7DP 191
１９１: Faint Glimmer
TL : Cnine
ED/PF :
Part 1
Sup! Still your favourite, the Demon Prince Jilbagias.
After our clash with the Hero, we adopted a policy of avoiding battles whenever possible — which made things rather uneventful. Avoiding elite enemies like the High Priest wasn’t particularly difficult.
『【Taboo to Magic Resistance】』
With just a moderate burst of power, the Demon God-san cast a curse that spread over a wide area. The result was a spherical field centred on me; anyone strong enough to resist the curse would instantly give themselves away.
『Hmm. The spell hath been resisted. Some fifty paces yonder, to the fore and somewhat upward to the right. A number of them there be.』
Thus, the Demon God dwelling within me perceives the world through magical power, allowing her to pinpoint exactly where, and at what distance, the curse has been resisted.
If anyone dangerous started closing in, I’d make myself scarce right away — that was the plan.
The problem with this detection method was that it also picked up demons, devil soldiers, and some dark elves, so I couldn’t always tell friend from foe. And if people like a Sword Saint or Fist Saint — people completely lacking in magic resistance — came close on their own, they’d slip right past the spell unnoticed.
（—That crude laughter. Sounds like a demon, doesn’t it?）
『Verily. Pay them no heed.』
（The sound of swords clashing… that’s got to be the Hero.）
『Aye. Yet it would seem he hath but now been felled...』
By keeping an ear on the battle around me, I could usually get a sense of what was happening.
『Forget not to keep watch for the sound of footsteps.』
（Of course, I’ve been keeping all my senses on alert since earlier.）
As for the latter matter, the Sword Saint or the Fist Saint rarely move alone, bereft of the Hero’s or priest’s assistance, and unprotected from hexing. I deemed them safe enough.
Still, I kept my guard up just in case. But let’s be honest — if a top-tier Sword Saint really came at me, all the vigilance in the world wouldn’t save me. It was mostly for peace of mind.
Thus, while avoiding anyone who looked too dangerous, I went around attacking the watchtowers and guard posts along the castle’s outer wall. I think I managed to destroy most of those new mechanical crossbows — that’s what I’ve decided to call them — the job that the original personality hadn’t quite finished off.
Still, since I had to move carefully to avoid strong opponents, it ended up taking quite a bit of time. And staying that tense for so long was exhausting — the original personality might not have cared, but the physical fatigue was brutal. So I stopped by one of the siege outposts in the city and helped myself to a good, hearty serving of field rations.
Even though they called it field rations, it was practically a full-scale barbecue. Absolutely delicious! It reminded me of those training days in the Reiju clan Territory. I never thought I’d be eating grilled meat right in the middle of a battlefield.
「Your Highness! It's good to see that you’re safe…!」
While I was enjoying a skewer of roast meat, an elderly demon exuding the aura of a seasoned warrior spotted me and let out a relieved breath.
If my memory serves me right, he should be the commander, Veteranos Reiju.
「Yeah. Getting by just fine。」
As I tore a bite of meat from the skewer and replied casually, Veteranos blinked a few times, giving me a puzzled look as though he’d just seen something out of place.
Huh? Did I say something wrong?
「Your Highness, you seem… rather cheerful. Has something changed in your heart?」
Ah, right. I’d forgotten all my subordinates were wiped out.
Still, it’d feel awkward to start looking gloomy now, so I made sure to reply in the same easy-going tone as before.
「Yeah. In the midst of battle, I managed to make peace with it. There’s no point in brooding over what’s done. Besides, if I keep showing such a pathetic face, those who now watch over me from the warriors’ hall of the gods could hardly rest easy, could they?」
I paused for a moment and let a faint, fleeting smile touch my lips.
「—— So I’ll honour them by taking more heads on the battlefield. For those who fell so bravely, that will be the finest tribute I can offer...」
「Your Highness...」
Veteranos’ eyes glistened, his lips pressed tight as he struggled to hold back tears. He must have taken my earlier light-hearted tone as forced bravado. Perfect.
「... Sniff ... Still, Your Highness, please do not overexert yourself. Look, your white armour has dyed blue with your own blood. You must have fought through quite a fierce battle.」
What he really meant was, “You’re injured too, aren’t you?” And the way he stands there, perfectly composed despite his own wounds, was so very Reiju-like.
「Mm... Well, I managed to bring down one rather formidable hero. After that, it was only common soldiers。」
「A formidable hero, you say!?」
Veteranos’ eyes flew wide open, and every demon resting in the encampment turned their attention sharply toward me.
Huh? Did I say something wrong?
「Could it be… that he was the very one responsible for the casualties in the city!?」
…Really? Is that what we’re going with???
「He was certainly a slippery sort — and with a bit of a bad habit too. The fellow even managed to singe my face with a holy attribute once, which gave me quite a scare。」
「To think even someone of Your Highness’s strength could be struck like that! Then our early suspicions were correct, a hero well-versed in ambush and deceit!」
Veteranos looked as though he was actually starting to buy it!
「No, it's too early to reach that conclusion. Without solid proof, making such a claim would be reckless。」
I replied with a solemn expression.
「It would be laughable if we assumed the mighty hero had fallen by mere assumption, only to be caught off guard later. Let’s make it our creed: "Fear not the strong, and never underestimate the weak."」
「Hmm… I can’t argue with that,」
Veteranos said with a wry smile, scratching his head. The surrounding demon warriors glanced at one another, nodding in agreement with quiet remarks like “we’d better stay sharp” and “damn right.” I did a great job here, I guess.
「However, dawn is almost upon us. The siege of the royal castle is nearing its climax。」
Veteranos raised his eyes to the sky.
I found myself doing the same. Between the towering buildings of the royal capital’s central district, the sliver of sky had begun to blush faintly, the first sign of dawn.
――Dawn was almost upon us.
「What’s the situation on the battlefield?」
「The outer walls of the royal castle are almost entirely secured. However, the Dwarven Smith Warriors have entrenched themselves around the eastern gate tower and are putting up fierce resistance. Within the castle, the high-rank nobles of the Defteros kingdom and the preserved units of the Royal Guard have tightened their defences, proving quite formidable. In a typical siege, this level of encirclement would already have driven some to surrender — but—」
Veteranos stroked his beard as he gazed toward the royal castle.
「The enemy’s morale is still high — they show no sign of surrender. Whether they’re expecting reinforcements or holding some hidden trump card, I can’t say. Even the lowest soldiers, even the citizen militias, fight as though ready to die where they stand. So far, we haven’t managed to take a single prisoner。」
「Hm. Unsettling。」
I took a slow drink of watered wine and followed his gaze to the castle. It wasn’t as grand as the Demon King’s fortress, but it was an impressive structure nonetheless. Fires burned in places, and from the sections already subdued, supplies were being steadily hauled away. Even so, the Barrier of the 【Great Sacred Tree】 still held firm, and the watchtowers were manned and alert. Stones, boiling oil — even steaming filth — came raining down from above. This was no time to lower one’s guard.
――And.
"KABOOOOM!" A thunderous explosion shook the air, echoing from the far side of the castle.
「!? What was that—」
「【Messenger! Urgent message!】」
Veteranos frowned, and a voice carried on the wind — words laced with magical power.
「【The eastern gate tower has been breached by enemy forces! The Dwarven Forge-Warriors and the Royal Guard have turned the ti— Guhh!】」
The report was abruptly cut off, the magical power-laden wind fading into silence――
「Damn it! So that was their aim all along! Everyone, to arms — prepare to engage!」
Veteranos shouted for the messenger, and the demon warriors who’d been resting scrambled to their feet, grabbing their spears and rushing off in a panic.
Good grief, what a noisy bunch.
I crammed the last of the skewered meat into my mouth, washed it down with a swallow of wine, and stood up with a sigh. Honestly, fighting right after a meal was the worst.
『Thou art a most carefree soul indeed…』
The demon god murmured softly, her tone one of weary exasperation, yet beneath it lingered a hint of loneliness.