Ch.50Dragon Clan and Demon Clan (3)

# Dragon and Demon Clans (3)

The birthday party at the magic tower had ended.

Well, it would have been awkward to continue the party after such an unfortunate incident.

Tower Master Glisha didn’t show her face, saying she needed to repair the damaged areas and check if there were any issues with the tower’s barriers or alarm systems.

Still, the compensation was substantial.

Everyone received plenty of gifts including gold coins and magical tools.

“…that’s what happened. Is the Brigade Commander still angry? I mean, it’s not an excuse, but it was self-defense.”

After leaving the magic tower and finding a quiet moment, I contacted the Demon Lord’s army as usual.

It felt like it had been a while since I’d last made contact, having recently moved through areas where communication was difficult.

Both the Divine Faith Order and the magic tower had strict security measures.

Well, that’s not what’s important right now. My military career is what matters.

I fought back to avoid death, but I provoked a high-ranking military official. I might be purged at this rate.

If that happens, I, Lug, would have to struggle until nearly dying in the hero’s party before getting a chance to meet the Demon Lord.

So I’d prefer if this could be resolved with a moderate punishment.

-I see. So that happened with Brigade Commander Five… Thank you for providing this information, Major Lug. I actually had many things I wanted to ask, so I appreciate you bringing it up first.

“Not at all, it’s my duty! Ahahaha!”

Lieutenant General Lilith is truly kind.

Is it because I’m in the hero’s party?

After dealing with all sorts of crazy women, Lieutenant General Lilith seems like an angel in comparison. Wait, is that an insult?

As a mixed-blood, I don’t really care, but it might be offensive to demons.

-Brigade Commander Five hasn’t responded to communications nor returned since then. Most likely, he’s dead.

“Dead? But…”

-Yes, as you said, the involvement of a third party is suspicious. Most likely dragons. If it were humans or other races, they wouldn’t need to hide that fact.

“I see.”

Am I allowed to be happy about this?

Probably not, right? Even Lieutenant General Lilith would think I’m trash if I showed joy over a superior’s death.

But I am happy.

If I return to the army, I won’t have to worry about being killed by the Brigade Commander.

I won’t need to transfer to another unit, so if I just return, a rapid promotion is practically guaranteed.

-So Major Lug won’t face any disciplinary action. There’s no demon left to demand it.

“Ahem, hmm. I see.”

I mustn’t show happiness.

I mustn’t show happiness.

I mustn’t show happiness.

I should be acting like a child who lost their parents, showing sorrow.

I absolutely must not express joy.

-Well, I know this because of your report, Major Lug.

“…”

-Hehe, that won’t happen. I’ll probably forget about half of what I heard today.

“Lieutenant General Lilith…”

I might be falling in love right now. When I return to the Demon Lord’s army, I’ll propose to Lieutenant General Lilith.

I’m not worried about rejection. Someone as kind as her will surely accept!

***

Esmeralda confessed about her act when she realized Millia had noticed something about Lug.

If no one cared about the demon spy bastard, what did it matter if she, the hero, was hiding her true personality?

As expected, Millia just nodded as if it didn’t matter.

And so, with the biological surveillance system monitoring Lug now increased to three people,

The three were watching Lug’s reporting process to the demon clan.

“What were you thinking just now? Your expression looks unpleasant somehow.”

“…He says he’ll propose to a demon called Lieutenant General Lilith when he returns.”

“That’s fortunate. Now we know early the name of the person to kill.”

Esmeralda slightly distanced herself to the left from Eirene, who was calmly announcing her murder plans.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

As she moved to the left, she saw Millia biting her fingernails.

[Note: !@$%%$&#%$Y&]

Esmeralda read Millia’s psychological state and backed away in horror.

This was the multi-layered mental landscape Millia only showed in extreme combat situations.

It meant this situation was that extreme for her.

Esmeralda stepped back, not wanting to go either left or right.

After observing the fierce atmosphere between the two, Esmeralda made a decision.

‘I need to go get Tina.’

Surprisingly, among these three, not a single one felt guilty about spying on Lug’s private life.

***

“Let’s go get Tina!”

“Hero.”

“Yes, Eirene?”

“Didn’t Lady Tina say her work would take longer and that we should move ahead without her?”

“She did.”

Going to get Tina.

Since they had already picked up Eirene and Millia, it would be the natural next step.

If only Tina hadn’t told them to go ahead because her ruin exploration wasn’t finished yet.

That’s why they had planned to head to the frontlines near the demon realm and set up a base camp in advance.

But Esmeralda had realized something while observing the party recently.

‘I’ll either die from stress or kill someone from stress. One of the two.’

Eirene constantly targeting Lug.

And Millia watching Eirene with cold eyes.

Lug, who seemed to read the atmosphere, kept his distance from both while clinging to Esmeralda.

Suddenly caught between the two, Esmeralda was miserable.

But she couldn’t just pretend not to notice—Lug’s situation was too pitiful.

So she reluctantly took care of Lug, and to make matters worse, now he was developing feelings for some unknown demon named Lilith.

Well, fine. She could understand.

It could happen. Where was the problem?

The problem was that everyone else knew about it too.

‘Damn, but I can’t just stand by while he leaks information.’

Her surveillance of Lug wasn’t an issue. Checking what a spy was doing was the natural response of a group leader, even before being the hero’s party.

Of course, it would have been better if she alone knew about it, but it was impossible to evade the two with strong backing from the magic tower and the Divine Faith Order.

Eirene subtly demanded to know Lug’s every move and thought from Esmeralda.

Of course, she had no reason to comply with that demand.

‘Damn, if it weren’t for the potions.’

She had only yielded to financial power.

And it was only natural that Millia, who had been watching Eirene, made the same demand.

She tempted Esmeralda by offering various magical tools.

‘They call it a bribe, but how could I refuse such items?’

Esmeralda sighed as she stroked the magic sword made by Glisha hanging at her waist.

It wasn’t that she coveted the powerful ice-attribute magic sword. She accepted the deal because she would have been in danger if she hadn’t.

“I’ve been thinking, isn’t it unfair to only pick up Tina?”

“Even though she said she was fine?”

“Wouldn’t she feel left out?”

“It seems the hero is feeling left out.”

“…”

Esmeralda narrowed her eyes at Eirene’s subtle nuance.

The implication that she was narrow-minded and would feel left out.

Seeing Eirene’s smiling face made her want to slap it—clearly she was being provoked.

“…Anyway, we’re going to pick up Tina.”

“B-but won’t we just end up waiting? I-I think it might be burdensome for her.”

Millia raised her hand slightly and expressed a reasonable opinion.

It was plausible.

At least for Millia.

“Millia, do we burden you?”

“N-no…”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“Um…”

“There’s no problem, right?”

“Yeah…”

Esmeralda immediately applied what she had just learned from Eirene.

Pushing forcefully was easier.

Although Millia occasionally went crazy, she was still fundamentally timid.

Yes, if pushed strongly, Millia couldn’t do anything.

“Then it’s decided unanimously. That was a good, democratic process.”

“Are you saying democracy is good? That is, the current imperial system is wrong and revolution is necessary?”

“Haha, Eirene, you’re something else.”

Esmeralda maintained her usual foolish smile while quietly adding in a voice only Eirene could hear:

“Keep pushing me like that and you might end up dead.”

“My, how violent.”

Eirene was constantly looking for ways to socially bury Esmeralda.

Not assassination, but politically burying her would leave Esmeralda with no choice but to be leashed.

This was devastating news for Esmeralda, who had been trying to maintain a moderate stance.

Eirene knew this well, which is why she kept spreading lies and incitement.

Once leashed, it would be easier to get rid of Lug.

Esmeralda had to steel herself against Eirene’s increasingly sharp daggers.

“Anyway! We’re going to get Tina, so that’s that!”

In the end, Esmeralda, like a true citizen of the Empire, immediately abandoned the democratic system and decided as a monarch.

In the hero’s party, she was the queen.

***

The Empire’s academic organization.

<The Eye of Truth>

Tina, an archaeologist and successor-designate of the organization, was leaning against a pile of collapsed stones, observing the ongoing work at the ruins.

Other scholars like her were examining various areas and interpreting findings, but they hadn’t even found the entrance to the ruins yet.

Tina yawned as if bored and began to move.

“Here!”

Thunk.

As Tina inserted a small needle into a crevice between nearby rocks, an earthquake began.

Rumble!

Finally, the entrance to the ruins was revealed.

“H-how did you do that so easily?”

“As expected of a genius, you’re different.”

While all the scholars from The Eye of Truth looked on in amazement,

Tina grinned and said:

“I just have good intuition~ Hehehe.”

An alien intuition that reached answers directly without interpretation or contemplation.

It seemed similar to a dragon’s sense, handling power as naturally as breathing.