We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
Report and Continuation of the Journey
“Kukukuku. It was the right decision to let you go after all. I never expected you to cause such an interesting disturbance in just a few days.”
“No, no, no, it was really tough for us, you know!?”
This is the detached palace of the Giant Demon Lord. In the guest room, which offered a view that seemed to be half-fused with the spirit world, we were giving our travel report.
And the one who listened to our story and laughed without restraint was, of course, the Giant Demon Lord. And Charlotte.
“Still, I think Elnea-kun and the others are amazing, aren’t you?”
“Do you think so…?”
“Yes. After all, the Martial God Teyu is an extremely important figure in the Empire. Even our informants have tried to investigate his movements countless times, but for several decades, he has been an enemy who could not even be approached.”
The Demon Race has also sent spies and informants numerous times to try and investigate the movements of the Divine Race. Ruilala said she had been to the Empire many times, right?
However, they were unable to easily reach the core of the Empire, and could not even confirm Teyu’s appearance.
And yet, we suddenly encountered such a person.
Well, it wasn’t a pleasant encounter.
“The daughter of the Fighting God. I paid attention to her when we were subjugating the Demon King, but she inherited his voice after all.”
“By any chance, did the Demon Lord realize it?”
“When I heard that her voice was sealed, I couldn’t help but imagine it, could I? After all, I am someone who has directly heard the voice of the Fighting God?”
“So that’s what it was.”
The reason we honestly reported about Amira-san was because we wanted to know more about the “voice that governs all things in nature.”
The Giant Demon Lord has lived the longest among the Demon Race. He knows the history of the Demon Race longer than the Ruler of the Demon Race.
If that’s the case, he must surely know about the war between the Ruler of the Demon Race and the Fighting God, right?
The Giant Demon Lord moistened his lips with the highly alcoholic drink called “God Killer,” which we brought back as a souvenir, and looked far away as if recalling the past.
“I have also confronted the Fighting God before.”
“But the Demon Lord was not defeated and is still alive today, isn’t he?”
“Kukukuku. It’s because I wasn’t even acknowledged as an opponent.”
“Eh!?”
The Giant Demon Lord was not even considered an opponent!?
At the time the Fighting God was alive, the Giant Demon Lord was still a general of the Demon Race called one of the “Nine Demon Generals.”
We don’t know how much has changed in his power between the past and present Giant Demon Lord, but even so, his legends as one of the Nine Demon Generals have long endured among the Demon Race.
The Giant Demon Lord says that even as one of the Nine Demon Generals, he was no match for the Fighting God.
“Looking back now, perhaps it’s because I wasn’t even acknowledged as an opponent back then that I’m still alive today. He was that formidable.”
“But you confronted him, right? H-how did you survive?”
“It’s a trivial story.”
With that, the Demon Lord spoke of those times.
Long ago, there was a great war between the Demon Race and the Divine Race for their very existence.
The divine army, numbering over a million and led by the Fighting God, scattered the Demon Race Army and was about to march into the Demon Capital.
There, the Giant Demon Lord, known then as the Ninth Demon General Roza, stood in the path of the Fighting God to defend the Demon Capital.
“But he didn’t even draw his sword when he faced me. He merely said, ‘Retreat.’ Before I knew it, I had ceded the path to him.”
“Uwaa…”
The Fighting God, who had dominated all things in nature with his voice alone. An absolute voice that even the former Ninth Demon General could not defy. Just hearing the Demon Lord’s story gave me goosebumps, and when I thought of the Ruler of the Demon Race, whom even the Fighting God couldn’t defeat, a tremor ran through the depths of my soul.
“By the way, what was Charlotte doing at that time?”
I asked Charlotte, who had been listening to the Demon Lord’s story with us with a smile. Then, I heard an unexpected story.
“I wasn’t even born then, you know? After all, I was born from the miasma generated by that great war.”
“Wawawa!”
“On the Demon Race side alone, there were hundreds of thousands. On the Divine Race side, not only the over a million divine and heavenly armies that invaded the Demon Capital, but all the lives of the people of the divine country annihilated in a single night became Charlotte’s nourishment.”
“No wonder she’s off the charts!”
Terrifying, Golden One.
The Primogenitor Race is born when the accumulated negative distortions from wars, plagues, and the long history solidify into one.
Since Charlotte is derived from the negative emotions of several million people, she possesses extremely powerful abilities even among the Primogenitor Race.
“But, wait a minute. Then, how did the legends of the Fighting God get passed down to his descendants?”
The divine and heavenly armies that invaded the Demon Capital were annihilated by the Ruler of the Demon Race, as if the Fighting God had been defeated, right?
Not only that, but the Divine Race’s country was also destroyed in a single night.
So, how did Alex’s ancestors inherit the traditions of the Fighting God?
The Demon Lord chuckled at my question.
“The Fighting God had no children.”
“Meaning…?”
“That the current descendants are not his direct lineage.”
“Eeeeeh!”
“It’s likely that one of the branch families who didn’t participate in the great war managed to survive, and they created the legend of the Fighting God.”
We wanted to cover our ears at this unexpected revelation.
“I don’t know if those who live now know that. Also, there is no such thing as a curse from the Ruler of the Demon Race. Without causing such trouble, he could easily exterminate descendants, and so on. Moreover, if someone inheriting the power of the Fighting God were to stand before him again, he would gladly welcome them. Or perhaps, he might gleefully nurture them.”
“IIIIIIH! I don’t want to hear it!”
“It is true that the girl named Amira inherited the voice. However, I shall declare that there is no curse involved. In that case, even without the Soul Spirit Seat, she may be able to gain the power to control her voice through her own efforts.”
“Aaaah, I don’t want to hear anymore…”
Then, what about the secrets and legends that Alex and his descendants have protected for generations!?
While not entirely meaningless, it is certainly mistaken.
Sometimes, the truth can be cruel.
This is something that cannot be told to Alex and his kin.
For those who have protected and passed down the traditions of their great ancestors, if having a mistaken or distorted understanding serves as their purpose in life, then outsiders cannot arbitrarily disturb it. Therefore, we covered both our ears and decided to pretend we hadn’t heard the Demon Lord’s story.
“So, the girl named Amira went on a journey with the mountain folk?”
“Uh, well…”
“Elnea-kun. While your report so far has been eventful in a few days, why did it take a little longer to get here?”
“That’s right, that’s right, Charlotte!”
We also moistened our throats with fruit juice and continued our story.
“Amira’s voice, and Teyu, and various other difficulties arose, but there was one more thing we truly wanted to report!”
“Oh ho, don’t prolong the suspense, speak.”
The Demon Lord, hugging Priscilla-chan who was munching on sweets, listened intently to our further report with his pupils shining with interest.
“But I can’t forgive him!”
We were surprised by Alf’s shout.
As soon as Teyu and the others left, we collapsed due to exhaustion and lapsed into unconsciousness. Even Nemiah and Mistral seemed weakened, so everyone truly gave it their all.
Incidentally, Uncle Luludodo and Revalia were the ones who protected us while we were asleep from exhaustion.
Then, when we woke up after a few days, the wilderness had improved somewhat.
Low grasses had begun to sprout on the uplifted land, and some opening cultivation had started, albeit slowly.
“Well, this kind of work is familiar to me, an old mountain folk.”
Uncle Luludodo was the one who took the lead in leveling the land.
The villagers had also deepened their bond with Uncle Luludodo while we were asleep, and they worked together harmoniously.
And then, during the belated victory celebration. Alf suddenly shouted.
“Older Brother?”
Amira asked everyone for their opinion, “Why are you suddenly shouting?”
However, Alf’s anger, fueled by the alcohol, did not subside.
After all, it was Amira’s fault in the first place!
“Mainly, Amira!”
Amira was surprised when her brother pointed at her.
“Why is my Older Brother ‘Older Brother’ and I’m ‘Older Brother’?!”
“Eh? Is that where you’re mad, Older Brother?”
Indeed, since Amira could speak, she had always called Alf “Older Brother.” And I feel like she called Alex “Older Brother” even when we communicated by writing.
However, I never expected Alf to get angry about that now!
Amira wore a troubled expression.
“Because… you’re my Older Brother, aren’t you?”
“Heyyy, call me ‘Older Brother’ too!”
“No way, Older Brother?”
“Ughhh!”
Everyone laughed at Alf, who buried his head in his hands.
They are a close brother and sister.
Alex also watched their lively bickering with a cheerful smile.
“Damn it. I’ll make you call me ‘Older Brother’ someday? But that’s for another time. I’m angry about something else!”
The villagers poured more alcohol into Alf’s cup as if to encourage him. After chugging it down, Alf shouted again.
“I want to punch Count Mondo! I don’t know if he was threatened by Guildia or the Imperial Honored Mansion, but because he handed over his territory to that kind of person, Amira suffered greatly. No matter how much influence Count Mondo has in the imperial court, I won’t be satisfied unless he makes amends!!”
Indeed, the cause of this entire disturbance was Count Mondo’s decision to cede his territory to Guildia. Therefore, Alf’s anger was completely justified.
Some of the villagers raised their fists in agreement with Alf’s opinion.
“He probably has a weakness held by the Imperial Honored Mansion. Count Mondo is not the type of person to act rashly.”
“Brother, I understand that, but I still can’t accept it!”
She almost lost her precious younger sister. Moreover, Alf himself nearly died. Therefore, Alex wore a troubled expression, as he could understand Alf’s anger.
“You guys too, right? Our precious family trip was ruined because of them.”
“That’s right. We were supposed to have a relaxing trip, but Teyu suddenly took an interest in us.”
“Ummm. Well, you see, Priscilla is looking for her Mother?”
“That’s right!”
Yeah, I almost forgot.
The stated purpose of our journey was a family trip to search for Priscilla-chan’s mother, right? In reality, we were threatened by the Giant Demon Lord into coming to scout the Empire’s internal affairs.
Well, I’ll keep the real reason to myself until the end. Alex probably suspects it, and I can’t involve those who don’t know into our affairs.
“Then, we can’t just go back now, can we? Besides, if we’re going to gather information, going to Count Mondo’s capital, the largest city in this entire region, is the best option. I’ll guide you there!”
“And you’re going to Count Mondo’s place to punch him, right?”
“You bet!”
Alf, who looked more like he was drunk and acting out than brave.
However, putting aside the part about punching Count Mondo, I am interested in visiting the capital.
I believe the capital where Count Mondo lives is an island in the middle of a lake, a place called the paradise of the Heavenly Race, right?
“If Older Brother is going, I’m going too. Because I’ll be worried if you go alone, Older Brother.”
“What did you say, Amira?”
The two started arguing again.
Alex and the villagers watched them with smiles, as if imprinting their siblings’ argument onto their hearts.
After this. Amira and Alf would depart together with Uncle Luludodo.
Once they embarked on their journey, they might not return for several years, or even decades, to escape the Empire’s assassins.
“Well, we’ll come back occasionally. Talking about our journey with old acquaintances is also part of the fun of traveling,” Uncle Luludodo had said, but it’s still difficult to say goodbye to someone important who has been watched over since birth.
Alex nodded decisively as he watched his boisterous younger siblings.
“Understood. Let’s consider this a practice run before your training journey. You two guide Elnea-kun and the others. Is that alright with you, Lord Luludodo?”
“Hoho, go ahead. If you’re just going to a nearby capital, the kids should be fine without me. I’ll help rebuild this village until you all return.”
The villagers poured wine into Uncle Luludodo’s large cup, saying, “That would be a great help.”
And so, we began our journey within the Empire.
But I never imagined that something like that would happen.
We had no idea where our journey would end.
