We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
Oz’s Mistake
How should I describe it? Pastoral?
The territory, governed by Ruilala, was an idyllic countryside.
We flew for half a day, carried by Nimia. We had traveled from Mistral’s village to the western edge of Dragon Peak.
However, since the sudden appearance of a giant dragon in Ruilala’s territory would cause great confusion among the villagers, our landing spot was on the outskirts of the territory.
Looking around, the snow that had piled up in winter was finally melting, revealing fields where plowing had begun. The scattered houses were all simple wooden structures, and in the yards, chickens roamed freely, and children ran around with dogs.
A flock of sheep could also be seen in the distant grassland.
“This is surprisingly peaceful. It looks very peaceful.”
“Elnea-kun, it’s not just that it looks peaceful, it *is* peaceful. My territory is the very definition of peace. And those fools…”
The “fools” Ruilala mentioned were the Dragon Race who attacked his territory two years ago.
Even though they were cursed by a magic sword, the Dragon Race ravaged the territory and massacred the villagers. Enraged by this, Ruilala retaliated and attacked Dragon Peak.
“Um, Oz is trembling.”
“Priscilla-chan, let him be for now, okay?”
We disembarked from Nimia’s back.
In the end, it was the usual group who came. Mistral, Ruiseine, Laira, Yufilia, and Nina.
Priscilla-chan is here too, and Ares-chan has also accompanied us, of course. Yunyun and Rinrin are not visible, but their presence is nearby.
And, as an extra, Madrine-sama and Sefina-san.
And, Oz.
We brought Oz to ask the Giant Demon Lord about the Nine-tailed Fox Shrine.
However, upon landing on the ground, Oz hid his two thick tails between his legs and trembled violently.
It’s no wonder.
That’s right, it was something that happened before we departed.
“What?! You mean I, this esteemed self, am to be transported by such a puny brat?! Hmph, have some respect! Even though I am wounded, I am not so weak as to be carried by a kittenly dragon!”
When I told Oz that we would be going with Nimia, he became furious.
Oz pointed at the adorable Nimia, who was grooming herself, and barked, baring his fangs.
“No, no, Nimia is…”
“Silence, brat! How could this noble self be indebted to a young girl? If I were to rely on this being, I would traverse Dragon Peak on my own, even in my injured state!”
“Oz, you’ve been saying you’re injured, but I know you were playing tag with Priscilla-chan and the others. And Nimia is different.”
“What do you mean, different?! Hmph, very well. If I am to fall behind this brat, show me the proof!”
“…Teacher Nimia, please.”
“Meow.”
Oz looked down on Nimia, and I had to tell him the truth.
Steel myself, I decided to have Nimia show us “proof.”
Nimia finished grooming herself and meowed adorably. Then, before Oz and I, she began to transform her body.
From a small, cute kitten-like body to the size of an adult cat. Then, she rapidly grew larger than Oz, surpassing Fiorina and Rim, who were watching with cheers.
At this point, Oz’s jaw dropped open in astonishment.
But she wasn’t done yet.
Nimia grew to a size that loomed over us, and only stopped when she was a colossal being looking down at the rooftops of houses.
“Now, everyone, let’s get our luggage and ride on Nimia.”
“Understood!”
In accordance with my instructions, Priscilla-chan and the others moved onto Nimia’s back.
As for Oz, he stood frozen, looking up at the giant Nimia.
“Uwah, I wanna go!”
“Me too, Rim!”
“Fio and Rim will stay behind. Revalia would worry.”
We cannot bring a young dragon to the Demon Race’s Country.
It’s too dangerous.
As I moved to Nimia’s back with Spatial Jump, I looked down at Oz, who was still frozen, staring upwards, his eyes rolled back white.
“Nimia. Please take care of Oz.”
“Understood, meow.”
With that, Nimia grabbed Oz with her giant front paws. And then, she soared into the sky.
Ah, poor Oz.
He never knew that the tiny young dragon he had been playing with until yesterday was actually the strongest and largest being.
But Oz hasn’t realized it yet. You said to Fiorina and Rim, “I want to see their guardian’s face,” didn’t you?
Once all the luggage was removed from her back, Nimia shrank down to the size of Priscilla-chan’s head and yawned.
Oz looked up at the adorable Nimia with a strained expression and trembled violently.
Well, he’s probably traumatized for a while, so let’s leave him be.
More importantly, I looked around again.
“I was thinking, this place feels very different from a prosperous region like the Demon Capital area?”
The Demon Race’s Country is far more prosperous than the Armēdo Kingdom and Yorttenitos Kingdom ruled by humans. If you were to scale the prosperity seen in human capital cities to the Demon Race’s Country, it would only be about the size of a medium-sized regional city.
The bustling cities were connected by well-maintained roads, and I remember looking down from Lily’s back two years ago at the scene of countless people coming and going.
Ruilala gave a bitter smile at our candid impressions of the peaceful scenery.
“Of course. This area is the frontier, the very frontier. It’s a remote land with Dragon Peak right next door. It’s not exactly prosperous.”
“Just a small question, Ruilala. Why do you have territory in such a remote area?”
It’s a strange question in the first place.
Ruilala’s parent is a Primogenitor Race demon who rules the North Sea. Their title is Duke. Why is their son subservient to the Giant Demon Lord, who holds territory in the interior?
Ruilala himself is a water-dwelling demon, and he looks like a mermaid. …Albeit a very giant one.
There doesn’t seem to be a large river or lake in Ruilala’s territory. Why does he own land in a place completely unrelated to his element?
When Ruilala heard my question, he looked around his territory again.
To the east, Dragon Peak stretched out, where spring was just beginning to arrive late. The rest was a heartwarming rural landscape.
It wasn’t poverty, but rather a simple lifestyle typical of the countryside, unconcerned with money or possessions.
“When I was born, I lived in the sea. His Majesty found me. As long as I can serve His Majesty, I don’t care where my territory is.”
“And so it became this kind of land?”
“It’s only recently that the residents of Dragon Peak and the demons have become so close. In the past, there were constant conflicts, and no one was eager to receive land in this area.”
The Giant Demon Lord has tried his best not to cause problems with the Dragon Race. However, racial discord cannot be erased solely by the ruler’s orders. Although interaction has gradually increased, it seems it was not land noblemen eagerly sought in the past.
“It might be disrespectful for me to say this, but… that’s just how His Majesty is.”
“What do you mean, ‘that’s just how he is’?”
“He subjugates Primogenitor Races and even took in a viscount like me.”
I tilted my head, not quite understanding what Ruilala meant, and he elaborated.
“Well, Dukes are not appointed by the Demon Lord but by higher authorities, aren’t they?”
“The true ruler of the demons appoints Primogenitor Races as Dukes and grants them territory and privileges to quell their rebellion, right?”
“That’s right. But, Elnea-kun. In other words, Primogenitor Races have the potential to go berserk at any moment. Moreover, Primogenitor Races pledge allegiance to the ruler, not the Demon Lord. Would anyone ordinarily want to control such a demon and make them their subordinate?”
“Hmm, if it were me… I’d definitely want nothing to do with it!”
I thought about it while looking at Ruilala and came to a clear conclusion!
I absolutely do not want subordinates who might attack me if I let my guard down.
But the Giant Demon Lord seems to be different from me.
“Does that mean there are Primogenitor Race demons among the Giant Demon Lord’s subordinates?”
“Elnea-kun, what are you talking about? There is, someone you know very well.”
“Eh? Who could it be!?”
I tried to think.
I meet the Giant Demon Lord often, but I actually don’t know many of his subordinates.
The faces I often see are the strong Demon Generals with four arms, and the Black Winged Demons who helped us guard the Necropolis. And then…
“It’s the Chancellor.”
“Wh-what did you say!! The Chancellor is Charlotte, right? Was that person a Primogenitor Race!?”
Not only I, but everyone was surprised to learn that Charlotte, the Giant Demon Lord’s closest aide, with her blonde hair swept to the side and narrow eyes, was a Primogenitor Race.
“Does that mean she’s incredibly strong…?”
Primogenitor Races are born with immense knowledge and possess magic power that would make even High-ranking Demons blush, right?
Speaking of which, I think I’ve seen her fighting, wielding a whip…
“The strength of a Primogenitor Race… Well, I think there are individual differences, but the Chancellor is terrifyingly strong.”
“How strong?”
“I’ve only heard it secondhand, but I heard she was a Marshal in a past great war.”
“What’s a Marshal?”
“Simply put, she was the commander-in-chief of the demon army dispatched by multiple Demon Lords. She was in a position to command the Demon Generals of each country.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoaaaaa!!”
“A long time ago, there was an era when the Divine Race from the South launched a great invasion. The Demon Lords of that time cooperated and dispatched an army to confront them… and the Commander-in-Chief at that time was the Chancellor.”
I wish I hadn’t heard that!
I never imagined Charlotte was such an amazing demon!
“More importantly, why is someone who was a Marshal of the Demon Alliance Army now the Chancellor and not in the military?”
“That’s because the Chancellor is a capable administrator. This goes back to the beginning. His Majesty has many different demons as subordinates. Some have been recruited as Demon Generals or officials in other countries, and some have even become Demon Lords!”
“A Demon Lord who produces Demon Lords…”
“And when excellent officials are recruited or retire due to old age, sometimes there’s a shortage of personnel. The previous Chancellor retired due to old age a little while ago. In times like that, someone as capable as the Chancellor is brought out.”
“…Ruilala-kun, could I ask something? As a Demon Lord, how do you feel about your subordinates being frequently poached?”
“His Majesty doesn’t seem to mind? He welcomes all visitors and doesn’t hold back those who leave. Rather, when the subordinates he raised with care become important figures in other countries, he has influence when something happens.”
“I see, there’s that interpretation too. If a subordinate in a crucial position is a former subordinate of the Giant Demon Lord, other Demon Lords wouldn’t easily dare to oppose the Giant Demon Lord. And if something were to happen, his former subordinates might revolt.”
“It seems that in the incident with the Northern Demon Lord, those individuals also provided information.”
Hmm, this is a deep subject.
On the surface, one might think that a country whose subordinates are poached might have issues with treatment. However, if a solid master-subordinate relationship has been established, it can be interpreted as sending one’s pawns into the other’s country. Moreover, since those sent are capable individuals, they are bound to hold positions that deeply involve the country’s core.
“So, with that said, there are surprisingly many demons like myself who might leave this country in the future, and don’t care about the territory they receive.”
“Hmm, the Demon Race’s society is interesting when you learn about it.”
“Since you’ve learned about it, why don’t you try running it?”
“No way!”
Since it was too long to stand and talk, we proceeded, led by Ruilala.
Apparently, Ruilala’s territory is vast, but the number of villagers is not that high.
Along the way, the residents of the territory who occasionally crossed our path deeply bowed their heads when they saw Ruilala and watched us pass.
“Seeing this scenery, Ruilala, you really are a lord…”
“I don’t care about territory, but I do rule it properly. If a rebellion were to occur, my loyalty to His Majesty would be questioned.”
Although it’s a remote countryside, this is a country ruled by the Giant Demon Lord. While we are casually conversing, Ruilala is also a demon, and he favors his own kind while treating human slaves as a matter of course.
The scenery might look peaceful, but this is the Demon Race’s Country, and I was reminded of it anew.
“This is my mansion. Please, everyone, make yourselves at home.”
Ruilala’s mansion was located at the eastern edge of the territory. So, after enjoying the scenery from our landing spot, we soon arrived at our destination.
I had expected that, even though it was the countryside, there would be a large town or village somewhere, and the mansion would be located in one of its districts. My prediction was wrong, and just like the scenery we had seen so far, the mansion stood alone amidst the sprawling fields, and we were all surprised.
Although it was surrounded by a windbreak, and the dwellings of the servants who presumably worked at the mansion were built nearby, I never expected it to be *this* rural.
The villages of the Dragon Race might as well be considered more bustling in comparison.
“Welcome back, Lord.”
The old man who emerged from the entrance upon sensing his master’s return did not look like a butler or a guard, but a very ordinary grandpa. He was a benevolent-looking man with a white beard.
“Woof woof!” Three dogs came bounding out from the entrance where the old man had appeared and nuzzled Ruilala.
Ruilala, while petting the dogs, informed the old man of his return.
“And who are these people?”
The old man, who had taken Ruilala’s luggage, looked at us with a puzzled gaze.
“Ah, they are… that person over there is the Dragon King. And the ladies around him are his family.”
“Oh, is that so? Lord Ruilala often talks about you. My apologies.”
“Elnea-kun, he is Zoboth, our steward. He’s a demon, so please forgive him for his earlier rudeness.”
“We aren’t offended at all. Thank you for having us.”
It seemed that Zoboth, a demon, was wary of the appearance of humans and Dragon Race. However, once it was known that we were Ruilala’s acquaintances, we were greeted most courteously.
“Well, let’s go inside. I’ll be your host today.”
We were guided by Ruilala and Zoboth into the mansion.
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