We Live in Dragon’s Peak – Chapter 277

We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.

Stars represent souls.

How long had I been asleep? I noticed a weight on my abdomen and regained consciousness.

I rubbed my eyes and slowly opened my eyelids.

I was enveloped in Nimia’s soft, long fur. And on my stomach, Priscilla-chan lay on me like a weight, breathing softly in her sleep.

It’s still night, isn’t it?

Surely it’s not the same night I lost consciousness, is it?

By the quiet lakeside, everyone else, like me, was nestled in the warmth of the giant Nimia, breathing peacefully in their sleep.

Looking up at the sky while lying down, I saw a sky full of stars so breathtakingly beautiful that I could gaze at it forever. The faint clouds over the distant Sacred Mountain stood out in silhouette against the starry sky.

I listened to the calming sound of the lake.

This place, called the Forbidden Territory, might be experiencing seasons more rapidly than other regions. A cold wind touched my exposed face. From the surrounding forest, not many animal sounds could be heard.

Only the distant howl of a wolf and the cry of a night bird reached my ears.

With winter approaching, the animals might have moved to warmer places.

A gentle splash from the water’s surface drew my gaze to the lake.

Under the full moon, the Giant Demon Lord stood by the lake, quietly gazing toward the Sacred Mountain.

I carefully moved from Priscilla-chan’s weight so as not to wake her.

Nimia, true to her nature, seemed to notice and woke up, but she cradled Priscilla-chan and freed me.

I got up and stretched.

It must be midnight, but I wasn’t very sleepy anymore.

“Elnea?”

Mistral, who had been sleeping wrapped in Nimia’s fur like me, woke up.

“Oh, did I wake you?”

“When camping, my senses are heightened.”

Telling him that in a low voice so as not to wake everyone else, Mistral got up and came to my side.

“Are you alright now?”

“Yeah. How long was I asleep?”

“About two full days.”

“Oh, really. Did I sleep too much?”

“Not at all. Never underestimate exhaustion. You could have died, so proper rest is important.”

We exchanged a few quiet words, and I poured hot drinks from containers placed near the still-warm bonfire into cups.

Perhaps the Giant Demon Lord had been tending the fire?

Mistral prepared drinks for himself and me, and then headed towards the lakeside.

“Mistral and Elnea, is it?”

The Demon Lord accepted the cups of drink without any sign of displeasure towards us approaching.

“It’s beautiful.”

“It is. This place has been strictly protected. Those who bring defilement, like humans and dragons, are not allowed here; only wild animals live here.”

By defilement, the Demon Lord might have meant conflict and civilized society. If so, this Forbidden Territory, though part of the Demon Race’s Country, was essentially an undeveloped land.

“There were times in the past when humans, dragons, and other races lived here. But now, no one resides here.”

The Demon Lord, as if reading my thoughts, added.

“I entrust this land to you, Mistral. However, it is not without conditions. Do not easily invite others. Only those you truly trust are permitted to visit this land. Furthermore, this place is managed collectively. When you are absent, its joint administrators will protect it. You are not allowed to refuse those invited by the administrators. Know that if anyone deemed unacceptable enters, they will show no mercy, even if they are your acquaintances or family.”

Who were these joint administrators? Given that it was a Forbidden Territory, higher beings than the Demon Lord were likely involved. I pondered it, but the Demon Lord offered no answer.

Perhaps it was something I didn’t need to know.

Though slightly curious, I had a feeling I would eventually find out. I couldn’t learn everything all at once. If so, I might as well patiently wait for the opportunity to learn it.

“Am I… truly…?”

Mistral looked out at the Sacred Mountain and the lake illuminated by the starlight.

“Take it easy. We are not trying to absorb you into the Demon Race. Simply consider yourself the owner of this land. We will handle the management. If you find it unnecessary, you may even forget about it. Though, even if you forget, it remains your land.”

“Th-thank you.”

For Mistral, who had lived a simple life on Dragon Peak, receiving such a vast tract of land was clearly beyond his capacity. Yet, unable to refuse, Mistral thanked the Demon Lord with a troubled expression.

The Demon Lord smiled at Mistral’s reaction.

“From now on, it will be necessary for you and Elnea. And for the Spirit Tree. But before that…”

The Demon Lord’s gaze shifted to Dragon Peak, which spread out behind him.

“You two must do something about Orta and Demon Lord Kusharilla.”

That’s right. How to deal with the land I received was a secondary concern for now.

Unless the turmoil surrounding Dragon Peak was resolved, a peaceful life would not return.

The Demon Lord had ceded this land to Mistral, and we had been recognized here. This meant we might be able to build a home and live here in the future. However, as long as the disturbance on Dragon Peak continued, such a future would never come.

“Leave Kusharilla to my retainers. However, you must deal with Orta yourselves. I cannot look after that.”

“Yes. We are already receiving more than enough cooperation, so we expect nothing more.”

“That’s a good attitude. But tell me, how will you do it?”

“…Orta’s immortality?”

“Indeed. Even the seal placed by Laza, one of the Eight Dragon Kings, was broken, and Orta resurrected.”

“Recently, the Ryūhōken was also stolen.”

“That is problematic. All the more so, how do you plan to deal with it?”

Mistral faltered.

Orta already possessed strong immortality and could not be killed by casual attacks. Now, with the Ryūhōken, which allows them to wield the inherent power of the dragon race dormant within the Ryūhōgyoku, they are even more formidable.

Facing Orta without a plan or any chance of winning would be futile.

We currently had no means to counter Orta.

“There is one, simple method.”

My and Mistral’s surprise at the Demon Lord’s unexpected words was evident.

The Demon Lord chuckled at our reactions and pointed with his finger to the oddly-shaped, jet-black longsword at his waist.

“It’s called the Soul Spirit Seat.”

Confused by what the Demon Lord had said, Mistral and I tilted our heads.

“The true one is held by the one who rules the Demon Race. Separately, there are twelve imitations. One is held by that person’s confidante, and the remaining ten are held by Demon Lords. In other words, whoever possesses the Soul Spirit Seat can be considered a Demon Lord.”

The Demon Lord smoothly drew the strangely shaped longsword and held it high above his head. Like its scabbard, the blade and everything else were jet black. The blade, bent in a way that seemed impractical, cast a dark shadow against the starry sky.

“The Soul Spirit Seat guides souls to their rightful place. Those who touch this sword, regardless of injury, will lose their souls.”

Human and demon race thinking and values differ. For humans, the rightful place for a soul seems to be the physical body of the living, but for demons, it appears to be different.

When the Goddess of Creation created the world and various living beings, she bestowed two truths upon them.

For the Human Race: Hope and Miracles.

For the Demon Race: Surely, Destruction and Freedom.

Following this metaphor, it implies freeing the soul from the confinement of the body. And ultimate freedom would mean destroying even the framework of the soul itself.

Well, this is a concept derived from human religious beliefs, so perhaps the Demon Lord meant something different.

When morning comes, I should ask Ruiseine. She might know more.

By the way, what did he mean by the Soul Spirit Seat being a simple solution…?

“Dragon King Elnea, you are most interesting. Even with your current thoughts.”

“Uh, thank you?”

“Kukuku. How about it? Will you not become a Demon Lord? There are currently about four vacant Demon Lord positions. If you have the inclination, I will recommend you.”

“WhaT!?”

The preposterous proposal elicited a strange sound from the back of my throat!

Worried that everyone might wake up, I quickly checked. It seemed they didn’t, but he really shouldn’t say such odd things.

Me, a Demon Lord?

No, no, definitely not! While I was happy to become a Dragon King, I absolutely wouldn’t want to become a Demon Lord, and I wouldn’t be happy about it!

I shook my head vigorously in refusal. Mistral also shielded me, moving me away from the Demon Lord.

“Fufufu, it’s only half a joke.”

…Only half, huh?

Frightening.

“However. If you are not a Demon Lord, I cannot give you this. With the Soul Spirit Seat, even against Orta, their soul can be shattered.”

Indeed, if the strangely shaped jet-black longsword possessed the performance the Demon Lord described, it might be possible to defeat the immortal Orta. But the price for that was becoming a Demon Lord, an option I didn’t want to choose.

“Um… Is it possible to borrow it just once? Only when defeating Orta?”

“That’s fine. I cannot lend mine, but if you ask a higher-ranking individual, you might be able to borrow one that has no owner.”

“Oh, is that a great idea?”

The Demon Lord dashed my hopes as I rejoiced.

“However, those without the qualification, meaning those who are not Demon Lords, will have their souls instantly taken. Only Demon Lords can touch the Soul Spirit Seat. Now then, can you defeat Orta in an instant?”

What a predicament. Even though one solution was right before my eyes, I absolutely couldn’t choose it.

Becoming a Demon Lord was impossible for me. Yet, if a non-Demon Lord touched it, they would die instantly.

The Demon Lord asked if I could defeat Orta in the blink of an eye before dying, but that fundamentally missed the point. I didn’t want to sacrifice anyone for victory. Of course, I wouldn’t try to sacrifice myself either.

“Then what will you do? You discard a sure method, yet you have no other recourse.”

“Ugh…”

The Demon Lord was right. Regardless of whether he was being kind or not, we rejected his proposed solution, yet we had no alternative to offer.

“It will likely take some time to locate Kusharilla. While you recuperate here, find an alternative plan. Do not disappoint me.”

The Demon Lord returned the Soul Spirit Seat to its scabbard.

“Be warned. There is no clean fighting. If you have something to protect and a future you wish to grasp, do not hesitate to use methods you find unpalatable. If you do not win and survive, there will be no future.”

The Demon Lord’s words weighed heavily on Mistral and me.

To think I would hear words similar to those Jiludo once told me from the Demon Lord.

The Giant Demon Lord, also the oldest Demon Lord.

Having lived long and ruled the Demon Race, perhaps he too had experienced bitter regrets, failures, and unsatisfactory conclusions many times.

Thinking about it that way, perhaps I shouldn’t so easily assume that the problems we are currently facing would all end in happy endings.

Much of the blood of the Dragonfolk and dragons might flow, and Dragon Peak might bear deep scars.

To defeat Orta, we might indeed be forced to make agonizing choices.

However.

Even so, that doesn’t mean we can give up hope!

We might have little time, but we will fight as much as we can.

Alright, when morning comes and everyone wakes up, it’s time for a strategy meeting.

“Fufufu, truly entertaining. Your forward-looking attitude invigorates even me.”

The Giant Demon Lord chuckled.

I couldn’t help but smile sheepishly in return.

Mistral muttered under his breath, “He’s reading my thoughts again.”

There seemed to be some time before morning.

For some reason, the three of us stood by the lake, gazing at the dark silhouette of the distant Sacred Mountain, the sky full of stars, and the lake holding its serene water sounds.