We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
Assault! The neighboring Demon Lord’s territory.
Thanks to the demon escort, or rather, surveillance, assigned to us by the Sage Demon Lord as a travel companion, our journey westward progressed without causing as much disturbance as in the Demon Capital.
Of course, during our travels, we never forgot to ask the inhabitants of demon cities, towns, villages, and people we encountered along the way if they knew anything about Micheila.
However, unlike our smooth journey, we couldn’t get any leads on Micheila’s whereabouts.
As time passed, we finally reached the western edge of the country ruled by the Sage Demon Lord.
Indeed. Everything was smooth and uneventful up to this point.
But, immediately after crossing the border.
Our journey took a sudden and drastic turn.
“Damn it! Why are there demons ambushing us here!”
“Slaton, complaining later. Hurry up, no matter what!”
“I’m already on it!”
The western edge of the Sage Demon Lord’s territory borders the eastern edge of the territory ruled by Fairy Demon Lord Kusharilla.
We bid farewell to the demons who guided us to the border and, blending into the darkness, rode on Nimia to breach the border.
After all, this is the land ruled by that Kusharilla.
Things cannot proceed peacefully here like they do in the Sage Demon Lord’s domain. Therefore, this was an extremely secret clandestine infiltration.
But reality was not that kind.
After flying for a while on Nimia, even Nimia found it difficult to carry us along with a large carriage and six automatic horse-shaped creatures for a long distance. So, it was good that we landed in a suitable place.
Immediately after we landed on the ground. For some reason, we were attacked by demons.
“Are we flying again, Nyan?”
“Yes, I’d like to, but… First, we need to get rid of these demons!”
The demons who attacked us, hidden in the darkness, were all clad in black attire.
They blended with the darkness and approached us stealthily with swift movements.
I swung my Spirit Tree Wooden Sword and repelled the demons who slipped into my striking range. While doing so, I mounted a pink automatic horse-shaped creature.
“Uwah! Uwawa!”
However, as I had no riding experience, I couldn’t handle a horse skillfully right away. I lost my balance, experiencing a different kind of difficulty than riding on the back of a dragon.
Just then, the next assassin lunged at me.
“!”
A demon tried to get close to me. However, it was cut down from behind.
“Hahaha, I never thought Elnea-kun would have a weakness like this.”
“Ruilala, thank you for saving me.”
“You’re welcome.”
With that said, Ruilala rode onto the pink horse I was on. Then, she put her arms around my back from behind and gripped the reins.
With a short cry from Ruilala,
The automatic horse-shaped creature began to run obediently.
Looking around, Listea was riding a red automatic horse-shaped creature, Slaton on a blue one, Alex on a yellow one, Louvent on a white one, and Toris on a black one, kicking away the attacking demons as they galloped.
“Ruilala, forget about the carriage.”
Fire arrows had been shot at the carriage bearing Ruilala’s family crest, and it was now burning fiercely.
At Slaton’s words, as he covered their retreat, Ruilala turned back.
“No, no, this was made by the Cat Duke in the first place. I have no attachment to letting it go.”
“Tch, this is why you don’t care about belongings…”
But there was really no time for such complaints!
The six automatic horse-shaped creatures sped on, but the demons in black attire who had attacked them did not fall behind.
“Lost, like a bewildering forest.”
Alex uttered powerful words. While saying that, he swung his divine sword horizontally.
Then, a fierce wind arose.
The strong wind instantly kicked up dust, obscuring vision.
But such a blinding trick? I wondered about that for only a moment.
Immediately after my vision was completely dominated by dust,
I sensed it. No, it wasn’t just me; everyone riding the automatic horse-shaped creatures and galloping realized it.
“Hey, hey, what happened?”
“The attackers’ presence just vanished?”
Slaton and Listea looked around suspiciously.
I also tried to sense the presence around me. But the demons’ presence had completely disappeared.
This wasn’t because the attackers were surprised and fled. If Alex’s powerful words were anything to go by, the demons must have been caught in a Bewildering Technique.
“Oh my, this is why humans… Are they underestimating divine arts, especially the techniques executed by Lord Alex? Such attackers are merely a mob of unknowns before Lord Alex.”
“Well, instead of bewitching them, why not annihilate them?” Slaton grumbled, but regardless.
Even though the attackers’ presence had vanished, we continued to gallop through the night darkness without easing our grips on the reins.
“Still, those guys…”
While skillfully maneuvering the automatic horse-shaped creature, Slaton looked back. Of course, there was no sign of the demons.
“Well, this is problematic. The previous ones were just weaklings, but these seemed like organized individuals?”
Even behind me, Ruilala murmured her thoughts while looking behind.
“What could that mean?”
Listea twitched her neck.
Even Alex, Louvent, and Toris, who knew more about demons than we did, had question marks on their faces.
Why were we suddenly attacked?
And it was as if we had walked right into an ambush.
After entering the territory of the Fairy Demon Lord, if word of our presence reached Kusharilla. It could lead to a situation where she wouldn’t let go of her grudge. That’s why we avoided border forts and checkpoints and crossed the border on Nimia.
Yet, as soon as we landed on the ground, we were attacked by organized demons like this.
It was as if they had set up a vast surveillance network near the border, waiting for us…?
Am I overthinking it?
However, our doubts would turn into certainty.
“Damn it, damn it! How many times is this?!”
“Slaton, run your horse before you complain!”
“I’m already doing it!”
The first attack was safely repelled by Alex’s quick thinking. The second attack came right after we decided to rest and relaxed our reins. The third was during breakfast break, and the fourth was immediately after repelling the third. For the fifth and subsequent attacks, I don’t even remember them anymore.
In short, we were continuously attacked.
And in the evening.
It was already evening in Kusharilla’s territory, and for the umpteenth time. We were attacked by demons dressed in black and, cutting short our rest, leaped onto the automatic horse-shaped creatures.
“It’s pointless to fight them head-on.”
“Do they think they can do anything to us with just numbers, these ogres? But it’s so damn bothersome!”
Toris cut down the demons who leaped at him with the magic sword in his right hand. Slaton also swung his merciless blade at the attackers.
The demons who were cut down fell to the ground, screaming their last breaths.
From the gaps in their black attire, I could see horns on their foreheads.
They were lower-ranking demon ogres.
Even with their skill, these ogres would be a threat to an ordinary human. However, everyone gathered here was a seasoned warrior.
Lower-ranking demon ogres pose no problem. Still, their numbers were high.
The number of attacks and the number of attackers.
We don’t know if they were the same attackers from before or new ones; all we know is that they were all dressed in black.
But one thing is certain.
The attackers are definitely targeting us. And it seems we have entered a massive surveillance network, from which we cannot escape.
“Oh my, in this situation, will we ever be able to reach the Heavenly Mountain Range in the west?”
“Hey, chicken bastard. Don’t act like it’s not your problem. If we can’t reach it and get caught by them, you’ll be the first one to have your feathers plucked, roasted, and eaten.”
“To be called ‘chicken wings’ is disrespectful!”
“I never said anything like that!”
It is said that the automatic horse-shaped creatures can run for seven days and seven nights without rest. However, we, the riders, cannot sustain our stamina for that long.
Moreover, with the frequency of these attacks.
Perhaps it is indeed not the time to hold back in the territory ruled by Kusharilla.
“Nyan?”
“Yes, shall I do it?”
Nimia poked her head out of my embrace.
Until now, I had asked Nimia to be restrained so as not to frighten or disturb unrelated demons, but it seemed there was no longer any need to be considerate of our surroundings.
I asked Nimia for her help. Then, Nimia happily leaped out of my embrace.
“Nyan!”
A cute meow. Contrary to that, the area around the six galloping automatic horse-shaped creatures instantly turned white and ash.
The surprised demons panicked. Taking advantage of the opening, Nimia grew enormous.
Screams rose from the attackers.
Even demons, no matter how brave, are struck with fear when faced with a giant dragon.
While the attackers cowered before the giant Nimia, we gathered. Nimia skillfully lifted us all, along with the six automatic horse-shaped creatures, and majestically flapped her wings as she soared into the sky.
“Alright! Now we can say farewell to those troublesome attackers!”
Slaton spat disdainfully at the attackers making a commotion on the ground.
Toris, you don’t need to do such vulgar things, okay?
At any rate, we managed to escape the repeated attacks like this.
Once we took to the sky, there was no need to hold back.
Ignoring the demons on the ground who spotted us and were causing a commotion, we instructed Nimia to head directly for the Heavenly Mountain Range.
After all, we were subjected to such a large-scale ambush and attack near the eastern border. That means, for whatever reason, Kusharilla had noticed our movements even before we entered and deliberately attacked us.
If that’s the case, then as long as we are in Kusharilla’s territory, we will find ourselves in the same situation no matter where we are.
There will likely be eyes watching everywhere, and attackers lying in wait.
In that case, it would be much faster to traverse Kusharilla’s country at once, without worrying about being seen by people.
Well, perhaps we should have done this from the beginning…
A slight twinge of conscience, that is, the desire not to make too much of a fuss, was the first step into this quagmire.
I have learned that sometimes not holding back is useful.
At any rate, thanks to Nimia, we were able to traverse Kusharilla’s land at once.
Even the wyverns living in Dragon Peak cannot match Nimia’s flying ability.
Demons, no matter how much they make a fuss, cannot possibly pursue us.
And there was an unexpected miscalculation as well.
It seems that even Kusharilla did not expect us to cross at such a speed.
Although it is still late autumn, Nimia landed before the mountain peaks already covered in snow.
We expected an attack even here, but nothing happened.
Even cautiously probing for any presence, there were no suspicious figures or presences anywhere.
“Good grief. Have we finally reached a place without ambushes?”
“Amazing! Nimia-chan, you’re amazing! This is my first time flying in the sky. I’m so moved!”
“Nyan.”
Listea let out a sigh of relief. On the other hand, Toris was excited.
His eyes shining like a young boy’s, he gazed at the now small Nimia.
“So, why did we land here? Wouldn’t it have been better to just charge straight into that mountain?”
And Slaton, as usual, spoke thoughtlessly.
The reason for that is, before I could even open my mouth, Louvent sighed.
“Goodness, you mock others by calling them ‘chicken heads,’ but you yourself are even more foolish than that.”
“What did you say!?”
Putting aside the unspoken retort that no one called him a “chicken head.”
Louvent looked at Slaton with disappointment and spoke what I wanted to say.
“Do you understand? We have lost our carriage. That carriage was carrying our travel provisions.”
“Oh, uh…”
“Without provisions, it means we are currently in a situation where we not only lack changes of clothes but also food.”
Well, if it were food, we could have Ares-chan produce some preserved food, but…
However, losing the changes of clothes for everyone else and the equipment for camping is a significant blow. Especially the lack of cold-weather gear is a critical mistake.
After all, we are heading to a frigid mountainous region.
“We must re-equip ourselves before entering that mountain. And besides…”
I have already conveyed the information to everyone.
We are not the only ones aiming for the Heavenly Mountain Range.
Yes, that Demon Lord Kusharilla is also trying to cross the Heavenly Mountain Range and advance westward.
This means…
Even though we managed to shake off the surveillance and ambushes, there’s still a possibility…
If we enter the Heavenly Mountain Range, we might be attacked by Kusharilla’s subordinates again.
Slaton grumbled, frustrated by Louvent’s explanation.
“And besides,” Louvent continued. “There’s no point in blindly entering the mountain if we can’t meet the ‘Eastern Magician.’ Therefore, I propose that we gather at least a little information before we go, don’t you think?”
Louvent is not incompetent, by any means.
He’s just a bit foul-mouthed, but as Alex’s attendant, he fulfills his duties properly. That’s why, or rather, as expected, he is thoughtful.
Slaton couldn’t retort to Louvent’s sound reasoning.
We all laughed at Slaton stomping his foot in frustration and decided on our next course of action.
“Well then, let’s find a nearby village and get some cold-weather gear. Oh, and don’t forget. You will be treated as my slaves, okay?”
With reluctant nods from Ruilala, we mounted the six horses.
