Volume 4, Chapter 8: I turned 11 years old, Part 2
“……What do you mean?”
The old Daemon mage- Royal Magician Geas- murmured with a hoarse voice, staring at the Forest of Demons While floating in the air with air magic.
Several months have passed since the [Black Princess Killian]’s army, which had proceeded ahead of the main troops, had disappeared.
Before them, there was an issue with the various chieftains and their troops going missing. Since the Daemons couldn’t command them because of their wills, they changed their course halfway and went on to attack the human towns, but encountered the human armies along the way and got annihilated, so that had been predicted somewhat.
When they lost contact with Killian, Geas thought that since it was that cunning woman who plotted against the Daemon King and tried to propagate the mood of rebellion, she would have hit another human nation by herself.
Black Princess Killian’s army numbered around 700,000.
With their forced-march advance, even those wild ones would have surely headed out for a sortie, but with so many troops there would definitely still be traces of their passage in the forest. Geas sent a few subordinates down Killian’s trail, secretly intending to come in contact with her.
However, the signs abruptly disappeared, and there weren’t any signs of damage to the human nations either, so said the report by his subordinates that participated in the search.
After Geas thoroughly searched the place he was led to, he finally found traces of battle in the forest near where the tracks disappeared.
He hadn’t noticed since they were too unnatural.
He might not even have noticed at all had he not found [Stone Statues] scattered around in that place.
For a battle involving 250,000 troops, the traces of battle were far too localized, as if a small force had trampled them one-sidedly. But that couldn’t be.
The most unnatural thing of all, was that there was no trace of the bodies anywhere.
Were Killian’s Daemons all turned into food for the monsters? But then, he didn’t know why Killian’s forces had disappeared.
To begin with, he couldn’t imagine a force of 250,000 losing.
In comparison, even if the hero and the saint were together, it would have been impossible to defeat a combined force of 250,000 Daemons and magic beasts.
“……Damn, it was a precious chance,”
Geas slipped into the words of his previous life, unlike the elderly manner he’d always adopted.
For decades…… no, ever since he had been born into this world over a hundred years ago, he had looked forward to that opportunity, and it was supposed to have come into his hands.
Although he was hindered by the 【Demon Beast】 that appeared at its own convenience, he still held on to his last hope, but even after he had planned for the entirety of the Daemon King’s Army to take the field……
“…muu”
Geas noticed someone flying towards him.
Even in the Daemon King’s Army, only the Daemons who had devil bird blood could fly, so the person who was approaching Geas and using 【Concealment】, that would have learned the 【Flying Magic】 created by Geas, could only be his disciple.
“…Did you find anything?”
What appeared was a dark-skinned Daemon youth.
His magic power was comparatively bigger than that of the other disciples, but because he’d been flying daily, the youth’s glossy skin seemed to have lost its color.
“Geas-sama……, in the woods to the west… armed humans… I found some”
“……Really?”
Maybe it was his exhaustion, but the youth reported as if he was out of breath and Geas didn’t thank the youth, instead pausing slightly as he gave a curt reply.
“The forest in the west…? You should go and rest…”
“No… I am fine”
Geas stared at the youth who tried to get behind him as the youth shook his head at his master’s orders…
“When I told you to [Rest]… [Blazing Arrow]…”
“…!?”
Geas released the fire magic with a single chant, and the Daemon youth caught the blow that would normally have downed him in a single hit, as his face distorted into that of a beast.
“As expected, you have been possessed!”
As Geas shouted out while flying downwards, the burning Daemon youth pursued at a terrifying speed, despite him being on fire.
“You even forgot the magic that I taught! [Magic power that governs all creation, devour mine enemy!]”
Geas invoked the magic, and the [Jaws] that were born of magic power kept the Daemon youth at bay for a moment as it bit at him.
What had happened to the Daemon youth…?
Without even the time to think about it, Geas saw a shadow with bat wings over where the Daemon youth disappeared.
He probably didn’t see it truly and only saw the appearance on the surface.
A beautiful girl with bat wings, floating in the sky.
“…Who are you?”
At Geas’ question, the silver-haired girl wearing a purple dress smiled bewitchingly and replied in a melodious voice.
“I came to play.”
“…Wha”
In the next moment, Geas had already been cut down from behind.
If the blow had pierced the defensive magic, he would have received a fatal injury in that instant he failed to dodge.
When had she gotten behind him? …… No, since when did he think that that girl was in front of him?
Geas looked at the girl who was licking the blood off her long, black claw.
“Vampire?!”
A legendary monster that weren’t accepted in the Daemon King’s Army…… 【Vampire】.
The vampires that thirsted for blood, and would treat their comrades as [Food] were unacceptable existences even in the Daemon King’s territory.
Besides, that overwhelming feeling… that ominous presence… that beauty…… Considering the power that she showed just now, she was clearly a [Greater Vampire] that was past a certain age.
Geas feared that all of his disciples had already had their blood sucked dry.
There were still several hours before the morning would come and the power of a vampire would wane.
“……tch”
Geas clicked his tongue and resolved himself.
Why, though, in this sort of place, had a [Greater Vampire] that had the power to suppress even the Daemon King appeared? Was the disappearance of the Daemon King’s Army because she ate them all?
But no, no matter how ancient the vampire, it shouldn’t have been possible to fight Killian without injury.
As an existence that could truly be called the [King of Monsters], it was unthinkable that she would join forces with the humans.
What was he missing…?
Had he been laboring under a serious [Misunderstanding]?
“………”
Nevertheless Geas wasn’t going to die in such a place. Even if he had to release all of the magic power that he’d hoarded away for the fulfilment of his desire, he would survive.
＊
Millaine, who used the [Paid Leave] she had received, had come for a [Vacation] near the Daemon King’s territory.
Freed from her friend and employer’s (Demon’s) unreasonable everyday demands, finally being able to stretch her (literal) wings after a long time, the number of Daemons that she and her subordinates had eaten reached into the tens of thousands.
In addition to choosing those who looked like they would be good at their [Business] into their fold, she also took those that looked and tasted good as souvenirs for her friend, and enjoyed herself at her leisure.
“Certainly, that child did come in this direction, didn’t she? I wonder if she secretly went in…”
The originally overly-serious character of the vampire, in spite of all the clawing and turning around, was still thinking about such a thing.
While all the vampire maids were going [How pitiful…] about their master, and secretly wiping away their tears with a handkerchief, well, it doesn’t matter, but there was the appearance of a new Daemon youth as a butler apprentice, and Millaine who was his teacher was also the leader of the Daemons, and only a small number of subordinates had come here to report.
“fu~hn…”
Previously, she wasn’t interested in old people, but according to her friend it’s the old people who constantly think of their issues that have a [Deep and Matured Taste], it seems.
Millaine spread her black bat wings, and flew up into the starry sky.
Because it was only a few hours to dawn, there was danger, but considering that perhaps the followers of her friend might be hunting, she couldn’t stay still.
Flying into the sky at a speed that left her maids and butlers behind, the Daemons that she met along the way weren’t turned into vampires, but they weren’t [Good-for-nothing], and rather were helpful in searching for that old man.
The blood of the old man on her claws was a little tart, but had deep flavor.
If she [Played] with him a little more it might become even more tasty, but the old man suddenly released a strong wave of magic power, and for the first time, began to chant a spell.
“…O-oh? It might be a bit dangerous……?”
That magic power … that killing intent…… although she didn’t understand what he was chanting, Millaine could tell that it was a powerful spell, to the extent that it might threaten her existence.
Running was not a good plan. Because she didn’t know its range, she might be defenseless if she turned her back and ran.
To begin with, vampires had such high offensive strength and recovery ability that they seemed invulnerable, but their defensive abilities weren’t a big deal.
“[Nuclear Meltdown]…!”
The trump card [Super Magic] that only the Daemon King and Geas could use expanded with a speed and range that far exceeded the estimate of Millaine, who’d taken a stance to dodge.
“Crap!”
Millaine, who immediately realized its power, gave up dodging it and wrapped her body with magic-infused feathers, preparing to take the hit.
Feeling an unimaginably huge heat and light rush at her as Millaine shut her eyes tightly……
“【Nya~】”
“Millaine-sama, I have something I’d like to ask you~”
“……Hah?”
When Millaine opened her eyes at that carefree and out-of-place voice, the heat and light had disappeared as if they had never been there at all, and she saw the figure of Nia wielding a golden magic sword (Nyan Blade) that crackled with electricity.
“Millaine-sama, are you listening~?”
“Eh…… ah…, I heard you.”
Although she recognized Nia’s appearance, but Millaine looked at Nia again.
She’d heard that the girl had the ability of 【Absorption】, but was all that magic really absorbed……?
At Millaine who was stunned at seeing the power of an Arch demon again, Nia furrowed her eyebrows with a troubled face.
“Hey~… Millaine-sama?”
“Wh-what?”
“That grandpa from just now, he seems to have escaped.”
“……EHh!?”
After pausing for a second, Millaine, who finally understood what was being said, turned to look, but the figure of that old man was already gone.
“Nia, where did that old man go!?”
“Unn, well… that way.”
As Nia pointed towards the north, Millaine tracked the finger with her eyes, and looked up to stare into the distance.
“The Daemon King’s Territory……”
Even Millaine, who was called a [Greater Vampire], didn’t have the temper to chase him all the way into the Daemon’s main camp……
“Hey, Nia…… Will you help me search for that person from just now…?”
As Millaine tried asking with upturned eyes, Nia clapped her hands as if she’d hit upon something.
“Right, right, Millaine-sama, Yurushia-sama didn’t come back last night, and seems to have gone somewhere, might you know where she’s gone?”
“…………………………HaaaaAAAAAAAAAA!?”
Author’s Notes:
The Ranking went up, and lots more people bookmarked!
Thank you all, everyone. Thank you all very much.
I was really happy since I realized that many people enjoyed this since the beginning of the work.
The hero (Yuru) will return next time.
After a long time, it’s another explanation I can’t put in the chapter synopsis.
The concept of this work is,
[A template story of a protagonist that’s relatable, but also a dramatic persona who’s a 【story-script-destroying monster】 that lurks behind an innocent face].
For that reason, Demon Noble Girl’s template story usually develops in several directions at once.
If you take into account the different perspectives and read it, you might see a different face.
Well then, see you next time!
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