡°However, I want you to deal with the northern coward first.¡±


    And by that, he meant Kyuka, who had infiltrated the castle.


    It was not good that someone should think that they could escape. Farneze was in agreement.


    ¡°As you wish. I will prepare my army at once.¡±


    ¡°Take Golan with you. And when you return, tell him to come and see me.¡±


    It was over¡­ That¡¯s what Farneze thought. But she didn¡¯t say it out loud.


    ¡°Yes, my lord. We will crush the enemy. And I will bring Golan before you on our return.¡±


    ¡°I look forward to the results.¡±


    Farneze bowed her head low.


    But in her mind, she was troubled and thinking, ¡®what should I do?¡¯


    ¡ð Ogre Village ¨C Golan


    ¡°Ahhh. It¡¯s so relaxing here.¡±


    I had returned to the village, and was now enjoying spreading my wings.


    While I was in charge of managing several villages, none of my duties were urgent.


    Besides, most of that work had been done by my Adjutant.


    And he wasn¡¯t here right now.


    So day after day, I went fishing, stared into space, and did whatever I wanted.


    ¡°I hope that things continue like this forever.¡±


    But Rig would return eventually.


    ¡°Though, I could just leave all of the work to him.¡±


    I was thinking like a hopeless, self-destructive adult. But it was true that he would do everything better than I could.


    If he was going to interfere anyway, then he might as well do it all from the beginning.


    It was with such thoughts in my head that I spent the day fishing again.


    ¡°Yes, I could really get used to this.¡±


    It was just another peaceful day in the Demon World.


    ¡°And there¡¯s no one trying to pick a fight with me.¡±


    Perhaps it was because I had evolved.


    Ahh, peace at last. I truly believed it.

 Chapter 234

    Chapter 234¡ð Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s Country ¨C Farneze


    Lesser Demon King Kyuka.


    If the reports were correct, he had defeated six countries, including Lesser Demon King Fara¡¯s.


    Farneze considered this.


    While she had been told to defeat Kyuka, they could not win if they relied on military strength alone. And he also had powerful followers.


    (And it seems that unlike Fara or Leninoth, he didn¡¯t subjugate them by just showing off his power.)


    He didn¡¯t have room for more servants, and so he killed them.


    It was better than the risk of rebellion.


    ¡°I will have to discuss it with Felicia¡­but surely the chances of us winning will not be high.¡±


    Even before he fell into his long slumber, Melvis had shown very little interest in the outside world.


    There were times when his Generals had to visit him many times before he finally acted, with great reluctance.


    (However, he moved like thunder when angry.)


    They had suffered greatly because of this.


    Farneze reminisced with a chuckle. She then visited Felicia.


    ¡°This is a very dangerous problem. May I organize our current information?¡±


    ¡°Aye, to your heart¡¯s content. This is all very much beyond me.¡±


    Adjutant Felicia.


    She was also Farneze¡¯s tactician.


    Felicia was able to think of long term strategies, and not just tactics for a battle.


    This made her very valuable.


    ¡°So the army is still staying close to the northern border.¡±


    ¡°Yes. After the castle was attacked, and I heard about Melvis, I hurriedly returned alone.¡±


    ¡°And General Dardaroth and General Tulart are in the south.¡±


    ¡°As the four country alliance has disbanded, Tulart will likely be the only one to remain there. Dardaroth should lead his men and return to the castle.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ I understand the situation now. Currently, there is an overwhelming lack of soldiers if we want to defeat Kyuka.¡±


    ¡°I know that. Obviously, we¡¯ll have to draft. And there are also the soldiers returning from Tralzard¡¯s country. But the problem isn¡¯t just our number. I can think of no plan that would help us defeat Kyuka.¡±


    After learning everything, Felicia was troubled.


    In fact, the reason that the corps they had borrowed from Tralzard was able to crush Lesser Demon King Leninoth recently, was because of a plan that Felicia had devised.


    Farneze¡¯s army had dealt with all of Leninoth¡¯s soldiers and attendants, which had allowed them, luckily, to face Leninoth alone.


    And so they felt nothing but gratitude towards General Miralda, who had so readily provided them with such powerful subordinates.


    In fact, Felicia believed that they were not only very close to General Miralda, but were Lesser Demon Kings, whose names were on the Tablet of Control.


    So, what about now?


    She knew that Farneze was expecting her to think of a plan.


    However, the situation was completely different now.


    Even if she could create a situation where they would be free to face Kyuka, they would still lose. Yes, there was no doubt about it.


    They would have to be more¡­ If perhaps ten of them surrounded Kyuka, then they could defeat him.


    However, no matter how much she tried, she could not devise a plan that would create such a convenient situation.


    ¡°It is difficult.¡±


    She could think of several ways that would allow their army to reach Kyuka, but none of them resulted in a high chance of beating him.


    ¡°Here¡¯s something that might interest you. Golan, who I sent to Tralzard¡¯s country, has undergone a special evolution.¡±


    ¡°Special evolution¡­you say?¡±


    Evolution was simpler for Ogres, but they usually went the normal route. So this was very irregular.


    Instead of turning into a High Ogre, he had evolved into something else.


    ¡°Everything about him has been strengthened to a ridiculous degree. Even when fighting King Melvis¡¯s Adjutants, he was not inferior.¡±


    ¡°¡­Wait a minute. Tell me more about¡­ No, first, what race did he evolve into? If he is an Ogre, could it be a Shuten? Or perhaps a Shura?¡±


    ¡°No, not those. He¡¯s an Origin. He called it Susanoo-no-Mikoto.¡±


    ¡°Susanoo-no-Mikoto¡­ I have never heard of it.¡±


    When it came to Origins, you could not make any guesses as to how strong they were.


    And so you had to base it off their accomplishments in battle. Even then, it was hard to believe that he was as strong as Melvis¡¯s Adjutants.


    It was normal to assume that no matter how an Ogre might evolve, they would remain in that category.


    They could not use magic, and they had low magic defense.


    Sometimes evolving did increase their magic defense, but no one had ever heard of an Ogre type who could unleash powerful magic attacks.


    (And so the increased mana is likely being used to strengthen his body¡­)


    Felicia knew that Jikae and Manny had defeated Lesser Demon King Rous and Lesser Demon King Lubanga.


    If you could not see them, it would be a very one-sided battle.


    That was a huge advantage.


    On top of that, they had powerful methods of attack. Even a Lesser Demon King would be helpless.


    And so she was very curious as to how Golan was able to fight them.


    (If they are invisible, perhaps their defense ability is quite low¡­ If I were Golan, I would not expect anything more than a draw. So, how did he fight?)


    Felicia thought hard on this.


    How could she use the entirety of Farneze¡¯s fighting force in order to defeat Kyuka? She ran simulations in her mind, over and over again.


    After quite some time had passed, Felicia¡¯s eyes opened.


    ¡°I¡¯ve decided on a strategy. Gather all of your men to the place. You will bring Golan, of course?¡±


    ¡°Yes. King Melvis ordered that he should participate.¡±


    ¡°That is good. While we still don¡¯t know much about the Susanoo-no-Mikoto, we will use him.¡±


    ¡°Atrasushia is in charge of preparing the soldiers, so gathering them to the place shouldn¡¯t be a problem. ¡­More importantly, how do you mean to use Golan?¡±


    ¡°We will make use of Lesser Demon King Kyuka¡¯s personality. I see two elements in his successes so far. If this works¡­if he falls for it, then we will gain the advantage all at once.¡±


    ¡°I, I see. I will send someone to fetch Golan then.¡±


    ¡°Kyuka will be a Demon King soon. There are still two Lesser Demon Kings to the north. And so we must move before he attacks them.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. We must hurry.¡±


    They had decided on their direction.


    And so Farneze moved at once.


    ¡ð Ogre Village ¨C Golan


    Reeds grew in the depths of the river.


    I pulled them out and softened them by hitting them with a wooden hammer. And then I carefully weaved them.


    I was making a straw hat.


    ¡°Kiss me¡­¡±


    I hummed the opening song from an old movie as I made the straw hat.


    ¡°Looks good. Maybe I¡¯ll stitch some beast hide next.¡±


    I had tried to swim while I washed myself in the river, but I sank.


    Perhaps it was because my muscle was like steel now. I would not float.


    Regardless, I could still swim. But it was easier to just walk on the river floor.


    Still, it was rather inconvenient that I couldn¡¯t float now.


    And so I decided to stitch some beast hide together and make a float.


    After sewing it together, I would use some old tree sap to fill in the gaps so that the air would not escape.


    ¡°I want something to catch river fish and shrimps too.¡± S~?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    I had to make a net. It would be simple, as it didn¡¯t need to be as fine as the nets used to catch bugs.


    And so I used vines and weaved a net.


    The rest was made with bamboo.


    ¡°¡­Alright, it¡¯s complete.¡±


    While it had taken me three whole days, my vacation set was finally finished.


    ¡°A straw hat, a float, and with a fishing net in my hand¡­ It¡¯s perfect.¡±


    Now, I could play to my heart¡¯s content.


    ¡°Would you happen to be Sir Golan?¡±


    ¡°I am. What is it?¡±


    It was a messenger from the castle. What could it be?


    Perhaps it was about my men.


    ¡°It¡¯s been decided that you are to participate in the hunt of Lesser Demon King Kyuka. You are to prepare your men and head for the northern town of Gluka.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    Hunt Lesser Demon King Kyuka?


    Now? I have to lead my men and participate?


    Before I knew it, I had dropped the fishing net, and my float had fallen to my feet.


    Hey, what about my vacation?

 Chapter 235

    Chapter 235And so I was forced to leave my masterpieces.


    After all, I was heading towards a battlefield.


    Farewell, straw hat, float, and fishing net.


    I won¡¯t ever forget you.


    ¡°Rig. Gather my men together. Immediately.¡±


    I dashed into my house, but it was empty.


    ¡°Oh, right. They aren¡¯t back yet.¡±


    Rig was still on his way from Demon King Tralzard¡¯s country.


    Of course, he wasn¡¯t here.


    ¡°¡­Oh, well. I suppose I¡¯ll do it myself.¡±


    I could send people to the other Ogre villages.


    How many would I need? Since we¡¯ll be merging with Saifo and the others later, one hundred should be enough.


    So I should have twenty people come from each village.


    ¡°Hey, gather a few people from this village together.¡±


    When they arrived, I told them that we would be going out to fight.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking twenty people from this village. Same with the others. As it¡¯s too much trouble, it¡¯ll be on a first-come-first-served basis. Whoever wants to fight, come with me.¡±


    ¡°Arrghh!¡±


    They were very honest. Well, they just didn¡¯t think too deeply about anything.


    ¡®Fight? Yeah, I¡¯ll go!¡¯ That¡¯s all it was.


    The matter of food supplies could be left to the non-combat races. The problem was travel.


    ¡°We¡¯re supposed to meet the others in a northern town¡­¡±


    I had never been there before. Could we reach it without getting lost?


    If Rig were here, he would probably send out scouts and secure a safe route, which also happened to be the quickest one. But he wasn¡¯t here.


    ¡°Well, I have a rough idea about its location, so that should be enough.¡±


    I had traveled north of the castle once during the battle against Lesser Demon King Leninoth.


    The northern town would be close to that area.


    Three days passed after gathering my men.


    All together, two hundred and twenty-one Ogres had been gathered from the villages. That number included me.


    They all carried their belongings and weapons, which were very simple. It wasn¡¯t really how one would look when going off to war.


    However, if used right, they could be very effective.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go and fight!¡±


    ¡°Yeaaaah!!¡±


    Did they really understand? I wondered.


    While I did feel a little anxious, we traveled up north while choosing the wider roads when we could.


    I made a wrong turn at least twice. Amusing blunders, that¡¯s all.


    Additionally, there were roads that were blocked due to landslides, and crossroads with no signs. As always, the roads in this country were not maintained.


    Still, we walked like this for seven days.


    And then we finally arrived at our destination, the town of Gluka.


    ¡°There are so many soldiers here.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t known that General Farneze commanded so many.


    Now I had to go and announce our arrival.


    Usually, I would have sent Rig to do it, but it was my job now.


    ¡°I¡¯m Golan, Commander of this corps under the General. Please tell her that the Ogre Corps have arrived.¡±


    Among the battle races, Ogres were considered difficult to handle.


    Ogres weren¡¯t weak, but they had trouble understanding difficult strategies, and were not quick to adapt to changes. That made them tricky.


    They did well when made to defend or charge into bases, but if you gave them a purpose but allowed them to move freely, they would act like a group of mad men.


    And so it was likely we would only be given simple orders.


    ¡°Hey, you!¡±


    I grabbed one of the non-combatants who looked like they had nothing to do.


    He resembled a lemur, but I wasn¡¯t sure what they were called.


    ¡°What can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°We just arrived. Tell me the latest news.¡±


    Judging by what I could see of the camp, there were not many soldiers who were hurt.


    But as they were clearly not recently wounded, they were likely soldiers who had been fighting in the previous battle with Kyuka.


    ¡°We¡¯ve just discovered Kyuka¡¯s army, however, we still do not know if the Lesser Demon King himself is there. It¡¯s being investigated as we speak.¡±


    ¡°And where was the army sighted?¡±


    ¡°A place beyond the mountain right in front of us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite far.¡±


    A huge mountain rose ahead of us. It would take days for an army to get past it.


    ¡°As the situation is unlikely to change for some time, the state of alert has been lifted.¡±


    ¡°I see. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I must go now.¡±


    As long as Kyuka only had one army, things would be quite simple.


    We just had to fight and crush him.


    ¡°The problem is, what if he¡¯s gone off alone.¡±


    The last time, he had attacked the castle with a small group of men while the two armies clashed.


    In other words, Kyuka was capable of surprising us in battle.


    Just because his army was there, we could not let our guard down.


    ¡°I wonder what General Farneze will do.¡±


    Well, it had nothing to do with me.


    ¡°Would you happen to be Sir Golan?¡±


    ¡°I am. Why?¡±


    It was a young Flying Eagle. He had flown here, looking for me.


    ¡°General Farneze wants to see you.¡±


    ¡°¡­? I see. I¡¯ll go at once.¡±


    What could it be?


    I doubted she had decided where to pace the Ogres, when we still didn¡¯t know how Kyuka would move.


    Still, perhaps she was thinking of doing something with our little corps?


    ¡°¡­Hmm. Surely not.¡±


    There weren¡¯t enough of us.


    While Saifo and Beka were on their way, it would still be around two hundred.


    That wasn¡¯t enough to accomplish anything important.


    ¡°It¡¯s Golan. I¡¯ve come at your request¡­ Huh?¡±


    I poked my head into the tent.


    General Farneze was the only one inside. S?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    There were no Adjutants or Corps Commanders.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you, Golan.¡±


    She gestured for me to sit. And there was a smile on her face.


    ¡°I just remembered, I have urgent business¡­¡±


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going? Come back here.¡±


    Tsk.


    ¡°Uh, I need to use the bathroom.¡±


    ¡°Sit.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t hold it¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Alone with the General in a tent.


    A smiling General.


    The atmosphere could not have been any more ominous.


    And my intuition about such things had improved a lot recently.


    Was she going to send us out on some suicide mission?


    We would all die.


    ¡°I have a plan that I want you to carry out.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hah.¡±


    If it was too unreasonable, I could just beat her through Gekokujyo.


    Could I do it? I thought I could.


    ¡­No, maybe not. After all, I had not seen the General use her full power.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s nothing. What is this plan?¡±


    I had just remembered something. This was the moment before a battle.


    Nothing good would happen if I fought Farneze before the battle against Kyuka¡¯s army. I could not do that. At worst, I might have to take control of the entire army.


    ¡°As for this plan, you will have to carry it out alone.¡±


    ¡°Just me?¡±


    So, was it reconnaissance?


    ¡°I¡¯m going to attack without holding back, and so I want you to flee with everything you got. As for where you should run; Kyuka¡¯s army.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    What did she just say?


    ¡°I want you to enter their camp by yourself. And you will seek an audience with Kyuka. And then¡­ Well, you know.¡±


    Yes, you want me and Kyuka to juggle bean bags for fun. I understand perfectly.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t? I want you to challenge him to a duel.¡±


    What I didn¡¯t know was ¡®why!¡¯


    https://ko-fi.com/tigertranslations

 Chapter 236

    Chapter 236¡°But, I¡¯ll die.¡±


    A duel with Kyuka.


    I¡¯d die if I lost. And if I won¡­I¡¯d still die.


    I¡¯d be in tatters.


    And his men would likely have something to say.


    ¡°It will be fine.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a groundless statement, isn¡¯t it?


    I didn¡¯t want any consolation.


    The leader in a battlefield was usually in the center of the camp.


    No matter what I did, my fate was to die.


    ¡°You must listen to the rest. This is a plan devised by Felicia.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­?¡±


    Felicia was Farneze¡¯s tactician.


    If this was a plan devised by her, perhaps it was worth listening to. S?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°While I want you to fight him in a duel, I don¡¯t mean that you must fight until the end.¡±


    In other words, a pretend fight?


    If so, this plan of Felicia¡¯s must be¡­


    ¡°Killing Kyuka isn¡¯t your goal?¡±


    I asked. The General¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Impressive. You figured that out with just that?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not possible for me to beat Kyuka. If you¡¯re going to go through the trouble of setting this up, it must be to buy some time. You must have some other aim.¡±


    ¡°Mmm. What we really want to do is eliminate Kyuka¡¯s bodyguards. ¡­I¡¯ll start from the beginning. Based on our investigations, we were able to find out how Kyuka has been expanding his forces.¡±


    She didn¡¯t need to tell me.


    In the Demon World, there really was only one way to do this ¡®quickly.¡¯


    ¡°He continued to beat those who were equal or slightly above him. If that¡¯s the case, it would be impossible to make the enemy submit.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. In other words, when it comes to battles between Lesser Demon Kings, you have to kill your enemy.¡±


    Even if you somehow did manage to make your enemy submit. You now had an incredibly powerful subordinate.


    And so what would the defeated enemy think?


    If you had only barely lost, then perhaps you could win the next time.


    And so they would challenge you to Gekokujyo as soon as they recovered.


    Kyuka would not be able to rest easily if he had men who were almost as strong as him.


    People would always be targeting his throne.


    And if he continued to war, he might eventually be badly injured. That would be the perfect time for one of his subordinates to challenge him.


    And then it would all be finished.


    If you wanted subordinates that were as strong as you, then you needed to have the ability to beat them at Gekokujyo, regardless of the situation.


    You needed to show the difference between you two.


    They cannot win. Make them understand that, and yield.


    In fact, Saifo and Beka had continued to challenge me even after I showed them¡­ But we¡¯ll not think about that.


    However, Kyuka was waging war after war. He wouldn¡¯t have time to be teaching lessons.


    In other words, he must be killing these other Lesser Demon Kings.


    ¡°In that case, his lands would be expanding faster than his army. Especially since a lot of his men would be dying in battle.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. And so Kyuka¡¯s army would be lacking in powerful men.¡±


    ¡°So, you think that if I ask to join him¡­he¡¯ll find it difficult to refuse?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. You are an Origin with immense amounts of mana. You will be a surprise to him.¡±


    ¡°So, I am to seek an audience, and have our souls connected directly?¡±


    His direct subordinate. She thought that I could be in the same class as a General.


    Corps Commanders were under Generals, and it really depended on how many there were. But that¡¯s why I would have to meet him once, in order to determine this.


    I see. Yes, I was starting to think that an audience was possible.


    ¡°And after that, I want you to challenge him to Gekokujyo. And then¡­¡±


    ¡°If he accepts, the others won¡¯t be able to interfere.¡±


    It was hard to imagine that he would refuse to fight one on one.


    Felicia¡­well done. The path to this duel seemed like it would be rather smooth now.


    ¡°The problem is, whether you can win or not, Golan. And Felicia decided that you cannot.¡±


    ¡°I agree with her.¡±


    There was no way that I could beat a Lesser Demon King who was almost a Demon King.


    ¡°And so you will not fight Kyuka head-on. You will lure him in and then make a run for it. You can charge your legs with mana, yes? That way, you should be able to buy us some time.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡­yes, I could do that.¡±


    If the order was to kill him, I would say it was impossible. But if it was just to run, then I might be able to manage.


    ¡°In the meantime, we will annihilate Kyuka¡¯s bodyguards. We will do this, with no intention at all of retreating before it¡¯s complete.¡±


    ¡°But what about Kyuka¡¯s army? Will it even be possible to face his bodyguards alone?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we will chase you Golan. My men are going to chase you into Kyuka¡¯s army.¡±


    ¡°You want me to run towards Kyuka¡¯s army¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. And then Kyuka¡¯s men will fight the men that are chasing you. They will fight for awhile, and then retreat.¡±


    ¡°The enemy will likely chase them.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯ll move as soon as they separate from the main camp.¡±


    ¡°So, the army chases them. I fight Kyuka in the main camp. And a new team is sent to target the bodyguards¡­I see.¡±


    But this plan had three uncertainties.


    One, was whether or not I could actually outrun Kyuka.


    The second was whether or not General Farneze and the other could kill his bodyguards.


    As for the third¡­


    ¡°What if someone interferes?¡±


    ¡°You mean Nehyor.¡±


    Even she knew.


    The Wild Hunt always seemed to appear out of nowhere.


    There was no telling where they would come out next.


    I had every intention of killing Nehyor the next time we met, but that would be very challenging if I had to do it while running away from Kyuka.


    ¡°Indeed. That¡¯s something that I wanted to talk to you about.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Nehyor¡¯s goal.¡±


    ¡°The stolen journal contained the secret to becoming an Elder Vampire¡­ Right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. King Melvis talked to me about it before I left.¡±


    I see. He was awake now, so it could be confirmed.


    So Nehyor knew how to become an Elder Vampire.


    ¡°And I¡¯m allowed to hear about this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not. It¡¯s nothing to keep a secret. Besides, you cannot do anything with the information.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then please tell me.¡±


    ¡°It was during my audience with King Melvis¡­¡±


    The General said as she began to relate what she had learned.

 Chapter 237

    Chapter 237¡ð Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s Country


    Some time earlier, in Melvis¡¯s throne room.


    It was before Farneze was to leave in order to hunt down Kyuka.


    After receiving the order from Melvis, Farneze immediately had her subordinates prepare for departure.


    Once preparations were finished, she went to Melvis in order to make a report.


    As it so happened, this would be when Farneze would fill Melvis in on some of the events he had missed recently.


    She had already given him a general picture, and so all that remained were the little details.


    Melvis listened to her with a look of disinterest.


    ¡°My journal.¡±


    It was only when she talked about the stolen journal, that Melvis¡¯s voice started to contain a hint of curiosity.


    ¡°Yes. Just one volume was stolen¡­¡±


    Farneze explained to him. ¡®I see,¡¯ Melvis nodded.


    ¡°And that was the volume where I wrote about my evolution.¡±


    ¡°Yes. We realized this by looking at the volume before and after.¡±


    ¡°And this Nehyor. He is a Vampire.¡±


    ¡°As you say.¡±


    Farneze was terribly anxious.


    She had seen Melvis fall into a fit of rage before. There could be another purge.


    While it had not been her fault that the book was stolen, he was her subordinate.


    And sometimes the superior officer had to take responsibility.


    ¡°Do you know what a Vampire requires in order to evolve?¡±


    Surprisingly, his voice was calm.


    ¡°No. I have not heard about it.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Well, even if you did know, the requirements would be too difficult to complete.¡±


    Currently, Melvis was the only Elder Vampire in the whole Demon World.


    Aside from Nehyor, who had stolen the journal, he was the only person who knew the requirements.


    ¡°What are they?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t as if Farneze had no curiosity.


    ¡°You need a life stone that is no longer releasing holy power.¡±


    ¡°A life stone? But I heard that if you touch one, the holy power will eat away at your body.¡±


    The life stone that was inside residents of the Celestial World.


    If residents of the Demon World touched it, they would suffer the same symptoms as if they had touched holy power.


    Farneze recalled something.


    Weren¡¯t life stones that had been emptied of holy power supposed to turn into clumps of salt and fall apart?


    ¡°I see that you do not know. I suppose it¡¯s because there haven¡¯t been many invasions from the Celestial World.¡±


    According to Melvis, it was true that life stones turned into salt when they were emptied of holy power.


    However, that was only if it happened gradually, over a long period of time.


    If you removed it in a short amount of time, you would have a life stone that retains its shape.


    ¡°I only discovered it by accident. You can use an Orb of Control of the same power to neutralize it. The holy power and mana erase each other. And by taking it into my body, I was able to evolve.¡±


    ¡°How¡­astonishing.¡±


    So, you needed an Orb of Control that was of equal strength.


    If it was too strong, the life stone would lose and turn into salt. And if it was too weak, then nothing would happen.


    And in order to turn into an elder, you needed one that was from a Demon King at the very least.


    ¡°Fulfilling those requirements wpuld be very difficult. Especially without any invasion from the Celestial World.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    She had known that Nehyor was trying to evolve into an Elder.


    And now she knew how he would be able to do it.


    He needed a life stone and Orb of Control that were at the level of a Demon King.


    And if you had enough mana, you just had to take them inside of your body, and then you could evolve.


    ¡°The Demon King¡¯s Orb of Control would be the easy part.¡±


    Only someone like Melvis would think like that.


    Yes, for someone like Farneze, killing a Demon King was like a distant dream.


    If it was so easy, then others would be doing it.


    (So, how was Nehyor going to acquire one?)


    It was odd.


    While it wasn¡¯t impossible for a Lesser Demon King to defeat a Demon King, it would be very difficult.


    Obviously, it depended on your traits and the situation, but even then, the chances would be very low.


    It was a risky game to play.


    ¡°I see¡­ So he¡¯ll target someone who has just become a Demon King.¡±


    Out of the eight Demon Kings, who was the weakest? S?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Farneze wasn¡¯t sure, but they would still be stronger than Nehyor.


    And so it would probably be better for him to target someone who was just about to go from Lesser Demon King to Demon King.


    ¡°If he¡¯s going to create a Demon King in order to defeat one, a cluster of small countries would be a good place to target.¡±


    Melvis said, clearly thinking the same thing.


    Farneze nodded.


    There were many small countries in the Demon World. But not many places where they were all close together.


    ¡°He¡¯ll make a Demon King of Kyuka, and then devour him¡­¡±


    When he said this, Farneze felt like she was assaulted by an indescribable chill.


    Creating a Demon King to devour. It was tremendously audacious.


    ¡°But acquiring the Orb of Control won¡¯t mean anything without the life stone.¡±


    Farneze was about to nod, but then she remembered something.


    (Now that I think about it, according to Golan¡¯s report, there had been an invasion in Tralzard¡¯s town¡­)


    And for some reason, the life stone was not recovered.


    No one in the Demon World would want to touch such a thing.


    They were not curious about something that was toxic for their bodies. And yet it had disappeared¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s possible that he has already acquired the life stone.¡±


    ¡°Even if he has, there isn¡¯t much he can do.¡±


    Melvis still did not seem to think there was a need to be concerned about such small matters.

 Chapter 238

    Chapter 238¡ð Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s Country


    ¡°I will go and lead my troops.¡±


    Farneze made to leave the throne room.


    It was best to leave as soon as possible when you were no longer needed. Farneze had learned this survival lesson long ago.


    ¡°By the way¡­¡±


    Melvis suddenly said as if remembering something.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Melvis had been the one to call after her.


    It was rather unusual. Farneze stopped in her tracks.


    ¡°While I was asleep, did you hear any stories about people going to the human world, or people coming from it and into ours?¡±


    That was his question.


    ¡°No, I have never heard of anything like that.¡±


    Farneze had lived for a long time, but she had never heard of anyone going to or arriving from the Human World. S?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    No, not even in the last few hundred years.


    In the first place, Farneze wasn¡¯t sure if she quite believed that there was a Human World at all.


    ¡°I see. So that means that Zeus¡¯s Barrier has not been breached¡­¡±


    ¡°Barrier? What do you mean¡­¡±


    Apparently, there was a barrier surrounding the Human World. And it was created by someone called Zeus.


    Of course, this was Farneze¡¯s first time hearing any of this.


    However, Melvis was so deep in thought now that he did not react to Farneze¡¯s question.


    ¡°Yes, it is strange. Hera¡¯s soul should not be there¡­ However, that was definitely¡­¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty?¡±


    Melvis seemed to be putting together a theory inside of his head. And he just muttered fragments of thoughts.


    ¡°The research failed? Is it possible? But why did they invade? If the barrier still works¡­¡±


    She waited for a while, but Melvis did not return to the present. And so Farneze bowed and left the hall.


    ¡ð Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s Country ¨C Gluka Town ¨C Golan


    ¡°So there it is.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I was shocked by General Farneze¡¯s words.


    Nehyor was going to make a Demon King for the sole purpose of destroying him.


    He had said something similar the last time that we fought.


    It did make sense.


    Make what you need. That was something he would do.


    And it wasn¡¯t just Hera, but now the name ¡®Zeus¡¯ had appeared.


    (I had no doubt about it now.)


    The God and Goddess from mythology.


    If I¡¯m not wrong, they were husband and wife.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t understand most of King Melvis¡¯s mutterings. However, everything regarding Nehyor is clear. He is going to turn Kyuka in a Demon King and then kill him.¡±


    So, one of the reasons that Kyuka had become powerful so quickly was because Nehyor was pulling strings in the shadows.


    But perhaps he wasn¡¯t the only candidate.


    Nehyor had likely been manipulating things in both the west and east, and then put the most effort into the most promising king.


    I knew Nehyor, and that was the way he worked.


    ¡°Zeus cast a barrier around the Human World, so no one can leave or enter¡­ That¡¯s what King Melvis said?¡±


    ¡°Golan, you seem more interested in that than Nehyor. ¡­Well, that is what he said. I don¡¯t know what kind of barrier it is, or when it was created.¡±


    The General chuckled and added that she didn¡¯t know how such a barrier could be created in the first place.


    But it was no laughing matter to me.


    I didn¡¯t know if he made a barrier or closed a gate. But this Zeus had clearly done something.


    But when?


    These stories from mythology would be thousands of years old.


    Let¡¯s say that the Human World was closed off five thousand years ago. And if there was no contact with the Demon World and Celestial World all of that time, would that explain why they were now considered mythological creatures?


    ¡°¡­Ah, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s the difference in lifespan.¡±


    If you lived to be five hundred or a thousand, then information about sightings would fade gradually.


    Also, it was ancient times, where information was hard to keep.


    There was no paper. Even if such things were recorded on stone and clay tablets, they may not have survived until modern times.


    And so they had to be passed on orally, as stories that were seen as fables.


    In the past, it must have been possible to travel between the worlds.


    But Zeus had created a barrier, and the Human World was closed off.


    Any residents of the Demon World who had been left behind would have either died in battle or of old age. And only legends of them remained.


    Something like that.


    ¡°Golan, what is it?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I was just thinking¡­it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    In ancient times. Places like Greece, Egypt and China.


    In every country, there were stories of people fighting monsters and beasts. And in mythology, there were gods who killed demons.


    Perhaps some of them were true.


    It was Zeus who created the barrier around the Human World.


    And Hera created the Enra institution.


    While I had no way to find out what the Celestial World was planning, it was clear to me now that there was a lot that Melvis was aware of.

 Chapter 239

    Chapter 239After hearing the details of General Farneze¡¯s plan, I was starting to think, ¡®well¡­it might just¡­work?¡¯


    Even though I considered the difference in fighting force, it seemed like something that could be realized. It was the kind of impressive plan that you would expect from a tactician.


    ¡°However, this really reminds me of the Battle of Okehazama.¡±


    The ambush of a small army. Well, it was more realistic than a great, decisive battle.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Golan. But Felicia felt that this was the plan that had the highest chance of success.¡±


    So there were also other plans. But if this was the one with the highest chance of succeeding, I didn¡¯t even want to hear about the others.


    (What plan would I have thought of¡­?)


    I tried thinking about it.


    How to fight against an enemy that had superior numbers and stronger individuals.


    I would probably just surrender.


    Of course, Melvis would kill all of us if we did that.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, why doesn¡¯t King Melvis just go out himself?¡±


    This enemy was Lesser Demon King Kyuka.


    Why couldn¡¯t we just have the two chiefs fight it out?


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. So long as you¡¯re willing to pull King Melvis out onto the battlefield, Golan.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    No way.


    ¡ªI know you¡¯ve just woken up from a long sleep, but can you come out and fight?


    Yes, if I asked him to do that, I would be turned to ash in an instant.


    Maybe it was because I just heard all of the bad rumors, but I had the impression that he did not care at all about what people said to him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll do everything that I can to support you.¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­¡±


    It wasn¡¯t the lack of support that was harsh. It was that the key to this plan succeeding depended on me being able fight in a stalemate with the enemy leader.


    If I happened to die in the first second, then everyone else would be killed as well.


    ¡°We have a rough idea of the size of Kyuka¡¯s army, and we¡¯re looking into its exact location. We¡¯ll move as soon as we know.¡±


    ¡°¡­Understood.¡±


    I had agreed to the plan as well.


    And so I had to accept my fate.


    ¡­That¡¯s what I thought. But Kyuka¡¯s army. They had set up a camp and surrounded themselves in defenses. In spite of having the superior numbers. S?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    According to the aerial scouts, there were two defensive layers surrounding the entire army.


    The enemy also knew that we were camped here.


    And yet they would not come out.


    ¡°Well, it must be that they are¡­cautious?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because of King Melvis.¡±


    Yes, they seemed almost too cautious.


    Maybe they were right to be.


    Kyuka had attacked the castle and had barely escaped with his life while the rest of his team were annihilated.


    He would have been very close to death.


    ¡°Is there anyone besides Kyuka that we need to be wary of?¡±


    General Farneze had fought against this army while Kyuka was gone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know their names, but there are five who are especially dangerous. But that just means that if we can deal with them, we have a good chance of winning.¡±


    When Felicia had been planning this, she had decided that no matter how hard we tried, it would not be possible to defeat Kyuka in one move.


    And so we decided to eliminate the powerful enemies first, and then come back, surround and beat him to death.


    As long as they had the advantage in quality and quantity, there was never going to be a convenient strategy that made everything easy.


    And so the ones we focused on were the five who were of the General class.


    ¡°So there are five dangerous ones.¡±


    We didn¡¯t have five of those.


    The assault team would be composed of Vampires.


    Because they could fly and reach the enemy camp quickly.


    ¡°We would like to destroy all five at once, but some of them are likely near the frontlines and giving out orders. So there will only be two or three close to Kyuka.¡±


    ¡°I see. Yes, that¡¯s true.¡±


    If they were of the General class, then they would be commanding the soldiers.


    ¡°The person you need to be the most wary of is Juna, who was once Lesser Demon King Fara¡¯s General.¡±


    ¡°That name is familiar to me. A War Basilisk?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. And it¡¯s not possible to dodge their petrifying breath.¡±


    And the enemy had one of these guys.


    War Basilisks looked a lot like those old tyrannosauruses.


    Not a modern T-rex that balanced with its tail, but the kind that stood on just two feet.


    And they breathed a gas that turned you into stone.


    Some races had a stronger resistance to it than others.


    What made them dangerous, is that once the gas started spreading, it affected both friends and foes alike.


    But since it wasn¡¯t magic, I would have some resistance to it. Though I would likely only last for about ten seconds if I was still an Ogre.


    My guess was that with the current me, it would only restrict my movement a little.


    I suppose Juna had joined Kyuka after Fara¡¯s death.


    ¡°Yes, that sounds bad.¡±


    While people who had status attacks were tricky to use, they could be more dangerous than anyone once they were free to do whatever they wanted.


    ¡°But once we get rid of his entourage, the next fight will be a lot easier. It¡¯s the crucial moment.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The saving grace was that Kyuka¡¯s forces had expanded so rapidly that he didn¡¯t have too many powerful subordinates.


    There was no one whose strength was close to his.


    And so General Farneze had a good chance of being able to beat the others.


    Of course, it still depended on whether I could buy them enough time by stopping Kyuka¡­


    Well, as long as I didn¡¯t have to kill him, I should be able to manage.


    I have fought against superiors many times now. And some were much more hopeless than this one. So perhaps it was really nothing? I wasn¡¯t quite sure.


    ¡°The problem is that they won¡¯t come out. Perhaps we should try and provoke him?¡±


    The General was starting to talk like a meathead.


    We were a small group. How crazy was she?


    ¡°I think we should just wait for the enemy to come out.¡±


    If things suddenly moved and it turned into an all out battle, we would lose very quickly.


    The very idea of Kyuka going berserk in the middle of our army¡­it was horrifying.


    ¡°That being said¡­¡±


    The General was impatient to finish this once and for all.


    Like that, we had scouts monitor Kyuka¡¯s camp for five days.


    There was no movement.


    In the meantime, the General and I discussed why we thought that Kyuka was not moving.


    ¡°Ultimately, I think he¡¯s scared that King Melvis is actually with us.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, that¡¯s it.¡±


    Kyuka had locked himself up and would not come out.


    Perhaps he suspected that Melvis had come to get his revenge.


    ¡°But surely Melvis would not be waiting here patiently.¡±


    Melvis would have gone out and annihilated his enemies.


    The fact that Kyuka didn¡¯t know this proved that he was still a young Lesser Demon King.


    Five more days passed after that. Still, Kyuka¡¯s army did not stir.


    On the other hand, there was movement on our side.


    That is, Rig and the others had returned from Demon King Tralzard¡¯s lands.


    This would help our work greatly. Well, my work.

 Chapter 240

    Chapter 240¡°It¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    Rig said when he arrived.


    ¡°Yes, it has. But I¡¯m glad that you¡¯re here. It¡¯s good to have my Adjutant back.¡±


    I wanted to leave the management of the Ogres to him.


    As soon as I had gathered the Ogres from the villages, I just said, ¡®all of you, follow me!¡¯ and practically dragged them here by force.


    We didn¡¯t really prepare in any way, but I thought everything could be dealt with once we arrived. It was a forced march.


    However, it would all be fine now that Rig was here.


    ¡°Now, Sir Golan. I have a few reports to make.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure there is a lot that I missed. So tell me everything.¡±


    I wouldn¡¯t have to do any of the talking, right?


    A lot had happened to me on the way to meeting Demon King Tralzard.


    Mostly, it was people challenging me, and I accepting the challenges.


    And even after I returned to this country, it was the same.


    People challenged me and I ended up fighting.


    Seeing Rig like this made me really think about how long we had been separated.


    I may have been doing little but fighting, but, what about him?


    ¡°First, after you left us, Sir Golan, there were several battles with Demon King Janius¡¯s army.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Really?¡±


    I thought things had settled down after Miralda wreaked havoc on the field.


    It had been a battle on such a large scale.


    ¡°The smaller countries were in chaos, and so General Miralda had to send her soldiers to those countries. That is likely the reason.¡±


    This cluster of small countries was located to the west of Tralzard¡¯s lands.


    Nehyor must have done something.


    So, they were targeted while their soldiers were sent to the west.


    Tralzard and Demon King Janius weren¡¯t supposed to be fighting, but they were now thrown into a state of war.


    Tralzard would then be fighting Demon Kings in the north and the south.


    That was a terrible place to be in.


    Well, perhaps they would be fine, as long they had their tactician.


    ¡°So, you fought against Demon King Janius. I¡¯m glad you made it out alive.¡±


    Well, not only were Saifo and Beka also there, but so was Painy and the Reapers. So maybe they weren¡¯t at too much of a disadvantage. But it was still surprising.


    ¡°None of them were led by a General class. They were only corps led by people who were at the Corps Commander level, and so we were able to push them back to the border, with General Miralda¡¯s help.¡±


    ¡°I see. So it wasn¡¯t a large scale battle like the last time.¡±


    ¡°I think they came in order to gauge Tralzard¡¯s ability to react. They didn¡¯t come in too deeply or with much force. It was easy to drive them away.¡±


    So that¡¯s why. Perhaps they didn¡¯t want a full scale battle in the first place.


    A battle between Demon Kings was not something you could do when one of your hands was still busy.


    Janius was currently in the middle of a war with Demon King Gidman. And so it would be a war on two fronts.


    These little skirmishes were as far as they could go for now.


    ¡°I see. And were there any casualties on our side?¡±


    ¡°Some, but they were very light.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    The enemy likely didn¡¯t have much of a plan.


    Usually, you only took heavy losses when you fell victim to some kind of trap.


    ¡°After that, we received the order to return. And so we started our journey back to this country. But that¡¯s when we were attacked again by Janius¡¯s army.¡±


    ¡°Again¡­ But why? No, maybe it was the location.¡±


    Considering where they were, they would have to travel northeast in order to return.


    And that would put them very close to Janius¡¯s lands.


    They would have been seen as a detached force that was trying to go around them.


    ¡°That must have been difficult.¡±


    ¡°It was merely a matter of running¡­though there were some who did not run.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Yes, some people could think of nothing but fighting when there were enemies close by.


    Especially Ogres.


    According to Rig, after considering whether they should take a longer route in order to avoid attracting attention from Janius¡¯s army, or going at a pace that the enemy would not be able to keep up with, they decided to make a run for it. They had barely even rested as they traveled.


    It was not a bad decision.


    But while Ogres had ridiculous stamina, it must have been exhausting for Rig.


    ¡°As for the fight against our pursuers¡­¡±


    ¡°The ones who faced the enemy are all dead? It was the only possible outcome.¡±


    They were like the rear guard of this retreat.


    Besides, they had gladly gone out on their own.


    It would have surely been clear to even them what the result would be.


    It wasn¡¯t anyone¡¯s fault. In the Demon World, you were responsible for yourself.


    had I been there, I would have gone out to save them. But I couldn¡¯t do anything about battles that occurred in places without my knowledge.


    ¡°No¡­actually¡­¡±


    ¡°They were able to get out alive?¡±


    They must have been incredibly lucky then.


    Or the enemy made a big mistake.


    ¡°They crushed the enemy.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Surely, that wasn¡¯t right.


    What was Rig talking about? Was he so tired from the long journey that he didn¡¯t know what he was saying?


    ¡°Ah, Golan. There you are.


    ¡°We finally found you! It¡¯s been awhile!¡±


    The idiot siblings were here¡­? Were they?


    I thought I heard Saifo and Beka. But when I turned around, there were two strangers standing there.


    But, oddly¡­


    Their Orbs of Control were connected to me.


    That meant they were my subordinates.


    But I didn¡¯t recognize them at all.


    ¡°Now, Golan. Let¡¯s do some training.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go after you!¡±


    No, it was the idiot siblings.


    So this appearance meant that they¡­


    ¡°You two. You underwent a special evolution?¡±


    I asked. Rig nodded slowly.


    ¡°Yes¡­ And a little problem has arisen because of it.¡± S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°What? What problem?¡±


    ¡°The two of them faced Demon King Janius¡¯s army. But apparently, the enemy realized that they were King Melvis¡¯s men.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    Damn it!


    Wait¡­ What the hell did they do?

 Chapter 241

    Chapter 241I looked at the idiot siblings carefully.


    Saifo was now as tall as me. That was significant growth.


    But my body was still thicker.


    And he was now entirely a reddish bronze color. I suppose that was his race.


    ¡°A special evolution, right? What did you become?¡±


    Your evolution route was carved into the Orb of Control, and so you were able to understand it even if no one else could.


    The name of the race would appear in your head.


    It was one of the mysterious phenomenons of the Demon World.


    ¡°Me? Apparently, it¡¯s called ¡®Masurao.¡¯¡±


    ¡°An Origin.¡±


    I had never seen anyone like him.


    After me, Saifo had evolved into an Origin. What was going on here?


    And Masurao¡­ Wasn¡¯t that what they called wild men? It wasn¡¯t a race.


    Well, I suppose it was here.


    ¡°Hey, Golan. Ask about me too!¡±


    ¡°Beka, I don¡¯t really care about you.¡±


    ¡°Whaaat!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m joking. What did you become?¡±


    She too was now something I had never seen.


    There were resemblances to the Yasha, but she was still different.


    ¡°I¡¯m called a ¡®Dakini.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s with that reaction!¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m impressed that you survived. Good one, Beka.¡±


    ¡°Hehe.¡±


    She was an idiot, but had managed to survive.


    Also, what was a Dakini?


    And she was also an Origin. Maybe I¡¯ll call her Idiot Dakini.


    Now that I thought about it, wasn¡¯t there something with that name in India?


    A deity that carried a tokkosho or something.


    In Beka¡¯s case, she had reddish pink skin.


    And she wasn¡¯t that muscular.


    But she too had grown taller, and her nails had become thicker and sharper.


    Also, her horn had grown and she looked more demonic.


    After all, Ogres evolved through fighting with their superiors, and they had fought until they evolved into Origins¡­ It was quite the feat.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What is it, Golan?¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    They had been fighting against me for so long, that they had learned how to face with superiors without dying.


    Perhaps that meant that beating them into the ground a hundred times every year had finally paid off.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad. You two fought enough to undergo a special evolution.¡±


    ¡°Aye! It was fun. I pounded them into the dust.¡±


    ¡°And I cracked all of their bones!¡±


    Saifo was carrying a thick club.


    So I had no doubt about his claim.


    As for Beka. What was her obsession with bones?


    I hoped she wasn¡¯t holding a grudge about what I used to do to her.


    When I was too lazy to bother with them, I would sometimes just break her arms or legs and leave her there¡­ Oh, there was something I wanted to ask them about.


    ¡°So, why the hell did you tell Janius¡¯s army about it?¡±


    ¡°Tell them what?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about the alliance with Demon King Tralzard and our country. That¡¯s a top secret. And so this trading of troops is also a secret.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    They had not been listening then. Well, that wasn¡¯t anything new.


    ¡°Besides, I didn¡¯t tell anyone.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Yes! All I said was that I¡¯d be happy to fight them again if they have a problem with me.¡±


    Is that right? Then maybe there was no problem.


    Had Rig misunderstood then?


    ¡°I just said that we needed to return to Melvis¡¯s country, so if they wanted a rematch, they could come on over.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Exactly! Exactly!¡±


    ¡°So you did say it! You idiot siblings!!¡±


    Why would you tell them that you were returning to Melvis¡¯s country!


    That¡¯s the same thing as exposing it.


    They really were idiots.


    What were they going to do if this caused a war between Demon King Janius and our country?


    ¡°Alright, Rig.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s pretend that we didn¡¯t hear that just now.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Got it?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now I¡¯ll just have to discipline these two, and it will all be over.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Golan. So you¡¯ll fight me?¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ll go after you!¡±


    ¡°Aye, I will. I have plenty of time today.¡±


    ¡°Amazing! How generous of you.¡±


    ¡°Unusual too.¡±


    ¡°This place is too cramped, so let¡¯s go somewhere else. Where would be a good spot¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh, Sir Golan.¡±


    ¡°What is it, Rig?¡±


    ¡°If possible¡­could you go somewhere that is far away from the tents?¡±


    Indeed. If Saifo flew into one of them and tore a hole, it would be Rig and the Kobolds who had to repair them.


    They were busy enough already, and I would feel bad if I created more work for Rig.


    ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s go outside of the camp. Then we won¡¯t get in anyone¡¯s way.¡±


    The defenses around the camp were strong, and there was no chance of them breaking.


    Besides, there would be no one else outside of the camp.


    And I would be free to punish them as much as I wanted. It was a brilliant idea. s?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°You two. Follow me.¡±


    ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s do this!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait!¡±


    And so I left the campsite with the idiot siblings in tow.


    Happy New Year! Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed the extra chapters.


    The first few months, especially January, are always a very difficult time for the site, and so if it¡¯s possible, please consider donating or joining the patreon. And if you can¡¯t, simply turning off adblock or writing a review or adding a rating for a series you like would help immensely. Thank you for the support!


    https://ko-fi.com/tigertranslations

 Chapter 242

    Chapter 242Well, it had been a while since I last fought against the idiot siblings.


    It was the usual mock battle, but this time I would change it up a little.


    Before going outside, I paid General Farneze a visit and whispered something into her ear.


    ¡ªWhat ever happens, keep calm.


    That¡¯s what I said.


    So, how much had Saifo and Beka¡¯s strength increased? I was looking forward to finding out.


    While part of this was to measure the strength of this Masurao and Dakini, it was also meant to have an effect on Kyuka¡¯s army, who would surely be watching.


    ¡°Alright, idiots. It¡¯s a race from here. Follow me.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°If you lose sight of me, I won¡¯t fight you.¡±


    ¡°You what?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    The siblings became frantic.


    We were still in the camp. Within the walls.


    There was just one layer separating us from the outside.


    I charged the hexagonal club with mana.


    ¡°So you better follow me closely. Got it?¡±


    I said. And then I destroyed the wall in front of us.


    The part that was hit by the club exploded loudly.


    The sound echoed around us, and a great hole appeared.


    I see. So that¡¯s what happened when I charged my weapon with mana and hit my hardest.


    ¡°Now, follow me!¡±


    Then I charged my legs with mana as well and dashed through the hole.


    ¡°Woah!?¡±


    ¡°Wait!!¡± S?a?ch* Th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    When I ran, the idiot siblings quickly followed.


    Now, it would be like playing tag.


    Along the way, I attacked them a number of times, launching them into the air, stopping them in their tracks.


    And like that, we moved far away from the camp and towards the mountain up ahead.


    ¡°Golan, wait!¡±


    ¡°Hey, how far are you going?¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t keep up, then you have no right to know. And if that makes you mad, try harder.¡±


    ¡°The hell!¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll catch up with you!¡±


    They were easily provoked. They were idiots, after all.


    And so it took little time to make it halfway up the mountain.


    ¡°This is a good spot.¡±


    I had found an area with a decent clearing, and so I decided to wait for them there.


    ¡°As for enemy scouts¡­I don¡¯t see any.¡±


    However, there would also be some lurking around.


    In order to avoid an ambush, they would have to be aware of our movements at all times.


    ¡°We finally caught up.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too fast, Golan.¡±


    The idiot siblings had arrived.


    And they were¡­not out of breath.


    They would have been running at full speed, yet that was apparently not enough to make them tired. It was a good start.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t catch up, I was waiting here, idiots. Now, if you have time to talk, come and get me. Also, I¡¯m changing the rules.¡±


    ¡°Huh!?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If you roll down to the bottom of the mountain, go home without protest. I won¡¯t allow you to come back up here.¡±


    They didn¡¯t seem to understand why, but there was no point in giving a full explanation with these two.


    I actually wished that I could give them acting lessons, but it was sure to be a failure.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it¡­but you¡¯re saying that it¡¯s over if we fall down. And we have to go back.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes¡­ Now, let¡¯s start. Ah, there¡¯s one more thing. No order this time. You can both attack at once.¡±


    While Saifo was still talking, I slammed my foot into his stomach.


    He drew a beautiful arc as he went flying through the air.


    ¡°I said both at once.¡±


    My roundhouse kick went into Beka next, and she too went flying.


    Saifo got up immediately and looked towards Beka as she rolled on the ground.


    She understood what he meant, and they both charged simultaneously.


    It really showed that they were related. They got along well, and were in sync.


    However, from what I could see now, neither Saifo or Beka were serious. They were just coming at me so that I would taste their fists.


    I dodged Saifo¡¯s punches a few times and then tried guarding. Yes, his attack strength had gone up tremendously.


    Had I been an ordinary Ogre, I¡¯d be down in one hit, or perhaps a hole would open up inside of me.


    And Beka was so much faster.


    A few years ago, Beka had felt that she was stagnating, and so I had knocked her to the ground thoroughly.


    I thought that it might break her spirit, but instead, she fed off of it and challenged me more often.


    And then she started to use a combination of blunt attacks and lock moves.


    Eventually, she even used feints, grappling and throws.


    Once she could use a wider range of techniques, she began to search for efficient ways to fight. And I wondered, ¡®hey, is she actually kind of smart?¡¯ but I was wrong.


    Apparently, she was just mimicking my own fighting style.


    Once I realized this, I began to use Beka in order to experiment with¡­cough-cough¡­in order to show her different techniques.


    Today, Beka was using feints and focusing on kicks.


    It was rather fun, but this was no time to be enjoying myself.


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    My elbow shot into Saifo¡¯s chest, hitting him hard off of his feet. Then I kicked Beka¡¯s head as if it were a soccer ball.


    They both retreated far back. Beka seemed to have a concussion.


    ¡°You would have died if this was before your evolution. That¡¯s a great boost in toughness. I¡¯m happy to see it.¡±


    ¡°Golan, you bastard¡­¡±


    ¡°My head hurts!¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re still too weak. Now don¡¯t disappoint me.¡±


    I provoked them deliberately. And Saifo took the bait.


    He pulled out the club on his back. Now he was serious.


    It was a giant version of the club he used to use.


    And judging by how he swung it wordlessly, he was incredibly angry.


    Well, he had always been weak to provocation. And I suppose his evolution had made him even more arrogant.


    Saifo was holding the club with both hands and swinging it wildly.


    The boulders around us exploded into fragments and cracks appeared in the ground.


    Even I would not be able to escape injury if I was hit.


    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s the matter? You can¡¯t seem to hit me.¡±


    Not even a little.


    ¡°You!¡±


    He charged in reply.


    I ran into the trees, and he kept swinging, knocking down multiple great trees with every swing.


    It was crazy that he could knock down a tree in just one hit. The difference from before was great.


    ¡°Well, this will be quite a fight.¡±


    I thought as I continued to dodge his attacks.

 Chapter 243

    Chapter 243Saifo and Beka, also known as the idiot siblings, had challenged me.


    Which to put it simply, was business as usual.


    While we could have just had a little scuffle and ended it, all three of us had now evolved into Origins.


    And so I couldn¡¯t be blamed for wanting to see just how strong they had become¡­right?


    ¡°Besides, it now involves a plan. So it¡¯s two birds with one stone.¡±


    As I dodged Saifo¡¯s swings, I started to think that the time was right.


    I looked at the trail behind him. The ground had been cleared neatly of trees.


    ¡°Alright, now I fight back.¡±


    I blocked his attack with the hexagonal club and pushed.


    ¡°Woah!?¡¯


    Saifo was thrown back.


    Just as I thought. I was still the stronger one.


    Then I charged both of my arms with mana and attacked.


    As Saifo and I continued to trade blows, the trees around us fell into a horrible state.


    No, it wasn¡¯t just the trees.


    A great hole had appeared in the ground, and boulders were flying into the air.


    Anyone who was hit in the head by those boulders would die.


    ¡°I see. I¡¯m going to have to be really careful when I fight you from now on.¡±


    It was a good thing that we had left the camp. Had we stayed in that confined place, there would be casualties.


    Now, as for this fight.


    It would have looked like a stalemate.


    However, I had evolved first. And I was likely above him in ability.


    While Saifo was desperate, I had yet to go all out.


    And so I was able to notice that Beka was slowly approaching me.


    ¡°I got you!¡±


    ¡°No you haven¡¯t!¡±


    Beka tried to attack me with a smug exclamation, and so I unleashed a kick as if I was a horse.


    ¡°Buhah!¡±


    It went straight to her jaw, and she went flying, far¡­


    ¡°Hehe.¡±


    No, she didn¡¯t.


    She had tangled her legs around me and braved it. That showed that she had grown as well.


    ¡°Arrggghh!¡±


    As I was momentarily distracted with Beka, Saifo regained his fervor.


    He was spinning his weapon like it was a fan, which was not how clubs were meant to be used.


    However, the speed was something to behold.


    If you got hit once, it would be difficult to not get hit by a chain of attacks.


    Also, he had no openings, and so I could not get close.


    Saifo too must have gone through fierce battles while I was gone.


    He had overcome something too agonizing for a mere Ogre.


    ¡°Still, I cannot let you defeat me.¡±


    I had come out here to fight them both at the same time, and so I couldn¡¯t be knocked down so soon.


    I charged my entire body with mana and began to strike back in earnest.


    There isn¡¯t much to say about what happened after that.


    To be frank, the vicious attacks of the idiot siblings were incredible.


    Their attacks were so strong that I thought they could easily beat your average Corps Commander.


    Not only that, but because they had fought against me for so long, their sensibilities in battle had been greatly polished.


    And the fact that they had continued to defeat those who were above them would have also had an affect.


    Especially since they had evolved into Origins.


    If we continued to fight like this, it might end up like one of those famous scenes, where I cry and tell them how strong they¡¯ve become.


    ¡­However, that wouldn¡¯t happen this time.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    For a split second there was an opening, and I pressed in. And then it was attack, attack, attack.


    ¡°Gah!¡±


    ¡°Gyaaaa!¡±


    I let them taste plenty of pain.


    Yes, it was quite different when you were tougher.


    Then I rolled them up like trash and kicked them down the slope.


    ¡°Waaaaaaa!!¡±


    ¡°Waaaaaaa!!¡±


    Saifo and Beka held onto each other as they rolled down the mountain.


    Mission accomplished. The mock battle was now finished. Though it had easily exceeded any definition of a mock battle.


    The two were probably at the bottom of the mountain now, with their heads spinning.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if they¡¯d be able to return to the camp by themselves.


    Well, if they couldn¡¯t move, someone would come for them.


    But I didn¡¯t care, their job was done.


    I sat down on a nearby rock and waited quietly.


    And from there, I searched for a nearby presence.


    (Hmm. There¡¯s no one)


    If Kyuka¡¯s scouts would make contact, it would be a great advantage. That¡¯s what I had thought, but apparently, it wasn¡¯t going to be so easy.


    I guess I¡¯d have to wait for the next opportunity then.


    ¡°Shit, those guys. I¡¯ll kill them the next time I see them!!¡±


    I shouted at the top of my lungs.


    Did they hear that? They did, right? I wasn¡¯t sure.


    I wanted to make it look like I had quarrelled with the idiot siblings, and we had fallen out completely.


    If Kyuka¡¯s scouts had seen this, they would likely make a report.


    After all, we had wreaked havoc on this mountain.


    Both camps would have heard the vicious sounds of battle and seen the dust rise into the air.


    ¡°Destruction of the environment.¡±


    The place was completely devastated.


    I looked towards General Farneze¡¯s camp.


    I had to move while staying away from it.


    However, it would not be good to go close to Kyuka¡¯s camp either.


    (Maybe I¡¯ll return after taking a long detour.)


    It would be quite troublesome to go far out enough so that the scouts lost me, but it couldn¡¯t be helped.


    And so I descended the mountain while keeping my distance from both camps.


    ¡°Still, those two have really gotten stronger.¡±


    And not just the idiot siblings, but me as well.


    What if this was really the dawn of the Age of Ogres?


    No, surely not.


    s?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 244

    Chapter 244General Farneze was furious.


    Ballistic.


    After the mock battle, I took a detour for half a day and returned. And then she summoned me immediately.


    ¡°But, I told you beforehand.¡±


    Before we left, I said that they must not do anything under any circumstances.


    ¡°Even so, that was excessive! The soldiers thought it was an ambush and tried to attack. It was utter chaos here.¡±


    She was truly angry.


    The mountain was in a terrible state from the shockwaves of that battle.


    The ground had shaken and there were sounds like thunder.


    And while I had warned the General, the other soldiers did not know.


    They had misunderstood it as the attack of a great army, and had prepared for battle.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel that they were being ridiculous, but apparently, they had believed that Kyuka himself had come down to annihilate them.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s in the past.¡± S?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°That¡¯s for me to decide!¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    This was strange. I had warned her in advance. My plan should have been perfect.


    I had raised the success rate of the operation. Surely she should be praising me instead? Hmm, it was not fair at all.


    While I was being scolded, messengers continued to come and go.


    Saifo and Beka had returned and explained the situation.


    In order to make sure that what they said was true, soldiers were sent to the scene.


    And after a thorough inspection, they decided that there was nothing wrong.


    Of course, there wasn¡¯t. No one else had been there but us.


    And then the scouts returned.


    After hearing their report, the state of alert was lifted.


    This happened shortly before my return.


    The reason that things hadn¡¯t settled down yet, was because there were those who had been waiting eagerly for the enemy.


    It was quite the shock for them as they stood ready, and some still insisted on going out.


    The other soldiers were holding them back through desperate effort, and I felt quite bad for them.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. General.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°About the wall around the camp. It¡¯s rather weak. In just one hit I was able to¡­ Uh, sorry.¡±


    She glared at me.


    ¡°General, I have news!¡±


    ¡°What is it? Have the soldiers forced their way outside?¡±


    Surely it wasn¡¯t my fault.


    ¡°Kyuka¡¯s army has started moving!¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    It really wasn¡¯t my fault.


    But this was good news.


    If they stayed in their camp, the plan could not be put into motion.


    ¡°According to our scouts, more than half of their soldiers have left the main camp. But Kyuka was not seen to be among them.¡±


    So that meant Kyuka was still inside.


    ¡°But why would they start moving now?¡±


    ¡°It must be your fault.¡±


    General Farneze glared at me again.


    I had thought I was more of an¡­intellectual person.


    ¡°What should we do?¡±


    ¡°Strike back. Crush them into the dust, and lure Kyuka out of his nest.¡±


    While that was likely the best way to fight, the plan that Felicia had created was the important part.


    I had sown the seeds earlier, so perhaps it was time to go and reep the rewards.


    ¡°Alright then, I will go. Let¡¯s kill all of Kyuka¡¯s underlings.¡±


    I just had to reach Kyuka.


    ¡°I doubt they will take you to the main camp.¡±


    That¡¯s right. They were crossing a mountain, after all.


    Then what should I do? I had to think about it.


    ¡°¡­Hmm? Why don¡¯t I just go to the main camp directly?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t exactly according to plan, but what if I just went there and asked to join them?


    All I had to do was get in front of Kyuka.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy. Why do you think Felicia had to work so hard to come up with this plan?¡±


    ¡°But our position will only get worse if he doesn¡¯t come out of there.¡±


    Kyuka¡¯s army had more soldiers who were also stronger.


    All he needed to do to win was to have the two armies clash.


    It was because we couldn¡¯t win by fighting him head-on that we had to crush his henchmen first.


    Another messenger arrived.


    The army of soldiers that had left the camp were heading straight towards us.


    And they alone were more numerous than our entire army.


    Not only that, but there were three smaller corps in the area as well.


    They were probably placed there in case of an ambush, and to help protect the main camp.


    ¡°Can you really make it? Somehow I think they won¡¯t let you in and you¡¯ll just be forced to fight.¡±


    ¡°If they really moved because of what happened on the mountain, there is a good chance they will let me in.¡±


    And if not, I¡¯ll just fight like mad.


    If I was outside of the camp, then running away wouldn¡¯t be too hard.


    Unless Kyuka left to chase after me, which I doubted would happen.


    ¡°Very well. There is no way to do this without danger anyway. But we cannot jump in unless you are able to distract Kyuka.¡±


    ¡°I know. There shouldn¡¯t be a problem as long as I can get inside. Let¡¯s just go and do it.¡±


    If I couldn¡¯t meet Kyuka, I would make a scene.


    ¡­Huh? I feel like I¡¯ve been talking about nothing but going berserk.


    No, nevermind. That wasn¡¯t true. I was an intellectual.


    ¡°But Golan. If you think about it, the possibility of success is¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m off. You should follow as planned.¡±


    ¡°Hey¡­¡±


    If I was going to go, best to do it quickly.


    After all, I had to go around so that Kyuka¡¯s army didn¡¯t see me.


    ¡°Since Kyuka¡¯s main camp is on the other side of the mountain, I might as well go around.¡±


    It would be very troublesome, but I couldn¡¯t risk being seen by the enemy.


    And once I arrived at the enemy camp, I would ask them to take me in.


    ¡°¡­It would make things so much easier if they welcomed me with open arms.¡±


    ¡°¡­So, why is this happening?¡±


    When I got close to the main camp, they attacked me without provocation.


    And when I fought back, more of them came.


    I crushed them and continued to walk. Then someone who looked like a boss came out.


    ¡°The rest of you, stand back!¡±


    The boss said in a heroic voice.


    And the surrounding soldiers all shouted, ¡®Sir Barzas!¡¯ like some legendary hero had arrived.


    ¡°You fiend. I will avenge my fallen comrades.¡±


    ¡°What? Am I the villain here?¡±


    This guy they called Barzas.


    He was a demi-human, I suppose. But I wasn¡¯t sure what kind.


    He had the mane of a lion, but he was so tall that I almost thought he was a giant.


    Perhaps he was some kind of evolved lion-type demi-human.


    Nevermind that.


    From what I could tell, his mana level exceeded that of General Farneze.


    Perhaps he was a Lesser Demon King.


    How did this happen?


    He was clearly ready to fight, and it would do no good to try and talk with him at this point.


    And he had all that mana. If I let my guard down even a little, I would die in the blink of an eye.


    I had to make the first move.


    And so I had been charging my fist with mana.


    After my evolution, I had learned to use my special ability in order to strengthen my body.


    However, I had not tested it on anyone yet. It was too dangerous.


    This special ability was called ¡®Bottomless.¡¯


    I could charge parts of my body with mana without limit.


    Well, it was just the mana stored within me.


    In any case, that should be enough now.


    The mana in my fist was itching to be released.


    I forced it to stay inside as I approached the enemy¡­and unleashed it all at once.


    ¡ªMana Spear.


    That¡¯s what I called it.


    The mana that shot from my fist pierced into the enemy¡¯s stomach and came out the other end.


    A giant hole opened up in Barzas¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°That¡¯s a much better view.¡±


    I said with a chuckle.


    Even I thought that I was starting to really sound like a villain.

 Chapter 245

    Chapter 245I am Nijilki the Scorch Tail.


    Ever since Barzas the Tulei defeated me, I¡¯ve helped him keep order among the soldiers as his subordinate.


    And while I had always planned to challenge him to Gekokujyo, forty years had now passed.


    I had experienced many battlefields and survived up until this day. My mana had increased so much that I was nearly a different person.


    And so I had thought that I was no longer inferior to Barzas. That meant it was time that I finally challenge him.


    I was terribly wrong.


    Why had I become so delusional?


    Yes, I was stronger. However, Barzas had become stronger as well.


    A fool had come to our camp. All alone.


    And then he single-handedly killed many of our men.


    This was someone who shouldn¡¯t be underestimated.


    And so I had gone out to deal with him myself, but Barzas stopped me.


    ¡°All of you, stand back!¡±


    I didn¡¯t think he would. But Barzas had decided to fight the fool himself.


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s dead.¡±


    The others muttered. I nodded.


    Barzas was strong. That was the only reason I was obeying him.


    However, what about the results?


    The fool went into some strange stance, but in the next instant, he closed in on Barzas in the blink of an eye, and then he unleashed mana from his fist.


    ¡°That¡¯s a much better view.¡±


    He looked through the big hole in Barza¡¯s stomach and laughed. S?a?ch* Th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Had Barzas really been defeated?


    I could hardly believe it. I was stunned.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ Could it be!?¡±


    ¡°Sir Barzas!!¡±


    I could hear the screams of his subordinates. But there was no reaction.


    Barzas just stood there with a gaping hole in his stomach.


    This was bad.


    Who would fight next? Barzas had been taken out in just a single hit.


    The results would be the same no matter who went out. They would just be defeated.


    The soldiers were consumed by fear, and they started to retreat.


    I should have scolded them for abandoning their position and returning to the camp.


    But what would I do after that? Who would fight?


    ¡°¡ªStop your howling!¡±


    Silence fell over the scene.


    It was Barzas who had shouted.


    The hole in his stomach¡­had already closed up.


    He had healed.


    The Tulei were said to be immortal. However, I had never seen proof that this was true.


    That is, until this very moment.


    It had been said that due to their immortality, they had rested on their laurels. Well, that was a long time ago.


    The Tulei fought even as their numbers started to dwindle.


    And then their numbers dropped so low that they were now a rare sight.


    When I had fought Barzas all those years ago, had he seemed half so immortal?


    Had he been so threatening?


    The answer was no.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ Why had I allowed myself to get carried away?¡±


    The battle in front of me was on a different level.


    It was no wonder that he was considered to be the strongest.


    However, this was no time to be dwelling on such things.


    Shockwaves from the battle alone were causing the deaths of soldiers. This place was dangerous.


    The impact of the enemy¡¯s fists created the shock waves that attacked us.


    It was the same with Barzas.


    We were just spectators, and yet we were afraid of being there.


    That¡¯s how fierce the battle between them was.


    Every blow struck like lightning from heaven, and the earth shook.


    They hit, hit and hit.


    And we could not interfere.


    It was impossible to come between them.


    It didn¡¯t matter how many of us tried.


    The earth tore open, and there was no longer any smooth ground below their feet.


    From what I could tell, they appeared to be evenly matched.


    I had no idea that Barzas had so much power within him.


    And this fool who had come here all alone. Who would have thought that he could match that power?


    ¡°The Demon World is a big place.¡±


    I hated myself for thinking that I could beat him in Gekokujyo.


    It was so ridiculous as the gap between us had only widened through the years.


    ¡°ARRGGHHH!¡±


    ¡°GAARRRRHH!¡±


    Their blows were landing more regularly now.


    Clearly neither side cared to dodge.


    They hit and were hit. Kicked and were kicked.


    Immense attack power was unleashed, and unbelievable defense ability stopped it.


    However, things would end soon.


    It appeared that both were running out of energy.


    The enemy seemed to be saving what he had left now.


    And Barzas realized this, and moved quickly.


    Both of their attacks landed.


    And in the end¡­the one who remained standing was¡­


    ¡ð Lesser Demon King Kyuka¡¯s Main Camp ¨C Golan


    ¡°That was close.¡±


    Things had gone well up until I used my special ability to launch the mana spear.


    A great hole appeared in his stomach, and I was sure that I had won.


    However, the wound closed up immediately.


    His restoration ability was similar to that of a Vampire.


    It must have been one of his special abilities. This was bad.


    If he could continue to heal himself as long as his mana lasted, then I would likely run out of mana first.


    After all, ¡®Bottomless¡¯ used an incredible amount of mana.


    After that, we talked with our fists.


    This Barzas guy, he clearly had no martial arts training, and yet he was surprisingly strong.


    Not only was he tough, but he could heal. And he would have had a lot of experience in battle.


    It would take time to defeat him.


    ¡­It was as I was thinking this, that I realized that my mana was running low.


    I was using a lot for both attacks and defense.


    If this continued, he would just gain the upperhand.


    But if I tried to save up on mana, the damage would remain even if his attacks didn¡¯t land.


    And it would build up.


    If I concentrate on saving energy while fighting, it would gradually become more difficult to move my body.


    We were in a stalemate, and my brain understood the danger.


    There were warning bells telling me to defeat him quickly.


    From what I could tell, the enemy¡¯s mana was also depleting.


    In that case, maybe I should just use ¡®Bottomless¡¯ to inflict a great amount of damage.


    I started to wonder about that.


    ¡°GAAAA!¡±


    I attacked with all of the strength within me, and then moved back.


    And then I quickly charged my fist with mana.


    This would likely be my last attack.


    The enemy realized this as well and attacked. He would try and stop me.


    He was frantic.


    Perhaps that meant he didn¡¯t have enough mana left to heal again.


    ¡°Eat this! ¡®Heavy Strike¡¯!¡±


    I charged my fist with mana, hardened it over and over, and then fired.


    How much had I hardened it? My intention was to make it as heavy as a depleted uranium bullet.


    The heavier something was, the more damage it did.


    Same with its piercing ability.


    Had Barzas expected to take me down with him?


    But I was saved by a hair¡¯s breadth. His fist just scraped my ear, while my fist slammed into his chest.


    In the next instant, his back exploded like a blooming flower. Red blood and pieces of organs flew into the air.


    A great hole had appeared in his chest. This time, he could not close it.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s finished. That was a good fight.¡±


    I muttered as my enemy crumbled to the ground.

 Chapter 246

    Chapter 246I had defeated Barzas in a duel.


    While it was true that Barzas had been very strong, it also made me realize that my way of fighting was not very refined yet.


    Back when I was still an Ogre, I had been able to fight in a way that allowed me to save more of my strength.


    As I was weak, I had to use my head when fighting my superiors.


    That¡¯s how things had been.


    (I have to stop getting carried away and relying on brute force.)


    To be honest, I was exhausted now. And my mana was depleted. Yes. Later, I would have to reevaluate the way that I fought.


    ¡°How¡¯s that!¡±


    However, I could not allow them to see any weaknesses.


    And so I raised my fists high into the air and shouted.


    After a slight delay, the crowd roared.


    I didn¡¯t quite know¡­if that meant the soldiers had accepted me, but I had proved my strength.


    ¡°I want to meet whoever is in charge here. Let me in.¡±


    All I had to do was glare at them, and they would cower.


    I would not be able to fight anymore, and yet I had to make them think that I could.


    Make them think they would have to send another who was Barzas¡¯s equal or even stronger in order to defeat me.


    At the very least, they knew that they were not the one to do it.


    Someone must have gone to deliver the news.


    As I stood there and stared the others down, I was eventually allowed to enter the camp.


    (Now, this is where it really begins¡­)


    My mana was dried up. And my body exhausted.


    And while I was now in the camp, apparently, that didn¡¯t mean I could meet Kyuka immediately.


    I was let into the first defensive wall, but was told to wait there.


    ¡°Can I take a walk around?¡±


    I asked with a chuckle, and the guard who was leading me nodded with a shudder.


    This camp had three walls around it.


    But so did General Farneze¡¯s camp, so it wasn¡¯t unexpected.


    Had they just been made of wood, I¡¯d be able to break them. But they were hardened soil and rocks.


    And they were over twice as tall as I was.


    Even if our army were able to ambush them, it would be difficult to get past the second wall.


    (I can see Giants here too, so they must have helped.)


    While we were all residents of the Demon World, the Giants were larger and had ridiculous arm strength. S?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    And so carrying huge boulders was an easy task for them.


    When it came to construction work, a single Giant was worth a dozen Goblins or more.


    And so if you had thirty Giants, then a wall like this could be built in just one day.


    I walked along the wall and inspected its durability.


    The guards watched me cautiously from afar.


    Word that I had defeated Barzas had spread, and so no one dared complain to me.


    Still, they would not let me inside of the second defense layer.


    And so with nothing to do, I continued to wander around the area. And then a rather strong-looking fellow came over to me. He was covered in armor, head to toe.


    ¡°I am Mouga. An attendant of His Majesty.¡±


    Ah, so one of General Farneze¡¯s targets then.


    Not only was Mouga big, but he was wearing armor.


    He wasn¡¯t so much a warrior¡­but like some kind of stone guardian.


    His breastplate was thick, and he had horns on his helmet. I could not get a clear look at his face.


    Judging from the glimpses of fur, he was likely a type of evolved Dark Ape.


    He wasn¡¯t as tall as the Giants, but was still one of the larger residents of the Demon World.


    After all, I had to look up in order to see him. And I felt that he must have tremendous power hidden inside.


    ¡°I¡¯m Golan. Do you think that we can talk?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, that is why I came here.¡±


    He was an attendant of Kyuka. In other words, an Adjutant.


    That suggested he would be quite intelligent as well.


    ¡°I¡¯m Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s subordinate, and was working under General Farneze.¡±


    ¡°Farneze¡­ Ah, the one who set up camp on the other side of the mountain.¡±


    ¡°Yes. ¡­It¡¯s a long story, but I need you to listen.¡±


    After that, I watched Mouga¡¯s reaction while I explained how I had come to be here.


    That being said, it wasn¡¯t the truth.


    I had made it up in order to meet Kyuka.


    The first thing that I emphasized was that General Farneze and I had a disagreement.


    And since she had ceaselessly despised me, my resentment had finally exploded.


    There was no turning back now, and I had no choice but to challenge her to Gekokujyo.


    And so I decided to fight this decisive battle.


    However, it seemed that she meant to drive me out of the camp before I could challenge her, and so I went berserk.


    But she only sent more men after me, and I ended up having to run away while fighting them off.


    ¡°I cannot return to the camp now, and so will you let me join this one?¡±


    I finished. Mouga looked up at the sky.


    He was probably annoyed that someone so dangerous and troublesome had come to them.


    ¡°I heard about the fight at the mountain the other day.¡±


    ¡°You mean those Ogres I defeated after they chased after me.¡±


    Mouga was talking about the mock battle I had with Saifo and Beka.


    I had orchestrated the fight to give that impression, but had become a little too heated in the moment, and we caused mass devastation to the environment.


    ¡°Why did the General refuse your challenge?¡±


    He was very curious about that.


    ¡°I doubt that¡­she was afraid of being defeated. She probably decided that it wasn¡¯t worth the damage she would receive during the fight.¡±


    I said with a triumphant look. This was also a question that I had expected.


    My purpose here was to buy time by stopping Kyuka, not to fight one of his subordinates.


    Fight me and you won¡¯t make it out unscathed.


    And if that happened, you¡¯ll be pretty useless on the battlefield. I did my best to give him this impression.


    ¡°I see¡­ And there must be other reasons that you don¡¯t get along.¡±


    Mouka seemed to be buying my story.


    ¡°Reasons that we don¡¯t get along¡­ Well, don¡¯t you think I¡¯m strong enough to be leading the army instead?¡±


    This too was a bluff.


    Think of me as inferior to the General, and I¡¯ll kill you. It was a threat.


    If I were to be at the same level as a General or Adjutant, then I would have to meet with Kyuka directly.


    I would settle for nothing less than a direct link to Kyuka¡¯s Orb of Control.


    ¡°Strength doesn¡¯t necessarily mean you have the ability to lead an army. However, that can be remedied with good Adjutants. So I suppose you are not wrong.¡±


    If the leader of an army lost, that army would be crushed.


    And so someone who would never lose was the most appropriate to be leader. In the end, strength really was everything on the battlefield.


    However, that did not include idiots like the former Corps Commander Guden, who could say nothing aside from ¡®Gahahahaa! Charge! Charge!¡¯


    People like Guden did too much damage to their own side.


    Unless an Adjutant could do something about it, the damage could extend farther than the corps and affect the whole army.


    My talk with Mouga was practically finished.


    If Mouga now asked me to make the contract with him directly, I would fight him.


    Well, that¡¯s what I made him think¡­ He did take the hint, right?

 Chapter 247

    Chapter 247¡°I already proved my worth earlier, but do you need more? I can make an example of you as well?¡±


    I considered the possibility that Mouga had not caught on to what I wanted, and so I became a little more direct.


    Mouga laughed wryly.


    Good, he did understand.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done enough to show your worth. And our men are not disposable. It would be rather inconvenient to have too many of these duels.¡±


    Consider the scenario where they did send someone equal or superior to Barzas.


    It would be difficult to take me down without getting hurt. That was no easy sacrifice.


    At worst, we might both die.


    And as Kyuka¡¯s attendant, he could not allow that to happen.


    In the Demon World, there was no point in just making a lot of smaller armies.


    It was normal to have three to four Generals.


    You could have five at the most. Any more and each individual would be weakened and the fighting force spread too thin.


    I thought about how many people who were equal to Barzas remained in the main camp.


    Currently, General Farneze¡¯s army would be fighting with Kyuka¡¯s.


    Considering how rapidly his fighting force had grown, it was possible that there was one General and one Adjutant here.


    ¡°So, how long are you going to make me wait here?¡±


    I wanted him to hurry up and take me to Kyuka.


    ¡°About that, we happen to have another visitor.¡±


    ¡°¡­A visitor on the battlefield? A merchant, perhaps?¡±


    Now that was unusual.


    ¡°No, it seems like he¡¯s going to make a request to increase his fighting force.¡±


    He said slowly.


    So, Mouga was against it?


    Still, what kind of fighting force were we talking about?


    Could it be similar to the agreement that General Farneze made with General Miralda?


    ¡°Did the strongest fall in the succession of battles?¡±


    ¡°Something like that.¡±


    Lesser Demon Kings were fighting against each other, and so there was no way to win without getting hurt.


    And so both sides fought desperately on the battlefield in order to decrease the number of enemy Generals.


    Kill and be killed¡­ And the longer they battled, the more tired they would become.


    As I expected, the situation in the camp was quite severe.


    Perhaps it was one of the reasons they had not attacked for so long.


    However, now they had a visitor.


    If I took too long, there was a possibility that they would discover the General and her men, as they were surely hiding somewhere close by.


    I would have to hurry things along.


    ¡°¡­So, when am I going to be allowed to join?¡± s?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    That was the most important issue. Whether or not I could meet Kyuka.


    I even wondered if I should just force my way in and search for him.


    However, there were still two defensive walls to get past, and that would be too reckless.


    Unless Mouga was the one to take me, I would likely be surrounded before I ever found Kyuka.


    ¡°¡­I want to ask you something first.¡±


    ¡°Ask anything you want.¡±


    And hurry up and take me to him.


    ¡°What do you wish to gain by joining our army?¡±


    It was a straightforward question. And the one that you would be the most curious about.


    ¡°I suppose¡­I want to be treated in a way that befits my ability?¡±


    ¡°Specifically?¡±


    ¡°If someone of equal strength insults me, I can fight them. And if I feel like my superior officer is weaker than me, I can challenge them to Gekokujyo¡­ This is all standard stuff, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, yes.¡±


    He did not look amused.


    ¡°And yet General Farneze seemed to disagree.¡±


    In truth, I wouldn¡¯t rebel against a superior as long as I wasn¡¯t treated like a disposable pawn. But I couldn¡¯t say that here.


    ¡°Ah¡­ And so what would you say if I said you should be my subordinate?¡±


    Mouga would surely want to treat me as a subordinate. But if I was, I would not be able to meet Kyuka.


    ¡°You said that you¡¯re an attendant?¡±


    ¡°Aye.¡±


    They were treated similarly to Generals.


    He and a few others were likely controlling Kyuka¡¯s army.


    ¡°I could work under you¡­or we could fight and determine who is the strongest.¡±


    I laughed in order to provoke him.


    If I did have to fight Mouga, it would be incredibly dangerous.


    However, I could not just accept the offer to be his subordinate either.


    I had to show that I was superior to Mouga, or they would never let me meet Kyuka.


    In other words, his answer now was the real crucial moment in this whole plan.


    ¡°¡­Very well. I will allow you to meet the Demon King. I don¡¯t know how you will be treated from that point, but if you don¡¯t like it, then we can talk again.¡±


    Apparently, my bluff had paid off.


    Things moved quickly after that.


    Mouga called one of his subordinates and a meeting with Kyuka was arranged.


    (As for my mana level¡­it hasn¡¯t recovered at all.)


    That was disappointing, but there was nothing that I could do.


    There was no guarantee that I could fight in peak condition every time.


    Mouga¡¯s servant returned.


    Apparently, I could meet Kyuka now.


    ¡°What about the visitor?¡±


    ¡°They are together.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Well, it should be fine.¡±


    While I was curious about this visitor, it would not change the plan.


    I would meet Kyuka, and we would fight.


    And since no one would be allowed to intervene, they would be forced to watch.


    If Kyuka and I fought, it would cause mass damage to the surrounding area.


    The General would see it from her position and would come.


    And as I fight, I would start moving away.


    Of course, Kyuka would follow.


    The larger the area that we fight, the better the chance of moving outside of the main camp.


    In the meantime, General Farneze would lead a group of her best Vampires and launch an ambush from the air. And they would wipe out Kyuka¡¯s entourage.


    After that, I would charge my legs up with mana and try and move as far away as possible.


    Luck would determine whether or not I could actually outrun him. But Kyuka would have a tough decision. Prioritize the duel or save his subordinates.


    If our plan succeeds, Kyuka will remain, but his powerful men will be annihilated.


    Then they could surround him in great numbers and defeat him.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s get this over with.¡±


    I blurted out.


    Mouga turned to me and asked, ¡®surely you are not planning on declaring Gekokujyo?¡¯


    Well, that was the jist of it.


    However, I denied it with a ¡®no, no, no. I have no intention of doing that at all.¡¯


    ¡°¡­Here it is.¡±


    I had imagined a small building or tent, but it was apparently outdoors.


    However, there were curtains hung up so that you could not see what was happening inside.


    I followed Mouga in.


    ¡°Ohhh? Why, it¡¯s Golan.¡±


    I heard a voice say.


    Hello. Thanks for reading. Just wanted to note that this is the 2000th release on Tiger Translations! Been a little over 3 years since I started, and hopefully will be able to continue for some time longer.

 Chapter 248

    Chapter 248At a glance, there seemed to be about twenty people within Lesser Demon King Kyuka¡¯s camp enclosure.


    And they all had such great mana that suggested they were of the high-ranking races.


    But the one who had the most was the man in the center. Or woman? The figure was overall quite shapely, and so probably a woman.


    And surely it was Kyuka who would be in the center.


    She had a tiger-like face and black wings. And was very tall.


    Since she was standing on two feet, she would be one of the most advanced of the humanoid tigers.


    In spite of the amount of mana, she had a rather slender build, which suggested to me that she was a magic user.


    ¡°Ohhhh? If it isn¡¯t Golan.¡±


    I turned to see who was speaking¡­ There was someone who looked like a boy standing next to Kyuka.


    But he was no smallfry. His mana was equal to Kyuka¡¯s.


    And I recognized him.


    ¡°Nehyor!¡±


    I immediately reached towards the hexogonal club at my waist¡­but then remembered that I had given it up when coming here.


    That included the Deepsea Dragon Sword that should have been on my back.


    The only thing I had was my armor.


    The rage I felt started to subside.


    I could not just attack him while I was unarmed.


    ¡°So you¡¯re the one that ran away and was chased?¡±


    As reports would have been coming in, he must have heard them.


    ¡®Hmm, I see,¡¯ Nehyor muttered to himself as if he was putting the pieces together.


    ¡°Do you know him?¡±


    Kyuka asked Nehyor. She was standing with her legs far apart and her knees bent a little, much like a crab. Was she really a woman?


    But Nehyor¡¯s height brought him just up to Kyuka¡¯s thigh, so it was probably due to the severe size difference between them.


    ¡°Golan used to be my subordinate. But I suppose he¡¯s an enemy now?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Now come over here. I¡¯ll beat you until you can no longer move.¡±


    ¡°¡­Golan has always been like this. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever met him without a fight erupting at some point. He can¡¯t stop himself from challenging me.¡±


    ¡°So you are saying that challenging his superiors is his hobby?¡±


    Kyuka said as she glanced towards me.


    It was written all over her face. I don¡¯t need difficult subordinates.


    I too did not want subordinates that acted like mad dogs. They were terribly difficult to handle.


    However, if I could be allowed to defend myself, I didn¡¯t just challenge anyone, and for no reason.


    ¡°But he is strong, I¡¯ll give him that. After all, he was able to cut me in half.¡±


    ¡°He did what!?¡±


    I didn¡¯t expect¡­Kyuka to be that surprised.


    ¡°And even after being cut open, you stuck yourself back together and ran away.¡±


    That was such a waste. I should have finished him off when I had the chance.


    ¡°Yes, and my plans were delayed quite a lot because of that. If anyone has a right to complain, it¡¯s me!¡±


    Apparently, he was quite angry.


    This plan of Nehyor¡¯s involved creating a new Demon King that he would be able to defeat.


    Melvis had said that Vampires needed a Demon King¡¯s Orb of Control in order to evolve. s?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    And Nehyor¡¯s actions up until now seemed to prove this.


    However, saying that here would just make Nehyor more cautious.


    If he escaped from here, then he would hide even deeper than before. And I wanted to avoid that.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to do, but you¡¯ve been moving around like a snake. It¡¯s me that is angry!¡±


    I shouldn¡¯t know about Nehyor¡¯s plan. And so feigned ignorance.


    Now, I had to rethink some things.


    Both Nehyor and Kyuka were in front of me. What should I do?


    My heart wanted to go after Nehyor. I wanted to kill him.


    Yes, even now it took great effort to stop myself from attacking him with my fists.


    However, I could not spoil the plan just because I allowed my emotions to momentarily get in the way.


    It would not do if Kyuka was free to do as she liked while I was fighting Nehyor.


    General Farneze would hear me fighting and misunderstand. It would all be for nothing.


    In other words, I had to stick to the plan and fight Kyuka one on one.


    In the Demon World, strength was more important than anything.


    If I challenged her to a duel, no one would intervene.


    Even if you did win like that, you would be labeled as someone weak who could not win by yourself.


    That would be a lethal blow to someone who stood above others.


    No one would follow someone who was unable to prove their worth.


    And so if I challenged Kyuka to Gekokujyo now, she would have no choice but to accept.


    However, I might never be able to meet Nehyor again. And I so wanted to crush his plans here. Yes, I really did.


    ¡­Damn it.


    As I agonized over the decision, Nehyor and Kyuka continued to talk.


    ¡°He was an Ogre before he evolved!?¡±


    ¡°He was. Not only that, but I even lost to him back then. Well, we weren¡¯t really fighting seriously, but he still cut off my hand and arm.¡±


    ¡°But Ogres are merely walls of flesh. How is it possible that they can fight a Vampire?¡±


    Kyuka was so shocked that her knees bent even more like a crab.


    I could see her black and yellow tail dangling behind her. Yes, she really was some kind of tiger race.


    However, what should I do?


    Should I really just challenge Kyuka here and now?


    Or was there some other better way?


    I thought about it while watching them talk.


    Mouga was staring at me to the side.


    I could hear him mutter, ¡®a former Ogre¡­impossible¡­¡¯


    Yes, Mouga was here too. I suppose I really should just fight Kyuka then.


    Thankfully, not only were we in an enclosure, but it was very big. And so it was perfect if I wanted to fight and run at the same time.


    (It can¡¯t be helped then. I have to fight Kyuka.)


    And so I approached Kyuka and challenged¡­I was about to challenge her, but then my eyes went to the swaying tail. And a certain thought came to me.


    ¡ªWhy don¡¯t I just fight both of them at the same time?


    Nehyor and Kyuka.


    I had been so indecisive because I thought I had to choose between them.


    Well, if I didn¡¯t want one of them to get away, then I just had to fight them at the same time.


    ¡°It¡¯s perfect.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What is it, Golan?¡±


    Nehyor asked in an innocent voice.


    I laughed.

 Chapter 249

    Chapter 249¡°I thought of a good way to handle this.¡±


    I grinned while moving towards Kyuka.


    Kyuka thought that I was going to become her subordinate.


    And so she just looked mildly puzzled as I got closer. She didn¡¯t go into a battle stance.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to finish this business with Nehyor as soon as possible.¡±


    I laughed. And then I slowly walked around to Kyuka¡¯s side. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°So you are going to fight Nehyor here?¡±


    There was a war being waged on the other side of the mountain.


    She clearly did not want any unnecessary trouble.


    ¡°Well¡­you can say that.¡±


    I moved behind Kyuka, crouched, and grabbed her tail.


    And then I held it tightly with both hands.


    ¡°You! What are you doing!?¡±


    ¡°Hmmphh!¡±


    I charged both legs and arms with mana and then pulled.


    Kyuka lost her balance entirely and stumbled forward.


    And then I swung her by the tail.


    ¡°Would this move be called a Giant Swing? Or is it more like hammer throwing?¡±


    I swung her in circles by the tail, and Kyuka¡¯s body spun at a tremendous speed.


    While this was likely to make her quite dizzy, it wouldn¡¯t do any damage.


    However, I had a reason for doing this.


    ¡°Secret technique, Kyuka Hit!¡±


    I used Kyuka¡¯s body as a weapon to attack Nehyor.


    Yes, it was the same old technique. Perhaps I should make it my main one.


    ¡ªThump-thump!


    Even I couldn¡¯t hit him three times, but the ambush was a success, and I was able to catch Nehyor twice as he stood there in shock.


    ¡°Arrgh!¡¯


    I threw Kyuka into the air and laughed.


    ¡°Huhh¡­ Golan. What are you trying to do?¡±


    ¡°I just thought I would let you know what¡¯s happening here. Don¡¯t think you will make it out of here alive!¡±


    ¡°I think that I¡¯m the one who should be saying that? You are in enemy territory, you know?¡±


    ¡°Bastard!¡±


    Kyuka had pulled herself off of the ground. There was no visible damage.


    Well, it was expected. No Lesser Demon King would take damage from just that.


    In other words, my motive for doing it was to make both Nehyor and Kyuka want to fight me.


    ¡°Hey, Golan. Do you really think that you can win after making an enemy of both of us?¡±


    Nehyor provoked. Well, he clearly found all of this amusing.


    He was looking forward to seeing what I would do next.


    As for Kyuka, she was filled with rage.


    I could sense it. She looked like she would attack at any moment now.


    Yes, this was a Lesser Demon King who was just about to turn into a Demon King.


    When Kyuka became angry, I could feel it in the air.


    If I was being honest, I was having difficulty just standing.


    This was because I had used up my mana in the battle with Barzas.


    I could not fight any longer.


    ¡°Well, while this might be bending the rules a little, I might as well just do it now.¡±


    I said with a grin. And then I called the other person who was inside.


    ¡ªAre you ready?


    When I evolved, me and him had a conversation.


    And through it, I learned a little about ¡®souls¡¯ and ¡®vessels.¡¯


    When I was still an Ogre, both of our souls were inside of the Orb of Control.


    And so the small orb was being stretched to its limit.


    On top of that, I had slowly been increasing the amount of mana every day.


    Every time that he came out, my body protested in pain.


    The other me had so much more mana.


    And through evolution, our body, souls, mana¡­everything had been strengthened.


    My appearance had changed, as did my race.


    His mana level in particular was outrageous. And so even with this body, it would likely reach its limit very quickly.


    Damn it. I wondered just how much it had increased.


    And then I suddenly thought of something.


    ¡ªHuh? Then what were the other powerful people doing?


    Even with our mana combined, we did not reach the level of Demon Kings or Lesser Demon Kings.


    Were they that special then?


    I had wondered about this, and so asked Tralzard. And then¡­


    ¡®Obviously, it¡¯s because they control it themselves,¡¯ she replied.


    Control mana with mana.


    Something like that.


    And so I tried it.


    Strengthen myself with mana and then let the mana flow into it.


    Ah, that¡¯s interesting.


    I suddenly felt better. As if all the fatigue had just been my imagination.


    As long as it could be controlled, there would be no problem if the other me came out.


    I had practiced it in the tower when I had nothing better to do.


    Yorba the Sand Armor helped me as well.


    And there were times when the mana overflowed, and things became dangerous.


    I¡¯ll also add that the mana drain shield helped a lot.


    Thanks, Dobroy. The shield you gave me is being used effectively.


    Now that I knew how to control mana with mana, I could reduce the burden of changing into the other me¡­


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this.¡±


    I slowly opened my eyes.


    There were two people staring at me.


    One of them was looking with wide eyes.


    ¡°Wh-why has his mana suddenly increased so much?¡±


    Came the shocked voice.


    ¡°It appears to be Golan¡¯s special ability. But I¡¯ve never heard of a technique that allows you to increase your mana.¡±


    Nehyor had seen it before, so he wasn¡¯t surprised.


    ¡°Why are you so calm¡­ This doesn¡¯t make any- Ah!¡±


    I enveloped my legs with mana and shot around Kyuka to her rear.


    And then I grabbed her tail and swung with a single hand.


    ¡ªWhhhhrrrr!


    ¡°The Kyuka Bludgeon!¡±


    I hit Mouga with this move as he saw the danger his master was in and moved towards me.


    It wasn¡¯t just the other me. I could do it too.


    As Mouga stumbled back, I switched my target to Nehyor.


    This was very useful for those times when your weapons were confiscated.


    I would have to use it more often.


    ¡°Kyuka Gale!¡±


    ¡°Kyuka Bombard!¡±


    ¡°Kyuka Exploding Annhiliation Slash!¡±


    I named the moves randomly as I attacked the subordinates who came towards me one after another.


    They must be quite satisfied to be hit by their own master.


    ¡°Golan. I see that you still like to fight in the most idiotic and dynamic way.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it looks like I missed one.¡±


    I had forgotten.


    In fact, this fight was started because I wanted to beat Nehyor to death.


    ¡°Take this. The Kyuka Final¡­¡±


    ¡ªSnap.


    Ah, it came off.

 Chapter 250

    Chapter 250¡ð Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s Country ¨C Melvis


    It was around the time after Farneze had departed in order to kill Kyuka and Dardaroth¡¯s return to the castle after being in the south.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    Melvis muttered as he stood up from his throne.


    Dardaroth became frantic.


    It was only a few days ago that he had returned in order to meet Melvis. s?a??h th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    And he had expected that he would have to tell Melvis all that had happened while he was asleep.


    Dardaroth had remained loyal and guarded over his master. But he had been troubled over how he could explain everything concisely.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­ Where will you go?¡±


    Perhaps he was going to go and destroy some small country.


    As Dardaroth thought of such things, he heard the answer, ¡®To Dalm¡¯s country.¡¯


    ¡°Gre-great Demon King Dalm¡­?¡±


    While this made sense to Dardaroth, he still felt a chill travel down his spine.


    Great Demon King Dalm. The great Dragon King.


    Even before Melvis had fallen into that deep slumber, Dalm¡¯s country had had many problems.


    ¡°Dardaroth.¡±


    ¡°Yes!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving the rest to you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡±


    He would protect this castle no matter what.


    As he swore to himself¡­


    ¡°He¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°He is.¡±


    ¡°Boring.¡±


    ¡°So boring.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s play with this then.¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s play.¡±


    Said the Eternal Invisibles, Jikae and Manny.


    ¡°So they returned as well.¡± Dardaroth scowled.


    After that, Jikae and Manny would fight Dardaroth in the castle.


    As for the castle that Dardaroth had just sworn to protect¡­the damage would be great.


    ¡°It has been a long time, old friend.¡±


    ¡°You! Is it you, Melvis!?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. This castle hasn¡¯t changed at all.¡±


    ¡°Why are you inspecting it so calmly? I haven¡¯t seen you in a hundred years.¡±


    Melvis had paid Great Demon King Dalm a visit. He looked around the room and muttered, ¡®well, this area looks a little different.¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s because you destroyed it the last time you were here. I suppose that was nearly four hundred years ago.¡±


    ¡°Has it really been that long?¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know, as you were asleep. The last time we met, it was on the battlefield. What possessed you to just walk in here? What happened to my guards?¡±


    ¡°I came from above.¡±


    That was all Dalm needed to hear in order to understand.


    He had come from a point in the sky that was so high that it was dark all around.


    Usually, the area around the castle was guarded by his subordinates, and there was no way that anyone could get in.


    However, it might as well have been unprotected to someone like Melvis.


    ¡°¡­So, what brought the ancient Great Demon King to this place?¡±


    When the rumors of Melvis¡¯s sleep had started to spread, Dalm had not believed them.


    Dalm knew just how abnormal Melvis could be. And it did not seem likely that a mere attack from a celestial would be enough to accomplish such a thing.


    This was a Great Demon King who lived through ancient times. As a fellow Great Demon King, Melvis was a threat that Dalm could not easily overlook.


    ¡°Well, there are not many who I can talk to who don¡¯t cower in fear.¡±


    ¡°I suppose I should say¡­that you¡¯re flattering me.¡±


    Dalm was shaking inwardly. But he could not let it show.


    If anyone had been watching these two talk, their impression would have been very strange indeed.


    There were only two Great Demon Kings in the Demon World, and yet Dalm seemed to be treating Melvis with great respect.


    But Melvis was a Lesser Demon King. ¡®Why?¡¯ That would be the question on the person¡¯s mind.


    ¡°I want to know what was happening in the Celestial World while I was asleep.¡±


    Melvis said. Dalm did not open his mouth for a long time.


    And so Melvis continued.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that you¡¯re still bringing in the Fallen into your fold. Now, tell me what I want to know before I tear your jaw open.¡±


    The Fallen were residents of the Celestial World who had been tarnished by mana.


    Some of them had fallen by their own will, while others were forced to after being exposed to mana during experiments.


    Normally, celestials who are exposed to mana during experiments choose to die.


    However, those who wish to live are able to adapt their bodies and extend their lives.


    This process was irreversible, and someone who had fallen will never be able to return to the Celestial World.


    They would have no choice but to live in the Demon World.


    ¡°¡­I still can¡¯t beat you.¡±


    Dalm said with a deep sigh. ¡®What do you want to know?¡¯


    ¡°What happened in the Celestial World? There must have been a great power struggle. Something that changed the very map. I want to know about it.¡±


    ¡°I remember every detail that the Fallen have told me. It will be a very long story.¡±


    ¡°I saw Hera¡¯s soul.¡±


    ¡°Hera¡­ You went to the Under World?¡±


    ¡°Yes. In order to search for King Yamato¡­ And to erase the curse on me that was cast through purifying the soul.¡±


    ¡°And Hera was there¡­ Does that mean Hera is dead? But according to what you said, Hera had completed the reincarnation emancipation research. So why would her soul be in the Under World?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why. However, I have no doubt that it was Hera¡¯s soul. In a few hundred years, the self will be washed away, and reincarnated as a different soul. But that is no concern of mine. I just want to know who killed Hera. And how did they send her soul to the Under World.¡±


    ¡°You think that the murderer is in the Celestial World?¡±


    ¡°I do. Hera had completed her own soul and was pursuing Zeus. And so why was she just a soul drifting in the Under World? What happened?¡±


    Dalm groaned at Melvis¡¯s words.


    Hera was at a similar level to Dalm and Great Demon King Bibashini in the Demon World. Some had even called her the greatest power in the whole Celestial World.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe, but I suppose Hera really is dead then.¡±


    ¡°And the Celestial World?¡±


    ¡°Currently, you could say that the chaos is even greater than it is in the Demon World.¡±


    Dalm said. And then he started to explain.

 Chapter 251

    Chapter 251¡ð Great Demon King Dalm¡¯s Castle ¨C Lesser Demon King Melvis


    Dalm was known to actively take the Fallen under his wing. This was very unusual.


    Most people in the Demon World held less than friendly views of those who had once lived in the Celestial World.


    In comparison, you could say that Dalm was a very open-minded person.


    ¡°So, the chaos in the Celestial World is greater than it is here?¡±


    ¡°Aye¡­much time has passed since the road to the Human World was closed off, and this has apparently made it difficult for them to replenish their holy power.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Holy power¡­ I had once heard that it increases through the prayers of humans.¡±


    ¡°Apparently, so. Unlike mana, holy power is not something that flows without limit. It comes from the holy vein, and the amount they receive has decreased visibly. That is why they are panicking.¡±


    Residents of the Celestial World store holy power in their bodies.


    That is how they perform miracles. But if they use too much, their bodies become dried out, and they die. Either that, or they will be eaten away by mana.


    Yes, there were small quantities of mana even in the Celestial World. It was said that negative emotions turned into mana.


    But the holy power in their bodies would cause the mana to vanish when touched.


    Because of this, they were not in danger from it.


    Unless, of course, they used all of the holy power in their bodies.


    The parts that were eaten by mana would change color as it absorbed and spread out.


    This was considered the greatest shame in the Celestial World, and being polluted by mana was their greatest fear.


    ¡°So after the Human World was closed off, the holy power was no longer able to get through.¡±


    ¡°It appears to be the case. Well, it is not exactly surprising.¡±


    ¡°No, the soul after death continues to go through the barrier. So it would not have been strange to assume that holy power could as well. Perhaps this is something that even Zeus, who created the barrier, did not know.¡±


    Dalm nodded at Melvis¡¯s words.


    ¡°According to the Fallen, Zeus was a traitor who cared more about the Human World than the Celestial World. Enra as well, as they are trying to bring him back.¡±


    ¡°But Enra is the greatest research institution in the Celestial World. I doubt anyone could argue against people with such great power.¡±


    ¡°That does not seem to be the case¡­ Well, we are being side-tracked. I understand by what they told me, that holy power has decreased in their world. In fact, the small and weak have been culled.¡±


    If there were less people who used holy power, then less of it would be consumed. That¡¯s what they thought.


    It was very logical. Very much something that they would think of.


    And so the weak and persecuted chose death, while others chose to fall into the Demon World.


    Dalm offered his protection to these Fallen, and gathered information.


    ¡°I suppose then, that it¡¯s possible Hera was found and killed amidst the chaos.¡±


    Melvis muttered to himself.


    ¡°So, what will you do now? I would prefer it if you do not bring more chaos to the Great Demon King countries.¡±


    As always, Dalm was talking as if Melvis was his superior.


    ¡°¡­Can you see this?¡±


    Melvis raised his arms.


    ¡°See? Is there something there?¡±


    ¡°These wrists are shackled. It is the last curse that was cast on me. I think that being rid of them will be my primary focus for some time.¡±


    The reason that the ancient Great Demon King Melvis had fallen to the position of Lesser Demon King was because of the curse that Hera had cast on him.


    This curse affected the soul directly, and was the great achievement of Hera¡¯s research. And so Melvis had not been aware of it until he awoke.


    He had thought that the curse was something that forcefully absorbed his mana while sending him to the Under World.


    Once he had deciphered that much information, Melvis decided that it was harmless, and left it alone for a while.


    After that, he went to the Under World in order to search for Lesser High King Yamato. Along the way, he decided to break the curse.


    It should have succeeded and his mana returned to normal.


    However, there were in fact chains there that no one could see. And in spite of his soul being purified in the Under World, the chains remained.


    ¡°What about your search for King Yamato?¡±


    ¡°It was my plan to travel to the Human World through the Under World, but that road was blocked. I have no way to proceed now.¡±


    Melvis thought that the reason he could not find Yamato after so much searching, was because Yamato was in the Human World.


    His name remained on the Tablet of Control, so he was not dead.


    And so for a long time, he had not even thought to go to the Under World. S?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    That changed when the curse was cast on him.


    But the human world had a strong barrier cast over it because of Zeus.


    Melvis would have had no reason to go to the Under World then, but he noticed a single exception.


    When people died, their souls were sent to the Under World. After that, they were purified and reborn in the Celestial World, Human World, or Demon World.


    In other words, if you were just a soul, you could go to the Human World.


    Thinking this, Melvis became a soul by his own will, and headed towards the Under World.


    However, what was waiting for him there was Zeus¡¯s barrier.


    And he discovered that only souls who had been purified would be able to cross.


    Of course, Melvis¡¯s soul was still connected to a body.


    And he was not purified.


    And so try as he might, he was unable to enter into the Human World.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, a lot seems to be happening in the north.¡±


    ¡°The north? Do you mean that upstart who attacked? Kyuka?¡±


    ¡°He did? How reckless.¡±


    Dalm said. And there was a long silence.


    ¡°But he fled, and so I sent someone after him. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll bring me his head soon.¡±


    Melvis had no doubt of this.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. It is my opinion that he will be the cause of much trouble.¡±


    ¡°Then I just have to crush him before that happens.¡±


    The cause of much trouble¡­ In other words, if a new Demon King were to be born, the wars in the surrounding areas would continue for even longer.


    Would he fall amidst the turmoil? Would he overcome it and rise to Great Demon King? Or would he find stability?


    No one could know which way it would fall, but great wars would precede it.


    And of course, it would spread far and wide.


    Dalm could not think of anything more annoying. And¡­


    ¡°In the first place, this Kyuka has expanded his forces in a very short amount of time. Surely that is proof that he has more power than what is known.¡±


    If your enemy was great, then you prepared in accordance.


    And since he was able to expand so rapidly, it must mean that his own ability had won in a way that others had not been able to see.


    ¡°If something happens, I will go out in person.¡±


    ¡°That worries me in a different way¡­¡±


    But Dalm swallowed his words after that.


    He did not have the courage to step on Melvis¡¯s tail.

 Chapter 252

    Chapter 252A striped tail was in my hand. Of course, it was Kyuka¡¯s.


    ¡°Rather weak to just break while still being used.¡±


    As for Kyuka, she had gone flying towards the back of the camp.


    I suppose I would keep the tail as a souvenir.


    When I looked towards Nehyor, he was brushing the dust off of his clothes.


    As I had used Kyuka as a weapon to hit him with, he was visibly angry. It was nice to see.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done it this time, Golan. You must know what to expect now?¡±


    While Nehyor had been knocked off of his feet twice, he had apparently taken no damage.


    ¡°Well, you have my attention, you little brat. Let¡¯s see what you can do.¡±


    I said while swinging the tail to provoke him. ¡®I¡¯ll kill you today, no matter what,¡¯ he answered.


    ¡°I¡¯m not so weak that children can kill me.¡±


    While playing with the tail, I charged at him first.


    This tail was quite good. Especially when I was bored.


    There was one thing that I learned after fighting with Nehyor the Vampire.


    His body was not that tough.


    Even when I was still an Ogre, I was able to hurt him as long as I had a weapon.


    In terms of physical toughness, he was in the range of your average mid-ranking race. That was what I thought.


    However, that did not take into account his healing ability. Now that was something of the most elite class.


    He was so tenacious that I wondered if he could return from ashes.


    And so if I wanted to annihilate him completely, it would be a tough fight.


    I saw Mouga getting to his feet from the corner of my eye.


    Now that I thought about it, I had also thrown him into the air with Kyuka.


    As for him, he was just as he appeared.


    ¡°Alright, Golan. I won¡¯t hold back.¡±


    ¡°Quit with the tedious talk. Come!¡±


    Nehyor¡¯s nails elongated. And he had also extended his fangs without me realizing it.


    Yes, I didn¡¯t know all of Nehyor¡¯s special abilities yet.


    As I thought of such a thing, a massive magic bullet came flying from an unexpected direction.


    ¡°Whoa!?¡±


    I frantically dodged it.


    Nehyor did as well. In all, there were about twenty shots.


    The bullets were made of deep purple magic energy, and thunder crashed where they landed.


    You would be treated to a terrible shock if you were hit.


    When I turned in the direction that they had come from, I saw Kyuka.


    She was furious. Her body had practically turned crimson.


    Not only that, but she seemed to have expanded. Her muscles were larger and bulging.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She glared at me silently.


    And without so much as a gesture, another dozen magic bullets materialized. They were bigger than the last volley.


    ¡°Shit!!¡±


    I snatched up Nehyor and started to run.


    ¡°Hey! Why are you carrying me?¡±


    Nehyor protested as I held him like a child under my arm.


    The fact that he hadn¡¯t attacked me yet suggested that he was in no rush and was surprisingly calm.


    ¡°Just shut up!¡±


    I dashed to the right and then left in order to dodge the magic bullets. And like that, I shot through the camp.


    There were thunderous explosions and tents blew into the air. The attacks were indiscriminate.


    Suddenly, the ground shook, and then tore open under my feet.


    ¡°¡­!!¡±


    And even though my legs were charged with mana, I could not deal with it. I suddenly had nothing to stand on.


    And so I tossed Nehyor to the side and rolled forward and landed.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    Annihilation magic? It was very unsettling.


    ¡°More importantly, I don¡¯t see why you need to take me while you run.¡±


    I understood what Nehyor was saying, but I could not leave him at that place.


    This fight between me and Kyuka.


    Farneze would know about it real soon.


    If Nehyor had remained there, he would likely have amused himself by getting in Farneze¡¯s way.


    Well, regardless of the reason, I didn¡¯t want him to escape.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see what the problem is. I can fight both of them now.¡±


    The furious Kyuka, and Nehyor, who I¡¯ve held a grudge against for a long time.


    What could be more fun than taking them both on at the same time?


    Just as I had predicted, Kyuka was a magic user.


    That being said, she didn¡¯t specialize in magic. She was half physical type.


    As for this two versus one battle, I was going in while my weapons were still confiscated.


    Normally, it was where I would cry, apologize, and beg for forgiveness.


    ¡°This is going to be fun.¡±


    I could not help but smile.


    Kyuka clearly did not want me to be able to make the first move.


    And she continued to unleash a barrage of magic bullets.


    Fifty, maybe more.


    There were too many to dodge.


    And so I grabbed the mana drain shield that was on my back and blocked them.


    I could feel them slamming into the shield.


    And while the impact was great, it seemed to be absorbing them just fine.


    ¡°Huh, that shield. I knew it must have some special property. So it absorbs mana.¡±


    I heard Nehyor say near my ear.


    A chill ran down my spine. Since when was he there?


    I could not run away from him. The magic bullets were coming at me from the front like rain.


    When I frantically twisted away, I felt something hit me in the back.


    Nehyor¡¯s nails seemed to have bounced off of the dragon scale armor.


    ¡°Huh? Is this special too?¡±


    I could sense that he was surprised.


    And so I kicked backwards like a horse.


    Nehyor flew into the air as I turned around.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m a good boy. I¡¯m showered by weapons and armor!¡±


    I didn¡¯t quite remember the details about how I got them. But I was probably right.


    After a moment, the magic bullets stopped.


    Kyuka must have realized that she could not kill me that way, and so she started walking towards me.


    That¡¯s when I noticed something.


    A tail was swaying between Kyuka¡¯s legs.


    ¡°It grew back already?¡±


    Given that it had snapped so cleanly, perhaps she had let go of it on purpose.


    I had been swinging her so strongly that she might have decided that it was the best way to escape.


    And her anger now would be due to the humiliation. In that case¡­


    ¡°Hey, you. I have one here, and you have a new one. Why don¡¯t we test to see how many you can make?¡± s?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It was almost amusing how effective this provocation was.


    Like the embodiment of rage, she charged at me.

 Chapter 253

    Chapter 253Now that Kyuka understood that the magic attacks wouldn¡¯t work, she charged at me.


    At that point, she had already fired off over a hundred magic bullets.


    The damage in the area was great.


    And all of it was from Kyuka¡¯s magic bullets. It wasn¡¯t my fault at all.


    But Kyuka didn¡¯t so much as glance at the destroyed camp or the soldiers who died from the magic bullets.


    All of her concentration was used towards killing me.


    It was good that she had changed tactics quickly.


    And I liked that she was capable of a fist fight as well. S~?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Now I just needed to greet her in the appropriate way¡­


    ¡ªGa!


    But when I charged my legs with mana and tried to move towards her¡­she punched me. I hadn¡¯t even seen her get that close. I was thrown violently into the air and crashed into a group of soldiers as I rolled away.


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    I apologized rather pointlessly to the twitching soldier I had crushed.


    His limbs were bent in odd directions, but he was still alive.


    It was rather unfortunate, given how lucky he had been to survive all of the magic bullets.


    Apparently, Kyuka was better than me when it came to skills that allowed you to enhance your physical ability. Was it because she had lived longer?


    She was licking the blood that dripped from her mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you can do more than just magic.¡±


    This time, I was the one who moved towards her.


    It would be rude if I didn¡¯t return the earlier favor.


    I punched Kyuka in the stomach, and when her face moved closer from the impact, I¡­tried to punch her, but Nehyor¡¯s fist slammed into me from the side.


    It hurted like hell.


    ¡°Hey, Golan. Did you forget that I was here too?¡±


    Nehyor was proud of his nails, and so he was probably angry that they had bounced off of the dragon scale armor. He was now fighting me with his fists as well.


    I had not even noticed that he had appeared next to me. Was this a special ability?


    Now that I thought about it, he had teleported like that before.


    My body was protected by the dragon scale armor, and I had the mana drain shield on my back.


    And I had also become a lot tougher after evolving.


    My defense ability had gone up considerably compared to before.


    Not only that, but I had charged my whole body with mana when coming out.


    It was to strengthen the body in order to withstand my mana level.


    And yet Kyuka and Nehyor¡¯s attacks caused me great pain.


    I suppose it was to be expected, as they were some of the strongest Lesser Demon Kings around.


    ¡°And that just makes it all the more fun.¡±


    And so I charged my body with more, stronger mana.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­hahahahaha!¡±


    Before I knew it, I was laughing.


    I knew I had been in a fist fight, but parts of my memory were foggy.


    Perhaps the memories had been knocked right out of my head.


    Still, my fists worked restlessly.


    If I was punched, I would punch back.


    My left hand felt like it was shattered. Every time it hit something, I heard a wet sound.


    Fists, elbows, knees, feet. I used everything at my disposal in order to push Kyuka.


    Now, let¡¯s carry on.


    I would not lose when it came to the number of blows.


    I would always react to an attack.


    Not only that. I would add one extra hit for good measure.


    And I wouldn¡¯t lose when it came to force either.


    I would hit them even harder than they hit me.


    No matter how much it hurt, I would return with greater force.


    My spirit was no different.


    I wouldn¡¯t back down. I could only advance.


    I would never fall back.


    Even with the armor, this battle between Kyuka and me was a stalemate at best.


    And with Nehyor in the mix, there was no way to escape the disadvantage.


    I was hit twice as many times, and I was often close to death.


    ¡°Hahahahaha!¡±


    And yet I could not stop laughing.


    I felt such a feeling of elation that the pain was all but forgotten.


    Sometimes my memory would seem to disappear. And sometimes I heard a bone breaking.


    But I just continued to laugh.


    ¡°Hey, wait. I¡¯m an intellectual type.¡±


    Nehyor was the first to raise his voice.


    He was the kind of crafty person who worked in the shadows. And he seemed to recoil from this very real exchange of blows.


    Kyuka also seemed to be slowing down.


    While we were in the main camp, this was still the middle of a war.


    Perhaps she had decided that she could not use all of her mana here.


    It showed that she had regained her calm.


    Normally, her subordinates might have to join the fight, but they had not. That would have seemed strange to her as well.


    The other me was dry. His mana had not recovered at all.


    And mine was running low.


    And while I had much more mana to begin with, it still did not reach the level of Kyuka.


    And so mine would be depleted first.


    ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s quite enough. I don¡¯t care anymore. Golan is too hard.¡±


    Nehyor said as he moved away.


    As I continued to laugh and swing my fists, he seemed to have become fed up with this fight.


    I didn¡¯t even know why I was laughing. I just couldn¡¯t stop.


    I wanted the fight to continue forever.


    It was rare to fight an opponent who continued to hit you back no matter how many times you hit them.


    ¡°Hahahahahaha!¡±


    My head jerked back after a particularly good slam.


    As I looked at the sky and laughed, something entered the corner of my vision.


    A flying group. They were quite far away.


    And they were headed towards the mountains.


    It told me that General Farneze and her subordinates had achieved their goal, and were escaping.


    ¡°Hahaha.¡±


    I punched Kyuka back and then retreated a few steps.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    The heat dissipated all at once. You might even say I was calm again.


    My mana was just about to reach complete depletion. And I was in the middle of the enemy camp, and right in front of their leader.


    And they had left me here all alone.

 Chapter 254

    Chapter 254¡ð Demon King Dalm¡¯s Castle ¨C Melvis


    A Lesser Demon King called Kyuka had recently expanded her forces greatly.


    And so Great Demon King Dalm told Melvis that he must be careful.


    But such a warning did little to phase him. ¡®I will just go out in person,¡¯ Melvis replied.


    Dalm could do nothing but flinch.


    If Melvis really did take to the field, then the damage in the north would exceed his imagination.


    Of course, it would affect Dalm¡¯s territories as well.


    And while he wanted to ask him to stop, he also knew that leaving Kyuka alone would mean that she would eventually rise to the rank of Demon King.


    If that happened, Kyuka would likely set out to swallow up all of the neighboring smaller countries in order to solidify her position.


    It wouldn¡¯t be too bad if that was the end of it.


    That would hardly affect a Great Demon King like Dalm.


    The problem was that everything would not go according to Kyuka¡¯s plan.


    The other Demon Kings would not allow it.


    They would want to get rid of Kyuka while her influence was still small. That¡¯s what the Demon Kings would decide.


    As for Demon Kings in the north who would want to crush Kyuka, there was Trinidodo and Janius, whose lands were directly connected.


    Though, both were either warring with another Demon King or in some kind of feud.


    In order to survive, Kyuka would have to oppose them with her entire fighting force. And she was not an opponent that the other Demon Kings could fight with one hand.


    Ultimately, there was likely to be a chaotic war involving multiple Demon Kings.


    And that wasn¡¯t even that bad. It was bad, but it could get much worse.


    By some chance, if a single Demon King were to come out as the supreme victor.


    The Demon King who prevailed through the war would rise to Great Demon King.


    Dalm could not allow that to happen.


    It was the same with Bibashini, who was also a Great Demon King.


    If they allowed a third Great Demon King to be born, it would create a three-way deadlock.


    And that was something that they very much wanted to avoid.


    This should be nipped in the bud as quickly as possible.


    However, if he moved in a serious effort to be rid of this would-be Great Demon King, then Bibashini might attack him from behind.


    After all, the birth of a new leading power would affect the entire Demon World.


    Especially with someone like Kyuka, who had recently joined the fray.


    But whether Melvis went out or not, the results would not be pretty.


    Dalm felt that it would be best to quietly take care of Kyuka without Melvis noticing.


    Though, that too felt like a poor plan.


    ¡°By the way, King Melvis. You were talking about invisible chains?¡±


    What was very curious to Dalm, was that Melvis was still under a curse that directly affected his soul.


    And even Dalm could not tell if they really existed.


    Was such a thing possible?


    ¡°The chains. They restrict my power, that is all. They do not affect me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Restrict his power.


    Normally, you could not claim that such a thing ¡®had no effect,¡¯ but perhaps it was only Melvis who could feel this way.


    ¡°More importantly, I have lost every resource in my search to find King Yamato.¡±


    Melvis speculated that he was trapped in the Human World, but he had no way of confirming this.


    Currently, you could not go to the Human World from the Celestial World or the Demon World.


    And though he had searched for ways in the Under World, he had been unsuccessful.


    If there was anyone besides Melvis who had a chance of being able to make the journey, it was Hera from the Celestial World.


    However, Hera was dead. And her soul was in the Under World.


    To Melvis, this matter was much more important than the invisible chains.


    And then he learned one other thing after coming here.


    The chaos in the Celestial World and the depletion of holy power. His search for Yamato was now blocked from all sides.


    ¡°Is there really no clue at all?¡±


    As for Dalm, he too wanted Lesser High King Yamato to return.


    He could not think of anyone else who could control Melvis.


    This was someone who would destroy a whole town in the blink of an eye when he was in a rage.


    If there was someone who could stop this, he would gladly become that person¡¯s subordinate.


    The other old Demon Kings thought the same. That was how difficult Melvis was to handle.


    ¡°Perhaps it would be possible if I knew the results of Enra¡¯s research. After all, the technique that Zeus used to close off the Human World was based on it.¡±


    Dalm had not experienced the age where Lesser Demon King Yamato and Hera were warring.


    Hera had fought Yamato in order to get Zeus back.


    He had heard that she needed Yamato¡¯s Orb of Control in order to do this.


    This ancient war.


    The stories that remained focused on the opposition between the Celestial World and the Demon World, but much had happened before that.


    Back then, the Human World had been opened. And it was possible to travel to it from the Celestial World or the Demon World.


    And while rare, there were times when humans would wander into the Celestial World or Demon World.


    And sometimes residents of the Celestial World or Demon World would fight against the humans.


    The residents of the Celestial world would want the power from human prayers, while residents of the Demon World wanted their fearful emotion.


    As their aims were the complete opposite, they could not see eye to eye.


    They would always attack each other on sight.


    Apparently, it was Zeus who was very anxious about this.


    He had been gathering human believers, and started to sympathize with the them.


    At one point, there was a great war in the Human World, and a whole continent had sunk.


    And so one day, with all of the results of their research up until then, Zeus drove out the majority of residents of the Celestial World and Demon World from the Human World, and cast a powerful barrier around it.


    It was said that the Demon World was thrown into a great chaos during that time.


    The barrier had been made by using Zeus¡¯s own body, and deactivation was impossible.


    Zeus had died as its pillar. No one had been able to dissuade him from this course.


    The Human World was closed off completely. S?a?ch* Th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    And it was Zeus¡¯s spouse, Hera, who could not accept this.


    Hera continued Zeus¡¯s research and established the Enra Institution.


    And a theory was developed. In order to break Zeus¡¯s barrier, you needed to attack it with a magic stone of equal power, in other words, an Orb of Control.


    As for a resident of the Demon World who had an orb of that power, there was no one but Lesser High King Yamato.


    And so Hera invaded the Demon World with the full power of the Enra Institution in order to kill Yamato.


    After that, came a battle for the ages.


    While Zeus¡¯s body had disappeared, it was believed that his soul was stuck in the Human World, and Hera wanted to find it in order to bring him back.


    It was frightening how strong her attachment was.


    Speaking of attachments, Melvis was much the same.


    He would not give up in his search to find Yamato.


    Demon King Dalm just felt like screaming.


    Somebody, do something about this.

 Chapter 255

    Chapter 255General Farneze had accomplished what she set out to do, and retreated.


    Without even looking back.


    A very lively Lesser Demon King Kyuka was right in front of me.


    Nehyor was also just a short distance away, though he looked quite bored.


    As for me, I was covered in wounds and my mana was almost depleted.


    And the situation would not improve if I switched back to the other me.


    If anything, it would probably get worse.


    His mana was completely empty, and it would be impossible for him to continue to fight.


    ¡°I have no choice then. Let¡¯s do this.¡±


    Even if I made a run for it, they would catch up with me.


    I had taken more damage and would clearly be the one to run out of breath first.


    I overstayed my welcome. And now it was too late.


    Well, then. I would just continue to attack. It would now be a battle of endurance.


    Now that I thought back on it, the plan had been to fight while running away.


    But I had become so absorbed that I forgot.


    ¡°AARRRGHHH!¡±


    Once I made my decision, I felt a surge of power rise within me.


    I wasn¡¯t scared of anything now.


    In this corner of the camp, Kyuka and I continued to trade blows.


    But unlike before, I was calm.


    Thanks to the dragon scale armor, the damage was reduced by quite a lot.


    On the other hand, my arms, legs and face were in an ugly state.


    And my energy.


    It was pretty much empty, but I felt that I could manage one last push.


    (Ah, I haven¡¯t talked to the other me since that time¡­)


    Right before the evolution, we had been able to meet face to face.


    Before then, all we did was share memories, so it was the first time we faced each other as completely different people.


    According to him, his human soul had become stuck with my Ogre soul.


    It was a strange thing indeed, but what he said was probably right.


    The only thing that I remembered was our souls being forcefully stuck together during their experiments.


    And I didn¡¯t know the meaning or significance of it.


    But the other me would think and figure things out, thankfully.


    I didn¡¯t know if all Humans were smart, or if the other me was just special. However, he explained things in a way that made it easier for me to understand.


    (Now that I think about it¡­there was one other thing he taught me.)


    While I was still in the middle of fighting Kyuka, there was no forgetting it now.


    Yes¡­ It was when we were walking together and searching for the exit.


    ¡°In my previous life, I attended this place called a dojo, and learned all kinds of martial arts.¡±


    ¡°I know about that, as you¡¯ve always trained every day. And I can sort of understand what you were doing. But I doubt I could do any of that.¡±


    ¡°I too found it difficult at first, due to this Ogre body. But I was able to do it in the end. So I don¡¯t think being an Ogre is a good excuse for you to give up trying to learn.¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t do it. To be honest, I just don¡¯t understand anything that complex.¡±


    ¡°You say that, but¡­ You might need it in the future. You might encounter someone very strong, or find yourself in a situation where you can¡¯t run away. Right?¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll just punch them untill they die.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that a time will come when you can¡¯t do that¡­ No, wait a minute¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it? Did you eat something bad?¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. Besides, how could we eat like this? Aren¡¯t we inside of the Orb of Control?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t really know.¡±


    ¡°¡­Nevermind that. Listen to me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°When I was still a human, there was this technique that I could never use, no matter how much I practiced.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to tell you, so why don¡¯t you try it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s surely impossible. While there are many things you can do that I can¡¯t, the reverse does not apply.¡± s?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°No, you can do it¡­probably. Even now, I¡¯m held back by some of my human habits. But I think someone like you could do it.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Alright, then maybe I should hear it. What do I do?¡±


    ¡°What I learned¡­was the Assassin Fist.¡±


    After that, we talked for a long time.


    Up until then, most of the techniques he had learned involved hurting people.


    But no matter how brutal they looked, they would not result in death if you held back.


    However, with this technique, your opponent would always die.


    Upon hearing this, he had said, ¡®as if I¡¯d learn that!¡¯


    ¡°But I know how to do it. And I feel like I could probably do it now, but I always hesitate. It¡¯s a special attack. The problem is that you can¡¯t adjust its force.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ I still don¡¯t understand how it is different from other techniques.¡±


    ¡°You can only use this when you want to kill your opponent no matter what. After all, you can turn things around with just one move.¡±


    ¡°With just one move. That sounds amusing. Teach me.¡±


    ¡°I worry about teaching someone who just finds it amusing¡­ But it¡¯s good to have a trump card when living in the Demon World. Alright, watch closely.¡±


    And so he showed me.


    I tried to copy.


    ¡°Like this?¡±


    ¡°No. Your wrist should be like this!¡±


    ¡°Like this?¡±


    ¡°Something like that.¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­ It¡¯s actually quite easy then.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. You have to practice every day. And strengthen your wrists.¡±


    ¡°Every day? But I can only come out for a short time. And it¡¯s a burden on the body.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s right. Then just train when you do get a chance to come out. I want you to master this technique. Just in case something happens.¡±


    ¡°Got it. In case something happens.¡±


    And something had happened.


    Ah, it felt nostalgic¡­ In spite of it not being that long ago.


    After that, I did as he said and trained when I got a chance to come out.


    Yes, this Assassin Fist.


    Since I remembered it now, I might as well try it before my mana dried out completely.


    Kyuka must have been getting tired, as there were longer delays between hits.


    And judging by how hoarse her breath was, she had clearly taken damage as well.


    ¡°Alright, I guess it¡¯s time to kill!¡±


    And so I thrust out my right arm, which I could still move, towards Kyuka.


    My fingers were in position, tense, all of the way to my fingertips.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Assassin Fists. ¡­.Tensen no Sakahoko.¡±


    My hand was held flat and I ignored my defenses.


    And in this posture, I moved towards Kyuka.


    The trick was to move half a step closer then the normal distance.


    Kyuka went into a defensive stance, clearly puzzled over what I would do. While keeping my hand flat and my palm facing upwards, I jammed it towards Kyuka¡¯s mouth.


    And like that, my strengthened hand plunged into her mouth.


    Once I felt that my fingertips had reached the throat, I bent them and prepared to bore through.


    Kyuka closed her mouth in shock. But I knew that would happen.


    According to the other me, it was like the principle of leverage.


    He had said something about fulcrums and working points, but I had forgotten such complicated things.


    ¡°All that matters, is that if I lower my body, the fingertips will go up, right?¡±


    ¡®Listen, if their lower jaw is the fulcrum, then you can use the principle of leverage to reach their brain. You know, like how the lighter side of a seesaw goes up.¡¯


    As always, it was hard to understand.


    But I did know this.


    ¡°¡­I reached it.¡±


    He said that there were no bones in the surface area of the upper mouth.


    If you used your weight, and as long as your arm did not break, your fingertips could destroy the brain.


    It was a technique where you could not hold back.


    I saw fluids spraying from Kyuka¡¯s nose and eyes. Then I collapsed.


    Apparently, I had reached my limit.


    The moment before I lost consciousness, I heard the sound of something crushing, far away.

 Chapter 256

    Chapter 256¡ð Lesser Demon King Kyuka¡¯s Main Camp ¨C Saifo


    ¡°Hyahaaa!¡±


    ¡°Scatter them!¡±


    ¡°Where is the filth!!¡±


    ¡°I am the filth!¡±


    ¡°You are!?¡±


    Saifo and a group of Ogres had swarmed into Kyuka¡¯s main camp.


    The Reapers were there as well, though they did not seem happy about it.


    There were even a few Vampires.


    Why were they following and obeying Saifo?


    Perhaps during the long journey¡­


    ¡°The only good enemy is a dead enemy!¡±


    ¡°Where are the evil foes?¡±


    They had been poisoned and turned into meat heads.


    Beka was running right behind Saifo.


    She was behind him, in spite of being much lighter in comparison.


    This was because she was going around and mercilessly breaking the necks of the soldiers that were guarding the camp.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a violation of our orders? There wasn¡¯t an order to charge!¡±


    ¡°Then let me ask you this, was there an order saying we ¡®couldn¡¯t charge¡¯?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear of any.¡±


    ¡°Then there should be no problem.¡±


    ¡°Is that right? Maybe¡­¡±


    Beka was very simpleminded.


    ¡°So with that settled¡­ ARRGHHHHH!¡±


    Saifo swung his metal club, and an enemy soldier shrunk down to half its height.


    There was a reason that they had ambushed Kyuka¡¯s main camp.


    This business started back during the battle on the other side of the mountain.


    ¡°Damn it. We lost again! I swear that I¡¯ll get him next time!¡±


    ¡°Ahahaha¡­ Surely it¡¯s impossible?¡±


    After becoming a Masurao through special evolution, Saifo had been very confident when challenging Golan.


    However, he could barely do a thing, and lost pitifully.


    Saifo¡¯s abilities had been enhanced by several dozen times, and yet it seemed like it hardly mattered.


    He could not reach Golan even after his evolution. Could anything be more humiliating?


    Not only that, but he had fought along with Beka, who had undergone a special evolution as well, and turned into a Dakini.


    They had both become stronger.


    And yet Golan was at a different level.


    ¡°ARGGHHHH!!!¡±


    Saifo was consumed by a rage that he didn¡¯t know what to do with.


    In other words, he was feeling stressed. S?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Stress was something that Orgres never felt, as they lived without thinking, especially about difficult things.


    However, when it came to people like Saifo, who had a ravenous will to become stronger, he sometimes felt stress over the large gaps in ability between himself and his opponents.


    And the only way to relieve himself of that stress was¡­


    ¡°All soldiers, charge!¡±


    Saifo and the Ogres had been integrated into the army, and took position in the right wing. And like this, they faced Lesser Demon King Kyuka¡¯s army.


    Due to Farneze¡¯s army having inferior numbers, the situation was quite dire from the beginning.


    Kyuka¡¯s army spread out over a wide area that included the side of the mountain and its base.


    As they had more soldiers, they believed they could annihilate the enemy by just surrounding them.


    On the other hand, Farneze¡¯s army just needed to buy time.


    That was the order that had been given to them.


    And so the battle continued passively, and while the center and left wing were pushed back, they were somehow able to hold out.


    The problem was the right wing, where Saifo had been added.


    To be frank, he was taking it out on the enemy.


    All the anger he felt over losing to Golan was unleashed onto the enemy.


    Apparently, the leader of the enemy forces had fallen at some point.


    It wasn¡¯t known who had done it.


    Most people would find such a thing hard to believe, but before anyone knew it, the leader was gone.


    Realizing that the tide could turn easily, Kyuka¡¯s army started to draw back. That¡¯s when Saifo and the others launched a vicious attack.


    He had already shown astonishing feats up until this point, but that was just a warm up.


    In the end, Kyuka¡¯s army was not able to withstand the crazed attack of Saifo and the others, and they were forced to retreat.


    The enemy took flight.


    ¡°Go!! Don¡¯t let a single one escape!¡±


    In fact, Saifo had no authority to be barking out orders.


    However, the battle frenzy and stress caused by Golan, had weakened his self control.


    Besides, Ogres were meat heads.


    Yes, it bears repeating. Ogres were meat heads.


    If someone told them to go, they would go.


    And so they started to chase after the retreating enemy.


    This would have come as a great surprise to Kyuka¡¯s men.


    Now that the corner had crumbled, it would have been a good time to attack the center.


    But instead, they were just chasing after the retreating soldiers.


    ¡°GO! GOO!¡±


    They heard the shouts coming from behind as they ran.


    If they stopped, they would be killed.


    And so they all ran back to the safety of the main camp.


    That¡¯s when the real tragedy began.


    After all, Saifo and the others had chased them at full speed.


    And this was a pursuit straight after a vicious battle.


    There was almost no distance between Saifo¡¯s men and the fleeing enemy.


    They were practically combined.


    And so Saifo and the others were able to enter the camp with the enemy soldiers.


    Most of the strong ones had left in order to fight against Farneze¡¯s army.


    Even with them split up, they still had the superior numbers.


    And so they would never have imagined that the enemy would attack the main camp in such a small group.


    And worse for them, this group that Saifo led happened to be very powerful.


    An elite group that had survived many hopeless battles in Tralzard¡¯s lands.


    And they knew very well the danger of charging into an enemy camp.


    If anything, they were humming as they went under the gate.


    And they did not know the word, ¡®restraint.¡¯


    Without a hint of hesitation, they grabbed any enemy they laid eyes on and tore them to shreds.


    ¡°I still haven¡¯t had enough! Bring me more!¡±


    Saifo went deeper into the camp.


    ¡°¡­Hmm? Is that¡­?¡±


    ¡°What? What is it?¡±


    Saifo and Beka had found something.

 Chapter Makai hongi 257

    Makai hongi 257¡ð Lesser Demon King Kyuka¡¯s Camp ¨C The Ogres


    ¡°Hyaaaha!¡±


    ¡°Hyaaaha!¡±


    ¡°Hyaaaha!¡±


    The Ogres, Reapers, and Vampires had charged into the Kyuka¡¯s main camp, and without losing their initial momentum, they continued to trample the enemy into the dirt.


    ¡°Kill them all!¡±


    ¡°Kill them all!¡±


    ¡°Kill them all!¡±


    They scattered in all directions as if there was no one in their path.


    As if they were the only ones there.


    The reason that they were able to advance like this, was likely because of the special team led by Farneze.


    Farneze¡¯s Adjutant, Atrasushia, and her Vampire elite, had started to attack the camp from the sky.


    Farneze had served as General for a long time, and she knew how these camps tended to be set up.


    She knew which areas would be monitored, and where the important facilities would be located. It was all inside of her head.


    If you invaded from the sky, you would be discovered immediately.


    And so it was mostly due to her experience that they had been able to avoid it this time.


    The obstacle that Farneze had been the most concerned about, was Lesser Demon King Kyuka.


    If for some reason, Golan was unable to meet Kyuka and ended up fighting someone else, or they fought somewhere with Kyuka¡¯s subordinates, then the plan would have ended in complete failure.


    That being said, unbeknownst to Farneze, Nehyor had been with Kyuka during that time.


    In fact, Farneze had not encountered Kyuka or Nehyor.


    Not only that, but since Golan had defeated Barzas, who was one of the enemy¡¯s strongest, there was one less person to get in Farneze¡¯s way.


    So she had been able to launch an attack under optimal circumstances.


    Of course, the cost of this was Golan using up all of his mana.


    And for some reason, when Farneze landed, she saw Mouga, who was also one of the strongest, lying on his back.


    As it was evident that an earth shattering battle had been waged here, Farneze interpreted that Golan had fought here.


    And she wasn¡¯t wrong.


    Golan had fought, using Kyuka.


    Farneze and the Vampires had taken down Mouga first, and then defeated one of the Generals who came after, before making their escape.


    She had determined that the plan was a success.


    Before taking off, she said this to her subordinates,


    ¡°Kyuka will be furious now and might come and attack us. We¡¯ll prepare our defenses as soon as we return, and then strike back!¡±


    Just as a precaution, they took a different route than when they had come.


    And so they had not seen the fight that was happening on the other side of the mountain.


    Farneze had no idea that a part of the right wing was heading towards the main enemy camp.


    She had ordered them to fight in a way that would minimize their losses. So she would never have guessed that they¡¯d destroyed the enemy and then chased after the ones who fled. s?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    After all, unexpected things were happening on both sides, without anyone knowing what was happening with the others.


    Because of this, the situation at Kyuka¡¯s camp had still not come to a conclusion.


    ¡°Bludgeon them!¡±


    ¡°Make them fly!¡±


    ¡°Your life is mine.¡±


    ¡°My life is mine.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got some nerve!¡±


    It would take a while for the Ogres who had attacked the base to stop and think, ¡®Huh? Something is wrong.¡¯


    The number of enemy soldiers was strangely high.


    As Barzas had died defending the outer wall, and since they had entered while merging with the fleeing soldiers, they were able to infiltrate the camp while remaining nearly unharmed.


    This unexpected attack caused widespread chaos. And since there were also non-combatants there as well, the Ogres were able to continue their rampage uncontested.


    Kyuka or Mouga were supposed to be giving out the orders, but since they were fighting Golan or Farneze, there was no one left who could settle the situation.


    The non-combatants fled in confusion while the pack of Ogres chased them.


    At this point, the chaos was being spurred on.


    But when it came to pure numbers, the soldiers in the camp overwhelmed them.


    And since the Ogres had just scattered as they pleased, they ended up finding themselves alone and surrounded by the enemy.


    Normally, you would realize what was happening and retreat.


    But the meat head Ogres did no such thing.


    Under ordinary circumstances, they were capable of thought. But these were not ordinary circumstances.


    ¡°There are enemies everywhere you look!¡±


    ¡°Too many to choose!¡¯


    Yes, it wasn¡¯t ordinary at all.


    And so even after they had a grasp of what was happening, the Ogres just smiled and charged straight into the groups of enemies.


    In a way, it was reckless.


    But in a way, it was also brave.


    It was practically suicide.


    The Ogres were massacred by the overwhelming difference in number, and like that, they fell¡­


    Or so it would have appeared.


    ¡°Demon King Kyuka has been killed!¡±


    ¡°General Mouga has fallen!¡±


    The shouts echoed around the camp.


    Only a small few had actually witnessed the battle between Golan and Kyuka.


    In fact, few people had seen Golan at all.


    As for Farneze, who had attacked suddenly from the sky; she had almost gone unnoticed.


    And so it wasn¡¯t until Saifo and Beka had made their way deeper into the camp while knocking down tents and curtains, that Mouga and Kyuka¡¯s corpse fell under the eyes of the soldiers.


    The soldiers then wondered. Who was it that killed them?


    The majority of them did not know the truth of what happened.


    And so it was only natural to connect the death of the leaders with the Ogre ambush.


    In other words, there were people among the Ogres who could defeat Lesser Demon Kings and Generals.


    Once word of this started to spread, the camp fell into a panic.


    ¡°It¡¯s overrrr!¡±


    ¡°Run!!¡±


    When it came to such things, residents of the Demon World were honest.


    It didn¡¯t matter how many of them there were, when they were weak and the enemy was strong.


    How many kittens would you need to defeat a tiger?


    It was on a similar scale.


    And once this state of fear assaulted the camp, it spread easily from soldier to soldier.


    Ultimately, they began to throw down their weapons and run.


    It wasn¡¯t an uncommon sight in the Demon World.


    ¡°Hyahhaa! Wait! Wait!¡±


    The Ogres shouted as they killed them.


    They fought back with a momentum that made it hard to think their prospects were dire just a moment ago.


    Now that Kyuka¡¯s soldiers had abandoned the camp, it was open season as the pack of Ogres hunted them down.


    Eventually, the tactician Felicia would call this battle the ¡®Upset Comedy.¡¯

 Chapter 258

    Chapter 258¡ð Lesser Demon King Kyuka¡¯s Camp ¨C Saifo Part 1


    This battle that tactician Felicia would one day call the ¡®Upset Comedy.¡¯


    To Lesser Demon King Kyuka¡¯s soldiers, it could only be called a nightmare.


    ¡°I knew it. I am strong after all.¡±


    Saifo held iron clubs in both hands and swung them.


    Enemy soldiers flew into the air with every swing.


    They were so heavy that most people would not have been able to pick them up, but Saifo was swinging them around as if they weighed nothing. S?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    After evolving, he sensed that he had become stronger. Sensed it all too well.


    However, there were others in the battlefield who defied classification.


    Miralda was a powerful, monster-like General.


    And her subordinates were also impressive.


    And so even though Saifo had evolved, there were people there that made him think, ¡®Ah, I can¡¯t beat them.¡¯


    It was because of this, that he was unable to gauge his own ability.


    ¡°That¡¯s it! Golan is the one who is the weirdo. It must be.¡±


    His sister Beka agreed.


    As soon as they returned to Melvis¡¯s country, they were ordered to rush to the next battlefield.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be able to fight again.¡±


    Saifo was overjoyed, and he then reunited with Golan at the meeting place.


    They were comrades from the same village.


    And while they had evolved into different races, he was someone who Saifo had never beaten in a fight.


    And so Saifo challenged Golan, just as he always had, and was beaten into a pulp.


    He hadn¡¯t stood a chance, and was thrown around like a bean bag.


    The relationship between mana level and ability had always been strange when it came to Golan.


    He boasted the greatest strength in the village in spite of having inferior mana levels.


    They had challenged him so many times and never won.


    But now that Golan had evolved, his mana level far surpassed Saifo and Beka.


    Still, if they fought together¡­ It felt like a long time ago that he believed that.


    The gap had widened so much that he felt that no matter how many times he challenged Golan, he would never be able to win.


    ¡°Damn it. How strong has Golan become?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve never been able to beat him. Not even once!¡±


    Beka said as she puffed out her cheeks.


    She too had a lot on her mind regarding the repeated defeats.


    But even as they talked like this, their hands worked tirelessly at defeating the enemy. And they moved deeper and deeper into Kyuka¡¯s camp. And then¡­


    ¡°Hmm? Is that Golan¡­ Why is he here?¡±


    Saifo had found Golan.


    But why was he in the middle of the enemy camp?


    And why was he on the ground?


    ¡°What? What? Oh, it is Golan! And they killed each other at the same time?¡±


    Saifo took a closer look and saw that Beka was right. There was someone else on the ground. Someone who had likely been fighting Golan.


    Saifo also saw that someone appeared to be tending to the person¡¯s wounds. But what he was doing was too abnormal.


    He had cut open the chest and taken out the Orb of Control.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ It really doesn¡¯t work if they are already dead. She wasn¡¯t even a Demon King yet, so my hopes were not high. But the mana has already dispersed. It¡¯s really no use.¡±


    The person muttered as he held the Orb of Control.


    ¡°That guy has a lot of mana. But what is he doing?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Why don¡¯t you ask him?¡±


    ¡°But this will be faster¡­ Hah!¡±


    The person who Saifo attacked was Nehyor, who had just extracted the Orb of Control from Kyuka¡¯s body.


    Nehyor was well aware that Saifo and Beka were there, but he had ignored them, believing them to be unworthy of any attention.


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    Nehyor¡¯s hand was not enough to stop the powerful blow¡­ The bone in his left arm snapped and his shoulder was shattered.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Nehyor was stunned.


    After all, he had served as General Farneze¡¯s Corps Commander for a hundred years.


    He knew how strong her men were.


    It would be one thing if he had to battle Farneze, but surely her underlings wouldn¡¯t stand a chance.


    That was what Nehyor had thought.


    He believed that he could beat Farneze in a one on one fight.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Nehyor jumped back and then looked at his opponent carefully.


    ¡°Arrrrghaaah!¡±


    While Saifo continued to attack, the blows were no longer landing.


    It wasn¡¯t just a difference in combat experience. There was also the difference in speed.


    ¡°You look like a demon. But I don¡¯t remember seeing anyone like you before.¡±


    Neither Saifo or Beka had met Nehyor.


    While they may have been in the same army, they had never exchanged words.


    Besides, Nehyor had not been thinking about anything outside of evolving into an Elder.


    And so while he kept track of the strong within the Demon World, when it came to the rabble, he had no interest in them, except for the ¡®amusing ones.¡¯


    ¡°I don¡¯t really care. Yes, I¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    It was just as Nehyor stopped dodging and was about to go into an offensive stance.


    ¡°Here-here! It¡¯s me, Beka!¡±


    Beka had come up behind him without making a sound. And like that, she snapped the bones of Nehyor¡¯s remaining arm.


    ¡°What!?¡±


    Once again, Nehyor was stunned.


    You could say that he was careless. He had underestimated them. And this was the result.


    He had not even bothered to heal the first broken bone and shattered shoulder.


    It was because he knew that he could deal with Saifo with one arm.


    And yet this arrogance had been exploited.


    ¡°I got you!¡±


    Beka¡¯s hand reached out for his neck.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    Saifo attacked simultaneously for good measure.


    ¡°Really, now.¡±


    He repaired both arms in a flash, and his shattered shoulder also started to heal.


    With both arms back, Nehyor dodged Saifo¡¯s attack and peeled Beka off of him.


    ¡°He¡¯s healed already. That was very quick. But that means I can hit him as much as I like.¡±


    ¡°He really doesn¡¯t look that durable. He¡¯s so tough!¡±


    Saifo was licking his lips and Beka looked more enthusiastic than before.


    While Golan called them the idiot siblings, the two of them together had a power that not many knew of.


    And the only reason that Golan seemed to punish them without breaking a sweat, was because he had fought them nearly every day.


    He knew their movements by heart, and could understand how they thought. That was why he was able to deal with them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and avenge Golan!¡±


    Saifo and Beka shouted together.

 Chapter 259

    Chapter 259¡ð Lesser Demon King Kyuka¡¯s Camp ¨C Saifo part 2


    Had Saifo and Beka fought Nehyor alone, they would not have stood a chance.


    They were inferior in both combat experience and mana level.


    But due to Nehyor underestimating them, Saifo and Beka had become a little carried away.


    That was something you did not want meat head Ogres to do.


    It was because they were so simple-minded, that it was dangerous.


    And Nehyor would learn this soon enough.


    ¡°What!?¡±


    But Nehyor was able to overwhelm them with speed, and he dodged their attacks while unleashing counterattacks of his own.


    And though Saifo was being hit, he was tough, and continued to strike back as well.


    Beka¡¯s style involved her moving behind to Nehyor¡¯s back and closing in for an attack.


    Nehyor hated both of these styles.


    ¡°What is this? It¡¯s like I¡¯m fighting against Golan.¡±


    The evolved Saifo¡ªthe defense ability of Masurao, was similar to that of ordinary Golan.


    Of course, Saifo was still weak to magic attacks, but with all the extra mana in him now, he was able to strengthen his body.


    So even after he was attacked by Nehyor, Saifo had enough strength left to attack.


    ¡°Ugh, I suppose I have no choice then. I¡¯ll do this seriously.¡±


    Nehyor was very annoyed that things weren¡¯t going his way.


    You could even say that he was angry.


    Upon hearing that there was someone particularly ambitious to the north, Nehyor had been secretly sending men out to make contact.


    This was when Nehyor was still acting in the west.


    And after Golan had made it impossible for him to work in the west, Nehyor learned that things were going smoothly regarding the foundation he had laid out in the east.


    And so he headed to the east at once. Inwardly, he was very optimistic about the future.


    He had fanned the flames of Kyuka¡¯s ambition, and annexed the smaller neighboring countries.


    And after a succession of victories, Kyuka was just one one step away from becoming a Demon King.


    Realizing that this was the time to go on the hunt, Nehyor had come out in person in order to not miss this perfect timing.


    In order to become a Demon King, you had to defeat someone big.


    And they would be tired after such a feat. It would be easier to defeat them in such a state. That¡¯s what Nehyor had thought.


    And what Nehyor required was an Orb of Control from a Demon King.


    When residents of the Demon World die, their Orb of Control and mana leaves their body, and the mana disperses. He was aware of this.


    And so in order to extract the most amount of mana, it was best to do it right before they died.


    The miscalculation this time was that Kyuka had died before turning into a Demon King.


    The Orb of Control that he had extracted had not grown enough, and the mana had already started to escape.


    It was completely useless. S?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Nehyor felt a mixture of disappointment and great rage.


    That was when he was attacked, and decided to make his move.


    Killing these Ogres was not enough. That¡¯s how Nehyor felt now.


    ¡°Her Majesty has fallen!¡±


    ¡°Her chest has been cut open!¡±


    At this point, Saifo had torn down the tents and curtains, allowing the surrounding soldiers to see what was happening inside.


    This meant that numerous soldiers were able to see Kyuka¡¯s corpse.


    There was an uproar, and soldiers started to run to and fro.


    ¡°Someone has defeated Her Majesty!!¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s those people fighting over there?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just Saifo and Beka, but Nehyor was also drawing attention.


    And Nehyor was also still clutching the Orb of Control with a look of great regret.


    If he really did go all out, he could easily defeat the two who were in front of him.


    He knew this after fighting them for a short while.


    However, would there be any meaning in doing such a thing in the midst of this chaos?


    His plan here had been ruined. There was no point in his presence here anymore.


    ¡°¡­Hah¡­ That¡¯s enough.¡±


    As for Kyuka¡¯s army, it would likely be rebuilt under a new Lesser Demon King.


    And Nehyor did not like the idea of strange rumors spreading at this point, and so he decided to leave.


    ¡°¡­Tsk. He escaped.¡±


    ¡°Or maybe he let us go?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps.¡±


    Aside from the initial attack, they had not been able to land an effective blow.


    Indeed, it was less like he had run away, and more like he had withdrawn for their sake.


    ¡°Still, to think that there was someone who could take Golan down.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ So, what should we do with Golan¡¯s corpse?¡±


    ¡°I guess we should at least bring it back with us.¡±


    At this point, Kyuka¡¯s death had already spread around the entire camp.


    And since the Adjutants and Generals had also been killed by Farneze, there was no one else left to bring order to the camp.


    The chaos reached a new peak.


    But even when the enemy started to run, the Ogres left everything in order to chase them.


    There was no one around Saifo and Beka now.


    And so the two slowly approached the fallen Golan.


    ¡°There was something that Golan often said during times like these. What was it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. I think it was something like, ¡®when you die, no one will pick up your corpse.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s what it was. Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad that I remembered it!¡±


    Saifo and Beka said as they burst into laughter.

 Chapter 260

    Chapter 260¡ð Lesser Demon King Kyuka¡¯s Camp ¨C Nehyor


    Kyuka¡¯s soldiers were running to and fro.


    And upon seeing how much chaos had descended over the camp, Nehyor decided that no good would come from staying any longer.


    It might just be a matter of days now until Kyuka becomes a Demon King.


    He had been thinking such things.


    Even though it would be difficult, there were still other Lesser Demon Kings.


    He just needed to convince them and stay close by until they became a Demon King. Such had been his thoughts.


    ¡°¡­Damn it. It¡¯s like some terrible joke.¡±


    Nehyor squeezed the Orb of Control. It was the one he had extracted from Kyuka¡¯s body.


    This was not enough for him to evolve.


    But even though he knew this, he had brought it with him as if he could not let it go.


    ¡°Now I¡¯ll have to find someone else¡­ That being said, Golan crushed the west, and so I have nowhere to turn.¡±


    Should he go to the west and start plotting from the beginning?


    He had already provoked them as much as he could, and instigated. How could he go and meet any of them now?


    ¡°In that case, what if I just turned Golan into a Demon King?¡±


    He had grown so much in such a short while.


    Considering his potential, perhaps he was Nehyor¡¯s best bet now.


    However, Nehyor soon abandoned this idea due to one single reason.


    And that was that he was unable to predict what Golan would do.


    Even when he was still an Ogre, Golan had been too much for Nehyor to control.


    And so even if there was a good chance that Golan could rise to Demon King, there were too many uncertainties that would come with it.


    It was too dangerous to incorporate Golan into his plan.


    ¡°I have no choice then. I¡¯ll have to return to my country for now.¡±


    The only thing left was to antagonize an ordinary Demon King.


    While Nehyor may have looked young, he was actually quite old.


    Indeed, he was much older than Farneze.


    That was one of the reasons that he could not wait for Melvis to wake up. However, his lifespan would be extended greatly if he evolved.


    It was this promise that had made him act so recklessly up until now.


    The number of people in the Demon World who were cautious towards him was increasing. And he did not have much time left before his movement would become very restricted.


    He had one, maybe two chances left.


    After that, his abilities would start to decline rapidly


    ¡°I¡¯ll discuss it with Legras and find out if we can go up against Demon King Legard.¡±


    While Nehyor flew towards the south, something was happening in Demon King Dalm¡¯s country¡­


    ¡ð Demon King Dalm¡¯s Country ¨C Melvis


    The conversation between Lesser Demon King Melvis and Great Demon King Dalm was coming to an end.


    While they had not met for a very long time, Dalm felt that Melvis had not changed much at all.


    (He won¡¯t listen no matter what I say.)


    Still, there was something he could not stop himself from saying. It was¡­


    ¡°It seems like things are getting very busy in the Demon World. Many Lesser Demon Kings and Demon Kings are risking their lives in order to rise up. I hope that you will stay calm.¡±


    This didn¡¯t apply to countries that came out to attack Melvis, but he was asking Melvis to abstain from sticking his head out in the matters of other countries.


    When things became very active in the Demon World, the rankings would be disturbed.


    New and young Lesser Demon Kings and Demon Kings were born, while the old and strong faded away now that their role was ended.


    But Dalm saw it as a necessary ritual for the Demon World to be reborn.


    Dalm was one of two who were considered to be the strongest. But he was no exception.


    And so he would accept it, when the time came for him to withdraw.


    However, Melvis was different.


    It was possible for him to scorch the entire Demon World, and he could target specific races and destroy them if he wanted.


    If Melvis decided to reshape the Demon World entirely, what kind of world would it be?


    Dalm doubted the word ¡®reborn¡¯ would be fitting for whatever the result was.


    And so he asked for restraint.


    It was his duty as the old guard to say it.


    Even though this duty could make him the target of Melvis¡¯s wrath, he had to say it.


    ¡°Hmm. ¡­Well, I shall consider it.¡±


    Dalm sighed with relief upon hearing those words.


    The old Melvis might have just said, ¡®what does that have to do with me?¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t hard for him to imagine Melvis saying, ¡®and?¡¯ after explaining how this was for the future of the Demon World.


    It had only been a few hundred years, but perhaps Melvis had mellowed just a little during his sleep¡­


    ¡°But I might have to destroy the Celestial World. Regardless, I will not end the Demon World before then.¡±


    ¡°I¡­I¡¯m glad that you understand¡­me.¡±


    ¡°I should be leaving soon.¡±


    He had heard what he came to hear.


    And so Melvis stood up as if he had no business here anymore.


    As for Dalm, he was mulling over Melvis¡¯s words and trying to determine if it was a joke or not.


    And then, with a ¡®Ah, yes, yes,¡¯ Melvis turned around.


    ¡°I want you to ask the Fallen for more details about what is happening in the Celestial World now.¡±


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    And with that, Melvis flew out of the window.


    Melvis¡¯s goal was to meet Yamato.


    That was something that hadn¡¯t changed at all.


    As the Tablet of Control showed, there was no doubt that Yamato was a Lesser High King.


    He was alive somewhere.


    Some said that he was in a place between space and time. But no one knew. No one had seen him.


    The only thing that was certain was that he wasn¡¯t in the Demon World or Under World.


    And he was surely not in the Celestial World.


    Dalm did not know why Melvis had claimed that he might destroy the Celestial World.


    Perhaps it was because he wasn¡¯t sure.


    If destroying the Celestial World would allow him to meet Yamato, Melvis would not hesitate to do it.


    (¡­Really now. Will you not come back to us?) S?a??h th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Dalm could only beg in his heart to the Lesser High King who was not there.


    After leaving Great Demon King Dalm¡¯s castle, Melvis saw that someone else was flying below him.


    Far below him, in fact.


    That being said, it wasn¡¯t because this person was flying low, but that Melvis was flying abnormally high.


    ¡°¡­Hmm. From the north, eh?¡±


    The person who was flying was Nehyor, who was returning to his country from Lesser Demon King Kyuka¡¯s camp.


    For no more reason than finding him to be an eyesore, Melvis gathered purple fire into his finger in order to vaporize Nehyor in a flash¡­ But then he remembered Dalm¡¯s earlier request.


    ¡°Hmph.¡±


    He muttered to himself, and he decreased the size of the flame before unleashing it.


    ¡ªDodon!


    ¡°Ggggaa¡­wh-what¡­!?¡±


    After being hit in the back by something huge and condensed, Nehyor crashed to the ground.


    He was half dead and writhed in pain.


    But by then, Melvis was already far away.

 Chapter 261

    Chapter 261¡ð Farneze¡¯s Army ¨C Main Camp ¨C Farneze


    ¡°¡­How did this happen?¡±


    Farneze had a headache.


    In fact, even listening to the explanation did little to make her understand.


    ¡°¡­Could you repeat the report from the beginning?¡±


    It was very rare for Farneze to have to hear a subordinates report multiple times.


    But she could not make sense of the contents.


    ¡°¡­Yes. Certainly, General.¡±


    During the report, Farneze recalled the plan that Felicia had devised.


    A pretend battle with Lesser Demon King Kyuka¡¯s army¡­to buy time. In other words, she was using her army as bait.


    In the meantime, Farneze would lead a small group of elite and annihilate Kyuka¡¯s strongest men.


    Once they were gone, there would be little unity in the army.


    And with the strongest out of the way, it would be much easier to surround Kyuka and kill her.


    That¡¯s what she had told her army. They just needed to buy time.


    They did not need to actively go out and be on the offensive.


    Minimize losses and just defend so that the army didn¡¯t collapse.


    But what was this report then?


    ¡°Our army has destroyed the enemy¡¯s right wing. And then they chased after the fleeing soldiers.¡±


    Who would believe such a thing?


    First of all¡­


    What about her order for them to focus on defense?


    Well, nevermind that. Let¡¯s say that they did go out and attack the enemy.


    How were they able to defeat the enemy so easily, when they were clearly outnumbered?


    It wasn¡¯t as if there hadn¡¯t been violations of orders before.


    And there were times when orders were forgotten in the heat of battle.


    The routing out of the enemy was likely just a matter of her men being stronger.


    Perhaps Kyuka¡¯s soldiers were much weaker than she had expected.


    And so she could let that pass.


    ¡°However, why would they chase after the enemy all the way to the main camp?¡±


    That was the one thing that she couldn¡¯t understand. You could say that it was beyond her imagination.


    The enemy fled.


    And so we chased after them all the way to the main camp in order to mete out a good beating.


    Only a General who was mad would reply with a ¡®well done.¡¯


    ¡°Just to confirm, the group that were chasing the enemy were mainly Ogres?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I am certain of it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    In the battlefield, Ogres were often referred to as walls of meat.


    The reason was obvious.


    They could not understand more complex orders.


    If you said anything other than ¡®advance¡¯ and ¡®retreat,¡¯ they would likely be confused.


    About half of them might understand, and the other half wouldn¡¯t. And so the corps would be split into two.


    So perhaps ¡®buying time¡¯ was too difficult an order for them to follow.


    Still, could a group of mere Ogres have destroyed the enemy like that?


    They weren¡¯t called walls of meat for nothing.


    Ogres couldn¡¯t use magic on top of being incredibly weak to it.


    All of their mana was used to strengthen their bodies.


    And so they were a bad fit for magic users.


    If you were going to fight them, all you had to do was unleash magic attacks from far away.


    ¡°Perhaps by some coincidence, the enemy army didn¡¯t have any magic users?¡±


    She could think of another reason as to how the Ogres had been so unstoppable.


    And the report continued.


    Farneze and her men succeeded in killing Kyuka¡¯s finest, and they retreated.


    After that, the group led by the Ogres attacked Kyuka¡¯s main camp.


    And somehow, this had ended with Kyuka¡¯s men abandoning their camp and fleeing.


    She could not understand.


    Farneze didn¡¯t know how many soldiers had remained at the camp, but from what she had seen from the sky, there were at least five times as many as the right wing of her army.


    Of course, some of them would have been non-combatants.


    Still, Kyuka and some of her attendants were still there.


    There was no doubt that there were many present who could still fight.


    ¡°So how had the Ogres forced them to flee?¡±


    The mystery only deepened. However, Kyuka¡¯s soldiers had already abandoned the camp, and were now far away.


    Farneze¡¯s army had won the day completely.


    The enemy had been so frantic, that they left their supplies. They had taken almost nothing with them.


    She could only guess at how panicked the soldiers who were fighting against her army were.


    They had been left behind as they fought.


    Due to this, several of the corps had surrendered.


    While she had left the matter of the surrendered enemy soldiers to her subordinates, since both sides had not expected something like this to happen, it would take time for things to be settled.


    And then there was the biggest surprise.


    ¡°Truly¡­ Lesser Demon King Kyuka is dead?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­I¡¯ve seen the body. There is no mistake.¡±


    ¡°I see. Thank you¡­ You may go.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Excuse me.¡±


    Her subordinate bowed and left.


    (So had Golan really done it then?)


    Golan was to challenge Kyuka to a fight¡­well, pretend to. And then run away. Wasn¡¯t that the plan?


    So why had Golan fought Kyuka in the main camp?


    And how had he won?


    It didn¡¯t make sense.


    Surely the rank of Lesser Demon King meant more than that.


    You had to be able to attack and defend. You had to be tough.


    Even if one of the high-ranking races fought a Lesser Demon King, they would have trouble making their attacks land.


    The difference in mana level meant they could only inflict the most shallow wounds.


    And if he couldn¡¯t even attack her effectively, how would he deal a fatal blow?


    If it was possible, she would have done it herself. s?a??h th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    This was why Felicia had agonized so long over a plan to overcome this.


    ¡°Golan¡­ When will he wake up?¡±


    She wanted to question him, but he was sleeping.


    One of the Ogres named Saifo had been questioned, but there wasn¡¯t much to learn.


    No matter how many times he was asked, he just said, ¡®we chased after them because they ran,¡¯ and ¡®we bashed them because they were there.¡¯


    Of course, that was just how Ogres usually talked, so it was no surprise.


    Golan was special, and had acted like some General from the very beginning.


    (Oh, well. I suppose the details will have to wait until Golan wakes up.)


    A report would have to be written. But could it really contain the whole truth?


    What if the report was not believed?


    ¡°It cannot be helped¡­ But it can wait.¡±


    Now that Kyuka was dead, the enemy army could not rebuild itself.


    And while a successor would likely arise, a power struggle among candidates would come first.


    Other countries might target them in the meantime. They would be torn apart and weakened.


    Even if they tried to unite, the countries that had recently been defeated by Kyuka were sure to choose a new leader and declare independence.


    They would have no time to invade Melvis¡¯s country again.


    ¡°Prepare to withdraw. We¡¯ll be leaving this place soon.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    She had accomplished the order that Melvis had given her.


    Farneze now had to return and tell him about it.


    Two days later.


    Farneze left a small group of soldiers to keep watch, while the others started to make their return march.


    Golan did not wake up before they reached Melvis¡¯s castle, and so the report remained unwritten.

 Chapter 262

    Chapter 262¡ð Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s Castle ¨C Farneze


    She had gathered her army and returned to the castle.


    The expedition had been a great success. Kyuka was dead.


    The north side would be quiet now. No longer a concern.


    However, Farneze looked grim.


    (Now, how should I tell him?)


    Even though she had accomplished her mission, there were too many things that she didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°I am not certain, but I think that one of my subordinates defeated her.¡±


    That would be the accurate thing to say. But would it be acceptable?


    (If only Golan wasn¡¯t unconscious¡­)


    That was what annoyed her the most.


    In fact, he had yet to show any signs of getting up.


    And so her hope of learning from him was crumbled.


    Still, it would be better to say what little she knew instead of lying or blurring the truth.


    Farneze only knew what her men had told her.


    There may just have been an insurrection in Kyuka¡¯s camp. Perhaps there were rebels who aided Golan.


    Perhaps Kyuka had already died by the time Golan arrived.


    These days, it felt like almost anything could happen in the Demon World.


    And so it was not unthinkable that someone had been secretly targeting Kyuka.


    (It cannot be helped¡­ I¡¯ll be honest and say that I don¡¯t know.)


    With a heavy heart and dragging feet, Farneze headed towards Melvis¡¯s throne room.


    ¡°¡­So, you are saying that he did it?¡±


    Melvis¡¯s low voice echoed in the hall.


    ¡°I do not know. It¡¯s true that I sent him there, but there is no way that he could¡­ That being said, the situation does make it seem that way. At least, according to the reports.¡±


    She sounded like such a fool.


    Farneze felt ashamed of her words.


    ¡°So, this Golan. He¡¯s the one we talked about before?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The one who evolved from an Ogre.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Melvis¡¯s silences could inflict pain.


    Farneze seemed to shrink as she waited.


    How much time had passed?


    Melvis sat, deep in thought for a long while, before muttering, ¡®I see.¡¯


    ¡°Your Majesty?¡±


    Farneze looked up at him as if she had missed something. And then Melvis got to his feet.


    ¡°Take me to him.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, Your Majesty!¡±


    Melvis had to jog in order to catch up with Melvis.


    The people who worked in the castle must have been very surprised.


    Melvis was strolling through the halls.


    They all had to stop what they were doing and kneel.


    Once Melvis walked past them, their gazes followed his back with fearful eyes.


    ¡°Did you say he was in the medical office?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    When Melvis entered, everyone looked at him with wide eyes before dropping down to the floor.


    They all looked like they could not believe this was happening.


    But Melvis paid them no mind as he headed to the largest patient.


    ¡°This one must be him, judging by his mana level.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    It was Golan who was lying there. He was still in a deep sleep.


    Now that Melvis was there, everyone, including those who were injured, retreated from the room.


    Once the room was silent, Melvis muttered, ¡®are you here?¡¯


    ¡°We are.¡±


    ¡°We are.¡±


    ¡°Right by you, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Close to you, Your Majesty.¡±


    The voices rang, but you could not see them. It was Jikae and Manny. S~?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to dive now.¡±


    ¡°Understood. He¡¯s going to dive.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it seems so.¡±


    ¡°Then if someone comes close, we¡¯ll kill them.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s kill them. Kill them.¡±


    Melvis put his hand on Golan¡¯s chest and whispered, ¡®Mugen no Ri.¡¯


    ¡ð ??? ¨C Golan


    ¡°Hey, it happened again?¡±


    When I turned around to face the speaker, I saw that it was the other me.


    ¡°Hey. So we meet again.¡±


    I said happily. ¡®Looks like it,¡¯ he answered.


    ¡°Where are we?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Uh, do you remember what happened near the end?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I do. You defeated Kyuka.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that was about the only technique that someone like me could use. I¡¯m glad that I remembered it in time. Thanks for teaching me.¡±


    ¡°I should be thanking you. And I¡¯m sorry for draining my mana before fighting Kyuka.¡±


    ¡°What does it matter, if the result was good? More importantly, are we in the same place as last time? It sure looks the same.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. I do think that we¡¯re inside of the Orb of Control. But I can¡¯t be sure since it¡¯s only my second time.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s just say that it is. Where is the exit?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, we could search for it. But there is something I want to talk to you about. Is that alright?¡±


    ¡°Aye, of course. It¡¯s too bad we don¡¯t have any drink or nibbles, but I did want to talk with you again.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how I feel. After all¡­?! What is that?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a frightening amount of mana. Who is it? And where is it?¡±


    It was strange. Weren¡¯t we inside of the Orb of Control?


    And yet there was someone else inside of here. Not only that, but it was so powerful that I couldn¡¯t grasp it.


    ¡°It¡¯ll find us if we don¡¯t run!¡±


    ¡°Run? But where? It feels like it¡¯s everywhere.¡±


    I felt as if the ominous atmosphere would follow us no matter where we went.


    And if we couldn¡¯t run, we might as well fight.


    The other me seemed to agree.


    And so we stopped and stared into the empty space up ahead.


    ¡°Should we?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Aye, with both of us here, what have we to fear?¡±


    We laughed as if invincible. We were in sync.


    As we went into a combat stance, a single old man appeared in front of us.


    However, he was very tall. And had sharp, shining eyes. But more than anything¡­


    ¡°This feeling of unimaginable, condensed mana¡­ Who are you?¡±


    The other me shouted. The stranger tilted his head.


    ¡°Why are there two of you?¡±


    ¡°What!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t! Don¡¯t go!¡±


    I grabbed his arm to stop him. I knew it just by looking. This guy was dangerous.


    I felt a similar sense of despair as when I had to face Demon King Tralzard.


    That being said, whether we stood our ground and fought or decided to run away, we were in a bad position. Perhaps we should just split up and attack from opposite sides?


    However, I doubted that would be enough to defeat him.


    It was said that Don Quixote faced a windmill after thinking it was a dragon. That¡¯s probably what we looked like now, right? Was this someone we should fight? Was it too reckless?


    ¡°Hey, what are those chains?¡±


    The other me asked while pointing at the old man¡¯s wrists. I had seen them too, and wondered if it was the new fashion.


    His arms were shackled by thick chains.


    ¡°So you can see these?¡±


    ¡°Who can¡¯t?¡±


    I had to ask. I didn¡¯t understand how someone could miss something that big.


    Unless he usually hid them under his clothes.


    ¡°Which of you is Golan?¡±


    He ignored my question.


    ¡°We¡¯re both Golan. Hehe!¡±


    ¡°Yes, if asked that. I¡¯d have to answer in the same way.¡±


    We really were in sync.


    Together, we were Golan. What was wrong with that?


    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±


    The old man appeared to be thinking.


    It would have been a good time to run or to ambush him. But I still doubted that either would be successful.


    Besides, who the hell was he?


    Weren¡¯t we inside of our Orb of Control?


    How was he able to come inside?


    The other asked with just a glance, ¡®should we kill him?¡¯


    I shook my head.


    If he was looking away from us without defending himself, it was only because our attacks were not a threat to him.


    If we did attack, he would easily launch a counter attack. And the result would be our deaths.


    ¡°So there are two souls, and both are Golan. And they can see these chains¡­¡±


    Was he talking to himself? It didn¡¯t seem like he was talking to us.


    ¡°¡­Very interesting. It¡¯s a good thing that I took a look.¡±


    ¡°What are you yapping on about? I asked you who you are.¡±


    The other me looked like he was going to attack. And it was all I could do to reign him in. And so I was unable to react in time.


    Before I knew it, the old man was looking at us.


    And his eyes had grown sharper.


    The demon eye¡ªit was just as my instincts informed me, that my body was suddenly paralyzed.


    Damn it. I should have been more cautious.


    I could no longer lift a single finger.


    It was the same with the other me. It was like we were frogs who were being stared down by a snake.


    The old man looked at us and said,


    ¡°My name? It is Melvis. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of me.¡±


    Of course. I tried to nod, but then remembered that I was paralyzed.


    That was how we encountered Lesser Demon King Melvis, the most sinister king of the Demon World.

 Chapter 263

    Chapter 263The old man standing in front of us claimed to be Melvis.


    The infamous Lesser Demon King.


    Well, it must be true.


    Demon King Tralzard would start to shake when just talking about Melvis.


    And I now understood why.


    This was indeed a being who was outside the pale.


    Someone who was in no way an ordinary Lesser Demon King.


    If this was what was considered normal, what were the other Lesser Demon Kings?.


    ¡°Were you two souls from the beginning?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He had a quiet voice. He wasn¡¯t threatening or trying to intimidate us in any way.


    And yet we were too overwhelmed to answer the question.


    ¡°Hmm. So I¡¯m right.¡±


    Melvis looked away, and the weight lifted.


    I sighed with relief, and then I and the other me looked at each other.


    ¡®We can¡¯t do it,¡¯ was written all over his face. I felt the same.


    ¡°Just so you now, that wasn¡¯t the demon eye.¡±


    Melvis said, though I doubted he had read my mind.


    So it was just that he had incredibly sharp eyes.


    And we had been intimidated to a degree that we couldn¡¯t move. What the hell?


    That being said, Melvis was our king.


    However, I could not see the connection to the Orb of Control in here. S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    While it was just my imagination, I thought that the connection stretched out from the orb.


    And so we couldn¡¯t see it because we were currently inside.


    ¡°So, why do you have two souls?¡±


    The same question again.


    I decided to answer honestly.


    How we were weak since birth, and the reason being unknown.


    How only I was able to surface.


    And how when I was near death, someone called Yamato had come to save me.


    Melvis reacted to that name, but then urged me to continue.


    And so I did.


    The reason that I had been dying was because there were two souls inside of my Orb of Control.


    As they had been forced inside, the vessel was about to break.


    And so he taught me how to expand the vessel, and I did it every day. When I told him this, Melvis began to laugh.


    ¡°Can a vessel really grow like that? But that would mean your mana level would also increase.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s why the other me cannot come out for longer, no matter how much it expands.¡±


    Compared to me, the other me had more mana.


    And since I was the human soul, I was really the guest. At least, I thought so.


    And so I said that the other me must have been the original soul that occupied the Ogre body.


    That was why there was such a difference between us.


    Of course, I had much less mana.


    ¡°How very strange. And why do you believe that you have a human soul?¡±


    At this point, I had realized that Melvis was incredibly intelligent.


    Everyone just talked about how frightening he was when angered, but perhaps that was just one side of him.


    ¡°Yes. I will now tell you about my memories of our souls being fused together. Well, it¡¯s really stuff that the other me saw or heard.¡±


    And so we talked about the Enra Institution.


    How my soul was scooped out of the sea of chaos, and fuses with another soul.


    As the other me was the base, he had the memories of that time.


    When I said this, Melvis replied, ¡®Of course, he does.¡¯


    ¡°You need eyes to see, and ears to hear. There is nothing strange about the original soul in the body having the memories from the experiment.¡±


    He said.


    Now that I thought about it, I did have some vague memories of what happened after the experiment succeeded.


    Yes, it would be ridiculous if I did have memories of events I didn¡¯t see or even hear.


    So that¡¯s why the other me knew about it and I didn¡¯t.


    That was one thing cleared.


    I continued.


    We had evolved just a short while ago. And just like this time, we had met here in this place.


    When I said this, Melvis nodded.


    ¡°When races evolve, they use up the ¡®growing power¡¯ they had saved up until then, and rebuild their bodies. However, it¡¯s also necessary to rebuild the soul.¡±


    ¡°Not just the flesh, but the soul as well?¡±


    ¡°And the name of the new race should appear inside of you the moment that you evolve. It¡¯s the same with special abilities. It¡¯s carved into your soul.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    For some reason, it knew what we had evolved into.


    And it was carved into us.


    So it was because not just our body, but souls were rebuilt, that we were able to exist at the same time.


    Yes, Melvis was smart¡­no, that was an understatement.


    Perhaps it was wisdom that came with age.


    He had an abnormal amount of knowledge related to souls.


    As I was thinking about this, Melvis said, ¡®this really is interesting,¡¯ and he continued.


    ¡°Souls that have died in the Celestial World, Human World or Demon World will then fall to the Under World. And after many years, the souls are purified and reborn. That¡¯s what your Ogre soul is. But not the Human soul. It was snatched up while it floated in the Under World, and was then fused. Very interesting.¡±


    ¡°Why is it so interesting?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    I didn¡¯t know about this Under World, but I could understand the idea of becoming a pure soul and being reborn.


    In other words, as I had been used in the fusion, I was not a pure soul.


    What was the difference? It was simple.


    Whether you had memories of your past life or not. That was all.


    The other me had memories of Enra, because he had run away after the fusion.


    If he had then spent a long time in the Under World, those memories of the experiments would have faded away as well.


    I see. It was finally starting to make sense.


    ¡°I had thought that only purified souls could pass through the Under World, but it seems that I was wrong. That information alone has made this visit worthwhile.¡±


    Melvis seemed very pleased with himself.


    Apparently, there was something about the Under World and souls that interested him.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t what I was initially interested in, but it¡¯s still valuable.¡±


    ¡°Interested¡­in?¡±


    Now, what interest did this horrible Great Demon King have in us?

 Chapter 264

    Chapter 264I didn¡¯t do anything that Melvis would consider interesting¡­I think.


    Besides, this was the first time we had even met.


    ¡°Surely you have no interest in one of your lowliest subjects?¡±


    It¡¯s a misunderstanding, right? I tried to suggest, to no avail.


    ¡°What does it matter if you¡¯re a lowly subject or an enemy? I am interested. Do you have a problem with that?¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    He glared so hard that you could almost hear it.


    It wasn¡¯t just me, but the other me also became docile.


    Us and Melvis.


    How big was the difference¡­ No, even thinking about it seemed foolish.


    ¡°Someone who defeated multiple Lesser Demon Kings is not without significance. ¡­And strange people sometimes appear in the Demon World.¡±


    In other words, he was saying that Kyuka wasn¡¯t so weak that some lowly subject could have defeated her. And so it was only natural for him to take an interest in us.


    And I suppose he was saying we were strange? I wasn¡¯t sure what he meant.


    ¡°I¡¯m just your average soldier.¡±


    Well, I had evolved. But I was originally just an Ogre.


    But surely that difference was practically nonexistent to a being as powerful as Melvis.


    ¡°Nevermind all that. ¡­I want you to tell me about this Yamato that you encountered as a child.¡±


    So that¡¯s what he was interested in.


    ¡°My memories are quite foggy. He didn¡¯t have a particularly unique face. But if I had to say¡­¡±


    If he wanted me to talk about it, I had no choice but to do it.


    Not that it was a secret or anything.


    However, I had been on the brink of death at the time.


    And since I was thinking about the vessel and mana, I didn¡¯t really remember the small details.


    Still, I told him how we had met, and about his appearance, the way he talked, and his personality.


    And I told him everything that I remembered about his advice.


    That advice saved me.


    And it was a turning point. The other me was awakened.


    While I was the one who was attached to his soul, I did not know it at that time.


    ¡°Very similar. To King Yamato¡­but why?¡±


    I could clearly hear Melvis muttering to himself.


    That was probably why. I couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡®what do you mean?¡¯


    ¡°I believe that King Yamato is in the Human World. After all, I have searched every other place.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    According to Melvis, he could not break through the barrier around the Human World no matter how much he tried. And so he could still not pass through.


    Only the soul could move between the different worlds, and so he thought that he needed to become a soul in order to go. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    However, the souls of residents of the Demon World were inside of the Orb of Control. And it could not be extracted unless you died.


    And so Melvis had apparently spent a lot of time searching for the so-called ¡®In Between¡¯ that was neither the Celestial World, Human World, Demon World or Under World.


    What did that mean?


    To put it simply, the different worlds were not stuck together.


    They existed separately, but there was also nothing between them.


    How could they be separated if there was nothing between them? I wondered. But apparently, there was a conceptual ¡®In Between¡¯ that existed, though not in any physical sense. What the hell?


    And so Melvis had searched everywhere for this conceptual space, but was unable to find it.


    The only place left was the Human World and Under World.


    As you could only go to the Under World as a soul, Melvis separated from his soul and headed there.


    So it is possible! Didn¡¯t he just say that it couldn¡¯t leave the Orb of Control?


    ¡°I was able to go as a conscious, but was still barred from the Human World.¡±


    What did he mean by conscious?


    Perhaps because of my past life, I thought with my head. In other words, that¡¯s where my consciousness was.


    To be precise, I thought with my brain.


    ¡®That¡¯s quite obvious!¡¯ one might say.


    However, it was the result of involuntary training.


    If I thought too much, my head would feel hazy, and when troubled, it would get heavy.


    My consciousness was affecting my body.


    The heart was similar.


    It fluttered when you were in love, and you felt a pain in your chest when rejected.


    While it all affected your body, it was, in fact, a deception.


    We believe that we think with our heads and feel with our hearts¡­ We are made to think that way.


    As evidence of this, you could look at the Edo era.


    Back then, people believed that you thought with your ¡®stomach¡¯ instead of your head.


    After all, there were a lot of important organs near the stomach.


    And so someone who thought of bad things was said to be ¡®black-bellied,¡¯ and when you wanted to exchange opinions without reservation, you would say, ¡®speak with your belly open.¡¯


    If you wanted to know what someone was thinking, you ¡®searched their stomach.¡¯ And when no amount of thinking would reveal the person¡¯s thoughts to you, you ¡®couldn¡¯t read what was at the pit of their stomach.¡¯


    Of course, Melvis did not know about these sayings.


    I didn¡¯t know if it was through experience or some unique sensibility, but he had succeeded in removing his consciousness from his body.


    If you thought with your head, maybe you can think outside of it?


    Something like that. ¡­Was it possible?


    Like that, Melvis¡¯s consciousness¡­ In other words, his soul, went down the road that dead souls go.


    And so he descended into the Under World while still alive.


    It was a cheat.


    And there, he searched for Lesser High King Yamato. But found nothing.


    That just left the Human World.


    And so he concluded that Yamato must be there.


    ¡°I then tried to go to the Human World, but only purified souls can go there.¡±


    He sounded disappointed. I thought it was insane that he would even attempt such a thing.


    I imagined that the Under World was like a giant pool.


    And there was a drain with a filter that caught foreign substances.


    Melvis¡¯s soul wasn¡¯t pure, and so he could not pass through.


    ¡°Was the person I met the real King Yamato?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. ¡­But it is possible.¡±


    Apparently, Melvis had a reason to believe that it was the same person.

 Chapter 265

    Chapter 265Was the person I met as a child the real Yamato?


    Perhaps it was just someone with the same name. It was also possibly a shy boy who had assumed that famous name.


    Though, I had never met anyone who was shy in the Demon World.


    Melvis seemed to think it was the real Yamato.


    Or maybe it was just that he was hoping it was true?


    ¡°If that really was Yamato, it would mean that there is a way to travel to the Demon World from the Human World.¡±


    Melvis said.


    But there was no way to break through the barrier that Zeus had made.


    At least, it had been impossible for Melvis.


    However, perhaps someone like Yamato could do it.


    That¡¯s what he was saying.


    In the first place, the reason that the great war started¡­


    It was because Hera had been trying to acquire Yamato¡¯s Orb of Control.


    And even with Hera¡¯s power, it was not possible to fight Yamato in the Demon World and win.


    Because of this, Hera resorted to a desperate plan that involved filling the Demon World with holy power through a tremendous sacrifice.


    And so the entire Demon World was covered in a barrier of holy power.


    Those barriers.


    I had some experience with them myself. Once they were completed, they were filled with holy power, and the mana started to decrease.


    As we grew weaker, they would become stronger.


    It would be very difficult to fight. Yes, it was a terrible place to be.


    And while it may have seemed like it was undefeatable, someone with Yamato¡¯s power could destroy them.


    And so it was necessary to create a barrier of holy power that was too big and covered too wide an area to be destroyed.


    You could still see the holy pillars that were used during the great war.


    There were six pillars of salt in particular, which remained as proof of that time.


    Many residents of the Celestial World had died for it.


    Now, the problem was Hera¡¯s motive.


    She wanted the Orb of Control so that she could bring someone back to life.


    In order to bring Zeus back, she needed an Orb of Control that was equal to him.


    That meant that at that time, the barrier around the Human World was already complete, and Zeus had already died while sacrificing his body.


    ¡°But then wouldn¡¯t it be impossible for King Yamato to get through the barrier?¡±


    I wondered after hearing all of that.


    Zeus had died making the barrier first.


    And then Hera had invaded the Demon World in order to bring him back.


    Yamato and Hera fought, and they both disappeared somewhere, bringing an end to the great war.


    And now here we are.


    ¡°I too thought that King Yamato couldn¡¯t be in the Human World, and so I searched through every other place. However, it was futile. And so he must be in the Human World.¡±


    That would mean that Yamato really had managed to get through the barrier.


    ¡°I see. And you believe that if he could do it once, he must be able to do it again.¡±


    It was now looking more likely that the person I had met as a child was the real Yamato.


    Leaving aside why he would hide when he had returned, this meant that he could still be here, or had returned to the Human World once again.


    Can he not meet his old friends? Does he not want to?


    Of course, such questions would be inside of Melvis¡¯s head. And so he said something else.


    ¡°If we can find out how he was able to get through the barrier, it would solve so many questions.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    I was starting to become interested as well.


    He was someone who had immediately seen that there were two souls inside of my body.


    It really must have been the real Yamato.


    ¡°And I saw Hera¡¯s soul in the Under World. She was not the type of person to take her own life. So she must have been killed. But who did it? And why?¡±


    Apparently, the questions only increased after his visit to the Under World.


    If Hera wanted to bring Zeus back so badly, then she shouldn¡¯t have died.


    She was researching resurrection in the Celestial World, and would have been quite confident in it.


    And since she had put such a large scale plan into action, preparations must have been close to completion.


    But during the great war, Hera and Yamato fought in a duel and vanished.


    When Melvis reached the place, the only thing that remained was the warping of space.


    So, where had Hera and Yamato gone?


    Were they separated or together? No one knew.


    ¡°The barrier around the Human World, you really cannot break it or slip through?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve never heard of it being broken. And if you wanted to get through, it would have to be as a purified soul. I¡¯ve confirmed this many times.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    So what did this mean?


    Melvis had thought that Yamato wasn¡¯t in the Human World, and had searched everywhere else.


    It was no surprise, as Zeus¡¯s barrier was there.


    But there was another way to look at it.


    ¨CWhat situation would allow you to overcome the barrier?


    The key was likely the soul.


    Dead souls moved from the Human World to the Under World.


    And then purified souls return.


    What I understood from that was that you needed to be in a ¡®soul state¡¯ to get through the barrier.


    However, that wasn¡¯t it. That was the problem.


    ¡°Purified souls could get through the barrier.¡±


    That was one thing. And then¡­


    ¡°Dead souls can get through the barrier.¡±


    From the Human World to the Under World. S?a?ch* Th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    By setting up the barrier in this way, Zeus likely wanted to prevent any disturbances to the soul cycle.


    So while I didn¡¯t know how to go to the Human World, going from there to the Under World was easy.


    You just had to die.


    And it was apparently possible to travel to the Demon World from the Under World.


    Melvis had done it, so it would be possible for Yamato as well.


    However, Yamato wasn¡¯t dead.


    The Tablet of Control was proof.


    Did that mean I had met someone else then?


    ¡°¡­Hmm? No, not necessarily.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure if it was possible, but I had one idea.


    ¡°What? What is it?¡±


    ¡°For instance, if faking your death¡­that might not be the right word, but if you can make it look like you died, perhaps you can leave the Human World.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Melvis¡¯s eyes gleamed sharply.

 Chapter 266

    Chapter 266After hearing Melvis¡¯s story, I thought on ways to go through the barrier. Well, I came up with one.


    ¡°It might be possible to make it look like you have died, in order to fool the barrier.¡±


    When I said this, the severity in Melvis¡¯s eyes grew. He was likely telling me to hurry up and spit it out.


    If he stared at me too much, I might get paralyzed again.


    I wished that he would ease up a little.


    Well, the problem was how I should explain it.


    And so I organized my thoughts and started to talk slowly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s say that King Yamato wanted to leave the Human World. And he knew that his soul would go to the Under World if he died.¡±


    ¡°Even still, he would not die so easily.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I believe that even in the Human World, death has the same definition. The question is how much of that did Zeus understand at the time. I could be wrong, but I think his definition of death might have been broader.¡±


    A dead soul could go to the Under World because Zeus had adjusted the barrier to be that way.


    Otherwise, the dead souls would just get stuck in the Human World.


    If you were too strict with the definition of death, there might be a lot of lost souls wandering around.


    So if the barrier was like a net, I thought that he had created one with rather large gaps.


    My reasoning for this was near-death experiences.


    Let¡¯s say that you were badly injured in a car accident and floated at the border of life and death.


    People who recovered from that state often said that they saw the world of the dead.


    Things like tunnels of light, walking on clouds, heaven¡¯s door.


    Some have even talked of seeing their dead grandfather waving to them on the other side of a river.


    If dead souls go to the Under World, then perhaps souls near death were able to make it partway.


    If you made it too secure, then there might be cases where truly dead souls don¡¯t make it through, which would be much worse.


    ¡°Hmm. A broader definition of death¡­ But what state would that be?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s say King Yamato was in a state of suspended animation. He is not truly dead. But is at a level close enough to looking like death that his soul can go to the Under World.¡±


    Here, I talked about what death was to ancient people.


    To them, ¡®death¡¯ was vague.


    The heart stops moving, no breathing, the pupils don¡¯t widen, no pulse. These were obvious signs to modern people, but there were cases where such knowledge was not known to people of the past.


    In medieval Europe, there were even incidents where someone was buried after succumbing to the black plague, only to revive in their coffins and try to get out.


    It was suspended animation.


    Back then, people were terrified of the possibility of being buried alive.


    And so there were cases where a string was tied to the fingers of the buried dead, and the other end attached to a bell on the surface.


    As the bell would ring if they came back to life, others would be alerted.


    There were still several patents for coffins with these kinds of safety devices.


    As for what the low class citizens did, they chose to leave their dead in mortuaries.


    They believed that complete death occurred when the body started to rot, and so they did not bury it until that happened.


    So what had things been like during the age that Zeus made the barrier?


    It was a very long time ago, so it was likely a time when the definition of death was not completely established.


    Because of that, surely it was possible for the souls of people who were in suspended animation to get through?


    ¡°Suspended animation¡­ So it would be possible to go to the Under World as a soul that isn¡¯t dead.¡±


    ¡°I think that it¡¯s possible.¡±


    And since the soul would not have been purified, it would keep its memories.


    Perhaps someone as powerful as Yamato would then be able to go to the Demon World from there.


    Right now, my theory was the person I had met as a child was someone who had temporarily become flesh in this world.


    Considering what they were doing with souls in the Celestial World, surely it was possible? That¡¯s how I felt.


    For instance, what about Zeus¡¯s body that Hera had prepared?


    ¡°I see. It¡¯s an interesting idea. ¡­Then I order you. In that same way, think of a method for going to the Human World from the Demon World.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    What did he mean?


    ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    He asked with such an intimidating glare, that I stupidly stuttered a ¡®yes.¡¯


    Think of a way? Me? Why?


    ¡°This has been quite a fruitful discussion.¡±


    Seemingly satisfied and in a good mood now, Melvis made his exit.


    It was odd. As for where we were, it apparently really was inside of our Orb of Control.


    He had come into the orb in the same way that he had gone to the Under World.


    He really was on a different level.


    ¡°¡­He¡¯s gone.¡±


    The other me finally opened his mouth.


    ¡°Yeah. What the hell was that? We¡¯ve been serving a real monster.¡±


    It was no wonder that Tralzard would shake.


    Even if I became stronger, I could not think of a scenario where I could fight him and win.


    And if Lesser High King Yamato was even stronger than that, he was a king of monsters.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing that the surrounding Lesser Demon Kings ever attacked us.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t luck that had kept this country untouched for so long.


    Now, I finally had a taste of what Melvis was like before going to sleep.


    I understood.


    People who knew him would not have just thought, ¡®Melvis is asleep? Then let¡¯s attack his country while we can.¡¯


    It was the younger generation of Lesser Demon Kings who didn¡¯t know him at all.


    ¡°He was a Great Demon King, but that was a long time ago. It hardly matters now.¡±


    They thought. And they would end up paying a high price for their mistakes.


    We didn¡¯t even have weapons to fight him here.


    We would have had no chance.


    I suppose the other me was a weapon in a way, but I had no idea how effective he would be against Melvis.


    Perhaps if I swung him around I could deal some damage.


    ¡°Still, that was dangerous. I was thinking of using you in a suicide attack as a last resort.¡±


    This guy¡­ He was thinking of the same thing.


    ¡°I see. Well, that¡¯s too bad. I was going to use you as a blunt weapon.¡±


    ¡°Really¡­ You are a funny one.¡±


    ¡°We both are.¡±


    ¡°Bahahahaha!¡±


    ¡°Ahahahaha!¡±


    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe you were going to use me as a weapon!¡±


    ¡°But you were going to do the same!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you! Arggh!¡±


    ¡°Give it your best shot! Grraah!¡±


    To return from the digression¡­


    ¡°Well, uh¡­ I think we better stop fighting.¡±


    ¡°Yes. This is pointless.¡±


    It really was.


    Besides, we were just playing.


    ¡°We have more important things to be doing. Let¡¯s get out of here before he comes back.¡±


    The other me said with a shiver. He must be feeling the pressure from Melvis.


    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s look for the exit.


    I did not want to be here when he returned.


    And so we walked around and searched for an exit, eventually finding something promising.


    ¡°We should wake up if we go into this hole. Well, goodbye then.¡± S?a?ch* Th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Aye. I hope we get another chance to talk to each other like this.¡±


    We shook hands firmly and then jumped into the hole.

 Chapter 267

    Chapter 267¡°¡­I don¡¯t recognize this ceiling.¡±


    It is almost a tradition now¡­ At least, ever since I was reborn in the Demon World.


    But if I keep losing consciousness like this, my body won¡¯t be able to keep up. I would eventually die.


    ¡°I should just avoid fighting with people who are above me. But it¡¯s not like I have a choice in the matter.¡±


    It would be nice to be able to live without attracting attention and fighting all the time.


    I was sleeping in a makeshift bed.


    It was essentially just a wooden board. Only slightly better than lying on the ground.


    ¡°I miss having a futon.¡±


    Of course, it¡¯s not like sleeping on a board would cause any issues when I had this body. Still, I couldn¡¯t help but long for soft bedding once in a while.


    I got off of the bed and exited the room.


    Apparently, it was a medical office, but I had never seen it before.


    I was likely inside of the castle. S?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Since we had met Melvis in a dream, the most obvious explanation was that I had been carried here.


    In other words, I had been sleeping for a very, very long time.


    ¡°I suppose I won¡¯t be allowed to just walk back to the village now. Well, where are the others?¡±


    Thanks to the other me¡¯s efforts, Kyuka was dead¡­ At least, I think she was.


    My memories were a little foggy, and so I couldn¡¯t be certain.


    Just as I was considering reuniting with my men so we could decide on what to do next, one of General Farneze¡¯s men caught me.


    And without any explanation, I was escorted to the General.


    ¡°Uh, General¡­ What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m taking you to see His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Once again, I was dragged by the arm.


    ¡°His Majesty visited you while you were asleep. He said that you conversed in a dream. Is that true?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. He came to me.¡±


    ¡°Then you already know the details. You are to meet him at once.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    But I don¡¯t know anything. Really.


    Apparently, she had been told to take me to Melvis as soon as I woke up.


    ¡°I have brought Golan.¡±


    The General bowed before Melvis, and so I did the same.


    Uh, was I supposed to say something here?


    ¡°It is an honor to finally be in your presence. I am Golan.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    While we had met in the dream, this was our first public meeting.


    And though my greeting probably sounded very awkward, I thought it would be safer to say it.


    ¡°Golan. Can you see these?¡±


    Not wasting any time, eh?


    ¡°The chains? What about them?¡±


    ¡°So you really can see them.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    What was he going on about? I wondered, and then noticed that General Farneze was looking at me with a shocked expression.


    ¡°You can¡¯t see them?¡±


    I whispered to her. She nodded. So she really couldn¡¯t.


    Now that I thought about it, he had said something about that in the dream.


    ¡°What do they look like to you?¡±


    Melvis asked the odd question. I suppose he was talking about the chains.


    ¡°It looks like a large chain is extending from your heart. It tangles around your arms. The ends seem like they are cut off, but they also look like they connect to something.¡±


    ¡°I see. Yes, you see them quite clearly then.¡±


    Melvis laughed good-humoredly.


    This was apparently very unusual, and the General was surprised.


    ¡°Now touch it.¡±


    ¡°Ye-yes¡­¡±


    Chains that the General could not see. He wanted to know if I could touch them.


    But when I walked towards Melvis, his expression suddenly changed.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    First he wants me to touch it, and then he says stop¡­ What¡¯s going on?


    ¡°He said no.¡±


    ¡°It looks like it.¡±


    ¡°Tsk. How boring.¡±


    ¡°Very boring.¡±


    Woah, those guys were here.


    Uh, I think their names were Jikae and Manny.


    Previously, they had tried to kill the General before I drove them away. It seemed like they were plotting something.


    While they were supposed to be Melvis¡¯s attendants, I didn¡¯t see how they were anything but assassins.


    When I searched the area for their presence, I got a vague idea of where they were.


    However, I doubted that I could stop a surprise attack.


    Had Melvis not stopped them, I might have taken great damage.


    I continued to focus on them for a while, but detected no movement.


    And so I slowly continued to move towards Melvis.


    From what I could see, Melvis¡¯s chains were very new.


    They were clean, and there was no rust.


    ¡°Pardon me, Your Majesty¡­¡±


    I picked up the end of the chain.


    It felt very solid and heavy. The chains clanked loudly.


    ¡°So those who can see it can also touch it. Interesting.¡±


    Melvis seemed satisfied.


    ¡°They are quite heavy¡­ Also, I can feel that mana is being drained from my hand. It¡¯s similar to when I attacked the mana drain shield.¡±


    After acquiring that shield, I had spent some time testing its features.


    One time, I made a rather bad mistake, and it absorbed a lot of my mana.


    These chains reminded me of that time.


    I tried pulling it. The chain rose until it was level with the point where it connected to Melvis, and then stopped.


    ¡°Now, think about the reason that this exists.¡±


    He demanded that I figure it out.


    He had made a similar demand in my dream.


    I had to think of a way to break through the barrier to the Human World. And now there was this.


    ¡°When and how did you become shackled by these chains?¡±


    ¡°During the great war. I don¡¯t know the details. They were on me before I knew it. But I doubt the celestials would have done this without a reason.¡±


    In other words, there was some meaning here¡­ And it had to do with the Celestial World.


    But solving this mystery would be difficult.


    Chains were for restraining people.


    And these chains seemed to be coming out of Melvis¡¯s heart. Was his heart in its grasp?


    I couldn¡¯t see the end, as it was cut off. But what about the other side?


    Was it wrapped around his heart? Or maybe the Orb of Control?


    During the great war, the celestials were targeting Yamato. So Melvis would have been a great nuisance.


    Melvis was strong.


    Perhaps they knew he would be difficult to eliminate, and so they tried to slow him down instead?


    ¡°I doubt I will be able to understand the reason so quickly. I will have to think about it carefully.¡±


    I said, and Melvis nodded.


    ¡°And I also want to know about your race. What is this Susanno no Mikoto?¡±


    Uh, that¡¯s what I want to know.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a name that appeared in my head. I don¡¯t even have a good grasp on my special abilities yet. This evolution is really beyond me. I¡¯m sorry, that is all I can say.¡±


    ¡°Regarding your special abilities, you should converse with your soul.¡±


    Converse with the soul? Does he mean the other me?


    ¡°I will try. And if I learn anything, I will make a report.¡±


    ¡°Mmm. Good.¡±


    It did not seem like he was inviting me to ask any questions. Besides, I wasn¡¯t too troubled about my special abilities at the moment.


    I didn¡¯t mind taking it slowly.


    Still, Melvis looked like there was something on the tip of his tongue.


    But in the end, he didn¡¯t say anything.


    Well, I wasn¡¯t actually sure that he wanted to¡­but it felt like it. Maybe it was just me.


    The audience was finally over, and I was released.


    I asked General Farneze about what happened after I went unconscious. Apparently, Saifo and Beka had gone on a rampage.


    And so did the Reapers and Vampires.


    What the hell were they doing?


    It was quite a deviation from General Farneze¡­well, tactician Felicia¡¯s predictions, and resulted in a lot of confusion.


    ¡°Yes, I was quite at a loss. Especially due to our prime witness not waking up. Why did you fight Kyuka?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not even sure.¡±


    To be honest, I had no intention of fighting her.


    She looked at me with disbelief. I did want to run away. Really.


    ¡°And your weapons were recovered from the ruins. Your subordinates have them now, so you can collect them later.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s good to know. I thought I had lost them.¡±


    My weapons had been confiscated before meeting Kyuka.


    Had I been allowed to keep them, things would have been a lot easier¡­ Or maybe not.


    ¡°New soldiers were sent to protect the border. We had always meant to do that. Dardaroth should be there now, scaring the enemy off.¡±


    ¡°I see. We can all sleep easy if General Dardaroth is there.¡±


    He was one of the old guards.


    As Farneze¡¯s men had fought battle after battle, they needed a rest.


    She needed to reorganize and that¡¯s why she returned to the castle. Things would be very busy for her.


    ¡°Now that Kyuka is dead, the threat of the north is gone. I suppose the surrounding countries will be quiet for some time.¡±


    By now, the stories of Melvis¡¯s awakening would have spread everywhere. I doubted anyone would want to attack us.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be able to take things easy back in my village.¡±


    I would fish in the rivers and live quietly.


    Surely I should be allowed that much?


    I stretched my limbs¡­and then my stomach growled.


    It was yelling at me to recover my mana.


    Alright, I would get something to eat and then go see my men.


    Yes, it was nice to have some peace again.


    I looked up at the sky. The weather was nice.

 Chapter 268

    Chapter 268¡°I¡¯m back!¡±


    I shouted as soon as I entered the village.


    That being said, no one came out to greet me. They weren¡¯t that kind of people.


    And so it was a little embarrassing to be essentially talking to myself. But then again, it didn¡¯t matter if no one was listening.


    And so I walked down the empty street.


    ¡°Huh? Golan. What happened?¡±


    As I walked, I came upon an old woman from the village. My first encounter.


    Well, it was my village.


    ¡°I came back because the war is over. How have you been? And how is the village?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s changed at all.¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s good to know.¡±


    Yes, no one cared about an Ogre village like ours, which was on the outskirts.


    Aside from the occasional merchant, it was almost as if time had stopped here.


    I continued on my way and met two and then three other people.


    Their reactions were all the same. And so I answered them in the same way as well.


    I slowly walked to my house and entered.


    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡±


    I said, but there was no answer.


    It would take a little longer for my comrades to return to the village.


    After my audience with Lesser King Melvis had ended, General Farneze announced that the army was being disbanded.


    But when I tried to gather my subordinates so we could return to our village, they were nowhere to be found.


    They had received rewards for their achievements in battle.


    I had awakened after it happened, and so they had gone out to go and spend what they had earned.


    That¡¯s why none of them were nearby. It could not be helped. I did at least meet Rig.


    And he was able to return to me the Deepsea Dragon Sword and the hexagonal club.


    After talking with Rig for some time, I learned that most of the Ogres had gone out to the shopping district.


    They had gotten quite drunk and caused a scene, and eventually even getting arrested.


    ¡°Yes, business as usual.¡±


    Given how they were on a normal day, it was only natural for them to start brawling once they drank.


    But while that was fine on the battlefield, doing it in town would result in arrests.


    When I asked Rig, he said plainly, ¡®Did I go and fetch them? No, I have not.¡¯


    As they were getting into trouble nearly every day now, he felt that it would be best to have them cool their heads in the cells.


    That was Rig for you.


    And so I decided to leave them to their devices and start my return journey without them. Rig, the non-combatants and the Reapers wanted to come with me, but as I was worried about what the other unreliable Ogres would do, I asked them to stay and travel together.


    I wanted to return quickly to make sure that there was no trouble in the village. There was no need for the others to come with me.


    Besides, they wouldn¡¯t really need to monitor the Ogres if they were in prison. And so they could enjoy their time as they liked.


    I hinted at this, but they answered, ¡®we don¡¯t know what they will do, and we¡¯ll be too anxious to rest at all.¡¯


    Painy, the Reaper, even added something rather frightful. ¡®If they all started fighting without restraint, there would hardly be anyone here who could stop them.¡¯


    Surely not? Hell, the Reapers would be able to do it, right?


    Besides, the Ogres weren¡¯t that stupid¡­no, I was indeed worried. But I better not think about it.


    As for my own reward. There were a number of things.


    It seemed like they were rewards for past achievements included, and now I was getting them all at once.


    First, I had gone up in the army. I was not General Farneze¡¯s Adjutant.


    As I had been no more than a commander for an independant corps, it was quite the jump up.


    Being a General¡¯s Adjutant meant I could give orders to Corps Commanders. I had a higher rank than them.


    And if the General was absent, I might be given complete authority.


    Adjutants could have their own subordinates if they wanted.


    And there were Adjutants like Felicia, whose work was entirely clerical.


    Of course, Farneze¡¯s expectations for me did not lie in that direction.


    And so she would take me into consideration when restructuring her army.


    I would likely be given charge of a decent number of soldiers.


    Also, I could increase the number of subordinates as I pleased. There was some freedom there.


    On the other hand, I had a responsibility to not die on the battlefield.


    If I¡¯m the highest ranking officer on the battlefield, the army would collapse the moment I died.


    And so Adjutants who worked within the army were usually chosen based on how unlikely they were to die.


    So, was I really a good choice? I¡¯ve been on the brink quite a lot.


    As for the other rewards¡­I did receive a town.


    Well, it wasn¡¯t official just yet.


    My guess was that it would be the town that Nehyor used to govern.


    It was currently being governed by the General, and so it would likely just be passed down.


    And when that did happen, all of the residents would be under my rule.


    This meant the Orb of Control, of course. So I would be strengthened based on the number of people who lived there.


    I could choose to stay and rule it myself, or leave a representative there.


    And since it seemed like too much trouble, I intended to leave it to someone else.


    Aside from this village, my other villages were also managed by representatives.


    As the Orb of Control connected us, there was no fear of estrangement or rebellion, which made things easy.


    They could still challenge me to Gekokujyo, but there was no one in the Ogre villages who would do it¡­aside from the idiot siblings.


    But they were exceptions. The others looked like they were ready to obey my every order.


    I had no interest in governing, but also felt that I would accept the reward anyway. S?a??h the ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    As for the rest of the rewards¡­there was a variety of impressive armor, weapons, gold and silver.


    They were given to me as a catalog, which I just handed to Rig.


    I would distribute them among my men later.


    Apparently, there were superior officers who did this gladly, and some who did not share their rewards at all.


    Of course, this was something that affected morale.


    My own men seemed like they would be satisfied as long as they were allowed to fight, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to give them something extra.


    So, my reward was rank, land and wealth.


    And while they weren¡¯t quite as valuable, there were also great gifts of rare wine and lots of food supplies.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, I¡¯ll have to make a stable.¡±


    As I had also received horses, I decided to keep them in the village.


    It would be useful to have something to ride during emergencies.


    ¡°I should have a few kept in every village.¡±


    Not only would they be useful for emergency communication, but they could be used for the transporting of supplies as well.


    Ogres were just as strong as horses, but they were not ideal methods of transportation.


    Well, I would not be able to prepare everything immediately, and would have to take things slow.


    Besides, this was the village where time had stopped.


    ¡°Alright, I think I¡¯ll go fishing.¡±


    Even though I had returned home, I had nothing to do.


    Well, I actually did have a lot to do, but didn¡¯t feel like doing it.


    Surely I should be allowed to stretch my wings a little on my first day back home.


    And it wasn¡¯t as if there was anyone here who would complain to me¡­I think. They weren¡¯t exactly the most respectful either.


    It was with such thoughts that I grabbed my fishing rod and left the house.

 Chapter 269

    Chapter 269¡°¡­I¡¯m bored.¡±


    It was the second day after coming home. And I already had too much time.


    ¡°Surely I¡¯m not that much of a workaholic.¡±


    This was strange. Back in my past life, I just moved between the dojo and my house.


    I had no hobbies to speak of.


    And even after I was reborn as an Ogre, I lived a plain existence.


    So there was no reason for me to feel this restless after just two days.


    ¡°Is it because my days have been so eventful recently?¡±


    That was the only reason that I could think of.


    Perhaps the battlefield was in my blood now.


    ¡°Come to think of it, I heard something about soldiers returning from the Vietnam war experiencing similar things.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just soldiers suffering from PTSD, but there were a lot of suicides as well. I saw a special about it on TV.


    While some became reclusive, there were others who could not stand their boring, everyday life, and went out searching for new thrills.


    I did believe that peace was a good thing.


    However, in my case, it seemed that stimulation was something I needed. Who would have thought?


    ¡°Perhaps I could check the other villages.¡±


    I could have stayed idle for a little while longer, but I was bound to find it unbearable soon enough. Tomorrow. Or the day after that.


    Unlike my days as a human, my body was now tough, and I could be a little reckless.


    ¡°Resting is important, but moving a little is good for getting rid of the fatigue.¡±


    It sounded like a dumb excuse, but I was sticking to it.


    And so I prepared for my journey and left early the next morning.


    ¡°Now this is a quiet village.¡±


    It was the fourth day since I departed, and I had arrived at my second village.


    The first was only half a day¡¯s walk away and I finished my business there quickly.


    But as for the second village, it was quite deep into the mountains. Like the midslope of the mountain had been cut open.


    As it was inconveniently located, they had little contact with the other villages.


    And just a short scan of the place made me think that time had stopped here even more so than in my own village.


    The houses looked like they were made of fallen trees. I suppose there was a kind of charm to it, but I wondered if I should tell them to make something more substantial.


    ¡°Is there anything you need? I could have it delivered.¡±


    I said to the representative. ¡®It¡¯s fine¡¯ was the reply. Was it really?


    They lived off the land, entirely independent. s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    As they had everything they needed, no merchants visited them.


    It was a very primitive lifestyle, but Ogres were tough when it came to injury and disease, so this was nothing to them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay for two to three days, so let me know if you think of something later.¡±


    As they appeared to be satisfied with the present situation, I thought it best not to try and sell them on anything.


    I had now seen different parts of the Demon World, and the living standards were always quite low when it came to meatheads.


    Larger towns tended to have more intelligent races living in them, and the difference was staggering.


    Some towns were similar to western medieval towns in terms of development.


    On the other hand, Ogres and other meathead races were like farmers from the Heian era.


    Not that I¡¯ve ever seen any Heian era farmers, but that was my imagination.


    Clothes? As long as the important parts were covered.


    Food? As long as it¡¯s edible.


    Something like that.


    There was no grace, only roughness in the way that they lived.


    As someone who knew what modern Japan was like, I sometimes thought, ¡®wish I could do something¡¯ or ¡®that could be improved.¡¯


    But I knew that even if I did, they would just change it back later. So I kept my mouth shut.


    Since there was someone in the second village who challenged me, I lightly made him roll.


    It wasn¡¯t Gekokujyo, but just training, and so I didn¡¯t injure him. Besides, it was also good training for me. I needed to learn how to hold back.


    I realized then just how ridiculously strong Saifo and Beka were from the beginning.


    Sometimes when we trained, I would think, ¡®Ah, did I accidentally kill them?¡¯ but they would always get right back up.


    Because of this, I started to forget how to hold back.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I moved the Ogre standard away from the idiot siblings.¡±


    Otherwise, skulls would be crushed in one hit, and great holes would open in torsos.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll visit again if I¡¯m in the area.¡±


    I left the second village and headed towards the next one.


    As I was taking a different route this time, it felt a little bit fresh.


    I started to think that this really wasn¡¯t a bad idea. I should go visit other villages whenever I feel bored.


    ¡°¡­But this means I can¡¯t live in a town.¡±


    I finally realized it.


    If I lived in a town, I might die from boredom.


    Besides, there was something more calming about villages.


    In truth, I found the battlefield to be the most calming these days, but I didn¡¯t want to admit it.


    If I did, I felt that something important in me would break.


    ¡°Ah, Sir Golan. It¡¯s an honor to have you come to our village.¡±


    An old Ogre came out to greet me.


    ¡°You seem to be doing well, Guinida.¡±


    ¡°Yes. The others are starting to complain and ask me how long I intend on living.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s rare to see an Ogre living for so long. You should tell them to try and beat your record if they don¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°I see. Indeed. I will do just as you suggest.¡±


    Guinida was over seventy years old.


    I had never seen an Ogre so old.


    But that¡¯s because most of us fell in battle, or died from wounds inflicted during hunts.


    And while Ogres were tough, that only made them more reckless.


    ¡°Anything happen in the village?¡±


    ¡°No, things are as quiet as usual. ¡­But now that I think about it¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh? What is it?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve recently started to trade with Lamias from the cave. Is that alright?¡±


    ¡°Oh. I don¡¯t really mind. But what are you trading?¡±


    The Lamias lived in the underground lakes.


    They hunted animals that came to drink and caught fish.


    They also made clothes by weaving sea plants and their own hair.


    In a way, they were similar to Ogres in that they were self-sufficient.


    ¡°We¡¯ve mostly been giving them ironware. And also some wood crafts.¡±


    Every Ogre village had a furnace, and they used primitive techniques to make iron.


    ¡°I see. The Lamias do live in swamplands.¡±


    ¡°It is so. And in return, they give us medicine.¡±


    ¡°I realized it during the plague with the red rats, but they are quite intelligent. I won¡¯t interfere with your trading. You should do as you like.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡±


    Medicine, eh? I knew that there were plants in the water with beneficial effects.


    Because the Lamias were so big, I generally thought of them as warriors, but they were actually more suited to delicate work.


    ¡°Maybe I should go and visit them too.¡±


    Now that I thought about it, it had been a while since I last saw them.

 Chapter 270

    Chapter 270Previously, this town had suffered an incident involving red rats.


    Rats that carried a plague had spread throughout the village.


    And it was the Lamias who realized this immediately after I told them.


    After all, the red rats were the hated creatures who were the cause of their exile.


    Since they had studied them for a long time, they had a wealth of knowledge.


    And in the end, the rats were exterminated, and great losses were avoided.


    I shudder to think about what might have happened without the Lamias.


    Residents of the Demon World were strong when it came to diseases.


    That being said, it also seemed like the diseases were stronger.


    It was the same with the red rats.


    Aside from them, I had heard stories from merchants about towns being wiped out from other diseases.


    Most people here did not have any knowledge about illness.


    They could not tell if something was serious or not.


    Sometimes they would assume that a little rest was all that was needed, and things would just get worse. And if it was especially contagious, then it would quickly spread throughout the village.


    As the Lamias had prevented such a catastrophe, they were welcomed by the Ogre village.


    And now I was going to meet them for the first time in a while.


    I went up the gentle slope and headed for the highlands where the swamps were.


    ¡°I suppose they are all¡­in the caves.¡±


    Water grass covered the area, and it was hard to see anything in the distance.


    As you continued farther in, the lands turned into bogs, and your feet would sink.


    The center of the swamplands was a great lake.


    And it was connected to the water source from the caves.


    I then entered the cave.


    Once I was quite deep inside, I sensed the presence of the Lamias.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s been a while¡­¡±


    ¡°Kksshhhaaa!¡±


    I tried to greet them, but they were cautious.


    The Lamia seemed quite young.


    It thrust out both hands, showing me its claws.


    But why was it being hostile to me? I needed to do something about this misunderstanding.


    ¡°Now, wait a minute! I¡¯m Golan. Don¡¯t you remember me?¡±


    I could hear my voice echo in the cave, ¡®me¡­me¡­me¡­¡¯


    The Lamia tilted its head and stared for a while. Then it finally seemed to calm down.


    It really was nothing. It just hadn¡¯t recognized me at first due to my evolution.


    From the Lamia¡¯s point of view, I was a combat-type person with a lot of mana who had suddenly entered their cave.


    It must have assumed I was here to attack them.


    As one of them stood there and tried to stop me, the other had gone to call for backup.


    It might have led to a battle.


    Now that I thought about it, the Lamias were not connected to my mana.


    They had fled from another country, and were still not a part of this one.


    In other words, they were like a group of rootless trees.


    For instance, even though I had evolved, the Ogres of the village would be able to tell who I was.


    Even if they initially thought, ¡®who are you?¡¯ A closer inspection would show the connection to our Orbs of Control, and they would be able to guess who I was.


    But since the Lamias were not from this country, they could not tell who I was.


    If my appearance changed, they would not know.


    ¡°I thank you for what you did during the red rat plague. And I hear that you¡¯ve started to trade with the village?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Weapons. We need. And armor.¡±


    I was now talking to Dalmia the Lamia. She hadn¡¯t changed at all.


    Before, the other Lamias all treated me the same, but now that I had evolved, it was like we were back to square one.


    As Dalmia had been the one to talk with me first, it seemed that role had been pushed onto her again.


    ¡°Was that weapon also acquired through trading?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­it¡¯s good¡­for hunting.¡±


    Dalmia was carrying a longspear.


    As the Lamias were uniformly quite large, it appeared small. But it was also the right length so they could still swing them around in the caves.


    I had thought that Lamias fought with their claws and fangs when not strangling things, but it turned out that iron weapons were also very useful when hunting wild animals.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good spear.¡±


    When it came to the high-ranking races, there were times when iron weapons were not enough to inflict damage.


    So this would be strictly for hunting.


    Still, it was impressive considering where it was made. I had no idea they were capable of this.


    It was probably because Ogres did not use weapons very often.


    And it also took skill to wield one. And so many Ogres felt that using their fists was quicker.


    But if they could make fine weapons like this, perhaps I should put together a unit of spearmen.


    As I thought of such things, I noticed that Dalmia was staring at me suspiciously.


    ¡°What is it? Is there something on your mind?¡±


    ¡°When? The evolution.¡±


    ¡°Evolution? Ah¡­it just happened naturally while I fought on the battlefield. It¡¯s easy for Ogres to evolve.¡±


    And even easier to die.


    ¡°Wait.¡± S~?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°In the back¡­they are calling me.¡±


    Dalmia said, and then she disappeared to the back of the cave.


    ¡°Calling? Who is calling?¡±


    Before leaving, Dalmia had put a hand up to her ear.


    But I had not been able to hear anything.


    Perhaps it was at too high a frequency.


    As they could not talk to each other underwater, perhaps they used sonic waves to communicate their will.


    I waited for some time, and then Dalmia returned.


    ¡°We finished talking. My people. Will become subordinates.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that the Lamias will become my subordinates?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    So Dalmia had been called back to discuss that matter.


    ¡°Why now?¡±


    ¡°For our people.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Perhaps because they had lived in the water for so long, but I found it difficult to understand Dalmia.


    But with some patience, I learned that the Lamias had decided to make this country their final resting place.


    This experience of persecution and having to flee their country had made them very cautious when choosing who they would serve.


    Now that I thought about it, she had said something about wanting to live quietly when first coming here.


    They had just wanted to live here, without being subordinate to anyone. And they asked for my permission.


    And I had agreed to this wish. In the meantime, the Lamia had been trying to determine if I and the surrounding villages could be trusted.


    ¡°And so you decided that we could.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    It likely had a lot to do with how they were accepted by the village after the red rat plague.


    And then, today, they saw me in my evolved form. And they had made their decision.


    When I thought back on it, I had only met with them as an Ogre.


    And I suppose they were not enthusiastic about putting their whole population under the control of an Ogre.


    ¡°I understand. And I welcome you.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    And like that, it was decided that all of the Lamias would be connected to me through the Orb of Control.


    ¡°We would like to call the others who are still in the other country.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Some of them had not been able to cross the border, and were hiding in the mountains.


    And they wanted to call them here.


    ¡°And the Darc Lamias as well.¡±


    ¡°Darc Lamias?¡±


    I had never heard of them before.


    ¡°They are large. And dark.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    So they were just dark Lamias.


    And they were also longer.


    Differences in environment could give birth to different types within a race.


    This was especially true for magic beasts, as there were different types in every location.


    ¡°Yes, bring anyone you like. If they want to live here, they should come.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    According to her, the Darc Lamia had also suffered persecution in different lands.


    The Darc Lamia were sometimes called ¡®Horse Drinkers¡¯ as they were known to swallow horses from villages.


    Well, that wasn¡¯t something you should do.


    And apparently, they couldn¡¯t actually do it. But they did eat a lot to earn that reputation.


    ¡°Anyone can come if they want. But if they cause trouble, they will be judged just as harshly as anyone else.¡±


    If they did cause any mischief, I might have to set the idiot siblings on them.


    Yes, that would straighten just about anyone out.


    After my talks with Dalmia were finished, I took half a day binding the Orb of Control contract with all of the Lamias.


    In all, there were over three hundred of them.


    Wasn¡¯t that more than before?


    Had more of them arrived?


    Or did they lie about their numbers? I wasn¡¯t sure.


    I didn¡¯t bother to ask them about it. The important thing was that they were now part of my fighting force.


    Not that I planned to fight in any wars, but it was good to know that they would be there if I needed them.


    Now, as long as the Darc Lamias didn¡¯t cause any trouble¡­


    ¡°If others appear who want to join, contact me through the Ogre village at the bottom of the mountain.¡±


    I said, and then left the Lamia village behind me.


    After that, I finished my round of the Ogre villages and returned home.

 Chapter 271

    Chapter 271The day after I returned to my house.


    There was a lot of excitement in the village. Rig and the others had returned.


    ¡°Everyone seemed disinterested when it was me¡­¡±


    There had been no excitement at all.


    Could it be that they didn¡¯t think much of me?


    Even when I was in my house, I could hear all the clamor and voices coming from outside.


    ¡°Well, their families are back from the battlefield. I suppose they would be excited about that.¡±


    Many soldiers had been drafted from this village.


    And so their families were overjoyed to see them return.


    ¡ªGayagayagaya¡­


    Still, they really were loud.


    I could hear many voices.


    ¡°Hey, settle down.¡±


    When I stepped outside, I saw the usual crew, Rig, Painy, Saifo, Beka¡­and for some reason, the Vampires as well.


    So they were the reason that it was so noisy.


    ¡°Sir Golan. We have returned.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Rig. Welcome back¡­ That¡¯s good, but why are the Vampires here? General Farneze¡¯s town is in the other direction.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but they insisted on coming to this village¡­¡±


    Apparently, the young Vampires had come to my village in order to train and improve themselves.


    Why?


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you all shut-ins¡­¡±


    Though they had been born with high-spec bodies.


    While their parents were first-rate soldiers, the next generation had turned out to be quite worthless.


    That¡¯s why they were forced to become a part of my corps, in order to ¡®train¡¯ their spirits. And like that, we were sent to Demon King Tralzard¡¯s lands.


    They gained a lot of experience there, and I thought they would be confident now¡­ And yet they still wanted to train?


    Besides, whoever heard of Vampires going to an Ogre village to train? Was this some kind of joke?


    ¡°They¡¯ve trained with Ser Saifo and Madam Beka and have experienced being thrashed to an inch of their lives. All of them.¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh!¡±


    I¡¯m surprised they survived that. Those two did not know how to hold back.


    I suppose they healed quickly because they were Vampires? But I¡¯m surprised that they weren¡¯t discouraged.


    ¡°Since they wish to train, I thought the training regimen you created would be perfect, Sir Golan. I think that should be the first thing they undergo.¡±


    Residents of the Demon World relied on their physical ability a little too much. And they often didn¡¯t try to improve.


    And so I had never expected a whole group of them would want to.


    ¡°It is quite effective. And it will be good for the next battle¡­ But, Vampires, eh?¡±


    If they weren¡¯t careful, they might turn into meatheads as well.


    My training regimen was brutal.


    You had to be able to move as a group, and so I had called Reapers and Ogres from the other village.


    I suppose Vampires could be added to the mix¡­ But it would probably be best to discuss the matter with General Farneze first.


    ¡°Very well. Leaving that aside, you know the reward I was given at the castle?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve brought it with us.¡±


    ¡°I want you to distribute it among the soldiers who fought in the battle. You should make a list so that you know what you gave to who.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I will do that.¡±


    That was my Adjutant.


    He always answered briskly and never argued.


    Though, there wasn¡¯t anything to really spend money on in an isolated village like this. But I suppose there would be merchants again.


    They could use it then.


    Rig left immediately.


    He always acted as soon as he was given an order.


    ¡°Hey, hey, Golan. I¡¯m feeling very different today.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! Yes, completely, totally different!¡±


    ¡°Ah, the idiots are here.¡±


    Well, they were here the whole time.


    They had probably been waiting for the right moment to enter the conversation.


    ¡°You really worked us over last time. And so we must pay you back.¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­ Yeah. Let¡¯s just get it over with then.¡±


    We were in the village, so I could ¡®work¡¯ them a little harder than usual.


    After all, it would be very annoying if they came at me every day. I would need to make them lie low for a while.


    ¡°Hey, Golan. If we¡¯re going to fight now, why not¡­¡±


    ¡°Just shut up and follow me. We¡¯re going to the village square.¡±


    It was in the center of the village. Where we held festivals.


    I took Saifo and Beka to it.


    ¡°You can both come at once. But don¡¯t regret your actions.¡±


    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have to tell me that.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll join in!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just the villagers that gathered around.


    The Vampires were also watching us with curious expressions.


    And so I gently, carefully and thoroughly, dealt with the idiot siblings.


    Hurt them all over¡­patted them, and then finally let them go. s?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    They would likely stay in bed for a few days.


    It was good that I now knew the limits of their physical strength. Yes, I had no regrets.


    ¡°Hey, someone clean this mess up.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!!¡±


    The Vampires displayed impressive salutes.


    They were almost completely different people from when I had first met them.


    ¡ð Lesser Demon King Nehyor¡¯s Country ¨C Nehyor


    ¡°¡­So that¡¯s why I just don¡¯t understand. What do you think it is?¡±


    Nehyor asked. Legras shook his head.


    Nehyor had returned after a long absence, and his body was in a terrible state.


    From his back to his feet, there were multiple lacerations. And they were not healing.


    No matter what kind of wound it was, Nehyor was supposed to heal almost immediately with mana. And so this should have been impossible.


    Legras wondered at first if it was due to Nehyor¡¯s lifespan, but then he learned it was from an attack charged with an incredible amount of mana. And now the mana used for healing was being blocked.


    ¡°I did not know that you had such a weakness.¡±


    ¡°Well, neither did I. Either we are just a bad match for each other, or it is skilled¡­or has too great a power. But really, what do you think it was?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­I don¡¯t know. If you were attacked in Great Demon King Dalm¡¯s country, then it was either Dalm himself or one of his men.¡±


    ¡°You would think so, wouldn¡¯t you? However, there was no followup attack¡­¡±


    As Nehyor was obviously not Dalm¡¯s subordinate, he would attract attention.


    But if he was seen as an enemy and attacked, surely they would have tried to find the corpse and confirm he was dead?


    Nehyor had to crawl on the ground, slowly dragging himself to where there was cover so that he could heal.


    It took many days of travel while avoiding enemies, and he finally reached his home country.


    Just a little longer and all of his wounds would be closed. Now that he could relax a little, he started to think about his attacker.


    It was clear that he had been targeted.


    In other words, someone had found him without Nehyor noticing, and decided that he was an enemy.


    But there was only one attack.


    No follow up attack. No confirming that he was dead.


    As he was moving through another country, he knew that there was a risk of being attacked.


    And so that in itself wasn¡¯t a surprise.


    However, he didn¡¯t know ¡®who¡¯ and ¡®how.¡¯


    As no one had shown themselves after it, the mystery only deepened.


    ¡°¡­Well, nevermind then. There is something that I want to do once all of my wounds heal.¡±


    Nehyor said innocently. ¡®Again?¡¯ Legras asked with a look of distaste.

 Chapter 272

    Chapter 272Now that the idiot siblings were back, they would want to challenge me daily again.


    And so I took care of them very carefully.


    I would at least have some peace until their wounds healed.


    ¡°¡­Still, their defense ability has gone up quite a lot.¡±


    I had also fought them before going to Kyuka¡¯s main camp, and it had been much the same.


    ¡®Ah, I might have killed them,¡¯ I would think. But then they would get right back up.


    Some of those attacks might have killed those of the high-ranking races, and yet they came straight back to the battlefield.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t just getting hit. It¡¯s like¡­they learned a new trick?¡±


    I knew that they had learned to take hits in a way that naturally reduced damage.


    They had been able to ¡®parry¡¯ for a while now.


    It was a rare thing for residents of the Demon World.


    And so I would attack them so that they couldn¡¯t do it.


    Doing this repeatedly seemed to have strengthened them.


    ¡°Also, their judgement has improved.¡±


    After all, they were starting to understand how much strength was needed for each opponent.


    If they were hurled into the middle of an enemy army now, they would likely survive.


    ¡°Hey, Rig. Did you learn anything interesting over there?¡± S?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    I asked Rig once the loud people were gone.


    While fighting was entertaining and all, Rig was a capable Adjutant.


    Surely he had a good story or two to tell me.


    Right?


    ¡°While it is not directly related to us, there was some information concerning General Tulart that I heard before we left the castle.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you know that General Tulart was sent to watch the border and keep the small countries to the south in check.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The soldiers were replaced recently, weren¡¯t they? And I suppose General Dardaroth is in the castle now?¡±


    ¡°Yes. General Farneze has headed to town in order to heal what remains of her soldiers after the battle in the north. Currently, only the castle and the south are being guarded.¡±


    It was just a short while ago that the north of this country was important. But now that Lesser Demon King Kyuka was gone, there was no reason to keep soldiers over there.


    The north was now in a state of civil war.


    Not only did they not have the power to invade us, but they seemed to be on the verge of splitting up into multiple countries.


    ¡°And so what happened in the south?¡±


    ¡°A group of Cyclopes moved north from Great Demon King Bibashini¡¯s country. It seems like they lost during a power struggle and were exiled.¡±


    ¡°Great Demon King Bibashini, eh? That¡¯s quite far south. South of Great Demon King Dalm, isn¡¯t it? And they headed north¡­ You¡¯re saying they moved towards us?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The small southern countries are fighting each other. They seemed to have slipped through during the chaos.¡±


    Cyclopes were Giants, meaning they were incredibly big and strong.


    They had a lot of stamina and magic resistance, making them very difficult to defeat.


    ¡°They traveled through many countries to get here. And yet they were defeated in a power struggle¡­¡±


    Clearly a lot was happening in Great Demon King Bibashini¡¯s country.


    ¡°Our own General Tulart happens to be a Cyclops.¡±


    ¡°Oh, he is, isn¡¯t he? Is that why they came to him for help?¡±


    ¡°No, I heard that they fought.¡±


    From what I knew, Great Demon King Bibashini was very old.


    He had little interest in governing, and left everything to his subordinates.


    And there were stories of successful Gekokujyo.


    Perhaps there had been some fight over the position of General, and the Cyclopes were somehow driven out as part of the fallout.


    ¡°I suppose their superior, who was a Giant, was killed. And they ran away.¡±


    If your superior was killed, you were supposed to become the subordinates of whoever took his place.


    However, there were times when people chose to leave instead.


    It wasn¡¯t too unusual.


    They lived hidden somewhere and saved their strength while observing the country. And when the time was right, they may choose to join that country.


    The Lamias were a good example of this.


    But those who constantly moved from one country to another would soon grow used to it, and develop strange habits.


    Still, everyone wished for a place to settle down, and looked carefully for a country they could belong to.


    It was kind of similar to searching for the right job in my past life.


    Some people decided based on the salary and how many days they could take off. Others wanted a company that was right for them, a place they could work until they retired.


    But this was the Demon World.


    If you made the wrong decision, your entire tribe could be destroyed.


    There was no internet here, and while rumors were an important source of information, they were not completely trustworthy.


    You had no way of knowing unless you lived there.


    ¡°So, what were the results of the battle?¡±


    ¡°They were defeated. General Tulart beat the enemy leader in a duel and absorbed the subordinates.¡±


    ¡°No surprise there.¡±


    General Tulart had risen after Gorgodan¡¯s death.


    Up until then, he had acted as General Gorgodan¡¯s Corps Commander.


    That army had a lot of Giants, and so they were incredibly dangerous, in spite of being fewer in number compared to the other armies.


    Having some Cyclopes join them would only strengthen them even further.


    ¡°However, they say that General Tulart did not come out unscathed.¡±


    ¡°I see. The damage must have been great with the two of them fighting.¡±


    When fighting in the Demon World, there were race combinations that were no good at all. But when you were both of the same race, it was simply a matter of all round strength.


    Usually the person with more mana would win.


    Though, because you were both chipping away at each other¡¯s mana, it rarely became completely one-sided.


    So it was no wonder that he also took a lot of damage.


    Well, Tulart had still won the duel.


    He had distinguished himself in battle. Surely that earned him a good rest.


    ¡­I thought rather carelessly, not realizing the aftershock of the event would soon hit me.

 Chapter 273

    Chapter 273¡ð Lesser Demon King Nehyor¡¯s Country ¨C Nehyor


    Long ago, Nehyor was the subordinate of a certain Lesser Demon King called Jidou, who owned land to the southeast.


    It was south of Great Demon King Bibashini¡¯s land, and west of Demon King Legard.


    A Great Demon King and Demon King to the north and west.


    The moment he tried to expand his lands so that he rose to Demon King, he would be crushed.


    It was completely clear.


    The power map of the Demon World changed drastically every time someone rose to Demon King.


    And those two would not turn a blind eye.


    And so Lesser Demon King Jidou could have no ambitions when it came to his lands.


    ¡°If the right opportunity comes, then I will attack.¡±


    That was all he could say.


    ¡°This is so very boring.¡±


    Nehyor was not at all pleased at how small Jidou¡¯s lands were.


    He wanted to do something interesting. He wanted something that was stimulating.


    If he were a Lesser Demon King, he would rise to Demon King and then Great Demon King.


    And if he were a Great Demon King, the Demon World would be so much more interesting.


    However, there were several problems preventing this from being realized.


    One of them was related to his race.


    Vampires were among the high-ranking races in the Demon World.


    Still, he was inferior in every way when compared to Demon Kings and Great Demon Kings.


    While Nehyor had especially impressive healing ability, both his attack and defense ability were not up to the level of similar Vampires.


    And so he was sure that no matter how hard he tried, he would not be able to land a lethal blow to a Demon King.


    There was one other problem.


    Nehyor did not have much time left to accomplish anything.


    Indeed, Nehyor looked young on the outside. Almost like a child.


    However, this was due to his healing ability, and he was in fact, much older than he looked.


    Even when considering the lifespan of Vampires, he knew that he did not have enough time to rise to the rank of Great Demon King, and enjoy his new life.


    But he had a plan that would take care of these problems.


    Evolution.


    A Vampire could evolve into an Elder Vampire.


    However, there was only one person who had ever succeeded in doing this. And the requirements were unclear.


    However, if he did succeed, both his power and lifespan would be greatly increased.


    ¡°Well then. I will do it!¡±


    Nehyor decided, and then he challenged Lesser Demon King Jidou to Gekokujyo.


    After successfully defeating Jidou, Nehyor left the country to his Adjutant, Legras.


    ¡°Lord Nehyor. But why?¡±


    Why did he not rule the country himself?


    Legras did not understand.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to travel around the Demon World so that I can become an Elder Vampire. Take care of things while I am gone.¡±


    ¡°But¡­! As you wish.¡±


    And so Nehyor left his country to Legras, and he led a party of soldiers around the Demon World and wreaked havoc across the lands.


    It was the birth of the Wild Hunt.


    ¡°In the end, I wasn¡¯t able to find someone who had evolved.¡±


    He had worked his mischief in countless countries and searched for someone who had evolved into an Elder Vampire.


    However, he was unable to find anyone. Not only that, but there was also no one who had any information on evolving.


    ¡°¡­I suppose there is only one place after all.¡±


    Nehyor groaned.


    While he had not been able to find any other Elder Vampires, there was one place in the Demon World that Nehyor was actively avoiding.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to go to Melvis after all. But I¡¯d really rather not go¡­¡±


    Melvis, the feared Great Demon King, was the only Vampire known to have evolved into an Elder.


    But he was also known to have an extreme temperament, and would turn enemies who came close into dust.


    At the very least, you would not want to meet him as a foe. Never.


    ¡°So I¡¯ll have to become a subordinate.¡±


    He would make contact with Melvis and work for him. And through him, find out how to become an Elder Vampire.


    It would be a very difficult mission, but he no longer had any other choice.


    And so Nehyor searched for information on Melvis¡¯ country, and discovered that one of his Generals was a Vampire.


    ¡°It would be best to work under her, and watch before making my move.¡±


    Nehyor put his plan into action, thinking himself quite clever. But luck was not on his side, and he entered during the time that Melvis had gone into his long sleep.


    ¡°Damn it. Now I will have to wait.¡±


    And while he did consider leaving and then returning if Melvis awoke, he doubted that he would be allowed to do that.


    Who knew how Melvis would react if he heard? It would all be over if it made him angry.


    Melvis was not someone he could beat in a fight.


    He wanted to avoid any action that would result in hostility.


    And so Nehyor spent his days carelessly under Farneze¡¯s command.


    And now, he was reminded once again how limited the time he had left.


    ¡°Now I will just have to fight a Demon King directly.¡±


    There were Demon Kings who served Great Demon Kings. S?a?ch* Th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    However, it was obvious what would happen if he dared attack one of them.


    No Great Demon King would forgive him.


    It would be all out war between their countries.


    In that case, he had to attack a Demon King who was the ruler of their own country.


    Out of the nine top Demon Kings, Demon King Bardodo had died during the invasion from the Celestial World.


    And so there were eight left.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about the kings in the east.¡±


    Nehyor¡¯s investigations had not reached the east of the Demon World, where Trinidoto, Faneira, Milhe, and Jara ruled.


    He didn¡¯t know their strengths or special abilities.


    As for the demon Kings in the west, Gidman and Janius were currently at war.


    And so were Tralzard and Legard.


    Nehyor was thinking of targeting a western Demon King.


    ¡°Among them¡­Tralzard will probably be the easiest to defeat.¡±


    Tralzard was the oldest out of those Demon Kings.


    And the reports said that she resembled an old woman.


    In that case, her power had likely waned with age as well.


    With everything considered, Tralzard seemed like his best bet. And so Nehyor made his decision.


    ¡°Alright. And it won¡¯t just be the Wild Hunt. I¡¯ll take Legras with me this time.¡±


    Yes, the whole might of his country would be behind this attack.


    And if he won, Nehyor would be able to evolve into an Elder Vampire.


    His lifespan would increase, and he would gain greater power.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it! Attack with my entire army!¡±


    Nehyor decided.

 Chapter 274

    Chapter 274A messenger arrived from General Farneze.


    I assumed that it was related to the Vampires who had come to my village, but I was wrong.


    ¡°The General¡¯s orders are that you are to take your men and head for Demon King Tralzard¡¯s country at once.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    To Tralzard¡¯s lands once again? Me? Why?


    This messenger wasn¡¯t making any sense¡­surely?


    ¡°She said that she understands that you are resting, and regrets having to tell you this.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    My emotions must have really been showing on my face, as the messenger looked at me apologetically.


    ¡°The General said that she is sorry for sending you back to work so soon.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­that¡¯s fine¡­but why?¡±


    Losing my time off was one thing, but I could not comprehend why I would need to return to Tralzard¡¯s land.


    The corps we had been exchanged for had already returned, and Melvis was awake now.


    Surely there was no point in being involved with them any further? S?a?ch* Th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It was an honest question, and so I just asked it.


    ¡°A short while ago, a messenger came from Tralzard¡¯s land.¡±


    Apparently, it was soon after I left.


    As Melvis had awakened, Tralzard was probably curious as to finding out what kind of mood he was in.


    The messenger had come with a great amount of gifts, which worked as a reminder of how much Tralzard had suffered in the past.


    Melvis¡¯s awakening had put so much fear into her.


    Of course, the messenger also made confirmations regarding the prior trading of troops.


    The soldiers that had been sent were General Miralda¡¯s close guards, including some who were as strong as Generals, and some ordinary soldiers.


    It was a known truth that it was they who had defeated Lesser Demon King Leninoth.


    Normally, our debt to their country would be too big to repay.


    However, while we had been seen as useless, we were ultimately able to contribute to a surprising degree. And the outcome seemed closer to even.


    After some discussion, they decided that it was indeed a fair trade of fighting forces.


    It was rather hard for even me to believe.


    General Miralda was said to have sent her very best.


    As for us. We were the leftover scraps.


    While it ended with good results, it didn¡¯t seem fifty-fifty.


    ¡°Well, nevermind that. If that¡¯s what our superiors decided, then there is nothing for me to say. So, what happened then?¡±


    ¡°The past is fair. But as for the future¡­they would like to continue to maintain a friendly relationship with this country.¡±


    That was obvious, given the amount of gifts that were brought.


    But that could just be a way of making us owe something to them in return.


    ¡°¡­So, I suppose we have to give them a gift as well.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Initially, General Tulart or his men in the south were going to be sent.¡±


    The messenger hesitated.


    ¡°Ah, the matter of the Cyclopes.¡±


    ¡°Yes. The General fought one of them and was wounded¡­ It was not a light wound, and his Adjutants were also wounded. It would be unwise to split them up and weaken our fighting force now. And there is also the castle defenses to consider¡­¡±


    The castle¡­ General Dardaroth was currently guarding it.


    But surely losing him would not be too big of a deal.


    If the enemy did attack, then Melvis himself could face them¡­ No, perhaps not.


    When Melvis moved, it wasn¡¯t just the enemy who died, but his own men would suffer as well.


    Hell, this was someone who could destroy whole countries.


    No, it would be best that Melvis did not fight.


    Dardaroth should be the one guarding the castle.


    In that case, only General Farneze remained.


    ¡°And General Farneze is currently reorganizing her army, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Neither she or her Adjutant can leave now. That is why the duty has fallen to you, Corps Commander Golan.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Ah¡­ Really.


    Everyone was busy with important work. And I, alone, was off on vacation.


    Ah. I really was the only one who could do it.


    Damn it. Those Cyclopes really chose a bad time to come.


    ¡°So, I¡¯m to take a thank you gift and deliver it to Tralzard?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Exactly.¡±


    They probably thought things would go more smoothly with me specifically.


    I was acquainted with not just Demon King Tralzard, but General Miralda as well. After all, we had fought together.


    While I was just going to deliver something, it would still be better to have someone who knew them.


    ¡°Very well. It looks like I have no choice. I¡¯ll start to make preparations at once.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. And¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more?¡±


    ¡°It seems that Demon King Tralzard and Demon King Legard have started fighting again. There are reports of great armies moving near their borders.¡±


    ¡°That will be dangerous.¡±


    It was bad timing.


    When it came to battles between Demon Kings, the size of their mobilized forces was always great due to the number of races they had.


    In comparison, the battles between Lesser Demon Kings looked very small in scale.


    And so when Demon Kings fought, the damages spread far and wide.


    ¡°General Farneze asks¡­that you be¡­.¡±


    That I be¡­careful? She was telling me to avoid getting involved in fights that had nothing to do with me.


    Or maybe she doesn¡¯t want me to antagonize either side.


    Apparently, General Farneze had not finished the sentence.


    Perhaps that made it more all encompassing.


    ¡°Got it. I will try to be careful.¡±


    ¡°You will¡­try?¡±


    ¡°I will try. But there are times when things happen that are out of my control.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I said heavily, and the messenger was silent.


    ¡°Now that it¡¯s decided, we should move at once.¡±


    After the messenger left, I put Rig in charge of organizing the corps.


    That being said, I intended to take everyone who wanted to come.


    General Farneze would pay for all of our supplies, and the gifts were going to be sent to the border ahead of us.


    We just had to carry it to Tralzard¡¯s country.


    It was just a simple little errand.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll be able to fight again!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait!¡¯


    The idiot siblings were living up to their name.


    I told them that this was an errand, and yet they still thought they were going to fight.


    I had thoroughly hurt¡­patted them down, and yet they had recovered in just a few days.


    It showed that their recovering ability had gone up considerably. I would have to be careful.


    Preparations were completed promptly, and we departed from the village.


    As we were going directly to the border this time, we would not stop at the castle.


    We would restock on supplies on the way, and unite with the other corps.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, it seems like the duration that I get to rest is becoming shorter recently.¡±


    But most residents of the Demon World seemed like they didn¡¯t care about such things.


    It was as if I was the only person who lived in the moment.


    Maybe it was just me.


    Along with the Vampires, who had recently turned into meatheads, we crossed the border.


    We then headed for the town where Demon King Tralzard lived.


    There was always a messenger sent out ahead once we were in Tralzard¡¯s land, and we didn¡¯t stop at any towns in order to avoid friction.


    This repeated over and over. And ten days later, we arrived at our destination.


    ¡°It¡¯s rather nice to be back.¡±


    I muttered in a cheerful mood.


    ¡°Hiiiii!¡±


    One of the gatekeepers looked at me and let out an odd shriek.


    Perhaps I had met him before.


    Regardless, I had returned.

 Chapter 275

    Chapter 275¡°Rejoice, for I have returned to your town!¡±


    I just thought it would be fun to say that. There was no real meaning behind it.


    ¡°We already sent word ahead. And so we should head straight to the castle.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ah, that¡¯s right. You¡¯re well prepared.¡±


    Rig said, ignoring my announcement.


    ¡°Perfectly prepared, sir. I have told them that we will be waiting in front of the castle.¡±


    ¡°I-I see.¡±


    Yes, this was an Adjutant who knew what he was doing.


    Last time I came, I had been made to wait for several days.


    I had to take a room at an inn until I was granted an audience.


    But this was how different things were when Rig was with me.


    Preparations were already complete by the time we were in town. It was amazing.


    I did know that he was moving a little frantically around the time we passed the previous town, but what did that matter?


    If he had arranged things so that we would arrive in this town just in time, well, it was almost too good to be true.


    Maybe I should start calling Rig ¡®Too-good.¡¯


    Well, that name was already taken.


    ¡°What about the gifts?¡±


    ¡°My men have them. I even checked them yesterday. And a list of the items was already submitted, so there should be no problem.¡±


    ¡°I see. No need to worry then.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    When Demon King Tralzard¡¯s messengers came to our country, they came bearing an extravagant amount of gifts.


    It was her way of saying, ¡®let¡¯s continue this friendly relationship.¡¯


    However, they were a great country, while we were small.


    And so if there was no return gift, then we would end up owing them a debt.


    And since we did not want them to ever ask for a favor in return, we had come here to deliver a gift as well.


    I suppose it was our way of saying, ¡®we don¡¯t owe you anything.¡¯


    Of course, while they may just feel that what had been given had been returned, they could also take it as, ¡®now our debt is paid. The next time we meet, it will be on the battlefield.¡¯


    But this was Tralzard. So I doubted things would take such a dark turn.


    The people who were in charge of such diplomatic matters in this country were likely of the non-combat races.


    And they would know of Tralzard¡¯s will. So surely¡­nothing bad would happen?


    I hoped they would accept the gift without issue.


    I had recently memories of magic attacks being launched at me during a first encounter¡­but I wouldn¡¯t think about that now S?a?ch* Th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    We walked down the main street of the town. It was a large town, and there was quite a distance to walk until we reached the castle.


    ¡°It looks like reconstruction has been going well. The damage to this area was pretty bad.¡±


    This was where the residents of the Celestial World had wreaked havoc.


    As a barrier had been set up, the area outside of the town hadn¡¯t been affected much. But inside, it was a disaster.


    Still, the restoration was going smoothly by the looks of it.


    It was proof that they had laborers who were properly disciplined.


    Now, as for this expedition.


    It was the usual members.


    While many had died during the war, we brought in new people to make up for the loss.


    Also, the Lamias were a new addition.


    The Lamias had a strength that was similar to the high-ranking races.


    And while they were probably better fits for civil servants, they were still tough, and were great in combat.


    When I really stopped to think about it, my corps was made up of a pretty impressive bunch of soldiers.


    The Ogres were well-trained, then we had high-ranking Vampires¡­though, they were now meatheads.


    And then we had the Reapers and Lamias, who were both intelligent and powerful.


    Then there were the idiot siblings and me, who had undergone special evolution.


    ¡°Hey, Rig. Don¡¯t you think that with this lineup, we might be able to take over a country?¡±


    ¡°¡­Sir Golan. Your voice is too loud.¡±


    I had meant to address Rig, who was right behind me. But apparently I was too loud.


    Maybe it was because my body was so big. My voice just boomed.


    While I mused on such things, I realized that the townspeople were now looking at me with pale faces.


    I even saw a few of them start running towards the guard house and castle.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not as if we came here to declare war.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, Sir Golan, your voice is too loud. Please abstain from mentioning war.¡±


    Rig said with an angry look.


    Rig was quite cold towards me recently.


    We continued on our way without incident. However, it was just as we reached the castle that we were surrounded.


    ¡°So, which one of you declared you were going to conquer this country¡­ Oh, Golan?¡±


    The person standing in front of the castle gates with folded arms, was none other than General Miralda.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, General Miralda.¡±


    ¡°So, Lesser Demon King Melvis wishes to fight my lord?¡±


    General Miralda said with a dark expression.


    ¡°No, no, no¡­ Not at all.¡±


    There was a misunderstanding.


    For some reason, it was now up to me to explain myself in front of the castle gates.


    ¡°You never change Golan. Always causing trouble.¡±


    I was now alone with Miralda in a waiting room in the castle.


    As I had been able to resolve things, we were allowed to enter.


    My men were in a different, larger room.


    I was going to have an audience with Tralzard as a messenger from Melvis.


    ¡°Never change? I don¡¯t remember causing any trouble before.¡±


    My presence was the embodiment of peace itself.


    In fact, it was rare to see intellectuals like me in the Demon World.


    I was so calm that people were bound to start calling me ¡®Golan the Cat.¡¯


    ¡°¡­Well, if that¡¯s what you say, then we¡¯ll pretend that it is the case.¡±


    General Miralda said with some hesitation.


    ¡°More importantly, you¡¯ve returned, eh?¡±


    ¡°The west is not stable yet, but this country is not likely to take any more damage for now.¡±


    Even if the western countries formed an alliance, they would no longer be able to antagonize such a large country.


    They had fought each other for too long, and their strength was depleted.


    Because of this, General Miralda had time to return to the castle.


    ¡°You were originally fighting in the south, and on your way back, you went east¡­to our country. Is that right, General?¡±


    ¡°Yes. And then we fought in the west. But I¡¯ll be working in the castle for a while now.¡±


    I see.


    Then it was no wonder that General Miralda was here.


    ¡°Also, that incident earlier. I was just muttering some joke. Don¡¯t you think the reaction was a little extreme?¡±


    Surely it should take more for a powerful country like this to start shaking?


    ¡°Do you think so?¡±


    ¡°I do think so. It¡¯s like the entire castle here is on edge.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ So it¡¯s that obvious then. Well, it seems that Legard is getting very serious recently. A number of independent corps were sent to attack us.¡±


    ¡°Independant corps¡­huh? That does sound bad.¡±


    According to Miralda, Legard¡¯s soldiers had crossed the border in secret. And Tralzard had only found out about it after the damage was done.


    They were currently investigating the scale and objective of the enemy.


    Not only this town, but other towns sent out scouts as well, and they were calling for any information about the enemy.


    It was no wonder that the townspeople and castle soldiers were on edge.


    From their perspective, we were outsiders who were not connected to their Orbs of Control.


    And we were a large group, mostly made up of combat races.


    On top of that, I had to run my mouth with ominous words. And so someone had run ahead and warned the others.


    Yes, they were right to act as they did.


    Still, it was a little overblown.


    ¡°We knew that Lesser Demon King Melvis had sent friendly messengers. And now the misunderstanding has been resolved.¡±


    So the matter had been dealt with then.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I was here as a messenger. The last thing I wanted to do was to fight in the castle.


    But what was the most scary to think about, was that even though we couldn¡¯t take a country with our current lineup, I felt that we could go pretty far.


    ¡°There is no need to thank me¡­ Ah, Her Majesty will see you now.¡±


    Someone entered the room. Apparently, it was time for my audience with Tralzard.


    ¡°Then I will go.¡±


    ¡°Mmm. I will go with you.¡±


    And so General Miralda and I stood up.

 Chapter 276

    Chapter 276General Miralda and I dropped to our knees in the audience hall and waited.


    After some time, soldiers appeared from the back.


    They were probably ensuring that the room was safe and leading the way.


    Last time, I was attacked immediately, but it seemed that I would be spared this time. Right?


    I glanced over to General Miralda.


    ¡ªGu!


    The General thrust out her fist towards me. Her thumb was set between her index finger and middle finger.


    It was a lewd gesture. What the hell was she saying?


    Well, she was probably trying to communicate to me that everything was okay.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    A powerful voice sounded.


    Thanks to the General¡¯s playfulness, I had missed her entrance.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Mmm. And you are here too, Miralda. You may raise your face.¡±


    Unlike last time, Demon King Tralzard was very calm.


    I slowly raised my face and looked at the Demon King.


    Yes, this was a Demon King. The amount of mana that enveloped her was completely different from everyone else.


    In the past, I would have been very afraid, and wonder what kind of being a Great Demon King was, if they surpassed her.


    (And yet Melvis was¡­)


    The pressure I felt from Melvis was stronger.


    If Tralzard was strong, then Melvis was some kind of monster.


    ¡°Golan. I had received the gifts. I am grateful to you for delivering them to me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    But Tralzard was still imposing.


    There was a clear, powerful aura.


    ¡°¡­So, how is King Melvis?¡±


    Yes, I knew that she would be very curious about that.


    ¡°Indeed. I find it hard to imagine how you could win.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    When meeting him in the Orb of Control, I had known that even with the two of us together, we had no way of beating him.


    ¡°His mana is immense. And he has many magic abilities at his disposal. He will not refrain from using them if you try to attack at a distance. And being hit just once should be enough to end the fight. You will have no choice but to use speed and try to fight him as close as possible.¡±


    After that, I tried to think of a way to beat Melvis. And my answer was to fight in close quarters and with chain attacks.


    If you were so close that you were nearly touching, then you might have a chance.


    And then it will be just a matter of chipping away at each other¡¯s mana. Of course, my mana level was vastly inferior, so I would dry up first.


    It wouldn¡¯t even matter if I changed into the other me. The results would be the same. And so¡­


    ¡°Even then, I believe that victory will be out of your reach.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    When I finished, Tralzard was shaking like a leaf. And her eyes were filled with tears.


    ¡°¡­Y-you¡­ That was not what I was asking you!¡±


    You!


    You!


    You!


    Tralzard¡¯s shriek echoed through the hall.


    It was so loud that the guards dropped their spears and the officials fell to the floor.


    ¡°How dare you make Her Majesty cry!¡±


    General Miralda struck me.


    I looked to Tralzard, who was nodding as the tears started to fall.


    Wait, she wasn¡¯t asking me how she should fight him?


    ¡ð Wild Hunt ¨C Nehyor


    After leaving the country, the members of the Wild Hunt banded together and marched out with Nehyor in the lead.


    They were still in Demon King Legard¡¯s country.


    Nehyor was trying to pass through in secret.


    ¡°Lord Nehyor, the Shadow Runners will reach their limit soon.¡±


    ¡°I see. They don¡¯t last as long as I thought.¡±


    ¡°There are so many of us this time, so it cannot be helped.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm. But I think we will be discovered if we rest here.¡±


    ¡°There is a town to the north, so perhaps we should go down south a little farther?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. I will leave it to you, Legras.¡±


    ¡°Certainly.¡±


    The only reason that Nehyor and his men were able to move through enemy territory safely was due to the cooperation of the Shadow Runners.


    Shadow Runners had the special ability, ¡®Shadow Hide,¡¯ which allowed them to move while hiding their own existence.


    And among Shadow Runners, there were some who had the special ability, ¡®Hide Together.¡¯


    It was the group version of ¡®Shadow Hide.¡¯


    While an individual¡¯s power determined how many people they could hide, if you had enough Shadow Runners, you could conceal an entire army.


    However, they continued to consume mana once the ability was activated.


    And so it was difficult to use it for a long time.


    Since there were so many of them traveling this time, it took about an hour for their mana to be depleted completely.


    And they needed dozens of Shadow Runners to move without being caught.


    ¡°How far were we able to go?¡±


    ¡°We are about half way through Legard¡¯s country.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still far away then. That¡¯s annoying.¡±


    As they had to avoid towns and roads, they took longer while making less progress.


    Normally, Nehyor would have been patient.


    But recently, so many things were going wrong.


    And before he knew it, he was feeling very stressed.


    After all, the plan he had taken so much time with had crumbled.


    There had been so many steps to get there, only for it to end in failure.


    He had moved so carefully, but things always seemed to flip over right before fruition.


    After this much failure, he could not help but lose heart.


    And so when the scouts sent out during the night returned the next morning, he made the wrong decision. S?a?ch* Th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°It¡¯s too much trouble. Let¡¯s keep going straight.¡±


    According to the information from the scouts, Legard¡¯s army and Tralzard¡¯s army were battling.


    Their borders were constantly in a state of tension.


    Normally, it would have been best to travel up north once and enter Great Demon King Bibashini¡¯s lands, and then go to Tralzard¡¯s country.


    But Nehyor suggested they go straight through the border.


    ¡°Are you certain?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll go through a place where we won¡¯t draw attention. And even if they do see us, we¡¯ll annihilate them.¡±


    ¡°¡­Very well.¡±


    It would be best if they could reach the town where Tralzard lived without any casualties, but crossing the border in its current state would be difficult.


    They would likely be discovered at some point.


    A battle or two could not be avoided.


    Nehyor was currently passing through lands where ¡®no one should be.¡¯


    So no one would be looking.


    But the borders were a place that was watched, as an invasion was expected.


    And they were moving towards it in a large group.


    If the enemy discovered traces that hadn¡¯t been there half a day earlier, they might come after them.


    That being said, it would be difficult to move without leaving traces.


    Legras clicked his tongue and cursed this untimely war.


    However, while Nehyor had been acting in secret all this time, he was suddenly becoming very bold.


    Was it that he couldn¡¯t wait any longer? Or that he didn¡¯t have any time left?


    Legras did not know.


    Still, he was a subordinate, and could do nothing but support his lord to the best of his ability.


    Thinking this, he kept his mouth shut and obeyed.


    The Wild Hunt was about to enter Tralzard¡¯s territory.

 Chapter 277

    Chapter 277Tralzard was angry with me.


    Very angry.


    ¡®Can I beat him?¡¯ That was what I thought she was asking, but I was wrong.


    Tralzard started with, ¡®what the hell are you thinking?¡¯ and continued with ¡®don¡¯t ever fight him¡¯ and ¡®don¡¯t even think about fighting him.¡¯


    It would be fine if I just fought him, died, and that was it. But if Melvis were to be put in a bad mood and he took it out on his neighbors¡­ Tralzard tried to persuade me with tearful eyes.


    But she really didn¡¯t need to get so angry.


    ¡°Uh, what was it that you wanted to know?¡±


    She should have asked me more clearly.


    ¡°What¡­ I wanted to know about King Melvis¡¯s mood, of course.¡±


    Of course. I didn¡¯t realize.


    It was like the day¡¯s weather. It was only natural for her to want to know how he was feeling now.


    ¡­As for Lesser Demon King Melvis¡¯s mood¡­ He was relatively calm, but there was definitely a chance of moodiness. One should be prepared for thunder magic in the evening.


    Something like that?


    But well, I doubted anyone would even feel like fighting once they witnessed that overwhelming presence.


    ¡°I can only tell you what I felt. He didn¡¯t seem to be in a bad mood. But I don¡¯t know what he is usually like. Though, the others in the castle did not seem to be particularly afraid.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ So King Melvis isn¡¯t grumpy when waking up.¡±


    I¡­suppose so?


    ¡°There was something that I was wondering about. King Melvis is a Lesser Demon King, right?¡±


    ¡°It really is hard to believe, isn¡¯t it? Given the amount of mana.¡±


    Tralzard said with a grin.


    ¡°Yes. How can that be?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? I don¡¯t understand it myself. He used to be a Great Demon King, and now he is a Lesser Demon King. I think that perhaps something has made his mana levels difficult to accurately measure.¡±


    ¡°So it isn¡¯t being measured accurately¡­ I see.¡±


    The Tablet of Control was in sync with the Orbs of Control within our bodies.


    If a Lesser Demon King died, their names vanished from the stone tablet.


    And you could tell when a Lesser Demon King rose to Demon King, as the position of their name would change.


    And it was said that your position on the tablet was determined by how much mana you had.


    So, what about Melvis¡¯s case?


    His overwhelming presence was proof that he had enormous amounts of mana.


    It was too much for the confines of a Lesser Demon King.


    But then why wasn¡¯t this reflected on the Tablet of Control?


    It was my opinion that Melvis¡¯s chains were the cause.


    According to Melvis, they were invisible to everyone else.


    I could see them, but we would set that aside for now.


    I did not know what those chains were for.


    However, what if they were also the reason that the Tablet of Control couldn¡¯t properly measure Melvis¡¯s mana?


    The chains were apparently put on him by Hera during the battle with the Celestial World.


    Hera¡¯s goal was to bring back Zeus.


    And she would have been conducting research for that.


    Could those chains be a result of that research?


    ¡°Thanks to King Melvis¡¯s return, the surrounding area should become more peaceful.¡±


    Tralzard muttered thoughtfully.


    ¡°Yes. If two or three of the surrounding countries disappear, then the young Lesser Demon Kings will definitely take the hint.¡±


    I agreed. Tralzard looked at me with clear annoyance.


    Perhaps she thought I was suggesting that hers would be one of those countries that disappeared.


    Now that I thought about it, we were neighbors.


    And they had been attacked relentlessly before Melvis went into his sleep.


    Yes. I was starting to think that this country would be destroyed.


    I hope not. I have acquaintances here now, and it was a good country¡­


    ¡°Golan!?¡±


    ¡°Uh, did I say that out loud?¡±


    Damn it. But there was no malice behind it at all.


    Tralzard was shaking visibly now, and Miralda was patting her on the back.


    The Demon King and General. It was like they moved in harmony.


    ¡°And Golan. I have something that I want to ask as well.¡±


    Said General Miralda, who had been silent all of this time.


    ¡°What? I really don¡¯t know any details.¡±


    ¡°What does King Melvis intend to do now? After all, it might greatly affect the future of the Demon World.¡±


    Indeed. While he may be called a Lesser Demon King, he was still really a Great Demon King.


    Like an adult who resembled a child. And so she wanted to know how he would move next.


    ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine. However, King Melvis has not given up his search for King Yamato, so I¡¯m sure that he will go flying off as soon as he finds something.¡±


    If he was going to do anything, it would be to continue his search for the Lesser High King.


    After all, he had ordered me to search for leads as well.


    ¡°I see¡­that cannot be predicted. And so we cannot move carelessly.¡±


    General Miralda chuckled with a troubled expression.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you something as well. How are things in this country?¡±


    According to what I had heard on the road, they were still fighting Demon King Legard.


    Not only that, but there were stories about a particularly large battle happening near the border.


    ¡°Our armies are currently having a staring match at the border. While the scale of this war has increased, it¡¯s still the same old fighting. I think they will withdraw after they¡¯ve had their fill of it.¡±


    General Miralda said without much interest.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is.¡±


    But many soldiers would fight, and many would die.


    And yet it had been going on for so long that it was seen as mundane now. S?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°In that case, we should be heading back, before we get involved.¡±


    I did not want to be roped into this battle with Demon King Legard¡¯s army.


    When I said this, Tralzard and Miralda both nodded.


    However, they assured me that I need not worry, as the battle was unlikely to reach this place.


    ¡ð Wild Hunt ¨C Nehyor


    ¡°Huh? Is something flying?¡±


    Nehyor exclaimed as he saw something flying in the distance.


    ¡°It must be a scout. Perhaps there is an enemy army nearby.¡±


    Replied his Adjutant, Legras.


    Nehyor and the Wild Hunt were currently moving through Demon King Legard¡¯s lands in order to reach Demon King Tralzard¡¯s country.


    ¡°¡­We have confirmed its identity. Lord Nehyor, it is one of Legard¡¯s scouts. They are searching through the area.¡±


    After a while, more flying people could be seen in the sky.


    There were dozens of them, and they all appeared to be the same race.


    ¡°Let¡¯s stay put and wait for them to leave.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    As long as the Shadow Runners¡¯ special ability, ¡®Hide Together¡¯ was active, they would not be discovered.


    However, when moving as a group, dust rose into the air. As would smoke if they cooked.


    They made noise when walking through grass, and the trodden grass would be proof of their presence.


    In other words, just because they could not be seen, it did not mean that they were completely safe.


    And so Nehyor and the others waited there without making a sound.


    ¡°¡­Are they gone?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they must have moved to someplace else.¡±


    Nehyor scratched his head.


    ¡°This is getting very tiresome. Maybe we should just crush them.¡±


    ¡°There are flying scouts ahead of us as well. Even if we take a few down, they will likely just send more of them.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­that¡¯s true¡­ Ah, and here they are again.¡±


    Nehyor and the others looked up to see something especially large flying in the sky.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Thunder Bird. A high-ranker. Not someone who would usually be put on scouting duties¡­¡±


    ¡°If someone like that is scouting the area, wouldn¡¯t that mean that the Demon King¡¯s main camp is close by?¡±


    ¡°Surely they wouldn¡¯t¡­ No, it is possible. Perhaps Demon King Legard himself is leading them.¡±


    Legras thought the idea was ridiculous at first, but both Legard and his subordinates could fly.


    While this was difficult terrain, it wouldn¡¯t matter if you were in the air.


    It was more likely because this was a place you wouldn¡¯t want to bring many soldiers.


    ¡°If it is Legard, maybe we should attack?¡±


    ¡°No, Lord Nehyor. I don¡¯t think that would be wise¡­¡±


    It wasn¡¯t like storming a castle.


    Attacking an army on the battlefield¡­and a Demon King¡¯s army, no less. They did not have enough men.


    ¡°I see¡­ Then we¡¯ll cross the border as planned.¡±


    Had there not been a war, they would have passed through this place easily.


    Thinking about that made him increase their speed.


    Both sides were currently watching the border.


    And it was there that the members of the Wild Hunt would pass through.

 Chapter 278

    Chapter 278¡ð Wild Hunt ¨C Nehyor


    They were near the border between Demon King Legard and Demon King Tralzard¡¯s country.


    The Wild Hunt chose areas that were thickly covered with trees as they advanced.


    Had they been moving with smaller numbers, they would have been able to travel three or four times faster.


    But this was different.


    Nehyor had a whole army of soldiers with him.


    Of course, this was all to defeat Demon King Tralzard.


    In order to accomplish his goal, he had to suffer the extra baggage and increased travel time.


    ¡°Lord Nehyor. We should stop here for the day.¡±


    After some time, Legras suggested that they set up camp.


    ¡°Have we crossed the border already?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The river that we passed an hour ago should have been it.¡±


    ¡°I see. I suppose we can rest here then. Now that we are in Tralzard¡¯s lands, I would like to start gathering information.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll find a nearby village that we can attack.¡±


    As long as they killed everyone who lived there, they would not be discovered until they moved again.


    They could stay in the village and send out scouts.


    They would move after they found out where Tralzard was, and the locations of her armies.


    Legras nodded at Nehyor¡¯s words.


    ¡°If Legard¡¯s main army is here, then it¡¯s possible that Tralzard will come here as well.¡±


    ¡°And if that¡¯s the case, maybe they will take each other down?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. And the more chaos there is on the battlefield, the easier it will be for us to move.¡±


    ¡°Understood. We will start gathering information on Tralzard¡¯s army tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yes, good.¡±


    ¡®We will prepare to camp here then¡¯ Legras said, and then disappeared.


    ¡°Phew. What is going to happen? A Demon King would not come out so easily, but it would be a nice surprise.¡±


    Nehyor thought of such things. He was a lot more relaxed now that they had crossed the border.


    And so was Legras, who was giving out orders to the others. That was why they did not notice.


    Notice that the Shadow Runners¡¯ ¡®Hide Together¡¯ was no longer activated.


    ¡°We¡¯re under attack!¡±


    Someone shouted.


    At the same time, the thunderous sound of something cutting through wind came from above.


    ¡°Huh? Have we been found?¡±


    Nehyor looked up at the sky. Two Thunder Birds were shooting down towards them.


    ¡°Legard¡¯s army is here already?¡±


    They had not expected Legard¡¯s soldiers to cross the border, and so they had not been cautious about their rear.


    And then he finally realized that ¡®Hide Together¡¯ was no longer activated.


    ¡°Well, it cannot be helped now. Let¡¯s kill them.¡±


    Nehyor¡¯s nails grew out, and he danced up into the sky. And like that, he slashed at one of the Thunder Bird¡¯s wings.


    The Thunder Bird lost its balance and plunged to the ground.


    ¡°There are more of them. This is bad.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know where Legard¡¯s main army was, but at least one of them would have returned in order to make a report.


    So he could not rest safely even if they killed everyone there.


    ¡°Legras, let¡¯s move. We only have to kill those who chase after us.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    If their position was already exposed, there was no point in sticking around.


    Killing them all would be nothing but a temporary measure.


    And so Nehyor and the Wild Hunt decided to relocate while only concentrating on the enemy that pursued them.


    This turned out to be an effective tactic, and by the time the sun had set, they succeeded in destroying all of the Thunder Birds.


    ¡°¡­Damn it. How troublesome this is.¡±


    While the Thunder Birds were gone, they had been replaced by Black Butterflies.


    Nehyor clicked his tongue with annoyance as he watched them flying in the sky.


    While the Black Butterflies could not fight, it was difficult to see them in the night.


    And so you would not notice if they were chasing after you.


    It was clear that they had been sent now that the sun had gone down.


    ¡°We should cover as much ground while we can.¡±


    They were able to use ¡®Hide Together¡¯ again, and so the enemy would not be able to see them.


    This was their chance to go deeper into Tralzard¡¯s territories.


    Thinking this, they moved without sending out any scouts. But luck was not on their side, and Nehyor and his men found themselves in front of another army.


    Had Legard managed to go around them?


    He wondered at first, but they were clearly different from the soldiers he had seen before.


    These were groups of Nightmares, Sky Devils, and Kugas.


    All of them were able to see in the dark.


    ¡°Ah, they are likely from Tralzard¡¯s army.¡±


    Nehyor lamented. He stared at them carefully and tried to determine whether or not they could stay hidden.


    But it was clear that the enemy were suspicious, and so Nehyor made his decision.


    ¡°Legras. Let¡¯s annihilate them.¡±


    ¡°Understood!!¡±


    As they had rushed into Demon King Tralzard¡¯s lands so quickly, he wasn¡¯t sure where they were. But judging by the fact that there were soldiers patrolling the sky, there must be an army nearby.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let a single one escape! Go!¡±


    Legras shouted.


    And like that, the midnight battle began.


    ¡ð Demon King Tralzard¡¯s Castle ¨C Golan


    I had come back to Demon King Tralzard¡¯s castle after a few days.


    It was only yesterday that I requested an audience, and I was invited to come today.


    ¡°Thank you for agreeing to meet me.¡±


    ¡°Well, I have my own reasons. ¡­So, what is it, Golan?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to return to my country now, and thought I would come to bid you farewell.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ So you are leaving.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I have men that I want to train.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. It might be dangerous¡­ No, I¡¯m sure that you will be fine.¡±


    Tralzard hesitated.


    Had something happened? s?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Is there any reason to believe the road will be more dangerous now?¡±


    ¡°Yesterday, Legard¡¯s soldiers crossed the border in great numbers. We are in the middle of striking back, but there are other problems as well.¡±


    ¡°So Demon King Legard has invaded this country. And what else?¡±


    ¡°There is another, unidentified group that has entered the country. They fought some of my men who were on patrol. I think it is very likely that they are the Wild Hunt, who caused so much trouble recently.¡±


    Oh.


    ¡°Could you tell me more about what happened?¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­ We don¡¯t really know more, as they fled shortly after the fight. But the corpses that were left behind match what we know of the Wild Hunt.¡±


    The Wild Hunt was led by Nehyor.


    I could not ignore it.


    ¡°Where did you encounter them?¡±


    ¡°It was near the border with Legard at first. We¡¯ve seen them two times after that. Here and here.¡±


    Tralzard said as she pointed to locations on the wall map.


    They were getting closer and closer to this town. Could it be that¡­


    ¡°Well, I just remembered that I have other business, and will have to delay our return.¡±


    ¡°Is this about the Wild Hunt¡¯s leader? Miralda told me about him.¡±


    ¡°It is. I have to crush him.¡±


    Nehyor had used me as a pawn and made a fool of me.


    He had gotten in my way, but we were enemies now. Personal grievances aside, I could still not leave him be.


    And I had so wanted to kill him all of this time.


    But he was coming to me now. It was perfect.


    I would go at him in full force. And kill.


    ¡°So you two have a history. Well, then. I will tell you as soon as new information comes in.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I had only come to say farewell, and ended up receiving important information.


    Nehyor would constantly appear and disappear without warning, and so it was impossible for me to find out where he was.


    But it was a different story if he was coming to me.


    Yes, I would prepare to meet him and wait.


    He shouldn¡¯t know that I am here.


    I laughed mockingly.


    ¡°Golan¡­you. You are starting to take after King Melvis!¡±


    Tralzard said with a look of displeasure.


    Surely that wasn¡¯t true?

 Chapter 279

    Chapter 279¡°I¡¯m going to be staying in this town for a while.¡±


    I said. Rig¡¯s reply was simply, ¡®I understand.¡¯


    It was awfully straightforward.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask me why?¡± S?a?ch* Th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Rig wasn¡¯t the type to go against my decisions unless he had a really good reason to.


    However, he always asked me ¡®why¡¯ I was going to do something.


    He wanted to know my reasoning for making such a decision.


    ¡°I can tell just by looking at your face, Sir Golan. Something interesting is going to happen, isn¡¯t it? I have rarely seen you look so enthusiastic.¡±


    How did he see me, I wonder?


    He said I was full of enthusiasm. But I didn¡¯t know what that looked like.


    What if my whole body was bobbing up and down?


    ¡°I see¡­ Well, you may just be right. Nehyor is leading his army towards this town. And I intend to fight him no matter what.¡±


    I had already declared publicly that I would defeat Nehyor, so this was little surprise to Rig.


    ¡°Indeed, sir. Then it would be best for you to continue to hide the fact that you are here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    There was no need to let him know that I was waiting for him.


    It would be more impactful and effective if I appeared when he least expected it.


    ¡°Should I tell your men to follow suit?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ No, I will tell them myself. And perhaps I should put on a disguise.¡±


    There was no doubt about it. Nehyor was here for the Demon King¡¯s Orb of Control.


    That was the only explanation, according to what Melvis told me about his evolution.


    And so Nehyor would not come charging into this town without a plan.


    He would have likely had his men and maybe even merchants and mercenaries infiltrate this place in advance.


    ¡°A disguise? What kind of disguise¡­?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    And so I told Rig what I was thinking of.


    To be precise, it involved the kind of sparkly suits that old comedians wore, and a bowtie. Also a bowler hat, swirly glasses and a beard.


    And what about those whistle things that extended in three directions when you blew?


    ¡°That way, no one will recognize me.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. But I think it will look so suspicious that the guards will arrest you.¡±


    ¡­Right. Well, I wasn¡¯t really serious.


    ¡°I¡¯ve fought Nehyor¡¯s men a few times now, and they¡¯ve seen me fight. So they will likely recognize my face. That¡¯s what we need to consider.¡±


    ¡°I believe they will be keeping their eyes on the castle, so you may not draw any attention as long as you stay in town¡­ Of course, that is as long as you keep quiet.¡±


    ¡°So, that¡¯s what it comes down to.¡±


    If I went out to gather information, I would draw attention.


    Nehyor would surely hear of it if I walked around town and asked people about the Wild Hunt.


    ¡°I think that you and your men should abstain from doing anything that might get noticed.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Rig was always right. I couldn¡¯t help but think that.


    And so I gathered my men together and told them that our return journey would be delayed, and that since Nehyor was close by, we would wait for him here so that we could kill him.


    Upon hearing this, not only the Ogres, but even the Vampires became very eager.


    They did not think well of Nehyor, who had tricked and betrayed their Vampire leader, General Farneze.


    As for the Ogres, they didn¡¯t really care about old grudges.


    They simply liked the prospect of another fight.


    ¡°It would be best if they didn¡¯t know that we were here. And so don¡¯t get in any fights. Save your strength.¡±


    I said.


    ¡°What?¡± ¡°Are you serious!?¡± They shouted.


    All of them were itching to get into action.


    Still, I forced them to be quiet and insisted that they stay indoors as much as possible.


    This was all so that we could annihilate the Wild Hunt.


    ¡°Listen. If any of you disobey my orders, I¡¯ll break at least three of your bones on the spot. Got it?¡±


    I said, and the discussion was over.


    ¡ð Wild Hunt ¨C Nehyor


    Nehyor and the Wild Hunt avoided any of the main roads as they made their way to Tralzard¡¯s town.


    While it was possible for them to use the roads while concealing themselves, they had already given up stopping at any villages.


    ¡°It seems like word has been spreading, and I would rather avoid leaving any more traces than we already have.¡±


    ¡°That would be wise. It seems that not only towns, but the villages have also been warned.¡±


    They had stopped once in order to gather information, and found out that soldiers were coming and going from all the towns and villages in the area.


    Even if they killed all of the residents of a village, patrolling soldiers would discover them in the morning.


    And if they killed the soldiers on patrol, then the enemy would notice that they hadn¡¯t returned.


    If they continued to do such things, the enemy would realize what their aim was.


    And so they had avoided stopping at any towns or villages on the way.


    For this expedition, Nehyro had brought three hundred and fifty of his best fighters, as well as fifty who specialized in scouting.


    And then there were twenty who carried the baggage.


    He even thought about just taking those who could fly, and leaving the others behind. But if the enemy discovered them, they would be annihilated.


    And it would not do if the captured ended up leaking information about Nehyor to the enemy.


    Because of this, Nehyor had no choice but to move with the others.


    ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate that you no longer have spies in Tralzard¡¯s town.¡±


    Nehyor was about to nod at Legras¡¯s words, but he remembered something and shook his head instead.


    ¡°I called them back as soon as the assasination attempt on the tactician failed. And that¡¯s why the damage was minimal. We had no choice.¡±


    After that, there was the invasion from the Celestial World, which resulted in the deaths of those still in the town.


    What survivors there were were used to deliver the stone.


    Then it was just retreat after retreat. He had not had time to send more men to infiltrate the town.


    ¡°But still, surely we should stop somewhere and gather information¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Maybe we should just make the forest our base? I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°There is also the problem of food. While we won¡¯t have much time, it is possible.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, food, eh? What should we do¡­¡±


    If they stayed too close to Tralzard¡¯s town, the plan would fall apart the moment that they were discovered.


    It would be best if they could make their base a day or half a day¡¯s distance away when flying. Or two to three days when running.


    In that case, they could spend ten or more days gathering information.


    While they still had food, they would not have enough for the return journey if they weren¡¯t careful.


    In any case, there were so many of them this time.


    And so they needed space, both when traveling and when setting up camp.


    ¡°Very well. While it won¡¯t be as extensive, we¡¯ll gather what information that we can in a short while.¡±


    ¡°So we will stay in the forest?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll attack as soon as we can confirm Tralzard¡¯s location.¡±


    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t have information on the people who will be protecting Tralzard?¡±


    ¡°While we could wait for when the time is ripe, I would rather just attack quickly, so they won¡¯t be able to react in time. Surely that is possible with our breakthrough ability?¡±


    ¡°Very well. I will prepare things for that end.¡±


    ¡°Yes, do that.¡±


    And like that, Nehyor¡¯s plan was decided.

 Chapter 280

    Chapter 280¡ð ??? ????


    It was part of the outer gardens of Tralzard¡¯s castle. In a corner that no one came close to.


    A place covered in shadow, that was dark even during the day.


    There was a small, usually unused building at the end of a narrow pathway between two buildings.


    ¡°He¡­hehehe.¡±


    Stifled laughter echoed from the building.


    When it was night time, this place would be shrouded in complete darkness.


    So even if someone scaled the lantern-less walls, no one would notice.


    In the first place, this area was unknown to most of the people who worked at the castle.


    When the sun had sunk completely, and the surrounding area was dark, someone appeared from within the building.


    And without hesitation, it walked through the alley and looked up at the wall.


    There was a small window in the castle wall.


    It then started to climb, as smooth as a lizard.


    And in the blink of an eye, it reached the small window and disappeared inside.


    ¡­Some time passed.


    ¡°I see. I see¡­¡±


    A satisfied voice could be heard. And then the shadow left once again.


    The place that the shadow left was a neighbor to the room where Demon King Tralzard and tactician Seitry held their secret talks.


    ¡ð Demon King Tralzard¡¯s Castle ¨C Tralzard


    ¡°I see. So Legard has invaded.¡±


    Tralzard¡¯s eyes narrowed at this report from the south.


    This war between Demon Kings was becoming more severe.


    As the damage to her army would be great, this was not an enemy to fight light-heartedly.


    Unless they were desperate, or intended on taking it to a decisive battle, every clash would have to be considered carefully.


    Of course, there were some Demon Kings who didn¡¯t care about such things.


    But Tralzard knew that Demon King Legard was not that type.


    ¡°Now that the Demon King has come out directly, the others will only be able to slow him down at the most.¡±


    ¡°That is true. Damn that Legard. What is he planning?¡±


    Tralzard cursed with irritation. But Seitry was calm.


    ¡°I believe that it has to do with our fights in the southwest.¡±


    This was Seitry¡¯s opinion.


    If Tralzard was to invade Legard¡¯s lands, what reasons for it would be the most likely?


    Of course, it would be when Legard became more active, in an attempt to rise to Great Demon King.


    In that case, the most obvious course of action would be to eat Tralzard and grow.


    The moment that Legard showed signs of doing this, Tralzard would make the decision. S~?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Now was the time.


    While Legard and Tralzard shared a border, there were also many other small countries in the area.


    If Legard wanted to rise to Great Demon King, he would first try to swallow up at least ten of them first.


    And with that increased strength, he could challenge Tralzard.


    On the other hand, in order to stop this ambition, Tralzard would attack Legard¡¯s castle while he was busy invading the smaller countries.


    While Legard tried to increase his strength, Tralzard would chip away at it.


    ¡°Do you think that this action is him showing his ambition to become a Great Demon King?¡±


    ¡°It is likely.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Tralzard thought about it.


    She had actively sent soldiers to the west and east. She had even fought the armies of the northern Demon Kings.


    However, Tralzard only fought back when antagonized.


    But how would it appear from the outside?


    It might look like she was making enemies in every direction.


    And so perhaps Legard had felt that he was in danger, and decided to strike out? That was what Seitry was suggesting.


    ¡°So that is why he¡¯s come out in person.¡±


    ¡°Regardless of the reason, he must be defeated.¡±


    ¡°That is true. How very troublesome this is. ¡­So, Seitry. Do you have a plan?¡±


    ¡°The measures we take will depend on Legard¡¯s aim. But there are several ways we can deal with him, if this is simply an invasion that he is leading.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. We just have to meet him on the battlefield with full force.¡±


    ¡°However, if he just intends to weaken us, or to challenge you directly, or even to lure you in¡­ Well, we do not know yet.¡±


    ¡°Lure¡­me in?¡±


    ¡°It is possible. Up until now, you have sent men to the west, east and north. Perhaps Legard wants you to go south now. So if you attack him, he might retreat into his own lands.¡±


    ¡°Hoping that we would chase him across the border¡­¡±


    ¡°Perhaps he has prepared a trap in order to wipe out your army.¡±


    While it was easy to calmly make decisions while sitting at your desk, it was different on the battlefield.


    You often chased after fleeing enemies, and even if you realized there was a trap, you may not be able to retreat.


    This was especially true for Dragons, who did not stop until they had annihilated their enemies. They could not stop.


    And so it was quite possible that they would be lured into a trap.


    ¡°Indeed. What should I do, Seitry?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have enough information yet. However, I do believe that this is a good opportunity to strike Legard.¡±


    ¡°So, we should intercept him all the same.¡±


    ¡°Yes. However, I think you should leave soldiers in this town as well.¡±


    ¡°Because of the Wild Hunt?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Perhaps you could leave General Miralda here to protect the castle.¡±


    ¡°Mmm. Then I will take my direct subordinates with me.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I will make arrangements so that you can unite with reinforcement at one of the towns on the way.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is good.¡±


    After that, Demon King Tralzard and tactician Seitry continued to iron out the details of the battle.


    Tralzard would set out with her men and travel down south through the main road.


    If they continued to march, they would be able to arrive at the fortress city of Guesto in three days.


    There, they would meet with their reinforcements¡­ That was the plan.


    And so began Tralzard¡¯s military expedition.

 Chapter 281

    Chapter 281¡ð Demon King Tralzard¡¯s Country ¨C Tralzard


    The news that Demon King Legard had crossed the border had now spread throughout the country.


    Tralzard and Legard were currently at war.


    As a fellow Demon King, Tralzard was the only one who could face Legard.


    And so if Tralzard went on the attack, the two Demon Kings would fight. Everyone expected this.


    In fact, Tralzard had already made preparations and left her town.


    This time, she took only five hundred of her best soldiers.


    However, she would unite with about three hundred others at a fortress city on the way.


    An army of about eight hundred would then head towards the border.


    And the battle between the two countries would be fought.


    The common folk talked of nothing else but this upcoming clash.


    On the second day of Tralzard¡¯s march.


    Things were going smoothly.


    ¡°At this rate, we¡¯ll arrive at the fortress city tomorrow.¡±


    Perhaps it was due to all of their training, but Tralzard¡¯s army was the embodiment of order.


    And so they marched with confidence down the road.


    ¡°There is a field up ahead, and preparations have been made for our camp.¡±


    Said her Adjutant.


    ¡°Mmm. I suppose we¡¯ll stop there for the day then.¡±


    As they were in Tralzard¡¯s own lands, no one would stop their advance, and they had places secured for their camp.


    People had been sent ahead in order to set everything up.


    They marched until sun down, and then reached the campsite without incident.


    If people from other countries could see, they would be quite impressed at this performance.


    Even their marching was faster than usual.


    The march of an army was different from any other kind of travel.


    It could not be helped if your speed dropped by half.


    The smallest thing could cause the front to stop, and then there would be quite the traffic jam.


    However, Tralzard¡¯s army had anticipated everything and planned so that they would be able to travel at a normal speed.


    It was a shocking degree of discipline.


    ¡°Once they are finished eating, have them guard with three shifts. I¡¯ll leave the rest to you.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    It was according to schedule.


    They would arrive at the fortress city in the evening of the following day.


    As for what route they would take after that, it depended on how Legard moved.


    Tralzard recalled the plans that Seitry had devised, and considered which of them she would use.


    By the time everyone was finished eating, the whole camp was enshrouded in a thin darkness.


    As for the fact that they were being watched, even the scouts that Tralzard had sent out did not notice.


    And like that, the watcher left without making a single sound.


    ¡ð Wild Hunt ¨C Nehyor


    Nehyor sent out scouts, who confirmed that Tralzard had set up camp.


    He knew this would happen. It was all according to what his spies in Tralzard¡¯s castle had said.


    ¡°It will be easiest to attack them now.¡±


    It was the second day since they had left.


    As they had entered a town on the first day, he could not ambush them.


    The advantage of an ambush was that the enemy didn¡¯t see you coming.


    And that you knew exactly where the enemy was positioned.


    However, this would not be the case if the enemy were inside of buildings. They would have to walk around and search for Tralzard.


    Besides, you could not launch an ambush with decent numbers in the confines of narrow buildings.


    And so it was no good that they would be entering the fortress tomorrow.


    Not to mention that after that, Tralzard¡¯s army would be even bigger.


    As someone who wanted to attack her, that had to be avoided.


    And so today was the only day.


    He knew the positions of the tents in their camp.


    And so he and the entire Wild Hunt would attack.


    Tralzard would fight back without a doubt.


    She was not the kind of Demon King who would leave her men and escape. And so she would come out to fight them.


    Then he just needed to keep the others away from Tralzard and surround her.


    As long as they had the element of surprise, he had a good chance of succeeding.


    ¡°Legras, are you prepared?¡±


    ¡°Of course. No matter what happens, we will accomplish our goal.¡±


    ¡°Mmm. Alright, let¡¯s go. It¡¯s time that old hag bows out.¡±


    ¡°Certainly.¡±


    And so with Nehyor in the lead, the members of the Wild Hunt set out silently.


    As always, no one was able to see them.


    ¡ð The Camp ¨C Demon King Tralzard


    Demon King Tralzard was in her tent, thinking about what had happened, and what would happen in the future.


    ¡°The battle with Legard will happen. I¡¯ve known it for hundreds of years. We¡¯ll be fine¡­ However, with all that has happened, perhaps Legard is no longer the same?¡±


    She was worried.


    She should be superior in both experience and mana.


    However, Legard was younger.


    And so Tralzard was not confident in her ability to fight in prolonged battles.


    And there was one other thing that she was concerned about.


    (Will Miralda be fine at the castle¡­)


    The Wild Hunt were an unpredictable element in all of this. And Tralzard could not stop thinking about them.


    Nehyor had defeated Lesser Demon King after Lesser Demon King. He had so much momentum.


    But what was truly dangerous, was how he seemed to just vanish and appear out of nowhere.


    That made him a bigger threat.


    He could appear right in front of you before you knew what was happening.


    ¡°That is probably why he was able to kill all those Lesser Demon Kings.¡±


    He was fully prepared. While they would be taken by surprise.


    And in such a situation, even a Lesser Demon King would not be able to fight at their best.


    ¡°But Miralda is a cautious one. So it should be fine¡­ Hmm?¡±


    She could hear noises coming from outside.


    (But there aren¡¯t any soldiers close by¡­)


    Tralzard was surrounded by her most powerful men.


    But she didn¡¯t let any of the ordinary soldiers come close.


    ¡°Is it just me?¡±


    Still, she felt an unease growing in her chest.


    She listened carefully.


    It was faint¡­but she could hear something.


    ¡°What is it! What happened?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    But there was no answer.


    Thinking this strange, Tralzard stepped out of the tent.


    ¡ªDodoooon!


    A fireball came flying down and hit the tent.


    ¡°What? What happened?¡±


    As she watched the tent as it was consumed by fire, Tralzard searched the area. S?a??h the ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°A battle must have started close by!¡±


    She could hear the familiar sounds of fighting.


    An ambush? Just as Tralzard realized this, the ground shook.

 Chapter 282

    Chapter 282¡ð Wild Hunt ¨C Nehyor


    Nehyor heard the reports and chuckled to himself. S?a?ch* Th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Tralzard¡¯s army had stopped right at the place he expected them to.


    Not only that, but the scouts were able to tell him the location of the tent that Tralzard would likely be staying in.


    ¡°Hey, Legras. Are we fully prepared?¡±


    ¡°Of course, we are. There will be no problems.¡±


    ¡°Good. Well, it¡¯s time to attack then.¡±


    Even if they attacked the camp, Tralzard would be worried about collateral damage, and not be able to fight at full power.


    He would take advantage of that.


    Dragons did not have any obvious weaknesses.


    They had high magic and physical defense ability, which meant you had to chip away at both their stamina and mana to weaken them before killing them.


    Yes, they were incredibly dangerous foes to go up against under normal circumstances.


    Because of this, Nehyor would use a trick that he had kept up his sleeve.


    He started to move with his entire army.


    However, Nehyor¡¯s gaze was often directed to the rear.


    There were some strange members amongst the company.


    People who were covered in black armor.


    The original Wild Hunt often dressed like this.


    They wore armor to hide their identities, and so their faces were also completely covered.


    That was the reason that the Wild Hunt were feared as an anonymous company.


    However, it was just another lie.


    An illusion created for a single goal.


    A rumor that spread about the Wild Hunt was that they all dressed in black.


    And everyone thought it was to hide their identities.


    So they could not imagine that there were, in fact, other reasons.


    ¡°The rear seems to be lagging. Perhaps it¡¯s difficult, even through Fallen Holy Iron.¡±


    ¡°Well, it could not be nullified.¡±


    Legras then said that he would hurry them on, and moved to the rear.


    There was a ¡®pillar of salt¡¯ in Nehyor¡¯s country.


    They were proof of past invasions from the Celestial World.


    Crystalized, hardened holy power.


    And even now, the center of the pillar was unleashing holy power.


    This was why residents of the Demon World stayed away.


    If they tried to get close, the holy power would eat away at their body.


    However, it was a different story when it came to altered holy iron.


    When holy iron is altered, it has the ability to block off holy power to a certain degree.


    It was called ¡®Fallen Holy Iron.¡¯


    And so if you had armor that was made of Fallen Holy Iron, you could carry a mass of holy power.


    Nehyor was thinking of using it when he had to fight someone stronger than him.


    ¡°When we reach Tralzard¡¯s tent, I¡¯m going to scatter the salt of holy power. So make sure that everyone stays far away.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Leave it to me.¡±


    Legras nodded with a confident expression.


    What would happen if residents of the Demon World were exposed to the salt of holy power?


    Their movement would be limited.


    As would their abilities.


    And all of their abilities would be weakened.


    It would be a disaster if he himself was exposed to it.


    And yet Nehyor had brought this two edged sword with him.


    It was all for this very moment.


    The preparations were perfect.


    He just needed to put it into action.


    Nehyor and his men advanced under cover, and it was just as they were nearing Tralzard¡¯s tent¡­that it happened.


    ¡ð Golan


    ¡°He¡­hehehe¡­¡±


    It was here. The day had finally arrived.


    I had been thinking of little else since Tralzard told me about the Wild Hunt.


    How I would defeat Nehyor.


    How I would slaughter the person who tricked, used, and betrayed me.


    I thought hard.


    ¡®I should start by destroying his plan.¡¯


    He was definitely up to something.


    The entire reason that he had come to Tralzard¡¯s country.


    It was to acquire the ¡®Demon King¡¯s Orb of Control¡¯ that he needed to become an Elder Vampire.


    And so he would likely attack Tralzard directly.


    Thinking this, I snuck into the castle. Of course, no one knew.


    Tralzard¡¯s castle, which I have visited multiple times now.


    I had been locked up in a tower once, and wandered around after escaping it.


    And so I had a general idea of its layout.


    I knew where I should go if I wanted to hide and stay out of sight.


    There I stayed, and watched Tralzard¡¯s movements.


    Because I was sure that Nehyor would be doing the same.


    If he was aware of how Tralzard would act, he would use it and attack by surprise.


    That was his personality.


    And so I did everything in complete secrecy, and waited for Nehyor to appear.


    ¡°Hehe¡­hehehe.¡±


    I had guessed right. He did come.


    While he was concealing himself, I had seen him do it before.


    Back when General Miralda was fighting on the frontlines, Nehyor watched while keeping himself hidden.


    But I knew.


    While he could hide, he couldn¡¯t hide his traces.


    Especially when there were so many of them.


    And once I had seen traces of their movement, I could not miss them again.


    The only thing left was to wait for the moment when they think that they have won, and ambush them from the side.


    As I didn¡¯t even tell Tralzard, no one would know what I was doing.


    Nehyor would not be on his guard.


    And everything was going according to my prediction.


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s time to hunt.¡±


    Nehyor and the Wild Hunt had started to move, and just as always, I could not see them.


    However, I could see the grass being crushed under their feet.


    And so I jumped out from the shadow of a tree.


    ¡ªZasshh!


    The Deepsea Dragon sword slashed through the air.


    And just like that, one of the people in the front was cut down.


    I continued. Two, three slashes with the sword.


    While I couldn¡¯t see them, they weren¡¯t like Jikae and Manny, who could disguise their presence.


    Once I was this close, I could feel where they were.


    As I continued to cut them to the ground, I apparently killed one that had the ability to conceal, and the ability was deactivated.


    ¡°Now, come at me!¡±


    I stopped in front of them and spread out my hands.


    It was here that the fight would really begin.


    ¡°Attack!¡±


    Someone shouted. I see. They were at least quick to react.


    I continued my rampage while searching for Nehyor¡¯s presence.


    Now that they were no longer concealed, I had a good view of the enemy.


    Nehyor seemed to be somewhere near the middle.


    ¡°Tsk. That¡¯s quite far from here.¡±


    It would be difficult to cut my way through half of his men just to reach him.


    Oh, well. There was an order to everything.


    I fought back as the enemy rushed towards me, and waited for the right time.


    Besides, the Wild Hunt had become notorious for a reason.


    Nehyor wasn¡¯t the only one that was strong.


    Even the lowest of soldiers were better than most.


    ¡°Damn it. This isn¡¯t going to be easy.¡±


    While I had ambushed them and made the first move, they regained their balance quickly.


    Their combat ability was high, and they were better trained than any army I had faced before.


    Normally they would have easily pushed me back.


    In fact, I was retreating as I fought.


    They had the momentum now. However¡­


    ¡°Yes, they¡¯re all concentrating on me.¡±


    I smirked.


    I had bought enough time.


    So now I would hand over the leading role to the second team.


    As I thought of such things, an explosion sounded from their direction.


    A magic attack had been slammed right in the center of where they were.

 Chapter 283

    Chapter 283Because I had stood in their path, the Wild Hunt was now focused solely on me.


    That was fine.


    I was the only one here.


    And they were not strong enough to beat me if there were any distractions.


    So I knew that they would come at me in full force.


    ¡°However, situations have a way of changing rapidly.¡±


    I had sent my men far away so that they wouldn¡¯t be seen.


    But I did tell them to launch magic attacks once the fighting began.


    In other words¡­my plan had worked.


    ¡ªBooom!


    ¡ªKabooom!


    The magic bullets exploded.


    They were being unleashed by the Lamias.


    In spite of their large bodies, they were good with magic.


    The Lamias were known to wrap around their prey and strangle them before biting into their heads.


    I had assumed they would use poison, but it was apparently easier to use magic. It was no wonder.


    ¡ªBooom!


    Because of this, I used the Lamias as cannons in this plan.


    The enemy was looking around frantically, but they would find nothing.


    These magic bullets were like arrows.


    They flew in an arc from a great distance.


    And within these trees it would be difficult to find the source of the attacks.


    ¡°A little present for all of you. Please enjoy.¡±


    I said while backing away. The last thing I needed was to be caught in the storm of attacks.


    ¡°Spread out!¡±


    The order was shouted repeatedly from within the Wild Hunt.


    While these magic bullets had range and dealt a lot of damage, they did not have much precision.


    Still, enough were coming down to turn the place into a field of fire.


    So even if they spread out, they would still get hit eventually.


    I watched with folded arms, as the blown off arms and torn legs of the enemy went flying into the air.


    ¡°Now, run. Run¡­ Run some more. Hehehehe¡­¡±


    Ah, I was starting to laugh like a villain.


    But I actually felt like the embodiment of justice, who was punishing the wicked¡­ Damn it.


    From what I could see now, the members of the Wild Hunt had high defense ability.


    And so even if they were hit directly, they mostly just lost an arm or leg.


    ¡°Ogres would have been turned into a pile of ash. It¡¯s really not fair.¡±


    And with just one arm lost, they could still run.


    Yes, they were quite tough.


    ¡°Well, I still have another present ready.¡±


    The magic stopped.


    It wasn¡¯t because they were out of mana, but I had told them to stop after a certain amount of time had passed.


    And the Lamias had obeyed me faithfully.


    After all, what would come next was¡­


    ¡°Haaahaa! Purge them!!¡±


    Meatheads from the sky¡­ The Vampires had come.


    ¡°We are the invincible Vampires. We only advance on the battlefield!¡±


    ¡°Kill them all! Even in the land of death, there is no retreat!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about hurting your comrades. Push them aside and go forth!¡±


    The questionable chants rang as they attacked the enemy.


    Damn it. How about you at least try to not attack each other?


    I had been worried that they would not even be able to wait until it was their time.


    I even thought of leaving them altogether. S~?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It was incredibly difficult to control people who went out on the attack with absolutely no regard for their own defense.


    You had to tell them repeatedly, and use a little force to get through to them.


    ¡°¡­How did this even happen?¡±


    Vampires weren¡¯t supposed to be meatheads.


    This was now one of the seven wonders of the Demon World.


    Not that I knew what the other six were.


    In any case, the high-ranking Vampires were charging into the enemy as if they were possessed by Ogres.


    The ground was burnt by the previous attacks of the Lamias.


    Nothing remained of the trees that had been hiding them.


    And there was one other thing that was very important.


    ¡°¡­They¡¯ve spread out. Perfectly.¡±


    This was after they had scattered in order to avoid being hit by the magic bullets.


    And then the Vampires attacked them.


    ¡°Kill them all!¡±


    Claws slashed and enemy heads went flying.


    As Vampires were of the high-ranking races, they were quite strong as individuals.


    And that carried more weight in chaotic battles like this one.


    ¡°They seem to be hunting down the ones that deal the most damage first. Impressive teamwork.¡±


    Attack the enemy with ranged magic and then ambush them from the air amidst the chaos.


    It was a good pattern, and I would continue to train them in this direction.


    As I watched the battle, I saw that my Vampires were superior in every corner.


    Except the place where Nehyor was.


    He was likely with his closest men as well.


    And they appeared to be unscathed.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s time for act four¡­no, not yet. Maybe I should go in myself.¡±


    And so I moved through the battlefield, wading through those who were fighting, and into the enemy formation.


    ¡°All of you!¡±


    I shouted.


    ¡°Arrghhh!!¡±


    ¡°Arrghhh!!¡±


    ¡°Arrghhh!!¡±


    Yes, they were well trained.


    But for some reason, it did feel like I was leading a group of Ogres.


    ¡°Trample them!¡±


    ¡°Arrghhh!!¡±


    ¡°Arrghhh!!¡±


    ¡°Arrghhh!!¡±


    They replied in unison. And the Vampires moved with a greater momentum.


    Heads rolled as they went deeper in.


    Now, we are getting very close, Nehyor.


    I bared my teeth and laughed.


    ¡ð Wild Hunt ¨C Nehyor


    As he tried to move his army in order to ambush Demon King Tralzard¡¯s tent, the line suddenly stopped.


    ¡°¡­Hmm?¡±


    The Shadow Runners¡¯ ¡®Hide Together¡¯ was still activated, and so it was unlikely that the enemy scouts had spotted them.


    Besides, he had found them in advance and eliminated them.


    ¡°Were there more than we thought?¡±


    He could hear the sounds of fighting now. So it was true.


    Apparently, Tralzard was even more cautious than he thought. There must have been numerous scouts in the surrounding area.


    He waited for a moment¡­but the line did not move.


    ¡°Huh? Legras. Can you go and see what is happening? I am too short to see.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Lord Nehyor. Just wait a moment.¡±


    As they had chosen a place that would help keep them hidden, there were a lot of trees that obstructed their vision.


    But just as Legras left to see what was happening, ¡®Hide Together¡¯ was deactivated.


    ¡°What? But it¡¯s too early.¡±


    At the same time, the line broke up.


    His soldiers were separated, from left to right, and he had a clear view up ahead.


    And he could not believe what he saw.


    ¡°Golan!? But why?¡±


    Golan should not be here.


    It had not been so long ago where they met in front of Lesser Demon King Kyuka.


    ¡°How!? ¡­No, but since he is here, it must mean that he has come to spoil my plans again.¡±


    Now that ¡®Hide Together¡¯ was gone, it was necessary to eliminate Golan as soon as possible.


    ¡°Surround him!¡±


    As he shouted this, magic bullets rained down from the sky.


    The barrage of magic crashed down over his men.


    They were so powerful that trees exploded after being hit.


    And yet most of his men still survived.


    Yes, they could still fight if this was the best Golan could do.


    ¡°But there may be a lot of them.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know who was shooting at them.


    Perhaps there were forty or fifty. Where had they come from?


    ¡°Legras! Have them spread out!¡±


    It would be no good for them to stay together. They had to escape the range of magic attacks.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Legras also knew of the danger they were in.


    ¡°Tsk¡­ Golan. Have you really gone and done it?¡±


    He had set a trap.


    That meant that Golan had read his movements.


    Nehyor had always thought that Golan was not like any other Ogre. But this was still a surprise.


    ¡°Spread out!¡±


    Legras¡¯s voice echoed.


    While there was some group of magic soldiers hiding in the distance, they would be fine if they could survive this. Tralzard would know that they were there, but it couldn¡¯t be helped.


    First, he had to take Golan down.


    ¡°Move out of my way!¡±


    He shouted. That was when the magic bullets stopped.


    ¡°¡­Are they out of mana?¡±


    It was perfect timing. Now he could hunt Golan.


    "Wow!!"


    But his joy was short-lived.


    Vampires had launched a surprise attack from the sky.


    ¡°Why are there Vampires here?¡±


    He could not make sense of it at all.

 Chapter 284

    Chapter 284The ambush from the meathead Vampires was executed with perfection.


    And even in the fight after that, they were pushing the enemy back. At least, at first.


    However, once the chaos had settled, the enemy began to strike with a renewed force.


    And now, we seemed to be at a standstill.


    ¡°I guess they couldn¡¯t keep pushing.¡±


    While the Vampires were strong, so was the enemy.


    Things had gone well because of how the enemy scattered. And had it been an ordinary ambush, they would have been able to regroup quickly and regain the advantage.


    ¡°Alright, I better go then.¡±


    As I started to move towards Nehyor, someone blocked my path.


    ¡°¡­Oh. That¡¯s interesting.¡±


    This one looked strong.


    But he also looked a little different than the others of the Wild Hunt.


    His entire body was a bright green color. Like the fresh grass in a prairie. A pretty color.


    And since I had never seen someone like this before, I didn¡¯t know what race he was.


    But he had a lot of mana.


    From what I could estimate, it seemed higher than General Farneze.


    Perhaps he was even equal to General Miralda.


    Even after evolving, I was terrible at reading someone¡¯s mana level.


    I was starting to wonder if it had something to do with having two souls.


    Mana emitted light. And so the intensity of the light gave you a general idea of its strength.


    At least, that¡¯s what I thought.


    And in my case, there were multiple sources of light.


    The other me was close by, and so it made it difficult for me to read with precision.


    ¡°Well, it cannot be helped.¡±


    Besides, more good things had happened because of the other me, and so I had no complaints.


    ¡°Are you the one who planned this!¡±


    The man who came between me and Nehyor shouted with rage.


    He was very angry.


    His body even started to shine.


    ¡°That¡¯s not¡­sweat? Is it oil?¡±


    The outer skin began to shine wetly. It was quite disgusting.


    It probably had something to do with combat. But what did it mean?


    ¡°Legras. That is Golan. He¡¯s actually quite amusing. But if he¡¯s going to try and interfere with my plans like this, then he must die.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Lord Nehyor. We have already lost the chance to ambush Tralzard. I will not forgive him for this. I will kill him.¡±


    They said to each other.


    What was this? Listening to the way that Legras talked. It was as if I were the villain here.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to throw a tantrum just because your plan failed. Your parents would be so disappointed.¡±


    I tried provoking them.


    Just then, Legras¡¯s skin began to change.


    It became bigger and harder, like protective armor.


    Was the oil from earlier like some kind of grease?


    There was something like a sickle blade extending out from his elbows, and he looked even more deadly than before.


    (A race that is specialized for duels?)


    His feet also transformed and became rounded, and crescent shaped blades grew out.


    And there were needle-like spikes coming out of his knees. S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It would be hard to go about daily chores if he looked like that all of the time.


    So I suppose that¡¯s why it was a special ability?


    No, there would have to be a better reason.


    When you were covered in so many weapons, you would no longer be able to fight within a group.


    You would hurt your comrades more than your enemy.


    ¡°Legras. I¡¯ll fight too. We can¡¯t take any chances. We will kill Golan here and think of Tralzard later.¡±


    So, Nehyor would fight as well.


    To be honest, I had not expected someone like Legras to be here, and wasn¡¯t sure what to do.


    My eyes scanned the area.


    (Things¡­did not look good)


    The meathead Vampires were doing well.


    But the enemy had regrouped, and it was clear that the Vampires were struggling now.


    Well, they had come out here so gleefully, and so I doubted that they would fall apart so soon.


    I would just have to believe in them.


    ¡°Alright. Attack me together. I¡¯m ready.¡±


    Legras, the walking mass of weapons. And Nehyor the Vampire.


    While it would be a tough battle, I could not back out of it now.


    If I let Nehyor go, I may never get another chance.


    I lowered my posture a little.


    Then I raised the mana drain shield and held up the Deepsea Dragon Sword.


    Nehyor was fast. Fast like a god.


    And I doubted that he had gone all out in the previous times that I had faced him.


    Surely he still had tricks up his sleeve.


    And then there was this Legras.


    He had transformed into some kind of bug-like creature.


    With hornet stingers on his knees and even wings.


    Yes, the blades on his elbows were like that of a praying mantis.


    He had hard edges and blades wherever you looked. Someone built for combat.


    ¡°Now, come at me!¡±


    I howled.


    ¡°Hyaaha!¡±


    ¡°Hyaaha!¡±


    ¡°Hyaaha!¡±


    ¡°Hyaaha!¡±


    Just then, a crowd of Ogres passed between Nehyor and I.


    ¡°Oh¡­I had forgotten about them.¡±


    Yes, the idiots had completely slipped my mind.


    This was my original plan.


    First, I would stop the enemy in its tracks. Then the Lamias would bombard them with magic.


    Once the enemy was confused by this attack, they would scramble to avoid being hit.


    At this point, the enemy would no longer be functioning as an organized army.


    And that was when the Vampires would attack from the sky.


    Why had I planned it this way?


    Because the Ogres were slow.


    Nehyor would have his own scouts in the area.


    In order to be able to attack him from outside that scouting zone, I had to stop the march.


    The third part of the plan would involve the Ogres attacking.


    They would charge into what remained of the enemy army.


    However, only I would attack Nehyor.


    But due to Legras getting in my way, I had become distracted. And in the meantime, the Ogres had already started their charge towards us.


    And now they had joined the fray. Just as I was about to fight.


    I wanted to grumble about party crashing, but it was my own fault for forgetting about them.


    The enemy was even more surprised than I was.


    And then I saw it.


    As Legras took a step forward, an Ogre with the eyes of a madman bashed into him.


    Legras stood his ground¡­ But then another Ogre crashed into him.


    By the time the third hit him, Legras staggered.


    And then came the fourth¡­and eventually seventh. Legras was knocked off of his feet.


    Before he knew it, he was staring up at the sky.


    Then my consciousness returned to the Ogres.


    After the eighth one, they came down like boulders.


    -Dodododo.


    Legras was kicked, trampled, scratched, rolled, until he was out of sight.


    Even I would not have been able to stop a stampede of Ogres that charged towards me like that.


    It was impressive that he had even lasted as long as he did. Of course, it was a wasted effort.


    In the end, when all of the Ogres were past us, Legras was nowhere to be seen.


    Not even a trace of him remained.


    But Nehyor seemed to have seen Legras as he was kicked away. And his eyes bulged as if they would pop out of their sockets. He stared dumbly at the backs of the running Ogres.


    His mouth was still open.


    After enough time had passed, Nehyor turned and glared at me.


    He was furious.


    I had never seen him this angry before.


    -Totototototo.


    After a short delay, the group of Reapers ran between us in order to follow the Ogres.


    Apparently, they could not keep up with the speed of the meatheads.

 Chapter 285

    Chapter 285¡°Golan. You¡¯ve really done it now.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so mad. Aren¡¯t we old friends?¡±


    I said with a laugh.


    Nehyor grinded his teeth and glared.


    He thought I was making fun of him.


    Which I was. Very intentionally.


    And while I was just provoking him, it felt good.


    The annoying thing about Nehyor was that he would run away after losing the advantage.


    The speed at which he escaped was one of the reasons that no Lesser Demon King or Demon King was able to catch him up until now.


    But as long as he directed his hatred towards me like this, he could not run, even if he wanted to.


    Yes, keep staring.


    ¡°Hehehehe¡­¡±


    ¡­I laughed in an eerie voice.


    ¡°What is so amusing?¡±


    Nehyor seemed to become cautious, and he did not try to close the gap between us.


    Had he regained his calm? I might have to provoke him further.


    ¡°Hey, how do you feel now? You couldn¡¯t even reach your target, and were stopped by someone like me. Is it fun? It is, isn¡¯t it? Tell me how you really feel.¡±


    I bared my teeth and laughed. All expression left Nehyor¡¯s face then.


    It was like a mask, though his eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Feel? ¡­I feel like tearing you to shreds.¡±


    ¡°Hehehe¡­ahahaha.¡±


    That was funny.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you one last time, Golan. Why are you laughing?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who was torn in half that other time. Are you completely healed now?¡±


    ¡°Tsk¡­yes, for a while now.¡±


    He was clearly angry.


    Of course, he was. I was bringing up the time I humiliated him, so that he had to run. He must be boiling.


    But now the chances of him running away again had decreased.


    ¡°Maybe I should cut you in half horizontally this time? Or maybe both ways?¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ So you think you can do that, Golan?¡±


    ¡°Aye¡­ Indeed I do. After all, you¡¯re weaker, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    There were a few things I learned after fighting against Nehyor.


    While he had a lot of mana, it wasn¡¯t an incredible amount.


    Maybe just a little higher than Legras.


    But you couldn¡¯t really determine the strength of the high-ranking races by looking at mana alone, so that was fine.


    What I had felt was that Nehyor was becoming weaker.


    Previously, there had been an overwhelming strength that he was trying to hide.


    His mere presence was powerful. There was something that made you think, ¡®I could never beat him.¡¯


    But what about now?


    That overflowing power was starting to fade.


    I didn¡¯t know why, but there was a visible difference every time that I saw him.


    And then there was our compatibility in terms of combat.


    In fact, I had the advantage.


    Nehyor was more specialized in defense.


    To be exact, he was good at healing himself.


    There was no mistake, as I had even questioned other Vampires about it.


    His healing ability was equal to Demon King Tralzard¡¯s.


    Apparently, other vampires couldn¡¯t immediately regrow an arm that had been lost.


    Nehyor had a special ability called ¡®Flesh Regeneration¡¯ that allowed him to use mana to heal his wounds.


    I had mistaken this as something that all Vampires could do, but it was in fact, a rare ability.


    That showed how dangerous these undead were.


    He was also specialized in speed, which meant weaker attacks.


    That was one thing I was grateful for.


    After all¡­


    ¡°Hmm? You aren¡¯t going to use your Deepsea Dragon Sword?¡±


    ¡°Aye¡­ I bet you haven¡¯t seen this before.¡±


    I held up the hexagonal club.


    Nehyor had never seen me fight with a staff. I hadn¡¯t shown him.


    I wasn¡¯t going to bash him with it. This was martial arts.


    If you wielded it with great speed, it became more powerful.


    The difference in reach was also big.


    And now I would use it with the enhanced power of Susanoo-no-Mikoto.


    I would beat Nehyor with it. Let him taste the metal.


    I spread out my feet wider than my shoulders and lowered my posture.


    By lowering my center of gravity, I would increase my stability.


    I also held the hexagonal club so that my hands were further apart than my shoulders, and positioned near my waist.


    Nehyor would only be able to see its tip.


    ¡°Now, I¡¯m ready. Come and fight me.¡±


    I continued to provoke him.


    In this stance, blocking was everything.


    You would parry your opponent¡¯s attacks and then strike back.


    ¡°Alright, I will. You will regret this immediately.¡±


    He took the bait.


    Nehyor lightly kicked off the ground¡­or so I thought. But he disappeared.


    ¡°Not holding back, I see.¡±


    As I had faced him in this crouching stance, he had decided to target my back.


    It was a good idea. However, I had learned the art of fighting with a staff.


    And there were ways of dealing with people who came from behind.


    So without even moving my body, I turned the club towards Nehyor.


    ¡°¡­Ah!¡±


    Surprised, Nehyor suddenly stopped.


    He would have crashed into it had he kept going. But it was fine.


    I had kept him in check.


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    I lowered my hand and struck Nehyor¡¯s knee.


    And as soon as I heard the sound of it hitting flesh, Nehyor jumped back.


    ¡°It hit his shin.¡±


    I had wanted to crush his knee, but he was too fast.


    His reflexes hadn¡¯t slowed down at all. S~?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Golan. You¡¯re faster than before?¡±


    He was clearly shocked that I had been able to react in time.


    His head was tilted to the side as he asked me the question.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen anything yet.¡±


    ¡°Really? It¡¯s the same with me.¡±


    Apparently, he could move even faster.


    Well, I should have expected it. Even with better reach, he had been able to deal with me easily.


    ¡°Then you better be quicker next time. Or I¡¯ll think you¡¯re all talk.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Then about this?¡±


    Nehyor vanished.


    It was amazing that he could reach his fastest speed in an instant.


    You would hardly believe that he was a living creature.


    All I could see were after images, like stop-motion.


    ¡°Tsk. The sky then.¡±


    I crouched low and swung the club.


    I didn¡¯t have many moves for dealing with enemies from above.


    And just as I thought I had blocked his claws, my back was slashed.


    Far away, one of Nehyor¡¯s nails fell to the ground.


    So he had regenerated it in an instant and attacked me. Impressive.


    ¡°How was that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­I think it was a little faster.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. Is that what you think?¡±


    Nehyor seemed to have regained a lot of confidence after his attack landed.


    But I had learned something.


    His style hadn¡¯t changed at all.


    His way of attacking was simple and careless.


    He was relying solely on his own speed.


    ¡°Hey, you seem awfully pleased for someone who just patted me on the back. Maybe you should set higher goals for yourself?¡±


    ¡°Really? But you are the one who is wounded?¡±


    ¡°It will heal in no time. Just like any wound that your attacks could inflict.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ You sure like to talk.¡±


    Nehyor¡¯s face contorted.


    This was a verbal battle. And he had not even noticed that I was leading him on.


    And so once again, Nehyor tried to attack in the same way.


    In the past, I had closed in on Nehyor and swung my sword like this.


    And so this was a gamble over whether he remembered it or not. But it seemed that my provoking him had caused him to forget.


    ¡°Here!¡±


    I backed away with as much speed as I was capable.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    I was no longer in the spot that Nehyor was going to attack.


    As for me¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re wide open.¡±


    I had been charging the hexagonal club with mana.


    And I unleashed it all at once.


    ¡ªDo!


    As it slammed into Nehyor, an immense amount of mana exploded from it.


    A sphere of sparks like fireworks burst from Nehyor¡¯s back.


    There was now a great hole in his stomach.


    ¡°¡­See? I told you, you¡¯re wide open.¡±


    I could see right through him.

 Chapter 286

    Chapter 286After the hole had opened up in Nehyor¡¯s stomach, he jumped over me and spun while falling to the ground.


    Rarely had I felt that I had landed such a clean hit.


    But just as I turned around in order to launch a follow up attack, he had already sat up.


    ¡°Hey¡­that¡¯s too fast.¡±


    The gaping hole was already closing up.


    Nehyor remained cautious of me, while healing his wound.


    And by the time he was back on his feet, the hole was already closed.


    It was an incredible healing ability. However, I now understood.


    Nehyor¡¯s mana level had dropped so dramatically that even I could tell.


    (It¡¯s not infinite, so his healing will be limited.)


    According to the Vampire legends that spread throughout the human world, they could revive even from ashes unless you drove a stake through their heart. But surely they weren¡¯t that tough.


    There were also other tales. That they burned in sunlight, couldn¡¯t cross rivers, hated garlic, and were weakened by crucifixes, etcetera.


    I had heard that most of them were a convenient means of getting people who were scared of monsters to convert to Christianity. Besides, what creature wouldn¡¯t die if you drove a stake through their heart?


    Especially residents of the Demon World, as it was close to where the Orb of Control was located. It was generally right behind the heart.


    But it was difficult to target with races that were good at healing, as they were more protective of their Orb of Control.


    (Well, maybe I can do it by just repeating this?)


    Now that he was completely healed, Nehyor pointed at my hexagonal club.


    Apparently, he was very curious about it.


    ¡°You really did it, Golan. ¡­Where did you get that weapon?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? I¡¯ve forgotten.¡±


    I had no reason to give him a straight answer.


    Nehyor scowled at my indifference.


    He must have sensed that there was something strange about its power.


    I had given away my weapons when fighting Kyuka, so I was empty handed.


    And so Nehyor had no idea about the effect of the hexagonal club.


    ¡°Let me guess, you charged it with mana?¡±


    It only took him a little thinking to find the answer.


    Two things were necessary in order to get the effect that the attack had.


    The first, was to have a weapon that could be charged with mana.


    The second was to be a race that could do it.


    No matter how good a weapon was, it would be wasted on an Ogre, who could only use mana to strengthen his own body.


    And so he had thought it strange, and reached that conclusion.


    ¡°I was able to do it after evolving.¡±


    There was no point in hiding it now.


    ¡°It seems to be the case¡­ Well, I won¡¯t be caught by surprise again.¡±


    And so the fight continued.


    Nehyor attacked, and I blocked.


    And whenever there was an opening, I countered.


    While Nehyor dodged most of them, he couldn¡¯t dodge them all.


    This repeated over and over.


    I had rarely fought a so evenly matched battle, but Nehyor had put too much trust in his healing ability up until now that his defenses were weak. s?a??h th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    And though it looked like I was the one being pushed back, it was not the case.


    We were both attacking and defending at a high level.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised that you can keep up with my speed.¡±


    His voice was a mixture of surprise and resignation.


    No, it wasn¡¯t that I was keeping up with him.


    In Nehyor¡¯s case, I was able to predict his movements even when I couldn¡¯t see him.


    It was the result of experience.


    If he wasn¡¯t a humanoid¡­if he was a beast, then I would be in big trouble.


    ¡°What is it? Do you surrender?¡±


    Still, I was happy to know that I was more than a match for him.


    I almost felt as if I kept going, I could beat him like this. But this was Nehyor. He would change tactics soon.


    As I waited cautiously¡­Nehyor drew back.


    ¡°I can¡¯t waste so much time here.¡±


    He had gone very far back. Was he going to use a ranged attack?


    Well, he was most likely right about not being able to spend too much time on this.


    With this much fighting happening nearby, Tralzard was sure to notice.


    It would not be long before she acted.


    ¡°¡­So, what are you trying to do at that distance?¡±


    Was it just a trump card, or an ultimate trump card?


    From what I knew, Nehyor was good at ambushing with an incredibly powerful special attack.


    But what would he do, now that he was the one to be ambushed?


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to use this here, but it looks like I have no choice.¡±


    Nehyor called over the men in black armor.


    They had been sticking together all of this time.


    ¡°What? Are you going to make them fight for you now?¡±


    I said with a laugh. Nehyor shook his head.


    ¡°I was looking forward to using it on Tralzard. But you can have the honor now.¡±


    While Nehyor was smiling, he was actually furious.


    So, something that he had prepared so carefully was going to be used on me now.


    ¡°Huh¡­ I can¡¯t wait.¡±


    Apparently, he wasn¡¯t going to send the guys in black armor on me after all.


    The only thing that was odd about them, was that they were carrying black boxes on their backs. What was inside?


    And then they turned around so that the boxes faced me.


    ¡°?¡±


    Just as I noted that Nehyor had moved even farther back¡­


    Suddenly, white mist started to shoot out and rain down on me.


    ¡°How is it, Golan? Being covered in salt of holy power?¡±


    The black boxes were like a vaporizer. Only what came out was actually powder.


    And it was now covering my head.


    (I feel¡­weak?)


    It was like the strength was seeping out of my body.


    Similar to when I get a fever, and can¡¯t seem to do anything.


    ¡°Gyaaa!¡±


    ¡°Ahhh!¡±


    ¡°Eeeee!¡±


    Members of the Wild Hunt that happened to be close by were now running around and screaming.


    Why are you all¡­ I wondered. And then they started twitching.


    ¡°Ah, they died.¡±


    That was fast. One after another, those who were touched by the powder fell to their deaths.


    Powder. He had said it was salt.


    How could so little of it just kill someone?


    Was this really that dangerous?


    I frantically brushed the stuff off of my body.


    It blew in the wind, catching more of the Wild Hunt.


    ¡°AHHHHH¡­¡±


    They started shaking.


    ¡°Uh¡­what is this?¡±


    It was like I was at some kind of party, and they were dancing.


    There was almost something exaggerated about the way that they moved.


    Even the way they thrashed around before death reminded me of a play I had seen.


    I think it was called, ¡®Pain of Hell.¡¯


    It seemed that it was the weak ones who fell dead.


    ¡°Go-Golan¡­what is the meaning of this?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I want to know.¡±


    What was this vision of hell that surrounded me?


    ¡°Salt of holy power is a deadly poison for residents of the Demon World. So why are you the only one who is fine?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ So this is what everyone is talking about.¡±


    I put some on my tongue and licked it.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t taste like salt. Maybe you should give it a different name.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point!¡± Nehyor shouted angrily.


    He was just mystified that the salt didn¡¯t have any effect on me.


    As if I knew why.


    But it wasn¡¯t as if it did nothing at all.


    I did feel weaker.


    Allow me to organize the information.


    The salt was real. It was doing incredible damage to the others.


    I didn¡¯t know why it wasn¡¯t the case for me, but I could make a guess.


    Perhaps it affected the soul.


    Let¡¯s say that it was able to afflict the soul directly.


    That would explain their exaggerated reactions.


    No matter how tough you were, you could not bear to have your soul attacked directly.


    So, why was I fine?


    (¡­Was it because I have a human soul?)


    Perhaps I was only weakening because my body was reacting to the salt. So it had an affect where my soul wasn¡¯t concerned


    I was starting to feel like this was the answer.


    Even if it wasn¡¯t, it must be close.


    In that case, it was best to bluff.


    I tilted my head to the side, stuck out my chin, and looked down at him through half-closed eyes.


    ¡°¡­So?¡±


    Was there any meaning to that attack? I asked wordlessly.

 Chapter 287

    Chapter 287Looking around me now, I saw that things were crazier than I thought.


    They had dropped like flies, and the area was strewn with the dead.


    It wasn¡¯t my fault.


    And when I looked a little farther out, I could see others writhing in pain with expressions of despair.


    As for the people that had brought about this disaster¡­they were all dead.


    The black boxes were still strapped to their backs as they lay there.


    They must have been directly exposed to the salt of holy power.


    They lay on the ground without moving a muscle.


    The salt of holy power was a lethal poison to residents of the Demon World.


    This was quite the savage method he had come up with.


    ¡°So, you were going to use this on Tralzard.¡±


    I had wondered how he was going to fight a Demon King. And this was his trick.


    Even a Demon King would have taken great damage if they were hit by this.


    At worst, she would become completely helpless as Nehyor hunted her down.


    ¡°It covered your body, and yet you are fine¡­I cannot understand it. What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because of my good deeds every day?¡±


    No one had higher morals in the Demon World than me.


    Yes, it was no lie.


    Well, I wouldn¡¯t be able to talk like this for long.


    After all, it was true that there was no strength left in my body.


    This was a pretty bad situation.


    I could tell when I tried to move my body slowly.


    Not only did I feel weak, but my joints were creaking.


    The symptoms were similar to having a cold. What if it was a cold?


    As for Nehyor, he wasn¡¯t affected by the salt of holy power at all.


    Of course, that was because he was far away. And he did not try to come any closer.


    It was very clear that he was cautious of me¡­of the salt of holy power.


    He had awokened from his fit of fury, and was now thinking.


    Usually, I would have continued to talk, while hoping that he would run away. But I had a feeling that this would be the last time we met.


    And so while I wasn¡¯t in the best condition, I wanted to end things here no matter what.


    But in spite of that, I was quite sure that Nehyor was considering making an escape. He had already used his trump card to no avail.


    If he had salt of holy power, then he could attack other Demon Kings.


    He had likely come here because he assumed it would be the easiest.


    Unless something truly unexpected happened, it should work.


    Attacking a Demon King would be a daunting task, but Tralzard was an easier target due to her age.


    However, this led to some issues.


    If Nehyor ran away now, I wouldn¡¯t be able to chase after him. S?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    And then some other Demon King would be targeted.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s continue where we left off!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I tried provoking him, but Nehyor would not take the bait. This was bad.


    And when I moved towards him with long strides, he moved away.


    ¡°What is it? Come over here.¡±


    ¡°As if I¡¯d want to move close to you when you¡¯re covered in salt of holy power!¡±


    I see. That was true.


    Some of it was still on my body.


    And because I didn¡¯t want him to run away, I brushed it off.


    ¡°Now, is that better?¡±


    I said. But he was still cautious.


    He showed no signs of attacking.


    (Damn it. Is he really going to run away then?)


    If we did fight, I would be the one at a disadvantage now, but Nehyor didn¡¯t know that.


    And when I looked at him, I was sure that he was preparing to make a run for it.


    So, what should I do? When I took a step forward, he took a step back.


    ¡°Let¡¯s fight properly.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Damn. He won¡¯t even answer me now.


    ¡°Tsk!¡±


    I held my hexagonal club ready and lowered my stance.


    I would attack him then¡­or so I thought. But then something rolled in between us.


    ¡°What? ¡­Uh, Saifo?¡±


    Saifo had rolled on the ground and stopped right in the middle.


    And then he fell asleep, spread-eagle. He must have fainted.


    His body was covered in wounds, so he must have been fighting with Legras.


    ¡°Lord Nehyor.¡±


    And then the green insect-like guy returned. Legras.


    So Saifo had been fighting him after all.


    When I looked at Legras, he was missing an arm¡­but that was all.


    Saifo¡¯s condition was much worse.


    So even with Saifo and Beka there, it was not enough to take down Legras.


    They had become so much stronger after evolving. But there was always someone stronger.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s two versus one now.¡±


    I suggested. Nehyor¡¯s expression suddenly changed.


    Was he more enthusiastic now?


    But what had happened to the other Ogres?


    I had forgotten all about them.


    When I looked around, I saw that they were still running wild.


    Normally, they would be having their asses beaten, as the difference between races was too large.


    However, the Reapers were helping them.


    Ogres and Reapers. Surprisingly, they seemed to be a good combination.


    As Ogres had high endurance, they were good as shields.


    On the other hand, Reapers were among the least tough when it came to the high-rankers.


    And so it was better for them to hide behind something while launching their magic attacks.


    It looked like they were able to navigate the battlefield well, while the Ogres took the heat.


    The members of the Wild Hunt were strong, but if things weren¡¯t even, then I would say our side had the advantage.


    If I could take down Nehyor, the battle would be over.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind fighting you both at once. Come at me.¡±


    I challenged them again. Legras fell for it.


    ¡°Lord Nehyor, I will defeat him.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ That¡¯s some confidence.¡±


    I said sardonically. But it was all a bluff, as there was no strength within me.


    But he was missing an arm. So maybe it would be a fair fight?


    That being said, if we did fight, Nehyor would immediately notice that I was weakened.


    (Hmm. What should I do?)

 Chapter 288

    Chapter 288Legras moved forward. He was going to fight.


    ¡°Can you really keep up with just one arm? Maybe you should back off.¡±


    ¡°There is no need for concern. I¡¯m ready.¡±


    He said as he walked over Saifo.


    He focused on me alone, and didn¡¯t even glance at the others.


    I had wanted to battle with words just a little longer, but he was now impatient to fight.


    And so I had no choice.


    (They were really making me look like the bad guy here.)


    Apparently, I was just that happy to have been able to crush Nehyor¡¯s plans.


    And I was becoming very talkative.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be needing this against the likes of you.¡±


    I put the hexagonal club back on my back and showed him the palms of my hands.


    It wasn¡¯t as if I actually believed it.


    I just knew that with my current strength, I would not be able to wield it well.


    And so I would make up for it with technique.


    As for Legras, he would find it hard to stay balanced now that he was missing his right arm.


    Considering the fact that it was gone from the elbow joint, I suspected that it was Beka¡¯s doing.


    Once you were in her locks, you could not get out.


    I had taught Saifo and Beka well.


    Of course, since Legras didn¡¯t know that, he either went wild after she put him in the lock, or he continued to fight Saifo.


    And if you do that, your arm would break at the elbow.


    Saifo and Beka were not the type to swing around blades, so he probably just cut off the now useless limb on his own.


    How exciting.


    ¡°Oomph!¡±


    But if he only had one arm, his attacks would be easier to predict.


    I dodged the scythe, grabbed his wrist, and broke his joint¡­ Or I tried to, but he escaped.


    (It¡¯s too bad that my grip has been weakened.)


    He just shook me right off.


    Also, Legras was now cautious of my attempts to put him in a lock.


    In other words, he would not make the same mistake again.


    He was strong because he was able to adapt.


    ¡°You wasted no time in retreating. I guess you were all talk then.¡±


    I provoked him now that he had backed off, and then moved closer.


    It wasn¡¯t good to give them time to think.


    I was going to use Aiki.


    That being said, it wasn¡¯t like knocking people off their feet with breathing exercises.


    It was a technique where you utilized your opponent¡¯s power and attacked while adjusting your center of gravity.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if it would actually work on someone as good as Legras, but it was better than swinging around the heavy hexagonal club.


    At first, it worked almost perfectly.


    And I was able to land a few painful blows during our back and forth, but they didn¡¯t do much damage.


    He really was tough.


    Also, Legras could easily keep up with my attacks.


    (He just absorbs everything. Maybe he has a lot of potential when it comes to martial arts?)


    I wanted to drag him back to Japan and put him in our dojo.


    He would probably rise to acting master very quickly.


    ¡°¡­No, that won¡¯t work.¡±


    He was a bug.


    ¡°What won¡¯t work!¡±


    He was infuriated by my mutterings.


    I hadn¡¯t even been insulting him, but it seemed to have looked like I was.


    That showed that he had a difficult personality. So he definitely wouldn¡¯t be an acting master.


    ¡°Hey, Golan. Could it be that you¡¯ve been weakened?¡±


    Nehyor said from behind me.


    He must have thought it strange that I was struggling against someone who was wounded.


    Well, it was clear that he knew.


    ¡°Is that what you think?¡±


    I asked.


    ¡°Yes. At first I thought you were just saving your strength, but it seems this is really your best.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you think, then come and fight me. I can take you both on at once.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I don¡¯t know about that.¡±


    The fact that he was still hesitating showed that he was cautious.


    His experiences of being outfoxed by me in the past led him to think that it might be a trap.


    Perhaps he thought I was saving a special power and was just waiting for him to join.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready when you are.¡±


    I said while throwing Legras.


    At this point, he knew how to deal with my attempts to knock him off balance.


    Realizing the danger, I opted to throw him instead.


    There were a lot of throwing variations in judo.


    And when I was out of them, I would use wrestling moves.


    However, I wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat him like this.


    I was just buying time.


    And if this went on for much longer, Nehyor¡¯s suspicion would be confirmed.


    I would have no chance of winning if he joined. So, what should I do?


    After I threw him a few more times, Legras managed to do a clean rotation in the air and then landed on his feet.


    So he was used to it now. Damn it, he was quick.


    As I rummaged through the drawer in my head, trying to find something that I could do next, Legras was crushed with a wet sound.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Demon King Tralzard¡¯s foot was on top of his back.


    ¡°Golan. What are you doing here?¡±


    Apparently, she had come after hearing the sounds of fighting.


    ¡°Pest control?¡±


    ¡°Pest¡­ Him?¡±


    Tralzard pressed down with her foot.


    While some people with certain tastes might have enjoyed it, Legras was not one of them.


    Well, she was like a grandma, so I¡¯m not sure how many people would actually enjoy it.


    Legras was trying desperately to escape, but showed no signs of succeeding.


    It was kind of sad, seeing him flail around like that.


    He just looked like a bug that had been caught.


    ¡°I think he¡¯s saying that you¡¯re heavy.¡±


    I said. Tralzard looked at me with annoyance. Was she self-conscious about her weight?


    ¡°¡­Hmm. With such measly amounts of mana, there is no way to enforce your own will.¡±


    Legras¡¯s mana was ¡®measly¡¯? I thought it was rather impressive.


    But Tralzard was just judging him as an opponent.


    So she was saying that he had better increase his mana level if he wanted a chance. Harsh.


    Still, I was saved. Of course, I had been hopeful that there would be help from Tralzard¡¯s side. But I couldn¡¯t be sure of it.


    Besides, if they did come, Nehyor would run away. And so I hadn¡¯t really wanted to think about it. S~?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Kill the others.¡±


    Tralzard ordered her men, and they all moved at once.


    The people she had brought. They were likely her best.


    Now the Wild Hunt would be annihilated. It was just a fact.


    ¡°¡­So, where is their leader? Surely it is not this one?¡±


    She added more pressure. If she wasn¡¯t careful, she might awaken something inside of him.


    ¡°It¡¯s him, over there. He may look like a brat, but he¡¯s actually a Lesser Demon King.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±


    Tralzard¡¯s eyes moved to Nehyor.


    I could tell.


    Nehyor¡¯s brain was going into overdrive.


    Run or fight. How could he run, and where? Or who should he fight?


    It was quite the decision to make, but I believed that he would try to run.


    Even if he lost all of his men, he could still try again if he made it out alive.


    He would think that.


    And so I had to take the option away from him.


    ¡°Nehyor. It looks like we¡¯ve been interrupted.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes. So, what do you mean to do?¡±


    Though he was talking to me, Nehyor¡¯s eyes were still on Tralzard.


    He was thinking that if anyone was going to hurt him here, it would be Tralzard.


    ¡­And so¡­


    ¡°I challenge you to a duel. While it¡¯s been greatly delayed, think of it as a Gekokujyo.¡±


    We had once been Corps Commander and Commander.


    Let¡¯s go back to that time and fight.


    ¡°Now, I¡¯ve challenged you. What will you do?¡±


    Tralzard smiled at this.


    ¡°I see! Yes, I would like to watch such a fight.¡±


    Alright, the deck was cleared.


    If Nehyor tried to escape now, he would never be able to live it down in the Demon World.


    ¡°What¡¯s your answer?¡±

 Chapter 289

    Chapter 289After setting the stage like this, Nehyor would not be able to refuse.


    Not only that, but the situation was becoming increasingly more disadvantageous for him.


    Legras was under Tralzard¡¯s foot.


    And his other soldiers were being hunted down by Tralzard¡¯s soldiers.


    Tralzard seemed to have brought quite a lot of men with her. It was now entirely impossible for Nehyor to lead his men and turn the tide of battle.


    He had two options left.


    He could run away now, or run away after beating me.


    As long as we were fighting, Tralzard would not touch him.


    And if ran away without fighting, he would become a laughing stock.


    A former subordinate had challenged him to Gekokujyo. People would say that he ran with his tail between his legs.


    ¡°So, what will it be?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Nehyor turned to me with a look of pure hatred.


    ¡°I accept, of course. But I¡¯m quite surprised by you, Golan.¡±


    His face showed that he was almost certain that I was weaker now.


    Well, it was no surprise. I had been fighting differently compared to before, so he was bound to notice.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do it.¡±


    I stepped forward while racking my brain.


    (I can¡¯t use the hexagonal club. Besides, it was just an ordinary club if I can¡¯t charge it with mana.)


    And so I had lost an advantage.


    While I could still swing the Deepsea Dragon Sword, that too could not be charged. And so I wasn¡¯t sure how effective it would be against Nehyor.


    In the first place, I had cut him in half with it before. And so he would be extra cautious if I used it.


    (Hmm. I can¡¯t think of a way to beat him.)


    What did this mean? I had been the one to challenge him, and yet I had no good strategy.


    I had only wanted to stop him from escaping. But perhaps there was a better way to do it?


    It might have been better to just leave it to Tralzard.


    (Well, I had already challenged him. So there was no going back now.)


    Even though I was weakened, I could still do my best.


    After all, I had learned how to fight when tired, and even how to fight when one of your arms was cut off.


    I had also learned how to fight after tremendous blood loss, and you felt dizzy.


    Though, I had always thought it was ridiculous to fight in such conditions.


    (But it¡¯s quite close to the current situation, isn¡¯t it?)


    I would not use any weapons in this fight. That seemed to be the right answer.


    ¡°That stance¡­I¡¯ve seen it before.¡¯


    I stretched out both arms and crouched, just like Atlas.


    This would make things easier to deal with, but I had apparently shown it to him before. Oh, well.


    ¡°Now, come!¡±


    ¡°Then I will!¡±


    Nehyor answered as if an echo. And he moved immediately. First, he attacked with his nails.


    I parried the claws that stretched towards me.


    My arm moved as if drawing an arc, and one after another, I dealt with the chain of attacks.


    (This move, I thought it was a load of shit¡­but it¡¯s actually quite effective.)


    When teaching me it, the dojo master had said something silly about getting the idea from a movie.


    He had called it the Full Moon Defense.


    As for me, ¡®there is no way that I can use this,¡¯ I had grumbled even while practicing. However, he had turned out to be right.


    It was rather useful.


    And so I was able to parry the attacks that came in rapid succession.


    Nehyor was looking at me with an expression of wonderment.


    Why weren¡¯t his attacks reaching me? He could not understand.


    Hell, even I thought that it was unrealistic, in spite of understanding the logic behind it.


    As long as the timing was right, the circular movement could block every attack¡­according to the dojo master.


    By the way, because he had created the ¡®Full Moon Defense¡¯ so quickly, he also lost interest in it. He was strange.


    ¡°Hey, Golan. Why are you¡­always¡­using such odd moves?¡±


    ¡°In order for the weak to beat the strong, it¡¯s necessary to rack one¡¯s brain all of the time.¡±


    ¡°So my claws aren¡¯t hitting you because you racked your brain?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I said.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. Then how about this?¡±


    Nehyor vanished.


    I couldn¡¯t even tell if it was just that he moved at a high speed, or actually disappeared.


    ¡°Woah!?¡¯ S?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Pain suddenly shot through my neck.


    Apparently, I had sensed his presence and dodged him instinctively.


    Before I knew it, Nehyor¡¯s nails had slashed at my neck.


    Had I not moved out of the way, he would have likely cut through half of it.


    ¡°Huh? So you can dodge that as well.¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, yes.¡±


    I had only dodged him due to chance. I wouldn¡¯t be able to do it again.


    I would only realize that I had been attacked after his nails were deep inside.


    (Shit¡­the battle had almost ended in a flash.)


    I ignored the blood running down my neck and stood still.


    The problem was the difference in power between us.


    I didn¡¯t have enough power to defeat Nehyor.


    On the other hand, Nehyor could easily do enough damage to give me a mortal wound, if only his attacks landed.


    At a glance, it might have looked like we were equal, but it was only like that on the surface. Because I had created that illusion.


    I was actually at a great disadvantage.


    (What should I do? I do have a trick I could use¡­)


    Well, I wasn¡¯t sure¡­ It wasn¡¯t even finished.


    But without any strength left, it would be difficult to continue fighting.


    (I better make up my mind.)


    I decided to use it.


    I moved out of my stance and spread out my army. As if I was waiting for a hug.


    ¡°¡­Hmm? What are you doing, Golan?¡±


    As I was acting strangely, Nehyor became cautious.


    As this was a duel, no one else would interfere. Still, it was interesting that he still seemed confident.


    When all around him, the Wild Hunt were being hunted down.


    But perhaps he had decided that they were all as good as dead anyway.


    He didn¡¯t care about them. He was only thinking about beating me and making his escape.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to talk. Just come!¡±


    ¡°Hmph¡­ You sure are confident. ¡­Alright, I will.¡±


    He was sure that I had no power left in me now.


    I could see it on his face.


    Nehyor¡¯s attacks were not about usiing misdirection, feints, or attacking from the back.


    He just used his pure ability¡­which was very high. And so¡­


    Nehyor moved towards me at top speed.


    However, it was just in a straight line. As he was taking the shortest route, I could see the trajectory.


    ¡°I¡¯ve memorized your timing during the last fights!¡±


    With both arms, I pincered Nehyor¡¯s outstretched arm.


    ¨CSlam!


    ¡°!?¡±


    It sounded like a fly being hit.


    Nehyor jumped back in shock.


    And then he slowly looked down at his arm.


    Black smoke was rising from it.


    He understood what had happened.


    ¡ªThat I had stolen his mana.


    ¡°It¡¯s called ¡®Mana Eater.¡¯¡±


    I said with a grin.

 Chapter 290

    Chapter 290¡ð Demon King Tralzard


    ¡°What is that noise?¡±


    I was on my way to fight Demon King Legard.


    It was after camp preparations for the night had been completed, the sounds of battle could be heard from a nearby grove.


    ¡ªChuuudon-chudon-chudon.


    I could hear it faintly.


    ¡°This sound¡­is it magic bullets? Then the battle must be on a pretty large scale.¡±


    I had sent out scouts before they set up camp.


    And so at first, I assumed that they had been involved in a skirmish. But it was not the case.


    This was much bigger than that.


    ¡°Someone, send soldiers to that grove! As many as you can!¡¯


    I had to find out what was happening¡­ The scouts who had been sent out earlier were small in number.


    They may have already been annihilated.


    After waiting for some time, the second group of scouts returned.


    Apparently, a battle was being waged, but they could not get close enough to find out who it was.


    But two different forces were battling.


    ¡°It is very unlikely that such a battle happened close to us by accident. I will take my closest men and head there myself.¡±


    While it seemed likely that it would be the Demon King¡¯s army, it was also strange that they had come so close without us noticing it.


    In the first place, if Legard had crossed the border, his fighting force would be focused there.


    He wasn¡¯t the type to use himself as bait. And so it was very unlikely.


    Besides, this was my country. I would not miss an army of that size moving through it.


    There was another possibility. s?a??h th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The Wild Hunt. Sightings have been increasing recently.


    They had inflicted damage in almost every country.


    And since they seemed to appear and disappear at will, it was possible that they could have come here without being noticed.


    ¡°And so it¡¯s likely to be the Wild Hunt¡­ But what about the other side?¡±


    I knew of all my allies in the area.


    And it was doubtful that I had allies that I was unaware of.


    So, who could it be?


    ¡°We will move as soon as preparations are finished!¡±


    According to my scouts, it was a sizable army.


    Though, they could only watch from the trees, as they had to avoid the magic bullets.


    And by the time I reached the battlefield, both arms were in disarray.


    It was the Ogres that were attacking the Wild Hunt.


    ¡°What!?¡±


    I blinked.


    ¡°Ogres? Why!?¡±


    The walls of meat¡­as they are called. They were going berserk about the battlefield.


    And there were Reapers too. They supported the Ogres adeptly, and though they faced powerful enemies, they seemed to be winning.


    ¡°Is such a thing possible?¡±


    It was so shocking to me that I forgot to give out any orders.


    But I quickly regained control.


    ¡°Hyaaha!¡±


    ¡°Hyaaha!¡±


    ¡°Hyaahaha!!¡±


    The Ogres seemed very happy as they fought.


    ¡°Yes, judging by the reports, this really is the Wild Hunt. We must eliminate them first!¡±


    And so my men rushed forward.


    The Wild Hunt had ravaged my villages and towns as they traveled up north.


    And while there were many eye witnesses, we had never been able to find them in advance.


    But now, they were right in front of us.


    I watched my subordinates charge into the enemy, and then I too moved deeper in. And then¡­


    ¡°Golan. Why are you here?!¡±


    I froze, while stepping on an enemy.


    Golan¡¯s actions were even more mysterious than the Wild Hunt.


    Golan should not be here.


    I pressed down with my foot as I tried to think of an explanation. Also, what was this thing under my foot?


    (Golan had said that he was going to return to his country. But he also heard the news about the Wild Hunt. And then he stayed in the town, quietly¡­.)


    And according to reports, he was still there when we left.


    But it didn¡¯t seem like he was plotting something.


    (This is strange¡­)


    He shouldn¡¯t know that we are here.


    It was the same with the Wild Hunt.


    (I don¡¯t know¡­ Why is Golan attacking the Wild Hunt¡­ No, how is he even able to? It doesn¡¯t make sense.)


    Where did he get the information from?


    Did he have access to classified information, even in a foreign country?


    And how could he attack the Wild Hunt, when no one knew where they were?


    There was too much that I didn¡¯t know.


    But while I stood there in shock, Golan challenged their leader, Nehyor, to a duel.


    Golan was strong¡­but also gave the impression of someone who was too reckless.


    Normally, acting in such a way would result in your death before an evolution.


    It really was odd.


    How he had survived this long.


    ¡°I will watch you.¡±


    Before I knew it, I was shouting such things.


    Apparently, Golan and Nehyor used to work together.


    And so they had a score to settle.


    I was interested to see how this Gekokujyo ended.


    Of course, I would have to defeat Nehyor regardless, after all the damage he caused in my country.


    And so if Golan lost, I would make my move.


    But until then, I would not interfere.


    (However¡­what was with this mountain of corpses surrounding me?)


    They all had expressions of pain and suffering.


    What had happened here before my arrival¡­


    Golan and Nehyor¡¯s battle seemed like a seesaw battle¡­but there was something strange about Golan.


    Like his body wasn¡¯t quite right.


    I thought he was saving his strength at first, but there was more to it.


    He had no strength left in him.


    Could there be a worse circumstance for Gekokujyo?


    What had he been thinking, challenging Nehyor like this?


    ¡°What!?¡±


    There were two things that shocked me during the fight.


    One was Golan¡¯s skill.


    Without using physical strength, he managed to brave the attacks of someone so powerful.


    I had lived long, but did not know that such a thing was possible.


    (Is he parrying¡­?)


    It seemed more like he was lightly touching his opponent with his hands, but it was not the case.


    These were highly calculated movements that went against Nehyor¡¯s power.


    Even I could not calculate like that.


    I had always felt that brute force was everything.


    (So, there are other ways to use one¡¯s power.)


    If others could fight like he did, the instances of powerful people being defeated would become more common.


    (Well, it would not be easy to imitate such a thing.)


    It was impossible unless you understood both your own and their movements perfectly.


    Anything less than that would just be a surface level imitation.


    And then there was the other thing that shocked me.


    ¡°He absorbed his mana?¡±


    It was something that Lesser Demon King Yamato had once done.


    As there was something similar about the two, I had told him about it¡­ But to think that he could use it already.


    (King Yamato absorbed it from the palm of his hand, but Golan seemed like he had to sandwich them with both hands.)


    But it was still amazing.


    After all, in the Demon World, your mana level was everything. The tide of battle changed depending on how you used it.


    If you could absorb an opponent¡¯s mana and make it your own, then you could fight forever.


    That meant that no matter how much power the other person had, you would be able to win eventually if you kept absorbing their mana.


    ¡°¡­Golan. What a frightful being.¡±


    I had no other words to describe him.


    Golan absorbed Nehyor¡¯s mana several times and made it his own.


    Now that he knew it was possible, Nehyor seemed like he didn¡¯t know what to do.


    I thought that Golan would win at any moment¡­but then something happened to change the situation.

 Chapter 291

    Chapter 291¡ð Demon King Tralzard


    I kept watching as they fought.


    It was one surprise after another.


    Golan had called this mana absorption, ¡®Mana Eater.¡¯


    And while it looked a little different, it was essentially the same technique that Lesser High King Yamato used.


    ¡°So Golan really did evolve into something close to King Yamato.¡±


    Very little was known about King Yamato¡¯s early days.


    All the stories about him were of after he became a Lesser High King.


    This was because no one from that time was still alive.


    ¡°After all, it was a very long time ago.¡±


    As I thought about this, the situation changed.


    Nehyor moved back and started unleashing magic.


    ¡°How is this, Golan? Having trouble?¡±


    Nehyor said with a triumphant voice. But to me, it seemed like he was getting ahead of himself.


    Vampires had high physical ability.


    And they also had many skills.


    Some of them were incredibly useful, like being able to fly and heal.


    However, they also had weaknesses.


    In Nehyor¡¯s case, it was endurance.


    He was not as tough as someone like Golan.


    And while Vampires had so many tricks up their sleeves, none were very strong when the mana had to be distributed to all of them.


    With Nehyor, he would not have that much mana left to use for magic attacks.


    In other words, the reason that he hadn¡¯t used them earlier, was not because he was saving them. It was because they weren¡¯t that powerful.


    And from what I could see, it was clearly the case.


    Vampires were high-rankers, but his magic attacks were what you¡¯d expect from a mid-ranker.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s see what it does to Golan.¡±


    Golan was good at dodging magic attacks.


    One clean hit would be enough to kill an Ogre. And so he had to be good at it.


    And since Golan had evolved from an Ogre, that weakness would have likely stayed with him.


    ¡°¡­But, he is dealing with them with his inherent toughness.¡±


    Golan was dodging them while slowly moving forwards. However, some of them did hit him.


    And every time, he took damage somewhere on his body. But he succeeded in getting closer.


    ¡°¡­So, he can absorb magic as well.¡±


    He dodged, blocked, and occasionally absorbed Nehyor¡¯s magic attacks.


    And it seemed like he was getting better every time he absorbed it. Like he was learning as he fought.


    ¡°¡­Hmm?¡±


    Perhaps he did not want Golan to get close. Nehyor stopped shooting and jumped back¡­but that was when Golan targeted him.


    He had gotten close so quickly. And he grabbed Nehyor¡¯s arm and held him there.


    ¡°He¡¯s fast when he needs to be. I might have missed it had I not been watching closely.¡±


    However, what was he going to do now?


    While Golan¡¯s arms would certainly be stronger, Nehyor was a Vampire.


    They could be monstrously strong out of nowhere.


    ¡ªSnap.


    Nehyor¡¯s arm broke.


    Golan quickly let go and grabbed the other arm, which he also broke.


    He moved from one target to the next after that. As he strangled the neck, he snapped Nehyor¡¯s flailing legs.


    ¡°He is always full of surprises.¡±


    It was as if he knew which direction Nehyor would try to run, and he was always a step ahead.


    Nehyor must be furious.


    When he thought he had run away, he learned that he had been led there all along.


    And then he was caught and strangled.


    And when he tried to free himself, his limbs were snapped.


    ¡°While he can heal his bones quickly, how many times can he continue to do it¡­ But if he doesn¡¯t heal them, then he will never be able to catch up, as more bones will be broken.¡±


    It was rather horrifying to watch.


    He must have foreseen this battle against Nehyor, and been practicing.


    In fact, I could tell that Nehyor¡¯s mana level had decreased greatly by this point.


    ¡°That will happen if your neck is snapped that many times.


    I had lost count as to how many times his arms and legs were broken.


    Now that he was caught, he would not be able to get away.


    He would be strangled and broken until Golan let him go.


    But if his mana fell any lower, would he even be able to heal himself in an instant?


    ¡°¡­Hmm? What is this?¡±


    The mana surrounding Nehyor had decreased. He had to use it in order to heal. And he had also used it when attacking Golan with magic¡­


    ¡°But even still, it seems to be falling faster than it should?¡±


    I was careless.


    I thought that I was watching them closely, but I had missed something.


    ¡°So Golan has been absorbing Nehyor¡¯s mana ever since he grabbed him!¡±


    That¡¯s why Nehyor was so desperate to get away.


    And Golan prevented it by breaking his bones over and over again.


    Broken bones were nothing to Nehyor.


    Golan could break as many as he likes. As long as Nehyor could get away.


    Like that, he was trying to heal faster than Golan could keep up with, so that he could escape.


    ¡°That is what¡¯s happening.¡±


    I finally realized what Golan was doing.


    He would occasionally let go of Nehyor entirely.


    As if he wanted to make it easier for Nehyor to escape.


    And so Nehyor would heal his bones and try to move away.


    But strangely, he couldn¡¯t.


    If he tried to go up, he was pulled back down. If we went to the right, he was spun around and slammed to the ground.


    And if he tried to go in to attack instead, he was pushed into the ground.


    ¡°It¡¯s like a puzzle.¡±


    And every time, Golan absorbed mana from him.


    By the time the two were separated again, Golan¡¯s mana had swelled up considerably.


    ¡°You¡¯ve really done it, Golan.¡±


    Nehyor said as he panted. Golan laughed.


    ¡°Ah, I have to thank you. Now I can use this.¡±


    Golan unsheathed the Deepsea Dragon Sword that was on his back.


    ¡°Really? While you may have mana again, I doubt your strength will return.¡±


    Nehyor said mockingly. Golan¡¯s only answer was ¡®Super Arm Strengthen.¡¯ S~?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡®Arm Strengthen¡¯ was a special ability that Ogres had.


    And so this must be an enhanced version.


    There was suddenly a palpable tension between them.


    Nehyor was more cautious than ever.


    And it was affecting those around them.


    The onlookers gulped as they watched over the two.


    Golan was the first to move.


    I couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡®why?¡¯


    If you were staring at each other like this, moving first meant giving the other person the opportunity to deal with you.


    It wouldn¡¯t matter if you could move at a speed that they couldn¡¯t follow, but what reason did Golan have?


    Golan held the sword with his right hand and attacked the air directly behind him.


    ¡°Huh!?¡±


    ¡°Huh!?¡±


    ¡°What!?


    It wasn¡¯t just Nehyor, but everyone else was stunned.


    What was Golan attacking? All their eyes moved to the spot.


    But there was nothing there.


    ¡ªBuuuunnn!


    With a stronger momentum this time, Golan attacked the empty area behind him once again, and as he stumbled forward, the sword accelerated even more.


    ¡°Whaaat!!¡±


    With Golan in the center, the blade swung, making a full circle around him, and then slashing through the neck of Nehyor, who had moved in to attack. And like that, Nehyor¡¯s head went flying.


    ¡ªPaaan!


    It was a brilliant attack.


    Nehyor¡¯s head spun as it flew high into the air.


    ¡°Secret technique, ¡®Backhand Slash.¡¯¡±


    Golan said the mysterious name. It was likely a special ability of his.


    Now that it had lost its head, Nehyor¡¯s body slowly fell to the ground.


    ¡°What¡­Golan won?¡±


    When it had been announced, I had felt that the chances of him winning were slim.


    After all, this was the leader of the Wild Hunt.


    Nehyor was a veteran who had killed many Lesser Demon Kings in a short amount of time.


    Surely Golan would not be capable of winning.


    And then I watched them fight, and it was clear that Golan was not at his best.


    ¡°Yet he still won¡­¡±


    It was hard to believe.


    Golan leaned on his sword as if it was a staff.


    Yes, he was clearly not well.


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s over.¡±


    And then he stabbed Nehyor¡¯s heart with his sword.


    It was only then that Golan smiled.


    ¡­But then, Nehyor¡¯s head fell down from the sky and bit into Golan¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Woah!?¡±


    Golan cried out and tore Nehyor¡¯s head off and threw him onto the ground.


    But that wasn¡¯t enough for him. And he stomped on it until it was completely crushed.


    ¡°¡­.Uh¡­¡±


    ¡°Golan, what is it?¡±


    He immediately fell to his knees and tried to support himself with one arm, but failed. He collapsed on the ground.


    ¡°Golan!?¡±


    I ran towards him.


    Not just me. The others did as well.


    When we sat him up, I saw that Golan¡¯s neck had become black.


    ¡°He¡¯s been poisoned.¡±


    Vampires were able to transform the mana in their bodies and create poison.


    However, it would also eat away at their own bodies. So most did not use it.


    That¡¯s how terrible a special ability it was. But Nehyor must have been creating it, even as he fought Golan.


    So that even if he died, he could take Golan with him.


    ¡°Golan. Stay strong!¡±


    I called¡­but there was no answer.


    I continued to talk, but it was no use. He would not reply.


    ¡°¡­He-he¡¯s dea¡­¡±


    I could not say the rest.

 Chapter 292

    Chapter 292¡°Where am¡­oh, it¡¯s just the usual place.¡±


    A place shrouded in mist. A place with nothing.


    I was inside of the Orb of Control.


    ¡°That means that the other me should be somewhere close by¡­ah, there he is.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t been able to see him at first, but he was squatting a short distance away.


    I raised a hand and said, ¡®hey!¡¯¡­but he barely reacted.


    He just slowly turned to me and raised his hand a little.


    ¡°What is it? Are you feeling low? Also¡­aren¡¯t you a little pale?¡±


    Like there was less color in him¡­I wasn¡¯t sure.


    As if he was fading away.


    ¡°What happened to you!¡±


    He looked like a ghost.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    He said, giving me a thumbs up to show that he was alright.


    However, that in itself was painful to see.


    ¡°It¡¯s clearly something! Are you sick? Why are you squatting? Are you in pain?¡±


    ¡°It really isn¡¯t anything. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll worry! You look faded.¡±


    It was like he was starting to become transparent.


    ¡°I said that I¡¯m fine¡­damn it. It¡¯s here already.¡±


    He clicked his tongue.


    ¡°Here? What is? We¡¯re inside of the Orb of Control, aren¡¯t we? Is it Melvis again?¡±


    I could not forget that presence. Is that what he was afraid of?


    ¡°No. The hole. The hole is here.¡±


    ¡°Hole? ¡­Oh, you mean that hole?¡±


    The one that we jump into in order to return.


    But we had only just met, and had barely been able to talk.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s different. This one is¡­very dangerous. We cannot escape from it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. You can¡¯t run away? What do you mean?¡±


    It didn¡¯t look like he was joking, but what was he thinking about?


    I stared hard in the direction that he was looking.


    ¡°That? Is that the hole?¡±


    Something that looked like a big, black tornado was moving towards us.


    I¡¯ll say it again.


    It was a big, black tornado.


    And there seemed to be lightning crashing inside of it as well.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the hole. I managed to survive it once earlier. Because you weren¡¯t here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too big for a hole. That thing could swallow up a whole village¡­ What do you mean you would have survived if I wasn¡¯t here?¡±


    You could not run away if that thing got close to you?


    So how had he managed? It didn¡¯t make any sense.


    As I looked at him oddly, he slowly opened his mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s a hole that leads to the Under World. When I escaped it, I got a glimpse at what was on the other side. I saw the dead souls that writhed within.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­t?¡±


    What did he just say?


    A hole to the Under World? Souls?


    Why the hell would such a thing appear in our Orb of Control?


    No, wait. Why was I here?


    Remember. Why was I sent here¡­


    ¨CNehyor.


    Nehyor¡¯s head had bitten my neck.


    There was horrible pain. My reflexively tore it off and stomped on it.


    And after that.


    My eyesight grew dark¡­ And then what?


    ¡°I remember now. Poison¡­ I must have been poisoned. And then¡­I got weak and collapsed.¡±


    The last thing that I remember seeing was Tralzard¡¯s face.


    That old woman had been the first to rush towards me.


    I had died looking at an old woman.


    ¡°You remember? I was following Nehyor¡¯s head as it rotated in the air, but I didn¡¯t make it in time. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing for you to apologize about. It¡¯s my fault for not noticing it. Yes, Nehyor¡¯s head bit me and his fangs sent the poison¡­¡±


    ¡°Aye, that¡¯s right. And then we died.¡±


    ¡°In other words, the reason that you look like this is because we were poisoned.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t¡­no, never mind. In any case, the fact that a hole to the Under World has appeared here means that there is no way to escape.¡± S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The hole had been far away at first, but it was now much closer.


    It was more like a typhoon than a hole.


    ¡°Are you serious? I¡¯m going to die here.¡±


    Indeed, there was no way to escape from a hole that swallowed up everything in this world.


    Running wouldn¡¯t be of any use.


    Besides, the other me seemed like he had accepted his fate.


    I suppose I had to do the same.


    ¡°I had a fun time.¡±


    ¡°So did I.¡±


    And then we shook hands.


    We shook hands and then our arms locked together.


    We would always be together.


    Our final moment had arrived.


    As if gravity were being manipulated, our bodies were sucked towards the hole.


    ¡°It¡¯s just so sudden.¡±


    And like that, my consciousness ended.


    ¡°¡­Hmm?¡±


    Or not.


    No, it wasn¡¯t the case.


    I had entered a dark tunnel and was not able to see anything. But once I was through it, I entered into a world of pale light.


    ¡°Is this the Under World?¡±


    I could see an ocean far below. It was made of souls.


    That was why it was glowing.


    And then the sky.


    The clouds were also made of souls. Glowing clouds.


    So this was what the other me had seen on the other side.


    ¡°This is the Under World that Melvis visited.¡±


    In the center, there was a thick pillar that connected the sea to the clouds.


    Souls would rain down and drop into the water, while others would rise to the clouds through the pillar.


    The circle of souls.


    As this continued, the souls would get purified until they were brand new.


    ¡°Hey, you.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    We were currently just souls.


    We could not see each other.


    However, we could still talk.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to fall into the Under World sea.¡±


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯re descending slowly now. We will definitely fall into it if this continues.¡±


    ¡°Listen to me carefully. There is one way to get out of this.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember what Melvis said? If the soul and flesh are connected, then you cannot leave the Under World.¡±


    ¡°Yes. The reason that he was able to return to the Demon World was because his soul was still connected to his body.¡±


    In other words, resurrection. Or call it a near death experience.


    Dead souls would come here.


    However, there are times when someone isn¡¯t actually dead.


    And in such cases, those souls are returned.


    And it seems as if they have come back from the dead.


    And there was one other thing.


    Our true purpose.


    ¡°You can also leave the Under World if you become a pure soul, right?¡±


    When you are purified and cleansed, you are sent out and reborn in another world. The circle of reincarnation.


    ¡°Yes. Listen to me, if this continues, I will be reborn.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    What was the other me saying?


    Reborn?


    He had been acting very strange ever since I met him today.


    ¡°In fact, my soul is already mostly purified. And so I don¡¯t have much time left. I can tell¡­ ¡°


    And then he laughed.


    ¡°Why? Your soul is purified¡­are you sure? But that means you will lose your memories and everything. Why is this happening?¡±


    ¡°Because of the salt. It started to carve away at my soul.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I knew what he was talking about.


    The Wild Hunt soldiers had died so easily when exposed to the salt of holy power.


    It wasn¡¯t that those soldiers were weak. Nehyor had brought them with the intention of killing Tralzard.


    Would salt be enough to kill such soldiers?


    So why had they all died?


    It damaged them with no regard for strengthening abilities and mana levels.


    And yet I was fine.


    Was it because I had a human soul?


    If that was true, what about the other me¡­?


    ¡°To be honest, I was in such pain that I wanted to roll on the ground. But strangely, it doesn¡¯t hurt anymore now that we are here.¡±


    The reason that he barely reacted.


    The reason that he was pale.


    ¡°You¡­so it was the salt of holy power.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not noticing!¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. Even I had no idea that it would have such an effect.¡±


    The reason the salt of holy power was dangerous to residents of the Demon World.


    It was because it directly affected the soul.


    ¡°I put you through something horrible. That damned Nehyor. If I ever see him again¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s already dead. He is here, isn¡¯t he? ¡­No, nevermind that. More importantly, I¡¯m only going to say this once, so listen closely.¡±


    ¡°Say whatever you want. I¡¯ll listen to what you have to say. I¡¯ll do anything!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it. I won¡¯t last here much longer. You may not believe me, but I can tell. Preparations for my rebirth will be starting soon. However, our souls are connected.¡±


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯re always together.¡±


    ¡°And I don¡¯t think that will be allowed when I am reborn. And so when it starts to happen, I want you to move away from me and go! Push me to the side so that you will be reborn instead.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about!? I thought we were going to stay together.¡±


    ¡°You just said that you¡¯d do anything that I asked. I want you to ride the wave of rebirth instead of me. That is my request. I don¡¯t know where you will be reborn, but I¡¯m sure that you will manage.¡±


    ¡°As if I could just abandon you here!¡±


    ¡°You must! I am going to lose myself. My memories will be gone, and I will be just like the other souls that are here. And then I will be prepared for reincarnation. If we stay together, then your soul will be purified as well. I don¡¯t want that to happen. This is my wish¡­my first and final wish. Please¡­please make it come true.¡±


    ¡°No! We have to stay together! You can¡¯t just decide that I should leave!¡±


    ¡°Leave me! See, we¡¯re almost there. Once we are inside of the water, I will lose consciousness. Listen¡­it¡¯s a promise. It won¡¯t be my soul. But you can take my memories with you¡­¡±


    And then we sank into the sea.


    The other souls floated to the surface and were pulled towards the pillar. But we continued to sink.


    After some time, I could no longer see other souls around us. And then I saw that the bottom of the sea was shining.


    And we were pulled towards it.


    So this is where you were reborn¡­I thought, but then I got stuck on something.


    I suppose souls could not go any farther.


    ¡°Hey, can you hear me?¡±


    There was no reply.


    But I continued to talk.


    ¡°Apparently, we can¡¯t go any farther¡­ Maybe they have high standards for rebirth. And we¡¯re not allowed.¡±


    I could feel that my soul was caught on something.


    ¡°We¡¯ve always stuck together. There is no way that I would leave you here.¡±


    ¡°You knew this would happen, didn¡¯t you? You¡¯re terrible.¡±


    ¡°I would have stayed here with you until my soul was purified. Forever¡­¡±


    ¡°But I made a promise. I doubt that you would be angry if I broke that promise. You would just look annoyed. You know what? That gets on my nerves even more. You have a knack for doing that¡­you¡¯re a genius.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you. I¡¯m sorry¡­ I really am. It¡¯s not like you wanted to separate from me either.¡±


    ¡°And yet¡­and yet¡­I forced you to say such things. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Saying sorry won¡¯t fix anything¡­but I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll¡­make your wish come true.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it, no matter what.¡±


    And so I removed the other soul, which was now just a foreign substance.


    And I threw it up to the surface.


    The soul of the other me rose up and disappeared into the distance.


    ¡°I¡¯ll carry your memories. And so¡­and so¡­let¡¯s meet again¡­in our next life.¡±


    ¡ªFarewell.


    And like that, I entered into the place that he should have gone, sinking towards the floor of light.

 Chapter 293

    Chapter 293After slipping out of the Under World, the souls swam down the narrow road to reincarnation, crossing through the barrier that isolated the worlds.


    They were lined up neatly, as if waiting their turn, and one by one, the door to a new life was opened.


    However, there was one infant soul who tried to enter, but was rejected.


    The soul was too big for its vessel.


    After bouncing off, the soul floated dazedly for a while, and then went inside of¡­a different vessel.


    ¡°I don¡¯t recognize this ceiling.¡±


    My eyes opened.


    I could tell that my memories were muddy.


    (Why am I here? What happened?)


    I shook my head over and over and tried to grab at any memories that were in reach.


    My name was Golan.


    A young Ogre¡­ No, that¡¯s not right.


    ¡°I evolved into a Susanoo-no-Mikoto. And then what happened after that?¡±


    My last memory¡­ I had been fighting against someone. Ah, now I remember.


    ¡°It was Nehyor. I had found him and challenged him to a fight. And then what happened?¡±


    Everything after that was foggy.


    Did I win? Or did I lose?


    There were fragments in my head.


    I knew that I had struggled.


    For some reason, I could not fight well. I couldn¡¯t see how I would be able to win.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡ªMana Eater. S?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    I used it.


    It was starting to come back to me now.


    I had been covered by salt of holy power, and my mana level had decreased.


    ¡°Not so much decreased, as erased.¡±


    There was no sensation of it being used up or leaving me.


    It was as if it just suddenly vanished.


    ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s called Mana Eater. Using it at the last moment, that does sound like me.¡±


    Mana was dangerous. Not something you should just take into your body without thinking.


    After learning how to use Mana Eater, I had tested it out on my own kind¡­Saifo and Beka.


    In the end, I had felt terrible nausea and a feeling of fatigue soon after.


    Apparently, your body would reject it if you directly tried to absorb someone else¡¯s mana like that.


    Like having water in the lungs. Your body could only recognize it as something that shouldn¡¯t be there.


    ¡°It got better after some practice, but not perfect.¡±


    It was necessary to convert it so that the mana¡¯s properties would match you while you absorbed it.


    Kind of like an AC-DC converter.


    To be honest, it was so troublesome that I had doubted that I would ever use it.


    And so I had stopped training with Mana Eater after that.


    It had fallen to the rank of a possibly useful but overly troublesome skills.


    ¡°Ultimately, I used it when I had no other choice. I would have likely lost if I didn¡¯t use it. So, it was all good in the end?¡±


    Apparently, I had become competent enough with it.


    More memories started to come back.


    At the end of the fight against Nehyor, I had succeeded in cutting his head off and killing him.


    Though Vampires were good with healing, there was nothing they could do after you crushed their head.


    ¡°Tralzard should be able to take care of the rest.¡±


    Yes, she wasn¡¯t the kind of person who you wanted to see a close up of, but her fighting capability was unrivaled.


    So I was sure that she would be able to deal with the situation.


    ¡°And then the other me¡­¡±


    His last moment came back, almost against my will.


    When Nehyor¡¯s head had bitten into me, something horrible had entered into my body.


    A powerful poison.


    I didn¡¯t know the details, but it was likely something that only a few of the Vampires had.


    And I had been bitten¡ªand then we died.


    Normally, our souls would have gone to the Under World, where our souls would be purified, and then we would be reincarnated.


    As the other me had already been mostly purified from the salt of holy power, he would go straight to the path of rebirth.


    That narrow road at the bottom of the sea.


    The open mouth that led to a new life.


    But because we were stuck together, we could not enter.


    If I moved away, the other me would have continued on the path.


    ¡°So I suppose I robbed him of that.¡±


    Because after cutting him off, it was I who headed down towards reincarnation.


    ¡°He wanted me to take his memories¡­¡±


    His soul was purified.


    Even if we meet again in this life, we would not know each other.


    ¡°But I know. His memories will always be here.¡±


    I hit my chest.


    ¡°¡­So, where am I? And what is this body?¡±


    I looked down. I was not wearing any clothes.


    And when I touched my head, I did not have the horns that Ogre types were known for.


    The body itself seemed sickly. And that feeling of ¡®having mana¡¯ that applied to all residents of the Demon World had become very thin.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost as if I¡¯m human.¡±


    I appeared to be lying on a stone table, and my back hurt. That too was very human.


    ¡°And there¡¯s someone sleeping next to me¡­a woman?¡±


    A human woman who appeared to be in her mid-twenties was lying down on the stone table as well.


    I looked around. It was a light decorated stone building.


    As we were indoors, I didn¡¯t know where we were.


    ¡°Well, at least it¡¯s not cold.¡±


    I got off of the table and poked the woman¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°No reaction. I don¡¯t even know if she is alive or dead.¡±


    She also wasn¡¯t wearing any clothes, but nevermind that.


    I was very curious about where we were.


    There were no windows in the room.


    The only thing here was a stone door.


    Double doors, and they looked very heavy.


    I grabbed the handle.


    ¡°Hmm¡­it is heavy.¡±


    It¡¯s like we were being trapped inside.


    But when I tried pulling harder, the door opened.


    ¡ªPishiiiii


    There was a terrible crushing sound as it opened.


    And then a strong gust of wind flowed into the room. It was warmer than the air inside.


    ¡°A hallway.¡±


    A straight hallway stretched out ahead.


    The walls, ceiling and floor were all made of stone.


    I left the room and walked down the hallway. There must be something up ahead.


    And then from the other end, a creature approached. It swam through the air like some kind of snake or dragon.


    I had seen creatures like that in the Demon World. Their heads bobbed up and down as they moved through the air.


    ¡°My, my. I see that someone has come in. I am Pojun the Lindwurm, the Keeper of the Sealed Tomb.¡±


    ¡°What? Sealed Tomb? What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know of the Sealed Tomb¡­ How odd. May I ask you where it is that you came from?¡±


    ¡°Where¡­from the Under World, I think?¡±


    ¡°And where is this Under World that you speak of? Could it be that King Yamato has created a new Under World?¡±


    ¡°Huh? King Yamato?¡±


    What was this place?


    Hello. Thank you for reading.


    I just have to say, things had been very bad recently, and more than ever, I would really appreciate any possible support to keep things running and with regular releases.


    Thank you.


    https://ko-fi.com/tigertranslations

 Chapter 294

    Chapter 294The man who called himself Pojun the Lindwurm was floating in the air in front of me.


    He was about three meters in length. A little smaller than the Lamias.


    Pojun had a full, white beard on his face. His eyebrows were also white.


    There were numerous deep wrinkles running across his face, indicating that he was quite advanced in years.


    Both the face and overall form gave me the impression of an eastern dragon. The kind who would grant you a wish.


    However, the big difference with those dragons was that he had no arms or legs.


    So he was like a snake or worm.


    Not a dragon, but a kind of demi-beast.


    ¡°The Under World is a place where dead souls from the Demon World, Celestial World, and Human World gather.¡±


    Upon saying this, I realized something.


    Now that I thought about, there were not many people in the Demon World who knew about the Under World either. s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It was mostly just some of the high-ranking races. I had only learned of it recently myself.


    ¡°A place where dead souls gather¡­ I see. Such worlds exist, and that is where you have come from.¡±


    ¡°Yes. And now I have a question. Were you talking about Lesser High King Yamato? The one who went missing long ago¡­¡±


    ¡°King Yamato is the one who made this world in order to protect our ancestors. We sometimes call him Founder Yamato. But I¡¯ve never heard the title, ¡®Lesser High King.¡¯¡±


    Never heard it? In the Demon world, everyone knew of Lesser High Kings, just as they knew of Lesser Demon Kings and Demon Kings.


    Something about all of this was not right.


    ¡°In the first place, where are we? Not this specific place, but this world.¡±


    ¡°What a strange question¡­ This is the world that King Yamato created. The Garden. A place that is ruled by different laws than the Human World.¡±


    ¡°Human World? So we¡¯re in the Human World, not the Demon World?¡±


    ¡°Yes. To be precise, it¡¯s a ¡®different world¡¯ that King Yamato made inside of the Human World. While the Demon World is our homeland, we were told that it is impossible to return.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    I was starting to understand.


    Unless Pojun was pulling my leg, this really was the Human World. Or an Other World, perhaps.


    So my soul had been reborn, not in the Demon World or Celestial World, but in the Human World.


    (But aren¡¯t people usually reborn as babies? I appear to be an adult man?)


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°Tell me. My body right now¡­what do I look like?¡±


    ¡°You seem to be able to move just fine. I don¡¯t believe there is anything wrong with your ability to function.¡±


    Damn it. He didn¡¯t get it.


    ¡°Is this a human¡¯s body? Or some other race? Which is it?¡±


    ¡°Ah, it is neither. You are currently what we call a ¡®Personification.¡¯¡±


    ¡°And what is that?¡±


    ¡°A ¡®temporary vessel¡¯ used so that the high-rankers can mimic a human.¡±


    A temporary vessel for high-rankers to mimic humans?


    What the hell? It exceeded my understanding.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, let¡¯s go over everything again. My name is Golan. I used to be in the Demon World. Then I died. My soul went to the Under World. I told you what that is. I thought that I was going to be reincarnated, but I¡¯m here, in a temporary body. I¡¯m very confused right now. So tell me what you can about this world.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ah¡­ I do not mind explaining it to you. But where should I begin?¡±


    ¡°In that case, just tell me about this place.¡±


    ¡°Very well. About this place¡­ It was a long time ago, and I¡¯ve only heard stories. But I will tell you what I know.¡±


    And like that, Pojun the Lindwurm told me about how this place came to be.


    Ultimately, it was quite shocking.


    So this really was the Human World. A separate world made inside of it.


    But while humans lived in the Human World, they did not know about this place.


    ¡°We have strict orders to people who go down into the Human World. They are to never speak of this place.¡±


    Who gives the order?


    Apparently, it was Pojun, as he was the manager of this place.


    It had been four hundred years since he gained the position over this Sealed Tomb.


    He managed the building and the Personifications. And he intended to work for at least another hundred years.


    As for this ¡®King Yamato¡¯ that he talked about, I was quite sure that it was Lesser High King Yamato.


    There were people here who were nearly a thousand years old, and this world had existed for as long as they could remember.


    And so this world was much older. It would have to be over a thousand and five hundred years old.


    It could even be over two thousand years old.


    Someone who had lived that long, and was capable of making a place so big¡­ It could be no one but Lesser High King Yamato.


    Especially if this place really was in the Human World.


    And there was another shocking thing about this world.


    It was filled with mana.


    I had no idea how hard it would be to create a place within the Human World that was filled with mana.


    However, if he could do it, then he really was worthy of the title, Lesser High King.


    Pojun continued to talk.


    He then told me that this ¡®Other World¡¯ was separated into four blocks.


    Each one was based on one of the four seasons, and so together, this was the Garden of Four Seasons. The four gardens were named liked this:


    The Field of Everlasting Spring


    The Coast of Everlasting Summer


    The Forest of Everlasting Autumn


    The Village of Everlasting Winter


    You could think of the world as a cake. Cut it into four equal pieces and assign them clockwise: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter.


    Actually, there was a place in the center where they all met, and you could not enter it. So perhaps it was more like a donut.


    Apparently, I was currently in the Forest of Everlasting Autumn block, which made it the third one.


    It was a comfortable climate, not too hot and not too cold. And there many of the non-combat races lived here.


    ¡°I understand that this place is called the Forest of Everlasting Autumn. So, what do I have to do to meet this King Yamato?¡±


    ¡°I see. King Yamato is in the Field of Everlasting Spring. But it is very far away, and so you will have to travel for several days in order to visit him.¡±


    ¡°So, each block is very big then?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, they are. Furthermore, you cannot go directly to the Field of Everlasting Spring from the Forest of Everlasting Autumn, and so it will take time.¡±


    That¡¯s right.


    It was on the opposite side of the donut.


    Since they didn¡¯t share any borders, I would have to travel through the other blocks.


    I could only reach Yamato through the Village of Everlasting Winter or the Coast of Everlasting Summer.


    This world was rather annoying.

 Chapter 295

    Chapter 295In order to meet Yamato, I had to leave this block and cross the blocks ruled by winter or summer.


    The order was Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Or the reverse.


    And so you could not go to Spring directly from Autumn.


    ¡°Just to confirm, I can reach the Field of Everlasting Spring, where Yamata is, if I go through Summer or Winter?¡±


    ¡°That is correct. However, I would not advise it.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Those who would rebel against King Yamato have gathered in the Coast of Everlasting Summer. I have heard that it is a very dangerous place. While you may have been a high-ranker, you are in a humanoid shell now. It is too dangerous.¡±


    Why was there an anti-Yamato faction in the world that he created?


    Were they children going through a rebellious phase?


    ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t I just go through the Village of Everlasting Winter?¡±


    ¡°Not only is it an incredibly harsh environment, but going through it will be quite the feat in itself. This is a place where Ice Wolves freeze to death. So a Personification like you would not be able to move for very long.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see. Why was this block made to be so dangerous!¡±


    ¡°Well, some of the races prefer the cold.¡±


    ¡°But you said Ice Wolves freeze to death. Cold is an understatement. Why would he make such a place!¡±


    ¡°Well, there was demand.¡±


    ¡°¡­No way.¡±


    It must have been a very small minority.


    But from what I just heard, the winter block sounded like hell.


    If I had to choose, it would be the summer block. But I didn¡¯t know how dangerous this rebel force was.


    ¡°This world was made by King Yamato, right? So why is there a rebel force?¡±


    ¡°Yes. King Yamato is against any hostilities towards humans. However, let¡¯s just say that the other races have their¡­habits. Some of them cannot help themselves from fighting. And so King Yamato does not allow them to come in contact with the humans.¡±


    ¡°I see. So that¡¯s where they disagree.¡±


    It was simple enough.


    The Demon World wasn¡¯t a peaceful place where most of the residents could live without getting into fights.


    There were always people who saw chaos as a reason to live.


    ¡°There aren¡¯t any humans here, are there?¡±


    It was filled with mana. This wasn¡¯t an environment that could sustain human life.


    ¡°As far as I am aware, no human has ever come to this place.¡±


    I knew it. There were no humans in this world. Only residents of the Demon World.


    ¡°But if he can make a place like this, surely he could create an environment that humans can live in?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think that it would be possible for King Yamato. However, he made this world in order to prevent the others from coming in contact with humans. And I believe he has no intention of changing that.¡±


    So he made a place exclusively for residents of the Demon World in order to keep them away from humans.


    A way to isolate us.


    ¡°How long ago was this?¡± S~?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I heard that it was a very long time ago.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t some problem that arose that forced him to isolate this place. It was like this from the beginning.


    Yes, there must be some reason for that.


    When residents of the Celestial World come down to the Demon World, their power and abilities are halved.


    They needed holy power to survive. Mana was a poison to them.


    The same thing would happen if we went to the Celestial World.


    As for the Human World, if my speculation was right, then their atmosphere would not be poisonous for us.


    But since there is no mana, our strength would diminish a little.


    My guess was that residents of the Celestial World and Demon World would only be able to use about seventy percent of their power.


    But while such demerits existed, I still didn¡¯t see why he had to keep all of the residents of the Demon World isolated here.


    The reason that he made this world. I felt as if the answer to that question must be hidden here somewhere.


    ¡°Yes, I really do look like a human, don¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Of course, you do. You are a Personification. You are made to be indistinguishable from them.¡±


    ¡°And you said that these were made for going down to the Human World? So it¡¯s fine if you are in this state?¡±


    ¡°Yes. As Personifications do not release any mana, they can exist without disturbing the humans.¡±


    ¡°In other words, they not only look like humans, but feel like them.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. On the other hand, being inside of a temporary vessel means that it¡¯s difficult to be aware of what is happening outside of the body.¡±


    ¡°Outside the body¡­ Ah, you mean looking at someone¡¯s mana.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Currently, you must be finding it very difficult to get a grasp on mana. It¡¯s because you are completely cut off from the mana outside of your body. It is fine now, as you are surrounded by it, but if you visit the Human World in this state, you will only be able to act within the constraints of that body. To put it simply, you will only be as strong as a human.¡±


    That would be like a death blow to the high-rankers.


    What battle fiend would want to go to the Human World under such conditions?


    Power was everything in the Demon World. Or at least, that¡¯s what the powerful tended to think.


    ¡°Still, does that mean it¡¯s possible for me to go there as I am now?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You can reach it from this Sealed Tomb.¡±


    Apparently, it was possible. Then why don¡¯t I go?


    ¡°Would it be possible to return here, after I¡¯ve had my fill of the Human World?¡±


    ¡°It is possible to go, but returning¡­ The main body and the Personification is connected by the soul¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    He explained it to me. It was rather simple, actually. Only the high-rankers could use these bodies.


    Normally, it was difficult to move a soul into a vessel.


    A weak soul would get damaged or degrade once in the Personification.


    And so even after the soul was moved, you would not be safe.


    As had just been said, the bodies did not release any mana.


    I was so accustomed to using mana to determine things about my surroundings, and so it would be very confusing.


    And these bodies were difficult to use. All the high-rankers felt this.


    And that was the biggest problem.


    If you descended into the Human World like this, you would not be able to use mana or any of your special abilities.


    Your physical strength was that of the Personification¡ªthe exact same as the average human.


    The stronger you were in the Demon World, the more troublesome this would be.


    Apparently, there were a few who went down to the Human World anyway, but they always returned immediately.


    It was no wonder.


    As for how they were able to return.


    Their souls were pulled by their bodies, leading them back to this world.


    That table that I was lying on when I woke up.


    That was where the body lay while the soul was inside of the Personification.


    During that time, it would not degrade.


    As long as the body was there, the soul would try to return to it. That allowed people to return from the Human World.


    ¡°But you¡¯re saying that it¡¯s not possible in my case?¡±


    My body was in the Demon World. It was also dead.


    If I had nowhere to return, I would have to stay in the Human World.


    ¡°And so, I think that it would be wise for you to reconsider a trip to the Human World.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    It would be no good if I went down there if I couldn¡¯t come back.


    After all, I wasn¡¯t even registered.


    I would probably resort to crime before much time had passed, and then be arrested and spend the rest of my life in prison.


    ¡°I would rather meet King Yamato than go to the Human World.¡±


    Yes, that was the first thing to do.

 Chapter 296

    Chapter 296It would be too risky to go down into the Human World like this.


    But Yamato would know a lot about both this world and the Human World.


    And so I should meet him first.


    Besides, if I was able to meet him, I could confirm that he really is the Lesser High King who once dominated in the Demon World.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go and meet King Yamato then. The Field of Everlasting Spring, yes? How do I get there?¡±


    ¡°The Village of Everlasting Winter is a land of extreme coldness. You will not be able to pass through. And the Coast of Everlasting Summer is overrun by rebels.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve already said that. Let¡¯s see. I¡¯ll go through Summer then. I¡¯m sure that deep down, they are nice people.¡±


    ¡°No, I would not agree with that¡­¡±


    ¡°Like I said, I lived in the Demon World. Such mischievous people can be found everywhere. What is important is to talk. I¡¯m sure that they will understand.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Yes, talking.


    We weren¡¯t beasts. We always acted with reason.


    ¡°More importantly, do you have any clothes? I feel rather uncomfortable like this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, I didn¡¯t even notice¡­ Over here, we have everything that you would need when descending to the Human World.¡±


    Speaking of which, Pojun was naked.


    In the Demon World, some races wore clothes and some did not.


    And there were also some inbetween, who only wore clothes based on their own personal preferences. But leaving that aside, beast and water type monsters generally did not require clothing.


    This was because they had fur and scales instead.


    And Pojun¡¯s body was covered in scales.


    Pojun then led me to a storage room.


    The clothes were waiting in a corner.


    ¡°These look very¡­¡±


    There were clothes for men and women. ¡­And they were all very old.


    Some were from the Heian period. And there were togas in the back.


    ¡°They just seem to get older. And some are from different countries¡­ So is this the newest one?¡±


    I took out a kimono.


    It was the kind that ronins often wore in historical tv dramas.


    I had seen the dojo master wear something similar.


    ¡°What do you think? Are there any that you like?¡±


    ¡°Why is everything here out of some period drama?¡±


    ¡°Oh? All of the people who went down to the Human World returned in these clothes.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    So how long ago was the last person?


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°No, never mind. I feel like anything I say won¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±


    Even the newest one would make me stick out like a sore thumb the moment I went back to Japan.


    And if the old kimono was the newest thing here, the last person might have gone down hundreds of years ago.


    ¡°Hey, I want to ask you something. Are there other places that you can reach the Human World from?¡±


    ¡°Yes. While I am the manager of this Sealed Tomb, there are other, similar places with people who manage the Personifications.¡±


    He then explained that there were three other places like this one.


    Perhaps it was for every season.


    And so I put on the old kimono and strapped a sword around my waist.


    The sword was also in the storage room.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s more of a katana. Just barely better than nothing.¡±


    The Deepsea Dragon sword I had used before was stronger than Japanese swords.


    Its blade was broad and thick, and I knew that it would not break no matter how hard I swung with it.


    This sword I had now was about half as thick.


    And it was also narrow, which worried me.


    When I looked for some footwear, I could not find any shoes or boots at all.


    Actually, there were some clogs, but I pretended that I hadn¡¯t seen them.


    Maybe if I wore them and kicked a ball around, I could look like a nobleman.


    ¡°Sandals, huh? I guess they will do it.¡±


    There were a pair of sandals made of straw, and so I decided to wear them.


    If I went down to the Human World like this, they would think I was on some film set.


    ¡°Are you finished changing?¡±


    ¡°Aye, thank you. Now I can start my journey.¡±


    ¡°That is good to hear. However, now that you are in this body, things will be different. You will feel much discomfort.¡±


    ¡°Really? It is a little odd, yes. But not that bad.¡±


    ¡°You cannot sense other people¡¯s mana. Even your own will be hard to grasp.¡±


    ¡°Right. And what¡¯s so bad about that?¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, you would usually determine a person¡¯s strength by measuring their mana. Aren¡¯t you worried that you will not be able to do it?¡±


    Apparently, the average high-ranker became anxious about such things.


    But I had always been bad with measuring a person¡¯s mana. So it wasn¡¯t as big a difference for me.


    Besides, there had been another ¡®me¡¯ there as well. That also affected things.


    So perhaps things felt more natural to me now, if anything.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me. More importantly, tell me the route I need to take in order to reach the Coast of Everlasting Summer.¡±


    ¡°Very well. I called a guide for you while you were changing.¡±


    ¡°That was very perceptive.¡±


    ¡°After all, you are heading into dangerous territory, so I thought it best that you have someone who knows the roads well.¡± S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    I was then led to a small room.


    A boy was there, waiting while kneeling on one knee.


    ¡°This is Juga the Redhat. He used to live on the Coast of Everlasting Summer.¡±


    ¡°I am Juga. I volunteered to go as soon as I heard that you were going to battle. I am at your service.¡±


    ¡°Aye, it¡¯s good to ha¡­ Battle? ¡­Did you say battle?¡±


    Was it just me, or had I been misconstrued completely?


    Jawbrie: Thank you all so much for support. It will really help get me through the month and I can¡¯t thank you enough.


    There was a request for some bonus Makai Hongi chapters with one of the donations, so here they are. Hope you enjoyed. Thank you!

 Chapter 297

    Chapter 297The boy who called himself Juga was a Redhat.


    A type of Goblin that was especially fond of fighting.


    The fact that he had come from the Coast of Everlasting Summer meant that he was either driven out by the anti-Yamato forces, or he had run away by his own free will.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any intention of fighting.¡±


    I said, nipping that idea in the bud.


    Even if there was trouble, I would try and settle things peacefully.


    In the first place, could I even fight in this body?


    I would have to test it and find out later.


    ¡°Is that right? But I heard that you were going out in a disguise in order to journey while punishing the wicked.¡±


    Juga looked at Pojun as if to say, ¡®wasn¡¯t that the case?¡¯


    Journey in disguise¡­ Did he think I was some lord from an adventure story?


    ¡°There aren¡¯t many high-rankers in the Forest of Everlasting Autumn, and so hardly anyone has appeared that could be put into a Personification.¡±


    Pujun added.


    Apparently, Juga thought that I was some high-ranker who was using this body to hide my own identity.


    I could just tell him that I have been reincarnated from the Under World, but it would take too long to explain all of that.


    And so I just insisted that I was doing this as a ¡®hobby.¡¯


    To others, I would just say that I was a high-ranker who was on his way to meet King Yamato. And I just happened to be in this body because I was eccentric.


    I didn¡¯t know if Juga believed any of this, but I wouldn¡¯t elaborate any further.


    ¡°Hey, Pojun. How much does my power decrease when I¡¯m in this body? What happens to my special abilities?¡±


    ¡°You will not be able to use your special abilities and anything unique to your original body. Aside from that, it depends on the strength of your soul. There is mana here, so it might be the same.¡±


    In other words, someone like Nehyor would not be able to extend his nails or fangs or make venom.


    The body was not capable of doing that.


    On the other hand, you could still use magic attacks and strengthen your body by charging it with mana.


    These were all imprinted into the soul. And so you could make use of your power through mana.


    The reason that you couldn¡¯t extend your nails, was because even if it was imprinted into your soul, the flesh could not react to it.


    Just like how there would be no point in transmitting a signal if there was no one to receive it.


    However, if I went down to the Human World, there would be no mana around me. And so everything would be restricted. It was very inconvenient.


    ¡°I can strengthen my body. But I suppose strengthening my old body and strengthening this one will be very different?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. And if you become reckless without understanding that, your body will break. And it will be very difficult to repair a broken body.¡±


    Apparently they had spares for these bodies a long time ago. But since they kept breaking at a fast rate, they didn¡¯t have as many left now.


    ¡°¡­Hmm? Didn¡¯t King Yamato make these?¡±


    That had been my assumption.


    ¡°No. I was told that they were made in the Celestial World. They used such bodies when they had business in the Human World, and King Yamato stol¡­borrowed them.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    So he stole them from the Celestial World.


    I liked him already.


    Now that I thought about it, I had heard that holy power in the Celestial World was based on faith and the power of prayer in the Human World.


    Well, a fallen one had said that, so it must be true.


    And these bodies were made by residents of the Celestial World. What else did this reveal?


    They must have been going down to the Human World in order to strengthen the faith of the people.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that once the barrier was put up, the Celestial World no longer had sufficient holy power.¡±


    Perhaps it was because once they could no longer go down there, people¡¯s faith weakened. And so did the supply of holy power.


    ¡°Well, nevermind the Celestial World.¡±


    I would find no answers no matter how much I thought about it.


    ¡°More importantly, where in the Field of Everlasting Spring is King Yamato? Also, can I really meet him if I go there?¡±


    I would be very annoyed if he lived at the top of some tower, and I had to fight my way through every floor in order to earn the right to meet him.


    And they will tell me, ¡®sometimes there will be more than one guardian on each floor.¡¯


    ¡°I cannot say for sure, as I myself have never been to the Field of Everlasting Spring. But it is said that King Yamato lives in the Crystal Palace.¡±


    ¡°Crystal Palace? That sounds very fancy. Crystal Pala¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, the Crystal Palace.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Pojun¡¯s eyes looked a little scary.


    ¡°But I do think you will have a chance of meeting him if you go in that body. After all, there are not that many high-rankers here. They are quite rare, in fact.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t like the Demon World, where there seemed to be Lesser Demon Kings and Demon Kings everywhere.


    In comparison, this place was the size of a cat¡¯s forehead.


    If such strong people fought over lands in this place, the entire Other World would become a wasteland.


    After all, it meant that enemy Lesser Demon Kings would be in arms reach at all times. People would be fighting every day.


    So it was no wonder that high-rankers were rare here.


    ¡°Also, there is one other thing. What is in the center of this world?¡±


    Pojun had explained to me that this place was separated into four areas.


    At first, he said to think of it as a cake, but then he changed it to a donut.


    But as you could not go through the center, I had to go around.


    Still, I wanted to know why.


    What is in the center? A barrier? Or a wall?


    ¡°There is a mountain in the center.¡± S~?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°A mountain? Then wouldn¡¯t it be easier to climb it?¡±


    It was true that mountain climbing was difficult.


    But surely it couldn¡¯t be any worse than taking the much longer route through the Coast of Eternal Summer?


    ¡°It is a mountain of salt. A looming, giant mass of salt. No one is able to get close to it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    A great mountain of salt.


    Yes, I could imagine that.


    Also, was it what I was thinking about?


    ¡°And what have you been told about this mountain of salt?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the heart of the barrier¡­no, not the mountain of salt. But the thing that is inside of it.¡±


    The heart of the barrier was inside of the mountain of salt¡­ What if it¡¯s a dead body?


    I had an idea of whose.


    ¡ªThat would mean he used Zeus¡¯s corpse to make this world.


    This Yamato was crazy.


    He just used anything.

 Chapter 298

    Chapter 298The image I had of Yamato was starting to crumble.


    I had really just thought of him as a ¡®great man.¡¯


    After all, he was the strongest person in the Demon World. The only Lesser High King to ever exist.


    In the past and future, from east to west, he alone had achieved that dream of becoming a Lesser High King, when so many other Great Demon Kings had failed.


    The first and the strongest. That was Yamato.


    But now I was starting to see him as someone who was very difficult to deal with.


    For instance, if you consider the timeline, there was no way that Yamato could have gone to the Human World.


    Because Zeus had already built the barrier around it.


    He had closed off the Human World in exchange for his own life.


    Zeus was the strongest man in the Celestial World¡­that was my understanding.


    At least, he should be close to it.


    And he had died making that barrier.


    Clearly, he was a stubborn man. And that barrier had never been broken.


    And then there was Zeus¡¯s partner, Hera.


    Hera wanted to bring Zeus back to life, and so targeted Yamato¡¯s Orb of Control.


    There was a great invasion from the Celestial World, and the Demon World became a battlefield.


    And in what would be a decisive battle, Yamato and Hera vanished in some place between time and space¡­ Or so it was said.


    ¡°And so how did he appear in the Human World?¡±


    It exceeded my own understanding.


    Regardless, something must have happened that allowed him to come down here.


    My guess was that after he came here, he found the residents of the Demon World who had been left behind.


    And then he made this world in order to protect them.


    ¡°By using the body of the deceased Zeus¡­¡±


    It was crazy. Who would think of doing something like that?


    The structure of this world was likely also stol¡­borrowed from Zeus¡¯s barrier.


    This Other World. Much like the Personifications, it was likely something invented in the Celestial World.


    The fact that Yamato had seemingly succeeded easily meant that he must be quite the tough character.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to meet him.¡±


    I was very curious to see what he was like. Very much so.


    Now, how long would it take me to reach the Field of Everlasting Spring?


    I asked Pojun, and he said that it would take forty days.


    That was a lot longer than I was expecting.


    If we departed from the Sealed Tomb, we would arrive at the Coast of Everlasting Summer in around ten days.


    And if we followed the coast we would eventually arrive at a place called the Descendant Library in ten days.


    This library was near the center of the Coast of Everlasting Summer.


    Here, information of the races that lived in the Other World was collected and managed.


    So there was also a manager, and a place to keep the Personifications.


    After leaving the Descendant Library, we would have to travel another ten days before reaching the Field of Everlasting Spring.


    And then it was another ten days to the Crystal Palace where Yamato was.


    So that was forty days for just getting there.


    I could not help but feel that it was very long.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going now.¡±


    ¡°Farewell.¡±


    I took Juga the Redhat and left the Sealed Tomb.


    Before leaving, he told me that this tomb was used to hold the remains of those who contributed to the Other World, or achieved something great in the Human World.


    When I said that I wanted to have a look, he told me that it was sealed with a similar art that was used to protect this world.


    But when I asked him about whose remains rested there, I heard the names of great historic figures.


    This is why they say that truth is stranger than fiction.


    ¡°The road will be gentle for quite some time.¡±


    Juga said as I looked at our surroundings.


    Everywhere I looked, pampas grass was blowing in the wind. S~?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    This really was the place of autumn.


    Autumn in Japan was much like this.


    I didn¡¯t know if I felt nostalgic or not.


    Perhaps there weren¡¯t even fields like this in Japan anymore.


    I remember traveling to Hakone once, and seeing a cluster of pampas grass.


    But it was nothing compared to how far they stretched out here.


    Juga was hopping around and walking oddly.


    Like a child who was trying to avoid puddles.


    ¡°Hey, Juga. Pojun said that there weren¡¯t many high-rankers in this world. Do you know how many there are?¡±


    It was a strange question, but even in the Demon World, they were hardly the majority.


    So I wanted to know how few there actually were.


    ¡°If we¡¯re talking about the Forest of Everlasting Autumn, then I only know of a few. But the Coast of Everlasting Spring is filled with fighters, so there must be quite a lot of them there.¡±


    ¡°I see. So those who like to fight will go where battle is more likely. But how come they haven¡¯t started fighting each other?¡±


    It was bound to be filled with people who believed themselves to be the strongest.


    ¡°Vargan the Phantom Light Dragon and Noshe the Fang Crush Dragon live in the Coast of Everlasting Summer. No one is as strong as those two.¡±


    I had never heard of either of those races.


    But they were likely special evolutions.


    And Dragons were usually obsessed with fighting.


    If there were two such people, then perhaps it was no wonder that the others stayed in line.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s this Vargan and Noshe who are the leaders of the rebels?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Noshe is a descendant of a Dragon that the humans once worshipped. And that¡¯s where his sense of worth derives. And so he desperately wants to visit the Human World in his current form.¡±


    His current form. In other words, he wanted to be worshipped as a Dragon, not as some imitation of a human body.


    Just like his ancestor.


    ¡°And Vargan?¡±


    ¡°He often speaks about wanting to eat as many humans as he can.¡±


    Oh, so he was an evil Dragon.

 Chapter 299

    Chapter 299Juga and I had left the Sealed Tomb.


    And we traveled slowly through the field of pampas grass.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to move around a bit.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What?¡±


    As for me, I still wasn¡¯t used to this body¡ªthis Personification.


    Without waiting for a reply, I dashed out into the field. When I looked behind me, I saw Juga had an expression of shock.


    I felt like I did after evolving.


    Like my soul didn¡¯t know how much power I was able to use.


    And so I ran around and jumped as a way of taking the body for a test drive.


    ¡°My physical capabilities are definitely a little worse than before. Moving around feels comfortable enough, but the results just don¡¯t match up.¡±


    If I ran at my fastest, I could not reach the speeds I used to be able to. I was a little slower.


    That being said, it wasn¡¯t too big an inconvenience. I could live with it.


    ¡°It likely has to do with the durability of this body. It¡¯s almost like there is a wind blowing against me when I run.¡±


    ¡°But that was more than impressive. I¡¯d expect no less from someone who is the ¡®Annihilator of Rebels.¡±


    He said, when I returned. S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°What the¡­annihilator of rebels? I¡¯ve never heard that before.¡±


    ¡°I just thought of it right now. Since you¡¯re going to the Coast of Everlasting Summer, shouldn¡¯t you have an intimidating name? And so I thought of one that will make them shake in their boots.¡±


    Juga said with a smug expression.


    ¡°You really think that it¡¯s cool?¡±


    It had been a while since I heard something so embarrassing.


    ¡°Of course, I do. Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Alright. And why do I need such a foolish name?¡±


    We weren¡¯t playing here.


    ¡°Once you cross the border, you will be completely unknown. And so it¡¯s convenient to have a name that fits your strength. And it would be better to name yourself, before they have a chance to give you a worse one.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    I suppose I would look weak because of this body. I wasn¡¯t sure.


    That being said, what could be worse than the name he just gave me?


    ¡°When it comes to Personifications, you won¡¯t be able to tell how strong a person is. Of course, only the high-rankers can have their souls transferred. But it¡¯s still better to have a descriptive name.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm. I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    It was true that I would have trouble seeing how much mana a person had here.


    Even more than I did in my previous body.


    On the other hand, they would not know how strong I was.


    After all, this body didn¡¯t release any mana into the air.


    Still, did that warrant giving myself a painful name¡­I don¡¯t think that it did.


    ¡°By the way, Old Pojun told me that I should tell you about the Coast of Everlasting Summer while we travel.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Yes. It would be very helpful if you told me everything that you know.¡±


    It was going to be a long journey, after all.


    Instead of just walking, we could talk. It would make the journey so much better.


    ¡°Very well. That being said, I can only tell you about the area where I actually lived.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. ¡­So, what kind of place was it?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Compared to the Forest of Everlasting Autumn, it was unbearably hot.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no surprise. But there are some races that prefer the heat.¡±


    ¡°However, it wasn¡¯t humind, which was nice. The sunlight is very strong, and the sun can be seen for the whole day.¡±


    Now that I thought about it, the Forest of Everlasting Autumn had been quite cloudy.


    There was something appealing about that as well, but I also like the idea of basking in the bright rays of the sun.


    ¡°So the sky is clear for the whole year round. ¡­And it¡¯s a ten day walk to it, right? So what is it like near the border?¡±


    ¡°The border? There is a wall of white mist that reaches high up into the air. But it doesn¡¯t block your path, so you can walk right through it.¡±


    ¡°A wall of white mist¡­ I wonder how that works.¡±


    Perhaps it was like those things used in refrigerators that prevent the cold air from escaping.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know any of the details in terms of how it works. I¡¯m sorry. However, after walking for about a hundred meters within the mist, the season will change. And the temperature will shoot up.¡±


    ¡°So the mist is blocking out the heat. This sounds like it will be a very interesting experience.¡±


    The seasons changed as you walked. Even the Demon World hadn¡¯t had any places like that.


    ¡°Once you leave the mist and walk a little farther, you will be able to see the sea. Land would be on the left side, while the sea would be on the right. And we¡¯ll just follow the road that stretches along the coast.¡±


    ¡°I see. So there is a road.¡±


    After that, I continued to hear all kinds of things. Juga was born in the Coast of Everlasting Summer, and so he knew a lot.


    The conversations tended to branch out, and as we continued our journey, I learned a lot about this Other World.


    ¡°Do you think we could get through without meeting the rebels?¡±


    They were the problem. The rebel force that lived in the Coast of Everlasting Summer.


    Pojun had been quite worried, as there were a lot of them gathered there now.


    And most of them were races that liked to fight. And so I would prefer it if I didn¡¯t meet them.


    ¡°Hmm. I think that is quite unlikely. While Vargan and Noshe are in the Hollow Cave, there are many others who are not.¡±


    ¡°Right. Well, if we do meet them. Do you think that we will make it out unharmed?¡±


    ¡°That all depends on you, Sir Golan. I think we should be fine if you bow your head and say that you won¡¯t go against them¡­ Will you do that?¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    It was much like the Demon World.


    The hierarchy was determined almost entirely by strength.


    If you wanted to do your own thing, you had to show your power. It was easy to understand.


    And it was the same here.

 Chapter 300

    Chapter 300If you were strong, you could do anything no matter where you went.


    That was one good thing about the Demon World. Good thing? Well, never mind.


    Still, it seemed that things were similar here. So there was no problem in bringing my old mindset with me.


    And so I tried some simulations.


    Let¡¯s say that we are walking in the Coast of Everlasting Summer.


    And then some people who are in the area happen to notice us. Of course, these people are part of the rebel forces.


    ¡°Hey, you. Where are you from?¡±


    They will say.


    ¡°We came from the Forest of Everlasting Autumn. And we¡¯re on our way to the Field of Everlasting Spring.¡±


    That seemed like the best answer to give.


    Say that we¡¯re are from somewhere else, and make them think that we¡¯re not interested in them.


    ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re outsiders. Forget about your destination and become my subordinate instead. I¡¯ll find some use for you.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Do you want to fight?¡±


    There was no point in mincing words when they were so rude.


    So that would be a perfectly appropriate response.


    ¡°What did you say! A fight?¡±


    And then we would start fighting.


    It was a common thing in the Demon World. And I could not be blamed.


    However, it was no good. I couldn¡¯t do that.


    I could use some restraint. For instance, when asked to become a subordinate¡­


    ¡°Take pity on me. My race is not good with combat. We just want to pass through. Let us go.¡±


    What about that? Make them think I was of the non-combat races, and ask for mercy.


    It seemed quite promising.


    ¡°Then you can be my servant. I don¡¯t have enough people running errands. Now go buy me some bread and milk.¡±


    Yes. That was also quite likely. Well, except for the bread and milk part.


    The thing was, residents of the Demon World were not very cooperative.


    The people near the bottom were especially bad at listening to other people.


    And so it would be better to reject them very clearly.


    We were going to the Field of Everlasting Spring, and had no intention of staying here.


    ¡°Bread and milk? Go buy that yourself. In fact, get some for me too. And don¡¯t you forget it!¡± S?a?ch* Th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    A rejection of this intensity would be just about right.


    However, it would result in a fight.


    So, in other words, it was no good as well.


    I would have to simulate again. From the beginning.


    They see me and immediately start talking¡­we¡¯d start from there.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve never seen you before¡­Bffahh!¡±


    I tried punching them on sight. It was best to get the first hit.


    ¡°Br-brother¡­ You hit my¡­bbreegh!¡±


    There would likely be others. And they would mean trouble.


    And so I should get rid of them too. And once again, I would get the first hit.


    ¡°What¡¯s all this racket? A-are you an invader? Get him!! The invader!¡±


    There was usually a Commander-type nearby. So I would have to get rid of him as well.


    Otherwise, the enemies would keep coming without end.


    But it was too late to stop this round. I was already surrounded by soldiers. So, what should I do?


    In times like this¡­I have to do this.


    And then this¡­no, then that will happen.


    Hmm. This is quite hard. Why is the difficulty so high?


    Once the enemy boss came out, it was a matter of how many soldiers you could take down quickly.


    But I was alone.


    That really wasn¡¯t enough.


    ¡°Sir Golan. Is something wrong? You¡¯ve been deep in thought for a while now.¡±


    ¡°This will be difficult¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh? What will be?¡±


    ¡°If I take down the weakest enemies first, I¡¯ll have to wipe them all out completely¡­ But that¡¯s too much for me to do on my own. I¡¯m not sure how to solve this problem.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°There must be a good way. But no matter how I think about it, I¡¯ll have to wipe them out.¡±


    There didn¡¯t seem to be any way around that.


    ¡°Do you mean the rebels?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Unless I do something, the two Dragons will eventually come out. And that sounds very annoying.¡±


    Yes, they would likely arrive before I had even killed half of the henchmen.


    And there were two of them, according to Juga. It would be very difficult to fight them without my trusty weapons and armor.


    (Still¡­what else can I do?)


    No matter how I reacted to them, I would be forced to enter a fight.


    ¡°Hey, Juga. Do you have any good ideas?¡±


    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    ¡°Amazing! You¡¯re amazing, Sir Golan!¡±


    ¡°Wh-what?¡±


    ¡°I knew that you weren¡¯t called the Annihilator of Rebels for nothing! Yes, it is the perfect name for you. Too perfect!¡±


    ¡°Juga. You¡­ You¡¯re very rude.¡±


    What the hell was he talking about?


    Here I was, racking my brain for a way to get out of this. And he was calling me Annihilator. It was too insulting.


    However, Juga did not listen to my protests.

 Chapter 301

    Chapter 301My reason for traveling to the Field of Everlasting Spring was to meet Lesser High King Yamato.


    For a long time now, I had wanted to meet him in order to ask him something.


    Was that person I met when I was younger, was he really Yamato?


    There was a barrier around the Human World. So he shouldn¡¯t have been able to come to the Demon World.


    So I wondered if it was actually someone else¡­ But there was still a small chance that it was the real Yamato.


    There were other things I wanted to ask him as well.


    It was said that he fell into the place between time and space and no one knew where he was after that.


    And so it is quite a shock that he is alive in the Human World¡­in this Other World, no less.


    What kind of life had he lived up until now? Well, never mind that.


    ¡°The problem is King Melvis¡­¡±


    How would Melvis react when he learned of this?


    I had a feeling that he would drop everything in order to come here.


    He had already said that there was nothing left to do but search the Human World. So perhaps it was time that he started putting that plan into action.


    ¡°But it is strange¡­¡±


    ¡°What is strange, Sir Golan?¡±


    Oh, I was thinking aloud to myself again.


    ¡°I was just wondering why King Yamato made this world.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said¡­that he did it in order to protect us.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand that. But, why didn¡¯t he try to break the barrier that surrounded the Human World?¡±


    It was strange the more I thought about it.


    Zeus¡¯s barrier would have to be very strong.


    He had made it to close off the Human World.


    And so breaking it from the outside would be difficult.


    ¡ªBut what about if it was from the inside?


    With barriers, you needed something that held it up.


    Kind of like the legs of a chair or table.


    Having four meant it would be strong. It could still stand if you just lost one.


    But if there was only one leg, then everything would be lost if it was lost.


    There were fancy chairs that only had one leg. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    And they would fall if you took that leg away. The barrier would be the same.


    As this leg was inside of the barrier, you could not break it from the outside.


    Of course, Zeus would never have expected Yamato to enter the barrier after it had been made.


    The leg would definitely be in the Human World.


    And if it was destroyed, then the barrier would vanish.


    ¡°But why didn¡¯t he do it then¡­?¡±


    Surely Yamato would have found it and destroyed it with ease.


    It was another question I wanted to ask him.


    Our journey went smoothly after that, and we arrived at the border two days ahead of schedule.


    We had perhaps rushed a little along the way.


    ¡°So, we just go through this mist, and we¡¯ll be in the Coast of Everlasting Summer.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ But we really didn¡¯t need to rush.¡±


    While we had shortened the journey by two days, Juga looked a little tired.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. Now that we have saved a few days, it won¡¯t matter if we¡¯re delayed a little once we¡¯re inside of the Coast of Everlasting Summer.¡±


    Before leaving the Sealed Shrine, Pojun had given us a bag with a decent amount of food inside. It was enough for a one way trip.


    And since there were plants and animals in this world, we could hunt on our way, just like any other journey.


    He had likely brought animals into this world after creating it. And they had multiplied.


    In any case, the longer the journey was, the more likely we were to run out of supplies.


    You never knew what might happen, and so it was best to make as much progress as you could while you had the chance.


    Just as Juga said, the white mist faded away after about a hundred meters.


    And we stepped out into the Coast of Everlasting Summer.


    ¡°Woah. The sky is so blue.¡±


    Yes, this was a world of summer.


    It reminded me of my summer vacations as a child.


    ¡°Yes. If we go straight for about ten days, we will reach the Descendant Library.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s the center of the Coast of Everlasting Summer, right? ¡­Now that I think about it, if there is a Sealed Tomb and a Descendant Library, what are the others?¡±


    It was these landmarks where they kept the Personifications. So there must be something similar in Winter and Spring.


    ¡°Do you mean the Crystal Palace and the Infinite Icesnow?¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s what the Crystal Palace is. And I suppose this Infinite Icesnow is the Village of Everlasting Winter?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It is said that the Infinite Icesnow is a prison at the end of a long passage made of ice. And they say that Celestials who used to be in the Human World are locked up within.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious? There are residents of the Celestial World there?¡±


    ¡°No¡­I doubt that they are actually there. Surely they would have died, being held in such a place.¡±


    Apparently, it was just a rumor.


    This passage made of ice was a long, spiraling hallway. And if you continued along it, you would eventually go underground. And in its farthest depths was the dungeon.


    Some said that late at night, you could hear the wailing of the Celestials coming from underground.


    While it was probably just the wind, it was still a terrifying thought.


    Still, it was quite impressive that residents of the Demon World could live in such a cold place.


    It was true that the Coast of Everlasting Summer was hot. It was hot even during the night.


    But according to Juga, it wasn¡¯t just people who were strong against the heat that lived here. There were quite a variety of races as well.


    However, once Vargan and Noshe, the two great Dragons, raised the flags of rebellion, it became an uncomfortable place to live. And so many abandoned their homeland and fled to the lands of spring and autumn.


    ¡°Why does King Yamato ignore these rebels?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder.


    They were right there. In front of him.


    Surely no one would ignore a rebellion that was happening so close by?


    ¡°I don¡¯t have an answer for that either. However, such things have happened in the past before. So perhaps it doesn¡¯t bother him as much?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    So that¡¯s what it was.


    It seemed likely enough.


    Perhaps a little Dragon revolt was nothing to make Yamato feel any concern.


    That was a scary thought. That was how strong Yamato was.


    As we continued to walk down the road, a group of five to six people moved towards us.


    ¡°Ah, you two. I don¡¯t recognize your faces. Are you from some other place?¡±


    I had a feeling of deja vu.

 Chapter 302

    Chapter 302¡°Ah, you two. I don¡¯t recognize your faces. Are you from some other place?¡±


    They said. It was too predictable.


    ¡°Eh? Is that a challenge? If you bastards want a fight, you¡¯ll get a fight! With him.¡±


    Juga shouted defiantly as he stood in front of me.


    Juga, what the hell are you doing?


    Stop trying to be a comedian.


    ¡°Oh. You¡­ A Personification?¡±


    One of them stepped forward and looked at me up and down.


    ¡°How unusual¡­ Yes, it is a Personification.¡±


    Another said as he too began to inspect me.


    Well, they hadn¡¯t attacked us yet. So maybe we could talk it out.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Even crying brats will shut up in front of the one they call the Annihilator of Rebels. He is one to fear. Make no mistake about that!¡± s?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Why was Juga acting so important?


    And ¡®the one they call¡¯? He chose that name himself.


    ¡°You. Do you know of this ¡®Annihilator of Rebels?¡¯¡±


    ¡°No¡­I¡¯ve never heard such an embarrassing name.¡±


    There you go. Now they were looking at us as if we were fools.


    And ¡®embarrassing.¡¯ They were not holding back.


    ¡°All of you! Perk up your ears and listen carefully. This Annihilator of Rebels has come to destroy those rotted Dragons, Vargan and Noshe. Now, hurry up and lead us to them!¡±


    No, that¡¯s not what we talked about.


    I had no intention of doing that. I just wanted to make it out of the Coast of Everlasting Summer in one piece.


    ¡°Wh-what!? This Annihilator of Rebels is going to kill our leaders?¡±


    ¡°Then there¡¯s no time to lose. We¡¯re under attack by the Annihilator of Rebels!¡±


    Hey, wait. Stop calling me that.


    No, never mind that. Stop believing everything that Juga says.


    ¡°I-I have to tell Lord Vargan at once!¡±


    ¡°And I will go to Lord Noshe.¡±


    ¡°Then we should split up.¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡±


    And then they scattered.


    ¡°¡­Hah! They were just cowards after all, weren¡¯t they, Sir Golan?¡±


    ¡°You. What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    Juga was grinning at me, and so I dropped my fist onto his head.


    After questioning Juga, I learned that the men we saw earlier were rebel soldiers who were on patrol.


    He said that the matching scarves they had around their necks was proof of this.


    ¡®Why scarves?¡¯ I has asked. But he merely said that it was the mark of a rebel.


    As for why he had gone out so boldly like that¡­


    He said it was because Redhats had been driven from their homeland and forced to separate from each other. And he hated the rebels for this.


    While Juga was currently working under Pojun, he had no idea what the rest of his kin were doing or even where they were.


    It was possible that they all died.


    Even in the Demon World, it would be difficult for the non-combat races to survive after being driven out of their homes.


    Or you could say that it was easy for them to die.


    Hard to live. Easy to die. Huh, I do have a way with words.


    Regardless, such were the reasons that Juga hated them.


    I had sensed it ever since we first met. He really wanted me to fight them.


    And since I had an idea that it would happen, I couldn¡¯t be too angry.


    But¡­


    ¡°They didn¡¯t seem like they were that hostile to me.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t like they were going to attack us unprovoked.


    I couldn¡¯t say for sure that they would let us through without trouble, but it didn¡¯t seem like they saw everyone as an enemy.


    That showed that there was some order in this place.


    Perhaps they were a proper military organization?


    ¡°But they still persecuted us. They are the enemy.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ Well, maybe they are.¡±


    In general, the non-combat races were employed by people who were strong and could fight.


    And so if they were driven out, then there was nothing that they could do.


    They could not challenge them.


    That being said, it did not mean that their lives were entirely bad.


    The strong tended to be simple-minded and could not do basic things that were necessary to live.


    Obviously, small things like cooking and throwing away trash¡­even the strongest could do that.


    Not that they would, most of the time.


    And it wasn¡¯t because they saw such work as a form of defeat.


    This was the way that the high-rankers thought.


    It was too much trouble. Someone else would do it.


    No one wants to do it? Then we¡¯ll make someone do it.


    Something like that.


    And so the non-combatants would act as their arms and legs.


    Their presence was a necessity.


    And so if they were mistreated or harmed, then like Juga, they would often abandon their home and leave.


    It was the fighters that would be inconvenienced by this parting of ways.


    Because of this, few people truly looked down on the non-combatants. Of course, there were some scum who were the exception.


    And so I had been expecting these people to be scum. The rough type.


    After all, the non-combatants had run away. Surely there could be no doubt about it?


    However, there seemed to be order here. It was quite surprising.


    ¡°¡­Well, let¡¯s continue on then.¡±


    As the soldiers on patrol had all run off somewhere, there was no point in staying here.


    We would probably meet them again some time later.


    And so we continued along the coastal road.

 Chapter 303

    Chapter 303The first five days passed quickly after we entered the Coast of Everlasting Summer.


    That meant we were about halfway through our journey to the Descendant Library.


    So far so good.


    We had only met the patrolling soldiers that one time. We hadn¡¯t heard a word since.


    Perhaps we could make it through without meeting anyone else¡­ It was just as I started to think this, that it happened.


    ¡°¡­Hmm? What is that?¡±


    I was the first to spot it.


    There was a gray wall up ahead of us.


    The wall stood boldy over the road.


    And it appeared to go around in a circle.


    And it became narrower at the top. It looked a little like pudding¡­or a pillbox.


    There were square lookout holes, so maybe it really was a pillbox.


    Pillbox¡­it was a kind of temporary defensive fortress.


    ¡°Juga. Do you know what that is?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I used this road when I escaped to the Forest of Everlasting Autumn, but there was nothing here.¡±


    ¡°So it must have been built recently? When did you go to the Forest of Everlasting Autumn?¡±


    ¡°About forty days ago.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Ten days had passed since we left the Sealed Tomb.


    That meant that I had met Juga a month after he escaped.


    So the pillbox really was quite recent.


    ¡°Well, what should we do? We could go around, but I have a feeling that it would be dangerous to go any closer.¡±


    I doubted there were any guns in this world, but it was still eerie that such a thing had been made to block the road.


    That being said, even if we wanted to go around, on one side you had the sea and shore. While the other side was a steep cliff.


    It really had been made in the perfect defensive position.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just attack it head on?¡±


    Juga did not understand what a pillbox was.


    ¡°As it¡¯s very easy to strike back at the enemy from there, it would be very troublesome to try and take it like that.¡±


    The hole was too small, so I wouldn¡¯t be able to fit inside.


    And while there should be an entrance somewhere, it would likely be locked.


    ¡°But why is something like this here?¡±


    ¡°I suppose people that come from the Forest of Everlasting Autumn will usually pass through here. And so they probably wanted a fortress that they could attack from.¡±


    It was made to stop any invasions from the autumn side.


    Why? Perhaps they were protecting something important. S?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Hey, Juga. There¡¯s something I want to ask you. Where is the rebel force¡¯s main base?¡±


    ¡°You mean the Hollow Cave? Well, it¡¯s just up ahead.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    So it was rather simple. I had misunderstood.


    Just by everything I had heard up until now, I had assumed that the base was in the Descendant Library. But it was not the case.


    Now that I thought about it, he did say something about the Dragons living in the Hollow Cave.


    And the cave was somewhere close by.


    This fortress was built here in order to protect it.


    That would also explain the patrolling soldiers we had met.


    Their main base was nearby. So it would not be strange that there were people roaming about in order to defend it.


    And now we had to get past it.


    It seemed like backbreaking work.


    The people defending it would know how to strike back as well. So, what to do?


    I stopped to reconsider my current specs.


    I didn¡¯t have the weapons that I had before.


    All I had was one sword that was probably made by humans.


    And I had no armor. Just clothes. I might as well have been wearing paper.


    But worst of all, my body was no tougher than that of a human.


    While I could still strengthen it with mana, it was a downgrade compared to how I was after evolving.


    ¡°At least I can still use my special abilities.¡±


    Even though I was in this body, my soul was still the same.


    And my soul was telling me that I was still a Susanoo-no-Mikoto.


    Personification or not, that had not changed.


    ¡°Then there¡¯s combat experience.¡±


    I had lots of it. Both as an Ogre in my past life, and a human in the life before that.


    If it came down to a fight, I could hold my own¡­I think.


    ¡°But this sword¡­seems like it won¡¯t be too useful.¡±


    It was clearly made to be wielded by a human.


    The blade was thin and brittle. I would not even be able to cut down a tree.


    The combat races were able to strengthen their bodies with mana to varying degrees.


    This was especially true for high-rankers.


    It would have helped if I could charge a weapon with mana in order to strengthen it.


    ¡°But I couldn¡¯t charge up this blade at all.¡±


    Plants and ore in the Demon World would absorb mana naturally.


    Every substance in the world contained mana.


    But apparently, the materials used to make weapons in the Human World did not contain mana.


    And so it was impossible to charge such materials with mana.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no point in whining about weapons I don¡¯t have. I¡¯ll just have to make do with the cards I¡¯m holding.¡±


    And so I slowly walked towards the pillbox.


    A spear came flying out of the lookout hole.


    I dodged the spear while grabbing it out of the air. The person had good aim.


    It had come straight towards my throat.


    ¡°And the force was impressive as well. That means someone quite strong is inside.¡±


    It would be very dangerous for me to advance without being prepared.

 Chapter 304

    Chapter 304¡°Sir Golan!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°It must be because of this building. That¡¯s why the rest of my tribe was not able to run away to the Forest of Everlasting Autumn.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see¡­ So that¡¯s why.¡±


    The pillbox was made to block the road.


    And you could not go around it.


    ¡°After a certain point, people stopped arriving after running away from the Coast of Everlasting Summer. I had thought that it was strange. They must have been captured!¡±


    ¡°Why were they captured? Was it so that they didn¡¯t leak information about this fortress? But aren¡¯t there very few fighters in the Forest of Everlasting Summer?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably why they didn¡¯t do anything else.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    It was likely that Yamato and his men in the Field of Everlasting Spring were the ones that they actually feared.


    The majority of their fighting force would be gathered towards that side, while here, they just had one fortress and patrolling soldiers.


    That would make sense.


    Besides, I doubted they had any great army either. And so they could come out and attack.


    Their defenses were focused on just one side. Something like that.


    ¡°Sir Golan. What should we do?¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go and talk.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m sure they are scared too. That¡¯s why they locked themselves up. We just need to talk so that we can understand each other. That would be best. So let¡¯s go.¡±


    It was important to talk.


    ¡°Uh, Sir Golan. No, Sir Annihilator of Rebels.¡±


    ¡°Hey, are you trying to get on my nerves? Just call me Golan.¡±


    ¡°Bu-but, Sir Golan.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just watch. I¡¯ll show you how to resolve conflicts peacefully.¡±


    I raised both of my hands and walked towards the pillbox.


    Right now, I felt like a hero of the battlefield.


    ¡ð Coast of Everlasting Summer ¨C Juga


    Sir Golan raised his hands and walked forward.


    He was going towards the fortress that he called a pillbox.


    Would he be alright?


    It was only a moment ago that a spear had come flying out at a great speed.


    Our enemies would all be of the combat races.


    And they were inside of that strong-looking building.


    These were people who had already put their lives at risk in desperation, the moment that they decided to rebel against King Yamato.


    This was the Other World that King Yamato built¡ªThe Garden.


    Even I understood how reckless it was to fight against him in this place.


    And yet, they had still done it.


    They did not care to live peaceful lives in order to survive. They had chosen to walk down the path of destruction.


    Could such people really be persuaded?


    ¡°Ah, he¡¯s talking.¡±


    So he really had gone out in order to persuade them.


    Sir Golan was facing the hole in the pillbox and shouting something.


    While he seemed very serious, I couldn¡¯t hear what he was saying.


    And after seeing the spear, I was too scared to move any closer.


    ¡°Amazing¡­¡±


    I could not do that. Go close enough that I could converse with them.


    And he had proved that it was possible. Perhaps Sir Golan was an even greater person than I thought.


    ¡°Oh, now they¡¯re attacking.¡±


    Sir Golan dodged it and started talking again.


    The attacks stopped.


    There was an answer from inside. They were probably arguing.


    I suppose this was the kind of dialogue that Sir Golan was expecting.


    ¡°Ah, now he¡¯s taken out his sword¡­and he attacked the fortress? No, the sword broke.¡± S?a?ch* Th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Sir Golan¡¯s sword had made a scratch on the outer wall. Was he testing to see how hard it was?


    But it was happening too far away for me to understand what he was trying to do.


    Now he threw the blade away? What is he thinking¡­?


    ¡°Ah, now he¡¯s punching the wall!?¡±


    Huh? What¡¯s happening!?


    Sir Golan continued to hit the wall with his fists.


    While the sword had only made a scratch, more of the wall crumbled away every time he hit it.


    Visible chunks were flying into the air.


    ¡°Ah, they¡¯re attacking him again.¡±


    Spears were being thrown at him. However, perhaps it was because he was too close. They didn¡¯t seem to be hitting him with much force.


    Sir Golan just brushed them away with his hand and continued to punch the wall.


    ¡°What!? A hole opened up?¡±


    Huh? Didn¡¯t he say that it was a fortress? Are fortress walls really that weak?


    And now the hole is widening and¡­ Sir Golan just went inside?


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I just stood there and stared.


    I had a feeling that he was doing something amazing.


    Apparently, there was a lid on top.


    You could go in and out of the pillbox from the top.


    It opened up¡­and everyone ran.


    One, two¡­I counted the people that escaped.


    There were seven in all.


    After a while, Sir Goaln¡¯s head poked out.


    He then gestured for me to come.


    With hesitation, I moved towards the fortress.


    ¡°Uhh¡­Sir Golan. What happened?¡±


    ¡°I tried talking to them¡­but it didn¡¯t work out.¡±


    He said, while scratching his head with a look of embarrassment.


    Didn¡¯t work out¡­but he just took over the base?


    Besides, he had only been talking near the beginning.


    I had been watching the whole time, and he had definitely spent more time trying to break the wall.


    Second longest was the time spent fighting inside.


    And talking was the third.


    ¡°So, Sir Golan. What is it like inside?¡±


    I was too scared to look.


    ¡°It¡¯s actually quite spacious. And since there are a few of them stretched out here, I¡¯ll question them.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    It was then that I truly felt glad that I was a non-combatant.


    He was right that it was quite spacious inside.


    And they were indeed stretched out¡­in a pretty terrible condition.

 Chapter 305

    Chapter 305¡ð The Coast of Everlasting Summer ¨C Juga


    Amazing, amazing, amazing!


    Sir Golan was strong after all.


    These rebel forces weren¡¯t anything to talk about.


    Sir Golan said, ¡®this one is the Commander¡¯ as he slapped the cheek of a man who was lying on the floor.


    ¡°Uuuuhh¡­¡±


    The man regained consciousness. He was going to be questioned now.


    ¡°Juga. You keep watch outside. They might return with more men. If that happens, shout so that I will know.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    Sir Golan had entrusted me with a mission.


    And so I would have to watch the area. I would not miss a single person.


    I climbed up to the top of the pillbox and squinted.


    Inside, Sir Golan was tor¡­questioning the man. I think.


    I could occasionally hear loud voices.


    However, since the hardened earth was so thick, I couldn¡¯t hear most of it.


    After some time, the questioning ended, and Sir Golan came out. S~?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Congratulations, Sir Golan.¡±


    But when I ran up to him, he had a very troubled expression.


    He was just staring at the road up ahead. And would not answer.


    ¡°Uh, Sir Golan?¡±


    I called him again once I was closer.


    Then he finally seemed to notice me.


    But his expression was the same.


    ¡°¡­Damn it!¡±


    He spat. Why?


    Sir Golan had destroyed the fortress as soon as the battle started.


    And then he had gone inside, and the enemy had fled.


    Did his face look like this because of what he had heard?


    He had been talking to someone before the fight, and then talked again with the Commander.


    But up until a moment ago, he had been acting normally.


    It was only after the questioning that he changed.


    ¡°We¡¯re going.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What?¡±


    Without waiting for my reply, Sir Golan got down from the fortress and started walking.


    The hollow cave would be up ahead.


    It was the main base of the rebel forces.


    And while there was only one entrance to the cave, it was said to be very big and complex once you were inside.


    In spite of being a cave, there was a giant hall and very deep, vertical tunnels. The stories of the place alone were astonishing.


    ¡°Sir Golan. What happened?¡±


    You¡¯re going to go and defeat Vargan and Noshe, aren¡¯t you¡­? That was what I wanted to ask.


    They were the reason that I was separated from the others.


    How many different races had been driven out of these lands after they took over?


    If Sir Golan was going to defeat them, then that was something to be celebrated.


    However, Sir Golan was acting very strangely.


    He was clearly very angry.


    But I had no idea why he had become angry.


    And so I could no longer talk to him.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    We continued to walk silently.


    Along the coast we walked, and walked¡­and then I realized.


    They were in front of us.


    But they weren¡¯t moving any closer.


    When they saw us¡­well, Sir Golan, they would frantically run back.


    And then there was no one. This repeated several times.


    And so the roads were empty as we walked.


    ¡°Um¡­Sir Golan.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    What a relief. He finally answered.


    Everything had felt so tense a moment ago. I was scared.


    ¡°Why were you¡­so angry¡­earlier?¡±


    That was one thing that I had to know.


    The reason that Sir Golan was so furious.


    ¡°Do you respect King Yamato?¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer my question.


    Instead, he asked me something very strange. The answer was so obvious.


    ¡°I do respect him. Of course, I do.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    He seemed indifferent.


    But why? What did Sir Golan getting mad have to do with respecting King Yamato?


    ¡°Sir Golan¡­something is wrong. What happened?¡±


    This was a gamble.


    If I pried in too much, his anger might be redirected towards me.


    However, that did not happen.


    Sir Golan stopped and turned his face to look at me.


    ¡°They rebelled against King Yamato.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I know that.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t know how to do anything but fight. So it would be troublesome if it became forbidden.¡±


    Sir Golan said that it was the destruction of their identity.


    I didn¡¯t know what he meant exactly. But I had an idea.


    ¡°Is that why you are angry, Sir Golan?¡±


    ¡°I realized it. I understood it. Don¡¯t do this, don¡¯t do that. Binding people¡­it¡¯s no wonder that they exploded.¡±


    ¡°You mean the rebel forces?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Before fighting, I asked them something.¡±


    When they were arguing. As they were too far away, I had not been able to hear them.


    Sir Golan was grinding his teeth.


    ¡°They said that they wanted to fight. Wanted to die fighting. They shouted about how they hated this life. The Commander was the same. They all felt like that.¡±


    What was it that was taken away from them¡­


    Sir Golan said.


    They wanted to die. They could only think about fighting and death.


    But not just any death. They did not want to kill themselves.


    A battle with meaning. They wanted the satisfaction of dying in battle, in this land that they were born in.


    They had all said this same thing.


    I couldn¡¯t help but think. This was not unusual.


    King Yamato made this Other World. And in order to protect everyone who lived here, a rule was put in place.


    ¨CWe were forbidden from fighting each other.


    That was the only rule in this world.


    And they had broken it.


    ¡°You said that there had been other rebel uprisings before.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It seems to happen every few hundred years.¡±


    ¡°Those who are dissatisfied start to run wild. I don¡¯t know if he let¡¯s them destroy each other or he hunts them down himself. But I suppose that¡¯s how things are settled. ¡­But why?¡±


    Why? He was likely asking this about King Yamato.


    So, Sir Golan was against King Yamato¡¯s way of thinking? For what reason?


    ¡°It¡¯s no surprise that they want to die. If you can¡¯t fight freely. No rivalries between lords, no Gekokujyo¡­ It¡¯s like rejecting the life of the Demon World.¡±


    Sir Golan was laughing now. But it was strange.


    He did not seem to be happy.


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t kill them. I¡¯ll suppress them instead. You want to die? As if I would let you. Hey, can you believe it?¡¯


    Sir Golan bared his teeth and laughed.


    As he was in a Personification, no mana leaked to the outside.


    And yet¡­ And yet. I felt cold when I looked at his smile.


    My body started to shake.


    Right now, Sir Golan was very¡­terrifying.


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s time to make an appearance.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Sir Golan pointed with his jaw.


    There were a great number of rebel soldiers ahead of us.


    Some wielded swords, while others had spears.


    There were even some who were preparing to use magic.


    Two hundred, maybe even three hundred¡­


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s start this feast. There is no night that does not end. So let¡¯s dream while we can.¡±


    In spite of this great army standing in front of him, Golan did not balk, and continued to move towards the enemy.


    My legs grew weak at the mere sight of them.


    I was too scared to go any further.


    But while I stood frozen, Sir Golan continued to advance.


    After a while, his back seemed like it was far away.


    ¡°Sir¡­G¡­¡±


    I was about to call after him, but changed my mind.


    As someone who could not move, I had no words to say to him.


    And so¡­all I could do was watch.

 Chapter 306

    Chapter 306No, that¡¯s not right.


    It doesn¡¯t work that way. It was completely wrong.


    We residents of the Demon World were not capable of living such sophisticated lives.


    Don¡¯t fight amongst each other?


    Live in this paradise?


    ¡ªHe can eat shit.


    ¡°Haha¡­ Apparently, I¡¯m a lot more like them than I thought.¡±


    I beat down the enemy that approached me while I advanced.


    It felt good. I used to hate it. But now it was fun.


    The Ogre village was crude and uncivilized.


    They were meatheads who could do nothing but fight.


    But they were also so foolish, that they could be taken down with one magic attack.


    They had been different from humans in almost every way.


    It was my human memories that troubled me. And I had been unable to fit in the Demon World.


    Always, it was as if I was one step removed from everything¡­ No, I was looking down on them from above.


    ¡°Haha¡­ahahahaha¡­hahahahahaha!¡±


    But after losing my flesh in the Demon World, I realized something.


    ¡°I¡­I¡­I¡¯ve been on this side of the fence for a while now!¡±


    Aren¡¯t you all the same?


    It must have been hard.


    You must have been in pain.


    Not understanding why you were here if you couldn¡¯t fight.


    I know. I know.


    Fight, fight¡­fight through it all and die. That¡¯s what you want.


    I know it very well.


    ¡°I¡¯ll fight you all!¡±


    I punched. I had never punched as much as this.


    And I tore. I threw. I crushed.


    You¡¯re enjoying this.


    As your faces are shattered, you seem satisfied.


    Yes. I understand.


    But before I could finish beating up the small fry, the headliners arrived.


    Dragons with an overwhelming presence. Both of them had come at the same time.


    ¡°Which is which?¡±


    But I had forgotten their names, so it didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°You¡­ Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s skip the talk. Come at me.¡±


    But the two Dragons hesitated. They would not come.


    Why were they hesitating?


    Weren¡¯t they waiting for such an opportunity?


    Then they should attack me. No questions asked.


    ¡°If you won¡¯t come, then I¡¯ll go to you.¡±


    And so I ran in a straight line right towards them.


    This was a new fight. An enemy who was superior. I would have to go all out.


    And even then, I had no idea if I could win.


    ¡°But that¡¯s what makes it good.¡±


    My smile only broadened.


    A fight against two Dragons.


    What could be better?


    It was the fiercest battle.


    Neither would back down. Neither would yield.


    To be honest, most of it was a blur.


    The two Dragons were special among the high-rankers.


    Before I knew it, I was being pushed back, and was on the brink of defeat.


    They had started in their Dragon forms.


    Perhaps they weren¡¯t able to take human forms. I didn¡¯t know.


    What I did know was that even though I fought with the intention to kill, there were two of them. And I was losing.


    ¡°Raaaaghh!¡±


    I clung to their bodies and tore off their scales.


    Against monsters with such high defense ability, my martial arts training was useless.


    It was all about force.


    And even then, I was only getting weaker.


    I only have one leg now. Apparently, it had been bitten off at some point.


    My vision was filled with red. And my mana was nearly empty.


    Ahh, I am going to die. That¡¯s what I thought.


    ¡°It¡¯s when you think that you can¡¯t go on anymore. That¡¯s when the real fight begins.¡±


    While it might have sounded like my pride talking, it was the truth.


    I had used my special ability, ¡®Mana Absorb.¡¯


    Now, it was time for some payback.


    I would rip out all of the mana from their flesh.


    There was no need to hold back.


    I would suck it out until they burst.


    ¡°How¡¯s this!¡±


    As I shouted, one of the Dragons sunk to the ground.


    Its eyes were rolled up into its head as it collapsed.


    The other one had bubbles of blood flowing from its jaw.


    As it was twitching violently, I doubted it would return to the fight.


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    I raised my arms high and the others who remained began to run.


    The weakest of them had run as soon as the battle started, so that they wouldn¡¯t be crushed by the Dragons.


    The ones who remained would have been decently strong.


    Their will to fight had been crushed once their bosses were defeated, and they ran with expressions of grief.


    ¡°Damn it. Get back up!¡±


    I hit the fallen Dragon on the head.


    But there was no reaction.


    ¡°You can still fight!¡±


    Though I was shouting this, my own body was covered in wounds.


    One eye was closed shut and part of my stomach had been gouged out.


    And one leg was missing at the knee, which meant that I couldn¡¯t walk.


    Still, I leaned against the Dragon¡¯s head and jabbed it with my fist.


    I wanted to continue.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t over.¡±


    I knew that I was forcing myself. But it didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°I¡¯ll continue my rampage if you don¡¯t get up!¡±


    But there was no reaction.


    ¡°Did you hear me, you bastards!¡±


    There was still nothing.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll go and destroy this whole Other World then!¡±


    There was a reaction.


    But it wasn¡¯t from the Dragon.


    ¡°That would be a little troublesome. I¡¯d rather you didn¡¯t do that.¡±


    A calm voice came from above my head.


    ¡°So you¡¯re here.¡±


    I said. And the person descended slowly in front of me.


    ¡°I am Golan. ¡­I know who you are, but I¡¯d still like to hear it from you.¡±


    ¡°Me? You want to hear my name?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ From your lips.¡±


    While I only had one eye, I could see well.


    I glared at him.


    ¡°Very well. It¡¯s only polite. ¡­I will tell you then. My name is Yamato. Is this the first time that we¡¯ve met¡­?¡±


    He said.


    I opened my mouth to reply. But by then, my vision had already gone black.