We Live in Dragon’s Peak – Chapter 1158

We live in the foothills of Dragon Peak.

Margraves of the Frontier.

“What’s going on, what’s this disturbance?!”

The commotion inside the carriage drew the attention of the demons fighting outside. They then peered in, their faces contorting in surprise at the scene within.

Demons who had been defeated by Lord Reed lay sprawled on the ground. Lady Mine was casting magic on a man lying prone.

“Um, well…”

Of course, they were also surprised to see me, a human, and their killing intent flared. As I opened my mouth to try and explain the situation, the woman spoke.

“These people are examining our Master.”
“Head Steward… B-but?”

The demons, still radiating killing intent but restraining themselves from attacking, looked at us with suspicion.

“At any rate, please deal with the monsters outside.”
“Understood. We’ll discuss the details later.”

With that, the demon pulled its head back out of the carriage. Outside, shouts and sounds of battle continued unabated.

“Perhaps we ran into a monster nest?”

Normally, even a few monsters would be considered a lot to be attacked by. But the sounds of battle haven’t ceased since. This means that monsters are continuously spawning as fast as they are being defeated. And in such cases, you’ve usually had the misfortune of encountering a so-called “monster nest,” an impure place from which monsters emerge.

When you encounter a monster nest, the first thing you should do is leave the area. Another option is to eradicate the monsters… But it seems the condition of the man lying in the carriage was too grave, and he couldn’t endure being jostled any longer. That’s why they chose to stay and eliminate the monsters. For demons, that choice probably poses no problem.

Lady Anna is desperately casting magic on the man lying down. No one would be foolish enough to harm Lady Anna inside the carriage now. Everyone held their breath, watching the effects of the magic Lady Anna was casting.

But it’s no use. Unless the poison is removed from the source, this man will not survive. I heard that they could be saved at the Great Shrine in the city, as it has excellent medical facilities and medicines. However, these people fled from that city for some reason. If that’s the case…

We could only watch. Lady Anna desperately cast her magic. Then, the sounds of battle outside gradually began to subside. It seemed they had managed to eradicate the monsters.

“Well then, I’ll go explain to the people outside.”
“Then I shall accompany you.”

The woman stood up and joined me. This poisoned man lying down was the master of this group, and this woman was the head steward, taking care of his personal affairs. She and I got out of the carriage together. After all the trouble, we were able to explain the situation. And the demons, who had been filled with hostility, finally calmed down.

Essentially, the demons initially directed the same hostility and killing intent towards us humans as they did towards the monsters, but the head steward, the woman, explained things properly, and they grudgingly accepted it. Me? I left it all to the woman!

The head steward is a young and beautiful woman with pink hair. Her demeanor is elegant, and she truly looks like a servant attending to a high-ranking demon. Of course, this head steward was also a demon. However, she treated us humans with politeness. It’s likely because we were the ones who saved her master, and perhaps she has a naturally easygoing personality.

“I am grateful that you cared for my master. However, I cannot acknowledge this. Do not presume to interfere, you humans.”
“Yes, I will keep it in mind.”

Anyway, it was good enough that the disturbance was settled. So I gave a hasty reply to the burly demon who seemed to be the captain of the guards. However, the problem was still not resolved.

“The master’s poison… it cannot be cured, can it? Then…”

The demon guards were likely loyal subordinates. Upon hearing the explanation of the poison from the head steward, their expressions all turned grim.

“Oh, come on, the way to save him is clear. What are you hesitating for? You can save him if you go to some city, right?”

And then there’s Slaton, who doesn’t read the room, or rather, is insolent even towards demons. At Slaton’s words, several gazes sharp with killing intent were directed at him. However, Slaton was not the type to be intimidated by such things.

“Are you truly loyal retainers? If you were true retainers, wouldn’t you risk your lives if there was a way to save your master? What is this, acting so weak, demons behaving more feebly than humans?”

“How dare you!” A demon lunged forward and grabbed Slaton by the collar. Lady Mine intervened at that moment.

“No, if I may be so bold to say. The only way for your master to be saved is that, isn’t it? You can save him, yet you intend to abandon your master?”

“Lady Mine is correct. Besides, there should be other cities, so why not go somewhere other than the city you fled from?” There’s no reason why there should only be one city in the frontier, right? At my words, the demons, without hiding their irritation, responded with a click of their tongues.

“… If you go a little further west from here, there is a small city ruled by Baron Taalkaton.”
“What, it exists, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, Slanel. Shut your mouth!” Because Slaton butted in unnecessarily, all the demons are bristling with killing intent! Lady Listea and I hastily silenced Slaton. The demons glared at Slaton but continued.

“However, that place might already have fallen. Baron Taalkaton is a weakling.”
“What do you mean?” When I tilted my head in confusion, the head steward kindly explained.

“Baron Taalkaton was originally a close aide to His Majesty the Mad Abyss Demon Lord. However, due to his indecisive attitude and opinions, he was banished from the central government.”
“He was demoted to this frontier?”
“Yes. And currently, there is a war occurring between the lords in this region.”
“Whaaat!” When I asked if the internal conflict we first encountered was related to the struggles between lords, the head steward shook her head.

“No, in the north, the Northern Defense Army and the anti-government rebel army have been fighting for years, so it is a separate matter from the war between lords vying for territory.”
“There are really various conflicts happening within the country…” In the far south, the slaves have revolted and caused a civil war, right? Perhaps there are other uprisings and disturbances happening in this country for various reasons. And the Giant Demon Lord said that the mastermind was actually the Mad Abyss Demon Lord himself. What on earth is going on in this country!?

“In any case, to save our master, we must go to some city and get medicine. So, let’s act rather than thinking about it here!” My proposal was surprisingly readily accepted by the demons. Or rather, there were no other options left.

“The two miko, ride in the carriage. Nurse the master. The rest of you, follow as you please. But if you do anything unnecessary, I will kill you immediately.”
“Understood!”
This is a compromise in the demons’ way. The demons see us as expendable, less than slaves. However, in order to have the miko nurse their master, they cannot simply dismiss us. Furthermore, they must have understood properly from the previous battle. They must have understood the strength of Lady Listea and Slaton, and Lord Reed’s extraordinary ability. That’s why they allowed us to accompany them, but we mustn’t stand out.

And so, we quietly accompanied them, making sure not to incur the demons’ displeasure. By the way, Lord Reed, without any instruction or order from anyone, got into the carriage on his own. Truly admirable. The demons’ faces twitched in surprise!

“Well, well, I wonder what will happen.”
“Tch, at least say thank you.”
“Slanel, it can’t be helped. This is a country ruled by demons, you know?”
“I know.” We changed our course westward, heading towards the city ruled by Baron Taalkaton.

Two days have passed since we began traveling with the demons towards the city ruled by Baron Taalkaton. The demon afflicted by poison has been weakening with each passing day. Lady Mine and Lady Anna have been taking turns casting magic, but it seems he won’t be saved unless the poison is neutralized at its source.

Depending on the type of poison, it is said that magic can completely cure it. However, for that, the miko using the magic must be knowledgeable about poisons, or at least know what kind of poison is being used. It’s impossible for Lady Mine and Lady Anna, who came from different regions, to know what kind of poison was used in the demon country. Of course, the demons themselves didn’t know what poison their master had been given.

Nevertheless, thanks to the diligent treatment by the two Shooting Star Samas, the demon managed to cling to life. The demons also seem to appreciate the devotion of Lady Mine and Lady Anna, as no one has tried to harm them. As a result, even our safety as companions of the Shooting Star Samas has been secured.

Those demons were subordinates who had sworn deep loyalty to the poisoned demon. They were concerned about their master’s well-being at all times and did not complain or grumble about their situation. However, those demons invariably grumbled, “If only Baron Taalkaton were more competent.” High-ranking demons dislike having their names casually called by others. Yet, these demons mentioned the Baron’s name without hesitation. This means that the Baron is looked down upon and taken lightly by many demons. They believe that they have nothing to fear from Baron Taalkaton, and can even speak his name casually.

What kind of person is this margrave who is looked down upon by demons? How can he hold the position of margrave if he’s so easily dismissed? While harboring such questions, we pressed on towards the city to save the demon. However, we were about to be caught up in further turmoil.

“Damn it, it’s the Silver-eyed Knight’s army!”
“We’ve finally reached sight of Baron Taalkaton’s city!”

The demons started to panic. And understandably so. Just as the city finally began to appear in the distance along the frontier road we were traveling. A large cloud of dust rose from the south, a direction different from ours. And as we strained our eyes to see what was happening, a unit that appeared to be an army on horseback and mounted beasts came into view. The army that appeared from the south was rapidly approaching the city.

“Hey, hey, what is that?”

In response to my question, a demon spat out with evident irritation.

“It’s the army of a new high-ranking demon who’s been getting too cocky in this region lately. He’s the one who poisoned our master and took his territory!”
“Whaaat!”
“That bastard! He’s even dared to lay hands on the Baron, who is his father and a noble of a powerful family!”
“So, if this continues, Baron Taalkaton’s city will be attacked by the Silver-eyed Knight’s army!?”

“Indeed,” the demon clicked his tongue. It seems the humans, myself included, are so insignificant that he doesn’t even notice me speaking so casually; the demons were filled with irritation and desperation. But this is not the time for calm analysis!

“Run! If we get caught up in their battle, we won’t be able to enter the city!”
“Before Baron Taalkaton can erect a barrier, take Master to the Great Shrine!”

The driver whipped the horses, and they ran at full speed. The demon guards also ran desperately. And of course, so did we!

But… “Oh, come on! If we keep this up, they’ll reach the city before us!” As Slaton shouted. No matter how fast we ran, we would never make it in time! While running towards the city, we were facing a crisis!