LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 51
Chapter 51. The Things Lurking in the Darkness
Hello, this is Zilbagias, the Demon Lord’s Prince, reporting that there is a presence of humans near the fort.
Even though it’s the heart of the Demon Lord Kingdom…
“What reason do you have to believe it’s humans?”
“While we’ve sensed a weak magical power, the decisive factor is the footprints, Your Highness.”
Virosa responds diligently.
“There are footprints around the fort that are different from the goblins. They appear to be bare feet with no shoes, and it gives the impression that they are careless about hiding their tracks. Considering the width, shape, and size of the toes, it’s highly likely they belong to humans.”
Elves have narrow feet, dwarves have wider ones, and beastmen generally have less surface contact. Humans and demons are similar, being average.
The footprints were “average.” The lack of shoes and the presence of magical energy perceived from outside the fort led us to determine they likely weren’t demons.
So, by the process of elimination, humans seem the most probable.
For now, I decided to move closer to the fort with my entourage, including the beastman village chief as the on-site commander.
As we approached, I realized it was quite large… It seemed like it could hold around 500 people.
The stone walls bore scars, burn marks, and cracks from the fierce sieges of the past, with one side nearly crumbled. …It might be easier to enter from there than through the main entrance.
“From the smell and the heat emanating, there are likely many goblins inside. However, it’s surprisingly quiet; they seem to be waiting without making a sound.”
Virosa whispered an explanation behind me.
“Even goblins can’t stay quiet during military operations, so their silence is unusual. The goblins wandering the forest also showed unnatural behavior. It’s highly likely they’ve been subjected to brainwashing or charm spells.”
“So, you think the one inside is a spellcaster?”
“Probably. Their magical power is weak compared to demons, but they seem to have reasonable strength for a human. Specifically, it feels around this level.”
Virosa scattered her magic energy moderately and demonstrated the strength she sensed.
“Impressive…”
Since magical strength is a subjective feeling, it’s hard to convey verbally. But this demonstration made it immediately clear. My admiration turned to disbelief.
Above the average for a Night Elf, slightly weaker than a minor demon. For a human, it certainly indicates a decent level of magical strength.
“Could they be a runaway slave?”
――If the one inside is truly a human.
If they are someone with guts working in the Demon Lord’s domain, I want to cheer them on and give them a free pass.
However, there are too many reliable companions around me to act recklessly.
‘It would be difficult to find an excuse to let them go.’
Right…
As the Demon Lord’s Prince, I can’t back down here.
“Even if they’re a runaway slave, it’s still puzzling. If they’re a magician, they would be managed very strictly… And it seems strange that they would hide their tracks in such a careless manner if they managed to escape.”
Sophia pointed out.
“Plus, if they were on the run, they should have dealt with the beastmen and then moved quickly, wary of pursuers. It’s puzzling why they would still linger in the fort.”
“Indeed… Garunya, have you noticed anything?”
I casually threw the question out.
“…Uh, I’m sorry, but not really…”
Why am I the one being asked?! I’m just a burden here! Garunya made an unmistakable face that seemed to say there are more reliable people around! By the way, she’s carrying Liliana, who is a backup in case of injuries but is slow to move due to her missing limbs.
So, this is how it ended up. Garunya is really strong, so carrying just Liliana is no issue.
And regardless of Garunya’s thoughts, it seems Liliana has warmed up quite a bit to her.
“What do you think, Liliana?”
“…Wow?”
Since we were speaking softly, it seems she understood she shouldn’t make a sound. Liliana tilted her head softly. The beastman village chief looked at her as if he was puzzled, thinking, “I can understand the others, but what’s up with this one…?”
Anyway, it can’t be helped.
“We don’t know the opponent’s identity, where they come from, or their purpose, but for now, we have no choice but to take a shot at it.”
In response to my conclusion, everyone nodded as if it were obvious.
Everyone remained calm, showing no signs of tension. They seemed to think a moderately skilled human magician wouldn’t pose a threat against a horde of goblins.
The village chief, who claimed to have turned back due to a premonition, now seemed to feel embarrassed. While it wasn’t wrong considering beastmen tend to have low magical resistance…
“Are you ready?”
I asked as we transformed human soldiers’ bones into spears with obsidian tips.
Everyone, except Garunya, who was carrying Liliana, readied their weapons. All the servants had undergone training, making them much stronger than average soldiers.
“I’ll join in this form,” Virosa said, transforming into her human state and drawing her sword. She entered Sword Saint mode. I didn’t feel like we would lose to anything that showed up… It was certain that whatever was inside the fort wouldn’t get out alive.
“So, what’s the combat plan, Your Highness?”
I looked at the fort’s gate and replied.
“We’ll split into two groups.”
“Me and those good at close combat will smash through the fort’s main gate. Our goal is to take down the suspected spellcasting human. Those skilled in projectile weapons will wait outside with the hunters at that crumbled wall. When the charm wears off, the goblins will likely rush out, so be ready to take them down without hesitation.”
If I were really being thorough— I could have had my subordinates who use fire magic attack to flush them out. However, that felt too timid for just one goblin and a spellcaster.
No one opposed my safe strategy, and the hunter group quickly moved with their bows ready.
“Let’s go.”
The breaching team also closed the distance directly toward the fort’s main gate.
A heavy metal door. It must have once been imbued with powerful protective magic, but it was now rusty and worn down. Now, it was just a solid piece of metal—
And nothing could stop a “Sword Saint.”
“Virosa.”
“Understood.”
With a sudden, unnatural acceleration, Virosa stepped in and flashed her hand blade.
A clear ringing sound echoed sharply. Any careful listener would have recognized that it was the sound of multiple layered slashes.
The main gate crumbled into pieces.
Its cross-section was terrifyingly smooth. I felt like I could see my own face reflected back from it.
From the exposed entrance of the fort, an awful stench wafted out. It was a putrid smell, sour and pungent, intensified by the beast-like odor—
Ah, it was a scent I had smelled many times on the battlefield.
In the darkness, multiple yellow eyes glowed.
In the hall inside the fort, small figures lined up neatly.
Veins bulged on their green skin, stout bodies, and yellowed fangs protruded from their mouths.
They were goblins. It was the first time I had seen them so well-behaved and lined up. As soon as they recognized our presence, they lunged at us without a single vocalization.
“I see, this is abnormal.”
I muttered while taking down one goblin with a spear thrust. Goblins are usually noisy creatures. Yet, here they were, silent, looking as if they were blankly staring into a daydream.
“I’m glad I brought a spear.”
Next to me, Sophia effortlessly wielded a portable magical spear similar to Platy’s. Indeed, maintaining distance with a spear proved convenient in such situations. It made it less likely to be splattered with blood.
The Night Elves and the beastmen maids, armed with short-range weapons like knives and knuckles, looked quite uncomfortable. Garunya, standing by with Liliana, wore a slightly relieved yet apologetic and pitiful expression that made me laugh.
Amid all this, Virosa stood apart.
Her agile Night Elf movements and human swordsmanship combined beautifully. She zipped silently between the goblins, and with a pause, her poor prey fell, exposing their sharp insides.
While Sophia and I took down a few, more than ten goblins had already sunk into pools of blood.
Virosa almost single-handedly wiped out the goblins in the hall, standing vigilant without even a speck of blood on her sword.
“…This is strange.”
Sophia remarked, gazing at the goblin corpses.
“They are unusually emaciated. They seem close to starving.”
Looking closely at the goblins that Virosa had slashed, it was indeed apparent their bodies had become skeletal.
Goblins have simpler internal structures compared to humans—hence they can’t be used for teleportation spells due to misplaced organs and injuries. But still, it was a bizarrely emaciated impression.
Almost as if they had their nutrients drained by something—
“I thought it was rather noisy.”
Suddenly, a metallic grinding voice echoed.
“You have quite a lively bunch visiting.”
It came from the back of the square, near a spiral staircase.
I could hear soft footsteps. Someone was coming down from above.
Everyone gathered around me. Leading was Virosa, who wielded her sword, while Sophia and Viene stood as shields, with Garunya guarding the back, carrying Liliana.
Eventually, the owner of the voice appeared.
They appeared human, with translucent white skin and scarcely wrapped in a piece of cloth. Their golden eyes gleamed brightly.
However, there was a strikingly different point.
――They had horns.
Not like the ominous, curling horns of demons or the devil-like horns on the forehead.
Two horns flowed from their temples to the back. That angle… I felt I recognized it from somewhere—
“This is bad.”
Virosa whispered.
“You seem like quite the meal. You have good magical power; this is perfect.”
That white figure licked its lips.
“Become my sustenance.”
With a wide-open mouth.
Their figure swayed—
And inflated.
The magical energy exploded. The illusion of a human form was shed, reclaiming its true power.
What emerged was a gigantic creature covered in silver scales—
A dragon.
And not just any dragon, this color of scales was light attributed—
“—A WHITE DRAGON!?”
No way, how could this— a transformation magic— no, but still, why…!
Why here, in the Demon Lord Kingdom!?
“—GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”
Amidst the roar that drowned out my questions, a torrent of light burst forth.
The dragon’s breath, the ultimate weapon of the dragon tribe, crashed directly toward us.