Chapter 874 – Interlude ~ the Nature of the Demon Princess ~
Somewhere in the demon realm with a dense forest around.
In a place full of life energy for a demon spirit, a huge beast with a deer-like appearance was facing three demon women.
“… Okay. In such a situation, it would be right to help the demons… It may not be enough, but I will lend you my strength…”
No matter how dry the land of the Demon Spirit is, it is a vast continent equivalent to 1/3 of Essentia.
The places where the power of the World Tree does not reach are only part of the continent.
Although it is not as full of life as the human realm. Still, if you look at the ratio, places with natural greenery have a higher rate than dry places.
Among them, there was bound to be a place with enough pure energy for a divine beast to settle down.
“But this is only to reduce the sacrifices of the demons… We will take our hands off the moment the humans retreat.”
“That is enough. Just protecting us would be a great help.”
“Okay… Then, I will accept the contract you proposed.”
Let’s settle down in a place with such clear energy. A divine beast that was taking it as its own territory.
Shinsoo, who was offered a contract by four demons who came to him, accepted the demons’ offer with a mysterious voice.
When Shinsu nodded her head, the woman called the princess of the demons approached him and held out her hand.
As Astaroth muttered something, something like a colorful magic circle appeared beneath her and her sacred beast.
“… This concludes the contract. The deadline is until the war with humans ends…”
“Okay…”
“Then, Shinnok, Shinsu. According to the contract with me, Astaroth, the queen of the demons, protect the demons and drive out humans from the demon realm.”
“Of course. It’s too bad for the demons to let them go extinct like this…”
I don’t know what the contract is. At the same time as the magic circle disappears, Astaroth and the Divine Beast have a strange light twinkling in their eyes.
As the light faded, Astaroth commanded her divine beast as if it were her own subordinate.
A divine beast named Shinnok appears to be not at all offended by Astaroth’s command, nodding his head normally and turning around.
And as if I had something to say before I go. Shinnok looked back at Astaroth and sighed.
“It’s truly unfortunate. A combination of small mistakes and misunderstandings led to this situation…”
“… I see…”
“It’s already happened, so there’s nothing we can do about it. Still, it can’t continue like this. Since you are a wise child, I believe you will solve it well.”
“Yes. “I will try.”
After nodding his head to Astaroth, who bows towards him, Shinnok lightly steps his foot, creating a breeze.
While the wind was blowing around Shinnok, Shinnok looked at Astaroth and the others as if he remembered something else.
“I wish it was just my mood, but I’ve been feeling an ominous energy inside the Demon Territory for some time now. Just in case, be careful when going inside.”
As soon as he finished those words, the fresh greenery magically disappeared, wrapped in leaves blowing in the wind.
As the fresh green disappeared and the wind died down, the woman holding the parasol behind Astaroth clicked her tongue in annoyance.
“Tsk. Anyway, these old-timers… They said they were going to help anyway. “You always add unnecessary words.”
“… Sophia. It’s help for almost nothing in return. “You can at least listen to my nagging, right?”
“Isn’t it true that every divine beast you meet nags you like that? Really, just listening to it makes me really irritated. “I feel like my blood is rushing backwards~”
Although he was maintaining a serious expression just a moment ago. A demon named Sophia who looks irritated as if she can’t bear it anymore.
When the tall woman next to her spoke with a wry smile, she grumbled, showing her long molars.
“But with this, we have secured five new beasts… Yes. “I still have some new beasts left to meet, but I guess it’s worth trying now, right?”
“It seems like everyone is taking action more easily than expected… Do you think this war is that dangerous for us demons?”
“Usually they say you should take care of your own business… But I don’t know what those old bastards are thinking.”
Compared to humans, we are not young at all.
Nevertheless, Astaroth’s companions shake their heads and grumble as if they do not understand the attitude of the divine beasts.
Except for Astaroth, who is still staring blankly at the place where the divine beast disappeared. The three demons continued their story.
“Anyway… For some reason, every divine beast you meet says strange things? What is this ominous energy?”
“I know? “I haven’t received any special reports other than the war… Did another dungeon appear somewhere?”
“If it’s inside here… Arachne, Yoma, Langma… And the innermost part was the territory of the Honma tribe, right?”
“There is no need to go into the territory of the Demon Tribe… But we were planning to visit the Demon Tribe or the Lang Demon Tribe anyway. “I’d better look into it while I’m stopping by.”
Blood demons, demons, lang demons.
The heads of three tribes volunteered to protect Astaroth, who was the representative of the demons.
They were chosen as Astaroth’s bodyguards because they were of the same gender and had excellent fighting skills. They were scheduled to stop by their tribe while traveling around to persuade the divine beast.
I don’t know what the ominous energy means. Speaking of the inside here, there are demons and langomas, so there must be some related information.
The three demon women nodded while thinking so, and asked Astaroth who quietly approached them, as if to confirm the story they had just decided.
“Princess. Did you hear?”
“Yes. Let’s do that. The divine beasts would not have said unnecessary things…”
“… Hey. Aren’t we being too polite when we’re alone? Just take it easy.”
When Astaroth answered with a calm expression, the blood demon woman called Sophia spoke with an expression as if she had no reason to do such a thing.
Then, as if she had been waiting for that, Astaroth immediately put on a helpless expression and clung to the tailed woman next to her.
“Hey~ I’m tired~ I want to go back to the castle and rest~”
“Really… You girl. “I’m living like a princess.”
She makes a cute voice as if she is making a fuss at the male. Astaroth rubbing his cheek against the arm of the tailed woman hugging him.
The three demon women who saw Astaroth smiled as if they were seeing something they always saw.
“This fool is now our demon princess. “It’s really amazing every time.”
“It was something I could never have imagined when I was young. How did she become a princess?”
“Alberto will be very surprised when he sees this… He doesn’t know the princess when she was young…”
These are people who have interacted with Astaroth since she was young. Three demons who know her hidden nature.
When the girls laughed as if they were having fun, Astaroth puffed out his cheeks and started grumbling in a cutesy way.
“What, everyone~ How do I look now? “Isn’t the princess’s lively appearance cute?”
“Look at what this bitch says. “You say it’s cute that you sleep with your own mouth?”
“Well, it sure looks cute on the outside… But it’s a little too dark on the inside~”
“What’s so black~ I’m a princess who is pure white not only on the outside but also on the inside~?”
“Are you wearing black clothes now? Please say those words while wearing white clothes, princess~”
Are they that close to each other? The women laugh and talk, but then burst into laughter.
After chatting happily for a while, the four demons began talking about their next move with smiles on their faces.
“Then, did you say that the next divine beast is… The top of a mountain beyond the Arachne territory?”
“Oh, I hate it~ It’s the top of a mountain. Can’t we just leave out that divine beast~?”
“No, princess~ There are not many divine beasts left in the Demon Territory~ You have to meet them all one by one~”
“When are you going to go up there~ I just hate having my feet hurt~ … Ah. If we just set fire to the mountain, wouldn’t it come down on its own?”
“If that were the case, instead of helping, you would have hindered other divine beasts from helping me?”
“Ha. It’s annoying… I feel like if I go up and get rejected, I won’t be able to resist and will just seduce him~”
Astaroth grumbles with a dissatisfied expression, as if he doesn’t like his next destination.
But perhaps he knew that he had to go, and he let out a loud sigh. Astaroth clung to the back of the woman next to him with an expression as if there was nothing he could do.
“Zapira~ It’s hard for me to climb the mountain~ Will you give me a piggyback ride?”
“Anyway, the princess… Well, if it seems like it’s going to be difficult, I’ll think about it.”
“Wow~ I love you Zafira~ As expected, Zafira is the best~”
It’s like it’s already starting even though we haven’t even started yet. Astaroth clings to Zafira’s back with the feeling of a child whining.
When I patted Astaroth and carried him on my back, Sophia, who was watching quietly, pinched Astaroth’s cheek.
“Anyway, this girl… The further you go, the more lazily she becomes…”
“Hehe…”
“You know you shouldn’t show up like this to high-level demons, right? As soon as you see the carriage, come down.”
“Yes~ I understand~”
After confirming that she had no intention of leaving Zafira’s back, Sophia let go of her hand that was pinching her cheek with an expression of helplessness.
One person carried the demon princess on his back. The four demon women, the heads of each tribe, began moving toward the carriage with the higher-ranking demons a little distance away.
“…Ha,~ I miss Ferragus~ I just want to go to the border to meet Ferragus~”
“If we do that, Ferragus will try to kill us…? “I brought you to a dangerous place.”
“What on earth is so good about such a scoundrel? Even though I know our princess’s tastes, I don’t know~”
“Why~? “How cool is Ferragus? Last time he came back for a while, there was a gift he gave me…”
It felt like high school girls having a conversation. Demon women cackling happily while revealing their hidden true natures.
Without knowing what is waiting for them where they are heading.
In this way, the demon princess and the three females who followed her headed toward the inside of the demon territory without any tension.
