Episode 38: Lurking Things - part 1

 

Many monsters crowding in the forest, and they were on their way to destroy Mynoghra capital.

 

But the speed isn't fast.

Maybe their's movement slow because it is composed of monsters that are not trained for organized activity, the bad and complicated path. It can not even said as a march.

Among them, only the intellegent demons under Fremine fully understood what they should do. They were not accustomed to it and are struggling to control the demons.

 

“But don't burn the forest…Boss asks difficult thing.”

 

A demon with fluttering fiery red hair, wearing the fiery red robe and carrying a big sword. The demon called the Flame Knight sighed and complained.

Another demon with the same appearance and holding a wand with a jewel inlaid listen to his words. The other demon is a magical type demon called the Flame Mage.

The dense and overgrown forest makes the two demons frustrated. While complaining about the troop slow progress, they gives instructions to the monsters who move around.

 

"It would have been easier if we just burn everything. We've been doing that until now. Why only this time we received such troublesome instructions?"

 

"He don't want to stand out too much. Well, our boss likes to sneak behind the scenes. I'm sure he also planning something this time."

 

"If you say that in front of him, you'll be killed?"

 

"That's why I'm saying it when he not around."

 

His boss-one of the four heavenly kings, the Flame Demon Fremine, is a cunning and brutal person.

In addition, Fremine is difficult to deal with and has bad temper.

Although he won't be punished easily because of his capability, he still need to be careful not to annoy his boss, anyway day to day cope with anxiety can be quite stressful.

 

So this is their way of relieving stress by complaining to each other.

However, this time the Lord wasn't the only cause of their stress.....

 

"But we were told not to burn it. ...... This creepy forest. Even in our homeland there aren't many forests that give off this much miasma.

They didn't know, their troops had already entering Mynoghra territory.

The scenery around them has changed into cursed land because of Mynoghra influence.

 

The land where trees are rotten, twisted andgives off offensive smell.Dense miasma drifting around the flowers that spill it juice.

They're also demons so the miasma didn't makes them sick, but still this sight felt strange to them.

 

“Yeah, it's an unusual sight. The boss's orders say that there's an enemy ahead of us that could be an obstacle to the Demon King...... I wonder, who are they?”

 

"Well, I'm sure he's not a hero."

 

"Haha, no doubt!"

 

A dry laugh echoes in the Daijukai, the low-ranking monster near them look at the two of them as if something was happening.

After laughing, a strange silence came, and their eyes meet each other.

 

In the Demon King Army of Brave Quests, mentioning the hero is illegal.

Severe punishment is unavoidable even if you say it for no reason.

There are only two possibilities, either you’re too reckless to say it as a joke or you has certain intention.

The Flame Knight mentioned the hero with the latter intention.

With that joke, he test whether my buddy is a person who deserved to hear a dangerous story he about to talk.

And apparently, the Flame Mage passed the test.

 

"Do you know that the boss is trying to betray the Demon King?"

 

 

"Oioi, what happened suddenly? It's a bit too much as a joke? No joke, if the boss knows, he will you."

 

"Maybe this operation also didn't get the permission from the Demon Lord."

 

"Oi, isn’t that means ..."

 

The Flame Mage surprised when he know that it's more than he had imagined.

He expect to hear some important secrets because his colleague said thing like purposely testing him, but the betrayal to the Demon King was more than he had expected.

As far as he knows, the Demon King's army unity was solid, and even though Fremine is a cunning and brutal demon, his loyalty should not be questioned.

His surprise reaction wasn't because he just heard a bad thing, but more because he wondering. "Why did he do that?"

 

"No, let's stop it. Maybe I’m just assuming it’s because boss atmosphere is different from usual."

 

"Don't get scared! We are on the same boat. If the two of us stay together may we can notice something. Including what will happen to us in the future. Isn't better if there is someone to talk to?"

 

He was so excited that he talk louder, quickly he lower down his voice and continue to convince his partner.

Is the Flame Knight who just heard the big secret convinced? While nodding with a hard expression, he begins to talk about how he get convinced.

 

"Do you remember when we came to this world? I thought I was in the same place with everyone else, but..."

 

"Oh, no doubt. I'm the same. Unlike the monsters that I summoned later, I remember that demons and monsters with a certain status like us were with everyone from the beginning."

 

''Are you saying that only the Four Heavenly Kings and other executive levels know about this?''

 

"No, I don't know. The boss said "Maybe he was chosen?”... Anyway, seems it was a big resolution for the boss."

 

The story that the Flame Knight heard from Fremine are fragmented.

However, as long as some information was connected, it was certain that something happened.

For himself it was a shocking incident. Fremine, who was cunning and never expressed his inner feelings, could just leak his heart out to his subordinates.

It happened because the fire knights always saw his face up close. When the fire knight realized something was different from usual, he asked what had happened.

 

But that is just speculation.

He didn't hear the words of betrayal from him.

In addition, the events that Fremine and the Demon King encountered were unrealistic and doesn't make any sense.

 

"What? It’s sound so bad! Come on, tell me, it's not good to lose focus in this situation.

What happened at that place?"

 

　The Flame Mage getting impatient and raised his voice.

　The Flame Knight make up his own mind and nodded.

　After all, just thinking about it on his own won't get him anywhere.

　There, he decided to tell him everything and ask his partner's opinion as well.

 

"Oh, well. Actually, before the bosses and demons came to this world, it seems that they meet a certain existence ... and then, the existence is said he--"

 

He gulped.

To be frank, the Flame Mage position in the Demon King's army is quiet high.  But he didn't know about that, the Demon Kings and the boss also stay silence like they are hiding something.

What happened at that place must have significant meaning.

 

The curiosity and anxiety about their future haunting them.  What in the world is happening to them?

These two emotions overwhelmed and consuming their mind.

However, before the true revealed the situation change faster.

 

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