Irie glared at the ogre. “Do you think I’ll just stand back and watch while you take her?”
The ogre laughed aloud. “There seems to have been a misunderstanding. That princess was strong enough to defeat the gatekeepers of the Demon King’s Castle, and I cannot afford the risk of a direct conflict with the beastkin of this village. But I’m quite capable of handling you alone.”
“What are you saying?”
“I hear all the beastkin of this village are able to sense bloodlust.”
“Chief! Who’s with you?!” Another door to the room flung open and Kuro burst in, brandishing a sword the village had entrusted to her when she was young.
The ogre reacted quickly—quicker than the beastkin could follow. In a single motion he slipped behind Irie and gripped her tight in his broad arms.
“Ngh...” With the ogre’s arm around her neck, Irie couldn’t speak.
“Chief!”
“Don’t move. You wouldn’t want me to break her neck, would you?”
“You brute.”
“If you’d like me to return her, bring Mil to the lake south of the village in the morning. Mention me to no one. Fail to obey me and... Well, I’m sure you can guess.”
While taking a hostage was cheap, it was all but guaranteed to work against someone as trusting as Mil.
What an underhanded trick, Irie thought. He’s trying to leave us little choice.
The ogre had found a way to avoid fighting the beastkin of the village. Both sides could suffer great losses, and Mil might escape, leading to the worst possible outcome. Taking a hostage was a much safer and more reliable approach.
I see now. When he spoke of kidnapping, he meant me.
“Do you understand me? Kuro, is it? Lure Mil to me, and make it convincing.” With that the ogre slowly slid open the door then silently disappeared into the darkness outside.
When Kuro was left alone in the room, she collapsed to her knees.
Why would anyone attack the chief? It sounded like he’s a demonkin here to take Mil away. He must be serving the Demon King. But why would he want Mil? Because she’s a princess?
Kuro remembered the chief saying something about the princess of the Holy Arphil Kingdom having special powers. It might have explained why the Demon King’s forces had come for Mil. The chief had been kidnapped for the sake of obtaining those powers.
Chief...
Saving the chief meant betraying Mil. She’d probably never see Mil again, but it was the only way. The ogre couldn’t kill the chief without making an enemy of the entire village, so the Demon King’s forces were sure to release her once they had Mil.
We just became friends... How could I...
Kuro’s mother had died in childbirth, and the chief had quickly stepped in to fill the role. Her father, meanwhile, had joined the Demon King’s army in her youth, and he’d lost his life in a campaign somewhere. With both parents gone, she’d been raised almost solely by the village chief.
The chief had long been a diligent and patient teacher to Kuro, despite Kuro often being slow on the uptake. Irie had taught Kuro to use a sword so that she could defend the village. When Kuro had gotten lost in the forest, it was the chief who’d searched for her until her own clothes were torn and ragged.
What choice do I have...?
✧✧✧
“Hey, Kuro. How big’s the lake we’re visiting?”
Early the next morning, before breakfast time, Mil and Yulia were following Kuro as she led them away from the village.
The paths they took were little more than animal trails through the depths of the forest. They had to push their way through the undergrowth as they walked.
Kuro had suggested they trek to a nearby lake, explaining that they had to get there early to see it at its most magnificent.
They’d brought their swords since there was always a risk of danger outside the village, but that was just a precaution.
“About average, I suppose. It’s not huge.”
In spite of the beautiful sight awaiting them, Kuro sounded down. Either she was feeling unwell or she just wasn’t in the mood for an outing.
“Is something wrong?” Mil asked her.
“No, it’s nothing. We’re nearly there.”
Through a gap in the trees they caught sight of the surface of the lake sparkling as it reflected the morning sun.
Mil started running ahead the moment she spotted it.
“Wow, it’s so pretty! Is this the lake you wanted to show us, Kuro?” Mil looked back.
“I’m...sorry,” Kuro muttered before clenching her teeth in frustration.
An ogre dressed in black emerged between Mil and her companions. Then more demons and orcs appeared, surrounding Mil.
“Just as we planned,” the ogre said. “You’ve served me well, Kuro.”
“Huh? What’s going on?”
“Mil, Yulia... I’m sorry.”
Another demonkin appeared beside Kuro and grabbed Yulia.
“Ahhhh. No, l-let me go.”
“Yulia!” Mil cried.
The ogre in black stepped forward. He had to be the leader of the group. “If you wish what’s best for your friends, I suggest you accompany me back to the Demon King’s Castle.”
“Who’s this guy with the horn?”
The ogre had a massive sword on his back. It would take two hands to wield, but even then, no ordinary human could have used it.
“Pardon my rudeness. I am Red Arms Grood of the Demon King’s Heavenly Four. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
“The Heavenly Four?!”
Crowell had mentioned them. They were the four most powerful demonkin among the Demon King’s forces, second only to the Demon King himself.
Mil extended her hand a little toward him, ever so slightly to not raise suspicion.
Name: Grood / Level: 145
HP: 3550
MP: 1400
STR: 1905
DEF: 2051
INT: 1504
DEX: 1695
SPD: 1302
LUK: 1090
Passive Skills: demon general, two-handed sword proficiency (high), Magic Sword Gram proficiency (high), ultra-regeneration, fire resistance (high)
Active Skills: demon light slash, howl of fury, advanced black magic, thundershock
He’s strong...
It seemed the Heavenly Four weren’t mere figureheads. This was the strongest demonkin she’d encountered so far. She had no chance of beating him in a fair fight.
“I am here under direct orders from His Majesty. Lady Mil, we will return to the Demon King’s Castle together. Your unscheduled outing has been cause for concern.”
Mil had been expecting pursuers, but not so soon. She couldn’t stand to go back now that she’d finally started adventuring and made some friends—if she returned to the Demon King’s Castle, she’d probably never see Yulia or Kuro again.
Mil drew her sword. “I’m not going! I wanna adventure more!”
Mil looked at the orcs around her. Some were surely the same orcs she’d known in the Demon King’s Castle, but they looked far less friendly now. They had to be under strict orders.
I hope I can avoid injuring anyone. Even Grood. He’s just doing his job.
“Must you be so stubborn?” Grood said. “Surely you understand your situation?”
“Ugh...”
Behind Grood, Yulia grimaced as an orc gripped her tight.
“I heard that you escaped by defeating the gatekeepers of the Demon King’s Castle. You’re strong, I’ll give you that, but it won’t help you when I have hostages.”
His knowledge of Mil’s strength must have been why he resorted to this elaborate plan instead of attacking as she slept.
“Let Yulia go!” Mil demanded.
“Do as I say and she’ll be released in due time. But if you refuse...” Grood called to the orc, “Do it.”
The orc nodded his head in response, then clenched his hand around Yulia’s throat.
“Leave Yulia out of this! Let her go! Orcs, please say something!”
The orcs simply scowled at Mil without speaking or moving. She’d seen how soldiers in the royal capital behaved while carrying out the king’s orders, so she knew there was nothing she could say to convince them.
“Come quietly and no one has to get hurt. My orders were simply to bring back Lady Mil. I’ll accomplish that, even if it requires sacrifices.”
“Sacrifices...?”
Does he mean Yulia...? Would he really go that far?
Mil’s thoughts were growing so muddled she couldn’t speak. She felt like her limbs were made of lead, rooting her to the spot.
Grood finally lost patience. With a click of his tongue he said, “Kuro, put these manacles on the princess.”
Kuro was cowering near Mil’s side when Grood threw a pair of silver manacles down at her feet.
“There are mana-blocking crystals embedded in them. Whatever spells she might know, they won’t work once she’s wearing these. This too.” He threw down another object. This one looked like a collar.
“What’s this?”
“The ring of evil. It’s a cursed item that, once worn, cannot be removed by anyone except its owner. Should the wearer refuse to obey the owners orders, it causes them pain so severe they’ll long to die. In short, it’ll make her my pet.”
“Y-You don’t have to go that far! This wasn’t part of the deal...”
“What are you saying?” Grood moved closer to Kuro then grabbed her by her clothing.
“Gughh...”
“You have no other choice. Have you still yet to understand your situation?”
“No... I c-can’t...let my...friend... Ahhh.”
Before Kuro could finish, Grood slammed her to the ground. Then he kicked her repeatedly, sending her rolling. “You don’t get it, do you? Don’t you care what happens to your chief?! Fool!”
“Guhh... Ahh!” Kuro didn’t try to fight back. She didn’t even try to defend herself.
Now Mil understood why Kuro had felt down the whole time. She’d been threatened by this ogre. Mil surmised that the chief had been kidnapped and that Kuro was coerced into bringing her to the lake. Meanwhile, Mil herself pranced and played without a care, completely unaware of the danger they were in.
“Perhaps you’ll understand better once I’ve beaten some sense into you! Like this!”
“Ugh, guh!”
Mil clenched her fists. “Stop...”
“Well?!” Grood yelled. “Not so defiant now are—”
“Stop it!” Mil’s rage-filled cry shook the air around them.
Grood finally stopped kicking Kuro and turned to look at Mil, his eyes wide with shock.
“Lady Mil...?”
It wasn’t just Grood who was shocked. All of the orcs were looking at her nervously too.
“You’re not getting away with this,” Mil told Grood. “I’m not so mad at everyone else, but I won’t let anyone hurt Kuro and Yulia!”
It turned out demonkin were just like humans. Many of them were good people. Others, not so much. As she came to terms with this realization, for the first time in her life, Mil became genuinely angry, and that anger was quickly boiling over.
I’m gonna...! She was determined to punish the demonkin before her.
“Gravity gate!”
“Ugaahhh! Wh-What is this?!”
The foot Grood had used to kick Kuro sank into the ground. Gravity gate was forbidden magic that massively increased the gravity in an area. Grood’s leg continued to sink deeper into the ground, threatening to pop right off his body.