Chapter 56

11 THE DEMON RACE, REVIVED That day, Kyros the Clairvoyant, commander of the demon army’s reconnaissance unit, was up at the Gije Fort’s watchtower. His job was to monitor the dragon that appeared every day to attack the town, to warn everyone, and to call for evacuation and interception forces. Many demons have special eyes. Kyros had eyes that could see for vast distances. Like everyone in his clan, he possessed the Demon Eye, which allowed him to spot enemies hundreds of miles away, day or night. Demon scouts never let their enemies approach unnoticed. The difference was clear even when compared to the flying races such as harpies and succubi. Even before Geddigs’s death, Kyros’s keen eyesight allowed him to quickly spot enemy forces, bringing victory to the demon army. It was Kyros who’d discovered the dragon’s lair. This led Sequence’s daughter and her subordinates to charge into the dragon’s lair and be wiped out. It was Kyros who witnessed the moment of annihilation. He watched until the last one was chewed to pieces in midair, spilling blood on the ground. Then Kyros then went to report to Sequence, then went to bed for the day. Of course, he would still continue to conduct reconnaissance. Partly because it was his job, but also because if he didn’t keep tabs on the dragon, even worse things were likely to happen. So that day, he was the first to spot the dragon. As usual, he saw it flying out of its lair. So as usual, Kyros rang the bell and prepared for an attack. But before that, he noticed something odd. “Where do you think you’re going…?” The dragon flew in a straight line, into the southeastern sky. Its route was different from usual. Normally, it would circle the mountain twice, as if checking the perimeter of its nest, then head a little south, and then come toward the fort. A straight line, to the southeast… “Just a whim, or…?” Kyros continued his observations. The dragon was acting a little differently from usual. And at an incredible speed. There was something odd about the way it was flying, too. Kyros, who observed the dragon every day, thought that it seemed somewhat excited, like a young girl in love…or perhaps like it was running away from something. And with that, the dragon vanished from Kyros’s sight. Among the demons who possessed exceptional eyesight, Kyros in particular was said to have Clairvoyance. With his eyes, he could count ants from a distance of several dozen miles. Could it be gone? Gone…? From its own nest? “But why…?” Kyros dragged his eyes away from the dragonless sky. For now, he needed to report what he’d seen. He was the eyes, not the brain. “Hmm…” But at that moment, he spotted something. People… although demons certainly never treated them as such. They looked down on them and their ilk as pitiful, inferior races, neither person nor magical beast. An orc and a fairy. “Could it be…?!” Kyros felt a sense of foreboding as he recalled something. Just the other day, those two came to this fortress. It was indeed Kyros who’d spotted the two of them entering the country. He’d stopped watching after confirming the hunting party was wiped out, so he didn’t see what they did after that. He’d thought for sure they’d be found and killed by the dragon, but it seemed that instead they had rescued one of the burnt members of the annihilated extermination force and brought them to the fortress. After that, they set back out, claiming they were going to slay the dragon. Hearing this, Kyros had snorted with laughter. What demon wouldn’t have scoffed? There’s no way someone like them could defeat a dragon. But the orc… He was the Dragon Decapitator. He had, in fact, defeated a dragon before. Some say it was only because the demons had already knocked the dragon to the ground and weakened it with their large-scale attacks, of course. Still, if there was even the faintest of hopes… But they weren’t approaching the fortress. And the dragon had flown far away. Kyros leaped down from the watchtower. There used to be messengers, but no longer. Kyros had to report the news in person. “A message, my lord!” As soon as Kyros entered the meeting room, everyone got to their feet. Nowadays, when Kyros came to report, it meant a dragon attack. They would have to go out to intercept it. Even though they knew they were no match for it, any sign of weakness or giving up would only spur the dragon on to destroy the entire fortress. “The dragon took off and disappeared into the southeastern sky.” However, upon hearing this report, those present ended up looking at one another in shock. “What do you mean? Southeast? Toward the border?” But one of those present opened his eyes wide at this report. The Dark General, Sequence. “Have you seen the orc?!” Sequence had every eye open at once. Kyros, taken aback by the general’s shout (usually, he barely ever spoke), nodded. “Yes, General. The orc and fairy were moving toward the border, not long after the dragon left. Is it connected somehow?” “He did it! Bash did it!” Sequence stood up, beaming. All demons present stared at each other in amazement. For the past few months, Sequence hadn’t gotten up from his chair. In fact, most days he barely even moved. Some had started to wonder if perhaps the old man hadn’t died. “General Sequence… What on Vastonia…?” “You know that the Orc Hero Bash went on a dragon hunt the other day, right?” “Yes, but there’s no way…” The demons were all in an uproar when Sequence said this. Surely they knew, too. The Dragon Decapitator. It was well-known that Bash cut off a dragon’s head during the battle of the Remium Plateau. However, that was only because the demons had used their magic to drag the dragon to the ground and worn down its defenses with their vast army. One orc couldn’t defeat a dragon by himself. It was only because of the demons’ help that Bash was able to defeat that other dragon before. Most demons thought this. “You don’t have to believe it if you don’t want to. But Bash fought the dragon, as he declared, and while he didn’t manage to kill it, it sounds like he managed to drive it away.” “Then why didn’t the orc return here in triumph?” “He’s probably gone after it to finish it off first.” That’s the honorable thing to do, Sequence thought. The habits of dragons are not well understood, to be sure, but it’s said that once a dragon leaves its territory, it never returns. While it may be no more than conjecture… Sequence felt sure the dragon was gone for good. There’s no guarantee it wouldn’t return, of course, but at the very least, for the next few days, the demons could move about their own land freely. “In any case, we demons have been saved. By an orc.” Sequence was convinced that Bash had fought the dragon and essentially beaten it. Conversely, the other demons were skeptical. They had long lived in fear of the dragon and had failed in many attempts to fight it. But a dragon would not leave so easily. And no one had ever stepped onto the dragon’s mountain and come back down safely before. So then Bash must have won. A victory that made the dragon turn its tail and run away. “There’s nothing more humiliating than this.” The demons gritted their teeth at Sequence’s words. The demons had been powerless against the dragon. Because they had won once, they were confident that they could win again, but they were defeated, and even after fighting with all they had, they still could not win. In the end, they had to admit to themselves that without the Demon Lord Geddigs, the defeat of the dragon at the Remium Plateau would have been impossible. And for a single orc to have felled the beast… The Dragon Decapitator, Bash, was a man worthy of that title. And what did that say about the demons? Acting so high-and-mighty and arrogantly mocking the orcs? How long could they keep up the pretense of superiority? “…” With a clatter, one of the demons rose to their feet. It was a woman. A high demon with blue skin, white hair, and red eyes. Her body was toned, but she still had feminine curves. If Bash had been there, there’s no doubt he would have gotten down on one knee and proposed to her on the spot. That’s how gorgeous she was. “The might of the demons is now lower than the mud.” As soon as the woman stated this clearly, the atmosphere in the room became somber. No one wanted to admit it… But she was right. The demons had lost. They were not as strong or powerful as they once believed. They were no match for the orcs that they had mocked. “General… The Orc Hero Bash has become the savior of the demons. If we let him go without any thanks, it will be a stain on our demon pride. Even if we lose all our prestige, even if we lose all our pride, we will still all have to answer to Lord Geddigs in the afterlife.” “Thank him, hmm…?” “I heard that Bash wanted a demon woman?” “That’s right. We were sort of joking back and forth, but he did say something like that.” Bash certainly hadn’t been joking, though. “In that case, I will marry that Hero and show my gratitude to him for the rest of my life.” “Are you insane?!” “A demon woman becoming an orc’s possession?!” “Do you know what that means?! Are you going to throw away all your pride?!” The woman snorted in derision upon those words. “Don’t misunderstand me. I am a proud demon woman. I shall not be the orc’s possession. He shall be mine.” “So you say, but…” “This is an orc we’re talking about! An ugly, stupid orc! How could a demon…?” While the demons complained, Sequence was quiet. But after hearing those words, he opened his mouth. “I’ll say it again. We looked down on the orcs as an inferior race, but the orc defeated the dragon, and the threat is now gone. Including the Remium Plateau… The Orc Hero Bash has saved us demons from doom twice now.”